Just voting will not make any difference! - Shivom Oza

Do all our duties and responsibilities towards our country, begin and end with voting? Just vote, and sit back and watch the tamasha unfold over the next five years, on our television screens! Convenient, isn't it? We want a non-corrupt government, but are we ourselves 100% clean? We want 0% crime rate, but have we never broken the law? We want better infrastructure, but have we never littered? We want equal rights for everybody, but have we never discriminated? We want change, but are we willing to change ourselves? Do cast your vote. However, it doesn't end there.

Shivom Oza

Yellow (2014) Film Recommendation Post | Gauri Gadgil & Mrinal Kulkarni, Dir: Mahesh Limaye - Shivom Oza

This weekend, I watched a Marathi film Yellow, which was based on the life of a mentally challenged girl named Gauri Gadgil, who overcomes odds to become a champion swimmer. It is one of the most inspiring sporting stories that I have come across. How do we usually react when we see somebody who is mentally handicapped? We pity them, and worry about their future. After having watched this movie, I will not do that anymore. We may not realize it, but they do find their happiness in things that appeal to them. They are not necessarily 'suffering'!

Shivom Oza

Boring at the top! - Shivom Oza

India may become T20 champions. Shouldn't I be excited? Wasn't this the tournament (2007) that gave rise to T20, Indian cricket, IPL and Dhoni - all at one go? We had not won anything back then in a very long time! Since then, BCCI has added a T20WC, ICC WC and a Champions Trophy to its cabinet. I don't know about the players but for the fans, the excitement does fade a trifle when victories come by the dozen. Wonder how the Aussie fans kept the enthusiasm going for a decade or so when their cricket team won everything!

Shivom Oza

8 Plays You Must Watch (Part 2) - Shivom Oza

Sex Morality & Censorship - Terrific theatrical presentation on the way censorship has affected the lives of artistes; spectacular song-and-dance sequences

Vagina Monologues - This is not a play for 'women only'; features female chracters from several walks of life, who narrate stories that vary from being rip-roaring to gut-wrenching

Piya Behrupiya - A Hindi-language musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night; powerful performances and exceptional live singing on stage; recommended even for those who haven't read the original

Adhe Adhure - A middle-aged mother/wife wanting to break free; newfound respect fot Lillete Dubey as an actor; real characters living real moments

Shivom Oza

Read Part 1

8 Plays You Must Watch (Part 1) - Shivom Oza

Sir Sir Sarla - Love triangle between a teacher and his students; funny-poignant in equal measure; acknowledgement is all that we need, sometimes

Sometimes - Quirky take on the way 20-somethings lead their lives; know better on how to handle matters of love, friendship, family and work

Class Of 84 - 7 college friends re-unite at a funeral, and uncomfortable truths come tumbling out of the closet; Masterful performances by the cast; filled to the brim with nostalgia

4 Small - 4 short plays based on the city of Mumbai; perfectly encapsulates how the word 'home' has different meanings for different people

Shivom Oza

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Ankhon Dekhi (2014) Film Recommendation Post | Sanjay Mishra, Seema Pahwa & Namit Das, Dir: Rajat Kapoor - Shivom Oza

I kept resisting the urge to go for this film thinking, slow hogi yaar, mann nahin kar raha, 250 rupees kuch zyaada hi hai etc. However, I was more than happy to plant my foot in my mouth, when I walked out of the hall after watching this near-masterpiece. Ankhon Dekhi keeps you entertained throughout its duration, and the credit for that must be shared between the director Rajat Kapoor and the stellar cast. If you have not watched the movie yet (having the same apprehensions that I did), please don't wait. Apni ankhon se dekho, mazaa aayega!

Shivom Oza

Leave The World Behind (2014) Film Recommendation Post | Swedish House Mafia - Shivom Oza

I don't know much about Swedish House Mafia, but something about this film's trailer got me hooked on. The sight of these three maverick musicians zipping away on a speed boat with their biggest hit 'Don't you worry child' playing in the background, gave me a huge rush. Yes, they do play their most popular track frequently through this documentary. I wish they'd avoided that. However, the spectacular visuals of their packed concerts around the world, left me awestruck! If you're not big on live concerts, you must watch this film. You'll end up going for one, soon!

Shivom Oza