Aaj mera dil ubal raha hai...

A humble tribute to Gulzar Saab's recent speech I watched/heard.

Koi diggaj mujhse likhne ko keh raha tha aaj,
Koi mera mooh bhi bandh karna chaahta hai;
Meri baat padh ke mujhe koi maar bhi dega,
Mere dil ke andar ka dil ye mujhe ab keh raha hai...

Aaj toh mera dil ubal raha hai zor se,
Aanch tez hai, dhuaan bhi toh uth raha hai;
Zubaan kaamp rahi hai meri, mere darr ke maare,
Kya bolooon main, sab theek-thaak nazar aa raha hai.

Ek baat pe hazaar log naraaz huwe baithe hain,
Sabke jazbaat kyon itney thes khaaye rakkhe hain?
Aaj main phir bhi likhoonga, kisine kaha tha mujhe,
Bataao toh ye samaaj ke thekedaar kahaan baithe hain.

Dil ka nek banda hoon main, likhna mujhe aata nahin,
Kyon gareebon ki, sarkaar ko kisiki koi parwaah nahin?
Yeh likh toh diya hai maine, darr bhi lag raha hai mujhe,
Main marr bhi jaaoon agar kal, shayad koi badi baat hain...

Aaj toh mera dil ubal raha hai badi zor se shaayad,
Aanch tez hai, dhuaan kahin se toh uth raha hai yahaan;
Lagta nahin Rani ye sab mujhe aaj raat likhne deti,
Woh meri jaan hai, aur meri pyaari nigehbaan yahaan.

Aaj toh mera dil bada bade zor se ubal raha hai,
Aanch tez hai, dhuaan seene se bhi uth raha hai;
Dil ki baat poochh loon kya? Gehra mera sawaal hai...
Lagta hai desh ka maamla toh aaj bloody behaal hai.

Mirzya: Celebrating the fragrance of eternal love

Please note: This is not a review of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's latest film, 'Mirzya', and there are no spoilers of any sort.

A round of applause for actors, Harshvardhan Kapoor & Saiyami Kher - 'Mirzya' doesn't seem like their debut film.


There are two magicians who make this film a thing of beauty, a joy forever: Gulzar Saab & cinematographer, Pawel Dyllus. Needless to say, a hat tip to the director, Mr. Mehra for pulling off a love story in an age when eternal love is a rarity lost somewhere on our digital timelines and limited attention spans.



As a hopeless romantic, it has been my constant pursuit to understand the phenomena that love is, and it will remain so till I am alive. Thanks to 'Mirzya' I have found some deep insights into the feeling of love, as it celebrates the eternal fragrance of love. The only thing I have always wanted is love - this give and take of love has been the most used currency in my life, to the point that I think that I have never worked for the want of money, or have stopped working if I had a lot.

It was always the love I felt from the employer (immediate bosses) and the colleagues.

Give me love, and I will love you right back till death do us apart. For me love is and will always be forever a constant. I discovered my idea of love while watching 'Sadma' as a kid, I still don't know why I cried throughout the entire climax, because I was too young to know anything beyond food and poop. I can only guess that perhaps a love of mine from some other lifetime reached out to me though that gem of a film that 'Sadma' is.

Later in my life I was filled with the fragrance of love when I watched 'Sagar' - I think I was sold by the fact that love makes you do the craziest of things with no expectations whatsoever.  As Gulzar Saab has aptly put, there are only three witnesses of love. Sample this:



The thing about love is that it gifts us with memories galore, and moments of intense passion, to the point of no redemption. There's a quote, "If you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt - only love." This line resonates throughout 'Mirzya,' and I have felt this too. Those who have been reading my blogs would know about Rani, the love of my life, who went through this trauma, just because I had locked up my heart for the longest time, because I knew I couldn't take another heart break.

At least not in this lifetime.

“Doonge dard judaiyan de, kad lende ne jaan…”
[The wounds of separation run deep and take the life out of you]...

Sadly, this 'Hichki' thing really doesn't let you sleep well.



If the love is real, it reaches out to the lover through the sheer power of the universe. Rani found me when she was a popular radio jockey at Dubai, at the prime of her career. I was just a rookie writer-day dreamer, with hopes of becoming a filmmaker. I could understand how in 'Mirzya' the lovers reunite even when they have been away for two decades, the two soulmates will reconnect at some point in time, their geographies be damned, with the same passion as before.

“Gol gol ghoome zameen, aave na jaave kahin…”

For me, 'Mirzya' highlighted the eternity in love which seems to have lost its relevance in our time. The thing is that though the way we dress and talk must have changed, but the concept of love will always have the same fragrance as ever. In a recent interview for The Hindu, Gulzar Saab said -

 "The change is in what you wear, the way you live, in your relationships. A different period means a different culture. So your behaviour pattern will also have to be different. Speed has altered; the rhythm of life has changed. There is such a lot of gadgetry. Earlier, it was like someone has gone to the city, there will be no news, close ones will wonder when he will be back. Now you can talk on the phone anywhere, any time, any moment. You fly in planes. When will you come back from abroad? Well today if you tell someone in the morning to come, they can reach by the evening. This is the speed of life. But the speed of a heartbeat is still the same. Dil aaj bhi usi rafter se dhadakta hai [the heart still beats at the same pace]. That is eternal. Aapke aansoo usi rafter se behte hain, nabz waise hi chalti hai [Your tears fall at the same speed, the pulse moves the same way]."

Dil aaj bhi usi raftaar se dhadakta hai. That is eternal. Aapke aansoo usi raftaar se behte hain, nabz waise hi chalti hai.

I couldn't agree more, Gulzar Saab! 

OK Kanmani: Fell in love with The Mani Sir version 2.0

I am a sucker for films about eternal love and occasional longing. I know that genre is almost on it's way out, but with Imtiaz Ali around, there is hope for this genre. This blog is about how Mani Sir's latest film, OK Kanmani, turned me into a ball of mush, all over again. It is common knowledge now, that I am a mush ball 24X7. It just happened that I watched the trailer of 'The Tale of Tales,' and got GROSSED OUT and lost my mind for a bit.

Now I am back to my normal self - the eternal lover boy, who chooses to overlook anything that's dark, depressing or generally sad. I run miles away from people who reek of any kind of negativity.  Before I lose track of what I was saying, let me announce that I LOVED Mani Sir's reinterpretation of what perhaps was his earlier interpretation of love. Sir is catching up the changing times, and it is such an amazingly cool thing to do. Just like how Gulzar Saab does. The best part of this reinvention, is that the core or the soul is still as innocent. Not corrupted by the way today's generation speaks or thinks. May be I am just too old-school for today's cool.

When I introduce myself as a writer, I am usually asked, what is the genre I love writing the most. My answer usually is - love stories. Having said that, I know there is a dearth of fresh love stories. How far can one go anyway? Boy meets girl / girl meets boy / they love each other / hate each other / end up together / part ways. But in OK Kanmani, Mani Sir twists the conventional equation, and adds the magik of Rumi, the Sufi poet, to his story. I am not telling you how. Watch the film, and you'll know what I mean. I think there are a million love stories hidden in Rumi's works.

A bit random, but I think Dulquer Salman and Nithya Menon, are headed to becoming the proverbial 'Raj and Simran,' for a lot of kids who are coming of age. Especially those who watch regional films. Adding to the randomness, a BIG  shout out to my macha, Sethumadhavan aka Napan seth, aka the Don of Regional Sinima Mafia, who operates out of an underground den somewhere under Aurora Talkies (Matunga, Mumbai). His love for cinema is as epic as it gets. Let's get back to 'OK Kanmani' again. There's not much one can say about it, without taking away from the experience of watching it, just knowing enough from what's there in the trailer, as the makers would want us to...



One of the things that fascinated me among the gazillion others, is the way Mani Sir showcased Bombay. Coming from the man who made a film named Bombay, it came as a pleasant surprise. You don't see Bombay, you see Mumbai. You'll have to watch the film to know where I am coming from. The melting pot of cultures that this city is, there are times when we grin wide, when we hear somebody speak our native language. Aah my love for Bombay... Hope I am able to showcase it in one of the films that I write, but let me save that for some other day, some other blog.

Embarrassing as it may be for some, I don't like animation films, and I just can't stand superhero films where one guy or a bunch of people have to save the earth. I love films that are about normal people like you and me, on a regular day. Films like Anand, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year, Do Dooni Chaar (in no specific order) tug at my heart strings. Mani Sir's OK Kanmani is one such film. Recently, film critic, Anupama Chopra worded my thoughts on films like 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' and the yet to release 'Dil Dhadakne Do'; she slotted such films as the ones that address 'posh people problems,' and I was clapping gleefully, now that there is a genre like that, I can avoid watching altogether.

And what does one say about ARR's contribution to a film that he decides to give music to, and Mani Sir being his mentor, he is obviously biased. I swear even if there were no subtitles, I could feel the words in the music, and that's what music should do - transcend above the words, and still convey the underlying thought. I know I am taking away a lot from those who painstakingly put the words together, but what the hell! Somebody had to say it, so what if it had to be me. Not just the songs, even the BGM is worth being treasured. Special mention for Jr. Rahman, who makes his debut with Mani Sir, like how his dad did, back in the day -



Just to sum up my thoughts on 'OK Kanmani,' I will say that it's a wonderful film that celebrates love in the times that we live in. No cheap gimmickry, no forced swear words, rooted-yet-today, coming of age of a filmmaker, love is enough to get everything done... even if it means just a good film. Power and money are the uncouth devices employed, when love is lacking. Thoda meta ho gaya perhaps, but I am not trolling anybody on the sly. It's just a note to myself. It's strange, but after watching OK Kanmani, I felt like I revisited Gautham V Menon sir's, 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya.'

My 'kanmani' for this lifetime, Rani, thought I had lost it when I told her that I felt like Prakash Raj's look in 'OK Kanmani' was a hat-tip to Gulzar Saab. Watch the film and correct me if I am wrong.

Love, Magik.

HAIDER: Who knew a tragedy like this could be THIS gorgeous?

It has just been a few hours since I watched Vishal Bhardwaj's latest offering - Haider. I am still spellbound by what I watched. To write or not to write was the question for a long while, but there is no other way I know to restore my sanity, than to write about it. As always, this isn't a review of Haider, but some thoughts of mine that have been making me crazy since the moment I stepped out of the screening earlier this evening. My current state of mind is like that of a flooded Kashmir. So many thoughts waiting to burst out and make sense at the same time. As difficult as making a film like this, don't you think?

Me with Vishalji, I am the guy in the
white shirt with hands in my pocket.

 I have not read Shakespeare's Hamlet, but I have just ordered for it on Flipkart, now. The genius of Vishalji is that it didn't matter if I have read the source of his masterpiece. It just didn't matter. Just like it didn't matter when I came out after watching Omkara and Maqbool. Frankly speaking, I really don't get the language employed by beloved 'Shekhu uncle'. But I do understand the universe Vishalji creates every single time. Before watching Haider I just had a vague idea of the sorry state of affairs in Kashmir. But tonight I shall weep for all my Kashmiri brethren.

Getting back to the thoughts Haider triggered in my head. My previous landlord was a loaded guy; perhaps one of the richest I have met. His daughter was a paraplegic and so was his wife. His son didn't have a job. But he (the old landlord with squint eyes) had lots of cash. I used to think what's the point of having all that money, if you have such a miserable existence? All I had was Rani's love, and I was the happiest bloke in Andheri West. The landlord on the other hand… And then while I was vacating that house, the landlord decided to dupe me of roughly 8K from the deposit I had paid. I never bothered to get back the lost money, but my happiness was still intact. It actually grew manifold after shifting to the new pad. New writing gigs… new friends...

Haider reinforced my thought that an ugly soul can only beget sadness of all kinds.

One thing that saddened me the most after watching Haider was that the people living in the most beautiful state of the country, were perhaps the saddest. I don't think I will ever visit J&K. I don't understand the irony of life. Why is a place as gorgeous as J&K full of such sad stories? What have they done to deserve the wrath of everybody, mother nature included? I can't even imagine being in a place like that - where I have to prove my identity at every other turn on the street. I just about manage to tolerate the frisking at the malls and multiplexes, without losing my marbles. How do my brethren tolerate this kind of atrocity in 2014?

I am a happy camper - I JUST can't stand sorrow. I tend to flee from sad scenarios. Haider was another zone altogether. From the word go, we know what we are headed for. That's when the genius of the maker kicks in. When life is like that, why can't cinema resonate it? My films are not getting made, I am broke most of the time, but that doesn't mean that I sit in a corner of my room and cry till things change for the better. I still am happy. My brethren in Kashmir go on with their lives, perhaps just like how I do. May be they have found peace amidst the shellings and killings. May be they have their own in-jokes about these morbid happenings around their lives.

In a recent interview, Vishalji said, "Mujhe jo lagta hai, ki jo abhi tak hamari filmein mostly Kashmir pe bani hain, humnein almost always baahar se jaa kar dekha hai." This is the thing about Haider I also loved. We as an audience feel like them, not as an outsider on a tourist visa or some such. I could actually see people being rounded up in Oshiwara police station for no reason and being beaten up for no fault whatsoever. Haider makes you feel like you are right there, in the thick of things. The beatings and killings hurt you. They hurt you deep.

Being the overt 'sentimosanal' guy that I am, I feel crushed to even come to terms with the fact that the things up there in our country are so screwed. Just imagine what a person must have gone through to stone the army guys who are coming for rescue after the floods. Haider is an important film and I hope that one day I do feel free to visit J&K, without being scared for my life. At this moment I just feel like taking a impromptu trip to the so-called 'paradise on earth', but I will not, at least not till I am dead sure that I will come back alive. Pardon the word-play.

 A bit about the film, without giving away any spoilers. This is Shahid Kapoor's career best. I will not be surprised if he wins ALL the 'Best Actor' awards for 2014.  Basharat Peer has co-written what I think is the most gorgeous tragedy film that I have watched till this date. The casting by Mukesh Chhabra is legendary, and in my book it is his career best as well - though he may disagree. A special mention for the DoP, Pankaj Kumar - he has made Kashmir more stunning than the KF calendar makes the bikini babes look like. Kulbhushan Kharbanda sir, Kay Kay Menon and Tabu are stellar and no words can justify their presence in Haider.

Gulzar Saab holds a God-like position in my entire existence, so I will not make a fool out of myself by rating his contribution to this film. The original background score of Haider by Vishalji is another highlight in this film - it elevates the film to a divine space. Haider is as close to life as life can get. I cannot stop gushing about how overwhelmed I felt while I was watching it. The ovation came naturally to everybody in the audience. I cried a few tears when the character played by Shraddha requested the one by Shahid to cry. 

The concluding song in the honey-soaked vocals of Rekhaji lends hope and fulfilment to Haider. To  quote Vishalji, "Banane kahaan dete hain, bataiye? Indira Gandhi par nahi banni chahiye film? What a graph! What a beginning, middle, end! Bananey denge? Nahi bananey denge. Phir hoga ki jaise woh chahte hain, waise... Take Nehruji ki story. Kitni colourful life hai, kitni committed life hai. Aadmi swaraj ke liye fight kare toh kya colourful nahi ho sakta? Lekin you can't make a film like that - yahaan toh laathi utha kar maarne ke liye pehle taiyyar rehte hain!"      

I only hope and pray that Vishalji continues to make the films that he believes in. I also hope to write or make ONE film like the ones that he has made. I will die a proud bloke. 

Amen.  

P.S.: IRRFAN in Haider got as grand an entry as superstar Salman Khan in a Salman Khan film. Full taali-seeti moment happened!