Sunday, August 14, 2011

Independence Day: The Art of Remembering the Nation once a year

A lot of people will wish you today to have a "Happy Independence Day". This is a strange term to me. I can understand if someone says, "Have a Nice Day" or, "Have a Happy Christmas". But how does one have a happy Independence Day? Especially when the Government of that nation leaves no stone unturned to keep you feeling absolutely helpless. The biggest irony of all times is, and has been, that we, the people, who have unlimited power are the ones who are rendered absolutely powerless. We are being systematically kept ignorant (lot of distractions to our minds) and taught to believe that politics is dirty. So we wash our hands off it. And celebrate one calendar day as an ode to "Independence".

Doesn't matter if our Independence was a chance, carefully planned by the US and UK together (mental slavery instead of physical slavery) or it came about due to the violent and non-violent movements by our freedom fighters. However, it is interesting to note that a lot of countries "won" their "independence" in between the years of 1947 to 1950.

There are those who are quick to criticize Gandhi, often blaming him for the creation of Pakistan. I am intrigued by this blame and hatred towards a person who also gave the world a fabled and almost impossible principle of doing things the non-violent way. Are we so morally pure to judge someone else's actions? And does morality give you a divine right to judge people? And what good can ever come out of it? Are we looking for heroes embedded in the pristine garb of perfection? Is Modi a hero? Can't we be human, and accept others as humans, too, and learn to appreciate the little good that people once in a while do? Or will we ignore Valmiki's Ramayana and Kamban Ramayana and focus on his days of being a ruthless, immoral pirate?

History has given us reasons to hate ourselves and wonder if we are really capable of unspeakable horror and  inhumanity. And there are some people who have shown us that may be, we can control our choices, and once a while apologize for our mistakes, and try and do one simple good thing. So will we judge Nelson Mandela for two marriages? Gandhi, for his womanizing? Or creation of Pakistan? Or can we learn to appreciate the little good that comes out of humans once a while and try and become like that, or perhaps, even better? No, we cannot do that. Because that's the hard part. To change our own selves, and to turn the other cheek. Criticism and hatred has always been easy. Especially when History is also reduced to meaning, perception, interpretation and influence. Bringing the other person down is always easy. It frees one from the burden of admitting the good, and following it too.

That's exactly what Congress is doing right now, too, isn't it? Judging Baba Ramdev, Kiran Bedi and Anna Hazare, simply because they are asking the Prime Minister's Office to be accountable. I am aware that the Lokpal Bill isn't entirely a rational one in its entirety. However, it's basic aim is to reduce corruption. That's the big picture. So why isn't the Government stepping forward and improvising on it, rather than pointing fingers as to who's more corrupt? Hasn't the Government lost enough face already?

It's the height of superficiality when Celebrities are interviewed about the Bomb Blasts that tear a city. These celebrities and starlets never take the train  back home, or stand in bus-stops, awaiting their ride back home. They are the ones vacationing in London (Hell, even that's not safe now) and the rest of the world, yet they are called to comment about what they thought of the blasts. Why? Because they'll tell you they condone it, and it was all a bad thing, etc. but if you would ask the people, the media and the government are going to receive a strong response. Because these people have lost limbs, or an earning member perhaps. And they would demand accountability, or worse still, justice.

It's the height of superficiality when MBAs talk about hitting the double digit industrial growth percentile. Corporate India (Tatas and Ambanis) tell FM Pranab Mukherjee that they need more "independence" and "incentives" if they are to compete with China. The thing about China is that it was the first nation in the world that came out with the concept of a SEZ (Special Economic Zone) and vowed to support the smaller industrial units. These SMEs, who started off on small incentives from the Chinese Government are the ones who are playing it large. Cut back to the scenario at the SMEs in India: most of them are planning to shut down. Why? Because their contracts are being given to huge companies who have foreign venture capital assistance, and who have the money to lobby and "please" the Government Officials. The Corporate India today can buy almost anything: natural resources from any corner of the planet, or even a seat in Rajya Sabha. Yet, they need more "incentives".

SMEs are planning to shut down operations, the farmers are also thinking of selling their lands and getting rid of the middle-men, gray markets and negligence of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for once and for all. These MBAs think that farmlands are a waste of a precious natural resource called "land" and Industries must be set up there, instead. Of course, they can go to malls to have their pizzas and lasagna; these are not grown directly from a farmer's land, are they? Instead, they are artificially produced in a laboratory somewhere. Or better still, they will tell you, we can always export grains from elsewhere. True, export the basic items, and then leave it to the Government to decide the pricing, and let the farmers or the poverty-stricken people beg, borrow or steal to afford it. And if these people happen to be in the Valley, in their desperation, they can always resort to the side-occupation of "terrorsim" like Kasab. That option is also made perennially available by the Government.

The concept of independence about a nation should always come from the individual. Are we free yet, from day-to-day corruption, lacunae of our own morality and attitude. I think am not. Can we strive to better our own selves by thinking of the good deeds of world leaders, saints and philosophers? Can we walk on their principles, or better still, improvise on them? Can we forgive each other's imperfections and mistakes and intentional harms done unto us? Can we be compassionate? Can we adopt a village or a family in a village, a native village, visit them once in 4-5 months, and help them in any way we can? Can we step out to think about others' welfare, too, even in such desperate times? Can we lead by example? Can we change for the better?

If we succeed in doing some good deeds, irrespective of the magnitude, but fierce in intensity of our own will to do it, we can celebrate our own personal independence a year from now.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Fear


Morning wakes up
Beautiful, as always, but my dream goes…
I tie laces together for a race that never stops

Afternoon rises
Swells and bloats
Nothing better to win, no matter what the costs

Evening drops
The sunset into the lap of a trembling sea
I return to a shelter, plotting for tomorrow’s race, my place to be

Former soul
Stops talking to me, and I come to like the silence
So close to something, I understand the distance to everything else

In between
The decay shows up
I try to look somewhere else, a blindness I embrace

Because I fear
I still have so much to lose
In this lonely place, in this falling and failing world

"Tomorrow"


Whenever I listen to this song, I am touched by all that we can be, forgive others for their erratic behaviour, their ignorance and their bitterness. I am sure that time heals everything, and tomorrow, they will be back. Back to the love and promise that life holds.


This song has a lot of religious sentiment about it, it speaks of resurrection, as if Bono's asking Jesus to come back tomorrow, to heal the wounds and the scars. It is a song of hope.

On a personal note, he is known to have written the song after the death of his mother.

The music is quintessential U2, it starts off without a structured tune, the bagpiper leads the way and the violent beats of the guitar and drums take over mid-way. Bono, wanders off from the tune, marking a spontaneous and a sentimental departure.

Lyrics:
Won't you come back tomorrow?
Won't you come back tomorrow?
Won't you come back tomorrow?
Can I sleep tonight?

Outside
Somebody's outside
Somebody's knocking at the door
There's a black car parked
At the side of the road
Don't go to the door
Don't go to the door

I'm going out
I'm going outside mother
I'm going out there

Won't you be back tomorrow?
Won't you be back tomorrow?
Will you be back tomorrow?

Who broke the window?
Who broke down the door?
Who tore the gutter?
And who was he for?
Who healed the wounds?
Who heals the scars?

Open the door
Open the door

Won't you come back tomorrow?
Won't you be back tomorrow?
Will you be back tomorrow?
Can I sleep tonight?

Cause I want you...I...I want you...I really...I...I want...I...I...
I want you to be back tomorrow!
I want you to be back tomorrow!
Will you be back tomorrow?

La...la...la...la...la...la...

Won't you be back tomorrow?
Won't you be back tomorrow?
Will you be back tomorrow?
Open up, open up
To the lamb of God
To the love of he who made
The blind to see you
He's coming back
He's coming back
I believe it
Jesus come back

I'm gonna be there
I'm gonna be there mother
I'm gonna be there mother
I'm going out there

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Corruption, Downfall and Death: A Brave New World?


Toll’s 18 today (as of now) and approximately 130 people are injured. Considering the blasts occurred during the peak hours, the perpetrators estimated a much bigger number of casualties, and intended the roads to be decorated with deeper shades of crimson. In a way, they failed: (with due respect to the families of the victims) the impact could have been much bigger. And in a way, they succeeded: People once again were reminded of how fragile and insignificant their lives are.

Our government's formal reaction:
P. Chidambaram, Home Minister: “This is not the failure of intelligence.” 
R.R. Patil, State Home Minsiter: “Avoiding such attacks is a challenge for the Government.”

People stood by each other, helping, reaching out to everyone who needed help.  

Couple of months ago, I was reading a book on Naxalite violence in India. The book offered to explain who these people are exactly, and by far, why they did what they did. It said that Naxalites often used violence as a means or a part of their “tactics” in making themselves heard.

I wondered what could motivate a person or a group of persons to resort to violence to make them heard. Just how feasible is violence as a tactic? Logically, it is. People always stand up and notice casualties. But morally, and humanly speaking, it is not.

On our planet, every single day, children, men and women are evaporated, disabled for the rest of their lives. What for? Is there any kind of socialism, democratic premise or capitalism that should be presented on a pyre of innocent victims? Is it worth it? For oil? Diamonds? Gold?

When I heard that one of the bombs in Mumbai was planted near a school, a feeling of chill swept over me. Causing harm to children who don’t even choose the kind of government to rule, is saddening, to say the least. What could make a group of religious fanatics or self-proclaimed “soldiers of god” do that?

Even when Kasab was sentenced to death, I failed to see how this was a victory for the Indian government, much less for the Indian people or even the Judiciary. Kids like Kasab would do anything for a square meal or even the welfare of their own families. We need to go after the people, the outfits who target children and minds like Kasab and justify killing in the name of religion or a deity. The extent of brainwash is so great that these kids might even come to enjoy killing.

Punishing one single Kasab is not the solution: we just can't stop there and wash our hands off the bigger problem. (To come to think of it, I wonder what kind of rendezvous the government is having with him still.) He’s just a means towards a chilling end. We need to cure the root cause of the problem. There has to be a systematic combat of people who think killing innocent people in any name is justified. To solve the macro, one has to go micro.

When the judgment was passed, people, for some reason, rejoiced. Worse, they were relieved. I voiced my opinion and I was accused of sympathizing with Kasab. A part of the accusation was right; I was sympathizing, but not with Kasab, but with my own people. Kasab was still in jail, wasn’t he, when the Triple Blasts happened in Mumbai, 72 hours back?

When the train blasts occurred on 11 July, 2006, about 209 people were killed and more than 700 were injured. What did we learn from this incident? That the perpetrators knew the pulse of the city; where to attack to gain our attention. And they did.

After 5 years, we are still vulnerable in the local trains. There are no security checks, there is no sufficient number of police men to guard compartments or conduct proper vigilance. What has the State Government done since that day to ensure that train traveling is safe?

Yes, there are CCTV units installed all around CST station. But personally, I have trouble believing that someone is watching over them, interpreting “intelligence” and that I am safe in a train. It’s a risk I take for my bread and butter, like everyone else.

People lost their lives, for nothing. People who survived these blasts, luckily, are hit by the trauma. Aren’t we all? Time has showed that people will stand by people, but what about the government? Home Minister P. Chidambaram concluded the formal Press Conference barely three hours after the fateful incident by saying, “Okay now… I have to get back to Delhi…”

Our State Home Minister is publicly saying what a challenge it is for the State Government to prevent terror. So I am to understand that these attacks will be a part of my daily life? Or will you start by installing CCTVs and being more intelligent with security checks? Will you accept the challenge?

We’ll accommodate people, we’ll tweet, we’ll write articles and blogs, we’ll donate blood. And we’ll suffer and stand up again. Whether the world salutes us or not for whatever spirit, we’ll take our chances. We've got to survive. Till such time mine or my neighbour's  luck runs out.

Earlier I used to discuss with my father and friends about the quality infrastructure, lack of roads and bridges in the city, the country. I feel I was naïve to think of such luxurious thoughts, because  today I talk to them with a thought looming in the background, can we make it back home in one piece?

In November 2010, Outlook carried a cover story about the Niira Radia controversy. I know, we have all read about it and frankly we are all tired of hearing and reading about scams. It’s amazing to know how easily we can get used to stuff that is so unacceptable. This fears me; because we cannot get used to bomb-blasts – anywhere on the planet. Romanticists would argue that death is anyway a part of our lives. So, is that it?

Anyway, about the article, the opening sentences were remarkable: India, the republic, is for sale. You could buy anything, any one, all you need is money. Everything can be sold – from berths in the cabinet ministry to natural resources, anywhere in the country – at the right price.

If this was not shocking enough, our favourite idols like Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi were also heard trading democracy. Now Barkha Dutt needs no introduction. I used to consider her in the same league as Kalpana Chawla, women, and most importantly, human beings who made us proud, and reminded us to be better than ourselves. When I read Dutt’s statements where she said that her interactions with Radia were a part of journalists’ duties, I hurried to read the actual transcripts – hoping, that she was correct. And I was disappointed. Couple of days back, a lawyer on Twitter stated that she wanted to become like Dutt. That is such a big compliment. I always thought that being a hero entailed an awful lot of responsibility.

Our heroes are selling the nation, our government is slandering the likes of Ramdev and Anna Hazare (who try to help people as much as possible), our government cannot safeguard us against the categorical break-down of morality at Wall Street (What happened at Wall Street had little to do with money. It was a failure at a very basic level – that of morality). 

Closer home, we’re not getting any better. Right from the economic downfall, to corruption, we are facing all of it. I know I have written a pretty lengthy blog post about all this, but am afraid that’s just too many words and too little meaning.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Mumbai targeted once again - Triple Blasts

When I received a phone call from Delhi about Mumbai blasts, at around 7 PM, yesterday, I didn't believe it. Instead of asking my parents to switch on the News Channels, I went on the Internet. The results showed up. My heart sank, it was true. Once again, the common man paid the price.

Even as am writing this, the death toll is rising; the latest being 22 people dead and around 131 people injured, out of which 26 have been discharged on account of minor injuries. The State Government has offered INR 5 lacs ( approx. $11,235 USD) to the families of the victims who have lost their lives. Home Minister P. Chidambaram categorically stated that there was no failure of "Intelligence" and "Intelligence" is being gathered every second, every day, but the State Police had nothing to be suspicious about.

The three blasts occurred at Zaveri Bazaar, Opera House and near Dadar Station. Mumbai is callously famous for being crowded: it has more population than two Scandinavian countries combined; but these three places are more crowded, relatively speaking. The timing also has a lot to do with the proposed effect: the blasts occurred within a time window of 10-15 mins, from 18:55 hrs to 19:15 hrs. This is the "peak" time in Mumbai, meaning, the time where commuters are traveling back to home from work. Whosoever planned these attacks very well knew what this could mean. Also one of the bombs, I think it was the one in Dadar area, was placed close to a School. Children leave school at around 6 PM every day.

Lot of people offered support right from updating statuses in Twitter and FaceBook to actually being on the scene of the accident and helping injured people to ambulances and vans. The newspapers today are ... filled with disturbing images.

The State Government and the Home Ministry are yet to identify the perpetrator of these attacks; meaning we are clueless as of now. Indian Mujahideen (IM) is the prime suspect, though. DNA (Newspaper) stated that Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal from Karnataka head the IM group. Intelligence reports that the brothers are hiding in Bangladesh. A Central Intelligence Officer stated that after 26/ 11 attacks (Blasts in Mumbai local trains, casualties of about 164, and more than 300 injured) and increased pressure from both US and India, Pakistan banned LeT (Lashkar e Taiba) but the LeT didn't stop working; they merely regrouped under Jamaat ud Dawa. Both Jamaat ud Dawa and IM are religious-cum- terror outfits in the country. You can get more accurate and updated information on various news portals.

Most of the people in Mumbai are shocked and angry that yet another attack has been directed at the largest populated city and the commercial capital in the country. The Home Minister stated that the attacks were not aimed at foreign nationals, but only at common people, hence the tourists had nothing to be afraid of. He also mentioned that most of the lanes in Zaveri Bazaar are very small, and so it was not possible to conduct rescue operations smoothly. Poor infrastructure is not the fault of the common man, Mr. Home Minister.

Please register at www.bloodaid.com to help the victims with timely blood donations.

In India, it is a norm to blame Pakistani outfits in case of any "terror attacks". Communal tension and riots may be fuelled because of this perception. Hence the Government has appealed to the citizens to stay calm.

Some of the people are counting their blessings as the estimated damage of the attack was not as damaging as the earlier attacks on the Taj (26/ 11) and the Mumbai train blasts. Even though the explosives were improvised, the intensity was still mediocre, relatively speaking. This means that the perpetrators might plan another attack, hence the city is on high alert.

For P. Chidambaram's Press disclosure please see the videos below.




Please note that the objective of this blog post is to provide information and basic deductive premises, and not to perpetrate or fuel any tension or hurt the sentiments of any person. 

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Travelogue - Delhi

Here are a couple of pictures I took from my BlackBerry phone during the trip to the Capital. I forgot to carry my camera along - I know, an unforgivable sin. But then, this trip was meant to be official and really really short: 72 hours or less. Hours gave away to days, and I discovered I was in love with the city. So I decided to explore just a little more and compromised with my BB camera. Obviously, the end results aren't too great. But I still hope I captured something beautiful about Delhi. And while returning back, I watched RAMAYANA on the flight and now I finally know who was Sugreev and Bali. Very educational trip.



From the moment I landed, lush green colour bedazzled me. Sheila Dixit has done an amazing job. Some said she amassed close to INR 52,000 crore of personal wealth during the "beautification" but Delhi-ites seem to be satisfied. Corrupt leaders - who can act for the welfare of people - will do, they said. Can't comment on that. Politics aside, the monsoons were just flirting with the City 10 days back. Loved the weather, especially on the day when me and Shruti wandered off to India Gate right after my meeting. And yes, I mistakenly called the "Rickshaw" a "Tonga". I don't know why I did that. LOL



Another one of my funny misadventures included the time when I asked a high profile commando looking guy who comprised of the security at one of those posh bungalows at Janpath, "Where's Gateway of India?"
I asked Delhi cops for walking directions from CP to IndiaGate, and they were insistent on knowing why I wanted to walk. I insisted I wanted to walk and then they smiled and gave me the directions. Saw plenty of women smoking bidis. Guys were the same as they were 20 months back: gelled to death, loud and waterfalls of vanity flowing through them (Try imagining that in a Dali painting!). Exceptions are always there, of course!



A remarkable thing that happened in Delhi was that I visited Indira Gandhi Memorial for the first time. I clicked a lot of pictures there; and I was struck with the glamour, dedication and the flaw of Indira Gandhi  l. I'll blog about it later.

For all the pictures of this trip, click here.

So I must have wandered for two days inside the City, and then I went up further North to Uttar Pradesh in a village called Partapur. Another I am going to include the details about that trip and pictures in another post. So long! :)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Law, Justice & Morality: The Neeraj Grover Case

Last night, an acquaintance asked me, "Do you think the Court's ruling in the Neeraj Grover case was a fair decision?"


This post is inspired by that question. Hollywood will tell you time and again that Law and Justice were two different things. Demi Moore and Tom Cruise argued about it in the classic 'A Few Good Men'. Erin Brockovich did that, too. This sad thought is more than fiction. And these films were based on true stories.


The Neeraj Grover case is a perfect case in point. Going by the legalities, it is the correct decision. Has justice been served? Perhaps not. What most people miss is that the verdict can be challenged. Even the judge who pronounced it would have hoped for that. Then perhaps the evidence can be more direct and substantial, after carrying out a more detailed investigation. Trying on circumstantial evidence, as opposed to direct evidence, is always tricky, and often disappointing.


My acquaintance further argued if showing those "gruesome" pictures in the media was fair; and that Maria Susairaj was equally guilty, so why was she released. 


There's an unspoken horror in seeing a human personality reduced to huge chunks of flesh. Dexter's TRP rides on that. So it is a safe way to secure national antipathy towards criminals.


Maria Susairaj cannot be counted in the same league as her fiancé, Emily Jerome, because she did not commit the "act" of murder. She helped her fiancé get rid of the evidence; she was protecting him. That's another thing. She helped her lover get rid of the evidence. She also spent three years in jail. Maria Susairaj can be accused of cheating on her fiancé, betrayal, having a corrupt moral compass, obstruction of justice, but she can't be charged with murder. 

Why was Emily Jerome sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and not death or imprisonment for life?

This was not a premeditated murder, hence he wasn't charged under S. 302 of the Indian Penal Code. Instead, the court convicted Jerome under section 304 (Part I) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Now that's quite a mouthful for people who don't know the law. And I can't help but quote section 304 to everyone: 
(Sorry, but this is interesting.)


[...] Or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, or with fine, or with both, if the act is done with the knowledge that it is likely to cause death ,but without any intention to cause death, or to cause such bodily injury as is likely to cause death.
 
So Jerome did not intend to kill Neeraj. This changes everything. 

Maria Susairaj is a  Kannada actress (well the news papers are certainly saying so). She comes to Mumbai to try her luck in Bollywood. She met TV producer Neeraj Grover, and in her own words she admitted to her lover, Emily Jerome, that he had a crush on her, albeit she didn't feel the same way for Grover. Now this is discomforting to Jerome. In this age where trust is just a scary word and the reason for 80% of insecurity in our lives, Jerome is not too happy with the equation, but decides to support Susairaj's decision of moving to Mumbai, anyway.

She shifts to an apartment in Malad. Neeraj shows up at her place, one night. Maria lets him in. Jerome, who's in the Naval Base in Kochi, calls her up casually. He probably hears a male voice in the background and asks Maria what's going on. She tells him that Neeraj is here to help her with her moving in the apartment. Jerome's uncomfortable, but insists that she shouldn't allow Neeraj to stay the night. Maria says she won't. But she does.

Early that morning, Jerome shows up at her apartment, much to Maria's surprise and Neeraj's shock. Jerome finds Neeraj naked in his girlfriend's apartment, with whom he hopes to get engaged in two months. Both men argue, and in a fit of rage, Jerome ends up stabbing Neeraj. 

Detailed version of the last moments leading up to this murder are here.

It is important to know the reason for a crime. That is what distinguishes people: their innermost selves, their fear, their perception. And this is a crude reflection of society, its values and its culture. This is an age where morality has broken down. The same break down has caused the global financial crisis. If a woman is in love with a man, and supposed to be engaged with him, how would she justify sleeping with another man. Notwithstanding the fact that in Bollywood sexual lobbying is a passport to success. 

May be there are men who would remain calm when they catch their women with a naked man. May be.

But Jerome's crime was an act of passion. 

And am not trying to justify or protect or thrash Maria or Jerome or Grover.

It is not just about murder, but the reason behind it as well. Today we see moral breakdown everywhere. It's OK to be greedy, to have casual sex, to pretend to be in love when its lust. The result will be gruesome. The society has to pay the price for what it warrants. 

Monday, June 13, 2011

Movie Review - X-Men First Class


The moment I came out of the theatre, I bought the tickets to the next show.

Few things in life - and mostly movies - turn out to be better than expectations, and their trailers. 


Apart from the amazing visual effects and substance of the script, the one thing to look out for is the rich, exquisite soundtrack of the film. This kind of extensive format, array of violins, the gripping tension filled with a lot of emotion can be achieved by the evergreen Hans Zimmer. But the compositions seemed little more radical, though. 

As it turned out, the apple didn’t fall far away from the tree and it was Zimmer’s protégé after all, Henry Jackman. He assisted Zimmer on films like ‘The Da Vinci Code’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ series, 'The Holiday', ‘Kung Fu Panda’ and ‘The Dark Knight’.

Listen to ‘X-Men First Class: First Class’ here and you’ll know what am talking about. It's like a hundred violins charging up... so Inception-esque

Professor Charles Xavier’s dialogues constituted the philosophical soul of the film: “The true focus lies somewhere between rage and serenity.” They will be in the top dialogues of all time list, for sure. James McAvoy plays the part to the tee, as a beacon of wisdom, and brings the right amount of likability to his character. Like his older version (which reflects a seasoned sobriety – and now we know where it comes from) he displays a Gandhian sense of thinking the lesser evolved mortals (human species in general) have a chance. 

So much so, when Magneto/ Eric Lensherr, played by Micheal Fassbender, diverts all the missles towards the Russian and American fleet, and we hear respective Army Chiefs saying what an honour it was to have served with the Officers who're staring at their inevitable death, Professor Xavier says, “That’s enough, Magneto. There are hundreds of people on those ships… They’re just men following orders!”


He actually believes that a truce can be served; and we certainly don’t mistake his compassion for naïveté. McAvoy convincingly portrays his character, as a person who has had the gift of understanding phenomena, nature and accepting reasons and facts, adding it with a great deal of humanity and faith. He was the only reason besides Aslan, of course, that I watched Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe a couple of times.



Magneto or Eric Lensherr, on the other hand, has seen the darker side of human nature up close at the hands of one mutant named Shaw, portrayed by Kevin Bacon, straight from one of the darkest times on Earth: the Holocaust

And so, when the wise Professor tells him that there are men on the ships and that they were only following orders, Magneto replies, “I’ve been at the mercy of men just following orders before… Never again!”

Okay I need to stop.... else I might just write the entire movie here…

Oscar winning visual effects supervisor John Dykstra gave the film those super-cool moments. Only two words and you will know what a magician this guy really is: Battlestar Galactica. He’s also worked with George Lucas on Star Wars series.  


Based upon the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1960s (with a pre-cursory 1942 Nazi occupied Poland) the film deals with the inevitable process for all mutants – taking sides. Now this is the second most favourite and the most important dilemma for any mutant: whether or not to trust humans. The first being their having to come to terms to their gifts, and worse, their looks. The theme is really getting a bit monotonous, am afraid. 

I love the humour in the film. Professor X and Magneto go about recruiting new mutants in their army-to-be, they also approach Wolverine, a cameo (and what a cameo it was!) by Hugh Jackman. So Jackman is at the bar, with his back towards the approaching Professor and Magneto, and - 
Eric Lensherr: "Excuse me. I'm Eric Lensherr."
Charles Xavier: "And I am Professor Charles Xavier-"
Wolverine: "Go fuck yourself."
...... And both of them just take a sudden U-turn.

To Angel, when she displays her unique wings in a strip-tease booth:
Charles Xavier: "How would you like to have a job where you get to keep your clothes on?"

The challenge for director Mathew Vaughn (Director of the immensely delightful 'Stardust') was to incorporate every character’s detailing, weaknesses and strengths into one story line that justified every moment up on the silver screen. Both the journey as the plots unfold, and give way to the climax provide for a fulfillment of the senses and sensibilities. He's made this edge-of-the-seat entertaining film, complete with deep psychological brooding about compassion, survival and human nature, and a delectable sense of humour. The film reminds you just how powerful cinema can be.

And I just have one litmus test for the greatness of any movie. My Mum is the most stringent woman on this planet, and if she tells you the movie was worth odd 400 bucks (arrived at after calculating the cost of fuel, coffee and pop-corn) then it definitely is a good movie.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The (anti) iPhone Dream


Okay, so this is way before I became besotted with a BlackBerry, so offence to no one in particular. Generally...? May be. It's basically a self-derogatory dream, if anything.

So I am at a U2 concert in my city. Now that's surprising enough (yes, my dreams surprise me, to say the least) because as much as I love (and I really love) U2, I haven't really wanted to go to their concert. I guess it kills the whole "personal" space that one enjoys with the artist's creation. You're more likely to connect at a deeply personal level with a certain artist when you're heartbroken, staring at a sunset or jogging alone at 4 AM rather than scream and shout in a concert or steal some memento backstage of your favourite artist or their Managers. So no such desires for me to really attend a concert... but in my dream, I am there, all right. 

And suddenly am standing in a long queue. Adam Clayton (now I had to practically Google him out to really know he was the one; blogging is a big responsibility) is personally signing autographs, memorabilia, souvenirs, under garments, etc. and I am in that queue. Apparently lost, because in my waking life I'd never stand in a queue for a celebrity. Part vanity, part boredom, I guess.  So it's my turn... and he sees me and says, "So! It's you... You're a real big fan."

Real big fan? You kidding me?? I LOVE YOU GUYS! I know all of your songs by heart and the history behind each of them! I first heard you a decade back and I never get tired of listening to you guys. I've listened to each song like a thousand times! I would love to go to dinner with you guys, or just Bono and Jackie Chan and Denzel Washington, or all of you at once! Awesome videos! Loved the way that airplane went over you guys and you were just jammin' like there's no tomorrow in the 'Beautiful Day' video. That was so cool! You guys are so dedicated to your craft. I love you guys! And I say, "Yes, I am."

He pulls out his swanky iPhone and places it in my hand. "Punch in your number," he says.

I take a nice long look at the iPhone.................. and give it back to him. "Nevermind."

*
Note from the author: This dream really disturbed me.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Ramdev, Manmohan Singh and the Art of Misdirection


Last week, my Dad and I were driving to a client's place. There was a road around Shree Nagar, Thane, that needed fixing. Like rest of the city, the Government promised to repair the roads before the monsoons arrived. And unlike rest of the city, this road was actually fixed. However my Dad interrupted my moment long relief by asking me to look at the "finishing" of the recently repaired road. It was bad. Huge chunks of stones were lying right next to the road, the place where cars are parked, and pedestrians walk. 


This observation preceded the following conversation:

Me: "Why doesn't the Government do its job properly? If it decides to get something done after all, why not take the pain to do it perfectly?"

Dad: "This is India, beta.

After 160 seconds. Me: "What if people actually went to the local offices of the Municipal Corporation and demanded that their roads be fixed properly, and not budge until and unless the Government agrees to do so?"

Dad: "Then the Government will call for Police and tear gas, and more tear gas."

Me: "- but they wouldn't fix the problem [?]"

Dad: "No. That they won't."

That was more or less the end of the discussion we had. Two days later, Ramdev actually held a fast till the time Government came up with a plan that stated how much Black Money was accounted for, and what would be their next step. Couple of months ago, the Swiss Bank actually conceded to the demand of providing details to the respective governments around the world about the accounts held by the latter's citizens. India was one of them. Astronomical figure of black money was stashed by Indian (take a guess) Politicians, of course. 

Now Ramdev took to this cause. This was in the spirit of the international popularity and praise earned by Anna Hazare's Lokpal campaign. Guess he also wanted a slice of this earnest respect. We all know he enjoys being called the harbinger of prosperity and peace, through Yoga. If the magnificent Judi Dench decided to grace us with her cameo appearance in the latest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, who are we to judge, really, about people's claim to a few moments of fame? 

A lot of people, including me, thought that Ramdev's move was politically motivated. And let's face it, he can never be compared to a man as saintly as Anna Hazare. Anyway, let's not cloud our perspective. Back to objectivity: so, Ramdev really goes on a fast-cum-rally in New Delhi. Congress tells him that he's on a hit-list of dangerous terrorists. Baba says well, humour me more. Congress then calls the super cops, unleashes tear gas on the thousands of "supporters" of the cause of Yoga/ Ramdev/ Black Money accountability.

This obviously is noticed by the Opposition and they compare the entire incident to be a reminiscent of the Dark Times of Emergency circa 1975-77. Anna Hazare asks what is the difference between the white English and dusky Indians and says the incident is akin to the  Jallianwala Bagh massacre

The Congress bites its nails, and then publishes a report on how Ramdev has 34 companies, one of them being a front for supplying popular Ayurvedic medicines, and how the turnover goes up to Rs. 1100 crores. Right next to this report, PM Manmohan Singh is justifying why the tear gas was unleashed on the commoners in New Delhi that night.  

On the same page, there's a small but significant news article that says the Government will not try and "woo" Anna Hazare's team. What did Anna Hazare's Team want? They simply wanted to put the Prime Minister's Office under the Lokpal Bill, and hence under the independent authority to be investigated. What is it about the Lokpal Bill that flusters the Government so much? The irony is Ramdev was supporting the PM on this ground!

I wonder what the Government is really trying to do here. Are they trying to hide the accounts of Black Money holders? Are they trying to show that Ramdev really is not the right candidate to lead this anti-corruption movement? Is the Congress trying to indulge in a massive character assassination of someone who stands up and asks for accountability? Or all of the above? We all know that Ramdev's Rs. 1100 Crore assets is actually peanuts compared to the astronomical figures of Black Money held by one politician at any given point. 

If a country's Prime Minister can go to the extent of actually indulging in libel and slander against someone who demands an explanation, an accountability - which is the Prime Minister's job, by the way - what really can be inferred from this? Agreed, even if that "someone" is not really who he seems to be, the Prime Minister's job is to ensure the welfare of its people and respect the spirit of Democracy. It is indeed a serious problem if the Prime Minister is not on the same side as his country's people. 

So basically, no citizen can really stand up and hold the Government accountable. If I were to do it, the Government will tell me to shut up because I've broken so many hearts, and I drive an Audi and have a bunglow in Alibaug and I killed a rat once in my life and so on. I'd have to be a monk of Mother Teresa's proportion to point a finger at the Government. Probably the Congress will dig up some dirt on me, even then. Kudos, gentlemen and Madam, Chanakya would be proud. 


Saturday, June 4, 2011

A Day in the Life of.....

I
Okay so it's my dog's 4th birthday with us. The four years with Daku have been really awesome. He's my Aslan, he is my cutie pie, and he's also the one responsible for 3 anti-rabies vaccine shots that sometimes I have managed to get in between flights. 

We take him to Domino's. Ordered for a Spicy Chicken and Cheese Pizza for him. He loved it, of course. 

The guy at the counter takes my order and asks for my number (to feed in their machines, I guess). Instinctively, I take my Black Pearl out and say, "Can you give me yours as well? It'll be easier for us to place orders." The moment he goes, "9-9-6-7-," I interrupt: " I was asking for the Domino's number..."

"Ah, the landline, of course," he smiles. And I had to nod with a smile!

***
II
It's been an evening of  hard, beautiful rain.  My client decides to drop me till a point were I can get a cab/ auto. But during rains, most of the autos and cabs disappear from the face of my city. And the client wouldn't let me go till he ensures I am tucked in an auto. He drives around 10 kms away from his point of convenience, hunting for an auto.

At last we spot one. And by the time we reach him, he starts moving on, blissfully unaware of my urgency. It's close to 11 PM. I am worried about him getting back home through the traffic, to his wife and kid. My client levels the car with the auto, and rolling down the window, I ask the guy, "Mulund Checknaka......?"

He looks at me, asks me to repeat and says, "Take the bridge, and then turn first right," and whisks away.

***
III
Waiting for the autos further back to my place, around midnight now, a middle aged guy asks me if we could travel together. His place was further than mine and he offered to drop me. I said fine, since I was waiting for almost 45 mins. 

So we started hunting for autos for his place. He offered me his umbrella till then. I was wearing a light blue white shirt. I was relieved at his second offer. 

We got the auto, and he asked me if it was usual for me to be this late, returning home and all. I refused, citing rains and traffic as the reason for the delay. Before I could tell the auto guy to stop for my point, this guy says that he'd drop me first at my home and then take the auto back at his place. I accepted his third offer too, albeit hesitatingly. 

Now there's quite a bit of distance between the point I was supposed to get down and my home. I had decided to walk it out. The guy observes the distance and asks, "You were planning to walk all this way?"

"Umm... Yes... No other option, right?"

"Are you a black-belt?"

***


Monday, May 30, 2011

Interview with Artist Machcha Gangadas

Part I

Part II


Machcha Gangadas on the importance of Om in his works.


See his paintings here.
To read more of his work, click here.

Cosmic Energy - Beautiful Paintings by Artist Machcha Gangadas

Very rarely do we find real life figures who inspire and after that surprise you with their grace, humbleness and talent. Had the pleasure of meeting someone personifying all the above words earlier this month. His name is Machcha Gangadas, a painter, an artist, a poet with colours who showcased his works at the Jehangir Art Gallery earlier this month. 





These are not paintings, these are concepts.




The concept that there is one and only one energy that flows in our soul. It is the origin of our soul and the collective soul of the world as well. According to the artist Mr. Gangadas, he's depicted the flow of energy of the entire universe. He says we carry this energy within ourselves and it is also the basis of the scientific term of "aura". 

Every person has a distinctive aura. Also, the flow of energy can be controlled by proper meditation and thereby "activating" chakras.  There are seven chakras in the human body.



A lover of the art of art for the past three decades, he currently works in the State Bank of India. Ask him how he finds the time to paint, while working in a Bank, he says that passion always finds a way. 

He rises early, and often paints till wee hours of the morning. He gives the credit to his family who has supported him throughout and mostly, his wife, who often prepares tea for him as he paints in the night. He has a son and a daughter-in-law and is based in Pune. 



His right leg is affected by Polio, but that has not stopped Mr. Gangadas from spending every single Sunday in Bombay, touring various art galleries and exploring and appreciating other artists' works. It is this insight and dedication that shows through his work and amazing techniques, which he was gladly sharing with onlookers and connoisseurs. 




Apart from the concept of cosmic energy reflected in his works, an important part of his paintings is the technique he employs. The concept of the flow of energy may be old, but to portray it in a radical way catches your attention. Even in his paintings you can feel something is alive, creating ripples around you, within you.




For those interested in seeing more of his work or better still, buying it, please email Mr. Machcha Gangadas at ggmachcha@gmail.com.


You can see more of his paintings here