Movie Review..”Secret Superstar”.

So for the past 6 months, I have watched a lot of movies and Dramas.

While some of them were really awesome and I really wanted to blog about some of them, nothing compelled me to write about as much as today’s movie did.

This world is such a facade. People give out so many opinions and sometimes the opinions sound so real and everyone believes in them. More than the actual thing.

There was a muslim girl band from Kashmir that was banned from singing. Those were girls in Hijab and were trying to sing. They were trying to break the norm and rules. But they were silenced.

A few months later, a movie was released titled Secret Superstar. This movie was distributed or I should say sensationalised in the lines of the Kashmir incident. The lead girl sings hidden in a Hijab.

False.

That is not even close to what the story is about.

I am a big fan of movies that star Amir Khan. That is because each of his movies has a strong impact on the viewers and they are not silly chummy romantic bandwagon. They are always laced with emotion and fragrant with a message.

Such is the secret superstar. It has everything to do with a Mother’s level of sacrifice and strength for her children. The wall of resilience and the window to the open skies.

This story has nothing to actually do about singing. Shallow is the public who thought this was about a girl not being allowed to sing so she sang secretly and then won the award.

This is about a mother who fought with the society to give birth to a girl child. A mother who withstood physical torture but protected her children from everything.

A mother who recognised her child’s abilities and nurtured them. Never let the cruel world stomp down on the dreams of her children.

The West may not understand. But to come from an Asian household where you are a girlchild, and you are talented, you would understand. You have take your dreams and make chutney out of it. You are supposed to study like a normal girl, no matter you top the class or win a medal or prize or anything. You study, then you marry, then you birth children, then you make them study, make them marry, grow old and die. The end. That’s an Asian girl’s life summarised.

Not every household is like that though. Take Sania Mirza for example. The gorgeous talented super duper Tennis star. Her parents saw her talent, her dreams and cheered her on.

Just like this girl Insiya in the movie. Her mother sells her only Gold Necklace to buy a laptop so her daughter can record her songs on youtube. Just so that the cruel barbarian dad doesn’t break her guitar because he thinks its just a wasteful teenage phase of his daughter where she should have been studying instead, her mother gives her the idea of a secret superstar.

Beyond all odds, she stands up for her daughter, realising that sometimes standing up for yourself and your dreams is very important because a human isn’t a machine and God doesn’t give ambitious dreams to everyone. Those who get this God gift, must know that they are chosen and they must follow it. Fight the world if you are convinced you are chosen. Fight the world if you know you can fly. Everyone laughed at Einstein and every other big guy and girl of this universe. But years later their hardwork paid off. We write essays on their work from school age and we dress up like them. Why?

Because they knew they had a dream, a talent. They protected it, they fought for it.

Salute to you Amir Khan. Extremely fine storyline, concept. Although your character in the movie was just a little breeze, the theme of the movie is a Blockbuster.

Mother.

The beginning of life. The first touch. The first face. The first voice. Everything is Mother.

It is not easy being a mother. Constantly feeling guilty that you aren’t good enough. The society holds the most special spices to sprinkle at a struggling mother. Still she never bends. Wiping her tears away, she will roll away at the kitchen, or type away in the office, or drive, or teach, or write or do anything. Anything she can so that her children are strong, they have everything and become someone great.

We need to love our mothers more. They aren’t wrong. They are just doing their utmost best.

Its not simply said that Paradise lies beneath the feet of the Mother.

It should be there. At the Mother’s feet.

Meri pyarii ammiii….

Advertisements

Pouring Rain

Things have looked brighter than my previous post. Such is love. It kills you once and you think that you are done with everything. Then one smile, one hug and one heartfelt embrace, then all the angst melts away. Like new…everything rebirths itself.

Toronto had one windy rainy Monday. I was taken by surprise, utterly overwhelmed. I wasn’t wearing too much warm clothes and the rain hit my face through my children’s umbrella. I ran across the store and got a huge lovely one for me.

Man must never expect anything from man. Man must only expect from God and that too in full faith. Simple to say. Simple to believe. Hard to execute.

I caught a cold, a headache and a lousy itchy throat.

Feeling a lot better today, hence out and about in the library.

I was hell bent on getting a part time job last week. Everything was out fine till Saturday morning when my partner asked me to give myself some more time before I plunged into the workforce. I know I have lots of hours between my kids schooling. It broke my heart for the thought to not work again and wait for I don’t know how long. But I am glad I waited and listened to him. I fell ill this week. That would have been fatal on the job first week.

I have hence come up with a new idea. I shall teach people English. There are many I see here struggling for the same. I shall do my best flex my schedule.

I hope to do a lot of things:

1. Buy a new laptop
2. Buy a cellphone for myself
3. Redo my wardrobe and kids too
4. Get a Canadian Degree
5. Buy a car.

Till here. I want to reach till here minimum. One day I hope to run an empire. I dream of running an organisation. Make a change in people’s lives.

Or maybe I am being too fancy….

So long…

Its been so long. Once again. Do I lack consistency? Maybe, maybe no.

Have you ever fallen. Into a deep abyss. Such that you feel you are climbing out. But as soon as you look up to see how much more to go. Then you gawk at how much more to go on. Then you slip. Then you fall back down there.

Kya shay hai ujadna

Hamein maloom nahi tha

Hum royenge ithna

Hamein maloom nahi tha

Behjayega chehra

Hamein maloom nahi tha….

I got stuck on repeat to this song.

As I sit here at 12:05 am in the night, I just retrospect on myself. I have drifted away. From who I used to be.

There has been an emptiness within me since childhood.

Waise toh nazar atey hai

Sabh apne hai lekin

Koi nahi hai apna

Hamein maloom nahi tha….

Auron ke liye

Hum basatey rahey duniya

Khojayega ka rasta

Padjayega marna

Khojayega saaya

Hamein maloom nahi tha

Hum royenge ithna

Hamein maloom nahi tha…

Apne tootey huwey

Khwabon ko

Sambhalun kaise

Khud ko duniya

Ki nigaho se

Chupalo kaise

Apne haaton se diya

Dil ka bhujalu kaise?….

Much Awaited…

I have been waiting to read this book since 2013. That is like 5 whole years!

A combination of self made-excuses, lack of budget and my own procrastination kept me away. Every time I picked up this big book, I would crave to read it with all my heart, but then I would put it back on the shelves of the bookstore. The bookshop had a lovely name, Crossword. I really loved the store. But the books were always out of my budget.

Fate and prayers bought me here, to a land that has offered me a free pass at my book heaven, the public Library.

So here I am, completely transported to a whole new level of reading. “INFERNO” by Dan Brown.

This thick 600 something paged book captured the reality, a horrific yet real picture of the world.

A little review; Robert Langdon, an Arts Professor at an American University is being chased along with a young intellectual doctor in a hunt for a bio hazard that a mad scientist has created to destroy the world. A real thriller that puts the reader in for a ride wondering who is on the right path and if the world famous Langdon has really done a major theft. The book runs intricately through world Art history, majorly focusing on the commendable works of Dante Alighieri.

Dante Alighieri

What hit me from the book:

It took me a whole week to completely read the book. This wasn’t a book to skim. I checked out each mentioned historic site and its importance on the web. Exquisitely described, the city of Florence and Turkey has landed on my places to visit list. Someday.

City of Florence

City of Venice

The levels of hell as expressed by Dante sparked my interest to a great deal. Being a Muslim, I have read about the horrors of hell. But nothing prepared me for the horrendous visual trip as is the painting by Botticelli for the Divine Comedy, a description of the levels of hell mapped by Dante. The concept of passing through the levels of punishment, meeting Satan himself, walking out reverse to the purgatory and finally to paradise. It was a real treat to the eyes. It also made me wonder, how deep must have the two geniuses thought on the topic, read scriptures and books and conjured up the most horrific depiction of Hell I have ever seen. Langdon finds this map of hell in a projection canister he takes along with him, trying to unravel the mystery.

Map of Hell by Botticelli

La Mappa Dell’Inferno

Hunting for clues, Dan Brown has painted a visual tour of the city of Venice, Florence and Istanbul as Langdon races to unravel the mystery.

Hagia Sophia (Istanbul, Turkey)

Hagia Sophia (Interior)

Standing from a distance, the book revolves around the core issue of the world, the rising population and the consequences of it. A threatening reference to the Black Plague that terrified the world centuries ago, Bertrand Zobrist creates a mystifying virus that threatens the population. All the top officials along with a powerful shady organisation join hands to close in on the virus, only to find out that it has been released into the atmosphere and has embedded itself into the genes of the world population. Zobrist’s assistant who is the only one who knows everything about the secret, herself hides her identity so well, that I did not have the slightest clue. When her cover blew, I was like Whoaaaa!!! Dr Sienna Brooks, eventually realises the gravity of the issue, tells in the whole story and brings out the truth. The virus was meant to cause planet-wide selective infertility that would narrow down the population without any harm as in the Plague.

The Four Bronze Horses of St. Mark

This raised the question of how wrong is wrong. How immoral is being immoral. Who decides that. According to Zobrist, he did a service to humanity by creating the virus that would narrow down the population and allow the living ones to a better life of technological advancement and comforts of life. According to the WHO and every other scientist and humanitarian thinker, a human does not have the right to control the fertility and choice of reproduction on behalf of another human, let alone the planet. That is morally and ethically wrong to meddle with the genes of others no matter what the justifications. Zobrist however argued with his logic that over population would lead to the collective death of people.

Death Mask of Dante

Plague Doctor Mask

This is a very intriguing and debatable topic. I believe that none should meddle with the way of nature. The end is definite. Till then, maybe we should focus on making the most of our lives and the ones we love. Maybe we should stop being judgmental. Maybe we should focus more on forgiving than in breaking apart. Maybe we should spread more love and think less of reasons to hate. Maybe we should be happy with what we have than to let the deadly sins overtake us for want of more.

The Cistern where the Bio Hazard Virus was immersed.

Why this book fit my interest? I lust after intelligence. Reading a book filled with an insightful viewpoint, etched in enlightening knowledge, painting history better than school books, throwing a fresh limelight on writers, painters and philosophers, completely blow me away.

For me, an intelligent book is like the eagle that flies higher than the rumbling clouds. A clear sighted map that guides the reader, makes a difference, leaves a mark.

Inferno did that to me. I am a person of depth. I like to think about different things. About concepts, about solutions to problems.

I am here 2:00 am in my room, unable to sleep, unable to shoo away my laptop for the night. I have a fire in me. The fire that is making me type away with fury. There is more to this world than just eating and running chores. No, there is more to it.

There was a fresh breeze that flew through me each time I turned the pages of Inferno. When I finished reading the book, the world looked different. Every human looked different. It made me powerful. It made me think that a little person like me could make a huge impact in the lives around me. I could change a lot in the world if I wanted to. It takes a good and right education, self power and confidence, an enlightened mind to drive a person to make a change.

Maybe…someday..I might write out my thoughts to the world….

My most favourite lines from the book.

The Woman in Cabin 10

I picked this book off the shelf of the library instantly. The cover art and the title drew me to it.

After an informative and educative read of Inferno by Dan Brown, this was an easy to read book.

I took it with me to the park with the kids to read.

It took me around 2 days to complete it.

The words lead easily from one page to another. A somewhat simple beginning to a heart throbbing discovery at the end.

Brilliant book.

The plot begins with a slightly alcoholic Lo Blacklock who is a journalist. She gets a break to cover a press trip on the maiden voyage of the ship Auriela Boriealis. The ship being named after the Northern Lights.

Prior to the trip, there is a break-in at Lo’s house that leaves her shaken and disturbed. As such she is a victim of depression and is on medication.

She somehow gathers courage and with encouragement and a little rife with her beau she heads on to the journey.

The ship is a rather small cruise ship with 10 cabins each named after Scandinavian Nobel Prize winners.

Being on number 9 cabin, Lo borrows a mascara from her neighbour cabin-mate for the first dinner night.

When they retire for the night, insomnia, seasickness, anxiety attacks and her spinning head wake Lo in the middle of the night. When she hears a huge splash.

As she rushes to see from her veranda, she sees a body of a woman falling into the water, then she sees a smear of blood across the window pane of Cabin 10. She fears for the woman and instantly raises panic.

But strangely, the head of the ship staff confirms to her that it is her imagination as there is actually no blood smear and also nobody was staying in cabin 10 at all.

Lo doesn’t give up easily and she keeps trying to find the truth. She also raises a lot of alarm. She has her ex-beau on the cruise too. He tries to help her but inadvertenty appears to be the killer of the missing girl according to Lo.

The story goes on smoothly, beautifully worded that gives the real feel of claustrobhia. There are some shocking disclaimer emails in the middle that her beau raises on the shoreside that Lo hasn’t contacted anybody after she boarded the ship. It is almost like she is missing. Then the Norwegian authorities receive the body of a woman.

Suddenly all evidences that the woman existed in cabin 10 are erased or destroyed. The whole thing makes Lo look like she has been hallicinating. And then she gets kidnapped. All hell in the story then breaks loose.

Apparently the owner of the ship, Richard Bullmer has a wife afflicted with cancer. She being of aristocratic wealth and he just a common man who struck lucky marrying right. Until she turned out to be a snob who did not like him and kept herself home.

So Richard becomes lucky again finding a woman who looks almost similar to his wife, Anne. And so the game between them began.

The real Anne would stay in her Norway home out of public view. So Richard would walk around his important meetings and visit with his look-alike Anne. With the right touch ups of makeup no one could tell.

Until Lo gets kidnapped.

Then the girl turns up and after a long session of negotiation spills out the horrendous accidental death of the real Anne, and she was ordered by Richard to throw her across the ship on that fateful night. The incident was scarring for the girl and she ended up trusting Lo and saving her, setting her free. Lo runs out while missing danger by inches at her heel. She finally reaches her home in London. Shockingly there is a fight on board the ship in the end in which Richard is shot dead and overthrown the ship.

A lovely smooth book. Perfect words and immaculate description of feelings and surroundings. I enjoyed this one too!

Canada Day!!!

Oh Canada! Glorious Canada! A very beautiful country indeed!

We headed out to the beach. My whole intention was to check out the fireworks. I have always seen them on pictures on Instagram. I mean, I have seen live fireworks on the Al Khobar corniche for the Saudi National Day celebrations. But I hadn’t been to Canada before and really wanted to see the grandeur on this side of the Earth.

I love fireworks. They take my heart out of my chest and leave me just dumbfounded. In other words, absolutely Gobsmacked.

So here below are the pictures I captured on my Samsung J7 Core on the 1st of July.

 

Aren’t we all like firecrackers? We burst with a luminating aura from within, we brim up and explode with smiles from our heart, leaving people awestruck! I don’t know about everyone, but I used to be a firecracker. I used to just jump with joy. Very often. Because there were a lot of things that excited me frequently. The best part was that my family and siblings and specially my mom and dad really loved and encouraged my outbursts of joy. 

As life moved on, I was told such behavior resembles childlike joy and that adults don’t excite that high. That I was being “childish”. Repetitive mentions of this dimmed me out…like the fully burst remains of the firecracker…falling from the sky. That’s where I find myself now. Falling. I have to get up. Rise up. And be the firecracker once again. This time, my aura shall explode, not my laughter, not my joy….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lost in the pages…

Time flies. In my case, it is really rapid. I am hardly finding time to do all the things. Maybe I need to step back and look again at my day.

I’ve been gone from my blog for a while. Reason? Cooking, PARENTING TWO KIDS ON A TWO MONTH VACATION, reading a REALLY thick novel, and binge watching Pakistani Dramas…oh and yes Wifery.

We’ve been making a couple of trips to the Woobine Beach here in Toronto. Lovely place.

I have a lot of posts and emotions to outpour!