Review - Crash

I wont go into a cinematic discussion except to say that I loved the movie and the performances. I also missed Denzel Washington in the role of the black inspector..that would have added one more oscar to the kitty for Crash. No, this will more of a discussion about the issues the movie has highlighted.

Of the situations portrayed in the movie, I could identify a lot of scenarios that hold true in India today. We also have our divides, be it religious, regional or socio-economic and a lot of that create the same frictions as those the whites, blacks, hispanics, chinese and arabs are facing in the US today. We have our problems with the 'minority' muslims and they have the same with the blacks. States like West Bengal and Assam have Bangladeshi immigrant problems while they have the same with mexicans in Florida and LA. And the rich versus poor divide is always there.

There were 2 protagonists who were characterised very interestingly - the racist white cop and the racist black mugger. Both are portrayed as extreme cases of bigotry, who see the entire world through some invisible coloured glass, where any incident can be traced to some problem caused by the 'other' side. We have frightening similarities amongst our communal Hindu and Muslim brigades, and its a divide that seems to be deepening each day. There is also Sandra Bullock's character, who is a closet racist, who is surrounded by all kinds of immigrant population who are the domestic help, who finally shows her true colours once she is mugged by a black and uses that excuse to come out in the open with her parochial views.

There was another interesting sequence in which an episode of a soap was being shot and the director asked for a retake because a black guy didnt talk 'black' enough. Made me think of how bongs are portrayed in movies and tv. I mean how many bongs do you know who says 'Oooribaba, arey tumi kya kaurta haay'. Bongs and Tambis have been stereotyped for ages now. Padosan was one of the roots for the anti hindi movement in the south. There were other scenes in the movie where Americans are ridiculing arabs or chinese people for their accents and grammar (as if those fuckers speak english) and this was also portrayed as one of the factors why immigrants dont feel they belong.

All in all, I felt that the movie was really balanced. It managed to portray both sides on the picture without trying to analyse who is at fault. And even though I generally think the average american is an arsehole, I can kind of understand the situation they are in. True, when their economy was booming they had welcomed all kinds of immigrants to do their dirty jobs - mexican gardeners, puerto rican housemaids, indian coders, chinese cooks etc etc etc. Now that they have a job crunch they are cribbing about outsiders taking their jobs. But dont you get it? Its their bloody country and they have every right to give out AND take back jobs when they want. There was a scene in which a Syrian is ranting and raving to the authorities after his shop is burgled. I mean, why dont you go back to fucking Syria then? There you will be lucky to have a slum to stay in. How would you feel if Bangladeshi illegal immigrants staged a dharna in Calcutta because they dont like the conditions of their settlements? Forget about immigrants, how would you feel about your countryman who is studying in AIIMS because his grandfather washed toilets, or a muslim who has 4 wives and 20 children who feels muslims in India are persecuted?

THINK.

Hail Male Bonding!

The progression in the pictures tell an amazing story. Ayush and Shirley were as thick as thieves over the past couple of years. 80% of their waking time at home was spent together and it looked like they would never get tired of each other's companies. Harsha was the haddi in this kabab, and sometimes it saddenned me to see how these 2 used to gang up against this 12 year old. He used to be left out of their games, ignored in conversations and falsely accused when either of these 2 got hurt playing (kids can be damn cruel man, read Lord of the flies).. Suddenly in this trip i witnessed a change. Ayush is becoming a man, and he seems to be prefering Harsha's company. Shirley is more interested in discussing the latest Imran Hashmi kissing scene and trying to enact it with Ayush (scary!!) while Ayush is happier discussing the latest Power Rangers episode with Harsh. Ayush is getting into the physical games boys enjoy, like punching each other around or hammering away at a video game keyboard, and Shirley is not being able to keep up with the pace. The inevitable has started to happen and these 2 are now ganging up against Shirley. I did some reading on the net and found out that this usually happens to kids when they are about 5 or 6 when they start preferring same sex company. Am I happy?? MCP that I am, YEAH!!!

I am back (BOOOHOOOHOOO!!!!)

But what a great trip it was!! And instead of writing a looong post which no one will read, I will penn down thoughts about each place we visited as well as about some special incidents. Till then, enjoy this..

BREAK!!

'Pyare bhaio aur behno' (in Amin Sayani's voice)..it will be a couple of weeks till the 75th post is going to be penned. The wife and son are coming and then we are going on a looong trip to Kumaon (yipeee!!!). And the next one will be about that trip, pics galore. Till then....toodle doo.

A different world

Went to Saldana, a village near Meerut, for a day outing yesterday. Me, Bubai and Vikas with his school friends. One of his friend Sumit is the brother of the village pradhan there. 'Bade bhaiya' is the mai-baap of the entire region, and the region we are talking about (Meerut to Muzaffarpur) is the worst crime belt in India. He was part of the infamous Tyagi gang at one time, then went into legtimate business and then politics. His drinking buddies make up the rest of the region's who's who, and our main agenda was to experience what it felt like to be the guest of such a person.

The ride was hot and dusty and to combat the discomfiture everyone got busy in going through a gigantic database of MMS scandals that one of the guys had on his phone. By the time we reached there it was high noon, and everyone got down to their chaddis and plunged in the deliciously cool tube well tank. The next 5 hours was just sit in the water, get your drinks served up to you and talk.

What was amazing was how these guys recieved us. It was bade bhaiya who cooked country chicken for us (absolutely mindbogglingly delicious, with real spices), chote bhaiya who served us our drinks and a member of the village panchayat who served us food. These guys are not only politically powerful, they are also stinking rich. But i havent seen any guys of this stature who are so down to earth. When it was time for us to go they promised us that the next time they will get permission to go hunting and asked us to try and make an overnite trip (THAT will be one memorable post I can assure you).

At the end of it all I was pretty confused. These are the real criminals of India, who have broken all laws of the land, raped the political system and destroyed thousands of lives. On the other hand, personally, they are wonderful, warm and down to earth folks. How does one reconcile these two things?

Choose!

Bubai does 20 minutes of Pranayam every day. Vikas and Paplu do not. Whether you will start or not is up to you. I have.

Darna Zaroori Hai - Review

waha waha ramG (chuk chuk chuk chuk chuk chuk)
movie kya banayi (chuk chuk chuk chuk chuk chuk)
mera aur vikas ki (chuk chuk chuk chuk chuk chuk)
band kyu bajayi (chuk chuk chuk chuk chuk chuk)
sub chutiyo se badi hai chutiya jo aise bakwas picture banayi.
waha waha RAMGEEEEEE.