Guldasta

A bouquet of flowers picked along the way ….

Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (Movie Review) January 30, 2010

Filed under: Movie Reviews — gurdas @ :
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Spring Summer Fall Winter ... and Spring

Released as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring, this 2003 South Korean movie effortlessly slides into my list of the best I have seen. If you are looking to see a movie that is calming and profound, one which will leave you in a meditative mood, this is the title to watch.

Shot entirely on a floating house in the middle of a lake and the surrounding mountains, the visuals are stunning and add to the mood. So is the music. The script is so minimal, I think it will fit in 2-3 pages at most. The story moves fluidly, not requiring any dialogues to convey its message. Five minutes into the film and you know this is going to be different. Abundant moments of complete absence of background score and no human sounds, just the natural creaking of a door, the splash of water, and rustle of leaves. Very melodious.

The title represents the many stages in a person’s life. Written and directed by Ki-duk Kim, this is entirely his story. The actors (including the director) do a fine job but the movie is not built on their shoulders; it stands on its own. As one gentle surprise after another is served I was left wondering that the true surprise is one which quickly retreats giving you space and time to ponder on its message. This movie is generously endowed with such moments.

Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom is about Zen, Poetry, Calm, Politeness, Guilt, Remorse, Sensuality, Innocence, Lust, Murder, Repentence, Meditation, Anger, Wisdom, a cat’s whiskers, and its tail, Punishment, Therapy, Learning, and Love.

Go watch now.

The poster is courtesy this website, where you can also find a more elaborate review. The IMDB page is here. The Wikipedia page is here.

 

दो कदम और सही (two more steps) January 24, 2010

Filed under: life,love,Me,poetry — gurdas @ :

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कुछ थका हुआ कुछ डरा हुआ
पर उमीदों और हौंसलों से भरा हुआ
एक अनजान रस्ते पे थमते और चलते हुए कदम
और कितने कदम का है ये सफ़र
बस दो कदम और सही

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न अंधेरों की खबर न खाई का डर
एक अनदेखी मंजिल पे टिकी नज़र
एक निरंतर कोशिश एक अनंत संघर्ष
और कितने कदम पे है सफलता
बस दो कदम और सही

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न आराम की चाह न भूक की पहचान
जैसे दाव पे लगी हुयी है जान
जैसे दरिया की दौड़ सागर तक
और कितने कदम पर होगा विलय
बस दो कदम और सही

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क्या कभी वोह होंगें हमारे
कब हर सांस पे मेहेकेंगी दो सांसें
ज़िन्दगी की सबसे अनमोल खोज पे चलते हुए
मैं खुद से सिर्फ एक वादा करता गया

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बस दो कदम और सही

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Credits:

Title is inspired by the song Do Kadam from the movie Meenaxi.

I used IIT Mumbai’s English to Hindi dictionary for some words.

 

Au Revoir Les Enfants (Movie Review) January 23, 2010

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Au Revoir Les Enfants (Goodbye, Children) is set in German occupied France during the second world war. Directed by Louis Malle the movie draws on his childhood events of attending a Catholic school that harbours Jewish children.

The lead actors are two young boys played by Gaspard Manesse as the Catholic boy and Raphaël Fejtö as the Jewish boy. Like a slow cooked meal with attention to detail the movie is poignant and heroic without being melancholic or over-dramatic. The bonding between the two young boys is beautifully carved through realistic scenes of everyday school life. As the viewer is made aware that one of them is Jew, so is the Catholic boy. A sense of doom prevails in the background, never engulfing the movie or depriving it of its light heartedness. How real!

While the end will remain with you for a long time, what I take away from the movie is that love can blossom even in the face of death. The movie makes subtle statements about human behaviour. It uses the case of another young lad who works in the kitchen to make a point. A person of weak character is dangerous and one must be wary. Ample use of piano does justice to the theme and my favourite piano scene is when Jean Bonnet (the Jewish boy) plays it while his music teacher watches impressed. There is also the scene where the two boys play a piece together even while sirens of a possible bombing raid sound in the background. My thoughts went to the scene from Titanic where the musicians play on the deck even as the ship sinks. Music is such!

Au Revoir Les Enfants is in French and while the subtitles are sensitive, I am sure some fragrance is lost in translation. Nevertheless, a very worthwhile watch for its statement on innocence, bonding, and dignity.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

 

Ironathon January 21, 2010

Filed under: Me — gurdas @ :
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I enjoy ironing! To start with a crumpled specimen and finish with a creased crisp garment is a very satisfying exercise. And on days when the sun is streaming in through the blinds, it becomes an exercise in pleasure. There is an old world charm to hear the iron ‘whistle’ as it lets out steam. Twwoooshhh!

Though I am not adept at ironing, the end result is a job well done. But, I seem to take forever and manage about 8-10 garments an hour depending on how many of them are shirts (which I am slowest with). And what most online videos do not tell you is what bothers me most – how to get that darned power cable out of my way. I may have to resort to an arrangement of pulleys and levers, but maybe there is an easier solution. And one of these days I am going to take a short course in ironing.  🙂

For starters, here is a funny guy video and here is a cute girl video of how to iron a shirt. No prizes for guessing which one I prefer!

 

The Constant Ambassador January 19, 2010

Filed under: ego,Ethics and Values,India,Inspiration,Me — gurdas @ :

That is what we are. Constant Ambassadors to what is outside of us. From what is inside of us – our self, genders, faiths, nationalities, and race to name a few. When you talk to the barista, or the waitress, or the bus driver, do not take your words or actions lightly. Because you represent not just a stranger. You represent yourself. Your smile and kind words would be remembered. Your heartfelt “thank you” would make somebody’s day. The Universe is keeping score, even if you are not.

And it always comes back. Yes, you reap what you sow. So keep your seeds top class. And water faithfully.

So I am from India. And I am a Sikh. And I am a man. That is three full time jobs. And I take each responsibility very seriously. And the ambition is sky high. Every person I cross paths with, must remember me as a gentleman, a thinking, loving, compassionate, and respectful human. And when they see any of my kind, may they proclaim welcome with a smile because I left them with one.

Too often we are consumed by petty short sightedness. How easy it is to be rude thinking the other person does not matter because you do not expect to run into them ever again. And then we wonder why someone was rude to us without reason. It is simple. Most of the time strangers are rude because someone like us was rude to them in the past. Imagine this; you meet a Mexican (or Indian or American or Chinese, whatever) woman who was very kind to you. She helped you with directions or offered to jump start your car or let you cross the road first with a smiling wave. What will you feel when you see a similar person again? Can you feel anger or hatred? NO! Your mind will race back to the pleasant experience from the past and you will at least make an effort to be nice.

I occasionally encounter stereotyping. Oh, so you are an Indian, so you must be so and so. Why? Partly because of the ignorance of the other person, the danger of a single story (from this talk by Chimamanda Adichie), and partly because they may have had one or two experiences that confirmed their stereotype image of an Indian. But what if every single Indian they meet breaks that stereotype? How long before they correct their image? Not very I’d say.

Our actions are what we bequeath to our children. I’d say we strive to leave them a world full of loving strangers.