Movie Review: Sanju

The movie is a biopic yet, it teaches a lot of things; could be called a set of dos and don'ts which we should keep in mind while making choices in our lives. First and foremost is choosing our company wisely. Company matters because company affects. Second thing is for both parents and children, to stay close to family and the fragility of human relations (can be broken in a second). Third, have no fear, stand up for yourself, if need be, take a bullet and die a hero's death (hero of real life). Fourth, ignorance can be very fatal. The movie contains an appropriate example. Fifth, the effects of someone's death can be devastating. So all members of the family should stick together like pillars having each other's back.
Other issues from an observer's perspective I found are the fact that this could be the story of any star kid. Parental legacy can be a burden for the young blooming child. People in power need to take extra care of their children because they will always remain in the limelight. Also, there are definite cautionary parenting tips clearly given.
Dutt seemed to be a kid until his father did not actually become his friend. Death of the mother and support of the father made him grow as a person, the character growth is clearly visible as the movie progresses. The brilliant acting of the actors added to the marvels of the flick. And ofcourse, how important writers are, everyone must know by now.
Last but not the least, anyone's life can teach but the question is, from whose life are we willing to learn?

Book Review: Untouchable (Mulk Raj Anand)

I finally took a plunge into Dalit literature and began with a landmark text by Anand. Highly recommended read by all readers, I had to read and write what I felt.
The novel in itself is a masterpiece by a non-dalit writer. He remains detached and let's the characters come to life completely on their own, this novel mainly revolves around the events that happen in one day in the life of the protagonist, Bakha.
The novel clearly brings out the cruelties suffered in the name of caste distinctions and the effects it has on the people. Also, it touches other issues like position of women, hypocritical nature of society, clash of religions and cultures while the subjugation of Indians by the British continues in the background (the arrival of missionaries to the scene and their attempted conversion of Hindus to Christianity) giving reference to the presence of colonialism.
Interestingly, Indians are shown to discriminate amongst each other on caste basis, while Britishers are shown discriminating against all Indians together on race basis.
The text shows how the caste system is present in the remotest corners of the society and people irrespective of castes have blindly accepted it as their fate or God's will (as they put it). In the name of God's will, they suffer inhuman treatment at the hands of society by cleaning other's dirt, being bestowed with the title 'polluted' and begging for food. What would happen if they for once refused to clean that dirt? The 'polluted' people clean the dirt of the 'unpolluted' who pollute the place themselves.
But people like Bakha are so submissive and fearful because they don't have any power and resources. They have resigned to their destiny (Bakha's father Lakha has) considering this is what they were born to do. Yet, Bakha dreams. He dreams to be able to wear the English saheb's uniforms, play hockey etc.
Ironically, lower castes are called polluted (as is with Bakha) but molesting the lower caste women does not pollute the 'unpolluted' people (as in the case of Bakha's sister Sohini). Gandhi's speech towards the end serves to heighten the irony more vividly when all shout "harijan ki jay". In the morning as the day progresses, the same people abuse and shun the same Harijans and by evening the shout "harijan ki jay" for the same Harijans in congruence to Gandhi's speech.
Gandhi's speech also brings different reactions among the crowd. This is where Anand brought about the powerful effects of English education on Indians (Indians in blood and colour but Englishmen in tastes ideals and morals, as Macaulay would say). They boast of the English writers they have read but there is no mention of any Indian writer which speaks for the snobbery and cultural disconnect Indians had to suffer from and continue to suffer even today.

Movie Review: Hindi Medium

The title is clear enough to say what the movie would revolve around. The story of a common man who is desperately struggling to give his child the best education taking any means possible to accomplish those goals because only the ability to speak in English is the mode of judgement and understanding of people's educational levels. Alongside this major plot development, there are other aspects easily noticeable.
One of them is the comment on western form of education and the effects it has. The consultancy in the film, the Western education are shown to fill people with artificiality, superficial knowledge, snobbishness, pride and also lack of respect for their own language.
Not only the children, the parents equally are a part of that change due to this form of "education". Due to this "education", class of people has been created who call themselves "the elite". Sharply contrasted with the "non elite", the difference of not just lifestyles and sophistication is shown but also the difference of the basic humanity in both the classes is clear and obvious. The first and the second half show the protagonists in totally different lights and hence their characters undergo development and transformation.
The other aspect, which could also be called an suggestion or maybe an eye opener is that all children, irrespective of their class, deserve equal attention, care, respect and quality education because they too have equal brain as any other and are equally creative. The example of being creative is also shown in the movie where the children create music without any musical instruments.