My nomination for the Oscar is The Lunch box!

I too had hoped that The Lunch Box would be our foreign film Oscar entry. I have not seen the film that has been nominated instead to be the Indian entry (and am sure it must be a good film too), but I continue to wish that the jury had decided upon this precious film. At a time when epic sagas and special effect extravaganzas are what entice an audience into the cinema, it came as a breath of fresh air to encounter a cinematic experience that held such nuanced subtlety and offered the message of hope so brilliantly.

The measured acting of the three main protagonists - Irfan Khan,  Nawazuddin Siddiqui  and Nimrat Kaur is what holds this tender story together and what makes it poetically poignant without it becoming cloyingly sweet. For me perhaps it is the acting of Nimrat Kaur that is the real stellar performance out of the lot. The quiet inflictions that this mature actor gives to the story line injects the credibility that elevates this film into being truly superlative.

Perhaps my only critique would be the initial "wobbliness"of the camera shots that are meant perhaps to be like darting eyes that take you from one part of the scene to the other. Thankfully as the film progresses this settles and the visual flow becomes conducive to the narrative that unfolds so effortlessly.

In the recent context of Indian cinema where many hopefuls wait for their dream moment in the arc lights of filmdom, these three actors are great examples of those who held personal ambitions and yet waited to find their niche within the industry without compromise. The finessed portrayals of their characters speak volumes about how deeply they individually understand their craft.

So yes I'm certainly disappointed that this film was not the choice of the jury and I believe we have once again not known the value of our own talent and how impressive this film actually is.

For those of you who have not seen this film its an absolute MUST see! And I am waiting for the release of it  as a DVD because I intend to send this film as a gift to all my foreign friends abroad.......

I cringed with shame...

A close friend of mine whatsApped me today asking me to blog my views on this ordinance issue. I myself am perplexed about this entire issue; and more importantly on how a government can ignore the verdict of a court and supersede their rulings without so much as comprehending the wider implications of making it into a Parliament versus Supreme court debate.  You cannot have two types of justice systems in a country, one for the ordinary citizen and the other for the parliamentarian; because as we well know every citizen has the right to appeal.  So how can can you disbar someone and pronounce their guilt before all legal options of appeal are exhausted by them. Especially in the era of coalition politics where the number game is crucial, the entire character of governance will be drastically altered. 

But for me besides this issue of fact I am indeed more disturbed by the brash behaviour of Rahul Gandhi.   I am not what you can call a staunch nationalist or fanatic patriot....I am an Indian with great pride of my nation who however by choice is stringently critical about many things that may be swept under the carpet by other  more tolerant citizens. Yet on this occasion of the great press club scoop ALL my nationalistic hackles rose and I cringed with shame as I wanted to swat Rahul baba for his bad timing on voicing his issues on the ordinance issue. It was such a clear slap in the face to our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and that too minutes before a critical meeting in the United States with Barack Obama. With the current scenario of India no longer being the destination of such interest for business, we are certainly painting ourselves into a corner. And having this type of dirty linen washed in public to embarrass our prime minister when he is visiting abroad on official business is unpardonable. 

You bet your ass that the opposition is going to have a field day with this.... of course they will! And no snivelly "I respect your leadership" damage control letter can undo this insult. The problem I also face is the arrogance of the young man who does not believe that communication is relevant. He is a terrible orator to say the least and always appears uncomfortable in front of a microphone. He abruptly says things trying to always sound efficient, and then rudely walks away from any engagement with real questions. He therefore appears more a mouth piece for others than the leader he is trying to insist he is. So now that the cat is out of the bag that Sheila Dixit Aunty was the voice behind it all persuading Rahul baba to shadow box for her.....well so  much for the man at the helm of the ship concept!

I find increasingly a blatant rudeness amongst the youth of India towards their elders where you can observe thin veneers of superficial etiquette that hide the truth of brash insolence. Rahul Gandhi has unfortunately crossed a line that many find unimpressive. Do we desire for the young man to evolve into an independent statesman with views that will certainly hold dissent from his elders? Most certainly....but then there is a finesse and informed manner to do this. I'm sure his intention was not to come across as a spoilt child but that's exactly what he looked like. 

No astute politician comes out and makes sweeping statements against his government without a well structured analytical explanation to support the conviction of their belief. So do your homework baba and don't take me as your voter for granted. Hissy fits and petulant one liners are for little boys. Wear the mantle of your legacy with more wisdom please.

*Photocredit: Mallikarjun Katakol

The gift of life....

A long absence from writing my blog....not a deliberate intention but unfortunately just time getting allotted elsewhere with a fair share of travel thrown in.  The most important news of course is the birth of our grandson Mehran. A Persian name chosen by his parents that means kindness, the baby is the spitting image of Mithun at the same age only with a mop of dark velvet black hair! The parents are complete pro's in the Mummy- Daddy department and so the cozy three some roost with great peace in their haven at Palm court Mumbai. The proud grandparents have the delight of being in charge of the  adoration department, which is not a department that we intend to give over to any one else in our life time! Little Mehran of course tolerates us all with the wisdom that all infants posses, allowing the family to be the complete circus that takes care of every whim and fancy from his button nose to those legendary tippy-toes as he feeds and sleeps the clock away!

I am of course transported back to my own experience of early motherhood thirty-five years ago. Mithun was born on the 2nd of November 1978. I was offered the option of having him on my birthday and chose instead to have him on my fathers birthday. I had induced labour that began in the morning at 7.30 and Mithun was born just before midnight! That first night alone with him in the crib that seemed too small for him, were  memorable  moments.

Little Mehran has been born into a space of great love, to parents who have waited with every passing day of the nine month pregnancy with such anticipation for him to be part of their lives. Swaddled up he lies as a complete bundle of cuteness as we watch his every move and take countless photographs and videos of the little mite....

Our lives can never be the same again. Love does that. It holds our  conscience to an accountability of caring and nurturing; and the legacies of life, distilled from all corners of the world, get harnessed to provide the wisdom and teachings that will shape this tiny baby with the necessary faith, hope and  optimism to be the best that he can be.

Little Mehran....you are a special gift of life!

A special moment to cherish...

We are so proud to announce

the birth of our grandson

Mehran

who was born to us on the

20th of September 2013

at 8.57 am....