Aarohan

Read the complete review at
https://theworldofmovies.com/aarohan-1996-doordarshan-tv-series

Trishna

Past two days have been absolute bliss binge watching Trishna, a Hindi serial, which was aired on Doordarshan in the 1980s. It is an authentic Hindi remake of the much-cherished classic, Pride and Prejudice. It has been uploaded on YouTube by Prasar Bharati Archives in April, thanks to the re-broadcasting spree by Doordarshan of late.

I used to miss watching Trishna in school days because it used to air during the time I used to be in school. I had been searching for these videos for more than 20 years now, until someone from a book club tipped us off with the YouTube upload.

The story follows a life of the bright, chirpy and high spirited Rekha Anand (Elizabeth Bennett), second daughter of a middle-class family in Bombay (now Mumbai) and a rich business man, Rahul Mehta (Oh, Mr. Darcy) from Ahmedabad. One is proud of himself, and the other is prejudiced against him. We all know the rest of the story. I am not going to narrate the plot of Pride and Prejudice here 😊

Considering it is a 35-year-old serial, one can understand that it has few major glitches. The chemistry is not so great between the main leads. The acting of most of the actors and settings are quite mediocre. But the storyline itself is so refreshing. The native “Indian” ness adds much charm to it. We all can recollect those loose Kurtis and salwars we used to wear in our schools and colleges. The dances and balls in the book are replaced by parties and picnics. The story brings back memories of those days when we all used to huddle up in a neighbor’s house to watch a movie or play some games. The long walks our dads and uncles used to take to avoid paying the taxi fares, the urge from few of them to arrive on time and the chaos they create in the family to be punctual brings back some good old memories and a big smile on your face. There are two characters who specially deserve special mention for their acting skills. Lakshmi Anand (Mrs Bennett) has played her role to such perfection in the Indian context. Most of us can relate to the fussiness of our own moms when we watch her. Another character is Raj Mohan (Mr. Collins). He is a natural and his acting is brilliant. He has portrayed the imperfections of Mr. Collins so perfectly, all of us can relate to one distant relative of ours who makes such a fuss. These two characters are given enough screen time to show case their skills. Rekha Anand is casted very well, according to me, the perfect Elizabeth Bennett. Sangeeta Handa as Rekha Anand, is dusky, has a very ordinary face but such beautiful eyes. She does not dress up well, wears those loose kurtas and most of the times, does not comb her beautiful hair. She has an unkempt bun tied on her head, and has no make up or any other adornments most of the times. But when she looks and talks with such beautiful eyes, even we fall for her, leave alone Mr. Darcy!!

It might sound preposterous, but I could never come to terms with Aishwarya Rai or Keira Knightley or even Jennifer Ehle (who was so perfect) as Elizabeth Bennett. They all are too pretty to play the role of the charming Elizabeth. But for once, I liked this casting of Rekha Anand. She is just perfect! I cannot say the same for Rahul Mehta though. Whoever plays Mr. Darcy has to be charming. Tarun Dhanrajgir is indeed good looking, but leaves a lot to be worked upon on his acting skills. He just doesn’t seem to connect with his counterpart, though he does due credit to his role in the last episode.

These episodes were shot 35 years back and the print which is uploaded on YouTube is not very clear. The acting of most of the characters is quite mediocre except a few of them, who have done a brilliant job. The script writers have to be lauded to stick to the authenticity of the plot. Each and every dialogue is in line with book. Contrast to the boisterous and loud Aishwarya Rai starrer Bride and Prejudice, which had such glamour around it, this simple yet refreshing 13-episode serial is bound to steal your heart.

I was waiting for this serial with great expectations, and it did not let me down.

If you are an obsessive fan of Pride and Prejudice as I am, do not miss Trishna despite its glaring flaws. Go get transported to your childhood memories with this precious port-key.

Circe by Madeline Miller

Read the review at
Circe- complete review

The Pianist

Last weekend, I watched, in my opinion, one of the finest movies ever made and was thinking had I watched it before, I would have put it the first and foremost in the challenge which I took to list my favorite movies.

The Pianist is a biographical war drama film of a Polish-Jewish Pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman, starring Adrein Brody. It is about Szpilman’s extraordinary survival during the Holocaust.
The film covers the one-man survival through the Nazi invasion of Poland and the perils he has to face just to stay alive losing everything he held dear to his life including his family, his love, his occupation, status, and his passion, the Piano. It brings forward the miseries faced by one race in the hands of another, treated like worms, tortured to death. To this day one fails to understand what made one race morbid with such arrogant power to try to abolish and exterminate another from the planet. This film is the moving tale of one of the darkest times in the world history as seen through the eyes of one Jew.

Watch it, be prepared to shed a few tears, in the least it will tug at your heartstrings ! A brilliant movie, The Pianist !

Check out my review in the imdb critics section at
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0253474/externalreviews….
The full review could be read at
https://theworldofmovies.com/the-pianist-movie-review/

The Song of Achilles

 Author : Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Note : You will need to know about Trojan war to read this book and understand the characters.

Madeline Miller spins her web of magic with one of the most dazzling retelling of the Trojan war and its main hero, Achilles. Majority of people who have read the Iliad will hold Achilles very close to their heart. We cannot get enough of the killer weapon who took down Hector and opened up the gates of hope for the Greeks to claim victory over the Trojans.

This book is about the life of Achilles told from the point of view of his sworn companion and his dearest friend, Patroclus. The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus has been interpreted differently by various artists through ages. Though Homer’s Iliad terms it as friendship, many artists and poets have long speculated them as lovers.

Madeline Miller explores their romance in great depths in this book. Their love and feelings towards each other are very aesthetically portrayed in the book.

Patroclus is an exiled prince who is granted asylum by Peleus, the king of Phthia and father of Achilles. Achilles takes him in as his sworn companion. As they grow up their friendship deepens and they become inseparable and develop romantic feelings towards each other.

Then the fatal day comes when all the Greek heroes are called upon to fight for the pride of their motherland; A Trojan prince Paris has abducted a Spartan queen Helen. The Greeks have to avenge the insult and plunder Troy.

War does not spare the heroes. Patroclus goes to the battle field disguised in Achilles armor, and dies in the hands of Hector, the Trojan heir. Vengeful and filled with sorrow, Achilles chases Hector, kills him and brutally drags the noble prince’s body tied to his chariot for everyone to witness.

The wrath of God Apollo knows no bounds when Hector dies. He instructs Paris to shoot Achilles with his arrow and deflects the arrow towards his heel, the only vulnerable part of Achilles’ body. The world sees the end of one of the greatest heroes who ever walked this Earth. Achilles,” Aristos Achaion”, the best of Greeks.

It is indeed one of the best books I have ever read in Greek mythology. But one word of caution to the readers, please do read Iliad first before “The song of Achilles” as there are lot of variations in this book compared to the original epic.

Achilles was certainly claimed by Patroclus, his mother Thetis, and also by few women, Deidamia and Briseis for a short period of time. But glory was what the fates promised Achilles, and glory is what claimed him after the war, his name ringing loud alongside iconic Greek heroes like Perseus and Heracles with eternal fame.

And by the time you close the book mourning the death of Achilles, Patroclus and Hector, these words from the movie Troy ring in your ears.

"If they ever tell my story, let them say I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Hector, tamer of horses. Let them say, I lived in the time of Achilles."

Rating:👍👍👍👍👍

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