Wednesday, February 14, 2007

shapnoer badhonto chedechi...

shapno dekhechi akashey odar
shapner shimanto badhini
shapneyer kane bollam jashne chedey amay
kintu shapno toh ghumer shangey tal diye chale
oki aar shakal holey shango daiy...
shapno tai aar dekhina...
shapneyer chahida nei kintu achey mone aek lakshya
matha tule hattey chai khola akasher nichey
hastey chai , ghuretey chai , kheltey chai
unmadito hoye aei prithibitey
ektu asha ektu bhalobasha
jiboney aer beshi na cheychi na chai kintu
aaj chedey shapner badhonto
jibon key nischoi khujtey chai!!

Valentines Day...celebration of love or money...

clock struck 12 and there enters message on my roomies cell...and here i go "valentines day message?" she nods!!
today valentines day is more about buying expensive gifts, boasting about oneself expressing how many gifts and accessories one gets on this day.i dont think people even bother to enquuire why valentines day started what it is all about but yes people do have the time to sit and think what gift one should grab for the loved one. for some it is the day of expresion of love, for singeltons like me its the day to sleep and laze around and for some it is yet another day to rush to office and say"what's so special?" and for some political parties it is the perfect day to make mockery of themselves.
there are people who think valentines day is the day of celebration of love by gifting expensive gifts i ask..where have the emotions gone?is only 14th february the day when you come and tell your partner how much you love them or how important they are for you.isgifting expensive things is celebration of love?i choose to differ because i think love is an emotion which you feel for someone it is not bound by time or gifts, it is bound by emotions which is always present in our heart. love is not a one day celebration it is a celebration of each and every moment which you cherish all the time. you are in love when at the end of the day you thank God and say" thank you for sending him" , love is when after a hard day's work you smile and hug that person and giving him a chance to relax and it is the assuarance that yes "i love you and i am always their for you" this is love according to me. its not monetary element its the smile that matters, its not the bouqet of roses its the clutched fingers and security that matters, its not a soft toy or perfume but a hug that gives more satisfaction.its not an exotic date but a long walk holding each other that matters.
Love is not loss of valuable energy but an expression of joy, happiness, security,care, affection and above all a wonderful feeling which eyes express more than words..and as St.valentine got the two wonderfull souls married i wish everyone falls in love and able to understand that however tough life may be its love that soothes our soul....Happy Valentines Day...

Mumbai University's International Film Festival

As part of Mumbai University's sesquecentennial year celebrations it joined hands with the Films Division and came up with an innovative idea of International Film Festival. The festival was held at 6venues of which one was Somaiya college(my college!!) and was highly appreciated by the students community. The major audience for this fest was the BMM(Bachelor of Mass Media) community and we bmmittes appreciate the university's move. for the first time the students got the chance to watch some excellent parallel cinema including documentaries , biographies and short films. some movies were excellent and some were too boring but then the combination of cinema was applaudable.
the movies that i liked :

1.The Little Terrorist directed by Ashvin Kumar
The story is set near the Indo-Pak border, it talks about human emotions, cultural differences, prejudices ,and the dogmatic values that we still believe in, differences between a hindu and a mouslem. i loved the last scene because when the young boy finaly crosses the Indian border and reaches home(Pakistan) his hair is shaved and his mother starts beating him and he starts laughing , that young boy's laughter talks so much that even words would have fallen short if that scene had to be expressed in some other way.

2.Riding solo to the top of the world by gaurav Jani
The major attraction of this movie was its camera work and adventurous story line. the added attraction which realy interested me was the fact that the movie was shot by himself while he was on screen. the way he has shot the scenes is excellent. to tell the truth i really dont believe that this kind of work can be done by anyone because it was simply awesome. the camera angles were so good that the character was never out of screen , no mistake in taking the shots , wonderfully shot movie and his way of explaining his journey was simple yet touching.it was a bit too lengthy but then nobody complains when one is watching some excellent work.

3.the animated movies like The Thinker, The Balloon, You Said It and Raju and I stole the show. the concepts were well executed and Raju and i used some new techniques and the way the story ends makes it more commendable.

4.Vietnam Symphony by Tom Zubrycki
This documentary uses archival clips which are rare and the story is absolutely different. how music healed people during times of war, their courage, willingness to spread happiness and provide strength to others is appreaciable. the Hanoui house's present condition and the people who survived to tell the tale is simply touching. a marvelous work which raises the bar of documentary makers!!

5.Mallika Sarabhai a biography by Arunaraje Patil.
Personally this one i loved the most , the biography focuses on her personal and professional commitments and how she handles everything so beautifully, her perceptions and mottos. a film which makes you think once about how people can differ with the choices that they make!!!

6.The black road :On the Front Lines of Ache's War by William Nessen
This documentary was shot in two parts first in 1999 then in 2001during tsunami. Aches is a small island which is a part of Indonesia whereas Ache's people want complete independence. this documentary has been a phenomenal help to solve the indonesian and Ache's issue because during the first peace meet William was also invited to be a part of this move , as freelance journalist his approach towards this issue is unbiased and yet it clearly shows the atrocities of GAM people and the Indonesian forces. excellent job by the director.

7.Zero degrees of separation by Elle Flanders
a documentary shot in Palestine, the story has two narrators, walking in two different lines in the same place. one for stopping the atrocities of israeli forces on palestenian people and the other seeking freedom not from any dictator but freedom from the clutches laid by the government. the right to live and express herself.wonderfully shot this documantary uses the maximum amount of symbolism than any other movie that i saw. the metaphors are so well skecthed that it makes us think what movie making is all about.

8. Satyajit Ray by Shyam Benegal (cinematogaphy by Govind Nihalani)
Satyajit Ray's biography is every movie makers delight. the shortlisted clips from his movies were good and the way Ray was explaining the shots, his camera work and sound effect was like icing on the cake. his way of capturing a scene and the delicateness of music and silence was simply superb.must watch for an amteur film maker.

I have not given the story details but only an overview of what i liked in these movies because if i narrate the stories then the charm will be lost if you hapen to see these movies. the movies are excellent and their were some like Homi Bhabha :making of a scientist which were boring enough to make the audiences think "when can i leave the auditorium?"
the film festival gave me a new insight into the world of cinema, now when i watch movies its not only acting but yes i really look forward to many more aspects of movie making.i hope such festivals continue to happen and gives the students a chance to witness sensible and internationally acclaimed cinema.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

IRANIAN MOVIES ROCK!!!

Till date the only film fest that i have attended are the college film fests...showcasing the amatuer talents but for the first time i had been to an iranian film festival. when i heard about the screenings i was skeptical but once the movies began ...god!!i dont have words to express my joy. such wonderful cinema and Majid Majidi is "the" torch bearer of Iranian cinema.
the first movie that we saw was "colour of paradise" by Majid Majidi who has won numerous awards for this film. the story has two central charachters Mohammed Ramezani, a litle blind boy who stays at the city blind school as his father doesnt want him to stay with him. and the second lead is shared by his father, Hashem Ramezani who lives in the village with his mother and two daughters. the story is so beautifully sketched that anyone will fall in love with the movie. the beautiful locales , Mohammed's curiosity to touch and feel everything from water, wind ,his family members, his urge to study to excel is wonderfully outlined. the movie wins over asthe director is able to depict symbolism through all the major scenes , expressions talked more than words and for the first time i witnessed cinema as a craft, a directors piece of art and not just another movie but a movie that i will cherish until i get to see something like this!!the movie is amazingly wonderful and the end when situations run on a pessimestic note , it not only talks about our beliefs and thinking but it speaks volumes about the universatility of a film. 2 scenes which i loved the most:-
1.when Mohammed's grandmother dies, her last shot has her smiling on the bed and the very next moment the fog fills the sky and Mohammed is shown in that fog...and den Hashem is shown crying , it was brilliantly shot.
2. when Mohammed breaks down and let his emotions flow, the acting prowess by such a small kid with such intensity is tremendous.i bow and say i have never watched an excellent cinema like this till date.
a simple story , simple narration yet it touched the heart of all the viewers sitting in the auditorium.i just hope that these kind of movies are shown in colleges during the film festivals.