I wish I could chronicle my life's three biggest mistakes, but I am unable to....Is it because the mistakes outnumber "three"???? Not really...The mistakes I am talking about are decisions I made at various junctures in my life. But somehow, deeply ingrained in me in this thought that these are not really mistakes, but experiences that happen for a reason. Every experience increases the slope of your learning curve and the curvier it is, better for u...(pun totally INTENDED).Well this post is definitely not going to be a self introspection voyage.
The title has actually been plagiarized from Chetan Bhagat's third book entitled the same. I agree he is no Booker or Pulitzer material.His books are just a literary (prolly too strong a word) adaptation of a 70 mm commercial masala caper exemplifying boyfriend-girlfriend relationship and friendship with a good measure of "titillation" (ain't being explicit coz I don't want the censor board to jump at me)...Having said that, I have enjoyed his previous two attempts at writing, coz they kept me entertained for 3 hours and and at the end of 3 hours I could say paisa vasool. Like every movie does not have to be path-breaking, every book needn't be written for a booker. So after some frantic "Amazonic" search, I managed to lay my hands on this book and Boy!!!! was I disappointed!!!!!!!!!
The primary reason being, in all likelihood after writing 90% of the book, the author suddenly thought..."Can I win a Booker by scrambling in 10 pages of Godhra massacre and make my mark as a writer trying to address a socially relevant cause. How I wish that this dramatic enlightenment had dawned upon the author a few pages earlier. I wish he had handled this issue with a lot more sensitivity, poignancy and detail. This is one incident that has perhaps left an indelible impression in the minds of every Indian, to the extent that this is still a stumbling block in the way of a certain man vying for the "PM's Kursi" in the ongoing general election. Coming back to the book, it does have its endearing moments, but falls miles short of what could have been a perfect amalgam of entertainment conveying a powerful message.
Having made a passing remark on the ongoing General elections,(I know some of you are more familiar with the same being called as the Great Indian Circus) I would probably wanna pen down my thoughts on the same. Firstly, what struck me the most about this election was this celebrity bandwagon high on glamor quotient motored by the man himself Karan Johar, endorsing the General Elections and asking the youth to step out and vote.These celebrities who seem completely out of sync with the country's political scenario are just reading their lines straight off a tele-prompter which says" Go Vote, your vote counts in bringing the change we need". If you were to ask them, what kind of governance will bring in that change, the answer would be "I don't know" or perhaps "A govt. that will resist another 26/11 episode. The reason is, this whole celebrity campaign was generated with a myopic agenda centered around 26/11 attack on Mumbai. The campaign seems completely blind to other pertinent issues plaguing the nation like economic reforms and its implications on the industrial sector and "Aam taxpaying Junta", rural and agricultural empowerment, inflation, recession, red tapism et al. I am not being apathetic to the 26/11 incident..Hurt I am and do appreciate the efforts that are going into nailing the brains behind this operation...But I also realize that what we need at this point is not just a leader but a VISIONARY who will look beyond myopic agenda. The day such a leader addresses a campaign, we will surely see the polling rate surge beyond the 50% mark where it remains stagnated at over the last two decades despite the attempts by these "unaware" celebrities trying to spread "voting awareness".
Until then, May 16th 2009 will just remain a day that just paves way for a certain politician occuyping 7 racecourse road and the day all the numerous election promises start biting the dust.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Delhi-"6" Crosses the boundry but just falls short of going over it!
"Rehna Tu Hai Jaisa Tu
Tujhe badalna na chahu raddibar bhi sanam
Bina Sajawat na Milawat- Na Zyaada nahi Kam.......
This says everything about the movie. It's just as real a film can get. Going by the age-old adage that "Art is a reflection of reality"- this movie is definitely the mirror to everyday life one leads. The movie is pure (bina sajawat and milawat) as the lyrics of this most beautiful composition of the movie (I am sorry Masakali) go. This song is perhaps one of the most best music pieces I've heard in my life. While I am at it, lemme take a stop before I plunge into the review and just devote some deserving time to this song. The lyrics of this song do not follow the typical lyrical diktats but are yet so poetic. Another interesting part of this beautiful song (I need another superlative adjective) is the flute piece that plays for a good long 2 minutes at the end of the song. Rarely, do you get to hear such standalone music pieces in a song without any lyrical intersperse.
Now coming back to the film, this was one movie that I was very keen on watching ever since the inception of the movie. This was coz of the humongous influence Rang De Basanti (RDB) had on me that tops my favorite movie list. And boy, I wondered RDB is a tough act to follow. Unfortunately for Rakesh Mehra (the director), it will be very difficult for the audience to view this movie objectively without drawing parallels to RDB. So the big question, Does the film work????
For me, "YES", but am sure it will open to mixed response from the audience. For starters, the movies heavy on "Chandni Chowk" (CC) flavor, that is very difficult for someone (includes me) who is unfamiliar with the CC milieu to relish the flavor instantly. When I say heavy, it is heavy indeed as the director invests a good hour into every nuance of this colorful place that it will take some patience to sail through this hour. I was totally out of sync with the concept of a fervent ram Leela, the local political goons and how even the "Gods" have to succumb to the local politician's bhashans whose nostrils flare while she is giving hose speeches....But what made me sail through was the intense passion of the director that the film reflects. Everything is so real, so grounded...When I say that, I mean the clothes, the body language, the make-up )or more so the lack of it)- basically the absence of every "K" element of film-making. I have seen the movies of directors who claim to have made realistic movies- by this they mean they are just making the protagonists wear non-designer clothes. The performances in such "realistic" films is so labored (perhaps the effort of trying to break the norm is so evident). Thats where Delhi-6 scores and how!!!! The characters are so oblivious to any camera, directions that they seem like people have been actually hand-picked from CC whose lives have been shot by hidden cameras. And the credit for this must go to the director for choosing the best ensemble cast. These people grow with you as the movie progresses. There were moments that stayed with me. Atul Kulkarni's naivity, Deepak Dobriyal's angst when his store is torn down, Divya Dutta at her fiery best, the warring brothers at the jaagran to name a few.
the second hlf of the movie, wherein the Kala-Bandar metaphor strikes CC, the movie gets very moving. (I don't want to play spoiler and reveal the fim's finest moments towards the end). the movie fails to surpass RDB at this juncture. Although, a mean thing to say, a sad end would have given the movie a befitting climax. the near tragic end being miraculously converted to a happy end is where the movie utterly falters and hugely depriving the soulful movie of the perfect end.
Now the movie won't work for you, if you looking for a definite plot, boy-girl protagonists, boy-girl romance (this element exists but is overtly underplayed-ts the perfect oxymoron...) and if you not the kinds to read between the lines and not wanna take home a message or not a an admirer of subtlety and/or walk into the movie wishing to see Abhishek Bachchan as the quintessential hero!!! The real heroes are CC itself, Rakesh Mehra, the ensemble cast and of course AR Rehman whose music elevates the movie several notches higher and this list will be incomplete without mentioning the name of the most unsung hero- Prasoon Joshi (the lyricist).
For me the hype was totally worth it!!!!!!
Tujhe badalna na chahu raddibar bhi sanam
Bina Sajawat na Milawat- Na Zyaada nahi Kam.......
This says everything about the movie. It's just as real a film can get. Going by the age-old adage that "Art is a reflection of reality"- this movie is definitely the mirror to everyday life one leads. The movie is pure (bina sajawat and milawat) as the lyrics of this most beautiful composition of the movie (I am sorry Masakali) go. This song is perhaps one of the most best music pieces I've heard in my life. While I am at it, lemme take a stop before I plunge into the review and just devote some deserving time to this song. The lyrics of this song do not follow the typical lyrical diktats but are yet so poetic. Another interesting part of this beautiful song (I need another superlative adjective) is the flute piece that plays for a good long 2 minutes at the end of the song. Rarely, do you get to hear such standalone music pieces in a song without any lyrical intersperse.
Now coming back to the film, this was one movie that I was very keen on watching ever since the inception of the movie. This was coz of the humongous influence Rang De Basanti (RDB) had on me that tops my favorite movie list. And boy, I wondered RDB is a tough act to follow. Unfortunately for Rakesh Mehra (the director), it will be very difficult for the audience to view this movie objectively without drawing parallels to RDB. So the big question, Does the film work????
For me, "YES", but am sure it will open to mixed response from the audience. For starters, the movies heavy on "Chandni Chowk" (CC) flavor, that is very difficult for someone (includes me) who is unfamiliar with the CC milieu to relish the flavor instantly. When I say heavy, it is heavy indeed as the director invests a good hour into every nuance of this colorful place that it will take some patience to sail through this hour. I was totally out of sync with the concept of a fervent ram Leela, the local political goons and how even the "Gods" have to succumb to the local politician's bhashans whose nostrils flare while she is giving hose speeches....But what made me sail through was the intense passion of the director that the film reflects. Everything is so real, so grounded...When I say that, I mean the clothes, the body language, the make-up )or more so the lack of it)- basically the absence of every "K" element of film-making. I have seen the movies of directors who claim to have made realistic movies- by this they mean they are just making the protagonists wear non-designer clothes. The performances in such "realistic" films is so labored (perhaps the effort of trying to break the norm is so evident). Thats where Delhi-6 scores and how!!!! The characters are so oblivious to any camera, directions that they seem like people have been actually hand-picked from CC whose lives have been shot by hidden cameras. And the credit for this must go to the director for choosing the best ensemble cast. These people grow with you as the movie progresses. There were moments that stayed with me. Atul Kulkarni's naivity, Deepak Dobriyal's angst when his store is torn down, Divya Dutta at her fiery best, the warring brothers at the jaagran to name a few.
the second hlf of the movie, wherein the Kala-Bandar metaphor strikes CC, the movie gets very moving. (I don't want to play spoiler and reveal the fim's finest moments towards the end). the movie fails to surpass RDB at this juncture. Although, a mean thing to say, a sad end would have given the movie a befitting climax. the near tragic end being miraculously converted to a happy end is where the movie utterly falters and hugely depriving the soulful movie of the perfect end.
Now the movie won't work for you, if you looking for a definite plot, boy-girl protagonists, boy-girl romance (this element exists but is overtly underplayed-ts the perfect oxymoron...) and if you not the kinds to read between the lines and not wanna take home a message or not a an admirer of subtlety and/or walk into the movie wishing to see Abhishek Bachchan as the quintessential hero!!! The real heroes are CC itself, Rakesh Mehra, the ensemble cast and of course AR Rehman whose music elevates the movie several notches higher and this list will be incomplete without mentioning the name of the most unsung hero- Prasoon Joshi (the lyricist).
For me the hype was totally worth it!!!!!!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
"PADMAthon"
I was hibernating all this while and for a change it wasn't lethargy. It was just lack of something pertinent to write about. Although I started this blog as a vent to personal feelings and emotions, after a few posts I resolved to kinda make this medium a mouthpiece for my perception of the relevant on-goings around me that involve more than one human entity. This could be as inconsequential as voicing my thoughts on a movie or being a voice opining on the socio-political scenario around me. I am not opposed to the idea of my blog being a personal account of my activities, my state of mind etc and there shall continue to be some such sporadic posts.
What made me wield my pen again, was the announcement of the Padma Awards (and hence d title as I am embarking on a blogathon on these) and the flak these announcements have drawn from several prominent quarters. The most significant one being, sportsmen like Vijendra KUmar and Sushil Kumar being omitted from this list of national honor, whereas fellow sportsmen like Abhinav Bindra being decorated with a "Padma Bushan". Even if the government seemingly does rate (although I strongly object), the Gold medal feat higher over a Bronze medal, these sportsmen certainly deserved the Padmashri if not the Padma Bhushan. Their omittance reflects complete travesty of justice and selective ignorance or considering the unprecedented success of "Ghajini" (some sort of selective amnesia...may b Aamir Khan will be explain better) Although. the lack of this decoration, not undermine their feat (as some may argue), a national recognition will definitely boost their morale and also make aspiring sportsmen realize that besides cricket, boxing, wrestling, hockey et al. also fall under the realm of "sports" and most importantly recognition and honor. The lack of these names on the awardees list has further intensified the cynicism related to these awards.
My next problem is with the numerous print and electronic media going ballistic over Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being awarded the Padmashri and attributing this award to be a product of BSP alliance. (Nah ts not bahujan samajwadi party..lest Mayawati draw daggers at poor me!!!). But its the Bachchan-Samajwadi party Alliance (Let me not namesdrop any further). Let me clarify right at the onset of my next few comments, that I am no aishwarya rai fan and hence my support towards her padma award is not a case of insane admiration.
Whether people accept it or not (which I perceive is to a large extent is by-product of some veiled personal agendas of most of her contemporaries)she is the only person affiliated to the Indian film Industry to be recognized on a global platform. Again, this is not to seek global recognition to Indian cinema. But the fact remains, we take immense pride in hailing Laxmi Mittal's achievements or devoting the front pages of leading national dailies in hailing the achievements of that "American Citizen" who is heading the "Bank Bailout" project to salvage 'Recession struck American economy" just because he has some Indian roots (am sure 90% of the Indian population who not have even heard his name)..Then why create a ruckus in hailing her acheivements???? My recent visit to the Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta, showed that she is ranked amongst the top-three famous celebrities in the world endorsing the Cola brand. Now if a "Bailout' example can be pride, this certainly can be. For she at least is a resident Indian representing India. Her visits to Cannes have always evoked criticsm, for some people going to the extent of commenting on the minuscule crease on her dress totally skirting the cause of her visit. The very same people hold "Armani' in high pride but Aishwarya rai sporting an "Armani" is an eye-sore!!! Slumdog Millionaire, a film made by a foreigner about India is pride, but an Indian who has such global recognition is not!Having mentioned Slumdog Millionaire, its so distressing to see a certain section of elitists slandering a film that's great depiction of reality and hope with some brilliant Indian entertainers (Anil kapoor, Irfan Khan and ARR) as part of this ensemble.
Longines for example uses her face to promote their watch brand at international platforms such as Wimbledon! Some may (including me) may call it her persona (read physical attributes) to be the reason for it), but for all of us looking for anything "Indian" to glorify and celebrate, I think she is very much more "Indian" than so many others who have hogged more front page limelight and less flak than she has.
What has turned out to be an "Aishwarya Rai" PR exercise or more so a blog written by her and in fear of the on coming onslaughts to all my above comments, I would not wanna harp on it anymore.
But interestingly, knowing about the political clout surrounding the Padma awards, I think the state should make it a more refined process by electing a panel of distinguished people from all walks of life and make a more credible and holistic list of recipients of this prestigious national honor.
What made me wield my pen again, was the announcement of the Padma Awards (and hence d title as I am embarking on a blogathon on these) and the flak these announcements have drawn from several prominent quarters. The most significant one being, sportsmen like Vijendra KUmar and Sushil Kumar being omitted from this list of national honor, whereas fellow sportsmen like Abhinav Bindra being decorated with a "Padma Bushan". Even if the government seemingly does rate (although I strongly object), the Gold medal feat higher over a Bronze medal, these sportsmen certainly deserved the Padmashri if not the Padma Bhushan. Their omittance reflects complete travesty of justice and selective ignorance or considering the unprecedented success of "Ghajini" (some sort of selective amnesia...may b Aamir Khan will be explain better) Although. the lack of this decoration, not undermine their feat (as some may argue), a national recognition will definitely boost their morale and also make aspiring sportsmen realize that besides cricket, boxing, wrestling, hockey et al. also fall under the realm of "sports" and most importantly recognition and honor. The lack of these names on the awardees list has further intensified the cynicism related to these awards.
My next problem is with the numerous print and electronic media going ballistic over Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being awarded the Padmashri and attributing this award to be a product of BSP alliance. (Nah ts not bahujan samajwadi party..lest Mayawati draw daggers at poor me!!!). But its the Bachchan-Samajwadi party Alliance (Let me not namesdrop any further). Let me clarify right at the onset of my next few comments, that I am no aishwarya rai fan and hence my support towards her padma award is not a case of insane admiration.
Whether people accept it or not (which I perceive is to a large extent is by-product of some veiled personal agendas of most of her contemporaries)she is the only person affiliated to the Indian film Industry to be recognized on a global platform. Again, this is not to seek global recognition to Indian cinema. But the fact remains, we take immense pride in hailing Laxmi Mittal's achievements or devoting the front pages of leading national dailies in hailing the achievements of that "American Citizen" who is heading the "Bank Bailout" project to salvage 'Recession struck American economy" just because he has some Indian roots (am sure 90% of the Indian population who not have even heard his name)..Then why create a ruckus in hailing her acheivements???? My recent visit to the Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta, showed that she is ranked amongst the top-three famous celebrities in the world endorsing the Cola brand. Now if a "Bailout' example can be pride, this certainly can be. For she at least is a resident Indian representing India. Her visits to Cannes have always evoked criticsm, for some people going to the extent of commenting on the minuscule crease on her dress totally skirting the cause of her visit. The very same people hold "Armani' in high pride but Aishwarya rai sporting an "Armani" is an eye-sore!!! Slumdog Millionaire, a film made by a foreigner about India is pride, but an Indian who has such global recognition is not!Having mentioned Slumdog Millionaire, its so distressing to see a certain section of elitists slandering a film that's great depiction of reality and hope with some brilliant Indian entertainers (Anil kapoor, Irfan Khan and ARR) as part of this ensemble.
Longines for example uses her face to promote their watch brand at international platforms such as Wimbledon! Some may (including me) may call it her persona (read physical attributes) to be the reason for it), but for all of us looking for anything "Indian" to glorify and celebrate, I think she is very much more "Indian" than so many others who have hogged more front page limelight and less flak than she has.
What has turned out to be an "Aishwarya Rai" PR exercise or more so a blog written by her and in fear of the on coming onslaughts to all my above comments, I would not wanna harp on it anymore.
But interestingly, knowing about the political clout surrounding the Padma awards, I think the state should make it a more refined process by electing a panel of distinguished people from all walks of life and make a more credible and holistic list of recipients of this prestigious national honor.
Friday, December 5, 2008
552 MPs Not One Leader-The Biggest Incongruity of Indian Politics!!!!!
What can I write more on the Mumbai terror attack without sounding redundant?????? But like the million others, I too want to voice my anguish...Niver in my wildest dream did I imagine that Mumbai would be under a seize and Mumbaikars held hostage...But the prime point being"Who has held us hostage???? Was it those ten men who sailed their way to this city or the thousand spineless men who sailed their way to the legislature and parliament by virtue of our votes??????? Its the latter and am sure there isn't an iota of doubt about this answer on the minds of every single Indian.
My anger stems from multitude reasons. Most importantly-Why have some top guns of the Indian media (read Rajdeep Sardesai-whom I've the greatest reagrd for as a journalist and whose blogs I tremendously admire) perceived this ghastly act as an attack on South Mumbai (for those not from Mumbai- South Mumbai is where elites of Bombay reside) and a personal loss to every south Mumbaikar...Is it necessary to polarize emotions and sentiments at this time of crisis????????Is the damage to the Taj and Oberoi and people brutally murdered in and around its vicinity more catastrophic than the lives of the people at CST??Does the central or North Mumbaikar harbor any less irate feelings than the South Mumbaikar???I had initially decided to not names drop, but this coming from someone whose body of work I admire was not acceptable....
In wake of these attacks, people (read Bollywood celebrities) are shouting from the rooftops demanding a change in governance, the need for accountability and the need for leadership...Is that the solution we seeking???I have always maintained "Actions speak louder than words.." These celebrities are the people who enjoy tremendous mass appeal manifold greater than the politicians...Instead of voicing opinions sitting within cosy studios, they must hit the roads, lead demonstrations and even step up into governance and be the leader they think India needs...I have not seen one celebrity taking any of these affirmative "ACTIONS"... Having said that I must add Kudos to Manyata Dutt to have actually taken up a cause and leading from the front...
Another issue that needs immediate redress is that the police force which is now a mere pawn of the government in power, be given complete autonomy...At least this will ensure that politicians do not villify martyrs like Hemant Karkare three days before his death over his Malegaon case and glorify him three days later... Another change I would like to see is the emergence of youth in politics. Milind Deora was the only politician who had the courage to face the wrath of the people and confront them on a talk show post the attack. He exhibited tremendous potential and anger demonstrative of this youth but the politician streak in him and his party agenda overpowered him completely and he remained a mute spectator..I wish people like him shed their politician avtaar, and instead look upon themselves as leaders of this nation.....
I hope this incident serves as the last straw on the camel's back and we finally say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH-WE WILL NOT ENDURE TERRORISM ANY MORE" and I hope that the next time we vote-we elect a LEADER and NOT A politician.
My anger stems from multitude reasons. Most importantly-Why have some top guns of the Indian media (read Rajdeep Sardesai-whom I've the greatest reagrd for as a journalist and whose blogs I tremendously admire) perceived this ghastly act as an attack on South Mumbai (for those not from Mumbai- South Mumbai is where elites of Bombay reside) and a personal loss to every south Mumbaikar...Is it necessary to polarize emotions and sentiments at this time of crisis????????Is the damage to the Taj and Oberoi and people brutally murdered in and around its vicinity more catastrophic than the lives of the people at CST??Does the central or North Mumbaikar harbor any less irate feelings than the South Mumbaikar???I had initially decided to not names drop, but this coming from someone whose body of work I admire was not acceptable....
In wake of these attacks, people (read Bollywood celebrities) are shouting from the rooftops demanding a change in governance, the need for accountability and the need for leadership...Is that the solution we seeking???I have always maintained "Actions speak louder than words.." These celebrities are the people who enjoy tremendous mass appeal manifold greater than the politicians...Instead of voicing opinions sitting within cosy studios, they must hit the roads, lead demonstrations and even step up into governance and be the leader they think India needs...I have not seen one celebrity taking any of these affirmative "ACTIONS"... Having said that I must add Kudos to Manyata Dutt to have actually taken up a cause and leading from the front...
Another issue that needs immediate redress is that the police force which is now a mere pawn of the government in power, be given complete autonomy...At least this will ensure that politicians do not villify martyrs like Hemant Karkare three days before his death over his Malegaon case and glorify him three days later... Another change I would like to see is the emergence of youth in politics. Milind Deora was the only politician who had the courage to face the wrath of the people and confront them on a talk show post the attack. He exhibited tremendous potential and anger demonstrative of this youth but the politician streak in him and his party agenda overpowered him completely and he remained a mute spectator..I wish people like him shed their politician avtaar, and instead look upon themselves as leaders of this nation.....
I hope this incident serves as the last straw on the camel's back and we finally say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH-WE WILL NOT ENDURE TERRORISM ANY MORE" and I hope that the next time we vote-we elect a LEADER and NOT A politician.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Bombay vs. Mumbai!!!!
An interesting interview that I read prompted me to write this blog ahead of the one I intended to. The said interview is the one where Shobha De was the guest on Karan Thapar's show Devil's advocate. Although I do not necessarily concur to everything she says, the fact that she is strongly opinionated makes me take notice of her and either agree or disagree with her. Although I ain't any social commentator, I would still like to put down my perceptions. How do I perceive this recent, over-glorified (rather over-GORY-fied) Bombay vs. Mumbai divide?
I have always felt that the city has both a Bombay and a Mumbai flavor to it but perhaps the flavors were not distinct and the city seemed to be a great amalgam of the two discrete cultures. The Bombay culture was probably a more closer and personal identity to people who had migrated to this city decades ago to pursue a dream and realize it. These were the people who never perceived Bombay as a part of Maharashtra but always thought of it as the fulcrum of what Indian represented- A cosmopolitan city, a land of opportunities and a city of aspirations and a city of harmony. While Chennai carries a distinct essence of Tamilnadu, Kolkata of West Bengal to elucidate my point, Bombay has been an independent entity in itself where all these different essences juxtaposed in the most beautiful and harmonious manner. These people who spoke different languages were bound by their common sensibilities and their intense urge and drive to accomplishments and the desire to carve their own niche.
Having said that, there were these second kind of people who identified more with the makeover of Bombay to Mumbai as they felt (and rightfully so if I may add) the new identity and name to a considerable extent salvaged the strong and rich cultural and historical identity of Mumbai which stems from it being a part of Maharashtra. These people felt that it is very necessary for everyone to imbibe this cultural and linguistic aspect of Mumbai and undo their "Bombayite Avtaar" and the don the "Mumbaikar garb".
Let me quickly cite an observation. Having lived in the US for over 4 years now and having lived in the East coast and the mid-west, I have realized that this country too has four distinct regional identities- The east Coast, The Mid-West, the South and the West Coast and every city in these 4 zones conforms completely to its regional and cultural flavor. (was that the longest sentence in english there????) Since the linguistic diversity here is not as pronounced as it is in India, this cultural demarcation is not as polarized as it is in India. Since USA is perceived as a superpower and a highly developed nation, the statement I made above may seem counter intuitive to many.
Coming back to why i thought to write this blog is the happening in the city over the past few months seem to be disturbing the fine Bombay vs. Mumbai balance that the city has exhibited. I don't know what the common man feels or does his opinion even matter even if he chooses to voice it. Do I want to live in Mumbai as an Indian or reside in Mumbai as a Mumbaikar. My definition of a Mumbaikar is the one who epitomizes simplicity of thought, living tolerance dedication and resilience. Does one need to speak a particular dialect to exemplify their "Mumbaikar" self or is it an innate quality every resident of Mumbai bears unhindered by any barriers whatsoever...I do not know the answer!!!!!
I have always felt that the city has both a Bombay and a Mumbai flavor to it but perhaps the flavors were not distinct and the city seemed to be a great amalgam of the two discrete cultures. The Bombay culture was probably a more closer and personal identity to people who had migrated to this city decades ago to pursue a dream and realize it. These were the people who never perceived Bombay as a part of Maharashtra but always thought of it as the fulcrum of what Indian represented- A cosmopolitan city, a land of opportunities and a city of aspirations and a city of harmony. While Chennai carries a distinct essence of Tamilnadu, Kolkata of West Bengal to elucidate my point, Bombay has been an independent entity in itself where all these different essences juxtaposed in the most beautiful and harmonious manner. These people who spoke different languages were bound by their common sensibilities and their intense urge and drive to accomplishments and the desire to carve their own niche.
Having said that, there were these second kind of people who identified more with the makeover of Bombay to Mumbai as they felt (and rightfully so if I may add) the new identity and name to a considerable extent salvaged the strong and rich cultural and historical identity of Mumbai which stems from it being a part of Maharashtra. These people felt that it is very necessary for everyone to imbibe this cultural and linguistic aspect of Mumbai and undo their "Bombayite Avtaar" and the don the "Mumbaikar garb".
Let me quickly cite an observation. Having lived in the US for over 4 years now and having lived in the East coast and the mid-west, I have realized that this country too has four distinct regional identities- The east Coast, The Mid-West, the South and the West Coast and every city in these 4 zones conforms completely to its regional and cultural flavor. (was that the longest sentence in english there????) Since the linguistic diversity here is not as pronounced as it is in India, this cultural demarcation is not as polarized as it is in India. Since USA is perceived as a superpower and a highly developed nation, the statement I made above may seem counter intuitive to many.
Coming back to why i thought to write this blog is the happening in the city over the past few months seem to be disturbing the fine Bombay vs. Mumbai balance that the city has exhibited. I don't know what the common man feels or does his opinion even matter even if he chooses to voice it. Do I want to live in Mumbai as an Indian or reside in Mumbai as a Mumbaikar. My definition of a Mumbaikar is the one who epitomizes simplicity of thought, living tolerance dedication and resilience. Does one need to speak a particular dialect to exemplify their "Mumbaikar" self or is it an innate quality every resident of Mumbai bears unhindered by any barriers whatsoever...I do not know the answer!!!!!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Santa Singh Banta Singh Balle Balle!!!!
Before I embark upon my blogathon, I wanna reveal the title of my next blog. It's gonna be "Walk the Talk" that hopefully shall be a befitting reply to "BlueKing". And why dis I choose to post this blog first?????? Is it giving SRK movies some more privilege to dwell in glory before I wield my butcher pen again. No its actually a conscious effort from my side to take a detour from the movie path that I've been treading along for quite some time now.
I tried to push myself (read my pen) to translate my thoughts into words on paper. But guess my pen had again decided to get into a celibacy mode restraining itself from every interaction with paper (Guess my pen has some commitment issues...I should prolly rechristen it to Chandler...).Ironically the pen that I choose to write my blog with is "Papermate" but guess I should now hunt for a pen thats called "Monicamate". But the comprehensive victory over the Aussies at Mohali seems to have shaken off the "Sanyas avtaar" of my pen and here I am writing again.
The victory at Mohali is certainly special. Firstly, Sachin surpassing Brian Lara's world record. Although here I must admit that Brian Lara's grace and elegance will remain unrivaled and the countless matches he has won for WI singlehandedly will always remain firmly and fondly etched in the minds of every cricket lover. I know that was quite an outlandish statement to make almost taking away from Sachin's incredible feat. So I apologize. But in my defence, the admiration for Brian Lara that I have surfaced at the wrong time. So coming back to our own cricketing legend-Tendulkar has made every single of the 1 billion Indians proud. Now for the bigger picture, I guess its raining glory for Sikhs!!!! Every Singh is proving to be a King!!!! Akshay Kumar started it, Dr. Manmohan Singh demonstrated it (the Confidence Vote) and our TURBANATOR (Harbhajan Singh) has now completely testified and justified this statement by proving to be a TERMINATOR for the Aussies!!!
Guess its now the turn of Santa Singh and Banta Singh to take a few pot shots at others!!!!
I tried to push myself (read my pen) to translate my thoughts into words on paper. But guess my pen had again decided to get into a celibacy mode restraining itself from every interaction with paper (Guess my pen has some commitment issues...I should prolly rechristen it to Chandler...).Ironically the pen that I choose to write my blog with is "Papermate" but guess I should now hunt for a pen thats called "Monicamate". But the comprehensive victory over the Aussies at Mohali seems to have shaken off the "Sanyas avtaar" of my pen and here I am writing again.
The victory at Mohali is certainly special. Firstly, Sachin surpassing Brian Lara's world record. Although here I must admit that Brian Lara's grace and elegance will remain unrivaled and the countless matches he has won for WI singlehandedly will always remain firmly and fondly etched in the minds of every cricket lover. I know that was quite an outlandish statement to make almost taking away from Sachin's incredible feat. So I apologize. But in my defence, the admiration for Brian Lara that I have surfaced at the wrong time. So coming back to our own cricketing legend-Tendulkar has made every single of the 1 billion Indians proud. Now for the bigger picture, I guess its raining glory for Sikhs!!!! Every Singh is proving to be a King!!!! Akshay Kumar started it, Dr. Manmohan Singh demonstrated it (the Confidence Vote) and our TURBANATOR (Harbhajan Singh) has now completely testified and justified this statement by proving to be a TERMINATOR for the Aussies!!!
Guess its now the turn of Santa Singh and Banta Singh to take a few pot shots at others!!!!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Minisha Lamba vs. Dow Jones!!!!
I shall definitely explain the title (explicitly needless to add) as I proceed with my blog.
Since I've been inundated with work over the last few weeks, I thought that watching a movie would be a great stress-buster and the movie that I chose to beat my stress was Kidnap. (was it a good choice???) Yes coz it gave me the momentum to get into some light hearted writing after some serious blogging. Well as the title suggests, kids ought to nap during this one coz the leading ladies have been too generous in shedding clothes. But unfortunately for the director, adults too will nap during this one.
Imran Khan graduates from being a chocolate boy guy next door (JTYJN) to an angry young man- a la Amitabh Bachchan from his hey days. But I guess Minisha Lamba's ample cleavage show towers over his anger and the scene where he gawkily stares at her...... amidst a serious sequence with sanjay dutt is absolutely hilarious. I could kinda read his mind. What was Sanjay Gadhvi (the director-if I may add further of the super successful Dhoom series) thinking when he made me stare at Minisha Lamba who can do anything but even remotely turn on a guy!!!!!!!! Well I would like to tell him Sweetheart.. Sanjay gadhvi was not thinking at all and this movie is the biggest testimony to that. Coming back to the plot (for the director who thought that a plot existed) Minisha Lamba is the daughter of the richest Indian alive (Sanjay Dutt) and Imran Khan kidnaps her as he has some old scores to settle with her father. The director in this own words termed this movie to be an edge of the seat thriller. he is right up to the point of edge of th seat. But where he gets it wrong is the thriller part. Its actually a laugh riot coz the dialogues are so insanely mouthed by the charcters that they will definitely throw you from the edge of your seat as you are rolling with laughter.
Some of the dialogues from the movie,
Imran Khan to Minisha: This is a kidnap. Maine tumhe kidnap kiya hai. Do you know what a kidnap is??? (I guess all that was left in the scene is presenting her with a Thesaurus to look up the meaning of kidnap...)
Sanjay Dutt to the cop: Maine mere assistants ko mere dushmanon ki list banane ke liye kaha hai... (as though he is trying to make a grocery list)
Imran Khan to Sanjay Dutt: Mujhe revenge chahiye..(something like when you walk into agrocery store/vegetable vendor and say Mujhe do kilo aata chahiye ya sabzi chahiye...as though revenge is something thats sold off the shelf...and Sanjay Dutt is the guy selling it...Phew....)
Finally, the performaces by the two leading ladies is so intense and superlative that perhaps Naseeruddin Shah could take a lesson or two from them.
I am being too harsh I guess. the director has made some remarkable progress too from his previous Dhoom attempts.
For starters, Minisha Lamba's necklines have plunged several notches deeper than the greatest plummet witnessed by Dow Jones in the last four years and this nose dive in the necklines and amount of clothing worn is way ahead than those sported by the ladies in the Dhoom series...Only point being- there is a hope that the bank bailout plan will help resurrect the US economy and Dow Jones but I wonder what will bailout the producers from this debacle called "KIDNAP".
Second Progress:
Vidya Malvade plays Minisha's mother and looks perhaps just a few minutes older to her daughter and very ably competes with her daughter in the neckline department. ( A case of child (read infant) marriage I guess.. oops is this regressive then??????
Third Progress:
Reema Lagoo the quintessential mother of Hindi movies (second only to Nirupa Roy who played an ailing/blind/widowed/poverty-stricken -why slashes- most of the movies it was all of the above together) to Vijay aka Amitabh Bachchan in all the movies) now plays a grandmother in this movie- A sure progress for her.
Finally, the director thinks that he has extracted such a great and intense performance from Imran Khan that in one of his interviews compared Imran's performace to Marlan Brando.
I end my blog by saying "May Marlan's soul that is twisting and tossing in his grave post this statement rest in peace"
Since I've been inundated with work over the last few weeks, I thought that watching a movie would be a great stress-buster and the movie that I chose to beat my stress was Kidnap. (was it a good choice???) Yes coz it gave me the momentum to get into some light hearted writing after some serious blogging. Well as the title suggests, kids ought to nap during this one coz the leading ladies have been too generous in shedding clothes. But unfortunately for the director, adults too will nap during this one.
Imran Khan graduates from being a chocolate boy guy next door (JTYJN) to an angry young man- a la Amitabh Bachchan from his hey days. But I guess Minisha Lamba's ample cleavage show towers over his anger and the scene where he gawkily stares at her...... amidst a serious sequence with sanjay dutt is absolutely hilarious. I could kinda read his mind. What was Sanjay Gadhvi (the director-if I may add further of the super successful Dhoom series) thinking when he made me stare at Minisha Lamba who can do anything but even remotely turn on a guy!!!!!!!! Well I would like to tell him Sweetheart.. Sanjay gadhvi was not thinking at all and this movie is the biggest testimony to that. Coming back to the plot (for the director who thought that a plot existed) Minisha Lamba is the daughter of the richest Indian alive (Sanjay Dutt) and Imran Khan kidnaps her as he has some old scores to settle with her father. The director in this own words termed this movie to be an edge of the seat thriller. he is right up to the point of edge of th seat. But where he gets it wrong is the thriller part. Its actually a laugh riot coz the dialogues are so insanely mouthed by the charcters that they will definitely throw you from the edge of your seat as you are rolling with laughter.
Some of the dialogues from the movie,
Imran Khan to Minisha: This is a kidnap. Maine tumhe kidnap kiya hai. Do you know what a kidnap is??? (I guess all that was left in the scene is presenting her with a Thesaurus to look up the meaning of kidnap...)
Sanjay Dutt to the cop: Maine mere assistants ko mere dushmanon ki list banane ke liye kaha hai... (as though he is trying to make a grocery list)
Imran Khan to Sanjay Dutt: Mujhe revenge chahiye..(something like when you walk into agrocery store/vegetable vendor and say Mujhe do kilo aata chahiye ya sabzi chahiye...as though revenge is something thats sold off the shelf...and Sanjay Dutt is the guy selling it...Phew....)
Finally, the performaces by the two leading ladies is so intense and superlative that perhaps Naseeruddin Shah could take a lesson or two from them.
I am being too harsh I guess. the director has made some remarkable progress too from his previous Dhoom attempts.
For starters, Minisha Lamba's necklines have plunged several notches deeper than the greatest plummet witnessed by Dow Jones in the last four years and this nose dive in the necklines and amount of clothing worn is way ahead than those sported by the ladies in the Dhoom series...Only point being- there is a hope that the bank bailout plan will help resurrect the US economy and Dow Jones but I wonder what will bailout the producers from this debacle called "KIDNAP".
Second Progress:
Vidya Malvade plays Minisha's mother and looks perhaps just a few minutes older to her daughter and very ably competes with her daughter in the neckline department. ( A case of child (read infant) marriage I guess.. oops is this regressive then??????
Third Progress:
Reema Lagoo the quintessential mother of Hindi movies (second only to Nirupa Roy who played an ailing/blind/widowed/poverty-stricken -why slashes- most of the movies it was all of the above together) to Vijay aka Amitabh Bachchan in all the movies) now plays a grandmother in this movie- A sure progress for her.
Finally, the director thinks that he has extracted such a great and intense performance from Imran Khan that in one of his interviews compared Imran's performace to Marlan Brando.
I end my blog by saying "May Marlan's soul that is twisting and tossing in his grave post this statement rest in peace"
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