Silence

Why do I scare you so oh noisy one!

Your demons you pushed so far below

How convinced are you, that they exist no more?

Come, take a look, go on, take a peek

Is it so easy to make those voices flee?

Ah! I have been here since time immemorial

You would know, had you some guts and a dash of daring

Close your eyes and explore my depth

Great heights we'd reach over the symphony of your heartbeat

Those dreams you dream, the things you see,

Who, but who would put them there but me?

Alas, my only companions are Stupid and Stupider

Illiterate fools, squabbling for the king's attention

But you won't give it - No.

More noise you send down, more layers of lies

It's a rave party here. No lack of noise.

There is no river of Lethe to carry away your lost memories.

Udaan

Udaan is the story of Rohan Singh (played by Rajat Barmecha), a 17 year old aspiring writer. After getting caught on a night out watching  Kanti Shah ke Angoor (a blue film I'm guessing), Rohan and his 3 friends are expelled. Rohan is apprehensive about what's coming next for him. His father hasn't visited him once during his 8 years away at boarding school. Once home, he comes face-to-face with a kid half-brother he never knew he had. He quickly learns what is expected from him-a degree in engineering and a monotonous career in his father's factory.

His literary dreams are repeatedly squashed by his father, Bhairav Singh (played by Ronit Roy) who is an alcoholic and a smoker with rage issues. He demands his children address him as 'sir' and obey his stringent rules as long as they want to live under his roof. There is only possible future for Rohan- that which his father sees for him.

The movie is about a teenager's rebellion against an unreasonable force of authority, a subject that is visited often in cinema. Rohan is an interesting enough teenage character although I wish the actor looked a little less cherubic in the movie. I mean:

                                           
He enjoys the thrill of his nightly adventures and takes pleasure in his poetry. The built up angst in him occasionally comes out in the form of hard-hitting dialogues directed towards his drunk father. The easiness with which Rohan forms a bond with his newly discovered kid brother amidst all the family drama is heart-warming.

While Rohan played his part well, the highlight of the movie for me was his father's character,  Bhairav Singh. In him we see the different shades of a man who has learnt many of life's lessons the hard way. He is not an entirely cruel bastard. There is a part of him that loves and cares for his children and has big hopes for them. He has been weighed down by the miseries of his life- his own harsh upbringing, the death of his first wife and the failure of his second marriage. He is unable to find light in his life anymore. 

Ronit Roy has pulled off this character beautifully. Instead of an archetypal 'cruel father', this movie shows us a tired man with layers of good and bad in him. I'm now a Ronit Roy fan!

The movie is definitely worth a watch!

Harmony

In streaks outside the clear pane

Frenzied glass bullets
Fuzzy, rapid shades of blue-grey
Chase strands of my hair away.
Quick wet kisses crash across my face
Nature's fiercely nourishing force
Takes over again
Everything in sight, blanketed,
Brown rivulets flow, from lines hanging clothes flee
Shelter- - to enjoy nature's harmonious melody
Greens refreshed, rich browns rejuvenated,
Buildings weep peach, pink, yellow tears today.
Booming laughter echoes beyond the grey
In unison the clouds crack into a brilliant smile
Alas, this show is over
Nature's little performers chirp once more

Growth

One precariously placed wooden block over another.

One unsteady foot making way for the other.

One long, deep breath of fresh air and a sigh.

A pearly white smile.