(C) Rahul
I found above picture randomly on the
internet. This picture of Shri Krishna and Radha is so nice and the artist must
be so good. But, apart from loving this picture big time, I could not stop myself
from noticing the similarity in the faces of these two!
During the recently undergoing IPL Cricket
tournament, I heard someone saying that MS Dhoni does not have a large number
of ‘shots’ in his arsenal like some other veteran batsmen. I think the idea is that
if we watch any player play multiple times, after a while we can notice his style
of playing and shot selection and can even make a list. Understood. After
looking at above picture, I could see a parallel. How many “different” faces of
kids can an artist draw? It seems as if the artist first drew Krishna and then
when he/she started drawing Radha, she started looking “same to same”; and hence
the artist stretched the cheeks and now it seems she is holding “rasgullas” in her
cheeks, like kids do.
I had also read somewhere that giving right
size to fingers in portraits is often a challenge to artists; and here too I think
his right hand fingers are slightly longer than the left?
In this picture, their smiles, the way they
are sitting, the way Radha is a little bent towards Krishna is so adorable. Or
the way Krishna’s belly is a bit bulged, like it happens in kids. Or the way
Radha and Krishna both appear to be “looking at” the “photographer” (viewer) is
so adorable too.
I am sure every time we see this picture, we
can smile and feel their love which is an expression of divinity. The artist has become immortal with this
picture. Hats off and lot of respect to the anonymous painter.
- Rahul
Last year, I wrote about
a small kid whom I came across in our village and I was touched by the way he greeted
me with so much respect. After that, I came across him 2-3 more times and now I
have finally found the secret behind the kid!
A few months ago, the kid came visiting our
home again and he brought two of his other friends with him. All were so small;
and kids of this age always secretly remind me of my son. So, he was showing “me”
to his friend and telling him something while looking at me. As soon as I caught
their eye, they would try to run away. I could not understand what was
happening and why they were so curious about me. So, the mystery which started last
year, continued.
For once, I flattered myself with the
imagination that perhaps he was baby Bhagwan Krishna checking up on me!
Next time again, he came with two of his
friends. This time, my father saw then wandering around our home and asked what
they wanted. He replied that they had come just to greet us! Well, that seemed
to be their “formula” and it was again so sweet.
Next time, the mystery was finally solved.
This time, I was sitting at our verandah alone and I saw the same kid slowly walking
up to me. He came near the door and said something. I asked him what it was
about; he answered again and I still could not understand him. So, I went near
him and asked again. “Chocolate”, he said. So, for all these days, he wanted
chocolates from me?! I asked him to wait, went inside our home and brought few
pieces of Cadbury Gems and gave those to him. He collected all pieces in his
hand and I noticed that he had such tiny hands!
One of my uncles saw this episode and asked
what was happening and I told him that it was some random village kid asking
for chocolate, so I have just given him some.
He came back after a week or so, in a hot
summer afternoon. He again caught me sitting in the verandah; and asked me the
same as last time and I brought remaining pieces of Gems again for him which he
collected in his tiny hand. He went away quickly after getting it.
So, how did I feel? On one hand, I was a bit
disappointed that he was just “using me” to get chocolates. But given the sweet
little boy he was, I did not mind being used like that. On the other hand,
again there was a bit of disappointment that he was not baby Krishna after all!
That I can’t be sure about, since all kids are godly. Just like we can’t have real
two-way conversation with God and all we can do is to feel and hope, we can
also not have a real conversation with small kids and all we can do is to feel
the bundle of love and affection they are made of and reciprocate. I also wondered
if he would keep coming back to look for me even after I am gone and would be
disappointed at not finding me.
Thus concludes a mysterious encounter with a
curious little angel boy.
- Rahul Tiwary
On a railway station, I noticed a
conversation and realized that someone was giving directions to two kids. One
boy was of around 10-12 years and the other of around 10. Both were carrying big
backpacks on their backs, indicating that they had gotten down from some long-distance
train. Their faces were sober and expressionless. Clearly, both were child laborers
working in some big city. After they got the information they had sought from a
stranger sitting on a bench, they went towards the stairs on the railway
platform. While they walked, I noticed that the elder boy was limping in one
leg. It was either due to some accident or some ailment.
I could not decide whether this scene was of
pity or of courage.
- Rahul
‘प्रत्याशा’ (Pratyaasha)
is a Hindi story collection from the talented writer Anumita Sharma. It
is a collection of stories set in different times, genre and taste. The beautiful book of about 160 pages is published by Hind Yugm.
‘Pratyaasha’
means hope or wait. The back cover of the book expresses a hope that this
book would become a 'best seller'. It is a recently launched book and I am trying
to give my review or opinion on it in this blog post.
The front
cover of the book contains a modern art of a woman standing and facing dusk
in the background, with sky in red and the surface appearing in shadows. There
are sketches of women freely talking and having a good time immersed into it. I think the
cover picture tries to depict the aura of freethinking women in a modern world
when faced with the realities of this world.
So, what
to expect when you read this promising book?
The book has
total eleven stories.
The first
story titled ‘दीवार पर लटकती लड़की’ is horror story. This is a superb story
with elements of unpredictability, shock, subtlety and horror, all in right places
and proportions. After reading this story in the evening, when I went to sleep,
I realized next morning that I had seen a horror story in my dream. And even my
dream ended with a twist and shock on the pattern of this story. I shall post
the story from my dream some other time.
The next story titled ‘सत्तर के प्यार का भूगोल’ is a fantasy. It tells the story of a
mysterious woman and her short fling with a neighbor. The manner in which this
story is written is unique and I don’t think anyone else could have written this
story other than this author.
Next story ‘गरजन-तरजन’ is a literary gem. The story is set in
real time but describes a rich landlord from the bygone era who is struggling
to come to terms with the realities of the present time. As the cover page of
this book depicts, there is a young woman, his daughter, who is mysterious and
evokes strange emotions; but by the end, she will get imprinted into the reader’s
mind forever. This is an immortal story and I would rate this as the best story
of this book. I hope this and some other stories from this book go for nominations of best stories awards in Hindi and I am sure this will be a winner.
The fourth story titled ‘सिरंडिपिटी’ brings forth a wonderful character called ‘Mrinalini’
who is repeated in a few more stories in this collection. She is a writer and a
bit disillusioned with this world; as sensitive people are prone to feel, and
one day she just vanishes in the mountains. The story is set in the aftermath
of global pandemic of year 2020. One of her friends goes in her search and
you need to read the story to find out what happens next.
The fifth story ‘वो कहीं नहीं थी’ is again a literary gem. It touches the soul
of large complex families and politics behind the close doors and weaves a story
which evokes several emotions in the minds of the readers.
Next story ‘सतह के नीचे’ tells the story of a promising writer from
the past era who is now lost and forgotten, and what happens when he finds one of his big
fans.
The seventh story ‘गुलटेनी को किसने मारा’ is a mystery thriller which depicts the sad
story of a man aging alone in a modern city. This is another story which definitely deserves
an award. One should buy a book even if it contains just one story of this
caliber.
‘एक परिकथा’ is a story capturing the soul of a teenage
girl growing up in a city amidst other interesting people. I think this is a
story which can’t be written by anyone other than this author. The story
appears so real, has so many twists and turns and it is so rare that we read such
powerful stories where protagonist is a teenage girl. This story is also written
in a great humorous style which makes it very entertaining.
'चेतना के अद्भुत तमाशे', 'आत्मा या आजीविका', and 'प्रत्याशा’ are last three stories in this collection. Some of these stories are ‘conjoined’ where an event from one story is also mentioned in the climax of another story. I don’t know what this style of writing is called, but in this book it is displayed wonderfully. 'आत्मा या आजीविका' has 'magical realism', a talent in which the author holds a strong hand.
Here is an excerpt from the story ‘गरजन-तरजन’:
Notice how beautifully this is written. Merely the event of a "sun set" is given this magical expression! That sun is looking "अस्त-व्यस्त सा", that clouds were about to be set free of its weak "grip" (निर्बल पकड़), what is this language other than magic?
After a while in the same story, ".. जीप लड़खड़ाती हुई कंकड़-पत्थर से बिछे एक खुले अहाते में पहुँची। अगल-बगल अँधेरे में प्रेतों जैसे प्रतीत होते विशालकाय पेड़ थे जिनकी बाँहों से बारिश का पानी टपक रहा था।" Here, a tree has been imagined as a
ghost and water can be seen dripping from the ghost's "arms"!
After a while, "फूफाजी के सामने खाने में कई तरह के पकवान परोसे जाते और बासमती चावल के खुशबूदार पुलाव का तो पहाड़ होता। वे ऊपर से कोई सब्जी-तरकारी या भात-पूरी दुबारा नहीं लेते इसलिए पूरा टाल एक बार में ही लगा दिया जाता। Now, Phuphaji who is being described here, is not really a character in this story. He is just being described in order to describe the "family background". But the level of detail mentioned where each word has been placed to perfection is mesmerizing. Wonder why the author mentioned this interesting detail that he did not take any food item after the initial offering. Even I have this habit and now I realize that this Phuphaji was like me. Notice the word पहाड़ to describe a pile of पुलाव! Every word mentioned in this story has a higher purpose and it pays to give a second read of many paragraphs in order to enjoy the 'magic' properly.
Below portion is from 'चेतना के अद्भुत तमाशे':
I am amazed at how deeply this is written. The ailing man first hears a voice; like someone is panting or grappling to stop a cry... and after some time he realizes that it was he himself who was suffocating! And the colors of teenage loves and infatuations are painted in this tragic story so beautifully.
To conclude, ‘Pratyaasha’ is a book you don’t
want to miss. If you want to spend a few days reading such wonderful stories
whose characters and events you are going to remember for a long time, you
must buy and read this book. The book is available on Amazon here as well as on Padhega India (Bodhi Tree) at this page.
- Rahul
‘Shehzada’
(2023) is a brilliant action drama film featuring Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon
in lead roles. It is Kartik Aaryan’s next movie after super-hit ‘Bhul Bhulaiyaa
2’. So, what to expect in Shehzada?
First of
all, comedy is too good. Kartik Aaryan has already established himself
as a great fit for lead roles in comedy films and most of his films become
popular because of this. Remember Bhul Bhulaiyaa 2? Shehzada tries to bring
some of that flavor in this movie too. Rajpal Yadav has a role in this too and he is too
funny. The pair of Rajpal Yadav and Kartik Aaryan is a super hit pair for sure!
Secondly,
the cast of this movie is too good as well. Manisha Koirala
returns to the screen and graces her role with so much dignity. She still has her old charisma and at the same time she fits so well in her role of a mother.
Kriti
Sanon is near perfect in her role. Among the Bollywood’s best-looking
actresses, Kriti possesses the best acting talent for sure. She had a glamourous role in Shehzada, and she does it with perfection. She has a positive personality and
whenever she and Kartik appear on the screen, audience are hooked.
The movie also features great actors like Paresh Rawal who got a very prominent role. Ronit Roy who got a powerful role and you will astonished as to how he brings so much energy, grace and machoism in his roles. Sachin Khedekar plays a touching role too, as a maternal grandfather. Ankur Rathee as a spoilt brat has done really good job in his character. There is a new face in the form of Sunny Hinduja who is playing the lead villain and he is too impressive.
All actors and actresses have given really good
performance which has made this movie “never a dull moment”.
Now, the songs. Pritam has given music, which is itself to explain the quality. In the title song, we can notice Sonu Nigam who sounds as good as he did in the best of his days.
“Mere
sawal ka” sung by Shashwat Singh and Shalmali Kholgade is my favourite:
Now, coming
the social messages. First, the movie explains the “No means no” concept so
very well. Feminists will love this movie. Then, the lead character or ‘hero’
of the movie is like the golden era movies when such characters did not have
any flaw. Bantu (Kartik’s character) is funny, truthful (never speaks lies),
positive (does not mind hate coming his way especially from his ‘fake’ father),
strong, savior of the weak, stands up for that is right, a good son, a good brother,
a good friend, a trustful employee, and as you would realize in the end, has a
heart made of gold.
Shehzada
is 10/10 on entertainment and if you want to really enjoy the 2.5 hours
you spend in a theater, this is your perfect experience. Go watch this movie
along with your family and hope you will love it too.
- Rahul
While
passing through a portion of lane housing poor people on its sides, I often
come across their little children running around. They can magically appear
from anywhere and everywhere and would run across the lane as if it were their
own house. They have no concept of safety or discipline, and they are as
reckless as childhood is supposed to be. And the most important trait is that those
children are so beautiful!
While all
kids are beautiful, somehow those children of poor families are more
beautiful than the others. All of them are dark skinned, which only accentuates
their beautiful face or eyes. Their unkempt hair flow like branches of a tree,
or a stream coming out from the mountains. All of them are chubby, like most kids
of that age are. All of them are dressed in a few clothes which somehow seem
adequate in their own rights. And most importantly, all of them look happy.
While all
kids are generally happy, somehow those kids of poor families appear happier
than the rest. They are seen playing with one another, or often even playing all
alone. And sometimes in groups. Sometimes their mothers are feeding them with
some bowl or a glass; and most of the time their fathers are nowhere on
the scene; perhaps gone away to work.
The
presence of those children in this world is a kind of consolation for all
things it lacks. Like presence of flowers in a garden, which otherwise seems just
like abundant greenery and nothing more.
May God
bless those little kids, whoever they are. May the world be a bit kinder to
them when they grow up, because that is when all the problems start. May the
narrow lanes keep them safe, and their tiny houses keep them warm, until they
are ready to face the sun.
May the
world be a better place than it is, without the kids.
- Rahul Tiwary
At the
beginning of the year, I had decided to get back to my old habit of reading
books. I have been a voracious reader for quite many years but in the recent times,
due to reasons best described as ‘mid life crisis’, I dropped this hobby. I
even planned to sell the still-wrapped, unread books from my home library, or
give it away. But thanks to a lack of opportunity, I did not act on such heartless
adventures. So, one day `I just opened my book-shelf and picked one unread
book. And the first one to start the year was an interesting book I had bought
some years ago and had forgotten about it, “Some Very Dignified Disclosures” by
author Anumita Sharma.
The first
thing that hits you once you pick up this book, is its title which sounds so
aristocratic. Who gives such titles to books in the era of generation X, Y and
Z? But going through the book, the title is totally justified. The author proves
her mantle more than anyone in her place could. At the start, I wondered how
many days I would take to finish this novel of 253 pages long. And I was
astonished that it took me only 4 days to finish it.
Once I
started reading the books, many things started hitting (surprising) me. I
realized that the story is set in the same part where my hometown is, and even
I share similar kind of family setup in which the protagonist of the book came
from. The protagonist of the book could very well be my neighbor at cthe hometown
I never talked to. I don’t recall any book written by another person from my
hometown or nearby, or from someone from my community or similar, and in the
form of such a wonderful book. But coming ‘close’ to the fictitious central
character, I can definitely judge the story, its characters, themes and
cultural nuances better. And I would give 10/10 to this book. Or even 15 out of
10 if it were possible.
Next
thing which hit me was the fact that we are used to read novels written by male
writers and protagonists are typically male too; and it is easier for readers
like me to identify with a man as the story goes on. But here, the protagonist
was not only a girl; but a girl who looked at everything from such a different
perspective and reacted in such a different manner, that I could not “go along”
with the character even for few moments. There are male characters in the book,
but none of them are righteous or of some virtues.
I have
never come across someone who wrote a novel in this kind of language (English).
Simple and mundane things are given color and purpose, thanks to the keen eyes
of the writer. The book deserves a Booker Prize and nothing less. Let me give
some examples and excerpts, picked randomly:
“Two days
later Uncle returned, too, like a ghost himself, he looked lost, his brown
trousers sagged, and white shirt was splattered with mud. He had grey-black
stubble, his moustache dropped, half moons under his sunken eyes were bigger
than the sun, he looked like an overripe mango, squelched and bruised. He wasn’t
bad to look at, his height was medium, nose almost Grecian, his eyes were brown
as I remembered, and he had a cleft chin.” (Page-91)
Those who
say that “a picture tells a thousand words”, have not read this book for sure. A
thousand pictures can also not sum up what this author tells in one paragraph
in this book.
The author
does poetic justice with female characters too:
“She gauged
me critically from her bumpy seat in the carriage, opened her mouth to say
something at least twice, but then lapsed into wailing. By the time we reached
the village her howls were louder, so much so, that many people were watching
us from rooftops, and stray dogs were trailing her cart.” (Page 120-21)
Now, if
there was no “stray dog” in above episode, it won’t have the same impact. The
scenes described in this book appear so accurate, elaborate and perfect and
this book is a masterpiece.
The only
thing I can complain about is perhaps the ‘adult’ content in some parts, which
could have been replaced with more subtle descriptions. But having read many
great authors, I think it is part of the parcel, especially since this is "coming of age" story.
Now, having
read the whole story which is captivating, fresh and of great quality, if I try
to analyze few aspects of the central character, Roli, the girl: I was surprised
at the lack of relationships or empathy for other characters in her. For
example, she loses her mother whom she idolizes and the purest and deepest love
between a daughter and a mother has been described so well in this book. But, the
daughter does not miss her father at all! She hardly remembers him, hardly feels
any sympathy while he rots in jails and his whole life is wasted due to a moment’s
mistake and crime which happened in the heat of the moment. I expected the girl
to show some change of heart when she grows older, but no; she is not ready to
change. She shows the same lack of empathy towards her brother too. She definitely
cares about him, that is why she notices when he wanders behind his ‘new mother’
like a pet, but was it not necessary for him to get some affection? When she
lost her mother to fate, and then father to the law, her baby brother lost his
mother and father too. While she had a greater understanding of things around
her, the boy was merely a baby when the disaster happened. Later, when he fell
into drugs, again she sees but does not try to stop him. And in the end, when
she has a good job in the city, I expected her to try to take her brother and
stepmother away to the city to live with her, but she merely visited the
village to “see” how things were with no intention to “help” change the
situation. That was apathetic. If she tried but they did not allow her to help
them, it was a different matter. But she did not even try. Not even to help her
brother. Plus, she talked about feminism and its influence, but looking at the
manner in which she hated her step-mother who was a woman too, and pitied a
poor woman Chandra as if she was less than a human in terms of dignity, it does
not look well. If she could not help or feel sympathy for male characters like
father/brother, it could be understood. But no sympathy for her stepmother and women
like Chandra shows that she was a victim of ‘bias’ too due to which society
looks down on certain members.
“Some very
dignified disclosures” is a splendid novel and I highly recommend it for a fresh, captivating read.
- Rahul
Sometime
back I came across an article which spoke about one of the personality types of
men. Once I started reading it, it felt so close that I was hooked. Everything
being mentioned there, resonated with me. There was not a single trait
described which did not match. I was shocked. Then, near the bottom of the
article, the writer wrote about two zodiac signs which come closest to the
personality type. And guess what? I had one of those two! I think this is why
psychology is a field of study and this is where specialized knowledge can help
in some situations.
Although, I don’t know how to make use of the knowledge or realization from this article. We are what we are. Merely knowing that we are of certain ‘type’ or if we can be ‘labeled’ in some manner, won’t matter much. Although this was very interesting indeed.
On second thought, does it mean that 'zodiac' signs really have some credibility?
Here are some portions from the article:
-
