The Expression Hub

  • Altered Carbon

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Genre: Cyberpunk/ Thriller

    No. of episodes: 10(in season 1) and 8 (in season 2)

    Presented by: Netflix

    ” In modern warfare there are no victors; there are only survivors.”

    Lyndon B Johnson

    Statutory Disclaimer: This web series contains a lot of explicit content as well as violence. Children below the age of 13 are advised not to watch it. If they have to, then they must do it under parental guidance.

    First of all a very big apology to all my readers and subscribers for keeping you waiting for the next blog post for a very long time. I am sure you might be super excited to find out what the next blog post is all about . I can understand your curiosity as I, too as a blogger am super excited to share with you my latest pick. But before I do share my latest pick in the awesome world of web series, I had to make the disclaimer which I have made above because I am a very responsible blogger . And I do feel that being a responsible blogger comes with a lot of accountability on your shoulders. Some might feel that the above disclaimer was unnecessary. But I do feel that if you are accountable to your readers and subscribers then you should be super honest about whatever you share with your audience.

    Okay so a lot has been said about the disclaimer , now lets come straight to the point. So, ladies and gentlemen presenting you my latest pick in the fantastic world of web series- a cyberpunk thriller named Altered Carbon. I don’t think a majority of you might have heard of it . But those who have heard about it, do share your experiences with me. I would be happy to listen it from you. And also if you have any favorites in the genre you can tell me about it as well in the comments section. I would be happy to feature it in my upcoming blog post as well as a token of appreciation for the love poured in by my ever expanding family.

    Synopsis: The show is based on a novel written by Richard K. Morgan of the same name. It has its timeline set in 360 years in the future, the year being 2384. The story is set in a futuristic metropolis known as the Bay City. The human body too has undergone a lot of modifications as now a person’s memories and consciousness are now recorded onto a disk shaped device called a cortical stack which is implemented in the vertebrae of a person.The specialty of these storage devices they can be reverse engineered and mass produced. But this comes with a bane as well- if the person’s stack is destroyed or doesn’t has a backup, they cannot return back to life.

    Enter Takeshi Kovacs, who is also known as the Last Envoy who survived an uprising against the new World order. He is spun back to life by a 300 year old Meth named Laurens Bancroft who decides to give him a new shot at life. But he has a condition- the Envoy gets the shot only if he is able to solve his murder case. So does the Last Envoy solve the murder case? Or does he fail in doing so ? In doing so what all murky truths he encounters?This is what the first season of the web series is all about. In the second season, he however has a new mission in his hand. This time the mission is to search for his lost love and Envoy leader Quellcrest Falconer. Is he able to find her? What all difficulties does he encounter during his search ? Does he go to search for his love single handed or do some people join him in the mission ? The answers to these questions are for you to find out.

    Assessment: Well, the show revolves around the advances the human body has undergone . On one hand, humans have undergone a lot of changes as part of the so called evolution. But at what cost ? The web series tries to explore the concept. The web series also tries to understand the role emotions play while undertaking decisions whether for the greater good or for one’s own good. The positives of the show:

    1. A gripping story line.Since the story is based on the novel written by Richard K. Morgan, credit goes to both the author as well as the creator of the show(Laeta Kalogridis). You will never find a dull moment in the show.
    2. The fantastic histrionics by all the characters in the show. The credit for this goes to the efforts put in by the casting directors. I am sure they must have undertaken a lot of efforts to find the right actors for each character. The actors fit in so beautifully in the roles.
    3. The beautiful cinematography undertaken by the cinematographers, They deserve a huge shout out as well for creating a beautiful, realistic and nerve wrecking experience.
    4. The dialogues of the show . Each one is a masterpiece in its own. They don’t just seam into the story line beautifully but they also give you a lot of food for thought . So be ready to have some serious discussions after each episode of the show. They are going to stimulate your brains a lot.
    5. The theme music is just fantastic. Though you don’t understand what words are being said, but the music just brings goosebumps on your skin whenever you hear it. So credit goes to the music director of the show for creating such a chilling piece .

    The negatives of the show:

    1. The show contains a lot of explicit language which is just not suitable for watching. It just makes you cringe in disgust .
    2. The show also contains a lot of intimate scenes which makes you wonder if can you avoid those parts and rush the story forward. After all you are interested in the story and not the slow motion intimate scenes . I agree these are somewhat essential to the story but you need not fill the entire show with it.
    3. The story also contains a lot of violence . These can be a bad influence especially to those children who are adolescents. So that is the reason if this show is to be viewed by children, then it must be done under parental guidance.

    The view: The pros outweigh the cons, so its a great show to watch. After all , it is an innovative take on what a dystopian future might look like . Also , the show is an interesting take on how emotions rule our decisions which we take for ourselves or for the greater good. And it contains all the ingredients which are necessary for a good watch. Also, the dialogues said by the actors gives your brain a lot of stimulation. So do give it a watch once especially if you are a lover of the genre or if you want some intense brain stimulation. Believe me it won’t disappoint you . You will surely enjoy it just like I did. Do share your experiences in the comments section. Would love to hear it from you.

    Baap dialogue: Season 1: It is not our enemies that defeat us. It is our fear. Do not be afraid of the monsters. Make them afraid of you. (Poe)

    Season 2: Fear holds you back. It keeps you from seeing the world as it is. Many men much older than you never get past it. But if you are strong, if you allow yourself to let your fear go, nothing can stand in your way. (Danica to a little girl)

    Que : What is the real name of Quellcrest Falconer, the lost love of the Last Envoy?

    a. Zendaya Angelou

    b. Amara Fuller

    c.Lela Loren

    d. Nadia Makita

    The Last Envoy from first season
    The Last Envoy in season two

    Continue reading →: Altered Carbon

  • How to perform under pressure: The science of doing your best when it matters the most

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Authors: Hendrie Weisinger and J.P. Pawliw- Fry

    Genre: Motivational/ Non-fiction/ Self help

    ” Pressure comes from within and so must be mastered from within.”

    Ed Jacoby

    Hope you all are doing well in your respective lives. The COVID situation is simply spiraling out of control and gaining prominence again. So I do hope all of you are taking the necessary precautions and keeping yourselves safe and healthy. Those who are not taking the necessary precautions its a humble request please do take care because after all human life is precious. The reason why I am talking about this is because our lives have literally been thrown into a horrible dizzy. It all feels like as if we are witnessing the worst nightmare possible which just refuses to get over. But I am optimistic about the fact that the situation will return to normal soon . Its just that we need not lower our guards at any cost . By doing this, we are actually reducing the pressure on the front line workers who are working day in day out without caring for their lives to combat this deadly pandemic. So let us appreciate the efforts taken by them by not putting any additional burden on them and by being grateful to them.

    Though COVID situation might have thrown our lives off balance, it should not deter us from exploring as well as pursuing our interests . So do tell me in the comments section, how are you keeping yourselves occupied now that the pandemic has literally locked us into our homes. If anyone needs any assistance as regards mental health, please feel free to ask for. Its always better to seek help rather than bottling up your feelings and thoughts. I can understand that these uncertain times can make anyone crack under pressure as well as lead to our mental health being compromised . But its a humble request do not neglect your mental health at any cost. Feel free to approach your dear ones. If hesitant to approach anyone, seek help from professionals. But please do not compromise your mental health at all. We need to keep ourselves strong physically as well as mentally.

    We all do face pressure of some or the other kind in our lives. After all life these days is supposed to be pretty stressful. There are a lot of factors which have come into play which are responsible for the high levels of stress in the young population witnessed today. Some of these include increasing costs of living, increasing amounts of debt, increase in work load and now thanks to the pandemic, increase in anxiety levels due to uncertainty. But do we need to crumble under the so called pressure in our lives? Or do we come up with solutions to keep that so called stress at bay? This is what is explored in my latest pick in the fabulous world of books. My latest pick is a non fiction, self help or motivational New York Times bestseller named How to perform under pressure: The science of doing your best when it matters most.

    About the book: The book is written by two world renowned psychologists named Hendrie Weisinger and J.P. Pawliw- Fry. They try to explore the so called word ‘pressure’ and its impact on our daily lives. The book is divided into three parts. The first part explores what is pressure and how it can be useful or harmful in our daily lives. The second part deals with some suggestions or solutions they came up to deal with the pressure in our lives. And the last part deals with how to shine everyday irrespective of whether the situation is in your favor or not. Irrespective of the fact whether you are having a great time or not. This they have explored with the help of various case studies they have undertaken as well as features the latest research from the field of neuroscience. It explains what makes people choke or rise above the so called pressure which can just play an overwhelming role in everyone’s life.

    Analysis : The book is a deep insight into the word ‘pressure’ . It explores the word to its core as well as looks into the factors of how pressure can wreak a havoc in our lives. Pressure is responsible for diminishing your judgement, decision making, attention, dexterity and performance. It is also responsible for acting as a detriment in attaining personal success . But there are ways by which you can diminish its effects. The book gives us short term as well as long term solutions to deal with the debilitating effects of pressure. The book is written in a well researched manner drawing research from over 12000 people and also features the latest research from neuroscience as well as experiences from elite athletes and Fortune 500 employees and managers. The book is written in a pretty simple manner. It does not contain a dull moment at all. It makes for an interesting read for those who love reading about fields related to the functioning of brain like psychology or neuroscience. As far as the negatives are concerned I did not find any.

    Verdict: This one is a must read by all. After all, all of us do face pressure of some or the other kind in our personal or professional lives. Whether we should choke to the act of it or rise above it , it is totally in our hands. This book provides great and tested solutions so as to how we can manage pressure in our lives. So, whether you have an important obligation at the work place or have a major goal to achieve or just go about our daily lives, this book will definitely help you to put your best foot forward. What are you waiting for you then guys? Do go and grab yourselves a copy. Waiting to hear from you what you felt about the book in the comments section. Its always a pleasure to hear from you guys. Happy reading! Meet you next week with something new .

    Rating: **** and1/2 stars

    Cite Bite: ” It is how we interpret events that causes us to respond as we do.”

    The book cover of the best seller

    Continue reading →: How to perform under pressure: The science of doing your best when it matters the most

  • Roja

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Starring: Arvind Swamy, Madhoo, Nassar, Pankaj Kapoor, Janagraj

    Directed by: Mani Ratnam

    Genre: Romantic Thriller

    ” True love is about growing as a couple, learning about each other and never giving up on each other.”

    Anonymous

    As promised by me, I am here with a special treat for all my readers and subscribers. Since it is a week where we are celebrating the feeling of love, so I thought why not give you all another reason to celebrate it. So hope you would enjoy it . Do tell me your reactions in the comments section. I would as always love to hear it from you guys.

    Put on your seat belts as I present to you my latest pick in the awesome world of movies- a romantic thriller named Roja. Originally made in Tamil but it has been adapted into other languages as well.

    Story line: Roja is a story about a simple village girl of the same name . She resides in Sundarapandiapuram in Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu . She fervently wishes that her elder sister should get married to a cryptologist named Rishi Kumar. But instead she ends up marrying him. She is surprised that he chose her over her sister and is disappointed due to this. But later love blossoms between the two after she realizes the truth.

    Rishi Kumar is assigned an assignment in Baramulla after his head chief falls ill. They decide to spend their blissful moments in the beautiful state of Kashmir. However fate takes an ugly turn after Rishi Kumar is abducted by terrorists who have the agenda of separating Kashmir from India and free their leader Wasim Khan from judicial custody. What trials does Roja face ? Is she able to get back the love of her life ? Do the separatists succeed in their mission ? Do the happy couple have a happily ever after ? Watch the movie to find answers to these questions.

    Scrutiny: The movie is an attempt to explore the issue of extremism with a love story in the backdrop. So, the question arises whether to go for it or not? Let us find out the answer to this question. Coming to the pros of the movie- 1. A gripping story line. So credit for this goes to the director , the scriptwriter and the dialogue writer of the movie. Hats off to Mani Ratnam Sir , Umesh Sharma sir and Sujatha ma’am for giving us such a visual treat to watch.

    2. Beautiful cinematography. Whether it be the villages of Tamil Nadu or the white snow clad mountains of Kashmir everything has been captured beautifully . So a huge shout out to Santosh Sivan sir who is the cinematographer of the movie.

    3. Fantastic histrionics by the actors whether in the lead or as supporting. Special mention to Arvind Swamy who looks pretty handsome ; Madhoo who shines throughout the movie , Pankaj Kaur as Liaqat and Naseer who portrays the role of Colonel Rayapaa with great finesse.

    4. Beautiful music which keeps you entertained as well as enthralled. The music is so beautiful that you keep humming the songs even after you have finished watching the movie. When you have a great music composer in the form of A R Rehman sir can things go wrong as far as music is concerned? This is a question worth giving a thought.

    The cons of the movie: 1. Some scenes which might be highly sensitive to some viewers . So it is advised that some sort of discretion be followed while watching this movie. If it is a small child watching this then parental guidance is highly recommended . This is because they do often imitate what is shown in the movies. This can be an extremely traumatic or distressing experience to them due to lack of judgement.

    The sentiment : This one is a cinematic master piece. It has all the ingredients which are essential for a great movie. A great director, cinematographer, dialogue writers, actors, you name it you have it. Also, the way the story has been told is another reason why it makes an interesting watch . So, do give it a watch . I am sure you will enjoy it in the same manner as I did. Do share your experiences in the comments section. Would love to hear it from you all . Meet you next week with another great pick till then keep yourselves safe and healthy.

    Rating: **** stars

    Quote Unquote: ” I won’t give up . Wherever he is , I will search for him.” Roja to Colonel Rayappa ( Dialogue is a subtitle and is not an original)

    A scene from the movie with the lead actors in action

    Continue reading →: Roja

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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