The place where I am now

A very merry christmas!

I said these very words the other day to someone, and he said, "I don't celebrate christmas". I was undeterred and I flashed a brilliant smile at him and said, "We all celebrate the spirit of christmas".

On that bright sprightly note I sit with my laptop (a different one now, if you are wondering, since my old trusted friend, the laptop I owned was stolen). Its sunny outside and just the fact that I have a holiday makes me happy.

Which naturally leads to one main question in my brain.. what is it that I want to write about..

A while back I had written about a show.. Newsroom.. 
http://aarwensspells.blogspot.com/2014/06/newsroom.html


I watched the finale last week and ruminated about story telling. 

Serendipitously, that was just when my sister-in-law,  the same one who got me to try out 100happydays, read out a quote to me..

"Singing is like praying twice"

I typed in this phrase in google and was about to read about it, when I decided I didn't need to. I can't sing, but I already had a meaning of the phrase in my head and these few moments in the newsroom finale cemented the thought beautifully.

**Warning: Newsroom finale spoilers ahead**

Charlie, the benevolent godfather, lets call him, of all the members of the newsroom, suffered a stroke. There is the intelligent Howard grad who blames her rebellious side for his heart giving up. There is chaos at the uncertainty about the future that might have threatened everyone. And there is the man who has just come out of jail to find his best friend, a father figure in some ways, a beloved boss, gone forever.

They are at Charlie's funeral. And here comes the stellar story telling. The deceased man had two grandchildren.  The viewer is meeting them for the very first time. I could not take my eyes off the elder one. There is a look of distinction, intelligence and sincerity. Child actors in English shows are the very best. 

The man, whose best friends is dead, walks upto his best friend's grandson. And sings.

I am dying to explain why I liked this so much. How beautiful it was, he told the boy the truth. Then a song, to make the boy feel less lonely. Actually an outlet for everyone. And before leaving letting the boy simply know, "If you need someone to talk to, now that your grandfather won't be around, I am here". 

I shouldn't explain it you. That is the point. None of this had to be explained. The creators rely on the intellect of the audience and on the response from their gut. 

You may like it for some completely different reason. You may like the song just by itself. You may have liked the scene for the memories it brings of such nice characters that the show has. It will be personal and yours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp04NqmwWn4

I can't embed the video here, but do click and please watch this.

This episode taught me about writing too, because that is where I am now. I want to write. And write well. While this scene played out I suddenly felt inspired.

The trick is in leaving the things unsaid also speak in the most profound ways. The trick is in suffusing joy in hearts of people who will read the words I have penned down. The trick is in inspiration while entertaining. The trick is in being yourself. The trick is in believing in magic. The trick is in enjoying what you are doing. The trick is in letting your skill speak to you. The trick is in concentrating on the now and allowing it to lead you to unknown limitless spaces.

"Memphis is a stand in for wherever you are right now. That it really means, thats how I got here."

- Charlie Skinner quoting his teenage grandson

Newsroom

I am so clueless of the news that it gets quite funny. Alia Bhatt , quite charming I think, could not tell the name of the CM of her state. Luckily am not a celebrity since I would have fared no better. One time in school in an extempore competition my topic was Politics. Haha the one topic that I had nothing to say about.

The other day I was talking to my office colleagues that India is so much more than what is shown in Slumdog Millionaire. And my manager remarked about the hero.. that boy.. he asked,"what was he called?".. and then answered himself.."chaiwala". And then he said, "isn't Modi exactly like that? The story is the same with a lot more of political intrigue in it." 

That got me thinking about the news and what gets covered in the news. Anyway I cannot dare write about the news or reporters since I have no idea about all that. What I have been wanting to write about is a delightful TV show. Newsroom.

** HBO TV show Newsroom spoilers ahead**

Its about idealistic journalism. how journalists should try and do the right thing as they have a moral obligation to society who depend on them for the facts. But the fun, witty , charming way this is portrayed makes the show such an interesting watch. Another reason for this show being one of my favourites is that almost all characters have something worth rooting for. Every story, the acting, specially the dialogues (and there is such a large amount of it in very high speed) are great. The title soundtrack somehow reminds me of Vande Matram.

The biggest tussle for my favourite spot is between two facets of the show. The characters who are flawed still so amazingly inspiring. Honorable, good at their job, witty, fun, real, alive. And the dialogues. There are times when three or four people are delivering their dialgues at braek nek speed (The spelling mistake because I am typing at the same speed). All the political terms fly over my head, but the wit... I laugh so much that it hurts. And am amazed at how noone takes umbrage at anything their colleagues say. No acting good, be normal.

The show starts with a confusing sequence. A man slightly dazed sits on a podium and answers questions trying to be smart and funny. There is no real answer in anything he says. Till a girl from the audience stands up to ask him, "What makes America a great nation?". He tries to weasle his way out of answering till in the far end of the auditorium he notices someone with a placard that says.. "It isn't yet, but it can be."

Will McAvoy - You could call him the central protagonist on whom the story revolves. It is he who was not doing a great job as a reporter of a daily news show. The TRP game played here as well, till he starts doing his job sincerely and well. He is great at what he does. Only negative I can think of is he isn't that good looking. A middle aged, smart man. 

 MacKenzie McHale - She is so absolutely charming I dare you to not fall hopelessly in love with her. An idealist to the core. Not preachy at all. So much fun to hear her sincere speeches, see her mess up, be completely human, helplessly in love, heartbroken, excited, actually super excited. I do believe you need positive people around you. I would love to have such a person around me. Inspiring. Compulsive obsessive lovely.

Jim - He came into Will's office with Mac. Very sincere. Hardly ever makes mistakes. Loyal and still never afraid to speak up. Makes perfect judgement calls. Can't handle this thing called love, but all that craziness makes the frenzy of getting the night's show ready even more interesting.

Maggie - Completely scatterbrain. When we start off she is new, but she fits right in. quite competent. Wanting to prove herself. Makes bad choices and makes a lot of good choices. Whatever the chaos all around she will give her all to get the news flowing.

Neal - He is played by the original chaiwala, Dev Patel. Handles the online side of the Newsroom. People didn't even know they had a blog. Follows leads on twitter. geeky, hacker talk. How can I not be ensnared.

Don - When we talk about character development in a show we could look at a person like Don. At the onset I was sure he will be the bad guy. He is not. It does help that he looks nice and has a set of piercing eyes (I should use this phrase again someother places. I like the imagery it conjures..) . He may be curt, more wordly than the rest, but again is genuinely nice. Good at his job as the rest.

Sloan - She is all brains. Howard MBA grad if I am not wrong. Social misfit, but who cares. She is extremely endearing because she cannot be normal. She is intelligent and an outsider. Slightly different from the crowd and I like her the way she is.

Charlie - If my husband ever starts a company, and I plan to visit him frequently there, I wish that both of us are bosses like Charlie. He looks frail and sometimes i feel sorry for him. Actually I needn't be sorry at all. He fiery. And it is his convictions that let this mad lot do what they have set out to do. Screen them from the fire, encourages them to dare to dream. A very nice character.

Phew.. if you stuck through this long list and reached here.. thank you. They are all that memorable that I could not pick a few and leave the rest. Had to mention them all.

Before I end..I found something I had hastily typed after the season 1 premier of the show .. on the type writer my husband has gifted me. I plan to use some of these lines for IPK because I think it fits there too.

Why do simple things make such a difference? That one moment which inspires you? Makes you believe so strongly in love..in happiness that it almost physically makes you breathless.. Everything clenches in your gut with anticipation. Pure joy of watching, listening, feeling, living..

Simple scenes, lovely background score.. hard to follow easy to lose track of the fast paced dialogues.. Yet thrills you.. excites you.. You wish to reach out and stretch your wings and soar into the blue sky..

Newroom. Completely practical premise. A show about a tv news channel. And it manages to evoke a response in me much beyond what would be practically possible for such a show.