No way an angel, but it's Charlize all the way(Review of film "Monster" by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan)There are a few characters who plead to be brushedaside. And if you have watched her previous films,Charlize Theron’s roles would perfectly fit the bill.Her presence is in all her previous movies was justthat – a presence - and was easily replaceable.Whether it was doing cartwheels on the beach andleading a chic lifestyle in ‘Sweet November’ – apartfrom devoting one month to each of her boyfriends – ora sweet goody-two-shoes in ‘Cider House Rules’...

Name

Name

Yesterday, there was a message on the answering machine from someone called Manjiri. Normally I would have ignored any call from strangers . Must be one more person selling me credit cards or home loans – but Manjri? The name was too classy to be associated with someone who would call you at odd hours and pester you to take a loan. Though everyone says almost reflexively that oft abused statement, “what is in a name?” and feel good like they invented the phrase, names do carry their value at least for me. I find it impossible to be rude to people...

Life is so strange – sometimes total strangers leave a mark in your memory forever.Like the song that floated from the window of a house in a street where you went just once for something.Or the warm smile of an old lady after you helped her cross the roadOr a scene outside a house where you had stopped the car during a traffic jam – a father and daughter sharing a joke or a little girl with a dog .There is something intense and captivating in that moment that your memory just captures it like a photograph. You never knew these people but...

Recently I read the biography of a living legend in Indian Music – an icon whose name is pronounced with a near reverence by one and all. She is held in esteem not only for her lovely voice and her contribution to music but also for her personality. There is an aura almost spiritual about her. She never seemed to even know the magnitude of her success. For her, singing was just something she did naturally from her soul like the lark and the cuckoo – she did not do it for money or fame.She was born into a caste which did not have much acceptance...