Scribbles

Crime-Thriller movies have the ability to pull your attention in a way that no other genre can manage. Hollywood has mastered the making of these movies. The Ocean series, the bank job, the Italian job, Now you see me, Usual Suspects, Ordinary Decent Criminal, Entrapped, Die hard or Lethal weapon series - these and many more successful movies are testament to that fact. Hindi cinema, however, has fallen woefully short in providing adequate competition in this area. Barring a few refreshing features like Johny Gaddar, No one killed Jessica and Kahani; the crime-thriller movies are reduced to nothing but a poor remake of a foreign films. Ghanchakkar has surprised me unexpectedly. Firstly, because I can't place it as a remake of any Hollywood film. So, it appears as an original work. Secondly, all actors have underplayed their roles and the highlight of the film is it's storyline. Even with flamboyant star cast of Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan, every character in the film is pr

Reading is a passion and a cultivated art. And, like any other craft, it demands lots of practice and persistence. I picked up this hobby probably from my “ Baba ” (paternal grandfather) while growing up. I remember he used to devour newspapers and novels. He was well versed with Hindi and Gujarati and possessed decent grasp of English. So, he read in all three. I remember reading a few of his novels back in my summer vacation as well. Thus began my affair with the written word. Coming from a Gujarati medium school of Ahmedabad, we were never encouraged to indulge extra-curricular reading and besides there was such an enormous pressure to read and re-read and again re-read the syllabus that only thing I read other than my school books were a few articles daily from the 'Gujarat Samachar'. During the college years, though, I was at liberty to explore books beyond prescribed course and exam syllabus. Not surprisingly, my favorite subject in college of English even thoug

Have you ever thought of killing someone? For the sake of all that is dear to you, I hope, you haven’t. But I am sure you have fantasized about the apocalypse or the end of the world. Many scientists and global surveys claim that most people on earth have some time or other visualized of their survival on the Judgement day. It is peculiarly curious that our senses will endure thoughts of a holocaust while struggling at a notion of jeopardizing our own survival. Some may call it as ‘hope’ while others may call it as ‘survival instincts’. No matter what it is called, but for certain this natural feeling is the most crucial contributor to the continuous growth of human civilization. This is 2013 and last year we survived yet another prediction of the ‘day of reckoning’. According to the ‘Mayan calendar’, 21 st December 2012 was supposed to be the end of the world. Hollywood even presented a movie depicting the same fate for our beloved earth. The story projected t

Gandhi: It is a question of principle. I am not immortal. I have to die one day. If my blood is going to cool down their anger, if it is going to stop riots and arson, if it is going to satisfy them that they have penalized a criminal named Mohandas Gandhi. Then, I am prepared to give them my blood. Gandhi: I don't differentiate between Ram and Rahim or Krishna or Karim. I am not overwhelmed about the fact that I am a Hindu and I don't repent because I was not born a Muslim. I am I. And I am honest to my principles and to the truth. DCP Arjundas, You want me to discontinue the prayers for a few days... but I say, even today, if the killer is waiting outside for me. I am prepared to welcome him with folded hands. He can kill Gandhi, not Gandhism.  These words are taken from Pradeep Dalvi's controversial play "Mi Nathuram Godse Boltoy". Even in a play justifying execution of Gandhi, he is portrayed as fearless and rigid to his principle as we can ev