I guess a string of movies spanning from the bad to the ugly and to the uttermost ridiculous got me thinking about the state of our so called 'hit' movies...comedy that 'hits' you in the face...movies that 'hit' your 'intelligence' and knock you down unconsciuos? I had the mighty good fortune of enduring one of a kind 'blockbuster' movie called Ready..but unlike its producers I was so NO ready for this experience...the story (if you can even remotely call it a story) was heading nowhere..it was a Mr SKHAN from the word go till we leave the hall in dismay and astonishment. He walks the walk, talks the talk..once in a while attempts to romance, 'action' and of course rips off his shirt (squeezing out the final rewards from this actor - again if you can remotely call him one) and the audience is supposed to eat their hearts out from this 'so-called' performance? And the supporting string of actors (you could very well call them props) lend no support to this miserabe experience. Guess my personal prejudice against the lead actor apart, even if you did a find & replace of SKHAN with Brad Pitt, I wonder if I could have sat through this 3 hour ordeal? For someone belonging to a generation who has grown up on 'classic witty' comedy of the likes of Lal, Srinivas (for the Mal in me) the comedy is unbelievably slapstick..dialogues almost seem like they were written as the Khan was putting on his makeup just before the word 'Action'. And lastly to touch upon my most 'emotional' topic - regarding the music of the movie..talk about the 'healing' sense of music...i was definitely dumbstruck at the meaningful lyrics of the song 'dingachika'...and the depth of the lyrics was equally matched (if not more) by the dancers that were splashed on the screen. All in all what I can say but to suggest to our censor board to probably introduce a category called 'PA' for all such movies that border and probably crossed the terrain called 'ridiculous'...Premature Adult category is the only sane category that I can fit this experience into.!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Matrimonied
It's not with a sense of achievement I write this but with a sense of astonishment that I compute and confirm 5 years of matrimonied living..5 years back ...this very day...the loud chime of wedding bells rang and deafened my 'singular' existence into non-existence. The word 'married woman' always reminds me of the term 'domesticated cow' wonder why? But words apart, the experience called marriage has been milked off its last drops uniformly by writers, movie makers and 'forward writers' (definition - the anonymous set of people who write/forward e-mail forwards)..so much has been written/seen that I cannot write anything that has not been heard of...but I guess every person brings in a new shade to these cliched experiences..I am attempting to bring in my own perspective I guess...
The first thing about matrimony for a woman (yes she toooo) is the loss of that crown called 'single independent woman'..now that's a word that bloats your individuality....its a coveted title and no woman likes to let go without the cat fight...she tries tactics but ultimately the gavel of society brings down the judgement that the crown must go !!Once that title is ripped off, you are next faced with the ultimate challenge of changing your name..now that's a thought that doesn't mix with my sense of logic.. A name is your tag on your years of existence..it's like your face....would you agree to change your face after marriage, would you recognise yourself in the mirror? Its the same with your name, would you respond to a salutation that has never been heard before?
After these modalities are sorted out, you plunge into the black hole called marriage.. all the years of research and history does not shed any light on this institution...the research papers dispute each other and have failed to arrive at a common coverging description or solution. You have to fend for yourself in this carnival, the whole performance is rather an 'in promptu'..sans script, props and prompter....the two 'star' performers are thrown into the 'ring' or 'stage' (as the situation demands)..you can choose to write your story as the plot unfolds...the script is purely your invention ..you are at liberty to bring in your 'point of view' into the story's trajectory..you are also permitted to take dramatic turns mid-way...but of course the performance holds as long as your partner complements, follows and doesn't take the contradictory path...a few slip-ups, a few messed up lines do not 'damageth' a play..nor does a few spunky dialogues 'maketh' the play.. only consistent scintillating performances by both parties , a few twists and turns, a dash of humour ..all held together by an ethical 'charactered' plot and script..that's surely the success factor for this performance to skyscrape into the 'best marriage charts'...the performers have to face the wrath of critics (read as strangers who love to share uninvited opinions), the intrusion of 'unwanted' characters who form more the prop than the play and of course need to keep together the performance through bad weather days and foul mood moments.Its a test of the performers' breeding, patience, ego, character, fun factor and of course the grand father of all traits - adaptability :)....for now I guess ....The Show must go on....the curtains would never come down ...we have to keep the show running and that too full house for the years to come!
The first thing about matrimony for a woman (yes she toooo) is the loss of that crown called 'single independent woman'..now that's a word that bloats your individuality....its a coveted title and no woman likes to let go without the cat fight...she tries tactics but ultimately the gavel of society brings down the judgement that the crown must go !!Once that title is ripped off, you are next faced with the ultimate challenge of changing your name..now that's a thought that doesn't mix with my sense of logic.. A name is your tag on your years of existence..it's like your face....would you agree to change your face after marriage, would you recognise yourself in the mirror? Its the same with your name, would you respond to a salutation that has never been heard before?
After these modalities are sorted out, you plunge into the black hole called marriage.. all the years of research and history does not shed any light on this institution...the research papers dispute each other and have failed to arrive at a common coverging description or solution. You have to fend for yourself in this carnival, the whole performance is rather an 'in promptu'..sans script, props and prompter....the two 'star' performers are thrown into the 'ring' or 'stage' (as the situation demands)..you can choose to write your story as the plot unfolds...the script is purely your invention ..you are at liberty to bring in your 'point of view' into the story's trajectory..you are also permitted to take dramatic turns mid-way...but of course the performance holds as long as your partner complements, follows and doesn't take the contradictory path...a few slip-ups, a few messed up lines do not 'damageth' a play..nor does a few spunky dialogues 'maketh' the play.. only consistent scintillating performances by both parties , a few twists and turns, a dash of humour ..all held together by an ethical 'charactered' plot and script..that's surely the success factor for this performance to skyscrape into the 'best marriage charts'...the performers have to face the wrath of critics (read as strangers who love to share uninvited opinions), the intrusion of 'unwanted' characters who form more the prop than the play and of course need to keep together the performance through bad weather days and foul mood moments.Its a test of the performers' breeding, patience, ego, character, fun factor and of course the grand father of all traits - adaptability :)....for now I guess ....The Show must go on....the curtains would never come down ...we have to keep the show running and that too full house for the years to come!
Friday, June 10, 2011
The monsoon staycation
A monsoon vacation past..brought back the sweet nostalgia of my erstwhile school vacations.....a week of officeless, workless, alarmless existence was my precious gift to myself..and what better venue than home sweet home?? Its your escape haunt away from the madness that best describes your 'responsible' adult life..
And then I was showered quite literally as I landed in God's Own Country... a burst of monsoon as I reached home for my rejuvenation package.....!!!A monsoon that wrapped my homeland in a magical misty bridalwear that just took my breath away. A most inviting lush 'green carpet' laid out for my trip....The backdrop was picture perfect for my holiday...Rain kissed mountains and greenery with earthy fragrance!! The mood was further elevated to a heightened ecstasy as the stream of droplets sloped through the window panes...I let go of my hatred for dirty puddles and muddy pathways this monsoon and the experience was unlike any other monsoon..
And then there was the icing on the cake with simple unalloyed time spent with family and cousins...and devouring homemade food (not made by me:)).......just like good old days....I was transported to my schoolgirl days as I chatted and laughed my heart out ...'agendaless'....'shackleless'...it was a week of unparallelled freedom...never realized that the word vacation could mean so much...waiting eagerly for the next:).
And then I was showered quite literally as I landed in God's Own Country... a burst of monsoon as I reached home for my rejuvenation package.....!!!A monsoon that wrapped my homeland in a magical misty bridalwear that just took my breath away. A most inviting lush 'green carpet' laid out for my trip....The backdrop was picture perfect for my holiday...Rain kissed mountains and greenery with earthy fragrance!! The mood was further elevated to a heightened ecstasy as the stream of droplets sloped through the window panes...I let go of my hatred for dirty puddles and muddy pathways this monsoon and the experience was unlike any other monsoon..
And then there was the icing on the cake with simple unalloyed time spent with family and cousins...and devouring homemade food (not made by me:)).......just like good old days....I was transported to my schoolgirl days as I chatted and laughed my heart out ...'agendaless'....'shackleless'...it was a week of unparallelled freedom...never realized that the word vacation could mean so much...waiting eagerly for the next:).
Friday, May 13, 2011
Lesser of the evils
It is a sad state of affairs when the citizens of a country choose from the better of the devils and lesser of the evils. The word 'choice' has lost its complete meaning in the election month that India saw. The electoral poor were left with the choice of picking a leader from a pack of tainted and corrupt forces, especially in a year where corruption has kept the news ticking and the newsmakers having a field day every day.
One look at the past year and we see that we have lost our resources to the official rodents in the garb of parliamentarians who had in the past nibbled and now swallow our resources from within. The country is suddenly in a limbo..action being last on the priority of any of the lawmakers. We are suddenly 'headless' or rather with a 'hesitant' head. The wrongdoers strut in broad daylight and murderers walk scott free. Yet the oust of atleast the self-proclaimed 'first family' seems like a step in the right direction(if ever there is any).
Change and more importantly hope for a change is what is driving the country forward. We need a breed of leaders who can take the much awaited action ..India awaits.
One look at the past year and we see that we have lost our resources to the official rodents in the garb of parliamentarians who had in the past nibbled and now swallow our resources from within. The country is suddenly in a limbo..action being last on the priority of any of the lawmakers. We are suddenly 'headless' or rather with a 'hesitant' head. The wrongdoers strut in broad daylight and murderers walk scott free. Yet the oust of atleast the self-proclaimed 'first family' seems like a step in the right direction(if ever there is any).
Change and more importantly hope for a change is what is driving the country forward. We need a breed of leaders who can take the much awaited action ..India awaits.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Big Apple in my eyes...??
The four words that encapsulate the experience called US of A has to be cheese cream coffee (with a capital C) and Indians...! These four words made a distinct and all pervasive presence in most of my moments in the famed land. As I moved from town to town and from day to night, these four aspects of American life (with Indians?? - sounds paradoxical??) remained unchanged and untouched. Also to add, the Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks coffee joints replace the temple/churches/mosques in India – mushrooming and peeping out of every road and every corner of the city.
I had the good fortune of moving within 3 towns of USA in ascending order of population, pace and fame - my tour commenced in the sleepy little town of Rocky Hill and moved to the vast and more 'mapped' city of Atlanta and ended with a bang in spirited, adrenaline pumping New York!
As I landed in the famed and ‘taled’ soil of US of A, I was deeply struck by the number, shapes and sizes of Indians in the land of dreams (boring expression that I wanted to avoid) – they have taken 'avtars' in this land so to say - one day he appears as the typical cab driver who was probably established in US alongwith the statue of liberty, then there is the 'ramki' and 'kris' avtar who mispronounces his mother's name in a twang called 'accent', a few months away from India and he joins the jury of onlookers to criticize the 'bloody Indian way' of life and then there is the traditionalgodfearing Indian who wears vibhoothi,eats curd rice and misses filter coffee on wall street.
But USA is a strange mix - it was in the sense a 'countryless' feeling for me as I roamed around - I couldn't identify the country with a unique set of things that we are so used to seeing in a new country outside our home...that there isn't an attire that is unlike any other, no language that we cannot understand and no common set of rules that we can define for its people - it was almost like a floating mass of people were strung together into a country.
Anyways my first stop was the little ‘Enid Blyton’ town of Rocky Hill in Connecticut...it’s a small little neighborhood with a few cute shops, neatly framed with maple trees. My highlight at Connecticut had to be my first and only encounter with snow..it was truly a moment of ecstasy as the little white flakes brushed my face...the entire town looked serene with the snowy white sprayed across...Mohegan Sun casino was another breathtaking experience that Connecticut offered me - seeing the vast expanse of the extravagant casino ,the roulette & black jack tables, the deep pocketed gamblers wading out notes- it was truly like a Hollywood thriller come alive in front of your eyes.
The next city that greeted me was the expansive city of Atlanta - the city was spread out and beautifully dotted with trees, gardens and pathways. I explored the heart of the city on a weekend and enjoyed the attractions that Atlanta city offers to its visitors. The world's largest Georgia aquarium was my first destination - a truly grand and mammoth effort for an aquarium, the dolphin show with sound, light and action was a spectacular performance and will remain imprinted in my memory for a while. The famed Olympic garden was right in the heart of the city and is a beautiful green spread with structures and monuments remaining from the Atlanta Olympics. The last destination for my weekend at Atlanta had to be the CNN headquarters - a tour demonstrated to me the ingredients, spice and method of cooking up a 'breaking news' dish for you each day... I guess that was the end of excitement in Atlanta.
And the last one on my list had to be the Big Apple. As I drove in – the most scintillating sight that caught my attention was the Times Square...glitzy, alive and huddled amongst the tallest and the grandest of sky scrapers…correction… they no longer ‘scrape’ skies but swallow it…!New York is a city on the move..it’s people like little ants are always on the move..the city itself is beautifully laid out (especially through an Indian’s eye who endures the messy, overcrowded and dug up pride(erstwhile) of Bangalore called MG Road every single day)..I was almost wonderstruck at the fact that 7th avenue comes right ahead of 6th avenue and the city’s attractions are the easiest to locate even for a person who cannot understand the logic of maps and directions. I did make the rounds to the clichéd and crowded attractions– Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and Central park. But for me one of the most gorgeous moments had to be my few minutes of silence with an awe inspiring view of the city from the ‘Top of the Rock’ (a view from a lofty tower). And the icing of the trip was the maiden Broadway musical performance that unfolded in front of my eyes.. worth every cent and every moment and what better musical than the scandalous and suave Chicago? I rounded off my trip with a few laps and rounds of the famous and urban avenues of New York trying my hand at ‘middle-class’ shoppingJ…..and the grand Finale had to be the relaxed one hour that I spent sitting right at Times Square sipping a Starbucks coffee trying to ape a true New Yorker in my last hour of téte à tete with the city.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Cricket and beyond
What's with Indians and their solidarity when it comes to cricket?? Why does it run in our DNA generation after generation?? The one time that the yawning word generation gap doesn't creep into the Indian living room is when the father and son pick the same channel and that lifetime moment repeats only in cricket matches!!. That's one spirit of India that hasn't died over the years -match fixed or not, disastrous losses or wins, Olympics win or no win, Sania in or not in - life doesn't change when it comes to cricket!! And what 26/11 coudn't do, what 'anokha bharat' couldn't do - India vs Pakistan match does to India - it brings together under its fold all its billion people - and truly we bleed blue ...atleast 100 'overs' of time where blood, race and religion are left out as strangers in our country.
I can't think of another single cause that can get the whole country into one bundle? I haven't seen a war but I wonder even during war do we come together as a country? Cricket and its demi-gods, (in fact they are no longer demi-gods post the World Cup beatification), are beyond the 'silly game' of the Britishers..its one artery that runs through the country..goes to more places than the Indian railways and inspires more people than the parliament in full session (that being a rarity of its own). We have to give it to the game and its players...what can I say more than the fact that Dhoni's six still remains a moment of glory for each Indian and I am as guilty as others of watching that one 'smashing' moment again and again and it takes me,you and the entire country to a whole new 'boundary' - pun not intended:).....
I can't think of another single cause that can get the whole country into one bundle? I haven't seen a war but I wonder even during war do we come together as a country? Cricket and its demi-gods, (in fact they are no longer demi-gods post the World Cup beatification), are beyond the 'silly game' of the Britishers..its one artery that runs through the country..goes to more places than the Indian railways and inspires more people than the parliament in full session (that being a rarity of its own). We have to give it to the game and its players...what can I say more than the fact that Dhoni's six still remains a moment of glory for each Indian and I am as guilty as others of watching that one 'smashing' moment again and again and it takes me,you and the entire country to a whole new 'boundary' - pun not intended:).....
Monday, March 14, 2011
Living in 'timeless' times
We are truly a 'timeless' generation- the definition of 'timeless generation' being slightly distorted as - 'the generation that suffers from an incurable disease named timelessness'.We have completely surrendered ourselves to this malady.This timelessness creeps into every conversation of ours, is used as a weapon againt every allegation and is our best companion during times of guilt.
There is no scientific reason for the origin or reasons for the disease..we continue to share the 24 hours that generations before us were blessed with..but this thought grew on me during my trips to other parts away our 'metro' piece of earth...people have time to chat with their neighbour..time to attend the local festival..time to greet and meet people for a family function...and one look at a typical day in our life..we are strugggling to read the newspaper...we stand on our toes to gulp down our breakfast...we do not answer a friend's call making a mental note to call back when you actually have 'time'........we fly past our neighbours with a quick smile and a nod which means we will chat when we have time (in the future)...we forget to even hear a good song for days together....the new bestseller we bought still sits staring at us near the bed waiting for the moment when its pages will be turned..these are signs of an epidemic that is seeping through our lives..
Its a struggle to keep pace with the supermen and superwomen moulds that we need to squeeze our lives into..its a simple fit or break formula. What would happen if we slowed down..took our leg off the accelerator for a few moments, chatted with your friends for an hour, disconnected and listened to a favourite song? Would our world turn upside down? Maybe its time we tried it out..and who knows the superman/woman costume might still fit you?
There is no scientific reason for the origin or reasons for the disease..we continue to share the 24 hours that generations before us were blessed with..but this thought grew on me during my trips to other parts away our 'metro' piece of earth...people have time to chat with their neighbour..time to attend the local festival..time to greet and meet people for a family function...and one look at a typical day in our life..we are strugggling to read the newspaper...we stand on our toes to gulp down our breakfast...we do not answer a friend's call making a mental note to call back when you actually have 'time'........we fly past our neighbours with a quick smile and a nod which means we will chat when we have time (in the future)...we forget to even hear a good song for days together....the new bestseller we bought still sits staring at us near the bed waiting for the moment when its pages will be turned..these are signs of an epidemic that is seeping through our lives..
Its a struggle to keep pace with the supermen and superwomen moulds that we need to squeeze our lives into..its a simple fit or break formula. What would happen if we slowed down..took our leg off the accelerator for a few moments, chatted with your friends for an hour, disconnected and listened to a favourite song? Would our world turn upside down? Maybe its time we tried it out..and who knows the superman/woman costume might still fit you?
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