Love Travels...

I confess-I am a die-hard romantic.

Though love- true,sweet ,ever-lasting love has dodged me throughout my life , I still believe that true love exists.I enjoy watching love stories and I like them all in whichever way they are portrayed.So Mera Naam Joker,Sangam, Titanic, Pretty Woman, Ek Duje Ke Liye,Quayamat Se Quayamat Tak, Saagar, Aashiqui ,Dil Chahata Hai, Dil hai Ki Maanta Nahin,Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.......each one of these (and many more) have never failed to catch my fancy.Even the off-beat love stories like Paroma, Water,Cheeni Kam, etc are what I appreciate.So when I heard that 'The Lunch-Box'  had released  I went and watched it at a nearby theatre with myself for company.

The movie 'The Good Road' was selected as India's entry to the Oscars and many were of the opinion that 'The Lunch-Box' should have been the right choice to represent India.I am not delving into a debate on that as I have not yet watched the competitor yet.All I can say is that 'The Lunch-Box' is a well made movie.It is so real and routine that we no longer become mere spectators but actually feel what the two protagonists feel.The crowded trains,the urchins singing in their besura voices,the dabbawalas and their loads.....all make us feel in known territory.We are right there among them as we have been there,seen that.

The characters in the film are also real.There is utmost attention paid to each little detail.The suspicious wife smelling her husbands shirts before putting them to wash,the new employee being given a cold shoulder by the older and senior one,the ever-helpful neighbour,the changing wardrobe of the in-love hero after a few exchange of letters......all these make the movie more than just a movie.Love knows no boundaries,it travels and can overcome barriers of age,distance,class and religion.Even without actually coming face to face with each other the couple portrays the deep love and understanding they feel for the other.here there is no physicality involved ,it's the emotions that do the talking.These emotions travel through the lunch-box which is passed to and forth between the couple.What a novel way to portray love blossoming among two adults!!!

The ending is not depicted clearly and it is left to the viewer to guess  what happens next.There are so many wow moments in the film that are subtle yet entertaining.As the movie moves further we wish for the couple to meet and find happiness with each other as they deserve to be happy.The movie travels at a slow pace but then those who appreciate good films know that good things come to those who wait (Sabr ka phal meetha hota )

I came out of the film hall with a smile pasted on my face.

Happiness is not always found in the bigger things and all the little things that bring us happiness are not little after all.

Sigh......they found love at last,will I ever???

Live......Do Not Just Exist!

All of us have, but one life.....it is the life we are living right now.For all who talk about life after death and previous life,I can only say that what was in the past we cannot re-construct and what is our future (after death) we cannot foresee.So,basically,what matters is NOW!!!!

We are the creators of our own destiny.The time spent on the face of the earth cannot be got back.We have to learn to live life sans regrets.Life comes with no pause,rewind or fast forward button.All it has is the start and the stop button so whatever action we take day in and day out has an effect on our life.Why not make the most of this wonderful life of ours then?Why not learn to really LIVE life instead of just existing because even animals exist on this earth and we, humans are supposedly the higher animals.

Some may ask, "Wonderful life? What's so wonderful about this life?" For those I can only say that there are so many on the face of this earth who have problems /challenges much more than the ones we bear.Each one has to bear his own cross so why not try to do just that without cribbing and losing hope?Even as I write this I can recollect the many occasions when yours truly has felt dejected and worthless but then that is life! It has its ups and downs.There have been times when we feel that nothing right is happening in our lives but that is when we have to show our mettle and surge forward with renewed vigour and positive attitude.

Discipline and Education can take us far in this regard.Even introspection plays a major role in understanding our strengths and drawbacks so that we can improve each day.When the letters of the word 'Education' are rearranged it forms 'Action Due' How apt!!There are so many around us who know so many things but do not act upon their knowledge.

During my teacher-training we learnt many definitions of education as defined by renowned educationalists but the one that stayed with me was- 'Education is not merely knowing what we do not know, Education is behaving how we do not behave'.

We know so many things but are we actually using what we know for the betterment of society at large?
When there is any issue are we standing for what is right or are we sitting on the fence and/or joining the majority?
Do we actually think or are we just following the herd mentality?
Are our actions being directed by what is the right thing to do or are we just following the actions of others blindly?
Do we dare to oppose anything that we know is wrong or do we cow down in fear and remain mute spectators fearing a backlash?
Do we ever question ourselves to find out whether what we are doing is right or wrong?
Are we really making a difference to society with our actions?
Are we really living or just existing??
Only we can answer these questions truthfully without bias.
But then again,are we really ready to answer them?
Do we care enough to do that??
Do we??

Daughters Of Shame

Just caught my friend reading this book and she recommended it for reading.The book is a non-fiction written by Jasvinder Sanghera ,whose first book on the same lines, Shame was a best seller.

 Book Review 

Title: Daughters of Shame

Author- Jasvinder Sanghera

Genre: Non-fiction

'Daughters of Shame' tells us about the atrocities faced by young married and unmarried girls under the guise of family honour and traditional values.It is shocking to know that people from the so-called educated and reputable families in the west treat their women so inhumanely.These families who originally belong to India and Pakistan try uphold their traditional upbringing in the western society they reside in.There is a plethora of problems in doing this as the young girls who are surrounded by the western influences and culture prevalent around them are confused about their identity and find it difficult to co-relate with the traditional values and submissive culture while being bombarded each day with the open and permissive values of the west.

Some of the real life incidents gave me goose bumps like the one which depicts how a father brutally attacked and killed his teenage daughter when she expressed her desire to marry a westerner.The father,in the name of family honour ,stabs her about 26 times and the attack is so brutal that the knife too bends.There are many such instances that portray how families subjugate their young daughters behind the closed doors and try to get them married forcibly at a young age without allowing them to decide for themselves.Even after the forced marriage the ill-treatment of the young bride continues in her in-laws house and she surrenders to the atrocities meekly.

A few among these young girls are helped by the social organisation started by Jasvinder Sanghera who herself went against her family to marry a man of her choice.All the incidents are a part of the efforts taken by the organisation to help these girls fight back and lead a life of their own without being subjugated by their family.It is a book that brings hope to the many young women out there who are fighting alone for an identity for themselves.It is inspiring and at the same time depressing to know about the problems faced by the girls living in a mixed social set-up.

Frankly speaking,after reading the book I decided to read something more positive and picked up the book 'A Cup of Comfort for Teachers',a book which is a part of the series which tells us inspiring stories that gives us hope.I do not intend to read the book 'Shame' by the same authoress as I have read enough about the pain and want to read about positive stories now.