Google Video in India

Google Video is soon catching up with everyone it seems. 7 out of 10 video links that i get from my friends are hosted on google video. but how do i access them when the service is not available in india? i couldn't, until a few weeks ago. one of my friends then told me a way for indians to view the google videos. i was of the impression that i was the last to find this trick out, but yesterday i met someone who was very happy to know it from me. i thought i will share it with some more people.

1. Click the google video link sent to you by others.
   eg: miandad's frog jump.
   you may get a message that the service is not available in your country. don't despair.
2. Click "Put on site" link at the top-right corner of the web page. a text box with some text will become visible right below the "Put on site" link. copy the entire text from the text box(place the cursor in the text box, press Ctrl-A and then press Ctrl-C) and paste it in your favourite text editor.
3. Search for the text "src=" in the pasted text. select everything between the quotes(") of src attribute and copy it.
   for eg: <embed ------ src="phpfrkdjngjfuelfgvf" -------->
   here select and copy -> phpfrkdjngjfuelfgvf
4. Paste the copied text in the address bar of your browser. hit 'Go'(or press ENTER) and enjoy!!

Share it with your other friends.

Update1: when i first started using this some 3 weeks ago, many people had complained that they don't see any "Put on site" link. i was surprised to find some people getting it and some people not getting the link. i was able to find it until one day before i blogged about it here. i don't see it anymore. i am searching for other ways to achieve the same; until then, see if the following link helps:

Download Google Video

Update2: check this for interesting indian videos from google video:

Google Videos - India

Update3: seems that google video is now available in india...atleast partially. i was able to play all the videos that i have tried - just go to http://video.google.com and select a video. or test with this: Penn & Teller on Golf. More info: Google Video Now Available in India

Celebrity gets punished

finally we see a celebrity being made to pay for what he has done. sanjay dutt's case was all wilderness and confusion, and so were many others, but the transparent handling of salman khan's case should regain the trust of common man in the indian judiciary system. salman khan seems to be keen to knock the doors of higher courts as the next step, but i don't see anything dramatic to happen over there, so some amount of punishment for him looks like a certainty now. it should keep other celebrities on their toes and make them careful and alert about the consequences, before they even think about getting casual with the law of the land.

PVR Cinemas ain't that impressive

whenever i used to pass through the Panjagutta X Roads, i would eagerly search for some kind of a board sign hung up somewhere over the Hyderabad Central Mall, announcing that PVR Cinemas are now open. the construction had been in progress for some time, and there weren't too many other multiplexes in the city(only one - Prasads) . one morning, when i read in the paper that it is finally open and playing three of the latest movies, i quickly searched if they are playing any of the watchable movies. there was Narnia, and that closed the deal for me.

God concurred with my wish to check out the multiplex that very day itself by cancelling my afternoon classes, which allowed me to run to the theater on a mere 20 min notice. recently opened theater meant tickets were available quite abundantly, but i suddenly felt a big hole forming in my pocket, with one ticket costing Rs.90. before someone who is not living in hyderabad starts frowning at me, let me add that the tickets here cost a maximum of Rs.35, only prasads charging more than that at Rs.60 per ticket(they have changed the rules: Rs.100 per ticket for the first two weeks of a movie release). i did not mind it though, hoping for a real return-of-value experience of watching the movie. but dampener straightaway: the theater being in a commercial complex, created a lot of problems for me to reach the fifth floor, after going round and round with no signs in sight, and with ill-placed moving stairs. 5 points deducted.

finally when i reached the correct place, i was welcomed by...a security personal? he checked me from top to bottom, before allowing me inside. i had to wait, as the cleaning work was in progress, which delayed the start of the show by 5 mins. i was already on a tight schedule - i had to get back in time for my evening classes. 5 more points deducted.

this was the moment i was waiting for...no worrying about the lost points...one breath-stopping visual from the blockbuster movie, with crystal clear sound effects, would make it all a part of the history. but wait...what is this? Nandi Awards? isn't the show already late to start? 5 more points deducted.

Finally. In the magical world of Narnia. One of my favourite fantasy series ever. the child actor immediately makes an impression, wins everyone's hearts. The girl, 'Lucy,' is the sole saving grace in the entire movie, apart from some innocent, rib tickling jokes. but we are digressing here...what about the visual quality, audio quality, and the ambience of the auditorium in general? everything was well below par. the visual quality, most important part of the movie watching experience according to many, was extremely disappointing. it was nowhere near the quality of Prasads. the screen height was longer than that of Prasads but the width was shorter. but importantly, the quality of projection was very poor. Prasads beats everyone hands down in this respect. sound was pathetic, as if i was watching a jarred, very old documentary that bore the brunt of more than a thousand prior screenings. the seats, though, were plush and comfortable. 20 more points deducted, 5 each for the above 3 points mentioned(if you are not getting your math right, 5 points have been secretly deducted for the outrageously priced menu, but let's that be a secret - i am not supposed to advertise my poverty here).

when i was just starting to suspect whether i have deducted too many points from PVR because of my own high expectations, i quickly discovered that i had been walking and walking and walking, but the exit path never seemed to be coming to an end. at last it did, but not before draining me out completely. there should have been a sign telling that atleast 5 gallons of fruit juice needs to be consumed before embarking on this seemingly never ending journey. do i need say more, 5 points deducted.

did i miss mentioning the cute end of the movie? the children come back to their uncle's home through the same wardrobe(through which they had left for Narnia), and exclaim to the professor that he wouldn't believe what they had been through if they tell him. the professor throws an object to them and challenges them: "Try Me!" And the credits roll.
5 more points deducted. (why? c'mon, after the terrible experience i have had, i don't need only legitimate reasons to deduct points from PVR Cinemas)

btw, did i remark that its website sucks big time too?!! try creating a new user on it and you will know what i am speaking about. in future, i might still visit this theater to watch an occasional movie - but only as a last resort.

Rang De Basanti: Colourful and Different

Rand De Basanti is supposed to be a revolutionary cinema and at the same time it tries to be entertaining too. it succeeds on both the accounts to a certain extent. the message of the film is simple: for india to awaken to the present day reality, a DHAMAKA in some form is needed today, just as a dhamaka was needed for the msg of bhagat singh & co to reach the british rulers of that age.

the film includes a lot of scenes recapturing the pre-indepence era and you are gonna love the art work and the cinematography in those parts. the rest of the film is very colourfully picturised. the music is its another asset, but only a few songs are retained at thier full lengths in the film. "tu bin bataye" is the most beautiful song, and the scene just before this song is the best scene of the film. the comedy in the film is passable.

the surprise package of the film is sidhart!! if you have watched him in some of the tamil/telugu films, then watch him in this one. he has got the most important role in the film and he did not fail to give the best performance. if not for sidhart's special performance in this film, i wouldn't have blogged about this movie. now i have made up my mind to watch his latest telugu flick, "Chukkallo Chandrudu."