The Pianist

Movie: The Pianist

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Written by: Ronald Harwood

Starring: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Ed Stoppard, Julia Rayner, Jessica Kate Meyer

Music by: Wojciech Kilar

Running time: 150 minutes

"If you prick us, do we not bleed? 

It you tickle us, do we not laugh? 

If you poison us, do we not die? 

And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"

- Shylock in The Merchant of Venice

September 1939, when the German Nazis bomb Warsaw, Poland for the first time, a Polish radio station where Władysław Szpilman, the pianist, plays for the radio, is also hit by the bombings. The story progresses slowly inching towards the 1940s as the Nazis get a stronghold on Poland abusing the Polish Jews. 

The Szpilman family is forced to disgraceful treatment for being Jews. They quickly descend from being a respectul, prosperous, and peaceful family living in a decent locality to huddling in a "Jewish district" that soon turns into a hungry, desperate Warsaw ghetto, where anyone did anything to survive. As part of Operation Reinhard, Szpilman and his family are packed in an cramped train to the death camp in Treblinka in August 1942. However, a friend in the Jewish Ghetto Police recognizes Władysław, pulls him out of the crowd with the intention of saving him, and separates him from his family to his utter terror.

The Pianist is the heart-wrenching story of the sights of slaughtered Jews, unwavering grip of fear, and the good-hearted help and luck from several non-Jewish friends that Wladyslaw witnesses as he tries to live through the barbaric holocaust, waiting for the Russians, French and the English to put an end to the agony-filled years of World War II. The film tries in no way to make it like a thriller, or make its protagonist the hero. The film doesn't convert the protagonist to lead a revolution. It captures the essence of his fear, the torment, and the dreadful consciousness in the viewer that, without a miracle, not even the fittest survived. And, this is why the film hits you so close. 

The film is based on the actual memoir titled The Pianist  by Władysław Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivor who later settled in Poland and continued to be a pianist and composer. 

Brody is unbelievably real on screen as Wladyslaw, with a spectacular performance that convinces you he is the hauntingly sublime personality- the pianist. The movie doesn't cover all of the holocaust, and it doesn't aim to. It focuses only, and only, on our protagonist, what he saw, what he felt, and what he did. There are no tears as you look at Brody as Wladyslaw, only a close feeling of poignant and evocative emotions that settle in your heart, slowly and slowly as you see the pianist go from a positive, optimistic man, to a desperate Jew on the run to save his life. 

I loved the film, it is a must-watch!

Moonlight Marauders

Title: Moonlight Marauders: IAF Fighter Squadron Strikes by Night Indo-Pak War, Dec 1971

Author: Teshter Master 

On the first of February, 1971 there came a decisive step that changed the game of the Indo-Pak War that year. For the first ever time, 211 personnel were called to report, each with their own outstanding capabilities, and in the 7 Wing Air Force Station at Adampur, Punjab was formed the Tactics & Combat Development & Training Squadron (TCDTS) of the Indian Air Force. As the book puts it, "the pilots were considered to be the crème de la crème of fighter pilots in the IAF". 

A story, as thrilling as it can get, where the newly formed TCDTS is asked at an extremely short notice to perform a task in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Shrouded in secrecy, the squadron had a small, decisive, and one of the most important war tasks. Set out in moonlight, the Squadron was bound by the duty of a unique contribution during this legendary war between India and Pakistan: "to carry out Low-Level Night Strikes against highly defended and important air bases in the Northern Sector of West Pakistan." And, what better team than the this squadron that was waiting for this rare opportunity of the Air Force to give a solid blow to the enemy!

Describing their raid attacks over moonlight, chapters of the book vividly describe as the fighter pilots fly in the nothingness of the dark night and the little light allowed by the moon, channeling their focus guided by their gut and expertise. Flying the Mig-21s and the Su-7 at such a low altitude for the first time, to successfully escape the radars that capture their movements, the IAF fighter pilots push themselves to train through unending simulations, trying that much harder to be better than the previous ones. It is lovely to read the passion with which the author writes about the aircraft, admiring their beauty "to look and to fly". 

The primary source of the book being his personal flying records in log book during the days of the 1971 war, Teshter Master weaves before our eyes a beautifully written, technically detailed, and emotionally sound story that closely follows the activities immediately after the founding of TCDTS, as the squadron trains night in and out striving to be war-worthy, and determined to play the key role of moonlight marauders. Even the crème de la crème fighter pilots are but human. The story is not one adrift of the emotions undergone by the fighter pilots. Master beautifully blends in his worry about his wife Daphne and their two kids, along with the ruthless training that they undergo to make their task in the war a success.

The book has a crying victory of our cheerful, dedicated and spirited squadron, for whom, by that time of the book, you'd already be rooting for. The warmth of success is ended by Teshter Master in the sweet yearnings of his squadron to go home, on a well-deserved and long impending leave from duty. 

Towards the end of the book, a note of the reunion of TCDTS, and also a very close and fond word about each member in the reunion by the author makes the book very special. It also has appendices that give you a glimpse from the Squadron diary, a narration of the Engineering Squadron's efforts, and also the milestones in TCDTS from 1971 to 2015. The book also lets you into the awards and glories that the TCDTS received over the years.

The narrative of the story is with a tone of awe-demanding, worthy pride. Detailed and exciting, the pace of the story ensures that you would probably become so invested while reading the story that it is not improbable that you would see them flash by in front of your eyes. 

Moonlight Marauders was a wonderful read. Those who understand the technicalities of flying would thoroughly enjoy every word of the book. And, those who may not understand every word: again, would thoroughly enjoy every word. 

Pick up your copy today to journey with the most exciting and spirited squadron that you would come to love by the time you reach the final page! 

Shoe Dog

Title: Shoe Dog

Author: Phil Knight

Nike. There couldn't be a more familiar name to all of us. We all know Nike, we all buy Nike, and we all wear Nike. And, we see Nike stores on the street in every city, every country, and every corner of this wide(or, small?) world. But, do you know how Phil Knight began it all?

Phil's ambitious idea started through a seminar paper on entrepreneurship, and he had written a reserach paper about shoes, and the paper had evolved from a run-of-the-mill assignment to an all-out obsession. Now, we shouldn't take those brilliant ideas we actually write for our semesters that lightly, should we? The idea interested him, then inspired him, and then captivated him. What seemed so obvious, so simple was also so potentially huge!

"Being a runner, I knew something about running shoes. Being a business buff, I knew that Japanese cameras had made deep cuts into the camera market, which had once been dominated by Germans. Thus, I argued in my paper that Japanese running shoes might do the same thing." 

The professor thought Phil's idea had merit, and gave him an A. But that was that. At least, that was supposed to be that. But, there began the spark through which Nike shines today. Shoe Dog is a brilliant memoir: honest, bare and beautiful. The narrative feels extremely real, and feels grounded to actualities of what would be faced when somebody starts off with an idea. With personal and professional anecdotes and experiences, the book tells you what you need to get up there and get your idea shining. 

Phil tells you the importance of a team. Nothing can be done alone just because you have a brilliant idea. One needs the courage to do what very few can and offset his/her own imperfections with a team like Phil's which is obsessively driven, loyal and quirky. That's when the idea blooms. Phil repeatedly stresses on the success of 'his team', and the importance to give credit where it is due. It is important to have faith and embrace their skills. 

Why do I keep talking about the honesty of the narrative? The one word that comes to my mind when I reflect on the book is: honest. Phil is not just talking about the life of an entrepreneur, but also that of a human. He has a personal life with a wife, kids, pain, joy, happiness, losses, and everything. You cannot separate that from your professional life looking at a long term perspective. Not everyone can afford to quit everything to work on their idea initially. It is next to impossible. And, that is where the honesty in the book meets out, where juggling the work-life interdependence and balance is beautifully portrayed. The chapters where Phil writes about the financing of the company, especially through the first decade, was just incredible.

What is the take away from the book for all of us? It is something we do know, but tend to forget very easily. In Phil's own words:

"I would tell them: Have faith in yourself, but also have faith in faith. Not faith as others define it. Faith as you define it. Faith as faith defines itself in your heart."

This book literally tells you what Nike has been telling you all this while: Just Do It. I think it is a brilliant memoir. It doesn't focus on just the success, and doesn't fill you with the awe and stardom that usually would be expected by big brands to project. It is also very well written, in a way that smoothly pushes you forward from page to page, keeping your interest piqued. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. And, whether or not you want to know about Nike, and whether are not you are looking forward to know about the life of an entrepreneur, I think this is a book for all to read and learn from.