Irony man...

Climate change is something that acts as an enigma and really fills our impending future with uncertainty. It's only now with the resurgence of figures like Greta Thunberg, a petite 16 year old who has taken it as her life's mission to reach out to people and spread the word regarding climate change. Her outspoken and vocal advocacy has brought world leaders to their knees, making them come up with strategies.Another firebrand proponent of climate change has been the famed actor Leonardo Dicaprio. It is scary to think that the weather and seasonal fluctuations will wreak havoc into not just our ethos but our daily lives as well. It is but an odd that we will have to surpass. in the coming years. The repercussions of climatic changes and with the onset of global warming has raised the temperature  of the Earth's core, making it really hellish to live in conditions which were once deemed very rainy or snowy. Alas, Bangloreans are never going to relish the intensity of the

Notting Hill (1999) is just one of those 1999 classics that's right up there. Fresh, quirky and humorous in its own sweet way, it promises a sea of emotions to all the viewers out there. The premise of the movie majorly takes place in the heart of London. A young, floppy-haired bookstore owner's pursuit of falling head over heels over a famous actress(portrayed by Julia Roberts   ) is something very generic but the manner of approach here is very adorable and delightful. Starting a dalliance with a household name, Hugh Grant 's character realizes that the pitfalls of dating an actress who is always in the throes of the limelight and at the receiving end of adulation is a minefield. His average Joe persona which later on impresses the actress, finds its way into page 3 gossip columns. Their link-ups create a lot of tension and a stir in the media world.She finds it difficult to manage the relationship with the paparazzi trailing behind her like sheep. There are eleme

The redemption that you seek in life is not always for others,but for you as well. Redeeming oneself comes with a laundry list of problems, but in the end you will feel invigorated. This is the heady effect that Shawshank Redemption had on me.This flick is a must-see and a complete far cry from the usual potboilers that abound the Hollywood film industry. If you want to laugh, cry, relate to among others, then this brutal yet realistically feel good movie will hit you, hard.The unsung foot soldier here is Andy Dufresne. But be forewarned though, this is definitely not for the faint of heart as you will be feeling queasy internally throughout but the immutable truth of the movie is the takeaway. The casting choice could not be more perfect as you see the movie through Andy Dufresne's(Tim Robbins)eyes. Tim Robbins particularly struck me in this movie with not just his acting prowess but also his towering 6'5 presence. Morgan Freeman, with acting talent unsurpassed portrays t

Well folks i give it to you that a mere restaurant named CTR(Central Tiffin Room) has been all the rage with Bangalore denizens. Good lord, it is literal heaven on Earth. Scientists still can't seem to grasp the secret ingredient used in their flagship Masala Dosas(a secret between you and me-it's love). My first brush with this fortress of solitude was when I read a remark made by Deepika Padukone about frequenting this dosa joint when she visits Bangalore. She proclaimed it as her favorite place to have dosas. Well, you know the adage-"Curiosity killed the cat". And it did, big time. Located in the one of the busiest part of Bangalore, the heart of Malleshwaram houses this incredible dosa joint. From whipping benne(butter) dosas with aplomb, this place rose to popularity and fame faster than Jack climbing the beanstalk. Their dosas sell like hot cakes(which is ironic, considering the fact that they don't sell cakes in CTR) and their homely ambience draws you

Lets face it people, being a hardcore Indian with patriotism and jingoism coursing through our veins is hard enough with the current political climate and whatnot. But a promise land like India with its vast potential, undulating and robust workforce will do wonders in the coming years. With the surge of the pandemic making it almost unbearable to watch a strong economy like ours collapse on its knees and capsize to nothing, the following days, weeks and even years will act as a woeful and hearkening reality to what's about to come. Despite being reared for  most of my childhood in the gulf, can I forget my homeland? 73 years after the course-changing Independence and here I find myself, back to square one wondering about the contributions of countless Indians in all forms of academia,sports etc with my chest swollen with pride. Plotting the future of India is going to be a bit bleak and uncertain(thanks to the Covid19) but what has being an Indian made me out to be? Just sit ba

How mind-boggling is it to actually believe that god bestows upon each and every one of us a pair of people termed as our "family". Well, much to your chagrin folks you really can't chose your family. Aren't they a happy accident in our lives?! Ranging from potty training to teaching us how to walk to catering to our every demand and whim, they have endured and done it all without so much as a fretful face. Their love is but an echo in my heart as I crave their love and attention at every juncture, much like a hapless kid with a sweet tooth craving for his favorite candy. Well, a self-coined adage springs to mind-"not only are they bound to you by blood, they bleed for your sake". On the thunderous eve of my birth, with my mother in labor expecting me and the deftness of my father who was readily available to her with ice chips and whatnot, the pain of childbirth is just an ode to how strong and tenacious my mother is. Reality, however paints a whole n

Planes hurtling along the runway at light speed, The charm of the weather playing catalyst for easy passage, people scurrying back and forth for either delayed flights or duty free purchases, these are all sights to behold. I for one was always amazed at the prospect of visiting an airport and examining people from all walks of life, without a care in the world just hustling to get to their destinations. Not to mention, the mechanized apparatus known as an airplane has always made my mind jog faster than a marathon runner. With technological marvels being put forth every nanosecond, my wonder-struck mind when seeing an Airbus A380 was sheer joy. Studying the gait and the strides of the people in an airport used to be my way of killing time as my family would sit beside me with a paper curled up in both palms and my mom busy munching on her favorite goodies while my brother accompanied me to check out all the colorful displays on the stores. Be it breathing the intoxicating air of th

My exciting and transformative adventure across life starts from the time that I was raised in the Gulf. Yes, the land of immeasurable stocks in astronomical oil rates and an even better addition to the mix -Malayalees(Keralites). Yes, the Gulf is teeming with them(pardon my tone). So, I lived in this archipelago called Bahrain for 11 whole years.Most of  my formative education took place there and in retrospect, nostalgia has enveloped me as I begin to pen this very article. So many memories come flooding past and my teary eyed school reunions are something. that I will always cherish. In this cut throat day and age of technology, I was a very cocooned individual who was extremely hesitant to break forth from his shell, but the friends that I found there were for life. My mixed feelings towards my stay in the Gulf was primarily because of the lack of availability of  good amenities catering to a larger demographic, in this case the influx of Indians there.Me and my conservative,

The times that we are living in right now makes you feel like there is an itch inside your head but you are unable to scratch it. It is that penetrating and thought-provoking issue that comes to mind. The Corona-virus has affected different people differently. Although right now, it is more important to preserve your sanity and mental delirium above all. I personally feel that inside the hallowed halls of my home, I am smothered by a lot of unresolved emotions that I can't quite put a finger on. Apart from doing chores and running errands, you eventually run out of things to do during this lock-down. But it is pivotal that I maintain some equilibrium in terms of my mental faculties as they have to be channeled whilst writing future exams(sigh). I know that the impending virus as well as the quarantine has seeped everyone's mental quotient but hang in there. This is but a phase and after that we see the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Look at it this way and I don&

It was the year 2010, when suicides rates due to the Engineering was at an all time high. They were gloomy days and even darker nights. Lawmakers and policymakers were trying desperately to come up with viable solutions to combat this trend. Meanwhile, the cauldron brews out a flavorful and a redolent hue of something called 3 Idiots, a piece of cinematic genius and a shade of brilliance that was bound to change the course of Hindi film forever. A game changing and a bold attempt with such an aftertaste of humor is very rare nowadays. Rajkumar Hirani makes you feel for the characters as well as feel like the characters feel throughout the pace of the movie. It is also emblematic of how teenage suicides triggered due to spurs of rash and volatile behavior in India's atypical engineering society. The duality is showcased well into the beginning of the film, despite being a little slow paced with equal ounces of drama, copious amounts of fun as well as a deep takeaway. Aamir Khan