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MOVIE-REVIEW Migraine is a neurological disorder that causes recurring headaches A powerful tale of retribution ranging from moderate to high Cure Sanya Pandey would be apt to say that 'MOM' is Sridevi's movie. However, a intensity. Typically it effects only Delhi woman Devaki speaking Hindi with a south accent, "Since God cannot be everywhere, sounds a bit too odd. But the movie is not only about Sridevi's one half of the head and can last performance. from 2 hours to up to more than 2 Migraine He created Mother", the dialogue Nawazuddin Siddiqui again surprises with his stellar per- in the film 'Mom' aptly reflects the formance. Playing the role of an aged local detective, days. When under a migraine attack, Nawazuddin exhibits an extremely interesting look. the sufferer may become extremely aura created by veteran Bollywood As the detective who works closely with Devaki in her sensitive towards light or noise. actress Sridevi, who gives one of process of revenge, he is a delight to watch. Akshaye Khanna, With Yoga who plays a tough CBI inspector, perfectly fits the role. Other common symptoms include her finest performances in the film Pakistani actors Adnan Siddiqui and Sajal Ali, both of who make their Bollywood debut with "MOM" put up a nice per- vomiting, nausea and pain in the title role. formance as Devaki's husband and daughter. Directed by Ravi Udyawar, 'MOM', Sridevi 's 300th film in Adnan who plays the role of Devaki's husband brilliantly aggravation due to physical activity. Bollywood which also marks her 50th anniversary in the portrays the role of a grief-stricken father desperate to get jus- According to a UK based trust, about eight million tice for his daughter who is a piece of his heart. Abhimanyu industry, tells a powerful, hard-hitting story inspired by the people in UK alone suffer from migraine and almost 0.2 reality of Indian society and stands as an inspiration for its Singh who plays the villain is definitely good. However, his women. Haryanvi accent is not in sync with his character . million migraine attacks happen everyday in UK. It is Portraying the role of Devaki, Sridevi carries the entire While "MOM" boasts of spectacular performances from its also believed that migraine is the most common neuro- movie on her shoulders, essaying the modern working woman, entire cast, there is no doubt that it is Nawazuddin Siddiqui logical condition and is more common than asthma, who cares, loves and protects her family against all the odds. who steals the show! Having said that, it's exciting to see epilepsy and diabetes combined together. Devaki's character is of a dignified strong lady, rather than Nawaz and Sridevi together, sharing an extraordinary screen What's the way out? those mothers, who were earlier sketched in Bollywood as cry- space. ing and wailing for their children. However, the plot of the story is something that is already If you have been suffering from head-splitting ache The movie revolves around High School student Arya presented earlier in different ways. A mother taking revenge for years or have recently been diagnosed with migraine, Sabrawal (Sajal Ali), who gets raped by her classmate Mohit against the rapists of her step daughter has been a profound there are ways other than medication to help overcome your pain. Arterial surgery, muscle surgery, Occipital nerve stimulation, Botox, beta-blockers and anti-depres- sants are a few of the various preventive methods avail- able today to fight migraine attacks. But beware: Not all of these methods come without side-effects. Opting for some of these methods may increase the risk of hpyoten- sion, heart attacks, insomnia and nausea to name a few. So, is there a natural way to fight against migraine without hurting the body in the process? Luckily, yes. The answer is Yoga. Yoga to the rescue! Yoga is an ancient technique that promotes holistic living through a combination of postures and breathing techniques. Yoga is a side-effect free method to fight migraine. Practising these simple yoga postures for a few minutes everyday will help prepare yourself better for the next migraine attack: HASTAPADASANA (STANDING FORWARD BEND) The Standing Forward bend invigorates the nervous system by increasing blood supply and also calms the mind. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge pose) The Bridge pose calms the brain and reduces anxiety. Shishuasana (Child pose) The Child pose calms down the nervous system and effectively reduces the pain. and his aides. After the culprits are declared innocent by the plot in film over the past several decades. court, Arya's step mother Devaki, a school teacher, decides to But, yes debutant director Ravi Udyawar deals with a hard Marjariasana (Cat stretch) teach them a lesson in her own way. A private investigator topic in a much more sturdy way inspiring women who have The Cat stretch improves blood circulation and also Dayashankar Kapoor aka DK (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) tries to ever been a victim of molestation, eve-teasing,rape, doemstic relaxes the mind. help her, but police come in their way. violence or harassment to fight and secure justice for them- Paschimottanasana (Two-legged Forward bend) The relationship between Devaki and Arya is strained. Arya selves. Devaki's question "Agar aapko galat aur bohot galat The Two-legged Forward bend calms the brain and cannot accept Devaki as her mother, despite persistent efforts mein se chun na ho, toh aap kya chunenge?" is relevant for the relieves stress. This yoga posture also relieves headache. from Devaki's end and calls her "ma'am". Arya is a spoilt brat, present scenario. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog who hates to take permission from her stepmother. The movie takes a critical look on the judicial system of the pose) She routes everything through her father. This is what hap- country on how the important judgement in India are delayed, The Downward Facing Dog pose increases blood cir- pens when it comes to a Valentine's night college party, which how the rape victims are victimised more and more by the culation to the brain and thus relieves headache. is happening at a farm house faraway from home, where the slow proceedings of law and how the image of the parents of a rape incident with Arya occurs and she is thrown in a drain Padmasana (Lotus pose) thereafter. rape survivor is maligned and they are offended by the socie- The Lotus pose relaxes the mind and alleviates While the first half of the film deals with the relationship ty. headache. between Devaki and her daughter Arya, the second half of the For example, in the movie, we can see Adnan slapping one SHAVASANA (CORPSE POSE) movie shows Devaki taking revenge one by one, for Arya to see of the four culprits inside the courtroom when they are that the rapists get their due punishment. released on bail. The judge puts a charge of contempt of court The Corpse pose rejuvenates the body by bringing it Will Devaki be able to avenge her daughter's culprits? on him and sends him to jail. Devaki then strikes the Court into a deep state of meditative rest. The yoga routine Devaki is shown to be a stalwart, rugged woman who is in a and says "Is desh me rape kar sakte hain, lekin rapist ko thap- should be ended by lying down in this pose for a couple very tricky relationship with her teenage stepdaughter. As an par nahi maar sakte." of minutes. your resistance against migraine better and should not actor who is so mature and has completed such a long span of Ravi excels as director, as the film is emotionally relatable Migraine attacks cause unbearable pain and can used as an alternative to medication. time in the industry, Sridevi surprises the audience with her to each and every woman. The movie also shows how hard it hamper one's personal as well as professional life. Practising these simple yoga postures will lessen the performance as "MOM," playing the role to perfection. has become to raise the children in their teenage years. Explaining your situation to family, friends and col- impact of a migraine attack and may eventually stop Sridevi impresses viewers again with her perfect act as a The cinematography is good with the film surveying the leagues will encourage moral and emotional support them permanently. So, roll out the yoga mat, repose for mother, who takes revenge for her daughter's dreadful men- picturesque locations of the Delhi with fine passages of pho- from them. It will also help them have an open-minded some time everyday and shut migraine out of your life ace. Sridevi manages to maintain an irresistible mystique tography and production design. Girish Kohli's screenplay around herself, like she did earlier with her dazzling acts. ensures an entertaining drama and holds the audience's atten- view about your situation. Also, don't stop your medica- for good! A woman of 53, who plays the protagonist gives it her all. It tion as the story unfolds. tion till your doctor advises so. Yoga is a means to make (Issued by Art of Living Jammu & Kashmir)

PERSONALITY The world as a stage Aarushi Thakur is a new age travelled with her father’s theatre group, Strangely, though a new age director, Natrang. In fact, it was the travelling that Aarushi feels strongly about excessive experi- theatre director from Jammu attracted her more than acting. While study- mentation on stage and finds most young who brings a fresh whiff of air ing International Politics in London, she directors crossing limits in the name of cre- attended a theatre workshop at the Royal ativity. She is a stickler for stories and does to the troubled land. Her reper- Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). “I not believe in being casual while handling toire includes adaptations from realised then that I liked theatre after all. In classics. About a year ago, Aarushi made a con- Shakespeare, and presented in fact, I could work 24 hours without getting exhausted. Theatre consumed me,” she scious decision to direct plays in Hindi. Seeing people interested in theatre, she felt English too, as well as plays on recalls about her stint at RADA. the use of Hindi would attract an even larger Back home, while preparing for UPSC, she her own scripts, writes audience. This time she picked up realised this was not her calling and got Sonali Jha Chatterjee. Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. involved in various theatre productions. This was her first comedy in Hindi and it took What about the absence of any formal theatre her more than three months to prepare. training? “Well, it would have been a good She had to create a flow chart to explain idea to be formally trained, but I feel that this the story to her actors because the plot was lacunae has made me more cautious and led quite baffling. There were three different me to work doubly hard since I didn’t have plots, 31 actors and the play was an hour and the backing of any formal coaching by teach- a half long. All of these could drive a director ers in this profession. My father did introduce up the wall, but not Aarushi. She gave each me to various books on theatre but didn’t actor a specific character and a specific cos- coach me.” tume. The punch lines had to be timed appro- Since then she has acted and directed priately. There were times when the actors unique productions which pushed her would roll in laughter while rehearsing and as prowess to the limits, way beyond what she the frequency of rehearsals grew, the laughter thought possible. She began with Great died down and the group worried over the Expectations by Charles Dickens, which, she fact whether the audience would laugh at all. feels is her best production. The story played But laugh they did and each show was and replayed a thousand times in her head packed. like a movie while going through the text in “While conducting workshops at Natrang school. After adapting and scripting it she Theatre, I find that parents are very interest- selected a part of the novel and took a huge ed in getting their children involved in the- leap of faith by putting up the play in English. atre. This trend has come in since the past This play performed by amateurs, not very five years or so. Also the fact that theatre has comfortable with English, received wide- been introduced as a curriculum in many spread appreciation. Her father’s praise for Lately, Jammu and Kashmir, unfortunate- schools speaks of its importance. This gives her theatrical skills as a director, “When Dad Oliver Twist and Roald Dahl’sMatilda, both ly, has often been in news for turmoil and an outlet to the creativity of students and said, Iske aur shows karwaenge (we will have discouraged from taking up this work. “I was with children. She consciously moved away builds their confidence,” shares Aarushi. disharmony. Amidst all this, however, cre- more shows of this), I knew I had achieved not concerned about the success of my play. I from the dark themes of her first two produc- So where is Aarushi headed next? “I need ativity flows too in different forms. Theatre something. That was my biggest push,” had no yardstick to measure myself. I simply tions. She, of course, was not happy with to fall in love with a script and then start work person Aarushi Thakur, 27, of Jammu, thinks Aarushi says. believed in what I was doing. That led me to doing only adaptations, and wrote her play, that the urge to create often gets more power- What Aarushi had achieved was unique in take unconventional topics, I suppose,” she Let my Country Awake, a hard hitting piece on it,” she says. For the last couple of months ful than giving in to despair about conflicts Jammu. No one had performed from the says, recollecting those days. on child abuse. “Though my Dad was against she had been working on Shakespeare’s around. Classics in English for the stage. The encour- She chose Jammu’s Amar Mahal, a beauti- doing this play with kids, I felt I was doing the Twelfth Night. “This has taken long to mate- Her plays are often adapted from the agement she received from the theatre frater- ful building located on a hillock as her venue, right thing. We as theatre people need to raise rialise as my actors were busy with other English classics and is enacted in English for nity spurred her and she picked up her next with the summer breeze adding to the magic. these issues.” plays being staged by Natrang. But finally the a primarily Hindi and Dogri audience. This production, Roshomon. Movie buffs know of The play’s success went beyond her imagina- Henry and Ann came next and this was play has hit the stage.” And how! On 19 June, audience have not only accepted it but are this iconic movie directed by Akira Kurosawa tion, especially so when some remarked that executed after six months of research, based the play opened to a packed house at the clamouring for more too. where the characters of the movie provide dif- the play was good enough to be performed in on the love story of King Henry VIII and Ann famous ‘Kingdom of Dreams’ venue in Daughter of well-known theatre director ferent versions of the same incident. Again Broadway. “Thankfully all the praise didn’t Boleyn. During this time, she attended a Gurugram. Next it hits Chandigarh and Balwant Thakur, Aarushi, however, never Aarushi came up with her version and she get into my head, all due to my Dad, who kept workshop with the National School of Drama Jammu. had plans to enter the stage though she often had characters playing three wives with their me grounded.” (NSD) and the story played on in her mind. Who would say that Aarushi Thakur was a perspectives. It wasn’t surprising that she was After this success, Aarushi staged Dickens’ For the first time, she explored body theatre. reluctant entrant to the stage? (TWF)