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Tilak Rishi, born in India, has been working as a career corporate executive, after doing his MBA. Passionately pursuing his hobby for writing, he also remained a regular contributor to newspapers in India and the U.S. Many true happenings and characters he came across in life, including interaction with former president Bill Clinton, inspired Paradise Lost and Found, his first novel. A family saga, it starts from Kashmir, when this paradise on earth is lost for the tourists who thronged in thousands every year to enjoy its scenic splendor. Terrorists have turned it into one of the most dangerous places in the world. The family is not only a witness to the loss of this paradise, but also to another tragedy of much bigger magnitude. In the aftermath of the partition of India, along with millions uprooted from their homes in Pakistan, the family leaves behind all that it has in Lahore. Starting from a scratch on the difficult path to progress, it still has many joyful moments when along the way it makes a difference in many a life. The survival-to-success story climaxes in California where the family finds the paradise that was lost in Kashmir.

Wednesday, September 07, 2016

Big B Letter To His Granddaughters

Dear Amitji,

“SO … there is great admiration and praise on the letter written to Navya and Aaradhya .. and I feel blessed to have done it .. it had been edging itself in the mind for long .. and then it came out assisted by thought provocation from Shoojit my director ..
PINK had been an instigator in a sense .. words that I spoke then on set as the actor, were what I would have spoken even if the cameras were not to be on ..” (DAY - 3080)

Sir, it is, indeed, very thoughtful of you to have written the amazingly inspiring letters on empowerment of women to your lovely granddaughters, Navya and Aaradhya. There is no doubt, these letters will add a lot of weight to the already excellent way the girls are being brought up by their most devoted mothers, Shweta and Aishwarya, of course, along with their equally devoted Dads. God bless the girls to be the most empowered and powerful women when they are fully grown up.

Sir, I was wondering, would it not help in your mission to make the girls empowered women of the future, if you give a gift of DVDs of some of the most inspiring movies made on the subject of ‘Empowered Women’, to their parents, to be played for the girls to watch at the appropriate time when they are able to understand and  grasp the moral of the great movies.  Here is my pick of such movies that may assist you make your own selection. These movies make women and girls feel like they have power and can have their own opinion and feel free to share them without holding back:

From Hollywood

A League Of Their Own
This movie was based on the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League that was founded in 1943, when most of the men of baseball-playing age were far away in Europe and Asia fighting World War II. People made fun of the women who played baseball and thought that women could not play.These women with heads held high proved them all wrong.

Brave
An animated movie which has a great message. Merida is a princess but she wants to go her own way.She doesn't like the traditions of being a princess like arranged marriages.She does not want a man to protect her and control her, she wants to make her own path in life and be independent, which i think a lot of women should have as their mindset.

The Hunger Games
This one is a pretty obvious one.We all love Katniss! She's the girl on fire for goodness sake! She is so strong and will stand up for what she knows is right, even if it means risking her own life. Katniss is definitely someone to look up to.

Mulan
Another Disney movie, yes, but another really wonderful message. Mulan is the epitome of girl power. She is strong and independent and does what she knows is right and is not afraid to be herself. Mulan is not like most Disney princesses in the best of ways. She does not need a man to save her, her thoughts don't revolve around love and beauty, and she does not rebel against her parents for her own selfish reasons. She may have gone against her parents wishes but she did it for her father, her country, and herself. She is very tough, but still feminine.

Things I Hate About You
The main character is Kat Stratford. She is rough, tempestuous, cynical, cruel, opinionated, speaks her mind, and does not care what people think about her. She stands up for herself and doesn't take crap from anyone. She sticks to her morals and values and scoffs at the consumer driven lives that most people live. In most ways i think a lot of girls should look up to her, but without being rude and bitter.

When Harry Met Sally
Sally is strong, particular, knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to be herself. Harry says she’s the worst kind of woman — high maintenance but she thinks she’s low maintenance; Sally says she just ‘likes what I like’ and good for her! She doesn’t apologize for being herself and that’s important for every woman to know — to just be your true self, and don’t be afraid of it.

Fried Green Tomatoes
Idgie taught that it was OK to have a soft side even if you were trying to be strong; Ruth taught that it was OK to be strong and a lady at the same time. Evelyn showed  that it’s totally OK to ram some chick’s car repeatedly if they piss you off!

Steel Magnolias
It showed  that mothers are the strongest people in the world.
Steel Magnolias taught  that traditionally ‘feminine’ things like beauty parlors and motherhood are anything but frivolous. Julia Roberts and Sally Field highlight the incredible strength and bravery of motherhood, and their bonds with the other women at Truvy’s Beauty Parlor run deeper than giggles and gossip. Sally Field’s monologue at the end of the movie is one of the most powerful moments in cinema.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story
That movie sent  self confidence in woman through the roof. It took out of the world of Disney princess fairytales and threw her head first into real world feminism. When she rescues herself at the end? We will always love Drew Barrymore for that. Grace and power are a dynamite duo, and absolutely unbeatable.


From Bollywood:

When it comes to women empowerment, Indian cinema is not far behind. Here are some powerful and memorable characters that portrayed the strength of women perfectly:


MICHELLE  in Black
Rani Mukherjee’s character Michelle as the visually and hearing impaired protagonist in the movie Black is one of the most powerful portrayal of a physically handicapped person in Indian cinema. The relationship of Michelle with her aging teacher (Amitabh Bachchan) and how she helps him to rediscover life is very liberating, inspiring and shows the true strength of a woman.

PREETI SABHARWAL from Chak De
Though all the girls in Chak De did justice to their character, there was one girl who stood out and gave a fresh and powerful answer to the male dominated society. We are talking about Preeti Sabharawal (Sagarika Ghatge) who portrayed the character of an independent, self-respecting and dignified hockey player who refused to give up her career for her celebrity boyfriend. She not only stood up for herself but was an inspiration to all the ladies who sacrifice their dreams at one point or another because of their partners’ different priorities.

MARY KOM in Mary Kom
This character needs no introduction. The powerful portrayal of boxer Mary Kom by Priyanka Chopra is one of the strongest female roles in Indian Cinema. How Mary Kom went against her family and chased her dream to become a boxer is very inspirational. In a country where sports is not taken seriously as a career, especially for girls who are supposed to get married and look after their family, Mary Kom sets an example for all of us.

MEERA GAITY in No One killed Jessica
Yet another powerful performance by Rani Mukherjee as Meera Gaity, a feisty journalist who stands for the truth and brings an influential culprit to justice when all odds were against her. She not only single-handedly reopened the case but also got the public involved and finally gave the much needed closure to the family of the innocent girl who was murdered. Gaity is the perfect example of a modern, empowered woman who can bring a larger change.

RANI of Queen
If there is one character which touched everyone’s heart, it was that of Rani played by Kangna Ranaut in Queen. Rani’s transformation from a once shy and timid girl to a confident and liberated lady was amazing. The natural, innocent and effortless acting made Rani look like a real life character and had the ability to inspire many girls to come out of the shadows and feel confident about themselves.

PINK
At the trailer launch, when asked about the unique title of the film, Amitabh replied, "Pink stands for women empowerment and hence it is titled the same. Women aren't respected in the society and for the same they should stand up and fight back.”
The movie is being produced by Shoojit Sircar and Rashmi Sharma and is slated to release on 16th September, 2016.
(Source: pinkvilla.com)

There are, ofcourse, many more movies that inspire women empowerment, which I leave for our more aware Ef friends to suggest for showing  to the two lovely little girls, Navya and Aradhya.

With regards and best wishes for PINK

Tilak Rishi

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