Feature Review - Across the Universe by Munchy

This special piece by our resident Muffinmonster, was originally listed in "Notable Mentions" but it would have been an injustice not only to the piece itself but also to the author to have left it languishing in Notable Mentions and therefore it was moved to the main category…..the Hall of Fame. 

As I have said in the intro blurb…Across the Universe is not your typical ASR and Khushi piece…but surprisingly enough the excellence of this piece is not found in something so obvious as the interchangeable similarities that confound our lovably hateable or is it hatebaly loveable hero and don't really exist except in his sorrow-filled Machiavellian mind…it is so much more, as you will discover once you read it, if you haven't already i.e.

It is an undeniable fact that Munchy is the reigning queen of portraits in grey…anyone who has read Before the Last Sunset or Pandora's Box…would know exactly what I am talking about. But in Across the Universe I feel she has taken human frailties to a whole different level, in terms of the written word. She has made her fictional characters human. They are living breathing walking talking creatures, for it is not when they make you laugh that they are imbued with life…nor it is when your tears mingle with theirs that life's blood springs forth into their veins…but it is when they walk that thin line that each human treads between right and wrong that humanity in all its misshapen forms is born and either lives to tell the tale of its ill gotten gains or faces the demons of choices made during lonely nights longing for comforting arms no longer there and that my dears…are the tales woven in Across the Universe.

Demons are chasing both our heroes…and both are looking for a peaceful end to their demon filled days in the arms of our lovely princess. It is quite interesting to note how beautifully the author has tackled the past of both the protagonists. While the past of one is being wiped clean by the princess and we see / hear less reminiscing about it as she becomes an integral part of his existence. Yet her very existence and involvement in his life, is bringing out the demon of the past for the other protagonist. The author has to be complimented on this emotional triad, and the manner in which its complexity has been handled. This is would be one of those points which I would include in the excellence of Across the Universe.

Now coming to human frailties and resultant flaws…if I may be so bold as to use that word, without being berated for it. After all it's a healthy word to use and then who isn't flawed…we say…bedagh to sirif khuda ki zaat hai…meaning perfection is the domain of gods…and none of the characters in this piece can claim godliness.

So in our colour conscious sub-continental world who cannot believe and perhaps some can relate to the jealousy of a darker skinned woman towards a fairer skinned one and her daughter…the unfair acts a manifestation of lifelong insults and taunts, once at the receiving end now meting out as good as she got. The thin line is crossed and the character is created and we are enjoying the outcome of the author's ministrations in giving it life and the wonderful interactions between the mother and daughter both past and present that have shaped the heroine into who she is.

Human frailties again their raise their ugly head when we are faced with a dilemma. Heads or Tails?  Would a man of intense emotions pull the Ajay Devgan to Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam's Salman Khan, in a bid for his love's happily ever after. Well, perhaps yes, in an alternate reality and alternate universe, with a lesser play of hormones, and a shade less emotional baggage and possessiveness in the melee and perhaps for beings with less intense emotions running amok. In real life, intense emotions are generally of the "got your hands dirty in the mud" variety, and not just any mud, but the kind that has the tendency to stick under your nails and no matter how many times you wash it just doesn't come out. The kind we generally see portrayed in Munchy's writing. That kind of emotion, that kind of intensity burns everything in its path, and by the time you call out for the fire engine its too late…and our dear Mr. Raizada has just woken up and is sort of in the process of placing that call to the Fire Department…..and we are all enjoying the resulting updates of his oh so human antics.

Humanity and our author is not going not leave anyone untouched it seems and so the green eyed boy has also come into its wake. For some reason I am extremely fond of him. I really like the way the author has crafted his character. He is a normal red blooded male. At no point in time have his reactions been unnatural or unusual or out of the ordinary. He has reacted exactly as any normal man in a relationship would. He is jealous exactly when he should be. He is accommodating beyond the call of duty, specially given his past and the fact that he is baited by our beloved ASR at every given opportunity. In fact I'd say he has been rather understanding. The chaotic culmination of the emotional built up was inevitable, he finally caved and gave in to his demons and that I suppose was what breathed life into his character. His entire persona has beautifully developed and it is indeed kudos to the author, that despite having a much loved hero, she was able to create a character in Murtaza, in such a beautiful manner that he has garnered a liking among the readers and has carved a niche for himself.

Now our lovely damsel (not) in distress. I seriously think the lesser said about her the better. For the simple reason, that one has to read the piece to actually understand and enjoy how her character has evolved and how subtly yet obviously different she is from the person she is often mistaken for. I simply love the way her character has been created and developed. Her interactions with each and every character is priceless, to say the least and most enjoyable being the ones with her brother and Maxine, quite obviously.

It is rather difficult not to have a favourite character when you read any piece, and it is interesting how often when I am reading a piece that I am particularly enjoying, that I end up liking characters that are on the periphery. This in my view is the mastery of the writer that they animate even the characters that do not hold centre stage. As with my last review, where Freddy was the show stopper, in this piece it is no other than Ronak. Phenomenal personality, amazing wit and the ability to withstand the blackmailing of the wicked witch of the East! What more could a sister ask for!!!

Across the Universe is like an exquisitely woven piece of silk, of "Dhoop Chaoon" to be exact, if any of you know what that is. Its the kind of  silk that reflects different shades depending on the light reflected. The weft and weave or the "tana" "bana" as we say, is being woven with care, each event, each anecdote, each character is playing out its role to perfection. One wrong thread and it would jar the whole effect but as of yet the harmony has not been broken.  

Now a little bit about the writing style. The minute you say "Grey" nothing but dullness, drabness and lack of colour comes to mind. But where Muffinmonster dallies with the grey in human characters and relationships her pieces are the very antithesis of Grey. They are filled with colour. Each update is virtually bursting with joie de vivre, and without even venturing to her other pieces and sticking only to instances of Across the Universe, you can feel the life buzzing through the…err…webpages…in each activity the characters undertake, whether it is in the dancing in Shantivan, or the Harry Potter quiz, or the paintings, or the imagined world of the lovely heroine, or the college scenes, or the lingerie shopping, or the kabootar discussions, or the flashes of Sridevi dances in the rain, or Murtaza's baby sitting scene (which by the way was beautifully executed)…no matter what she writes, its full of life. Her pieces are not dark and dreary but bursting with colour. Therein lies the paradox. How does she achieve it? This grey of character and relationships in writings full of life and colour. It would be so unfair to talk about her writing style and to leave her other two works that are featured on this thread, but in all honesty this is about Across the Universe, so we will save it for another day, another weekend. And just end this on the note that it does indeed take a writer of skill to balance in their writing the drabness of human life and the colours that make life bearable.

Before I wrap up the review for this week, I have to commend the Muffinmonster on one more thing, the small memorable anecdotes. That entire episode of the little girl mimicking Mr. Raizada on the phone with the eternally suffering Aman, is one of the most priceless exchanges that I have read. I honestly feel that will be one very tough act to follow. Will be interesting to see if it ever gets out done.

So anyone out there who is not acquainted with Across the Universe…which I find difficult to believe…please do not waste a single second and do start the memorable ride Across the Universe. 

[originally posted in IndiaForums on July 28, 2012]