Mahatma Gandhi - A Father Who Failed His Son

I saw Gandhi, My Father today.

Its a moving film about a busy father, a neglected son, and a mother who is torn in between. Harilal Gandhi, son of the great Mahatma, dies like a beggar in a Government hospital, 5 months after the death of his father. The movie takes the viewer through the trials and tribulations of a son who longs for his father's love and patronage.

Harilal is different from his father. He is sensitive and weak, but honest and passionate. He has an imbalanced personality - like millions of us in this world. Unfortunately, he is born to a father who is a perfectionist - and in a hurry to achieve his goals. While he understands his son's longing for his father's love, affection and ownership (partiality, to be precise), Mahatma Gandhi chooses to deliberately ignore it for his principles.

The possessive son, being weak and sensitive, is so hurt and outraged by his father's neglect, that he decides to get back to him in whatsoever way possible. In his own way, Harilal wants to teach his father a lesson - by being a disobedient son and a blot on his fathers, otherwise spotless personal and professional life.

The image above is one of the best moments in the film. A ragged Harilal comes to the railway station to see his mother. He gives a fresh orange to her and requests it to eat it herself, without sharing with her husband. As usual, Gandhi, very politely, requests Harilal to join him in his freedom movement. Harilal rudely refuses to do so and tells his dad that he is what he is because of his mother - Kasturba Gandhi.

As Harilal says this, the train starts moving and the assembled crowds start shouting Mahatma Gandhi Ki Jai. An annoyed Harilal roots for this mother and keeps shouting - Kasturba Gandhi ki Jai!! His voice, however, and as it has been, is lost in the crowd.

Akshaye Khanna and Shefali Chaya are outstanding. Akshaye's performance is one of the best I have seen in Hindi Cinema. Darshan Zariwala as Mahatma, is unable to withstand Akshaye's acting prowess.

Go watch it.

In Dino...Dil Mera...

Soham Chakraborty's haunting voice in the movie Life in a Metro is outstanding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3D2CQsfcFo

In Dino... is one of the most beautiful compositions emerging out of bollywood after a long long time...

The song takes me back to those days when I used to feel a tingling sensation in my heart watching Madhuri Dixit (Tumse Milke...) in Parinda or Juhi Chawla (Aye Mere Humsafar...) in QSQT.

He He He....

Kolkata!

Sitting in an A/C car on a rainy day in Kolkata makes you feel ashamed.

People say Kolkata is surrounded by poverty, but I sensed something else. I sensed that Kolkata is about Kolkata's gritty survival - despite the poverty.

On a rain soaked day, across flooded streets, I saw poor people nonchalantly going ahead with their routine work.

No compaints, no cribbing, no nothing.

Kolkata left a powerful impact on me.

BTW, the pics are blurred and watery. I have taken them from my car, sitting nice and pretty. I realise now that the pics, in a way, also speak of the typical urban indifference to poverty.

Kids Frolic

Kids represent the beauty that is rains, in an otherwise chaotic Mumbai.

The Unknown Messiahs of Mumbai

He was the only guy who represented the BMC's efforts to clear the water logging in Bandra Reclamation.

He was managing 4 drain outlets alone, removing all garbage that may stop the flow of water.

He had no specialised equipment, no protective gear, even the raincoat was his own.

He was hungry and sarcastically said, "Madarchod (Mother Fckrs)!, nobody has even enquired if I need food."

I offered him the milk that I was carrying, he politely refused.

He is one of those unknown faces of Mumbai that keeps Mumbai going.

A Clogged Mumbai!

What a shame!! This is the scene next to my apartment as rains lashed Mumbai today - A High Tide Day.

Its chaos.

High Fliers

I saw these ' gujju casanovas' at Ahmedabad airport. They really stood out in their hats.

I wonder what made them wear those funny hats inside the airport.

A Neglected Masterpiece

I was in a poorly maintained Sachivalaya office in Gandhinagar where I saw this brilliant figure drawing. I was simply blown by the finesse of this art.

On further enquiry, I found out that it was a 56 year old self-taught artist called Ghiya.

I spoke to him and promised to meet during my next visit to Gandhinagar.

Bombay High

I dont know why I like this picture.

May be because it captures the larger than life image of bollywood.

A Busy Morning

At 7 am, when the rich sleep, the poor are already at work.

Dharti K Lal!!

K.Lal is all over the place in Ahmedabad. His glowing smile is spectacular.

Can you find the lost childhood?

I saw this scavenger at 7.30 am in Ahmedabad.

Hope you can spot him in the picture.

A Generation Lost

Catholics and Football are inseparable. Here's one I saw while I was in a auto rickshaw.

A Walk through the Concrete Jungle

I watched this lonely old man as he slowly walked across his terrace.

The buildings surrounding him make him look all the more lonely.

A Wet Day in Bandra

I was out on the road as it intermitently poured through the day.

Puddles, potholes, kids playing, wet bylanes...its all there to see.

A strange smell emanates through the streets, a combination of water, wetness, dirt, drains, etc. Reminds me of the first few shots of Apur Sansar. Ray is a genius.

Bicycles still sell

Sardar is one of the old cycle marts in Mahim.

I liked the colorful splendor of the bicycle display outside the mart.

I played cricket with him

I was traveling by BEST bus today when I saw this guy fast asleep
on a seat next to me. I was stuck by the face...he was one of the guys who used to play cricket with us as a kid. He had some psychological problems even then.

But what I saw today of him was disturbing. He must be about 40 years of age, but looked close to 50.

Life is cruel.

Ira and friends

Ira and her close friends - Shrudula and Gayatri.

She loves to fight with them and then patch up.

Paradise Lost

The Paradise Cinema at Mahim.

Its one of the few old Cinema that is still surviving. The Citylight Cinema across the road has recently shut shop.

Ira's Nails

Ira "scared" me today with her nails, made from some flower petals. I acted as if I was. It made her happy.

She then quickly asked me if I could buy her a chewing gum or kurkure!!

I shooed her away.