It’s not just the human brain that is complex but also the human nature. As someone who is curious about human nature, I have always wondered if one could develop a playbook which will help one gauge what the true intentions of the other person are. I know that is a very wishful thinking but after reading Maugham’s books, I came to realise that nothing is more unfathomable and enigmatic than that of human nature and a desire to master it is not just wishful but near impossible task!! Perhaps, this uncertainty is what makes us feel vulnerable but at the same time gives a ray of hope that things will change for better. This post is just a sample collection of gems from the treasure trove of his writings compiled in the “Collected Short Stories- Volume 4”. I am sure that if you are someone who has interests in understanding people’s behaviour, reading this post would make you devour on Maugham’s collection as his words evokes a mélange of emotions, by laying the intricacies of human nature bare before the readers. 

Shershaah is a Hindi movie directed by Vishnuvardhan and written by Sandeep Shrivastava, starring Siddharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani and Shiv Pandit as the lead characters. It is about the life story of young Captain Vikram Batra, a Param Veer Chakra awardee, who died during the Kargil War of 1999. It is truly an astonishing account of a 25-year-old army man who accomplished so much in such a little time span. Does Vishnuvardhan’s Bollywood debut leave a mark in the viewer’s heart?

‘U Turn’ is about how a young intern with a popular newspaper brand, who tracks the ‘U’ turn violations on the flyover and becomes the primary suspect behind a series of deaths, helps the cop unravel the mystery behind those deaths and the one common connection between those deaths. This movie was originally produced in Kannada, then remade into Tamil and Malayalam starring Shraddha Srinath, Samantha and Sandhya Raju respectively as the protagonist. It leaves the viewer with a very strong and emotional message. 

Few movies can make you smile, few make you laugh, few make you feel for the characters and rarely does a movie have all these qualities. Ondu Motteya Kathe (OMK) is one such film which accidentally caught my attention as I was skimming through Amazon Prime, wondering what next to watch. It was one of the finest movies I ever watched which kept me glued to my seat and stay curious about what would happen next. OMK is about the story of a 28-old lecturer, with a bald head, hunting for a suitable (‘beautiful’) bride and how his quest helps him in re-defining his idea of ‘beauty’. 

The Great Indian Kitchen, directed by Jeo Baby starring Suraj Venjaramoodu and Nimisha Sajayan, attempts to portray the prejudices against women in our society, highlighting the misogynistic attitude towards women that prevails even in this modern era. Does Jeo Baby succeed in his attempt to put across the message effectively?