Raazi

Movie Review (Hindi)

Here is a Hindi movie which is a spy thriller but not quite. It has the entire gamut of an emotional drama and that is why it is different and that is why it is so watchable. I have been an admirer of Alia Bhatt and this movie simply strengthens my belief in her acting skills. Besides she has got one of the most talented directors, Meghna Gulzar, to direct her.

This movie is based on real life and has several heart-stopping and heart-breaking moments. Despite high drama what stood out was the subtlety of the enactment. Just not what is expected from a commercial Hindi movie with its over the top acting, hamming and mindboggling stunts. 

What stood out was the fact that Pakistan was not depicted as the war mongering ogre that it is generally shown as. Here, Indians marry Pakistanis and can live happily, though thanks to our political and armed discourse we are making it more and more difficult.

The movie is like a breath of fresh air. Each character has been excellently portrayed and there is the 1970s feel in the surroundings.

Sehmat is a character who will not be forgotten anymore, whether it the real Sehmat or the actor Alia who brought her back to haunt us.

Travel tales

To Vaishno Devi's abode

This was a trip I had wanted to go on for some time. It is said that you can go there only when the goddess calls you to her abode. Well, my call came and my husband and I trekked the Trikuta hill to reach the cave where the goddess resides.

We began the journey from Katra, a town close to Jammu.  We began our walk at 7 pm and in the May summer heat, this provided us much needed respite from the blazing sun. We began the climb from an area crowded with people and mules. Pilgrims were haggling with the muleteers about prices, those climbing on foot were getting their sticks ready and some were being lifted in a chair like contraption called Palki, onto the shoulders of four men. I had decided to make the climb on foot and so began the three and a half hour arduous journey to the Vaishno devi temple. The food kiosks along the route, the lights and the prayers blaring from the mikes made this journey like one on a regular highway, only this was a steep climb. I had made this trek three decades ago as a school kid with my parents and when I visited this time I could not recognize the place. Today there is a cemented wide road covered by a tin roofing all the way. Amenities like drinking water, toilets, eating joints are available at every turn.

 At places the route is divided into two, one for the mules the other for humans. All along the route, bags full of fodder are kept for the four legged. Cleaning operations continue 24X7 after the mules unload on the path. The halfway stop is the Ardh Kumari cave which we bypassed while climbing. About a kilometer before reaching here, we took the route used by battery operated cars. This one does not allow mules and the cars stop operating after 5 pm. So the crowd is missing. 

The glittering temple complex at night

However, the road is still an upward climb. While halting for a minute to get my breath back and coax my legs to move, I watched those who came down. I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy. The good thing we did was to keep walking with just a minute’s break at times to catch up on our breathing. Towards the upper reaches, the air was cooler and this made our trek so much better. When we finally reached the temple complex, the area was teeming with thousands of pilgrims. It did not seem like 10.30 at night. The area was blazing with lights and prayers. I really needed to collapse in bed as my body told me it was about to give up. Thankfully we had booked a room at Kalika Bhavan from where we collected our passes for the Aarti the next day and after climbing the last few steps to the room I gave in to blissful sleep.

Next day, we were ushered in the enclosure in front of the cave for the aarti ceremony which began precisely at 6.20 am. The timing is precise because this part of the worship is telecast all over the country everyday at this time and in the evening. By the way, not all can be a part of the aarti. You have to pay Rs 1000 per head to sit in a group of 300 or pay Rs.16000 to sit in a group of 8. After the sermon by the head priest and the chanting from the Upanishads, which we followed along from the prayer books given to us as we entered the hall, we were allowed to take a closer look at the deity. As I entered the narrow cave, to reach the sanctum sanctorum, cold water from the mountain springs dripped on me and the floor was wet. This is an ancient cave and the gods were worshipped as manifestations of nature. Here we have three rounded rocks, known as pindi (around which there is too much of tiling and décor added by the shrine management). The rock formations are aspects of goddesses Mahalakshmi (wealth), Mahasaraswati (learning) and Mahakali (destruction). In fact, Vaishno devi is another name for the goddess Mahalakshmi. We are not allowed to enter the temple carrying mobile phones, cameras, wallets and anything in leather.

After a good breakfast, which might be toned down a bit if you are planning on more climbing, we climbed towards the Bhairon temple, another hour’s steep climb right to the top of the hill. After the four hour sleep the night before, I had some apprehension, but did manage. This trek was really beautiful. The route wasn’t covered on the top with tin sheets, and we walked by the side of a forest in the hills with thick vegetation and a cool breeze. A ropeway is being constructed from the Vaishno devi temple to the Bhairon temple. We were right at the top in an hour and then began our descent. This time we did not have to worry about breathlessness but suffered pain in the knees and muscle pain in the legs. On our way down, we saw the helicopters taking off from the helipad, ferrying pilgrims from close to the Bhairon temple, to Katra. 

We reached Ardhkumari in a little over an hour. This area has a cave where the goddess was supposed have stayed for nine months. Years ago on my visit here, I had entered this cave and had marveled at the narrowness. This time though we did not attempt to enter the cave as the waiting time was long. After a quick halt and refreshments we began the last leg and took another hour and a quarter to reach Katra. The sun was shining fiercely and I was glad when I was inside the car again heading home. For quite a distance I could see the Trikuta hill and I could not take my eyes off from the Ardhkumari temple visible from the road heading to Jammu. Had I really climbed all that way up?

Each day thousands of pilgrims, young and old, make their way to the temple, braving odds. What drives them? This call from the Goddess? 

Bishorjon (Immersion)

Movie Review (Bengali)

I am thankful that on a very short trip to Kolkata I was able to watch this movie. I can understand why it has received the National Award for the best Bengali movie this year.

Director and actor Kaushik Ganguly has captured the essence of the title Bishorjon, beginning the movie with the Bishorjon all Bengalis are familiar with – the immersion of the goddess Durga on Vijaya Dashami, the last day of the pujas. The celebration dissolves the borders between India and Bangladesh as W.Bengal and Bangladesh together immerse their idols in the Icchhamati river.

The story takes off from here and ends with the symbolic immersion of Padma, the widow, played by Joya Ahsan.

The movie has some poignant moments – the lonely widow inhaling the cigarette smoke exhaled by Nasir, the Indian, from behind the door, reminding her of her late husband; Padma coaching Nasir, (played by Abir Chatterjee), to be a Hindu Bangladeshi and, of course, the entire immersion ceremony. The music is worth mentioning.

Hats off to the director for coming across as an accomplished actor, in a comic role. He is Ganesh Mondal, the rich man in the village deeply in love with the widow.

Also the end was left to our interpretation. Do the Border Guards Bangladesh shoot Nasir down or allow him to leave for India? Did Ganesh Mondal bribe the guard to kill him or protect him? 

Karla and Bhaja caves, Maharashtra, India

The Karla and Bhaja caves are rock-cut Buddhist caves located near Pune in Maharashtra, India. These caves were constructed around 200 BC on the major trade route from the Arabian Sea towards Deccan.

The Chaityagriha at Bhaja caves

The stupas at Bhaja caves

A shiv linga at Bhaja - a later addition

Rooms for the monks at Bhaja

The Bhaja caves

The Karla chaityagriha

Inside the Karla chaitya griha

The huge lion pillar at the entrance at Karla

The Karla caves. The orange roof is the temple

Traders travelling on this route visited this monastery and
provided patronage. Each location has a beautiful Chaitya griha. Amazingly, the ceiling of the chaitya is decorated with neatly cut horse shoe shaped wooden panels which remain intact till date. At Karla, two huge lion pillars once guarded the entrance of this cave. Only one remains now. A temple has come up in place of the other pillar.

The Bhaja caves are at a height and you have to climb quite a few stairs. Besides the chaitya, there are several stupas built close to the caves. These contain relics of the monks who lived there.

The caves certainly provided the atmosphere of study and prayers for the monks with the peace and pristine beauty surrounding them.Waterfalls around the caves look beautiful but they are also eroding these heritage sites. Wish more was being done towards taking care of the area.

A trip to Sultan Ghari

 

Entrance to Sultan Ghari

 

A barely visible turn on the road leads me to this rich architectural area in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. This is Sultan Ghani, now in ruins. It is the first tomb to be built as a monument in the Delhi region. Built by the Turkish General, Iltutmish of the Mamluk or the Slave dynasty in 1231 for his eldest son, Nasiruddin Mahmud. Interestingly, Nasiruddin is also worshipped as a peer (Saint) and people offer prayers till today.

From the entrance, Sultan Ghari gives the appearance of a fortress with its entrance doorway, the domed bastions at the corners and the colonnades. As we entered the courtyard and climbed on the top of the entrance wall, the view all around gave an idea of the sprawling town it must once have been. I could see ruins all around. But right below me, in the centre of the courtyard was a raised octagonal structure which was the roof of the tomb of Nasiruddin Mahmud which lay in the crypt below. It is because of this crypt that this place got the name ghari. 

There is an entrance into this crypt from the southern side. It is dark and the stairs are narrow and steep. Our mobile phones helped light up the area. But there are four graves in the tomb. The highest one is assumed to be Nasiruddin’s, while the rest are unaccounted for. Thursdays are important days here when worshippers throng the place to offer prayers to the peer.

The Octagonal raised roof of the tomb (ghari) & marbelled prayer niche on the western wall in the background

Tomb of Ruknuddin Firuz Shah or Muizzuddin Shah, sons of Iltutmish (only one tomb stands)

A Corbelled arch before the true arch came more than 50 years later