Giving in?...am i?

Once in a while you reach these moments or phases of life when you see the picture clearly and feel comfortable at things being in control. Life looks simple and sorted and you tell yourself to do nothing "too smart" and just play along. I was at such a stage in my professional life very recently(until the 31st of october to be precise). I could see my life over the next 6 months- working as an Asst Director on a project that was to be directed by two most amazing people i had met so far in my life. The production house that i'm working for also is reputed and a dynamic organistaion, all looked well....but...
Oh!! there is always a BUT, isn't there??!
These two amazing individuals both above 50 years of age with a bulk of expertise and experience to add on to their refreshing and acomodative attitude were incapable of a few things...they could not play corporate politics, they could not lick the arses of the bosses, they did not beat around the bush and did not tell you only what you wanted to hear but they told you what really was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW CAN SUCH DEMONS BE SPARED??...and they were not.
After having made use of their energies for over 3 months these two gentlemen were asked to leave the project after a day of shoot was over...and thereby i witnessed two individuals having to pay a price for being genuine and sincere people. It was the triumph of those who successfully managed to fool the higher-ups by wearing branded clothes, speaking curvy melodic english and trudging along with lap tops for the conference room meetings!!
The sadest part however was that all this apart i'm still here amongst the same crowd that i despise and those that make me uncomfortable. I did my bit of raising an objection to the above developments and thats when i was pointed out the essentials of profesionalism and competition!!
It is important, i was explained- to take tough decisions to make things right- it is essential to hurt people and feel nothing about it in order to cover for your own mistakes- is what i heard!!
I wanted to leave that very day- my heart told me that..my brain rarely talks to me anyway! But then i was advised to stay a little longer, for certain 'professinal' and 'economic' constraints required me to stay longer. So i stayed, i'm still here, amongst those i look down upon...i still report to work everyday and be polite to those i want to give some piece of my mind as a result presently i'm plainly being self centered and fake---so how am i different?
Hence everytime i bitch about them or condemn their action i am invariably remined of my inaction...and i know this once...i've given in...have'nt I?

Happy Birthday, Bapu

India is a country of over a billion people. A country with multiple castes, creeds and as a result people with diverse thinking and belief’s…yet when it comes to a freedom struggle that lasted for over a 100 years, all of us invariably think of one man- Gandhi. We do think of some other leaders too. Infact there are cases where some others like Vallabhai Patel, Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, Ambedkar, Tilak, et all. However try playing that game wherein one has to quickly associate one word with the other like- cloud: rain, heart: beat/love, etc and throw Indian Independence at someone and the answer invariable will be Gandhi!

Is it because he got us independence? Is it because he was a great leader? I have had my debates on these questions and not always have I been pro-Bapu because I believe the Freedom struggle was only a stage that revealed to us The Mahatma Gandhi who was to live far beyond the freedom struggle and in some way be a way of life, a portion of the Indian psyche.

Gandhi became our father because- he gave us what every father gives his children- he gave us an identity, whether that identity was right, whether it was helpful or not is another matter of contention but when he walked in his loin cloth with a walking stick or sat peacefully churning the charkha or asked us to extend out right cheek when slapped on the left, he took us from the crowd and and coerced the world to take notice.

To me Gandhi is the one who started clapping loudly and consistently in a crowd of people who were beating drums. May be the sound of the drums was louder but because it was a crowd one drummer could not be distinguished from the other however someone did hear a different sound- that of a clap!!

Think of the other freedom fighters and you will invariable find a tinge of an alien element in each of them- Nehru(socialism from Russia and the aristocracy of Europe), Bose (the aggression of Japan), Patel (the discipline and focus that not all of India could relate to), Ambedkar (What could a muslim or a Brahmin identify in a suit clad Dalit leader)…and so on. But Gandhi does not remind us of anything un-Indian. He propogated peace as the means to fight, he flaunted poverty with élan and did insist on maintaining a discipline in his lifestyle- the religious, the poor and the classy- all taken care off!!

By doing what Gandhi did, he did not walk on the roads that were already constructed. He made a road and walked on it, we followed. We followed because for years we had been walking on the existing roads and took us nowhere, this new road atleast had hope. A tiring India needed that hope to propel its fight for freedom.

Hence, Gandhi is not just restricted to the freedom struggle but he is required at every place where the systems have begun to fail and available solutions although seem effective are redundant and corrosive!

Gandhi’s solutions….is my next post.

1 crore of Understanding to the Indian team!

I love cricket and drive my throat to ‘soredom’ as I watch India win and I sulk and abuse when India looses.

I was at Wadala when the match on Monday began, atleast couple of hours away from my home in Borivali. It was 5.20 when I left for home, the toss had happebed and India was going to Bat. I ran to Dadar station, took a Borivali fast, ran from Borivali station to my home which is atleast a kilometer and half away…I finally reached with 6 overs left of the Indian batting!

I jumped like ‘Flubber’ when India won and am still glowing with their success…but what’s with the money???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is money the only way of showing one’s appreciation? Lakhs…crores…millions of dollars…cars…without all this wont we be able to tell the boys that they did a good job and we are proud of them?

Is this how materialistic we have become? If I cannot pay anything to the men in blue does that mean that their victory is of less importance to me?

Its all not the case wherein we have taken all the concerned areas and now have enough surplus money to splurge. We are a huge country with lots of people and almost everyone at a certain age wants to be a cricketer. There are academies that can be opened, Fitness regimens and diet plans that can do good to the current crop of players. I’m sorry to be a blooper but we are not the world’s best team despite of winning the world cup.

And more so-
I’m sure the players would like and benefit more if we show a little understanding rather than this money distribution spree. Can we be patient with them if they loose two matches on the trot against Australia? Will the media control itself from coming up with swashbuckling slogans like- “Sher bane Billi”. “The fall of the Titans” or “Dhul gayee Dhoni ke Sena” aur worst…Faida liya hamare pyaar ka!! The players have not asked for what they are being given. They are just happy to win but they are certainly not happy with the pressure that comes along with this enforced love…this suffocating affection!

One could count the number of times Dhoni smiled throughout Wednesday and I’m sure somewhere in the back of his mind was lingering this feeling that this love might over night turn into mad hate frenzy!

So I, as a fan or fanatic of the game give the Indian team 1 crore worth of understanding. I’ll be patient with your loses provided you promise that you’ll give your 100% and nothing less.

Because you know what guys…after all…it’s a game…a sport!!!

I had this interesting discussion with a friend today…it started when he commented- "That Alister guy got just 3 years of imprisonment yaar…just 3 years!!"

"That’s good enough", I said and this is what followed-

Sidd (friend)- "What?! He should be given much more! He killed 7 people!"
Me- "He did not kill them Sidd, they got killed…there is a difference here."
Sidd- "What difference? They are no more! They died…their loved ones are suffering."
Me- "Yes, but how does Alister spending, say 10 years in prison get the dead back? Does causing harm to Alister give peace to the family of those who died? Say even if it does…is that right? Tit for tat, is it?"
Sidd- "Its not about Tit for Tat, its about punishing him for the wrong he did…(interrupted by me)."
Me- "Punish him to harm him or change him for the good?"
Sidd- (trying to find the right words)
Me- "Why do we or should we punish the people who have done a mistake? What is the purpose behind punishments? Is it to cause harm to that person or should it be to teach him a lesson in a way that he will be truly sorry and will not repeat the mistake? …Isn’t that the right way to go about it?"

From then on the debate was mine, for I believed in what I was saying. Firstly, there is a difference between a deliberate act and a mistake. And when you are reacting to the mistake in order to correct it, you first got to know what the mistake was.
In the case of Alister Parriera the mistake was not killing people. It was driving under the influence of alcohol. Had he not been under the influence of the liquid he would not have gone ahead and killed 7 people, by choice. And that brings us to the justification of the jail term.
Jail is not a magic remedy home where you put someone and all is taken care off. In most cases a jail term is where the problem begins! Jail is for those people who are a threat to civil society. It is primarily for people who should not be allowed to roam around unchained amongst people for their mere presence is dangerous to others. Are Alister or for that matter Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt such people?
I’m not saying that such people should be set free without punishment, Not At All but let the punishment be constructive. Let it change them and make a positive difference to the society at large.
Let Alister after his jail term or otherwise be subject to some contribution to the drinking and driving problem. Make him responsible for keeping check of such events for a certain period of time in a certain way in a certain area. Same goes for Salman Khan or Sanjay Dutt and so many others who are just offenders to begin with but after a jail term they are criminals!

I have no association with Alister, Salman or Sanjay but i've a definite objection to the manner in which certain of problems are tackled, for in such cases its not the mistake that makes a as much a negative difference as much as the remedy.

Its hence important for us to remember in all spheres of live the objective behind any punishment and then the result of it on the subject and the problem…unless of course the idea is just to cause damage to an individual because he caused damage to someone! And that by no means is right…although it is definitely simple and immediate.

Marigold, Williard Caroll...Did somebody say- HOLLYWOOD?!!

I first heard of Marigold- the film starring our very own Sallu in some tabloid and was instinctively apprehensive. For it irks me every time our success or failure is measured by the yardstick of Hollywood. All the same, I was non-reactive and moved on to other news items on that day.

The various Hollywood names- Williard Caroll, Ali Larter- linked to the film did not ring any bell in my averagely informed Hollywood mind. That was the first indication for me to not look forward to this film.

The second dampener came in the form of the delay that the film had to undergo. For again my ‘average’Cinema Aware mind hinted to me the basic difference between Hollywood and the Hindi Film Industry is the Discipline and Planning. Two reasons why they are prompt, On time and hence Effective. On that count too…Marigold Failed!

Then came the vital blow- the promos! I remember my first encounter with B-grade Hollywood films through the trade magazines- that have semi nude Bhojpuri Film heroines on the front cover- compared to them too our hindi film Superstars Hollywood debut looked stale, abrupt and scratchy.

I saw the film this week!! We were three of us, sitting in different corners of the 300 seater Fame Cinema. I thought I sensed sympathy when the popcorn guy came with the popcorn, had it been possible, I felt he would have handed me the popcorn and cola free, for my choice of going through the film.

As the film ended and the three of us left having learnt a very big lesson about “Hype and Reality”- there was one query that has nagged me since then- Why did Salman Khan do the film?

If this film was a result of some serious trouble to the director in executing his vision and hence turned out with: super-jump cut scenes, no character establishments, unintentional comedy in emotional scenes and of course all those who have seen the film will agree- the transition from one scene to another!!!

I wish to ask Ms Anouradha (the editor)- “Mam…. what happened?”
There were animated marigolds going round and round the 70 mm screen, once a knotted dhupatta going from bottom of the screen to the top- like a curtain raiser…. Cartoon Network would have been embarrassed with such patchwork.

Coming back to my query...and forgive me if I’m wrong but allow me to voice it all the same- Are we still in awe of our western colleagues which makes us assume they are good at their work because of the aura that their physical appearance or diction brings to their offers or approaches? Had a similar idea coming from a dusky skin and bambaiya or south India accent garnered same attention from the actors?

I hate to criticize but I’m unable to restrain my agony towards this bias that we instinctively happen to nurture somewhere within us. If KANK was thrashed- and I’m no loyalist of the KANK team- by the media then Marigold’s makers must be ripped for having given us a low end, rejected and embarrassing version of the cinema (HOLLYWOOD) from which we expect a certain quality.

You cannot just come down to our land, take in one of our best film stars and give us a bad film.

But hey!…that’s just what happened!

Freedom- not a perk but a responsibility

Our country completed 60 years of independence today. A fact that would have very simply past by me had I not got exposed to certain behind the scenes info about the sequences and events that led up to this day and the time after 15th august 1947.

It happened so that I have been reading Nehru’s biography by Frank Moraes these days and hence have been sub consciously in touch with the pre independence atmosphere and mood. Today I spent the entire day watching one debate program after another and could not help but feel supreme pride and privilege to having belonged to this country.

It started with me realizing in depth the meaning of a sentence so often used and encountered- “Unity in Diversity”- it sounds good and is true too but the magnitude of it all seeped in as I got exposed to different point of views and facts of this great country.

The events like- objecting to the dynastic monarchy by means of non- violence despite they being ruthlessly autocratic, then the partition to end the massacre that was to begin with perpetuated by someone else, then the road blocks to integrating this vast country with its varied ethos and cultures and hence varied mind sets, then the choice of secularism, then the mechanics of human greed for power and riches, the wars, the internal conflicts, the religions, the emergency, the sudden deaths of country heads, the near bankrupt economy to liberalization, to babri masjid, to famines, to riots, to bomb blasts…to petty killings…to large scale illiteracy…the massive population…phew!! But all this while a SUCCESSFUL DEMOCRACY!
While intellectuals over the world awaited us to collapse, we went on and on…and here we are today getting bigger and stronger…however we are not yet there and what is more important is for us not just to get there but stay there- at the top.

Its time to contribute. In every little way, from picking up that waste paper on the road and throwing it in the nearby dustbin or to take a step towards writing to the authorities to make arrangements for more dustbins!! Vote- u must. Understand the Right to Information Act. Keep writing your feedbacks to the media channels and let them know that they are answerable to us and cannot be taking their dynamism into over enthusiasm in the process looking pompous and irresponsible.

Read a little on the history and I’m sure you’ll end up getting into the mood. Many of us could not be part of the times back in 1947; we can make the difference NOW.
We are an intelligent and sensible breed and I’ll end my write up with an excerpt from Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech on the first anniversary of Indian Independence (15th August 1948)-
“All of us talk of India and all of us demand many things from India. What do we give her in return? We can take nothing from her beyond what we give her. India will ultimately give us what we give her of love and service and productive and creative work. India will be what we are: our thoughts and actions will shape her. Born of her beautiful womb, we are children of hers, little bits of India today, and yet we also the parents of the India of tomorrow. If we are big, so will India be, and if we grow little minded and narrow in outlook, so will India be.”

Cricket’s not a matter of choice, it is a matter of “No Choice”!

India is out of the world cup in the first round itself. The only team we managed to defeat in the game’s supreme tournament was –Bermuda who were playing their first world cup by assimilating a team who are mostly part time cricket players.
I can’t think of a better example of “ANTICLIMAX” than this one.
Millions of dollars…oodles of energy…bounties of emotion…ALL OVER.
It reminded me of the sequence from the film- Forest Gump wherein Tom Hanks runs for miles on and is joined by people on the way until one day he stops-turns and heads back…one of the hundreds of people who have been running behind him says- “Now, what are we going to do?”

Isn’t that what the most of us felt! The ones whom we were running behind suddenly- stopped-turned and are coming back!!

The question is asked myself after India’s show at the cup was- Why do our lives are so intricately woven with a bunch of people who do not take their responsibility as seriously as some of their other peers do?
Why do we- the people of Mumbai (in particular) who lead these 21st century high paced lives turn our schedules inside-out to accommodate a 8 hour ritual that more often than not leaves us fretting and fuming?!

The reason is simple and is this- we don’t watch cricket out of our choice we invariably do so out of “No Choice”. Harsh; unfortunate…but true. A country with a billion people has no other sport to which they can cheer and be passionate about. There are no other icons or personalities who give us the thrill, the pride to be Indians and the adrelin rush of winning or competing.

We lead lives that drain us, we have certain differences that we don’t like but they still persists…it is a sport that gives us this opportunity to leave all our self made prejudices aside and come together and be happy or sad- ‘together’. We did’nt choose cricket, it was cricket who chose us!

But looking at the way things have turned out I see ourselves looking like nerds- voicing our disappointment or sulking in silence…we seem lost and directionless and that’s because we have no other place to go!

Hence what has happened is in a way is an eye opener to all of us, making us realise as to how we have turned our backs on the other sporting events where infact our passion and energy is needed. Its time to start exploring and encouraging other sports and sportsmen…
I don’t have anything to say or point out to the Indian Cricket Team for that’ll do no good but what’s to be done now for our own sake is that we stop turning the paper directly to the cricket section of the sports page in the morning, we need to divert our attention and energy to places where it is required.

This I hope is a blessing in disguise to us (as we have been harsh towards other sports), to the other sportsmen (who have been long wanting for our support) and to the men in blue (who might do with some shaking up).