‘The Price of Dignity’

Watch on Netflix

Unlike the earlier times when Bollywood films had meaningful themes & sensitive directors of eminence, today cinema buffs  are often turning to the socio-political oriented South Indian films which are not only crisp & hard-hitting but impress with their depth, sincerity of purpose & authenticity.

Without any previous reviews to go on, I decided to go with this engrossing Tamil film (dubbed in Hindi and with English sub-titles), a socio-political legal drama directed by Sajeev Pazhoor and found the plot so interesting that I binge-watched it in one sitting for over two hours.

The story starts with Thavasi, a humble Rameswaram fisherman who earns a living diving for coins, discovers a valuable gold pendant or medallion underwater. He is cheated by the local cops and wrongfully accused of theft by these corrupt police officers. Instead of being rewarded, he is forced into a legal battle against the state over ownership of the artifact he had found.

But the world is not all dark & grey & there are saviours – enters the young and determined lawyer Kanchana who takes up his case as it escalates into a larger fight for human dignity and justice against a powerful system. It’s a fascinating legal drama that has many human, social, moral and ethical dimensions and raises the question ‘What is the price of a Man’s Dignity’ ?

The brilliant, sincere & realistic portrayals come from Karunas (as Thavasi Muthu) & Nimisha Sajayan (as lawyer Kanchana). The other protagonists are fine actors Vijayalakshmi, Veeramani, Shashaa Shivakumar, Kamalesh Jagan, Heesha, all giving credible supporting performances !

The film is topical and forces us to ponder on the quest for justice & the prevailing legal system where the human aspects often lose their identity !

Transition from the idealism of impetuous youth, To repetitive mundaneness & humdrum of here,

Like passing of lively spring into the forlorn winter, Time moves on, all seasons lie between somewhere,

Her voice often sought serenity in all the madness, To slowly turn to that could make her life sublime,

Capture the oft disappearing nature in her canvas, Notice the fine details & stay present in that time,

Why not do things that bring emotional expression, Ease the nervous system and offer a sense of peace,

Find beauty in solitude and learn to indulge oneself, Mindful & yet slowing down on what’s blank space, 

Long, long before her, great artists mastered this art, Painting in truth can be a meditative creative niche,

Flowing movement of paint and soft organic shapes, Channels feelings to focus on creating a masterpiece,

If big monuments abound, what beauty can one paint, But if the myriad colors and fine shapes are captured,

It deepens our love for the natural world & its cycles, Flowers offer rich, saturated colors and diverse forms

That to her – make each brushstroke feel rewarded !

Somnath (For Tandra Sinha)

Being a ‘Provasi’ UP-Bengali with an all-rounder’s eating predilections, I confess that unlike the pure-bred Kolkata ones, the adjectives like ‘Khaddo-roshik’ (food and surely fish lovers !) mayn’t apply to me. I’ve neither the refined aesthetic taste for the delicacies nor in-depth knowledge of Bengali culinary fine arts that a ’Bhadralok’ grows up with. I am just a ‘normal’ foodie with a special liking for certain dishes that grace our kitchens.

Having said that, I recall during our 2016 US trip, my younger sister, Kay Bose, was all excited to host us at her home in Indiana following our US tour. She had been stocking her huge fridge with goodies, enough to feed a hungry army ! It came as rude shock to her when I called ‘Please only keep lots of ‘bhaat, daal & aloo-posto’ for us. As expected she said ‘You kidding, no way ?’ little realizing we were craving for home-made food !     

So what’s it about this ‘combo’ that keeps the Bong palate so satiated. There’s nothing about the ‘Ashol’ (real) Bangali that doesn’t have history. So they eat posto (white poppy seeds) because it originated as a survival food from the colonial opium trade and evolved into a beloved cultural staple. It is said that after the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the East India Company forced Bengali farmers to grow poppies for the illegal opium trade. Local families and lower-caste women gathered leftover, non-narcotic poppy seeds discarded from factories. Grinding them into a paste (posto bata) turned a cheap waste product into a rich culinary staple.

Most old-world Bengali women excel in making dishes like Aloo Posto or Jhinge Posto which combined with hot dal and steaming white rice, provides a comforting balance of textures. Traditional belief holds that poppy seeds help cool the body down during the hot and humid summers. Posto is culturally tied to the lazy afternoon siesta, thanks to the soothing, relaxing quality of the meal after a heavy afternoon feast. Now you know !

But even the traditional dish ‘Posto’ is now being subjected to innovation as we read in today’s fascinating article in ‘Indian Express’ by ‘Kaushik Dasgupta’. It’s a must read for foodies and culinary experts, even if you’re not the conventional ‘posto’ lover like me !  

The announcement that our Society would be ‘power-less’ for the whole day due to repairs, prompted our escape to the cooler confines of a PVR theatre, hoping that the film would be watchable. Thanks to positive media reviews preceding it, we opted for much-hyped ‘Drishyam 3’- (having seen the Parts 1 & 2 & enjoyed it) to revel in our rare afternoon date with a juicy thriller ! The film was ‘paisa vasool’, edge-of-the-seat stuff. Proviso is you should’ve at least seen Part 1 where the plot thickens & spills over to Parts 2 & 3. No more spoilers here !

What’s it about the ‘thriller’ genre that has engaged the mind so completely that it never ceased to attract readers and audiences across all ages. Over the years, script writers and story-tellers have created fictional themes variously known as ‘whodunits’, ‘murder mysteries’ and ‘detective stories’ churning out classic novels and films. Is it because generally our lives lack excitement, there’s no cat-and-mouse game being played (except bills chasing us), our jobs lack ‘heroism’ and no nice ‘surprise endings’ end of the day !

Most of us recall the classic ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne Du Maurier and being hooked till the end as the enigmatic late mistress of ‘Manderly’ mansion, ‘Rebecca’ & the spooky housekeeper casts eerie shadows over the protagonists. However, our early years were consumed by marveling at incredible workings of Conan Doyle’s ace sleuth Sherlock Holmes super-mind through ‘observation’ and ‘deduction’ which left us as bewildered as his friend Dr.Watson. Later, me & my teacher wife who taught the iconic ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’ to her young students, often discussed the nuances of a spine-chilling plot- such a classic ‘detective’ fiction that has many film versions.

However, it was the ‘Queen of Crime Novels’ Agatha Christie who converted us as die-hard fans devouring all her stories- from ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ to ‘Ten Little Niggers’ & ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ & many others, each a gem of a crime story spun with the obvious suspects, red herrings & dubious characters. Both her legendary sleuths, Hercule Poirot & Miss Marple had their own methods. Poirot was sure of his ‘grey cells’ and powers to piece together facts to complete the jigsaw puzzle while Miss Marple used her deep knowledge of human nature that never really changes anywhere. The mystery writer also ensures that you look at the picture from the wrong angle and it’s the perceptive brilliance of ace detectives that discovers the truth hidden in the facts.   

Alas, the ‘thriller’ genre of today has undergone a shift from the simple ‘murder mystery’ to violence, gore of slaughter of ‘serial killings’ that in a way reflects the transformed social milieu – the pathological hatred replaces crimes of passion. Give us back the old Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece plot of ‘Dial M for Murder’-wealthy man hires someone to bump off his wife but things go awry and the wrong person gets bumped off. Thrilling ! 

One of my favourite celebrity couples worth emulating, but near impossible to follow,  are Ex-Prez Barack & Michelle Obama for their incredible  chemistry, Over the years the Ex-Prez had shown characteristic candor in describing the various ways he admired his wife, but beneath that sparkling wit was his respect for her as a person which he never hesitated to express despite the intense scrutiny on them, as POTUS & First Lady. Back home, such expressions of affection for the better-half  by those in high places (or in any place for that matter !) would be unthinkable.

In our days of joint families, there was hardly any visible communication between our grandparents except through gestures. It got a slightly better with our parents though nothing akin to mutual admiration was exhibited in public. In our ‘samaaj’, it’s still not kosher or cool to show pride in your spouse’s talents as it could reflect lack of a macho persona (the effects of patriarchal upbringing ?). There is also fear of being considered a “joroo ka gulam”, never mind what the real status is !  The English are very different. An old lady well in her 80s jokingly said of her sporting husband of 55 years ‘We’ve never thought of divorce anytime. But ‘Murder’ came to my mind everyday !’

There are notable exceptions of course. Soft-spoken PM, late Dr. Manmohan Singhji was famous for sharing Urdu couplets but when it came to singing he publicly acknowledged his Missus as the “real singer in the family” ! However, Bollywood can boast of some real he-men – evergreen actor Anil Kapoor once declared that he was so zapped by his lady-love’s fluency in Queen’s English, that he ended up marrying her !  For all his bravado, Shotgun Sinha has turned into a mild-mannered lamb in company of his admirable wife, Poonam, and feisty daughter, Sonakshi !

In the sports arena, legendary master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, looking dearly at wife Anjali, said in his famous farewell speech “Ours has been the best partnership “ against huge applause from the crowds. Another iconic cricketer, Virat Kohli, has attributed to the calming influence of his loving wife, Anushka, his transformation from the earlier firebrand superstar batter to his present sublimely tranquil persona on/off the field.

Enlightened men of today know better than not to accord due credit to the better half, who’s the backbone of  betterment in the family. Silent gestures no good, ‘taarif’ should not only be done, it must appear to be done ! Meta & Instagram are available for artistic expressions of such worthy accolades ! But not all men are equipped for the fine art of  showing appreciation. One gent was invited to a function as Chief Guest with his lovely wife & was asked to say a few words post dinner. He simply said ‘I enjoyed the dinner and my wife too !’ While his better half, didn’t enjoy his gaffe, others were in splits !

It is customary in our society for the elderly folks to recede into the background from worldly affairs after retirement and spend most of  the time reading holy scriptures and religious texts books. It’s quite understandable since old age shares a deep, supportive connection with spiritual practices that often intensify and help older adults find peace, purpose and resilience in later life.

Yet, at the age of 71, I don’t feel that ‘old’ and try to remain fully engaged in pursuits like music, films, sports and writing & haven’t yet turned to reading books on spirituality. So when I came across this fascinating book entitled ‘Inspired Daily Wisdom for Holistic Living’ by ‘Gnanvatsaldas Swami’, I was bowled over by the sheer beauty & simplicity of stories & anecdotes we can relate to as life lessons sans the feeling of being preached !

Taking from its wonderful ‘Foreword’ : ‘The four pillars to the book – Personal Growth, Family Values, Work Ethics & Human Relations and Spirituality  – are the essential components of a well-rounded and fulfilling life. In today’s world, with the rapid rise of technology and the fast paced work and personal environments, there is even greater need for individuals to take time for personal reflection and strive for balance in life.’

The author himself writes ‘ It’s the battles we face within ourselves, the quest for peace within our own homes, the loss of purpose and identity amidst life’s chaos, and the way our priorities and peace are lost in the shuffle of daily challenges. These are the burdens that weigh heavily on our existence. To improve the world, we must start by shaping our inner worlds. We must explore practical ways to embrace daily challenges, rise above them and find stability within..’

Indeed, what better way than suggested above to organize our perspectives & reflections which are a maze of the past events overlapping into the theatre of the present and how we envisage the future for ourselves and for our family & society and the legacy we wish to leave. With our years of experience we’re so proud of the wisdom we’ve acquired till we realize some of the monumental inadequacies that have remained.

I have a truly heartwarming story of how I came to possess the book. Some months ago, I was fortunate enough to reconnect with one of my favorite seniors in the Bank, Mr.JD Parmar, Retd Chief Gen.Manager, BOB who is settled in Baroda. Not only did Parmar Sir host us to a splendid Gujarati Thali, he also presented me two great books including this one. This was not only affection but his appreciation of my taste for good reading !

One feels an ubiquitous ‘reminder’ syndrome perpetually surrounds us today ! Someone magically reminds us on-line to pay/send/renew/contract or buy something you don’t exactly need ! Yet, such is our dependence on ‘reminders’ that the entire humankind, from corporate bosses to busy professionals, school teachers to young students, forgetful husbands to overburdened maids, bank customers to dating couples, need nudging to pay the dues on time, make promised calls, keep that ‘agreed’ appointment. 

Out of necessity, small ‘reminder’ chits in the tiffin boxes/ coat pockets by housewives, alarm clocks for rising early & cooker whistles in the kitchen had been invented long back. With digital revolution the ‘reminder’ process became in the face & ‘unmissable’ ! Every morning one is inundated by messages on the mobile & mail that tell us to attend some issue urgently ! There are options now available to ‘block’ the unwanted ones but that needs right selection. Since they may differ in scale of priority for us, it’s useful to classy them in three grades !

‘Happy’ reminders make you excited or nostalgic. Like the birthdays, anniversaries & milestones of friends that you’d have missed, faded pictures discovered from family archives or old mark-sheets with Principal’s remarks or memories of a great trip, posted by loved ones. There can be the unexpected ‘windfalls’ like a call from the bank about an account with a huge balance that you’ve forgotten or a family lawyer informing you’ve inherited a big fortune from an unknown benefactor. This rarely happens, except in movies, but such a happy thought ! Reminders in a way take us into the past & people, some we wish to revisit, once in a while …

‘Important’ reminders play an important role for an organized way of life – we have apps that not only tell us about the payments that are due but will also fall due in near future, helping us plan our household finances and prevent the various utility bills from getting overdue & attracting penalties. Banks send us reminders for deposits that are maturing, for your KYC & for timely repayment of loan EMIs while insurers refresh your memory on policy renewals to continue protecting your family.

‘Relentless’ are the calls & messages that have studied your profile and think you can buy property big-time or invest in gold. Some even announce that you’ve won a huge reward that you never earned. Marketers & tele-callers are professionals who strike up a conversation & build on it to sell their schemes & homemakers are their ‘afternoon’ targets. The ‘True-caller’ warns us against ‘crank & spam calls’ that are on the rise.

Finally ones the most reminded men are ‘husbands’ who tend to forget the lunchbox, umbrella, papers & shopping lists but not their meets & match fixtures. Their memory is said to be selective ! Things change with retired folks though – the old man follows the lady of the house with her medicines, mobile, glasses, keys left behind at various places !    

Suddenly laughter (yes, LOL) can’t be taken lightly but with circumspection when it has certain important people only in mind. It’s a universal fact that one of the first things we learnt growing up was to ‘copy’ and so we all instinctively imitated others we first saw – Grandpa-ma, parents, siblings, pet animals… It all came back when my three year old granddaughter started repeating my nonsensical expressions of affection (kuchu-puchu, gulu-pulu..) because they came naturally to her !

It won’t now offend to reveal that some of the most popular classmates were the ones who could imitate our teachers the best, replete with mannerisms but in the school days of 60-70s, wasn’t taken kindly & one was punished if caught in the act ! One of my best recollections from work-life were the various impressions done of one of our loved GMs, Mr.MK Bose in BOB of the 70s with a quaint speaking style that many Bengali’s possess. His imitations became a cult & were even done in functions where he joined in the merriment. It was our love in ‘imitation in its sincerest form of flattery’ for Dada !

One knows that the legendary ‘Charlie Chaplain’ had perfected the ‘Mime’ : which is a theatrical performance art where a person tells a story or expresses emotions using silent body movements, gestures, facial expressions without speech. But in ‘Mimicry’ that has become more prevalent, there’s the process of copying or imitating someone or something else’s appearance, sounds or behaviors. Here a performer such as a comedian impersonates a celebrity’s voice & gestures or even in acts much like a bird repeating words or an animal making warning noises.

Today ‘Stand-up Comedians’ seem to have hit big-time with the Gen Zee & younger set of audience who love to hear irreverent and satirical anecdotes, real & contrived, mostly about our celebrities, film stars and politicians. Their acts are generally built from one-liners, personal anecdotes, and satirical views on everyday life. Many comics engage in live audience banter, known as crowd-work. Their shows are expensive and a sell-out ! However, comics have also been hauled up for controversial (political) jibes & jokes !

What’s it with copying other people that is treated by some as playful, harmless humour and by many others as attempts to humiliate or ridicule. In USA, POTUS downwards all are required to be sporting about the ‘roast’ that happens on certain formal occasions aimed at people in powerful positions. Legendary stars when speaking in the ‘Oscars’ Ceremony literally ‘roast’ their fraternity & co-stars and everyone in the audience joins in the bon-homie and banter.

Closer home while mega stars like Big B & SRK take jokes on them in their stride, there’s a growing insensitivity based on lines drawn by social groups & activists on both sides. So it then depends on balancing the act and its intent that can be done with some skill. As the incomparable wit, Oscar Wilde had said “Art only begins where Imitation ends.” !  

Looking anxiously at the state of the confused, vulnerable, misguided youth of today, we seniors tend to draw parallels from our past – simple needs, modest facilities available, humble upbringing, value-based education imparted with simplest tools by dedicated teachers and the habits that got inculcated early on in life because we had examples to emulate in the form of selfless parents, mentors, leaders and the society at large.

The education system seems to be facing manifold challenges as technology and AI plays an overarching role in moulding young minds and preparing them to face the world. So with all the inputs that come in the form of study materials in apps for various subjects and tuitions and separate counseling facilities, why are standards found to be wanting ? Importantly, developing good habits, strong values and vital life skills find less space.   

It dawns on us that, some of the best moral lessons we learnt in school came from the simplest one line ‘Proverbs’ that shaped our everyday lives by offering short & practical rules guiding our choices, communication and work habits. Each one was a small gem of wisdom : ‘Practice makes perfect’, ‘Better late than never’ and ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ are examples of small sayings that form the foundations of character building. There are very many but let’s dwell below on three proverbs that can prove most useful :  

“A stitch in time saves nine”: This reminds us to fix small problems right away before they grow into large, expensive disasters. Sounds simple enough to understand but not easily followed. So there’s one that complements it ‘Don’t keep for tomorrow what you can do today’ because the human tendency is to procrastinate and postpone not knowing that opportunity may  get lost. The phrase ‘Early Bird Incentive’ was taken from another proverb that if you’re quick and alert to act fast you might be rewarded !

“Actions speak louder than words”: This keeps you focused on doing what you promised rather than just making empty claims. Sunnyji, Cricket’s Little Master says of the starry  players ‘Let the bat do the talking’ rather than flashy media bytes. Our leaders lead in making grand announcements & promises during their campaigns but forget the same, post their poll victory. Nearer home it always that ‘Proof of the pudding is in the eating’. ‘Honesty is the best policy’ but today cynically, most people don’t think so.

“You reap what you sow”: A person who does bad deeds like cheat and steal, spreads disharmony and ill-will can expect due consequences for his actions. And this is also true with good deeds and actions. Of course, just because you are a nice guy doesn’t mean that you automatically will have good things happen to you. Goodness, charity, generosity and compassion are higher virtues that are non-transactional & unconditional in dealings. Yet, ‘What goes around comes around’ & good things do happen to good folks !  

Film on Netflix 

After watching this hard hitting film in the crime-thriller genre, I was surprised by the lack of promotional efforts and even ‘word of mouth’  praise while several of the same genre that have flooded OTT platforms, get more than the deserved appreciation. Why is there a coldish response to this gripping cop film starring ‘Saif Ali Khan’ that has a taut storyline and quite a few talented actors like Rasika Duggal and Sanjay Mishra and more importantly produced by the ‘Gauri Khan’ of ‘Red Chillies Entertainment’ and directed by Pulkit ! The film’s credits give a big ‘Thank You’ to yes, Sharukh Khan !

Hard to fathom the film industry shenanigans  but could it be that Saif Ali Khan is no longer such a big draw, yet when I finally latched on to the movie as an afterthought, I couldn’t leave it till the end ! Without giving away too much and become a spoiler, it important to mention that the film’s setting is the fictional rural town of Jhamli located in Haryana, within the Indian heartland and the characters are semi-rustic and speak in the local dialect quite convincingly ! The milieu from Haryana, reflects rural northern India and the traditional social constraints of the region. While basically a political crime thriller, the film’s backdrop highlights a volatile local community dealing with caste discrimination, an ashram/religious cult and local khap-driven social pressures.

And boy, what a power house performance by ‘Saif’ which grows on you as the film picks up and the ‘plot thickens’ like a whodunit which has many flavours ! Inspite of a kind of long hiatus, movie buffs will recall Saif’s brilliant portrayal as the evil ‘langda’ Tyagi in Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Omkara’ and his suaveness in the classic ‘Parineeta’ as also his many breezy performances in hit movies as ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’, ‘Hum Tum’ and ‘Dil Chahta Hai’. Thankfully in this film, he’s no longer a exuberant youth but a hardened mid-age cop !  There’s also an array of impressive supporting characters played by the veterans Sanjay Mishra, Manish Chaudhari & Zakir Husain. TV Anchor Saurabh Dwivedi has a cameo.   

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