कल काफी सालों बाद मैंने
तुम्हारी दी हुई वो कमीज़ निकाली
कॉलर पर तुम्हारा एक बाल
और बाहों में तुम्हारी खुशबूं मिली
जेब से हमारा एक फोटो भी मिला
कुछ धुंधली सी हो गयी है
रंग भी थोडे बदल गए है
काला धुला सा नजर आया
और सफेद भी मठमैला हो गया है ....
....फिर से पहनने की कोशिश तो मेने बहुत की
पर अब वो फिट नहीं आता
मुझे याद है कि कैसे तुमने मेरी क़ॉपी के पहले पन्ने पर
मेरे टेढे से मुंह की पिक्चर बनाई थी
और लाल स्याही से उस पर एक बड़ी सी हंसी आंकी थी
मुझे याद है कि कैसे तुम बीच वाले पन्ने से
कागज के प्लेन बनाया करती थी
पर फैन की तेज हवाएं अकसर उनका रुख मोड देती
और ये देखकर तुम्हारे चेहरे पर
अचानक एक अलग सी मुस्कान आ जाती
मुझे ये भी याद है कि कैसे हम पीछे वाली बेंच पर बैठकर
टीचर की नजर बचाकर
मेरे कॉपी के आखरी पन्ने पर
वह शब्दों वाला गेम खेला करते थे
और कैसे तुम हर बार मेरे शब्द गेस कर लेती थी
और मैं हर बार यही सोचता रहता
कि इन खाली जगहों पर कौन सा अक्षर लिखूं
कल बड़े अरसो बाद, क़ॉपी खोली तो पाया
कि जो फूल तु्म्हें देने के लिए लाया था
वह अब भी उन पन्नों में समटी हुई है
हां, थोड़ा सा मुरझा जरूर गया हैं...
जब पन्ने पलटें तो देखा
कि हंसी तो अब भी बरकरार है
पर वक्त के साथ उस लाल स्चाही का रंग
फीका पड़ गया है।
I started writing this post sometime last month, but being true to the spirit of the pseudo crusader, I have left it unfinished. Probably its my inability, or perhaps, its my disability...
The eighth month is slowly drawing to a close, and as the year enters it's twilight zone, it seems India's flirtation with Madame Fortune is all but over. Things, however, were quite different, at the same time last year, when the liaison was at it's prime. The economy was chugging ahead at a healthy 9 percent plus. The Sensex was zooming ahead at Mach 3. Inflation was yet to raise its dreaded hood. And there was a relative calm in the political arena.
But now, tables have turned.
Let's start with the least sensitive of all the issues - The Sensex. The gluttonous few of Dalal Street, are in a pensive mood these days. Their betting game is no longer yielding high returns, and this is definitely a cause of concern for the Country. The markets have come down significantly from the highs. FII inflows have dried up. And the SEBI is ready to compromise monetary flow issues to revive the dubious P Notes, for the sake of 'domestic' investors. But then who are we to blame for this? And then, why should we blame, or even be bothered by it? Those involved in organised and legal betting are not new to the hazards of the game. They themselves were responsible for the rise, and now, for the fall. The markets are almost the private domain of the 'selected' few, and I don't see any cause of concern. If a person decides to build a blast furnace in his backyard to heat his broth, it his private matter, and I really respect privacy.
The slowing down of the economy is definitely worrisome. This implies that the wheels of 'development' can come to a standstill. But then the question arise were they rolling at all??? If the driver of the carriage decided to oil one wheel, and shuns the rest, the consequence is a foregone conclusion. As the rich keep continue to feast , latest poverty norms ($1.35/day) suggests that two-thirds of the country still cannot even afford a single meal a day. And this number is by no means trivial...We are talking about 70 crore people...that is the combined population of UK, France and the Scandinavian countries. So is there any development at all???
However, those whose minds are still clouded by misplaced notion of growth might argue that even if sheer numbers are daunting, poverty has been declining faster now than it ever did before. This is yet another figment of imagination of the ruling classes propogated as reality/truth. These people are great believers in numbers, and yes, its the numbers game after all. Poverty in the pre-liberal era (1975-1990) was declining at 59.3% annually. However, this figure dropped to 43.2% in the period 1991-2005.
And yes, the burning hot topic of the moment is the Nano. The real people's car, is facing a stiff opposition from the people. Sounds strange, nah?? Yes, Singur, can very well be a political gimmick, and Mamta Bannerjee, a ridiculous joker, but then can you deny the fact that it is being built on fertile agricultural land.What will the children of this area do when they grow up? They no longer would have any land to till, and the paltry sum given as compensation would have been dwindled away by alcoholic fathers. None of them would find any sort of employment in the gas guzzling factories, not because the Tatas would bear grudges against them, but because these people would be simply unemployable.
This isn’t a review. This article is not about the film either. In fact, this film is not yet another Superhero film. The Dark Knight is not about Batman and exploits against his nemesis...it’s just a facade. It’s a facade that writer/director Christopher Nolan uses to question the dichotomy between good & evil...between hero and villain... between light and darkness.
Let’s start with the name – The Dark Knight. Does anything strike you? The name in itself is an oxymoron...well... not in the truest sense, but it does question the hegemonic beliefs about Knights/night. The pun on ‘night’ is obvious instantly. So the Knight is as dark as the night. Or is the night as dark as the Knight? Night has traditionally been associated with evil/Satan, and Knights with good deeds, and they are always in shining Armour (light). So, is our perception, correctly placed? And then who is the knight? The Batman in his dark costume, or the Joker with a technicolor face? Does this seem baffling? Well, it’s just the beginning.
This film speaks to the audience on various levels. The most apparent is the clash between Batman and the evil Joker. But even at this level, Nolan, seems to mock at the notion of such a struggle. And through Harvey Dent, he ties to convey the message. The two faced Harvey, is in fact, a perfect alter ego, of both the Batman and the Joker. In the first half, Wayne sees Harvey, as the man who can guarantee a retirement plan for the Batman, and in the second, Dent, becomes the Joker’s successor. Nolan uses the age-old theatrical device of the mask, to show two sides of a coin (Harvey’s coin is yet another device) and yes, the coin reminds me of yet another old debate between free will and pre destination, and man’s obsession with it. Dent thought that he could create his destiny, but then was he successful? Through the two faced Harvey, Nolan, tries to say that the battle is not being waged outside, but the struggle is inside us. Even in the climax of the film, it is not Batman vs The Joker, but the battle is raging inside the people stuck on the two barges.
The Dark Knight also brings to fore the question of identity. In a perfectly shot jail room sequence, the Joker asks the Batman, “What are you without me, and what am I without you?” The existence of the self is based on the construction of the other. The self cannot exist without the Other. God would not have existed if there were no Satan. How can there be a Heaven, if there is no Hell? And does Black have any meaning without the existence of White? For the preservation of Self, man constantly creates and re-creates the Other. So when Joker asks the poignant question, he is not only questioning the Batman, but the entire theology and tradition that gives birth to such ideas/heroes/superheroes. Imagine there was no dichotomy between good and bad, between God and Satan, between Man and Woman...Do you think there would have been any conflict? Look at any conflict raging around, and you can reduce all those struggles to the basic dichotomies. If there was no difference between Man and Woman, do you think the society would have been as it is now? If there was no Self and the Other, between God and Satan, do you think religions would have existed....and if there were no religion, then would have terrorism cropped up? If there was no God, then there would not have been Feudalism, and without Feudalism neither Fascism nor Capitalism would have cropped up. No Capitalism means no Communism, that means no Cold War would have had happened. No Cold War, means no Afghanistan. No Afghanistan means no Taliban and Al Qaeda. Can it be simpler than this? No matter how complex a situation is, everything derives its legitimacy from the basic dichotomy between God and Satan, between good and evil. Thus, a seemingly innocuous question by Joker has the potential to change the entire world order.
And this is the power of this film.
It does not matter whether you have seen the film or not, go and watch it again. You’ll probably unveil yet another layer beneath the apparent.
Yet another gangster film from 'THE FACTORY', and yet, another disappointment. There is not much to write about in this film...In fact, this film, does not have anything at all. Based on the alleged links between D-Company and the Al Qaeda, this film tries to explore the equations between the mercenary Mafia, and the religiously inclined Jehadi groups... There is much to explore and even more to show, but Contract is half baked film based on a shoddy storyline.
Like a typical 'Factory' production this film too introduces a host of new actors, but unlike a characteristic RGV film, Contract neither has fabulous cinematography nor is the editing brilliant. All in all, this is one of the technically poorer films to come out the RGV stable.
The performances are nothing to write about. Newcomer Adhvik Mahajan (as Aman/Amaan) looks like he suffers from perennial constipation. Prasad Purandare as Ahmed Hussain, the coffee guzzling, grumbling ACP of Mumbai Police, does a bit better. Sakshi Gulati, as Iya. looks sexy, but that's the end of the story. The rest of the cast look like mere cardboard characters.
So, should you go and watch it?
In times of sky rocketing prices, I would suggest you rather donate your surplus money to the needier sections of the population, rather than waste it on a useless movie.
(I know that this review is dry and uninteresting, but then writing a raunchy review for boring film would not be fair... Isn't it?)
If you are 20 something, tired of the pressures of a professional life and are still nostalgic about those fun-filled college days...Go and watch Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa. Yes, it's a trip down the college corridors, the booze parties and that pehla-pehla pyar!
So, before I start dissecting the film, I will make a confession- I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Yes, it definitely had an emotional connect, and that I think is the USP of the film. Loosely based around the Rahul and Anjali's story ( Remember Kuch Kuch Hota Hai!), Jaane Tu, is a tale about Jai and Aditee, their friendship and their eventual love story. Told in an extensive flash-back style, the story revolves around the lives of a bunch of youngsters going through the travails of understanding the meaning of love and friendship.
Jai and Aditee are best buddies, but they are not in love...Well, That's what they think...and so they set out to find the perfect partner for their mate. And when one finds the other in somebody else's arm, that's when reality/love bites them!
The casting is brilliant, and the lead actors...Rondu, Bombs, and Jiggy are fabulous. This bunch is as good as it gets, although Imran is a bit disappointing. Irrespective of what the critics say, Imran has a lot of ground to cover, before he makes a mark for himself as an 'actor'. And what can one say about Genelia...Well! She's the kind of girl I'd like to go out with ;) However, I think, she can do with some diction classes. The makeup and the costume of the characters make them believable, makes them one of us ( We the rising yuppies of emerging India), and thousands of youngsters will be able to see their stories through Jai or Aditee's eyes.
Jaane Tu also has a host of supporting actors, including veterans like Ratna Pathak Shah, Naseeruddin Shah, and Paresh Rawal. But the director,Abbas Tyrewala, has wasted them. Their portrayal seem sketchy and it seems the director treated them with contempt. Also the pot-shots taken at Feminism is totally unnecessary and unwanted. Either the scriptwriter/director have no idea about the feminist movement or they treat women with the same contempt as they have treated the supporting actors. Although, the director tries to temper his pun by taking a similar sarcastic take on Masculinity, it is anything but regrettable.
But then everyone has idiosyncrasies, even the Director, and whatever said and done, Jaane Tu is a fabulous film and a must watch!!!
This song is my current favourite. Just notice the tenor in Manna Dey's voice!!
It's fab! I get goose bumps everytime I listen to this song
ऐ मेरे प्यारे वतन
ऐ मेरे बिछ़ड़े चमन
तुझ पे दिल कुरबान
तू ही मेरी आरज़ू
तू ही मेरी आबरू
तू ही मेरी जान
तेरे दामन से जो आयी, उन हवाओ को सलाम
चूम लू मैं उस ज़ुबान को जिस पे आयी तेरा नाम
सब से प्यारी सुबह तेरी, सबसे रंगीन श्याम
मां का दिल बनके कभी सीने ने लग जाता है तू
और कभी नन्हीं सी बेटी बन के याद आता है तू
जितना याद आता है तू, उतना तड़पता है तू
छो़ड़कर तेरी ज़मीन से दूर आ पहुंचे है हम
फिर भी है यही तमन्ना तेरे ज़र्रों की कसम
हम जहां पैदा हुए, उस जगह ही निकले ये दम
1.If you love sports copy the link and paste it in your browser's address bar ( Don't worry it's not a bug...it's alink to an article)
http://www.india-today.com/itoday/08031999/sports.html
2.Read the preceding post.
3.Can you find a connection?
On that chilly summer afternoon, when a bunch of youngsters lifted an innocuous looking trophy, little did they know that their feat would change the nature of the gentleman's game forever. It was on 25th of June 1983 when Cricket moved out of the lush green English countryside to find a new home in dusty lanes of the Indian subcontinent.
The rest, as they say, is History.
As we celebrate the greatest moment in our collective conscience, it's high time for introspection. We as a nation seem to be obsessed with this sport. The sound of a ball hitting the sweet spot on the bat can evoke such emotions that even the greatest of all orators can't. We jump with joy whenever India scores a win, and our heart skips a beat every time Sachin is on 99!
But, have you ever wondered what is the reason behind this frenzy?
The answer probably lies in our colonial past. Cricket is a legacy of our erstwhile rulers. It was the pasttime of the Sahibs...after all it was/is the Gentleman's Game. And it's the aspiration of becoming a gentleman that has led to the immense popularity of the game. Even though the British ruled us with an iron fist,we, Indians seemed to have a love-hate relationship with our perpetrators. We loathed them and yet, in the deep chambers of our heart, we aspired to become one of them... We wanted to shed our brown skins for white one, and if that was not possible, at least we could become like them in our mannerisms.
So we started dressing like them (The three piece suit, the Hat and the walking stick). We even started speaking their language, and we wanted to make their sport ours too. So the popularity of cricket has more to do with our fascination to become like them than with anything else. (Much in the same fashion, we are obsessed with fair skin...the numerous advertisements on the boob-tube just reiterate the fact)
If we could adopt cricket we could truly become the Gentleman, we always aspired to. So we practised, and practised and practised. And on that fateful day twenty five years ago, we achieved our dream...
We truly became the Brown Sahib.
We have all read about this city. We have all seen this city on the silver screen. We have all heard about this city...but it's nothing like living in this city. The more time I spend here, the more amazed I get. It's the plurality of the city that amazes me. The existence of multiple realities and multiple histories characterizes this bustling, bursting city.
Take for example the name itself- Mumbai. The Shiv Sena government which was responsible for the change of name said it wanted to get rid of the colonial baggage, and so sometime in the mid nineties, by the stroke of a pen Bombay became Mumbai. And slowly the city started getting an all new identity. The Crawford Market became Jyotiba Phule Market, and the famous Victoria Terminus was given a new identity by Chhatrapati Shivaji.
But the emergence of a new identity has not erased an older history. So, the old Bombay exists side by side with the new Mumbai. BMC still remains BMC. Fried 'Bombay Duck' still remains the favored cuisine of the 'Mumbaikar'. The faithful Bombayite still waits patiently in serpentine queues to get a glimpse of Mumba Devi. And Mumbai’s politicos/socialites still want to be seen on Bombay Times.
If this is a reflection of the present, let's take a peek into the past. 'Bombay' came into existence with the arrival of the Portuguese in India. And its prominence can be attributed to Britain's love affair with this sea-side hamlet. If this is what official history suggests, popular belief says that this is the city of Mumba Devi. So, do these apparently contradictory histories trouble the denizens? No, it doesn't. For them one is a matter of fact, and the other is conviction of faith.
This city is fighting a losing battle against space. Everywhere you see, there are people...thousands of them, trying to get an extra inch. Everyday millions snugly fit into a few feet in the 'locals'. Look around and you'll see a pair of eyes staring at you. But loneliness is the first thing that strikes you when you set afoot in this city bursting at its seams. Everybody is stranded alone amongst millions, looking ...searching for a 'face' in a sea of faces.
Surprising? Perhaps not.
This city boasts of being home to India's richest. More than half of India's income tax collections come from this city. But in this city of billionaires, poverty runs amuck. Just step onto Senapati Bapat Marg (in Lower Parel), one of the busiest business districts in the city, and you'll find streets lined with uncountable people...fighting to get their piece of bread (or should I say 'pav'?)
It is this co-existence of opposites in apparent harmony, is what surprises me. And as time whizzes past me, this city slowly unfurls itself… It makes me wonder about myself, and poses a thousand questions, to which there are no (ir)‘rational’ answers.
Noida has been in the news for all the wrong reasons these days. After Nithari its the time for Jal Vayu Vihar (incidentally, Jal Vayu Vihar is in the vicinity of Nithari!) The murder of 14 year old Arushi Talwar, and Yam Prasad Banjade ( alias Hemraj) has rocked the nation. 'National' media seems to have gone into a frenzy. There is no doubt that this double murder is a crime of the most heinous nature, but its high time to analyse the frenzy that it has created.
This double murder has held the attention of the 'entire' nation thanks to vigilant reporting by 24X7 news channels and the multitude of newspapers. But the point in case is, why has this murder case been given so much attention? The answer probably lies in the economics of news dispersion.
The rise of the news industry is intricately linked to the astonishing growth story of the bourgeoisie in India. India's growth story has been fueled by the rise in consumption, and the middle class plays a significant role in that. On the other hand, the burgeoning news industry runs on ad-spot revenues. And yes, it is the middle class that buys the products advertised on television/papers. Thus, the middle class is, inevitably, the target audience of the News/Media Industry.
So where does the Noida double murder case fit into this jigsaw?
The murders have been in the spotlight because it features a family that is so typically 'middle class'. The murdered girl is one of 'our' kin. She could have 'our' own sister, daughter, friend. And this is why emotions get whipped, and the 'entire' nation (its a different matter that this 'entire' nation is only 35 crore strong)identifies with the victim and the victimised.
Murders have been rampant in the Hindi Heartland. The villages of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madyha Pradesh witness,at least, one murder every single day. But why is the 'nation' unaware about them? Because the victim, 8 out of 10 times, is from the backward classes...is a Dalit...
'(S)he is not one of us'
And if the victim is not one of our kin it does not make economic sense for our mercenary media to devote precious airtime/newsprint to the crime. Because, they would not find viewers for such news, and without high TRPs/TAMs, Corporate India won't pay Crores for a 10 second spot on television or an inch in print.
This is not an attempt to vilify the media, or to reduce the significance of the crime committed in Noida. Rather its a reflection on the workings of an industry that claims high moral ground and proclaims to be the lone warrior against the evils of the society.
Oil's on the boil. Yes, this phrase is making headlines across channels over the past few months. Sometime back, it broke through the 100 Dollar mark and is all set to breach 150 Dollars in the near future (considering the rapid rise in Crude price in the month of May). Even the government is now considering a raise in the petrol and diesel prices to offset some of the losses that the Oil Marketing Companies are suffering.
Even if the rising price of Crude seems to be a gospel truth, it hides more than it reveals. A price rise, by simple economics, is the result of increased demand and the inability of supply to keep abreast. However, in the case of crude, it is not that simple.
All newspapers and channels keep on harping about Crude breaching important levels, but few tell you that the price being quoted, is the price at which the 'precious' commodity is being traded on the bourses, specifically, the NYMEX. Essentially, it's the price at which Crude 'Futures' are being traded. Although my more informed peers might argue, future trading, is nothing but gambling for the intelligent. It's basically quoting a price at which the particular commodity would trade in the future, and the inherent speculative nature of the transaction leads to a situation of artificial price rise. My informed peers would argue that there is no conclusive fact to support this theory, but a look at the mechanism (with some amount of common sense) would clearly reveal that the picture is a lot more murky.
The price rise in Crude, even according to my 'informed' peers and 'experts', has been most unnatural. Although there is no denying this fact that we are rapidly running out of this precious commodity, nothing in the recent past suggests that such a sudden rise is justified. Infact, International Energy Agency report suggests that in the world's largest market for oil, the demand has actually decreased. The USA is the largest consumer of Oil and oil products in the world, but due to an impending recession the demand has actually reduced. Infact, IEA has even revised its target for consumption of Oil in the USA. (Just to give an idea about the 'largeness' of this number- USA consumes more oil, than India and China combined) . The other oft stated reason for the rise in prices is the increased demand in China and India. Well, to be honest, the demand has increased and has increased significantly, but this is no surprise. Infact, the growth in demand has been in accordance to IEA estimates.
If the demand side story seems a bit surprising, the supply side tale is even more interesting. Oil production has 'increased' by a considerable amount and most of the oil wells are producing at peak capacity ( According to IEAs report current Oil Wells across the world are supposed to have peaked around 2006 and would continue to show peak production for a few years before the figures start to show a decline). OPEC is at peak production, and except for the Eurozone countries the rest of the world is producing more oil now than they ever did! (Just for the record...Eurozone's oil production is almost negligible)
So, is there any justification for Crude's northward trip? Is NYMEX the benchmark? Is future trading the right mechanism for price discovery? Probably not...probably yes. Probably this is the Crude Reality staring us in our face!
Yes! It's been a year. Now that is an achievement of some sorts! For a person who thought he wouldn't last for more than six months in this organisation, he has actually spent a year. And this year has been, to use a chiche, (Oh! I am so fond of cliches!), a 'steep learning curve'!
Yes, it has been a learning curve, albeit a bit different.
Working in a business channel, over the past 365 days I have come into contact with the stock markets almost every single day. Stock Markets are also known as Capital Markets which itself is an interesting name. Apart from the financial connotations of the word Capital, it also denotes a sense of being 'primary', and that states a lot about our stock markets. Yes, they have become the Primary mode of transaction in our country. And with the hullabaloo over the Sensex, this epithet is not unjustified. Every move the Sensex makes, is being followed by hundreds of devotees. So much so that it has spurned atleast 4 exclusive media channels, and this is not taking into account the hourly market updates on numerous general news channels, or the multitude of newspapers. It is this phenomenon that has caught my attention. Call it the Stock syndrome, or anything else ,this is the subject of my interest. This is my learning curve, or should I say a learning hole.
What is the basis of this obsession? Why does the rise and fall of a curve the reason of such emotional responses? Why do news channels go ballistic when the Sensex touches the 21,000 mark, and why do they go into a condolence mode when it crashes a thousand points?
Are there any answers? I doubt there are, but I can offer an explanation. Inspite of waht my learned colleagues might claim, 'trading' is no better than organised betting. Companies worth a crore have been valued at 40 times their asset by the Market. It is mere speculation that drives share prices northwards. And speculation is an integral part of our 'Capital Markets'. The channels with their numerous gurus make their living speculating.
Isn't speculation also a part of betting? How is quoting a target price for a particular stock different from betting on a number for huge returns? It is this inherent characteristic that drives investors crazy and the cause for such emotional outbursts?
And this is what spurns me.
Ever since its inception only 65 lakh 'investors' have ever made a transaction. That number might look big, but in comparison to our 100 crore plus population, it is a measly 0.065%! And we have four dedicated television channels catering to this minuscule number. If you don't find this ridiculous, then there is some cause for concern.
The impassioned response against Capital Gains tax and Commodities transaction tax is/was ludicrous. The CTT intends to propose a tax of Rs. 17 on transactions worth One lakh...Yes, One lakh! The arguments against the imposition state a decline in turnover, and a loss of trade!Is a person making transaction worth a lakh of rupees incapable of paying Rs.17 as tax?
The answer what our channels and their viewers would like to hear is- NO
And this has been my learning hole!
And into this hole I come everyday, praying that old adages come true, and there is indeed some light at the end of the tunnel.
Psychological aberrations seem to be the flavour of the season.After Aamir Khan made a stunning debut as a director, with dyslexia as his subject, Ajay Devgan too, chose Alzheimer's as a case study for his first film (as a director). So did he match up to his more illustrious peer? Yes, he did, but 'U Me aur Hum' is not just about Alzheimer's. It's a study about love, friendship, and companionship. It's about emotions, and the evolution of emotions.
Irrespective of whether this film makes a mark at the box office, or not, 'U Me aur Hum', has broken new grounds within the paradigm of the conventional love story. And this is what makes this film watchable. The first half has all the elements of a typical Masala film. A guy falls in love with a sultry bar waitress, and then the follows the oh-so-familiar wooing game. But this film does not end where most love stories do...And the second half is delightful. Devgan has showed a lot of maturity in the portrayal of the love struck couple. They are so close and yet so far...
Devgan deserves kudos for the use of sound effects. UMH has utilised sound effects womderfully, and I can't recall any film apart from TZP to have used sound so effectively. The scene where Alzheimer's makes its first appearance (Kajol stranded on the street) has that disturbing screeching sound...and my friend just could not bear it...Well, thats the power of Sound effects, and it did exactly what it was meant for...to force the audience to sit up and take notice.
The sensitivity with which the character's are treated, makes this film a treat to watch. You may argue, but what makes me enthusiastic about this film, is that 'filmi' characters are slowly evolving into men and women. The stereotype is slowly giving away for more realistic portrayals. I don't know whether that's desirable or not, but it certainly adds another layer to the text. Ajay's soliloquy deserves a special mention, because rarely in Hindi cinema do we find such elements. Soliloquies have faded away from all forms of cinema, and it's a refeshing change to see one after such a long time. And Kajol's subdued performance is perhaps one of her best.
But this film too has it's own share of flaws,the first being the editing. It could have been much tighter. The sub-plots (involving the side characters) are not treated with the same seriousness, and have been reduced to mere lampoons. The first half is tacky and full of cheap humuor (Men are like mice, always looking for a hole), but then even the finest of all directors also make mistakes, and this perhaps reinstates that the Director too, is a human being, fallible...just like 'U Me OR Hum'
बस कुछ अधूरे ख्वाब हैं
कुछ आधे लम्हें
कुछ अनकहे से जवाब भी हैं
जो पुकारते है तुम्हें
कुछ भूली हुई यादें हैं
कुछ अनलिखे से ख़त
एक आधी सी बोतल में
कैद है एक गुज़रा हुआ व़क्त
कुछ अधूरे गीत हैं
और एक अनसुनी सी धुन
तुम्हारे संग बिताएं हुए पल बिखरे हैं
और बिखरा हूं मैं भी
i am like dust ...
blown by the wind...
misunderstood..
loved yet hated ..
despised yet wanted...
from a shadow i emerge...
only to disappear in the darkness..
of the Sun..
walking the last mile...
yet its just the beginning
of a journey of thousand miles
and perhaps, as few smiles...i put on the garb of a saint
smear myself with holy paint....
just to escape those thousand eyes...
looking blindly ...
i know they cant see anything ...
neither can they hear..
(they are deaf too)
but am too afraid too scream ...
in case that awakens them from their slumber...
but ...
but...
its harder...
than you think...
its not a pretty pink .....
neither its blue...
or black
or orange...
its a murky colorless red
but slowly the color fades..
and leaves behind a stain...
to remind you of the pain...
and perhaps the joys too....
sometimes I cry...
atleast I try ...
but tears elude me...
and the smile sneers...
and so do my peers..
perhaps its destiny ...
or its THE opportunity....
that i have let go ...
that i had held onto...
only to let it slip...
'cause the harder u try to squeeze...
the faster it vanishes...
like sand...
like water...
on a trepid stretch of land....
someday...
sometime...
the wind will blow...
and grains of sand would glow...
in the embers...
and then....an amber....
i would be there...
Do fast cuts and faster cars make a movie pacy? If the director duo Abbas-Mastan are to be believed, they do. In this MTV age, the attention span of the average audience has reduced dramatically, and so, the song sequences started looking like the videos that they show on television. Probably, this is the first time the entire film has been shot like a Music Video. The eclectic camera movements along with faster cuts, and an erratic storyline,leaves your head spinning! Yes, this movie should have been named Vertigo!!!
In this tale of modern day Ram and Bharat, the script goes totally awry. With innumerable twists and turns, the movie seems like one big maze! Find your way out, if you can!!! To be honest, the twists, in the beginning, do add to the excitement (Well, I got excited seeing Katrina, what if she can't act!) But in an attempt to keep the audience hooked, the Directors have gone overboard. Chota Bhai, Akshaye wants to bump off Bada Bhai, Saif, to get a hundred million in insurance...Wow! such an 'original' storyline!After a murder attempt goes awry, chota Bhai decides to take matters into his own hand, and tries to pull off the biggest heist in the history of Cinema. But after 'racing' through the 'twisted' script, the shady Ram triumphs over shadier Bharat! And in the process, the brothers must have blown up more than five million on swanky cars, booze, bribes and not to mention their medical bills/pills! So much so for a Million!
The characters in this movie are uni-dimensional, Saif is no better than a card-board cutout of his 'Provogue' campaign, and Akshaye Khanna seems just a shadow of his brilliant self ('Sid' in DCH was the show-stealer for me. Bipasha is good, but has been better elsewhere, and yes Katrina...what can one say about her! She looks stunning but somebody please tell her that an actor also needs to act! I think Anil Kapoor is not being 'chooosy' about his roles, otherwise how did he he land up in this re-cycled trash.(*Somehow the movie reminds me of re-cycled trash...Re-cycled trash looks good, but is useless) With Anil's entry in the second half, the film makes yet another turn from the body to the bawdy. Lewd puns on Bananas do leave a very bitter after-taste. And Sameera seems to have resigned to her fate, as a cleavage showing mannequin.
So, is there anything good about Race? Yes, the cars! This film is a virtual car catalogue!Almost every label is on show...from Merc to Mazda! A wet dream for the car crazy! So if you love Cars and Katrina....go ahead and watch this!!!
Kunal Majumder
School day memories are just not about friends or teachers, it’s also your crushes. Crushes that crashed. Crushes that got crushed, and crushes that got you thrashed...well almost!!!
It’s a crazy feeling. Scholars, philosophers and even saints have spent years to decode it. Doubtful if they succeeded. So all those high-on-testosterone, confused teens hanging outside Carmel after-dismissal, the puzzle is nothing new!
Misthi (name changed) was my friend’s sister. We met when I was in class nine. You can guess my situation. All my peers had a ‘Gal Friend’ and so I was supposed to get one too! Or else they would say I have strayed. Not that I was really bothered about their opinion. But peer pressure really works!
Lost in her dreams, my imagination would run wild. In a matter of weeks, I was sure that I would spend my whole life with her. I knew where we would live…. And Bollywood added fuel to the already burning fire!!!
Aftab Shivdasani’s debut movie Mast had just been released. The film was about crushes and infatuation. And it also had an angle of ‘running away from home’. So what else was required?! It was a perfect setup. Un katil nigaho mein, un gaheri adao mein… mast... I would stare at the stars on the terrace of our house and plan my elopement with my sweet Misthi!
But there was one problem.
A small one… I had never spoken to Misthi about my plans. To be honest, I have had never even spoken to her ever about anything.
But I ‘loved’ bragging about our ‘affair’.
What happened next? Nothing. Nancy ma’m told me about the arrival of a new Jeffrey Archer in the library. I was hooked to it for the next few weeks. Fortunately or unfortunately, Misthi was nowhere there.
Oh… I forgot to tell you I ‘fell in love’ again in Plus two. Autumn was in, and the old banyan tree was just starting to shed its old, dirty brown leaves. But to me, they seemed lovely....To me they were those lovely yellow maple leaves, which seemed to seduce the haughty breeze. Oh! That crazy Bollywood sickness had struck me again!
And, ‘Mohabattein’ was the inspiration this time! I immediately changed my specs frame to the one, worn by Shahrukh aka Raj Aryan. Even the style of wearing the sweater changed. The radar started beeping fast. The search was on. This time it was the daughter of my psychology teacher. Gosh! Just imagine what would his reaction been had he known it then? Well, I think not much would have happened. For I did nothing but let my imagination run as the previous time!
Having said all this, I did get a shock few months back. My cousin, who is in class eleven, had come to Delhi. I knew she had a boy friend but never knew that she had some awesome guts. She landed at my place with her ‘BF’ and happily introduced him to us. I really didn’t know to react. Neither could I suppress my laughter on seeing ‘kids’ (Yes, after years of laborious acads, I feel like an oldie!), posing as a ‘serious couple’, nor could I digest the ‘alliance’. Or was I jealous?
Kunal Majumder is the honorary alumni editor of DNS’s portal – Denobili.edu.in. He graduated ISC (Plus Two) in 2003 and is a student of MA Convergent Journalism at the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC) of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He is a freelance journalist with leading fashion magazines like IMAGES Business of Fashion and FnL. He can be reached at editor@denobili.edu.in.
ये रंग ही तो हैं
ये शायद वहीं रंग हैं
जो आसमां थे कभी छाएं
जिनकी भीनी खुशबूं
लायी थी वो अंजान फिज़ाएं
ये शायद वहीं रंग ही हैं
ये रंग ही तो हैं
जिनसे कभी वो खेला करते थे
हाथों में गुलाल
गाल पर गुलाबी
और आखों में अजीब सी कशिश हुआ करती थी
ये शायद वहीं रंग हैं
"I am the easiest guy you can have. I am the fixer..." Yes thats Michael Clayton for you. With George Clooney in the title role, this film promises a lot, and to be honest, the beginning, is as intriguing as it can get.
The opening strikes you, because a set of seemingly unrelated images keep playing to a voiceover narrative, and even the narrative hardly seems to make any sense. The opening,perhaps, is the strongest element in the film. The fragmented narrative adds an additional dimension to the film. The fragmented first half foreshadows the second, where the characters reveal themselves. The characters, their lives, are fragmented and flawa. The protagonist is a 'fixer' who mends the holes in the seemingly fluent fabric of an affluent law firm. But the man cannot mend his own problems...cards. Yes.cards are his problem.
The use of cards is yet another piece of clever symbolism by the director/scriptwriter.The three main characters in the film-Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson and George Clooney form the Queen, King and the Jack of the fast crumbling enterprise.
The film to an extent questions the dichotomy between sanity/insanity. Tom Wilkinson plays an ageing janitor who is defending "UNorth", a GM food corporation, against a class action. But as the case unfolds, he realises that he is on the wrong side of the fence.ANd his seemingly insane actions become a sore point for the corporation. Much in the same fashion as Toba Tek Singh ( Toba Tek Singh, Saadat Hasan Manto), the janitor, through in seemingly insane actions brings to the fore the corrupt nature of 'normal' men. Wilkinson pulls off a stunning performance, in a film that seems to be tailor made for Clooney(George Clooney was also the Executive Producer for the film!)
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A note of apology
The review is incomplete, and too late! Readers are welcome to append!
The blue sky slowly melted into a murky black
and the stars shivered in the distance
the wind howled as if in a trance
and as the dew drops seeped in through the cracks
I chased your shadows in the streets
and to the winds, whispered your name
everything is, as it was
everything is kept the same.
I really loved you,
and i think, you did too.
So, would you pay a 150 bucks to watch a saas-bahu saga unfold over a four hour long period. I doubt you would. Ashutosh Gowariker's magnum opus is just that, if not worse.
The film begins with the great Mughal dynasty in turmoil, and the young 14 year old Akbar is entrusted with the responsibilty of realising his father's dream- establish a 'hukumat-e-hindustan'. With Berham Khan as his mentor, the young mughal, begins his campaign...The Battle of Panipat. Inspired from The Gladiator, the battle sequence neither has the magnitude nor the grandeur of the former. The same can be said of the climax, when Jalaluddin Mohammed Akbar takes on his 'baaghi' brother-in-law Sharifuddin, in a one to one fight. With Hector-Achilles duel, forming the inspiration, this sequnence too promises to light up a rather dull film, but hardly manages to create a second of tension. The sequence fails because of its foregone conclusion, and this is true of the entire film.
Perhaps, that is what is surprising...Yes, the film fails to surprise you throughout its four hour long run, a clear indication of the weak screenplay. The wicked (god) mother in law cannot tolerate the the King getting cosy with his Queen, and so she sows the seed of jealousy in the King's mind. Akbar spots his beloved Jodha with a stranger, and orders her to go back. Then the good mother in law comes and unveils the truth, which is followed by wooing game, or should I say, a duel. Jodha has to come back at the end of a celebration, and happy moments have to be followed by tragedy...the 'dava' and 'dua' formula...the Queen has to come when her brother is dying and so on... This film is full of cliched sequences, and the dialogues are a hangover from the early 80s.This film is as 'filmi' as you can imagine.
The Director, in his numerous interviews, had made it clear, that this film is his interpretation of that period, and in his attempt, to break away from the 'historic' mould Ashutosh Gowariker finds himself in no man's land. This dilemma is best exemplified by his use of 50s style wipes, which co-exist, with some shoddy special effects (The bolt of lightning from the sky...The mirror lighting up etc...)
This duality is also visible in the treatment of characters especially that of Akbar, whom , Gowariker tries to portray as a modern man in a medieval age. Akbar, cannot decide whether to put on a stern face and behave like a king, or portray himself as 'uber-cool, metrosexual man'. This love struck king cooes like a dove and yet roars...ah, not really...barks like a greyhound! Probably,for the first time Hrithik's good looks do not serve him well, or perhaps, it is our stereotyped notion of a macho king, that fails to recognise that even the greatest of all Kings is as human as the rest of us. But what is really astonishing is that the character of Akbar is not allowed to develop beyond that of a Romeo. In that respect, Jodha's character is better sketched, and Aishwarya pulls off a stunning performance.
Most of the characters fail to portray the intensity of the roles assigned to them. Berham Khan fails miserably to pull off the role of a merciless soldier. And Ila Arun, as the scheming(god) mother-in-law is worse than her counterparts on the boob tube. The film has a huge ensemble of character artists who come and vanish. Sonu Sood is as plastic as he was when debuted, and the villians look like mere caricatures.
Apart from Akbar and Jodha's costumes, the rest seem to have been made from cheap quality plastic...the wigs are attrocious ( Raza Murad looks ludicrous!) and the much hyped Agra Fort, to be honest, looks very fake. The voice-over commentary is not needed, and the cinematography is brilliant but only in patches.
So is there any reason, why you should watch this film? None whatsoever. But if you have nothing to do this weekend, and have loads of money to spare then leave your thinking mind behind, and along with it all expectations of seeing a grandiose movie, then Akbar with his charms might just win your 'Dil'!
As she slowly melts in my lips
The aroma fills the air
And the smoke slowly crawls through my hair
Titillating
My senses
As the parched earth sizzles
When the first drop of rain trickles
Down the broken window pane
My mind floats in rings
My breath cries in pain
But it seems to sing
The verses
The notes float in the air
As if they don’t care
About the past
Nor the future
Just these moments that last
A few memories
Darkness illuminates the mind
I have left the moon and the stars behind
Searching …
Words cling on like leeches
As the world slowly screeches
to a halt.
Like that lonely grain of salt
I float in the sea
Trying to see
Trying to hear
but I have turned deaf
and blind too
Like the drifting autumn leaf
The wind blows me
Through sifts of time
From the sick to the sublime
but I know them too
Like the edges of the shattered crescent
And the dust that gathers
On the ruffled feathers
Of the stuffed pheasant
That sits in the corner of my room
Waiting …
Oh it’s magical!!!
Let me start with a confession, I am a very reluctant writer. The written word carries with itself a legacy...the word becomes more important than the ideas they are meant to communicate. Language, which came into existence because of the need for communication, has lost its ability to communicate, more so, when the written form precedes the spoken one, which surprisingly has become the primary mode of communication. Writing was invented to supplement the spoken word, and not vice versa. But today, the primary mode of dispersal of information is the written word, even when a slew of television channels stare us in the face, 24X7. (Most of the 'words' spoken, are actually written words...merely being read out!) Yes, to come back to the point, what prompted me to write this post? A recent 'status msg' of a friend on 'GTalk' (ah! that reminds me, we "talk" by writing!). It said 'YFE march on such and such date. Be there to support our cause'. YFE, if you don’t know stands for Youth for Equality, a forum, by their own admission, by the students of 5 medical colleges of Delhi, to bring together the 'Youth' who feel strongly against the 'Populist' measures of reservation. Lets start with the name itself. 'Youth', the first word itself, is such a loaded term. To begin with the meaning of the word 'youth'-it stands for the condition of being 'young'. Yes, India is a young country. Approximately, 60 percent of the country lies in the age group of 15 to 59, and 16 percent lies in the age group of 7 to 14. Thus, India is a primarily a young country, with a shrinking aging population. So, as they say, the future of the country lies in the hands of the YOUTH. (Although, I am using the word as singular, its plurality is beyond the comprehension of most of us). And this organization proclaims to be a representative of the dominant ideas within this group. But the word that is of prime importance, and perhaps, which defines the aim of this forum, is, EQUALITY. Yes, Equality, as the dictionary defines it the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability. This forum claims to bring together the 'youth' who stand against the 'Populist' measure of 'reservations'. That brings us to the next word, ‘Populist’; the word originates from very specific historical context. The word referred to the Populist Party, organized in 1892 to promote the certain issues and rights of farmers and workers. However, the word lasted beyond the party, and came to represent the views of the masses. So, Youth for Equality (hereby referred to as YFE) stands against the 'populist' measure of reservations. Let us come to 'Reservation'. Reservation, in the broader sense of the term, implies holding back or setting apart something. So equality and reservations seem to be from two extreme ends of the spectrum, and thus one is anti-thetical to the other. And this is the belief on which this 'forum' is 'organized'. To come back to the words 'populist measures ' means measures being demanded by the masses. The forum does not want to yield to 'Populist measures', thereby communicating that the 'forum' stands against the demands of the masses. They do not want to ‘concede’, and would fight 'forcefully', with 'courage' and 'conviction'. Something which strikes immediately about these words-its a WAR cry! There are two sides contesting this 'battle', 'us' and 'them'. And since it’s a battle, then one would have to perish, for the other to survive. Which somehow tends to blunt the idea of equality, because 'equality' cannot be achieved under such circumstances, and even it is, then those granting ‘equal’ status to the other would define the terms. Equality in such a condition would be something like the state of carnival, where the law can be overturned but only in terms defined by the law itself. For a moment lets look into the composition of this forum. Formed out of 'five medical colleges in Delhi. (SEC A city, medical colleges courting the ‘cream’ of the students, which translates into a young rich and upper caste crowd) Two things come to the fore immediately- One; the founders’ angst derives itself from the fear of loss of identity, and is very similar to those who reprised Civil rights movement in the USA or give an analogy nearer home, the aggressive behavior of the upper castes when 'untouchability' was being abolished. The loss of territory for the upper castes has been a cause of concern for the group, and every measure of social empowerment has met a stiff resistance. First the loss of titles, then land and now it seems even education is being taken away. Upper castes have and will always pride themselves on their educational qualifications. It is education that itself forms the basis of our caste system. Thus, the Brahmin occupies the highest rung in the Caste ladder. Post independence, education, remained the upper caste's last bastion. And as a result, they have been trying to save it with all their might. Be it the reactions of the early 90s or the more recent protests by the YFE, any attempt at democratization of this institution, has seen violent protests. Since they cannot demand an outright ban on all kinds of reservations, YFE, is talking about reservations based on financial status, rather than caste. In other words, they want a class based reservation, rather than caste. Perhaps, anywhere else in this world, this would have had formed the basis of any kind of affirmative action, but India is a special case. The society here is divided on terms of caste, rather than class. Caste carries with itself a greater stigma than class. The class ladder is transcendable, caste ladder cannot be. A person born in a particular caste, cannot escape the realities of that caste. Thus, the Supreme Court had to proclaim 'Caste is Class'. Reservation, thus should be viewed as an attempt at social empowerment through the means of providing education, and jobs. It is just first step of a journey of a thousand miles .The premise on which reservation is based, believes that economic empowerment would lead to social empowerment. And yes it has failed, but the question, here is why has it failed? It has not failed in making higher education more accessible to the unprivileged sections of our society, rather it has failed in empowering them socially. Precisely because the movers and shakers of this society, still belong to the upper castes. Their inaction gives s a forum like YFE the chance to raise claims about the inefficacy of Reservations, and demand a reversal of such actions. It is important to realize that this is a two fanged attack by the upper castes to restore whatever has been lost.
Those protesting Reservations, also bring up the question of ‘merit’, and how reservations have diluted the quality of these esteemed institutions. And any further step would certainly lead to doom. The question of merit is yet another feeble attempt at justifying protests. It’s a fallacy that students with lesser credibility are able to qualify, than those with higher marks. In this case, it is very important to realize that ‘merit’ is as much a social phenomenon, as any other social norm is. The merit that upper castes boast of, comes from the social status that these castes enjoy. Being socially empowered these castes have been able to focus their energies on cultivating their academic skills. This is not a privilege that the lower castes enjoy/enjoyed. And yes the gap is slowly being bridged. For a state like Tamilnadu, which put social reforms into practice much before any state in the country, the merit gap has been bridged. The difference is not more than a percent or two. Thus, its just a matter of time, before this gap would be bridged everywhere else.
Another demand, that catches attention- rollback of all proposed reservations in the ‘private’ sector. Yes, the ‘private’ sector is a private matter of the upper castes, and no one can mess with it. Afterall, it is the private sector, which has made India what, is it! And it is due to the hard work of hundreds and thousands of laborious and meritorious students who slogged their nights to gain admission into prestigious institutes and then labored twice over to turn these companies into corporations. How can anybody share the fruits of their labours? Perfectly, justified demand. How can anybody refute this claim?
And yes, before I end, the reduction in reservation is happening, earlier it was 100 percent and now it has been reduced to 77.5 percent!
