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Photobooks are a delight. You can get lost in their pages for hours, forgetting all the mundanities of life. But rarely will you come across a photobook that not only feels like a visual treat but is also a vital documentation of our history and culture. ‘Panauti: Past – Present (1976-2020)’ by Gérard Toffin and Prasant Shrestha is one of those important works of creative genius. The book, with its many then and now photos of Panauti—a municipality in the Kavrepalanchok District in Bagmati Province, 32 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu—documents the changes in the city’s architectural landscape.

Toffin, emeritus director of research CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research), had carried out several in-depth studies in Panauti in the 1970s, surveying the local population, its traditions, and social and religious organizations. In 2010, Toffin met Shrestha, a native of Panauti, while attending the Makar Mela, a month-long festival organized every 12 years at the confluence of Punyamati and Roshi rivers. Both of them felt the need to highlight the local cultural heritage and make people aware of the threats of rampant urbanization. Thus, the idea of the book was born.

The French Embassy in Nepal and the Alliance Française in Kathmandu collaborated to bring out the book because of France’s special relationship with Panauti. Over the years, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various French agencies have been involved in an ambitious renovation project aimed at preserving Panauti’s architectural heritage.

Toffin says one of the most challenging aspects of the project was to portray an old Nepali city through images and not just words. “This kind of attempt has rarely been made in the field of social anthropology, especially when you have to document changes,” says Toffin. Working with a local meant Toffin had an insider view and the book benefits from that perspective. The result is an informative and insightful account of Panauti and its rich heritage. 

Panauti: Past – Present (1976-2020)

Photobook
Text: Gérard Toffin
Photos: Gérard Toffin and Prasant Shrestha
Published: April 2021
Pages: 114, Hardcover 

Then

Now

A general view of the Tribeni confluence religious precinct . On the right, Krishna temple with its three stacked roofs. The dead from surrounding villages cremated there on the ghats. Newar inhabitants of Panauti are cremated at the opposite riverbank in 1977 (then) and 2020 (now).

Then

Now

South-west entrance to the city, on the Roshi Khola River in 1976 (then) and 2020 (now).

Then

Now

Indreshvar Mahadev temple in its square-shaped compound theoretically closed by four gates in all its four cardinal points in then (1977) and now (202).

Then

Now

Entrance to the city, bus station in 1976 (then) and 2020 (now).

Then

Now

Agha Tol neighborhood, crossing of trade routes, near the alleged site of the ancient Royal Palace in 1976 (then) and 2020 (now).

I like stories that I can relate to, with characters that force me to look at people around me in a different light. Narratives that leave me pondering life and its idiosyncrasies, make me feel good as a sweet-smelling cup of tea on a warm winter Saturday morning when you know you have absolutely nothing to do, nowhere to be. They are just so comforting—the balm your soul needs to heal from the tiny daggers of everyday life. That is primarily why I’m not very fond of fantasy. It transports you to a different world but offers nothing more that can help you adapt to the realities of life. Then, once in a while, I will come across books like Zoraida Cordova’s ‘The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina’ that is not only the perfect escapism but also a lesson on love, faith, and remaining true to yourself. 

The stunning work of magical realism is about Ecuadorian and Ecuadorian-American Montoya families fighting to save themselves from an unknown danger that has its roots in Orquídea Divina’s obscure past. The book begins with Orquídea summoning her entire family to their home in Four Rivers to collect their inheritance. But upon arriving to lay claims to their share of the family wealth, they find Orquídea is slowly transforming into a tree. 

Narrated in dual timelines, the story alternates between Orquídea’s grandchildren Marimar and Rey and their cousins as they try figure the secrets of the matriarch’s past, and Orquídea’s own journey from childhood to adulthood and all the decisions and mistakes she made along the way. The novel was apparently expanded from a YA short story about Marimar that Cordova wrote for an anthology titled ‘Toil and Trouble’.

Also read: ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ book review: Beyond marvelous

 The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is more than fantasy. It’s an intergenerational family drama that shines the spotlight on the choices we make and their consequences on our loved ones. Orquídea is such a fascinating character and throughout the book you keep discovering new things about her. It makes you realize every person is multi-layered, that what you see is just a small fraction of all there is to them. 

There are times the characters speak your mind, especially when they are processing grief or consoling a loved one, reminding you that we are all guided and bound by our shared emotions. Best of all, it’s such an immersive story that you won’t be able to think of much else while reading it.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

Five stars 
Fiction
Zoraida Cordova
Published: 2021
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 323, Hardcover

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ is a musical about a man writing a musical. If you are interested in Broadway, the name Jonathan David Larson would be a familiar ring to your ears. In the movie set in 1990s New York, the dream city for a theater wannabe, Larson–played with kinetic desperation by Andrew Garfield–struggles to craft a successful career out of his passion for musical theater. 

The movie is an adaptation of Larson’s semi-autobiographical piece ‘tick, tick… BOOM!’ (1990) about a young composer determined to make something great out of his youth as the clock tick-tocks to his 30th birthday. It takes us back to the time Larson was working on ‘Superbia’, a dystopian, futuristic sci-fi musical which he thought was his big break. 

As the movie progresses, we find the protagonist juggling between preparing for his first public presentation of ‘Superbia’ in front of NYC’s finest producers, his girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp) asking if she should accept a job away in the Berkshires, and his best friend Michael (Robin de Jesús) of 22 years being diagnosed with AIDS, a common cause of death at the time. With the world turned into a ticking time bomb, Larson struggles to manage all this emotional and physical bagagge simultaneously in the hope of not ‘blowing up’ his career and relationships. 

Working at a SoHo diner as he nears the age of 30–with an agent (Judith Light) who doesn’t return his calls and a mentor, Stephen Sondheim (played by Bradley Whitford) who believes and supports his talent–Garfield puts up a compassionate performance and displays spectacular musical shows as he full-heartedly morphs into the character of Jon. 

Also read: ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ movie review: Bollywood grapples with new sexual identities—and how!

His is a masterful portrayal of the desperation and dedication of a theatrical writer–incredibly charming and always looking out for creative inspiration but also on the verge of exhaustion in a secluded world. Though the fast-paced movie starts cheerful at the beginning, it gradually reveals Larson’s vainer and more helpless side. The contrast between the merry and melancholic is perfectly captured in the musical number ‘Why’, when Garfield travels back in time. 

Anyone familiar with Jonathan Larson’s life would know this is a heart-wrenching musical. The hero doesn’t get a happy ending. Larson passed away, aged 35, the night before the off-Broadway preview of his rock musical Rent (1996), and never got to experience his own success. Interestingly, when he started writing ‘tick, tick…BOOM!’ he was still lamenting the rejection of Superbia, contemplating the passage of time when he had no idea his own life would end in a few years. This is where, in the movie, director Miranda uses his hindsight to open up new pathways, when Jon thought it was a dead end.

‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ isn’t about success and failure but about the peaks and pitfalls that accompany the pursuit of your passion. Packed with energetic and poignant musical pieces that unfold in a solemn yet realistic storyline, the mood in this musical is constantly changing. It is a tribute and a token of gratitude to, as Larson puts it, a diminishing species – writers and composers of musical theaters. It also serves as a reminder that entering your 30s doesn’t necessarily mean you are past your best.    

Tick, Tick... Boom!

Actors: Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús
Genre: musical, biography, drama 
Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes 
Rating: 4 stars

Although the freedom to express one’s sexuality has for years been legal in India, mainstream Indian cinema continues to mostly focus on the stereotypical hetero-normative couples who end up getting married and live happily ever after. Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ is an unconventional love story between bodybuilder Manvinder Munjal aka Manu (Ayushmann Khurrana) and Zumba teacher Manvi Brar (Vaani Kapoor). The audience can sense a chemistry between the two from the time they first meet and, as anticipated, a passionate and intimate relationship ensues.

Gradually the mere lust and attraction turns into love. However, Manvi’s revelation that she is a trans-woman leads Manu into a state of confusion and denial: how can he have feelings for a ‘man’? Brought up in a typical loud patriarchal Punjabi family and with a government school background, Manu struggles to accept that love transcends gender, norms, bodies and societal validation. Instead of beating around the bush, Kapoor reveals Manvi’s past in the beginning of the film itself which will have different reactions from the audience depending on their view about gender and sexuality. As this is a sensitive subject, the lead actors take great pains to internalize their character roles and display the right emotions.

Appreciably, Manvi’s struggles are shown to continue till the present day; Bollywood rarely centers stories on trans characters in a positive light. Although Brar comes from an economically well-off family, she still struggles to carve a space for herself in the society. With only her father (Kanwaljit Singh), a retired brigadier, accepting her true self, she goes through various hardships and heartbreaks, including getting secluded by her own family, even her mother. This also challenges the set social norms of masculinity. Despite being humiliated by everyone, Manvi continues to put up a strong front and doesn’t need an alpha male figure to save her honor. Vaani’s exceptional acting helps us understand her character’s backstory. It was a bold move on her part to play a trans woman as compared to her arm-candy characters in some of her earlier movies.

Also read: Kadaseela Biriyani movie review: Realistically brutal

The concept of what is ‘normal’ is also explored through the Munjal family. From Manu falling in love with an ‘original girl’, as his sisters (Tanya Abrol and Sawan Rupowali) put it, to his father (Girish Dhamija) being in an interfaith marriage, the protagonist is excluded from his own story.

Overall, the film genre shifts from comedy to rom-com to drama and finally ends with sports, grappling with various social biases all the way through, which keeps the audience hooked. Never does the story veer off track; it is quite fast-paced and manages to expertly highlight the difficulties faced by trans people. However, the story could be a little more realistic on how people navigate social biases over their gender identities and how they overcome and accept themselves.

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui is one step towards speaking openly about topics considered ‘taboo’ and also an eye opener for many.

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui

Who should watch it?

The movie is rated 18+ and so it may not be suitable for the whole family to sit and watch together. Yet for anyone wanting to understand the problems being faced by the LGBTIQA+ community in this part of the world and to explore their own gender and sexual biases, this is a wonderful, refreshing watch. 

Rating: Four stars
Genre: Romance, Action, Drama
Actors: Ayushmann Khurrana, Vaani Kapoor
Director: Abhishek Kapoor
Run time: 116 minutes (2 hours)