The diary of a Maidservant by Krishna Baldev Vaid – Book Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 3/19/2013 2:40:00 AM

'Diary evokes intimate past lived by the diary keeper. Diary often tends to be a memoir but sometimes it turns out to be an introspection of ones own life and thoughts. This novel, as name suggest is a diary of a maidservant who is earning and surviving by working as a domestic servant, and offer an opportunity to a reader to introspect on society's behaviour towards domestic servant. This diary opens up the world of maidservant whose name is: Shanoo. As a rule or an indispensabili(...)'

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Sahib Biwi aur Gangster Returns – Film Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 3/9/2013 5:51:00 AM

'The Abrar Alvi's Biwi (Chhoti Bahu) is nowhere to be seen in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Biwi (Madhavi). The metamorphosis of Biwi character from classic Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam to newly released Sahib Biwi aur Gangster Returns is an arresting phenomenon. The Alvi's docile and devoted Biwi takes alcohol just to be in Saheb's good books has turned out to be a master of her own destiny in Dhulia's film. Biwi is still inebriated all the time but her senses are not slept but it has become more (...)'

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Mirat-ul-Uroos by Deputy Nazir Ahmed – Book Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 3/6/2013 10:40:00 AM

'Mirat-ul-Uroos means the bride's mirror. The story is told through two brides who are sisters and married in same family to two brothers. Essentially, story is a study of two characters who are sisters but brought up in a different way. The elder sister Akbari was under the tutelage of her grand mother and younger Asghari was under her parents care. Akbari was a pampered child and her grandmother never bothered to educate her. Akbari intensely immersed herself into petty games wh(...)'

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Reporting by David Remnick – Book Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 3/3/2013 7:28:00 AM

'If anyone have any dilemma regarding whether reporting is a literature or not, read this book and make sure this question never pops up in your mind in future. Reporting is a piece of literature which requires same energy and craft as other traditionally recognised genre. This book is a clear testimony.This book is a collection of profile-reporting written by David Remnick to New Yorker over a period of decade. The book contains twenty three pieces, each piece speaks about Remnick a(...)'

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Muslims In Indian Cities By Laurent Gayer & Christophe Jaffrelot – Book Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 2/17/2013 12:15:00 PM

'India, with her disturbing baggage of political history always will remain in a peculiar position to deal with her biggest minority: Muslims. The politics of polarisation revolves around Muslims and they remain the biggest victims of such politics. When politics centres around numbers then utilitarian discourse places itself at the fore. In the pursuit of maximum happiness for maximum numbers, the minority remains at fringes of development and sometimes they are not at all recognise(...)'

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Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 12/21/2012 11:09:00 AM

'The ever increasing polarisation among the people of world in the name of religion, culture and values has ripped apart the human race. This created mutual trust deficit. The humanity reached to the point from where, hope seems to be distant and reconciliation is rare thing to happen or to expect.If this is the condition of human race who can not come to the common point with its own fraternity than how come this human race expected to lead the way for well being of whole earth that(...)'

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When Tughlaq came to life

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 11/5/2012 2:13:00 PM

'Kotla Fort EntranceIn the midst of Feroze Shah Kotla fort ruins the history was retold and re-watched. The rise of Kotla fort was mark of the end of the man whose life was shown. The man is remembered as “wisest fool” had a complex personality. The every good intention of him received by his subject with great suspicion and contempt. He was well versed in art and literature, had craving to be an intellectual but got stuck in political maze. This maze left him deserted and set him o(...)'

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South Indian Canteen in North Campus

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 10/12/2012 1:43:00 PM

'Under the shade of the trees and the shelter of a tarpaulin cover, three tables and one low round table welcomes all hungry and appetite-laden eaters. This is not a place only for those who jiney kay liye khaate hai (eat food, to live). Here, the hungry eat not just to fill his/her belly, but also to taste it and some eaters are here to try different cuisines and delicacies. This canteen draws both regular and irregular eaters and the success of the canteen lies in this attraction.(...)'

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The Majesty of the Judiciary by Justice V R Krishna Iyer – Book Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 10/8/2012 1:47:00 PM

'The Majesty of Judiciary has a paramount importance in a working democracy. The check and balance is a sine die for healthy evolution of democratic country and in this regard the judiciary is an indispensable part of governance. Justice Krishna Iyer who derives strength from the ideals of the Preamble, a firm believer in humane jurisprudence and critic of Austinian thought is in an avatar of a crusader spirit against his own backyard: the Judiciary. This book unde(...)'

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Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor - Book Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 10/3/2012 4:38:00 PM

'Pax Indica makes peace with contemporary understanding of foreign policy, sees nothing wrong but compliments and derives ideas from secondary sources. Books is replete with quotes of Nehru and David Malone. It seems author is not comfortable with asking hard question or challenging status quo. As author writes “This book is a work of reflection, not scholarship.” Author has put foreword his reflection in a quite telling manner. Reflection are not highly illuminating bu(...)'

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Fareed Bhai's Fried Fish

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 9/30/2012 3:30:00 PM

'Old Delhi is the appetising place. Here a highly satisfied stomach feels hungry, even the bland palate finds something to savour. Yesterday I reached Old Delhi after attending seminar on Manto at Nehru Memorial.This time my street food safari rested at unnamed Fareed Bhai's tiny fish frying shop. I know this shop since my initial days of Delhi. Shop is so tiny that it just accommodate Fareed Bhai, deep fry pan, two large silver platter. Fareed squats comfortably and cuts fish pieces(...)'

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Mutiny Memorial: A visit

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 9/24/2012 7:48:00 PM

'-->Mutiny MemorialOne night, an impromptu visit to JNU to witness Presidential Debate prompted me to visit Mutiny Memorial. I and my other friends, rode bikes along the ridge area to visit JNU. I, a pillion-rider with my naked eyes was looking all around with microscopic vision, found a spire monument. What is this? Mutiny Memorial. What!! Yes, a memorial built to commemorate the sacrifices of the officers and soldiers of Delhi Field Force during 1857 mutiny in Delhi.After force(...)'

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A Delicious Contradiction: “Shahid Hotel Nihari Waale.”

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 9/9/2012 1:12:00 PM

'Contradiction, is it good or bad? I do not know but I meet one contradiction often since I came to Delhi. This meeting with supposed contradiction never awakes my sleepy brain nor stirs my thoughts. But it does one thing. As I approach its place my legs gather energy and gradually my mouth fills with water. The picture of it comes to me within a flash of second. The colour and texture of it increases my appetite. I indulge in imaginative eating. The aroma, brandishing of green chil(...)'

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Heaven on Earth – A journey through Shari'a Law by Sadakat Kadri

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 8/12/2012 6:08:00 AM

'The book falls short of its supposed endeavour of informing readers about Sharia law. The book talks a lot but inform less and it is a classic case of well intention gone astray. The major setback in book is that book does not cover Sharia even minimally than comprehensively.The book conceived incoherently and written incongruously. The inspiration for book is less charming – the serial bomb attacks in London prompted author to write this book. The suicide bombers inspired by Sharia(...)'

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The Messenger by Tariq Ramdan – Book Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 2/20/2012 2:15:00 PM

'The book is both engaging andilluminating. Tariq Ramdan has written in a compelling manner thatforces reader to heed his words and sentences. This seerah of prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is written exceptionally well.This book is writtendifferent manner. Author has not followed traditional seerah writing styleas he himself writes in introduction“countless biographies ofprophet Muhammad already exist. From classical sources (such as theworks of Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham) to more recent wor(...)'

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Waiting for the Mahatma by R. K. Narayan – Book Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 2/16/2012 10:27:00 AM

'Waiting for the Mahatma is one of thebest novel written by R. K. Narayan. Here he has used his writingskill to depict India's struggle for independence. This struggle wasintensified by Mahatma by his non-violent method. Author with help ofhis witty language explored the conundrum of independence. How peoplewere thinking about future independence? What sort bewilderment hadcaught up people? And so on.This is the story of Sriram. Sriram hadlost his parents in his early childhood.(...)'

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My Reminiscences by Rabindranath Tagore -- Book Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 2/13/2012 5:19:00 PM

'“I do not know who has painted thepictures of my life imprinted on my memory. But whoever he is, he isan artist. He does not take up his brush simply to copy everythingthat happens; he retains or omits things just as he fancies; he makesmany a big thing small and small thing big; he does not hesitate toexchange things in the foreground with things in the background. Inshort, his task is to paint pictures, not to write history. The flowof events forms our external life, while wit(...)'

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Swami and Friends by R. K. Narayan.

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 1/7/2012 9:10:00 AM

'Swami and friends a firstnovel written by R. K. Narayan testifies ingeniousness of writer. R. K. Narayan created well known fictional town Malgudi.which provided setting of almost all Narayan's later Novels. Malgudi is on bank ofriver Sarayu. Sarayu is a pride of Malgudi. It flows across northlike a silver belt. Its sandbanks were the evening resort to peopleof Malgudi. Swami and friends is astory of boy called Swaminathan. Who hates Monday loves Saturday.Throws away books and play (...)'

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The absent State by Neelesh Misra and Rahul Pandita - Review

Author : Muqhtadir      Blog : Written Opinion      Date : 9/26/2011 5:16:00 PM

'The Indian story is incomplete without insurgency. The India's rise coupled with internal rebellion yet many Indian  does not know about these stark realities. The discontent against the state among the masses run high. The recent showdown at Ramlila Maidan is  a case. The citizens almost lost faith on system. People came out in support of Anna Hazare's fast unto death. This shows the frustration of people.Yesterday at The  Hindu's Lit for life programme, Sachin Pilot(...)'

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