It is Blessed to believe...not to understand

For some reason, i have never written posts on any specific book, or movie. Not like i have anything against doing that, but people's tastes in books and movies differ alot. And i would hate anyone to create an opinion about myself based on what kind of books i read or what kind of movies i like...But hey, thats not the reason i haven't written about them! Maybe nothing's affected/influenced me so much before. But one book i read recently, and a movie i watched hit hard. Real hard. Neither of them have anything too great in them, infact, the movie was a little exaggerated, but there were some parts that struck a chord...

" The people had come to witness a sensational case, to see celebrities, to get material for conversation, to be seen, to kill time. They would return to unwanted jobs, unloved families, unchosen friends, to drawing rooms, evening clothes, cocktail glasses and movies, to unadmitted pain, murdered hope, desire left unreached, left hanging silently over a path on which no step was taken. But each of them had known some unforgotten moment - a morning when nothing had happened, a piece of music heard suddenly and never heard in the same way again, a stranger's face in the bus - a moment when each had known a different sense of living. And each remembered other moments, on a sleepless night, on an afternoon of steady rain, in a church, in an empty street at sunset, when each had wondered why there was so much suffering and ugliness in the world. They had not tried to find an answer and had gone on living as if no answer were necessary. But each had known a moment when, in lonely, naked honesty, he/she had felt the need of an answer."

That...was an extract from the book i was talking about. Long back, i read something that said 'Sometimes, the greatest wars are won by losing in such a way that losing became a form of winning'. I may apply the quote to this book. I hate the book. I loath the tone of mockery that couldn't be truer. I don't know why, but this book was synonymous to 'torture' for me...not typical torture, but a compulsive torture, the sort that you want to go thro because its worth it...the hatred was positive. I would never call that book my favourite, but the book that has influenced me most...the most disturbing book i've read till date. A piece of fiction that brings out the truth of wasted reality, possibly better than a piece of non-fiction. The book makes all right seem wrong, makes a strong mind feel weak. There were times when i just felt like yelling and chucking the book out of the window. There was too much self-less-ness or selfish-ness. It was madness. I think i'm driving you crazy by not mentioning the name of the book. Its called 'The Fountainhead' By Ayn Rand. And if you're doing architecture you'll love it more. Brilliant characterisation...heights of originality.

The movie...i can't praise. It was exaggerated, but all the same, touching. Maybe dealing with social issues like HIV have become common-place in the hindi movie industry...This movie 'My brother Nikhil' scored because of its cast, and the music. There was just one song, but sung by 3 different people...n it kept coming at different places in the movie. And the music would convey the feeling exactly meant to be conveyed, which couldn't have been done by dialogue. Gives that 'warm' feeling. And definitely helps your tear glands relieve the extras...One thing is that this movie did not potray homosexuality as something that viewers would object to...it seemed perfectly normal, and alright to be that way. Its 2 thumbs up to Juhi Chawla, Purab Kohli and Sanjay Suri.

I guess that's about it. If any of you have seen the movie/read the book and have different opinions, kindly post it in the comments section. Or if any book/movie has had some kind of impact on you, feel free to tell us.

HAPPY PONGAL!

Signing off...