Firstly, since I haven’t seen any of the other nominated movies, I wont comment on whether or not the movie deserved 8 oscars. Maybe the other ones were equally bad or worse. Maybe it's post Obama America trying to make amends for the last couple of decades of self-obsession and self-righteousness by acknowledging that non Americans also belong to the human race. Maybe it's all these and other factors combining in the ridiculous way fate sometimes has of turning things on it's head.
So, lets discuss the movie itself. It's not even good, forget great. The screenplay has gaping holes, the storyline is ridiculous, the performances are extremely ordinary, the script is juvenile, the cinematography is as good as what we see in most hindi movies these days and the direction is average. Rehman is good, but way way short of his best (but I guess even that is good enough for the Oscars so that’s all right). And of course it has the following scene:
Poor Boy Fucked by Fate (PBFF) working as guide to American Tourist With Golden Heart (ATGH) is caught stealing and is thrashed by Insensitive Indian Goon (IIG).
PBFF while getting belted tells ATGH – ‘see..this is the real India’.
ATGH stops IIG, scolds him, hands PBFF a C note and tells him ‘this is the real America’.
Amazing!! Real goose bump and lumpy throat stuff right?
And the reaction!! Funniest thing yesterday was how both the British and Indian media were going bonkers that ‘their movie’ had won. And there were celebrations in the Bandra slums and in Pali Hill bungalows. At the end of the day, the hype is all about Bollywood. This entire ‘spontaenous eruption of joy’ has been carefully choreographed since the BAFTA nominations. So, while the movie ran to empty theatres across Mumbai, the film fraternity came out with media bytes blazing – no doubt mentally rearranging their dates to accommodate Hollywood directors they think would be lining up after this phenomenon.
Was the reaction similar when Pt Ravi Shankar or Pt Zakir Hussain got the Grammy? Or when Ray (who???) won the Oscar?
As Borat would say…’Naaaaat!!!’.
Showing posts with label Opinions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opinions. Show all posts
Feb 24, 2009
Oct 4, 2006
Scent of a woman
I wont dare to try and write a review of probably the greatest movie of all time. What I would do is copy two of Lt Col Slade's monologues, ones that I could listen to a billion times and not get tired of, scenes I could watch a million times and still get goose pimples. So, here they are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Women !
What can you say ?
Who made 'em ?
God must have been a fuckin' genius.
The hair --They say the hair is everything, you know.
Have you ever buried your nose in a mountain of curls...and just wanted to go to sleep forever ?
Or lips --and when they touched yours, it was like...that first swallow of wine...after you just crossed the desert.
Tits ! Whoo-ah ! Big ones, little ones, nipples staring right out at ya...
like secret searchlights.
Mmmmm.
And legs --I don't care if they're Greek columns...or secondhand Steinways.
What's between 'em....passport to heaven.
There's only two syllables in this whole wide world worth hearing: pussy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a time I could see.
And I have seen.
Boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off.
But there is nothin' like the sight...of an amputated spirit.
There is no prosthetic for that
As I came in here, I heard those words: "cradle of leadership."
well, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and it has fallen here.
Makers of men, creators of leaders. Be careful what kind of leaders you're producin' here.
I don't know if Charlie's silence here today...is right or wrong; I'm not a judge or jury.
But I can tell you this: he won't sell anybody out...to buy his future !
and that, my friends, is called integrity.
That's called courage. Now that's the stuff leaders should be made of.
Now I have come to the crossroads in my life.
I always knew what the right path was.
Without exception, I knew, but I never took it.
You know why ?
It was too damn hard.
Now here's Charlie.
He's come to the crossroads.
He has chosen a path.
It's the right path.
It's a path made of principle...that leads to character.
Let him continue on his journey.
You hold this boy's future in your hands, Committee.
It's a valuable future, believe me.
Don't destroy it. Protect it. Embrace it.
It's gonna make you proud one day, I promise you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Women !
What can you say ?
Who made 'em ?
God must have been a fuckin' genius.
The hair --They say the hair is everything, you know.
Have you ever buried your nose in a mountain of curls...and just wanted to go to sleep forever ?
Or lips --and when they touched yours, it was like...that first swallow of wine...after you just crossed the desert.
Tits ! Whoo-ah ! Big ones, little ones, nipples staring right out at ya...
like secret searchlights.
Mmmmm.
And legs --I don't care if they're Greek columns...or secondhand Steinways.
What's between 'em....passport to heaven.
There's only two syllables in this whole wide world worth hearing: pussy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a time I could see.
And I have seen.
Boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off.
But there is nothin' like the sight...of an amputated spirit.
There is no prosthetic for that
As I came in here, I heard those words: "cradle of leadership."
well, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and it has fallen here.
Makers of men, creators of leaders. Be careful what kind of leaders you're producin' here.
I don't know if Charlie's silence here today...is right or wrong; I'm not a judge or jury.
But I can tell you this: he won't sell anybody out...to buy his future !
and that, my friends, is called integrity.
That's called courage. Now that's the stuff leaders should be made of.
Now I have come to the crossroads in my life.
I always knew what the right path was.
Without exception, I knew, but I never took it.
You know why ?
It was too damn hard.
Now here's Charlie.
He's come to the crossroads.
He has chosen a path.
It's the right path.
It's a path made of principle...that leads to character.
Let him continue on his journey.
You hold this boy's future in your hands, Committee.
It's a valuable future, believe me.
Don't destroy it. Protect it. Embrace it.
It's gonna make you proud one day, I promise you.
Sep 20, 2006
Salute! And Sorry.
This is for all my non-drinking friends who have given me company while I (or me along with other drinking friends) have had our drinking sessions. I realised yesterday the depth of your friendship, patience and indulgence.
You see, I have quit drinking since this last Sunday (now I dont want to see those smirks and rolling eyes, you alcoholics out there. The statement is open-ended; i did not say I wont ever drink again) . The first 2 days I was alone and it wasnt a big deal. But yesterday, a friend of mine had come down from Cal and came to meet me at my place with a bottle in his hand. My cousin, who also stays me, joined him when he got back from work, and it took a lot of consistent refusal from me to finally convince them that I wont drink.
Anyway..after a couple of pegs they started a typical daaru-table-discourse - topics ranging from global poilitics, social maladies to socialite cleavages. And since i was sitting there wrung-out-dry, in about an hour i went from being bored to irritated to downright angry. The evening ended in me retiring to my bedroom in a huff, while they continued to discuss the Iraq situation till 2.
Even though I hope my friends will vouch for me when I say I am a sensible drunk, I shudder to think if there have been occassions when someone has thought of me the way I thought of these 2 last night. This thought is motivation enough to think of quitting for good.
Like I said.."salute"...and "sorry".
You see, I have quit drinking since this last Sunday (now I dont want to see those smirks and rolling eyes, you alcoholics out there. The statement is open-ended; i did not say I wont ever drink again) . The first 2 days I was alone and it wasnt a big deal. But yesterday, a friend of mine had come down from Cal and came to meet me at my place with a bottle in his hand. My cousin, who also stays me, joined him when he got back from work, and it took a lot of consistent refusal from me to finally convince them that I wont drink.
Anyway..after a couple of pegs they started a typical daaru-table-discourse - topics ranging from global poilitics, social maladies to socialite cleavages. And since i was sitting there wrung-out-dry, in about an hour i went from being bored to irritated to downright angry. The evening ended in me retiring to my bedroom in a huff, while they continued to discuss the Iraq situation till 2.
Even though I hope my friends will vouch for me when I say I am a sensible drunk, I shudder to think if there have been occassions when someone has thought of me the way I thought of these 2 last night. This thought is motivation enough to think of quitting for good.
Like I said.."salute"...and "sorry".
Sep 14, 2006
Hats Off!
I know I had written this a few months back. I still feel the same about Sachin. But I take my hat off to him for his temperament. A century on comeback, that too with trademark style. I wish our Dada had also let his bat do the talking, rather than resorting to the shit he did in the last 3 months.
Congrats Sachin on your 40th. Who knows? Maybe Amitabh will make a good movie now!
Congrats Sachin on your 40th. Who knows? Maybe Amitabh will make a good movie now!
Sep 6, 2006
Had it coming
So? You thought this would be a tearful, respectful orbituary did you? HAAH! You havent known me that well then! Here's what i think.
He had it coming for a long time. When I first saw a show of his in Discovery I was amazed at the guy's guts. But it took me 2 episodes to decide that this was a guy who belonged in a circus, not a wildlife channel. The feeling I was left with everytime I watched an episode was that deep inside him, he had no respect for these animals. So you saw him wrestling reluctant crocs in the water, pulling out snakes from holes, kissing the world's most poisonous snake on a dare, prancing around with a croc with his 8 month old son cradled in his arms, playing catch-me-if-you-can with a pond full of alligators in front of a sell-out stadium blah blah blah.
He was in absolute contrast to the sensitivity with which guys in NatGeo and Discovery treat their subjects (was that the reason he was moved to the more 'racier' Animal Planet'?). Can you imagine a NatGeo show where the protagonist is provoking a lioness by playing around with her cubs so that she will get angry and give some good 'action shots'? Blessed with a typical cocky aussie bastard attitude perhaps Steve had assumed that all animals in his shows will play according to the script.
Well, one animal thought different. So here's a message to you. Whether you are a hotshot naturalist or a run-of-the-mill city dweller - dont underestimate nature.
Else, get fucked.
Sep 4, 2006
What a character!
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."
Best on spending.
"In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life."
Best on discipline.
"I was in for 10 hours and had 40 pints - beating my previous record by 20 minutes."
Best on the blood transfusion after his liver transplant
"I've stopped drinking, but only while I'm asleep."
Best on alcoholism
"The greatest footballer in the world".
Pele on George Best
Aug 25, 2006
Are you insulted?
12 Indians were deplaned from an airline yesterday because they were 'acting suspiciously'. The Indian media was full of righteous indignation and it seems that the entire nation, race and species has been insulted. And before you start feeling the same let me tell you of my experiences about Indians I have traveled with.
But first, the important thing you have to remember in this case is that all these people were part of a group who were textile merchants who had gone to attend some trade fair. The US marshals swooped down on them when they did not heed repeated requests by the cabin crew to sit down and fasten their belts before take off. They were also passing around their mobile phones (presumably showing each other nude clips they have surreptitiously clicked of the whores they had picked up) even when the switch off phones message was announced. While I agree that these actions don’t brand them as terrorists (is the xenophobia rampaging in the west really unjustified? I don’t know, that’s the topic for another post), but YES, these actions completely justify throwing out such arseholes.
As for how we (and hooligan English soccer fans) behave in groups, I have had personal experiences of both. Traveling to Bangkok from India was an eye opening experience for me. There are 2 types of groups that travel to Thailand. The first are the corporate groups who are traveling to attend some kind of sales meet or ‘team building workshops’ (both are companies’ ways of preventing attrition by providing pussy…PAPP shall we say?). The other is what are called ‘pigeons’ or ‘kabutars’. These are guys that are sent to buy electronics or computer hardware parts in bulk to carry back to India and sell at Indian rates.
And how they behave makes me ashamed that I am an Indian. The first group talk to each other LOUDLY across rows, click snaps of each other, discuss the vital stats of the cabin crew, get drunk and generally make life for everyone else miserable. The second group change into lungis, start card games, drink themselves silly when they realize that drinks are free and then puke between their legs. Can you believe it when I tell you that the Thai Airways security announcement video says ‘Sitting on the floor is not allowed’?
Deplane them? I think these guys should be deplaned when the flight is 30000 feet in the air.
But first, the important thing you have to remember in this case is that all these people were part of a group who were textile merchants who had gone to attend some trade fair. The US marshals swooped down on them when they did not heed repeated requests by the cabin crew to sit down and fasten their belts before take off. They were also passing around their mobile phones (presumably showing each other nude clips they have surreptitiously clicked of the whores they had picked up) even when the switch off phones message was announced. While I agree that these actions don’t brand them as terrorists (is the xenophobia rampaging in the west really unjustified? I don’t know, that’s the topic for another post), but YES, these actions completely justify throwing out such arseholes.
As for how we (and hooligan English soccer fans) behave in groups, I have had personal experiences of both. Traveling to Bangkok from India was an eye opening experience for me. There are 2 types of groups that travel to Thailand. The first are the corporate groups who are traveling to attend some kind of sales meet or ‘team building workshops’ (both are companies’ ways of preventing attrition by providing pussy…PAPP shall we say?). The other is what are called ‘pigeons’ or ‘kabutars’. These are guys that are sent to buy electronics or computer hardware parts in bulk to carry back to India and sell at Indian rates.
And how they behave makes me ashamed that I am an Indian. The first group talk to each other LOUDLY across rows, click snaps of each other, discuss the vital stats of the cabin crew, get drunk and generally make life for everyone else miserable. The second group change into lungis, start card games, drink themselves silly when they realize that drinks are free and then puke between their legs. Can you believe it when I tell you that the Thai Airways security announcement video says ‘Sitting on the floor is not allowed’?
Deplane them? I think these guys should be deplaned when the flight is 30000 feet in the air.
Jul 6, 2006
India shining!
Increasingly these days, I get approached by young guys, asking if I can get them some work. Their profile varies from a daily wage labourer to a qualified chartered accountant. I feel desperately sorry for these guys and sometimes I wonder how I would have handled a situation where I have to approach unknown people for a job. I have seen a lot of such guys, as well as office peons earning 1000 bucks a month, traders sitting on pavements selling used pins, broken radio parts and what not, jobless graduates standing in the midday sun requesting passers by to fill up a credit card application form....and have wondered how they can manage to support their families.
Yesterday I had to go to a place about 3 kms from my office where there are major hassles finding a parking slot; so i took a mini-van. Suddenly a huge rucus started in the front - the conductor was asking a guy for fare and he was saying he just wanted to travel for one stop. Finally the bus was stopped and he was bodily thrown out. At that time i cursed him for the delay..later i started thinking what possible situation a man might be in that he has to resort to such things to save two bucks?
What kind of a future can they dream of? Or do they even dream any more?
In a country such as ours, I sometimes feel ashamed of the industry I am in and the so called 'work' that I do and the pay packet I take home doing that. But then, I will only write about it..i am too lazy to do anything constructive about it.
Yesterday I had to go to a place about 3 kms from my office where there are major hassles finding a parking slot; so i took a mini-van. Suddenly a huge rucus started in the front - the conductor was asking a guy for fare and he was saying he just wanted to travel for one stop. Finally the bus was stopped and he was bodily thrown out. At that time i cursed him for the delay..later i started thinking what possible situation a man might be in that he has to resort to such things to save two bucks?
What kind of a future can they dream of? Or do they even dream any more?
In a country such as ours, I sometimes feel ashamed of the industry I am in and the so called 'work' that I do and the pay packet I take home doing that. But then, I will only write about it..i am too lazy to do anything constructive about it.
Jun 29, 2006
Movies that make you cry
I have noticed this trend in me and some of my friends. Old age is making us simultaenously cynical and maudlin. These two characteristics usually dont go hand in hand; a cynical guy is rarely moved to tears. But thats how it is.
I remember when i was a kid i used to bug everyone while watching tear jerkers like 'Anand' - my favorite past time was shining a torch into my father's while he struggled to hold back his tears. Now the same movie invariably makes me cry (i particularly love that scene when Johnny Walker breaks down). There are sequences in Gandhi that moves me to tears, I cry with Mukul when he sees the ruins of his house in Sonar Kella, I cry when Forrest meets his son for the first time and asks if he is normal or like him, I even fucking cry when Vinny wins the case in My Cousin Vinny.
Pretty fucking disgusting I think.
I remember when i was a kid i used to bug everyone while watching tear jerkers like 'Anand' - my favorite past time was shining a torch into my father's while he struggled to hold back his tears. Now the same movie invariably makes me cry (i particularly love that scene when Johnny Walker breaks down). There are sequences in Gandhi that moves me to tears, I cry with Mukul when he sees the ruins of his house in Sonar Kella, I cry when Forrest meets his son for the first time and asks if he is normal or like him, I even fucking cry when Vinny wins the case in My Cousin Vinny.
Pretty fucking disgusting I think.
Jun 28, 2006
Wanderlust
wan·der·lust (wŏn'dər-lŭst') noun: A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.
[German : wandern, to wander (from Middle High German) + Lust, desire (from Middle High German, from Old High German).]
When I was 17 I met this American guy in Calcutta airport. I was doing a part time job for the Ministry of Tourism, the job being to fill up a questionnaire about tourism experiences of foreign tourists in India. This 20 something guy was sitting on a suitcase when I approached him and when I asked him what his permanent address was he patted his suitcase and said this is it. He had left home at the age of 17 and for the last 10 odd years he has been travelling around the world, working his way through one country to another, staying for as long as he liked and then moving on. He had come to Calcutta hoping to do some work with Mother Teresa and hopefully to roam the rest of India. I went home and after eating food my mother prepared and keeping the unwashed plates in the sink for the maid, I went to my room, turned on Floyd and thought 'what a life this guy has! how lucky he is that he can afford to do this'..
I met a similar guy in Bangkok..this guy was an electrician in Denver and he takes 6 months off every 3 years and roams the world. I met him when he was on his fifth month, when he had reached Thailand after staying in Japan and Australia. Again i went green with envy, wishing I had the dollar power to be able to live such a life.
Wanderlust is common among bengalis. Any tourist place you go to in India will be full of the bong traveller, unmistakeable in his monkey cap, cardiganned wife and shawled mother. I asked a shopkeeper in Kumaon (last month when I went there) what the tourist season was like. He answered that usually its March to October, except for bengali tourists who come in the winters as well. But even these guys are not the true travellers. When I was a kid I had heard so many stories of bengali globe-trotters, who had left home in their teens and had worked their way across the world and came back home after 25-30 years.
I salute these guys. These were the guys that prove to couch dreamers like me that you dont need dollars or a permissible society to pursue your dreams.
[German : wandern, to wander (from Middle High German) + Lust, desire (from Middle High German, from Old High German).]
When I was 17 I met this American guy in Calcutta airport. I was doing a part time job for the Ministry of Tourism, the job being to fill up a questionnaire about tourism experiences of foreign tourists in India. This 20 something guy was sitting on a suitcase when I approached him and when I asked him what his permanent address was he patted his suitcase and said this is it. He had left home at the age of 17 and for the last 10 odd years he has been travelling around the world, working his way through one country to another, staying for as long as he liked and then moving on. He had come to Calcutta hoping to do some work with Mother Teresa and hopefully to roam the rest of India. I went home and after eating food my mother prepared and keeping the unwashed plates in the sink for the maid, I went to my room, turned on Floyd and thought 'what a life this guy has! how lucky he is that he can afford to do this'..
I met a similar guy in Bangkok..this guy was an electrician in Denver and he takes 6 months off every 3 years and roams the world. I met him when he was on his fifth month, when he had reached Thailand after staying in Japan and Australia. Again i went green with envy, wishing I had the dollar power to be able to live such a life.
Wanderlust is common among bengalis. Any tourist place you go to in India will be full of the bong traveller, unmistakeable in his monkey cap, cardiganned wife and shawled mother. I asked a shopkeeper in Kumaon (last month when I went there) what the tourist season was like. He answered that usually its March to October, except for bengali tourists who come in the winters as well. But even these guys are not the true travellers. When I was a kid I had heard so many stories of bengali globe-trotters, who had left home in their teens and had worked their way across the world and came back home after 25-30 years.
I salute these guys. These were the guys that prove to couch dreamers like me that you dont need dollars or a permissible society to pursue your dreams.
Jun 20, 2006
Quirkyalone
Quirkyalone: noun/adj. A person who enjoys being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than dating for the sake of being in a couple. With unique traits and an optimistic spirit; a sensibility that transcends relationship status. See also quirkytogether, perkytogether, quirkyslut.
There are some really great people doing great things out there man!! I mean all these years I grew up thinking that I am freak of nature when lo behold!!! I visit this site and find out that I belong to this thriving global community!
I am choking with emotion. Let me go to a corner and spend some time with myself alone.
There are some really great people doing great things out there man!! I mean all these years I grew up thinking that I am freak of nature when lo behold!!! I visit this site and find out that I belong to this thriving global community!
I am choking with emotion. Let me go to a corner and spend some time with myself alone.
Jun 19, 2006
Promiscuity in the modern world
'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's companion'...one of the bloody ten commandments
How can one exactly define 'loose' morals these days? In this day and age of failing marriages, dead relationships and robotic existences why is adultery still such a big deal? How does one justify a person who never cheats on his spouse but at the same time has a meaningless marital relationship? Is such a person a hypocrit, an escapist or is he the future of the institution called marriage?
Why is it that people can forgive a person who has a platonic relationship outside a regular relationship (be it marriage or otherwise) by justifying that 'everyone needs a shoulder to cry on'. Why is the same person labelled a cheat when the relationship becomes physical? Nowadays, people hardly meet someone they can talk to or relate to. All relationships are structured, all players all careful to play it according to the book, all of us are actors who mentally rehearse each line we speak before we utter them. When we find someone with whom one can be one's true self, is it a sin to bare one's soul to that person? And if one has bared one's soul, what is baring one's body?
Why are 'sacrifice' and 'adjustment' such holy words?
How can one exactly define 'loose' morals these days? In this day and age of failing marriages, dead relationships and robotic existences why is adultery still such a big deal? How does one justify a person who never cheats on his spouse but at the same time has a meaningless marital relationship? Is such a person a hypocrit, an escapist or is he the future of the institution called marriage?
Why is it that people can forgive a person who has a platonic relationship outside a regular relationship (be it marriage or otherwise) by justifying that 'everyone needs a shoulder to cry on'. Why is the same person labelled a cheat when the relationship becomes physical? Nowadays, people hardly meet someone they can talk to or relate to. All relationships are structured, all players all careful to play it according to the book, all of us are actors who mentally rehearse each line we speak before we utter them. When we find someone with whom one can be one's true self, is it a sin to bare one's soul to that person? And if one has bared one's soul, what is baring one's body?
Why are 'sacrifice' and 'adjustment' such holy words?
May 30, 2006
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.
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.
May 23, 2006
Hail Male Bonding!
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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!!!
May 8, 2006
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.
May 1, 2006
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.
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.
Apr 28, 2006
Six degrees of separation
I am sure all of you know this theory that has been around since 1929 that proposes that anyone on earth can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than four intermediaries. So basically that means that I only need to trace 4 people connecting my servant Deep to Demi Moore and I will be able to meet her. This has been proved by mathematicians in 1950 using a lot of statistical mumbo jumbo and sociologists who have spouted how humbling and noble this concept is.
I believe its all hogwash, but thats not the point. The point is, do watch the movie by the same name. The plot of the movie (starring Donal Sutherland and Will Smith) was inspired by the real-life story of David Hampton, a con man who managed to convince a number of people in the 1980s that he was the son of actor Sidney Poitier. Its a fantastic movie (you need to follow the dialogs carefully though) and brings out the incredible differences between people living next to each other in big cities - the ultra-rich surrounded by the gutter poor, and how they cope (or 'uncope') with this dangerous situation.
Try it.
I believe its all hogwash, but thats not the point. The point is, do watch the movie by the same name. The plot of the movie (starring Donal Sutherland and Will Smith) was inspired by the real-life story of David Hampton, a con man who managed to convince a number of people in the 1980s that he was the son of actor Sidney Poitier. Its a fantastic movie (you need to follow the dialogs carefully though) and brings out the incredible differences between people living next to each other in big cities - the ultra-rich surrounded by the gutter poor, and how they cope (or 'uncope') with this dangerous situation.
Try it.
Apr 21, 2006
Munich - a review
Watched Spielberg's Munich yesterday. It was a landmark event of my life as I have redefined my career path after watching the movie. Here's what I will do:
1) Become a CIA agent
2) Go undercover in the middle east - Operation Brown Mongoose (to kill Osama)
3) There will be 73 million dollars deposited in a numbered account in Banque Nationale de Suisse for operational expenses.
4) I will take out the money, come to India and invest in MF, blue chip equities and real estate.
5) I will return to Dubai (didnt I say middle east before) and stay undercover for a year
6) When the 73 becomes 125 million dollars I will return to India and cash in.
7) I will go back to Virginia and tell the CIA ops head that I was unsuccessful and return 81.76 million dollars (principal plus 12% interest).
8) I will come back to india and invest 41.24 million dollars in MF, blue chip equities and real estate.
9) I will buy a maruti swift and a pair of Police sunglasses.
10)I will then retire and concentrate full time on my blog.
If you see any snags guys please point them out to me. I am serious!
1) Become a CIA agent
2) Go undercover in the middle east - Operation Brown Mongoose (to kill Osama)
3) There will be 73 million dollars deposited in a numbered account in Banque Nationale de Suisse for operational expenses.
4) I will take out the money, come to India and invest in MF, blue chip equities and real estate.
5) I will return to Dubai (didnt I say middle east before) and stay undercover for a year
6) When the 73 becomes 125 million dollars I will return to India and cash in.
7) I will go back to Virginia and tell the CIA ops head that I was unsuccessful and return 81.76 million dollars (principal plus 12% interest).
8) I will come back to india and invest 41.24 million dollars in MF, blue chip equities and real estate.
9) I will buy a maruti swift and a pair of Police sunglasses.
10)I will then retire and concentrate full time on my blog.
If you see any snags guys please point them out to me. I am serious!
Apr 20, 2006
An amazing song
It seems like yesterday
But it was long ago
Janey was lovely, she was the queen of my nights
There in the darkness with the radio playlng low
And the secrets that we shared
The mountains that we moved
Caught like a wildfire out of control
Till there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove
And I remember what she said to me
How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me oh so tight
Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then
Against the wind
We were runnin’ against the wind
We were young and strong, we were runnin’
Against the wind
And the years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded bv stranners I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home
And I guess I lost my way
There were oh so many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying or even how much I owed
Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searchin’
Searching for shelter again and again
Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind
Well those drifters days are past me now
I’ve got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out
Against the wind
I’m still runnin’ against the wind
Well I’m older now and still
Against the wind
But it was long ago
Janey was lovely, she was the queen of my nights
There in the darkness with the radio playlng low
And the secrets that we shared
The mountains that we moved
Caught like a wildfire out of control
Till there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove
And I remember what she said to me
How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me oh so tight
Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then
Against the wind
We were runnin’ against the wind
We were young and strong, we were runnin’
Against the wind
And the years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded bv stranners I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home
And I guess I lost my way
There were oh so many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying or even how much I owed
Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searchin’
Searching for shelter again and again
Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind
Well those drifters days are past me now
I’ve got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out
Against the wind
I’m still runnin’ against the wind
Well I’m older now and still
Against the wind
Apr 19, 2006
A north indian wedding
Actually it was a pre-wedding cocktail party. Went there expecting a stag affair where everyone gets roaring drunk and a couple of fights break out. Turned out to be a family affair with plenty of women and children. What I loved was this punjabi culture of dancing. There was a strobe lit dance floor which was filled to capacity. For women whose husbands were too busy drinking, they were quite happy to take on 12 year old partners. And the best part came when the grooms parents came on the stage on popular demand. Uncle and aunty danced to 'Ae mere zohra zabin' and it was wonderful. I wish I had seen my parents dance to a romantic number. Will agree to marry once more just to see that.
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