Today was supposed to be just another Sunday with the kind of engagements I have on Sundays with one extra engagement - evening music class as my music teacher is going to Kolkata for one whole month.
But the day wasn't as it was supposed to be. While having a normal conversation with my friend over phone, some skeletons of my past life came out unexpectedly, which I had hidden conveniently, thus leaving me choked and aghast.
So I decided to pamper myself to come out of it!
Generally when I want to pamper myself I visit beauty parlor, which otherwise I don't do. But today since I didn't have time for that, I decided to go for some shopping and thus I ended up buying a salwar-suit piece that I never intended to buy and that also worth 850/-!!!!!!!!!
I still cant decide whether it was a good deal or bad deal!!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Mankatha – My view
Mangkatha or Mangatha is a Tamil movie starring Ajith Kumar. Like other stars of Tamil cinema, Ajith Kumar is also another superstar but with only one difference; he is jaw-dropping handsome!
The experience of watching a Tamil movie for a Bengalee girl in a theatre itself is an experience. The hero obsessed Tamil people flock in the theatre with all enthusiasm and to add on to their obsession the movie directors plan for separate scene and separate music piece for the ‘Intro scene’ of the hero! So the euphoria of cheering, clapping and whistling you hear when Ajith gets down from the police jeep in police uniform with his salt-and-pepper hairstyle (Oh my god! He is so handsome!) envelopes also you and before you realize that, you are also clapping and cheering along with the crowd! So, you don’t really mind the weak editing, weak usage of slow-motion and fast-motion of scenes or even the small bulging paunch of Ajith.
The ‘Intro scene’ ends with a killer look by Ajith which forms one brick among the 50 Ajith-faced bricks slowly forming a mosaic-painting of Ajith amidst the ear-bursting cheer from people and then the movie introduces ‘Thala 50’as Mangatha is Ajith’s 50th movie.
The movie is about a corrupt cop Vinayak Mahadevan played by Ajith Kumar who can go to any extent for money. He uses the heroine Trisha to reach to her father and after he robs 500 crore rupees in The Italian Job fashion, he ditches her ruthlessly. I found the way the director showed Ajith dumping Trisha to be the most innovative sequence of the movie. Ajith then plans to kill his five allies and leaves dumbstruck when he comes to know that the two comedian allies of him actually took the money and ran away. Mangatha is a multi-starrer movie and it stars another super star of Tamil cinema – Arjun. He plays an honest cop who tries to catch Ajith. Though this person Arjun looks fit and slim, but his tendency to over-style kills all his scenes. In the climax Ajith dies in the hand of Arjun and when everybody is awestruck as how it happened we come to know that Ajith and Arjun are actually buddies and they staged everything that we saw in last 2 hours and 45 minutes and both of them are fine and staying in pent houses after sharing those 500 crore rupees.
If you keep the style and the extreme good looks of Ajith aside, the movie Mangatha would be a below average movie considering the director’s inefficiency to handle scenes, lack of attention to details, weak editing, gimmicky-but-not-well-thought-of picturisation of the songs and very very shockingly poor acting by Ajith and the gang.
But I must say that it is a good time pass to watch a Tamil movie in theatre flanked between two Tamil friends.
The experience of watching a Tamil movie for a Bengalee girl in a theatre itself is an experience. The hero obsessed Tamil people flock in the theatre with all enthusiasm and to add on to their obsession the movie directors plan for separate scene and separate music piece for the ‘Intro scene’ of the hero! So the euphoria of cheering, clapping and whistling you hear when Ajith gets down from the police jeep in police uniform with his salt-and-pepper hairstyle (Oh my god! He is so handsome!) envelopes also you and before you realize that, you are also clapping and cheering along with the crowd! So, you don’t really mind the weak editing, weak usage of slow-motion and fast-motion of scenes or even the small bulging paunch of Ajith.
The ‘Intro scene’ ends with a killer look by Ajith which forms one brick among the 50 Ajith-faced bricks slowly forming a mosaic-painting of Ajith amidst the ear-bursting cheer from people and then the movie introduces ‘Thala 50’as Mangatha is Ajith’s 50th movie.
The movie is about a corrupt cop Vinayak Mahadevan played by Ajith Kumar who can go to any extent for money. He uses the heroine Trisha to reach to her father and after he robs 500 crore rupees in The Italian Job fashion, he ditches her ruthlessly. I found the way the director showed Ajith dumping Trisha to be the most innovative sequence of the movie. Ajith then plans to kill his five allies and leaves dumbstruck when he comes to know that the two comedian allies of him actually took the money and ran away. Mangatha is a multi-starrer movie and it stars another super star of Tamil cinema – Arjun. He plays an honest cop who tries to catch Ajith. Though this person Arjun looks fit and slim, but his tendency to over-style kills all his scenes. In the climax Ajith dies in the hand of Arjun and when everybody is awestruck as how it happened we come to know that Ajith and Arjun are actually buddies and they staged everything that we saw in last 2 hours and 45 minutes and both of them are fine and staying in pent houses after sharing those 500 crore rupees.
If you keep the style and the extreme good looks of Ajith aside, the movie Mangatha would be a below average movie considering the director’s inefficiency to handle scenes, lack of attention to details, weak editing, gimmicky-but-not-well-thought-of picturisation of the songs and very very shockingly poor acting by Ajith and the gang.
But I must say that it is a good time pass to watch a Tamil movie in theatre flanked between two Tamil friends.
The False Vanities
Every morning I meet people who are ‘civilized’ people. They speak in eloquent English (After being a British colony for 200 years, Indians specially South Indians still judge one person’s status in that person’s ability to speak in this British language), they dress in European formals (trousers, shirts, formal sweaters, etc) and they talk about their experience of studying in big city schools and colleges.
But there is something, which I find that’s gravely missing. Even though they always try to project themselves as some NY girls in their way of speaking and dressing, but they don’t really have the basic attribute that people from the Western countries posses – “courtesy”. They just don’t know what courtesy is even when they try to follow Westerners like blind lambs.
They don’t possess the most basic courtesies like greeting people when they meet in the morning. In my office cab, I am the first one to board it. Then the cab goes from one place to another to pick others. So, these so called ‘city’ people when get into the cab, they don’t bother to greet others. After reaching the office, we have to take lift from the basement as my office is in the 5th floor of the building. People just walk up to the lift, catch the lift and goes ahead! They don’t bother that their colleagues who were sharing the same cab as them just 2 minutes back are also following and the basic courtesy says to hold the lift for them. But you can’t really expect any courtesy from them. My friend Chandrima says something funny. She says that she also encounters such people and she believes that these people cant be taught courtesy anymore as they are adults now and these things are to be taught in childhood. I think in childhood what these people were only concerned to learn was how to dress and talk like Americans, how to imitate their gestures and be ‘cool’ and how to judge other people of the country based on what they wear, how they speak English and in which locality of the city they live.
I find it very disturbing fact that some of my cab-mates used to ill treat a friend of mine just because she used to stay in a narrow lane. They were so arrogant in their behavior against her they never used to sit next to her....they used cuddle on one side of the cab so that they are away from her. What was my friend’s fault? That she stays in less posh area than theirs. But at least she is staying in a house for which she is paying the rent and which is solely maintained by her....not like those ‘civilized’ people who are staying in a better locality just because their father or father-in-law had built that house.
But today what I experienced was more than anything. Today the transport department sent one Toyota Innova car for the morning pick-up. Me being the first to get into the car was sitting at the rear seat. After reaching the office, the two girls sitting in the mid-row just got down and slammed the car door and went ahead. They didn’t have the courtesy to keep the door open (I am not asking them to hold the door for me) since I was coming out from the rear seat. It was pathetic of them.
I don’t understand who they are showing these attitudes. If they think they are better than me just because they grew up in a metro city or studied in big schools and colleges unlike me, then why are they doing the same job in the same company as the same role? Why couldn’t they do something better than this in spite of growing up in a metro city or studying in big schools and colleges unlike me?
I grew up in a small town of Assam studying in Bengali medium school and a normal college. I have struggled a lot by staying out from home for study and job for last five years. I always used to think that how fortunate these city girls and boys are to have everything in their own city. But now I feel grateful for my small-town background that at least made me a human and not a mannequin who has nothing to give back to the society except for snobbery.
But there is something, which I find that’s gravely missing. Even though they always try to project themselves as some NY girls in their way of speaking and dressing, but they don’t really have the basic attribute that people from the Western countries posses – “courtesy”. They just don’t know what courtesy is even when they try to follow Westerners like blind lambs.
They don’t possess the most basic courtesies like greeting people when they meet in the morning. In my office cab, I am the first one to board it. Then the cab goes from one place to another to pick others. So, these so called ‘city’ people when get into the cab, they don’t bother to greet others. After reaching the office, we have to take lift from the basement as my office is in the 5th floor of the building. People just walk up to the lift, catch the lift and goes ahead! They don’t bother that their colleagues who were sharing the same cab as them just 2 minutes back are also following and the basic courtesy says to hold the lift for them. But you can’t really expect any courtesy from them. My friend Chandrima says something funny. She says that she also encounters such people and she believes that these people cant be taught courtesy anymore as they are adults now and these things are to be taught in childhood. I think in childhood what these people were only concerned to learn was how to dress and talk like Americans, how to imitate their gestures and be ‘cool’ and how to judge other people of the country based on what they wear, how they speak English and in which locality of the city they live.
I find it very disturbing fact that some of my cab-mates used to ill treat a friend of mine just because she used to stay in a narrow lane. They were so arrogant in their behavior against her they never used to sit next to her....they used cuddle on one side of the cab so that they are away from her. What was my friend’s fault? That she stays in less posh area than theirs. But at least she is staying in a house for which she is paying the rent and which is solely maintained by her....not like those ‘civilized’ people who are staying in a better locality just because their father or father-in-law had built that house.
But today what I experienced was more than anything. Today the transport department sent one Toyota Innova car for the morning pick-up. Me being the first to get into the car was sitting at the rear seat. After reaching the office, the two girls sitting in the mid-row just got down and slammed the car door and went ahead. They didn’t have the courtesy to keep the door open (I am not asking them to hold the door for me) since I was coming out from the rear seat. It was pathetic of them.
I don’t understand who they are showing these attitudes. If they think they are better than me just because they grew up in a metro city or studied in big schools and colleges unlike me, then why are they doing the same job in the same company as the same role? Why couldn’t they do something better than this in spite of growing up in a metro city or studying in big schools and colleges unlike me?
I grew up in a small town of Assam studying in Bengali medium school and a normal college. I have struggled a lot by staying out from home for study and job for last five years. I always used to think that how fortunate these city girls and boys are to have everything in their own city. But now I feel grateful for my small-town background that at least made me a human and not a mannequin who has nothing to give back to the society except for snobbery.
Three lives I don’t want to live
1. Being at home whole day and not going out anywhere, especially to malls or restaurants so that I can save some money. By doing so, if I have to compromise on some relation, then also I am ready. This will save me money and will save me from looking like a stupid in the fashionable malls.
2. Going out for movie and dinner every single weekend and make sure that I have seen all the movies that are currently running.
3. Going out to the bar every weekend and get drunk.
I want to live a life which has a balance of eating out, going out for shopping or movies and going out for sight-seeing at the same staying at home so that my house is well maintained and I get some time to read books, cook new food items, do embroidery and relax. I also like to do something for the society and want to spend some time of my life in doing so. But most importantly I want to be available to those who love me all the time. That's what the ideal life I want to lead.
2. Going out for movie and dinner every single weekend and make sure that I have seen all the movies that are currently running.
3. Going out to the bar every weekend and get drunk.
I want to live a life which has a balance of eating out, going out for shopping or movies and going out for sight-seeing at the same staying at home so that my house is well maintained and I get some time to read books, cook new food items, do embroidery and relax. I also like to do something for the society and want to spend some time of my life in doing so. But most importantly I want to be available to those who love me all the time. That's what the ideal life I want to lead.
Why do I do Puja?
I love to tie myself in discipline because unless I tie myself, I won’t oblige. For me going home, taking bath and then chanting Adya Stotra everyday is more a discipline than calling the gods mentioned in this stotra for some favour. By the way I took one full year to memorize this stotra.
I don’t believe that chanting a mantra is going to do any good in my life. I don’t believe that chanting Adya Stotra everyday is going to please the gods and get me blessings from them. I have seen people who keep claiming themselves to be great devoted and who chant mantras in loud voices while walking in the entire house to show-off their devotion to the gods....yes just to show-off. I really don’t know what these people achieve from this because the intention of chanting the mantra is totally flawed here. In this world of double standards, people don’t leave gods also to show-off and prove themselves to be better than others.
But for me following rituals brings a sense of discipline in me. So, be it my daily puja or Thursday morning and Saturday morning visit to the temples or reading Hanuman Chalisa every Saturday; it makes me feel good about my discipline. I follow the Hindu rituals for Puja without being maniacs. What I mean to say is that I don’t believe in making out the strictest rules for rituals and then following them to show others that how big devotee I am. No, I don’t do that and I don’t like that and I hate those people who do that. Because, here also the whole concept of worshiping the God is flawed. People are worshiping God by following these 100 rules just to prove themselves to be ‘great devotees’. Then where is God? That means they are not really worshiping the Gods, they are worshiping themselves, their own egos and their own image in front of others! How more disrespectful a person can be towards God? But you will hear these people talking always ‘we are great devotees’. What an irony.
Thanks to my mother and her undeterred belief in Thakur Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Vivekananda that she never pushed us towards this dark and nasty world of so-called-devotion.
I don’t believe that chanting a mantra is going to do any good in my life. I don’t believe that chanting Adya Stotra everyday is going to please the gods and get me blessings from them. I have seen people who keep claiming themselves to be great devoted and who chant mantras in loud voices while walking in the entire house to show-off their devotion to the gods....yes just to show-off. I really don’t know what these people achieve from this because the intention of chanting the mantra is totally flawed here. In this world of double standards, people don’t leave gods also to show-off and prove themselves to be better than others.
But for me following rituals brings a sense of discipline in me. So, be it my daily puja or Thursday morning and Saturday morning visit to the temples or reading Hanuman Chalisa every Saturday; it makes me feel good about my discipline. I follow the Hindu rituals for Puja without being maniacs. What I mean to say is that I don’t believe in making out the strictest rules for rituals and then following them to show others that how big devotee I am. No, I don’t do that and I don’t like that and I hate those people who do that. Because, here also the whole concept of worshiping the God is flawed. People are worshiping God by following these 100 rules just to prove themselves to be ‘great devotees’. Then where is God? That means they are not really worshiping the Gods, they are worshiping themselves, their own egos and their own image in front of others! How more disrespectful a person can be towards God? But you will hear these people talking always ‘we are great devotees’. What an irony.
Thanks to my mother and her undeterred belief in Thakur Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi and Vivekananda that she never pushed us towards this dark and nasty world of so-called-devotion.
Watching Bengali Serials
I don’t like to watch Bengali serials. I don’t see them. I rarely see Bengali movies. I see only those movies which are directed by Satyajit Ray, Hrithik Ghatak, Aparna Sen or sometimes movies by Rituporno Ghosh. I have never watched any commercial Bengali movie with Prosenjit, Rituporna Sengupta, etc which are known by ‘boi’ by these-type-of-movie-watchers.
Though I don’t watch those cheesy serials and movies, it doesn’t mean that I have any disrespect for my mother-tongue. If there are quality serials and movies made in Bengali, then I would definitely watch it.....but I can’t and won’t watch a third-class family drama with zero-talented actors just because it’s in my mother tongue.
On the contrary there are people........Bengali people who can’t read and write in their own mother tongue Bengali just because they studied in Kendriya Vidyalya and were so dim-witted that couldn’t remember the letters of two different languages – Bengali and Hindi when taught simultaneously and used to use Bengali scripts while writing for Hindi papaer. Obviously, these lame excuses are created just because the parents of these people don’t have the courage to accept that how proud they used to be on the fact when they used to see their son speaking in Hindi with his other fellow Bengali friends and how much pride it used to bring to them when they used to tell their relatives “my son can’t read and write in Bengali. He studies in KV you see”.
Now imagine such people who lived a fake life considering their son’s inability to read and write in Bengali and pointing out finger on someone who has spent whole life reading and admiring Bengali literature for that fact that that person doesn’t like to watch those third-class Bengali serials and movies, which they call ‘boi’.
Though I don’t watch those cheesy serials and movies, it doesn’t mean that I have any disrespect for my mother-tongue. If there are quality serials and movies made in Bengali, then I would definitely watch it.....but I can’t and won’t watch a third-class family drama with zero-talented actors just because it’s in my mother tongue.
On the contrary there are people........Bengali people who can’t read and write in their own mother tongue Bengali just because they studied in Kendriya Vidyalya and were so dim-witted that couldn’t remember the letters of two different languages – Bengali and Hindi when taught simultaneously and used to use Bengali scripts while writing for Hindi papaer. Obviously, these lame excuses are created just because the parents of these people don’t have the courage to accept that how proud they used to be on the fact when they used to see their son speaking in Hindi with his other fellow Bengali friends and how much pride it used to bring to them when they used to tell their relatives “my son can’t read and write in Bengali. He studies in KV you see”.
Now imagine such people who lived a fake life considering their son’s inability to read and write in Bengali and pointing out finger on someone who has spent whole life reading and admiring Bengali literature for that fact that that person doesn’t like to watch those third-class Bengali serials and movies, which they call ‘boi’.
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