HIGHWAY _ A Praise

HIGHWAY
Hindi|2014| Dir:Imtiaz Ali 

This is not a review but an appraisal by a fan after watching it twice. There is a scene in Highway where'Mahabir', the tough guy played by Randeep Hooda, just couldnt control his painful thoughts about his mother and tears just flows out of control&also there is this moment where Veera (Alia) laughs out alone watching the eccentric stream splashing through an ardent rock and her laugh turns out into tears. These moments can only be filmed by an Independent mind and this can be surely called as an Independent film. A classic example of stockholm syndrome and a really refreshing road experience which stands superior to a lot of so called Road movies.

ALIA BHATT

One cannot imagine another girl portraying Veera after watching this film , as Alia easliy fits into an array of emotions, she is terribly strong at what she is doing. I havent recently watched such a brave female portrayal and Veera will remain for a long time.
A R Rahman

The tracks were already playing in mind before entering the hall, but other than a film album, this film is musical in every bit. Each song is opening a fresh window to a new story.'Tu Kuja'played at an unexpected situation is clearly the continuation of expression of Sufism , the presence of divine and something beyond that. The audio experience created together by the musician and sound designer is just mind blowing. 

As many scenes were freshly shot amidst the journey it may not be following a concrete script but it offers a different experience, much more realism and some thing yet to be filled as it is in the case of a real journey. The visuals are breath taking, whether it be the highways of punjab or the hilly terrains of Himachal.
From its lengthy silent shots in its starting to the quickly moving scenes towards its end, film carries us from the mindset of the captivated to a horizon of freedom and bondage. The missing feel of companionship was strongly felt in the climax and it was equally painful and peaceful to watch it. Highway may not be a perfect film in its evaluation, but it is a must must watch for many reasons.

Pattanam Stories #1

Pattanam is teaching me life in some more naive manner. Here i went for a post wedding dinner gathering of one of our labour, at his home nearby our site. Lit up by the harsh video light, decorated by red colored shamiyana clothes and some red plastic chairs , i was feeling home and relaxed. My mind started comparing the same with those dinners i used to have in city with more educated and cultured people .Here i was not bothered about those table manners, not a bit hesitant to ask for more food, the warmth that i felt is not explainable through words. One major thing i observed there was that grandma,the oldest member of the family whose ear seems to be retired, was coming close to everyone to see their faces clearly. She introduced herself by saying her name 'Janaki', and she was little embarrassed to tell that name as it was put some decades ago. She was like "oh my name was put long back, too old for these days ", and we consoled her by saying how beautiful that name is. I was wondering whether i could find such an old woman in a similar occasion talking with the guests in an urbanized setup as the next generation would be hesitant to present her before the Society. 
                                            And above all after a long time my taste buds got activated, as i could taste some really delicious home made fish delicacies. As we all posed for a group photograph , the fuse wire broke and we all fell into the dark and everyone was busy fixing it, that too in a harmony that is not easily visible in cities. I was thinking about the fragile people and the unending happiness they share within this small livelihood. No matter how small our world is, the happiness that we

are looking for is already within us.

Counting Happiness

Pattanam is teaching me life in some more naive manner. Here i went for a post wedding dinner gathering of one of our labour, at his home nearby our site. Lit up by the harsh video light, decorated by red coloured shamiyana clothes and some red plastic chairs , i was feeling home and relaxed. My mind started comparing the same with those dinners i used to have in city with more educated and cultured people .Here i was not bothered about those table manners, not a bit hesitant to ask for more food, the warmth that i felt is not explainable through words. One major thing i observed there was that grandma,the oldest member of thefamily whose ear seems to be retired, was coming close to everyone to see their faces clearly. She introduced herself by saying her name 'Janaki', and she was little embarrassed to tell that name as it was put some decades ago. She was like "oh my name was put long back, too old for these days ", and we consoled her by saying how beautiful that name is. I was wondering whether i could find such an old woman in a similar occasion talking with the guests in an urbanized setup as the next generation would be hesitant to present her before the Society. And above all after a long time my taste buds got activated, as i could taste some really delicious home made fish delicacies. As we all posed for a group photograph , the fuse wire broke and we all fell into the dark and everyone was busy fixing it, that too in a harmony that is not easily visible in cities. I was thinking about the fragile people and the unending happiness they share within this small livinghood. No matter how small your world is, the happiness that we are looking for is already within us.