Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 275

Deva o devaa- Khandoba

29.01.14

Director Mrunalinni Dayal Patil has started shooting for her forthcoming Marathi film Raakhandar, story of faith and belief in God. We can’t see him but the faith in him can bring him to us in different forms believes protagonist Sadanand Lokare. In a series of incidents in the film where the hero loses his job, returns to his village and cobbler father, marries and one day, senses the deity and begins his interaction. He is continuously tested for his faith in God by people. Will he pass the test? Produced under the banner of Surya Films the title song is sung by Sukhwinder Singh and shot at Jejuri temple near Pune. Director Mrunalinni Patil says her film is about Lord Khandoba and to have singers like Sukhwinder Singh and Shankar Mahadevan in her film is a blessing from the Lord. “I have submitted myself and the film to Khandoba, I have faith that he will look after me and the film”.

 Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 274

Sundance & Satyajit Ray Festival

 28.01.14

The Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Awards is a part of a multifaceted collaboration between the Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group and the non-profit Sundance Institute that exemplifies its support to World Cinema. The year 2014 Festival held at a private ceremony in Park City, Utah is its fourth film festival and this year Neeraj Ghaywan from India was awarded as an emerging independent filmmaker for his screenplay Fly Away Solo. Neeraj has in the past directed two short films including a portion of Anurag Kashyap's - Shorts; and has been an assistant director on films like Gangs of Wasseypur and his upcoming movie Ugly.

Enlighten Film Society has time and again held festival of Satyajit Ray films particularly The Apu Trilogy. This time the festival is a Republic Day Special @ 12:00 pm Pather Panchali 119 mins: Translated as Song of the Little Road, the film is based on Ray’s nuanced interpretation of

Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's 1929 Bengali novel of the same name, Pather Panchali is a visual masterpiece by director Satyajit Ray and has another master Pt. Ravi Shankar’s music direction.

 3:00 pm Aparajito 105 mins Apu’s mother faces the ill fortune of shouldering the responsibility of the household alone after the sudden death of her husband. The struggle does not seem to tire her as long as she can witness Apu blossoms into a young man, but things change once he gets a scholarship to study in Calcutta.

5: 00 pm Apur Sansar 105 mins A grown Apu must now play the role of a responsible father but how can he when, his own son is the cause of his wife’s death...

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 273

Power of silence

27.01.14

Yesterday was Bhrama Kumari’s founder Bhrama Baba’s special day, the day he left his body and found his way to paramdham where all souls originate from. I visited the centre to be a part of the celebrations and stayed back to take prasadam or bhog. It is amazing how so many devotees come together and offer service to make every day so special. In my inbox was a special message from Janki Daadi who says the time has come for all of us to go into the state of silence and to experience the power. “When we learn to stay in silence, we discover the joy of the experience. In the stage of soul consciousness we sense the power that God accumulates inside us.  The process breeds a natural happiness that intoxication our soul because in silence we see reality and in silence we experience vibrations. Now is the time to go beyond speaking and thinking, to master the mind and intellect and learn to survive in bliss. Look at yourself again and disconnect and detach yourself from clutter. When you do that, silence will become a part of your life and strength will follow silence!

Bhawana Somaaya/@bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 272

Baaki Sab First Class 

26.01.14

Apna kaam banta, bhaad mein jaaye janta
Apna kaam banta, bhaad mein jaaye janta
Goonge behron ki nagri, kaun kisi ki sunta
Apna kaam banta, bhaad mein jaaye janta

Ye desh tha veer jawaano ka
Ab reh gaya beimano ka
Ye desh tha veer jawaano ka
Ab reh gaya beimano ka
Arey badal gaya itihaas hai
Raawan ki leela paas hai...

Raawan ki leela paas hai
Baaki sab first class hai
Aam aadmi udaas hai
Baaki sab first class hai
Baaki sab first class hai
Baaki sab first class hai

Paisa paisa haaye re paisa
Paisa paisa haaye re paisa
Paisa paisa haaye re paisa
Upar leke jaaun kaisa ho..

Paise ki aapa-dhaaapi hai
Bholi soorat mein paapi hai
Gar jeb mein rishvat rakh do to
Tumhe har galti ki maafi hai

Sacchai ke munh pe, taala hai
Jhoote ka bol-baala hai
Arey itna ghotala karte hain
Ye kehte nahi darte hain
Sachchai ka kaam tumhara hai
Lekin ye desh humara hai
Lekin ye desh humara hai
Lekin ye desh humara hai

Kheton mein ab bhi sookha hai
Mango-man apna bhookha hai
Kehte hain India great hai
Yahaan betiyaan unsafe hain

Arey badal gaya itihaas hai
Raawan ki leela paas hai
Baaki sab first class hai
Baaki sab first class hai
Baaki sab first class hai

Education neeyam tight karo
Future generation bright karo
Apna haq khud badhkar chheeno
Tum bhrastachar se fight karo

Haathon mein apne haath to do
Le lenge inko ghere mein
Abb dekhna chahte hain hum bhi iss desh ko naye savere mein

Saara jahaan humara hai
Saara jahaan humara hai

Yeh aane wali peedhi hai
Yehi development ki seedhi hai
Manzil paani hai toh bhaago
Gar chain se sona hai, jaago
Hum badlenge itihaas re
Phir milke kahein jhakkas hai
Baaki sab first class hai
Phir milke kahein jhakkas hai
Baaki sab first class hai
Baaki sab first class hai
Baaki sab first class hai

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 271

Salman is Jai Ho

24.01.14

Sohail Khan produced- directed Jai Ho ek bahdur Major Jai Agnihotri ki kahani hain,  jo fauj se darkhas hone ke baad apni aur sab ki ladai khud ladta hain.
Murdugoss aur Dilip Shukla likhi Jai Ho typical masala film hain jahan sab kuch dhoom dhadake aur naach gaane ke saath hota hain...
Isliye ek akela hero 100 aadmiyon ko ek baar nahi, baar baar peetta hain.
Ladki ko uss se pehli nahi, doosri nazar mein pyaar ho jaata hain.
Aur dil uska aaj bhi apni maa aur behan ke liye dhadakta hain.
Jai Ho ke ek nahi anek minus points hain – film lengthy hain, plot restricted hain, sequences repetitive, violence exaggerated aur characters illogical.
Jaise fauj chodne ke baad Jai garage mein kyon kaam karta hain…?
Army officer Sunil Shetty kiski parwangi se tanker sadkon par ghumate hain…?
Aur kuch plus points hain jaise Tabu , Daisy Shah,  choreography, action aur Salman Khan.
Magar iss baar, ye regular yardstick mayne nahi rakhti. 
Mayne rakhta hain film ki soch, film ki neeyat, film ka sandesh
Film ki soch hain ke aam aadmi ek sota hua sher hain!
Film ki neeyat hain ek aadmi chahe toh disha badal sakta hain!
Film ka sandesh hain ke Thank You mat bolo, teen insaanon ki madad karo toh desh badal jayega!
Jai Ho ko ek jagruti lane ke liye Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 3 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @ bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 270

Real endorses Reel

23.01.14

In the past too new films have been announced at award shows but never at a police show. This year is special when the sequel of 2011 blockbuster Singham directed by Rohit Shetty where Ajay Devgan plays a police inspector was officially announced by the Police commissioner of Mumbai Mr. Satyapal Singh at a Police charity function Umang 2014 held at Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai. In Singham 2 Kareena Kapoor replaces Kaajal. Kapoor walked on stage gallantly while hero Ajay Devgn made a grand entry in a car wearing the Police Khaki uniform. Soon the pair was joined by the ace director Rohit Shetty and Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh on stage. An audio visual interviewing constables/ officers played at the event where the khaki brigade shared the impact of films like Singham on public perception and inadvertently in their lives.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @ bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 269

Khaas aadmi wants Modi

22.01.14

On Sunday I had given my driver an off and on my way home after visiting my sister in Sion hopped into an auto-ricksahaw. The driver requested to take a different route because some MLA was holding a rally on the highway. “Why are our politicians so foolish, why don’t they think about people who need to drive to the hospital or airport? After all highways are for traffic not for morchas!” At the traffic signal, the driver  wiped his face with a napkin and said he drove from 8am to 8pm and with great difficulty earned rupees 1,000 a day and was still not able to afford a decent meal because of the prices. “And these politicians are embroiled in so many scandals and cheat on not lakhs but crores of our money, is this fair? I have decided I will never trust Congress again. We gave them 60 years and they give us corruption, price rise and potholes.”

He is upset and it reflects in his distracted driving, says, “It is a long time I have eaten a full meal and I’m driving all day on these rocky roads that is not fit for any vehicles. Last month I was in Gujarat. Narendra Modi has done a terrific job of the roads and development in the state. I attended his rally when he was in Mumbai and have decided to vote for him. He is a leader and if he is in power I’m confident I will get my meal and my country is in safe hands, what do you feel madam?”

I said what about AAP don’t you trust the new and young CM in Delhi? “No way madam, they are too kachha as yet and don’t know the ropes to rule the country. They have a lot of josh but they lack maturity. I would not vote Aam Aadmi and I would certainly not vote Rahul Gandhi.”

And what if BJP does not come into power, what if Modi is defeated by Rahul or Kejriwal?

“Aisa kaise ho sakta hai madam, vote toh hum karenge na, aur hum Modi ko jeeta kar layenge?

I have reached home and searching for my wallet to pay him. The driver turns to me and says “madam aap ne toh bataya nahi aap kis ko vote denge?’ I smiled and remained non committal. He said, “Ye hi toh problem hain – aap logo decision nahi le paate – roz roz news dekhkar irada badalte ho. Desh ko bigadne mein aap logon ka bhi haath hain. Magar hum logon ka irada pakka hain – Modi ko jaan denge aur desh badlenge!”

Bhawana Somaaya/@bhawanasomaaya