Thoughtful notes on books and films that linger—ideas that shape thinking, and moments worth revisiting.
The Kite Runner — A Story That Breaks You and Teaches You to Hope
Book Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniSome books don’t just tell you a story — they make you feel like you’ve lived one. The Kite Runner is one of those books. I didn’t just read it; I carried it with me long after I closed the last page.At its heart, this is a story about friendship, guilt, and the desperate human need for redemption. Amir and Hassan’s bond is innocent, fragile, and deeply unequal — shaped by class, ethnicity, and silence. And that silence is what hurts the most. The moment when Amir chooses fear over courage stays with you, because it’s painfully human. You want to hate him for it, but you also understand him. How many of us have failed someone when it mattered most?Hassan is the soul of this book. His loyalty is pure in a way that almost feels unreal, yet Hosseini makes it believable. “For you, a thousand times over” isn’t just a line — it’s a promise, a way of loving that asks for nothing in return. Reading Hassan’s story is heartbreaking, because you know he deserves so much more than the world gives him.What makes The Kite Runner so powerful is how gently it explores heavy themes — betrayal, shame, forgiveness, and the long shadow of childhood choices. Hosseini doesn’t rush redemption. Amir’s journey toward forgiveness is slow, painful, and uncomfortable, just like it is in real life. He doesn’t undo the past; he learns to live honestly with it.The backdrop of Afghanistan adds another layer of sadness. The country changes, breaks, and suffers alongside its people. Through Amir’s eyes, you don’t just see a personal story — you see loss on a national scale: homes abandoned, friendships torn apart, innocence destroyed.This is not an easy book to read. There are moments that make your chest feel heavy, moments you wish you could unread. But it’s also a deeply compassionate book. It believes that while we can’t erase our mistakes, we can still choose to be better.If you read The Kite Runner, read it slowly. Let it hurt a little. Let it remind you how fragile people are, how powerful kindness can be, and how sometimes, doing one brave thing can mean everything. This isn’t just a book you finish. It’s a book that stays.
Rubal Saluja |
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Homebound: Performances That Leave You Breathless
Dear @vishaljethwa06 , @ishaankhatter , and @janhvikapoor ,You have my heart for this one. While watching the three of you, I had goosebumps and tears at the same time — that doesn’t happen often, and it shook something deep inside me.@homeboundthefilm is not an easy watch. But what I carried back home was not just the pain — it was the hope, the energy, and the friendship that held the characters together.This film doesn’t feel like just a story. It feels like someone held up a mirror in front of us. It makes you ask yourself: how much do we take for granted? How many people suffer quietly, with no one noticing? The way it shows how broken systems crush simple lives is honest, raw, and unforgettable.@vishaljethwa06 I honestly have no words for your performance as Chandan. From changing your name to pass as a Brahmin, to taking a Muslim identity to save your friend, and finally embracing your Dalit truth — your journey was heartbreaking and so real that it felt like I was living it with you.@ishaankhatter , you were outstanding — especially in that highway scene. It just stayed with me.@janhvikapoor, you brought so much honesty and warmth to your role.And I can’t not mention @itsshalinivatsa who played Chandan’s mother — her tears at the end completely broke me.@neeraj.ghaywan , thank you for giving us this gem. The writing by ShreedharDubey , Neeraj Ghaywan, and Varun Grover is something else.That one line by Chandan will haunt me for a long time: “Sach bolte hain toh sabse dur ho jaate hain, aur jhooth bolte hain toh khud se.”Thank you @dharmamovies and @karanjohar for backing a film like this.The film works on every level — performances, story, dialogues, even the silence in between. And the ending… painful yet peaceful. A family finding its own way to heal, and a young man going back to college to keep the dream alive.Homebound is not the kind of film you forget after walking out. It stays.Please don’t wait for the OTT release — this is one to be felt in a theatre. Every single standing ovation was worth it.
Rubal Saluja
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A Man Called Otto — A Film That Quietly Stays With You
?A Man Called Otto — A film that quietly stays with youYou know how we watch most movies and forget them the next day? A Man Called Otto isn’t like that. It lingers in your mind. Not in a loud way, but just… quietly.To be honest, in the beginning, Otto is actually quite annoying. He is that typical grumpy uncle we see in every society—obsessed with rules, scolding people for parking wrongly, and just generally irritated with the world. You almost lose patience with him.But as the film moves forward, you realize something important: He isn’t a bad man. He is just a tired man. He lost the one person who gave his life meaning, and he never really learned how to live after that. His anger isn’t really anger. It is just grief that has nowhere to go.And Tom Hanks? He is brilliant as always. He doesn’t do any "over-acting" or heavy drama. He doesn’t cry loudly to show pain. He shows it in silence. In his routine. In the way he avoids people because connecting with them hurts too much.The best part of the film is the message: Even when you decide you are done with life, life isn’t done with you. His neighbors don’t leave him alone. They are loud, they enter his house without asking, they force him to help them. They don’t give him a lecture on hope; they just keep showing up.It doesn’t turn sadness into a melodrama. It reminds you that healing takes time. It shows that sometimes, you don’t need a big solution. You just need people around you.If you are going through a phase where life feels a bit heavy or exhausting, this film won’t fix your problems. But it will definitely make you feel a little less alone. It’s a beautiful, one-time watch.
Rubal Saluja |
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