What: Kumari Loves a Monster by Rashmi Ruth Devadasan and illustrations by Shyam (Blaft Publications), available online, Rs 395.

Why: Place a hulk order for this mad-awesome picture and poetry book featuring sexy illustrations of buxom sari-clad women who have ogres, demons and freaks for boyfriends. So bad boys do get all the action! 

When: You want a piece of Monster’s Ink.

bpb Contest: Recommend your favourite movie to rent in the comments section of this story and win cool world cinema DVDs from Lumiere Movies. Don’t forget to leave your email address!

bpb gets Bollywood’s young brigade – actors, filmmakers, writers – to recommend the movies they love to rent for a night in. Tuck this list under your pillow; you’re going to need it after all that December action.

Take 50.

Danish Aslam, director, Break Ke Baad

Closer: One of the most brutally real movies about how f***ed up relationships can be, ever to be committed on celluloid. Particularly the scene between Clive Owen and Julia Roberts (you know which one I'm talking about). It makes you cringe, squirm, writhe and applaud all at the same time. And it ends with: “That's the spirit. Thank you. Thank you for your honesty. Now f*** off and die, you f****d up slag.”
Director: Mike Nichols; genre: romance / drama

500 Days of Summer: I challenge anyone not to have a smile on their faces in the scene when Joseph Gordon-Levitt walks through the streets after the first time he has sex with Zooey Deschanel. The movie is inventive, lovable, bright and so very beautifully written.
Director: Marc Webb; genre: romance

The Prestige: It's really tough to choose just one from Christopher Nolan's body of work, but I think this one wins simply because of the strength of the writing alone. Inception bent your mind because of the premise and the world that it created. Prestige does the same but sets it in a real world with real people with very dark motives and a screenplay that creeps up behind you and knocks you down only to leave you wanting to watch it all over again, just as soon as it gets over.
Director: Christopher Nolan; genre: drama

Children of Men: I wanted to choose all the movies of all of the directors from the Nuevo Wave (Meirelles, Inarritu, Salles). But since that would be a long list on its own, I've settled for one of Cuaron's best and, for that matter, one of anybody's best in terms of cinematography and just sheer visual brilliance. The gripping dystopian tale of the future with some brilliant performances by the likes of Clive Owen.
Director: Alfonso Cuaron; genre: drama

Once: There are so many love stories that are told well, but the ones that stay with you without you even realising it are usually the simplest ones. This is one of those "little-movies-that-could" that make you go all teary-eyed through the smiles. Made on a shoestring budget of $160,000 this movie goes to prove that you don't need big money or bigger stars to make beautiful movies.
Director: John Carney; genre: romance

***

Vishesh Bhatt, creative producer / writer, Jannat

Apocalypse Now: For the most convincing antagonist ever played in a movie (Marlon Brando). It’s like Dante’s Inferno in Vietnam.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola; genre: drama/war

Lady in the Water: A fantastical fairy tale that works with child-like mystery rather than cool (and convenient) visuals of an acid trip.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan; genre: fantasy

Gangster: An epic tragedy.
Director: Anurag Basu; genre: drama

Terminator 2: Because it confronts change, and it inspired me to get my very own pet cyborg.
Director: James Cameron; genre: sci-fi

The Dreamers: Provocative. Love it and / or hate it. Your choice.
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci; genre: drama

bpb’s guide to going gaga over Goa. Get comfortable, it’s an epic Baga.

A big shout out to our contributors: Deveshe Dutt, DJ Phase~Shift, Jehan Driver,  Manjari Verma and Avani Patel, Pratiti Basu-Chanard and Johanna Viande, Shaana Gwynne, Swaati Langeh, Vikrant Chheda, Vineeta Nair, Nachiket Shetye, Janit Gambhir, Akshai Sarin, Cyrus Aga, Miriam Strehlau.

What to Pack - Don’t Be A Duffle!

Beach bag: Big enough to fit your life in, psychedelically Goa-worthy and insanely practical – on these rewritable bags you can list errands, your sightseeing list or your hotel address, just in case you’re too inebriated later to remember where you live. Pylones @ Taabir, Grand Galleria Mall, Phoenix Mills, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, call 66626704, Rs 800.

Beach towels: Big, comfy towels in bright colours that will perfectly offset your newly acquired tan. Surprise @2, Kohinoor, 29 Hughes Road, call 32972125, start at Rs 55o.

Feline sunglasses: With these, you’ll be the hottest cat under the sun. We especially love the silver-tipped, elongated version. Bungalow 8, 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor, Grants Building, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, call 22819880, Rs 3,500.

Flip-flops: Fun pairs by brands like Juicy Couture, and cheap enough that you won’t mind wearing them in the sand. Dark Waters, H20, Pali Naka, next to Totos Garage Pub, Bandra (W), call 9821445176, start at Rs 450.

Travel Designer: Put your Goa trip in the hands of adrenaline junkie Jehan Driver and he’ll organise everything from accommodation and adventure sports to local cuisine sampling. Call Quest Adventures at 9820367412, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.konkanexplorer.com, start at Rs 3,000 per person/per day.

Swimwear: This newly launched online lingerie store has a nice collection of bikinis and one-piece suits from international labels. Dive right in! Visit www.strapsandstrings.com, start at Rs 3,000.

Suitcase: Just packing up these happy trolleys, stamped with airplanes and bright star bursts, will make you feel like you’re on vacation. A good source of therapy for when you’re stuck in Bombay. Call Priya Bohra on 9820374284 or view the Facebook group here, start at Rs 2,000.

Stay: Shack Up

Alila Diwa: With its infinity pool, long (and well-stocked) bar, and chilled out vibe, this swanky boutique hotel on Majorda Beach is one of our favorite places to stay at in Goa. 48/10 Village Majorda, Adao Waddo, Salcette, visit www.alilahotels.com/diwagoa, start at Rs 36,000 per couple, for a four day and three night package.

Amarya Shamiana: Amarya’s four air-conditioned, wi-fi enabled tent suites – calm white pavilions with brightly hued, baroque-styled insides – are probably the prettiest in Goa. Ashwem Beach, next to La Plage restaurant, Mandrem, North Goa, call 0 (832) 6515136 or visit www.amaryagroup.com, start at Rs 5,500 per night.

What: bpb’s Goa trail – Elsewhere, near Calangute, call 09870011500 or visit http://www.aseascape.com, start at Rs 32,000 a week; Cantare, Calangute, ask for Maurice; Cook in a Goan home, call Felix on 09822180904, pick up from Calangute, Baga and Candolim, Rs 1,500 per person.

Why: Avoid the tourist crowd that flocks to Goa this time of the year and follow bpb’s secret trail instead, living in a tent resort that doesn’t have an address, haunting a hidden new bar, and learning to cook authentic vindaloo in a Goan house.

Note: Also check out our list of over 90 recommendations on where to eat, shop and stay in Goa.

When: You want an epic sized Baga.

What: Coffee Block cups from Love Form, call Arushi on 09818981677 or log on to www.loveform.in, also available at Attic and Loose Ends, Rs 200. 

Why: You’re so square, but baby we don’t care! bpb’s sending some sugar to Love Form’s sexy, cube-shaped coffee mugs with copper spoons for handles.

When: You need to drink straight.

What: Happy Socks for men and women, to order call + 91 917 6651557 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for catalogue, also available in Mumbai ( Bombay Electric) and at multiple outlets in Chennai, free shipping nationally, start at Rs 699.

Why: Conceived as a reaction to bleak cloudy days in Sweden, Happy Socks’ pick-me-up technicoloured tubes, knee-highs and tights are perfect for when your feet have hit sock bottom. We glove dotted and batik versions.

When: You need your best foot forwarded.

The fourth edition of bpb Boombox is here (and a little queer). This month, sing along with Belle and Sebastian, She and Him, Pets and Boys. No, there's no November Rain in our line-up; we've had plenty of that already, thank you.

Download the podcast or hear online hear - happy listening!

Gimme Sympathy - Metric
Lay Me Down - The Frames
Love Etc - Pet Shop Boys
If A Song Could Get Me You - Marit Larsen
Friends - Band of Skulls
Piazza, New York Catcher - Belle & Sebastian
Follow You Down - Gin Blossoms
Half of My Heart - John Mayer ft. Taylor Swift
Thieves - She & Me
Good Day - Nappy Roots

Big shout out to subscriber Aishwarya Chhettri for Boombox suggestions. Have a favourite song? Send us your recommendations at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and if we love them, we’ll add them to next month’s track record!

Four authors from the Literature Live Fest collaborate on a reading list just for you. Pile on!

Anil Dharker, columnist and author of Sorry, Not Ready

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh

What: Wild life vacations by Jungle Lore, call 9987126233 / 9833246740, visit  www.junglelore.net or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Rs 9,800 for Ranthambore trip (includes 2 night-3 day stay, park entry fee, transfers and internal transport).
 
Why: Sign up for one of Jungle Lore’s wildlife vacations -  Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore, Gir, Bahartpur, Tadoba - and you can send home a postcard with tails of feral rides, bird brains, tribal dances, luxury tent stays, vine-swinging and tiger spotting (wanna Corbett on that?). Large groups are accompanied by local naturalists and conservationists, and they customise individual trips too. 

When: Next trip to Ranthambore from December 8 to 12.

What: Fat Beds from Chrome Hotel Kolkata, to order email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , available in Fat King, Fat Queen and Fat Solo sizes, start at Rs 35,000, shipped nationally.

Why: Earn some serious bed-cred with these super luxurious cloud-like mattresses especially sourced by a cool Kolkata hotel. On your back, get set, go!

When: You want motee, kapda aur makaan.