What killed Tiwari?

On the morning of 7 July 2016, the founder of Indian Paranormal Society, Gaurav Tiwari, was found dead in his bathroom. The Delhi Police reported a case of asphyxiation or suffocation, but the paranormal researchers did not buy this. Tiwari’s body was found lying on the bathroom floor with a thin black line - which became the focus of all arguments - that ran across his neck.

Tiwari’s wife and father heard a ‘loud thud from the bathroom’ and discovered his body lying lifeless on the floor. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Gaurav was reported feeling uneasy for a month. He felt that a “negative force was pulling” him towards it.  The Police refused to believe this and claims that it was a case of suicide, as the recently married couple did not share cordial relations due to Tiwari’s nature of work.

Gaurav was a pilot and actor by profession before he experienced a series of paranormal phenomena at his Florida apartment, which turned him into one of the best researchers on these activities. Apart from working with his own team, he appeared in numerous national and international TV shows and movies. The Indian Paranormal Society has investigated over 6,000 cases and was known to have busted the age-old Bhangarh Fort myth. His demise leaves many questions unanswered as to what really haunted the ‘ghost hunter’ of the country.

What did Donald Trump do in his first 100 days as the POTUS?

Neither the people nor Trump himself expected that he would be the 45th President of America. But, in a result that shocked more people than relieved, he became the first citizen 100 days ago. Let’s take a look at ‘important milestones’ of the Trump government.

The day Trump took the oath, Washington DC witnessed a protest that turned violent when the protesters were attacked with tear gas and stun grenades.  

He falsely claimed about the number of people who had turned up for the inauguration day as compared to the previous President Barack Obama’s.

On day 4, Trump reinstated the “Global Gag Rule”. Under this rule, US federal funding was not allowed for NGOs that provide abortion counselling or referrals or expand abortion services. He also withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, backing from the trade agreement with several countries. His staff was banned from talking to the Press. He claims that the NATO is no longer obsolete.  

He passed an executive order to move ahead with the construction of Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline. Although the project is supposed to increase job opportunities, it would directly affect the environment, But Trump, being the only global leader who doesn’t accept climate change to be real, couldn’t care less.

Trump government also resumed building a wall on the Mexico border. They passed a rule that suspended refugee arrivals into America. In the 100 days, he imposed a ban on travel visa that stopped several Middle Eastern and African countries from travelling to America. This ‘Muslim Ban’ was overturned by the court.

Transgenders are facing a tough time with the Trump presidency, which revoked the guidelines allowing transgender students to use bathrooms of their choice. Trump also claimed that Obama government was tapping the phones in Trump Tower, which was proved wrong. After the numerous ‘inappropriate statements’ he’s made about his daughter, Trump named Ivanka his secretary.  

Recently, Trump authorised a missile strike against the Syrian regime and the MOAB that was targeted at IS militants in Afghanistan. In an interview, the President who promised to keep “America First” shared how he misses his ‘old life’ as he thought being a President would be ‘easier’.  

Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah)

The Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed last weekend in Israel and few other countries in the world. It is a day to pay tribute to the six million Jews who were a victim of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. In 1953, then President and Prime Minister of Israel passed the law to observe Yom HaShoah, on the 27th da of April/May.

American President Donald Trump also paid tribute to the victims of Holocaust. In a message recorded for the World Jewish Congress Plenary Assembly, he says that on this Holocaust Remembrance Day, they tell the stories of the fathers, mothers and children, whose lives were extinguished and whose love was torn from this earth. They also tell the stories of courage in the face of death, humanity in the face of barbarity, and the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people. His daughter Ivanka Trump also issued a statement in which she calls on to the leaders of the world to ensure that such a tragedy would never happen again.

Thousands of people participated in the March of the Living in Poland, which was a memorial march of three kilometres from the Auschwitz camp to Birkenau camp. Both the camps were used to murder Jews in gas chambers. At 10 in the morning on Yom HaShoah, Stephanie Portnoy, who is a Holocaust survivor pressed the button for a siren to play in Israel; the siren that would signal all the citizens to stop and stand to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust.   

   

Up and Up

Toronto woman, Marisa Lazo, was spotted on a construction crane hook block by passers-by in the wee hours of the day. When the incident was reported, a team of firefighters got to the place and started the 2 and ½ half hour rescue operation. At around 8:30 am, she safely landed back on the ground.

The incident took place at a construction site on Wellesley Street East near Yonge Street. The crane is estimated to be at least 20 storeys above ground and how Lazo got up there and then down the hook is something even the firefighters are confused about. Currently, an investigation is going on to learn how the woman climbed the crane while security staff video-monitored the site.

Acting Cpt. Rob Wonfor was the brave officer who saved Lazo. He commented that she was sitting calm which helped him to be calm as well. Wonfor rappelled his way down with Lazo after she had been stuck on the crane for at least four hours. Lazo’s only words to Wonfor were “glad to see you up here to help me”.

Wonfor called her climbing skills “impressive” as Lazo was handcuffed and taken to a hospital. Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said, “She did not appear to be in any distress” and was charged with six counts of mischief charge.    

 

Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Kashmir Formula

Mehbooba Mufti in her meeting with Prime Minister Modi in Delhi stressed about the “Vajpayee Doctrine”. So, what is this Vajpayee doctrine?

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who belonged to the BJP and was the Minister of External Affairs in 1977, adopted a doctrine to promote Peace, progress and prosperity in the spirit of humanity, democracy and Kashmiriyat in J&K. This policy was welcomed by all the politicals spectrums in India including extremists and Kashmiris in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Vajpayee’s famous ‘mantra’ as a Prime Minister in 1996 and then in 1998 was that “you can change friends but not your neighbours”.

He believed in solving issues with Pakistan in a peaceful manner without involving any third party. Vajpayee promoted friendly relations with Pakistan despite constant provocations from them in form of the Kargil War, hijacking and crossing the LoC. He did not give up and continued to indulge in bilateral talks with his counterpart. In February 1999, he signed the Lahore Declaration with PM Nawaz Sharif. According to the agreement, Pakistan had accepted to resolve issues in a peaceful manner through bilateral talks.

Vajpayee also took a bus journey from Delhi to Lahore and later started the Sada-e-Sarhad (Call of the Frontier) bus service on the same route as a symbol of efforts to promote peaceful and friendly relations. He expected mutual trust and support in a collective fight against poverty and terrorism and drug trafficking.

To Be Or Not To Be

Every year on April 23, UNESCO celebrates World Book and Copyright Day to promote reading, publishing and copyright. Several prominent writers share this date as their death anniversary. William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega are a few among the dozen others who died on the same day. UNESCO decided to celebrate this day as World Book and Copyright Day in 1995.

William Shakespeare was one the greatest playwrights of all times. Today marks the date of his birth as well death. Shakespeare was born in England and was the eighth child of his parents. Shakespeare died at the age of 52. His sudden death has been the subject of speculation for centuries.

In his lifetime, he is said to have introduced almost 3,000 words to the English dictionary. Shakespeare was married to a woman who was much older than him. Anne Hathaway gave birth to her child six months into the marriage. Shakespeare is also known to have performed in his own plays. He never published any of his plays and it was only because of two colleagues that the copies were safe.

Shakespeare’s influence is so deep that quite a few moons of Uranus are named after characters from his plays. He was known as an able businessman who formed a joint company with his actors and earned. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he died a wealthy man. On Shakespeare’s 46th birthday, the King James Bible was published which contained the Psalm 46, that had ‘shake’ as the 46th words and ‘speare’ as the 46th one from the end.

Bay of Pigs Fiasco

April 17 marks 56 years of one of the biggest fiasco in the history of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In 1961, President John F. Kennedy had authorised an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro of Cuba, in what was called Operation Zapata. Fidel Castro was the Secretary of the Communist party and had adopted a leftist anti-imperialist approach to politics, which did not suit the government of America. Operation Zapata is known in history as the ‘Bay of Pigs invasion’.

About 1,400 anti-Castro exiles had invaded the Cuban coast but were defeated by the 20,000 Cuban soldiers who captured and put them behind bars. The exiles, who expected help from the US, were not provided with any. A series of misfortunate events were the reason for the same, a CIA report cited.

The direct result of this was that the Cold War between US and Russia, who is allied to Cuba, heightened. This led to the Cuban missile crisis. The prisoners of war were later exchanged with the US for $53 million in food and medicine. The CIA blames the Kennedy government for the failure. But, the ‘Bay of Pigs Fiasco’ is still remembered as a crucial failure in the history of CIA.  

With Love, Your DNA Test

A couple in Jackson, Mississippi were in for a huge shock when they went for a fertility test. The pair that prefers to remain anonymous could not conceive naturally, which is when they thought of going to an IVF clinic. But when they got the results from the doctor, they were shocked to find out that they were twins.  

The lab assistant who was trying to get their genetical backgrounds through DNA, had noticed a striking similarity between the two. This prompted him to investigate further. It was then revealed that they shared the same birthdates in 1984, which made it more likely for them to be related. Initially, the doctor thought that the pair could be first cousins, but the DNA test revealed that they were siblings.

“It was a difficult subject to raise” the doctor said. “They burst out laughing when I asked them if they were twins”.  When they did realise the truth, the wife kept insisting that the doctor was joking.  "I wish that I was, but they had to know the truth," he added.

The two individuals were separated as infants, when they were adopted by different families, after their parents died in a car crash. Due to problems in filling, the adoptive families were not aware that their child had a sibling. Later, the couple met each other in college and fell in love. They revealed that they connected really well, and eventually fell in love, due to their similarities.

The husband disclosed that “a lot of people remarked on the fact that we shared the same birthdays and looked similar to each other, but we presumed it was just a funny coincidence and that we were definitely not related”. The law against incest in Mississippi can be up to 10 years of prison or $500 fine. Because the case is different, the couple is likely to be exempted. The couple, who have been together for years, is now reconsidering their relationship.

  

April in April

The news on Saturday morning in the town of Harpursville was that April, the giraffe was finally in labour. April is a Somali giraffe who arrived at the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York in 2015. April became famous in February due to the news of her pregnancy.

She now has a Twitter handle. And it has 30.7k followers. She also has a Wikipedia page. The zoo has announced an online competition to name the calf. April also has a GoFundMe page which has apparels for purchase.

On Saturday, when the news came in, thousands of people logged in to watch the baby being born.  The hooves of the calf were seen early in the morning, which created an excitement on social media, as it is an important sign of going into labour. April was overdue by two months and her pregnancy was the talk of the town. When the live streaming started, 1.2 million people viewed it on YouTube, while 750K watched it on Facebook.

Panda Diplomacy

Netherlands just welcomed two giant panda cubs from China. Xing Ya, who is a male panda and Wu Wen, who is a female arrived at the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol today. The 3-year-olds from China would now be preparing for a new life in Netherlands.

After arriving at the airport, the panda cubs were placed on display outside the airport. They would now be going to a zoo in Rhenen, central Holland. As a part of the nature conservation project, the pair would stay in Ouwehands Zoo for 15 years. There is a giant Chinese themed enclosure in the zoo that would be a home for the cubs. It contains indoor and outdoor areas, along with a refrigerator to stock up bamboos.

The national mascot of China, nearly 1,864 pandas have been loaned to its friendly countries. China takes as much as $1 million every year for the each panda, who is loaned by a country for 10-15 years. The pandas are a huge crowd puller for the zoos. And as hosting partners of Xing Ya and Wu Wen, Netherlands has definitely given the panda cubs a warm welcome!

United Will Never Be Overbooked

Two days after a video of United Airlines went viral, the CEO of the company has finally come out with a public apology on Tuesday. Oscar Munoz, president and CEO of United Airlines on Twitter emphasised on one main point: “I’m sorry. We will fix this”.

In a public statement on Monday, Munoz had issued an apology “for having to re-accommodate the customers”. There was no apology for the brazen action — where an Asian passenger was dragged out of his seat — that took place on Flight 3411. This outraged a lot of people, including clients and celebrities who threatened to stop using the airlines. After the public shaming, in another tweet that came out on Wednesday, Munoz apologised to David Dao, the veteran doctor who had been dragged off the flight.

“It’s never too late to do the right thing”, remarked Munoz.  But it may be too late. Because by Tuesday, the video that went viral, had already caused a 4.4 per cent drop in the shares of the airlines.  By closing time, the stock had recovered, to end at a 1.13 per cent loss, which led the to airlines losing $255 billion. United also lost many of their loyal clients, as Twitter raged with #BoycottUnited trending for the third day.

On Wednesday, lawyers of Dao, who is a Vietnamese-American doctor, asked a court in Illinois to preserve all the important documentation related to the case. This would involve surveillance footage and voice recordings from the cockpit, among other things. United has announced the refund of tickets of all passengers on Flight 3411.

Munzo, in a statement, remarked “That is not who our family at United is. This will never happen again on a United flight. That’s my promise.”

The Airlines has also announced that it would not be asking the police to remove passengers from full flights after this. One of the daughters of Dr Dao is to hold a press conference in Chicago Thursday.

Who is the ‘Most eligible bachelor’ on Tinder?

Sudan, a northern white rhinoceros has just joined Tinder. His profile says, “Sudan is his name

I don’t mean to be too forward, but the fate of my species literally depends on me. I perform well under pressure. I like to eat grass and chill in the mud. No problems. 6 ft tall and 5,000 pounds if it matters”.

The northern white rhino is found in East and Central Africa south of the Sahara. Currently, it is an endangered species. There are only three northern white rhinos in the world right now; out of which, Sudan is the sole male. 43-year-old Sudan is the said to be in grave danger from hunters and thus has body guards with him all the time.

Sudan’s Tinder profile was made to raise money for his fertility treatment. Getting him to mate naturally has failed and a treatment worth $9 million is the only way out. Sudan’s sperm is going to be used to fertilise an egg from one of the last two northern white rhino females - 17-year-old Satu and 27-year-old Najin. Swiping right on his profile leads to the Ol Pejeta website. Tinder and Ol Pejeta have come together to make Sudan’s profile available in 190 countries and 40 languages.

60 nappies a day, 420 in a week

An Australian couple, Kimberly Tucci and  Vaughn Tucci welcomed their 5 beautiful babies in January. The pair who already had two daughters wanted to try for another one, probably a son. But what they got was one son, with four more daughters. In a rare case, Kim Tucci, who is a 27-year-old woman from Perth, delivered her quintuplets.

Kim has a 9-year-old son from a previous relationship and two daughters with current husband. The family of four has now expanded to nine as the quintuplets Keith, Ali, Penelope, Tiffany and Beatrix were born. It is a 1 in 55 million cases. And as adorable as the babies look, the pregnancy took a toll on the mother.

Her weight shot up and the muscles in her stomach wall had separated and stretched beyond saving. A surgery costing $18,000 dollars was carried out by Dr Tom Cooper to repair the damage done to her body. Kim shared how her confidence went down due to the damage and she was continuously out of energy. But now, after going from 106 kilos to 78 kilos, she says it “feels like a new person. I feel like me again. I lost that throughout the pregnancy but now I've regained it”.

Thanks to Multiple Birth Volunteer Support, the family has 150 volunteers to help them with the babies. 'The volunteers will be doing stuff like helping to feed babies, changing nappies, helping with washing bottles and preparing feeds and changing linen and washing baby clothes and all those sorts of tasks,' Ms Bingham, who heads the project said.   

Haruki Murakami

One of the world’s greatest writers, Haruki Murakami writes stories that makes you feel something you’ve never imagined you could. His writing style, although very simple carries an air of suspense which the reader can never figure out till the end of the story. And sometimes, not even by the end of the story. Murakami-chan is from Kyoto Prefecture, and started his writing career only at the age of 29. Here are some things about the great Japanese writer who wakes up at 5:00 AM and sleeps at 10:00 PM and follows his schedule very punctually. 

Without fail, the first thing about him has to be his love for Jazz. His first job, prior to becoming a writer was at a record store and the love for Jazz has been forever an important part of him. Till date, he has over 6,000 music records. Secondly, you can never find Murakami’s quote in a piece about book criticism. He believes he is better at observing people and writing about them rather than judging someone. Murakami balances his physical strength and artistic sensitivity by following a rigid schedule. Apart from finishing his books, he also goes to swim and runs about 10 kms everyday.
Since his early college days, Haruki Murakami has loved movies. News is that he ends up watching some 200 movies in a year! Waseda University, is his alma mater and that’s where he met his wife, Yoko-san. One of the sweetest things to know about him is his love for Indian food. Murakami, generally prefers his cultural food and is very fond of it but also like the Indian cuisines. Next on the list, is his love for cats. It is a well known fact that Murakami owned more than ten cats so far and loves having cats around him. 

Murakami learned English by reading English novels, especially crime stories while in High School. The first book he read in English was The Name is Archer by Ross Macdonald.
While watching a baseball game one day, it struck Murakami out of the blue that he should try his hands at writing and what followed was firstly Hear The Wind Sing and then the rest is history. 

Speaking to the Paris Review about his whodunnit crime novels he said: "I myself, as I’m writing, don’t know who did it. The readers and I are on the same ground. When I start to write a story, I don’t know the conclusion at all and I don’t know what’s going to happen next. If there is a murder case as the first thing, I don’t know who the killer is. I write the book because I would like to find out. If I know who the killer is, there’s no purpose to writing the story.” Thus, it is no wonder that his novels and short stories leaves the readers thinking a long time after they have read it. A very interesting thing about Murakami’s books is that all his books are first read by his wife Yoko. "It’s like Scott Fitzgerald," he says "Zelda [Fitzgerald] was always the first reader.” He chooses between Alfred Birnbaum, Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin to translate his novels into English. 

Murakami has lots of fans around the world and they all know that they have learned way beyond literature from Haruki Murakami. One very interesting thing observed by one his fans called Alex Iskold is what start ups can learn form this amazing writer. “I'm a big fan of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. The genius of Murakami is in his discipline, focus and determination. I see him as a virtual Zen master - an embodiment of wisdom, passion, skills and exceptional will.” The link to his article about it is here : http://readwrite.com/2008/07/29/what_startups_can_learn_from_haruki_murakami.

Haruki Murakami, 67-years old, fit and healthy, wise and bold, is a man of great standards and continues to be one of the greatest writers in contemporary times. 

BIG FAT GUJJU WEDDING!!

Marriage is a highly auspicious occasion in the Indian culture. According to the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures, marriage is a sacred lifelong commitment between a man and a woman. It is considered to be the strongest of all social bonds and is the initiation into a lifetime of togetherness. The Vedic wedding ceremony consists of prayers, invocations, and vows recited in Sanskrit, the most ancient surviving language. The Vedic wedding ceremony dates back to over five thousand years. The ceremony is performed under a decorated canopy, the Mandap. The four pillars that surround the mandap represent the four parents. This signifies the important part they have played in raising their children to become the responsible adults they are today. The ceremony is performed before a sacred fire, or Agni, which is the eternal witness of the marriage and all vows were taken.

Gujaratis are known for their rich, vibrant and colourful culture. Moreover, they are warm and cheerful, who are fond of celebrating festivals with fervour. This is quite evident in a Gujarati marriage as well. Lots of money is used for the wedding and it is by far, one of the best things you could witness! The wedding rituals in Gujarat are simple and filled with fun. The unique blend of traditions and ingenuousness is something which makes Gujarati weddings a sheer delight.

Pre Wedding Rituals

Sagaai

The Sagaai is the engagement ceremony and begins when the bride-to-be arrives at the groom-to-be’s place with the matli, a package that represents good luck. The matli is a container which is now often made of steel and contains sweets and gifts for the groom and his family. This symbolises the bride’s family’s acceptance of the union of their daughter and the groom-to-be. There is then a short ceremony where five women from each side of the family bless the couple-to-be which represents a promise between the two families.

Garba

The Garba is usually held the night before the wedding and involves plenty of dancing. It provides the opportunity for the each side of the family to meet, greet and have some fun before the wedding begins. The main event is the Raas which is a dance involving pairs of people and dandia sticks. The dance involves hitting your partner’s sticks while following the rhythm of the music. The Garba is also an ideal place for future couples to meet and begin their own stories.

Pithi

This is a ceremony where the both the bride and groom are covered in a yellow powder that is made into a paste.  The bride and groom have their own ceremonies and usually invite their close family and friends. The Pithi is used to cleanse the bride and groom before the wedding day. The paste is said to brighten and soften the skin to produce that healthy glow.

Mehndi

On this occasion, the bride’s hands and feet are adorned with mehndi or henna. Female family and friends are also invited to have their hands adorned. There is dancing and cheering all throughout. The houses of the bride and bridegroom are also decorated with lots of lights and other decorative items.

 Mangal  Muharat

Mangal Mahurat ceremony is performed by both the bride and the groom in their respective houses. Prayers are offered to Lord Ganesha to remove all obstacles. After matching the horoscopes of the couple, Griha Shanti puja is held. This is done by the priest at the houses of both the bride as well as the groom. It is considered very auspicious.

Baraat or Jaan

The next ritual is known as 'Jaan' and it is performed to ward off any evil. It is quite interesting as the groom visits the bride place and touches his mother in law's feet to seek blessings. While he does so, she tries to clutch his nose and he tries to escape. The groom arrives at the wedding ceremony location with his baraat of family and friends. Many grooms choose to arrive on horseback or in a horse and carriage. The Baraat gathers together and everyone dances in celebration. Traditionally Gujarati’s did not marry someone from their own town so the baraat signified the groom entering the bride’s village.

Wedding Rituals

Ponkvu

The arrival of the groom, or the Ponkvu, is the official start of the Gujurati wedding. The groom is welcomed by his mother-in-law at the entrance. She will perform the aarti and will playfully try to grab his nose. This tradition reminds the groom that he has come rubbing his nose at their door asking for their daughter’s hand in marriage.

Jaimala

Then is the Jaimala, wherein the couple exchanges garlands twice. Next is the Madhuparka ritual in which groom's feet are washed and he is given honey and milk to drink. During this, the sisters of the bride try to steal the groom's shoes, known as 'Juta Churai'.

Kanyadaan

One of the most important rituals on the wedding day is Kanyadaan, in which the bride's parents give the groom the hand of his daughter. This is followed by Hasta Milap, wherein the groom's shawl is tied with bride's saree. The tying of the holy knot and the joined hands of the couple, signify their union. Rose petals and rice are showered upon them, during this time. After this, the couple takes rounds, around the sacred fire, while the priest chants mantras. These are known as Mangalpheras. There are four pheras in Gujarati marriage. This is followed by Saptapadi, which are seven steps and vows taken by the couple together. Subsequently, they are blessed by their parents and elders. This is followed by the Vidaai ceremony, in which the bride is bid a tearful farewell by her family. On reaching the groom's house, the bride is asked to knock down a vessel filled with rice, with her right foot, kept at the entrance. This ritual is known as Ghar Ni Lakshmi as the bride is considered Goddess Laxmi.

Post Wedding Rituals

Reception is a post-wedding ritual, wherein all the near and dear ones give gifts to the couple. Next is the fun filled ritual called Aeki Beki, which is a wedding game played by the couple. A vessel is filled with water and coloured by putting sindoor and milk. After this, several coins and a ring are put in it. Both the bride and the groom are then asked to find it. Whoever succeeds four out of seven times is deemed to rule the household.

Movie Review

      

Known for its amazing music, The Pianist (2002) is a movie about the survival of a young man against all odds. Based on the autobiographical book written by Wladyslaw Szpilman, it deals with the sensitive issue of the oppressive measures adopted by Adolf Hitler to wash away the Jews from the face of the earth. Although, there isn’t direct reference to Hitler in the entire movie, somewhere in the back of our minds, he is present throughout. With various scenes ranging from extreme violence to very emotional ones, the movie is a story of a person’s fight to survive.

The movie opens with Szpilman (Adrien Brody) playing a melodious tune on the Polish Radio; ironically followed by a sudden sound of explosion. This first explosion is soon followed by another louder one and the entire atmosphere turns from one of soothing music to that of disturbing bombings and cries. The element of music plays a very important role and continues to do so during the entire course of the movie. The character of Szpilman is explored in the first scene itself as he calmly responds to a fan, Dorota (Emilia Fox) amongst all the bombings and people running.

The direction of the movie is amazing, owing to the fact that the director is none other than Roman Polanski. The Polish director was a Jew born in the WARSAW region and provides us with a bleak, acidic humour added with ruthless cynicism. Szpilman is one man, not representing the large number of Jews that were executed and murdered but the smaller group of Jews that came out alive; although after suffering extreme violence and seeing their own families die in front of them.

This brings us to one of the most important aspects of the protagonist who is shown as a passive human that refrains from indulging into anything that would threaten his life. His character is explored as a human trying to save himself and not as a Jew fighting against the Nazi government. Although one might think this act as selfish, there’s nothing wrong in self-preservation.

The movie is all about Szpilman running away from the Nazis and ironically, ending up in front of one. But once again,it is his music that helps him survive. Thomas Kretschmann acting as Captain Wilm Hosenfeld helps Szpilman to survive by providing secrecy and food; two things he needed most then. It is interesting to note that when asked what he would do after “this” ended, he replied, “I’ll play piano on the Polish Radio” which is exactly what he did until he died.

The fingers of the pianist skilfully move in the air and play a beautiful music inside the head of Szpilman. The power of music on people is clearly shown in the movie and Szpilman is seen casting the magic of his music over his audience, whoever it may be. The movie ends portraying a free Poland where people listen to Szpilman in a huge concert. Sticking perfectly to its genres; drama, war and music - the Pianist is one of the most successful movies in the history of Jewish movies.