'ye duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai' revisited

Piyush Mishra has carried forward from where Sahir had left-off. In his mesmerizing words he reminds what a worthless life it is and what worthless causes we are chasing at our own expense. He also makes a reference to Iqbal's sitaron ke aage jahan aur bhi hai beautifully.

 
O ri Duniya…
Surmayi aankhon ke pyaalo ki duniya
Satrangi rangon, gulaalo ki duniya
Alsaayi sejon ke phoolon ki duniya
Angdayi todey kabootar ki duniya
Karvat le soyi hakeekat ki duniya
Deevani hoti tabiyat ki duniya
Khwahish me lipti zaroorat ki duniya
Insaan ke sapno ki, niyat ki duniya

Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai

Mamta ki bikhri kahani ki duniya
Behno ki siski, jawani ki duniya
Aadam ke Havva se rishte ki duniya
Shayar ke pheeke lafzon ki duniya

Ghalib ke, Momin ke khwabon ki duniya
Mijaazon ke, un inquilabon ki duniya
Faiz, Firaq-O-Sahil-O-Makhdoom, Mir ki, Zauk ki, Daagon ki duniya

Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai…

Palchhin me baatein chali jati hain
Palchhin me raatein chali jati hain
Reh jata hai jo savera vo dhoonde
Jalte makaan me basera vo dhoonde
Jaisi bachi hai, vaisi ki vaisi bacha lo ye duniya
Apna samajhke, apno ke jaisi utha lo ye duniya
Chhut-put si baaton mein jalne lagegi, sambhalo ye duniya
Kat-pit ke raaton mein palne lagegi, sambhalo ye duniya

O ri duniya…

Vo kahey hai ki duniya ye itni nahi hai
Sitaron se aage jahan aur bhi hai
Yeh hum hi nahi hai, vahan aur bhi hai
Hamari har ek baat hoti vahin hai
Humey aitraaz nahi hai kahin bhi
Vo Aalim hai, Faazil hai, honge sahi hi
Magar falsafa ye bigad jata hai jo vo kehte hain
Aalim ye kehta vahan Eeshwar hai
Fazil ye kehta vahan Allah hai
Qatil ye kehta vahan Eesa hai
Manzil ye kehti tab insaan se ki
Tumhari hai tum hi sambhalo ye duniya
Yeh bujhte huay chand basi chiraagon
Tumhare ye kaale iraado ki duniya…

Raavan : Maoist Connection & Music Review

Have been listening to the music of Raavan non-stop. I had tweeted quite sometime back that rahman+gulzar = magic; and that's coming true again. The album has been an overwhelming experience with some fantastic and fresh sounds that haven't been heard before. Rahman's musical notes and Gulzar's thoughtful lyrics make for a great listening experience.

Let me start with the controversial topic of maoism/naxalism. Like Dil Se, Bombay and Roja, Mani Ratnam has picked up another socially relevant theme for the silverscreen. I loved his terror ravaged trilogy and this time around I am hoping that he has got it right again. The theme of naxalism is sprayed around by Gulzar in a strong yet poetic charm in two of the songs.

I shall first discuss the comical song Kata kata bechara bakra which is fun to begin with, but has the references to naxalites. The theme of the song is age-old, of a man getting married and hence being called 'bechara bakra' ready for the chopping block.

kata kata bechaara bakra kata kata bechaara
mana mana le khair maanale aakhari raat kuwaara

But soon after that follows these words :

dulhe miya dulhe miya dand-vand pelo
dulhe miya chhodo joru jhaarkhand le lo

The village folks ask the guy to do some body-building [dand-vand pelo]; forget about his wife and chase the cause of 'jharkhand'. Gulzar slips in the message with such subtlety. The song has a beautiful earthy feel with Sapna Avasthi and Ila Arun bringing the folk flavor. This is only the second time that Sapna Avasthi has sung for Rahman, 10 years after Chaiyya Chaiyya, and she still sounds as energetic as she was back then.

Since we all know that the movie is titled Raavan for a reason. And where there is Raavan, there has to be a Ram and Sita too. This melancholic song Behne De sounds like Ram's heart bleeding for Sita after she has been kidnapped by Raavan.

 

Umeed ko aag laga zara
Sehra ki pyaas bujha zara
Ghan itna baras ke galne lagoon
Mei paani ke upar tarne lagoon

A man missing his sweetheart very badly, that's what the song is about. It also speaks about the deep bonding and love between two inseparable beings. It has the feel of emptiness and is expressed beautifully in words.

Shart lagi hai mar jaane ki
Jeena hai toh pyaar mei
Dil kahin bhi ho mera
Jaan rakhi hai yaar mei
Behja behja hai saagar ka kehna
Behja behja hai nadiya ko behna

Coming back to the theme of naxalism, there is another song Thok De Killiwhich has been powerfully sung by Sukhwinder Singh. Its a scorn against the caste/class barrier, about the have's and have-nots. It first describes the condescending look that the upper caste/class people give to the downward trodden:

Sabko ghoore aankh dikhaye
Tanashahi kare daraye
Oh baakad billi hey

And then, the song goes on to say that no one has ever discussed the problems of people below poverty line.

Aaja milke baithe
Haal sunaave dil ka
Kela woh khaate hain
Humko phenke chilka chilka

The despair of being teased as 'backward' is brilliantly penned in the song. The instrumentation is fabulous and the drum beats are that of an uprising against this class/caste barrier.

Pichde pichde keh ke humko
Khoob udaye khilli dilli
Sehte sehte ab toh
Gardan ghar rakh kar jaate hai
Choti ho gayi kabren
Bin mundi hi mar jaate hain

The gross violence inflicted against the backward castes by the upper-caste is very well described in the last 3 lines of the above stanza. It speaks of the gruesome acts of terror where people are beheaded callously and the body being buried while heads are being tossed out. Such a painful act of violence has been put down so effectively. I am sure the movie will capture the essence of the song well.

sadiyon se chalata aaya hai
unch ninch ka lamba kissa
abb ki baar hisaab chuka le
chir ke le le apna hisaa
apna khun bhi laal hi hoga
khol ke dekh le gaal ki jhilli

And finally, the vengeful act of the maoist is spoken about. How they have decided to take law in their own hands and settle the score. The song will remain with you for long, that's for sure. This is one of the best songs of the movie, but unfortunately people will soon forget all the stanzas and only the start will be hummed.

Another song which will remain with you for long is Ranjha Ranjha Kardi Vey. A perfect song tailor-made for Rekha Bharadwaj to lend her vocals melodiously. Originally written and sung by Bulle Shah, we have had many versions of this including Abida Parveen's. Its a part of folk legends and this time Gulzar picks up this one.

Ranjha ranjha kardi vey mai
Aape ranjha hoyi

The song has a rustic rhythm and folksy feel to it. Rekha does complete justice to the song. Its a sad romantic song that describes the woes of love and the look out for that elusive lover who is nowhere to be seen.

Waqt katata bhi nahi
Waqt rukta bhi nahi
Dil hai sajde mei magar
Ishq jhukta bhi nahi

The pangs of separation is evident in the musical notes. And the soft singing adds to the sadness. Although I believe that Sonu could have done a better job because Khan has a hollow voice which does not emote much. There is no expression in his voice and that is one reason I have never been able to like Jashn-e-bahara song for Jodha-Akbar.

There is another romantic number Khili Re rendered by Renee Bharadwaj. That's the weakest song for me. Haven't liked it much until now.

Finally, I come to the new-age Raavan named Beera this time around. A naxalite out to fight against the system.

Beera ke dus maathe
Beera ke sau naam
Chhede jo beera ko
Dhama dham dham dham

The reference of dus-maathe could be about having a brilliant mind that does organizing, planning, plotting, communicating, executing the plan; all in one go. And the sau-naam would well be the many aliases that he is known by, just my guess of the interesting lyrics. The song has a lot of African drum-beats which gives it the much needed energy and aggression. At around 3 mins length, I felt it was short. I wished it was long 7-8 minute piece, but nope.

The album is a sure-shot success with great sounds, superb lyrics, fine instrumentation and some inspired singing. A great album indeed.

By the way, I got some clues on the storyline of the movie. If you can recall Khalnayak, its on those lines is what I can make of it. Madhuri Dixit aka Ganga is chsing Sanjay Dutt aka Ballu, while Ram is on the lookout for both. And when Ganga finally returns, she has to give her testimony in court to prove her innocence, much like Sita had to do after returning to Ayodhya. The difference is that, in Khalnayak , Ganga did not get kidnapped. In this movie, the leading lady gets nabbed by Beera. Another new addition is the presence of an emissary in the form of Govinda. This angle was not there in Khalnayak.

But I am sure it will not be this simple, Mani Ratnam definitely has some other plans; maybe a few twists in the storyline will make it interesting. Whatever it is, I am waiting for the movie to release. Desperate to watch it. Till then, let me immerse myself in the soundtrack of the movie.

Raavan Lyrics : Beera

Annkhon mei jaan
O ho ho o ho hohooo
Beera

Beera ke dus maathe
Beera ke sau naam
Chhede jo beera ko
Dhama dham dham dham

Beera Beera Beera Beera Beera

Arre beera uthti aandhi
Beera ek Toofan
Saanson mei ugli agni
Beera jalti jaan
Jalti jaan jalti jaan jalti jaan

Janam na pooche
Jaat na pooche
Poocho jo pehchan
Beera ka abhimaan hai
Abhimaan hai abhimaan hai Beera
Beera Beera Beera Beera Beera

Dhana dhan dhan dhana dhan dhan

Beera

Beera ke dus maathe
Beera ke sau naam
Chhede jo beera ko
Dhama dham dham dham

Beera Beera Beera Beera

Raavan Lyrics : Kata Kata Bechara Bakra

kata kata bechaara bakra
kata kata bechaara
mana mana le khair maanale
aakhari raat kuwaara
dhik dhik thaak dhin, jaaye na joru bin
joru abhi kamsin, kanya ko bulaao
dulhe miya dulhe miya dand vand pelo
dulhe miya chhodo joru jhaarkhand le lo
gaya gaya ek aur gaya re gaya gaya bechaara
mana mana le khair maanale, aakhari raat kuwaara

hawa pe chalti hai yeh chhori
paro se bhi halki hai re
dahi se bhi khatti hai suna hai
dahi bhi woh kal ki hai re
gaya gaya ek aur gaya re gaya gaya bechaara

dhik dhik thak dhin jaaye na be joru bin
joru abhi kamsin, kanya ko bulaao
dulhe miya dulhe miya dand vand pelo
dulhe miya chhodo joru jhaarkhand le lo

rang thaaro kaashani uthe rang chadhaave na
tu na kaalo na tu kaaga, kankar maare kaun abhaaga
une koyi daraave na...
gaya gaya ek aur gaya re gaya gaya bechaara
mana mana le khair maanale, aakhari raat kuwaara

woh na gori na anguri bohaari lagaaiyo na
jijo kyun banaave chaakar, jiji ganga bhari si gaagar
unke ke raani banaiyo haan...
kata kata bechaara bakara, kata kata bechaara
mana mana le khair maanale, aakhari raat kuwaara

chhoto koi devar hoye toh, chhaati laagiye
aur saas sasur ke aadar kije paye laagiye
jeth jethaani samjhaave toh maathe raakhijo re
aur nand sakhi saheli jaisi saath raakhije re
o chhori sun saath raakhije re....

dhik dhik thaak dhin, jaaye na joru bin
joru abhi kamsin, kanya ko bulaao
dulhe miya dulhe miya dand vand pelo
dulhe miya chhodo joru jhaarkhand le lo

hawa pe chalati hai yeh chhori, paro se bhi halaki hai re
dahi se bhi khatti hai suna hai, dahi bhi woh kal ki hai re
gaya gaya ek aur gaya re gaya gaya bechaara
mana mana le khair maanale, aakhari raat kuwaara
dhik dhik thaak dhin, jaaye na joru bin
joru abhi kamsin, kanya ko bulaao
badi beere badi beere shaadi jaldi karna
dulhe miya dulhe miya, godhi jaldi bharna
gaya gaya ek aur gaya re gaya gaya bechaara
mana mana le khair maanale, aakhari raat kuwaara

yeh gaya re gaya ek aur gaya
gaya gaya gaya gaya bechaara
ek aur ek aur ek aur gaya bechaara
ek aur gaya,  ek aur gaya, ek aur gaya bechaara
dhin tanak dhin...
dhol nagaade bajaake le gaya, dhun suna shahnaai
re dhole baja ke

Raavan Lyrics : Khili Re

khili re khili re
khili re khili re
raat ki raani
chumo sawariya phir se basuriya
bheeni baasuriya
honto se phuko re bheena badan mora
bheena bheena hai badan mora

aaja piya aaja
haathon se chhuna re surila badan mora
surila surila badan mora
aaja piya aaja

piya re piya re piya more aa
raat ki daari kab se jhur rahi hai re
daariyon ki godi bhar ja
saari raat mehki hai
saari raat behkegi
sej suhaani kar ja

hothon pe rakh ke phoonk basuriya
tan bar tan bhar ja
aaja re aaja samay abhi hai
kohare mei thehara hu

Raavan Lyrics : Behne De

Arre aankh se boond gira koi
Chingari ka tukda jala koi
Umeed ko aag laga zara
Sehra ki pyaas bujha zara

Umeed ko aag laga zara
Sehra ki pyaas bujha zara
Ghan itna baras ke galne lagoon
Mein paani ke upar tarne lagoon

Behne de mujhe behne de mujhe
Behne de mujhe behne de

Behne de ghangor ghata
Behne de paani ki tarah
Saagar mein jaa girna hai
Behne de nadiya ki tarah

Shart lagi hai mar jaane ki
Jeena hai toh pyaar mei
Dil kahin bhi ho mera
Jaan rakhi hai yaar mei
Behja behja hai saagar ka kehna
Behja behja hai nadiya ko behna

Patte se tapakti boond ki awaaz sunai di thi
Nadiya mein tapak aur gum ho ja
Beh gaya beh gaya jo reh gaya reh gaya
Beh gaya beh gaya jo reh gaya reh gaya
Behne de mujhe behene de mujhe
Behne de mujhe behene de

Mera pal-pal ang-ang bhar diya
Tuney jaan pe junoon saa kar diya
Mera hai kya jo main haar doon
Jaan teri hai tujh pe vaar doon
Doob gaye jo suna hai saare
Tere dere aate hain
Dil ko chulu mein bechare
Doobkiyan gotey khaate hain

Beh ja behja chal todh kinaare ko
Behja behja dhar le majhdhaare ko

Chingari udha ke raakh se
Ek boond gira ke aankh se
Chalne ka ishaara kar gaya

Kar gaya kar gaya sab bhar gaya bhar gaya
Kar gaya kar gaya sab bhar gaya bhar gaya
Behne de mujhe behene de mujhe
Behne de mujhe behene de

Raavan Lyrics : Ranjha Ranjha Kardi Vey

Ranjha ranjha kardi vey mai
Aape ranjha hoyi
Ranjha ranjha saddoni mainu
Heer na aakho koi

Ohh raanjha ranjha na kare heere
Jag badnami hoye
Patti patti jhar jawey
Par khusboo chup na hoye

Begunah pakda gaya yaaron
Ishq mein jakada gaya yaaron
Aankh ke dosh mein dil
Bewajah pakada gaya yaaron

Aankh se hatthi nahi
Are hatthi nahi are hatthi nahi

Sote sote bolta hoon
Kabhi bolte boltey sota hoon
Kya jaane kya hota hai
Kabhi jalti aag dadolta hoon
Ek baar toh aake dekhe wo
Bhi

Ranjha ranjha kardi vey mai
Aape ranjha hoyi
Ranjha ranjha saddoni mainu
Heer na aakhe koi

Ohhh raanjha ranjha na kare heere
Jag badnami hoey
Patti patti jhar jawey
Par khusboo chup na hoey

Jal ja jal ja ishq mei jal ja
Jale so kundan hoye
Jalti raakh lagaa le maathe
Lage toh chandan hoye
Ranjha ranjha kardi vey mai
Ranjha ranjha kardi vey mai
Aape ranjha hoyi
Ranjha ranjha saddoni mainu
Heer na aakhe koi

Waqt katata bhi nahi
Waqt rukta bhi nahi
Dil hai sajde mei magar
Ishq jhukta bhi nahi

Bina tere raatein... Arre raatein
Kyun lambi lagti hain
Kabhi tera gussa, teri baatein
Kyun achchi lagti hain
Yeh jalte koyele arre koyele
Ab rakhna mushkil hai

Heyy ranjha ranjha kardi vey mai
Aape ranjha hoyi
Ranjha ranjha saddoni mainu
Heer na aakhe koie

Ohhh raanjha ranjha na kare heere
Jag badnami hoey
Patti patti jhar jawey
Par khusboo chup na hoey

Jal ja jal ja ishq mein jal ja
Jale so kundan hoye
Jalti raakh lagaa le maathe
Lage toh chandan hoye

Chal... Chal junoon chalte rahe
Tu kahin thahre nahi
Dil agar aa bhi gaya
Woh tera sheher nahin

Bina tere saansein, arre saansein
Kahin khatam na ho jaye
Sabhi teri yaadein
Sabhi yaadein kahin bhasm na ho jaye

Sulagte koyele, arre koyele
Ab bujhna mushkil hai...
Ranjha ranjha kardi vey mai
Ranjha ranjha kardi vey mai
Aape ranjha hoyi
Ranjha ranjha saddoni mainu
Heer na aakhe koi

Raavan Lyrics : Thok Di Killi

Thok di killi
O thok di killi
Ki door nahi hai
Chalega dilli
Sabko ghoore aankh dikhaye
Tanashahi kare daraye
Oh baakad billi hey
Oh thok di killi

Ghuma de danda
Uda de gilli
Itraye vithraayee jab bhi
Hadh se aage zad mein aaye

Aankh mei kaala kajal
Oye naak mei natthii
Kaan mein jhumka
Paanv pehne bhijua or
Daaye baaye maare thumka

Aase paase sab ko ghoore
Dekhe or dikhaye tevar
Mujre ka nazrana maange
Heere panne naqdi jevar
Pichde pichde keh ke humko
Khoob udaye khilli dilli

Jhooti sacchi sehli
Thumri kajri jo bhi kehli
Humne ek tihayee li
Ghungroo chod kar chhat par
Tehli
Jhooti hai makkaar nachaiyya
Na koi mayi na koi maiyya
Koot koot ke kapat bhara hai
Be-taala tha tha tha thaiyya
Pichde pichde keh ke humko
Khoob udaye khilli dilli

Oh thok di killi
Oh thok di killi
Ki door nahin hai
Chalega dilli

Hey..hey

Raat ka maal, raaton ne loota
Chaand taaron ke guchche
Churaaye
Din nikalna tha, apna bhi nikla
Kis mein dum hai ki suraj bujhaye

Aaja milke baithe
Haal sunaave dil ka
Kela woh khaate hain
Humko phenke chilka chilka

Pichde pichde keh ke humko
Khoob udaye khilli dilli
Sehte sehte ab toh
Gardan ghar rakh kar jaate hai
Choti ho gayi kabren
Bin mundi hi mar jaate hain

sadiyon se chalata aaya hai
unch ninch ka lamba kissa
abb ki baar hisaab chuka le
chir ke le le apna hisaa
apna khun bhi laal hi hoga
khol ke dekh le gaal ki jhilli

Aishwarya Rai : Wardrobe Malfunction During 'Raavan' Audio Release

Date Night : Couple In Trouble

Yesterday was a rather lazy day, waiting for the impending IPL finals between CSK and MI. RCB was already out, and they ended up at No.3; thank God for that. So, I wasn't cheering for anyone. And we decided to go for a movie.


The traffic on road was sparse, and the drive to Fun Cinemas was pretty easy. We reached by 5.20pm and got the Gold tickets. The show was at 7.30pm, and that meant we had to spend 2 hrs meandering about the place.

We moved around the mall and got back just in time only to see that people were standing upright near the steps which led to the auditorium. Oh! the national anthem was being played. I was startled. So much respect for the anthem that people did not even deem it necessary to find their seats first, they just became a statue the moment they heard the anthem. In a way its good, but its also fake! The very same people spit on the roads, throw trash out of the car, drive haphazardly and make a mockery of the system; but here they were standing upright as the most respected citizens of the country. I am still surprised!

Ok, we took our seats and the movie began. It took a slow start with a boring american couple who are busy with work and kids and they don't find time for themselves. Hence, they come up with the concept of date-night whereby they go on a date once a week to re-ignite the old flames and add some enthusiasm to their lives.

On one such evening, they decide to try a new sea-food joint in Manhattan. The restaurant is full and with no advance bookings made, the Fosters are disappointed. Just when they think of going to another place, the staff announces a table for two for the TRIPLEHORNS.


Now, if the couple hadn't faked to be the TRIPLEHORNS, they would have been happier; I guess. But no, Mr.Foster claims to be Triplehorn and occupies the table. The Fosters had no idea that the Triplehorns are being hunted by the underworld don for having stolen a flash drive. From here onwards the movie is one hell of a fantastic ride. From being mistaken to be the Triplehorns to impersonating the Triplehorns, from not knowing what a flash-drive is, to boat-ride in Central Park at night to driving a swanky Audi and beating the $hit out of the car with high-speed police chases and car crashes and finally a pole dance in a shady club, the movie has it all.

The couple gets chased by police, by the detectives and by the underworld; while the real triplehorns have already taken a back-pack and disappeared. The laughter and joy is sustained throughout the movie. The couple finally come up with a plan which is a do-or-die.

Steve Carrel and Tina Fey are superb in the role of the Fosters. The chemistry and the physics is awesome between them. The funny lines don't end and neither does the action. Mark Wahlberg, as detective Holbroke, is pleasant in a shirtless friendly appearance. The movie had the jokes and the gags and what starts as a silly rom-com ends with hilarious dialogues and superb comedy. Don't miss this one.

Mai Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya

Mai Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya
Har Fikr Ko Dhuyen Mei Udata Chala Gaya

Barbaadiyon Ka Shok Manana Fazul Tha
Barbaadiyon Ka Jashn Manata Chala Gaya

Jo Mil Gaya Ussi Ko Muqaddar Samajh Liya
Jo Kho Gaya Mai Usko Bhulata Chala Gaya

Gham Aur Khushi Mein Farq Na Mehsoos Ho Jahan
Mai Dil Ko Uss Muqaam Pe Laata Chala Gaya

raavan : first teasers are out

great news upfront. here's the first poster of mani ratnam's new movie 'raavan'. abhishek is looking ominous with the turmeric smeared look. i just tweeted him about how this reminds about bigB in 'agneepath' when he enters the slum in a white suite and has 'kichad' on his face.



the audio release is on 24th april, another fantastic news. the music is by ar rahman and lyrics by gulzar. the track list is as follows:

Behene De – Karthik
Beera Beera – Vijay Prakash
Kata Kata – Ila Arun, Sapna Awasthi & Kunal Ganjawala
Khilli Re – Reena Bhardwaj
Ranjha Ranjha – Rekha Bhardwaj & Javed Ali
Thok De Killi – Sukhwinder Singh



and finally, here's the trailer posted on youtube:

rare article on madhubala

'appam' is now 'nano-idly'

I was at a cafe-coffee-day outlet on NH4, sometime last week. Spotted a new menu card which was made especially for breakfast items. Yeah, CCD has newly introduced breakfast too.

One of the delights is the appam which they have titled 'nano-idly'. That was really interesting.

wedding pics : sania and shoaib

half a dozen movie releases of this weekend

this weekend saw nearly 6 movies being released, and to be frank, i am interested in just a couple of them. lets start with aparna sen's movie 'the japanese wife'. the movie is based on a book written by kunal basu, which did not sell that many copies. the book was slow, melancholic but romantic; the romance builds on as we continue reading it and see the characters unfold. when i heard of the book, i never thought anybody would make a movie on it.

but somewhere it must've touched aparna sen that she decided to turn the book into a movie. rahul bose and aparna sen were really good in 'antaheen' and even her previous directorial venture 'mr and mrs iyer'. having seen previous movies of this duo, i am waiting to watch this movie. here's what rajeev masand had to say about the movie

It's the charming love story of Snehamoy, a mild-mannered schoolteacher in the Sunderbans (played by Rahul Bose), and Miyage, a chatty girl in a faraway Japanese village (played by Chigasu Takuku), who start out as pen-pals, fall in love, then get married and stay committed for 17 years without ever meeting face-to-face. Their romance unfolds through a series of letters and occasional phone calls.

rajeev masand is all praise for the director aparna sen. sample this

Aparna Sen's assured touches come through in scenes like the lively kite competition between Snehamoy and the villagers, which escalates into something of an Indo-Jap tussle. Or the scene in which Snehamoy accompanies Sandhya to the market where the ease between them reminds you of a long-married couple.

you can read the entire review here

even anupama chopra's review speaks well of the movie

This isn’t a love story with grand sweep and passion. It’s a minimalist rendering of a chaste, almost surreal love. But Sen makes us believe in it because she tells the story with great empathy and affection.

the other movie that i am really interested in watching is 'date night'. tina fey is a fine actress and her comic timing is superb. so, i am hoping this movie will make me laugh and enjoy. even masand promises the same in his review

In the end it's up to the two leads, who strike up a comfortable chemistry, to make the most of this tired premise. And to be fair, they succeed to some extent. Entirely convincing as a pair of Regular Joes who're just as surprised as we are to find themselves at the centre of this mess, Carell and Fey turn Date Night into an easy enough evening out at the movies.

this weekend also saw two war-related movies, one of them being the oscar winner 'the hurt locker' and the other being matt damon starrer 'green zone'. THL has already been in the news for winning a handful of oscars and it does not require any kind of recco to be watched, so please go ahead and do so.

we all know of the legends of WMD [weapons of mass destruction] and bush's rhetoric on it. 'green zone' deals with this, where-in matt damon is on a mission to iraq to find WMD's. masand calls this an average war drama in his review

Relying on his trademark hyperkinetic camerawork to shoot the film's breathless chases and non-stop combat scenes, Greengrass lends a sense of visceral immediacy to the action that makes Green Zone more engaging than your average war drama.

having spoken about bengali cinema and hollywood movies, let me finally bring up the bollywood releases of the weekend. two movies released, both duds in my opinion. nevertheless, 'prince' has taken a good opening thanks to the skimpily clad women and fantastic action sequences by alan-amin. masand calls it marvellously moronic and this is why

The actors struggle to pull off cool, but given those CGI-enhanced action scenes, the ill-fitting leather costumes, and the puerile dialogue, cool is impossible to achieve. Even the obvious inspiration from Mission Impossible, Matrix and the Bourne movies doesn't seem to help director Kookie Gulati in constructing a half-convincing tale.

even anupama chopra echoes the same thoughts about the movie in her review

It's hard to say what's most ridiculous - the plot which has everyone chasing a coin which has the chip or the amount of posturing these actors are indulging in.

we all saw jadoo come down to our planet in a spaceship, and it wasn't that good looking to be paired opposite to hrithik roshan. but jacqueline fernandez in 'jaane kahan se ayi hai' is just the kinda material that we need from outer space, charming and graceful. so, when transcends to earth and into ritesh's  mundane life, he is more than trilled to escprt her like a tour guide. but this tour isn't all that fun, as said by our reviewers. anupama chopra says

The laughs deflate at an alarming rate. Instead we are made to suffer feeble match-making efforts, the clichéd journey from friendship to love, the usual misunderstandings and even a last minute chase to Tara’s spaceship so that the soul-mates, Tara and Rakesh are united.

you may read her review here

masand too is not so thrilled about this alien drama. the movie has special appearances by akshay kumar and farah khan, in a bid to spice it up. but even that works only upto a point. masand points out the flaws in his review

There's so much mushy dialogue that even the guys who write those Hallmark cards would feel uncontrollably sick; and just the basic plotting of the romantic track is too corny and juvenile to inspire any real sympathy for the characters involved. It doesn't help that Ritesh and Jacqueline lack the spark to keep you hooked to their romance.

jab harry met sally

.. ek ladka-ladki kabhi dost nahi hote… said Jeevan to Prem in
Maine Pyar Kiya. It was the year 1989 when MPK had released. I wished
to watch the movie in a cinema hall, but alas! I had no one to go
with. Anyhow, I finally got to see the movie on VCR some 3-4 months
later. There was very little action in the movie, one of them was
Salman Khan [Prem] doing a do-do haath with Mohnish Behl [Jeevan] .
Before Prem and Jeevan jumped into the duel, they had a small war of
words. Jeevan was spewing venom with his incisive words while
insinuating that something was definitely on between Prem and Suman
[Bhagyashree] and he uttered the historic dialogue: ek ladka-ladki
kabhi dost nahi hote.



Innocent that I was, I did not get the meaning of it back then. I
assumed that since they were eventually going to fall in love, where
was the need for being friends and even if they were friends why did
Prem feel so hurt. Anyways, I saw the movie quite a few times and was
thoroughly entertained everytime.

In the mid 90’s cable-tv was a rage and even we got it installed.
Movies were beaming 24×7 and on one such day I caught the movie ‘When
Harry Met Sally’ on Star Movies. Just 10 minutes into the movie and
Billy Crystal spoke those ominous words:You realize of course that we
could never be friends.

I went into a tizzy, what was Harry saying! Was he out of his mind.
Harry went onto explain:



Harry: You realize of course that we could never be friends.

Sally: Why not?

Harry: What I’m saying is — and this is not a come-on in any way,
shape or form — is that men and women can’t be friends because the sex
part always gets in the way.

Sally: That’s not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no
sex involved.

Harry: No you don’t.

Sally: Yes I do.

Harry: No you don’t.

Sally: Yes I do.

Harry: You only think you do.

Sally: You say I’m having sex with these men without my knowledge?

Harry: No, what I’m saying is they all want to have sex with you.

Sally: They do not.

Harry: Do too.

Sally: They do not.

Harry: Do too.

Sally: How do you know?

Harry: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds
attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.

Sally: So you’re saying that a man can be friends with a woman he
finds unattractive?

Harry: No, you pretty much want to nail ‘em too.

Sally: What if they don’t want to have sex with you?

Harry: Doesn’t matter because the sex thing is already out there so
the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story.

Sally: Well, I guess we’re not going to be friends then.

And then it all came back to me. I understood why Prem and Suman could
not be friends. And I understood what Jeevan had implied.

I did a bit of research about the release of these two movies and much
to my surprise I found that both the movies released in 1989. While
WHMS had released in July, MPK had released in December. But howcome
two people in two different parts of the globe struck the same
concept. I am still perplexed how this happened, similar thought
pattern running in two different minds from two different cultures. Of
course, the Indian version was more subtle and needed some
deciphering.

Later on in the movie, after another 10 minutes of the previous
sequence Harry makes an ammendment to his earlier proposition. The
conversation between them goes like this:

Harry: Staying over?

Sally: Yes.

Harry: Would you like to have dinner?

Harry: Just friends.

Sally: I thought you didn’t believe men and women could be friends.

Harry: When did I say that?

Sally: On the ride to New York.

Harry: No no no no, I never said that. Yes, that’s right, they can’t
be friends. Unless both of them are involved with other people then
they can. This is an amendment to the earlier rule, if the two
people are in relationships, the pressure of possibilty of involvement
is lifted. That doesn’t work either because what happens then is the
person you’re involved with can’t understand why you need to be
friends with the person you’re just friends with. Like it means
something is missing from their relationship and “why do you have to
go outside to get it?”. Then when you say, “no no no no, it’s not
true nothing’s missing from the relationship”, the person you’re
involved with then accuses you of being secretly attracted to the
person you’re just friends with, which we probably are, I mean, come
on, who the hell are we kidding, let’s face it, which brings us back
to the earlier rule before the amendment which is men and
women can’t be friends, so where does that leave us?

Sally: Harry.

Harry: What?

Sally: Goodbye.

Harry: Oh, OK.

The thought that trigerred off this post was a sequence in the movie
‘Rab Ne…’ where we had a drunk Raj/Suri rambling to himself after
Bobby had passed-out, he said ‘ladka-ladki kabhi dost nahi hote’;
implying that sooner or later Taani would fall in love with Raj. And
so, the legend of Harry-Sally lives on.

This post was first published on PFC

have mercy ... nauheed cyrusi

Before Sunset … brilliance of Richard Linklater

The movie Before Sunrise had ended in an uncertainty and left us wondering if Jesse and Celine ever met again. The question in our mind remained unanswered for 9 years. Nine years is a very long time; and lots of things happened in those nine years. In 9 years time, Richard Linklater made 6 more movies, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy acted in a dozen other movies. And after 9 years the three finally sat down together to write a  screenplay which would be a sequel to Before Sunrise.

The trio kept in mind, the growth of the characters Jesse and Celine, the age and the maturity factor, and they came up with a beautiful screenplay. The movie was titled Before Sunset and it released in 2004. This movie was again shot with a steadicam, just like the prequel; and had those long shots, only this time the venue was Paris.

The movie starts in a bookstore in Paris called Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore where Jesse is addressing a small gathering of journalists who have come to interview him on the promotion tour of his newly written book This Time. When asked if the book is autobiographical, Jesse cleverly quotes Thomas Wolfe and begins “…he says that we are the sum of all the moments of our lives, and that, uh, anybody who sits down to write is gonna use the clay of their own life, that you can’t avoid that“. But when the journalist is adamant on knowing if he actually met a French woman, about which the book is, he says …Yes. Just when he is answering those queries he spots Celine and he wants to be done with the questions soon so he can catch-up with her after 9 long years.

I recalled that Kunal Kohli’s movie Hum-Tum had the same opening sequence. I cross-checked the release dates of the two movies and it turns out that Hum-Tum released just 3 weeks before this movie. Is this ‘book launch interview’ sequence a mere coincidence or what?Anyways, after the interview Jesse has a flight to catch and he has time only until 7.30pm to spend with Celine. Celine clearly has lost weight, while Jesse looks a lot mature with his moustache and goaty. They start walking to a coffee shop and Celine tells Jesse that the bookstore was her favourite one and she frequents it, thats how she was aware of his visit. When Jesse asks if she has read the book; Celine says that she has read it twice and she found it really very romantic and compliments him on his wonderful writing.

Now comes the awkward moment, Celine asks Jesse if he had come to Vienna after 6 months, as promised before parting. This was just like An Affair To Remember … though I will not reveal anything more, all I can say is things don’t remain the same hereafter.

The two move on to talk about other things as they have a lot to catch-up with…like how is life and how things have changed in the past 9 years. Celine informs Jesse that she works for Green Cross which is an environmental organization and they work on issues like clean water, disarmament of chemical weapons and that she had been to India a year ago working on a water treatment plant and she mentions how the cotton industry is a major source of pollution. That felt good, India being referenced in an American movie set in Paris, albeit not a good picture. She goes onto say “we’re moving all our industry to developing nations. We can get cheap labor free of any environmental laws. OK, the weapon industry is booming. Five million people die every year from preventable water disease. So, how is the world getting any better?“

I love such conversations, I mean, why do they show in every other movie how boys and girls discuss only relationships, sunsigns, horoscopes, looks and make-up. Grow up, show some real conversation as above.

Jesse and Celine reach a coffee-shop and make themselves comfortable. Thats when Celine reveals that she was in New York University from ‘96 to ‘99. And Jesse is just shocked to hear that because he has been in NY since ‘98 and was wondering how they never crossed paths. That’s destiny for you. Two lovers who were supposed to meet in Vienna after 6 months of their first meeting, they don’t meet even in NY[though Jesse mentions that a few  days before his wedding he did feel that he had spotted Celine in a Deli] and  finally they see each other again in Paris.

In the coffeshop they discuss about how their personal appearance has changed, about Celine’s life and studies in US and how Jesse was a drummer  in a rock-band. Jesse mentions about how he doubts the Buddhist viewpoint on desire … “its what all those Buddhist guys say, right? You know, liberate yourself from desire and you’ll find that you already have everything you need“. While still on topic of religion and Buddhism, Celine talks about one of her boyfriends who visited monasteries of Asia because “each time he went to one of those monasteries, a monk offered to suck his cock. True story!“. This had me in splits.

They pay the coffee bill and are back on the streets, in a garden. Jesse reminsces about the night that they had spent in Vienna, and they just mess with each other on the question of whether or not they had made love that night; because they both recall the night differently. Celine then speaks about her complicated relationship with her mom and granny and how its been difficult for her to cope-up with her granny’s death. She says “Memory is a wonderful thing, if you don’t have to, uh, deal with the past“.

They finally come down to discussing about their personal lives. Jesse tells her about his wife who teaches and a 4 yr old son named Henry. Celine tells him that she is seeing a photo-journalist who covers wars and that keeps him out-of-town most of the times. They realize how they have not just grown apart, but also grown old…mature and responsible.

Celine and Jesse take a small boatride and she tells him things about Eiffel tower and cathedrals. He confesses that he wrote the book so that he could record every detail of their meeting and the wonderful time they spent together. Celine is happy to hear this because she herself is not the kind of person who can move-on with the snap of a finger; she lingers around old memories. Towards the end of this chat they exchange phone numbers so that they can keep in touch and they wonder why they did not do this nine years ago.

Time is running out, Jesse calls for his car and since he wants to make maximum use of time, he suggests that they go to her apartment. While they are in the car Celine gets emotional talking about all her ex-boyfriends who walked away from her life …”But what does it mean the right man? The love of your life? The concept is absurd; the idea that we can only be complete with another person is…EVIL! RIGHT?“. To pacify her, Jesse says “You can’t do that, you can’t live your life trying to avoid pain“. The car halts at her  apartment.

What I truely love about the movie is the fact that the characters remained true-to-life; Richard Linklater did not try to make it a happy-ending. He has shown a real-life situation about how people meet, drift apart and how things between them change; how they handle the change. The conversation is crisp and the dialogues are excellent, worth quoting from. As usual, each shot blends into the next one without any jitters; and the camera focus is excellent. Since its shot in real-time, it gives us the feeling of moving along with the character, always attached; it’s to the credit of writer/director Richard Linklater.

In the last few scenes, in Celine’s apartment, she seats him and sings him a waltz and Jesse wonders if she has written those lines for him. Later they put on some music and she dances to the song; she reminds him about his flight. The movie again ends in ambiguity because we don’t really know what happens next, whether Jesse takes the flight or not!

This post was first published on PFC

breaking news : sania calls off wedding with pak cricketer shoaib

Owing to enormous pressure from fans and other eminent personalities, Sania Mirza has decided to call off her wedding with Pak cricketer Shoaib Malik. In fact, reports also say that right-wing activists who protested outside her residence, on the day her marriage news broke-out, have issued a threat and called her anti-national. Not just right-wingers, but Islamic fundamentalists who had earlier issued a fatwa on her for playing tennis in skimpy skirts, have renewed the threat on her for breaking an arranged marriage with her previous fiance Sohrab and finding love elsewhere in Shoaib Malik. Sania was depressed by such fierce reaction from all quarters, and she made this decision. And I hope I have been successful in fooling you because its 1st April today. Happy Fool's Day.

Now that I have got the fool's day out of my bag and drawn your interest, let me discuss the issue in a more serious manner. Sania's announcement came as a surprise/shock to many of us. And I find it rather unfortunate that she has decided to tie a knot with a Pakistani. No, its not like cross-country marriages don't happen. Reena Roy married Pak cricketer Mohsin Khan, Neena Gupta bore Viv Richards' daughter, Jemima married Imran Khan, Rajiv Gandhi brought home Sonia; but this marriage is different.

I have always believed that although all of us are patriots, the true patriots are the ones who represent India elsewhere. So, a true patriot for me would be the defence guys, the armed forces, the navy men and air-force people who guard our country. Next come the sport-stars who represent the country, like Leander Paes, Sachin Tendulkar, Geet Sethi and then of course the gifted people from arts and crafts like Meenakshi Sheshadri and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan etc. Coming from this viewpoint, Sania's decision to marry a Pak player is disappointing. She has represented India and played for the country, and all of a sudden she compromises on her patriotism to find love in a terror-stricken land of Pakistan. We must not forget that Kasab is still under trial for waging a war against India.

Then how could she consider marrying a Pakistani, I am surprised! I think she and Shoaib realize what they are getting into, and have already decided to shift base to Dubai because Pak is not a safe country to live in; this in itself is such an irony.

Coming to their sporting career, neither Sania nor Shoaib are relevant in their sports. Shoaib was a copy-cat of Saqlain Mushtaq to begin with and he seemed to have no prospects until his bat started doing the talking; but that was a thing of the past. As of today, he has been issued a ban for a year, lost his captaincy and will be seen playing inconsequential matches to keep the kitchen stove burning. But this is the least of my grouses. What I detest about Shoaib is his unabashed Islamic behavior at the presentation ceremony of  T20 World Cup final when Pak lost to India. Shoaib went on to apologize to all "muslims of the world" for not having won the cup. How dare this unholy b@$tard try to make Pak the whole-and-sole representative of "all muslims". He does not even know that India has more muslim population than Pakistan. He does not know that muslims in India have achieved greatness in all fields, be it science & technology [APJ Kalam], be it business[Azim Premji], be it movies [all Khans], be it music [Zakir Hussain, AR Rahman], be it sports [Azhar, Sania herself], be it politics or any other field. I was actually amazed that not many people took exception to this statement from Shoaib. This reflects not only Pak's insecurities but also their narrow-mindedness.

Coming to Sania, she is a spent-force in Indian tennis and has done nothing after reaching top-30 ranking which was 5 or more years ago; she has not made it to QF or SF of any Grand Slam Singles title. Her many injuries have only reduced her career longevity.

By the way, I just forgot to bring up their past which is again mired in controversy. Shoaib is supposed to have been married to a Hyderabadi girl Ayesha Siddiqui. There is still a case pending against Shoaib and he has not been cleared off the charges yet. In fact, Sania was invited by Siddiquis and she was there in Ayesha's house and so were the entire Pak cricket team when Shoaib was hosted by his then in-laws in 2005. And yet, now we see her in engagement with Shoaib, such are the works of destiny. Sania too was engaged to her childhood friend Sohrab for more than 6 months, but the engagement was broken. So, we have two people with a thorny past trying to make a rosy future. I wish them all the very best, god bless.

DH Lawrence Poem : Snake

A snake came to my water-trough
On a hot, hot day, and I in pyjamas for the heat,
To drink there.
In the deep, strange-scented shade of the great dark carob-tree
I came down the steps with my pitcher
And must wait, must stand and wait, for there he was at the trough before
me.

He reached down from a fissure in the earth-wall in the gloom
And trailed his yellow-brown slackness soft-bellied down, over the edge of
the stone trough
And rested his throat upon the stone bottom,
And where the water had dripped from the tap, in a small clearness,
He sipped with his straight mouth,
Softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body,
Silently.

Someone was before me at my water-trough,
And I, like a second comer, waiting.

He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do,
And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do,
And flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips, and mused a moment,
And stooped and drank a little more,
Being earth-brown, earth-golden from the burning bowels of the earth
On the day of Sicilian July, with Etna smoking.
The voice of my education said to me
He must be killed,
For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous.

And voices in me said, If you were a man
You would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off.

But must I confess how I liked him,
How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink at my water-trough
And depart peaceful, pacified, and thankless,
Into the burning bowels of this earth?

Was it cowardice, that I dared not kill him? Was it perversity, that I longed to talk to him? Was it humility, to feel so honoured?
I felt so honoured.

And yet those voices:
If you were not afraid, you would kill him!

And truly I was afraid, I was most afraid, But even so, honoured still more
That he should seek my hospitality
From out the dark door of the secret earth.

He drank enough
And lifted his head, dreamily, as one who has drunken,
And flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air, so black,
Seeming to lick his lips,
And looked around like a god, unseeing, into the air,
And slowly turned his head,
And slowly, very slowly, as if thrice adream,
Proceeded to draw his slow length curving round
And climb again the broken bank of my wall-face.

And as he put his head into that dreadful hole,
And as he slowly drew up, snake-easing his shoulders, and entered farther,
A sort of horror, a sort of protest against his withdrawing into that horrid black hole,
Deliberately going into the blackness, and slowly drawing himself after,
Overcame me now his back was turned.

I looked round, I put down my pitcher,
I picked up a clumsy log
And threw it at the water-trough with a clatter.

I think it did not hit him,
But suddenly that part of him that was left behind convulsed in undignified haste.
Writhed like lightning, and was gone
Into the black hole, the earth-lipped fissure in the wall-front,
At which, in the intense still noon, I stared with fascination.

And immediately I regretted it.
I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!
I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education.

And I thought of the albatross
And I wished he would come back, my snake.

For he seemed to me again like a king,
Like a king in exile, uncrowned in the underworld,
Now due to be crowned again.

And so, I missed my chance with one of the lords
Of life.
And I have something to expiate:
A pettiness.

don't indulge in duties that don't concern you

There was once a washerman who had a donkey and a dog. One night when the whole world was sleeping, a thief broke into the house. The washer man was fast asleep too but the donkey and the dog were awake. The dog decided not to bark since the master did not take good care of him and wanted to teach him a lesson.

The donkey got worried and said to the dog that if he doesn't bark, the donkey will have to do something himself. The dog did not change his mind and the donkey started braying loudly.

Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away. The master woke up and started beating the donkey for braying in the middle of the night for no reason.

Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se : 'Love Story' By Erich Segal

Its been exactly 40 years and 40 days since 'Love Story' was first published. The publication of this novel was more of an afterthought than a piece of original literary work. The movie 'Love Story' whose screenplay was written by Erich Segal, was later adapted it into a novel which would serve as a pre-cursor to the movie and help in promoting the film. Hence, the novel came out on 14th Feb, 1970 while the movie released later, in December of the same year.

The book went on to become a best-seller and the movie too was a huge hit, and some lines from the movie have achieved so much popularity that they are oft repeated in quotes and romantic write-ups, one of them being 'Love means never having to say sorry'. Although Erich Segal went on to write quite a few novels like 'Oliver's Story' [which was a sequel to 'Love Story'], 'Class' and 'Doctors' ; but none of them could match upto the success and fame of 'Love Story'. This is a book for keeps, the romance is so beautifully portrayed and with so much innocence and honesty.

As most of us have read the book or know the story, I shall not delve much into it. I would just like to pay a small tribute to writer, Erich Segal, who passed away earlier this year, on 17th Jan. It was a huge loss to the literary world. And people who have been affected by the book, directly or indirectly, must have sent a small wish up there; may his soul rest in peace.

Coming back to the post, when Rajshri Films decided to adapt the book into movie, Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se was born. Keeping the tradition of family entertainers, this movie too matched the innocence and honest depiction of love. Sachin and Ranjeeta in lead roles excelled. And so did Madan Puri in a small cameo as Arun's dad. But the movie truly belonged to Sachin and Ravindra Jain; Sachin for his mature performance and Ravindra Jain for his wonderful music and lyrics.

With the backdrop of a college, the movie starts with a tiff/competition between Arun and Lily. This went on to become a formula for a whole lot of movies, where the guy-gal are up in arms against each other in first half hour and then coyly in love soon after they get to know each other well. Even to this day, movies have this formulaic approach.

Anyways, Arun is an extrovert guy with playful nature, and he is smart and intelligent. He happens to be rich and that also brings in a bit of arrogance. While Lily is a girl from a modest family, and they live with limited resources. When Lily tops the class, it hurts Arun's ego as he was the previous topper and now stands second in class; and this ego leads to the boy-gang ragging Lily with reference to her Christian background and lack of knowledge in Hindi literature.

Arun pushes her into a contest of sorts, in Hindi; that's when Lily matches wits with him in a doha duel where she chants dohas of Kabir and Rahim. The war of words, or should I say dohas is perfectly pitched where Lily makes Arun realise that arrogance is not a good quality and Arun ends the contest by saying that she should accept his friendship in all humility.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVNgOAS2M00&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

But this is just the beginning of the love story. Everything runs smoothly until the couple decide to marry. Arun informs his rich dad about his love interest, which has to now surmount cultural and religious differences. When Madan Puri visits Lily's house, I was scared it would be a repeat of the 'Bobby' scene of Pran embarrassing Premnath by talking of his riches, social status and cultural barriers. But this movie being a Rajshri Films, no such drama happens.

This is one of the most crucial and differentiating turning point in the novel 'Love Story'. While In the novel, Oliver's dad does not approve of the marriage ; Arun's dad  is more than happy to go with his son's choice. This juncture also marks the difference between the book and the movie. In the book, Oliver's dad disowns him. Oliver and Jennifer get married and settle down. But their days of hardship have just begun. When they decide to start a family and are unable to, they visit a doc who diagnoses Jennifer's condition.

But in the movie, when all things are running smoothly Lily suddenly takes to bed. She had fallen ill before too, but no one knew the severity of her suffering. She is finally diagnosed of blood cancer and she has very less time left. This concept was later picked up in many a movie, with variations in screenplay. Most memorable being Hrishi da's Mili and Mani Ratnam's Gitanjali. And Erich Segal should be credited with this sensitive love progression in which one of the partners is terminally ill. The true test of love is when we can accept someone for who they are and stay with them despite their inadequacies; take them 'in illness and in health'; and be with them till the end of their lives. The movie epitomises the sacrificial nature of love and shows what selfless love is all about.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqpIIaCJggY&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

Arun's dad is very supportive of him, but Lily does not wish Arun to go through the trauma when she learns of her own illness. This is where the movie was a welcome change from the novel. In the novel, Oliver and Jennifer are strapped for cash and so he requests financial assisstance from his dad for her treatment; he still does not mention to his dad about her illness.

How Arun and Oliver deal with this situation forms rest of the story. How they unselfishly decide to show happy and fulfilling days to their loved-ones, despite knowing their condition and how they cope-up with life is not just romantic but tear-jerkingly sweet.

While the book explores the heartlessness of a person, Oliver's dad; it also shows to what extent a person in love can go, Oliver. Its a beautiful story of love and difficult times that it can make us go through. But its all worth it, if love is all a person seeks. Its better to live a short life filled with love, than a long one without it.

katrina kaif : latest brand ambassador of 'lux'

Kieslowski’s genius : Tracing back ‘12B’ to ‘Sliding doors’ to ‘Przypadek’

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both.
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Its a grave irony that I want to discuss a movie about chance, but I start with a poem which is about choice. The above poem, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, is one which all of us face in our everyday life. Choices that are left to us and what considerations we take in making the right decision. The poem is not just about a road, thats just metaphorical for life. At every step we have a difficult decision to make; be it home, be it workplace. And we always leave behind an untreaded path, hoping that someday we would comeby it again. Somehow I believe that even if we get a chance to revisit the path, 99 out of 100 times, we would end up making the same choices that we made the last time around. Because man is a born free but bound everywhere by chains, we are slaves of the situation we are put in.

Kaminey too had this angle where Shahid mutters about how life is made/unmade not by what path we take, but by what we leave behind. That may or may not be true, but that’s how life is; always giving us choices.

But, what happens when life does not give us that choice? What happens when destiny takes its own course? When we are left with ‘no choice’ but to go with whats offered to us. That’s the tricky situation that Witek is stuck in Przypadek[Blind Chance]. When God makes the decision, we only have to bear the brunt of it or fightback the situation which was not of our making to begin with. Witek fights the battle, goes against odds and does what best he can do. Does it all turn out good for him? Does he come out unscathed and bitterless? Thats for you to watch.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

In 2001, Jeeva directed a movie 12B starring Sham and Jyothika. The movie starts with Shakti preparing to attend a job interview. While Shakti is at the bus stop, waiting for the bus number 12B, destiny has other plans for him. He spots a charming girl, forgets all about the interview and starts pursuing her. Its obvious that he misses the bus. Is this going to be a life altering turn? Well, the director takes us through parallel series of events which shows us how Shakti’s life turns out having missed the bus; and having taken the bus and attended the interview.

The guy who attends the interview, gets the job and an affable co-worker who ends up liking him. But Shakti is miffed with life because he could not get close to the girl whom he had spotted in the bus-stop. And the guy who misses the bus arrives late to the interview and finally lands up in a small time job at a garage. But he gets the girl of his dream, she loves him too. Will either of the turn of events change his life? A very interesting premise indeed.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

But it comes undone when we realise that the movie was plagiarized. Just 3 years prior to this movie, came Sliding Doors in 1998. Gwyneth Paltrow’s character Helen is caught in a dichotomy. The movie begins with her being fired from a job. And here’s where the movie separates into two parallel worlds. One in which she misses the train in the tube station on her way home and other in which is makes it to the train.

Both scenarios have different outcomes and with their own set of complications. In the situation where she misses the train, she calls for a cab and while boarding in her purse gets snatched. She gets injured in her struggle to get back the purse and she finally lands in a hospital. This entire string of events gives her boyfriend enough time to fool around with another woman.

Had she not missed the train, she would have reached home in time and would’ve caught her boyfriend with his pants down, literally. This is shown in another sequence of events. And this is how the movie unfolds. Drawing parallels between the two lives separated by chance, where voluntary actions find no meaning as the characters are situation-driven. The bitter/sweet experiences of Helen is shown in both scenarios, the laughter and tears, romance and separation.

The movie was nominated in quite a few awards category, but many were unaware of the fact that the concept of the movie has actually been lifted from a Polish movie. In early 80’s, Kieslowski made a fantastic movie titled Przypadek.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Kieslowski handled a complex socio-political environment under the times of a totalitarian regime. He had the guts and gumption to fight the system and talk about it through his films. And another masterstroke was the fact that this movie had a 3-way sequence unlike Sliding Doors and 12B which handled just two. The very fact that he placed his hero, Witek, right in the center of a melting-pot situation speaks volumes about his conviction.

The movie actually tells the story of a strict communist regime through Witek. By taking Witek, played superbly by Boguslaw Linda, through three different paths, Kieslowski gives out the message that no one could’ve escaped brushing against the system. This political message is handled with subtlety where Witek, a medical student who is supposed to be apolitical, still gets embroiled in the affairs of the state and in different capacities.

Witek is made to face the system, first as a political activist who joins the communist party. This happens when he catches the train and meets an old war-horse of the commies. He sympathises with the ruling party and feels that as a youth its his responsibility to join the party and spread the message of communists. His girlfriend isn’t happy with this, but he has applied already.

In another scenario, Witek bumps into a beer-drinking guy and is unable to catch his train. He gets into a fight with the police and is sentenced to community service. This drives him against the system and now he joins the anti-Communist party. So, now he faces the brunt while fighting against the system.

In the third and final scenario, Witek misses the train and goes back home with his girlfriend. He is happily married, settled and teaching medicine. He is truly unpolitical until a situation comes up in the college where he is forced to take sides. But does he?

The fantastic part of the movie is the climax. The build-up is superb, and in all three scenarios Kieslowski shows the hand of God in the end. Although the three situations were poles apart, the end is however the same. Whether Witek catches/misses the train, destiny follows him nevertheless. His final outcome, irrespective of the situation he is put in, is the same. What is that outcome? What is does destinty hold for Witek? Do watch the movie to know more.

Kieslowski’s genius lies in the fact that he made a movie on the concept of parallel worlds when all of Poland was gripped in the non-republic regime. And his movie speaks of those times, tackling the very issues through a visual medium. His protagonist gets a chance, not a choice though, to revisit the same point from where his life takes a crucial turn; thereby partially fulfilling Robert Frost’s words of taking the untreaded path. While other movies like Run Lola Run, Sliding Doors etc have been made on this concept, they fail to deliver a punch. The movies have either become a rom-com or a thriller or candyfloss, none of the writer/director explored the opporunity to go beyond the obvious. This is where Kieslowski’s efforts are to be appreciated, for having thought of this concept in 1980’s, while the next movie based on this concept came a good decade and a half later, taking wholesome inspiration from Kieslowski.

This post was first published on PFC

Funny Quotes From 'Side Effects' by Woody Allen

# The good people sleep better, while the bad ones seemed to enjoy the waking hours much more.

# The night was windy and dark, and Cloquet had a split second to decide if he would risk his life to save a stranger. Unwilling to make such a momentous decision on an empty stomach, he went to a restaurant and dined.

# It is impossible to travel faster than light, and certainly not desirable, as one's hat keeps blowing off.

# Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought - particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things.

# It should be recalled that when we talk of "life" on other planets we are frequently referring to amino acids, which are never very gregarious, even at parties.

# More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.

# True, science has conquered many diseases, broken the genetic code, and even placed human beings on the moon, and yet when a man of eighty is left in a room with two eighteen-year-old cocktail waitresses nothing happens.

# Can the human soul be glimpsed through a microscope? Maybe - but you'd definitely need one of those very good ones with two eyepieces.

# We know that the most advanced computer in the world does not have a brain as sophisticated as that of an ant. True, we could say that of many of our relatives but we only have to put up with them at weddings or special occasions.

# True, science has taught us how to pasteurize cheese. And true, this can be fun in mixed company - but what of the H-bomb? Have you ever seen what happens when one of those things falls off a desk accidentally?

# I often think how comforting life must have been for early man because he believed in a powerful, benevolent Creator who looked after all things. Imagine his disappointment when he saw his wife putting on weight.

# He believed everything in existence occurred by pure chance with the possible exception of his breakfast, which he felt certain was made by his housekeeper.

# Unfortunately our politicians are either incompetent or corrupt. Sometimes both on the same day.

# Figures tell us that there are already more people on earth than we need to move even the heaviest piano.

# I made a list of my faults, but could not get past : 1) Sometimes forgets his hat.

# Suddenly, and with a clarity one usually associates with LSD, my course of action became apparent.

# "In order to be a writer," Maugham continues, "one must take chances and not be afraid to look foolish. I wrote The Razor's Edge while wearing a paper hat...."

# She possesses a speech impediment so audibly juicy that to be near her when she pronounces a word like "sequestered" is equivalent to standing at the center of a monsoon.

# Connie Chasen and I had taken to each other in a way that would not be denied and one brief hour later were thrashing balletically through the percales, executing with total emotional commitment the absurd choreography of human passion.

# How does anyone ever stay married for forty years? This, it seems, is more of a miracle than the parting of the Red Sea, though my father, in his naiveté, holds the latter to be a greater achievement.