Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 96

Deep Focus
30. 4. 2013, Mumbai

I was in Trivandrum for Indian Film Festival Kerala when the premier issue of Deep Focus Cinema was launched. Edited by George Kutty, this is in all earnestness India’s most in depth quarterly on cinema with boasts of an impressive list like PK Nair, Adoor Gopal Krishnan and Girish Kasaravalli on its advisory board.

The second issue devoted to 100 years of cinema is even better than volume one. Featuring interesting subjects and presenting perspectives of both on and off screen personalities the magazine caters to all regions and all generations.

Award winning Marathi filmmaker Sumitra Bhave’s associate Sunil Sukthanka describes her journey in cinema, the stories behind her various films and her urge to integrate the female gaze. A feature on Telugu cinema profiles the political and the social challenges the state is undergoing. Writer Izquierdo Tobias breaks the stereotype to examine the cinematic representation of the old city of Delhi in the context of globalization and cites examples of three films – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Monsoon Wedding and Delhi-6.

Superbly packaged and printed on art paper you can read the stories online on www.deepfocuscinema.com.

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 95

Archive of Indian Music

29.4.13, Mumbai

Ever thought of listening to Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose and H. H. Aga Khan III and didn’t know where to find their voices…? Ever craved to relish poetry recitations by Rabindranath Tagore & Kazi Nazrul Islam and didn’t know where to find them…?

It is unfortunate that many of these rare records are on the verge of destruction and without timely action, these would be lost forever. To restore the old treasures is the brain-child of Bangalore based author/historian and Sahitya Akademi award winner Vikram Sampath, Srinivasan and Nagamani. Their primary objective is to preserve the voices of our ancestors and make them easily and electronically available through an online portal for researchers, musicians, students of music and the public at large.

The Archive of Indian Music (AIM) seeks to digitize and preserve old and rare gramophone records of our country. The range of gramophone records IT will restore include Hindustani / Carnatic classical music/ Folk music /Early Cinema /Theatre /Speeches of great leaders of the country and voices of common Indians that were recorded starting 1902. The pilot website of AIM is ready and can be accessed at www.archiveofindianmusic.org.

The archive features about 200 artists and close to 1000 clips. Tracks including Gandhiji’s Spiritual Message that he recorded in 1931 in England, the country’s first recording by Gauhar Jaan in 1902, Tagore reciting his poetry, the first recording of the National Anthem by the Viswa Bharati Chorus, the first recording of M S Subbulakshmi as a child of 9 years are just a few of the rare gems in the website!

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 94

'Aashiqui 2' too long – 'Shree' too complicated.
26.04.2013, Mumbai

1990 directed Mahesh Bhatt Aashiqui - aspiring singer Rahul aur anath ladki Anu ki love story thi.

2012 directed Mohit Suri Aashiqui 2 – superstar singer Rahul aur uski shagird- Aarohi ki prem kahani hai.

Aashiqui - chotti kanani ki lambi film thi – jiski highlight Nadeem Shravan ke 11 superhit gaane thhe.

Aashiqui 2 aur bhi zyada lambi aur repetitive film hai jiske 11 gaano mein - sirf 2 superhit tracks
hai.

Aashiqui 2, Aashiqui film ka nahi balke - film ke characters ka sequel hai…

Tab Rahul ko apne career se zyada - Anu ke career ki parwah thi… Ab Rahul ko Arohi ke career ki parwah hai.

Tab bhi Rahul unreasonable tha..! Ab Rahul aur bhi unreasonable aur dramatic hai!

Anu tab - darri aur sehmi hui thi – Aarohi - Rahul ko milne ke baad- seham jaati hai!!

Director Mohit Suri unke emotional outpourings mein itne ulajh jaate hai - ki wo kiissi aur detailing par dhyan nahi dete.

Na Rahul ka failure convincing hai - na Aarohi ka success...

Film ka plus - film ke 2 gaane aur lead pair Aditya Roy aur Shradha Kapoor hain.

Film ka minus – balke sabse bada problem - hero ka characterization hai.

Samajh mein nahi aata ki Rahul ke paas - paisa - pyaar – pariwar- shohrat – ghar - business contacts - efficient manger – hote hue - wo sharabi kyon hai?

Na aap ko Arohi ke liye dukh hota hai – aur na Rahul ke liye sahanubhuti!

Aashiqui 2 ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 3 stars.

***

Vikram Shah produced aur Rajesh Bachchani directed Shree –ek sadharan aadmi ke asadharan din ki kahani hai.

Shree ka boss- uss se apni zindagi ke 12 ghante mangta hai – aur ye 12 ghante uski zindagi badal deta hai.

Main qubool karti hoon ki mujhe kahani - kirdar samajh nahi aaye. Wo shayad isliye kyon ki subject 12 ghanto ka tha aur film do ghante ki.

Mere hisab se hero Hussain ko filmmaker se - apni zindagi ke 12 ghate wapas maang ne chahiye.

Shree ko Big Entertainment ratings milte hai 1 star.

Bhawana Somaaya / www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 93

Final Solution
25.4 2013, Mumbai

Film Writers’ Association will be in a few days presenting a screening of the award-winning documentary film Final Solution followed by a discussion with director Rakesh Sharma at their office in Andheri. It is a film FWA is extremely proud of and has been screened at various film festivals and won various awards, including the Berlin International Film Festival where it was described as a compelling and thought-provoking documentary.

Final Solution is a study of the politics of hate. Set in Gujarat during the period of Feb 2002 to July 2003, the film graphically documents the changing face of right-wing politics in India through a study of the 2002 genocide of Muslims in Gujarat. It specifically examines political tendencies reminiscent of Nazi Germany of the early/mid-1930s. The documentary film Final Solution is anti-hate/ violence as “those who forget history are condemned to relive it”. The ‘Final Solution’, (German: Die Endlösung) which the title of the film refers to, was Nazi Germany's plan during World War II to annihilate the Jewish people, resulting in the most deadly phase of the Holocaust, the destruction of Jewish communities in continental Europe.

Prescribed as a must-watch for all Indian filmmakers and writers, the film has to still release in India. For further information about the event, please visit our website http://www.fwa.co.in/SitePages/Final-Solution-Screening.aspx

Bhawana Somaaya/ www. bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 92

God of Ahimsa

24. 4. 13, Mumbai

The unenlightened produce suffering. Self deluded they produce more and more suffering – Mahavir

Today is Mahavir Jayanti and Jains celebrate this day to follow his teachings which is in fact fairly simple. Jain religion proposes right faith, right knowledge and right conduct by thought, word and action.

My neighbor Usha Jain is a follower of Mahavira and explains that Jainism is linked to five auspicious moments in an individual’s life.

The first garbhadharma – which relates to sanskaras while a child is still in his/ her mother’s womb.

The second janmadharma – which relates to sanaskaras imparted to an individual on his/ her birth.

The third is dikshdharma – which is about renunciation when an individual decides to live a life of austerity.

The fourth is kevaldharma – which is about welfare of others and the fifth nirvanadharma where you find salvation!

As Mahvir said: There is no knowledge without faith, no conduct without knowledge and no liberation without conduct.

Bhawana Somaaya / www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 91

Angry Young World
23.4.2013, Mumbai

Most of them one receives rubbish as forwards which is instantly marked as spam but sometimes there are surprises. A stranger associated with anger management sent me a promotion mail which was long and garbled. But snatches were interesting like did you know that when you are about to flare up you there is an exercise to control your anger? Counting 100 is an old myth. This is a new one and similar to what the Raj Yog of Brahmakumaris profess. All you have to do is to visualize a home - create a special room within that home that generates peace. Now bit by bit fill up thre empty space with sound, smell, colors, objects and symbols of what you perceive as peace!

Next, visualze the sun streaming into the room, flooding it with light, visualize self seated in that room receiving vibrations of everything peaceful under the sun. If you have a problem with memory write down on paper what makes you feel peaceful, stay still for as long as you can and you will feel lighter, you will sense all the anger seething within you evaporating.

It is believed that only those who serve are blessed because serving is caring and sadly we are living in a world where projection is more important than reality. Often we find ourselves in situations where we are a part of a problem or maybe we believe we are! The more we defend our stand, the more we talk and the more we talk, the more complicated it gets. This is a negative exercise and our effort should be to become a part of the solution rather than mourn the problem. The only way to become a part of the solution is to contribute towards change and that is possible only by first altering one’s attitude.

Unless the mind is free from judgments it is not possible to make the right decision. The lesson to learn is to approach every new situation, person or a problem without the baggage of our previous experiences. If we do that, we will stop making old mistakes because detachment brings distance and distance objectivity and objectivity ensures a right decision. Well, almost…

Bhawana Somaaya / www. bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 90

Fighting Fear
22.4.2013, Mumbai

Life is all about changing and Ram Katha guides you to cope with life by coping with changing circumstances. We have to change tracks and learn to survive without fear. There are eight kinds of fears

in universe. Fear of Death /Mrityu can be overcome by Remembrance/Smaran that all of us have to the world to go one day. Fear of Reputation /Apkirti can be overcome with acceptance that we are trapped in a Delusion /Mayaa can be overcome by discretion /vivek. Fear of Malady/ Maha Rog can be overcome by seeking company of wise.


The effort we put into any task is Karma Yog /Path of Actions), the intention and the company we use to reach our goal is Gyan Yog /Path of Wisdom and Bhakti Yog /Path of Devotion. The Lord describes our life and the universe Rasmay / Passionate. All we need on our path to devotion is good intent. The universe can provide us with light but the radiance has to come from within ourselves.

Bhawana Somaaya / www.bhawanasomaaya.com