NEWSLETTER
20th July 2007

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School Watch

Tuesday- 8th May- Inter House Western Music Competition- Red House won.
Tuesday- 10th July- Class 6 to class 10- Hindi Essay Writing Competition.
Thursday- 12th July Class 5- Trip to Humayun’s Tomb Class 12- Poster making competition.
Monday- 16th July-Classes 3 to 5- Book Chat Class 5- Gapp Shup Pratiyogita.

"Jahanvi Srinivasan of class 5 participated in the Gobal Children’s Peace Choir in Austria in June, 2007." To read more, please visit the school website.

The Beauty of Robotics

The Robotics Challenge ’07 was hosted on the 7th and the 8th of May, during which Mr. Apoorva Kalia taught the students basic programming and a new language called “Robolab”. Using this, he showed them how to program the Robot to make decisions depending on inputs from the Robot’s sensors.
The students were then given a free hand to program their robots. After numerous test runs, they stopped only when satisfied with the results. Madhav Kaushish, Aabhas Sharma, Siddharth Banerjee and Karshan Sharma mentored the participants.
In the competition, the robots had to cross a set of hurdles - some of the teams accomplished the mission while others failed to complete the mission objective due to technical glitches. Others got snagged by the obstacles, due to faulty programming. It was a fun filled experience where everyone benefited by far and realized the beauty of Robotics. The results were-
1st – Alfa Q- Anish Asthana & Sadaat Salim
2nd – Robo 11- Ayushman Wassan & Vikrant Puri
3rd- Robobusters- Sumer Kohli, Shivjeet Malik, Aman Sharma, Shabad Singh, Siddharth Balakrishnan.

LIVE EARTH

7/7/07 was the date scheduled for the biggest concert for awareness in history. Across seven continents (including Antarctica), in 9 cities, the world witnessed the 24 hour extravaganza that was Live Earth. I personally only watched about 16 hours of the performance, owing to the fact that I enjoy sleep, and would not part with it for anything. In India, we all saw Live Earth on Vh1, the concert which called for all to realise that climate change is real, it’s bad, and it’s now! So, let’s get down to the highlights of the concert. There was a lot of music, some of it rather good, and some, not so good. It was kicked off by none other than Xzibit, (now known less for his rap, and more for his show “Pimp My Ride”- which quite often turns old fossil fuel guzzling vehicles into amazing looking fossil fuel guzzling vehicles). He was followed by a pretty decent Japanese High School Band, who were shredding, wailing and sending the crowd into great frenzies of moshing and head-banging. Some major highlights were Shakira, telling us that her ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ about climate change, Duran Duran (who I didn’t know were still together, as my 30 year old cousin tells me that she used to listen to them back in high school.) Then there was Madonna, the starlet with probably the biggest carbon footprint on the planet, with some 8 homes, 9 private jets (fossil fuels only!) and God only knows how many cars. She was, of course, very smartly chosen as the singer of the theme song of Live Earth. There were many big names, i.e. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Razorlight, AFI (who are among my favourite bands), Rihanna, The Police etc. which meant that this concert would appeal to a global audience. But somehow, I guess the message was lost. Live Earth was meant to be about raising awareness about a global issue. I thought that if Al Gore wanted to lead us into the future with eco-friendly techniques, he could at least lead by example. There were short films all through telling us about how we should conserve electricity, but I guess that doesn’t count to the organizers who were hosting a cross continental light show.
Playing in Antarctica was great, because it would show us how every part of the world plays a role. However, to power the cameras and electric guitars played by the rock star scientists, I am guessing they needed generators, which usually do use fossil fuels. I am guessing that the people who came to the concerts knew vaguely about this little known thing called ‘Global Warming’ before venturing out to see their favourite artists live! So pray, Mr. Gore, do not use climate change as part of your election campaign if you can’t do it properly. I mean, the thought was noble, and it would help mankind, but next time, think a little about what you’re doing. It was a great show to watch, it was good fun, we learnt a lot about global warming and how to save energy and the like… However, we must also realise that when it comes to stopping Global Warming and release of CO2, an electricity consuming, fossil fuel using concert isn’t the way to begin!
-Soumya Dasgupta, XI-B
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Concert In The Metro

The Washington Post Magazine recently conducted an interesting experiment. Despite it not being the kind that I might be able to chaipo for my Science Project, it intrigued me to a remarkable extent. The apparatus -Joshua Bell, one of the world’s greatest violinists; his multimillion dollar Stradivarius violin and a Washington D.C. Metro Station. The method was quite simple. Bell placed himself against a wall, beside a dustbin at the L’Enfant Plaza, dressed casually in jeans, a long sleeved shirt and a baseball cap, opened his violin case, threw in some change as seed money and began to play. He had chosen his pieces with care - they were not to be popular tunes whose familiarity alone might draw interest. No; when his bow danced about the strings of his instrument, the pieces that echoed through the halls and arcades of the subway were masterpieces known only to the masters, befitting the grandeur of concert halls. Of course, the dangerous side of the experiment had been analysed beforehand - editors at the Post Magazine discussed possibilities of crazed fans, flashing cameras; noise, excitement, pedestrian traffic and, consequently, the police, tear gas and rubber bullets. They risked it all. It was 7:51 a.m. when Bell began to play. In the next 43 minutes, 1097 people passed by, out of which 27 threw money into Bell’s open case. The handful of them who stopped to listen were, interestingly enough, mostly people who had at some point or the other, studied music; or little kids who craned their neck towards Joshua Bell as their mothers, pressed for time, dragged them along by the hand. Only one person recognised him, she’d seen him play in concert just 3 days before - he’d filled the house at Boston’s Symphony Hall, where the pretty good seats go for a hundred dollars. At the end of the day, Bell had made 32.17 dollars, and 20 were from the lady who recognised him. What is this life, if full of care. We have no time to stand and stare.” (Leisure, W.H. Davies) Gene Weingarten, who wrote an article concerning Bell in The Washington Post, uses this quote to put across his own point of view - that if one can’t take the time out of one’s life to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on earth play some of the best music ever written, then there must be so much more that one is missing. However, he also takes the trouble to put forth another opinion, that of Mark Leithauser, senior curator at the National Gallery: "Let’s say I took one of our more abstract masterpieces, say an Ellsworth Kelly, and removed it from its frame...and brought it into a restaurant. It’s a 5 million dollar painting. And it’s one of those restaurants where there are pieces of original art for sale...and I hang that Kelly on the wall with a price tag of a hundred dollars. No one is going to notice it. An art curator might look up and say. “Hey, that looks a little like an Ellsworth Kelly. Please pass the salt. "Leithauser’s point is important, we should not be too ready to label the Metro passers-by as unsophisticated imbeciles, because context does, in fact, matter.
Does this mean that concert hall musicians should stay in concert halls because that is the only place that their talent, if they have any at all, will truly be recognised for what it is? We’re not all impresarios in search of talent, but if a violinist is playing beautiful pieces with acrobatic enthusiasm, arching on tiptoes at the high notes, are our lives so busy and hectic that we do not have time to start our day with music?
Weingarten says that one man who passed Bell in the subway didn’t notice him because he was listening to music on his iPod. The song that made him miss a beautiful rendition of a Bach gavotte - one that he might never hear played by such an artist - was “Just Like Heaven”, by The Cure. It’s ironic that the song is about a tragic emotional disconnect; about a man finding the woman of his dreams but not being able to express the depth of his feelings for her until she’s gone. It’s about failing to see the beauty of something that’s plainly before your eyes.
Sara Chatterjee, X

The Children Of Hurin By JRR Tolkien

As we all await the release of The Deathly Hallows let’s take a step back and revisit the father of fantasy. As wizards might fight for the survival of muggles and magic, a tale has finally been woven and strung together bearing the tag of being ‘Middle Earth’s Most Significant Story’. Any Tolkien fan would drool at its sight. Belittling the significance of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, it stands out as a solitary tale to challenge their might. The Children of Hurin concentrates mainly on the tale of Turin, the son of Hurin. As Hurin sits chained to a stone chair for eternity he watches the forces of Morgoth (The true Dark Lord, surpassing Sauron in might) scavenge the land. After the Battle of Unnumbered Tears only 3 Elven kingdoms stand to fight back against Morgoths forces. But disunity and lack of power are deterrence against a full blown war. Turin is sent to the Elves of Doriath to be raised as one of them, and Morwen his mother hopes in solitude that one day he will reclaim the Throne of Hurin. The story takes a turn as with a murder on his hands, befriended only by Beleg, an artful elf Turin must fight for survival with a band of Outlaws. Turins life leads him down a road of difficulty. Lessons are to be learnt from his tale; a veil of darkness befalls the Heir to the House of Hurin which doesn’t seem to lift itself. As Turin battles the greatest enemy Glaurung, Morgoths dragon, fate entwines itself in such a way he reunites with his sister Nienor. Tolkien seems to have turned darker by the time this book was gaining its final form, with some tabloids going to the extent of saying ‘It marks the end of the Era of childrens fantasy and in fact starts an era of moral fantasy’. He takes his time in telling a tale that unlike any other lacks hope and positivism to quite an extent. Characters bear the transition to malicious beings and fight a war whose very basis seems forgotten. Middle Earth seems to be cracking under the weight of Angband, Morgoths fortress to the north. Subtle hints of bravery and honour are seen in characters like Thingol, king of Doriath. At the end, one is left wondering if Middle Earth would ever see better days. A ray of hope to all Tokien fans, for Turin is none other than the great grand uncle of Elrond of Rivendell. Surpassing the boundaries of entertaining fantasy, The Children of Hurin takes a clean sweep of 5/5. The cherry on the cake is marked by Alan Lee’s wonderful illustrations. Definitely not like any other the story is a moving one that artfully connects to the history of Middle Earth. Now only one more war seems left, one with the power to overshadow middle earth, that at Hogwarts.
-Shaman Marya, XII

 
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The Cult of the Patriarchy

Men are delusional. Arbitrary as it sounds, it is probably the truest statement ever written. They still think they are the ones in power, that the cult of the patriarchy is still archetypical. The Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher once said, “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” Women don’t announce the fact that they truly are the wheels behind the chariot of the world, they don’t have to. So, the males of our species take that mantle upon themselves, under the impression that they actually are. It really is sad if you think about it.
Yet, because women let them think they are great, men take advantage of this. They use their imaginary superiority to put down women and reduce their status, and though women accepted this in previous eras, we now refuse to. Why should we let men take credit for our blood, sweat and tears, all of which have gone into the back-breaking work of running the world smoothly like the clogs of a well oiled clock?! Yet, the power that we previously gave TO them, is being used to suppress us now!
It is prevalent in our very own school! That which we women earlier took in our stride, as a benevolent lion might take the annoyances of a fly, is now rising above our heads. Anything that has to do with the male half of the Homo Sapien species is given extraordinary importance over that which has to do with females. Sports, traditionally, stereotypically and falsely male, is given more importance, even by the students themselves, than say, art!
Not only that, but nearly everything is male oriented! Of all the plays that we have in the Drama Specializations, not one single one is female centric, even as the population of the specialization is mostly male oriented with between none to five girls. I’d like to pose one and only one question to the school administration, the teachers and the students themselves – Does OUR world have the gender equality that we boast of and claim to be our pride? Our world being our close, sheltered life inside the walls of Vasant Valley School. Look around yourselves, we do not. We did not even have a Girl’s basketball team in Junior School till about two years ago! Admittedly we have progressed, but we have far to go. As Robert Louis Stevenson said, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.”
~Ayesha Malik, IX

Interview with Surya Uday

He was the red house captain, captain of the VVS basketball team and he was a national level golfer. Surya Uday (batch of 2002) came back to school after five years, and we asked him about his life in Vasant Valley School and a lot more….here is what he had to say:

NL: What do you miss most about school?
S U: “I miss the sports, being the red hose prefect. I miss being chased around by teachers to sit in their classes…but now I have learnt a certain sense of responsibility.”

NL: How is today’s VVS different from the VVS that you studied in?
S U: “A lot is the same...though there weren’t any squash courts when we were around. The basketball court is much better now, and there are the lights above the court….

NL: Any fond memories of your teachers….
S U: Yeah, Ms. Narang, Ms. Charu Rekha, Ms. Oberoi, Mrs. Mitra, Mr. Kapur (that goes without saying), the PE staff- Mr. Sandhu, Ms. Randhawa, Mr. Shukla…I really enjoyed the personal relationship. They are responsible for my success in some sort of indefinable way.”

NL: Finally, your last words on your school…
S U: “It’s a great school. The bond we share with our classmates and our staff is great. I had a great time in school. I am coming back to school after five years, so something does pull me back.”

Kid of the Week

Most of the time, a new kid takes a great deal of time to settle in. It was not the case with our Kid of the Week, none other than Madhavan Somanathan. The first of many new additions to class 11 wowed all at the Western music competition with his marvelous skill at the classical guitar.
Intrigued by this student who had fit in so easily with the rest, we caught up with him for a quick interview.
NL: So how has it been so far in Vasant Valley?
MS: It’s been quite decent so far. I like the relaxed atmosphere but don’t like getting home so late.
NL: Which school were you in before Vasant Valley?
MS: D.P.S. R.K. Puram
NL: Why did you switch?
MS: I hated my previous school.
NL: People were impressed by your fantastic performance at the Western Music Competition. How long have you been playing?
MS: I started when I was eight. I’ve finished with the grades on the classical guitar since then.
NL: So you don’t play the electric guitar?
MS: No, I don’t play the electric guitar because only pros play the classical guitar! (Laughs) Actually the first guitar lessons I had were in the classical style, and my father already had a classical guitar lying at home. It was the more convenient choice.
NL: So your father plays as well?
MS: Actually, no. He only took a few classes as a student.
NL: Do you partake in any other activities other than playing the guitar?
MS: Yeah, I play tennis, soccer and squash. I’m only decent at the first two, but I’m pretty good at squash.
NL: What about academics?
MS: I enjoy Physics and programming in Computer Science.
NL: Doubtless your skill with the guitar has won you numerous awards. In your mind, which has been your greatest achievement in that field?
MS: Uh, in February of last year I won a competition in Goa. They awarded me Rs. 20,000 and a guitar.
NL: What are your plans for the future?
MS: I intend to join a good music college and become a performing artist.
(As told to Diva Gujral, Mahi Titus & Jahan Nargolwala)

 
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Poor Man, Rich Man?

The alarm rang. It was six o’ clock in the morning. I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. In 20 minutes I was ready to leave for the station. Ma called out. I rushed down to the car. Soon enough we reached the station to catch the Shatabdi for Chandigarh.
I could hear noise all around. There were small telephone booths, corn stalls, coffee shops, etc.
The train arrived in ten minutes. We hurried to seat ourselves. It was a three hour journey. I took out my dairy and started writing.
It wasn’t long before I realized that we had reached. At the station I saw an old man. It seemed to me that he was poor. He wore a frayed black hat on his head, with clothes that had wear and tear written all over them. Thinking of him being poor, I asked my mother if she could lend me a hundred rupees. After a long argument, she finally agreed.
Somehow I thought giving someone money just like that isn’t good manners. Just then, the old man sneezed and his hat fell off. Grabbing my only chance, I rushed and dropped the note in his hat.
We were outside waiting for our cab when I saw the old man whom I thought was poor, waving back to me while getting into his stretch limousine! I was still laughing at what I had thought and done. Never go by appearances is what I learnt!!
-Pranav Hari Singhania, V-C

The ‘Aussie’ Way!

Perhaps every one has either heard of or been forced to listen to the strange Australian way of speaking. The accent, I mean, a lot different from the American or the British, is often considered highly amusing, ain’t it, eh, mate? (heeheh “mah-eat”) Right. I’d say it isn’t just the accent; the words tend to mean a lot different than what they literally seem. More often than not you’d make no sense out of them (if you speak English the American or British way, anyway). I decided to cook up an Australian vocab list. Here goes:
Chinwagging - Gossiping
Dishy - Attractive
Drippy - Boring
Fairdinkum - Honest
Fungus-faced - Bearded
In the s*** - Troubled
Flibbertigibbet- Gossiper
Hoon- Show-off
Sticky Beak- Nosy person
Yobbo- Illiterate person
Now you’re all set to avoid all forms of miscommunication with that mate of yours! G’day! (G’dah-ee)
Avanti Gupta, XI

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

The Ganga is the holiest river in India. Due to globing warming the Himalayan Glacier Gangotri is drying up by 40 yards a year which is nearly twice as fast as two decades ago. Pollution as well as globing warming threatens the Ganga which provides more than 50 crore people with drinking water and water for families. The Ganga is listed among the world’s 10 most endangered rivers.
Taarika Peres, V

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Betty)

If you took a moment to get to know the talented Betty Suarez, (Played by America Ferrera) you’d see how intelligent and charming she really is. But, in the superficial world of high fashion, where Vogue is the bible and image is everything, Betty is merely the oversized plain-Jane from Queens, New York. The story unfolds when publishing superstar Bradford Meade hands over the reigns of Mode, a high fashion magazine to his son Daniel, and then hires, well, Ugly Betty to be his son’s assistant. Daniel is reluctant at first but then inevitably accepts Betty whose bright ideas and indomitable spirit eventually win him over. Neither of them really knows the world of glamour and fashion, but together they face all those who would do anything to see them fall. So, who wins- The seventeen-year-old stick figures or the congenial brainiac? Find out Wednesday night at 9 on Star World. Let’s hope this one doesn’t end up in flames like its Indian rendition, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin.
-Rhea Sadh, 10
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Autobiography of a Knife

I am Rampuri and I have a great cutting edge. I am really sharp; that is how I get my name. I was made in a factory; I was cut off a thin metal strip. Then a grinder was run along my edges. It was painful. I screeched till sparks flew out of my body. A carved wooden handle was fixed to me. I was put up in a shop for sale. Many liked me but couldn’t afford me. One day a fat lady came and took me home. She used me for cutting chillies and onions that day. My body started burning and I decided that I had had enough! I jumped up and bit her finger. She shrieked and threw me into the bin. I was lucky, I had a sweet landing as I had landed on a half cut apple. We were then thrown into the community dustbin where a boy found me and took me home. Just then the boy’s father bought an ice cream brick. The terrible memories with my previous owner were all over. I felt cool and sweet! After meeting the ice cream I’m enjoying my stay with these people and you can still find me in there kitchen closet!
-Sanah Dewan, V

Webs, Rings, Spells and Ships

As critics slam, and place meek 2 or 3 stars on the year’s greatest hits, I have decided to come to the defense of a genre that has captured audience’s hearts. Whether or not they are good isn’t the discussion. I mean, the profits raked in by these movies are sufficient proof of their world wide success. I am here to defend an art form that faces jeopardy in the hands of critics. When it came in the form of books in the early 1900s, fantasy swarmed our minds with a host of new possibilities and its freshness and childish innocence captured minds. Time progressed and the ever so inquisitive human mind, fragile as it is, started to note philosophical genius within these works. Lord of the Rings was no longer about Mr. Frodo, but instead it revealed the nuances of human nature, through its wonderful narrative. Similarly others followed suit, but then the 60s came and ushered in with it a new breed of authors, film makers and musicians.
The realists, who diverted attention to Vietnams and Koreas, peace was in, fantasy was conveniently shut off. It was easier to make a war film, instead of the fake looking monsters from a foolish fantasy! People didn’t want to read or watch things that didn’t exist, they wanted real things. Fantasy fiction dilapidation crept on, till the late 1990s. Suddenly on a sullen day in the June of ‘97, when the Cold War had ended, peace had been achieved; propaganda promoting peace seemed a thing of the sixties and seventies, a book hit the stores. And how exactly was the poverty ridden single mother who wrote this book going to imagine that her book would engulf humanity into raving madness? The answer is she didn’t. It’s quite funny actually: the uncanny resemblance between the release of a new Harry Potter book and perhaps an anti war protest of the 60’s, people walking in vast numbers, peacefully to assemble outside a shop (or senate building). A pattern distinct in nature has emerged. Fantasy, be it Spider Man, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek or any other, seems to have grown into the most widely loved genre of today. What saddens me though is the manner in which we have failed to recognize it as the definition of our generation. If our parents can be defined as the generation of ‘flower power’ and ‘peace’ then we should be seen as the generation that created worlds beyond ours. Webs, Rings, Spells and Ships may not be concepts of the late 90’s, but the execution and representation definitely are. Never before have any of these ideas been sensations, but we should be proud of such an accomplishment. No doubt stuff of the sixties and seventies find their rightful thrones in the hall of classics, but their era seems to have come to a close. Film noir mysteries and flowery rock bands only find life in neo hippies, those trying to still grasp the past. Fantasy opens its doorways to us. It relieves us of our daily lives being bludgeoned from all corners by propaganda. I know many of you will rubbish this article as an attempt to glorify fantasy, especially some adults who gawk at fantasy as the human minds most foolish attempt at fiction. I will staunchly differ, Jurassic Park’s and Transformers are what make a 21st century teenager. Ben-Hur no longer dictates history, but 300 does. This July as you extend your hand to pick up the last of the Potter books, just ponder for a moment on what I’ve tried to convey. The very fact that you are buying that book means you contributing to Fantasy’s success. What could be more amazing than the ever so dynamic world of fantasy, which loses its charm on even an ounce of repetition?
-Shaman Marya, 12
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*%$!BUSTED*%^~

“Which house is red house singing?”
Aliza Khan, all is forgiven in the loyalty!

Shreya Singhal: “Do you know where Mitaali lives?”
Avanti Gupta:”No I don’t, though I think she lives in Penna’s bus!”
Uh, no comment.

“What the hell is AIDS?!”
Devanshi Dalmia…ahem! Which world have you been living in?!

“Oh no! I’m gonna get kicked by a soccer ball!!”
Karishma Khanna, what’s next? Getting squashed by a squash ball?

“The sun is inside my head!”
Anonymous…the heat must have REALLY gotten to you!

“You know what a sieve is, right? The thing with perforated holes!”
Anonymous, and what might perforated holes be?!

“My one eye is closed; I’m half asleep.”
Amit Khandeparkar, we definitely did not expect this from you.

“I went with my mom’s kids to play table-tennis.”
Shivam Raheja, do you remember falling off the family tree?

“I want an aeroplane that flies.”
Once again, Shivam dazzles us with his supreme intelligence.

A Dozen Reasons Why Guys Try to Act Cool but Fail Miserably

1) They go on with stuff like “Wassup dude” and wave their fingers in very creepy ways.
2) Every one is everyone else’s ‘Homie’.
3) They use swear words as though it’s a medical necessity.
4) On the subject of pants, the word ‘Waist’ has been lost to the sands of time.
5) They sit for hours memorizing rap lyrics to impress their ‘Guy-friends’.
6) They crack the lamest jokes during class, hoping for a round of laughter and a glance from the ladies. (We don’t mean the teachers!)
7) They go around teasing those who aren’t ‘cool enough’ and when no one listens to them they pretend it never happened.
8) One must be a part of a ‘gang’ or is destined to a lifetime of desolation.
9) The ‘Cool Kid’ acts all macho in front of his ‘dawgs’ but spends every free second watching ‘Soaps’ and ‘Chick Flicks’.
10) They swear to never to have read a book while secretly treasuring the works of Charles Dickens and J. K. Rowling.
11) The ‘Cool Kid’ pretends to sleep in class, but on the inside he is struggling not to answer the teacher’s question.
12) They pretend to be on first terms with every popular kid in the school when actually they avoid him like the plague.
Jahan Adil Nargolwala XI-B

Harry Potter and the Order
of the Phoenix

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Evanna Lynch and Imelda Staunton
3 ½ stars
The fifth installment in the motion picture rendering of the popular Harry Potter books, was a long awaited phenomenon in the Potterverse, and I can safely say it did not disappoint us… much! Though it has a dreary beginning, the movie quickly gathers pace. It explodes in your face and races by, until it reaches the Ministry of Magic scene, probably one of the best in any Potter movie. Though not entirely in keeping with the book, it is very well executed and sets your pulse racing. The new screenwriters have done as much justice to the book as possible, even keeping some of the dialogues in. The characters of Luna Lovegood and Dolores Jane Umbridge, Undersecretary to the Minister, played respectively by Evanna Lynch and Imelda Staunton, have been played to perfection, and are probably two of the biggest assets of the movie. You're bound to loathe Umbridge with a passion, and Luna’s whimsicality leaves you completely bemused.
A few key points of the book have been left out, including the entire explanation of the prophecy, which makes it slightly difficult to follow the movie if you are not an avid Potter fan. Also, ‘Snape’s Worst Memory’ is barely a minute long. However, you fall in love once again with Sirius Black (Gary Oldman); and Ron (Rupert Grint) is even dumber, which makes him all the more adorable. Tonks (Natalia Tena), though different from what I imagined her to be, is not a disappointment either.
A must watch, even if you aren’t a Potter freak, is my final verdict… though you’ll enjoy it more if you don’t constantly compare it to the book!
Ayesha Malik, IX

EDITORIAL BOARD
Ayesha Malik, Devika Agrawal, Nikhil Pandhi, Sanjana Malhotra, Arushi Kumar, Meghna Mann, Sara Chatterjee, Rhea Sadh, Bhavik Singh, Kunal Datta, Vanshika Wadhwa, Akbar Iqbal, Avanti Gupta, Soumya Dasgupta, Jahan Adil Nargolwala, Diva Gujral, Tarunima Prabhakar, Mahi Titus, Amba Kak, Arjun Bajaj, Dhritiman Murti, Praavita Kashyap, Ujwalla Bhandari, Shaman Marya, Ria Sen

Editor: Akanksha Chawla

 

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