Then again, who am I to trifle with the institution of FPMBF?

You know how you can get all caught up in the fiddly little details of life, or work yourself into a tizzy over groundless unknown things, and lose track of the big picture, and then all of a sudden something reminds you in a heartbeat of what's truly important? I love when that happens.

Thanks to a tip from alert reader Haley, I refreshed my long-dormant subscription to the BBC Film Café podcast to hear what Akshaye had to say for himself. And in all honesty, I was smitten all over again. Sensible, calm, confident but grounded and assuming, neither evasive nor exhibitionist. He actually said very little, but he said it so beautifully. Usually I am not a fan of saying very little, but there was something about how he spoke that struck me as so honest and uncomplicated - someone asked him some questions, and he responded, without compromising anyone else in his answers. And oh my stars, the man has a lovely speaking voice. And - how shall I say this without sounding like some sort of deranged memsahib fetishist? - the combination of that silky warm accent and gentle voice and flawless English* is Fish Called Wanda and then some.

Damn.

* Yes, of course I know millions of people in India have flawless English, but please remember that I have never heard him use his before. Also, when you know people from their work in movies that mostly use Hindi, but you have to rely on subtitles, it's easy to get the impression that in fact no one in India has a firm grasp of English. It's a very unfair impression, and not one anyone with half a brain would ever hold when they stop to think about it, but when the shiny pictures go flying along with the ridiculous text, that's what happens. And anyway, very few people speak flawlessly in interviews. Or in blogs, for that matter.