A longer way up

A trip to Eros DVD-wala in Fort is an absolute essential for all of us 20 and 30 somethings living in South Bombay. Eros DVD is somewhat of an institution - this hallowed place is an actual sub-terrain cave in a dilapidating colonial building in Fort. The guys running the (illegal) show have chosen their shop location carefully (safe, hidden location AND the first Starbucks to hit the city is a across the street) and are absolutely current with movies and TV shows, airing internationally. 

The Fort area is the heart of the original city of Bombay and is the oldest part of the city. It is still shakily holding onto its place as the historical commercial center of the city and is always bustling with working bodies, darting through its old, winding gullies.

I digress.

A few days ago, I had stopped by good ol' efficient Eros and quickly updated my DVD library and last evening I watched a movie from that lot - "A Long Way Down"

                                                            <<Movie Spoiler Alert! >>

A peculiar tale of 4 strangers who find themselves one fateful New Years' eve upon the rooftop of a buildng in central London, ready to take the plunge down…towards their end.

Of course neither of the four actually end up jumping and they eventually "rescue" one another from the crises that has driven them to this point in the first place.

The unlikely foursome make a bizarre pact which keeps them together for at least 6 more weeks. The turn of affairs is when they wake up on the 2nd of January to see their faces all over the brit tabloids for two of them are public figures. Martin (Brosnan), a famous TV personality who has lost all social status when he is caught with a minor girl - tearing up his career, popularity and most importantly, family. And Jess (pretty Ms. Poots) whose known for her famous politician father and the tragic and mysterious disappearance of her older sister. Martin, who craves for the public attention he is so used to thrive on decides that the foursome must embrace this new found fame and they get onto live television, give interviews and come up with an amusing story of the "angel" that rescued them that chilly night. Following which, the four of them become tabloid fodder and get hounded by the press and papparazi looking to further sensationalize this event. Overwhelmed by the media frenzy, they seek a hideaway and find themselves in an exotic beach town, drinking their sorrows away over margaritas and piña coladas galore. 

Returning to London, the four part ways and resume their ways and seek to embrace life as they had once known it. But we can all predict, that it would never ever go back to being entirely the way it was…

The movie was short and pleasant to watch. It definitely lacked a strong storyline and mood - moving from soulful drama to british comedy. But I enjoyed it for the performances of all the four protagonists. Pierce Brosnan was a lot less self conscious than usual and worked the brit accent rather well. As for Toni Collette - she played Maureen effortlessly. What touched me most were all the poignant moments laced along the narrative. All four led such widely separate lives but one dramatic moment brings them together and binds them forever. 

Lately, I constantly find myself in situations where I meet people randomly just once and bump into them a few times thereafter in a completely different setting/city. Or, I recognize a face that I have seen before in some part of the world. In many of these situations, I have ended up conversing with these friendly ghosts and more often that not, we have found some common link/connector/relationship.

We DO live in a global village and all these communication vehicles bring the world tighter and closer. Yet despite this human overload in our lives, we often find ourselves lost and empty like those 4 people on that London  rooftop. Precisely why we need to make an effort to retain the human element in our lives - the touch, the feel, the voice, the hold. Nothing can replace that. This could lead me to discuss the movie "Her" where the lonely and sensitive protagonist (Joaquin Phoenix) develops a romantic relationship with his Operating System (voice of Scarlett Johansson). A sci-fi meets rom-com film examining the future of human emotions, I found this a compelling watch. Phoenix was brilliant as the forlorn writer recovering from heart break and looking to move on with life. After a series of dates gone awry, he finds solace in the voice and efficiency of his new OS and soon finds himself love-locked with the faceless, virtual Samantha.

As creepy as this may initially seem, I don't think it is a far cry away from the urban youth's romantic endeavors. It is one thing to show love by emoji over a whatsapp, but it is quite another to receive a hand-written love note, or even a scribble!

Don't forget to reach out and actually hug whoever it is that needs your attention. Make real time for it…go be somebody's care bear today~

Cloudy Notions

Is it just me, or do the big billowing water-laden, monsoon clouds make everyone so very pensive?
I live right on the sea, my building stands tall at the edge of a small bay, filled with fishing boats that stay out of commission here this time of the year.

Whenever I get done with work on time, I try to make it back home in time for dusk to take a run  along my building track that is literally on the water. I find it very invigorating to exercise in an open space, with clean air and a brilliant view of my city! This is a space that many people enjoy; especially lovers, stealing a moment for private romance and harmless banter. But it is also a haven for other "pensers" like me, who seem to be lost in their thoughts, taking stock of their situations in life.

The Mumbai Monsoons are really quite something - the city does get hit very hard by the often relentless Rain Gods that seem to be trying to convey a divine message with the strong downpour. I think of it as them trying to clean up the dusty, dirty, over-populated city that its citizens take so much for granted - bathing the few trees and green patches that continue to exist, washing off all the grime the leaves are surving under. Trying to wash some of the city's sins away.

Up till my late teens, I used to play with my set gang of building friends every single evening. We loved the mushy terrain that the monsoon season provided. Quite creatively, we would make our own set of the then popular TV show, "The Crystal Maze". An adventure-centric show, hosted by the iconic  Richard O'Brien, set in 5 distinct zones (Aztec, Medieval, Futuristic, Industrial and Ocean), the show featured a group of 6 rough n tough adults, who would have to challenge themselves physically and mentally to finally make it to the Crystal Maze! We did our very own version of the above, using waterbodies, swings, slides, rocks, puddles, ropes....your very own Indiana Jones in the making...

This adventorous streak continues to burn in me. And I hope it never dies. Even though, I am pretty sure that I am not cut out to be your local Xenia Warrior Princess...And recent activities prove the same.

Last Sunday, I wanted to do "something different".

My family cringes every time I use this phrase, (and I use it rather often) because there is no saying what it could be that I want to do. And it is a given, that it is definitely not something any of them want to do! Hence, I will need to "recruit" people who want to join me! In any case, last Sunday, I wanted to do "something different" so I joined my truly super-trooper friend E and her gang, on a day trek to Karnala, on the outskirts of Mumbai. I was told it was going to be an easy, relaxed, misty trek up to the fort. Enjoy the view, eat some healthy snacks, and make our way down. Simple enough right? Told my parents this plan and they looked at each other and rolled their eyes. They knew I had "decided" that I was going to trek whether they would say anything to the contrary or not.

So at 6 am that Sunday morning, I groggily tried to get off the bed and into my trek gear and set off for an enchanted-walk-in-the-clouds kinda day....

Should've known!!!!!!

The Motley crew commenced the ascent at 8.30 am through a thick forest-like terrain. The rain was coming down, making the earth soft and squishy (keechad!!!), there was not a bird in sight (Karnala is a bird sanctuary.........apparently) and we had opted for the steeper, tougher route up, since we are such seasoned trekkers (not!).
2 hours later, we had made it to the top and I felt like I had done a 1000 lunges. The way down had already become a major concern in my mind!
Here are pictures from the venture:

All mist and clouds

Yep, we did this...

View with a view

Wardrobe Malfunction - Notice, the rubberband holding together the sole of his left shoe! What a brave soldier...!

Virtuous Vines

After spending an hour at the old fort and enjoying a bird's eye view over the entire Deccan plateau, we started our way back down. Slowly but surely. By this point, a lot of fellow nature enthusiasts had come too, causing a a fair amount of mountain traffic. I cant say I wasn't surprised seeing these people making their way up, inappropriately clad in flimsy rubber slippers and many even barefoot! I watched an entire family there, with their 3 year old girl dressed up in a shiny bejweled salwar-kameez...and I just couldn't understand how they would manage the trek. Here I was, in my sturdy sports shoes, wearing the "right" clothes and still finding it so challenging. Were they not worried about getting hurt, slipping or falling....There was no paramedic in sight, not even a good ol' first aid box available at the bottom...so the potential damage was great. I definitely felt quite ashamed at my lack of strength and need for material comforts.

Last year, same time, I had visited Aamby Valley and had done a 2 hour "nature walk". Now this was amazing!!! There was a lake, a boat ride on the lake, little bridges, amazing flaura and fauna, waterfalls, underwater caves et all..................only later was I told that this was indeed man-made!

So there you have it, I am a pseudo outdoor fan..........but it is is true, monsoons can be more than just mucky. It is a lovely time to get close to yourself, enjoy a nice cup of chai, watch the clouds coming in, move to the beat of the dramatic thunder and lightening and think of the rainbow on the other side.

Rainbow Picture taken by me over the Bombay Gym tennis court - 2012