The Expression Hub

  • A story of Mumbai’s fearless matriarch (Lets reminisce)

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Starring: Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Vijay Raaz, Seema Pahwa, Jim Sarbh

    Directed by: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

    Genre: Biographical crime drama

    “There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.”

    Bosa Seble

    Disclaimer: This post contains a lot of sexual references and a lot of references to crime as well. Readers are advised to exercise caution while proceeding ahead with the same.

    This is a new column which will make its appearance once in a while when we want to walk down the memory lane by recounting stories which have been read or watched earlier. This is a small gift to my subscribers as well as my readers without whom the blog has no identity as part of the 5th year anniversary . And since its the International Women’s Month, lets celebrate the story of a woman who was shown a tough time by her destiny. But instead of bowing down to the destiny she was offered, she rose up to become one of the most powerful as well as dreaded women of Mumbai’s underworld .

    Story Line: Ganga Jagjivan Kathiawadi was born in an affluent family in Gujarat who aspired to be a Bollywood actress. She ran away from her home with her older boyfriend Ramnik who sells her to a brothel owned by his aunt. There she is forced into prostitution as a result of which she renames herself as Gangu. She becomes a very highly valued asset of Sheela due to her beauty and wits. This urges Gangu to introduce labor rights for her fellow inmates which irritates her employer. Her employer decides to teach her a lesson by getting her badly assaulted by one of the clients who refuses to pay and indulges in some violent sexual fantasies with her. This makes Gangu seek justice for the same to the most feared man in the Mumbai underworld Rahim Lala. Does Rahim Lala serve her justice? And if he does, what impact does it have on her life? How does she become one of the most powerful women of the Mumbai underworld? And does power corrupt her or does she use it for the greater good?

    Scrutiny: This is a movie which shows how an innocent girl who belonged to a rich family is lured to the field of prostitution by the person she loved the most. She could have cried over the cruel situation her fate put her in . But instead she uses her fate to create an identity for herself as well as her community. Fear over grips her in a lot of situations but she uses it as a medium to become more powerful and resilient . That is how a innocent woman transformed herself into a woman who was feared. Also, her impeccable sense of justice made her a respectable figure in the eyes of the most dreaded men of Mumbai at that times Karim Lala portrayed as Rahim Lala in the movie.

    The movie advocates a very strong message to women that one needs to be fearless to face whatever situation life throws at you. It also highlights the lives of people working in the red light district of Kamathipura and how they are looked down upon in the society. It reflects the harsh realities of the lives of people living in the city. However, there are elements which feel are completely unnecessary or frivolous in nature. But that can be termed as the creative expression of the director. After all isn’t some spice required to make the story viewable for the viewers? Though that could have been ignored, but how will the makers of the film be able to sell their movie without the masala? A gripping story line , foot-tapping music , scenic cinematography and brilliant acting chops by Alia Bhatt and Vijay Raaz is what makes the movie worth watching.Also, Jim Sarbh shines as the journalist Hamid Faizi. A small role but a very impactful performance is what comes to the mind for him.

    The Sentiment: A good movie with most of the parts being portrayed realistically. Do watch for the message of woman empowerment highlighted in this one. Also, do watch it for the resilience of human spirit which is a very important trait if one has to face the uncertainties of life. Though it has some unnecessary stuff added to it but it tries to highlight the problems faced by the workers of the red light area of Mumbai very prominently. Though a word of caution, this movie is not suitable as a family entertainer due to its extremely promiscuous and violent theme. So, viewer discretion is super necessary.

    Rating: *** and a 1/2 stars

    The main protagonist with the journalist

    Que: In the movie, Gangu is shown to be reading a poem. What is the name of the poem?

    a. Koshish karne waalon ki haar nahi hoti

    b. Madhushala

    c. Hazaron Khwahishein Aisi

    d. Sang e manzil na bane

    Quote-Unquote: “Arey jab shakti, sampati aur sadbuddhi yeh teeno hi aurtein hai, toh in mardo ke kiss baat ka guroor?” (Gangu in her winning speech)

    Continue reading →: A story of Mumbai’s fearless matriarch (Lets reminisce)

  • Dual lives or escapism?

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Genre: Drama

    No. of episodes:6

    Presented by: Chernin Entertainment and Endemol Shine Group

    “Nothing spells shame like living what feels like a double life.”

    Angel Grant

    Everyone has his or her share of difficulties in life no matter what heights he or she has conquered. Some are struggling with problems in their professional lives; while there are others who seem to be successful in their professional lives but have their personal lives in a complete mess. Yet , we as adults are not allowed to address them by giving ourselves an outlet to express ourselves or live a life without inhibitions. We always have that stupid and irrelevant fear in how others perceive us. So, what do we do? We either try to act as if everything is manageable even though it might not be. Or we try to fit in into what is considered as cool but might not be relevant . Or maybe just put on a mask which hides some aspects of our personality and try to act as if we have everything under control? Life would have been much better if we did not have to go though the brutal lens of someone’s judgement isn’t it? If we could just live our lives without any inhibitions and not be judged for it, maybe the world might not have had to put on a facade and would have been more open about addressing their problems. Not that there are not people who are willing to help, there are but often we face trust issues or just have our internal demons to fight. This and a lot more is explored in this week’s pick.

    Synopsis: Mumbai is supposed to be known as the city of dreams. This is a city which has everything in it – the rich, the poor, the good and the ugly. Everyone living in the city has some sort of ambition. That ambition can be like getting a dream job or maybe providing a good life to yourself or maybe if you have kids to them. But having ambitions comes with a cost. This fact is realized by five different women from different spheres of life who are interconnected to one another. Three of them are employees of a prestigious bank in the city, while one is a daughter of the bank employee and one is a former bar dancer who is forced into prostitution as she has lost her job. Each one has their lives messed up in some or the other manner. The lady CEO has an open relationship despite having a loving husband as she is not getting the recognition she deserves from her supposedly children despite providing them all. The deputy of the bank is in dilemma whether to have kids or not as she is nearing her forties but does not want to disappoint her husband. The third woman is a simple employee who is living a double life as she is a bisexual woman . The fourth who is into prostitution hopes for a better life of her son who is denied opportunities despite being good in his studies. And the last, who is also the daughter of the lady CEO of the bank is facing body image problems as she has just hit puberty. Each one is fighting their inner demons but also have one thing in common – a sense of ambition and for that if they have to go the extra mile they will, by resorting to unfair methods and means. But how far will they go by resorting to these methods?Will they be able to fulfill their ambitions or will they fall into deeper problems?

    Assessment: This is a show which tries to highlight various problems faced by women through these five people . It tries to explore the themes of drug abuse(a problem which is highly prevalent in the higher strata of the society), broken dreams, aspirations, affairs along with harassment faced at workplace as well as in personal lives. It also tries to explore the theme of body image issues or how some women find it difficult to balance work-life balance . While these issues are real and prevalent in the real world as well, however, there are some issues which are major turn offs. Like for instance, how can the solution to everything be sleeping with someone else ? And how can one not speak about the harassment faced at the workplace ? Though the issue seems to be taken seriously later but it just seems like a fake effort to promote feminism and show how justice prevails in the end. Also, it seems that these people do not seem to explore the legal aspects or are pretty ignorant about it.

    The story writers seem to just have written the story for the sake of writing it and thrown in some aspects of feminism. As a woman, I completely felt ashamed of what I was viewing in the name of feminism. Are educated women so cheap that in order to get what they want, they will just indulge in affairs instead of working hard or fixing the problems? Agreed that you were trying to portray a realistic picture but it just seems that you are viewing a cheap adult movie.Shahana Goswami shines as Fatima but it seems that she doesn’t have a spine though she should have had one. More than the educated lot, I personally felt the only character that had some spine was that portrayed by Amruta Subhash. At least, through her character, a mother’s love and struggle to provide her son a good life was highlighted.Another good thing is that it is a short series else imagine the headache the viewers one would have had.Thirdly, it seems that some male characters in the series have more brains than these women like for instance like the husband of the MD of the bank Naushad or Ron . This at least makes you feel that not all men are bad at heart because some really do have them .And last but not the least, can we just appreciate the doodles made by Shai though some of them are way too provocative. 😅

    The view: What could have been a great opportunity to showcase feminism and reality through the lives of these five women feels like a complete hogwash and a very big disappointment. Sorry Alankrita, you might have earned accolades for your initial film but you disappoint in this one. Hope you come up with better stories in the near future so that you do not disappoint the viewers like you did in this one. You might be a great storyteller but you just failed to impress as well as entertain this time.

    Rating: 1/2 star(I wish there was something called a negative rating I would have seriously given this show that)

    Baap Dialogue: “Growth begins when we actually work in the real world. Not with Harvard or Ivy League college degrees.”

    The five women of the show

    Que: What is the name of the women empowerment scheme launched by the Royal Bank of Bombay?

    a. Stree Shakti

    b. Shakti

    c.Stree Samman

    d. Ujjwala

    Continue reading →: Dual lives or escapism?

  • A message to a daughter…

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Author: Maya Angelou

    Genre: Essays

    “A mother’s treasure is her daughter

    Anonymous

    There are women who serve as an inspiration to others. They do so by their behavior or through their words, or by their writings. Since it is the International Women’s Month, lets pay an ode to such women who dare to think big and try to do their bits in making a world a better place. Though, there is still a long way to go, but I am happy that women nowadays have started raising their voices in matters which are close to their heart. This week we explore the writings of one such woman who has tried to make an impact on the people around her through her writings. She has also been an inspiration to a lot of people including some of the most famous ones like Oprah Winfrey whom she considered her daughter as well. And it is not people like Oprah who are inspired b her but many countless people regardless of the fact that whether they have been famous or not. And maybe that is why it has been aptly said by Melinda Gates, “A woman with a voice by definition is a strong woman. ” After all not all the women are supposed to be born with the fire . But with time , they do become the fire when the actions of strong women do inspire them. And may we raise such women wherever we can because that is how the world will one day become a better place.

    About the book: This week we explore, Maya Angelou’s Letter to my daughter which initially by its title I thought might be a series of letters written by her to her daughter. But it seems that my intuition or guess about this one was wrong .😅 This as I delved in turned out to be a collection of essays which Maya had written. The concept for this one came to her when she was going through old boxes which were filled with notes and which she called work in progress. It is then that she decided to pen down these essays in a book that others could read. She writes these essays as an advice and which serve as a testament to the wisdom she had obtained throughout her life.

    It consists of 28 such letters some of which include some poems as well and a commencement address dedicated to the daughter she never had. She thanks several women who played a very vital role in her life and helped her shape as a person.

    Analysis: This is a book which feels as if there is someone who is advising you with all the wisdom she has acquired . This wisdom is especially important when you are trying to discover yourself as a person . It is because when you discover yourself as a person can you try to be a better version of yourself . And shouldn’t we all try to be that? I don’t know about others at least that is what I want to do for myself- be an individual who just keeps on bettering herself in every aspect of her life. So, such books do inspire you to discover your true calling as well as acquaint you with the purpose of life one has to live. Also, it never hurts when you gain knowledge from other’s wisdom . This is because the wisdom acquired from others can help you prevent the mistakes which one has made in their lives though it is not necessary that one might make. But it is always handy to have someone’s life act as a manual isn’t it?😄

    Coming to the positives, this is a book which is written in a very light and a breezy manner that you can read it like a story book. That is I guess the beauty of Maya’s writings- she has written these as if she is trying to have a conversation with the people who pick this piece of writing. This is a good thing to a person who is not much into non-fiction. Also, there are a variety of topics which she covers in these written messages which range from nationalism to experiences of her life to faith in God to love to reclaiming roots and many such more.

    As far as the negatives are concerned, maybe it would have been a good thing if the essays would have been inter-related to one another. You are suddenly transported to another topic which kind of leaves you confused sometimes. This might be a great experience to people who enjoy chaos. But for people like me who prefer order and symmetry, I do find my brain go haywire in such cases. This is because I tend to form connections when things are in order in my brain else it just seems completely wrong even though it might not be.

    Verdict: If you are a person who is not much into non-fiction but would love to have a start somewhere, this can be a great piece to start from.However, mind you there are a variety of topics covered in the book which are not related to one another. But yes, it acts as a good medium to let us know what the author feels about the various things . Also, the fact that it is not heavy or stuffy unlike some books can also make you include this piece of writing. Thirdly, it is written by a person who has been an inspiration to many . So, maybe this can act as an inspiration to you as well. So, go for it if you can as it can be a wonderful experience to delve into the mind and thought process of a woman who has been highly revered . Don’t forget to share your experiences about the same in the comments section. Meet you next week with another pick. Till then lots of love,care and hugs to all of you.😊🤗

    Rating: *** and a 1/2

    Cite Bite: “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.”

    Continue reading →: A message to a daughter…

Hello,

I’m Roshani

Welcome to The Expression Hub! I’m Roshani, who loves to express herself through the medium of writing. This blog is my little corner of the internet where I dive deep into the world of movies, books, and web series—reviewing, analyzing, and sometimes just ranting about the stories that make us laugh, cry, and question everything.

Beyond reviews, you’ll also find my personal musings—random thoughts, life reflections, and the occasional deep dive into the things that inspire me. Think of this as a space where art meets emotion, and where honest opinions matter more than star ratings.

Join me as we explore incredible stories together, one post at a time. Have a recommendation? Let’s talk—I’m always up for discovering something new!

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