#motivational story in hindi for child

[yummersbites]

Faith in Ruins

By: Lindsay Rayne Jabinal &Jazmine Legaspi

Grace Abbott says, “Child labor and poverty are inevitably bound together and if you continue to use the labor of children as the treatment for the social disease of poverty, you will have both poverty and child labor to the end of time.” Poverty in the Philippines increased, and 51% of families were self-rated as poor people who experienced poverty came from rural provinces (GMA Integrated News, 2023). The majority of poor people from rural places think that their good life is in the city. On the other hand, what they will experience is even more difficult in the city. This photograph tells how these six people have different perspectives on life and why they need to find their food or to make money they can find on the dumpsite. The people living in the slums of Tondo, particularly in Smokey Mountain, are facing unimaginable challenges in their daily lives, the dangers they face daily, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, and they have no other choice but to scavenge in a dumpsite to survive, and the government failed to provide them with basic aid, and their inability to escape their current situation. Looking at the photo, we can create a story like there are six people in the photo that had their own reasons why they dig garbage at the dump site.

The slums of Tondo, particularly Smokey Mountain, are a harrowing sight that exemplifies poverty and environmental degradation. As journalists, this story can be found in the image of the two boys scavenging, representing the younger generation, who have grown up in this environment and know no other way of life, with an older man standing nearby and two other scavengers watching from a distance. Each character in this image has a unique narrative are, conflict, and motivation.

“Kuya Jelo, kailangan natin makarami para makabili tayo ng asin.” Cj said.

“Oo, kaya dalian mo na dyan Cj at para makabili na rin tayo ng sardinas.” Totchi replied.

The two boys scavenging represent the dire circumstances that push children into hazardous labor. They are likely driven by hunger and the need to support their families.

“Kapag may sobra akong pera bibigyan ko kayo tapos bumili kayo ng fish ball, ipandagdag niyo sa ulam niyo.” Mang Kanor said to the two boys.

“Maraming salamat ho!” Cj said with a smile on his face.

“Nako, huwag na ho kayo mag-abala, idagdag niyo na lang po iyan sa ipon niyo” The older brother said to the old man.

“Jelo, minsan lamang ito at huwag niyo ng tanggihan, nakikita ko naman ang sipag at tiyaga niyo, tanawin niyo na rin itong utang na loob para sa susunod na kayo naman ang may sumubra ay ako naman ang bibigyan niyo.” Mang Kanor said to Jelo.

“Maraming salamat ho Mang Kanor!” The two boys said with joy to Mang Kanor.

The older man standing might represent the community's resilience amidst adversity. He may have lived in the slums for a long time and witnessed the changes in the area. His narrative could focus on his efforts to create a better life for himself and his family, while his conflict may center on the lack of resources available to him.

“Nako, itong si Kanor imbis na iniintindi ang sarili at ang pamilya niya panay ang bigay doon sa dalawa kaya hindi siya makaahon sa kahirapan.” Harold said to Baron

“Hayaan mo siya pre, kung gusto mo kumuha na lang tayo ng sa sako nila Jelo, mukhang naka-tsamba na naman yung dalawa.” Baron said while looking at the two scavenging boys.

“Magaling ka talaga pre, ayos yan para makarami tayo at para hindi na rin ako bungangaan ni misis.” Harold replied.

The two watching scavengers could represent the specter of competition that looms over the slums. They might be wary of the boys and their potential to find valuable items. Their narrative arc could focus on their attempts to maintain their livelihoods, while their conflict may center on the scarcity of resources in the area.

The excellence of Smokey Mountain is a heartbreaking one, brought into the world of the versatility and soul of its kin. In the midst of the mountains of trash, kids play and giggle, apparently neglectful of the risks around them. The trash is sifted through by ragged, barefoot women in search of valuable items they can sell. With long metal hooks, rag-covered men search through the trash in search of metal scraps that can be sold for money. It is a position of hustle and endurance, where consistently it is a battle. However, there is also a sense of belonging in the midst of the struggle. Despite the filth and poverty, people here care about one another.

Children play together in the streets and neighbors share what little they have. It is a position of warmth and neighborliness, where guests are greeted wholeheartedly, and nobody is an outsider for a really long time. Stories of perseverance through hardship, love through loss, hope through despair. Even in the most bleak of circumstances, the human spirit shines there. Heroes and heroines, ordinary people who do extraordinary things every day just to survive, can be found there. However, in the midst of all the magnificence, there is likewise risk. The contaminated water can spread disease, and the toxic fumes from the garbage can cause respiratory issues. The danger of injury is always present when children play among piles of sharp and dangerous objects. Smokey Mountain is a place where death and survival coexist and life is both fragile and resilient.

As journalists looking at this image from a distant vantage point, the story reveals the stark realities of life for the people living in the slums of Tondo. The narrative arc, conflicts, and motivations of each character illustrate the complex nature of poverty and the challenges that come with it. As we looked at this scene, we couldn't help but feel a sense of despair.

The people living in this community are facing tremendous challenges, and it's clear that the government has failed to provide them with basic support. The characters in this story are all motivated by the need to survive.

[lindsayjabinal]

Faith in Ruins ⏐ Reportage

By: Lindsay Rayne S. Jabinal and Jazmine Legaspi

Grace Abbott says, “Child labor and poverty are inevitably bound together and if you continue to use the labor of children as the treatment for the social disease of poverty, you will have both poverty and child labor to the end of time.” Poverty in the Philippines increased, and 51% of families were self-rated as poor people who experienced poverty came from rural provinces (GMA Integrated News, 2023). The majority of poor people from rural places think that their good life is in the city. On the other hand, what they will experience is even more difficult in the city. This photograph tells how these six people have different perspectives on life and why they need to find their food or to make money they can find on the dumpsite. The people living in the slums of Tondo, particularly in Smokey Mountain, are facing unimaginable challenges in their daily lives, the dangers they face daily, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, and they have no other choice but to scavenge in a dumpsite to survive, and the government failed to provide them with basic aid, and their inability to escape their current situation. Looking at the photo, we can create a story like there are six people in the photo that had their own reasons why they dig garbage at the dump site.

The slums of Tondo, particularly Smokey Mountain, are a harrowing sight that exemplifies poverty and environmental degradation. As journalists, this story can be found in the image of the two boys scavenging, representing the younger generation, who have grown up in this environment and know no other way of life, with an older man standing nearby and two other scavengers watching from a distance. Each character in this image has a unique narrative are, conflict, and motivation.

“Kuya Jelo, kailangan natin makarami para makabili tayo ng asin.” Cj said.

“Oo, kaya dalian mo na dyan Cj at para makabili na rin tayo ng sardinas.” Totchi replied.

The two boys scavenging represent the dire circumstances that push children into hazardous labor. They are likely driven by hunger and the need to support their families.

“Kapag may sobra akong pera bibigyan ko kayo tapos bumili kayo ng fish ball, ipandagdag niyo sa ulam niyo.” Mang Kanor said to the two boys.

“Maraming salamat ho!” Cj said with a smile on his face.

“Nako, huwag na ho kayo mag-abala, idagdag niyo na lang po iyan sa ipon niyo” The older brother said to the old man.

“Jelo, minsan lamang ito at huwag niyo ng tanggihan, nakikita ko naman ang sipag at tiyaga niyo, tanawin niyo na rin itong utang na loob para sa susunod na kayo naman ang may sumubra ay ako naman ang bibigyan niyo.” Mang Kanor said to Jelo.

“Maraming salamat ho Mang Kanor!” The two boys said with joy to Mang Kanor.

The older man standing might represent the community's resilience amidst adversity. He may have lived in the slums for a long time and witnessed the changes in the area. His narrative could focus on his efforts to create a better life for himself and his family, while his conflict may center on the lack of resources available to him.

“Nako, itong si Kanor imbis na iniintindi ang sarili at ang pamilya niya panay ang bigay doon sa dalawa kaya hindi siya makaahon sa kahirapan.” Harold said to Baron

“Hayaan mo siya pre, kung gusto mo kumuha na lang tayo ng sa sako nila Jelo, mukhang naka-tsamba na naman yung dalawa.” Baron said while looking at the two scavenging boys.

“Magaling ka talaga pre, ayos yan para makarami tayo at para hindi na rin ako bungangaan ni misis.” Harold replied.

The two watching scavengers could represent the specter of competition that looms over the slums. They might be wary of the boys and their potential to find valuable items. Their narrative arc could focus on their attempts to maintain their livelihoods, while their conflict may center on the scarcity of resources in the area.

The excellence of Smokey Mountain is a heartbreaking one, brought into the world of the versatility and soul of its kin. In the midst of the mountains of trash, kids play and giggle, apparently neglectful of the risks around them. The trash is sifted through by ragged, barefoot women in search of valuable items they can sell. With long metal hooks, rag-covered men search through the trash in search of metal scraps that can be sold for money. It is a position of hustle and endurance, where consistently it is a battle. However, there is also a sense of belonging in the midst of the struggle. Despite the filth and poverty, people here care about one another.

Children play together in the streets and neighbors share what little they have. It is a position of warmth and neighborliness, where guests are greeted wholeheartedly, and nobody is an outsider for a really long time. Stories of perseverance through hardship, love through loss, hope through despair. Even in the most bleak of circumstances, the human spirit shines there. Heroes and heroines, ordinary people who do extraordinary things every day just to survive, can be found there. However, in the midst of all the magnificence, there is likewise risk. The contaminated water can spread disease, and the toxic fumes from the garbage can cause respiratory issues. The danger of injury is always present when children play among piles of sharp and dangerous objects. Smokey Mountain is a place where death and survival coexist and life is both fragile and resilient.

As journalists looking at this image from a distant vantage point, the story reveals the stark realities of life for the people living in the slums of Tondo. The narrative arc, conflicts, and motivations of each character illustrate the complex nature of poverty and the challenges that come with it. As we looked at this scene, we couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. The people living in this community are facing tremendous challenges, and it's clear that the government has failed to provide them with basic support. The characters in this story are all motivated by the need to survive.

[whatsonmedia]

Film Friday: 5 Movies of the Week!

The best movies of this week have been chosen for you by WhatsOn editors. The best way to pass time is to watch movies, especially since the weekend is right around the corner. There needs to be some relaxation during the holidays, so why not watch a movie? Let's have a look at the movies on the list without further ado. 1. "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" For a clean and entertaining family film, "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile" is hard to beat. Based on a children's book, originally written in 1965, it follows the adventures of a singing and speaking crocodile in New York and his relationship with young Josh Primm, who is struggling to adapt to his family's new life in the city. Lyle (voiced by Shawn Mendes) gives Josh a new sense of purpose and we also meet his eccentric owner, Hector P. Valenti and the evil Mr. Grumps, who does all that they can to have Lyle thrown out of the apartment.  In the end, good prevails and the film is a pleasant mixture of humor, music, and a poignant storyline a fine performance by all concerned, including Winslow Fegley, who stars as Josh. https://youtu.be/s0W6O7mSlaU 2. "The Menu" In total contrast to the previous film, "The Menu" is a horror/thriller, centered around the visit of a young couple to an exclusive restaurant on a remote island where the chef has some rather unpleasant surprises in store. Ralph Fiennes excels as the menacing and threatening culinary expert with things other than food on his mind and his performance keeps us on the edge of our seats as we await the next shocking move by himself and his cohorts, as the diners realize that they have bitten off more than they can chew by visiting the restaurant in the first place. https://youtu.be/C_uTkUGcHv4 3. "Matilda-the Musical" Stephen Graham has always struck me as a versatile and talented actor and upon viewing the trailers for "Matilda," I looked forward to seeing him in a musical role. Matilda, played by teenage Dublin actress, Alisha Weir is a boisterous and high-spirited girl with sharp wit and vivid imagination the story, based on the book by Roald Dahl and the stage musical by Tim Minchin follows her stand against her oppressive father and mother (played by Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough) and Emma Thompson's frightening headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. The empathetic and caring Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch) supports Matilda in her endeavors, and as we witness Matilda accomplish her goals, the movie is both motivating and enjoyable. https://youtu.be/mEEMbNS6fzY 4. Darlings In this movie, we see Alia Bhat as Badrunnisa, the wife of Hamza Sheikh (Vijay Varma). Darlings is a Hindi-language dark comedy. This film portrays a very common and pathetic social problem. In this story, the female protagonist character is physically abused by her devoted spouse every single day for three years. Badrunnisa’s mother helped her daughter to take revenge for his (Hamza) done. Badru even loses her child because of her husband’s domestic violence.Every day, Hamza beats Badru while intoxicated. After losing the kid, Badru swears to get back at Hamza by mistreating him the same manner she has been mistreated over the past several years. Hamza must ultimately deal with his own conscience. One of the recently released films, Darlings, helps us understand how domestic abuse affects women in our culture. In real life, I believe, each victim should take action as Badru does in this movie. Through this comedy, this film reveals one of the darkest sides of human society. Jasmeet K. and Reen are the director of the film Darlings, and released on 5th August 2022. (Review by Cynthia) https://youtu.be/Dmx5KDOpqeg 5. Operation Sundarban Bangladeshi action-thriller Operation Sundarban will be made available in 2022. The concept was novel, but the method by which it was produced was very standard. The plot wasn't terrible, but it had a lot of shortcomings.The thing I can appreciate is how the locations you guys chose in Vfx and CGI are better than Mission extreme, Shannon, Dhaka attack, And more many Bangla Movies Vfx but still Mediocre Siam Acting in this one seems. Tahsin was the best in this one. His acting was so good. He needed more screen time. But unfortunately, he didn't get that much. Other characters also pretty much have OK acting, but Tahsin Was the best in this one. Even while it's not a really amazing action movie, it's actually much better when compared to other BD action movies. https://youtu.be/GkXzvReG8rE Read the full article

[drskids630]

Best Preschool In India — Drs Kids

Introduction

Drs Kids has been providing high-quality Best preschool in india education since 2006. Our goal is to help children become lifelong learners, who are ready for school and beyond. We offer a wide range of programs designed to meet the needs of every child, including infants through age 5.

Every child is unique, with unique needs and unique abilitiese

The most important thing to remember is that each child is different.

This can be difficult for parents who have never had a child before, but it’s important to remember that every child is different. Each person has their own personality, their own interests and talents. There are many ways to quantify this uniqueness: What does your baby like to do? How does she play? When does he get frustrated or upset? What makes him laugh? These are all good questions for you as the parent to ask yourself when trying to understand what your child needs from you (and from his environment) in order for him/her grow as best he can into adulthood — someone who knows how he fits into this world with all its challenges (and joys).

We believe in the importance of small beginnings.

We believe in the importance of small beginnings. Small beginnings are important because they are not just a beginning, but also an end. They’re an end to something that has already come to fruition, and each small beginning is a victory for your child, for the parent and teacher, and for the school as well.

If you think about it from a different perspective: when you start building something new, there’s always going to be some kind of foundation or base from which you can start working off from. This applies whether we’re talking about building homes or businesses or schools (or anything else).

The same goes for preschool education — in fact, this is when it actually starts! So make sure you choose wisely!

Drs Kids is proud to offer programs that help every child become a lifelong learner.

You can be assured that, at Drs Kids, we offer a wide range of programs to address the needs of each child. We offer a variety of programs for children of all ages and can help your child with special needs or learning disabilities. Additionally, we provide services to children who are on the autism spectrum.

Our mission is to ensure that every child becomes a lifelong learner through our customized one-on-one tutoring.

Since 2006 the Little Flower High School, located in Bhandup has been home to Drs Kids Pre-School.

Drs Kids Pre-School, located in Bhandup, is a convent school. It is a co-educational school and it is affiliated to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. The school was founded by Sister Charubala Kawale in 2006. The motto of this institution is “Our only motive is children”.

This institute conducts classes from Nursery to Class 12 under the guidance of experienced teachers who are well trained in their respective fields. The students get ample opportunities to explore their interests through various activities like sports and games, cultural competitions etc., apart form regular classroom work

The preschool classrooms are equipped with age-appropriate materials and resources that encourage children to learn through play and exploration.

The preschool classrooms are equipped with age-appropriate materials and resources that encourage children to learn through play and exploration. The environment is child friendly, safe and secure.

The school’s curriculum focuses on the following areas:

Language development (Eng / Hindi)

Social skill development (Communication & Interaction skills)

Creative Arts & Crafts — music, dance and art activities are an integral part of our program; this helps in developing their creative abilities as well as self-expression skills. The preschoolers learn about various aspects of Indian culture through these art forms as well as through stories, rhymes and songs which are taught by our experienced teachers

At Drs Kids we want your child to feel safe and happy.

At Drs Kids we want your child to feel safe and happy. We do this by making sure that:

They are comfortable around the people on the campus, including faculty and staff.

They feel confident about themselves and their abilities, both academically and non-academically.

They know what they can accomplish in life, and have a plan for reaching their goals — whether those goals pertain to academics or not.

It is important for your child to feel safe,happy and ready for school!

The Best preschool in india experience at Drs Kids is unique, as it offers security and happiness to children. Experiences like these are vital for your child’s growth, as they help them grow into confident individuals ready to master the challenges of school.

We understand that children can be fearful in new environments, so we ensure that each child feels comfortable at all times. In order for this to happen, our staff provides individual care for each child in an environment where they feel safe and happy. Our staff are trained professionals who have been pre-screened based on their qualifications and personality traits so there is no wondering whether or not they’re suited for their jobs!

Our environment is set up so that every room has a large window overlooking either an open grassy area or some trees which allows plenty of natural light inside during daylight hours (and we use sensors so we never have direct sunlight). We also have fire alarms throughout so if there were ever an emergency situation requiring evacuation all children would know where exactly outside lies safety without confusion about directions.”

Conclusion

We are proud to offer a safe and nurturing environment where children develop their full potential. We believe in giving every child the opportunity to discover their passion and realize their dreams, no matter how small or big those dreams may be!

#best #best play schools in india #best preschool in india #preschool in india #india

[yogenderthakur]

Top 3 Motivational Story in Hindi | Bill Gates Motivational Story | Sandeep Maheshwari Motivational Story

Top 3 Motivational Story in Hindi | Bill Gates Motivational Story | Sandeep Maheshwari Motivational Story

Top 3 Motivational Story in Hindi | Bill Gates Motivational Story | Sandeep Maheshwari Motivational Story Motivational Story Bill Gates Motivational Story- बिल गेट्स की प्रेरणादायक कहानी दुनिया के सबसे धनवान व्यक्ति बिल गेट्स से किसी ने पूछा क्या इस धरती पर आप से भी अमीर कोई है बिल गेट्स ने जवाब दिया हां एक व्यक्ति इस दुनिया में मुझसे भी अमीर है. कौन?बिल गेट्स ने बताया एक समय में जब मेरी…

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#best motivational story in hindi #best motivational story in hindi for students #breakup motivational story in hindi #i a s motivational story in hindi #motivational story about hindi #motivational story in hindi #motivational story in hindi book #motivational story in hindi business #motivational story in hindi by vivek bindra #motivational story in hindi for child #motivational story in hindi for class 5 #motivational story in hindi for class 8 #motivational story in hindi for depression #motivational story in hindi for kids #motivational story in hindi for school assembly #motivational story in hindi for students #motivational story in hindi for students with moral #motivational story in hindi for success #motivational story in hindi pdf #motivational story in hindi short

[vilaspatelvlogs]

बच्चों को अच्छे काम के लिए प्रेरित करना चाहिए, तभी वे बड़े होकर अच्छे इंसान बनते हैं

बच्चों को अच्छे काम के लिए प्रेरित करना चाहिए, तभी वे बड़े होकर अच्छे इंसान बनते हैं

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संत अपने शिष्य के साथ गांव में मांग रहे थे भिक्षा, तभी एक छोटी बच्ची ने कहा कि हमारे पास आपको देने के लिए कुछ नहीं है, संत ने उससे कहा कि दान में अपने आंगन की मिट्टी ही दे दो

दैनिक भास्कर

May 12, 2020, 11:43 AM IST

बच्चों को हमेशा अच्छे काम करने के लिए प्रेरित करना चाहिए। तभी वे बड़े होकर अच्छे इंसान बनते हैं। संस्कारों से संबंधित एक लोक कथा प्रचलित है। इस कथा के अनुसार पुराने समय में…

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#family management tips in hindi #inspirational story #kids moral story #motivational story about child #prerak prasang

[annoyingfestglitter]

Desi Chaotic Academia

specifically aimed at 11th and 12th grade kids who took science and are having online school now

+maggi at 3 am

+cold tea while studying

+crying bc nothing is done

+crying bc you've been working for 6 hours straight and school keeps sending more work

+crying bc you don’t know anything that is in syllabus for the exam the next day

+crying bc exam went bad

+crying in general

+listening to 2000s hindi songs bc new songs are all just remixes with bad raps

+class at 7:30 am, but sleeping at 5 am

+school making you wear uniform for online calls so wearing only the shirt and tie and id card

+school being more unorganized than you and it sending work at random times of the day

+not completing school notebooks bc we are not going back anyways

+then the teachers asking for scans so last minute completion, but whats new

+watching 3 idiots hits different

+knowing its written by chetan bhagat but ignoring that bc the movie was iconic

+"sharma ji ke bacche" (phrase used to compare you to someone else’s child who has done better than you:>)

+not knowing what is happening in coaching classes, asking friends only for them to text you at the exact same time asking the same question

+no social life bc you need to study for minimum 16 hours a day

+having to study for 16 hours a day on the day before exams bc you didn’t study the rest of the year

+failing

+rd sharma and hcv :(

+buying the supplementary books but never using them

+online notes on random websites

+online practicals.

+searching for one question and finding solutions for entire textbook

+for all subjects

+for both years

+physics walla life saver

+textbooks not having enough information so ending up in the wikipedia wormhole

+crying about the lack of STEM representation on social media then realising they probably have no time or are simply tasteless

+"engineering"

+your cousin having done better than you in science in 12th in general

+sleeping too much or too little

+sleeping with camera off bc attendence

+taking science only bc "more options"

+now suffering bc you do have a lot of options but your marks say no❤ to all of them

+being done with science all together

+the subject you had a choice to choose being completely ignored now

+reading the stories in the english textbooks once and scoring the personal highest in english

+the education board being just about as chaotic as you

+learning some of log table values, periodic table and constants before every exam and forgetting as soon as exam gets over

+having an exam every month and still being surprised at it

+"WHY did i take science"

+"bas ab 12th nikalna hain uske baad jo karna hain wo karo" (”just graduate from high school, then you can do whatever you want”)

+more crying

+boards vs entrance exams vs the will to live

+accepting you’re not good enough, seeing some random stem studyblr post and getting motivating, trying to work, failing, a cycle.

#studyblr #desi #chaotic academia #dark academia #light academia #romantic academia #study #student #stem #mathblr #phyblr #chemblr #medblr #india #indian academia #aesthetic #studyspo

[archanasingh18]

10 Must Watch Bollywood Movies Before You Die

Best movies that you must watch before you die:

When it comes to the best content movies, no one can beat Bollywood. So here is the list of movies that you must watch bollywood movies before You die. It has hit the Bollywood and world’s largest film industry Hollywood in terms of output and each. There are billions of diehard fans worldwide who love to watch Indian movies based on different genres. We have a great collection of outstanding performance-based movies from historical drama, true stories, inspiring stories, and many more. I am going to share some must watch Bollywood movies that can change your life. Let’s start

You must watch Bollywood Movies from different genres:

Badla

Badla film was adorned with Taapsee Pannu and Amitabh Bachan. Taapsee played the role of a murderer who murdered her lover, but she claims that she did not do it. The story exposes the murder mystery and Badal Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan), a lawyer by Naina Sethi (Tapsee Pannu), trying to guess the real killer and their motive.

Badla types of movies are the turning point that has changed the concept of conventional Bollywood movies because women are the heroes of this film. The main motive of this movie is to show a ruthless successful businesswoman and give a poignant statement. However, it is one of the tremendous must watch Bollywood movies that successfully grabbed audiences’ attention.

Kahaani

Vidya Balan starrer Kahaani is a captivating thriller from start to end, and Vidya proved her ability yet again by single-handedly carrying the film forward on her firm shoulders. Most of all think that Bollywood movies revolve around male characters, and males have been prominent in almost all movies.

The film shows an attack of poisonous gas in the Kolkata metro and leaves thousands of dead. Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan), who played the role of pregnant software engineer, travels to India from London searching for her missing husband, Arnab Bagchi.

See the list of 10 most underrated Hindi Movies

It shows the struggle of a pregnant woman who exposes the involvement of the intelligence department in the matter, and the entire story is even more complicated and dense. In this story, the murder of every person who tried to help Vidya created a sense of fear in her, but she fought bravely for her unborn child and a missing husband.

A Wednesday

In this movie, Naseeruddin Shah played the role of “The Common Man and Anupam Kher play the role of “Prakash Rathod, Commissioner of Mumbai Police. One dialog that audiences cannot forget was, “I don’t want you to associate any religion to what I am doing.” Are you curious to know how it is different from the rest of other Bollywood movies?

It shows the power of a “common man” who doesn’t succumb to the system. No movie showed a “common man” power before; that’s why it is counted as one of the best movies yet. In the pipeline of must watch bollywood movies, I will give space it also.

Rang De Basanti

Rang de Basanti is one of the must watch bollywood movies before you die that is something every youth related to them. Have you noticed what has changed in our country? We can say one thing that changes is the government.

The film was successful showed the hurt and anger that the youth of the nation feels to see corruption snatching their lives. We can learn one thing from this movie that we can’t solve all matters through violence.

Pink

If you still have not watched the movie ‘ Pink,’ it is the right time to enjoy the film with your entire family, giving a profound message to society. Whenever a rape incident happens in the city, people talk about the victim’s relationship with the attacker, the time of the day, and the victim’s dress.

The timid middle class immediately heaves a sigh of relief that they know the girl was drunk and skimpily dressed. They think about why she needs to go outside late at night. This nonsense ideology strips the rapist of all blame. Our middle class feels that rapes are common for those women whose dresses are seductive or drunk. The movie challenges the deepest remnants of feudal ideology. You must watch bollywood movie to help us have a world with a better relationship based on mutual respect and love.

Tumbbad

Maybe you are one of them who want to know the best horror movie ever made in India that is the perfect combination of wonders and horrible components. One such movie is the horror-thrilled Tumbbad that keeps you up all night. Instead of showing strike fear of the monster, Tumbbad makes you aware of the devil inside us humans. The ending of every horror movie should be pleasant, and Tumbbad was successful about it.

3 Idiots

Movies like 3 Idiots have exposed the structure of education, which shows how things are imposed on the youth and what they want to do is ignored. Aamir Khan is portrayed throughout the film as a magical boy who does not panic in any situation and finds a quick solution to it.

The story keeps you hooked in every part and gives the message to do what your heart tells you; you can succeed in that. It is a perfect combination of emotions and comedy from commence to end. It is one of the must watch Bollywood movies in Indian cinema history.

Shahid

Rajkumar Rao starrer Shahid is a Hindi-language biographical drama film directed by Hansal Mehta. If you are tired of watching classic Hindi movies, I think Shahid is for you. The movie shows a lawyer character who was arrested on allegations of conspiring against the state in 1994.

Shahid helps those people who are accused of terrorism. In his short tenure, he got 17 acquittals for his clients. The Supreme Court has acquitted Fahim Ansari from the allegation of the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai after Shahid’s death, and Shahid proved in a lower court that there is not sufficient evidence against Ansari. The film shows how innocent people are sent to jail while they did not commit that crime.

Taare Zameen Par

It is one of the movies that not only entertain but also aware you. The purpose of this film is to reflect the attitude of parents towards their children, the expectations they have and the shortcomings in the attitude shown by this film. The film is adorned with actors like Aamir Khan and Darsheel Safari.

In this film, Aamir portrays the role of a teacher who not only forces his children to study out of fear of being hit with a stick, but also teaches a great deal to the children in sports. I think every parent must watch this movie.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Director Zoya Akhtar has portrayed the place of friends in life, their importance, and their need. The story of the film is exciting and straightforward as well. Through the movie ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,’ the stars have tried to bring the fun of life and the real fund of living in front of everyone. Masala films have dominated Bollywood for a long time; in such a situation, ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ makes the audiences think. However, these are must watch bollywood movies that can change your life.

#must watch Bollywood Movies

[painthattellpleasure]

"Pleasure of Pain"

I was born into and raised in a cruel world. When I first opened my eyes, there was a tear in my eye, along with sorrow. When I was younger, I used to wonder why I didn't seem to be happy. There are times when I ask myself, "What is my intention in living on this planet?" and "Am I good enough to live with this?". I have my own family who is always pushing me in the right direction. I live in a typical home and seem to be content, but there have been occasions when my parents have not treated me fairly and have preferred to spend their time with my younger sister. I'm still envious of my younger sister, which causes sibling rivalry.My parents give everything to my sister that she requests, but the more I ask, the less I get, which makes me sad and brings up my pain. I've gone to my parents when I'm down and I'm in pain to ask them questions. “Bakit hindi niyo binigay yung mga bagay na gusto ko, Ma at Pa?” I inquired. “ Binibigay naman yung gusto mo, IKaw lang yung hindi makuntento!” They react angrily. "Hindi pa naiintindihan yan ngayon, maunawaan mo din yan pag laki mo," they reply calmly once more. After that talk, I couldn't understand a single thing they said, so I walked slowly back to my bed, alone and in pain. Because of the pain and sadness I experience, I cry quietly. While crying, I ask myself, "Why do even my family cause me pain, when I thought they were always there for me, giving me everything I wanted?" “I asked myself, and I still don't know the answer, so I live with the pain that binds me. I am currently experiencing a great deal of pain, not just in my family but also in the society to which I belong. When I interact with other people, I encounter a lot of prejudice. I was bullied as a child, and as a result, I suffer from a great deal of loneliness. I understand that being alone hurts and causes so much heartache. I used to be alone as a kid because I didn't want to play with other kids because I was tired of being bullied. Because I have large teeth in front, I was dubbed "rabbit" by a member of the community. I've never understood why people dislike me because of my disproportionately large teeth. All I want is love, but all I get is pain, and I'm too young to deal with it. There was a time when I went to my father and told him that I was being bullied. My father said, "Hayaan mo na lang sila nak, huwag mo na pakinggan ang mga sinasabi nila." I assumed he would protect me as if I were his own son, but I was mistaken. I dashed to my room and began weeping through the pain. I see myself as a single tree because I was the only one who stood alone and courageous despite the fact that many disasters struck my life, but I am still alive and struggling to survive. I know I can't do this alone, so I pray to God and inquire for answers as to why I'm hurting so much at such a young age. I went to church and still couldn't find the solution, so I went to church every Sunday and joined the Knights of the Altar, who serve God. Until one day, when I was listening to the priest's homily about the pain that connects all human beings, something unexpected happened. “Why does humanity suffer from pain?” the Priest inquired. "God is allowing us to suffer from pain, even as a priest, I was suffering from pain as well," the priest responded, "because ang panginoon ay tinuturuan tayong maging malakas at maging matatag sa buhay kahit madami pang sakuna ang dadating sa atin. God letting us suffer from pain dahil God want us na maging malapit sa kanya at hihingi ng tulong sakanya. Mga kapatid hayaan nating maranasan ang sakit na ating nararamdaman dahil ito ay isa lamang sa mga pagsubok na ginawa ng panginoon para tayo ay matutung umunawa at umintindi ng nararamdaman ng iba" He said. After hearing those wise words, I feel as if someone has touched my heart and soul. I realized that this is the long-awaited response to my prayers. After that day, I actually understood why I was in pain, and I now understand my parents as well. My parents wanted me to be content and grateful for what I had. I realized that my parents were

right, and I could not be envious of my younger sister because I used to have everything I wanted as a kid, and now it is my sister's turn. My parents' love for me and the way they punished me made me realize that they love me more than I realize. Bullying, I finally learned, is what distinguishes me and encourages me to develop into my full potential. When I grew older, I knew that I was not alone in my misery. Pain is difficult to bear, but how I deal with it is entirely up to me. Pain motivates me to grow as an individual and gives me the courage to face every challenge. This is my story; I've finally grasped the meaning of suffering, I've figured out what it means to live, and I've come to appreciate how I live.

#memoir #creative nonfiction

[brindaneer]

Inspiration and positivity are what the entire human race is in dire need of during these uncertain times. The present blog acquires additional importance for us because the film it deals with is possibly one of the most motivational motion pictures produced by the Hindi movie industry in the past few years. Penned by the inimitable Javed Akhtar, and directed by Farhan Akhtar, Lakshya showcased the progression of Karan Shergil from an aimless, albeit good-hearted soul drifting through life into a dutiful officer of the Indian Army. Karan's path of self-discovery was not merely an entertaining watch; it was also about the vital role that initiative and determination could play in our lives. Thrown in the midst of a world pandemic after a hundred years, most of us have lost these amazing qualities up to some degree at least, which is probably why pondering over this film in particular seems to be a productive job at the moment. Ironically, a film that several people have drawn inspiration from over the years (people had actually joined the Army after watching Lakshya) had been declared a 'box-office flop' during the time of its release. In that aspect, Lakshya resembles classics like Kaagaz ke Phool, Mera Naam Joker, Pakeezah, Jane Bhi Do Yaaron, and Andaaz Apna Apna, all of which failed to take the box-office by storm, but went on to obtain cult status among viewers later. Astounding? Definitely. Great films sometimes fail financially without rime or reason and unfortunately, the same fate befell Lakshya.

At its core, Lakshya was Karan's story and not a war film. The war and Indian Army provided a perfect setting for Karan to find his true calling. Nevertheless, intricacies of the Kargil war along with the destruction, desolation and pain that accompanied it, and which are also inevitably associated with all international armed conflicts in general, were far from being neglected in the story. A great writer is able to strike a balance between various dimensions of a plot without compromising on his actual intention, and who better than the legendary Javed Akhtar to achieve that? He was complimented by his talented son, the captain of this ship, who ably steered the film into a direction his father had envisaged while writing the script. Karan's metamorphosis from a lazy, casual college-going boy, perpetually confused about what he really wanted to do with life into a mature and responsible man was laced with humour and drama in equal measure, a strategy Farhan had previously employed while depicting Akash's journey in the epic 'Dil Chahta Hai'. Yet, the real genius lay in how different these two journeys actually were. Nobody could accuse Farhan of repeating what he had already done in his debut directorial venture.

Moments such as Karan listing his engagements of the day to Romi's (Preity Zinta) father upon being asked about his future plans in life and then literally hijacking that man's opinion on the importance of giving the best, no matter what the job was, to pacify his own father were examples of the witty humour we were talking about earlier. Of course, the actors took these scenes to a different level altogether. Hrithik’s delivery of ‘Main ye sochta hoon Dad’ after Karan had just rattled the ‘achcha ghaas kaatnewala’ lecture, and Boman Irani’s (Karan’s strict father) poker faced ‘Thik sochte ho’ in return have never failed to elicit roars of laughter from viewers till date. This wit pervaded most of the film’s first half as Karan continued his antics- the expression of his eternal confusion through the iconic ‘Main Aisa Kyun Hoon’ (apart from displaying Hrithik’s insane dancing skills through the choreography of the one and only Prabhu Deva, this sequence also aptly conveyed Karan’s inherent dilemmas), his decision of joining the Army only because another friend had promised he would come too, his disappointment upon being dumped by that friend, his ‘unconventional’ marriage proposal to Romi and his characteristic callousness as well as indolence even during his stint at the IMA were hilarious to say the least. Hrithik’s comic timing was pitch perfect in every scene, and perfectly suited for the nuanced, elegant genre of comedy that the script had aimed at.

Just when we thought Lakshya was a hoot, Farhan introduced the dramatic element in it; and he did so with such subtlety and ease that the ensuing sequence of events seemed to be the only natural course for the film to take. The scene where Karan fell into the pool by sheer unmindfulness during one of his drills and got punished by his commanding officer was somehow able to generate a strange mixture of sympathy as well as laughter amongst the audience and proved to be one of the watershed moments in Karan’s story. Hrithik’s masterful portrayal of humiliation as Karan knelt in front of his fellow cadets engendered such palpable discomfort within us the first time that re-watching it remains difficult even now.

The Karan that emerged on the other side of this event was somewhat different. Staying true to his fickle-minded nature, he jumped the wall of IMA and fled home. Nevertheless, regret could clearly be observed on his countenance as he sat with his parents, head bowed in shame, forced to accept defeat in front of his father- a man, who had always underestimated him. The grievance in his eyes upon over-hearing Mr. Shergill's unfavourable opinion of him hinted not only towards Karan's underlying strong ego, but also revealed his latent desire to prove himself. The hurt ego, along with his heart, was eventually completely shattered when the one person who had genuinely believed in him refused to be a part of his life anymore. Romi, played by Preity Zinta with her usual vivacity and boldness, broke up with Karan at the same place where she had once agreed to marry him because he had failed to live up to even her expectations. For Karan, someone who had probably harboured feelings of inferiority ever since childhood because of incessant comparisons with his brother, this became the ultimate betrayal. As viewers, it was our interpretation that he never really understood Romi’s point of view; he only attributed one primary meaning to her actions- her belief in his worthlessness. Looking at this entire sequence from a neutral perspective, one might say that both Karan and Romi deserved some empathy from each other. Karan’s lack of conviction in everything he did naturally upset Romi to a point where she could not imagine spending the rest of her life with him. Can we really blame her? As far as Karan was concerned, he had to bear rejection from someone, who, he had hoped, would never judge him like his dad. Before this, he had been able to bear the brunt of his father's expectations because of the security that his relationship with Romi provided him. However, when she pushed him away, he truly hit bare ground, with no one to break the fall. The scene that followed the break-up will possibly remain one of the best pieces of emotional acting in Hrithik’s career forever. As easy as it might seem, crying your heart out on screen can actually be very difficult in practice. Hrithik obviously nailed the sobs, but more importantly, he conveyed his character’s rancour towards Romi most effectively through the unspoken hurt in his eyes, thereby suitably justifying the transition Karan would undergo next.

With no comfort zone left for him to turn to, Karan did what his parents, especially his father, and Romi had always wanted him to do. He grew up. He could have sulked like a petulant child and continued to live a directionless life like he had done previously. Instead, he chose to prove himself to Romi and made that his life’s goal. Ironically, Romi had disapproved when he insisted on joining the army earlier because she felt he was doing it to rebel against his father. But this was a different Karan. He was not rebelling anymore. He was trying to show Romi that he could be much more than what everyone thought about him. Sub-consciously, it was not just she who was the reason for this transformation; rather, it was both his dad and her.

Karan’s second stint at the IMA provided viewers with some of the finest moments in the film. His dedication towards learning and training, initial isolation and finally, amalgamation into the student community were fascinatingly depicted through the brilliant title song ‘Haan yahi rasta hai tera, tune ab jana hai, Haan yahi sapna hai tera, tune pehchana hai, tujhe ab ye dikhana hai......Roke tujhko aandhiyaan, ya zameen aur aasmaan, payega jo lakshya hai tera....Lakshya ko har haal mein paana hai’. Now, let us take a brief moment to acknowledge the terrific music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy which truly set the mood for the film. This song in particular struck a chord with us because of the simplicity and eloquence with which it expressed the inherent message of the story. The picturization was top-notch with several nuances throughout. Few moments stand out even now such as Karan passionately screaming ‘Dhawa’ during his drill, something he had been completely casual about earlier, Hrithik’s unflinching eye-contact with the CO who had previously punished him indicating that Karan was a changed man now, and Karan’s increasing camaraderie with his batch mates.

The song was followed by two important sequences, superb for the understated nature in which they expressed first Karan’s unspoken resentment towards his father, and then, his blatant grievance against Romi. In the first, Karan’s mother informed him that his dad had wanted to attend his graduation ceremony but could not ultimately, and in the second, Karan himself called Romi to inform her that he was finally a lieutenant of the Indian Army. At this point of time, talking about Hrithik’s acting probably seems redundant. So, we apologize for the redundancy (What? Did you think we would stop talking about it? 😱😱). Karan’s casual brushing away of his mother’s statement about Mr. Shergill conveyed volumes about how he had ceased to expect anything from his father; it also revealed the disappointment he felt, courtesy of Hrithik’s amazingly layered performance. Similarly, his delivery of ‘Saare faisle tum nahin kar sakti Romi’ was spot-on. It was optimally hurtful, just like it was supposed to be.

As his job brought Karan to Kargil, Ladakh, and he met his commanding officer, Colonel Damle, played to usual perfection by the enigmatic Mr. Bachchan who managed to captivate the audience completely during the few brief moments he had in the film, as well as other colleagues, the lines between proving himself to the two important people of his life and finding his true ‘Lakshya’ began to blur. By his own confession, he had never thought about the significance of being an ‘Indian’ until his senior colleague Jalal Akbar (a brilliantly natural Sushant Singh) took him to the border (pretty prophetic that Hrithik himself went on to play a different Jalal Akbar later in his career, right?). In all honesty, a considerable section of the audience probably felt the same too. The stunning Trans-Himalayan locales shot so artistically definitely added to this feeling, although any border area is usually capable of engendering such thoughts. The landscape of Ladakh has a strange haunting quality about it, and that played a substantial role not only in making the film a visual treat but also metaphorically with respect to Karan’s journey.

As he truly began to love his job, Karan realized that he was finally ready to let go of his ego as far as Romi was concerned. Unfortunately, Romi, after a lot of thought, and pining for Karan, had decided to move on with life, much to Karan’s shock and dismay. The scene where he stood outside the venue of her engagement and watched her laughing with her fiance was one of a kind for the lack of melodrama that usually accompanies such sequences. Its speciality lay in the director’s nuanced handling of emotions and the actor’s terrific portrayal of subtle poignancy.

Run down and broken by the trials of his life, Karan returned home to his parents, only to receive news that his leave had been cancelled, and that he was urgently required to return to base. The moment where he bid goodbye to his parents was the first time when his father openly expressed love and concern for him, although not exactly in those words. The visible tension on Mr. Shergil’s face as he lost his cool and asked Karan to tell the complete truth was a testimony to his worry for his son who was about to go to a border area amidst serious disturbances. The part where Karan hugged his mother and left with just an uncomfortable glance towards his dad was another of those amazing subtle moments which characterized Farhan’s direction for this film. Hrithik’s discomfort and Boman Irani’s disappointment were both heart-rending to watch and as a viewer, one really wanted to reach out and give both of them hugs. A special thanks to Farhan and whoever was in charge of casting for signing Boman Irani in this role. Hrithik and his scenes were like mini acting classes that aspiring actors could take tips from.

Sometimes, it is difficult to get on with life, more so after losing one’s love forever like Karan had, but military training had instilled a sense of duty and discipline in him that was impossible to ignore. Of course, he had already begun to find a deeper meaning in his life through his job, especially after spending time with his superiors and colleagues. And, so he marched on. Had Romi seen his sense of responsibility even during a time when his personal life was in turmoil, she would have been proud. However, the realization that this was his true calling was probably yet to come to Karan. It did, in phases as he learnt about the war situation from Colonel Damle, and then embarked upon it.

If two people are destined to meet, even the universe conspires to bring them together. The same thing happened with Karan and Romi as they crossed paths unexpectedly in Kargil, of all places. The scene where they saw each other amidst a convoy of army vehicles is absolute poetry. Kudos to Preity for being so natural with her expressions always; she was brilliant in every scene, and especially here as Romi’s eyes changed from pure surprise on finding Karan there to a subtle melancholy and probably hope ( ?) at the thought of their future interactions. Hrithik, as usual, was spot-on with Karan’s ‘seeing a ghost’ expression as he moved past her, without getting an opportunity to satisfy his curiosity regarding her presence there.

Their next exchanges were laced with intense angst, but not of the typical Bollywood kind, rather much more controlled and nuanced. The part where Karan, after knowing about the demise of his good friend Abir (from the IMA) found his other pal Saket (Abir’s closest friend) venting out at Romi requires special mention because of the seamless manner in which it shifted from a discourse on the necessity and morality of war to a fantastic interaction between the lead couple, their first face-to-face conversation since the break up. It was formal, yet intimate; mundane, yet special; filled with hope for more on Romi’s part, and discomfort as well as suppressed anger on Karan’s. This scene was followed by his a little mean ‘pata nahin’ when Romi asked him if he had decided whether they should meet or not, and his angsty ‘congratulations’ for her engagement. Of course, the poor guy had no idea that she had broken it off after finding out that her fiance who was apparently a highly motivated successful individual was also a narrow-minded chauvinist. The irony of life! Once again, kudos to the genius of Farhan Akhtar. Without even mentioning it, he managed to point out the difference between Karan and Rajeev, and it was clearer than ever why Romi loved Karan. Remember ‘Maine aj tak tum mein koi choti baat nahin dekhi’ ? However, Romi obviously did not explain the truth to Karan. It was truly frustrating at times to see these two souls so much in love with each other, and yet unable to let go of their stubornness. Nonetheless, the frustration could be borne because of the brilliant intensity of their scenes and the wonderful chemistry these two shared. Truly, we do not talk enough about Hrithik and Preity’s amazing on screen bonding. We really should!

Karan eventually found out about Romi’s broken engagement from a letter his best friemd Ashu had sent him a while back. Hrithik’s expression of shock portrayed the extent to which the news had unsettled Karan. Incidentally, just when love had given him a second chance, Karan encountered death more closely than ever. After an initial victory during the first battle (the one in which he had saved the life of a senior officer, and killed opponents for the first time; also possibly the one where he began to realize that serving his country had started becoming his passion), Karan and his battalion were massively defeated in the second and several lives were lost, including his close colleague, Captain Akbar’s. The scene where Akbar succumbed to his injuries in front of his best friend, Dr. Sudhir (played by the late Abir Goswami, may he rest in peace too) who tried desperately to resuscitate him while motivating the gasping man with remarks such as ‘aam khane jana hai na’ can make people cry anytime without manipulating their emotions or forcefully tugging at their heartstrings. In fact, this was true for every battle sequence in Lakshya, which made it one of the best war movies Bollywood had ever made. Notably, the script treated every character with sufficient respect including even the ones who had screen times of just a few minutes. Everyone had a well-crafted story arc, however small it might be but integral to the movie. Most importantly, not for one second did we feel that Karan had taken up the screen space of others.

The best example for this was provided by the great late Om Puri ji, who played the role of Subedar Pritam Singh. Of course, if you have the privilege of casting an actor of his calibre, your can rest assured of the outcome. Acting is at its best when it does not feel like enactment, and not many actors are more natural than Om Puri ji! Appearing on screen for not more than four to five scenes, he delivered some of the most profound dialogues in the film. He explained to Karan how a soldier knew better than anyone about the destructiveness of war; yet he had no other option but to be a part of it. When Karan asked why wars took place, he pointed out that human greed had drawn boundaries upon the earth’s surface and if it were in their hands, men would partition the moon too. How true it rings, especially now. People are actually talking about ‘making life interplanetary’. If it ever happens, countries are going to fight about demarcating territories there.

Moving on! Excuse the length of this blog please! A film like Lakshya has so many subtle intricacies that it becomes impossible to leave out scenes. But don’t be impatient please. We have almost reached the end of our ‘Lakshya’. A few sequences still deserve mention. First, the iconic ‘Tum kehti thi na Romi meri zindagi mein koi lakshya nahin hai?’ The defeat accompanied by the loss of close friends and colleagues had augmented Karan’s determination to win but our hero had also finally discovered his passion, his true calling. In moments when such epiphanies occur, is there anything else left to do other than crying? Probably not. That was exactly what Karan did. As usual, Hrithik’s performance elevated the quality of this scene, like so many others. The part where Karan pledged to Colonel Damle that either he would execute the mission successfully, or he would not come back alive was again equally impactful because of both Hrithik and Mr. Bachchan. The way Colonel Damle looked at his officer after this momentous declaration conveyed the immense pride, gratitude and grief he felt at that moment. Truly, Mr. Bachchan needs no dialogues to express emotions. His eyes do it all. And the same is true for Hrithik too.

Now, its time for our favourite scene in the movie. You guys must be thinking that we agree on everything. Well, we do agree a lot, but disagreements occur too. However, there was no disagreement on this one. We think its a lot of other people’s favourite too. You are right! We are talking about the scene in which Karan called his dad. This was on the night before the final mission- a mission that was near suicidal. Upon seeing his colleague Vishal take off his engagement ring and put it in an envelope, Karan finally acknowledged what he was running away from; something that he had buried deep down in his sub-conscious- his conflicted emotions towards his father. The knowledge that he might no longer be alive for a resolution made Karan pick up the phone and dial his number. Here is an anecdote in this context. When Boman Irani started shooting for his part in this sequence, Hrithik’s lines were being read by an AD, and Mr. Irani could not get his shot right because he was not able to get the proper feel. Acting is a lot about reacting, and the non-impactful delivery by the AD hampered Mr. Irani’s shot. Finally, the person in charge of the sound came to his rescue and Hrithik’s dialogues were played in audio (Hrithik’s part had already been shot by then) to which Boman Irani reacted. And what an outcome. This is the true mark of a great actor; he not only excels himself but helps others soar too. And what an honour to have helped an ace actor like Boman Irani! The performances by both in this scene were superlative and manage to leave us with lumps in our throats even today.

In his first ever heart-to-heart with his dad, Karan confessed that he had always disappointed his father and told him that he was aware of it. In return, his dad who initially had thought Karan had called his mom, finally told him how proud he was of him. A salute and heartfelt gratitude to all the parents out there who send their children to serve in the security forces so that civilians can live in peace. The smile on his son’s face was proof that he could die happy. The tears in both their eyes expressed the craving they had towards each other; the dejection that Karan had always felt upon being ‘ignored’ by his father was replaced by the understanding that his father had always loved him; the pain on Mr. Shergill’s face portrayed his disappointment for waiting so long to convey his love to Karan- so long that there was a chance he might never see him again.

Having poured his heart out to his dad, Karan finally set out to achieve his Lakshya of recapturing Point 5179 and hoisting the Indian flag on it, but not before a much needed conversation with Romi. What an amazing bond these two shared. Karan did not need to tell her explicitly that he knew about her broken engagement; she did not have to tell him that she still loved him. They just knew. Her ‘to phir main zindagi bhar intezaar karungi’ was far more intense than a conventional ‘I love you’. The beauty of this scene lay in the complete lack of melodrama which one usually associates with Bollywood scenes of this kind. No over the top background score, no hysterics, not even a hug! And the fact that they wanted to hug, but could not (because Karan’s seniors were waiting) made this moment even more poignant. Hrithik and Preity were the epitomes of subtlety here. The frustration of not even being able to touch each other before Karan left for a life threatening assignment was so tangible that even the audience imbibed it. Seriously, why did not Hrithik and Preity work more? They were so attuned to even each other’s silences!

The final mission proved the truth of Romi’s words. ‘Jis din usne decide kar liya ki use kya karna hai, aap dekhna wo kahan se kahan pohochta hai’. Indeed, Karan reached the peak of success, literally and metaphorically. The mountain-climbing scene deserves a special mention here. It was so perfectly done that the only comparison that comes to mind is the famous rock-climbing sequence in ‘The Guns of Navarone’ by the iconic Gregory Peck. And in all fairness, Captain Mallory only climbed a cliff; Captain Shergill had to climb a peak of the Trans Himalayas! Jokes aside, both scenes shall forever remain goosebump- inducing. Karan, obviously hoisted the Indian flag, and just in time. Boy, did he make Colonel Damle proud or what?!

Thanks to our friend Mita for this wonderful VM .

There is a saying that everything works out in the end, and if it does not, it is not the end. It indeed did happen that way for Karan. He found his goal, and achieved it too. As he walked out of that elevator, and hugged his dad finally, we surely did feel contented. And who said Mr. Shergill did not know his son? Well, he might have taken time, but now he understood him better than most. When Karan’s mother asked if they could go home, he objected. Go home? What NO! Karan had to go and fulfill his other 'Lakhshya’, right?

How wonderfully thoughtful of Romi to stand at a distance from Karan’s parents, wanting to give them the private space that they needed! Actually, kudos to the director for his sensitivity; such subtlety is not something that we frequently see in Bollywood. So thank God for ‘Lakshya’. Just like Karan’s story ended on a positive note as the camera focussed on him and Romi, holding hands, finally embracing each other, ready to step in to a new chapter of their lives, we also end this blog with a bit of optimism.. Let us all hope and pray that ‘Hum Jeetenge Ye Baazi’ (modifying Javed Akhtar’s line a bit) on behalf of every Indian, and every person in the world dealing with this pandemic.

P.S. This blog is dedicated to all the front-line workers (doctors, nurses, other medical personnel, medical suppliers, delivery executives, grocery storekeepers, and all other emergency personnel) who put their lives in danger everyday so that we may survive. Please know that you are always in our prayers. Also, let us all hope that no one remains shy of masks and vaccines anymore. Those are the most effective ways of countering this virus. Stay safe everyone!

[tellywoodtrash]

I read through the wiki page of the movie Vanaprastham upon recommendation by a friend, who mentioned it is a masterpiece. I do not have any background of the dance form or knowledge of the scenario. Just understand that the protagonist falls in love with a higher caste woman, who loves the character he plays and not the man. So she doesnt let him have a role with their child. I wonder why this story is a masterpiece?

Continued: Why aren't stories of countless women jilted by their lovers considered celluloid poetry? This is by no means a misandrist comment, but why is a man's suffering celebrated, but a woman's is swept under the carpet in cinema, no matter the country, language, medium or times? Isn't this totally effed up? No human should suffer because of love, but we all do. For once, I was surprised by portrayal of such a story by the main female lead. What are your thoughts?

Tbh, I haven’t watched the movie (not really my type of thing, Malayalam arthouse cinema is often muchhhhhh too stuffy for me), so I can’t offer much valuable insight. But from what I understand, it’s a more a look into the mind of this individual and how the caste system affects him. The constant rejections he faces due to his caste, and the dichotomy of this relationship with this upper caste woman who desires him in one form yet rejects him in another, the lack of support classical artists face even when they’re celebrated for being the keepers of tradition (just superficial verbal support means nothing; what is being done by society to preserve this art form?), the changes happening in the social environment of Kerala at the time (I believe it’s set in the 50s - 60s?) etc. are the focus of the movie. I don’t know if the movie “celebrates” his suffering; it’s in fact quite an unrelentingly bleak watch as his mental anguish grows, with a somber ending that doesn’t glorify him, as far as I’m concerned. What it does show is the man channeling his deteriorating mental state into his art, as that is the only way that’s acceptable for him to express himself. So in that way, wouldn’t it be an insight into toxic masculinity and how it has impacted this man, in addition to the caste-based suffering?

Women’s suffering *is* shown in cinema, it’s just the matter of how it’s portrayed. Often it’s just exploitative and garish (usually because it’s made by men) but we do have it. A good parallel to Vanaprastham would be Perumazhakaalam, which isn’t quite as arthouse-y but does look into the life of two women stricken by grief and desperation (it’s the original that was adapted into Hindi as Dor, which has a decidedly more sunny tone and ending; this one is quite desolate, from the atmosphere to the situations.) So yeah, it really depends on the maker and the motivations. Just because one movie with a man’s suffering is lauded doesn’t mean that it’s a blow to feminism. There are more than one issue in the world, and there’s place for media addressing all of them. Our views towards social justice and empathy must be intersectional and inclusive, otherwise we run the risk of being blinded to many problems that plague the society, because we have blinders on and focus only on the one that affects us.

#tt answers

[glompcat]

Non-Christian Doctor Who Companions

In celebration of Thirteen continuing to stay away from the Christian holiday of Christmas, here is a list of the companions (that I know of) who are not Christian. 

I have divided this list into four categories: 

Humans who were raised with real world religions other than Christianity 

Humans who were raised Christian/Culturally Christian but expressly no longer ID as Christian

Humans who wound up in times/places with no concept of Christianity at the end of their travels with the Doctor

Humans who were raised with made up fantasy/sci-fi religions

I debated on listing non-Human companions as well (since for the most part they are not Christian) but in the end decided against it. 

If a companion came from a future civilization that was coded as being super British, I assumed they were culturally Christian and did not list them. If no religious affiliation nor anything indicating a potential religious affiliation could be found anywhere when researching a companion, I assumed they were of a vaguely Christian background and moved on.

Companions who appeared on TV are in bold. 

I went through a few lists of Companions to compile this, so I haven’t actually seen/heard/read stories about everyone listed here? I just really wanted to be thorough as fictional characters with a connection to some form of belief outside of Christianity really do mean a whole hell of a lot to me, personally. It is very possible that I missed characters, or put characters on this list in error. Please let me know if I have!

Human companions who were raised with real world religions other than Christianity:

Katarina was from ancient Troy, and she worshiped and deeply believed in and feared the Greek gods. 

Tiger Maratha was a Hindi man from the 24th century. 

Tegan Jovanka is, according to just one book from BBC Books (Divided Loyalties by Gary Russell), a patrilineal Jew from Brisbane Australia (the Jewish bit is what is only in one book. Tegan being from Brisbane was stated on screen during her second TV story). 

Erimemushinteperem was from Ancient Egypt, and she was raised believing in the Ancient Egyptian gods. Erimem was the only surviving child of a Pharoh, so this was super complicated.

Anji Kapoor is a Hindi woman from Yorkshire, England. It seems there was confusion about her heritage in the books she was in, with some writers having her explicitly mention being Indian, and other writers identifying her as Pakistani. Alongside this, the stories also wavered wildly from Anji growing up in a strict and religious household (these were linked concepts in the books) to her growing up in an assimilated and permissive household (again, linked concepts). From what I read when looking companions up for this post, there are explanations fans have come up with to make sense of some of these inconsistencies, namely that since the references to her being Pakistani tend to be framed in ways like “her grandparents were from Pakistan” it is possible that her family was originally from an area that became Pakistan and they moved to India after the partition. These are only headcanons, as the book series she was in never addressed this discrepancy. The Doctor Who wiki linked to an interview with one of the writers of that series, Lance Perkins, and this comes from the middle of a much longer response about the ways he believes the series mishandled Anji: “The Indian background thing… when Colin Brake created her, I’m sure he thought nothing of it, but it’s the sort of thing writers love to play with, and so suddenly there’s more backstory, but it wasn’t terribly well co-ordinated, so she was of both Pakistani and Indian origin, she was from a liberal household that was also religious and strict and so on, and you could almost hear us writers all thinking ‘what does her background mean?’, which is a question with the best motives, but not one we would ever ask if she was Angie Cowper.” 

While I can not find direct confirmation of it online and have not read the comics she is from so I really am unsure, given the country she was born in (Sri Lanka) and her name, it is very likely that Tara Mishra is a Buddhist. I mention it where I would normally just move on from lack of any info because of the very overt coding of her name.

Yasmin Khan is a Muslim woman from Sheffield in Yorkshire, England. This has been stated on screen during the TV show multiple times, and has even played a key role in one of her televised stories.

Humans who were raised Christian/culturally Christian but no longer ID as Christian:

Sarah Jane Smith IDs as an Atheist. This was overtly stated on screen, and is especially apparent when Sarah Jane almost gets married.

Mike Yates became a Buddhist after a massive crisis of faith while working for UNIT. One of the the writers of the story where Sarah Jane and the Third Doctor visit him at a Buddhist retreat (which is also the story where Three regenerates into Four) was Barry Letts (he was uncredited in that role) and he also directed and produced the story. Letts was a Buddhist himself. Sadly the heartfelt handling of the Buddhism in that serial is undercut by the leader of the retreat being played by a white actor in yellowface makeup putting on an accent. I tell you this as a warning in case you want to seek it out in the hopes of Buddhist representation. 

Humans who wound up in times/places with no concept of Christianity at the end of their travels with the Doctor

Vicki Pallister was from an Anglican coded future. She chose to leave the Doctor in a time period before the advent of Christianity, departing to live in the ruins of Troy following the Trojan War. 

Steven Taylor was from an Anglican coded future and was even in the first Doctor Who Christmas episode (which was a lighthearted romp in the middle of a long and depressing story. That one episode ended with the First Doctor passing out drinks and breaking the fourth wall to wish everyone at home a Merry Christmas). He became the leader of a planet that did not seem to have a concept of Christianity. That said, since the planet he stayed on was a very blatant parable about British Imperialism and Colonialism, if you told me they were all Christians there I’d have no trouble believing it. 

Perpugilliam “Peri” Brown was from Baltimore. She very much was a strange British fantasy of what an “All-American Girl” is, and Protestantism comes hand in hand with that. Peri’s actual ultimate fate is… confusing to say the least. One explanation of what happened during/after Season 23 is that the Time Lords split her personal timeline in at least five possible directions, so there are simultaneously multiple post-Season 23 Peris living very different lives. At least one possible timeline has her living on the planet Krontep as a warrior queen, and Krontep is NOT a Christian-coded society. Sadly this also means Krontep is heavily cast as ~savage~ and ~immoral~ (the specter of the White Man’s Burden and British Imperialism really do tend to creep into this show).

Stacy Townsend was set to marry a fellow Human at what I believe was a Catholic Church (?) when she first met the Doctor. At the end of her time traveling with the Doctor, she married an Ice Warrior named Ssard (who had also been a companion of the Doctor’s) and the two of them settled down on Mars.

Human companions who were raised with made up fantasy/sci-fi religions:

Leela of the Sevateem was raised to worship a God named Xoanan and fear his enemy - The Evil One. After expressing that she did not believe in Xoanon and then refusing to recant her statement of disbelief, Leela’s father was killed and Leela was exiled. Long story short, the Doctor was the Evil One and Xoanon was a malfunctioning AI. Leela helped the Doctor shut Xoanon down, and then she left with him. Later in life Leela maintained a very strong sense of spiritual belief. Specifically, she believed in a great unifying spirit that nurtured all life and directed the course of processes like evolution. Since Leela used she/her pronouns when describing the great spirit, the spirit she believes in does not seem to be connected to Xoanon or The Evil One, although she does still invoke their names when swearing.

Ly-Chee the Wise came from somewhere that could not possibly shout ~White People attempting to sound Asian~ any louder (he was a hermit on the mountain of Kabuki on the planet Tora). My attempts to figure out his deal seem to indicate that he was a follower of the fantasy faith of ~vaguely Asian mysticism as written by White People.~ Just to triple check my gut instinct on this I googled both the writer and artist of the comic he was in. Not surprisingly, my gut was 100000% correct here.

Liv Chenka comes from the planet Kaldor. I know nothing about the religion practiced there since I don’t think it came up when the Doctor and Leela visited the planet in the TV story The Robots of Death, and I haven’t yet heard any of the audios with Liv in them (they are on my list of audios I intend to buy). I do know that there is an audio where Liv expresses that she doesn’t know what Christmas is, so fellow companion Helen Sinclair teaches her about it. Not going to lie, as their stories together are very much On My List (I hear the shipping potential between Liv and Helen is Great) that story in particular is a huge reason why those audios are never really at the top of my list. I’ll get there eventually, but people who do not celebrate Christmas being ~~taught about Christmas~~ is kind of a major narrative Nope for me.

Note: After some debate, I have decided that given its name, it would be absurd to class The Church of the Papal Mainframe and its offshoots (such as The Silence or The Kovarian Chapter) as anything other than a form of fantasy Christianity. That said, since the connection between that religion and Christianity mainly comes down to the very blatant coding of its name, I do want to mention that there are two individuals who were raised within one of the splinter cells of that Church who may or may not be classified as companions. It’s a whole thing. They also may or may not be classified as Humans. Generally they are considered “Proto-Time Lords.” One of them is River Song, and the other is her clone/sister Brooke. 

Ruth Leonidas is a priestess of Poseidon from Atlantis/an alt. Earth. She’s really more one of Bernice Summerfield’s companions than the Doctor’s, and I only know her from the one book that got her Companion-of-the-Doctor status - Big Bang Generation, so I can’t comment on her fantasy religion too much.

So there you have it. Five Human TV companions have expressed on screen that they are not Christian, including one who is explicitly an atheist. Of those five, only two explicitly on TV belonged to modern day religions (not including Atheism as obs it is not a religion). These two are Yaz and Captain Yates.

Anyway I hope anyone reading this is having a wonderful Wednesday night, and like me is looking forward to Doctor Who’s return in the New Year!

#long post #ngl this post is for the most part a reaction to seeing a TON of Christmas fic about Yaz #Yaz who blatantly and explicitly is NOT Christian #this is very much an example of the kind of thing I've been saving in google docs as of late #Doctor Who

[yogenderthakur]

5 New Motivational Story in Hindi

5 New Motivational Story in Hindi

Top 5 Motivational Story in Hindi New motivational story in Hindi:- If you’re searching for motivational stories in Hindi then you are at the right place. Here I’m sharing with you the top 5 motivational stories in Hindi which is really amazing and mind-blowing, these Hindi motivational Stories help you to grow in your life and whatever currier you choose. these motivational stories are for…

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[batmandarknightrisise-blog]

The Dark Knight Rises: Film Review

The real world threats of terrorism, political anarchy and economic instability make deep incursions into the cinematic comic book domain in The Dark Knight Rises. Big-time Hollywood filmmaking at its most massively accomplished, this last installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy makes everything in the rival Marvel universe look thoroughly silly and childish. Entirely enveloping and at times unnerving in a relevant way one would never have imagined, as a cohesive whole this ranks as the best of Nolan's trio, even if it lacks -- how could it not? -- an element as unique as Heath Ledger's immortal turn in The Dark Knight. It's a blockbuster by any standard.

PHOTOS: Batman Through The Years: Christian Bale, George Clooney and Others Who've Played the Dark Knight

The director daringly pushes the credibility of a Gotham City besieged by nuclear-armed revolutionaries to such an extent that it momentarily seems absurd that a guy in a costume who refuses to kill people could conceivably show up to save the day. This is especially true since Nolan, probably more than any other filmmaker who's ever gotten seriously involved with a superhero character, has gone so far to unmask and debilitate such a figure. But he gets away with it and, unlike some interludes in the previous films, everything here is lucid, to the point and on the mark, richly filling out (especially when seen in the Imax format) every moment of the 164-minute running time.

the dark knight rises full movie in hindi filmyzilla

In a curtain raiser James Bond would kill for, a CIA aircraft transporting terrorists is sensationally hijacked in midair by Bane (Tom Hardy), an intimidating hulk whose nose and mouth are encumbered by a tubular, grill-like metal mask which gives his voice an artificial quality not unlike that of Darth Vader. What Bane is up to is not entirely clear, but it can't be good.

Batman’s Onscreen Villains: 10 Greats From The Joker to Bane

Although it's only been four years since the last Batman film, eight years of dramatic time have elapsed since the climactic events depicted in The Dark Knight. Batman and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) have been in suspiciously simultaneous total seclusion, much to the consternation of loyal valet Alfred (Michael Caine), who, upbraiding his boss for inaction, accuses him of “just waiting for things to get bad again.” They do, in a hurry. But in the interim, Gotham has scarcely missed him, as he's publicly blamed for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent and hasn't needed him anyway since organized crime has virtually disappeared.

Bruce begins being dragged back into the limelight by slinky Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a spirited cat burglar who lifts his fingerprints and a necklace from his safe while pulling a job at his mansion. It was always a question how this ambiguous feline character (never called Catwoman herein) would be worked into the fabric of this Batman series, but co-screenwriters Jonathan and Christopher Nolan, working from a story by the director and David S. Goyer, have cannily threaded her through the tale as an alluring gadfly and tease who engages in an ongoing game of one-upmanship with Batman and whose selfishness prevents her from making anything beyond opportunistic alliances.

STORY: 'Man of Steel' Footage So Good It Makes Fans Cry

Commandeering the city's sewers with his fellow mercenaries, Bane begins his onslaught, first with an attempted kidnapping of Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), then with a brazen attack on the Stock Exchange, which, at the film's 45-minute mark, has the double effect of luring Batman out of hiding and bankrupting Bruce Wayne. The latter catastrophe forces the fallen tycoon to ask wealthy, amorously inclined board member Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) to assume control of his company to squeeze out Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn), who's in cahoots with Bane.

Nolan has thus boldly rooted his film in what are arguably the two big worries of the age, terrorism and economic collapse, the result of which can only be chaos. So when virtually the entire Gotham police force is lured underground to try to flush out Bane, the latter has the lawmen just where he wants them, trapped like animals in a pen waiting for slaughter. And the fact that Gotham City has, for the first time, realistically used New York City for most of its urban locations merely adds to the topical resonance of Bane's brilliantly engineered plot, in which he eventually takes the entire population of Manhattan hostage. Nolan has always been a very serious, even remorseless filmmaker, and never more so than he is here.

PHOTOS: 'Dark Knight Returns': Images From the Animated Film

Inducing Selina to take him to Bane, Batman gets more than he bargained for; physically, he's no match for the mountainously muscled warrior, who sends the legendary crime fighter off to a literal hellhole of a prison, with the parting promise of reducing Gotham to ashes. Seemingly located in the Middle East, the dungeon resembles a huge well and has been escaped from only once, by none other than Bane, who is said to have been born there and got out as a child.

Here, as elsewhere, there are complex ties leading back to the comic books that link characters and motivations together; with Bruce and Bane, it is with the League of Shadows, which occasions the brief return of Liam Neeson's Ra's Al Ghul, last seen in Batman Begins (in 2005). A solid new character, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's resourceful street cop John Blake, is a grateful product of one of the Wayne Foundation's orphanages. Many of the characters wear masks, either literal or figurative; provocatively, Batman's mask hides his entire face except for his mouth, the very part of Bane which is covered. This is just one of the motifs the Nolans have used to ingeniously plot out the resolution to their three-part saga, which involves at least one major, superbly hidden surprise.

PHOTOS: 10 Top Summer Superheroes Movies Of All Time: Battle of Box Office Brawn

While Bruce Wayne languishes in the pit rebuilding his strength for an escape attempt, Bane spectacularly and mercilessly reverses the entire social order of Gotham City: 1,000 dangerous criminals are released from prison, the rich are tossed out of their uptown homes, the remaining police hide out like rats underground, and a “people's court” (presided over by Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow) dispenses death sentences willy-nilly. With virtually all bridges and tunnels destroyed, no one can leave the island, which is threatened by a fusion device, initially developed by Bruce and his longtime tech genius Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) as a clean energy source but now transformed at Bane's behest into a nuke, which he promises to use.

Some of the action scenes, such as multiple chases involving the armed motorcycle Bat-Pod (mostly ridden by Selina) and the cool new one-man jet chopper-like aircraft called The Bat that zooms through the city's caverns like something out of the early Star Wars, have something of a familiar feel. But the opening skyjacking, the Stock Exchange melee and especially the multiple explosions that bring the city to its knees -- underground, on bridges and, most strikingly, in a football stadium -- are fresh and brilliantly rendered, as are all the other effects. The film reportedly cost $250 million, but it would be easy to believe that the figure was quite a bit more, so elaborate is everything about the production.

PHOTOS: Top 15 Grossing Threequels of All Time

But the fact that all the money has been put to the use of making the severe dramatic events feel so realistic -- there's not a hint of cheesiness or the cartoonlike -- ratchets up the suspense and pervasive feeling of unease. One knows going in that this film will mark the end of Batman, at least for now and as rendered by Bale and Nolan, but for the first time there is the sense that it could also really be the end for Batman, that he might be sacrificed, or sacrifice himself, for the greater good.

Needing to portray both his characters as vulnerable, even perishable, Bale is at his series best in this film. At times in the past his voice seemed too artificially deepened and transformed; there's a bit of that here, but far less, and, as Bruce becomes impoverished and Batman incapacitated, the actor's nuances increase. Caine has a couple of surprisingly emotional scenes to play and handles them with lovely restraint, while other returnees Oldman and Freeman deliver as expected.

PHOTOS: 28 of Summer's Most Anticipated Movies: 'Avengers,' 'Dark Knight,' 'Prometheus'

Bane is a fearsome figure, fascinating in his physicality and blithely confident approach to amoral anarchy. With the mask strapped to his head at all times and his voice altered, Hardy is obliged to express himself mostly through body language, which he does powerfully, and at a couple of key moments his eyes speak volumes. All the same, the facial and verbal restrictions provide emotive limitations, and his final moments onscreen feel almost thrown away; one feels a bit cheated of a proper sendoff.

Hathaway invests her catlike woman with verve and impudence, while Cotillard is a warm and welcome addition to this often forbidding world. Even though Nolan and Bale have made it clear that The Dark Knight Rises marks their farewell to Bruce Wayne and Batman, the final shot clearly indicates the direction a follow-up offshoot series by Warner Bros. likely will take.

PHOTOS: The Christian Bale Directors Posse: 6 Auteurs Won Over By the Actor

As before, the production values are opulent and sensational; nothing short of the highest praise can be lavished on the work of production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh, cinematogtapher Wally Pfister, costume designer Lindy Hemming, visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin, special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, editor Lee Smith, composer Hans Zimmer and sound designer Richard King, just for starters.

The only conspicuous faux pas is a big continuity gaffe that has the raid on the Stock Exchange take place during the day but the subsequent getaway chase unfold at night.

Nearly half the film, including all the big action scenes, was shot with large-format Imax cameras and, with both versions having been previewed, the 70mm Imax presentation that will be shown in 102 locations worldwide is markedly more vivid visually and powerful as a dramatic experience; the normal 35mm prints, while beautiful, are somewhat less sharp.

PHOTOS: Brief History of Catwoman

Despite all the advanced technology deployed to make The Dark Knight Rises everything it is, Nolan remains proudly and defiantly old school (as only the most successful directors can get away with being these days) when it comes to his filmmaking aesthetic, an approach indicated in a note at the end of the long final credits: “This motion picture was shot and finished on film.”

[theonyxpath]

Lost Lineage — The Faceless (Tortured Ones)

Pain is one of the great motivators in human history. Make someone uncomfortable and they will constantly strive to improve their position. Light a fire under anything living and it will instantly run, jump, crawl, climb, do whatever it can do to get away. The Faceless may have been among the worst experiments conducted in the name of warfare, but within their statuesque countenance they bear pain with the stoicism of sheer rock.

As much as constant agony is certainly something that can drive a soul deeper and deeper into Torment, it is also eternal and incontrovertible proof you are alive. The singing of nerves gives proof to a Promethean’s place among humanity, a common feeling which is in great supply in the trenches of the Western Front.

The Faceless seem outwardly to be the very model of calm and placid contemplation. Inside, they are eternally burning and experiencing the death throes of thousands of undying nerves. This constant grief drives the Faceless to seek solitude, even from each other. Faceless tend to avoid throngs where they can, preferring to observe humanity’s path in unobstructed contemplation. They are obsessed with understanding the reason for their suffering through understanding the suffering of others. While this can express itself in a Tortured One being moved by those who show selflessness and courage in the face of personal agony, it can also drive them to inflict great pain upon others in search of surcease to their constant suffering.

Their name is well earned as the Faceless’ features are those of stern, mud-golems. Their outward shell is hardened and blackened mud which cakes the internal tangle of limbs constantly burning in a putrid, self-contained vat of deadly chemicals. They are hulking and square in stature. The eyes of a Tortured One are deep set holes that they have personally bored into the cracked lines of their faces during their agonizing creation with their thick fingers, their mouths are thin, fissured slits that are painful to move. They can show no expression as their hardened surface does not lend itself to great movements of the face, they cover this up by donning large gas masks that cover their entire head, giving them their title.

The first Faceless was brought into being by accident. A lightning storm in France struck the ground where a mass of bodies, killed by chlorine gas, lay buried in the mud. The resulting reaction caused vaguely human shapes to rise, roaring in agony, from the ground. Those who witnessed it whispered among their ranks and word soon reached their superiors of the Entente and Central Powers alike. While the officers dismissed these tales as the rantings of fear-addled minds, Mortal alchemists working in the research and development labs of both sides pushed for these techniques to be refined and used, creating an army of new soldiers to take the place of those who lay dismembered on the scarred earth, their bodies killed by the gas, blown apart by shelling and churned among the mud.

By slowing the circulation of gas masks to front line troops, the alchemists ensure an ample supply of sites to create the Faceless and bolster their ranks. The alarming convergence of death and chemicals lead to staggering numbers of these Faceless appearing in even greater numbers than other Lineages. Their numbers trigger Firestorms across the various battlefields, and though some are seen as unnatural instances of devastation, most are assumed to be part and parcel of the Great War’s seemingly endless bombardment of artillery fire and chemical death.

The first of the Faceless are deployed to the trenches in Ypres where they had fallen. As more are created, they appear on various fronts. Sometimes, Faceless are deployed on opposite sides of the same battle line and tales circulate of hulking figures storming across no-man’s-land, able to withstand huge amounts of fire without stopping their maddening charge. Only artillery and highly concentrated fire can stop them in their tracks.

Though they do not often speak, Tortured Ones are often fluent in multiple languages, from English, French, and German to Algerian and Hindi. To the eyes of a shell-shocked soldier, they appear to be immensely large, dirt caked men, but the more inquisitive immediately realise that these Created are not one of them, leading the Faceless to regularly move from trench to trench to avoid difficult questions, often switching sides to try their luck elsewhere. What the Faceless know for sure is that this is the one place where they can roam with any sort of freedom. In a city or small village, they would be instantly recognizable.

Faceless regularly possess ragged scraps of uniforms of both sides that they mend into a hodge-podge covering.  As one of the few beings able to move between the opposing trenches of the war, they can be turned to the purpose of spying or spreading rumor and misinformation among an enemy trench, a feat that either side could benefit from.

Given their multiple perspectives, they often suffer from confused loyalties, it is not uncommon for German and Austrian dead to mingle with British and French in the mud of the Western Front. In the dirt, all are equal. Their differing points of view can give Faceless a bizarre and unique perspective on their plight, though they may not deign to share it with their comrades in the trench.

Faceless have a special disdain towards Frankensteins. Not so strong as a hatred, just a general distaste. Their prattle of suffering and their misfit, outcast state would wrinkle the noses of most Faceless if they bore noses beneath their masks. Not only do most of them have trouble relating to anyone who simply talks so much about themselves, the idea that so many of the Wretched chose to be here of their own volition, seeking some sort of bloody awakening or epiphany is anathema to their pain. What the Frankensteins truly suffer, so far as the Faceless are concerned, is an ugliness in scarring that dominates their life. This is not nobility, but narcissism.

Of all Created, they identify most closely with the Tammuz, particularly as many of their number may have been dug out of their birthing mud by the shovels of Tammuz engineers. The Faceless have a strange respect for people who quietly get on with their job and lack pretention. The Tammuz do not assign station and rank upon themselves, they find their truth in labor and a hard day’s work. They appreciate the simple beauty of a job well done. When a team of Tammuz are lengthening a trench or laying barbed wire, you will often find a Faceless watching over them. It is not clear if they have taken to guard them or if they simply find a strange catharsis in their toil.

Creations

The Mascot

Filthy Hamish is a regimental mascot. He has been adopted by the men of the 1st Lanark Militia due to saving their captain’s life simply by walking in front of him during an attempted advance. The men huddled behind him all the way back to the trench.

“He’s so dirty the bullets can’t pierce him!” they joke. What they don’t know is he’s the one who keeps ripping the legs, wings and heads off of the messenger pigeons sent to their trench. He doesn’t say much, but he watches the other lads very closely.

The Carer

Fraulein Marta is the den mother of her dug-out. She was found by the German Army in the remains of a medical outpost. Some of the men say they didn’t have the heart to shoot her, others say shooting her didn’t work. One oversized uniform and pickelhaube helm custom made by Oberjager Christoph Feldstein was enough to secure her place as an enlisted man. She has been known to treat the wounded though her care can often be a bit rough.

The Refugee

After wandering from the field, Grand Pierre joined a refugee train heading west. His observation of the families dispossessed from lands they cultivated for generations unnerved the others at first, but he was invaluable in warding off the vultures who preyed on the homeless and starving people fleeing the French countryside. After helping a family pull their dead child from the ruin of their farmhouse, he not only carved out a burial site himself but stood vigil during the modest ceremony the poor girl could be afforded. The family noticed him shedding yellow tears, which escaped from his gas mask and sizzled and smoked on the exposed, blackened mud of his chest.

The Homesick

Rajesh is not sure where he’s supposed to be, but it isn’t here. A voice in his head is calling him to head east; east through the German line and off to a home he only understands from flashes in his mind and memory of a language he doesn’t remember learning. He gathers a small team of men and women and listens to their stories of home. The blistering, humid summers of India. He feels he remembers with clarity his muddy flesh baking in the midday sun as he tended to a small herd of animals, one of whom could fit inside his hand. What he remembers most of all is the peace of it all. He promises to return these people home safely and concocts a plan to do it. They can call it desertion all they like. What are they fighting for if not to save home from this horror? And what is home without these people in it?

The Equestrian

Horses seem to have lost their place in war. Now they don’t carry soldiers, they carry crates. Phyllis on the other hand is more than capable of carrying horses. She sees those poor beasts left to die in craters. Discarded by their owners, shot even. She sees herself in the tragicomic reflections cast by their long, humorless faces. She sees a beast of burden staring back at her from every deep puddle. The others of her kind carry supplies now. They dig trenches and soak up fire. How long will it be before their masters ride them into battle? Well, all she can do is try to save something from this mess and it seems to her that the horses are the only innocents in this field.

Humour: Chlorine. The humour of the Faceless guarantees them internal torment as much as their exterior ensures they can never fully express that suffering. It imbues them with inner fury and almost insane, thoughtless bravery but can make them prone to acts of self-sacrifice. The fastest way to cease their torture is to end their existence after all. While this is one of the traits that ensures their Lineage’s temporary nature, it is not the only one. Their pain drives them to seek out the focus of their Pilgrimage with incredible, single minded dedication.

As much as their lack of physical expression makes them seem almost emotionless as statues, the internal burning of their humour also gives them a brooding, gruff aspect. Most Tortured Ones speak only when spoken to or, even then, at the uttermost end of need. They use words sparingly but observe and contemplate.

Their large size and formidable strength and toughness makes them physically intimidating and their rivals often shrink from them when confronted. Even the hardiest of Uratha would think twice before rushing headlong at a Tortured One without knowing what he was or what he might do. Most of the time, their quiet, brooding nature sees them easily confused for large, dirty soldiers. It is when they are found among the civilian population they truly stand out.

Bestowments: Living Wall, Chem-Shell

Faceless Bestowments

Living Wall: Your outer layer is hardened like stone and both bullets and blades alike ricochet off of your hide. Any that penetrate often simply become lodged within as part of your monstrous structure. If rolling dice to defend or evade attacks from simple melee weapons or firearms, the Faceless may reroll any failed dice, but must accept the result of the second roll.

Chem Shell: Channeling their inner rage, the Faceless can sacrifice part of themselves to create a hardened, explosive shell, fused with Pyros and deadly chemicals. The Faceless spends 1 Pyros and loses 1 Health level as it uses part of its own body to create this shell. It can then project the shell to a point it can see up to 100 feet away and detonate it. Alternatively, it can be placed somewhere like a conventional explosive. The blast destroys objects and structures caught within it and inflicts 10 aggravated damage on anyone within a 20ft radius. Anyone who survives the blast suffers from the Poisoned Tilt (see Chronicles of Darkness p. 286).

Stereotypes

Frankensteins         They do not understand suffering. Galateids     At least they know themselves. Osirans        All knowledge, no drive. Tammuz      Kindred spirits, tools of another kind. Ulgans Proof there is more than flesh and pain. Unfleshed    If only these had been more numerous we may have been left in peace. Extempore A place to hide the shame of your life.

#Onyx Path Publishing