"Partition: 1947" - A Disappointment

Gurinder Chadha’s latest film commemorates the 70^th year of the partition of our country. It is an ode to her family’s migration from Pakistan to India. Despite her connection to the subject, her film fails to capture the emotional turmoil of the affected people.

Chadha has made a name for herself by successfully capturing the inherent ‘desi-ness’ of the Indian community living abroad. Having enjoyed her big-ticket films like ‘Bend it Like Beckham’, I was looking forward to this British-Indian filmmaker’s take on the traumatic events of 1947. Unfortunately, she didn’t deliver as per my expectations.

The film is set entirely in the Viceroy’s House (which is the name of the original English version of the movie), in the early months of 1947. Lord Mountbatten, (played by Hugh Bonneville) the new Viceroy of colonial India, is given the explicit task of facilitating India’s independence, making sure all concerned parties are satisfied with the outcome.

With this background, two separate narratives follow. One story line is concerned entirely with the political machinations that lead to India being divided into two nations. The second one focuses on a romantic relationship between a Hindu boy (played by Manish Dayal) and a Muslim girl (played by Huma Qureshi), working at the Viceroy’s House. Their slightly forced love story develops against all odds. It attempts to be a metaphor of the love and bonding between people of different religions, despite political decisions made in higher echelons.

The movie fails as it is neither an intriguing political narrative, nor a heartrending love story. The characters are wooden, with badly dubbed Hindi dialogues, failing to capture any sentiment. The romance is clichéd, and perhaps unnecessary. The actors attempt to do their job well; especially Bonneville, Qureshi, Gillian Anderson (who plays Lady Mountbatten), and Om Puri in his last outing on silverscreen, as Qureshi’s father; but the stilted dialogue and rushed script seriously hinder their performances. Tanveer Ghani is particularly disappointing as Nehru, making the Pandit’s stately character into a caricature.

I was kindly invited to a private screening of this movie, by the 1947 Partition Archive at The Bikaner House. The screening was followed by an insightful discussion with the director, the leading lady, and some eminent historians. Sadly, Chadha’s vision, as described by her, wasn’t clear in the film itself. She attempted to use the Viceroy’s House as a symbol for the unrest in India, during this period. She hoped to capture the upheaval and suffering of the people who lost their homes, their livelihood and life as they knew it. Alas, by solely concentrating on the seat of government, she failed to touch hearts.

When a film on a distressing, painful topic doesn’t ignite any emotion in the viewer, it is fundamentally flawed. Despite the intensive research and expert editing, the movie doesn’t inspire. I would recommend it only to die-hard history buffs, for an alternate view of what led to the division of an entire nation, and the consequent largest mass migration in the world.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Film rating: 2.5/5 stars

"Jagga Jasoos"- A Waste of Time and Money!

Jagga Jasoos is a nearly three-hour long rollercoaster ride. Like all rides it has its ups and downs with a couple of major loops thrown in. It starts off well, with a rather short-skirted Katrina Kaif, singing the story of Jagga (Ranbir Kapoor) to a bunch of children visiting the Kolkata Book Fair. As she describes his many feats of brilliant detection, the audience finds itself invested in the story of this lovable character. However, once the story builds up and hops across confusing timelines, the movie becomes simply tedious.

It is highly ambitious to combine a detective thriller with a traditional musical format. When that's topped with emotional family drama, you have a recipe for disaster. A younger Jagga is introduced as an abandoned orphan in a hospital in West Bengal. He is an endearing child that stammers and hence does not have the confidence to speak. When he saves a man (played by an earnest Saswata Chatterjee) from a near-fatal fall off a train, he is adopted by this man. His new father encourages him to sing in order to communicate and imparts various important life skills.

Kapoor grows to be a curious and enterprising young boy who loves solving mysteries, two of which are chronicled in the first half of the film. The second half of the movie takes Kapoor to Mombaca on a wild goose chase, with the help of Kaif (who he has met on an earlier adventure). This is when the film hits the realms of ridiculousness. The wild antics of two children in pursuit of an international criminal does not make for believable cinema.

Anurag Basu has tried to weave together two very distinct story lines and has failed miserably. He could have explored the idea of a singing detective. Or he could have explored the idea of a boy in search of his father, uncovering a massive international crime while at it. There was no need for lopping them together. The movie was extremely long and the last half hour dragged to the point where most people just walked out of the hall. The huge disconnect between the first and second halves of the film is glaringly apparent.

Credit must be given to the incredible cinematography by S. Ravi Verman. The almost- photograph like images made for a stunning visual treat. A couple of songs including “Khana Khake, Daru Peeke, Chale Gaye” and “Galti Se Mistake” stand out for their quirkiness.

Ranbir Kapoor is phenomenal. He sings, dances and acts effortlessly and his talents are completely wasted in this movie. Katrina Kaif has never been more stony-faced and was an unnecessary addition. Both Chatterjee and Shah performed their roles well as did the child actor playing a younger Jagga. Nawazuddin Siddiqui made an effective guest appearance.

The biggest failing of the movie was the unnecessary weaving together of many plotlines. Kapoor does an admirable job of pulling his weight along but does not make a believable 18 year old. It makes you question the decision to make him a school going child in the first place. Anurag Basu gets a definite thumbs down for converting a potentially interesting story into a bad movie. Here’s hoping if he ever does come out with a sequel (as was indicated in the film), he sticks to what he understands best- the melodrama.

Film rating: 1.5/5 stars

Picture courtesy: www.indianexpress.com

A Glimpse at the Wonderful Work of the 1947 Partition Archive

Becoming a mother changes one’s priorities in life. From a busy lawyer working an 11-hour job, I transitioned to sitting at home changing diapers and playing with my tot. What doesn't change are one’s interests and passions. When I read the excerpt of my paternal grandfather’s Partition story, published exactly a year after he passed away, I was immensely intrigued by the organization that decided to record his story. This is how I learnt about The 1947 Partition Archive (“The Archive”).

I grew up in the same house as my grandfather, so I knew most of his fondly described life stories. The only ones he was always circumspect about belonged to the murky period of the partition of India. The fact that he opened up to a stranger about this difficult period of his life with complete frankness, came as a surprise to me. I immediately looked them up.

Within minutes I had scoured their Facebook page and knew I had to get involved however I could. My immediate family members belonged to undivided Punjab and keenly felt the tremors of that horrific event as they lost their ancestral lands and cut ties from their roots. As a result, I was always fascinated with stories of partition and would devour any literature or movies I could get my hands on.

At the tender age of 13, I read Shauna Singh Baldwin’s “What the Body Remembers”. The fictional work was instrumental in opening my mind to the immense suffering of the migrants. In fact, it shaped my future in a way, as I decided to pursue Honours in History from St. Stephen’s College later on.

With my deep interest in this period of history, the Partition Archive called out to me. The founder of The Archive, Guneeta Singh Bhalla was deeply interested in this fractious period of Indian history. She started the Archive in Berkeley, California while pursuing her Ph.D there. Over time, she brought together a handful of like-minded people who shared her passion for collecting stories of Partition survivors before the generation passed on. Her vision was so exemplary that she was able to set up a large pan-global organization with grass-root level participation where people became interviewers or collectors of stories without needing a specific educational background. I immediately contacted her and she directed me to her website. The Archive is organized well, with a set hierarchy of interviewers. The most-time intensive profile belongs to the Story Scholars which is a full-time commitment of 3 months or a part-time commitment of 6 months where specific areas of the world are assigned for the collection of stories. The easiest way of involving yourself, however, is by taking a 2 hour long Oral History Webinar and becoming a Citizen Historian.

I immediately signed up for this online workshop which was conducted by Rohini Ramakrishnan who was very patient and extremely helpful, and within a week I had conducted my first interview. I chose to interview my maternal grandfather whose story I felt privileged to preserve for future generations. I hope to continue recording more stories beginning with my own extended family members.

Despite the many teething problems I faced, including camera recording, sound and data transfer issues, not once did I feel discouraged from continuing this work. The Archive members, including Rohini, Alexandra Wells and Ritika Popli were all very helpful with their tips and prompt responses. The best part of being a Citizen Historian is that stories can be recorded at one’s own time allowing me to pursue my passion while being a full-time mother.

In the 70^th year of the partition of our country, it has become increasingly important to preserve these stories before they cannot be heard again. With the upcoming events and exhibits of the Archive in New Delhi, India as well as the ongoing recording of thousands of stories across the world, I feel positive the Archive will succeed in its goal of successfully preserving 10,000 stories from this period of history.

Visit their Facebook page here: 

https://www.facebook.com/1947PartitionArchive/

*Image belongs to The Archive. I have borrowed it from their Facebook page.

Review of Domo Skills- First aid training course in Delhi

Being the mother of an infant really changes your perspective on life. First aid is a skill that becomes a necessity.

Domo Skills (http://domoskills.com/)  provide quality domestic training in varied spheres. The first aid course is priced at INR 2000 per person. It usually takes place at their centre in Green Park but sessions can be held at your residence on request. Though my course was 3 hours in length, I would recommend the usual 4 hour duration to really absorb the information and cover every topic. Each session requires a minimum of 6 participants and the limit for one session is 10 people. 

My instructor was Nareeza Khan, a qualified registered nurse from Australia and New Zealand. She spoke fluent English and Hindi so the domestic staff can be taught as well. However, the participants are discouraged from attending the session along with their staff so that the information can be better retained without the scrutiny of their employers. 

What I most appreciated was the interactive nature of the course, with Nareeza demonstrating on dummies. She tested us alongside teaching so we would retain the information. We were also given a handbook that covers all aspects of the course with pictorial representations which I'm sure will prove a useful tool if needed. 

There is no guarantee that you walk away fully equipped in handling an emergency but I do feel much more aware of the correct procedures. A particular peeve of mine was that the emergency care of the Indian medical system was shown in poor light due to the lack of paramedics. This is certainly true, but the easy accessibility to excellent doctors in India cannot be discounted!

Despite the slightly morbid over-selling of the course, I genuinely believed it enhanced my knowledge. I feel better prepared to deal with numerous situations that I had previously never imagined. I would encourage all young parents to take this course and teach their domestic staff as well (either themselves or through the course). 

Here is an outline of everything we were taught: 

·         CPR is the priority

·         Recovery position

·         Bites

·         Bleeding nose

·         Bleeding

·         Bruises

·         Breathing/ Asthma Attack 

·         Dehydration

·         Drowning

·         Choking

·         Eye injury

·         Electric shock

·         Epilepsy

·         Seizures 

·         Stings 

·         Head injuries  

·         Fever

·         Fractures

·         Impaled objects

•.       Poisons

Domo Skills can be contacted at enquiries@domoskills.com. 

*This is not a sponsored post. I availed of their services on my own. 

*This is my personal opinion. 

What does travel mean to you? A review of 'Travelling In, Travelling Out: A Book of Unexpected Journeys' - edited by Namita Gokhale

Hello,

A lot of the books I decide to read are based on reviews I've read through local journals, online journals or on a friends recommendation. This practice inevitably leads me to reading a large number of books by Indian authors. Currently my reading pattern is shaped by two practices:
1. I've enlisted myself for a Reading Challenge by the website goodreads here, where I've pledged to read 30 books by the end of 2014. With just about five months to go, I'm attempting doggedly to pick up the pace!
2. In an endeavor to expand my repertoire, I've decided to alternate fiction and non-fiction works; a big leap for me considering I've grown up on and adore fictional narratives.

Keeping these in mind, I was drawn to purchasing a copy of "Travelling In, Travelling Out: A Book of Unexpected Journeys" while browsing through the "Full Circle" bookshop in Khan Market. It was a rare random buy and I must say it's a lovely find!

It is a treasure trove of articles and essays woven around the theme of travel. I use the phrase 'travel' loosely here, as these articles are not the typical travelogues one would expect, encompassing much more in their scope. These pieces deal evocatively with every aspect relating to travel, from the preparation involved to the actual journey undertaken; emotional upheavals encountered along the way; wistful memoirs of times gone by; and even the idea of travel as the ultimate healer of long-set wounds.

It is of course, understandable that some works were more endearing than others, some better focused on the subject matter chosen and some stood apart on the basis of their superiority of research. The ones that really shined, in my opinion, were:

• 'In Search of Lost Time' by Mayank Austen Soofi, for his description of the hills of Nainital. His beautiful iterations evoked in me a deep nostalgia of many summers spent there in childhood.
• 'Bhangarh: Of Darkness and Light' by Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, for its arresting and perhaps slightly disturbing subject.
• 'A House for Mr. Tata: An Old Shanghai Tale' by Mishi Saran, for the evocative sense of displacement displayed expertly.
• 'Lost Without a Trace' by Aveek Sen, for exploring the myriad emotions behind a seemingly mundane act.
• 'The Foreigner's Situation' by Ali Sethi, for capturing beautifully the dilemma an immigrant in a foreign land faces.
• 'The Persistence of Memory' by Urvashi Butalia, for portraying a tragic story of pain and loss in such a happy/hopeful light.
• 'The Door to the Hospice was Never Closed' by Navtej Sarna, for it's wistful, almost dreamy quality.

Edited by Namita Gokhale, this book is a must read for all inveterate travellers!

*Picture has been taken from the net.
* This view is completely my own.

The Beginning.

Hello everyone,

I have recently re-discovered my love for the art of writing, and living in an age of social networking ensures that getting one's thoughts across to a multitude of readers is easier than it ever was before. Though I regularly contribute reviews on food-discoveries and book- reading experiences to websites catering specifically to these areas, I have long felt the need to be able to comprehensively share my ideas and opinions of everything I experience, in a single space.

Let me start with the colourful inception of the name I have chosen for this blog. Justice Katju's classification of female lawyers in the profession here and the ensuing brouhaha it caused, displayed here have indeed recently brought this ancient and inherently respectable terminology to light. However, my reason for choosing it stems from a far more light- hearted, even slightly debauched invention-the cocktails served on my bachelorette party, invented by my adventurous best friends and enjoyed by all present!

With the delicious memory of those pastel-coloured, syrupy harbingers of joy, I set forth on this sweeping attempt of mine, at capturing all that is worth experiencing through the limited scope of my words. I do hope you all enjoy this journey as much as I know I will!

Cheers!