My thoughts on Saawariya
I know I am not famous enough to be on Koffee with Karan, but if I was asked by the honorable host as to which movie I would choose to watch between Om Shanti Om and Saawariya, I would have answered without blinking, "Saawariya, of course." True to my answer, I went and watched Saawariya this weekend.
The movie is based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story 'White Nights'. How far can you stretch a short story to make into a 3 hour movie? Owing to this, the story is not the best part of the movie and some people might even find it boring. What makes the movie come alive is the direction, music and Ranbir - in that order.
To create a dream world so beautiful and take your audience to this world and make them forget that they have left a real world behind is not easy. Sanjay Leela Bhansali does this and he is a genius. For as long as the screen was lit up, I was mesmerized. The whole movie is shot in a set which mimics a small town around a lake. By interval time, you feel you are a part of that town. There is one shot where Sonam is reading from a book and her aunt and her governess (??) are with her. The three women are shown in three mirrors and in between the focus shifts to Sonam and you can see the other women in two mirror. It's mind boggling to even think how SLB shot this!
If you are not fond of melodious music, do not watch this movie. It's like a Chitrahaar sometimes, with songs back to back and these songs add flavour to the movie. The first song 'Pari', so beautifully sung by Kunal Ganjawala is equally well crafted by SLB. I particularly liked the shots involving glass panes. Ranbir and the women are separated by a glass pane. The shot begins with Ranbir's reflection on the glass pane and the women slightly out-of-focus and as the shot proceeds, Ranbir fades out and you see the women. This technique repeats a couple of times all through the song.
Considering that it is Ranbir's first movie, he has done well. The whole movie stands on his shoulders and he carries it well. He comes across as this lovable, vivacious, naughty, lover boy who lives life to the fullest. His acting seems like overacting at times, but it is forgivable. He is exceptionally brilliant in his towel-clad act in 'Jabse tere naina'. He proves his dancing skills in the title song. It's the innocence on his face that takes your heart away. Sonam doesn't really have much scope to act. Moreover, with Ranbir hogging the screen, she failed to impress me.
There are certain places where the movie goes too far away from reality. Like the song 'Dekho chaand aaya'. The song is shot in a mosque and all the men are in white, except our Ranbir who is dressed in black. After the song, the men and women mingle and exchange greetings - which is sacrilegious in Muslim community. If this scene couldn't have been shot in any other way, SLB could have based this story in some other, more liberal community.
While the movie does have these far-from-reality pieces, it is closer to real life than most of our Bollywood movies. We are so used to seeing the male lead sacrificing his love for his friend and the female lead agreeing to marry her lover's friend for the sake of her love. In Saawariya, we actually get to see some real emotions, where the male lead places his own love above someone else's and asserts that man, after all, is selfish. I can't say much without marking it as a spoiler. People who have watched the movie will understand what I am talking about.
Even though it is not SLB's best, he definitely shines in this movie. If you are a romantic and sometimes let your heart overtake your head, then you will enjoy Saawariya.
Jane Eyre: Charlotte Brontë
I already had an overdose of classic this month with The Great Gatsby and The Picture of Dorian Gray and that was a good reason not to pick any other classic for the next six months. Even then, I picked up Jane Eyre and th only reason being I want to read Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair and I was told that I will appreciate the latter book better if I read the former one.
The book is noted for its strong main character. Some even compare her to Lizzy of Pride and Prejudice, but I prefer Lizzy any day to Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre, as the title suggests, traces Jane's life and gives us a glimpse of her childhood, her thoughts and opinions. The book is written in autobiographic style where Jane Eyre is directly addressing her audience. They say the book is actually an autobiography, because the author Charlotte Brontë led a similar life.
The language, description, dialogues, setting, characters - all are typical classic style. What probably is different is the main character. She is not the typical English lady - born rich, well brought up, polished and lady like. On the contrary, Jane is made orphan early in life and sees a bad childhood at a relative's house. She is then sent to a charity school where homeless girls are expected to live an colorless life mostly spent in praying. She turns out to be skillful and well educated. She works as a teacher for a few years and moves on to become a governess. There she falls in love with a man much elder to her. I cannot proceed further without being a spoilsport, so I shall stop.
While I did not feel like putting the book down, neither did I feel good after finishing it. I finished it only yesterday and there is nothing significant about the book I remember. I never felt like pausing at a paragraph and re-reading it. Neither did I feel that a quote was so profound that I had to mark it. In short, I didn't take back anything from the book. It was like a story - which I read with some indifference. I do not feel anything towards Jane Eyre - no sympathy, no love, no hatred - nothing. I did feel she was childish and was irritated with her in the pages that describe her courtship days.
This book goes on to strengthen my opinion that I don't really enjoy reading a classic. Well, I am glad I am done with Jane Eyre. I can at last start with The Eyre Affair.
Remembering Geeta Dutt
November 23rd is Geeta Dutt's birth anniversaryGeeta Dutt was vivacity personified. If one listened to her songs with eyes closed and tried to imagine the face behind the voice, one would see an innocent face with shining eyes full of life.
While one can dance to her tunes in Mera naam chun chun chu from Howrah Bridge, Tadbeer se bigdi huyi from Baazi dance songs, one can peacefully go to sleep listening to her Nanhi kali sone chali hawa dheera aana from Sujata. This particular lullaby is a particular favorite of mine. The wording are beautiful, the inclusion of the sound of baby's anklets, the wonderful singing - the song is just great.
Her playful, nuaghty songs like Jaane kahan mera jigar gaya ji from Mr&Mrs.55 and Hum aapki aankhon mein from Pyaasa, Ae Dil Mujhe Bata De from Bhai Bhai is what she is most famous for. These songs lift your spirits in no time.
Her sad songs are probably not that well known. Songs like Chand Hai Wohi Sitare Wohi Hain from Parineeta, Mera sundar sapna beet gaya from Do bhai makes one can be filled with grief. The last song, especially, is so melancholic. Geeta Dutt is literally crying in the song.
How can one forget the drunken, sensual singing of Na Jao Saiyan from Sahib biwi aur ghulam? The minimal background music, the intermittent pause singing and music, her slurred pronunciation makes one wonder if Geeta Dutt was really drunk when she sang this song.
Another favorite of mine, Piya Aiso Jiya Mein from Sahib Biwi Ghulam has Geetaji dreaming about her beloved. The lady sounds like she is actually in love and you blush and turn pink listening to the song. Look out for the subtle harkatein - no one could do it except for Geetaji. She is playful, complaining, mischievous - all at the same time!
She is the inspiration for many singers. It's no secret that Asha Bhosle used to imitate Geetaji in her initial days. The song Jaanu Jaanu Ri from Insaan Jaag Utha is such a pleasure to listen to. Two of the best female singers of the Hindi film industry, Geetaji and Ashaji, create magic in this song.
With Geeta Dutt's demise, Hindi industry has incurred a big loss, which is impossible to fill. Asha Bhosle gracefully stepped into her place and has done all the justice to it. If anyone can be compared with Geetaji, it has to be Ashaji. Nevertheless, if Geetaji had survived for a few more years, we would have had more gems from her.
The Bridge Across Forever: Richard Bach
This book is a favorite of, or at least has impressed, many people I know. When I first picked up this book, I thought I was too young and I postponed reading it. The second attempt was when I was in college. For some reason, I had to put it down. Now, in the third and final attempt, I finally succeeded in finishing this book. Now that it is over, I wish I had read it in my younger days, when I used to fantasize about my soul mate, my Mr.Right, where he was and whether he too was wondering about where his soul mate is. After nearly 3 years of marriage, all notions of Mr.Right and Prince Charming are out of the window and this book sounds like a big joke. Just to clarify, I don't mean to say I am not happy with my husband, I just want to say that nobody is perfect, there is no Mr.Right. We all have to make some compromise no matter who we choose as our life partner.
Let's come back to the book. As the preface says, "it's about a knight who was dying, and the princess who saved his life." In general, it's about a guy who almost always day dreams about his soul mate and fantasizes about making a perfect couple. It would have sounded credible if the guy in question hadn't had a failed marriage. The book is the author day dreaming aloud.
The book begins on a good note. It starts with the author realizing that it is high time he looked out for his soul mate. He wonders the whereabouts of his soul mate and these few pages sound like they are straight out of a teenager's personal diary. Mine would have been similar too, if I had kept a diary. On one hand he is searching frantically for his soul mate, while on the other he loves his freedom over anything else and does not want be to tied to one woman. These are contradictory, I know, and I kept asking myself how much sense that makes.
He finally meets a woman and he is completely mesmerized by her. He decides to have a platonic relationship with her and starts calling her his 'sister'. When I read this, I just cringed. It brought back memories of all those incidents in my college, where every other guy and girl became brother-sister because they wanted a license to go out with each other. And most of these bro-sis pairs are married now, happily or otherwise. No guesses here, the sister doesn't remain a sister forever and he finds himself in bed with her. I knew I should have stopped reading the book at this time, but I pushed myself to carry on.
The couple spend time doing nothing but exchanging mushy-mushy words and general gyan on life and love. They are supposed to be learning and growing up. A book cannot have just a few romantic scenes and fights. You need a story, right? So, throw in a few incidents like the protest against cutting trees and author going bankrupt. No where in the book does the author come across as someone who is about to lose every penny he owns.
"What's written here happened in fact very nearly the way it's turned out in print" says the author in the preface. I have my own suspicions because certain incidents are quite unlikely to happen. The out-of-body experiences, the author's dreams in which he meets his past and future, the couple dreaming together, the deja-vu's - I mean, how can one believe all that? They say, a book needs a problem which the readers want to see solved. The problem about this book is it doesn't have a problem. Everything is sugar sweet, the author never takes off his pink glasses and uses his heart more often than his head.
If mushy-mushy, lovey-dovey, melodramatic Karan Johar movie is your taste, you will love this book. If you are too burdened with practicality of life, want to be lost in a world where there is no problem, pick this up and escape into the author's world.
Edit: I just now read that the so-called perfect couple of this book are no longer a couple; they have separated. I hope Bach does not end up writing another book to justify this act.
Music Review: Khoya Khoya Chand
Album: Khoya Khoya Chand
Music Composer: Shantanu Moitra
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire
Album Rating
Khoya Khoya Chand reminds one of the 70's Hindi film music, when melody was of the essence. With some new singers and some established ones, this album is a treat to the ears. The music composer being the same, this album has resemblance to Parineeta.
Chale Aao Saiyan
Singer: Shreya Goshal
A classical based song, beautifully sung by Shreya Goshal. The presense of sarod, ghungroo, tabla make it a thumree. A beautiful number which changes paces in between. Shreya sounds different - her voice is more shrill than nasal. It reminded me of Chalte Chalte from Pakeezah.
Khushboo Sa
Singer: Hamsika Iyer
A new singer on the block who has worked wonders in this song. This has a vague resemblance to 'Kaise Paheli' from Parineeta. The mellow tune, the piano and the singer's sensual's voice make this song worth listening to.
O Re Paakhi
Singers: Sonu Nigam
I can't help it, this song reminds me Parineeta's Soona man ka aangan. Sonu Nigam is brilliant as ever. The opening is beautiful - only piano is playing intermittently in the background and Sonu's voice is even more enjoyable. Mid-way, the background music stops and Sonu is just singing. A song which you should enjoy with closed eyes and with lights off.
Sakhi Piya
Singers: Shreya Goshal, Pranav Biswas
A beautiful, melodious number. Pranav Biswas has a base voice which sounds great with Shreya's melodious voice. Background music is minimal with intermittent piano and santoor (is it santoor?) and violin. A slow, relaxed song which is thoroughly enjoyable.
Thirak Thirak
Singers: Shreya Goshal, Sonu Nigam
Relatively fast paced, this song is full of masti. Just like in Piya bole from Parineeta, Sonu outshines Shreya. His voice is so expressive, Shreya sounds weaker. This song borrows a stanza from the mukhda of the next song, but you don't realize it until you listen to the next song.
Khoya Khoya Chand
Singer: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Swanand Kirkire
The best song of the album. Khan saab is wonderful and his voice is charming. Swanand adds some reciting in between. A very passionate and energetic song.
Yeh Nigahen
Singer: Antara Choudhary and Sonu Nigam
This song sounds so much like a 70's Rafi song. Sonu even tries to bring in the harkatein, which were Rafi's trademarks. Antara is good too, but she is pitted against Sonu and she will sound weaker.
A very beautiful album, with melody at its core. An album definitely worth listening to.
The Mystic Masseur: V S Naipual
A bad choice for a book to read after Oscar Wilde and Tom Robbins. The former has a rich language and the latter, a great sense of humour. I have heard from people that Naipual's books are humorous. May be my sense of humour is pathetic, I didn't see any humour in this book.
The book is the story of Ganesh, his failure as a primary teacher, his transformation into a mystic, a writer and finally an MBE. The story is set in Trinidad and concentrates on the small Indian community settled there. I am confused about the location and the people. They speak a weird dialect of English and it is weird to an extent that the dialgoues began to irritate me. Every sentence spoken in adorned with man or girl (and sometimes both) and no where grammatically correct. If the dialogues are getting on your nerves, the narration doesn't help much. It is bland and sometimes makes you skip it. And why do newspapers in Trinidad carry reviews of Hindi films?
Ganesh's metamorphosis is not totally belieavable. He appears to be a useless, good for nothing guy at one time, and the know-it-all mystic with a lot of self confidence at other times. There is nothing about Ganesh which the reader would remember. Behary, Ganesh's friend, is an interesting character. I enjoyed the conversations between Behary (Suruj Poopa, as in Suruj ke pappa) and his wife, Suruj Mooma (you know what that means). Ganesh's wife and his father-in-law add a bit of garnishing.
I appreciate the subtle, polished humour of P G Wodehouse and also in the face, wacky humour of Tom Robbins. Naipaul's humour lies somewhere in between, and, I think, is targetted at the Indian community settled overseas. I can imagine the migrated Indians reading and laughing at the Indian culture and practices. I might be wrong about who his target audience is, but I am sure I am not one of them. This was my first Naipaul book, and in all probability, this will be the last one too.
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde is arguably the most often quoted author. Today I realized why. I read The Picture of Dorian Gray and found marking almost every line of the book as a good quotation.
This was my first Wilde book and I loved every word it. The book was so engaging, I finished it little more than a day. That’s a record of sorts, because I am not a fast reader.
The plot is very interesting. It is about, as the title says, the picture of Dorian Gray. There are very only two main characters (three, if you consider the painter) and the story is fast paced and has quite a few twists. The book is so small, you wish it could go on for some more time.
The language is the first thing that gets you. The long, flowery sentences, words that are rarely used in today’s books, the poetic lines, the rare comparisons - reading this book is liking sailing in a lake on a moonlit night.
Wilde understands human psychology in and out. The whole book is about human mind, its actions and influences. Lord Henry’s words and thoughts are if he is dissecting a human mind. His opinions, some of which I disagree with, make you close the book for a while and think about them. The book is peppered with the author’s commentary on human nature and it reminded me of Maugham.
The book has a strong subtext. The interpretation can be varied, but one will understand that it’s not just a fairy tale that is told and forgotten. The book will remain with the readers long after reading it. I strongly recommend this to everyone.
Some quotes from the book which I liked:
Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil. Conscience is the trade-name of the firm. That is all.
People are very fond of giving away what they need most themselves. It is what I call the depth of generosity.
As for omens, there is no such thing as an omen. Destiny does not send us heralds. She is too wise or too cruel for that.
...one can survive everything nowadays except death.
Spoilers follow: Please do not read the next paragraph if you haven’t read or intend to read the book.
The transformation of Dorian Gray from an adorable lad to a loathsome devil is so well achieved. Never does the reader ‘feel’ that it is sudden or unexpected. His obsession with youth and his actions resulting out of that seem justified. Lord Henry’s character is a mystery to me. He influences Gray in a negative way and he knows it. His motive is not clear to me. I attribute his actions to his jealousy of Gray’s youth and beauty. All my sympathies go to the painter - he pays a price for something that is not his fault.
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde is arguably the most often quoted author. Today I realized why. I read The Picture of Dorian Gray and found marking almost every line of the book as a good quotation.
This was my first Wilde book and I loved every word it. The book was so engaging, I finished it little more than a day. That’s a record of sorts, because I am not a fast reader.
The plot is very interesting. It is about, as the title says, the picture of Dorian Gray. There are very only two main characters (three, if you consider the painter) and the story is fast paced and has quite a few twists. The book is so small, you wish it could go on for some more time.
The language is the first thing that gets you. The long, flowery sentences, words that are rarely used in today’s books, the poetic lines, the rare comparisons - reading this book is liking sailing in a lake on a moonlit night.
Wilde understands human psychology in and out. The whole book is about human mind, its actions and influences. Lord Henry’s words and thoughts are if he is dissecting a human mind. His opinions, some of which I disagree with, make you close the book for a while and think about them. The book is peppered with the author’s commentary on human nature and it reminded me of Maugham.
The book has a strong subtext. The interpretation can be varied, but one will understand that it’s not just a fairy tale that is told and forgotten. The book will remain with the readers long after reading it. I strongly recommend this to everyone.
Some quotes from the book which I liked:
Spoilers follow: Please do not read the next paragraph if you haven’t read or intend to read the book.
The transformation of Dorian Gray from an adorable lad to a loathsome devil is so well achieved. Never does the reader ‘feel’ that it is sudden or unexpected. His obsession with youth and his actions resulting out of that seem justified. Lord Henry’s character is a mystery to me. He influences Gray in a negative way and he knows it. His motive is not clear to me. I attribute his actions to his jealousy of Gray’s youth and beauty. All my sympathies go to the painter - he pays a price for something that is not his fault.
This was my first Wilde book and I loved every word it. The book was so engaging, I finished it little more than a day. That’s a record of sorts, because I am not a fast reader.
The plot is very interesting. It is about, as the title says, the picture of Dorian Gray. There are very only two main characters (three, if you consider the painter) and the story is fast paced and has quite a few twists. The book is so small, you wish it could go on for some more time.
The language is the first thing that gets you. The long, flowery sentences, words that are rarely used in today’s books, the poetic lines, the rare comparisons - reading this book is liking sailing in a lake on a moonlit night.
Wilde understands human psychology in and out. The whole book is about human mind, its actions and influences. Lord Henry’s words and thoughts are if he is dissecting a human mind. His opinions, some of which I disagree with, make you close the book for a while and think about them. The book is peppered with the author’s commentary on human nature and it reminded me of Maugham.
The book has a strong subtext. The interpretation can be varied, but one will understand that it’s not just a fairy tale that is told and forgotten. The book will remain with the readers long after reading it. I strongly recommend this to everyone.
Some quotes from the book which I liked:
Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil. Conscience is the trade-name of the firm. That is all.
People are very fond of giving away what they need most themselves. It is what I call the depth of generosity.
As for omens, there is no such thing as an omen. Destiny does not send us heralds. She is too wise or too cruel for that.
...one can survive everything nowadays except death.
Spoilers follow: Please do not read the next paragraph if you haven’t read or intend to read the book.
The transformation of Dorian Gray from an adorable lad to a loathsome devil is so well achieved. Never does the reader ‘feel’ that it is sudden or unexpected. His obsession with youth and his actions resulting out of that seem justified. Lord Henry’s character is a mystery to me. He influences Gray in a negative way and he knows it. His motive is not clear to me. I attribute his actions to his jealousy of Gray’s youth and beauty. All my sympathies go to the painter - he pays a price for something that is not his fault.
Even cowgirls get the blues: Tom Robbins
After I was floored by Jitterbug Perfume, I picked up another Tom Robbins' book Even cowgirls get the blues with a lot of expectation and the book lived up to it.
As with any Robbins' book, it's pointless to discuss the plot. How would it sound if I said, 'this book is about a girl with abnormally huge thumbs, whose profession is hitchhiking and about a spiritual guru named Chink and a ranch run by a band of cowgirls'. Not interesting, right? Robbins' book is not about plots. It's about humor, the interesting use of words, the absurd-yet-funny way of bringing in two different disconnected topics and connecting them together. Oh, you should read his book to believe it.
This is probably Robbins' most acclaimed book. It's even made into a movie, which I came to know only after reading the back cover. Robbins creates extremely interesting characters for his books. Considering that this book was first published in 1976, it touches upon rather controversial subjects. The author generously puts in enough graphical scenes - I don't see the need, though. The book is interesting enough without those pages.
Though I liked this book, I still prefer Jitterbug Perfume to this, probably because it was my first Robbins book.
Wikipedia entry for Tom Robbins says
His novels are complex, often wild stories with strong social undercurrents, a satirical bent, and obscure details.
I agree with the complex, wild and obscure details part, but I fail to see the satirical bent. May be I don't have enough grey cells to understand it. All I know is Tom Robbins is a lot of fun.
If you read Scott Adams' blog and enjoy it, then it's highly likely that you will enjoy Tom Robbins' books.
Baavara Man Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna
Of all the numerous nasal songs and their even more nasal remixes coming out these days, there are very few songs that you want to go back and listen to. Evergreen songs so to say. One of these rare songs is one gem - Baavara Man Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna.
The first time I heard this song, I listened to it back to back for the whole day. I couldn't have enough of it. Thanks to my friend for introducing me to this song, otherwise my song collection would have had a big loss. It is from a movie Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, which I know nothing about.
The heavy classical touch, the hypnotizing voice, unique lyrics, beautiful orchestration - this song is as perfect as any song can be. The singer is in the right mood - he sounds aloof, yet passionate. The chorus adds a different charm to the song. The sitar (or sarod?), the peppering of violin, which sounds off-key at times and thus making the song even more beautiful. The best part of the song is arguably the lyrics. The deliberate repetition of the word 'Bavara' adds effect to the song.
Why waste time raving about it when one can actually relish it? You can listen to this song online on Music India Online. Music is by Shantanu Moitra. Lyricist and singer: Swanand Kirkire.
The first time I heard this song, I listened to it back to back for the whole day. I couldn't have enough of it. Thanks to my friend for introducing me to this song, otherwise my song collection would have had a big loss. It is from a movie Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, which I know nothing about.
The heavy classical touch, the hypnotizing voice, unique lyrics, beautiful orchestration - this song is as perfect as any song can be. The singer is in the right mood - he sounds aloof, yet passionate. The chorus adds a different charm to the song. The sitar (or sarod?), the peppering of violin, which sounds off-key at times and thus making the song even more beautiful. The best part of the song is arguably the lyrics. The deliberate repetition of the word 'Bavara' adds effect to the song.
Why waste time raving about it when one can actually relish it? You can listen to this song online on Music India Online. Music is by Shantanu Moitra. Lyricist and singer: Swanand Kirkire.
The Great Gatsby: F Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby, as the name suggests, is about a middle aged, extremely rich man, Gatsby. It gives a glimpse of Gatsby's life - his lifestyle, his freinds, his interests and more importantly, the biggest irony of life.
The Great Gatsby has one of the best opening that I have come across. As soon as you start reading the first word, you are totally into the story. The book is quite small in size and has your attention in every page. It has a nice twist in the end which comes as unexpected. The last 40-50 pages are the best part of the book.
This book is classic, and as it so often happens with me, I didn't love this classic. I wouldn't say the book was bad. There was nothing in it that made me close it, but in the same way, there was nothing in it which made me love it. Yes, the book is well written, the irony is wonderfully portrayed - but still, the book didn't work for me.
I tend to like books which make me pause and think - I should take back something from the book. And in case of The Great Gatsby, there was nothing I took back with me apart from this beautiful quote:
"Whenever you feel like criticizing someone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
Double Fault: Lionel Shriver
Lionel Shriver's Double Fault is a story of a couple who are trying to make a mark in the field of international tennis. While Willy has been playing with a racket since five, Eric, picks it up at the ripe age of eighteen. Against her coach's advice, Willy goes on to marry Eric and there starts a rivalry between the couple which is not all that healthy. This is the story of Willy who has to come to terms with her partner beating her at tennis and to continue loving his arch rival.
While We need to talk about Kevin, with its dose of uncommon words, was like reading an Oxford dictionary, the author saves us from that trouble in Double Fault. Was that intentional? The book flows smoothly, the language is straight. There is a distinct change in the writing style in these two books.
Shriver handles the story well. As the couple go through their courtship, wedding and its tensions, the reader feels the joy and pain. Though the story is in third person, it could as well be written in first person from Willy's point of view. This is the same trick the author played in Kevin. The reader never got to see the 'real' world, everything was through Eva's looking glass. Even in this book, we don't really know the neutral version of incidents. Since everything is through Willy's eyes, the reader never gets to know the 'real' Eric.
Just like in Kevin, Shriver tries to find an answer for yet another common phenomenon - rivalry among spouses. And just like how Shriver did not conclude Kevin with a definitive answer, the beauty of Double Fault is that it ends without any concluding answer. The book need not have been about tennis at all - it could as well have been about a couple who fought over who was better at handling kids and it would have been equally interesting.
The book is not about who was wrong - Willy or Eric. It is about a marriage which started turning sour. It is this generalization that makes the book interesting. Shriver does not waste words in justifying anyone's actions or blaming anybody, she just narrates the story and the reader is left to read his own version of it. At the end of it, this is not just about marriage - this could well be applied to any relationship that exists.
Shriver understands life and humans and their nature to such an extent that she could probably be the happiest person living. With her novel, Shriver drives home one point - if a relationship turns sour, it's not just one person's fault - it's Double Fault. The book couldn't have had a better title.
Music Review: Saawariya
Album: Saawariya
Music Director: Monty Sharma
Lyrics: Sameer
Album Rating:
With musical hits like Khamoshi and Devdas behind him, Sanjay Leela Bhansali can be trusted to give us a movie with good music. He doesn't disappoint us with his new movie, Saawariya. The much hyped launch pad of kids of industry's two big names, Rishi Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, has a good collection of songs. Romance, love, passion is oozing out of the songs. With songs being so hypnotic, I am waiting to see how they are taken to a new level by Bhansali's cinematic skills. I am sure it will be a feast for the eyes and ears.
Instead of giving us soft, monotonous songs, the relatively new director, Monty Sharma gives us songs with varying rhythms and notes. He has also given us two new noticeable voices, Shail Hada and Parthiv Gohil. Hada's Saawariya and Gohil's Yun Shabnami prove the singers' skills. In all, an album that deserves to be in your kitty.
Saawariya
Singer: Shail Hada
This song is doing the rounds on TV and is already a hit. We have a new singer, Shail Hada, who has an unusual voice. The song is a romantic, passionate number. Shail pumps energy and passion into the song. He carries off some yodeling too. An apt title song for the movie. Lyrics are nothing exceptional, but the simple tune of the song takes your heart away.
Jab Se Tere Naina
Singer: Shaan
Another romantic song, sung by Shaan. It wavers between mellifluous notes and passionate beats. Shaan modulates his voice well - going soft at times and oozing energy where required. Lyricist has not done anything extra-ordinary. One can find quite a few cliché phrases. A nice song to listen to, especially if you are in love. You would want to switch off the lights, sit back, close your eyes and relish the song.
Mash-Allah
Singer: Kunal Ganjawala
Lyrics: Nusrat Badr
Kunal is back with his enchanting voice. When you listen to this song, you go into a trance. The soft background music, Kunal's hypnotizing voice, the magical lyrics - the song is so romantic, you will fall in love, if you haven't already. No other singer could have carried it off so well as Kunal. Not even Sonu Nigam. This is an out and out Kunal Ganjawala song.
Thode Badmash
Singer: Shreya Goshal
It's the girl's turn to express her love through this song. Shreya Goshal tries hard to bundle enough naughtiness and love in this song, but she fails at certain points. When the song reaches high notes, her voice sounds strained. Lyrics are very ordinary.
Yoon Shabnami
Singer: Parthiv Gohil
Lyrics: Sandeep Nath
Yet another romantic number. What's with Bollywood and moon? From ages, the girl's beauty is being compared to the moon and the tradition continues in this song. Parthiv Gohil is a brilliant singer - his voice is literally dancing when he modulates.
Daras bina nahin chain
Singer: Richa Sharma, Shail Hada & Parthiv Gohil
The song starts with Richa Sharm'a alaap. Has she become famous as an alaap provider rather than as a singer? The music director's attempt at including a classical based song in the album. With Richa's commanding voice, the chorus, the male voice (Is it Hada and Gohil or both?), this song is very powerful. There is a haunting tune in the background. I couldn't identify the instrument used. Does anyone have an idea what instrument that is? It's a beautiful number which will make you get up and dance. It reminds me of the dance numbers in Devdas.
Sawar Gayi
Singer: Shreya Goshal
A Shreya solo. Another classical based song. A soft, slow number. Shreya sings this really well. Don't pay attention to the wordings, because they are nothing new.
Jaan-e-jaan
Singers: Kunal Ganjawala and Shreya Goshal
Probably the weakest song in the album. A judaai number, sung by Kunal and Shreya. Kunal sings well, but this is not his forte. Lyrics are very very ordinary. This song reminds me of the old song 'Tum mere ho, mere hi mere ho'.
Pari
Singer: Kunal Ganjawala
The hero is fantasizing about his loved one. He compares her to an angel. Lyrics become a little interesting here. 'Uski khamosh aahat ko sunta hoon mein'. Nothing new, but still makes your ears stand. This is a Kunal song and he makes complete justice. It doesn't have a catchy tune and it is difficult to sing. I don't see this song becoming a hit with the public.
Chabeela
Singer: Alka Yagnik
A change from the soft, slow songs. This is a fast, dance number sung by Alka Yagnik. Alka tries hard at modulating her voice, but sounds strained. Has she already lost the strength in her voice? It has a catchy tune, this is going to be a hit with the dance troupes.
Saawariya (Reprise)
Singer: Shail Hada
Shail is back with the title song and his magic. A perfect end to this great album.
Music Review: Om Shanti Om
Album: Om Shanti Om
Music Director: Vishal and Shekhar
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar
Album Rating:
Ajab Si
Singer: KK
A soft, melodious, romantic number. Interesting lyrics. “Dil ko banade jo patang saasen yeh teri woh hawayen hain”. For the first time, I see heart compared to a fly and breath to wind. Interesting! ‘Chandni teri roshani ka halka sa saaya hai’ - I loved this line. Javed Akhtar has given us a romantic song which is as fresh as a flower. KK sounds strained and nasal in some places.
Deewangi Deewangi
Singers: Shaan, Udit Narayan,Shreya Goshal, Sunidhi Chauhan,Rahul Saxena
The title song of the movie should have been more powerful. It will no doubt be compared to the evergreen Rishi Kapoor song ‘Om Shanti Om’. The song fails to make you sit up and take notice of the song. It’s very slow for a dance number and the voices sound all messed up.
Main Agar Kahoon
Singers: Sonu Nigam, Shreya Goshal
Remember Sonu Nigma’s popular album ‘Deewana’? This song could have been easily included in that album without disturbing its theme. The typical ball dance beats and the slow tempo and of course, Sonu Nigam’s voice - all of this remind you of his previous soft numbers from ‘Deewana’. It took some time to understand the words of the song, and that means Akhtar has worked hard on this!
Soona Lage
Singers: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Richa Sharma
When two voices as powerful as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Richa Sharma come together in a song, you expect a magical song. Sadly, this song is far from it. The tune itself is not catchy - it falls flat on your ears. A classic case of wasting two great voices. Why are rustic voices like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Richa Sharma used only for melancholic songs? Maahi ve, Agle janam mohe, Maula mere maula mere are some examples.
Dhoom Tana
Singers: Abhijeet, Shreya Goshal
Abhijeet is back after a long time. His voice quality is so good and his singing is effortless - he is one singer wasted and the loss is ours. Compare Shreya’s and Ahbijeet’s singing in this song - you will know what I am talking about. Coming back to the song, the song searches for its identity - it can’t decide whether it wants to be called a wedding kind of song or a hip-hop or disco. Dhol, saxophone, hip-hop beats - one mixture which you are better far away from.
Daastaan-E-Om Shanti Om
Singers: Shaan
Its probably the scale of this song or the lyrics, this song reminds me of ‘Ek haseena thi, ek deewana tha’. Even the mood is similar. The song talks about treachery. Shaan’s voice is the saviour of the song and even he falters at times. The song is harsh on the ears and it doesn’t touch your heart.
Dard-E-Disco
Singers: Sukhwinder Singh
Don’t ask me what Dard-E-Disco means. Its probably the antonym of euphoria. Anyway, if you listen to this song, you will definitely be a victim of Dard-E-Disco. A remix which is a torture to your ears. Stay away from this song, you might even get a headache.
Deewangi (Rainbow remix)
Someone kindly explain what does rainbow remix mean. As if the original music wasn’t enough, this remix song tortures you till you can’t have enough.
Om Shanti Om (Medley Mix)
Take snippets of all the songs in the album, mix and match, throw in some beats and you have this song. Whats the purpose of this song? Ask the composers.
Daastaan-E-Om Shanti Om
Run as fast as you can. This song is dangerous for your health. Party goers will love this song, no doubt, but when it comes to me, I hate it.
Om Shanti Om Theme Music
After all the head-hurting remix songs, this is a welcome change. No shouting, no hard beats - small, soft clip which ends before you even start enjoying it.
Apart from the KK’s ‘Ajab Si’ and Sonu Nigam’s ‘Mein Agar Kahoon’, all the other songs are not ignorable. If I were you, I wouldn’t spend money on this.
Why I liked Chak De India
1. The movie is crisp. It actually reminds me of a freshly starched cotton saree. Very little time wasted on unnecessary things. Rarely do you watch a movie which is as focused as this. From the moment the movie begins and till it ends, it revolves around the Indian Women's Hockey team.
3. The girls. The whole world is going gaga over them. If you have caught sight of them on TV, you know how they are. I thought Vidya had the meatiest role and she wouldn't have done a good job. Contrary to my assumption, she has quite a small role and she has done complete justice to her role. The girls look well settled in their roles. Only the prominent roles are developed and the rest are just used as fillers.
4. Music. This movie has a full fledged album with quite a few songs. None of them are lip-synced. This was a big relief. What you see on TV are all for promotional purposes. None of them figure in the movie.
5. No female lead. Thank God, SRK doesn't have a girlfriend or a wife who he goes to and cries with his head on her lap. I was so happy the director was smart enough to leave this out.
6. The intent of the movie. It answers more than one question. On one hand, it talks about other sports being overshadowed by cricket. On the other hand, it talks about women not being taken seriously in the sports field. But what touched me is the fight a man put up to prove his innocence. No media coverage, no press releases, no appearances on TV - one single blow to all those people who maligned his name. At a lower level, the movie showcases how volatile public opinion is.
I am not saying this movie is perfect. With all the ignorable limitations it has, the movie is still good. The positive points outweigh the negative ones. If you haven't watched this movie yet, I urge you to do so.
Ever heard of birthday blues?
It was my friend's birthday yesterday. As usual, I didn't realize it until he came up to me with a stretched out hand and said, "Today is my birthday. Wish me." This rarely happens with me. My friends very well know I don't care about birthdays and hence don't bother to remember dates. My good friends don't expect any wish from me and they move on as if nothing happened. My other category of friends (politically correct word for 'bad') know that I don't remember their birthdays, and don't remind me about it, but they still expect me to wish them, as if I will remember it all of a sudden.
Why is there an inherent assumption that you are good friends only if you remember each other's important dates? I have never wished my best friend on her birthday. Does that mean I am not her friend? Knowing me, she doesn't care - she just ignores this tiny incident (or the absence of it). Why is it so difficult for people to get this? If it is your birthday, you have all the right to celebrate your feat of burdening this world and its inhabitants with your existence. I might not appreciate it enough to participate in your celebrations. Okay? Good.
Why is it that every birthday comes attached with this custom of giving gifts? I hate it when someone gives me a gift. I am obligated to reciprocate and buy something equally aweful (if I can't find something more awful) for them. Why not do away with this ritual? For all those who know me, if you give me a gift, don't expect the same from me. I might not even remember about your gift the next day, forget remembering it till your birthday!
Another annoying thing is 'treat'. 'Treat me because it's your birthday'. Either that or get loads of sweets so that your friends can gorge on it. This is being on the other side of the fence. Why do you assume I am celebrating this day and even if I am celebrating, what makes you think I want to include you in that?
Something which I was not aware of until recently: face painting. For ignorant people like me, face painting refers to that vulgar act of smearing the birthday boy's (or girl's) face with cream taken off the cake. This is the silliest of the lot. First off, it's cream - it's edible, don't waste it. Think of all those people who don't have a square meal in months and here you squander because you want to have fun. Secondly, these things shouldn't be done in your workplace. Heard of the word professionalism? Bet you haven't. Third point, of course, is to follow this ritual for every soul in your team. Ask the poor guy if he wants to celebrate his birthday at all?
Sun signs. They are side-effects of birthdays, right? What on earth can you find out about a person by knowing his/her sun sign? Oh you are a Taurian? oh good... we will get along well. You are a Scorpion? I better stay away from you. This is more prevalent among the fair skinned species. I mean, give me a break! You choose friends depending on their sun signs?
With all these qualms I have, I cringe whenever someone asks me about my birthday. I have decided I am going to say 'February 29'. Yeah, I thought of February 30th, but some people are actually smart enough to see through this trick. February 29th it is. That way, I have to endure only one fourth of this torture.
Ever heard of birthday blues?
It was my friend's birthday yesterday. As usual, I didn't realize it until he came up to me with a stretched out hand and said, "Today is my birthday. Wish me." This rarely happens with me. My friends very well know I don't care about birthdays and hence don't bother to remember dates. My good friends don't expect any wish from me and they move on as if nothing happened. My other category of friends (politically correct word for 'bad') know that I don't remember their birthdays, and don't remind me about it, but they still expect me to wish them, as if I will remember it all of a sudden.
Why is there an inherent assumption that you are good friends only if you remember each other's important dates? I have never wished my best friend on her birthday. Does that mean I am not her friend? Knowing me, she doesn't care - she just ignores this tiny incident (or the absence of it). Why is it so difficult for people to get this? If it is your birthday, you have all the right to celebrate your feat of burdening this world and its inhabitants with your existence. I might not appreciate it enough to participate in your celebrations. Okay? Good.
Why is it that every birthday comes attached with this custom of giving gifts? I hate it when someone gives me a gift. I am obligated to reciprocate and buy something equally aweful (if I can't find something more awful) for them. Why not do away with this ritual? For all those who know me, if you give me a gift, don't expect the same from me. I might not even remember about your gift the next day, forget remembering it till your birthday!
Another annoying thing is 'treat'. 'Treat me because it's your birthday'. Either that or get loads of sweets so that your friends can gorge on it. This is being on the other side of the fence. Why do you assume I am celebrating this day and even if I am celebrating, what makes you think I want to include you in that?
Something which I was not aware of until recently: face painting. For ignorant people like me, face painting refers to that vulgar act of smearing the birthday boy's (or girl's) face with cream taken off the cake. This is the silliest of the lot. First off, it's cream - it's edible, don't waste it. Think of all those people who don't have a square meal in months and here you squander because you want to have fun. Secondly, these things shouldn't be done in your workplace. Heard of the word professionalism? Bet you haven't. Third point, of course, is to follow this ritual for every soul in your team. Ask the poor guy if he wants to celebrate his birthday at all?
Sun signs. They are side-effects of birthdays, right? What on earth can you find out about a person by knowing his/her sun sign? Oh you are a Taurian? oh good... we will get along well. You are a Scorpion? I better stay away from you. This is more prevalent among the fair skinned species. I mean, give me a break! You choose friends depending on their sun signs?
With all these qualms I have, I cringe whenever someone asks me about my birthday. I have decided I am going to say 'February 29'. Yeah, I thought of February 30th, but some people are actually smart enough to see through this trick. February 29th it is. That way, I have to endure only one fourth of this torture.
Music Review: Laaga Chunari Mein Daag
Album: Laaga Chunari Mein Daag
Music Director: Shantanu Moitra
Lyricist: Swanand Kirkire
Album Rating:
With the huge success of Parineeta and Lage Raho Munnabhai weighing on his shoulders, expectations from Moitra are quite high. He tries to concoct a different mixture here, but fails to create the same magic. While Parineeta had periodic songs with a strong classical touch, Munnabhai was high on melody. The theme of this album seems to be fusion, but it doesn’t touch your heart. Compared to the nasal songs that top the charts these days, this album comes as a refreshing breeze, but still it doesn’t sound like it’s from the Moitra band.
Ik Teekhi Teekhi Si ladki
Singers: KK, Shreya Goshal
The album starts with this light-hearted, playful song. KK and Shreya Goshal add enough ‘natkhatpan’ into this song. KK’s singing is effortless and Shreya does justice. At one stage, the song’s mood changes and we hear Shreya’s digitized voice with some special effects. Apart from this, the song maintains its mood of light-heardedness throughout. Swanand Kirkire’s words are fresh.
Kachchi Kaliyan
Singers: Sonu Nigam, KK, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Goshal
This song starts with words from a folk song, but almost instantly changes to a fast song. This song is interspersed with English words and Hindi words sung in rap style. This song is an unusual mixture of fast, techno beats and folkish words. Apt for a wedding ceremony or a dance competition. Considering Moitra’s earlier works, this song is completely different. This peppy song is going to be surely a hit with the crowd. For me, probably the weakest song in the album.
Ehi Thaiyaa Motiya
Singer: Rekha Bharadwaj
Totally contrary to the previous song, this classical based song is slow and relaxing. Rekha Bharadwaj’s voice is husky and soothing. Sarod is prominently used in this song and it gives a mujra touch and makes the song sound authentic. With Kathak’s ‘taa-thaiyyas’ interespersed, this is a typical ‘kotha’ song.
Zara Gungunalein Chalo
Singer: Babul Supriyo, Mahalaxmi Iyer
A fast song which tries hard to cheer up the mood after the heavy classical song. Baabul’s voice creates magic, but Mahalaxmi’s singing sounds strained. The song is far from catchy. Moitra tries to give this song an exotic touch with Spanish words and guitar pieces. The tune is nothing exotic, though. Nothing extra-ordinary about this song.
Chunari Mein Daag
Singers: Shubha Mudgal, Meeta Vashisht
What’s Meeta Vashisht doing here? No idea. The combination of Vashisht and Mudgal brings back memories of Man Ke Manjeere. This song does sound similar. With those weird beats (no idea what they are called), this song is a fusion. The background music is kept minimal and Mudgal’s voice sounds great. This song is a different take on the immortal Manna Dey’s song.
Hum To Aise Hain
Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Goshal, Swanand Kirkire
Sung beautifully by Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Goshal, this fun-filled song defines the protagonist family. Sunidhi almost over-shadows Shreya. The tune and the words are catchy. With a prominent ‘dafali’ beat in the background, this song is soothing on the ears.
So, should you buy this album? May be not. Listen to the songs online and then decide whether you want this album for your collection.
