Obsessed with words

You are obsessed with words,

More than enabling, they set limits,

You ask us to write a frame,

As if it’s a story.

Off course every photo has a tale,

But when we have ink, pen and our hands,

Why can’t we just draw it out?

Easier for us to get the message across,

Easier for you to understand,

More close to reality.

Why are you then so obsessed with word?

Words that set limits,

Words that are ultimately just words,

Not visuals to please the eyes.

Sir, in the end I have just one thing to say

Why stress the brain,

When you can soothe the eyes!

< I had written this for a professor who i find cute as a teddy, but didn't like him at all when he spoke about writing out "photographic' frames and explaining them :( when one could just draw them >

Written on 23^rd January 2013 at 12:13 pm 

The curious case of the girl with a 'Pink' backpack

When I had read Virginia Woolf’s essay ‘A Room of One's Own’ I had not really understood what the hue and cry was all about… after all what difference could one room really make! I didn’t like the essay and quickly forgot about it…only to be reminded of it years later. I didn’t really want to attend my mama’s wedding, had my parents not forced I wouldn’t have gone. I like my mama a lot but Ii feel that shaadi as a function is not so much about emotions as it is about show-shaw! So grudgingly when I packed my blue and orange traveling bag, I thought if I should carry a backpack along. As I would obviously go with the baraat and would not be carrying my traveling bag with me then, I decided I should carry my cute pink backpack.

So after reaching Kanpur (the venue for shaadi), I realised that we were the second family from our long list of relatives to arrive at the place where all the guests were supposed to stay. For the next three days and even later guests kept trickling in, people hugged each other like long lost brothers and why wouldn’t they? I had seen so many people again after years, some had changed so much I couldn’t recognize them, some I couldn’t remember, and those who I had expected to change still were the same. And with the growing number of people, increased the amount of chatter and along with that came petty fights, bruised egos, and random gossip which sooner or later lead to the formation of small groups, this vs. that. These groups could be based on something as frivolous as - the preference of rice over chapatti, or the likeness of one time over the other for breakfast/ lunch/dinner! =I

So in this atmosphere for a person who is very fond of her relatives and is very social at such extended family get together’s (sarcasm intended) ;) I decided if I stayed in that house bustling with people for long I would go mad with the tittle-tattle or get in a fight with someone who is conservative or a misogynist. I have a flair for getting into fights for someone completely uninvolved. I secretly want to be Dabbang or Singham (take your pick) and often end up in a clash of thoughts and ‘words’ with elders trying to protect somebody else’s idea who at times is not even present during the conversation. :P

So with my bright pink backpack which screams ‘I am a girl’ I would every morning, which would be 11-12 pm, go and walk around the place on foot and discover new things and places. I even got some really nice clicks. :D I hate wasting time and I utilized that time fruitfully thanks to my pink backpack. But for some people that bag become an irritant, why would that bag be constantly strapped on me? For some it was amusing, and for some it was just a part of funny banters and jokes. Some people in fact opened it and ransacked through it to see what was that ‘secret’ something that I couldn’t live without and carried everywhere with me. But being the cool girl I am, I happily showed it to them. Yet there were people, who didn’t even take permission and went through the contents, forgetting in the hurry to keep things back in the right order.

After the shaadi got over, and we got back from Kanpur, the memories which stuck to my head for the longest time were the one’s surrounding my pink backpack. It opened my eyes and gave me a whole new perspective on the essay by Virginia Woolf – it didn’t seem as outdated now, people in general seem to have a problem with anything that a girl owns privately, the society at large has a difficulty accepting a girl who can be on her own, and in fact likes to be alone. ‘A Room of One's Own’ wasn’t only about owning a room, it was about any private space, including a bag which a girl, a woman owns and carries with her almost all the time. Those who are intrigued, interested or even intimated by such a woman want a peek inside her bag, to check if she is carrying weapons for destroying patriarchy, which they love so much. In my case my bag only had – a notepad, a pen, a book and a camera.

Sometimes I feel...

Sometimes I feel you mean so little to me,

Do I even love you?

Love you enough as to stay with you for long even if not forever!

Then I go back through all the memories we’ve shared,

Through all the stupid pranks and silly fights,

Our nicknames and code words,

My laughter that echoes through years that have passed,

Between you, me, between both of us.

Would I have it someone?

Would I like to have it with someone else?

I am unsure,

But when I have in you all that I need,

Why should I look for another you?

You mean a lot to me,

Yes I love you,

Love you enough to stay with you for long and maybe even forever!

written on 14 november 2012, 12:34 raat ko 

Magic for a Reason :)

I had interviewed Magician Akash P.R.  for the magazine Megarth - which showcases Social Leaders and Organizations, Individuals and Businesses that create exponential Social Change - here it is:

What is your definition of passion and when did you discover that magic is your passion?

Passion means madness to me, you keep thinking about it all the time, no matter where you are, what you are doing. You are unconsciously always thinking about it and drawing connections from your normal life, daily routine to that one thing that means the most to you – your passion! I discovered my passion or rather say realized my love for magic when I was in 5^th standard (approx). Everybody has witnessed some kind of magic as a kid even if not by a professional magician. Sometimes adults try to fool kids by telling them the reason for something rational that they can understand by telling them that its magic. That was beginning when a child is not taken in by the lies adults and the society around us tries to cook up. When you are not taken in by such lies you develop rationality after knowing how things works , you are ready to use the ability to create myth and illusion on your command and use it to entertain people. That is how I discovered my passion for magic. 

Whenever you go up on stage to perform, what are your thoughts before performing?

I only think about my act, how I am going to do it. I just concentrate on my performance. My mind is clean of any other thoughts except my next act. My support staff takes care of the rest.

Magic is one passion that energizes you, but what are other hobbies or activities you are involved in that keeps you happy?

Sketching is one hobby that has been a constant part of my life along with magic. I also paint and carve, modern art being my area of interest. Humming songs in my free time also keeps me energized and going.

There might be ups and downs in the pursuit of your passion but what keeps you motivated to move forward?

When a rough/low point comes in the pursuit of your passion, you sometimes feel like giving it all up and moving ahead with your life, with a lot less tension. But then because it is your passion, and you cannot stay away from it you come back to it and start working ways out. Sometimes when an act goes wrong due to some problem in stage, props, or human fault, after getting frustrated and saddened by it you come back and try to repair, fix or reduce chances of faults happening. You can never let go off your passion.

What is your source of inspiration for magic?

All creative people who have struggled hard and made a name for themselves be it in – singing, dancing, acting or magic, etc – they all inspire me. I love reading about them and there struggle for surviving against all odds inspires me to keep going.

Magic has an entertainment value but can this be used for any other purpose like spreading a social message?

Yes surely. Magic shows can be customized to suit any social cause and spread a message through such magic shows. We also have an organization MFR – Magic for a Reason which solely works for giving magic a human touch. We wish to impart social messages and uplift the society and remove the taboo associated with magic as black magic and not as a performing art.

Please share your thoughts about the perspective towards this form of art and its future.

Magic is an art form which needs no language to convey an idea to the audience. Magic has a universal language which everybody understands and everyone wants to see. But a lot of people still believe in black magic and don’t consider it an art form. We need to work on eradicating this idea from the masses.

The future looks bright for magic and if in India it gets the much needed government support and government gives it the status of a performing art. Only then it is possible that research and development in the field of magic will happen and it would be able to regain its lost glory in India once again!

Magic for a Reason :)

I had interviewed my dad, Magician Akash P.R.  for the magazine Megarth - which showcases Social leaders and Organisations, Individuals and Businesses that create exponential Social Change -  here it is:

What is your definition of passion and when did you discover that magic is your passion?

Passion means madness to me, you keep thinking about it all the time, no matter where you are, what you are doing. You are unconsciously always thinking about it and drawing connections from your normal life, daily routine to that one thing that means the most to you – your passion! I discovered my passion or rather say realized my love for magic when I was in 5^th standard (approx). Everybody has witnessed some kind of magic as a kid even if not by a professional magician. Sometimes adults try to fool kids by telling them the reason for something rational that they can understand by telling them that its magic. That was beginning when a child is not taken in by the lies adults and the society around us tries to cook up. When you are not taken in by such lies you develop rationality after knowing how things works , you are ready to use the ability to create myth and illusion on your command and use it to entertain people. That is how I discovered my passion for magic. 

Whenever you go up on stage to perform, what are your thoughts before performing?

I only think about my act, how I am going to do it. I just concentrate on my performance. My mind is clean of any other thoughts except my next act. My support staff takes care of the rest.

Magic is one passion that energizes you, but what are other hobbies or activities you are involved in that keeps you happy?

Sketching is one hobby that has been a constant part of my life along with magic. I also paint and carve, modern art being my area of interest. Humming songs in my free time also keeps me energized and going.

There might be ups and downs in the pursuit of your passion but what keeps you motivated to move forward?

When a rough/low point comes in the pursuit of your passion, you sometimes feel like giving it all up and moving ahead with your life, with a lot less tension. But then because it is your passion, and you cannot stay away from it you come back to it and start working ways out. Sometimes when an act goes wrong due to some problem in stage, props, or human fault, after getting frustrated and saddened by it you come back and try to repair, fix or reduce chances of faults happening. You can never let go off your passion.

What is your source of inspiration for magic?

All creative people who have struggled hard and made a name for themselves be it in – singing, dancing, acting or magic, etc – they all inspire me. I love reading about them and there struggle for surviving against all odds inspires me to keep going.

Magic has an entertainment value but can this be used for any other purpose like spreading a social message?

Yes surely. Magic shows can be customized to suit any social cause and spread a message through such magic shows. We also have an organization MFR – Magic for a Reason which solely works for giving magic a human touch. We wish to impart social messages and uplift the society and remove the taboo associated with magic as black magic and not as a performing art.

Please share your thoughts about the perspective towards this form of art and its future.

Magic is an art form which needs no language to convey an idea to the audience. Magic has a universal language which everybody understands and everyone wants to see. But a lot of people still believe in black magic and don’t consider it an art form. We need to work on eradicating this idea from the masses.
The future looks bright for magic and if in India it gets the much needed government support and government gives it the status of a performing art. Only then it is possible that research and development in the field of magic will happen and it would be able to regain its lost glory in India once again!

Use of light in the film ‘Brief Encounter’

The black and white film that I saw recently saw used a lot of light and shadows. Lighting was used to create bright and dark patches, which add meaning to the scene and also create the right kind of ambience to suit the mood of the scene. In a black and white film, light is used to make objects brighter or darker and thus becomes a very important agent in conveying messages and creating effects visually for the audience.

The first thing I noticed in the film was that the faces of all the main protagonists were lit, so as to draw our attention and show their expressions clearly to the viewer. This was evident from the first scene itself, where Mrs. Dolly, the Doctor, and Laura are sitting in the café at Milford station. There is bright light on all the characters faces.

There’s also use of the backlight in scenes, so as to make the characters stand out from the background, and not merge with the background especially in scenes where the clothes of the characters match the backdrop. One very good scene is when the Doctor and Laura walk down the subway, its dark and yet lit up perfectly enough to show them pass through it. Clever use of backlight and light coming through both the ends of the subway helps the scene immensely.

Also, in a lot of scenes when Laura is sitting in the train, we are shown the movement of the train not by things moving back outside her window; but by showing shadows move across the protagonists face as she sits and thinks and thoughts cross her mind. Shadows have also been used to depict moods in the film – long, dark shadows to depict broody, sad, melancholic state of mind, for e.g. in the scene where Laura is sitting in her house and thinking about her brief affair with the doctor – the mood is very gloomy and brooding. Similarly, in scenes of happiness the light is bright and without much shadows, making it bright and ‘clear’!

Why you so scared?

Why are you so scared?

So shit scared of all?

I know you are new,

But give it some time,

A lot of times happiness grew,

Out of sadness my friend!

Accepting that you are afraid,

Afraid of the dark, strange faces and all.

Acceptance, will lead you to overcoming that fear,

Help you stand tall and never make you fall.

I will still be there always to catch you in my arms,

Would always love you for who you are.

Don’t be so scared,

So shit scared of all,

I know you are new,

But give it some time,

A lot of times happiness grew,

Out of sadness my friend!

I know you so well,

I know you inside out,

I know you my friend,

You pour your heart out.

I don’t want to shout,

I don’t want to scold,

I want you to learn,

Just help you break out!

Don’t be so scared,

So shit scared of all,

Just give it a chance,

Just give it a try.

[this poem is dedicated to a friend of mine... :) ]