Tag: movie
Smorgasbord of Rituals
–Elizabeth Bowen
- Fumbling under my pillow for my phone to check for any messages, hoping for some earth-shattering good news only to find BSNL/Pizza Hut/Tata Photon spamming my inbox.
- Two minutes of stupor as I struggle with the decision of acquiring a little more sleep, and as testified by my family this is the most dangerous time of the day to approach me. Civility is clouded by sleep and primitive instincts of violence are sharp.
- An unnaturally long walk (or so it seems) to the sink to brush and floss and being startled every time by my the sight of my hair that could nest an Emu.
- Drinking jasmine tea (and this time in a cup made for adequately sized humans) in a desperate attempt to replace the caffeine in my veins.
- Sitting cross-legged on the divan in the verandah, leafing through the morning newspaper to check the headlines and the crossword, and inhaling lungfuls of recommended daily intake of fresh air.
- Dragging my reluctant feet to the study desk where tattered MCQ books lay awaiting me.
- Being the sole custodian of birthdays in the extended family and undertaking the task of wishing them every year.
- Saving up for winter, the season of books fairs.
- Playing cards with my parents on rainy evenings and listening to Pa’s uproarious anecdotes.
- Late night phone calls with my best friend (she does the calling up, I can’t afford hour long international calls) to share the comical indifference of our parents to the idea of marrying off their daughters who will always be 20 year old in their minds.
- Making perfectly round and spicy omelettes on the rare occasions when I lose my way and end up in the kitchen.
- Writing in stolen pockets of time.
- Putting up a Christmas tree (remnant of a missionary school education and overdose of Christmas movies) every year.
- Packing my suitcase two days before a trip and staring at the clock in a vain attempt to make it move faster by sheer will.
My Autumn: Cottony skies, Ghibli magic, Banned Books, Lemon Cake, Pasta, Phase 3, Basho, Earthquake and Empty Bank


Sita Sings The Blues

I watched the movie online a couple of days back. And absolutely loved it. You can catch Nina Paley’s “Sita sings the blues” here. It’s a brilliant animated version of the Indian epic Ramayana which runs parallel to a modern love story. It has been described as the “greatest break-up story every told”! It uses the jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw to chronicle the events of Ramayana, keeping in focus the relationship of Ram and Sita. It uses three shadow narrators (my favorite characters in the movie) to depict the tale and their hilarious narration wil surely delight you. The animation varies from frame to frame in three completely different settings of art. It’s one of the best works I’ve ever seen. Witty and pithy narrative, fantastic animation, good songs and above all a awesome depiction of the Grand epic Ramayana and the plight of Sita is sure to delight many a movie buff.
Why did I choose to mention this movie? March 8th. Women’s Day. MTV India ran a poll on whether there should be a special day to celebrate the achievements of women. 55% said “yes”, 45% said “there shouldn’t be a specific day to celebrate the achievements of women, every day is Women’s Day” That’s all very good, but honestly do you really think women have got the respect and recognition they deserve in society? And should we even strive for acknowledgement from men for every achievement of ours? We all know the answer in our hearts. I’ve written earlier about the significance of being a girl. In the movie, issues such as Ram asking Sita to prove her purity, despite her unwavering devotion and love for him and the sorrows she suffers silently because of his decision to abandon her when she was pregnant. Through all the turmoils in her life, she unquestioningly obeyed him, loved him, worshiped him. But she didn’t get the respect and love she deserved in the end. Sounds familiar? The film-maker draws parallel to her own love story in the movie. And think about it, don’t you know someone with a similar predicament? The story of Sita is still relevant in today’s world and many women can relate to her at some point or the other. Watch the movie. Highly recommended.
The tagline of the Cosmopolitan female is “fun, fearless female“. May I just add “Fantabulous” to it! If I wait and think about the wonderful women I’ve known in my entire life, I feel so proud to be a woman. Words won’t be enough to describe their full importance in my life, and I won’t even attempt to do so. I just want to tell these fabulous females that I feel blessed to have known them.
1.Ma– for being the epitome of selfless love, for bringing me to this world, for every tear you shed when I was hurt, for being my biggest fan in everything I do, for always making me feel so secure and loved, for bearing my stupid tantrums and never judging me, for loving me just the way I am, for giving a wonderful childhood…for everything. For my existence in this world. I’m eternally indebted to you. And not just a wonderful mother, but the most wonderful woman I’ve ever known.
2.My sister– Few words to describe you; “You’re my life“
3.My wacky aunt “Kuni” and even wackier cousins- Priyanka, Sangeeta, Ankita, Bonani, Pompee, Dimpee, Manali, Juku ba, Bu ba, Piya and my baby, Pooja. Juku Ba, I’m so so proud of you the way you’ve battled with the unexpected setback in your life. I pray that you get well soon.
4.The other females in our family- my aunts, my grandmother, my bhabhis. Each one, an uniquely extraordinary great woman. Especially you Pepe!
5.My daily dose of vitamins, my soul sisters- Angana and Aparoopa, my best friends. Two amazing women- the perfect examples of fun, fearless and freaking fabulous females!I love you.
6.Other close friends, with whom I have at some point or the other in my life have shared some wonderful times together. I cherish your friendship. Devi, Bandana, Jyotilekha, Kaveri, Chandamita, Pallabi T, Pallabi P, Supanta, Mousumi, Ruma, Amrita, Daisy Ba.
7. My teachers- Anita Ma’am, Deepti Ma’am, Srivastava Ma’am, Gayatri Ma’am, Manjula Ma’am. Thanks for guiding me at each step.
8. And how can I forget my fellow bloggers. Each one of you so awesomely talented, so wonderfully witty…I eagerly wait every day to read your blogs; I’ve smiled with you, cried with you, laughed till it hurt with you, and even fretted over your work problems with you. I could relate to your experiences. I’m inspired by your thoughts, your lives. I think you are oh-so-amazing! And even though most of the bloggers haven’t met each other, I can surely say each one of us are bound together by shared emotions, shared experiences and it is such an wonderful feeling. Keep writing those brilliant blogs, you’ve one big fan here. I would specially like to mention my favorite blogs: Anita, Lost on the street, Crowscious, Prerna, Shahana, Indi, Anuja, Aoife, E, Ashley and Corinne.
Happy Women’s Day!Cartloads of love and hugs.