The Best Compliment Ever!

"You make me want to be a better man.” 

 - One of the most iconic lines delivered with unforgettable depth by Jack Nicholson

Theaters

 Netflix didn't kill movie theaters. $25 popcorn did, and $12 soda did. (Read on Facebook)

I used to be a movie junkie. Get tired of their manipulations..

Classic Godfather

This one quote tells you why The Godfather was considered a classic on friendship and the brutal lessons of life.

 

 

Puzzle of Life

Classic of Irrfan Khan

 

 

Maula Jatt - 2

An Interesting comment was made on my previous post. Maula Jatt has always stayed close to my heart. In my medical school days, to take refuge from hot summer days in Karachi, my cousin and I frequently went to cinemas. We laughed at dialogues, camera stunts, love scenes, and other nonsense in movies. We also contemplated ordinary men's love for Maula Jatt in the background of Zia's Martial Law and typical rural aristocratic agricultural society, particularly in southern Panjab. We talked about people's inner psychologies, fantasies, and wishes to overcome the system's unfairness. I was so intrigued with this Robinhood-type saga that a couple of years ago, while in inner Lahore, I went to see the original den where the man who inspired the character of Noori Nath lived (reportedly killed in a police encounter with his son Zafri in 2014).

The comment and my response below on the previous post:

"The original statement you mentioned definitely has some depth, but your English translation left some confusion, so I think it’s more like Maula (the guy Maula Jatt) will only die if Maula (Allah) kills him … like Allah allows him to live or die kinda way :) However, it reflects a layered interpretation:

1. **Divine Will Interpretation**:
- In this view, **Maula Jatt** (the character) will only meet his end if **Maula** (Allah) decrees it. It implies that the ultimate authority lies with Allah, and Maula Jatt's fate is entirely in His hands.
- It's akin to saying that Allah has the power to allow or disallow Maula Jatt's death. The character's life and death are subject to divine intervention.

2. **Self-Inflicted Interpretation**:
- Alternatively, the statement could be understood as Maula Jatt taking matters into his own hands. He might intentionally cause his own demise (suicide).
- This interpretation emphasizes human agency and personal choice. It suggests that Maula Jatt's actions directly lead to his death.

The depth lies in the tension between these two perspectives. Is it a matter of divine will or individual agency? The statement leaves room for ambiguity, allowing us to contemplate the interplay between fate, free will, and the human condition. What’s your take on it?

My response:

"wow... you put a lot of thought into it. I am pleasantly surprised, intrigued, and amused! And I need to agree with you. My take on your question is: "I don't know. I am in quest and alive in search of the same question."

Maula Jatt

One dialogue of Maula Jat is bigger than his own whole saga. Too deep!

“Maulay nu Maula na maray, tay Maula naee marda,” 

~Maula won't die unless Maula himself kills Maula

Seven stages of love

I didn't find it very literary but still, its worth watching.

 

One of the finest scene from classic Indian cinema

 

Dilip Sahab Says..

 

A man called Otto

President Clinton once said: Only one actor can play my character as he has the emotional depth to play any biography, and it's Tom Hanks. Over the years, it also never changed for me since I watched Forrest Gump. If you ask me one actor, I will put him on top of all the actors in Hollywood. One and only Tom Hanks.

Last year was darn busy at work. It kept me away from reading books, watching movies, and traveling. Life was too tasteless. While on my way back from Montreal, Air Canada was kind enough to give me an upgrade, and I watched his last year release "A Man Called Otto."

What a beautiful love story and a story of human bonding. Clint Eastwood is the only person who could have played such a complicated role besides Tom Hanks.

It is a story that tells us why good people go on a path to suicide and how they return, as they don't want other humans to suffer pain. If they can pull their weight to make a difference in their life, they will go out of their way to do it. This story tells us how a man and a woman stick together despite one partner getting disabled and or can't have children all their life. How two fighting neighbors are the best friend. The movie also touched on the power of rising social media. How old actual intended America is dying (Manual vs. automatic cars' symbol), and how greedy real estate mafia is destroying societies and neighborhoods. All these and other complicated issues are tackled in a simple-looking storyline.

The movie starts with Ottto as an irritated suit-tie-styled man who is hard to approach and how a Mexican immigrant woman thaws that ice, and the beautiful stories start flowing to us. It tells us how an innocent young man turns into a grumpy old man.

It is an interesting storyline, where Otto's wife dies, and he losses his job – and so he decides to commit suicide but keeps postponing his suicide as he feels someone needs his help, or he can make a difference. 

*

Reputation

 After the pandemic, I think this was the first time I walked into the theater to watch the movie 'Top Gun.' At least say, I thoroughly enjoyed the film because of Tom Cruise, effects, dialogue, and focused storyline (though there was a little Bollywood touch in the storyline). My favorite was the following dialogue.

"Reputation precedes arrival."

"Thank you, Sir."

"It was not meant to be a compliment."

*

Dilip Sahab

 It's not only Dilip Kumar who died. I think Bollywood died.

If you ever get the chance, watch his dialogue in the movie Devdas: "Kaun Kambakht hai jo bardasht krne ke liye peeta hai" - and right after watch SRK or any other actor delivering that dialogue - you will know the whole difference.

What a unique man he was - one of the finest human beings sub-continent produced. He aligned literature, human emotions, and expressions so effortlessly.

RIP

Irrfan died

What a deep soul he was!!!! - no words!!! - RIP my friend....You will always live in our hearts...You did your part way par excellence than all of us.

Note: Irrfan never liked Khan to be added to his name. I took Khan from his name. Also, I am not sure why he always insisted to use 2 r in his name.

Article 15

I was very impressed by how this movie was made!

From the title song (first scene) to end of the movie, the director kept the grip on the movie and never let it fall or stray away. This movie was a classic example of how people in rural areas of any third world country are at the mercy of the police,  politician and religious leaders mafia.

Kiya India, kiya Pakistan, Kiya Africa aur kiya shumali amrika

Poor men suffer at the hand of the class system - religious, cultural, social or economical

How courageously director addresses the religious class system in today's nationalist and unfortunately Hindutva India - made me actually surprised! It gives me hope for India. She is such a great country but unfortunately, it's fast turning into a fascist and a nonsecular democracy. Sometimes it makes me sad. I have witnessed religious extremism destroying the whole fabric of Pakistani society and mindset. I say in my heart - not again!

MulkoN ke batware hote rehte hain 
sarkarain badlti rehti hain 
samaj ke rang badalte rehte hain 
chehre badlte rehte hain 

bus nahi badalti to - gareeb ki qismat! 

Trailer with closed captions

7 Orson Welles Quotes

I get introduced to Orson Welles after watching Farhan Akhtar's movie Lucknow Central (trailer here). It is one finest work of Farhan. I hope he does more movies. What a remarkable actor with a remarkable husky voice. In any case, there was a quote of Orson Welles in the movie which intrigued me so much that I start reading about his life and thoughts on the internet. Just posting his few quotes. First one is from the movie.

Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad luck.

If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story. 

If there hadn't been women we'd still be squatting in a cave eating raw meat, because we made civilization in order to impress our girlfriends. 

I've spent most of my mature life trying to prove that I'm not irresponsible. 

I don't want to forgive myself. That's why I hate psychoanalysis I think if you're guilty of something you should live with it. Get rid of it - how can you get rid of a real guilt? I think people should live with it, face up to it. 

I have a great love and respect for religion, great love and respect for atheism. What I hate is agnosticism, people who do not choose. 

Personally, I don't like a girlfriend to have a husband. If she'll fool her husband, I figure she'll fool me.

On 'Jurassic Park'

Though I wanted to watch Sanju but my daughter took me to watch 'Jurassic Park'.

Main ne jab bhi 'Jurassic Park' ka koi naya sequel dekha, aik sabaq hamesah tazah huwa ke :: "Zindagi apna raasta khud dhundh leti hai"

'Jurassic Park' ka naya sequel 'Fallen Kingdom' - woh baat to na thi jo har 'Jurassic Park' main hoti hai  (fell short of expectations),  - but the punch line was extremely interesting.

"Animals of natural habitat do not need need us. Actually, what they need is our absence!"

Trailer here: https://youtu.be/vn9mMeWcgoM

Masculine side?

"It happens to women who have an intense sex life. They develop their masculine side."

(Madame Collette to Paprika in Italian classic 'Paprika')

Paprika is considered a classic of renowned director Tinto Brass. It is a movie of a countryside girl who comes to live in a brothel. It is considered a mainstream art movie despite its massive R rated content as it depicted the confusion of society towards brothels and showed mindsets, issues, and culture at such places in any given society.

Dunkirk

I watched this second world war movie Dunkirk. In childhood, I was a huge fan of second world war movies (naturally the favorite is 'Where Eagles Dare'). After long time I watched a 2nd WW flick, and it led me to think that, how a war changes a human at personal level. As at one point in the movie, a rescuer said to his son about a survivor: "He is not himself,  and will never be the same". While working in USA, I have met many war veterans, and trust me, many though came back alive but their souls were lost.

This movie is unique in the sense that instead of glorifying win on forefronts, it portrays the agony and pain of a struggling force. I doubt, war ever brings prosperity to either side.

Sahir Ludhianvi famously said in his poem (full poem in Roman and Nastaliq here)

جنگ تو خود ہی ايک مسئلہ ہے
جنگ کيا مسئلوں کا حل دے گی

Good night!

Trailer  https://youtu.be/F-eMt3SrfFU

45 Years - 2

"EyeAre" has the privilege to read my first blog post more than twelve years ago - he vanishes for months rather years and suddenly pop up from nowhere. We never met, never talked, never communicated - but I am always thankful to him.

My first blog post (february 2005) was a single question: "To blog or not to blog?" - and after few hours I saw an answer: "Blog" -~ And I start blogging!

He left message on my previous post - 45 years

First of all, I don't agree that this movie has no climax. Actually, to understand real flavor of this movie, last scene is the most important, where kate's hands go down in last dance with dismal expressions on her face.

Second, this movie also tell us that despite living with a person for 45 years, you may not know the person fully. Beauty of the movie is that throughout the movie, a viewer think Geoff is a sad victim but actually, it is Kate who suffered the real trauma.

To understand, more on this movie, see the following link.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/11832861/The-true-story-behind-the-story-that-inspired-45-Years.html

45 Years

'45 years' is an interesting movie. I went to watch this movie two years ago but need to get out of theater due to an emergent text. Finally, I watched the movie this weekend.

It is a slow movie but with a little different message on spousal relationship. We all think that issues happen in marriage while husband/wife are young but once kids are grown, marriage becomes a norm. NOT TRUE. Trials and tribulations continue  and may erupt with a new face in marriage even if you are old (movie revolves around a couple in their 70s with 45 years of marriage). As they say in urdu:

"Qabar ka haal to murda hi jaanta hai" (only the dead knows the grave)

Only a man and a woman in given relationship understands the dynamic. Even very close and best friends don't understand relationship between spouses. You live with a happy face to show to the world but hidden feelings to just cruise on it.

Caution:: This movie has no real climax - rather it is a tale. It is based on a short story "In Another Country" written by David Constantine.

Trailer here 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg5cpiX18TA