The Lunchbox- 8 yrs of flavors

" Sometimes the wrong train takes us to the right destination" 

What would you feel, as a child when you opens your tiffin and finds your favorite food in it? The Lunchbox is a film which can guarantee you such a feeling. Released in 2013, is one of the few films in Bollywood which tells an epistolary romantic story. When you are in a relaxed atmosphere and craves to watch some feel good movies The Lunchbox will not disappoint you. Its a complete different experience from Bollywood which usually have movies with pompous scenes and songs. 

The film starts with the famous Dabbawallas of Mumbai, people who distribute Dabbas(Lunchbox) from houses to offices. A green Lunchbox bag is placed on the table of Saajan Fernadez, a middle- aged widower who is about to move on to the retirement life. Late actor Irrfan Khan plays the role of Saajan Fernadez, who lost heart in every happiness of life and moves on with the busy life of Mumbai. In his bland life, new flavors came with the Lunchbox.The Lunchbox is the last hope of Ila, a housewife who tries every new recipe to impress her husband and win his love.Nimrat Kaur plays the role of Ila who believes that " the way to man's heart goes through his stomach" , and fills the lunchbox with delicacies he like. Fate takes a new turn, when the green bag with lunchbox landed on the table of Saajan. Ila is quiet surprised when the truth lighted upon her, but writes a letter thanking him for having the food. This letter was the first of many letters which Saajan and Ila write each other. The letters contained the Ila's problems in her life and with her husband who started to lose interest in her .Saajan advises and shares his experiences on life and family through his letters . All the letters came to Saajan along with soul stirring flavors.

The film shows a small glimpse of the life in a metropolitan city, its busy days and lonely nights. Every morning its a rat race to catch buses and metros. There is a scene in the film where a roadside painter paints pictures of the street which looks similar at the first look. But the closer look will shows different people in every painting. He paints anything which catches his eyes. Saajan finds himself in one the painting and bought it.

Life of a normal Mumbai employee is shown through Abdul Sheikh, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is a trainee in Saajan's office and ought to take Saajan's position after his retirement. Saajan says in one of his letters that " many people have a banana or two for lunch", and Sheikh is one of them. He is an orphan who struggles very hard for a job in Mumbai. Initial roughness towards Sheikh turned into a beautiful friendship, thanks to Ila's lunchbox. 

Ila's letters gave new purpose to Saajan's life. He looked forward each day to read her letters and taste the food in the lunchbox. He went through old shows his wife used to saw and laughed at. He got back his youth which was lost somewhere in his life. In a scene, when Sheikh's wife asks to him about his wife, he replies that his wife passed away, but he has a girlfriend, Ila. 

 Life was not easy for Ila. The only companion she had apart from her daughter was Mrs. Despande, a middle aged woman living in the top floor. Her recipes, light talks, and music from the radio made Ila's day. Ila is in a pool of confusions. She was stuck between life and death, husband and happiness. In a letter she says to Saajan that " Bhutan is the happiest country in the world, because in there Gross National Happiness is more than Gross Domestic Product ". The realization of happiness in life lighted on her when she heard from her her mother when her father died. She said " All through my life, I have only thought of his needs- his breakfast, his medicines, his bath... and now when he died, I feel hungry, l craves for parathas". Her mother find her happiness and freedom only when her father died.

 What would happen when an old man over fifty years loves a young housewife with a daughter? Why didn't Saajan had courage to meet Ila? The old man in him realized in that day,  that he have lost him somewhere through this journey of life. He decided to move on to Nasik and spend his retirement days there. But his love for Ila was so rooted which caused him to search her and to invite her to his life.

Ila is ready to move on with her life. Ending all her confusions, she chose happiness over her husband. She is all packed to leave for Bhutan with her daughter. Before going, she writes a last letter to Saajan. She wanted him to know where she is in this world. She longs for that surprise visit from him. But she is still in a dilemma wheather to sent it or to read that all throughout her life thinking about him.

The film ends with many unanswered questions. What we know, is that they both are searching happiness in their lives. Ila and her daughter- a peaceful life in Bhutan, for Saajan its Ila.

Su*cide - Is not a shortcut!!

This blog entry is the result of a trigger which happened to me after knowing the death of a person, whose smile and charisma filled bollywood films with hope and happiness. Sushat Singh Rajput is indeed a superstar to this loving fans and movie lovers. He was blessed with everything that a normal man of his age could dream of, a good physique, a successful career, an awe inspiring lifestyle, but ended his life in a piece of rope !! Maybe that piece of rope gave him peace than anything in this world. Suicides are not new to our society. We have seen many and still witnessing many more. These incidents make us think about the riches, which man has earn so far, could not make him happy. Sushat's case is a lesson which we have to learn, that every smiling faces have a wounds inside their hearts!!

Why is suicide an option to end problems? Not any man on earth have never  thought of committing suicide at any point of their life. Broken relationships, unhappy jobs, loneliness, unsuccessful academics, financial crisis, defamation are problems we face everyday. But not many of us end our life, why is that? A simple answer , that we are not courageous enough to face death. Facing death needs a lot of courage as facing problems. If you're not brave enough to face life , you're not good enough to die. Death means courage. Legendaries like Bhagat Singh did not just die, their death was courageous. Lots of soldiers do not heed on their lives, because for them death means courage. Ending your life by running away from your problems is not courage. Your death is not courageous.

How can we deal with those suicidal thoughts? A lot may think that depressed ones will not have a heart to think hopefully about themselves. They pull themselves away from people and cocoons in their own shells. They keep thinking about their problems and those thoughts fuels their want to end their life. Nobody is left in this world to live alone. We socialize with the society for our existence. Our problems are not going to end the world. Those problems seems to be huge in our world but not on an outer world. We should try to break away from the 'self made cages' and explore the outer world. Being a tiny living being among billions of beings in this planet, which also seems tiny compared to the whole universe , our problems are things which have to be neglected. If you have a family, friends and meal on your table three times a day you are the happiest person in this world. Because there are lot who does not enjoy these luxuries as you. There are many out there who does not have food to eat or a friend to talk. But still , they are happy with what they have. If those people can be happy, you have every right to be happy.

Life on this beautiful planet is a greatest gift from God. No matter how you live, at the end you should be able to enjoy your life. We don't know what is in store for us , sometimes they come as suprises, which cherish us or sometimes as hurricanes, which could uproot us. Whatever comes and goes, life is like a  flowing river, rocks and boulders would block it from flowing smoothly, but it still flows through green meadows and reach the sea!!

A long walk from nightmares....

Life was not easy for her. Reminiscing through the vague pictures in her mind, she was confused about her choices, she took in her life.There was always a pain in her heart,  when she was to ,choose between her parents and John. After that, there was something missing in her life. It was happiness, and happiness is now a lost treasure for her.

She had a beautiful life...with loving parents, friends and John, her love. She was in the midst of her twenties, when she met John. He was a fun loving, carefree young man, who was dangerously  handsome. Any girl would just fall for his brown eyes and charming smile. 

It was a rainy day, the day when he confessed his love for her. And that moment, was one of the most beautiful moments of her life. She dreamt a happy and peaceful life with him....

But some dreams may turn out to be nightmares.No matter how sweet they seem, they leave you in a state of distress.When you are in love, you become a warrior. One who fights for love and embrace the pleasures of it. But for others, you're just an odd girl who disagrees her parents for a temporary love life. All advices and warnings ignites your energy. At last, you shatters the glass cage and comes out to find your love and pleasure. 

Walking to your love,  requires a lot of courage. And courage comes from the faith you have in that relationship. So when faith is shattered, you should find another way to gain courage. Otherwise, you would fall down from that cliff of dejection and broke your legs. You may think yourself as the biggest loser in this world and sometimes end your journey in a rope.

Death is not an ultimate solution. Happiness is not found in death. John was her life and happiness. But now, she is left alone to cry in the dark corners of her sad heart. Is she not wise enough to end this suffering?  She can move on with her life and has every right to laugh like a normal girl. But she was caugth in a dilemma. 

John was a perfect lover, but a terrible husband. Man become mature with responsibilities, but he was just the opposite. A chain smoker and a celebrated drunkard, who loves to party and forget his boring life. He drinks, in order to escape from a life with his wife,  because she was no more a fascination to him. He finds pleasure in the lips of strippers and in the taste of liquor. He does not regret anything in his life and want nothing from an ordinary wife.

She was not an extraordinary wife. She was still a young girl who had forgotten days when she had a restful and peaceful sleep. Her slumber is now an escape from the tiring melancholy of the day. Her days were machanical running of seconds which ends up in loop of never ending confusions.

Not a brave woman inside, braveness comes from a burning heart, and hers was a wet candle. Each day in her life passed with a lot tears which flooded in her eyes leaving no room for a little hope. Her confusions may seem less for an outsider,  but those were choking her to wake up from her nightmares. For a woman, her life always revolves around her husband. His wellness and happiness is all in her concerns. What would she do after leaving him?  She does not have an identity of her own,  never cared of making one,  as she was just a shadow of her husband, a carrier of his burdens. Would an unexpected behavior from her side affect him??  Maybe no..

Light breeze from the window woke her. She lighted the half burnt candle and moved to the window. Few drops of rain is still on the window panes blurring the grassy lawns outside. It feels good, when you get a good sleep without nightmares. Sometimes happiness comes when you walk away from your nightmares...

The Flu- Movie Review

THE FLU

Movie name: The Flu

Country of origin: South Korea 

Director : Kim Sang-su

Year of release :2013

Film category : Disaster, epidemic. 

The Flu is a south- korean disaster movie which is directed by Kim Saug -su. The movie portrays the horrors of an epidemic outbreak and how people survive it. The movie also gives a glimpse of the political hypocrisy and selfish survival instincts of people during an epidemic. 

The movie is casted perfectly with three characters playing the lead roles. 

1.Kang Ji koo- a resue officer at the Bundang Emergency Response Team

2.Kim In - hae - a doctor who identified the presence of a virus outbreak 

3.Kim Mireu - daughter of Kim In- hae

The plot of the movie is to be noted to have high premonition with the present scenario of Corona virus outbreak. The movie is thus a must-seen movie for ones who are not yet aware about the horrors of an epidemic outbreak. The film portrays an outbreak of a deathly strain of H5N1, which kills victims within 36 hours of infection. The background of the plot takes place in district of Bundang in Seongnam, South Korea. 

The movie gives a clear idea of how a virus is spread in a society and how fast it affects the people and their lives. There are underlines of how illegal human trafficking,  political foulplays and igorance would lead to a great catastrophe.The film also shows how people as well as leaders react to this situvation where all human morals and values are in question. 

The Flu shows how a true leader should react to the people's problems. Cha-In-Pyo's character in the film which is the South Korean President is an example of how a leader should consider and help the people during a crisis. 

The actors should receive an applause especially Park Min- ha who played the role of a 5 year old daughter of Kim In-hae. She was able to shook the audience to an emotional state during the end of the film, which also displays the humanity cries of millions of helpless people who are affected with this pandemic. 

The Flu starts with a cautionary remark than it 'is not based on any real events ', but today, in this start of a new decade people see this film as real portrayal of what is happening to them

This is a must seen movie which everyone in the world should watch. This movie is also a waring for many decades to come and a reference on how one should react towards an epidemic outbreak. 

My rating: 4.5/5