120 Bahadur: A cinematic tribute to Rezang la war heroes

 

A new Bollywood movie – 120 Bahadur starring Farhan Akhtar as Major Shaitan Singh will be a cinematic tribute to the Indo-China war happened in 1962. 120 Indian soldiers were pitted against a Chinese army of 3000 soldiers.  Though Shaitan Singh and his comrades perished in the war, their guts and courage succeeded in overpowering the marching enemy. The upcoming war movie : 120 Bahadur is a homage to the fallen heroes.

A glimpse at the Rezang la war :

Saragarhi, Kondana, Ladakh, Kargil, Galwan…The list is endless. Some battles were fought for forts, some for nation and some for honor. Every time a battle took place, blood spilled on both sides. The 1962 Indo-China is a horrifying reminder of carnage. The Rezang la battle of 18^th November 1962 claimed lives of several Indian soldiers who fought till the last man against Chinese. Though Indian army lost the battle, it succeeded to overpower the marching enemy. The Rezang la battle is incredible story of courage, hope, patriotism, will and sacrifice. Today’s generation idolize fictional heroes on screen but haven’t heard anything about Major Shaitan Singh and his platoon who took a might against 3000 Chinese soldiers.

The 123 soldiers at Rezang la were deprived of winter clothing and weapons to face the severe chilled weather and the advancing enemies. What they didn’t lack was courage. Under the leadership of Major Shaitan Singh, the soldiers took a might against huge Chinese army that were equipped with automatic guns. While the Chinese soldiers had modern ammunition, our Indian soldiers had vintage rifles. Despite the odds, Major Shaitan Singh and his troops fought till the last man and perished on the battlefield. It is been said that Major Shaitan Singh kept inspiring his men, running from post to post even when he was bleeding severely by a bullet. His stomach had burst open. Though the Rezang la war was a defeat for Indian army, it had been victorious by displaying raw courage even in adverse situations. The care free attitude of Indian government claimed the lives of several brave army officers like Major Shaitan Singh and Subedar Joginder Singh. Only Major Dhan Singh Thapa lived to tell the story. He had defended the Sirijap sector with his raw courage but was overpowered and taken as prisoner of war by Chinese. Who can forget the sacrifice of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat who single handedly killed 300 Chinese soldiers in battle of Nuranang on November 1962?

 

I had read about the valor and sacrifice of Major Shaitan Singh and his brave troops in the book – The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories written by author Rachna Bisht Rawat. The story literally made me break in tears. A soldier doesn’t die when he is shot by a bullet, he really dies when we forget his sacrifice. Our history textbooks won’t give you any information on the forgotten heroes of Rezang la war. That is the sad irony that today’s young generation hardly know about the Rezang la war and the soldiers who fought for India’s honor. The Kumaon regiment led by Major Shaitan Singh was one of the bravest regiments who taught the world what courage really meant. Major Shaitan Singh was awarded Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his courageous stand and sacrifice. Today, only two soldiers – Havaldar Nihal Singh and Captain Ramchander Yadav who survived in battle of Rezang la can tell you in detail what a great soldier Shaitan Singh was. If you travel to Ladakh, do visit to Rezang la war memorial where you will read the lines written in memory of war heroes.

 

How can a man die better
than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his father,
and the temple of his gods.

If I hadn’t been a writer, I would have been a soldier, facing bullets and driving away the marching enemy who dared to cross the border of my nation. I have the regret that I couldn’t be a part of Kargil war in 1999. Through this writing platform, I am trying to pay my tribute to the fallen heroes of Indian army.  

After Lakshya, 120 Bahadur will be the 2^nd patriotic movie with war as the backdrop. The movie will be produced by Excel Entertainment in collaboration with Trigger Happy Studios. I am happy to know that Bollywood is making movies on our war heroes and their courage in battle of Rezang la and Longewala.

Stree 2: The terror of headless ghost

 There is lot of buzz circulating about Stree 2. The first part of the movie was based on the urban legend of Bangalore – Na le ba. There was a rumor that a ghostly woman haunted the streets of Bangalore, targeting men. The mix of horror and comedy elements in the Stree movie struck a chord with the audience. The 2018 movie Stree has its own fan base. Shraddha Kapoor’s mysterious character who is responsible for overpowering the witch of Chanderi returns back in this sequel to solve a case of new urban legend.

The new urban legend in the movie will be about a headless ghost who will terrorize the town of Chanderi. The urban legend of headless ghost is inspired by classic short story – The Sleepy Hollow written by Washington Irving. The 1999 Hollywood horror movie – Sleepy Hollow starring Johnny Depp was based on the legend of headless horseman.  Johnny Depp played the role of Ichabod Crane, an investigator who is assigned to solve the mysterious killings committed by a supernatural entity. Apart from being inspired by headless horseman from Sleepy Hollow, Stree 2 is also based on an urban legend from India about a headless ghost. Now it will be interesting to see how the villagers of Chanderi will get rid of the headless ghost in the sequel of Stree. According to recent news, Akshay Kumar will appear in a cameo role. He will reprise the role of Dr. Aditya Shrivastava from 2007 movie – Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Even Varun Dhawan’s character Bhaskar will appear in Stree 2. How is Varun Dhawan’s character connected to Stree is connected will be revealed in this sequel. To know more about Varun Dhawan’s character, watch the 2022 movie - bhediya based on wereolf phenomena.

My fascination for super-natural genre inspires me to come up with refreshing stories on ghosts and spirits. Since I enjoyed watching Stree, I am keen to see the paranormal events unfold in Stree 2. Stree 2 is scheduled to release this Independence Day.

To know more about headless horseman, do read the short stories by Washington Irving. Do watch the 1999 movie – Sleepy Hollow starring Johnny Depp.

Munjia: A timeless scary classic by C.A. Kincaid

 The recently released Munjya (2024) horror comedy movie is a glimpse into the urban legends of Maharashtra. The (Munjya) malevolent spirit of an ancestor scares the daylight of the protagonist when he unknowingly awakens the spirit trapped in a peepal tree of Konkan. The Munjia unleashes his ghostly terror on the protagonist and orders to find his long-lost love Munni. The Munjia won’t be calm until the protagonist searches Munni. How the protagonist succeeds to overcome Munjia forms the crux of the story.

These Munjias – tormented spirits of Brahmin boys who untimely died 10 days after the thread ceremony turn into a ghostly presence. Author C.A. Kincaid’s short story – The Munjia is also about a brahmin boy who dies an untimely death due to plague. His parents’ plan to get their son married take a tragic turn with his demise. To their horror, they discover that their son will turn into a Munjia as he has died untimely before his marriage. Thus begins the terror of the Munjia who terrorizes the village residents of Nashik. He even possesses a British officer and creates a havoc in the regiment. The short story ends with British officer getting killed and the salvation of the malevolent spirit. This short story was my foray into the world of supernatural elements and writings of C.A. Kincaid who had written several spooky short stories like ‘The Werewolf’, ‘The Panther People’, ‘Graveyard at Sirur’ and ‘The Kathi Robinhood’. Despite being a foreigner, Kincaid was well verse with Indian culture. His short stories are set during the times of British Raj. Even the short story Munjia is set during the British era. While reading the short story of Munjia, I had literally got scary goosebumps of watching Tumbbad on print. Such was the powerful impact of Kincaid’s writings. The rural settings, the gothic atmosphere and the spooky vibes are thrillingly described by Kincaid. The peepal tree is the refuge of the malevolent spirits like Munjia. They scare and terrorize humans from the confines of the peepal tree.

 The 2024’s horror movie – Munjya is set in 1952 in a fictional place called Chetukwadi where the ghostly presence of the deceased boy Gotya haunts the area. The accidental death of Gotya turns him into a Munjia. The evil spirit even kills its own sister who happens to be the grandmother of the protagonist. I found the short story of Kincaid more terrifying than the movie. The urban legend of Munjia is similar to Blair Witch Project, Na le ba ghost from Bangalore (remember movie Stree) and ghosts of Bhangarh fort. Konkan is a tourist spot for aspiring photographers, travel bloggers, foodies, tourists and writers. It is truly heavenly destination during times of monsoon. Besides its scenic beauty, it is also destination of ghostly presence. The origin of Munjya or Munjia is rooted in Konkan. My fascination for supernatural genre inspires me to write about the other side of nature which is full of fear. Do such ghostly beings like Munjia exist is a topic of debate. I will end this blog post on the famous lines written by Shakespeare in the play Hamlet.

‘There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio than are dreamt in our philosophy’.

Kalki 2898: The epic fantasy movie everyone is talking about

 A lot of hype is created around the upcoming sci-fi action with dose of mythology. The story revolves around the 10^th avatar of Lord Vishnu who will take birth as God Kalki. The teaser gave a glimpse on a futuristic world where Prabhas will be seen in role of Kalki. But what excited is me more is the introduction of the character Ashwathama in the small teaser. The role of Ashwathama is played by none other than Superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Draped in white robes, his face is covered by veil which reflects his enigma. What is Ashwathama’s connection with Lord Kalki?

The teaser also showed a digitalized young version of Amitabh as Ashwathama. I was awestruck by the visuals of young ashwathama in the teaser. Ashwathama was cursed by Lord Krishna to stay alive in the world for eternity. It is been said that Ashwathama is still alive even today, the only person from Mahabharata who was witness to the Kurukshetra war. He was the son of Guru Drona, the acharya who trained both Pandavas and Kauravas. There are speculations that several people have seen Ashwathama roaming in forest but there is no photographic evidence supporting the claims made by the people.

Author Kevin Misal’s book on Kalki is based on tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu. I have yet to read the book about the origins connected to Lord Kalki. Will the 2024 movie on Kalki shed a light on the avatar of Lord Kalki? The recent mythology book – The Hidden Hindu is a thrilling book based on the immortals from Indian mythology. Ashwathama is one of the immortals from Indian mythology who lives in seclusion.

The scenes from the teaser of Kalki 2898 remind me of movies like Dune, Avatar and Star Wars. It is exciting to see how Ashwathama will guide Kalki in establishing righteousness and justice in the world. More teasers and a main trailer are yet to arrive, creating more buzz around the storyline of Kalki 2898.

 

Urban legends from India – Na le ba

 What will be your reaction when someone calls from behind in dark of night?

 Will you keep moving or turn back to see? Especially if it is Amavasya or Friday 13^th, no one will dare look behind. Supposedly, if one turned back to see, he is doomed to die. Sounds absurd? Isn’t it!! In fact, such instances have happened in Karnataka, India. Long back in 90’s, a witch haunted the streets of rural side of Bangalore. She mostly targeted men. Any man, if mistakably roaming the streets of night was sure to die if he sighted her. Such was her terror that people used to write ‘Na le ba’ (Come tomorrow in Kannada language) on walls to drive her away. After reading this sign on walls, the witch used to go away and return back to haunt the streets. This cycle continued for several days.  This ghostly terror was short lived. Afterwards, such ghostly instances stopped happening in Bangalore. No one knows how much truth was in this supernatural phenomenon.

The 2018 Bollywood horror-comedy movie – Stree was based on urban legend of ‘Na le ba’. Only the location of the ghost story was shifted to Chanderi, a small town based in Northern India. The witch haunting the streets in movie had her back story. She was a prostitute who longed for true love. When she had found her true love, the prostitute and her lover were killed by the villagers.  To avenge her death, she stalks the streets of Chanderi village, targeting men. There was no backstory of witch stalking the streets of Bangalore. No know could trace the origin of her existence and the purpose behind targeting men.

 There are many urban legends and haunted places in India which have their own back story. Author Rudyard Kipling had once written about an urban legend of Shimla in his short story ‘The Phantom Rickshaw’ which revolves around a ghostly figure of a woman who is seen haunting the streets of Shimla, searching for her love. 

To know more about Na le ba, do watch the 2018 movie – Stree and for further reference, do read the 2019 ghost story collection - India’s most haunted: Tales of Terrifying places written by K. Hari Kumar. I am keen to pen down more stories on haunted places of India in my upcoming stories.

The tragic life of Hollywood diva Natalie Wood

 Natalie Wood is an unheard name to Indian movie audience. She was a Hollywood legend who rose to success by working as a child star to her ascent as a highly in demand star of 1950’s. Today Bollywood’s young actresses throw so many tantrums after one hit movie. They presume themselves to be Goddess of cinema. On contrary, Hollywood artists are humble, hard-working and dedicated and Natalie Wood belonged to that league. 

I stumbled upon Natalie Wood’s life, career and her untimely death while researching on an article related to Marilyn Monroe, the timeless diva of Hollywood. After publishing my story on Monroe, I learnt a lot about Natalie Wood’s difficult childhood, her heartbreaking relationship, her disturbed marital life and the stardom that tormented her. A gypsy woman had once predicted that Natalie would be successful movie star, but may lose her life due to drowning.

After learning about the prediction, Natalie’s mother became too much over-protective and controlled her life. It is been said it was her mother who pushed little Natalie into movie business. She was never allowed to play with other kids like a normal child. Since Natalie’s father made a meager earning, little Natalie was the bread earner of the family. Natalie Wood was not her actual name. Her actual name was Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko. Fondly called as Natasha, Natalia went on to become a child star in classics like ‘Miracle on 34^th Street’, ‘Tomorrow is forever’ and several other movies.   

Natalie’s mother was so obsessed with movie career of her daughter that she never allowed her daughter to mingle with male friends. According to sources, Natalie was forced to have a break up with a boy named Jimmy with whom she vowed to marry during her teen days. Her first crush, the boy Jimmy committed suicide by shooting herself. Jimmy’s death shook Natalie to such an extent that she shut herself in her room for a week. In later days, Natalie focused on her movie career to work as a full-fledged actress. Her breakthrough role earned her both fame and recognition in movie – Rebel Without a cause opposite the 50’s heartthrob James Dean. She became a close friend of James Dean during the filming of movie. Sadly, James Dean didn’t live to see the movie. His untimely death in car crash was a big blow to Hollywood. Natalie not only lost a great co-star, but also a great friend and confidante in James Dean.

Natalie’s name was linked to many Hollywood biggies including Elvis Priesley. Her personal life was equally stormy as her screen life. During her struggling days in Hollywood, Natalie is been said to be raped by a big Hollywood actor in a hotel. That incident was one of the tragic episodes in life of Natalie. She never revealed the name of the molester in public as she was too feared to mess with a Hollywood top notch actor. In Feb 2020, it was been disclosed that it was actor Kirk Douglas (father of actor Michael Douglas) who had molested Natalie. On death of Kirk Douglas in Feb 2020, it was been trending on a social networking site that it was Kirk who was the molester.

Though Hollywood gave her fame, success, money, it couldn’t give back her childhood innocence. Natalie won Oscar nomination thrice for her notable performances.

Mysterious death on November 29, 1981: Her fear for water remained a phobia and a nightmare throughout her life. The prophecy came true when Natalie drowned during a boat trip on a personal yacht. How did she drown? Did anyone pushed her in water? Why did Natalie get into water? Was Natalie murdered? Prior to drowning, Natalie had a big quarrel with her husband Robert Wagner. How could Natalie die when there were so many people on boat? Didn’t anyone hear her scream? Her body was discovered one day later. There are many speculations that it was her husband Robert who had drowned Natalie. The case of Natalie’s death was reopened in 2012, but nothing concrete conclusion came out of it. Like Marilyn Monroe’s mysterious death due to sleeping pills, Natalie too died a mysterious death due to drowning. Natalie’s life would have been a happy one had she not been a star. As predicted, she made a big fortune as actor, but lost the best years of childhood.

The inspiration to write this biography blog post came to me while I was penning a memoir on the Hollywood actor James Dean. This memoir on Natalie Wood is a sequel or follow-up story connected to 50’s Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

To know more about Natalie Wood, I would highly recommend watching the biopic: The mystery of Natalie Wood and the documentary – What remains behind.

James Dean (2001) – Biopic of the Hollywood’s rebel

 When it comes to making biopics, no one makes it better than Hollywood. Indian film makers make biopics only to en-cash their pockets. There is neither any heart nor soul in Bollywood biopics. While researching info on a celebrity, I stumbled upon the biography of James Dean, the 50’s heartthrob and an Academy award nominee who created a benchmark in acting with movies like Rebel without a cause, Giant and East of Eden. He starred in only 3 movies. His stardom was tragically cut short by his untimely death due to car accident on September 30^th 1955. Had he survived the car crash, he would have set new milestones. 

Dean is only the star who is idolized, worshipped and looked upon as inspiration even several years after his death. The 2001 biographical TV movie captures the intimate moments happened in life of the rebellious actor James Byron Dean. His troubled childhood, his tensed relationship with his father, his affairs, struggles, stardom and his untimely death are vastly researched and presented in the biopic.  James Franco who portrays Dean on the screen not only physically resembles the character, but also lives the role through his powerful performance. The movie begins with narration of James Dean where he recounts his early childhood and his efforts to win the heart of his father who neglects him. After his mother’s death, James is sent to live with his uncle and aunt in Fairmount.

 As James grows up, he aspires to become an actor. His realistic performance helps him bag a role in Broadway and Television movie. Happy with his progress in acting career, he longs to meet his estranged father, but only to discover a cold approach. It is irony that James’ father Winton never encouraged his son in any stage of life. James Dean kept his personal troubles ahead to focus on his movie career that catapulted him to stardom. His passion for cars and bikes was infectious. He had numerous affairs which include a failed relationship with actress Pier Angeli. Pier Angeli’s mother never approved the relationship of James with her daughter.  It was been said that James Dean was bi-sexual. The 2001 biopic doesn’t shed any light on this dark side of Dean. The biopic does highlight his relationship with Christine White, a struggling actress who supported Dean during his struggling days. Despite the box-office success, prestigious contracts with studios and a lavish lifestyle, Dean is unhappy that he can’t win the heart of his father. It is later revealed that James was not the biological son of Wanton, but a child born from the affair of his mother with other man. The biopic ends on a tragic note when James Dean dies in car crash. Dean’s untimely death shocks the whole Hollywood, creating an emptiness which cannot be filled by any artist. 

I was blown away by this heart-touching biopic on the Hollywood’s biggest star whose rebelliousness won him many accolades and praises. To prepare for the role of James Dean, actor James Franco started smoking cigarettes and brought the mannerisms of the late actor in this biopic. What brought me to tears was the scene where James Dean literally cries to win the heart of his father. Sadly, James’ father realized his son’s love only after his death. 

Only few actors could capture the rebellious nature of James Dean and later actor Heath Ledger was one of them. In a short span, Heath had made Hollywood take up notice of his works with movies like Monster’s ball, Brokeback Mountain, The Patriot and his academy award winning role as the Joker in the Nolan’s movie – The Dark Knight.  Unfortunately, Ledger passed away in 2008 due to overdose of drugs.

James Dean (2001) biopic premiered on TNT channel in August 2001, earning praises for Franco’s portrayal. If you are a fan of James Dean, I highly recommend watching this emotional biopic on the Hollywood’s most loved actor.

Tanhaji: The unsung warrior

‘The fort is captured, but the lion is dead’ 

This is what Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj uttered when he got the news of conquest of Kondana fort. Unfortunately the success of Kondana’s capture came at a very high price. Chattrapati Shivaji had lost his childhood friend and his most trusted military general – Tanaji Malusare. Tanaji attained martyrdom while undertaking the most daring mission of capturing fort Kondana which was strategically essential to strengthen the dream of Swarajya and overthrow the Mughals. Memorials are built in honor of brave warriors like Tanaji but are they really honored? A soldier or a warrior doesn’t die by the wounds of sword or a bullet from a gun; he really dies when we forget him. The dry chapters from history textbook didn’t justify his dare devilry act. Students mugged the chapters only to score marks. I got familiar with Tanaji’s story through Amar Chitra Katha book which told about his courage and sacrifice in detail.

 Tanaji’s courageous feats may have been faded from the memories of younger generation, but his legendary tale is coming in a new form through an upcoming biopic – Tanhaji: The unsung warrior starring the versatile star Ajay Devgan as the brave Maratha warrior ‘Tanaji Malusare’. I was happy that at least a biopic on Tanaji is been made when I saw the trailer but was equally sad to discover that it took so many years to make a movie on the great Maratha warrior. Capturing Kondana fort was not an easy task. With just a handful of 300 soldiers under his command, Tanaji scaled high peak mountain to free Kondana fort from the grip of Mughals. Legends say that not a single warrior had that guts to reach Kondana fort and resist the force led by the corrupt, greedy and evil general Udaybhan. Only Tanaji had the leadership, courage and will power to undertake such dare devilry mission. He not only took the enemy by surprise, but also killed many enemy soldiers of cruel Udaybhan. Tanaji was pitted against a mighty enemy like Udaybhan. Despite all the odds, Tanaji fatally wounded Udaybhan even when his hand was cut off due the fierce sword fight. Though Tanaji breathed his last in line of action due to severe wounds, he had fulfilled the promise by capturing Kondana for Shivaji Raje and Jijamata (Mother of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj)

Tanaji’s handful of soldiers had to face a mighty elephant named ‘Chandravelly’ which was a biggest challenge during their mission. The Maratha soldiers led by Tanaji not only killed the might elephant, but also slayed several Mughal soldiers. Capture of Kondana fort was the first surgical strike made by the armed forces of Shivaji Maharaj during dark night. The courageous feats of Tanaji will be relived in movie – Tanhaji: The unsung warrior. Before the Kondana capture plan was about to be executed, Tanaji was making preparations for his son’s marriage. He cared more for his nation than his personal priorities. He immediately met Shivaji Raje and chalked out the plan to capture Kondana fort with his team of 300 brave soldiers. Rest was history. Ironically Tanaji couldn’t survive to see his son getting married. 

Very less is written about Udaybhan the antagonist who crossed sword with Tanaji. The role of Udaybhan will be played by actor Saif Ali Khan who will be displaying his grey shades as corrupt Mughal official. Actor Sharad Kelkar will be portraying the role of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The movie boasts of a good star cast which includes Kajol, Ajinkya Deo, and Neha Sharma. Tanhaji: The Unsung warrior is been directed by Om Raut who gave us a powerful biopic - Lokmanya – Ek Yugpurush. The visuals in the movie trailer are high octane. The action sequences have the feel of a Hollywood action movie like ‘300’.  Power-packed with inspiring dialogues and mind blowing performances, Tanhaji – The Unsung warrior promises to be one of the awaited movies of 2020. If you want to get a glimpse on Tanaji’s life, I highly recommend readers to read Amar Chitra Katha book on Tanaji or watch ‘Farzand’ and ‘Fatehshikast’ which are connected to Tanaji Malusare’s life.

Tanhaji – The Unsung warrior is scheduled to release on 10^th January 2020.

Shyamchi aai (Shyam's mother) - Memories of Sane Guruji's mother

I have just finished reading the book Shyamchi aai written by Sane guruji and I cannot stop the tears flowing from my eyes which I experienced after every chapter of the book which reflected a mother’s unconditional affection for her son. Deeply emotional, equally entertaining, Shyamchi aai is autobiography of Sane guruji’s childhood and reminiscence of his late mother yashoda who imbibed truth, compassion, kindness and values in his mind with her teachings. The opening of the book begins with Sane guruji narrating his mother’s memories to children of ashram which takes them down the memory lane at Palgad, a small village based in Konkan.  Every chapter that I read I have experienced that these stories are a reflection of every child and his love towards his mother. But unfortunately nowadays the younger masses are so immensely influenced by westernized culture that they ignore their parents and give more preference to mean friends. This book is a eye opener for every son or daughter who neglect their parents . One of the episode of this book is very close to my heart where shyam hides in his house to avoid swimming in water as he fears water and is teased by his friends. How can  a mother tolerate the world taunting her son as coward? shyam is bitterly thrashed down by his mother and dragged to the well where he finally learns swimming. In this chapter, it shows that if mother can shower her love to her child, she can also thrash her child if he is mistaken or showing any ignorance towards his duties. After reading this chapter, I came to a conclusion that mother’s love is not blind, it actually leads us to right path.This episode of sane guruji’s life was included in the SSC marathi literature and I still cherish the memory of mugging down the grammar, answers just to score marks.

         

This story isn’t just about a mother and a son, it also conveys about a father’s love, respect towards Indian culture and elders. The book sadly ends with untimely death of sane guruj’s mother and unfortunately shyam is not with her at the last moment of her life as he is pursuing education in a far off village. This moment is very heart rendering and I was deeply touched about this mother who longed for happiness and success of her children. This book was adapted and made into motion picture in marathi language titled same as the book. Even the movie was equally entertaining and is still remembered today for sincere performances.

The scenic description about Palgad village is mentioned very beautifully in the book and there are many other memorable characters in this book like purshottam( shyam’s brother), durvanchi aaji( grandmother), dada( shyam’s father), venutai. This book gives insight on the culture of our Hindu tradition like taking meal in patravali,cooking tasty dishes like shrikand vada and cultural events like Savitri Vrat, Somvati Avas. When I finished completing this book, I discovered a new perception of life, a divine satisfaction, peace which a bhakt (devotee) receives after praying to God.

This book will stay in my heart forever, trust me this book is a life changing experience.

Lanka’s princess – A vengeful vamp or a misunderstood princess

‘The fault lies not in our stars, but in ours’ – Shakespeare

On international woman’s day, we accolade, salute and admire the feminine spirit of woman race. For a girl, various mythological figures like Sita, Durga, Urmila, Sati, Anusuya and Savitri are role models. Would a girl consider Surphanka as her role model? No, never. She is the lesser known and most hated character from Ramayana. She was Ravana’s sister, the dreaded demon king of Lanka. For those who feel that Surphanka was really a hateful character should read the novel – Lanka’s princess to know the tragic story of Surphanka who was once known as Meenakshi, the dusky princess of Lanka. Born with long sharp nails, she was partly demon, party human. Her mother, Kaikesi was a demon while her father Vishrava was a rishi (sage).

 Right from her birth, Meenakshi was always unwanted for her parents because her mother showered affections towards Ravan and Kumbhakaran while her father was more caring towards Vibhishan.  Deprived of parental love, she found the affection in her grandmother Taaraka. Through this novel, author Kavita Kane has highlighted the mediocre mindset of parents to yearn for a male child. Even today, a girl child is considered inferior in rural areas and is sometimes often left abandoned or killed. Surphanka too goes through this same plight. She is considered evil, timid and ferocious by her mother. Meenakshi and Ravana can’t see eye to eye. It is Ravana who kills an innocent pet of Meenakshi. Meenakshi’s hatred for Ravana grows up with time and flares up when Ravana kills Meenakshi’s husband. Even Meenakshi’s son gets killed mysteriously. And thus begins the transformation of Meenakshi into villainous Surphanka. She turns into a ferocious vamp to see Ravana destroyed. She masterminds conspiracies to trigger a war between Ram and Ravana. But in the vengeful vendetta, she realizes that she hasn’t gain anything in this senseless bloodshed.

 In Ramayana, there is very less mention about Surphanka. We only know that Surphanka made lecherous advances towards lord Ram and Lakshman. It was Lakshman who humiliated her by disfiguring her face. What happened before Ravan abducted Sita and what happened later after the death of Ravana is mentioned well to detail in Kavita Kane’s book – Lanka’s princess.

Be it Helen of Troy or Draupadi, women were indirectly the reason behind great wars. In Ramayana, it was Surphanka who triggered the war by manipulating events and provoking Ravana to kidnap Sita. The novel – Lanka’s princess is not just about Surphanka, it is also the story of the ambitious Ravana who becomes a pawn in hands of Surphanka. I really accolade author Kavita Kane for giving a voice to the character Surphanka through the book. In the first few pages the reader will feel sympathy for the poor Meenakshi. In the later pages, as Meenakshi’s happy family gets devastated, she takes no time to show her grey, vamp shades. I won’t divulge too much detail about this novel and let the reader discover the true nature of Surphanka.

The USP of this novel is the prologue where Lord Krishna meets an ugly, deformed hunchback woman named Kubja and tells her about previous birth when she was a demon princess and how her villainous deeds brought her destruction. The story moves to flashback and the story of Surphanka begins. According to my views, Surphanka was not a born evil vamp. It was the circumstance that shaped her destiny and transformed her into an ugly vamp. Had Surphanka’s parents brought her with same love and affection as they showered on Ravana, Surpankha wouldn’t have destroyed Ravana.

Since I have enjoyed this read, I am looking forward to read Anand Neelkantan’s book – Asura to know more about Ravana.

I rate Lanka’s princess - 10/10. After reading this novel, readers will definitely change their views about the demon princess Surphanka who was once a dusky, beautiful princess named Meenakshi.  

If God was your friend on Social network

What If God was on FB, Twitter and Instagram? What would you be your reaction when he would have accepted your friend request? Life would have become so easy.

In olden times, sages meditated for thousand years to seek a boon from their god. But now when you have God as your friend on FB, your every prayer would be answered instantly. Every now  and then I see people lining up at temples to offer their prayers to God with a hope to gain some materialistic things in life. The prayers sent from our heart connect with God sooner or later. Since God has so many devotees to bless, our wishes get delayed sometimes. Human being is an impatient creature whose desires are endless. The moment he realizes that his prayers are not answered, he starts blaming luck and God for it. Even I get angry on God sometimes.

Now that God has realized that he must find out some way to make life easy, he would have created a verified account on FB, Twitter and Instagram. Since God is active on FB, the list of his friends would go to zillion. Every now and then, a new devotee would send a friend request to God with a hope to get his prayers answered. His FB messages would be filled with complaints, requests and melodramatic queries (job, marriage, business, a sweet girlfriend or even becoming immortal). The other advantage of God’s online presence would be end of flourishing business of Godmen and astrologers who keep misleading people with their false predictions and advices.  

God would fulfill the wish of every devotee at the click of mouse. The most joyful part of God’s participation in social networking would be receiving weird Candy Crush requests from devotees all over the world. Especially on his birthday, he would be receiving a millions of birthday wishes minus the offerings. The most herculean task for God would be to fulfill a boon in form of a miracle of his countless devotees active on FB, Twitter and Instagram. His updates on miracle would get millions of likes and followers on FB and Twitter. But in this process, God will realize that somewhere he has lost his significance by making himself available on social networks. He will see that people on earth have stopped struggling, lost the value of emotions and become more impatient than earlier. The next day all the devotees will be shocked to discover that God has deactivated all his social network accounts and is no more available online. Now it is time to rebound for human beings.

I had seen the Jim Carrey movie – Bruce Almighty long back and found it interesting if a mortal person would have got the divine powers to be a god and fulfill all the requests. Being a human is easy, but performing role of God is really herculean and out of our capabilities.

God listens to all our prayers calmly and even fulfills it quickly. But we human beings are so impatient in desires that we don’t notice the miracles happening around us – the gush of life giving air, the cool shower of rains and the beating of heart that keeps us going. God doesn’t need a social network to fulfill our prayers.
The whole world is a social network for him and the people in this world his followers. Just remember God from the bottom of your heart and it won’t take a second to witness a miracle in your life.

With God, everything’s possible. Through this article, I wanted to convey a message that no matter how heart breaking struggles may be, our steps to temple always find a way to him. We will lose the significance of struggle if we don’t stand in queue for tireless hours to get his glimpse.

I hope God will read this article once I publish it on my blog. Maybe, he will definitely join us the social networks someday to answer our prayers instantly. After all, it is the Instagram age J

Immortals Of Meluha - A mythological adventure novel by Amish

Novel Title – Immortals of Meluha

Author – Amish Tripathi

Publication Date – 2010

Publishers – Westland

First of all I appreciate the imagination of author amish tripathi to come up with such a unique novel that retells the legend of lord Shiva in a fictionalized way. This book is like a reference guide for the readers who are new to Indian mythology and unaware of the legend of God Shiva.

When I gained my consciousness as a human being, it was lord shiva’s temple that I first visited and I felt a divine calmness in my mind. I wondered who must be this enigmatic yogi who is in constant meditation, detached from worldly pleasures. He is known by many names like “Ashutosh”, “Shankara”,”Mahesha”, “Neelkantha”, “Somnath”, “Balrajeshwar” and “Shambu”. “Immortals of Meluha” redefines Lord Shiva as a modern day warrior who realizes his divinity and potential as a divine “Neelkantha” and wages a war against inhumanity. On the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri, I bought this book and as I started turning the pages of this book, my faith and devotion in Shiva has become more stronger.

Synopsis : Set against the backdrop of Indus civilization, immortals of meluha is story of a Tibetan warrior named Shiva whose tribe is constantly attacked by a terrorist group named prakratris. He not only has to confront these deadly ‘prakratris’, but also find a secured and secluded place for his tribe where he and his tribe can lead a peaceful life far from the bloodshed and inhumanity. But destiny has kept some different plans in store for this valiant warrior Shiva. Nandi, a resident of a place called “Meluha” invites shiva and his tribe to migrate to meluha where they can be safe from the heinous prakratris. Though shiva settles down at meluha along with his tribes, he has to face a new challenge to protect “meluha” city from chandravanshis and nagas, the deadly enemies who are bent to destroy the meluhan empire. How Shiva protects Meluha from chandravanshis, nagas and prakratris is best described by author amish tripathi in the first chapter of shiva trilogy – immortals of meluha. Today where Indian authors are coming up with same stuffs like stories about call centers and emotional love sagas, amish tripathi’s book is really a visual treat and a refreshing change. Through this book, author amish has bridged the gap between mythology and history and presented a modernized version of Shiv puran. In this novel, you will find all the mythological characters like Sati, Daksha, Nandi in a complete new avatar.

Author Amish has redefined mythology genre with Shiva Trilogy

Immortals of Meluha is the first chapter in the Shiva trilogy followed by another two novels – Secret of Nagas and Oath of vayuputras. Immensely gripping with action, romance, intriguing story line and engrossing characters, Immortals of Meluha keeps you glued right from the opening scene till the grand intriguing climax. If I want to describe about this book in simple words then it is like ‘Avatar” meeting “300”. This novel will remind you of epic hollywood movies like “Ben Hur”, “Avatar”, “Gladiator”, “Kingdom of heaven” and “Brave heart”. I highly recommend this novel to the readers who love fantasy, history and mythology. Hope you all loved this article. Do comment and keep reading.

Har Har Mahadev !!!

The Godfather – A literary masterpiece by Mario Puzo

Novel – The Godfather
Author – Mario Puzo
Publication date – 1969
Genre – Crime

“Behind every great fortune, there is a crime – Balzac”

“The Godfather” novel is unarguably the best crime novel till date that has stood the test of time and has been hailed as the great masterpiece in the world of literature. Written by Mario Puzo, “The Godfather” revolves around the mafia chief – Don Vito Corleone who passes on his empire's responsibility to his younger son Michael. Through this novel, Mario Puzo gives you a glimpse in the dark world of crime where every dishonest job is done with honesty and how the kingpins of crime keep law and politicians in their pockets.

Inspired by actual events and people during america in 1940's, Godfather is the journey of a sicilian boy named vito who moves to america and how the incidents turn him from a ordinary grocery keeper into a mafia kingpin who on one side is a public enemy for the law while on the other side he is the savior or godfather of the innocent, oppressed and poor. Fondly called as the 'godfather' in the arena of crime, Don Vito Corleone's world turns upside down when he declines the offer to support illegal narcotics business and this is where other mafia groups come together to bring an end to the legacy of godfather. What rest follows is the series of massacre that leads to assasination attempt on don vito corloene and ruthless murder of his elder son – Sonny Corleone. This time Michael Corleone, the youngest son has to make his own destiny – either lead a happy life with his sweetheart or turn himself into a ruthless avenger and settle score with his adversaries who threaten to wipe out the existence of godfather. Michael ascends on the path of crime, turning himself into a dreadful vendetta for his foes and what price he pays to become the next godfather has been described very exceptionally by author Mario Puzo in his highly bestselling novel – The Godfather. 

This novel was adapted for motion picture and was directed by Francis Ford Coppolla. Released in 1972, this motion picture bagged several oscars and was hailed as the best motion picture in world of cinema. Actor Marlon Brando portrayed the title role while Al pacino played the role of Michael Corleone. No one could have justified the role of godfather with sheer magnificience as Marlon Brando did. He made this character larger than life with powerful performance. This novel became a great inspiration for several filmmakers to make gangster movies like scarface, goodfellas, once upon a time in america, american gangster , satya, dharmatma, company, sarkar and once upon a time in mumbai. Once you have completed reading “The Godfather”, then you should definitely read Hussain Zaidi's books – Dongri to Dubai, Byculla to Bangkok and Mafia Queens of Mumbai

A town called Dehra – Memories of Ruskin Bond’s Hometown

‘The past is always with us, for it feeds the present’ – Quote from the memoir

‘A town called Dehra’ is reminiscence of a sleepy town called Dehradun where author Ruskin Bond spent his boyhood as well as adolescent days. The characters in this memoir are Ruskin Bond’s relatives, his friends, love interest and the common masses residing in Dehra. From penning the memories of his father & granny to describing the scenic beauty of Dehra, Ruskin Bond has breathed life in the sleepy town called Dehra. What is so special about this book? The pages of this memoir are filled with the rare yester year photos of Ruskin Bond’s family (granny, siblings, friends and his mother). Sadly, there is no photograph of Ruskin Bond’s father in this memoir. In every book of Ruskin, his father has been mentioned in one or other short story. Even in this book, Ruskin reminiscences his long lost father in the first chapter. 

As you gaze at these photos, you will feel a personal connect to them. The pre-independent Dehra was different from the present times. Filled with flower gardens, litchi trees, ponds, valleys, Dehra was a town of the ordinary people. Very few books mention about the struggles of common people and Ruskin Bond’s books highlights the pathos of these ordinary masses. His popular short story ‘Garlands on his brow’ depicts the pain of a forgotten wrestler called Hassan. A popular wrestler Hassan succumbs to the charm of a flirtatious Maharani and what follows later is his fading charisma as a wrestler in the arena. Hassan is forgotten, ignored by his admirers and this ignorance claims the life of this unsung wrestler of Dehra. Ruskin Bond has even penned his fondness for cinema halls of Dehra in this memoir. He recounts his best days of watching movies in Odeon theatre at Dehra. Through this memoir, Ruskin Bond takes you on a trip to Dehra where you will see Dilaram Bazaar, the famous market place where Rusty and his friends relished on road side snacks. If you have read ‘The room on the roof’ and ‘Rusty Runs away’, you will be familiar with Somi and Daljit. In this memoir, Ruskin Bond has personally shared the actual photos of his friends. What captivated me to read this book was the short story ‘The last Tonga ride’ which recounts Ruskin’s fondness for Tonga rides and his friendly bonding with the Tonga driver Bansi lal.

A single reading session is not enough to savor on the nostalgic treat offered by Ruskin Bond in this memoir. This memoir is especially been written for those people who have fondness for past. If you are away from your hometown, you are sure to break in tears of joy and sadness when you read the chapters. When I was reading the chapters in this memoir, it reminded me of own hometown, my uncle’s little room, cousin brothers who pampered me with their unconditional affection. Sadly the hometown is more of a ghost town as all my relatives have departed. What remained in my mind are the sweet memories that keep playing like a re-run of a TV serial.

No matter how far and high a bird may fly, it has to return to its nest. Same is about us. We can never forget our roots, upbringing, heritage and our home. ‘A town called Dehra’ is a classic memoir that one will keep relishing with years to come.

R.K.Narayan – The author who created the world called ‘Malgudi’

R.K.Narayan (Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer) 10^th October 1906-13^th May 2001
Notable Works – Malgudi days, Swami and friends, The Guide

The only thing that reminds people of R.K.Narayan is the 80’s television show – Malgudi days directed by actor Shankar Nag. People loved the illustrations that appeared in the opening credits. These illustrations were sketched by none other than R.K.Laxman, the other genius in world of cartoons and journalism. As a child, I only recollect the episodes of Swami and friends penned by R.K.Narayan. Swami was my favorite ones as I could identify with him as a kid who was scared to school and loved to play and enjoy every moment of his boyhood. The legacy of R.K.Narayan is not just limited to the television adaptation of his books – Malgudi days and Swami and friends. He was a genius, a simpleton at heart and the simplicity always reflected in his short stories and full length novels.

I have read the full collection of short stories – Malgudi days written by R.K.Narayan and every short story in the book is close to reality. The hero of his short stories are the common masses we see in our day to day life – an office clerk, a teacher, student, mother, astrologer, pick pocket, servant, labour, merchant and shopkeeper. Through his short stories, he highlighted the heart breaking struggle of a common person, striving to make his best fortune in his life or adjusting himself to the rigorous situations of life. Especially the short story ‘Forty five a month’ in his book – Malgudi days is a clear representation of common man’s helplessness to choose between his job and his family. There are several stories in R.K. Narayan’s book which are a fine blend of light humor and bitter realities.

A recipient of Sahitya Academy award, R.K.Narayan was very different from other contemporary authors and what separated him from others was his knack to narrate even a complex story in a light hearted and simple way. This is what still appeals to readers even for today. His full length novel – Guide was adapted for major Hindi motion picture starring Dev anand and Waheeda Rehman. Though today’s contemporary authors write on love story, call centers, breakups, campus and sensational thrillers, they are nowhere closer to the legend called R.K.Narayan.

Though Malgudi was a fictional city created by R.K.Narayan, people still search it on maps and search engines to visit that people. Such was the charisma of R.K.Narayan’s writings which was believable. The place ‘Malgudi’ is the spirit of our India’s rural places and reflects the simplicity, culture, custom and traditions that we still preserve, respect and practice. In every small town or village, you will find a talkative man who keeps bragging about his courage through his stories or a kid like Swami who wishes to enjoy his childhood moments for eternity.

My bookshelf is adorned with the bestselling titles of R.K.Narayan – Malgudi days, Swami and Friends & under the banyan tree & other stories. Every time I feel nostalgic about my hometown, I definitely pick his books to visit the enchanting place called Malgudi. Through this article, I have taken a small effort to showcase my thoughts on the great genius – R.K.Narayan who wrote about the common people and was loved by the common people all over the world.

A face in the dark and other hauntings – An anthology of ghost stories by Ruskin Bond

‘I see dead people’ – lines from Hollywood movie ‘Sixth Sense’ 

Did you ever experience paranormal visions of seeing departed people? Have you witnessed seeing your long lost loved ones in your dreams? Dreams are route to connect with departed people. Whether ghosts, spirits or apparitions really exist is a matter of debate. Ruskin Bond’s anthology of short story on ghosts in this book is not just scary, but also has a nostalgic and romantic touch to it.

‘That night there was a thunderstorm. My bedroom window kept banging in the wind. I got up to close it and as I looked out, there was a flash of lightning and I saw that frail body again, swinging from the oak tree’ – excerpt from short story Topaz from this anthology

The ghosts in Ruskin Bond’s stories are frightening, but not disturbing. The stories are memorable, hilarious and sometimes heart breaking. Especially the short story – A face in the dark is the first chapter in this anthology recounts the story of an English teacher witnessing paranormal encounter with a faceless ghost. This story has been beautifully crafted with a touch of humour that will make you read these stories again and again. Some stories in Ruskin Bond’s collections are really spooky – especially the stories ‘The Monkeys’ and ‘The Topaz’. Ruskin Bond has written one ghost story in this collection which is dedicated to his father.

‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio.
 Than are dreamt of in your philosophy’ – lines from Shakespeare’s Hamlet

In this nostalgic chapter, Ruskin Bond recounts the supernatural event of seeing his dead father coming back to meet him. The ghostly form of his dead father not only guides him, but also protects him at several instances. Ruskin Bond has included this nostalgic episode in several of his short story collection. The 1998 Hollywood movie – Jack Frost is also based on such a premise where a dead father returns as a snowman to reunite with his little son and fulfill the wishes of his child and wife. The role of the ghost father was played by Michael Keaton in this family movie.

Even the 90’s movie – The Ghost had a similar plot where a dead man returns as a ghost to establish contact with his soulmate and make her aware of upcoming dangers. The Kevin Costner Starrer movie – Dragon Fly was more gripping on topic of afterlife and how a deceased wife tries to contact with her husband through paranormal signals.

Dreams are also a way to connect with your long lost loved ones. In my dreams, I had nostalgic experience of seeing my long lost maternal uncle who is no more with me. Whenever I was sad or depressed, I always saw my uncle in my dream, assuring that everything will be all right. The bond that I shared with my uncle in my childhood days is really memorable, especially accompanying him to buy comic books. I miss his presence really in these difficult times. Ruskin Bond also has also written a short story, describing his experience, meeting a long lost friend who is happened to be dead years back. 

All the 28 ghost stories in this anthology are unique. Whether it is connecting with ghost of Rudyard Kipling or meeting the mysterious Madam Sussanna who has killed all her seven husbands under mysterious circumstances, the stories gives you a glimpse at the supernatural elements in a very entertaining way. The most entertaining chapter in this anthology was the surprise entry of Detective Sherlock Holmes in the story ‘The Daffodil Case’. In this story, Sherlock Holmes teams up with Ruskin Bond to solve a case involving stealing of Daffodil flowers. The short story ‘Something in the water’ and ‘Night in the millennium’ are really creepy.

The ghostly settings in these stories send scary goosebumps, giving a feel of ghostly presence around you.  The recently released Bollywood movie – Phillauri draws inspiration from a spooky story ‘The Topaz’ in this anthology. Science may have denied the supernatural existence, but paranormal activities do keep happening in some corners of the world. If you love reading ghost stories, this anthology by Ruskin Bond is definitely a treat.

Visiting cinema halls – The best days of my life

‘The past is always with us, for it feeds the present’ – Ruskin Bond

For me, exiting from the cinema hall is the most emotional moment of my life. As the end credits roll, movie audiences are back to their life’s troubles. In his memoir ‘A town called Dehra’ Ruskin Bond had expressed his love for cinemas in his hometown Dehra. His visits to the yester year cinema hall – Odeon in Dehra were the best times of his youthful days. By coincidence, there was also a talkies called Odeon in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. My childhood was blessed with watching some memorable movies in movie theatres. Mard, Mr.India, Dance Dance, Andha Kanoon were some of the blockbusters I enjoyed with my family. School boys used to bunk their classes to watch the 90’s blockbusters like Baazigar, Darr, Raju Ban Gaya gentleman etc. Since I had a video player, I relished on movies from the comforts of my home. Like my classmates, I couldn’t never muster up the courage to bunk the classes and watch movies. In later years, I did catch up on some blockbusters at Malhar Cinema in Thane. I recollect watching Salman’s movie – Biwi No 1 at Malhar by purchasing tickets in black for 100 bucks. Such was my madness for movies. Though I stopped visiting Malhar cinema, I did enjoy some of the best and worst movies. Anand Cinema in Thane East is one destination which has a nostalgic feel to it. The Kopri area in Thane East is a sleepy town which is blessed with only one single screen theatre – Anand cinema. I enjoyed a forgettable romantic flick – Sirf Tum and Salman’s comedy movie – God Tussi great ho at Anand. Cinema halls have that ambience to make you fall in love with movies. Satellite channels and Movie apps can never give you the enjoyment that you relish in movie theatres.

Due to arrival of Multiplexes, several single cinema halls faced loss in their businesses and got closed down. I watched only one movie – The legend of Bhagat Singh in Aradhna cinema hall, Thane. Sadly, the cinema hall had to shut down in 2002. Among all the multiplexes, PVR cinemas are my favorite destination to catch up on movies. I remember watching ‘Jaane tu ya Jaane na’ for the first time at PVR cinemas, Mulund. I had specially taken a leave from office to watch this youthful flick. The big, wide screen, recliner seats, exclusive trailers make PVR cinemas a desirable destination. I lost the count of movies I enjoyed at PVR. Big Cinemas is one more favorite theatre which I occasionally visit. Bachna Ae Haseeno was one movie I immensely enjoyed at Big Cinemas. It had the typical Yashraj stuff – Foreign locations, romantic tracks, foot tapping music and beautiful chicks. I fell head over heels in love with Minissha lamba, one of the lead actresses in the movie. She played a typical Punbabi girl next door whom Ranbir Kapoor woos and dumps her. I still regret missing Rab Ne Bana di Jodi at cinema halls. I fell in love with Anushka Sharma in Rab Ne Bana di Jodi. Wish I could become like Raj and woo her. The movies are larger than life as their characters.

Off lately, I watched Anushka Sharma’s movie – Phillauri at PVR cinemas. Every movie brings lots of memories with it. Whether it is watching Dostana at Malhar cinemas or Quantum of Solace at PVR, each movie is stuffed with timeless entertainment. If you watch a good movie, watch it only at a cinema hall. Nothing beats the excitement of a silver screen better than a movie theatre. I consider that days of watching movies at cinema halls as the best days of my life.

Let me know about your favorite cinema hall and the movies you enjoyed in a single screen or multiplex theatre. 

Remembering Robin Williams

Actor Robin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014)
Memorable Performances – Mrs Doubtfire, Good Morning Vietnam, Patch Adams, Hook, Dead Poet's Society, Jack

A still from movie Dead Poets Society 

I regard “Mrs Doubtfire” as one of the memorable roles ever written for any Hollywood actor in the world of cinema. No actor would have made it as lively and witty as Robin Williams did. “Mrs Doubtfire” and “Jumanji” are the two movies of Robin Williams that I thoroughly enjoyed. I always had a desire to write one post on “Mrs Doubtfire” movie praising the performance of Robin Williams. His untimely demise on 11^th Aug 2014 left me in a state of shock as his lively movies always succeeded to bring smile of faces of countless people in the world. What an irony that Robin who entertained the world with his humor was in fact the unhappiest person battling depression for a long time. He was a great actor, stand up comedian, a loving husband and above all a adorable father to his kids. I still remember the joy of watching “Mrs Doubtfire” on Star Movies where Robin Williams transforms himself into an old nanny to look after his kids. What a memorable movie indeed!! 

Even his movies were a source of remake for several Bollywood filmmakers. Shahrukh Khan's role in “Mohabattein” was highly inspired by Robin Williams’s role in “Dead poet's society” while his other movie “Patch Adams” was a source of inspiration for “Munnabhai MBBS”. Robin Williams’ role as the Robot falling in love with a woman in Bicentennial Man was emotional. Whether it was Hook, Good Will Hunting, Good morning Vietnam, One Hour Photo or Insomnia, Robin Williams breathed life in every role. 

Robin has left behind a great wealth of laughter, smiles and cheerfulness through his movies. Though he failed to battle depression, he succeeded to bring a smile on everyone's face. His legacy will live on. Rest in peace Robin Williams.

The sword of Tanaji Malusare

‘Every man dies, but not everyone really lives’ – lines from movie ‘Braveheart’

Our today’s generation is fascinated with fictional characters from Game of thrones and Bahubali. Kids know about Spartan King Leonidas but have hardly heard about the unsung Maratha warriors like Tanaji Malusare whose ballads are still sung in India. Should we blame the history textbooks or the growing influence of Western culture on our kids? A lot is written, sung on the great warrior Tanaji Malusare but his courageous feat is slowly fading from the minds of younger generations. It is high time that we continue to pass on the stories of our Indian history to our coming generation and this article on Tanaji is a small effort to remember his courageous feats.

The ‘Povadas’ (Marathi ballads) sung by the folk singers inspired the young men of Maratha Empire to fight for Swarajya and resist the barbaric Mughal empire. Among the trusted comrades, Tanaji Malusare was the most trusted military leader who taken oath along with Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj to fight for Swarajya in Raireshwar temple (Raireshwar is Lord Shiva’s name). Shivaji and Tanaji were close friends during their childhood times and often they planned strategies to capture the forts. With coming times, Shivaji collected a band of brave Mawlas and declared a war on the Mughal Empire.  With the help of Tanaji, Baji Prabhu and countless Maratha warriors, Shivaji won many battles. Though Tanaji had fought many battles for Swarajya, it was the battle for Kondana that was going to make him immortal in pages of history.

For Tanaji, his call of duty mattered more than his personal things. Such was his devotion to his nation that he left his son’s wedding preparations in middle to march for the battle of Kondana. He cared for Swarajya more than his son’s wedding.   

Statue of Tanaji Malusare 

 By tying the rope on his pet lizard Yashwanti, Tanaji and his troops scaled the fort in the dark of night. The Kondana fort was under the control of corrupt Mughal officials Jai Singh and Udaybhan. Tanaji and his handful of men gave a tough fight to the mighty and large numbered enemy soldiers. Tanaji’s sword struck like a thunder bolt, claiming the lives of several enemy soldiers. The battle was bloodied, fierce and fatiguing for Tanaji and his band of brave soldiers. Though Tanaji gave a tough fight to Udaybhan, he was fatally wounded by the sword attacks. The fierce battle marked the end of Tanaji. In the sword fights, the cruel Udaybhan was also killed by Tanaji. Tanaji breathed his last, mortally wounded. He died, but kept his promise of recapturing the Kondana fort from the enemies.

Shivaji Maharaj was deeply saddened hearing about the death of his friend Tanaji. He had not only lost a great soldier, but also a close friend.

‘Gad ala pan sinh gela’ were the words uttered by Shivaji Maharaj in remembrance of his brave martyr friend Tanaji. The fort was captured but the lion was dead.

Tanaji’s ballads are still sung today by folk singers in his honor, remembering his courageous deeds and his ultimate sacrifice for Swarajya.

The sad irony about school history textbooks is that it doesn’t describe about the courageous heroes like Tanaji in detail. Kids do study history but only to score marks in exams. I had read about Tanaji Malusare in detail in Amar Chitra Katha books. It had a given a detailed history on Tanaji through illustrations. 

Biopic on Tanaji – Viacom 18 is making a biopic on Tanaji Malusare which will have actor Ajay Devgan playing the title role of the great Maratha warrior. The movie is scheduled to release in 2019. I am very sad to see that it took so long time to make a biopic on this brave Maratha warrior. Thankfully, the young masses will be able to see Tanaji on the silver screen soon.

When you visit Sinhagad, you can see a bust of the great Maratha Warrior at the fort. Tanaji’s valor won’t be forgotten in the pages of history as long as we continue to carry forward his legacy of courage and patriotism.