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Author: ashokkarania

  • Loving Vincent – When Paintings Come To Life!

    Loving Vincent – When Paintings Come To Life!

    We can only speak by our paintings
    Vincent Van Gogh

    Loving Vincent brings alive the magic of Vincent van Gogh. The movie, made of oil paintings, is a visual delight. The film’s 65,000 frames are actual oil paintings on canvas – painted in Van Gogh style by more than 125 painters. What a thought! What an execution! What a result!

    The movie is a cinematic experience not to be missed! It’s like Van Gogh’s paintings and characters coming to life as you experience the story. The efforts and detail-oriented execution of 6 years of creative work bring rich results on screen. The director Dorota Kobiela had planned this as a short movie with crowd-sourced funding but the project gathered momentum and it has become a mammoth masterpiece. The film was made at a cost of USD 5.5 million – a fraction of Marvel and DC budgets! Dorota Kobiela deserves a rich applause for this magnificent and innovative work!

    Loving Vincent is the first fully painted animated feature film which revolves around the mystery of Vincent van Gogh’s death. Postman Joseph Roulin asks his son Armand to deliver Van Gogh’s last letter to his brother Theo, but both the sender and the recipient are dead. It’s almost one year since Van Gogh’s death and Armand tries to find out the real cause. There is no conclusive evidence. During his pursuit, the audience discover Van Gogh’s genius, his approach to life, his loneliness, his troubled childhood, his professional challenges, his relationship issues and other facets of his life.

    What impressed me the most was that he created his masterpieces and genius body of work within a decade. He had more than 2000 works of art in a decade – we do not need a lifetime to create works that are timeless!

    Watch Loving Vincent Trailer

    Watch The Making Of Loving Vincent – Painting Techniques

  • Celebrating Learning & Innovation – The Museum Of Failure

    Celebrating Learning & Innovation – The Museum Of Failure

    The winner takes it all! Winning at any cost seems to be the modern mantra – whether in business, politics or any other aspect of life.

    But what about failures? Failure is a learning process. Failure is an important part in our journey of evolution. Unless we fail, we do not learn the important lessons that are necessary for our growth – personal as well as professional.

    Once a famous Indian King had to make a choice between two able generals for an important war. One was a general who had never lost an war. He was the lucky general. The other one had won more wars but lost a few as well. The upcoming war was an important one and king chose the one with a mixed record. The second general would not take success for granted. He would be less arrogant and take the right steps for winning the war. And who knows the first one could run out of his luck – law of averages would catch-up! Wise choice.

    Today, the excessive focus on success has made failure a completely negative concept. Failure is not welcome. But failure is nothing to be shameful about. Every race has always one winner – so we should not consider the rest as failures.

    Failure is an equally important factor in the innovation journey. Hundreds of innovations became successful, but thousands and thousands failed before the successful ones!

    I recently came across an interesting Museum – the Museum of Failure. Hidden in a small town of Helsingborg in Sweden, it is a collection of all interesting innovation failures. It has a collection of failed products and services from the world – to drive home a single point – that business of innovation is risky proposition, but it is a learning process.

    Some of the famous items on display include:

    – Apple Newton

    – Harley Davidson Perfume

    – Google Glass

    – Nokia N-Gage

    – Kodak Digital Camera

    – Sony Betamax

    – Lego Fiber Optics

    – Ford Edsel

    – Donald Trump Board Game

    – Colgate Beef Lasagna

    – Coke Coffee Cola

     

    The important thing is to not get disappointed after failure or lose enthusiasm. We should avoid self-doubts as well. Failure tells us to start once again but with more intelligence and information. Hence failure is never final. It is a stepping stone towards success!

    Official Site of Museum of Failure

     

    Check A Quick YouTube Video:

     

  • The Mughal-E-Azam Musical: Timeless Love Story Creates Magic In Tinder Times

    The Mughal-E-Azam Musical: Timeless Love Story Creates Magic In Tinder Times

    Mughal-E-Azam is a landmark classic of Indian cinema. The movie was the costliest movie and broke all box office records to become the highest grossing Bollywood movie of all time. Its record was broken by Sholay. Its footfalls were higher than Baahubali and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun.

    K Asif’s Mughal-E-Azam is a milestone of Indian cinema. It has been reinvented and redesigned by Feroz Abbas Khan as a musical play. Set in the style of Broadway, this musical play accentuates the greatness of original Mughal-E-Azam.

    The play was launched in Mumbai and has travelled to Delhi. It was in Ahmedabad for four days and we grabbed the opportunity to see it.

    Mughal-E-Azam means grandeur. Feroz Abbas Khan gives Broadway treatment and royal grandness to the play. Each and every aspect of production is impeccable and majestic. The set design and the digital play is the highlight. The choreography is awesome. Manish Malhotra’s clothes and Naushad’s music steal your hearts.

    The live music and the singing by actors is terrific. Audience had multiple queries of it being recorded or lip-sync. The actors sang live to clear all doubts.

    Parda nahi jab koi khuda se, Parda nahi jab koi khuda se

    Bando se parda karna kya, Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya

    Wow!

    Mughal-E-Azam has a story is timeless and appeals to the broader audience. It is a story that brings out the secular nature of the nation. It has class conflict, love conflict and many other dimensions.

    Shapoorji Pallonji produced the K Asif version and they brought it back in theatrical form. This is also a classic in making.

    Big cheers to Feroz Abbas Khan. The magic of Feroz Abbas Khan is the grand visualization and courage to reinterpret India’s milestone movie. To contemporaries it for Instagram generation. A timeless love tale in Tinder times.

    Watch it!

    YouTube Glimpse:

     

    Special note for the Ahmedabad event organizer: It was one of the worst experiences. The basic promise was broken. The seating arrangement was not as promised. The cancellation of two lower categories and they placing them at the top of the ladder was a stupidest mistake. The show started one hour late, and police intervention was required to start the show. Total chaos. Many people came from other cities to watch it and the experience was shameful. Senior citizens had to stand for hours. We watched the 60% of the show standing inspite of my friends paying a bomb for the tickets.

     

  • Europe’s Spectacular Immersive Train Experience – Bergensbanen

    Europe’s Spectacular Immersive Train Experience – Bergensbanen

    Summary:

    – The Bergen – Oslo Train journey one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.
    – The 7-hour train ride offers breath-taking views of magnificent mountains, nice forests, lovely lakes, Fjords, cute countryside, villages, mountain houses and cabins.
    – The train ride can be done across seasons – every season rewards with nice and new views.
    – The railway is an engineering marvel with hundreds of tunnels, sheds and railway stations in one of the most difficult terrains.
    – Tunnels play hide and seek. Each tunnel rewards us with an exciting view as the train emerges out.
    – The Hallingskeid region is the Northern Europe’s largest mountain plateau and the scenery is awesome.
    – The highest point of the railway is reached in the tunnel at 4058 ft. above sea level. Finse is the highest railway station in Norway.
    – Scenes of the film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back were shot in Finse. The Star Wars Paratroopers are present in Finse Station.
    – The signs of civilization thinned as we climbed the ascent. Rivers and lakes got frozen in the snow-filled landscapes.
    – The shining sun added to the bliss of the train journey. One cannot write enough about the beautiful sights. One has to experience it! You will not regret it!

    The Bergensbanen Travelogue!

    The Bergensbanen is one the most famous and beautiful train journeys in the world. Is it real or another marketing hype? I got the opportunity to check it out this winter. I can conclude with experience that it indeed is a very scenic and mesmerizing train journey.

    The Bergensbanen (Bergen Railway) has 4 services daily between Bergen and Oslo station each way. My route was from Bergen to Oslo. The train was scheduled to depart at 11:59 am. As I reached the Bergen station at 11:25 am, I could see a few people already waiting to board the train. There were tourists, there were travellers and there were skiers with their equipment. Ski equipment is free to carry in Norway. I saw the train attendant move in with a LV bag and LV purse. The authorities opened the platform only at 11:35 am to board the train – neither too early nor too late. My ticket was in Coach 1 and my friend had been kind to book the ticket in advance. The right-hand side window ticket was booked for me – because it would offer the best views. You can never go wrong with local advice. The NSB Comfort class gives you free Wi-Fi, free unlimited coffee, newspaper and more leg room. Not a bad bargain for additional 10 Euros. The train takes about 7 hours and it is less than half the price of a flight ticket. But the views and the experience are priceless! The train travel is environment friendly and very relaxing as well.

    The train departed the Bergen station exactly at 11:59 am. Within two minutes, there was a long tunnel. It took us to Arna. After that, the network of tunnels continued. In between each tunnel, I would get a glimpse of a magnificent view, but it would pass soon. Each tunnel would bring an anticipation of a new view as the train would emerge out from the dark. The initial hour was a game of hide and seek with tunnels and views. The game was fun! Since there are more tunnels than views, it is best to finish the lunch in this initial one hour. The fellow travellers did the same – they started eating as soon as the train started. Experience matters!

    The next stop after Arna was Vaksdal and Dale. I saw lot of snow covered mountains and valleys as we reached Dale. The houses and cars were fully laden with snow – it must have snowed heavily in the night. The next stop was Voss. It is a skiing metropolis and was bubbling with activity. One of the oldest hotels in Norway was located by the train station – Fleischer’s Hotel. It was built in 1889 in pure Swiss luxury style and offered a great architectural view today.

    The ascent of the train started from Bergen to Voss and continued as we reached Myrdal. The views were now becoming breath-taking. Luck was on our side. It was perfect sunny day. The powder white snow laden landscape was shining bright. The pure whiteness offered a beauty of its own. The magnificent mountains, nice forests, frozen lakes, romantic cabins and bright sunshine ensured the most magical views. It was sheer bliss. It was La La Land. It was nature at its best. Nature is beautiful. Nature is magnificent. Nature is charming. Nature is refreshing. Nature is energizing. Then why do we spend time in our mobile screens and closed cubicles creating narrow mindsets and narcissist culture?

    The snow and powder white cover was making the entire journey beautiful. The snow was looking beautiful in all its versatility and its different hosts – on black mountains, on green trees, on leafless trees, on cars, on house roofs, on roads etc. And the blessing of a shining sun enriched it. Sports lovers were enjoying it. I was enjoying these views. I had taken the beautiful train ride in Switzerland and have explore a similar landscape of mountains, rivers, forest, cabins etc. The Swiss experience was green experience and it had its beauty – it’s still green in my memory. But this Bergensbanen experience was snow white and it gave me a new happiness. I am glad I did this train ride in winter to get these views. Actually, the ride through the high mountains and valleys would be equally beautiful in summer, autumn and spring as well. Nature is beautiful in all its different seasons.

    As the altitudes rose, the temperatures started dipping. The train reached Hallingskeid. The region is the Northern Europe’s largest mountain plateau and the scenery was awesome. We stepped out at the station and enjoyed the fresh air and nice views. The train’s ascent continued, and we reached Finse after crossing the longest tunnel in the Bergen Railway. The highest point of the railway is reached in the tunnel at 4058 ft. above sea level. Finse is the highest railway station in Norway. As we reached the station, we saw the Star Wars paratrooper gang. A few scenes of the film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back were shot in the area. We took photos with the Star Wars team and moved on.

    The Bergen train line is an achievement of engineering and was a major breakthrough of its time. It was built between 1875 and 1909. It had to clear political and financial challenges. The 308-mile train track has 182 tunnels and was built on one of the most difficult terrains. Today it is a pure joy to travel on this iconic train journey. The journey was filled with tunnels, but each tunnel would reward us with a beautiful view. The train tracks were protected with concrete and wooden sheds to prevent the snow from blocking the tracks. The sheds were beautifully done to act as galleries as well.

    The beautiful views continued as train crossed Haugastol and Ustaoset. I could see lot of tourist and skiers on the ground. I could also see many cabins and houses – many of them deep in snow. They seemed very difficult to access and I was wondering how would they reach these houses. Often it would be through snow scooters or ski only. The wealthy had their choppers. But choppers did not have Wi-Fi – so drop them!

    The train reached Geilo after crossing more beautiful views of mountains, fjords, rivers, valleys and villages. After Geilo, the train started its descent into beautiful plains and the views were equally beautiful. There were more forests, rivers and lakes – all beautified with snow.

    The train’s descent continued, and we crossed Fla. It was getting dark and the sun was no longer visible. But the white snow was everywhere. The views were straight from Frozen or similar Disney movies – cold, white, dense, dark. There were huge lakes that were completely frozen. The forests were getting denser. There was no sign of humanity. Often, we could across a colony of beautiful houses. Its illumination would make it look like an oasis.

    As the train continued to travel beyond Fla and move towards Oslo via Hokksund and Drammen, signs of civilization started to emerge. The darkness was complete, but snow was omnipresent. During the last 45 minutes, we could see factories, houses, vehicles etc. The train finally reached Oslo after exiting one final tunnel in the city. The train reached exactly at 7:03 pm. Thus, ended one of the most relaxing, peaceful, refreshing and memorable train journey. Happiness!

    Related Link
    Bergen to Oslo – Complete Minute by Minute Journey

    Bergen Railway – 10 Minute Video Summary

  • Solo Travellers Interview: Bergensbanen, Petra & Solo Travelling Tips

    Solo Travellers Interview: Bergensbanen, Petra & Solo Travelling Tips

    Solo Travellers Group had given me an opportunity to talk about my solo travels in the India meetup in Ahmedabad. Going beyond that, they had a quick interview with me and it has been published on the Solo Traveller Site.

    Check the interview here:

    I am also taking the liberty to share the same here on my personal site.

    One Of The Most Spectacular Train Journey In Europe : Begen-Oslo, Norway | Dr. Ashok Karania

    A gypsy at heart, a travelling evangelist and a trip planner for his friends and family, meet Dr. Ashok Karania who recently gave a TEDx Talk where he spoke about the joys of traveling alone and how it is an enriching and life-changing learning experience: ‘Soul Fuel – Why Solivgant Travel Matters.’

    1. Tell us something about yourself and your background

    I am an energetic soul which is passionate about Business, Technology, Bollywood, Travel, Language and Social Enterprise.

    I work with a silicon valley company Infostretch where I help organizations from the Fortune 500 to startups to achieve their digital vision and accelerate innovation. During the course of last nine years, I have held multiple roles and driven several initiatives. I am also associated with social enterprises and industry-academic initiatives.

    I am a Bombay boy who has lived in Pune, Ahmedabad and London. I graduated from Narsee Monjee College and completed my MBA from S P Jain Institute of Management & Research. I hold a PhD degree from the University of Mumbai.

    2. How many countries and Indian states have you travelled?

    I have visited about 50 countries in 4 continents. I have visited more than half of Indian states (15) with a heavy travel history in 4-5 states.

    3. Any interesting travel moment or incidence

    The Bergensbanen is one the most famous and beautiful train journeys in the world. I wanted to know whether it was really beautiful or another marketing hype? I got the opportunity to check it out this winter. And I can conclude that it was indeed a very scenic and mesmerizing train journey.

    The Bergen – Oslo Train ride offers breath-taking views of magnificent mountains, nice forests, lovely lakes, Fjords, cute countryside, villages, mountain houses and cabins. The railway is an engineering marvel with hundreds of tunnels, sheds and railway stations in one of the most difficult terrains.

    I had taken a similar beautiful train ride in Switzerland and had explored a similar landscape of mountains, rivers, forest, cabins etc. The Swiss experience was green experience and it had its beauty – it’s still green in my memory. But this Bergensbanen experience was snow white and it gave me a new happiness. I am glad I did this train ride in the winter season.

    The luck was also on our side. It was perfect sunny day. The powder white snow laden landscape was shining bright. The pure whiteness offered a beauty of its own. It was sheer bliss. It was La La Land. It was nature at its best. Nature is beautiful. Nature is magnificent. Nature is charming. Nature is refreshing. Nature is energizing.

    The tunnels played hide and seek. Each tunnel would reward with an exciting view as the train emerged out. The entire 7 hour train ride was a pleasure of its own kind. It was a soothing, peaceful and a very memorable ride.

    4. Most popular places to visit

    I have experienced magical moments at the most unlikely of places. During my travels, I have seen local unexplored gems and seen the popular places from a local’s eye. Some of the memorable experience includes: Auschwitz in Poland, Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Kanha National Park in India, Yosemite in USA, Jaisalmer in India

    One of the recent memorable experience was Petra @ Night. Petra is the most amazing World Heritage site and truly a wonder of the world. During the night, the whole path of Petra’s few kilometre Canyon walk to Treasury was lit with oil lamps. The thousand candles lit Treasury was a sight to watch. We sat and enjoyed the beautiful Treasury while listening to the traditional local music and sipping the Bedouin tea. And the moon-star lit sky made the Petra night even more magical.

    Indian temple towns give me lot of peace and Shankheshwar is one of my favorite places.

    5. Tell us about your fears and anxieties when traversing solo. How you keep them at bay?

    When I started solo traveling, there were lot of fears and anxieties – mostly useless. But with each solo trip, these subsided.

    The fear or anxieties were common – how will I manage alone? Will I get bored? Can I trust people? What if I get robbed? What if I get mobbed? What if I am left at an unknown place? What if I die and no one knows where I am? Will I get bored? Will I get the right food?

    The best remedy for these fears is action. Just travel and take the fear out. And that is what I did. With each trip, my fears and anxieties subsided.

    While traveling to a distant land, keep the fears at bay by planning well and starting safe. Start with reputed hotels and central areas in unknown cities. Keep family and friends informed about the whereabouts. Initially, travel in free walking tours to get a feel of the city and people. Once you gain confidence, you can start being adventurous. The world is a beautiful place. It is much nicer and safer than we think.

    6. What’s your favourite travel quote?

    My own quote is: A new you is the best travel souvenir

    Amongst the quote of other people, I like this one from Pico Iyer:
    We Travel, Initially, To Lose Ourselves
    We Travel, Next To Find Ourselves

    7. Any travel tips for the readers?

    – Take a solo trip, if you have not already done one! If you have certain destinations on mind, great. Else, open up the map of the world and decide based on your interest, budget etc. One can also visit different travel blogs and websites and make a choice.
    – Start small: Start traveling solo within known places and cities. Explore a town or a city near you. Explore a state where you have friends and relatives – so there is backup. Or when you are traveling in a group, keep aside 1-2 for solo travel. Then slowly you can move to larger and bigger solo trips.
    – Plan the travel well in advance. Gather as much information as possible about the destination. Apart from usual sites, read personal blogs and travelogues of people – often they contain gem of ideas and advice.
    – Be Adventurous – Try new places, new countries and new experiences. Do not stick to the usual tourist spots.
    – Let your friends and families know about your whereabouts. Use technology to update friends and families. Use social media for leaving a digital trail.
    – Food – Experience local food as it is an important part of the culture. What is the fun of traveling to Italy and not having local pasta, pizza or gelato? What is the fun of traveling to Poland and not visiting the milk bars? Also, when one is traveling alone, it does not make sense to carry lot of good items. Keep some energy bars and dry fruits and chocolates for backup situation.
    – Less Is More – Pack only the bare necessities.
    – Accomodation – Try local hostels or traditional hotels. Holiday Inn and Aloft would be same across the world. One can even try local homestay.
    – Be A Responsible Traveler – Do not harm the beauty of the local place. Do not waste local resources and water. Avoid creating a lot of waste and keep the places clean. Be an environmentally friendly traveller.
    – Never make a trip without a smile and a toothbrush.

    8. Where are you off to next?

    The next solo trips are planned in Central Asia and Vietnam.

    9. The Social Connect:

    Blog/Vlog: www.ashokkarania.com
    Facebook: ashok.karania
    Twitter: ashokkarania.
    Instagram: ashokkarania
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashokkarania
    Pinterest: ashokkarania

    Courtesy: www.solotravellersmeetup.com

  • The End: Bombay’s Iconic Strand Book Stall Closes Down

    The End: Bombay’s Iconic Strand Book Stall Closes Down

    Strand Book Stall closes down. A heart-breaking news for every book lover.

    Hundreds of memories are associated with Strand Book Stall.

    As a student, I used to collect pocket money and save it for books. Strand offered a vast collection and great prices – so I could get more for my hard-saved money. I would sacrifice many things to collect more money for book. Though it started with stretching my money, what eventually won me was the great collection, personal touch and warm service. I met Mr Shanbagh many times and he would take so much interest in kids like us.

    My trips from Goregaon to Churchgate for buying books at Strand would be happy events in my annual calendar. I could only afford 2-3 trips in a year, but whenever I could make more trips, it would be a bliss. The annual Strand sale was awaited with much eagerness and it would be held at large Sunderbhai hall. I would carry so many bags and my fingers would have mark of the weight. I have been scolded the most for buying and collecting so many books. Even today my Bombay home is full of books. I always have been guilty of diverting my clothing and food funds to books.

    Mr Shanbagh and Strand really wanted everyone to love books and they did everything to spread that love. The prices at Strand were rock bottom. Not only Mr Shanbagh but his entire team shared the same love. I have clear memories of Mr Giridhar – he would reserve books for me and often call me when our demanded books arrived. We spent hours in the book store and they did not mind it.

    Strand offered us a standard 20% discount. It used to import books and was the preferred place for every true book lover. Since it humble openings in Strand Cinema to the Fort store, it has gained nothing but love and trust.

    70 years after its opening, it will finally close on Feb 28, 2018. A sad day for every book lover. The sadness is there. It was not a book store, it was a friendly place where others who shared books for love came together. I would like to thank Mr Shanbagh and his family for spreading the love for books. The books are important part of my life and Strand was an important part of my life.

  • The Best Of Bollywood – 2017

    The Best Of Bollywood – 2017

    2017 was the year when authentic films with rich content and honest story-telling won the audience approval. The big movies failed and the niche cinema succeeded! Nepotism debate rocked Bollywood while MeToo rocked Hollywood!

    Bollywood did not give the best movie of Indian cinema (Angamaly Diaries) nor did it give the biggest movie (Baahubali2). But it did give continuity to the rise of sensible and intelligent movies. 2017 proved that there is no middle ground – either you have big tentpole cinema (Tiger Zinda Hai) or a smart witty indie (Hindi Medium).

    The star of the year was Rajkumar Rao with Newton, Trapped, Bareilly Ki Barfi – he joins the legion of Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in creating a trinity of strong performance driven acting institutions! Irrfan is magical but Nawaz and Rajkumar Rao are catching up!

    Which movies did I find interesting in 2017? Here is my list:

    1. A Death In The Gunj: A disturbing melancholic film about a shy introvert young man set in a small hilly town of the 70s. A rich ensemble cast, beautiful script, haunting background score and an impeccable direction by Konkona Sen Sharma. The films grows on you! A masterpiece, a beautiful painting – a must watch movie!

    2. Jagga Jasoos: Jagga Jasoos is a brave attempt and poetry at work. Ranbir and Anurag Basu have created magic on the screen with beautiful writing, editing, songs and visuals. Pity it did not get the audience!

    3. Mukti Bhawan: An amazing film about death, life and father-son relationship set in Varanasi raises many interesting questions.

    4. Newton: Rajkumar Rao shines as a honest stubborn government official assigned to election duty in remote naxal-infected Chattisgarh forest. Watch-out of the beautiful screenplay, cinematography and strong cast including the brilliant Anjali Patil.

    5. Bareilly Ki Barfi: The high-energy colorful comedy is a beautiful celebration of small town India. Kriti Sanon is on a song as a ciggarette smoking flamboyant tom-boy.  Rajkumar Rao, Ayushmann, Seema Pahwa and Pankaj Tripathi strengthen the rock-solid script with amazing performances in a beautifully directed and detailed movie.

    6. Lipstick Under My Burkha: Alankrita Shrivastava portrays the lives, desires, fantasies and personal struggles of four ordinary women in small town India and drives a larger message about empowerment in Indian patriarchial society. Extremely strong performances by all women protagonists make it real and relatable. Ratna Pathak Shah is a gem!

    7. Anarkali Of Aarah: Swara Bhaskar delivers an extraordinary power-packed performance and raises the flag of consent for the women on the margins of society. Highly engaging and colorful movie with strong dialogues and observant direction.

    8. Secret Superstar: Advait Chandan’s drama speaks two stories – a young girl who pursues her dream of becoming a singing sensation and a wife in a domestic abusive relationship.

    9. Tumhari Sulu: A warm slice-of-life movie that touches one’s heart. A relationship drama that explores the lives of the family when the ambitious house wife gets a job as a late night chatshow RJ. An effortless impeccable performance by Vidaya Balan but Manav Kaul is a revealation.

    10. Haraamkhor: What happens when a married teacher gets romantically involved with his young student? Nawaz and Shweta Tripathi shine in this controversial movie.

    Worthy Mentions:

    1. Hindi Medium: Impeccable Irrfan Khan shines in a slice-of-life film about our educational system and class divide caused by English language.

    2. Trapped: A survival thriller about a man who gets locked in a high-rise apartment in Bombay and his attempts to escape the same. Rajkumar Rao shines in this Vikramaditya Motwane directed movie.

    3. Raees: The ruthelss smart boot-legger SRK meets a tough cop Nawazuddin in this Gujarat Gangster movie.

    4. Shubh Mangal Savdhaan: Right from the title to dialogues to song lyrics, sharp wit is evident in this vibrant movie. Great acting by everyone  including Ayushmann who completes his image makeover from Vicky Aryan Donor to men’s problem guy – just breaking the macho image of the hero!

    5. Kadvi Hawa

    6. Ribbon

     

    Big Misses:

    1. Salman’s Tubelight

    2. Amitabh’s Sarkar 3

    3. SRK’s Jab Harry Met Sejal

    4. Ranbir’s Jagga Jasoos

    5. Shahid – Kangana – Saif’s Rangoon

     

    Baahubali 2 was the must watch Indian Extravaganza! After ages traffic jams, black tickets, huge intervals and movie-driven national conversations were back! Padmavati was discussed across the nation for all the wrong reasons!

    Which one was your favorite?

    Related Posts:

    The Best Of Bollywood – 2016

    The Best Of Bollywood – 2015

    The Best Of Bollywood – 2014

    The Best Of Bollywood – 2013

    The Best Of Bollywood – 2012

     

  • Depression – Rising India’s Big Challenge

    Depression – Rising India’s Big Challenge

    Pre-Christmas Eve was a special evening!  A discussion on ‘Perspectives on Mental Health’ was organized at Project Otenga, Ahmedabad. This event was organized under the aegis of ‘Against Depression’, a clinical depression awareness project initiated by  Udit Thakre, a psychology student. Dr Nimrat Singh, a leading clinical psychologist, was our shepherd as she shared her rich experiences and knowledge of the subject. It was heartening to see a lot of young people – as they are the future shapers.

    As the conversation proceeded, the group increasingly veered towards talking about depression. India is the depression and suicide capital of the world. According to NIMHANS, one in twenty Indians suffers from depression.  Depression issue in India is aggravated by the social and cultural factors. Most Indian families are reluctant to acknowledge the occurrence of mental illness in and around them. They are embarrassed and dismissive of the issue. This causes avoidance in taking the right steps to address mental health issues. On an average, it takes 10 years to diagnose cases of depression in India – which is much higher than the global average.

    The session addressed many myths of about depression – such as:

    – Once you get depression, you are gone for life. You cannot ever live a normal life.

    – Women are more prone to depression than men.

    – Weak people develop depression

    – Introverts are more prone to depression than extrovert people.

    The fact is that depression can strike anyone – irrespective of age, health, life-stage. Depression can be caused by a lot of things. It can be even triggered by weather, food or erratic lifestyle. Anger, when not channelized correctly,  translates into depression. Often, we are dominated and driven by media designed view of life – creating lot of self-worth issues.

    Our eyes will see what our mind knows. Prevention and management of depression depends heavily of self-awareness, awareness about an individual’s rights and awareness about a person’s environment and how it is affecting him/her. The intensity of depression is directly related to dialogue. If you have dialogue with family and friends, maintain good relationships, exercise regularly and have a regulated lifestyle, you can avoid depressions. Maintaining a diary, regular family life and open dialogue help in channelizing feelings and emotions. In the words of Dr. Nimrat Singh “ It is better to be a pressure cooker which release steam regularly rather than being a volcano.”

    The good news is that mental health issues, especially depression, can be cured. And people can lead a completely normal lives after treatment. The key is to create awareness and being there for people suffering from mental health issues.
    Please find the links to the following documents – shared by ‘Against Depression’:

    1. A continuously updated list of mental health professionals (psychologists and psychiatrists) in Ahmedabad

    2. A manual on depression published by the World Health Organization. 

    If you are interested in helping or being a part of ‘Against Depression’, please contact Udit Thakre at udit.thakre@gmail.com.

    Let us work together on solving one of the biggest challenges of a rising India!

     

     Participants with Dr Nimrat Singh & Udit Thakre 

     

    Cover Photo Credit: Jad Limcaco on Unsplash

  • RIP Hitendra Vasudev

    RIP Hitendra Vasudev

    Hitendra Vasudev. A wonderful soul. Always helpful. Always ensuring that everyone is comfortable. Always making everyone happy. A good human being. Irony of life is that such beautiful persons are often snatched by destiny.

    Gujaratilexicon Team woke up to devastating news on Christmas morning that Hitendra Vasudev had left for his heavenly abode. Hitendra has been Gujaratilexicon since 2008. I remember my first interaction with him in 2008 – He was a young and a soft-spoken person. He was eager to make a difference. Over the years, he learnt new things and rose up the ranks. His contribution has been evident in the journey of GL and all its work.

    Hitendra’s hallmark was his ownership. He never said NO to any work. He took initiative in several areas – ensuring office administration tasks, banking work, property movement, GL events, supporting HR activities etc. He learnt computer and Gujarati typing and then contributed to GL mainstream projects.

    He managed his family responsibilities with equal commitment and wanted to give the best to his young daughter. I am really pained that how the world has changed for such a young girl. God needs to take care of her and become her angel – without father, world is no longer the same. Who will take care of her wishes and dreams? Life can be cruel indeed.

    Hitendra has been a part of our family support system and ecosystem as well. He was a regular visitor and part of our lives. Family is equally shocked.

    We and Gujaratilexicon family pay our homage and tribute to Hitendra and his contribution to GL movement, our work and our lives. RIP Hitendra. Om Shanti.

  • Tumhari Sulu: Expressing The Unheard Voice

    Tumhari Sulu: Expressing The Unheard Voice

    Tumhari Sulu is a warm slice-of-life movie that touches one’s heart. It once proves that strong content can triumph over XLS Template driven movies. Substance is more important than style. Art of cinema can be bigger than business of cinema.

    No doubt Tumhari Sulu has a few flaws, but it has its heart in the right place.

    Tumhari Sulu is a movie showcasing the victory of the suppressed voice. The triump of hunger to succeed and positive attitude – ‘Main Kar Sakti Hai’ being the slogan of the protagonist. But more importantly, it is a story of a family wanting to live a normal life, move ahead in life and their trials and tribulations. It is the story of any family and every family.

    The movie begs us to answer a basic question: Is there a person behind the tag of a housewife? Or is she just a free maid who takes care of husband and childrens’ needs? Does she have talents that have been sacrificed for the success of children and husband? Can she win respect and success in the competitive world?

    Sulu aka Sulochana is a middle class housewife living in distant Mumbai suburb of Virar. She has a very supportive husband Ashok who works in a family firm of uniform manufacturers and a school going son Pranav. Her sisters and father form the extended family. She has no friends that we see. She has pretty ordinary circumstances.

    Amidst all this, Sulu aspires to do something. She poses with the handbag in the mirror or looks at Air Hostess neighbours with aspiration – beautiful small nuances. She wants to have her own career – in form of a job or business. She wants to try her hand at almost everything. She participates in the school lemon and spoon races, Radio Contests, society competitions etc. She has won lot of prizes and she is proud that she even won Antakshari contest while waiting for an audition.

    The film stops of making her a funny caricature though her sisters never stop of ridiculing her. Things take a turn when Sulu decides to turn a radio jockey. The ‘never say die’ spirit of Sulu helps her land the job of a late night chat show host but she slowly starts owning the show and leaves her distinct impression. She successfully manages to avoid her producer’s cues for the show and that saves the show from becoming a cheap stereotype program. She has smart retorts for loaded questions and situations. Her the film fails as there are only two calls – this aspect could have been explored further and given us more insights into her transformation.

    As she turns successful in her show and starts enyoying the success, her husband and son face challenges in their lives – another stereotype situation. Husband is humiliated in the family firm. His loyalty of 12 years is discounted as the family scion takes over the reins of the business. He has to manage household errands, work late in the office, give up his cabin, suffer ridicule for a cancelled order that was never his account etc. He faces loss of respect and he is hurt. The frustration is against the contrasting success of his better-half. The movie tries to avoid the trap of Abhimaan/English Vinglish stereotype. He is not jealous. He is supportive and appreciative husband. But there are issues as he fights his own reactions and society fuelled reactions to his wife. Sulu’s show gets bad spin-off in terms of the cheap SMS and forward factories. Her husband gets affected by this and tensions seem to develop. He is torn apart between his own hurt, his own frustrations and also managing to support his wife’s dreams without affecting her dignity. He has been a good husband – who does not mind massaging her wife’s legs after a long day for her. So he is modern and treats wife as equal in their beautifully agreed and adjusted world of Mrs & Mr Sulu. Do notice the song – Rafu – what a word. They have a fight and they patch-up – like a Rafu in our clothes. Impeccable!

    The so-called elder sisters of Sulu having nice banking jobs cannot digest the success of the younger sister in a modern setting. They ridicule her for taking up a cheap and bad job. They again direct comments at her husband for allowing Sulu to take up such a degrading job. Very ironic as usually in-laws are villains – but here her own sisters are villains. Not surprising as real life has shown that sisters can be jealous of sisters and play politics within families. Great portrayal of reality.

    At the same time, the son is facing bullying at school and shows how modern parenting can be a great challenge. And the temporary lapse of judgement by the son is conveniently directed to mother’s aspirations. The good husband also claims to take care of the future of son alone. A weak departure in the script.

    However, the movie belongs to Sulu and her interaction with all the characters around her. This is a national award winning stuff. Sulu makes you laugh. Sulu makes you cry. Sulu makes you to feel for her. This is a performance of lifetime from Vidya Balan. She was a RJ in Munnabhai and she is a RJ in Tumhari Sulu – what a transformation between those two movies.

    Take the scene at the end where is goes to her boss and apologizes for resigning from the job. On one side of the frame is the modern, corporate, intelligent suave, successful, stylish, sexy boss Neha Dhupia. On the other side of the frame is not so intelligent, domestic, loud-mouth, dumbish Vidya Balan. The sincerity of the apology makes it one of the finest scenes in the recent times – she mentions how she never had allowed the lemon to fall from the spoon in her life, how she liked the perfume her boss was wearing on the first day, how she believed that she could do anything. That scene moves you and you want to hug her and do anything for her and make her successful – because if she does not win, we all lose!

    Performances from everyone including Neha Dhupia as Maria, Manav Kaul as Ashok, Maurya as producer and all others are good. The sisters are perfect! A victory for casting. The songs are perfect – whether it is Hawa Hawai or Rafu – all take the story forward effortlessly and convey what the words cannot – another victory in this department as well for the movie.

    Finally, the movie belongs to the director. He has created a masterpiece of human relations. He has created a voice for the silent majority of housewives – who are the catalyst and anchor of every successful family.

    Tumhari Sulu is not a perfect movie. It could have been better. But it is a nice movie. Go watch it!