Niloufer Shaikh

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Jubilee sprang a surprise, what started as casual viewing caught me up in its brilliance. I twice checked if it was actually the lesser known Khurana brother; he has smashed it sky high, what a discovery! The restraint of his performance, reined sparkle, applause! Aditi Rao Hydari hasn't got her due in the industry a stellar commanding presence with the soft underbelly of vulnerability. Applause! The music! Oh the music! Kausar Munir and Amit Trivedi combine to give the essence of a bygone era, each song is a jewel, it's hard to choose a favourite, yet Wo tere mere ishq ka shayarana daur sa thha, uffff. Applause! Applause! All performances are fabulous, Wamiqa Gabbi graceful, expressive gorgeous, Prosenjit, Siddhant, Ram Kapoor(reinvented) Arun Govil!! Standing ovation for the director and his production team, for his vision and for actualizing it on the screen. The film has these layers of the persona vs the person, the plot framing it on the era; I laughed in delight at the Koli song and the token children song. Where it scores high is the spin on the b&w era by adding shades of grey, there lies the growth. Thank you Vikramaditya Motwane.

This is a purportedly translated version of a late 14th century Latin manuscript by a Benedict monk which was translated into French, therefore a translation of a translation. Referring to both books, though the original was lost by the author, relying on his notes he made during his brief possession, this is a theological discourse. The murder trail is a thread which holds the disposition and keeps the reader engaged. Set within seven days where the number of corpses following a prophecy keep us company. Interspersed with the detection of the culprit is enough matter for an entire lifetime of study. What are the boundaries of State and Church, (by Church I mean the various religious orders or nationalities we owe allegiance to), to whom does a person owe their priorities, who has first rights? Seeing as there was a time in the fifteenth century when three Catholic Popes existed simultaneously, each with convinced followers of being the only true One. A time of anarchy and murder, of cruelty beyond despair for those of other sects were branded as heretics and witches. What is the true way? The powerful in terms of wealth prevail, as does their will. If every deviation is considered as heresy, is religion's mission only to preserve, repeat and defend or does it extend further. If the earlier teachings are taken to be complete how does one reconcile to those who came after, albeit they're dwarves on the shoulders of giants, won't they look further? Interpretation takes in many hues, some areas illuminated, others proved erroneous by later revelations, which means nothing remains static, not even the word of God, how are authorities to keep themselves relevant in this scenario. Several conflicting truths exist simultaneously each speaking to a different flock as the correct way, each minute variation is a deviation if not stymied right at the source creates wide unsurpassable chasms. Can it be controlled? Is it justified to impose a single narrow perspective and condemn everything out of its pale. Eco writes a rich book, well researched and the postscript is enlightening into the process. Rewarding read. All that is left to us by tradition is mere words. It is up to us to find out what they mean. —Ibn 'Arabî