Call it Suspect X (Japanese film, 2008), The Perfect Number (Korean film, 2012, Suspect’s devotion to murder mysteries since its publication. I must admit that I have not seen the Japanese film, but having seen the other three , it makes me want to explore more of the writer’s works. His Detective Kaga and Detective Galileo series are available to read today. The author’s passion for human values such as loyalty is at the heart of this film (and this article).
Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaan Jaan on Netflix is Kareena Kapoor’s brilliant debut on the OTT platform and it was reported that she wanted to act in the show like Kate Winslet did in Mara of Easttown. Kareena plays Maya D’Souza, who lives in Kalimpong with her daughter Tara. Unbeknownst to her, she is being stalked by her neighbor, the shy but brilliant high school math teacher Naren. Naren (played by the brilliant Jaideep Ahlawat) is an ugly man and has his tongue tied in front of Kareena’s transparent presence. He just walks into a coffee shop, buys the same fried rice for lunch, and leaves. When a scary man threatens Maya at her house and she kills him, Naren helps the mother-daughter duo. When a detective from Mumbai appears in search of a scary man, it is Naren who helps divert his attention.
Lesson 1: “I want readers to be constantly surprised by my ideas,” by Keigo Higashino.
Jaane’s story Jaane explores the mind of a math teacher who lives a quiet life. He knows that mathematics is a subject governed by logic and solving complex problems is his passion. His crush on Kareena Kapoor and her daughter is illogical and he knows it too. In mathematics, numbers are always perfect. Two plus two will always be four. Then how will he figure out his feelings that overwhelm him?
Much of our investing life is predictable. We love the security of time deposits and savings accounts at the banks where our fathers worked. When a new bank comes along offering higher interest on your savings, do we even try to switch accounts? Are we trying to enter the world of mutual funds or other financial instruments that are offered? There is a solution. There is information and more that can make your money work better. You just have to be willing to step out of your carefully cultivated ordinary world and choose to be different. You too will be pleasantly surprised by the result.
Lesson 2: “Pay attention to the coin,” Naren tells his student while playing the disappearing coin game.
A student challenges his math teacher every day to play with coins. Naren pampers the children, who watch in admiration as the challenger loses the coin game every day. Naren’s hands holding the coin are moving too fast for a child. Naren playfully (and even annoyed at the child’s constant losses) suggests that he pay attention to the coin, otherwise he will never win.
The stock market works like this. Not every day, of course, but if you’re investing in stocks, you better be aware. Not just about how the company you invested in is doing, but about the industry as a whole. As the police say: “Follow the money and you will find the crime.”
Lesson 3: “Who keeps the movie tickets?” Karina’s Maya must prove her whereabouts
Mumbai-based detective Karan (played by Vijay Verma) arrives in Kalimpong in search of missing crooked cop Ajith (the brilliant Saurabh Sachdeva). He found out that Maya D’Souza is the wife who ran away from Ajit. Karan questions Maya and her answer leads him to believe that she went to the cinema with her daughter, although Tara goes to school the next morning. Maya eventually finds movie tickets hidden in her clothes and gives them to the detective.
In our money life, we must save all our receipts. Most of us do this online so we don’t have to look for them when it comes time to prepare our taxes. This becomes even more important if you are trading stocks. You need to keep a record of all your transactions because receipts will always come in handy.
Lesson 4: “He gave us clues, but they distracted us.”
Detective Karan and teacher Naren were in high school together. The Chinese film The Devotion of Suspect X brilliantly shows this connection. Introvert Naren solves math problems during recess instead of playing. In Jaan Jaan, Detective Karan finds out how his math teacher has played a prank on him through a seemingly innocent number question asked to students, such as, “If there are ten birds in a tree and I shoot one, how many birds will be sitting in the tree?” » tree? The logical answer is nine. But if you think about it, the answer is no. Will the other birds fly away at the sound of the shot?
The financial proposals are similar to the problem the detective faces. Each clue given to the detective is like an advertisement you will see for various investment schemes. Some have movie stars, other offers, such as mortgage loans, will show you homes that may be beyond your budget or in impractical locations. You need to learn to see through the glitter and shine of sentences and make rational, logical decisions.
Lesson 5: “Loyalty and the oppressive burden of human relationships are catalysts for murder…” says WSJ’s Andrew Joyce of the author’s work.
“Dark pacts made by neighbors or colleagues to dispose of bodies” is the basis of “Jaane Jaan.” What’s so fascinating about this story is that Maya D-Souza is caught in the web of these dark pacts. First, when she runs away from her nasty husband, who “rescues” her from a dance bar. Then, just when she thinks she has started a new life with her daughter in Kalimpong, a math teacher saves her from the dilemma of what to do with the dead cockroach in her house. And as soon as she hears a sigh of relief that the cops are going to close the case, her daughter asks her: Will the teacher tell us how to live, mom?
Murders don’t happen to ordinary people like us (and that’s one of the many reasons why we’re fascinated by murder mysteries). But in our financial lives, we must be smart in making alliances. Again, loyalty to the bank where your father worked is a thing of the past. Even when you invest in a mutual fund, find out the loyalty of your money manager and the reasons why some funds are recommended and others are not. Staying informed means staying ahead.
Manisha Lakhe is a poet, film critic, traveler, founder of Caferati – an online writers’ forum, hosts Mumbai’s oldest open mic and teaches advertising, film and communications. She can be reached on Twitter at @manishalakhe.
These are the key lessons that can be learned from this bestseller.