The Expression Hub

  • Fountainhead

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Author: Ayn Rand

    Genre: Philosophical fiction

    “There is no great genius without some touch of madness.”

    Aristotle

    Well as I told you in the earlier posts I am always in the search of interesting content so here I am with the find of the week. Yes its ‘Fountainhead’ by the world famous author Ayn Rand.

    Well for the uninitiated, Ayn Rand is an author who always writes stories in favor of the capitalist America. She is always like capitalism is and will always be a better model of economy than socialism. By the way you cannot completely blame her completely, given the time period to which she belonged.

    The book revolves around 4 main characters namely Howard Roark, Dominique Francon, Gail Wynand and Ellsworth Toohey. Howard Roark is an eccentric guy who has been thrown out from the Stanton Institute of Technology. The reason being his unique approach to the field of architecture. The guy always thought ahead of his times , while his contemporaries still languish in the medieval themes. He is mocked for his genius yet he does not pay heed to the criticism.

    His genius is appreciated by a very few people in the line of his work. This includes Dominique Francon, Gail Wynand and Ellsworth Toohey(he regards Roark as a genius who is a threat to him ). Roark is warned of all the perils he has to face if he were to stand by his values. Roark is not scared and faces it all- rejection. criticism , hunger as long as he gets his way.

    He even faces imprisonment just because he has to have his way. That is his passsion towards the field of architecture. He is of the belief that the medieval themed gothic buildings are not going to stand the test of time. There will be a time when his genius will be recognized by the world. So he just keeps defying the conventional methods.

    The rest of the story is about his struggle and relation with other people in the story. The book sends out a powerful message though- come what may be you can face it all if you are truly passionate about the work you do. The character of Howard Roark seems super manly . It seems as if he is so passionate about his work that he does not think what others are saying to him. He just keeps on doing his work in the manner his mentor Henry Cameron did.

    Though the book is a good read, it does get sluggish at times. You do feel that the author has tried stretching the story line at times. But overall the story is fascinating. You do feel for Howard Roark and his struggles.

    So do read the book and tell me about what you think .

    Rating:***

    The book
    The movie with Dominque Francon and Gail Wynand

    Que: Name the newspaper where Dominque Francon worked.

    a. The Washington Post

    b. The New York Times

    c. The New York Banner

    d. The New Yorker

    Continue reading →: Fountainhead

  • Test Case

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Genre: Thriller/ Drama

    Presented by: Alt Balaji

    No.of episodes: 10

    Well to be frank, I am a super sucker for anything related to military. Actually it is just that there is an immense respect for all the armed forces. But the maximum is reserved for the army. After all, real wars are fought on land. Another reason is that they have a super sense of discipline. Sometimes I do feel that we should also have the mandatory` training just like the Israelis.

    Well I guess I just went overboard with my love for army. Sorry for that. Well let’s come straight to the point.The web series was one of the most talked about. So, obviously I had to watch it. Another reason was the cast . It stars legendary actors like Atul Kulkarni, Rahul Dev, Nimrat Kaur.

    So the story is about the first woman in the paramilitary forces Captain Shikha Sharma. She is sent as a test case in the special training for the paramilitary forces. The paramilitary forces is considered to be a male’s bastion. Even the trainers are pretty skeptical whether the so called test case will be able to pull off the training which breaks even the most toughest?

    Nimrat Kaur is bang on as Captain Shikha Sharma. And so is Rahul Dev as Naib Subedar Kirpal Bhatti. The title track is a fantastic piece of work by Sohail Sen (remember the song Jao Naa from Whats your Rashee?)

    The challenges which are portrayed do not appear to be superficial. They appear to be realistic. So a great piece of work. The only drawback I found was that the series is a small one. But the story line and the acting performances do make it an interesting watch.

    So yes a big shout out to the team who is behind the Test case. Do watch it and tell me about your experience in the comments section.

    ” A woman is like a tea bag- you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”

    Eleanor Roosevelt
    Nimrat Kaur and Anup Soni in a thrilling scene
    The show poster

    Que: Name the branch of army to which Captain Shikha Sharma belongs.

    a. Rajputana Rifles

    b.Gorkha Rifles

    c. Military intelligence

    d. Army Medical Corps

    Continue reading →: Test Case

  • Raazi

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Soni Razdan, Amruta Khanwilkar

    Genre: Thriller

    Richard C Armitage the famous British film personality says, “Since real spies are so good, you never really know what actual spying is. But I do think spying is a lot more dangerous than we are led to believe.”

    Well, I guess we have all had our dose of espionage movies. So be it the James Bond created by Ian Fleming or the Mission Impossible which features the handsome Tom Cruise. If not then maybe you need to up your dose of action oriented films.

    But what do you do when you have one of the youngest talents of the movie industry and the daughter of a stalwart in the world of literature team up together? You do watch it obviously. So curiosity was at its peak when you have a female spy .

    So Raazi is a story which is set in the backdrop of the pre Indo- Pakistan war of 1971. Sehmat is a 20 year old university student. She is made to undergo training as an agent so that the family tradition of serving the country. She is made to undergo a quick training under the RAW officials.

    Sehmat’s father uses his connections in Pakistan to get her married to the Pakistan brigadier’s son Iqbal . She settles well into the family life. Also she begins setting up her setup so as to relay important messages to the RAW officials.

    The rest of the movie is how she goes on eliminating all those who obstruct her way. the feelings which she experiences while serving as a counter intelligence agent. She undergoes several traumatic experiences but the love of the country keeps her going. However when she witnesses the death of her husband in front of her eyes she decides to give it up all. Also she questions the intent of the job she has to undergo .

    Alia Bhatt as Sehmat and Vicky Kaushal as Iqbal shine. They and the other actors have put their entire soul into the soul. Raazi is gripping and will keep you hooked on your seats.

    So its a thumbs up from me. Its a must watch. If you want to start your dosage of action movies then start with this one.

    The movie poster

    What is the name of the character portrayed by Rajit Kapur in the movie ?

    a. Iqbal Sayid

    b. Nikhil Bakshi

    c. Khalid Mir

    d. Hidayat Khan

    Continue reading →: Raazi

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!

Let’s connect

    Join the fun!

    Stay updated with my latest thoughts and ideas by joining me .

    Join the community
    Design a site like this with WordPress.com
    Get started