Karina Pandya

  Portraying some of the most influential figures who are alive or from the past, biographical films have carved a niche for themselves in Bollywood. With films such as 12th Fail,  Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, Sam Bahadur, Lion Gandhi, Dangal, Seven Years in Tibet, Shershaah and many more; Main Atal Hoon is the latest one to join in the niche. Hollywood too has many popular biopics such as Oppenheimer, Napolean, The Crown, The Boys in the Boat, Priscilla, etc.           Essaying the titular role of the former Prime Minister – Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi has done a fabulous role portraying the extraordinary life and political journey of the 10th Prime minister, delving into the multifaceted persona of the former Prime Minister. Having an oratorial skill, Tripathi has done a magnificent job holding the audience in thrall. The film which was released on 19 th  January 2024 had me running to the theatre on 23 ...

Known to be the oldest and only surviving Opera House in all of India, the Royal Opera House is situated on Charni Road, near Girgaon Chowpatty. This building was initially inaugurated the Royal Opera House was initially inaugurated by King George V in 1908 while it was yet under construction (in 1911); opened in 1912 and additional changes were made in 1915.   (Photo Credit - Architecture & Design) Being a popular venue for Bollywood film shows in the 1970s and 1980s, the Opera House was very popular for hosting plays, dramas, Hindi films, music concerts, etc. In its redeveloped state, it is also well known for hosting stand-up comedies, etc. However, after being in existence for many years, it was closed down in 1997 and restoration work to this grand theatre began in 2008. While the exterior restoration was completed in 2011, the restoration in its entirety was completed in 2016.    Some interesting facts about the Opera House are:   1)    ...

(Image - Bombay Jules) Constructed in the 1890s, visiting the Mahalakshmi Dhobi Ghat is like a visit to one of the most interesting open-air laundries in the world. The washers, known as dhobis work in the open to clean clothes and linens from Mumbai’s hotels and hospitals and are very easily accessible to the Jacob Circle monorail system.   Having rows of open-air concrete wash pens – each row is fitted with flogging stones of its own. A popular tourist attraction among foreign tourists who love to walk around the area and get to know more about the community. A visit to Dhobi Ghat is an organised affair and the tour guide is well-versed in Hindi, Marathi and decent English.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM_2t-fsDM0   (image- iStock)  Over here you can find hundreds of men with strong and sinewy bodies wading in knee-high water at washing platforms flogging sheets and clothes and women can be seen folding and tagging the pieces for return to their ow...

  Written by a world-famous psychiatrist, influential expert and advocate of mental health – Dr Daniel Amen, ‘Your Brain Is Always Listening’ was released in 2021.   Divided into 7 subsections, the book provides useful advice on how to battle unseen (hidden) influences which adversely affect health, happiness and spoil relationships.    These powerful influences come in the form of memories or events – dragons from the past, automatic negative thoughts (ANTs), bad habits,  scheming dragons such as social media, newsfeed, etc.; addicted dragons such as repetitive behaviours which damage your health, wealth or relationships or people from your life – ‘they, them or other bad influences’  which have their own set of dragons as well.   What is a dragon, to start with and how is it affecting our lives? Dragons which are being referred to here are clearly ‘mental dragons’ and place a lot of stress on past events of your life, driving anxi...

  “There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark.”  --Helen Keller   There are numerous social causes which would remain otherwise ignored if it were not for the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) contributing to the cause. January 6th, Saturday saw the coming together of 25-30 NGOs to provide a single platform for mutual help and support. It was organised by the founder trustee of Karmayog – Vinay Somani to discuss strategic planning for social and civic causes.          A Buffet of Purposes: Maybe You're Lost, Maybe You Aren’t. Maybe You’re Meandering with Meaning     Whether it is raising funds, strategy planning, content writing, or volunteering; there are numerous ways by which people can contribute to the welfare of an NGO.    Dr Dhyanraj Patkar, whose Narmada Kidney Foundation works to create awareness about kidney disease said that 6100 people were o...

  Relationships in today’s fast-paced and overwhelming digital age can be extremely exhausting. Being chronically online is the internet reprogramming our mind and are we redefining our relationships based on this?     With script dialogues which are hooking one of the most popular ones is  “ It’s the digital age. Sirf lagta hai zyada connected hai, lekin shayad itne akele pehle kabhi nahi the"-  "We just feel more connected but perhaps have never been so alone before."  If loneliness is so relatable like this to people, are we using social media the wrong way?    Having been released on 26 th  December on Netflix, this film has struck a chord with many people on social media. It even has been having thousands of posts on Instagram with dialogue and captions such as “Reality Never Hit Harder”. So clearly there is a lot of resonance people can have with this film. After having been the second assistant director in Gully Boy – 2019, debuta...