October 4, 2023

Perhaps….


Suspense thriller maker Sujoy Ghosh’s narrative is becoming weirder and weirder and much ahead of the times. Are we ready for it? The way his latest release, Jaane Jaan is trending on Netflix, I guess viewers are thirsting for contents which are rather unusual, to put it very mildly.

A middle aged doting mother (Kareena Kapoor Khan) of a girl child (Naisha Khanna), a genius mathematician and logician who can move ahead of the cops (Jaideep Ahlawat) and a charming but shrewd Sub Inspector (Vijay Varma) make for an unusual cast triangulating around a missing Police Inspector of questionable character suspected to be dead. In the backdrop of broodingly beautiful Kalimpong, the stage is set for another mind boggling mystery.

Maya D’Souza lives with her daughter. Their neighbour is the respected Mathematics Teacher, Naren Vyas, whose life pivots around his first love – Mathematics. Maya runs a Coffee-cum-Snack Bar called Tiffin where Naren is a regular causing the helpers to mischievously speculate about Naren’s covert and clumsy amorous advances towards Maya. Life could have gone on in its usual pace had not Maya’s erstwhile good for nothing husband popped up out of her murky past blackmailing her for money.

It does not take much time for him to come knocking at her door threatening to ‘use’ her daughter the way he sold Maya off to a sleazy night bar post marriage. Maya gives him whatever she has but he is determined to come barging oftener. He knows which school her daughter goes and all her daily routines. In her desperation to stop him from hurting her daughter she accidentally kills him. Her daughter is also a partner in the crime.

Now, the question is where to hide the body. It takes a lot to kill and then to dispose off the body turns out to be a Herculean task for both mother and daughter.

In comes Naren to offer help who by sheer logic deciphers that there is something wrong in his neighbour’s house. The body gone, the trio goes back to their regular routine but not for long. Sub Inspector Karan Anand drops in at the bar asking unsettling questions. As per Karan’s information, the cop was last seen at the bar and around.

Maya puts up with him with false bravado but it won’t be long that her vulnerability will show through. Again, it’s Naren who tutors her step by step how to go about the seemingly innocent but gruelling sessions of enquiries.

Karan is charming but shrewd. The equation turns a bit awry as Karan finds Maya too hot a suspect and too hot a neighbour of a boring sociopath whose first and last love is Mathematics.

Karan turns out to be Naren’s school mate. He knows his genius friend is not ‘normal’, too engrossed in solving unsolvable mathematical problems for years. He is also not comfortable with a half charred body found in the valley , the perfect alibi of the mother and the daughter, the awkward moments when he feels kind of wobbly in the presence of the gorgeous Mrs. D’Souza. Will he be able to seek the truth or will he see what he is made to see?

Jaane Jaan is not a straightforward murder mystery where in the end the cop or the sleuth unties the knots through the age old method of logical deductions employing the “grey cells”. Here it’s a snake and ladder game of the twisty logician and ace mathematician who has taken years to solve complex equations and even thought of committing suicide when somebody else solved the problem minutes before he did. He is the self evasive, awkward guy next door who is not worth looking twice. Yet, he has a razor sharp edge to his cerebrum which is pathologically conditioned to gauge the next move of his opponent beforehand. The question is why is he so involved in this bloody affair?

Based on celebrated Japanese Mystery Writer Keigo Higashino’s The Devotion Of Suspect X, Jaane Jaan, is a complex psychological thriller with sterling performances by the threesome. But the one who deserves all the accolades and awards is Jaideep Ahlawat as Naren Vyas. He is besotted by the beautiful Maya but too shy to confess his feelings. So he stands by his vulnerable neighbour like the rock of Gibraltar knowing fully well that perhaps he will never be able to win her heart the way someone like his mate Karan Anand will.

Sujoy Ghosh says that Jaane Jaan is more of a Love Story than a Murder Mystery. It’s achingly beautiful ending vouches for that epithet. Abhik Bandopadhyay’s creativity takes cinematography to a notch higher captivating the breathtakingly picturesque Kalimpong in all its fogginess adding to the ambiguity of the storytelling obfuscating the obvious question: if a murder has taken place where is the body?

Suspicion and speculation cannot bring a culprit to books. One needs solid evidence and motive. Everything is conjectural unless established with proof. The genius plays with the tiny algebraic conundrums in between truth that is and truth as seen to be to exemplify his loyalty and purposely devalue the ‘x’ in this game of devotion, dilemma and deducing.

In this narrative of ‘perhaps-es’ , Sujoy Ghosh, once again converts the backdrop of Kalimpong into an inherent part of the story like he did for Kolkata in Kahaani Part I. The characters and their psyche are inseparably intertwined with the misty valley of clouded vision. You can only see the vast horizon afar (read the larger picture) when the mist parts. But the question here is: will it part?

A must watch for all mystery lover.

Pics from filmfare, outlook and first post

Also Shared on Mouthshut.com

Posted by on October 4, 2023 in FILM REVIEW, OF HUMAN QUEST, OPINION, REVIEW and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

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October 3, 2023

Paying More Attention To


What details of your life could you pay more attention to?

In working life one has to sacrifice many aspects in order to just maintain the routine. Many will say it’s not done but for all practical purposes that’s what happens.

Therefore, after superannuation, for me the following four will take priority as I hope I will have plenty of time in hand and with careful planning constructive utilization of those hours will be possible:

Health is wealth, more so when you have crossed the prime of your life. Being on desk job, the first hazard is that you have a tendency to put on weight. It becomes all the more disastrous if you love good food. Deadly combination!! So, my plan is to join Yoga classes from the very first day of my freedom. But by then it will be peak of winter. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Rest is another very important way of de-stressing. Healthy life means eating and exercising well and also sleeping well. Afternoon nap or siesta is very dear to me. I intend to keep my afternoons free of work or any other engagement just to enjoy an hour or two of quiet rest.

House Management is invariably going to suffer when you are ten to twelve hours out of home. You depend on your house helps to manage the show. And I tell you it’s not the same as you doing it yourself, however, good and reliable, they may be. So, this is one aspect I wish to devote lot more attention than I am able to at present.

Me-time has been completely lacking in my case because I have next to nil leisure hours. Pursuit of hobbies which I feel is essential for self development has been grossly neglected which includes reading, writing, participating in programs and attending courses of my liking. Appreciation of Art is something which I am very interested in. I have heard that every year the Government conducts a course on the subject. If I am lucky to get admission I will very much like to be a part of it.

Traveling has been out of my schedule for more than a decade. I don’t know whether it will be possible to venture out post retirement. In case I am able to, I will like to combine it with writing a travelogue with a difference. It will not just be a journal of everyday journey but something more intimate and intriguing.

Problem with over imaginative mind is that it is always ideating but whether those ideas will ever transpire into reality only time will tell.

Pic from Pexel

Posted by on October 3, 2023 in I ME & MYSELF, MUSINGS and tagged , .

6 Comments

October 1, 2023

The Curious Case Of Geetashree Chatterjee


What’s the trait you value most about yourself?

Did curiosity really kill the cat????

In my case it helped me prod along.

I am curious about everything under the sun whether I understand the subject or not. Like I love to browse the NASA site though I don’t have an iota of idea what they are talking about. At one point of time I was dead certain that someday aliens would land in my verandah and say “Hello” to me but that never happened.

One lacuna of curiosity is the habit of probing. Nay!It’s not snooping. I ask questions to know so much so that it’s become a standing joke in the family. Last to last year I really went deep into the subject of my car insurance. I always thought men knew most. But when I started querying my brother-in-law he told me he never delved so deep. Imagine!!

So I took it upon me-self to do the honours. I was promptly told to share the information with the rest of the family. The only condition applied was the mental faculties of the Insurance Agent should remain intact post interrogation. 🤦🤦

I guess I have a habit of intimidating people. Even my erstwhile boss told me to go slow on my inquiries. The general opinion being I may drive the person on the other end up the wall. “He should remain functional”, That’s what my sister reminds me before I embark on my quest.

But my curiosity has stood me in good stead as it has enhanced my knowledge.

But sometimes it has led me to encroach in areas which are absolutely male dominated. I don’t think they have taken kindly to it but they have been magnanimous enough to enrich me with their trade insights. For example, in India you will seldom find a woman take her car for repairs to the mechanic or the Company Service Station. Either the husband or brother or father or even driver does that. I was an exception as I not only accompanied my driver but asked the mechanics a number of questions to understand how the car functioned.

One advantage of curiosity is noone can befool you thinking you are naive or less knowledgeable.

Many a times when I journeyed by cab I would caution the driver about what all was wrong with his vehicle. And lo! He agreed and told me he would take care.

I am no engineer or astro physicist but knowing the basics always helps. Same with doctors. They talk to me openly about my mother’s medical state. Somehow they feel I will understand. Sometimes I tell them various techniques of handling patients. I did it with the nursing staff last time mother got hospitalized. They were fresh recruits, quite inexperienced and wary of me. I guess they heaved a sigh of relief when mother got discharged.

Knowing too much can also be bothersome because your level of expectations from others is high which they may not be able to fulfill.

In short, curiosity facilitates as well as put you in a place where people may take you as tiresome and tough to deal with.

But I guess it is better to be the one with a broader spectrum of comprehension than closing your mind’s doors and windows and let the breeze of knowledge blow in.

On the lighter side, a crow visits my Champaka tree at a fixed time. He (it could be a she as well) caws away to glory. My hunch is, given its nature, he has too many questions or too many info to give. Thank God! We do not understand each other’s language. Otherwise it would have led to a fist fight – me probing more to his detriment or he querying more to my supreme irritation.

Sometimes, not knowing also helps you to squeeze out of situations, responsibilities and works. I have seen people apply that formula in Office and family . But I being the bull fighter showing the red cloth is my norm. 😜😜

Posted by on October 1, 2023 in Entertainment, HUMOUR, I ME & MYSELF and tagged , .

3 Comments

October 1, 2023

Hard Work And It’s Advantages


In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?

I believe in the simple adage : Hard work pays. I also believe hard work and intelligence do not always go hand in hand. The emphasis is on the word always because many a times I have seen people who are highly intelligent turn out to be very lazy. On the other hand hard working people are not always very intelligent. But they sail through uncharted terrains by dint of their hard work. I guess I fall in the latter category.

I am the perseverant kind who keeps at it till I am absolutely certain I have extracted the entire juice out of the fruit. When I say hard work pays I don’t mean in terms of material gain or the generally accepted success quotient. It pays in a different way. If you are deliberately put in a situation which you know nothing about one thing is for sure you will sweat your way through till you master it. That’s me and it has happened with me several times in my working life.

Since in our work sphere change of job after a certain age does not happen we have to stick to wherever we are placed by sheer grit. Though the scenario is changing very fast. The professionally trained youngsters prefer private sectors of employment and change jobs for better prospects very frequently. My nephew has already changed job thrice and earns what I earn now after almost thirty five years of ‘rubbing’. However, burn outs in private jobs are more and no personal life.

So coming back to hard work. My work life can be divided into two neat halves barring the first eight years wherein, now as I look back, I took things very lightly. But it was fraught with politics in office and turmoil in personal life. I was too young and green. At times the thought of running away was overpowering. So I leave that period aside.

After eight years I managed a transfer to my home town and was reunited with my family which bestowed some sense of sanity on me. I could now devote my attention to work. First thirteen years I was placed in Administration Department which was a good training ground. But it was not me as the job was not mentally challenging enough. Whenever I asked for a change of assignment I was loaded with more work along with the existing ones. The existing one was a 24 x 7 job. I pulled through this phase again by sheer hard work. No super intelligence was required because after a while it’s all stereotypical and routine stuff.

Then our smaller corporate entity got merged into a bigger one. I was the first few who were immediately sucked into the bigger entity. According to my boss, he did me a favour. But privately I felt it was not such an altruistic move.

In the bigger entity soon a transfer was imperative. I was shifted to the corporate level where my reporting officer first thought I might be of no good. Soon he realised his position was threatened by my presence and stopped delegating work to me. Seven years with him was trying to the utmost. Thereafter, he was shunted out and I was thrown into the vortex about which I knew nothing as he had kept me unaware and unprepared for the scene.

But I survived again by sheer hard work and whatever I could extricate out of my erstwhile superior which was loads as I was a keen observer and without my conscious knowing my brain kept working as a repository of facts and precedences.

You can say it’s my survival instinct, workaholism, determination to grab what I am kept at bay from but fact remains the simple adage which I began my post with came handy and has and will always stand by me.

Even after all that battling I have not gained much in terms of material prosperity. But as I always say I got what God thought I deserved. I just put in some additional effort. That’s it.

In conclusion, I will say hard work is an invaluable trait which gives you the confidence and diligence to wade through difficult as well as unknown and unthought of scenarios life is apt in putting you in.

So all the best.

Pic from Pexel

Posted by on October 1, 2023 in A SHORT ESSAY, Confession, MUSINGS, OF HUMAN QUEST, OPINION, REVELATION and tagged , .

3 Comments

September 29, 2023

If Money Was Not An Issue


List three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter.

The prompt seems to be two dimensional :

(i) Jobs without pecuniary benefits

(ii) Jobs where money is no constraint

In the first category:

(1) I would really like to be of service to Society – I always wanted to assist specially abled children though I am not trained for that. I learnt classical music because it’s supposed to be therapeutic for such children. Though I have lost musical voice, being out of practice for many many years, I am sure I can be of service to them in other ways.

(2) My association with the strays – This is one job I am already on and I don’t think about money when it comes to taking care of them. I wish I can take this work forward in a more organised manner.

(3) Empowering the Subaltern – Our regular helps are the most ill-informed of their own entitlements. Lack of education is one main reason of them being uninformed or mis-informed. I wish to make them more aware of their rights and rules and laws of the land which can facilitate them. I try to educate those who work for me whenever they require. I love to devote more time to this through organised channels but it is not an easy task.

First I need to find out a suitable channel which sincerely and effectively works in this direction. Secondly, I have to understand and appreciate the hardships of the stratum of society requiring help so that I can suggest practical solutions to their myriad problems. Thirdly, I have to update myself before imparting knowledge to others.

In the second category:

(1) Owning a dog farm – This is a dream project which requires substantial investment. I don’t have that kind of money. If money was not a constraint I might have deployed resources in owning and maintaining one.

(2) Donning Director’s hat – At one point of time I was into theatre and wanted to pursue it as a career. Good that it never happened. The course charted by God proved best for me. Now I do not feel the urge to be on stage but definitely occupy the seat to stage socially relevant and meaningful narratives.

(3) Write to my heart’s content – A decade back many suggested that I should give full attention to writing even at the expense of my job. For that I required to be financially sound and assured of a booming career ahead. Since,none of these were perceptible I shelved the idea as Utopia. I do not know those who showed faith in my writing skills were my well-wishers or not. But if finances were no issue it was something I would have been very passionate about.

Again what happens in life is what we deserve. What does not is not meant to be. So no regrets. I am good as it is blogging on prompts, reviewing books and movies, writing other stuffs as and when time and mood permit.

Posted by on September 29, 2023 in Confession, FOR A CAUSE, I ME & MYSELF, MUSINGS, OF HUMAN QUEST and tagged , .

6 Comments

September 28, 2023

Indian Culture


What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?

Disclaimer : This post is long

Our culture is multiracial, multilingual and multiregional. We have the second highest number of languages (780) after Papua Guinea (840). We have 28 States and 8 Union Territories. Every region has its own language, ethnicity and culture.

With continuous migration and intermingling we tend to adopt many tenets which may not particularly belong to our own State, language or culture.

Being interested in languages, I have an ear for picking up dialects and words of other regions. Since, there are many Government Organisations, like ours, which have a policy of inter-regional transfers, it proves easy to mix and work with localities if you are conversant with the local language and culture.

I am very proud that I know three languages fluently – Hindi, English and my own mother tongue, Bangla . In Bengal, where I hail from, there are again various dialects. I know at least two. I understand Punjabi which is spoken in the urbanscapes. The rural dialects may be difficult.

I love the richness of Urdu language. Since I watch a lot of Pakistani Serials it brushes up my Urdu vocab as well. In school we had to learn Sanskrit, mother of all languages. Since our religious scriptures are in Sanskrit, it’s good to have a command over this language. But my knowledge is limited to the basics only.

Even Hindi, which is one of our official languages and kind of common lingua franca, is spoken differently in different parts of the country. It’s really challenging to know all the variants. This is just to give a glimpse of the vastness of our lingual culture. In Metros we speak a khichdi lingo, meaning a combo of many languages, a result of the cosmopolitan surrounding.

As is with language, so is with attire. For Indian women, saree is the traditional dress in most parts of the country. In Northern India, Salwar/Churidar Kameez is the traditional dress. Nowadays, fusion dresses are also in fashion. Sarees are worn in different ways in different parts of the country. In some rustic parts variants of Ghaghra Choli is the traditional attire. For men, it’s Dhoti Kurta or Churidar/Pajama Kurta is the traditional dress. Bandhgala is also very popular in ceremonial functions. India is rich in fashion. We borrow styles from our neighbours as well. In urban areas functional clothing is more in trend now but we also give due importance to our ethnic wears especially in official and personal gatherings.

India is a land of festivals – be it religious or social. Every part of the sub continent has its own main Festival which they celebrate with great pomp and show. However, even if it belongs to a particular State or race, there is no bar for others to take part in it. So, we celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, Holi, the Festival of Colours, Durga Puja, the Festival of Bengal as well as Christmas or Eid with equal fervour.

The culinary range of India is just awesome. The delicacies of every State are their respective Specialities. We often learn from each other how to prepare the food of other States. While I learnt many of North Indian dishes like Chhole Bhature, Gatte Ki Sabzi, Chicken Butter Masala from my Punjabi and Rajasthani colleagues and friends, many have relished Bengali cuisine (East Indian) in our house. It’s a great show of culinary abilities if we are able to prepare dishes of other States and our own, especially, those which really require time and artistry.

Music, dance, arts and crafts of India are famous all over the world. Here are some of the glimpses.

Painting by Raja Ravi Verma from Amazon.com

Culture has an enormous gamut. But the most significant element of culture is the value system. Though with globalisation, the dilution in ethnicity is felt, yet there are some tenets which are still held dear. For example, we never call our elders by name in order to show respect. They are always aunts and uncles. My friend’s grandad/grandma will also be addressed as I would my own grandad/grandma. I will address my colleagues’ paternal aunt and uncle as I will call mine. And yes! We have different nomenclatures for relations on maternal and paternal sides and we address them accordingly.

We always do namaste when we greet people or each other. We touch the feet of our elders to take their blessings during festivals as well as other ceremonial occasions like weddings etc. The joining of hands in a namaste mudra or touching the elder’s feet mean bowing to the other’s positivity and virtues. In joint families or large extended families, a reverential distance is still maintained and conversations on lot of issues are strictly no-no in front of elders.

Even a girl child will talk about girl issues to her mother and not to her father. Though it may sound very conservative, but often sons won’t smoke or drink in front of their father/mother or elders of the family even neighbourhood.

Of course, times are changing. Extreme of anything is not good Values also change to suit the needs of changing times. Though it may take time for reforms to settle in nothing stays forever. Once upon a time child marriage was rampant. Widow remarriage was banned. Sati Pratha or wife burning on the pyre of the husband was upheld. But these are now obsolete and rightly so.

But we still give a lot of value to endurance, compromise and sticking together in marriages though divorces are also rising. Education is denied to many which I feel should be made compulsory for all. Financial independence for women is also necessary. The discrimination between girls and boys should stop.

Culture is a very vast arena. I am proud of my culture and roots but at the same time I am also aware of the changes which are imperative. However, change does not imply blindly following other cultures but imbibing what is good therein. That is how we can grow as a nation. Having said that I am a very proud and patriotic Indian and take immense pride in my culture and ethnicity.

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Posted by on September 28, 2023 in A SHORT ESSAY, Celebrations, FAMILIAL BOND, FASHION, India a pluralist society. It's culture is vast. A short essay and tagged , .

19 Comments

September 26, 2023

What More?


Daily writing prompt
What could you do more of?
View all responses

When it comes to what could I have done more there are so many which comes to mind.

I could have continued with my education. I wanted to do Masters in Sociology and then perhaps MPhil. I could not because of constraints which were at that point of time insurmountable.

I could have completed my music lessons which required two more years (5th and 6th – I left after 4th). I couldn’t because my Guruji changed base. I too shifted to my present location. The distance between two residences rendered regular attendance difficult.

One would say that these were just lame excuses. True. But at that time life was topsy turvy. I had just started working in an alien surrounding, looking for a place which I could call my own and getting adjusted to life in general. So even if these were important to me they had to be pushed to the back burner.

For eight years I traveled from one Metro to the other and back ( my place of posting and home town) once a year and I hated it. I loved to travel with my family. I loved seeing people travelling with their families. But it was not to be. Now, contrarily, I dream of solo traveling!!

There were places I wished to visit. Hill stations did not suit me. I suffered from breathlessness. Sea side attracted me. I visited a few – Goa, Digha but Puri, the entire coastal region and KanyaKumari remain to be seen.

Mountains are mystic and majestic. Now when I read about the Himalayas, picturesque but obscure valleys or the famous pilgrimages requiring arduous uphill journeys, like Kedarnath or Badrinath, I become wistful. If I were young I may have ventured to these places. But now the chances are very slim.

There is one more thing which I feel life is too short for. There are so many books and authors I have not read yet. A few have been kept packed as it is to be opened after retirement. But who knows what retirement will bring along.

Going back in time is impossible. On hindsight I regret having made many mistakes which, if given a clean slate, I will be careful not to commit again. But this is just wishful thinking.

Crossing borders is a dream. But I so wish to visit my roots. Well, it’s in my bucket list.

As my mother’s dementia gets profounder I wish I had spent more time with her just talking, knowing her as a person…as a woman. Strange, being so close to her, I never asked her those questions which now rise in my mind! From where did she get that courage and equanimity to absorb grief of bereavements and keep going on with life uncomplainingly?

I guess I have the same yearning for all my near and dear ones. Talk to them. Know them more as humans.

One activity I repent not learning seriously is driving. I could have been more independent. But the on-road fear was too big to overcome.

As I look back I feel my work life balance was pretty bad. I gave too much time and importance to work. It should have been the other way. Surprisingly, the amount of devotion I showed to work is not in proportion to the material success I have had. As I have said earlier my financial acumen is sub zero. Wish I had given some more time in understanding the tricks of the trade.

There is one more thing which I regret not starting early is writing. Perhaps I never realised it was in me. There is so much to share about!! That brings to the question of tapping our own potentials, knowing what gives us the most satisfaction, assessing what we are capable of, happy doing and good at.

Most of my life I have spent accepting and winning over challenges. They may seem very silly now. I had to get over my own inhibitions, shyness and clumsiness. Had I known what I identify with, these regrets would have been much less.

But again everything happens when you are ripe for it. So take it as it comes. Acceptance comes with age and experience. Acceptance of one’s own self is the biggest achievement and revelation. We, human beings, can never be without remorse or regrets. These are woven in our DNA. The only pity is had we sought what we were looking for the quantum of what more could we want of life would have been much less.

Posted by on September 26, 2023 in A SHORT ESSAY and tagged , .

2 Comments

September 25, 2023

The Adviser


What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

😊😊😊😊

Fortunately or unfortunately no-one has done the handholding for me in my life. I say that’s good because I have learnt things the hard way and never forgotten them.

In my case I was the adviser to many others giving solemn, sensible pieces of mind till it dawned that all advices are uncalled for, especially, to the younger generation.

The second best thing that I have gathered is not to offer help unless categorically asked for. Doing good is mostly taken as foolishness. If that is done for free more so.

In today’s world, kindness is not digestible because ulterior motive rules the day. If you are kind either you are suspected of being fake or you are fleeced .

These are bitter accumulates better not be collected as you may end up being a cynic and lose faith on humankind. I had once read that it is better to be betrayed than having no faith at all.

Another very time tested lesson is not to be a pawn in the hands of others and if it is your employee then never ever, howsoever, indispensable he/she may seem to you. When I am dispensable then how can anyone else be indispensable to me?

Life goes on in a cyclic order. If someone’s being deliberately offensive and proving to be inadequate it is time for that person to go. There is no point in clinging on to anyone whether in personal or professional relation. Earlier I used to waste a lot of time in mending situations – counseling and tutoring. It never was fruitful. So now I think why should I? Everyone has to proceed in their life’s journey in their own way. Isn’t it?

I have seen that the next option or alternative is always better than the previous one. There was a time I would unnecessarily worry about what ifs. It’s useless. If God has given a problem it is always to teach something valuable and move on to an improved scenario.

The fundamental is to not to stagnate. There is no stopover . Take the next step It may be painful and hard. But that is what life is all about. At every bend something new awaits which is appropriate for the time. Embrace it. I guess it is the mantra of good living without any baggage.

I guess I have already given loads of Gyan already which I should not have. A disclaimer – these are drawn from my experiences and may not be ‘fit all’ kind. But these inferences have facilitated me to figure out how I wish to carry on in life. If these have helped me withstand the tests of time they are the keystones for me. If anyone of these proves to be unsuitable anytime I always have the option of introspection and a revisit.

What say you?

Posted by on September 25, 2023 in A PROTEST A LAMENT, REVELATION and tagged , .

8 Comments

September 24, 2023

My Energy Pills – My Energy Boosters


What things give you energy?

For some it’s exercise. For some it’s daily run. For some it’s yoga. For some it’s meditation. For some it could be just a hot drink at the end of the day or a glass of chilled wine.

For me energization comes through mind stimulation. It could be a book, a talk, a discussion, a series or a film.

Coming to films, I watched the following two movies last week after coming back from office when the energy level is at its lowest:

The Outfit : It’s about a tailor who takes pride in calling himself a cutter. A quiet, unassuming fellow who is deeply involved in his craft. He has a receptionist named Mabel who is also the girl friend of the son (Richie) of the local goon. The neighbourhood is torn with rifts between two blood thirsty gangs – the Outfit and the La Fontaine. The tailor’s shop is being used by the Outfit to collect dirty money. The tailor, addressed as ‘English’ because he hails from England, does not object to this arrangement as Mr. Boyle, the warlord of the Outfit gave him a warm welcome and became his regular customer when he first set up his shop in the locality. Mind it, this is in Chicago. One day a cassette is found in one of the envelopes dropped in the letter box kept in the shop. The cassette alarms the members of the Outfit as they suspect a ‘rat’ or an informer amidst them. Richie thinks that the name of the informer will be revealed from the cassette. Gradually, the quiet backdrop of the shop becomes the centre stage of distrust, murder, betrayal and lies and ‘English’ assumes the role of the puppeteer who masterminds the macaber show.

The Strays : Cheryl, a bi-racial, is dissatisfied with her life. She feels her antecedent is the cause of her non-acceptability in society. One fine morning, on the pretext of visiting the beauty salon, she absconds from home never to return. Cut two – Cheryl is now Neve married to a white man, Ian and has two children, Sebastian and Mary. Her life is comfortable as a wealthy socialite of a white community and deputy headmistress of the school where her children study. She is well accepted and admired. Life is smooth and cozy till Neve is stalked by Carl and Dione, two black children, who address her as mother and are hell bent on destroying the world she has built around herself.

The Energizer: Unusually the boost, after seeing these two movies, come from the churning – the cud chewing. Both the films have common denominators – (i) the return of the haunting past ! Do we take it as a thumb rule that your dark deeds never leave you alone – the carmic conundrum! (ii) Both have an element of escapism – does it actually guarantee a safe haven?

As I said these questions are stimulii to the mind – a quest for the greater truth or the larger picture. We may have different ways of dealing with life’s unexpected twists and turns, like English and Cheryl, but if we have to propound an axiom around which we may anchor our lives for a trouble free existence what will it be? Don’t we root back to ancient wisdom for the answer? Or are those nuggets prove to be the comfort food for people like us who look for peace under the carpet of cowardice ?

Food for thought…

(iii) Again what we detest the most have to be faced again and again. In Cheryl’s case its her roots. For English it is the abhorable violence. Both the causes are catalysts to new lives. Both the causes recur with bigger assaults. English and Cheryl have to locate permanent hideouts to be safe and happy. Both are elusive – security and happiness. Then why do we hanker after these ephemeralities?

At one point philosophizing becomes easier than solving an ever bewildering puzzle.

You may ask what’s so energizing about these confounding questions?

I would say that’s me who loves to be embroiled in labyranthine queries and quests which eggs me on to the next step of the ladder of life.

Confusing! Isn’t it?

Pic from Pexel

Posted by on September 24, 2023 in A SHORT ESSAY, FILM REVIEW, FOR A CAUSE and tagged , .

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September 22, 2023

Learning Unlearning


Which topics would you like to be more informed about?

Learning is a lifelong process. Till the last breath we learn as well as unlearn. Knowingly or unknowingly. Intentionally or unintentionally. Life is the greatest teacher. Even if you don’t want to or try to evade per force you are compelled to. Not knowing always throws a surprise element or challenge at you. Sometimes you come upon a few nuggets accidentally. Those are serendipitous moments!

I am a sucker for knowledge so to speak colloquially. Even my habit of dabbling originates from the thirst or quest for learning something new. But at this point in life it’s actual requirement that is driving me towards a particular subject.

My financial acumen has been nil. I have never given importance to wealth generation. Now I repent. For all practical purposes it’s important to know how to generate enough corpus from limited source of income. Now at the fag end of my life I have to not only understand but keep on gathering knowledge and develop an interest in the subject to enjoy a financially sound life.

I have mathemophobia. I don’t understand figures. So, it’s gonna be tough as they say. Gathering financial skills mean knowing about various financial instruments, how beneficial these are, whether these will give assured returns and for how long and what other benefits will accrue to me apart from a steady income generation.

Another subject that I am keen on is the spiritual aspect of life. The problem with me is that I tend to perceive everything from cerebral point of view. I first want to read a lot on the topic. Then delve deeper into the experiential part of it which is beyond theorisation.

I guess my addiction to investigative procedures is never going to lessen. In fact, it’s growing day by day. I hope it comes handy some way. My approach towards life and learning has always been from that angle.

When we talk of being informed we overlook that it involves in-depth research and analysis, continuous probing, reading and absorbing. It may also take some unlearning, sieving and shelving of unwanted or obsolete information. The new terminologies have old connotations built on ageless processes of gathering knowledge.

Thirst for knowledge can never be limited to one aspect of life. It always spills over to the other spheres as well. If we say no to those other arenas we are deliberately closing the windows of the mind. It’s never too late to start afresh. We are not knowledgeable enough to not to make any mistakes. But mistakes are again to be seen as opportunities to learn afresh. So that the process perpetuates endlessly till our faculties allow.

As I am restricting this post to just two areas of imminent interest I do not know what else is going to tickle my fancy next.

So happy learning and growing…

Posted by on September 22, 2023 in Learning, OPINION, Spreading Awareness and tagged , .

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