Book Post 9: ''Inglorious Empire'' by Shashi Tharoor

Book Name : 'Inglorious Empire'. Alternative title 'Era of Darkness'

Author : Shashi Tharoor

Genre : Non-Fiction

What is it about? : Its about the British Rule in India and how it was totally detrimental to India. Shashi Tharoor demolishes every possible defense of the British rule in India. All the benefits that some people usually attribute to the British like the Railways, Education, Rule of Law all were designed to serve Britain's Interests alone.

How I came to read it :  One of my friends suggested the book to me. He had borrowed the book from the local library and after he was done I borrowed it from him.

Did I like it? : Loved it. A very insightful book

Why/views/summary  : I have read a ton of books about the British. But in most of the books which I read they were secondary players. Books like 'The Last Mughal', 'Sahibs who loved India', 'The Last Nizam', 'Begums, Thugs and Englishmen', 'City of Djinns' had British playing important but secondary role. They gave me a good picture of the British times and of the many of the atrocities they committed but 'Inglorious Empire' presents all these facts in a systematic manner. Shashi Tharoor has taken all the common arguments which favor the British Rule and he systematically destroys them with data and contemporary accounts. There are some damning data in the book,for example, take this - ''In 1600, when the East India Company was established, Britain was producing just 1.8 per cent of the world's GDP, while India was generating some 23 per cent. By 1940, after nearly two centuries of the Raj, Britain accounted for nearly 10 per cent of world GDP, while India had been reduced to a poor 'third-world' country, destitute and starving, a global poster child of poverty and famine.''

Why should you read it? :
I believe the book should be read by every Indian. If not the whole book then at least Chapter 4 called 'Divide et Impera' is a must read. Every Indian should know the legacy of their past and how the British reduced it to shambles by the time they left India. Also its a good reminder of how and why our forefathers fought for freedom and why the idea of a democratic India was and is such a cherished thing. 

My Top 8 favorite Hindi movies

I don't usually watch Hindi movies. Having watched English movies since childhood it became a habit. The mainstream Masala movies of Bollywood have not helped either. But as my eyes opened to the world of Hindi cinema I found out it has its own masterpieces and brilliant pieces of works. Over the years I have watched, very selectively, a few movies which have stayed in my mind long after the movie ended. Here are a few of my favourite Hindi movies. Most of the movies mentioned below I have watched with friends at their insistence.

When choosing these movies I have stuck to my personal mantra that 'More than the story, the moments in a movie stay with you'. The following movies all have excellent moments in them. Also they are in no particular order.

1. Lootera
Lootera is a criminally underrated movie. Featuring the best performance of Sonakshi Sinha till date it is a shame that it did not perform well at the box office. Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, one of the directors I keep a track of, it is a period movie set in the 1950s during the abolition of Zamindari system. It is based on O.Henry's short story 'The Last Leaf'. The film beautifully recreates the essence of Bengal of that time. The costumes are perfect, the acting is brilliant, the music is soulful(Amit Trivedi is another underrated star) and there are those memorable 'moments' that I spoke of before. Like the scene where Sonakshi's character and Ranveer's character are involved in a road accident. It is a simple scene made memorable by the execution. Its in these kind of moments that Lootera rises above a number of romantic movies of Bollywood. For me, Lootera remains one of the first movies I mention when talk of underrated movies comes up. 
Link to Wikipedia Article on Lootera

2. Rang de Basanti
What to say about this cult movie. Our group of friends watched this movie together at my home on our PC. And it remains a highlight of our childhood memories. At that time we were not aware of the impact this movie had on the youth of the country(Check out the section titled 'Social Influence' in the wiki entry for this movie) but it sure had an impact on us. We constantly referred to its themes of friendship and the uber cool style of its characters especially Siddharth's and Sharman's. Siddharth's dailogue 'Welcome to India su' and his lighting his cigarette with a burning stick will remain our childhood's 'cool' moments. The central story of the movie is about a group of college students whose lives change irreversibly when they decide to act in a documentary movie about India's freedom struggle. As they learn more and more about the struggle they grow more and more disillusioned with the current state of affairs both personally and in the country.  The movie has everything, brilliant acting, excellent soundtrack by A.R. Rahman, a good storyline, and heavy doses of patriotism including religious harmony. All of these pieces are held together and they all complement each other. Overall a master piece.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Rang de Basanti.


3. Taare Zameen Par
Another of Aamir Khan's gems, Taare Zameen Par can move people to tears and yet feel happy by the end of it. Amol Gupte was the man behind the idea of the movie and he also directed most of the movie before Aamir Khan took over the reins. The story is about a boy struggling in his studies and life due to Dyslexia. A kind Art Teacher played by Aamir understands the kid's struggle and helps him overcome his problems. A lot of Indian kids can relate with the parents attitude in the movie.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Taare Zameen Par

4. Haider
Haider is a classic of Hindi Cinema. Directed by the brilliant Vishal Bharadwaj whose filmography is worth taking a look (notably Maqbool and Omkara), Haider is an adaption of the Shakespeare play Hamlet. Set in the backdrop of Insurgency hit Kashmir of the 90s it is the story of Haider, a student who searches for answers about his father's disappearance. The direction is sharp and the cinematography haunting. Add to it an excellent background score, Haider will leave you shaken. No mainstream movie has shown Kashmir the way it is shown here. The presentation is raw and hard hitting. Also the cast is excellent. Shadid Kapoor is excellent in his role of Haider,but it is Tabu who steals the show. There are a lot of political sub threads too running in the background like forced disappearances, the fear of the state, the trauma of the general populace and others. To illustrate the last point there is a scene in the movie where a man stops in front of a door mumbling to himself. No matter how much his mother calls him to step inside the home he doesn't. Then Irfan Khan's character intervenes and frisks him and gives him the go ahead to move. Only now he gets inside the home. A simple scene but speaks volumes about the people there. All of this has been excellent portrayed in the movie.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Haider

5. Kahaani
The only mystery thriller on this list, Kahaani stars Vidya Balan as a pregnant woman searching for her missing husband in Kolkatta. The film is high quality with its elements of suspense and mystery. The characters are top notch, especially memorable is a character called Bob Biswas. It became so popular that there was clamor among the public to make a spin off movie on Bob Biwas. Sadly it did not happen yet. For me the character I enjoyed the most was Nawazuddin Siddiqui's role as an IB Inspector. This was one of his first major big roles and he reveled in it. Viday Balan too is excellent here and carries the whole movie on her shoulders. The final twist is perhaps one of the finest in Hindi Cinema and for me Kahaani remains my favorite Hindi thriller till date.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Kahaani

6. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
ZNMD as it is popularly called is a story of three friends who go on a vacation to Spain and the people they meet there. The movie is fun, sharp and witty. The poems of Farhan Akhar are an added bonus. There are a lot of moments of friendship in the movie that will make you drop everything, call you friends and plan a trip. Remains my second favorite movie about friends after number 2 on this list.
Link to Wikipedia Article on  Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

7. Ishqiya
Ishqiya is a black comedy starring Viday Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi, all class actors. Set in a rural background Ishiqiya has witty dialogues, excellent chemistry between Naseeruddin and Arshad warsi and catchy songs.
Link to Wikipedia Article on  Ishqiya

8. Tummbad
The only Horror movie on this list Tummbad is an underrated gem. Set in the Pre-independence days the sets and costumes are authentic, adding to the creepy nature of the movie. Its the story of a man searching for a hidden treasure in the village of Tummbad. For me the number one criteria for a good horror movie is the atmosphere of dread it creates and Tummbad absolutely nails it in this area. There are downright nightmarish characters and absolutely scary situations. I am a huge horror fan both of stories in the written form and movies. Keeping in mind all of my horror fascination in mind and the work that I have read and watched I can safely say that Tummbad is one of the best Hindi Horror movies ever. If I can take it a bit further it can be even be called the best hindi horror movie ever.
Link to Wikipedia Article on Tummbad

Book Post 8: "The Engineer in History'' by John Rae & Rudi Volti

Book Name : The Engineer in History

Author : John Rae & Rudi Volti

Genre : Non Fiction.

What is it about? : As the name implies this book traces the origins and the evolution of Engineers in History. Of course Engineer as a designation and a profession came into effect only recently during the Industrial revolution.

How I came to read it : This is one of those books I had marked for reading when I went on a round of libraries on UBC campus. Being an Engineer myself I was always interested in the History of Engineers.

Did I like it? : Yes I did. It is one of the best books on Engineering in general.

Why?/Summary/My views : The book is spread out into 10 chapters with each chapter dealing with the different time periods of human history. It is a well written book which traces the evolution of the place of an Engineer in society. The term 'Engineer' is a recent word developed during the Industrial Age in Britain. But the role of a builder of practical machines and buildings was called different things in different places and times. The book traces all the significant periods and the people who made Engineering what it is today. There are also interesting pieces in the book like an personal accounts from diaries of people involved in building projects of ancient times and other interesting tidbits of info.

Why should you read it? :   If you an Engineer this is a must read book as it makes you understand the place of Engineer in a society and how it evolved over the years.

Book Post 7 : "Saladin" by John Man.

Book Name : Saladin

Author : John Man

Genre : Non-Fiction

What is it about? : Life of Sultan Saladin, focusing mainly on the crusades and the buildup to the Battle of Hattin.

How I came to read it : I had first heard about Saladin while playing the video game "Age of Empires 2" as a kid. It featured a whole level with Saladin as the main character. My interest in him piqued after that but I never actually made an effort to read a book about him. Recently my brother sent me a youtube video clip of the movie "Kingdom of Heaven" which shows a conversation between Saladin and Balien (Defender of Jerusalem) during the Battle of Hattin. This clip roused my interest again and promptly I requested my friend, who is a member of the Vancouver Public Library to get it for me which he did.

Did I like it? : Liked it. But I couldn't help but compare John Man's writing with that of William Dalrymple's. I felt that Dalrymples's writing has a dreamy quality to it which Man's writing lacks. On that note, I would suggest any history fan to definitely give Dalrymples's 'City of Djinns' a read. Delhi will never look the same again after that book.

Why/views/summary  : 

I am a history fan. That's one of the reasons I picked this book. And John Man beautifully traces the life and times of Saladin nicely. 

Before I go further let me just give a brief overview of who Saladin was for those of you who are unaware of his life. Saladin was a king of Egypt and Syria during the 1170s. He was the founder of the Ayyubid Dynasty. 

The book starts off with explaining the situation of the lands before the birth of Saladin, then during his childhood and later as a young man. Then the author details how Saladin gained experience of battles and administration. And finally the penultimate chapters details the build up to the Battle of Hattin, which was Saladin's greatest achievement. The last 2 chapters are devoted to explain what made Saladin great and about his leadership qualities.

Why should you read it? :
In these times of religious strife the book gives a better understanding of the dynamics of the Crusades and brings forward the story of one of Islam's most famous and righteous king. 

AECS Manuguru Diaries.P2. The Kings of Summer

As a kid I was never into sports. I played cricket occasionally but it did not interest me much. I was more into watching English movies and reading books. And among movies, adventure genre was my favorite. One of the things from these movies which fascinated me was a tree house. I always wanted to build one. One summer in my Eighth grade I started working on it.

Our school had a vast open land in front of it. It was dry with shrubs and bushes all around, punctuated with some trees here and there.It was something like the grounds in the videos of Serengeti that they show on the Discovery channel. This was a perfect place to build a tree house I thought. At that time I was good friends with a kid called Harsha. He was a strong healthy kid whose one goal in life was to become a soldier or as he called himself 'Army Man'. So everyone else did the same. So one fine day I told army man my plan to build a tree house. He was readily up for it and added in his own ideas.

It was the summer season then and summer is the season when magic happens. Our colony was transformed into a dry and desolate land every summer. The roads wore a deserted look in the afternoons, evenings were spent outdoors, rasna and roohafza were the order of the day and school used to finish early in the afternoon.

One fine summer day we decided to put our plan for a tree house in action. First we did several recces of the area after school time and identified a tree. But try as we may, we could not figure out a way to make a house on top of that tree so, in true kid logic, we decided to make one at the base of the tree itself.  So slowly everyday after school we made our way to the tree and built the house. First the foundation and the skeletal structure, which didn't take much effort.We gathered four stout sticks and rammed them into the ground at four corners. We built a mound of soil around the sticks to reinforce it. Next step was to build the walls. This we did by gathering many slender sticks and holding them in place by cords we got from home. Soon we had the house almost ready.  The roof of the house was also made in the same fashion. We covered all the walls and the roof with branches and leaves. So finally our tree house was ready.

But all of this was not without some hurdles and hiccups. This whole adventure had one of only two instances where I got into a physical fight with another kid. I don't remember how it started and what led to the fight. All I remember is me hitting him in the stomach and he landing a few blows on me. It ended as soon as it began. The funny thing about all of this was that later we became good friends and he even helped me in building our tree house.

Our tree building was interrupted briefly after two of my favorite teachers saw Harsha and me wandering off into the fields after school one day. I still remember the scene. Standing on the footpath which separated the road and the field they shouted our names and called us back. There we got an earful about the dangers of the field and the animals which roamed there. This stopped our visits for sometime but we soon resumed as soon as the matter was forgotten.

After our tree house was finished we spent some time visiting the place and spending some time around the house now and then. Gradually it was forgotten and we moved onto other stuff. Years later the whole place was cleared and there now stands a number of new quarters. Whenever I walk past that road I cant help but recall those carefree days when the top most priority of my life was to build a tree house in a dry field.