Satya(?)mev Jayate

Mr. Khan,

Just when I was about to change my opinion on you, you screwed it again. After two well-researched episodes of Satyamev Jayate, you messed up big time with the fourth one. Though I agree with some of the things that you’ve said on the show, there are plenty that you got wrong.

You said a patient on dialysis can live upto 15-20 years. Looks like you believe in miracles. Fact is, life expectancy of a person on dialysis depends on the severity of the disorder. Someone suffering from acute kidney failure can recover and live a long life. But someone with chronic kidney failure cannot live for more than 5 years, unless he opts for a transplant. There have been a few cases where the patient has lived upto 20 years, but lets not ignore the fact that the quality of life is also reduced. Now after watching your show, many patients would not go for kidney transplants and die within 5 years. I hope you take responsibility for that. Also, somebody from the audience (btw, do you pay them for sitting there and reacting? In that case, I’d love to come too) said that her father was forced to undergo a liver transplant 7 years ago. Now, there are only a handful of hospitals in India today that offer liver transplant. So for that to happen about 6-7 years ago in some remote part of the country is almost impossible.

 When you compared the doctors here with the ones in U.K, I wish you’d also compared their working conditions, doctor-to-patient ratio and salaries. You should’ve probably spent a day in a government hospital as a part of your ‘research’. I do not say that the ‘bad doctors’ shouldn’t be punished. Their licenses should be suspended for life. But it looks like you prefer calling all of them as ‘Maut Ke Saudagar’.  It is this generalization you’re doing that I have a problem with. And what the hell did you mean when you said people with ambitions of earning good money should not become doctors? This, coming from a person who earns 3 crore per episode is ironic.

And about that generic medicine thing, you can’t force it down people’s throat, you see. Access to these medicines is essential when people cannot afford branded medicines. But do not forget that the companies who charge more for the same medicine spend millions on research and development of new drugs. Generic drugs, more often than not, are produced by local companies and may produce side-effects and cause aberrant deaths due to their inferior quality. And if you’d done so much of ‘research’, you should’ve atleast bothered to suggest some solutions at the end of the episode, rather than your continual lambasting on doctors.

See, now that ‘Perfectionist’ tag of yours has started to bother me again. Uh, and also those recurring expressions. They call you a good actor. Try some new reactions/expressions if you can. And for God’s sake, please do not wipe tears when you don’t have any. That goes for your audience too. (Ah yes about that, seriously, you pay them?!) It worked for the first two episodes, now its kinda irritating. But let me tell you, the saving grace for your show is the song at the end of each episode. I love the lyrics. Swanand Kirkire is a genius.

I sincerely hope you come up with a better episode the next time. Please don’t ruin my Sunday.

Yours faithfully,

A Concerned Viewer.

Song Of The Week

Its been a quite few days here…but you don’t have much of an option when your PC conks off all of a sudden. How I missed you my dear blog! Aaj Monday hai…chalo koi gaana bajaate hai J So the song for this week is Mera Kuch Samaan from Ijaazat. Yet again, the wonderful trio of Pancham, Gulzar and Asha Bhosle do what they do best – create magic!

If you’ve not seen the movie, let me tell you that the words of the song are actually from a letter that Anuradha Patel writes to her former lover. So the song is a poetry-meets-prose kind of a thing. Accordingly, the composition is very soft and focuses on the words and vocals and at places, is used to draw attention to the atypical lyrics. Lyrics that only Gulzar can write. He uses metaphors so deep, but in such a subtle manner, yet so powerfully. And the santoor playing at interludes is sheer bliss! The song is one of Asha Bhosle’s personal favourites (and mine as well!), and also won her a second National Award, the first one being for Dil Cheez Kya Hain from Umrao Jaan.

The story behind this song is very interesting. Gulzar finished reciting the lyrics, and Pancham replied, ‘Nice situation’. Gulzar told him, ‘Situation nahin, gaana hai. Isko tune lagao’. Pancham retorted, ‘Yaar kal Times of India laooge aur bologe isko tune laga!’ The clash continued till Asha Bhosle suggested a tune for ‘lauta do’. Pancham then went on to create the tune in reverse direction! He used to refer to it as the ‘luggage song’!

Enjoy listening! I can guarantee you’ll rewind it over and over!

* Ek akeli chhatri mein jab aadhe aadhe bheeg rahe the

Aadhe sukhe aadhe geele sukha toh main le aayi thii

Geela mann shayad bistar ke paas padaa ho

Woh bhijva do mera woh samaan lauta do *

Song: Mera Kuch Samaan

Film: Ijaazat

Music: R.D.Burman

Lyrics: Gulzar

Vocals: Asha Bhosle

The Free Bird Feeling!

I’m done, done and done with exams. Phew. That feels good. Now there’s quite a list, of things to be done.

- Clean the house.

- Take that much-needed trip.

- Watch tons of movies.

- Cook. And cook some more!

- Take that camera out of the closet and shoot every damn thing I set my eyes on!

Anger Venting

Starting an Animal Home was one of a thing on my Things-to-do-before-I-die list. After today, it has become a priority on that list. I never knew finding a home for a li’l pup could be so difficult. Numerous mails, innumerable messages yielded no result. And people want to know what breed it is. What difference would it make? So your love depends on the breed, eh? Wow.

And there's hardly anything Animal Shelters can do. They're doing their best. But they only provide for sick or injured animals. Besides, high population. Low funds. No space. That is sad. And disturbing.

To top it, some ridiculous movie on bull racing was aired on Zee Marathi. Seeing the animals beaten up for stupid pleasure made me cringe even more.

To all those who asked me the puppy’s breed – FUCK YOU.

To all those who promised, but never reverted back – FUCK YOU.

To all those who made that shameful movie – FUCK YOU.

To all those who spoilt my day – FUCK YOU.

Asocial? Not Really.

Its been a long time since this show started, but I still remember this scene. Just so beautiful. Ila Bhate has done a brilliant job. Its what my mother keeps telling me and I can understand what she means. I’d once told her that if I meet ten people in a day, I don’t like nine of them! She’d given me this very lecture that day…so when I heard it again here, I was pleasantly surprised.

A part of me agrees with her when she says that people are your real wealth, your support. Except that, there is a part of me that feels you don’t need dozens of them. Like I said, I may not like nine out ten people I meet. But if I can hold on to that one person, I would consider myself fortunate. This comes from my somewhat introvert nature. I do take time to open up, but once I’m there, the other person will have a hard time keeping me shut! I haven’t kept in touch with a lot many people from school or college, but the ones I have, I know I can depend on them and that they’re just a call away when I need them.

I'm holding on my treasure. Are you? :)

Movie Recommendation - Bawarchi

Cast: Rajesh Khanna, Jaya Bachchan, A.K.Hangal, Durga Khote, Asrani, Harindranath Chattopadhyay.

Release Year: 1972.

Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

I never really understood why Rajesh Khanna was such a huge star, why he had such a huge fan following. Until I saw Bawarchi, Anand, Amar Prem and Aradhana(in that order). It was not about him. It was his onscreen persona, the characters he played. Characters so full of life (yes, even Amar Prem), they were almost unreal.

Coming to Bawarchi, it narrates the tale of Shivnath Sharma (Harindranath Chattopadhyay) and his family – his three sons, their wives, their children, and Krishna (Jaya Bachchan), his deceased son’s daughter. The family lives together in a house, ironically called Shanti Niwas. The environment at the house is anything but peaceful, as the narrator (Amitabh Bachchan) tells us. There are constant squabbles between the brothers over trivial matters. The family also has a reputation for not letting any servant hang about for over a month. So when the family servant runs away, the workload falls upon Krishna, who does all of it without complaining.

One fine morning, an unknown man, Raghu (Rajesh Khanna) turns up stating that he is a bawarchi. A wave of happiness flies over the Sharma family. Raghu is a smooth talker and claims to have worked for a lot of renowned personalities in diverse fields, and also charges a lot less than the earlier servant. The family is initially reluctant in trusting him, but Raghu soon wins over their confidence with his talks and cooking skills. However, there is a mysterious element to him since he always has his eye on a wooden trunk kept below the patriarch’s bed that contains the family jewels.

In a matter of time, Raghu is able to restore peace and happiness in Shanti Niwas. He resolves issues between the brothers, the sisters-in-law, and even helps the coy Krishna in winning a dance competition against her cousin. Just when things seem to be going well, the family is robbed of the jewel chest. Since Raghu is absconding, the family believes him to be the thief.

The role of bawarchi was tailor made for Rajesh Khanna. Its almost an extension of the character he played in Anand. Jaya Bachchan as Krishna is the apogee of cuteness. For anyone who wants to watch Jaya Bachchan at her best, watching a Hrishida movie is a must. Whether it is Guddi, Mili, or Chupke Chupke, she delivers performances that tug strings at your heart. The rest of the cast is equally fantastic. Dialogues by Gulzar are mesmerizing, as usual. One of my favourites being – ‘It is so simple to be happy, but it is so difficult to be simple’. The soundtrack of Bawarchi is a jewel in itself, with gems like Tum Bin Jeevan, Bhor Aayi Gaya Andhiyara, and more. Music by Madan Mohan is delightful, and is harmonized by Kaifi Azmi’s words.

Kaaksparsh

I have my doubts over Mahesh Manjrekar’s storytelling abilities. But my love for Sachin Khedekar compelled me to watch Kaaksparsh. And I am glad I did so. The movie would certainly qualify as one of the best Marathi films in recent times. Set against the backdrop of the pre-independence era, Kaaksparsh tells the story of Haridada (Sachin Khedekar) and Durga/Uma (Ketaki Mategaonkar/Priya Bapat). When Uma’s husband (Haridada’s brother) passes away, Haridada takes it upon him to protect the girl from the brutal customs that a widow must go through such as shaving her head, giving up on certain foods. The love between the two is evident, but Haridada chooses to hold off his feelings, the reason for which is a promise that he makes to his deceased brother during his last rites.

What I found very fascinating about the film are the songs. Simple, yet profound lyrics and barely-there music. It almost starts to resonate inside you and stays there. The story is blessed with beautiful locales – the house, forest, temple, and even the well! And the cinematographer does a brilliant job in capturing the exquisiteness. The actors excel at their respective roles. Sachin Khedekar does a terrific job as Haridada, perhaps the most complex character in the film. Haridada sometimes seems like a reformist when he stands up for Uma, yet, at the next instant, he is a dictating husband. Priya Bapat as Uma is aptly cast. She has a very innocent face, but her eyes are so full of sorrow. I can’t think of anybody else who could’ve portrayed Uma’s anguish or her misery better. The surprise element however, is Ketaki Mategaonkar. The girl is adorable as the young Uma.

Kaaksparsh – playing at a cinema near you. Don’t miss it! (I bet you’ll come out of the cinema hall humming Are Sansar Sansar!)

P.S.: For all of you wondering why it is a ‘vilakshan’ prem kahaani, its because the film is adapted from a book called ‘Vilakshan’!

Satyamev Jayate

Sunday morning is the new prime time, thanks to Aamir Khan. I’d always been very fond of him as an actor, though the ‘Mr. Perfectionist’ tag annoyed me a bit. Not anymore. I also didn’t quite agree with his advertising strategies (still don’t). The promos for Satyamev Jayate were on air for over a month, but didn’t seem very exciting; to me, it looked like a collage story on India kind of a thing. Later when I learnt that it is a talk-based reality show, my interest declined even further. But what I finally saw on Sunday was unnerving to say the least. 

The thoroughly researched show presented some shocking statistics and three gut-wrenching stories. It also debunked some commonly held opinions. One of them being that the issue is more rampant in small towns and villages. (I remember reading some numbers in Times Of India a few years ago which stated that female foeticide is rampant in South Mumbai).  However there is one thing that I didn’t get. Why did the women choose to stay in the house despite repeated forced abortions and tormenting? When they knew that the husband and in-laws were callous, and that another female foetus would mean another abortion. The classic counter-argument to this is that things are easier said than done. Yes, I know many women do not have the option to walk out of a troubled marriage; but eventually, they did walk out. All that I’m trying to say is the more you withstand it, the more you’ll be harassed.

As I was watching the show, I was uncertain how much of a difference would it make. Till Khan mentioned the ‘jadoo ki chhadi’. He hit the audience with the blatant truth that the problem will stop if we want to, if we decide not to let this happen. And for people who think its too late, he gave an example of a village in Punjab that managed to do so.

In today’s television era, where entertainment is all being offered, even by news channels (!), Khan’s attempt is certainly laudable. Dil pe lagegi tabhi baat banegi. Perhaps that is why he makes us cry. I have sobbed my way through the entire show. And just when I thought it was over, Swanand Kirkire came in and managed to break me down with his powerful lyrics and his mystical voice. But will the audience return to watch a tear-jerker every Sunday morning? They better.

Will the show change something? Its certainly wrong on our part to expect quick results. Change is a fairly slow process. But I hope this is a beginning somewhere.

Song Of The Week

Started my day with this beautiful song and thought of sharing it here. Zindagi kaisi hai paheli from Anand. With lyrics by Yogesh, and music by Salil Choudhary, this is one of Hindi Cinema’s most beautiful songs ever. Soaring and uplifting. And the way the song is picturisied, adds to the beauty. Balloons soaring into the sky as Rajesh Khanna walks down the beach, jovial as ever.

The song was originally composed as a background score for the film. But when Rajesh Khanna heard it, he suggested the director, Hrishikesh Mukherjee to include it in the film. So a situation was specially created to incorporate this song. Though the film is adorned with gems like Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye, Maine Tere Liye Hi, and Jiyaa Lage Na, Anand would have been incomplete without this classic from Manna Dey.

* Kabhi dekho mann nahi jaage

Pichhe pichhe sapnon ke bhaage

Ek din sapnon ka rahii

Chala jaaye sapnon se aage kahan...*

Song: Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli

Film: Anand

Music: Salil Choudhay

Lyrics: Yogesh

Vocals: Manna Dey

Shaala - All that Good?

Spent an afternoon watching a Marathi film called Shaala. This was one film that I wanted to love, but could barely manage to like. I somehow survived it till the last shot, then turned off the TV and wondered about all the unnecessary praise showered on the film. I say unnecessary because here was one story that had the potential, but was let down by the direction and screenplay. Yes I know the film has won a National Award. I’d lost faith in them after the royally-wooden Arjun Rampal got one for Rock On! But Jogwa reinstated my trust. Now this year, there was Vidya Balan and Girish Kulkarni on one hand, and this film on the other. I don’t know what to say!

Set against the 1975 emergency backdrop, Shaala tells the story of Mukund Joshi (Anshuman Joshi), a standard IX student, who is smitten by Shirodkar (Ketaki Mategaonkar). How cute (for a documentary!). But to drag it into a two and a half hour ordeal is preposterous. That should explain the snail-paced narrative. I waited and waited for the story to move, but alas! This is where my biggest disappointment with the film lies. Not that I have a problem with sluggish scripts. The director wanted to the audience to refresh their school memories. At the given pace, daydreaming and nostalgia were quite a handful!

The saving grace for the movie is the top-notch performances put in by the entire cast (Exception: a miscast Amruta Khanvilkar). Joshi, his friends, Shirodkar, all the teachers and the Principal are very likeable. However, many characters are not completely developed and lack homogeneity, which could have been avoided considering the leisurely pace at which the movie progresses. Also, the cinematography is spectacular. On the whole, an average film that could have been better. Much better.  

You've grown up!

My baby is legitimately a teenager now. And as expected, he is paying no heed to commands, not having his meals on time, and is quite in his own bubble these days. Here’s what happened this morning –

(MJ is at the window and I was reading the paper)

MJ: * woof woof *

Me: MJ…Quiet.

MJ: * woof woof *

Me: MJ! Quiet boy!

MJ: * woof woof  woof*

Me: (raise my voice) MJ! Quiet.

(Silence for 5 seconds or so)

MJ: *woof woof woof woof*

Me: *Sigh*!

Movie Recommendation - Monsoon Wedding

Cast: Naseruddin Shah, Lilette Dubey, Shefali Shah, Vasundhara Das, Rajat Kapur, Vijay Raaz.

Release Year: 2001.

Director: Mira Nair.

Of all Mira Nair films, I love Monsoon Wedding the most. Nair handles the done-to-death concept of love in a different way and to do this, she sets a big fat Punjabi wedding as the backdrop.

The story is set in Delhi, where preparations are in full swing for Aditi Verma’s (Vasundhara Das) wedding to an NRI, Hemant (Parvin Dabbas). Of course, her parents (Naseruddin Shah & Lilette Dubey) have chosen the groom, even as Aditi is still busy making secret rendezvous with her ex-flame (a weirdo TV anchor). To add to the chaos, comes in the extended family – the older, unmarried cousin Ria (Shefali Shah), the pretty, young cousin Ayesha (Neha Dubey), the uncle from America (Rajat Kapur), his wife, and a handful more. There is also a goofed-up wedding planner, P.K.Dubey (Vijay Raaz) who speaks the words ‘exactly and approximately’ together!

The film is driven by the complex nature of relationships. There are many tracks interleaved within the storyline, talking of love, trust, betrayal. The grittiest of them all is Ria’s (which I am tempted to divulge, but won’t. See the movie for that!). Shefali Shah delivers a fine performance, but I’ve seen better from her on television.

Monsoon Wedding celebrates the Punjabi wedding to the fullest, complete with the colours (a generous dash of red, yellow, orange and green), food, drinks, costumes, baraat, dance, music and gende ke phool! A must watch!

Scenes to watch out for:

#1: A harried Shah ticking off at Vijay Raaz over waterproofing the tent. Raaz says,

“Aaj barish nahi hogi...mor nahi naach rahe”.

“Mor nahi naach rahe? Baarish nahi hogi? Gaanja pii ke aaya hai kya?”

#2: The final song-dance sequence. The rains act like a liberating means of washing off all the problems in the movie.

Why not to miss this movie:

For its exuberant, yet profound take on relationships. 

If Tomorrow Comes

My internal exam has concluded and I need to remind myself that it was just an internal exam. I’m frolicking around like some school kid who’s done with education altogether. Playing in the scorching sun, running till my legs scream pain. And yes, getting wounded too. Till today morning, I had a bump on my forehead and a bruise on my forearm. Now I have an added bruise on my knee. *Sigh*.

There is a big stack of books in the living room calling out to me. Somehow I thought keeping them there would push me to study. But that is just not happening. I’m opting for the Sidney Sheldon book kept next to them. I’ve been ignoring this blog too.

All that I need is to gather myself and start studying. And give some more time here. Will do that -  Tomorrow! And this time, tomorrow shall come!

Hyderabad Blues!

I desperately need a getaway. Would love to pack my bags right now and head off somewhere all on my own! That would be funnn! Why alone? Coz my idea of a trip doesn’t really match with anybody’s around me. Just the other day, I was planning a trip with a friend and realized that there are very few places I would really want to go to.

- Villages bore me. The silence and the laidback life is bearable for a day or two, at most. By the third day, I’m at my wits’ end.

- Goa is done to death. Despite being a water sign, I’m so sick of beaches now, I might just throw up if I go to another one!

- Hill stations are pretty annoying. Go to any one of them, you’ll see the same stuff. And thanks to global warming, even they don’t have lower temperatures anymore. Forget snow.

Hyderabad somehow is a very tempting option. I’ve been there before…but it was a family trip. So one day was spent in visiting Ramoji Film City, another one for parks, lakes, another one for snow park, and so on! The entire trip was pretty much a waste. Not to forget all the weird stuff people bring on their way back. I remember PuLa Deshpande’s ‘Mee Ani Majhe Shatrupaksha’ where he says that there is nothing in this world that you cannot get in Pune or Mumbai. How true!

What fascinates me about a city is its history, the cuisine, the markets (not for shopping, just love the noise!), the museums. I would give anything to stand atop a building and watch the Charminar in the moonlight, all decked up in yellow lights, surrounded by traffic! Or eat lip-smacking Biryani at the Taj; or walk aimlessly and endlessly through Laad Bazaar – a street bursting with bangles! Hyberabad has some of the best buildings I’ve ever seen.  Such beautiful architecture; whether its Golkonda Fort, Makkah Masjid, Qutub Shahi Tombs, or the Falaknuma Palace…grandeur is perhaps too less a word to describe it.

Its amazing how a place can draw you in itself, making you feel like you belong there. Hyderabad did that to me and I'm eager to go back and indulge in its opulence.

Movie Recommendation - Masoom

Cast: Naseruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Urmila Matondkar, Aradhana, Jugal Hansraj.

Release Year: 1983.

Director: Shekhar Kapur.

In the early 80’s, Shekhar Kapur, a failed actor decided to venture into direction. And I’m glad he did so. ‘Coz the result was a beautiful, heartwarming tale – Masoom. Most people think that the movie is ‘lifted’ from Erich Segal’s ‘Man, Woman and Child’. Yes and No. Shekhar Kapur had read the book and narrated the idea to Gulzar, who then wrote the entire screenplay without referring to the book.

Set in Delhi, Masoom tells the story of D.K.Malhotra (Naseruddin Shah), Indu (Shabana Azmi) and their kids – Pinky (Urmila Matondkar) and Mini (Aradhana). Indu and D.K's perfect marriage falls apart when D.K learns about his illegitimate son from an affair with Bhavna (Supriya Pathak). Since Bhavna is now dead, the child Rahul (Jugal Hansraj) is sent to Delhi by his guardian to stay with the family. Rahul develops a bond with the girls, as well as his father, but gets the cold treatment from Indu. Masoom is about the innocent child, caught in the crossfire, finding a family.

The performers shine in their respective roles. Perhaps that’s what makes the film so real, and believable. Naseruddin Shah gives an evocative performance as the dull D.K; while Shabana Azmi leaves no stone unturned to show Indu’s inner conflict, as she alternates between coldness and her maternal feelings towards the boy. One of the best things about her performance is that she conveys a lot (and I mean A LOT!) through her silence, and there many such moments in the film. Urmila Matondkar, Aradhana and Jugal Hansraj are a complete delight. Neither hammy, nor underplayed. Just perfect, and innocent. A welcome change from the 70’s movies where child actors were so over the top or today’s movies where they are portrayed to be far more mature for their age.

Masoom gave us one of the most memorable soundtracks by R.D Burman and Gulzar. Tujhse Naraaz Nahi Zindagi tugs strings at your heart, Do Naina Aur Ek Kahaani is perhaps the most underrated lullaby ever, as for Lakdi Ki Kaathi… I’d read this in one of Gulzar’s interviews – ‘Nobody can write better nonsense than me. That explains why Lakdi Ki Kaathi is so popular!’ :D

Scenes to watch out for:

#1: A scene where Mini is watching TV, and Pinky is unable to study due to the high volume. So damn real! And their argument is so cute! Anybody who has a younger sibling knows what I’m talking about!

#2: When D.K. and Rahul return from Nainital, the girls go out to the door jumping. Indu gets up, a broad smile on her face, starts combing her hair, and stops midway when she realizes she is not on talking terms with D.K anymore. Her expressions are something to watch. Its amazing how somebody can portray so much without saying a word.

Why not to miss this movie:

Because it’s a beautiful story, adorned with outstanding performances. At times, the film is so good, it almost seems real. 

Its been a week since my last post. Sincere apologies. My boring schedule has kept me busy and will continue to do so for the next couple of weeks as well. 

5 Quick Thoughts:

- Baby Afreen breathed her last. RIP darling. I wonder if that demon of a father will ever be punished. Makes me think what kind of a society we live in; where mothers are worshipped and daughters are killed; some even before they are born.

- Famine in 9 districts. And people in Pune still need lessons on water conservation. 

- I am watching IPL5. I wonder why!

- Learnt to make (edible) Batata Vadaa. Wish I could have some control on eating it as well!

- There is a stack of books that I must attend to. Super Guilt.

Movie Recommendation - Mandi

Cast: Shabana Azmi, Naseruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Saeed Jaffrey, Neena Gupta, Ila Arun, Soni Razdan.

Release Year: 1983.

Director: Shyam Benegal.

There are numerous Hindi films with a brothel as the backdrop. While some chose to show elegance and grandeur (Devdas, Umrao Jaan); others chose to show the sleaze and underworld connections (Chandni Bar).  But Shyam Benegal’s Mandi is different. Comprising of a huge ensemble cast and a healthy dose of black comedy, Mandi is unlike the other films.

Rukmini Bai (Shabana Azmi) is a madam runs her brothel with a strict hand, assisted by the bored-to-death servant Tungrus (Naseruddin Shah). Rukmini Bai is overtly protective about all her girls, especially the coy, yet rebellious, Zeenat (Smita Patil), who is always confined to learning music and dance, rather than attending to the kotha’s customers. Problems arise when she finds herself struggling against the hypocritical moral police, lead by Shanti Devi, who threaten to throw them out of the town, in order to keep the city ‘clean’. Her landlord, Mr. Gupta (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) offers a place outside the city, in exchange of the current one. The town’s mayor Agarwal (Saeed Jaffrey) finds himself stuck in the middle since he cannot afford to disagree with the social activists, and has to rely on Rukmini Bai to hide his secret. Other characters squeezed into the film include a mute girl (Sreela Majumdar), who is sold to Rukmini Bai by her husband; Agrawal's son, who is madly in love with Zeenat; a pervert photographer (Om Puri); Shanti Devi’s assistant (Pankaj Kapur) and of course, the brothel girls (Ila Arun, Neena Gupta).

Mandi focuses on the nature of relationships amongst all its characters, where double-crossing, betrayal are everyday affairs. Rukmini Bai’s love-hate relationship with Tungrus is perhaps the most complex of them all. Tungrus is ferociously loyal towards Rukmini Bai, doing everything as she says, word-to-word, yet yells at her when he’s drunk. Naseruddin Shah pitches in a classic act as the droopy, exhausted Tungrus. Shabana Azmi’s portrayal of Rukmini Bai is delicious. Her body language and the Hyderabadi intonation are to die for!

Scenes to watch out for:

#1: When Mr. Gupta comes to see Rukmini Bai for the first time. You see Shabana Azmi shouting instructions at one instant and managing a coy smile at the other. Also, its amazing the way Rukmini Bai cannot stop herself from looking into the mirror, whether it is in the middle of a prayer, crying, or even an argument!

#2: Again a scene between Gupta and Rukmini Bai, where he is offering her money to leave the place, and she is telling him to raise the price. Look at the way she says, “Paan khayenge?”

Why not to miss this movie:

Shabana Azmi’s performance. Need I say more? ;)

The Big Fat Indian Wedding? *Sigh*

There are people who get married. And then there are people who are actually happy about getting married. How lame. Today I realized that I kinda have a problem with the latter type, no matter how close they might be. Dimwits who think that suddenly the world is revolving around them. I committed the aghori paap of going shopping with one such dame today.

“Hii kashi ahe?”

“Changli ahe. Ghe ata patkan.”

“Nahi evdhi pan kahi khaas nahiye. Ti dusri dakhvaa. Haan, hii?”

“Bakwaas.”

“Mala avadli baba. Hich ghete. Ka nako…ti dakhvaa jara...tu pan kar na shopping!”

“Can you finish up like real quick?”

“Whaat? Its my big day, okay?”

“Yeah. Whatever.”

Four hours. Four precious hours wasted. And more than half the shopping is still remaining. Aarghh.

I don’t get this. Am I the only one who thinks this way? But seriously, what is the whole point of inviting a thousand people, (half of whom you haven’t even seen in your entire lifetime), splurging money, creating such a hullabaloo and turning a four hour ceremony into a four day extravaganza? No. I’m not against rituals. What I have a problem with is turning a private ceremony into a public one. And as if a day wasn’t enough, there are all kinds of other add-ons like mehendi, sangeet, blah, blah, blah!

Personally, I see marriage as a means to throw love out of the window! You start taking the person for granted; differences start showing up, egos too. ‘Happily Married’ is quite an oxymoron. I don’t understand the need to put a label on everything. ‘I now declare you husband and wife’ and all that crap! Just keep it simple, silly!

Song of The Week

After posting Aandhi as this week’s movie, can the song be any different? So song of the week is Tere Bina Zindagi Se Shikwa. I’m sure this song features in the top ten of every Pancham fan. The way the songs opens – with the santoor playing – grabs your attention. And then the lyrics do all the talking!

I’d read an interesting piece of info on this song a few years back in one of Gulzar’s interview. He’d gone to Pancham’s house when Pancham was composing a tune for a Durga Puja album with Gauri Prassano, one of Bengal's top lyricists. Gulzar saheb was so struck with the tune that he started writing a song for it. When Prasanno had left, Pancham asked him, “Now what do we have to compose?” and he replied, “Yeh gaana karenge.”

So the original tune was retained for the mukhda and a new one was created for the antara. When Gulzar saheb tried adding dialogues in the lyrics, Pancham had scolded him saying, “Do you have any understanding of sur or taal? You put in dialogues wherever you want. Its not done!” but eventually, the dialogues were retained!

* Kaash aisa ho tere qadmo se chun ke manzil chale

Aur kahin duur kahin

Tum gar saath ho

Manzilon kii kamii to nahi *

Song: Tere Bina Zindagi Se

Film: Aandhi

Music: R.D.Burman

Lyrics: Gulzar

Vocals: Lata Mangeshkar & Kishore Kumar

A li'l Flashback

I found an old diary today. 1996. Where my handwriting is round and wobbly. On going to today’s page, I discovered that I’d learnt to ride a cycle on this very day! What I’ve written there is quite hilarious. But that is one day that is still etched in my memory.

I had thrown all kinds of tantrums and finally, on a Saturday evening, my parents had bought me a red bicycle. The next morning, dad had woken me up early to teach me how to ride. He was holding the handle as well as the seat and kept yelling at me to look forward. Me, being the not-so-compliant kid, kept on looking left, right and back…but never in the right direction!

After almost two hours, I learnt to balance and could manage to look ahead without being distracted. Dad had slowly let go off the handle but was still holding on to the seat and running behind with me. I told him to let go, very confidently. He did the same. I rode for a small distance without him and looked back to show him how well I was doing and bang! Straight into the wall!

My knee was hurt, and my confidence, shattered.  The only thing I wanted dad to do was to pick me up and go home. Instead, he put me back on the bicycle and made me ride it. I wanted to cry out loud. Just couldn’t. He held on to me till he was sure that I’ve got it right. And before I knew it, I was all on my own. I looked back for a second to see him smiling at me and I rode on J

I learnt a very important lesson that day which I have even written in my diary at the end (in capital, bold letters!) – NEVER GIVE UP!