Title:Asura-Tale of the vanquished.

Author: Anand Neelakantan

I have been feeling fortunate to have read some very profound and tasteful literature in past few months.  The fact that seventy-five percent of them were Indian makes me even happier.  

For the last couple of years, Mythology has caught my attention. Devdutt Patnaik, led the way for me by bringing very profound ideas and insights from the stories we already know and then I laid my hands on Amish’s Shiva Trilogy. After reading Shiva trilogy, I was quite mesmerized by the quite human side of the story and was convinced that it was difficult to top .

Then on my B’day, a dear friend gifted me—“Asura—Tale of the vanquished”, and it has forced me to change my opinion.

The book is about the Demon and Antagonist, Ravana, in the story of Ramayana, pleading to hear his side of the story. He justifies this by saying that world over only Victors are glorified and their story is told.  Victors are marked as torch-bearers of good, while losers are marked as harbingers of evil, but can we so simply declare one side good and other evil by simply knowing one side of story.

And then the story starts with 2 main characters-Ravana  and Bhadra. Ravana is a wretched poor, half Brahmin-half Asura teenager who dreams of becoming a king and achieve much more than he or anyone around him can imagine , while Bhadra is a poor farmer Asura, who loses his family in a raid by Devas and joins Ravana’s troops to avenge his family’s murder.

The story goes on explaining various happenings, how Ravana becomes king,  how he behaves, what circumstances led to war with Rama and what finally led to his fall.

Some of the highlights in this meticulously written epic are

n  The author has not tried to glorify Ravana or vilify Rama, but has shown how former was more human while latter tried more to be a god.

n  The author has stripped the epic of Ramayana of all magic, gods and divinity while bringing it down to a human level, explaining everything with logic and helping us connect more.

n  Rather than focusing on Gods and Demons, author has focused more on how a common man struggles no matter if it is the rule of a Ravana or the rule of a Rama. He underlines the ubiquitous fact again and again that between the whims and fancies of rulers, it is the common man who is grinded.

n  Story has been immaculately weaved and each event in original epic is described, although in different shade and light.

n  There’s only one downside to this book, the story becomes a little gloomy in the middle. (May be we are more accustomed to the magical good trumps evil version.)

The character of Ravana is quite believable. Author has shown all his strengths and vulnerabilities. He has shown his Demon (Rakshasa) side clarified that he was not a demon by default.  Ravana has been described as the man who dared, who dreamed to break away the social norms and achieve more than he was destined, who wanted to control his world, who was ready to fight and stake the future of his own race for his own vainglory.

We are no demons, but we are no Gods either. On a broader scale, we all might have different aspirations, but somewhere in the core we all want same. We all want to be the One who the world can admire and be the one how can enjoy luxuries in life. There’s a little bit of both in us and this book invokes this very feeling when you are done reading.

Excellence Meter—4.5/5 –Excellent Read.

Cheers.. ;)

Emoticons

PS: Not for those who strongly believe Ram was God and are not comfortable reading or hearing anything outside their religious realm.

PPS: You can like me and follow me on Google+ by clicking buttons just below my Pic on top left or mail me at digvijay005@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook(digvijay005@gmail.com) and Twitter (@Digvijay05) also. Do share in comments how you like my review. 

Reviewed-- "Dhandha: How Gujaratis Do Business" by Ms. Shobha Bondre

We all love Gujaratis, sometimes for their sweetness, sometimes for their food, sometimes for their nature and sometimes for their culture. While different communities in India are famous for different reasons, Gujaratis are revered for their Sense of Business and Spirit of Entrepreneurship.

Saluting the spirit of making Big in this world and celebrating the immense will power of Gujaratis to succeed, comes a book called “Dhandha: How Gujaratis Do Business” , indeed very adroitly written by Ms.Shobha Bondre. 

This book is a collection of stories of five Gujaratis who have made big in this world, showing that although their area of success was different, the underlying spirit was same. From the story of a diamond merchant to the story of a hotelier couple, this book grips you and entertains you throughout with a very different kind of narrative. You feel like reading a fiction novel rather than a biography with all the twists and turns.

No mundane facts and figures or no boring details are featured in this book, rather the author has beautifully narrated the hardships these men and women went through before they were successful. The focus has been on the humane side of these persons which helps the reader to connect with the stories.

We all want to be successful and rich someday, doing what we love to do, but we all shy away from the effort that is required to achieve our dreams. So this book comes handy in highlighting the facts that one, nothing is impossible if you have decided to achieve a goal, two, you need a will of steel and third, you need to put in continuous and sincere efforts if you want to achieve something (In idiomatic way —You have to die, if you want to go to heaven).

Another aspect which I personally enjoyed reading was the fact that in almost all stories you’ll find the role  spouse, family, friends and community at large played to help the individual achieve his/her goals. It has been quite evident that without their support the individual might have failed in his/her venture. Also, you’ll observe that all successful Gujaratis are so connected to their roots and still love them and respect them, while leading a life of simplicity and not becoming haughty because of all the money and success.

All in all a very Enjoyable, Motivational and Entertaining read. We all can learn a thing or two from these inspiring stories. The fact that stories are not very long and the book itself is of manageable size, it makes a perfect read for anyone.  I would like to sincerely congratulate and laud the author of “Dhandha: How Gujaratis Do Business” for bringing out this beautiful and well researched piece of literary work.  Hats-off to Ms. Bondre and undying spirit of Entrepreneurship of Gujaratis. 

Verdict—I’m happily giving it 4 out of 5 Stars (4/5). Do read if you are looking for some motivation in life. This book indeed is a "Pocketful of Stars". 

                                            

                      ~~Perseverance indeed leads to  Excellence.~~

Cheerio :)

Emoticons

PS: You can like me and follow me on Google+ by clicking buttons just below my Pic on top left or mail me at digvijay005@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook(digvijay005@gmail.com) and Twitter (@Digvijay05) also. Do share in comments how you like my review. 

Stroke of The Master...Inferno Reviewed

In today’s world of fast food and every other things fast which fade away from memory as soon as you are done with them, there’s an author which has been successful in bringing out a story that  has managed to leave an impression, has elevated my thinking level and will stand the test of the time .Rightfully, it has already been declared a blockbuster hit. Read on about the masterpiece named-"Inferno"

Seven years ago, when I read “DaVinci Code” by Dan Brown, I became his fan instantly and went on to read rest of his novels too, with each novel making me love his writing more and more. So, when after a gap of almost three years, “Inferno” was released, I was dying to read that and soon I had in my hands hardcover version of "Inferno"

The book has been written in a typical Dan Brown language. The protagonist, Robert Langdon, embarks on a new quest in this immaculately written novel. He continues his journey following the clues from art and history to save the world from a possible disaster. Also, along his journey, Dan Brown keeps explaining the meaning and relevance of various artifacts and monuments through Robert Langdon, which I personally enjoy a lot. The thing to note here is that all this history is so meticulously weaved in the story that you are left in awe after reading that.

Dan Brown has managed to keep the pace of the story at a very enjoyable level. Never did I feel that the story is being dragged or is being rushed. But the things that make you jump from your seat/bed are the clever and so unexpected twists and turns. You might be expecting things to turn out in a particular way, and then Dan Brown, derails your expectations and bring in a new twist. Hats-off to him for that.

All the characters are quite well sketched showing their mindsets, thinking and motivation to accomplish whatever they have thought. The part of art and History he has brought forth is a bit dark but very intriguing giving the story a very grim hue and a chilling feel.

Along with above things, the thing that stands out for me (and has always been in his earlier novels) is the premise of the story, the core question or the philosophy that stirs the grey matter in your brain (I’ll not discuss here to rob you off a serious soul churning ;)). The perspective he has brought up is very relevance in today’s world (and I’m pro to that.. : P)  and we all should think about that a bit.

All in all a very enjoyable and thrilling read.  The only thing I found lacking that the climax left wanting me more. It’s not that “Boom” kind of climax I was expecting (like in Angels and Demons).  But if you really think through it does justify the story.

(As in The Dark Knight movie)—“It was the climax that it(the story) needed and not the climax that it wanted.” ;)

Verdict— 4.5/ 5 stars. It’s not a novel you want to miss. You can read this book even if you haven’t read any of earlier Dan Brown’s novels.

                                ~~Excellence lies in each meticulously crafted detail. ~~

Cheerio :)

Dj (Digvijay) 

PS: You can like me and follow me on Google+ by clicking buttons just below my Pic on top left or mail me at digvijay005@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook(digvijay005@gmail.com) and Twitter (@Digvijay05) also. Do share in comments how you like my review. 

A Lunch….NOT much satisfying...

We are living in the times, where Hype surrounds anything that comes forth and shapes our judgment of weather that thing is good or bad.

So, the same happened when “The Lunch Box” was released. It has been critically acclaimed and most of the sites and critics are giving it min. 4 out of 5 stars (which is pretty impressive). Hell, the producers are fighting and creating a furore over why “The Lunch Box” was not sent as an entry for Oscars from India.

Being a die-hard fan of good cinema, it was natural for me to develop the itch to see such a critically acclaimed movie :P. So, after fighting for 2 days with BookMyShow and Cinemax websites (which had some connection error), I decided to go on Monday and had to buy tickets from the window ( Imagine, so archaic L ).

Nevertheless, went in the hall, the movie had already started. Thankfully didn't miss much ( Hate that).  The story slowly started taking shape, a bit slow in the beginning (I felt like watching Ship of Theseus  again, which was a torture), but the story then picked up. A lot of critics have said that acting has been quite good, but I felt maybe the script couldn’t do much justification to the talent of Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Addition of a little humor here and there kept the movie going and made the pace bearable. Although, it has been tried to show emotional state of two very different people, who are incidentally alone in the maximum city, the effort was not that convincing. I for one couldn't connect with any of the characters anywhere.

Anyhow, the story picked up a bit after interval. A little frenzy after the movie helped define the pace. There are some very good scenes like the ones which draw parallels simultaneously in both Irrfan and Nimrat's (the heroine) lives e.g both are somehow listening to same song, both have heard same idiomatic phrase from somewhere ,  to show that they might be somehow connected by destiny.

Will not spoil your mood by disclosing how the movie ends, which they have tried to do in an artistic and philosophical style, but I felt fell short of a couple of nuances there.

All in all a decent movie (not a good one). In an attempt to make an artistic work, it came out to be a bit on gloomy side (one of my bubbly friend is in depression due to this..hehehe). You can watch if you like a slow movie or like to join in the herd, so that you can brag to your friends you watched art cinema. You can definitely skip if you don’t want to do either of this.

Verdict: In terms of stars, I’ll say 3 out of 5 is more than enough (only for acting; script and execution fails miserably).It failed a bit as an art cinema and a little more as the mainstream one. 

Well, again, it’s only my opinion. If yours differ with mine, do share with me in the comments section below.  Will love to hear from you reg. my review or the movie.

Till then, keep smiling. J

Cheerio

Dj (Digvijay )

PS: Even I don’t think it should have been an Oscar entry( and I swear, I have not been paid by “The Good Road” people to write this  :P ). 

You can like me and follow me on Google+ by clicking buttons just below my Pic on top left or mail me at digvijay005@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook and Twitter(@Digvijay05) also.

Thoda Hai...Thode Ki Zarurat hai.. (We have Little..and We need Little..)

Happy Sunday folks..!!

Life has become too demanding and fast. I already know this: D. But this thought came back to haunt me again last night when I was lying on my bed in Mildly Inebriated state. Suddenly I remembered a song which my uncle used to sing—“Thoda hai , Thode ki zarurat hai” and I thought, “What a simply beautiful thought”.

At the very moment I decided that I’ll watch the movie to which this song belongs—“Khatta-Meetha”. Made in 1978 it is an absolute delight. The movie hooks you from the very first moment with its title song saying—“Life’s like a piece of grapes.-a little unripe, a little ripe. Whatever we can have is sweet, whatever we can’t is sour.” Kishore da’s voice infuses MAGIC in this song.

And then we dive in the movie, where a Parsi father with 4 kids and a Parsi widow with 3 kids are struggling to raise their grown up kids. One of their common friendly couple acts as cupid and they after some cajoling manage to get them married.

Then starts all the fun. All the “Forced” siblings start to give hard time to each other which fills the movie with some very funny and sweet moments showing how deftly the “New” Parsi couple handles the entire situation. The movie goes on, with every character trying to solve the problems of his/her life.

The movie beautifully shows the importance of love and of family (which we all are far from these days  L ) when we run into some crisis. A lot of problems come their way, but they all stick together and help each other out.

The movie leaves your heart a little titillated and filled with a lot of warmth and sweetness and you start feeling like-“Life’s not so bad after all. Everything will turn out just fine.”  The most striking feature of this movie is its Simplicity.

So, guys if you really want to spend 2 hours of your life and this Sunday in a better way, I’ll highly recommend logging in YouTube and watching this pocket full of sweetness.  It will save you both time and money you were planning to spend on movies like Grand Masti (which are full of vulgarities and cliché’ sex jokes).

For me the thought –“Thoda hai , thode ki zarurat hai. Zindagi fir bi magar khoobsoorat hai.” –“We have a little, we need a little. But still life here is beautiful”, will remain with me all day and I’ll bask in its warmth.

If you decide to watch the movie, you might skip other songs, but do watch the above mentioned song. I bet you’ll be able to connect to each one of the characters. One more song stands out is—“ Tumse mila tha pyar kuch ache naseeb the. Hum un dino ameer the jab tum kareeb the.”-“I was lucky that I got your love, and I was rich when you were close to me”. Simply mesmerizing.

So watch this movie for some good time, beautiful songs, some really funny moments (The kid in movie is sweet and hilarious) , Hrithik Roshan’s dad and his uncle’s melodious music, very effortless acting by all and a pocket full of Hope.

~~Simplicity can be a nuance of Excellence~~

PS: If you like the post, do comment below in comments section. Also, let me know if you want me to write about anything in particular. You can like me and follow me on Google+ by clicking buttons just below my Pic on top left.

Cheers

Dj (Digvijay)

Being Virgin.. :P

I am a VIRGIN..! :D

For those of  you  who are anticipating the rest of the post about me talking about my sex life , I’m sorry to disappoint you that it’s not going to be the case ( although I know you all will love to read that).

I’m a Virgin as I was born in the Zodiac sign Virgo. Among all the characteristics of all being a Virgin, one that comes naturally to me is being critical (of being practically anything that comes across).

So when 10 months back, one of my friends asked me about my new year resolution , I said that I’ll try to write more ( which I was contemplating of doing from a  long time ). But then the next question was what to write about?

Analyzing (one more quality of Virgins ;)) , I thought that I love food, movies, books, places and a whole bunch of other  things. And after experiencing anything, I critically analyze what was good, what was bad in that?

So, when I kept thinking on these lines, it occurred to me that our life is full of variety, so why not my Blog be full of variety. Rather than focusing on one genre, why not write anything that manages to wow me, or to touch my heart or blow my mind away or mesmerize me.

So here I am with all of you with being MildlyCritical (although I’m accused of being HIGHLY CRITICAL bordering on the lines of a Psycho: P) with belief that we all have one life to live, why not experience the best we can.

So every week (I’ll try to write at least once), I’ll share with you how I felt about a book I read, or a restaurant I visited or a movie I watched, so that you can also share the experience which I had and also avoid if something doesn’t quite clicked.  

Also being a Virgin Blogger (My first time :D) , I’ll ask you to forgive me if I make any mistakes and  your views, thoughts, comments are welcome and will love to learn from you guys also.

In relentless pursuit of Excellence, I’m ending this post today.

Stay tuned for a review of a masterpiece I came across very recently.

Hope to stay in touch with you all. 

Cheers..!!

Dj (Digvijay)