StrayScribbles

  The problem is, you don't know about middle grounds. You only deal in extremes. It’s either too much or too less. Feelings, emotions, trust - its 100% or nothing. Your palette seems to have only 2 choices - Black and White. Things are either right or wrong. People are either good or bad. Maybe this is exactly why you are always either too happy or too sad.   Believe it or not there is an entire spectrum of colours between black and white. Just like there are entire continents and vast oceans between the poles there is a lot lying between right and wrong; between good and bad. It's ok to do things even if you don't know whether it is right or wrong at the moment. It's ok to care about someone even before categorizing them as good or bad.   Middle grounds exist and moving away from the extremes is absolutely fine. It's ok to explore other colours because the rainbow wouldn't look half as good in monochrome, right?

Alternate Perspectives in Anand Neelakantan's Retellings of Ramayana and Mahabharata “There’s no black and no white; only shades of grey”           Epics are filled with the tales about winners. The heroes are always portrayed as righteous and ethical people. The villains on the other hand are often shown as cruel characters devoid of humanity and soft feelings. There is a clear divide among the characters as good or bad. There is no middle ground. But when we relate these epics to real life, we realize that it is quite different. In reality everyone has a good and bad side just like the two sides of a coin. Nothing is completely black or fully white. Its different shades of grey. Maybe in these epics, if we care enough to read between the lines, we would be able to see how the so called ‘villains’ had reasons for each of their actions just like the heroes. This is exactly what Anand Neelakantan tries to do in his retellings of Ramayana a...

Indian Cinema has oversexualized stories about relationships involving maid servants to the point where it seems like any dynamic other than lust, is impossible in such tales. Sir deals with this stereotype maturely and manages to humanize the character. It also acknowledges the reality of class divide without being too dramatic. And when was the last time you saw an ambitious, opinionated maid character, who wasn't just a tool for humor, on screen?

In this movie, Clint Eastwood brings to us the real-life story of Richard Jewell, who was falsely accused of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Bombing. An incompetent police force and bloodthirsty media houses came together to target an innocent person who was ironically responsible for saving hundreds of lives during the same incident. The actors have done a commendable job in portraying real life characters on screen. Once again, the director proves that he hasn't lost his golden touch.

While the discussions and debates about the state of women in the country are gaining momentum, a movie like Soni becomes increasingly relevant. Unlike usual Bollywood flicks which feels like different combinations of the same ingredients, here the story and the women characters play a central role. It talks about two women - an IPS officer and a constable - in the Delhi Police Department. The director, Ivan Ayr, has done a great job in portraying the various challenges faced by them in their personal as well as professional lives. The main actors are just terrific in their respective roles.

  We are obsessed with this idea that there is a soulmate out there somewhere who is going to complete us intellectually, physically and emotionally. But the harsh reality is that not everybody gets that. Sometimes you have to stop searching and settle for someone who does one of these things perfectly. Like, it's okay to have an intellectual soulmate with whom you don't have the greatest sex. Or a physical partner who doesn't read the same authors or watch the same movies as you do. Sometimes it is okay to settle. Straight Up doesn't beg for attention. It flows naturally through well written conversations. There are no big surprises or earth-shaking events. But still, it doesn't fail to instill in you a vivid, soulful feel.