Vikram's World

We all look forward to a great film which we are attracted to judging by its poster’s appeal. But in the end, it is all up to us as to what we think of the film depending on how good we find it for even the most popular and well-received films may not be liked by us. When another film comes out following the last one we have seen, we look forward to the next film more than the last one. Yet we tend to compare them and most of the time it is not how similar they are but more how one is better than the other. We may like the film that came before the one we see or vice versa and this sometimes creates what is known as ‘film rivalry’ That has certainly happened in my case. In the year 2005, I saw two films, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Into the Blue, both of which are based on popular stories; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the second film to be based on a book of the same name by Roald Dahl while Into the Blue is a remake of a film called ‘The Deep’ which is in tu...

Jack London’s White Fang, a novel about a wild wolfdog who becomes domesticated and mistreated without affection by each master until his last (who teaches him the meaning of love) examines the violent world of animals and how they view the world of man. The book also teaches us about the meaning of morality and redemption as well as how to love our own dogs. The novel has been adapted into a movie numerous times including ones by Anime and Disney in 1982 and 1991 respectively. While the former film is faithful to London’s work (although varying to some degree), the latter film while trying to follow London’s work has taken some liberties in making it so for the most part while following the film’s storyline has differentiated in most part from London’s book. This follows how the Disney film (unlike the almost completely accurate Anime film) is different from the book written by London -        The story is told more from the point of view of Jack Con...

There’s Elephants marching one by one Hurrah! Hurrah! There’s Elephants marching one by one Hurrah! Hurrah! There’s Elephants marching one by one and a little calf stops to suck his trunk and they all go marching round and around to fight the poaching way Thump, Thump, Thump There’s Elephants marching two by two Hurrah! Hurrah! There’s Elephants marching two by two Hurrah! Hurrah! There’s Elephants marching two by two and a little calf stops to play with a gnu and they all go marching round and around to fight the poaching way Thump, Thump, Thump There’s Elephants marching three by three Hurrah! Hurrah! There’s Elephants marching three by three Hurrah! Hurrah! There’s Elephants marching three by three and a little calf stops to push down a tree and they all go marching round and around to fight the poaching way Thump, Thump, Thump There’s Elephants marching four by four Hurrah! Hurrah! There’s Elephants marching four by four Hurrah! Hurrah! There’s Elep...

The Sun began to set low over the horizon. Its last remaining rays made the sand look reddish-brown. Under a leafless tree knelt a magnificent black panther. His lair was a cave that was below the tree. He roared, seeing dusk had arrived, for it was about time for his evening activities which he would still carry on at night. He set off to roam the area around the tree. A few miles away, in a village, some men were drawing water from a well. The village dogs were given fresh meat to eat. When the meat had been eaten, the dogs chewed on the bones. More men came to help the men drawing water from the well and even some women came as well while their children were at play. Suddenly, one of the village’s warriors seized a woman by her arm and dragged her away to his companions. The men who were dotted in paint spots from head to toe took her to the leafless tree and tied her up to it. Then they left her there and went away. Now amongst the warriors was a wise mystic dressed in robes....

It has been exactly a month since I lost my Grandfather, Mohan Wagh who succumbed to his battle against a stroke that consumed him late last year. I cannot believe he is gone and I am going to miss him. Trips to Mumbai, India where he and my grandmother live will not be the same for any one of us without him. Knowing my grandfather though, he would want me to carry on with life and continue to happily live it and that is what has inspired me to want to create some of the best memories I have ever had with him. I am beginning from what I can clearly remember more so than between the ages of 1 and 4 since the ones after those age gaps are clearer although I have chosen to leave some years out because they do not really count the way the mentioned ones do. This is how I always wish to remember and think of my grandfather who I lovingly called ‘Azoba’ 1995 When I was a little boy, the first Disney film I ever saw (twice) was The Lion King during a visit to Bombay in 19...