English-Vinglish

Watched English-Vinglish recently again. Very beautiful character played by Shreedevi. Really wonderfully narrated character, her psychology, family fabric & how it affects an individual.
Just because Shashi didn't know English language she was repeatedly humiliated by her daughter, "तुमने हिन्दीमें बात करके ओकवर्ड महसुस कराया, तुम्हे आना ही नही चाहिये था'', ''तुम्हे पढना आता तो तुम डायरी पढती ना'',.......... words are very potent weapon which damages person psyche, erode person's self confidence just as amir gives example of Solomon island in '' tar zamin par'' about people gathering and cursing tree so that it dies out. Similarly Shashi started loosing confidence in herself, she could not love herself.
Also didn't get recognition and respect from her husband, though she made mouth watering laddoo  her husband says '' she is born to make laddoos'' as if she couldn't do anything else.
Every person needs appreciation of their work, which Shashi didn't get. It was natural for her to feel useless because she didn't get back the love and respect she was giving to her family.
Shashi found true companion in her niece, who understood her, helped her, praised her for what she was doing. Also in her English Class she got recognition of her work, that she was ''an entrepreneur ''. She was praised there she was brightest among all. It helped getting her confidence back. Also fellow fellow praising her saying he comes to class for her make her realize that she was beautiful, loveable. And she started loving herself.
Every person has an inbuilt love tank in their psyche which needs to be refilled. And this refilling is to be done by family. But what happens is that we start taking family members for granted for what they do in our life, we easily criticise but rarely praise. Always praise and feel gratitude for whatever they do, give love and respect, because this is what a family is supposed to do.

kite festival and life

         14th january this the day when Sun enters "Makar Rashi", The day when "Makar month" starts.
          This day is celebrated as kite festival in Gujarat state of India. One can see the enthusiasm of the people for the celebration of the festival. Ever since the January month starts one can see few kites flying in the  sky, by children. These are usually the kites which remained in the stock and did not have fortune to fly in the sky.
          Gradually one can see the special seasonal shops opening selling all the things for the festival. Previously it was just kite, thread, gum tap and "Toti" (rubber glove for finger, Which one wears on fingers to protect them from cut by thread) but now there are various kind of caps, horns, masks also. This is what called "FESTIVAL DRIVEN ECONOMY", Because this festival helps in earning of many people who are involved in making kites, threads for flying kites and all the shopkeepers who r selling them.
           The preparation for the festival starts before a week in house with ladies of the house getting busy in making "Chikki" ( a sweet made with adding either til, or peanut or gram dal in jaggery). They get happy by spreading sweetness. Hats off for them. Also they will clean the roofs day before the festival. People starts buying kites week before these kites are known by various names cheel, chando, dhandho, puchhdio, khambhati etc. People will buy threads for flying kites and this is what makes kite festival very different in Gujarat because here they don't just fly kites but there is war between kites where one tries to bring the others' kites down from the sky. Which is called "Pech ladavvo" and "Kapvo" In gujatati slang. Pech ladavvo is skillful maneuver by the person who itends to cut other's kite. For this purpose thread goes through the process which is called " Manjo pavo", Which makes thread so sharp that it can cut your fingers. " Firki" is prepared.
          Night before this festival the preparations are in full swing with all the the members of family sitting together eating chikkis and laughing they punch small holes in the kite tie the thread to prepare it for the flight( which is called kinna  bandhvi in Gujarati). CD's ( now pen drives) & music system are made ready. Sugar cane is cut into pieces.
          On the day of festival people usually wake up early starts playing songs, and with cap on head goggles on the eyes, Chikkis in moth, starts flying kites, where firki is held behind usually by one's better half. And when someone cut's other's kite the whole roof erupts in joy with sound of "Kapyo chhe", "Lapet... lapet". There is atmosphere full of joy every where.
          Flying kite needs many factors in place. On needs wind, person's effort and also help from the one who's standing behind holding the person's firki. No matter how skillful you are and how many efforts you make you can not fly the kite if there is not much wind, or the one who is holding firki behind does not co-operate. Similarly in one's life also one needs combination of efforts, luck (wind), and someone's support, without which one can not succeed. Also when one's kite is cut he immediately flies another kite thus if you fail don't brood over it maintain your enthusiasm and try again. Try and try until you succeed.
           
            

bajirao a forgotten hero

Just recently watched Bajirao-Mastani directed by Sanjay Lila Bhansali. Really enjoyed watching the movie.
It was very proud to know that mother India had produced such a great warrior, who never lost a single war during his life-time. He fought around 40 wars in his life(he died at around 39 years of age) and won each of them. During his tenure maratha hindu samrajya covered upto half of India. We can safely assume that if he hadn't died of fever at such an early age he might've even conquered foreign sultanat (that of mughals). But sadly he died due to fever at such an early age.
   It lead me to thought that why during our studies of Indian histories we were never taught of such great Indian heroes who fought to free mother India from foreign clutches. All that we were taught was successive foreign rulers who ruled Delhi gulam vansh, lodhi vansh, mughals etc but never of such great warriors. We were never even taught of Maharana Pratap as much as we learned of Jalaluddin. This kind of history teaching never produce sense of pride in an individual.