Tranistion: Since school to two years back...

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Just before the Xoraighat bridge!

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Black Friday

Save the world from going blind

After much controversy and a two-year ban, this film is released at last. And what a film it has turned out to be. I wont keep you waiting till the last line to tell you this is one film that you should watch, without fail.

The film is, of course all of us know that, about the 1993 Mumbai – then Bombay - blasts. And its sticks to the theme without any deviation. In fact, so religiously the director has followed the book on which the film is based, the film is actually divided into chapters. This helps the audience relate and understand an otherwise complex movie.

The film starts with a man in lock up informing the police about blasts that are going to take place in a few days. The police of course hardly believe – until it happens. But I feel the movie actually starts just before the blasts… there is uneasy silence, which is represented by a high decibel continuous sound. The sound gets louder till its unbearable and then the blasts… followed by complete silence. Very interesting indeed. Specially so because usually a tragedy is accompanied by some music but here it was complete silence. Silence that hit you so hard, it pains.

Another aspect of the film – it uses real names, of all the accused and even Tiger Memon.

Elaborate details of the blasts and how the accused were linked let the audience comprehend the whole incident. And yes, the story has skillfully lightened up by the excellent of humour wherever possible, be it Kay Kay eating a banana or eating nothing!

The film is well made. The script and screenplay is terrific. The cinematography is innovative. A lot of red light is used for scene during the interrogation. It’s candid movement just like the human eye. But may be cinematography is not about imitating the eye. The editing makes the film crisp.

The acting department is strong. Loads of underexposed good actors. I would like to mention that the actor playing Dawood looks quite similar! Pavan Malhotra, who plays Tiger Memon has done a brilliant job and so has Kay Kay, who needless to say has always been excellent throughout his career.

And yes the music. Indian Ocean scores. The music is just what was required for a film like this. The film ends with the track ‘Are ruk ja re bandeh’ which has already been quite a big hit since quite some time. The song gives strength to the quote of Gandhiji “An eye for an eye makes the whole blind” with which the films starts and end.

Anurag Basu, you could consider him a debutante as his first film Paanch is yet to release, is one more addition to the ‘different’ breed of film-makers.

The film is a complete closure. The film starts and ends with gandhiji’s quote. But again making an exception I would like to mention the same sound that come back at the end before ‘bandeh’ to be the closure.

I saw a movie after a long time, and boy as they say – patience bears great fruit. I saw a great movie.

To end it let me remind you guys “AN eye for and eye makes the whole world blind”

I recommend this film goes for Oscars next year

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KANK: A typical Karan Johar film

Yes, I finally watched it. On DVD as it has long been shown the door of the multiplexes. And hence I thought I might as well share my views on the film, which showed Karan Johar the face of failure.

This is a typical KJo film. Huge star cast and huge budget. The story is about two couples, or rather a person in each couple, both of who have never felt some thing they could call love. It was more less compromises.

Shahrukh is an injured, limping football coach with priety as his wife while Rani is a ‘boring’ school teacher, her hubby being the AB jr. And yes there is the AB sr playing dad to AB jr… and what a dad he plays! Sexy Sam.

The film is about two people with similar grievances becoming friends. Because they understand each other better. First it is Sexy Sam and Kiron Kher becoming good friends. Taking a cur from them, Shahrukh (who surprisingly isn’t named Rahul or Raj but Dev) and Rani becomes friends… but their friendship takes huge leaps as they end up sharing a hotel room! Abhisekh and Preity also become friends to solve similar problems. Quite a lot of friendship in fact.

While Big B and Kiron try to light up each other’s gloomy ol’ days, the others try to save their respective marriages. Well until Shahrukh and Rani realises that they want to be with each other rather than their spouses. Hence begins the love story.

And then mid way they decide to get back to their spouses as they do not want to hurt them anymore… And here’s the fun. The spouses instead of playing angles turn them out of their respective home. Yes Shahrukh lived in Priety’s home!

The film ends on a happy note with the lovers meeting after three year of and coming to know that both actually live alone. Some confusion. Some tragedy.

The film story of the film has not been appreciarted. Well at least by my friends, who say “when you live a person for so many years you automatically tend to fall in love with him or her. Hence they not loving their spouses is strange.” Very true indeed. But you can never rely on the heart and this film is for those who feel incomplete.

The film is well made. The cinematography id picture perfect and the editing is cool.

A couple of songs are good, especially the title track and Mitwa.

Acting wise, all of them are superb. I did like to mention that Big B is excellent as sexy Sam. And then with the ease he shifts gears to a sober father underline his capabilities.

For the mush-loving folks, I recommend this movie, if they haven’t seen it yet. Others, I don’t take responsibility. It’s you call. But this can be watched once.

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My blog which i use to post movie reviews — http://motionpics.blogspot.com/
This consists os coupe of reviews that are nt available on this blog.

This was an effort towards giving reader-specific stuff.
But now i am back to my original blog. That's this one.

Hence forth this blog will be a composite of different topics.

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KSPN Production presents NINA

have a look :)

the film has been broken into two parts to be fit into YouTube. The first part comes first

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KSPN Presents Nina
The team includes - Khushboo Jalan, Paromita Chakrabarty, Shalini Sen and yours truly..
It's a college film made as a part of our syllabus..

hope you like it :)

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Nina
part 2:

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ULFA – WHAT IT WAS AND WHAT IT IS NOW
A look into Assam’s worst problem ever



The ULFA is been in much news of late. First a number of blasts across the Assam and then finally lifting ban they had imposed on the National Games (wonder who are they to ban). I thought this could be a time to talk about Assam’s worst ever problem. The why and whats.

Before talking about the ULFA we should know something about Assam. Assam lies on the northeastern part of India. It is a state known for its tea- approximately 55.5% of the total tea production of India is from Assam. It is also rich in oil and is lush green with Kaziranga National Park famous for its population of one-horned rhino -also a world heritage site, and the Manas sanctuary famous for its golden langur which not found anywhere else in the world, situated in this state. Assam was once a large and rich state but now remains a shadow if its former self after being divided into several sates. Right now its economy is down in the dumps with problems like terrorism, annual floods, and unemployment limiting its progress.

Terrorism in the state has left the devastated with organizations like ULFA, MULTA, NDBF, BLT eating into the economy. ULFA – The United Liberation Front Of Assam
was born on the 7th of April 1979 on the historic lawns of Ranghar has been fighting for the liberation of Assam ( a land of 78529 sq km) from the Indian republic. The organization says that Assam was never a part of the India territory.

In 1979 a group of college students got together and decided that an armed struggled was the only way to rinse the political system of the state. They first sent ripples around the state by dispensing bootleggers, corrupt officials and anti-social elements. Talked about the outsiders swamping the state and ruining the economy by denying jobs to the sons of the soil. They were concerned why Assam’s economy was so poor in spite of being rich in oil and tea. They also raised voice against the infiltration of Bangladeshis.

ULFA raised the concerns of the youth who termed them as revolutionaries. Elder citizens saw them as youngsters who were out to clean the dirty system. In 1987 they sent 200 boys to Myanmar for armed training. The NSCN had then shown doubts how they ULFA could fight India when they would crumble under little pressure form the Indian Army. But over the years the ULFA militants have not only learned to hold the gun but also use it in devastating ways. So much so that now ULFA is no more a revolutionary outfit but a bloodthirsty organization.

Its in interesting what the organization had started out as and what it is now. What ULFA proclaims it is and what it is now seen as is nothing less than an irony. According to ULFA - Assam was never a part of India at any point of time hence theirs is not a separatist movement. The fact is that India has occupied independent Assam along with other northeastern states and Kashmir. The people of Assam have defended the Moghul attacks as many as 17 times. Assam became a British colony after the Treaty of Yandabu
(1926). The people of launched movement against the British, which was later, united with the Indian freedom struggle. Hence after the departure of the British Assam should have been an independent country. The organization has also alleged that India encouraged the influx of Indian national to Assam because having an ethnic affinity with the Indian mainland would be good for the long-term security perspective. It also said that the partition of India at time of independence led to large influx of foreigners, which caused a serious threat to the demographic composition of Assam. The ULFA has also accused the Indian Government of adopting oppressive measures against the people of the state and has also suppressed the Assamese language and culture and has ensured that Assam remains poor. It therefore urges to all the Assamese to join in their endeavour. They have also in their website given what are the characters needed to become an ULFA member.

From a time when ULFA enjoyed widespread sympathy to a time. What caused the organization that had a meteoric rise in popularity thought of as an enemy as maximum people of the very state it meant to serve? One incident that cemented ULFA in this direction occurred on June 28 1990 when ULFA summoned 20 tea barons in Dibrugarh and asked them to pay a tax of Rs.1 per kilogram of tea. The barons protested against the huge demand. But ULFA murdered Surendra Paul a tea planter in Dibrugarh and brother of British labour peer Swaraj Paul. This sent a clear signal that either the tax be paid or risk their life. Extortion now is a major part of ULFA’s income. ULFA no longer talks about the Bangladeshi immigration which one of the most prominent problems of Assam now. Instead they have camps in Bangladesh and their Commander in Chief reportedly having financial interests in the country. The members have acquired a lot of money. Joining the ULFA has become a quick short cut to money for the mislead unemployed youths of the state.

Public sympathy has waned the years. Earlier when the police picked on a person with suspected links to the ULFA, villagers would surround the police station and get the person freed. If any ULFA cadre would die there would be long funeral processions. But
no more. There are public meetings held to discuss the menace of the organization. Many writers have flooded newspapers with their writings, protesting the bloodshed caused by the organization. There have been countless occasions when the militants have killed people in huge scale – including the recent killings of the Hindi- speaking people in the state. What probably turned the public opinion against the ULFA is the killing of Sanjoy Ghosh who was working towards empowering the people of Majuli- the largest river island in the World situated in the river Brahmaputra. The reason for killing Ghosh according to them was that he was working for the RAW. But there could well be other reasons. ULFA has also tried to eliminate all who has tried to unite the Assamese people against it. One such person was Mr. Rabha who after leaving the BSF decides to stand against the ULFA. He was turning to be success by uniting people but ULFA didn’t waste time and went straight on to finish him off. Rabha was awarded the Saurya Chakra posthumously- the only civilian to be honoured so.

The people’s opinion has changed. They want peace and no more violence. ULFA no longer gets the importance. It has clearly given the impression that its main ideology is to make money. They would do some good if they fight against the Bangladeshi threat and also they fundamentalist fire that the ISI is promoting in the state.


© Copyright Noyon Jyoti Parasara, 2006

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India coming alive

The Indian team seems to back to its winning ways. And this is a great relief for whole criket loving nation. The best part is that the batsmen seem to be back in form. Ganguly has played a superb role in the whole series. Good to see him back and in form. I bet all of us want to see his sixes again. Tendulkar also scored a great century in the fouth ODI. However one thing that has taken me aback is Tendulkar replying his critic verbally. It’s hard to believe that he said that. Replying his critics is fine but none can deny that he has indeed been out of form for quite some time now. A single knock is too early to say that he is back in form. Now that he has found his touch may be he should work on his consistency. All said, we hope that the team maintains its winning habit at least till the world cup finals!

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