Celluloid Dreams

I’ve been guilty about being in denial of the severity of this virus when the news first started making headlines. The media these days is full of lies and half truths , so you can understand my scepticism. I was still not ready to accept the reality when it was declared a Pandemic. The world economy has been in such shambles that I just couldn’t bear the thought of more losses . As it turns out we all had to accept the bitter truth , myself included. And thus started a mandatory shutdown/social distancing . I’m not alien to this concept since being alone when I’m not working or socialising is my thing. I’ve in the past carried books with me to parties, get my drift . Now that some of us have been at home for some days and the situation may not change for an uncertain number of days , we must find ways to kill our time . One of them is to visit films that have been classics or commercially successful.

Here I’ve compiled a list of some of the films I’ve watched over the years . They’re in no particular order. Hope you pick some out and enjoy them . There’re films both men and women will appreciate and savour.

Women Centric:

The Sound of Music ( 1965)

Mamma Mia (2008)

Pretty Woman (1990)

Nothing Hill (1999)

The Holiday( 2006)

Erin Brokovich (2000)

Miss Congeniality (2000)

First Wives Club (1996)

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Hidden Figures (2016)

The Help (2011)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Black Swan (2010)

Kill Bill . Vol 1 – (2003)

Sliding Doors (1998)

Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Death Becomes Her (1992)

The Accused (1988)

The Silence of The Lambs (1991)

Male Centric:

The Godfather (1972)

Psycho (1960)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (1975)

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)

Life Is Beautiful (1997)

The Pianist (2002)

Gladiator (2000)

Forrest Gump (1994)

Shine (1996)

Amadeus (1984)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Schindler’s List (1993)

Top Gun (1986)

American Beauty (1999)

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Wall Street (1987)

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Blood Diamond (2006)

Of course there are a lot of other films I haven’t mentioned at the moment. Shall research more as I may have forgotten the names of some . Also will share a list of Hindi films in the coming days. Happy viewing people. Signing off-Sanchcasm

• 

Yes I Am

Yes I’m rebooting , Yes I must realign.

And Yes I hear you say ,

That times always flyin..’

Yes I know you must work,

Yes I know you must run.

Yes I know else you think that all will come undone.

That’s how you made the rules,

Yes you’re human mules.

You can’t just sit down, right,

You must use all your might .

But let me tell you child,

You were born in the wild.

So why not rest a while ,

Let Mother Nature smile.

And then we’ll walk again,

And then we’ll run again.

Just when the time is right,

And I can heal my plight.

So let me take my time

And Let me respire.

And then sweet child of mine ,

We will be fine and spry .

The Truth Can Set Us Free

The truth can set us free but how many of us actually have the courage to be honest. Honesty is the least available commodity in today’s market. I refer to the world as a market and honesty as a commodity because I feel that human emotions and values have become rare commodities. They are not just impossible to come by in this market of the world but are practically nonexistent.

Some may feel that I am being a pessimist but the fact is that people are scared of the truth. Some people are afraid to show their real side to others because they feel they’ll be taken advantage of and then there are others who would not like to expose their ugly sides.

We all basically don’t live for ourselves. We are social animals and therefore our life is only lived for society. All our standards are set according to the expectation of the society we live in. We even make our principles based on others opinions. Though we may be totally different on the inside we only show the face to people which is expected and accepted.

It’s like this, most of us do not have the guts and the gumption to cross that line. We prefer to live in the safe acceptance by doing what is expected. Though the alternative may seem difficult and daunting, it would set us free.

Our soul would be a free bird soaring in the skies of happiness and bliss. Yet in spite of this awareness we do not cross this invisible line of control. We prefer the safe cocoon of deception to the risky exuberance of the truth.

Incomplete

Don’t quite understand

Where it began

And how did it end..

One more story

That was all in my head.

How can one fathom

The loss or the pain

Of something that one

Never really obtained.

What are these feelings

This stirring insane

For what can never be

Which never began.

About Us Humans

Sometimes I wonder why we are born. How did we come into existence. What actually sparked off this whole universe into being. Who came first .. Did a woman come into existence first or a man. They both would need each other to procreate. So how did it come into being.

What was the start and where will it end. Will it all self destruct one day, as it came into creation or will it be Eternal. Again ‘Eternal ‘ is such a subjective term. Will this Universe live happily ever after or will there be a sad ending.

Why do we take Life so seriously? Why do we take ourselves so seriously? Why do we live in these complexes which are actually piled on us by other such complex humans? Why do we always have to try and better some one else. We always try to prove we are greater than the other person, when in fact nothing is greater than Nature.

Nature is the one great almighty. Nothing and nobody can withstand it. We know that we have but a short lease on life and yet we try to behave or actually do believe that we are immortal. Again I will contradict myself because I am confused. I said earlier that we take life very seriously on the other hand I also feel we are quite frivolous by nature. Because we take ourselves very seriously but we think that the people around us are fools. We tend to ill treat them. We try to demean and demoralize them in order to make ourselves feel superior.

There is this great percentage of the human race that needs scapegoats. Somehow they satisfy their egos by shredding these people who do not retaliate or give back as they get. Isn’t it very curious, I have noticed most of the times that people who are cunning, are the ones who are well liked and respected by others around them. They are the ones who get everything on a platter without asking for it while the people with genuine intelligence are left to do all the hard work and may not succeed in spite of it.

There is this other observation I have made, that you should never let anyone who is talking to you know that you don’t understand what they are talking about. I think that’s how the term “small talk” came into the picture. One always had to pretend that one knows everything that is happening around even though he or she may not have the remotest idea.

Then there is this other matter that rankles me. We Indians have this major complex. We are ashamed to speak our mother tongue. I have seen people who cannot speak English trying to incorporate an anglicized accent into their vocabulary. It’s alright if the matter ends here. But then there are those who consider people not speaking the queens language to be inferior, to be of a vernacular medium. Frankly speaking there has to be something wrong with their upbringing, their background and their basic constitution. How can you be ashamed of what you are. You don’t have a right to ‘BE’ if this is your mental framework.

When our universe came into existence or let me say at the beginning of time there was nothing ( again time is very subjective the beginning of time for us is when we became aware of the human cycle). There was just Nature. And gradually the human race got an awareness and civilization was born. It was alright at that but did it stop there. NO. We have to keep on going ahead with something new being invented all the time . We are always trying to run against time and nature. We never think as to what it may be doing to the atmosphere. How we are destroying day by day our ‘Earth’ this place that is our ‘HOME ‘.

We are always thinking about our material gains and pleasure. Of course it is said you have to be successful in life and earn lots of money to survive on this earth.. But my question again! Who invented Money? You got it .. Us Humans!!! Sometimes I find this term to be more of a bad word… Humans!!!!

26/11.. Why ?

In 2008 when these gruesome incidents occurred, I had penned down my feelings.. sharing them now.

In the past few days my heart is in turmoil. I have been going through a myriad of emotions. I have been scared, angry, sad, depressed, hopeless and in a total flux. I just can’t operate normally.

People talk about the spirit of Mumbai. But do we really have a choice ? We just have to go on. In today’s day and age who can afford to sit at home wringing their hands and crying in a corner ? Even if you are scared to step out you have to, for how long can you remain holed up at home ? One has to go about their daily tasks, people have to work for a living, children have to go to school and college. We just can’t stop. Everybody has to work hard in whatever they do in their life to earn money, raising children, running the house or studying.

Everybody except our politicians, who are getting fat on our money and doing nothing but sitting on their fat rear.
Why do these politicians come to areas which are affected by any sort of mishap whether it is natural or man-made ? What is the purpose of this exercis ? Why do they waste the tax payers money to fly down from the Centre to any place ? Why don’t they take some firm actions ? I don’t think that I have seen an iota of anguish, pain or sorrow or for that matter anger or frustration on the faces of any of these politicians right from the head of the country to the minister of the state.

When the head of the state was touring the affected location what was the agenda to it ? Was he having a fun show for himself ? And was he having a party, where the feeling was the more the merrier ? As he had the whole jingbang along. Not to forget the minister who casually said that such minor incidents happen sometimes.
I would like to see the faces of these people if their kin were put on the firing line. They would never forget the gruesome image and would die a little every single day of their miserable lives. That is if anything in them is indeed alive.

The head of state was faffing around and talking to the journos in a jovial mood. He was telling them that they had enough mileage from the incident. Well they were just doing their jobs and had kept constant vigil in a place which was anything but safe. Where were all biggies hiding ? Did they even for a minute think about blacking out the press ? Why not ? Well because there was no planning, no strategy, no order, no management and no one voice that was there to say that I think this is how everything should be coordinated because I say so and I am willing to take full responsibility for whatever is the outcome.

This other head of state when called a dog had said that if the martyr hadn’t been a Major not even a dog would have gone to pay respects. Well calling him a dog was actually giving him respect because as we know dogs are loyal.

According to me all these biggies are like maggots who come to feast on dead bodies whenever there is any calamity, where the casualty is always the soldier or the common man.

These biggies are like the cops in movies who enter when it’s all over. But who do we have to blame but ourselves because a majority of our ministers are illiterate bumbling idiots. We need a younger more sophisticated, tech savvy, cultured crowd to take over the country. Otherwise there will never be any hope.

The neighbouring country kills us because they can. If our ministers don’t care about us why should be blame our neighbours ? They would love to have their hands on every bit of land they can get. Today it is the North tomorrow they will want the South. It is up to us to show them that we are residents of every state from North to South and West to East. We are all one. After all India is all about “Unity In Diversity”.

Writing a little

Writing a little in bits and pieces,
Living a little on life’s leases.

Singing a little though I can’t attune,
For music of heart has lost its tune.

Dancing a little just as I should,
Though most of the time I don’t think I could.

Doing my chores little and big,
Cause that’s just the way to go about this gig.

Going along in this ride called life,
Since I’ve always known it’s all about strife.

It’s Just Time

It’s just time,
Time is all we have
And all we don’t.

In this moment is the time we have
And the next one too if we can save.

Not yesterday not tomorrow,
But today.
This is the only time in which we stay.

Going through the present,
Like it is Universe’s present.

Today is the challenge,
Live it like the brave.
And if tomorrow comes,
There will be new dreams to crave.

Good night dear darling

Come lie down in my lap, I will lull you to sleep. Soothe your brow with my fingers, Your slumber be so deep. Cleanse your soul with care infinite, No sorrow in will seep. Warm your heart with pure affection, That it may never weep. Give you sweet beautiful dreams, That you may always keep. Good night dear darling, You are with me safe. For as you are resting, I lie awake. Watching each breath you take, Every minute of the night. Till it’s time for you to wake, As morning has arrived.

The Heart At Sea

Silently as I sit watching the sea,
The waves cascading gentle and free.

They’ve seen lives going by
Simple, complicated and topsy-turvy.

For centuries and eons have witnessed,
Trials and triumphs, so many.

Our heart is akin to the ocean, the sea;
Having many a sorrow, experiencing glee.

Deep secrets and passions,
That we must bury.

And stand as though timeless,
In this maddening melee.