9th Anniversary of Blogging!!!

When did I ever realize that something I started like a time pass will become almost my hobby and then kind of a passion and second income and will continue to stay with me for next 9 years? This Blog has completed its 9 years today and I feel very happy letting the world know that it is the reason of why I find myself peaceful, content and full of life most of the times. Writing always serves as a stress buster to me and irrespective of having such a stressful job profile, if I ever find myself in peace, it is because I have met with myself and my inner self through this blog by either writing a new post or reading one of the old posts written by me years back. It helps me understand who I actually am and how I have evolved as a better human being in all these years.

Blogging has become a very casual term these days where anyone starts writing and describes it as if they are sending SMSes to one of their friends. Blogging has never been just another thing for me. Throughout the day, there are many moments where I only think about how to take my blog up to the next level and keep planning about it. Every time I am about to post a personal stuff out here, I give my whole existence to this medium and leave nothing behind up to myself. My friends who know me often ask me how do I not feel fearful in writing about some really personal experiences here without feeling any kind of anxiety or nervousness about it. I always believe that anyone who drops by is actually interested in reading and knowing me and wants to get into the interaction mode rather than wasting time on an ordinary person like me.

Each time, I review a book or a movie, my intentions are to ensure that my readers and friends who read my stuffs regularly get to know which are the good things they should invest their time in rather than ending up reading or watching something that is of no use to them as an audience. People say that I review to increase my Blog counts but tell me really, what will I get by doing this? Appreciation of some three to four people about the count of my blog posts? Right? Nothing beyond this! I write only when I feel like writing and that is why I do not write as regularly as before because now I do not like writing just for the sake of being there on the portal but ensure that each post should have a meaning and message otherwise it’s better being away from the medium. No one should ever take their readers casually because it really takes time to follow some one person and continuing with his work for a long time.

Nine years have passed with almost 1700 Blog Posts here with several other articles and reviews on other platforms and it’s exciting how I have been able to write so much irrespective of many hurdles that came in between. This year I changed the domain name from “bloggerabhilash.info” to “WritingBuddha.com”. This was done with full awareness to ensure that the blog reaches to most of the people out there because having my name in the domain was restricting it to the users who actually knew me personally or were following the blog from a long time back. Since the change of domain name, there are new people who are joining this space on daily basis and I have started getting some messages from the new people which delights me more than anything else.

I am pretty sure that this Blog will stay here until and unless my heart is beating. I do not find my survival without the blog playing a huge part in my life. It has become the spiritual connection not only in terms of the medium but with all those people who connect with me through my blogs. They understand me so well and in return, I get to know them and their stories which widens my perspective towards life. What more could you ask from anything if it is already giving you new relationships in life? I thank everyone who have stayed by since last 9 years and also to each one of you who read it whenever your busy schedule allows you. Special thanks to people who message and mail me personally after reading any Blog Post.

Thanks and my love to each one of you!

Abhilash Ruhela!!!

Review: Mukkabaaz: One of the best movies of our time! ***½

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Anurag Kashyap is one director who when gets into his real and original form without experimenting much with his forte brings such a product in market than no other director or filmmaker in India can even imagine of. The Wasseypur series has been hit for the same reason that no one could ever accept that such a movie can be ever made by an Indian director. But Anurag Kashyap did it with almost each of his movies irrespective of their result at Box office. His latest movie, Mukkabaaz, featuring Vineet Singh, is another magical gem in his kitty. If ever Kashyap will be talked of in future, this movie will surely be named among his top five best works. That’s how beautiful and solid this movie is!

Anurag Kashyap’s movies always have a fact about society which is unavoidable and something which is killing the fabrics of society gradually but no one is able to kill it because of its powerful spread among the people already. He has not only talked about the corruption that takes place in the regional and small boards of selectors where they prefer their own favorites based on casteism and personal relationships rather than on merituous basis, but also talks about casteism in such a significant way that you, as an audience, will be surprised with the execution. The dialogues in the movie are super powerful and you will love each one of them and want the movie to continue forever.

The clash scenes between the protagonist and the villain played by Jimmy Shergill are so apt and hard-hitting that you will always remember them even if you forget the movie by mistake. Haha! There are few all and all funny scenes which will force you to laugh out loud. The climax is also closed wonderfully and you will take the essence of the movie along with you. The songs and background music have played a prominent part in the movie without which the movie would not have been that special as it has been.

Talking about the performances, this will end up being Vineet Singh’s one of the best performances of his career. Jimmy Shergill once again plays villain perfectly and entertains with his performance. Zoya Hussain playing the love interest of Vineet Singh has also given wonderful performance as a dumb character who cannot speak. Overall, everyone playing even the smallest part in the movie have contributed immensely. I give this 3.5 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Hungry Gods by Richa Lakhera (Book Review: 3.25*/5) !!!

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By reading the title of the book and seeing the dangerous cover page, I had never expected that I would pick the book - “Hungry Gods” up to read it and that too on a weekend on a lighter note. The authoress, Richa Lakhera, has written this book in a thriller genre based on the following elements which are also the part of book’s tagline- Drugs, Sex Cults, A horrific crime and an unthinkable revenge. The book is based on the same concept of revenge of a rape but the way it has been handled with the authoress is what makes the book different than all the books written on the cliche topic.

The language used by the authoress is quite like Western writers which might make it difficult for Indian authors’ fans to read and comprehend the sentences. The book is written in first voice and third voice periodically which makes the narration of the book interesting for the readers. The characters are very well drafted and the way each one of them is dark in their very own way gives the story a very great premise. Right from the cops to the actor to the people involved with the drug company to the people associated with the actor, everyone’s character is very well written and the way story takes their character forward is another magical X-factor of this book.

I just felt that the timeline of the story becomes very confusing due to each chapter talking from point of view of a certain character most of the times. The pre-climax and the climax of the book is nicely closed which gives the book a perfect ending. Overall, this book is an average thriller written in a very good language and in a very different manner irrespective of having a very regular plot. I give this book 3.25* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Winning Like Sourav: Think & Succeed Like Ganguly by Abhirup Bhattacharya (Book Review: 4*/5) !!!

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The one thing I like about any publishing company is its commitment towards innovating a concept and then holding it for a long time. It needs a strong temperament to keep a concept alive and transform it into a phenomena. Rupa Publication is doing the same with the short books it keep releasing almost every month based on a Sports Superstar and help us understand their traits and qualities on adopting which we can also excel in our respective fields. The latest that I read in this collection is the book based on none other than Sourav Ganguly named “Winning Like Sourav: Think & Succeed Like Ganguly” written by Abhirup Bhattacharya who also wrote the book on Virat Kohli in the same series.

Sourav Ganguly has been one of the most appreciated Cricketers in India and across the world irrespective of the numerous controversies he has been involved in. His determination and never-give-up attitude has made him reach the zenith that he is at. He still does not sit quietly irrespective of retiring a long while ago and is completely engrossed in commentary, one of the Cricket Boards, hosts two reality shows in Bengali language etc. Sourav Ganguly is known for his captaincy tactics which transformed the Team India such that it started winning overseas matches where they couldn’t stand still in the past. Abhirup Bhattacharya has very simply explained how he has been able to contribute not only as a batsman or Captain of Team India, but as an individual from whom one can take management and life lessons.

The book consists of different chapters which are basically the qualities that Ganguly possesses such as Making of Brand Sourav, leadership, mental strength, quick learning, risk taking abilities, grooming future leaders, power of his aggression etc. The best part is how author has described about his sacrificial attitude where he always gave away his power just to make sure that another youngster in the team gets opportunity. The way his leadership skills are discussed gives beautiful insight. All the things that Ganguly did even with aggression is conveyed with a sight that you and me had never acknowledged and always saw it with negative attitude. Overall, the book is a good motivation. I give it 4* out of 5 for its genre.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Eleven Gods And A Billion Indians by Boria Majumdar (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

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If you talk about Indians, anything that keeps everyone united are Cricket, Politics and Bollywood. And when it comes to Cricket, there is nothing that fascinates us anymore. Being a reader and a fan of Cricket, whenever I get to know that there’s a new book released on Cricket, I cannot stop myself in assuring that I get to read the book somehow. Last weekend I got my hands upon the book named “Eleven Gods And A Billion Indians” written by none other than the Cricket Expert and Scholar, Boria Majumdar, who is also known for assisting Sachin Tendulkar in writing his autobiography.

The tagline of the book says “The On and Off the field story of Cricket in India and Beyond”. Writing a book about the on-field happening is easy if you pick only the performances to discuss but it becomes very difficult and controversial when you decide to speak truth about few controversies that happened on the field. More over that, very few authors have enough knowledge to speak about the off-field events and those who know does not want to disclose the secrets behind the game and board that handled the game. Boria Majumdar has showed enough character in writing a book on such a topic and the way he has executed it is a level above all the other books written in such genre on specifically, Cricket.

The book starts with the most controversial subject on match-fixing and since then it is unstoppable as the author discusses on almost everything that has been a big question to us in all these years of our devotion such as how Indians started performing overseas, the controversy of Greg Chappell-Ganguly, Harbhajan-Symonds, the most recent one- Virat Kohli-Anil Kumble etc. Author then also discusses how Cricket earned initially when the television sets had come in India and how it has transformed itself into a mega-event where 20,000 crores are being shelved out for the five years of IPL rights. The BCCI and its stand on various issues are discussed so openly that I doubt anyone else would have spoken about this board so directly and specifically with directly taking names. The India’s win of both- 1983 and 2011 is also covered descriptively which will make you feel as if you are watching the match live.

The Part Four of the book discusses Ranji trophy specifically and the initial days of Cricket craze in our country. The Part Five is all about Virat Kohli and the current set of Cricketers and what we are looking ahead through them for this sports and the expectations that they have on their shoulders to fulfill. The Women Cricket Team is also discussed in the last chapter making it sure that they are also the future of Cricket in India considering their performance in the last World Cup where they reached Finale and ended up being Runner-Up. Sachin Tendulkar’s career is also discussed along with his last Test match which again makes you shed tears.

Reading this book, I was surprised and shocked to read various truth about the sport and wanted to hug Mr. Majumdar for writing such a strong book and having debateful takes on each important event that has happened in the world of Indian Cricket. He has never been biased towards any party throughout the book and I want to specifically point out the chapter on Kohli-Kumble saga where he has spoken very neutrally and made it clear that it’s not only the current aggressive players like Virat Kohli who are always wrong but it can be legends like Anil Kumble too. No inner person working with Cricket could have written about such detailings about big names so honestly. This book will always be named in one of the top books on Cricket. Kudos to Boria Majumdar. I give this book 4.25* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Review: Sanju: A Complete Entertainer with Ranbir's effortless performance! ****

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Who does not wait for years to watch a Rajkumar Hirani film? I am one of his devoted followers and see each of his movies multiple times whenever I find them being telecast on the television. The only movie I was least excited to watch has been his latest release “Sanju” because I was sure of its biased take on Sanjay Dutt’s life considering that they have been on good terms in their personal and professional lives. In its first two weeks of release itself, the movie has earned 300 crores in Indian market itself. Why the hell will anyone need a review now but still I will do to add my blog count. Haha!

The movie talks descriptively about the life of Sanjay Dutt getting into details on two of the important aspects of his life- his drug addiction and his case of keeping arms at his residence during Mumbai bomb blasts. Rather than making the whole movie as a very dark stuff which any other director would have done, Hirani keeps it mostly on a lighter note irrespective of story having numerous events which had darker side of truths. Only Hirani could have moulded the story in this manner. The dialogues are entertaining right from the start and like every Hirani movie, there are some words or sentences you will take with yourself after watching the movie. E.g. ghapaghapp. Haha!

The movie manages to make you laugh out loud and also succeeds in making you drop tears in the scenes when Sanju speaks whatever he had written for his father or when he does not get chance to give awards to his father or when his friend comes to know about the innocence of Sanju etc. Still, I would say that irrespective of being one of the well-made movies in Hindi film industry, this is Hirani’s worst made movie till date.

Talking about the performances, Ranbir Kapoor has proven once again why he could be termed as a Superstar finally. He not only looks like Dutt but has also personified himself and his body language completely like him. In all the age of Sanju right from his teenage to the old age, he looks like him and even talks like him. An Incredible effort from his end. Vicky Kaushal is another actor who has stood out as Sanju’s best friend in the movie. Dia Mirza is fine as Manyata Dutt. Jim Sarbh has also played his part of a villain nicely. Sonam Kapoor looks and acts adorably. Overall, all the performers have played their parts perfect because of which the movie turns out to be hilarious and worth watching.

Sanju definitely has repeat value and that’s the reason why it is ending up beating all the records in the market. I also believe like many that the facts about Sanjay Dutt’s life has been distorted but I have focused my review basically on how the movie is rather than debating on Fact vs Fiction. I give this movie 4* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Review: Blackmail: An entertaining roller-coaster ride!!! ***½

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When you go out to watch movies of few actors, you know that you will at least get to watch an average movie if not a very good attempt. Irrfan Khan is one such actor. I remember seeing the trailer of Blackmail and was fully aware that this movie is going to be one roller-coaster ride in its own skin. Now that I have watched the movie, I can say that the movie is amazing and is certainly something that keeps you glued to the screen to know the next move of the protagonist and others supporting his character. In spite of knowing the certain wrong things that he has been doing to take revenge from his wife, you still pray when you find police around him and want police to leave the screen frame as soon as possible. That’s the amazement Backmail brings with itself.

Blackmail is story of a man who finds his wife cheating with him by sleeping with another man in his absence. He does not have guts to confront her so he takes the decision of blackmailing her boyfriend. And this is how the chain reaction of Blackmail begins. But the screenplay takes the first half to begin this game until which the pace is very slow and the movie looks average. It is only in the second half that Blackmail starts proving its mettle and uniqueness. The poker face that Irrfan keeps throughout the movie and keeps on playing his tactics is what makes this movie funny. The dark comedy implemented by Abhinav Deo is another X-factor for which Blackmail will always be listed in the Top 10 movies in the genre. The climax is also very well handled and gives a good ending to the story of a broken husband.

Talking about the performances, I have already spoken a lot about Irrfan above so no need to talk about his excellence anymore. Arunodaya Singh has given the best performance of his life and he also makes you laugh like a mad in many of the scenes. His scenes with Divya Dutta are amazing. Kirti Kulhari is also fine in her performance. Rest of the supporting roles are also good in their respective parts. The background music and scores also plays a big part in making the whole blackmailing process look more cool and classy. Overall, a very good movie and I give it 3.5* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Review: 102 Not Out: A feel-good movie!! ***½

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I still remember when I had seen the trailer of Oh My God years back, I was unsure that the movie will impress me or anyone for that matter. The film was made purely to spread the message the makers believed in rather than proving that they are providing us the another level of cinematic experience. The director, Umesh Shukla, has repeated the similar performance in his latest creation, “102 Not Out” starring none other than the superstars of the yesteryears, Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor. The film is made with pure heart and it reflects in each and every scene and each and every dialogue.

Director has not tried to do something pathbreaking with the movie but kept everything very old-school and made a simple movie of not even 2 hours and managed to provide a light entertainment to the audience. Though I believe that much could have been done with the subject selected for the movie but still director has managed to make you leave theater with smile and feeling of pleasantness. The story is based in Mumbai but most of the times, the characters are walled inside their bungalow itself which leaves the movie to shine only on the basis of the actors’ performances. The best part is that actors have not disappointed the movie.

Talking about the performances, Amitabh Bachchan playing role of a 102 years old father who is full of life and believes age to be just a number, is pitch perfect and outshines in each and every scene. The Gujarati accent though is not fully justified by him and few dialogues are not understandable because of the same reason but still Bachchan’s performance is flawless. Rishi Kapoor playing 75 years old son also gets full marks. The attitude of grumpiness that he needs to keep throughout the movie is very well performed by him and he is also able to make audiences laugh when he challenges his father’s philosophies in few scenes. The performance given by both the actors in the emotional scenes are wonderful and something you will take with you while leaving cinema hall. Jimit Trivedi has also marked his presence in the movie with his comic timing and supporting performance.

Overall, 102 Not Out impresses. The climax makes you feel good and sad, both at the same time, and this tells about the kind of story the movie talks of. I give the movie 3.5 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Fearless In Opposition by P. Chidambaram (Book Review: 2*/5) !!!

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As far as I memory works, I have never read a book written by any active politician. And I believe this has been my best decision ever after reading P. Chidambaram’s “Fearless In Opposition”. The book also has the tagline which says “Power and Accountability”. I had a belief that a politician decides to write a book only when he takes a conscious decision of speaking truth irrespective of either it’s in his favor or not. But after reading Chidambaram’s version of how the current NDA government is working and operating the nation, it seems as if our country is only doing worst each and every hour and there’s nothing good or encouraging happening. This is such a one-sided and disappointing book that you will never want to vote such a discouraging party again in power which has nothing good to say about the current government.

Chidambaram has discussed different sectors and topics such as Nation and Nationalism where he talks about caste discrimination, dalit rights, how current government tags people as anti-nationalist as per their criterions; how this government is disconnected from people where he talks again about Dalit righ, fake encounters in the Ishrat Jahan case etc.; he also talks on the topic of Jammu and Kashmir widely in 6 articles; misgovernance, failures of policies, the state of the economy, union budget of 2016-17, foreign policy and finally in the last section about demonetisation.

This book is a collection of all the columns and articles written by Chidambaram in the date range around 2016. Chidambaram has given statistics and graphs wherever he managed to show that his party did well against the current party but wherever there was a scope of the current government doing well than them, he just passed generic statements again showing the current government in the bad light. And this is continuously being done throughout the book and in each column. Whenever there is growth in percentage in any performance against his own government, he has not shied away from terming the growth as “only” or “just”. Trust me, after completing this book, you will feel as if you are living in the worst country possible. He has not even appreciated the government for terrorist attack control if not for anything but mentioned loopholes even there. If you are anti-BJP government and familiar with economic terminologies, go for it. I give this book only 2 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!

Winning Like Saina by Jatin Gupta (Book Review: 4.25*/5)

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Cricket has always charmed the Indian sports' fans which has irked the ardent sports lover who believed that with the support of Indian fans, the Indian players playing other sports than Cricket can also perform equally or better than our Cricket team. But Cricket never allowed the Indians to concentrate on any other sports. Such has been the unawareness that multiple biopics are being made on previous and even current generation's players to help people know about the contribution made by Indian athletes. One such player who performed very well in a sport other than Cricket is Saina Nehwal. Badminton has got famous in India only after the feats she started achieving on International level. It is because of her that many Indian supporters switch on their television sets and post on Social media whenever there is a match of P V Sindhu or Srikanth Kidambi. 

I am just done reading the book written by Jatin Gupta on Saina Nehwal's routine and work culture named "Winning Like Saina" which also has the tagline, "Think & Succeed like Nehwal". The author has very well structured this book in as less as 121 pages and ensured that you get enough motivated with the way Saina Nehwal reached from nowhere to World No. 1 in International rankings. Author has divided the chapters as per each of her traits which can be followed by the professionals, management students and generally, by everyone. It is not easy to write a book on a sportsperson without following the timeline yet managing to cover all the major aspects of his/her career. Jatin has been able to do the same with this book.

The good part about the book is that rather than talking and discussing only about Saina Nehwal, author has not shied away from giving examples of other prominent and successful personalities. In this series of Rupa publication where a sportsman is picked up and using his/her reference, readers are told about how they can also win like them, Saina Nehwal is treated as a very great example in her book as there are encouraging quotes from her family members, coaches, her relationship is explained very vastly with her coaches who have been a great part in her success etc. Overall, this is a power-packed book for inspiration. I give this one 4.25* out of 5. 



Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

In a Cult of Their Own: Bollywood Beyond Box Office by Amborish Roychoudhury (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

1664th BLOG POST -->>

There are few movies that are always talked of even if they have been one of the biggest duds of their time and then there are movies which are actually good in terms of cinema and scripts but could not become successful because of either being ahead of times or releasing with no promotion or inappropriate timing. Such movies are known as “cult” and being discussed among movie buffs. Similarly, there are few books which are of the same kind but definitely this book named “In a cult of their own: Bollywood beyond box office” written by Amborish Roychoudhury is not in the same category but is actually one of the most unique books I have ever read. There are many books based on Bollywood which speaks about certain movies, songs or factors in Bollywood chapterwise but they bore the readers like hell making them leave it in between. But this book is definitely one of the best written books on Bollywood.

Amborish has picked up few movies of his choice from all the time range and discussed why there are being considered cult and what prominence or uselessness each of these movies possessed. Haha! Amborish’s style of describing the worst and illogical scenes of the movies is what makes this book interesting, humorous, laughable, funny and your favorite. The research work gone in knowing the whole background under which the movie was planned to how the casting was done and what challenges did the directors and makers face is completely visible in all the chapters. Author has ensured that the readers should know the mindset of the makers while they were filming these movies so that it becomes easier to understand how and why these movies got made the way they are.

The interviews taken by the author with few prominent personalities being involved in the movies discussed in the book are nicely presented in quotes between the chapters which gives you great insight about movie-making and the challenges that these creative people face in terms of schedule, star cast, making, deadlines, dates etc. My personal favorite chapters are on the following movies: - Mera Naam Joker, Silsila, Andaz Apna Apna, Gunda, RGV ki Aag and Deshdrohi. If you want to enjoy light humor and know the secrets behind these cults, read this book immediately. I give this one 4.25* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Touch The Sky by Rashmi Bansal (Book Review: 3.75*/5) !!!

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Rashmi Bansal is one author whom I have followed devotedly in the last decade. She knows exactly what it needs to motivate people through words and she has been doing this continuously. The best part about the authoress is that she does not repeat herself with the same kind of stories in each book but tries to share different dimensions of human spirit every time she comes with a new book. This time I have read one of her latest books named “Touch The Sky” which is about different women in India who did not get demotivated and depressed with what people said to and about them but did something which became an example for all the other ladies around them to follow and become a leader.

In a country like India where women have been dominated since thousand of years, it’s very necessary to uplift them with such motivating stories where common and next-door women and girls have done something which is termed as impossible for the girls in our country. Rashmi Bansal ensures that she shares such unique stories and present them in her own way with a wonderful way of narration which makes even the non-fictional attempt sound like fiction. The stories has been divided into the three segments: Ziddi, Besharam and Bindaas. The Ziddi section discusses how the women/girls are adamant about getting things done what they have perceived in their mind. The Besharam section discusses about the girls doing things which are considered as taboo in the society and did not shy away with what society thought of them. And the last section, Bindaas discusses about simple real stories where the women did things freely without thinking about what is right or wrong, they just did what they thought of doing.

Rashmi Bansal has given quite Indian touch to all the stories to make it sound like something happening just around you. Talking about the drawbacks of the book I felt that Rashmi did not elaborate the whole process of transformation of these stories in her trademark style but kept it very short and simple. The stories seem like newspaper articles as they are finished as soon as they start. There is too much usage of local languages too with no translation in English. Except that this book is very inspiring and motivational which should be read by girls who are low in confidence and belief. I give this book 3.75* out of 5. This is a light read which can be finished in a single sitting or while traveling.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Shunya: A Novel by Sri M (Book Review: 2.5*/5) !!!

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I am just done reading another book based on spirituality but this time in form of a fictional attempt by renowned guru, Sri M named “Shunya”. This is the first novel written by the author even when he claims to have written many before this one but never got guts to send it to publishers. Shunya is a very intense book which talks about the power of being in a zone which is full of nothingness and is almost like the origin of your creation. Shunya is the name of a character in the book who is also the protagonist of the story. It sounds very weird initially how Shunya practices different theories of his but later on by the 2^nd half of the book, you understand his character and style of treating and spreading positivism around.

The writing style of the author is intriguing and keeps the readers hooked with the story. The premises are very unnatural and thus it takes time to get comfortable with the main character as some of his behaviour is actually objectional but yet it brings silence and peace in the life of the stressed human being. The characters are very well handled by the author either Sadasivan, Thambi, Diana or Bhavani. Each one of them have their distinct background and present.

The base of the protagonist being described in a Toddy shop and the way he drinks and does crazy things is a great read. Also, t he way 2^nd half of the story is handled makes you think a lot of things about the conditions of different characters. The pre-climax and climax are also okay. Talking about the drawbacks:- The spiritual stuff is kept very simple and does not take you deep into the philosophy. Also, a book of this nature should leave a very big message and impact behind but there is nothing that you will take away with this book except the weirdness of the protagonist character. I will give this book just 2.5* out of 5 for being an average story with no impact at all on the readers.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

My Feathered Friends & the Book of Poems-Part 1 by Sunil Bhatia (Book Review: 3.5*/5) !!!

1661st BLOG POST -->>

 I remember reading a book written by the author, Ratnadip Acharya, which had deer as its protagonist. I was very sceptical about the book as it had no mention of human being throughout the movie and was based only on deer. But the kind of message and energy that the book shared through its story is incredible and those messages are still with me which shows me the path whenever I get stuck somewhere in life. On the similar lines, I read another book today written by the author, Sunil Bhatia, named “My Feathered Friends & The Book of Poems – Part 1”. The book has human being as protagonist but his friends are in form of different bird species who help him in different juncture of his life.

In today’s time, there are several self-help and motivation book releasing as almost every second person considers himself as a motivational speaker. Most of these self-help books are just replica of many bestselling books in the same genre and hence reading such books doesn’t interest anymore. But the path taken by Sunil Bhatia is the unique one and which is needed to differentiate the book from all the other books in the shelf. The different species of birds are introduced in each chapter and the way they help the protagonist on the issues that are also relevant to us and everyone in our daily basis gives quite an insight. It is good that author has not spoon-fed everything and left many things for readers to imagine and relate with their lives.

Talking about the 2^nd part of the book which consists of several poems, I must say that showing both sides of him- an insightful author and a deep poet, it’s great to know both the versions of the author. The poems are also deep in their context and explore the topic in which they are written nicely. The poems are also divided in different topics such as mystical, love, fantasy, dark, spiritual, inspirational, futuristic etc. The poems are also not tried to be written in a rhythmic flow but says whatever it wants to say in small stanzas kind of format. Overall, this book tries to answer or touch that nerve in your body with which you always converse to get as much answers as possible about your life and situations. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5 for being unique.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

The Last Attractor Of Chaos by Abhinav Singh (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

1660th BLOG POST -->>

There are rarely any good thriller genre authors in India who can surprise you with their books. Even if there are few, they keep on writing stories based on the same background which makes their book and topics predictive after some time. But every time I read a good thrilling novel, I want to go, hold the author’s hand and make him write more and more. I have completed reading another great thriller by the debutante, Abhinav Singh, named “The Last Attractor of Chaos”. And let me frankly give you a statement which will sum up the whole review and make you decide whether to read this book or not: This book definitely does not look as If written by a complete debutante. Yes! It is that good and almost perfect.

Abhinav Singh’s writing style is exactly how a thriller author should write. Once you start reading the book, you will keep on wanting to turn the page and read what happens next and will not stop until the whole story is not completed. The only problem here is that in the end you realize another part of this book will actually conclude the story and this is still not the end. This is what I believe is cheating on the part of publishers that they never write on the cover page itself that the book is Part 1 of the series indicating that this is not a complete book itself. Anyway, the way author has blended several different physical and technical elements in this thriller to make it more exciting is commendable as trying anything as such is very risky considering if Indian readers will like it or not but the way he has handled the whole mixture of theories is incredible and outstanding work.

The author’s knowledge and research work are totally evident from the way he has gone into depth in justifying the theories through his story. There are several moments in the book which will give you goosebumps for sure. The characterization is very powerful and the way author keeps on switching between past and present is another great deal to crack for anyone writing such a complex story with different timelines. Still, I have a complaint that author should have tried switching timelines more frequently which could have made the story and narration more powerful rather than moving into a timeline and then staying there for an extremely long time. The pre-climax and climax of the book is also handled quite brilliantly which never lets you leave you seat and keep on reading till the last page. Abhinav Singh is surely here to stay for long and I wish his 2^nd book is better than this one as I am sure he will himself have to face lot of challenge in beating his own standard. I give this book 4.25 star out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

 

The Essence of Bhagwad Gita by Atul Sehgal (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

1659th BLOG POST -->>

I have been an ardent follower of Bhagawad Gita since a long time after knowing that it contains answer of all the questions that a human mind can think of. I had read Gita for the first time when I was just 22 years old and could not understand a single word because I was not enough mature to comprehend the logic of division among body, mind, soul and energy. But after that, I started going through the simplified versions of Gita to understand the basis of human existence and I must tell you, it added a lot of value in my life which led me towards my spiritual journey. The latest book that I have read in the same genre is “The Essence of Bhagwad Gita” written by Atul Sehgal. The best part about this book is that author has picked up only 70 verses from original Gita which are enough for a human being to understand the basis of the Holy book and perform his duties morally.

Each verse is explained in a new chapter dedicatedly which makes it easy for the reader to go through chapters as per his interest and read the book in bits on daily basis. The book has helped me to understand many perspective and read in between lines to understand the verses in depth. Each chapter first mentions the verse it is about to discuss and also provides its direct translation in English. The best part about the book is that it not only explains the concept but also helps with example about how it can be applied too. The explanations are provided in very simple language which can be read and grasped even by teenagers and college going students. Rather than discussing the tales of Mahabharata, author has only talked about the conceptual theories and its respective applications in human life rather than going through the whole detailed version of the verse. This also helps in keeping the book short with only 235 pages.

Talking about the drawbacks of the book, I believe that some concepts are not very well explained and left with utilization of few Sanskrit words etc. assuming that the reader must be knowing at least this much part of the theory. Except this one drawback, there is nothing that this book does not have to not be there in your favorite rack of the bookshelf. I give this book 4.25* out of 5. Please do read it if you want to begin knowing about the concept Bhagwad Gita introduces.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!