Rajneeti, Mahabharat and Amar Chitra Katha

I liked Rajneeti. Yes, some part of the second half could have been differently presented. But i loved the movie. One of the decent movies in the recent times for sure. Had some power packed performances. Good script.

 

“Good script” a rare commodity these days. Cinema people simply seem to forget that the Cinema exists only because of story telling.  Rajneeti was based on Maharabharat. Mahabharat still continues to amaze all of us with every new adaptation like that in Rajneeti. In one of the discussions recently,  i realized not everybody has read Mahabharat. I started thinking, as to when did i first read Mahabharat. Yes, B R Chopra’s Mahabharat on DD-1 was one very good source, but other than that i remember Amar Chitra Katha played a vital role. Amar Chitra Katha used to have the stories presented in visual medium, drawings (the way they are done in comics). Drawings are the most engaging way to have the stories told to kids. Amar chitra katha books used to be on deep research of the story that they are telling. They used to re-create the entire culture in front of your eyes. I miss Amar Chitra Kathas today. I saw that they have the web site. They are still selling. But Amar Chitra Kathas should be more popular than Harry potter books at least in India. But they are not!

I plan to get entire collection of Amar chitra Katha some day at my place. Yes, they still continue to fascinate me, engage me. I feel we should urge our near and dear ones  (and most importantly their kids)  to read Amar Chitra Kathas. They are the best form of passing on the legacy and heritage to our kids.

 

- Harsh

Shoba De, Sri Sri and blog

I am not a follower of Sri Sri. But I do respect social work done by him. Putting it very objectively my gut feeling tells me he is not a fraud (perhaps this is also a very harsh and negative way of putting in words his contribution to the world of spirituality and social service).

 

The reason for writing these thoughts is something different. I have been a big fan of Shoba De’s blog and her fearless expression through any form of media. But last month she expressed seemingly derogative marks against Sri Sri. She had her point when she commented on the ‘firing on dog’ incidence. But she went beyond that and had some harsh, not needed and personal comments against Sri Sri. I wonder why she had to make those comments.  She had made her point on the ‘firing’ incidence.  Rest of the comments were utterly non-required. No surprise that – there was uproar in Sri Sri followers. And they reacted very heavily to her blog.

 

So this tells me the power of blogging. power which can be mis – used as well.  Spider man’s grand pa said ‘With great power comes great responsibility’.

Lesson- those who write true blogs (i.e. not for creating a false picture of themselves – but from the genuine need of expressing themselves), should as well think before expressing themselves.

And those who write fake blogs- they need not worry :) – as they are any way writing them to create false picture about themselves ! :)

 

Love- Harsh

Are we not concerned about remote areas in India

 

I was reading some article on rediff. Apparently- Manipur was cut off from the rest of the country for more than a month due road blockade started by some organization which (i feel sorry to say, i do not recollect). For me who did the road blocks, whether they were right are not important questions. For me what is important is  ‘We’ simply did not seem to care.  Government was sleeping over this. Even more disturbing was – media apathy on towards on this issue. These days i am getting bothered with media, TRP and ‘we’ liking only ‘entertaining’ news.

Simply put it- we are bothered about the issues which we have proximity to. They are accessible to us. More importantly many times they do not really affect us that badly and hence, we see them with ‘gossip’ mentality.

Recently- we ‘forgot’ railway accident in WB very easily- even media. I am very certain- media persons were paid very heavily to keep quiet about this issue after 1 day.Similar observation about the killings in Dantewada a few days back or Gadchiroli last year.

We forget who do not have proximity to us. Period.

This should change. At least in the educated class by at least being aware of the issues.

Probably i can co-relate with these issues- because i come from Nagpur, Vidarbha one of the neglected areas of Maharashtra. And perhaps i can co-relate with Manipur people. What happens with region/people of Vidarbha at state level probably happens 50 times more with these 7 remote states of India. (Some people will probably need to be reminded that there are 7 states in North East India with distinct/different cultures and our very own Indian people).

At this juncture i have decided to do one small thing- i have decided to look into geography of Vidarbha and know the exact names of districts in Vidarbha and know good or bad things of Vidarbha. Please note I am a proud Maharashtrian and love being part of Maharastra and in no way supporter of separate Vidarbha movement.But in these times when people in non-remote areas least concerned about the remote areas, at least people in remote areas can use information technology to try connect with people with-in their areas and form a stronger network.

My sympathies with people of North east in general and people of Manipur in particular.

 

Love- Harsh

Back to blogging

Finally I am back again to the world of blogging! And this time i mean business. Why do i feel this time that i will be able to continue with blogs this time?

The reason?My new dell studio with windows 7 and windows live features, helps me write my blogs offline and publish them from my desktop.I am thrilled to have my new dell laptop and the machine is lethal. Wow! One investment that i am truly happy about.

So world!!! Here i come back to blogging again!

See you soon and quite frequently!

 

Love- Harsh

Paa

Just saw the trailer of the movie ‘Paa’. One of the most effective trailers seen in recent times. It has all the elements- it reveals something extra ordinary to the first time viewer of the trailer. It generates great curiosity value. And most important- the legend himself, Amitabh Bachhan perhaps in one of his most challenging roles. Hats off to this legend! What a performance in 2 seconds trailer. Just can’t wait for the movie.

Harishchandrachi factory

I was waiting some right trigger to start blogging. I got it yesterday. The occasion was ‘International Film Festival’ at Nagpur in general and a brilliant Marathi movie called ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’ in particular. A week ago I really knew nothing about the movie. It was when the schedule of the international film festival at Nagpur was declared that, I got to know about the name of the movie. I just happened to search more about the movie on the internet (yes the tragedy is Marathi movies are not much known in Nagpur, Vidarbha). Thankfully found a lot of information. I liked the central theme of making a feature film on ‘making of India’s first motion picture’. Still, I was curious to know how the movie is actually made. I also had read that it is a comedy movie. Hence, I was a bit worried. Was this one more stupid comedy flick? Will the ‘comedy’ and the story of ‘father of the film industry in India’ go hand in hand? Will it be documentary?

It just turned out that, it was one of the most brilliantly scripted movies I have seen in recent times!

The movie is a ‘comedy’? Is that a comedy really? Well the situations are genuinely funny. So it is a mistake to call this movie a comedy. It is based on period of 2-5 years in Dadasaheb Phalke’s life, from the point when Phalke was introduced to motion pictures and to the stage when he had created the first motion picture in India and pioneered film industry in India. I say the script is brilliant, because it looked at the Dadasaheb Phalke’s life in a lighter tone. Had it been a typical stereotype art movie, it would have shown the period of struggle as painful tragic hard process with sense of triumph at the end. No, it does not follow this formula. Instead the script just in line with Dadasaheb’s eccentric character looks at the struggle in absolute lighter tone(just the way Dadasaheb looked at adversities in life and continued with his passion). The film breaks rules, just the way Dadasaheb did! It makes its points so vividly yet without being preachy about. You get educated without knowing you got educated. Now that’s infotainment.

Dadasaheb put aside his printing business to follow the science of motion pictures. He was thoroughly supported by his wife and his kids. He set out to create the first motion picture of India, when he did not know anything about camera. He learnt everything! The first motion picture made by him was called ‘Raja Harischandra’. The motion picture that was that was born in India, from Indian stories, for us Indian people.

Personally for me the movie proved to be close to my heart. Ever since my child hood I remember me having fascinated by projectors, movies. When combination of optics, sound, script, and acting collide to create a virtual world for us, is no less than a magic. This movie has many touching and funny moments. When Dadasaheb records and displays the growing tree on celluloid symbolizing the birth of film industry in India, the thunderous applause and standing ovation was absolutely spontaneous In Smruti Theatre of Nagpur on September 13, 2009.

Marathi cinema has seen golden age through a meaningful cinema and stalwarts like V Shantaram, Bhalji Pendharkar, Raja Paranjape and many more contributed to it. ‘ Harishchandrachi Factory’ is a ‘Cinema’ of that nature. And that reflected in the crowd attending the screening on Sunday 13th September. People who understood and enjoyed cinema rooted in Indian soil.

After months here was a cinema that I came out liking whole heartedly. I enjoyed. I felt elevated. I laughed. I clapped. I admired. And I silently saluted father of the Indian Cinema.

Thank you Dadasaheb Phalke for enriching our lives.

Take a bow Mr. Mokashi and cast/crew of ‘Factory’ for reminding us of the fight that this middle class simple Marathi person gave to create something that he truly believed in.

Thank you Sameer Nafde, Nirzar film society for getting international Cinema to Nagpur movie goers!

First trial blog

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