The Help- Different yet inspiring

Apartheid was the biggest tragedy of our world. It turned humans into animals and made them insensitive and violent. Social reformers, people from all over the world had tried to save those  oppressed by apartheid. But, if you could have gone back to 1963, during Civil War era to Jackson, Mississipi, would you have grabbed it and changed something? Something fundamental to the practice of apartheid? 'The Help' is about this. How a budding writer wanted to see change in society and stood her ground even if her people went against it. She stood for what was right and not what was set by others. She paved the path for African-Americans to stand tall and be proud of themselves rather then feel miserable. It started with, the Help.

It was that era when Americans and African-Americans had differences that were too wide to be measured. The African-American ladies worked at wealthy American's households as Help. They did all the house jobs, looked after the babies and earned very little for the amount of work they did. Aibleen Clark was one of the many women who worked as the help. Eugenia Skeeter was a budding writer, fresh out of college and craving for a job. She went to many magazines and finally got a job at a local newspaper as a "homemaker hints" columnist. So, to get some help, she asked Aibleen to answer some of the questions needed for her article. Soon, the two got talking about the problems Aibleen faced and how it had destroyed her life. Hearing all those stories, Skeeter remembered her own childhood maid and decided to compile a collection of stories from many maids and publish it.

At first, the help did not want to consider it. After a few weeks, they had no choice but to say yes as they thought it might improve their status and give recognition to them. So, Skeeter started her novel and soon got more than seventeen stories! Once she was done, she sent the draft to a New York City editor, hoping it would get published. And just a few weeks later, it was at every bookstore in Jackson. It became a rage soon and they earned a lot of money. But, if the people came to know that these stories were actually stories from their backyard, what would happen to the help? Moreover, what would happen to Skeeter and her career?

This movie is layered with humour, satire and deep thoughts. It shows how a singular person, if shown the right path, can create wonders! It's a truly touching movie and a must watch.

The three mentors- A poem-tribute to all the teachers out there

Teachers are the ones who mold you into what you are today. Without them there is no future for us, no hope for a good job. We are ever indebted to you. So, here's a self-composed poem for showing how much we care for you.

The three mentors

I was a seed searching for a path,
A way for me to grow.
When all of a sudden a bit of soil touched my heart
And I could sense I was no longer alone.

The soil said she was my mentor,
My guide who would teach me how to go through life.
She warned me not to take short-cuts or detours,
Else no amount of hard work would suffice.

Time passed on and I grew everyday,
Learnt so much from her.
Then she said one day,
This is all the knowledge I can give you dear
And saying that she went away.

Then came water, as patient as can be,
Who taught be how to live and learn from my mistakes.
He always preached that you will not survive if you are meek,
Always be alert and always be on your guard, never get scared.

Just as soil's time was up,
Soon that day dawned when water also resigned his job.
I thought my training was over and done,
But there were still things in store I had no clue about.

Air made her way up to me later,
And taught me to soar higher and reach greater heights.
She inculcated values and ethics,
With a hint of humour and laughter in sight.

My final test had come after all the hard work,
Sunlight had come to evaluate me.
With his hard stare and daring smirk,
I knew this wouldn't be easy at all.

After hours of questioning,
He finally came to a conclusion.
He looked down at me smiling
And said I was the perfect plant till now.

To this day I am indebted to my mentors,
Soil, water and air, they shaped me into who I am today.
Without them I would have still been that seed locked away,
From the whole world that looks up to me today!

Happy teachers day! 

Prime Minister addressing children- First of it's kind

On the occasion of Teachers Day, on 5th September 2014, Mr. Narendra Modi, the Honourable Prime Minister of India, addressed school-going children all over the country. Through video conferencing, children from Port Blair, Bhuj and even Assam could interact with the Prime Minister. In the history of India, this is the first time the prime minister has taken time to talk to children and help them out with their problems.

The event was held at Manekshaw Centre in the capital city, New Delhi. Smriti Irani, Human Resource minister accompanied sir in the interaction. The programme saw many children speaking on the importance of Teachers Day and why it is celebrated. In the end, Mr. Narendra Modi also said a few words which truly touched each students heart.

His main question was, why is teaching turning into a dying art? Nowadays, everyone wants to become a doctor, engineer or designer but no one wants to take up teaching as a career. Schools should try and teach students the importance of teaching and how noble it is as a profession. Nowadays with the coming of 24-hour television and internet, a child's life has no play. All he has time for is studying, watching television and spending time on his computer. Sir said that this is the time for children to be out in the sun and play, not sit and home all day! With the coming of technology, everything is at our fingertips. Search engines are always there if we need any help. But in Narendra Modi's words, searching on the internet are facts that are received by you, not knowledge. Knowledge can only come if you take the time to understand the person or thing you're looking for. Understand his life and what he has gone through in life and learn from him.

After his speech, the interaction session began and students from different parts of India asked many interesting questions to Sir. As a Prime Minister, Sir has taken a big step in getting to know the county's future citizens and has taken that extra time to talk to them. We can only hope that the tradition set by Sir continues and shines brighter in the years to come. 

Marley and me- Having a pet v/s not having one

The joy of owning a dog is inexplainable. Agreed there may be times when you feel fed up and tired of taking care of them all the time and might lose your patience once or twice, but there is no denying when the dog runs up to you and licks your face, there is nothing that can make you feel happier. Having a dog is a full-time job. Looking at it from a personal point of view, watching this movie before owning a dog and after getting one is tremendously different. When you see it without a pet, you understand the difficulties and joys of having a pet. But, when you see it with your dog sitting on your lap, the experience becomes much more relatable and touching. This is because you relate yourself to the characters and what they go through seeing the antics done by the dog, because it happens in your life, everyday!

 Taking a closer look at the movie, Marley and me is a story of an over-enthusiastic dog who is adopted by John and Jenny after their marriage. The movie goes step by step, tracking all the mischief and mayhem Markey creates. Be it getting kicked out of obedience school or chasing after birds in the beach, the directors haven't left any stone unturned. Both John and Jenny are writers, John more of a reporter and Jenny more of a columnist. With their lives always clashing betwen Marley and their children, they hit a few rough patches during their journey. But they survive each blow and come out stronger and more connected than before. In the end, they relocate to the outskirts of Pensylvania and continue with their lives.

I have a five-month old beagle, Peaches. I watched this movie for the first time years ago and the experience was different. I laughed and cried at all the right places, but never really understood the true pain or joy behind having a dog. A few years later, Peaches comes home. Seeing that movie again with her sleeping on my lap, the experience was, like I said, much more relatable. I could feel the anger John had on Marley when he chewed his shoes, the pain when Jenny scolds him for being the worst dog in the world. Most importantly, I could feel the love and selflessness every dog has. So, if you're a dog lover or hater, a pet owner or not, this movie is a must watch!

Castle- My favourite detective series

Castle is an American Crime Drama series which was aired on March 9, 2009. The serial follows an author, Richard Castle, a famous mystery novelist who needs a face and inspiration for his latest novel. Through his connections with the Mayor, he is offered a job at NYPD for questioning copycat murders based on his novels. So, Castle is asked to accompany detective Kate Beckett and help her solve cases. Beckett is outraged by this and tries everything in her power to send Castle away but nothing helps. The story revolves around both of their lives and how they work together as a team.

The other detectives in the department are, the partners, Dt. Kevin Ryan and Dt. Javier Esposito. The head of the department is Captain Roy Montgomery.
Kevin Ryan is a former narcotics division cop and is now a part of Dt. Beckett's team. Working along side Dt. Esposito, he is an excellent cop and a pro in his field. Javier Esposito is one of the more badass detectives in the team. He works in the Homicide department with Dt. Ryan. Roy Montgomery is the captain of the ship and presides over the precinct. He always appreciates Beckett's  hardwork and dedication to her job but always keeps a close watch on all cases.

With 6 seasons down the line, news has come of a "season 7" to be aired shortly. Castle is that kind of a show which you will either love or hate as soon as you watch the first episode. But in saying that, it's one of the best detective shows I have ever seen!

Cast away- An ever-green movie

Alone on an island, away from civilisation and no hope to get back home, would you have survived in such a situation. Against all odds, Chuck Noland doesn't give up after being washed over on an uninhabited island and after four years of tedious work, finally gets back home. 'Cast away' is the story of a singular man who survived to tell his tale. 

Chuck Noland is a system analyst who travels around the world solving problems at FedEx depots. Owing to his frequent travels, he's not able to maintain his relationship with Kelly Frears, who is actually thinking of marrying him. During a Christmas celebration, he is called my his office and asked to go to Malaysia. The flight gets stuck in a storm and they crash land in the middle of the Pacific. Chuck saves himself on a lifeboat and is washed over on an island which he later finds out to be uninhabited. Struggling to survive for a few days, Chuck gets FedEx packages from the plane. One of the packages has a football, which then beacomes Chuck's only support and friend. As days turned to months, Chuck started adapting himself to the life of a stranded man. He spent four years on that island and then finally one of his inventions of escaping worked! Miraculously he does reach home after a long struggle and losing a friend on the way. 

This is one of the most inspirational movies ever made. Tom Hanks's acting is definitely commendable and he even got nominated for Best Actor in a leading role in the 73rd Academy Awards. This is a box office premier and will be one of the most cherished movies in the history of Hollywood.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman- A 'one of a kind' movie

We've heard of children adopting dogs, but nothing as bizarre as a dog adopting a child! This is the story of a dog, Mr. Peabody, a mastermind, who adopts a boy and takes care of him as his son. Mr. Peabody was always different and never understood the true meaning of being a dog, which was why he was never adopted at his shelter. Soon after, he sets out to search for answers in science and history, earning a degree from Harvard University and receiving a Nobel Prize for his accomplishments. After all this success, Mr. Peabody has no one to continue his legacy. This was why he decided to adopt a boy. Sherman is a naive, curious and cute boy who never had a problem believing that Mr. Peabody was his father.

Mr. Peabody had invented a time-machine, the WABAC, and took Sherman back in time to make him understand true history. On Sherman's first day at school, he gets into a fight with a girl, Penny, on whether George Washington cut a Cherry tree or not. Penny starts taunting and teasing Sherman and calls him a dog! As a reaction to the comment, he bites her! After hearing the news, Mr. Peabody rushes to the school where he encounters Ms. Grunion, a Child and Family Welfare agent who threatens to take Sherman away from Mr. Peabody. Just to settle things, Mr. Peabody calls Penny's parents over for dinner and sternly warns Sherman not to reveal the WABAC. The evening goes on fine, until Sherman interrupts their party and tells Mr. Peabody that the two of them used the time-machine and Penny was now stuck in ancient Egypt! Extremely disappointed and mortified, Mr. Peabody and Sherman set out on a time traveling journey to bring Penny home...but go through many pit-stops and meet many unpredictable people.

One of the best movies by Dreamworks, this movie teaches us that we are not family only by blood, but also by love. A very touching yet funny movie, this one hits all the check marks in my boxes!