Civilization???
The massacre at Virginia Tech had me in tears as I read the gruesome details of the incident. What can prompt someone to such a dastardly and ghastly act? I ask myself this question over and over again. I shudder repeatedly at the thought that someone can take so many lives. Walk from classroom to classroom shooting scores of your fellow students - what kind of a demented, twisted mind did the shooter have that he could do all this and not flinch one bit?
I do not even know if this is even vaguely connected with this post, but recently I saw an audition for a talent hunt for children on TV. Kids, aged between 5-10 yrs came out dressed in their best, sang their songs and on not being selected, I could see them crying their hearts out. What has been put in their minds at such a tender age, I wondered! That is the age when they should be taught to enjoy participating in a competition and come out happy that they had a good Sunday. Instead, here they were crying their hearts out. What are parents putting in their minds? What was in the mind of this loner that made him do this?
It is easy to blame the oldest of culprits, one that drives a man to abandon all rhyme and reason and behave in an inhuman manner - love. I would beg of everyone involved in the investigation, however, not to trivialize this in the name of love and recognize the deeper malaise within. There is a growing tendency towards violence in this generation and the easy access to guns and the ilk is just making the situation all the more volatile. Teach the younger generation that it is OK to lose sometimes. Teach them to take a loss with a smile and not upon their hearts. It hurts when you lose, but remember that a loss can spur you on to victories later in life, provided you decide to have a later!
My heart goes out to all the 32 casualties and the gunmen himself. He probably needed help, help that he will never get now. The other 32 casualties, I'm stuck here looking at the word casualty and I somehow am ashamed at using that word. The 32 victims of this mindless massacre, all of you are brave people who, I'm sure, must have tried to stand up for each other until the last moment. My heart is with your families, who must have been waiting for you to come back for lunch or dinner...I cannot imagine the extent of their grief at this moment. All I can do is say a silent prayer to god and wish your souls rest in peace.
I read on CNN on that all the students are going to wear their VT hokies as a sign of unity. This is something that I observed in an American campus. Nothing binds people more than a tragedy and the unity that all the students show in the face of such incidents is awe inspiring. Such shows of solidarity after this "tragedy of monumental proportions" - as President George W. Bush put it, make us believe that all is not lost yet. We might still have time to set things right.
RIP: The 33 people killed in the Virginia Tech shootout.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Get a Life, Losers!!!
Richard Gere kisses Shilpa Shetty, Shilpa has fun, Gere has fun and all of India has fun watching endless replays of the same on NEWS channels. Some people, who have nothing better to do go on a rampage, hold protests and disrupt public life. Last week someone filed a public interest litigation against Sachin Tendulkar cause he cut a cake that was fashioned after a tricolor and someone else decided that Mr. Narayana Murthy had disrespected the national anthem by playing out the tune of the same instead of singing it.
For me, this seriously shows the level of joblessness in India. All you so called social activists, please go on and get yourself a life. If you really want to help the society, go do something about a real cause. The whole focus of the Shilpa - Gere meeting was AIDS awareness. Instead of protesting about something insignificant and taking the focus away from the prime issue at hand, go do something useful. You may not gain your fifteen minutes of notoriety, but you will gain the good will of the ones that you help. And as far as we being Indians and hating PDA, please walk around any major city in India today and you will find far more blatant displays of the same. And for gods sake stop destroying public property for every possible excuse. All that is wealth created by the taxes paid by hard working citizens. Vent your anger by beating up your co-activists - that would also be an extremely useful thing to do. Do not stop buses full of people going back home after a hard days work and make them get down and smash windows.
All the money and the energy spent on protests can be better utilized. Go help spread awareness about STD's. Go to an old age home and listen to an old mother's tale. Go to an orphanage and help cook a day's meal. Go to a village and help in cleaning a drain. Instead of holding up traffic, go help in clearing a jam. I would infact encourage all these activists to take up fasts unto death until their demands are met - would help in cleaning up a lot of them and all the food they dont eat can feed many needy stomachs.
One reason for this outburst is the traffic jam that I was stuck in this evening due to a protest. It was about the Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty incident. This was something long overdue and today's experience just brought things to a head. Please, stop devaluing the value of a protest. A rightful protest for an important cause is stronger than anything anyone could think of. That was what brought us our independence. Finally, GO GET A LIFE, LOSERS!
Richard Gere kisses Shilpa Shetty, Shilpa has fun, Gere has fun and all of India has fun watching endless replays of the same on NEWS channels. Some people, who have nothing better to do go on a rampage, hold protests and disrupt public life. Last week someone filed a public interest litigation against Sachin Tendulkar cause he cut a cake that was fashioned after a tricolor and someone else decided that Mr. Narayana Murthy had disrespected the national anthem by playing out the tune of the same instead of singing it.
For me, this seriously shows the level of joblessness in India. All you so called social activists, please go on and get yourself a life. If you really want to help the society, go do something about a real cause. The whole focus of the Shilpa - Gere meeting was AIDS awareness. Instead of protesting about something insignificant and taking the focus away from the prime issue at hand, go do something useful. You may not gain your fifteen minutes of notoriety, but you will gain the good will of the ones that you help. And as far as we being Indians and hating PDA, please walk around any major city in India today and you will find far more blatant displays of the same. And for gods sake stop destroying public property for every possible excuse. All that is wealth created by the taxes paid by hard working citizens. Vent your anger by beating up your co-activists - that would also be an extremely useful thing to do. Do not stop buses full of people going back home after a hard days work and make them get down and smash windows.
All the money and the energy spent on protests can be better utilized. Go help spread awareness about STD's. Go to an old age home and listen to an old mother's tale. Go to an orphanage and help cook a day's meal. Go to a village and help in cleaning a drain. Instead of holding up traffic, go help in clearing a jam. I would infact encourage all these activists to take up fasts unto death until their demands are met - would help in cleaning up a lot of them and all the food they dont eat can feed many needy stomachs.
One reason for this outburst is the traffic jam that I was stuck in this evening due to a protest. It was about the Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty incident. This was something long overdue and today's experience just brought things to a head. Please, stop devaluing the value of a protest. A rightful protest for an important cause is stronger than anything anyone could think of. That was what brought us our independence. Finally, GO GET A LIFE, LOSERS!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
U dont get second chances to make first impressions!
I always strongly beleive that this is wrong. Whatever might be your first impression of a person, there is always a chance that you have chanced upon them at the wrong moment and caught just the facet that is completely opposite to what a person actually is. No examples better than our star kids to illustrate this.
The first impression we form of these hugely burdened beings is dependent on the impression we have on their family. Son/daughter of a big star simply implies that he/ she is a super performer by themselves. This is often not the case as acting, even though it has to come naturally, is definitely not hereditary. One bad movie is all it takes for us to write these guys off, especially since they are star kids, the patience levels that we show towards non- star kids being infinitely more.
All this because I saw a movie yesterday. It was called 'Dhee'has and it starred Vishnu, whose dad Dr. Mohan Babu is one of the finest actors that the Telugu film industry has produced. Now this guy had a disastrous launch, a couple of forgettable movies and then made the mistake of remaking Sarfarosh and Taxi No. 9211, two movies that were memorable sheerly for the strength of the performances by their lead actors. People wrote obituaries about this guy and all but confirmed that this guys' future was over. This particular movie does not find buyers and waits in the cans for an eternity before finally releasing during a lull period. And surprisingly enough, here it turns out that this is the movie that might give this guy success.
Considering the number of movies made in India every year, it is really difficult to write a new story for a movie. What determines the success of a movie is how an old story is told in a new and refreshing manner. At the end of a tiring day's work, what people want to really see is a movie that entertains them and that was this movie's forte. A simple storyline with a taut screenplay, the right amount of guffaws in every other scene and the right number of dishum-dishums without excessive gore ensured that this movie was a good watch. If only for the lack of something better, I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for some good timepass.
I always strongly beleive that this is wrong. Whatever might be your first impression of a person, there is always a chance that you have chanced upon them at the wrong moment and caught just the facet that is completely opposite to what a person actually is. No examples better than our star kids to illustrate this.
The first impression we form of these hugely burdened beings is dependent on the impression we have on their family. Son/daughter of a big star simply implies that he/ she is a super performer by themselves. This is often not the case as acting, even though it has to come naturally, is definitely not hereditary. One bad movie is all it takes for us to write these guys off, especially since they are star kids, the patience levels that we show towards non- star kids being infinitely more.
All this because I saw a movie yesterday. It was called 'Dhee'has and it starred Vishnu, whose dad Dr. Mohan Babu is one of the finest actors that the Telugu film industry has produced. Now this guy had a disastrous launch, a couple of forgettable movies and then made the mistake of remaking Sarfarosh and Taxi No. 9211, two movies that were memorable sheerly for the strength of the performances by their lead actors. People wrote obituaries about this guy and all but confirmed that this guys' future was over. This particular movie does not find buyers and waits in the cans for an eternity before finally releasing during a lull period. And surprisingly enough, here it turns out that this is the movie that might give this guy success.
Considering the number of movies made in India every year, it is really difficult to write a new story for a movie. What determines the success of a movie is how an old story is told in a new and refreshing manner. At the end of a tiring day's work, what people want to really see is a movie that entertains them and that was this movie's forte. A simple storyline with a taut screenplay, the right amount of guffaws in every other scene and the right number of dishum-dishums without excessive gore ensured that this movie was a good watch. If only for the lack of something better, I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for some good timepass.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Saaad Day for cricket
March 18th will go down in the history of cricket as a sad day indeed. Till last evening, I was thinking about jotting down my thoughts about how Bangladesh outplayed India man to man. I was one amongst countless Indians whose sadness at India being beaten by Bangladesh and facing a very probable first round elimination, was in some small measure compensated by the fact that arch rivals Pakistan had lost to Ireland and were going to go home to jeers and brickbats. But the news of Bob Woolmer's death late last night overwhelmed all other emotions.
I desperately wanted to find out what was going on in the minds of the contemporary Pakistan fan, all of those who were screaming for Bob Woolmer's head a day earlier. If I had been one of them, I would have been wracked with guilt and been very angry at God who chose to grant this wish amongst innumerable others that I had asked of him. An article by Dileep Premchandran in Cricinfo went thus
"
March 18th will go down in the history of cricket as a sad day indeed. Till last evening, I was thinking about jotting down my thoughts about how Bangladesh outplayed India man to man. I was one amongst countless Indians whose sadness at India being beaten by Bangladesh and facing a very probable first round elimination, was in some small measure compensated by the fact that arch rivals Pakistan had lost to Ireland and were going to go home to jeers and brickbats. But the news of Bob Woolmer's death late last night overwhelmed all other emotions.
I desperately wanted to find out what was going on in the minds of the contemporary Pakistan fan, all of those who were screaming for Bob Woolmer's head a day earlier. If I had been one of them, I would have been wracked with guilt and been very angry at God who chose to grant this wish amongst innumerable others that I had asked of him. An article by Dileep Premchandran in Cricinfo went thus
"
We were sitting down to lunch after the depressing trip to the University Hospital when a man came by and asked: "Da coach who die? He Pakistan coach now?" When we said yes, he shook his head sadly, dreads blowing in the breeze. 'Maybe he take it to heart?" he said. "Even da biggest team can lose to little team, man. It a game, and da ball round."
As you listened to him, you could only wish that fans back home in India and Pakistan were possessed of such common sense or perspective on life. On waking up in the morning and checking mail, the first thing I had seen was an AFP report from India that spoke of angry mobs attacking a house that Mahendra Singh Dhoni was constructing in Ranchi. The story also went on to speak of armed guards protecting the houses of Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Virender Sehwag and others.
It was as depressing as it was predictable. Even before Bangladesh had scored the 192 runs required to defeat India at Queen's Park Oval, Cricinfo had received feedback from so-called fans who wished to burn Dravid's house. A few hours later, Pakistani "fans" were out in the streets of Multan demanding that Inzamam-ul-Haq and Bob Woolmer be arrested."
Was it really cricket fans who attacked Dhoni's house. No, it was a group from a political outfit called Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, people who probably had no knowledge about cricket at all. For an average cricket fan like me and millions of others like me, the reaction was limited to a heated discussion over a glass of beer. All of us, of course made the usual vows to ourselves that we would stop seeing cricket from now on. This vow will be broken by today evening when we encounter "Heavy Weight" Bermuda. Cricket, for us, is a passion, but it is not something that will provoke us to extremes. This is the message that we should be conveying to our cricketers who live out of hotels continuously, travelling for months together at a time and braving injuries and complete devastation of their bodies for us.
Mr. Woolmer, as a cricket fan, I have lost interest in this world cup. I realize that my happiness that Pakistan was ousted from the world cup has taken this cruel a turn and Im ashamed of myself for it. Inzy bhai, I always enjoyed your batting, be it the late cuts or those nonchalant pulls that you played or the comic run outs that you were involved in. It is sad that you had to announce your retirement at the time when you did it, or in the manner in which you had to do it.
All in all, a sad day for cricket, one that has profoundly affected me and hopefully has put some sense into millions of effigy burners in the sub-continent.
RIP: Bob Woolmer
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Gho(a)st(ly) Rider
It was pretty fitting that a movie about a hero who sells his soul to the devil lacked that very thing - soul. Absolutely soul less, this Nicolas Cage flick turned out to be one more variation of good vs. evil theme that has been made innumerable times. It lacked everything that a big budget hollywood flick has and yet turned out to be one in the end. Typically, giving a movie an open ending is one way all hollywood directors tell us that they will make a sequel, God save us if the first movie makes some money. This leads to another mindless sequel being made, which hopefully, I will avoid.
Being a bike enthusiast, I was inevitably drawn towards this movie that promised to be a treat for Harley lovers. That is was and pretty much that was what else it was. The movie was another variation of the good vs. evil theme - nothing wrong in that, but the evil here was like 4 strange, gothic looking people, three of whom are destroyed pretty effortlessly by our flaming skull. Flaming skull, is incidentally our hero, Nicolas Cage, who for most of the second half disappears to make way for a guy with a flaming skull for a head. The lack of plot is pretty much evident by the way the director crams in stunts or sfx or scenes of Eva Mendes being gobbled up by Cage.
The casting is also not at its most imaginative. The couple next to me kept cooing about how cool the younger versions of the hero and heroine looked. They were way better than Cage and Eva Mendes. Eva Mendes is beautiful and all that, but she should probably stick to modelling. I would rather see her sculpted body rather than her acting prowess. Nicolas Cage looked jaded, he probably needed to look the part, but I thought he looked a bit too careworn for a cool stuntman. The comedy was forced, the punchlines of characters were cheesy and corny to say the least. I flinched a number of times and I think so would've Cage, hadnt he required some quick shopping money. Mainly because, I dont think any major hero (if he still thinks of himself that way) would agree to disappear for half of the movie and be replaced by a flaming skull.
All in all, a pretty disappointing movie. I think Im equally to be blamed for having major expectations from a movie that was made from a not so good comic series and one that was released a full six months later than when it was actually supposed to hit the screen. If the parents dont think much of their child, what business did I have to think tht world of the same!
It was pretty fitting that a movie about a hero who sells his soul to the devil lacked that very thing - soul. Absolutely soul less, this Nicolas Cage flick turned out to be one more variation of good vs. evil theme that has been made innumerable times. It lacked everything that a big budget hollywood flick has and yet turned out to be one in the end. Typically, giving a movie an open ending is one way all hollywood directors tell us that they will make a sequel, God save us if the first movie makes some money. This leads to another mindless sequel being made, which hopefully, I will avoid.
Being a bike enthusiast, I was inevitably drawn towards this movie that promised to be a treat for Harley lovers. That is was and pretty much that was what else it was. The movie was another variation of the good vs. evil theme - nothing wrong in that, but the evil here was like 4 strange, gothic looking people, three of whom are destroyed pretty effortlessly by our flaming skull. Flaming skull, is incidentally our hero, Nicolas Cage, who for most of the second half disappears to make way for a guy with a flaming skull for a head. The lack of plot is pretty much evident by the way the director crams in stunts or sfx or scenes of Eva Mendes being gobbled up by Cage.
The casting is also not at its most imaginative. The couple next to me kept cooing about how cool the younger versions of the hero and heroine looked. They were way better than Cage and Eva Mendes. Eva Mendes is beautiful and all that, but she should probably stick to modelling. I would rather see her sculpted body rather than her acting prowess. Nicolas Cage looked jaded, he probably needed to look the part, but I thought he looked a bit too careworn for a cool stuntman. The comedy was forced, the punchlines of characters were cheesy and corny to say the least. I flinched a number of times and I think so would've Cage, hadnt he required some quick shopping money. Mainly because, I dont think any major hero (if he still thinks of himself that way) would agree to disappear for half of the movie and be replaced by a flaming skull.
All in all, a pretty disappointing movie. I think Im equally to be blamed for having major expectations from a movie that was made from a not so good comic series and one that was released a full six months later than when it was actually supposed to hit the screen. If the parents dont think much of their child, what business did I have to think tht world of the same!
Monday, March 05, 2007
KBC
Im one amongst those innumerable people who cannot be prised out from in front of their television sets every evening at 9.00PM. Shahrukh Khan and Kaun Banega Crorepati are a stable part of my meal every evening.
Another one in the series of Amitabh Vs. Shahrukh writeups this is not. For me, both of them are superstars in their own right and both lend their own charisma to the show. I have a different rant. What makes millions tune into the show every evening and watch others win money. Im no psychiatrist or psychologist, so I couldnt probably dwell on deeper things, but I think it is the virtual thrill of answering all the questions posed to the contestant and telling oneself that I cud've won all that money too.
The celebrity host cannot be the only reason that we tune in day after day. The novelty, afterall wears off after a while (as was evident when not enuf people tuned into KBC 2 or KBC Dwitiya as the Big B called it). The thrill of answering all those questions hit me hard last nite when I was watching the show. One of the contestants who was stuck on a relatively easy question used a lifeline and then used some logic to get to the right answer. I was on my couch shouting out at that guy to think right and when he finally did, I was slapping my thigh and telling him, though he could never hear me, Yeah, way to go, think like that.
Who this guy was who was winning a few thousands of rupees thanks to all my encouragement, I will never know. Its just that for those few moments, I was transported to his world and wanted him to think right. I was imagining myself sitting in front of Shahrukh on the hot seat and winning all that money without wasting my lifeline and wanted this guy to do the same.
Whoever designed this show must've thoroughly studied some human psychology (or must've had a lotta money). Whatever the reason, KBC has one of its most loyal viewers in me and the fact that I have never won a paisa from the show will not deter my loyalty!
Im one amongst those innumerable people who cannot be prised out from in front of their television sets every evening at 9.00PM. Shahrukh Khan and Kaun Banega Crorepati are a stable part of my meal every evening.
Another one in the series of Amitabh Vs. Shahrukh writeups this is not. For me, both of them are superstars in their own right and both lend their own charisma to the show. I have a different rant. What makes millions tune into the show every evening and watch others win money. Im no psychiatrist or psychologist, so I couldnt probably dwell on deeper things, but I think it is the virtual thrill of answering all the questions posed to the contestant and telling oneself that I cud've won all that money too.
The celebrity host cannot be the only reason that we tune in day after day. The novelty, afterall wears off after a while (as was evident when not enuf people tuned into KBC 2 or KBC Dwitiya as the Big B called it). The thrill of answering all those questions hit me hard last nite when I was watching the show. One of the contestants who was stuck on a relatively easy question used a lifeline and then used some logic to get to the right answer. I was on my couch shouting out at that guy to think right and when he finally did, I was slapping my thigh and telling him, though he could never hear me, Yeah, way to go, think like that.
Who this guy was who was winning a few thousands of rupees thanks to all my encouragement, I will never know. Its just that for those few moments, I was transported to his world and wanted him to think right. I was imagining myself sitting in front of Shahrukh on the hot seat and winning all that money without wasting my lifeline and wanted this guy to do the same.
Whoever designed this show must've thoroughly studied some human psychology (or must've had a lotta money). Whatever the reason, KBC has one of its most loyal viewers in me and the fact that I have never won a paisa from the show will not deter my loyalty!
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Loooongggg Time
Its been a long time since Ive been on the blogger. Been busy with stuff, setting up anything on ur own is not easy afterall. Neywayz, amidst all the things I've been doing these days, Ive found time for a trip to Goa (Found time...made time...same difference, u see). I had an interview at the Goa Institute of Management and very frankly...that is the only reason I went to Goa, yeah yeah Boo all u want, but that is the only reason I went to Goa.
The sole purpose of my going to Goa, namely the interview took up a full four hours of my 3 day trip. What did I do the other two and half days, u ask? Well, all the time before the interview was spent preparing for it and the remaining time was spent recovering from it. So, all the activities centered around the interview. I can almost feel all the pats on my back...thank you thank you.
I willl not waste time describing how beautiful a place Goa is, I could as well give u the URL of Goa Tourism or a DVD of Dil Chahta Hai (the latter better than the former of course), so I will instead plunge into some of the things that struck me on this trip. First thing was watching the sunrise over the Western Ghats while on our way to Goa. Nuthin can match that feeling and after a sleepless night as a navigator, nuthin better to rejuvenate you. The other thing that struck me once I entered Anjuna Beach (this is where I stayed) was the number of liquor stores in the area. 60% of the houses there had liquor stores in them. I mean, does a license almost cost nothing? The other amazing part in Goa was the seaside shacks. U cud feel the spray hitting you even as u sit on an idyllic evening sipping some excellent wine. Wine was plentiful, from the best variety to the home made one, all types of wine make their way into the menu. Also, the way people start treating u like frnds in almost no time was amazing. We went to the same shack a couple times for drinks and the next morning when we went there for breakfast, the guy there instantly recognises us and gives us a friendly hi instead of the standard 'kyaa chaahiye' lines.
Overall, a tiring though funtastic trip that will stay in memory until....the next trip!
PS: One heartwarming incident along the way. So, we get lost in this place called Kolhapur in the middle of the night with no clue as to how to proceed. We see some one parking his bike, presumably in front of his house and we call out and ask him. This guy tells us that it is slightly difficult to find the route and instead takes his bike and shows us until the outskirts of the city, this at 2 in the night. He mustve travelled an extra 6+6 km atleast to show us the way. At the outskirts, we asked him his name and he happily replied Eijaz Khan and just when we were about to leave asked us for matches to light his cigarette. Meraaa Bharat Mahaan - we said to ourselves and went our way!
Its been a long time since Ive been on the blogger. Been busy with stuff, setting up anything on ur own is not easy afterall. Neywayz, amidst all the things I've been doing these days, Ive found time for a trip to Goa (Found time...made time...same difference, u see). I had an interview at the Goa Institute of Management and very frankly...that is the only reason I went to Goa, yeah yeah Boo all u want, but that is the only reason I went to Goa.
The sole purpose of my going to Goa, namely the interview took up a full four hours of my 3 day trip. What did I do the other two and half days, u ask? Well, all the time before the interview was spent preparing for it and the remaining time was spent recovering from it. So, all the activities centered around the interview. I can almost feel all the pats on my back...thank you thank you.
I willl not waste time describing how beautiful a place Goa is, I could as well give u the URL of Goa Tourism or a DVD of Dil Chahta Hai (the latter better than the former of course), so I will instead plunge into some of the things that struck me on this trip. First thing was watching the sunrise over the Western Ghats while on our way to Goa. Nuthin can match that feeling and after a sleepless night as a navigator, nuthin better to rejuvenate you. The other thing that struck me once I entered Anjuna Beach (this is where I stayed) was the number of liquor stores in the area. 60% of the houses there had liquor stores in them. I mean, does a license almost cost nothing? The other amazing part in Goa was the seaside shacks. U cud feel the spray hitting you even as u sit on an idyllic evening sipping some excellent wine. Wine was plentiful, from the best variety to the home made one, all types of wine make their way into the menu. Also, the way people start treating u like frnds in almost no time was amazing. We went to the same shack a couple times for drinks and the next morning when we went there for breakfast, the guy there instantly recognises us and gives us a friendly hi instead of the standard 'kyaa chaahiye' lines.
Overall, a tiring though funtastic trip that will stay in memory until....the next trip!
PS: One heartwarming incident along the way. So, we get lost in this place called Kolhapur in the middle of the night with no clue as to how to proceed. We see some one parking his bike, presumably in front of his house and we call out and ask him. This guy tells us that it is slightly difficult to find the route and instead takes his bike and shows us until the outskirts of the city, this at 2 in the night. He mustve travelled an extra 6+6 km atleast to show us the way. At the outskirts, we asked him his name and he happily replied Eijaz Khan and just when we were about to leave asked us for matches to light his cigarette. Meraaa Bharat Mahaan - we said to ourselves and went our way!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Nostalgia
India produces the best ads in the whole world! Any doubts about that one? Check out the number of awards Indian Ads have won at major international award festivals in the recent years and u will know Im not being parochial or partial..(though it is very much in me to be both when it comes to cricket!).
I did some reminescing to think of the ads that have stuck in my head ever since I started watching TV. Earliest being the Vicco Vajradanti ad that has been showing in cinemas ever since I remember. The trademark jingle is still the same and the same grandfather figure bites into the sugarcane till date. All fans of Indian Tradition (read 'jobless protesters') can take pride that their agitation that some things should not change has succeeded atleast in this aspect. I remember Aamir Khan jumping over veihcles, sliding under shop doors and getting a Pepsi only to find Aishwarya Rai asking him for another one. Strange game that advertising is, one of my other favs is the Aamir series for Coke. A Nepali tourist, a bihari babu kinda guy - did he pull em off or what! The Aish - Hrithik campaign for Coke sucked though.
Pepsi always came up with fun ads, be it with cricketers or filmstars. Particularly good ones were with Shane Warne, Tendlia and Carl Hooper, another one with Tendlia and Azhar. Some with Shahrukh were good too. Fevicol - or should that be Pidilite - had some of the best ads of all time. Stuff like a man's shadow getting stuck to a shutter with Fevicol written over it, a hen laying an unbreakable egg after eating its feed from a Fevicol can and one where different TV sets in a carpenter store show different pics based on whether or not the Fevicol can is removed from the set top were howlarious to put it mildly. There is another one where they show us an overloaded bus with people on top, on the side and every other possible place on the bus and still not falling off - Fevicol is painted behind the bus in huge letters u see!
Amrutanjan had one amazing catch line - It's gone - and it made people say it in all different languages. I would wait until they said it in my mother tongue and feel suffused with pride that they felt it important enough to use my mother tongue in a national ad.
After spending two years in the US and baulking at their quality of advertising, which was mostly someone reading out product benefits, the belief that we make the world's best ads has been reinforced ten fold. I've loved Motorola's ads for its new phn, Pepsi seems to have lost some touch though. I will surely write upon this some other time as Im fascinated by the world of ads...enuf for now though.
PS: After all the questions, Sehwag is going to be on the plane to the Carribean...Please, oh please, vindicate our faith in you, Sehwag saab...
India produces the best ads in the whole world! Any doubts about that one? Check out the number of awards Indian Ads have won at major international award festivals in the recent years and u will know Im not being parochial or partial..(though it is very much in me to be both when it comes to cricket!).
I did some reminescing to think of the ads that have stuck in my head ever since I started watching TV. Earliest being the Vicco Vajradanti ad that has been showing in cinemas ever since I remember. The trademark jingle is still the same and the same grandfather figure bites into the sugarcane till date. All fans of Indian Tradition (read 'jobless protesters') can take pride that their agitation that some things should not change has succeeded atleast in this aspect. I remember Aamir Khan jumping over veihcles, sliding under shop doors and getting a Pepsi only to find Aishwarya Rai asking him for another one. Strange game that advertising is, one of my other favs is the Aamir series for Coke. A Nepali tourist, a bihari babu kinda guy - did he pull em off or what! The Aish - Hrithik campaign for Coke sucked though.
Pepsi always came up with fun ads, be it with cricketers or filmstars. Particularly good ones were with Shane Warne, Tendlia and Carl Hooper, another one with Tendlia and Azhar. Some with Shahrukh were good too. Fevicol - or should that be Pidilite - had some of the best ads of all time. Stuff like a man's shadow getting stuck to a shutter with Fevicol written over it, a hen laying an unbreakable egg after eating its feed from a Fevicol can and one where different TV sets in a carpenter store show different pics based on whether or not the Fevicol can is removed from the set top were howlarious to put it mildly. There is another one where they show us an overloaded bus with people on top, on the side and every other possible place on the bus and still not falling off - Fevicol is painted behind the bus in huge letters u see!
Amrutanjan had one amazing catch line - It's gone - and it made people say it in all different languages. I would wait until they said it in my mother tongue and feel suffused with pride that they felt it important enough to use my mother tongue in a national ad.
After spending two years in the US and baulking at their quality of advertising, which was mostly someone reading out product benefits, the belief that we make the world's best ads has been reinforced ten fold. I've loved Motorola's ads for its new phn, Pepsi seems to have lost some touch though. I will surely write upon this some other time as Im fascinated by the world of ads...enuf for now though.
PS: After all the questions, Sehwag is going to be on the plane to the Carribean...Please, oh please, vindicate our faith in you, Sehwag saab...
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Where to now???
How did we manage to lose that? Blame it on Tendlia of course...Naaa, this is not going to be another lambasting for the Tendlia critics. Im curious as to what the selectors will do now. Sehwag has failed(?) yet again. What now? Do we get him onto the plane to the Carribean? Robin Uthappa seems quite a wise choice as of now, but does he have enuf exposure or experience? I dont envy Mr. Vengsarkar's his job, darned if he does, darned if he does not. Two more matches left, Sehwag will have to do something spectacular now if he wants that coveted birth.
There was another match today that could well prove extremely important in the buildup to the World Cup. England upset Australia's applecart today and Australia did not do themselves any favors by putting in a listless batting performance. There have been questions for long about Australia's aging team. However, the desire for revenge for their Ashes loss seemed to fill the aging team with new strength and the 5-0 whitewash showed they were in top form. The first few matches of the CB series proved mere confirmations of their form. However, England, who were on the verge of being written off completely, quite literally pulled a few rabbits out of their hats and romped home to a series victory that will go a long way in boosting their morale ahead of the world cup and shattering Australia's. The good news for Australia is that they still have three matches against NZ to redeem themselves. The one catch taken by Jamie Dalrymple today is utterly representative of how one performance can inspire an entire team. Being horizontal four feet in the air and taking a one handed catch with your left hand - or rather beleiving u can do it - showed England's desperation for a much needed win. The crowd went up in a collective gasp loud enuf to be heard in England when the catch was replayed on the large screen. I would think that was the moment when the fight in Australia just died out!
The build up to this World Cup is proving to be uber interesting and I, for one, hope that every match in the World Cup proves to be a nail biter. Who will win finally? Well, may the best team win...
PS: The best team being India of course!
How did we manage to lose that? Blame it on Tendlia of course...Naaa, this is not going to be another lambasting for the Tendlia critics. Im curious as to what the selectors will do now. Sehwag has failed(?) yet again. What now? Do we get him onto the plane to the Carribean? Robin Uthappa seems quite a wise choice as of now, but does he have enuf exposure or experience? I dont envy Mr. Vengsarkar's his job, darned if he does, darned if he does not. Two more matches left, Sehwag will have to do something spectacular now if he wants that coveted birth.
There was another match today that could well prove extremely important in the buildup to the World Cup. England upset Australia's applecart today and Australia did not do themselves any favors by putting in a listless batting performance. There have been questions for long about Australia's aging team. However, the desire for revenge for their Ashes loss seemed to fill the aging team with new strength and the 5-0 whitewash showed they were in top form. The first few matches of the CB series proved mere confirmations of their form. However, England, who were on the verge of being written off completely, quite literally pulled a few rabbits out of their hats and romped home to a series victory that will go a long way in boosting their morale ahead of the world cup and shattering Australia's. The good news for Australia is that they still have three matches against NZ to redeem themselves. The one catch taken by Jamie Dalrymple today is utterly representative of how one performance can inspire an entire team. Being horizontal four feet in the air and taking a one handed catch with your left hand - or rather beleiving u can do it - showed England's desperation for a much needed win. The crowd went up in a collective gasp loud enuf to be heard in England when the catch was replayed on the large screen. I would think that was the moment when the fight in Australia just died out!
The build up to this World Cup is proving to be uber interesting and I, for one, hope that every match in the World Cup proves to be a nail biter. Who will win finally? Well, may the best team win...
PS: The best team being India of course!
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Sachin on Song
There is little that matches the unrivalled joy of watching a Sachin Tendulkar straight drive. It was during Operation Desert Storm in Sharjah once upon a time that Tendulkar straight drove Steve Waugh right over his head for six and held that pose just long enough for it to be imprinted in the minds of millions for eternity. If one keeps following all the bad press that Tendulkar gets for his (human) failings in some of the innings he plays, one would be conned into thinking that all that was in a different lifetime. In this life, Tendulkar is just another mortal who can never score when it matters, nor can he ever 'win a match for India' or so they want us to beleive.
Right after his drop to the middle order in the recently concluded series against WI, Tendulkar missed out on the run fest during his 30 in the first innings. He played like he has being doing in the recent past, more of an accumulator than an aggressor. Out came the hounds baying for his blood. There came the questions - Is Tendulkar past his prime? Should he quit while on top? Should he try and prolong his test career by moving away from the one day field. The fact that he played beautifully for his 30 and scored these runs at a run a ball mattered little to these pundits. His 60 in the third match did not matter too as he fell 'when it mattered'. In an interview before the final match, he said something to the effect that he knows what role he has been asked to play and that he is doing it to perfection. Then came the explosion in the final match. Tendlia was back to his old self, impeccable shots flowing from the meat of the bat, delicate angles finding gaps that others would be hard pressed to find and domination of the bowlers at will, all these qualities that made him the Little Maestro were back in full force and it was a sight to watch.
The purpose of this post is to tell the blood hounds that they can shove it for a while. Is it Tendulkar's fault that his last four centuries for India came in losing causes. If it really were the case that a Tendulkar century would lead to an Indian defeat, it will be Tendulkar himself who would step down. For the boyish enthusiasm he has and the infectious smile that creases his face when India wins cannot be fake, cannot be the work of someone who is selfishly prodding along for individual glory. Let him be...he is irreplaceable in this Indian Team and the day when he retires....aaaaahhhhh, lets cross that bridge when we come to it, it is too painful a thought as of now...
There is little that matches the unrivalled joy of watching a Sachin Tendulkar straight drive. It was during Operation Desert Storm in Sharjah once upon a time that Tendulkar straight drove Steve Waugh right over his head for six and held that pose just long enough for it to be imprinted in the minds of millions for eternity. If one keeps following all the bad press that Tendulkar gets for his (human) failings in some of the innings he plays, one would be conned into thinking that all that was in a different lifetime. In this life, Tendulkar is just another mortal who can never score when it matters, nor can he ever 'win a match for India' or so they want us to beleive.
Right after his drop to the middle order in the recently concluded series against WI, Tendulkar missed out on the run fest during his 30 in the first innings. He played like he has being doing in the recent past, more of an accumulator than an aggressor. Out came the hounds baying for his blood. There came the questions - Is Tendulkar past his prime? Should he quit while on top? Should he try and prolong his test career by moving away from the one day field. The fact that he played beautifully for his 30 and scored these runs at a run a ball mattered little to these pundits. His 60 in the third match did not matter too as he fell 'when it mattered'. In an interview before the final match, he said something to the effect that he knows what role he has been asked to play and that he is doing it to perfection. Then came the explosion in the final match. Tendlia was back to his old self, impeccable shots flowing from the meat of the bat, delicate angles finding gaps that others would be hard pressed to find and domination of the bowlers at will, all these qualities that made him the Little Maestro were back in full force and it was a sight to watch.
The purpose of this post is to tell the blood hounds that they can shove it for a while. Is it Tendulkar's fault that his last four centuries for India came in losing causes. If it really were the case that a Tendulkar century would lead to an Indian defeat, it will be Tendulkar himself who would step down. For the boyish enthusiasm he has and the infectious smile that creases his face when India wins cannot be fake, cannot be the work of someone who is selfishly prodding along for individual glory. Let him be...he is irreplaceable in this Indian Team and the day when he retires....aaaaahhhhh, lets cross that bridge when we come to it, it is too painful a thought as of now...
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Though Im not a biiiig fan of mushy romantic flicks, I often flip for movies that have love stories that are sensible, stories which leave me feeling good inside. Love Actually finds a place in my all time fav list and once I saw the promos of SEI, I was tremendously excited as I always thought Love Actually had atleast three or four tracks which could be incorporated into an Indian Movie.
After seeing the movie, me and my friend came out and told ourselves, not bad, but gimme a dvd of Love Actually anyday. Sitting here jotting down my impressions, I would think I was being unfair to SEI by comparing it to the original. SEI worked in parts for me. It started off nicely, meandered and lost direction in between (The Ya Rabba track that I like in the sound track was stretched interminably) but finally managed to tie it all up nicely in the end. The ability to poke fun at itself plays a major role in making it work. It uses some of the oldest bollywood cliches to a humorous effect (something that Farah Khan does far more effectively in Main Hoon Naa). It draws u into atleast a couple of the stories, u start feeling for the characters in those stories and want them to end well. The music is fab (mostly), the songs are all well staged Bollywood Numbers, elaborate sets, choreography, loads of dancers in the background.
Amongst the stars, Vidya Balan and John Abraham have a lot of scope and do complete justice to their roles. Akshaye Khanna was fun and I was left wishing Ayesha Takia had something more substantial to do. Anil Kapoor and Juhi played whatever little parts they were given to perfection. Govinda and Shannon were lovely. Govinda was back to his old self saying cheesy, corny lines that only he can pull off (Tu aadmi hai ke Pyzama- anyone???). Sohail Khan and Isha Koppikar are hardly there but manage to evoke a chuckle everytime they come on screen. Priyanka Chopra hammed sometimes, but otherwise was a delight to watch, looks and performance wise. Salman actually looked outlandish in certain scenes, what was with his weird hairdo and make up anyway???
The movie would have been so much better if Nikhil Advani had not indulged his labor of love. When u fall in love and indulge something to a great extent, u end up spoiling it. Nikhil Advani suffers from the same problem... He loved his movie so much, that he ends up spoiling the overall effect, a once in a lifetime ensemble starcast not withstanding. SEI, for me makes the ideal DVD movie... it neither bores u to death, nor moves at a breathtaking pace...so U can give a few scenes the flip and actually rewatch some memorable portions for the effect...
Go see SEI when u have some time to spend, u will not regret the time or the expense. Or if u do not have that time to spend, do see the movie when it comes out on DVD - ideal for a lazy sunday watch!
After seeing the movie, me and my friend came out and told ourselves, not bad, but gimme a dvd of Love Actually anyday. Sitting here jotting down my impressions, I would think I was being unfair to SEI by comparing it to the original. SEI worked in parts for me. It started off nicely, meandered and lost direction in between (The Ya Rabba track that I like in the sound track was stretched interminably) but finally managed to tie it all up nicely in the end. The ability to poke fun at itself plays a major role in making it work. It uses some of the oldest bollywood cliches to a humorous effect (something that Farah Khan does far more effectively in Main Hoon Naa). It draws u into atleast a couple of the stories, u start feeling for the characters in those stories and want them to end well. The music is fab (mostly), the songs are all well staged Bollywood Numbers, elaborate sets, choreography, loads of dancers in the background.
Amongst the stars, Vidya Balan and John Abraham have a lot of scope and do complete justice to their roles. Akshaye Khanna was fun and I was left wishing Ayesha Takia had something more substantial to do. Anil Kapoor and Juhi played whatever little parts they were given to perfection. Govinda and Shannon were lovely. Govinda was back to his old self saying cheesy, corny lines that only he can pull off (Tu aadmi hai ke Pyzama- anyone???). Sohail Khan and Isha Koppikar are hardly there but manage to evoke a chuckle everytime they come on screen. Priyanka Chopra hammed sometimes, but otherwise was a delight to watch, looks and performance wise. Salman actually looked outlandish in certain scenes, what was with his weird hairdo and make up anyway???
The movie would have been so much better if Nikhil Advani had not indulged his labor of love. When u fall in love and indulge something to a great extent, u end up spoiling it. Nikhil Advani suffers from the same problem... He loved his movie so much, that he ends up spoiling the overall effect, a once in a lifetime ensemble starcast not withstanding. SEI, for me makes the ideal DVD movie... it neither bores u to death, nor moves at a breathtaking pace...so U can give a few scenes the flip and actually rewatch some memorable portions for the effect...
Go see SEI when u have some time to spend, u will not regret the time or the expense. Or if u do not have that time to spend, do see the movie when it comes out on DVD - ideal for a lazy sunday watch!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
No Cricket on TV!
Breaking away from my usual photographs, I really had to rant about this. Cricket in India is nothing less than a religion. A match on a sunday is the sweeetest thing that can happen to millions of us around here. School going kids, working professionals, businessmen and just about everyone else in sight will agree that the best way to spend a sunday would be to sit at home with family and see India play. And then celebrate if we do manage to win.
Now, picture this... Dada is back in the team after a long time... we expect him to show off some fireworks, all of us geared up to see some good cricket, never mind the poor showing in South Africa, we can never be too angry at our gods, u see, lo and behold, u realize there is no live/delayed telecast. The I&B ministry, so prompt in banning AXN for showing an 'Adult' program well after 11 pm which is very much within guidelines, thinks nothing of not being able to telecast a match that is being held in that very far off place, India. It was almost like I was back in the US. Sitting in front of the computer and seeing the commentator go gaga over the cricket. Everytime he wrote Dada on fire, typical ODI shot, typically Tendulkar, Meaty blow by Dhoni, Sublime stuff from Dravid, I would go on flipping channels all the way from 0-99 in the hope that the cable operators might have gotten the channel's feed from somewhere.
Mr. Munshi, (the I&B minister), please stop deciding what we should and we should not see. If u want to continue doing that, ensure that u can atleast arrange for millions to see what they want to see. Banning something that a handful mite have seen (what with the millions of BPO employees who work nites and have no chance of seeing what was shown on AXN) is all good, shows u are awake and are working actively to make sure that u are spoonfeeding us all the satellite feed that we get. But ensure that millions like us who want to have some simple pleasures of life like watching a cricket match that India plays in India, get that gift...
PS: Someone, show me some highlights plzzzzzzzz.....
Breaking away from my usual photographs, I really had to rant about this. Cricket in India is nothing less than a religion. A match on a sunday is the sweeetest thing that can happen to millions of us around here. School going kids, working professionals, businessmen and just about everyone else in sight will agree that the best way to spend a sunday would be to sit at home with family and see India play. And then celebrate if we do manage to win.
Now, picture this... Dada is back in the team after a long time... we expect him to show off some fireworks, all of us geared up to see some good cricket, never mind the poor showing in South Africa, we can never be too angry at our gods, u see, lo and behold, u realize there is no live/delayed telecast. The I&B ministry, so prompt in banning AXN for showing an 'Adult' program well after 11 pm which is very much within guidelines, thinks nothing of not being able to telecast a match that is being held in that very far off place, India. It was almost like I was back in the US. Sitting in front of the computer and seeing the commentator go gaga over the cricket. Everytime he wrote Dada on fire, typical ODI shot, typically Tendulkar, Meaty blow by Dhoni, Sublime stuff from Dravid, I would go on flipping channels all the way from 0-99 in the hope that the cable operators might have gotten the channel's feed from somewhere.
Mr. Munshi, (the I&B minister), please stop deciding what we should and we should not see. If u want to continue doing that, ensure that u can atleast arrange for millions to see what they want to see. Banning something that a handful mite have seen (what with the millions of BPO employees who work nites and have no chance of seeing what was shown on AXN) is all good, shows u are awake and are working actively to make sure that u are spoonfeeding us all the satellite feed that we get. But ensure that millions like us who want to have some simple pleasures of life like watching a cricket match that India plays in India, get that gift...
PS: Someone, show me some highlights plzzzzzzzz.....
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
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