5 Must Watch Movies this Christmas & New Year

There must have been so many different lists compiled by so many different people about everything under the Milky Way, be it list of best smart phones or lest of best lipsticks to use during winter!  But, sometimes its fun to simply jump onto the band wagon (Or would it be a reindeer powered sledge!). Of course, I am a big-time movie buff and ergo my list of favorite movies to watch this season. But, is there any diktat from St. Nicholas aka Santa Claus regarding the type of movies one should watch? I certainly am not aware of any such memo which Santa might have sent.

So, what type of movies should one watch? While compiling my list, I have tried to keep one thing in mind. Christmas is a time for happiness. So, all the movies I recommend are comedies, i.e. they have a happy ending. Secondly, all of them, and I might be accused of stretching the imagination, espouse some value or other of the spirit of Christmas.

So, watch the movies at leisure and let me know if you like them. And, I honestly believe, these are all evergreen movies, worth watching again and again. So, you can definitely watch them again, if you have seen them all!

In keeping with the trend of any list worth its salt, I will count-down from 5 to 1.

Number 5- One Fine Day

Starring 2 of the most talented stars in contemporary times, George Clooney and Michelle Pfieffer, One Fine Day is the story of two single parents (Pfeiffer & Clooney) whose paths cross one rainy morning in the city of New York, and keep crossing the whole day. Pfeiffer (Melanie) is a divorced single mother, who works as an architect. Clooney (Jack) is a divorced journalist who finds himself saddled with his daughter by his ex-wife (who has re-married and is going on a honeymoon) for the whole week. Melanie’s day starts off on a bad note, because of Jack’s forgetfulness, which causes her son and Jack’s daughter to miss their field trip. This forces both parents to take care of each other’s children, because of the extremely busy work schedule they have. At their respective workplace also, Melanie and Jack face crises which are potentially job threatening. The story beautifully weaves the different incidents the parents face both at work and in managing the kids through the day. Of course, what makes the movie eminently watchable is the wonderful performance by Michelle Pfeiffer, as the hassled mother who is trying to juggle her career and her personal life. Clooney is his usual charismatic easy-going self, as a father who is suddenly made to cope with unforeseen situations.

A feel good movie, it will definitely put a smile on your face, even on the coldest night.

Number 4- Milagro Beanfield War

Directed by one of my favorite directors and actors, Robert Redford, Milagro Beanfield War is one of those quaint movies which never quite make it in the box office. A mix of fantasy and reality, the movie deals with an issue which is quite relevant in today’s India. How do people react when development and big business reaches a rural community?

Set in the fictional rural town of Milagro somewhere in New Mexico, with a predominantly Hispanic population, it tells the story of Joe Mondragon, an unemployed handyman, struggling to eke out a living for his family. Mondragon rebels against the big corporation building a new township in Milagro. All the landholders have sold their land to the corporation except Mondragon. Due to water laws, which allow only the corporation to use the water, Mondragon is unable to use the water from the irrigation ditch running past his farm. A rebellion more impulsive than planned, as the story reveals, the film studies the different perspectives of the situation, without portraying any of the characters as completely villainous or heroic.

I say it’s a must watch this Christmas!

Number 3- Falling In Love

Ok, this one is probably the most intense of all the 5 movies I recommend. For Hindi and Sharukh Khan Movie buffs, it might interest them to note that the Karan Johar movie Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, is based on this movie starring the wonderful Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro. Watch this to decide whether KANK is anywhere near to the original!

2 married strangers meet randomly while shopping for Christmas gifts for their respective families. Their gifts get mixed up, and they again bump into each other on the train to New York. The meeting soon blossoms into romance, before either can realize the same. It’s a story which is makes outstanding viewing, due to the excellent performance of Streep and De Niro.

Why is it ideal for Christmas? Who gives a damn! It’s a good movie so added it to the list! J

Number 2- The Best Years of Our Lives

An absolute golden oldie, this 1946 movie directed by the great William Wyler, is one of my absolute favorites. I must have seen this movie at least 20 times!

Considered one of the greatest films ever by Roger Ebert, the film has a 97% freshness rating at “Rotten Tomatoes”.

Set at the end of the 2^nd World War, the movie deals with 3 servicemen returning to their home in the fictional Boone City, and trying to adjust to the life after war.

Fred, Homer and Al meet and become friends while flying back home.

Fred, who used to be a soda fountain operator at a drugstore, became a decorated Captain in the war, He returns home to find that there is no job other than that of the “Soda Jerker” which he is not very keen to be. His wife also enjoys leading a social life, which the salary of a soda jerk does not permit. Moreover, it’s much more glamorous being the wife of a decorated captain than that of a soda fountain operator.

Homer had lost both his arms from burns suffered when his aircraft carrier was sunk. Homer and his family now have trouble adjusting with his disability. This even causes him to move away from his fiancée, as he does not want her to marry a handicapped man out of sympathy.

Al, the senior most of the three, was a bank loan officer, with a wife and an adult daughter, and a son in college. He is offered a senior position in his bank, as the bank expects many servicemen to approach the bank for loans, and having a serviceman would be convenient. Al also has trouble adjusting back into civilian life. To add to his troubles, is the attraction which develops between his daughter and Fred.

The movie is superlative in capturing the inner struggle of its protagonists and how it affects the people around them. Of course, it would not have been possible but for the excellent performance of all the actors.

The movie is about hope and the strength of the human spirit in overcoming any obstacle.

Number 1- It’s a Wonderful Life

Now this is a movie which always is a topper in any list made of movies, whatever category. So, watch it anytime, and you will know you have seen a classic. Of course, it’s something of staple for Christmas time movie viewing. Somewhat similar to the telecast of “Gandhi” by movie channels on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary on 2^nd October. This Frank Capra masterpiece stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who wants to commit suicide on Christmas Eve, because he feels he is worth more dead than alive.

The story is not new and has been dealt with in different ways in numerous movies and stories. It’s the story of a man who gets a glimpse of what life would have been, if he had not existed, to realize the difference he has made to people around him.

In this story, Bailey leads a life full of sacrifices to allow people around him to fulfill their dreams, be it saving his little brother from drowning in a frozen pond, causing loss of hearing in his left ear, or providing the money saved for his honeymoon to prevent a run on his bank.

It’s a story, which as I mentioned has been told many a times, but I am sure you will still love this one.

Honestly, there is not much to differentiate in the level of performance or direction in this movie or “The Best Years of Our Lives”. But, this movie somehow is just right in keeping with the spirit of Christmas. Hence, it is number 1 on my list of movies to watch this Christmas.

Watch them and let me know if you enjoyed them as much as I did.

Merry Christmas!

Story of An Ordinary Indian Doctor- Dr. Nasser

Being a salesman has its rewards. The one which I treasure the most is perhaps the opportunity it provides to meet with people from varied walks of life during my visits to the various retail showrooms in Calcutta. Everyday, I keep meeting artists who want a smart looking phone, professors from USA holidaying in India, doctors in search of a high speed internet connection, army men enquiring if they can use the phone in Kashmir, rickshaw pullers wanting a low tariff recharge, foreigners asking for directions to the Victoria memorial, bus drivers wondering why their phone is not ringing, employees of foreign embassies requesting for service engineers who can speak proper English...the list goes on...and on...

I met Dr. Nasser, during one such visit to one of our showrooms. He wanted an internet connection for his laptop. We chatted while the transaction was being completed. I came to know that he worked in a well known city hospital. The conversation ended there.

Next time we met was few months later. It was in the same showroom where we had met the first time. He had come to pay his monthly phone bill.

We started chatting about the weather, literally, and before we knew it, he was telling me about his life...

Nasser is the youngest of 2 brothers and 2 sisters. A Kashmiri Muslim by birth, he grew up in the beautiful city of Srinagar. His father was a civil servant in the state government and mother a housewife. His elder brother is a Chartered Accountant. When he wanted to pursue medicine as a profession, his father was against the idea. He wanted his son to become a civil servant. But, sons seldom listen to their fathers, and Nasser completed his MBBS from Government Medical College, Srinagar. He followed this up with a master’s degree in Lucknow, before landing up in Calcutta to pursue his super-specialty course from a well known hospital.

Probably, there is not much to write about Nasser, which is unique enough. But, then again, I found his thoughts reflecting that of many young people including yours truly.

He still wonders whether he took the right decision to stay back in India. One would say, it’s the right decision to stay put give back to your country. But, consider this. Of the 8 friends in his batch who completed their MBBS, 6 went abroad and decided to settle down in the US. This made Nasser wonder if he was doing something stupid, considering majority of his peers were following a different path.

“I know, I will be earning a lot less than what I could have, if I had shifted to the US. But, then again, some of my teachers who inspired me have done just that. They are not just good, but great doctors and are world renowned. But, they have resisted the temptation, and decided to give back to society despite the various challenges”, says Nasser.

“I know, I may be a small fry in the larger scheme of things, but I am confident I can definitely make a difference, howsoever miniscule. Which is why, after completion of my studies, I want to go back to Kashmir, and practice there. I feel, I can make a bigger difference there considering the lack of facilities in the state.”

I asked in return, “Don’t you think that the environment abroad is more conducive to pursue your practice? Will it not provide a much better learning environment? Which in turn, will help you become a much better doctor?”

Nasser replied,” You see, the foreign hospitals definitely have far better facilities and they do provide much better work environment. But, the Indian system teaches you to become street smart, in a way which no first world country can. There is a very good reason for this.  Let’s assume you have high fever with certain x, y and z symptoms. In an US hospital, usually the doctor will have a set of tests conducted which will give very accurate results, and assist in good diagnosis and subsequent treatment. This is the way they are trained. But, in India, our teachers have taught us to approach it in a different way. For the same patient described before, our teachers would ask us, out of these 5 tests, which do you think is the most appropriate for a patient with x, y and z symptoms? ”

According to Nasser, there is a very good reason for this approach. In the west, most of the developed nations are welfare states. Hence, medical expenses are in majority of cases taken care of, by the state. So, conducting plethora of tests to get to the root of the problem is not a cause for concern, for the patient. But, in India, in most cases, the patient’s family would need to shell out the money for all the tests. In most cases, that would be a big burden on the pocket. So, the doctor has to go for the most effective and least expensive path. For an Indian doctor, learning to be street smart, is not just smart, but a matter of life or death.

This logic of Nasser was further corroborated by another friend of mine; Dr. Sajid. Sajid is a surgeon, who has many patients from the lower strata of the society. He told me the story of Iqbal.

Iqbal is a rickshaw-puller in his mid-forties. He has a wife and 2 kids at home. He visited Dr.Sajid with severe lower back pain. For a proper diagnosis and accurate treatment, an MRI was essential. But, an MRI would cost few thousand rupees. And Sajid’s experience told him, that a surgery was required, to treat the problem. That would cost more money and a period of complete bed rest. But, Iqbal is a daily wage earner and if he stays away from work, his family starves. So, what does the doctor do in such a situation, where the best option is not practical for the patient?

Dr. Sajid advised Iqbal to ride his rickshaw maintaining a certain posture which would minimise the damage. He also advised Iqbal to regularly exercise to strengthen the area.

Was it the best possible treatment? Definitely not. But, for doctors like Nasser and Sajid, it’s all about providing the “best fit” treatment.

And it’s because of doctors like Nasser and Sajid, the Indian medical system manages to carry the burden of over 1 billion people.


Note: Names have been changed to protect privacy

Did YOU visit the Paraguayan Harp Concert?

For that matter, do you know when Paraguay earned its independence? And from whom did they win their independence? Don’t worry; even ‘Know-All’ did not know this fact, till he visited the Paraguayan Harp concert which took place in Calcutta last week.

I am a great believer in destiny. Some people would consider it just a coincidence that when I visited ICCR auditorium to watch the dance recital of Rabindranath Tagore’s dance drama, Chitrangada, performed by a friend, I noticed the information standee of a performance of the Paraguayan Harp, by Ismael Ledesma to celebrate 200 years of independence of Paraguay from Spanish rule. Not me. Now, we Calcuttans are always bending over backwards to proclaim our inclination for all things cultural. But, I am not aware of any performance of the Paraguayan Harp, which has taken place in Calcutta before.

Extremely curious, next day I showed up at the designated hour at the ICCR.

Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America with its capital in Asuncion. Small in size, with a population of mere 6.5 million people, it has 2 official languages, Spanish and Guarani. Both languages are widely used. Interestingly, 95% of the population is Mestizo or mixed (European and Native American). This, thanks to the rule set by the first Paraguayan president, Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia in 1814, which forbade colonial citizens from marrying each other, and allowed them to only marry blacks, mullatoes or natives! Paraguay has recently experienced one of the fastest economic growths in the world.

The most popular instruments of Paraguayan music, Ledesma informed the audience, are the Paraguayan Harp and the Spanish Guitar.

The Paraguayan Harp is made from wood and usually has 38 strings. It has an exaggerated neck arch and is played with the fingernail.  But, the interesting fact revealed by Ledesma, was that the Paraguayan Harp traces its origin to India!

Paraguayan music needs to be classified into 2 parts.

Paraguayan Polka or Danza Paraguaya( Paraguayan Dance), a style of music developed in the 19^th century. It is different from European Polka, as the former combines both ternary and binary rhythms, which give it a peculiarity.

Guarania is a style of music created by the musician Jose Asuncion Flores in 1925, with the purpose of expressing the character of the Paraguayan people.this is accomplished by the slow and melancholic rhythms of the songs.

The Guarania enjoys great popularity in the urban areas whereas the people in the countryside prefer the faster paced style of the Polka or the combined genre of “Purahei Jahe’o”.

Ledesma started after a round of introductions from the Paraguayan ambassador to India, Genaro Pappalardo. The music was mellifluous and Ledesma had the audience spell-bound with his versatility. For those who have never heard the Harp played before, it is something of similar to the Indian Santoor or the Jal Tarang. But, the tunes played by Ledesma were a mix of tunes, of which some were Paraguayan folk based and some his own creations. But, the common factor in both was their ability to mesmerize the audience.

He was able to imitate sounds of nature, like the chirp of a bell-bird, which sounds like a bird or that of a waterfall, with equal aplomb! He even imitated the sound of a train and the various noises made by a bus.

Or, for instance the piece called “Happiness in January” which he composed during winter in Paris, which according to him gets very melancholic during that period.

Ledesma, besides being a Harpist par excellence, also showed his sense of humour, while interacting with the audience. “It feels like home here in Calcutta. The buses here are just like the ones we have back home in Asuncion. Also, most people here are of my height, so I don’t feel short!” The audience laughed out loud to show its approval.

After the hour long performance, the audience felt like chanting the Pepsi slogan, “Dil Maange More”.

The little man from Paraguay had won the crowd over, with his child-like smile, humorous quips and stunning performance.

The only disappointment of the evening…. The organizers were selling CDs of Ledesma’s music outside the auditorium. I rushed to the counter and asked the price. “Its only Rs.799 for a CD” I got the reply. Alas, I the great patron of credit cards had only Rs.600 cash in my wallet.

With no ATM in the vicinity, I sadly started walking towards the Maidan Metro Station, to take the next train home.


Footnote: Information about Paraguay and Its music is sources from www.wikipedia.org and the pamphlet provided at the concert.