Of dark days and thy time flows

So I've been busy. There has been much drama in my life in the past few days. Last weekend, I saw Jaanemann and Don (two Bollywood movies). Now Jaanemann is a musical... even by Indian movie standards... but lemme tell you this... its is a frekkin masterpiece in terms of camera work, lighting, editing and direction ! Its Brilliant ! I'd say this movie should be a case study in film schools (I'm a student of films and direction)! The way they have played around with the lighting to change the scene or the mood is awesome. Its like watching a play on the big screen ! I liked it for all this. Then Don.... hmmm... after Jaanemann... it seemed like an amateur effort ! Shockin, cause Farhan Akhtar is one of my favourite directors ! But with this movie... naaa.. it didn't have his touch to it ! What ever stories Farhan Akhtar picks from his own life or experiences (Dil Chata Hai, Lakshya) are brilliant... borrowed ideas don't seem to work too well for him... The movie is ok... its too fast in the beginning.. too slow in the middle and then rushed up again in the end ! Sad... cause i was looking forward to it for a looong time!

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On Monday, I learnt about the death of a relative. My Nanni's cousin brother. Nanni being Mother's mother ! He died of injuries sustained in a freak accident with a motorcycle. Some youths were speeding in Aligarh and hit him. He was taken to the hospital but was badly injured. The culprits family pleaded not to tell the police and agreed to take care of all medical costs Meanwhile Riaz Nana (my injured relative) went into coma because of the injuries. He died Monday and now its a police case. The pain for the family shall not end quickly!

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There was this girl I knew in school. Three years my junior... she was a packet of joy. Bubbly and full of life, she always made very interesting conversations... I remember the last time I talked to her (about 4 and 1/2 years ago) she made me laugh silly about something. She was a brilliant student and even became the head girl in 12th grade. She was a Star Wars fan and once has an interesting talk with my brother about it. Well... last Saturday (5th Nov' 06), she killed herself. Shot herself in the head with her father's gun. Her father is a senior policeman in Haryana. It came in the papers on Monday... but I got to know only on tuesday when my brother told me. Her name was Mrinalini Rai... I could never pronounce it right. I still cannot understand... Its so unreal... she was the kind of person that you'd expect to talk a person OUT of committing suicide... she was larger than life... she could have done so much in her life... the life that she ended at 18! They say the suicide note points to depression... but it doesn't seem right ! :-( I didn't know her all that well... but she had touched my life and I remembered her... and now I feel that something inside my head has died too... she was a real person I knew and now she is gone... in this horrible fashion... drives home the dark side of life.

Her death has been the more difficult of the two to come to terms with. I guess I connected with her more, however little the contact. Her Orkut profile is http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=8024033311068817445

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Work has been a total bitch. Constant stress! Incredibly ridiculous deadlines and constant expectations of meeting them is taking a toll on me. Its amazing how far people will push you if you can get things done. I just feel like taking off now... getting away from it all!!

I don't know how much longer I can take this...

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Today I saw Umrao Jaan (another Indian flick). Its a remake of an 80's classic and a horrible one to that. J.P. Dutta should stick to making over-the-top war movies. He got nothing right in this one and with a running time of over 3 hours... its a pain ! Everything is way off ! The historical accuracies, the culture of that time, the quality and style of clothes, the jewellery, the people, their language and their behaviour and the simple pronunciation of Urdu words! NOTHING was right! Now... I come from a well off Muslim back-ground and so the errors might have seemed more obvious to me... but still... if a person is making a grand remake and pouring crores of rupees in it... then the least they can do is make it a bit authentic and do a little research! And also Mr. Dutta... a period film doesn't mean that everything in it should look dilapidated! The houses and all in the movie look like they've been un-inhabited for decades... flakes coming off the walls and all... least you could touch em up a bit!

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So thats that... tomm I go to watch 'The Departed'... and that should be fun !!