Day 6: Truth and poetry

"Maan jaaiye
Varna
Waqt manvaayega."
-an amateur poet called Dhruv

*

My grandfather always taught me that while reciting Urdu - or any - poetry, one must be careful of the pronouns. One must always remember to say 'aap' or at most 'tum', never 'tu'. One must revere the subject of one's poetry, respect oneself, and be courteous to the listener. Thus the formal version of 'you'.

Of course there are songs which cannot do without the casual 'tu'. Imagine the song from Roja being called "Aap hi re.. Aapke bina main kaise jiyun."

Day 5: What's the zoke?

There once was a man from Punjab
Ohda koi nahi si jawaab
He wasn't very fussy
As long as he got lassi
That 'healthy' young man from Punjab

Day 4: Treachery

Cursory hugs
Unforseeable distances
Irreparable kinks
Hiatuses
Forced smiles
Polite laughs
Interested nods
Gaps
*
There are some friends who listen to everything you don't say.
And then they start hearing what you do.
*
What if your life-raft is an upstream swim away? Shouldn't you just go with the flow?

Day 3: Magic

"How do you like my manicure?" she asked, making small talk.
He glanced distractedly at her nails, knowing what to expect. Every month she got an expensive french manicure, and every month it looked exactly the same. Yet every month she asked him the same question. As though she needed his approval. A nod of his head, or a "Looks good".

He was about to give the same answer he gave every month but something caught his eye. She still had the same french tips, but the base of her nails had a layer of glitter. His head spun a little as the thought crossed his head: 'it looks like the stars from the entire universe have come down to dance on your fingertips'.
He gave a crisp nod and said, "Looks good."

Day 2: Bundle

Snappy
Bitchy
Angry
Insulting
Funny
Warm
Sarcastic
Smug
Condescending
Grumpy
Moody
Stubborn
Friendly
Cheerful
Smart
Caring
Loyal
Gossipy
Tiresome
Tireless

Richa Pandey: my bundle of disguised affection.

Day 1: Baggage

Hattori Hanzo's final sword, given to Beatrix Kiddo

To me, the sound of a knife slicing the air always sounds like a Hanzo sword coming out of its sheath. It is the sound of preparation and the sound of courage. To cut whatever you encounter on your journey. It is also the sound of films - all the films that I love. Starting right at the top: Kill Bill. I remember the exact place I was standing in the back lawns when my friend Anirudh asked me to watch the film that would forever change the way I viewed films.

I remember downloading Part 1 & 2, only to realize that they were both parts of Vol. 1, as opposed to two separate volumes of the series. So after I finished watching Vol. 1, I wanted to watch Vol. 2 right away. Of course it was the middle of the night, and downloading took up the rest of the night - it was one whole day until I could watch the ultimate volume of the series. It was an endless wait, but it was worth it.


I think so many of the films you love are a matter of timing. The time in your life when you watch a film is imperative to how it impacts you. That's why there are movies you don't care much for until you watch them again. Because it is a different time in your life. You are a different person with a different set of experiences. The movie hasn't changed, you have.

Kill Bill is a film about history. Beatrix Kiddo's history, and mine.