Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 263

10 Book Reviews Under 10 Minutes

So I read ten books in the month of March – ranging from some intense non-fiction, to some light Manga. All those ten titles are quickly reviewed under ten minutes in the latest podcast episode of Abstract AF. So if you are looking for some interesting new book suggestions, do give it a listen –

Also, please subscribe to the channel. The podcast is all about books, movies, poetry and other such stuff.

‘Paper Lives’ Review – Of Lost Childhoods & Broken Men

“To All The Children Who Grow Up All Alone On The Streets”

Thus begins the dedication of the 2021 Netflix film from Turkey called “Paper Lives”. It’s almost ironic, because most of those children won’t have the opportunity to watch it. Maybe it’s to sting us – who’ve had the privilege of a roof over our heads all our lives, with mothers and fathers looking into our well-being, sparing time and money to ensure we grow into productive individuals with the luxury to ‘Netflix and chill’ in their free time.

Directed by Can Ulkay, ‘Paper Lives’ follows the life of Mehmet, an ailing man who runs a solid-waste warehouse. Most of his employees are poor orphan boys who would’ve been sleeping on the streets if not for the little money they make out of collecting scrap. With no family himself, Mehmet is sympathetic to the boys. So when he finds a bruised little boy crawl out of one of the sacks his men collected, Mehmet quickly becomes a foster father of sorts to the lost child. Next begins a quest to possibly re-unite the boy with his mother.

Shot largely in Istanbul, the film offers a mixed slice of Turkish life, from dingy lanes where homeless kids sniff glue, to sparkly blue waters where happy families picnic on sunny Sundays or the waters of the traditional Turkish baths, where men meet, sing as they wash their fatigue away. There’s an interesting juxtaposition of two parallel worlds, one with bright city lights, of material pleasures; the other of these orphaned overworked men, who are constantly pining for their mothers. Mehmet’s own bucket list has “find mother” on the first line.

Actor Çagatay Ulusoy as the benevolent Mehmet delivers a measured performance, while Emir Ali Dogrul as lost boy Ali was just as vulnerable as his character demanded. However, the pace is slightly slow and the plot is melodramatic. The director could’ve toned down the intensity with which Mehmet strives to protect Ali. While the bond between the two was heartwarming in parts, Mehmet’s emotional attachment to the boy within a day felt slightly absurd and over the top. The mood flits between being dark-oppressive to light and touching. The makers deceptively portray waste-collection like a fun job in some scenes, like the one where Mehmet and Ali happily hop around town looking for cardboard, boxes and bottles, as if they are on a treasure-hunt. But these little sequences save the story from becoming a tedious sob-fest.

There are a lot of scenes that feel dragged out and the viewer is left to wonder why Mehmet gets so much of the spotlight, because the synopsis/trailer makes one believe that it’s a story about how an older man is forced to confront his childhood demons as he warms up to an innocent child. Director Can Ulkay attempts to tie everything up in the climax, scenes that didn’t make sense early on, fall into place like pieces of a puzzle. “Paper Lives” needed some snipping, despite being just one 1 hour 37 minutes long, the runtime could have been shorter and would have been more engrossing.

It’s a 6/10 from me.

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‘Caught By A Wave’ – Quick Review

Notice how the poster of the 2021 Netflix film ‘Caught By A Wave’ is reminiscent of ‘Fault in Our Stars’? They are both teen romance flicks, although ‘Caught By A Wave’ has only one dying protagonist, while the other one has both leads suffering from a terminal illness. Here’s a reference picture of both of them side by side –

Directed by Massimiliano Camaiti, ‘Caught By A Wave’ tells the story of Sara (Elvira Camarrone), who meets and falls in love with Lorenzo (Roberto Christian) while attending a sailing summer camp in Sicily. So expect beautiful blue waters under the Sicilian sun which will stir up a desire to travel.

The cheery Lorenzo falls for the feisty Sara, unaware that she suffers from a serious illness. Can the two young lovers weather it out? Director Camaiti uses classic tropes to carry their story forward and there is little left to the imagination. But the picturesque locations and an adorable lead couple might keep a lot of viewers invested in the film. Actor Elvira reminds one of Emma Watson and is exceedingly cute as the teen trying to keep up her spirit despite having a life-threatening condition.

‘Caught By A Wave’ is not nearly as dramatic or tragic as ‘The Fault In Our Stars’, and that’s probably a good thing. The chemistry between the protagonists is on point and what made it more believable was the fact that the two share the same passion – of sailing. While it’s not exactly a very memorable movie, it’s makes for a pleasant watching experience.

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Teresa’s Man & Other Stories From Goa

Finished reading book no. 30 for the year – A collection of 14 short stories by Damodar Mauzo. It starts with a quirky tale of a Goan couple that has never ‘swapped spit’ in their 5 years of marriage; the book then moves on to some sobering stories of poverty, philosophy & misplaced pride.

While ‘Teresa’s Man & Other Stories From Goa’ is a translated work, Mauzo’s story-telling prowess is not lost in translation at all. The writer sets up an intricate world for the readers with every new setting and makes one wonder with excitement about what’s going to happen next. Except for two stories that couldn’t hold my attention, the others were engaging and capture different moods of the Indian life. Some stories end rather abruptly and you wish for more.

One of the least likable stories was titled “For Death Does Not Come”, which is told through the perspective of a snake. While all the other stories had human protagonists, this one struck a little odd in the collection. Even the theme of the story felt insincere – it’s about a water-snake trying to protect her child through an unforgiving summer terrain. The thing is – most snakes are not maternal, some of them will even eat their kids if hungry; so out of curiosity I looked up water-snakes and true enough – the mothers do not take care of their offspring. Maybe the writer wanted to show us the non-existent maternal side of a creature that is often demonized, but it doesn’t really work. If one had to pick a favorite, it would perhaps be the last one that’s about a bunch of writers attending a literary conference in Delhi. It was intriguing and fun to read.

The title tale “Teresa’s Man” was disappointing, because it almost glorifies toxic masculinity & domestic violence. It’s important to note that the stories were written between 1960s & 2009, so modern readers might not relate to the outdated social mores reflected in a few of them. That said, it’s an enjoyable read & I loved a few tales. The book is available on Kindle Unlimited.

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Evidence of The Affair – Quick Review

Finished reading book number 29 for 2021 – Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It’s about how a woman called Carrie starts writing letters to David, whose wife is having an affair with Carrie’s husband. The two strangers use each other as a crutch to cope with the betrayal of their long-time spouses.

The story is set in the 1970s & the story unfolds exclusively via letters. We get to read letters written by four different people, but they all sound so similar that it feels like the same person is forging some of them. It’s perhaps understandable when a book has some dozen plus character and one or two sound alike, but getting repetitive with just four characters is disappointing. Especially because this is a novella sized book that one can finish in an hour or so.

While I haven’t read anything else by Taylor Jenkins, ‘Evidence of the Affair’ wasn’t particularly impressive. Although Jenkins does manage to convey how difficult ending a marriage can be for some people. The language was simple and easy to read, not very memorable and slightly boring in bits. While I did not hate it, it didn’t exactly have me hooked to every page either, but it’s a decent pick for a quick read. It’s a 3/5 from me.

Do check out our new Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.

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Nights by Kou Yoneda – Quick Review

What do you do when you spot a Yaoi Manga at an Indian book store at a crazy discounted price? YOU BUY IT.
So I did not think twice before buying Nights by Kou Yoneda and wasn’t disappointed by the impulsive decision. It is a quick engaging read, with interesting stories.

The first short involves the Yakuza, so it’s all about crime, drugs and some double-crossing. The last one is borderline-mundane but sweet – about a blossoming romance between a shy car mechanic & an introverted sales representative. The artwork is quite nice and not confusing, because for those who aren’t used to the Japanese style of reading left to right can often be left confused while reading Manga.

Kou Yoneda keeps his stories pacy, serious, with very subtle humor thrown in. What I liked about the tales is that they are not exaggeratedly smutty. Basically, it’s not a book that you need to hide under your bed, considering the “explicit content” warning on the corner of the cover. It’s going on the top rack of my bookshelf 

Reading Vikram & The Vampire From 1978

Every country had its favorite set of children magazines until the internet took over the world by storm and lured kids into staring at flashing screens all day long. In India some of the most popular comics for kids growing up in the 80s/90s were Amar Chitra Katha, Chandamama, Champak, Chacha Chaudhary, Pinky and Tinkle. However, Chandamama is the oldest of the lot and was first published in 1947, the year India attained independence.

Chandamama is a magazine that would have multiple generations nostalgic, right from my grandfather who was born in the 40s, to folks my age. My grandfather grew up reading Chandamama and would often buy us a copy when we were growing up too. I recently found an old copy from 1978 and started reading it immediately. It was inevitable that I turn it into a story-telling episode and share the joy of reading ‘Vikram & The Vampire’. So listen in to the latest episode of Abstract AF to hear a short-story from the 70s.

Pagglait Review – Refreshingly Sane Take on a Young Widow & the Indian Family

There is a pretty common joke in India – about how most students in the country decide on their careers after they finish getting their engineering degree. It’s funny because it is true for a lot of people. And I have been thinking how there should be another joke on women from middle-class families in India – about how they realize what they want to do only after they get married… but it’s probably not funny, because a lot of them don’t really get to what they want. Sure, they realize what they want, but that doesn’t mean they get to do it.

The 2021 Bollywood film ‘Paglait’ directed by Umesh Bist explores the emotions & aspirations of a young house-wife called Sandhya who is widowed within 5-months of her marriage due to the untimely demise of her husband. The ancestral home of her in-laws is filled with relatives, all grieving the death. But Sandhya is unable to shed any tears, it’s as if nothing has happened. A relative gingerly attributes it to ‘PTSD’ (post-traumatic stress disorder).

To make things worse, she finds a photo of a pretty girl in her deceased husband’s closet, making her wonder if he had been cheating on her. Sandhya then takes it upon herself to find out more about the girl & the two start to meet. All of this is happening while an elaborate 13-day death ceremony is being observed for her dead husband. Things take a dramatic turn when an insurance agent informs them that Sandhya is the sole beneficiary of Rs 50 lakh.

Director Umesh Bist wittily captures the internal politics of Indian families and how money can make strangers out of blood-brothers. From a pitiable widow who nobody really wants to take responsibility for… Sandhya becomes a cash-cow that’s target of petty schemes. Sanya Malhotra who plays the lead role is effortless and charming, almost reminiscent of Kangana Ranaut’s Rani from Queen – the film that won all our hearts in 2014. Although, it’s perhaps unfair to compare Sanya to anybody, because she holds her own in the film, even when pitted against veteran actors like Ashutosh Rana and Sheeba Chaddha.

Pagglait, which literally means a mad woman in Hindi, is ironically a very sane film about a young woman trying to find her voice and place in the world. A woman who at first had resigned to the whims of her family but now sees potential in doing more, who doesn’t want to be dependent on anybody.

The film celebrates female friendships, Sandhya’s best-friend Nazia is always by her side, standing by her through her mood-swings and whims. Sayani Gupta who makes a small cameo as the ‘other woman’, is a treat to watch even in her little scenes. A lot of viewers would be able to relate to the small family feuds and funeral rituals that are shown in the film.

The music in the film for most parts is great and has been done by Arijit Singh, the soft-melodious tracks, with lyrics often in sync with the plot unfolding on the screen add a lot of depth to the story-telling. Pagglait is funny, quirky, emotional and moving, with a believable climax. Sandhya is not without her flaws and even succumbs to a petty outburst at one point, but she realises her weaknesses and isn’t afraid to apologise and move on. And that’s what this film is about – about fixing your mistakes and moving on to brighter, better days.

The movie is available to stream on Netflix, so watch it whenever you get time.  

Poetry Night

Give yourself to me in bits and pieces
like a treasure map
made solely of doodles
hidden in a book
the key to which you hand out with every kiss
planted amidst the hills – shrouded in mist
and some slipped into my hand when I stand by the sea

Gift wrap your nooks and corners
and hand it over on a mundane Sunday
when you shyly whisper, “My heart was racing like a hare on Meth until I could hug you..”

Tell me about the place you call home,
a wall you love and what makes your skin crawl
that warms your heart like a bowl of soup
and the colour of the sky when you cried.

Slide into me like sudden rain knocks on my window
making my fingers shiver
and my feet curl in anticipation

Slip your secrets under my skin
like they are finally home

Listen to Abstract AF’s podcast episode 17 – poetry special.

Hear Nivedita & 3 other poets recite their work. Do subscribe to the channel.

‘News Of The World’ Is Hollywood’s Wild West Version Of ‘King Uncle’

When I was a kid, there was a Bollywood film that often came on television called “King Uncle”, which was released in 1993. It’s about how a strict middle-aged man warms up to an unruly orphan girl, becoming a father-like figure to her. The 2020 Hollywood film “News of the World” starring Tom Hanks can pretty much summed up the same way = middle-aged man warms up to an unruly orphan girl. Fine, Hanks is not exactly middle-aged anymore; but this movie strongly reminded me of ‘King Uncle’, however different they may seem. Moving on to the plot of ‘News of the World’…

Tom Hanks plays Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd who comes across an abandoned 10-year-old girl called Johanna. He finds himself ending up with the responsibility of handing over the orphan to her aunt & uncle who live in another part of the country. The story is set in the 1860s, a few years after the American civil war and it’s still pretty much the wild west out there. Kidd makes his living by reading the news from town to town, and travelling with a kid in the unforgiving terrain of Texas is not going to be easy. Captain Kidd and the kid encounter quite a few dangerous people on the way, can they survive the savagery of the wild west? That forms the rest of the narrative.

Director Paul Greengrass and team do a pretty good job with the historical sets, which convey how deeply divided the nation was, with indigenous tribes being brutally butchered and a debate raging across the land over the abolition of slavery. What however might be disappointing to some viewers is the fact that there is very little news reading in the movie, sort-of betraying the theme of the title. Although one can understand how a lot of ‘news-reading’ can just come across as very boring to most movie-goers. The little reading that Captain Kyle is intriguing and offers insights to the prejudices and beliefs of the time.

Helena Zengel who plays the little orphan girl Johanna manages to steal some scenes from veteran co-star Tom Hanks, despite having very limited lines. Those from the supporting cast don’t get enough space to make a lasting impression. In-fact, some of them could have had all their scenes removed from the film and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference to the story at all.

While Captain Kidd’s story is interesting, the pace of the storytelling is slow and the runtime could have been a lot shorter. The 1993 film ‘King Uncle’ is more entertaining, even with all the usual Bollywood song and dance. It’s a 6.5/10 for News of The World from me.

Do check out our new Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.

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