taare zameen par

Fuck slice-of-life, pretentious, layered, textured, loaded-with-subtext, real, abstract cinema.

Give me these larger-than-life cinematic moments when you couldn't dream of reaching the stars, when boundaries were strictly defined, when we yearned to touch them, when our aspirational levels were super high, when we cherished little successes after endlessly looking forward to them not taking anything for granted, when our grins travelled from ear to ear upon simple acquisitions.

When laying hands upon the tickets to these cinemas and literally smelling them meant the world to us.

Give me back my 1980s. If only I could trade in some of current inconsequential stuff for those moments.

Notice how, from 2.13 - 2.20, Balu takes us on a ride with his

...vasantaalu ennosthunna kokilamma kaburedi...

and is in his absolute element when he, from 2.27 - 2.34, goes

...naa yede tummedai sannidhe cheraga...

s.janaki . chiranjeevi . s.p.balasubrahmanyam . suhasini mani ratnam . ilaiyaraaja

truly,

stars on earth

external push

Sit inside a car. Try pushing it. You cannot. You are a part of the system.

Get out of the car. Now try pushing it. You can, albeit a little.

Is this why people living in far off lands feel they can bring about a change, however little, to their home lands?

Do they feel empowered by stepping out of the state?

judgmental errors

For the lemons it throws, if my life were a reality show, I wouldn't want Farah Khan, Sajid Khan and Anu Malik for judges.

I want to marry her

Allah!