Celebrating the spirit of India in Frankfurt – Durga Puja 2009

If there is a place where there are grandiose festive celebrations, idols larger than life, dance and music, then it must be India! But far far away from India, in the country of Germany, festive spirits are kept alive by the bunch of the Indian community present.

Durga Puja – the biggest and grandest festival in Bengal - was brought to life this year like the past 26 years, by the Rhein-Main Bengali Cultural Association of Frankfurt at Saalbau Gutleut. A beautifully decorated idol of Goddess Durga along with her children Saraswati, Lakshmi, Ganesh and Kartik were placed on platform for worhip. The scale was miniscule when compared to that in India, particularly Bengal, nevertheless the effort put up was by any means Herculean which culminated in a spectacular show.

It was mix of crowds that the occasion presented, with not only Bengalees, but people from various Indian communities and also some Germans who participated. Men, women and children dressed in colourful traditional attire bowed before the Goddess to take her blessings. Everyone was invited to join in the celebrations of this autumn festival.

The first day of the Puja was MahaShashthi which began which the Shashthipuja followed by devotional songs invoking the Goddess Durga. The next three days were the main days of worship –MahaShaptami, MahaAshtami and MahaNavami. Each day began with the worship of the Goddess and then Pushpanjali (offering flowers to the deity). Every evening saw enchanting cultural programmes like classical and modern dance, music, plays etc. performed by the members or by troupes who came from India. Not to forget the delicious food that was served everyday cooked by the members themselves! The celebrations ended with the MahaDashami puja and the immersion of the idol with all the devotees praying to Maa Durga to pay her visit very soon next year.

Mesmerizing it was to see an Indian festival come to life miles away from India. The spirit of India is carried almost anywhere, where a few Indians get to meet, could we ever doubt that?

Long time...

It's been really long since I last wrote anything. I wouldn't be too wrong if I said that I was very busy. Yes, busy with work and travel. Travelled around, visting picture-perfect places about which I hope to write sometime soon. But for the time-being I have a photo of the night view of Frankfurt am Main, where I am residing at the moment, pasted in here.

Fashion

This was one movie that I had been waiting for quite some time now, and it certainly didn't disappoint me. It is also a film which saves Priyanka Chopra after a series of flops that she's had this year, and she's back with a bang. It's an all out female dominated film and the men are required for all the supporting characters. Madhur Bhandarkar true to his image of making 'realistic' films lives upto his reputation. It certainly won't come as a surprise if this film or the lead actor wins a National Award!
The movie traces the journey of an aspiring model (Priyanka) from a small town (Chandigarh) and her struggle to the top, her inability to handle success leading to arrogant behaviour and then to her fall and finally her rise back to being a supermodel. Through this journey Madhur shows the world of gay designers, the marriage of convenience between one such rich guy with a model (Mugdha), hints of casting couch, tranformation in attitide of models, and how they take up to drinking, smoking and doing drugs trying to cope up with the stress. Kangana plays an established model who is unable to cope up with the pressures - drinks, smokes and does drugs and finally succumbs. The newcomer Mugdha Godse has done pretty well for her first film in the role of a sensible and rooted model though not very successful one. The movie shows us the not so glamorous side of the fashion industry, the struggle and sacrifice and compromises involved behind all the glitz and glam. Priyanka and Kangana have displayed amazing acting skills (Kangana seems to playing similar roles of drinking-smoking-lost in life woman in all her movies) and I am quite sure this is one of their career deifining movies. Goes without saying it is a must watch!

Mumbai Meri Jaan

Mumbai Meri Jaan is a movie based on the serial train blasts in July 2006 in Mumbai. The films depicts the never-say-die attitude of the Mumbaikars even in the face of the most testing situations. Slices from the lives of 5 characters post the blasts are interwoven in this movie. The acting of each and every character is superb and at par with the superior script and direction. The story has been handled with utmost sensitivity digging deep into the various facets of human emotions which is bound to move you and leave you moist-eyed in the end. It effectively brings out how the same disaster can mean different things to different people depending on which side you stand - a victim or a mute observer. Over all it's a must watch movie and a meaningful one too in these times.

Singh in Kinng

One of the blockbusters of this year with a record collection of Rs 18 Cr in the weekend of its realease. Well, but honestly this movie made no sense to me, since if I am asked I really won't be able to describe the story. The movie has its comical moments in phases and bursts (what with Akshay Kumar in the scene!) and the beauty called Katrina Kaif to ensure that there is sufficient (eye) candy to last through the movie. Must say that she is going through the most lucky phase of her career with back to back hits with Akshay, despite the fact that she can't act even a wee bit. Overall the movie is a good TP (time pass) provided you have left your brains at home and are prepared to go through a lot of mindless comedy.

God Tussi Great Ho

Salman Khan as usual at his antics with his brother used as a prop which nothing but reminds us of "Partner". The movie is not so bad (but not too great either). It's the story of a man who is frustrated with everything going horribly wrong with his life that be begins to blame God for everything. One fine day God appears before him and hands him the reins of this world for 10 days. As expected he screws up everything and asks God to rewind those 10 days and thus comes to the conclusion that what ever and how much ever God has given each one of us is not only sufficient but approporiate too. The only attraction of this movie is the song "Tujhe Aksa beach ghumau, aa chalti hai kya..." :D

Bachna Ae Haseeno

An entertaining movie, with the right masala mix of a typical song and dance Bollywood drama. The movie has pulled up all the Yash Raj movie names and used them indiscriminately and particularly has gone overboard with DDLJ. The references to DDLJ are a little too much and the nostalgia does help to push the movie forward. "Rajgiri" is a new term coined by the protagonist of this movie. The first half is quite fast paced and entertaining and the movie slackens post-interval and the scenes also don't make much sense. The three women - Bipasha, Minissha and Deepika have played their roles quite well. In any case I would describe this as a Paisa Vasool film, thanks to the beautiful picturisation and melodiuos songs. Ranbir as a newcomer has justified his role, though his attempts to match up to SRK's charm is best described as feeble.