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Pretentious DU Review

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Delhi University (DU) seems to be the dream of almost every kid, cramming up all possible books to fetch a seat, performing all sorts of rituals for the sake of one’s dream college. The competition goes on and on. But is the DU craze justified?

 

  • North Campus Elitism

The ‘colony’ of colleges is a peculiar attribute of DU, thanks to Rang-De-Basanti, maybe that is why the north campus hype prances in its (hyped) glory? The overemphasis of the north campus, somewhere down the line, suggests the underlying elitism. While if one cares to hover their eyes over the map of Delhi, other colleges like Lady Shri Ram, Sri Venkateshwara College, Gargi College, etc. also exist. And do we even need to acquaint you with the ‘North Campus vs. South Campus’ tussle? You know the story from numerous YouTube videos. We get it North Campus, you have Virgin Tree in Hindu College and Kamla Nagar’s momos but that’s all there is.

  •  Study Culture

The infamous study culture of DU is not a secret. Many condemn that DU has only been successful in imparting degrees, but has failed when it comes to imparting knowledge. “A student from Calcutta University will take tuitions, will study for umpteen number of hours, while a DU student will pick up their books a week before the examinations. And at the end of the day, score more than us.” says, a pass out from Calcutta University who wished to be anonymous. The prominent DU degree is just a facade, while colleges like NLU and IITs provide high placements to their toppers, DU provides just boasting rights as placements at DU does not exist, well except for SRCC.

  • Infrastructure

Panting fans, ceilings which give a ‘near-to-death’ experience (we’re pointing at you Daulat Ram College), roads which remain under construction even after you clear all your backs and a master’s degree, washrooms (we’ll leave it to your imagination), aren’t these a class apart? (Note the heavy sarcasm). The infrastructure of DU is a different story altogether, a story which is poles apart from the preconceived image of DU. A DU aspirant with ambition in eyes is often met with broken benches, more broken than their hopes.

  •  Classes and Timetables

The classes have a scenario worth noticing! Classes are packed with over 100 students, which look more like a poultry farm than a classroom. Maybe it is our time to shout – “DU, is this a fish market?” The given timetable and the actual timetable never lie parallel, the once jam-packed timetable, at the end of the day, is nothing but a series of lectures which were cancelled because Monica ma’am went for vacation and college forgot to hire a guest teacher. You can also witness the deadly shift of classes, the 11:30 a.m. class can become a 3:15 p.m. class keeping you in college that longer.

  •  Societies (oh, the drama!)

The society hype stands above all other self-acclaimed accolades of DU. The incessant number of forms filled, rounds of interviews and the introductory workshops. Maybe getting into an MNC is easier! Questions like, “Will you be able to sacrifice food, classes, attendance, relationships?” give you a major existential crisis. Sadly sometimes, students dedicate their entire college life for getting into a society, not because they actually want to be in it, but because they want to be a part of the hype. I guess you know which societies we’re thinking about!

 

  • The Election Season

If you felt that Delhi has an aggressive winter season, you never visited DU in the election season. Elections lean more towards littering, unnecessary Bharat Mata Ki Jai chants, brochure distribution and more cancelled classes than the actual purpose of elections, voting and student empowerment. Remember the “koi bhi dikkat ho toh bhai ko batana” (if you face any problem, let your brother know about it) you got from some seniors? It was for this day!

It’s time that DU pulls up its socks. The actual-DU and the glorified-DU are two different worlds! As different as the world we live in and Neverland. Like the cut-offs, even the DU standards should have inflated.

 

Feature Image Credits: Niharika Dabral for DU Beat

 

Priyanshi Banerjee

[email protected]

 Chhavi Bahmba

[email protected]

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Dear Dad, What If You Were Gay?

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Dear Dad answers a weirdly unexpected question, “What if your Father was gay?” Read on to find out more.

The movie comes to its objective point very quickly. Its protagonist, a man in his mid-thirties with a teenage son, a little daughter and a facade of a happy family is gay. He has been living a lie for years, closeted and pretending to conform to societal expectations, and the truth fumbles out of him during a road trip with his son.

Debutant director Tanuj Bhramar goes with this unprecedented story where most film makers would dare not. It is a father-son-bonding-on-a-road-trip trope used in an unconventional way.

They meet new people, explore new ideas, travel to picturesque locations, and visit childhood homes. With an impending secret blossoming, that Shivam’s beloved father Nitin is gay, and has finally decided to come out of the closet after living half his life pretending to be someone else, the narrative rushes with emotions.

The story ventures into exploring the idea of shame; how the supposedly modern teenage son cannot digest that his father identifies with the LGBTQ+ community. It takes him the whole journey to realise that his father’s true sexuality does not make him (Nitin) a different person. He is still the same, just a lot happier and comfortable in revealing to the world an essential truth about himself.

The best part is that the film doesn’t focus on questions like ‘why now?’, rather it highlights the reactions and changes in the relationship dynamics this revelation brings about. The interaction between Nitin and his paralysed old father at his childhood home is equal parts emotional and rational.

Arvind Swamy’s performance gives a heart-soaring touch to make Nitin’s character more real and sincere. His trials, tribulations, apprehensions and eventual relief are portrayed in a soft manner by Swamy which brings about a sense of sincerity into the story.

The film is not perfect, it tests your patience at parts and seems too slow, but it is worth watching for what it is trying to say. Bollywood is home to a handful of films that get representation right, and Dear Dad certainly is one of the few. There is nothing stereotypical about this closeted gay and his coming out story. So this pride month, maybe watch it with your friends to get a deeper understanding of what sexuality really means to a person.  

Feature Image Credits: Debaangshu Sen for DU Beat

Sakshi Arora

[email protected]

 

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Reviewing an Engineering Dramedy from the eyes of a Humanities student

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Here is the review of an emotional roller coaster about IIT JEE aspirants by a regular Humanities student from Delhi University (DU).

Art is the imitation of real life, but rarely do we see reality and practicality displayed to its core. Our Ranbir Kapoor-like heroes are always running after their artistic ambitions, escaping the brutality of a 9-5 job. The students we meet are either geniuses like Rancho, stuck in the wrong space like Farhan (3 Idiots) or pining for love like Krish (2 States).

Seldom do we meet a Vaibhav or a Meena or even an Uday. These are the close specimens to real life students, gripped with encompassing student pressure in the harsh world of ‘Kota Factory’.

I would call Kota Factory, The Viral Fever’s (TVF) ‘s best creation after Pitchers. It is subtle yet unnerving. It resonates with everyone regardless of their background or professional choices. Maybe, because Kota Factory tells a story which we have either suffered or escaped. Our society has been conditioned in a way, that kids are set to become Engineers or Doctors, if not then Lawyers or Civil Servants, and for all of us who end up choosing Arts, we become the escapees who gave up on hard work and ‘Maths’.

We have all seen at least one person holed up in their homes all day, learning the Periodic Table by heart, passionate to get into IIT. For some, it is our siblings, for others, its might be our schoolmates. The struggle these kids go through is familiar to us all.

So, calling Kota Factory a show constricted to one set of audience, who have undergone these struggles is unfair to its makers. Yes, it might make that set of people relatively more emotional but it works for everyone. In the end Kota Factory is an example of a well-made show.

It has a brilliant cast, poignant cinematography, responsible direction and above all a heart-stealing script. Even the smallest of moments and characters leave impact.

It opens with a coloured montage of an advertisement about Maheshwari Classes, the top-ranking Coaching Institute in Kota for IIT-JEE aspirants. This is the type of advertising we are all familiar with, the one that has a voiceover by the overachiever of their passing batch to employ and attract more students for their next year’s batch in the capitalist economy. Things become interesting when in the first 40 seconds the colour fades away leaving the dark and gloomy black and white format which evokes a sense of emptiness in Vaibhav’s life at Kota in the next 5 episodes till he comes back to Maheshwari.

After getting rejected at Maheshwari, Vaibhav moves to Prodigy Classes. The journey between Maheshwari and Prodigy is highlighted with a monologue by the auto driver mourning the loss of an earlier city which has now just turned into a factory with huge ambitious coaching centres, student mess at every corner and PG’s and hostels on every street. He says “Big Boss dekhte ho?” when Vaibhav replies with an affirmative, he laughingly responds with a “Yahan koi nahin dekhta”.

This is the form of subtle commentary writers at TVF are masters in. This dialogue highlights the lack of childhood luxuries, students at Kota partake in, due to immense pressure of completing their syllabus, practice questions, DPPs and sheets at least thrice.

Prodigy Classes accepts Vaibhav, with full fees for the first and second year. With the manager of Prodigy Classes, Deepak, Kota Factory introduces its viewers to education as a money minting institute for many in Kota. At the same time, we meet the lovable all-time favourite TVF constant and the very dependable ‘Jeetu’, or as he is here called the student’s beloved ‘Jeetu Bhaiya’. He is an addition to the list of cool and life changing teachers of the industry standing along the likes of Aamir Khan in Taare Zameen Par. The first lesson he teaches to his new students is to come find him if there is any problem, be it personal or professional. From there, the five-episode series deals with education, friendship and romance. The time run of each episode gets lesser, but the content remains strong and keeps one hooked.

Another heartfelt character is Meena. He might be the most simplistic economically backward class representation I have seen in a long time.

Unlike Gully Boy’s Murad, he doesn’t have a humongous “aukaat se upar ka sapna” He is a true IIT aspirant at heart, who will study through an earthquake and whose economic backwardness takes a setback against his genius. His emotional sincerity and sensitivity bring out friendship in a new light because like a true Kota studyholic “Dosti revision thodi hi hai, jo karni hi hai.”

There are innumerable metaphorical shots in the show, the most prominent one being the overhead shots in the first episode. Throughout the episode we see Vaibhav fighting against all odds to get to a better batch than A10, he is running against time and his fellow students so we see him wearing a grey hoodie running opposite to the uniform wearing systemised students twice in the episode. While, in the end of the episode, once he gets to batch A5, he is also wearing that dark uniform, walking along the kids, moving in the same direction, and a part of the rat and mouse chase. Here, the camera moves upwards over the cage-like structure of the building, locking the kids in the claustrophobic and inescapable space of Kota and its stress. This form of shooting continues throughout the show where the students always seem constricted in their space, stuck without an escape.

The show nails the female scarcity in the competition of becoming an IITian. Meenal, a student from the batch A5 is the ‘girls’ topper at Prodigy which implies that there are absolutely zero female species in the first four batches of the institute. Uday’s girlfriend Shivangi is a medical aspirant because her father is an engineer, despite the fact that she hates Biology she is studying to crack NEET. Another notable plot device used by the writers is Meenal’s exit.

Last, she reveals that she is actually prepping for Columbia, Yale and NYU to the unassuming-most- probably-already-deciding-their-baby-names Meena, whose heart breaks at this revelation. He couldn’t digest that his two loves: IIT and Meenal are not in the same direction. Post this, Meenal vanishes, which implies that she is no longer in the race to IIT. She is an outsider and her presence isn’t threatening anymore.

Every episode brings an emotional turmoil to its surface. The mother’s minimal presence in the second episode almost drove me to tears. Jeetu’s monologue from the first and Uday’s rant from the last episode respectively are equally powerful. Meena and Meenal’s innocence and Vaibhav and Vartika’s naïve study dates are delightful.

If the show had one drawback, that has to be the constant product placement of the show’s sponsors in every episode. It’s ironical as the show itself mocks the advertising and capitalism of the JEE coaching sector.

Kota Factory comes with a cautionary warning for those who are prepping for IIT-JEE currently because despite its comedic tonality, it highlights the pressure and competition over and over again.

As Jeetu Bhaiya reinforces, IIT is not a destination for the aspirants, it becomes their life goal, their only solace and only dream. For two years these kids constantly work themselves to the ground to achieve that dream, and when they are unable to reach there, it turns into a life-long trauma of a broken heart which takes years to heal.

Image Credits: IMDB

Sakshi Arora
[email protected]

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Tu: A Stupendous Specimen of Film-making

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Here is my review of Tu (you), a short film by Royals Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films starring Sayani Gupta and Arjun Radhakrishnan.

Tu, a short film directed by Rahul Nangia, is a meticulously crafted tale of two ill-fated lovers told in under eight minutes. In its run time, it successfully establishes the relationship and its conflict. The tonality and lighting are dark, their space seems claustrophobic, the blatant intimacy between the two leading characters in the opening shot itself makes you uncomfortable, and ever since the beginning, the audience understands that their relationship is doomed.

The film runs on a single string conversation between the two lovers where the writers have brilliantly woven their love story which unfolds in front of your eyes. Over the course of this conversation, you realise that her name is Supriya, while he is a Murtaza; that their inconspicuous meetings are going on for a long time now; that she is the one who is rebellious (because she arranges the rooms for their meetings); that he is utterly scared of his father and works at his shop; that she is engaged to another person; that he is still economically dependent on his father (his phone is taken away because the bill was INR 3,000) and even though all this is an age-old, monotonous, repetitive conflict you still become completely invested in their story.

Visually, the short film aims at making you aware of the couple’s comfortable relationship. Throughout the film, we only see the two characters totally invested into each other, giving us a closer look at their bond which further fuels our pity for them. In the midst of this, using the narrative of them watching their old video at Mumbai’s Lover’s Point, out in the open, under the blue sky, near the uncontrollable waves of the sea and away from their present situation works wonders for the film. It symbolises the naivety of love, which transforms into a complex cacophony when it transcends the societal demands and rules.

The ending is ambiguous, but anyone can complete the story without any faults because it is a story which has been told a million times, one which we all have heard, read or watched. The last sequence leading up to the end shows the two characters panic-stricken, running around in their limited space, the rebellious girl finding an escape while the scared boy all set to face the reality, with their wobbly voices running in the background. You can hear the tears in their voices and the rawness of their fear. Herein, again, the screen miraculously cuts back to that happy video, making our heart sore for the hopeless lovers. The video has a cinematic zoom-in and out between timelines.

In its short run time, Tu is successful at making you feel things for the poor couple, a feat that many-a-times even 3-hour long Bollywood Romances are unable to achieve. Watch it for its simplicity in storytelling, sincere and honest filmmaking and utterly graceful performances by the lead characters.

 

Image Credits: Film Companion

 

 

Sakshi Arora

[email protected]

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A Review: Shlok Sharma's Zoo

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From the director of Haramkhor (2015), ‘Zoo’ takes you on a journey from the ghettos of Bombay to its elite societies and drug addiction. Addiction is a disease; it occupies your mind and soul. Drug addiction amongst the Indian youth is a rising concern for the nation. According to a 2015-survey conducted in Punjab, over 83% of drug users were employed, and 89% were literate, showing that drug addiction affects all social classes and, unfortunately, very few get the help they need to battle addiction. Shlok Sharma’s Zoo, shot entirely on an iPhone 6 Plus, explores drug addiction and identity in the city of Mumbai through the central storyline involving five protagonists, two brothers, two wannabe rappers from the slums of Mumbai, and a girl who refuses to leave her house. The only things connecting their storylines are drug addiction and trade, and their personal conflict with their own identities. The characters involuntarily succumb to their weaknesses. Shashank Arora, who was the lead in Brahman Naman, plays Bicky, a coffee shop worker who pretends to be mute and runs a drug business on the side. His brother who goes by ‘Messi’ (we never learn his real name) is a young, hot-headed footballer who ends up being fascinated with his older brother’s profession. The third protagonist, Misha (played by Shweta Tripathi) is an under-age girl who resorts to drugs in order to deal with her past. She never leaves her apartment, and she refuses to meet her family. [caption id="attachment_62159" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Image from Netflix. Image from Netflix[/caption] Towards the end of the film, we find the reason behind her addiction and a glimpse into her dark past. Two rappers from the slums of Dharavi, Mumbai seem slightly alien to the storyline as  they are in search of their big breakthrough, while the world around them fails to understand their craft. Prince Daniel and Yogesh Kurme deliver excellent performances throughout the film. The four storylines run parallel to each other, but the characters lack depth. Emotional outbursts and monologues fail to deliver to the potential of the film. We see the bond between the two brothers grow and Bicky’s rising concern for his younger brother, but his emotions fail to make the movie stand out. Misha’s character seems rather bland, as the audience is taken through the journey through relapses and mood-swings, but one is left wondering if there is more to her character.   In my perspective, the film would have progressed better if there were fewer protagonists, and the audience would also be able to emotionally connect with the characters. As the movie progresses and delves into the story-line focusing on the extremes of Mumbai, one fails to emotionally connect to a character and root for their victory for there are way too many story-lines and emotions to follow. For a film shot on an iPhone, the cinematography is excellent. Most of the film is shot in natural light which adds to its rawness. Since the film focuses on love, loss, and addiction, I would love it if there was a separate film revolving around the story of the two rappers, Yoku and Prince. The film ends on a bittersweet note, where a few characters gain the closure they desperately seek, while others meet an untimely (and abrupt) end. Feature Image Credits: Netflix Jaishree Kumar [email protected]]]>

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A Review: Shlok Sharma’s Zoo

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From the director of Haramkhor (2015), ‘Zoo’ takes you on a journey from the ghettos of Bombay to its elite societies and drug addiction.

Addiction is a disease; it occupies your mind and soul. Drug addiction amongst the Indian youth is a rising concern for the nation. According to a 2015-survey conducted in Punjab, over 83% of drug users were employed, and 89% were literate, showing that drug addiction affects all social classes and, unfortunately, very few get the help they need to battle addiction.

Shlok Sharma’s Zoo, shot entirely on an iPhone 6 Plus, explores drug addiction and identity in the city of Mumbai through the central storyline involving five protagonists, two brothers, two wannabe rappers from the slums of Mumbai, and a girl who refuses to leave her house. The only things connecting their storylines are drug addiction and trade, and their personal conflict with their own identities. The characters involuntarily succumb to their weaknesses.

Shashank Arora, who was the lead in Brahman Naman, plays Bicky, a coffee shop worker who pretends to be mute and runs a drug business on the side. His brother who goes by ‘Messi’ (we never learn his real name) is a young, hot-headed footballer who ends up being fascinated with his older brother’s profession. The third protagonist, Misha (played by Shweta Tripathi) is an under-age girl who resorts to drugs in order to deal with her past. She never leaves her apartment, and she refuses to meet her family.

Image from Netflix.
Image from Netflix

Towards the end of the film, we find the reason behind her addiction and a glimpse into her dark past. Two rappers from the slums of Dharavi, Mumbai seem slightly alien to the storyline as  they are in search of their big breakthrough, while the world around them fails to understand their craft. Prince Daniel and Yogesh Kurme deliver excellent performances throughout the film.
The four storylines run parallel to each other, but the characters lack depth. Emotional outbursts and monologues fail to deliver to the potential of the film. We see the bond between the two brothers grow and Bicky’s rising concern for his younger brother, but his emotions fail to make the movie stand out. Misha’s character seems rather bland, as the audience is taken through the journey through relapses and mood-swings, but one is left wondering if there is more to her character.

 

In my perspective, the film would have progressed better if there were fewer protagonists, and the audience would also be able to emotionally connect with the characters. As the movie progresses and delves into the story-line focusing on the extremes of Mumbai, one fails to emotionally connect to a character and root for their victory for there are way too many story-lines and emotions to follow.

For a film shot on an iPhone, the cinematography is excellent. Most of the film is shot in natural light which adds to its rawness. Since the film focuses on love, loss, and addiction, I would love it if there was a separate film revolving around the story of the two rappers, Yoku and Prince. The film ends on a bittersweet note, where a few characters gain the closure they desperately seek, while others meet an untimely (and abrupt) end.

Feature Image Credits: Netflix

Jaishree Kumar

[email protected]

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Making it as Midge

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The second season of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ started another uproar for the critically acclaimed portrayal and characterization of the titular Mrs. Maisel. But what makes Midge Maisel the poster-girl of making a stand-up position in the hearts of the audience? What is different about this ‘smart, funny, and beautiful’ woman of the 1950s? In an episode where a drunk man heckles Miriam Maisel while she is performing on stage, he says, “Women aren’t funny,” and the marvelous Mrs. Maisel laughs her signature laugh while telling the man that his wife must have a sense of humour because she sees him naked every night. Then, he calls her a “dumb bitch” and she amuses him, and the audience, by asking, “Who told you?” The fashion in which Mrs. Maisel handles her heckler is a revelation, an out-there-message for the viewers in the real world, and her audience in the Midge-verse that she is not scared or intimidated in a man’s world. There is an undeniable air of hostility around women who engage in humour. For instance, women in India in the twenty-first century sit around and witness their fathers joke about alcohol, cigarettes, and women with their sons, even in seemingly progressive households. Yet there is silence- an unsaid usher of understanding- about making the same jokes with the daughters. Daughters and wives are not allowed the leniency to joke about the same thing, because good girls are not supposed to know enough to joke. Their piousness is confined to their closed legs, closed mouths, and closed minds. So, in the 1950s, a woman telling off men by amusing their stereotypes is not only unconventional, it is also a sign of raging strength. But is that all Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel is about? The courageous, unconventional, overlooked wife shining after the foil of her husband leaves her for good; this is not a story summing up the theatrical complexities of Miriam’s womanhood in the mid-decade of the twentieth century. When a booker refuses to pay Midge and locks her manager, Susie, in an attempt to dismiss her because she is a woman comedienne fighting it in what he sees as a man’s territory, Midge does not hesitate to ring her former husband. She tells Susie that one needs a man to navigate in a man’s world some times. Michelle Obama, in her book, Becoming, wrote of her experience in the classroom while she was pursuing her undergraduate degree, stating that many men who dominated the debates and discussions had a false sense of self. She wrote that they believed themselves to be smarter than her and some other women but were “simply emboldened, floating on an ancient tide of superiority, buoyed by the fact that history never told them anything different.” Midge Maisel is the person whose smarts gain her husband slots for his stand-up performances, and he tells her that she does not know the way the world of comedy functions. Her identity as the missus of Joel Maisel is not an affirmation of her qualities as an individual, the series iterates, but it is a mask Joel constantly hides behind to escape his own inefficiency. Then, the right way to assess Midge Maisel is not as a paragon of rebellious, empowering values. In fact, Midge Maisel is not straight-edge, and she is more than willing to weasel her way in by playing the stereotype to her advantage. This is what makes her stand out. We are accustomed to looking at women characters as archetypes. To assert power, for instance, women must be like Claire Underwood- ruthless, uncaring, and willing to go to all lengths that a moral soul would question. To make us love them, women must be all saints, always trying to do the moral, the ethical thing so that they deserve our sympathies. The categorization of our women is not a new trait, and it is absolutely not one reeking of modern feminism. The series shows Midge Maisel as a human being, treading not dubiously on the path of the virtuous and the more virtuous, but struggling and cutting lanes to make it big. The final stamp of approval for the portrayal comes when one thinks of Serena Williams and Virat Kohli in the present-day light. Williams, a far more experienced and accomplished player in the world of sports, became a ‘bitch’ overnight for her outburst while Kohli’s anger issues on the field, rebuked by the umpire, are accompanied by “but he is the best batsman”. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is not the story fighting for women’s rights, but it is the story of a woman using her rights to fight her way towards her goal. On the way, she makes people angry, she makes people proud, but her individuality is not something she owes to their pride, their ego, or their anger. The final episode of the second season makes the point, loud and clear, as Mrs. Maisel goes to her former husband, Joel, to have one last fling with the man “who loves her”, for she knows the cost of her dreams in the real world. She recognizes that she may not have people or love in the passenger seat of the marvelous ride, but she actively wants to enjoy the journey- opinions be damned. Image Courtesy: Mashable Image Caption: Miriam struggles to make it big, instead of winning the limelight by giving uncanny rants and speeches which do not work in the real world. Anushree Joshi [email protected]]]>

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Film review: The Hungry

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The Hungry is a modern retelling of Titus Andronicus, the Shakespearean tragedy. Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare’s first ever play and is also considered his most gory revenge tragedy. Though it is not considered one of his best pieces of work. Bornila Chatterjee makes a daredevil move in adapting one of the not so famous Shakespearean plays so early in her career. However, the credit goes to her for pulling it off with perfection. Amidst the revelry of New Year party, a horrible incident takes place which shakes everyone up to the core. Ankur, a young, passionate, and ethical businessman, played by Suraj Sharma from the famed Life of Pi, is murdered. His mother Tulsi, played by the very talented and beautiful Tisca Chopra, decides to avenge the unjustified death of her son. The movie jumps two years forward where Tisca Chopra is seen marrying the son of a business tycoon, Naseeruddin Shah. This obviously seems a marriage with an agenda as Naseeruddin Shah had a hand in her son’s murder. Caught in this widespread net of revenge are the younger lot who will have to pay for the sins of their families. What follows is a tale of deceit that claims the loss of innocent lives until no one is left standing. Tisca Chopra’s inaction of a flawed person filled with revenge, remorse, and motherly instincts, who is trying to find a path which even though dark, but not completely deprived of humanity, is absolutely mesmerising. Naseeruddin Shah’s performance of a corrupt businessman who will go to any lengths to get things done his way is undoubtedly breathtaking.  Sayani Gupta, Antonio Aakeel, Suraj Sharma, and Neeraj Kabi also give delightful performances. However, it is Nick Cooke who needs to be credited for such a wonderful cinematography that takes the movie to a completely new level. He captures the scenic beauty of the place and encapsulates the gloomy and dismal world of the Ahuja’s and the Joshi’s. The movie which has been screened at several film festivals has gained much critical acclaim. When director Bornila Chatterjee was asked why she chose this particular play to adapt, her response to Times of India was, “For starters, the film came about as in 2015 in London, and they were celebrating 400 years of Shakespeare. They basically decided that they are going to fund one Indian adaptation of a Shakespeare play because India shows tremendous interest in adaptations of Shakespeare plays.” The movie which is available on Amazon Prime Video should be definitely next on your watchlist.   Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times Anukriti Mishra [email protected]]]>

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Book Review: The Happiness Equation

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The Happiness Equation is a Self-Help book published in 2016. It is written by the Canadian author, entrepreneur and public speaker Neil Pasricha who gives science-based secrets to stay happy.

“Want Nothing + Do Anything= Have Everything” reads the slogan of the book titled “The Happiness Equation”. It is a self-help book published by the Canadian author, entrepreneur and public speaker Neil Pasricha who talks about how people fail to stay content with their lives providing science-backed tips and tricks to achieve happiness.

Staying happy is the essential purpose and yet people struggle to do anything but be happy regardless of what they are doing. And this is not just about being financially solvent or well-qualified, people at every level are competing to be better and be happy. This is the basic focus of the book where the author addresses the issue giving reasons as to why people are not happy. Most importantly, the author attempts to answer the question “How to stay Happy?”

There are elements of science and various methods of their applications which can result in finding the solution. Some of them are like the “Ikigai” and the “Saturday Morning Test”. “Ikigai” is a concept followed by Japanese people in a far-off island which translates to “Reason for waking up in the morning”. He wants to convey that having a purpose to wake up every morning can stimulate a person to work and achieving the same at the end of the day can help people stay content. The latter concept is about asking oneself about the things we would like to do if we had no obligation to fulfil. The answer to these simple yet significant questions can help a person understand their needs and interests better.

As to how the book is written, it is unique and catches the eye. Pasricha has mentioned “Nine Secrets to Success” which when discovered can help us answer the question. The mention of different “tests” and concepts intrigue the reader and the content is as helpful. The book is not continuous as in it is not portrayed as a story moving along as the book progresses. The different chapters are more like independent topics that convey a different message with reference to something. It more like a collection of different elements placed together in a single but has been bifurcated on some broad lines.

Personally, apart from the various tips and tricks mentioned in the book, it is the presentation of the book that is particularly helpful to the cause of the book. The book has small chapters that are not bombarded with content; instead, they convey the idea behind the book with simplicity rather than imposing it. Leafing through the pages, one feels very relaxed and enjoys the book rather than being on a mission to unearth some miraculous secret. In fact, because the book is so simply presented, one can connect to the book helping in the assimilation of the lessons given.

Overall, the book can help us understand ourselves better. It provides a different viewpoint of attaining happiness. It is worth the read!

 

Feature Image Credits: Thought Catalogue

Karan Singhania

[email protected]

 

 

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Reviews

A Review of Amazon Prime's Pushpavalli

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Pushpavalli is a brilliant and witty show that is so hilarious that it will leave you gasping for breath – only before you realise that it is not funny at all. Sumukhi Suresh does an admirable job in playing the titular role of Pushpavalli.  Pushpavalli (literally means a creeper) is intelligent and independent. So, when she develops a fixation for the charming and handsome Nikhil Rao, it only seems extrememly strange. This is rendered even stranger by the fact that she initially did not like Nikhil and got his number only because her friend wanted it. However, a friendship develops between Nikhil and her in a couple of days. When Nikhil has to go back to Bangalore, the only logical step according to her is to give up her life and move there too. Of course, she denies this fact to everyone around her and maybe to herself too. When once in Mumbai she stalks Nikhil and even employs the tea vendor in front of his office to help her in her pursuit. This all seems quite hilarious as you assume that in two or three days she will realise that her actions are wrong. But, Pushpavalli is a creepy by not only her name but also through her actions. Even before you realise it, the show develops a very dark shade. Sumukhi Suresh needs to be praised for portraying a character who is a compulsive liar. She has to distort even the simplest of all situations and to turn them very complex.  The rest of the cast is also very funny and leaves you with tears rolling down your eyes. Naveen Richards plays the angry boss and a friend of Pushpavalli. Ex- RJ Shraddha plays the role of an overbearing landlady, and there is also a special appearance by Kenny Sebastian. I will suggest this web series to all those who are into India-based web series. This is something new and very fresh. It only asserts the fact that Indian web series are all up for exploring new areas.  You will not find even a sing dull moment in the span of eight episodes. Feature Image Credits: The Opinionated Anukriti Mishra [email protected]]]>

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