nnmarudkar

[nnmarudkar]

A Dream I 'Oversea'...

Social media has laid a red carpet to most of your problems that web around your head. Every time I go on my social media account nowadays, I see one person leaving the country. Well done. Some or the other is settling outside giving me that FOMO. Get out without speaking. SSSHHHSSSHHH! I feel too far from this and jealous people. How does this happen? Hence I scroll down faster to ignore all this intentionally. But then that story or reel pops up. I may be jinxing it entirely for you for the good and for the worse. 😄 Well that does not mean I think bad of you. Jokes apart. Please have a great life and make good out of it. Change is not just constant but it is good and so empowering. Alone is wonderful at some intervals to revisit yourself. And being alone in a different country is splendid and rejuvenating. It is amazing without an elder who has 'seen more rains' or the 'world than you'. It is amazing how you make a shift and upgrade at all levels; personality, professionally, monetarily, psychologically and atmospherically. It is one of the milestones that suggest you have grown.

I miss doing all this. I think the ship sailed, the train left and the bus drove off. But…

Dear Friend,

You must be in good health and status there. I see a lot of beautiful pictures under happy skies on green lawns, cloudy cliffs and saintly serene rivers with exotic looking food across diverse cuisine. I surely want to know the experience. Experience of visiting a new location and meeting new people from various other countries. How does your friend list look? How does it feel to be on your own? Back home people look at you with utmost respect. Everybody is proud of you. Your family, relatives, neighbours, street, city, state, country, the sky, the moon, the sun and the universe. What is your heart's expression? Is it overwhelming or relaxing?

How does it feel to stay away from home? How is it to do everything on your own? I am sure it started hand to mouth but even that had a quality of life. Absolutely not easy, I understand. But isn’t it a ‘look I achieved it’ moment at times?

It has to be a great walk on clean roads, inhaling fresh air, walking past the well mannered population and having people not look at what you are wearing. They do not spit, cough and throw things just like that. It is a beautiful strolling experience. Refreshing or depressing after the first few days? Your people are curious to talk to you ‘What is happening there, what did you make, how do you travel, how easy are you now with the new place etc,. Motivational, right?

They are glowing here with your self made attitude there. They flaunt your city’s gifts here. I know you have had a ride to choose it for them. Did they expect it from you?

Isn't it still a beautiful feeling buying them souvenir? They take pride in telling people you stay in whichever country.

Here people do not expect much from us. We are now what they want us to be and do. We are in the ‘the sad generation with happy pictures’ zone here. We struggle on wet and gross roads, footpaths just not for a walk, AQI falling to new lows as low as the billboards and hoarding about to fall on our heads and the highlight is yet we say ‘I love this city.’. Because the fact is we have nowhere to go. Which is out of no choice. ‘We’ are not all of us. But some of us who just thought one day our futures will take us across the seas and give us a better life. How big fools were we. We were meant to see people spit and walk on that mucus. Because we were not as fabulous and courageous as you. We weren’t as intelligent and sharp as you. But above all we just failed to realise our fates. How typically our fate was written and unsupportive in lifting us up. We failed to understand us.

Tell me, do you feel lonely there? Sure you might be. We are lonesome here in the crowds. You have had your moments, definitely.

Do you love cooking or have transformed into lazy bone ordering or eating junk everyday. I am so certain that you have learnt cooking and enjoy it like therapy at times.

And do not give me that nonsensical debate of ‘it's not easy’, ‘we have had to go through a lot’, ‘worked hard to reach here’ etc. We know how it must have been for you. However, the grass is always green on the other side. And amongst all the happiness there is an urge to pretend discomfort. And yeah, this city definitely does not call your heart back, which is why you are enjoying it there. So do not tell us you have hard times. The country will run for you if you are in trouble and may give you a rose and special treatment when you come back. We will not see that ever. So today living our life here is not like it was when you left the country. We trade our respect in return for sanity and money. After all, we still have to deal with dirt and indiscipline.

Does the mind feel free and decluttered? Does it have a lot of other burdens or exploring a life at once?

I suppose be thankful enough that all those toxic energies are kept away from you by fate and your will. It is a roller coaster when your critic stands right beside you. They surprisingly become your well wishers when you are away. Stay away and stay enlightened.

#work abroad #life abroad #international

[nnmarudkar]

Why I don’t like Ranveer Singh

This is the most impulsive blog that I am writing of my entire writing journey. 😂

A teaser dropped in of Karan Johar's 'Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani'. And I liked the teaser. So when discussing with a Friend I highlighted that I do not like Alia and Ranveer but I liked the teaser due to the Karan Johar touch. And then we almost fought over why I do not like Ranveer because I was not given a good typing time in the so-called ‘debate’😁. My argument is a deal.

Why I don’t like him.

Ranveer Singh as an actor is too loud who overpowers the character.

In the times of multiple entertainment formats (Movie, web series etc) Ranveer Singh is the same everywhere. You watch Simmba, Bajirao Mastani and Ramleela or Padmavat, nothing changes apart from looks. 

He may play versatile roles but that ‘Ranveer’ energy never offloads.

He is neither the boy next door nor a goor or bad cop personality. Then what is his own?

So Ranveer Singh is a good actor. No doubt. But as a fan you fall for the personality of an actor equally. It is an era of social media. Actors want to be seen on screen and at events, airports, reality shows, weddings and funerals as well. I mean why do you think Ranveer wears flashy clothes and roams around with huge speakers at airports. To be seen. Isn't it? I do not want to see a weird man like this. I am from an era of SRK, Akshay, Ajay, Amir, Salman, Jackie and even Govinda for that matter. I accepted yellow and red pants and even ripped jeans with bare chest Salman. Our generation has accepted it all. But Salman never roamed around in public with a t-shirt off or Govinda in Yellow pants I suppose. Of course we did not have instagram then. But humans remain humans. You absorb the advisable and avoid the ignorable. 😁 Ranveer did exactly the opposite. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I some how do not fit into that transition unless its only limited to screens. These actors are still on camera but then there is a big space in between the paparazzi cams and film cameras. Ranveer just mixes it all.

Jokes apart. An actor is an actor on screen but an individual outside. Shouldn't there be a difference when you see this man in both the places? "His 'traits' are such" as my friend points. But then do you mean he is acting on the outside too? Or is he not able to get into the character because of how he is on the outside? I am really confused. Where does he take real efforts? On or off screen? So much coincidence in every role and script that his traits are so magnetic for all the makers to want him to be him everywhere? Isn't he bored of jumping and bouncing everywhere? He was hopping as Kapil Dev also. Seriously? Thank God he did not play Dhoni. 😓Didn’t we see Sushant Singh Rajput as Dhoni and Sushant both?

I remember Sushant in Shudh Desi Romance, I remember Shahid in Kabir Singh as well as Jab we met, I even remember Sonakshi in Holiday and Tapasee in Thappad as well as Naam Shabana. Do you remember Ranveer in Ladies Vs Ricky Behl? If No, I will tell you why. Because he has overdone Band Baaja Baraat all the time. Once he realized it works he decided to eat, drink and sleep on it. He enjoys the fun those young fans have when they see this over enthusiastic man. He enjoys the following for his madness.

But when the same actor sheds tears on screen it does not reach the heart because you saw him last jumping when he promoted the film repeatedly. That emotion does not register. Because the man is very shallow. He does not show different shades of human personality. I suppose he doesn’t want to. I distinctly remember Ranveer in Ladies Vs Ricky Behl, Lootera, Dil Dhadakne Do, Gully Boy and 83. Movies where we could forget him as Ranveer and only watch Kabir, Murad or Ricky. In Fact he has done really amazing as all of them. As an actor he himself does not want to showcase various strokes as an artist. He can carry some roles naturally with ease like ‘Kabir’ in Dil Dhadakne Do. I loved him in that film. But you see him purely acting there because you have seen that of him very less. I am sure people will say 'film hai acting nahi karega toh kya karega'. But when that acting shows on the face of an actor in 2015 who debuted in 2010, you know it's a long way to go. Pagalpanti wala formula hit hai.

When I compared him to Govinda. My friend just rubbished the comparison saying ‘how can they be the same. Are Shahid and Ranveer the same?’ Now, let's answer that argument. Shahid comes from a horribly dysfunctional family background. Yet you see a calm and composed man when you see Shahid in real life. Nobody knows what happens in their personal lives. But when you see the man, you identify with his ‘traits'. Imagine Shahid hopping around and smiling unnecessarily to hide the misery. How do we judge this man called Ranveer? Shouldn't you be able to point out a difference between Simmba and Ranveer?😁 He is a next level mad man. Even the bad man is good in real life. 😂

People like me are in the minority. But we enjoyed all types of actors. When we saw the same people outside the films they were different people. So we knew Jackie Shroff as a good actor and Jackie Shroff as a rugged man with filthy Hindi. It never bothered me because when I heard him speaking Hindi in movies he was the most ideal man anybody could wish for. As a fan I see a lot of them everywhere today. So I can expect a lot from them on screen too. Govinda gets an upperhand there because apart from films I only saw him in awards or some red carpet. But today the way actors are 'available' for paps I will judge you over every small act. 😜

For example ‘83’. Great job here but when promoting Ranveer failed to imbibe even 20% of Kapil Dev’s calmness. Too loud. So what you see is Ranveer Singh again. I believe if the actor is playing a role he/she should be able to carry it for some time to make people believe in your work. You are not the same in office as home and vice a versa. Some dignity is required. Just because you belong to the entertainment industry you do not get the liberty to act like a retard everywhere and yet be loved for ‘he is so energetic’ nuisance. Otherwise you may swim in insanity. I am very sure it’s just pretending. He is not the way he shows us to be. Even Deepika tried this madness but then immediately bounced back. You cannot keep on pretending. This man is a constant nautanki. 😯

You can’t blame Ranveer completely. Because we have not seen the real Peshwa Bajirao we believed Ranveer did a fine job. After all it was Sanjay Leela Bhansali who made us believe. Ranveer was not even close to a Marathi common man yet people went gaga over him. Personally I feel he sounded just like Ram from Ramleela. Let's not go to the dance for even a second. But Rohit Shetty just proved me right because he could not remove a Singh out of Ranveer to play a Bhalerao. Do not worry, I googled Simmba. ☺️

You are not just a fan of one movie but collectively an actor's work and how he behaves in reality. Ranveer Singh confuses me. And confusion cannot entertain. Hence he fails to be liked by me. 🙂

Now we plan Alia Bhatt war! ⚠️

#ranveersingh #rocky aur rani ki prem kahani #deepikapadukone #karan johar #rocky aur rani #dharma productions #anushka sharma #dil dhadakne do #bajirao mastani #padmavat #simmba #ramleela #alia bhatt #ranbir #ranbir kapoor #bollywood #hindi #films #movies #hindi films

[nnmarudkar]

Thank you to everyone who got me to 100 likes!

Yay! My tumblr milestone suggests I should keep writing. 🎉

#100 likes #tumblr milestone #thank you

[nnmarudkar]

Living Life!

How important is living your life? It is indeed an essential part of anybody’s birth. Kindly understand the difference between living and surviving. You will always eat a banana but eating a smoothie everyday is a joy. You need to attain that joy. If you peel a banana with misery saying ‘who will take so much effort to make a smoothie?’ remind you, you will never live your life. You are just surviving.

When you do not know the purpose of your birth you have no motive in life. Hence it is very important to live your life to carve a purpose out of every breath you take. Otherwise it is going to be a slow death or lifeless you. I know ‘how will you know your motive?’ thought creeps in. But how do you know you will achieve a degree? By studying. Isn’t it? Then how will you know your motive? By studying your experiences. I do not say your motives should be to help the needy, donate to poverty stricken, feed the hungry and improve the lives of others etc. No. If all were so blessed I would not be writing this.

My ultimate motive is to change myself to the core of my heart as an individual.

Why do I say this? Why would I want to change my heart’s essence? But if you want your generations to be happy, you have to start from you. Forget what is wrong with your elder generation. You cannot change that. But realize that you are what they are. And if you do not want your future generations to be destined with the legacy, then change to multiply a happier version of a transformed you. This doesn't happen overnight. It is a process. 

There are some things that can’t be guaranteed to be changed. Like your attributes. You cannot change your nature. It's your characteristic. And if it is in you that means that it is meant to be the good part of your birth. You should not impose that others should also like it about you. But if it is yours, own it. Rest of you can still change right from your hair to the toe through your heart.

Change is the only constant but it is also not easy. Imagine a house with multiple heads all looking in different directions. Who would like it? Right? We all like to smile. Who likes a morose face? And looking at such a face makes you feel hopeless. It is better to look in opposite directions. Does that happen to you? But opposite directions kill vibes. The structure will never be vibrant. And every home has to be vibrant and welcoming. I believe a home should be good, clean and welcoming. But when the dwellers themselves are unhappy they can never make others happy. Of course we all can’t change our homes in this expensive era. But have you wished for it? Keep walking towards it. One day you will be content. You will either have a new home or a feeling that you at least tried to walk that path. Life wasn’t rewarding. That’s what living a life is. Instead of piercing that sword of disheartened feeling just pour some healing thoughts. And reaching that healing thought, you need to work.

I believe life stands on 4 pillars.

Body - It is what is responsible for you.

Spirituality - Not all but I think this is the energy that helps you stand after every fall or holds you back from falling.

Efforts - You have to do something to reach somewhere.

Consciousness - Your heart is always conscious of what is right and wrong. Sometimes a little late but for good.

The 4 enemies that corrode these pillars of your life are ignorance, assumptions, patience and fear. This is exactly how you stop living and start surviving. And there is an external power who controls these 4 enemies to throw at you at various intervals which is ‘people’. They have a lot to say and to do but in others lives.

If you really want to live, let live.

Do not depend on someone else’s life for your happiness. You are burdening enough to be hated.

Pretending is noisy. Hence be the person of less words. The sound of genuinity is harmonious.

Nobody in this world is liable to anybody. Just be sensitive enough to learn what to hold and what to ignore.

You can’t find positives. They should be naturally visible. Hence just be yourself.

Stop forcing everything. It shall either pass or be forgotten.

Spread credibility. Understand ego. Answer sinlessly.

You can never live an unfulfilled life. It contains a lot of regret. And when you are held back you feel meticulously trapped in the chains of others. In such a case you cannot break free because it isn’t in your rule book. But that regret and energy to overcome can always be built. Aspirations never die. You never know you may take a new birth in the home you dreamt, or to marry a man of your dreams or to have a big salary or to have it all. Only if you try to live your life now can your life reward you the better times. Aspirations never die. 

#life #life is strange #meaning of life #double life #self love #self help #note to self

[nnmarudkar]

In Love with my own Company

Yes, thoroughly. I like to be with myself. I am in love with my company. It is soothing and healing. Actually there is no need to heal as I don't hurt or depress myself if I am left with my own self. Too much pressure. Pressure to be somebody or do something. I find my cozy corner anywhere I am alone. And it is that one thing I urge for at every great hour of the time. Sitting at a coffee shop, only me, sipping every moment of freedom and no liability is serene. For once nobody sitting opposite asking me what I expect in my ideal partner or how many years have I been trying to find a partner. Why can’t we just discuss life and have a fun conversation. But you don't seem interested in all this. Hence I would rather sit alone at a table and enjoy that froth with lovely fresh coffee beans aroma.

Expectations are not supposed to be discussed. They are mine. I will see if you fit in there. 

When I am alone I do not have to decide where I wish to stay and with whom. You are asking a girl if she is okay with staying with your family because you will not leave them. Really? Tell yourself she is going to leave her family, name, address, her own comfort zone behind for the rest of her life to be with you and be available for your family. For the next few months she will do rounds of various institutions to put your name against hers and remove her identity to accommodate you. How dare you tell her I am not ready to leave my parents?

Well instead of asking me if I can cook, tell me I don’t know cooking but would like to learn from my wife and my mom. Maybe we can cook a meal together and make our supper interesting. But you choose to tell me I know nothing. Stay away man.

I don't care who you are, if, a doctor, engineer, chartered accountant etc. Our parents are filtering that junk. I wonder if you are emotional and sensitive enough to not judge me by my choice and level of education. I judge you by that. If we both help each other cope with the pressure and grow together I think we can make a typical arranged marriage scene change for others. But I am not pleased to hear if my job has growth and scope outside. I am not here for a business partnership. And definitely right now when we are strangers it's not your place to ask about my growth. But you were given a questionnaire by your mama. Not your fault.

Why would you want to know if I am eager to continue my job in our first meeting? Don’t tell me that you are okay if I want to leave my job. Value my independence if we value yours. If I want to leave I will discuss with you if we are something. Right now we are not. Write that down if you have forgotten.

Let us chat and talk. Let's not make a meeting look like a bilateral talk.

One doesn't know the real me. And sorry! After all this conversation I do not want you to know me. Because you are not interested in marriage. You want to brag about your wife to others.

I am sure one must doubt what should be talked about then? How should one be in front of this maniac?

I suggest be the one who you actually are at heart. Our fate is ours but that one hour or so let us try to make sense of each other as mature adults and tolerable. Do not make my first 10 minutes think that 'am I supposed to sit with the him for some more time? I can’t talk to this human anymore'. Let's start by 'how you reached here and do you like moving or are you a sit on the couch and chill person'. Why not initiate it on a lighter note instead of exchanging sorries for being late or suggesting a place far from your proximity. What say! Speak to me from your heart. So even if we do not go ahead at least I remember you as “I met this kind hearted soul once.” And yes, keep your degree, qualification, designation, salary behind the door and walk out to meet your future wife. A woman who is going to have lunch, dinner, breakfast and moments with you. Or simply with whom you are going to walk beside. Nobody will ask us our qualifications at the reception ceremony. For the papers and degrees even HRs ignore them today.

Talk to me about life, movies, your hobbies, how did you develop them, your relation with your family, your childhood fun and pranks etc. Don't be a boring man asking me how do you know her or him or how are you related to them. Let's keep them for later. Why do you want to create a show of your not so sure alliance? Why can’t we make each other comfortable first? Be someone who wants to understand a person by nature, habits, manners and beyond. Rest all the above questions will be auto answered.

But, No. You are bombarded with instructions of what to ask and how to judge. Dude be at home and chill. And if you are meeting for your family and not interested otherwise tell me. I will give you an easy escape. But don't waste my time.

One good thing gifted to me by all like you is EGO. I have big ego like yours now. So you text me first and then show me the continuity then I will trust your efforts. If your meetings are important excuses, mine are too. Do not challenge me.

I have watched a lot of love stories and fairytales boy. My subconscious mind always wished a prince charming. But reality struck pretty hard and that is not happening is what I have understood. But hope is all that keeps you alive. If we don't vibe we are not made for each other. Do not be a formality. Be the ease of an individual.

*"You" referred here is nobody but anybody.

#arrange marriage #marriage #wedding #date

[nnmarudkar]

Jubilee

First thing first, Jubilee shows you the realism of the Bombay talkies era with an interval by building huge and royal studios, cinema reels, crew chairs, hand painted posters, an ambitious producer with business acumen, smoking pipe, outfits, and so much more. The series in itself is quite symbolic for the purpose of depicting the golden era. Yes, I call it a golden era. I read the show is pretty much inspired by the life of Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. Let’s kickstart.

Praise worthy angles from the entire series that are responsible for the story:

Blazing journeys of 5 characters Roy, Binod, Jay, Niloufer, Walia

The unparalleled fate of 2 studios Khanna studio and Roy studio

The transformations, transitions, and evolving cinema with a blend of crime, love, conspiracy and fame.

Beginning, Rise and Fall

It is commendable to see how the makers combined the most essential attributes of the black and white cinema - Dialogues, Music, Drama and great frames.

The 3 compelling dialogues that summarize Cinema which are crafted beautifully in the film with the scene,

'Power is within this weapon of cinema.'

'Cinema can raise a level by giving the audience a taste of poetry, photography, music and aspirations.'

'Cinema can empower people.'

Let us put the stars on the shoulders of the team. Vikramaditya Motawane, Atul Sabharwal and Soumik Sen are the names. I should say, a gorgeous job on the series by all the teams.

Supposedly it has to be one of the most expensive projects as it costs a fortune to build a city entirely. Especially a city which used to look a certain way but not any more. It is bound to attract criticism, comparisons and judgements. Hence applause for the art department.

Moving to the title, Jubilee. Good one. The word Jubilee was significant in the non-bollywood era. It marked a big success of the film if it reaches Jubilee unlike the crore club where films are less than 2 stars but box office is 200 cr.

Vikramaditya Motawane has created a web series that is uncommon among current subjects. Lots of makers tried to recreate the golden era but most of them went unnoticed. I am fond of Khoya Khoya Chand for the infamous vintage era. However, reaching everybody through OTT through Jubilee with a 10 episode series of 50 minutes is a master thought. That breathing space to judge the success with an olden times ‘interval’ but of a week is outstanding. However, such a big risk.

Mentioning positives of the show to move with. It has a decent Star cast that is not very glittering and glam. Subtle and real. When you cut on the star factor you can actually see through the show and its potential. So I liked the cast to portray that era. Apararshakti Khurana as one of the leads is huge. Names to mention: Wamiqa Gabbi and Prosenjit Chatterjee. I am all praises for Wamiqa Gabbi. Simply Wow. She is a complete package of dance, acting, nakharas, ada and reality. An actress who very clearly takes you to the era of queens like Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Nutan and the list goes on. She does not imitate anybody. Prosenjit Chatterjee, an innovative and ahead of his time producer who wants to make a mark but probably wishes to stick to what sells on screen with a traditional cinema perspective. The curiosity that both Roy and Niloufer go on building in their own way is really good. Sidhant Gupta’s energy matches the character’s but his acting felt an over-do at times. But when he walks as a star is one act you can’t miss but notice. It shows a mix of stardom and simplicity. Great work there. He is the Guru Dutt effect as a one man show with actor-director qualities. Aditi Rao Hydari is just being herself, a beauty. Ram Kapoor, Shweta Basu are names known for good acting just like that. All the supporting actors have done a celebrated job in their roles. Amazing to watch Arun Govil in a web series. The casting decisions are appreciable. The character Govil plays as a calm father is peaceful for the eyes and ears.

Music is magnificent. Thanks to Amit Trivedi for giving one more album that can be put on loop. The compositions of jubilee prove that even today a melody is possible with sensible ‘Hindi’ lyrics which are louder than the music and each word, chord and instrument is heard and worth a praise. Kudos to Amit Trivedi and Kausar Munir for creating songs that calm people like us can humm. My personal favourites are Voh Tere Mere Ishq, Dariyacha Raja, Na Koi Mera and Saare Ke Saare Akele. Rest you would not like to skip as well. It has the sound of the period it belongs to. The lyrics bear to our usual spoken Hindi language - simple and understood. I can’t put this more straight. Those days were about melody and dialogues that hit the audience.

Dialogues as expected are filled with drama and conviction.

Favourite frame from the series is Jay and Nilo sitting on the road drenched in the rain in front of a theatre under the poster of Baiju Awara. Splendid! You do not have to show intimacy by stripping down and making love. Sometimes it's just the way you sketch love on screen. Quite a romantic frame. Other Mesmerizing frames:

Binod first in front of the fire that also marks the end frame of Roy in front of fire.

Sumitra sitting in front of the mirror in the train.

Roy, sitting in his private screening theatre, calls the man to project the reel.

Jay Khanna in his own studio on the first day against the Taxi cut out.

The last shot of Roy studio with lights dimming symbolizing the fall.

Jay Khanna’s cabin with Taxi Driver Poster of Jay and Nilo.

And the favourite of many, the RK inspired Jay and Niloufer umbrella scene.

I am glad to see one series with no skin show, no kissing at every alternate shot and most importantly close to no violence. Every other show today is either lust or violence with litres of blood flowing. This series is like detox.

Some curiosity creeps in. Was Phone tapping really a thing? Would the show not be as captivating as it was if tapping was not a part of the show? Mysterious.

Coming to an end resembles a Guru Dutt film with a song like Dekhi Zamane ki Yaari. Saare ke Saare Akele went on flipping pages and how heartbreaking every page was!

Looking at Jubilee overall,

What’s remarkable is the tragic ending given to all the characters like most of the yesteryear actors saw. It is not a fictitious act of drama. We have heard stories where either people disappeared from the industry or their demise was not a very pleasant one or some love stories were not as happy as their film’s or their stardom just vanished with a flop. I admire the way fiction was weaved with the inside stories from the film industry. But across 10 episodes we saw a lot of screen time invested in long pauses. Not sure why the typical fame was not shown like ordinary fans gathering around Madan or crowds at the red carpets of premieres. No premieres at all actually. But the pre-independence period, partition and its effect on the cinema industry was precisely connected. The makers very smartly keep awards at bay as filmfare started in 1954 and this story wraps up by 1953. Also, the details that were very well shown were salaried crew, technicians and even actors associated with the studio, the refugee camps, international interventions and the editing on negatives of the reel. What is incredible to see is the grey shade every character gets with situations. It's meticulous writing.

All the characters had a closure but I wonder what happened to Shamsher Walia.

I was waiting for the last ‘The End’ or ‘समाप्त’ after we saw Interval post the 1st batch of 5 episodes. But that did not come. Another season in making? Giving benefit of doubt as the glorious era of cinema has just started in Jubilee. But I must say first is the only first. What follows is to piggyback on the popularity of last success. It loses its charm. I hope the makers continue the legacy if they plan seasons.

To end this I would say Jubilee gives you the pictorial version of the tales and accounts narrated by the legends and insiders. I will not deny that the series seems stretched or sluggish at times but I think establishing the actors and an entire past generation will take its own time.

Jubilee is a must watch for people who believe in the essence of cinema and Hindi film industry of yesterday. It is for obsessed film lovers who have not yet fallen prey to Bollywood’s faux stardom.

#jubilee amazon prime #jubilee prime #jubilee #jubilee tv series #amazon prime #amazon original #prime video #prime #aparshakti khurana #aditi rao hydari #sidhant gupta #prosenjit chatterjee #wamiqa gabbi #shweta basu prasad #arun govil #bollywood #hindi film #hindi cinema #hindi film industry #indian film industry

[nnmarudkar]

Weirdly, Unweird Me!

How are you all? I have been in a totally different place. This place was analysing me as a friend. Something interesting happened last weekend that kept me thinking all week. Wow! It's already been a week since last weekend. Be it, It made me realise where I stand as myself. I met my friends after a very long time. We have been together for more than 15 years now. It’s so beautiful. But a sudden exercise threw some light on my traits. I am different. I am commonly different. Maybe I do not fit in where I am. But people like me exist. Sigh!

How disassociated was I from all of them all these years. I knew that I do not get along like they do with each other. There are various reasons for it and I am well aware of it. Sometimes you create a narrative that others think to be true. They also joke about it. Let them treat it like a special part about you. Let them joke about it. That is one thing I gave them to talk about me. Some realities are different then they seem to be. Keep calm.

So I will give some context. There was a suggestion that we start talking about one weird thing about each other that we have seen in our long years of friendship. Boom! My friends did not have anything to share about me. They all spoke good about me. But they had nothing peculiar about me. It was so strange. At that moment, that particular moment when my friend twisted her lips and said ‘there is nothing weird about her, she is so orderly’, I wanted to scream and vent. Such a void inside me. I felt it. In friendship when things are a no it’s not a great sign of you as a friend I feel. I realised I am the one responsible. I am the one who is awkward, shy and introverted. I could not give them one weird memory that they can remember and laugh at. Instead I am embarrassed about the fact that I am somebody who was not a big thing to remember.

Life can get so miserable in your head that you can’t even run away from it. You may sound stable but you are unstable at heart. That is exactly how the past comes haunting for no particular reason. This is when you regret and want to go back to those days and change if you can. Sadly you can’t. My timeline until now has been so imperfect and worthless that I eagerly want to clean the slate. This slate is quite tainted to be good. Your good is your own bad. At times you feel that you could just be another bad or a shameless soul. Things could be different. Some perfections are not perfect. They are a coverup to a lot of things. Sometimes it’s fear. And I have a serious FOMO issue. Still I miss out. That day my FOMO saw daylight. I had already missed out. Missed out and lost. Forever. 

I cannot start changing now. That has to be one of your characteristics. Not mine to be weird. But I think that I had given some memories that one could share. Well not a weird one to be a star of that moment. Of course.

#friends #friendship

[nnmarudkar]

Acceptance

Acceptance is real. It is the key to survival. You have to accept at some point the truth that is meant to be. Unless you do it you cannot lead a stable and sane life. If you ever heard ‘Acceptance brings happiness’ it is false. It is. Because when you accept you give up on your expectations to accept. When you are blessed you receive and not accept. In acceptance you allow yourself to stop delving in hopes. 

It is heartbreaking. They aren’t as positive as the word sounds. When you accept something you get rid of assumptions. Positivity is just natural. 

It helps you to show different shades of yourself. You can pretend, defend or impend. Acceptance makes you a great actor.

PRETEND to be fine.

DEFEND the persuasion.

IMPEND all the probabilities.

Acceptance has power. It has the power to shut everything and everyone. It has closure.

Acceptance has a vibe. The vibe of turning your inner energies into a closet. It has a lot of exciting things hidden inside forever.

Acceptance is a truth. The truth that is usually best kept unsaid.

Acceptance is glory. It is that fame which is attached and not achieved.

You see, acceptance may involve positivity for strong headed people although not most of the time. You cannot think positively. It is a situation that brings calmness. Hence acceptance may follow positivity. And to accept you put in a lot of effort and undergo a huge amount of mental sickness.

Acceptance is not easy. It requires a pure soul who has lost belief in itself. A numb brain and a heart that has lost its sense to feel will never accept.

#acceptance #law of assumption #self help #self healing #self care #self defence #self awareness

[nnmarudkar]

Reading Heeramandi Poster

Look at this beauty. Just look at it. How could someone do this? I am in complete aww of this picture since it was dropped by the makers. Such a masterpiece. Well SLB always comes with a masterpiece having his gloomy yet shiny lighting, look and feel and who can not notice the stars and their poses. But this particular project could attract a bigger cast to mingle their star value and his ambitious venture. Though Sonakshi, Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hydari and Richa Chaddha are still mainstream stars in their own way but read that purpose to add elegance than star value. WOW! I am glad for such a huge show but a subtle starcast and extravagant poster. Forget everything but this poster.

The makers released two of them but I fell for the black piece rather than yellow. I feel the yellow just burns in the eye. It’s too blown with that effect. But the black one is a complete art with I am sure innumerable heads and eyes. I can’t just get my eyes away. I stare at it at least for 10 seconds to find every detail of it each time it comes while scrolling. It's a very thought through poster.

The colour palette for both the posters is strictly inclusive of only 4 dominant colours.

YELLOW, Red, Gold, Brown

BLACK, Silver, Red, Gold

Do not believe me? Look at this.

You can’t even make out that green curtain and green in Manisha’s ghaghra because there is so much of black. I did because I zoomed in too much in love. I am obsessed with it. Who thinks of putting black and grey in a  somewhat dark room? But yet this poster wins and every small detail stands out.

Now lets talk about the marvelous symmetry. Oh My God! If you draw lines on this poster, they are all going to end linearly. I did it. Look at this. 

They maintain the rule of thirds exactly how it is explained. No Faces outside the grid. Gosh! I am overwhelmed because there are 6 people, not 2 or 3.

If you just look at the poster softly with a casual approach you see some sharp yet invisible lines. These lines put the faces just one below or above each other creating a shape of an object. This does not happen by coincidence just randomly. It is created to be like that. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, you can’t guess wrong here. But who is the DOP?

A common element in both the posters is the clear reflection that falls on the floor. While unique elements of the posters are the background. While one stands against the curtain, the other against wood and glass door structure. 

However candles are beautifully placed, common and illuminating objects behind the subjects in both the pictures. Black poster gets more aesthetic value with the gold and yellow candle flame and white crystal accessorized stand.

Now let's get to their faces. See those consistent expressions on each lady’s face. GRACE, you call it. A free and confident body. Sense of Pride in their posture of owning that body reflects in their subtle smiles and eyes. It’s gorgeous art one can frame and put on a wall. The women really look like queens.

You know I can go on and on if I sit with equally cinema obsessed nerd. The last time I saw a similar poster was of Kalank. But this is something magnificent. I wished I saw Huma Qureshi on this. I don’t know why I feel like it but I am used to seeing Huma in such a look with maang tika, jhoomar tika, chand bali, garara etc.

But I must say that there is some magic in it and you hardly fall in love with a poster like this one. 

#heeramandi #slb #sanjay leela bhansali #sonakshisinha #aditi rao hydari #richa chadha #manisha koirala #sanjeedasheikh #bollywood #hindi #netflix series #netflix

[nnmarudkar]

The Transition

How your adulthood looks is the impression of how you spent your childhood. The dreams and desires that dominate your mind are an outcome of what you had and did not have as a child. There is nothing wrong to have an adulthood full of wishes and larger than life dreams but should you sustain that and survive in the living age of yours?

I believe your dreams are a result of one of the three circumstantial childhoods.

You have everything and want to keep it growing.

You had minimal but want to end it bigger.

You had none.

The second category which most of us belong to popularly known as middle class in the socio economic sector is the most volatile category. It is dangerous if you call it or as safe as you may consider it. You have a lot to lose and a lot to achieve. Every move is calculated and ambiguous. But some of us want to take a leap and break away from these calculations. We want to run away from the entangled stereotypes of these societies which demand a certain milestone of your lifecycle at every age. This conventional way of living holds you by a very fine thread of dignity and self respect. Could you protect this and make that fine thread invisible to the outside world? Yes, however that ship sailed a long time ago for some of us. Education, qualification, designation and marital status at the right age sailed with it too. Now what’s left out of you is mere embarrassment and anxiety.

The transition could have been smoother if you took a step back and understood the core of each event that took place in your childhood. That red line on your report card, the first comparison between you and the rest or a fall on the road would tell you more about you than 30/30 visits in a month to your tuition class. But you chose pattern over exception. The pattern to comply. Today when you stand on a verge of extraordinariness they expect synonymous behaviour from you. Now when you want to take a step back and deny that unaltered societal patterns they call you stubborn and foolish. Imagine how it would be if they considered you as headstrong or determined. But you gave them a pattern of obviousness. If you took a day off only to understand that red line on the report card it would be a different way of looking at your life today. If you questioned a 'why' when they compared you it would be an ideal way of living today. But you decided to overthink. How immensely the energy was invested into dealing with failure, contrast to understanding it. Hence today you require to shut your brain instead of refueling it with encouragement and optimism.

My advice to all, do not go with the flow. A flow at times also takes you to a sewerage. What would you prefer? A sea, river or drain? Prefer a sea, not even a river because big is better. Mindful transitions are favourable. Rich gets richer and poor gets poorer only because one goes with the flow. Let a stone obstruct that flow and make it a mandatory task to take a step back, think and then take a new direction. Riches go bankrupt too.

You cannot go back even a day and undo your patterns. Now what will follow is criticism over each action. And every action will have an equal reaction. Train your mind to welcome every judgement and ears to let those opinions glide through the other ear. Every blister will heal if you apply a practical, emotional and therapeutic transition instead of guilt. That guilt of every mistake will take away your peace of mind and sanity to comprehend.

Call your new path an aisle. Style up your heart and appear attractive each time. Next time you make a decision make sure it's your verdict over your mistakes but not before taking a step back. Unhear the elder’s expectations and listen to the young’s ambitions. People expect when you give them that pattern. Somebody’s ambitions make you think and revise. Envision that escapes between other’s expectations and your desires.

Realize that there is life in between expectations and struggle. Some battles are silent that do not exist to the world. Your fight is not with time and people anymore. It is with the younger you and present you. The win and the loss is all yours. Choose the right one. Remember the battle does not exist to others. Your loss does not exist either to the world. That broken smile is a story nobody knows.

Let us see how good authors are we all.

#transition #childhood #self healing #self love #self help

[nnmarudkar]

Self Talk

People say self talk is a powerful tool. How true. Isn’t it? Don't we talk to ourselves all the time? Even before telling the destination to the bus conductor or any product to a grocer you say it to yourself. Conversations are happening at every second. And what else do we say? Do we say a lot of negative things to our heart, mind and soul? Sometimes we say things that we cannot in front of people. Have you noticed blaming and ridiculing yourself? Why do we say all these pessimistic things to ourselves? 

Because maybe you find a friend and a consoler inside you. Always! Your intuitions, pain, worries, troubles, confusions and care make you speak to yourself. However, have you ever seen yourself thanking you? Have you ever said thanks for taking this decision or congratulations for achieving a milestone, getting a new job, raise in salary or even a mere admission? NEVER! WHY? It’s okay. There is no answer to it. But there arises a question from the previous one. If you don’t appreciate yourself in good times how can you doubt yourself in the bad times?

HOW DARE YOU?

First account:

I have done this to myself all my life. I am still doing it while I write. You own yourself. So you think you can talk anything about yourself. Nobody knows you better than you. At times people who dont know you have a good impression about you. May be ‘unknow’ yourself if you understood it.

Well that is not practical so the moment you realise you are discouraging yourself, stop your brain. Stop thinking. You can do it. Just tell yourself STOP. Ssshhhh it. Make it silent for 2 minutes. Have some water, take a nap, let those tears pour, heart sink and throat choke. But make it quiet. You can only think sanely in silence. And when there is too much clutter in yourself it makes you weak and ruthless. That toxic way of thinking needs to stop. If you are the centre of all the problems, You are. Okay. Good for others. Are you suffering? Yes. Does it bother you? Yes. Does the world know? No. Have they asked you? No. Do they bother to read you? No? So do not curse yourself. What you know others don’t. Let them speak about you. You don’t have to speak about things you already know. Instead keep quiet. Do not get disheartened by getting hurt by you.

Your brain hits exhaustion. That is when negative thoughts creep in. Remember what Amitabh Bachchan said? ‘Main jaha khada hota hoon line wahin se shuru hoti hai.’(The queue starts where I stand.) It is that break even point. Both negatives equal up making you feel sick about yourself. Science says that your brain is active even when you are asleep and sleep helps you remove all the toxins that pile up in the entire day. Imagine how a day in the life of your brain should be looking like. It is filled with thoughts, tensions and decisions. The pressure of things to be done, not attaining its goal and that which will be reaching the end today, all the things are running in your brain. This makes your brain volatile. It can discourage you now and encourage you in the next minute. You are vulnerable to positive and negative thinking at the same time. Hence hibernate. Give your brain a direction in the form of a hope. Aamir Khan has given you the mantra “All is Well”. Just modify it according to you and say “All will get well soon”. If you believe in God just chant the name. Understand one thing, escaping or running away is not an act of cowardice every time. As long as you forget that negative thought, nothing is harmful. Just find a way to remove them.

Now should you replace them with positive thoughts? How will you replace it? What will you say? I have no answer. I have not been able to do it. After every two positive lines I tell myself ‘it's not a movie’. ‘Reality could be harsh.’ And then you tell your brain to keep quiet? Precisely why I think when you know all the negatives, do not tell them. There is no need to say it to yourself. Some things are good when kept unsaid to you and to others. Remember that.

Self-talk can happen anywhere. You sit,run, walk and you talk. Anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes look up at the sky and speak. Sky gives you strength. Strength to talk about good, bad, rubbish etc. Probably that is why the phrase goes as ‘sky's the limit’. But self talk is not a session. You cannot plan it. It just happens. And when it happens pay attention to it. It’s just a talk. Same like you talk to others. You may gossip, judge people, envy them, criticise or back them, freak out etc. Most harmful self-talk is creating imaginary scenarios and hoping your life takes you that far. Very harmful. Believe me after films and books that is definitely what shattered you. So pay attention. We call it dreaming with open eyes. First stop that before it takes away all the peace from your head. It has taken mine. Now the stage of my self talk that I have reached is “ssssshhhh” and “All will get well soon”.

#self healing #self love #self talk #self help

[nnmarudkar]

The Unhappy Vibes

*Image courtesy belongs to the owner. Copyright Infringement not intended.

Have you ever experienced that extremely bad phase in your life? Are you unhappy? Unhappy is the word. Accept the fact. It’s not low, down, dull, sad but unhappy. It starts with chaos and ends on tightly tied up making it even unable to move. You feel choked and stuck. You have no solutions and a web of problems. You are depressed and spiritless all the time. Even missing a bus brings tears to your eyes. And tears become more normal than smiles. There is no direction. You are in a dark place. You start feeling sorry for yourself. You know this is not where you expected yourself to be but you are here standing all drenched in issues. Every word hurts. Every action demotivates. You feel nobody requires you. You are useless, hopeless and worthless. You start avoiding eye contacts, conversations, or even staying in the same place. You fear bumping into people that might ask you about you and you would say ‘I am good’ but on the inside you are dying. It slowly kills you. And you do not want to die like this. You are a complete embarrassment and failure. You fail yourself and others around you. You no longer want people around you. You are not you. Your decisions, position, contribution and intuition everything seems wrong.

What happens then?

You start looking for help. You expect somebody to take some action so that you can take it forward. You start finding solutions in walls, trees, sky, sand and everything that is not going to respond. You know why? Because you are aware it is not capable of speaking, attacking or accusing. It won’t question you. You start believing in spiritual powers. Something will change and everything will start falling in place. 

Hey there, hang on!

Everything will be fine. It will get better. The clouds will clear and the skies will throw light. It will. Nothing is permanent as you may have heard. Nothing is. Even if it takes years and continues, it's fine. Even you will be. The time flies and so does the dust settled on it. I know it is very easy to say. Especially very easy when one is in a good place. But when you come out of it even you will do this to someone else.

What’s destroyed is destroyed. Let bygones be bygones as they say. Do not look back. Keep on moving. You do not owe anybody. Nobody comes into your life to stay. It's all temporary. Train your heart and mind to stay detached but respectfully. Only then will you triumph. Otherwise you shall stick within the web. The turmoil starts growing because you think what others will think. Nobody thinks nothing. Everybody gets on to their business drowning you in guilt. Let them talk about you. It will pass. After you, they will find someone else to talk about. I told you nobody comes in your life to stay. Give them the space and replace them as and when you find a better replacement.

Think positive, be positive, affirm, manifest is all rubbish if you have not practiced all your life. When you are in the mess deep and perplexed no affirmations and manifestations can remove you. Because you do not know how they work. You don’t know the manifestation trick. You are running out of time and mental peace. When you do not want to understand something your brain won't. Just believe everything will be ok. Keep telling your heart. You know what, all of us are not capable of working towards a goal while being broken. That does not mean we are incompetant. It only means that the time is not right. But it will. Distress is also not permanent.

Peace is a state of mind that is calm, complacent and compliant.

Inner Peace is a state of body that is active, adventurous and accepting.

And for all the above to happen all that and those around us should be favourable and adaptive to the situations and its consequences. We live in a fast moving world. It is not about city or village life. It is about how you act to the actions around you. A farmer waits to see his crops grow but also uses the new and modern methods to fasten the harvest. Hence it's the world that wants to pace faster and it is your choice to be one from this world or a unique soul. Amidst all this, what really matters is how you react to this life. Do you stay calm or panic? And when you are at peace you can stay calm. But when everything is falling apart you only panic. Because you don’t know what you should be holding.

Hold on to yourself. Stop comparing and looking at others. Social Media detox is not the ultimate solution. When you are happy start the Happy vibing, manifesting, affirming etc. so that the next time you think you are unhappy you do not even realise you are. Train to become a better you when you are in a good mood and happy space. If we believe we deserve better than what we are living, we will attain what we self realise.

#unhappy #manifesation #affirmations #positive vibes #vibes #self healing #be positive #think positive

[nnmarudkar]

You are SPECIAL!

What a Human should not do to another Human. Irrespective of your relation, age, experience or status.

COMPARE, Never compare one with another. You aren’t an ideal anyway.

ASSUME, Do not assume somebody’s capacity and capability and ambitions. You do not know what his/her desires and aspirations are.

DEMAND, Stop being demanding. Don’t burden someone with your dreams. Nobody is born for you. An individual owns him/herself.

HATE, Help the other to spread love. Teach to love, accept and forgive. Hate and fear will take you nowhere.

SHUT, Be open to everyone. Do not shut people or distance people away for how they have behaved and been. You don’t know what they have been through.

We do not know what is the state of mind of others when they are behaving in a certain way. But train yourself to embrace and heal them. You never know when you will turn like them one day. Hence receive what you give. Be kind, inspiring and strengthening.

#human #values #human nature #human interest

[nnmarudkar]

The Kashmir Files

*Image courtesy belongs to the owner. Copyright Infringement not intended.

I watched 'The Kashmir Files' around 2 weeks ago in the theatre and then many films in between on OTT and TV. But I still remember every facet and attribute of the film. This is a very late blog after my watch but it is necessary. It isn’t too late to write if it took us 31 years to realize the real pain of what the Kashmiri Pandits went through in 1990. Soon after I watched the movie I went on an unplanned trip so this writing was pending. Reason to mention this is because maybe God planned it to remove me from that trauma. The last time I watched such an intense movie about one of the issues in Kashmir was 'Haider' and experienced nightmares for the next 2-3 days.

I am not reviewing or analyzing this film but I want to speak about the experience as a whole. So I will keep this short. I think the movie is worth speaking about.

We are so obviously attracted to the beauty of Kashmir. I personally am since I visited this heaven. I must say I was totally unaware of the Kashmiri Pandit injustice. I only knew about the constant terror attacks and military movements. This was even before stone pelting became routine there. I still remember, the house boats that we were staying in had no latches and we felt really unsafe to sleep without locking our rooms. The caretaker there said ‘it is not your India. It is our Kashmir. You are safe here.’ We were definitely offended but chose to keep quiet. That was my first day in Kashmir.

The snow peaked mountains, house boats, shikaras, wooden interiors, carpets, pashmina, walnut wood work & carvings, kaftans, kangri, pheran, kehwa, saffron and VIOLENCE. Hits hard right? This seems beautiful on the outside but is actually gloomy and dark on the inside. We felt the conditional efforts of acceptance of the beautiful and warm people, our own people. It reaches the epitome of any contrast existing in this world. Thanks to history, politics and misinformed people. Hell right in the middle of heaven. Well let's not talk about things we really don’t know. But I can definitely give an honest opinion of what I saw in The Kashmir Files. What we watched in the movie was the passion and the urge to bring what happened in 1990 to everybody’s notice. Was it a genocide or an exodus? If the opposition in 2022 could not prove Mr. Vivek Agnihotri’s masterpiece wrong with any substantial proofs or evidences it was a genocide. Debating and alleging may create noise but the wounds won’t hide. People were killed by the systematically funded terror groups. Killed for what? Being a Hindu in Kashmir? It was a genocide. Yes. I agree with Mr. Anupam Kher and Mr. Mithun Chakraborty’s character screaming to call it a genocide. We have never ever seen such an emotional outpour at any theatre.

What a fine selection of actors from the entire universe of artists to make all of this look so close to real on screen. Most of them are not very big names in the Hindi film industry, yet have very powerful personalities. Such a class act of perfection. The director has proved that it is the story that matters, not the actor’s fame and following. It does not require songs and flashy effects. The soul of the script is enough to grab your attention and erupt pain in your heart. Darshan Kumar, Mrunal Kulkarni, Chinmay Mandlekar, Puneet Issar and so on. I was convinced by the trailer itself.

Every circumstance created in the movie is very close to the real incidents that we kept on reading or hearing about in the past years. And what we did not know we eventually searched for on the internet. The writers have really made them come close to the characters to build and establish the entire film. Every small detail in the film leaves a strong impression on your mind. The blood clad rice grains, fallen and destroyed rose, a piece of biscuit and oh, a photo frame where a son fails to identify his own family. This scene blocks your brain. It brings tears to your eyes where even you do not know what happened to all of them who you are seeing after every 2 scenes as tragedy struck people. I liked the way the makers brought all the true stories together as much as possible to create a family’s misery. And you really do not feel any exaggeration there as you have read or heard all of it somewhere.

And to add to such numbing scenes are the dialogues that compliment the actions. They are so real. The conversation between the old friends about the hardship of the past and how each one keeps their side of the story in front of each other after decades is such a slamming one. That suffocation of every man clearly pours out in every dialogue they say. And mind you you have seen all of them in some or the other small or supporting roles along with big names of the industry. These men are heroes of this film and whipping you verbally in this movie. If you don’t believe me google Atul Srivastava. You will google him because you know the man but do not know his name. We have only seen him adding some humour and life to so called superstars’ movies. This is why bollywood is no more Hindi cinema. We celebrate the lead actors and fail to identify the supporting ones. Best part about this film is it has all of them under the spotlight.

Then comes another lesser known element of the film, the background score. You can’t say soulful. You can’t call it melodious. You cannot say rhythmic. Probably you were not listening to it but it was that fundamental aspect that was contributing to balance your mind. I will be very honest. I do not remember it. But I know it helped me to not get haunted with what I was shown visually. Nowadays most of the filmmakers use natural sounds from the surroundings to give a realistic approach. This movie was silently killing. When there was silence there was a complete dead air. I feared I would hear a sulk. I have such experience of watching a Marathi film ‘Natsamrat’ with silence on screen as well as in the cinema hall but people are sulking all around including me. Here you even forget to cry. Because you are in shock. You are in a nervous breakdown.

To give you strength comes a song that is story driven and commanding. There is only one composition that summarises both sides of the coin with the same lyrics. Sung by Swapnil Bandodkar it is full of energy and spirit. The song uses the situation and fits in giving you that cinematic experience. You won’t fortunately find happy, sad, reprise etc versions of it. One song makes a powerful album.

Eventually a monologue thrashes you down. I will stop here.

I can go on. I can talk about each scene but I will not speak more about the film. This is the least I have written about any film. But I believe let the rest watch it when their time comes. Yes it is a dark film. I believe your time has to come to watch a movie like this. My mother refused to watch the movie. She keeps away from all the tragic and depressing stuff. But I say this, do not say no to movies like these. It is not mere entertainment or let's go watch a movie kind of film. You should necessarily watch to understand how depressing some lives have been and survive the politics even today fighting for their rights. All we crib about potholes and encroaching. Watch it like a documentary for knowledge. See how the other parts of the country really dealt with the crisis while you enjoyed flipping the newspapers and watched those 7 pm news without fail. It should be seen to learn a chapter from history that will never make a place in the textbooks in the history of this country. Because it involves governments keeping low and secretive. I will not console such people by saying the movie shows minimal bloodshed or violence so you’ll be able to watch it. It shows enough to send shivers across your spine. Hence watch how your people were cut in pieces and humiliated by throwing them out of their own houses. Therefore your time shall come too, to watch it then. I guess Netflix and most of the web series have helped me watch the ruthless scenes with utmost courage.

On a lighter note, I think Agnihotri very smartly makes his wife play the roles with a tinge of grey where he can slam her on screen with his writing without making her realise that it’s a frustrated husband who can't do it in real life. 😊 Remember that author from The Tashkent Files who tried to not agree with the reality because her book would stand with no validity?

And this has become a long write up. Maybe these lyrics below from the song 'Hum Dekhenge' will heal your mind if my words did not impress you or were rather boring.

Hum Dekhenge

by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Translation and Transliteration by Mustansir Dalvi

Bas naam rahega Allah kaa,

Jo ghaayab bhi hai, haazir bhi,

Jo manzar bhi hai, naazir bhi.

Utthegaa ‘An-al-haq’ kaa naara

Jo main bhi hoon, aur tum bhi ho,

Aur raaj karegi Khalq-e-Khuda

Jo mai bhi hoon, aur tum bhi ho.

‘Only His name will remain; He,

who is both unseen, and ubiquitous; He,

who is both the vision and the beholder.

When the clarion call of ‘I am Truth’

(the truth that is me and the truth that is you)

will ring out, all God’s creatures will rule,

those like me and those like you.

#the kashmir files #kashmir files #kashmir #vivek agnihotry the kashmir files #vivek agnihotri #hindi movie #bollywood #anupam kher #mithun chakraborty

[nnmarudkar]

Detach your Hearts, Stay Attached to Society

*Image courtesy belongs to the owner. Copyright Infringement not intended.

Marriage is a choice. At a certain age you choose to have a partner and start a family.

There are a certain things that revolve around this decision and become an integral part of the decision making process. There lies your happiness plus influence of somebody’s expectation from you. And someone's expectation is a group of abstract details. And this detailed happiness depends on your decision to get married. As an individual you feel responsible for the happiness of others. Moreover as a girl you want to grow professionally and create your career but you again want to think about “will this continue even after I get married?”. On top of that as a human it is also your emotional urge to have a partner of your choice.

Look at a wild picture of this society; the person who wants to grow professionally feels equally responsible to fulfill somebody’s happiness and yet wants to stay happy with a partner. And you cannot get it all like the world says. How does one stay motivated to choose either?

You know how much pressure it is on an individual of this 21st century to choose marriage while accepting detachments in their own hearts!

They call it adjustments, I call it contradictions.

Fall in Love people. Make marriages look wonderful. Make this world a beautiful place. Raise your child to see the good and bad yet choose right. Inherit love not fear.

There are no compromises in Love! 🥰

[nnmarudkar]

Get Over Nepotism Debate: Loud and Clear

*Image courtesy belongs to the owner. Copyright Infringement not intended.

The person who invented this word ‘Nepotism’ should earn royalty for every letter used in it. Moreover an Indian using this word should be getting the share of his royalty for publicising. And the way the word is being used it should decide how much of it should be included in his taxes. This word suddenly came out of the dictionaries and made a secure place in the vocabulary of every English-speaking individual. Irrespective of the pronunciation and spelling this term happened to be the new weapon that can hit hard and so hard that the social media platforms could not even shed tears but bleed of emotions. The outrage that has poured on this word makes me think was this inventor really so serious when he came up with the word? But for Indians it was Kangana Ranaut who introduced us all to the word against those who introduced their closed ones. Certainly the word has reached a toxic level and fueled in more hatred and debates after the film industry came up with their stories. Now this word is trending every 2 months on the internet. Lethal!

For all, this act called nepotism is not new to the world. It exists everywhere and in all the stratas of the society. But the film industry being the most loved and valued by all comes under the constant scrutiny of favouritism and groupism battles. Amidst all these big spellings we now hear the word movie mafias too. But that is not our concern. Our concern is nepotism. Being a cinema fan I hate it when people label Bollywood with such terms. Now it has become a definition of Bollywood. Bollywood = Nepotism. Oh Nepotism, you mean bollywood? Oh damn! Fed of the word and the label.

The favours which are taken and given at the cost of killing the real skills or talents is what nepotism really means here. And when I say ‘killing’ I do not literally mean murder but suppress to push their own family or friends on top. But this has been going on since ages in films, politics, business, etc. What is it with Bollywood or the film Industry? I mean nobody is really working on stopping it but only putting efforts on being called an outsider and playing that card. How many debuts did we see with Kangana Ranaut's release post her Nepotism cry? I absolutely understand it's extremely unfair, but you see, whoever it is on the earth making a choice to cast the star kids (a new term next to nepotism) in their film will eventually be blamed for encouraging nepotism. I don’t say it but the way this scenario is taken it’s called nep…. You got it right? It’s a bit boring to repeatedly type the word too.

We do not know what really happens behind closed doors.

Friends, every story has various perspectives. Yes! On one side there are filmmakers who pull in the star kids for the roles where we aren't aware if the maker is doing a favour for the star to get a favour in return and stay in the good books or not. Is it the stars always who put a word for their child or sometimes the director who actually wants these kids as their actors? On the other side, it’s that kid who is born to a star, this kid has grown up in that atmosphere and seen glamour, lights, sets, parties all their life. They have been surrounded by actors, song writers, singers, musicians, music directors, producers, directors etc. Some actually have all of them in their families. There is nothing wrong if he/she admires to be one, one day. Is it Sara Ali Khan or Janhvi Kapoor’s fault that they are born to the Khans or Kapoors? They had no choice. Kids born to the stars are known as star kids. It is that simple. It does not mean they are stars by birth.

If there is anyone who is at fault and if you want to really blame it, it is that director/producer who makes that choice over real talent. Having said that, I don't demean the star kid’s talent. And that is exactly what I mean. How will we know if the kid is a good artist or not? For only if we see them in the movies. That opportunity is needed. Well if, after the release and the audience rejecting them as actors, the makers consider them and repeat this, yes blame it on the makers. But these individuals technically then go back to being called nepotism flag bearers and the kids as nepo kids (a new term again). Which they should self realise. Because now it's the advantage taken and an opportunity snatched from the real talent.

I personally believe these kids deal with a different pressure if they are really self conscious. Keeping up to the mark with the success and respect their elders achieved is what they should actually keep on the top of their mind. Because it is that goodwill that is making the path a little easier than the rest. If they really know how priceless it is, there is no bigger pressure than that. And the cost of it is way more than their branded possessions.

Alia Bhat is up there on the charts for her stunning acting. She did it and we accepted her because she was great. She does have her share of trolls and memes. But as an actor the nation loves her. Yes there was a star kid promoter Karan Johar behind her success but will he not do it for his friends? And Karan Johar being Karan Johar will never give up on his wanna be friends too. Remember the netflix show "Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives"? He will be the godfather. Any ordinary friend will do it for their friend’s or their children. And for someone who is himself an industry kid will have friends who are obviously stars and Bollywoodites. If there is any such word. Sorry! But we cannot deny the fact that it is a vicious circle. Bollywood prefers Bollywood kids.

Have you heard the word “Parivaarwaad”, now famously used in politics and election campaigning? If you have known the word it is nepotism. Only in Hindi! So politics has always given a platform to nepo kids from that area.

Hence again I say it, it's universal. There is no area, industry, qualification untouched. And we cannot blame the family for pushing their kid. Will an ordinary parent not push their kid over others and ask favours from their friends if required? Look at it the other way round. Will Mukesh Ambani say that I will wait for the most qualified and potent candidate to run the business over his 3 heirs? No. Forget these billionaires. Will an advocate not reserve his office, cabin for his son/daughter before hiring? A doctor keeps his clinic for his family of doctors and goes on adding names and degrees. It's the way of life. It is just that Bollywood is an open industry and has a wide range.

With social media we go to an extent where we neglect that thin line between debate and argument. It's good to debate but not right to argue. Argument always leads to a one sided conclusion and it is very unhealthy. We should always take in consideration the fair and unfair sides if we want to discuss a topic. That is more than healthy. And agree to deny and disagree to accept.

Probably, we are only talking about the actors, not the singers or choreographers, music directors etc. Who knows what they are going through. They are ‘never spoke much about’ people.

Think about it. And blame the filmmakers.

PS. - I am not from the industry and definitely have no relation to anyone from Bollywood. Just a movie fan, a little practical and a bit of a fantasy believer. Just saying fantasy as we are only speaking about Bollywood!

#nepotism #starkid #nepo baby #janhvi kapoor #bollywood #movies #films #hindi #khans #kareena kapoor #sara ali khan #alia bhatt #alia ranbir #kapoor #ranbir kapoor #kangana ranaut

[nnmarudkar]

The Struggle of 83

*Image courtesy belongs to the owner. Copyright Infringement not intended.

*I haven't watched the movie so this is not the movie review.

*My observations on how the movie was presented.

83 is another ordinary movie that was released on 24 December 2021. People shockingly call it a disaster at box office. Because we expected a lot to happen over the milestone in India’s cricket history does not mean it has failed. I feel a 100 CR. box office is not the merit.

Making a movie on a historical event is not an easy sweep. It was ambitious of Kabir Khan to take up such a tough subject. It was exceptional of him to take actors from all over the country to seem more real. Rather a Punjabi trying to speak in a Tamil accent. A project where every cricketer was training their actor. Bringing them all together could be arduous. They have all invested their time to train an actor to play in their style. Imagine the pressure the actors lived under to look like someone and hit the chords with the audience. Such a movie, if expected to easily make in the 100 Cr club is I think a fair desire.

Of course they wanted a lot to happen over this world cup drama. But in my opinion it got pitched a little less. Kabir Khan’s iconic venture did not come across as appealing as Dhoni did. I have my observations why 83 could not do justice to the historic 1983 victory. It had all the potential to re-celebrate the win but it did not reach us. Let us start with the most general factors that affected the movie.

Covid - Which businesses and markets have escaped the virus? You name it and it’s covid-19. The waves continue to devastate. Cinema is always approached by choice and treated as a luxury. And luxury can be avoided if you wish too. The ones who deliberately kept away from theaters were for all the good reasons.

Vaccination - Because theaters are vulnerable medium to get the infection the fully vaccinated certificate is compulsory in the theaters and malls. And even if the number is highly appreciable of vaccinated individuals in India there is a big chunk of the country which is still pending with 2nd dose. They by default can’t even go close to the theaters. So the bravehearts who really wanted to watch were mandatorily protected under the unpredictable virus guidelines.

Money mindedness - After the lockdown drama a bigger part of society is struggling to meet it’s both ends. A middle class family which has dealt the lockdown with or without pay cuts has suddenly witnessed uncertainty. The fact that this world can be locked inside with minimum resources is still being absorbed. Yet most of us lived peacefully with wholesome meals. This Pandemic made us realize some expenditures can wait. Movies will keep coming.

OTT habit - Pandemic reintroduced us to the OTT platform. Even the digitally illiterate bunch of people started enjoying the web series and subscribing more. Very soon the industry identified it as an easy way to reach their audience when the doors of the cinemas are closed. Why not lay the red carpet digitally instead of waiting and delaying the release? Hence we are all waiting for 83’s grand premiere on OTT. It will one day. But I think looking at the glory of the movie’s subject, if it was made for all, the movie should have been released for all taking in consideration the current behaviour of the viewing audience. OTT! It could have been a bigger deal.

People have come this far to understand that an unnecessary cost of movie tickets and popcorn can be replaced with sitting at home and enjoying entertainment at their own pace. Life is always bigger than any leisure.

Perhaps, the other movies that were released like ‘Pushpa’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ around the same time have seen a huge success keeping all the above factors in mind. The reasons that the critics and the analyst chalk out that it is a documentary or some typical classes and masses formula, sound completely pseudo. Cricket is for all. You do not see a class and mass in any sport. It’s a matter of following. And Cricket has a huge fan following. The first world cup that India won under Kapil Dev’s captaincy may not have that bigger fan following like one under MS Dhoni’s captaincy but India knows about it. If we still rule out the possibility that people are not very much aware of the 1983 days, are they not even aware of who Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Sidhu, etc are to watch a movie made on this victorious team? Certainly something went wrong in such an advanced age, technologically backed, strong social media presence, reels and stories on all platforms, whatsapp to make even a picture viral, twitter with trending hashtags etc. Why could the movie based in 1983 not make its mark in 2021? Now let us talk like the critic?

How was the movie portrayed to a common man?

I had a very strong intuition that this will not see the success like ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’.

Who Played Whom? - You had to tap on the curiosity of the audience about who is playing Sidhu and who is Kirmani. It was not just a Sports Docu-drama. It was a movie that included a lot of cricketers and support staff. It was a team of 20+ actors and we don’t know who played whom. What does a common man look for when a movie is made on true events or some eminent personalities? Who is playing those roles? Let’s face it that all the actors were not popular faces. The director definitely had to choose a smart way. He could probably piggy bank on the cricketer’s fame.

If Jiiva was not a big name for all in India, Srikanth was. If Dinker Sharma was not well known we definitely knew Kirti Azad. They just did not publicise big names like Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri who are widely regarded. Even today I had to wikipedia the names. A name like Neena Gupta who is also in the movie lost nowhere. They just did not flaunt that starcast to the world to see. They did make an instagram page and posted a lot of pictures but did not pictorially bombard you with relevance like it happens nowadays. Why couldn’t a simple picture with the real and reel gavaskar in that stance go up? They should have introduced you way earlier to all the players through Social media. A lot of youtube channels have put up those videos. They expected just a pic of handsome Nishat Dahiya whom most of us don’t know could tell the world he is Roger Binny. No! Social Media is not so bothered. It has a strong scrolling behaviour. If you still scroll down that insta page you will see Happy Birthday posts in numbers. No praiseworthy content.

Trailer - The very first impression of any piece of work. While watching the trailer closely I saw less of the 83 journey and more of Kapil Dev in 83 world cup. Nothing wrong. Kapil Dev as captain deserved that honour. But to be really honest it wasn’t Kapil Dev you were seeing, it was Ranveer Singh who was given all the spotlight. Did we require Deepika in the trailer? Once may be! We required more moments from the matches to excite us. We required names next to the glimpses of each actor playing a player's role in the movie which the trailer literally just ran through. Remember who plays whom? The trailer, if noticed, is crafted beautifully. But you fail to understand who is speaking to Kapil Dev. When the names actually appear it is namesake as you hardly identify the actor and it becomes difficult to connect the dots at the very end of the entire trailer. But we identified Deepika Padukone playing Ranveer Singh’s wife in the movie. It was her familiarity that stood out. This is why exactly they could just avoid her presence to make others evident in the trailer.

I understand a 3 minute A/V cannot give you a lot of scope. But we have seen movies having 2-3 trailers to hit your brain. This movie needed that strategy. A theme or mood for each trailer. It shouted a teaser for each character. If the team has released it I haven’t come across any.

Ranveer Singh - You know when people identify you with the real personality in the movies that are biographies or biopics? When both share some of the similar traits. No individual is similar. But there is a certain trait that is very close to the real. Why did we accept Sushant Singh Rajput as Mahendra Singh Dhoni? Because they both share a characteristic of being cool, calm and shy boys. Having said that, Sushant remained to be Sushant while being Dhoni on the outside when filming and promoting the movie. He acted well to maintain that image of Dhoni off camera. Ranveer Singh forgot to maintain that identity of a shy gentleman, Kapil Dev. Ranveer Singh overpowered the man himself who had a stronger identity than him as the movie was about him and his boys. While promoting the movie Ranveer jumped, danced and continued with all his silly acts that he always does. And Ranveer Singh being Ranveer will continue doing that. He has his own energy which he cannot handle himself. He was expected to be Kapil Dev and he couldn’t stick to it off the field. It isn’t just physically that an actor needs to match but also behavior and mannerisms.

Promotions - The only time you get to market and sell. How do you promote the film which is based on somebody? Definitely you cannot ask for their time to accompany you everywhere you appear. So what do you do? Send Ranveer and Deepika at Bhurj Kalifa and show their romance from Dubai? How irrelevant! Even if the UAE was giving you that honour I think a Deepveer moment was not important. What were you really promoting? A movie on 83’s world Cup win, Ranveer-Deepika romance or see how I made a multi-starrer and exhibited none? It is actually questionable. Why couldn’t the team promote the rest of the familiar actors. You had a minimum of 11 actors to promote. You had Saqib Saleem who is a well known name along with Hardy Sandhu, Amy Virk, Sahil Khattar. Hardy Sandhu just gave a hit number of his own ‘Bijlee’ before the release. They have their own fan following if not the one like Ranveer and Deepika. Why weren't they used to promote? Didn’t Khan want all the players to get equal exposure for their effort in the world cup matches? Adinath Kothare, I know him because he is a big name in the Marathi Industry. Even he wasn’t seen on Marathi TV channels. There was a father-son duo from Maharashtra where the son played his own father’s part, Sandeep and Chirag Patil but people hardly spoke about it. Jatin Sarna, made it big with Sacred Games. Where is he? Pankaj Tripathi got accolades from everywhere when the trailer released for his work. But even this actor was kept away from the engagements.

The team did not go the traditional way. Neither did they target digitally. I do not remember watching 83 on television the way it should have been. The PR and marketing was so stereotypical is what you get to see when you analyze the 83 promotions. I think this movie needed special treatment with a better promotion plan. You had actors from various states. Had they reached at least those states they would have succeeded a bit more. I assume there was a day dedicated where both reel and real stars shot with various media houses. It’s all over the internet with the same setup when I tried to search for interviews. However how many of us actually go to youtube and search for such content nowadays? We love our feeds. We pour our hearts on even Taimur going to school if it comes up or some random girl doing a hook step. That should have been taken into consideration. Small snippets of what streamed as a 30 min or 60 min episode would have potential to influence. People like to watch 2-3 minute videos. Whatsapp is equally powerful as Instagram. And you have to take that benefit. Its shareable content that the creators look for. That Balvinder Sandhu and Kapil dev conversation is so much watched from the press conference.

Every team should research before promotions. It is not always innovation that creates history. Sometimes you go with the herd. A promotion is the last chance to sell even a withered leaf.

They could strategically create series of posts and stories and throw them to the world. Trivia, BTS, bloopers can never fail you. Trainig sessions from the production stage, for example, post release is still a win win to keep the movie fresh and running. Reviews and appreciation from the industry and cricketers will never be a medal. Bollywood should understand this soon.

When Kapil Sharma invited the 83 heroes on his show around 2 years ago, the episode was a bigger hit than the movie. Just the real heroes and their stories kept us intrigued. It was a lack of engagement that this movie could not impress us to come to the theaters and enjoy.

It just came out as another ordinary movie. I will call it a theatrical disaster. OTT is still a ray of hope and they should come back and release with a bang.

At the end all I saw was Allu Arjun won over Ranveer Singh by all means! And he is also on OTT.

#kabir khan 83 #83 movie #83 box office #ranveer singh 83 #83 trailer #83 cast #ranveersingh #deepikapadukone #bollywood #kapil dev #cricket #sunil gavaskar #hindi movie #pankaj tripathi #cinema #neena gupta