Google invades your privacy...and you are surprised?

Everybody stumbles in figuring out what is the right set of "social networking" features. Its scarier with Google because it holds so much of your information.

Google Reader introduced a feature recently which shares your shared blog subscription items with everyone in your google talk list. The slashdot discussion is here. I am glad I never switched to Google Reader from Bloglines. Its good to sometimes not be over zealous in adding half-baked "features".

Taare Zameen Par - A Review

2007 was marked with mostly usual (read crappy) unremarkable masala movies in bollywood, some small budget movies with substance but the only one that also got audience revved up was King Khan, Shah Rukh's "Chak De India"...Well, until Aamir Khan's "Taare Zameen Par" was released in December. It not only met but also exceeded my expectations. The subject of the movie was very apt for the current state of our Indian society. It shows how parents, in the race of making sure their kids achieve the best in every field, forget that every kid is different. They are not to be treated like race horses. The movie says that these individual stars, have their own way of learning, and if special attention is not paid to their individual needs, these stars might get lost in this world.

The Plot in brief

The story revolves around younger brother, Ishaan, of an over-achieving older brother. Ishaan is dyslexic but the people around him don't seem to get the pattern and think of him as a duffer, an idiot. Thinking that boarding school is the right "treatment" for his under achievements in the school, his parents send him away. Aamir, the substitute art teacher, identifies his learning disability and works with him to overcome that hurdle.

The topic is very delicately handled with much attention paid to every detail. The music, composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and written by Prasoon Joshi, just propels the movie forward and absolutely captures the mood. The movie shows an important message for every parent without being didactic. The story is written by Amole Gupte and the editor of the movie is his wife, Deepa Bhatia. Darsheel Safary, who plays dyslexic Ishaan, has done a praiseworthy role.

The beginning part of the movie shows the school life in India, which I am sure, everyone who has grown up in India will be able to identify with. The movie gripped me from the beginning to the end and I was touched by the story. Hats off to the first time director Aamir Khan. It is a must-watch.