Interpreter of Maladies
Monday, January 30, 2006
RDB-disturbingly brilliantIts not often that I tread out of the campus for an onerous trip to the erstwhile Calcutta city to catch "another one of the treadmill" movies in a costly cineplex. This time, however, i would have been damned if I didn't make an exception. This was a movie I had been waiting for since long. I was anticipating, how on earth could a director, bring old fashioned patriotism into contemporary lives and make sense of all that. I was also wondering why the songs were not letting me into what the movie would be like. Listen to a Mangal Pandey score, a Lagaan score...very predictable all of these. RDB does not and will not let you in until you take a peek-a-boo into the movie itself. Mr Mehra, I have been a fan of your direction ever since I watched Aks, the very few who saw the movie and loved it. I failed to understand then, why reviewers, crowds et al failed to see the honesty in the film, the undoubtable brilliance and more than anything else, passion...something that makes you sit up and take notice. Even if it was a subject as morose as ghosts, good vs evil, reincarnation what not..the movie made you think. I wished Mr Mehra was given another chance to show the world, his real worth. The Karan Johars, Mr Vermas, Mr Ghais his real mettle. And what a chance this was...
Rang De Basanti is a brilliant movie-a movie that makes you sit up and take notice. How many movies have stayed with you days after you are done with it. How many movies have rooted you to your seats. How many movies have made you question your self worth. How many movies have to be described as only two words "Disturbingly brilliant". The movie had all that I expected of Mr Mehra and Mr Khan. Both perfectionist in their own right. The movie is great because of the way it splits apart into two halves, both halves endearing but very contrasting. In the first half, where college frolic and fun is predominant and life is sugar sweet. There are charming prince on horse, the cosy friend gang, the budding love, the scenic Delhi..everything. And the second half, well I won't let anything out. But it just makes sense after watching the second half, why the first half had to be created. Why we were made to get lost in the dreamlike world of DJ, Sukhi, Karan, Soniya, Aslam, Sue and Ajay. I said listening to the score before watching the movie made me wonder what the movie is about. Just take a minute and get amazed at how the songs actually find their place in the movie. It just shocks you. I realized then, that Mr Mehra has a winner on his hands. RDB is not an epistle that pushes you to take notice or spring into action. The movie in effect never pushes you to do anything. Never tells you to love your country or feel any respect whatsoever for revolutionaries. It never evokes unnecessary sympathy for the gang. Never. It just tells a story without pushing moral cereals through your throat. It just expects an intelligent audience coz for others the movie would not make sense. Just like Aks the movie does not have a broad mass appeal but it has a passion at the heart of it which would make it priceless for the few who watch it. I dont care if the movie is a hit or a flop but the message it has tried to put across, should be heard. That would solve the mission of movies like RDB and many others. The music score is captivating-Rahman is a brilliant music director but sometimes fails to connect- this times however he connects, clicks and charms all together. Talking on performances. It would waste space to talk about Mr Khan-he is above words now. He can make a briliant mark when he wants to and this time it was all evident that he wanted to. Sharman Joshi-what a revelation he was. His character was not like others-he was a kid with bright eyes but he still believes in his friends and that belief shows. Soha, that girl has potential and its time she does something with it. Madhavan, well I love that chap :) so my views would be biased.
If you havent , would recommend a must watch. Whether to love it or not, you can decide post the watch. But the movie deserves a chance...and would live upto it.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Happiness-where art thou?If you know the key to your happiness-it is a great discovery. I made that discovery around seven years back and since then I have been the most lucky girl I knew. Life has thrown back its head and laughed over my naive satisfaction. When I wanted to stop, settle down and reach out and grab that key it has put another hurdle to cross. So much so that the distance kept on increasing...what looked like infinitesimal steps is almost a rift now. And no matter how much I throw my arms around I cant reach it-not now-dont know when. This helplessness has begun to show on my sunken eyes, my sarcasm at all kinds of accomplishments, the looks of a beggar...the making of a queen. Another year, two years, just one more...its been a long time...My key has waited, patiently for me to come back and unlock doors to my satisfaction but my feet have been rooted. Fate has just twisted my arm and taken me across continents, far from its reach. Some day, I tell myself..I would just suspend life..halt it and live it the way I want it. With my happiness at the helm of my decisions.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
DreamsA verse about growing up and losing the innocence of love...
Do you still dream of our favorite boulevard?
of holding hands, unfettered, unseen
of laughing like two maverick birds in the sky
Saying those words, taking the plunge
Of undying promises, unseen territories
two clueless wanderers in a star strewn galaxy
Do you still miss those lazy evenings?
Those walks on the old bridge
Fighting for stolen apples near the neighborhood orchard
Carving names on the old birch trees
Of hidden treasures on the rooftop
Of playing hide and seek in the palm grove
Do you miss my voice that woke you up from slumber?
Of watching movies in a dingy theatre
Of running in the rain. Opening mouths to taste the sky.
Pretending to study in the local library
My eyes fixed on you and the pages kept turning by themselves
Do you not miss times that have gone and would never return?
No matter how much I call them back
The earth and the sky. The home that I miss.
The courtyard where we grew
When love was unsaid, unheard, unfelt
It was just there. Always for us.
Why is it so that it went away
surreptitiously.
Did it not like us growing up
or was it slow enough that it failed to keep up....
Friday, January 13, 2006
Why touchy about a brand !!!"Plea to Preserve the IIT Brand and Build Complementary Brands to Serve
India " hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition service,
at: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveIITs/
Long back, when I had heard about IT BHU becoming an IIT or Roorkee joining the fray, I too had fears about the government doing something absolutely uncalled for. I felt it was taking something that genuinely just belonged to a select few, away from me. It has been many years since that renaming happened and look at the effect it has caused:
1. BHU is still known better as BHU and much less as an IIT. It still is not included with the other IITs in a general recall sense. Other than the official privileges extended to the institute, I can't see how much part the IIT brand has played in its success story.
2. Roorkee-again the same logic plays its part. The general recall as an IIT is very low. It is better known as Roorkee and enjoys its very own standing and stature.
So the funny part is even if the rebranding happens in the sense of few other institutes becoming IITs, it will not really make such a big difference. As a brand, IIT can only take you through to a little distance but after all it is only you as a person who will drive your efforts in life's arena. The significance of the IIT brand is indisputable-I would never exchange my alma mater for anything else in the world but I don't think it is the only thing that would define me.
I study currently in another one of those ELITIST institutions, the IIMs. The funny part about IIMs is also their whole obsession with their brand-which unlike IITs is almost the sole asset they have !! (IITs as all of you would agree would still be the best places to study if you take away the name IIT-alas, it isnt the same with IIMs). And Government is a much more patient audience to the IIMs pleas against giving IIM status to any other institute but-lo behold what has happened- ISB, with no IIM tag, absolutely no government help, has come up and is giving some very serious competition to the IIMs. So much so that the IIMs have also started a one year MBA program now. So much that IIM Bangalore is moving earth and heaven to open a campus in Singapore.
What does this mean? It means that a brand does not mean anything. You can give the tag to 100 institutes. If you dont spread the spirit-it will never mean anything. In the same way, if IITians also think that their brand name is the sole asset they have-it will never mean anything....
IIT brand name has helped companies in getting projects from the US-well, the phoren people are not dumb. They come at IIMs to recruit people for summers and yes, they love IITians. But that is just an exam you qualified, an institute you attended. If at the end of it, you do not have the brains to prove it-they will chuck you out. Amongst my batchmates at IIM, there are many who think that the IIT name would steer them through everything and were left stranded, wondering - where went the whole point of encashing on their alma mater's brand name.
Whether you sign the petition or not. Whether government actually makes all colleges as IITs, it will never dissolve the brand. If something will dissolve the brand-it will be through us, the IITians.
If we dont go out and prove the kind of abilities expected from an IITian, we are as good as anyone else from any other college. If the current students feel that the brand name will be their Godfather all their life, its a mistake. IIT only gives you the top place at the start line-whether you win or you dont depends on how you run !!!
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
AgeAge is like this little squirrel
Which passes by leaving baby footprints
etched in thoughts, they stay awhile
before getting lost in the sands of time
The little squirrel runs fast
The realization of an year spend, sinks slower than that
Age does not keep books to look over
to turn back and discover how the year really went
Good deeds or bad; go-getter or loser
Time does not stop to take stock
It is another year, and just like the last one
Life must move on.
An year is a sign, that there is less time
to dream dreams that the child had planned to dream
to build castles that always looked down upon him
to read books that he collected in his treasure trove
and there is less time to spend with the world around him
with the little circle he grew up in
Age takes a toll for everyone
More grey hairs, broken teeth, bent backs
every passing year.
On the brighter side, there are new born infants with toothless smiles
with angel like faces and dreamy blue eyes
Age is meaningless for them-they have an eternity to live
In the circle of life, its only a point they have traversed
Age is no preacher
It is just a tact of time
It does not pat the back for an year well spent
It does not chide for a rotten one even
It rings a bell to fulfill dreams coz' time is scarcely there
and there is ever scarcer time to show love for those you care