My Mind is My Mind.. None of Mind's Mind! Mind You!

1718th BLOG POST -->>

Clutter... That is what our mind is if we have not unlocked the limitlessness of the human potential, right? Most of our time goes just like that where we are not aware of what we were thinking and for how long. There might be 100 things going in front of you or your hands must be itself moving and doing some task but once you break out of your random thoughts do you realize that you were not with yourself. What a disability this is, isn’t it? We are the best made living being on this planet and still we find ourselves lost almost once in every hour that we pass through the day. And this I am talking when we are not in stressful condition but in the state of calmness. You and I are aware of what happens to us when a stressful situation arrives. We lose our patience and mind for arriving at a conclusion in the time which is far more than what it could have actually taken. But we never realize because we always live in a false assumption that whatever we are doing as per our mind’s capability is the best. We never think that our mind is capable of better things, but we are not unleashing it fully.

Everyone should try to come out of the shackles that keeps us in bondage for years. And most of this sits in our mind as that’s the only part of the body which we do not keep in our control but unfortunately, stay comfortably in its control. I am not saying that mind always works against our potentials, but it is the most casual guy in this world which does not put any effort until and unless you push it to work for you. Have you seen yourself concentrating fully when someone asks you something which you know you would be able to answer by extracting the answer from your database by closing your eyes, pressing your forehead with your thumb and index finger? Yes? Yes! That means somewhere you know that you can achieve the power over mind and make it work fully by applying your whole concentration over it and pressurize it to give you the results within specified time as needed by you.

It is just this realization that mind has all the answers and I do not know the language that is needed to impress mind and bring it in my control that can bring the whole change. We always underestimate ourselves and never get into a task or goal considering that it is not of our type or claiming that it is out of our reach. It is only when we decide completely that by hook or by crook, I have to learn the art and deliver results through my performances using the science of that art that we start achieving the so-called impossibilities of our life. That’s the reason why many overweight people get a perfect athletic body, few dumb students end up creating something unique, many non-performers in the job end up winning star-performer awards etc.

It is always our mind that speaks to us and proves that we are not capable of some activities. Only when we control our mind and tell it that this is in my reach that we can achieve it. When you see a difficult subject as a student, the first impression that your mind gives you is that you will fail in it. But the moment you conquer it with full dedication and perseverance that I’ll pass this subject that you even end up scoring 1^st class marks in that subject. Similarly, in job, when you see new tools used by someone else in a new workplace that your mind starts telling you that your days are very less in this organization as you are not capable of all this happening around you. It is only after some days when you have seen the process around you that you tell your mind this is in my reach and has nothing tough that cannot be learned.

This is how the creation of aeroplanes, computers, electronic inventions, medical sciences etc. has been possible in this world where a person conquered his mind and told it to stop figuring things for him and hear what he is telling about his potential. But to do this, you do not have to work against mind but work with it, for it and on it. You have to not challenge your mind and kill it but very politely, rub it with your hands, pamper it and convey that you are special for me and I need you in my mission so please be and stay with me in the thoughtful times and think whatever I want to think with you rather than thinking something which is extremely not related to our priorities. And this companionship with mind comes after you start observing how your mind thinks and when and what it thinks. When you are able to figure out its behaviour is when you are also able to figure out how to control your mind and make it your partner in crime rather than allowing it to do criminal stuffs with you.

Breathing slowly and deeply with concentration on the breathing process brings you closer to your mind. Talking less and saving energy and then utilizing the same on the work that brings you closer in achieving your mission is when you empower the mind. Keeping your eyes closed and looking within you without letting your focus go on what is happening outside of your body is what makes mind understand that you are able to have conversation with it rather than always getting distracted with external factors. Hence, start winning freedom from the bonds of existence by perseverance, self-exertion and insight with silence and concentration. Your mind can be your best friend and biggest enemy- both. It’s upon you how you want it to work for you.

So, what have you decided about how are you going to work with your mind? Please do let me know..

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Soundless Celebration & Silent Joy!!!

1717th BLOG POST -->>

Disclaimer: This post is only for introverts. Extroverts might find this post as a different planet altogether.

Since childhood I have seen people shouting and screaming in celebrations or at least being very expressive when it came to letting people know about how happy they are with the small or big achievement that they just witnessed and experienced. I am not saying that it’s bad to express your happiness and excitement, but I have never been able to. It maybe the fear of losing in the very next moment. The way we see in a Cricket match where the team almost celebrates a wicket and later comes to know after third umpire’s decision that the batsman is safe. What meaning does such short-lived celebrations have? Simply nothing. It’s void. It becomes a sinking and embarrassing feeling later. I have known people not coming out in public because of the situations where they had already celebrated something which later turned into failure and now they just do not want to meet people as they don’t know how to handle the reality in public now. Therefore, I have always preferred soundless celebrations and silent joy.

I like watching others celebrate their success emotionally high but when it comes to me I prefer being silent and yet being celebratory and ecstatic all within me. I have always tried watching the moment when the batsman reaches their century in expectation of watching some high-blood celebrations on the field. I love such people because I just can’t jump and show the excitement myself. Even if you will come tomorrow and tell me that I have become the most intellectual, famous and richest person of the world, I might not shout and scream in joy and go nuts. I would silently grasp the truth and dance in my mind. For me, the imaginations would be the only thing that would be running in my head and in front of my eyes where I would be hanging on the clouds and watching the world below me move slowly. My whole celebration happens in such an order that only I would know that I have achieved another milestone whereas people around me might keep thinking if I have lost a game. People are unable to understand why Dhoni never celebrates, I think I know the reason as I believe we are made of the same ingredients when it comes to celebrating success and achievements.

When we mature and find ourselves among people who are just wanting to kill us as soon as we achieve something against them, we automatically become little conservative in our expressions. I see it in my office the soundless celebrations whenever a developer gives a bugless release, whenever a QA finds an issue which no one has been able to, whenever a team member is able to bring onto the table something which benefits all and everyone appreciates the contribution. Here, people are doubtful if others would join their celebration and hence they silently celebrate it on their desk, but their shining face, sparkling eyes and passionate body language says it all. Whenever as an Analyst, I solve a team’s query by myself or handle client in a manner that even I wasn’t sure about, it’s a small success but there’s a celebration. In these cases, everyone knows that it is a miniscule thing to even think twice about for others but in their mind and soul, they know that this small achievement is what is going to accumulate with other such achievements and provide them success after years. Hence, such small achievements become considerable for that soul if not for others, but a silent celebration is all this life deserves in such moment.

Hence, I would ask all of you in case you do not like expressing much, celebrate, but celebrate within the limitations of your body without jumping and crushing others around. I am a fearful guy who fears next moment hence I do not get carried away in the moment but still, I am aware about the importance of celebrating small upgradations in my life. I am a person who regularly writes personal journals and diary hence every small achievement of mine gets noted in it which is then referenced in another late entry where because of that small step, I landed up having something better and worthy which would not have been possible without that tiny step. Hence, soundless celebrations and silent joy will always remain to be one of the most important aspects of my life and personality.

Please do let me know what your idea of celebration is. 

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Movie Review: Fanney Khan: One of the weakest scripts ever! **

1716th BLOG POST -->>

When I had seen the trailer of Fanney Khan for the first time after knowing since months about its extremely good star cast line-up, I still had believed that the movie shall atleast end up being above average if not good or excellent. I am shocked after watching that an actress like Aishwarya Rai who have worked in Hollywood, Anil Kapoor who has been on stage of Oscars for a movie in which he was almost a lead actor, Rajkumar Rao who is the most critically acclaimed actor of our times and Divya Dutta who comes with so much of experience behind her could not give a movie a life it deserves and viewers an experience that they crave for.

Fanney Khan is a movie about a father who had been unable to fulfill his own dream of becoming a famous singer but wants to do everything for his teenage daughter to ensure she becomes a singing superstar. This daughter is always irritated with the intervention of her father in her life and never considers him and his efforts commendable enough to give him even a minute of her life to share few good words and conversation with him. The mother in the story is a typical mother who loves her daughter and gets the same love back. The daughter is fan of the singing heartthrob of the nation, Baby Singh, who is incidentally kidnapped by her father and in ransom, he asks for his daughter’s recording. And from here, starts the main plot of the movie after which the movie starts falling and ends on a weaker note compared to its first half.

The dialogues in the movie are very weak and there is none which gets into your mood or mind which is unforgettable and stays with you for lifetime. A movie that talks about music has not even a single song which is enough melodious to become part of your playlist or gives the movie a level up. The plot is synonymous to a daily-soaps’ screenplay which speaks of nothing great and only ends up showing silly incidents and revelations back to back. I was disappointed seeing the pre-climax and climax. It is so weak and childish that I do not know if writer even thought about something while writing or just scribbled whatever came into their mind in the first thought while writing. Overall, Fanney Khan is irritating even though it tries talking about topics such as fat-shaming, teenagers’ attitude towards middle-class parents, perception of people towards glamorous and famous women etc. I give this one just 2 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

VOYAGES Volume I : A Collection of Poetry by Debjeet Mukherjee (Book Review: 3*/5) !!!

1715th BLOG POST -->>

I had never thought that my 50^th book of the year would be an e-book or a collection of poetries. And surprisingly, it was the combination of both written by Debjeet Mukherjee named “Voyages: Volume 1” with a tagline “A Collection of Poetry”. The cover page justifies the title of the book and looks excellent which makes you pick this book from your digital shelf out of all the books. This collection of poetry is of 91 pages with different poems which can be completed in a single sitting of 1 to 1.5 hours.

This book comprises of poet’s work from the year 2011 when he was just 14 years old to 2018 when he reached into his 21 years of age. The good thing is that author has started book from the poems he had written recently and ended up with what he wrote at the age of 14 and yet in my opinion, the quality of poems only kept getting better. The author talks about his emotions very vividly and beautifully in these small poems and ensure that you are able to live with them while reading the same. In such a small age, the way poet has been able to scribble such deep and emotional words is commendable.

The poet has touched the topics such as friendship, nature, experiences, drama of life, desires, lonely thoughts etc. One of the very different implementation by the poet is that after every poem, he has mentioned a quote which is in relation with the poem but in some cases, I liked the quote more than the respective poem. Overall, reading this book is like going on a voyage just like its title. I give this collection of poetry 3 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Fluid by Ashish Jaiswal (Book Review: 3*/5) !!!

1714th BLOG POST -->>

When I read about the book “Fluid” which has released in the Mid-October recently, I was very sceptic about what it is all about. The book has testimonials on its cover page from none other than personalities like Amish Tripathi and Sam Pitroda. The book is written by the author, Ashish Jaiswal, and now that I have completed reading the book, I can say that this is a very well researched and worked upon stuff. Author had certain perception in his mind about how people are blocked in thinking and doing stuffs related to their field and specialization only and they can perform brilliantly in other sectors too. Author has kept his agenda clear throughout the book to make his readers understand that despite what people tell you about what you are good in, you can always try in different areas and still excel in both the departments.

The book is very well-written in a simple English language whereas I had assumed that I will need dictionary in every paragraph judging the book from its cover page and title. This is the reason we are asked not to judge a book by its cover. The tag line of the book says, “Be more than what you are taught to be” and it clearly denotes this point in every chapter that it speaks with its audience. The book is divided in different sections such as Anti-fluid, the dangers of entering machine age with an Anti-fluid Mind. Specialization and the last section being, the bigger fluid questions. The title of the book was initially not clear to me about what it is about, but author has explained it well letting us know that it is kept so considering that our approach towards life should be fluid and we should not be adamant about sticking to one field and not exploring the other areas of this universe.

Author’s research and hard work behind this book is visible from the examples and case studies described under each section with perfect orientation of each of them. The examples based on the famous personalities are seriously a surprise for readers as we never knew about the other side of these legends and knowing about their extensive commitment and achievements even in those areas is an experience. Talking about the drawback of the book, there are various typos in the book. I observed that in whichever word, wherever “eh” and “ek” words came together, it got replaced with blank space. Also, I felt that the book is written in a very formal manner. It could have been little more interactive and fun. It also ends up explaining one concept for quite some time which becomes obvious and understandable in the mid-way and post that, it is just a drag to read and nothing else.

Otherwise, this is a book which speaks of this unique topic with great examples. I give this book 3 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Review: The Reunion: A very beautiful & nostalgic content! ****

1713th BLOG POST -->>

The problem with web series is that you get to know if it is good or bad only after it ends. There might be simplicity or suspense throughout the basic nature of the show but only the last episode justifies if the web series was worth-watching or not. You agree or don’t, this is the truth! The last series I watched was “Ready 2 Mingle” which was great in the beginning but ended up being the same old boring Bollywood stuff with nothing newness to take away with you. I was very doubtful about the series I am currently reviewing i.e. The Reunion as I had not watched work of even one of their artists previously but surprisingly, if web-series should be made, it should be made the way The Reunion is made. Surprisingly, both the series are made by the same production- The Zoom Studios.

The series starts introducing its characters very perfectly in its first episode itself where almost all the main characters are introduced without making the screenplay look to be in a hurry or incomplete. In the 2^nd episode itself, the reunion begins, and it is rejoicing to see all the characters come together and the emotions that are displayed where there is excitement between few of them whereas awkwardness among others. The show begins with making viewers sit in suspense to know why the dynamics is such between few of the characters and what has happened between them in the past. In the later episodes, the emotions, scenes and fun is beautifully managed where the concept of reunion is kept afresh and still does not become cliché where you can only expect from an Indian concept to show opposite genders coming together and having unplanned smooches and sex and then getting confused in the pre-climax if it was really love or lust since all these years. Fortunately, there’s not a single steamy scene or kiss in this series which tells how focused the makers have been on the content. Here, the team of The Reunion has written a very simple yet very exciting screenplay which satisfies you at the end of every episode.

All the main characters played by Veer Rajwant Singh, Sapna Pabbi, Anuj Sachdeva and Shreya Dhanwanthary are excellent and boosted with respective good performances. My personal attention was fetched by all four of them. Only in the cases of Anuj Sachdeva did I feel that he was trying hard to act and sound like Hrithik Roshan. The supporting actors who played rest of the friends and teacher are also fine in their role and does not disappoint. The dialogues are superb. This is the first web-series I have found with such great top-notch dialogues. The background score and songs also suit the ambiance of the show. The writers have also been confident and mature enough to end the show with few relationships ending on good whereas few ending on bad note despite viewers expecting opposite to happen in couple of the cases. In the end of the last episode, the finale, I literally ended up having water in my eyes which speaks enough about my opinion about this series. I give this one an excellent 4 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Movie Review: Badhaai Ho:- A Movie meant to celebrate for its excellence! ****

1712th BLOG POST -->>

The trailer of Badhaai Ho is a short comedy movie in itself which makes you laugh and giggle in every second of its playback time and watching it itself had assured my tickets for the movie. I know certain people in my acquaintances where such cases have taken place that the mother of the house who should be marrying her children gets pregnant herself embarrassing the whole family. And because these children who feel embarrassed were my friends, I can relate very easily with the character of Ayushmann Khurrana and his brother where they are running away from their friends, girlfriend, colleagues, society giving looks which I am very much familiar with.

The movie is very well made on the topic which is unique and distinct yet speaks about the situation which many families in India suffer due to lack of sex education or feeling ashamed in asking for condom and using it. This movie very specifically speaks about such issues too without preaching anything yet speaking out loud the topics that needs to be spoken. The movie is damn funny and each of its situational comedy scenes works perfectly in making the audiences laugh. The one-liners make you laugh even after you leave the theatre. Such is a magic of writing in this movie. The 2^nd half is as wonderful as 1^st half in which the pregnancy news break. I was damn sure that 2^nd half will not have much excitement, but it had its own moments which works a lot in the favour of this movie.

It is very necessary to talk about social stigmas and taboos through movies and I am glad that the director Amit Sharma have done the same so efficiently. Talking about the performances, full marks should go to everyone as after a long time, I have seen a movie where everyone seems to be playing the protagonist and also the supporting actor at the same time. Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta does a great job through their expressions and body language which makes the movie funny even in their silent moments. Ayushmann Khurrana does a phenomenal job with his expressions and his back to back performances in Andhadhun and then this speaks a lot about his skills. Sanya Malhotra though in very less frame time creates magic on the screen and proves that she is more than a Dangal girl when it comes to versatility as an actor. Surekha Sikri is another one who has given some scenes which moots the level of the movie due to her performance and dialogue delivery skills.

Overall, Badhaai Ho is the movie meant for celebration and I recommend you go and watch it with your family preferably and friends. I give this movie 4 stars out of 5 for sheer entertainment.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

F?@K Knows: Dead or Alive by Shailendra Singh (Book Review:- 4.75*/5) !!!

1711th BLOG POST -->>

There are few books where the author chose to go the non-fiction way as they have many random things to talk about but they are unsure about how they are going to put all of them in the confinement of a book. Such books are like a personal diary stuff or a blog where the person talks about any random topic in each post but all of them contribute enough to make you know the person very well and also look at your life and think if whatever you have been doing till date is okay or do you need to make some steps to change yourself. It is very hard to make a reader think like this through a book which is written in such a manner that author is trying time and again that he is not a perfect person and should not be taken seriously. I have just ended up reading one of the best books I have ever read by Shailendra Singh named “F?@k Knows: Dead or Alive”.

This is the second book in the F?@k Knows series. Unfortunately, I haven’t read the first one but after reading this one, I am definitely going to have it soon to read it when I would be depressed sometime in future. After completing the book, I was confused as in which genre the book is in and I was confused between humor and self-help but betted on humor first but when I checked on the back-cover of the book, surprisingly, it is listed under self-help which I believe is correct. Because more than the laughs, giggles and smiles this book gives to the reader, it ensures that it gives lessons of life more than that to keep up the balance which ensures in the end that the reader has definitely received something very impacting which can change life along with light moments of laughter.

Author has opened his heart regarding many topics which are related to his personal life and the concepts that he believes in. The way he talks about his family; specifically, brother and mother are what many authors cannot dare to do in a book. The way he talks about his friends and how they faced ups and downs in their life which impacted even the author’s life tells about how transparent this person who is writing this post is. Similarly, the spiritual and concepts related to God, the way author has experienced himself is shared with us and I can tell you all those chapters are so apt that you will want to read them daily in the morning before starting your day.

Then author has talked on several topics on which he had his own opinion and made sure that he keeps it in front of all of us, either it is about demonetization, politics, country, sex, gender, social media, privacy, drugs, success, failure and what not. But rather than getting preachy about any of the topics, author choses to write it in a funny way which keeps on making you laugh and giggle and know about his perspectives too. None of the topic is just lightly handled but author has ensured that he gives some conclusive moral about each of them. His clarity in thoughts is evident in every sentence. And let me tell you, this is one of the most humorous books I have ever read. The funny chapters are all and out comedy and it can fail many popular stand-up comedians of India. And the way author ends the book with the chapters and basically the last chapter is how a book of this type should be ended. This book is an example on how the non-fiction books should be written. I give this book 4.75* out of 5. Recommended like f?@k as the book is f?@king hilarious.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Life's Amazing Secrets by Gaur Gopal Das (Book Review: 2*/5) !!!

1710th BLOG POST -->>

There is so much about spirituality going on in timelines and feeds on our social media that almost everyone is aware of the concept even if they practice it or not. For a person like me who is regularly following and reading about the stuff, keeps knowing new things every day and also getting refreshed with all the previously learnt concepts. Every time, I pick up a spiritual book or a book by a spiritual personality, it is my basic expectation to learn and know something new which can surprise, shock, astonish and mind-boggle me. If nothing of that sort happens, the book is a failure for me which is written not to introduce new concepts to human beings but just for sake of writing a book to accomplish one of the personal goals and yearly resolutions.

Same has been the case after reading “Life’s Amazing Secrets” written by none other than one of the most popular spiritual personality on Youtube- Gaur Gopal Das. I have been following two personalities on Youtube when it comes to spiritual knowledge- No one can beat my following for Sadhguru and 2^nd, this gentleman- Gaur Gopal Das. He has such a polite and well-speaking oratory skills that you can hear him for hours. Also, his concepts, examples and logics that he gives in his videos are so up to the mark that it teaches you something new each time you watch one of his new videos. Though I do not like the way ISKCON endorses spiritualism by circulating the knowledge only from the one dimension that they believe in but still, this man speaks individually by not bonding himself under the premise of the institution’s agenda. Unfortunately, everything that I have spoken about his powerful knowledge sharing capacity in his videos cannot be said for his debut book.

The book gives me a very basic knowledge of how to lead life which you have yourself kept hearing since childhood from your parents and colony’s uncles and aunts. Not a single chapter in the book is as impactful as such self-help and spiritual book are expected of. As Das has himself said in the start of the book that writing the book was not his original thought, but the publisher asked him to, this book also displays the same that author just completed it for the sake of at least start with writing books. Author has gone the Robin Sharma way where he has written the book in the conversational format still dividing it into different chapters but couldn’t deliver the same simple keys that can help us in changing our lifestyle and approach towards living.

The author has spoken about the four basic wheels of life in the book:- Balancing personal life, maintaining relationships, regulating work life and managing social contributions. The only section that I found little different than what I have regularly read is the one talking about managing work life. Except that, there is a section in which the author has described how should one sit in an asana and release the stress off which also sounded solution-proof. Otherwise, at the end of each chapter, author has summarized the whole chapter, and I am sorry to say, but if you only read those 4-5 bulleted points in the summary, you are done with the book as it has nothing more than that. This is a very confused book where author has also ended up giving examples or real-life scenarios which are not even completely relevant to the stuff he is talking about. Overall, I would say a very disappointing debut and I give this book only 2 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Review: Ready 2 Mingle:- The same old & obvious Bollywood stuff! **

1709th BLOG POST -->>

The final episode of yet another Indian web-series, Ready 2 Mingle, got release two days back. I have been watching the episodes regularly while walking towards my office on footpath since last one week and I have been the part of the series world since then. The main characters of the series are played by Amol Parashar and Aahana Kumra yet again after they got featured in yet another web-series named “It Happened in Hong Kong” recently. The best thing about both these actors is the chemistry they have between themselves. And another USP that they have which makes them so favorite for the viewers is their natural acting that you will be unable to believe that they are playing someone else and not themselves. For many-a-times, after the episodes would end, I used to feel that this show is an extension of “It Happened in Hong Kong”. And seriously speaking, IHIHK was of 4 episodes only and this, Ready 2 Mingle, looks like its extension in its 10 episodes.

The show is about how these two characters meet each other in a shared cab and with the charming attitude of Nirav, he is able to win over Myra who is otherwise very selective and choosy. They host a party which turns out to be successful which gives them an idea of starting a venture named “Ready 2 Mingle” where they would be hosting parties for city’s singles where they would be coming together and find their mate. Everything looks perfect from outside but in the pressure of work and expectations, this couple which is making everyone come close are themselves falling apart. The whole series is then the basis of this where they are fighting this challenge and gelling with other people to move on from the hell they are into in their living relationships. What happens in the end is obvious as per what we have seen in multiple Bollywood movies which is where I got disappointed seeing almost the same stuff again.

The series starts on a very good note where everything is different and seems to be going on a path which has not been taken by any content creator yet but as the series moves into its 2^nd half, it becomes the typical stuff where the falling couple are in dilemma if they are better for each other or the people they are currently trying out with. And this is where the viewer in you gets bored. It is only about how each one of them is hiding their fleeing from each other and feeling guilty about it. They are also protective about their public image otherwise their venture will get affected which is like their baby and they can’t afford it emotionally. Despite great dialogues, nice cinematography and screenplay, this series is not able to excite you because of its obvious and weak writing. The songs are also forgettable and does not generate any kind of emotions in you. The climax is very Thanda. Overall, the series has suffered because of weak script and I give this one just 2 stars out of 5. This can be ignored.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Ashwatthama's Redemption: The Rise of Dandak by Gunjan Porwal (Book Review: 4.5*/5) !!!

1708th BLOG POST -->>

It has been a long time since I have read a mythological fiction and I miss those days when I used to receive the books in the same genre just after Amish’s Shiva trilogy garnered indefinite success. Now people have moved to other topics again and whichever book comes out under this genre tastes like a half-baked cake. I picked up a book whose cover page attracted me towards it on this Sunday and finished the book by today within a day. The book is “Ashwatthama’s Redemption: The Rise Of Dandak” written by the debutante author, Gunjan Porwal. I must say that I haven’t read more captivating and emotionally-submerging book this year.

Let’s start with the subject on which the book has been written. It is more about what happened after the epic war of Mahabharata and it discusses the character of Ashwatthama briefly and tells every detail about his past and involvement in the mentioned war. He is already living in guilt of doing some bad karma during the war time but now there is a new challenge thrown upon him where he must fight the super-devils with extra power. He comes to know about a bow which if he gets, he would be able to defeat these super-powers and there starts the whole foundation and basis of this book.

The first half is very superb where the characters and their background is introduced. Each and every character is so nicely described that you can relate with them immediately. All the kings discussed in the book, majorly, Rana and Vikram, are very nicely handled throughout the book keeping their dignity in dialogues and conversation intact. Their chemistry with our protagonist is also very beautifully handled. The love angle between Urmila and Rana is also respectfully portrayed. The second half is more about the actions involved and has many such sections where you must play with your imaginations and relive every moment discussed in the story. The anti-climax and climax are beautifully closed out which also gives hope of the sequel and I must say which I very rarely feel, that I am wanting to read the 2^nd part as soon as possible.

The mythological and fictional mixture is very perfectly handled by the author which does not insult one of our epic books, Mahabharata. Author has discussed Mahabharata in various parts as a conversation and through it, also tried to explain many spiritual and human concepts like karma, life, death, guilt, ego, mind games etc. Every instance of Lord Krishna is worth reading and re-reading in this book. Even the mention of Ramayana comes in between which is also interesting to read and how the karma of people in both the stories are connected due to being Avataras of the same God is an intriguing read altogether. Best part for which I would remember this book is whenever the Mahabharata is dictated in a conversation to any of the characters.

Talking about the drawbacks, I just felt that there was certain characteristics of each character being discussed initially but author could not do justice to everything that he mentioned about them. Except this, I believe this book is a must read for sure. I give it 4.5* out of 5. Recommended like anything.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

When Life breaks down into bits and pieces!

1707th BLOG POST -->>

People knowing me know the kind of health issues I had since last two months. Almost each day, I have had multiple dose of medicines. There have been days when I have consumed more than 15 tablets in a day. I kept thinking it to be just physical issues I am having. But while diagnosing me, one of the doctors asked me if I am in some stress. I laughed it off at that point of time but later on when I came home and sat alone and thought if I am really in stress, I could not think anything and just blanked away. I thought it for days if I am really in stress and always felt that I was giving too much weightage to myself and my problems. This is where the problem lies. We often think that we are not that important to have such issues which we hear from people on television, radios etc. as very few acquaintances share such stories with us out of shyness considering that people would not take them seriously.

Finally, a day came when I was feeling better and did not have any health issues and due to a small accident at home, my face burnt because of boiling water. My face started looking like they show in movies- half-burnt face telling some past stories. When I looked myself in the mirror and saw the state in which I was, I ultimately broke down. I could not hold myself anymore. I felt as if my life is just present to suffer and suffer and suffer. And I sat lonely again with irritation on my skin due to burnt marks. I flashbacked the last two months and felt that there has been some mental issue with me. There is a lot that is going in my mind which I could not share with anyone considering them to be minute problems, but it ended up making me sick continuously.

There is an emotional part in me which does not wake up every now and then but there comes a phase in life when I need a person who can understand me emotionally and carry me for those days until I have passed the shore and I am safe again. In these two months, I found myself to be completely alone and could not manage myself well. Every night I used to sleep as if my current day has been the worst and every morning I woke up as if I just need to pass this day and nothing else. Because of this with each day, I kept feeling that my life is going towards worst as every day is worse than the previous one. This feeling started demotivating me so much that I was unable to read a single book. The people who know me knows every minute of mine goes in reading whenever I am not working at office or not writing blogs. In all these days, I could not manage to write blog posts on the topics I wanted to speak so much about. I could not perform my best professionally. Thanks to people out there who supported me without knowing my mental state. If they would not have, I do not know what kind of professional or personal decisions I would have ended up taking. Even after that, I took couple of unplanned leaves just to run away from myself and the world around me to succumb to my mental and physical state.

How depressing the state is when you have issues with life but you do not know which among all of them is the root of all the causes and you keep searching for that one pinpoint which you can repair to resolve all your problems but you could not find it at all. After knowing all these spiritual theories and talking with people related to that, I was still not able to recover from this state of mind. It is becoming so hard for me to explain what I have been going through. I wanted to purchase DSLR since a long time and after I got it delivered, not for a single day have I picked it up to start things I wanted to do with it. Recently, I purchased a very expensive watch considering my income just to feel better but still it could not lift me up. Now I feel like throwing it away. Though I already know, the happiness lies within and nothing external can simulate the same feeling but still, there was hope.

I am still going through this and I do not know by when I would be able to call myself the Abhilash I knew. It is just that I have accepted this for now which has enabled me to read many books in last few days and write many reviews and blogs. I have also started sharing my updates online just to ensure that people have conversations with me regarding those posts and something while talking with them might trigger me to get back to life I know living. I love my professional work and the way I have been executing my job is another thing that is disappointing me on daily basis. As a performer, I have done only 1/10^th of my abilities in last few weeks. This has lead in finally blasting in a mail to client recently which escalated the matter but then, you need somewhere to vomit yourself up and it happened.

For now, I am incomplete and feel emotionally weak. I do not know what I want to cherish every moment, but I believe that I will stand again because I am not losing hope. I am disappointed with what is happening to me in terms of mental blankness and void emotional state but I know God is testing my motivation. I wish I pass in this but I also wish if there was someone at this moment who understood the stress I am going through of whatsoever it is which I am unable to identify completely- if it is peer pressure or fear of future in terms of profession or the frustration of multiple rejections in personal life or the parental pressure of settling down or seeing my friends getting away with marriage etc and finding myself more lonelier than before. I do not know what it is but I want this year to end up on a good note for me as overall, 2018 has not been a year I would ever be proud of except one or two things here and there. I wish nature starts passing on positivism towards me and moots me up again to do things I have never done in life until now.

Thanks. This is all I had to say after such a long time. Sorry if this post causes disappointment to you but it is what it is. 

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

The Heartfulness Way by Kamlesh D. Patel/Joshua Pollock (Book Review: 3.5*/5) !!!

1706th BLOG POST -->>

Reading spiritual books has been my passion since last two years since I started understanding it conceptually and intellectually. It was just that I had never experienced it experientially but six months back, after I had a course by Isha Yoga Foundation, I have also started feeling the bliss that meditation and spiritual path brings with it. And post that, I do not find every spiritual book that effective as I have at least an average knowledge about the subject. But the last book that I read surely impressed me:- “The Heartfulness Way” written in a conversational format by Kamlesh D. Patel and Joshua Pollock.

Frankly speaking, I had never heard about Kamlesh D. Patel as he is popularly known as daaji so I had no expectation or perception about the person while reading the book but as the chapters kept going on, my trust in his logics and knowledge regarding spirituality kept getting better and by the end of the book, I could do nothing but endorse his idea of meditation and spiritual that he asks to do in the heartfulness way. The book is written in a conversational way which keeps on clearing one doubt after another that is being spoken by the daaji and I would like to applaud the author for asking such questions to him which made it easier for the reader to understand each and every sentence quoted by daaji.

Book is divided in three different sections: Why Heartfulness, practising heartfulness and the guru. I personally could connect with the last section so much that I felt as if I have myself written that chapter.  Book is written in a way that beginners in spiritual path will find it easy to understand it conceptually. Talking about the drawbacks, though few asanas are discussed in the book but I wished if the authors had included more such asanas and yogic kriyas, it could have helped the spiritual followers like me who have surpassed the beginning stage and are looking something which can moot them to the next level of spiritual experience. Overall, this book is basically for spiritual beginners and I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Movie Review: Andhadhun: One of the intelligent Bollywood movies! ***½

1705th BLOG POST -->>

Watching Salman Khan’s movies have stagnated our IQ level such that when a movie like Andhadhun releases to take our cinema to the next level, around 90% of the audiences are unable to understand its complexity. I was one of them when I had left the theatre last week with my friend after watching the movie. After lot of brainstorming and talking with some more people who had seen the movie, we understood its thrilling climax. The story is the hero in this movie which does not let you feel that the movie is losing itself. After seeing what is happening in front of you, as an audience you are confused about what exactly shall be shown in the climax and where the movie shall end at. But when the climax finally ends, it leaves you with so much of an interpretation, questions and what not that the actual movie starts for you after it ends.

The first half of the movie is very tight with the character of Ayushmann Khurrana getting into one act after another and revealing secrets to us about his reality as a blind character. Sometimes, you agree that he is blind and sometimes you do not. That is where the specialty of the movie lies in. The murder scene that is executed while he is playing the piano is one of the special scenes seen after a long time in a Bollywood movie. The second half starts slowly as the characters are confined in a four walled space but post that again in the 2^nd part of the second half, the movie picks up and the way climax is shot leaves you overwhelmed.

Talking about the performances, Ayushmann Khurrana has delivered one of his best performances and as per me, surely his best undoubtedly. The way he carries his character throughout the movie with ease looks so effortless that you are unable to believe that he is not blind in real life. Radhika Apte is again her charming self with her unique style where she does not shy away from slapping kid for irritating her. Tabu is the person who hold the movie well in parts where Ayushmann is not playing the major part. Tabu has executed her negative character so well that you want to applaud her specially after the movie. Rest, all the supporting starcast are wonderful and play their part perfectly. This movie is a very well-written and directed movie for which Sriram Raghavan should be commended. This movie gets 3.5 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Review: It Happened in Hong Kong!: A light mini web-series for one-time watch! ***

1704th BLOG POST -->>

Amol Parashar and Aahana Kumra are one of the most frequent faces we can see in the web-series these days. Their personalities and talent are also justified for the web series and they are also able to carry it off quite excellently. I just ended up watching one of their mini web-series from Viu team named “It Happened In Hong Kong”. Whenever any Indian stuff is shot in overseas countries, there is an expectation from story to be little different from our usual stories considering the foundation of the story having two Indians meet in a strange country.

The web series is of only 4 episodes and it starts showing Aahana Kumra playing a travel blogger and visiting Hong Kong with making notes simultaneously to update her blog later. She meets Amol when she reaches out to a taxi and ends up sharing the cab with him. Both of them like each other instantly and go for a coffee date and finally agrees to visit the rest of their Hong Kong trip together and create memories. The series is shot such that you will get a feel that you are watching a travel vlog itself the way Mumbiker Nikhil shots his Youtube content. The cinematographer justifies the locale beauty very excellently with his camera.

Coming to the plot, the first and the last episodes are the best whereas the 2^nd part of 3^rd episode is also very defining. The script is written in a casual nature without getting into too many dramatic or inspiring scenes. It is a simple story showing how two people these days meet casually and ends up expecting more than their relationships and ending up getting hurt and bad experience in the process. But the way two characters are shown in a matured composition in the last episode is wonderfully done. Talking about the performances, both- Aahana and Amol are okay in their roles. Yes, there are naivety in their performances but with more camera experience, they shall get better with their performances. Overall, this is a light show with nothing very specific, unique or revolutionary. I rate this one as 3 stars just because I liked the romantic angle of the whole ambience that the series provided.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Movie Review: Karwaan: This is how road trip movies should be made! ****

1703rd BLOG POST -->>

Every time Irrfan Khan is featured in a Hindi movie, I feel quite an obsession about that movie considering the kind of roles he do. The movie might turn out to be bad but he never disappoints in his role. When I first saw the trailer of the movie, Karwaan, I was quite skeptic about how the movie would be considering that the other two in the starcast are new in the Bollywood and hence, Irrfan alone had to carry the movie on his shoulders. But after watching the movie, I can delightedly say that all the three actors are the three legs of this stool which could not have stood with stability without anyone of them owning their role.

The script of the movie is very tight and does not allow any drag or stretch in the storyline. Right from the first scene, the movie is on its mark and keeps running incessantly with powerful scenes and dialogues until the end credits begin. At once in the beginning, as a regular viewer of Bollywood, you feel what more can the writers do with such limited plot but the way it has been transformed into a road-trip movie is an altogether different skill. The screenplay is also very efficiently build that doesn’t confuse the viewers and takes them along with the characters in the movie on the trip.

The characterizations are so strongly written that you want to know the story of each one of them. Dulquer Salman’s tensed relationship with his father and the way he reacts after hearing about his death is nicely handled. Mithila Parker’s own challenges are also shown with a casualness telling about her lifestyle which is special in its own way. And Irrfan Khan’s character with his own past and present is humorously portrayed which becomes the crisp of the script. The 1^st and 2^nd half of the movie are equally compelling. The cameo of Kriti Kharbanda is special in its own way and how she carries herself in this small segment tells about her maturity as an actor. Overall, the movie is a cinematic experience with everything worth remembering. I give these one 4 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!