Skip to main content

SHINE

A week ago, I watched an English movie called 'Shine' which is supposedly a real life account of one of the world's most famous pianists. The story begins with an oppressive childhood. A father who oppresses his family because of his obsession with music and forces his son to cultivate the same love for music. Out of fear more than interest, the little boy begins to learn and is so brilliant that he reaches great milestones at every phase. The only person who stays unimpressed is his father who wants him to reach higher and higher.

Some very touching moments in this movie left me shaken. These are:

Religion is Nonsense

The father tells the boy, "Religion is nonsense. It's also a goldmine if you know where to tap it."

I'm a Lucky Boy

The father constantly shouts and finds fault with the little boy and makes him repeat, "I'm a lucky boy." He doesnt notice that his son has tears in his eyes whenever he says it because he doesnt believe a word of it.

Life is Cruel

The father tells his son, "Life is cruel but you have to find a way to survive."

I know Whats Best
When the father is questioned about a decision, he defends himself, saying, "I know what's best coz I am his father." 

I found these snippets to be thought provoking. What about you?

Comments

BK Chowla, said…
Interesting.I have not seen the movie but now may do so.
R. Ramesh said…
interesting of course..people just say think positive..but i find no one has time to relax..when me and friend faiyaz were sitting outside a mumbai rail station and kept watching people (hey not just girls)..i realised the value of a break..some leisure..hey maam..where r u running? u dont have time to listen? c, i told u..
Iddy Albatross said…
Will have to see the movie to correctly comment on the snippets. Still, from what you've said on the blog, I've got mixed feelings about this. On the one side, it feels as though the father had been wrong... but then again, had the father not pushed him so much, the son might never had made it. Like I said, mixed feelings.

I hope this comment didn't end up being a waste of good webspace :D hehe
LIFE_REFACTORED said…
This movie left me sad. I somehow could not come to terms with the way David ends up.
But the father gives one chillingly complex performance that makes you think that the guy is for real. I would recommend this movie just to watch Armin Mueller-Stahl one sublime performance.
Apparently this film ran into trouble with the family disputing the portrayal of certain incidents.
Good watch nevertheless. Don't expect it to cheer you up though :)
Abhishek Rai said…
Hi,

I have watched this movie too. a very heart-rending one.

some teary eyes...
Harini said…
i havent seen the movie yet. But i wanna see it now :)
Hayley said…
haven't seen the movie yet...i need to see it..by through reading your post i've a mix feelings too..

cheers keep visiting..
Unknown said…
Very Interesting,don know how I missed watching this movie...After going through ur post I got to watch this...

Most LOVED Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...

Power of Hanuman's Work

As you start work - here's a question for you - are you disciplined about how you work and what you do every day? From dawn to dusk, we work - all of us are engaged in some task or another. Many tend to work almost on autopilot. Happens, doesn't it? Sometimes, we engage in activities that may not be of use to us and results in waste of time. Distractions trouble us - it could be a colleague talking loudly in the phone, and we may do the same too, without realising we are distracting others at work.                                        ( Source: Radio Sai.org) Often, we are not conscious of how this impacts the quality of our work and time, not to mention our energy and attitude to work. The way we work reflects in the minds of our children. They watch us and we barely realise what they imbibe. Now life wasn't easy for our elders - in fact, they had none of the comforts that we do today...

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v...

The Secret Wishlist by Preeti Shenoy

Have you ever been banished from your parents' good books because of a secret kiss when you were just sixteen? [READ: Why Japanese Fiction is Becoming my Favourite] Did you spend nearly all your life trying to win back the trust and approval of your parents for that one mistake you made? Have you regretted your marriage that your parents rushed you into and you agreed out of sheer guilt?  Have you ever made a secret wishlist with something like "have sex with someone other than husband" on it?  Yes or no, don't miss reading  Preeti Shenoy 's recently released novel titled 'The Secret Wishlist.'  From page one, you are bound to get pulled into Diksha's loveless marriage, her constant adjustments to Sandeep, a husband who expects everything to be done to suit his preference at all times and her need to feel valued as a person. There are so many instances when you would simply grit your teeth and wish that her boor of a husba...

It’s the funny,heart-to-heart conversations that make us happy

I asked my 8 year old son, “Frame 3 sentences quickly about your mother as a person.” This was his answer: 1.      Amma is a good cooker. 2.     Amma is beautiful. 3.     Amma works at..... Look at it from a language perspective and you know that the first sentence is not correctly framed.  But you also know one thing: it is straight from the heart. He meant 'good cook' and I burst into laughter because 'Amma is a good cooker' reminds me of my 2015 resolution: eat less, exercise more! Of the three sentences, the first one made me smile.                                                      It’s no different in our interactions with others. It’s not the “perfect comments/conversations” we recall. It’s the flawed, funny, heart-to-heart ones that stick like glue to the he...