Where history enthralls - Belur and Halebedu

I consider myself vulnerable and open to seduction.. when it comes to history, art and architecture…and so when the talk of a picnic arose..I quickly put Belur & Halebedu on that list to be seduced and mesmerized (yet again) and return as the lovelorn smitten one (yet again)!

And the grand family picnic commenced in a van that had more luggage, food that outnumbered the passengers in the vehicle. And once the journey commenced, my rumbling tummy switched on “travel mode” which essentially meant that a sumptuous breakfast would have to be the first stop! So while we were debating and strategizing on how to save time, we ended up unleashing a culinary onslaught at the restaurant…there is something in the air that makes you overeat and step up the adventure quotient when it comes to travel meals..and I relished the South Indian magic of crispy dosa tangoing with filter coffee.

Tummies full, we started to the first destination of  Halebedu temple at Hassan..a 1000 year old temple that sits amongst the rustic village landscape of Hassan..its architecture astounding and its carvings incredibly intricate…it needs time to soak in the history and meaning of each of the exhibits at the temple. Yet again, it is a beacon of the superiority of the generation that lived before us – devoid of the “automation” that we so proudly believe to be the talisman of our generation – they have constructed structures that are still so beyond the reach of our abilities – in beauty, in size and in stability – these structures have literally stood the test of time, invasion and seasons!

While the sun glistened and brought alive the massive monolithic bull (nandi) – our bodies surrendered to the fury and rushed into the comfort of our van..a sumptuous meal at a local restaurant and we landed at the next jewel at Hassan – Belur temple! And barring the new age “gopuram” that ostentatiously rises above the entrance gate, it is as beautiful and as massive a temple grounds as Halebedu..a vast expanse of stone columns, temples, pond and pillars! We rested our tired and lazy bodies inside the temple – the stone cooling our aching feet with its cold touch and the beautiful carvings lighting up with each ray of sun that entered the sanctum! We ambled around the temple – sitting one time, laughing another - unwinding and awing every moment of time spent at this magnificent historic site.

And as we unwillingly started the walk back, the sun unveiled its glorious self one last time before it set into the horizon! A spectacular performance in yellows and bright crimsons and the pillars of Belur playing its part to the brim – complementing and blending into the last frame that we took home as a token – of the warmth of a family picnic, of the beauty that resides at Belur and of the memory of a day well spent.

The “I” of the storm…Padmavat

There is “paid” marketing and then there is “incidental” marketing and Padmavat is a movie blessed with marketing of both nature in equal measures and after going through the 3 hour long drawn “reel” battle, I am mighty sure that the incidental marketing from all quarters will be the reason if not the “only” reason to watch the movie!

Like the quintessential urban Indian who has been following the drama unfurl over the “I” of Padmavat followed by the rotation angles of “Ghoomar” and many such critical matters, I was dying to see the movie to trace the furore through the reels.

And from the moment it unfolds till the end, my curiosity was left unanswered..and taking out the controversy from the movie is almost like taking the wind out of the sail…the movie falls flat on its face, motionless and extravagant and one leaves the hall tired (it’s a long movie to say the least) and untouched!

If the movie was up for a fashion show or a “tableau” competition, I would vote for it hands down – the costumes are elaborate, every frame and angle meticulously planned and aesthetically conceived – it is a visual stunner without a doubt and I would give it up for the thousands of hands and brains that must have toiled hard to make this magnum opus come alive on screen! One cannot miss the stark contrast of vibrant crimsons and pinks that celebrate the “Rajput good” and bleaky greys and blacks that demarks the “Khilji evil”..from the kohl in Ranveer Singh’s eyes to the figurine on Deepika’s necklace..the effort of the crew of the movie must be as strenuous as the battle it portrays in the movie!

But if we scratch beyond the Indian weaves and massive pillars of Rajput regality, we are left wanting – Yes, Deepika looks every bit a Rajput queen (on second thoughts, it would be difficult not to look it with the elaborate backing of costumes, jewellery and art direction)..Yes Shahid has put up a decent façade of the righteous king…Yes, Ranveer gobbles up the movie through a myriad of scenes, songs and dialogues to cement his “evilness” in the movie…but at the end of the day, the script did not thrill me, the scenes were far too many and after a point I got weary of the constant attempts to remind the audience of the total eclipse of evil that Ranveer tries to portray..and the final straw when the movie finally returned to its roots – that of a Bollywood masala movie…when Ranveer clicks his tongue and gyrates to a song that just knocked off any semblance to “period drama” that the movie was trying so hard to achieve!

So at the end it all, I could figure out that the disclaimer had more lines than credits, that Rajput pride has been upheld and overemphasized in the movie and that Ranveer Singh will walk away with all the accolades for his dramatics and the movie will be hailed as a hit while I walked out of the hall carrying nothing more than the popcorn tub to be disposed off!