A Knight’s Tale

I saw ‘The Dark Knight’ yesterday for the second time, despite the notion that a repeat viewing would kill the awe inspired by the first. I shouldn’t have feared though – after all, the film is one of the most satisfying experiences one can have in a dark room. Real and reel unite in an almost perverse manner, as you watch a dead man devour scene after scene in a role that, in some small measure, led to his death. The film, which may seem like The Joker’s story with Bat-whatshisname relegated to the shadows, is by far the most complete and complex superhero film ever made.

Didactic marries dynamite in a furious narrative that’s forever slashing away at the faces we’d like the mirror to show us every morning. Virtuous, moral, with hair neatly parted to the side – that’s what your mommy wanted you to be, that’s what society expects of you and that’s probably what you pretend to be. But under that presentable face lies a scarred, perhaps grotesque visage – maybe you believe in its existence, maybe you don’t – but in Gotham City, it doesn’t matter, because The Joker believes in it and gleefully conducts a grand symphony of mayhem in anticipation of its unveiling. Gatecrashing the performance of course is Batman, along with Gotham’s latest hope for redemption, District Attorney Harvey Dent.

Batman versus The Joker is like matter versus anti-matter, yin versus yang – this dependency expressed wickedly with a line from Jerry Maguire. What starts off with a bank heist, turns into a frenzied, almost-biblical battle between two absolutes – the righteous superhero and the Devil incarnate in a purple suit – with Harvey Dent at the centre of it all. Gunfire rents the air, engines roar, hospitals explode, trucks perform ‘perfect 10′ flips and the Joker, practically dancing around the bonfire that is Gotham City, hits you with questions – who are you really rooting for? The ‘freak’ who contends that morality is a sham and humans are a degenerate, hypocritical bunch of sheep, or the superhero who exists only because morality is a sham and yet, chooses to place his faith in something as idealistic as a white knight? Also, what can you take away from a man who has nothing to lose?

Don’t look at me for the answers. All I know is that from now on, I’ll find myself wincing every time I come across the phrase ‘smiling from ear to ear.’

Aye Saala!

I saw,no,experienced ‘Rang De Basanti’ a few days ago and have been trying to come up with a post that would do justice to it.Disjointed thoughts,however, refuse to surrender to coherence.The movie thrusts a mirror at you and then coaxes you,like a friend would, into looking in.Beyond the cynicism and past the indifference.Deeper and further,till it pushes you out of your comfort zone,whatever that may be – your college campus, a cushy job or anything else that prevents reality from getting its filthy but strong grip on you.

It’s not the first time I’ve looked inwards.I still don’t like what I see.

And that’s where I think the genius of the movie lies.In inspiring thought.

The story touched me on a personal level as opposed to an all-encompassing patriotic one.The irreverent madness,fiercely loyal friendships,the fear behind the nonchalance,the need to find a passion – all of these and more juxtapose to create a collage that bears a striking resemblance to my life.The movie may shout out ‘Lose Control’ but to me it says ‘Find Yourself’.And someday,when I look at that mirror,I might just be happy with what I see.

It’s Been A While

There was a lot to choose from on TV yesterday as the medium was awash with the colours of India, some vibrant and others subtle.I chose to lay back and watch ‘Swades’, a movie I’d missed out on a long time back.I won’t launch into a lengthy movie review here, but it was a fine piece of work-Shahrukh Khan has delivered one of his best performances ever.There is a certain realism to it and even minor characters are well-etched out.No, it didn’t inspire me the way the ads promised it would.But it did bring back a perspective that had been missing for a while- to what consequence I do not know.And it reminded me of a poem I’d written a long time back:

It’s been a while

Glimpses,from the sky,
of an erstwhile home
bring back memories
which had long been swept away,
by foreign seas,
like footprints on the shore.

It’s been a while,guys.
Remember our second home-the coffee shop?
I do-cappucinos laced with solitude
Still remind me of days
When we were free

Eager to change the world
A vision only we could see.

And change we have…
But it’s just us,I see.
The world around us
Is the same it used to be.
..Still exuding hope
In the face of misery.

On land now,the warm air embraces me.
My eyes are moist-not surprising , really.
” It’s just the dust “, I tell myself
“There’s too much of it in this part of my world.”

Pari…Neat,huh?

The whole world and its uncle have been praising the movie Parineeta, for quite a while now.That, of course,wasn’t reason enough for me to NOT dismiss it as “a weepy chick-flick”.Instead, I spent my time in masculine pursuits, such as burping out Beethoven’s Fifth after a round of beer- I can appreciate classical music from time to time, not to mention philosophy.

“I drink, therefore I am.”

But I digress.Sorry, I have a problem with focus. According to Freud,its roots can be traced back to my early childhood,when….aaargh, here I go again!Let’s try, one more time, nice and easy..

Parineeta:

It is the story of a woman,orphaned as a child,torn between her obligation towards the family that brought her up as their own daughter, and the childhood friend who owns her,and she him, this bond unspoken of but real nonetheless , just as the sky is home to the golden and grey moods of the sun,without ever staking a claim towards its warmth.

It is a story about a man who is trying to find himself,unaware that he is trying to do so,his mellifluous dreams drowned out by his father,discordant and domineering, a man who is so blinded by the serenity of a childhood friendship that he fails to see it blossoming into love,until circumstances threaten to snatch it away from him forever.

It is the story of a man,who, for all his successes in the world of business,finds himself stranded on the wrong side of a one-sided relationship, a relationship that threatens to grow deceivingly strong.

It is the story of how the truth,if left unspoken, hurts more than the lies spoken to hide it.

PS:This is one of the reasons I love to write-it brings out thoughts and perspectives I never knew existed and helps me sober down,though that may not always be a good thing.Enjoy the movie- it’s not “just a weepy chick-flick”.