The Arrow and the Song

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

-- H.W.Longfellow

Movie Review

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I usually don't stay awake to write a review for a movie that i've seen esp., when i'm damn sleepy.. But i'll make an exception for this one atleast.. The first thing i wanted to do after seeing this beautiful piece of work by director Michel Gondry was to write a review for it.. I hope i can do justice to it.. So here goes..

The plot..

Well.. The movie stars Jim Carrey (Joel) as this normal, shy, boring n introvert guy whose life revolves around making trips to work n back.. The female lead is played by Kate Winslet (Clementine), a happy go lucky chatter box who is full of life.. One of these days while going to work, Joel feels that he doesn't want to go to office n heads off to different places where his heart leads him to.. He's wandering around the beach when he comes across Clementine.. Being the shy n introvert guy that he is, he hardly makes any eye contact with the gal who finally comes up to him n starts chattering away.. And so begins their beautiful journey towards a relationship.. They seem to be totally in love with each other, until one day, when Joel goes up to meet her in the library to wish her a happy valentines day, she doesnt recall who he is and instead already has a new boyfriend.. Shattered, Joel returns home.. He is confused n completely bewildered that this was happening to him.. His friend later reveals that Clementine has undergone a treatment whereby she has erased all memories of Joel from her mind.. He tries to find the reason for this but is not able to.. Sad n unable to bear his heartache any further, he decides to erase clementine from his memory just the way she did.. He goes to that same place where she had undergone that procedure.. Enter 4 new characters.. Tom Wilkinson (Dr.Howard Mierzwiak) as the doctor who specialises in the memory erase procedure and his assistants Kirsten Dunst (Mary), Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Elijah Wood (Patrick).. Joel packs up all his stuff that even remotely reminds him of clementine and hands it over to the doc, who creates a mental map of his brain to selectively erase those moments of his life.. The procedure is carried out at Joel's place and he is put to sleep for this purpose.. While this goes on, Patrick n Mark strike up a conversation which it turns out is audible to Joel in all his memories that are being erased.. And so he realises in the flashbacks of his past with clementine, that they are being erased one by one.. Initially he doesn't mind the parts where all the unpleasant moments are being erased, but when those small moments of happiness that he had shared start vanishing one by one, he realises how much he loves her and that now he doesn't want to loose them.. The memories hold a special part in his life.. But he's asleep.. He can't wake up.. So what does he do? He starts running away to that part of his past which wont be erased as the procedure will not deviate from the mental map that was created.. And thus begins his journey to some of the most memorable moments of his life..

A light, soft romantic comedy on the outside, the movie asks a number of questions that have been raised earlier many a times.. If on the one hand, the director shows how fragile relationships can be and how often we take things for granted, the other question asks if science should be used to alter the life of a person in such a way so as to take away a part of one's life, both of which have been handled with utmost simplicity.. That is in fact what makes the film beautiful, the simplicity with which a complex story has been handled..

This is a story which i'm sure most of us will be able to relate to at some level.. All of us have had those moments in life which make us sad, which give us pain, which we keep locked up inside us in some remote corner.. And then there are moments, those little memories, those small things in life which we hold on so dearly to.. At times, one does wish to turn back time and be able to undo all those unpleasant events.. At times, we wish that we'd forget/erase all the pain that we carry inside and has become unbearable.. But we forget, that whatever we are today, is because of those experiences.. Yeah, they may be hard to keep off mind, but they are an inseparable part of the being that is "I".. And sooner or later, there comes a time, when we realise that we would not trade them for anything in this world.. A message crafted beautifully on screen..

Performance wise, Jim Carrey plays the character of Joel with great ease and the role is something completely different from his earlier movies like the Mask or bruce almighty.. The way he keeps on saying "My life is not interesting" and his moment of truth in the film actually make you sit up and feel a little for the chap.. Kate on the other hand is also brilliant with this performance and handles the character showing a great range of emotions .. And yeah, her hair color ranging from blue to orange are a treat for the eyes.. For the first time, i actually felt that these colors can also look good..

All in all, a great movie and a must watch.. Don't miss it for anything!! Do let me know how you find it.. Finally, I leave you with these lines from the movie..

How happy is the blameless Vestal's lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd.

Imprints..

जो बीत गई सो बात गई

जो बीत गई सो बात गई

जीवन मैं एक सितारा था

माना वह बेहद प्यारा था

वह डूब गया तो डूब गया

अम्बर के आनन को देखो

कितने इसके तारे टूटे

कितने इसके प्यारे छूटे

जो छूट गए फ़िर कहाँ मिले

पर बोलो टूटे तारों पर

कब अम्बर शोक मनाता है

जो बीत गई सो बात गई

जीवन मैं वह था एक कुसुम

थे उसपर नित्य निछावर तुम

वह सूख गया तो सूख गया

मधुवन की छाती को देखो

सूखी कितनी इसकी कलियाँ

मुरझाई कितनी वल्लरियाँ

जो मुरझाई फ़िर कहाँ खिली

पर बोलो सूखे फूलों पर

कब मधुवन शोक मनाता है

जो बीत गई सो बात गई

जीवन मैं मधु का प्याला था

तुमने तन मन दे डाला था

वह टूट गया तो टूट गया

मदिरालय का आँगन देखो

कितने प्याले हिल जाते हैं

गिर मिटटी मैं मिल जाते हैं

जो गिरते हैं कब उठते हैं

पर बोलो टूटे प्यालों पर

कब मदिरालय पछताता है

जो बीत गई सो बात गई

मृदु मिटटी के हैं बने हुए

मधु घट फूटा ही करते हैं

लघु जीवन लेकर आए हैं

प्याले टूटा ही करते हैं

फ़िर भी मदिरालय के अन्दर

मधु के घाट हैं मधु प्याले हैं

जो मादकता के मारे हैं

वे मधु लूटा ही करते हैं

वह कच्चा पीने वाला है

जिसकी ममता घट प्यालों पर

जो सच्चे मधु से जला हुआ

कब रोता है चिल्लाता है

जो बीत गई सो बात गई

-- हरिवंश राय बच्चन

If there's been one source of inspiration, one companion, one guide who's always been there with me when i'm down, then this poem is def. all of the above.. I remember learning it 'by heart' ( :) ) the first time i read it in school.. Can even say that i just fell in love with it.. This poem has stayed on in my mind ever since.. Simple, yet so deep.. Sad, yet so inspiring.. Straight, yet so true.. Just reminds you of the one thing that underlines this cycle of life that we are in.. "That no matter what happens, life.. Moves on.. "

Hats off to u Mr.Bachchan for this beautiful, beautiful piece of work..

It ain't love..

How do u actually draw a line between infatuation and love ? Or is it just that with time, the line just blurs even more ? Or worse, is there anything like love at all ? I don't know.. I simply blame the hormones.. :) But no.. Something tells me that its gotta be more complicated than that.. But at the same time, its gotta be that simple too.. duh!!! See what i mean.. :) Well.. If u ask me, Love is love when it is simply the next logical step in your relationship.. U don't decide to fall in love with the other person, it just.. Happens.. And then its just all over you.. God save u then!! :)

Comments, criticism are all welcome!

Hostel diaries..

The other day i was just thinking abt how different ppl react to the same situation in different ways.. Although i started off thinking abt it in a philosophical way, i soon ended up with all my attention on one event.. The exam times.. Esp the times when i was in hostel..

Yeah.. Exams.. The big half-yearly event which brings abt different reactions from different ppl..

A typical scene in my hostel a day before the exams goes like this..

Gagan (my room-mate) : I call him the undertaker.. He'll ve a book in his hand all the time.. N he'll sleep anywhere.. And then, all of a sudden he'll wake up(exactly the way undertaker does when he is lying flat in the ring after getting beaten up).. And there's just no stopping to this phenomenon.. Just keeps happening thruout the night.. Sometimes, i actually got scared when he did that..

Dhaval : Man, this guy can study non-stop.. The sad-part is, he writes everything that he is reading.. I just can't seem to do that :-0 My nocturnal buddy while studying.. Its a different thing, we end up laughing at our conditions at 6 in the m'ing and then crying during the exam time..

Jill : Well, undoubtedly the master of witty one liners, sit besides him for some time (while he's studying) when u get bored, nd u'll go back to ur room refreshed :)

Ravi : Always in his trademark 'baniyan' before exams, he'll be doing.. well god knows what.. Chatting with his roommate dodia abt random stuff.. as though its just another day.. Or worse, playing tomb raider :-o :-o :-o

Dodia : Ravi's roomie.. Well.. He n dipen wud always go out for a movie to R-World before the exam day, our very own multiplex.. Nearest to our hostel.. Only 10 Kms :D

This is how he n dipen wud usually talk :
Di : Pi#$ nu kai aavadtu j nathi, ganna.. G$$## faate che maari.. (haven't studied anything, i'm screwed)
Do : Hu to waanch to j nathi have.. Khabar che kaai thavanu nathi.. (i've already surrendered, i know its no use studying)

After some pause :
Do : Chaal picture jova jaiye (lets watch some movie)
Di : Kayo show?? Newspaper laav :D :D :D (which one?? get the newspaper :) )

And off they go at 9 in the night before the exam day ;)
And surprisingly, manage to score well too :-0

Chandu : An 'inmate' of room no 606 (i use that word, coz man, that room has history.. will tell abt it some other time) Anyways, the only time he'll come out will be when he wants to know how much jill has studied (both were in the same branch btw.. Mechanical)

Nikunj : He'll study for some time , then Daydream abt naked gals.. Again study for some time, then some more daydreaming.. That went on till the exam time.. God knows what he'd be thinking while writing the exam..

Me : i'll study hard for some time.. then get damn bored n head off to different rooms to see what every1 else is doing :D (how the hell do u think i know all that i've written above :P) Then while in one of the rooms, i'll realise.. Shit!!! I don't ve this textbook.. Another round to all the rooms to check if sum1 has that book and is not reading from it :)

THE D-DAY :

All the wise ppl leave hostel well before the exam time.. Me n my roomie take turns for riding the bike to college so that the one sitting on the back seat can read on the way :-0
Anyways, this is our schedule before the exam :

Exam time : 2:30 pm

2:15 - Fight on who will go for bath first
2:18 - Fine, i'll go
2:18:30 -I complete the quickest bath ever
2:19 - He completes the quickest bath ever
2:22 - Off on the bike
2:24 - Touchdown at college
2:25 to 2:27 - We discuss random questions from parking to the exam hall and realise we have forgotten everything
2:29 -
Me - Have you studied topic X.
Him - ye sirf 10 marks ka hi aata hai.
Me - Thank god i didnt study this one. Just ran thru it for 5 min

2:30 - Topic X which usually comes for 10 marks has this time around a weightage of 35 marks in the paper ..

--THE END--
(The rest is too painful to describe)

R.I.P
Me

Roomie
(nd the rest of the hostelmates)

The Gangue..

Ever wondered, what it'd be like if all of us were introduced by a background voice which described us just the way that they do in movies.. I mean.. Picture this.. You enter a place and then the time pauses with u in the frame.. A high octane background score is being played and then u r introduced by a voice whose source is at best unknown.. :-o

Let me just try my hand at introducing some of the "characters" (read friends) that might just make for a good entry scene ;)

I call this "The Gangue.. " Lets go through the "star studded"star cast.. :)

Dhaval - a.k.a - Anil kapoor - a.k.a - Villain - a.k.a - @$%#- "First impresson ij last impresson":D

Jill - a.k.a - Massa - "Massa - inki duniya bread-butter aur doodh pe chalti hai"

Jinesh - a.k.a - Ganna - "aage se bhi chhota, peeche se bhi chhota"

Nitin - a.k.a - Anna - "Sabhi ladkiyon k pyaare pujya bhaiya, anna ki aadhi zindagi "behno" ko khush rakhne main nikli hai"

Nihar - a.k.a - baba - a.k.a - akki "Inke saath satsang karke na jaane kitni zindigiyaan barbaad ho chuki hai"

Shaishav - a.k.a - Poochie :-0 - a.k.a - Rajshri Productions "The quintessential chocolate boy of real life, inka favorite kaam hai sooraj barjatya ki movies dekhna aur gaane gaana"

Sanjay - a.k.a - da - a.k.a - madrassi - "Rajnikant ka chhata avatar"

Hitesh - a.k.a - Motu - a.k.a - shot - a.k.a - mand "Inse bada 'shot' shayad duniya main koi nahin hai"

Dipen + Dodia - a.k.a - Gay brothers :) :)

Buch - a.k.a - Chhote - "inki aur bade ki dosti ki aaj bhi log misaal diya karte hai"

Ankur - a.k.a - Dollies :)

Cudn't ve made a more fitting tribute to my buddies here.. Guys, all of u rock.. Will always miss u!!!

Keep in touch..

Ciao :)

Well.. As u can see, this movie doesn't have a leading lady.. So nominations for the same are invited :D

Sigh! Bajrang dal walo ko ladki milna mushkil hota hai :(

A walk to remember..

A street so familiar i walked that day..
And voices inside me forced me to stay,
Paused for a moment
Took a walk down the memory lane..
N the autumn winds brought about memories..
Memories of warmth, memories of togetherness,
Memories of blissful love n memories of pain..
N when a dry winter breeze finally broke this dream,
Sporting a wry smile and eyebrows raised,
My leaf like journey began again..