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.
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 The unpublished manuscript was a finalist for the Writing Award in the 2022 Page Turner Awards.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.
Big Eyes (2014)
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)
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
Time exists because we do.
Ernest and Celestine (2012)
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
Ask and ye shall recieve
Standing in queue for the Saturday prayer at the Shani Mandir (a section devoted to the planets, majorly Saturn, at the temple) I realised how prayer is so different for various people. Some simply pray (like me), some have a set of protocol they follow whilst performing the prayer, some bow and move on whilst others push and shove, thinking that being closer to the deity will make their wishes heard better. The bottom line is, people either come to express gratitude, share their worries or ask for something. The question I always ask is; Will I get if I ask, even if I don’t deserve it? Or will I get what I deserve, even if I don’t ask for it?
Night at the museum : Secret of the tomb (2014)
Night at the museum : Secret of the tomb – Ben Stiller and gang entertain in yet another party at the museum. A no brainer with a little adventure including the British (always the butt of American jokes) the film was a light comedy.
Many cameos take you by surprise, including the original cast which is quite a line up in itself, who play their characters well. It was Robin Williams’ last performance, and a cute one at that. Adequate excitement keeps the proceedings alive.
A nice way to start the year 🙂
2.5/5
Goodbye December and second half of 2014
Misty Monsoon. The fault in our stars. Surreal dream #1. 4 years in Mumbai. Impromptu weekend. The universe is always listening. Frozen s’mores. Mojo moment of truth. Car déjà vu. 21/8. Death by Chocolate trifle. Surreal dream #2. Mesmerising Maldives. Delicious Delhi. Fell in love with Paris thanks to DeeJay. LoveLock bridge. The best Sheesha. Divine hot chocolate. A date with Mona. One sunny day in Geneva. Beautiful Belgium! Ate drank slept chocolate. Diwali déjà vu. Dubai by plane, boat, car and hot air balloon! The King, the sorcerer and the treasure chest. I miss my Blackberry. Mandala transformation. Surreal dream #3. Minion cake! Turned 36, feel 18 🙂 abundance from the universe when I needed it most. 313 minutes. 17/12. Lucy. 25 years of togetherness. Reunions back home. pk. 28/12.
2014 was a year of extremes, of joys and silences, of lessons learned and careless abandon. A crash course and a work-in-progress, of questions unanswered and answers which have no questions.
May 2015 be a year of stability, hope, happiness and above all, Love.
Into the storm (2014)
Director Steven Quale takes the ‘Twister’ tale up a few notches with excellent special effects and a decent story line. What starts as a chase for storm trackers becomes a living nightmare for the town of Silverton.
The not so typical American family is shown, trying to step away from all stereo type, yet it isn’t the performances you are watching out for. There is destruction, at scales which make for visual impact, obstacles and sticky situations which provide the necessary thrill and an appropriate running time.
A perfect flight watch!
2.5/5
PK (2014)
Aamir Khan redeems himself from the Dhoom 3 debacle after his sincere and comedic performance in pk.
What looks like a drama on religion is actually a very clear message about how to be human. And it’s even more effective when told from pk’s character. It shows us how complex our lives are especially when it comes to matters of faith and love.
Though the message isn’t new, it has been told with a zest and humour which made it more appetising and definitely less preachy. Anushka Sharma plays the reporter and comrade Jaggu with an ease of a seasoned actress. It was nice to see Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, yesteryear Pyarelal aka Ram Sethi, Saurabh Shukla and of course Sushant Singh in short but effective roles.
Not relying on special effects or long winded theories this film goes straight to the heart of what it means to be human and have faith. While pk mimics the actions of those around him, he asks an age old question. He provides a fitting answer too, in a signature ‘finale mass media’ Vinod Chopra Raj Kumar Hirani way.
They have come up with a concept which is very delicate and a potential time bomb of a subject in a country like India, but they have walked the tight rope well. Since the ‘perspective’ is pk’s, its ownership too lies with his species. The writing is crisp, light and doesn’t leave anything unexplained. Logic and reason take center stage in a debate which was engaging as it was entertaining.
In the end it took ‘no understanding of ourselves’ to reflect what we have become and how we can still save ourselves. That was the films larger message amongst it’s many commentaries, all of which are sensitive, appropriate and not tipsy but very much in their senses!
4/5
Movies&Musings 