The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, my first Haruki Mukami novel

Disclaimer : I've tried not to disclose any spoilers; but read at your discretion.

I recently read my first book by Haruki Murakami : The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (WUBC), as part of my September book club reading. I read the English translation by Jay Rubin. The original Japanese edition was released in three parts, which make up the three "books" of the single volume English language version (published in 1997). Hence, WUBC is a rather thick tome of 600+ pages! For this novel, Murakami received the Yomiuri Literary Award.

The plot

The genre is Magical Realism. Through the adventures of the protagonist, the book takes the reader on a path of self exploration. On his surreal journey, Toru bumps across an eclectic set of characters, receives inappropriate phone calls, descends into dreamlike realms, gets exposed to mental and physical defilement, and confronts deep shadows of Japan’s wartime past. The book questions the concept of 'free will'.

The narrative starts off fairly simply: A Japanese couple’s cat suddenly vanishes in the city of Tokyo, and it sets off a chain reaction. The husband, Toru Okada, has recently quit his dead-end job as a 'professional gofer' at a law firm, and embraced household chores like duck to water. His wife of six years - Kumiko is an editor at a health magazine, who earns a decent income. Her brother, Noboru Wataya, is an academician turned politician, who is the media’s pet but hated whole-heartedly by Toru. One fine morning, while Toru is cooking spaghetti, he gets propositioned by a strange woman on the phone. He remains curiously unmoved by her seduction. Meanwhile, he looks for the missing cat in an alley behind their home, stumbles upon an intriguing house with an abandoned well (the cursed Miyakawi House), and exchanges bizarre conversations with an ethereal 16-year old high school drop-out, May Kasahara.

The plot thickens slowly, as Toru’s humdrum existence is rocked by unanticipated events and unknown individuals. He often hears an unseen bird making a sound like the winding up of a spring, as if to spur a toy into action. He compares himself to that bird, calling it the Wind-Up Bird, that puts dormant things into motion. His wife gradually grows distant from him, his brother-in-law recruits a woman by the name of Malta Kano to help track down their cat, and he is left a mysterious keepsake from his wife’s elderly family clairvoyant, Mr. Honda, after his death. The latter is delivered to his home by a one-handed war veteran - Lieutenant Mamiya; who was the late Mr. Honda’s senior, and a mapmaker in the Kwangtung Army during World War II. The recurring appearance of a 'psychic prostitute' - Creta Kano (Malta’s sister), introduces elements of sex, intrigue and pain to the mix.

Ad hoc guests keep dropping in at Toru's place, shattering his peaceful solitude. He gets sucked into several peculiar experiences. Toru had been given the house by his wealthy uncle at a subsidised rent. Through him, he hears of folklore about some previous neighbours, including former residents at the abandoned Miyawaki house. When his wife disappears one fine day without any of her belongings, he suspects that she may have fled with another man. Without showing any signs of a deranged husband, he seeks to calmly get her back despite receiving a letter from her requesting a divorce. Taking a leaf out of Lt. Mamiya’s book, he descends into the depths of an empty dry well, and ruminates there for three days. He obtains specific insights through visions in the darkness of the well, along with a curious blue scar on his right cheek. His uncle recommends that he meet with the local real estate agent for additional local gossip, as well as that he roam the streets of Shinjinku to seek inspiration. Toru follows this advice with remarkable persistence. This brings yet another interesting character : Nutmeg, into his newly expanding social life. The talented yet taciturn lady, along with her stubbornly silent son - Cinnamon, change the course of Toru’s fortunes. 

Multiple parallel threads, running at a rapid pace, keep the reader hooked. They begin to converge toward the end, providing clues to the eccentric behaviour of some of the characters. However, not all the jigsaw puzzles pieces fit neatly together at the end; some gaping holes are left to the interpretation of the reader. 

Does the cat return? Is Toru united with his wife? What about the wind up bird? Read the book to find out!

The Characters

A few characters are the total antithesis of each other, e.g. Toru and his brother-in-law, Noboru Wataya. Toru is an unambitious house-husband, rebelling against the 'mechanical / scripted' existence; whereas Noboru is a go-getter chameleon, wielding his obnoxious power on everyone around him.

Kumiko is a tortured soul, who becomes 'tainted' (of her own admission), and removes herself from Toru’s world to spare him. Creta’s character has a complex relationship with pain. She undergoes a difficult childhood and early adulthood, until she eventually finds her calling as a medium. Malta Kano’s obsession with water, the “flow” of life, and the missing cat, is a forewarning of the impending challenges in Toru’s life. The whistling waiter probably represents Mr. Honda as he is shown to be carrying the Cutty Sark bottle to the hotel room - 208. Cinnamon is the boy who foresees the violent death of his own father at the hands of Noboru; helped along by his man Friday - Ushikawa. Cinnamon and Toru are thus bonded in their antagonism towards Noboru. May Kasahara is full of contradictions - her morbid talk about death, her fascination with wigs, and ambiguous ethics, provide the necessary support and periodic lessons to Toru. Nutmeg’s memories of her repatriation to Japan on board a ship, toward the end of World War II, hold the key to her association with Toru. Her enterprise of designing garments, and the serendipitous gift of ‘healing’ people, is quite the original touch! Lt. Mamiya’s accounts of the war, and his blood-curdling tale regarding Boris the Manskinner, highlight the atrocities of war, and raise an ethical dilemma regarding the World War II. 

Each of these people enter Toru’s life for a reason, and help him at critical junctures in his odyssey.

Music

Since childhood, Murakami has been heavily influenced by Western culture, particularly Western music and literature. Many of his novels have themes and titles that invoke classical music. Each of the three books contained in WUBC mention famous classical music pieces-

• The Thieving Magpie (after Rossini's opera), 
• Bird as Prophet (after a piano piece by Robert Schumann usually known in English as The Prophet Bird), and 
• The Bird-Catcher (a character in Mozart's opera The Magic Flute). 

In the book, there is a brief appearance by a guitar player, the protagonist listens to classical music while cooking, and also “sees” a waiter in a hotel whistling to the tune of Rossini’s “The Thieving Magpie". This is my first Murakami book, and I was not aware of these pieces of music either; but it seemed to me that he cleverly uses Music to convey certain moods. 

My Observations

The prose of this book is clearly its strength. It evokes a vivid imagery in one’s mind - be it of landscapes, brutality, pain, or day-to-day chores. The author's rich imagination shines through the original and eccentric characters he has come up with. The various letters and newspaper articles progress the story forward. The dialogue is shocking and unexpected at times. 

Toru is shown to be cooking various dishes throughout the book, but the cuisine is always American, no mention of Japanese food (say sushi) anywhere. A baseball bat shows up in various phases of the book. Clearly, Murakami is inspired by the American flavour. There is an underlying theme of cleanliness, organization and a preoccupation with sartorial finesse - Toru and Cinnamon's OCD, and Nutmeg's fixation with appropriate clothing and accessories. Ushikawa is clearly their antithesis.

Murakami has attempted to present Toru as a modern, slightly emasculated version of the Japanese male; whereas his women are more of mediums through which men learn valuable lessons.

I had not been aware of Japan's expansionist policies in the early twentieth century, and its invasion of Manchuria (Manchukuo), in northeast China. The elaborate story of the Zoo attack in Hsin-ching, in August 1945, was mind-numbing. The book enlightened me on the history of political tensions between Japan, Soviet Union, China and Mongolia. 

I also learned that the Japanese keep an 'earthquake kit' handy for emergencies. It made me cognisant of the extreme fickleness of the weather there. This explains the contradictions in their culture - full of innovation and creative expression, but inexplicably ruthless at times.

Quotes

A few quotes are quite powerful, and relevant even today!

~~~~~

“I used to wonder if he could hear what the spirits said to him if he was so hard of hearing. But maybe it worked the other way: the worse your ears, the better you could hear the words of the spirits.”

“To say that their reception of me was cool would be an understatement. The doors of all the world’s refrigerators seemed to have been thrown open at once.”

“Nothing so consumes a person as meaningless exertion.”

“He had mastered the art of delivering the fatal blow with a purr and a smile.”

“Going out to work can be tough, not something sweet and peaceful like picking the prettiest rose in your garden for your sick grandmother and spending the day with her, two streets away. Sometimes you have to do unpleasant things with unpleasant people, and the chance to call home never comes up.”

“I sensed the darkness around me increasing in density, much as the evening tide comes to fullness without a sound.”

“Once it has taken root in your heart, hatred is the most difficult thing in the world to shake off.”

“All I do here is do the work that my bosses tell me to do the way they tell me to do it. I don’t have to think at all. It’s like I just put my brain in a locker before I start work and pick it up on the way home.”

“After the momentary satisfaction of having decided something of his own free will, he would see that things had been decided beforehand by an external power cleverly camouflaged as free will, mere bait thrown in his path to lure him into behaving as he was meant to.“

~~~~~

This book resonated with me as I came across it at a time when I needed it the most. When one is reluctant to confront the things that are out of balance in one's life, the universe conspires such that you are forced to confront it, through a shake-up.

Bollywood Storytelling

Sholay || Mr. India

Storytelling through Bollywood cult films

Ever since I turned an author, I view the world and its events as a story. It is weighed in terms of how well the story was narrated. I have been watching movies and OTT series through the lens of a storyteller rather than as an audience. 

I recently attended a screenplay and script writing workshop, with a deep-dive on the classic Bollywood blockbuster cinema - Sholay. We looked under the hood of the film, reflected on whether some of the scenes could have been spun differently, and decoded the writers' craft. We even debated if the film could have started off with a different protagonist - since it has multiple actors in key roles. Its actually quite a complex script, but apparently, Salim-Javed delivered it in 18 days flat (a typical feature film screenplay takes about 2 years to write)!! No wonder they were disheartened when this film was pitted against yet another screenplay of theirs - Deewar, in the year 1975, which ended up bagging most of the awards! Sholay's ending was not taken well by the audience initially, and the director (Ramesh Sippy) wanted to shoot an alternate one, but the two writers stuck to their guns. Astonishingly, the audience embraced the original ending, so much so that it became a runway hit at the box-office, and sky-rocketed the careers of all its protagonists; especially that of the debutant bad man, Amjad Khan. So well was the character of Gabbar visualised that all the other 3 male leads wanted that role!

Each character in the movie is written with exquisite detail. Even though there are many characters jostling for the audience's attention, each of them left an indelible mark. Side characters viz. Satyen Kappu (Ramlal), Asrani (jailer), Jagdeep (Soorma Bhopali), MacMohan (Saamba), A.K. Hangal (Imam chacha), and Leela Mishra (mausiji) - all had remarkable roles and dialogues. They are remembered as fondly as the stalwarts - Sanjeev Kumar (Thakur), Amitabh Bachchan (Jai), Dharmendra (Veeru), Amjad Khan (Gabbar Singh), Hema Malini (Basanti), and Jaya Bachchan (Radha). The plot was a winning combination of revenge, friendship, sacrifice, good vs. evil, and widow remarriage; inspired by popular Hollywood cowboy films, complete with horses and guns. 

I also showed another cult movie, Mr. India (directed by Shekhar Kapur), to my K-Drama obssessed teenager. And boy, was she blown away by this one! She loved that it was so much ahead of its time. A sci-fi theme, complete with the formidable gangster's (Amrish Puri) den, robots (a la R2D2 of Star Wars), missiles, and a gadget which makes one invisible - was nothing short of a coup for an audience fed on the usual Bollywood fare. Add to this a female lead (Sridevi), who is not only a bold activist, but a femme fatale as well as a comedienne (Charlie Chaplin), as opposed to the standard damsel in distress. The hero (Anil Kapoor) remained invisible for many of the scenes, but gained tremendous visibility after the mind-blowing success of this movie. His invisibility is a satire on the common man's plight in our country. The leading lady's crush on a never-seen male protagonist in Mills and Boon style, was interesting :) Certain scenes such as the sizzling couple dance in the rain, as well as the meeting in the editor's office, were visualised (and executed) brilliantly. The orphanage and food-grain adulteration sequences provided the human and social perspectives to the ever-green patriotic theme. This film too boasted an army of supporting cast, and all of them were given enviable footage in the film - Satish Kaushik (Calendar), Annu Kapoor (Mr. Gaitonde), Sharad Saxena (Daga), Ajit Vacchhani (Teja), Harish Patel (Roopchand), and Ashok Kumar (Prof. Sinha). 

The sheer evil of the villains in both these movies took one's breath away. Their "Jo dar gaya...samjho mar gaya", and "Mogambo, khushhh huvaaa!" dialogues became iconic. The dialogues of both the movies are truly memorable. I particularly loved how the story of Sholay is narrated in 2 flashbacks, and how it starts off with the story of Thakur, rather than with Gabbar or Jai-Veeru. Some of the scenes really pack a punch such as the one where Thakur does not pick up a gun lying next to him in the middle of a heated scuffle with the bad guy, and gets called out by Veeru. The scene where Jai loyally extols his friend's 'virtues' to his lady love's aunt, the comical mimicry by Asrani - of Hitler, Jai's dry wit - "Tumhara naam kya hai, Basanti", and the silent romance between Jai-Radha, are truly epic. The gory events in both the movies were shot very aesthetically. The plot and character build up, the songs that progressed the story, the dynamics between the characters, and the climax - all were fleshed out with admirable skill. The camera work, cinematography and special effects were also well taken. Its no wonder that they are forever etched on our minds! 

Hats off to the writer duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar who wrote the screenplay for both these masterpieces! The writer, and the story, are indeed the superheroes of any film.

Serendipity

These nine months of 2024 have been full of Serendipity for me. Whatever I have experienced, or stumbled into, has only made me happier - even though it felt upsetting at first.

I have always loved to shop for stuff - gifts for family, clothes for myself and stuff to add to the aesthetics for my home. But ever since I quit my job, saving has been a way of life. Books form most of my gifts as it does justice to my newly attained honour of being a published author. Instead of lavish gifts, I prefer to spend more time with people - as it is far more cherished in the long run after all. This has been over WhatsApp and LinkedIn messages, as well as in-person meetups over coffee or walks.

As for home decor, my focus has been more on decluttering, cleaning and simplifying, rather than accumulating more stuff. This has made life so much easier and fulfilling! I have hardly bought any new outfits. Because of the self-care I have been putting into my health and passion pursuits, as well as spiritual ascension (no expectations, minimal socialising, more ME time), my physical looks have benefited. This means that even if I repeat an outfit, the overall effect is applauded more than when the outfit was new! The learning was that if we focus on inner beauty, the outer one will follow irrespective of external embellishments. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication!

I wanted to write full-time, basically pivot my career. A friend just happened to forward me a post about a Writer's Retreat. I registered and travelled solo with strangers for the first time. The experience was extremely enriching. It also taught me that I do not need the crutch of being employed - my skill of writing was enough. A friend recommended a book coach based on an Instagram post, while another introduced me to a script writing workshop. Someone suggested having an author platform, and yet another suggested starting a Substack newsletter, to promote my book. I have created both now; and have learned many tools along the way. I kept running into other writers through family introductions, neighbours as well as book clubs. My Instagram and LinkedIn feeds mysteriously showed me posts that would pique my interest and whet my appetite further - it was almost as if their AI algorithm could read my thoughts! I have learned so much about writing as a branding tool, as a profession, and also how it can be turned into a lucrative occupation. I have participated in interesting discussions about books and movies with eclectic folks whose thinking is very different from mine. It opened my mind to new imaginations and taught me to view the world through a different lens. I also learned consistency through participating in a writing challenge that came my way purely by chance. It felt great to be a student again and exploring a new world on my own!

I often wonder at how these joyful coincidences kept cropping up without me actively seeking them. A neighbour from my building turned out to be my book club member! A professional connection turned out to be my spouse's ex-colleague, a person I freelanced for turned out to be my book club member's client, and a distant family member is an enthusiastic consumer of my writing! I assumed that this was Serendipity; or my Destiny mysteriously paving the way for me. 

But could it be because I had changed my inner landscape, due to which my external reality (that of being a busy and privileged IT employee in a renowned MNC) changed to being a self-employed upcoming 'Authpreneur'? Perhaps, others view me in a more acceptable light now that they do not feel threatened by my outward success and witness me work at the entry level in this new field. Or they perceive me as much more available now that they do not have to wait for my undivided attention. Maybe, just maybe, I had read them wrong before, and now I finally knew them better? It could be that now that I am moving slowly (no longer rushing), my steps are finally in sync with theirs? Or... the world is now a Happy place to me just because I am happy unconditionally.

It’s a mystery - perhaps its a combination of all of the above. But I am truly blissful with the way my life has shaped up these last few months. May this trend continue!

Book Review : The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse

              

I belong to a couple of interesting Book Clubs. They give me access to other passionate readers, writers and editors. They also share their eclectic taste in books, and insightful takes on the same.

At the the "NovelTea Prose and Cons" book club, we are a bunch of book enthusiasts from various cities within India. We have weekly online book review meetings which tend to get quite interactive. Since it also has some editors, its great to know their perspectives on why certain books did well when they should NOT have :)

This week we chose to read a P.G. Wodehouse classic - The Code of the Woosters. Despite being an avid reader, and a HUGE admirer of British literature, P.G. Wodehouse is one author I have never been a fan of. Thus, this was his first book that I read through!

Most Indian schools are heavily influenced by the British literature. I have grown up reading Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, the Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie series of books. Of late, I am a big fan of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. After reading this book, I understood why the Wodehouse humor had failed to work its charm on me. His books represent the idle and privileged class of British society of the 1930s, and pack the rich vocabulary of old-school English. Its references to that period of Britain's elite is not accessible to common folks and hence not appreciated by them. It lacks the blood, sweat and toil faced by the middle class. The escapades of its wastrel main character - Bertie Wooster, seem too bland and the characters have a shaky moral ethic. What stands out though are -

1. The character of Jeeves -  his keen knowledge of psychology, and his demure manner in indirectly manipulating events and people, is an inspiration even today.
2. Wodehouse definitely has a gift of the gab! The way his characters respond to farcical situations, and to each other, bring about much comic relief. Their observations and turn of phrase provide brilliant humour, and the writing is truly worth savouring.

In this particular book, what starts off as Bertie's fear of losing his favourite aunt's gifted chef, turns into a comedy of errors at an alarming pace. I learned about the Cow Creamer for the first time. How the various characters intertwine with each other, and the events conspire such that Bertie is coerced to steal this object d'art much against his principles, the blatant about face by the female characters, is an example of excellent plot weaving! There is an interesting mix of animals like the dog and newts thrown in too. It is a testament to Bertie's love of good food and family solidarity.

Jeeves is at his best!! From masterfully manipulating all the main characters in the book, rescuing his master from disaster multiple times, ensuring a happy and just ending for all concerned, to fulfilling his own dream of world travel, he is mind blowing!

The battle of wits, and will, between master and butler is also extremely interesting to witness:)

I was also introduced to the Jeeves and Wooster series starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, who have immortalised these characters with admirable elan!

*****

The Bookaholics Pune Club meets monthly, at cafes across Pune. In August, I attended my first meetup. This one did not discuss any particular book - instead we had introduction of new members, ice-breaker games (around books), presentations by a child prodigy author and his parents' Publication House, as well as entrepreneur who has started her own platform for authors to be able to promote their self-published books! We also met a very interesting celebrity author - Manjiri Prabhu. Her experiences about her journey were an eye-opener and super inspirational !!

The Kolkata doctor case : a blot on humanity

“The role of a writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say.”

~Anaïs Nin

The Kolkata rape case of a lady doctor has sparked an outrage all over India. This dastardly act has shaken the entire nation to the core. Today, a Bharat bandh has been declared as an urgent call to action to the powers-that-be. In all honesty, I have been stunned into silence by yet another soul-shattering behaviour of a few humans for a fellow human. I have been shielding myself as much as possible from the media barrage covering this case. The above quote inspired me to write something about my angst.

~~~~~

There are so many aspects of this case that are disturbing: 

News channels are full of all the gory details of this case. It is available to anyone who can read, or is on social media - even adolescents and children. Personally, I would prefer my teenager to NOT know about it in such detail. I would have liked to have some control in breaking it to her piece by piece. A WhatsApp message on her phone greatly disturbed me, leading me to worry about what is being discussed at their level. I do understand that even if I may hide the news from her, it is bound to reach her through some other sources. 

 

There are so many poems, angry posts, and judgemental views all over LinkedIn and X! There is no way to mute this on my feed, nor to escape them. You skip one and immediately another crops up. 

Our country is in uproar against the difference in upbringing of boys & girls. Our patriarchal society needs an overhaul. It needs to start at the grass root level, not just at the judiciary level. Specific education should be outlined, for boys, to prevent such behaviour in future. Fathers and male guardians of the boys need to be more involved. Parenting, in general, needs to be given more focus.

Men in general are being tarred with the same brush as the criminals, which I do not think is fair. Then there is the backlash by men of "Not all men" on social media, which is only adding to the noise. Sure, chauvinism and perversion need to be separated, but men should also acknowledge the violence against women in society, instead of resorting to defensive comments. In fact, accountability needs to be taken that we have repeatedly failed as a society, and something needs to change.

Many aspects of the case regarding the WB chief minister, the medical college principal, the police investigation, vandalism of the crime scene by protesters etc. have been coming to light that point to a systemic failure rather than a one-off incident. 

Political parties are indulging in their usual blame game, trying to get as much mileage out of this as possible. It would be much more fruitful to put their heads together to arrive at an overarching constructive solution for the rampant and recurring incidents all over the country, not just this one instance.

Several petitions are afloat on various social media groups. They too describe the plight of the deceased in graphic details. While they may be facts, they are primarily being used to urge people to sign up rather than to understand the ground reality. 

There is a clamour for capital punishment for the miscreants. While this is perfectly understandable, historically it has not helped at all. Three (of four) of the convicts in Nirbhaya case had been executed, yet it did not stop this one, nor the many more during the intervening years.

Bharat bandh has been declared for Aug 21 followed by Maharashtra bandh on Aug 24 for the Badlapur cases. The first one is also around Supreme Court's recent rulings around SC/ST reservation. This follows the nation-wide doctors' strike on Aug 17 and 18 to protest this case. Protests in West Bengal have been ongoing since this horrific event came to light. In general, these strikes highlight the simmering socio-political tensions across the country. All this will lead to huge economic losses and disruption. Hopefully, it will be justified in hindsight.

These protests have been vocal and intrusive, while some others chose to express their solidarity with the victim by changing their DP on WhatsApp for a day. Folks were debating on the pros and cons of these approaches too.

~~~~~ 

So much precious energy, and resources, are being wasted on things that are beyond control or comprehension! There is a need for someone, maybe our PM / President, to assure all that something is being done behind the scenes and the public will get to hear of it soon. The Supreme Court has gone suo moto, taking matters into its own hands. We need to await its wisdom as they conduct the investigation impartially. 

There is an outcry for the WB CM to step down - certainly there have been many mistakes made. However, I am at a loss on how that is going to help anything. And has any thought been given to what ripple effect it would have on other aspects of WB government? I see no point in getting people all riled up, even insecure, which will only cause more mayhem. 

The Government should take a poll on the primary issues bothering people. After taking due cognisance of this, it should segregate the core issue(s), and try to double down on those rather than chasing piecemeal solutions (e.g. hospitals and medical staff) only. An official statement should be issued by someone responsible rather than the media channels or word-of-mouth.

Everyone wants concrete actions to come about, but we should not forget that the root cause of this behaviour should be identified and a solution should be arrived at after deep thought. Let us not resort to band-aid solutions in our haste for justice.

7 months into my sabbatical - A photo blog

      Consistency, Mindfulness, SimplifyCreativity, Peace, Self Worth

"May the Force be with you" - Star Wars movie review

While attending a training on Storytelling recently, the coach mentioned that the best story ever told till date is that of Star Wars. Frankly, space sci-fi has never captivated me, so even though the first trilogy of these movies had been extremely popular during my growing up years, I had never followed them. However, the above comment triggered my curiosity! That is how kiddo and I ended up binge-watching the double trilogy of Star Wars during her enforced days off at school on account of the ongoing monsoon rage. Both of us were left super-impressed. 

Interestingly enough, authored and directed by George Lucas, the second trilogy was shot and released before the first. It has more of the story (rather than SFX and drama), which garnered the requisite interest in the franchise. The first trilogy was released decades later, once Lucas had the finances to fund the appropriate special effects for inter-galactic wars. Hence, there is a lot of difference in the quality of film making, special effects, costumes and the actors themselves. Yet, it did not deter from the overall experience. There have been many spin-offs subsequent to the original two trilogies, that have been equally popular.

By roping in popular actors like Sir Alec Guinness, Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson, the director ensured footfall in the theatres, but the plot itself did the rest. Infact, the Star Wars franchise is the most successful in the world due to its great story, innovative marketing and clever targeting of multiple demographics. Not only did it revive the marketplace for the 'space sci-fi' as a genre, it also changed how licensed toys & memorabilia were created and marketed.

The reason behind its stupendous success is that it combined the themes of war & action, good vs evil, psychology (the Jedi  & Sith were both masters of the mind), relationships (teacher-student, brother-sister, friendship & romance), sci-fi and fantasy. The various species (even droids and robots), and how they co-exist with humans as an integrated civilization, on planets other than Earth, the various star vehicles and weapons (the famous light sabre!), were all superbly thought out and presented! A completely original story of its time, even though it is inspired by others in bits and pieces.The lessons in leadership and gender equality are truly inspirational : Yoda is a hands-on master, a wise & patient mentor, and undefeated till he decides to shed his body. Also, both the leading ladies were fearless, independent yet feminine. The Jedi code of love but no attachment, passionate but peaceful, never harming the unarmed, and always performing one's duty sincerely - are some messages from the movies.

Some of the dialogues went viral viz. 

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...", 

"May the Force be with you.", 

"Do or do not, there is no try.", 

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?", 

"I am your father." and 

"There is still good in him." 

Steven Spielberg (he and Lucas are considered to be two of the most famous directors of all time) anticipated that Star Wars was going to be a "big hit", which it was. But he followed that up with a prediction of Star Wars making 50-60 million dollars at the box office. Meanwhile, Lucas himself predicted 15-20 million dollars. In reality, the movie made a whopping $775.8 million - absolutely smashing both of their expectations!

Star Wars is indeed amazingly conceptualized & written, and directed with stunning visuals and cinematography. The action sequences are pretty good too, though a tad stretched at times. Its on par with the 'Harry Potter' or 'Lord of the Rings' franchises, even though it came decades ahead of them. Its fictional futuristic world gives a glimpse into our rapidly approaching future in the context of AI and climate change. What a visionary!

The twilight zone

 

I recently had the fortune to spend time with my mother-in-law, who stayed with us for an extended period this monsoon. Pushing 90, she has always preferred her regimented routine at her place, over the many years I have known her. Being a spontaneous person myself, schedules and time-keeping have always daunted me:)

She had suffered a mild stroke, in the aftermath of falling unconscious in the bathroom, a couple of months ago. Though she was completely mobile and unhurt post the incident, she has no recall of it. She had spells of amnesia and her cognitive function had been affected. So much so that she stopped watching her favorite Marathi serials on TV, and even playing cards. She used to sleep most of the day. But she slowly recovered most of her vitality and cognitive processing ability after 2 months of resting. She is now back to her old self, walking actively with her trusty stick - and even resumed her TV serials and card playing. Her vision has been failing for a few years now and even her hearing ability is limited - which makes moving places even more challenging for her. Her one love in life is eating - though her system does not support it anymore. Luckily, she has attained control over her wayward eating, and also hears better even without her hearing aid, post the mishap. Something good came from the fall, after all. 

What's truly commendable is that she traveled by road in heavy rains, both times, when visiting us! Especially so, since she has been so averse to leaving her home/city/locality for the majority of her life. We are apart in age by 4 decades, and have grown up in different states - we are like chalk and cheese. There are very few things in common between us - I am a proficient writer but she does not read English. Yet, we both love talking and socialising with people - that bonds us together. 

This visit was an eye-opener for me regarding the challenges of our elders, how difficult elder care is, and the importance of planning for this stage in life. It is important to invest in good relationships with the key people in life - as they are the ones who take care of you eventually. One ends up living for the spouse and children all one's life, but equation with extended family members, friendships nurtured over the years, and the ability to adjust to care-takers, and others' way of life - are things that sustain one in these twilight years. 

I learned that though the hearing aid helps, it also amplifies the surrounding sounds viz. rain, construction work, ambulance siren etc. which bothers the wearer. While the cool breeze is comfortable for us, it is not so for the elderly skin. Aches and pains, and loneliness, are one's constant companions and hence addiction to things like food or TV arise. Its good to cultivate hobbies which will not be too taxing on the aging body - to prepare for this period. Staying active, and constant movement, is the way to beat the blues. Unfortunately in her case, due to her impaired vision, this as well as reading, is ruled out. The times her serials are aired on TV are important as they run ads too in between. She can also flip between the channels on her own. It helps to pass the time for her, as opposed to the ad-free and schedule-free content(same serials) of OTT. I also learned that memory is a strange thing - the older you get, the more you remember your childhood days and things that should have been long forgotten. And you forget what happened yesterday or this morning!

God, grant me the forbearance and fortitude for this phase in life. If possible, I would not like to experience it at all. But I am grateful for everything that has come my way so far. Am sure there is Divine wisdom in why some people die early while others live long lives, though it eludes me for now.

Inside Out 2 : An EI Bootcamp

Kiddo wanted to watch Inside Out 2 with friends this weekend, but their plan did not materialize. We parents got elevated to the friend category and ended up watching it with her. And what a supremely mind-blowing experience it was - literally and figuratively :)

Its the sequel to its predecessor that was released almost a decade ago. All the action happens at the 'Headquarters' which is the hi-tech mind of a girl named Riley. Five basic emotions were introduced in the first instalment, and a fresh set of emotions are added in this new one, as Riley turns a teenager. All hell literally breaks loose in her head with the onset of puberty.

Pixar being the brand it is, the technology and special effects are simply out of this world! But the concept itself is explained so articulately, and it is relatable not only to adults in general, but also to adults grappling with the avalanche of teenage mood swings and deep dark secrets. While in the first film, Sadness battles it out with the pervasive Joy in the child's life; in this second film, Joy is pitted against Anxiety. In today's time, anxiety is the overwhelming emotion across ALL age groups, and hence, the movie is a must-watch to understand the effect of anxiety and regulate one's emotional balance.

The pictorial representation of how all experiences, and emotions attached to them, form our 'Self', is awe-inspiring. Every memory is important in shaping the same - not just the ones we choose to retain. How Anxiety, aided by Envy and Embarrassment, leads Riley to become more ambitious and calculating, how they bottle up and banish all other emotions into the deep recesses of the mind such that the original sense of self is lost and a new one starts emerging, are captured magnificently through plot, imagery and dialogue. The visual portrayal of 'sarcasm', 'brainstorm' and 'stream of consciousness' render one speechless! It also brings out the importance of each emotion in our life and teaches us to embrace them without shame, e.g. Fear helps us think of Plan B in an emergency and Anxiety may be trying to help us only, while too much Joy may be misleading. Kudos to the creative team for pulling off this masterpiece!

The message toward the end is that every individual has the free will to choose the primary emotion(Joy, in this case), and create his/her own sense of self. Thus, its an introduction to self-awareness, emotional regulation and healing. There is plenty of scope for yet another sequel, as 'Nostalgia' peeped out twice but was pushed back in. And the emotional stalwarts viz. Love, Hate, Ego, Courage etc. are not yet introduced. 

A must-watch for all who relish a visual treat, are intrigued by psychology, and looking for answers to a stress-free life. Kiddo definitely enjoyed it thoroughly, as did I.