My sanctuary is the evening run at the time of sunset, surrounded by trees, birds and dogs and the occasional cats that run away as soon as I ‘pssp psssp’ at them 😅
Thank you for your close reading, Manisha. I have gone through some stages of navigating power, and thankfully I now have my grandmother's wisdom to guide me.
What a beautiful take on Joji! I had not noticed the shape of his room and its place in the house with respect to his father's room, or the way he (and we) choose where to sit at the dining table; are we comfortable with the spots we get or do we secretly desire others? Your essay made me think about safe spaces in a whole new way.
Thank you so much, Gowri. I am glad you found this interesting. I watched the film a second time last year and that's when the family bungalow stood out as a character. I have avoided giving more spoilers to anyone who hasn't watched the film. Hope you get to watch it again and appreciate more such layers to the film.
Joji set me on the Malayalam film journey. (Thanks to OTT and covid).
For my mum, it’s the balcony with her cup of tea first thing in the morning. She is just looking straight ahead (building, sea or park), her back to the house, family and the world. It is her ‘me time’. Her sweet sit spot.
I hope to find my sanctuary, just like her, someday.
Mine too..balcony , cup of tea, newspapers, before the household wakes up. The bougainvillea in the balcony in full bloom and the Gulmohar across the road, the strip of sky and the tekdi with its green cover peeking from between the other buildings..enough nourishment to take me through any kind of day
"After the rush of the family meal hour, when everyone had moved on and the kitchen was cleaned, she would sit with a book and eat at her own sweet pace while birds chirped outside the kitchen windows." - Love this visual, Karthik. I'm glad you've chosen it as yours too.
My sanctuary is usually nighttime. My desk. And a single stone chair in a park by the sea. A place I go to in the evening as the sun sets.
It's been a while since I watched Joji and even now there are times I think about this movie and the torment of the protagonist and his loneliness in a full house. So well written. And with such hidden nuances. I hope this movie finds a wider audience to appreciate it. I love the Director and Actor duo's first outing together - Maheshinte Prathikaram more. However, this is an impeccable story too and might have worked really well as a book too. Needless to say, its music is quite haunting too. Hopefully I'll write about it one day.
Thanks a lot, Amit. Dileesh-Fafa is one of the great collabs of our times. Joji is the finest adaptation of Macbeth that I've seen. Unnimaya Prasad as Bincy was a standout performance. I watched it for the second time last year and that's when the bungalow stood out as a character. Please do revisit when you can.
My sanctuary is the evening run at the time of sunset, surrounded by trees, birds and dogs and the occasional cats that run away as soon as I ‘pssp psssp’ at them 😅
From having your space to building your sanctuary, this essay packs in so much on navigating power and authority in families.
Thank you for your close reading, Manisha. I have gone through some stages of navigating power, and thankfully I now have my grandmother's wisdom to guide me.
Lovely piece, Karthik. The switch from the movie to the personal anecdote was seamless. :)
Hi Rohan, thank you so much. I am glad you liked it :)
What a beautiful take on Joji! I had not noticed the shape of his room and its place in the house with respect to his father's room, or the way he (and we) choose where to sit at the dining table; are we comfortable with the spots we get or do we secretly desire others? Your essay made me think about safe spaces in a whole new way.
Thank you so much, Gowri. I am glad you found this interesting. I watched the film a second time last year and that's when the family bungalow stood out as a character. I have avoided giving more spoilers to anyone who hasn't watched the film. Hope you get to watch it again and appreciate more such layers to the film.
Joji set me on the Malayalam film journey. (Thanks to OTT and covid).
For my mum, it’s the balcony with her cup of tea first thing in the morning. She is just looking straight ahead (building, sea or park), her back to the house, family and the world. It is her ‘me time’. Her sweet sit spot.
I hope to find my sanctuary, just like her, someday.
Wow your mum sitting with her tea as a morning ritual is quite an image. I'm glad she can have this me-time wherever she is.
Mine too..balcony , cup of tea, newspapers, before the household wakes up. The bougainvillea in the balcony in full bloom and the Gulmohar across the road, the strip of sky and the tekdi with its green cover peeking from between the other buildings..enough nourishment to take me through any kind of day
Thank you for sharing, Vishakha. Dawn is my time too - be it reading, writing, walking or just having coffee before the world around me is up.
Btw, except the tekdi, i have a similar view from our balcony too :)
"After the rush of the family meal hour, when everyone had moved on and the kitchen was cleaned, she would sit with a book and eat at her own sweet pace while birds chirped outside the kitchen windows." - Love this visual, Karthik. I'm glad you've chosen it as yours too.
My sanctuary is usually nighttime. My desk. And a single stone chair in a park by the sea. A place I go to in the evening as the sun sets.
Thank you, Deepika. Yes, and what struck me about the kitchen table is that it was always there but only she found it.
Aah, the sunset over the sea is truly calming and grounding. Glad you have this only a short walk away from home.
It's been a while since I watched Joji and even now there are times I think about this movie and the torment of the protagonist and his loneliness in a full house. So well written. And with such hidden nuances. I hope this movie finds a wider audience to appreciate it. I love the Director and Actor duo's first outing together - Maheshinte Prathikaram more. However, this is an impeccable story too and might have worked really well as a book too. Needless to say, its music is quite haunting too. Hopefully I'll write about it one day.
Keep writing. Keep sharing. Keep going.
Thanks a lot, Amit. Dileesh-Fafa is one of the great collabs of our times. Joji is the finest adaptation of Macbeth that I've seen. Unnimaya Prasad as Bincy was a standout performance. I watched it for the second time last year and that's when the bungalow stood out as a character. Please do revisit when you can.