The Sonance Behind My Silence

     “In religion, India is the only millionaire……the One land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.” - Mark Twain      For a country where over a hundred crore people following 7 major religions speak almost 2000 different languages, rich in cultural and natural resources, India sure is unified in terms of the mentality of its inhabitants. The question that arises is, then why the conflicts? Every day we see news of protests and communal violence where national property is set ablaze and we citizens end up paying for it through increased taxes. It is on this that political and regional parties thrive. The corruption and chaos that arise from this, is not what we would like to see in the India we want.      In India the focus has always been on education and making a good career, especially since a maj...

      His palatial residence in Bandra is one of the most famous buildings in the country, and is also one of the most expensive homes in the world. You’ll find an opulent library in one of the corners of his house, which he fondly calls his ‘study’, one of the places in his house where he enjoys a carefree smoke. He’s also notorious for his chain smoking habit, but that in no way deters him from being one of the most energetic entertainers in the world. You can love him, you can hate him, but you sure cannot ignore him. Bow down to the ‘King Khan’ – Shah Rukh Khan.      Breaking away from the literal meaning of his name that means ‘One with the face of a prince’, SRK as he’s fondly called by his humongous fan base, is extraordinarily ordinary looking. He symbolises all of us who have a dream, and is an inspiration to those who are willing to go through thick and thin to reach where he is today. He deserves his stardom, the respect he garners w...

     The ribbon tied at the finish line is brought down by the touch of his nose in slow motion, and the entire crowd seated in the cinema hall bursts into hoots, whistles and generous claps of applause. We all know it’s a culmination of the director’s vision and the use of sophisticated technology, but the climax of the masterpiece ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ leaves us as astonished and awestruck as the audience in the movie. ‘The Flying Sikh’ as he was rightly called by the then General Ayub Khan of Pakistan, Milkha Singh races his way to a position of reverence even in the minds of those whose parents weren’t even born when he achieved his laudable victories.      I am not writing this piece as a spoiler for the movie or as a eulogy in honour of the living legend Milkha Singh, but as a realisation that I’m sure this movie is bound to create in a million minds around the world. Calling it ‘just about the best movie ever made’ is an understatement. ...