To Kill a Mockingbird

image dowloaded from amazon site

Just completed the classic Pulitzer winning novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee published in 1960.It was the only novel written by the author ala Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.Margaret Mitchell's husband was a copy editor while Harper Lee's husband was a writer leading credence to the belief that both their husbands might have played a phenomenal role in their debut and the only novels written.
                                                             The lead characters Atticus finch slowly grows from just a father, good father, old father, father having eyesight to a father who takes on the entire maycomb townsfolk and fights a lonely battle to raise the bars of ethics, morals,integrity and truthfullness and becomes a hero for Jem, Scout and their friend Dill.
                                           This novel reminded me of my own childhood.My childhood before TV in 1983(death of indira gandhi) came and tore apart my innocence.My holidays spent with my cousins at my grandparents.

                     It also made me remember a novel a read in my teens "Lord of the Flies"  by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding.
                                      It also made me feel sad for my teenage daughter and this generation who feed on TV, Multiplexes, Malls and dont have the chance or opportunity to go to grandparents, villages and read such beautiful novels.

                                                    

taruni sachdev

twitter news spreading like wildfire about the untimely tragic death of child actress taruni sachdev (paa-movie, rasna-ad)  in a nepal plane crash.Felt sad.

Ishaqzaade review

Producer: Aditya Chopra, Yash Raj Films

Director: Habib Faisal

Cast and Crew:

Parma - Arjun Kapur

Zoya – Parineeti Chopra

Aftab Qureshi – Ratan singh Rathore

Chauhan – Anil Rastogi

Goodbye chiffon sarees welcome rustic bad land of Uttar Pradesh. A welcome change from YRF staple known for chandni, lamhe and dilwale since nurturing of new talents such as habib faisal, kunal kohli and kabir khan.

What to watch out for: parineeti chopra, parineeti chopra and parineeti chopra.She carried the entire movie on her shoulders. She lived Zoya and gave a gutsy performance. Habib faisal showered all the goodies in her role. Zoya’s anger, vulnerabilities, impulsive decision to get married and have suhaagraat in a train all looked plausible because of parineeti.

It is always safe for a starson to debut as a rough, rustic ruffian than as a chocolate hero and if the movie is a dud go into oblivion. That is what happened with Arjun Kapur. Lucky him and bonney kapur. His role demanded minimal efforts as he had to look a brainless, UP bad boy and he did that. He is here to stay.He showed spark in the dance numbers though.

Gauher khan as chand bibi sizzled on screen.

Rest of the cast failed to make any impact. No effort was visible to develop the remaining characters. It was as if the painter left his painting midways. The movie lacks completeness. The violence, fights, bullet fires all looked flawed. The first half is fast paced, you blink and it intervals.But within ten minutes of the second half people say “ bahut bore picture hain” and as time passes “ chalo nikal lete hain ab bardasht nahi ho raha”

Verdict: it is a hit, people are going to watch it though it is very boring in the second half. Parineeti Chopra will be the next big thing in Bollywood- now priyanka will need her pallu more. Arjun Kapur should take a sabbatical of one year and then come with a safe film(good story, good director and good production house) ” varna bardasht karna mushkil hoga!”