Category Archives: Personal
The Complicated Society and the Role of Social Media
Social Media in today’s world is something that I feel even an elementary student can describe elaborately. We have been living a virtual life, for quite some time with social media gradually becoming an addiction for the majority of the population using it. Be it politics or entertainment or sports – we cannot deny the unprecedented role that social media is playing.
There are pros and cons to almost everything that the world has to offer us. One of the biggest boons of technology is the invention of social media. However, for the last couple of years, one cannot refute the divisive role social media is playing. Currently, everything is perceived as ‘linear’ – either black or white, good or bad! Where is the existence of the middle path or for that matter the ‘grey’ area?
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Book Review: Private India by Ashwin Sanghi and James Patterson
Things that came to my mind after finishing Private India? Engrossing? Extremely. Can be made into a Bollywood movie? Definitely!
‘Private India’ is the fruition of the collaboration between Ashwin Sanghi, an Indian author known for combining mythology and thriller, and James Patterson, an American author known for bestseller series’ of which ‘Private’ is one. Their unique collaboration results in bringing the popular ‘Private’ series to India. So, it naturally raises the curiosity and interest in the book.
Private is considered one of the finest private investigation agencies having its branches all across the globe. We have Private L.A., Private London, Private Berlin and now we have our very own Private India – the hi-tech investigative agency operating from a dilapidated, nondescript building.
Private India – The Story
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Review: Sita’s Curse by Sreemoyee Piu Kundu
What is Erotica? According to Merriam Webster it is defined as :works of art or literature that deal with sex and are meant to cause sexual feelings”. Yes, Sita’s Curse, in that respect is truly an erotica and ONLY an erotica.
Somewhere, behind closed doors, in her solitary world; somewhere, under the sheets with an indifferent lover; Somewhere, is a woman who will not be denied.
Trapped for fifteen years in the stranglehold of a dead marriage and soulless household domesticity, the beautiful, full-bodied and passionate Meera Patel depends on her memories and her flights of fancy to soothe the aches that wrack her body; to quieten an unquenchable need. Until one cataclysmic day in Mumbai, when she finally breaks free…
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The Unison of Darkness, Silence and the Moonlight
As I walked past the trees and shrubs, the enchanting full moon staring at me, what I really wanted was some moment of solitude. On the contrary, the screeching and screaming of the unending vehicles passing by me were creating an undesirable ambiance, much to my irritation.
All of a sudden, I found myself completely alone in the company of darkness and silence. With the bright and glorious moonlight kissing and enveloping the whole milieu, the atmosphere was nothing less than an enigma. The eerie feeling which is synonymous to darkness and silence was nowhere to be found! The brief encounter with complete darkness and silence lasted for only a few seconds. It amused me how two negative aspects like the dark and the silent can create an amazingly positive environment for me – where only me, myself and my string of thoughts existed. For a long long time, I never felt so satiated and so relaxed with my thoughts getting a coherent shape. Alas the sheer ecstasy was not long-lasting – the zooming past of the vehicles again thumped me back to the world of loud sounds and eye squirming lights.
The unassuming beauty when a moment turns out just the way you desire, that too in a busy city during a busy hour, is inexplicable. Having experienced that, now I know the true meaning of ‘enjoy and cherish as long as it lasts’! How I wish I was able to seize that exhilarating moment for a longer time.
Grim Tale of Farmer Suicides – ‘Shoes of the Dead’ by Kota Neelima
Farmer suicides in India, especially in certain districts of Maharashtra have seen a steep rise in the last decade.’ Shoes of the Dead’ by Kota Neelima is a tribute to all those dead farmers and the people fighting for their families to receive compensation. Non-fiction works related to farmer suicides abound, however a fictional work talking about the plight of the Indian farmers, due to varied reasons, was missing from the scenario. It was really great to finally find a political novel based on farmer suicides, set up in contemporary India.
This political book intertwines several aspects of socio-economic India through the eyes of an idealistic journalist, an ambitious young politician and an educated yet poverty- ridden farmer seeking justice for his brother’s suicide. In the midst of the tug-of-war between Keyur Kashinath, the young and rich politician and Gangiri Bhadra, the crusader of the farmers, there are characters like a greedy moneylender, a seemingly good district collector, unscrupulous middle men, a good and a bad maha sarpanch who plays important roles in Gangiri’s fight for justice.
Kota Neelima is a senior journalist with years of experience in reporting farmer suicide cases. In the author’s note she has specifically mentioned that farmer suicides in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra are the soul of the book. While reading the book you can feel that it has incorporated a plethora of incidents which are rampant in India. The writer has only given fictional names and characters to portray what is actually happening to the debt ridden farmers of Central and South-West India and put forth the gravity of the situation in front of us.
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My Respect to the Soldiers in My Life
Right to equality is the most sought after right for each and every person and segment of the society. However, day-in and day-out we are witness to myriad incidents and cases wherein people make a complete mockery of the right. There was a time when a girl demanding equal rights like her male counterparts was met with hard and skeptical glances. It is heartening that things have actually changed for the better and girls are now able to enjoy their lives like never before.
On Criticism
Criticism is something which has always fascinated me. I have read many a times that constructive criticism is good and have seen people claiming that they are fine with criticism. However, like everything else, it is easier said than done. To be very frank, there have been quite a number of times when I abhorred the person who criticized me. I am sure it has happened with majority of the people, at some point.
I always felt that it is way too easy to criticize someone or her works than to actually understand her and her works. Hence, I consciously try to keep myself away from criticizing people, even if I don’t like them or whatever they are doing. Nonetheless, I find it rather astonishing how some people keep on passing judgment about others day in and day out. It is next to impossible to like everyone, every film, every book, every song and so on and so forth. However, using harsh words for everyone and everything that you dislike, not keeping in mind what the other person beside you might be feeling, is something which I personally detest.
While going through my Twitter Timeline or the Facebook status messages, I find that there are people who like to criticize something or the other. Some do it articulately, with clever usage of words and some do it blatantly. For some people everything that is new is bad, and for others vice versa. Prejudice and dogma are the traits, which I feel, can result in stagnation of your growth as a human being, emotionally as well as professionally. Yet, we love to stick to them and see anything beyond that. We will criticize a universally acclaimed personality without even going through his works. When someone confronts you and ask you to first read and then criticize, the critique will come up with bizarre reasons of not reading their works. It might be an attack on their characters, their way of living or something negative which they might have heard of. Then again they will compare them with other reputed people who, according to them were more talented than them yet due to various reasons did not reach that point of success. For such people, those famous creations are not even worthy enough to read or watch. The word ‘logic’ is often missing from their point of views. It is true success is something which more or less everyone craves for and a few can go to any level to reach that level of success. But, it is also true that if you are not talented and hard-working you will never able to succeed and maintain your honour. In the field of literature and culture, your creations are not limited to the narrow confinement of your office. It is the readers, audience and the viewers who will make or break you. Whatever is good will be appreciated if people are able to understand them. The inimitable creations of a Rabindranath Tagore or a Satyajit Ray are universally liked by people. The laurels and adoration that they have received and continue to receive from all corners of the world can never be simply fluke or due to destiny. Their creations must have struck the right chords with its innumerable readers and viewers and it is foolish to even overlook that very achievement, if not the others. Yes there are millions of people who might not understand or like their works. It is perfectly fine not to like them, but to demean them and their works is something which can be avoided. More so when you have hardly any knowledge about their works. No need to value them or their fine works, but the negativity can be spared.
R.I.P. by Mukul Deva – The Review
R.I.P. The Resurgent Indian Patriots by Mukul Deva is one helluva ride for its readers with the main protagonist along with his associates acting as vigilantes in order to stop the corrupt culprits rocking and on the verge of destroying the nation. Right from the cover picture to the end of the story one can enjoy a dramatic and pulse-pounding experience while reading the book. A thrilling ambiance is perfectly created in the very first chapter of the story with three immaculately planned murders taking place simultaneously at three different parts of the country. From there, I can assure you it will be a pulsating journey for the readers. R.I.P. talks about the self-appointed vigilante group K-Team headed by Colonel Krishna Athawale. He and his team of five other Special Forces Officers have deadly plans to free the country of the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Being an ex-army man, Krishna and his teammates are incredible in handling complex and deadly plans with ease. Raghav Bhagat, another ex-army personnel, having personal issues with Krishna is the gun for hire, hell-bent on stopping the K-Team. The Special Director of CBI, Vinod Bedi is caught between the crossfire, though with the same intention of halting the plan of action of the K-Team. Along with these characters, there are few other characters like the glamorous news anchor Reena Bhagat and two young boys Sachin and Azaan, who play important roles in taking forward the story.
While you start keeping pace with the story, you will be ensured full action and entertainment, sometimes extremely similar with a lot of thrilling movies. In fact, my personal opinion is that R.I.P. has all the ingredients for making an intense and engaging Bollywood movie! Once you start reading the book past the first chapter, you will understand how addictive it is. Your brain will be filled with various presumptions of how the story would unfold in the next chapters and how will it conclude. That is the very fact which made the book unputdowndable for me and hope will be the same for everyone else as well. Between all the serious plans, operations, killings and chases, there is also a romantic angle in the story which comes as a brief yet welcome relief and does not hamper with the flow and rhythm of the story.
Tick-tock We’re 30 – Book Review
It’s been a long time when I had the spare time to read a book. It was known that motherhood comes with a lot of responsibilities, however the presence of the word “never-ending” was unknown to me. While leading a monotonous life, I chanced upon the offer to review Tick-tock We’re 30 by Womenweb. After going through the brief, it seemed to me that the book is the just the one I was looking for at the present moment – a light-hearted, easy-to-read chick lit.
The story revolves around Lara Bagai and her set of friends. They all are attending the reunion during Lara’s upcoming 30th birthday. It is the story of a weeks’ time wherein a lot of changes happen in all those people’s lives. Lara and Nishad, one of the SN gang members coming for the reunion, made a pact in a drunken state a decade ago to get married in case neither of them gets a suitable partner by the time they turned thirty. The main story is built on this very pact, along with the various sub-plots of the other gang members.
Tick-tock We’re 30 is a mish-mash of comedy and drama. The story deals with quite a lot of characters and pens down the trials, tribulations, joys and sorrows of their life. The modern urban setting of the story and the myriad emotions and relationships which the story showcases are easy to identify with. You can put yourself in the shoes of any of the characters as they are all extremely identifiable along with their dreams, aspirations, heartbreaks and more. The wackiness of the characters will take you back to your college days when you were surrounded by adorable friends, jealous friends, pretty friends, crazy friends and not to forget your soul mates. For you it can be a nostalgic ride remembering the good old days.