Author: sandeepadnani

Sandeep Adnani is the Amazon #1 Bestselling Author of ‘The Codes of the Exiled Rogue’ , ‘The Origin of the Exiled Rogue’ and ‘The Prophecy of the Exiled Rogue’ eBooks. He nurtured this metaphysical and transformational fiction idea for over six years before publishing the first part in July 2019. All three books of ‘The Exiled Rogue Series’, a trilogy about the purpose and meaning of life and beyond, are Amazon #1 Bestsellers in multiple categories. His first book, The Codes of the Exiled Rogue was declared an Award-Winning Finalist in the Fiction: Visionary category of the 2021 International Book Awards. His second book, The Origin of the Exiled Rogue was an Award Winner in the Science Fiction: Alien/Space category of the 2021 American Fiction Awards. It was also an Award-Winning Finalist in the Visionary Fiction category of the 2021 American Fiction Awards. His third book, The Prophecy of the Exiled Rogue was an Award Winning Finalist in the Fiction: Visionary category of the 2021 Best Book Awards sponsored by American Book Fest. The omnibus of the trilogy, The Exiled Rogue Series, won the Silver Medal at the Global Book Awards 2022, in the Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction category and Gold Winner at the ABLE Awards in 2024 in the Book Series category. Embarking on new genres, he has seven new stand-alone books in the offing. In 2021, he completed writing a futuristic sci-fi-romance which he is currently querying. The unpublished manuscript was a finalist for the Writing Award in the 2022 Page Turner Awards. He finished writing a mystery novel in 2022 and an Alternate Fiction novella in 2023. He has published three non-fiction novellas in the YOU DECIDE series. He is currently working on an illustrated children's book. He changed careers from the advertising/media industry and is now a mental health counsellor in Melbourne, with bases in Mumbai and Dubai as well.

American Sniper (2014)

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The film uses a traditional approach to tell us the micro story of an ace sniper with the macro backdrop of the Iraq war.

Bradley Cooper has a 3rd consecutive Academy Award nomination, this time for his role as Chris Kyle. He has transformed his body, his body language and verbal / non-verbal communication to a remarkable extent. One scene specifically has us as breathless and tense as he is in the film.

Director Clint Eastwood has handled a variety of films in this genre. He relies more on ‘saying it as it is’ so that we can process and digest the war conditions.

The film is not a commentary on the political scenario at all but just a view point of a soldier at war and how he copes with it afterword. That has perhaps been its most soft and subtle nuance.

Based on a true story it must have been difficult to make and was equally disturbing to watch.

3/5

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We, the proud people of India celebrate our 66th Republic Day. God bless this ancient civilisation which has given so much to the world, to garner more peace, prosperity, strength and humility.

Rang Rasiya (2014)

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A classic example of a poorly positioned and badly marketed film, it speaks about a history which we may not be aware of and should all know.

Artist Raja Ravi Varma committed a blasphemous act thanks to which many Hindu’s are able to worship but they don’t know who he is or what he did.

Director Ketan Mehta focussed on his liberated sexual ideology which didn’t garner much of an audience, though the film was much much more than that. So much so that Randeep Hooda has been nominated for Best Actor in the upcoming Filmfare awards. His role was complex and his performance was balanced.

The film has a sweeping landscape with very rich and diverse production values, stunning art and cinematography, the continuity of which seemed jaded in places.  Screened in 2008 in London it was finally released in India in December 2014 after a long fight and many hurdles from censors.

Nandana Sen has shown rare courage for scenes which require a sincere abandonment. The fault lies with the director, where language is not in check for the period and smaller but important nuances have been ignored. They were in check during Mangal Pandey, possibly due to Aamir Khan’s involvement but even then it could have done with more authenticity. This was the films biggest weakness.

It is a film which is a lot to do with how we depict gods and goddesses and celebrate our ‘human privilege’ of enjoying sex rather than just as a means of procreation. Taboos and social prejudice have been touched upon, but it seems as a rushed job in the end.

A rare opportunity to make an impact which was lost.

2/5

The Theory of Everything (2014)

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A biopic on the life of Stephan Hawking till date, it focuses more on his relationships and struggles in his personal life rather than public.

Actor Eddie Redmayne has already won the Golden Globe and is nominated for the Oscar for his stellar performance. The steady decline in his health and his indomitable spirit which gives him the strength to fight a 2 year sentence into still working today, is portrayed with unerring determination.

Actress Felicity Jones matches him in every way or more, embodying a woman who silently accepted her fate because she loved. And love she did, as she stood by him, being his reason to live initially and later on making sure that he remains alive.

It is often seen that people with brilliant minds or great leaders have a less than perfect personal life. It is no different here. The turn of events surprises, shocks and moves us. Research shows us that it was pretty close to his real life, which raises as many questions as it answers.

Director James Marsh presents the story of a man who has a brilliant mind, who has contributed much to the field of physics and cosmology, a film true to its period right down to the last detail. Not slow paced, it demands attention and empathy, but above all it shows us that even the most well meaning human or action is still not enough.

3.5/5

Big Hero 6 (2014)

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An animated film with an equal dose of action and emotion, its story touches a chord with many messages.

Set in a city called San Fransokyo, which cleverly combines the landscapes of the famous cities and their attributes and cultures as well, they introduce a unique character called ‘Baymax’.

His antics and personality are both endearing and humorous and it’s need in the modern age and the effect of technology is what makes it worthy of applause but also of concern.

How six nerds take on a battle with a faceless enemy by turning their quirks into their strengths makes this film a must watch.

3/5

Still or Sparkling?

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Sometimes I get lost in the mundane. Movement around me hypnotises me. I sink into observing people, the actions of others are blurring around me as I stand still. My thoughts slow down and become spectators. I am inert in a world of frenzy. Other times I feel I am not only present in the moment but learning from it. The landscape of ideas connects to me. I hear frequencies I wouldn’t normally, see more than meets the eye. I feel the vibrations of energies around me. I can only take this sparkle for a few moments, for the clarity it brings is vast and great. One state survives so we can process and recover from the other.

Big Eyes (2014)

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A film based on a true story about a female artist in the 50s, the tale was riveting with excellent production values and a surprisingly small budget of 10 million dollars.

Director Tim Burton presents Margaret Keane (Amy Adams) as a suppressed, dependant house wife who has to part with her identity as an artist when her husband inadvertently sells her painting. What starts as a sales pitch slowly turns into an identity crisis. She plays the part with beautiful restraint and her win at the Golden Globes this year shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody. Her creepy husband with the ‘smile that makes you shudder’ is done brilliantly by German actor Christoph Waltz. He shows his ‘real’ side with sparks and is otherwise the perfect farce.

This film shows the reality of what women had to face in the workplace and at home in the 50s and 60s. It showcases stunning art and strong performances.

3/5

Ugly (2014)

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The state of society, relationships and humanity is aptly summed up in the one word title of this dark film. The irony of the story lies not in the tragedy or the problem at hand, but what evils it gives rise to.

A failed marriage, a child abducted, a depressed mother, a frustrated father, an ambitious step dad, two opportunist friends and one idiotic sibling. Sounds like fun doesn’t it? They do not even describe the tip of the iceberg, for this tale grips you and shocks you on many levels.

The performances make the film powerful and as always director Anurag Kashyap smacks reality hard in your face and doesn’t give you any time to recover. You just go with it because stopping would mean accepting the trauma and shock of how depraved human beings can be.

Made in a very small budget (the key to success these days), it has a large cast. Ronit Roy does what he does best; angry and unyielding. Tejaswini Kolhapure is shown as reeling from addiction and depression. Vineet Kumar Singh has the largest use of profanity with the best act of helplessness. Rahul Bhat is caught between truth and fiction. Various others support in their own way, testing your patience and keeping you tense.

A brilliant eye-opening reality.

3.5/5

Ernest and Celestine (2012)

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Nominated for ‘Best Animated Feature’ at the Oscars in 2013, this simple story speaks of an unlikely friendship between a mouse and a bear.

Based on a bizarre concept of survival, the talents of Celestine the mouse are not wasted when she helps out Ernest the bear. What ensues is a simple yet dramatic tale of how these two depend on one another and develop a bond which no one understands.

The animation style is like a static story book painted in warm colours, parts of a page come alive when the scene requires it to. It combines an old world charm of the cartoons we grew up with in the 80s and early 90s and the sophistication and precision of the current times.

Directors Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner present a tale of pure emotions where very little depends on effects. They use sound and limited visuals to entertain and charm.

3.5/5