Not So Filmy Stories

31/07/2021

There are iconic images from films and then there are images which portray the same image in a different light. ‘Director’s touch’ is something that reveals the other side of the story. Be it the restaurant scene from or the chase sequence from , they all have a story.

Michael Mann
Amblin

There are certain films whose specific sequences still remain etched in our memories after years. Most of the images we get to see normally feature actors but the real executors who made those scen…

23/07/2021

Slowly but certainly, GST crept into our lives, spreading its tentacles like a hydra headed parasite, sucking off tiny pleasures and small joys that make urban living in India bearable. From eating out, to ordering food in, to dessert, to drinks, to even sunscreen, raised prices for everything.

More often than not, here in India, we talk about the bigger picture. Terms like ‘macro’, ‘long term’, ‘future’, ‘inclusion’ are thrown in as jargon in pretty much every conversation that focuses o…

15/07/2021

Extreme responses to Haseen Dillruba has forced and its writer to react angrily. There’s nothing likeable or endearing about a young girl that flip flops over her emotions and responses without rhyme or reason.

From huge billboards, bus stand posters to tepid reviews of a much hyped release, Haseen Dillruba on Netflix has gotten as much attention as any big ticket theatrical film. Extreme responses to its…

13/07/2021

Père-Lachaise cemetery has who’s who from the world of art and literature. It was the penultimate day of our Paris trip and paucity of time forced us to choose either between a trip to the Catacombs or a walk to Père-Lachaise. The congregation of celebs at one place was a temptation difficult to resist.

Ever wanted to know what real stardom looks like? Look no further than Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris. It’s the same cemetery where celebrities like Molière, Edith Piaf, Proust, Beckett lie buried…

11/07/2021

Surviving the with young must have brought challenges to all of us. Looking at Instagram and Facebook glowing moms, one wonders if your list of the most difficult challenges will find empathy!

Not about life’s ‘big’ parenting challenges, this one is about the little ones that have made me sweat. Here’s a ready reckoner from a not so yummy mommy who survives and learns something new so of…

11/07/2021

It was during a casual conversation in the dinner hall with fellow hostel mates in Tallinn that the name Patarei Prison sprung. The prison that’s testimony to Soviet and N**i terror does not find mention in brochures that often decorate entry to traveller’s hostels.
Patarei - International Museum for the Victims of Communism

It was a chance discovery, or serendipity in other words. In 2015, I was in Tallinn, capital of Estonia for a visit and top on my agenda included a visit to downtown Tallinn (now declared a UNESCO …

11/07/2021

The absurdity of putting toddlers and pre-primary children through online school is bizarre. One wonders if anyone, in government or in charge of children’s welfare is even taking notice.

“Clap yourself, Clap yourself!” When a tinny voice rang out through my laptop, my 4-year-old blinked. He couldn’t figure out what was going on (naturally).  Online school for prep (pre-p…

11/07/2021

With , has made a mark on a generation that scarcely remembers her best work. Kate is 45 and a mother of three and with this popular HBO series, she has shown that there’s more to middle age.
Disney+ Hotstar

Kate Winslet is 45 and a mother of three. One of her three kids is a baby. So her decision to play a youngish grandmother in Mare of Easttown might come across as unusual. Despite best efforts to b…

11/07/2021