Precious Pearls

Never judge a book by its cover! And don’t get awestruck by a man who’s reading it!! The other day, I happened to attend an event in a college about Vachan Prerana Din, the day that highlights the importance of reading. It is celebrated in the memory of former president late Dr Abdul Kalam. Some speeches bespoke their struggle of preparation to quote verbatim of renowned thinkers. While they were speaking, I could read their minds as their efforts of translating something into words which they had not experienced were visible. The most honest speech came from the anchor. She announced name of a girl to speak and the girl backed out. Oh, the anchor described the programme preparation process. “I asked girls who is the best speaker among you. They told each other’ names. Not one volunteered and I had to force them….” I could relate to the anchor as she was genuine and honest. Yes, in a flurry of wise words, her honest testimony stuck me because it didn’t come from the book… After ...

He was a man of myriad moods and yes, and some shoddy shades. Thus, making a biopic on someone like Sanjay Dutt would mean little more than a Bollywood business. Like his character was raising a question mark all through , a biopic on him raised many eyebrows. Why glorify a controversial character like him, many asked? A good family, loving and caring parents, a confortable shelter… Sanju had more than enough and still he got himself trapped into the dark side of life.   Drugs, sex scandals and trails and tribulations, Sanju’s story offered all the spice that a film would require. Nothing wrong for a filmmaker to choose a script that assures to be the next blockbuster. Nevertheless, making biopic on a man who is alive would be a tough ask. Like typical Raju Hirani films, this movie, too, is an eclectic blend of humour and emotions. While the movie effortlessly portrays shades of grey in Saju’s character showcasing things in black and white, the effort to remove that ‘t...

Finally I managed to take out those few moments with a book that was pending for years…flipping through a few pages, spending that maximum time gazing through the window side…I read little and still window gave a glimpse of the words written between the lines               Windows… they often offer vibrant hues and myriad moods of the world. Yes, the windows, the Microsoft giant Bill Gates refers to as something ‘to see through’. What is a room with a view without a wonderful window?   Sylvan surroundings, bountiful beaches, chirping sounds of birds or that beautiful full bloom, it’s a window wonder, right?     Anytime when you are little down or elated, just stand by the side of window sipping your evening or morning cup of coffee, windows are likely to have a calming effect on you. I have always found windows soothing. They are natural air conditioners. Allowing a fresh breeze of air inside, windows are the vigilant ventilat...

Beyond… Perhaps, a book could be judged by its cover, but not an artist by creative works, author by words, poet by verse and the least, a journalist by bylines! Of course, why should anyone judge anybody, this could be the fundamental question. Notwithstanding, by basic nature, a human being, being a critique, ends up in becoming a critic, unknowingly. You stumble upon some poetic lines which you find mesmerizing. Those prolific poetries can make you an ardent follower of the poet. You may long to see that poet in person and yes, s/he couldn’t be the person you could have ever imagined! In the age of digital media, social networking could have been a great leveller to bridge the gap that lack of interpersonal communication creates and at the same time, it makes you vulnerable to public scrutiny. ‘You are being watched’ is the feeling that often greets you when you are on the watch out for stories, as a journalist. There you are. Enough of generalisation, let me be more spe...

And the mystical monk landed on the shores of the Wiseland, which he had left four decades ago in the pursuit ‘Enlightenment’   A sea of people had come to receive him… what if ‘atheist’ government had issued orders to ban monasteries and forced many ‘monks’ like him to return to their motherland… This mystical monk was sure of the ‘grand reception’ in the Wiseland, his motherland… He had hoisted his sails when the wind was just right… The monk had harbored the thoughts of offering sermons and discourses to the men of Wiseland as he guessed they would be in the need of ‘Wise words from the mystical man’ He had prepared to talk about Life, God, Spirituality, Relationships, Meditation, Laws, Beauty and Death ‘Wait, hear us out before you speak, said the First Citizen of the Wiseland ‘We have heard a lot of discourses. We know Sermon on the Mountain. We have heard of Vedas and yes, also read the ‘Prophet’ by The Kahlil Gibran’…. ‘We are a civilized country. We are li...

Dan Brown Origin revisited God created man in his own image. And man, being a gentleman, returned the favor… And yes, Dan Brown, most certainly, has extended us this fervour with his latest title, Origin. And here goes my maiden book review. Let’s be clear at the very outset, I may not adhere to the norms (?) that go with the conventional book reviews and secondly, I am clear, Dan Brown’s readership doesn’t depend on my viewpoint! That frees me as a book reviewer and writer. Right from the word go, Dan Brown thriller is all here to ‘shatter the foundations of religions that have been haunting human race ever since its dawn’. The author does a remarkable job in delivering what he has set out for, ‘shaking foundations to the core’. As it’s an outspoken thriller, Origin is gripping and enthralling that keeps your curiosity alive till the last page of the book. ‘What Next?’ Brown doesn’t let you down on this. Brown must have given a rise to the new genre of fiction cal...