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Movie Review: Haseen Dillruba

    By
    Noyon Jyoti Parasara
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    Haseen Dillruba, uncannily reminded me of Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Rashee?. While there is barely anything that makes the two films similar on the surface, they are connected by the biggest flaws.

    For most parts of the Gowariker film, Harman Baweja is seen bride hunting. He meets 12 different girls and has to decide on one. When he finally settles for one of the 12 matches, he justifies his decision by saying he was in love with her. Not for once was there a moment in the screenplay to suggest he was in love with the girl and that she was on his mind when he was meeting the other girls. The film collapses in the one line when Harman confesses his “beyhadh pyaar”.  Haseen Dillruba goes to pretty much the same issue.

    Haseen Dillruba’s Rishu is an engineer working with the Jwalapur electricity board with interests in homeopathy. He is pretty much the average small-town Indian guy who is forced to go bride hunting. And interestingly, the two times he has gone bride hunting, he has fallen in love too. The first girl did not want him, but he got lucky the second time around. Now he has a beautiful wife, and he is too intimidated to try and consummate the marriage. Unsure how to deal with an assertive wife, he seeks advice from his unmarried best friend who coaches him on how to ‘train’ his wife to become the homemaker his parents would love. When his wife falls for his cousin instead of him, he is hurt and shows devilish intentions, while stating that he loved her too much.

    Most of Rishu’s character is believable. We all know the type of guy who falls in love with every girl he meets. Throwback to Saif Ali Khan from Dil Chahta Hai, and Aamir Khan’s dialogue “Tera koi bharosa nahi. Aaj Pooja, kal koi dooja”! And we also know the guys who fantasize about getting a hot girlfriend but bite his tongue if he ever needs to speak to a girl he fancies. However, it is when he claims he passionately loved Rani is where the problems arise. The screenplay in no way justifies this ‘love’. And this is also where the rest of the film falters because everything else is based on how much Rishu loves Rani. I could call this the “What’s Your Rashee Syndrome”.

    And that’s the tragedy. Because this one massive flaw aside, Rishu is one helluva interesting character. He is endearing, seeming less harmless and yet turned dangerous. And Vikrant Massey adds every bit of life the character needs. The skilled actor manages to bring in the madness with steely eyes when needed and disarms with his smile.

    The other characters have no such flaws. Taapsee’s Rani is a literature student in love with pulp crime novels written by a particular writer. And like many fiction lovers, she derives her idea of romance and love from these novels. This is funnily close to what porn did with a pizza delivery guy. And hence when Rishu’s cousin Neel, with six-packs and everything else to drool over, arrives at the house for a few days Rani crushes over him like a teenager. She suddenly finds her wanting to cook, something she would never do, just to please Neel. Taapsee aces her part. Harshvadhan Rane shows promise too but is let down by the character that is as incomplete as the clothes he is made to wear. Neel is essentially used as the bait and barely anything else. He is often shirtless. He even wears a life jacket over a bare body!

    Outside the pulp crime story that Haseen Dillruba aims to be, it also makes fleeting commentary on patriarchy, one how the woman is expected to be sundar, susheel and gharelu. None of that has much bearing on the story per se. You may wish there were more scenes between Rani and her in-laws, but the in-laws disappear right when the story gets going. You are unsure why they were not present when Rishu unleashes his rage.

    Pitfalls aside, Haseen Dillruba does manage to entertain. It does just about what the pizza delivery boy is supposed to be. Let’s just call this one a fling rather than a memorable love story.

    Haseen Dillruba is available on Netflix

    Movie Review: Sherni

      By
      Noyon Jyoti Parasara
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      Roughly two and half years ago, around November 2018, forest officials in Maharashtra with help from a private hunter had managed to kill a tigress named Avni after mounting a massive hunt. This was in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directive. Following the killing, there were both celebrations and accusations. The hunter was provided with a silver tiger trophy, while activists talked about how it was a cold-blooded murder without any effort to actually tranquilise the tiger and transport it to a protected area, thereby saving her life.

      For many, this episode of tiger hunt would probably still be fresh in minds considering the news coverage it received. Amit Masurkar must have certainly had this incident playing in his mind when he decided to make Sherni. So Avni or T1 becomes T12, the hunter Asghar Ali Khan becomes Pintu bhaiya, who prefers a havan before starting his hunting expedition. Both Asghar and Pintu seem to share similar parents and have similar records when it comes to hunting. There are multiple other similarities, except with different names.

      What he did not get into his mix was the protest and campaign that was going on simultaneously to save the tiger. Amit keeps a relatively simpler screenplay, angling occasionally at ideas such as development versus conservation and gender discrimination. His primary focus is political and bureaucratic monkey business that unfolds around such an incident.

      Our protagonist is Vidya Vincent, a DFO who newly been appointed to the area. She has struck a field job after years of slogging behind the desk with barely any incentive or promotion. And she realises that this is not an easy assignment as now she has to deal with people rather than files. Vidya’s honest efforts find blockades in her superior’s willingness to bend backward to please the people holding political powers. She finds support in Professor Noorani, played beautifully by Vijay Raaz. Noorani is a zoologist who steps in as an expert to help Vidya with knowledge of the animal. Together they set out to save the tiger and the villagers while hoping Pintu bhaiya does not beat them at it.

      Sherni is shot well. Masurkar successfully provides a glimpse of the terrain and its challenge. His approach is similar to a documentary maker, lending the story the believability it needs. And his dialogues add the zing, ensuring that the entertainment factor is kept alive.

      He is also helped by his casting. Every person on the screen looks and behaves the part. While the likes of Bijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi live up to their competency, you are left surprised by Sharat Saxena. As Pintu bhaiya he strikes gold. And there’s Vidya Balan, never failing to deliver. This time as a cat-fearing Malayali-Christian married to a north Indian, living away from her husband, absorbed in work, and aspiring to do more than what has been laid out for her. The one scene, also a part of the trailer, where her mother-in-law asks her to deck up a bit before heading out, her reaction is worth watching on repeat. Here is a woman who does not react much to anything and yet when she finally knows she has lost, you finally get a glimpse into her vulnerability, and you see the pain. As the camera goes into a closeup, Vidya does what she does best.

      Sherni is an out-and-out environmental thriller. At 2 hours and 11 minutes, the screenplay is taut although you wish it were not as unidimensional. And the fact that it draws so much from a real-life situation is scary and heartening at the same time. Scary because we know this has happened and might happen again. Heartening because we know that both in the case of Avni and T12, people who cared tried to help and ensured the two cubs were safe. Watch it.

      Sherni is available on Amazon Prime.

      Movie Review: Dictionary

        By
        Noyon Jyoti Parasara
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        Around mid-2008, India was waking up to a phenomenon names Savita Bhabhi. A cartoon strip about a promiscuous married woman, Savita, had managed to pique the imagination of the collective youth of the country. The phenomenon became so big that the Indian government had to step in, much to the dismay of plenty, and ban the site under the anti-pornography laws. This followed widespread criticism against the government for behaving like a “net-nanny”. Its fate notwithstanding, Savita Bhabhi did manage to enter common parlance as a part of sexist jokes and more.

        Director Bratya Basu may have sought inspiration from Savita Bhabhi too when he thought of his protagonist Smita Sanyal in Dictionary. No, his film is not akin to some of the web shows that we have today that gleefully entering the realms of sleaze while exploring sexuality. Bratya instead, and mercifully so, set out to explore the emotions that play into an extramarital relationship.

        Smita is nothing like Savita, although both have husbands named Ashok. She certainly is not promiscuous, unlike Savita who flaunts her sexuality unabashedly. Smita is someone who has found solace and love outside her marriage. She never makes it known what drew her away from Ashok, towards her Suman. It is the men in the story who come up with reasons. Suman, a literature professor, remarks, “When men are weak, women fall”. Ashok on the other hand cites his inability to play a good husband, opening up the discussion on what the film actually intends to do. Relooking at conventional ideas. Ashok talks about how the dictionary describes the husband as the head of a family and master of a household. “Not a friend,” he remarks.

        At the other end, Bratya brings in a parallel story of Makar Kranti Chatterjee, who is so obsessed with the western lifestyle that he prefers to be called Mak Chatterjee, almost reminding us of Arjun Rampal’s ‘Call me Mikey. Everybody in Hollywood does” act in Om Shanti Om. To cut the confusion, there is nothing common between the two films. Mak is the exact opposite of Ashok. Imposing and one who truly believes he is the master of the house, as he is in his office. He is what is seen conventionally as a strong character, having managed to build a small business into a larger factory and living in a posh locale of Kolkata. He is someone who gets hassled as he watches his son opting for flattened rice and curd instead for toast for breakfast. He is also used to bring in some lighter moments.

        Both the stories are linked by the dictionary. By words that we know, and we don’t. And of course, Suman, who is almost like a personification of the dictionary as the professor who loves to quote from the classics. Suman happens to be Mak’s brother-in-law.

        The strength of Dictionary is in the delicate approach Bratya adopts while handling the extra-marital relationship. He manages to steer away from letting out any judgments, giving each character their own space and reason. And he is blessed to have found an appropriate cast that could bring his characters to life. Abir Chatterjee as Ashok, Nusrat Jahan as Smita, Mosharraf Karim as Mak, and Arna Mukhopadhyay as Suman bring respectability into their characters. Also commendable are Sirsha Roy’s cinematography and Prabuddha Banerjee’s music complementing each other.

        Dictionary is about one finding the truth, shaking off presumptions. Will it manage to create as much discussion as Savita Bhabhi did? Probably not. It most certainly is not aiming to do so. But it should manage to start some conversations.

        –

        Dictionary is available on Zee5.

        Looking back at Sushant Singh Rajput’s career

          By
          Noyon Jyoti Parasara
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          Exactly a year back we lost Sushant Singh Rajput. Was it a case of suicide, or was there something more? Well, only time will tell. Irrespective, one of the things I will probably never be okay with was the way the depression story was ridiculed. “He did not look depressed,” is exactly the kind of argument that we should have probably never entertained. Nevertheless, that is a discussion for another day. Today, we discuss business. Business of films and how it could impact an actor’s career.

          Sushant Singh Rajput was by no means a failure. He was a sparkling story of success. How else do you term a person’s career when in merely ten years he got to work with some of the biggest film producers and directors in the Hindi film industry. Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, Nadiadwala Grandsons – he got to work in stellar projects made by all of them. In a country where almost every second kid wishes to become a movie star and thousands make it to Mumbai every year to try out their luck, how many can claim to have such a remarkable journey? And yet, as it appears, things were not hunky-dory. Were far from it rather!

          As was made public during the investigations following his demise, Sushant had lost out on several films in the last couple of years. This led to a number of allegations – of how SSR may have been systematically targeted by people in the film industry. People who had given him work in the first place. Conspiracy stories are plenty.

          The disconnect is evident. Why would anyone want to target an actor in an industry that is run by commerce? If your films are doing business, you are in business.

          Not even the most ardent fans Salman Khan would probably argue if you compared Salman’s histrionic abilities with say a Rajkumar Rao. Salman is not known for his acting prowess. He is however a powerhouse of charisma that drives the box office like a charm. Even his most deplorable films manage to bring in festive joys for the ones in the business of film exhibition. For a producer who risks his financial standing while making a film, a chance at the recovery of investments is paramount. And they often do the star’s bidding as long as the star promises to deliver the moolah – personal feelings for the person notwithstanding.

          Another case study: Govinda. The actor is known to have been always late for his shoots. But till he was delivering the blockbusters it was all fine. The day he ran out of luck at the box office is when people also started having problems with his inability to manage time.

          At the other end of the spectrum, we have multiple cases such as Kumar Gaurav who found themselves out of favour when their films stopped doing the business the producers needed them to do. A “star kid”, Kumar is not alone. And he was not a bad actor either. Kumar has delivered credible performances in films such as Naam and Kaante. For every Rishi Kapoor who made it, there are multiple Rajiv Kapoors who did not.

          If nothing else, this reinstates that the only thing that matters is commerce. Had the Indian film industry been run by the government, maybe profits would not have mattered as much. But when someone puts their own money into something, it would be foolish for them to not expect returns. And this is where probably Sushant’s story found a stumbling block.

          I know you will argue that many of Sushant’s movies were hits. Yes, they were. But Rajesh Khanna too had once given 15 straight superhits. Unfortunately, it is the latest Friday that matters. And for Sushant, the failures of Detective Byomkesh Bakshi (COP: 35cr, Revenue: 26cr) and Raabta (COP: 47cr, Revenue: 21cr) were major stumbling blocks. More so, the latter. Yes, there was a Dhoni in between. That was moderately successful. But it was also the biopic of India’s most successful cricket captain and was directed by a maverick filmmaker with a fan following of his own. And like in most cases, while success is attributed to multiple factors, failure is often pinned on one person. DBB and Raabta’s failures meant SSR was not ready yet to pull off the kind of films he wanted to do… films that needed budgets that were more than the business of his most successful film. Case in point the ambitious films Chanda Mama Door Ke and Paani.

          Right after Raabta, multiple films of Sushant were put on hold indefinitely. Some others he himself walked out of. These include RAW, which was later made with John Abraham. Can you blame the film financiers/producers for that? Well, it’s their money. Like Vashu Bhagnani once told me about casting his son in his movies, “He is my son. If I have the money, why should I not spend on him.” Indeed! A father has the liberty to spend his money on his son. You and I, as the audience, have the liberty to decide which movie to buy tickets for!

          Could SSR have reworked his strategy and moved to small budget films that are usually made with his Kai Po Che co-star Rajkummar Rao? Maybe that could have helped. Maybe not. It is a hypothesis at best. The fact remains that he was not selling the tickets that were required to recover investments made on films such as Raabta and the wonderful Sonchiriya.

          Before I am trolled for my statement, let me affirm I had huge regards for SSR the performer. While the actor on-screen demeanour mostly reminded me of Shah Rukh’s early days, the charm he oozed can barely be matched by anyone from his generation. I enjoyed watching him, as much I enjoy watching SRK on-screen. He was a perfect mix of charm, energy and acting capability that I have always thought is important to create stardom. And which is why I mourn the loss. Because in him, I truly believe, Hindi cinema could have had a major star… if only he had more time. Alas!

          For now, I truly hope that we move on from making a mockery of his demise and relish his work in films such as Kai Po Che, Dhoni, Kedarnath, and Sonchiriya.

           

          Movie Review: The Girl on the Train (2021)

            By
            Noyon Jyoti Parasara
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            0

            Back in childhood, I lived in the small city of Guwahati. Away from the madness of maximum city Mumbai, Guwahati has its small-town charms. It is vibrant in its own way while being quite laid back. One of the essential parts of Guwahati is the cycle rickshaw – a mode of transportation most people would swear by.

            The new age youngsters might find it disturbing to ride in a vehicle that is manually pulled by another human and not machine, but rickshaws have their own charm. You could enjoy the light breeze on your face, as the rickshaw cruised slowly. More importantly, you could probably do quick hellos with friends and acquaintances as they sat for their evening ‘addas’. The rickshaws allowed you that. Mumbai does not have an equivalent. The fast city has suitably fast trains, which aid you in your rush to reach somewhere. Not entirely enjoyable, but efficient. A slow cycle rickshaw will never be right for this city.

            I wish I could say The Girl On The Train was like the rickshaw ride in Guwahati. It is not. Neither is it efficient like the train journey in Mumbai. Instead, it is like a rickshaw ride in Mumbai. Rest assured, it is not heading anywhere.

            The Girl on The Train is about a wreck of a woman, Mira, who sinks herself in alcohol to get over the tragic loss of her unborn child. She has also lost her family and job. Interestingly, she finds solace in another person – someone sees every day from the window seat of her train in which she travels to we-dunno-where. The best part of her day is when the ever-drunk Mira sees this woman, amidst various moments of her own happy life. The happiness of this woman appears in sharp contrast to Mira’s life – a cozy house, a loving husband. Things go bad when this woman goes missing, and Mira, who happens to be a lawyer by profession, finds herself as a prime suspect in the case.

            Another detail: Mira has retrograde amnesia. Her short-term memory does not translate to long-term memory.

            Essentially, this is a great setting for a suspense thriller. I have not read the source material – the best-selling novel – but there must be a reason why it is popular. But the movie fails to evoke much response except boredom.

            FullyFilmy Review: The Girl On The Train

            A good reason for this might be the way Mira’s character evolves. You never quite feel empathy for her. And this is not due to Parineeti Chopra’s performance. The actress gives it all she has, but she is not given a character that does much else than drink. The one single feeble attempt at justifying her attitude is established when she says she had been looking forward to becoming a mother since she was a child. And neither is her processing bits of information and piecing together frames in her memory made quite believable – something on which the climax depends on.

            It is not Mira alone that not provided fir enough ground. None of the characters are. Add to that nonsensical scenes such as a random interrogation scene between Mira and the investigating officer in a public place.

            But more importantly, I still cannot figure why is the story set in London. Is it because trains there are supposed to be slow like cycle-rickshaws in Guwahati? Slow enough for you to see someone from a distance, recognise him or her, identity what they are doing, and get attached to their daily activities. Unlikely. London does offer a clean railway track though, unlike Mumbai. Maybe hence, eh!

            To give due credit, the actors try hard to add to their sorry characters. And cinematographer does his bit to add sheen to the frames. We only wish the director did what he is capable of, as is evident from his earlier ventures.

            For the interested, The Girl On The Train is available on Netflix.

            My Guru, My Father: Amjad Ali Khan

            By
            Fried Guest
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            Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan was born in a house responsible for giving the Sarod its present shape and structure. The traditional style of music which today has become somewhat rare is called Dhrupad, where the use of embellishments does not exist. The usage was more of long glides both for vocalists and instrumentalists. He added to it the melodic possibilities of instrumental music in its complete dhrupad form. A rabab-oriented Sarod style, more staccato, more right hand than left, more mechanical than melodic was converted by Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan to a brilliant amalgam of feeling and cleanliness, heard only in the Rudra-Been and the Sursingaar of the descendants of Mian Tansen. Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan could make his sarod sing. This he did by a very advanced technique of the left-hand fingernails and a thorough understanding of the Raga pattern filtered through feeling and Aesthetic awareness. He could flower with tonal accuracy even when the string pitch went down by a quarter note or more. He was himself a great dhrupad singer and discovered a brilliantly coordinated and synchronized stroke sustainability in his sarod. With this, he could translate his vocal dhrupad lines in the otherwise metallic instrument of his ancestors, to a stream of aesthetic melody patterns.

            Haafiz Ali Khan lived for Music. For my father, though, there was no question of a life outside music. Life itself was Music and Music was Life. And so I came to inherit from him the legacy of five generations of musicians as naturally as a bird taking to the air. His exquisite music was not just an artistic performance but a form of prayer. He was initiated in the tradition of the Senia Gharana by direct descendants of the line of Swami Haridas, Mian Tansen, and leaned at the feet of Ustad Wazir Khan of Rampur. Ustad Wazir Khan broke the convention of teaching only family members and accepted him as his disciple. Now a direct disciple of the Tansen School, Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb started flowering under the Ustad’s undiluted teaching. More knowledge enriched the already exposed brilliance of Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb and his strict adherence to vocal dhrupad made the veterans of his time looking at him with admiration. His performance together with his tonal richness and accuracy from instrumental music a status equivalent to vocal music; The melody-rich Sarod got an unthinkable status.

            Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan receiving the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship from Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Maulana Abdul Kalam looks on. (1952) FriedEye
            Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan receiving the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship from Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Maulana Abdul Kalam looks on. (1952)

            Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan was honoured with the title of Aftab-e-Sarod by the All Bengal Music Conference in Calcutta, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and also received a fellowship of the Akademi. The Universities of Vishva Bharti and Khairagharh conferred doctorates on him. The Government of India conferred the award of Padma Bhushan in 1960. The true Godfather of Instrumental music of his times! Far ahead of his time, Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan realized the coming of the industrial age, its rapidity and its lack of leisure and want of time. He believed that rag music in its purity can only be preserved by precision. Stretching the raga too long will lead to irrelevant phrases, raga dilution, and deviation. Rabindra Nath Tagore also believed in this. Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan was the last musician who stuck to his dhrupad roots. He created the correct raga environment by playing dhrupad lines verbatim and then elaborated and expanded them. He will also be remembered as the last of the Senia dhrupad greats. Apart from his formidable command over traditional sarod compositions, dhrupad, and thumri, he was particularly appreciated in the Viceregal firmament of colonial India for his unique, stylized renditions of “God Save The King” on his sarod.

            The Sarod Ghar-Museum of Musical Heritage in Gwalior, is a unique institution devoted to promoting Indian classical music, heritage and culture. Under the aegis of Haafiz Ali Khan Memorial Trust, through this ‘window’ to the past, music lovers can gain a better understanding of the evolution and history of Indian Classical Music and can get a deeper perspective and insight into the context of the art as it exists today. The aim of setting up this institution is to create awareness and respect for classical music, musicians and the variety of instruments of India. The road on which the museum stands has been named Haafiz Ali Khan Marg by the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh. The first instruments exhibited were the instruments belonging to his forefathers. Madhya Pradesh has had a whole history of great musical legends down memory lane . The great vocalist Ustad Amir Khan Saheb, Ustad Jahangir Khan Saheb, Ustad Abdul Haleem Jaffar Khan Saheb, Bharat Ratna Lata Mageshkar-ji are among the prominent aristes who belonged to the city of Indore. The city of Dewas gave birth to another two prominent personalities. Ustad Rajab Ali Khan and Pandit Kumar Gandharva. The legendary Hindi film playback Singer Kishore Kumar-ji and his brother the famous Ashok Kumar-ji also belonged to Khandawa .

            A road in the name Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb was inaugurated by the Honourable Chief Minister, Smt. Sheila Dikshit few years ago at PWD Road. This is the 2nd entry road to Nizamuddin Railway Station. This is the only road named after an artist after Tansen and Thyagaraja in the capital city in 2011. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation also renamed New Park Street as Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Sarani by chief minister Mamata Banerjee in 2013.

             

            Having spanned over 90 years, my fathers was a life that connected the high points of the colonial era to the turbulence of our own times. Born sometimes in the 1880s at Gwalior where his father Nanneh Khan was court musician, Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb took great pride in the fact that it was his great grandfather, Ghulam Bandegi Khan Bangash, who turned his native Afghan rabab into what we know today as the sarod. Yet his thirst for knowledge took him to Pandits Chukha and Ganeshi Lai of Vrindaban, who were stern practitioners of the Dhrupad and then he went on to Rampur, where he became a disciple of the great Ustad Wazir Khan, the descendant of Tansen. My father left his impression not only in that provincial court but, more importantly, also in Calcutta, then the Imperial Capital. It was here that he received the love and adulation that was to endow him with the legendary status. Raichand Boral, who later rose to fame as the music Director of the New Theatres and the discoverer of K.L. Saigal, was more intimate and colorful in his reminiscences always told me that the first time my father came to his house in 1918, the Great war had just ended and a complacence was beginning to set in the music world of Bengal. ‘With his coming, we were suddenly confronted with a genius who almost rudely banished smugness, lethargy and tidy housekeeping.’ He discovered the link between dhrupad and thumri long before it was commented upon by others. To be able to see Haafiz Ali Khan in proper perspective in the words of Dr Narayana Menon was that Haafiz Ali Khan was the poet. Abba Saheb, as I called him, was a born extrovert, held his head high, brooked no nonsense from any quarter and walked the earth like a renaissance prince.

            On the occasion of Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb’s 48th death anniversary, I pray to my father and guru, like every day. May his soul rest in peace! As I have written in my memoir about Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan (1877- December 28, 1972) that for me, the seven notes of music were him. He was the epitome of music. He was my inspiration, my reason of perspiration and he was my idea of representation.

            When an Indian Maharaja saved a drought hit British village

            By
            Fried Eye Research Team
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            On an evening in the mid-nineteenth century, Maharaja Ishree Persad Narayan Singh of Benares had a guest at his palace. Edward Reade, the acting Governor-General of the United Provinces, who was also a friend of the Maharaja, narrated a story over dinner. The story of a little boy in a village named Stoke Row in Southeast England beaten up by his mother for drinking up the last remaining water during a drought moved the Maharaja and he felt very sad. Reade had told the Maharaja that this was very common in some draught hit parts of England. It reminded the Maharaja of the hardships faced by some of his people some time back. At that time Reade had helped him dig a well there. The Maharaja decided to help the people of Stoke Row by digging a well there.

            With the Maharaja’s funding, a well, 368ft deep and 4 ft in diameter, was dug in Stoke Row and it was completed in 1863. The well was topped with a 23 ft dome elaborately designed in flamboyant Indian style. It also had  winding machinery and a golden elephant adorning it. The Maharaja had also built a cottage for its caretaker nearby. The Maharaja had also funded a four-acre cherry orchard in the area.

             

            North and south of Sonning Common. Photo Courtesy: Peter Collins on Flickr. 

             

             

            The well was officially inaugurated in 1864. The Maharaja never visited the place but he had a bond with the village. Apart from bearing all the expenses for the well, he had also gifted many more things like footpaths and occasional free meals and feats for the residents of the village.

            The well served its purpose for 70 years and it got lost into oblivion with new water supply technologies coming up. After Reade’s death, the connection between Benares and Stoke Row was disrupted until Maharaja Bihuti Narayan Singh, the great-grandson of Ishree Persad Singh established contact with the great-grandson of Reade. In 1961 Bibhuti Narayan gifted an Ivory replica of the well to the Queen of England during her India visit and proposed to celebrate the forthcoming centenary as a mark of Indo-British relationship. On 8th April 1964, the centenary of the Maharaja’s Well was celebrated in presence of 1500 people including Prince Philip.

            The well that was an enigma in its heydays as it was a gift from the Maharaja of a fabled land that was mysterious for the people of the West still stands as a piece of history. Interestingly the Maharaja’s gift to the Raj had prompted other Maharajas to donate wells in other draught hit English villages as well. One such well was constructed at Ipsden by Raja Deonarayan Singh. However other wells did not get as much attention as that in Stoke Row.

            10 things you must know about Assam startup – The Nest

            By
            Fried Eye
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            Among several issues plaguing Assam, unemployment stands as one major constraint. The fact that the state has a dismal number of literate and semi-literate unemployed youths strikes a sorry picture. Keeping this in mind, the Government of Assam decided to give shape to an initiative that will support and encourage the youths of Assam to convert from being job seekers to job creators.

            The Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Assam, took it upon itself to formulate the Assam Startup Policy in 2017. The core objective of the Policy is to promote a culture of entrepreneurship in the state that would help develop self-sustenance in Assam and largely address the problem of unemployment in the state. The IIM Calcutta Innovation Park has been roped in as the implementing partner to execute the initiative by the Government of Assam.

            Given that the average state population has traditionally been service-inclined, merely motivating the youth towards entrepreneurship isn’t enough. They need a certain amount of grooming and hand-holding until they are confident and skilled enough to drive their business independently. Hence, the need for a world-class startup incubator that can provide complete entrepreneurial grooming and practical coaching to the startups.

            Keeping this mind, a state-of-art marquee incubator was inaugurated, as part of the Assam Startup Policy 2017, on 20 January 2019 by the honourable Chief Minister, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. Assam Startup – The Nest is Assam’s first state-owned startup incubator located at Ambari, Guwahati and is dedicatedly working to help the startups grow into master entrepreneurs.

            Months into the initiative, there has been a lot of curiosity among people about Assam Startup – The Nest. A feeling of wonder engrosses the mind about what goes on inside the swaggering building! Here’s an attempt to clear the clouds and pull out answers to everything one wants to know about the Assam Startup initiative.

             

            1. What does Assam Startup – The Nest do?

            As a startup incubator, Assam Startup – The Nest helps the startup entities to tailor their entrepreneurial mindset in order to align it with the market. Selected startups are incubated at The Nest for a period of 6 months, wherein they go through intense mentoring, capacity building training and get access to co-working space, support services, and crucial network connects to help them get cracking and take the next big leap.

             

             

            1. How can Assam Startup – The Nest help fulfill the entrepreneurial aspirations of a startup?

            Entrepreneurship is a tough call involving several highs and lows. Being an entrepreneur requires a strong frame of mind, problem-solving mindset, and a never-say-die attitude. Through its rigorous capacity building programs and mentoring sessions, Assam Startup – The Nest tries to train the startups to align their thoughts with the tough demands of entrepreneurship so that they are skill-equipped to turn a startup idea into a scalable business venture.

            The startups are also introduced to formidable figures from the industry that include national and international entrepreneurs, investors and startup mentors. They get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interact with those industry gurus, indulge in knowledge sessions with them and turn those sessions into fruitful networking opportunities.

            What more, in the final phase of the incubation, The Nest organizes a Demo Day, wherein top investors are invited to consider investing in the ventures pitched by the incubated startups.

             

            1. What kind of mentoring is provided at The Nest?

            The incubated startups are assigned mentors based on their sector, startup stage and specific needs. The pool of mentors at The Nest consists of industry experts from across the country with elaborate experience in entrepreneurship. Most of these mentors are already mentoring startups incubated at IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (Kolkata).

            The assigned mentors do a review of the startups and offer them insightful suggestions as well as give them monthly targets or action plans to work on so that by the end of the 6-month incubation, the startups could have a thorough business model in hand.

             

            1. Does Assam Startup provide technological support to the incubatees?

            Assam Startup – The Nest is essentially a business incubation hub and does not provide direct technological support. But it helps the startups to connect with institutions offering suitable tech training and support.

             

            1. Is there a fee for incubation?

            No fee is charged for incubation.

            Startup Assam

            1. Does Assam Startup provide fund?

            Assam Startup – The Nest connects the incubated startups with investors. Apart from this, the startups can apply for Startup Recognition on the website www.startup.assam.gov.in to become eligible for a number of fiscal and non-fiscal benefits provided by the Government of Assam. Startups deemed eligible for Startup Recognition following a rigorous process of evaluation are granted a unique My Assam Startup ID (MASI), which the startups must use to apply for the various benefits enumerated on the website.

            One may go to the website and click on “Resources” to read the Assam Startup Policy 2017 and learn about the benefits under MASI in details.

            Please note that startups who aren’t incubated at The Nest are also eligible to apply for MASI.

             

            1. Apart from the MASI benefits, what does Assam Startup – The Nest do for startups who aren’t incubated at The Nest?

            The Nest conducts a special Startup Adda every month, especially for the non-incubated startups, wherein they get the opportunity to interact with industry experts and ask them for suggestions regarding the various challenges of entrepreneurship with special focus on their own ventures. Besides, The Nest also conducts topic-based workshops for the non-incubated startups to acquaint them with the motley nuances of business and management.

             

            1. Does Assam Startup give startup ideas?

            Assam Startup – The Nest does not offer startup ideas. It offers the right direction to execute startup ideas.

            However, the startup incubator organizes Hackathons and Ideathons, inviting youths to come together and brainstorm over a popular local problem in order to come up with interesting startup ideas and solutions.

             

            1. Are all activities of Assam Startup confined to The Nest alone?

            It’s understood that none of the facilities under the Assam Startup Policy would bear fruits unless and until there’s far-reaching dissemination of knowledge about startups, the challenges and scope of startups in the state, and comprehensive familiarity with the provisions enumerated under the Assam Startup Policy 2017. As such, it’s been made sure that The Nest holds awareness sessions and workshops at different academic and training institutions across the state from time to time. In fact, within 2 months of its launch, The Nest had connected with around 2500 students and aspirant entrepreneurs across the state.

             

            1. Is there any sector specification or preference in order to be considered eligible for incubation?

            Startups from any sector, except for liquor and tobacco, can apply for incubation at Assam Startup – The Nest. The startups are evaluated on the basis of Innovativeness, Market Potential, Revenue Model, Traction and Team Capabilities.

             

            1. How to apply for incubation?

            Incubation at The Nest is run on a Cohort mode. The contest for the second Cohort is currently let open. In order to apply, one must go to the website www.startup.assam.gov.in  and “Apply for Cohort 2.0”. The applicants need to fill-up the form and submit. The applications are rigorously evaluated by industry experts from across the country after which the top list of startups are invited to pitch their venture in front of jury members at The Nest. The final list of startups from the pitching process is selected to be a part of the Cohort.

            The love-affair of Bollywood and North America

              By
              Fully Filmy
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              0

              In the course of the last few years, we’ve seen how the ‘Bollywood Masala’ has soared its popularity across the globe. It shouldn’t be a surprise though — considering a whopping 22 million Non-Resident Indians around the world! Bollywood is no longer constrained to the beaches of Indian Ocean — it has come into whacking limelight over these years and the song ‘London Thumakda’ has now a literal meaning in it.  Today, the fandom of Indian Movies transcends all the borders and Bollywood movies make a mammoth revenue with the love of their fans abroad and they’re too good to ignore for the creators in the industry. Stars fancy meeting their global fans by hosting tours and award functions, and the warmth the fans reciprocate is priceless. If you’re from North America and scepticism clouds your judgement about getting into the Bollywood movies, but they’re not as uncertain to try as the game of roulette—they’re easy to grasp and are loaded with fun songs that you can surely enjoy. In a nutshell, Bollywood movies are fun and if you’re in North America, you’d get the best out of Bollywood there—here are some of the best movies Bollywood movies from the last year that you could start with.

              Let’s take a glance at the dynamics of Bollywood and its influence on fans all over the world.

              The revolutionary 21st century for Bollywood:

              The inception of this century encountered some of the blockbusters by the mighty Bollywood giants who established their names during the beginning of the 21st century itself – Yes, we’re talking about Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra. If the iconic guitar tune just echoed in your head, you know where this is going. With likes of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayengay, Kal Ho Na Ho and Kuch Kuch Hota hai creating massive traction all across the globe, filmmakers started giving more attention their global crowd by adding elements of Indo-American culture in their movies. The popular TV host and film trade analyst Komal Nahta also gave her opinion on this shift in Bollywood saying, “These directors gave NRI viewers the perfect mix of traditional Indian values with a modern Westernised treatment.”

              Over these years non-resident Indians weren’t the only ones who hopped on the global fan brigade of Bollywood, the diverse culture and the dramatic magnetism of Bollywood lured a lot of a lot of Hollywood celebs too. Be it Kristen Stewart’s desire to work with the ‘Greek God of Bollywood’, Hrithik Roshan, or the queen of reality Tv in Hollywood, Kim Kardashian who admitted her ardent fascination in appearing in popular Indian telly reality show, Big Boss.

              If Bollywood has influenced any part of the world the most, it would most certainly be the Western one — especially the fans of North America.

              Bollywood’s overwhelming love story with North America:

              Did you know that out of the 13 million population of, Ontario has 600,000 Indian diasporas? You can only imagine the levels to which the Indian culture penetrates there. Even the business giants in North America have started to pay serious attention to the possible synergies of having the hold of Bollywood aficionados.

              Indian-Language movies have found a strong grip on the North American cineplexes.

              Some of the Bollywood blockbusters have hit the skyrocketing stats in North America only, in the past decade —like Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots that grossed $6.5 million in 2009. Though it was a long time back and nowadays movies are even exceeding the $10 million grosses. The latest release of the movie Bahubali (Bahubali 2: The Conclusion), broke all the records in North America in 2017 by grossing more than $13 million in North America. Its total box-office collection turned out to be around $20m in the United States — the movie gained popularity like wildfire in North America and left a long-lasting impact of Bollywood on the people. Although the population of Indians in North American only comprises of 1-3% of the Global Indian diaspora, a Bollywood hit in North America can still earn more than 10% of its worldwide gross — that explains how a lot of Bollywood award functions and movie tours took place in North America in recent years. One of the most iconic ones among them was last year’s IIFA Awards which is also known as the ‘The Oscars of Bollywood’. The star-studded night took place in MetLife Stadium in New York. The event had the likes of some of the biggest stars in Bollywood like Salman Khan, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, who were dancing to the popular Bollywood numbers and were revered by their fans.

              Farhan Akhtar wins Best Actor award for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag at 15th IIFA Awards, Tampa, USA

               

              Sooner or later, Bollywood movies can rival Hollywood movies in a staggering duel for movie screens in North America. Currently, an average week in the US encounters 900 movie screens decorated with Bollywood movies, across 35 states of it. However, one thing is quite certain, fans of Bollywood in North America are only going to get more of their beloved stars in the coming time.

              The Star That Stree Delivered – Rajkummar Rao

                By
                Noyon Jyoti Parasara
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                0

                Rajkummar Rao’s growing popularity can barely be questioned. He is, and for good reason, considered one of India’s best actors, and arguably the finest in the younger generation. And even though he has a loyal audience, one that is growing fast, his ability to draw audiences to the theatres has been questioned. The worry was not unfound, with Queen being his only clean hit till last. 2017 was an important year with Newton – his first success as a solo protagonist.

                Which is why Stree is a gamechanger. The horror-comedy breezed past the 50-crore mark in merely six days, after an impressive Rs 31-crore first-weekend collection. By the end of the first week, Stree has become one of the most profitable films of 2018 in terms of investment versus earnings. And if that’s not good enough, the pace at which it is advancing shows good indication that this might just mark Raj’s entry into the 100-crore bracket – a prestige club of Bollywood stars. The keyword here being ‘star’. It’s almost symbolic – a star is born of Stree!

                Rajkummar Rao

                This also comes at an interesting time. Raj might have found a solid competitor in Vicky Kaushal, who has been basking in some warm light the whole of this year. Vicky has been a part rather prominent parts in Sanju, Raazi and Lust Stories. And he is all seem to create a large impact with Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyaan. At least the trailers seem to be saying so.

                This is just the time when Raj needed to assert that he is not just an actor who can pull of any character, but also take up responsibilities of a film on his shoulder. And he is not letting the opportunity pass. Right from the promotions of Stree, Raj was clear that this is an important film for him. This is possibly the first time he has a film that could work with a larger audience than what he has been able to establish. And he has not let the success go unnoticed. At least that’s what the party he hosted for the media screamed out.

                On Wednesday evening, Raj celebrated the success with many media personnel media – people who have stood by him and advocated his abilities as an actor. It was a happy occasion. Raj played the perfect host as he spent some informal moments with each person present at the party. The party also was attended by the producers of his film, Dinesh Vijan, and Raj Nidimoru, apart from Shraddha Kapoor. The food and the wine flowed making it all a memorable affair.

                And while the party spoke about his delight, the statement was made through the choice of location. Olive, a luxury dining place frequented by the likes of Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and some of the best-known stars of Bollywood. A place situated in the heart of glamorous Bandra.  If conjectures could be made, this could very well signify Rajkummar Rao’s rise, him stepping up from Lokhandwala to Bandra.

                What does this mean for the industry? A whole lot of things. We have a brand-new addition to the A-list. Someone who has taken the longer route to success. A rare case of actor-turned-star. A welcome addition.

                On the same day, Raj announced on his social media that he has been signed as a brand ambassador for an eyewear brand – a part of a well-known Italian brand. This further establishes his connect with the audience.

                Celebrations aside though, this will also open up speculations on each of his movies going forward, and how they do at the box office. Now on Rajkummar will be expected to deliver at the box office, even as he maintains the quality of his work. And it is going to be interesting how Raj managed to keep his fans happy, stay a star and yet fall into its trappings.

                Movie Review: Anil Sharma’s Genius

                  By
                  Noyon Jyoti Parasara
                  -
                  1

                  Over the last few years, Bollywood has taken massive strides towards telling tales that more real and grounded, increasingly detaching itself from the dramatic storytelling that was once the essence of Hindi cinema. Of course, it cannot be denied that this has been a welcome change. And yet, what also cannot be denied is that there is a sizable audience still yearns for the movie that packages everything, like a buffet, from action to romance to comedy. And Anil Sharma’s Genius gives this audience just that.

                  Let’s be clear. This is probably not a movie that is going to please the intellectual and the ones who seek a more contemporary storytelling. Genius is pretty much a 90s flick, replete with randomness and inconsistencies. It has a hero who can overcome crippling pain and spring into action when his country’s reputation is at stake. It is about a hero who is invited by RAW to join him because he is… a Genius at what he does. It is a story where we are not sure what our hero is studying at IIT – computers or chemicals. He seems to ace everything anyway. Along with Sanskrit slokas. It is a film where our hero derives scientific basics from the Vedas – something I am certain is not going to go well with many of the audience.

                  It is also about a larger than life villain, MRS, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. An aura is built around this man, who remains untraceable for the world except for our hero Vasudev Shastri. And yet when he comes on screen, MRS is more comical than menacing. He even does a cute dance to Himesh Reshammiya’s music at a party. This chap is a genius in his own right.

                  But once you accept its inconsistencies, Genius can be engaging. It is a non-linear screenplay and has enough twists to thrill the audience. While the first half of the film is dedicated to building the love story and Vasudev’s character, someone who greets people with a charming Radhe Radhe, the second half is when things get serious. Twists build up towards an action sequence where two geniuses fight it out. But before that, the screenplay could successfully convince that there is something fishy about the hero itself.

                  The dialogues of the film are aimed at playing to the gallery. Often references are made to the way of life in Vrindavan and the culture. Genius is mounted on a lavish scale. Director Anil Sharma is one of the few filmmakers in Bollywood who can mount a film on a large canvas.

                  All of these help debutant Utkarsh Sharma to come across as a decent new face. Someone who could be given another chance, irrespective of the faith of his debut. Co-star Ishita has much lesser to do. Much of the cake is hence taken by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. In one particular scene, where he is telling the backstory of his character, the actor showcases pure brilliance, moving from madness to grief.

                  Genius in its essence is a 90s flick, but with some new age smartness… characters talking about hacking and binary codes an all. It is the kind of launchpad that seeks to project the debutant as a complete package. Looks bhi hai, action bhi karta hai, aur romance bhi. Badhiya hai! Watch it just for that!

                  Movie Review: Mudassar Aziz’s Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi

                    By
                    Noyon Jyoti Parasara
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                    0
                    Sonakshi

                    In one of the film’s hilarious scenes – and there are quite a few actually – the lovable Usman Afridi asks Bagga, “Desh toh azaad ho gaya, lekin Kashmir ka kya karein?”. It comes across as a simple line that but when seen in context to the real-life bilateral ties, a Pakistani asking that question to an Indian speaks volumes of how delightfully layered Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi is in its humour. The film has multiple such lines that allow us to laugh at how funny the complex can be.

                    Sequel to the much loved 2016 Happy Bhag Jayegi, Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi takes us to Shanghai, China. While the earlier was based on a runaway bride landing in Pakistan, this time it is about mistaken identities – one Happy being kidnapped instead of the other. The reason behind the kidnapping is quite hare-brained and might in a way look too convenient for the screenplay, but then that’s exactly why the goons become so lovable. They are silly and clearly do not have much of a future in the world of crime, as Sonakshi’s Happy says out in a scene.

                    Sonakshi

                    The kidnapping is followed by a mad ride to find why she was kidnapped, her escape and then finding the other Happy, who we have already met in the 2016 film. While all this unfolds, the clueless Happy (Diana) and her husband Guddu (Ali Fazal) happily enjoy boat rides in Shanghai.

                    Mudassar Aziz builds a hilarious screenplay. Never for once does he resort to anything that does not fit the essence of the film. Every scene adds up and more importantly entertains. But most importantly, many of these scenes could very well turn into a classic, just because of the way the director has dealt with it. Some of the sequences are spontaneous that it is difficult to figure out whether it is all written and rehearsed or did things just happen on the sets and the director decided to keep it.

                    None of the actor – Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Piyush Mishra, Ali Fazal, Diana Penty and Jassie Gill – ever slips out of character. They nail each and every dialogue with conviction and adds to the delight. Jassie Gill, who debuts in Bollywood with this film, shows immense promise. Sonakshi Sinha pulls a perfect one as the feisty Punjabi girl. There is also a fun cameo by Aparshakti Khurana. And Jimmy Shergill sets the standards high.

                    But the star of this film is Mudassar Aziz and his writing. As a director, he makes a rather over the top premise look plausible. But it is his incredible writing that makes Happy Phirr Bhag Jagegi an absolute joy.

                    Bryan Adams is coming to India, and here are all the details

                      By
                      Fried Eye News Service
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                      0

                      It is official. Bryan Adams is coming to India. The legendary Canadian singer-songwriter will do a five-city tour of India in October this year. The cities where he will be performing include Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and New Delhi. This will be a part of his nineteenth concert tour, for which he has already been to 53 cities across four continents this year.

                      What is learnt at this moment is that the gigs are lined up in support of Ultimate, a 21-track compilation that he brought out late last year. This will the fifth time he will be performing in the country. And we are told that this is going to be much bigger a show than what he has done on earlier occasions. Speaking about the concert, Adams says, “Namaste India. At the onset, I’d like to wish each one of you a very happy Independence Day. India is one of my favourite places in the whole world. The love and generosity that I have experienced here is immense and I am eternally grateful to ENIL for the opportunity to perform again in this beautiful country.”

                      The Ultimate Tour will see the singer perform on songs from his fourteenth album, which consists of some fresh song as well some of his biggest hits – all designed to capture the legend’s stupendous career.

                      The 58-year old Adam had first performed in India in 1996. He followed it by stellar concerts in 2001, 2003 and 2011. Some of his best-remembered songs include ‘Summer of ’69’, ‘When You’re Gone’, ‘Everything I Do I Do It For You’, and ‘All for Love’

                      The schedule

                      • 9th October 2018 @Ahmedabad @Sardar Patel Stadium
                      • 11th October 2018 @Hyderabad @Hitex City
                      • 12th October 2018 @Mumbai @Jio Gardens
                      • 13th October 2018 @Bengaluru @Ozone Urbana
                      • 14th October 2018 @New Delhi @Leisure Valley Open Ground

                      Bryan Adams in a nutshell

                      He has won over 20 Juno Awards from 56 nominations, 15 Grammy Award nominations, with one win, and three Academy Award nominations for songs he has written.

                      He has won the Order of Canada and the Order of B.C. for his contributions to music and charities. His charitable work includes Amnesty International, Greenpeace, PETA and Live Aid. His Bryan Adams Foundation, funded mostly by his photography projects, supports educational opportunities for children worldwide and is solid evidence that his impact on pop culture goes way beyond just music.

                      Gold Movie Review: Fiction over reality

                        By
                        Noyon Jyoti Parasara
                        -
                        0

                        The story of Gold starts with the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Our protagonist Tapan Das is the narrator. Das is the Junior Manager for the Indian Hockey Team, and he aspires to salute his own national flag rather than an English flag after the team wins a Gold. He is a Bengali, living in Mumbai and dreaming for his country. In ideal conditions, this could be a great character. And he is pretty much one of the more interesting characters we have seen. He is an alcoholic accused of embezzlement of funds and yet when it comes to his country, he wishes to surpass the faults in his character.

                        But, director Reema Kagti decides to make her actor Akshay Kumar speak Hindi with a Bengali accent… even when he speaks with his wife, another Bengali. What she manages, in turn, is build a character who seems to be unsure of what accent he needs to speak in. So, when Akshay Kumar is narrating, he is doing so in decent Hindi with little Bengali accent thrown in; when is speaking on screen he is doing an overdose of the Bengali accent making it look a caricature; and when he sings… he does so in Punjabi! And we are not sure how to feel about him anymore.

                        Yet, Gold has larger problems. Reema Kagti, usually used to writing with Zoya Akhtar, finds a writing partner in Rajesh Devraj, who has earlier written films like Quick Gun Murgun, and Fakir Of Venice (yet to release).  As mentioned, her screenplay starts with the Berlin Olympics. The hockey final sets up the premise of the show and from there it is an exercise to build up Tapan’s character and how he struggles to a team going and the difficulties he faces.

                        To be fair, after a tepid first half, the second half gets the josh going. The nationalistic fervour is evoked in the final 30 minutes and the film reaches its crescendo in its final minutes. When the national anthem plays out, you might just have a heart beating much faster with excitement and joy. Gold manages to hit its target there. Reema creates interesting characters, although at a point it looks like she is heading for a Chak De! India style conflict within the team. She quickly steers clear and moves ahead towards the larger goal.

                        The director is ably supported through some feisty performances by actors like Amit Sadh, Sunny Kaushal, Vineet Kumar Singh and Kunal Kapoor. Akshay Kumar delivers his best and looks comfortable in what he has been offered.

                        Technically, Gold is shot on a lavish scale. It is never easy to set a film in an era that has gone by. The film hence needs a large amount of VFX. Reema reduces the pressure by focussing on creating the era, instead of the matches. While the camera takes you into the playground, in middle of the excitement, it does not quite focus as much on the ball creating a lesser need for VFX. The focus stays on the faces.

                        Despite all of these, however, Gold comes across as an opportunity missed. And a terrible miss it is. Mostly fiction, with a few real-life inspirations thrown in, Gold’s screenplay takes too much time in building its protagonist and lesser time in building the team. India is 1948 was in a complex state. We were still in the hangover of the riots that has ensued after the partition. A lot of players refused to play hockey just because they were not in the state of mind. And building the team was probably a much larger task than finding the talent. The screenplay offers nothing on how the dynamics between players changed once a few of the former Indian players were started representing Pakistan. As per reports, Pakistani players were given orders not to mingle with Indian players. The tension does not make it to the screen. The makers have not used any real names and have even altered situations to fit its screenplay. The focus stays, unflinchingly, on Tapan Das. And it becomes a one-man mission.

                        Nevertheless, Gold makes the cut simply because it delivers the thrill and the proud nationalism it promises. What one must keep in mind while watching this film – Yes, it is touted as the story of India’s first gold medal, but it is a piece of fiction, including the character of Tapan Das.

                        Tryst with destiny: Jawaharlal Nehru’s complete speech

                        By
                        Fried Eye
                        -
                        0
                        We have heard it in bits quite a few times, thanks to its usage in many Bollywood movies. We bring you the entire speech, as delivered by Jawarharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947 in the Constituent Assembly, New Delhi.
                        This is easily one of India’s most iconic speeches, ever!

                        The Speech:

                        “Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

                        It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.
                        At the dawn of history, India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike, she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again.
                        The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?
                        Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom, we have endured all the pains of labour, and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over, and it is the future that beckons to us now.That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfil the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.
                        The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.And so, we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart.
                        Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments.To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill-will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.”
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