Besan Ka Halwa

'Brevity is the soul of wit,' they say. UPSC loves brevity. And if you can pour a little wit in it, their day is made. Before we delve into the ESSAY paper for Civil Services Exam, I would just like to point out that this article is going to be brief. I won't really instruct or implore you to follow any guidelines or apply any 'tips and tricks', my dear friend. *Because essay is a matter of the heart and mind. And every pair is as beautiful and insightful. So we'll talk about the 'soul' instead. (*Note: never start a sentence with 'because'- a teacher once told me.) (**Also note: question all advice- nothing is sacred. THIS PAPER gives you room to experiment.)    I scored 161 Marks in Essay this year. Although I respect the fact that without these marks my rank would've been 'not-so-good', yet I view it as a considerably minor issue when compared to the amount of fun I had while writing those 2 essays. (Or in fact most o...

A Spectrum in Black-and-White At the outset I would like to declare that after winning global accolades including the Golden Lion last year, the lion's share of the 91st Academy Awards belongs to 'Roma'- Alfonso Cuaron's magnum opus. The film beats other nominees squarely in major categories- direction, screenplay, cinematography, production design et al. When you have a clearly superior piece of work getting the most nominations the competition doesn't seem to be too tough this year.  Roma is a roman-a-clef. Derived heavily from Cuaron's own childhood, the film is a repository of near-perfect images of imperfect lives spent by the Mexican upper middle class in early 1970s. At the centre of it all is Cleo- the serene, observant, gentle yet sure-footed housemaid who grapples with 'personal', 'professional', 'political' matters, dogshit, betrayals, bad omens and a devastating foetal rupture. The character is played by Yalitza Apari...

Mricchakatika is a Sanskrit play composed by Sudraka, dated between second century BCE and fifth century CE. Nothing more is known about Sudraka except that he was a well learned Kshatriya king and a Shiva devotee.  Sanskrit scholars would put Mricchakatika into the technical category of ‘Prakarana’  as it is- an imaginative plot based on worldly life; with a serene and dignified hero (Charudatta- a Brahmana merchant); and has ten acts based chiefly on the concept of Shringara or love. Also it is a Sankirna Prakarana as it has a courtesan as its heroine.  The drama is set in Ujjayini during the rule of King Palaka of the Pradyota dynasty (fifth century BCE). However it is supposed to have been composed during the Post-Maurya/Pre-Gupta period. The plot of Mricchakatika is strikingly partly similar to Bhasa’s play Charudatta. Some scholars describe the former as an extension or elaboration of the latter. The story’s protagonist is a noble impoverished young Brahmin,...

Dhuein ka Dosh Nahi Hai by Vikram Grewal 'Haraf' Dilli dilwaalon ki toh kab se thi Par fefdon ki baat alag hai Laal kile par dhool toh thi Ab kaali ret ki baat alag hai Dhuein ka dosh nahi hai. Raj dhaani mein raj toh tha Par jalti dhaan ki baat alag hai Rumaal meri jeb mein toh tha Ab chehre par hai toh baat alag hai Par dhuein ka dosh nahi hai. Pehle ped kaat ke aari ghis di Phir gaadi ki chaabi ghis di Jamna mein har bimaari seench di Sadken baari baari kheench di. Dhuein ka dosh nahi hai. Jahaan baadal paar chadhti lift ki tarakki Bandh daftar ke behosh wahi hain. Neechi sadkon par rengte nange badan Ke saath aur sarfarosh kai hain Dhuein ka dosh nahi hai. Ye dhuan nahi O Haraf! Uthhan ka josh yahi hai. Toh bebaak phoonk le punji apni  Koi afsos nahi hai Dhuein ka dosh nahi hai. Dhuein ka dosh nahi hai.

Best Picture: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Lead Actor: Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour” Lead Actress: Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Supporting Actress: Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” Director: “The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro Animated Feature: “Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson Adapted Screenplay: “Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory Original Screenplay: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh Cinematography: “Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins Film Editing: “Dunkirk,” Lee Smith Sound Editing: “Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King Sound Mixing: “Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin Production Design: “The Shape of Water,” Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau Original Score: “The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat ...

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri What works: Everything. From nowhere to nowhere- an overwhelming ride in a small town with hateful yet lovable characters. Ground breaking screenplay and a brilliant ensemble. This film is THE must-watch for this year. What doesn't: McDonagh not getting nominated. Oscars Expected: 4/7 (Best Actor Female, Best Supporting Actor Male, Best Screenplay, Best Film)

The Shape of Water What works: Conviction. This outlandish tale brings you home. Score, performances, production design. Green is good. Direction is earnest and committed to del Toro's style of filmmaking. What doesn't: Nothing new per se. Predictable storyline. Polarized characters. Oscars expected: 3/13 (Best director, Best production design, Best score)

Darkest Hour What works: Gary Oldman. Winston Churchill. Gary Churchill. Winston Oldman. Production design, lighting, decor and ominous ambience. What doesn't: There are no fireworks here. The story is predictable (duh). The film is clenched by the leading man so tightly that you just do not have time to appreciate other efforts. Oscars Expected: 2/6 (Best Actor, Best Make up)

Phantom Thread What works: One of the most unique romances. Impactful performances by the lead and supporting roles. Greenwood's score. Elegant costumes. PTA's weirdly effective dialogue.  What doesn't: It's an imperfect movie just like its imperfect characters, that's a plus as well as a minus for it.  At certain places, the pace of the film is testing.  Oscars Expected: 1/6 (Best Costume Design) 

Dunkirk What works: Use of three distinct time-threads. Nolan's technique. Earnest performances. Minimum dialogue, maximum experience. Hans Zimmer's quintessential tension building score. What doesn't: The realist view of war instead of the idealist glorified version might put off some in the audience. Oscars Expected: 2/8 (Best Sound editing, Best Editing)