Padmavati (Sanjay Leela Bhansali)- Trailer Review by Shoby

Padmavati (Sanjay Leela Bhansali)- Trailer Review by Shoby

When the name of Sir Sanjay Leela Bhansali appears in front of you, what do you assume. Grandeur in cinema. He has given classics in his carrier including Hum Dil De Chukey Sanam, Devdas, Black, Saawariya and Baajirao Mastani. After a wait of almost two years, the father of cinema is returned to the business with his another period magnum opus titled Padmavati, which is slated to be released on December 1st, 2017. Film stars Deepika Padukone, Shahd Kapoor, Ranveer Singh & Aditi Rao Haidari in lead roles. Music has been composed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali himself, where lyrics are penned by Siddarth & Garima and Background Score is composed by Sanchit Balhara. The trailer of the film has been released a couple of days ago and here is our analysis on the same.

First thing first, this trailer has the same Sanjay Leela Bhansali's signature feel. You will witness the true larger than life canvas in all the frames. From the majestic set design to the noble wardrobe, from slight gestures of Deepika Padukon's standalone sad eyes to the opulent background score, I feel, Sir Sanjay Sir has never gone flat. No compromise has been made over the prestige & grandiosity of the product.

Although all the scenes in the trailer are breathtaking views, a result of stunning cinematography but to me the one where Deepika is shown looking on to the head turban of Shahid while Shahid looking into her eyes is sheer goose bumps. With only two monologues featuring in it, this one is without any doubt one the grandest affairs we have witnessed in history, when it comes to viewing Bollywood films. With Shreya Ghoshal & many other excellent voices behind the mic, the music lovers must be waiting anxiously for the soundtrack of the film, which would be one of its kind for sure. 

With this trailer which itself asking for more, I personally cant wait for its release.

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Daaj (Sumaira Hameed)- Fiction Review by Shoby

Daaj (Sumaira Hameed)- Fiction Review by Shahbaz Ali Naqvi (Shoby)

These violent delights have violent ends

And in their triumph die, like fire and powder

Which, as they kiss, consume

Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare)

Do we ever realize what sort of society we are living in. Love, for which Marianne Williamson said, "An enchanted love, an awakened love, between two people is a blessing on the entire world." Love, which is the base of the humanity. Love, without which no Earth can survive is still considered something taboo. It looks like someone has written over the heart of everyone that hey, don't dare to touch Love, it is not for faint-hearted. Love, that was bestowed to conquer the worlds is now assumed to be prohibited, courtesy our so-called social norms which allow human devastation in large but never are kind enough to make two souls one. And I agree that Albert Einstein was so true in saying that, "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

Daaj that literally means dowery. Dowry that is considered to be almost a sacred entity for the women attached to it, especially the mothers that prepares the same & the brides. Dowry for which Quintus Horatius aka Horace (Roman Poet) said, "The great virtue of parents is a great dowry." But why to prepare a dowry as no one survives to avail the blessing.. Daaj, jo kisi ko naseeb nahi honey wala tha...

Sumaira Hameed's Daaj is not a story, it is an experience that takes you to the journey to a place in the pre-independence era, where society is plagued with various syndromes. Love is a forbidden act and men have to be the guardian angel, where they have to demolish this evil (read love) and what else could be the easiest way of doing so, other than finishing the prime cause, so in the words of Sumaira Hameed, Zameen apni kokh mein banjar ho chuki thi, jab se is kunwey ki koskh mein kokhey ujarney lagi thi... and there was no stopping for them in this regard.

Time was steadily passing by and every female culprit of the love was subjected in a punishment of throwing into the village well. Guardian angels were happy & proud of their strong valid acts whereas poor mothers were mourning over the loss of their wealth, the daughters. Yaar ki pakhi bani dikhai deney lagi to gaon ke aik aik mard ne kunwey ki rah dekh li or aik aik maa ke dil mein anni gaarni shuru ker di... Read what happens next in the fiction.

I believe Sumaira is at the top of our female leading writers list when it comes to show the actual social ongoing. She never shies in presnting the actual terms that the society uses in the daily speech and it makes her writing look so authentic. Stories like Main Bint e Jameela & now Daaj are evidences that she never goes below the belt but uses the original metaphors that validates the native linguistic approach, prevailing in the society on which her stories are based on.

Although Sumaira has written it as a period story but I feel this very situation still prevails somewhere in the society especially in the ruler areas of Indo-Pak region, where people still fight over the minor disputes of water or cattle. 

I admit that it is a bit difficult for an average reader to connect with these type of stories and they may find it hard to swallow the same because we the people living in a fad world don't know what it tastes to be like one of them. Gaon ki baas mein aurton ki ahen sisakti thi... Mardon ke sang in ke dil kuchaltey they... Un ke lams inhain taar taar kartey they... WHY??? Because, after seeing this serious genocide, they were losing every possible hope of living, till the time arrived when they decided to take revenge. Kunwey ki kanwariyon ke daaj ki tayari unhon ne apni jaano pe khel ke ki thi...

Daaj is a superlative of atrocity & revenge. Good thing is that writer here, has never intended to make a statement out of it and she has left it totally to the readers to be the judge and decide which segment of the society went wrong. Although its haunting but keep a check, somewhere around us, you may still find a place, where objects are all set to seek revenge...

Daaj ke soot kaat'tey kaat'tey, maon ne taatron ki dhaar bhi tez ker li thi...

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Surkh Aandhi (Aymal Raza)- Fiction Review by Shoby

Surkh Aandhi (Aymal Raza)- Fiction Review by Shahbaz Ali Naqvi (Shoby)

“What is it, dear?” asked Sue.

“Six,” said Johnsy, in a voice still lower. “They’re falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It hurt my head to count them. But now it’s easy. There goes another one. There are only five now.”

“Five what, dear? Tell your Sue.”

“Leaves. On the tree. When the last one falls, I must go, too. I’ve known that for three days. Didn’t the doctor tell you?”

The Last Leaf (O Henry)

What makes this world an impossible place to live in? Yes, you guessed it right. It is the wickedness of these dangerous social animals that takes away the peace & prosperity of the planet and in return, gives a devastation that cannot be repaired in any case. In this materialistic world of people filled with severe greed, It is considered as a real taboo to love in its purest form. Hardly we have seen a couple surviving in this selfish arena. Aymal Raza gives us a taste of a handful of different global literature and projects the master plan beautifully to present a heart touching story of a mother whose only daughter Shaano was unluckiest enough to find a path which no one survives in totality. “So it’s true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.”  E.A. Bucchianeri (Brushstrokes of a Gadfly)

It happens by luck that Shaano dives deeply in the love of Akram who by chance belongs to the clan of enemy. Let me pause you here for a while and share with you one of my most favorite scenes from Sir Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Raam-Leela, which to me suits here the most.

Tu mujh se pyar mat ker lena... Rajjari hoon main... Dusman...

Dusman... Tabhi to ankhen lar rahi thi baar baar

Coming back towards Surkh Aandhi, as the story progresses, you will observe that you are not at all reading a Desi version of Romeo & Juliet. In fact, there is so much more in the heart of the plot to explore. Courtesy, the ever-occurring phenomenon of greed & selfishness, Shaano's brothers were bothered more for her very existence rather than to look upon the act she has committed (i.e. felling in love). The relationship that sprang between Shaano & Akram paved a way for them to make the penultimate decision. After all, it is the Zarr, Zann & Zameen that becomes the seed of the war globally. How karma plays its part and what happens next must be read in this 10 odd page fiction.

I feel Surkh Aandhi is a strong comeback of Aymal Raza. It shows the real power that the writer posses when it comes to producing gem of a product. See how beautifully, she has shown the actual face of our ruler life where people are still living a stone-age life. They still fight ruthless wars over non-issues and women creed for them is just another entity that can be used wherever the utilization is demanded.

It is true that they don't bury the daughters now, but they wait for them to grow up and then kills them even more brutally, as the fate of the female fraternity has not changed after achieving this much so called civilization. Pakkey phal ki rakhwali is ke aghaz se bhi zeyada kerni parti hai... It tells us what the mothers have to go in these ruthless circumstances. Bayahi maa ko phir se kanwari honey jaisi fikrey hi to laga deti hain yeh betiyan....

Apart from the strong subject matter handling, Surkh Aandhi is a treat for those who love to collect quotes from the reads. Aymal surprised after every two or three lines with a spectacular heavy punch line. A couple of my picks are mentioned here:

So jangey haar jaaney jitna matam us ki ankhoin se ayan hota tha...

Kaashi koi qismat ko jaan sakta... Phir na doodh se jalta, na chaj ko phoon marta...

One particular thing that makes the story stand out from the cluster was the symbolical portrayal of subject, that is managed so well by the author. See how smoothly she depicted all the grief & sorrow of the plot symbolically with the condition of the pomegranate tree. Throughout the story, the tree remained a firm source of symbolism. No, its not another The Last Leaf. It is a well orchestrated thought that has a solid reasoning & heavy brainstorming involved in it.

My verdict, Surkh Aandhi is Aymal's genuine take on classics like The Last Leaf and Romeo & Juliet, with a much needed twist in the epicenter of the story. You may argue that there was nothing much new in the proceedings as far as the subject is concerned, however as far as the narrative & storytelling is concerned, to me, Surkh Aandhi emerges as a clear winner.

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