The Choice

 Author : Dr Edith Eva Edgar

The Choice is an autobiographical account of a Holocaust survivor , Dr. Edith Eva Eger who survives the Auschwitz and later the Death March . She articulates the horrific experiences very vividly .She holds onto hope and light within to get past some gruesome experiences .

I was prepared for this part of the book as I was aware that it is about the Holocaust .

The war is over , and she survives . But Is it a happily ever after ? No . She recovers , marries , bears children , life goes on . But the pain and the suffering lingers in the back of her mind . The trauma acts up in different ways and costs

her a lot . Then she starts questioning herself and the meaning of all her suffering . She starts studying , one degree after another and finally studies psychology. Now at 90, she is an active psychologist treating patients with depression . She talks about multiple clinical cases she has handled , and how she managed to overcome her own trauma and later helped heal others .

This book was a very heavy read , I was not prepared for the second half and it hit me hard .Huge respect to Dr Edith Eva Eger who survived the trauma , worked on healing herself and then put her life to good use healing others .

There are some books which demand your attention and your emotional energy . This is one such book , it is not for the faint hearted and you cannot take it lightly .

It teaches you a lot , I wouldn’t have picked it myself. But no doubt it is a very Informative read. The lady is a huge inspiration . The Choice is up to you , to read this book or not .

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

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Where the Crawdads sing : the movie

 “ A feral girl with rumors that she is part wolf, with eyes that glow in the dark “. A girl who is filled with dirt, consumed in loneliness . Struggling to make her living in the only world she knows - the Marsh . Her family , her friends are more like sojourners in her life for a brief period of time . They come into her life , stay with her for a short time and disappear. The only thing constant in her life is the Marsh . Despite all the odds , she evolves into an extraordinary butterfly. But will the society let her fly? The town people tag her as the Marsh girl , they alienate her , belittle her , use her . This is the story of Kya as she stands trail for a murder she is accused of in the extraordinary tale of courage and perseverance , “where the crawdads sing”.

I had read this book and Kya is like the fire within all of us . Our passion is re kindled with her spirit . That is how dear Kya is to anyone who has read the book.

Then I watched the movie yesterday and saw an introverted high school girl who loves to draw and write on the screen . To give the movie due credit , they were loyal to the book . The screenplay is gripping , the marsh ethereal. The whole movie is beautifully shot.

What made it underwhelming is the casting . Daisy Edgar Jones is not the right fit . She is too polished to play Kya . The supporting characters who played Tate and Andrews looked quite robotic. There were times when I doubted the plausibility of Kya’s personality and her capabilities on screen when I was so bowled out with the same Kya in the book . This could be a biased review from someone who loved the book so much . But I was forewarned before by a good friend to keep my expectations low . Despite that I ended up being disappointed. It’s an average movie , well taken , an honest effort but falls short because of its cast.

Rating: 👍👍👍

Enola Holmes 2

 A very fine movie , very very well made . Lot of action sequences , lot of creativity when it comes to evidence , deduction and the spy game . Excellent humor . The actors are wonderful . I love Sherlock Holmes and in the past few years , a few fine actors have portrayed the character very well. I have begun to like this Sherlock too . Henry Cavill is brilliant , just like Robert Downey Jr or Benedict cumberbatch . Millie Bobby Brown is perfect as Enola . In this particular case , the practical , analytical and detached Sherlock works with the spontaneous, vivacious and emotional Enola to solve a mystery. They form such a wonderful detective pair and the contrast in their personalities is evident and made a lot apparent . The supporting cast is also excellent.

The movie revolves around a true story , match girls who work for a match factory and either disappear or die , and is based on a woman who stood up for their rights and their well being . Feminism , brilliantly captured and within the context .

There are very subtle references to the friends and foes of Sherlock Holmes , his famous possessions . There is a lot of onus on his methodical deduction, his style of working . There are some sequences , especially at the climax where we could draw parallels to the action sequences in 2009/2011 Sherlock movies .

All in all , I thoroughly enjoyed this movie . My weekend ended quite well . What better way to conclude the review than this dialogue .

Watson : “You may be right.”

Holmes: “The probability lies in that direction.”

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Ponniyin Selvan 1

 When a much loved literary work is made into a movie, the expectations are sky-high. It takes a crafty film maker like Mani Ratnam to meet the expectations atleast three quarters of the way.

I read the epic Ponniyin Selvan way back in 2006, one of the very few times when I felt handicapped not knowing how to read Tamil. I read the English translation of the work, I fell in love and got lost in the epic, I never found the way out, not to this day. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of Indian literature I have ever read. The epic is set in the time at the onset of the glorious era of the Chola dynasty; just before the emperor ,Rajaraja Chola, the first ruler after Ashoka to annex most of the Southern part of the Indian subcontinent under his rule and even went ahead to expand his empire to Maldives and Srilanka, took over the reins of the country. The storyline is primarily political, on how he teamed up with his allies, conquered over his enemies, the Pandyas and ousted the treacherous plot to overthrow him within the dynasty . It is a magnificent epic with a very strong storyline.

After years of waiting, Mani Ratnam finally brought the first half of the epic on the silver screen. The latter half is slated for a release next year.

It is a very sincere effort from him, he has remained loyal to the book though there are few instances where the romance is glorified and the sequence of events is moved back and forth for a smooth narration. The cinematography is brilliant, ManiRatnam’s signature is found in every scene with his fast moving cameras. The settings are grand and costumes elegant. The two lead actresses are enthralling and the background score is very engaging and brilliant. The dialogue delivery is perfect and the actors deliver the dialogues very skilfully. There are a lot of sword fight scenes, taken quite well without much blood shed and gory scenes.

If there is something I did not like in this movie, it is the dance sequences. The movie is a class and I felt those dance numbers primarily showcasing the Asura culture were not necessary. But it is just my opinion. I also do not remember Aditya Karikalan so pronounced about his obsession for Nandini in the books, but I think I must reread the epic once more. It has been ages.

I would recommend that you read the epic before watching the movie, it will help you imbibe the full gist of the political landscape during that Chola era.

Overall, the movie is a magnum opus , the expectations were high, Mani Ratnam did not disappoint. The movie manages to showcase the glory of the Chola Empire very well. When the Chola Flag flies high once again after so many years, albeit on the silver screen, we do the same thing we did centuries ago, “Take a bow”.

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Ramayana Rendition - 2022

 This year's rendition based on the characters of Ramayana. Tried to convey a message that those who chose love and devotion are the ones closest to the Lord. So this Navratri, try to let go of negativity and hatred and embrace love.

दशरथ बोले कौशल्या से, अपना पुत्र है अति अपुरूप,
मात पिता का है वो गरीमा, राम चन्द्र है प्रेम के रूप!

शिला आकार मे अहल्या की आस, राम पघारे मेरे द्वार,
चरण स्पर्श से मोक्ष प्राप्त हो, करुणा प्रभु कि है अति अपार !

वन मे राक्षस भटक रहे है , राम है साथ तो भय ही नही,
सीता का विश्वास अटल है, राम कहे वो बात सही !

लक्ष्मण छोडे अपनी निद्रा,, भ्रा्त सुरक्षा मेरा धर्म,
राम की आज्ञा सर आंखो पर, उन्की सेवा मेरा कर्म !

भरत ने त्यागा राज सिंहसन, हर पल करे बस एक विचार,
चौदह बरस है मेरी तपस्या, भ्राता भटक रहे समुन्दर पार !

कडवा बेर या मीठा फल, शबरी के मन मै है हलचल,
प्रेम से जीते प्रभु के ह्रुदय को, झूठे बेर का प्रयास सफल !

सि्या को लौ्टा दो रामचन्द्र को , भ्रात से दोहराये अनुरोध ,
राम के शरण मे आये विभीशण, सीमित नही रावण का क्रॉध !

शत्रु पराक्रमी उत्थम यो्धा,, कुम्भकर्ण को है यह ज्ञात,
फिर भी प्रहार करे युद्ध भूमि पर, मोक्ष मिले मुझे प्रभु के हाथ !

भक्ति स्नेह ्का उचित उदाहरण, वानर प्रमुख, किश्किन्दा की शान,
उनका जीवन राम को अर्पण, पवन सुत राम दूत हनुमान !

राम भक्त का यह दृढ़ विश्वास,्ह्रुदय मे बसा है प्रभु का धाम,
बैर निकालो अपने मन से, प्रेम स्वरूप है जय श्री राम !

सत्य और हित क राह दिखाये, आज भी लब पर एक ही नाम ,
देश मे हो परदेस मे बैठे, हम तो जपते जय श्री राम !

Silver Skates

This is one of those hidden gems in Netflix , I picked it up for my weekend watch with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised . Apparently it is the first Russian film to be streamed on Netflix in Netflix originals . Set at the onset of early 20 th century , this movie addresses two key issues , women empowerment- the rights for women to pursue education and the class divide predominant in Russia - bourgeoisie vs proletariat. Matvey Polyakov , an ice skating courier of a local

Bakery is overthrown from his job and chooses to join a rebellious group of pickpockets who steal from the bourgeoisie. Alisa , daughter of one of the most influential Aristocrats of St Petersburg wants to pursue higher education in Chemistry and rebels against her father’s

Conservative views on feminism. Their paths cross , they fall in love and the problems compound. This movie is more of a social drama with some romance thrown in . The plot has nothing new to offer , but the movie is very aesthetically done and is visually stunning . Set in the winter in St. Petersburg, Russia , the place is covered with ice and snow . The ice skating stunts are both novel and mind blowing . The costumes are ethereal, and the movie brings out a dream like atmosphere. It simultaneously manages to beautifully showcase the contrast of the luxury the aristocracy is blessed with and the poverty which the working class has to endure in the snow . I always enjoy reading Russian fairy tales and this movie managed to look like one . The social issues are very subtly addressed and the lead pair is terrific . Loved every bit of it , a very different movie and very well done .

Rating : 👍👍👍👍

 

RRR

 Finally watched this movie last week , with few forwards on the violent scenes . This movie and The Gray Man are made on similar lines . Very creatively done , the protagonists look very good , the dance numbers are amazing , few action sequences are jaw dropping . But don’t put your head into it . Don’t search for logic . Just enjoy the stunts . Even then it was a little too much for me to bear . But I applaud the makers for the creativity and the action sequences .

Rating: 👍👍

Aru Shah (Pandava ) Series

Author : Roshni Chokshi

I read this series this whole summer along with my son and we both loved it . This series is written under Rick Riordan banner and follows the same pattern as his other books in Greek / Roman and Egyptian mythologies , but is written by an Indian author Roshni Chakshi who did a fabulous job with this Quintet. The main protagonists here are five girls who are the reincarnated souls of the five Pandavas . There is a sleeper ( reincarnated soul of Suyodhana) who wants to bring upon destruction to the world . The Pandavas mission is to stop the sleeper . They undertake multiple quests to gather weapons and the army to fight against the sleeper . And in these quests , they meet various mythological characters and we come across the stories surrounding them . The author clearly states that she is dealing with Vedic Gods and does not touch upon the major Gods . We do not come across the holy trinity or any other major Gods and Goddesses whom we pray at the temple ( except one big God briefly and Hanuman who is very respectfully depicted ). We meet Garuda , most of the planets , many Vedic Gods , Varuna , Vayu, Agni , Ashwini Gods and the Nagas , Vasuki and Takshaka - these being only few . The Churning of the Ocean of milk plays a major role in this book. So children get to learn a lot about Indian mythology . Most of portrayals are not accurate but they get to know who is who . These are all the stories either my mother had told me or I read them in Amar Chitra Katha editions . The author also touches upon the negative emotions like anger , grief , hatred and revenge and how these emotions affect us equally as much as our enemies . She conveys these message through the affected characters , with whom grave injustice was done and they chose to act with vengeance, like Takshaka , Shurpanaka , Karna and Shikhandi . It is very good thinking to make the children aware of these negative emotions and not to hold on to them too long that they destroy their mental peace and cause harm to themselves and the world . She also subtly brings out the point that it is never black and white , good is not always good , bad is not always bad . The Pandavas , the Gods all of them had their weaknesses and have made grave mistakes from time to time . The bad is always not bad , injustice has been done to the Asuras right from the time the ocean of milk was churned . Overall these books had a plethora of knowledge, with lot of wisdom imparted in a subtle way with great sense of humor . But please keep in mind that depiction of the mythological characters is not accurate , most of them are funny or pompous , but in a good way . If you are okay with this liberty taken with the Gods and the heroes , I would definitely recommend this Quintet, for adults and children alike . The picture has the Quintet and one graphic edition of the first book .

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Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

The Lake House

 I watched this movie again , nearly after a decade . I had picked up the book The Lake House by Kate Morton a few weeks back . The book did start with a girl , a dog and a letter but well 100 pages into it , no hero . Turns out the book and the movie are not related at all . I put the book on pause , and had to turn it in yesterday . Weighed by guilt , watched the movie yesterday night .

A classic romance, there is Keanu Reeves , there is Sandra Bullock , there is dialogue , conversation , connection and Persuasion . This movie will always remain one of my favorites !

Buy or rent the movie at

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Just like Heaven

 I got some recommendations from one of my friends few days back. So I am just watching these movies late nights . I love light romantic comedies , subtle and full of life . Of late , it’s hard to find movies like You have got mail or when Harry met Sally . They are full of humor and spirit . Speaking of which this movie literally has a spirit . A heart broken widower David moves into an apartment where the ex-tenant doctor Elizabeth’s ghost still lingers and surprise, they fall in love ! The imagination is far fetched but the movie was such fun to watch . I was laughing through out . Mark Ruffalo is very good at refined subtle humor . He and Reese Witherspoon make a terrific pair . An out and out light hearted romantic comedy . Wish they make more of such simple movies again ! Alas, for some reason everything is dark , intense and complicated !

Buy or rent the movie at

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍