Don 2: The King is Back – Movie review

Don 2 Movie Poster

This movie starts with the European drug cartel trying to kill Don, who is their prime enemy in Asia and trying to take over Europe single-handedly. The story shifts to Malaysia, where their agents have planned to kill Don while he comes up to take a package. Finally, Don gets to know of the idea and surrenders in front of Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and Malik (Om Puri) to get into the safe haven – jails – at the moment.

 

Don has fights with Vardhaan (Boman Irani) inside the jails, where a small flashback shows how he landed up there. While he argues with Vardhaan to act together and get out of the jail. They go according to the plans and then set out to Europe where Don has his agent Ayesha (Lara Dutta) and plan to get a tape which only Vardhaan and Singhania can get access to. As Singhania is now dead, only Vardhaan can solve the missing link.

 

The video in the locker shows a German Bank, where Singhania and A K Diwan (Aly Khan) have a close agreement to save the President’s chair – which he holds for more than a decade – while killing the winning candidate and he is shown to be killed by Singhania.

 

Don and Diwan now have an agreement for which he has to give the plan of the Bank in return of the tape. He hires another gang (of Jabbar) to kill Don, not fully trusting him. Don tries to loot the bank for the currency printing moulds and now has two insiders planning against him, Jabbar and Vardhaan. What and how he plans, is the climax of the movie.

 

The movie, takes time gripping the audience and seems like a puzzle most of the time, where the audience has to concentrate more.

 

Farhan Akhtar and the two writes, Amrish and Ameet have tried hard to keept it simple but the twists are so much and time-consuming that it tries to become a gnag war movie once a while,  a heist movie another time and finally an action thriller at the end.

 

There are no clues how Don survived these many years, while being constantly pursued. Another thing was Don’s gang, of whom, nobody is shown in this movie, not even Anita (Ishaa Koppikar - in Part 1). The character of Roma, is given less screen presence and Priyanka Chopra has less to act than fight. her love angle with Don is not explored too.  

 

Shahrukh excels again as Don, but its the story that takes the burden off his shoulders and puts it on the other characters. Hritik appears in a sequence as Don, however there is no Katrina Kaif in the movie as romoured.

 

There’s just one song (Zara Dil ko thaam lo) in the film which saves much time.

 

Overall, Don 2 could have been a better movie if the concepts were streamlined, and not being better in parts – as an end product which has been released now.

 

Finally, SRK appears on a bike with number plate as Don 3. Would you wait for a sequel to this one…?

Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol – Movie Review

Mission impossible Ghost Protocol Poster

MI 3 was long way back, then came in the alpha male movies – The Bourne Ultimatum (Matt Damon) and the new Bond flicks, with James Bond played by Daniel Craig. But Tom Cruise is back with a bang with MI 4!!

 

It can’t get better than this…. Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt an IMF agent, who is rescued from Russian prison for the crime he committed while people thought his wife was murdered. Another agent Jane (played by Paula Patton) has her lover – Trevor (Josh Holloway) – involved in an attempt to recover the codes used to activate the nuclear missiles of Russia. Trevor is killed by an assassin who tries to sell the codes to Cobalt in Dubai. She rescues Ethan in a bid to get these codes – from Cobalt – a nuclear scientist (Michael N.) also known by the world as Kurt Hendriks.

 

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol Banner Poster

 

Ethan is asked to meet the secretary as the IMF has been disavowed and the secretary gives Ethan the mission to track Cobalt down – but these guys are suddenly attacked by a team of Russians, killing the secretary, leaving an analyst – Brandt (Jeremy Renner) left with him. Now the mission Ethan has – to track Cobalt down and is assisted by the team of three – Brandt, Benji and Jane – with no official help on hand.

 

The story has been well written and developed on screen.

 

You suddenly feel that you have globetrotted after you have seen this movie, as countries and people change after a few sequences. Germany, Russia, Dubai, India are the prominent places.

 

The stunts @ Burj Khalifa and in general – all – those from Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner and the starting sequence of Trevor are awesome!!!! You just have your adrenaline pumping after you have seen this kind of stuff.

 

The natural calamities – sandstorm in Dubai and the blasts have been used with their greatest effect to gather that grip on the audience.

 

The scenes in India – have been showed to be in Mumbai – whereas it seems that the palace is somewhere in Rajasthan and the other sequences are with in Hyderabad (most of the scenes featuring Telugu Language) or Bangalore (the IT hub of the country).

 

Anil Kapoor is on the reels for just a few minutes as Brij Nath (an Indian businessman) having satellites useful for the launch of the Russian Missiles.

 

The film is so well done that the suspence between the two characters in IMF (Brandt & Ethan) is continued till the end – for a nail-biting finish.

 

Bard Bird must be applauded for this effort.

 

Jeremy Renner is the new Bourne and I must admit it that it would be fun watching him!

 

Rating : I must admit its 10/10!!!

What’s Samadhi by the way? Brahma’s sons ask Brahma…..

तरी समाधी ते कैशी असे । तटस्थ काष्ठाचेपरी दिसे । कां समाधिस्थ केवळ पिसें । अथवा असे सज्ञान ॥६१॥

ते सामाधीचीं लक्षणें । ऐक सांगेन संपूर्णें । देहीं असोनि देहबंधनें । नाहीं अडकणें सज्ञाना ॥६२॥

केवळ ताटस्था नांव समाधी । म्हणतां ज्ञात्याची ठकली बुद्धी । ते समाधि नव्हे त्रिशुद्धी । मूर्च्छित ते संधी असे वृत्ती ॥६३॥

निरभिमान निरवधी । त्या नांव अखंडसमाधी । परी काष्ठांतें त्रिशुद्धी । नव्हे समाधी सर्वथा ॥६४॥

ताटस्थ्यचि समाधि साचें । जे मानिती त्यांसी स्वरूपाचें । ज्ञान नाहीं निश्चयाचें । अनुमानाचें बोलणें ॥६५॥

प्रचंड आघाताच्या भुली । तत्काळ तटस्थता बाणली । तरी काय तेणें झाली । सत्यचि भली समाधि त्यासी ॥६६॥

ओंवाळणीचिया आस्था । बहुरूपी सोंग संपादितां । वायु स्तंभविला अवचितां । तेणें तटस्थता बहुकाळ ॥६७॥

परी वासना जंव उरली आहे । तंव समाधि कैसेनि हों लाहे । सावध होतांचि म्हणे काये । ये दात्याचे रायें उचित द्यावें ॥६८॥

सर्व संकल्पांची अवधी । त्या नांव निर्विकल्प समाधी । सकळ शास्त्र हेंचि प्रतिपादी । समाधि त्रिशुद्धी त्या नांव ॥६९॥

सापु आल्या शेळीप्रती । तटस्थ होय सकळवृत्ती । तैशी झालिया ताटस्थस्थिती । नव्हे निश्चितीं ते समाधी ॥६७०॥

 

What is Samadhi? Is it like being like wood – with no life? Is it like being completely being out of senses? Or just being sensible? Hansa (says Vishnu in the form of a Swan) says that being like a wood, can’t be called as a Samadhi.The wise is one who knows of the body being mortal, but believes in his own higher being and not on this body made of 5 elements. One can completely fill up the lungs and stay constant at a place for many time or act like doing so, but that won’t result in Samadhi. One has to be free of Desires if one wants to attain that place. Wishes, Desires, Needs and Wants are needed to be leveled to attain the highest state of being – Samadhi. One cannot completely say that the goat has achieved it – when it stays clam and still – when a snake appears in front.

 

अकस्मात अवचितां । दिव्य स्वरूप देखतां । आश्चर्यें झाली तटस्थता । तेथ जाणावी तत्त्वतां वृत्ति आहे ॥७१॥

स्वस्वरूप देखतां प्रथमदृष्टीं । न संवरतु विस्मयो उठी । तोही जिरवूनियां पोटीं । दशा जे उठी ते समाधी ॥७२॥

निःशेष कल्पना जेथ विरे । तेथ विस्मयो कोठें स्फुरे । सूक्ष्म कल्पना थावरे । तेणें वोसरे विस्मयो ॥७३॥

जेथ साचार ब्रह्मप्राप्ती होये । तेथें देहचि स्फुरों न लाहे । तेव्हां तटस्थ कीं चालताहे । हें देखणें होये पुढिलांचें ॥७४॥

एवं देहचि जेथ मिथ्यापणें । त्याचीं कवण लक्षी लक्षणें । हो कां मृगजळींचेनि नाहाणें । जेवीं कां निवणें सज्ञानीं ॥७५॥

मिथ्यादेहासी तटस्थता । झाल्या मानावी समाध्यवस्था । ऐशीं लक्षणें सत्य मानितां । ठकले तत्त्वतां परीक्षक ॥७६॥

हो कां स्वप्नींचे सज्ञानासी । ताटस्थ्यमुद्रा लागल्या त्यासी । जरी मान्य झाल्या स्वप्नींच्यासी । तरी जागृतीसी नाहीं आला ॥७७॥

हो कां स्वप्नींच्या लोकांप्रती । थोर झाली समाधीची ख्याती । तरी नाहीं आला तो जागृती । जाणावा निश्चितीं निद्रितू ॥७८॥

तेवीं ताटस्थ्या नांव समाधी । ते अविद्या स्वप्नमूर्च्छासिद्धी । परी स्वस्वरूपप्रबोधीं । जागा त्रिशुद्धी नाहीं झाला ॥७९॥

तो जागा होऊनि स्वप्न पाहे । तें मिथ्यात्वें देखताहे ।  त्यांतु आपुला देहो सत्य काये । मा ताटस्थ्य राहे ते ठायीं ॥६८०॥

 

One can have Eternal bliss for a moment, but due to the desires left out in the mind, body or soul, the feeling remains for a few moments – still Samadhi needs to be achieved. One can feel of having attained it, but has to overcome the effect of it being achieved, to again get on this position. One cannot call it awesome, as he would differ of being one with it, again that feeling getting him away from that path. One can as well see that he has achieved it in dreams, and has become famous – but it can’t be called as real in practical life ~ where dreams aren’t important.  

जो जागा होऊनि तत्त्वतां । स्वप्नदेहासी तटस्थता ।  साक्षेपपूर्वक लावूं जातां । लाजे परी अधिकता दशा न मनीं ॥८१॥

जो जागा होऊनि स्वप्न सांगे । तें मिथ्यापणेंचि अवघें ।  परी सत्यसत्त्वाचेनि पांगें । कदा निजांगें नातळे ॥८२॥

तैशी साचार वस्तुप्राप्ती । तो नातळे देहस्थिती ।  तरी देह वर्ते कोणे रीती । तो प्रारब्धगतीचेनि शेषें ॥८३॥

स्थंडिलीं अग्नि विझोनि जाये । तरी भूमिये उष्णता राहे ।  कर्पूर सरल्याही पाहें । सुवासु आहे ते देशीं ॥८४॥

पाळणा हालवितां वोसरे । तरी तो हाले पूर्वसंस्कारे ।  तेवीं अविधानाशें प्रारब्ध उरे । तेणें देहो वावरे मुक्तांचा ॥८५॥

लक्ष्य भेदोनियां तीरें । बळें चालिजे पुढारें ।  तेवीं अविद्यानाशें प्रारब्ध उरे । तेणें देहो वावरे मुक्तांचा ॥८६॥

शरीराचेनि छाया चळे । परी शरीर छायेवेगळें ।  तेवीं देह मिथ्या मुक्ताजवळें । चळे वळे प्रारब्धें ॥८७॥

हेतुवीण अनायासें । पुरुषासवें छाया असे ।  तेवीं सज्ञानासरिसें । देह दिसे मिथ्यात्वें ॥८८॥

जैसें गलित पत्र वारेनि चळे । तैसें देह वर्ते प्राचीन मेळें ।  परी देहकर्माचेनि विटाळें । ज्ञाता न मैळे निजबोधें ॥८९॥

त्या प्रारब्धाच्या पोटीं । सांगो सकळ जगेंसीं गोठी ।  कां धरोनि मौनाची मिठी । गिरिकपाटीं पडो सुखें ॥६९०॥

One can say he had seen such a dream – of achieving a higher meditation state, but then he himself knows it has to be achieved in real life. Fate – brings its own doings in everybody’s life. One has to be different from the happenings to his own life and see that it is just happening as it was meant to be. We cannot call it every time that it happened due to the efforts of a person as many a times luck favors that person. Sometimes the tide can go otherwise. It’s like the flames have gone but the ground under it is still bearing that heat or like the camphor has burned completely but the fumes bear its fragrance. Or like the cradle is waving, having been pushed just once.

 

The free souls are like these examples, they have achieved their targets but yet continue to live their fate. It’s like being a shadow of a human being both are separate yet exist together. The free souls are those who have achieved Samadhi stage but yet continue their routine works. They know that they are free now but they don’t mind carrying out the happenings in their lives as they now know that they won’t be bound by their actions henceforth. They can sit silent at a place or meditate in caves or carry out their activities, they are still free.

 

तो आचरो सकळ कर्में । अथवा पिसा हो कां निजभ्रमें ।  तेणें तेणें अनुक्रमे । जाण परिणामें प्रारब्धें ॥९१॥

तो चढो पालखीं गजस्कंधीं । कां पडो विष्ठामूत्रसंधीं ।  ते ते प्रारब्धाची सिद्धी । जाण त्रिशुद्धी ज्ञात्यासी ॥९२॥

जेथ बाध्यबाधकता फिटली । सकळ अहं अविद्या तुटली ।  सहज समाधी त्या नांव झाली । हे संख्या केली सिद्धांतीं ॥९३॥

ऐशी जे सैर समाधिअवस्था । तोचि भोग भोगोनि अभोक्ता ।  कर्में करोनि अकर्ता । जाण तत्त्वतां तो एक ॥९४॥

तो क्रियाकारणसंयोगें । डुलत देखिजे विषयभोगें ।  परी समाधिमुद्रा न भंगे । भोगसंगें अलिप्त ॥९५॥

त्यासी स्त्री म्हणे माझा भर्ता । पुत्र म्हणे माझा पिता ।  शिष्य म्हणे स्वामी तत्त्वतां । त्यांहूनि परता त्यांमाजीं वर्ते ॥९६॥

हो कां काष्ठास्तव उत्पत्ती । काष्ठावरी ज्याची स्थिती ।  तो आकळितां काष्ठीं बहुतीं । नावरे निश्चितीं अग्नि जैसा ॥९७॥

फुंकितां लखलखिला । जो फुंकास्तव प्रकटला । तो फुंक न साहतां ठेला । निर्वातींचा संचला दीप जैसा ॥९८॥

तेवीं कर्मास्तव उत्पत्ती । कर्मेंचि झाली परब्रह्मप्राप्ती ।  त्या कर्मामाजीं वर्तती । निष्कर्मस्थिती महायोगी ॥९९॥

तो व्यवहारी दिसो जनीं । कीं पिसेपणीं नाचो वनीं । अथवा तटस्थ राहो विजनीं । दशा अधिक‍उणी बोलूं नये ॥७००॥

 

They (the free souls) follow their karma, or wander here and their symbolizing their mindlessness – just to follow their fate. They move on litters (palanquins) or ride on Elephants like Kings or enjoy being filled with dust or waste products – just to follow their fate. This state being called the Sahaj Samadhi. He does his karma, but never claims it being his. His actions are never bound to show his ego. He might enjoy having pleasures, but he still bears of all things as are of being trivial. His family calls him his, His followers call him their Master, but he knows he belongs to somewhere else. He is like a wooden thing, but is so different from it, that he wouldn’t blow off the flames – if the wood had caught fire.

 जें सिंहासनीं राजत्व जोडे । तें वनांत खेळतां न मोडे ।  कीं धांवतां व्याहाळीपुढें । राजपद चोखडें ढळूं नेणे ॥१॥

रावो रानीं वसिन्नला । त्या रानासी राजभोग आला । रावो राजत्वा मुकला । मूर्खही या बोला न बोलती ॥२॥

तेवीं पावोनि स्वरूपप्राप्ती । योगी प्रारब्धाच्या स्थिती ।  नाना कर्में करितां दिसती । परी निजात्मस्थिती भंगेना ॥३॥

यालागीं समाधि आणि व्युत्थान । या दोहीं अवस्थांचें लक्षण ।  अपक्वासीचि घडे जाण । परिपूर्णासी लक्षण तें कैंचें ॥४॥

स्वरूपावेगळें कांहीं एक । पूर्णासी उरलें नाहीं देख । समाधिव्युत्थानाचें मुख । त्यासंमुख येवों लाजे ॥५॥

अर्जुना देवोनि समाधि । सवेंचि घातला महायुद्धीं । परी कृष्ण कृपानिधी । तटस्थ त्रिशुद्धी न करीच ॥६॥

यालागीं समाधिव्युत्थानविधी । ताटस्थ्येंसहित निरवधी । गिळूनि झाली सैर समाधी । पूर्ण निजपदीं विलसतां ॥७॥

एवं प्रारब्ध जंव असे । तंव मुक्ताचें देह वर्ते ऐसें । परी अहंममतेचें पिसें । पूर्विल्याऐसें बाधीना ॥८॥

जेवीं स्वप्नदेहाच्या नाना अवस्था । जागृतीं आलिया तत्त्वतां । पुरुष नेघे आपुले माथां । तेवीं समाधिस्था देहकर्में ॥९॥

हेचि परमार्थता ब्रह्मस्थिती । नाना परींच्या उपपत्ती । म्यां सांगीतल्या तुम्हांप्रती । ज्ञानसंपत्ती निजगुह्य ॥७१०॥

तूं कोण हें पुसिलें होतें । सांगावया तें सनकादिकांतें । सांगतसें निजरूपातें । विश्वास त्यातें दृढ व्हावया ॥११॥

 

It is so ridiculous to call him enjoying life if compared to the King only being called a King when he sits on a throne, or if he runs in the woods – he won’t be the King. The King, wherever he may be, still remains the King. So the one who attains Samadhi, bears it – whatever happens as per his fate. One who attains it knows it’s importance leaves being one aside, to enjoy that state again and again. It was I as Krishna, gave Arjun this state and led him to fight the war – leaving the cycle of ego and karma aside. Says Hansa (the Swan like Incarnation of Lord Vishnu) to answer the questions to the sons of Brahma ~ who was busy creating life and had forgotten the basics. This is the narrative that Krishna told Uddhava – referring to it as the Hansagita.

Text from : Satsangdhara