This isn’t a review.

It’s just WHY I think you should watch Dhobi Ghat.

I loved it.

I’m so glad I managed to watch it today. A week late! “Better late than never”

Again, a completely last minute, impromptu plan – The only kind that seem to work !

But, I’ve been looking forward to this one.

And it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Having heard and read mixed reviews about it, I’m glad I made the time to see it and decide for myself.

The portrayal of these lives and their emotions is very real, crude and because of that, fresh.

I’ve heard a lot of complaints about how it just leaves you hanging; Inconclusive in a way.

That’s what makes it all the more brilliant. How many of us are living ‘done deals’ anyway!

But, I drew my own conclusions.

I replayed the last few scenes in my head on the way back home and I thought about what the little gestures meant, from the characters you grow to understand through the course of the film. Whether it was a tear rolling down, or crumpling a paper or running like a madman to do something completely selfless, to reserving your greatest work for yourself; there are so many questions that could be asked and so many meanings that could be drawn from a movie that ends the way this one does.

Which is why, I would LOVE to discuss it with ANYone who’s seen it and feels like discussing it! (*bebe=)) 

I was thoroughly enthralled by the way they managed to capture all kinds of love. All kinds of life.

This definitely isn’t brainless, “feel good” cinema. It’s the kind that makes you think.

But, apart from the philosophical stuff that there really is no end to,

the script and direction leave me looking forward to Kiran Rao’s next. The storytelling was just masterful, in words and by every frame.

Aamir, of course, is awesome; but this time, she really brought the “better” half.

A perfectly cast set of actors that did justice to their roles, Prateik Babbar standing out in particular, was just the icing on the cake.

Watch the movie.

And this was totally a review.

♪

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skOY7nKH144&feature=channel

Man, I REALLY want to see Dave Matthews Band live!

Adiemus!!!

!Adiemus, is Brilliant

Quoting Wikipedia:

"Adiemus is the title of a series of albums by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins.


Each Adiemus album is a collection of song-length pieces featuring harmonized vocal melody against an orchestral background. There are no lyrics, instead the vocalists sing syllables and 'words' invented by Jenkins.
The language of Adiemus is carefully stylised so as not to distract the listener's attention from the pitch and timbre of the voice—for example, syllables ending in consonants are rare, in this respect it is similar to Japanese and several other languages. The core concept of Adiemus is that the voice should be allowed to function as nothing more than an instrument.


The word Adiemus itself resembles a Latin word meaning 'We will approach' (literally, "we shall submit a cause to a referee"); Jenkins claims to have been unaware of this."


And last but NOT in the least,


ENYA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!!!!!

Khalil Gibran - On Children

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let our bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

More of where that came from:

"Love is sufficient unto love." 

"The oak tree and The cypress grow not in each other's shadow."

"And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."

And what we mean, we say, and what we would, we know.

Recommended Read: 
The Buried Life by Matthew Arnold.

15 days into a new year, and I think I can safely say its a year of change.
Big change.
Tough change.
Good change?
Change.


They even want to change the Zodiac.
Ok. That's where I think the universe is pushing it.
Like what's with the new constellation, man. Or woman! Or whatever.
Take it back!


As you can see,
I'm not the biggest fan of "change".
But in my defense, when it comes to the stars...
I've always taken pride in being one of the cardinals.
Being the fire sign, pioneering the pack... yada yada. 
I just thought it was cool and I've had almost a complete 22 years to get used to it and convince myself that nothing could be cooler. (For me, that is.)
Now they expect me to warm up to being a fish.
Sigh.


It is what it is.
You're really who you choose to be at the end of the day.
And if  the stars spell fish, I'll be a fish with Rammy tendencies.
My pointless prattle is going somewhere... 
really.


I've spent that last fortnight pushing myself to bring about a change in my ways that,
I could lie and say, has been a long time coming...
or tell the truth and say, I've always known I've needed but somehow consistently managed to fool myself into believing I had good reason not to have brought it about yet.
Having said that, I'll go with the truth.
The truth is, it's hard.
I've slipped up.
But mostly, stuck to my guns.


I miss going with the flow and I fight (very strongly) the urges to reconnect, catch up, chill out or just call people. All things that I consider important, but in my current circumstance just translate to waste of time.
I think I'm probably in the process of learning big "life lessons".
I know it sounds all "trying to be deep" and shit. 
But honestly, with this process of decluttering, I've found a little bit of clarity. 
I enjoy being spontaneous.
Doing what I feel like doing, in the moment. 
Saying exactly what I want to say.
And I revel in the beautiful confusion and colourful blur that evolves because of it,
dealing with the consequences as and when they come in whatever fashion.
Calling it a lesson learned (or not quite)... just another experience.
And now suddenly there are schedules with rows and columns and divided hours.
So much structure.
Such a regiment.
One that, if stuck to, would leave little scope for much to go wrong.
Yet, somehow... more sleep. More work done.
Greater belief that maybe with a little conviction, the task/s at hand aren't insurmountable at all.
Maybe, being like the wind isn't the only way to be. (Even if you have dreams of Swayze singing the song exclusively for you.)
Being firmly rooted comes with a strength, stability and pride of it's own.


It's strange how the things we initially resist, grow on us.
Then the reasons for which we resisted seem delusive,
but at the time, they really weren't at all.
Life calls for change all the time.
And it's up for grabs.
I guess it's really up to each of us, to decide when we're ready for our helping.
Sometimes you just don't have a choice.
That variable constant.
Forever rocking the  boat. 


"And a lost pulse of feeling stirs again.
The eye sinks inward, and the heart lies plain,
And what we mean, we say, and what we would, we know.
A man becomes aware of his life's flow..."

New Resolve

I think it's fine and dandy to make a list of things you want to accomplish and feel excited and happy for a little while.
I do this about 5 times a year.
And every time, I make a zestful phone call to one of my closest friends and tell them all about how THIS time is different. THIS time I cannot be stopped.
And then the excitement fades.
Habits aren't needs but they pretend very well.
The reality of how hard it is to really change kicks in.
And tra-la-la-la-la, 20 days down the line I'm back to where I was just before I started to make a list.
Doing what I know how to do.
Being the way I'm comfortable.
Too afraid or too lazy to change.
Once again, on the inevitable road back to feeling miserable about the failure of yet another attempt at taking control of things and making them go my way.


I don't believe in new years resolutions.
I do believe in trying harder though.
I'm aware that after trying repeatedly, it's really ok to ask for some help.
And to accept help being thrust upon me even if I feel too proud to concede that I need it.


I think new years resolutions are really wishlists.
It's what you wish would just happen.
It's very easy to forget or rather, not think about what really needs to be put into making resolutions reality.
This time, I'm just going to give everything another shot.
I've had perspective hit me like a rum-soaked raisin (They're strong!) in these last few days.
And I feel a new resolve.
I'm not going to say that it's different from anything I've felt before, or that it's the same.
I'm just going to try and do what I know I need to do.


Happy New Year everyone.
I hope you know what you want from it and that 'the universe conspires to help you get it'.