Remember when we were kids and we couldn't wait to grow up?

What were we thinking? Because now I have to figure out stuff like "I'm almost 21, so what is my thing?" I don't love one thing that I do. Who am I? What do I do too much of that I can be known for it? Read, eat, talk, joke? Nada. I love travel and food and surreal conversations but how much of that do I really do to be known for it? How much does life allow me to make it my thing?

Honestly, what in life do we all have enough time for to do too much of some thing? Forget that, what in life is something we have the will and resources to take out all the time in the world for?

So finally, I think: I am the girl who... what?

This is probably my quarter-life crisis.

I used to be in school three years back. I used to have dreams and enthusiasm. I used to feel like I had a plan, and that come what may, I shall stay determined.

Oh, I still am determined. Though I can't see anything in front of me, right now. I see a dead end. I have a job that I'll have to take because there isn't a choice, I have an admission offer from an ivy league graduate school that I may have to decline because I don't have the money for it, I may not have any admission chances in India because I'm so burnt out with the entrances falling right in the middle of my term exams, and I don't know where to steer my ship to. It's like college is over and I have no next step to go to; a next step that puts me on a journey.

"You know what I mean?"

This is my quarter-life crisis. Definitely.
At least it's not entirely existential.

But quarter-life, definitely.

PK: A One-Time Watch

PK is a one-time watch and its claim for that tag is the humour with which they have approached everything. Apart from that, there is nothing about the film that appealed to me: the acting, the storyline, the way issues have been handled, etc. In fact, the film tries to tackle a lot of issues in one go and fails to do justice to them; any of them. At best, PK is a mediocre movie and it's only the technical work like editing, screenplay and dialogues that make for some salvation, not Aamir Khan.

Talking about acting, the actors failed to establish a connect. Aamir Khan was good as PK, but the conceptualisation of the character wasn't brilliant; only his dialogues were. This is not even close to being his best performance. Anushka Sharma's acting doesn't let the character linger on your mind probably for her inadequate dialogue delivery. Sushant Rajput was good but barely had any screen time.

About the movie plot, it was fine, but that's all that it was. My problem with the movie was that it tried to do too much and failed at all of it. Let's take the entire idea of faith. Oh yes, PK could mobilise the entire nation with his idea of the wrong number with his common sense that he uses and others didn't prior to this, he finds all faith equally comforting and equally confusing, etc. However, the end shows the entire question of faith in religion on a stupid thing like whether the prophecy was right or wrong. Understandably, the film aimed at highlighting that being Muslim doesn't characterize one as a cheater and yet, it hinges on whether a relationship was trust-worthy or not. Putting the incredulity of the fact that the entire Pakistani embassy was on its feet at Jaggu's call, or that it was even open on a Sunday, or that this entire things is very conveniently discussed on national television like a personal dialogue, how does idealism of relationships save a situation where religious problems are in question? Ok, it's a movie so guy loves girl but would you really just throw the entire thing away if in real life, the guy really didn't love the girl?

This also reduces the lightly picked upon incident of the bomb blast and Sanjay Dutt's death in the movie. PK says God doesn't need protection, and fools like you tried to do something similar today morning with the blast. Now, such an important point gets lost because faith can easily be instead reaffirmed and a religious/spiritual mass leader can only be deemed unreasonable by the success of a love story. Sanjay Dutt's story hangs in the air like a parallel plot that was oscillated between relevance and irrelevance throughout the movie and it is denied a proper end even after it was elevated to something so urgent.

Talking about things that seem out of place, PK falling for Jaggu is also absolutely irrelevant. He didn't have to love her to have a discussion on staying on earth and finding love and changing names for that purpose to give her some cards to remind her of Sarfaraaz to hold her hand to know what's happened to reveal it during the talk.  That's called absudity. Again, another strand of thought picked up and left hanging in the middle.

So love, religion, communication, longing to go home, unrequited love and terrorism all tried to mesh together to make something wonderful. I think this project didn't quite go well.

Having said all of this, what make the movie a good one time watch is the way the logic in faith is manifested through PK. Locking his slippers with the cycle lock, looking at donation as fee for work, trying to find universality in communicating with God through wine, pooja ki thaali, etc. Makes sense and it is indeed a fresh approach to question logic of ritualistic faith.

So yes, you should watch PK. Yes, it is a good film. No, you don't have to leave your brains at home but don't expect it to be a mind blowing watch unless you're easy to please. It's just a good watch. 

Tips to travel to McLeod Ganj (Summer)

1. What to pack:

One jacket or pullover is enough. It may be needed at night.
Carry sports shoes. You will not be able to use an auto in most places. And the beauty in these places is best seen while walking. So be ready to walk a lot.
You can wear whatever you want but don't just take a lot of shorts. Do pack full-length pants, leggings or something.
Torchlights. They have practically no street lighting. Roads can be treacherous at night.
Camera. You want to. Yes.
If you're going for more than two days and plan to wash everything while you're there, pack enough clothes and undergarments. They may not dry as fast as you want to repeat them.
 
2. What/Where to eat?

EVERYTHING. Don't skip. Seriously.

3. What not to miss?

Do not miss their museum. I usually don't enjoy them much but you have to go to one at least to know what happened to Tibetans. It's extremely moving.

4. To go with a group or go solo?

However, you like it. Seriously. Though, preferably a group at night because roads are bad. No lights. Perfectly safe, though.

5. Can we bargain?
Hell, yes. You can be ripped off otherwise. Seriously. Nothing that they sell is German silver or whatever. Maybe like one in a hundred things is. Choose well but bargain.

6. ALWAYS research the weather. Again because of the roads.

7.The knitted winter stuff they sell is amazingly warm. Do buy. You cannot go wrong unless you're really unlucky.

FINALLY. What to expect? I think, a lot of fun. And peace, like it belongs to you but strangely enough, you probably never felt it before.

Have fun! Let me know what I am missing in this teeny-tiny list and do let me know what you think!
 

Oscar Run #2: Whiplash

This movie is great for a lot of reasons. There are a lot of movies that show a protagonist trying to make a career in music, getting antagonised by people that he/she comes across and then with a tremendous talent or will power that refuses to fade, they emerge victorious and shine.

But Whiplash is different, because it is not another sellout to the popular culture and trend of making movies with similar trajectory. The movie doesn't end with the stereotypical cheers from a crowd, or tears of joy, or a family standing behind you proud. It doesn't even have a parallel romantic plot that takes equal prominence. It's just not your everyday mass-manufactured film.

So it isn't a surprise to see Whiplash getting five nominations, out of which three are for the technical and ideological genius behind the screen and only one is for great acting. This is not to say that the work of the actors is secondary. They are every bit of outstanding. However, the subtlety of the movie is what steals the show and that is because of the vision of the people sitting behind the camera.

On a side note, I have to say I could not believe that so many expletives could come together and still qualify as a proper sentence. Really.

What makes it a strong contender to win best movie?

Everything in the movie- genre of music, gigs of the band, screenplay- is very real. I think it works quite well to have chosen jazz music. The film doesn't bore you at any point of time even when the music is not your run-off-the-mill choice. Jazz isn't everyone's cup of tea but the movie makes you keep watching and keep listening. The music and the relentless practice is finely balanced with the struggle and the journey that Neiman makes as a student and as a person. From simply reacting to what's being thrown at him, he learns to act.

The movie's attempt is not to expect an emotional investment from the audience. It instead gives you a great deal to watch, contemplate and then feel blown away. I was glued to the movie and I wasn't particularly sympathizing or empathizing with Neiman. The good bit is that I didn't have to do that and I still loved the movie. The story is a great piece of work without or without my emotional connect. My emotional connect to the movie does not come from the hardships that the boy faced, or despising the cruel attitude of Fletcher. It comes from the extraordinary movie that Whiplash is. Watch it, you'll know what I am talking about.

The movie's editing makes it a decently paced movie which makes it an easy watch. However, I wouldn't place my bets on Whiplash taking the award in this arena.

Sound Effects:

I really like how the music pieces are independent in themselves and make for a such a good element in the movie. While it perfectly blends with the story, it doesn't necessarily change to tell the story itself. Unlike other movies, they don't work to heighten the sense of urgency or anything for that matter. Despite that, the sound goes with you and grows on you.

Is JK Simmons the Best Supporting Actor?

He just may be. The cold and absolutely ruthless character that he portrays may not so much embody the word supporting which makes me laugh a little (the irony in the literal sense of words is extremely funny) but he is a strong omnipresent and ever-present character in the movie. He is meant to never leave you even when he is not on screen and Simmons does that. He is like a haunting presence since the very first time you see him and then he disappears. What I find remarkable about him is how he managed to portray a character that completely bothered and unsettled me, but somehow I never hated him. For me, he was a fascinating puzzle that I couldn't solve and I just had to watch the movie to get a clue.

In the end, I would say that while I would absolutely recommend the movie, I would also admit that it may not be everyone's cup of tea. It has been made with a certain taste of vision, which makes the movie different from your regular watch to the extent of a different set lighting and presentation. If you can appreciate a bit of difference and variation, you would love the movie!

Oscar Run #1 : The Theory of Everything

It's the season for Oscars again! And since we have time, I shall review all the movies nominated for the best film award in terms of the awards they have been chosen for.

The Theory of Everything was on my watch-list even before it released. So I'm elated that it made to the nomination.

I was earlier a little confused about why but now I know why it made the final nomination. The movie is a phenomenal viewing experience. It moves you, the acting is brilliant, the story is outstanding and the direction is quite good, too. It's a fine balance between ambition and modesty.

The movie finds the ambition in plot and the modesty in execution which makes it a wholesome package.

Nomination for Best Film:

Apart from what I have already stated, the film captures how anti-climactic life is. With life-halting news coming to Hawking about his disease, you'd expect the movie to pause to build a sympathetic narrative around him and give him a moment, but when does life do that? The doctor informs him and walks away, he has to get back, Jane has to be dealt with (or not), decisions have to be made, college has to continue. Simple. It's as if you have received the news, the carpet has been taken away from under your feet (it's not your news so it couldn't have been the floor) and you are told to move on. But you do, because Hawking does. This makes for a beautiful movie also because it captures the essence of Hawking's life. It isn't suspended in a moment of time. It isn't a particular episode from his life. It's life; and despite the fact that it is predisposed to an uncertainty more grave than ours, it goes on. It goes on as long as it isn't over. The movie is just that. It goes on. It doesn't dwell too much on anything.

Nomination for Best Score:

I know I should talk about the actor and actress first but the score complements what I say about the anti-climactic nature of life and similarly, the movie. There are no major crests and troughs in the music from the base line. It gives one the spontaneity to enjoy the lives of the characters and yet, helps them absorb the reality which won't stop life. It is one continued of subtle and beautiful sound. There is also growth in the music. It starts with gentle footsteps, then grows up to match the problems that are revealed to be beginning and then grows to somehow try and contain the magnitude of how the problem hits life. The music is apt. That is best thing that music can be for a film, and for life.

Nomination for Best Actor:

There's a lot said about Eddie Redmayne already. Indeed, he has done a remarkable job in illustrating the common knowledge that Hawking has had a tough life. The acting is not reductive, which this common knowledge often becomes. He portrays the role of the stubborn authoritarian very well, and the gratitude for Jane comes shining through. It is never said, it is never narrated but the theory that Jane was who made Stephen pull through, would not be too far off the mark. Redmayne allows this to come through in not so many words, and not so many expressions but just the chemistry. That counts for a lot.

Nomination for Best Actress:

So how does a timid girl find courage to go on? How does she become the rock, the pillar of support and go on to live through abandoned individual dreams, lack of sympathy, help and falling in love again, pushing it away and getting back to live a life where she is continually sidelined? Ask Felicity Jones. With every deep breath she takes to pull herself back up, with every absence of sign  of strength in her eyes compensated by her relentless will, love and support, Felicity Jones stunned me. The way things dawn on her and her anger well concealed, how could the Hawkings forget Stephen's condition and take a house that needs a steep staircase climbed? How intricately has she played the part! She deserves this!

Nomination for Best Screenplay:

The screenplay is not ambitious at all, and therein lies its beauty. It dabbles with flashbacks of shaky tapes of Stephen and Jane's wedding, the improved technology that lets the camera show Stephen with his kids around, and goes on to set the tone of Stephen's mind's dwellings in the lab where Rutherford and others worked and found legendary success. It's not the weather that shows tranquillity when Stephens is at work, it's the silent company of the apparatus kept in the lab. The screenplay allows freedom to the actors to breathe life into the characters that are looking for narrative, and it allows the director to pin the actors to his vision that brings the narrative alive. The screenplay is an independently complete part that cohesively settles into this beautiful movie.

The Theory of Everything is a must watch. Once or twice may be enough for a memory but you want to get back. It may be a story of real people, but the film gives you enough to hold on to.

McLeod Ganj

Mcleod Ganj is best known for the Dalai Lama's residence. It is a little suburb to the city, Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is about 8-10 km away from Dharamshala and can be best reached by a car or a bus. A large part of its population is that of Tibetans and it also has a lot of Buddhist monasteries.

One way of starting this post is by asking, 'Why travel to McLeod Ganj?'

Every time I tried to continue after this question, I hit a dead end. So, that means I couldn't ever write a second line. On about the fifth attempt, I realized I blanked out because I was asking myself the wrong question. I think I'd be better off when I write about "WHAT AWAITS YOU AT MCLEOD GANJ?"

Before I answer that, a few things you should know about how I travelled. It was a trip with a few friends. I travelled in September, so the weather was cool and pleasant. I also like walking around to explore a place. It gives me time to really absorb things and go at my own pace, literally and figuratively, speaking. McLeod Ganj was a perfect fit because it can be best explored on foot. I stayed at a little hotel called 'Bhagsu Heights'. Finally, I love food and I would love a place that helps my dining experience elevate from a customer-food-service level to complement my travelling experience where I'm allowed a relationship with food and to let me think of it as a character to the place. McLeod Ganj let me do that. Every single time I ate.

So what awaits you at McLeod Ganj?

Every time I looked out from the window, I saw mountains thickly-veiled by fog. When the day cleared up at times, I could see a waterfall and it was my first step into three days of serenity. Being a city girl, when I got to McLeod Ganj, the peace of that place struck me. It was comforting. I was not alone, but I had a space to be in touch with myself. I was also travelling in the middle of my ongoing semester in college, so it seemed like such a good break and much needed, too.

Walk to the Mall Road was about looking over cliffs and valleys. You could be an onlooker; experiencing life go on with its unique mundane character. You'd still be on a parallel, slower, calmer mental pace of life. Enter Mall Road and it's a different scene.

You find yourself immersed in a culture that's an amalgam of cafes (with free wi-fi *yes, yes, us 21st-century kids tch-tch*), jewellery or accessories with a Tibetan character to it and lots of shops to buy warm clothing. It is extremely good quality stuff and well priced as opposed to the polarized shopping culture in a lot of cities where either you get flimsy clothing for winters or you succumb to insane prices at the mall. Of course, you can try your hand at bargaining.

If you really like to shop, you'd like to know that when you really look for things that have a Tibetan touch to them, you'll find some interesting stuff. Like the wrap-around long skirts they use have colours that are uniquely yet, generously used in Tibetan culture, and broadly speaking mountainous areas. The prints and aesthetics of these things will also be different from everything else available in great stock with sellers, one after the other, on either sides of the road. They also have dream catchers of all sizes in abundance. The designs, sizes and creativity in these dream catchers is fascinating.

One important thing about the life here is that things start shutting down around 6 p.m. Some cafes will shut down and all the sellers will clear out the road, too. The restaurants will work for a longer time, though, the past nine p.m. culture is not thriving here, to say the least.

If you're not shopping, there's good news because there's so much more!

Food. Between breakfast, lunch and dinner that we had at our hotel, we also managed to have at least (remember: AT LEAST) two more meals or snacks every day. So after lunch on the first day, we had wantons and something to drink at Indique, then apricort tart, chocolate tart, coffee, tea, nana cake and carrot cake at Moonpeak Esspresso Coffee Shop. Gluttony should be struck off from the list of seven sins, I think. I shall list all the places we ate at, at the end of the post.

The vibe. Amongst some stoned people, some monks and some photographers, we also found travellers. They were soaking the place in as much as us and that was the last step for us to really let our hair down and enjoy. So at Jimmy's Italian Restaurant, when we gave a friend her little birthday surprise that was overdue, we sang the birthday song along with the staff and probably every other customer present there. A group of men from some other country sang it thrice. Our best guess is that it was probably drunk excitement.

We probably only struck two patent must-do things when in McLeod Ganj off the list.

First, we went to the Bhagsunag Waterfall. It is a little trek from the main chowk of McLeod Ganj and when you get there, a strong wind greets you there. It feels amazing to sit on the rock and just feel the waterfall's light shower on you as the wind blows past. Much on snacks with your friends there or jump into the water, if you wish. Make sure, you do the trek with sports shoes on because even though the trek isn't long, it is tricky and it will be a test for you if you smoke. My friends made it through the challenge. You can, too.

Then, we went to the Tibet Museum and the Kalachakra Temple. These two are built in the same complex. You're not allowed to take your phones or cameras inside. Did you know that because of Tibet's conflicted status of sovereignty, much of its culture has an increasing threat of extinction even as the culture seems to thrive in some small parts of India? Their 11th Panchen Lama, according to boards around the place, has been declared by the Chinese officials to be in their custody. The Museum tells the vivid tale of Tibet's history, people and culture to all those who would listen. It also depicts the Chinese invasion of Tibet. It can be quite moving to read, and there was more.

"Ohm Mani Padme Hum" may mean something to the Buddhists but to me, it is a way to reminisce and probably return to a bit of the tremendous peace I felt at that place. After touring the entire temple and rotating the wheels around the main shrine's complex, I sat in the large compound under the shades. I wouldn't say I was thinking any remotely philosophical- about life, past, future- but I was feeling something spiritual. It was strange to not really be thinking or introspecting but just feeling like the building blocks for growing up and for moving on were at play. You felt more than you could put to words and the puzzlement that accompanies this failure to explain is not uneasy at all. Instead, I just smile.

The beauty of this place is such that you don't have to wait for aphorisms to dawn upon your conscience. You'd be walking down a street or munching on some pie and sipping some coffee and they will come and go and it will be as simple as that.

Find that subtlety in life. Go to McLeod Ganj!

As promised, here's a list of places I ate at:

1. Indique (Rooftop Restaurant/Cafe):

2. Moonpeak Espresso Coffee Shop and Gallery

3. Four Seasons

4. McLeodganj Waterfall (A stopover for Maggie, anyone?)

5. Tibet Kitchen (You HAVE to have Chicken Momos and all Peach Beer, Lemon Beer and Fruit Beer. And no, it's not beer.)

6. Jimmy's Italian Restaurant

7. Clay Oven (You can miss this)

8. Coffee Talk

9. We also got take-away stuff from places that I can't remember now. Sorry.

Just try as much as you can! Apparently, Gakyi's is really good! It's right next to Jimmy's. Don't repress the gluttony! Let it gooooo!

Tell me more about your trips! Dying to go again. So then, I'd use your suggestions!

September 2014

 

Ciao 2014!

Can you believe 2014 is over this fast?

I still remember writing away 2013 to welcome 2014 on this date last year. I was apprehensive about what 2014 shall bring for me because 2013 hadn't been particularly generous and I had nothing to look forward to in 2014, but oh my! Wasn't I so wrong!

2014 took my concept and pace of time and threw it out of the window. I have not felt like I have lived two lifetimes in one year ever before, and yet felt like the year flew by. So much happened and I had so much to do! I was also more productive because who can manage two summer courses, two internships, a tornado of assignments and exams the way they come to you at LSR and still come out of all of it like a boss? I do feel like I came out of it stronger and wiser.

It was a generous year. I fell in love twice over with all my senses taking the leap. Who thought I was going to spend a summer in London and then soon after visit McLeod Ganj? Indeed, I have fallen in love. I met so many people from different countries, I graduated from hating selfies to just disliking them, I am a tad bit happier in life, and I am on whatsapp now, which I still like to elude sometimes. (I also watched all of Sherlock for the first time in London, tee-hee!)

Though, all was not happy. A friends passed away. No, we were not in touch the way friends usually are. We only spotted each other on the metro, sometimes. Why I feel like it's my loss too, is because Natasha was really, my happiest memory from school. If I ever get down to writing about how school life was for me, she would be the long-standing and nicest person through all of that. Yes, we drifted apart but we never fought and it was only time. I think we were there for each other for particularly hard times in our lives. As I often say, 'Always, NRI. Always!'

2014 was when I steered my driving wheel my way. I did not wait for things to happen to me, I happened to things and look, I'm happy. I wasn't going to take any more of my maturity shit because it wasn't getting me anywhere. I let go, embraced myself a little more and changed my perceptions a little bit.

So now, I look forward to 2015. Let's see how lessons of 2014 help when changes are coming up in 2015. I'm about to graduate in the next few months, I have to find another place for myself, make decisions and hopefully, keep my peace amidst all of that. Can I do this, can I? Can I?

I shall answer that with what I've learnt at an internship.

"Let's do this!"

Here's two pictures from the happiest times of 2014.

(Don't compare the pictures. I was using a friend's DSLR in London and my poor little phone for McLeod Ganj!)

Gone Girl: A Brilliant Book and Film Noir

*No Spoilers*

Book Author: Gillian Flynn

Film Director: David Fincher

Film Screenplay: Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn, you brilliant, brilliant writer!

First of all, I have to say it was just such an immense pleasure to read the book. On the top of that, I am so glad that Flynn was able to negotiate the screenplay writing for herself and Fincher and she worked this out as cohesively as they have. Usually, comparing a movie to its book is a bad idea. Very rarely (I only have one example), comparing a book to the movie is regretted. Though, this one does not disappoint. Moreover, I feel pretty satisfied having read the book and seen the movie and getting to comment on both because job well done, you, Gillian Flynn, you!

The book may not be delicious when you begin reading, but really, you have to see what she's doing. When you picked up the book from the Mystery/Thriller section, and *hopefully* read the preview, you know the basic plot is that Amy disappears. Then, when you begin reading the book, I find it particularly interesting how Flynn sets the scene in anecdotes, morning time, event of the day, which sets our mind thinking of places, reasons, possibilities and motive already. It tickles our imagination and curiosity all the more. It could have been Amy's dissatisfaction with the place, or with the ambiguity their marriage was running into, or finding misery in a life ruined by recession; ANYTHING! All said and done, it's nothing you don't want to read. It's written well, too. In all probability, if you're wondering where she's going with this, it's in a good way.

The trailer is cryptic and I still cannot decide if I like it. I could not make anything out of the trailer. There's just a lot happening. Please visit the website, then. I shall be surprised if you tell me you don't love it. It's fresh and informative. It got me excited.

Quick word about the score of the film. IMDb says Fincher's directives to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross was that he wants the music to seem passive and relaxing but really, should instill a sense of dread. It did. For me, it was this close to becoming a horror movie closer to real life than so many jokes in the name of horror movies.

Let's jump right in, now.

The book and movie are absolutely gripping. Even when the mystery begins to unfold, it's not over till it's over. Flynn fills details in her book and gives each character, depth, rationale and each situation has intricate layers. She does not hold back and cuts portions of her book such that the movie makes for a gripping watch. While, some insightful details are left out, they don't compromise on the intensity and riddle of the plot. Impressive. It would not really be nitpicking, though, when I argue that some nuances to the character, especially Amy, are lost in this cut-down of the book for screenplay. The whole 'cool girl' explanation, logical reasoning behind Amy's actions, her temptation to go back, and comparison between Desi and Nick make everything so much more fascinating. I am aware of the gender-based criticism and I'm not getting into all that. Taking Amy as a person, I think she had psychopathic tendencies and the fact that there was a convincing logic behind it intrigues me, albeit the logic is ruined by her extremities and the caveat of having Nick's narrative giving her away. Without all of this, the film still gets you glued to the screen but Amy emerges as different from that in the book; here, she isn't so much of a psychotic woman. She's just what Nick says she is- fucking bitch. There are no layers, no genius intellect to Amy outside of her almost-impeccable planning and no probable root of cause for the viewer to come up with for her behaviour (which the film does show to be a pattern). Rosamund Pike nails it, though. You can like her as fast as you can hate her as fast as you can feel scared of her as fast as you can feel robbed of closure. Woah!

Nick Dunne gets away with more sympathy from his viewer/reader than he really should. He's a lying, and cheating man. America hates him for it in the book/movie but admit it, in the flow of the plot, you lost that perspective; I did too. I don't mind that one bit. His helplessness, his adorable relationship with his twin sister, his heart on his sleeve as he falls in love with missing Amy, cares for Andie but not so much so we can think he's not all that bad- works. I feel sorry that him, I do, but when the book ends I can't be sure about whether I see him as the victim or an equal culprit or what! Ben Affleck does a fabulous job as Nick Dunne. He's got the young, single, cute, charming act going for him. His stress, mess-ups, and that smile that messes things up on Ellen Abbott's show.

Madam Ellen Abbott. I understand everything about how media influences public opinion in the film/book, how certain media persons like to be activists or campaigners of a side, how they have a fan base of a following of sorts but I don't see how Ellen Abbott gets to be a part of the ending of the movie. I liked the book's ending much better. Not that does much, but featuring Ellen Abbott and giving Nick so many lines of conversation with her is like recollecting how amazing school life was and then ending with "Thank God! I met that xyz person on the admission interview panel!" Seriously, what? That's a bad way to draw a close when the book already has a better closing. All the other lawyer, media issues were covered smoothly and satisfactorily so.

Police. I really like how they were trying to find out the truth but really, sometimes, it was almost like they had chosen a side. Was it the right side or the good side or the bad side? You don't know that but you may even like them for it. They're not a nuisance. Amusingly though, their vantage points often oscillate from being influenced by the media coverage, to being the source of media coverage that provokes explosive reactions. Sometimes, they're also just sitting ducks -watching things cropping and thinking what on earth, really! With this, I know that Flynn is giving me so many perspectives as an observer who is right in on the scene, but never lets me know what the truth is until she decides that it is time to let me know.

Parents. I like how they've been included in the book but excluded in the movie. Simply because some bits may add to the plot or character's essence but sometimes, their mention looks pretty pointless. I wished she cut a lot more out. Surprisingly though, Amy's character in the book is often nuanced by the impressions and affects her parents brought to her life but really, it's all cut out and her parents are reduced to mere props in the movie. I wonder why it was so considering the screen space and time given to the pair.

Go, Margo. She can be the little sister, the twin sister, the conscience, the voice of reason, and just a needed presence for Nick Dunne. I think the character is very well done in the book and the movie. I like Carrie Coon but I also wonder if she was just the perfect one to cast. The role was memorable but the acting did not quite bring a strong hold of the plot in the movie which is otherwise demanded by the character in the book and readily given, too.

Desi Collings was an unexpected character. Again, it does not get much time to unfold in the movie so we really just put it all on Amy (I wouldn't mind if you did that in the book, too, but my point is that his character in the book shows you that there's more). So he comes in as the unexpected character in the book as much as he does in the  movie and there's a difference but everything being so interconnected, it does not make anything less interesting. Neil Patrick Harris surprised me. When he turns away from Nick, somehow he fits the role perfectly. Then with what happens later, he simply shows me that he is not trying to fit into the role. Instead, the role ends up looking like it is made for him. The grandeur of that, huh! I can now easily see him doing what Desi does in the book, too. He can do it all, bring it!

In closing, I can only mention that I read this book in a day and a half and I would not have taken the extra half, had it not been one hundred per cent necessary. I watched this movie in one go. No breaks. None. You want to let Gillian Flynn take you for this ride and you won't have the time to criticize much because neither does she leave many loose ends, nor do you have space to find those because you want answers, and you want them first.

Tell me what you thought of the movie or the book!

Satyamev Jayate

Satyamev Jayate is an Indian reality TV talk show hosted by one of the stalwarts of Bollywood in present times, Aamir Khan. He has also produced the show and forms a part of the core creative team that ideates each episode on the show. This show is something that the Indian audience direly needed for building a social collective consciousness; albeit in baby steps. Social media and news media clearly show that it has also made the right impact. What is also a matter of great commendation is that, Aamir Khan is capitalizing on his celebrity status to do something that is productive for the society instead of limiting this influence to endorsing hair products or fairness creams or whatever comes an actor's way which his contemporaries are busy with.

On the 9th of November, the last episode to season three was aired and it discussed masculinity. "When Masculinity Harms Men" as a show achieved a lot more feats than other episodes. The show's structural flow departed a little from the usual format and justifiably so. The production has aired episodes on the condition and treatment of women in this country, social problems like road rage and even child sexual abuse, etc. It seemed problematic, though, to bring people to discuss core reasons for these problems. Who in this comfortably patriarchal society would like to listen to people trying to talk about problems of MANHOOD in this time? So beginning by really asking men to list what they think is the definition of a "real man" and getting in shock stories in juxtaposition with the most coveted ladies of the Bollywood industries talking about the kind of men they'd like to be with, had to be the best way to make people sit down and listen.

Did-you-know interlude: For the episode titled "Fighting Rape" on the second season, a group girls (including me) from Lady Shri Ram College went to be a part of the video-chat with Aamir Khan. A girl from the group rightly asked him about what he thought of the portrayal of women in the Films that Bollywood is producing and since that promotes such misogynistic attitude, what is he doing about it. He, today has duly acknowledged that point out loud. Not only has he done a show that covers this as a sub-topic, but he also pointed out his own mistakes in his acting career in the video clip that was shown to address the problem with Bollywod movie ideation.

Discussing the pressure that Manhood imposes on men, too, sexuality and sex were no more taboo. The number of times the word 'sex' was used  out loud on the show was a first for the typical Indian audience. Of course, the word 'typical' loses all sense and references if one were to go through the Browsing History of the same audience through the internet connection provider (thank you, incognito mode)but well, living room/drawing dynamics function a little differently with a family setting for a given. For the first time though, it was not a confrontational stance, and not a sensational news. It was a fact. It is a reality in the relationship between a husband and wife and the instrument of violence to render the victim a weaker person. When did violence and relationship find the same means of display? Indeed, masculinity has been damaged the same way that womanhood has been. Somewhere down the line, patriarchy learnt to be so sneaky that nobody can see the mastermind behind it. Maybe, it's you, maybe it's me, or just all of us.

Satyamev Jayate has done some things so right that I wish they'd just stop and play it again. With so many seasons, and so many issues, the audience has enough to reflect upon.  Perhaps, it is time to talk about the success stories, and slap the worse situations on the society's face. It doesn't seem like a bad idea to pick those issues right back up. This show put a lot of petitions out there. Let's bring them back into focus. Female foeticide, child sexual abuse, criminalization in politics, water, alcoholism, tuberculosis, mental health, road accidents, etc. We've only just begun to see the fault lines but have we all really seen it? All of us? I think we just have to keep looking and someday we shall be ashamed enough to stop.

To know more about the show, visit: http://www.satyamevjayate.in/

Jai Hind.

Satyamev Jayate.

About The Quiet Riot

I began this blog in 2012 at my friend's persuasion who began her own blog and it seemed like a fun idea. From the beginning, it was clear to me that I did not want it to be a documentation of my everyday life because that would be replicating a boring life. Not kidding. So what could I really use?

I had an imagination.

That worked perfectly. So, here I was creating posts that would be best described as random. Imagination eluded me a lot of times so I ended up giving opinions. Random things again. Since then, I decided this needed to change.

The Quiet Riot shall now be a blog that talks about three things I do, love and can claim to know something about: Read, watch movies and TV shows and Travel.

Why stick with the name "The Quiet Riot"? I want to because I have always been the quiet riot. The idea of the blog is not give an expert criticism or commentary on anything. We shall leave that to the stalwarts of each of these fields and currently, I am not one. I shall utilise my layman status to be the vantage point that helps you, my reader, see, understand, and maybe even develop and interest in.

My previous posts shall remain. The past has ways of catching up with its owner so I don't want to run away from mine. It shall be neatly documented under "Idiosyncrasy".  I did like some of the things that I posted and I hope you can go through those. Here are the link to my favourites:
*Word of caution: I just really like these. Not boasting about writing skills*

1. Coffee Beans
2. Blank Verse
3. Pro-Choice or Pro-Life?

*Yes, I'm self-critical.*

There shall obviously be more posts there every time I indulge myself with whatever kind of armchair philosophy I may wish to ponder upon through writing.

I hope this is a successful effort. Nevertheless, I'm not giving up on this virtual space.

Stay with me?

Thanks!

The New And The Old

I write as I watch out of my window, breathing the beautiful air that would be. I swell as I breathe in. I've fallen in love with this place. It makes my heart happy. The Shard with its 800 ft. of height looks over the water, the greens and the million laughs and hopefully, fewer heartbreaks that find their stories in this city. I am reminded of the breeze the blew against my face as I stared into the distance on the river in a boat; feeling a calm that I may have never felt before. I am here, living a dream, feeling happy; feeling complete.

I don't seem to need anything any more. I am in a beautiful city that I explore with every footstep I take in a different direction. I've fallen in love with every step I take to map it. I never had to adjust my traffic sense because India drives on the left, never had to feel odd or scared because my manners seem to match what I need to stay here, never had to stop because jaywalking is a norm here. I was happy in my own silence as the quietude of the place matched my own thoughts. I felt as expansive as the ground I covered for I never wanted to be in this room. I may not be claustrophobic but it really seems to be too small to contain me and my wanderlust.

Breaking my own walls to find liberation has been overwhelming and I can't wait to go back and be the new person but that's what makes me pause and thinking. Would I find my liberated being a niche there? I know I want to go back, but to what? My city? Or my old self? Sadly, I remember my old self far too well and that's not  a very happy picture. Independence feels good. I could surely get used to it.  I carry that old self with me around, as my mind wanders out of these premises at night. Each time I grow into the new, I feel sadder about the old. So what am I going back to? It's really only been two weeks but I feel like I've left so many things far behind. I feel the tips of my toes and fingers curling out, reaching out to the world. I want to live this. In every way I can. Before I go back to my world; my country, my state, city, house, room and old self. I will live this place, then- because I can.

London: Summer 2014

The Women I Found

We talk a lot about strong women and their ideals and feats in this world. I am amazed what women are doing in this world today for themselves. But if I were to look for examples to look up to, I don't have to look far.
I'm proud that I have such a great group of friends who talk about everything; from life to hard work to relationships and boys and dreams and ambitions but most importantly: they're such a liberated set of women in so many ways.

"No girl needs a boy, and there's nothing wrong in wanting one."
"Being able to take care of yourself when you grow up is not about the fact that a husband can do it better for you, but that you can do it just as well and better."
"They're doing anything and everything that interests them and which they're good at. I want to have that life, too, and I know I can. I just have to work hard for it right now, in college."

I'm so proud of you, women. Not because I'm supposed to be for you're my friends; but because you're all the kind of people who give me a reason to be proud of you for who you are!

10 Best Feels EVER!

Subject to change with better experiences...? I may not update, though. I'm a tad bit lazy, yeah. But hey, you may always have a different set of top 10. You want to consider this personal, then? Ok, here we go.

1. To see an infant stop crying and find comfort in your arms.
2. The feel of the gentle and mildly cold breeze on your face.
3. Walking with someone who doesn’t make silence feel awkward; in fact fills it with immense understanding.
4. To walk barefoot on dewy grass (hope for clean grounds or parks)
5. The perfect rains; not too heavy but not too light (may I add Paris here?)
6. The winter sunshine (And if you’re lucky, you’ll spot a dog sleeping or basking around)
7. Eye contacts- wordless, meaningful ones.
8. Crashing on bed and feeling like your head’s resting on a wave of water (happens sometimes, if you’ve been around too much water for the day. It also alleviates some stress off you.)
9. First snow ever (You know you could be a believer of magic for that one moment)
10. To see someone give you the most beautiful smile you’ve ever seen (and almost swoon...? Don’t ask me if it’s love. I wouldn’t know.)

She

And you could say that to her again, and again and again.

Apparently, Twilight is so popular cuz teenagers can relate to it.

Oh yeah, I remember that time when I was a vampire.

Reblogged from: http://www.infinityonpause.blogspot.in/

Blank Verse

I wonder if you've ever thought if it was the hypocrisy of the litmus paper or the brute strength of the worker; that we see different colours on the paper with acid and with base and we think gold to be malleable. I wonder if you ever pondered if people change or if it was your mistake or your delusion that you stand here stranded.

Every tide rises and falls but are our expectations meant to experience the same crests and troughs? Why did you think he meant it all? Why do you think she’ll come back? Why do we crash and burn to realize that we are but a small dot in the cosmic order of universe and our existence shall mean nothing and yet we nurture the desire of a thousand burning suns to be remembered?

Write me an elegy?

Every day we die a little; optimists would argue that before that death, we bloom into life. Every day. Call me what you want to but every day I realize that people are a killjoy, social media is an exaggeration, life is a never-ending Ekta Kapoor serial except it stretches longer than 10 years if you’re lucky (or unlucky maybe?), and no matter how much you do to create value for your life, yourself or just the days you live and as they go by you shall realize that all this grandeur is doomed to turn into just a speck of dust one day.

Can you watch the past go up in smoke now?

Do you think it’s time that you introspect, then. Your decisions, their consequences. Perhaps this is your life’s ode to the winds of change and this is the time you could cut reason some slack. She loved him. He didn't say it. So she had to walk away. It hurt. But was there another way?

“Maybe it was because I was never verbose or my ego came in the way.

Maybe it was ignorance or just sheer selfishness on your part but maybe it was time to stop chasing you since you loved the running away.”

Stoneheart!

Inspiration: Thomas Gray "Elegy Written In A Country Courtyard"

Nouvelle Année

As we grow up, the realization of the redundancy of the concept of New Year Resolutions and the understanding of growing from within begin to dawn upon us.  We change, mature and a counted few introspect. So what do we see ourselves being when we see ourselves in retrospect 2013? What do we expect from 2014? If you’ve been the fortunate, yet unfortunate victim of being hit by life hard in your guts, you’d probably ask for some time; to be stable again. If you think you’re just living by your years on earth, then probably you’re asking for a reason to get by yet another year. If you’ve been unproductive and you have any conscience that stabs you every time you think you’ve been a useless butt, then you ask for opportunities. Mostly, people expect change. I do, too.

But this end of the year, I’m scared of what is to begin.

You see, Decembers have been pretty eventful for me since 2009; the year I see myself growing up to be aware of a world around me. This December, on the other hand, ends on a peaceful and ordinary note. Obviously then, end of 2013 means the beginning of a 2014 and that means a new cycle which scares me. I don’t have anything to keep focusing on, or to think about or to forget about. I’m a blank slate and it’s terrifying to wonder what chalks would be thrown at me. But I’ve taken life as it comes to me and gotten over things and I’ve learnt that it’s okay to take the leap.

And so I shall, again.

I’ll want to let myself bloom; into all things I’ve aspired to be, all things that I’ve worked for and most importantly, all things I’ve dreamt of. It’s a long road, but I shall take it and embark on a journey. I hope the journey shows me who I am; for that’s what I’ve been searching for, trying to discover. I hope I make the journey worthwhile when I get there.

For one thing is sure. If life ever throws me into movie scene, I don’t want to come across a someone who is what I wanted to be and break into a million pieces. I want to be and I shall be happy in my own shoes and that shall be, when I take that journey. I know I have plans, but for now…

Hello 2014, let’s see what you’ve got!

Coffee Beans

I stirred my coffee over and over waiting to see some foam on the top.  Across the counter, memories swirled on the steam that plastered the window on that beautiful snowy morning.

“Aditi, whenever you need to talk, I just want to let you know that I have your back.” I lingered. Good people don’t go out of your life until you wish them away. Vasavi came back around and I was glad.

“Main nahin sehti” the joy that this statement brought to me was inexplicable. I almost forgot my compulsion to stir the coffee. There aren’t many cool people you find in the multitude of drama you’ll see walking around you every day in college. I smiled when I thanked my fortunes for having met Vibhawari.

“I’m happy that you’re happy”  and I get back to my coffee. I take a sip. It needs more coffee beans. I forget how much I put in and enough is never enough, it seems. Just as he forgets things. Prabhat can be annoying. But just as I said this in my head, things fell into place. After all, just as coffee beans keep giving out colour to the milk even if they’re not just enough for the perfect coffee yet, he comes around. He doesn’t have to be around to do things or think things he wants to for you, about you.

And another thought raced to my mind. I took a deep breath. There’s something that gives. She lends me something that I seem to need a lot of times. I suddenly stand straight, charged. I put my coffee down. I have to set up the counter for work. Eesha’s work obsession is something I could never match but her persona may have put some pieces of my puzzle into place for me. I am more of my own person when she’s around.

I sighed. I had too many coffee beans in my coffee now. I put more sugar to regain the balance. I chuckled as that could have made some metaphorical sense, too. Lit kids, pfft! But then it’s not a lost cause. Aayush does give the best pep talk. I’ve never heard better. He could even beat the girls who think they’re the “best” at this.

The bell tinkled and the door opened. My reverie broke and it startled me. My coffee jumped right out of my mug right into the sink. I looked back to see who came in and then right back into the sink.

“Ah! I need more coffee beans!”

Independence Day

Today let's take a minute to thank our soldiers who sacrifice, to remember those who first tried to take out that bunch of warring whites. To remind ourselves ourselves that we still have a long way to go; because we may have got this country back from foreign hands but we still don't have the country in hands of our own.

Today is Independence day; probably the only day when all of us unanimously call this country 'ours'. Hence it is a Happy Independence Day, indeed.

But let's think of all the other days when we don't associate ourselves with our country; all those times we wish we had a green card and scoot from here; all those minutes we spend talking about how "these Indians" drive or don't vote or can't maintain queues and procedures, etc. or how everything in India is 'just like that' and how nobody tried to change it.

How much is our country- is India- really our own?

I hope we work towards that from this moment on because today's momentum will probably remain unparalleled for the rest of the year. Even if you start with a thought, it's still a beginning for it's the thought that counts. And every thought sown reaps into an action that reaps into a character and trust me- we could really use a few genuinely patriotic souls around here! And I can bet you think so too.

Do tell me how you plan to start making India you own country today!

The story of our lives!

So it's exam time and here's what flashes in front of my eyes:

College Starts:                                                           



Every Class:                                                               



As Exams Approach:                                                



On Seeing The Syllabus                                             



Night Before The Exam:                                              



On The Day Of The Exam:                                       


On Seeing The Paper:                                                    


After Coming Out Of The Exam Hall:                          


Before The Last Exam:                                                 




At The End Of The Semester Exams:                           




The First Week After Exams End:                                  




The Week Before The Results Come Out:                    




When The Result Comes Out:                                    




2 Days Later: