VOID

9th July’ 2012

When one door closes many other opens! I have heard this many times, but this time it's not just a door, it is much more than that.

I don’t remember the exact date or time when I met him but  gradually we developed a great relationship. We were neither friends nor relatives. We just had great teacher-student, student-teacher relationship. He always considered me as her daughter. Two common chords between us was- one we belong to the same state and second we followed same religion. I cannot get enough words to pen down about our rapo. On one hand, he used to appreciate me for my work and on other hand he used to scold me for my laziness.

I will always remember and cherish those afternoon sessions in the library where we used to sit and chat for hours. We used to discuss about students, friends and acquaintance which we had so much in common. And I always wonder how selflessly he thinks about everyone. How selfless a person can be?

Today, he is not with me and his loss has created a huge void, an emptiness. He is just irreplaceable. Athar Sir, you are missed, I needed you. You were my inspiration, my guide and my teacher.

It took me 2 days to gather the courage to write about this huge loss. While walking across the road, I still think may be one fine day you will come up and ask me- “Net Qualify karo Maryam, kab tak corporate world ke janjal me phasi rahogi? Utilize your talent.”

FILM REVIEW OF DHOBI GHAT

There are a number of Hindi films made on a metro city and its life, some explore the monotony of daily life, some relationships and some focus on hardships required to cope up with the pace of the city. The directorial debut of Kiran Rao- “Dhobi Ghat” released in January 2010 received mixed reactions from people. Even though the film got extreme reaction of being loved by some and disliked by some, the movie definitely made a mark and showed that Bollywood is not just limited to song and dance.

 Interwoven with the hustle and bustle of the dream city Mumbai, Dhobi Ghat presents the story of four individuals. The 95-minute film portrayed the city of dreams Mumbai in a complete new light.

The characterization of all the protagonists- Arun, Munna, Shai and Yasmin is very well done. And though the four protagonists are starkly different, all of them are entwined with each other in some way. The loneliness of Yasmin whose video diary narrates her day-to-day routine, the aspiration of Munna to become an actor, a washer man in day and rat killer in night, the inquisitiveness of photographer Shai and the restlessness of artist Arun is very well portrayed in the movie.

Cinematographer Tushar Kanti has done a splendid job. And all the shots of the film just look like moving painting of the canvas and successfully depict the Mumbai city.

Beautifully composed shots aided by an evocative background score fit very well with the varied moods, from melancholy to delight. The background score is definitely one of the many reasons that swayed the cinema lovers to fall in love with the film.

As a whole, the film leaves us moved as its protagonists bond together as they journey through longing, loneliness, loss and love.