Day 73: Moving scenes

day 73: a movie you cried in


Ok. This is silly and I completely did not expect this. But I sobbed to the high heavens when I saw my sister's wedding video a day after she got married. I thought I had exhausted my supply of tears and indeed my strength. But come the momentous scene of Kanyadaan and tying of Mangalsutra, and I launched into a full blown hysterical lament. I was dressed to the nines  too, so am sure I looked like somebody vying for the part of our Indian soap operas. But alas, this was the genuine article. 

But other than that, one really moving movie would be Tare Zameen Par which I have watched only in parts because I found it too moving. Here's the famous, heart wrenching song from it.

Day 15- Song that Makes Me Cry

Day 15: a song that makes you cry and why


The one song that makes me sad if not burst into tears is 'Maa' from the Bollywood hit movie 'Tare Zameen Par'. An adorable but autistic child missing his Mom . The setting is quite tragic too. The child wandering bewildered in the hostel he is banished to, unable to comprehend the ways of the world and trying hard to not to despair. 
This is one song that just tugs at your heart strings.

Love the song and lyrics and rendition- both by the actors and the singer. 


P.S.: No idea whom the credit goes to for the song. So, to avoid any Copyright infringement, I'd like to mention that this video is courtesy YouTube and Aamir Khan Productions. 

Day 7: Moving Movie

Day 7: a show or a movie that has changed you, and how


One movie that changed me has to be "The Kung Fu Panda". I have to add here that I've seen a lot of movies, good and bad, commercial and classic, Bollywood and Hollywood. But somehow the one movie that sticks in my mind has to be this one.


The one memorable line that I have is "There is no Secret Ingredient" which leads Poe into realizing that Self-Belief is the chief ingredient to succeeding. The statement is not particularly original but it is profound. What better than cute animated characters to remind us to have faith in ourselves?


Some other things that stuck in my mind from the movie are as follows:

• Love not Blindly. When you love a person, you must do so fully accepting them for what they are- faults and features alike.
• Old people are wise. Their advice generally works, provided the context is right.
• A hug always makes things better.
• Parents always know the right thing to make us feel better.
• Don't judge a person for what they look like. See them for what they are and what they can be.
• Don't lie to your parents.

On Zorro and More

Well, I am totally running out of ideas on what to write about in Z.
I tried to think of famous people from Z. Only Facebook creator came to mind. But what do I write about him. So, dismissed it right away. Next word that sprung to my mind is Zorro. So, this piece is all that I can ramble on Zorro.

I loved the comics on Zorro. It was inspiring and funny and similar to the movies I liked to watch. And since it contained words in Spanish, I liked it even more. At this point I have to point out that I was only seven years old then.

Zorro comics were that part of my childhood when I could not decide which I liked better- novels or comics. The reader in me loved poring over fat books and the satisfaction of finishing a heavy book cover to cover. But the kid in me loved the adorable comics and not just for discussing with my friends. Champak, Chandamama, Gokulam, Mandrake, Phantom, Batman, and of course, Zorro are all inseparable parts of that period in my life.

Years later I saw the movie- Zorro. I loved Anthony Hopkins, the way he narrates his child his adventurous story; the dramatic gesture where a feeble looking man opens his eyes to reveal the power and vengeance that is nursed by the older but not less dangerous Sir Hopkins. And then came Antonio Banderas tumbling into the movie. I liked the plot but wished all along that the bit about AH was not shown. It somehow overshadowed all the later performances. The second one I felt was even worse and I wondered why I even bothered. Even today, I watch this movie only for the first 15 minutes where AH appears.

And yes, one more thing I liked in the movies were the babies. Nice, fat, squalling babies. Adorably sweet, blanket covered, berry eyed babies. Like Charlei Chaplin rightly mentioned, babies and dogs make the best actors in cinema. Ok, it was pantomime and not cinema that he uttered; but I am sure I can help myself to a few artistic liberties here.

Anyway, enough of reminiscing about Zorro and comics and fat babies. But next time, the movie comes up, do watch out for the stellar first 15 minutes.

We'll Always Have Paris

I selected Ray Bradbury as the second book for my A-Z project simply because of the title of his book- We'll Always Have Paris.

I was hurriedly trying to select a book- any author whose name begins with B when I found this. A hasty look at the book jacket showed a beaming Woody Allen kind of a person on the cover. Humour, I thought. I like humour. I stole a quick glance at the back. 'Pulitzer' leaped out at me. Heavy weight praises and prizes won adorned the entire page. The book was a collection of short stories, I gleaned from some serious skimming of the Intro. I made my decision. I'll take it.

The stories range from happy to poignant to scary. There is even a sci-fi one in the collection. All the stories are compelling. Even the Poe-style horror one, I just had to continue reading merely to reach the end. 

The stories all just come alive and you can almost see the characters. Everything else but the book kind of fades away. Quite a good read. 

My only advice however would be- If you are like me, someone moved by tragedy and horror; read in the  daytime.

Mumbai

Mumbai! Seems so far away! Well, geographically it is - since I am in a suburb near Chicago, but never mind that! This article is a tribute to the city I grew up in- Mumbai.
I did not always think that my heart was so attached to Mumbai or that it's essence and character were so deeply entrenched in me,

I believe in the maxim of 'Home is where Family is'! I've moved in quite a few places and have never even stayed in proper Mumbai. But even then, I realize that I actually miss the place almost as much as I do my family.

It never occurred to me, Ms.Am-So-Comfortable-With-Myself, that I would ever feel such over-whelmimg love for a city. After all, I have never succumbed to discriminating based on city or region, I am very much secular and I look down on dumb generalizations based on one's place of residence. I admit our location does shape us as we sport certain habits but that should not influence our judgement of people.

Anyway, back to my point. I'm proud of being from Mumbai. Yes, but the magnitude of my love of this city sunk in only two  months ago when I was watching the song 'Rim Jhim Gire Sawan' [Lataji's version]. I love this song as my parents resemble the star duo in mannerisms- especially my Mom laughingly trying to keep pace with my tall Dad. I've watched it a million times. But the moment of truth came when my hubby asked me with some curiosity- What? He knows I am a fan of Big B but I surely don't look so adoringly at anyone but Hubbyji. My answer stunned me- Mumbai! And in that moment, I knew that this city has a place far larger in my heart than I ever imagined.

After this startling relevation, I decided I might as well as accept the inevitable. I love Mumbai. Proud to say that - loud and clear.
I love the rains, the trains, the tall skyscrapers, the moviemakers, the street food and Fashion street, the malls and the road stalls. I adore the Queen's necklace and the crowded beaches where I find solace. I am proud of the fact that like all train commuters- I consider distances in terms of time and time of the day. I know that like every Mumbaikar, I am resilient and possess an ambitious streak tempered by a tendency to indulge in myself and have fun along the way. I am glad that I lived in a city that embraces all- rich and poor, young and old, classy and dhinchak, khadoos and bindaaz. I am so glad that I am a Mumbaikar.