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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Stray Thoughts

I was clueless as to what should be the title of this post.  

To begin with, I wanted to write why I have gone quiet, in blogging. But the happenings around us affect us so much (especially when it is a bomb blast in your city) that I can't stop myself for speaking about it. 

Delhi experienced yet another bomb blast yesterday at the Delhi High Court, the heart of the city area and at a time when the security was already there due to the Parliament session.  But no avail for the common man.  The bomb ripped through many lives and many families.  The pain is indescribable.  What does a common man do? Should he learn to live in fear, constant fear... not knowing whether he'll return to his home safe in the evening or not?  There were a lot of discussions going on, on the TV yesterday.  I really wish something concrete comes out of the discussions, debates and statements issued.

My heart goes out to all the innocent people, common people like you and me who lost their lives and or got injured due the bomb blast yesterday.

Coming to myself, I am experiencing the phase of my life when all I want is to be quiet.  I don't want to speak, or express what I think or feel.  At times in life, you have to be really silent to hear what others are saying. Or may be, I should say, at times, you want to sit down and analyze as to where are you heading? what are you  up to? how correct you were in your choices and more importantly, how correct you were in following a certain ideology for leading your life?  Now is the time for me. I'm in doubt... about my beliefs, belief systems.

I think the best way, I think, a person can deal with this mental state is to - speak to a friend, get a clear and honest feedback.  Second, to slow down and pull out of the situation which is troubling you.  And thirdly, do some self analysis, and if that hurts a lot,  rejuvenate yourself by things like listening to music or reading good books or anything which soothes you.  

I'm undergoing the phase, which I've gone through earlier too. I'm questioning myself and unlearning a few things, to make way for something new to be learned. So, I know, it's toughening me and sculpting me for better. Better - only to make me fitter to survive in the world where it pays to be fake and street smart.  Although, this is surely not my destination, but I guess, I'll HAVE to pass through this stretch.

 

Have you ever questioned your choices? your beliefs? Have you  ever felt forced to evaluate as to what went wrong when your intentions were not bad in dealing with a person or a situation in personal life or in work life?

Do share your honest thoughts...

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What do I Say???

While I was thinking of writing something, only these words came to my mind " What do I say?"  Once you stop writing, somehow the expression inside you dies down.  It's happening with me. 

 I'm even asking myself, first that are we be held accountable one day for what we write on our blogs and the comments people leave on our blogs and second, does it make sense sharing about your life and your thoughts in the cyber space? Do these thoughts come to your mind too? Huff! All this is my self talk, so don't bother much about it!

Actually, I had been very very busy all this time.  Although I love to work but this time it was full of stress as well, the bad stress I mean! (Remember my post on Stress - Eustress -Distress?) And it took me a long time to cope with it, and find a way out of it.  I have not just neglected by blog, but have also neglected my health.  I need to begin my daily Yoga soon!

I am grateful to my fellow bloggers, who keep visiting my blog frequenlty and make it a point to leave a comment on the topic concerned, thereby leaving a mark of their foot prints on this blog!  Really, I check my blog only to see what you had to say!

Meanwhile, I think i missed out on telling that "My World - My Perception" has been selected as an "Excellent Blog" by "Indian Top Blogs -2011".  Thanks a ton for that!

By the way, how had you been? Yeah, you the reader?!

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Charm of Old Buildings

On my recent visit to Jaipur, while waiting for others to finish their breakfast, I was waiting near by where I noticed this metal plate with some numbers,  fixed on a huge door.

 

I was tempted to click the picture of the building.  Old and traditional looking, but an AC fitted there.

 

I don't know why should I be so excited about spotting an old building, when there are plenty of them in Delhi itself.  But clicked it because I felt like!

 

Such buildings remind me of Daryagunj in Old Delhi where I would go to stay with my cousin's family when I was a little kid.  I think that's why I feel connected to such old kind of buildings.

Seen near Nainital

A small temple - characteristic of any place in Northern India - you'll find them at a place least expected. This was on a road side.

An old hut at a place called Mangoli

 

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The Beggar Girl - Portrait

This little girl was begging with her mother on the streets of Jaipur, the place I visited recently.  She managed to grab some leftover glass of lassi.  My kids didn't like it one bit when I clicked a beggar's photograph.

It's really painful to see small children drowned in the drudgery of a life(style) inherited by parents and sometimes by the streets they are born on.  Seeing small children into begging is much more painful because it's not a thing of choice for them, it's just the way of life.

As a mother ad as a person, I feel sad because, it's ultimately destiny which decides on which side of the line (above or below the poverty line) any person will be born into.  It could be me too.

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Chameleon - Snapshot

I waited for it to change its colors.... but in vain!

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The Flight - A snap

I was keeping extremely busy all these days.  Blogging requires such dedicated continous effort, that for some time I felt I'll never be able to get back to my little space in the cyber space.

Sharing a picture I clicked on a holiday.  Observe the various stages of flight of the birds.

They are so free unlike us, humans.  Or are they even free? Is there something like freedom, absolute freedom? freedom from everything? I doubt that.

Take care

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Ragging - A Parent's Perspective

I still wonder, after years of passing out of a Delhi University College, as to what is that makes (or made) ragging cool? Still can't figure out a thing.  You have to have some inferiority complex to put a guy down in front of a crowd.  

I wrote a post on ragging a few months back.  It was a detailed post bringing out various facets of the issue. It was Ragging - Who Is Responsible? 

I got reminded of the post, as the colleges have started.  I was reading how parents are anxious now, because there had been so many ragging related deaths in colleges of late.  Many parents are accompanying their daughters and sons to the colleges (at least for the initial days).  It's so unfortunate.  Loss of human life is unfortnate and losing a child because he/she went out to study in a college and was harassed to death is a very painful thought.

We are reading that police personnel have been deputed in colleges in plain clothes.  Also, some NGOs and senior students are too helping in checking the menance of ragging in Delhi colleges.  I hope and pray it works.

Isn't that so disturbing a thought that the society is churning out youth who need to show off, get into using muscle power, or money power or political power to prove they are superior than others?  Isn't money and power not intoxicating them.... so young?  When they still have to earn some worth for themselves, they don't mind swelling their chests on the exhaled carbon dioxide of their wealthy and influential fathers.

There is a lot of awareness now but the anxiety of the parents is understandable.  

Have you ever wondered what made ragging so cool all these years? How were you ragged during your college days? Or are you a parent? how do you feel about it? Do share.

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I feel dwarfed

Suddenly your ordinariness as a common man ceases to lose its sheen.  Suddenly you feel so vulnerable, so small.... so dwarfed.  Another attack on common people, and this time again Mumbai, doesn't bring out anger, or angst. It has given a frown on the forehead of scores of other urbanites, like me.  A sense of helplessness, a feeling of no control on the violent world around freezes you one moment, and the next moment you want to unshackle yourself from the memories and the frames frozen in time, which are spread all around you - in visual and print media.

The people who died, and who will die in the cruel hands of terrorism have created and will keep on creating void in the lives of their loved ones, their families.  But beyond that, it's just numbers.... dead or injured.... just numbers.... critical or stable.... just numbers..... just a record.... of uncelebrated death.

This time I'm not angry.... I'm just dwarfed. 

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The Gurgling Belly of Delhi!!

Or should I have named it the aching belly of Delhi?!! My tummy ached laughing at the gags - some intelligent and the rest pure....shitty ones!

I would be a hypocrite if I say I didn't enjoy the movie... I laughed in sheer disgust at times covering my face and the other times I just laughed (yeah... on those potty jokes).  Yes I did like the movie, for sure.

Yes, of course, it was me who wrote about my anger over the Bose DK song.  And it's me again praising this movie. Can you guess why??

First of all, let me say that I didn't know that there are two versions - English and Hindi.  I just happened to land at the English version, and thank God for that!

I hear so so many people cursing the movie makers (oops.... i thought you hated the guys who cursed all the way long!!) I heard that Delhi Belly is being hated because they are earning money by saying curse words!  Can a movie really really survive only on curses?!! Let's give it a try.... no dialogues... only curses... any language will do! ha!

I am pretty clear that it was a movie to be watched by adults and as adults of a young nation, a westernized nation, an English speaking - eating - walking - drinking nation, we must grow up.  I didn't find even a single word out of place. Not a single utterance was artificial.  The lingo used WAS the real youth.  It is the trend of the times.  Here I'm not being judgemental.  I'm not even saying it is f*****g cool to be heard saying such words... am not even contesting it.  (May be someday I'll write how bad I feel when young boys and girls from educated families dish out ma... behen... gaalis) But still I fail to understand why so much anger watching people speak such words on the big screen??  The only reason, you can give me is that, such movies encourage more indecent behaviour.  Btw, art imitates life or the vice versa??

Art is supposed to show the reality of the society.  It mirrors what is actually happening.  Is the urban youth not using swear words at the drop of a hat?  I had a misconception that educated people would use slightly sophisticated words, mostly in English but I know i was wrong. It does not matter much.... the taste seems to get better with mother tongue. 

It is said that we prefer not to curse in our mother tongue, as a foreign language helps us keep distance from the gravity of the words.

It is also said that we speak out in our mother tongue when we are really really very angry.

But, today I see all rules bent!

I am yet to see the Hindi version of the movie, Delhi Belly (what do call it 'Dilli ka pet'??!!!)...... Or may be I wont... who would like to hear the hindi translation of "i will cut ur ***** " :(

Another thing that's upsetting people is the sexually explicit content.... again I would say this was a new generation adult movie... a NOW adult movie.  Do you mean to say you won't like to watch such stuff with your partner? I'm sure either you are lying or you don't want to see what kind of openness this generation is living and experiencing. I call it adult movie of NOW generation because it was minus the drama attached to sex and neither any guilt or strings attached to it!  Isn't that the real youth of this generation all about?

I've heard so many people complaining about the movie.  What is your say? Did u watch the movie? Hindi or English? Didn't you laugh and enjoy the whole fun and drama? Let me know!

Cheers!

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PS: btw, one intelligent line from the movie.  Imran, the journo,  asks a star in an interview, what more she wants to do in future?  The young, chirpy, fascinated girl says I want to start my clothes line soon :D Imraan corrects her - 'oh, u mean clothing line!' Happy washing clothes girl!!