Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Monday, 3 June 2013
Roodaad-e-qafas yaad na andaaz-e-fugaan yaad,
Jo beet ga'i, beet ga'i, ab woh kahan yaad,
Tum bhool ga'e ham ko to kya is mai ta'ajub,
Is dor mai karta hai kisse kon kahan yaad,
Qaafi thi tabaahi ke li'e gardish-e-doraan,
Tum aise mai kyun aa ga'e ae jaan-e-jahan yaad,
Apne se rafaabat ka yeh aalam hai ki taubah,
Ham bhool ga'e khud ko woh aa'e hain jahan yaad,
Maazi ke dareenche se kabhi jhaank ke dekho,
Shaayad tumhe aa ja'e mera naam-o-nishaan yaad...!
Saturday, 1 June 2013
Love today, Love yesterday....!
[Then it was lasting, now it doesn’t last. That’s "Love Aaj Kal"]
FILM REVIEW BY SUHAIL B SHEIKH (Published on Sunday, 30 August 2009, Daily Greater Kashmir)
“People will never understand; they will go on marrying and go on
weeping. Game over guys; it is watt time”. These lines translated from
the movie ‘Love Aaj Kal’ (LAK) aptly demonstrate what today’s youth
think and make of the pious institutions that marriage and love are.
Marriage and love have no meanings for them. The funda is, as depicted
in the movie also, get in touch with someone, flirt, enter into a
temporary relationship (may be for marital gains), pass off the time and
when you are done-break up! People are so annoyed of each other that
they mutually agree: ‘humme breakup kar lena chahiye.’ The break up
happens and then, it is party time; they ‘twist’. However, is it, what
it is? I believe it not.
See the difference – the yesteryears – when a man simply laid eyes on one woman and went about securing her. Sweet! Wasn’t it! And now – the modern age – when a man sets eyes on one woman, then another and the another, and then yet another; it continues – unable to decide who, if anyone indeed, is right for him!
In a highly materialistic world, although love has not lost its meaning; it has been made to (there is that impression), people have ambitions and goals. And yes there is nothing wrong in that, however, love and relations deserve respect. Goals and ambitions were there even in the ‘old age’; but then there was respect, there were values, there were morals and there was sweetness. No wonder, we today have relationship issues, extra marital affairs and lack of trust, honesty and understanding, everywhere around. Why is it that today’s youth (I do not mean all; but most of them) think of love in other terms? There is a transformation though in the thought process and that transformation is bad; I have to say and admit, sadly. Watch the movies ‘LAK’ and you would come to the terms. Only in the first few minutes, one feels the reality of today’s times. The kind of dating, coffee gup-shups, conversations, that lingo, thinking, etc – that is what actually is happening – destroying the moral fabric. And the young ones will associate themselves to it. However, being friends is not just about sharing a joke, a conversation, a coffee or a funny story; it means sharing an honest and true part of you.
The characters in the film are identifiable. The film has been linked by college goers and young people. It has got everything for them – a likeable hero, a gorgeous heroine (only that I do not like her much!), great music and lots of good one-liners – “We are mango people” that is my favourite.
The movie is a nice contrast between the thinking, opinions, emotions and feelings of the yesteryears and those of today. It can also be like a conflict between two core personalities of a same person – believing in love and ‘seriousness’, but at the same time wanting to enjoy life to the fullest. There are many ways through which the director Imtiaz Ali proves the point of contrast and difference between two generations or ages. If one thought in older times love happened only once; it happens many times, everyday almost, in this age. Sometimes so many times in a single day! Reason – we do not know what love is. We associate it with other feelings. If one thought that partying was always difficult and almost killing a sense – the realization that one could never see the other again; it is a blessing of sorts in this age. The ‘khula saand’ time when one is free to find and mingle with so many of the others of opposite gender. If girls deserved and were given respect in those times; where is that now? As Siaf says in the movie, “Heer-Ranja, Laila-Majnu, Shireen-Farhad,
In older times, if love was (and though it is for some) a source of inspiration , and ones partner – a friend, philosopher and guide – guiding one through the rights and wrongs of life; the do’s and dont’s; what is it now? A source of momentary joy and then a burden! “It is only because of her that I took life seriously and achieved my ambitions, dreams and goals” was what one used to hear from people speaking about their loved ones. However, now, “It is the wastage of time and energy. And the relation is a source of hundreds of worries and bondages. It brings one sheer frustration.” And “Chandramukhi ho ya Paaro, ki farak painda yaaro..” is what today’s youth say about having, in one’s life, a soul mate, a better-half, with whom one’s understanding, feelings and thinking, complement and harmonize.
The film is not the ‘generational battle’. It primarily is the battle of ideas and opinions. LAK, as experts say, is not an easy film to write and execute. It has two stories, set in different eras, running parallel but having similar end. One is about a young and philanderer Jai enacted by Saif and the other about a well behaved, decent, and a shy Sikh youth Veer Singh played also by Saif. Veer Singh’s depiction in the movie is a self telling tale of yesteryears, of Veer who in old age (acted brilliantly by Rishi Kapoor) narrates the story about his life and love to Jai. Jai is a typical youth of today. Love is no word in his dictionary. He is a type who falls for a girl, ‘makes her fall’ and next day looks for another one. The breakup Jai and Meera accounts for the gracious breakup in history!
The film teaches us a lesson: that if your heart does not belong to anywhere you are, never be there. Never get pushed into a relationship simply because you have to. That can cause a great deal of harm not only to the so called two ‘connected’ or ‘related’ lives; but to others as well. Two people who know each other so very well, may be even better than how their near ones know them. They like each other; they feel for each other. They feel it with their hearts and that’s what all is needed. They know they are made and meant for each other; they do find each other..; they get to be together – that’s the essence of life and that is what the film is all about. As Rishi Kapoor says in the movie, “Pehle ishq hota tha, phir bagawat, phir shadi.” But what happens today is all in a go.
Let’s understand the spirit of love and that is where actually the essence lies....!
See the difference – the yesteryears – when a man simply laid eyes on one woman and went about securing her. Sweet! Wasn’t it! And now – the modern age – when a man sets eyes on one woman, then another and the another, and then yet another; it continues – unable to decide who, if anyone indeed, is right for him!
In a highly materialistic world, although love has not lost its meaning; it has been made to (there is that impression), people have ambitions and goals. And yes there is nothing wrong in that, however, love and relations deserve respect. Goals and ambitions were there even in the ‘old age’; but then there was respect, there were values, there were morals and there was sweetness. No wonder, we today have relationship issues, extra marital affairs and lack of trust, honesty and understanding, everywhere around. Why is it that today’s youth (I do not mean all; but most of them) think of love in other terms? There is a transformation though in the thought process and that transformation is bad; I have to say and admit, sadly. Watch the movies ‘LAK’ and you would come to the terms. Only in the first few minutes, one feels the reality of today’s times. The kind of dating, coffee gup-shups, conversations, that lingo, thinking, etc – that is what actually is happening – destroying the moral fabric. And the young ones will associate themselves to it. However, being friends is not just about sharing a joke, a conversation, a coffee or a funny story; it means sharing an honest and true part of you.
The characters in the film are identifiable. The film has been linked by college goers and young people. It has got everything for them – a likeable hero, a gorgeous heroine (only that I do not like her much!), great music and lots of good one-liners – “We are mango people” that is my favourite.
The movie is a nice contrast between the thinking, opinions, emotions and feelings of the yesteryears and those of today. It can also be like a conflict between two core personalities of a same person – believing in love and ‘seriousness’, but at the same time wanting to enjoy life to the fullest. There are many ways through which the director Imtiaz Ali proves the point of contrast and difference between two generations or ages. If one thought in older times love happened only once; it happens many times, everyday almost, in this age. Sometimes so many times in a single day! Reason – we do not know what love is. We associate it with other feelings. If one thought that partying was always difficult and almost killing a sense – the realization that one could never see the other again; it is a blessing of sorts in this age. The ‘khula saand’ time when one is free to find and mingle with so many of the others of opposite gender. If girls deserved and were given respect in those times; where is that now? As Siaf says in the movie, “Heer-Ranja, Laila-Majnu, Shireen-Farhad,
In older times, if love was (and though it is for some) a source of inspiration , and ones partner – a friend, philosopher and guide – guiding one through the rights and wrongs of life; the do’s and dont’s; what is it now? A source of momentary joy and then a burden! “It is only because of her that I took life seriously and achieved my ambitions, dreams and goals” was what one used to hear from people speaking about their loved ones. However, now, “It is the wastage of time and energy. And the relation is a source of hundreds of worries and bondages. It brings one sheer frustration.” And “Chandramukhi ho ya Paaro, ki farak painda yaaro..” is what today’s youth say about having, in one’s life, a soul mate, a better-half, with whom one’s understanding, feelings and thinking, complement and harmonize.
The film is not the ‘generational battle’. It primarily is the battle of ideas and opinions. LAK, as experts say, is not an easy film to write and execute. It has two stories, set in different eras, running parallel but having similar end. One is about a young and philanderer Jai enacted by Saif and the other about a well behaved, decent, and a shy Sikh youth Veer Singh played also by Saif. Veer Singh’s depiction in the movie is a self telling tale of yesteryears, of Veer who in old age (acted brilliantly by Rishi Kapoor) narrates the story about his life and love to Jai. Jai is a typical youth of today. Love is no word in his dictionary. He is a type who falls for a girl, ‘makes her fall’ and next day looks for another one. The breakup Jai and Meera accounts for the gracious breakup in history!
The film teaches us a lesson: that if your heart does not belong to anywhere you are, never be there. Never get pushed into a relationship simply because you have to. That can cause a great deal of harm not only to the so called two ‘connected’ or ‘related’ lives; but to others as well. Two people who know each other so very well, may be even better than how their near ones know them. They like each other; they feel for each other. They feel it with their hearts and that’s what all is needed. They know they are made and meant for each other; they do find each other..; they get to be together – that’s the essence of life and that is what the film is all about. As Rishi Kapoor says in the movie, “Pehle ishq hota tha, phir bagawat, phir shadi.” But what happens today is all in a go.
Let’s understand the spirit of love and that is where actually the essence lies....!
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