post after a long time. books/movies/prayoga/annuals

its been a long time on the blog since i posted anything about the books and movies i saw recently. so here is a list of the few that i did. ‘divisedaro’ michael ondaatje’s novel about three people separated in their teens is all right and readable enough. but the second half when he digresses into a story set in the past with a french writer and his friendship with a thief’s family seems too forced and muddled. i have no idea what he was trying here. then there was lots of action american style in elmore leonard’s ‘split images’. evil rich playboy loves killing people and sardonic detective unwillingly traps him. john mclane is older now and belongs to an earlier generation of brawn without brain. so the evil techie commies better watch out even if they are corporate turncoats from the us defence services. i absolutely loved ‘die hard 4’ with its ridiculour situations stupid plot and bad acting. and ‘invincible’ was just a silly true sports story of a middle aged man making it big in the philadelphia football team. so that’s that.

but then there was also the prayoga event with two mani kaul films. ‘before me eyes’ where the landscape of kashmir is truly hypnotic and ‘mati manas’ a long meditation on clay. in the question answer session he spoke of making movies like music. where every note in the middle is the whole raag; and of immersing himself in the making. he spoke beautifully.

Later kuntal, mukul and me drove around the trident to Colaba causeway. Somehow although everything seems normal in the air there seems to be still the thickness of the aftermath . along the way we see sings that speak of the spirit of mumbai again.. as sunil said- the anger of the upper middle classes- when in doubt hold a candle.. of that does not work- hold hands! :) 

at the same time in college the annual workshops were on. and though i was not a part of any of them being too busy with other madness, sonal was delighted with the music workshop with komkali kalapini. the other workshops were jhelum paranjape’s odissi dance workshop and the third gopi desai and theater. very different from anything we have done for a long time- and thank god for that. we need a change sometimes.

the annual lecture series this year was on ‘the home and housing’. i shall post the brief soon. s k das showed some his work and jasbeer sahwney spoke of learning from manhattan after we showed the school’s work on housing in the morning. 

at the opening of the exhibition i met tons of ex-students that made me very happy. its strange how much i miss them when i see them.

including pottu who is back slimmer and sexier than ever. 

and later the “talent” night was as raucous as ever- but this time we might actually have a rock band that can play.