Books, movies and other things

The last few days have been passing peacefully. Barring unavoidable trips to relatives and hobnobbing with some friends, I have been catching up on my reading and movie watching. He last movie I saw was ‘Apharan’, a Nana Patekar directed flick starring Ajay Devgan. Ajay has transformed himself into a raucous college rowdy to a dark hero who acts by just standing around and looking dangerous. Movies like ‘Company’ have showcased his metamorphosis into the thinking man’s anti-hero. Nana has always used his trademark deadpan manner and that absolutely amazing voice to great effect in everything from the pathbreaking ‘Prahar’ to his more recent gangster movies. This movie deals with the kidnapping mafia in Bihar. Truth is usually stranger, and sometimes more horrifying than fiction. Bearing that dictum in mind, what has happened in Bihar, and continues to happen is nothing short of a government of criminals turned politicians.

Cogitation aside, what I have been reading (after brushing up on the Half Blood Prince) is ‘English August’ by Upamanyu Chatterjee. I suspect very strongly that Chatterjee belongs to that class of subversive Bengalis who studied at St. Stephen’s instead of Presidency and proceed to write all these vaguely apologetic novels. English August is a good example. It talks about Agastya Sen, a Delhi educated Bengali who has joined the Indian Administrative Service and has been posted to a small district town in North India for a year. The language stumbles at times and somehow carries with it the soporific effect which Agastya himself feels. However, I will recommend it to anyone who has the patience to sit through what seems to be interminable boredom. This is writing about life as it really is. Tame ending though. Still, worth a read.