Flashback Friday-Aisha (2010)

The best stories are timeless. They can be told in new and different ways, but still remind the audience of why they loved the original story.

The 2010 Bollywood film Aisha, has taken Jane Austen’s Emma out of the early 19th century English country side and placed her in modern day India. After playing matchmaker with her aunt, Aisha Kapoor (Sonam Kapoor) believes that she has the magic touch when it comes to figuring out who should be together. Arjun Burman (Abhay Deol) is Aisha’s long time neighbor. He tries to prevent her from matching a couple who is completely mismatched. But like her literary predecessor , Aisha is not easily convinced that she is wrong.

This movie is cute. There is a nice balance between the cannon Emma and the elements that are unique to Bollywood films.  Unlike other films that try to meld both worlds, but don’t quite find the the right mix, this film keeps fans of Jane Austen and Bollywood satisfied.

I recommend it.

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14 Years And My Heart Still Breaks

  

The North and South Footprints at the 9/11 Memorial.

14 years ago today, nearly 3000 people woke up, expecting their day to be utterly normal. Couples kissed each other goodbye and promised to call when they were on the way home from work. Parents watched as their children boarded the school bus. It was completely and utterly normal.

Then the first plane hit and all h*ll broke loose. The phone lines went down and Manhattan, instead of being the place where everyone wanted to be, no one want to be there.

14 years later, the dust has long since settled. Lower Manhattan has returned to her normal vibrant self. New Yorkers go about their business as they did on that day.

But today, they stopped, if only for a few moments. They remembered who they were and where they were on that day. They remember the lives that were unnecessarily lost.  And they are grateful that G-d has given them another day on Earth.

It’s been 14 years since 9/11. Even though many of us have moved on with our lives, we still stop and remember. And we know that our heart will still break, no matter how many years will pass since 9/11.

 

 

Flashback Friday- Dinosaurs (1991-1994)

Social commentary is sometimes best served in an out of left field context.

In the early 1990’s, the ABC show, Dinosaurs (1991-1994), took dinosaurs of out of their ancient setting and put them in a modern setting. Taking the roles of a traditional, suburban family, they lived their lives as many of us do. Taking the creativity a step further, human beings were on the show, but they were either pets or wild creatures not to be approached. A Jim Henson Company production, the show bore all of the hallmarks of a traditional Jim Henson show.

I remember enjoying this show back in the day. Copying from The Flintstones playbook, the show on the surface appealed to kids, but there was also an undercurrent that a young mind at the time would have  not understood.

Do I recommend it? For nostalgia’s sake, yes, but other than that, no.