Father's Day Thoughts

 My father was a cool guy, and we saw lots of Hindi movies together. We drove to the theatre in a Ford Prefect 1955 that my parents had acquired, to the movie hall, since I was 8 or so.. almost any film would do. Jewel Thief is one I remember seeing early when I was a kid. 

He was also into photography, and had a folding camera- German make, I think. We have plenty of black and white pics from that period. Some studio pics also, to boot.

Travel was another of his passions, and I have continued, at least till recently when the Coronavirus slowed things down.

He started humbly and grew to be an admin. head of Stores at a coal mining company, so had no airs at all. He also knew how to cook, and made a special recipe of Kashmiri Mutton Curry almost every Sunday. We kids loved it. 

We do pick up at least some traits from parents or elders. I did not pick up gardening, which he was passionate about. I remember him planting a variety of plants each year, and used to know some names too. 

He loved kids, and we were lucky he was around when our first daughter came home.. 

Valentine's Day Thoughts

 It is popularly seen as a romantic day or day for romancing. But if you expand the meaning to a larger one, maybe we could view it as a day to celebrate universal love and brother/sisterhood.

Why we need such days more frequently, is that wars, coups, persecution and grief are the order of the day in large parts of the world-many for no good reason. Hoping that these will reduce through the next few years. But certainly, expressing good feelings towards everyone, including significant others, is always a welcome idea. Celebrate parents, children, friends and in my case, students too.

Happy Valentine's Day, in advance!

Amazing Birthday No. 61

 What do I like the best about a birthday? Attention, affection, love from all who might remember me, of course. I got plenty of that, online and through phone calls. An added bonus was something that Prarthana (my daughter) cooked at home-- a new recipe too- here's a pic. Of course, the celebrations will continue, though the day is over.... for, you keep growing every day!

Two years ago, I was in Bangalore around my birthday, and managed to sneak in a game of Golf at an Army Golf Club-thanks to a friend. Also, there was a wedding to attend, just before, so I met a lot of friends from MBA days. 

Hopefully, the days of meeting friends are coming back after a two-year hiatus due to the Corona virus. We just had a small IMTans get-together a few days ago. Another happy news this year was that my younger daughter went to the U.K. for a Master's in her choice of subject (Cultural Heritage Management), and managed to reach safely through the pandemic. 

I have begun training sessions, one-on-one, to teach people Golf in my campus at NMIMS, on a make-shift course. We do have a nice putting lawn, though. 

End Game in Politics- A Satire

Actually, there is no such thing, as countless elections and their aftermath (Math is a pun, not intended) have shown us countless times. What appears to be a done thing, can turn out quite the opposite.

Well, this calls for a play, or at least, a play-let. So here goes-

A Multidimensional Romance

Dimension 1 (D1 for convenience) to D2: I am yours forever, but..

D2 (to D1): But what?

D1: I need you to part with your heart!

D3 to D4, in the meantime: I love you, and want you to show me your love, by giving me your heart.

D4 to D3: Love you I do, but cannot part with my heart.

D3: In that case, my heart is D1's...or D2's, if I get to have a heart-to-heart-chat with any one of them.

Soon after: D3 to D1: You want me? Promise that you will never look at D2 again.
D1: But,...Ok, I give you my word.

D2 to D4: My heart is yours, I am on the rebound, from this cheater D1.

D1 and D3 live happily thereafter, and D2 and D4, unhappily ever after.

No politician was harmed during the writing of this...voters, we are not too sure...

The Narrow Path- Malayalam Film Review

This is a 2016 film which could be one of the lowest budget films I have seen. Mostly, the action happens in one small house and its terrace. But it is also one of the most unusual, because it is gripping.

The hero is not fair and handsome, by any stretch, but he acts like he is a natural. Actually, there are two heroes- a son and a father. Both are great for their roles. It's about a son who has to care for his partly paralysed father, and the possibility that he may have to forego his love because of the situation. The dilemma keeps the movie going.

Wonderfully narrated story, direction and editing. I saw it on Amazon Prime, and you should too (anywhere), if you like good cinema. Subtitled where I saw it.

Again brings home the point that the story can be the lifeline of a film- Race 3 guys, are you listening?

Never Let Me Go- Book Review

Kazuo Ishiguro is a British author who has won the Nobel in 2017. I was attracted to a book cover, the old-fashioned way (most of you are aware of my fashion sense by now). In a book store. I bought, and surprisingly, finished the book in about 3 days.

Never Let Me Go is a moving story, about humans, and clones of humans. I recently saw Robot 2, and artistically, these two are very different, but there were hints of what might happen when Robots turn human in the female character in Robot. Likewise, in all the three main characters- two female, and one a male in the book.

It's an emotional story, full of innocence, fears, and hopes of these clones (euphemistically called Students), raised only to provide organ donations to humans. They have a love triangle, exactly as humans might have, and grow up with just a little hope that they can extend their life just that bit. This hope is kept alive till the surprise ending, but you have to read the book to really savour it. I was impressed!

A link to the trailer of the film made from the book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWRbZuP3bAc

Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan- Film Review

Good film, and enjoyable for most part.

It stars the wonderful pair of the expressive Ayushmaan Khurana and the lovely Bhumi Pednekar (from Dum Laga Ke Haisha), and takes you through an Online Arranged-cum-Love match, and both are excellent. In my own view, Bhumi is a shade better in this one.

Everything is hunky-dory with the match until he discovers he has a "Gents Problem," in his own words. The world calls it erectile dysfunction, mostly. The angst that both feel, and how the rest of the universe conspires to either help them along or force them to break up forms the rest of the story. It has many ups and downs, and keeps the audience sympathetic most of the time. The rant at the end by Ayushmaan was probably unnecessary, but the rest of it is a cute film touching on a somewhat touchy (or rather, unpsoken) topic. The support cast is decent too, and keep the movie light through their comic dialogue. The 'Alibaba reaching the gufa' dialogue is the funniest in a long time on the subject.

Produced by Anand Rai, who has also produced or directed some of my favourite films in recent times -Happy Bhag Jayegi, Tanu Weds Manu 1 and 2.

Lipstick Under my Burkha- Film Review

It's an important film, about a very important topic, which is usually kept under the carpet- love and sexuality from a woman's perspective. Full marks for dealing with the subject, and some of its real ramifications. The difficulty of breaking out of traditions, and societal expectations, and hypocrisy. For instance, that women of a certain age should not have expectations of physical love. Ratna Pathak Shah's character is probably the one that draws the most empathy. She is also the best actress in the film (actor, actually), with no exceptions.

The film could have done with a bit of drama, though. It feels like it's going through the motions, too quickly. Some twists in the story, maybe a few light moments, would have made it that much more moving and powerful. It does make its points about the search for love in and out of marriage -and a search for the liberation that all young people look for. But I found better expressions of it in films like Masaan or Life in a Metro, compared with this one.

It is worth a watch, for bringing up issues that need to be, but as a film, it could have been a lot better. Maybe better actors would have done the trick-barring Ratna Pathak Shah, who is perfect.

Book Review- Love, Lies and Layoffs

I read mostly non-fiction, unless a Murakami strikes. Or a Wodehouse. But every once in a while (Old Jungle Saying, like in Phantom Comics), I read something that I picked up impulsively at the airport..just because it looks interesting.

This one is a well-written story of an office romance- utterly predictable, between a guy and a girl at a media house. Office politics is the villain, rather than any one person, that hangs like a cloud over the love-birds. The supporting cast is impressive, from bimbettes to well-meaning alcoholics. Sort of 'Na tum jaano na hum' in prose.

The corporate shenanigans instantly brought in thoughts of the ongoing Tata-Mistry saga that's playing out as we speak. This one's smaller in scale, but interesting nevertheless. One identifies with Frieda, the narrator, which is half the battle won for the author in any story.

Nice read, for its style, realism and wit. My first with Usha Narayanan, the author.

Anopheles Makes a Surprise Visit

Anopheles and Me

For those who have lost the plot ..err, haven't been following the plot, Anopheles is a female mosquito who drops in on me to have a chat once in a while. We have had conversations on every topic in the world- theirs and ours. I had not seen her in a while, and it was a pleasant surprise to hear her buzz into my room.

"What is a war?" she asked without a preamble.
"Well, it is a situation in which we kill each other." I tried.
"But why do you kill each other?" she wasn't satisfied, as I was afraid she wouldn't.

"Some of us want to expand our kingdoms" I said, thinking of Alexander the Great.
"Are large kingdoms necessary for a king to be happy?"she innocently asked.
"I can't say, I never had one" I told her.

"So what's your poison?" she queried.
"Mine, I guess, is the ego. Without the achievements to accompany the desire, I want people to tell me I am great. This is a failing of the human race, not mine alone." I rationalised.
"And that makes you happy?"
"Temporarily, yes. But not for too long. I want a new toy after a while, because the old one ceases to tickle."I tried explaining.

"Could this ego, as you call it, also be the cause of some of the wars that I hear you keep having regularly?"she persisted.
I thought about Bush and his random wars on terror, Iraq versus Kuwait, Iran-Iraq, Vietnam, Korea, and all the others.
"I suppose so, at least many of the wars were ego-based," I had to conclude.
"But tell me, why are you in a war-like mood today?"I tried levity, in a bid to lighten the conversation.
"Because my kid whom I raised so lovingly, fought with me over a trivial issue and flew away from home,"she confided.

"Oh, my," I thought. Their world is not so different after all. And tried consoling her with some soothing words that helped her calm down. She promised to wait a day or two hoping he would return, and bid goodbye.

Why We Get Along with Some

Why Do We Get Along With Some People More Than Others?

Dale Carnegie, don’t squirm, please. I don’t actually know, but I have a few good guesses.

We can talk to some people for a long, long time on everything under the sun.

Some people make us comfortable, so we do the above, and open up.

Some are good listeners, important for people who love talking.

Some are book buddies, who share our love of books- and some, sports buddies. I am talking Golf, but it could be a sport of your choice. It was TT and Badminton when I was growing up.

Some share our good taste. Meaning, whatever we think is good (taste).

Some have a nice laugh (not kidding, try it out on someone you know. But first, you have to learn how to tell a joke).

Some people are helpful, and get us out of a jam (and I am not talking of those who let you copy their homework).

Above all, those who are unconditionally supportive of us (like our mothers, but different in some ways). 

Vibes could be due to karma, past life, if you believe in the stuff. Whatever the reason, it's true that we get along with some better than others.

GK goes to PK's planet

We recently were visited by Mr. PK, an alien from somewhere, according to the movie PK starring Aamir Khan. What is likely to be discovered if we send our guy-let's call him GK- to PK's planet?

Nothing, except the inhabitants, and maybe carrot farms.

No clothes, hence no FTV channel (its USP doesn't exist)

No fights, hence no need for dialogues such as "(Hindi) Main tera khoon pee jaoonga, kaminey"

No religion, and therefore, no salvation

No love, and hence no hate

No lying, and therefore no facebook

No paper- only transmission of knowledge through holding hands

No God-men, and no discourses by God-men. A few more TV channels gone!

No spitting, and hence no need for a Cleanliness Drive, by whatever name

No political parties, and therefore no Arnab Goswami.

Love Songs- Valentine's Day

Taking a much-needed break from election speeches and pepper-spray politics, and since it is Valentine's Day too, will try and recall some lovely love songs from Hindi films-

1. Chudi nahi yeh mera dil hai, dekho, dekho, toote na... 
2. Tumne kisise kabhi pyar kiya hai, pyar bhara dil kisi ko diya hai..
3. Rajnigandha phool tumhare mehke yun hi jeevan mein, ...
4. Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko, nazar nahin churana sanam..
5. Abhi na jao chhod kar, ke dil abhi bhara nahi..
6. Karvatein badalte rahe sari raat hum...aap ki kasam..
7. Na jaane kyun hota hai ye zindagi ke saath, achanak ye man kisike jaane ke baad, kare phir uski yaad
8. Aankhon aankhon mein baat hone do, mujhko apni bahon mein khone do..
9. Gata rahe mera dil, tu hi meri manzil..
10. Dil ka bhanwar kare pukar, pyar ka raag suno...hoon, hoon, hoon,..
11. Raatkali ek khwab mein aayi, aur gale ka haar hui...
12. Bhanware ki gunjan, hai mera dil, kabse samhale rakha hai dil, tere liye, tere liye
13. Jadugar, tere naina, dil jayega bachke kahan..
14. Naam gum jayega, chehra ye badal jayega, meri awaz hi pehchan hai, gar yaad rahe
15. Tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa to nahin, tere bina zindagi magar zindagi to nahin.......one of the best!

Some Good Love Stories on Film

There are a few good love stories I remember from the days when I watched films regularly. Of course, the obvious one is 'Love Story' (English) itself. Had a nice pair of lead actors who made it come alive.

Among Hindi films, "Ankhiyon Ke Jharonkhon Se" from Rajshri films is one that I remember. Sachin and Ranjita played the lead. Kabhi Kabhi was also a good one, a mature one for those days. Because the lovers do not marry each other, and do so without tantrums. Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon and the title song were classy.

Another Rajshri film that I liked a lot then was 'Paheli,' starring Namita Chandra and Satyajeet. This is about an urban guy and a rural girl, but very well told. It had some beautiful songs, one that went "Sona kare jhilmil jhilmil,.....vrishti pade tapur tupur, tapur tupur" being the best.

Some Rishi-Kapoor- Neetu Singh films like Khel Khel Mein were also very good. Rajnigandha, Chitchor presented love in a different, and endearing way. Chitchor also had some of the best semi-classical songs in Hindi films- Jab deep jale aana, and Tu jo mere sur mein sur milale for instance. Ravindra Jain was the music director.

Premikudu in Telugu starring Prabhu Deva and Naghma (caled Kathalan in Tamil, and Humse Hai Muqabla in Hindi I think), was pretty good too. But the love story was overshadowed by the dances of Prabhudeva (in particular, the Ole o, song with a Western Cowboy/saloon setting).

Among more recent ones, I also liked a Malayalam film, Swapnakoodu, that had some excellent songs. 'Karuppi nalugu' was one, and 'Ishtamallada' was another. This had Prithviraj and Meera Jasmine, and another pair in the lead.

Among Kannada films, Mungaru Male was a lovely love story, with an unexpected ending. Shot in the rain-drenched parts of Karnataka, pleasing on the eye, and with some great songs.

Anopheles on Floods, Bombs and Love Stories

Anopheles, my old friend (she is a females mosquito with whom I have intellectual conversations about the world, for those who are new to her) was back, and we started talking about disasters.

I let her know about the deep tragedy caused by floods in three states. And asked for her reaction.

She said, "We'll get some new places to settle in, I hope."

Stunning as it was, it brought home to me the fact that one man's flood could be another man's (OK, mosquito's, in this case) fortune. Shakespeare had also said something linking floods and fortune, I vaguely remembered from my literature class in school.

"Like human beings settle on the banks of rivers, we settle in the remnants of floods" she shrugged. Then she asked me what I do for entertainment these days. I said, "Watch half-witted love stories, Ranjhana being a case in point."

"What's the love-story you mention about?" she wanted to know.

I struggled to explain " Well, it's about a loafer who is in love. The law of Equality, Liberty, Fraternity says that loafers have equal rights to fall in love with anyone they want. And the object of their love has no choice in the matter, if the director so chooses. So she does, but then she plots to get him killed, because he was responsible for getting the guy she really loved, killed. It's an eye for an eye, and that's the end of the loafer who is a lover-boy." I could see a look of disbelief cross her brow, and stay there."

"Let us leave love stories behind, and talk of something else. They are too depressing," I suggested.

Like what?" she asked.
"Bombing of Buddha temples?" I suggested, going from deadly love stories to just deadly live stories.

"Who is Buddha?" she innocently asked.
"He was a great soul who preached non-violence, and the way of enlightenment."
"And this is how you pay him back? By bombing his temple?" she seemed indignant.

I had no sustainable defence. I had to say, I was ashamed there were people who were so lost that they did not know what they were doing any more. Lots of them.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Such an exciting title, but the movie falls short of the promise. Not having read the book, one cannot argue that it does not do justice to it. But if online sources are to be believed, the author Milan Kundera did not think much of the film too, and said as much.

It is promising, to start with. But it meanders too much aimlessly. There is a doctor in Prague who goes to the countryside and falls for a woman who works there. She comes back to live with him, interrupting his carefree lifestyle as far as women go.

The Russian occupation of Prague forces them to think again, and they go to Switzerland. For reasons that are not clear, she decides to return to Prague, and he follows. What follows is a tragedy of sorts, with both being unhappy. There is another lady, an artist, in the middle of all this. Anyway, the lead couple migrate to the country, and then die in a road accident.

Could have been directed a lot better, and edited a lot better. A promising story told inefficiently. It is too long, and meanders without purpose. The story might be better in print. There are a few explicit scenes, so watch out.

Love in the Air- and in Print

Here is a selection from a book that I am reading in order to appear witty- I mean, The Big Book of Wit and Wisdom. That's my way of escaping from buying chocolates.

W.H. Auden- Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can; all of them make me laugh.

David Frost- Love is staying up all night with a sick child- or a healthy adult.

Robert Frost- Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

Lord Tennyson- 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Just to add some spice, a couple of quotes about marriage.

Rodney Dangerfield- My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.

Agatha Christie- An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have; the older she gets the more interested he is in her.

Richard Pryor- I believe in the institution of marriage, and I intend to keep trying until I get it right.

Corny Love Songs

Jaagi badan mein jwaala, from a movie called Izzat made in 1968. It is an item number, in the tradition of  Hindi films of that vintage- extras in village belle costumes gyrating to charming, old-world dance steps, heaving bosons (sorry, bosoms), et. al. But the surprise part is the lead dancer or in today's lingo- 'item' girl. None other than Jayalalitha. Yes, the same. Search for this song on youtube if you don't believe me. I happened to discover it while listening to Ameen Sayani's Binaca Geet Mala ki chhaon mein.

Corny songs of love abound in Bollywood, and sixties and seventies had a huge number of decent ones where the heroes and heroines were-well, running around the trees, singing songs. We used to joke that the music director is hiding in the bushes to provide music to the couple.

Some good ones I remember lovingly from that era are-

Bekhudi mein sanam uth gaye jo kadam...

Yeh dil diwana hai, dil to diwana hai, diwana dil hai yeh, dil diwana..

Yeh raaten yeh mausam nadi ka kinara yeh chanchal hawa

Yeh duniyawale poochenge, mulaqat hui kya baat hui,

O Nigaahen mastana, dekh samaa hai suhaana..

Main sitaron ka tarana main baharon ka phasaana leke ek angdai hum pe dal nazar ban ja diwana

Haal kaisa hai janab ka

Are yaar meri tum bhi ho ghazab..

Likha hai teri aankhon mein kiska afsaana..

Achcha to hum chalte hain..

Yeh reshmi zulfein, yeh sharbati aankhen, inhe dekh kar

Karwatein badalte rahein saari raat hum..aapki kasam..

Hum dono do premee duniya chhod chalein..

Almost all songs of Julie and Jawani Diwani.

Kasme Vade nibhayenge hum..

Tumne kisi se kabhi pyaar kiya hai..

Kya khoob lagti ho, badi sundar dikhti ho..

Neele parbaton ki dhaara aayi dhoondhne kinara badi door se..

Hamaare siwa tumhare aur kitne diwane hain (Apradh, Feroz Khan)

O mere Raja

Gulabi aankhen jo teri dekhi sharabi yeh dil ho gaya

Hey, Maine kasam li, hey, tune kasam li..nahin honge juda hum..

Chudi nahin yeh mera dil hai..

Shokhiyon mein ghola jaaye.

Tum aagaye ho, noor aa gaya hai..


Another genre of songs I want to explore is the 'piano' songs. So many had the hero strumming the piano keys (or banging them)..to comic or tragic effect ( at least for the piano)..some other time.

Ishaqzaade- A Review

The tale has elements of a Laila Majnu or Romeo Juliet, the differences being that it is small town India instead of Italy, and there is no balcony scene- just kidding. The story has its dark side, that of inter-religious (or even inter caste) marriages being taboo in most of our country. I suppose the ultra-urban folks are excluded, though I am not so sure they are always progressive enough. My wife had done a survey among Indians abroad (the U.S.) in the late 80s, and found caste mentioned in about 95% of the matrimonial ads then.

Anyway, the dark underbelly of politics and its impact on love between unlikely suitors is explored reasonably well. But in this day and age, that two young people cannot simply elope and get married is a bit hard to digest. Maybe, coming as they do from privileged families, they are not used to working for a living. But still, they seem pretty good at tapori (illegal, a loose translation) activities themselves, including wielding a gun, and it should not have been too tough for them to earn a livelihood elsewhere.

The language is a bit crude, and the violence and chases sustained, so it may not be everyone's cup of tea. Not exactly a mushy romance ending in a tragedy as the movies mentioned earlier. But for others with a bit of thick skin, not too bad. Particularly as Parineeti Chopra is pretty decent in looks and acting. I was not thrilled with Arjun Kapoor, but he is tolerable. The song 'Pareshaan pareshaan' is pretty cool.

With Love to Russia

There was a James Bond movie titled From Russia with Love. I took the title and twisted it a little, but primarily, this is to express my surprise (pleasant one, of course) at the readership from Russia (for this blog) crossing the readership in India and that from the U.S. for the current week.

Not very clear about why this happened, but I am quite happy about the fact that it has happened in unexpected quarters. I only knew Raj Kapoor's films were popular in Russia some time ago.

Visiting Hyderabad on some work, met two alumni of early batches of KIAMS for a long chat. One of them had helped write a case about her company called Golftripz, which pioneered Golf tours for Indians wanting to play abroad. Hoping to eat some authentic Hyderabadi biryani as I am in close proximity to one of its major purveyors, Paradise restaurant.