I saw the Lake House today...I had somehow been drawn to it after watching a trailer and for once, the movie turned out to be better than promised. It helped that I saw it with N.
At the surface, it had a lot of elements which I may not find agreeable...a slightly confusing plot line, Sandra Bullock and a tender background music score. Yet the characters were endearing and the connection between them astonishingly real and natural. It was a well made movie - flowed well, and had good performances - and became a lovely movie by the way it made you smile and gasp at the right places. Like all lovely movies, it was a little sad at times. Like all lovely movies, it made you look inward and feel and think about yourself and your actions and your motives. It also kind of made me believe (at least while the movie lasted) in love and its purity and its madness and its power, the kind I once thought possible.
Though I have seen plenty (many!) so called romantic movies through the years, there are very few that have genuinely touched me. Off the cuff, I remember the following -
The French Lieutenant's Woman - the madness of love, tinged with a sense of doom and enoblement at the same time....
Before Sunrise/Sunset - the chemistry, the connection, no context, no needs
When Harry Met Sally - the growth/change in relatioships...the synonym for love - comfort.
Love and Death on Long Island - the sweetness and pain and intimacy and longing of the ones who loves
Brokeback Mountain - the sudden-ness of it all, the denial, the quiet pain, the devotion
Roman Holiday - the lightness of first love, the exploration, the wonder.
I hope I can remember the others and make a good list.
In the middle of this chaotic, muddy world, I create a small space where I hope inspite of everything....basically, i blabber on all and sundry and hope that somewhere i contribute something. To myself, at least.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Collection
Its been quite some time since I posted, and there are several reasons for that; the main one probably being that when I have a lot to think about, I either vent it out furiously in a flow of language that mirrors the madness/excitement/maelstrom within, or go to the other extreme and just retreat until I collect the thoughts, bring some coherence and calmness into myself and then sort them out one by one.
The past few weeks have seen a lot of activity and interactions and decisions and steps on nearly all fronts - family visiting, conversations with close ones, deliberations with colleagues, role discussions, frenetic work pace. But contrary to standard belief, this hasn't meant that I have gone into switch off mode...instead, all the activity heightened my senses and enabled a flow of thought and emotion of a level I haven't experienced for quite some time.
So what have I been thinking of...?
Of changes to our personality, brought about by the gradual, consistent, insistent beating of waves against the surface, until we give in. And look at each other with surprise, regret, resigned acceptance tinged with a little shame.
Of role reversals. Of the child becoming the mother. Of the self consciousness of the child when doing so, against the natural instincts which the mother once had.
Of moving to another, higher level. Of taking a thought through, structured, well aimed leap. Of letting go of ropes that tie me down with the purpose of inhibiting me, and holding on to those that equip me to jump higher without letting go of the roots.
Of the unusual, inexplicable nature of true relationships and connections that defy classifications (in fact, I would say that classification is a defamation of sorts) to bring out the best in two people who are joined not by blood/worldly ties/proximity/common interests/romance/sex but by just their souls.
Of new "friends" and old anchors. Of thinking of one with sudden, inexplicable bitterness and thinking of the other with sudden, painful longing.
Of the self indulgent nature of emotional and intellectual dissections that after a point cease to be a decision making tool (as meant to be) and become a reason for delaying action.
Of the humbling companionship of better people, reminding us of what we want to be, should be, could be. Of how we often run away from such companionship because it makes us face a reality we would rather ignore.
Of the strange nature of my needs/wants. I know what I need, and I go all out to get it and acknowledge it when I dont. But I rarely know what I want, or rather ignore what I want. And thus my life runs in a tangent to the rest of the people around me, because everyone is so clued in to what they want, and never to what they need. Its dangerous sometimes. Mostly its convenient and makes me feel centered. The accompanying loneliness is a small price to pay.
Of living life in cliches that probably became cliches because they were so relevant. In my case, its my desire to live life as a journey and not a destination. Maybe its my way of justifying a lot of things, but this cliche allows me to be quite happy today. And that means a lot to me.
The past few weeks have seen a lot of activity and interactions and decisions and steps on nearly all fronts - family visiting, conversations with close ones, deliberations with colleagues, role discussions, frenetic work pace. But contrary to standard belief, this hasn't meant that I have gone into switch off mode...instead, all the activity heightened my senses and enabled a flow of thought and emotion of a level I haven't experienced for quite some time.
So what have I been thinking of...?
Of changes to our personality, brought about by the gradual, consistent, insistent beating of waves against the surface, until we give in. And look at each other with surprise, regret, resigned acceptance tinged with a little shame.
Of role reversals. Of the child becoming the mother. Of the self consciousness of the child when doing so, against the natural instincts which the mother once had.
Of moving to another, higher level. Of taking a thought through, structured, well aimed leap. Of letting go of ropes that tie me down with the purpose of inhibiting me, and holding on to those that equip me to jump higher without letting go of the roots.
Of the unusual, inexplicable nature of true relationships and connections that defy classifications (in fact, I would say that classification is a defamation of sorts) to bring out the best in two people who are joined not by blood/worldly ties/proximity/common interests/romance/sex but by just their souls.
Of new "friends" and old anchors. Of thinking of one with sudden, inexplicable bitterness and thinking of the other with sudden, painful longing.
Of the self indulgent nature of emotional and intellectual dissections that after a point cease to be a decision making tool (as meant to be) and become a reason for delaying action.
Of the humbling companionship of better people, reminding us of what we want to be, should be, could be. Of how we often run away from such companionship because it makes us face a reality we would rather ignore.
Of the strange nature of my needs/wants. I know what I need, and I go all out to get it and acknowledge it when I dont. But I rarely know what I want, or rather ignore what I want. And thus my life runs in a tangent to the rest of the people around me, because everyone is so clued in to what they want, and never to what they need. Its dangerous sometimes. Mostly its convenient and makes me feel centered. The accompanying loneliness is a small price to pay.
Of living life in cliches that probably became cliches because they were so relevant. In my case, its my desire to live life as a journey and not a destination. Maybe its my way of justifying a lot of things, but this cliche allows me to be quite happy today. And that means a lot to me.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
The mirror has many faces
D says Artemis Fowl reminds him of me. Since I take that as a compliment, I desist from probing further :)
Other real/fictitious characters I have been compared to...
Jughead
Basanti
Karan Johar (yuck!)
Aftab (in Mast)
Dominique (from The Fountainhead)
I have no clue what the pattern is!!!!
Other real/fictitious characters I have been compared to...
Jughead
Basanti
Karan Johar (yuck!)
Aftab (in Mast)
Dominique (from The Fountainhead)
I have no clue what the pattern is!!!!
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Aaye aur gaye
We chatted, laughted, fought a bit.
We went to MOST of my fav places - Zero G (twice!), Firangi Pani, Opus, 13th Floor, Koshy's, The Only Place, Mainland China, 100 ft, The Beach, Limelite etc etc.
We saw 3 movies - one good, one bad, one decent.
We shopped till our feet pleaded for mercy and wallets were parched.
We went for 2 trips - one planned to the point of paranoia. one impromptu to the point of madness.
We had a cards party, one of the best evenings we have had for a long long time.
They came like a whirlwind (55 kilos) and left drunk n loaded (75 kilos)
P.s. thanks to D, L, Nkj, H, Sau, Sm
We went to MOST of my fav places - Zero G (twice!), Firangi Pani, Opus, 13th Floor, Koshy's, The Only Place, Mainland China, 100 ft, The Beach, Limelite etc etc.
We saw 3 movies - one good, one bad, one decent.
We shopped till our feet pleaded for mercy and wallets were parched.
We went for 2 trips - one planned to the point of paranoia. one impromptu to the point of madness.
We had a cards party, one of the best evenings we have had for a long long time.
They came like a whirlwind (55 kilos) and left drunk n loaded (75 kilos)
P.s. thanks to D, L, Nkj, H, Sau, Sm
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