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