Categories
Music

bad guy

Today is Thursday.

And on Thursdays, I don’t watch “normal.”

What about you?

“bad guy” by Billie Eilish

Track: “bad guy”

Album: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019)

Categories
Movies

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

TV SeriesGuardian: The Lonely and Great God
CastGong Yoo, Kim Go-Eun
LanguageKorean (with English subtitles)

Kim Shin, a 939 (yes, nine hundred) years old warrior, is desperate to die.
But when pretty Ji Eun-Tak comes along, this is what he has to say:

A girl as small as a violet
A girl who flutters like a flower petal
pulls me with more force than that of the earth.
Just then, like Newton's apple
I rolled and fell on her helplessly
with a thump
with a thump, thump.
My heart continued to swing dizzily 
like a pendulum.
It was my first love.
Trailer of “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God”

I never binge-watched before, but after watching the Goblin and his oh-so-beautiful bride, my heart aches.
Please allow me a few days to heal.

More Info

Quoted poem: Physics of Love by Kim In-Yook

Categories
Personal

Solitary Sentinel

It is cold. And quiet. It will get more so as the December chill peaks.

Eat healthy. Stay warm.

Categories
Writings

Ukraine v/s Russia for Dummies

Grapes of Putin, by Clay Jones

Clay Jones tries to explain the highly “complicated” situation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One may scour umpteen websites, collecting the nitty-gritty of the conflict. Still, Clay has summarized it rather well – without a single word.

Considering the adage “A picture is worth a thousand words,” critics may say he used one too many words.

Original Post: Grapes of Putin, by Clay Jones
Categories
Music

“Breathless” Shubhi

Kathak dance performance by Shubhi Arora

Watch her graceful movements,
especially her hand gestures,
she paints the lyrics – with her hands
Watch the way she twirls,
again and again,
she almost sets off a little cyclone.
The bun on her head is ready to take off,
or maybe, it is the bun that is keeping her pinned to the ground.

More Info

Dance performance (Kathak): Shubhi Arora
Original 1998 song: Breathless by Shankar Mahadevan
Categories
Music

First Crush

Do you remember your first crush and all the weird stuff accompanying it? Watch this video, and you will be pining to travel to that place again.

Pehli Baar – Dhadak

Both Ishaan Khattar and Janhvi Kapoor are natural actors. Watch when she does a “Get out!” on him, but her stare tells a different story.

One can learn a lot from this video. For example, how to hug a concrete pillar with deep affection. How to spray perfume head-to-toe. How red a “red shirt” ought to be. And other life-saving techniques.

The deft video production, uplifting music, heavenly flute, beautiful singing, and convincing acting – make for one brilliant presentation and a good workout for the heart.

Song: Pehli Baar
Singer: Ajay Gogavale
Movie: Dhadak (2018)
Music: Ajay-Atul
Categories
Music

My Life is Pretty Plain

I love the lyrics of this song. Sample a few lines:

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
I like watching the puddles gather rain
And all I can do
Is just pour some tea for two
...

The music by Blind Melon is simple but certainly not “plain.”

Song: No Rain
Artist: Blind Melon
Album: No Rain (1993)
Categories
Movies

Chopsticks (2019)

Movie TitleChopsticks
Directed bySachin Yardi
CastAbhay Deol, Mithila Palkar, Vijay Raaz
LanguageHindi

Chopsticks is a 2019 movie directed by Sachin Yardi. It is NOT a high-flying adventure, not even an emotional tale, or a multi-layered mystery. No, none of that.

It reminded me of the 1970s and 80s movies by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. His films were always light and breezy to watch, minus any fancy pretenses.

I like Abhay Deol and Vijay Raaz for their effortless, natural performances. The film starts with Nirma Sahastrabuddhe (played by Mithila Palkar) having a little “car trouble.” As the movie progresses, she learns many a lesson about life, one of them being how to use chopsticks.

The movie left me with a warm glow around my heart and a smile on my face.

I almost did not watch Chopsticks because none of the media reviews had anything good to say. Maybe they had some agenda to pursue.

A lesson for me – take the critic reviews with a pinch of salt, and loads of sugar.

Categories
Writings

Drift

Where do you go when you don’t go anywhere?

Categories
Music

Dhola by Bina Mistry

This video was released on MTV just before Diwali, during the 90s. It was my morning cup of tea.

In Hindi (and Punjabi), Dhola means husband, beloved, or lover. Then there is a shorter version of the word, ‘Dhol,’ which refers to a particular Indian drum (Dhol @ Wikipedia). But dhol is usually used for both, the beloved and the drum – because both make your heart go “Boom!”

Listen to the song and let the deep raw grunt of dhol work its magic on your sluggish mind.

Dhola by Bina Mistry
Song: Dhola
Album: Reason To Smile (1997)
Artist: Bina Mistry