chaotic order

When one has acted in as many movies as Robert de Niro: with aplomb, intensity, variety and style; then one can be excused if he has conceded to play a role in rather mediocre film like “The Family”. Released in 2013; directed by Luc Besson  and loosely based on a French novel named “Malavita” – this is a story of a High class Mob family from Brooklyn, secretly transported to a Remote town in Normandy, France under the FBI’s Witness protection program. Genetically programmed for violence and revenge, this sweet family consisting of Monzani (De niro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer!!), a smart son played by John D’leo and a beautiful, virginal daughter played to perfection (the only redeeming feature in the movie) by Dianna Agron –. find it extremely difficult to keep their temper in place in this small town that is quintessentially French; and hence hate anything remotely American (including Peanut butter!). The FBI officer whose task it is to keep the family and the town safe fro

It is one of those heavy moments, when pain and anguish over the physical loss of a good friend completely paralyses one’s being. I just heard the news of the passing away of my friend Nitin mullick: a young, intelligent, loving and cheerful young man; plucked away in his prime by the inexorable wheel of destiny. How can such a fragrant flower be picked in its freshness? ; Or how could life be so  cruel and heartless in taking away a loving father; a doting husband; a dutiful and caring Son, an admirable friend? These are questions that instantly arise in our mind; but then the answer comes almost instantaneously: - such is the law of life; - that lives that are very bright, incandescent and redeeming cannot last long; and their sheer exuberance and presence was meant only as temporary sojourn for all of us to interact, bask and live with; and then to carry them forever in our memory as a person who touched our lives, enlivening it with joy, happiness and optimism. They are too precio

The 1960’s and 70’s marked a great period of change in American value systems. The Hippie movement, the libertinism of ambiguous sexual proclivities, the infidelity of marital life and increased rates of divorce; and a general sense of disi llusionment and loneliness pervaded its social life. The American political arena also looked bleak after the assassination of JFK, and the country was caught midway between a glorious dream and a damning inertia that seemed to apply brakes to its growth, both socially and psychologically. It was in such a milieu, in 1978, that Paul Mazursky wrote and directed his emotional masterpiece “An unmarried woman” featuring the mercurial Jill Clayburgh. Picture a beautiful lady married for fifteen years walking along the streets of New York with her husband, dreaming and talking of a summer vacation in beach houses; - when all of a sudden, her Husband breaks down, uncontrollably sobs and tells her in between shallow breaths that he is having an affair with

Today is the Bard's  450th  Birthday anniversary. William Shakespeare - without any argument is perhaps the greatest Dramatist, poet and Historical critic ,- the English language has ever produced. No writer of any acclaim whatsoever, can ever disown the influence of his style, language and metaphor in this modern age. He is to English what Aristotle was to science - its fountainhead. His play s still resonate, reverberate with the same intensity and passion that he bought to it four centuries ago. Even today, connoisseurs and laymen alike; flock to watch a "Romeo and Juliet", " the Twelfth night", "Hamlet", "King Lear" or an "Othello" among others, with the eager enthusiasm of a modern day block bluster, as they would have when these tales were first performed at the Globe theater in London; which was the home of almost all his magnificent dramas. And there can be only one reason for this undiminished popularity : the timeless so

The Twentieth century produced two of the most virulent, depraved and maniacally totalitarian regimes the history of Mankind has ever recorded or seen: “Stalinism” and “Hitlerism”. In Man’s long struggle to achieve a dominant society, these two regimes represent the farthest end of the spectrum – a manifestation of pure Evil.  At this distance, it is simply unthinkable that a government apparatus could exterminate millions of people as a matter of principle without scant regard for basic rudiments of morality and ethics. But yet, it was done, and the ghastly details of the process could fill a whole library; and the men who propelled and organized these initiatives were for most part decent people who led quiet private lives with families, but were willing to suspend their ability to think and make moral judgments when it came to executing “orders” from a hierarchy over which they had no control, much less of moral scruples over the gravity of their actions. They were merely cogs in

Strategies for Effective Learning Delivery Ever since I was a young boy in a classroom, the idea of teaching has always intrigued me. At school, there were many teachers who made my attention wander or induced boredom. And then there were those that had my undivided attention. They transfixed me, inspired me and tickled my curiosity. I have often wondered what makes the difference. What sets inspiring educators apart from their peers? I still have fond memories of my History teacher in 7 th grade. He used to walk in to the class without a single paper or book in his hand. He would often start a discussion on a random topic and leave the whole class spellbound with his vivid account of great Kings, Queens and events around the world. He actually made history come alive – free from the confines of a drab textbook. I always got exceptionally good grades in history as compared to other subjects. My parents would often wonder why. Well, I wondered too. It took me years to fi

At last ,Gabriel Garcia Marquez has slipped into immortality. I wonder if Garcia would even want it call it that . Often, when one has lost a beloved, a surreal part of yourself ;- words choke; and they would struggle to find expression to those intimate thoughts, emotions and encounters that was so much an integral part of ones life. Garcia's death has silenced me. It sounds foolish though to assu me that a man should keep living forever, but then, when you can tell stories the way he did ; in his magical language with fertile imagination ; - it is alright to delude oneself that Garcia will live forever; will keep us enthralled with wide-opened eyes absorbing his tales of history,passion, pain, betrayal ,revenge and the triumph of Human spirit against all odds. It is right to assume that Garcia can never die!!!!. He never will though, because, as long as literature is enjoyed as a medium that evokes life as an extraordinary journey :full of mystery; every moment transformed into

All that I could see was the spacious and stunning architecture of the Temple of Latter day saints (LDS) situated in temple Square, Downtown Saltlake city. The inner precincts of the church was only for the believers of Mormonic faith, and needed a recommendation from an higher authority to enter it. So obviously, I couldn't go inside.. A friend of mine, an young lady, who had attended my clas s months ago decided to accompany me to the temple grounds, when she knew that I was planning to visit it. She was a staunch Mormonite. It was a beautiful evening and we strolled around the capacious acreage of greenery talking and discussing the rudiments of her faith and the symbology behind it. Mormons placed a lot of importance on Customs, rituals and strict adherence to it, and she was telling me about the various books that they use for liturgical purposes; and its origins. She seemed very knowledgeable about the whole thing., but I could sense that she was really making an effort to j

Contrary to wise and popular opinion there are no absolutes in this world . It is only an abstraction created by the mind when it cannot find tranquility in the "what is". A complete Misanthrope, fastidious to the core, utterly repulsive, d isdains company or relationship in any form - such is the character of Melvin essayed by the inimitable Jack Nicholson : the seemingly neurotic author in this brilliant 1997 movie "As good as it gets". One cannot expect even the mildest curtsies from this man. His neighbors detest him, and he revels in their discomfort. He mouths the most hurtful comments to his gay neighbor Simon ; presents to him, his most disgraceful self ; makes him squirm and writhe through his pointed taunts and sarcasms; and yet our hero, is also a successful author who is capable of writing the most tender stories about love and relationships. Such is the anomaly of life. He needs to sit at the same table at his restaurant for breakfast, use his own cutl

Dinu Lipatti lived but a brief and incandescent life of thirty two years. Born in 1917; succumbed to Leukemia in 1950 , taking along with him a prodigious talent, a gift, an unsurpassed mastery over the Piano and not the least; the tremendous affection of his passionate audience, who flocked to hear him every time his thin body took to stage to weave his magic upon his favorite instrument ... Unorthodox, frail, unbounded endurance on stage - his mastery, meticulous prepar ation and scrupulous interpretation of the piano compositions of Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven among others , held listeners and critics spellbound during his short and intense career as an artist. In particular, The Waltzes and Etudes of Chopin came alive under the supple, nimble and divine fingers of Lippati. And as if by a tryst of destiny, It was his disposition to record more and perform less on stage ; probably because his unstable and deteriorating health left him incapable of playing live at a stretch

A Beautiful Spring day in Atlanta yesterday. I took a long walk ; and on my way back, I stepped into my favorite restaurant in Dunwoody for a bite of dinner. I normally prefer sitting at the bar (though, I don't drink anymore!!), because it gives me an opportunity to meet my old friends , and secondly the bar is the least snobbish place to sit and hit an easy conversation with fellow human beings. . It was quite a busy night, and there was a long queue waiting to be seated . I quickly wound my way to my customary corner seat, which strangely enough never gets occupied ,only to find an old friend sitting next to me. I am meeting him after many months. He is a Stocky American in his early fifties, casually dressed with gentle blue eyes that always seem to have a pleading look in them. He works as a senior account manager in a retail chain in Atlanta. An inveterate wine drinker ; he was now holding a glass of red wine and lost in thought when my greeting woke him up from his reverie.

The first time I read Oscar Wilde’s “The picture of Dorian gray”, as a text book in school, I must frankly admit that I understood nothing of it. The pomposity of his language, the intricate caricature of a morally decadent Victorian societ y seemed too much for me at that young age. Later, when literature started to making more sense to me, and I could visibly relate to what I read, the works of Wilde began to take a new meaning and perspective in my mind. It is at this juncture that I realized that ‘the picture of Dorian gray” was the only novel that Wilde ever wrote, and all his others works were Dramas or essays or epistles written at various decisive moments in his life. Speaking of his life, Wilde lived it rambunctiously. He stretched the patience and moral limits of late Eighteenth century England by poking fun at the hypocritical society that he lived in. His tour of America radically altered his views of individual liberty and freedom, and plays written during that period r