Watching Indian classics

*Sholay: I finally bought this movie, have been meaning to watch this movie for ages. It's funny how I knew every dialogue, every character, every song, every scene and yet not all of them in one flow. An Indian western which truly has everything: music, romance, drama, comedy. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended to anybody who hasn't watched this movie(if that is possible).


* Dilwale Dulhaniya le Jayenge: NRI love story, touches the heart more and I love SRK-Kajol. First part is the best, the second half is quite traditional (which completely fits with the NRI part coz usually NRI's tend to either over westernized or super traditional-my example being the Kenyan Indians).
In the latter part of the story SRK is very irritating and the saving grace is the music.


* Bobby: Another iconic movie, mostly because Dimple Kapadia is very sexy and wears revealing clothes. Whatever, it's still a sweet movie, it didn't seem so shocking to me but 70's time was more conservative.


* Deewar: Finally watched this iconic movie, and there was no overacting and over the top drama. I finally understood the mandir jokes: when Amitabh Bachchan asks god to spare his mother's life "maine aaj tak tujhse nahin manga" or when he comes to die at the mandir holding the bells "maa, mein aa gaya". Other then that, it's a typical seventies movie, the story starts with the protagonists as children, and then tragedy strikes, they are victims of injustice at the hands of a cruel rich man(notice how in the 70's all the cruel people are also very rich). Cut to 20 years later the children grow into Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor who ultimately face each other as one is a cop and the other a crook. The whole film has a lot of symbolic scenes and poetic dialogues. A very moralistic tale, how good triumphs over evil.


* Amar Akbar Anthony: A bit long and nonsensical. Seems like it was made for national integration. Unbelievable miracles happen like the mother Nirupa Roy loses her eye sight because of an accident, yet she doesn't go to the doctor but accepts that she'll be blind for the next 22 years. Then miraculously she goes to Shirdi Wale Sai Baba's temple falls on his feet and -wait for it- her eyesight comes back. Amazing! Yet at these medical miracles no one is astounded but accepts it as God's will. I think the only reason I somewhat liked the movie because I knew all the songs and have seen it in bits and pieces over the years. And I can never really hate a Bollywood movie no matter how bad.


* Kabhi kabhie: Very good movie, the poetry is beautiful, but not as much as Udaan's although the music is better. I won't relate the story as it's highly probable everyone has seen it. One of the parts I liked the best was when Amitabh Bachchan playing a rejected lover wallows in his misery for close to 20 years, yes that's right 20 years, he obviously wnat to draw inspiration from his self-inflicted pain but claims to have left poetry, not to mention his disdain and hypocrisy toward his wife (she had an illegitimate daughter before her marriage) shows just how human he is, and not a hero that fights the system. The best part being that he understands the importance of making peace with his past and finally leaving his past behind, and of course accepting his wife for what she is. It's quite a complicated tale told very fluidly.

There is a huge difference between a mother and an elder sibling, it might seem like the elder sibling (brother or sis) is a parent figure, someone who cares for you in every circumstance, and they might feel the same way but don't kid yourself. The love, generosity, benvolence your parents will have for you noone else possibly can. There is no replacement for that, so every time an elder sibling tries to dominate you and pass it off as love be sure to snap and fight it. Many siblings don't want the other to do better or are just used to interfering/ controlling their life. When you are in a postion of force why would you let it go. So be confident, don't take their criticism to heart and live your own life.

Phenomenal Woman-Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.