Hindi Movie: Filmistaan

I really feel that some of the best made movies are not even noticed and worst of the movies are becoming bigger hits, just because they contain mega superstars. ‘Filmistaan’ is one such critically awarded but unnoticed movie, which is made with heart and complete devotion. I literally enjoyed the every scene of the movie. It was so entertaining. This movie is a master piece of how a movie should be made.
It is a story about Sunny (Sharib Hashmi), a typical Indian boy who loves Indian movies from the bottom of his heart. He wants to become an actor and has given auditions for so many times, but haven’t succeeded yet. One day he gets an opportunity to work as an assistant director and he quickly grabs it in order to get to learn more about acting. As a part of his work assignment he has to assist a foreigner director and for that he has to relocate to some remote place in Rajasthan. During his schedule of film shooting, mistakenly he gets kidnapped by Pakistani terrorists and they took him across the border. Initially sunny tries his best to run away but fails. There he also meets one local guy Mehmood (Inaamulhaq) who pirates Indian movie CDs and earns his living. What happens next, is best seen in the movie itself.
Director Nitin Kakkar has done exceptionally beautiful job. This movie is very beautifully written, directed, shot and everything is classic. Actors Sharib Hashmi and Inaamulhaq had literally lived their characters and their chemistry on screen is awesome. Other supporting actors of the film are also very good. In today’s era of big budget, special effects, mega starrer movies, ‘Filmistaan’ is like a ray of hope for meaningful cinemas.
Don’t miss this movie for anything. You would start loving Indian cinema again.

Movie: The best exotic marigold hotel

I was expecting a good movie before I started watching this. First half of the movie is boring and not so good, but second half is much better where many questions are answered slowly. I even didn’t know that story takes place in India and there are some Indian actors in the movie. So I enjoyed it little more as it was a surprise to me.

Movie is a mixture of 4-5 stories happening parallel. 7 Brits come to one of the hotels in India for having different experience and not so costly trip. When they check the website of the hotel, online, they get very impressed by it. But when they check in to the hotel they observe that it is very ill managed and lacking basic services, which one expects from a hotel. All the 7 visitors are having their own problems in life and are looking for a solution, so that they could enjoy the rest of life. The hotel manager is a boy Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel), who has no clue about hotel management and is having hard time in his love relationship with girlfriend Sunaina (Tena Desae). Graham (Tom Wilkinson) has lived in India in his childhood days and is on the search of an old friend. Evelyn (Judi Dench) has recently lost her husband and she doesn’t want to stay with her son. There is a good mix and match of all the parallel stories. In the first half of the movie, the jokes and funny sequences are strictly average. But second half is much better where all the stories unfold.

Performances of all the senior actors are very well and they have done complete justice to their roles. Amongst Indian actors Lillete Dubey (as sonny’s mother) holds her own amongst the crowd. Dev Patel is boring and has overacted in most of the scenes. Direction of John Madden is very good, especially in second half. It could have been a much better movie, if it had more funny sequences. There is an essence of India and Indian culture in movie, but some unnecessary scenes to give free advice Indians, could have been avoided. All the shooting is done at real locations which make the movie more realistic and enjoyable.

Overall, this is a good one time watch movie.

Hindi Movie: Goliyon ki raas leela – Ram leela

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, this movie is an adaptation of famous play of Shakespeare ‘Romeo Juliet’. The whole story takes place in small town of Gujarat, state in India. As the name suggests the movie has too many violent scenes and too much gun firing in it. Moreover I felt that this movie is an attempt by director to change his image of making only family and silent movies. Too much display of violence and vulgar in the movie is completely unnecessary, but it is the reason why audiences are appreciating the movie.

Ram (Ranveer Singh) and Leela (Deepika Padukone) belong to rival families of each other. They fall in lust more than love, with each other at first sight. They start seeing each other without letting their families know about it. They even get separated from their families and get married but destiny has some different plans for them and they get separated. What happens in the end and how story forwards is better seen in the movie itself. Second half of the movie is more interesting and fast paced.

Performances of both Ranveer and Deepika are good but screenplay, dialogues and direction make the movie more interesting. Performance of Supriya Pathak (mother of Leela) is excellent and memorable one. Other supporting actors are also good in their roles. Songs of the film are also appealing and enjoyable. Dialogue delivery by Deepika and Ranveer is also interesting and treat for viewers.

Overall, this is definitely one time watch movie for hindi movie lovers but it could have been better if screenplay has less violent and less vulgar scenes in it.

Book: 7 secrets of Vishnu

This book is written by well known speaker and author Devdutt Patnaik. This book is very similar to his book ‘7 Secrets of Shiva’. Both the books I think were published together and I even bought them together. Similar to ‘7 secrets of shiva’ this book also contains images on every left hand page and description on the right hand page, which makes the book more interesting.

As the name says, the book is about Hindu God Vishnu and it is divided into 7 parts as following:
1. Mohini’s secret
2. Matsya’s secret
3. Kurma’s secret
4. Trivikrama’s secret
5. Ram’s secret
6. Krishna’s secret
7. Kalki’s secret

Though the chapters are named as secrets, there is nothing unknown or new found or fake things about God Vishnu. It basically contains information about Vishnu’s all incarnations (Avatar) on earth. The book also illustrates many concepts from mythology along with images.
The book attempts to elaborate more about God Vishnu through different stories and author also illustrates them to help us understand more. All chapters in this book are very good but last chapter is very good.

I came to know many new stories about God Vishnu and it helped me to think in different perspective about the already known stories. It is really magical that the Hindu mythological literature always enables to you look at life in broader perspective. In fact it has definitely liberated me as a human being.

 Most of the stories are rarely known to even Hindu’s and especially to today’s youth.
I would recommend this book to everyone.
You can buy this book online at : http://www.flipkart.com/7-secrets-vishnu/
Also visit author Devdutt Patnaik’s website for reading more interesting mythological stuff: http://www.devdutt.com

Shri Shankar Abhyankar’s Lecture on Swami Vivekananda

Last week in Kolhapur, a city from Maharashtra, there was a lecture by Shri Shankar Abhyankar, popularly known as ‘Gurudev Abhyankar’. Though he doesn’t needs introduction, I will try to put it in few words. He is one of most well known personalities in whole India. He is holding Masters Degrees in English and Sanskrit languages, a very rare combination. He is very popular due to his knowledge about Bhagvad Gita, Indian History, knowledge about Vedas and Upanishads. He holds Ph.D. on Swami Vivekananda’s educational philosophy. His elocution is really enchanting. He is a good singer, has good understanding about music and extremely intelligent.

His lecture was on Swami Vivekananda’s famous speech which he gave in Chicago in the year of 1893. Gurudev first explained the condition of India in year 1893 and then explained about how Swami Vivekananda became Swami Vivekananda.  That was a really difficult time for India and Hindu religion. Swami Vivekananda, who earlier was completely against idol worship later come to believe that it is the feelings and respect that Hindus give to idol is important not the clay or material used to make that idol. His mentor and spiritual guide ‘Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans’ gave all his learning’s to Swamiji. Swamiji used that knowledge to revive Hindu religion and make people from all the worlds respect it and believe in it. Swamiji’s speech on Hindu culture and Hindu religion still inspires millions of people every day. He won everybody’s heart and respect with his speech in 1893, in the ‘World Parliament of Religion’. Gurudev also talked about Indian History and Indian culture. He explained so many other things as well, such as how Hindu religion is shining in the world even after surviving most of number of attacks on it, how Indian culture is unique and has inclusive tendency to involve everyone, what is real Indian heritage, how other religions are born from it and Hindu is the most ancient religion in the world.

Gurudev Abhyankar talked for only one and a half hour but his elocution was really mesmerizing. Everybody turned all ears to listen carefully his words and save them in their hearts. It was truly amazing experience to listen to him.

To know more about Shri Shankar Abhyankar visit:

http://www.adityapratishthan.org

Book: Dollar bahu

This book is a story of a middle class Indian family, living in Bangalore city of Karnataka state. As the name suggests (Bahu means daughter in law), the main characters in the story are mother in law and 2 daughters in law. The story revolves around Gouramma (Gauri) who has 2 sons Chandru and Girish, 1 daughter Surabhi.Chadru is elder amongst all 3. He initially was working in Bangalore for a company, and later gets sent to America for a new project. Girish on the other hand is an average guy and is working in a bank as a clerk. Gouramma always wants to be rich and wants to show off in front of her friends. Father Shamanna is a teacher in school and a down to earth guy.
Gouramma has dreams about his son Chandru settling in USA and fulfilling all her wishes by sending her dollars. Chandru too wants to get settled in USA and have a good life. The story is written well with twists and turns. How Vinuta enters into family, how Chandru manages to settle in USA, chandru’s wife Jamuna, who is a two faced girl, how she treats her mother in law when she lives with them in USA are all well written incidents in the story and they make the story more interesting.
The basic message that author Sudha Murty tries to give is that, you go to any country, there will always be pluses and minuses. Its up to us whether we are happy with what we have or keep crying for something which we don’t have. The language used in the book is very simple and it is an enjoyable story. Author sudha murty has done brilliant job of praising India and America as well as pointed out the flaws in cultures of both the countries. This book is must read for all the young Indians who are starving to go to America and wants to settle there. It will also be an eye opener for greedy people, who think money can buy everything.
Story is easily predictable and some of the incidents are very much like movie scenes. In the end of the story it is filled with series of incidents where Gouramma is visiting many people in USA and her experiences about those visits. Some story part of the book could have been better, but overall the book is good and worth reading.
Sudha murty has brilliantly woven feelings and emotions of a mother in law and daughter in law into a story which could be happening in any region of India these days. Do read this book.