PRIVACY POLICY

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Effective Date: 24 October 2023

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Movie Review 'Masaan': Death is hope for Life

Masaan: Death is hope for Life

‘Masaan’ means cremation ground. Masaan is about love, unpredictable events, deaths and ‘Sangam’. Director Neeraj Ghaywan has woven all these elements in the ‘hope’ fabric. All the events in this movie seem to end everything for the characters, but life, like ‘the river Ganges’ shown in the movie, has to flow. And what makes it flow is the hope. Neeraj Ghaywan, an alumni of Anurag Kashyap, has all the qualities of a good narrator, and not the characters but his narration is the actual ‘star’ of ‘Masaan’.

‘Masaan’ starts with a girl Devi getting caught in the act with her two days old boyfriend in a police raid at the lodge, and her father, who works on Banaras Ghats as a Pandit, has to pay Rs 3 Lacs as blackmailing amount. There is another story running parallel to the story of ‘Devi’. That is story of Deepak, a boy from a lower-caste Dome community that is, according to mythology, abide to do only cremation work, who falls in love with a higher caste girl. When his love and confidence to get succeeded in love and marriage is about to bloom, unwanted incidences shatter him. What happens next?

There is nothing called as the main plot, main theme, and main actors. That is the skill of a good director. There are many sub-plots, like the one of Devi’s father betting on his own 10 year old servant’s under-water swimming skills and then self-realization, the other of character who falls in love with Devi during her service (job), etc.

This movie is just like one of its superb songs: Tu kisi rail is guzarti hai, main kisi pull sa thartharaata hoom. Movie goes on on the screen like a railway and we, the audience, every now and then, shake, sometimes out of fear, and sometimes out of misery. The blooming small-town love between Deepak and Shaalu, the way he proposes her with balloons, their date, and the explosion of Deepak in front of Shaalu about his lower-caste, and Shaalu’s acceptance and showing hope to him, … yes everything makes you fall in love with such Romance. In an era when everyone is so habitual to unrealistic Shah Rukh Khan type Romance, the romance between Shaalu and Deepak make come back to reality.

It is not a Bollywood movie, so don’t expect any masala. It is new age world cinema, so expect everything different and at the same time realistic from this. The songs ‘Tu kisi rail si’ and ‘Mann Kasturi’ are meaningful enough to make you understand the movie in deeper aspect. Cinematographer Avinash Arun Dhaware has captured the city of Banaras and its Ghaats like never before. Banaras has never been so gothic, so scary on the big screen. Performance of Vicky as Deepak (the most strongest character), Richa Chaddha as Devi (the other most strongest character), Sanjay Mishra as Devi’s father and almost everyone on the screen is realistic. The river Ganges has an important role to play in it. It symbolizes life, death and hope.

The movie ends with two protagonist sailing a boat to explore ‘Sangam’, the place where two rivers meet. The two parallel stories of Deepak and Devi meets at Sangam. Watch it to make yourself watch many more such films. 

Movie Review - Tanu Weds Manu Returns

Movie Review: Tanu Weds Manu Returns

In recent years, many movies have tried their best showing woman protagonist flaunting the attitude showing the Feminism shades where the woman protagonist drinks, abuses, tries to be a tomboy, etc. They have tried showing the ‘modern Indian urban girl’ who gives a damn to others and lives a carefree life. ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ belongs to the same genre but with some deeper meaning of modernism. This movie, unlike part I, give more emphasize towards the definition of love and relationship.

Tanu gets married to Manu. But their marriage results into Manu going into mental asylum (which is inconvincible). Tanu, in order to forget her husband, comes to her native town. Manu was later released by Pappi, his closer friend and his family. The marriage is on the verge of divorce. Tanu finds her previous love Raja Avasthi and is busy spending time with him, while love between Manu and a Tanu’s look-a-like Datto, a university going athlete blooms. When Tanu comes to know about their marriage, she gets devastated, and what happens in the end is a typical Bollywood movie.

This movie will be remembered for its screenplay where watch what goes in the front ground as well as you are concerned about the background actions. The cinematographer has captured Datto and Tanu’s feelings in every frame. It is excellent in the song ‘Banno Tera Swagger’ where slow motion technique is used superbly to show the colours. Music by Krsna Solo and Tanishk Vayu plays an important part in making the film look different.

This movie is all about Kangana Ranaut. She plays both Tanu and Datto with sheer perfection. Audience likes Datto more than Tanu, because she is more practical. Tanu is the reflection of blind feminism, over freedom, and fake modernism where she gives no damn even to her husband. On the other hand, Datto knows what feminism, modernism is. She knows the value of Manu’s love for her. This is the best movie so far by Kangana. R Madhvan is a genuine actor. He knows where to act and how. He doesn’t underplay the character knowing that it is all about Kangana Ranaut. On the other hand, he shines equally like Kangana when both are there on the screen. Deepak Dobrial as Pappi is the show stealer. The theatre actor excels in every frame with his comic timings. Jimmy Shergil, Swara Bhaskar, Mohammad Zeeshan, and everyone have done their best.

But the real hero of the film is director Anand L Rai. Tanu weds Manu has some shades of its previous movie Raanjhana. The dialogues, the attitude of the characters all is nicely woven by the director.

This wedding shouldn’t be missed if you love Bollywood. 

Was he a good teacher or a good human being?

Year 1992

“ATTENTION”, Mr. Jadhav, a six feet tall, heavily built man, wearing a safari suit, shouted at the top of his voice. The most feared person in the school, Mr. Jadhav, was the sports teacher, Social Studies teacher and also drawing teacher.

You must be surprised to know that in remote villages, a teacher takes almost all the subjects even today. There lies the tragedy of our education system.

National anthem started and the entire school went motionless. This scene can still be seen in rural parts of India. Personally I feel that patriotism is more in the blood of rural people than those of people living in metros. In metro cities, patriotism can be seen only on Independence Day and on Republic Day. In the presence of Mr. Jadhav, nobody would even dream to insult the school assembly in any way. That was my first day to school.

I was admitted to that school because of some family circumstances. Before that, I was in a convent school. As Shakespeare says in his sonnet ‘Not Marbles Nor the Gilded Monument’ the time is sluttish. The time acts as a slut who is not faithful to anyone. Time wasn’t faithful to my destiny as well. Let bygone be bygone.  On the first day of my new school, I learnt one thing that I should be very careful of this beast called Mr. Jadhav. My cousin Vishal had been in the same school since KG. That day at home he told me many things about Mr. Jadhav and the punishment he gave to students.

As I was new to that school, I didn’t have my school dress ready. My aunt, Vishal’s mother, gave me his old school dress. She nicely patched the torn shorts at the buttocks with some other piece of cloth. I never thought in my life till that time that I had to wear someone else’s clothes and that to of this condition. My mind wasn’t ready to wear those clothes and to accept that I had a bad time. But, I knew that I had no option left with me.

The school I was in before this municipal corporation school was a boy’s convent school. My school dress was always clean and nicely pressed. My school shoes were always shining and I always used to have tiffins for small break and long break. Really, the time was sluttish for me. But this school was co-ed. The school had both boys and girls. Boys and girls used to sit in the same class and study.

I was a bit conscious about girls as this was my first co-ed school. So, I was a bit hesitant so, I decided not to tuck my shirt so that it would cover the patch on my school’s short.

During the assembly, some other guy was giving the orders. Mr. Jadhav wasn’t there. National Anthem started and things went motionless as usual. National Anthem got over and someone from behind hit my naked legs with bamboo stick. I crashed down in pain. One, two, three and no stop rain of those bamboo sticks made me cry in front of all the girls and boys. It was Mr. Jadhav who hit me. Before I could understand what went wrong my face was red with blood and wet with tears. “Come and meet me in the staff-room”, shouted Mr. Jadhav.

I was made to stand outside the staff room. Mr. Jadhav was giggling with other teachers inside the staffroom. Thousand of thoughts were born in my mind and I was trying to kill each one of them. For a moment I thought to take the brick lying next to me and break Mr. Jadhav’s head. I looked at those marks on my legs. Those blood marks made me aware how much my parents love me as they had not even shouted at me.

“Hey you? Come inside.” The commanding voice of Mr. Jadhav dominated my anger and my thoughts. I went inside the staff room.

“What’s your name?

“Amit Kharat”, I replied with my head down and tears rolling down my face.

“Class?”

“Sixth A”

“New admission?”

“Yes.” I was still sobbing.

“From which school you came here?” The voice turned louder and angrier.

“Ornellas High School, Pune.”

“So, you are from a city school. But it doesn’t mean that this school will tolerate every nonsense thing you will do. Don’t you know the school rule that you have to tuck your shirts inside?”

“Yes sir, I know.”

“Then why didn’t you tuck your shirts? Answer me.” He shouted louder than last time.

I didn’t answer. He shouted but no answer from me.

“Because my short is torn at the buttock. I was feeling ashamed.” I cried loudly. I sobbed for a long time.

The entire staff room wore the grave yard silence. I couldn’t see in any of the teacher’s eyes but I could smell that silence.

“Go back to your class” are the only words I could hear from Mr. Jadhav.

I went to class. I didn’t wash my face. There were marks of tears on my face and marks on my legs. As well as I entered the class, everyone started staring at me. I was completely broken.

In the last period, school peon came and told me that Mr. Jadhav had called me. I went to the staff room with my head down.

“Tomorrow come early to school. Come around 10.30 in the morning”, said Mr Jadhav but this time in a milder tone.

I was too stubborn by this time. I thought to myself, “What more would you do Mr. Jadhav. You are not going to kill me here.” I was ready for the endless punishments.

The next day, I went to school at 10.30 in the morning. Mr. Jadhav was there waiting for me. He took me in the parking area, took his cycle and asked me to sit behind on the carriage. I did what he said. There was a fear I mind what would happen but I was too devastated to think of that.

Mr. Jadhav took me to the town market. The town market was around three kilometers from the school. He took me in a cloth shop, and bought a pair of school dress for me. “Now, wear this new school uniform from tomorrow onwards”, he said with the kindest voice I have ever heard from anyone. I sobbed, and sobbed and sobbed till we reached school.

Homework! For What?

Homework for what?

Lack of creative Homework makes learning uninteresting

Homework has been an essential part of Indian education since a long time. When a teacher doesn’t give homework to the students, parent think that his child is not learning that subject in the school. There are schools around us who have their own homework timetable. These schools are so keen in giving homework that they almost forget the real purpose of homework i.e. revision of the leant content, attempting new level of difficulty, learning something new out of already learnt content, analyzing the self-learning ability, etc. In schools, most of the times, homework is given just because they are asked to give the homework. One of the factors that teachers don’t think about giving a ‘meaningful’ homework to the kids is the workload they have in public school, or the professional development work they have in private international school. It is very important for all the teachers to have the attitude of a researcher in order to find what students’ need and why they need so.

When a Maths teacher gives homework, she or he gives some examples from the textbook, e.g. solve problems 1 to 5 from exercise 3.2. A social studies teacher gives homework of reading the chapter 3, India’s Non-cooperation movement, and learning the question given below it. A language teacher gives homework of writing skills, or learning question answers of a particular chapter. There are other subject teachers who are repetitive in the way they give homework. One should go and do a survey with an intention of finding out whether students of their school really like or take interest in doing the homework. One of the new trends that has been going on in the schools on the names of project work or assessment is also not working fine with the learning objectives.

Teacher, before they were teachers, have got the training of educational psychology and content knowledge. Teachers are also informed and taught about the various kinds of intelligences (Howard Gardener’s theory of Multiple Intelligence). Teachers are taught, during their training about integrated teaching and learning. But when it comes to actual applying these learnt concept in the real life classroom, most of the teachers forget or intentionally avoid using their knowledge. They just want to be like their teachers (traditional teachers) who taught just for the sake of teaching and getting paid. Do teachers around us really bother to make homework interesting?

If we look at the student’s understanding of why a particular homework is given, they say or think that the homework is given just because teacher wants them to be occupied with some or the other way. One student, when was asked about the homework, he said that he just does the homework because his parents want to see him doing something for an hour related to school work. There are students who have home tutors to do their homework. When it comes to the homework where a child is supposed to write answers of some questions, such home tutors can do it very easily. Sometimes, the homework given to the child is so easy that he could actually google it or find the solution in some reference book.

A teacher should be aware about the learning objectives while giving the homework.

According to the new trends in education, known as CCE i.e. continuous and comprehensive evaluation, students are given project works as a part of assessment activity. In almost all the subject, students are given project work. Students have the attitude, and somewhere it is true also, that teachers give mark on how the project looks rather than what is inside the project. Students spend more time in decorating their project work, colouring it, pasting some pictures in the project, etc. it is completely accepted that students who have an inclination towards arts and not more inclination towards study can take much more interest in such project works. But at the same time, the learning objective is missed. Have students been facilitate with ample opportunities for learning on their own?

One of the projects asked to me to give to students was ‘writing a book review’. I was sure that students knew the meaning of the word ‘review’ but I was surer that they don’t know how to write review of a work of art. Before teaching them how to write a book review, I asked them to go through some of the websites or google the movie review of a movie (the movie which is very famous and almost all the students have seen that movie). I also asked them to go through old newspapers to find the movie review of that movie. I also equipped myself with some movie reviews. At the time of teaching, I asked students to compare the format of the movie reviews with their peers movie review. It was found that most of the movie reviews follow the same format. Later, students were asked to observe and study the format of the movie review available to them. This is called as deductive learning where we observe things around us and then make our own theory. Students were also asked about the different aspects featured in the movie reviews. The next day, students were taught about writing a review of a movie with the help of learnt aspects. I know my students are not so keen in reading a book but they are more interested in watching a movie. The next day, I taught them in detail about writing a book review. Same method I used for teaching them about writing a book review (the deductive method).

I was told that only one book should be given to all the students to write a review, but I was not so keen on that for some unknown reasons. Instead of asking them to write book review of one particular book, I thought of trying to know what they are interested in. when I revealed the project work to them i.e. writing a book review, they were very happy, but when I told them that they have to write the book review only on some ‘XYZ’ book, they seemed to be not interested. I immediately changed my project work. I kept the topic same ‘Writing a book review’ but asked to write the book review of a book from the given options. The options were a book:

·         A best seller

·         A classic

·         Written by modern Indian authors

·         Written by famous author

I also gave them a list of book they might find interesting to write review of. Here, students got enough choices for writing a book review. Students were also given a sample book review. It is very important to make student aware what an ideal project should look like. It would be better if they should be given a sample. It is because understanding when you watch is always better than understanding when you listen.

A mathematics teacher, instead of giving same kind of boring homework, should give more creative homework. When I was teaching mathematics, I always had more creative assignments for my students. While teaching, I always had a group of assignments ready with me for different groups of students. I always used to keep three to four chits of papers on which four different assignments would be mentioned. There was an incident that happened when I was teaching the concept ‘perimeter and area of circle’. After teaching what is perimeter and what is area of circle, I gave them homework. For weaker students, the homework was to measure the perimeter of any circular thing in their house, and with the help of that to calculate the area. (as the relationship between the perimeter and area was taught to them). For bright students the homework was more about abstract problems and real life application of the same concepts.

I always hated History because of my History teacher’s cold-shouldered attitudes towards teaching us, and on the top of that there used to be the repetitive homework. Now, with advanced computer and technology, and internet revolution, we can make History homework far interesting. While teaching any topic like French revolution, we can ask them to watch some video available on YouTube or ask them to see a documentary on ‘French Revolution’ and write a report on the same. We can also make them compare the social strata responsible for French revolution with the Social Strata responsible for social revolution happened in India. We can ask them to search more about Mahatma Phule and Dr. Ambedkar who were influenced by French revolution. Also, we can ask them to write how French revolution has affected Indian social revolution, and how it has affected our present. Because History is learnt in a better way when we connect it with our present, when we teach student how our present lives are the result of our history.

Today’s generation is more of mobiles, laptops and of Smartphone. You cannot expect this generation to write a lot. You cannot expect them to be like you. Yes, it is important that they should write and they do write. But it will be interesting when internet and technology will be an integral part of their education, their learning, and their assignments. We mark them on the basis of the final product (what they have done), and not on the basis of process (how they have done). We teacher are more concerned about our likes and dislikes than students’ likes and dislikes. The entire Indian education is moving towards becoming ironical because we talk about being child-centered but when it comes to changing ourselves according to students’ likes, we feel that old way school was better.

Isn’t it a high time to stand for what we believe? Yes, it is a high time to make teaching learning a two way process. It is a high time to think that students are more important than anything in the world for a teacher. It is a high time to be more creative and techno savvy in order to understand the new world age students.

The Blame Game

Mrs. Sahastrabuddhe, the most beautiful Maths teachers I have ever got.

I was in class 9 in a municipal corporation school. I was a bright student in my class 9 F, and an average student in my school. It was a trend those days that bright students were supposed to be either in sections like A or B, and dumb and average students should be in other section. Such a talent-based discrimination it was. Though the word discrimination is not new to Indian context, it was new for me. But for now, let’s come back to the beautiful Mrs. Sahastrabuddhe.

Almost all the student had a crush on her. But I never liked students talking such stuff about their ‘respective’ teacher. They used to talk about her looks, her dresses, her sarees, and about many things that being a teacher I could not write here. They used to enjoy the talk about her. I did enjoy listening to those talks but I had huge respect for her, as I was her favourite student. We were lucky to have her as our teacher. She was never loud, never angry, and was never strict. What more a student from 90s municipal corporation school could ask for!

In class X, we had a chapter in Mathematics, Trigonometry. Being a favourite student of my Maths teacher, I, though wasn’t interested in trigonometry, went to exhibit my curiosity in trigonometry to Mrs. Sahastrabuddhe. I had a doubt and asked her that.

Mrs. Sahastrabuddhe replied, “Don’t worry this is very easy. You can do it on your own.”

I thought that she was trying to encourage me and was trying to make me know the importance of self-learning. I practiced those sums on my own, but couldn’t solve most of them. After some days, I again went and asked my doubts but I got the same reply from Mrs. Sahastrabuddhe.

In the preliminary examination I scored 70 on 75 in Algebra. Those five marks I lost were in a trigonometry problem. This time I was worried. I went to Mrs. Sahastrabuddhe and asked her to clarify my doubts, and she said:

“This chapter carries seven marks in the board examinations and other questions are as options. You can opt for them rather than spending your time in practicing trigonometry and clarifying your doubts.”

I passed my class X with flying colours, and got admission in science stream in one of the reputed junior colleges in Pune. You have to be very good in Maths and Science in order to survive science stream. I was average. On top of that you have to be very good in trigonometry because half of the syllabus had some or the other trigonometry in it. I couldn’t manage that. My teacher in the college, Mrs. Joshi, whenever asked any doubt, used to reply:

“Sikhaate waqt kahaa dhyaan hota hai?” (Were you paying attention while I was teaching?)  

Next many lectures, I was attentive, but was not able to understand even basic things in what she was teaching. I asked her to help me out and I was answered:

“First go and strengthen your Mathematics. Your previous knowledge of Mathematics is not good.”

Year passed. I failed in Mathematics in 12^th boards examination. I have no reason or excuse for my failure. I started hating Mathematics since that day.

Right now, when I go in flashback and think about the entire event, thousands of questions come in my mind. Why did Mrs. Sahastrabuddhe not clarify my doubts in trigonometry? Was she a good teacher? Did she actually have enough knowledge about Mathematics? Or was she trying to avoid my doubts because of certain reasons? Or teachers in those times were too busy with their workload to pay personal attention to the students in need? Many questions but no answer. Many doubts but no conclusion. Same thing I would ask about Mrs. Joshi. Was she not interested in answering my questions? Why didn’t she clarify my basic doubts? Was I not good in looks? Or was she also overloaded with her work that she didn’t get time to answer? Or in both these cases of Mrs. Sahastrabuddhe and Mrs. Joshi, was there something wrong in their ideology towards teaching?

I have no clue. I can only make assumptions about those incidents. But one fortunate thing that happened because of those events is:  The student who wanted to become an engineer (as it was his and his family’s dream so that he could get a good job and earn good) has become a teacher and has started analyzing the entire education sector for spoiling the dreams of so many students.

I don’t know whether my blame to my teachers is right or wrong, I only know one thing, that all the students’ doubts should be clarified in order to make them enjoy the learning if not helping them to become engineers and doctors.

I cannot be a GREAT Teacher (who cares?)

Year 1992

I was in class 6^th in a village (It was village that time but now a suburb) around 18 km from Pune city. My education was from a convent Marathi Medium school, and suddenly, due to unwanted circumstances, my family had to move to that village. I was admitted in a Municipal corporation school there.

Somewhere during the academic session 1992-1993

Vishal Ghatkamble, a guy from my class, short, dark but very agile in sports, suddenly became very popular amongst students and teachers. The reason for him being popular was the thing he did in that ‘1992 school’. He wrote a love letter to a girl named Yogita Parkhe saying that she was very beautiful and he loved her. Obviously, she was beautiful, and anybody would have fallen in love with her. (Here, understand that both the kids were in class 6, means hardly 11-12 years old). She wasn’t too serious about the letter, but other kids made a fuss out of this, and made it a serious issue. Our mathematics teacher Mrs. Tidke (a plum lady, in pace slower than the tortoise, but always carrying a stubborn look on her face) was the first one to know this. She had beaten the guy like anything. Other students, who were not on good terms with him, enjoyed seeing him beaten by teachers. Later, this issue went to the Principal (again, a man with very stern look, and no smile on his face since ages. A man who looked depressed because of his married life, or I should say sexual life). He also got very angry and punished him physically.  Vishal’s parents were called. His parents were the ones who used to work in other’s farm for daily wages. They were told about the ‘lafdaa’ done by their kid. They also beat him in the school.

Later, whenever any teacher used to come, he or she used to beat Vishal for any reason, but the actual reason was his love letter to a girl. Also, students used to beat him for no reason. The ‘gaavgundas’ (the students who belong to locality but their father or relatives are gundaas of the village) used to beat him while playing. They also wanted him to get punished not because he wrote a letter but because he belonged to the weaker section of the society. I had seen Vishal getting beaten throughout the year and more. The only crime he did was wrote a letter to a girl.

Year 2009

I was a teacher in an international school. During school’s graduation party (the party was given in a club), we teachers were allotted different duties. I, being the male teacher, was supposed to be at the entrance checking students’ bags. Almost all the students came prepared with beer and wine bottles in their bags. Imagine, students of age 15 to 17 drinking alcohol. I, even at the age 30, till now have now dared to do so, or will never dare to do so. A rare case of a guy, when I was checking him, I found condom packets in his bag. I couldn’t control my laugh. I confiscated those condom packets and asked him, “Where the hell will you find a place in this crowded and busy club to use these packets?” He replied, “Sir, chance pe dance karne kaa. We can find some or the other place or idea.”

At Present

The haunting memories of Vishal Ghatkamble are suddenly awakened by some events happening around me. I have been observing since many years as a teacher, that students fall in love with their opposite sex partners (thank God, at least ‘that’ trend is not publically visible). Teachers are discussing the same throughout the day with each other.

What’s wrong if someone loves someone?

Yes, everything is wrong. Because we teachers always called about morality, virtues, values, etc. We teachers never behaved bad or inappropriate in our life. We have never done anything like falling in love in that schooling age. We have never smoked or drunk (at least we say that publically, the reality may be something else). We have never had sex in our school life. We were and are simple the incarnation of GOD. We are simply the perfect example of purity and we have achieved Nirvana long back. We can’t see students breaking the educational and social barriers, because it hurts our ego. We can’t even answer a student his genuine query about academics, thinking that he or she is taking a dig at teacher.

I tried but couldn’t be and in the future will not be a ‘teacher’ in such cases because my friend Vishal Ghatkamble and his entire event is still in front of my eyes. Instead of understanding his age (which is hardly 11-12 years old) teachers beat him like a dhobi washes clothes. Instead of understanding whether he understands the meaning of the word ‘LOVE’, he was made to hate teachers for the rest of his life. Instead of handling the issue like a mature person, teachers behaved more immature than Vishal. Instead of considering this as an innocence mistake, teachers made him aware that he was a MATURE person and snatched away his childhood. I guess, Vishal, then onwards, must have lost his faith in the entire teacher community.

I can’t be like Mrs. Tidke who beat him when she came to know about the letter. I cannot be like Mr. Principal who called his parents and encourage them to beat their own child in the school in front of other kids. I cannot be like his father who without understanding the seriousness of the problem, took his frustration of poverty on Vishal and beat him. Vishal Gahtkamble was treated badly by everyone in the following years.

I don’t know and may be, I will never know in the future what an ideal teacher should be like or what a good teacher should do in this kind of situation. But I know that I am not supposed to do it. I don’t and will never do what other teachers have done to Vishal. I don’t want anyone to be Vishal Ghatkamble.