Posts

‎ "The Book thief" by Markus Zusak - review of a fascinating work of fiction  The years between 1930-45 have been the subject of a lot many stories and interpretations. Numerous writers have presented their view of those horrendous years with stunning clarity and insight. Almost every form of art has borrowed heavily from the leitmotifs of those cataclysmic years molding our understanding of the evil that men committed in the name of race and religion. But no book in my opinion has had the temerity to look at those melancholy times through the innocent eyes of a young adult. Markus Zusak does just that. The period of Nazi occupation is brilliantly captured in translucent prose through Liesel - a young girl, who lives as a foster child in the home of a German family. Internally torn by a strange sense of estrangement : outwardly , the world around her transforming itself into a mire of insecurity and deep fear ; witnessing the physical and moral consequences of non conformanc

English Vinglish - Return of the queen

Sept 1988 - Ramgopal Verma, the maverick director captured Sridevi in his Telegu celluloid fantasy named "Kshana Kshanam". She was by then the intoxicating queen of every masculine psyche. Her very presence aroused impulses that acted as a catharsis for those juvenile beginnings of adolescent pangs ; whose reverberating strains still linger in time as a quintessential idea of feminine grace and ch arm to many of us of that generation. Ram gopal verma had captured Sridevi as no one had ever done before (with possibly the exception of Yash chopra in Chandni). She effused sensuality in every frame. Her long journey as an actor reached a climax in this movie where she blended her penetrating acting with a voluptuousness that lifted one into a rarefied air of pure enchantment. She was a sorceress whose bewitching laughter and gaiety would linger long after the her celluloid presence would fade into twilight zone of our consciousness. To me this film represented the apotheosis of

A tribute to me beloved Father for having instilled an insatiable love of the written word

A tribute to my Father : My love for BOOKS It has been nearly a year since my father passed away and today concludes the official mourning period according to the Hindu calender and rites. He may physically be absent , but his "fatherhood" is forever indelibly etched in my mind. Over the months, I have come to realize how much of me has been defined by what my father was : in each little intentio n and act. His subtle lingering presence beside me has been my source of solace, rejuvenation and optimism in times that have gone by; and will continue to be so: listening to his gentle, non intrusive inner voice every step of my way . I cannot hope,pray or wish for a superior benediction than that. My love for books was nurtured by him. Not that my father was a voracious reader or a man of literary taste. He liked his pulp fiction and devoured them whenever time permitted. James hardley chase, Joanne Collins and the likes of Lawrence sanders were his staple reading diet . Ho

PG Wodehouse - The alchemist of the written word

PG Wodehouse - an alchemist of the written word My panacea for melancholy has ,and will always be, a few pages of a Wodehouse novel. I have always wondered what makes his books so enchanting and uplifting each time I read it. The answer is simple. Its the sheer playfulness of his writing and a limpid grace and lightness to his stories that injects it with its uniquely effervescent brilliance. None can read a Wodehouse novel with a grim face. The utterly farcical plots, blatantly preposterous characterizations, outrageously comical dialogues and a careless irreverence to blinkering social etiquette - transports us to a world that is always refreshingly fresh and invigorating. One could almost visualize a smirky smile creep on to Wodehouse's face: as he would have typed those ninety odd novels during his lifetime - with a pipe in his mouth and a wink in his eye. It is a tribute to the man and his work that even after forty years , his books continue to enthrall young readers. His bo

The shoes of the Fisherman

"The shoes of the Fisherman" - A tract on the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI. Never in the annals of hoary papal history, has a Pope voluntarily resigned from the highest office that Christianity has to offer : The Papacy of the Roman Catholic church; founded by St Peter; ordained by Jesus himself - this formidable institution has been the bed rock of over a billion people for hundreds of year s; their conscience keeper, their moral compass ; their unswerving guide in turbulent times, and above all a colossal power, that resonates with the voice of God almighty in every single act of their lives. The Pope is considered by the Roman Catholics as the apostolic successor of St Peter (A fisherman, by profession), divinely appointed to preserve and nurture the pure strain of Christian doctrine that emanated from the life of Jesus. Peter in Greek means "Petra" or "rock" signifying the stability of the Church amidst the vicissitudes of centuries that have passe
Lincoln - the Movie - A Must Watch Two hundred and seventy two words and less then three minutes was what it took Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United states of America, to delivery the Gettysburg address - acclaimed as one of the greatest speeches In American history; and undoubtedly the most eloquent expression of Freedom ever proclaimed in the name of democracy. Few leaders  of men have had the opportunity to change the course of history; and fewer still had the courage and the strength of rightful conviction to steer Mankind into new pathways of thought and action. Abe Lincoln belonged to this elite group of Statesman philosophers. The American civil car between 1861-65 is one of the momentous periods in Human history, where the future of a free world was at stake, and a modern era was emerging out of its chrysalis after centuries of medieval incubation. The outcome of this war would determine the future of Democracy as Political model; and the creation of a