Ma kasam, filmy hoon

For Malayalis all over the world, the 1989 movie Kireedam is an iconic one and for me especially, it holds a special place because of the kind of relationship I have always had with my father and also because the father's face-cut, looks, pose and mannerisms in the film are exactly like my father's. It's a complete film from every angle with nothing more to be added or redone even after 35 years of the movie's release. Each time I watch the climax, I have choked in my throat and had wet eyes and today I have a better understanding of it thanks to the YouTube short video I watched in the morning - https://youtube.com/shorts/F7mrSpIGDy4?si=Ug_ubPLPgS148fY3 In this interaction with another well known Malayalam director Kamal, watch the genius of an explanation of the iconic climax scene explained by no less than the very actor who enacted it - the legendary late Shri Thilak Raj, famously known as Thilakan. The rationale behind what seems to be a simple repetition of the sa...

Originally written on  October 01, 2021 I have had many enduring love affairs in my life. They are of nature, stories, books, deep meaningful conversations, food, travel, silent retreats, movies, music and trains. And what if the last three come together in one movie? There is at least one other movie that combines all these but today I want to talk about one of them. My love affair with movies started almost 40 years ago when I must have been 6 or 7 years old. And guess which movie did I see first? Of course, Pather Panchali. It had to be. For me, it was meant to be. I still remember those grainy black and white images that I saw in a neighbour's house. Then about 28 years ago I saw a movie that captivated me to no end. It must have been in the months of May/ June/ July or August of 1993 when I saw Andha Naal (That Day) starring Sivaji Ganesan. I was completely enthralled and the grip still remains intact. I hadn't heard of the Rashomon effect till a few years ago but it was t...

Spadikam: Mirror. I am sure that the producer-writer-director team of one of Mohanlal’s cult action-drama hit films from the early 1990s were not aware of the pioneering work being done at the same time in the US by Dr. Donald Clifton and his team of scientists. Nor were Dr. Clifton and team aware of this movie. Nevertheless, being a double buff of movies and strengths psychology I can say that it’s a must rewatch movie for all Malayalam and Mohanlal movie fans to understand the significance of the key principles of Strengths psychology. Even though the movie had a bitter sweet ending to the father-son cum teacher-student relationship still; true to the meaning of the film title, it’s a continuing reflection on the way we as parents and teachers have messed up children’s lives and the grave consequences thereof. Even though the great actor Shri Thilakan who immortalised Chacko Master, is no more but I see that Chacko Master’s spirit lives on in many parents that I see around me leading...

Unfortunately and sadly this film did not do well at the box office when it released in 2016. Many people may dismiss it as a mishmash of a light, breezy, slapstick comedy and a bit of drama and fleeting romance. But through my eyes, it's a great example of the strengths psychology philosophy. And of course I loved the film.

He was one of my favourite actors. He had a great voice and a face that was naturally chiselled for acting and which could emote a 1000 emotions, expressions and nuances. I had always silently nursed an ambition that destiny would give me an opportunity to meet and direct him with a close up on his face and voice alone with the appropriate use of light and shadow to bring out the best on his face. Who can forget him in Jab We Met, Kai Po Che and Freaky Ali?!! I truly liked him in the Titan watch ad that he did with Rajkumar Rao and I so wish that he was alive to gift us many more of those expressions. Here's the link to him from a group on Facebook from where I took this picture: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=838655141750660&set=a.440732024876309

Very happy to see the Malayalam film Aattam (The Play) in the list. Must watch movie for a number of reasons. I can use this movie to teach so many things about human beings, our minds, the tricks it plays, prejudices and our insecurities and temptations. It can also be used to illustrate the Ladder of Inference model as well as on listening skills besides of course a separate course on movie making. Men must certainly watch it. Recently I was talking to a client and he said that having watched it, he would dare not watch it with his wife. Watch the movie and you will understand why he said so. To some it might look a little similar to 12 angry men but that’s where the similarity ends and it’s much deeper than that. And you will understand why only in the end. Brilliant movie that stays with you in your mind questioning us and also stays in our heart long after it’s over on the screen. And of course what a performance by the lead actress Zarin Shihab besides the rest of the cast includ...

First written on 26th May 2013: I haven't written or shared much in the last 2 weeks. The run has been amazing in terms of the people who've been through my life and the experiences life has gifted me to grow tremendously. I still haven't got around to documenting all those amazing experiences I've had so far. Hope to have them done soon. Here's sharing one - Last year on 2nd October I wrote that I was lucky to have been alive to see 'Barfi'. Today I write the same for this amazing film in the annals of Malayalam and Indian cinema - 'Ustad Hotel'. I had possibly one of the most unique experience of watching a cinema in a peculiar environment. I started watching it as my flight took off today afternoon from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on its way to Mumbai on my way to Jaipur. And I write this as I wait to board my flight to Jaipur at the Mumbai airport. I started watching it from 30,000 feet above sea level and completed it on coming back to terra fi...

The coincidence dawned on me about 15-20 minutes into the film and I was very happy that I got my wife and daughter to watch this film on 8th March yesterday - the International Women’s Day. And what a film for me to rewatch in less than a week than this one. There are some films like Gandhi, 1942: A Love Story, Forrest Gump, Invictus, Jana Maitri, Laal Singh Chaddha, Vellimoonga, Sam Bahadur, 12th Fail and some more that I can watch any number of times. And to that list gets added this beautiful gem of a film by Kiran Rao - Laapata Ladies. What a writing, casting, directing, acting, dialogues, editing, music and subtle yet clear messaging with absolutely the perfect tadka of humour!! When I watched it the first time with my two friends last Saturday the 2nd of March, I was left so touched that I wanted to believe that reel life should turn into real life, just like I felt when I watched Forrest Gump for the first time in December 1995. And I have reason to believe that reel life can a...