To Each His Own Cinema- Fight Club

"Three Minutes.This is it- Ground zero"

David Fincher's Fight Club recently completed its 15 years. For me, It is undoubtedly the best movie I have ever watched. It's a satire on the structure of modern society and the growing Lonerism in Our Branded Lives. It's inspirational. It introduces you to the strength of your subconscious.

It's your best companion when you're low and it is philosophical in its own way. And there are so many hidden elements to look for in the movie that I find it fresh every time I watch it. 

We did shoot a 3-minute film !

3 Minutes(To Each His Own Cinema-FightClub)
Below is the screenplay I have written as a tribute to this great cinema.

To Each His Own Cinema- Fight Club

A guy is kneeling with a gun barrel in his throat.

GUY

(Voice-over)

People always ask me if i know them.

ASSAILANT

Three minutes. This is it. Ground zero.Do you have to say few words to mark the occasion?

GUY wakes up.He uses a towel placed next to him to clean himself up.He looks at the clock. It shows 3 PM.He gets up and starts walking towards the mirror.

GUY

(Voice-over)

For six months, i could not sleep. I could not sleep, could not sleep. With insomnia, nothing is real.

The projector starts on its own.

GUY

(Voice-over)

Everything is far away.

GUY looks at his laptop placed 3 feet away from him.Walks slowly and sits in front of it.

Someone knocks the door. GUY opens the door. He gets a punch right over his eyes. GUY comes back and sits in front of his laptop.

Someone knocks the door. GUY opens the door. He gets a punch right over his eyes. GUY comes back and sits in front of his laptop.

Someone knocks the door. GUY opens the door. He gets a punch right over his eyes. GUY comes back and sits in front of his laptop.

Someone knocks the door. GUY gets a punch right over his eyes.

Someone knocks the door. GUY punches himself right over his eyes.

Someone knocks the door. GUY punches himself right over his eyes.

The movie begins.

ASSAILANT

3 minutes. This is it. Ground zero.

-FIN-

Movie Review: Haider (2014)

"हम हैं कि हम नहीं । "

Haider is an adaptation of Shakespeare's play Hamlet. The plot is based in the beautiful valley of Kashmir which is also the land of dispute between India & Pakistan and has been used to accentuate the philosophy of "to be or not to be". Set against its backdrop is the story of Haider, a young Kashmiri who seeks vengeance against his uncle who is romantically involved with his mother after his father's death and is also Haider's prime suspect in the event of disappearance of his father.

Key Ingredients:

1.  Language and subtle use of Urdu poetry in the dialogues have been used as substantial tools in the movie. The dialogues are written by Vishal Bhardwaj. The writer has made a splendid use of literature in the screenplay. The use of symbolism and metaphors is equally loudable. Some of the dialogues which are very catchy metaphors are:
आँच कम कर लें थोड़ा ।
घर नहीं , पूरा गांव जलवाएंगे आप ।
मैं डॉक्टर की रुह हूँ ।
"हम हैं कि हम नहीं । "
The collation of AFSPA in Kashmir with CHUTZPAH, a word which sounds like Chutyapa (a Hindi cuss word).
The film is full of scenes depicting dark humor. Three old men gleefully digging their own graves and inviting Haider to dig one for himself which is to exemplify that joining militancy in Kashmir is equivalent to death. 

2.The film makes cerebral use of satirical comedy. The signature scene to highlight this is the one in which Rooh tricks a Kashmiri to get into his own house who was refusing to do so.It is a satire on AFSPA and militarization of Kashmir. Also there are two characters who are big fans of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan (Bhai). Their names are also Salman. They behave/act like Salman Khan even in the most intense situations which is Vishal Bhardwaj's dark humor at its best. 

3. Unlike most Bollywood movies in which the characters unrealistically start singing songs in appealing voices with background music from "god-knows-where", in Haider three of the songs have been actually sung by the characters without the background music ( Aao na Haider, Gulon Mein Rang & Do Jahan). Only two songs "Khul Kabhi toh" & "Bismil" have been added to commercial value to the movie. But then the choreography of "Bismil" is another high-point of the movie which needs a special mention. It portrays the aggression in Haider to take his revenge and also is an essential scene of the movie through which everyone comes to know of his real intentions. 
The music is somewhat influenced by the regional folk-music of Kashmir. I felt that background scores were missing in many of the scenes. Adding more scores could have made the movie more interesting and intense.  

4. Another incentive for watching Haider is its cinematography. It is one of the best photographed Bollywood movies. Moreover the beautiful Kashmir Valley gives wonderful opportunities to make it a exhilarating visual experience for the audience.

5. The actors have done a tremendous job. Kay Kay Menon as Khurram, Haider's uncle, is so existent that you are not sure if he is really the one who is involved in his brother's killing till he himself says so. Tabu has "lived" Ghazala in the film. She fancies of Khurram as her body and Haider as her soul and is helpless in their conflict. This is a very rare mainstream bollywood movie in which the actors have actually tried to incorporate the regional accent. Even though the continuity is missing in the same. 

Haider is a scintillating cinema. Though the editing part is very average. However, we must not overlook the fact that the movie was given 42 cuts to get it ratified by the censor Board of  India which has evidently infected its flow.I rate this movie 8.5/10.