Sufferings and Misery : three documentaries

VILLAGE OF WIDOWS (Ashoke Pandit) -

We live a simple life on plains and dream of the exquisite beauty of Kashmir valley but those who live there have no time to feel the privilege. The place is a so called heaven on earth. In reality , that's hell in the dress of heaven. Yes it is indeed. There is a village which is known as a village of widows , having about 250 widows and many orphans. The men of these widows were either abducted or forcefully taken to Pakistan millitant to train as terrorists. They were killed while trying to run away.   They all hadn't choose to become terrorists and so they were suspected by Indians and tortured by Pakistanis. But even if some of them chose - what was the crime of their wives and children? They live miserably , without a grain or cloth in the house. Powerful men snatch their lands and even their more precious daughters . And they say people come and click their photos but provide no help.  This beautiful valley will mourn in silence until someone will hear the cries of these widows.

A CRIME IN SILENCE (  Behrouz Nouranipoor)

In this movie I came across the most hideous face of life. Death would have been better than such sufferings. Allah give them happiness! I am talking about those children who have distorted faces (pimples and swellings all over their face) due to the chemical weapons used by Iraq in the period of Saddam Hussein. The mother told the whole village is suffering . The person who was responsible for such bombings, got death sentence but the mother spitefully says he deserves more worst death than this. The kids are unbearable to see and hear , not because they are very ugly but because they still talk of hope and happy marriage and career. Younger boy wants to become a doctor while he is on the verge of losing his sight and daughter almost eighteen year old , dreams of a handsome groom.... Why God let happen such things in the world - and to these innocence ones... one can't console oneself but hide his face and weep In Silence.

 EK NAYI SOCH (Ketan J Pandya)

When humans can kill their brothers and neighbours , there is no hope for animals. Only because they can not express their feelings we have not got the rights to exploit them. Why do we kill them for our food and luxury ? If we let them live , our many needs will be fulfilled.  To kill an animal is as much a crime as to kill a human being. Don't we have already the curse of many crimes upon our head , why do we take more when it is in our hands to avoid it. You won't like when someone butcher you and eat you ? Then say no to Non-Veg. Say no to animal products. Save animals and make this earth more better. If you are still taking this matter lightly , watch this movie , you might feel the pain of animals.

These three splendid movies made me realize - The yoke on my shoulder is very light. I shall carry the burden with smile on my face and try - try my best to bring smile on other's face.  

When tradition kills ...

Everyone wants a Mother , a Wife but no one ... no one wants a Daughter. Why?

Riwayat , a movie directed by Vijay Patkar , raises this question .  It says , that a journal stated , till now about one hundred million girls are missing from the world . They are missing because they are dead . They have been brutally killed due to the mind-set of people , due to the hideous tradition , according to which a daughter is the root of several problems so there is only one solution - kill her as soon as she is born.

The movie revolves around three females who adopt different ways to cope up with this problem. High-class, Deepika , committs suicide when she is hopeless. Low-class , Radha can not even in her dream charge against her husband who , she knows, killed her third daughter. But Middle class Anita , the protagonist , refuses to abort her girl child and leaves her husband's house.

A very beautiful song is played when she recalls her past when she left her husband - आंसू कभी छलके  न , मोती बिखर  जायेंगे , ओ साथिया... सच के रास्ते पर चलोगे तो वो भी आजमाएगा...
It says that even God takes your test if you decide to walk on a right path.

It was a wonderful movie. It shows that one person , if s/he is determined can bring the change in society . But the most important thing is - Raising our voice against bad practice. I know many girls (some of are my friends) who are married and oppressed by the thought that they are expected to give birth to a Boy . It is time now - It is we , ourselves , the girls , the wives , the mothers who should raise our voice and fight the battle against this brutal Mind - Set. I hope that the day would soon come when the so - called equality will also reflect in the numbers of females on males per state.

The official website of movie - http://www.riwayatmovie.com/

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” – Galatians 5:22

Reading is an art and it works exactly like molding an earthenware into a shape. How the shape is that depends on what you have read. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks is a book that I wonder how much it shaped my heart more than my mind. I was always fascinated by the values of Western Culture. And everyone assumes on the name of Western Culture something else - something a vicious form of liberty but no , I mean it by what we have in this novel - exactly this - liberty with an overwhelming belief in Goodness.

It surely is a romantic novel but there is something more in the foreground and i.e. the father - daughter relationship , which I just loved about this book. Unlike other romantic novels , it also focuses on family, bringing up of children and friendship.

Its the story of faith and true love. When the couple Megan and Daniel moves into the sacrament of marriage they take vows , written by themselves which is just amazing -

They promised patience when it was easy to be impatient, candor when it was easier to lie, and in their own ways, each recognized tha fact that real commitment could be proven only through the passage of time.

We do many mistakes in our lives but some people can't forget themselves for what they did. Steve teaches her daughter , Ronnie to learn to forgive herself before anything else. The way Ronnie learns her most important lessons in life while spending the summer with her father whom she has not spoken for last three years because of a misunderstanding (and a little suspense) is the core of the novel.

If you love Sparks you cant miss the book and even if you have never read him and want to change the flavour , make it on the top of your "To-Read" book list. And I must tell you one last thing , go for the book before watching the movie. Book is the real thing and I am sure it will give you another feeling than the movie.

New Year Movie : go for Benhar

A pretty old movie of three and half hours !

We just wanted to pass the time and thought there is no harm watching a boring movie , as we thought it would be , than doing nothing at all. So we watched and not a single minute we felt anywhere that its boring .In fact we liked it more than contemporary comedy movies.  I suppose if you will google for it , you might not even get it , its this much old.

Its a christian movie. But its much more than just  that. Its about the belief in Miracles , belief in God's ways , belief in one self. It teaches Christ's message of love and forgiveness . And it unfailingly reminds of Gandhi ji. 

No matter what love and forgiveness wins and they are the power of real courage and not the revenge and hatred. This reminds me of one of Atticus' teachings to his children in To Kill A Mocking Bird , that avoid with your head up and walk on if someone teases you but don't fight with them . He says they are your friends though sometimes they may be wrong but it doesn't mean that they are bad. And this echoes Jesus Christ's last words when he was crucified - God forgive them , they don't know what they are doing. The movie ends with this thought - provoking lines ... 

Why! wouldn't it be relevant today if you wanna adopt this attitude? --- I said Attitude ! Think about it ! :)

Two Worlds Apart : Mocking-Bird and Bluest Eye

World is a ... a different rather a weird place like a vase which has the most beautiful flower along with thorny stick. Yesterday I finished To Kill A Mocking-Bird and today again I flipped the pages of The Bluest Eye , its like two worlds apart , not because one is about White people and other is about Black , but they give the feeling of two very different world with different views.

Two contrast novels - they give you contrast thoughts on all subjects. Lets take child-parent relationship first , Mocking-bird , I suppose , is a perfect guide to  child-parent relationship. It is all about what you should do for good upbringing of children and on the contrary , Bluest Eye is all what you should avoid.

There is not so much about beauty in Mocking-Bird like Bluest Eye , but it tells what courage is , and Bluest Eye also indirectly refers to it. Pecola , a little unusually ugly Black girl , goes to the local faith-healer and asks for "a pair of blue eyes" ..."as if it were shoes" ... but isn't it her courage which originates in the extreme desire to look beautiful which make her go alone to this person. And there in the novel Mocking-Bird , Atticus teaches Jem , his young boy that courage means to begin with something you have faith in and stick on it in spite of all odds.

Pecola , is  not unusual in her act of creating an imaginary friend who admires her , many people do the same , for one reason or another. I can't believe once I did the same and until after four-five years I came to believe that it was just an imagination. Its pitiable. But this is what happens when you are devoid of something - something which should be filled in your childhood. And in Mocking-Bird , the character of Atticus teaches you , how one can bring up one's children .

I would suggest you to read The Bluest Eye before To Kill A Mocking-Bird , because that would be the correct order to view things . First , learn the worst part of yourself , the society and the world and then learning how one can correct things , by correcting one's own thoughts or the way of thinking.

To Kill A Mocking-Bird

Shoot all the bluejays you want , if you can hit them , but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird. ... Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy... That's why its a sin to kill a mockingbird. 

Ask me one reason why you should read this novel , "To Kill A Mocking-bird" by Harper Lee , and I will tell you at least a dozen reasons to do so. On the top would be , its stronghold on child-psychology . Atticus is a single parent , an old lawyer in a small county of America , called Maycomb. His wife left him with two small kids , one boy and his younger sister called Jem and Jean Lousie . The narrative is from Scout's point of view. The novel progresses and we know Atticus' anxiousness as being a single parent. He understands his children well and he has educated them at home. He has earned their love and respect by his truthfulness . Atticus , according to me , is true model of a parent. His notion is that one should always answer to the curiosity of children.

The narrative has been made so simple and lucid that one feels one has become a child himself / herself. One is surely reminded of childhood days when one played secret games and did funny things. Scout i.e. Jean Lousie learns her lessons in life as well as Jem learns his. I believe what they learn at their age , most of us haven't learned even at our age , for example , what courage means -

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you are licked before you begin you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.

Maycomb county , isn't only a county in America , its a microcosm of world. There are people which we see everyday but we see them differently - some as goody white and some evil , irritable as black-brown. But no ,  the novel shows no one is as bad and too good. Everyone out there is grey. Its a new way to look at people . Like my mother used to do , look what's good in people , after knowing their faults too. Atticus is like a gentleman of a small town. His philosophy is our Indian philosophy "वसुधेव कुटुम्बकम" (the world is your home) , it irritates his children as it does us too when our parents show this attitude , but I finally know what does it really mean.

This novel , I think , would be a best read during vacations. It gives the perfect feel of holidays and missions which go together with it. Besides everything , the novel is really interesting , if at all you are interested in childish stuff and if you appreciate them and their way of doing things.