Every child is special.....

Here it is, late at night, before a working day... but I feel it is fitting that I put up this post before Santa's sleigh reaches the North pole after delivering joy to kids all over the world...

I saw Taare Zameen Par on friday, a yet another first day movie opportunity which surprisingly I have gotten only here in the US and never back home... I knew the movie would be good... Aamir Khan isn't my favourite actor, but his movies are something I enjoy... I liked a couple of tracks in the music album, and the general consensus with the music review was that it will hit you and grow into you once you see the picturisation and the essence of the track during the film. Come Friday and the nature of reviews I read from back home were a little different from a Hindi film's perspective.. one reviewer put it as a must watch for kids, parents and teachers, a lesson for life, said the other. Ofcourse performances were praised, but I somewhere felt the movie on the whole got caught on to these folks.

At 10 PM on Friday, as I sat sunk in my seat and covered my well-watered eyes with my palm before joining the audience in an ovation, I realised that this wasn't a movie experience I had ever had before. I love going to movies for masala entertainment and popcorn, but if there is a message in a movie and if it can be brought out this well, its worth what we call cinema. Again, I won't dwell too much into the actual dynamics of the movie itself, go watch it yourself, go watch it for the kids who've acted in it, go watch it for the happiness in the eyes of those parents of differently abled children when they watch their kids perform on stage. I find it extremely difficult to see suffering, so much so, that it deters me from going forward to help someone who is... I'd rather deflect it away from the person before he/she has to endure it in the first place.

Why this movie left such an indelible impact on me was because the way it showcased so many small things which we undergo on a regular basis, but are oblivious to its nitty gritty's because we are performing a chore and a responsibility. I came up through the education system in India where the emphasis was solely on studying, doing well and becoming something.. that something was invariably a doctor, engineer or CA.... I went through the process, excelled at most times, stumbled sometimes, but came out as one in a million on a conveyer belt from a production facility. I am not deriding the fact that I am an engineer, but somewhere I know a partly true but bitter truth, I did this because it was considered safe. Yes, intelligence helped me all along and I am happy to find myself where I am now, but as a person who dreams of going through the parenting process in India a few years from now, I wonder if I will be able to give my kids the freedom to do what they like. Or will they too, looking at peers and society around them, choose a path thats tried and tested?? I hope I can atleast give them the choice...

The way the message flows out of TZP, especially for parents, is quite compelling. The part when Aamir talks to the child's dad about his perception of taking care of kids and the example of the Solomon Islands, it hits you as hard as being there in first person, and not in third... thats why TZP is so special, I again reiterate, I felt like I was shown a glimpse into how life will question us as adults and parents outside of work.... brilliant movie.. almost Mani Ratnamesque in its impact... watch it!!

My most exhillarating movie experience ever!!!!!!!...

Watch this space... I have the matter... tons and tons of it.... brb in a day or two at most

Dream.... and live it!!

Disclaimer: Too many thoughts resulting in this blog, as a result you may find it criss-crossing from one to the other without any direct forthcoming conclusion.

Two nights and I find myself motivated to dream again.. First was the lecture by Dr. Robert Pausch at CMU. Here's the link, watch. I wont say much but its like watching a real-life case of ANAND, the Rajesh Khanna film. A 46 yr old professor diagnosed with pancreatic cancer delivers his last lecture. He talks about his childhood dreams and how he accomplished them, one at a time. A man filled with life, at times you wonder why should it be cut short so brutally. But somewhere in my heart, I felt that we must enjoy the person when he's amongst us and learn as much as possible. Not everyone's going to be around us for ever. People come and go from our lives through different phases and varying durations of time. A poignant moment during his lecture is when he surprises his wife by asking her to cut her birthday cake in front of 500 people. Just the thought of the woman walking up to her husband, a man with whom she exchanged vows to be together throughout her life, now aware that this is her last birthday for which he is going to be around... if that doesen't choke your throat, I doubt anything else I have to write will.... but its a wonderful lecture, and although it is his personal story through and through, there are lessons each one of us can take for life. Do watch it...

Tonite, for some inexplicable reason, I wanted to complete this assignment which I hadn't for a good part of 3 years.. Watch the movie Iqbal. I know, for people who know me and my liking for cinema, it is a shocker that I hadn't watched it as yet.. but I have now.. for those who havent, here you go. You should find the other parts of the movie with the same user on youtube...



Now on to the movie, yep.. I liked it, a good theme, nice performances but trust me to extract something out of nothing. Not the boy Iqbal, not his coach, not even his mom (echoing a character which is the stunning Indian woman, having a brick wall for inner strength.. salaam!!) but it is the role enacted by a young girl Shweta Prasad.. and again, it is the sketch of the character and the way this girl enacted it that left an indelible imprint in my psyche (wow.. talk about bhaari vocab ;) ).. she just exudes an aura of arrogance about her brother's abilities and her belief in them... subtle moments like when she returns her gift because her brother did not accept his, her interactions with his coaches, and the look on her face when she sees him live his dream... fantastic cinema.. Mr. Nagesh Kukunoor... class apart!! Maybe an indication of the amount of time I spend around myself, but I am glad for as much as I shouldn't proabably, I ain't totally wasting it.... need to get a bit more active to keep me going.. hope to figure out something soon enough.. till then, the mind works overtime.. and keeps these pages uptodate..

Random thought: (As if the blog wasn't one itself....) Abi, thanks a ton da.. for reading the book BOMBAY - Maximum City by Suketu Mehta. I know you have written an excellent review but I was just so overjoyed to have found someone to whom I need not mention the book as a must read.. I skipped your review... will read it soon... I know I share Mumbai with you, and now its only rightly confirmed that you are worthy of sharing 'IT'...cheers bro

It happens only in India

I AM A BHARAT RATNA AWARDEE!!! I should not be frisked at an airport... FREAKING JOKERS!!!

Tough times...

Its hitting hard and me being myself, I am trying to put up a face to the pain than letting it pass by... december.. homecoming season. A lot of friends headed home for a break.. and I can't... it hurts.... my parents hope to be here next year, but for me, a trip home is so much about Mumbai and the people I know there.. my company had asked me if I wanted a 2 week break before joining and wished to go back.. I did not, I wasn't in a position, tired emotionally and drained financially... but now I feel maybe I should have.... sigh!! As always, look around and you'll find a crowd of people in similar situations. I know friends aplenty, some like me, others, who haven't gone back even once...together, this flock dreams.. for a time and day when we will fly.. HOME!..

Update

Heylos peoples,

Just a quick update.. things are going ok.. had a busy and lightning fast week and an even faster weekend.. nothing really struck and stuck in mind to write it down.. will post something soon... take care..