Athena Sana

Shakuntala Devi, a whirlind of a film showcasing the life of a prodigy ably shouldered by Vidya Balan.Shakuntala Devi, both the real and the reel lived up to what we say- one (wo)man show. This eponymous film captures the enigma who lived her life on her own terms, whether it was her diatribe against her father in her childhood or choosing her career and self fulfilment over being an acquiescent wife or omnipresent mother. Shakuntala Devi celebrated life and lived it to the lees. A multi faceted personality that she was, she never stopped at being the human computer but was an astrologer, a writer and a business woman. The film only brush past all these facets and gives the audience a smaller picture of what is an enormous life story.The film gradually traverses from a tale of superseding talent to a saga of mother- daughter emotional turmoil and redemption. The stronghold of the film is none but Vidya Balan. One of her finest performances till date. She looks and acts the part infallibly. Although it was more like Vidya playing herself on screen.Vidya Balan innately has the playfulness and charm of Shakuntala Devi which definitely was an added advantage. Not to mention the humour and the wit of both. The film surely arouses the hunger to know more about our very own human computer. Only to be accosted by her saying 'So,did you find out how I do it...'

A vulnerable tale of longing and loneliness 36 Chowringhee lane, Aparna Sen's directorial debut paints a canvas so sombre that it leaves you with a lump in the throat as the end credits roll. You are left with a feeling of both helplessness and guilt that keep piercing for long. The film opens to a cemetery and this sets the tone of the film. Miss Violet Stoneham played by Jennifer Kendall teaches Shakespeare in a school in the daytime and then retires to her empty flat, her cat being the sole company. Life is humdrum and slow for Miss Stoneham, the only aberration is a weekly visit to her ailing and senile brother in an old age home played by Geoffrey Kendal and sometimes reading letters of her niece who married and settled abroad played by Soni Razdan. This routine is interrupted by the advent of one of her ex-student Nandita played by Debashree Roy and her eloquent and budding writer boyfriend played by Dhritiman Chatterjee. Miss Stoneham lets them use her flat as a writing pad to which they use it for their ulterior motives and romantic escapades. As Miss Stoneham is shaken up from the reverie in the most unprecedented but brutal way, she plods back disheartened reciting Shakespeare, her only solace. The film depicts the melancholic tale of a lonely but gracious soul, that braves the harsh reality of the selfishness of humans but is inevitably let down by the selfish lot. The purity of Miss Stoneham is contested with the deviousness and manipulative nature of Nandita and Samaresh. And yet it is done so elusively that throughout the film one roots for the duo though apprehending that they will fail to live up to the expectation. What is worse is that one cannot help but wrench watching Miss Stoneham's profound pain and dismay. Oftentimes a kind soul is trampled without the slightest regard and Miss Stoneham realises this bitter truth, as she reinstates "Pray, do not mock me./ I am a very foolish fond old man,..." quoting Shakespeare. She retires dispirited with a heaviness in heart that no amount of consolation can undo the damage. Jennifer Kendall plays the part effortlessly, brilliantly supported by Debashree Roy and Dhritiman Chatterjee. The background score gives the film the impetus it needed to create the mood and the tone. The narrative is interspersed with alluring and soothing tunes. The predicament of Miss Stoneham is universal and all the more relevant in today's time and age.The film was also hailed ahead of its times. Apart from depicting pre- marital relationship between the lovers, the film itself was not for the mainstream cinema that dominated the then scenario. Undoubtedly Aparna Sen made a point very clear with her directorial venture- there is more to cinema than those hackneyed stories being told over and over again. To make a film that was realistic and catered to the intellectual fulfilment and made the audience sit up and think was a refreshing change.

Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai (season 1),probably the funniest, wittiest and the most loved comedy sitcom ever made on Indian television. What a perfect amalgamation of humour, wit, script and screenplay, acting, background score and direction! Many applause to the whole team of Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai. On a personal note, when Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai aired for the first time, I was in 8th standard and was so inspired by the standards of the show that I wished if I too could write something as witty as the sitcom. Back again in 2020 as I am watching the reruns, it has inspired me to write a review (more of a tribute) at least, rather the least that I can do. Aatish Kapadia, the writer (kachha kela) many hats doffed at your feet. Take a bow. Such innovative lines and ingenious scripts written with a dollop of sarcasm and wit, such mannerisms of the middle class and such nitty gritty of the high society people measured with subtle but humourous characters created the magic. The best part of this cult classic comedy is that it never gets tedious even if you watch a hundred times over! The episodes elicit humour with the same potency it had in the first place. Infact one needs to watch it a couple of times to grasp the humour to the fullest. Well, coming to the main characters they were relatable, albeit with exaggerated character traits. A striking point is that even the supporting characters, those of 'Dushyant', 'Madhu fufa', 'kachha kela', were also finely chiselled. And the actors playing the characters essayed them with perfection.One cannot imagine anybody else doing a 'Maya Sarabhai' other than Ratna Pathak Shah. And the same goes with the rest of them. Rosesh's poems were funny but the way Rosesh recited them were even funnier, he sounded funny whenever he spoke. The parodies of the popular bollywood songs that were to be sung at "Poppat kaka's" funeral and those in the antakshari episode were a master stroke. Also the taunts of Maya Sarabhai to Monisha at the drop of a hat were intoxicating. The way Madhu fufa juxtaposed his imagination and thoughts to what was actually said was hilarious and so was Dushyant's sudden and odd time visits at Sarabhai's residence and his obssesion with gadgets and technology. The funniest was the role reversal of Indravadhan and Maya. Indravadhan making a caricature of Maya left us in splits. And Maya turning into a middle class woman was a treat to watch. Such adept and convincing acting. Good things take time to be cherished. And so it happened with Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai, before it garnered very high ratings. Wish another encore is on the way! Until then let's raise a toast for the reruns because 'cheers' would be categorically middle class!

Lipstick Under My Burkha, is a beautifully woven film about the trials and tribulations, the hopes and hankering, the desires and dreams of women breathing and not 'living' under the all pervading arch of patriarchy. The second sex is in the limelight and how! Women of different age groups, religion and economic conditions are portrayed to show how women are the subaltern in the man-women dynamics of the society at large. They try to get a voice but it is snatched as soon as it threatens the primordial structure of patriarchy. The character of Rehana Abidi, is a college goer who is out in the open experiencing and exploring life perhaps for the first time but she has to do that stealthily, as she peeps out of her house in 'burkha' and then removes it,on her way to college. Leela, on the other hand is a charging women who is gutsy enough to do what she wants to do. She runs a parlour and wants to travel the world with her boyfriend.Then there is Shireen Aslam who is the docile and demure homemaker yielding to her husband's sexual needs every night. But she has a voice too. She dabbles as a saleswoman unknown to her husband and is a good one at that. And there is 'buaji' in her late fifties, who is the owner of the building that houses these tenants. She has a world of her own,and desires definitely, where she reads sleazy books but has to do it behind the garb of puritan modesty. So far so good. But the unnerving arises when these women try to throw away the vesture of 'laksman rekha' they have so long worn deftly, literally the 'burkha' in the 'lipstick under my burkha'. They try to sense freedom but are immediately pulled back to inertia. A bullet has been fired,though, and fires lit which is evident from the last scene of the film where all the women sit together and have a confrontation that amid the drudgery of their daily existence they definitely have the freedom to dream and face the world with a little more courage. All the four actresses were brilliant in protraying the characters to the hilt. The newcomers Plabita and Ahana were impressive in their strong performances. Konkona is a nuanced actor who is a delight to watch everytime she is on the celluloid. But what stands out is Ratna Pathak's act of 'Buaji'. She slips into the character like a chameleon. It is a big loss that bollywood hasn't used her talent to any justified potential.

"Love is a mutating virus. It is the kind of thing that can’t be understood at any age.” Beautifully written lines of a soul soothing comedy drama on Netflix. This is one love saga that keeps one engaged from the word go... Essentially based on the universal emotion 'love' it explores the emotion in its myraid forms. Much before this generation that no longer falls in love anymore but in relationship, this web series portrays how love is not something to be seen from a rose tinted glass or is a perfectly packaged parcel delivered to one at one's doorstep; but everything imperfect that requires patience and understanding,respect and trust. This 1989 premise brings a whole rush of nostalgia to 2020. From rotary phone dials to the yellow scooter, single screen theatres to Pentax camera, every frame breathes nostalgia. The bygone days come back in many flashes and bring along a desire to go back in time and live a romance there!