Kids are what we adults make out of them

This morning when i was at the the pool, i saw this cute, pudgy about-10-year-old boy and his elder sister taking their swimming lessons. They were accompanied by their mother (who was waiting outside the pool). After they got done, the mother went with the daughter to help her change, etc. The boy was also heading to the men's changing room. He stops, calls out to his mom, and just flings the cap at her (which falls on the floor), and doesn't bother to pick it up. Also, i don't think it would have taken even ten seconds to walk up to his mom and give it to her, or probably just give her the cap after changing. I understand that he's a kid. But what really got me thinking is that the mother didn't even bother correcting him. For a second, i thought, maybe i'm overthinking. But I wasn't. After changing, this little arrogant thing came and sat on a chair, in a very "I'm the boss, and all you feeble beings in the pool, I'm watching you swim"-kinda look.

I'm not a mother, and don't know if i ever will be (or want to be) one. But if i were in that situation i would have definitely walked up to my son, and politely asked him to pick up the cap. Even better, I would have asked him to take care of his things. And, something as basic as a swimming cap isn't a lot, for sure.

I truly believe that not always, but very often, our kids are what we adults make out of them.

The Salesman - Subtle, yet Strong

There’s beauty in simplicity and subtlety. And, Iranian cinema has often personified this.

I just watched The Salesman. Yes, it’s the movie that won this year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Actor and Screenplay at the Cannes. Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, The Salesman leaves you thinking. While on one hand it shows the sudden drama that is thrown into the life of a happily married couple -- (super-hot!) Shahab Hosseini and Taraneh Alidoost – on the other, there are some beautiful references and glimpses of the drama in Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, Death of a Salesman. Of course, as soon as you hear ‘The Salesman,’ ‘Death of a Salesman’ has to come to your mind.

The performance of every actor is simply beautiful. Like I said, just so subtle, yet striking. And a very special mention for Farid Sajjadi Hosseini. What a brilliant performance, indeed.

The story is extremely gripping and tight, yet delicate and sensitive. It shows the different faces of humans - love, compassion, anger, and, of course, the inherent ugly side. Needless to say, there isn’t a single moment that you’d want to miss. Was I left asking for more…maybe!

The only few annoying moments in the movie were when the Indian censor board decided to mute and remove the English subtitles of certain bits. Like, why?! Isn’t it a given that an audience that is watching world cinema, such as this, would be mature and open-enough to be able to listen to or read the ‘apparently’ censored words.

Anyway, I’ve got to confess that I haven’t watched Asghar Farhadi’s works before. But thanks to The Salesman, I’m definitely going to be watching a lot of Farhadi in the next few weeks; beginning with A Separation, also an Oscar winner and one of his masterpieces.

So, while I start my Farhadi series, you guys must watch The Salesman…coz let’s be honest, ironically, such brilliant world cinema doesn’t stay for too long in most theaters in India.

His favourite lie

I am a fool…
Oh, yes, I indeed am.
To wear my heart on my sleeves,
Every time, at every Spring’s leaves.


Every time he comes back,
I hope it would be for a long time now.
That he will care, love, want me,
That in his heart, I…me…us, he will allow.


But every time, he comes,
It's just to play his moves.
Like, it is his turn to play the dice,
He is the fire that burns me, and I'm the melted ice.


Why does he do this to me always,
every time he comes…only to go away.
Why does he pull me close, and then push me away?


Why does he say all those nice things?
Why does he give me wings?
Why does he make me fly and take me so high?
Why does he say that he loves me…is that his favourite lie?