Game of Thrones Meets Dushyant Kumar
उनके लिए जिन्हे गेम ऑफ़ थ्रोन्स या हिंदी कविता से प्यार है.
हिम और ज्वाला का गीत, दुष्यंत कुमार के शब्दों में
Being Dunkirk
It is impossible to not think of perspectives after walking out of a Christopher Nolan film. In fact Nolan, has mastered the art of non-linear narration. Dunkirk is no different. Except perhaps we can say that in this case the dimensions were: the land, the waters and air. More than a week after the breath-taking experience of Nolan’s Dunkirk, I am left thinking about a possible fourth dimension to the movie- of Dunkirk herself. What could it have been, ‘to be’ Dunkirk during the tragic yet notable period between 26th of May and 4th of June 1940 marking the early years of World War II?
One is forced to contemplate- without the miracle of Dunkirk, what is the soul of Dunkirk-the city? To be honest, I did not know much about Dunkirk before the movie. The first striking feature of the city is her name. It has a West Flemish origin which means “the church in the dunes”. Unfortunately, a city that literally means church has been host to one of the most terrible assaults in the history of war. The repeated assaults on her, aerial ambushes and underwater torpedoes, during the unfair course of war, is an appalling contrast to her name. To balance it all was the heart-wrenching courage exhibited by the soldiers and the rescuers. I ponder, was it her? Was it Dunkirk steadying herself and her children, looking at the enemy in the eye fearlessly and holding up in the face of inescapable danger? Was it her spirit that fought alongside her daughters and sons, and saved them, in fact even more than what their prime minister expected.
One cannot miss the spectacular visuals in the film thanks to Hoyte van Hoytema. I was almost moved to tears to see the beautiful beach city being subjected to mutilation. But on the deeper side it was more like watching a warrior queen charging ahead, of all her soldiers and leading by example almost as if to say, ‘Be proud of your wounds, my dears!’ At the end of it all, she was definitely ‘persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.’ Another thing that moved me was the embrace of the Dunkirk spirit. I was enraptured by the love shown to her by her protégés- the people of the city. In the final scene when a soldier fearing disrespect from his fellow dwellers cowers in shame as the train chugs in, is taken for a surprise when they are given a warm welcome- just like the warm comfort of a mother’s lap that nurses her child’s broken heart.
When I look at present day images of Dunkirk I cannot help but feel a tranquility that seems to surround me through the photograph. To think of the incongruity between the city now and that of 77 years since. But there she is… still providing the shore to the new generation with the same vigour. Everybody talks about patriotism and love shown by people to their country. Dunkirk – the movie, has made me aware of the love that a country shows to its citizens. The story of this tiny city in Northern France which even now has less than a hundred thousand inhabitants, who protected her citizens and lived to tell the tale has made my belief in the universe stronger. The spirit of Dunkirk, is a testament to Buddhist tenet: What you think you become, what you feel you attract, what you imagine you create.
[This Article has been authored by Avanthika Nityanand]
Picture Credits: Photograph published in: "Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man'', by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore ISBN-10: 0141024372 ISBN-13: 978-0141024370 Penguin Books Ltd, 2007. Photographer not identified
Why Pancham Da Why?
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Happy birthday Pancham Da. Thank you for giving us so many wonderful tunes and putting life into so many words. As Gulzar correctly points out, you nourished the soul of the songs. You were the bridge between the changing musical space of Indian cinema. You blended romance with glamour, pain with panache, undertones with enigma and sounds of our soul with resonance. You were the answer to "Boss Kaun hai".
But why did you do this? You already had thousands of tones from your own fountainhead of music. You were already on the altar of divinity. I do not mind if a certain Pritam or Anu Malik does this. I do not mind you getting inspired. Everyone gets. Even this write up has taken information from http://itwofs.com/hindi-rdb.html . But do not you think a simple mention to the source would have been a fitting thing to do? Pancham Da, I fought, with you on my side, many battles between Indian Popular music and the growing world music. I am a nobody and can not question you. But I really feel even you would have wanted to accept that you lifted these up.
Here is a list of a few of your greatest tunes
Mehbooba-o-Mehbooba - Sholay
Tumse Milke Aisa Laga - Parinda
O Maria -Saagar
Jab Tak hai Jaan, Jaane Jahan - Sholay
Aaj Tu Gair Sahi - Oonche Log
Kabhi bekasi Ne Mara - Alag Alag
Dilbar Mere - Satta Pe Satta
Jahan Teri Ye Nazar Hai - Kaalia
Kahin Karti Hogi Wo Mera Intezaar-Phir Kab Milogi
Mil Gaya, Humko Saathi-Hum Kisi se Kam Nahin
Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko-Yaadon Ki Baarat
My friends have argued, that it is good that the popular tunes were copied and Indian-ised, and we were enthralled at a time when world music could no way reach us. And thus such inspiration/copying of tunes was actually serving the music and its audience. I do not doubt that. Most of these were my favourite songs. They still are. But somewhere I feel cheated. These songs make me doubt originality of any thing in Bollywood. While ignorance brought me entertainment, knowledge eroded my trust. May be like all of us, You were also flawed somewhere. Yes you are no more the un blemished untarnished God you once were for me, but you are still one of my favourite composers and one of the reasons I love music. You were wonderful and I still love you a lot.
Thank you Pancham Da!
Find the full list at Songs that RDB copied
Find the full list at Songs that RDB copied
