The Doon School Information Review (DSIR) Spring 2017

Be Bold or italic never regular -Anonymous

Editor-in-Chief Kushagra Kar

editorial Editors Arjun Singh Aryan Chhabra

Senior Editors Aayush Chowdhry Armaan Verma Zoraver Mehta

Chief-of-Production Devang Laddha

Correspondents Ansh Raj Arjun Bajwa Divyansh Nautiyal Karan Sampath Karthik Subbiah

Junior Correspondents Adit Chatterjee Aviral Kumar Nirvair Singh Raghav Kediyal Vir Bhatia

Faculty Advisor Ms Anamika Ghose

Mama always said dying was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn’t.

-Forrest Gump There is a beauty in humanity that seems to have lost itself to the circumstances of time. Our existence isn’t special because of our sentience; but rather, it lies in the fact that we can accept our futility, and move on. The beauty is in our ability to find a reason to create, and to share the odd ideas that decorate our dreams.

The opening words of this Editorial are meant to exemplify the meaning of ‘humanity’. Death is an eventuality, and so is change, and yet, we spend so much of our lives trying to avoid them that by the time we realize it is hopeless, it’s too late. December, 2016, saw the death of Carrie Fisher, and the months preceding this were filled with the passing of other greats like her. But they will always live on. Despite the eventuality of death, they will be immortalized as Princess Leia, Professor Snape or even Young Scout. The beauty was in their creations, and that will live on.

It is keeping this in mind that the Board of the DSIR set out to create this issue. We are here to celebrate the work of people who have toiled day and night, just to add a little sunshine to our lives.

These artists make it the purpose of their lives to brighten ours, and we find it our responsibility to give their purpose a meaning.

Bringing an issue which can stand among the countless others as a worthy successor has always been a terrifying task. I remember the first time I saw the DSIR, when Rahul Srivastava headed this publication, I was awestruck. The DSIR was distributed along with many other publications, but for some peculiar reason, it stood out.

I naturally gravitated towards the thin ‘Beatles’ decorated issue, and began flipping through its pages, finding something of interest in almost all of them. Till date, I cannot ascertain whether the total mesmerization was because of the content, or simply the idea.

Whatever it was, I fell in love. Over the next few years, I would see Kevin Spacey, and even an Oscar on the cover; always love at first sight. Essentially, the expectations we have set out to meet aren’t the School’s or past Editors-in-chief, but my own. For all that this

publication has meant to me over the years, it would be a shame if I couldn’t meet them.

Funnily enough, I have only really been involved with this publication for a year, which means tradition was lost on me. Therefore it was no great dilemma to scrap the idea of a theme. I have always felt that themes restrict the scope of a publication, especially one with such a vast content potential. Nevertheless, I did feel a special section was in order; The World that JRR Tolkien created. The reason for this is, as I stated, to honor the work of these greats, and also to spark some interest in younger audiences.

I would like to mention a few things about the issue in your hands.

Firstly, we have decided to reintroduce Video Games to our range of genres. Moreover, as you flip through these pages, you may also notice an unorthodox approach to our design. Though we have tried to keep it as detailed as possible, elegance has always been our aim.

The most important aspect of any work that you ever do is to Love it. There should be no grudges or gripes about the hours that must be spent to emulate perfection. Only when it means something to us, will it mean something to you.

Even though this issue, this board, this editorial, and everything else we stand for now will be forgotten soon, here we are, proudly presenting to you the 40th issue of the DSIR. In a world where positions, money and authority find top priority, quality can be hard to come by. We hope you might stumble upon a sliver of some today.

Acknowledgements For their contributions to this publication, we would like to thank the following people: Ms Priya Chaturvedi Ms Malvika Kala Arnaav Bhavanani Ritvik Kar Abhayraj Jain Amal Bansode We would also like to thank English Book Depot for the printing of this publication, ensuring both quality and timely arrival.

Lastly, we would like to thank our Master-in-Charge, Ms Anamika Ghose, without whom this wouldn’t have been possible.

Kushagra Kar Editor-in-Chief ‘17

Video Game

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The Return of the King

Music

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Country Roads?

A Hand Amidst Arms Redefining First Contact

Movies

Striking the Right Chords The Holy Trinity Censoring Substance Rogue One: PointCounter Point

Television

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The Catcher in The Rye My Family and Other Animals The Book Thief

Literature

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All the Light We Cannot See

The Royal Affair

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The Final Solution

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Enthrallingly told, magnificently written and emotionally resonant, All the Light We Cannot See is unlike any book you have ever read. It paints the picture of two average children engulfed in the horrors of World War 2 in a very poignant manner, emphasizing the candidness that lacks in most of the novels of today. It possesses the unique ability to grip the reader from the very inception and not leave it till finished. By the use of a distinctive storyline, Anthony Doerr has been successful in providing readers with a realistic depiction of how life was during World War 2 as well as produce a great piece of literature.

The story follows the life of two teenagers- Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner. While Marie-Laure grows up in France and is blinded by the age of 6, Werner grows up in Nazi Germany and is an orphan. Both undergo their set of problems which go a long way in shaping their characters. After covering the primary moments of the childhood of the two protagonists, the story then circles around the climatic encounter between Marie and Werner during the bombing of France.

Irrespective of its length and time, this encounter remains the centre piece and a living memory for the characters in the later part of their lives.

This book serves as a possible outlier to the genre of themes found to be successful. We live in an age where shows such as Game of Thrones and House of Cards are gaining ground, shows which emphasize the cynicism and realpolitik involved in the road to power. Thus, given the backdrop that we live in it is delightful to encounter a piece of literature like All the Light We cannot See that

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The author, Anthony Doerr, worked as a cook and on a sheep farm to support his studies Aryan Chhabra uses a simple yet beautiful theme of finding good in each other to deliver a jaw dropping tale. What makes this book more interesting is the depth of characters used in the story. Marie-Laure for one is an exquisite creation; her strong love for her father along with the convincing portrayal of her blindness makes her character more believable and pleasant.

Her counterpart, Werner, is an engineering prodigy whose ability to build and repair radios checks his rapid rise from the coal mines of his village to the country’s premier institute and then to the Nazi Army.

Through the character of Werner, the book attempts to showcase what it meant to live in Nazi Germany. During Werner’s time in National Political Institute of Education, his only friend, the ornithologically inclined rich Fredrick remarks “Father needs me to be at Schulpforta. Mother

too. It doesn’t matter what I want.

Your problem, Werner, is that you still believe you own your life.”

The communitarian murder of an Utermensch i.e. a non-Aryan as an annual ritual celebrated at the institution shows how far the problem goes. The eeriness of the atmosphere is only compounded

by Werner’s sister Jutta whose anti-fascist stance sometimes serves as a moral compass to the otherwise naïve Werner.

The climax of the book, the meeting of Marie-Laure and Werner, subtly hints at broader idea: the idea that individual identities trump the nation states that an individual is from.

Through various scenes, Doerr describes the calamity that is war. Thus, through the two protagonists’ amicable meeting he personifies the idea of individual identity.

Picture Credit: Tower Records

A Hand Amidst Arms Vir Bhatia

Hacksaw Ridge is a movie starring Andrew Garfield who plays the part of Desmond Doss, a soldier in the second World War. Desmond established himself as a conscientious objector and medic in the famous Battle of Okinawa.

In the movie, Desmond perseveres through disrespect and a lack of support from his fellow soldiers due to his beliefs.

The movie is based on the real Desmond Doss, who is known for having triumphantly earned himself ‘The Medal of Honour’ without firing a single shot, the first man in American History to do so. He also was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, for aiding wounded soldiers under fire. Desmond’s brother, Harold Doss served aboard the USS Lindsey in the United States Navy. Their father, William Thomas Doss also had a military background. Desmond married Dorothy Schutte on August 17, 1942 and they had one child, Desmond Doss Jr. The movie had a budget of $40 million and made a total of $175.3 million, garnering critical and commercial success.

It was even nominated by the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for acting, editing and directing. I must also mention the music which included a 70-man orchestra and a 36-piece choir.

Before Hacksaw Ridge, Andrew Garfield had received immense success on broadway and film, with Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’ and his famous role as ‘The Amazing Spider Man’. Sergeant Howell is played

by Vincent ‘Vince’ Vaughn who is famously known for appearances in movies such as ‘The Internship’ and ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’.

The beginnings of this movie can be traced all the way back to 2001, a time at which numerous producers were vying for the opportunity to document Doss’ life. A large series of events over the next thirteen years, including Doss’ unfortunate death in 2006 eventually led to Bill Mechanic claiming rights over the movie. Mechanic approached Mel Gibson to direct the movie as he was impressed by his work and style. Gibson turned down the offer twice before finally accepting in November 2014. Mechanic went on to produce the movie.

The film was shot in and around Sydney from late 2014 through to 2016. Setting preparation meant that the crew had to deforest enormous amounts of land, however this was entirely approved and all plants were replanted. Remarkably, the shooting of the film was economically beneficial and created 720 jobs and brought $19 million to rural New South Wales.

Picture Credit: People

Despite its numerous awards and positive reviews from big name companies and reviewing agencies, the movie has been the center of much controversy surrounding its director, Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson has a long and thorough record of anti semitism, domestic violence, racism, misogyny, and homophobia. In one incident in 2006, Gibson went on an anti-semitic rant in which he claimed “Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.

Gibson has been proven to have slapped his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, as well as breaking her teeth twice while she was carrying their baby. One has to ask how Hollywood is able to overlook all this, and go on the nominate him for Best Director In the end, one can conclude that Hacksaw Ridge is a historically accurate and highly entertaining account of the life of a true hero. It is undoubtedly one of the best modern war movies of its age and was a revelation of their true potential, both for Garfield and Gibson.

Milo Gibson, son of Mel Gibson, has a small role as a soldier in the film. It’s the first cinematic collaboration between the two and it marks Milo Gibson’s screen debut.

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By Armaan Verma

Mark David Chapman, the man who shot John Lennon, was carrying a copy of ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ when he was arrested. He stated in his police statement that the larger, presumably better part of his personality was Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, while the smaller part of his personality was Satan.

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There are few novels that capture the wonder, that is adolescence, as beautifully and transparently as The Catcher in the Rye, written by J. D. Salinger and published in 1951. It has little twist and suspense in its plot, nor does it have any allegory to be spotted between the lines. In fact, for many, it may just get more confusing with every page.

Its sole characteristic feature is the myriad thoughts in the mind of Holden Caulfield, from whose point of view the story is told.

Holden is a classic example of an alienated and cynical teenager harbouring a great distrust of the world. Salinger establishes from the very beginning that he despises adults for being what he calls “phony”. Throughout his narration, he touches upon how their superficiality and hypocrisy disgusts him. At the very beginning, Holden is introduced as an underperforming student at Pencey Preparatory Academy, from which he is soon expelled for

poor academic work. However, he decides to leave earlier than planned and embarks on a trip to New York on his own before having to answer to his parents at home.

The novel’s main theme of teenage angst is pushed to the forefront. This is why the reader may find this particular book odd, as conventional writing styles are abandoned. There is no great and sudden struggle to be overcome and no change in Holden’s attitude approaching the end, which distinguishes The Catcher in the Rye from other young adult fiction; even the clichéd “heroine” occupies a trivial position on Holden’s priority list. It was, in fact, written for adults, but grew popular among teenagers who were able to relate to it. Every one of Holden’s experiences in New York reveal a fair amount about his character and his thoughts. While riding in a cab,

for instance, he asks the driver whether the ducks of Central Park lagoon migrate in winter and is persistent even when the driver refuses to answer, symbolic of his insecurity regarding impermanence.

Like most adolescents, he is uncomfortable when circumstances change, at times not knowing the reason or consequences of the same.

Holden is exactly like so many teenaged individuals even today in more ways than just that; he has little idea of what to make of his future, he quickly becomes emotional, he does not know how to truly fit in with people and at times feels that they are not even worth mingling with.

It is clear that New York and Holden’s ventures therein represent the turmoil teenagers undergo when thrust into the wide world armed with only a college degree and their own perseverance, except that Holden lacks even that. It is, perhaps, the perfect battleground to stage every bit of his story. He feels, from the very beginning itself, that the hustle and bustle of the city would provide him with a variety of things to do and places to visit but it gradually dawns on him that he either cannot enjoy such experiences because it is spoilt for him by several factors

(including people) or simply does not want to anymore, for reasons he does not know, displaying the rapidly shift in emotions and thoughts that teenagers experience. In the course of time, the reader is compelled to ponder on how Holden plans to thrive in the world he holds such contempt for. He has some literary talent, much like every member of his family, but even towards the end, there is no hint that things will somehow work out for him.

Rather, it ends lacking a climax as Holden enjoys a moment with his younger sister, Phoebe.

She is, Holden feels, the only person he can truly confide in, having found everyone else to be apathetic and numb to his plight.

The fact that it ends in such a way; with Holden admiring a little girl’s innocence, is in many ways, worth shedding a tear over.

Innocence is another theme of the novel, which Holden feels is the only remaining virtue worth protecting.

Holden does not hold his own peers in high regard either; he is rude to his dorm mates, finding them vain and ignorant.

He also criticizes the kind of children studying at Pencey.

Other characters that make an appearance also symbolise many different kinds of people

that teenagers encounter and are meant to deal with, such as Mr. Spencer; Holden’s teacher is shown to be well-meaning but chides him for his low grades, which irritates him and stops him from visiting Mr. Spencer again.

As for other aspects of the book, like teenagers’ conflicted thoughts on sexuality (especially homosexuality), smoking, and the desire to stand out, all surface in the story, but are less alluded to compared to issues of identity and belonging, something that every word of the novel screams in a subtle yet resounding fashion.

The book drew controversy for its disregard for family values, education, and social convention as well as its open description of smoking and sex.

Personally, when I finally understood the underlying meaning in the musings of Holden Caulfield, I realized I could connect with it far better than I expected, as if someone had penned my deepest thoughts down on paper. It is for this reason that I feel, if it was not already crystal clear, that ‘The Catcher in the Rye, in its portrayal of the teenaged mind and the internal conflicts it houses, stands second to none.

An interesting fact accompanying the writing of the novel is that it is often said that Salinger, having survived the horrors of World War II, embedded the trauma and upheaval caused by war into what appears to any ordinary reader as a coming-of-age story.

Of course, his real intentions are as hazy as Holden’s thoughts themselves and all we can admire him for is his master piece. The rest as they say, is history.

Picture Credits: District 155, Daly Thinks

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Arrival REDEFINING FIRST CONTACT: ARRIVAL I’ve always held a grudge against films that dance around the extremities of emotion and reaction. Franchise alien films like the Transformers series, or even repurposed superhero drama like Batman vs Superman are formed by baiting conflict rather than developing it from and through something organic.

The sci-fi genre has its fair share of Avenger-like heroes and monsters, worldwide destructions and the ironic character that is somehow instrumental in saving the day. When I first saw the poster for Arrival with its massive egg-shaped spaceships, I was less than ready to hear all about its fascinating perspective into the nuances of interplanetary contact.

So what is lacking? It isn’t just a more nuanced approach to first contact. Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life” (the story on which Arrival is based) brought in an important addition to the arsenal: the ability to communicate. As is often the case, language is not a hurdle that can be jumped over by affording the alien species a superintelligence to automatically assume its cultural implications and semantic content (Man

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AND THE

IDEA

OF

COMMUNICATION

of Steel). Nor is it one that can be solved by an intermediary to communicate for an entire species (Transformers, Transformers 2, Transformers 3... are there more?). Communication is a concept that forms the very foundation of first contact, and is always ignored in favor of chemical formulas that decide the storyline based on what type of scenes are wanted by the audience at large.

Be it its approach to communication, initial reaction or individual perception, Arrival consistently attacks the tendency of the alien franchise to otherize the alien entity. Arrival portrays its aliens as unaggressive, but not necessarily benevolent. It shows them as helpful, but not without personal intention. Rather than creating binaries that are simple and reductive, the film is willing, and able, to address the complicated nature of organic intelligence outside the human body.

While not a comprehensive text on the anthropological arguments it raises, it certainly does a good job of redefining this first contact.

“The story of Portuguese begins with the Kingdom of Galicia, in the Middle Ages, where the language was seen as an expression of art. The way it was written and spoken was rooted in aesthetics.”

Louise Banks’ introduction to her linguistics class encapsulates a core idea of Arrival: Language as an expression of an abstract concept.

The film’s approach to communication as core betrays this idea in a fantastic fashion: Ted Chiang’s story writes about Banks’ visions in a “historical future” tense, a form that blurs the difference between premonition and memory. Dave Haysom notes that in its translation into film, such language cannot form the foundation for the nonlinearity of time. This is where technique comes into play, with vivid images, jump shots and a narrative disregard for the things that Louise is seeing until the moment is right.

The linear structure of time has been a constant long before the dawn of cinema. Understanding each moment as leading to the next, clearly fenced off by the blurred boundaries of the past, present and

ARNAAV BHAVANANI future is how we understand narrative consistency. By no means is this a new concept.

Movies like Predestination have examined cause and effect within circularities so mind-boggling that charts have been created to comprehend it. Arrival centers its story around this timelessness, using its confusion as an extension of the question of how we communicate. How do we reach out across languages and cultures for something larger than ourselves? How do we collectively understand something? How does language hold us back, and how is diversity our greatest strength?

Critics have called Arrival an advertisement for globalization, but I feel that good advertising is always a reflection of reality.

Arrival’s reality is one where global reconciliation lies outside that of human understanding, outside time itself. In a world that is being pushed together into the classic melting pot, conflict and its resolution are best carried out through entirely new forms of communication: across time.

That might be a disconcerting thought based on an entirely fictional approach to real-world issues, but I would really go so far

as to say that the only fictional element in the film was the presence of aliens. The problem of cross-cultural communication is a statement on our own efforts to understand people; ultimately the greatest conflict in Arrival lies not between aliens and humans but amongst humans. The film’s apocalyptic undertone is only used as a side-story that describes obvious human reactions and injects a permanent sense of urgency and fear that is essential to maintaining pressure.

It is under this pressure of breaking from the mainstream that Arrival truly comes into explorations of its own. Amy Adams delivers a performance I have decided to describe as beautifully terrifying.

When she walks, her frame seems haunted by memories that are yet to become reality, her tears and confusion grow and claw at our minds.

Something is wrong with her character, there is a missing link that while not essential to the character’s actions, seems to define every move that they make. It is a monstrous task to create a character that is so unique, a character that transcends the linearity of time by comprehending a language with no human connection to compare it to.

On the other hand, it is the nature of Adams’ character as a linguist and the seriousness attached to it that truly marks this movie apart.

In a time when the West is experiencing populist resurgence, good communication is more important than ever. Scientific enquiry has not lost its importance, but even scientific discovery is subordinate to good communication between the best scientific minds regardless of their origins. Banks sums up this approach crudely yet perfectly when she says, “How about we just talk to them first? Before we start throwing math problems at them?”

I love the manner in which scientific enquiry inevitably plays an important role through Renner’s character, but there is a lot left unsaid that is necessary. Good science fiction is not about explaining fictional scientific ideas, but using them to explore the world we live in, the manner in which we know things and communicate. It takes science beyond the realm of facts and figures and bridges the gap between the absolute and the subjective in a manner that diminishes neither.

The manner in which Arrival breaks down the linearity of time is not explicitly explained- it is secondary to the overarching message of communication in the film. This message is one that invokes the basic currency of human exchange and the reason thought has developed to the extent that we can begin questioning it: our ability to speak to each other in the face of something outside our frameworks.

It is important to understand that Arrival is not a film about aliens.

It is a film about people. The aliens are simply catalysts in helping people move forward, think more and more openly, but most of all, communicate. And as all good movies about people, it doesn’t bother dancing around extremities so much as exploring the manner, and purpose, of the dance.

Picture Credit: A still from the film

The original name for the film was “Story of Your Life.”

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The Royal Affair

Queen Elizabeth is the longest serving monarch, having served 65 years on the British Throne.

Devang Laddha

Rumoured to be the most expensive TV show ever, ‘The Crown’ captures all the drama hidden behind the walls of the Buckingham Palace. As Director, Peter Morgan, takes one through the halls of Buckingham palace as he chronicles the life of the royal family as never before.

Clinically going over every detail, Morgan shoots every scene with great precision as he gives us the story of Elizabeth Mary Windsor. Covering the first decade of her life as Queen, the first season of ‘Crown’ manages to keep one at the edge of their seat, longing for more.

The show starts in the year 1947 where an ailing George VI sits on the throne. His daughter, Elizabeth is about to be married to her love, the newly promoted Phillip Mountbatten. Elizabeth - unaware of her father’s condition - enjoys her marriage, ignorant of the huge burden she is about to inherit. As her father soon dies, she is left to fend for a weak post-war Britain and a fractured throne. As she returns to Buckingham Palace, the tensions within start appearing; with every character working in their own self-interest coupled with the tensions with her husband, Elizabeth has quite a lot to deal with. This is clearly shown in the first episode where, after years of the husband being first, Elizabeth is asked to head out first, for the Crown is always in front.

Set in the backdrop of major international events, such as the re-election of Winston Churchill and the Suez Canal issue, the story told is intense.

Young Elizabeth, portrayed brilliantly by Claire Foy, is seen as the complex young queen she is and as she tries to head the royal family, and Britain, one can see her struggle to establish herself. Constantly under scrutiny and being told what to do, the journey of Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten to Queen Elizabeth Windsor is one worth watching.

From handling little situations such as her last name to handling one of the most stubborn leaders in history, the show outlines the capability of the Queen. It shows the weight one has to carry on her shoulders when one wears the Crown. The social structures governing her life are clearly depicted and the show is able to humanize the life of the Queen. It shows how being Queen is not all relaxed and about looking pretty, but a daily trial. One mistake can bring about unimaginable consequences.

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A life enshrined within tradition and social etiquette, the conflict within the Queen’s life captures all of one’s attention. As she tries to stay within her skin while following the rules that surround the centuries-old institution, she - along with the viewer - finds there is much more to the title of Queen.

While a lot of focus is given to the Queen, the show also gives one the feel of life in the Buckingham Palace. One gets to see the elaborate rooms, the décor, the grandeur and the heaviness of everything in the palace. The hierarchy and social ethics that govern the palace - the very bricks and cement of the monarchy - are fascinating to explore. Morgan gives the viewer a full chance to do this, through the lives of the various characters inhabiting the palace. One can see the palace as from the point of a former queen having inhabited the place for nearly all her life, through a foreigner just entering it, through someone who has had to leave it and of course, through someone who suddenly now heads it.

All in all, the Crown makes for a must-watch show, especially for anyone, even vaguely interested in drama. The way Morgan covers the Buckingham Palace is magnificent and Claire Foy’s depiction of the longest serving monarch in history is unparalleled. Armed with a great story, a beautiful cast and a brilliant director, the Crown is a treat to watch.

Picture Credit: Maison Magloyuan

Country Roads?

Aerosmith is the first band who were allowed to sign in on the walk of fame.

Zoraver Mehta

Three decades ago, if you told the famed frontman Steven Tyler to go ‘country’ in order to stay relevant he would have probably kicked you with one of his metal studded velvet boots.

Now, the release of the multiple Grammy award winners’ first country album titled ‘We’re All Somebody from Somewhere’ has left die-hard Aerosmith fans across the world crestfallen. The album is the product of a large team of producers, collaborators, songwriters and a label who are helping re-launch Tyler as a modern country singer.

“Country music is the new rock ’n’roll,” he claims. The release of this album is testament to the fact that classic rock, which was slowly being replaced by the more concurrent pop music over the past two decades, is yet another step closer to extinction.

I, for one, think that rock music will continue to influence future musicians and elements of the genre will live on, but the days of rock being deemed as popular culture are gone. Popular music

Picture Credits: Clipartfest, UPI

of today is slowly and largely becoming a mass produced product that is focused on a cautiously crafted formula of marketing and image as opposed to creativity and originality.

This is not to say that current popular artists lack musical talent or ingenuity, but their music is definitely productised and standardised. For instance, it isn’t probable that a truly conceptual band like Pink Floyd could become as popular today as they were before. Their songs are long, different and too strangely structured; it just doesn’t— unfortunately—appeal to the larger audience.

The opening song of the album ‘My Worst Enemy’ is Tyler’s interpretation of the number by the popular rock band ‘Lit’.

Though one might think that the release of a country album by such a celebrated rock star may be disagreeable, but the musician hasn’t failed to impress all by his appealing melodies and angelic harmonies. He has even moved to Nashville—the Hollywood of country music today—and plans to take advantage of the city’s abundant and extensive promotional machinery; Tyler aims on gaining popularity amongst the youth.

My music teacher once told me that the ear is a very lazy organ unlike the eyes, which have a short attention span. Therefore modern avant garde art and architecture are loved, but in music we cling to the past. The ear doesn’t like to be subjected to new things, therefore, most people today

don’t enjoy a Beethoven piano sonata, even though it is without doubt, musically enriching. A certain familiarity—similarity to music one already knows— plays a big role in connecting with the listener. Picture a teen with an affinity for hip-hop rap listening to his grandfather’s Brahms collection—or vice versa. Unfamiliar music is harder to grasp, especially on the first hearing.

Adamant rock fans have been very critical of this surprising change in genre. Many see this as Steven Tyler admitting that the culture of rock is dead and have perceived this change in genre as a covetous ploy for more radio coverage. Also, beyond musical talent, Tyler brought this griminess and attitude about him back in the 80’s, and many reckon that such charisma would be way beyond a man nearing seventy. His music use to be unprocessed; a juxtaposition of swagger and sensitivity, with music that allowed that instantly recognisable voice to soar and strut.

Many a times I have heard people (including myself!) say the days of great music are over and that there will never be another Chopin, Art Tatum or Mozart. While music of the last century and beyond is a sentiment for many, we must understand that with time, music evolves as well. I believe that we should learn to appreciate music from Bach to Miles Davis, but realise that musical styles, just like with any other art, are constantly changing and transforming.

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T

he television (drama, comedy, crime thriller) series Sherlock, based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, recently released its much awaited fourth season to herald the New Year.

After leaving us with the prospect of Moriarty’s return and the end of Sherlock’s penance for killing Magnussen, the hype created was off the charts. Not to mention the possibility of this being the last case Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman ever solve.

The fourth installment of this enthralling show kicked off with a rather intriguing case of an assistant’s quisling actions against her own government.

This episode got rather mixed reactions as people felt that despite its gripping story, the episode was not very ‘Sherlock-y’.

Fans during Season 3 itself were dubious about Sherlock losing its touch and for some, this was confirmation. Personally though, I enjoyed the tortuous tale of how ‘receptionists hear everything’.

The episode ended with (If you don’t already know, you have been warned) Dr. Watson’s wife’s, Mary Watson’s, death. Her rather complicated past lead to a series of conundrums for the consulting detective, but her death wrought upon the biggest one: Dr. Watson losing trust in him.

The semi-movie format of the show lead to an action packed second episode. It reminded the viewers of the contrasting nature of the protagonist. Many felt this episode redeemed the show with its intricate story and a vague portrayal that ameliorated the suspense creation. Sherlock’s sister was formally introduced to us in this episode, though not to Sherlock himself. Portrayed as a

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THE FINAL SOLUTION

goddess amongst men; we come to know that Sherlock is a mere shadow of her. His knack for solving crimes despite the fact that he was an emotional child when young and his reluctance towards contextualized emotion is apparently, all because of his faint remembrance of Euros.

This episode re-established ties between Watson and Sherlock through Sherlock’s ploy to have him save his life on the advice of Mary (given through a video tape). Sherlock was still patiently waiting for Moriarty to start with his games when he portended that the ‘Miss me?’ was in fact his sister.

Episode three resulted in a surge of contrasting views. Moffat and Gatiss are known for concocting

tales of the strangest kind but this evermore so was the strangest.

Starting off with a little girl on a plane not knowing how to land it and then a rather eerie experiment on Mycroft (Gatiss,) the deduction was finally made that Sherlock did in fact have a little sister: named after the goddess of the East wind, Euros. The events of the season were shown to be (all) orchestrated by Euros which seemed absurd to many as, “how could a person launch a motion sensor grenade, military grade of course, or pretend to be the same person’s extramarital affair and therapist simultaneously, from a maximum grade security fortress on an island (Sherrinford)”.

Regardless, fans like me gave this a pass as Euros was an ‘era

Aayush Chowdhry defining genius’ and had a way of ‘reprogramming people’ she talked to. Many also criticized the episode as it left Molly Hooper’s ‘I love you’ to Sherlock untied.

People groused that this was treated in a very similar manner as she had been throughout the show: disposable.

The season finale, and in all probability the series finale, ‘The Final Problem’ was quite ironically Sherlock’s very first case pertaining to his ‘dog’ Redbeard.

The episode also focused a lot on Mycroft Holmes, confirming fan theories about his iconic umbrella being a weapon, and his role as Lady Brackwell in Oscar Wilde’s famous play. It was heartening to see how Mycroft insulted Watson and Sherlock just to make killing

himself easier for Sherlock. A certain amount of remorse also told in Mycroft as he considered his death a punishment for Euros’ Christmas treat: Moriarty.

Euros was portrayed to be so brilliant that it took 5 minutes of unsupervised conversation with Moriarity for her to put the Baker Street Boys through their trials since Season 2. She made them see experiments from the perspective of lab rats with a series of tests to assess human emotions as she herself was the girl in the plane. Her mind had created the perfect metaphor: she was high above the rest but didn’t know how to land. Ever since she was a child, all Euros wanted was Sherlock’s love, some emotional connect as she composed the

song (in reality her cry for help) when merely a child.

Many felt that this episode was rather profound and excessively packed. By the end of the episode Sherlock gave Euros the context she longed for and strangely, gave her a brotherly hug when she was about to drown his best friend.

Red Beard was shown to be a boy rather than a dog who Euros had killed out of jealousy. This was, again, a tinge disappointing as much of Moffat’s writing leads to a woman merely seeking a man’s love. Notwithstanding, Sherlock is shown to give her the love she needs, save his friend and regain his rewritten memories.

This was a rather character defining season for Sherlock and we learnt to almost empathize with Sherlock’s drug problem.

We assumed that it was addiction but in reality it was a necessity to suppress his emotion. Ironically, that is what Euros needed and that is what saved John Watson in the end. Yes, the episode had its cons but being a Sherlock fan I felt that it was a defining episode in this series. For me it was an ending to what has been an amazing ride but some still had one wringing thought in their minds: “As the final problem drew to an end, the problem for us remained; will the Baker Street Boys be back? And, if they do so, will they truly?”

Picture Credit: NDTV Gadgets

Sherlock Holmes is a real Honourary Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry.

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John Legend, singer and pianist, had to learn how to play the guitar for his role in La La Land.

Striking the right chords Ms Priya Chaturvedi reviews 2016’s breakout musical hit.

featured

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t was truly a La La Land moment at the Oscars, comic and poignant at the same time, joy turning to tears, turning to smiles, with the subtext clear: the show must go on, and setbacks can be expressed through song, metaphorically speaking! Nostalgia has always been embedded deeply in the American psyche, much more so than it is in more ancient cultures, where the weight of history perhaps does not allow for such luxuries of sentiment.

But the U.S. is a sentimental, if not emotional, nation- look at the popularity country music (a genre that exalts nostalgia for the good old days and the simple life) has enjoyed everywhere in that country, except perhaps in its more sophisticated— and cynical--- metros. So when the young duo, classmates from Harvard, of Damien Chazelle (director) and Justin Hurwitz (composer) planned their joint foray into cinema, their choice of a revival of the grand tradition of the old-style musical, complete with lavish costumes and sets, was an inspired one. They tapped into the American values of ambition and optimism, and

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harnessed them to the American appreciation of the extravagant, the opulent, the larger-than-life, appealed to their nostalgia , and came up with a film that has something for everyone.

But La La Land’s runaway success is not a simple matter of the revival of the old-style musical. The creative challenge was, in Chazelle’s words, “ to make it feel very grounded and real—like a realistic musical”, adding wryly, “or is that an oxymoron?”

Perhaps the question is hardly relevant: La La… is exquisitely crafted so as to create its own reality of makebelieve. From the very opening, with a traffic-jam on a freeway in Los Angeles being met with song, rather than the usual fury and frustration of stalled commuters in a hurry, the meetadversity-with-a-smile mood is set. The musical that reflected a more leisurely age is transposed into the angst and tension-ridden world of today, somewhat in the Jacques Demy way. Out-of-work (but ever-hopeful) lovers Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) are ample proof of an inspired bit of casting.

She is in search of that elusive breakthrough as an actor, and he is a jazz pianist looking to break out of the cocktail-circuit gig. On screen, they are no strangers to each other, having played lovers in ‘Crazy, Stupid Love’, and they are entirely convincing through all the stages of their love story here. Stagecraft and choreography come together at many special moments, as when they seem to float into the stars after visiting an observatory, in a gravity-defying dance. On ground too, they turn the sunshine city, Los Angeles, into a dazzling backdrop to their song-anddance routines. The gritty urban edge in this fantasy is provided by a number of supporting roles- notably Keith, the band leader, played by singer John Legend, and Bill, the restaurant owner, played by J K Simmons, of ‘Whiplash, (a music-based film directed by Chazelle),

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fame/notoriety. In bringing together the glamour of the bigbanner musical of yore and the unglamorous aspects of life in 21st century LA, La La Land’s makers had to walk a tight-rope.

For me, this is what lifts the film from being a bit of extravaganza

to cinema that strikes some very authentic cinematic and musical notes (pardon the pun).

The ‘notes’ are actually what define La La…, the songs, the soundtrack and the dance numbers. Both Stone and Gosling turn their lack of professional training as singers into advantages. Two of the most appealing songs, City of Stars and Stone’s solo, Audition, were recorded in live takes, and the slightly raw edge in both are the key to that musical appeal. The bonus is that the fresh, untutored sound also generates enormous sympathy for the pair (“people like us”) . There are plenty of easy-to-understand jazz idioms in the music (in sync with Gosling`s role?), and easy to hum along, too, with many riffs and reprises, and predictable harmonic changes.

Mia and Sebastian’s Theme features some fairly inspired jazz improvisation (commendably, played by Gosling, no piano ‘doubles’ in this film). The tunes are, what else, tuneful, despite Sebastian’s professed disdain for pop, but occasionally transcend the expected, as in the opening number, Another Day of Sun, with its agitated piano intro and extra-musical support of car horns. Hurwitz’s harmonic underpinning of minor keys evoke heartbreak, bluesy style , and the film’s closing music with its big orchestral sweep of almostsymphonic sound, is a wrapup in the grand old Hollywood fashion. However, the film does not end with the lovers going off into the sunset, to live happily ever after. Mia and Sebastian, as 21st century lovers, realise that dreams belong in ‘la la-land’, and go their separate ways. They meet years later, in Sebastian’s jazz

club, and exchange no more than a smile. What could have been a corny moment is redeemed, as are many such moments in the film, by sensitive direction and fine acting .

There is much here that is familiar to us, who have had a staple ‘filmi’ diet of the song-dance-loveheartbreak-lush setting variety.

Desi versions of La La Land have been around for as long as

the Hindi film industry: a great escape from reality. So would I see it again? I don`t think so. But I would like to have a recording of the music. Preferably on vinyl.

Picture Credits: Popsugar, The Telegraph, Atlantic Transmission, Twitter, CNN News

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Special Section

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JRR Tolkien’s World

Picture Credit: Edain Mod Wiki

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Fingolfin challenges Morgoth.

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The History of Arda

By Armaan Verma

the History of Arda by Armaan Verma Tolkien’s legendarium is believed his own disruptive music. He darkness that enveloped Middleto be created from thoughts later came to be known as the earth that Melkor approached the formulated by Eru Ilúvatar, the first Dark Lord, reining in vast newly-awakened Elves, seeking one God of the World (Arda); numbers of minions; corrupted to enslave them, which caught that is to say, the entire universe creatures such as orcs, dragons, the attention of the Valar and exists in his mind. He created the and Balrogs followed his lead. But thus was the War of the Powers Ainur, a group of minor deities first, it is important to understand fought, whereby Melkor was who He, after their birth, taught the division of time in Tolkien’s defeated and captured. how to sing. The Music of the universe; there are a few ways that The awakening of the Elves Ainur, or the Ainulindalë, that time has been divided but this (initially as the Eldar), and their was then conceived, weaved into article will only expand on the capture by Melkor, known as existence the universe and the Three Ages, though the division Morgoth in the Elvish tongue Children of Ilúvatar, popularly in “Valian Years” marks a more of Sindarin after turning to known as the Men and Elves. The ancient starting point. The Years darkness, marked the beginning Ainur descended to Arda as the of the Lamps, wherein the world of the First Age, corresponding Valar and the Maiar; the former of Arda had a very different with the final time period of the being the angelic powers holding shape, was the era lit by the Two Valian Years; the Years of the sway over the happenings of Lamps created by the Valar to Sun. It was here that all three Middle-earth and the latter illuminate the world. It was major races; the Men, Elves, and being lesser forms of the Ainur. Melkor who later destroyed the Dwarves were active for the very However, the Valar ended all Lamps, leaving the world in the first time. The Eldar—the Elves interference with mortal processes throes of darkness once again. The of the Great Journey—later split Valar then reshaped Arda into its into the Noldor, Vanyar, and after the downfall of Melkor.

Melkor, initially the most present geographic constitution Teleri; three individual clans powerful of the Valar, was and blessed it with the Two Trees that at the time resided in Aman. responsible for ruining the that solely brought light to the Morgoth began capturing Elves symmetrical nature of Arda with continent of Aman. It was in the and corrupting them into Orcs

the old that is strong does not wither; deep roots are not reached by the frost.

All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost;

It would be incorrect to assume that The Lord of the Rings is solely the subject of this year’s Special Section since the series itself exists in a much greater “legendarium,” attributed to the imagination of J. R. R. Tolkien. Therefore, the DSIR presents to you a brief history of Arda, which houses The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and other works, and whose contents are so enormous, it would be an error on my part to waste more words not narrating it.

shall spring; shadows the from light a woken, be shall

crownless again

fire

the

a

broken, shall

ashes

was

An Ancient Balrog

be king.

the

that

From

blade

Picture Credits: Ultima Wiki, DeviantArt

the

a response to the secret forging of the One Ring by Sauron, the Elves and the Men came together to form the Last Alliance and fought the Battle of Mount Doom, setting into sequence the historical context of The Lord of the Rings. Gil-galad, the King of the Elves was slain and at the end of the Second Age, the Ring fell into Gollum’s slippery hands.

The Third Age witnessed the ascent of Men and the bringing forth of the Wizards (or Istari), such as Gandalf and Saruman into Arda. The dwarves of Erebor abandoned their kingdom and the One Ring was kept safe on its journey into Mordor by Frodo Baggins. Much of the relevant occurrences of the Third Age are recounted in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. As for the Fourth Age—the final one that Tolkien wrote any account of—was the time when Men rose to even greater heights of power.

This is the Age wherein Tolkien has blurred the boundaries of his fictional world with our own, stating that with the passage of time, the descendants of these peoples forgot their heritage and thought these events to be legends and eventually fantasies part of another world altogether.

shall be

after Fëanor’s failed venture.

The Second Age began following the sinking of Beleriand and Morgoth’s exile into the Void. The Men who remained faithful were gifted the island of Númenor, establishing a great and mighty Kingdom of Men that went on to humble Sauron himself. Initially, the Men of Númenor were superior to their fellows in terms of ability but the arrogance they acquired towards the end of the Second Age proved to be their downfall. Sauron raised high the powers of the Melkor cult in Númenor and convinced its last king, Ar-Pharazôn, to invade Aman. Amandil, the leader of the Faithful (they that worshipped Eru Ilúvatar), along with his son and grandson sailed west to warn the Valar of these developments, who then lay down the guardianship of the world and definitively cut off Aman, now known as the Undying Lands, from the rest of Arda.

It was then that Elendil, son of Amandil, and his heir, Isildur founded the Kingdoms of Men; Gondor and Arnor, taking with them a seedling of the White Tree of Númenor that was destroyed

by Sauron, before Númenor itself was obliterated. To counter the dark forces of Mordor, and as

renewed

and other creatures of darkness, and after falling into the Valar’s captivity, Sauron continued his work. Sauron, widely known as the The Lord of the Rings, was one of the Maiar that was seduced by the power of Morgoth and proceeded to become his lieutenant. In contrast, the Wizards, sent down by the Valar to Middle-earth to contest Sauron, were symbolic of light and Valian power. Much of the First Age passed in the narration and context of The Silmarillion.

The Silmarils, three dazzling jewels filled with the light of the Two Trees, were forged by the Elven prince, Fëanor. Coveted by the Valar and the Eldar, Fëanor accused his own brother of attempting to steal the Silmarils, for which he was banished to Formenos.

Morgoth, newly freed from his chains, then slew Fëanor’s father, the High King of the Noldor, and seized the Silmarils for himself, which incurred the wrath of Fëanor and his people. It brought about the flight of the Noldor from Valinor—the home of the Valar—in Aman to Middle-earth, where, for a time, they coexisted peacefully with the Eldar. But Fëanor’s quest to reclaim the Silmarils brought misery to the Elves and the Men as they fought battle after pointless battle.

Fëanor was slain and the three Silmarils changed numerous hands before finally being cast into the sea, the underground, and the sky where they still lie, inaccessible to the world. The Valar finally confronted the armies of Morgoth in the War of Wrath, prior to which the land of Beleriand sank under the sea; there was only one settlement of Men and Elves left in Beleriand

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the hobbit by samar mundi

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” It is this very sentence that opens to us the doors of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, introducing the world to a tale that would essentially lay the groundwork for a new genre of fiction for the decades to come.

A lighthearted prequel to ‘The Lord of the Rings’, ‘The Hobbit’ invites the reader into a land of dwarves and dragons and other mystical creatures borrowed from Tolkien’s imagination. A scholar of the Anglo-Saxon language, he draws inspiration from ancient works such as ‘Beowulf ’ and Nordic sources among others.

A tale of high adventure, the reader follows a company of dwarves searching for their long-lost dragonguarded gold. A hesitant partner in this perilous quest is our protagonist Bilbo Baggins, a laid-back hobbit, who reluctantly sets out to challenge his own beliefs and, in time, surprise even himself with his resourcefulness and courage. Approached by Gandalf, a wizard, to serve a group of dwarves as a burglar and embark on a daring quest, Bilbo sets out reluctantly and soon finds himself in death-defying situations he would never have imagined from the comfort of his cozy hobbit-hole. Their company chances upon trolls and goblins, is attacked by giant spiders, and takes on a dragon to escape the jaws of death multiple times. They traverse unfriendly terrain and cross many a dale and stream to reach their destination, the Lonely Mountain, which shelters a mighty dragon, Smaug. The final stage of their journey is marked by the Battle of Five Armies, which on ending brings to rest their adventure.

Originally meant to be a children’s book, one may notice that certain aspects of it are far from kids’ stuff.

Bilbo is put in situations no child can be expected to identify with. He finds himself playing riddles in the dark for his life with a creature that means to eat him, being sent down a tunnel with a dragon on the other end of it and in other such dangerous positions. Tolkien sometimes portrays courage in a very different, cold way and expects it to be understood. He also creates many other complex situations one can identify with or relate to by adding elements of moral courage and diplomacy. Bilbo, deciding his friends are being greedy in their want of treasure, secretly gives away the greatest treasure of all, the Arkenstone, to his companions’ besiegers as a diplomacy tactic, but humbly and openly returns to his friends. The elves and the dwarves, although not allies, are forced to come together and compromise to

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unite against a common opposition. All these are situations that are not completely unrealistic and allow us to understand Tolkien’s writings.

As mentioned earlier, the book does begin in a lighthearted, blithe fashion, but this evolves with time and we notice the text begins to get heavier. Tolkien masterfully weaves the story in a way that it matures with every page, and near the end we find the writing to be almost saga-like. We see the collective maturation of the text and characters, and this sets perfectly the tone for the much more serious Lord of the Rings, which kicks off soon after the end of The Hobbit.

A short book, The Hobbit substitutes length with emotional depth and connect, gripping the reader and holding a place in the hearts of grown-ups and kids alike. Through The Hobbit, Tolkien brought back old images of epic action and heroism to the modern mind.

Middle Earth

Shadow of Mordor

By Aviral Kumar A hobbit, a ring, and a quest that defies all odds; these are some things that come to mind when talking about ‘The Lord of The Rings’ (LOTR), J.R.R Tolkien’s magnum opus, a series that has left a permanent mark on not only literature, but almost every aspect of pop culture and media. Today, the series is considered a literary classic, and is beloved by millions around the globe. However, it is this very popularity that makes it increasingly difficult to release new content set in or based around Tolkien’s saga, not because this new content is bad, per se, but simply because it is a monumental task to produce anything that can compare to the originals, let alone a video game. Regardless, Monolith Productions, a largely unknown game developer, teamed up with Warner Bros to challenge this notion, and create a game that could do justice to LOTR whilst maintaining its own identity. Thus, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor released in September, 2014, and took the gaming world by storm, garnering widespread praise. It gave fans an LOTR game they never knew they wanted, and proved that Tolkien’s books could be adapted into a game and retain their success.

Shadow of Mordor, chronologically speaking, is based between the events of ‘The Hobbit’ and LOTR. It deals with the return of Sauron (the series’ namesake, the Lord of the Rings) to his realm of Mordor, and how a ranger named Talion (inspired by Boromir from the books) has his family killed by Sauron’s forces, subsequently seeking revenge. While the plot is your run-of-the-mill revenge arc, it is Shadow of Mordor’s ground-breaking Nemesis system that sets it apart. The Nemesis System, to put it simply, is a gameplay mechanic Monolith implemented which basically turns every enemy in the game into an individual with his own personality and agenda. For example, a foe Talion has slain in the past can return from the grave, marked with the scars of their last encounter, and more determined than ever to seek vengeance. This creates experiences that are unique to each player, as they essentially create their own stories. What is even more commendable is how Monolith was able to incorporate some of their own ideas into the mythos, whilst also staying true to the source material, an impressive feat considering the scope and depth of Tolkien’s lore.

Picture Credits: Wired, Quenya101 This is isn’t to say that Shadow of Mordor wasn’t without its faults, an unsatisfying conclusion and a weak plot does bog down a game that could’ve been perfect, but with such a great start, Monolith are currently working on a sequel, titled ‘Shadow of War’, which will release this year in August, continuing the tale of Talion and his war against Sauron. Despite a few shortcomings, Shadow of Mordor proved to be an excellent game, and one that didn’t rely on the popularity of its license to carry it to critical acclaim.

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the

Lord

of the

Rings

By J.R.R .Tolkien

Co-written by Armaan Verma and Aviral Kumar “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all And in the darkness bind them….”

It is this very ring that sets in motion the events of J.R.R Tolkien’s literary masterpiece, ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Tolkien’s saga has etched itself into the hearts of millions, and cemented its position as a great work of literature. Today, the tale of Frodo Baggins and his quest to destroy the Dark Lord, Sauron’s domineering ring is instantly recognizable by many, and the series as a whole has garnered a colossal fandom through several forms of media; namely books, movies and even video games. As ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is such an iconic work of literature and has won the hearts of millions, this article is more of an attempt at a tribute than a review of the timeless and resplendent series.

‘The Lord of the Rings’ is set 30 years after Tolkien’s first fantasy novel, ‘The Hobbit,’ and talks of the

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return of the Dark Lord Sauron after a centuries-long absence.

Literature has two ways, broadly speaking, of leaving a substantial impact on an audience; it is either that the character building and the nitty-gritties of the work is what captivates its reader or its plot and setting that is fabricated in a harmonious and attentiongrabbing manner that leaves a considerable impression on the reader’s imagination. Tolkien has accomplished both with just this series. The world of Middle-earth is one that is revisited in movies, video games, fan art, and other media, and the archetypal tale of young Frodo on a mission, accompanied by the archetypal partner-in-crime, Samwise Gamgee, to brave the horrors of their long journey and defeat the archetypal villain, Sauron, is deep-seated in today’s pop culture.

Almost everything about the series, in fact, is the quintessential substance that holds together the very idea of fantasy that we understand today. The concept of Orcs, Dwarven mines, magic, and the purity of Elves would not exist if Tolkien had never imagined them. They seem like commonplace terms and familiar references, but our perception of them as such entities, assuming that they were even thought of by a writer other than Tolkien, would be far different from how they endure presently. But even putting these elements aside, there are variegated characters and sequences that form the basis of imagery that so many writers and artists use today.

For example, Frodo’s journey is the classic ‘quest’ in every high fantasy setting; a hazardous

journey set upon to achieve a set goal that impacts the entire world—Middle-earth, in this case. Furthermore, Legolas the Elf, and Gimli (Son of Gloin, of course) are the characteristic duo with the occasional exchange of quips. Such things seem so deeply embedded in our day-to-day lives as well as our media and culture that we hardly give it a fleeting thought, but Tolkien thought of such things at a time when such imaginations were deemed childish.

Not only did Tolkien pretty much single-handedly create the fantasy genre, it was his work that introduced the world to the possibility of a setting with immense depth and a rich mythos. Tolkien, and later on his son Christopher, greatly expanded upon the lore of the Trilogy with several books such as ‘The Silmarillion’ and ‘The Unfinished Tales’, but even without these supplementary works, Tolkien was able to write a tale which at its core was so simple, yet introduced readers to a world similar to our own, one with myriad cultures, races and beliefs. He created an entire mythology around Middle-Earth, with its own creation myths, pantheons of deities etc, something which may seem ordinary today, but at the time was considered a herculean feat. Such was his attention to detail and authenticity, that he went so far as to create entire languages

and scripts from nothing, such as the’ black speech’ of the orcs, or the ‘Sindarin’ of the elves.

All this aided in increasing the Trilogy’s charm and the sense of wonder and enchantment that it instilled. Within the next few decades, ‘The Lord of The Rings’ had permeated itself throughout media, and dozens of authors, directors and game developers were following suit, aiming to create their own worlds that could hopefully replicate the encapsulating feeling Tolkien’s had. From ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ to ‘The Elder Scrolls’, ‘Harry Potter’ and even ‘Star Wars’, Tolkien has in some way or the other influenced almost every major work of fiction since the 50’s, whether it be fantasy or science fiction, and rightly so.

Picture Credits: Collider, Forbes, Dons Maps

In The Two Towers,Viggo Mortensen broke two of his toes on camera upon kicking a helmet in rage.

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A Dar k Development

By Ms Malvika Kala Underdog films appeal to the little fellow with the little voice within. They inspire the audience and give this sort of irrational hope that helps us get through another day of despair, disquiet and discomfort- one goal, one speech or one drop of sweat at a time. However, more often than not, they tend to have hyperventilating protagonists who shout their loudest either with words or with actions about how the world has let them down and how they would turn the situation around with the triumph of the human spirit. So, it is with this frame of mind, that I sat down to watch Moonlight- a genre defying indie production.

The Barry Jenkins directed film is adapted from a semiautobiographical play by American playwright and actor Tarell Alvin McCraney called ‘In Moonlight Black Boys Look

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Blue’. In the play, the three main characters- a young boy, a teenager and a young maneach one of them alone in his existential agony- are all revealed to be the same person at the end.

In the film, Jenkins takes on the drama and reorganises the concurrent depiction of the lead character’s life. It plays out in three different acts, each one alluding to different stages in the life of Chiron. Each of these peeks into Chiron’s soul is explored through how he is perceived by others.

It is significant that the three chapters are titled by names that have been thrust upon Chiron by others. It further highlights his alienation and his struggle with his own identity.

The first one in the triptych aptly titled ‘Little’ serves as a great exposition. We meet the titular character hiding in a dilapidated housing estate after being chased

by bullies. Ten year old Alex Hibbert as Little displays all the vulnerability of a child living in a drug riddled neighbourhood and speaks volumes just with his eyes.

The rapid camera movements mirroring his anxiety do justice in building up the tempo of the film as well.

The film opens to Boris Gardiner’s soulful ‘Every Nigger is a star’ that, in a way, heralds the ‘Bildungsroman’ quality of the plot. “At some point, you’ve got to decide for yourself, who you’re going to be”, advises Juan, a drug dealer who is also responsible for the drug addiction of Chiron’s mother. He is played brilliantly

by Mahershala Ali, who got fame with his portrayal of formidable D.C. player Remy Danton in the Netflix series ‘House of Cards’. Here, he emanates a worldly charm that comes with his astute perception,

Moonlight has a lower budget ($1.5 million) than any other ‘Best Picture’ winner since Rocky ($1.1 million).

never sentimentalizing inspite of the intensity that the role demands. Juan, along with his partner Theresa played by an unaffected Janelle Monae, who has had a great year herself with Moonlight and Hidden Figures garnering eleven Academy award nominations between them, takes a shine to the young boy clearly in need of strong parental figures.

We meet the mother played by Naomi Harris whose drug addled mind doesn’t realize the physical and emotional abuse her young son faces almost every day. The gifted actress is in superb form here portraying the vehemence of a mother whose very instability and unavailability makes her take out all her bitterness and resentment on the unsuspecting young boy at home. Young Chiron with the raging conflict inside of him, tries to defer issues about his sexuality, that he knows little about, lest he suffer

heartbreak. His confusion is further amplified by lack of male intimacy in his life.

There is an almost magical sequence in the film where Juan teaches little Chiron to swim in the ocean. The subtle joy amidst the reigning pathos is only heightened with Nicholas’ Britell’s lilting score playing in the background, while Juan holds and props up the skinny, unarmed child, even as waves swell all around him. The beach again plays witness to one of the most poignant encounters in the film between Chiron and his young friend Kevin. Kevin and Chiron played by Alex Hibbert and Jaden Piner, Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome, and Trevante Rhodes and André Holland in their three avatars, are perfectly matched.

Later still, Chiron’s life takes an unexpected yet inevitable turn which resembles the Aristotelian

epitasis. In the last chapter, Chiron lets himself be called Black, which also refers to his newfound engagement with his identity triptych. This is only reinforced by his chains and gym-honed physique. Chiron meets Kevin in a poetic sequence at the latter’s diner where years of separation and adopted stances fall away, only to reveal that miraculous moment of old confidantes re-connecting.

It is with delicate, diaphanous moments like these that Moonlight steals your heart. This tender coming of age story paints a portrait of troubled youth like no other, helped in part, perhaps by Jenkins’ compassion and empathy for these lowlifes of a ghettoized neighbourhood.

It is a rhapsody that rejoices in its silences and is as fuzzy, confusing, surreal and luminous as a childhood dream.

Picture Credits: Junkee, Vox News

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A memorial celebrating the author’s life and work, held at the Natural History Museum in London, was attended by close friends like Sir David Attenborough and Princess Anne.

Ansh Raj “My family and other animals” is a heart-warming tale of the Durrell family’s adventurous sojourn in the Greek island, Corfu. Written in the mid-20th century, it is the autobiography of a boy who tries to balance his extraordinary life amid an eccentric family and an undying love for wildlife. Set against a rich Greek background, the book is widely renowned today for its unbounded humour, and the use of vivid imagery to showcase the author’s heartfelt love for nature.

The most prominent theme of the book, undisputedly, is the extraordinary features of the main cast, the Durrell family. The first signs of their eccentricities are revealed when each family member gets his “bare essential” of life- a big pile of books for the eldest brother Larry, a set of guns and other hunting equipment for Leslie, a trunk full of cosmetics and acne creams for Margo, a set of recipe books for the widowed mother and a jar full of caterpillars for the narrator. Each has his own selfacclaimed occupation, and often there are moments when these interests clash, giving way to chaos, with humour complementing this disfunction. Furthermore, the abnormality extends to other characters as well, with the most noteworthy being Spiro “Americano” Halikiopoulos, the family’s unofficial cab driver, and Dr Theodore Sephanides, the author’s private tutor. Spiro prides himself on his eminent ‘grasp’ over the English language, and decisively appoints himself as the Durrell family’s sponsor, guide, and of course, friend- only to further the family’s immense idiosyncrasies.

In contrast to Spiro’s exuberance, Dr Sephanides presents us with a character whose most illustrious traits include an acute awkwardness when greeting or bidding farewell to someone, and a flair for telling the most fantastic tales (some of which would be duly intercepted by Larry, an aspiring author, for being too fanciful). Furthermore, there are enough instances in the book that reflect the struggles of the Durrell family while conforming to the foreign customs, like the apparent absence of washrooms in domestic households. The hardships they suffer are coupled with their ability to create problems for themselves, and creates a greatly enjoyable read for the audience.

If there is anything that supersedes the Durrell family’s peculiarities, it is the author’s profound love for fauna, which is also Corfu’s most prized possession. Throughout the book, we come across several escapades of the author in his adorable attempts at discovering new life forms. This, complemented with the vivid imagery that is the author’s most praiseworthy trait, grabs the central spotlight of the plot.

Despite writing several accounts of his discoveries, the author, in his acknowledgement, still laments about dedicating too many pages to his nagging family!

Another important element, which, I believe, has been eclipsed by other prominent elements, is the exquisite Greek setting. The book acts as a narrative of the picturesque Corfu island, the trance of which is furthered by the thoughts of the young and zealous author. The rich background helps in inducing the readers into a state of blissful tranquillity, and enchants them into a completely mystic realm.

Picture Credits: Goodreads

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the return of the king

By Aviral Kumar

When John Carmack, co-founder of iD Software, developed the DOOM Engine, a game engine for iD’s latest IP, he had no idea that he was about to revolutionize the gaming industry forever. Enter Doom; released in 1993, it was a first-person shooter (FPS) about demons invading Mars, sounds ridiculous right? Well, it was far from it; Doom gained universal acclaim for having relatively realistic graphics and bringing bone-crushing action to its players. Now, one could obviously argue that Doom, as a game, doesn’t hold a candle to today’s shooting games, namely Call of Duty and Battlefield, but one must look beyond technological capabilities and towards cultural impact to understand Doom’s significance in gaming history. While the latest games will obviously play and look far superior to Doom, what it did considering the technology at the time was considered ground breaking, much like what Star Wars did for the movie industry.

Doom also popularized the FPS genre, so much so that for the subsequent years, most FPS games were labeled ‘Doom clones’.

Due its success, Doom spawned a franchise which included several sequels, with Doom 2 (1994) and Doom 3 (2004) achieving similar praise as the first. Sadly, the last few years saw modern shooters gradually replacing Doom and it’s kin as Kings of the FPS genre, as a new generation of gamers emerged, with most not even knowing what Doom was. Thankfully, iD decided to remind everyone, and in 2016, they released DOOM, a complete reboot for the modern gamer which brought the iconic series into the post-2010 graphics era. Most argued that in a realistic- shooter dominated market, the demonslaying premise would be unappealing, and the game wouldn’t be able to replicate the feats of its predecessors. iD ignored this criticism, and instead of acceding to modern shooter tropes, they took what made the originals great, and dialed everything up a notch. Doom 2016

released on the 13th of May, and to everyone’s surprise, became a critical and commercial hit.

Critics and players alike praised it for its stunning visuals, overthe-top bloodshed and powerful soundtrack. The remake was able to perfectly capture the feel and spirit of the original, while delivering a fast-paced and gritty gameplay experience that could be enjoyed by both long-time fans and newcomers to the series.

Because of the positive reception it garnered, the developers are also planning on a potential sequel, continuing the story of the iconic ‘Doomguy’, the series’ unnamed protagonist.

While it is true that Doom will never be able to dominate the FPS market again as it did in the 90’s, it is good to see that iD hasn’t let the series meet its ‘doom’, and is putting an effort into bringing it into today’s market, efforts that have so far seemed fruitful.

What is unquestionable however is the influence that Doom has had on gaming. If it weren’t for it, the FPS genre would have never gotten the attention or popularity that helped it become gaming’s flag-bearer in the 21st Century. So the next time you see someone ranting about unrealism in their beloved shooter, do tell them that the progenitor of modern shooters, which strive for complete realism, was in fact a game about killing demons on Mars.

Picture Credits: GameSpot, BHM Pictures

The name “Doom” comes from a scene in the movie ‘The Color of Money’

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The Book Thief

By Karan Sampath

In a world where war is often fought over religion, the path to spirituality for our protagonist, Liesel Merminger, was one of the most devastating wars the world has ever seen. Being a book written and published in the 21st century, it showed a remarkable understanding of a time mainly documented by the Allied Forces.

Markus Zusak, a young author, had played with the meaning of life and death, even going to the extent of personifying ‘Death’ as a character. Widely acclaimed, ‘The Book Thief ’ had a story to tell, a story of a young girl alone, in one of the darkest times in history.

Before beginning my analysis of this book, I consider it my duty to warn the unsuspecting readers of this article that I will spoil major parts of this story. Being a treat for everyone, if you haven’t read the book, don’t read further.

The most crucial part of this book is the perspective from which it is narrated. A perspective which was not supposed to be humanlike, but, surprisingly, was. The character of ‘Death’ is portrayed as someone/something deeply influenced and touched by human incidents and lives. His narration, while spoiling the book for the reader by revealing events which hadn’t occurred yet, had a distinct detached aura attached to it. The effect on the reader, though, was quite the opposite. This narration makes us feel closer to all the characters in this story, from descriptions of Liesel’s mother leaving her to the

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realisation that she was the only one left after the bombs dropped.

Death’s narration also brings the reader to another important realisation, that man is mortal.

However inane this may sound, it is often the case that humanity doesn’t realise the implications of this, and so never makes use of the life one has to the ‘fullest’.

Don’t get me wrong, by this phrase, I don’t mean to imply that enjoyment should be the sole goal in life. On the contrary, I think this term has a deeper meaning. It is meant to make us realise that being mortals, it is our duty to ‘honour’ the dead; it is our duty to make an impact on the world which will make it better for our own descendants and, in doing so, honouring the sacrifices our ancestors made for us. This is precisely what Liesel did, in her own small way. Her story is an example of how one can spread hope and peace in one’s own little community, at a time when there was none.

Although this thought-provoking

book has a positive theme to it, Markus Zusak has written this story about people who were hated by most of the world at the time, the ordinary Germans who toiled day and night to feed the German army. This hatred was born purely out of the pain and anguish which many suffered due to this army. However, the aim of this text was to prove the exact opposite. The Germans in this book weren’t enjoying their life, and feasting on the ‘loot’ the army was raiding from their conquered lands. On the other hand, they were also suffering, with only ration cards for food and bombs raining down from the heavens every day. These Germans lost loved ones, seen in the departure of Hans’ Hubermann’s son for Russia, where ‘Death’ awaited him. These Germans also lost a major part of their own society, seen in one of the most infamous genocides in history, the Holocaust. Liesel’s friendship with Max Vandenburg, an ostracised Jew, is just an example

of the solidarity some Germans had for one another, regardless of the religion they followed.

Her relationship was one of love and trust. From the books they would write for each other, to the small snippets of a crossword that Liesel would bring for Max to solve, their relationship is a reminder of how inhumane Hitler’s acts against Jews were.

This beautiful love came to the fore in the tragic sacrifice Liesel made to give Max a scrap of bread, suffering beatings, so that he would be able to survive the long, arduous march to the Dachau concentration camp.

Finally, ‘The Book Thief ’ as a title itself is one to which anyone can relate to at all points of this book. Liesel’s love for books, right from her first heist next to her brother’s deathbed, to the books which her lifelong friend, Max Vandenburg wrote for her, had deep consequences on the plot of this novel. Each steal has been described vividly, painting a wonderful image for the reader.

Reading, writing and language, being ways to express oneself, had been learnt by Liesel through the medium of these stolen books.

She saw these books as symbol of freedom, a symbol of liberation, from Nazi oppression. An example of this was when Liesel risked everything to save a book or two out from a Nazi bonfire made of these books. Moreover, Liesel saw her acts of robbery as a revenge for her own family being robbed from her. The effect of the loss of both of one’s closest family members can be catastrophic.

Liesel, being brave, and having foster parents who cared for her, not only bore her loss, but tried to ensure that no one else close

to her would have to go through ordeals like hers.

There has often been debate over whether this book can be read by teenagers, or is it only for adults.

For me, it is for no age and for every age. Every reader of this book can relate to it, in some way or the other. Be it the character of the accordion, bringing happiness in grief-stricken times, or how unsettling and harsh the book can be. Nevertheless, ‘The Book Thief ’ remains one of the most elegant, flamboyant and

elaborate books I have ever read.

In the end, all that remains for me is to voice the words of our narrator, ‘Death’: “I am haunted by humans.”

Picture Credits: FunnyJunk, NIUS News

Markus Zusak redrafted The Book Thief 200 times, believing the rewrites would make the novel stronger.

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Censoring Substance Nirvair Singh ‘Udta Punjab’, directed by Abhishek Chaubey, talks about the insurgence of drug abuse amidst the youth of Punjab via the life stories of a rock star, a migrant labourer, a policeman and a doctor fighting for the cause. It depicts the tragic reality of the ‘drugged youth’ in Punjab, for the world to recognize and help put an end to.

Shahid Kapoor plays Tejinder “Tommy” Singh, a drug hooked rock star, who is known for his adrenaline-pumping songs on the euphoria of drugs. He inspires many to start becoming ‘consumers’. He turns anti-drugs when, after a rough night, he lands up in jail with two underage fans who claim to be inspired by him. Realizing how adversely he has affected teenagers he begins to reform. He then begins to preach at his concerts on how his addicted fans must change their lifestyles, which makes him rather unpopular. He is berated by his fans at his concerts but still sticks to by his cause and works at getting de-addicted himself.

Preet Sahni (Kareena Kapoor)

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a doctor-cum-activist who runs a rehabilitation centre for drug abuse survivors and their families and Sartaj Singh (Diljit Dosanjh) a police officer aware of the drug smuggling his seniors are involved in come together to find the man behind the menace: Vikrant, an elderly man who has political support. An unnamed Bihari migrant (Alia Bhatt), usually called Bauria, is a farm slave who’s uneducated and ignorant of the drug menace and falls victim to barbarous drug pedlars due to unknown possession of drugs. All these experiences faced by the actors in the film show us the gravity of the situation and how it is and must be urgently addressed.

Before finally releasing in June 2016 the film faced many difficulties from the Indian Central Board of Film Certification (CBSF). It was banned due to excessive use of abusive words and depiction of drug use. Finally it was approved ,but major parts of the film were cut. The film went on to join a list of movies that faced similar

Abhishek Bachchan was signed for Diljit Dosanjh’s role as Sartaj Singh but later opted out. hindrances before they got their release in India, all of which were contentious in some way. This myopic approach of the CBSF is what appalls me, where they aren’t willing to broadcast issues of the hour. There may have been too much explicit content; however it is crucial that such content is put forward so the global community can see the conduct of people under the influence. Films like these should be screened without hesitation, to spread awareness.

Many of the viewers were displeased by the film and thought it was too explicit, but the message it spread was valid and urgent. This would be an accurate example of a movie that was released to spread a message contrary to majority of films released for viewership and other materialistic purposes. Hats off to the crew of Udta Punjab for being brave enough to express themselves despite the hardships they faced from the orthodox Indian cinema and government who aren’t willing to wake up and smell the coffee.

Picture Credits: Youtube

Rogue one A STAR WARS SToRY

point - counterpoint Are the New Films Doing Justice to the originals?

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“Great Kid. Don’t get cocky.”

Kar thik Subbiah Rogue One is the first of a planned trilogy of Star Wars anthology films that will fill some of the gaps in the franchise; revealing the events of the time between Episodes 3 and 4 that led to a group of rebels stealing the plans for the Deathstar. The opening scenes of Episode 4 show Princess Leia hiding these very plans in R2-D2.

The protagonist, female lead Jyn Urso, is played by Felicity Jones.

At the age of 8, her mother is killed and her father is pressed into the Empire’s service against his will by antagonist Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn). She is then brought up by extremist rebel Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). 13 years later, she is in Imperial custody on criminal charges, when she is rescued by the rebel alliance. Her criminal record and roguish nature make it easy to draw parallels to Han Solo in the original series. The rebels send her with Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and droid K-2SO to extract information about her father from Saw Gerrera on Jedha, a desert moon.

They find a message from her father that tells them where he has hidden the plans for the Death Star. At Jedha, they pick up Imwe and his friend, gunman Baze Malbus. They then travel to Eadu for a brief rendezvous with her father before he and his team of scientists are murdered by Krennic.

The Star Wars Franchise has had a long standing reputation for its use of CGI. Rogue One was no exception, featuring Grand

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Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher).

Naturally, the dependence of the film on CGI has been heavily criticized, but in my opinion, they are just trying to bring back some of the classic characters involved with Star Wars.

Another unique feature about Rogue One is the complete absence of Jedi or Lightsabers, except for the occasional Darth Vader scenes. Also, the introductory text crawl, one of the most iconic things about Star Wars, is missing. The message could not be clearer- this is not a full-fledged Star Wars movie.

Nevertheless, Director Gareth Edwards ensures that there are plenty of subtly woven links to the Star Wars universe like Aunt Beru’s blue milk and Darth Vader’s egg-like resting capsule. Even the presence of Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), the blind force-sensitive character, introduces a Jedi element to the movie that is an integral part of all the other films.

Of late, there has been an emerging trend among movies, where they are often without a definitive ending. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them”, a concept quite similar to Rogue One, is left hanging at the end, thereby setting it up for the next

movie. Even “Star Wars Episode 7: A Force Awakens”, ends with a literal hand-off to the next movie.

Rogue One sets itself apart in this context. The ending couldn’t be more definitive since (spoiler alert) all the leading characters die. The final pair to go are Jyn and Cassian, who die when the Death Star fires on Scarif. In fact, even if the Star Wars franchise had never existed, Rogue One would still make sense as a movie.

To conclude, I think that Rogue One was a great addition to the Star Wars franchise. It deals with a major question in the plot of Episode 4 and is also a good standalone movie. Watching it was a great experience and it kept me absorbed till its dying moments. As for the future of the franchise, Yoda puts it most aptly - “The Dark Side Clouds everything. Impossible to see the future it is.”

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“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Arjun Bajwa

CO

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was another great movie from the George Lucas franchise, but it felt like the same old plot once again.

It was a repeat of the ‘weaponthat-destroys-planets’ story. After watching the Star Killer Base in ‘Star Wars the Force Awakens’, the Death Star looks weak in the eyes of the viewers. It felt as though more aspects of the plot had been included in the film than it could handle, resulting it it feeling too heavy. Disney seemed to have just made money

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off of the Star Wars franchise and it was a rather poor effort.

Without the symbolic “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....” the movie felt quite off. The Text Crawl along with iconic soundtrack, gives viewers a context and a backstory to the movie. The creator of the Crawl, Dan Perri, recently said that not adding it to Rogue One was a “huge mistake” and that it is “so important to hundreds of millions of fans”, also adding that it’s “foolish” to not have it.

The amount of location changes in the first hour alone does not let the viewers establish a special connection with the ‘when and the where’ of the movie. At times viewers are attracted to series due to a certain character or place and are emotionally attached to them. But when a movie kills off all its characters at the end of the movie, it destroys that relationship.

A major problem the viewers had with the movie was the CGI embodiment of Grand Moff Tarkin, earlier played by Peter Cushing who passed away a decade before the movie’s shooting. While the animations make it look like Cushing, he still appears artificial compared to the men and women acting alongside him. This could have been avoided if Tarkin would have been given a scene to himself, similarly to CGI Princess Leia.

Another way out would have been to use him in a hologram, which would have been much more feasible.

The Star Wars movies are supposed to tell the story of the Skywalkers and the Jedi, something this movie completely sidestepped. The timeless story of the Jedi versus the Sith was not depicted in this movie.

Even though Yoda and Obi-wan Kenobi were the only Jedi alive at this point in the series, there was no sight of them throughout the movie. The first two trilogies follow the actual plot that the Star Wars movies were meant for and after the cliff-hanger that Star Wars the Force Awakens left us with, Rogue One does no justice.

This movie was pointless and should not have been made as it was just a ludicrous effort to build up hype for the eighth episode of the series. Even though the movie explains how the Jedi found the plans for the Death Star, an entire movie dedicated to answering that question was completely unnecessary.

Picture Credits: TMDB, Screen Rant, Linkedin

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crossword POP CULTURE

Picture Credit: The New York Post

1

2 3 4

5 6

7

8 9 10 11

12 13

14

15

Answers:

Down 1. Who won the MTV gender neutral Award this year?

2. Often referred to as the ‘Fifth Beatle’, which English Record producer died on March 8th, 2016.

3. ‘_____Go’ was the most Popular Smartphone Videogame in 2016.

5. Which film won Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars?

6. ‘Stairway to Heaven’ is the production of this rock band.

11. Who is the ‘Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch’ in Season 6 of Game of Thrones?

14. Which female artist won the Grammy for Album of the year 2016 ?

Across 4. Rahman 7. King 8. Horcruxes 9. DiCaprio 10. Baggins 12. Disney 13. Beatles 15. White

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chemist, also the lead character, of the hit T.V. series ‘Breaking Bad’.

Down 1. Watson 2. Martin 3. Pokemon 5. Moonlight 6. Zeppelin 11. Snow 14. Adele

Across 4. _____ became the first Indian to win two Academy Awards in 2009.

7. The legendary film Shawshank Redemption is based on the novella of this eminent author.

8. The name of the magical elements used by Voldemort to make himself immortal.

9. This actor received the academy award for best actor in 2016, after being nominated six times in different categories.

10. The name of the lead character in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

12. The most number of Oscars (22) have been won by this individual.

13. This famous English Rock Band visited Rishikesh in 1968 to listen to the preaching of a famous saint.

15. The name of the infamous

“Don’t ever let someone tell you, that you can’t do something.

Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it.

When people can’t do something themselves, they’re gonna tell you that you can’t do it.

You want something, go get it. Period.”

-Will Smith The Pursuit of Happyness

Carrie Fisher 21st October 1956 27th December 2016