The Social Network: my review

The film starts with Mark Zuckerberg's girlfriend dumping him and calling him an "a**hole" followed by Zuckerberg's brilliantly captured lonely walk through the Harvard yard to the Kirkland house.As Mark walks through the lawns, the shot shows a lonely boy playing a violin in the lawn as a couple becomes his only audience.
That's how David Fincher tells the story of Harvard: even if you have no one by your side, you cannot let your dreams run away...you have to aim for the top alone since the top is too narrow to be shared with anyone even if he's your best friend.
What the film shows is that a man requires most of all two things to reach the zenith - a push and a killer instinct. Here the push is provided by the girlfriend and the instinct is one's own.
In today's world you have to be manipulative to have your say. It goes without saying you have to be clever too. Not all 1600 scorers in S.A.T. become millionares, forget billionares.But that's where Mark differs...he knows the world too well to not have his dreams come true.
In a world where everyone looks to bring him down , Mark fights, not a righteous battle but "everything is fair in war" , right?
Performances by Jesse Eisenberg(as Mark) , Andrew Garfield (as Eduardo) and the Winklevoss twins(Josh Pence and Armie Hammer) are worth watching.Justin Timberlake plays his part quite nicely but there are many in hollywood who could have played the part much better.
Background music goes brilliantly with the storyline right from the start to the end(when Beatles say "Baby,you are a rich man").
Direction is top class.Scenes of various courtrooms merge together in a fascinating way which reflect the various hurdles crossing Mark's mind at the same time and how he still remains himself.
But the part which deserves maximum credit is the screenplay.
Just take this....
As everyone keeps demanding their respective claims, Mark says

"If you were the inventors of facebook, you would have invented facebook."

Thanks,
Tirthankar Banerjee.

Take Some Steps!!

I recently became a registered citizen of India. i.e. , got my voter i.d.
I was wondering what being a citizen means. Does it mean that now I can call myself an "Indian" ? Or does it imply that my freedom has boundaries?
Well, who decides my boundaries then? Buddha "Babu" , Mamata "Didi"  or some Mr. "Horn"?
In our system we "elect" someone to look after our benefits....but the irony's that only these elected leaders get benefited.Yet we pride ourselves on enjoying democracy.
The main reason for the success of this false democracy in our country is that we are too laid back(read between the lines).We would rather sit in our drawing rooms with a t.v. remote and watch "jhansi ki rani" or whatever trash that runs thrice a day but would never spend the same amount of time giving voluntary education to under-previledged children or by questioning misdeeds of some politician.
During my childhood one of my teachers used to say "don't laugh too much or the intelligence will escape through the gaps of your teeth". May be our social situation is the same. The educated community is happy. So, the ideas which could have brought about changes in our lifestyle are escaping only never to return.
                     The schools teach the heroisms of George Washington, Nelson, Napoleon...just as the history books say.
But here comes the interesting part.Our books also praise MAHATMA(which they should)....but the same teachers like to give their own opinions about his personality to the students.
The Effect-students get confused though in most cases the young minds latch on to the negative traits as said by the teacher.
This was just an example,though not fiction I must add.
I am sorry to say if proper steps are not adopted fast enough, the next generation is going to be selfish and aimless.
It's high time we realise that we have the potential to create a better future where even we can live in.
But nothing comes for free. We need to toil. We need to sacrifice and more than anything we need to be united.
                               Take some time out....just give a packet of biscuits to a street child....
May be his smile will fill your heart.

Thanks
Tirthankar

raped

                        RAPED

Think of a girl who was raped in morning

Even before she had dreamt of singing

‘Had a pretty face and her own likings

‘Till she crashed with a violent lightning,

Can one ever end her longings?

Feel for her who was raped in morning…

Think of the one who did this to her

Can he for anyone ever shed a tear?

I hope, my words, Hell can hear

Such a heinous crime is too much to bear

Prove to me God that you still care….

Tell me please the end isn’t near….

'am somewhere

Truth is something one cannot deny

How can I give up which was never mine?

A search for illumination in circus of life,

Tortured soul resides beneath a goodwill smile…

As you walk through the corridor of time,

Someone is destined for a restless mind.

Missing piece looks for itself

Only to fit a stranger’s puzzle,

Floating on the tip of fountain

From an ever contracting nozzle.

Someone said life’s not over

Though someone’s yet to be near;

Desires are taking a back gear

As feelings keep wasting paper;

Not a raindrop in these days of thunder

Wait for eternity is the only answer…

     ***************************************

Somewhere I beg to differ

There’s nothing one can’t bear

Search yourself till crystal clear

Pain isn’t something you need to fear.

Loneliness waits outside my door

Yet I’ll have my shadow,

As memories keep flooding in gallons

Losing myself in current, forgetting the shores….