tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79436218909223748902024-03-05T03:53:15.592-08:00I observeAn objective point of viewThe observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-55178668199777965332023-05-14T07:32:00.003-07:002023-05-16T03:49:48.890-07:00Acting Workshop By Vishal Nayer starts 24th June 2023<p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Hi,</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">You are reading this as you had reached out and enquired about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@misft-myintereststaysfirml3026/videos" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="color: #dca10d;">MISF!T</span></a> Acting workshops in the past. I am Vishal Nayer and I have been an Acting coach/ Mentor/ Director at MISF!T for more than a decade and have been closely associated with my dear teacher and friend - Ratan Thakore Grant (Founder, Director of MISF!T) for 14 years.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>As most of you might be aware, Ratan passed away in May 2021. Continuing with the spirit that MISF!T was created for, we have restarted conducting Acting workshops under my name. You will be learning the same process. The MISF!T brand on the other hand will always continue to be attached to our dearest Ratan and we will operate more as a professional theatre platform for regular alumni-driven plays. We have some specific original plays in mind for the same!</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> I am reaching out to you to inform you of the <b>Acting workshop that starts on June 24, 2023 ( </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/vishal.nair.9693/posts/pfbid0s3C6rFtJyyWRLbCwa2CBSpvTrwYvTHooJDjwkquPheg74dckhWR5VGwxgvNhVd5Vl" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="color: #dca10d;"><b>Click here for the details</b></span></a><b>, details are also provided below)</b>. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please call the number mentioned on the poster to fix the time for your interview and registration<b> </b>or for any further inquiries. </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> If on the other hand, you are in</span><span style="font-family: arial;">terested in attending future workshops, <b>please accept the google groups invitation</b> you would have received ( Do check your</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;"> Spam folder if you don't find it in your inbox. Ensure to mark it "not spam") </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">You may also email me at <a href="mailto:vishalnayer9@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span class="s2" style="color: #dca10d;"><b>vishalnayer9@gmail.com</b></span></a><span class="s3" style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><b> </b></span>with your updated email id and contact number. </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">If this doesn’t interest you, please decline the invitation or unsubscribe.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">To see pictures, feedbacks of our previous workshops(s) and to know more about me, please <a href="https://linktr.ee/vishalnayer" target="_blank">Click here</a></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><b>WORKSHOP DETAILS</b></span> - Also available on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vishalnayer_actingworkshop/" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="color: #dca10d;">Instagram</span> </a>Do follow the page</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b> Poster</b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8qa93_wQlRSMZKLBOWSySt6wg5BxsqXtgytw8E76ViVXcNZZKqQIgc8_gINz3DxjiMd1wERzesXnUZi6GBBGmcgr5SYdslAWCTNDBRHuCtMbGjRi93agcnBCKITh6lkrWIDshAKkjSIbZrziwbfLZAlAWQCibJOGjESO5NiFALD5MYjHeulVlbgT/s1080/Level%201%20Acting%20Workshop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8qa93_wQlRSMZKLBOWSySt6wg5BxsqXtgytw8E76ViVXcNZZKqQIgc8_gINz3DxjiMd1wERzesXnUZi6GBBGmcgr5SYdslAWCTNDBRHuCtMbGjRi93agcnBCKITh6lkrWIDshAKkjSIbZrziwbfLZAlAWQCibJOGjESO5NiFALD5MYjHeulVlbgT/w320-h320/Level%201%20Acting%20Workshop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Click the photo to zoom in</span></div><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p4" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><b>Details</b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s4" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 9px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>- This will be a <b>6-weekend in-person workshop from Jun 24, 2023, to <br />July 30, 2023, every Saturday and Sunday 11 AM - 6 PM</b><br /><br />- Please Note: The 1st round of <b>Interviews and Registrations</b> is happening on the <b>11th of June 2023</b>. The 2nd round is subject, only to the availability of seats.<br /><br />- To fix the time for your interview and registration (or for further details and course fee) please <b>call 7738276736</b> (only between 12 pm - 8:00 pm), way before the date of Interviews and Registrations.<br /><br />Venue at present: Butterfly Talent Academy No 54, Viviyani Road, 2nd and 3rd Floor ( Above Canara Bank.) Landmark: Adams House, near Florence High School, Richards Town, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560005<br />Google Maps link - <a class="x1fey0fg xmper1u x1edh9d7" href="https://goo.gl/maps/juqqjMwZgpNSkoV9A">https://goo.gl/maps/juqqjMwZgpNSkoV9A</a><br /><br />Level 1 is the foundation course that aims to bring out the fun of acting, make participants shed their inhibitions, and teach them stagecraft, pantomime, and character-building. It is also for people with or without any background in acting. The objective is to make them as natural as possible.<br /><br />The course is unique because it focuses on bringing out the originality, creativity, and attention to detail in the actor, by letting the actor create their very own concepts and execute these, in the form of numerous short plays, during the course of the training.<br /><br />The Syllabus includes:<br /><br />-Breaking inhibitions: getting people comfortable to act, in front of an audience.<br />-Actor’s Magic – A unique concept <br />-Characterization.<br />-Voice: Understanding the components, and projection of voice.<br />-Observation.<br />-Listening skills.<br />-Pantomime.<br />-Improvisation.<br />-Scene creation and Character creation.<br />-Script creation.<br />-Fine-tuning of theatre craft.<br />-Adapting to the Camera – Fundamentals<br /><b><br />Duration of the course: 60 hours </b></li></ul><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>After the training is over, during the final week, the participants will undergo intensive training, which will include fine-tuning all the aspects of the course, which eventually culminates into a grading. The grading will be a public performance(ticketed or non-ticketed)</b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">This course is also designed in such a way, that it will help the participant, if he or she decides to, take acting as a profession.</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Depending on the outcome of the grading, there might be a play, which will be ticketed, showcasing what the students have learnt during the course.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The course gets constantly upgraded because the ideologies are constantly evolving. </p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Interested folks, please get in touch on the number provided to fix a slot for your interviews asap.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Have fun!</p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Vishal</p>The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-546526279301100712017-04-08T03:56:00.001-07:002020-05-09T10:55:19.367-07:00Scene Breakdown/Analysis : Bharatham (Mohanlal)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Disclaimer : This post is purely <b><span style="color: orange;">my analysis</span></b> on the craft that I am most passionate about . I love breaking down scenes to understand what made the performance so impactful. This is <b><span style="color: orange;">my understanding</span></b> :)<br />
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I guess the fact that I am a student of how this man executes his craft is pretty evident through some of my my blog posts :P. Today I would like to do my analysis and breakdown of one of the famous scenes of Mohanlal from the movie Bharatham which is one of his most landmark performances. Though this movie won him a national award, I feel the movie and his performance here are still underrated. Here is the scene below :<br />
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oPBrobsN3E<br />
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***Spoilers ahead***<br />
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A little backstory for those who don`t know this film.<br />
Gopi(Mohanlal)'s brother, Raman (Nedumudi Venu) whom he adores and practically worships is a well renowned singer who struggles with alcoholism and finally when the alcohol takes over him completely, it affects his singing and reputation and subsequent career. Gopi meanwhile through a turn of events ends up singing in his place and is heralded as the next big thing. This creates a lot of friction between the brothers owing to Raman`s ego taking over. After Raman realizes his mistake, he blesses Gopi during a Thyagaraja function where Gopi had replaced him and decides to mend his ways. After this function,Raman has been missing for many days with the marriage of their younger sister just a day away. Gopi secretly finds out about an unidentified dead body in another town bearing resemblance to his brother and comes to the local police station which found the body to find out secretly if it is truly his brother without informing the family. This scene is where Gopi comes to the police station with his friend who is a high ranking Govt Officer to find out regarding the same(Praying its not his brother). The Police had cremated the body as no one claimed it, but the photos and belongings are available to check which confirms Gopi`s worst fear as it is Raman.<br />
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0:34 <b><i><span style="color: lime;">Creating a thread </span><span style="color: red;">for the scene</span></i></b> : Gopi finds out body has been cremated - Mohanlal uses his eyes effectively to project the confusion. Without saying a word it is very clear what he is thinking. He purely depends on his eyes to create and project what he is thinking while the body has almost frozen and become numb (This will be the <b><i><span style="color: lime;">character`s thread</span></i></b> for the remainder of the scene - Numb body complemented by expressive use of only the eyes). This contrast of a numb body and expressive eyes keep the focus on the gravity of the situation yet convey the character`s thoughts. Also it works brilliantly well with the size of the shots planned for the scene.<br />
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0:48 <span style="color: blue;"><i>Effective use of the co actor</i></span>. -Mohanlal follows the inspector with his eyes even though he`s not in the shot and hence makes the scene more dynamic. It could have easily worked without looking at the co actor but that small act added a huge amount of realism. It also brings about a shade of extreme vulnerability and confusion like that of a child which makes the audience more empathetic to the character. Eyes are going berserk by the way expressing his inner turmoil. <b><i><span style="color: lime;">Character thread</span> </i></b>maintained . Subtle bro ! Subtle :D<br />
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1:00 to 1:06 <i><span style="color: cyan;">Slowing down of the actions</span></i> Govt officer(Played by the late great Murali) reminds him to control himself if God forbid it is his brother. Mohanlal slows down his actions by at least 10 times here . Keeping in mind the <b><i><span style="color: lime;">thread of the character</span></i></b>, each move made seems to be an effort. If you watch his physicality in this bit it looks as if he is carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders, not metaphorically but almost literally ! His movements are slow, his breathing labored . Watch the last second where you can see his fingers shiver too. The entire body is "in the moment" A pointer by the way , this entire video has not one word of dialogue uttered by him.<br />
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1:30 to 1:46 Looking at the photos. The tension in these 15 seconds is unbearable as Gopi's confusion and heightened emotions reach their peak here. The body has almost caved in completely and the fingers seem to not be able to hold the weight of the photos. The face and the eyes project the fact that he can`t comprehend what is happening. This is what we call "in the moment acting". The actor is "there", has completely become the character and is living the moment in the character`s life as the character. The biggest plus point here for mohanlal is that he slowed everything down which brings maximum focus on every small move made and every move made was potent. As an actor he is still keeping the audience guessing because he hasn't broken down yet, He hasn't yet given in to the emotion. He is still keeping it at the "confused" phase and teasing the audience and hence increasing the tension and discomfort. This is where mohanlal is so good. He won`t do the predictable thing, especially when you want it. He is still maintaining the <b><i><span style="color: lime;">thread of the character</span></i></b> from the beginning of the scene<br />
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1;50 to 2:26 And finally he gives you what you want. He lets it out. But only in the last few seconds.He lets go. By maintaining the numb body and slow actions he has created the environment for the dramatic change at the end when he breaks the <b><i><span style="color: lime;">thread of the Character</span></i></b> for the scene and lets his body finally behave, his movements are not slow anymore, his body is not numb anymore. The last few seconds was such a dramatic change that the impact was stronger. Watch for the moment when he picks up the clothes (still slow and numb body) and then takes a deep breath before breaking that <b><i><span style="color: lime;">thread of the character</span></i></b> in this scene to achieve the dramatic impact.<br />
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On a side note - Brilliant support by Murali(another gem of an actor) and Urvashi(unfairly known only for her comic timing,she can easily blend into drama and this movie shows that range especially this dramatic moment) and Subair as the cop.<br />
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The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-89621697750056668642016-09-25T04:32:00.000-07:002016-09-25T11:25:40.269-07:00Sairat : From K Jo to Kashyap !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sairat DVD came out a few weeks ago and I got a chance to revisit the movie. The fact that the movie has broken records all over Marathi Cinema and even Indian Cinema is a known fact, but the movie also has it`s share of skeptics who do not necessarily agree with the unprecedented success of this movie. I was trying to understand why this movie became such a huge success and why it needs to be encouraged.<br />
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Our cinema, in this country is hugely very unreal in the way we present stories and sometimes our stories themselves are very unreal. Songs and dance have become a staple diet in the movies and have been reduced to a gimmick rather than adding value to the movie and the story. Dir Mani Ratnam has emphasized on the fact that songs and dance need to make sense in the way they are placed and shown in the story and it has always been a treat to watch them in his movies.<br />
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What Nagraj Manjule does with Sairat is he uses the same formula that is used to make poular popcorn cinema in Sairat albeit in a manner where everything makes sense. Let`s not forget the film has all the elements of Popular cinema like the larger than life song sequences, or the comedian with a comedy track, the usage of slow motion shots (120FPS and such), the villian, huge crowd sequences etc etc, but all this has been brilliantly woven into a very real context . I shall explain how<br />
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*Warning Spoilers ahead<br />
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Nagraj Manjule did not employ stars , yet he presented the 2 major characters like how a director presents a star, For eg: The slow motion intro - Remember the first shot of Parshya running in Slow motion with heavy background music towards Archi`s car. Compare it to the intro of Salman Khan in Bajrangi bhaijaan now. Slow motion check, background music check<br />
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Or the Formulaic way of introducing the heroine with a tease. The heroine Archi`s face is never shown in her first intro, The audience are teased but the big reveal never happened and when it did she was in a very sexy avatar wearing her partywear.<br />
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Nagraj Manjule used the formula but eliminated the stars. This has 2 advantages<br />
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1. Obviously the director has better control over the performances as he gets to dictate his terms according to his vision without it being compromised by a star<br />
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2. Secondly by taking in regular people and giving them the star treatement the director has immediately connected with the general population in the audience who would disconnect from a well groomed star but see these particular characters as one of their own. They see themselves on screen and presented so beautifully !<br />
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In the meantime the director has also established the comedians, the possible villians and the other basic plot points like the caste discrimination etc. He keeps blending the dreamy bollywoodesque sequences of the romantic track with the very real day to day functioning of the village.<br />
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The song sequences are presented in a larger than life manner mirroring the dreamy idea of love that the current generation of youngsters have that have been highly influenced by popular commercial cinema. Hence he has his target audience hooked on as they are watching their idea of love being manifested on screen. Funnily the harsh realities of the bitter caste system in bittergaon (The village where the movie is set) is also being fed regularly to ensure the film doesn`t seep into pure commercial cinema genre.<br />
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He introduces a strong female character which provides a respite (at least in the film) for the growing unrest in the country and worldwide about gender discrimination and also brings about a fresh perspective. Watch out for the scene where Archi enters the class and takes her seat without taking her eys off Parshya even for a second. A bold female protagonist was the need of the day and "bam" , Nagraj Manjule provides you that. But he hasn`t forgotten his target audience fed on a staple diet of a certain type of films, Hence this female protagonist is still living a very done to death plot of a "Rich girl meets poor boy". He is introducing revolutionary ideas but in a 'language' that the common film going audience can understand.<br />
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He got Marathi Cinema`s best composers and gave them enough facilities to make their best track yet (hopefully) but he ensured all songs are never lip synced to maintain reality and not suspend belief. The only song that has been lip synced is Zingaat which has been treated as a seemingly popular song (probably some film song) in the movie, hence the protagonists seem to be mouthing them.<br />
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The comedy track - He has ensured a comedy track too with Parshya`s friend Langdya, but again effort was put in to make this fresh and unique. Case in point - the 'love letter' Langdya receieves from a girl. He even brought in a slapstick comedy element with the disability and the comedian has a small love track too !<br />
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The Villian - Archi`s brother and Father are highlighted as the villians but unlike Archi and Parshya who got the star like presentations, the 'villians' were presented in a very real scenario. There was nothing dramatic in the presentation, the Drama came from the mindset of the character and his actions. Stark contrast from the presentaion of Archi and Parshya. This kept the film grounded in reality. Case in point - when the brother slaps the teacher in fron of the whole classroom.<br />
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Finally we reach the interval point- At this point as Archi and Parshya escape their enemies the film shifts gear completely and the larger than life presentation is completely turned around into a very real presentation<br />
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To illustrate further - The first half was presented 'almost' like a Karan Johar movie but the second half was treated like an Anurag Kashyap film. I say 'almost' because there were moments to break that illusion in between to establish the social fabric the characters live in.<br />
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The second half broke the 'dream' established in the first half showing the harsh truths of life and this was achieved by purely changing the style of filmmaking. From KJo to Kashyap !<br />
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Nagraj Manjule with this film showcased the romanticised notion of love and then breaks it to explore life after such a love dealing with issues such as incompatibility, infatuation vs love, disillusionment, stark poverty, loneliness, finding oneself, growing up etc. In doing so he has connected with both the youth who crave for the first half and their parents who have lived the second half. The film served as a common ground for both the sections of audiences. Let`s also not forget the caste disparity and honour killing like issues which is the basic foundation on which all this was done.<br />
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It also managed something very few films have achieved - a loyal fan base with the commercial cinema audience as well as the intelligent cinema audience.<br />
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Last but not the least. The heart wrenching climax. The reason for the success of a lot of malayalam and Tamizh films in the 80's - the sad ending. But the novelty of the presentation will haunt you for days here.<br />
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So to put it simply Sairat was a film with a lot of depth , rooted in reality showcasing the some of the real issues within the country but masked in the garb of popular formulaic cinema. This is entertainment without leaving your brains behind !<br />
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On a side note : Sairat reminded me a lot of the malayalam films and Tamizh films I have seen in the past which perfectly blend commercial and sensible cinema :)<br />
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More such movies like these and slowly our audience`s taste for the kind of content in cinema will change, for the better !<br />
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The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-68468452132652367682015-12-14T05:10:00.000-08:002015-12-15T04:36:02.133-08:00Mohanlal : Scene breakdown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Mohanlal is an actor who has inspired me as an actor for years with his brilliance at his craft. One can see all the stuff you leant in acting school being put into action brilliantly by him, though he`s not a trained actor himself ( which doesn`t mean training is unnecessary. He is also trained albeit while working in films on his own. That takes some godly skills ).<br />
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From the people who`ve worked with him to other sources I ve heard multiple stories of how he approaches a scene and works it out. One can see that naturally and instinctively Mohanlal follows guidelines that bring naturality, shades , depth and a uniqueness to every performance.</div>
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One of the most important thing on camera and on stage is the ability to act just with your back (On stage it would be breaking the rule, but smartly and with good effect). In India broadly many people classify acting into expressions (facial), body language (attitude) and dialogue delivery. The fact that it involves much ,much,much more than that is oblivious to the general population and surprisingly to a good number of industry insiders too. Expressions without purpose, body language without a fully rounded character and dialogue delivery without a thought process mean nothing and all this is just scraping the surface of the art of acting. But Mohanlal is an actor who is beyond that.</div>
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He breaks down his scene (consciously/ sub-consciously ) so well that one can see it. Case in point the video below</div>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEdShD27fGI</div>
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The scene is from the Tamizh movie Iruvar (Dir :Mani Ratnam)</div>
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0:11 - Mohanlal enters the scene with a book in hand and wearing glasses. Mohanlal uses props effectively and when not provided even demands for them. This couldve been the director`s touch or the actor`s addition but the book and the glasses immediately bring in a sense of naturality to the whole scene portraying a normal day where the character was reading his book to be interrupted by his man friday. If he would`ve entered with out the book , it would take away from the dramatic value of the unexpected betrayal by his party to him which succeeds this moment which happens at 0:13 - He drops the book established a couple of seconds ago on hearing the news. . Also the little glance towards the crowd outside increases the curiosity and build up to the news that follows.</div>
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0:37 - From this moment onwards one can see only his back. A masterstroke from the director. Watch how his back is arched in disappointment and the pace is slow and a sense of helplesness really hits home to the audience when he rests his hand on the wall and the back continues caving dramatically till he closes the door. What adds more to the scene is the fact that before he turned his back , one could see disappointment in his face but the body was comparatively more defiant not wanting to show his disappointment to his people. But as he turns, his body begins to cave and before he can breakdown he would prefer to shut himslef away from the world ,</div>
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In hindsight it might look very minimal and not a big deal. But these small things matter a lot in efffectively convincing the audience and mohanlal knows just the right amount of of projection that is required to bring it out.</div>
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Another scene where mohanlal uses his back brilliantly is here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1o3b3Drs70<br />
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Watch from 1;01 to 1;08 which is a shot from the front and watch him repeat almost similar action at the end from 5;04 to5;10 which a is a shot from the back.<br />
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The first one is due to an emotional reaction and the second one due to a physical issue. But both were an unexpected bodily response for the character. The similarity in action also ensured character continuity. Maybe that was not consciously thought of. But if your character is clear in your head all these actions would automatically follow.</div>
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Pure genius !</div>
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The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-63045300257141051202015-09-24T08:57:00.003-07:002015-09-24T08:57:32.382-07:00Ehsaas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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बुझते दिए को तेल की बूँद जैसे</div>
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कड़ाके की ठंड में धूप हो जैसे</div>
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कड़ी बारिश में पेड़ के घने पत्ते हो जैसे</div>
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अकेलेपन मे तेरा एहसास हो वैसे </div>
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The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-44888944742077795142014-06-04T10:28:00.001-07:002014-06-05T20:54:15.052-07:00लौटा भी दो मेरा खोया वक़्त<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
लौटा भी दो मेरा खोया वक़्त,<br />
लौटा भी दो मेरा खोया वक़्त,<br />
जितना बचा, जीने दो,<br />
जितना बचा, जीने दो.<br />
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उम्मीदों की पतंग जो उड़ाई थी,<br />
तो कुदरत ने डोर ही काट दी,<br />
गम की खाई में छलाँग लगाई तो,<br />
ज़िंदगी ने कलाई थाम ली.<br />
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हर बंधन, वो रिश्ते, तोड़के,<br />
अकेला, मंज़िल की आस में,<br />
टूटे सपनों का हैं नक्शा हाथ में,<br />
कदम हमदर्द की तलाश में.<br />
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नया रास्ता दिखने लगा,<br />
नयी मंज़िलें आगे दिखीं,<br />
अब ना कोई बैर हैं,<br />
अपने हैं सब, ना कोई गैर हैं.<br />
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The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-43930661407758568872014-03-12T09:49:00.001-07:002014-03-12T09:59:19.212-07:00Phoolon ke rang se - My version !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of my favourite songs is "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4iYbxFBZKQ" target="_blank">Phoolon ke rang se</a>" from Prem Pujaari with lyrics by the great Gopaldas Neeraj. I always wanted to do my version of the lyrics. Here goes(1 st para ) -<br />
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सागर के मोती,दीपक की ज्योति<br />
ऐसी नज़र मुझको आए<br />
कैसी ये सूरत,अजंता की मूरत<br />
दिल से धड़कन तू चुराए<br />
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आँखें छुपाऊँ,या खुद छुप जाऊँ,तू मुझको ढूँढ ही लाए<br />
तू पास आए, मन महक जाए, ऐसा भी दिन एक आए<br />
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हो पाके तुझको ऐसे लगे की, मुट्ठी में पानी समाए<br />
सोती पलकों मे तेरा ही चेहरा मुझको क्यों नज़र आए<br />
हाँ जिसको भी देखूं, उसमे तेरी छाया क्यों दिख जाए<br />
सोती पलकों मे तेरा ही चेहरा मुझको क्यों नज़र आए.<br />
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I wish Neeraj ji gets to read this and would love to hear his comments on this, Good ,bad ugly, Whatever :)</div>
The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-81197418609126238422014-03-05T12:10:00.002-08:002014-03-05T12:10:39.830-08:00 पंछी<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
हवा के तेज़ झोंके को झेल ना सका<br />
कैसे कमज़ोर पंख हैं तेरे पंछी<br />
तिंकों का घोंसला टूटा तेरा<br />
कैसा कमज़ोर घोंसला रे तेरा पंछी<br />
क्यों रोए तू अपने हालात से हार कर<br />
ज़रा हंस के तो देख ले अपने हालात पर तू मगर<br />
जीत तेरी मुट्ठी में आकर गिरेगी<br />
हाँ, जीत तेरी मुट्ठी में आकर गिरेगी<br />
ज़रा ज़ोर से पर हिला<br />
हवा रासता बना ही देगी<br />
बहती लहरों में फँसी कश्ती संभाल<br />
किनारे तक खुद लहर ले ही जाएगी.<br />
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ज़रा ज़ोर से पर हिला<br />
हवा रासता बना ही देगी<br />
बहती लहरों में फँसी कश्ती संभाल<br />
किनारे तक खुद लहर ले ही जाएगी मेरे पंछी</div>
The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-19104753783073305492014-01-21T11:05:00.001-08:002014-01-21T11:05:16.374-08:00Kokanaka Makaka - Promo Song of my upcoming Kannada movie :)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/AOU3MHWbO5Y" width="480"></iframe>The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-65957454911769486502013-12-05T22:25:00.001-08:002013-12-05T22:25:33.911-08:00हम बिखर गये<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
तुम सुधर गये , हम बिगड़ गये<br />
ज़िंदगी की कशमकश में,<br />
तुम उभर गये , हम बिखर गये<br />
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वक़्त के सितम का बोझ, हमने झेला<br />
हमारे दर्द के साथ, तुमने खेल वो खेला<br />
धंसते गये ज़मीन में हम,सीढ़ी तुम्हारी बनते बनते<br />
लो उपर पहुँच गये तुम,कदम बढ़ाए हंसते हंसते<br />
पलट के देख ज़रा लेना साथी जो बिछड़ गये<br />
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तुम सुधर गये , हम बिगड़ गये<br />
ज़िंदगी की कशमकश में<br />
तुम उभर गये , पर ,हम बिखर गये</div>
The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-61590348808965760502013-06-28T11:36:00.001-07:002013-06-28T11:36:48.754-07:00Another Poem :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
आया है तो, ज़िंदगी पूरा जी ले,<br />रास्ता अंजाना है , पर सीना तूने ताना है<br />गर्दिश के समंदर में तूने पाया ख़ज़ाना है<br />आया है तो, ज़िंदगी पूरा जी ले.<br /><br />हमसफर का तू भरोसा, कर के देख ले ज़रा सा<br />मुश्किल डगर में, तेरा साथ जो भी दे दे<br />आया है तो, ज़िंदगी पूरा जी ले</div>
The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-30618874339013872132013-01-16T12:37:00.003-08:002013-01-16T12:45:11.959-08:00An ode to "Can I Play God" - A MISF!T Production<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHM4DpYxYSzj0NqY1BBsqvPH9PofF2ewQNgLjCKUNhu6eckCuUOpB8jMUL0AhK7HHcmkNuzXCUkIFUTvRxCmnKNc_P39Ns224BDydArsJ4XrCxy3wc8GAiM5iJDrsbozzamUYH0BkyMfk/s1600/427586_400354366717961_1906349796_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHM4DpYxYSzj0NqY1BBsqvPH9PofF2ewQNgLjCKUNhu6eckCuUOpB8jMUL0AhK7HHcmkNuzXCUkIFUTvRxCmnKNc_P39Ns224BDydArsJ4XrCxy3wc8GAiM5iJDrsbozzamUYH0BkyMfk/s400/427586_400354366717961_1906349796_n.jpg" title="Can I Play God" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">दर्द भरी खामोशी तेरी, कुछ छुपाए है मेरे दोस्त<br />सब किया बयान ,तो क्यों मूँह फिराए है तू दोस्त<br />खुदा के ए नेक बंदे, खुद को क्यों शैतान बताए तू<br />ईमान की राह पर चलकर, क्यों सर झुकाए तू<br />कर मदद ए उपर वाले, तेरा बंदा तुझे पुकारे<br />इंसाफ़ की नाँव ताके, तेरे बंदे दरिया किनारे<br />इंसाफ़ की नाँव ताके, तेरे बंदे दरिया किनारे </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-60121802230334290212012-07-23T06:20:00.001-07:002012-07-23T06:22:04.732-07:00Bhaiyya Autograph!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today a bunch of kids were playing outside my house and making a hell of a noise. My father immediately went out to give them a piece of his mind. As he started giving them advice his volume slowly started getting more than what the kids themselves were generating. So in order to make him realize his mistake i just stepped out and immediately as i stepped out one of the kids screamed at my dad "uncle is this the bhaiya who acted in a movie ?". As soon as the kid uttered the last 4 words all the other kids stormed towards me (thanks to the euphoria movie stars carry in this country). Sweetly enough some of them recognized me from my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BzCeD9hR1g" target="_blank">TV interview</a><span style="color: black;"> and my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTqq0Uu13oY" target="_blank">Movie trailer</a></span> and immediately one of them screamed AUTOGRAPH, and started quarreling amongst themselves as to who gets the first autograph. Once they got tired of quarreling they realized we do not have a pen or a paper/book to sign. All ran helter skelter in search of the said accompaniments for the required job. I must admit i got rather confused and tried to keep sane. Finally one kid came up to me with a book (his new school notebook) and asked for my autograph. Gingerly i picked up the pencil and did my thing. You may ask why - this was my first ever autograph and i asked him his name. I was waiting for the moment when somebody shows me a book and pen and asks for my autograph for many years ever since i decided to be an actor. I had dreams of that moment. It was a very Sacred moment for me.<br />
Once i was done I asked him his name. His name was Enayat. I googled to find out the meaning of the name and it means <span class="st">kindness, grace, solicitude and </span><br />
<span class="st"> " BLESSING" </span><br />
<span class="st"> :)</span><br />
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<span class="st">PS: During the hullabaloo for the autograph they made even more noise than before, This time my dad did not seem to mind :P</span></div>The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-45710194530255915302012-06-23T06:45:00.000-07:002012-06-23T06:45:10.915-07:00मैं फ़नकार<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
कितनी शिद्दत थी, उस फ़नकार में<br />क्या अदा थी, उस कलाकार में<br /><br />पर प्रेम की राह पर चलना, उसने कभी ना जाना<br />प्यार के फूल को कुचलना, उसने सही माना<br /><br />अपने ही साए से डरता था वो<br />अपने ही ख़यालों से भिड़ जाता था वो<br /><br />अपनों से जुदा रहता था जो,<br />परायों में अपनों को, क्यों खोजता था वो<br /><br />किस शैतान को छुपाता था वो अपने इंसान में<br />कैसी गर्दिश थी उसके, उसके जी जान में<br /><br />कितनी शिद्दत थी, उस फ़नकार में<br />क्या अदा थी, उस कलाकार में.<br /></div>The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-30691219353948242972011-09-03T11:41:00.000-07:002011-09-03T11:42:12.988-07:00Not one of my best efforts.. but worth a post i guessसर्दी की धूप हो, या चाँदनी की नूर
<br />तारों के शहर मे मैं, और हो गयी, तू मशहूर
<br />चुभते तेरे लबज़ सुन, आँखें, क्या बोली मुझसे
<br />धत्त, ये आँसू कहाँ से आए बस ,अपने आप से
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<br />अपना रस्ता कब भूली तू, ए नादान
<br />पहचान ना पाई कौन अपना, और कौन मेहमान
<br />उस तरफ देखना कर दिया अब नज़रअंदाज़
<br />जिस तरफ सुनूँ तेरी, ज़रा सी भी आवाज़
<br />The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-56246636830335473942011-08-27T10:08:00.001-07:002011-08-27T10:16:22.964-07:00The 'holy' Basil - तुलसी<p>'Tulsi' or Basil ( Ocimum basilicum) has many religious significance according to hinduism, but what seems fascinating is its significance in many other religions. Below is an excerpt from the wikipedia article on Tulsi. Proof once again of the similarity in all religions.<span class="binomial"></span></p>
<br />There are many rituals and beliefs associated with basil. The French sometimes call basil "<i>l'herbe royale</i>", while in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_language" title="Welsh language">Welsh</a> it has the synonymous name "<i>brenhinllys</i>".<sup class="Template-Fact" title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from July 2010" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</sup> Jewish folklore suggests it adds strength while fasting.<sup class="Template-Fact" title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from November 2010" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</sup> In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal" title="Portugal">Portugal</a>, dwarf bush basil is traditionally presented in a pot, together with a poem and a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pom-pon" title="Pom-pon">pom-pon</a>, to a sweetheart, on the religious holidays of Saint John and Saint Anthony. However, basil represented hatred in ancient <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece" title="Greece">Greece</a>, and European lore sometimes claims that basil is a symbol of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan" title="Satan">Satan</a>. African legend claims that basil protects against <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion" title="Scorpion">scorpions</a>, while the English botanist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Culpeper" title="Nicholas Culpeper">Culpeper</a> cites one "Hilarius, a French physician" as affirming it as common knowledge that smelling basil too much would breed scorpions in the brain. <p>Holy basil, also called <i>tulsi</i>, is highly revered in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hinduism</a> and also has religious significance in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Orthodox_Church" title="Greek Orthodox Church">Greek Orthodox Church</a>, where it is used to prepare holy water. It is said to have been found around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ" title="Christ">Christ</a>'s tomb after his resurrection. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_Orthodox_Church" title="Bulgarian Orthodox Church">Bulgarian Orthodox Church</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Orthodox_Church" title="Serbian Orthodox Church">Serbian Orthodox Church</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_Orthodox_Church" title="Macedonian Orthodox Church" class="mw-redirect">Macedonian Orthodox Church</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_Orthodox_Church" title="Romanian Orthodox Church">Romanian Orthodox Church</a> use basil (Bulgarian and Macedonian: <i>босилек</i>; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_language" title="Romanian language">Romanian</a>: <i>busuioc</i>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_language" title="Serbian language">Serbian</a>: <i>босиљак</i>) to prepare holy water and pots of basil are often placed below church altars.</p> <p>In Europe, basil is placed in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe journey. In India, they place it in the mouth of the dying to ensure they reach God. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed it would open the gates of heaven for a person passing on.<sup class="Template-Fact" title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from July 2009" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</sup></p> <p>In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Boccaccio" title="Giovanni Boccaccio">Boccaccio</a>'s <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decameron" title="Decameron" class="mw-redirect">Decameron</a></i> a memorably morbid tale (novella V) tells of Lisabetta, whose brothers slay her lover. He appears to her in a dream and shows her where he is buried. She secretly disinters the head, and sets it in a pot of basil, which she waters with her daily tears. The pot being taken from her by her brothers, she dies of her grief not long after. Boccaccio's tale is the source of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Keats" title="John Keats">John Keats</a>' poem <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_or_The_Pot_of_Basil" title="Isabella or The Pot of Basil" class="mw-redirect">Isabella or The Pot of Basil</a></i> - which in turn inspired the paintings <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_%28Millais_painting%29" title="Isabella (Millais painting)">Isabella (Millais painting)</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_and_the_Pot_of_Basil" title="Isabella and the Pot of Basil">Isabella and the Pot of Basil</a>. A similar story is told of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longobards" title="Longobards" class="mw-redirect">Longobard</a> queen, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind" title="Rosalind">Rosalind</a>.</p>The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-63313997913707891262011-08-25T13:39:00.000-07:002011-08-25T13:42:13.280-07:00Strange are the ways..that are humanStrange are the ways..that are human
<br />Some you possibly cant fathom,
<br />Some you just cant question
<br />yet you always know the right answer
<br />and you always know the true reason
<br />
<br />Strange are the ways ... that are human
<br />The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-83379670921718754152011-06-03T00:32:00.000-07:002011-06-03T00:40:07.072-07:00A Train Ride gone 'good'<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-IN</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> 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mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">There is something very beautiful about a good train ride. It can send you into a world with a lot of possibilities. You can meet your old imaginary childhood friend or maybe a lovely story can come up in your mind and build its way to completion, sometimes you are reminded of times you would never think of in your everyday life or maybe you might just feel the touch of love.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>On Such a train ride some days back I experienced the first and the last of the things mentioned above. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Imaginary friend bit-</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Being a kid from an army background, I got my fair share of Bharat Darshan and Trains being the Classical mode of travel then ,<span style=""> </span>the army does provide a certain concession to its men.<span style=""> </span>During many of my numerous such trips, some which lasted 2-3 days there would not be a lot of things running in my mind as a child.<span style=""> </span>Like every other kid i had my own imaginary childhood friend who would usually appear during my train rides and would always be riding alongside my train<span style=""> </span>and I would watch in awe and wonder as he would negotiate treacherous terrains in a bid to stay close to the train and make sure i do not get bored. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>After a long time, on the said train journey <span style=""> </span>I decided to bring my old friend back and it was great fun thinking of the old days <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">J</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Love bit-</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not a very big music junky that i am i rarely listen to songs while travelling (Whoa! Big revelation ) but when i do the occasional times i get totally immersed and do start dancing and going into a jig, which becomes a rather embarrassing situation later on when i remove my headphones, Hence i prefer going near the door while the train is in full speed, listening to music while the air breezes past. Like i said i am not a music junky<span style=""> </span>and hence obviously do not have an i pod or mp3 player, neither do i have a collection of songs to die for in my mobile, i have a few tracks which i have not changed for about an year now. But since i am an occasional listener the tracks never become boring for me. This time it was a bunch of songs i hadn`t played in a looooong while and hence when you listen to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poMnD_vZ0Jk">Mundhinam parthene</a> and ,<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQIJz75Z1vI">Nenjukul peidhudum</a> while standing next to the door with the train in full speed, you feel the touch of love.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>If that wasn`t enough later on continuing on the tamil tracks listening to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52lDnAYzCUk">uravugal thodarkathai</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jPmr1KaRLw">Sundari Neeyum</a> by the maestro <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illayaraja">Illayaraja</a> while watching a wife sitting in the side berth serving food to her husband<span style=""> </span>and exchanging sweet nothing suddenly sent me back in time 20 years(at least).It was as if my directorial frames were in position and a montage of such sequences all over the coach were being played to the tune of the said 2 songs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Music has divine powers – it sent me back in time and gave me a 10 minute 1 shot video<span style=""> </span>idea <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">J</span></span> </p>The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-42534943109667008482011-05-26T08:34:00.000-07:002011-05-26T09:44:23.169-07:00कशमकशनींद में हैं सब यहाँ<br />सब दिखे पर बेज़ुबान<br />क्या कशमकश भरा है ये मैदान<br />ना तू शैतान ना मैं इंसान<br /><br />जीने की चाह में हैं ज़िंदगियाँ दाँव पर<br />झूठ के इस धूप तेरा सच खड़ा है पाँव पर<br />सर झुका के जो खड़ा वो सर कटा तो क्या फ़िक्र<br />ज़मीर से जो सर फिरा वो सर तेरा है क्यों मगर<br />क्या कशमकश भरा है ये मैदान<br />ना तू शैतान ना मैं इंसानThe observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-66263324027250473162011-05-26T05:25:00.000-07:002011-05-26T05:58:31.479-07:00Being Thankful2 of my friends recently started the process of listing things that they feel grateful for. This is something that in Yoga classes my instructor used to continuously ask us to do as part of a daily exercise. According to her In Yoga there are 4 different '<a href="http://www.theyogainstitute.org/simple_practices.htm">Bhavas</a>' as listed by the <a href="http://www.theyogainstitute.org/shrii_yogendraji_and_the_origins_of_the_institute.htm">guruji who started this particular Yoga institute</a> . They are<br /><br />1. Dharma- sense of Duty<br />2.Jnana - sense of Awareness<br />3.Vairagya- sense of Detachement/Renunciation<br />4.Aisvarya- sense of Achievement<br /><br />The process of expressing gratitude is a 'kriya' according to Yoga which is supposed to be followed on a daily basis by an individual just like the Yogic exercises one needs to do everyday. All the Yogic exercises come under any one of the 4 Bhavas mentioned. The Kriyas all come under the Aisvarya Bhava. This Bhava also means self reliance.<br /><br /> In a nutshell whether Yoga or some other form , this is essentially another practice by the Positive thinking school of thought by looking at the positives rather than the negatives and discarding all negative energy.Easier Said than done though- hence the need of practices like these.<br /><br />I shall try and emulate my friends but not on a regular basis. Also this is an excellent method to make sure that the blog does not get dysfunctional again :)The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-80758531653771496242011-05-25T07:10:00.000-07:002011-05-26T05:59:28.623-07:00In the classroomSome time ago at a class that i was attending there was this student i met who had a trait I had long back. After the class as we all were having a discussion the said person kept saying the following words " I already know all this". Now my immediate reaction then is to look back at his progress in the class and i realized that he does not apply anything that he claims he knows. And that is when I realized he is under the same type of misconception that I used to be under.<br /> Now let me make it a little clearer- <span style="font-style: italic;">this does not mean that he knew the concept theoretically and not practically</span>- in fact he is far from it. He most probably has heard/read about it once or twice somewhere and hence when it is reiterated in the class he is under the misconception that he knows the topic.<br /> This basically means that the concept never became a part of his system of working. Essentially it never became a tool he might use in case a situation arose where he has to use the said concept. Unless and until it becomes a part of your system it might be something you know but it is not something you have learnt yet. Knowing and learning are 2 different things, and using the word 'know' to imply 'learn' is a common problem. It is as simple as saying i know that the meaning of the word ,say for eg, "quixotic" but its not part of your vocabulary and most probably you wouldn't use the word till the day you die.<br /> The reason i brought this up is because in a class or any other place of learning when this misconception arises the student most probably will not put the effort to learn the concept further and make it a part of his system, hence in the final scheme of things he would not have any progress unless you have a good teacher who can recognize this problem make the student aware of it. This is one of the reasons why a lot of potentially good students don`t perform up to their full potential.<br /><br />Finally the reasons behind this misconception- based on my experience (there could be more)<br /><br />1. the simplicity of the concept being explained - usually as a good student we expect concepts related to our field to be complex. its a general human tendency to give complexity 'importance'<br /><br />2.Stubbornness- Another one of the reasons being stubbornness as an inborn trait in the students personality<br /><br />3. Desire to learn quickly - which stems from the urgency to achieve your goals<br /><br />4. Laziness- the flip side of being talented/intelligent.<br /><br />5. Self obsession- Speaks for itself<br /><br />The above said reasons need not all be present in an individual. one of them is enough.<br /><br />How to tackle this problem<br />Very simple- Read the above post and have the ability to look at yourself objectively. :D<br /><br />Take care now<br />bye bye thenThe observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-81761531801335961122011-05-24T03:39:00.000-07:002011-05-24T04:15:38.213-07:00നിമിത്തം (malayalam) pronounced as nimittam - refers to a sign,an omen, an efficient cause.My first trip to mumbai was on 9th april 2010. Believe it or not having travelled all over the country thanks to my father`s occupation I had never been to mumbai. There had been a couple of opportunities when I could have visited Mumbai, with family or friends or as part of a detour to some other place, but it never happened, earlier because of no apparent reason, later on because of a staunch stubborn refusal from my end. My reason being, the first time I go to that City would be for something related to my long cherished goal of becoming an actor. At some times it sounded like a total middle class and highly filmy (read cheesy) mentality, but somehow at that point it made perfect sense i my head. So when my uncle who used to stay in mumbai invited us over, i refused to join. Anyway I finally got to go to Mumbai for an Audition and decided according to my conditions this situation suits to the T. And then started the process of getting ready for the travel<br /> <br /> നിമിത്തം (malayalam) pronounced as nimittam - refers to a sign,an omen, an efficient cause.<br /><br />Having not traveled by train in a long time i had totally forgotten the fact that<br /><br />1.in order to increase your chances of confirming a tatkal ticket u need to be at the reservation counter much before the opening hours (8:00 AM), infact some people sleep overnight there to ensure they get a confirmed ticket.<br />2. Also if you plan to enter the ticket office after 8:30 AM you might as well say goodbye to your chances of getting a ticket<br />3. And specially if you need an AC Car (lesser no of seats compared to sleeper) and that too 2nd AC<br /><br />My initial plan was to go aaram se at 10;30 and book my ticket. but suddenly at around 7:30 i woke up that morning and decided , now that i am up might as well go and book my ticket, might have been the excitement of going to mumbai that woke me up i thought (നിമിത്തം no 1)<br /><br />With a rather sleepy head i reached the booking counter at 8:45 and requested for a 3rd AC ticket-<br />receptionist - "No ticket for 3AC"<br />me - " Try 2nd AC"(at the risk of sounding illogical since 2nd AC has lesser no of seats)<br />receptionist- "your lucky, available"<br />me- (nonchalantly) "do the needful please" (നിമിത്തം no 2)<br /><br />Not realizing that i was truly lucky to have got a seat on a weekend train to Mumbai despite opposing circumstances I packed my bags and went to the station and was in for a shock.<br /> At the allotted seat was sitting someone else with his legs stretched and showing me his confirmed ticket. I was Aghast and though this is a bad way to start of things. Anyway i went and checked the Chart and found my name mentioned but my seat changed form 2AC to 1st AC main cabin . I got more tense "great!, first i loose my seat and now i got to pay extra- this is going great"<br /> Once in I spoke to the TC who pleasently informed me that i have been upgraded free of charge under some new scheme to this quite luxurious and comfortable cabin which i shared with an MLA from BJP and some high profile Head of Revenue departement. (നിമിത്തം no 3).<br /> The next day morning when i got up the 2 had left at their respective stations and i had the entire cabin to myself for the next 12 hr journey. I couldn't believe myself.<br /> And that`s when i realised all the നിമിത്തം s .<br /> My trip to Mumbai and my chosen path in life - was always meant to be.<br /><br />PS : I gave an ok audition not expecting to get selected but i did (നിമിത്തം no 4) :) :)The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-84700955722737087312011-05-22T13:25:00.000-07:002011-05-22T14:00:37.859-07:00"don't wear shoes that don't fit you or don't belong to you"<a href="http://krishy.com/?p=223">This post</a> by my good friend Krishy is something I believe in for a long time. Unfortunately i do not have the ability (yet) to write as convincingly as he did this one. Even though we have worked together as scriptwriters previously I was very clear about my strengths as far as writing was concerned then. Sometimes i do envy the ability to write that some of my friends like <a href="http://dsci.blogspot.com">Venky</a> or <a href="http://blog.chandrahasa.com/">Hash</a> have. Writing is something that I always wanted to be good at but never worked hard for. Maybe i wasn`t passionate enough.<br /> But I do have a problem, once a weakness is realized i get obsessive about it and have this incessant urge to overcome it. In this case the weakness being my writing.<br /> Anyway not digressing and coming back to the main topic and that being the post by Krishi. -Do read it cause it will give you a great objective view of the process of empathy and the double edged sword that it is.<br /> Having been there in the position where in an attempt to empathize with someone i screwed myself over, royally if i may add, i recommend this post to every one who has the incessant urge to get into the other person`s shoes.<br /> I end my post with this quote<br /> ""READ THE TITLE OF THE POST"The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-85322755156150099762011-05-20T13:34:00.000-07:002011-05-20T13:47:11.713-07:00Silly बिल्ली<p>In this day and age it is very important to give disclaimers when writing stuff like the one below-<span jsid="text">This is not directed at anyone- and not intentioned to be derogative about women or men or the third gender. I really wanted to write totally Roadside material and have a sadak chaap feel to my poem. I felt for quite sometime now i have been writing in a rather good language. Hopefully with this poem i have formed a new mould.</span></p><p><span jsid="text">So here goes- Imagine the Scenario.</span></p><p><span jsid="text"> Guy falls for a girl. Guy is local lad not very street smart or educated, the totally clueless naiive dude who unfortunately has a libido which thinks more than his brain.What happens when he finds the girl who knows his weakness and has a hidden vendatta against men in general who decides to screw him over--- Read below<br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p>Silly बिल्ली-<br /><span jsid="text"></span></p><p><span jsid="text"></span>तेरे हाथों में अंगूठी, और उसकी उंगली मैं है चोट</p><p>लगता बेटे लाल मुझे, तेरी लड़की मे है खोट</p><p>घर का कुत्ता मत बन, है जंगली बिल्ली वो</p><p>संभल के रहना बेटा, बनाएगी silly वो.</p><p>इससे पहले काटे , निकल ले पश्चिम की ओर</p><p>मत कर शोर मत कर शोर बिल्कुल मत कर शोर</p><p>उसके हाथों में हैं, तेरे पतंग की डोर</p><p><span><br /></span></p><p> </p><p>पतझड़ का वो पत्ता तुझसे ज़्यादा हरा</p><p>जब देखी बिल्ली ऐसी चूहे जैसा डरा</p><p>लानत है तुझपे, हर आशिक़ है अब तेरी मिसाल की ओर</p><p>मत कर शोर मत कर शोर बिल्कुल मत कर शोर</p><p>उसके हाथों में हैं तेरे पतंग की डोर</p>The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7943621890922374890.post-50553706018291129352011-05-20T12:11:00.000-07:002011-05-20T12:21:01.767-07:00(In)sightWas watching a Belly dance video today and realized one of the most sexiest (in)sight should be the navel chain worn by a belly dancer. It is sensuous and not crass in any way whatsoever and highlights her sexuality to a great extent.<br /> In fact talking about dance one of the most beautiful sights is to see someone immersed totally in what i call the "dance trans", its similar to an actor who has completely submitted to the situation and the character and "living the moment"- which by the way is my most favorite visual.The observerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07265963817558309371noreply@blogger.com0