Making a movie requires several different ingredients. First is an exciting and engaging plot.  The plot requires suitable and inspiring locations to set the story in. The movie requires talented cast and crew, accurate costumes, and expert direction. All these ingredients need credible, well-crafted, strong characters that pulls audience to the cinema halls. The characters in the plot make a hit or a flop movie. 

To develop a character, the director must identify and typecast it by creating a profile; identify backstory (created for a fictional character), struggles, motivation, and goals; and use their personal traits and moral compass to determine the character’s apparent path in a movie/drama/ series etc.

For the super hit Dollars Trilogy directed by Italian director Serigo Leone who casted Clint Eastwood in all the three movies “A fistful of dollars” 1964, “For a few dollars more” 1965 and “The Good, the bad and the ugly” 1966. In all three movies Eastwood played the man with no name because his character was not given any name. In the movie “A fistful of dollars” he had only two facial expressions: with hat without hat. Leone said more than a man he needed a mask. From economic perspective, he had to shell out merely 15,000 dollars to Eastwood. The character of Eastwood had to carry a cigar in his mouth for major part of the movie. Eastwood hated cigar as he hated tobacco which gave his face the signature frown. Added to this was the scorching heat of the sunny Italian summer which made Eastwood perpetually squint, but this is how a legend was born.  In Serigo’s dollars trilogy Clint Eastwood is considered one of the most charming and memorable characters. The important point to note is that Eastwood wasn’t a hero in these movies.

While writing the plot of a movie, the writer needs to create well-rounded, relatable, and interesting characters. They grow and evolve throughout the story, being shaped by their experiences as they go along.

Nobody can forget the character of Gabbar Singh portrayed by Amjad Khan in the blockbuster movie Sholay (1975). Writers Salim-Javed modelled Gabbar Singh on a real-life dacoit Gabbar Singh Gujjar who used to frighten the villages around Gwalior in the 1950s. Any policeman captured by Gujjar had his ears, and nose cut off, and was released as a warning to other policemen. 

It seems Amjad Khan read ‘Abhishapth Chambal’, a book on Chambal dacoits written by Taroon Kumar Bhaduri, actress Jaya Bhaduri’s father.  Every single department of cinema – casting, characterization, screenplay, dialogue, cinematography, music, songs, sound design, art direction, editing, location, speech patterns and language, and even costumes were worked out in masterly detail. The film is so mesmerizing, made especially attractive because of Gabbar Singh, the most outstanding and memorable villain in the history of Indian cinema, that not many paid attentions to the costume design.

A lot of research had gone into costume design of Gabbar Singh. Costume design is not just about the clothes. In film, it has both a narrative and a visual requirement. Designers serve the script and the director by creating authentic characters and by using colour, texture, and outline to provide balance within the composition of the frame. The costume designer must first know the character for preparation of the costume.

So, Gabbar’s costume comprised of this olive-green safari suit, a metallic taveez(talisman) strung on a black thread across his neck, a cartridge-lined belt he sways this way and that to threaten his men, and a small cloth bag of khaini he chews from time to time and spits out randomly. His boots are smart too but covered with a layer of dust. His curly hair is unkempt, and he shaves rarely. There is a constant ugly glare in his roving eyes matched with an evil grin. The script very intelligently does not give him a back story as to why he is so destructive and ruthless. And this is what makes him mesmerise to the audience. He represented pure, undiluted evil in human form. He also wields a gun for easy gunning down of his “coward” men. The ruthless Gabbar was given dialogues which are famous even today. The best example can be “Pachaas Pachaas koso dur jab koi baccha rota hai, to uski maa usse kehti hai ki beta so ja nahi to Gabbar aa jaayega!” The legacy of Gabbar is so colossal, that people even today refer to his dialogues subconsciously. Be it a tough test, and the first thing which comes to our mind is “Tera kya hoga, Kaalia?” “Jo dar gaya, who mar gaya”.

Characters (the actors) need to work on three main areas: preparation, physicality, and Imagination. Its mind, body, and spirit. Preparation includes reading the script and doing research like watching the living characters around with shades of the character the actor is going to play. Physicality means quality and characteristics of a person. If the character is from a different time, or a different culture than the actor needs to study history, the culture, the mannerisms, and the language of that time.  The actor must get into the skin of a character to make it look” REAL.” The character’s backstory matters. The backstory is everything that has happened to a character before the novel begins. 

Directors possess a unique ability to translate a script into a captivating visual and auditory experience that resonates with audiences. They develop a distinct creative vision, encompassing the film’s mood, tone, visual style, and storytelling approach.

The world of cinema has given many unforgettable characters till date.

Good translators vacillate over the subject of loyalty to maintain the originality of the text. A translator should be receptive to the originality of the text and should avoid temptation adding or subtracting matter from the original text. A good translator tries to reproduce the text as exactly as possible to the maximum extent. He/she multitasks while translating: grasps the intended meaning of the source language, weigh and reflect over word choice for the target language, match the formatting of the source language, search and use the best terminology for the subject matter, finally measure cultural disparities in case it impacts phrasing or grammar and ensure by and large lucidity and accuracy of finished translation.

Translation is as much an art as a science: Though the computer these days does the job of translation, one cannot depend on the machine for effective completion of the job. It’s not possible to trust the process in terms of grammatical and cultural nuances. Human translation is still very much a necessity and should certainly be the preference for translating a good work. There are chances of even the human blundering few segments of the original work— but that’s why any reputable translation agency should have a thorough quality assurance process in place. The machines will never possess understanding and insight like a human mind.

Each language has its distinguishable exercising power: who else but the authors and poets can fraternise a language with command and conformity. The genuine, inner power of language is rarely used. It has been observed that even the most skilful speaker or an author cannot monopolise the power of language because power of language lies not with the speaker, but with language itself. Whoever has a command of language has part in its power. The power of a language cannot be restricted and repressed.

Each language has some exclusivity: some word that captures a concept or emotional state in a certain way. It therefore becomes difficult for a translator to capture the wideness of expression. The range of concepts and emotional state is the only indication of a language’s meticulousness. It is difficult to find a comparable dialect from one to another language. The expressions change while translating a text from one to another language. However sincerely one tries to interpret thoughts from one language into another, the possibility of the variation of meaning of certain words and expressions cannot be avoided. Here’s why the translator’s presumption to understand the author’s intentions, and re-imagine them in his/her own language is a delicate job.

Languages in demand: The demand for languages such as French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish are always very high but other languages showing a steady increase in demand are Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Indian languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, in addition Korean and a number of languages from Mexico and Central America such as Mixtec, Zapotec, and Mayan.

What are the educational qualifications required for a translators? A bachelor’s degree is typically needed to become an interpreter or translator along with proficiency in at least two languages, one of which is usually English. Although majoring in a language is not really necessary. However, knowledge of a specific area such as pharma, history, botany, geology etc can be helpful skill for success in the career of translator. Besides it, listening, writing, cultural Intelligence, observation, computer knowledge and the biggest of all time management are some other required skills.

Some famous translated reserves: Paulo Coelho’s masterpiece book Alchemist which is written originally in Portuguese is translated in several languages all over world. It combines magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.

Jo Nesbo’s The Bat is a Norwegian story a crime thriller which is translated in many languages.

The girl with the dragon tattoo written by Stieg Larsson in Swedish language is the Millennium series which became craze of this generation’s international bestselling phenomenon. It’s a thriller story.

My brilliant friend by Elena Ferrante is written in Italian language which is considered a modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors. It is rich, intense, and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship.

Some of the most popular Indian books translated in foreign languages are:  Thirukkural also called as Kural is a Tamil sangam literature that consists of 1330 couplets those talk about everyday virtues of an individual. This book is one of the most important works in the history of Tamil language. It is one of the widely translated non-religious books in the world. It has been translated by more than 90 different translators including European and Asian. You can find this book in 40 different languages. Attributed to Thiruvalluvar, the Kural occupies an important place in the literature world.

Isha Upanishad is originally written in Sanskrit and is one of the shortest Upanishads. This Ivsavasya Upanishad proclaims the philosophy of non-dualism in which they declare God to be the sole inhabitant of everything that exists in this world. It is a primary Upanishad and is known into two recensions (revised edition) called as Kanva and Madhyandina. It has over 18 verses depending upon the recension. It is been translated into 64 languages.

Bhagvad Gita which is a universally acknowledged worlds literary works and is one of the spiritual masterpieces that is been translated into many languages. This has been treasured by American writers from Emerson and Thoreau to T.S. Eliot. With more than 200 translations in English itself, this is one the most translated Indian book. With more than 80 language translations, this book has reached a large mass audience.

Beyond birth and death originally written by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, this novel discusses whether there is life after death or not. Prabhupada narrates how soul travels from one body to another and by chanting the name of Sri Krishna one gets help reaching Lord Sri Krishna’s ultimate abode. Chanting will help reveal what God is, what one is, how are we conditioned and how can we step out of that conditioning. It is been translated into 51 different languages.

Every article/object in our house has a place to be kept. We have tendency to preserve objects/papers/medicines/newspaper for some cuttings/books/showpieces/clothes/gifts year after year thinking that some day it might be of some use to us. We pile up cupboards, shelves, racks and showcases in our homes with so much that at times we forget what we have and how much we have. And, when we need something, it is difficult to find it in the mess. In fact we waste our precision and valuable time in messing up our surrounding. Therefore, clutter not only blocks energy, but causes inconvenience and wastage of space and valuable time. Basically, clutter can be defined as the things or possessions that we don’t use any more which get mixed up with things of our everyday use.  Some people have habit of keeping possession of broken items that need repair, spares which are accumulated for a potential breakdown, unfinished craft work, and unwanted gifts.

Think about this: clutter prevents the free flow of energy. There’s no reason to be enclosed by things that don’t work, that we don’t need any longer, or things we are no longer going to use.  Clutter represents postponed decisions and the inability to move forward in life. Clutter brings with it a sense of disorder and confusion. When you have stored clutter remember, nothing new comes into your life until you make room for it. That means you need to start clearing out the old stuff you are holding on to in order to make room for new things to flow into your life. Try it out – give away your old belongings to people who would use it or click them on your mobile and sell them off on OLX or some other similar websites.

Everything you own should have its value in your life, either because it’s useful or attractive or because you just love it. And, make place for it. Every item needs a place where it ‘lives’ or is kept. Setting things anywhere or randomly creates confusion. You can’t keep your car keys   on kitchen platform and sugar container in sitting room. Let your car keys, house keys, cupboard keys live in a bowl or on a hook by the front door. You never lose anything when you put it where it belongs to.

It is important to maintain a standard of cleanliness in each room of your house at all times. If you leave clothes that are to be worn the next day without folding them neatly, anywhere, then you are getting them dirty and crumpled.

Every room in your house has a purpose; for example, your kitchen is a food preparation area and not a storage space. Make space for the appliances. Keep the clean after use. Make space for pots and pans. Make racks for keeping them. If you don’t have enough space, hang them along the wall. Keep knives and scissors in a drawer. The idea here is to weed out what you’re not using, and then put similar items together and in the best places. When your home is tidy, it’s easier for you to concentrate on tasks at hand. Like a neat kitchen allows you to concentrate on a good cooking and a neat bedroom aids in good sleeping. I think, keeping a tidy home shows you care about what you live in. It projects your personality and mentality above all.

It is always better to clean up and organize things on a daily basis. The more you postpone, the mess accumulates and it is a huge job to clean up all at once. So make a practice of doing the work in segments till it is done. Doing cleaning work for a whole day is ok or working 10 minutes a day of putting things in place – what is logical – you decide. Clean does not mean ‘sparkling’ effect, it means there aren’t piles of junk and clutter strewn everywhere.

A truly clean house just feels better; it creates a tense-free, easygoing atmosphere in house. Clutter, dirt and messes have a way of making us tense, discontented, worried and anxious.  A cleaner and neater house inspires rest, relaxation and happiness. When you are rested, relaxed and happy, you will be more open to positive experiences. You might be surprised to find out how much your happiness, health and prosperity levels can be improved simply by keeping your home clean at all times. Although, it might take some time to get used to make it a habit and let me tell you, it’s worth the effort. When you think of dust and dirt as signs of stagnant energy, it becomes very clear why it should be removed from your home.

There’s a saying that success is just the accumulation of good habits. I think it is so true. The more you do to help yourself to succeed, the more successful and prosperous you’ll become. Having a tidy home gives you tidy mind and it helps in making a successful career. A successful career gives ability to go and buy what you like when you want it; this in turn brings happiness and feeling of abundance.

For the swachh bharat abhiyan to succeed, it important to understand that cleanliness and prosperity is connected. A clean country will go a long way in building a successful country. I would therefore advise all to support the and take seriously the swachh bharat abhiyan

]]> https://drvidyahattangadi.com/cleanliness-and-prosperity-is-connected/feed/ 0 https://drvidyahattangadi.com/the-power-of-your-name/ https://drvidyahattangadi.com/the-power-of-your-name/#respond Wed, 13 Aug 2014 03:14:06 +0000 http://drvidyahattangadi.com/?p=1216  The power of your name

 A name is the most important identifier of a person, a state, a village, a business, a nation, a pet etc. The name implies race, era, societal culture and religion. No wonder, people take time to name their children, their business, their pet, their ventures etc. Names have meaning and they do suggest character, traits and acumen of a person/business/pet/state/nation. Your name has power, therefore respect it.

We also see that some people hardly give any importance to their own name; I usually make it a point of asking people when I meet them, what their name means. I have seen blank expression on most people’s face because they are clueless about the meaning of their name. For most of them their name holds no power, no significance and no value. Your name has a meaning that defines you. While your surname explains on heredity, your given name is the stamp of your personal identity. There is a treasure in your name and that treasure is its meaning.

Do you know that words contain great power? In fact the Bible says that the universe, the world, everything we know was created by the word of God. So the power of names is indeed an amazing and exclusive thing.

The name given to the child is going to get repeated all through its life and may be even later. So the name should be one with profound meaning and should make sense in it rather than just serving as a tag. Hence, in the Hindu religion the naming ceremony has its significance. The child’s horoscope is prepared and depending on the star sign a name is chosen. A newly born child is given name of deity, the star in which the child is born, the name of the forefathers etc. According to the date and time of birth of the child, a particular letter of the Sanskrit alphabet associated with the child’s solar birth sign (Soorya Rashi) is chosen which would prove lucky for the baby and the family. The baby is then given a name starting with that letter.

Names have their roots, origins and versions in all religions. Germanic names characteristically convey aggressive attributes with such meanings as “strength”, “brightness,” “warrior”, “bravery” and “glory”. You will find the “bert” which is a core element common to many Germanic names; “bert” means “bright”. Examples are Albert and Robert. French names are usually variations of Germanic names. Some examples are: Robert, Charles, Henry, William and Albert. It is common in France to have two given names such as, Jeanne-Marie and Jean-Claude. Traditionally, the French are named after Roman calendar saints as with, Marie for Mary and Bernard for St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Celtic names, like Alan, Brian, and Brigid are anglicized versions of early Celtic forms. Christian saints dominate the list along with Celtic mythological figures such as Bran or Bron. The most common Celtic girl’s names are Lynn, Shannon and Eileen.

In Islam, baby is named on the day of birth, by his mother and father who make a decision together on what the child should be called. They choose an appropriate name and on the baby’s day of birth the father must have a sheep slaughtered and given to the poor to give charity on his babys birth. If he does not have enough funds he may do it anytime in the future as long as it is done in general.

Some people choose nature names which generally derive from the elements of nature such as, the names of flowers, birds, colors, stars, sun, moon, water, earth, air and fire. English names like Violet, Rose, Jasmine, Daisy, Dawn, Ruby, Pearl, Crystal and Sparrow are all examples of nature names, and Indian names such as Jai, Jui, Gulab, Varsha, Pawan, Rudra, Devika, Salil etc denote special qualities and attributes of nature. If you possess a nature name you please find the metaphysical attributes and properties that are associated with your name. Please research the particular element of nature to gain further insights into the power of your name.

Trait names often remark on virtues and principles. For example – Shalini, Sheela, Dayanand, Nirbhaya, Satyasheel are some Indian names which suggest personality traits. Trait names revolve around faith, hope, charity, intelligence, bravery, intelligence etc. It is believed that a girl or a boy possessing a trait name personifies that virtue throughout their life and grow to motivate others.

Very small (tiny) names are sometimes used to distinguish between two or more members within a family. In English, Robert may be changed to “Robby” or “Bobby” and “Danny” is frequently used for Daniel; while Bablu for Balwant, Raju for Rajendra, Pammi for Parwinder so on and forth in Indian names.

Your name is the link between your intelligence, your mind, your language, and your conduct. You can make a good, a bad or an ugly brand out of your name. You can make miracles if you wish so.  The more you understand about yourself, the more you’ll see and appreciate how unique you really are, and the more you’ll respect yourself. Discover your principles, personality, and talents. Stop pandering to other people’s approval and start developing your own standards.Learn to handle criticism. Forgive yourself of guilt or remorse. Accept yourself by being comfortable in your own skin and to learn to love and accept the person who you are.  Maintain a positive attitude and believe in your choices. Take good careof your body and mind both. Forgive others and shed the negativity. Avoid getting overly emotional it does not help. Most important spend time with the people who respect you. Work on bringing in positivity in your life; thus make your name powerful.