Victoria and Abdul

There are some films which one is biased to.... to which one surrenders completely, to let oneself be charmed, in which one invests emotionally as the images unfurl on screen. Such a film may attract a lot of flak, a lot of genuine criticism, yet it works for one. 'Judwaa 2' might be such a film for most of you.... while, for me, it is 'Victoria and Abdul'.

Where Was I? Where Will I Be?

What had I been doing online when I had not been blogging? You ask.
The answer is.... most of the time I would be on Facebook. In fact, in the last couple of years or so I had become a lot more active on that platform. The three tabs that would mostly be open when I came online were Facebook, Twitter and Gmail. Chatting online never quite appealed to me, ever. I guess I have never quite tasted its potential, as well as that of social media in general, for networking. So there.
On Facebook, I have been posting quite regularly, instead of doing it here, on my blog. Just remember, some posts are for everyone and some are for no one in particular, but some posts are just for yourself. While a few rare ones might be for a special person. Facebook suited me fine. So did Twitter, even better so... retweeting others mean one gets to speak through others voices, who might be going through similar journeys, expressing what one might have chosen to express, only doing it better. And I had this link between Facebook and Twitter whereby the content on the latter automatically got posted on the former. It suited me just fine.
However, Facebook has become quite a downmarket platform lately. All my good contacts, my efriends, who I shared vibes with and who used to be prolific in terms of their output, have either quit Facebook or have become non-functional on that platform. I feel like an old haggard there... perpetually attracting the wrong sorts, the whole gamut of them who can hardly meet my parameters of 'a good efriend'. There remain just a handful of the good old companions. One of them echoes my thoughts when he says, hearing my woes, "I am not the abandoning sort. I cling to old things. In fact, I take time to adopt a new thing." I find it so reassuring. For me, it's as good as a virtual hug. Would have otherwise thought I am the only one of my kind.... hahaha.
I am still avoiding being on WhatsApp which has become immensely popular now, as have other new apps. Many have been vouching for WhatsApp as, there, one can create a group of like-minded people only. I tell myself that I'd grab new social media apps and get rocking on them once I grab a new phone. But, honestly, I'm even averse to giving up on my old phone.
All my life, my resistance to change has led to all kinds of serious conflicts as well. Yet, I am what I am.

Just napping

People have been asking me why I'm continuing my silence for so long here on the blog space. Well, the answer is a bit too complex to explain to all. Like most other things in my life, rather my life itself, choosing not to express out in the open stems from a complex situation, call it my complex if that simplifies things for your comprehension.
Lately, I have been napping a lot. No, I haven't been caught napping when I shouldn't have, but again I have been pretty much lucky in not getting caught for many of the awkward things I could've been held guilty of pursuing. Coming back to napping, it's nothing but a harmless respite. It helps transport me to rich domains of half-dream half-reverie within minutes. My anxiety fails to take a nap though, for all practical reasons, the naps do not last long after all, though they are intermittent. Being able to nap with ease ironically is something that supposedly happens to people like me who've been insomniacs almost all their lives, so it is said by experts.
So, I guess I'll return to blogging, seriously and actively, when my anxiety too takes a happy nap, all you people - my fellow bloggers - do enjoy having nice, productive blogging days.
See you soon, hopefully.

Them ego-trippers

Sorry to say, but these days, I find it utterly painful to look at creative individuals who can contribute so much by their art/craft are simply busy being too full of themselves, indulging in absolute nonsense on social media.
All they are busy doing is going yak-yak-yakking over trivial stuff, unloading on us their opinions and comments that they had rather put a lid on.
The results are preposterous as well. Their creations, which they could have excelled at, become nothing but boring exercises in self-indulgence.
These pompous folks are over-eager to beat their own drums, when they aren't busy running down someone else for the sake of drawing attention to themselves. And, yes, sometimes they form a mutual backslapping brigade as well, with others who are more than happy in returning the favors. It's their natural right to act holy and hoity toity at the same time - so they believe. It's time we tell them to excuse us... we aren't buying what you preach.

Not talking the talk

It's been a thing with me... NOT talking the talk. People keep asking me why I don't speak out, when I should.... or why I don't make the right kind of noise.
Well, first, noise puts me off somehow. But, actually, it is more of a reticence to talk about the things that disturb me, depress me or disgust me. I even detest my inability to speak up, I do. To be honest, I hate when I feel the urge to talk about something that bothers me but I feel like I've already talked about it too much in the private... so I just hold it in.

I Am Groot

Asked to pick the best lines from 'Guardians of the Galaxy', I'd pick "I am Groot"...
closely followed by "I am Groot"...
and "I am Groot".

May the truth set me free

Truth matters. Always. Sometimes it sets us free. Sometimes it just shatters us. Yet it needn't ever be replaced by an easy half-truth.

Best of 2016

'Carol'

Here is the list of top ten films seen in 2016: 

1. Carol (2015; Dir. Todd Haynes) 
2. Aligarh (2016; Dir. Hansal Mehta) 
3. Cinemawala (2016; Dir. Kaushik Ganguly) 

4. Anomalisa (2015; Dir. Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson) 
5. Inherent Vice (2014; Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson) 
6. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016; Dir. Ang Lee) 
7. Thithi [The Funeral] (2016; Dir. Raam Reddy)
8. The Danish Girl (2015; Dir. Tom Hooper) 
9. La La Land (2016; Dir. Damien Chazelle) 
10. Maman Est Chez Le Coiffrur [Mommy is at the Hairdresser's] (2008; Dir. Léa Pool)

An amazing year

I have had an amazing year.
But, no, this hasn't been it.
I must have had it years ago.
Can't exactly recall when though.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

These days, the much desired leading man in Bollywood doesn't just have to compete with other heroes.... but he's also to compete with his own film's leading lady....
hope you got the hint, yes, I'm talking about 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', Karan Johar's latest big-screen offering.

More than anything, it's a handsome tribute to good old Bollywood (or all that we love it for).
Karan Johar has come up with a fine piece of screenwriting (the dialogues do a best fit too), developing an actually flaky kind of story (but obviously, since the mainstream romance of the yore is as good as dead).

The music plays on

In the rhythm of life, sometimes, we find ourselves out of tune... but, as long as there's someone with the promise of becoming our melody, the music plays on.

Here's sharing a special message forwarded by a special someone....

"If you're lying in bed
wrapped up in sheets
of miserable thought,
go to sleep

if thumbing through old messages
only causes your heart to ache
and long for something unattainable,
erase them

if it hurts to keep
everything you're feeling
bottled up inside,
let it out

if you're clinging onto someone
that doesn't treat you like
you're worth the world,
let them go

because sometimes
we choose to believe
that things are only
indistinguishable shades of gray
when in reality
life is more black and white
than it seems

if you're unhappy
with the way
you are living your life,
change it."

Ever more...

Some people become ever present in our lives with every passing day....

Ritu_da shall remain in our hearts.

On his birthday, his absence from the mortal world pains me as much as it comforts me to see him manifest in my soul, ever more.

Peaky Blinders

My weekend binge:
I disregarded health issues once again, and fell for the lure of weekend binge yet again. My apologies to my body. But my heart just went wild with ecstasy, couldn't help it.
Had heard so much about it, had heard that the likes of Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are fans of the series.
Was finally able to catch it....
yes, I'm talking about 'Peaky Blinders',
it would be an understatement to say that the series is brilliant;
well, it can't get better than this!

Where Does It Hurt?

Yesterday, I came across an apparently harmless lunatic at the bus-stop who asked me, from behind, in a dull and heavy tone, "Kothaay kawshto?" (Where does it hurt?)
I was stunned.
It took me a few seconds to figure out that he lacked mental balance.
I observed that in a playful loop, he would approach a random stranger, ask the question, immediately step away and then repeat it with someone else within minutes.
Strange are our cages, stranger are our flights!

Are we willing?

We all want happiness, love, and acceptance for who we were, who we've become and who we'll be.
Indeed.
But the pertinent question is: Are we willing to do what it takes to get that acceptance?
Are we?

Just for laughs

Here's another post that has been curated and sent as a message by a friend of mine. It is likely to make you smile, chuckle, laugh.
Here it is -
Some politically incorrect morals of classic children's tales (courtesy: Esquire magazine)... 
'The Cat in the Hat':
Let strangers into your house but don't tell your parents.
'The Polar Express':
If a strange man invites you on a train, follow him, but don't tell your parents.
'Frosty the Snowman':
It's okay to befriend strange men with minimal clothing, but don't tell your parents.
'Jack and the Beanstalk':
Theft pays, so long as the victim looks different from you. And then you kill him.
'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory':
The solution to poverty is corporate-sponsored gambling.

The Coffee Post

Posting a fun message shared by a dear friend of mine. It's dedicated to all the coffee-lovers.
The kind of coffee we love to drink actually says a lot about us.
Here, take a look: 
The Espresso-lovers are friendly and adaptive.
Those who like Double Espresso are practical & hardworking.
Those who like Triple Espresso are enthusiastic but obsessive.
The Latte-lovers are reflective but often indecisive. In a world of unknowns, they like the safe pick.
The Macchiato fans are, essentially, traditional and reserved.
Those who love the Americano coffee are calm and conscientious.
The Mocha-lovers are basically fun loving and creative people.
Cappuccino is the flavor favored by the warm-hearted but obvious folks.
Iced-coffee is the fond favorite of those who are assertive and outspoken.
The Frappuccino-lovers are the happy and energetic kind.
Coffee-to-go is definitely the one for the serious and focused.

She said... she said...

Be the music in the streets, she said...
walk a poem, sing out-of-tune, make strangers turn, shake the norm, rattle the mundane....
I couldn't follow all her words;
being the 'feet on the ground, mind in the sky' guy that I am...
no, we couldn't roll together even...
so what! I salute her spirit and her spunk.
.... Remembering a special someone on this day.
End-note:
Some of the best conversations I have are with the ghosts (not in the literal sense though) of people that have slipped for good from my life.

Alert

User discretion alert:
The anonymity of social networking might be psychologically disturbing for some people,
viz. those suffering from bipolar syndrome.

Bengaluru days, Bengaluru nights

Crazy is as crazy does...
Listening. Singing. Humming.
"kuchh hai junoon sa kuchh paagalpan hai sau baatein karta yeh buddhu sa mann hai"
[dollops of passion
and some madness too
my silly stupid heart
voices umpteen things for you]