How to be grateful?

Gratefulness is thankfulness; it is recognizing your blessings: the rising Sun, the flowing rivers, the abundant greenery dotted by lavender plants; all of these are a few blessings; notwithstanding the peeking moon behind the clouds (the bride that seldom shows her full-face!)

There is abundance everywhere; within you. So, how to be grateful?

1.       Become a diarist: Become a diarist for the sake of gratefulness. You can make it weekly, monthly or annually. Write about something you are grateful for. If you are grateful for flowers, write about their abundance, fragrance and hues; post some pictures online!

2.       Wrap a present: Are you very grateful to spouse? Are you grateful for the things he does for you? Make a present for them and wrap it even more beautifully, rather adorn it.

3.        Write a story: Do you love writing stories or telling them? Concoct a story for that person or with that person in it! A story can make them immortal!

4.       Send them a happy playlist: YouTube has made it extremely easy to share your playlists.

5.       Write a song: This one is my favorite: either write or sing a song for someone you love; they will love your thoughtfulness.

Surprise them, love them, respect them, show them.  Be grateful!

                                                                                                                     -Kriti Malhotra

                                                                                                                                                                     

Ashamed

Red lips, red nails, denim shorts;

The voices in her head, arrows shooting at her.

‘What did I do? What did I say?’ her thoughts.

‘I wish the past could be made blur!’

Long walks, long days, a beautiful flower;

She colors her days; she looks out of the window.

‘What is beautiful? Where does love empower?’

‘It is said that beauty is not just in the meadow!’

Pealing laughs, momentary smiles, fleeting exuberance;

She refuses to visit those memories; she agrees to look at now.

‘When will I do? When will I reach the better tense?’

‘Let those struggles take a bow!’

                                                                       -Kriti Malhotra

‘My Black-Colored Face’

In a country in which one’s sexuality determines the color of one’s face, Sweety Chaudhary (Sonam Kapoor) musters up the spirit to defy her family-imposed restrictions and gets her face colored black; only to an inspiring end. ‘All’s well that ends well’, after all! Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga (EL) is a dramatic comedy that is colored with the various shades of contemporariness- sexual orientation, alternative professionalism, gender equality and  inter-religiosity to name a few.

Sweety, the girl with a frivolous name is supposed to be what her family expects of her: sweet, submissive and straight. Her sweetness embitters her own existence and isolates her socially until help knocks at her door in the form of a smitten Sahil Mirza (Rajkummar Rao). Sahil’s entry in Sweety’s life or the other way round propels the plot and the characters forward in a direction that ends well for both of them distinctly as well as collectively. There are other sub-plots that serve various functions: play a role in transforming the characters, provide a social commentary and entertain humorously.

The characterization of the movie is extremely impressive. The characters are alluring in themselves and the movie is made dynamic as they collaborate and conflict with one another due to their unique ideologies. Someone believes in bribery; someone believes that men should not cook; someone believes that a Hindu should not marry a Muslim; most of them believe that homosexuality is abnormal.

Balbir Choudhary (Anil Kapoor) deserves applause for his acting and persona. He is a considerably progressive man but this is tested when confronted with his daughter’s homosexuality. He says: “I didn’t expect this from you.” It traumatizes him but he transforms because of his own will only. In the present era in which a father’s role in the upbringing and life of the children is almost negligible, his persona showcases an important aspiration of the Indian society; the deeply-rooted desire of having an active and understanding father.

Interestingly, the title of the movie: Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga (What I felt when I saw that girl) is multi-purposeful. Initially, it seems befitting for the love-struck Sahil; then, there is an ‘Ahaa!’ moment in which it seems befitting for Sweety’s love-story; eventually, it turns out to be a play within a play. It is noteworthy that the title has been extracted from a very popular Bollywood hindi song and had always been associated with heterosexuality; however, with this movie its implications in the Indian society are likely to change.  

The scenes have inexpensive settings. Some of the most serious scenes have been rendered comical through dialogues. For instance, when Sweety confesses her love for another woman to the drunk Sahil, he guffaws. The background music is timely and lively. The narration is driven ahead with the help of flashbacks and a bit of suspense.

Not only does the movie portray the plight and misery of the oppressed but also offer solutions for them in the form of answers to crucial questions that torment the people today such as: How should homosexuality be destigmatized? (They need to be accepted as ‘normal’ first by the family; in fact, a person who does the contrary should be rightly criminalized.); What should a writer write about to become successful? (In this regard, the movie re-ignites the role of a writer to empathize with the oppressed and use his or her craft to alleviate them; and that would make him successful.); What should be a priority: the individual or what the society opinionates about her? (The former.)

The only flaw in the movie is the abject artlessness of the dialogues and the plot! However, overall, it is a masterpiece. It is also a notable contribution to art as well as the society as a whole. The most valuable take-away from it is that it is acceptable and even desirable to have a black-colored face!

                                                                                              -Kriti Malhotra

Getting Lost

I want to get lost with you;

Beyond the speeding cars,

Beyond the town.

I want to get lost in you;

Forget the waxing wars,

Forget the ones in want.

For a moment,

I want to lose you:

You remind me of everything bright.

You seem to be everything right.

                                       -Kriti Malhotra

On Picking up My Favorite-Book

When I picked you up for the first time, I wondered what you were all about: what were those thoughts that remained hidden behind those pages, readily offering themselves to be read; how much labor and how many hours had gone into your making; how many schools of thought were imbibed in the pages; how many pictures were lurking behind those words…

While I read you, I became oblivious to the other world holding that piece of world, you. I came across novel ideas, words, thoughts and theories; each one more immersing than the previous one. I learnt and thanked the author and the world.

You always held a special place in my heart. I carried you wherever I could, but never got tired of you. I would abhor anyone who would ask for borrowing you.

Today when I picked you up once again, I smiled: such a wonder of the world are you. It seemed as if you had your own story to tell: “She was reading me when she was on the way to meet her crush; she would often carry me in her bags; she used the purple- and blue-colored pens while studying me…”

You and I share a relation that no one can fathom, perhaps, even visualize. So for you, who never refuses to teach, I thank the world.

                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                            -Kriti Malhotra

A Love-Poem

The rays of the Sun touch me;
When you are around, they love me.
The flowers spread their fragrance,
They enter my door and praise me.
The colors of the skies reach me;
When you are in my mind's eye,
When you are in my mind's eye;
All those colors embrace me.
Which color of the rainbow are you?
Gold, red, pink, lavender, all or blue?
You must know: "I love you"


                                                    -Kriti Malhotra

How can you love yourself?

Self-love is taking the responsibility for your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It is about appreciating yourself for whatever you are; it is about being your own well-wisher; it is also about loving others if you are able to share that love; it about knowing what makes you happy. Most importantly, it is about knowing to take care of yourself. This self-love should be differentiated from extreme narcissism in which the person sees another person just as a tool. Self-love is not about respecting and loving yourself only but also respecting another individual and their personal boundaries.

Some of the ways in which you can love yourself are:-

Appreciate yourself: Whatever is the shape and size of your nose or the color of your hair, appreciate all that. Remind yourself of the bright aspects of you.

Work on your self-esteem: Develop your self-esteem by doing useful things such as enrolling yourself in a yoga class, taking up the classes of a course that you have been wishing to take, eating a healthy snack.

Try to stay positive: Look at the positive aspects of your life, laugh a lot and enjoy a walk in nature.

Positive self-talk: Say positive things to yourself while talking with yourself such as being patient with your mistakes and even use words of endearment.

Take out time for yourself and do little things for yourself.

Maintain healthy boundaries with toxic people.

Self-love is something that cannot be cultivated in a day. It is a continuous process and requires patience.

Take care!

:)

                                      - Kriti Malhotra