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FANTASIZING THE REVENGE OF KALI

(Title inspired from Delnaz Divecha) 

Critic Written by Teena Jacob, 13 October 2020 

 Under Clean State Films Productions, Anushka Sharma and her brother Karnesh Sharma is cultivating an unseen genre of feminism blended with supernaturalism and horror. The horror gothic movie, Bulbbul, released in 2020 via streaming platforms, starts with the scene when the young Bulbbul, bundled herself as traditional Bengali bride, ready to knot with a much older man. With all her innocence and desire to fly and know the world, the eight year old kid hears from her aunt ‘The toe has a nerve that needs to be contained, or the girl can fly off’, like a bird the little girl speculates her aunt. Simultaneously she witnesses a strange expression from her mentally retarded brother-in-law, Mahendra on the wedded night. At the contemporary vantage point of feministic attribution in today’s society, the movie Bulbbul shifts its waves from past to present and vice versa, resonating a traverse journey of a periodic drama. The movies exhibits the conventionally featured bourgeois lady act of Bengal patriarchal societies that floats into the idea of aristocratism. Bulbbul is a film that exposes the underbelly of a patriarchal culture, which responds with violence when its norms are questioned or resisted. It is the horrific functionality the audience experience underneath the skin, but has no ghost or witch elements that rushes the audiences’ adrenaline gland.

As the character holds the title name, the name acts to be symbolical to the story of the movie; Bulbbul is meant to be always amongst the trees, a bird that is languid, beautiful, understated who learns to be herself. Tripti Dimri, the main lead of the movie rightly depicted the uniqueness by dominating herself as well as the household after the mysterious death and missing of her brother-in-law and husband respectively. The direction of Ankita Dutt gives a new meaning of ‘chudail’ with Bulbbul. Ankita’s Bulbbul takes a Devi’s avatar to avenge people for taking away her innocence and those who considers women to be a chudail if she runs across the corridor, opens up her braid, speaks loudly or even questions the norms of society. On the other hand, the aesthetic cinematography of Siddharath Deewans and Meenal Agrawal’s abstract and refined production design makes the 90 minutes journey of audience with apt amount of fantasy. The film has been shot visually sumptuously with the frequent representation of red embodying celebration, anger and fertility of women. 

The lush red and flowers dominates the color motif of the entire movie, triumphing Bengal’s drenched traditions and culture. Displaying a feast to ones’ eyes, most of the scenes throughout movie was drawn by inspiration from the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma. The exquisite interior of the house, where the majority of the film was shot, the presentation of Bengali women with ornate saris and jewels echos the aesthetic rich and grandeur picturesque of Sanjay Leela Bansali movies like Devdas. Bulbbul shared a warm and beautiful relationship with Satya, her younger brother-in-law, with whom she grew up due to their similar ages when she stepped into the shoes of bahu. All throughout the life of Bulbbul, she is surrounded by four men, just as how a bulbul bird surrounded by thick and dense trees as always. Her husband, Indranil, her brother-in-law Mahendra who is mentally retarded, her younger brother-in-law Satya and the doctor of her locality, whom she befriends and trusts as time passes by. Rahul Bose played the role of twin brother Indranil and Mahendra with equal finesse. When Binodini, is married to the mentally retartded Mahendra, Indranil’s brother, she is unhappy throughout her marital life which instiled jealous by seeing an affable relation shared between Indranil and Bulbbul. Poisoning Indranil’s mind, Binodini convinces him that Bulbbul has feeling for her childhood companion and his brother, Satya. This led to the bloody deed of mutilation towards Bulbbul due to anger and jealous by Indranil, nevertheless, Mahendra at the same night when she was wounded by the mutilation couldn’t control his sexual desires. He was busy enjoying the pleasure when the victim used all her strength to get back herself, crying and screaming her throat out. Everything seems to be very horrific and believable at one toss. Bulbbul reaches to a point where she breaks the shackles of a patriarchal society by becoming something beyond natural. 

With crass sound effects and dramatic gothic language and dialogues, the movie Bulbbul hampers the audience the entire 90 minutes with genuine pace and consistency. The movie is definitely waving the feministic and revisionist tale of a woman who inappropriately fell into the pit of precision and chudail frames of putrid cores of patriarchy but rose to a powerful and engaging Thakurian. However, there are other prominent film critics of India who claims that the movie Bulbbul has lost its capability to create an impact due to its lack of novelty. Many quoted that director Dutt drowned herself in the style of the presentation over substance of the elements.

[pencilsforlives]

Inept forest management burns Australia

Australia is scorching. Ever wondered the reason behind these bushfires and torrid heat, particularly in Australia?  Around 10 million hectares of land, that roughly size up to South Korea, had been burnt by the beginning of this year. 

Well, the blame goes to us - humans itself. The prominent theme of the fire season all year is climate change. Fires are a natural part of the Australian weather cycle. As Australia blazes, the earth is giving us serious warnings to mankind to pay heed. 

When Indian Ocean dipole which makes water on western Indian Ocean warmer and eastern Indian Ocean cooler, it results in less rainfall over Australia. Hence, leading to fossil fuel burning and bush fires. However, the carbon emission increases, warming the planet and making Australia, even more, hotter over decades. Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised to provide more funding and pay to the firefighters and volunteers. The officials are protending conflicts between protecting the country from the powerful mining section and protecting the environment. The government must eng up the same situation coming up in the future by active methods in the future to protect the planet ad Australia must lead the world by providing coal as it is now being the worlds’ largest coal exporter.   

[pencilsforlives]

The Old year out and New year In ...!

Happy 2020 folks! 

At the strokes of midnight on December 31st, 2019, cities worldwide and even small houses all over the world rang in both new year and a new decade with dazzling fireworks to start afresh, make resolutions and everyone is ready for 2020. The hullabaloo expresses people's high spirits at holiday times.

But have you ever wondered why people around the planet are celebrating New Year at that very moment? 

During the Roman era, March marked the beginning of the calendar. In 46 B.C, Julius Ceaser created Julian Calender, setting to celebrate New Year as today. Since Julian Calender had few extra leap years than necessary, Pope Gregory XIII implemented Gregorian calender in 1582 which we been using today worldwide.

However, when everyone celebrated the New Year with excitement, hope, enthusiasm, the world is losing something that has to be treasured upon for the generation to come - love for humanity, respect elders and build the world for their children. Dividing society on religious beliefs is still not a foregone myth but a sensitive tool to fabricate the chaos and disarray. 

Another take is that not everything is controlled, we come across different people. When some stay forever, some teaches us lessons - good or bad. I have made mistakes in many terms and I proudly agree to that fact as I am not a person you may see nowadays on Instagram stories where couples and adults seem to be the best pair or enjoying their life to the fullest where the reality is at the brink of war. Nothing seen on media is a complete truth.

Let go of toxicity - a new trend the youngsters carry on. The world is growing out of lies so never believe one side of the story and compromise your integrity for someone's sake. 

I do not believe in having New Year resolutions since a person can have new short term or long term aspirations and goals at any time of year. So I am just carrying on the lessons I have learned over these years. As life unfolds, every day will not be full of sunshine, some will be dark and cloudy. But if we count the blessings, we will discover in time that the good days will soon outnumber the bad

[pencilsforlives]

Books ...not Bullets !!

Russia’s premier international affairs forum, the Valdai Discussion Club, has just put out a Future Preparedness Index(FPI) where India stands at 17 in a list of world’s top 20 countries. Testifying the objectiveness of the study, Russia itself bags 12th position and USA being the 1st. Measuring the countries by 10 parameters , India scores particularly poor on education. 

 Guns are the new toys for the schoolboys to settle the scores for petty issue fights nowadays. The state of Delhi, India, was startled during the month of March last year to wake up with the headlines when an eighteen-year-old boy bought firearms to his school. Putting 600 other school children in imminent danger. Another case reported was in Yamunanagar where again an eighteen year old marched into the principles' office of Swami Vivekananda school and shot her three times. 

Gun violence is not just a USA problem but has also hit the doors of Indian society and pupils. The interferences show that such heinous acts of opening fire on unarmed innocent civilians, especially among children portray a deep-rooted mental health problem -  a problem that also predominantly reflects on the inadequate upbringing of the culpable child. Guns are being sold as a household ration in Walmart, USA. Thank God, at least our society hasn't gone that far-right at this moment 

Last year in July, the Indian cabinet has decreed that a verification report has to be sought by the police before issuing the gun license. Currently, the laws are lenient for illegal possessions in India. While the debate is hot on both sides regarding gun ownership, there is no denying that an increased number of firearms in the hands of the civilians can only lead to more danger.  

Recent reports of Gulf News on India estimated around 6.3million are registered weapon users from 40million from 2002-2018. When we hear the death and attacks on public and prominent figures like journalists’ Jyotirmey Rey, Gauri Lankesh, Gulshan Kumar for inane reasons has now crossed the thresholds of school where our children are supposed to be safe as always said - ‘ Schools are the second home’. However, the government and the Control Arms Foundation of India (CAFI) must not lax when teenagers are pulling out and waving around guns in their classrooms instead of tiffin boxes. 

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When Urdu has given a chance to take us to a different world of Dastang...

There is no doubt to agree to the fact that headphones and tablets are ruling today's era. Many assume and still assume that books and digital recorders would take the seat of storytellers and other oral traditions 

 In an era of digital technology and social media, where culture is increasingly savored in isolation through a pair of headphones and the pleasure of direct experience has been forsaken, an old tradition of storytelling is seeping back into popular consciousness - ‘Dastangoi’. 

The dramatic Oral tradition of Dastangoi makes it come closest to expressing pure emotions by its range and pure emotions. Originated in the Persian soil, then traveled all the way to Delhi, Lucknow and later to different parts of India with the spread of Islam in the 11th century 

Once a one-person show has now become a two-person show in order to improve audience engagement and make it richer in terms of presentation. 

Dastangoi deserves months and maybe years to nurture like any other Indian art forms like Kathak and Qawalli. Just like wine, Dastangoi needs age and experience so that everyone who is involved in it can indulge in the beautiful journey of at different Dastang

[pencilsforlives]

THE SYRIANS UNDER CRISIS

pensareweapons

Sad part is to see the number of refugees’ increase day by day across the world. A person who is forced to leave his homeland to other places and adopt new lifestyle, due to political instabilities, war zones etc is the one whom we call as refugee. Horrendous proportion of destruction has happened for the past seven years in Syria due to its political challenges; exactly 15th March 2011. Sufferings and the plight of Syrian people that they are facing every day is immeasurable. Massive toll of almost 300,000 innocent lives has been counted till now who paid their lives for war. A situation where the people cannot step out of their own homes and feeling their whole country to be a jail is a gruesome feeling.

Since 2012, this unrest has been going on. Turkey has been the first home for the refugees of Syria. Later, by the time period of one year, around 120,000 refugee camps been opened exclusively for Syrians across the west. The world has become smaller place to live. Countries started to open up their borders for these people. Life changes completely when he/she moves from east to west; from culture, lifestyles to rules. These political instabilities has torn apart the country’s business and social ties. Reducing to rubble, sectors such as education, healthcare and sanitation facilities, UN has reported that the Syrian refugee camp has been the largest refugee and displacement camp formed in history. The total population of 13.1 million need humanitarian assistance. Since, Turkey been the first home for Syrian refugees, the regulations does not allow the people to stay in there for a long term. Each person has been granted with a 2-year temporary status to live in the country as a refugees apart from using other facilities. The shortage of money for those camps in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon is another issue the camps are facing, making the condition harsher. 70 percent of people live below poverty line. Life in Lebanon is a daily struggle, who have little or no financial resources.

Idlib has become a hub for airstrikes and bombings over the past few months. Even though a number of refugee camps are opened, it is only just 8% of refugees live in camps where the majority are still struggling in the forced environments of snipers.

However, when taking in account of the current scenario, experts say that the Palestinian refugees are used as tools to destabilise the Middle East by pushing them into Jordan.

[pencilsforlives]

Insights of a mystical Guru

“Let it go See what stays” - Osho

It's been a long time that I have hung up with something of my journey with u folks. This time its all about a book that I had read recently.

Osho..

Not a religious follower of this spiritual guru, but deep inside a part of me, who truly understand the inner selves is viewing Osho or can view Osho, as someone who took the topsy turvey world in a complete another dimension; the apex figure outlooked the world in a way that none among us has approached to see it with our real eyes,

Hailing from the Madhya Pradesh, of Indian subcontinent, Shree Rajneesh a.k.a Osho was controversial guru that was a top topic discussed worldwide when he propelled his ideas and beliefs. Leaving the body at the age of 58, he named himself as ‘Osho’ that expounded himself as ‘oceanic’ of ‘experience’.

Many appraised him as the most radical spiritual person in the world, especially religious organisations. Hence there are reports that evidences his death was as a planned murder which still prevails to be a mystery. The all time celebrated master visioned to shape the world and its human race in a unique avenue that disturbed many sleeps. 

Beside interviews he rendered during his ecclesiastical life, his teachings went on by voice recordings during his sessions, has always connected well with the people that later got published into books; that too in many languages crossing across  seas and mountains.

Book Of Women - Osho 

Consequently this is a book that a must-read not only just women as name indicates but also men in order to understand the womanhood. Himself being a man, Osho talks in this book not as even a human but just as conscious. The author signifies her serenity and delicateness as a charisma that has to be admired and appreciated in the whole world. The existence of woman is a gift to the mankind. Born as a girl or a boy, the mortal is an amalgamation of both male and female. While according to Osho, marriage is an institution invented by man to monopolise woman; to suppress her dreams and motives. Whereas on the other hand prostitution is a by-product of marriage. I might sound as a feminist but we must reap that the true face of reality assorted with philosophy that is barbaric and wicked than we grasp. 

As of Osho’s  perceptions, the women existing today, including you and me are not the true women. It’s a crippled, suppressed human form under the male chauvinistic society that how a peeress should me. Gautham Buddha, ascetic sage once commented that man is the crossroad where you can go anywhere - to enlightenment which notes that he was a male chauvinistic according to Osho.

Every pain has its own sweetness; its own miracle; its own joy,

It is there(women) innocence that adds beauty, Man’s dominance, torture and reduction to nonentity has made woman ugly.  Osho says its the dominance of man over woman is the first slavery in the world. Today ladies across wear pants shirts, cigarettes etc like men, but according to the author, these are just imitations rather than liberation, fulfilling ourselves that we too are capable of anything and everything like man does. In the emergence of such thoughts that perforate in us, we ladies forget to celebrate the femininity!! Only then she can flower! The first person who started talking about freedom, equality were men itself. Hence, a woman remains feminine, a man remains masculine however imitations each other does. For whoever approaches is graceful, whoever initiates is courageous.

Children belonging to the commune will learn much, will be more friendly, will be more available to all kinds of influences.  

You shout and the valley shouts; or you sing and the valleys sing. Each heart is a valley. If you pour love into it, it will respond. The first lesson of love is not to ask for love but to give love.

Aloneness has beauty and grandeur, a positivity; its the moment we find ourselves. Loneliness is poor, negative dark and dismal.

While being pregnant, a woman should always be in her purest form, as your climate is his/her climate; climate is the mood of the mother, Every human that exist has the need for sex at some point of time. Isn’t it cunning that even sex has a formula to be followed always perfectly? Man can never satisfy women in any aspect because of her orgasmic factors. Isn’t it miracle that a few people like Zarathustra, Jesus, Lao Tzu, Buddha have escaped from social structure. from family conditioning.

The meaning of the word ‘husband’ is farmer like husbandry. Osho have said that do not do sex just to make babies, but has to be done with love and its always the art of giving the love by men and getting the consent from woman is the success of sex; success of a man; rather than duress her. Woman taking up the control, starting to control the world without just reproducing will make the world a better and beautiful place to live because she connects with people through heart and love, not through brains unlike men,

Tantra - the religion of body. The cats’s sleep is something to be learnt - man has forgotten. The calmness it enjoys; and so the peace in ourselves has to be brought back whenever possible at least. Some of us has even forgot the art of sleeping 

[pencilsforlives]

What is ‘myself’ ?

Finding and Defining our self will be the most difficult thing that human race would be hesitated to do so since each of us have a terrible, unwanted-to-be-seen-face in side all of us. Removing those flank sides of our face to the world has became a unseen norm of society and those who does will be crucified especially the hypocrites around the sphere. Well, now let me try to define who I am to all the folks out there.

Name being Teena, from a small country of this world, U.A.E: trying to leave a mark of my existence in this complex earth. Writing, reading, seeing, enjoying any forms of art, philosophy or religions, custom and tradition are my passions of life. Sounds I maybe a tedious person...no...not at all ...apart of me still loves clubs, psychedelic parties, adventures, fashion, love, decorating and all other possible perky activities.

Travelling is in blood. Even though I haven’t gone much around the sphere, the passion of travelling, exploring the known and unknown places of each knook and corners of the world is how i wish to spend my leisure timing. Along the pages of the books i read, the new ideas of exploring the land sky and sea are opening up to me. Apparently I do love to try out new tastes of food along travelling.

This blog is a review of the different things I come across in my journey of life; be it a review of a book, a travel log, news ,etc

Hope to see you folks again and keep you entertained.

[pencilsforlives]

The vintages of life

It’s considered that the most spring ages of a person’s life is spend as a teenager. But again where does he or she spends that season at most? Or maybe where does that turn out to be a solid era of our period? 

Yes college. 

The age of no worries, no frustrations, be it marks or perks of life, the age to live the fullest, the age when one starts seeing dreams, the age that teaches the blossoms of romance. College life is all about memories apparently more than studies too. 

When I stepped my footsteps to my college in life, I never expected that I would come back with so much of memories  to cherish about. I never knew that I would get friends that will happen to be my assets of my life.That it had paved a way of opportunities that i never knew about in my life. However I never knew that my college life would change my life into a topsy-turvy.

I can say that each season that comes across in everyone life has so much to remember about; Be it infancy, adulthood, or even the declining years of life. Life is a drama where we humans are actors on a stage, directed by God or some forces that persist in the universe. We all are more like guests to this universe..who come one day and leave our treads some day later.  To my notify, I can say that, memories are chiefly fabricated in these springs of life, i.e, college life. And I am one such unfortunate person in this world to lose such a spring of my life or not able to relish that to the fullest and has nothing to be remembered upon further than those a lot I have.

People do say that time heals the wounds of life. But right now at this point of my life,I argue that even if time can heal those wounds of life, the scars are always left upon us for the entire lifetime to remind us our failures and losses of life