Gone With The Wind

I was fortunate yesterday to grab some time for myself, and managed to watch the movie "Gone With the Wind".

Gone With The Wind is an American historical epic movie based on a novel of Margaret Mitchell's novel of the same name.  The film received 10 Academy Awards.

The movie was long- 3 hrs 44 minutes.  If I knew it initially, i would have been a little discouraged to watch it seeing what little time we women have at home for ourselves.  But, it was good that I didn't know! So I had to see it till the end and I slept late watching it.

The movie was great, needless to say.  It also figures amongst the 50 best romantic movies of all times. I am glad, I watched it. 

There was one thing, which struck me by the end of the movie, which speaks a lot about how our minds work, how relationships work.

Briefly, there is a love triangle in the movie which lasts for a lifetime.  A guy(lets call him the hero) is awed by this vivacious and spirited girl.  He also knows and acknowledges that she is pretty selfish, shrewd, clever and a little money minded.  He likes the girl's never say die attitude.  He admits to the girl at one point that since he himself is so selfish and shrewd, may be that's the reason why he loves her.  But the girl doesn't pay much heed to him... as she is already in love with a guy. But somehow, our hero persuades the girl to marry him, although he is aware about her basic nature, her love for another guy and has a feeling that the girl only loves his money and not him.

The point which struck me is that often we hate a person for the things, or traits, or habits or behaviour for which we had loved them at some point.  The guy knew very well about her free spirit, her ambitiousness, her courage, her charm which she often used to her advantage, her uninhibited display of her attraction towards the other guy .  But he goes ahead to marry this enigma.... only to be hating her for what she was later in his life.  And finally, he abandons her.

Have you ever felt so? Ever experienced that in your relationships?  Have you ever disliked the same thing you liked sometime in your loved one?  Share that with me. Personally, I have experienced it a number of times, and had wondered why?  The depiction of the characters in the movie brought out the thought again.  From "What a woman!" to "I don't give a damn to how you live now on" is a painful journey, which unravels the complexity of human minds.

If this thought struck a chord somewhere in your mind... do write to me.

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Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster - Movie Talk

Just when I started to believe that "Adult only" movie means abuses or crass language hurled in abundance in desi flavours of dilli, UP, Bihar, Mumbai ; Just when I thought "Adult only" means gore, bloodshed and violence, this movie surprised me as by the end of the movie I knew why this movie was rated only for adult viewers!  For the good old reason ie., having plenty of intimate scenes, the movie Saheb Biwi aur Gangster is rated only for "Adults". And thankfully its not Imran Hashmi doing the honours!

Talking about the title of the movie, I must admit that it is very unimaginative. It immediately reminds you of Saheb Biwi aur Gulam.  But the title does one favour on the movie! It actually lowered my expectation, but the movie came out to be a bomb!

 Just when you thought that 'Gangster' only means underworld and mafia with lots of guns (or katta) and no remorse, this movie surprises you with the gangster with a difference!

For a change, this movie is not a No Brainer!  Each and every character has been chiseled out well.  Each and every part of the story is well connected and does not disappoint you.  Nothing happens out of the blue, typical of Hindi movies; everything had a background and a reason, even how the gangster became a gangster is explained. 



Jimi Shergill showed the royal grace



Jimi Shergill as Saheb is suave, looks sophisticated and very hot.  He possesses that princely  grace which is required for his character.  Be it his attire (just loved his dressing style) or his body language, he stands out.  Mahie Gill made her mark in the movie.  She was admirable throughout the movie. Randeep Hooda acted well, but a more stunning guy with some X factor could have added more zing.  Deepal Shaw had a small role, and was a patakha, as far as her performance is concerned.

The intimate scenes were shot aesthetically. The subtle difference between the love making of two seasoned lovers and two people burning with the fire of body was portrayed beautifully. Hats off for that.

Jimi Shergill - intense and promising actor

The story takes twists and turns.  You can't manage to bat your eyelid for more than a fraction of a second or you will miss it!  All in all a very intelligent masala movie.

I don't like to write the story of the movie I watch, but definitely discuss about the questions it raised in my mind.

First, that when the chips of a man are down, he can not handle his woman or women well.    Women bear the brunt of being the wife or co-inhabiting a man who has lost the game of life, a man who is unsuccessful in his professional life.  Be it the alcoholic and slightly mentally disturbed wife of the Jimi Shergill or his mistress, whom he got killed barbarically by his wild canine that too after making love with her.

Second very striking aspect of human mind experienced in the movie was that when on one hand a woman tends to give all in love, a man always thinks of some gain out of the woman.  A woman who has surrendered herself cannot do more than that for his man, but for a man it's the beginning of garnering more and more material gains from her or through her.  Reminds me of typical Indian marriage system, where even today a girl is regarded as a passage to her father's wealth.

Randeep Hooda (lacks X factor) Mahie Gill was fabulous

Third, is about adultery, the taboo for Indian society (or is it not?).  The writing on the wall is that when a man strays it's because of his wife and when a woman strays, it's because of her character or rather lack of it.  And, in the adulterous relationship, it is the woman who is more responsible for everything, and it is the woman who has to and must bear the brunt of social stigma.  And, it's macho for the man. 

Fourth, Love in the times of MMS. When the love deprived 'biwi' Mahie Gill chooses to befriend her young driver Randeep Hooda (who is in the royal family for a purpose), the guy makes sure to make a video clip and sends it to the husband at the climax of the movie.  I was wondering why would a lover or an ex lover or a jilted lover do that?

Because he knows that even if Indian law holds only the man responsible for adultery, but in the social norms, it's the fault of the woman only.  (Indian Penal Code, Section 497 provides : “Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he known or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery, and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years or with fine, or with both. In such a case the wife shall not be punishable as an abettor.)

Whatever the law says, but in the male dominated society like ours every man knows that pretty well, that the husband will spare the guy in question but will batter the wife to death for this, or else the social stigma will kill her everyday.

  

It's a must watch movie for mature as well as young people. It's got something for every age group. Above all, you feel proud that a bollywood masala movie can leave you awed!

Enjoy! and A Very Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful Diwali to all of you!

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That Girl In Yellow Boots

Just watched the movie "That Girl In Yellow Boots" (TGIYB) which basically was a Kalki Koechlin movie, directed by her husband Anurag Kashyap.  I have to tell that I missed the first 15 minutes of the movie after getting stuck in the bad Delhi traffic.  I had already read about it and then quickly caught up with friends about the story line.

Kalki Kochelin 

I never write movie reviews, because I don't think I have any expertise in doing that. I don't have the expertise to comment on some one's labour of love!

I only write about how I felt about watching the movie and afterwards.  Well, to begin with, I feel I went with huge expectations (doesn't mean that they were not met at all) I think, thankfully, the Indian audience is getting the taste of some refined delicacies.  Earlier, one had to classify movies as "Art" or "Masala" to know what it would be like.  But now, there's a mix breed of movies, a completely new genre of movies which are narrated from the point of view of an ordinary urban man or woman ; which not necessarily be big budget but will move you with its honesty of expression.  

I have written about the  movie  "Dhobi Ghat" and I feel this movie TGIYB  falls in the same genre... the amalgamated form of story telling and movie making.  It makes you look at things as they are, how they are and where they are.  They bring out the filth and dirt on the large screen without being labelled as a documentary film or an art cinema.  They just show things and stay away from preaching anything to the audience.  

The movie is based in Mumbai ( Please some one make movies on Delhi ! It's versatile in texture and feel).  The story revolves around a poor girl searching for her father in India, working at a massage parlour (and you know what that means.... in Indian context), falling in all wrong hands and getting exploited by everyone.  You face a big shock at the end..... you are left asking questions... there are too many unanswered questions in the movie. 

Watch it for the good acting of Kalki.  She has done full justice to her role in the movie. Avoid it if you are salivating by seeing the Censor Board's "A" on it because there's nothing for you there.  Expression was symbolic mostly, so wasn't really vulgar except for a few terms used.

Another that struck me is that she has been portrayed as a very courageous and determined girl.  But the brutality of the world around has been shown in dim light.  She could have suffered badly, worse than what she faced now.  But surprisingly she was spared by a lot of trouble possible for a single and foreigner girl in a big merciless city.

Also, a few questions which am not able to find any answer are lurking in my mind... as to what stopped her mother to tell about the abusive father, whom she came searching to India? So I can say the story was not very very well spun, but definitely a class apart from some of the bollywood no-brainers!  

The movie brings to the fore certain societal issues, which I don't think are very relevant to Indian society.  It talks of incest. Now, I don't think incest between a father and a daughter is common in Indian context.  Familial ties and bonding and above that the basic set of moral responsibilities still act as a dominating factor even when parents and children and siblings share close and cramped living space in India.  So, somehow I felt this was a foreign element to Indian scenario.

Overall, a good movie for the one's who like to watch something less entertaining and more meaningful. But honestly, I'm not awed by it! Or may be I expected a lot lot more from it.

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