The Bookworm Resurfaces

Each year I make a wish-list for the books that I intend to read.  The goal is to read at least 25 titles each year.  Barring 2006 I guess I've been managing to do that rather successfully though many of the books I've read in the recent years do not measure up to the praise heaped on them.  

The best fiction I read in 2010 was the 'The Millennium Trilogy' by Stieg Larsson (originally written in Swedish, translated to English).  Unfortunately the author didn't survive to see the publication of his novels and he had the ambition to write 10 novels in all in the series.  The character of Lisbeth Salander is one of the best women characters ever created by a novelist in the recent years (and if I ever get to make a movie/teleseries based on the Trilogy I'd cast Kangana Ranawat in the lead role).  If anyone of you reads this blog and decides to read these novels, my only piece of advice to them is, "Do not read all the three at a stretch.  Give a break between the two books so you can relish them".  

Economics is one dry subject and the writers are drier than hay mostly.  Derivatives?  God save those who have to read anything about them.  Surprise of surprises.  I not only read a book on derivatives but also found it impressive, interesting and unputdownable!  'Traders, Guns & Money' by Satyajit Das is a revelation and the author's tongue-in-cheek humour is delicious to say the least.  This was the book of the year (non-fiction) for me.

This year too I desire to read at least 25 titles - a judicious mix of both fiction and non-fiction, hopefully.  Here is the list of books that I already am in possession.  

Fiction

1.  Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie.  The novel was shortlisted for the Orange Prize.  Set in the period of II World War the story traverses several countries, tracing the love story of a Japanese girl in the aftermath of the Nagasaki bombing.

2.  Shadow of the Wind by Carlo Ruiz Zafon.  Translated from Spanish, this is a part of 4-book series.  Hoping it to be as exciting as the back cover indicates!

3. Red Earth and Pouring Rain by Vikram Chandra.  I read 'Sacred Games' by the same author last year and found it impressive.  So, decided to pick up his first novel, which had received rave reviews but wasn't otherwise noticed by me.

4.  The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson.  The 2010 Man Booker Winner.  Nothing more to say.

5.  Way to Go by Upamanyu Chatterjee.  His 'English, August' was a runaway bestseller and was also made into a highly successful movie but he followed it up with a few duds.  Hoping this to be good.  

6.  Artemis Fowl  Series by Eoin Colfer.  Juvenile fiction.  But I'm a great sucker for these kinda books (following the Harry Potter series).  There are seven books in all but listing them all as one.

Non-fiction

7.  India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha.  The history of the world's largest and least likely democracy and its struggles, humiliations and glories.  

8.  The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong.  A former nun (who served the order for 7 years only to quit) writes with great insight about the fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  

9.  The Edge of Reason by Anil Ananthaswamy.  Dispatches from the frontiers of Cosmology.  A travelogue that celebrates the blood, sweat and tears that drives our understanding of the Universe, said The Guardian about this book.

10.  A Cultural History of Ladakh by Nowang Tsering Shakpo.  I was gifted this book by my colleague's  (Mushtaq Ahmed) father who was impressed with my knowledge of Bhutan, Buddhism and the Oriental Culture of Tibet.  The author's the first cousin of Mushtaq's father.  It also made me realize the relative non-importance of religion in relationships (the author's Buddhist, while my friend's a Muslim).

11.  I, Durga Khote.  An autobiography by the legendary actress, translated from Marathi.  My friend who visited Jammu left this behind after much persuasion :)

12.  Fooled By Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.  I am sure this book is going to go all over and above my head but still want to give it a try.  

13.  Storms in the Sea Wind by Alam Srinivas.  The much-public, all-over-the-media war between the two Ambani brothers caught the attention of the entire nation and even the courts and the government.  Might make for interesting read, albeit a little late in the day.

That leaves me at least another 12 spaces to fill. Any suggestions from friends who might happen to read this (apart from wishing me, 'Happy Reading')? 

Movie Review: 'No One Killed Jessica'

For a movie without songs, heroes, or the routine song-dance sequences, and for one based on real-life tragedy, ‘…. Jessica’ is pretty long – runtime of 2 hours and 20 minutes.  You notice that only once the movie’s over.

Arguably, Jessica Lall’s murder has bagged maximum print-space and eye-balls in the post-liberalization era.  Her case created the new vigilante media as we see it today in the country (albeit for a good cause).  Jessica’s has been one of the few moments when Indians collectively have come together in the recent years to fight a system that needs to be put into an ICU.  It is also one of the few cases where high-profile people have been finally brought to book (even as many other cases languish, despite media’s hyperventilation). 

When a movie was announced based on this episode I honestly was certain that it was only to cash in on the hype.  I wasn’t ready to believe the movie would be any good.  The promos didn’t help the cause either.  Rani mouthing dialogues laced with cuss words only made me think that the woman’s desperate.  But, watch the film, I did. 

The movie could well become an example for other Indian directors who want to make movies based on real-life drama.  Especially since MOST Indians (who ultimately end up watching this movie) knew almost every detail of the murder, the botch-up, the mistrial & the triumph of the evil and the final – much celebrated – victory.  So while the first half traces the tragedy, the initial trial and release of the perpetrators of the crime, the second half creates the story of a feisty, story-hungry journalist who single-handedly turns the case around and helps bring the culprits to the book through sting operations,  involvement of the public through marches and candle-light vigils and appeals to the Highest Authority in the Country and so on. 

The movie’s a winner because of performances.  Not a single false note by the leading cast.  Rani doesn’t bat an eyelid (nor do you sense any trace of inhibition in her voice) when she spews choicest gaalis (either in English or Hindi).  And most times they don’t seem to be added deliberately (barring one notable sequence when in flashback Jessica’s shown mouthing some, unconvincingly and needlessly too). No “My family’s been victimized; mujhe meri behen chahiye” speeches by the anguished Vidya (though I wish she was a little more fleshed-out than just being sad throughout).  Rajesh Sharma as the corrupt cop with a conscience is brilliant.  Barring a few dramatic court sequences (where the counsel for the accused is shown putting undue pressure on the witnesses) the movie flows like a calm river. And, they’re ably supported by a wonderful background score that lifts the movie a few notches.  The new girl as Jessica is very pretty too. The editing and cinematography are largely competent. 

There are flaws of course.  It’s a pity though that most of the other characters are uni-dimensional, un-fleshed and hence cardboard-like.  Rani's smoking's affected and Vidya's styling is atrocious.  The suave Manu Sharma’s been converted into a desi-dehati wide-eyed caricature (for God knows what reasons – to me it reflected a class bias).   You guffaw when you see it, but it still belittles Sikhs in the only scene they’re in.  Candle-light vigils happened in the Jessica case and the same was copied in ‘Rang De Basanti’ but here it’s shown the other way round.  Also, not much importance has been given to the styling of the people.  They remain the same through the years, over change of time and fashion.  And, most importantly, the credit for reigniting the case goes to Tehelka but in the movie it is NDTV that hogs it.  That’s a great disservice to Tehelka and its team.  I sincerely wish this was not done. 

Go see the movie.  Don’t flinch at the dialogues though!