Intuition: Knowing Beyond Logic, Osho June 29, 2009
Posted by Gaizabonts in Books, Indian.add a comment
It was the most innocent pick-up of the year, I think. When I picked up Intuition: Knowing Beyond Logic, by Osho, you could say, it was intuitive.
I am amused and smiling as I write the review. One of the resonating themes of the books is to let go of the shackles of the belief system(s) that you have adorned, imbibed and ingrained over the years. Whatever these may be – religious, spiritual, social or political.
Osho says in a section of the book – to be in the moment and not necessarily agree or disagree with what he says – just be with him him. Like you do not agree or disagree with a sunset or a rose, just be – do not agree or disagree. Significant social conditioning denies us this pleasure of being. The mind needs to settle everything in one of lobes.
So, I have nothing to tell you about the book. No experience is ever the same – especially with books and what we gain (or not) from them, this book is a shining candidate. I was just going along reading without thinking (which was a huge effort, I will admit).
In the end, it was an enjoyable experience.
The Importance of Possibili, Edward deBono May 18, 2009
Posted by Gaizabonts in Books, Non-Fiction.add a comment
Though I have not yet finished reading The Black Swan, I was reminded of it in the first couple of pages of The Importance of Possibili.
Edward de Bono is truly a thinker for these desperate times. We seem to fail to notice the cookie cutter world that we have created and live in. Denial is the natural response to possibility – more so because there is comfort and knowledge in that which we know.
The book itself is presented, almost as a book for children. To present such a powerful thought in such a simple way is probably the genius that Edward de Bono is. The presentation appeals to the child in you. There is eagerness to absorb and complete absence to question. The cynic’s questions may come later, but while reading there is complete surrender.
Progress, growth, imagination and belief, are the few themes that salsa in your mind after you put down this very small book. A very goodread after a long time.
Richard Bach said, “Don’t turn away from possible futures before you’re certain you don’t have anything to learn from them.” deBono has picked up this thought and applied structure to it: How not to walk away.
There is a possibili that you may think of your life differently after you read this book. It’s possible.
The Ranee of Jhansi, D. V. Tahmankar May 7, 2009
Posted by Gaizabonts in Books, Indian History, War.Tags: Tahmankar, Rani, Jhansi, 1857, Revolt, Tatya Tope, Gwalior
1 comment so far
One of the many books that I have finished a single or two sittings. While the obvious genre of the book would be historical analysis or biography, I would happily put this on the storybook shelf.
The story of the Rani of Jhansi is one that most of us have heard in our childhood – without the details and the context of the circumstances prevalent during the Revolt of 1857. We heard the story of being brave and being patriotic – to an extent the passion of freedom – Mai apni Jhansi nahi doongi! (I will not give up my Jhansi).
This book was written by D. V. Tahmankar (d. 1982) and first published in 1958. Little information about Tahmankar is available on the Internet. According to the book, he:
[…] was a correspondent of the Marathi newspaper Kesari before becoming the UK correspondent for the Deccan Herald till 1980. He set up the Lokmanya Tilak Memorial Trust and also wrote the biographies Lokamanya Tilak: Father of Indian Unrest and Maker of Modern India (1956) and Sardar Patel (1970).
His stint in the UK undoubtedly helped in the writing of the book (though it isn’t clear if he was in the UK when this book was published), however, according to the Open Library, this book was first published by Published in 1958, MacGibbon & Kee (London). He acknowledges the ungrudging help from the Librarian of the Commonwealth Office Library
The premise and the purpose of the book has been defined right from the first page. The story of this character has been biased by accounts of the British officers, and Tahmankar is out to ensure that
her career [which] has borne a blemish all these years as a result of one-sided accounts of the massacre at Jhansi of English men, women and children.
is cleared through the reference of other sources and a deeper analysis of existing sources. And he does it well. I only regret the lack of a formal bibliography, and cross-references are embedded in the book rather than listed at the end. The references to Vishnu Bhatt Godse’s Majha Pravas (My Travels), published in 1907, by Chitrashala Press, Pune is something I’d like to lay my hands on. One clear assumption, when reading the book, I had to make, was that the references were valid.
More often than not, when an Indian writer picks up a story to be presented in the “correct context”, it usually leads to a blanket negation and grandiloquent discrediting of all British accounts and the glorification of all Indian historical personalities as heroes – usually, without valid references. This is not to say that the British accounts were in any way accurate – however an argument loses credibility without necessary support and references.
Tahmankar, on the other hand, presents a very balanced view of the personalities in his book. Whether it is Tatya Tope or Nana Saheb or Sir Hugh Rose, he relies on multiple references and their verifiable actions to present the true character of the personalities. Where necessary he is surgically analytical and boldly critical without being under duress of presenting a pompous or glorious Indian edition of the story.
The language he employs is simple and clear, with interesting shades of Indian English would have been prevalent at that time. It flows without interruption and each word is well-placed like a jig-saw puzzle that has been gently sand-papered to create a picture without the distorting grooves. He writes, for example:
This economic impact of British rule changed the even tenor of Indian social life with brutal suddenness. The process of disintegration was accentuated by the disrupting aspects of Lord Dalhousie’s administration which showed little respect for religious susceptibilities and political sentiments.
All through the book, Tahmankar makes precise use of adjectives to set the mood for the story. There is an uncanny tension that prevails throughout the book, and keeps your opinion balanced without making the book an effortful academic read.
Immensely enjoyable, I wish for more writers to take up the challenge of writing about Indian history that comes close to Tahmankar’s cogent presentation.
Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy (2009) April 26, 2009
Posted by Gaizabonts in Indian, Marathi, Movies.Tags: Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Siddharth Jadhav
add a comment
After Valu (2008), this is the first (new) Marathi movie that I have enjoyed watching. The cinematography and the pace made it for me. The camera-work is practical and well-employed and the story progresses along a fine pace. However…
Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead
… I did feel at times that the premise of the story was quite a bit contrived. Sachin Khedekar (playing Dinkar Bhosale) though doing pretty well in the role, is a character that you (or, at least I) cannot relate with. Attributing the weakness of the character to people belonging to a region seemed a bit far fetched to me. In telling the story (of how a community must rise to the apparent subjugation by extra-regional infiltration), the entire community gets defined by the lack of a particular person’s self-respect. To me, that is unacceptable. All through the earlier part of the movie the protagonist undergoes severe humiliation, which is fairly exaggerated. How the above-mentioned subjugation has occurred is pretty vague and (deliberately?) left to the imagination of the audience. Irrespective of the region you belong to — what kind of a person would accept the humiliation from a shop assistant and a fish-seller, as has been depicted in the movie?
I do not imply that such events never occur at all, however, they can never be the basis of defining a community’s ethos. The character suffers from a severe victim complex which is highlighted by his relatively difficult economic state. It is fine as a specific case.
When I think back on the purpose of presenting the character the way it was portrayed in Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy (2009), I am forced to think that it addresses the ever-growing folks who do actually feel like the character in the movie. It is not addressed to the region at large. I take solace in that.
As the story progresses, the protagonist meets with the king and complains of how he has been continuously robbed of opportunities by people coming in from the rest of the world. The dialogue by Mahesh Manjrekar (playing Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) about how the protagonist wears his deficiencies as a garland of pride, really was the key to the entire movie, for me. (”What you should be ashamed of, you sound out as your pride.”). Chatrapati reminds Dinkar Bhosle of his lineage and kindles his pride. This part of the movie was most interesting, for me. I have always wondered, when someone evokes a sense of pride in us what do they truly intend? For us to make a show of slogans? Or to own the sense of pride itself? Pride is a characteristic, not an ornament. Most people, don’t understand that. As an ornament, it is something outside of you — doesn’t “belong” to you. As a characteristic, it is a part of you and you never have to try and express it. Your existence is a factor of that pride.
Towards the second half and nearing the end of the film, all interactions that the protagonist commits — with the film producer, with the police man, the BMC officials or the builder — are very fungible. They could be true of any community in any region. All communities carry their share of good and bad and mad. The terrace speech, in fact, has national appeal.
Technically, I wish the movie was slightly better edited. I think I remember seeing a TV tower as Chatrapati races down to Mumbai on a horse. It could have been avoided, but I guess there is an element of cross-over of time-spaces, so that could be forgiven. The repeated low-angle hooves are a bit overdone. Mahesh Manjrekar could do well with some make-up for the black circles, but he played the character well. Siddharth Jadhav (as Usman Parkar) is a treat to watch (you half-expect him to do something funny!)
All in all, an enjoyable movie (Marathi humour’s sensibility seems to have found it’s way back, a bit) with a message — but you will have to see the movie to decide what it means for you and what your take-away will be.
Delhi 6 (2009) March 10, 2009
Posted by Gaizabonts in Bollywood, Hindi, Movies.Tags: Abhishek Bachchan, Om Puri, Sonam, Waheeda Rehman
add a comment
By far the simplest review I will ever write.
The story was beaten black and blue by the metaphors. Plural. Metaphors.
Everything else about the film was enjoyable, memorable even. Except the story.
Abhishek Bachchan is in desperate need of some soul-searching.
I liked the film, really, but I just cannot write anything about it. Everything I remember about the film, brings me back to the story. Where was it? What was it?
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) January 26, 2009
Posted by Gaizabonts in Bollywood, Hollywood, Movies.Tags: Anil Kapoor, Danny Boyle, Dev patel, Freida Pinto, Irrfan Khan, Saurabh Shukla
5 comments
Even before I saw this movie, I knew writing about this movie was going to be difficult. There is hardly a moderate emotion out there about this movie. Unfortunately, I was exposed to all the hype, hate and hullabaloo before I watched the film and tried hard to avoid/not get affected.
So one question comes to mind: What if you had seen this film without the hype and expectation? Would you have thought any different — especially if you hate it.
I watched it like I would have watched any film. I did expect a gory depiction of slums in Mumbai — based on what I had read about the film and comments about the depiction. There isn’t a huge suspense in the film, anyway, that can be ruined by reading about the film. In any case, I went there to watch Anil Kapoor who is a favourite, and I exited the cinema hall satisfied. He is consistent, as always. Dev Patel is the most impossible slum-dwelling kid. As many negative points as possible to the casting department there. Add Freida Pinto and the negative marks heap up. Both are as unconvincing as a Hindu African American. Totally out of place. Question remains, if the inspector, the constable and the ganglord could be Indian actors, why not the lead; the most critical? Dev Patel’s Brit accent shines through! I don’t recall but I believe there wasn’t a single Hindi Dialogue (or even a phrase) for Dev patel’s character? Irrfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla are a treat; Mahesh Manjrekar is wasted.
But it is a story. Only. And every storyteller tells a story in his or her own way. Even if it is a bit far-fetched as the movie is. Like we tell the story of Slumdog Millionaire to others. Each story is peppered with the storytellers agenda and style. To deny that to a storyteller is to deny presentation. And to that, Danny Boyle does justice. The presentation is just fine.
(Un)fortunately, this is just another unremarkable good movie, which will be remembered more for the hype and hoopla than the content, which I think was hastily researched and put together. This is a classic masala-film; directed by a Brit director.
The other question that comes to mind is how Indian audiences have (and would have, if they haven’t yet seen) reacted to 8 Mile (2002). What did the Americans have to say about it? What did it mean to the international audience? How many of us saw the movie as a story about a rapper rather than the social setting of behind-the-skyscraper America?
Unforgettable (1996) January 23, 2009
Posted by Gaizabonts in Drama, Hollywood, Movies.Tags: Linda Fiorentino, Ray Liotta
add a comment
There was something about the film that made me endure all the ads in between and I did finish it. That is something. However, when I think about the film, I find it difficult to put a finger on what was so interesting about the film.
Ray Liotta’s performance is basic, there isn’t much to complain about, not much to applaud either. Linda is also her usual self. She is an enigma in a sense that I haven’t been able to decipher. (Perhaps that’s the reason why I stayed up for the entire film).
As far as the story is concerned, it becomes predictable by the minute. The underlying assumption is fine and has been dealt with all along the story, nicely. There, was, however, something that was completely missing — I wonder if it was the dull colour throughout the movie that made you watch it with a sense of resignation.
A Wednesday (2008) January 12, 2009
Posted by Gaizabonts in Bollywood, Hindi, Indian, Movies.Tags: Aamir Bashir, Anupam Kher, Deepal Shaw, Jimmy Shergill, Naseeruddin Shah
3 comments
Long due. Huge context since the film released and I saw it. Familiar echoes of terror, systems, and resilience. One problem of watching a rather popular film late in the day (or year, for that matter) is that people around you build up your expectations.
That Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah were in A Wednesday, was enough motivation to watch the film, in any case. With these two guys, chances are, that even a very bad film turns out to be tolerable.
The film has shades of a Doordarshan film made sometime in the Eighties — Sirf Char Din — by B. P. Singh of Fireworks Productions’ (of C. I. D. fame). Once again, the production value is worth the money that you may have spent for the ticket (or the DVD). Anupam Kher is his usual self, nothing to write home about. He is convincing in the role he plays. Naseer exhibits a particular shade of his characterisation-process that is rare. One of his mannerisms, which is a gesture he makes with a slight tilt of his head and opening up his eyes wide (to show questioning surprise during a longish dialogue delivery and then quick nods or denials to answer his own argument in his monologue) is thankfully rare in this film. (Think Khuda Kay Liye)
After all the rave reviews, however, I was a bit disappointed, though, I will admit I enjoyed the film while I was watching it. The disappointment is retrospective. The story was neglected in presentation. Given that a larger audience for the movie would be from Mumbai, the director did not pay attention to the details of the city. A bus going towards Juhu from Colaba is seen driving south. The suspense created with Jimmy Shergill’s character was unnecessary. The suspense didn’t do justice to what little time was given to describe his character. A friend recently introduced me to this device — it’s called a gimmick — when Jimmy’s character gets shot in the arm.
What has put me off the most was the multiple messaging. Dated equipment at the police stations, politician’s dilemma, the so stereotypical hacker, police sarcasm, media stupidity and the list goes on.
The film obviously has done well because of the plot and the resonance it has had (and will have) with the people of Mumbai in particular and the people of India in general. I think it was a powerful plot. Where Neeraj Pandey lost it, for me, was that he took (a section of) the audience for granted and chose to say too many things in a single movie.
Kaneri Math (कणेरी मठ) January 5, 2009
Posted by Gaizabonts in Museum, Sculpture.Tags: cement, Expo, Gramjivan, Kaneri, Kaneri Math, Kolhapur, Life, Siddhagiri Museum, statue, Village
add a comment
Fourteen kilometres south of Kolhapur, just off the highway (to your right as you go towards Belgaum) is Kaneri Math, which houses the Siddhagiri Gramjivan Museum.
This is India’s answer to Madame Tussauds – in cement.
And rather than just keep statues of famous personalities (it has a good share of those from days gone by), the “open” museum houses wonderful depiction from the daily village life; even if you allow the slight bias of design and presentation to the region it belongs to.
Unfortunately, photography isn’t allowed inside, which in a way, meant that I had a lot of time to see the sculptures for what they are. I seemed to take time to see things without the viewfinder. Have look at the slideshow on their site. Images in this post are taken at the राशी पार्क (Zodiac Garden) just opposite the Museum.
I have always been critical of art installations in India — whether private, government-sponsored or charitable. Primarily, because there is an apathy to the presentation. Each step towards the art, object or artefact, makes you want to leave — that is the state of of presentation. And, no, I do not mean thoughtful lighting or gadgety stuff which adorn most museums in the world today. Even basic information is absent.
Kaneri Math was slightly better, I would think, in that respect. Where it has statues of most saints, it gives a brief bio of the saint. And surprisingly, in English. Most local museums in India assume that only locals come to visit. Or perhaps that is the way the local guides make money.
This museum is about a three-hour walk and worth every step. The effort is commendable and can be improved upon. And I plan to go back in a year or so to see what the empty spaces have been filled with. It seems that they may be able to maintain the quality and the cleanliness of the place, given that this belongs to a private charitable trust and they are able to call the shots.
That should be the case with all museums in India.
Approximate Google Map Location
Getting There:
On NH4, pass Kolhapur and drive towards Belgaum for approaximately 10 km, at the Gokul Shirgaon Exit, take right and follow the signs for Siddhagiri Museum (another 5 – 6 kms)
Vasudev Balwant Phadke (2008) September 24, 2008
Posted by Gaizabonts in Indian, Marathi, Movies.Tags: Ajinky Deo, Ramesh Deo, Sharad Ponkshe, Sonali Kulkarni
1 comment so far
Vasudev Balwant Phadke (2008) was a much awaited movie given my love for historical movies. I have now accepted that most historical portrayals have a bit of a drama added to it; I have made my peace with that. I have learnt to ignore that from the story.
VBP however, had me falling off my seat. An item song? Lesser said the better. One day I decide that Marathi movies have come of age — the next day I see this. I reset my expectations. Save one, all performances were below average. Sharad Ponkshe helped me stay at my seat. The dialogues were over-simplified, and delivered without passion. Notice how they say, “Har Har Mahadev!”
Ajinkya Deo looks very good in the part, all phases of it. The moment he opens his mouth, however, all is lost. I have seen some of his performances earlier, and when I think back, this was never a role for him.
Sonali Kulkarni overacts, as usual. Interestingly, I think she does it only in Marathi movies. Ramesh Deo comes in a for a few minutes in the film and is a saving grace, even if miniscule.
Much, much could have done in this smart production and well thought of film.
