Haqq (Right) – Film Review

19.01.2026

My great grandfather left my great grandmother and her children. He did not support them financially. He just started a new family. My grandfather, who was one of these abandoned children later went blind due to malnutrition in his youth. So did some of his brothers. The mother? She had to do hard manual labour in the fields to feed her children. She was from the poor, the Dalits, the Oppressed. It was unthinkable for her to divorce her husband and ask for maintenance. It would bring shame upon the family. It was not what women did.

Haqq is a film about women like my great grandmother. A man takes a second wife. He abandons his first wife Shazia Bano and their children. Then, he does not send the maintenance for the children that he promised. But Shazia, who is not educated, a woman like my illiterate great grandmother, she has an educated father that fights with her. Shazia Bano has to fight in the courts for her rights for her children and her dignity. Against her husband, her community and a system that protects rich men. It is an Indian story of heroism. It is a story based on real events.

Haqq is a story written for those that believe in The Mother Goddess. Shazia becomes Durga, the Mother Queen, the invincible warrior goddess. Kali who fights all with her bloodlust. Because they tried to dishonour The Mother. Because they tried to take away the rights of The Mother’s children.

The theme is dignity. The Mother’s dignity. And Shazia spells out the duty of the Indians. Love is not enough, she says. She loved the rich man, the rich lawyer she was married to. However, he did not give her the dignity that she was due as The Mother. He tried to dishonour her. This is a story about the honour society in which I have been raised. And I? I also chose the dignity of my Mother over love.

The cast of villains stand against The Mother with their misogyny and their arrogance. They try to kill her and her children. But The Mother wins. Because she is a reader. The film supports education for women and freedom – to interpret the scripture by themselves. Revolution. To have an independent mind. To follow the philosophy of India – to become the freedom fighter. And the education of The Mother? Non-western. Non-legal. About Indian justice and not the corruption of the legal culture elsewhere.

Ultimately, only The Mother can win. Only dignity can win. In the end, the rich man, who loses the case, takes out a red rose and leaves it on a sill. Why? Because he does not deserve the love of the poor Indian Mother. Because he is separated from the flower that gives life. Because he is not worthy of beauty.

What is beautiful is The Mother Goddess who fights with her last breath against this world of corruption for her children. She is the one for her lover and her son. She is the one, the poor Indian Mother that rules our hearts. We are Indian. We are the children of The Mother.

Capital Ring Highgate to Stratford (Travel Writing)

35, 877 steps in total today (approximately 15.65 miles or 25.19 kilometers)

18.01.2026

Today, I walked the Capital Ring with a friend. The weather was not inclement. The company was not unpleasant. I was not tired.

We started outside Highgate underground station. I had been warned that the high street was a bit rough but the area we were in seemed nice enough. I have a game that I play with my friend. To collect as many conversations from people as we can. I started it off. As we got into the space between the trees on either end, there was a lady with a very big dog. I started telling her about the walk that we were doing and she had never heard of it. The dog was doing something of a wrestle with her and my friend wanted to make tracks, so we said goodbye and watched her run off with the dog.

The path was absolutely littered with runners. I had never seen so many congregate in one place before. It wasn’t cold and they were wearing their usual skimpy outfits. I felt envious of them running along. After all, it is a very pleasurable exercise. I used to run in the woods like them when I was a kid because I used to live in the woods too.

We took the Parkland Walk to Finsbury Park and stopped off in the cafe. We almost didn’t stay as the queue looked a bit chaotic. However, I was determined to sit down and we changed our mind about finding another place. My friend treated me to a cherry bakewell cake. It was delicious. The cafe had a mini art exhibition featuring artists that did brightly coloured flowers and also pretty landscapes. Some of the artworks were for sale at what I thought was a fairly reasonable price of £200. What was particularly nice about cafe were the cheery flower arrangements on each table. They had a daffodil with an orange rose that was blushing with red. Very cosy and very beautiful and warming.

I bagged another conversation for our competition. There was an Asian man from Liverpool that I struck up a conversation with on the way out from the cafe. He was a runner in a half marathon they had on today at Finsbury park. He said they did about seven laps and the gradient in the park was a bit of a killer.

We walked down through the park and ended up sitting at a bench leading up to a path with a pretty church in the background for lunch. As we were eating, a little grey greyhound in a jacket came scampering up to investigate my friend’s lunch which happened to be honey sandwiches. The owner, a middle-aged brunette with an Australian accent, came bounding down and, noticing that I hadn’t opened my packet of Scotch eggs, informed me that the dog had once stolen a scotch egg from a man’s lunch. He’d been okay with it. You always have to factor a hungry dog in your lunchtime in a park I guess.

I was counting up the birds I saw as we walked towards Woodberry Wetlands and Clissold Park. Today, I saw swans, blacked headed gulls, seagulls, a black cormorant, sparrows, crows, pigeons, Egyptian geese, ducks and coots. One of the joys of a long walk in the greenery is the animals of course. At Woodberry Wetlands, we watched the sparrows resting amongst the bullrushes as my friend was telling me that it was unusual of them to hang about there. The water looked absolutely divine in the sunshine.

There was a climbing wall at some point near a building with the water reservoirs near it. We did it after me and my friend took some shots of a big shiny mirror ball with the building distorted within it. It was dead there before we came and after we went probably. But when we went to take the photographs, a group of children came with their mums and usurped the territory so we had to wait for them to disappear to get the shot. As to the climbing wall? I had to have a go. The grips for the feet were tiny so I only did a wall and a half before I gave up. I couldn’t get the footing for it in my hiking boots and was using up a lot of upper body strength exclusively.

Next, we passed through Abney Park Cemetery. We read up on the founder of the Salvation Army who was buried there along with many other folk from them too. We compared the cemetary to Montmarte Cemetary to which we had both been too and I spent the time reading the inscriptions on the graves. They looked very picturesque with the green moss growing on them.

The next stop was Walthamstow Marshes. We followed the Lee Navigation canal to our finish point. I saw a book floating in the water and we took some shots with our cameras in our usual photography competition that we have on these walks. I also did something I’ve never done before in my life. I saw the opportunity, asked permission and I got a long handled axe and split open a log of wood. It was the third time of asking. My friend shot a video of me while I was doing it so that I could share with our other friends and so on. It was very satisfying and made me feel immensely powerful.

I managed to bag another entry for our competition to collect conversations with people on the trip. It was a brunette mother that was tethering her boat house to a post. I asked her to resolve our dispute on how cold the boats get. But it turned out that the cold wasn’t the problem. Rather it was the mud.

At some point in Stoke Newington, we went into a second hand bookshop. I managed to get a second hand book on Art Deco and also picked up some free booklets by the Guardian on the Second World War, a set of seven of them.

The final stop on the walk was just before Stratford Olympic Park where we parted company. We went to a cafe and sat outside while my friend sipped at a tea and I demolished some chocolate.

life outside of work

17.01.2025

A: What is your life outside of work?

S: Wouldn’t you like to know. You are what you do. Should I tell you my identity?

A: Precisely. This is why I ask.

S: What do you want to know? When?

A: Today.

S: After work, I called up the one I am with on the phone. That was the first thing. I talked about my day and asked them about theirs.

A: You called them first of all? And then?

S: I moseyed my way down to High Street Kensington for the Japan House exhibition. Where I wandered in the exhibition about a hundred Japanese craftsmen. Watching a video about the creation of ceramics and woodwork, reading displays about the philosophy of Japanese craftsmanship, pondering over the unique qualities of the artwork on display, messaging my friends and the one I am with with photographs of what I was seeing.

A: An interesting excursion. Anything for afters?

S: I browsed in the Marks and Spencer’s foodhall, which is one of my favourite regular shops, if not my absolute favourite. I love the food there. Then, I had a free dinner in MacDonald’s, a fillet-o-fish or whatever it is called with some fries. On the commute home, I finished reading ‘The Golden Road’ by William Dalrymple, about Ancient India and how it has shaped contemporary knowledge. When I had done with that, I listened to Hindi film music on my smartphone.

A: When you got home?

S: I ate some fancy Lindt chocolate. Then messaged the one who is mine, doodled on my tablet with a stylus and wrote to my penpal in New Zealand after watching some videos.

A: So. Phone calls, viewing art, reading, photographing, shopping, eating, studying, listening to music, watching videos, writing, writing, writing.

S: I got up to 23, 000 steps today too. Despite that, I got up from my seat on the Tube so that an old lady could sit down. A good deed outside of work to help others. Even though I’ve been on my feet and rushed off my feet all day.

A: And now?

S: It is about 23.28. It is time to try and get to sleep. Have you found out who I am yet?

the 1.7%

S: You want to know who The Tiger is? Sikhs are only 1.7% of the population in India. Despite that, we make up 8-13% of the Indian army. We feed millions every day for free in our temples. We contribute about 67% of India’s charitable funds. We are a culture of heroes. We have been raised to be heroes and we are heroes.

A: What is the secret to creating the hero? How do you build The Tiger?

S: There is a challenge. One the one hand, The Tiger must have no ego. He is taught humility. To follow direction and listen to his elders. But this does not create a Tiger. Because there is a contradiction. The Tiger must be the most egotistical when it comes to his Mother and his community. He must be raised in an honour culture. As the proudest. One that has to walk with his head held high for his Mother’s honour.

A: This world calls you toxic.

S: This selfish and materialist world of cowards? You listen to them? They are born in lies and raised in lies. They do not even know what a man is. Their manhood is in eternal crisis. Look at The Tiger. He is proud to be a man and he is a man. There is no uncertainty. He has been named after the king of the jungle.

A: They hate your boasting.

S: So what? They have no love in their hearts. That is the difference. The Tiger has love in his heart. That is why The Tiger is power. The Tiger does not fear like these chickenshits. That’s why The Tiger rules and no one can rule above him. Like Frankenstein’s monster we are fearless and therefore powerful.

a gust of cold water

16.01.2026

S: I was standing, reading. Always reading. From nowhere on this icy day, a gust of cold water swooped down upon my legs and feet. Entombing me in the freeze.

A: You need to cool down.

S: You cannot quench the fire. But the fire is cold.

A: You burn to no effect.

S: One spark will burn this world of sin.

A: And what is new in this quest?

S: One that I have taught and rescued with my knowledge, that one has been awarded an unconditional place at university.

A: You take the achievement as your own?

S: This one is the child of The Tiger. He follows the path that The Tiger has shown him. Service for the community. The protection of the planet.

A: You have recruited one into your army.

S: Like Satan, The Tiger stalks the world looking for his soldiers. Warriors to mould.

A: Satan owns the things of the world. What do you have?

S: Wherever The Tiger sets his feet, wherever the Punjabi is at, that territory is his. That is the reward of valour.

A: One that boasts.

S: Deservedly. Because there is only one real man in this world. It is me.

work

15.01.2026

A: What do you think about work?

S: It’s a waste of time.

A: You’re saying that? You work all the time. Seven days of the week including overtime on mornings and evenings. You have won awards in every workplace. You are conscientious. You do free overtime. You volunteer at about five places.

S: An absolute waste of time.

A: Why?

S: You’ve listed all my qualities. Do I need to mention my experience and qualifications? Despite all that, I haven’t ever been given a fitting career. I don’t care what anyone says, this society is full of hate and prejudice.

A: You always say that.

S: Because it is true. In fact, they use my experience against me. Any excuse not to give you anything.

A: They think it is sour grapes.

S: They are the ones that discriminate. So they deserve criticism.

A: Why work then?

S: It’s certainly not worth it. Who knows why?

the difference between a warrior and a slave

S: What is the difference between a warrior and a slave?

A: You are the one that loves to boast that you are one and not the other. You tell me.

S: The warrior would rather be dead than to be a coward, to be disloyal. The coward loves his mean and cheap, dishonourable and shameless life too much to ever be brave or loyal.

A: Example?

S: Look at Trump. He thinks he is a warrior. He is a non-man. He preys on the weak. He attacks the vulnerable. He is a bully. And just like in the playground, his people forget their duty as Americans and citizens and will not stand up to him and remove him from this post that he does not deserve. It is a culture of cowardice, a society of cowards. Not just him. His cronies. Farage.

A: What do you do about it?

S: Five minutes alone in a room. Nobody to interfere…

A: Enough of that. What else is the difference?

S: The warrior is the truth and tells the truth. The coward? The non-man? Bred on lies. A liar. They can’t find truth. They couldn’t find a dick in a condom.

A: And?

S: The warrior is the hero of love. He is full of love and its strength. The coward and slave? Full of hate and its impotence.

A: And you?

S: I am strength. I am love. I am the truth. I am the fight. I am the Revolution. I am the one that answers the prayer of The Mother, the People. I am The Tiger. Destiny has blessed me with the war.

Radha

14.01.2026

S: I am named after the god of love, Krishna. Suneel means the colour of his skin, very blue.

A: You always say this.

S: Have you ever wondered who the god of love is with?

A: Radha. What about her?

S: She is the wife of someone else. Yet her true love is Krishna.

A: Who is she then?

S: She is worshipped as the goddess of love.

A: Krishna’s lover is the Indian Aphrodite?

S: To be with Aphrodite is a curse. But to be with Radha is paradise. She is confidence, devotion, beauty.

A: How can she be devotion if she is with another that is not Krishna?

S: The love with Krishna is a heavenly love. The love with the other is the earthly love. What is more exalted? Heaven or earth? The ideal or practicality?

A: You are fated to be with the goddess of love? These are names. They are not identities.

S: I am the god of love. I bring love into this world of hate. I bring the philosophy of India into the world that is six thousand years old, the philosophy of love that this wicked world could not extinguish. It is my fate to be with the goddess of love.

A: You tell me you are a warrior. How then can you be the god of love?

S: My war is love. Love is my war. The warrior is the lover. Krishna himself was a warrior. He preaches the warrior duty in the Bhagavada-Gita. He is the philosopher of the warrior. The culture that I come from is the warrior culture.

A: And Radha?

S: She is too a warrior. She is the other form of the Mother Goddess, the Warrior Queen. The stories that make us what they are, they are entirely consistent. There is no confusion.

A: It is very fine to call yourself the god of love when you are bagging yourself the goddess of love.

S: Isn’t it? Krishna enchants the world. Radha enchants Krishna.

disconnection

14.01.2026

S: You are disconnected from a job. You no longer care if you come in on time. You no longer do extra. You have no interest in what happens. You don’t trust the management. You don’t expect anything out of your job.

A: Sounds bad.

S: You are disconnected from people around you. You don’t talk to them. You don’t take interest in them. Where is it going to go? Nowhere. What do you get out of them? Nothing.

A: You are not an island.

S: What else am I?

A: Despair does not give a good life.

S: Somehow, despite severe demotivation, you have to go on. You have to perform despite no reward and no recognition. Have you been able to do that? Could you keep on writing, singing, dancing, drawing for these philistines and ignoramuses?

A: Burnout?

S: The assessment of reality. They all feed from the talent of a genius. But the genius is sick of them.

A: Think of the one you have that recognises your talent. You said that all you need is one.

S: Yes, they are they and I am I. We are us. There is one connection in a world that fosters disconnection, hate, distrust and prejudice.

A: Snap yourself out of this world.

S: What else do I do? I am the Revolutionary. We are not of this world. We are of a better world, a much better world. A world of freedom, justice and merit.

three contemporary hindi films – free book download

Dr. Suneel Mehmi

PUBLISHED 2026

My analysis and thoughts about three cherished contemporary Hindi films through the themes of rebellion, slavery, the village and honour.

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE:

https://diaryofalonemanhome.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=46&action=edit

ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY DR. SUNEEL MEHMI OF KALI MAA, THE DARK MOTHER.

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