On silence

Is it better to stay silent? 

When is it prudent to use silence as a weapon? 

When do we say it out loud what we have to, and when do we embrace silence? 

Silence isn't for eternity, it is just a pause. The pause is to be used responsibly to reflect and to replenish our understanding and thoughts.

Silence is, thus, not merely the absence of noise, it is the presence of thoughts. 

In a world that's constantly yelling, choosing silence can be the ultimate act of rebellion. 

One needs to try to minimize the urge to speak simply to end that silence. Only then can the full potential of silence as a tool be unleashed.

Of atheists, scientists and social-scientists

Atheist: I don't believe in the supernatural. But I believe in equality and justice.

Scientist: Neither equality nor justice are natural. They are human fantasies. Like God and miracles. 

[Devdutt Pattanaik] 

What about social-scientists? I ask.

There is a far greater amount of denial and disbelief that a social scientist faces or counters these days, compared to an atheist or a scientist. 

Some hard-core critics club the social-scientists with theorists, and mumbo jumbo jingoists, in fact, with anyone who is not based on the 'hard sciences', or even the 'common sense' reality. Now that maybe extreme, but the fact remains that social scientists are no longer trusted or looked up to as before. 

One must remember, social scientists help quash myths. The call for advancement of social justice isn't a scamming scheme. 

Social scientists are required to study social movements and changes brought about in society. 

Even the literature written by the social scientists are often looked down upon by the so-called free world. Whereas, in reality, the social scientists use scientific methods to obtain evidence. They are meant to play a crucial role in evidence-based policymaking. 

Part of what makes social scientists unique is their convergence research approach. 

Research on human behaviour, cultures, markets, law, and politics are essential to understand the prevailing challenges in society. It's not just about the 'what' and 'how' of new technologies, but also the 'who' and 'why'.

Understanding the legal and regulatory landscapes is vital for the responsible development and adoption of technologies. 

It is absolutely necessary to study the social and ethical dimensions of key problems. Societies are always about diverse values and beliefs. 

Economic analysis and modelling help us evaluate the broader impacts of our policies and technologies, ensuring it's not just about innovation but about sustainable and equitable growth, that technologies contribute positively to society.

Social-scientific perspectives are indeed important and diverse disciplines are thus to be integrated to solve problems of sustainability in multiple fields. 

Essential read: courtesy - Quantitative Social Science Library

When I acted dumb and turned lucky - a true story

Watched 'Dumb Money' (2023) on National Cinema Day 2023 (October 13), almost knowing nothing about it beforehand (without even seeing the trailer), and I turned out lucky to have acted on a whim (did such a thing after a really long time).

Based on a true story, the film explores the concept of short selling, where investors bet against a company's success. Director Craig Gillespie, along with the scriptwriters Lauren Schuker and Rebecca Angelo, has ensured that the Wall Street lingo and the stock market practices wouldn't alienate the viewers, and that the main narrative bearing the analogy of David versus Goliath would hold mass appeal. 

Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen, Vincent D'Onofrio, Shailene Woodley, Sebastian Stan, Dane DeHaan, America Ferrera, and Rushi Kota are just some of the cast members comprising the rich ensemble, and are all excellent. The original score is composed by Will Bates, and the soundtrack features some groovy tracks guaranteed to keep one buoyant. 

It's one of the best films that I've seen this year (with the likes of 'Past Lives', 'Oppenheimer', 'Barbie', 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3' in company).

Places and memory associations

What comes to your mind when you think of a place? A place you've visited, or a place you've lived for months, days or years...? 

For most people, there are strong ties with any place, be it a city or a town or a state, that one has lived in, or stayed on account of work or pleasure. Usually the memory associations are different in case of places that have been part of one's life out of compulsion as opposed to choice. 

While visiting places for the first time, it's the food or the special attractions that one gets attached to, quite naturally. However, sometimes, whatever we do, wherever, are always special because of the ones we share them with, when it's the people - or the relations we forge with them - attain a larger significance, and thereby provide us with a meaningful context to a place.

Delhi, more lovingly called Dilli, is a place that has been in my memory recall for a number of reasons, and none so poignant that a phantom association with certain people and the recurrent associations with the city, which otherwise brings a 'been there' and 'could've been' vibe for me, silly me.

60 days of Sleaze

Sleaze comes in various hues, various genres, various qualities. Inspired by Justin LaLiberty's United Sleaze Factory for MUBI, here's a curated listing of 60 films that shaped my overview and understanding as well. It's based on random recall, not on preference. A personal connect - for the experiencing itself - with each of these movie titles does exist nonetheless.

1. Endless Love (1981)

2. Class (1983)

3. Class of 1984 (1982)

4. Risky Business (1983)

5. Youngblood (1986)

6. Road House (1989)

7. El Perro aka Vengeance: The Dog (1977)

8. Straw Dogs (1971)

9. Barb Wire (1996)

10. White Palace (1990)

11. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)

12. Exchange Lifeguards (1992)

13. Basic Instinct (1992)

14. Mannequin (1987)

15. Sliver (1993)

16. Cocktail (1988)

17. Wild Orchid (1989)

18. The Blue Lagoon (1980)

19. Captain Ron (1992)

20. Bachelor Party (1984)

21. Chasers (1994)

22. Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981)

23. The Emerald Forest (1985)

24. American Pie (1999) 

25. 10 to Midnight (1983)

26. Lassiter (1984)

27. Indecent Proposal (1993)

28. Fatal Attraction (1987)

29. Neighbors (2014) 

30. Holy Smoke! (1999) 

31. All the Right Moves (1983) 

32. Unfaithful (2002) 

33. Never Talk to Strangers (1995) 

34. The Indian Runner (1991)

35. Siddhartha (1972) 

36. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996)

37. Swimming Pool (2003) 

38. The Dreamers (2003) 

39. Cat People (1982) 

40. The Fly (1986)

41. Pyar Ka Taraana (1993) 

42. 8mm (1999) 

43. Bully (2001) 

44. Crash (1996)

45. Cruel Intentions (1999)

46. Damage (1992) 

47. Dogtooth (2009) 

48. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) 

49. Wild Things (1998) 

50. In the Cut (2003) 

51. Species (1995) 

52. Quills (2000) 

53. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) 

54. Lost Highway (1997) 

55. Irreversible (2002) 

56. Idle Hands (1999) 

57. Angel Heart (1997) 

58. Apocalypto (2006) 

59. Knock Knock (2015) 

60. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) 

TIFF lookback

As the curtains came down on this year's Toronto International Film Festival, here's giving a shoutout to some of our favorite films from the past that were screened in Toronto (some had their premiere, some came from other film festivals) 

The Whale (2022) 

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) 

Decision to Leave (2022) 

Broker (2022) 

The Woman King (2022) 

Women Talking (2022) 

American Beauty (1999) 

Ray (2004) 

The King's Speech (2010) 

127 Hours (2010) 

Black Swan (2010) 

Aftersun (2022) 

Parasite (2019) 

Belfast (2021) 

Nomadland (2020) 

Jojo Rabbit (2019) 

The Fabelmans (2022) 

The things we do for love

The things we do for love are often inexcusable, they cross the limits of sensibility and reason. 

The things we do in the name of love are best termed excesses, and, ironically, they are romanticized in fiction, in films, in poetry, in songs. 

The song "In the name of love..." (Bebe Rexha and Martin Garrix) goes: "If I warned you that the fire's gonna burn/ Would you walk in?/ Would you let me do it first?" 

Well, it doesn't matter whether there was a caveat in the first place or not. No one enjoys getting burnt. Even if one escapes death or being maimed, one often has to suffer from the Once Burnt, Twice Shy syndrome for life. 

PostScript: Have you seen a tall tree struck by lightning? I have. In my childhood, I was traumatized witnessing the top of a coconut tree catch fire when lightning struck. A common myth is to take shelter under a tree, to feel safe when it's raining and one's out on a field or by the roadside. Warning: it is NOT at all advisable to seek shelter under tall trees that attract lightning. 

The worst memory of mine was witnessing the tree die a slow death thereafter.