Hindi Movie: Swatantryaveer Savarkar (2024)

Tags

Hindi movies, Randeep Hooda, Swatantryaveer Savarkar, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

The life journey of Indian freedom fighter and reformer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar (IMDb)

I watched this movie in the second week of its release and was pleasantly surprised to find the theater house full. Honestly I had doubted it would last beyond a week. After reading a lot of positive reviews on social media & from friends I watched it on a Saturday night.

The movie is really well made and does justice to Savarkar’s work and life. It must have been difficult for Randeep Hooda to cover so many things in 3 hours but he has done an admirable job. Starting from the plague epidemic in Pune to Savarkar’s arrest for a Pakistan PM’s convenience he has covered all the key events in the man’s life. Not only does it shed light on Savarkar’s immense contribution to Bharat and her freedom struggle it also refers to many other freedom fighters who have been conveniently brushed away as extremists till now. Young lads, barely 20, who laid down their lives for the cause of Indian Independence. The Andaman cellular jail bits are gruesome to watch but necessary. The most touching moments are of course Dhingra’s death and Savarkar meeting his older brother Babarao in cellular jail after nine years of being there with him.

Thankfully there is no masala element added to this movie, no unnecessary romantic scenes, no songs (there is a rap at the end but I will just ignore it). Savarkar’s life, his thoughts, his actions are enough to keep you engaged for three hours and later on forever in your life. A must watch movie for every Bharatiya who wishes to know how India attained freedom.

Marathi Play: Ivlese Rop (2024)

Tags

Ivlese Rop, Leena Bhagwat, Mangesh Kadam, Marathi play, Sai Paranjpye

This is the story of Maai and Bapu who are living the second inning of their life. An unexpected guest lands up at their home thanks to their next-door neighbours. The “guest” takes them back down memory lane as events from their past life unfold new stories. Bapu’s carefree attitude is perfectly complemented by Maai’s caring nature, as their life moves ahead slowly. And yet, things take turns in different ways as the husband-wife relationship decodes events differently. Who is this guest? That’s ‘IVALESE ROP’ for you, a play that keeps the audience hooked, right till the end. (Book My Show)

Ivlese Rop is a peak into the modern day household. A home which was once filled with happiness, riches & energy has now turned old. And like the human body it too has slowed down, the paint is peeling off the walls, the once energetic Bhanu & Madhav are now forgetful & mostly tired counting away the hours. When a young neighbouring couple drops off their exotic plant at their home so that they can take care of it while the couple is away, the little plant gives them a purpose a life. They are reminded of their own child which they lost in a miscarriage & while caring for the plant they reminisce the old days. Madhav though keeps forgetting to come back. With each day he is lost more and more in the beautiful days of yore. Mangesh Kadam’s acting as a little boy celebrating a wicket with his childhood friends can make anyone cry. He was brilliant in that scene.

The play is a heavy one though they have tried to lighten the mood by occasional comedy. It addresses a growing problem amongst humans: loneliness. This time not caused by uncaring children but by sheer bad luck!

I cannot say I enjoyed the play but the rest of the audience certainly did. The narrators who were also the neighbouring young people were awful. They need more practice! Leena Bhagwat was her usual chirpy self but Mangesh Kadam certainly was the best of the lot. The infidelity angle was unnecessary and did nothing for the story. Also the time taken to change sets, which happens multiple times due to old days v/s new days comparison, should be reduced! The play is a short one but the subject will stay with your forever – a glimpse into the lives of those who simply drop off the radar of society, living in their own world, forgotten by everyone till suddenly God remembers them one day.

KDrama: My Demon (2023-24)

Tags

Kdrama reviews, Kdramas, Kim Yoo Jung, My Demon, Song Kang

Heiress Do Do Hee is an adversary to many, and Jung Koo Won is a powerful entity; when Jung Koo Won loses his powers, he must collaborate with Do Do Hee to regain them, and sparks fly between them as they embark on their journey.

I love both Song Kang and Kim Yoo Jung so I naturally picked up this drama as soon as it started airing. The promo too had seemed intriguing. I really enjoyed this drama till that one week gap around New Year. After that gap for some reason it stopped appealing to me. The drama had a decent storyline and yet it didnt! The end of the villain seemed very sudden, he was plotting & planning one episode and then gone the next. The lead pair had insane chemistry and some really cute moments. I loved all their scenes. Lee Sang Yi was as good as always and I wish he starts getting main lead roles now. The office comedy and romance was OTT and maybe they should have left it out and concentrated on fleshing out the story more. Also KDramas need to stop with the missionary stuff now. If I wanted to know more about Christianity or Jesus I would just put on God Channel not Netflix! The constant propaganda is nauseating.

Overall I did enjoy the drama. It was nothing exceptional but the leads managed to keep me hooked.

Book: The Inner Life of Animals by Peter Wohlleben

Tags

Book Review, Peter Wohlleben, The Inner Life of Animals

Through vivid stories of devoted pigs, two-timing magpies, and scheming roosters, The Inner Life of Animals weaves the latest scientific research into how animals interact with the world with Peter Wohlleben’s personal experiences in forests and fields.Horses feel shame, deer grieve, and goats discipline their kids. Ravens call their friends by name, rats regret bad choices, and butterflies choose the very best places for their children to grow up.In this, his latest book, Peter Wohlleben follows the hugely successful The Hidden Life of Trees with insightful stories into the emotions, feelings, and intelligence of animals around us. Animals are different from us in ways that amaze us-and they are also much closer to us than we ever would have thought. (Goodreads)

This book is like a collection of trivia on animals. But since the title itself tells us that its about the author’s observations more than any actual scientific experiments that is more than OK. I frankly liked this book a lot more than I would have liked a hardcore science book where they try real hard to convince everyone that no matter what science can prove and CANNOT prove an animal is a commodity to be used. This book on the other hand sees animals for what they are, living, feeling, creatures who were not put on Earth just for humans but are independent lives with their own systems, emotions, thoughts, etc.

Read it just to know more about animals from a man who has lived with them most of his life. A lovely book for every animal lover. “He is writing not as a scientist but as an observant animal lover.”
– Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, introduction to Inner Life of Animals 😊

KDrama: Marry My Husband

Tags

Kdramas, Marry My Husband, Na In woo, Park min young

When a woman witnesses the affair between her best friend and her husband, and is murdered by them, she goes back in time to change her future and seek revenge.

I love Park Min young and had been looking forward to this drama since its announcement. But then came the news that the male lead will be Na In woo and next came a similar KDrama Perfect Marriage Revenge. So I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this show at all. But I loved it!!

Park Min young is a really good actor. She makes you feel every emotion Kang Ji won is going through, be it the betrayal she faced, the satisfaction of her getting her revenge, the petty delight when Min-hwan & Soo-min fall for her carefully laid out traps, her love for Ji-hyuk…its always a delight to watch PMY. The surprise in this drama however were the second leads, Song Ha yoon as the psycho friend Jung Soo-min & Lee Yi-kyung as Park Min-hwan. Who knew our gwaenchana gwaenchana guy could act being such a vile, pathetic loser so well 😏🤣 Ha yoon too was brilliant and I didnt recognize her as the same mousy girl from Fight For My Way till my friend pointed it out!! Na In woo was Na In woo. Stone-faced! But full credits to his stylist & the photographer who shot their stills because he looked SO GOOD in them!! A friend commented that Lee Dong-wook or Wi Ha-joon would have been a better choice for Yoo Ji-hyuk’s character and I never recovered from that dream! 💔😔

Overall its an excellent drama with the revenge & overall story still quite believable despite the time travel & change your luck trope. Kang Ji won is definitely a character we can cheer for as she sets about improving her life. The supporting characters too are a treat to watch, be it the bubbly Yoo Hee-yeon, the stoic HR manager of U&K, the handsome chef and even the pathetic manager of Ji-won. They all contribute in their own way to making the drama an entertaining venture.

I loved this drama & would recommend it to everyone. After a long time I saw a drama which made me wait for the next episode!

KDrama: Perfect Marriage Revenge (2023)

Tags

Jin Ji Hee, Jung Yoo Min, Kang Shin Hyo, Lee Min Young, Perfect Marriage Dramas, Sung Hoon

Han Yi Joo is a painter, who was adopted by Han Jin Woong and Lee Jung Hye. Her father runs Hanwool Financial Group. Yet, Han Yi Joo was not loved by her parents or her younger sister Han Yoo Ra. She was always isolated from her family. Now, Han Yi Joo is married to Jung Se Hyeok. She learns that her husband Jung Se Hyeok loves her sister Han Yoo Ra and not her. On that same day, Han Yi Joo gets into a car accident and dies. When Han Yi Joo wakes up, she finds herself back in time when she was engaged to Jung Se Hyeok. To change her fate and take revenge on her family, she breaks off her engagement to Jung Se Hyeok. She then approaches Seo Do Guk, whom her younger sister Han Yoo Ra wants to marry. Seo Do Guk is the grandson of the Taeja Group’s founder. He is a smart and handsome young man. Han Yi Joo wants to enter into a contract marriage with Seo Do Guk and he willingly accepts, but he wants the contract marriage to become a real marriage. (~My Drama List)

After hearing tall praise for this drama I finally picked it up to watch on New Year’s Eve & even managed to finish it by the New Year. It is just 12 episode long and after the first two episodes I was quite hooked on to it. I really disliked ow Yi Joo ran to Do Guk for revenge. I would have much preferred she starting out on her own but then we wouldn’t have romance, would we? 😅 But as their relationship progressed I loved the couple. They were so good to one another, always together, reliable, respectful of each other…it was a refreshing change! The revenge part was also well written and didn’t have Yi Joo turning a multimillionaire overnight or pulling some impossible tricks. Ultimately what destroyed Yoo Ra and Jun Hye was their own past mistakes and bad habits. As is what usually happens in real life. I was also glad that Do Guk and Yi Joo let the culprits rot in jail & did not run to rescue them as soon as they pretended to repent…well one of them did, not the other! Also in an era where more shows go for open endings so as to not promote marriage & stable relationships this show even showed our couple having a baby 🤩 I loved that Se Hyeok ended up with Yoo Ra 🤣 such a pathetic loser!! He was as much a culprit as the rest of them. Also kudos to Ji Won for not accepting Jin Woong back. Women should not tolerate weak men who cannot stand by them in times of need.

Overall it was a satisying drama to watch. Yoo Ra with her puffy face and Jung Hye with her large eyes in a bony face looked really ugly, especially in the close shots. I was so glad to see the smug smiles wiped off their faces in the end! A thoroughly entertaining drama to end the past year with 😁

Book: How to read Indian Scriptures by Anuradha Goyal(2023)

Tags

Anuradha Goyal, hinduism, Hinduism Books, How to read Indian Scriptures, indian authors, Indian Writers

Indian Scriptures are full of knowledge, information and wisdom. We oftem end up reading their interpretations by various people. Reading the original scriptures helps you get the right perspectives, with the right context and allows you to interpret them as per your life experiences. This book aims to clear all the mental blocks people have before reading a scripture in original,
Do I need to know Sanskrit?
Do I need a Guru?
Where do I begin?
Can I finish the huge volume?
Read this small book to help you navigate these questions and answer into the beautiful world of eternal knowledge.

I really love this author’s works and follow her actively on social media. I like her way of thinking and can identify with most of her thoughts and hence enjoy reading her work. This book is no exception. This is a great book for everyone who is overwhelmed at the sheer volume of Hindu scriptures. And even if you are well versed this provides a more structured approach to those large tomes. Enjoyed reading the book & found it very helpful as well. This is a small book which you can easily finish in a day or in even lesser time. Earlier too I had loved her “Lotus in the Stone” and would highly recommend that book to everyone as well!

Book: Maya’s New Husband (2015)

Tags

book reviews, books, Maya's New Husband, Neil D'Silva

Maya teaches Biology in a Mumbai school. She is a hit with her students for her unconventional teaching techniques such as bringing a dead man’s heart to school to explain her lessons. But, though she seems ebullient on the outside, within her own heart she harbors the pain of a recently and mysteriously deceased husband. In such a state, Maya’s paths cross with the whimsical and weird art teacher of her school, Bhaskar Sadachari. An inexplicable chemistry begins working between the two and Maya feels strangely drawn to this person. Meanwhile, a serial killer is loose in the city. People are going missing, leaving absolutely no trace behind as though snatched by some supernatural entity. And somewhere within all this, there’s a diabolical plot being hatched for Maya. Maya’s New Husband is a psychological horror tale of the most vicious kind, which will leave you squirming in abject terror for days on end. (~Goodreads)

I had read & really enjoyed Neil D’Silva’s Yakshini. Hence I picked up this book with great hope. However this one proved to be a major disappointment. Firstly there is no horror in this book. Its gore. Endless descriptions of dirt, filth, rats, stench, etc. And that is the main character of this book, not Maya mentioned in the title and not Bhaskar, her new husband either. There are no supernatural entities, just a psychopath murderer and a foolish woman. Maya comes across as a typical feminist who is too smart for her own good, so much so that she marries a man who STINKS! She even defends that thinking it was her bad judgement. How do you judge body odour as good no matter how non-judgmental you wish to be? And that is not the worst part. The worst part of this story is how Maya marries a man without first visiting his home. Neither Maya, nor her friends and family care about where this guy with family & a literal dirty stink to him stays! They just get married quickly. This is too unbelievable.

I feel sorry for all those who died for Bhaskar’s madness. But I do not feel any sympathy of Maya. Rather she comes across as a woman who would have joined her cannibal husband in munching some human meat had he not been so foolish as to attack her person. After all this is the same woman who still thinks of him as her husband after seeing her best friend’s dead body and knowing he killed her & since we have a volume II will be soon giving birth to that devil’s spawn. Also, writers need to stop depicting any random women as Devi Durga. They are not Devi. A burst of adrenaline does not make a fool a Devi. Please stop insulting our Gods this way.

Thoroughly disappointed with this book. The only saving grace of this book was Anuradha’s character and Neil’s writing style. His writing is very engaging and it kept me going. Had he been a bad writer I wouldn’t have been able to finish this one. Read this one only if you are a fan of gore.

Aghora II: Kundalini by Robert Svoboda (1993)

Tags

Aghora II, Book Review, Chakras, Hinduism Books, Hinudism, Kundalini, Robert Svoboda, Vimalananda

This, the second volume in the Aghora series, focuses on Kundalini, the transformative power of the enlightened self. Kundalini, the root from which all spiritual experiences sprout, has remained secret for so long because it cannot be explained, only experienced. This book recounts how Vimalananda introduced me to Kundalini, and took me step by step through the practices used to awaken Her. It examines mantras, yantras, tantric practices, and shows how normally mundane things like music, food, and even the noise of trains rumbling down tracks can be turned to one’s spiritual benefit. For Vimalananda Kundalini was not some sort of impersonal serpent energy, but rather took the form of his beloved deity Smashan Tara, the “Saviouress of the Cemetery.” He trusted Kundalini implicitly, and She never let him down. (~Goodreads)

This book was even better than the first one. I had picked it up immediately after finishing Vol. I, however due to work commitments it took longer than usual to finish this one. This was the first time that I annotated a book as there was so much new information which I am sure I will love & want to reread some time in the future. The Kundalini and Chakras, Amrita, the divine beings like Rishis, Munis, Siddhas are very well explained in the book. The only part which seemed a little too farfetched was the whole finding an esoteric meaning to every story. The pages about the esoteric meaning of Ramayana, I just skimmed through. I believe some tales should be taken at face value. Not everything needs to be a metaphor. Other than that I really loved this book and cannot wait to start the final volume.

Japanese Movie: Our Secret Diary (2023)

Tags

Japanese Movie, JMovie, Our Secret Diary, Sakurada Hiyori, Takahashi Fumiya

One day, Nozomi, a second-year high school student, finds a love confession letter on her classroom desk. The sender is Setoyama, the most popular boy in school. While puzzled as to whether or not the letter is a prank, a secret exchange diary between the two begins when she puts her reply in the shoebox. However, the letter and exchange diary were actually meant for someone else – Setoyama’s close friend. The exchange diary begins with a misunderstanding, but Nozomi continues to write to him without telling him the truth about her identity. And as she gets to know him, she becomes attracted to him. On the other hand, Setoyama loses more and more opportunities to confide in her, and the situation takes an unexpected turn… What is the fate of the painful unrequited love that started with a lie? (~MyDramaList)

I watched this movie after a clip of it came up as a “shorts” on YouTube. The story is nothing new but still sweet. Some things are just like that, you can watch them countless times and yet they hold a certain appeal. The lead couple had amazing chemistry & I enjoyed their scenes together. I was also glad that there were no villains as such and the friends too patched up soon. Erino was especially sweet in being so understanding about Nozomi’s lie. It was lovely how she used her years of experience with Nozomi to understand that she isnt a liar & forgave her. Its one of those easy to watch movies which leave you feeling happy happy long after they end.