Since travel literature has been an interest close to mine heart since the beautiful old varsity days, and also ’cos Michael Crichton used to be an old fave (for his critically informed take on concerns of science fiction) in the older sec. school days..

So, when one hears of an amalgamate, the only permissible reaction.. would be to go for it, yea! ;)

Thought it’d be interesting to read accounts of travel writing from an old fave writer, who’s trained first and foremost in the scientific Discipline – as a doctor, and then became loved as a writer. ;)

Nice read, so far.

Wishes, minerva*

Brilliant.

Here, mine ’lil musings: Carpe Diem.

Wishes, minerva*

Well, i guess it is indeed rather slow-moving at the outset, but it’s one of those books that deserve to be given some time to blossom fully before one is able to appreciate its full magical splendour..

Altho’ the narrator, Mr Stevens, is the typically reticent protagonist, he does grow to earn the reader’s trust and by the end, he’s surely an endearing character to remember..

My fave paras, hmmm.. come from the closing pages (Faeber and Faber Limited: 1989. p.256):

… ’Don’t keep looking back all the time, you’re bound to get depressed.. We’ve all got to put our feet up at some point.. you’ve got to keep looking forward.’

And I believe it was then that he said: ’You’ve got to enjoy yourself. The evening’s the best part of the day. You’ve done your day’s work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it. That’s how I look at it. Ask anybody, they’ll all tell you. The evening’s the best part of the day’…

Beautiful. :)

Wishes, minerva*

Need to read smth of literary merit.

Need to fill the void – It’s been too long..

Couldn’t get a Pico Iyer, Alexander McCall Smith (even Michael Crichton), so picked up this Ishiguro (bought a few years ago, in the blessed varsity years). Let’s see. :)

Wishes, minerva*

Poignant and ineffably beautiful.

~ mine humble musings on this priceless gem, here.

Wishes, minerva*

Recommended for..

~ Great music (as here)

Well, at least 2 songs that I really like namely, the brilliant and poignant “Luka Chhuppi” and the title track itself.

~ Lovely plot, with admirable analeptic swinging to-and-fro between the past of their forefathers/foremothers’ revolutionary zeal, juxtaposed against these carefree youths’ (initially) apathetic lives.

Mine humble musings (of notions that i loved) in this lovely Effort, then:

Although I did find the plot (of the entire first half) a tad slow except for the songs, the presentation of generally apathetic youths (who could be anyone amongst us, yes) rather (laudably) realistic – Their epiphanies of patriotic duty do not strike them at a quickening.

Instead, it takes them a long time – with dollops of mockery at old lore of patriotism/revolutionary zeal – and a painful loss of a cherished friend, whereupon they learn they’ll need to act, at least, in whatever ways they could, to effect Change.

Liked how the characters don’t act all dramatic, and go for glorifying operations, but resort to seeking out an Audible Voice for themselves – and I liked this part – how they braved whatever was to come, together (armed solely by the conviction to seek justice for the masking of the truth, for a Friend).

Admittedly, closing themselves in didn’t sound like too good an idea, but even then, the way their ends unify them beyond perhaps superficial tags as their arbitrary identities (race/religion/language etc.) and how they identify with their own past, of heroes they’ve never met – but whose passionate Zeal for justice and better tomorrows for the nation’s future children they can now recognise as their own – is beautiful.

Echoing on long after the credits roll are Aamir’s closing (adapted, here) lines, and easily, the pivot upon which the entire movie hinges on: That one may realize, that..

“There are two ways to live in this world.

We either tolerate the extant realities (and gripe about them). Or, we try to effect some change to the world – be responsible for Change, and new possibilities.”

And so, we shall. In our own little ways, however apathetic we (might think we might) be, we’ll plant the seeds for better, brighter tomorrows, in these daily moments we stumble, dust off our knees and stride on.

Beautiful effort, again. :)

Wishes, minerva*

Well, just a ‘lil thought:

How Atwood’s novel is (as it’s often so): Highly imaginative – and disturbingly true.

Profound, in both these aspects, yes.

And, of course, that ambiguous possibility – the final dollop of Hope even amidst the (at times, horrifically) dystopic dismay.

Humble musing: It’s good to trek through the rough terrain of dystopia, once in a while: Helps keeps our imaginations – and social consciousness alive.

Wishes, minerva*

Been looking forward to Vishal Bhardwaj’s (indian) adaptation of the famed Shakespearean tragedy, “Othello.”

Found the language rather coarse (often bordering on crude, yes) and violent, at first. But, of course, that could be justified by pointing to the notion that after all, that was what the characters themselves dwelled in. So, if the main cast, say like Omi (Omkara, played by Ajay Devgan – as Othello, yea) and his most trusted Langda (played by Saif – as the inimitable Iago) and Kesu (played by Vivek Oberoi – as Cassio) are introduced as persons steeped in violence (verbal, physical, etc.), then over time, it isn’t too difficult to accept them as they are.

An aside here: Yours truly prob. finds it easier to accept characters in their darker shades of character, than i’ll ever do, to real people.. For people, aren’t just figments of (creative) imagination – they are meant to utilize their willpower and human capacity to understand, appreciate – Empathise, yes they havta.

Thought the main cast Omi (Ajay, as Othello) and Dolly (Kareena Kapoor, for Desdemona) were simply, excellent.

Although Langda was a laudable effort, – representing one of Shakespeare’s best villains – amoral, pragmatic and eternally manipulative Iago, being no easy task – was actually a wee bit disappointed that the crucial closing element of his confession didn’t qute come through.

Having said that, i guess it takes a really poignant work to bring a tear or two of genuine appreciation to yours truly. What more, after knowing full well the plot of this beautiful (if indeed it could be called so – in its representation of human fallibility) tragedy and being cautious of its media hype..

If not for anything else, then do stop and watch this film for the beautifully poignant closing scenes where the beautifully human Omi sings his song of deep, true love for his beloved again, albeit in a much more heart-rending moment of confusing loss – thence the title of this ’lil, humble post.

Wishes all, minerva*

Fine movie, dir. by Karan Johar. Lovely music, by Shankar Ehsaan Loy.

But at the end, what shines through is this:

That, beneath all the glitz and glamour, ultimately there’s just so much sorrow in each of our lives.

And how, most of the time, what (most of us)/we do, is to stumble through. So, it’s fine to make these mistakes – but that’s not meant to be an excuse for anything..

Guess, the meaning I’ll take away from the movie’s that, it’s more about how – as we all makes mistakes in our choices [of career/edn/love/life etc.], or the times we’d procrastinated the choices we’d to make – finally we pick the pieces, stand up and move on again, with courage & hope to (dare to) make our dreams come true, again.

And, of course, a more realistic (albeit, more glitzy) version of how relationships have to be nurtured with time, choices founded on genuine compassion, constant compromise, and love (in whatever form it manifests itself in) that’s consistently replenished – and reciprocated. Hmm.

Take care & Wishes, minerva*

Top-notch acting by the main cast, esp. Saif Ali Khan & Vidya Balan. Enjoyably beautiful performace – Kudos to both of ’em, for rendering life to two lovely characters so real.

Lovely music ~ ‘Piyu Bole,’ ‘Soona Mann Ka Aangan’ & Kasto Mazaa’ are instant faves. :)

Beautiful movie ~ More like “the stuff that dreams are made of” [in the Bard’s words], but theregain, it’s the main cast’s stellar performances in the most nuanced – and humanly vulnerable scenes wherein the movie, and its underlying thread of love blossoms anew.

Recommended to dear friends.

Wishes, minerva*