The film is a paean to Sikh soldiers during the war. It is one of the most authentic war films ever made in India and one feels happy that in case the British retreat from Dunkirk can be presented on Celluloid, why not Bollywood showcase the bravery of Indian soldiers.
Yes, they were mercenaries, fighting for a foreign power, but the British had made India their home and after independence, the new Indian state has acknowledged the umbilical cord of the British Indian army with the modern Indian army.
There is another magnificent role played by Yograj Singh, who acts the role of a havildar who motivates the Sikh soldiers to fight the Germans. Thousands of Sikhs died in France, remembered only by the English, as independent India led by Nehru turned its back on these brave soldiers.
Pandit Nehru is guilty of a great act of misdemeanor as he ignored the sacrifice of Indian soldiers in France and for 6 decades no Indian leader ever visited the hallowed resting place of soldiers who died in the far-flung land of France and Italy.
The film portrays the fears of the Sikh soldiers sent to fight thousands of miles from home to defend the borders of England. Many wonder whether the blood they will shed will bring something for India. They wonder whether their bravery will be acknowledged by generations to come.
When my novel" Romance of the Frontier" was published many people asked me questions as to how I compiled a book of over 250 pages and what were the pitfalls if any.Many wanted to know what goes into writing a novel. Hopefully, I will try and give a peep into the mechanics of writing a novel and how to go about it.
Writing a novel is different from writing any other book like a textbook or even non-fiction. In the last category, the author needs hard facts and it is a question of marshaling those facts into a readable book. It could be a
biography or a book on any scientific topic. In contrast, a novel is a plain fantasy, except when writing a novel based on a historical incident. A novel is a test of a writer's imagination and its translation to the written word. It is also the ability to put across your ideas in a coherent form to readers.
You will need a plot, a story to tell. It will be a good thing in case you have some personal experience on the topic you are writing. You will need a good command of the language you write because the publisher cannot publish a book if it does not have proper grammar and language. A point to be noted that writing novel can be pure inspiration and recreation of events that are enthralling to the reader.
I wrote " Romance of the Frontier" 3 times and the computer was a help. One must give credit to the great writers who wrote in longhand and no resources
like a word processor. But again you will have to create a story, a romance and write a book that appeals.You will need a publisher and that is both the difficult and the easy part.Easy because there are so many of them who want to publish a book and difficult because some are just out to make money and will charge you. You may not sell a single book and thus your investment will be down the drain. But whatever it may be, you will have to create a story and relate it in a coherent manner.
My novel " Romance of the Frontier" has given me intense satisfaction and enhances standing in society. A writer is a respected man, more so if he is a creative man. Yes, one does require perseverance and a spark of genius. All of us have it some time and one can channel it to write a book. In case readers are interested this book is available on a dozen sites including Amazon.
I hope these few lines will motivate newbies to pen their thoughts and write a novel. After you write the first, the second will always be easy. My novel has now sold over 9000 copies and that is a source of great satisfaction.
Turmoil in Bangladesh as ex-premier Begum Zia is convicted for corruption
Begum Khaleda Zia chief of the BNP has been given a five year jail term and the entire country is facing an agitation by her party.
Khaleda Zia appears before court in graft cases | (Image via Dhaka Tribune)
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Begum Khaleda Zia the ex-PM of Bangladesh has been sentenced to 5-year Jail term.
While in the opposition she was indicted by the anti-corruption bureau of embezzlement of 3.1 million Taka from the Zia Orphanage fund. This was the money that came from abroad for a humanitarian cause. Her eldest son Tarique Rahman and four others were charged along with her for the offense.
Tariq is the Vice-Chairman of the BNP( Bangladesh Nationalist party). Yahoo
news has reported that the Begum is given five-year jail term while the others including her son have been sentenced to 10 years RI.
