Sahore!

Remember the days of black and white and/or newly bought color TV where every Sunday the entire family would gather around the television set to watch Mahabharat? An almost similar experience of larger than life stories, sets and sounds is Bahubali 2, which will take you down on a rollercoaster ride of passionate movie watching.

Note of caution to the handful of the people who still did not find the time, opportunity and mindset to watch the movie (yes, IT does that people), if you goto watch it with a crooked smile and lifted eyebrows, trying to justify everything that happens or does not happen in the movie, you will miss the flavor of it. If you end up disliking Bahubali 2, it is the same reason why Captain America could never make sense to you, and this comes from someone who watched the first part just a week before the second was released and still loved it.

Now, about the movie, this is one of those movies where the sequel outshines the first, it is one of those movies for which you will forget the overpriced popcorn that you would have bought and not lift your eyes from the screen. A man’s hardwork, sweat and blood (literally) for 4 years together makes this movie what it is! It has got something for all the age groups. While the guys can admire the perfection that Anushka is, the girls could not stop applauding for the Gentlemen that AmarendraBahubali is in the movie. Ramya Krishna has been her strongest best and no other actor could possible do justice to Shivgami’s character but her. If you still have the image of a Ramya Krishna dancing with AmitabhBachchan in Bade Miya Chhote Miya, it is time for you to hit the theaters for Bahubali 2 for sure, and I write this with zero tinge of exaggeration.

The story is nothing that could cannot guess (except for the “Why Katappa killed Bahubali” bit). No spoiler alert! You need to watch this movie for the various social factors it touches, be it the punishing of the eve teasers or the right of a woman to take her own life decisions. It would be nice if us, who clapped when DevaSena chopped off the eve teaser’s fingers or when she rebelled against the world to keep her moral grounds intact, start implementing the same in our lives. I am sure you have read and shared one million memes over social networking sites about the perfect Gentleman that Bahubali has been portrayed to be, time to be one. Long story short, this is a movie that is going to stay in our hearts for a long long time.

Every actor has put in their best, every scene will glue you to your seat. Go watch the movie, dubbed or not and end up with this urge to convince everyone to do the same. S.S. Rajamouli, thank you for this experience. Jai Maaheshmati!

Thin Crust Pizza

'বয়স তখন ছিল পনের, তাই ছিল স্বপ্ন দেখার ব্যারাম'

If you live in a world that does not like pizza, this post may not make much sense. For me, I have grown up loving pizza, from the first fancy dinner with Maa, to the first boro howa Pujo outing with friends, to the first date... it was always Pizza.

In a world where I refused coffee dates in college, pizza had done the trick (the final repercussion is not nice, but anyway). Any variety, any size, pizza was love.
So that was that, till the time I started meeting new people, more sophisticated people. That is when thin crust pizza took over the normal ones, that is when fork and knife arrived.

I still remember my first encounter of pizza and fork, but the place was so posh that I did not dare to embarrass the people I was with. And then the loop followed. I slowly slowly started hating pizza for the effort of actually slicing it over with such difficulty. There came a time where I would order anything but pizza. Such was my aim to please and be one-of-them.

Seasons changed, life happened. Now, today, when I sit at one of the best rooftop restaurants at Bangalore and eat thin crust pizza with my hands, Narmada joins, leaving her fork aside, just because. Smita judges me not and looks away at the city lights from the top, just because. And suddenly, despite all the losses that has happened over the last two years in Bangalore, I have finally started ordering pizza. Finally started being me, posh restaurant or not, fancy company or not.

Pizza again is, love.

Forgive

To wake up to a night like this,
To wake up after a dream like that,
And wonder,
Not just for the first time.
What if the dream was true afterall
What if tonight was actually the night so small,
I Wonder,
Not Just For The First time.
For the you who currently weave with her,
For the you who made the tomorrows so blur.
To wonder,
Not just for the first time.

Forgive,
The only possibly impossible word.
-Abhishikta

This, Check

Forever!

Rains always made her happy, for no reason at all. Rains, the heart healer and dream wheeler.

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The doctor told Meera the reason behind her 'condition' of rough patches of skin and often bleeding on both palm and feet is Eczema. Meera had always noticed that unlike other girls, her hands were not soft, unlike others, they were not smooth. Meera had grown up with all the jokes of having 'man-hands' and how no one would ever want to hold her hands. But all this never quite bothered her till her doctor explained the complications.

Now for all those who don't know, Eczema​ is no major disease. It can be kept in control but needs certain restrictions like no playing with too much water, no hand washing of dish or clothes, no getting wet in rain, no playing string​ instruments and regular application of ointment. Meera was told that any of the restricted activities would make her skin look worse. She could not control her tears at the thought of not getting to get drenched ever!

Due to late detection of Eczema, Meera's skin had started to look diseased. The hands did not look feminine, the fingers did not look slender. Those were the fingers Arun put the ring on, beside the small local lake, during sunset. Meera warned him several times of her condition, how she would not be as desirable as the others, how once the initial phase of 'love' is over, all this would start to matter.
Arun said, 'Nothing will change. I love you, forever, and ever, and a little bit more' and the ring was at Meera's.

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2 years later, on a monsoon evening, while watching rain from hospital window, she saw an Instagram photo of Arun and Jiya, hand in hand.  She looked at hers, still empty, still ugly, still waiting for the 'forever' to start.