Wonder

I have been feeling a lot philosophical today as it can happen to anyone on a beautiful Saturday morning with a lot of free time to be in touch with your inner self. So, this fine morning, I just started wondering about something incredible which sometimes we take for granted. That incredible is Life, and each one of us has sometime or the other have wondered about the beauty of it, the genius of it & many times about the meaning of it. And though I do not pretend to be anything remotely resembling a poet, I dared to put that sense of amazement into an unpolished draft which sort of rhymes at some places.

Don't you wonder?
that birds can fly
rivers can flow
Sun can set
and moon can glow

Don't you wonder?
that rain can fall
love can enthrall
that heart can bleed
for someone's aching needs

Don't you wonder?
that joy can be spread
pain can be shared
that happiness can grow
with love's constant flow

Don't you wonder?
that a heart can love passionately
and hate with ferocity
The same hands which bring life
can kill with impunity

Don't you wonder?
that man can demystify distant stars
but still be far apart from those on earth
that he can bridge distance to moon
but still may not bridge distance to hearts

Have you ever wondered?
That there is so much to wonder.
Have you ever wondered?
That you can wonder.

Black- a triumph of mind over matter

Black, the color of darkness, is the story of a girl whose life is defined by darkness. The main protagonist in this latest masterpiece from the very gifted indian director Sanjay Bhansali is a deaf and blind girl, Michelle, who is struggling to establish an identity for herself in a world which is not built for her strengths. Helping her in this struggle is an eccentric, but very dedicated, teacher Devraj played by superstar Amitabh Bacchan. In terms of basic premise, the movie deals with the oft-repeated concept of differently enabled people and their struggle to live with dignity & respect in a world not suited for their different abilities. What sets this movie apart, however, is the emotional punch it packs in frame after frame never letting the audiences' attention waver. For example, in arguably the best sequence of the movie, when Michelle's sister gets married she is overcome with the desire for physical love. She asks for that love from the only man she knew, her teacher, who dedicated his life to her well-being. That was too much to ask for even from the man whose only goal in life was to see his student be able to face the world on her own. He tries to kiss her and is filled with the emotion of guilt. It was a supreme sacrifice, he gave up his self-respect for his student.

Performaces wise, every artist gave their career's best performances in this movie. Certainly so for Rani Mukherjee, playing Michelle, who deserves an award or two for her role. The performance of child artist Ayesha was very good too. Amitabh who has often not got the roles commensurate with his talent finally gets one and doesnot let this chance slip away. Bhansali proves yet again that he is one of the best directors in Indian Cinema, both past and present. Black is his best work so far, a movie rich in color, content and emotions. A must see.