Two Delightful Bollywood Gems
Among all that unmitigated trash that is produced in such great volumes in Bollywood and across all the other “*ollywoods” in India (Hollywood inspired nicknames – 18 of them just in India!), it’s super easy to lose hope that there might be any entertainment worth our time and energy.
Then, out of the blue, I received an unexpected gift. Two gems from my home country, over one fun filled weekend.
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The older of these two gems had been released a few weeks ago in India but I just now got the chance to watch it. This movie, Dum Laga Ke Haisha is one which, unfortunately for me, I got to see only on a teeny, tiny tablet. It tackles a weighty problem (literally) with sensitivity and is about the last thing that I would have expected from the glamour-obsessed, thin-fixated film industry of India. Unique and wonderful, this entertainer was a sweet delight, despite the darn issues that I had with image size (no pun intended) and quality.
Trailer of Dum Laga Ke Haisha:
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Luckily for me, I was able to catch the other gem on the big screen the very next day. Run, don’t walk! Go see Piku in a theater near you. Before it disappears. What a joy it is!
I try my best not to overuse the word awesome, but in this case it’s a perfect fit. Deepika, Amitabh, Irrfan – all of them are simply awesome, as is the supporting cast. I must also mention the other stars of the show – the writer and director who made this wonderful thing happen.
And I do declare that the real win belongs to us, the viewers.
Trailer of Piku:
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My hats off to the makers of both these all too rare (and therefore all the more precious) Bollywood gems.
There are numerous reviews online for both of these films should you care to check, but I wouldn’t bother with any of them. Just trust me. 😉 Really, have I ever let you down?
Watch the trailers if you must, using the links I’ve provided above, but then gather up your friends and find a way to watch both of these films soon.
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You know how there’s all kinds of interesting news coming out of India these days? Like Amma getting a free pass. And Salman bhai too. All of this can make one feel rather sad, troubled and disillusioned about serious issues. Like justice.
But hey, forget all that serious stuff for a few hours. Give yourself permission to while away that time in some fun and sweetness. For a change.
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Listen Up – It’s Monica’s Turn
Who doesn’t remember the scandal that consumed the nation and the world in the late ’90s? The infamous adventures, the trials and tribulations of Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton, and the virtual megaphone and media storm that made it a top news story for several weeks.
While some of us thought it was much ado about nothing, there is no question that it provided tremendous ammunition to the Clinton haters and the worldwide media at large.
Incredibly, more than fifteen years have passed since that time, the scandal became old news and Monica Lewinsky had virtually disappeared into obscurity.
Until, that is, she decided to take a very deliberate and decisive step to re-emerge into the public eye.
After reading about it, I finally had the privilege (yes, it was) of watching her TED talk from March. In just about a month, that talk has garnered views in the range of 3.4 million so, this may all be old news to you.
Just in case it isn’t, or you have not yet had the opportunity to watch her talk, I would encourage you to do so.
It’s called “The Price of Shame“, and if anyone knows what that is, it is undoubtedly Ms. Lewinsky. Her talk articulates the horrific experience she went through and the incredible humiliation she had to suffer through. But it is centered around communicating this to people simply so that others who make mistakes in life never have to go through that kind of public shame, ridicule and judgement.
She communicates a message that is related to her experience but geared towards how we treat others who make mistakes in life, how easy it is to bully and get bullied in cyberspace, and her plea for all of us to use empathy and compassion so that others may never suffer the public shame she did.
Perhaps it will only be curiosity about the public figure she became that will cause you to watch her speak, but I believe you will be as impressed with her eloquence and courage as I was.
[Click on the image below to view the TED talk].
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With Hillary Clinton’s run for the Presidency, there is little doubt in my mind that there will be an encore of sorts, with the many haters coming out of whatever dark pit they have been hiding in, to blow-up the old scandal anew. [Watch this space at this time next year].
I just wish they could/would listen to the meaningful messages from this strong woman before they started with their public hating and spewing. All over again.
We can always dream, right?
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The Yin and Yang of Life Anywhere 