While you were at IFFI

The annual gathering of filmi folks began in Goa yesterday. According to the local rags, Rekha was the chief guest at a ceremony compered by Amrita Rao at the Kala Academy. The press coverage of IFFI tends to be, well, iffy. Rehashes of press releases make it to all the newspapers as if it were gospel truth. Whatever happened to reporting?

So, until this morning, one had no idea of the screening schedule or what the day held for film buffs. Over 6000 'delegates' hopefully got some sort of schedule before-hand, but the aam junta is still clueless. Today's papers have an ad listing a few films being screened around Goa, including Taare Zameen Par.

If you really want value for money (or free, in this case), head over instead to Institute Piedade in Panjim (opp Bread & More, round the corner from the Mandovi Hotel). The 'Goan People's Film Festival: Celebrating lives and livelihoods', a parallel film festival began yesterday (22-29 November). Screening films from India and Bangladesh, this little festival packs a big punch.

I was at the inaugural film screening yesterday evening, and I was so glad to have gone. The festival began with Stalin K's film 'India Untouched: Stories of a People Apart'. This was a hard-hitting, and disturbing account of India's Dalits, the 260 million people living on the fringes of mainstream Indian society. Stalin's film was flawless, a seamless narrative of untouchability and the caste divide in urban and rural India. We talk of India being a super-power, a world leader in the 21st century. How will we get there when we still have millions who cannot draw water from a village well or walk through their town with dignity because they are from a 'lower-caste'?

This film puts several pieces of the puzzle into place. You suddenly understand how the Mayawatis and Yadavs of this country (whether in North or South India) manage to come to power and stay there. For the people they supposedly claim to represent, these politicians are their only ray of hope. After being ignored and kicked aside for centuries, it is only natural that they cling to the one person who promises (again and again) to help them. The help may never come, but if they give this up, what's left?

The issue is relevant even in Goa, this most liberal of Indian states. Here,caste is swept under the carpet or brought out surreptitiously. In Goa, "Where are you from?" has a lot more behind it than simple curiosity, I've learnt. It's a way to identify not just your village, but your caste and pedigree.

The screening was followed with a discussion where viewers had the opportunity to interact with the director and Dadu Mandrekar, noted Goan Dalit rights activist.

Stalin's film deserves a much bigger audience. This is the kind of movie that IFFI should be screening. This is the film that should go to International film festivals including Cannes and the Oscars. Against this, TZP has no chance - it's just fluff.

If our Film Board has guts, it will look at independent film makers for next years entries. But we know this will not happen.

If you're up to some strong movies and want to give your braincells a workout, drop in for a screening or two at this innovative festival. The schedule is here and here.

Pictures of Day one here.
About 'India Untouched' and the director.

Here's a glimpse of the film. Go,watch it.

How to improve our movies...

As the 5th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) gets set to begin, I am reminded of a quote from R.K. Narayanan's 'The Writerly Life'.

...The only way in which our films can be improved is to float a company and collect at least one crore of rupees*. The company will buy every picture produced as soon as it is available and put it out of sight. After all, people make pictures only in order to make money. Our company will give back the capital plus profit. One crore will be thrown away, but it will save a very large public from cultivating a corrupt taste. We must have a nation-wide organisation for buying every picture in this country...

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* The essays are collected works from the 1950s-80s, where a crore of rupees went a long way. Today, even a small budget film costs a lot more than that...

Under the carpet - soon it'll be IFFI season again...

With this year's IFFI round the corner, Panjim is in for its annual facelift. With just a couple of weeks to go, the eyewash whitewash has begun .Government buildings are getting a fresh lick of paint (no scraping, just slapdash over the existing coat), road dividers are refreshed, and calls for tenders went out last week (rather late, I'd think) for a quickie pavement and street-light restoration job.

If they could only clear the garbage (and not bury it surreptitiously), put dustbins for the public to use, get the municipal sweepers to sweep a little more diligently, that would be marvellous. This city/state can be so much more beautiful - if it can't happen in these next few weeks, we'll have a long wait till next November.

This year, IFFI expects over 5000 delegates and has a few 'open to the public' schemes as well. For about 100/- per film, the junta can see movies (up to 3 a day, I think), including in the new Indian Panorama section. Why restrict it to three is beyond me; perhaps that's a way of keeping the riff-raff non-delegates out.

Goa, like a lot of other places, tends to be rather elitist when it comes to so-called prestigious events. While many events are advertised, several others are by word-of-mouth only. The organisers possibly think that they've done a great job by limiting it to people they know (and they do get bums on seats because this is a small place - people attend everything). And then they wonder why more people don't come / take interest / learn the local traditions and customs.

So over the next few weeks, the hoi-polloi will scramble to get delegate passes and catch up with people who can get them seen at the events. It should be interesting to watch.

Mamma Mia!

Reading a review of Mamma Mia the movie in an old issue of Time magazine reminded me of how much I enjoyed the film. It's a bit corny and silly, but at the same time, an excellent feel-good movie.

I was looking forward to Colin Firth in the film, but found him wasted. I think Hugh Grant would have been beautiful in his place (especially after seeing his wonderful performance in Music and Lyrics). And surprise, Pierce Brosnan was terrific. His singing left much to be desired, but gosh, that man gets more handsome as he gets older (in the Sean Connery / Harrison Ford league now - yummy).

The film makes sense only if you know the ABBA songs. The 'plot' is a feeble attempt to weave all those magical numbers together, so ignore the story-line and just sing along.

Seriously, chuck that DVD into the bin and go watch it in a theatre if you can. The experience is unbeatable. And yes, for those of you that don't know the words, the screen will have it - there's no excuse now.

A very warm update

If you thought that semi-retirement involved late breakfasts, delicious lunches, siestas, shopping and dinner, you were right. That seems to be the schedule for the moment as we recuperate in Mumbai. We've taken July off while we get used to being back in India and let me tell you, it needs some adjusting.

Life in the UK changes the way you see things. Even after a few years out, it is hard to reconcile travelling by crowded public transport, walking on a mockery of footpaths (paved beautifully, but you need a stepladder to climb onto some of the new ones) and close your eyes to the filth and squalor on both sides of the road as you pass by.

The good news is that we are being fed, watered and taken care of. We're still waiting for the monsoons to hit us, but I guess we should be grateful (in some perverse way) for the lack of rain so we can walk around occasionally. The paucity of rain means a water shortage and it's back to bucket baths at scheduled times!

The writing, in the meantime, progresses. I'm technically on a break until August (when I start freelancing full-time), but I've just had an acceptance from a UK magazine for a reprint of an article. I also spotted a bridal mag on the stands here with my article in it - such a great feeling!

While we're having a holiday, we've been to see Mandira Bedi & Samir Soni perform in 'Anything but Love' (***/5) at Bandra's St.Andrews and saw Hancock (*** for the special effects) last night.

And oh yes, our shipment arrives sometime in August. It will be good to be reunited with our worldly possessions.

At the Barbican: From Bombay to Bollywood

As part of the City of London Festival, the Barbican is hosting the oddly titled 'From Bombay to Bollywood' weekend showcasing films, documentaries and workshops .

21 June: Before Midnight - A Portrait of India on Film 1899-1947 (PG)
21 June: Bombay Railway (PG) + Introduction by director Gerry Troyna
22 June: Bollywood for Beginners Talk with Cary Rajinder Sawhney
22 June: Mother India
23 June: Sholay
26 June: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (Those with a Heart Will Take the Bride)

Mr.R and I should be packing, but we can't possibly miss one particular movie. I've seen Sholay about 21 times so far (yes, I've kept track) and this will be a fantastic opportunity to watch it on the big screen again, with Mr.R, in London. How cool is that? :)

Tickets for Sholay are almost all gone, so hurry if you want to be there.
For tickets and other info, click here.

Where's Sandra?

'Sandra from Bandra' is one of those sterotypical images that we are so fond of. Along with the Parsi Bawaji, the funny Sardarji or the Bengali 'roshogulla', Sandra represents the way the country looks at its minorities.

Where's Sandra? is a film about a stereotypical figure of the Indian Catholic woman -Sandra from Bandra.

Paromita Vohra directed this short film. Here's what she says:

At the most literal level, this film is about the Christian women of Bombay who created a certain space for women in general. They were the earliest women in Bombay to enter the workforce, which was part of the reason for the unease around them and for the sexual stereotyping that they received.

But they also embodied a certain spirit - of fun, of pleasure and a certain chutzpah. This generation of women doesn't know that we owe something to them, for being out there first where we so easily are today.

I searched for a way to explore the stereotype of Christians more gently - through he aspects of fantasy that exist in the idea of the sexy, supposedly available but actually unattainable Christian woman. I've tried to stay away from dismantling stereotypes in the film, tending instead to create my own notion of this figure by taking my own and others' ideas of Sandra, and weaving in Bollywood imagery and interviews with women actually named Sandra living in Bandra.

Also, it seemed important to tell the history of this neighborhood not through the usual historio-cultural lens, not tell tales of buildings and the comings and goings of conquerors and settlers, but rather, to trace it through the lives of its women. And in speaking of these women and what lives and times they shaped, perhaps also understand something of the feminist/social history of the city of Bombay .

This is not the sort of history that is recorded often - it is an invisible, everyday history of women from a minority community.

At another level, I think (or hope, anyway) that women of my generation are less anxious about the feminist stories they can tell, about the ways in which they can tell them. In a time of so many stereotypes about feminism, more mischievous stories are needed and are being told with greater ease. And the way in which this story is told is an exercise of that sort.

Watch the film here: (18 minutes). I guarantee you'll like it.

FILM CREDITS
Producer: Celebrate Bandra Trust
Director: Paromita Vohra
Camera: Avijit Mukul Kishore
Editing: Jabeen Merchant/Sankalp Meshram
Sound: Anita Kushwaha
Cast: Tuhinaa Vohra, Sonali Verma, Rachel Lopez

The Kite Runner - a review

"There is a way to be good again."

The movie adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's acclaimed book 'The Kite Runner' is a story wrought with betrayal, loyalty, friendship and the turbulence in Afghanistan.

The friendship between Amir and Hassan forms the core of the story. Hassan & his father work as the domestic help in Amir's house. Both boys are of similar age and have a rare friendship. Hassan stands up for Amir every time, protecting him from bullies and making him look good to his father, by working with him to win a kite flying competition.

That is the day that everything changes, as Amir witnesses Hassan being brutalised by older boys, but does nothing. Amir's guilt and shame about his cowardice leads to the deterioration of the friendship and Hassan and his father finally leave the house they've lived in for so long.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan leads Amir and his father to flee to the US, where they begin a new life. The ghosts of Afghanistan still linger and when Amir has a chance to return to his homeland, it is not just to seek forgiveness.

The movie is disturbing. With its scenes of implied sodomy, stoning and general brutality in the harsh climes of Afghanistan (the movie was shot in China for security reasons), it leaves you concerned for the state of the world. Even more disturbingly, it reinforces beliefs that the western world may harbour about Islamic nations - some of which may be true, some exaggerated.

I also did not think it wise to have a 12a rating. Are children of 12 old enough to witness scenes such as those in the movie? Perhaps the censor board thinks they would have seen more in their lifetime by then. I hope not.

In all, it was a fantastic movie and very thought provoking. Mr.R and I were the only non-whites in the almost full cinema hall. And by the end of the movie, there were very few dry eyes around.

If you have the chance to see the film, please do. I haven't read the book yet. I will, but after the horror of the cinematic version has faded away in my head. The film was graphic, but the book is likely to be even more descriptive in its brutality. I don't want to have to deal with that right now.

My rating : 8/10
For the young Hassan's acting : 10/10. May he be safe in Kabul.


Glimpses from the movie are available on the official website.

Here's a preview : http://www.kiterunnermovie.com/club/fankit/
For more, visit http://www.kiterunnermovie.com/, then click on the 'Media' link.

Chuck them, India!

One sultry Mumbai afternoon in October, I happened to catch Chak de, India on cable tv. The movie had received rave reviews. My mum even went to the theatre to watch it (a rare occurrence, if you know my mum).

The film is about an ex-India hockey captain who is ostracised after losing a World Cup match to Pakistan (imagine that happening to a cricket player - nah!). Seven years of ignominy later, he resurfaces, offering to coach the Indian women's hockey team.

The movie is a wonderful depiction of the bureaucracy behind Indian sports, the attitudes of players and the hard-to-shake-off "state" mentality.

This film is to hockey what Lagaan was for cricket. The movie rocked the nation - patriotism, women's empowerment, challenging cricket - it's all there.

The acting, script, music and characters are all memorable. But for me, the film struck a chord for a totally different reason. One scene stood out above the rest and will be instrumental in giving this film a special place in my heart.

There's a scene where Kabir Khan (SRK) is leaving the team after the girls rebel. For a farewell lunch, he takes the other staff and the girls to McDonald's (not a good idea, but never mind). There, the girls from Mizoram are subjected to blatant "eve-teasing". The girls ignore the "teasers", but it continues until one girl has enough. She gets up and confronts the creeps, who shockingly, punch her. The scene turns violent as more boys join in, trying to salvage their dignity. Designed (me thinks) to show how team spirit develops, the tables turn (literally) when all the girls join in the fray and beat up the guys.

I was exhilarated. If you're a woman and you've seen the film you'll know what I mean. It was a dream come true! How many times have you been in a similar situation, dying to throw a knife at some creep, or push him under a bus, but are held back for whatever reason? How many times have you walked away, knowing that no other woman, forget about the men, will come to your aid if you protest?

Throughout the scene, I was silently egging the girls on - go on, break his bones! My fury surprised me. I remember turning to my mum, saying "If this film only succeeds in translating this to the street, the world would be a different place."

Being passive about our daily humiliation on the street only encourages the problem. Stand up to it, endure the stares from passers-by, but at least you can walk away with your head held high and the offender cowering.

Let your tears flow once you get home. Then, get up, and be prepared to do it all over again. Every day.

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Looks like I'm not the only one to love this scene :
Filmiholic (Favorite scene: how the girls handle eve-teasing at McDonalds)

Reefknot : ...they finally get the team spirit by beating the pulp out of stupid eveteasing boys at McDonalds (thats the spirit people)(if you have the experience of getting back at eve teasers or anybody else who has done something horrid to you..this is something you will love)

Blinkdreamz : I saw "Chak De India", good movie, and what the girls do when guys tease them...that's very good too! I'm a pacifist, but I liked what they did to guys because I felt that that can't be called violence...that's Chastisement

And the site that allowed me to vent my fury for the first time - the Blank Noise Project. Are you on their 'Unwanted' list? (see sidebar on their site, with photos)

From Parag Sarees to M&S

Shilpa Shetty is about to sign up as the new face of M&S in a deal rumoured to be worth 1.2 crore (approx £1,50,000).

Oh No.

3D Lions in London

We spent over 12 hours in London yesterday. Getting in at peak time we finished what we had to do at about noon. We had tickets for the 7:30 LPO concert on the South Bank. Noon to seven-thirty was a long time to kill, so we treated ourselves to lunch at the Oxo Tower and then did something we've been wanting to do for a long time.

Go for a movie.

Not any movie, mind you (that is such an Indian expression!). We went to see Lions 3D (Roar: Lions of the Kalahari) at the Imax. This was my first visit to the London Imax and certainly my first 3D film. Mr.R made such a funny sight in his oversized 3D glasses, that I had to take a picture.

The movie itself was amazing. The lions and springbuck seemed close enough to touch. It was a sad tale of an old lion making way for a younger one. The Kalahari looms under your nose, sweltering and stewing, while you sit wrapped in four layers.

See a trailer here (link at the bottom of the page). It's something else with the glasses on.
See the official website here

The Imax has Britian's largest cinema screen (the height of 5 double decker buses). Just for that, go take a look. It's a great way to spend an afternoon.

We ended the day with lounging in the warmth of the National Theatre cafe followed by a quick dinner then before the fantastic LPO concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

A full day, and worth every minute of it.

An inexperienced young lioness tries her luck with a giraffe. Lions can run at a top speed of 36 miles (58 kilometers) an hour but not for very long. A giraffe can run as fast as 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour over short distances
When springboks come to the water hole, swirling dust storms are helpful cover for some lionesses. If springboks sense a predator, the fleet-footed antelopes jump straight up into the air several times. As they leap, patches of white hair are revealed under their tails, warning other springboks that danger is near.

Pictures courtesy official NG website

The Bookseller

I thought I'd share with you Shoefiend's post on Ammani and her short documentaries. Ammani's latest film ,The Bookseller, is FourDocs' Film of the Week.

The movie reminded me about the pavement book sellers in Mumbai - rows and rows of books stretching from Flora Fountain to Churchgate station. The Chennai book'shop' was a lot more haphazard, but one can see the love and passion that the bookseller feels for his trade. It's a poignant tale, a story of how people struggle to do what they know best.

Like I mentioned in a comment on Shoefie's post, the fact that the 80 year old bookseller stayed by his pile day and night (or books get nicked) touched me deeply. I remarked on the concept of 'honesty' bookshops here in the UK. Here books are left unattended, only with a request that people pay the price mentioned. I have not yet seen people walk away without paying. Perhaps it happens sometimes. It usually doesn't.

In our council library's foyer, we have a bookshelf chock-a-bloc of 'withdrawn' books and magazines. The books vary in price while magazines are 20 pence each. There's nobody watching to see if someone walks away with a book. But no one does. We take what we want, go into the library, pay, and leave.

Why doesn't that happen back home?

Is the lure of the freebie so strong?

Anyway, I'm off on a tangent here, so I'll stop. Please see Amman's film.

Remembering 'Black Friday'

Taks post on the 'Black Friday' anniversary brought back some forgotten memories.

I remember that day vividly too. I was in college and we got the news that 'something' had happened and we should try and get home asap. Nobody had a clue, but we heard that transport was disrupted.

That, for MW's, is a clue that something is seriously wrong. Nothing disrupts public transport unless it is a disaster - man made or otherwise.

So off we went. Having been told to avoid trains for some reason, we looked for a bus. From Xaviers at Dhobi Talao, we walked to Churchgate. No buses. Whatever was going by, was full of hanging people. In the middle of the working day, that is unusual.

The panic in the general public was evident by then. Some of us managed to get onto a bus which took us upto Dadar, I think. I can't remember what we did after that - probably took another bus to get up to Chembur.

I still have the newspaper cutting from March 13. It's not a day I can forget easily.

I believe there's a movie out to commemorate the anniversary. It must be good - it got my mum into a theatre after god-knows-how-many-years.

Becoming Jane

The world is suddenly awash with Jane Austen and filmi versions of her work. First there was that Kiera Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice (not a patch on the BBC series).

Then last night I saw a lovely adaptation of Mansfield Park - very lush, dreamy English countryside with the usual suspects : an impoverished heroine (who triumphs in the end), a hero who takes time to realise what he's missing, cruel aunts, silly uncles, siblings and cousins for entertainment, and wicked admirers/neighbours/other people.















Typically Austen (from what I've read of her), her stories begin to make more sense now that I've just watched 'Becoming Jane'.

Based on her life, it tells of how she wants to write, the seriousness (or lack of it) that people attributed to feminine writing in 1795, her doomed love (played by the dashing James McAvoy - he'd have made a wonderful Darcy in the recent version of P&P) and how she ends up - a successful author, admired for her writing, but single.

It was a sad story; that's what makes a good film, though!

Throughout 'Becoming Jane', one could see parallels between her own life and scenes/characters from her book. Dialogue, people and places (from her books) that I would have attributed to her imagination suddenly jumped out from her own life and there were plenty of those 'a-ha' moments.

Her own mother could have been Mrs Bennett, McAvoy could have been an early Mr.Darcy - their repartees straight out of P&P.

I loved the movie, like I have done with all adaptations of her work. If you like dark, romantic stories full of longing and lost love, go see this one.

OD on Movies, Popcorn and all such good things

Three movies in seven days. It's high time movie cinemas introduced a frequent-flyer sort of scheme to reward regular visitors. With Mr R's rehearsals interrupting our Wednesday movie schedule, we've had to resort to going on other odd days to see the films we wanted before they were taken off.

So, there we were on Sunday to see King Kong. I went with a bit of reluctance - the promos showing skeletons and creepy crawlies were not were encouraging. Having learned not to judge a book by its cover or a movie by its promos, I went, telling myself I could always close my eyes when it got too much.

I'm so glad I did.

King Kong is one of the best movies I've seen in a long long time. The photography is superb and Peter Jackson's direction keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for the inevitable. It is a distressing movie. By the time the credits rolled up, I was upset at the way the poor gorilla was being treated. Men! No sense at all.

If there's one movie you see this month, let it be this one. It's worth it. I promise

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The following evening (Monday), we were back to see The Chronicles of Narnia - a fable about three kids who wander into a wardrobe and end up in the mysterious land of Narnia, right in the middle of a quest for power between Aslan the lion and the White Witch. What a movie! I enjoyed it thoroughly. The special effects are astounding as is the acting of the kids, especially the little girl. The movie resounds with references to Christianity, but done so beautifully, you don't really mind.

This is another movie you must go see, with or without accompanying kids.

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Movie No 3 last night, was the spectacular Memoirs of a Geisha. Arthur Golden's novel makes the leap to this lavish screen presentation in time for the Oscars. With its flowing silks, melancholy mood and almost-authentic sets, this one will surely been in the running for the little bald statuette - for the 'Best Costume' award, if nothing else. The music by stalwarts such as Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma swept the audience into pre-war Japan and into the lives of these women who kept men entertained with their dance, music and conversation. The film has the gorgeous Michelle Yeoh in a subdued role, but the beautiful Zhang Ziyi in the lead role effectively diverts your attention.

A story of love, loss and betrayal, this movie left me feeling a little annoyed at the end because it is also a story of a 1o year old who falls in love with a stranger and ends up with him god-knows-how-many-years-later. That bit was not amusing. Kindness and gratitude is perfectly fine and understandable, but to have that little girl hold feelings for that man for so many years (and for him to reciprocate at the end of movie!)... Does it end the same way in the book? Hopefully not.

Only one way to find out.
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Next on the list is Superman, sometime in April, I think. But April's a long time away. There'll surely be others before then. Watch this space.

More of P&P

Ah well. No P&P available in the library. Looks like other Austen fans had the same idea too. Picked up nine other books instead. Should keep me occupied gainfully for the next week or so.
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Reading 'The Pleasure of Reading' last week was an enlightening experience. This was an anthology of reading experiences of various authors and writers. Each was asked to list their top ten favorite books. Now, as we all know, making up such a list is not possible, because really, the list changes each day. Most of these writers also felt the same and named some of their favorite 'desert island' books. It was surprising to find some books and some authors cropping up consistently across lists. So consistent infact, that I wrote down the books just to see how many writers recommended them. That list of about 25 books is now my latest 'Reading List'. Formed of mostly classics and old favorites, the List will accompany me to libraries henceforth. Besides finally getting down to reading classics specifically, it would be interesting to see what these writers found so fascinating.

Today, among the nine books I've brought home, three are from the List :
- Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment
- Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall
- Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse

Jane Eyre was mentioned most often through the book and I've read it so many times already that I've not added it to the List. That story has the potential of being another P&P. Maybe if Colin Firth plays Mr Rochester...

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If you haven't read P&P yet and don't have a library nearby, try an e-version of the printed word. The book is available here, to read.

Another great link for ebooks, especially classics is http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/
Download your favorite books to your desktop and read at your leisure. You may ruin your eyesight, but when you have such wonderful characters for company, who cares?!

Pride and Prejudice

It was different and yet so familiar.

Mr R and I went to see the new Pride and Prejudice a few days ago. This latest adaption of Jane Austen's most popular novel stars Keira Knightley (Bend it like Beckham), Matthew MacFadyen, Judi Dench , Donald Sutherland. P&P is one of my all time favorite books and I was looking forward to seeing my favorite characters on the screen again.

This version, I think, was shot with much love - the colors and scenery of England have been captured beautifully. The photography was fabulous as was the music. It must have been hard to capture the essence of the book in 2 hours, which is where, I must admit, I came back feeling a little cheated.

I dare say I was a little prejudiced myself, having read the book innumerable times and then having watched a few weeks earlier (for the nth time!), with rapture, the BBC Drama version of the novel starring the very yummy Colin Firth. Viewers in India might remember this - it was broadcast quite frequently at one time and then the Indian version (much before Bride and Prejudice) called 'Trishna' made its appearance.

Firth played Mr Darcy in the BBC Series and this was the role that catapulted him to stardom. And what a role! Millions of girls and women skipped a heart beat (or two) watching that famous lake scene (sadly, not included in the new movie). By that time in the plot, all female viewers (and readers) were in love with him!

Mr Darcy's character personifies the 'tall, dark and handsome' stereotype. In my analysis to Mr R, I explained my theory that 'dark' in that sentence above does not refer to the color of skin or physical attributes, but rather to the character - brooding, intense, melancholy and dangerous. Colin Firth is embedded forever in that role and although Matthew MacFadyen does justice to the character, he is not brooding and awkward enough. But he was a good choice for the role anyway.

Watch a trailer of the film here. I'm off to the library to see if I can get my hands on a copy of the book again. The rest of my reading list can wait for a day :)

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A site for Jane Austen fans: www.pemberley.com . Read about all her books here.

PS: Pemberley is the name of Mr Darcy's home.

WHEN WHAT WE'VE FEARED COMES TRUE...

Watched Spielberg's new film 'War of the Worlds', based on H.G.Wells' novel and stars Tom Cruise.

The movie, in one word, is Spectacular. Keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. See it if you can. For an accurate review, click here.

There will be no sweet dreams tonight......
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I'm glad London won the bid for the 2012 Olympics. I watched the presentation in the morning and then waited with bated breath for 12:46 and the announcement from Singapore. I'm glad they won the bid, because it means that in although in the next seven years train delays will be doubled due to changes in infrastructure, by 2012, a working system will be in place. Atleast, you can dream of a future with a deadline here. There will be inconveniences, sure. But (I think) it's a small price to pay for such a big event. I'm very happy London got the bid. It's funny, because I have no real affinity for the city - just goes to show how you can root for a place even if you don't belong there.........

Another weekend gone

The problems you have when you marry a politically aware man......

We fell asleep last night discussing world politics and the tyranny of the West. What brought it up was watching 'Beyond Borders' on telly;a movie with Anjelina Jolie & Clive Owen in the lead. The movie is set in the world's 'hot's spots - from the deserts of Africa, to Cambodia, to Croatia. Jolie's character falls in love with a renegade doctor who flits from country to country administering to people in need. The chemistry between the two leads isn't palpable, but the images of the dying and destitute leave an indelible imprint on your mind. And this is what perhaps lead to our late night discussion...Fortunately today was Sunday and we could afford to steal a few extra hours, so I've forgiven Mr.R for keeping me awake with talk of politics.

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Mr.R took a break from his studying for exams by taking to the water. We are lucky to have a huge park in the middle of town with a little man-made water body that houses swans and ducks. In summer they rent out rowboats and that's what we did - took a boat out for half an hour and followed the wake of the swans and ducks as they swam out of our way. Mr.R insisted on doing all the hard work, while I did the navigation. Avoiding the ducklings that swam dangerously close to the oars was a task in itself, but nature provided them with an instinct to 'duck' (pun not intended!) under the boat/oars when danger presented itself. On one occasion, Mama Duck abandoned her three fledglings and hopped onto the bank while the babies hovered in terror in one corner praying hard that the boats gave them a wide berth. Once at a safe distance, Mama hopped back into the water, and the poor abandoned ducklings swam to her for reassurance. Quite selfish, I thought!!

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Something struck me at church this morning. No, it wasn't lightning! I realised that not many people wear red here. Even in the height of summer, the warm tones of scarlet are limited to manicured nails. One sees a lot of whites, browns and beige. The visible colors are pink, a lot of it and in every shade and then there are the blues and yes, the omnipresent black. Now that's a color for every season here. But no red. Wonder why.

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I can finally understand the English obsession for all things weather related. The past weekend has been gloriously sunny and one can tell the difference in seasons. The weekend though has been overcast, gloomy and wet. Thundershowers with abundant lightning all over the country has made the heatwave (33 deg C last Sunday!!) a distant warm memory. It's crazy how the weather changes by the hour. Right now the sun is out, like the grey clouds hovering around this morning were there just by accident. By evening, the sunshine might be a distant dream, but you can never tell. As Mr.R never tires of telling me, the only way to enjoy life here is not to let the weather affect your plans. If you let the wind, cold or rain decide for you, then you're likely to spend your life indoors waiting for the sun to show up. Wise man, that Mr.R. I should listen to him more often :)

Thoughts At Twilight

Sitting here this evening, at the window overlooking the garden, reminds me of Mangalore at twilight. The sun has set, yet there’s still enough light to see by. It’s quiet. You can hear the occasional bird in one of the trees, a chirp here and there as they prepare to roost for the night. The sound of the traffic fades away in the background as the silence of the trees and the woods fills you up. Silence at twilight is my favorite sound. Just like in Mangalore, where the forest surrounding the house overwhelms you with its presence. There used to be eagles there once, hovering over the tallest trees where they built their nests. There used to be porcupines, their quills left as souvenirs for us. It’s been decades since I found a quill. And the eagles have found other trees.

I smile, thinking of my grandmother there, walking around with a broken arm these days, forced to slow down her hyper-active pace, even though she's in her 80's. In Mangalore at twilight, one would be gathering hay to feed the cows for the last time that day, or heating the bath-water before dinner. In Mumbai, we would be trying to hop onto a local train to get home from work, one arm balancing an umbrella on a rainy June evening. In England, it’s summer and twilight is at 10 pm. Dinner’s long over and we wait for darkness to fall so our eyes can start drooping and we can tell ourselves that it’s time to get some sleep. Today though, on the Summer Solstice, one can afford to stay awake a while longer and celebrate the changing of the seasons. On this, the longest day of the year, I can spend some time looking out of windows and marvelling at this planet that gives us Mangalore, Mumbai and this corner of England – this planet with its strange and motley climates, cultures and people. Right now is a good time to forget the lives not lived and the dreams not chased. Right now is a good time to feel blessed to have lived here.

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Les Choristes (The Choristers) is my favourite kind of film – one where most characters have a happy ending by the time the credits roll up. It’s what my family teasingly used to call my ‘Hallmark’ kind of movie – referring to the ‘feel good’ dramas and stories that are shown on the channel. I like ‘feel good’ movies. And I like movies with happy endings. Les Choristes is a French film that is just that – a tale about a ‘failed’ musician who takes up a job as a supervisor at a school for delinquent boys. The script is predictable – that’s the best part. One knows that the teacher will employ music to ‘tame’ the unruly boys and how forming a choir will transform each of their lives. There are so many movies like this – I especially enjoy movies where unruly kids are transformed at the end! Mr. Holland’s Opus, Sister Act, and a Hallmark movie the name of which I keep forgetting (yes, another ‘school’ story) are some of my can-see-anytime films. Other than Sholay, of course. But that doesn’t have a happy ending, because although Dha ram and Hema ride on the train into the sunset, Amitabh dies lonely. Well, there are always exceptions. And Sholay makes me happy, inspite of the ending.

If Les Choristes is at a cinema near you, make time to see this fabulous Oscar nominated film. Read a review and see some snapshots here.