The Drop

The Drop is a novel by Michael Connelley. This novel features Harry Bosch.

Harry Bosch has got an extension for 3 years. He is very keen to pursue the old unsolved cases by LAPD. This novel deals with two cases one is current and the other an old case which is unsolved. Harry Bosch and his partner are assigned on the old unsolved case about a serial killer. In the mean time there is a current case about an apparent suicide by the son of a councillor who was previously a police officer under whom Bosch was working. But Bosch could not get along with him. Even then he is selected for the case of his son’s suicide. Whether it is a suicide or a murder is what has to be investigated. This is a typical Bosch story very fast and with lot of twists, which Bosch solves it but there is a twist in the tale. The other old unsolved case is the one where Bosch and his partner dig up the past and eventually they catch up with the serial killer who has sexually abused and murdered thirty seven persons.

The novel also has a love angle between Bosch and the psychologist. The story also has Harry Bosch’s daughter who wants to be a police officer like her father.

The novel is a page turner and a must for all Michael Connelley fans. The book is available on Amazon.com.

Last Flight to Abuja

This is a Nigerian film with all Nigerian actors. It is based on a true story during the period when Nigerian aircrafts met with lot of accidents. The story line is about a corporate company which gifts its team of Mangers a holiday to a resort at Abuja. The film also shows other characters who are going to Abuja from Lagos. There is a father who says good bye to his wife and daughter to catch the flight to Abuja. The daughter resists and the father cancels his trip at the last moment. Thus fate has it that he is saved from the crash. One of the Manager who is supposed to join the trip, goes first to his residence as it is his wife’s birthday. On reaching home he falls asleep. When he wakes up he rushes to the airport. But he misses the flight and destiny has it that he is saved from the air crash. He comes back home though angry and upset to have missed the flight. Then there is a senior lady manager who has travelled from Abuja to Lagos to meet her fiancée, only to find him in the arms of another woman. She immediately takes the return flight to Abuja. On the aircraft she befriends a man who is shown to have fallen in love because of the air crash.

The aircraft crashes, but most of the persons are saved but for one. The movie is good. It is nice to see a Nigerian film.

Jai Ho

Jai Ho is the latest Bollywood movie directed by Sohail Khan. The movie was released last week and was a hit especially for Salman Khan fans. The movie starred Salman Khan, Tabu,  Daisy Shah, DannyDenzongpa, Aditya Pancholi , Mohnish Behl and Mahesh Manjrekar.

Jai Ho is a remake of Tamil film Stalin. This is a story of Jai played by Salman Khan. Jai is an ex army man. He is suspended from the army because against the order he has gone and helped civilians from the clutches of terrorists. He now helps the people in the society, by writing exam paper for an invalid girl, or bashing up the local goondas who harass the public in his neighbourhood. People call him for any help that may be required. Whenever people thanked him for his help he used to tell them to help three people in turn. This way lot of people will benefit from such a chain. Tabu plays the role of his elder sister, who is married against her mother’s wishes. She has one son.

The invalid girl commits suicide because her brother who writes her exams for her was held up in the traffic because the home minister’s daughter’s Motor Cade is passing. The brother who lodges a complaint with police is eventually killed by the home minister’s goons.

The Home Ministers goons also entangle with Jai. Jai eventually takes revenge, by saying that the Aam Admi is bound to get up one day and fight the evils in the society. Danny Denzonpa plays the Home Minister’s role. His acting is typical found in any of his movies. Salman Khan is his usual self and he has definitely removed his shirt. The movie is good if you like typical Salman Khan movies.

KING AND MAXWELL

This is the latest novel of David Baldacci based on his two characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. Both King and Maxwell are ex Secret Service Agents. They are now working as private investigators.

King and Maxwell find a teenager Tyler Wingo on a stormy night running with a gun in his hand. Maxwell follows the boy and catches up with him. Tyler is very agitated and frightened. On further enquiry King and Maxwell understand that Tyler’s father Sam Wingo an army man is missing in Afghanistan.

Sam Wingo is sent on a mission to Afghanistan to deliver a cargo of forty eight hundred pounds. The cargo is meant for a fundamentalist group. But the cargo is taken away by persons posing as CIA and Sam Wingo is left high and dry. Sam Wingo is on the run since he is a marked man by the US Government. From Afghanistan via Pakistan and India he reaches USA by a freight airline. In the mean time King and Maxwell hired by Tyler to find his Dad are on the lookout for finding Sam Wingo. King enlists the help of his ex wife now married to a General in the US Military. She gets the information from him about Sam and passes it to King, but is shot by group of ex army who have taken the cargo from Sam Wingo.

Alan Grant an ex army is seeking revenge for his dead parents who had committed suicide due to the government’s policy on Iran. It is Alan Grant who is the leader of the group who have taken over the Cargo. King and Maxwell discover that the cargo consists of one billion Euros, which the USA has sent for clandestine operations in the Middle East to apparently over throw the government in Iran.

It is a nail biting end. In true David Baldacci style you cannot leave the book till the last page is turned.

Suchitra Sen 

I read about the death of Suchitra Sen on Times of India. I was quite upset on hearing the news. Suchitra Sen a Bengalee was a superb actress. She has worked in a few very successful Hindi movies like Mamta with Ashok Kumar, Aandhi with Sanjeev Kumar and Bambai ka Babu with Dev Anand. I liked her the most in Aandhi where her role was superb and she played a character very similar to Indira Gandhi. Her make up in the movie was like Indira Gandhi. The story of Aandhi was also similar to the life of Indira Gandhi. The songs in the movie were very good and Sanjeev Kumar was also too good.

Suchitra Sen got married at a very young age. Her husband helped her with her career. She has worked in maximum number of Bengalee movies with Uttam Kumar the superhero of Bengalee screen.

Suchitra Sen in her later life was a recluse. It is as though she did not want to show herself in the public domain as she was getting old, so that her fans would always remember her as young and beautiful.

She has one daughter Moon Moon Sen and two grand daughters who are also in the movies.

I was very sad to hear the news of the death of Suchitra Sen. An era of the Indian film Industry had come to an end. May her soul rest in peace.

Winners

Danielle Steel

This is the latest novel by Danielle Steel. This is the story of a teenage girl Lily Thomas who is preparing for the Olympic Skiing completion, the only daughter of millionaire investor. She meets with an accident when her chair cable breaks down and she is flung down in the valley. It is a miracle that she survives the accident but she loses her control below the waste and she becomes an invalid stuck with the wheelchair. Bill Lily’s father is shattered as he tries to come to terms with the tragedy. This is also the story of her Doctor Jessie Mathews a neurosurgeon who also suffers from the tragic loss of her husband due to an automobile accident, and she is left with the responsibility of bringing up four children, three sons and one daughter. The story brings out the courage of     who later goes on to win the skiing medal for the handicapped Olympiad. She eventually falls in love with Jessie’s son. Her father builds a state of the art facility for accident victims and he along with Jessie develops the centre. Bill eventually comes to terms with the fact that his daughter is going to be an invalid and will never be able to walk again. Winners is a novel about winning against all odds. A very touching novel.

My visit to an orphanage

Yesterday i.e. on Monday 27th January 2014 I had the occasion to visit an orphanage. I was not ready for the emotion that was going to hit me hard. The orphanage was very clean and the area I visited had a play room with toys here and there. I visited the main room where all the babies stay. I saw children from age group of 6 months to 4 years. There were more girls than boys, a proof of the fact that girls in India are not favored. It showed the bias of Indians against girls. The children were looked after maids or ayahs. They were taking good care of the children. But after all they were not parents. A great depression set into my mind and even at age 61 years I realized that I was so lucky to have loving parents. I also felt that both my children who are now grownups with their own kids were so lucky to have us. I may not have been an ideal father but the love for my children was genuine. Even today I feel the attachment for both my children, though providence has it that we don't meet that frequently. But I am happy for the love and affection that my children feel for me, and I for them.

Coming back to the orphanage, I was pained to see the small children without parents. I pray to GOD that each of the child should get adopted in a good home and get the love of Parents. I met a beautiful girl of about 18 months who has been adopted by my friend. My friend is a very loving person. They are also well off and I am happy that this girl has found a good home. I took the small girl in my arms and I felt so happy. I immediately remembered my grand children especially my grand daughter who is now about 15 months old. I thank GOD that my grandchildren are surrounded by people who love them.

I think that all should visit an orphanage and see the beautiful children who are thirsty for our love. Let us all try to do something for these lovely angels. Visiting them will rid us of all depressions and frustrations and will give a new meaning to our lives.