Dreaming Mount Everest

After a long sabbattical, I am writing this post. Rather, I must confess that I am forced to write this post as my mind is still reckoning with thoughts of George Mallory, a man who dared to dream and at least tried to execute the dream with strong grit and determination. I happened to read "Paths of Glory" by Jeffrey Archer which is inspired from the true story of a man named George Leigh Mallory.

I was quite amazed by Archer's flow of words and though I could not finish this book in one sitting, this turned out to be a page turner from the day I started reading it. Now after 2 weeks since I finished reading this book, I am still thinking whether George Mallory reached the summit of Mt. Everest or not and what could have possibly happened. This one book is something to treasure for anyone who dares to dream and one of the best works of Archer ever.

The life journey of Mallory from childhood to adulthood has been brilliantly portrayed and he is shown to be a man with abundant faith in himself. Be it the time when he tries to climb over the wall for his Cambridge interview, or his Eiffel Tower expedition, or his Mont Blanc episodes with George Finch and Geoffrey Young (to name a few), the excitement never ends and the book has many more of his escapades which are depicted wonderfully. The love relationship that he shared with Ruth has no words to describe. I especially loved the way he writes a letter to Ruth at every point of time, irrespective of being away serving in Military or in teeth-chatterring twenty thousand feet above sea level. His wife Ruth's support through every walk of his life has been written very passionately. Towards the stunning finale, all you could yearn for is the return of Mallory but all you get are the letters that he had written before making the final assault on the summit. Though it is important to be caring and affectionate in a relationship, being understandable and supportive to your partner's dream is what makes the relationship glitter. In that context, I think Mallory and Ruth had an special bonding and they indeed were made for each other.

George Finch as his climbing partner is shown to be a person with an annoying attitude. But when RGS attempts to knock him out of the climbing party list, Mallory defends him and brings him on aboard for the first assault even though he is shown as a potential threat to Mallory's dream of being the first man to be on the summit. However, towards the end, when Finch tells Ruth that Mallory would not have died if he was his partner brought a huge respect for this character whom I hated until then. Geoffrey Young as President of Alpine Club, who motivates Mallory everytime and also the main reason for the hero to be in RGS is shown more as a fatherly figure to Mallory. The other characters ably support the main characters.

It might have been possible that Mallory reached the summit as the photograph of Ruth was missing from his wallet when his body was discovered in 1999 by the rescue team and he had promised Ruth that he will place her photograph at the summit when he reaches there. It does not really matter if George Mallory reached the summit or not. But, in history, he is the first ever man to have dreamt to be on the top of Mt. Everest and he was the first one who tried to execute the same as early as 1921.

Love Aaj Kal Movie Review

I sauntered into the cinema hall with humongous expectations and high hopes on Imtiaz Ali as I was playing the characters of Geet and Aditya in my mind. JWM is one of my favorite movies which had some deft screenplay, great music and brilliant performances. But as the first reel of LAK started unwinding in front of me, I had to erase the fact from my mind that this is not a journey flick where hero and heroine meet and then fall in love and their hardships. Rather, it was the other way round. They meet, break-up and then meet only to fall in love all over again. But the innovative aspect of this movie is that it also shows us a parallel story of love in the 60s in the vision of another character who indirectly teaches the hero what love actually is.

I liked the openness in the characterization of both Jai (Saif) and Meera (Deepika). They care about each other yet, their career stand in their way which doesn't allow them to proceed further with their relationship. Without realizing the love for each other, they end breaking-up with mutual consent with a never before heard break-up party. The movie gets a third angle in the form of Veer Singh, a cafe/restaurant owner in London (and also caters to the party), who brings another dimension to this love tale.

While Jai and Meera are trying to throw each other out of their life by acquiring new partners, the bond between them actually strengthens as they are constantly in touch with each other even after breaking up. As the tale progresses, the love of aaj gets juxtaposed with the love of kal and both the versions actually drive home the same point that love is same and it is a feeling which you cannot overcome no matter how much you try to. ~~Spoiler alert ahead~~

The scenes depicting the love of kal are refreshing and love conveyed through minimal talking and eyes is shown beautifully. The determination of a lover and I-can-do-anything-for-you is convincingly portrayed. That brings a wonderful ending to that tale as the hero breaks all barriers to get the girl. The love of aaj is also the same but it is a little complex and so are the scenes. Say for instance, you have Meera, who is getting married, and then meets Jai before marriage as she feels he is not okay. Jai blurts that he would have left anything for her and then just leaves the place for good only to see Meera married to someone else. The next day, Meera realizes that she has made a mistake and repents. From the writing point of view, I felt that Meera's characterization faltered at this point. However one decision which Meera takes to not tell Jai that she is waiting and the song Main Kya Hoon showing Saif's life getting to boredom and eventually realizing about Meera are amazingly contrived and make us feel that her decision was maybe not wrong, though taken at the wrong hour. This is where Imtiaz wins and rises the movie graph from falling flat and also shows the complexity in the love today.

The music by Pritam is a big plus however the much rocking Twist is definitely a speed breaker, and comes out of nowhere. I loved Main Kya Hoon and Ye Dooriyan as they weaved beautifully into the screenplay. Chor Bazaari was good. The cinematography is good with the beautiful top view angles of SFO and the Qutub Minar in India which stands out. The editing is okay.

Saif is natural and full of humor as Jai and also does great job as Veer's visionary hero of kal. His effortless one liners and enthusiasm brings the character the added charm. Deepika was not bad though she could have done much more better. She is very good especially in the climax when she has a conversation with Saif and almost break-ups into tears when she says "tho main neeche aa jaon". Rishi Kapoor does a commendable job and Neetu Singh makes a fleeting appearance and looks great. Rahul Khanna shares very less screen space and does justice to his character. The girl who plays Harleen is tall and good and acts okay (non-expressive many times) though she struggles hard to dance in that one song.

A very good attempt by Imtiaz Ali and there is not a shred of doubt about that. I expected much more from this amazingly talented director but the story is the culprit here. The plot is waferthin and within the parameters of the plot, Imtiaz builds up a convincing story. However, it is hard not to notice that the movie does give you a have-seen-it kinda feel at some places.

The Last Lecture - Randy Pousch

I was moved by the way Randy Pousch delivered his last lecture. I did not know it until my sister forwarded me the link to his last lecture. Though he is not with us now, we need to learn something from his last lecture. Hope is one thing which never dies. Here is the link to his last lecture if you have not listened to it before. May his soul rest in peace.

Story of Stuff

A friend of mine had posted a link in one of his social networking website. An interesting seminar on Production and Consumption of goods. The host of this website is Annie Leonard. Some facts and information about the utilization of the resources or in short, materials economy. The 20 minute seminar is fact-filled and interesting. Thought of sharing it.

Here is the link Annie Lombard's Story of Stuff

Jodha Akbar Review

With expectations, not very high and not very low, I finally sauntered into a cinema hall to watch Jodha Akbar. I was a little relaxed because the reviews were encouraging from all quarters. The theatrical trailer of "Race" started racing and to be honest, I was really not interested to see it, though it looked more racy and slick. (Well, for that matter, even the movie "Cash" looked the same with the theatrical trailer and everyone know what happened with that movie.) Finally, Jodha and Akbar's story unveiled on screen.... Slowly, beautifully, and Poignantly!

The brilliance of the movie lies in its story and screenplay. Ashutosh brings in the necessary ambience for the movie in the first few reels of the movie. Once we are used to seeing the forts, palaces, battlefield, and the characters, he slowly succeeds in transporting the viewers to the historical world completely. The drama which unfolds also creates a huge impact and adds a different angle to the proceedings. The entire movie rests on three strong shoulders war, romance and drama as pointed out in the making of the movie. But to me, each of them have their own prominence at necessary places. It would be 50% love, 40% drama and 10% war.

I enjoyed all the love scenes between Jodha and Akbar. If I had to select one best scene, I would choose the scene when Akbar sees Jodha for the first time unveiled. While in his court, he hears the melliflous voice of Jodha, and he walks out of the court towards her palace, dispersing the courtroom. Such is the magic of her voice which pulls him towards her. And when he sees her, he is completely mesmerized. The background score is absolutely stunning at that point when Jodha stops singing and Akbar watches her from above. The silent gestures that follow after this scene is also well executed. The next best sequence would be the sword fight between Jodha and Akbar. All the other love scenes have been deftly executed.

The unique bond that Akbar and Mahamanga, his wet nurse, share is also brought out beautifully. The possessiveness of Mahamanga's character is brillaintly showcased. The interaction between Jodha and Mahamanga in the kitchen when Jodha prepares food for the peer din completely shows the madness of the character, as to how possessive she is about Akbar. Same can be said about the relationship shared between Jodha and Sujamal, Jodha's cousin brother. Sujamal as the overtly protective brother of Jodha, ends up meeting Jodha cladestinely once he gets her letter from a wrong hand. It shows the extent to which a brother can forsake things for his dear sister. The war sequences are well handled especially War of Panipat and the climax sequences. The action sequences between Sharifuddin and Akbar in the climax is very good.

Music is soulful. My favorite has to be In Lamhon Ke Daman which comes at the right place, when the love reaches the pinnacle between the lead pair. The next will be Mann Mohana, which has a brilliant orchestra as its trump card (in the interludes). Not to forget, the background score of Mann Mohana at many places will make you want for more. Third will be Jashn-E-Bahara, Khwaja and Azeem-O-Shaan together. Jashn comes at different places and the melody is used in harmony with the scenes. Azeem is magnificient, lot many people dancing to the tunes looking very realistic. Khwaja is superb with the three lead vocals (all rahman’s incidentally, yet it looks like 3 people singing it) syncing properly to the sounds. The background score is excellent and there is this particular sound which comes when Jodha shows her calligraphy to Akbar. The theme for Mahamanga is also beautiful. Overall, a dedicated and an excellent effort by Rahman.

No one can imagine anyone other than Hrithik in the role of the Shehanshah Akbar. For a minute, I felt that he is Akbar. His body language, demeanor, walking style and his physical appearance just makes Akbar alive in front of our eyes. Be it the scene with Jodha in romance or with his courtiers in the Diwan-E-Azam or in the battlefield or while taming an elephant, Hrithik pitches in his best performance to date, a performance he will be proud of. Aishwarya Rai Bachaan as Jodha defines what a Rajput Princess should look like. She looks bewitching in all those jewelry and outfits. She is outstanding in many scenes but the scene when she looks schemingly at Mahamanga for having triumphed, was gorgeous. Sonu Sood is effective as Sujamal who becomes fixated at only one thing, throne to Amer. His sequences in the climax is first rate. Ila Arun as Mahamanga gives in a splendid performance. Watch out for the scene when she is caught guilty for planting the seeds of misunderstanding between Jodha and Akbar. I was moved by the way Ila Arun enacted that scene, looking helplessly at Akbar's mom and then walking away from the scene, as Akbar vows not to see her face again for her misconduct. Brilliant portrayal. The other characters Poonam Sinha as Akbar's mom, Khulbhushan as Jodha's dad, Suhasini Mulay as Jodha's mom are noteworthy. The others are apt.

As the beacon of light flashes on the Emperor Akbar, he slowly integrates with the sufi singers and becomes one with God. He respected his religion and did not force anyone to follow his steps and ideals. Religion doesn't define any rule. As long as you believe in the God. Akbar had a secular mind and hence he created a Secular Hindustan. Look at where we stand now.

PS: I had a lot of distractions in the name of audience (esp. the one, seated next to me) while I was watching the movie. It is historical and you ought to treat it like a 15th century tale. I am really not sure what people had in mind when they came to watch this movie.

A New Beginning

The morning sun filled the town with its radiant brightness. The town became busy with its bustling sounds of automobiles and trains. The crowded train pulled into the platform and hoards of passengers squeezed inside, and within minutes, the train whistled its way out of the platform.

Close from the platform from where the train just departed, a little boy, about 8 years old, in his loose outfits, stands gazing at the busy traffic inside the station. His eyes are red with sleeplessness and his body, weak to even walk a few yards, trembles with fear. He has eyed something in close distance and walks towards his destination. Just then, a tea vendor passes by, almost knocking down the boy, but ends up dropping his tea can and the glasses. It doesn't take much time for the tea vendor to bring the boy back to reality as he shrieks out aloud almost scaring the poor creature.

The boy, suddenly shaken, looks up at the vendor, who is furious at him for bringing his morning business to a standstill. He pulls the boy by his collar, demanding explanation. The boy, almost frightened, tries to free himself from the clutches of the vendor. Once free, he begins running to his destination. The tea vendor realizing the predicament, drags the boy away from the platform to a safe place. Just then, an express train buzzes through the platform with a loud siren.

The vendor is shocked and comforts the sobbing boy who is almost in a dizzy state. The vendor realizes that the boy has not eaten anything and buys him bread and tea from the nearby railway canteen stall. The hungry boy gulps down the food and looks up at the vendor with a faint smile. He feels satiated with the food and quenches his thirst with the tea. He apologizes to the vendor for spoiling his day and sobs. The boy had been starving for the past few days and wanted to put an end to his misery. Neither did he have a family nor a job to take care of himself. At such a small age, the little kid had decided to end his life. The vendor moved by the boy's story takes him by his hand and walks out of the station.

Next day, the busy train pulls into the station and as it whistles its way out of the platform, the little boy, now a tea vendor sells tea in the station and feels proud of being alive and thanks the Almightly for rewriting his fate.

PS: Writing inspired from Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay"

Jodha Akbar Music Review

As a connoisseur of music, I always lend my ears to hear the intricate sounding arrangements that ARR uses in all his songs. I was listening to his album "Rhythm", and was a little surprised by the way he had been used the sounding pattern in the songs. The blowing wind in Kattre En Vaasal, the comparison of water drops and the female hum in Nadiye Nadiye as the song draws parallel connotation of the similarity between water and female. I was altogether taken to a different world. There is dexterity in his usage of sounds which makes him a class apart.

Jodha Akbar, one of the most awaited soundtrack of the year, comes as a great package. The soundtrack has a brilliant extravagant opening track, a mellifluous restrained track, two strikingly dissimilar devotional tracks, a melodious orchestrated track and two bonus instrumental tracks.

Azeem O Shaan Shehanshah is the most opulent, extravagant track, completely suiting the grandeur of the movie. This brilliant track has melody, classical alaaps and praiseworthy lyrics as supporting pillars. The arresting beats and the chorus goes on to introduce us to the Emperor Akbar pouring praises for being the Shaan of Hindustan. Especially the line "Tera Ho Kya Bayaan" line takes the song to dizzy heights. The "chan chana nana" and the "Marhaba" chant are used excellently throughout the song. The love of the people for Akbar is brilliantly expressed in the male/female humming done in the second stanza of the song after the line "Kitne Dilon Par Teri Hukumath". If this song cannot grow on a listener immediately on first hearing, then the album can be skipped. No point in listening to it further.

Jashn-E-Bahara is a restrained track with the melody seamlessly flowing into the listener's ears. The accompanying beats complement the song very much and is used ably to suit the melody. The lyrics by Javed Akhtar and the vocal by Javed Ali adds an extra sheen to this beautiful song. The lyrics flow in like a poetry. The Jashn-E-Bahara (Instrumental) is an enchanting piece with a flute piece playing the main melody. When a person like Naveen is at the helm of affairs, nothing can go wrong. Loved the instrumental more than the original song as it is more soothing and can make you forget the world.

Rahman's "Tera Diwana Hoon Maula" from Mangal Pandey is one of my favorite song, as the energy and devotion with which he sings that song, cannot be explained by words. I would rate Khwaja Mere Khwaja, one step above. I liked the way the song builds slowly to its melody in the beginning. The tabla beats supports the song throughout. The second interlude is haunting and the stanzas are engaging. The way ARR melts and renders his voice for this devotional song is another reason why this song clicks. This song might need some time to sink in and once it does, it is addictive. Khwaja Mere Khwaja (Instrumental) is impressive. I don't know much about the Oboe instrument but the instrumental has a soothing effect just like the previous instrumental.

In Lamhon Ke Daman Mein, is the second melodious number which is brilliantly orchestrated, with a chorus which elevates the song to a different peak altogether. There is a clean balance between the high pitched chorus and the melodious singing by Sonu Nigam. When Madhushree enters the scene, the song becomes heavenly. A brilliant composition by Rahman who breaks norms of how a love song should be composed.

Mann Mohana, the second devotional track in the album, is rich in melody. Bela Shinde has a great pitch and her vocal is an added asset to the song. The first and second interludes are just outstanding. The song might sound ordinary when it starts, but the interludes elevate the song first and then the stanzas create an impact and the song slowly gets hooked onto you. I loved this song for its sheer interludes.

Rang De Basanti in 2006, Guru in 2007 and Jodha Akbar in 2008. There is no stopping Rahman to break new grounds in the bollywood arena. Jodha Akbar is a must-listen for music lovers.