Tag Archives: Anne Sullivan

Tanu Weds Manu Returns

Image May 26, 2015 jcisnowjs Leave a comment

“Kangana tera swagger Lakh ka re”….. Looks like it’s that time when Bollywood heroines have decided to not only play strong female lead roles but also turn them into blockbusters; be it Anushka’s ‘NH10’, or ‘Piku’ from Deepika, and now the masterpiece by Kangana in ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns‘.

Big cheers for the girls!!!!

Tanu Weds Manu Returns, is a comedy drama sequel of 2011’s ‘Tanu Weds Manu’, directed by Anand L. Rai. He has earlier directed the first film too along with highly appreciated ‘Raanjhanaa’. This one is also one of his best work.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns (TWMR), stars Kangana and Madhavan in lead roles. Other characters who have continued their roles from the original, are, Jimmy Shergill as Raja Awasthi, Pappi Ji played by Deepak Dobriyal, and, Payal played by Swara Bhaskar. New characters introduced in the sequel includes Zeeshan Ayub as chintu, and Rajesh Sharma as Datto’s brother.

Kangana has played two roles in this movie, one is of Tanuja(Tanu) Trivedi, a feisty Kanpur girl who is appropriately called batman by neighborhood, now married to a soft-spoken doctor from London.

Another role is of Datto (Kusum), who is an equally fiery girl from Jhajjar, Haryana; an athlete with a typical haryanvi accent and determination to do something to be proud of.

Story starts where most of the Bollywood stories ends, that is, marriage. It’s been 4 years since Tanu and Manu get married to each other and now living their boring life in London. It becomes so hard for Tanu to deal with her monotonous life that she decides to leave her husband in a mental asylum and come back to Kanpur, her hometown. Divorce proceedings starts and so start Tanu’s involvement with her ex lovers from rickshaw puller deepak to Raja Awasthi.

While Tanu is busy meeting his exes, Manu meets second Tanu – Datto. A haryanvi athlete who looks like Tanu, except for her big teeth, short hair and full on jhajjar personality. With Datto around, Manu started reliving his days when he had fallen in love with Tanu, only to realize that he actually loves Datto and wants to marry her. What happens next? Well, watch the movie, believe me you will not get disappointed.

What makes this film stand out is its perfect star cast. Everyone fits so perfectly in every role that you can not imagine anyone else. Everyone has acted so beautifully that you can not think of them outside their characters, ever. Specially Pappi Ji. Deepak Dobriyal has made Pappi ji a legend with his baraati dance and apt one liners. He is the perfect side kick. Kudos to that person who have written Pappi’s dialogues. He was the most funny and lovable character of the movie.

Same goes for Chintu, who was a new entry in TWMR. One of the best dialogue of the film comes from his mouth, when he tell Jimmy that he is a shoulder for girls to cry on and later be used. Jimmy Shergill has always proved his mantle in every film of his, here however he didn’t have much to do. But, he always look stylish and handsome to me. Swara bhaskar has also done justice with her role. I really liked the scene where she mimics Datto. All these theater artists, they are like a boon to Indian cinema.

Madhavan is madhavan, a gold hearted, good-looking, simple, plain, and soft-spoken common man, who wants to live a simple life. He has portrayed this character with such an ease that it looks like piece of cake. He is astonishing in his dialogue delivery and more so when he is expressing himself without saying anything.

Coming to the soul of this movie – Kangana. Just to give you an idea of what kind of performer she is, someone in the hall asked quietly to his neighbor, these two are the same girls? Same heroine?, referring to Tanu and Datto. She has played two totally different characters so distinctively that you forgot that she is the same person. They are totally different. From the walk to talk. Just to be more filmy, both have a different swagger. Kangana is a marvelous actress. She is talented, beautiful and a risk taker. She is what we need, and Indian film industry should respect this talent.

It’s not like that this film has no flaws. Most annoying was the introductory scene from mental asylum. Seriously, how can that be possible? Film’s climax is also a bit cringe worthy. It has more to do with our society which treat marriages as ‘7 janam ka rishtaa’, forever kind of things. It looked like in the end, filmmakers did not want to take the risk.

But, beauty of this movie is that you will forget about all these small glitches in the mayhem of natural performances, fast paced storyline and apt dialogues. One of my best scene from the movie was when Tanu disrespect Datto for her looks and small town mannerism; and Datto replies back with pride telling her that she is a state level athlete who is taken admission on her merit basis and she is a self-made girl and proud of it.

Overall, watch this movie because it’s very rare that you will see effortless beauty of every actor synchronized together in a single movie. Watch it for its actors. Watch it for Kangana.

You are The Queen Kangana(jcisnowjs.wordpress.com)

Life

Killing ‘Nirbhaya’ Once Again

Image March 6, 2015 jcisnowjs Leave a comment

A feeble attempt by the Indian government to save tourism in India or just to prove that no matter who rules the government, its mindset is always the same – and that is to ban everything which raises questions.

By putting ban on ‘India’s Daughter‘ documentary which was based on the December, 2012 brutal rape of a medical student; Indian Government has once again raped and killed so many ‘Nirbhayas’, all over again. This government has snatched their right of freedom by muting their voice.

‘India’s Daughter’ is a documentary directed by ‘Leslee Udwin‘ for BBC. Film was based on the most historic and revolting incident happened in India in recent times – Rape of a girl.

Study suggests that every 20 minutes one rape takes place in India, then what was different about this rape.

Their was no difference. None. It was just a Rape. Just a Rape. Nothing new. Nothing new in India. Just another day. Just another girl.

A young girl who wanted to be a doctor, ‘Jyoti Singh‘, my namesake, who was returning around 8-9 pm with her friend, after watching a movie; took a bus; where 6 men (I don’t know whether to call them men, or monsters; will just call them rapists), rapists, raped her, beat her almost to death, and then throw her out of a moving bus along with her friend, to die in cold December night on Delhi‘s streets.

It was so brutal that her whole intestines were out of her body. She has bite marks all over her. She was beaten with iron rods and was gang raped with rapists taking turns in mutilating her.

It was then in 2012, when whole India cried and revolted for this brave girl; who despite of her trauma and serious medical conditions, detailed her ordeal to police to help them catch the culprits. She wanted justice and was served some partial judgment too, when court ordered death for 5 rapists, excluding one juvenile. She died. Her rapists are still alive and gloating.

What this documentary ‘India’s Daughter‘, has shown is a rapist, and his lawyer, saying what actually most of Indian Men still thinks – that, it is a Girl’s fault if she is Raped.

If a girl is out at night/evening, precisely after 6:30, or if she is with a male friend, or if she is a girl; she needs to be Raped and Killed….. so, she can learn a valuable lesson. A lesson that a defense lawyer very proudly says, that In great Indian culture, there is no place for women. A woman is like flower or diamond, and if diamond is on the road, dogs will take it. Another one says, if her daughter or sister will have premarital sex/love affair, he will burn her in front of whole family.

They don’t even flinch, while saying these things. I don’t flinch either.

If you are a woman brought up in India, you will realize that what they are saying is actually you have heard whole your life.

“Don’t go out. It’s evening now.”

“Who is calling you? Is it a male? You will not have phone anymore.”

“Why you have male friends? You are not supposed to have any male friends.”

“No skirts.”

“You want to watch a movie. Go with your husband, when you get married.”

“In our family, girls don’t go out on college trips.”

“Why you were talking to neighborhood boy?”

“We would prefer to kill you than marry you to your choice of husband.”

“You love someone. You are a slut.”

India is a patriarchal society, heavily. So much, that even the old generation women there thinks that all such thing are right. A girl should know her place, and her place is in kitchen only. Mindset of a society can not change in a single day, but there was a chance for the Indian Government to put forward a Rapists viewpoint and show to society, if you also think like him – then you are also a Rapist.

It does not matter if you have raped a woman or not, if you still think that all such statements are right, then you are a Rapist.

You have raped a woman of her freedom, of her right.

Her right of being a human being, just like you are.

She is a human, a person. She is not your property.

You can not question her.

You can not blame her for what you did to her.

You can not mute her.

You can not.

Because she is a person.

Stop your boys, not your girls. Make India a safe, not only for tourists, but for all.

What Kind of Government We Want?(jcisnowjs.wordpress.com)
India says it will act against BBC for airing banned film(thehimalayantimes.com)
BBC Documentary Nirbhaya India’s Daughter(kanthalaraghu.com)

Books

Tuesday Text – The Story Of My Life

Image July 15, 2014 jcisnowjs Leave a comment

Helen Keller is an inspiration, not only for those who are deaf and blind but to all of us who have eyes and ears, but still can not see or feel the beauty around us.

“The Story Of My Life”, is the autobiography of Helen Keller, depicting her struggles and their overcoming. This book is about her early life, mostly of first 22 years of her life.

Helen Keller, was 19 months old, when due to a severe illness, she lost her eyes and hearing abilities. Later, she also becomes mute. Her autobiography “The Story Of My Life”, shows her daily conflicts in very descriptive manners, specially the way she explored everything around her. Mainly her difficulties in making herself understood to others, like her parents and housemaids. Surprisingly even after all of these difficulties of her life, she became to be a great writer and inspiration to the whole world.

If any person can have the credits to making Helen Keller, the way she is known to everyone today, this credit should go to her Teacher and mentor, Miss Anne Sullivan. In her autobiography Helen has written about how her world was dull and without any hope, till she met her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who brought light and love to Helen’s world. She made her independent enough to live with dignity and not a self pitying physically challenged person.

What makes it happen?

It’s language, learning and books; and lots of patience from her teacher. Anne Sullivan was herself suffering from an eye infection which later took her eye sight completely. She tried to teach Helen by writing letters on her hand, for each word. Specifically the first word that Helen learnt – Water, was the life changing event for her. The way it was written in the book, it makes the whole scene come alive. It was the most beautiful experience what Helen went through when she learned that everything in this world has a name, a word assigned to it.

Helen also wrote about her relationship with her teacher, Anne Sullivan, and her friendship with Oliver Wendell Holmes. This book also had few of the letters shared with her. She also wrote about her first devastating experience of finding out that the first story that she has written is actually already written by someone else, much before her. She clarifies her stand by saying that everything that she has learnt is actually being told by someone or, she has read from others books. So she may have read the story in her childhood but she now has no memory of it.

Her autobiography is turned into many inspiring films too. two of them, which stands out are “The Miracle Worker” and “Black”. See my review of both here.

It’s a good read whenever you want to get inspired and feel positive about your life and life’s blessings.

Movies

Tuesday Talkies – ‘Black’ is No ‘The Miracle Worker’

Image July 8, 2014 jcisnowjs 2 Comments

Black is No Miracle Worker — A Scene From Black

I am reading Hellen Keller‘s autobiography “The Story Of My Life”, and midway my reading I realized that I have actually seen a movie based on this book.

Themovie was ‘Black‘ by ‘Sanjay Leela Bhansali, released in 2005. This movie was based on the life of a deaf and blind girl Michelle, played by Rani Mukherji and in adult and child roles respectively. Amitabh Bachchan Played the role of Teacher, who helped the little girl understand the language and introduce her to a dignified and meaningful life. This movie was very well received by the critics at the time of it’s release.

When I watched it first, I didn’t enjoyed it much. It was too much over dramatic for me. Now after realizing that this movie is indeed based on a real person, I watched it again. Alas, again it was too much over dramatic. I decided to watch some other movie which is based on Hellen Keller, and I stumbled on “The Miracle Worker”.

After watching The miracle Worker, I realized just how much drama, we Indians love. 🙂

Firstly, the teacher is male, just so that they can introduce a love angle to the whole story. We do need romance, right? Remember that kiss between, Rani as Michelle, and double aged teacher, Amitabh Bachchan? Now, how could this kiss would have been possible if Teacher, would have been a female. Point to note, in reality, and in The Miracle Worker too, Teacher is the famous Anne Sullivan, who is still recognized for her teaching work done on Hellen.

In Black, almost every important scene is picked as it is from The Miracle Worker, including that famous, dinner table scene or introduction to first word, water, scene. Only difference being, the size and scale of emotions and drama is so high in Black, that it looks unrealistic. Teacher, is shown more like some crazy, brainy old fellow, rather then as a strict but compassionate Anne Sullivan.

To induce more drama, Alzheimer disease is also roped in, so that they can stretch the plot some more. But, to be on a fair side, it was not a documentary but rather a Bollywood movie. This does make it exceptional, as there are no songs and dance routine in the movie, but it’s not entirely a true story.