Lootera: A Touching Love Story

We watched the new movie in town ‘Lootera’ starring Sonakshi Sinha and Ranbeer Singh. We watched it a few days after its release and by that time we had already heard opinion of a few friends. By and large the only criticism was that the movie was slow, though some also said Ranbeer was not as good as Sonakshi. While watching the movie I realized that it is natural for period cinema to demand a slower pace than masala movies which are what we get in the name of movies these days. And we too observed that Sonakshi had played her part so well that she could leave any other actress of these times miles behind her… Ranbeer was charming and good too; it was only that Sonakshi took the limelight with her acting.

The movie is based on an old short story ‘The Last Leaf’ by O. Henry published in 1907. The movie is a classic love story and is set in the 1950s. The look and feel of the old days is captured very well. I am proud that our own movie makers can capture it so well; like so many classic Hollywood movies. Till the time you are in the theatre, you are taken on a journey of golden old times and it is indeed a wonderful story… The life and twist of fate for old Jamindars has also been shown fairly. After land-reforms, they did not lose only money but a lot! The toll on their self-respect, human psyche and socioeconomic life was grave and wrenching. I am not sure if any author or researcher tried to find that out on deeper levels. Perhaps it is not popular and cool to think of human tragedy when the victims are the rich lot from the past. But this movie does throw a fair light at the historical situation.

The movie shows the love between a daughter and a father so well. Sonakshi playing as Pakhi (btw, I think they should have chosen some new name; this ‘Pakhi’ is too filmy a name) loves and shares a very deep bond with her father who is equally concerned about her. He tells her stories (one story where king’s life is contained in a parrot is too touching) at her bedside, and nurses her when she is unwell (suffering from asthma). Given their respective age, she should be serving her old father but perhaps father was playing the role of her mother too and hence his love towards her also had maternal warmth… Apart from this, the friendships, be it between Pakhi and her female friend, or between Ranveer (playing as Varun Srivastav) and his friend Devdas are developed very well. In fact all characters in the movie are explored and developed so well. Even Pakhi’s maid servant (played by Divya Dutta) is shown feeling sorry for Pakhi and viewers can feel her emotions! Each character is alive and full of life and sentiments; be it Varun’s thief-friend or his thug uncle, all stand out and remain in the memory of the viewers… It is easy in books to achieve such an effect but I think this difficult task has been done in the movie very well…

Now coming to the love story; I think it is a heart touching story which moves us immensely. Viewers feel a hatred towards Varun when he lefts Pakhi and goes away; they feel immense pain for Pakhi when she suffers; they get angry when Varun returns and a love-hate episode runs between them; and in the end they feel sorry for him when he goes through so much pain and suffering… As it is said, there are no black and white characters in the movie but they tread in the grey areas enriching us with an experience that won’t be achievement in a world full of judgments… At many stages of the movie, particularly in the last hours, I felt like crying and it felt heart would break with so much pain and suffering which Pakhi and Varun were going through…

To a large extent Pakhi and Varun were victims of fate even though it may not appear clearly. Varun knew that his uncle won’t allow him to marry her, so he planned to go away to some unknown place with her to lead their beautiful life together. But just one day before the wedding, Devdas returned with their uncle appearing as Mr. Vajpayee and everything goes wrong. By the time he returns in the end, Pakhi was ill beyond cure and it was too late. Otherwise he could still say sorry (after knowing that uncle was already arrested; he could plan a new life). Also it seems Pakhi was unconsciously waiting for him, or perhaps she did not want to live; that she continued in a hill station even after knowing that the cold was not good for her health. In the old days a lot of disease were fatal, for which now there are cures. In a way Varun getting killed saved him from a lot of misery in store, because it would be too difficult for him to lead life when Pakhi won’t be there… 

Those who called the movie slow judged it from the modern masala-movies as frame of reference… I liked Ranbeer though in many scenes Sonakshi leaves him behind in acting prowess, and perhaps the producers chose him because he could be molded into what they would like to, while the super stars would like to carry the burden of their oft-repeated charisma… I watched a TV interview of director Vikramaditya Motwane along with Sonakshi and Ranbeer and I think he is great.

Also, the first part of the movie was full of fun and hilarious moments while the second went at deeper aspects and tragedies. The episode in the end with ‘the last leaf’ was soul touching…

Lootera is a heart touching love story woven in a period film of the rare kind now in the age of masala movies. You should not miss this experience and do watch it, if not already. I wish more such movies are made in India.

Why do Street dogs start barking after seeing Pet Dogs?

Someone asked if they jealous of these extra privileged Dogs and hence bark?
 

I think dogs protect their territories and bark at any new dog if it enters their area. So when the pet dogs come out and wander openly, these street dogs see it as a threatening act on their authority and hence bark and try to make them run away. Only my opinion; no primary evidence or research to back it up.
 

I think dogs don’t understand difference between pet dogs and street dogs. They would understand only “big dog/small dog/beautiful dog/fierce dog/hungry dog/strong dog/ etc. Street/pet classification is entirely political in nature which only humans are capable to do. 
 

Also, there is an interesting pattern when street dogs bark at and chase a running motorcycle! I read somewhere that motorbikes look like “giant dogs or some kind of freak animals” to the dogs and hence they try to put up a fight. So they see them as enemies in their territory. (this is also why they always “stop” chasing beyond a point – when their territory ends). Dogs don’t understand that bikes are not animals.
 

When a motor bike is moving, they see it as a kind of animal (because animals move). When motorbike is parked, it looks like furniture to them (as it is stationary). So they don’t bark at stationary bikes but only at moving bike. Ever heard the suggestion to stop and look stationary when attacked by a variety of animals and reptiles? It is also to confuse them that we are kind of furniture :) Or call it trees or wood. If they did not have this stationary /moving criteria they should bark at stationary bikes also which does not happen.

IIT entrance: 80% candidates from 3 boards

It very much seems weightage to class 12th has lot to do in this. Coaching centers are demonized, but now there are new methods to get unfair advantage:
 

IIT entry turns into a lopsided ‘board game’, 80% candidates from 3 boards
 

For long, when it came to getting into an Indian Institute of Technology, signing up with the right coaching centre was what mattered more than which school board you attended. But the new entrance exam system, which gives weightage to class XII scores of candidates, has changed the rules of the game in one fell swoop.
 

The list of candidates selected last week for the IITs showed that a vast majority of the successful candidates – more than 8,000 out of 9,700 – or over 80% came from just three school boards: the CBSE, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab state boards.
 

More than 5,500 students come from the CBSE board. Then, there are close to 1,800 of them from Andhra Pradesh and another 750 from Punjab. There are 30 other boards in India from where a small count of students has qualified. There are anywhere between five and 10 to a little more than a 100 students from some other boards.
 

In other words, if you want to get into one of these premier engineering institutes, it appears that passing class XII from one of these boards gives you an edge over competition.
 

Many students say a whimsical selection process has given an unfair advantage to students of certain boards. But IIT officials rubbish that. “Honestly, we had no clue that the Punjab state board would rank up there among the top three. We feel making it to the IITs has a lot to do with the coaching facilities available to students,” said an IIT director.

Aggressive News Anchors

Don't know why almost all TV News anchors have started speaking like hyper tensed, aggressive bullies on some mission. They rush at such a pace that there is no time to understand or think about news item. They bombard us with their monologs. Long back, listening to knows was informative because news anchors spoke in a neutral tone. Some DD News anchors were too passive, but now I wish they get back on screen. Also, most of the time "opinion" is being shared on news channels than "facts" as if we viewers need to be taught "how to think" than just know the developments and think ourselves! Today listening to News channels is sure way to get stressed and distressed.

Save Rs 250 by filing IT return online by yourself

Quick e-File ITR is so simple: 

1.      Login to URL https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/index.do

2.      Select “Quick e-File ITR” link from LHS

a.       PAN

b.      ITR Form Name = ITR-1

c.       Assessment Year = 2013-14

d.      Prefill Address with = From previous Return filed

e.       Do you have to digitally signed = No

3.       Click on Sumit

4.       Read instruction thoroughly

5.       Click on “Personal information” tab and fill mandatory fields

a.       Status = I-Individual

b.      A7 = ITO WD 7(1), Pune

c.       A20 = Resident

d.      A21 = Before Due dt 139(1)

e.      A22 = No

6.       Click on “Income Details” tab

a.       B1 = 6 from Form 16

b.      B2 = 7a from Form 16

c.       C1 = 9A(v) from Form 16

d.      C5 = Addition of 9B(a) and (b)



7.       Click on “TDS” tab and check for employer details

8.       Click on “Taxes Paid and Verification”

a.       Provide information about your bank details along with IFSC code

b.      Put place as “Pune”

c.       No data to TRP column

9.       Check data filled in all tabs again

10.   Submit

11.   Download ITR-V form (password is combination of PAN and DOB ddmmyyyy in small cases)

12.   Post ITR-V form to given address by post.

I want Them to Move Fast!

I was hurried on my way to office and I did not like it when people moved sideways in the traffic; if they changed lanes or stopped. I wanted all of them to keep going straight at the fastest speed! The reason why they moved sideways, changed lanes or stopped was that all were not going where I was going! Also, not everyone was rushed and hence they need not be that fast! This is the realization: often we judge others based on our own frame of reference. Everyone has one’s own path and journey and a speed best suited for one; it need not match our’s. But we judging from our own frame of reference; call them good or bad, fast or slow… This causes stress and unhappiness. If we learn to understand and accept, we shall be at peace with things around us…

At times we don't understand a problem but try to bring a change. Most of the time there are genuine reasons why people behave in a particular manner. At times we can help change the situation and at times we don't. When we can't change the situation, we can either make noise ourselves or else we can accept the situation and move on. I was thinking on these lines. I wanted people to behave in a manner (move fast on road) and I was stressed finding them not behaving in that manner without knowing the fair reason for their behavior (they had to change lanes, go diff routes/lanes) and when I knew the reason I became calm and continued ride without stress...

For example, if someone shouted at me, I could either shout back and create a mess, or else I can say "s/he may have some personal reasons to shout; I would leave him/her at that" and I move on/away. This saves me from lot of stress... I am sure all of us would have behaved in such sensible manner in the past; we just have to remain conscious to behave in this manner the next time we are stressed with something.