Wordside Woman

I think I was watching the trailer for the second season of this romantic anthology series called"Modern Love". As usual I was not paying attention to most of what was being said. My focus was on catching a glimpse of Kit Harrington. And then I heard one of the characters say something like, " We can only be as happy as we allow ourselves to be", and it got me thinking for a while. I, in fact even texted it to someone I know, who is yet to acknowledge that text. (Its been two days.....I know.... but I am used to being ignored like that.....sigh!.....)  The word "happiness brings" to my mind a series of interviews that were aired in Kappa TV, hosted by Dhanya Varma, called "Happiness Project". Though it was indeed all about happiness, I loved how she interviewed the people without ever letting a feeling of redundancy to creep in. Unlike several other interviewers I have come across, she never pried into their personal lives or dug up scandals from...

                                         SHERNI (2021) The title “Sherni” is applicable both to the predator in question as well as to the protagonist. Vidya Balan seamlessly plays the role of a rookie officer trying to combat corruption and inefficiency in the government system while simultaneously attempting to hold on against the slighting remarks and gender bias within her sphere of work. The lopsided power dynamics become apparent in several scenes, where the hands of the conscientious officers are tied and are further made to made to feel feckless. Unlike many other movies with female leads, the character played by Vidya Balan doesn’t dominate the narrative. The viewer is offered a fulfilling viewing experience without a wasted scene or dialogue. The movie begins with a seemingly insignificant scene indicating the lack of subject knowledge among the officials of the forest de...