"There's God's word, and then those who interpret it. And fools like us forget God and get swayed.
"If God wanted to make everyone the same, he would not have created so many people, right?
"Life is like golgappas. Your tummy may be full, but your heart always craves more.
"Shoes are like an identity card. Judge a man by his shoes, not his face.
"Life is a reflection of undergarments.
"We're both the same. A perfect pair like underpants and a vest.
"I can't marry you because I can't be relied upon.
"I may not be smart, but I know what love is.
"A true lover is the one who can set their beloved free.
"I feel like I've treated you badly. Very badly. But I treated myself even worse.
"The past is best left behind. Maybe that's why I was running.
"Death is also a part of life.
"Each of us has our own destiny. Everything is predestined. I don't know where all this is written, who wrote it, or why it is written in the first place. Whatever happens, is it in our control? Or are we just drifting in the wind... blown from here to there? I have no idea. Perhaps a bit of both.
"Do the lines on your palm determine your fate? Or do you mold your destiny with your own hands?
"Are we smart enough to understand life? Or is it wiser not to?
"God wants you to keep only what you need and give the rest to those in need."
-- From "Laal Singh Chaddha"
Ever since I came to know that Aamir Khan's "Akele Hum Akele Tum" bombed at the box office, while on the other hand the movie went on to get a Filmfare awards nomination for "Best Film", I realized there is a vast difference in the appreciation of Hindi films by critics and popular audiences.
ReplyDeleteRather than Indians, Aamir Khan now seems to be more popular among the Chinese since his film "Dangal" became such a huge hit in China.
Analysing what ticks for some people and not others seems pointless although I can claim for myself that I enjoyed his most recent film, "Laal Singh Chaddha", despite the fact that the movie flopped big time.
In spite of the awful reception by audiences, I found the film to be one of the most under-appreciated films of Bollywood last year.
Inspired by "Forrest Gump", the Hindi remake likewise cleverly enacts Laal's coming in touch with history, by cleverly choosing key Indian historical events that might resonate with Indian audiences.
But surprisingly it didn't, if the 5.5 out of 10 rating on IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) speaks for itself.
Aamir's acting as a "dimwit" is tops, and the deaths of two key characters would have been too tragic if he wasn't blessed with a child against all odds of him finding romantic love with such a low IQ (Intelligence Quotient).
Now available on Netflix, this is a must-see movie for anyone interested in watching a bittersweet story acted by Aamir and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
Check this link:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/watch-olympus-theatre-reopens-in-maldives-showcasing-indias-soft-power-heft-105102.html
And check this comment by Indian High Commissioner to Maldives, Munu Mahawar which is in that link:
QUOTE
“Cooperation in the cultural domain is among the pillars of our bilateral partnership. The Indian Cultural Centre in Male organises several activities – including music classes – which see enthusiastic participation from our Maldivian friends. The re-opening of the Olympus will, no doubt, revive, reinvigorate and rejuvenate the art and music scene in Male.”
UNQUOTE
I once enrolled for tabla classes at the Indian Cultural Centre in Male'.
On my first day of class, a turbaned Punjabi Sikh instructor made me sit in front of the tabla drums and the only worthwhile “instructions” he gave me that day were that I must “respect” the tabla drums and showed me how to tap my hands on them. Then he left me to practice on my own for an hour without him coming to check on me at all whether I knew how to play the tabla or not. I went home that day disappointed with the blatant lack of attention I got.
On the second day, I sought him but he didn't tell me what to do, ignored me, and instead went and sat with an Indian woman at a computer terminal. I waited for an hour in the tabla drum room and he didn't even bother to come to see me and give any instruction for me what to do that day. I went home and never bothered going back even though it was free classes.
I am left to wonder why the Indian government is wasting its taxpayers’ money to invest in a useless endeavor such as this Indian Cultural Centre in Male’. There would obviously be more fruitful ways to improve cultural relations between our two countries rather than employing careless and inattentive staff to oversee such matters.
Sometime later, there was a TV news item about India holding a cultural event at Olympus Theatre in Male’, and I briefly saw this same instructor playing the tabla. I thought of lodging a complaint at the Indian High Commission in Male’ but decided against that on grounds of humanity: unbeknownst to me he may be a victim of tragic personal circumstances which made him a distracted personality.
You should have gone ahead and lodged that complaint at the Indian High Commission in Male'. It is the Indian government's responsibility to undertake psychological assessments to ensure their staff are proficiently capable of providing services to the public.
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