Thoughts on movies, shows, books and life will be found here. Read at the risk of getting addicted.
Powerful performances which show character graphs for the entire ensemble cast, it makes a riveting and tense watch.
Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington pack a versatile and brave punch, dealing with things in ways which get create more issues than solutions.
The younger cast are a revelation for the spectrum of emotions they effortlessly display. The problems for everyone get more intense and out of hand as the stakes get higher.
A binge-watch worthy mini-series!
I started writing my first book ‘The Codes of the Exiled Rogue’ on 18th June 2019 and didn’t get very far, abandoning the drafts I had written from 2013 onwards.
I got some perspective when I travelled and came back renewed in July, the writing flowed and I finished my first draft in September. When I wrote the last chapter of COTER I knew right away that it couldn’t be a stand-alone book. There was more to this story that needed to be told.
I announced a trilogy when I launched it in January 2020. I started writing part 2 in February, riding high on the wave of COTER becoming an Amazon bestseller e-book.
What I didn’t expect is for the flow to be unending and bountiful, which enabled me continue writing part 3 as soon as I sent part 2 to the editor in early May.
Today, two days shy of the 18th, I am elated to announce that part 3 has been written, the trilogy is now complete and will be called ‘The Exiled Rogue series’. I share the beautiful hand-drawn calligraphy logo which represents the series.
There was a time when I couldn’t see the end of the writing process of the first book, let alone three! It just shows that a lot can happen in a year! I look forward to sharing their titles and other details soon.
A part of me didn’t want this journey to end, but the story demanded to be written, it knocked every day on the door of my imagination, making sure it snaked its way from my mind to my keyboard.
Part 2 is deep in the editing stage with my editor and I will start the self edit for part 3 next week after a well deserved break, before I crowd her mailbox with the final instalment of the trilogy.
Watch this space for more news and a very special sneak peak, which is coming soon!
Calligraphy by Minjal Kadakia, @minjalkadakia
Design Composition by Samir Bharadwaj, @samirbharadwaj
In a world where humans have lost the ability to see, sight soon becomes a superstitious evil that is feared and must be eradicated.
Though the series is set in the future it looks to the past for ways to survive. Intuitive action and characters whose other senses are heightened make for an interesting watch.
There are some stellar performances by Sylvia Hoeks, Alfre Woodard and Hera Hilmarsdottir. Jason Mamoa is in top form and very convincing in the principal role.
If you are ready to consume apocalyptic content, then this should be on top of your list!
Eight heartwarming real stories that tell us what dreams and aspirations brought people to the USA or kept people there.
Spelling, squash/sneakers, hat/boots, a silent retreat, cookies, quail eggs, lucky winners and asylum seekers all have relevance in how people persevere in making their dreams come true.
With all the negativity in the world right now, this one is a heart warming watch!
Happy New decade everyone! Super exciting! 2020 is coming! It will be amazing! Better than 2019! Can’t wait to start the new year! Boom! In Australia, we ended 2019 with bush fires which raged into 2020, killing over a billion animals and keeping us indoors because of the air pollution. Masks were scarce and a necessity if you wanted to be out without choking, though the eyes still burned.
That was but a precursor of what was to come. “There is a flu like outbreak in China,” said the news. But China was far from Australia, or Dubai and India, so I wasn’t too worried about me or my family. We live in a small world, which we had gotten used to. Pop in to Hong Kong on your way to Mumbai, and I did! Lets have tea in London en route to Toronto, let’s surprise Mom in Dubai, lets do a Singapore celebration for #coter, it was all possible.
Until this little virus made its way to every country, shutting down the world. I looked for any unused masks from January but couldn’t find them. Stores were out of masks, sanitisers, gloves and cleaning products. We all had plenty of time to retreat, rethink and re-evaluate our lives. How many masks would nature have to impose on us till we realised we had to get rid of our own masks?
What is really important in our lives? I can’t think of anything other than groceries or essential medicines. The lack of freshly made cakes and muffins also reacquainted me with baking at home after decades. We were lucky, with the internet, lots of content to watch, listen and read, we bided our time indoors, as our hair grew out and the hair colour wore off. Video chatting apps kept human connections alive, as more challenges surfaced; locusts, storms, extreme weather, racial divide and the fear of the unknown.
“I can’t wait to get back to normal!” some say, as I bite back my words. “Normal wasn’t working! Which is why we are in this situation! It will be a new normal and don’t worry, we will adapt to it!” I think as I move on, very clear about what I will do. “Always have a Plan B,” I used to say, but now a Plan C and D should also be chalked out, in case a spoke hits our wheels. No more planning holidays, events, or even weekends with a contingency that things may not turn out as we thought, or hoped.
Walks and a coffee to go brought so much joy as we explored lanes hitherto unknown and expressed gratitude for having a roof, meals and the hope that something will stabilise this situation, because nothing lasts forever! So, take off your masks, all of them. Be true, be authentic, be you! If this ‘retreat for wellness’ has taught me anything, it’s that when we are real, life is effortless, avenues open up and we attract opportunities, love and support that we could never imagine.
Physical distances haven’t affected social connections and I feel closer to my loved ones, though I miss giving them a hug, which may not be possible now but I foresee it in the very near future! Until then, stay safe and real!
Bong Joon-ho’s film Parasite was a subtle social commentary compared to this powerful film with a potent message, based on a French graphic novel by Jacques Lob.
It mirrors the real world with terrifying accuracy, using metaphors which stir the same rebellion in you that ‘the back of the train’ feel at being controlled.
Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Octavia Spencer, Jamie Bell, Song Kang-ho, Ko Asung, Ewen Bremner are effective characters in a larger plot, where the train itself becomes the protagonist and the villain, alive and breathing, a messiah in an apocalyptic world.
The basic premise remains the same, it’s the treatment that makes this an eye opener, a cinematic genius which is perhaps more relevant now than when it was made, making it a classic, timeless warning.
4/5
An interesting crime drama that goes back and forth, painting a picture of a murder, with a 14 year old as a prime suspect.
Some fine performances by Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery and Jaeden Martell reveal a world of children parents may be shocked to know is ‘normal’ or ‘no big deal’.
Multiple sub-plots emerge without being over dramatic, which make an even more tense watch.
Good content!
The story of Buddha’s destined journey from a prince to an ascetic was first televised in 2013 on Zee TV and Doordarshan. It is now available to view on Netflix.
The soap opera style drama aside, it beautifully explored the relationship between Siddhartha and his parents, teachers and wife. The story ties itself well with the earlier drama when it speaks of redemption, righteousness and the quest to know oneself.
Unlike our other epics, this is not a story oft told. Though liberties are taken with its history, it makes for an enlightening watch with many well written and dramatised lessons, questions and truths.
The Morning Show, or Morning Wars as it is known in Australia and Indonesia, is so much more than one would expect!
We get a career best performance from Jennifer Aniston, a sturdy and dependable Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, and an ensemble cast which deserve every accolade.
The story is complicated. There is much more at stake than meets the eye. Power, relationships, money, the MeToo movement, bushfires, a terrible mass shooting incident make up the backdrops to many stellar moments.
Introspection, grief, anger, anguish, confidence, insecurity, pain, pent up suffering are all rolled into a hard hitting portrayal by the cast, who have written, produced and delivered an appropriate message which asks new questions and answers old ones.
A captivating watch!
Movies&Musings 