Halal Love Story Movie Review

 

PC: IMDB

Important Note: This is an edited review of the movie after a second watch. Following the first watch, I had fruitful discussions over many aspects that I clearly missed out on, during first watch of this movie. As an aspiring writer about movies, it felt like it was important that I rework this piece including aspects I felt strongly about later. I rewatched, Zakariya's both the directorial ventures and was indeed amused by how creatively few things could be overlooked by the creator and thus very easily manage the audience to do the same.

Zakariya Muhammed became one of those filmmakers I really like, with his first venture Sudani from Nigeria itself, although I overlooked how in the movie,  the director ignored the inherent racism of our people in the quest to create a too good positive narrative.  Halal Love Story is another such beautiful slice-of-life story, which had the potential to be a feel-good yet thought-provoking tale of a group of people from the Malabar region of Kerala. The decision of the creators to play it "safe" just as in the story of the movie unfortunately did affect the potential of the movie to be a memorable one. 

Frustrated by the 2011 terrorist attack in the USA and the consecutive intolerance towards the Muslim religion and also the fact, there aren’t enough “halal” movies (morally and ethically acceptable movies) to watch, the group decides to create a home-grown television film, with "better" representation. How they manage to fulfill their passion project, amidst being restricted by the conservativeness of the community and financial constraints form the crux of the movie.

PC: Cinema Express

It’s beautiful to see how the storytelling of the duo, Zakariya and Muhsin Parari (who also worked together to create Sudani from Nigeria) along with co-writer Ashif Kakkodi, this time also recreate the magic of bringing in the reality aspect of the characters and their surroundings on point. Another interesting aspect of the movie was the many nuances included to subtly express the kind of politics, we all need to be reminded of. The sleek and on-point remarks made throughout the movie, do hit the right spots. Two common villagers wondering why the film crew stands in silence and later assuming that the national anthem might be going on, while in reality, the process of ambiance capture for sound sync was happening, is one of the best comments on the whole fiasco I have seen, after the iconic scene from Dileesh Pothan’s brilliance “Maheshinte Prathikaram”. A lawyer character’s brief dialogue, “Do you think anyone can win a case by just by telling the truth?” and the conviction of normalcy with which Navas Vallikunnu delivers the line is a brilliant slap, given with utmost love to all our collective conscience and the existing system. It is although sad that these efforts got reduced to few one-liners than portraying any perceivable change in the character arc of its protagonists. 

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Zakariya proved his caliber of bringing together brilliant performers who left a lasting impression in the hearts of audience in his first film; remember the adorable sisters Jameela and Beeyumma played by the wonderfully lovable, Savithri Sreedharan and Sarasa Balussery? The same effort has amplified the beautiful storytelling in this movie too, when an ensemble cast, of talented actors, are brought together to play lead roles and some even cameo appearances. Each of them ensured to give us impressionable and organic performances with what was given to them, not just the main characters but even to an extent that you can look out for the expressions of the character Aslam (I couldn’t find out his real name) and his team, who runs around the village to control background noises. Halal Love Story is a good example of how intensely funny, natural incidents and aspects of characters can be and how to write and execute jokes from the same with sensitivity. The perplexed exchanges between characters, Rahim Sahib and Thoufeeq while searching couples from the village for casting, few minutes of laugh riot set ablaze by a hilarious Soubin Shahir and the innocent expressions of various characters throughout, forming naturally funny sequences, all will make you laugh out loud in real. Look out for the really funny scenes of bizarre complications that arise out of the conservative mentality of the community or Abhiram Pothuval having a taste of the herbal trip or the scene where Sharafudeen casually tries to hide his horror after being shout at unintentionally by Joju’s character.

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If I start to write about impactful performances, this write-up will never end as each and everyone performed so organically along with the narrative, although few special mentions are unavoidable. Starting with the woman who will keep you captivated throughout her performance, Grace Antony. The same woman who became everyone’s favorite Simi, with a stark climax dialogue in Kumbalangi Nights, gets more to work with, as Suhra and she excels remarkably.

 

PC: IMDB

This leads to our next star, Indrajith Sukumaran, who effortlessly portrays the role of a typically conditioned man, blinded by his privilege yet with enough soft corner to better himself. His love for art particularly acting or let’s say over-acting, which could have been easily a caricaturish portrayal if done by anyone else, Indrajith handles the role without any overdoing. I wish the creators gave his character a little bit more of a narrative with depth. 

PC: Amazon Prime Video

While both the leading actors playing a couple competes in terms of performances individually, the chemistry and the conflicts between Grace and Indrajith are also well captured in the film. A touching discussion about a past grievance or an achingly funny discussion about a hug, are few examples of the same.

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Joju George is so naturally talented and versatile that he shines every time he is on screen as Siraj, the director of the film project. Look out for a scene where his expressions will make you crumble down with him, in response to a very heart-breaking remark. His performance in each film proves the point that he is a criminally underrated actor in the industry.

Sharafudeen continues to positively and steadily evolve as an amazing performer with each film. His scenes with the Rahim Sahib, the wise muse of the group played effectively by Nazar Karutheny feels genuine and funny. One of Rahim Sahib’s interactions with Suhra to understand a core conflict is also so touching to watch.

PC: On Manorama

Parvathy Thiruvothu in the cameo appearance does full justice to the role of an acting coach where she supports the actors to shed their inhibitions and use art as a medium to express their feelings. So does the cameo appearance by Mamukkoya as Abukka, steals one of the best scenes of the film, a discussion on capitalism and the hypocritical nature, humans tend to take based on circumstantial biases.

With all these positive aspects, I wish I hadn’t had to say this, but the movie is not without its flaws. Malayalam movies in general need to go a long way ahead in creatively progressing a conflict and finding a proper resolution to the same. Many conflicts and subplots generated throughout the story are either left to the audiences’ imagination or given a hasty conclusion. The strong performances by the cast do hold the narrative together but after the movie, few questions might puzzle you. Also treading too carefully when it comes to sensitive issues of conservatism within religions, does take out the emotions and convictions the creators probably wanted the audiences to feel. It's a fact that like in the first venture, the director doesn't ignore nor does he romanticizes the conservatism in this one, yet he doesn't openly criticize any of those blatantly regressive aspects either, except for the sarcastic remarks. It kind of felt like very subtle deceptiveness on a second watch carefully packed under sarcasm and organic performances. 

In conclusion, Halal Love Story is a good one-time watch and it is so heartening to witness, talented people, coming together on and off-screen for such amazing collaborations, keeping their egos aside and giving art, the utmost importance. While the older generation of actors in the Malayalam industry, seems to be on the wrong side of everything possible currently, the younger generation seems to be following their own paths of genuine creativity. Cheers to the hope that the future of the industry will be safe and better, in their hands.

 

PC: Halal Love Story Wrap up video on Facebook

 

 

Enola Holmes Movie Review

 

To all the mothers, fathers (yes, I don’t think parenthood is any genders’ single responsibility) and their children out there, Enola Holmes is a movie, you all must watch. If you need further reasons to substantiate my claim, do read further.

“Then why did she abandon you?” is the question used by many to silence Enola Holmes played by Millie Bobby Brown - “Stranger Things” fame who is a delight throughout the movie, seeing her constant conquest to find her mother, Eudoria Holmes. Not just for an American audience, but for a typical Indian society too, an unconventional mother like Eudoria bringing up a girl child like Enola alone, is a recipe for disaster. Goodness forbid if the parents especially mother leaves the child for whatsoever reason except for death, then when fathers will be termed irresponsible, mothers will be termed as everything bad the universe has to offer.  Our idea of parenting is never complete without parents especially mothers being overbearing on their children, restricting them in the name of disciplining, early on teaching them to fit into a box and following the herd.

Growing up, though I am pretty sure it wasn’t planned, my parents were a mix of both. By the arrival of the second child that is me, both of them were tired of pretending to give any damn as their efforts to retrieve matters were constantly proven to be in vein, but they were also torn between society’s expectations from them, about how to be perfect parents. So, while they implemented all the ideal parenting things the wrong ways, in their own unique ways, taught me the most valuable lessons of life. 

Like my mother always used to tell both me and my sister to do our paper works on our own, so from retrieving our long-forgotten birth certificates to starting a junior bank account, I remember being on my own, which at that point honestly felt like a bummer. She also insisted that both of us must get our masters degree and a job to have a source of income for ourselves. The amount of flack she received for sending her daughters out of state for education and she combating all of it with silence was an everyday incidence. 

All this while, my father taught me everything unconventional, things that “girls” are not supposed to learn or say and made me believe that I can do anything I wanted to. Whenever the traditional norms from family proved overbearing, he couldn’t or maybe he chose not to fight back but did assure me that it’s just a phase and I am not supposed to be bound by these for long and that I will find my way out. Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes in the movie, reminded me a lot of him.

Unlike Eudoria Holmes (played by the brilliant Helena Bonham Carter), none of our parents left us on their own but as the tides of age passed, we did part our ways on bittersweet notes and similar to Enola in the movie, since the parting, at each step, we started getting reminded of how everything good and bad they did, either made us vulnerable or prepared us good enough to take on the world on our own. Continents and states apart, over years our bond has only grew stronger and that happened not for the traditional manners they taught us but for the unconventional ways of parenthood they adopted and the courage and life lessons it gave us which were almost the only thing for us to fallback in times of crisis. By being the way, they were originally, they paved ways to support us even when they were not around, which I believe is the best gift of love and concern you can provide your child. Like Enola, we might take a bit of time to recognize that “it’s a world that needs change”, but trust me we will be forever grateful.  

Stop feeding into the godly image of parents on a pedestal set by the society and be yourself to your children. Make them understand that we are all individual with flaws and prone to mistakes and vulnerabilities. More than that both the parents having their own lives, career, aspirations and dreams will only inspire the children to develop their individual personality and generate the courage to build and chase their own life.

Our actions speak louder than words for the kids, so unabashedly fight against the societal norms and they will get the knowledge and courage to fight back on their own automatically. From their childhood, speak out against the norms that society tries to impose on you, your children and their upbringing. And moreover, the world is not perfect, not even close, although it pretends to be. Do not let the children believe so either, prepare them to be the changemakers who will bring in the shift we aspire to see, one tiny change at a time. “Our future is up to us”

Just like my whole narrative on parenting has multiple versions to it, with twists and turns good enough to take forever to conclude, Enola Holmes movie also has multiple narratives coming together to create a complicated storyline, with so many plotlines that doesn’t always find the proper conclusion. But when has parenting, parents, children and their upbringing ever been a straight road? So, I didn’t find it too much distracting. Enola Holmes is a movie that has the potential to be the perfect alternative to the utterly unrealistic and harmfully generalized stories that we feed to our children.

While Enola Holmes as a movie does also carry a narrative of typical Sherlock Holmes mystery solving, for me it was more about the journey of a woman in search of herself although she believe otherwise, a mother who believes in a purpose bigger than what the world can digest, familial bonds that grow along with us and finally about being oneself in a world bound to change yet adamant not to.

P.S. I somehow could sense the Tewkesbury family mystery way ahead, from the time the puzzle is on screen, is it the fault of storyline or my brain is way too good with finding rusting yet poisonous family creature adamant against change?

Picture Courtesy: IMDb, Boston Herald, Comic Book News, Roger Ebert, Screen Rant

 

 

Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare Movie Review

 

PC@ Pakaoo

Watching Dolly Kitty Aur Who Chamakte Sitare was like a reality check on how much, I, as a woman have crossed over almost 30 years and how much life and its experiences have changed my values and perspectives. To put it very simply I was a full-blown Dolly (played by the spectacular Konkona Sen Sharma in the movie), trying to do everything perfect for everyone around her hoping that will bring in the happiness and content she is looking for. Complicated relationships with parents early on which never gets addressed, blatantly wrong social conditionings about norms, body, gender, and almost everything, somehow becomes a fault or limitation of ourselves which our family and partners never cease to exploit amongst many others.  Worst is, you accept it, you abide by it, you change yourselves and do stuff which are against the very moral fabric trapped deep inside yourself. Yet you do it, for appreciation, for love, for validation, and in the hope that someday you right the wrongs done to you, never stopping to explore the reasons behind what happened or do a reality check on the fact that, did these many years of self-depreciations has actually proven to be any worthy.

PC@ Pinkvilla

Anyone doing anything against this mundane structure or worst-case scenario anyone who called out the fact that what is happening is unjust was kept at a distance or better shamed not because they were wrong, but they represented everything that you wanted to brush under the carpet. We were actually scared of them as they could see through our carefully shadowed yet very very fragile projective display of a self, we never related to, yet stuck on for the known devils were easier to handle than to step into the world of unknown devils. Over the initial years before the change, I have met many Kittys (role played by the adorable Bhumi Pednekar), who were amazing women who dared to move away from the norms and lived for themselves before anyone and I used to wonder were they born like this or were they brought up by some sort of humans, we are yet to discover.

Until one day something drastic happened and I myself stepped into the world of Kittys and discovered that they were neither born that way nor had some superhuman parents or not even a perfect life it seemed to be. Their world mostly was equally messier, confusing, and full of battles, but what made it so much worth it, was the intoxicating feeling of liberation that came with it. This painstakingly beautiful life was difficult but it was ours, the norms, values, decisions, happiness, pain, all of it was ours.

PC@ Scroll

I heard so many women and men discarding the movie as a third rate Ekta Kapoor sexual fantasy, now if you have read up to this part, you must have already understood why those many women might have said that. And about men, we can’t blame them either much, because it might be naturally hard for them to understand the joy of being able to decide for oneself when you have been denied that right for the smallest to the biggest decisions of life. I am not saying men have it all easy, so if you want to relate, probably think of that time when you wanted to cry your heart out but was stopped from doing so because you were a man or the time when you wanted to quit that job which was killing you but couldn’t because you had the whole family’s economic and social responsibility on your shoulders; you might be able to relate to almost 50% of the pain that women go through since the time they are born.

Now to spell it out for you, I am not advocating for Ekta Kapoor since I personally have ideological differences against almost all the content she dished out mostly, but I admire her when she occasionally supports projects like these, where the slice of life stories get the platform it deserves, credits need to be given where it’s due.

And if your problem in 2020 is to so lately realize that women are humans with all kinds of feelings (yes, including sexual feelings), even when they are single, mother, divorced or whatsoever, then whichever God you believe in, pray a bit harder, because you, my soul, is in need of a deeper divine intervention. Jokes apart, If you are genuinely someone who is yet to explore these topics stepping out of the severely wrong conditionings fed to all of us, do watch Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare movie and many others, if the visual medium is your thing, there are many books, films, people out there who are lately creating quality content you can explore and understand further. 

But if you are someone who is just out here to criticize blindly and expects people to feed to the same narrative, remember my advice above, pray a lot harder. All the best. 

Alankrita Shrivastava has always touched my heart by telling stories that resonated with those deep core feelings of women since her debut movie “Turning 30”.  She amongst many other brilliant female directors in the industry is a perfect example of how a story will get a perfect spin-off of reality and intensity when it’s told through a women’s perspective.

Yet since then, the one and only constant problem one might find about her movies is the fact that she tries to incorporate a lot of topics in one universe that the core messaging gets a bit diversified. Probably for people like us who thrive on stories, it might become an added sweet touch but mostly for the general audience, that can turn out to be confusing and distracting. Honestly, the added plot points on how her interactions change over time in the overly patriarchal workplace atmosphere or the heart-warming story arch with her own son who is far from the general norms of gender that society adheres to, or the overwhelming and deep conversation she has with her mother felt like the cherry on top of cheesecake for me. Although some other side topics of religion, moral policing, body politics, and an abrupt incidence of public violence seemed to be half baked and more like plot points included just to conclude or make a point hastily.

Minor flaws points in storytelling like these apart, the movie proudly can boast on its fantabulously capable star cast.

                                                                                                                          PC@ Netflix

Konkona Sen Sharma as Dolly proves that she is just the best out there by showcasing so brilliantly the denial even when she knows the reality, the fear, and pain of confronting her own demons, the joy of that momentary happiness of realizing her own feelings which she believed to be long-dead and the courage to finally step out of shadows. Actress, writer, and director, a brilliant one at all of it, I am a fan of this woman.

PC@ Bhumi Pednekar on Instagram

I am also super happy that Bhumi Pednekar finally stepped out of the patriotic reselling bandwagon of movies that she was recently type casted to. As Kitty aka Kaajal, she effortlessly portrays all those phases of a woman who tries to make it big in her own life defying social norms yet being humanly confused and messy. Huge shout out to the always adorable and dependable Vikrant Massey, Amol Parashar, and Kubbra Sait, who did their part with honesty and beauty. Aamir Bashir as Amit was a revelation at least to me as he played the part very naturally, looking forward to more of his work. (I will dig into his previous work, in case I have missed out on a gem). I am glad to see Karan Kundra finally out of the tormenting Roadies show life, but unfortunately, DJ Johnny felt like having a Roadies hangover, here is hoping that you get better roles to explore the craft further. Music by Clinton Serejo and Arjuna Harjai didn’t add much to the movie either, neither the lyrics nor the songs stay with you moments after it’s screened.

PC@ womensweb

Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare on Netflix is a movie that is a must-watch just as equally as the other ventures by Alankrita, like Lipstick Under My Burkha and the series Made in Heaven in Amazon Prime; if you are someone who can understand the nuances of human emotions under the seemingly surface level shenanigans we tend to display, you will not be disappointed.

Picture Courtesy: Pinkvilla, Scroll, Instagram, Pakaoo, Womensweb, Netflix

C U Soon

 

Off late I have been trying my best to shed my attachments to material tags especially related to religion, caste, and places of origin, but with regards to the food and creative sector, I am proud to be born to my homeland, Kerala. The amount of quality creative artwork that the land produces is beyond comparison, especially in the current scenario.

We are all torn between the desire for privacy and the fear of loneliness. We need each other and we need to get away from each other. We need proximity and distance, conversation, and silence. We almost always get more of each than we want at any one time. - Andy Rooney

I read this quote while researching online privacy controversies surrounding Facebook started surfacing years back. After watching the Amazon Prime release of the Malayalam movie, C U Soon, this quote came to my mind again. The dichotomy of new-age connectivity can become tricky to an extend that can be mind-numbing. 

It's been a year since I wrote a movie review; coincidence or not, the last movie I reviewed, Virus, was a path-breaking film for the Malayalam film industry considering the storyline as well as the strong performances by such a huge cast. A year later in a situation where the whole world is fighting a pandemic, where most of the movie industries are resorting to passing this phase by releasing films completed and at various stages of post-production, this bunch of extremely talented artists decides to innovate and create such a brilliant movie and I guess that's what makes the Malayalam movie industry different.

 

How well do we “really” know the people we meet in the digital world? Can technology surpass human instincts and emotions? Is there any information of ours online, that a fairly expert hacker can’t dig out? How much privacy do the online features promising to secure our information actually provide us? One is made to think a million such questions while watching the movie C U Soon and long after the movie is over too.

Jimmy played by an amazing Roshan Mathew is our typical Mallu young guy working in the UAE who keeps trying his luck in online dating regularly. On one such swiping right-left instance on Tinder, his profile matches with Anumol Sebastian played by the extremely talented Dharshana Rajendran. What starts off as a regular online infatuation, escalates quickly to a marriage proposal by Jimmy which eventually lets all hell break loose.

When situations start going out of control, Jimmy seeks help from his cousin and a professional hacker, Kevin Thomas played by the actor par excellence, Fahad Fazil; watch out where a sea of emotions are expressed intensely by Fahad using just his eyes towards the end. What unravels during these interactions is a story that will keep you on your edge throughout the roughly one and hour movie.

(C U Soon Official Trailer)

Interestingly, for a movie almost entirely backed up by technology, the backbone remains to be the emotions and struggles of our everyday lives. What is this so-called new generation romance? Does technology change the depth of any of our emotions? Does everyone get a chance for due diligence of the opportunities they are presented with? The makers never let you disconnect from these probing thoughts.

Although, it’s the director Mahesh Narayanan who upstaged everybody else with his talents which proves to be excellent in multiple areas of film making (he also brilliantly juggles the Cinematography, Writing, and Editing responsibilities of the film). To create an entire feature film using an iPhone and making the audience comfortably sink into the digitalized version of storytelling, I don't think can be every director's cup of tea.

Gopi Sundar’s background score creatively amps up the mystery of the storyline. Similarly, an impressive thriller background score in the regional cinema I saw last was by Ron Ethan Yohann in the movie Game Over (do check it out on YouTube- “Game Over- Original Score |OST|”).

It doesn’t goes to say that the movie doesn’t have minor flaws especially how some aspects of the story unfold, but it hardly affects the storytelling that one might or might not notice. Given the current situations and very limited resources, the fact that the team created such a brilliant movie is nothing short of marvelous and the whole team of C U Soon deserves all the accolades. 

Instead of creating fake conspiracies on real-life people which is the latest trend, watch such fantabulous thrillers where the movie will make you create your own conspiracy theories every half hour. 

You can watch the movie online on Amazon Prime. 

Picture Courtesy: Mathrubhumi Online, Scroll, Medium.com, Indian Express, Samayam

Alvida Sushant

First, let me start by saying that this is not a review of the movie, Dil Bechara. Honestly, I haven’t even written a review since last year, as the hard to reconcile relationship between my heart and body and thus between my life and happiness kept increasing.  I won’t be able to do that also since I could hardly watch the movie properly, in between pausing to look at Sushant and crying and repeat. And most of the dialogues which took a whole meaning after he left us, didn’t help either. But ever since his death and the circus that followed, it was like the already heavy feeling inside my heart almost started to become unbearable. I desperately sought a way to let it out and all I could do was write; so here I am, trying.

So why am I so bothered? Who was Sushant for me?

Honestly, I was just another normal audience of Sushant, and I was not even a die-hard fan or didn’t even know about him much, until his death. I am a sucker for people who smile beautifully and that I remember, was the thing that made me notice him on screen for the first time.  His smile had a mix of charm, innocence, and an honesty to it; ‘ekdum kaathil’ (killer smile), which made me smile and am sure it did the same to many people too. That’s it, that’s all I ever knew about him.

Then why his sudden demise created a dent in my heart and his last movie broke and somehow fixed it too?

The only answer is that, I guess I can relate to the pain that might have led to such a decision. I have been there, not once but a couple of times, freezed at the horror of realizing the complete disconnection and hollowness in life. No, I am not comparing my pain to his, this is not a competition. I can’t even probably think of the struggles he went through but yes, I can relate to that pain or sometimes just emptiness. When I saw him in #dilbechara, in this manic pixie avatar, weeks after realizing he left, it broke my heart. I couldn’t help but wonder throughout the movie’s duration, that if he was hiding all that pain under his smile and acting around in real life too. 

The dialogue,

“Can we just pretend that I am not dying. I am not going anywhere. We will live like this, right?”,

just felt like a dagger that went straight into my heart. Probably Manny helped him a bit to survive coz I know when it comes to matters of heart, it’s always easier to cast a smile and assure everyone that all is well than reach out and seek help. Call it what you may, but it’s just easier, to hide than walk out of the mask and answer a million questions. The whole filmy side of Manny and even portions where he shows his feelings and pain might have helped Sushant, at least for a while.

The news of his cause of death shook me mostly, also because it stirred up all those emotions of people close to me who left me abruptly when they chose to exit. Sunitha Ma’am, the only kind soul in a school I struggled to survive and Renju, a dear friend who helped me gather the courage to fight for myself but left without sharing her struggles; last and the deepest wound left by Appa, when he also decided to pull the curtain of the celebration he called life. And this is a list I hope to dear goodness, that never extend; as the emptiness, they left behind will haunt me for the rest of the life and I can’t bear anyone more joining this list. The day Sushant passed away, I watched a lot of his songs and somehow ended up crying, it stirred up the memories of all these people and the pain was just too much to handle.

Up until Appa, I felt immense pain but mixed with an anger of them leaving with still so many questions unanswered and I kept seeking answers as to how they could take such an “easy” way out. Cut to 6 years later, here I am after the roller coaster ride of life, understanding with every inch of my mind and soul, how it feels, that it never was an easy way out, that probably it took so much more courage than to actually live or that the pain or emptiness just outweighed everything else.

The pain of being left behind after people leave, always somehow stopped me from giving the same pain to people who love me, but there were instances when that reasoning wasn’t strong enough to stop the wrenching pain from taking control.

“Sometimes I feel like a reality show contestant. I am about to be eliminated but someone vote for me and I manage to stay on for another week.” – Kizie Basu, Dil Bechara

During a chance encounter in my latest hospital stay, a fellow patient who became a very close friend super-fast, pointed out kindly that, no matter how much ever grave my situations were, just before the ultimate drowning, I always had someone or something that pulled me out of “that” moment. We continued with our conversation, but that sentence made me think that entire night, about how true her point was and how such things are so evident, but one fails to notice, while in pain. Sometimes I guess that’s what close friends and family are for, to not to invalidate our pain but also help us notice the obvious, time and again.  Often it’s just a moment, one need’s to overcome to stop taking that step from where there is no coming back; I was lucky enough I could have people or interventions which made me look beyond, however bleak it looked and hope that things will get brighter someday soon. But for some, we all somehow unknowingly missed those moments and just like this Rajkumar Junior, they walked away forever, hopefully finally leaving their pain away for good and with their smiles intact.

What hurt me even more after his death was the insensitive publicity stunts and social media outrage that followed his death, the details of which I wouldn’t even get into because I believe they don’t deserve the attention they are getting. If there is anything good, I could figure out from this whole chaos was something I started realizing a few years after my Appa’s death but refused to accept. The lesson is that

“closure is overrated especially when it comes to death. No matter what the cause of death is, I believe a soul won’t leave this universe unless it’s time for them to go.  Once a person has left this existence in the physical form, nothing that you do, say, or find out about their exit, is going to make a difference. It will only feed onto your denial and only prolong the inevitable grief. The sooner we realize that it will be a bit easier to handle the pain.”

‘It’s easier for you to say unless it happens to you’- might be the first thought that came to your mind reading that, but I hate to admit that as much as you do and it took me years of denial and pain to finally accept it. 

So, my humble request to all the justice warriors out there is, if there is a person you want to support, do it while they are alive. If not, sit back in silence, grieve, and then cherish the whatever good memories we shared with that person. Come to think of it, we are kind of lucky, with actors like #sushant, we have a chance to see them whenever we want, at least on screen. And if you genuinely feel, there was an injustice done to Sushant, decide today that you will see movies of all actors without any bias from which background they are from, stop feeding into the hype consciously created around #starkids, stop feeding into clickbait stories and so on, coz breaking news my friend, we are equally responsible for whatever is wrong with #bollywood. If you still decide to hurl abuses and accusations at people associated with Sushant even to an extend of leading them to mental health conditions that Sushant had to be in, create or feed onto conspiracy theories and be the flagbearers of online justice, my dear friend, both you and me know, Sushant is of no concern to you, only your desperation to gain fame even in the worst of situations is and for that, I don’t even have pity to spare.

Sushant is no more amongst us, which is painful, to say the least but his life, his passion, his energy, that Kaathil smile and every other quality he shared during his time will stay with us and are reminders for us to be better, to smile openly, to live with passion, to reach for the moon (almost literally  J ) and more. Send in love and light out to the universe whenever you are reminded of him. 

I think the best quote to summarize Sushant’s parting views for us probably would be the most haunting voice over in the movie Dil Bechara by Sushant,

“We don’t get to decide when we’re born or when we die. But we do get to decide how we live our lives.”- Manny- Sushant Singh Rajput

P.S. I know I said I won’t review the movie, but I cannot complete this write up without mentioning the effort to create this movie. 

Kizie aka Sanjana Sanghi, your performance was so beautiful that it ached equally with Sushant’s. You made Kizie relatable and deeply inspiring to hold on even in the direst of circumstances. Thank you, AR Rahman sir for creating another beautiful soul-stirring album; all the songs especially the gem, “Mein Tumhara” will stay with us forever.  

A huge shout out to Sahil Vaid, Saswata Chatterjee, Swastika Mukherjee, and Saif Ali Khan for honest performances, which helped us naturally be a part of Kizie’s and Manny’s story. John Green, thank you for breaking our heart with “The Fault in Our Stars” and mending it too, for telling us that no matter what, life goes on. Last, but not the least, thank you Mukesh Chhabra, for bringing all of them together and this story to life, giving us a chance to bid a farewell to Sushant, though it wasn’t intentional.

And lastly, here is hoping that everyone who is grieving Sushant’s loss finds the strength to brave this extremely difficult time.

Finally,

Dear Sushant,

Goodbye. Thank you for being you. Here is hoping that you are in a better place probably happier amidst your favorite moon and stars.

Love,

Rachana Rithu

One amongst your million fans

Picture Courtesy: #youtube, #IMDb, #DNA, #RepublicWorld