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Sanju: Interesting life. Interesting choices. And a lifetime of misunderstanding.

It’s hard to see an adult man being treated as a child. Or to think that a man with as much exposure as Sanjay Dutt would be so naive. My instant reaction to Sanju: Oh the poor thing! He made a flurry of bad choices in life and then had to atone for it all. He still is. But is it that simple? Can someone be duped so easily? Can someone be so impressionable after being born into an affluent family? A child that had access to a cigarette at 6 years of age is no naive bunny. Could his parents have protected him that much? Did he really not know what he was getting into when he was housing an assault rifle? Actually, Sanju left me with more questions than answers and I felt that it did not cover all facets of his life. He was married three times - what about those relationships? Or the many famous actresses he was with, in his prime? What about the birth of his first daughter? Did these things not have an impact on his life? Apparently, after his mother, he was deeply affected by th
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Womanhood

Who am I? She asked herself. Just a pretty face? She hated that. She wanted to be more. Her face, her clothes, her body. Was all that they saw. But what about her wonderful mind? How she'd love to show that to someone. Is that someone out there? She wonders. In that hope she puts her thoughts out. Crazy. Stubborn. Opinionated. Is all they said. She speaks and she's looked at with wonder. Sometimes even dislike. But at times she doesn't want to. It takes all her might. She has thoughts. Is someone listening? She has opinions. Does anyone care? Or is this what we call womanhood? Is it meant to be despair?
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The Jungle Book

This was like revisiting childhood. Only with better graphics and 3D animation. In my mind, nothing can replace the old cartoon version, but Jon Favreau's version is something to be experienced. When the film was released with a U/A rating, I wondered who the fool was to have made such a decision...until I watched the movie. The visual effects are so amazing that some parts are hair-raising! And I mean it in its truest sense. All actors have done a splendid job of lending their voices to the characters and bringing them alive on screen, quite literally. And young Mowgli played by Neel Sethi is endearing. I did miss the vultures and Colonel Haathi, though. :) I loved every bit of The Jungle Book , savored every character, felt their fear and mourned their loss. Everything except one niggling factor - diction. So this is a story set in India, with characters that have Indian names - then why pronounce them incorrectly? Every time any character referred to Akela or Sher Khan
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Bajirao Mastani

Resplendent is how I would describe Bajirao Mastani in one word. I know I'm a bit late to the table with this review, and believe me, I wanted to let this pass. But the only thing that lingered in my mind like a sweet scent every time I thought about this movie was Priyanka Chopra's performance. So I had to write about it! Priyanka Chopra is what you would call a 'class act'. Her portrayal of Bajirao's wife, Kashibai, is not just convincing, it's par excellence. With limited screen time, Priyanka's Kashibai creates a lasting impression. At least for me, I walked out with Kashi in my mind. Bajirao and Mastani had anyway sealed their fate, the moment they realized they were in love. Kashi is simple, naive and devoted to the Peshwa. Her happiness lies in his and that's the purpose of her life. I loved the many shades of her emotions. She goes from feeling loved to feeling betrayed, to denial, anger and finally acceptance. Her level of acceptance is
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Happy New Year 2016!

Hey there, I've been away for a while (again). I realize I must make these disappearances scarce. A lot of things have transpired in the recent past and I've not written about any of these things. I call this my literary abode and I've not done what I do best - relate my experiences. So, here's a snapshot of what I've been up to in the past year that I haven't written about: - A few trips to: Chennai (my first experience of a big, fat, Bong wedding) Goa  Yercaud  Hampi (a family reunion) - I visited several new watering holes around town - Finished a beautiful book called 'Lean In' by Sheryl Sandberg and downloaded many more on my Kindle - Watched some wonderful movies: Spectre Bajirao Mastani The Hateful Eight Sicario The Theory of Everything I Am Ali Ugh! the list is exhausting as you can see and I'm sure I've still missed out on a few other things. It's too late for me to start writing about each one of the
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Bajrangi Bhaijaan

I may be a bit late to the table, but I had to write about Bajrangi Bhaijaan because I had a few thoughts that needed some voicing. My first reaction to this movie's release was to ignore it completely because I was disillusioned by Salman Khan's brand of films after  Jai Ho  (yes I did watch it). But then there were a few good reviews (surprisingly), so I thought why not give it a shot. So, I watched it and admit (sheepishly), I bawled like a child. My sentiments got the better of me. Ugh!  All through I kept thinking, ok this is not bad, but I won't cry (I'm too cool for that). But the tears just started rolling at the climax and I had no control. So coming to the film, there is a plot and all that. And of course, there is some silliness. But in the larger context of things, I decided to overlook them.  Here's what I loved the most: the concept of a mute girl and how a nice guy tries to help her out. I even liked how he discovers where she b
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This is how I beat 'Writer's Block'

I wrote this on my other blog and was quite happy with it, so here I am, sharing my joy. :) I need to write for myself.  I get withdrawal symptoms otherwise. It's strange because, unlike other addictive things, withdrawal symptoms for writing occur much after you've stopped.  Your body exhausts every morsel of satisfaction you got from writing your last piece. And then, after about 6-8 months, it happens - the first pang. Your thoughts are finding words, but the words are not reaching the word doc. And when you attempt to put it down, there it is, the dreaded writer's block, staring you in the face. What's writer's block? To me, it's the cursor blinking on a blank screen. There's nothing that bothers me more than that jobless blinking cursor. I get immense pleasure making him work. So then, that's what I do. Make him run, as my words catch up with him. Then I pause to think and he gets time to rest. But then I start typing and he sta
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