Classic Cinema: Saudagar (1973)

YouTube offers a wide selection of several Hindi films. While browsing through random list of films I have never planned to see such as 'Tasveer' or 'Fool n Final' ! But thankfully saw 'Saudagar', and streamed the entire film!

I have seen the film long ago, when I was in school, sitting with my mother, watching an after noon show on 'Zee Cinema'  or the likes. And I remember thinking what a wonderful piece of cinema it was...the feeling still remains.

Moti (Big B) is a seasonal gud (jaggery) vendor in the a market somewhere which appears to be West Bengal. He extracts sweet juice from the date palm trees in winter, and takes it to the Mahjubi (played by super talented Nutan). She uses her skills to make the Gud and Moti sells it back in the market.

So you get it, it's a business deal. Give and take. But complications starts arising when Moti falls for a girl across his village, but big boo boo for him as he cannot marry her. Her father asks for a large sum of money in the form of 'mehr'.

How does Moti gets out of his problem. He schemes, and oh yes - real bad! He decided to make a business decision by marrying Mahjubi. While our Moti is completely detached in this relationship, he is simply using her to make more money, now that he does not have to remunerate his own wife, he quickly makes up the 'mehr' money to marry the love of his life. Ofcourse he has to ditch poor Mahjubi.

What follows in an complicated series of events that Moti never dreamt of!

It's a well crafted tale of one man's greed, and its consequences on two women in his lives. Brilliant script that binds the characters together. There are substantial moments in the film that make their presence felt at the end of the film. The sweet-bitter end lingers in the viewer's mind, makes you wonder Mahjubi's feeling towards Moti.

An underlying theme of submissive feminism crawls through the film. It's not about what the women endure, but how they come out of the situation. Most Indian cinema from 70s to late 90s only portrayed a pitiful image of women in context to their feminism, but films like 'Saudagar' come out with a greater message. One might think - it was the man who caused problems, but he couldn't give solutions, and that's where this film wins.

Highly recommended.

Looking back: Yuva

Mani's masterpiece Yuva still sends chills down my spine.

A story about three people, and how their lives change through one incident. Sounds cliched? Hardly is.

The film was: intelligent screenplay, applaudable performances, inspiring music and lastly some brilliant social commentary. How did Mani Ratnam pull it off, mirroring the mind of the youth? Yuva captures the very essence of living in developing country, going through drastic changes and its effective in yours and mine quotidien mundane acts in life.

Lalan (Abhishek Bachhan) is the potential mafia-to-be in Bengal, who wants to make some moolah through ripping off shoulders, and beating the shit out of his victims. He has no brain, just brawn, will kill anyone as long as he makes his profit.

Arjun is - classic example of potential brain drain, wants to leave for the United States for an MBA (that education that apparently fetches a fat salary, and creates wonders like GFC). He also wants to get rich or die trying...but realises something else on this way to shiny big buildings of B-schools.

Michael - our desi hero? Ha, you wish. Does everything he wants to yes, but for a real reason, not the idealist unreasonable types, believes in a systematic correction of faults - through elections. Smart eh? How come no one thought of that before. That is the central theme of Yuva. Do something, stand up, fight and at least TRY.

No one has portrayed the attitudes and the circumstances of the youth better than Yuva. A very well crafted tale of many aspects of the youth.

Think of all the campaigns/ demonstrations which took place in the past ten years involving the youth. Whether it was the fight against the reservations, or the most recent involvement of the youth in the Anna Hazare's Lokpal campaign.

The youth is out there, omnipresent, so powerful yet so lost. It's hard to find a direction, some one points, the other distract and get diverted. Yuva needs to find a way. Now is always the time, but when is now?

From iPhone to Android

Time to change technologies from iphone to android

Things that matter

The struggle to realise the importance of things that matter. It's hard, but you find them sometimes. They pass you by everyday, until you take notice, and realise what a fool you have been not to acknowldge them!

Some things take a back seat, because they are tired of knocking at your door, and being ignored again and again.

Such is life, right now things that matter are advocacy, human rights, a job, a place to stay and last but not the least - family and friends who love you but are away. Realised anything today?

Shout out if you do!

The White Tiger

Arvind Adiga is a pure genius...just started his booker prize winner 'The White Tiger'. Witty. crafty and engrossing. The first few pages have thrown me in a world of nostalgia. It's a strange nostalgia, because it does not belong to me. It's some one's else nostalgia that I relate to, some one who is never talked about - the common Indian man. We know who he is, but fail to acknowledge his presence, or give him the basic dignity.

Only a few pages down, haven't experienced this level of excitement for a book in a long long time!

Light at the end of the tunnel seems so faint,
the carpet is still gray-
the blinds are ripped
there is nothing much I can say

There is no reason, no logic, no sense that makes it common,
there is just too much disparity between the heart and the head.

Just how Saraswati flows in and out,
no one knows where she begins,
or where she ends.

All I want is a merging point,
a sense of direction, and timliness
it's not a deadline, or a goal, but simply a path
which only my soul can show

Find me a photograph, a book and a film
or maybe what I need is a camera, a pen and a mic

Picture, piece and art

A photograph speaks volumes. Where is the photograph?
A piece of writing flows out with emotions. Where is the piece?
A film is can evoke drama or pity. Where is the film?

Three things, three problems, three solutions. If I can't find them, then I am stuck.

Then & Now

I haven't had much to say in this space for a very long time.
From the last time I posted, there have been developments. I have changed cities and countries. Studying in a new place.
Feels good, but sometimes do not understand the consequences of my choices. It seems to me that my ideas and thoughts about my future are going to betray me. But I try and not lose faith. Being cynical is so easy, and it works for a LOT of people, so why am I stuck with optimism?

I had new friends. I don't know a lot of people, but I am trying.

Cinema comes to my rescue. It makes me feel like a different person, it makes me feel that passion with which I used to talk about. I used to love films, analyzing them, deconstructing them.

My energies are focusing on other academic issues, I am not sure which path to take, not that there is a choice as of now, but I will have to make decisions sooner or later.