There are some actors (yes and that includes both actors and actresses) who age, and there are those who age gracefully and there are those who become a Cyborg... By definition a cyborg is one who has the best of human and a machine.. How else do you explain the literally 'freeze in time appearance' of many of our actors even though their arrival seemed to have preceded the Big Bang Theory...
So ladies and gentleman, here is presenting you the enviable list (in ascending order) of actors who seemed to have attained the distinction of Cyborg' hood...
10. Dev Anand:
While not wanting to be too harsh on the 'ever green actor' of India (especially after his death); one can not be aghast at what the man showed off at the age of 88. While mainstream journalism limited itself in dealing grace with grace, the comments in the audience was anything but encouraging.. Terming him as a caricature of a shrimp who still wants to dress up as a teenybopper and romance young girls". While Dev Sahib could have laughed his head off at such comparison (seriously taking it as a big joke while being totally unaware that the joke is on him!), the fact remains is that we are the real butt of the joke having seen umpteenth of his flops during the era of the Doordarshan (Censor, Sau Crore, Charge Sheet et al et al)... Given the respect which we have him for his earlier 'saner' movies, we place him at number 10...
9. Shekhar Suman:
Having successfully dabbled his hand in Comedy (Great Indian Laughter challenge, Comedy Circus, Comedy ka maha Muqabala etc) , Shekhar Suman decided that he wanted to the epicentre of all jokes...Off he went 'six packing' for a debut album called "Kuch Khwaab Aise" in 2009 (I bet you heard about it.. Come on lets give him some hope)where his deep cleavage on display was threatening to move attention away from Rakhi Sawant... At one point of time, rumour had it that his well developed physique and new dhanssoo personality was threatening son Adhyayan's love life too!... Be that is as it may, the fact remained that he sure caused some flutters with his new cyborg look not so long ago...A talented actor who debuted with none other than Rekha (another celbrity cyborg on our list), he has ultimately earned his tag being Cyborg no. 9 in our list
8. Sachin:
See, now you got me all wrong... What is it with our obsession with a man of 165 cm in height wielding a willow and bashing leather all around the park.. I am talking about Sachin Pilgaonkar.. The baby faced actor from the movie "Geet Gata Chal" (trust me, he still is a baby faced boy/man/cyborg)...Having got his first Fimfare Award from the 1st President of India, he sure stands the Chance of becoming the number one cyborg in our list... However, though he has managed to maintain his 'eternal smile' in a 'death-do-us-part' manner, he has not caused enough flutters to climb up the list... Understanding that little awaits him at Bollywood, he made an early detour to television back in the 90s itself with wife Supriya.. Seen now in non descript Marathi movies and Hindi sitcoms; Sachin ensures he stays visible enough for people not to forget him by signing up for reality show which has non other than Anu Malik and Alisha Chinnai as judges... Well, that says it all and we'll stop here... The no. 8 award goes to Sachin...
7. Anil Kapoor:
This Jhakaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas actor refuses to fade off.. If Bollywood does not give him the chance then he flies off to Hollywood to have a minuscule of a role in the latest Tom Cruise starer.. Never mind if his entire appearance, in the movie, ahem, to say anything but embarrassing trying to seduce the leading lady by showing her paintings from the Kamasutra and getting slapped/ hauled over by her... That's sooooooooo like our our verrrrrrrrry nuaghty Biddu Anil Jhakaaaaaaaaaaaas Kapoor... However, there is something that we have to give it to him.. he is a fighter and would come through, hairy body not withstanding, any stiff competition... last heard was World Wild Life Federation issuing a red alert for preserving otters using his bare chested photo...
6. Jitendra:
Jitendra, gacch (tree in English) ka bandar... that's how I was introduced to the great iconic actor in my child hood... Jitendra in the 80s had become somewhat like the old man's Viagra with his reassuring advertisement of 30 plus capsule for ... u know what...
In an era bereft of Sunny Leone, Rakhi Sawant, the Desi babas and babys, Jitendra was what the world will term as India's kamasutra albeit the modern version.. Dancing gleefully with buxom maiden from South, he was the Indian equivalent of Aphrodite... Even now his boyish look and grin gives son Tushar a run for his money... Always wondered how this wonderful man could have created something as aghast as his daughter and her daily soaps...
5. Dimple Kapadia:
WatchingDimple Kapadia gyrate and do the ooh and aahs in wet silk sarees and preying on the likes of Anil Kapoor, Sunny Deol, Jackie da and other youngsters (the last that was heard was she was planning to do a movie opposite a new hero debuting in Bollywood) one can not but help feel a tinge of sadness for her..Was it because of the sudden separation between her and the Dada of Bollywood which threw her in the arm of unsuspecting males like Anil kapoor in Jaan baaz (the glee on his face was something to be seen in the movie) and other such forgetful fares...Sometimes one wonders what kept pushing her to do young and younger roles when her daughters had started doning the role of heroines themselves.. Seen now a days at page 3 parties and playing fewer and fewer roles in bollywood movies; she portrays to us the image of a cyborg of high order if not the highest..
4. Rishi Kapoor:
When you mention Dimple, can Rishi Kapoor be far behind ! A fine actor and a seasoned man of the trade; the only failing in his career was that somehow he did not realise how the years have zoomed past by and adipose tissue have generously started ensconcing themselves in and around the abdominal muscles.. Oblivious literally to things around, Chintuji danced away with young lasses almost his daughter's age in exotic locations... In an era which did not have a superstar (AB was away for a long time and had just made a disastrous comeback and the Khans were still a non descript entity) producers lined up at Chintuji's door with film offers.. Chintuji also did not disappoint them.. Donning his sweaters to further ensconce the adiposes (what else did you think he was wearing it for .. cold... nah) Chintuji danced away as if there was no tomorrow... Then suddenly came the rude shock ... it was as if somebody rudely awakens you with a shove from what happened to be a nice afternoon slumber... niece Karishma was ready for the camera and reluctantly Chintuji had to say good bye to what has otherwise been a glorious career.. here is saluting the man who had a never dying spirit.. age and adipose not withstanding...
3. Mithun Da:
To say something amiss to god himself is a task so arduous that it is bound to fail even before it started... Mithun da epitomised my era which was literally getting a kick with the raw and energy filled pelvic thrust of the god of disco.. While the west was busy going ga ga over Elvis, Michael Jackson et al; our own man in golden chain (who else but Bappi da) was busy getting 'inspired' by those tunes.. and what is more important.. the god himself danced to those tunes.. With the song, dance, soliloquy, monologue and dialogue sequence in Disco Dancer (bet you would not get so much combination from songs of any genre world wide)Mithun da bought the hearts and minds of an entire genration and kept them captivated even for his lesser versions decades laeter with Hitler, Jallad, Cheetah,Mawali No.1 etc
The greatest mistake that god did was to launch his holy son Mimoh.. Mimoh has done more damage to Mithun's career than he ever has done to himself with years of B grdae movie. Everything said and done, the man is a miracle in himself and choose now a days to give limited darashan by acting as the gurkha in Dance India dance (for his oft repeated grand salute ). We however congratulate him getting the no. 3 spot in our countdown. a befitting Grand salute to god himself....
2. Rekha:
You ask Rekha her age and the chances are she will roll over her eyes, blink and look at you as if you are an alien from another planet and then give you one of her benevolent dismissive smile. The secret is that she herself does not know what her age is.. What the heck is all about age when Botox is helping break barriers of age, gender and identity...
The 'agelessness' that follows Rekha (like Sidharth Mallya following Deepika) has to do with her decision not to even age for one day after the Great Split from the Big one of the film industry.. This also marked her role in more 'meaty' role (like Dimple kapadia) in KamaSutra, Khiladiyon ka Khiladi, Aastha etc.
Rekha is also afflicted with the 'Dev Anand Syndrome' where a hypocritical audience and a dishonest press places you in an Utopian world where you are made to believe that you are beautiful, graceful and charming while reality reflects just the opposite. Though thankfully such time has not come fully for Rekha, but has helped propel herself to almost the top of our countdown at no. 2. Mubarakan...
1. Simi Gerewal:
Lets repeat the question that we had put to Rekha in the above section to Simi Grewal. chances are that she will not even notice that somebody even talked to her. The reason is two fold- the amount of Botox in her face has literally paralysed her facial and eye muscle to caste that look on you (from wherever the hell you are standing while asking that question) and secondly you would be simply invisible to her (the optical industry has almost given up years ago manufacturing power lenses that can match up to the failing vision of Simi).
The reason why Simi takes the cake is coz we have seen her since our childhood; from her movies through "India's Rajiv" to the umpteen talk shows and now her latest "India's most Desirable"; yet somehow she has fascinatingly (or should we say horrifyingly) stayed the same through the last few decades. We have heard air brushes and make up do wonderful thing to human face. In this case we are just left wondering whether the same are from the construction industry...
Seeing her on t.v, one but wonders if it is not a preserved version of a mummy from Egypt... be that as it may, let us all join hands to congratulate Simi Gerewal for such a stupednous success (she has very little to write home otherwise as regards her film career) competing with such deserving cyborgs. May her 'Cyborg' ness enhance day by day as we see the import and sale of Botox in India sky rocket. Amen...
There was seething anger all around... Tempers were flying around... Sense of utter hopelessness and dejection giving vent to sheer frustration at the failure and futility of the system abounded... In short there was palpable tension among the people...
Here if I do nt give you a clue you are apt to run away with the impression of a write up of about yet another " Main Anna Hoon" rally and its associated hullabaloo . The scene was not really a lift up of India Against Corruption Campaign but was from the Studio of NDTV where Barkha Dutt was having a public forum to debate on the dastardly murder of Keenan Santos, Reuben Fernandes on 20th Oct, 2011 in a very populated area of India's financial capital and the heartthrob of many - Mumbai meri Jaan...
"On 20 October 2011 Keenan Santos, Reuben Fernandes and a group of their
friends, who were standing outside Amboli Kitchen and Bar, in Mumbai,
were assaulted by a mob. The assault was in retaliation to an
altercation between Reuben & Keenan’s friends and a member of the
mob, who was drunk and had fallen over one of the girls in the group. In
the fight that followed, Keenan Santos was killed and Reuben Fernandes
succumbed to his injuries 13 days later at a hospital in Mumbai"...
The rest of the story told in media time and again and discussed widely unfolded in the studio.. Keenan and Santos were murdered brutally in front of around 40 people who chose to be silent spectators and bystanders to the whole gory spectacle...
Is this the modern India we are living in..
Can life be worse under, lets say, some syphilitic dictator in Sub Saharan Africa..
Is it the same India which boasts of its rich human capital.. Human capital for what... Using your education and learning for earning a miserable livelihood.. Whatever happened to values, ethics, standing up against injustice and respect for human life which comes naturally with education...
In the show the father of Keenan was called who said that he is proud of what he's son had done and had no regret. Some of the panelist and audience commented that in such a situation one should always weigh the option and if the battle is 'unwinable' then it is better to quit.
To this the valiant father had the following reply " I understand that my son and his friend could have quitted and left from the scene...and that would have been the end of the matter which otherwise resulted in such a costly price... But just imagine, these goons would have got encouraged further and this would have led to a shift in attitude slowly of Mumbai which prides itself on its non partisan and gender friendly culture"...
Heavy and idealistic word... eh... And that too coming from the father of a son who lost his life barely few days ago..
I think as a society we have become so apathetic and 'comfortably numb' and "if- the -incidence- does -not- affect- me- I -really -am -not -bothered -with -whatever -the -hell -happens- to- others" attitude is one day going to land us God knows where.
Each era and generation has stood for something worthwhile and path breaking for which the coming generation remembers them proudly... For India the pre independence era marked zealous and patriotic Indian sacrificing their life for what they believe would be a free and progressive India. The period from Independence to the 70s was marked with people who dedicated worked as one for nation building through technology, industrialisation and education. Late 70s saw our parents' generation stood up against the tyranny of emergency and the threat to the very edifice of our independence and freedom. The 80s saw the path breaking revolution in the form of 'Green Revolution', 'White Revolution' and making India the super power... The 90s saw Economic liberalisation the fruits of which all of us reaped. But come 2000 and the subsequent decade, when it came for our generation to give back something it was totally found wanting. Have we grown so selfish, self centred and self obsessed that we do not see anything beyond 'me, mine and myself'... Only when tragedy strikes us that we roll our eyes in exclamation, carry out our candle marches and cry ourselves hoarse of ' mein Anna hoon'.. That is as much as we can do... What do you say.. Symbolism.. Think whatever you have to.. We care the least.. In the same way we do to numbers of injustices, violations and gross misuse of powers in our state, city and neighbourhood each day..
Till such time that we are physically subjugated and colonised like the Bristish did, we shall be happy and continue to be carefree, easy going, mall visiting, multiplex viewing and India shinning aam aadmi...
As for the murder, I feel sorry.. But itnin herogiri karne ki kya zaroorrat thi... g/f ko impress kar rahein honge.. ab gaye na kaam se... on another front bro tell me one thing which I even shudder to think... how so many people just stood there... Really brave of them.. For me I would have run away from so much gore and blood...
And do nt worry, now that you have told us the story, we will create a facebook page and do some 'viral marekting' of the issue on Twitter.. And yes.. we shall take out a candle march also... See dats d most I can do.. For a no good couch potato who is 24x7 glude to his computer/T.V set this is the most I can do...
In the meanwhile the words of Keenan's father reverberates asking for answer on why his young son was killed in cold blood for something that was right and was the most logical thing to do...
Often times I have wondered what is it that keeps people rooted in their past refusing to let go.. To let go of feeling of hurt and emotions of a bygone era... It is as if they are letting their past dictate their present as well as future...The one word which I often visualise in such case is "ruminate".. The word is most appropriate for the exercise it undertakes...
While we lose ourselves in such 'rumination', we close eyes to the world of infinite possibility that is waiting to unfold itself if only we allow it to happen...We close eye to the infinite possibility which is within ourselves waiting to manifest itself.. we also deny the blossoming of the great possibility which our near and dear ones have if only we would cast an appreciative glance or turn a 'listening' ears to them... In a single word put, and forgive my linguistic, 'we choose to screw our lives as well as the lives of others who are linked to us by love or fate"...
Here I undertake what I would recommend others to also do as an exercise and analyse (as far as the 'wound' or the thought of the person and/or circumstances which apparently caused those wounds):
What was it that was taken from me from such an action?... Nothing...
What does the person causing such hurt means to me?.. Nothing..
What do I mean to the person in his/her scheme of things?...Nothing..
How is this event going to change the course of my life?..In no ways...
Do the person who has caused me such hurt ever thinks for even the millionth fraction of time as compared to how much time I spend 'ruminating' about him/her?... Hardly ever...
Do I need to put my my entire being in all my relationship and activities in my life now that I have been through this 'hell'... By all means
Does the incident/event in any way shows me to be inadequate/ill equipped or plain stupid.. In noways
If given a chance would I try to avenge for the treatment I got...Never...
Would I let my past, the act of some moron, affect the way my life will be shaped hereafter.. Never
Should I make use of the lessons I have learnt from my experience to better my life from henceforth and use it to become a better person... By all means...
I strongly believe in the fact that nobody has the power to make you feel small or belittle you until and unless you yourself allow it to happen. A valuable lesson that I learn early in life is the axiom 'its all in the mind stupid' stands true to this day... Thinking ourselves small and feel belittled due to the frustration and hatred of a given man is no excuse to dishonour the gift that we have within ourselves..
On the other hand the behaviour/attitude of the person who have 'hurt' you or caused you to feel small; should invite pity and sympathy from you. We should really sympathise and try to understand the dissatisfaction, hatred and negative energy which a person has got bottled up inside to such an extent that the same oozes out as hate, derision and frustration at others... This by no mean is a reflection of who you are, what you are capable of and how your life will shape in days to come...
I have strongly come to believe that it is possible to bounce back from such phases if we have strong believe in our abilities and faith on our own goodness which will help us go higher in life and become a better person.
So friends, live in the present... live in the now... look at the bright futures which beacons to you with open arms and always remind yourself that " if not here then where and if not now then when, if not you then who...."
Growing up as a teenager in the 90's came with its own challenges... With crazy hairdo (remember Sanju baba et al in Saajan?), baggies pant (Aamir Khan in Joh Jeeta...) and crazy Hawaiian colourful shirts ( a la Govinda style); it was difficult to explain "main aisa kyon hun??" and why someone is unable to comply with such a 'jhakaaas' fashion statement..
On the music front also any song worth its salt was in 'Jhankaar beats' or -else- face- the 'music'-from-the audience kind of a predicament....
During such an era, being a teenager and trying to find 'sanity' in doing something 'normal' was definitely a tall order... During such a tumultuous time I was introduced to the world of Gazals and Jagjit Singh... It happened quite unbeknownst to me... It was a birthday of a classmate and we were debating on the gift to be given to him when somebody hit upon the idea of gifting him a cassette of Jagjit Singh's gazal... I remember hearing the deep and melodious voice of the maestro ringing out in the small music shop as the shopkeeper test run it for us post purchase.. Hearing Jagjit singh for me was like being transported to an altogether different world... That was the day when I really fell in love with the man and his music...
Growing up was so much fun with the soothing gazals of Jagjit Singh and hearing him sing I felt as if eleveted to a spiritual plain... His voice, the melody, the sher-o-shayari and the intermittent mix of his own witticism was what made his gazals as soemthign to die for... The man had a deep understanding of the couplets and the complex urdu/persian shayari of masters like Ghalib and Mir.... While in bewteen a gazal, he will pause and translate the complex part with simple translation and then too mix it up with his own brand of humour!
For me the high point of his career was when he sang for the telly series on Mirza Ghalib... As I listened spell bound to one maestro's rendition of another master... Jagjit Singh cast a spell on all of us by immortalising the verses of Mirza ghalib starting from "Aah ko chaahie ek umr asar hone tak, Hazaron Khwaise aisi, woh firaaq aur woh visaal kahan, ...." as we were transporetd to an era unbeknowest to us.. To the by lanes of Purani Dilli where a pauper lived and died but who left a rich legacy of verses and poetry...Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib has never been the topic of as much discussion and debate or made as famous as after Jagjit Singh's immortal rendition of him...
I had the good privilege to listen to him live in Chennai around 2006-07.... All of us poured in almost late by half an hour and as we settled down still there was a large crowd flowing which did so till the 1st 1 hour... But not a single soul stirred in the hall as they sat spell bound to the magic spell caste by the maestro himself as he dished out a veritable fare of delectable gazals from his rich repertory and kept the audience mesmerised... It was almost 3 hours in to the show and we had lost track of time and space as Jagjit Singh's rich and sonorous voice floated around and up the auditorium... His final rendition of " Kal Chauduvi ki raat thi" brohgt the entire house down as everybody were on their fit clapping as the maestro smiled mischievously and encouraged them to clap on...
Jagjit Singh's death is a great loss to good and uncompromising music. Jagjit belonged to an era which believed in creating music and singing as if you are one with the Creator Himself and also acted as a mean for connecting Him with the audience... As an artist he believed in giving his all to the work that he did and that was to bring solace and act as a balm to strife stricken hearts..
As he so aptly sang the couplet by Ghalib:
"rago.n me.n dau.Date phirane ke ham nahii.n qaayal
jab aa.Nkh hii se na Tapakaa to phir lahuu kyaa hai?"
(We do not believe in only running through the veins,
When it does not drip through the eye, then is it blood at all?)
So was also practiced by the maestro who believed in giving his all in enthralling and transporting his audience on a journey of ecstasy and spirituality.
This morning I switched on my laptop and as expected the default yahoo page popped up... What I was not prepared to face was the news it carried "Snubbed on FB, IIM student kills herself"..
When I read on, what I found out that Malini Murmu, a 23 years old young engineer from KIIT, Bhubaneswar who had made it big in life by cracking the IIM and was in her 1st year at the prestigious B-School.. Recently her boyfriend broke up with her after some disagreement and posted the status on his Facebook account which said “Feeling super cool today. Dumped my new ex-girlfriend. Happy independence day.”...
Disturbed and embarrassed by the status message, Malini did the unthinkable and committed suicide..
What disturbed me was not how so little is taught in terms of emotional coping in our so called hallowed educational institutes of learning nor the fact that she was a budding talent who could have made her mark in the world and would have gone on to be a force to reckon with in the future...
What really disturbed me and moved me emotionally was what her parents must be going through... I can well imagine... being the father of a cute 9 months old daughter... I can well imagine... I can well imagine what it is to see the delight of your heart, your princess grow up to be a super achiever one day and suddenly everything coming to a grinding halt one day just because some stupid asshole said something (which does not even register in his thick demented brain as something even closely offensive) and phew.... just like that the fruit of your labour, the centre of your universe and the object of your living deciding to end it all.. your life slips out of the finger gaps like sand... bursts like a soap bubble.. while you watch...watch feeling so powerless and vulnerable...
It gives me sleepless nights thinking of how am I ever going to mange and ensure that my daughter is equipped with the necessary coping mechanism to cope in such situation... How would I ever tell her that she is so precious to us that no matter what other think or write about her it is not going to make an iota of a difference ever to what she means to us... How can I be too sure that she is really ready to take up her stand and manage her world... Will she ever be up to the task.. Will she ever manage the emotional roller coaster we call life...Will she ever be ready... Will I ever be ready...
I am sure such would have been the fear and apprehension that Malini's parent must have had when she came to this world... Indeed,such is the fear and apprehension that each parent undergo who has when blessed with their little one...
Is it not time enough for us to stand up and say that enough voyeurism and exhibitionism on social network site... Was social network supposed to bring people closer and make the global community to 'coalesce' on the same page or drive them to despair and killing them...
While such debbates will rage on for next couple of days on news media, in the intellectual circles and numerous candle march which would be carried out wishing Malini's soul peace, I will again go back to the gloomy corner and scare myself beyond imagination as I ruminate on the future of our children in such a heartless world...
The largest democracy in the world is gearing up for its 64th Independence Day... The time has come for the nation to again stand together, recall and reaffirm its Tryst with its Destiny ( to paraphrase the words of the great leader )...
Each Independence Day is yet another special day evoking a multitude of emotions ranging from pride, happiness, patriotism etc etc which if summed up together, could be referred to as the unique feeling of Indianness...
Come this Independence Day, I will definitely stand up proudly to sing the national anthem, participate in the festivities and just have yet another nostalgic trip down the memory lane of how our freedom fighters sacrificed everything for the independence of the country... Yet I will do one more thing...
I will devote this time to think and deeply ponder on this question : "What Independence/Freedom means to me"
For me Independence means the following (to cut directly to the chase as they say..)
Independence to me mean the freedom to move about freely any place that I want to be without the fear of getting myself blown to shreds coz someone somewhere have not done their homework correctly and lacks 'proper intelignece'
Independence to me mean that I could migrate to any place in my country without the fear of getting bashed (for being a U.P wallah, or a Bihari or a Gujarati or somebody from the Northeast ) by somebody who, though claims, but is not a 'Manush' after all
Independence to me mean the respect for everybody without being branded as a result of one's ethnicity, gender, profession, caste and religion
Independence to me mean that my parents could have their full pension delivered to them immediately after their retirement without having to run around govt. offices at this ripe age greasing the palms of beetle spitting clerks
Independence to me is when girls and women can roam freely (yes, even in night) and enjoy themselves wholeheartedly without the fear of being picked up, raped and later face the apathy of the public administration in bringing the culprit to Justice
Freedom to me mean the freedom from hunger, where our children so driven by hunger no longer have to eat human excreta for survival
Freedom to me mean that our farmers (who are the backbones of our country) do not have to be driven to despair by an apathetic system and end up committing suicide
freedom to me mean the freedom from diseases, maternal deaths, the deaths of child and young born which is so preventable and avoidable at very little cost (I had read once that the worth of a society and civilisation is understood by how much consideration it has for its weaker section- which definitely includes the mother and the baby)
Freedom to me mean the end of domestic violence where wives are bashed up despite their valuable contribution and endless sacrifice for the brute who does it
Freedom to me mean that the guarantee of a basic standard of living for nearly half of the country's population and where growth is equitable (certainly as the country with the largest number of billionaires we can at least ensure this)
Freedom to me mean that we address terrorism face on and not get in to the politics of whether it is 'saffron' or 'green' terror while innocent die by hundreds
Freedom to me mean the freedom of expression, the freedom to air my views openly and yet not be judged but be respected for it
Freedom to me mean is the openness with which with we embrace our brethren (be it the naxals of naxabari, or the maoist of north east, or the numerous 'indigenous' terror outfits)who because of some reason or the other are not too happy with us thus giving the message loud and clear to all divisive forces (both within and outside) concerned that we would solve all our problems within by talks and negotiations with our own people and they better keep their hands off
Lastly freedom to me mean that we live in a country where we do not stoop so low as to march a women naked in the street because of her low caste, or burn kids sleeping in a vehicle coz their father preaches a different religion, or drive out artists from the country coz of their differing view points... Freedom to me mean seeing my country as a prefect example of tolerance, empathy, understanding,proactiveness, of equitable growth and reaching out to those most in need...
As time and again it is refreshed in our memory that the freedom that we have was gotten beacuse of the high and dear sacrifices maded by our ancestors under condtions of great difficulty against a mighty empire whose sun never used to set... Having got such a well earned and hard fought freedom. let us not fritter it away because of our petty differences, biases, prejudices and mostly coz of our apathy...
I would like to end the post by quoting the last letter of Shahid Bhagat Singh written just few days before he was hanged... I want all of us to reflect on it and decide for ourselves what we need to do at our end for taking our country to greater heights...
"Friends,
'Naturally I should have a wish to live. I do not want to hide it, but I can live on one condition. I do not want to live in prison or under slavery. My name is a symbol of 'Hindustan Inquilab Party'...
Today people are not aware of my weaknesses. If I would save my self from the hanging thread , it will come in front of the public and became well known. The glow of the Inquilab will not radiate nor may it will finish.
But if I will die laughingly, then in the case of my death, Indian mothers would wish to model their kids as a Bhagat Singh. This way the number of martyrs will increase to that level that it would be very difficult for evil
imperialistic powers to ignore it.
Yes, one idea always disturbs my heart. Whatever wishes I have for the country and humanity I was not able to fulfill the thousands part of it. If I would have lived then I would have got the chance to fulfill it. Apart from this I did not have any desire or lust to save myself from the hanging thread.
Who will be more fortunate than me? Today I am very proud of myself. Now I am desperately waiting for that moment.
The recent debate on the issue of public agitation against POSCO setting up their factory in Orissa has come under heavy debates from the intelligentsia and Civil Society as such… All are unanimous in their verdict – it is wrong to displace people from their place of habitation and set up industrial activities which are basically ‘evil’ and ‘self serving’ enterprises…
Though I neither endorse the unregulated and unplanned industrial growth at the cost of displacing poor unjustly nor do I actively support the shrill cries of the ‘civil society’ who let out cries of murder at the drop of a hat…
The problem ailing Orissa and for that matter hindering its logical growth (given the rich natural resources and manpower) is to be viewed in its entirety, san any bias and prejudice…
The state which was considered to be an exemplary state, at the forefront of all activities a few centuries ago (known as Kalinga, the land of the warrior king Ashoka. The dramatic change of heart of the warrior king to Buddhism, of its early trade links with Bali, Indonesia; the rich culture and heritage evident in its exquisite temples, dance forms and handicrafts) now finds itself in not so proud list of BIMARU state and other such ignonimity … this as successive rulers (both undemocratic and democratic) have done precious little and wrecked havoc for the state...
Post independence, the only golden period in terms of governance, political leadership and growth was seen during the regime of the late Chief Minister Biju Pattnaik who was and till date is the only single politician who felt passionately for the state and genuinely worked towards its development… post his era, Orissa saw the dominance of the Congress led government by another Pattnaik who ensured that no stone is left unturned in ensuring rampant corruption and criminalisation of politics… in the absence of credible opposition, the Congress leadership and its Junta rampaged the state and created a sorry figure in the national landscape.. The state of the affair and the deep rot came in its full force to the fore in 1999 when the state was stuck by the Super Cyclone and was rudely woken up to find its coffers empty following which the state chief minister was asked to resign by the congress high command (a case of too little, too late ).. As a clueless Giridhar Gamango (remember the man whose single vote pulled down the Vajpayee led government) took over as state chief minister, the cup of woes for the state has already started to overflow… Benign gesture by the neighbouring state under Chandrababu Naidu saw A.P come to Orissa’s rescue with their entire machinery which was mobilised for possible cyclone at their coastal area… Orissa literally battered equally by the cyclone as also for the attitude of its Sons and Daughters who had exploited and ravaged her, was in a pitiable condition post the super cyclone phase…
In such a scenario, the BJD was born and stormed to power with a relatively inexperienced son of Biju Pattnaik (Navin Pattnaik) at the helm of affairs… Shy and reticent, Navin took oath riding high on the aspirations and hopes of millions of Oriyas hoping for a better tomorrow…
11 years and 3 terms hence, in retrospect, one wonders whether we have progressed towards the chosen land or is it just an illusion of progress which we have been led to believe since then… True Navin has been iron fisted in weeding out corruption from within his party as well as the bureaucracy, but still lacks the political astuteness and understanding to have the necessary bargaining skills to ensure maximum benefits to the state while sticking to his principles (a la Nitish Kumar in Bihar)… Let us not be confused by the 3rd term of BJD and equate it with its success in Orissa… These are two divergent issues.. Navin’s party’s achievement is similar to the erstwhile Congress party’s recurrent return to power in the state – the lack of a strong and cohesive opposition….
Navin, by his own design, has distanced himself from both Congress and BJP and does not have friend on either side… This equation, considered to be a political suicide in contemporary India (one happens to be the ruling Political party and the other the main opposition at the centre) has not served Navin and the state of Orissa well… Stuck with silly clearance from environmental ministry (since when have we heard the environmental ministry throwing a spanner in the work of mining and industry in congress and allied led state of UPA) and other myriad smaller issue requiring centre’s clearance; one cannot but pity Navin running from pillar to post in Delhi to push the developmental agenda of the state through… he is also not helped by the pseudo civil society representatives and activists who make matter difficult for him to start any developmental project in the state with their shrill and vociferous opposition…
Only to make matter worse the state is also losing out on many opportunity namely of utilising indigenous manpower (it has the largest technical manpower in terms of engineers, especially software engineers working in Hyderabad and Bangalore), of huge revenue through tourism ( Having a beautiful landscape dotted with amazing places of tourist attraction. A more business-oriented State for example, would have erected a monument and made the Kalinga battle-field of Ashoka, which converted Chanda Ashoka in to Dharma Ashoka, a `must-see' for all tourists, in addition to charging a whopping entrance fee. In Orissa, Kalinga battle field just happens to be there, on your way to Konark.) To mention a few…
Compounding man made folly, nature also plays a truant especially post 1999 cyclone where scorching summer coupled with an unforgiving monsoon has rendered Orissa as the favoured land of natural calamities. The naxal menace is on the rampage which is again due to lack of a strong political will and commitment (so well demonstrated by the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh).
The Orissa of today is a but a pale ghost of what it was in the yester years and also a Frankenstein of what it could have been given its potential… For this all are to be blamed equally; the political class, the bureaucrats, the general public and the intelligentsia for their apathy and callousness… Equally are to be blamed arm chair Critics like us from the state who are too comfortable leading their cosy life elsewhere and are too insecure to step in to the unknown by taking the initiative in Orissa in their own field and leading the way…
Saw "Ready" just a day before it disappeared from the theatres here... And boy ! am I glad that I saw it !
To give a review or even rate the movie will be akin to showing candles to the sun... Literally ! The art of the nonsense which was first started with the series of slapstick by Govinda - David Dhawan has been perfected and institutionalised by Salman Khan...
Salman started his career with a chocolate faced,lover boy, boy next door image... He was known and adored (especially by the youth) for his physical brawn than for his acting prowess... Somehow through the years he has been able to survive and even carve a niche for himself in Bollywood when most of the Shahenshah and Disco dancers were given a run for their money... Salman had since then gone on to prove that the art of the nonsense makes more sense and can be turned in to a major money churner... In the process he has not only helped in reviving the careers of Bollywood veterans (Govinda himself is an example) but also making good of the no gooders in his family too (Arbaaz, Sohail, Malaika et al with daddy dear also jumping the bandwagon with 'Ready')...
the movie's story is a rip off from any average mid 70s movie where there is a damsel in distress waiting to be saved by the hero combined with the god old Samaritan (aka Bawarchi) combined with a large loving family of the Barjataya/ Johar/ Chopra formula... And Voila ! we have a clear winner here !
The acting is not even close to standard. The only character in the movie capable of tickling the funny bone in the movie is a surprisingly refreshing Sudesh Lahiri who has time aghain regaled the audience by his funny act in 'Comedy Circus' (remember, the ever hysterical Archana Puran Singh who has rendered Sidhu jobless with her 'mind blowing' laughs)
Not withstanding the many glitches and almost paper thin story line, Salman yet again manages to do the impossible... Rake in the moolahs and set the cash register ringing...
Now that the usual convent bred, English speaking critics have gone to town rubbishing the movie and more so Salman Khan; yet the 'Ready' team, is laughing all the way to the bank...
The only reason the movie is able to pull it off at the B.O (as also the numerous Dabbangs and Partners etc) is because Salman has created his own genre of movies and audience who love those movies... Salman refreshingly takes us back to the 60s and 70s where watching movie did not require special understanding of theatre and cinema (as most of the urbane-sophisticated movie critics would have us believe) nor did you have to have a special understanding of the different genre of movie or movie making and the art of craftsmanship of masters like Kuberick, Hitchcock et al... Bollywood movies thrived successfully on a large middle class following in the 60s and 70s which only promised to entertain the mass.. Period...
Frustrated with a crumbling system of reeking of injustice, corruption and red tapism , angry at its own impotence to change one's destiny and living conditions; they tumbled in ones and twos in to the dark theatres to find solace in the almost invincible hero who could do anything and everything... For them the hero epitomised the covert and overt yearnings of people like themselves who were slowly crushed under an unresponsive and draconian system... It gave them an almost vicarious and should I say, sadistic pleasure when they saw the hero slap his dictatorial boss and throws away his job only to become insanely successful (that too in a short span of time) in his new found business !... or looking at the angry young man taking to the underworld to prove a point to the world that he also can become successful and have 'bangla, gaadi and bank balance '... or just the simple joy of dancing around the tree with the most beautiful girl and rescuing her from the evil villains...
30-40 years hence, things have not changed much.. The fruit of liberalisation has accrued to a chosen few while the poor is again crushed under the weight of a slew of government schemes whose benefits rarely reaches them... Though the angry middle class of the 70s have been pacified to an extent (seeing their children benefit from the 'liberalised economy') its the rural mass which is a shimmering and seething entity now... For them and for numerous of their brethren who have migrated to urban area in the hope of a better future (but alas!), actors like Salman Khan provide an window to be able to dream again wide eyed, aspire and lose themselves in the cool darkness forgetting their toil, misery and pain for the 2 and half hour of bliss when they feel themselves come alive..
For those and many more, Salman will continue to rule their hearts (and hence the box office) not only in years but in decades to come ! So move over the Kubericks, the Benegals, the Rays and the Hitchcocks of the world for Salman is here to cock a snoot at all and do some serious 'dhinka chaka dhinka chaka'....
To put down the idiosyncrasies and thought process of today’s youth (again purely my perception) was a thought which had been going on in my mind for quite sometime... so now that I have few hours on a train (on my journey from B’lore back to Coimbatore), I thought to put it down altogether. This is an analysis of the mindset of the youth of India Today (I hope its not a violation of copyright with Arun Shourie) especially the male... the reader may ask why this discrimination with the fairer sex who constitute an equal portion of the pie... if I may sheepishly admit, I am scared of the feminist brigade and the spoilsport they may prove without seeing the funny angle to it... so without much ado here we go...
Lets imagine a scenario... let the location be at any place where modern Indian youth ‘hangs out’ (be it a mall, multiplex, restaurant etc) in any of the modern cities of India... in walks a well endowed and physically attractive girl (the reader may feel free to add on terms like ‘ hot babe’, ‘sizzling chick’, ‘piece of art’ etc while I will refrain from making such sexist comments ;)... while she definitely is a head turner, we really do not know what is going on inside the head of those (especially male youth) who have definitely made a note of her... So here goes the analysis without discrimination to any region (after reading it the reader may draw their own conclusion about my ‘regional’ biases/prejudices and call me names... but again its your biases/ prejudices which you have as much right to fall back on as I do...) The thought is presented here exactly as it goes inside the head of the youth (again my ‘biases/prejudices ;)
So here goes starting from the heart land of India...
The Jatt Munda:
“Oh my God... F!@#$& Jesus son of Mary! What a hot Pu#$% she is and man look.. What piece of a@#... Man I bet she is looking for a real man who can show her what a real man is capable of... poor baby.. from the desolate look on her face it seems she is still looking for her macho man... but hey babe... do n’t u worry... dats what mundas like me are for.. I will show you what a real man is like till you beg for more... But hey... U know these chicks... initially they don’t know what real services we are doing for them... always fighting, crying and opposing... But wait a minute, I have solution for that problem too... but what shud I do... see the problem is not in how can I get her (of course forcibly.. what do u think,) Should I adopt Bunty Bhaiya’s formula 444 (offer her a drink laced with sedatives and then take her to MP sahib’s farm house... By the way MP Sahib is very cooperative in these matters...) or should I adopt Rockey’s formula 356 (get a van with tinted glass and then wait for her to come out and literally ‘sweep her off her feet’) Well I am really confused... Hey wait... I’ll have to act really fast... see those pathetic Oriya / Bengali kids ogling at her... it will be such a waste.. no no... She deserves a real man like me... Hey gotta go... what? U said which formula... well there is a new one in circulation now... will not divulge it... sorry my friend... but anyways... u will come to know about it from tomorrow’s newspaper and then u know its who... What did u say? Am I not afraid that I will get caught? U must be joking... tell me how many brave man like me have got caught... see even the capital police understands the senti “mate” of mundas like me who are real man... not like lil sissys... crying, empa... whatever (what he means to say is actually ‘empathising’) and trying to understand the fairer sex... see there is no need to be like that.. The fairer sex does not want anything except the second one attached in their name (u must have got it... if not see the beginning of this sentence... Gawd.. Why can’t everybody be smart like us)...see u shud be smart enuf to interpret their reaction... if they are vehemently opposing and saying no then it means its a yes and that they really want ‘it’... See this world is so full of such hot babes and very few real men like me... So bro... lotta work and very less time...So gotta keep going now....
The Rajni fan:
“Oh man what a sizzling piece of art... Man I must go down and talk to her... this is my best chance... sees I am closer to her than anybody else... by theory of physics (each body attracts the other and the power of attraction is inversely proportional to the distance between them) oh... what I am thinking.... I must set aside IIT, Brilliant Tutorial and mock test for a while... Man this is the chance of a life time for me... I can, I shall and I will do it... Kandipaa...But what is this... so many suitors approaching her... she is in danger of being ‘devoured’ by these cannibals.. Stupid, ignorant people... do not know how to treat a woman properly... so ungentle manly... no... Always thinking of how to ensnare her and get down (u got what I mean... If u don’t I can’t explain further... see I am a boy from a good family... want to become an IIT engineer like all my cousins and brother and then do a MBA from IIM and settle in the U.S and bring name to my family and country... I do n’t usually come to the malls... see mall are so cheap and so low class... only people with no taste (see I am not saying uncivilised... U r putting words in my mouth) visit such place... we rather prefer doing something useful during that time... U ask what useful activities... Well like reading The Hindu... trying to solve IIT entrance problem in double the speed of what I achieved during last practice...surfing the net for best place to settle in U.S... The real-estate price in the U.S... (See I want to have a house right by the beach in Miami or Florida...)
Hey man... what nonsense I am saying... See now you have wasted my time and in the mean time so many vandals are approaching her... I must do something... But what can I do... I did not learn any Karate, Kungfu and can’t tackle these ruffians... But hey wait... remember what Rajni sir said (yes I only watch Rajni Sir’s Movies) ... That jackals roam about in packs... but its the lion who walks alone... Be brave and be courageous... such girl may be modern by her looks but she really needs an understanding man who cans understand her feelings and treat her as an equal and not as an object... Yes... I am the man... I am the lion... I am Going... Going... gone...
But hold on smarty... what about the dream of your parents who have such high hopes on u... have u seen Appa... how he struggles to save money by travelling in local city bus though he has a 2 wheeler... how he slogs and does overtime in office to earn that extra buck...only to ensure that there is enough money so that you can have coaching at Brilliant Tutorial and take mock test at Aggrwala’s ... remember mom.. How she will wake up in night and prepare filter coffee for you so that you can continue with your night studies... how can you let them down... u moron... do n’t u have any shame.. ur way thinking is enough for you to drown urself in the gutters of Nungambakkam and Kodambakkam...
Oh dear lord... forgive me... I was about to commit a grave mistake of my life... its only u who have saved me... After I get my IIT, I will definitely come to Ur temple and get my head tonsured... May be the hormones are playing their tricks on me... I will have to do more Pranayam and yoga and extend it in the evening also... May be it will do me good to read the holy man whose column regularly appears in The Hindu... hey... What did u say...? He was caught in some sex scandal himself... U know what... U people are always the cynic... talking negative of everything in the world... I have had enough of u... Just go... Podaa...
The Telugu bidda:
Oh man.. What hot piece of work... u see we Telugus like everything hot... do an all India survey... the amount of chilly we consume (in all forms: whole, powdered. Chutney, semi-liquid, liquid et al), in large quantities and that too dedicatedly, surpasses all states and people... nay, dare I say all races too... So we also like our women hot (I hope u got what I wanted to convey)... see our movies... see Mumaith Khan... some say that she has enough sand (read silicone) to bury the central mall in Punjagutta.. But hey... what do u know... we r still not satisfied... hope she can better it... what is the use of all sands in all our beaches in the country if it cannot help Mumaith Khan (and the likes of her ) to keep us happy...
So you see... the babe that I am seeing here comes close... and God... I really want to talk with this babe and show her some of my native moves... which definitely will soar the temperature... Man... See this crowd converging on her... But not to worry... I am from the city of Nizams and nobody knows better than us on how to barge in and make our way (the traffic police in my city will vouch for it)...
What did u say... am I not worried about my career like the Rajni fan...? No sir... we have evolved better and beyond career... Only the insecure and the timid in my place go for stupid things like IIT... we believe in the power of business (real estate, FMCG, electronics, software et al et al)....
Hey bugger... stop bugging me... now is the time for me to make a move... what do u say... I am not handsome and good looking... so who cares... see our film industry... some of the heroes (if u did not know) would not even qualify for a housekeeping job if given the opportunity... but see they are famous and super hit and get to romance the cool, smooth north beauty as their heroine.. U ask how... man... they got the moves... and the moves are what makes them what they are...
So here I go and u better watch me and my moves...
The Bhdralok dude:
Oodi baba... dada ekahne dekhun (bro see here)... what a girl... not that there is dearth of such items back in the sonar bangla... But man look at her... none of the babe will match up with her in grace, poise and elegance... u know how the babes from my place are... always trying to dominate us... enter in to a relationship with them and they become the boss by default... the same story is carried forth after marriage too... Only for worse... with a relationship u can always opt out... but a marriage is a different ball game all together... It makes bachelor like me weep seeing the plight of the married men... the common scene would be the wife would be well dressed, bejewelled and with her makeup full (see our women believe in the liberal use of cosmetics) striding ahead like Indira Gandhi while the poor husband with a kid on his hip and the other clinging like a chimpanzee from his back.. (like the one u see in Raymond circus) while he huffs and puffs keeping his balance and trying to keep pace with his wife (while crying out to her ‘aago, sunoon’ – meaning oh dear plz listen to me), he has to also take care of the traffic and onlookers who may be ogling at her (though he may not be able to do much in such a case )... looking at such a specimen of humanity one would genuinely feel teary eyed seeing his poor state (universally the wives at my place are well endowed bordering on the obese while the husbands look famished, unkempt and shabby. This leads many jealous experts to conclude that in the household the lion share of the nutrition is captured by the wife while the husband has to do with what is left out suffering silently)... such poor creatures derive the only pleasure of their lives by having adda (an informal chit chat session) with their friends and peer where mostly politics is discussed and there is fiery debate on the merits of communism and almost always the demerits of capitalism (see we pride ourselves as the last bastion of the red flag... alas now it also has gone.. but not to worry.. didi is more of a communist than the communist thmesleves... she is a practicing communist while the erstwhile regime were armchair communist)
Hey man... see u bugger have kept my attention here and see how all vultures are descending on her... I must go now and serenade her with some Ravindra Sangeet and give her a large dose of our philosophy, culture and rich heritage (never mind the filth that u see in our cities, see thats what we r proud of ... preserving everything that is old which has keep us original so far)....
The Uddu Man:
Hello Sir, excuse me Sir... see sir... forgive my accent...see I studied in local medium school back in my native place in Orissa and the F!@#$% teachers insisted that we pronounce word in English like this only... It was only very late that we came to know that all the while we have been racing on the wrong track...but by then it was too late.. See sir... this girl that u see here...no... see she is like a dream girl for people like me... see what we usually do is cut photos of such hotties from magazines and keep it for seeking self pleasure (what, u do n’t know self pleasure... forget it man.. u will never get it...) see Sir... from childhood we have been taught to be sincere, dedicated and hardworking... give us any work without explaining any thing (not that we will ever dare to ask) and we will keep on doing it even though in our hearts of heart we know that it is not correct ! See all my fellow brothers... doing engineering and then getting a job in a software firm in Hyd/Bangalore and continue to work for the same company for donkey years (no sir.. they are not donkey.. just using a metaphor...) even when the founder members have left it for greener pasture... see sir.. Dedication comes to us like second nature....
So Sir... see this type of girl, if people see back in my place then god forbid there will be accidents, a crowd gathering etc but without any harm to the girl (see sir, we are too afraid to even approach her and talk to her)... the courageous among us will just inch closer and in typical Romeo style extend his hand and say hello and introduce himself while in the same breath asking her for friendship.. But see sir... that girl will also be from my place... no... she will give back in such expletives that this boy will never dare raise his eyes in future to any girl... added to that suddenly from the crowd of lechers will arise ‘sympathisers. ‘Brothers’ of the girl who in their frustration will give 2-4 slaps to the boy for spoiling their sister who is such a good girl (but in their hearts of hearts it will be for spoiling their chances)...
What sir... what did u ask... u ask how I see my chances... see sir... I do n’t know... may be my chances are very less with so much competition... but see sir I will give it my 100%...no no 200-300% and show her that among all I am the most dedicated, sincere, hardworking and trustworthy... I hope she will notice me and then get in to friendship with me... wow... what an exciting thought... Sir excuse me... I must go to the bathroom now...
While so much commotion in the minds of our youth was going on, it would appear that the girl would definitely be married (a girl crying out ‘mummy mummy’ will come rushing to her – a la Santoor soap advt.) or it will finally be revealed that she already has a boyfriend much to the disappointment of the youth brigade...
In a scenario where such thing does not happen, then (god forbid) it’s mostly the Jat Munda who gets the girl...
I was planning to put in more analysis of other regions also but will however stop here. Depending on the response will put together the part 2 of this analysis...
It has been a long time that I have had time to sit down and post a new entry in to my blog... I guess I owe an explanation to the few devoted people who have doggedly put up with my 'psychobabble' passing it off as good and sometimes excellent posts...
My decision of transition from my previous organisation was sudden and unexpected for most... However, suffice it to say that it was a decision taken weighing all pro and cons...The last few days were sad and poignant as I saw my students coming to me teary eyed expressing their sadness and shock on my sudden departure... Colleagues who had become good friends over a period of time, expressed their surprise as well as regret on my leaving. Everybody however wished me well and bade me goodbye...
I packed my belongings, moved my stuff and bid adieu to Hyderabad on the 4th of April for Coimbatore... Hyderabad, to put down in few passing words, has been good to us... The climate, ambience', the city had a very friendly feel... It was like a home away from home for us for the last 3 years and we enjoyed thoroughly our stay there... At least as far as I am concerned, I look forward to settling down there (in the sunset years of my life) having already purchased a land near the airport...
Month of April was busy and hectic, with lots of travelling, arranging stuff s and lots of shopping for the new house and finally 2 weeks of blissful nothingness as we slowly settled in our beautiful house in the small but beautiful city of Coimbatore each day watching the beautiful Ooty which is visible from our terrace ...
It has been 2 weeks since my joining the new organization... Work here is interesting, challenging with scope for a lot to be done... As I am slowly settling in to my job I am looking forward to the coming days when work together with the team here to bring about quite a bit of structural and functional changes which may serve as a model for the network all across.
Again a new assignment, a new place and a new challenge... And am up for it and raring to go as usual...
Concluding with my favourite line from Robert Frost:
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....
Look up to this space for more interesting posts in the coming days as I go bag packing visiting our units spread across India...
