Positive Overtones

Subash and Udayan are two brothers who are similar in many ways. They stay in a small house near the lowland at Tollygunge. While Subash is the more reserved, Udayan is more outspoken. This difference eventually decides their fates. Subash lands up in America to do his further studies whereas Udayan joins the upcoming Naxalite movement in Calcutta. A few years later, their lives converge with Gauri, Udayan’s wife who is widowed and travels to America with Subash. Together they raise Bela, Udayan’s daughter. What unfolds is a twisting tale of exile and return, hatred and love, and the interplay of relationships being broken and healed. The story highlights some key issues of which I would mention a few: -         Relationships and family: This is largely the central theme of the whole story. Lahiri can bring the importance and genuineness of true brotherhood between Udayan and Subash. Further, we see the effect of forced marriage on the lives o...

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner and the buzz around the new Sara Ali Khan-Kartik Aaryan starrer, Love Aaj Kal, I began pondering as to what is that one love that has been present yesterday, today and continues. While I have read and heard one too many talks on ‘Jesus the Perfect Valentine’, I believe the more important theme we could look at is Jesus’ never-ending love for us. I have experienced it at times when I have gone through dark phases in my life. To be honest, once you realize the immensity and continuity of this love, there will definitively be a radical change in your life. Despite all the wrong we do and the messes we create in our lives, He continues to provide us with many opportunities to turn back to him (if we are willing to do so). In philosophical terms, one would call these opportunities as shatterable motions. But, keeping philosophy aside, I feel it is important for us to grow in our attention to the never-ending love of God. This February, the seas...

The central idea of this topic comes from a sermon I had heard a few years ago. The reflection was on St. Peter and his response to the call of Jesus. St. Peter was an impulsive man who would make decisions at the spur of the moment without really thinking over it or going over the pros and cons. In terms of his outlook towards spirituality, he would resemble more of a dog. Why do I say that? Have you ever noticed the way a dog approaches a strange object? Now compare it to a cat. Most dogs that I have noticed instantly react to a strange object placed in front of them by pouncing on it and then exploring it. On the other hand, in my experiences of what a cat does (of which, unfortunately, I have little because I have a strong dislike towards cats) is that they tend to examine the strange object from a far and then pounce on it only after judging it to be safe. In both cases, there are a few expectations but the general concept remains. In our post-modern corporate world today,...

“Everyone is born as an original, but may end up dying as photocopies.” -Carlo Acutis Each of us is uniquely created by God. Not two people are same. This is the wonder in God’s creation of us. We are all originals. However, with the dawn of the digital age, the rich and powerful have trapped the rest into the evils of capitalism. This has immense effects on our personalities. As we step into this new global continent alone, we more often than not try to replicate or imitate the rich and powerful, thus becoming copies of them. We lose our sense of identity and self-realization. Maybe that’s why many youth nowadays undergo an identity crisis. One needs to respect the other or their true original self and not the imitation they fabricate. Be what you were created for and not someone else’s copy. Be not an original photocopy but an original original