Teetering

Laying back, looking at the ceiling.
Emptiness festers, as I come to terms with this feeling.
Flailing, helpless, off the railings
Sitting with a busted deck, unaware, who's dealing?

My wants gather, hungry once more.
Caged for long, now coming to the fore.

As ambitions turn to dust
& ennui blankets thirst
Intelligence wanes & wit slowly rusts.

I look into the mirror & it looks back sneering,
The buffoon slowly teeters on the edge, slowly veering
To a disaster with nothing but wilting scars & guts
Accompanied by his fears & loneliness, his old buds.

Apogee of Self

A slippery chasm filled with spears,

A construct; housing wrath & tears,

A Mausoleum; keeping hopes & fears

& An Index; recording enemies & peers.

Sometimes, it moves to inspire

others; to ruin.

Sometimes, it works to conspire

yet even more; to triumph.

A shelter from the rains of dissuasion,

A pit to wallow in self-disgust,

An ally to channel some grit & determination

A foe to sow paranoia & distrust.

Through bouts of depression,

I take it to be a Lance of Light

Through objective introspection

I deduce it to be a dagger of avarice.

But its experience that makes me wonder

whether I am its only muse

or its greatest Sacrifice.

Fiends of a Spiteful Construct

Fiends of a Spiteful Construct

Shaking off the rust, I pick the instrument again.

Not from inspiration, rather an urge to pen my woe.

As the brouhaha boils over & politicos spittle,

My sanity wanes & sensibilities dive a new low.

Shocked at first; still disgusted,

It has been on my mind but still undigested.

To see this fall from grace, this degradation,

championing for the Seditious

while brave hearts bleed bare for this nation.

Dividing the gullible demographic with lies and false propaganda.

Insidious fiends set on furthering their own agenda.

I feel ashamed that these are the people I call my own.

While my blood brothers and sisters get martyred protecting these hellspawn.

Vouching for the guilty, set against the current regime.

They are blinded by their incompetence and resort to being philistines.

Shouting about freedom of expression and their right to dissent,

conveniently forgetting their duties to respect the liberty and act decent.

This is what we have devolved into,

 a mindless vociferous mob,

that panders to traitors and terrorists alike,

 by acting as self righteous slobs.

Instinctively, I feel the urge to descend into a state of violence.

To answer their calls and indulge in a pogrom,

dying the streets red much like the fall of Byzantium.

But with great restraint, I hold back & keep this silence.

Knowledge is power and cold facts will slay this Gorgon,

Free thinking, detached research would hurt more than shells of Titanium.

For too long have we been credulous, easy to lead astray.

Influenced by narrative of Caste, creed or religion have we been divided.

Time has come to develop pragmatic faculties that they dread; & stand united

Resolute to their manufactured opinions, no longer under their sway.

We unite under one banner and take a solemn pledge,

that we may be few, our attempts seen as trite and callow.

They are the Goliaths, their words resounding and hallowed,

But we are all David, we'll slay them at their game and clear the dredge. 

Bajirao - A great potential; squandered.

The latest offering by Mr.Bhansali promises a lot and I had high expectations going into the theatre. In recent years, I admit I haven't seen much of the works by the veteran director but memories of his last epic were still fresh in my mind. 'Black' was as much a piece of art and storytelling as it was a yardstick, for me to judge the Indian cinema.

I was thrilled about the premise, the actors and the man behind the lens hoping that the promise it showed will be given full justice. For the uninitiated, this is the story of perhaps the greatest man we Indians don't know much about and his second wife. A true mirror of the troubled and sometimes widely polarising history that this nation has suffered under various regimes and empires and with all this talk and nonsense about how intolerant we are becoming, it is a testament to the fact that true love can transcend boundaries.

In the main roles we have Ranveer Singh, a man who is slowly but surely creating a niche for himself with superb roles that suit his somewhat mercurial and ephemeral nature and his mischievous persona which may or may not have been creatively constructed. He plays Peshwa Bajirao - I, the man, the myth and the forgotten legend. To tell you how badass this man was, here are some cold facts. He became the Peshwa (Prime Minister) to Chhatrapati Shahuji Bhonsle of the Maratha Confederacy at the age of 19 and till his death from an unfortunate heat stroke at the age of 40, this man was undefeated. In an era filled with war both petty and massive, he was known as 'Rann Mard' or 'Man of the Battlefield'. He remained undefeated till his death, spearheading 41 battles, 41! and the Maratha Confederacy grew an alarming 945% with him at its helm. He is considered the greatest of the nine Peshwas and rightly so because his record in battle has never been equaled ever after. The great General Montgomery who was instrumental in establishing English firmly in India, described him as a man who would incite fear in the enemy even when they knew they held the advantage, such was his prowess and charisma. And to a point Ranveer does justice to the lionheart.

His rendition is playful and moving at the same time. He portrays a man with such raw intensity that even when he stares at the audience through the screen, you flinch a bit from his virulent stare. But, Bhansali to my dismay squanders such a beautiful portrayal by sticking to his trusted tragedy and love plot. At points, the film feels much like Devdas but on a grander scale and with more expressive actors and a central character who isn't a drunk wimp but the underlying formula is the same. A dragged out, insipid narrative of tragedy and starstruck lovers. He also creates an aura around the Peshwa making a caricature out of him. Bajirao can do everything, and not only at a regular layman level but at an expert level. He's the surgeon, the midwife, the negotiator, the general and the superman rolled in one and it is my only qualm out of the brilliant rendition of the character.

This also sets up the next character which is affected even more by the director's dilemma. Mastani Bai, the princess of Bundelkhand is the love of Peshwa's short life but is she fierce warrior, a superb courtesan, a mesmerizing dancer or a risk taking braveheart, the director is confused. Which means that even though Deepika Padukone has ample screen time she fails to deliver a solid impact on the viewer. I feel for the character a bit as the story progresses but I am still not immersed in it like I am with the Peshwa. The romance and drama are played up a lot more than what could have been a war tale with a love story thrown in.

But, all is not lost because we have a gem hidden in the rough. Despite much smaller screen time, Priyanka Chopra delivers the knockout as Kashibai, the Peshwa's first wife. Her love for the Peshwa is not returned equally but her devotion is so strong, that throughout the film you feel sympathy for her rather than the main heroine in question. As the main lady of the house, she starts as a young klutz enamored by the love of her life and slowly grows into a resolute and tough badass which conveys her sorrow through her silence. As the film rolls on, her performance only grows more enderaring and moving and by the time, the main climax hits I am sitting there feeling bad for her character rather than the two star crossed lovers.

In closing, I would like to say that by all means go and watch the film, its a good entertainer but if you are a history nut like me, prepare yourself for a bit of disappointment. This is not Bhansali's greatest but still much better than the regular Friday night crap out there.

3/5 stars.

Shandaar - A Cute, Clean Comedy

A light comedy, set at a quick pace and a welcome change from the loud & sleazy form of humor that we have got accustomed to. It were the situations that brought out the laughs and giggles and every character seemed to be hiding a small mischievous streak inside them. What was really gratifying was the nuanced implicit bits that brought out the best out of humorous situations, the characters, Mr. Pankaj Kapur in particular, lead you into some great moments with his finely honed craft that certainly shines through.

If at all, I'd say that the trailer had involved a bit too many of the comedic moments that the story seemed a bit short but all in all, it was better watching a happy two hour movie than a stretched out and nerve-grating gag that leaves you more irritated than anything.

The highlights were the main cast and for once the lead seemed to match the lofty stride that the elder Kapur set. Both Alia and Shahid were vibrant and spontaneous. Their chemistry sizzling and delivery intuitive and at no point the fun got stale or sleazy.

All in all, it was a hark back to the clean comedies of the 80s, the 'Jane Bhi Do Yaaron' and 'Golmaal' and a welcome change from the uncouth comedy that the current breed has devolved into. I felt entertained and happy, enjoyed many moments and easily looked over cliches for a good time.

In Closing, I would add that Shandaar is not a laugh riot or the edge of the seat, stomach splitting comedic tale but it'll put a nice & bright smile on your face and sometimes, that's all one desires from a movie. A good time.

- T

Gods and Guns

Back from the daily grind,
I lean back & try to relax my mind.
When a print catches my eye
of the summary of the week gone by.

Stories interesting and insipid
are flashed around like snippets
A few invite and few revile
of plots both disgusting and instigated with guile.

I stand, a mute witness to acts of morbid atrocities
Sometimes a Genocide & sometimes a Kamikaze.
Perpetrated by individuals mislead and misguided
in God's name.
By those who take on the guise of God's men
& act as his bodyguards on this plane.

Nauseated and Shaken, I question this all,
of the false pride of few and their gall
To think that the glorious one will need 
to indulge in something so obscene.

He whose presence is eternal,
wouldn't like his name forced down another's throat
This entire premise is banal
a god doesn't need to gloat.

Surprising, that the texts preach fraternity,
it has been a cause of such mondegreen
that many of its agents work to chop at the roots of unity;
like the steadily depleting evergreens.

With their message of hate and splenetic rage
they corrupt the innocent and keep them engaged.
They hand them guns when all they need is a book,
they hand them false sermons and make them into crooks

Engineering machines that are servile 
to their suggestions & outlook.
They wage war on each other enjoying
their knights and bishops toppling the other's rooks.

Through ages, we say that we evolved
yet the change seems invisible.
For each new interpretation is still scorned
a different faith is still impermissible.

The ones inciting hatred and spitting vitriol still shine bright
Guns & Gods don't mix is the message lost in this plight.
Does it matter if my god sings & your doesn't
or your drinks and mine doesn't.

Isn't faith a personal, continuous voyage of finding belief.
Enabling us to find strength, shun sorrow and find relief.
So why has it been a vehicle of constant grief
When the solace of finding your place in this world 
is the message of every religion in brief.

Time and again the tree of fraternity is ravaged
by enemies blinded by dogma; zealous and savage.
To nurture its rebirth the youth have to unite
fostered with their energy to win over the dynamite.

Lost Innocence (Of Perjury and Injury)

Sitting by myself, I answered the call
hearing on the other side a barely audible, muffled bawl
of a dear friend, in an abysmal situation
for prejudice towards gender was used as a tool of persuasion

Summoned to answer, to undergo trial by fire
accused of misgivings and assumed a liar
Funny thing this Rhetoric, grave is its error
It rationalizes sympathy to one and traumatize the other.

Though history is steeped in one side's favour
Justice shouldn't be blinded and facts be savoured
Though the situation is dire and efforts are required
A lopsided system does little than a few wrong shots fired.
Like an incomplete skeleton with dangly bits and portions
hijacked easily and made a tool for extortion(s).

Yes the change is needed but each case is different
 The call is for equality and laws to be deterrent
Though many monsters are dressed in hides of men, that much is indictive
But give the other side unadulterated power and they'll be equally vindictive.

The fight is not for a gender but for a mindset
To think along that convoluted line would bring only guilt in hindsight.
The evil is not a gender but mentality of abusing,
To trounce one's right with an assurance of eluding
the wings of justice that are easily duped
by false evidences and riding the sympathy so hard to dispute.

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Note: A short piece on special request. Hope you find strength in your trials, mate. My wishes and hopes is for truth to prevail.