I am reading "The Kite Runner" by Khaleid Hossaini nowadays and reading has kept me busy for a while. My last book was "Spring Fever" by P G wodehouse. Previous to that I was glued onto "Angels and Demons". I am on a reading spree!! When was the last time i read like there was no tomorrow??Maybe long long ago!!
The ones lined up in queue are- "A thousand splendid suns" by Khaleid Hossaini and P G Wodehouse again!Did i mention earlier that i like to blend a Wodehouse here and a there just to keep my spirits soaring!!
Reading modern fictions has been my new found love! Earlier i used to read more of classics because i found them too challenging (i still do). But now, i am trying to bring about a change in my library by incorporating some modern bestsellers in my archive. I just want to diversify when i can afford to. Prejudice and complacence are 2 vices I have been trying to get rid of! To be a good author, one has to experiment with one's reading habits and try every book under the sun. From "Gulliver's travels" to "Sigmund Freud"- I am talking as diversified as that!
Well, I stil remember my very first book that i read, at age 5 or 6,it was "Three Little Pigs". I owe it to my father (who himself is a very good writer and a voracious reader!!) who imbibed in me this reading habit by getting me story books.
I still have all my story books intact and i read them whenever i go home. It might seem silly to read them now but it surely brings back good old memories..
My favourites were the Arabian Night stories and the Chandamama stories(Kannada).
My first novel was "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" By R L Stevenson(Dad's personal pick).
From the very beginning, my father encouraged me to read medieval classics. I started with English literature and gradually moved onto Russian classics. My very first russian classic was "Anna karenina" by Tolstoy. My interest hovered over Russian classics for a while. I read Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Boris Pasternak. After i read "Dr Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak I got drawn towards poetry in general; and in specific to Pushkin's works. Of course Wordsworth,P B Shelley and Keats have always remained my favourite poets!! For a while i again shifted back to English Literature with Dickens, Bronte, and Hardy. Not long ago, I thought of giving a try on modern fictions. I read "The Godfather". I loved it so much that I decided to switch over to modern fictions but for some reason i couldnt! After a very long gap, i read "The da Vinci Code". But somehow i could never stick to modern literature the way i do now!! I tried P G Wodehouse on a blue moon day and I loved it instantly! For the very first time i was reading classic humour and it was "truly classic". And its been a while since i have been reading modern fictions and have taken a short break on classics.
If i could ever read Kannada Literature in my lifteime I would consider it a great honour and a personal feat accomplished!! Well, I am proud to say that Kannada literature is rife with the literary geniuses of SL Bhairappa, Girish Karnad,Kuvempu and the likes. For the records, Kannada Literature has won the most "Gnaanapeet" awards ever!
Well, thats about it!! I would like to diversify furthermore (If I get a chance). Maybe try a hand on philosophies,religion or biographies someday! Long way to go and I have just started....:):)
Cheers!!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
An Epic for all generations
A new bug has bitten me of late!! I wouldn't call it a "bug" though. Its just that i have been spiritually enlightened!!
I started watching one of the greatest Hindu epic ever written "Mahabharatha" on Youtube and i am almost done wih it. Just a couple of episodes more and that would leave me atleast 90% enlightened on a spiritual scale. I had watched it as a kid on TV, had heard stories of Mahabharatha-but all that wouldn't have meant anything more than just stories to an age where fairytale stories,magic and the conception of God as the one who punishes "bad people" held the utmost charm than the idea of being morally and ethically acceptable or spirituality as a whole or even relevance of those stories in modern times!!!
We already know the story of Mahabharatha-its the basis of our Hindu religion. We knew Pandavas were good and Kauravas were bad, and that in the end how good always triumphs over bad. We knew the battle that changed the course of history forever-the battle of Kurukshetra. There's hardly a hindu who would be ignorant of it!
It is highly overwhelming to me to realise something at the end of watching Mahabharatha! Its just this- To come to realise that Mahabharatha is not just a "story that was.." but on a broader scale, the penultimate relevance of it to a world in which i live today!!
To me, Mahabharatha is pure philosophy-and philosophies do not have a shelf life. They are true for all generations!It's discussion of human goals (artha or purpose, kāma or pleasure, dharma or duty, and moksha or liberation) takes place in a long-standing tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world and the workings of karma.
I strongly believe in the concept of "Karma" and in turn it openly means how strongly embedded my faith in my own religion is! The whole idea of being a Hindu or Hinduism is the basic understanding of the concept of "Karma" To believe in the 4 Purusharthas of life viz. dharma,artha,kama and moksha is the basic understanding of Hinduism. My own basic interpretation of these concepts in a proper or appropriate sense would be limited by the fact that i am neither a scholar in the field of Sanskrit nor would I claim that i have attained the "salavation" of life! My perspection of it is just a dot in the vastness of this Universe. With age comes maturity of actions and thoughts and hence the spiritual outlook. We base our thoughts and actions on the experience of our past (good/bad)and to declare that I have been successful in understanding the concept of Hinduism (at this age) would be a highly ambitious or a haughty statement!! Life is all about learning and exploring the mysteries of life. In that way, none of us (mortals) can ever decipher the real concept of "Life", leave alone, the Religion!!
So I prefer to remain focussed and discuss on what my beliefs are, rather than trying to preach the "philosophies that are...or that should be as per a school of thought"..
Well, coming back to Mahabaharatha, my favourite characters are Bhishma,Vidura,and Karna. I like Bhishma for his strongness of character,Vidura for his righteousness and unprejudiced disposition, and Karna for his principles!
Hoping to come out with a write-up soon on each of my favourite characters!
I started watching one of the greatest Hindu epic ever written "Mahabharatha" on Youtube and i am almost done wih it. Just a couple of episodes more and that would leave me atleast 90% enlightened on a spiritual scale. I had watched it as a kid on TV, had heard stories of Mahabharatha-but all that wouldn't have meant anything more than just stories to an age where fairytale stories,magic and the conception of God as the one who punishes "bad people" held the utmost charm than the idea of being morally and ethically acceptable or spirituality as a whole or even relevance of those stories in modern times!!!
We already know the story of Mahabharatha-its the basis of our Hindu religion. We knew Pandavas were good and Kauravas were bad, and that in the end how good always triumphs over bad. We knew the battle that changed the course of history forever-the battle of Kurukshetra. There's hardly a hindu who would be ignorant of it!
It is highly overwhelming to me to realise something at the end of watching Mahabharatha! Its just this- To come to realise that Mahabharatha is not just a "story that was.." but on a broader scale, the penultimate relevance of it to a world in which i live today!!
To me, Mahabharatha is pure philosophy-and philosophies do not have a shelf life. They are true for all generations!It's discussion of human goals (artha or purpose, kāma or pleasure, dharma or duty, and moksha or liberation) takes place in a long-standing tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world and the workings of karma.
I strongly believe in the concept of "Karma" and in turn it openly means how strongly embedded my faith in my own religion is! The whole idea of being a Hindu or Hinduism is the basic understanding of the concept of "Karma" To believe in the 4 Purusharthas of life viz. dharma,artha,kama and moksha is the basic understanding of Hinduism. My own basic interpretation of these concepts in a proper or appropriate sense would be limited by the fact that i am neither a scholar in the field of Sanskrit nor would I claim that i have attained the "salavation" of life! My perspection of it is just a dot in the vastness of this Universe. With age comes maturity of actions and thoughts and hence the spiritual outlook. We base our thoughts and actions on the experience of our past (good/bad)and to declare that I have been successful in understanding the concept of Hinduism (at this age) would be a highly ambitious or a haughty statement!! Life is all about learning and exploring the mysteries of life. In that way, none of us (mortals) can ever decipher the real concept of "Life", leave alone, the Religion!!
So I prefer to remain focussed and discuss on what my beliefs are, rather than trying to preach the "philosophies that are...or that should be as per a school of thought"..
Well, coming back to Mahabaharatha, my favourite characters are Bhishma,Vidura,and Karna. I like Bhishma for his strongness of character,Vidura for his righteousness and unprejudiced disposition, and Karna for his principles!
Hoping to come out with a write-up soon on each of my favourite characters!
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Coldplay
Not long ago,i was introduced to a genre of music called "Alternative rock" and since then have i been wanting to blog on one of the alternative rock bands that has got me dancing to its tunes- "Coldplay".
I always knew there existed a band called Coldplay (mainly cos its lead vocalist was married to Gwyneth Paltrow)but i wasn't really "into" alternative rock as such and hence i never much cared to explore their music in depth! I prefer classic rock any given day but then it wasn't meant to be forever.Once a very dear friend of mine introduced me to one of the songs of coldplay called "Yellow". I instantly fell in love with the song. And not before long, i was exploring details on coldplay and alternative rock as a whole. And to this day, I have been hitched onto Coldplay. Coldplay songs top my ipod "top most played songs" list! Verve,Greenday and U2 are few other alternative rock bands that I love the most after Coldplay.
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in London, England in 1998. The group comprises vocalist/pianist/guitarist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Will Champion.
Their first single "Yellow" catapulted them to worldwide fame in 2000. "Parachutes", "A rush of blood to the head" and "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends" are some of their albums which have topped the US and UK charts and won several Grammy awards.
Alternative Rock has its origin in the United Kingdom. It emerged in the 1980s. "College rock" was used in the United States to describe the music during the 1980.British alternative rock is distinguished from that of the United States by a more pop-oriented focus and a lyrical emphasis on specifically British concerns.
Coldplay music is typical of its "very heavy soft rock" sytle. Most of the songs have a central theme and are catchy. The musicscape is built on a varied instrumenation. For e.g. the song "clocks" is built on a repeating piano riff and features a minimalist soundscape of drums and bass. "yellow" begins with an acoustic guitar backed by a background electric guitar. Martin's lyrical wordplay has been called feminist and the band's music has been called "meditative"; it reflects on their emotions and lead singer/songwriter Martin "endlessly examines his feelings".
The band's latest song "Viva la vida" is the latest craze on my ipod now. It's being endlessly played on all FM radios here across the United states. It is the band's first song to reach number one in the United States and the United Kingdom.
I am definitely looking forward for more record breaking songs from Coldplay!!
Cheers!!
I always knew there existed a band called Coldplay (mainly cos its lead vocalist was married to Gwyneth Paltrow)but i wasn't really "into" alternative rock as such and hence i never much cared to explore their music in depth! I prefer classic rock any given day but then it wasn't meant to be forever.Once a very dear friend of mine introduced me to one of the songs of coldplay called "Yellow". I instantly fell in love with the song. And not before long, i was exploring details on coldplay and alternative rock as a whole. And to this day, I have been hitched onto Coldplay. Coldplay songs top my ipod "top most played songs" list! Verve,Greenday and U2 are few other alternative rock bands that I love the most after Coldplay.
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in London, England in 1998. The group comprises vocalist/pianist/guitarist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Will Champion.
Their first single "Yellow" catapulted them to worldwide fame in 2000. "Parachutes", "A rush of blood to the head" and "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends" are some of their albums which have topped the US and UK charts and won several Grammy awards.
Alternative Rock has its origin in the United Kingdom. It emerged in the 1980s. "College rock" was used in the United States to describe the music during the 1980.British alternative rock is distinguished from that of the United States by a more pop-oriented focus and a lyrical emphasis on specifically British concerns.
Coldplay music is typical of its "very heavy soft rock" sytle. Most of the songs have a central theme and are catchy. The musicscape is built on a varied instrumenation. For e.g. the song "clocks" is built on a repeating piano riff and features a minimalist soundscape of drums and bass. "yellow" begins with an acoustic guitar backed by a background electric guitar. Martin's lyrical wordplay has been called feminist and the band's music has been called "meditative"; it reflects on their emotions and lead singer/songwriter Martin "endlessly examines his feelings".
The band's latest song "Viva la vida" is the latest craze on my ipod now. It's being endlessly played on all FM radios here across the United states. It is the band's first song to reach number one in the United States and the United Kingdom.
I am definitely looking forward for more record breaking songs from Coldplay!!
Cheers!!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Still hangin' on..
Moments of glee,followed by eons of agony..
If that’s how its gonna be..
I would still hang on...
Cos someday when time stands still, and tides are low…
I’ll find myself back where I always belonged..
Cherishing you, worshipping u.. all my life..
That’s when the story begins..
A path to eternal glory and long lost paradise….
Ash
If that’s how its gonna be..
I would still hang on...
Cos someday when time stands still, and tides are low…
I’ll find myself back where I always belonged..
Cherishing you, worshipping u.. all my life..
That’s when the story begins..
A path to eternal glory and long lost paradise….
Ash
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Humor is good!
I wanted to take a break on classics for a long time, but couldn’t do it for various reasons. It so happened that I was strolling in landmark aimlessly one fine day, when I just bumped into P G Wodehouse collection. There were huge rows of books by him and I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to read them, since it was in the comics section. After much deliberation I decide to give it a try. But what lay ahead of me was a huge pile of collection which seemed like a series of episodes springing from a single concept. Hence I was stuck in a tedious task of picking up something which would make some sense if I were to read it for the first time. I did find a book and surprisingly it seemed like an independent story. So I bought it without a second’s hesitance. I was all excited to read something which I had never laid my hands on!
I finished “Piccadilly Jim” in a matter of 4 days, (That was the first time I finished reading a book this quick, since it usually takes ages to finish a classic) at the end of which, I declared that it was the most hilarious comedy ever written! I can hardly fathom a humour so well illustrated that which makes the reader laugh his heart out. What a sublime comedy indeed! Wodehouse was a comic genius who could just throw you into fits of laughter in a jiffy.
The books I read so far were either drama or play. After reading a comedy for the first time, I have begun to feel I should be reading more of them interspacing a comedy after every drama! It’s highly relieving and rejuvenating to read Wodehouse. His works are mainly light humor, and quintessentially British - the typical “Stiff upper lip” stereotypes. They are humorous yet subtle. It takes mighty talent to deliver a comedy that would appeal both to a literary critic as well as to a bibliophile!
There are different levels of humour that can excite a reader; rather the reader has his own levels or limits of responding to a humour. A humour that can stimulate one may not stimulate the other. Wodehouse has a profound way of writing. He has flair to capture both the morose and the witty alike. He defined a new dimension to the world of light humor which is of great significance especially during the time when humor was highly overshadowed by mainstream fiction/non-fiction. Wodehouse took a modest attitude to his own works. He once wrote:
"I go in for what is known in the trade as 'light writing' and those who do that – humorists they are sometimes called – are looked down upon by the intelligentsia and sneered at."
A normal Wodehouse plot lies in the tangled layers of comedic complications that the characters must endure to reach the invariable happy ending. His work contains a number of recurring protagonists, narrators and principal characters, including Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves; his Aunt Dahlia and Aunt Agatha, Bingo Little, friend of Bertie Wooster, Freddie Widgeon, member of the Drones Club, Gussie Fink-Nottle, noted newt fancier, Sir Watkyn Bassett, owner of Totleigh Towers, Madeline Bassett, daughter of Sir Watkyn and the likes.
From the moment I started reading Wodehouse, I was instantly drawn to see humor in a different light than before. And Wodehouse in particular will remain one of my favorites forever.
I finished “Piccadilly Jim” in a matter of 4 days, (That was the first time I finished reading a book this quick, since it usually takes ages to finish a classic) at the end of which, I declared that it was the most hilarious comedy ever written! I can hardly fathom a humour so well illustrated that which makes the reader laugh his heart out. What a sublime comedy indeed! Wodehouse was a comic genius who could just throw you into fits of laughter in a jiffy.
The books I read so far were either drama or play. After reading a comedy for the first time, I have begun to feel I should be reading more of them interspacing a comedy after every drama! It’s highly relieving and rejuvenating to read Wodehouse. His works are mainly light humor, and quintessentially British - the typical “Stiff upper lip” stereotypes. They are humorous yet subtle. It takes mighty talent to deliver a comedy that would appeal both to a literary critic as well as to a bibliophile!
There are different levels of humour that can excite a reader; rather the reader has his own levels or limits of responding to a humour. A humour that can stimulate one may not stimulate the other. Wodehouse has a profound way of writing. He has flair to capture both the morose and the witty alike. He defined a new dimension to the world of light humor which is of great significance especially during the time when humor was highly overshadowed by mainstream fiction/non-fiction. Wodehouse took a modest attitude to his own works. He once wrote:
"I go in for what is known in the trade as 'light writing' and those who do that – humorists they are sometimes called – are looked down upon by the intelligentsia and sneered at."
A normal Wodehouse plot lies in the tangled layers of comedic complications that the characters must endure to reach the invariable happy ending. His work contains a number of recurring protagonists, narrators and principal characters, including Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves; his Aunt Dahlia and Aunt Agatha, Bingo Little, friend of Bertie Wooster, Freddie Widgeon, member of the Drones Club, Gussie Fink-Nottle, noted newt fancier, Sir Watkyn Bassett, owner of Totleigh Towers, Madeline Bassett, daughter of Sir Watkyn and the likes.
From the moment I started reading Wodehouse, I was instantly drawn to see humor in a different light than before. And Wodehouse in particular will remain one of my favorites forever.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Just another post!
A couple of weeks ago, i happened to watch the movie "Wuthering Heights" on The History Channel, and was instantly drawn to write on my most sought after passions in life!!
Ever since i started reading English classics, which dates back to my early schooling days, i was fascinated by the beauty of England. Be it Jane Austen, Shakespeare,or Wimbledon itself! I wondered why most poets and authors came from England and why all novels should be based in the backdrop of the English counties! And one novel in particular, left in my heart, a feeling so strong, nurturing which I grew up to find my soulmate one day who coincidentally shared with me the dream of a lifetime! The novel was "Wuthering Heights" and the dream was Yorkshire!!
Wuthering Heights is Emily Bronte's only novel to be published (Emily Bronte is one among the 3 great Bronte sisters) .The name of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors on which the story centres.(As an adjective, wuthering is a Yorkshire word referring to turbulent weather.) According to legend, Wuthering Heights is considered by some as Emily Bronte's Autobiography. The narrative tells the tale of the all-encompassing and passionate, yet thwarted, love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and how this unresolved passion eventually destroys both themselves and many around them. Heathcliff- the name itself signifies something as wild as the moors, yet so strong. The romantic love story is based in Yorkshire and the moors form the base of the plot.
Yorkshire is a historic county in the Northeren part of England. Part of Yorkshire county is nicknamed "The Bronte Country" in their honour. What enchants me the most about Yorkshire does not lie in its splendid unparalled natural beauty, but its constant relevance and association with Bronte novels. It surpasses all my imagination to visualize something so encapsulating as the moors and the valleys.
Since ages, England has been synonymous with Education, Science and Literature and what fascinates me the most about England is its contribution to world literature in particular. Be it Wordsworth, Shakespeare or Jane Austen, England has produced some of the best literary geniuses of the world! While Austen's novels give us an insight into a typical English lifestyle , Wordsworth's poems capture the beauty of England. Shakespeare needs no introduction! Every literate being on earth would have atleast read one of his works in his/her lifetime. In fact, England has been associated with most of us since childhood. Who can forget the rhyme "London bridge is falling down" even if they wanted to? And the fairy tales like- Alice in wonderland and Gulliver's travels, all of which have in one way or the other influenced our thoughts.
I have from the very beginning experienced the impact of English literature on my education. To me, England means Education and culture.
I couldn't have been luckier- someone truly and deeply agrees with me and shares my views on this one. This one is for both of us dude!! :) It was long pending...
cheers...
Ever since i started reading English classics, which dates back to my early schooling days, i was fascinated by the beauty of England. Be it Jane Austen, Shakespeare,or Wimbledon itself! I wondered why most poets and authors came from England and why all novels should be based in the backdrop of the English counties! And one novel in particular, left in my heart, a feeling so strong, nurturing which I grew up to find my soulmate one day who coincidentally shared with me the dream of a lifetime! The novel was "Wuthering Heights" and the dream was Yorkshire!!
Wuthering Heights is Emily Bronte's only novel to be published (Emily Bronte is one among the 3 great Bronte sisters) .The name of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors on which the story centres.(As an adjective, wuthering is a Yorkshire word referring to turbulent weather.) According to legend, Wuthering Heights is considered by some as Emily Bronte's Autobiography. The narrative tells the tale of the all-encompassing and passionate, yet thwarted, love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and how this unresolved passion eventually destroys both themselves and many around them. Heathcliff- the name itself signifies something as wild as the moors, yet so strong. The romantic love story is based in Yorkshire and the moors form the base of the plot.
Yorkshire is a historic county in the Northeren part of England. Part of Yorkshire county is nicknamed "The Bronte Country" in their honour. What enchants me the most about Yorkshire does not lie in its splendid unparalled natural beauty, but its constant relevance and association with Bronte novels. It surpasses all my imagination to visualize something so encapsulating as the moors and the valleys.
Since ages, England has been synonymous with Education, Science and Literature and what fascinates me the most about England is its contribution to world literature in particular. Be it Wordsworth, Shakespeare or Jane Austen, England has produced some of the best literary geniuses of the world! While Austen's novels give us an insight into a typical English lifestyle , Wordsworth's poems capture the beauty of England. Shakespeare needs no introduction! Every literate being on earth would have atleast read one of his works in his/her lifetime. In fact, England has been associated with most of us since childhood. Who can forget the rhyme "London bridge is falling down" even if they wanted to? And the fairy tales like- Alice in wonderland and Gulliver's travels, all of which have in one way or the other influenced our thoughts.
I have from the very beginning experienced the impact of English literature on my education. To me, England means Education and culture.
I couldn't have been luckier- someone truly and deeply agrees with me and shares my views on this one. This one is for both of us dude!! :) It was long pending...
cheers...
Monday, July 30, 2007
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Casino Royale
Its been 4 months since i have been hibernating!!Been real busy, worked up my brain too much and did some retrospection as well!! Had almost forgotten that this URL exisisted!! ;) Today out of the blues, i felt i should blog!! I dint have any topic,so i thought i should just blog for the fun of it!And now i am wondering, how do i fill up this space? ;) Well, i thought i rather brief my thoughts on the recent flick tat i watched- Casino Royale!
Though i am not a movie buff, i wanted to watch this one badly! James bond movies are favourite with me since childhood!Be it action, the cars,the larger than life gadgets or James bond himself!!I love everything about Bond movies. And then, of course there was Pierce Brosnan as well! ;) Now that he is replaced,i felt a bit bad but not until i saw Daniel Craig. I guess the guy deserves some adulation atleast if not more! He is good in his own place. Maybe he lacks the panache and impeccability of Brosnan's image, he still is good!
What i noticed in this movie is that the new Bond is more of a rugged guy than his predecessor.He does not use many gadgets, is dressed more casually and is unconventionally less stylish! He relies more on his physique than any gadget.His ways are not very sophisticated and his tone lacks sarcasm!! what Pierce used to portray before was a different Bond who goes out of his way to look stylish even amidst blasting cars and crashing buildings, is always well dressed, sporting a Reid and Taylor suiting and an Omega watch.Of course Pierce has a killer face,but Craig has a great body. I sometimes feel tat Ian fleming would have kept Pierce himself in his mind when he wrote Bond novels!Anyday Pierce is James Bond! But Craig has done his best, being the first Blond Bond and shouldering such a high stake!
Casino royale is good. I liked the movie despite criticisms! It has a good story, has picturesque locations and the actions are good.One more interesting fact is the constant usage and obvious endorsement of Sony products in the movie.Its plain MARKETING!! Its hard to ignore, cos,right from cellphones,to Laptops- ITS THE SONY!! :)I must say- A GOOD MARKETING STRATEGY INDEED!!
End of the day,a right blend of advertising and entertainment, thats what movies are!!
I will definitely rate Casino Royale 4 stars. Its real fun to watch Daniel Craig in fierce action! :) I dont mind watching it again and this time i wont compare him with PIERCE BROSNAN!! ;)
Though i am not a movie buff, i wanted to watch this one badly! James bond movies are favourite with me since childhood!Be it action, the cars,the larger than life gadgets or James bond himself!!I love everything about Bond movies. And then, of course there was Pierce Brosnan as well! ;) Now that he is replaced,i felt a bit bad but not until i saw Daniel Craig. I guess the guy deserves some adulation atleast if not more! He is good in his own place. Maybe he lacks the panache and impeccability of Brosnan's image, he still is good!
What i noticed in this movie is that the new Bond is more of a rugged guy than his predecessor.He does not use many gadgets, is dressed more casually and is unconventionally less stylish! He relies more on his physique than any gadget.His ways are not very sophisticated and his tone lacks sarcasm!! what Pierce used to portray before was a different Bond who goes out of his way to look stylish even amidst blasting cars and crashing buildings, is always well dressed, sporting a Reid and Taylor suiting and an Omega watch.Of course Pierce has a killer face,but Craig has a great body. I sometimes feel tat Ian fleming would have kept Pierce himself in his mind when he wrote Bond novels!Anyday Pierce is James Bond! But Craig has done his best, being the first Blond Bond and shouldering such a high stake!
Casino royale is good. I liked the movie despite criticisms! It has a good story, has picturesque locations and the actions are good.One more interesting fact is the constant usage and obvious endorsement of Sony products in the movie.Its plain MARKETING!! Its hard to ignore, cos,right from cellphones,to Laptops- ITS THE SONY!! :)I must say- A GOOD MARKETING STRATEGY INDEED!!
End of the day,a right blend of advertising and entertainment, thats what movies are!!
I will definitely rate Casino Royale 4 stars. Its real fun to watch Daniel Craig in fierce action! :) I dont mind watching it again and this time i wont compare him with PIERCE BROSNAN!! ;)
Thursday, August 17, 2006
The Lion King
I happened to see the movie "The Lion King" a couple of days ago,when i was at my Aunt's place.I was surfing the channels hoping to pick up a good flick.(Yeah,i am missing TV now..boohooo) and i froze my search on the Cartoon Network. The movie had just begun and i was so very overwhelmed to watch the movie!! It's one of my favourite flicks of all times!! I made everyone at home suuccumb to my whim and let me watch the movie. And upon my deliberation and endorsements they did watch too!! And in the end- nobody regretted watching a "Cartoon Movie" for a change! I was teased for being kiddish enough to watch a "Cartoon Movie",but i said "Hey,people,keep your verdicts reserved till the end,I bet you guys would have to swallow your remarks later!!" Bingo!! Man,was i right?!!
I had watched the movie many a times before. But each time the feeling that accompanies me when i watch it all over again is mind blowing!I tried to analyse what makes a "Cartoon Movie" click among the masses. Released by the Walt Disney Pictures in 1994,it is one of the finest animated movies ever made.It has got the appeal to enchant audiences of all ages.
The tagline says-"Life's greatest adventure is finding your place in the Circle of Life". It has got a very simple storyline,which goes something like this- A young lion prince is born in Africa, thus making his uncle Scar the second in line to the throne. Scar plots with the hyenas to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba, thus making himself King. The King is killed by Scar slyly and Simba is led to believe by Scar that it was his fault, and so flees the kingdom in shame. After years of exile he is persuaded to return home to overthrow the usurper and claim the kingdom as his own thus completing the "Circle of Life".
What amuses me the most is the "Indianness" depicted in the movie.Rafiki the Mandrill does Yoga,looks more like an Indian hermit with his props and his association with the royal family as a baptist for young prince Simba.Apart fom this,most characters bear names that sound Indian. My favourite characters are Pumba and Timon.The duo are just marvellous with all their comical stints and adventures!The soundtracks "Hakuna Matata" and "I just cant wait to be King" are arguably the best animations in the movie."Superb" is one befitting phrase! There are 2 scenes in the movie which i love the most- In one scene,Mufasa teaches young Simba the principles of life. The other scene is when Rafiki tries to persuade Simba to get back to his rightful Kingdom and overthrow his Uncle's unrighteous rule. Its a scene wherein Simba is asked to look into a pool of water and he sees a reflection of his own Father,his majestic voice echoing in the distance, the golden rules of life he had taught him when he was alive. Its one of the heart warming scenes in the movie.
The hit song "Can you feel the love tonight",a romantic number composed and sung by Sir Elton John,is the backdrop for Simba's and Nala's budding romance,both being childhood sweethearts!! The movie has a sweet fairy tale ending wherein Simba ascends the seat of King and righteousness is restored in the kingdom.
All in all, "The Lion King" is a must watch for all generations. Not only does it entertain us,but also teaches us the pious values of family,friendship and love.Well,i am a big fan of "The Lion King",and i dont mind watching it over and over again,cos everytime i watch it,i feel rejuvenated. Its my dose of cheer-up pill!! After all who has escaped agony in life! All it takes is some attitude to get over it.. just say "Hakuna Matata" and dance your worries away... Atleast Timon and Pumba feel so!! :)
I had watched the movie many a times before. But each time the feeling that accompanies me when i watch it all over again is mind blowing!I tried to analyse what makes a "Cartoon Movie" click among the masses. Released by the Walt Disney Pictures in 1994,it is one of the finest animated movies ever made.It has got the appeal to enchant audiences of all ages.
The tagline says-"Life's greatest adventure is finding your place in the Circle of Life". It has got a very simple storyline,which goes something like this- A young lion prince is born in Africa, thus making his uncle Scar the second in line to the throne. Scar plots with the hyenas to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba, thus making himself King. The King is killed by Scar slyly and Simba is led to believe by Scar that it was his fault, and so flees the kingdom in shame. After years of exile he is persuaded to return home to overthrow the usurper and claim the kingdom as his own thus completing the "Circle of Life".
What amuses me the most is the "Indianness" depicted in the movie.Rafiki the Mandrill does Yoga,looks more like an Indian hermit with his props and his association with the royal family as a baptist for young prince Simba.Apart fom this,most characters bear names that sound Indian. My favourite characters are Pumba and Timon.The duo are just marvellous with all their comical stints and adventures!The soundtracks "Hakuna Matata" and "I just cant wait to be King" are arguably the best animations in the movie."Superb" is one befitting phrase! There are 2 scenes in the movie which i love the most- In one scene,Mufasa teaches young Simba the principles of life. The other scene is when Rafiki tries to persuade Simba to get back to his rightful Kingdom and overthrow his Uncle's unrighteous rule. Its a scene wherein Simba is asked to look into a pool of water and he sees a reflection of his own Father,his majestic voice echoing in the distance, the golden rules of life he had taught him when he was alive. Its one of the heart warming scenes in the movie.
The hit song "Can you feel the love tonight",a romantic number composed and sung by Sir Elton John,is the backdrop for Simba's and Nala's budding romance,both being childhood sweethearts!! The movie has a sweet fairy tale ending wherein Simba ascends the seat of King and righteousness is restored in the kingdom.
All in all, "The Lion King" is a must watch for all generations. Not only does it entertain us,but also teaches us the pious values of family,friendship and love.Well,i am a big fan of "The Lion King",and i dont mind watching it over and over again,cos everytime i watch it,i feel rejuvenated. Its my dose of cheer-up pill!! After all who has escaped agony in life! All it takes is some attitude to get over it.. just say "Hakuna Matata" and dance your worries away... Atleast Timon and Pumba feel so!! :)
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Words are all i have..
What could be the best gift you could ever give someone? Something which should be considerate as well as eternal??!!Hmmmm...lemme think....ummm... how about gifting "WORDS"? Words of love,encouragement,hope,care and trust...
Words say it all...
I have this habit of gifting WORDS to people who mean a lot to me.My boundless feelings and emotions can best take the form of words on a piece of paper to brighten someone's day!! Thats the best way i can express my heartfelt thoughts and feelings for someone. Introvert that i am,i tend to withhold my emotions to such an extent that i can appear disdainful at times!!(that is only to some people who are not very acquainted with my disposition!) Words come to my rescue at such times saving me from the discomfiture of appearing cold! All i need is a pen and a paper and i can go on for pages...Be it any occassion, i rarely forget to make someone feel special by gifting words. But i hate the very idea that people conjure up of me for being sentimental..I phrase it in a better way- "I recoup my lack of want of words said by words written!" I am most comfortable that way. I believe in the Power of words... As the saying goes-"A pen is mightier than a sword", i have lived upto this saying all my life. I love to write, and i love the idea that my words can make someone feel special...
There is this very famous song by Bee Gees which is about Words..
It goes something like this-
Smile an everlasting smile, a smile can bring you
Near to me.
Dont ever let me find you down, cause that would
Bring a tear to me.
This world has lost its glory, lets start a brand
New story now, my love.
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away....
Words say it all...
I have this habit of gifting WORDS to people who mean a lot to me.My boundless feelings and emotions can best take the form of words on a piece of paper to brighten someone's day!! Thats the best way i can express my heartfelt thoughts and feelings for someone. Introvert that i am,i tend to withhold my emotions to such an extent that i can appear disdainful at times!!(that is only to some people who are not very acquainted with my disposition!) Words come to my rescue at such times saving me from the discomfiture of appearing cold! All i need is a pen and a paper and i can go on for pages...Be it any occassion, i rarely forget to make someone feel special by gifting words. But i hate the very idea that people conjure up of me for being sentimental..I phrase it in a better way- "I recoup my lack of want of words said by words written!" I am most comfortable that way. I believe in the Power of words... As the saying goes-"A pen is mightier than a sword", i have lived upto this saying all my life. I love to write, and i love the idea that my words can make someone feel special...
There is this very famous song by Bee Gees which is about Words..
It goes something like this-
Smile an everlasting smile, a smile can bring you
Near to me.
Dont ever let me find you down, cause that would
Bring a tear to me.
This world has lost its glory, lets start a brand
New story now, my love.
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away....
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Surely you're joking Mr!!
A couple of days back,i struck a very interesting conversation with one of my buddies.The conversation initially was very casual,it all started out with the dicsussion on bombs-a hot topic these days,then it diverted to the technical aspects of bomb,World Wars,Openheimer,his role in WW-2,Einstein's Relativity theorems,the complete world of Physics,its relation with Mathematics...In a nutshell,it all started with bombs,and stopped at Pure Sciences and Arts.And that conversation triggered my thought process..and i wondered-"Where have the Einsteins and the Picassos of the world disappeared!? Or are they overshadowed by the sudden surge of a herd of the so called "Engineers and "Doctors" of the world???"
When i was a girl of 8 or 9,i wanted to be an astranaut (I still have a penchant for that fantasy,((i called it an "Ambition" then)i call it a "Fantasy" now for a very obvious reason) This article wont be whirling around my dreams and ambitions though :),and no,not even about Physics for that matter!! I just want to focus on the future of Arts and Pure Sciences.
Today,the chances of finding a person pursuing graduation in Arts or Science i must say is one in 100!!Wherever i go,i find Engineers-be it my neighbour next door,or my maid's son,engineers rule the roost!And if you supposedly find someone,who doesn't fit the frame,who talks of his future in Arts,literature or Pure Sciences you cant help but act skeptical about his intentions! You tend to put on an uppity expression on your face which says-"Excuse me,i din't hear you Sir!!....So you din't get an Engineering seat anywhere? Oh,that's so sad indeed!" You would be trying your best to console the poor soul,when he confronts you with a candid yet confident statement-"No Sir,i chose this stream,i dint want to be an Engineer!!Its that simple!!" "What??!!,Surely you are joking Mister!!,You just cant play around with your future like that!!? Could you??"
Its so conspicuous that we tend to look down upon other professions,the trend now being that you either need to be an Engineer or a Doctor to draw attention in a crowd. And if you try to be different from the rest,you would probably be inviting suspicions and cynicism about your capabilities.Its like,if you score well,you are intelligent,moreso if you get an Engineer's job! If not,then you must not be that classy afterall,or else how would you end up doing your Bachelors in Arts or Science when your peers are storming ahead of you??!! It seems as though there cant be any better reason for you to opt for something offbeat! I am not blaming the society here,since the society is nothing but a bunch of people that includes me too! I am simply trying to understand how we ended up in this soup! Why is this trend so captivating? One of the reasons could be monetary! You get paid for your efforts at the end of the day.You are sure to reap benefits from this profession. But a profession,say for example-Music,Sports or Literature assures you no guarantee of returns. Its purely your talent tempered with some luck that would fetch you accolades and popularity. Only one in a million hit gold! So most of the times we are being apprehensive of the risks involved and we play safe!! Neither everybody would have the earth shattering talents of the likes of Einstein or Tolstoy nor the daredevilness to try and experiment with thier careers!
But are we overlooking something here... Would our current professions give us anything more than what our friends in other fields boast of having? The ultimate satisfaction that one can derive is when one does what one is best at!
I don't know how good an author i would have made,but surely i regret of not having studied literature...Instead i chose to be an Engineer like the rest,one among the lot!!
Now what can i call this article? Self Mockery or somethin? :D
When i was a girl of 8 or 9,i wanted to be an astranaut (I still have a penchant for that fantasy,((i called it an "Ambition" then)i call it a "Fantasy" now for a very obvious reason) This article wont be whirling around my dreams and ambitions though :),and no,not even about Physics for that matter!! I just want to focus on the future of Arts and Pure Sciences.
Today,the chances of finding a person pursuing graduation in Arts or Science i must say is one in 100!!Wherever i go,i find Engineers-be it my neighbour next door,or my maid's son,engineers rule the roost!And if you supposedly find someone,who doesn't fit the frame,who talks of his future in Arts,literature or Pure Sciences you cant help but act skeptical about his intentions! You tend to put on an uppity expression on your face which says-"Excuse me,i din't hear you Sir!!....So you din't get an Engineering seat anywhere? Oh,that's so sad indeed!" You would be trying your best to console the poor soul,when he confronts you with a candid yet confident statement-"No Sir,i chose this stream,i dint want to be an Engineer!!Its that simple!!" "What??!!,Surely you are joking Mister!!,You just cant play around with your future like that!!? Could you??"
Its so conspicuous that we tend to look down upon other professions,the trend now being that you either need to be an Engineer or a Doctor to draw attention in a crowd. And if you try to be different from the rest,you would probably be inviting suspicions and cynicism about your capabilities.Its like,if you score well,you are intelligent,moreso if you get an Engineer's job! If not,then you must not be that classy afterall,or else how would you end up doing your Bachelors in Arts or Science when your peers are storming ahead of you??!! It seems as though there cant be any better reason for you to opt for something offbeat! I am not blaming the society here,since the society is nothing but a bunch of people that includes me too! I am simply trying to understand how we ended up in this soup! Why is this trend so captivating? One of the reasons could be monetary! You get paid for your efforts at the end of the day.You are sure to reap benefits from this profession. But a profession,say for example-Music,Sports or Literature assures you no guarantee of returns. Its purely your talent tempered with some luck that would fetch you accolades and popularity. Only one in a million hit gold! So most of the times we are being apprehensive of the risks involved and we play safe!! Neither everybody would have the earth shattering talents of the likes of Einstein or Tolstoy nor the daredevilness to try and experiment with thier careers!
But are we overlooking something here... Would our current professions give us anything more than what our friends in other fields boast of having? The ultimate satisfaction that one can derive is when one does what one is best at!
I don't know how good an author i would have made,but surely i regret of not having studied literature...Instead i chose to be an Engineer like the rest,one among the lot!!
Now what can i call this article? Self Mockery or somethin? :D
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The jubilant Duo
The jubilant Duo!
The records:
1)Mauresmo became the first french woman since Suzanne Lenglen in 1925 to win the coveted trophy!
2)Roger Federer's four years of dominance at Wimbledon draw him level with Pete Sampras.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
A "Klose" Encounter
Yahooo!! Germany made it! That too in style! It was one hellova match on Saturday!Managed to watch this one..phew!!how i wished Germany won! It was a "Klose" encounter!!And the rest was Lehmann magic!Bad day for Argentina though.They could not contain the German juggernaut!But Germany entered the match as dark horses,though resilient!It looked like a pretty one sided match untill the 80th minute when Ballack's pass resulted in a goal by Klose. It was a beauty! Marvellously executed by awesome threesome-Ballack,Borowski,and Miroslav Klose!!
The Argentine defence looked weak there after. And unfortunately for them the replaced goalkeeper-Franco could not deliver.Only the final few minutes were fateful for both the teams. The penalty shoot outs!! The Argentine goalkeeper simply could not take the heat,whereas his German counterpart stood like a fortress! Lehmann was awesome if not anything! Klose pulled them into the match while Lehmann saw them through to the semis! Great co-ordination indeed! And if all goes well,i will be probably watching Germany up against France on Sunday night,of course rooting for Germany. Its time the home team secures the cup for the homeland after 8 years.The last time being the French who succeeded in such a feat.
And as for England and Brazil,all i can say is-Better luck next time guys!Probably Brazil deserved more than what they got,and England more than what they actually deserved! Yeah,i know i am an avid England fan,and i should not be saying this!But sometimes we need to think with our brains rather than our hearts :) Not that i thought winning would be altogether impossible for England,but maybe a place in the final four would have done some justice to my blind convictions!Anyways alls well that ends well!
A surprise Brazil exit has paved the way for the other (speculative) not so powerful teams to battle it out for the ultimate prize in football! If i am not wrong,it would be first time in many years that Brazil would not be playing in the finals of the WC; courtesy:France!! A lot of football fans across the globe had to eat a humble pie after Brazil's dismal show:) I hope that Germany does not let that happen to me this time:))
The Argentine defence looked weak there after. And unfortunately for them the replaced goalkeeper-Franco could not deliver.Only the final few minutes were fateful for both the teams. The penalty shoot outs!! The Argentine goalkeeper simply could not take the heat,whereas his German counterpart stood like a fortress! Lehmann was awesome if not anything! Klose pulled them into the match while Lehmann saw them through to the semis! Great co-ordination indeed! And if all goes well,i will be probably watching Germany up against France on Sunday night,of course rooting for Germany. Its time the home team secures the cup for the homeland after 8 years.The last time being the French who succeeded in such a feat.
And as for England and Brazil,all i can say is-Better luck next time guys!Probably Brazil deserved more than what they got,and England more than what they actually deserved! Yeah,i know i am an avid England fan,and i should not be saying this!But sometimes we need to think with our brains rather than our hearts :) Not that i thought winning would be altogether impossible for England,but maybe a place in the final four would have done some justice to my blind convictions!Anyways alls well that ends well!
A surprise Brazil exit has paved the way for the other (speculative) not so powerful teams to battle it out for the ultimate prize in football! If i am not wrong,it would be first time in many years that Brazil would not be playing in the finals of the WC; courtesy:France!! A lot of football fans across the globe had to eat a humble pie after Brazil's dismal show:) I hope that Germany does not let that happen to me this time:))
Sunday, June 25, 2006
From Chaos to Kudos!!
July is almost nearing.. And yeah..it calls for an unprecedented event of the year-WIMBLEDON!
Undoubtedly Wimbledon is my most favourite grand slam.And rightly so!! It has got its own charm and panache with a tinge of royalty. What makes it so special?Why is it the dream slam of all tennis players?The answers to these questions dates back to late 19th century.The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which is responsible for staging the world's leading tennis tournament, is a private Club founded in 1868.The very first Wimbledon championship was held in 1877 which was an all men Championship. The evolution since then has been tremendous,marked with milestones every year.
I can vividly remember one such milestone.It was Wimbledon 2001-Centre court match-Goran Ivanisevic Vs Pat Rafter.And boy,was it mind blowing??!!!I have closely followed Tennis for 8 years now,and i have witnessed none so riveting as this match!Ivanisevic was the dark horse throughout the tournament,evolving slowly and inconspicuously but nonetheless menacing.His progression was so sly that he took the world by storm when he made it to the finals!His only weapon being his deadly serve! When the charismatic Croat defeated the equally regarded Australian Pat Rafter in an epic five-set, three-hour-one-minute final, Centre Court reverberated with applaud and kudos to the man who was beaten thrice in the finals before! This was nothing less than a fairy tale. He was ranked 125 in the world,was given a wild card entry,and he entered the tournament with a persistent shoulder injury,signalling the end of his career without a grand slam! Ivanisevic had lost his finals to Andre Agassi (1992) and Pete Sampras (1994 and 1998).And surely at an age of 30,the chances of succeeding were bleak!
Ivanisevic's journey was steady throughout the tournament.He stormed past the best of players like Carlos Moya,Rusdeski,and Safin to land up a place in the semifinals. But this smooth sailing was interrupted when he faced Briton Tim Henman in the semifinals. Henman was hoping to end 64 years of draught for England by finding a place in the finals and to keep the spirit of the fellow Britons alive.But the destiny had something else in store for him!It was not to be his day!Even the Gods had decided that!Rain interrupted the play when Henman was at the peak of his performance getting Ivanisevic by his feet,and lo that sealed Henman's fate forever. After the play resumed,Ivanisevic emerged from down under and clinched the match with a thumping victory.Rains were God sent angels in disguise for him which he went on to acknowledge later with all the modesty he had!
Now only one hurdle was in his way-the deadly Pat Rafter! And the match was a roller coaster ride til the very end! Nail biting and full of intense drama! It was 2 sets all and the 5th set was awesommme!!! Ivanisevic relied mainly on his first serve,and Rafter on his returns and volley. It was a total fiesta of a match,i devoured every single moment of it,cheering for Ivanisevic(though my favourite was Rafter any day,but i guess today i just wanted Ivanisevic to lift the cup,simply because i had a soft corner for the fella who was bereaved thrice!!) If i am not wrong,Ivanisevic was on Championship point thrice or four times and he squandered them all!His first serve was failing him this time and Rafter took all the opportunities to break his fortress by playing solidly from the baseline. He was hitting winners off all second serves of Ivanisevic.Everytime you thought someone was winning,the table used to turn the other way. It was a total chaos!When finally Ivanisevic came out winning! It was more of a test of endurance between both men than anything else.The match could have swung in any direction any minute! And just a single point decided the fate of the two men!
But in the end,Ivanisevic had proved himself.Fourth time lucky guy of Wimbledon! The crowd just loved this great man who had entertained them on a "People's Monday"!!Of course it was a bitter defeat for Rafter but he sported a great deal of sportsmanship when he embraced Ivanisevic and congratulated him on his feat!
For Ivanisevic,it was the end of years of long struggle to win the most coveted cup in the history of Tennis! To win the first slam of his career and that too at Wimbledon would have been an icing on the cake!After all,winning a Wimbledon would be the penultimate dream of any tennis player in the world!!
Surely to this day,Ivanisevic remains the darling of the Centre court and the 2001 men's championship final, the classic matches of all times at Wimbledon!
And yeah,thats the spirit of Wimbledon,the glory and the ambushment which pushes a player to the limits of endurance!!And winning is all that matters,when it comes to Wimbledon! There is simply no room for errors here!!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
The Code
Finally saw "The Da Vinci Code" this week!! I must confess here that my research on "Christianity" "The Holy Grail" and such other related topics on the net over the past few days proved useful in helping me to get to understand the movie better(Cos to be honest,i had not read the novel!!).And the first thing i did after i came out of the theatre was buying the novel!
Despite the criticism that the movie amassed from audiences all over the world,i loved the movie.I guess we must stop comparing the movie with the novel and just enjoy the movie for what it is.It would be so insane to expect a mere 2.5 hour long movie to incorporate the intricacies of the novel!The movie could not have been better than this!
It so happens that whenever bestselling novels are made into movies,the latter fail to enchant the audiences. This is because the expectation out of a movie would be very high,and for obvious reasons scenes and characters would have had to undergo alterations in the movie.So its always better to treat the 2 separately. Only then,watching the movie can become a good experience.Movies just bring to life those fictitious characters and sequences in the novel.And its always fun to see those otherwise imaginative novels as films.Its easier for the mind to see and understand rather than imagining!!We must draw a line between the both-movies are for entertainment while books are for enlightenment.
The novel should be appreciated for its sophistication and the movie for its adeptness in imparting the gist of the novel within a limited time!
"Da Vinci Code" was a long awaited movie and with all the controversies and issues that swarmed aloft after the release of the novel,it was all the more alluring!And i wont be wrong if i say that this is the only English movie probably after the "Titanic" which has become the talk of the town in every part of the world!!With people flocking the theatres in huge numbers everyday,it seems as though "Da vinci Code" is surely here to stay in theatres for a long time to come!!Probably another "Titanic" record in the making!!
Despite the criticism that the movie amassed from audiences all over the world,i loved the movie.I guess we must stop comparing the movie with the novel and just enjoy the movie for what it is.It would be so insane to expect a mere 2.5 hour long movie to incorporate the intricacies of the novel!The movie could not have been better than this!
It so happens that whenever bestselling novels are made into movies,the latter fail to enchant the audiences. This is because the expectation out of a movie would be very high,and for obvious reasons scenes and characters would have had to undergo alterations in the movie.So its always better to treat the 2 separately. Only then,watching the movie can become a good experience.Movies just bring to life those fictitious characters and sequences in the novel.And its always fun to see those otherwise imaginative novels as films.Its easier for the mind to see and understand rather than imagining!!We must draw a line between the both-movies are for entertainment while books are for enlightenment.
The novel should be appreciated for its sophistication and the movie for its adeptness in imparting the gist of the novel within a limited time!
"Da Vinci Code" was a long awaited movie and with all the controversies and issues that swarmed aloft after the release of the novel,it was all the more alluring!And i wont be wrong if i say that this is the only English movie probably after the "Titanic" which has become the talk of the town in every part of the world!!With people flocking the theatres in huge numbers everyday,it seems as though "Da vinci Code" is surely here to stay in theatres for a long time to come!!Probably another "Titanic" record in the making!!
Friday, May 26, 2006
Stars-My Pals!!
This is one of my very old poems. Wrote it somewhere between 1999-2000.
They appear only at night
and shine in the sky high and bright.
The sky which was dark becomes lit
by thier light,
making even more splendid the sight!!
They look like tiny pearls spread in a vast blue ocean,
In contrast they may shame even the sun!!
The garish sun with all its splendour
May seem a thing dull in font of their grandeur.
High in the sky they keep on twinkling
With the passage of time in space they go on vanishing
As dawn approaches,they seal the sky with a kiss of good bye
and promise to return after the sun dies.
With their departure,the sun in the east to rise and shine they let,
And in the eve when the sun with all its splenour sets
They again make their appearance without a moment's hesitance.
Without their presence,the sky might look dull and vacant
Like a flower having no color,no fragrance.
Without their presence even my life would shrivel and in the dust may fall
Cos they are my greatest assets and my ever so humble pals!
Sharing my feelings,with whom i've grown from the past,
So never from my life depart
Oh my dearest Stars!!
They appear only at night
and shine in the sky high and bright.
The sky which was dark becomes lit
by thier light,
making even more splendid the sight!!
They look like tiny pearls spread in a vast blue ocean,
In contrast they may shame even the sun!!
The garish sun with all its splendour
May seem a thing dull in font of their grandeur.
High in the sky they keep on twinkling
With the passage of time in space they go on vanishing
As dawn approaches,they seal the sky with a kiss of good bye
and promise to return after the sun dies.
With their departure,the sun in the east to rise and shine they let,
And in the eve when the sun with all its splenour sets
They again make their appearance without a moment's hesitance.
Without their presence,the sky might look dull and vacant
Like a flower having no color,no fragrance.
Without their presence even my life would shrivel and in the dust may fall
Cos they are my greatest assets and my ever so humble pals!
Sharing my feelings,with whom i've grown from the past,
So never from my life depart
Oh my dearest Stars!!
Twilight
This is one of my own poems which i wrote in 2003.One of my favourites too!!
The waning sunlight in the horizon
Sets stage for a perfect showdown,
Its dusk-time for skies to kiss goodbye
to the reigning sun,
Time for the chirping birds for re-union.
The scene is picturesque;
Seems as though the sky were a canvas
Painted on which in hues of azure and yellow
Are the colors of nature stil mellow.
The universe appears flawless;unblemished
The mystery further mystifies,the sky turns bleak,sluggish,
The day is fading,cool wind whirls past
Just for a moment the harmony lasts
Slowly the world around settles down to stillness,
The earth now wears a shadow of darkness..
Mind wanders for a while,emotions glean..
Slowly stars will start to gleam..
Sky will again be lit-this time by stars bright
Behold!!its a union between eve and night-its Twilight!!
The waning sunlight in the horizon
Sets stage for a perfect showdown,
Its dusk-time for skies to kiss goodbye
to the reigning sun,
Time for the chirping birds for re-union.
The scene is picturesque;
Seems as though the sky were a canvas
Painted on which in hues of azure and yellow
Are the colors of nature stil mellow.
The universe appears flawless;unblemished
The mystery further mystifies,the sky turns bleak,sluggish,
The day is fading,cool wind whirls past
Just for a moment the harmony lasts
Slowly the world around settles down to stillness,
The earth now wears a shadow of darkness..
Mind wanders for a while,emotions glean..
Slowly stars will start to gleam..
Sky will again be lit-this time by stars bright
Behold!!its a union between eve and night-its Twilight!!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The Daffodils-A Discerment
Here i am posting one of my most revered of poems.It was written by William Wordsworth-probably the greatest nature poet ever to grace the earth!!
This poem was written in the 19th century.As the legend goes,Wordsworth's inspiration to compose this poem came when he walked past the daffodils in Ullswater on a stormy day with his sister Dorothy.He wrote this poem two years later!!
What makes Wordsworth an unparalleled maestro of his kind lies in the fact that he used such themes as that of nature and the human bonding with it.He saw nature in a different light and tried to explore the intricacies and the trivalties of it in his poems.He brings out those very commonest of details that our eyes would have missed taking note of in such a splendid way that makes us both wonder and ponder!
I am sure all of us would have come across this poem in our lives when we were kids.At such a time our minds would not have allowed us to think beyond the scope of what the poem actually tries to convey,it would just have been another poem from those boring text books which would fetch us marks in exams!!
We see nature in different forms everyday,but the beauty of it often goes unnoticed!!And its often the poet who brings to our attention those secrecies long hidden within the womb of nature,just so ironically that we cant help but think that we were such ignorant fools to have been missing the fiesta!!
The Daffodils
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:—
A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company!
I gazed, and gazed, but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
This poem was written in the 19th century.As the legend goes,Wordsworth's inspiration to compose this poem came when he walked past the daffodils in Ullswater on a stormy day with his sister Dorothy.He wrote this poem two years later!!
What makes Wordsworth an unparalleled maestro of his kind lies in the fact that he used such themes as that of nature and the human bonding with it.He saw nature in a different light and tried to explore the intricacies and the trivalties of it in his poems.He brings out those very commonest of details that our eyes would have missed taking note of in such a splendid way that makes us both wonder and ponder!
I am sure all of us would have come across this poem in our lives when we were kids.At such a time our minds would not have allowed us to think beyond the scope of what the poem actually tries to convey,it would just have been another poem from those boring text books which would fetch us marks in exams!!
We see nature in different forms everyday,but the beauty of it often goes unnoticed!!And its often the poet who brings to our attention those secrecies long hidden within the womb of nature,just so ironically that we cant help but think that we were such ignorant fools to have been missing the fiesta!!
The Daffodils
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:—
A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company!
I gazed, and gazed, but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Beautiful place this-my Mind!!!
"Life is so sarcastic,ironic,enigmatic and tantalising in all its ways..."
When we actually say this sentence are we meaning to say that "Life" is an animate entity that exists all by itself as we do in all our glory?Are we implying that "life" has a life of its own and its not by the virtue of our existence that gives "life " the name it possesses? Could it ever happen that we would stop existing but still "Life" would have? Funny or ridiculous though may it it seem but its true!! Its only a mere matter of perception that can give us this answer.Well,my definition of this myth called "Life"...here it goes....
For me,my "Life" is where my mind is!My whole existence depends on this eternal veracity! My "Life" is what my mind thinks of it.Rather ,its my mind'd perception that i have a "life".Its only an illusion which makes us think that something or someone exists in our "life".Because there ain't no "life" existing somewhere beyond our vision,somewhere beyond the horizon or deep inside the woods or hidden in valleys!! "Life" and "Death" are the only entities which never exist physically but still we use adjectives to describe them.(adjectives which are used to describe live entities)
The greatest delusion in life is "Life" !!which does not exist. Our mind thinks of "Life" as something which exists,when truly speaking our mind is an embodiment of "life" Our mind has a mind of its own.Or else how could it think that it has life?
When we say something about ourselves it implies that we do have opnions about ourselves. But how can it possibly be? We can only have opinions about someone or something we seee,hear or are acquainted with!!We can only have opinions or perceptions about someone which is not "Us"!! So in order to have an opinion or thought,there must be an interaction or existence between or of the two entities involved!! So it means that our mind has an opinion of "Us". So again there are two people-"Me" and "Myself".
So when i have a self opinion it means that my "myself" has an opinion of "me".
So here's the equation-One body,Two people-me and myself(mind).
What if "me" has an opinion of "myself"?.Does it mean that "me" can also have a life without "myself"? This contradicts my previous assumption that its by the virtue of "my" existence that gives "myself" a "life".Is it by the virtue of my existence that "myself" exists or is it the other way round? But surely, i can conjecture that the latter assumption is true. Since my mind (myself) can come into existence only after "me" is born or is existing.
My "mind" can see "me",feel "me",know "me" love "me",hate "me" and yet it cannot depart from "me".My "myself" cant exist without "me".So it has to live with "me".But what would happen after i die? Does my "myself" too come to an end? Or does it live forever? Does "me" come to know when my "myself" is departing from it? Does it come to know that it has ceased to exist?If so,then "mind"should go on existing even after i am dead! Since its mind which has an opinion about "me".If it thinks that i am dead,it means that its still alive!! But how can this be practically feasible? Because my mind exists only when "i" exist and if "i" myself cease to live,how can my mind live on? So how do i come to know if i am dead,say at a given instant? Which one dies first-me or myself? Assume if "myself" dies first,then i would never come to know that "i" am dead since my thinking patner "myself" would not tell me that i am dead!!
Now the million dollar question is- whether "myself" has an opinion about "myself"!!If not,then how would my "myself" pen down opinions and facts about "myself"(mind)?
Mind is talking about "mind" and yeah, its indeed a Beautiful place this-my mind!!!
When we actually say this sentence are we meaning to say that "Life" is an animate entity that exists all by itself as we do in all our glory?Are we implying that "life" has a life of its own and its not by the virtue of our existence that gives "life " the name it possesses? Could it ever happen that we would stop existing but still "Life" would have? Funny or ridiculous though may it it seem but its true!! Its only a mere matter of perception that can give us this answer.Well,my definition of this myth called "Life"...here it goes....
For me,my "Life" is where my mind is!My whole existence depends on this eternal veracity! My "Life" is what my mind thinks of it.Rather ,its my mind'd perception that i have a "life".Its only an illusion which makes us think that something or someone exists in our "life".Because there ain't no "life" existing somewhere beyond our vision,somewhere beyond the horizon or deep inside the woods or hidden in valleys!! "Life" and "Death" are the only entities which never exist physically but still we use adjectives to describe them.(adjectives which are used to describe live entities)
The greatest delusion in life is "Life" !!which does not exist. Our mind thinks of "Life" as something which exists,when truly speaking our mind is an embodiment of "life" Our mind has a mind of its own.Or else how could it think that it has life?
When we say something about ourselves it implies that we do have opnions about ourselves. But how can it possibly be? We can only have opinions about someone or something we seee,hear or are acquainted with!!We can only have opinions or perceptions about someone which is not "Us"!! So in order to have an opinion or thought,there must be an interaction or existence between or of the two entities involved!! So it means that our mind has an opinion of "Us". So again there are two people-"Me" and "Myself".
So when i have a self opinion it means that my "myself" has an opinion of "me".
So here's the equation-One body,Two people-me and myself(mind).
What if "me" has an opinion of "myself"?.Does it mean that "me" can also have a life without "myself"? This contradicts my previous assumption that its by the virtue of "my" existence that gives "myself" a "life".Is it by the virtue of my existence that "myself" exists or is it the other way round? But surely, i can conjecture that the latter assumption is true. Since my mind (myself) can come into existence only after "me" is born or is existing.
My "mind" can see "me",feel "me",know "me" love "me",hate "me" and yet it cannot depart from "me".My "myself" cant exist without "me".So it has to live with "me".But what would happen after i die? Does my "myself" too come to an end? Or does it live forever? Does "me" come to know when my "myself" is departing from it? Does it come to know that it has ceased to exist?If so,then "mind"should go on existing even after i am dead! Since its mind which has an opinion about "me".If it thinks that i am dead,it means that its still alive!! But how can this be practically feasible? Because my mind exists only when "i" exist and if "i" myself cease to live,how can my mind live on? So how do i come to know if i am dead,say at a given instant? Which one dies first-me or myself? Assume if "myself" dies first,then i would never come to know that "i" am dead since my thinking patner "myself" would not tell me that i am dead!!
Now the million dollar question is- whether "myself" has an opinion about "myself"!!If not,then how would my "myself" pen down opinions and facts about "myself"(mind)?
Mind is talking about "mind" and yeah, its indeed a Beautiful place this-my mind!!!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
The other side of the Moon
This article of mine was published in our College Magazine in 2005.
"Reputation is what men and mortals think of us,
Character is what Gods and Angels know of us"
With every day and from both sides of my moral and the intellectul reasoning,i have made a partial discovery-that man is not truly one but truly two.I say two because the state of my own knowledge does not pass beyond that point.
There is a thorough and primitive duality in every man.It is not that he is one of the ether,but he is radically both.Every man has his darker side of existence,but just like the moon,only that side is visible which we perceive or rather the darker side is concealed by the natural impetus of man to advance infallibly in only one direction.By birth,every man gets fettered by the obligation to be at his best disposition.No instituition,no organisation,no nation, or even for that matter np philosophy approbates or assents the justification of an evil deed.An immoral man has no place in the society.An exorbitant,and a belligerant disposition stands no chance of being able to vindicate the ocurence of a misdeed.So it has been from times immemorial and so it will be always!!
But its the natural instinct of every man to be a fiend if he chooses to be one.If he gets but one channel where he could outsource all his fiendish misdeeds,he would feel relieved.If the good and the bad could be housed in separate identities,life would be relieved of all that was unbearable;the unjust could go his way,delivered from the aspirations and remorse of his more upright twin,and the just could walk steadfastly and securely on his upward path doing the good things in which he finds pleasure.It is the curse of mankind that these incongruous faggots are bound together,that in the agonised womb of consciousness these twins should be continuously struggling.
If the good and the bad both find separate channels for existence in a single human soul,life would have been much more meaningful!!
If there were some method by which man could outpour all of his fiendish instincts with no fear,no self reproach,no pre consideration,nor post lamentation,to no one but to himself the need to give any explanation or justification-the good side of him would feel less guilty than before when he would no longer have to plod the earth as an idol of morality and virtue,though housing all the viciousness from within.He would no longer have to be a masquerader to the society as well as to himself.It would be such a relief to remain virtuous and moral genuinely,but at the same time being more wicked than ever!!!
It is but so natural that the society repugnates the very physical appearance of an evil man.Even as the good shows upon the countenance of the one,the evil is written plainly and broadly upon the face of the other.The world is so accustomed to commingle with the masqueraders that the chances of seeing a purely evil or a purely virtuous man is next to impossible.
There must be some solution to the conflicts arising between the evil side and the good side in a man.The evil must free flow without any restraint,yet not foregoing the good reputation as well.just as men hire bravos to transact their crimes,while their own person and reputation sat under shelter.
This is a struggle between man's nature and his nurture,it is relevant in all periods of life.There is an animal in every man,an instinct to do evil,a tendency to stray from the decorum of society and spring headlong into the stream of liberty.
Just like the moon,every man has his other side of existence,but it never shows up....
"Reputation is what men and mortals think of us,
Character is what Gods and Angels know of us"
With every day and from both sides of my moral and the intellectul reasoning,i have made a partial discovery-that man is not truly one but truly two.I say two because the state of my own knowledge does not pass beyond that point.
There is a thorough and primitive duality in every man.It is not that he is one of the ether,but he is radically both.Every man has his darker side of existence,but just like the moon,only that side is visible which we perceive or rather the darker side is concealed by the natural impetus of man to advance infallibly in only one direction.By birth,every man gets fettered by the obligation to be at his best disposition.No instituition,no organisation,no nation, or even for that matter np philosophy approbates or assents the justification of an evil deed.An immoral man has no place in the society.An exorbitant,and a belligerant disposition stands no chance of being able to vindicate the ocurence of a misdeed.So it has been from times immemorial and so it will be always!!
But its the natural instinct of every man to be a fiend if he chooses to be one.If he gets but one channel where he could outsource all his fiendish misdeeds,he would feel relieved.If the good and the bad could be housed in separate identities,life would be relieved of all that was unbearable;the unjust could go his way,delivered from the aspirations and remorse of his more upright twin,and the just could walk steadfastly and securely on his upward path doing the good things in which he finds pleasure.It is the curse of mankind that these incongruous faggots are bound together,that in the agonised womb of consciousness these twins should be continuously struggling.
If the good and the bad both find separate channels for existence in a single human soul,life would have been much more meaningful!!
If there were some method by which man could outpour all of his fiendish instincts with no fear,no self reproach,no pre consideration,nor post lamentation,to no one but to himself the need to give any explanation or justification-the good side of him would feel less guilty than before when he would no longer have to plod the earth as an idol of morality and virtue,though housing all the viciousness from within.He would no longer have to be a masquerader to the society as well as to himself.It would be such a relief to remain virtuous and moral genuinely,but at the same time being more wicked than ever!!!
It is but so natural that the society repugnates the very physical appearance of an evil man.Even as the good shows upon the countenance of the one,the evil is written plainly and broadly upon the face of the other.The world is so accustomed to commingle with the masqueraders that the chances of seeing a purely evil or a purely virtuous man is next to impossible.
There must be some solution to the conflicts arising between the evil side and the good side in a man.The evil must free flow without any restraint,yet not foregoing the good reputation as well.just as men hire bravos to transact their crimes,while their own person and reputation sat under shelter.
This is a struggle between man's nature and his nurture,it is relevant in all periods of life.There is an animal in every man,an instinct to do evil,a tendency to stray from the decorum of society and spring headlong into the stream of liberty.
Just like the moon,every man has his other side of existence,but it never shows up....
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