If you are passionate about teaching, then Hackberry offers you franchise opportunities to turn this passion into your profession!
Must a woman give up her dreams and her identity if she is married and has kids? No, says the new Hindi movie Panga, directed by Ashwini Iyer Tiwari of Nil Battey Sannata fame.
A week after its release, I grabbed the chance to watch Panga. If the film is to be summarized in a line, I’d say it celebrates the power of a woman.
Former Indian national women’s Kabaddi captain Jaya Nigam (played by Kangana Ranaut) is settled in a life of peaceful domesticity and motherhood with husband Prashant and son Adi. The sport is so engrained in her blood that every night she kicks her husband in her sleep as though she was playing kabaddi. The film starts on that humorous note with her husband groaning in the middle of the night and telling her not to kick him, for they belonged to the same team.
Save for occasional nostalgia, Jaya does not regret giving up the sport. She is happy taking care of her family and juggling her job as a clerk at the ticket counter of the Indian railways. She is a responsible mother who is concerned about her kid doing his homework. She is worried about him eating junk lest he falls sick. The trio enjoy the simple pleasures of life and are blissfully settled.
There’s a turn of events when Adi, in his childhood innocence, unintentionally hurts his mother by making a rude comment when she’s not able to attend his school sports day. When his father shares the story of how his mom had sacrificed her sports career for him, Adi is heartbroken. He decides to bring his mother back to the kabaddi world with his father’s help. Reluctant at first, Jaya finally gives in and starts her journey to train herself to be a player once again.
Does Jaya achieve her goal, and does she maintain her confidence and resolution in this not-too-easy mission? After all, she’s 32 years old and needs to compete with players younger to her. Also, she has been out of practice for seven long years. The rest of the film focuses on the odds Jaya has to beat to reach her goal.
Panga weaves a story which testifies that family is indeed a patchwork of love.
Prashant as the kind, supportive husband will strike a chord with every woman. He takes over the household chores when Jaya moves from Bhopal to Kolkata. It does strike a funny bone to see him nervous when the milk over-boils and flows out and when he is pathetic at making parathas which his son refuses to eat. Adi is an adorable kid who from the bottom of his heart wants his mother to excel. I’d so like to adopt such a child! It is so touching when he misses his mother while she is away and chews on the tulsi leaves she had wanted him to take but which he had earlier refused.
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, like in Nil Battey Sannata (2016) and Bareilli Ki Barfi (2017), proves her mettle once again in this film. Brilliantly directed, the story is soaked in realism that a middle class family in India will be able to identify with. Jassi Gill as Prashant and Yagya Bhasin as Adi execute their roles effortlessly. They are so convincing. The character of Meenu, essayed by Richa Chadha, is a paean to friendship. Her part in the film is equally important, for she is Jaya’s constant companion who guides and encourages her. Neena Gupta in a minor role is credible as Jaya’s mother, worried about her daughter’s well being. She’s initially a little disturbed when Jaya decides to play kabaddi again but never fails to extend her support.
The best dose of dramatic brilliance undoubtedly comes from Kangana Ranaut. She is sweet, she’s funny, she’s silly, and she makes you so much a part of her life that you feel she’s just your neighbor next door.
The message that comes loud and clear in Panga is that marriage and motherhood need not put a period to one’s career. As mentioned in a beautiful statement at the end, all mothers can highlight their potential when given a second chance. Panga is a film brimming over with feelings of love and affection to warm your hearts in the chill of this winter.
Rashmi Bora Das is a freelance writer settled in the suburbs of Atlanta. She has a master’s degree in English from India, and a second master’s in Public Administration from the University of read more...
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We are conditioned to normalise domestic violence out of fear of abandonment. Thinking that 'trauma bonding' is better than no bonding holds us back from speaking up!
(Trigger Warning: This post may be triggering for survivors of domestic violence. This post has been published especially to honour the International Day For The Elimination of Violence Against Women.)
Everyone said my perfect husband was like Lord Ram…. but this is how he took unfair advantage of my tolerance!
My grandmother was very fond of my husband whose name is synonymous with Lord Ram’s name. Every call she made to my husband started with the bhajan “Aaj sab mil mangal gao, Awadh mai, raam aye hain“. (Hail everyone, sing praises, Lord Ram has come in the kingdom of Awadh.) It was a mandatory welcome song whenever she met him or even spoke to him on the phone. Yes, his attributes were like that of Lord Ram. His attitude, chivalry, persona, fair skin, smile, height, physique and charm illustrate the perfect image of Lord Ram.
Alone in the apartment the whole day, Riya used to feel claustrophobic. She could not imagine anyone living in with just one bunk to call one’s own. She thought about the clean air and the verdant hills of Siliguri.
The Muse of the Month is a monthly writing contest organised by Women’s Web, bringing you original fiction inspired by women.
Harshita Nanda is one of the winners for the November 2021 Muse of the Month, and wins a Rs 750 Amazon voucher from Women’s Web. The juror for this month, Anuradha Kumar commented, “This is truly an unusual, and moving mother-daughter story, set dually in Dubai and Siliguri. This story of courage, determination, and love of the mother, and the growing awareness on the daughter’s part is really insightful and very moving. A very contemporary story, featuring characters not much written about before.”
From comedy to thriller, this Mothers' Day, share all your emotions with your beloved mom, with these 5 movies.
From comedy to thriller, this Mothers’ Day, share all your emotions with your beloved mom, with these 5 movies.
With Mothers’ Day right around the corner, all of us try to find ways to spend time with our mothers. This year as most of us are quarantined in our homes, what better to do than watching some amazing movies with them.
Bollywood has a plethora of movies that you can watch with your family this Sunday. So, grab your homemade popcorns and tune in to the movies that you like the most.
When I watched Thappad recently, I realised it was a slap on the face of several notions of society. Here are the five that remained with me throughout.
In mainstream movies, a Thappad (Slap) is a tried and tested ‘therapy’ to correct the ‘wrongdoings’ of a person. Generally, it is the female lead who is given the beating by the males. In the end, the movie justifies his ‘heroic’ action and win applause from the audience. However, Thappad was a breath of fresh air with the dose of right questions and answers.
It is an intelligently written film. Taapsee’s character Amrita, initially the ‘perfect’ housewife, takes on a bumpy road when she realises what she went through in her marriage. A slap was her realisation to what she was compromising on- respect, career, and freedom, among many.