UNCLUTTER – by Winnie D Pagora. A book review

 

"Suddenly, I felt a hand graze my thi— my upper leg. I froze, startled at the unwanted touch. As the principal droned on, Nicholas’s hand continued to stroke my leg, traveling up toward—“Hands off, you sick pervert!” I screamed, slamming my elbow into his face as hard as I could. I jumped to my feet. There was pin-drop silence in the room as everyone in the audience and onstage looked at me, shell-shocked."

This is from the opening chapter of the novel "Unclutter" by Winnie D Pagora, a new literary sensation in the town. This is her debut novel and I never heard/read anything that she scribbled before this one. You are always doubtful about new writers about whom you have no references/reviews available,

From the moment I picked this up to read, barely I could put the book down. It's so racy (literally as well as if there is a word that describes as " one that moves with the speed, races ahead"). I am a slow reader and normally a book of this size (357 pages) will take nearly 10 days for me to finish but I completed this in just 4 days or so.

Stories meant for and of young adults like Mills & Boon seldom interest me, initially one feels that this book is similar, but as you go along you find that this is not just a story about late school early University going students’ everyday activities and infatuations but it's a story of the protagonist Tina aka Tia aka Tiara who is bold, strong, studious, multi Tasker, intelligent, enterprising, sports person and has the guts to take on her rich and influential perpetrator/s who make her life miserable with the help of his anti-social friends and that of his family influences in the high places.

Tina is bright but timid due to an early life episode that curtailed her childhood activities. The story moves further and the teenager gets into some good company of friends and leaves behind some who turn bad. At that age and with such incidences early in life she is apprehensive about just about anyone and everything. However, how she overcomes those difficulties and turns into a normal life loving teenager who has a great set of loving friends and a boyfriend, which is the crux of the novel. The book also has a social message for everyone especially the teenagers (girls) as to how to guard yourself from hawks who are all around you.. in the family and in the society. In life you are surrounded by different types of people .. your immediate family is always there to protect you and to encourage you to be a fighter against some really bad elements and many others who are your genuine and helpful friends, it takes time for a teenager to identify and differentiate them but if you are courageous (others will help you only when you help yourself, so it's very important that you be brave) everything falls in place and life becomes beautiful and UNCLUTTERED.

The setting of the novel is in the West and detailed and pointed observations give you the impression that the writer has lived all her life over there, a remarkable skill. One thing that irritated me is the description of a character who is often referred at they/them. I know it's a new gender-neutral addressing system but nevertheless, wish the writer has kept the old style and not enforce this "new and bold" gender choice on the generation prior to millennials.

Congratulations Winnie, you made a great beginning in this literary world and we the readers look forward to many more gems, ahead.

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Pradeep Joshi (pradepkjoshi@gmail.com)

Delhi, India

August 23, 2023

Movie review - GHOOMER.

There have been several hindi movies with sports as main theme over the last half a century but the names that have a big recall are the ones made over the last two decades are Lagaan (2001), Chak De India (2007) and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013). These movies centred around sports and also had an appealing star cast and great music. They also made good commercial success in the competitive Bollywood Industry. Some more names come to my mind that have done reasonably well on all these accounts like Dangal, Ferrari ki sawaari, Iqbal, Mithu.. 

Cricket is the most popular game of the country along its length and breadth and this is no surprise that most films on sports are on cricket. 

Ghoomer that is just released has both the Bachchans (Abhishek and Amitabh) also seen in the cast is Shabana Azmi but in the lead role is Saiyami Kher, a relatively new face. R Balki is also a known name in Direction. What this team has given is a unique story that has never been seen before.. quite an imaginative story of the struggle of a rising star who has some wonderful work on the screen. 

I got to know of the movie when I saw Nyla Masood in the cast. She is on the screen in quite a few movies over the last decade and has made an equally impacting name for herself off the screen through wardrobe designs over the last couple of decades. This movie had a small but important role for her and needless to say she does more than justice to her role. Her role in the movie Lift Boy is unforgettable.

I didn't collect any information about the movie and had no clue what it is about.. I wanted it to be a total surprise.. the name Goomer suggested it as some kind of a dance drama.. and surprised I was.. wow!! Most Hindi movies succeed with songs and music.. this one has good background music but I don't recollect any song/s and you don't miss that.

I don't want to spoil your surprise so I advise that you see the movie in the theatre or later when it comes on any OTT platform....sooner the better.. Let me assure you that you will never be disappointed through the movie either before or after the intermission.

I wish and hope this movie, released just a day before, a great success as it has a great appeal similar to Lagaan or Chak De..

Good Luck.. GHOOMER.

Delhi/August 20, 2023

Clips: Captured from the screen for the review. 

Pic: From the film's media coverage.

Book Review - Reunion.

Never read such a touching story about the Jews in Germany of the late thirties of the last century in such a short novella, almost a long story.

Reunion is a brilliant tale centred around two school going friends one a commoner Jew and another Christian from a royal family that believed that Fuhrer is their saviour not knowing that his ambitions will destroy the world.

At one point the author quotes someone "death undermines our confidence in life by showing that in the end everything is equally futile before the final darkness".. I love this quote that is the most impacting sentence in this 92 page story that one can read in about 3 hours.

Delhi/August 16, 2023

தயிர் சாதம். Tayir sadam. Curd Rice

தயிர் சாதம். Tayir sadam. Curd Rice.

Easiest of the tasty and healthy dishes. This could be readied in 3 mins if you have cooked rice, if not another 5-6 mins. But keep aside for another 20 for best aroma.

How I made it.

Two cup cooked rice, 50 ml cold milk, 100gms curd, 1 tbsp cooking oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 green chilli, 2-3 red dried chilli, 1tbsp curry leaves, 1 tbsp coriander leaves, 1/2 tsp amchur powder, 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger, 1/2 tsp table salt, 1 tbsp urad daal, 1 tbsp pieces of walnut.

Picked up last night's cooked rice  from the refrigerator, added milk, curd, salt and mixed thoroughly and kept aside.

For tadka, put oil in a small pan and when it comes to medium heat add mustard seeds, urad daal, curry leaves, chopped green chillies, amchur powder, chopped ginger, dry full chilli, mix well and let it cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. Put the contents into the bowl of rice mixed with milk, curd and salt. Mix thoroughly and add chopped coriander leaves and small chunks of walnut. Cover and keep it for 15-20 mins for all the aroma to get soaked into rice.

You are now ready to serve. Add a bit of chilli - tomato chutney and eat the finger licking India's famous dish - curd rice... தயிர் சாதம்.. thair sadam.

Delhi/ August 17, 2023