Meet The Voice – Vishnu

The most natural thing to do in a time of crisis is, seek shelter, get as far away from the danger as possible, and try your best to stay alive for the sake of your family who depend on you. The hardest thing to do in a crisis is to hold yourself together, assess the situation, stand your ground (even though you know that your life is in danger), stay calm and try to save as many lives as possible. While both are very scary situations to be in, it takes a very strong and dedicated person to choose the later option. Not every human being is cut out to have the presence of mind to do what Vishnu Zende did on Nov 26th. 2008, when terrorists opened fire in Mumbai CST railway station. Vishnu Zende, a railway announcer in CST, may not have been trained for such a situation, but that did not stop him from rising to the occasion. There are hundreds of people in India who will forever be grateful for what Vishnu did that day. He is a “Hero”, in every sense of the word.

26/11 is not a day that any of us can easily forget. It was the day the world stood still, watching, as the terror unfolded. While images of that day, and the days that followed, are still fresh in our mind, it isn’t until we hear from the survivors, are we able to comprehend the thoughts and emotions of the people on ground zero. This is where Disha has nailed it again. Having a survivor tell us about the “Voice” that saved his life, and then unveiling the “Voice” was just brilliant. While Vishnu gives us a first hand account of the events that unfolded in the railway station, it is Sanil, a passenger / survivor, who puts into perspective the importance of Vishnu’s actions on that fateful night.

It saddens me, that this episode brings an end to this beautiful series. It was a joy finding out about these wonderful people who have been guiding us for so many years. Disha definitely has a knack for storytelling. She not only managed to tell us these incredible stories in the very brief time she had, but also managed to touch our hearts with each and every one of her episodes. I can only imagine what a full length feature under her direction would be like. I honestly cannot wait to see her next work.

Thank you Jai Mehta and Sharmila Ganguli for bringing Meet The Voice to life. Wishing your entire team the very best for the future!

W/o Ram

It goes without saying that W/o Ram is heavily inspired by the 2012 thriller Kahaani. While Kahaani had a very pregnant Vidya looking for her missing husband, W/o Ram has a pregnant Deeksha who has just lost her baby, looking for her husband’s murderer. In both the stories, we have police chiefs who are indifferent to the plight of the protagonists, and a sympathizing young cop, who ends up helping them.

That being said, W/o Ram is still an interesting watch. The actual plot is different from Kahaani. While in Kahaani, Vidya comes to India in search of her missing husband, in this story, Deeksha goes on a trip with her husband. It is on this trip that they are attacked, resulting in the death of her unborn child and husband. When Deeksha realizes that the cops will be of no help to her, she takes matters into her own hands, trying to trace her husband’s contacts and whereabouts up until the day of his murder. The only person she can depend on is the young constable Chary. He is her voice of reason and guide. With a decent narration and interesting twists in the plot, W/o Ram will keep you engaged till the end.

W/o Ram is very real, and will leave us feeling a little uncomfortable because of the subject it tackles. The film works mainly because of its lead cast, Lakshmi Manchu and Priyadarshi.

W/o Ram is now available on Netflix.

Meet The Voice – Ganesh

Imagine having to get up every morning, and going out into the world not knowing what evil is lurking in every corner. Now imagine, having to go out, after having been attacked and robbed, not knowing when you might come face to face with your attacker, or worse being attacked again. Not easy, is it? Now imagine, being blind and having to do this every single day. This is the life of Ganesh Shrinivas, a railway announcer in Mumbai. Ganesh is blind, but he does not let that stop him from living his life, independently, and with pride. Watch this new episode of Meet the Voice, to find out more about this incredible and talented, individual.

Disha definitely outdid herself with this new episode of Meet The Voice. While Sarla’s episode made us nostalgic, this episode makes us empathize with Ganesh, while being in awe of him. My favorite part of the video is the eighty-five seconds, starting at 2:10, when Ganesh recounts the time when he was mugged. By using some excellent sound mixing, and absolutely no visuals, Disha transports us to the scene. Those eighty-five seconds are the most powerful in the entire video (just close your eyes for those eighty-five seconds and you will know what I am talking about). Absolutely brilliant!!

Taxiwaala

There really is no better way to watch a good horror / thriller comedy, than in a theater. The joy of sharing the thrills and laughs while tears roll down our eyes, with a room full of people is second to none. But, to have such an experience it is very important that the film gets everything right, and that is exactly what Taxiwaala does. With a brilliant screenplay, direction, and cast,  Taxiwaala serves us a lot more than just thrills and laughs.

The film starts on a dark rainy night, when a junkyard owner asks his wife to fetch some papers from an old car. This scene sets the tone for the thrills in the entire film – simple, but very well executed. While we know that something is about to happen every time we see the car, we still jump when it actually happens. The real fun starts when our Taxiwaala ends up with the car. Shiva (Vijay Devarkonda), is a fresh graduate, who comes to the city looking for work. He lives with his friend a car mechanic, Babai (Madhu), and his assistant, Hollywood (Vishnu). After trying a few odd jobs, he decides to become a cab driver. With the limited resources available to him, the only car he is able to afford, is a vintage car that the owner is more than eager to get rid off. Of course, Shiva is oblivious to the fact that the car is possessed. Feeling an instant connect to the car, he decides to buy it. What follows is Shiva’s adventures with his car.

As always, Vijay Devarakonda nails his performance as Shiva. Watching him go through a range of emotions while he tries to establish his relation with the car, that he now knows is possessed, are both hilarious and heart-touching. The ease with which he emotes and delivers dialogues is simply beautiful. Another character that stands out in this film is Hollywood (Vishnu). With some of the best lines in the film and an attitude that is both endearing and hilarious, one can’t help but fall in love with this character. The other actors in the film including, Priyanka, Madhunandan, and Malavika Nair are all commendable in their respective roles.

To truly enjoy Taxiwaala, one has to go in with an open mind, willing to be entertained.  Let’s not forget that it is a supernatural thriller, and a good supernatural thriller is only possible if the filmmaker takes a few cinematic liberties to move the story ahead. Honestly, I loved the fact that they did not use, a run-of-the-mill ghost story, to explain the supernatural element in this film. While a nonbeliever like me did not buy the explanation given, it was different and interesting enough, to make me want to go home and look it up. That being said, I really loved Taxiwaala. Not once, in its entire duration was I bored or letdown. This holds true for everyone in the theater including the little kids, who walked out with a big smile on their face, saying that they really enjoyed the film.

Meet the Voice – Sarala

Have you ever wondered, about the voice that announces the arrival and departure of trains at the railway station? I know, I have. Though flying and driving has become my chosen mode of transportation in the past two decades, as a child, I always loved traveling by train. Watching people getting on and off trains, buying books and food from the many vendors, sitting by the window watching buildings and sceneries pass by, and listening to the announcements at various stations, was something I always looked forward to. To this day I become nostalgic every time I hear the phrases, “Yatrigan kripya dhyan de” and “Passengers, may I have your attention please”. As far as I can remember, the announcements were almost always made by a female voice, and they all sounded alike. The announcements were always crisp and clear, and the voice cool and patient. While I did make all these observations, not once did I relate the voice to a person. For me that voice was like how Siri is now on my iPhone, a faceless voice answering my questions in the exact same tone, every single day.

So imagine my surprise when I watched the first episode of Meet The Voice. There she was, in flesh and blood, the voice that I have heard so many times, Sarala Chaudhary. Of course, Sarala is no ordinary railway announcer. She is one of the first ladies ever to be hired as an announcer in the Central Railways, and the first voice to be recorded by Indian Railways, for automatic announcements, hence explaining why the voices I heard sounded so similar. There are very few instances we come across in life, that the entire country can relate to, and this first episode of Meet The Voice, is one such instance. It is really heartwarming to watch Sarala and her family, talk about her work with humility and pride.

Thank you Jai Mehta and Congratulations Disha Rindani on a fantastic job! It is not everyday that we get a chance to learn about people who knowingly or unknowingly become a part of our journey. Can’t wait to find out about the next two voices.

25 years of Baazigar

As we celebrate 25 years of Baazigar, I can’t help but reminisce about this wonderful film and the brilliance that is Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Who can forget Shah Rukh’s intense performance in some of the scenes, or Kajol’s sweet innocent look when Vicky says “Kabhi kabhi jeetne ke liye, kuch harna be padta hai, aur har kar jeetne walon ko, Baazigar kehte hain”? Filled with such unforgettable dialogues and some bone chilling scenes, Baazigar will always be special not only for fans of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, but for every Indian cinema goer, who was old enough to watch the film in 1993. It was a one-of-a-kind crime thriller, that broke many norms. With an exceptional screenplay, beautiful music, and great performances, the film made a lasting impression on everyone who watched it. Even after twenty-five years, there are some scenes in the film that still send a chill down my spine. As exceptional as all those scenes were, there is one scene in the film that I think is still one of the best murder scenes ever to come out of Bollywood, and that is the murder of Anjali.

The reason the whole episode of Anjali’s murder stands out is because, unlike the other murders in the film, Anjali’s murder is not unexpected. Having witnessed the extent to which Ajay is willing to go to get his revenge, we know that Anjali’s death is inevitable, especially after she almost recognizes him in the shopping center. The events that follow are nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. From the time she finds Ajay’s picture in her photo album, to Vicky taking Anjali’s call pretending to be Chopra, and then going over to the hotel to murder her, every scene in this episode is so chilling that we literally feel a shiver run down our spine. I watched this film last week and I was again blown away by how well this scene was written and executed. Everything from Anjali calling for Priya, Babulal trying very hard to convey the message to Priya, Vicky overhearing the message and distracting Babulal, Vicky taking the call pretending to be Chopra, going over to kill Anjali, destroying the photograph and then disposing off Anjali, every single scene in this entire episode is just brilliant.

So what do you all think? Do you also feel that Anjali’s murder in Baazigar is one of the most chilling scenes in the film? If not, then which scene in the film is the most chilling for you?

14 years of Veer Zaara

It has been fourteen years, and I still feel that Veer Zaara is one of the most beautiful films ever produced by YashRaj films. Thanks to a good screenplay, great cast, exceptional performances, beautiful music, and brilliant cinematography, the film is a treat to the eyes, ears and heart. Veer Zaara is not the type of film that captures your attention instantly. It is the type that gradually grows on you, and stays with you for a very long time, afterwards. In fact, the first impression one gets when watching SRK sing Kyon Hawa, during the opening credits, is really not the best. It feels so cheesy, that you start to question if you made a mistake watching the film. However, as the film progresses and you fall in love with Veer, you can’t help but revisit the song and enjoy it for what it truly is, a beautiful melody about love, and the events that are yet to unfold. As the story progresses and we fall in love with Veer and Zaara, we can’t help but feel every single emotion they go through. I still remember how I felt when I first watched the film. I remember feeling sad at the lost twenty-two years, and being happy in the end when they were finally back together. While this was all a given, what I was not expecting was the grief I felt, in the weeks that followed. It started, when it suddenly dawned on me that Veer and Zaara had been together for exactly two days in India and for two brief moments in Pakistan. Apart from that, most of the moments we witnessed on screen, like the song Main Yahan, were all a dream. That realization, of how few their moments together were, in their youth, combined with the songs Do Pal and Tere Liye filled me with immense grief for many days.

Of course Veer Zaara is not without fault. The script writers make their first blunder at the very beginning, when Rani Mukherjee addresses the prisoner by his real name Veer Pratap Singh, when in fact he was booked as Rajesh Rathore twenty-two years ago, and there is no evidence what-so-ever of the existence of Veer Pratap Singh in Pakistani records. However, thanks to the heart touching story, and brilliant performances by Shah Rukh, Preity and Rani, such slips are soon forgotten. In fact, SRK and Preity are so convincing as Veer and Zaara, that not once are we reminded of the actors playing the characters.

While Veer Zaara is a wonderful film and quite complete on its own, I always felt that it deserved a sequel. When you watch Veer making a paper airplane in the court room, you can’t help but wonder what other little pleasures he has been missing all these years. Maybe it is too late for a sequel, but can you imagine how cool it would have been to watch Veer, who had spent an almost solitary life for twenty-two years, come back to civilization and learn to live again among people, especially with the world having changed so much since he was imprisoned in 1982, till when he got out in 2004? What a fun film that would have been!

Elections are not just about Presidents and Governors

Last election, I had a rude awakening. I realised for the first time how many people have never participated in an election. Sadly, some of them were my own friends. Usually people who don’t vote, stay silent or just nod in agreement whenever we talk about it. However in the 2016 election, because of the type of race that it was, everyone was talking, and everyone had an opinion. So come election day, I was quite sure that everyone would go out and vote, instead what I found out was that many chose to stay at home because they did not like either Trump or Hillary.

When I first heard those words, I thought maybe they really did find it hard to choose a side, because lets be honest, it was an election where many people went in thinking they were picking the lesser of two evils. What I did not understand is not voting just because they did not like the Presidential candidates. When I asked them why they did not show up to at least vote on the other things on the ballot, they had no answer. They were under the impression that the ballot would only have options to vote for the President and Vice-President. I was shocked at how ignorant they were. They had no idea that the ballot contains many other important candidates, measures and propositions that need to be voted on, like US senators & representatives, attorney generals, city council members, police chiefs, school board members, taxes, release of fund for city and school developments, etc. What do they do with the election booklet that comes home? And what do they think all those posts and advertisements are that keep asking us to vote for a so-and-so candidate or proposition?  So, even if you do not know whom to vote for as Governor in this election, please go in to vote, because there are many more important issues that need to be voted on. For example, if we do not vote on the Measure asking to release funds for our School District, then our school district will not have access to the funds to improve our schools.

So, please go out and Vote Today! It is very important!