Books and Movies

If you count the number of movies that have been based on books, number one, either you are insane or you have absolutely no work at your job and, number two, you are going to spend a lot of time doing this activity – such is the huge number.

It’s not difficult to understand why – books have been around centuries (or millennia) before the movies. Also, people like to see their imagination taking shape – we always wondered what Hogwarts looked like or how magnificent the city of Gondor is. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Most of them are utterly forgettable (remember Bride and Prejudice?), but some are true masterpieces. Chronologically (strictly), I want to list some of those movies which have had a lasting impression on me.

The Godfather

I remember the aghast, torn look on my cousin’s face when I told him that I’ve read the Godfather and it’s a brilliant book. “Kya bakwaas kar rahe ho…wo book nai..granth hai…granth!!” were his exact words. A friend of mine, who was a die-hard fan of Amitabh Bachchan, tells me one day, “Abe bachchanwa to nakal karta hai…Al Pacino ki…Godfather dekho…samajh mein aa jayega”. Two of the several millions who are mesmerized by this phenomenon. The story of an underworld don and his family, their relationships interwoven with tactics, deceit, loyalty and politics of this highly flammable and violent world. The metamorphosis and rise of a simple all-American man to a don. The book captivates you, you refuse to let it down, you want to finish it then and there. The movie, fascinating – classic. And Al Pacino, you do wonder if bachchanwa really tries to imitate him.

The impact: When you see all those gangsters, wearing a suit, and a hat, and a muffler over the neck, and a cigar or pipe in mouth, and a gruffy voice, it all came from Don Vito Corleone.

The moment: Michael goes to hospital to visit his father, notices that the police security is absent, and realizes the conspiracy to assassinate his father (again). He stands in front of the hospital with an aide. The tension you feel while reading or watching is tangible. Also, you can feel his helplessness when the corrupt police officer punches him and the relief when his family’s consigliere arrives with private guards.

The line: “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

Harry Potter Series

An orphan living with his aunt and uncle, who treat him like a street dog, is unaware that he is the most famous boy in the world…and he’s a wizard. What follows is history. JK Rowling would never have realized that this imaginary kid and his world will start a following that will be bigger than the Star Wars and the James Bonds…combined. Those seven books, and eight movies, fascinated the whole world for more than a decade. There are many things, in favor of this series, which make a difference, which make it stand apart. The imagination of the author – Hogwarts, Quidditch, or the brilliant characterizations which enable you to practically know what the particular character is thinking, or the progressive change in the language of the books or the direction of the movies keeping the age of the fans in mind. But the thing that really clinches it is really simple. The secret world of magic. Wizards and witches. Harry, Hermione and Ron. Quidditch. Albus Percivel Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. And ofcourse, Hogwarts.

The impact: A whole generation brainwashed.

The moment: There are many. Harry accidently freeing a python on his cousin, his first Quidditch match, His first encounter which Voldemort, Dumbledore’s death. Or maybe the climax, where he explains and proves Tom Riddle a moron, which the movie desperately failed to show us.

The line: "EXPECTO…PATRONUM..!!!" 

Lord of the Rings

Watching the first movie was a disappointment. Brilliant though it was, I absolutely hated waiting for sequels. It was in college when I realized the fan following this series had. Curiosity got the better of me when a local multiplex announced the screening of the whole saga upon the release of the final part, and I watched all the three movies in one go. I remember having trouble coming to terms with the real world when I got out of the multiplex – the buses, the cars, the McDonalds. Not a single horse in sight? Not a single sword glinting?

To say that the movies were grand is an understatement. No words can describe them. You have to actually watch them to understand the innocence of the Shire, the beauty of Rivendell, the dearth of Mordor, the power of the Rohirrim, or the grandeur of Gondor. I rest my case.

The impact: Short-lived. Like coming to terms with the normal world after coming out of the cinema.

The moment: The charge of the Rohirrim. Whether at Helm’s Deep or at Gondor. You can feel your mouth hanging open.

The line: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to."

The Bourne Series

Robert Ludlum has an obsession with details. That may be the reason why his books are evidently so long. So long that it took three movies to cover a single book. The books are perceptional – some may describe them as great works, some may shrug, and some may dub them as just an average spy novel stuff. But the movies are pure gold. For those who haven’t read the books beforehand (like myself), it’s an experience. You start with nil, just like the protagonist, who is suffering from amnesia, and you learn along with him as he learns things about himself, all alone. The USP, according to me, is how, through simple tactics, diversions and tricks, one man – the fact that he is the most lethal assassin in the world notwithstanding – takes on the might of the CIA. A few years ago, in the era of the Schwarzeneggers and the Stallones, this would have been deemed impossible.

The impact: Almost ended the era of larger-than-life action heroes. Jason Bourne was one of the first action characters who actually were confused, erratic and afraid at times. Machine guns were no longer the only option.

The moment: The scene in The Bourne Ultimatum where he directs a journalist over cell phone and helps him dodge more than a dozen government agents at a crowded Liverpool station. Mind blowing.

The lines: Bourne: "I’ll talk to someone I know. There was a girl in Paris, Nicky."

Landy: "What if I can't find her?"
Bourne: "It's easy. She's standing right next to you."      

Sarkar

I had a lot of respect for RGV (in those days), so I restrained myself from cursing him to make a remake of the Godfather. After watching the movie, I was stunned. From Frame One, where we see a yellow and black auto rickshaw framed artfully between barbed wire, the movie begins with a hapless man going to meet Sarkar, in search of retribution for his raped daughter. As he walks down the compellingly shot, dark hallways in the fantastically chosen old mansion, we sit rapt with attention, looking at a Godfather recreation - the story of Bonasera, and how Don Corleone got him vengeance. Sarkar does the same, and very interestingly. It's the same plot, but Ramu does it entirely his way. Supported by absolutely brilliant acting by the Bachchans and Kay Kay Menon, this masterpiece of a movie creates pure magic.

The impact:  Resurrected Bachchan Jr. He had Dhoom under his belt, but now everybody knew that he can act.

The moment: In jail, Sarkar and Shankar are sitting, Sarkar asks Shankar to go back to America, Shankar declines. Hardly anything is spoken between the two, but the eyes say everything…intense.

The line: “Mujhe jo sahi lagta hai wo main karta hoon…fir chahe wo samaaj ke khilaaf ho…police, kanoon ke khilaf ho…bhagwaan ke khilaaf ho…ya fir poore system ke khilaaf kyun na ho...” 

The Twilight Saga

Just when you thought that Harry Potter cannot have any competition, another book casts a spell on the whole world through its forbidden love story. Teenagers, specially the fairer sex, went swooning over this romance. One can see the appeal – a perfectly ordinary girl, falls in love with a vampire, who looks like a Greek god, behaves like a perfect gentleman, and speaks English in such a way the Queen of England would be proud of. This is every girl’s dream, and every boy’s if you vice-versa it. The obvious notwithstanding, it’s a joy to read and watch them and experience the true undying love they both have for each other. The unconditional surrender of Edward to Bella’s longing and desperation – instead of reading, you want to jump inside the story. Messer’s Mills and Boon – time to pack up?

The impact: Huge. I remember the situation with Shahrukh Khan in the late 90s – the girls adored him, the guys hated him (or pretended to hate him even if they liked him) for precisely that, and his guts. It’s the same with Twilight; the guys hate it because the girls love it. Though most of them secretly read it to takes tips from Edward Cullen.     

The lines:

5. It was a colossal tribute to his face that it kept my eyes away from his body.

4. Bella: "How old are you?"

    Edward: "Seventeen."

    Bella: "How long have you been seventeen?"

    Edward: "A while."

3. Her existence alone was excuse enough to justify the creation of the entire world.

2. Edward: "So the lion fell in love with the lamb."

    Bella: "What a stupid lamb."

    Edward: "What a sick, masochistic lion."          

1. I don’t…have the strength…to stay away from you anymore.

There are other movies, which should be in the list. But I may not have watched them, or may not remember them, or may not have liked them, but certainly don’t care about them. These six have a special place in my heart, because apart from the purpose of entertainment, I have learnt something or the other from each one. Shrewdness from Don Corleone, friendship from Harry, Ron, Hermione and the hobbits, giving second chances from Albus Dumbledore, hope from Gandalf, and love, unconditional, eternal love, from Edward and Bella.

Seven months

Seven months is a long time. A lot can happen in seven months. A lot did happen in the last seven months.


Harry Potter and the Deathly Chatni


Two things happened in November - I joined a new software company (lets call it Chatni Computer Systems Ltd.) and the first part of the last part of the Harry Potter movies was released.
I have always been a huge fan of Harry Potter movies. It's not because of the excellent production values, or the scintillating special effects or the fact that it is the biggest movie franchise ever. I realized the reason after reading the books. It's the story. You get transported to a not-so-completely different world. A world where anything is possible with only one explanation (if you demand one, although you never seek any in Karan Johar movies) - magic. As kids we were always fascinated with magic, but the journey through adulthood taught us that unless your name happens to be Rajnikant (Voldemort never calls Rajnikant by his name), there is very little chance of performing it. This movie was no exception - it was brilliant. Infact, I'll go a little further and call it the best among the seven. The reason being that since it is split into two parts, it follows minimum deviation from the book. After watching this movie, one can feel the agony of waiting for the second part.
On the other hand, if you are a jobless software engineer working part time cleaning toilets in a hospital full of diarrhea patients, and Chatni is the only software company in the world, and is offering you a job, go back to cleaning toilets. When meeting hours are more than working hours, when words are more important than work and when there is more paperwork in procuring a pen and pad than the whole lot of Abdulkarim Telgi's fake stamp papers put together and multiplied by a decazillion times, you start wondering if you are working in an effing government office. Don't blame me for being extremely Gollumsque, quite a few people have left this company in utter frustration. One of them started a new software company of his own and is now quite a bit successful - ever heard of a certain Narayanmurthy and Infosys?


Tooti Haddi


Come December, I was very happy about completing a highly successful month (I became the best table tennis player of all people who joined Chatni on or after eighth November) in my new company. Then I took my first leave of absence from office, because of a wet road. My bike slipped, don't know if it was water or oil on that road (felt like water, tasted like oil), and I broke my arm. Although "broke" seems a tad too much since it was just a hairline fracture, but it surely feels a lot macho. But since there was a cast, "broke" seemed justifiable. Calls were made to the office and home, lectures were given about "Why a bike?..And not a car?" and I began wondering how to do "everything" with my left hand. Three weeks it took to take the cast off, plus one more week to completely straighten my arm, and in one more week I was again the best table tennis player of all people who joined Chatni on or after eighth November.


Chakrata and Chakrata (Beta Version)


On our anniversary, my wife told me that we'll go out somewhere. I agreed. Just go out, have dinner. It was cheap. I was happy. Then she explained. We'll go out means we'll go out of town. I still feel those two seconds were the happiest moment of my life. So, with a lot of deliberation and no planning, we decided to go to this obscure little town in Uttarakhand called Chakrata. It was listed in "52 Weekend Getaways from Delhi" and had a picture of snow capped mountains in a distance - that means a snow view if not snow itself - which persuaded me to go there instead of a sand bowl in Rajasthan. My wife would have enjoyed the drive if somebody else would have been driving. But since it was me, and there was almost forty kilometers of mountainous roads, she was, to some extent, oblivious of the unbelievably beautiful scenery that sped past us. The reason why Chakrata is so beautiful is because it is unfucked by man. It's a cantonment area so civilian construction is prohibited, hence few hotels. There is a small market where you can spot a rare tourist. A must-do is to try momos in Chandna's. Unbelievable chutney. There is a place called Deoban some twenty kilometers away and some thousand meters above. We were not ready for it. It was snowing when we reached there, saw a frozen pond, got caught in a snowstorm and got out of there just in time. Freezing. There are miles and miles of forests and lots of walks and treks. The hotel was a British era bungalow renovated to some extent, but still beautiful. And with an excellent view of the valley and an absolutely wonderful sunrise. I told the hotel manager - I'll be back.
My office mates are lazier than a dead cow. So it took a whole month to persuade them for a trip. Destination Chakrata, quietly and discreetly suggested by yours truly. It was different now, we were the ones whining about the driving. Words like bewakoof and sala which I used while driving with wifey became Bose DK and bhen***d, respectively. A simple romantic fire became a roaring bonfire with twelve talli software engineers shouting, singing, dancing, drinking, ROFL-LMAO-LOL-ing. This time we went to a waterfall called Tiger falls which was reached by a six kilometer trek. Five years of absolutely no physical exercise and a hundred kilos of my body mass made this trek brutal. But the moment you step into the waterfall pond, you forget all the fatigue. The romance of the first and the freedom and laundai of the second one made both the trips memorable.


28 years


On second thoughts, seven months do not seem a long time when you compare it with twenty eight years. If you ask me if I have any memories of twenty eight years ago, my answer would be - only one. I remember someone shouting and running around our house (may be my dad or my uncle) shouting, "Richards Out !!!...Richards Out !!!". As I have already mentioned, it was one of my favorite moments of Indian cricket history. Hell, I don't even remember 1987. After that, thanks to Sachin Tendulkar, I started following the game. Every world cup I prayed to God to make India lift the cup. But sometimes it was a cracked pitch at Eden Gardens, or hard pitches or chilly weather of England, or humiliation by Australia, or humiliation by Bangladesh. This time, the stage was set. God's last world cup, in India, and the final in Mumbai. Sometimes its a cliche, they've got to win...and how.


Its actually eight months now. But hey, masterpieces don't depend on deadlines.