Short Stories Seem To Be Back

I read somewhere that short stories are no longer a preferred medium of writing and that the whole culture of writing them is dying out. After that, I found it to be true as I could only find really old stuff like RK Narayan and Ruskin Bond on the shelves of my library. I am happy to announce that in the recent past, I have found two books (published recently) comprising short stories which were very enjoyable.

The first one was by John Grisham called Ford County. Now, I was a bit sceptical of picking this one up because the last few books by JG were quite sad. The thing with best-selling authors is that you just can't resist picking up the book as one tends to think "This one might be better than the last one and if it is not, how bad can it get"? Luckily, this one turned out to be one of the good ones. Ford County is a small town somewhere in the US and has a very small population. The stories revolve around people from here, who lead a slightly simpler life than the typical city folks. Simple and direct, in tune with the settings, they are quite fast paced and that keeps your interest. There are no elaborate plots and twists (unlike your typical Jeffrey Archer) and the stories take you to an uncomplicated end. Most of them have happy endings or not so sad endings and thats a plus.

The other one I read was by William Dalrymple called Nine Lives. This guy has all my respect. I am one of the last people who would read a travelogue or a quasi-history book but from the minute I come to know that WD has released a book, I just have to get it. His books remind me of P G Wodehouses creations cause you can read them effortlessly. As written by the author in the preface, Nine Lives captures stories that he encountered during his travels which he could not weave into a whole book. Even with all the modernisation around us, the people showcased in these stories are connected to the spirituality that existed in the old days. Be it an idol maker, a jailer or a so called mad woman, all of them lead simple lives which are dedicated to finding and serving God in any of his forms. Superb variety, lots of information neatly encapsulated and easy reading make this a pleasure. I also realised the amount of travel and research WD does and how much rich material he comes across and leaves out. Its not like he just does Delhi and the Mughals, he has travelled across the whole country - Kerala, Rajasthan, Bengal and Dharamshala. Although I feel envious, I don't think I would like to spend too much time with tantrics and sufi saints. Reading it from a safe distance is thrilling enough. I hope he comes out with some more of these stories soon.

p.s. - I'm now reading R K Narayans Gods, Demons and Others. For a crash course in Hindu mythology, this seems to cover all the important stories...

Taxi Driver - Another Martin Scorcese Notch For Me

I like to categorise myself as one of those people who came to know Martin Scorcese through the film, The Departed. Till then, he was always one of the great Italians of Hollywood - like Francis Ford Coppola. Once I saw The Departed, I was impressed and energised and wanted to find out more about his movies. On reading up on Martin Scorcese, I realised I had seen some more of his movies - Casino, Gangs of New York and The Aviator. I also read that he had directed a movie called Raging Bull, supposed to be his greatest movie. I totally enjoyed that one and was very impressed by Robert De Niros portrayal of a boxer who reaches the top but complicates his life due to his temper and jealousy. It also carried the same style of aggression, sudden violence and yet a slickness that kept you gripped throughout. I made a promise that I would watch all his other movies and then completely forgot about it till I watched Taxi Driver.

Before you go any further, do play this video. It is the theme score of the movie and it is perfect for the movie. The character played by Robert De Niro is that of an ex-Vietnam soldier who comes back to New York and finds work as a taxi driver. He seems to be doing well and keeping himself busy, except that he just cannot sleep. He also falls for "Betsy" - played by Cybill Shepherd who looks really hot- who first agrees to go out with him but later rebuffs him. After this his life goes downhill and he starts losing touch with reality. He also meets Jodie Foster who is a young prostitute and tries to save her from all the other "scum" of New York.

The movie builds up nicely to the climax and makes you feel sorry for Robert De Niros character while wondering what the hell is up to and why cant he just get a grip? The areas where he ferries his fares are among the seedier parts of town, full of prostitutes and pimps and they seem to pull him down further. I loved the way his decline seems so inexorable that he just has do something really reckless and violent. All the while, the saxophone from the theme song is playing in the background and gives a very haunting feel. Also, the movie will always be remembered because of John Hinckley Jr, the guy who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan did so after he watched the movie continuously and became obsessed with Jodie Foster. Now if that doesn't make you want to watch the movie, what will??

Exploring Nizamuddin - Thanks to Intach

Well, this one is people who combine being history buffs and have no problems getting up really early on Sunday morning. Well I am neither and getting up at 6.30 am after sleeping at 12 am after driving to Agra and back on the same day was a teenie-weenie bit of a strain. But Dad was in town so off I had to go.

My sister is a whiz on finding out stuff to do via the Internet and she sent me a link for an article detailing INTACH and the walks the Delhi Chapter holds every Sunday morning. First a little bit about INTACH, in their own words - "The Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a nationwide, non-profit membership organization. INTACH was set up in 1984 to protect and conserve India’s vast natural and cultural heritage. INTACH has made significant contribution over the years in conservation and protection of our natural and cultural heritage."

I went on the Intach Delhi Chapter site and was happy to see that there was a walk on Sunday the 8th of March. The fee seemed nominal too - Rs 50/- but like I said earlier, timing was the issue. There was link on the page for registering and I left my phone number as they had written about a callback. Suddenly, on Friday evening 4.49 pm, I realised that they hadn't called me and in all probability the office would shut at 5.00 pm. I frantically placed a call and got through to someone who gave me the name and number of the co-ordinater. She confirmed that the walk was very much on and to meet outside the Nizamuddin police station at 8.00 am sharp.

Dad and me reached before time and parked the car in the lane next door. We even found a newspaper vendor on the opposite side who sold Malayalam Manorama (that's me, a mine of info). We met our guide Sapna outside the police station and chatted for a few minutes while a couple and a group of three joined us. Sapna informed us that the purpose of these walks was not to visit well documented sites such as Humayuns Tomb, Red Fort etc but to show people who had a greater interest in history lesser known monuments. She was a volunteer and belonged to a group of people who were passionate about these monuments and their preservation. She informed us that we were going to walk into the Nizamuddin Basti and see the shrines of Nizamuddin and Amir Khusrow. She gave us a brief introduction on Nizamuddin and then the area that we were going to see. The basti is a bit rundown and there were lots of Muslim men who had gathered at the various shops or drinking tea. We entered the shrine through some winding alleys lined with lots of shops selling religious books, CDs and roses to put on the grave. As we entered the shrine, we were asked to remove our shoes. We first saw the shrine of Amir Khusrow and then on to the shrine of Nizamuddin. The good part of all this was that Sapna really knew her stuff. The fear I have of taking guides at historical places is a) do they really know their stuff b) they seem to be in a bit of a hurry and wont let you wander off but with Sapna there was no such problem. She calmly took us through the many people thronging around and answered all questions with facts or possible explanations. There were a few other graves next to these shrines of prominent people such as Jahanara Begum as this was considered holy ground to buried in.

After this we moved on to Nizamuddins Baoli or water tank, which the saint is said to have blessed. We also saw the tomb of Akbars wet nurse, Ji Ji Anga and her family. It was in such a dilapidated condition with walls all peeling off and kids playing cricket outside. On our way out, Sapna also led us to the tomb of Mirza Ghalib which is not normally open to public viewing but she resourcefully managed to get an entry. All this took us nearly two hours. I had enough by the end of it as my feet were feeling very dirty and we were standing for all this time but Dad was very satisfied. He had answers to a few questions that were puzzling him and he was impressed with Sapnas knowledge. So if you are interested in history and would love to walk around these grand old buildings steeped in lore, do head out. You'll have a good time, I promise.

p.s. - Check this link for more information