Showing posts with label Wild. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wild. Show all posts
Dear Human, I trusted you | The tragic tale of Kerala's Pregnant Elephant
Once, there lived an Elephant. Her humble abode was what they refer to as ‘God’s own country’. She was gentle, caring and did not harm anyone. She was pregnant, and had a month old foetus growing inside of her. One day, she was hungry and walked out in search of a few morsels. All she wanted was some ‘Food’. She trusted those whom she met along the way, and did not harm anyone. Her only aim was to find a little bit of food, enough for herself and a little bud, growing inside of her.
However, humans had other plans. A pineapple was offered to her, which the elephant gladly accepted with complete trust. But lo! It turned out to be a deadly trap, as the pineapple was filled with firecrackers. Little did the poor soul know that those people, whom she blindly trusted, would lead her to a tragic injury and ultimately - a very unfortunate death.
Even in torment, she did not harm. She did not ravage the streets or village. She did not trample or crush people in a fit of rage. Instead, she quietly walked up to the River side, and tried to heal the pain. For days, she tossed and turned, crying her heart out. She stood in the river water hours, trying to save herself from the excruciating pain. Alas! She lost the battle. Despite believing some wretched humans, and displaying kindness even in her final moments, all she got back in return was - Pain, Mistrust and ultimately - Death. And with her demise, a young life lost this battle as well, rather prematurely.
This is human race at it’s worse. Since the beginning of 2020, cases of animal abuse have come from every part of the country - be it the brutal killing of a Pregnant dog in Odisha (April), stray cats being killed by a Psychopath on the streets of Mumbai (May) or a pregnant Elephant losing her life due to a disgusting act committed in Kerala. Not that 2020 has been the only year where we’ve witnessed such heinous crimes. Those who’ve worked on animal rescues, horrific cases of brutality and witnessed animals going through torture - they have endless stories to narrate from the years gone by. And yet, despite all the rage and anguish, the criminals go home, completely free of any charges or severe punishment! Meanwhile, as you read this, an animal is being hit, dragged or pelted by stones, in some corner of the country. While all that some people can do is walk away in dead silence, and consider it as yet another "Yeh toh roz hota hai' incident.
One can make a change, only if they are willing to. Willing to speak up when they see an act of abuse. Willing to take a stand, and save a life! Willing to be a voice for the voiceless. One can only pray and hope that the authorities shall take a strong stand against this disgusting act. Without an impactful action, there will always be a section in this society, who will continue to feel empowered by such neglect. Such ignorance will give them the mileage to carry on and clearly, this brutality (animal abuse of all forms) won't stop.
Artwork by Bratuti
How difficult is it to understand that - Animals are not your property. They aren’t your source of entertainment. Try offering a helping hand, and stand by them. Make a difference! I hope, this incident teaches people to open their eyes. Despite all the inhumanity displayed by human beings, animals will continue to 'trust' the not-so-trustworthy race. Their loyalty, trust and love won't change. So, who's the 'real wild animal' here? Where's the so called 'humanity'? Think about it!
All Lives Matter. Learn to coexist!
Farewell, gentle one! Both you and the little one deserve a better place, away from the shackles of inhumanity and mistrust of some really cruel people. May god bless your pure soul.
Love,
The Dancebee
The MAMI Diaries (Day 01) - Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2016 | #DancebeeatMAMI
Regulars at Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2016 know that once the festival kickstarts, life is never the same again for an entire week. A typical MAMI delegate's day starts as early 8 am, schedule in one hand and maybe, coffee in another. bookmyshow becomes a permanent bookmark on your desktop, as you log on to book a seat for your 'must watch' shows, scheduled for the next day (good ol' advance booking). All this, while secretly praying for availability. Of course, rest of the day is spent hopping from one screening (and cinema hall) to another, enjoying the magic of world cinema. For those familiar with the routine, these words may have made you smile. And we are quite sure, Day 01 was similar for most of you. Well, here's what it looked like for Team Dancebee.
For us, the day began with a lot of chaos. Technical errors delayed bookings for shows scheduled on Oct 22. However, 15 minutes later, things got normal. By 8:45 am, most shows were full. However, we were assured of 20% reservation for on-ground bookings at the venue, apart from the general queue. This, of course, came as a huge sight of relief to us. We packed our bags and head out to attend our respective commitments for the day. While Priya chose PVR Phoenix, Team Dancebee's Rasika picked PVR ECX.
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While we thought our worries were restricted to just the technical errors, there was more. At ECX, confusion led to chaos at most screenings. Delegates in the general line had to make do with front row seats only. There were arguments and hassles almost before every screening. It was like watching a film outside the audi. However, the situation at Phoenix was completely the opposite. Most afternoon screenings were empty, and the entire on-ground booking process was quite smooth. There was no chaos or argument of any sort. Cinephiles were spotted enjoying a chat or hot cuppa at the nearby Starbucks outlet, in between shows. Nobody rushed ahead of others, and the atmosphere was great.
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| (Top to Bottom) - Keith Mainland's Tower and Pankaj Johar's Cecilia |
While Priya had to miss her first screening for the day - I Called Him Morgan, due to unavoidable reasons, she caught up with Keith Mainland's documentary Tower, based on the University of Texas shootings in 1966. The film is a mix of rotoscopic animation and archival footage, which is predominately used to depict the series of events. It also includes interviews, including that of the witnesses, police among others. Pankaj Johar's Cecilia followed next, a documentary based on the crisis and confusion faced by Johar's house help Cecilia Hasda, after her daughter goes missing and becomes a victim of child trafficking. The film perfectly explores the poignant journey of Cecilia, the vicious circle of child trafficking and the ugly twists and turns that one has to face, in order to achieve justice in this country. Truly, an eye opener!
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| (Top to Bottom) - Certain Women and Wild |
For Rasika, the two films she watched on Day 1 revolved around strong and distinct characters. The story was like a background theme, and the characters stood out extensively. Certain Women explores a handful of intersecting lives and focuses on three women, who led a normal life, and are creating their own path in life, while living in a small town. Next, the German film - Wild, made the audience go speechless. The female protagonist (Lilith Stangenberg) took her performance to another level of wildness.
As the day came to an end, we got back to work and life, all ready to set our alarms for another early morning (and some mad rush for Sunday show bookings). In addition, we are looking forward to the much awaited Movie Mela, a two-day film extravaganza that has some fun sessions in store.
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Text by: Priya Adivarekar, Rasika Pote
Compiled by: Priya Adivarekar
