EMBRACING MALE NUDITY !!

How many of you have drooled and moaned over Ranbir Kapoor's intriguing towel dance in Saawariya? Well...its definitely a post metrosexual syndrome off late..Gone are the days when the object of a sexual fantasy were restricted only within the female appearance in a movie (from Raj kapoor to Yash Chopra to Mani Ratnam). I personally felt that the towel dance in Saawariya has been one of the most stylishly choreographed sequence in the history of indian cinema! Sanjay's trick was definitely to blurr out the gender boundaries at the level of how bodies are perceived by male and female. A male sexual form in its full glory gyrating into a chartbusting number redefining male sexuality in Bollywood movies.Ranbir Kapoor in his firm,chiseled out,sculpted body baring it all in front of the audience,combine with it a Monalisa draped in indian finery,Bhansali's own surrealistic obsession with colors,from monochrome to multicolor (black,white,blue,green and red)..light and shadow..giving the song a visually stunning,overwhelming in opulence and often, Moulin Rouge in appeal

I ve heard someone referring it as a 'coming of age' scenario of Homo-Eroticism !! well...i dont agree,atleast then it wouldn't ve been a drooling factor for the countless female fan followings of Ranbir Kapoor!

 P.S. : Well, Ranbir's been a drooling factor for me as well ;)

GOING DOWN MEMORY LANE.....with a heavy heart !!

Here she comes...mommy dearest! Somewhere this festival has become a part of the bengali culture,a part which every bengali household keeps waiting for all through out the year! I too, m no exception.So literally m pretty much upset this year for not being able to witness the grandeur of this fest since m out of home,out of my home town, in a land where there's very little significance of this festival,where the prime focus of a fest has been restricted only to college fests? party squares? weekend outings? Urbanization they say!

Day dreaming has become a part of my solitude this days,going back to my school days,waiting eagerly for the puja holidays.The shopping spree in full swing months before the advent of the puja holidays.Actually the excitement begins from the month of september. Witnessing the creation of the idols at the bhashon pal (much like kumortuli of kolkata), the first instalment of the kathamo,the clay structure,giving it a form..then comes the colour base,covering the clay models with bejewelled saris,paper work ornaments.And then few days after the Vishwakarma puja,comes the invoking of the goddess,MAHALAYA!

Getting up early morning,listening to the agomoni songs,watching the MAHISHASUR MARDINI program on tv.By this time the pandal work begins in full swing..and i m talking of an age when theme puja has not yet been started,so it was just a simple hugely structured pandal with decorating interiors with a huge chandelier,colourful canvas and a broader base where the 5 idols will be brought on the 5th day (panchami) starting from Mahalaya.

Colourful markets,bazars,stalls,roads and shops packed with men,women,children alike. Loading of the idols on the trucks on panchami,going to their destined pandals, where they'll be worshiped for 5 days,and again loading them on the same trucks on the 5th day taking them to the brahmaputra ghat where they'll be immersed one after another bringing at end to the much talked about,much celebrated festival of the bengalis DURGA PUJA! I will miss a part of my life this year. A part i m so used to,since my birth.Will miss the moments i have cherished all through my life..the last moment shopping,pandal hopping,eating outs,night outs,watching all the rituals associated with it..the sound of the drums,the blaring music from the loud speakers,the morning anjoli,pujor bhog,arati,bisorjon er pala and of course my sister,specially this time of the year when we both go crazy!!....everything...just about everything!...hopes alive mommy! hopefully,next year ! Amen!

....Of Radha and Meera !!

"A big budget,lavishly mounted magnum opus from Sanjay Leela Bhansali" screamed the hoardings in 2002 when Devdas was released...and it did lived upto the expectations of being truely a gloriously excessive bollywood epic in the history of indian cinema operated on a scale seldom seen in bollywood ( read Mughal e azam,Pakezaah, Amrapali for past reeferences). The film was outrightly turned down by the critics for doing injustice to the classic masterpiece by the bengali author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. I, for one seriously didnt like the novel when i read it long back during my school days,finding it extremely depressing,doomed and lethargic towards the end. So before the release of the film,i caught up with Bimal Roy's version of the classic starring Dilip kumar, Suchitra Sen and Vyajayntimala. Again i found it boring,except for the brilliant performances of its lead players... But much to the dislikes of many critics, i found Bhansali's version to be visually stunning, splendid, not to mention entertaining, though being high on melodrama and over the top performances...but most importantly,i loved the film because of its two leading ladies Madhuri and Aishwarya.

Something about this film which i found remarkable was the beautiful depiction of the two prime characters in the film, Paro and Chandramukhi. Their love,pathos,emotions and struggle encircling the protagonist Devdas. One truely gets to witness Bhansali's eye for detailing when it comes to classic aesthetic sense,marvelously blending the two women within the mythological characters of Radha and Meera,the life stories of whom we all are aware of..

The director (along with the costume designers Abu jani-Sandeep khosla / Neeta lulla and art director Nitin desai) infuses ample textures and colours to match up with this two mythological references from the past..Red,blue,satin,pink,lavender and purple to elaborate the flamboyance and radiant Radha (Paro) while using Orange,Maroon,green and gold for the purity and sanity of Meera ( Chandramukhi).

Radha's longing for a single glimpse of Krishna transformed her into a divine lover,even naming her as 'Srimati' the beloved of 'Sri' Krishna, the crown jewel of all Krishna's consorts, the goddess of 'raas'..,while Meera being a poetess,dedicating her entire life singing and dancing for the everlasting charm of her Krishna, never expecting anything in return,perceiving him as her lord,lover,husband and master...coloring herself with the 'color of dusk'

Now coming back to the film Devdas,many had objected Bhansali's interpretation since he had taken enough liberty with the original classic. Nothing wrong with that, if u are presenting it in a right mode, in a correct context, for example, the meeting between the two women had never occured in the novel while i simply cant forget one of the best scenes in the film,the confrontation between the two ladies at their first meeting and of course, the highlight of the film being the brilliantly choreographed dola re dola number by Saroj Khan,the two women dancing in gay abandon expressing their love for Devdas! The mystic virginal beauty of Aishwarya blending in sync with the magical eloquence of Madhuri Dixit providing the sole for this much touted magnum opus of Indian Cinema.

Agreed that the film was extremely melodramatic,true to bollywood glitches, but if you can keep the commercial aspects aside and look out for the aesthetic touches in the film, then you will surely find a Radha lighting a lamp throughout in the name of Krishna, a Meera, who's inner chambers are a reflection of her devotion towards her beloved Krishna and many more such alike!

That dark dweller in Braj

                                                             Is my only refuge.

O my companion, worldly comfort is an illusion,

As soon you get it, it goes.

I have chosen the indestructible for my refuge,

Him whom the snake of death will not devour.

My beloved dwells in my heart all day,

I have actually seen that abode of joy.

Meera's lord is Hari, the indestructible.

My lord, I have taken refuge with you, your maidservant

A CHAPTER OF MY LIFE...

Life's a series of bittersweet memoirs,hope we could make a collage out of it and store it somewhere,like a series of albums. Sometimes i regret not maintaining a diary of my own,a diary where i could ve stored someone,where i could ve stored those wonderful times,days,nights,events...Events that can change our life within a fraction of a second. Meeting someone unexpectedly when u have given up all hopes on finding that 'someone' special..

A chance encounter on a dating site,finding someone different from the rest of the crowd,a simple text.. 'Hi babes' ;) bringing that effervescent smile on my face....texting,chatting online night after nights seemed so splendid.Meeting for the first time...that day..at umm...lets say,a party..was supposed to go spend sometime at his place,well not just 'sometime',the entire night actually...missed it..it was quite late at night and i was hell tired! Met him the very next day..we bonded over a couple of drinks,some food..was supposed to watch a movie..the dvd remained intact,untouched,coz we just talked and talked,from films to men to drinks to affairs to.....endless talks..standing their in your balcony,i wished we could stop our talks and you could kiss me! and you did..finally..the first move..lips in sync,tongues rolling,hands on your face,ur shoulder,ur back....the passion play! we made love..that was'nt a mistake though! little bit nervous,little bit cautious...'why be cautious?' i wondered,'we are safe in each other's arms!'...holding you in my arms,lying on your chest,our naked bodies entwined,feeling your skin,your breath,feeling every single hair on your body..we slept! Looking at your face early morning felt so blissful! stroking your face with my hands,silently,not to wake u up..ur eyelids closed,humming softly into ur ears.....but..i could'nt say it,i just could'nt say those three words which i so desperately wanted to say to you since the previous night...it'd had sounded too early,too soon,too fast...

And...i fell in love..all over again...thinking of you every day and night,waiting for a single call or a text from you made me go insane,i thought you were avoiding me..maybe you did,maybe you did'nt..i did'nt knew for sure,coz u had said u wanted to let go things smoothly,with due course of time..well..i had all my time for u,but......

                .....u had to go! u had to leave and go to a far away land,away from me,to a new life,new people,new beginning! and i knew all of it,u had told me...and thats wot held me from running back towards you,from hugging u tight and not letting u go..coz i wanted you to go,to ve a new life,a better life...a life full of oppurtunities,full of love,full of dreams and aspirations! and hence,u thought i was avoiding you...maybe i did,intentionally...to break myself free from the aura that is 'you',i couldnt let myself go weak in front of,so i didnt even met you before you departed...
                                                                 but u ve and u will,always remain special to me all throughout my life...u taught me a new meaning to love,helped me overcome my insecurities..i can never forget you..Thank you,for being a part of my life,even though it was just for a couple of few days..those few days were SPECIAL...just like YOU ;)

A nostalgic journey before death....

'My life seems to be a series of make-believes'..says Mrinalini to her sister-in-law sitting along the seashore watching her daughter lying safely on her father's chest...it stuck me then,doesnt it hold true for most of the high profile successful celebrities down the years? from our very own Suchitra Sen,Uttam kr,Amitabh Bacchan,Shahrukh Khan,Kareena Kapoor to Marlyn Monroe,Greta Garbo,Ingrid Bergman or Micheal Jackson?? A life constantly being scrutinized by the paparazzi where everything seems to be set up for the sake of tabloids..

Death,absence,seperation,waiting in vain..longing for love ve been the favourite subjects amongst many film makers..In recent time,one has witnessed Rituparno Ghosh toying with the concept of death as a metaphor in most of his projects (from Unishe April,Shubho Mahurat,Dosor to the very recent Shob Choritro kalponik and Abohoman)..Iti Mrinalini too deals with this relativism of death..what has been promoted as a memorablia of a starlet's life before attempting suicide seemed to me as a subject dealing with unending quest,longing for love,longing in vain,and feeling of loss..

Mrinalini in her entire life span witnesses several physical deaths in her life,of people she was close to,of those within whom her entire life encircled at some point in her life..from her college naxalite boyfriend Abhi,to her daughter Sona (the most heart wrenching,poignant of all the deaths),to the demise of Satyajit Ray to her hair dresser kamala di (more like a motherly figure for her).But its not only the physical deaths that forms the basic premise of  Mrinalini's life,the film's biggest and sole catalyst is the death of each of her memoirs,where she tries to conquer death with her nostalgia,churning out memories from her flashbacks..from her college days,adda at the coffee house,sashaying thru streets and trams with her boyfriend Abhi,getting casted in a commercial flick by a noted film maker,playing the perfect mistress to him,having a child out of wed lock,temple wedding,from being a superstar to finding a shoulder to rely upon,an acquaintance in the form of a novelist friend Chintan Nair and dealing with the loss of her only daughter...each sequence in the film has been mingled with Mrinalini's coming out of her reverie each time a fragment of her life dissolves and she searches out for a new one thru her box of pictures as well as pictures thru her phases of life!

Love making v/s Sex!!

Life can take a huge 360 degree turn when u least expect it.We move on,our paths cross,we meet,we interact,a likeness..an admiration grows,but does that always lasts forever? We move out of a failed relationship with soreness,bitterness,with a broken heart, hoping to find that perfect someone all over again and instead plunging into the wrong ones and at the wrong times! But sometime we come across that single person when we least expect it,when we dont see any connection going on for the same..

Meeting someone at a time when all your emotions had gone wry.Falling for someone blindly,that too in vain..when deep down you know there's nothing in store for that likeness!it was probably wot we call as an infatuation,living in a surreal world where everything seems to be so bollywood'ish',so romantic,everything perfect.But thats far cry from reality where u need to make lots of compromises....compromising with your emotions,calling it as love!

Sometimes i find it difficult to like someone mentally and to get engaged with the same person physically,it seemed obnoxious though..for me a mental connection involves a lot of emotional bonding which i found to be absent while dealing with the physical aspect of it...Its weird actually,to be in bed kissing someone and thinking of someone else at the same time,to feel someone within ur body while feeling someone else at the same time!! I did that,many times and the mere thought of it makes me go insane,when i was unable to handle it after a point.

'Sex involves a lot of emotional bonding between two individuals'..for me it was hard to follow the same,i had never been emotionally involved with someone i had enjoyed being physically with...SEX has always been an 'act' which is fun,which is satisfying,which is fulfilling till it lasts..i never had to cuddle someone just after the act.For me cuddling someone,or waking up the next morning,content,smiling,carries and emotional baggage,again a case of mental connection.

to be continued...

ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA - A beautiful but monotonous journey through life and relationship

There are moments in the film that celebrates the true spirit of life..To overcome the fear of life,to face the bitter truth,to keep ur head high and plunge onto a decision instead of playing hide and seek,these are the few aspects of life brilliantly captured by Zoya in her second venture.When i first saw the promos of the film i thought it'd end up being another DIL CHAHTA HAI,but thankfuly,this is;nt another 'coming-of-age' saga!

What i like about Zoya's narrative is that she doesnt follow any style or pattern,infact it takes time for her characters to develop..Her way of film making is simple yet filled with some intricate detailing about human relationships..but there is a huge problem within ZNMD..its pace,it starts off with a bang with three friends going out on a vacation,rediscovering themselves,overcoming their fears and dealing with their inner turmoil and thats where the film suffers...The hurdles or the dilemmas faced by the prime protagonists evoke no sympathies wotsoever..Hrithik being too much career obsessed,Farhan's problem coming face to face with his biological father who had abandoned him and Abhay's commitment issues.. Now have'nt we all seen this before in countless other flicks! so wots new bout it? frankly speaking..none..thr's nothing much in the film to write or talk about except some stunning visuals,gr8 locales,some brilliantly shot sequences (sky dive,underwater shots,bull race and the beautifuly choreographed 'Senorita' song)..

Performance wise Farhan excels for providing some good chuckles,Abhay's just ok,and surprisingly Hrithik looks terribly old and weaned out thruout the film..Though m not at all a fan of Katrina,but i liked her though, specially since her voice was not being dubbed..But the one person who deserves my extra brownie points is Kalki..she's a gem of an actress..watch her expressions while lip syncing to that 'm a hot chick gal' while driving the car!

P.S. : Zoya's a director to watch out for but for her future projects she should infuse a few more interesting plots into her screenplay to overcome the monotony!