6 minute read
Reviews
Andhali Gali
Written By:
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Vishvesh Trivedi
Illustrated By: Fahad Khatuda
Reviews
Sitting in a distant corner across the living room, scribbling a name on the dust-laden table next to her, Kundan rewinds the tragic event all over again. The darkness in the room reflects the one that’s been clouding her life lately. Kundan’s father, Ratibhai, the person she was closest to, has just passed away, leaving an insatiable void in her life. For a middle-aged unmarried woman, living alone in isolation is an uphill task. It means fighting a constant internal battle with dispiriting, chaotic thoughts that act as a slow poison to her mental health. Will the entry of a young couple in her life as tenants transform her perspective towards life or will her destiny play spoilsport and deny her the chance to restart her life?
Andhali Gali, a short Gujarati suspense-thriller written by Dhiruben Patel, revolves around the life of an unmarried landlady and a tenant couple. At its core, the novel aims to explore the intricacies of human emotion, bonding, and behavior. Kundan, a financially gifted woman who’s socially cut-off from the world, stumbles upon a young couple who has entered her life as tenants. As this couple is new to Bombay, they are perplexed by the hectic city life and its struggles. Meanwhile, Kundan gets the chance to closely observe a typical married life — an opportunity she has never come across. Her outlook towards married life is significantly changed by her interactions with the tenant couple. Maybe it’s not too late to start over? Or maybe she’s just attracted to the rosy side of a fairly darker picture?
Despite having multiple plots, the story is character-driven, forcing the readers to immerse into various characters and inspect their personalities. Dhiruben Patel does an exceptional job at portraying the shift in human behavior under personal interests and greed, which makes the novel even more realistic. The story progresses in a linear fashion and takes the reader through a roller coaster of emotions — awe, sympathy, disgust, and hatred. The skillfully curated flow sprinkled with suspense grips the audience till the very end, where the plot takes an unexpected turn. The only blemish in the otherwise well-crafted story is the abrupt end, which makes the reader crave for a sequel.
Overall, Andhali Gali suits the breed of avid Gujarati readers of suspense, thrill, and a tinge of romantic-comedy. With a decent consistency of humor, gloom, anger, and empathic pain, clubbed with a gripping storyline, this novel caters to fans of all sorts of entangling stories. Just make sure you buy this book with a box of tissues.
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot
Written By:
Karthik Sunil
Illustrated By:
Prasang Maheshwari
Callahan desperately tries to pry open the cork from the wine bottle with his hands that barely work. Frustrated, he tries using his mouth to do the job. However, this causes the bottle to slip from his hands and it rolls away from his wheelchair. He groans in agony as his paralyzed body lies on the vehicle and stares at his poison lying on the floor. He goes to the kitchen and gazes at the bottle of vodka on the top shelf, knowing that it’s impossible to reach. He sulks away in pain and regret. Welcome to the life of an alcoholic quadriplegic, John Callahan.
Adapted from the book of the same name, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot is an autobiography of the notorious American cartoonist. At the age of 21, John (played by Joaquin Phoenix) met with a fatal car accident while bar-hopping, rendering him a quadriplegic. John decides to join Alcoholics Anonymous to try and turn his life around and meets his sponsor Donnie (played by Jonah Hill). As the movie progresses, their strengthening bond is portrayed vital for John’s recovery. After a spiritual awakening, Callahan finally decides to quit drinking and starts spending his sober days doodling offensive cartoons. Eventually, Callahan forgives the people who wronged him and achieves nirvana, allowing him to live the rest of his life free from regret and alcohol.
Apart from the brilliant cinematography, the dialogues are the movie’s hard-hitters. Coupled with Phoenix’s and Hill’s impeccable acting, their relationship is the highlight of the movie. Jonah Hill claimed that his performance in this movie was by far the best in his career. Riddled with metaphors and thought-provoking quotes, this movie will take you on a roller coaster of emotions.
This film can be described in just two words: refreshing and complete. Director Gus Van Sant does a phenomenal job of portraying the pain and troubles of an alcoholic and how it can ruin one’s life. He uses the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which includes a fair share of religion and spirituality as the backbone of John’s revival. The movie can also be seen as a commemoration of the twelve steps and how effective it can be for some people. So, if you’re tired of the usual, boring plot lines and want something fresh, acted by talented actors, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot must be added to your unending watchlist.
Run with the Wind
Written By:
Anirudh Peri
Illustrated By:
Tanishka Sonavane
The camaraderie associated with student chapters, friend groups, clubs, and similar communities is an emotion that every university student is familiar with. This highlyvalued kinship is the basis of this 23-episode anime. Weaving a tale of 10 diverse characters as they navigate the turbulent currents of college life and human relationships, this show appeals to people from all walks of life.
Run with the Wind follows Kansei University Track Club as they struggle to run at the prestigious “Hakone Ekiden”, a relay-marathon race where the track is divided into 10 legs and run by teams of 10 over 2 days. The club members had originally gathered with the sole purpose of cheap accomodation that the University provides to members of the track club. The ragged bunch at the club are far from capable of running any long distance marathon, let alone such a prestigious one. It seems like a futile task but they soon find themselves sucked into the enthusiasm of their captain. As each member comes to terms with the task at hand, they put in the effort to fight their limitations and achieve their goal.
The anime is grounded in reality; it’s not a shonen anime where the protagonist ploughs through situations with the power of his feelings but rather a more subtle approach that shows people dealing with their problems head-on with the help of their friends. The whole story revolves around one simple fact: running is more mentally demanding than it is physically. Running is something that everybody is capable of; it’s something that we have the potential to do, yet we are limited by ourselves. The anime epitomizes the struggle of someone who has never run as they overcome hurdles to find the strength to complete a marathon.
The experience is enriched by the well-timed and beautifully-scored original soundtracks (OSTs) that accompany the viewers throughout the anime. The detailed visuals of the islands of Japan captivate the viewers as the anime takes them on a journey through the hills of Hakone. Although you might find character art lacking in scenes where the focus is on the commentary, it is overshadowed by the elements that make this anime such a refreshing entry in the sport genre.
