Love in the time of cholera

I picked up this book from the book sale as the title was quite intriguing. And it has been a while since I read a love story.

'Love in the time of cholera,' the English translation of a Spanish novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is an enchanting love story spanning an entire lifetime. Fermina Daza, the female protagonist, is the love interest of the intensely romantic Florentino Ariza. She marries Dr. Juvenal Urbino who  represents everything that Florentino is not-rich, powerful, respected and logical.  The story follows the adolescent love affair between Fermina and Florentino and the latter's rejection at the hands of the former. Unlike any other jilted lover, Florentino doesn't go into depression. Instead he decides to wait until Dr. Urbino dies to repeat his vow of everlasting love to Fermina. He takes to having several lovers during this time to help him get over his pain. And when the opportunity arrives after half a century, he does exactly what he had intended. 

I'm floored by the author's complete command over the language and the ease with which he paints beautiful pictures with words. The reader actually gets to experience life in the Caribbean complete with the landscape, superstitious beliefs, troubling times during the war both civil and against cholera along with the way of life of the Caribbean. This book evokes a strong desire in my heart to learn Spanish to relish the original version of the book. 

The characters are so well sketched out that they seem real. Each character has their unique quirks-Fermina has her haughtiness, Florentino his poetry and optimism and Dr Urbino has his passion to be a role model in the society. One can completely relate and sympathise with each one without being biased. 

The novel portrays different kinds of love with varying intensity-each having its own place in life. For example the puerile love between teenagers, the mature love between a husband and wife of many years and the love based on friendship and understanding in the later years. It reinforces my belief that life is nothing without love. 

I did watch the movie based on the novel and it was quite disappointing. It failed to capture the essence of this great novel and just focussed on running through the story. It simply did not convey any of the feelings or emotions. Although I did like one song which is quite haunting.

Kai Po Che

I watched Kai Po Che as part of a new meetup group that I had joined. Based on the highly popular Chetan Bhagat novel 'The 3 mistakes of my life,' it is a powerful tale of friendship, love and emotions. Although Chetan Bhagat may not be the best literary writer in the country, he understands the pulse of the Indian middle class and has a talent of creating simple, heartfelt stories that instantly connect.

The film follows the life of 3 friends-Ishaan, Govind and Omi played by newcomers Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkumar Yadav and Amit Sadh. Born in a middle class Gujrati family, the dreams, aspirations and struggles of the trio is beautifully captured by director Abhishek Kapoor.

What really works for the film is the middle class characters to which the masses can relate to. Whether it is the miser yet grounded Govind, the selfless, passionate and hot headed Ishaan,  the bubbly Vidya or the loyal yet confused Omi, every character is well sketched out and each actor slips into their role with ease. The surprise package for me in the film was Sushant Singh Rajput. He plays Ishaan with utmost sincerity and is highly convincing.

There are no unnecessary songs or cliched dialogues. There is not a single dull moment in the entire film and the director knows how to keep the audience engrossed. The love story between Vidya and Govind is subtle and believable. The portrayal of the earthquake and the riots is also underplayed without taking away from the impact it was intended to create.

Music by Amit Trivedi is very refreshing especially the 'Manjha' song which fits in very well with the mood of the movie.

The dramatic climax is unexpected and leaves the audience emotional and makes Ishaan even more endearing.

Overall, this film has all the ingredients that are an integral part of middle class Indian life-emotions, drama, love, religion, politics and cricket. The writer and director have done a great job of blending these together to produce this brilliant film without succumbing to the danger of becoming an over the top Bollywood masala movie.

Special 26

I just got back home after watching 'Special 26' with 2 of my new friends. To put it simply, I loved the movie. After having read glowing reviews about the film, I had high expectations and boy was I impressed!

Brilliant script, tight screenplay, perfect comedy, superb acting and outstanding direction.

The film is set in 1987 and based on true incidents. It narrates the story of four con men who loot businessmen and politicians posing as CBI or Income Tax officers. It beautifully recreates India of the 80s. Akshay Kumar plays the lead while Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpai and Jimmy Shergill are the supporting cast. Divya Dutta and Kajal Agarwal-the only two female characters in the film are wasted.

I personally liked Manoj Bajpai's performance as the upright (real) CBI officer. The dialogues are a winner and keep you in splits even during intense scenes. Akshay Kumar, who is known for his over the top acting in films like 'Rowdy Rathore' and 'Singh is King' is at ease and convincing as the smart and subdued 'Ajju.' Needless to mention, Anupam Kher brings life to his 'Sharmaji.'

The surprise twist at the end leaves the audience in shock. If you give it more thought (which one shouldn't considering this is a Bollywood film) one can see a few loopholes in the plot but those do not take away from the gripping narrative.

The love story between Akshay and Kajal is a major distraction and adds no value to the film. Even the bhangra number could have been eliminated.

This movie proves that you can make an entertaining film without being ridiculous. It is easily one of the best films in recent times.