GONE IS THE SONG

Gone is the song that was till now along

Coz we had to part and thus long

I am told, "it's better to let go of the feeling"

That once, just for you I did belong

My embrace with the hearty hugs

My kisses from your lips fruity mugs

All went in vain as you had left

In tears, I am, as all else is theft

I cried when others woke or slept

Feeling you close, your touch soft and deft

Now for your presence, I just wait

Wondering about you and my fate

When shall I again get to embrace?

And in kisses when I would praise

When shall my love, would I die?

And get to the place, wherein peace you lie

GOLD OF TWILIGHT

Taken at Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA while on return from Beach, the sky was beautiful that day. 

THE GRADUATE (1967) - ENGLISH

"Mrs. Robinson, you are trying to seduce me aren't you?" Isn't this a cliched dialogue. Yes it is very cliched but not in the context of movie, where it seems apt and fluid. 

It's a great example how simple things can be made interesting. It's the way we narrate a story makes it interesting and that's what directors or few audience call it as TREATMENT. So watch this out for treatment more than anything else. In times such as 1967, where world was grooving in Hippies and Rock music began with Beatles and few other bands, comes this satirical movie that questions the society. This movie has no dope, no rock music and no hippie stuff. It's about a mundane boy and his teenage thoughts. He is apprehensive about sleeping with a woman much elder to his age and yet falls into the temptation of her. Now, the point is he has to marry her daughter and make her fall in love for him. So that's where the movie is going to go.

Is it right to fall into temptations and also fall into love with a daughter of the temptation? Ah, unacceptable still for those tradition lovers but again the context has been put so finely well that rather than questioning more, it's better to give in to the character's state of thinking at that time. 

Yet, this is not a perennially contemporary that will be embraced at any time you watch it. In 1967 people would have loved it as they are watching such a taboo issue being dealt for first time. In 2012 that is 45 years later, many would have seen such movies or such issues being held in a much more interesting way. At least no this this cliched. There is a subtext to the character and a relevance of simplicity and that's why I liked it. 

The costumes just complement the vision and so is an emphatic sound design and oh, did I miss the music by Simon and Garfunkel that is apt and perfect and has a character to it, when the song Mrs. Robinson comes up. The performances are fine and Dustin Hoffman as Graduate plays it supremely well. All said and above is the writing that makes it a story worth watching and being compelled to. 

I liked it for most part except a silly ending of running away, yet there is an inherent meaning to it conveyed only in expressions. I would with 3/5 that is so very important and is yet a taboo is our society. Not sure, how may may like it as it is, yet I liked it.

दस्तूर

दस्तूर ये रहा अब तक कि जिसे भी मैंने चाहा वो दूर हो रहा
कसूर क्या है मेरा कोई तो बताये क्या ज़ुल्म मैंने किया
ज़ालिम है मेरा तकदीर जो मेरी हर चाहत को दूर कर रहा
मुक़द्दर क्यूं है ऐसा, मेरे छूने पर हर कली को पत्थर बना रहा
कोई तो अभी आकर बदले इस दस्तूर को
दुआ इतनी है कि कोई आकर बदले इस तकदीर को

गौर न कर

लिखी लिखाई पे गौर न कर 
लफ़्ज़ों के मतलब पे गौर न कर 

हाल-ए-दिल कुछ यु है तड़पती हुई 
आसुओं की नमी पे गौर न कर 

गाल नम है, भीगे होठ भी 
इस गीलापन का कभी गौर न कर 

सुख, चैन खो कर रात भर जो रोया 
रोने की वजह का गौर न कर 

कर तो कर गौर-ए-मोहब्बत का 
वरना ज़िन्दगी या मौत का गौर न कर

इश्क में

इश्क में खिला हूँ, इश्क में पला हूँ 
ढल जाऊंगा तो भी इश्क में 
ज़िन्दगी के नकाब उतारा और सजाये भी इश्क में 
जितने मिले ग़म, हम हस्ते सहे 
क्या करे जब इश्क ही इश्क है मेरी हर अश्क में 

INTRICATELY BEAUTIFUL

The SUN TEMPLE, KONARK, Orissa, INDIA. This photo is just a drop in that ocean that is intricately beautiful.

INDIAN NIAGARA FALLS

Referred to as INDIAN NIAGARA falls, there are CHITRAKOOT WATER FALLS in Jagdalpur, Chattisgarh, INDIA.

POETICALLY INDIAN

Taken in a village in Chattisgarh, INDIA. This is the beauty where in between sky and water, we live embracing nature.

MILITARY DRAGON FLY

Used to play a game in childhood - blue is military, green is police, red is helicopter dragon fly. This was captured at Puri Beach, Orissa, India

PERSEPOLIS (2007) - FRENCH

Historically a very important film. There are films on World wars and there are those on American Vietnam war. Basically, there are films in wars involving America but how life's are effected in Iran due to their wars is seldom seen. Yet, this movie is not all about war and nowhere is war actually shown. It's more as to how a child's life is affected by a war that she is not even part of.

Lots of changes have happened in Middle Asia and Gulf countries in the last half of century that is post 1950's where regimes in countries were overthrown and democracy was embraced. Latest to add is Egypt and before were several countries and Iran is was made republic in 1979. 

The story is of Marjane Satrapi and is directed by herself and is based on her autobiographical graphic novel. It brings out many facets of war actually and the tyaranny of leadership and how it affects poor inncoent people. 

If anything I loved then it was animation, 2D animation and the simplicity that lay in telling a story effectively. Kudos to Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud for showing us a movie that showcases us characters that are universal in nature and the way they react yet are attached to their nativities and inherited biases and inherent inhibitions. 

Marjane is a girl worth wooing for, who is spirited yet flawed who is fragile and easily broken, yet upright and progressive in outlook.

This movie touched me and the narration was compelling. I will go with 3/5 a good one for sure and please have time for some history to be known that might not be relevant to anyone outside Iran, yet the theme of "freedom seeking" is universal.

OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE! (2010) - HINDI

A delightful charming film that has to be welcome in a Hindi Film Industry.

Few films show us answers and reasons, few films challenge our observation and leave questions for us, so that we find answers. This films challenged me, I was surprised to see Paresh Rawal play 3 different characters and all 3 betray our super hero thief Lucky(Abhay Deol). So this commonality of characterisation was what Dibakar Banerjee wanted to show to us. Also, lot many questions are shown as to how silly people are, actually are they so silly? May be yes, if you give in, you will enjoy this thoroughly and even if you do not then you are left to explore the logic and in each character seems to be adamant about what it wants to achieve.  The most plus point of this film is Abhay Deol who plays Lucky and is fluent at what he does. He does not seem to be acting anywhere, just reacting to what has happened and just doing what that character would expectedly be doing. Actually a weird character but after a while we just get used to his pranks and his ways of stealing. 

Nicely written by Dibakar Banerjee in bringing out the milieu and flavor of a Delhi that is all in its characters, the cinematography should also be commended. Above and all, I would go with the costume design that are actually gaudy flashy and yet seem to be speaking a language of the character. I would deride, editing though and editing could have been lot better. Lot many scenes just to establish a chracter even after that character has made an impact...I am talking about Gogi (Paresh Rawal -2) and too many photographs in the last part of the film. I would have enjoyed it more had we known how Lucky plots each theft and what goes on in his mind.

I would go with a 3/5 for a movie that seems to be simple yet is bring alive by its characters that are multi layered and have for sure made an impact.

INCENSE AIRS

Throwing across horizons, airs of incense

Ceasing never with fragrance so intense

Moving with an enticing gait

Jeopardizing each nook in your wait

Solder you do passion and lust

Of each heart that does still beat

Galvanized in your sensuous heat

Not coz it’s helpless and but it’s a must

Gasp it does as you walk near

Such incense might take me to heaven

But I shall part, is the only fear

Before you hug this soul that’s love craven

THIRST QUENCHED

When I parched, you drenched

With drops of love, my thirst quenched

But not for long, you did stay

You would be gone you never did say

I am in wait,

For one share of those drops,

Drinking them I steal a stare

DRIVING INTO CLOUDS

It seens as if we were driving into the clouds. Taken Enroute Las Vegas in Arizona, USA.

PINK WET ROSE

I liked it wet, the dew drops added to this. Taken outside my uncle's home at Nashua, New Hampshire, USA.

JEOPARDY

In a jeopardy, they survive
do not know, if tomorrow they live?
Vagabonds they were and now they sleep
Still, they keep, missing the hunt leap
Their prey, the deer’s bison’s and rabbits are missing
Its a drought of the taste, they have been wanting
The humans have killed their food
And they have scarcity to eat or to feed
We want to save them,

From their peril which we have incurred upon
and now we keep a vigil,

To bring them the days of glory and bright
And they gaze in melancholy, the days ahead
They lie keeping an eye on their cubs in fright
Wondering at the brutal ways of the human head

Written for "SAVE THE TIGER, THE WILDLIFE"

ATITTUDE OF SEAGULL

My friend commented as ATTITUDE for this. This was taken at  Acadia National Park, Maine, USA.

PRASTHANAM (2010) - TELUGU

Is it right to be held for 2 and half hours to see a many destroy himself not with guilt but with fear. And a fearful man be portrayed as a man with ideals.

Who has the faith to go the distance is the one who can stumble upon any heads and destroy anything for his own selfishness. This is the way I thought after I had seen it. The movie is about family feud that is bestowed upon them by a deed of one of the key members who becomes a heir and a strong man. His fault was to misread people and thus bring upon his own destruction. Did I tell the whole plot, or partially I do not know but I recommend this movie to be seen for dialogues. The dialogues are exemplary and delivered superbly by Sai Kumar (Lok Nath) and Sharwanand played within his own self though at times his limitations were shown. Other did their bit just to complement the characters. 

Editing is bad and lot many scenes even if cut would not have made actual difference oh, please remove the romantic songs throw them off. Cinematography is commendable, not only in showing the feudal politics but also in showing us emotions and bringing characters alive. The music does its bit in background and background songs are good too. 

Yet, there are many points the film missed in identifying. It actually included a lot many scenes just to justify characters is that necessary is what I ask the director, may be for Telugu Audience yes, but I am one of the rotten lot or can I make a character in a few scenes and not too many, I think 2 scenes of consistency or 2 scenes of variation wil bring out a character but here it revels in showing nearly 20 scenes to show us how corrupt and how selfish he is. 

But I would give in for most, yet a half hearted attempt that baked in a lot of unwanted songs just to make it 'COMMERCIAL' this is compromised cinema and I dislike such attempts. 

An average 2/5 for the effort by director and for acting by Sai Kumar and good cinematography. All else is as routine as a gangster movie.

Do watch 'Road to Perdition' and 'Godfather' please.

NATURES COLLECTION

Taken at Anjuna Beach, Goa, INDIA and taken in December 2007. Most of the pebbles now seem to be missing.

SABRINA (1954) - ENGLISH

A joyous movie that is dramatic in tone and humorous in presentation.

OK, a story of a rich boy poor girl and to make it more interesting is a triangular love story and to make it more interesting is the two boys who fall for same girl are brothers and to make more interesting is that the girl is their driver's daughter. Enough of revealing the plot now.

It's SABRINA's story that is played by Audrey Hepburn with histrionics that are good for the scene and with emotions that are apt, she made Sabrina a lovely lively girl. Humphrey Bogart is just fine though I saw a bit of discomfort in few of hi emotions especially when is trying to hide his emotions from Sabrina. William Holden is the lover boy and seems apt in it. 

All said an above is handling of acting and expressions by Billy Wilder, the master director. I actually resort to his movies when I am not in good mood and he brings back a smile on me. This movie does that very thing again, he sets the screen on a serene charming pace that as the things fold we just are so lethargically in love with the whole it. 

If there has to be a mention after writing and acting, then it's editing and costume design. A scene where Sabrina denies going out just because its not the right attire speaks for the care taken to keep the dresses right. The dialogues are actually very beautifully told, rain in Paris, oh, such a nice thought. 

See it to know how romantic are conversations. I believe if you need to have a beautiful romantic film, then the conversation between the boy and girl needs to be romantic is every word. They have to be like poetry, fluid, enticing and ah so touching. This movie may not be having all such traits yet each conversation lights up and adds flamboyance. 

I go with 4/5 for Sabrina.

If you are not willing to see this movie in purest form, then see it in a corrupted form of "Yeh Dillagi" in Hindi by Akshay Kumar, Kajol and Saif Ali Khan.

WAITING FOR A FRIEND

Away you are my friend, and I am still in wait

Hope to see a bright and a changed fate

So long, we shared a smile

Before we smiled for hours

A thank you too has been so long a while

Now, I wait for again those sweet words

Let’s open up to those thoughts

That we shared and cared for

Let’s get to know, please

What we share now and care for

Friend, I am writing with nothing but hope

That there shall not be an end

And with you in heart, in my every smile you shall be there

And every pain I shall for sure cope
Coz I believe those days shall surely be back

LEOPARD AFTER LUNCH

The mighty is feeling Yummy after lunch. Taken at Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico City, Mexico. 

AFRICAN LION

Taken at Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico City, Mexico. 

BLUE AND YELLOW MACAW

Taken at Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico City, Mexico.

LANDSCAPE OF CROP AND CLOUDS

Taken Enroute Grand Canyon from Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.

FOUNTAIN AT NIGHT

A beautiful old fountain taken at night. At Bay Harbor, Maine, USA.

LOITERING

Loitering at a beach, was her, while I captured her just a bit. Taken at Captiva Islands, Beach, Florida USA.

LAPSE OF THOUGHT

Lapse of a thought so momentary,
It aint deliberate just involuntary
Dropped sanity for a beauty
to witness her brutality
In words she entices
Just to kill by looks
In faith she rejoices
to betray all books
She hit me hard i aint gonna say
She just touched so sweetly in a way
That the lapse aint momentary
It's for a lifetime though involuntary

TRAGIC REPORT

After all the tragedy,
Life is back to normal
The father who took his son to morning walks
Now walks alone and rarely talks
The mother who sang lullabies to make her child sleep
Wanders lonely giving a pat on empty bosom
Showering tears of pain too deep
Brother, who held his siblings hand every time
Now does it as if it’s an act of mime
Sister, who was happy feeding parents,
Now cooks for them but with laments
For they have lost their eyes
And she, her laugh and has just cries
While on the first anniversary
The newspaper reports
‘Life is back to normal’,
Making the pain merely formal

LULLABY SCENE

Giving a pat on her child's back
she stands in the moon light
she renders a lullaby to get him a nap
that made the dull night so bright
Singing the solo in such a voice
that makes surroundings rejoice

She is not a nightingale
She is a night angel
She has come to give her baby some sleep
With a tune that takes him into frills too deep
I ask myself whether I ever got such a chance
As I see great beauty in life's this little nuance

There came a bee to perturb him
she swayed it away with her touch on that tiny nose
So that nothing can disturb him
and now I too remember that I got this lullaby dose
as he is my brother
and yes, she is my mother.

WISH AND LIVE FOR

Just a lifetime's dance, a little romance
A chance to admire your every nuance
This is what I wish and live for

Just a tender kiss, even a moment's bliss
Hugging you in my arms to say 'yes miss'
This is what I wish and live for

Just a lot more to say and lot long to stay
In this way and sway in songs of gay which say
This is what I wish and live for.

SOLDIER AND HIS DAD

The valiant soldier's valor has gone in vain
the pious priest's prayer has left him pain
For, the priest has lost his only child
That's the soldier who fought in the wild

He went into the forest to fight the foes
Took it as his duty and had no woes
While his dad kept himself locked in the church
The prayer of his dad "do not leave my son in lurch"

He fought with each foe in sight
For he did not want to lose the fight
He just brought to death as many as he could
And never gave it up which as a soldier, he should

Then came a bullet which struck his chest
But he still stood tall to see the end
Of the man, who is making him rest
He shot him and said "Goodbye friend"

The news came to the priest
From the army men "We lost our brother"
The patriot then rose from the priest who said
"Never mourn on the death of a soldier
Because it questions the courage of the master"

ABOUT MANY

Few have done something substantial
And many live for the sake of it
Few have truly achieved their potential
And many try for the sake of it
World is a mess, under a lot of stress
As cloth is under a hot press
Many still strive and just thrive
To fulfill their wants, the world has gave
Want of money, want of gold
Earning these, they just get old
And freeze one day in the cold

CITY LIGHTS (1931) - ENGLISH

Comically the most hilarious and dramatically the most moving film. 

How many times, one may see it we all shall fall in love with love, honesty. simplicity and sincerity again. A man's quest to keep a girl whom he just likes happy, to give her some light is just so delightful a journey. His interactions with a drunkard, a very funny boxing match, a flower girl's love are so well interlaced that never for a moment is a laugh lost or a smile broken. Yet it ends with the eyes left moist. 

A great movie and an emphatic achievement in films. 

The style is Slapstick, where each scene is just so comical. Each time he meets the flower girl, she welcomes him hilariously, each time he is away from her, he does something extremely funny. The romance is just filled with expression of eyes and it is so very subtle. I must say the whole movie is like a poem with sublime lyrical beauty. It's very fluid as the scenes just flow.  I surrender myself to the genius as Charlie Chaplin and to a great movie as City Lights. Please please please see it as this movie would still stand the test time of time and I am pretty sure, it would still be loved a 100 years later. 

It's flawless and 5/5 from a little movie buff. I loved this greatest Romantic Comedy ever. I think who all have seen it, shall surely love it. Silence is a great language coz few things are beautiful when expressed silently

TWILIGHT AT DAYTONA

The colors of Twilight just before Sunrise at Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.

SUNRISE

Sunrise At Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. One of the most beautiful sunrises of my life. 

FLYING FROM SUN

Taken At Siesta Keys Beach, Florida, USA. The seagull is flying off.

ABSTRACT

Taken At Acadia National Park, USA. It's a stem of a plant whose leaves have fallen.

BUSINESSMAN (2012) - TELUGU

All men cannot be fooled some times, but some men can be fooled all the time.

Telugu audience seems to be falling in the group of those who can be fooled all the time.

Its a mess of a film in reality and the only saving grace are dialogues that are though overboard at times, are delivered well by Mahesh Babu. But this movie fall short in many ways and is still a big hit. Songs are a waste of time. 'Sir Osthara' a rage song now in Andhra Pradesh just shows the taste of cheap audience. I would have loved the song if it was filmed on maids and beggars praising the hero, than a beach song as shown in film with heroine. I wanted to kill the director for most ridiculous use of 'For a few dollars more' music for heroine. Killing of a prisoner in jail itself in Kabaddi MAtch, getting in touch with each and every MP just like that. Doing things at will and beating up any number of people without being hurt. All this is mere crap. Most ridiculous flashback and a reason for one to become DON.

Now, having said all that what I liked is the way Mahesh Babu told his lines, and his reaction was just what was required for that very scene. It was a reaction that was there with envy  and a gusto that is a rarity yet in a Garbage that is Telugu Film Industry. Few things are good and many things bad. If not for Mahesh Babu, mostly it was a reject for everything. I can see this man as the one who is learning to understand the director and even though its most silliest is trying to bring life into scenes. 

Its an average watch and never even as good, yet I liked the way Mahesh delivered his dialogues. All rest was silly. I dont recommend it, if you are looking for a story. Just 2/5.

సందడి చేస్తున్నవి నా మనసులో

దొరకని వలపుల పలకరింపులు, 

దొరికిన చనవుల కేరింతలు 

సందడి చేస్తున్నవి నా మనసులో

ఝరుల పరవళ్ళు అలల నురగళ్ళు,

శరత్ వెన్నెలలూ వసంతపు కోయిలలూ 

సందడి చేస్తున్నవి నా మనసులో

తుమ్మెదల ఆటలూ తూనీగల పాటలూ, 

ఊరు బయట దోబూచులాడిన సయ్యాటలూ 

సందడి చేస్తున్నవి నా మనసులో

నీ కుసుమాల కనురెప్ప తలుపులు,

నీ మధుర అధరాల పిలుపులు 

సందడి చేస్తున్నవి నా మనసులో

నీ దర్శనమే నా ప్రేమకు నిదర్శనమని 

కొమ్మలలోని గువ్వలూ, కొలనులోని చేపలూ 
సందడి చేస్తున్నవి నా మనసులో

V FOR VENDETTA

Shall we seek violence
To redeem our lost peace,
The last visage to seek vengeance
To build back a place of verity
With a vision not visualized by any visionary
Seek devices or vices to fight
And vividly we shall with valor win,
Violins shall then voice in unison
The valor of each martyr
Verity shall be embraced by all
Veils could not bring peace
Violation and violence shall thus prevail
It claimed vendetta from all silent and non-violent
The rebellion is now honored with "victory"

My small tribute to one of my favorite movies.

I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

A night when our eyes met,
The souls did unite then
For long we held each other
And never did we want to part

After a year of unison,
Occurred a pain so unforeseen
It made me give up my only passion
"My wife" she was, till that scene

I wished she left me 
I didn't want to see tears from those eyes 
And hear screams from that voice
My leg was amputated and I cant walk, 
Now I am also castrated

I wish she didn't come to see me paralyzed
Yet she came to fall on my knees 
To burst into tears and to amplify my fears

In a mellowed melancholy voice whispered,
"I will take care of you" hearing this I trembled
I felt the jump of the lump in the throat
And my heart was to heavens afloat

That was the best thing I ever heard
and tied in my wheelchair I just pass
Each moment seeing her say
The same line over and over again,
"Having her" lets me forget all the pain

VIKARABAD TRIP

A short trip to a barren place called Vikarabad in Andhra Pradesh.
Please click on photo to view the album.

RED CRAB

Red Crab taken at Appakonda Beach, Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA