Divided we fall............

“Progress seems impossible for women, if divided; Reservation bill or no bill”, remarked a prominent woman personality, while talking on the much-debated issue for years. What a statement? When all the while we think we need to fight back male-dominance and stereotypical patriarchal society, does it come as a blow? Nah! It’s hardly news to us. From Kitchen politics to Parliament Politics, from Office politics to Social politics women have to fight back their own insecurities before they could fight for their rights. For every Sonia Gandhi, we have a Sushma Swaraj, who could go to the extent of threatening shaving off her hair, if an Italian lady gets sworn in as a PM (though turn of events surly left her black-faced if not bald). For every Manyatta Dutt, we have a sister-in-law Priya Dutt who would fight over Sanjay Dutt (through media interviews) to prove who owns him. And let’s stop here, lest the list consumes the whole space. The point is we don’t need anyone to demean us, we can do it ourselves. Every time, I read counter PoVs (point of Views) on Working mom Vs Homemaker mom, it puts me to shame like nothing else. For a Homemaker mom, (interviewers generally pick up a well-qualified ex-professional), it’s about being “there” with the child so that s/he does not get neglected. For a professional mom, it’s about creating her own identity and deriving satisfaction out of it through economic independence in spite of being a “mommy”. Whom are we trying to fool, if no one else? Everyone knows in their hearts that the former always live with a grudge or a (pseudo) proud feeling that she “sacrificed” herself/her ambitions for what she thought important or situations demanded of her (whether personal choice or a decision thrust on her); Similarly, a professional woman also knows that she’s compromising on the quality of maternal care she could provide if she could afford to be around and that, all talks of spending “quality time” versus “quantity time” is coined to cover up for what she’s missing out on. Why do former undermines the latter’s achievements to prove what she’s doing is the best way of upbringing a child or why latter humiliates the former to prove what kind of economic freedom and social admiration she enjoys while working. Why do we need to even compare? Whoever chooses whatever is finally one’s own decision or (sometimes other factors) in some cases. Wherever one is and whatever she’s doing, she should learn to be there with respect and that respect should NOT be highlighted by playing “demeaning” cards. Who need men to underscore our achievements when we ourselves enough to do that?

Let's do something...

I always refrain from writing any film reviews even though I eat, drink and sleep movies; feel so strongly about the theme, script, execution, actors, performances, cinematography etc etc. One reason is I have seen such passionate film reviews that it belittles my understanding of movies. Also, the range of movies I watch may not be as broad in spectrum as others. It's like sending a bathroom singer to judge performances of wannabe singers. And among various reasons also lists the fact that in spite of best of my intentions I don't get to see most of the movies, which hit screens in their very first week. With gap comes the unavoidable exposure to reviews, opinions and box office verdict of the movie. So, the charm of doing it first goes away lest you find your ideas resonating with others and then it seems just a copy of what other think. Anyways, with time I realize that I am not claiming myself of to be a film critic nor the blog site is exclusively dedicated to film reviews. And everyone who goes to watch a movie does not stop at just watching a movie to pass his/her time; it explains movies are just not a “time pass”, nobody can help having an opinion about a movie. After all we are not known as among the craziest nations for movies for nothing. So, I thought if the movie is what I have in my mind to write about as a blog, why not? Why carry the baggage of self-expectation of doing it fully and justifiably. Let me just scribble the way I would scribble any other blog. So, here I am.
Nothing went right for this movie. Les concierge booked tickets of a wrong audi in a far off place and we were good 20 minutes late for the show which made me realize how much I have got used to watching movies alone (for that matter, doing all things alone like shopping, checking out food joints…) I surprise myself (and certainly, scandalize others too) with the ease with which I can do these things alone without craving for a company and actually enjoy doing that. So when I was running late for the show, it made me all the more determined to do things alone as it works for me and (for others too) just too well. I found Wake up Sid refreshingly fresh. It had already generated huge curiosity factor due to odd pairing of Ranbir and Konkona. I must confess I was equally unsure of the chemistry this pair could generate onscreen but hold your breath. As you start watching the movie, it takes you over leaving your apprehensions behind. And you would end up asking yourself; if not Konkona who else could do justice to the role? As for Ranbir, did we even question who could better Sid than him? Both are born actors, unquestionably and can carry off there clearly etched out roles with great élan. Konkona does not have to prove herself to anyone. Just that I found her little plastic at moments in initials shots, which were close ups. It might me a bit of Karan Johar effect too who's known for giving her heroines a makeover and Konkona being slightly conscious of it for her comfort. Second thing which I found overdone was Ranbir's T-shirts with all those cartoon characters to highlight his 'bachpana' that refuses to go away vis-a-vis very subtle transformation to check shirts to show streaks of maturity in him. I mean simple Tees with some messages or sporty numbers etc. could have done the trick either. Those cartoon tees irritated me to no end by being such a huge distraction and shouting and overemphasizing the point. To me, Sid was meant to be immature but not a kiddo/spoilt brat in the brutest of sense. The storyline was not entirely path breaking but that's where vision and treatment makes the difference. Aimlessness of Sid can't help you reminding Hrithik's essaying the same in Lakshya but nostalgia ends there and Ranbir lends a fresh perspective to his character. The movie has far and a few characters but everyone does justice to their onscreen presence. Surprising was Sonia. Supriya Pathak was perfect with her level of emotions (just right, not melodramatic for god’s sake). Anupam Kher has been doing such a thing nth time now, no complaints, though high time he moves beyond such typical father roles and high time industry finds some fresh faces to replace him. Music is nothing too much to write about but you won’t miss it either. Coming to some of the best moments of the movie, Sid taking Konkona to Marine Drive on their first meeting and the movie culminating there. why and how Mumbai sucks people into its system could not be done better, especially from a “new girl in the city’s” perspective. When Aisha asked Sid which is the one thing that he would show her in Mumbai, if he could…Marine Drive was impromptu the response in my mind and yes, it tallies… When in Mumbai, I would exactly go to the same spot and look out to the sea, turning my back to the madness and rush and savor those lonely moments that could infuse sanity into me. It’s the sense of freedom for women to dream and to run after them...this city allows them to do so. A simple platonic live in relationship planned by destiny and not the couple, how beautifully has been captured and so is the friendship between Aisha and Sid...so perfect and so real life like. All thumps up. Aisha's outbursts, who's so levelheaded, are done to perfection by Konkona...and Sid's “what you see is what you get” attitude wins you many times over. And I am glad that there was no greatly earth shattering event that turned his life around. I savored gradual transformation...emotions are Karan's forte, and it did not let me down to give apt dose of subtle emotions of anxiety of a father, helplessness of a mom, frustrations of a happy go lucky chappy, nervousness, confidence, shades of jealousy etc. of a new girl in the down and undertones of love...go and get refreshed with wake up sid.

Ker lo duniya mutthi mein...

As I am writing with stylus on my mobile's notepad, I am truly feeling that the world is in my hands. Just the other day I was reading in one of the biographies of Agatha Christie how she would spend days writing pages of her genius creation manually; times have changed so drastically that we could have more of her masterpieces had she been equipped with these devices then. What would be considered an out-of-the-world gizmo in earlier Bond movies are reality now. I remember when 10 years back in college days, we, a bunch of friends visited the swankiest first of the real malls -- Shoppers' Stop in Ansal Plaza, it did not have a mobile counter, simply put mobiles were still not a big that time. Even, afternoon transmission started during my childhood days and metro channel, which would literally be telecast in 4 metros of the country, also started when I was in class IX (and gave us of one of the first VJs – Baba Sehgal, Kritika comparing Superhit Muqabala, the only show featuring the latest bollywood hits (in fact bollywood was not a bollywood that time. It’s a relatively recently coined term by Page 3 journos). I used and learned computer hands on when I joined Press Institute of India's PII''s crash course for journalists; there I got to know what email is and I remember I taught to send/recv mails through msn, yahoo accounts to others too. When I got my salary for the first time in Hindustan Times, it was transferred in the HDFC account and we all in the same route cab got down at one of the ATM machines in C-Scheme, Jaipur while on our way back from a night edition shift and we all explored and experimented how to use cards in ATM. Funnily enough, we were given pagers to stay in touch when the world was on the verge of seeing mobile revolution (Does anyone even remember pagers??? I can say proudly or rather embarrasingly? "I did"). And then, when did mobiles, ACs , mails, internet became as necessary as oxygen difficult to recall. Just a year or two back or so I read about how microblogging is the next big wave in technology and today we are talking about moving away and beyond from twitter, facebook and the likes. Changes would happen always but the pace at which they are happening is much faster and will be more so with time. But with this arises many questions in my mind that why cancer, flu, and other many more such basic things are still unanswerable...and I have yet to fathom such unanswered questions. May be when I write a blog or any such thing in vogue that time some years down the line (or may be writing becomes a thing of past and it’s something else), I would have many more such interesting memoirs to share with my grandchildren...

There's always next time...

“Have feet, will dance” read my status on facebook. Next day, I could see thumps up from my women friends, albeit for different reasons; to some it sounded fun, to some it sounded a way to stay in shape, to some a way to break monotony. I barely moved to a new city lock, stock and barrel two weeks ago, not even settled yet and here, I was thinking of joining dance classes after reading the ad in the newspaper, something I never did before. Timings were little odd and I had to ensure that I could find a babysitter that could sail me through those 1.5 hours 2 times a week. Luck helped, everything arranged, I found myself outside the classroom happy to find several last-minute enthusiasts like me. Jazz, the best dance form for beginners is what I would learn, we were informed. Great! After few minutes of introduction with the instructors and her assistant, when it was our turn to know each other, I realized I am the oldest member in the team, youngest being a 7th grade student. He and I are the unique ones, rest are all in teens or early Twenties. As they say, no pain no gain. Before dance comes fitness, which is attained through bit of warm up exercises, aerobics, yoga and then starts real dance movements, bit by bit. From numerics (1, 2,3 AND 4 to mathematical figures (circle), to verbs (throw, comb)..instructions hit you in all possible ways. Weeks flew by with a blink of eyes. Before the grand finale, we were asked to bring our parents. Even before I could taste how it feels to attend parents teacher meeting of my baby, here I was taking my daughter along as a guest of honor to meet my teacher and friends and see how I perform live. Yet-to-be-two, Navya, received standing ovation from everyone and was made to sit on a special chair with some cookies to munch on and let mama-student to learn through her next moves. While bidding adieu, teachers thanked me for bringing Navya along and making their day a special one. Before that class, I used to feel happy for the reason that I am doing something I always wanted to do but that moment on, I dance because I want to (no matter how imperfect it may be). I also learned when you want to do something, do it, so what if you missed the bus earlier, there’s always time to start afresh.

Shock and Awe

Ever got weathered down by too many emotions clogging your mind and overwhelming your senses that you get numb? I am going through such an ironical state of mind, benumbed by a very shocking incident and then its after math and then, points, counterpoints, arguments, counter arguments, allegations and counter allegations…buck has not stopped yet.

Recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai and the magnitude and form of devastation was too much to bear…but barely the traumatic hours got over that the dark side of democracy raised its ugly hood. Politicians barking unnecessarily, media over-sensationalizing the sensitive matter, attention seeking Page 3 celebrities pouring all over TV screens to grab 2-minute fame on national TV mouthing well-measured and well-rehearsed words to make the lasting impression, activists in khadi kurta/pyjama/saris raising never-ending list of points, intelligence agencies of the nation looking for corners to hide and then, turning their ire towards other agencies for lapse…

Darker still is the side of Secularism, the underdog of Communalism and now Regionalism. It’s refusing to end with Hindu-Muslim differences and the problems. Tons of chain mails are churning on the Internet to spread that Mumbai is suffering the most…Mumbaikars paying the price for giving shelter to Muslims, north Indians citing such examples and explanations that it could cause riots there and then; North Indians (read Biharis and UPiites) retaliating saying none talked about CST killings but talked about 5 star hotel killings only because CST killings were mainly of north Indians. And yes, there’s another angle also, that why so much of coverage to this terrorist attack and why so much if hue and cry over this attack compared to previous attacks…because this time rich and famous got hurt..that’s the only reason, who cares for common masses.

shut up….. Shut Up…..SHUT UPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

I have yet to grieve over sorry state of affairs, I have yet to mourn the deaths of innocent lives…I have yet to sympathize with the families who lost their loved ones…but where’s the time…We are trapped in the quagmire of so many other things that it belittles everything including standing united against terrorism. We forgot that terror has no religion, that bombs don’t distinguish, that lives are not cheap or expensive. This time not only they took away priceless lives and our spirit but also shook us more from the roots widening the cracking gaps between us. True, sometimes you pay lofty price for lofty ideologies…what democracy, what secularism?

the WORLD is watching...

It was for no reason that all the eyes were on the Presidential elections of the US; the (self-appointed) superpower (even though going through troubled times on economic front) strong enough to send chilling shock waves of its downturn throughout the world. Then, how come the leadership change happening in the midst of turmoil would not create the buzz like never before. The verdict was more or less clear once Hillary (whom I personally wanted to see leading with the hope that it would bring some very embarrassing moments for Bill who ditched his wife…I guess you got the point…it’s the woman in me speaking plaintruth)…paved the way for Obama to take over reins…come on we all knew it, didn’t we? Why is it that anyone remotely related to/affected by his appointment rejoicing his win?

Change, a BIG CHANGE is what everyone wanted this time…from US to Timbuktu, everyone wanted to get rid off the negativity, pessimism, hopelessness that jinxed Bush administration had brought. Right from the war against Afghanistan, to Osama chase, to global economic mess up, to US struggling with dying soldiers, increasing unemployment (and please! For god’ sake let’s not find outsourcing as the scapegoat…we all know that 5 get hired in the salary of 1; so, it’s never 5 going unemployed against 5 who got job in less-privileged countries) and even these less-privileged countries are outsourcing to newly-discovered least-privileged countries). Anyways, let’s not deviate from the topic that what it means to the world to have Obama as the president…my guess is it’s hope, energy, optimism…

I am sure he must still be unpacking his stuff in Whitehouse (not literally, he’s the President of the superpower, remember) but the world’s eyes are already upon him as a savior who will undo all wrongdoings of Bush administration. Even US-obsessed India struggling with all time high inflation, worst-ever performance of stock market and fear of layoffs looming large over the private industry has caught up with Obama fever big time with PM elections around the corner…hoping that someone like Obama to be its savior. Would someone ask the hopefuls that what Obama has done till now to make them feel he’s a superhero? Don’t get me wrong, I am among millions, nay, billions, nay trillions of hopefuls who are waiting some miracle to happen but I still can’t help but notice that fact most of us are still (secretly) celebrating the win of previously-oppressed class…India feels it has some blood relation with Obama (I mean the feeling of this bonding coming so naturally to us as if Obama is our bandhu and would change Indo-US relations forever) and this is the BASIC reason of rejoice. This is the turning point. CHANGE…we all want to breakaway from what all wrong has happened during Bush regime…(it has affected the whole world directly/indirectly). I really wonder how this guy (Bush) will survive with so much hatred against him…Anyways…hopes are hopes and then there is reality. Hope this change proves to be the REAL change…hope are, as I said, hopes and then there is reality…Keeping my fingers crossed.

Social Animals: That's Us

Others might be having several reasons, some obvious and some not so obvious, to glue to TV sets for watching Bigg Boss. I developed interest in this show for 2 reasons. To begin with, there was nothing worth watching other than the same old dance reality shows or soap operas, which I avoid like a plague. But once I started watching it, I never failed to miss even a single episode (except our vacation where our policy is not watch to TV at all..don’t we, after all, go on vacation to clear up clutters in our lives, minds…). Second reason is difficult to admit because I never ever liked Shilpa Shetty but her stint with UK Big Boss gave this show a new lease of life and popularity.

So what it is that keeps me hooked? Is it celebrities? Oh! Please, give me a break…they are “NO” celebrities…they are neither nobodies nor celebrities…they are just “somebodies”, about whom we don’t bother to think. And if, frankly speaking, they were not kept in such unique conditions of being away from everyone in a camera-infested house with no life-supporting system such as TV, music, books, mobile, watch, we would not have given them a second glance.

So, is it watching personal lives of people…like what duo doing or not doing under the cover? Or is it squats or cuss words? Nah! Has anyone thought of it as a good case study of behavioral/social science? Perhaps yes or no. In fact, this is the very FOUNDATION of this show. Imagine yourself living among complete strangers where you can’t do anything (reading, watching, sleeping during the day…) but are forced to socialize with others. Forced because all life supporting systems have been snatched away and you are left with nothing to do…what will you do whole day??? What???

So, here begins the game. Keep a prize money and the tag of a winner…and empower insiders to throw out the person of their disliking and also, add the fact that they need to be TRP grabber. Voila! It’s a catch 22 situation now.

Socialize they must and manipulate behavior, situations and what not? So, you have an assortment of different behaviors, some loud, some shrewd, some confused, some quiet. To me, there’s nothing called "neutral"..it’s more of a choice that you want to exhibit yourself as neutral though you know very well which groups exist and choose not show your approval/denial for any of them. Groups are also bound to happen even if one does not chose to. So, if a group is formed comprising few members, it naturally forces the remaining members to stand against it. So counteracting force is formed, which may comprise all the remaining memebers or only some of them. There are bound to have people who would not like to get associated with any of groups…but this strategy also fails in longer run. Once the initial euphoria of settling scores with each other dies down and the groups start looking for strategizing little more, these people come under scanner…and they pay for that..being “neutral’. And then, they train their guns against those whom they consider potential threat whether internal or external because after all only one has to win, so the group that served their purpose also has to go away…So, this happens with realiginig of people in groups or dismantling of groups or division of groups in more smaller chunks…hmm, interesting and intriguing…and if twists and turns are given such as letting a person be out of the game for a while in a way so that he can see what all others are doing, thinking and saying without letting others know about it; and then sending him back to that house now…this makes the game all the more interesting…so you see, there’s more to this program than what usually meets the eye. This is my reason..what’s yours’?