Stories ...

I sit here writing and rambling about a movie while I should actually be making a job that creates a cartesian join in DataStage. My love for movies and good stories bring me here because it is very seldom that I come across a story that touches my heart. I know -- it is kind of ironical. I live for stories, don't I? Even when I am living a moment, I have words forming in my head for how will I narrate this story to someone who cares to listen. There are not many listeners in my life these days. When I was in school, I would be back home at sharp 1:30 PM. And every day, the one single statement that I would utter as soon as I entered was , "Mummy, pata hai aaj kya hua?" and then the rant would continue while I would wash my hands, change and sit down for lunch in that exact order.

Things are different now. The husband listens, but I feel him wandering when he loses interest. It is the same with friends. So, I try not to rant. Kapoor and Sons, however, was a story that I loved to see and hear and feel and live it with them. It was a story of 2 brothers and their family and I was in it with them. I was with the successful brother, wishing that one day I will see the same success. I was with the other brother, who was shadowed by his sibling. I felt him more. Somehow I feel the sadness of a failure more than I feel the happiness of success. I need to change this in me. I was with the parents too ..wondering how does it feel to live in a family with constantly bickering parents. Ok, I lie. I know how it is. The issues were different, but bickering is bickering. As kids, you don't want to choose sides.

I felt the sadness of the wife who fears she is being cheated on. I felt fear. I hope it never happens to me. But I don't know why I knew how it felt. It is a scary feeling, especially when you are in a relationship with someone you fear losing. Oh! Now I know why I could understand how she felt. Losing a loved one is scary, especially when he is your friend, your family, your whole life.

When the grandfather sends a video message to the sons ,folds his hands and requests them to come back home, my heart broke into a million pieces. There is nothing more difficult than seeing a perpetually happy person cry.

I was definitely with the goofy Tia -- I may not be as funny and I don't like to dance in shady discs (I don't like to dance in classy discs as well, so there is that!) But I have crushed hard on good looking guys. I have not kissed them for sure but my crushes were not Fawad Khan either. I have made inappropriate jokes, though!

There was never a moment in the movie which felt forced or useless. There was never a moment in the movie that lacked familiarity. Even the scene where Ratna Pathak Shah confronts Fawad Khan felt so true. There was a small moment in this scene. When the mother and son yell at each other, their dog "Kishu" sits on Fawad's bed and Fawad yells at the dog too, "Hat Kishu yahan se!" and I thought, Isn't it so natural? Don't we end up shouting at someone perfectly innocent, when in rage?  I wonder why do we like movies that mirror reality? Don't we go there to escape our realities? Isn't that the exact reason that I love Harry Potter? Because it transforms me to a world far away from the real one? But I guess when we see our lives playing out in front of us, it makes us want to realize that there are others who live like us ... who go through the same smiles and same tears. Maybe these "slice of life" movies tell us that we are not alone. Maybe, it is an understanding hug from a stranger saying, "I have been there and it will be fine"

Speaking of performances, everyone was fantastic. It was difficult to take eyes off Fawad Khan, but I did manage to check on others as well and they were brilliant. I thought the grandfather's hysterics were OTT and unnecessary. In a few scenes, I felt Siddharth Malhotra could have been better, especially the one where Alia Bhatt talks about her parents' loss. Alia Bhatt was pleasant and lovely and I loved her. I have loved her since Highway and seriously, what did people like Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone really do that made them fabulous actors?

Before Highway, Alia Bhatt was in Student of the year and she hardly did anything worth noticing in that movie. Before Cocktail, if I watched any Padukone movie, it was not because of her and honestly, I have physically cringed at a few dialogues in Love Aaj Kal. But then, what happened? She was mind-blowing in Cocktail and Alia Bhatt was beyond words in Highway. If it is a secret potion, I want it!!

Some say that a movie is not just a story. It is also the direction, the cinematography, the performances and so on. I agree. Or not. A movie is primarily a story but a story well told is a great movie. Kapoor and Sons in one of those great movies. And in  times like these, it is not a lesser feat.  

She Lived!

She dreamed.
She scooped a piece of sky
And placed it on her tongue
She walked through storms
And rammed into walls.
She bled her passion,
She shone, she dimmed,
She dared.

Highway

Mahabir had a change of heart. If he could, he would have gone back in time and undo what he did in a fit of rage. What he did not know was that he set her free the day he dragged her, gagged her mouth and shoved her in the back of his car. Her fiancé looked on, scared like a five-year-old. “I told you not to come out at this hour. I told you” he had screamed at her, almost blaming Veera for getting kidnapped. She had fluttered like a captured bird. she had growled through the gag, refused to eat, even tried to escape once. But Mahabir knew that in this part of the country, she could run for days and still find nothing. Finally, she came back to them, falling on her knees like a tired traitor.

37 days later, Veera was a different person. He had seen her sleeping peacefully on the rocks. He had seen her playing in water fountains from broken tube wells. He had seen her hang her head outside the truck's window and take in gulps of fresh air. It was hard to look at her and not catch her infectious dimpled smile. In captivity, she had found freedom. Who knew? Who knew the rich girl was a prisoner to her own people, in her own world. Mahabir had always hated the rich. The grapes were not sour. He knew the masks they wore. He knew they lived in palaces made of dried leaves, built on a veiled dishonesty. Veera blew the leaves of her family that night when she spoke of her uncle. He was not sure what triggered her memory, but he let her speak. Mahabir could hardly make out what she was trying to say between her heavy sobbing. “He would take me inside the bathroom,” She said, pausing only to wipe her tears violently. “I would shriek in pain. I hardly knew what was going on, I was … I was six”. He did not want to hear more. It felt like reading someone else’s private diary, like peeping in someone’s bedroom. But Veera went on. “shh ..shh, He would say, I am done. I am almost done. Don’t say anything to anyone, my little girl” She turned to him. “I told my mom. But all my mom said was Shh... Shh, Don’t say anything to anyone.”

She was silent for the rest of their journey that night. Mahabir knew better than ask her. But that one-sided conversation changed something between them. She no longer behaved like a captive, sometimes to his own exasperation. Did she take me for a friend, a confidante? She would dance with his men and ask him questions about his mother. He had shouted at her, even threatened her, warning her never to ask him questions about his past. He had lived the horrible days once. Living them once again, even if it was in his own head, would be nothing less than a torment. But the foolish girl only broke into a fit of giggles. “You are cute,” she said, pouting.

They had traveled half the country together and now he was tired. She was the daughter of a rich businessman and whatever led to her kidnapping was bygone. It only made sense to set her free. He would miss her, but what was he thinking? He could not even begin to imagine a life with her. What would she do? Be the wife of a criminal? Bear his children? It was difficult, but it was time to part. So he took her to Manali, bought her a few warm clothes and when it was time to say goodbye, he placed a phone in her hands.

“What does this mean?” She asked, confusion very clear on her face.
“Go”
“Go where Mahabir?”
“Go” He yelled.
“I am not going anywhere …listen to me Mahabir”

Why is it so difficult to see that she can have nothing to do with me.There was no point arguing and he was scared she would convince him to live out whatever fairy tale dream she had, of living on the mountains. He could not give that chance, to her and more so to himself. Mahavir gripped her hand and ran towards the two policemen he had seen while walking up. Before she could understand, he ran again, leaving her. “Mahabir” He heard her scream. But he did not dare to look back. “Yes, madam? Is there a problem?” He heard the cops say.

It was while standing at the ticket window at the bus stand that he knew she was almost as stubborn as him. She had probably followed him. “Listen to me Mahabir” she almost growled. “What is going to happen from now is not something you decide on your own. We are in this together.”

“Go and sit near the column” He whispered. She looked around, covered her head and walked away.

She had found him. She had come back running to him -- to her own kidnapper. I might have taken her away from her world, but she has made me human again. He did not know what is to happen in the future. Heck, he did not even know what will happen the next moment. But she had made him believe. Maybe he could have a life. Maybe he could be what his mother wanted him to be, unlike the beast he had become. Mahabir did not remember the last time he felt so happy. He turned towards her and smiled, maybe his brightest in years. “Yes,” He seemed to say. “We are in this together”

All Veera could do was lean her head back and cry – tears of happiness. To the world, she was kidnapped. In her heart, she was free.

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This was an idea that somebody gave in fleeting at the Writer's club -- To write down your favorite scene as a practice to 'show don't tell' concept. I wrote this because as usual I was in a dearth of original ideas. 

Consider this as a disclaimer -- "I DO NOT claim to call this my story just because I wrote it in my own words" 

Now that we have this out of our way, I really enjoyed writing a part of Highway like this. I picked this scene because A- I love Highway (although it bores you in parts, as a whole it is a great movie) and second I was totally in love with this scene because I fell in love with Randeep Hooda's smile and Alia Bhat's expressions that follows. So tell me if you enjoyed it.

Through Pages and Screens

My hook these days is Game of Thrones – the series. By hook, I obviously mean something that I am hooked on to. I would have certainly liked to watch all of it after I had read the books but what can I do if the author himself has not finished the writing. Why I started watching the series at the first place is an interesting story – for another time. Today I am here to wonder out loud about how different is a scene on the screen and on papers.

Game of Thrones is an epic. You need a genius of an artist to create several characters with a back story for almost all of them, new traditions, a new religion, and new languages. Basically, Martin decided to play God and create his own universe. Every page gulps you in. Every character, every story, every war – All you can do is turn the pages and get yourself engrossed into Martin’s creation. The television series is equally riveting. However, it is interesting when you experience a story simultaneously on print and screen. There are some obvious differences in both the mediums and none of them have me complaining. How many times do we see two versions of the same story and actually like it?

As I write this, I have finished watching season four. And as I watch each and every season and compare it with what I have already read, firstly I am quite pleased with myself because by and large I remember most of the story. And why is that something to be proud of? For the sheer size of the books -- they are huge, with every story in tiny details. So to remember at leat 80% of it is pretty cool! A Song of Ice and Fire series moves along through point of views of all its characters. Again, to my untrained reader eye, it is almost an impossible feat to take a zillion characters, give their point of views and have a whole story move forward. Nowhere does it feel broken or discontinued. But when the same people come alive on your screen, something changes – for good and for bad.

To begin with, you can take brilliant actors but they can never emote out all the emotions we read with such lovely details in the books. You also end up feeling closer to characters or even away from them. Take Robb Stark for example. In the books, we saw the complete story of Robb Stark through his mother’s eyes. In the show, however, he is there himself to live out his story. So although in the show we see how Catelyn worries for him, how she helps him, how she understand him and compares him to his father, we still get to experience a walking talking Robb Stark, unlike the books. I like this because in the books I never really felt connected with Robb and before I could start pondering over why he is not given his own voice in written words, his story is over.

Shae never comes across as a very strong character. In the books, I am not sure if she was even meant to be. On the screen, she holds her own in front of Tyrion. She fights with him, she disagrees with him, loves him fiercely and urges him to leave King’s landing with her. In the books, we only met Shae when Tyrion meets her. The book Shae never formed a specific personality. We know Tyrion really likes her, but she is not his strength. Margery Tyrell is a character I am still getting to know in my pages. But on my screen, I feel she is much tougher. While there are only whispers of the “friendship” between Loras Tyrell and Renly Baratheon in the book, their relationship glares at you through the show.

Cersei is way, way, way shrewd in the books. She is downright nasty. Although after his journey with Brienne, you kind of start liking Jaime, but Cersei is brutal. In fact, in the books, she is totally engulfed with the power game and has no time (or love) for Jaime after he comes back. And hang on, Brienne is in love with Jaime? In the books, I interpreted their relationship only as that of respect and honor. But in the show when Cersei asks Brienne if she loves him, she looks down quietly. I would have liked it if a few things were open to interpretation in the show as well.

Speaking of Brienne, as a small deviation, Podrick ( damn cute in the show, again almost un-noticeable in the books) is a “gift” to Brienne from Jaime while in the books, he stealthily follows her till she confronts and accepts him as her squire. Also, in the show, Podrick asks Brienne to be discreet about searching Sansa Stark while the opposite happens in the books. In the books, Brienne goes about asking everyone if they had seen a “fair maiden of auburn hair” not exactly specifying who is she searching for. If my memory serves me correctly, she says she is looking for her sister. Also, do Brienne and Arya meet in the books? I think no.

Daenerys's track is also not very different from the one in the pages. One difference was that as readers, we meet Barristan Selmy only when he comes out of disguise while as viewers, we already knew that Selmy had joined Daenerys. Her hands maids are Irri and Jhiqi. Missandei as far as I remember was a little girl. (Although I am totally in love with the gorgeous woman playing Missandei). Her dragons never get stolen and she is never betrayed by Dorreah. In fact, I am not completely sure if a Doreah lived between the pages of ASOIAF. I don’t remember Daenerys's incentive of going to the house of undying but she not only meets Drogo there but her other family members as well. That part was quite intriguing in the books. Also, there are no "thirteen" in Quarth in the books. (I liked that bit, though)

I loved Tyrion in the books. I am totally mad about him in the show. He is smart, witty, funny and the best character ever – whether he breathes inside the pages of a book or straddles through our television screens. I think Peter Dinklage is fantastic beyond words. Fans of the show will remember his speech after his trial and your heart just goes out to him. The last book I read in the ASOIAF series was A Feast of Crows and sadly, Tyrion does not appear in it. So I have no idea what happens to him after he flees King’s Landing (Although I have some idea through the spoilers). It is said that you can be brave only when you are scared and there is not a single person braver than Tyrion. I mean he deserves a whole post – he is that good. I can talk a lot about him and eventually I will. But for now, I will move on.

Speaking of bravery, Samwell Tarly is a lot smarter in the show. Whereas in the books you can read his thoughts and know how scared he is at every moment – be it at the wall or at the fist of the first men, Samwell on the show is far more confident. I like this change actually. I sometimes felt like holding the book-Sam and shake him and ask him to get a grip of himself.

Jon’s story is almost the same as that in the books. However when Sam meets Bran, Bran takes a promise from Sam that he shall not tell Jon that they had met. In the show, there is no such promise. Such are the tiny differences. Petyr Baelish introduces Sansa as Alayne Stone, his bastard child with black hair. In the show, she is his niece. Also, they blame a singer for Lady Lysa’s death. Sansa is quite timid in the books compared to that in the show. I am yet to read both the parts of A Dance of Dragon. So I don’t know what her fate is. Theon has not become Reek in the books yet (I mean not till A Feast of Crows at least) so I have to see how his track has been modified. A Feast OF Crows (AFOC) did not have Bran’s story at all so the last I knew of him was that he was stuck in the castle. He has moved on in the show and I am curious to know what words tell his story. AFOC also does not tell Jon’s story after he becomes the 998th Lord Commander of the Wall. On the other hand, I have read all about Arya’s journey to Braavos and Sam’s journey to the Citadel. I don’t know if this is in season 5 but I will know that soon!

No one (including Martin himself) knows when the next book is coming. We will see season six before that and I honestly think that it is not the worst thing in the world. Probably because the people handling the show are doing a great job. Also, because the actors are a treat. I will wait patiently for the Winds of Winter. Let Martin take his time. Maybe he is churning out his best work yet. In the meanwhile, I will satiate my curiosity with season six.And personally, I am yet to start A Dance of Dragons. So you may not hear me complain just yet!

Flawed

The last time I wrote about Shaandar, I spoke about the character played by newcomer Sannah Kapoor. She was a "fat" girl, who was mocked because of it and who had no plans of bringing her weight down. There is a lot of fat shaming in the movie and of course, there are characters in the movie who tell Sannah (whatever her on-screen name was) that it is okay to be fat. In one scene, her mother brings her a three-tiered plate full of chocolates and asks her to finish it. Now this girl, who is also a would-be bride, is totally comfortable being how she is. And maybe that's what made her so endearing. But there are a whole lot of girls who are fat shamed and not all of them are okay with it.

Being "beautiful" was a cruel but simple concept up until now.Put together fair, thin and sharp features and you have got a gorgeous girl! These days, however, I come across a lot of words like "body-positivity" and "being comfortable in one's own skin". It is a good movement. It is definitely a revolution and it will be a long time, a really really long time before people change their perception of what "beautiful" is. But before we start accepting a rather wider definition or an ambiguous explanation of what beauty is, I hope people stop being hypocritical about it. Here is why I say so.

Dum laga ke haisha was an unexpectedly sweet release this year. It spoke of a girl called Sandhya who is over-weight. But she is smart, funny, feisty and talented. She gets married to a guy who agrees to the alliance under family pressure but is not happy with it, obviously because his wife is "fat". Watch the movie if you still haven't. But here's the deal. The girl playing Sandhya, actress Bhumi Penderkar, is now thinner -- way thinner than what she was in the movie. This is after she came out of the role in her interviews declaring that she has always been okay with her body. But then why the sudden weight change? Because she has a three-film deal with Yashraj? Why couldn't she continue having a three-film deal with the body that she already had? I don't know the complete story here but what I can understand (and I may be wrong) is this -- she, like many others, have succumbed to the set beauty standards. And it is okay! Because being overweight has its own obvious demerit. But then why go harping about "being overweight is okay" and parallelly do the opposite of it? It sends out confusing signals and like it or not, people do look up to movie actors as their role models. So here is what I am saying --Please let's admit it first -- We are not accepting towards "fat" people. Of course, being fit is different. What many people don't understand is that there are body types and each body behaves differently. All we "see" or "appreciate" is lean, thin, six packs, hour-glass, and the works. And we really, really need to change this thinking. Because people are much more than the extra layer of fat on their bodies.

Ok, maybe let's spare the film industry. Those guys are paid to look good and they have tons of resources and money at their disposal to change their bodies. Coming a bit closer to real life, being fat or being dark-skinned in India is considered a sin. I have heard educated, elderly people talking this about girls, "It is going to be very difficult finding her a groom, She is not pretty." And it is kind of funny because not every second person you meet is an Aishwarya Rai or a Hugh Grant. Most of us, almost all of us are flawed in some way or the other. I have been very vocal about how unhappy I am about my dark circles (although I have started accepting them only now) Or how my nose is slightly twisted (the reason why I avoid smiling ear to ear in my pictures)

Of course, we all are suckers for beauty. It is only human. We get attracted to dishes that look pretty, Tourist destination with natural beauty is more popular than maybe a debris with major historical importance. But when it comes to living, breathing, thinking, talking, feeling human beings, I wish we could be a bit more sensitive and a bit more clear first. I started accepting the "flawed is beautiful" theory only after I admitted to myself that all these years, I have been adhering to a certain parameter of beauty and why not? We have been conditioned over years. Tun-tun was a funny caricature in older movies. Villains always have black skin and broken teeth. Heroes are always handsome and heroines always have big eyes and an hour glass figure. Forget movies, even in real life, we make character judgments only on the basis of how a person looks.

We need to look beyond. I need to look beyond and I am trying. Every time I see someone on the streets who is flawed in a very obvious way, immediately I have an opinion about them. But then I ask myself -- maybe they are far better writers or coders or maybe they can solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute. Maybe they are brilliant dancers or maybe they are fantastic orators. Who am I to say? Who am I to know or judge without really knowing them as a human being? And that's what's really required. Being good to fellow humans, irrespective of looks, weight, cast, creed, country, occupation -- isn't it?

Not Shaandar

On a weekly basis, I see a number of movies. If I write about each one of them here, this would become a movie blog. But yesterday, I saw Shaandar. And I had the words forming in my head before the interval. I knew this one needs a special mention.

There are two kinds of special in this world. Your favorite is your special -- your favorite dress with a story or a date with a fairly interesting memory is definitely special. But the opposite is true too. A day with bad memory is also ...you know ..."special." I have a similar story with this movie.I really wanted to watch Shandar. I love the cast and the trailer left me curious. But I had no idea I would be walking out of the cinema hall holding my ears in a sorry while the Husband glared at me. "We'd have rather watched Pyar ka Punchnama" a second time", he whined. I could only shrug.

To say Shandar is a bad movie would be unfair to "movies" because with all due respect to the people who invested almost a year in making it, it is not a movie. It is just a collection of  random scenes. No, really! There is hardly any story, there is no acting required and in all the scenes, it looks like people are actually laughing and having fun. In a way, it is good because you know they enjoyed making the movie, but nothing is fun for the audience here.

Surprisingly, only the role of Sannah Kapur has a few scenes that required acting and she has done her part pretty well. Besides that, there is nothing ... nothing in the movie that I could talk about with a satisfaction in my heart. The movie started with an animation story and the whole movie, in fact, has a fairy-tale feeling to it. That's all. I anyway don't look for a lot of logic in Hindi movies (I gave that up long back) but at least 2 scenes should connect together. Is even that too much to ask for?

There were a lot of things that could have been developed. Alia Bhat's character has this quirk of throwing random facts in between a conversation. I loved this character angle. However,she stops abruptly through the movie. It was not taken ahead. The two protagonists are insomniacs. I liked this part -- but I wish they would have used this information in a better way. There does not seem to be any connection, any romance in them. For a movie that has been given a fairy tale treatment, the story at least deserved to have a fairy tale moment between the Prince and Princess.

A lot of awareness trends these days, which is good --more power to social media! But like everything, the issue of body image confuses me. Yes, no one has to be apologetic about the way their bodies are, but why to promote an unhealthy lifestyle. Fine, the bride, Sannah Kapoor, is fat and she has no qualms about it. Nothing is better than being comfortable in your own skin. But she stuffs her mouth with chocolates and laddoos and is also encouraged by her family while she eats like a glutton. Why would you show it is okay to gulp down chocolates and laddoos? Please decide  guys. Being fat is okay. Being comfortable is perfect but being unhealthy is NOT fine. You don't want to die while harping about body issues, do you? (I have a lot to talk on this point -- another post coming soon!)

In one sequence, the groom gets arrested by the UK police and you later find out that Shahid Kapoor had tipped them into doing it. But what was the freaking point? He was still a jerk after he came out of it. In another sequence, Alia finds a panty instead of her breakfast. Okay, so Shahid found her skinny dipping the previous night and hence the prank (I am guessing) but again, what's the point? This does not culminate into anything that contributes to the story.

Alia sleeps for the first time while chit chatting with Shahid. Also, she is high. So why did she sleep? Because she was high or because she finds some magic with Shahid? I know it is supposed to be the latter but sorry it could have been treated way better. The insomniac who finally gets to sleep -- shouldn't this be an important part of the movie?

There is also a masoom angle to the movie -- which if you, like me, have grown up watching movies, you will predict it in the very first scene. The big reveal is shown in a sequence where everyone is high and acting like retards. Honestly, again it could have been better. The whole "everyone  is high and acting stupid" does not bring even a smile, leave alone laughing out loud over it.  The horse riding sequence has no point again and there is an unnecessary Karan Johar KWK scene too. Nah!! No growth in the story, no character arc, no entertainment.

Ok, listen, I feel bad criticising a piece of art and I know people would have really worked hard for this movie. But as a movie-goer and an ardent and sincere fan, I spend my hard earned money on movies. Hoping it to be decent is the least a viewer can ask for. I love Alia Bhatt and Shahid Kapoor equally. And honestly, I searched, really looked for something, something that I would like and enjoy. Something I can hold on to and say, "the movie was bad but at least ..." Sadly, I never got my "something" through the whole of Shaandar.

I would have rather watched Pyar ka Punchnama. Don't kill me for being a female and still liking it. It is entertaining and come on girls! loosen up a bit. All movies have guys as the culprits -- this one begs to differ. Let them enjoy the moment. At least you genuinely laugh at this one.

Goodbyes Are Not Fun

Sometimes, when sadness looms over the heart, it hurts physically. Friday was such a day. Every time I stood up, I felt I needed a support. Every time I moved, I wanted to  stop. Maybe defeat weighed down on me. Maybe it was the pain of seeing a dear friend leave --yet again. Maybe, it was both.

Two farewells in two days is a new experience for me. When you live life for a considerable amount of years, you tend to experience a lot of new feelings. You might end up denying them -- like the three of us were denying our sorrow. Yet, in a dingy basement park under the orange light of a setting sun, we were left with no other option but to face them. We still refused to acknowledge it --even when our eyes were filled with tears, even when our voices were losing pitch, we made sure that sorrow was not welcomed. Instead, we cracked boob jokes. We feigned relief that the friend was leaving -- at least we won't have to wait hours at lunch near the lift while she heats up her food. We made plans to meet soon.

We went back, pretending life is good -- it can be better.