On similar lines to me previous post, sample some outrageous headlines on electronic media (none of this is a figment of my imagination, I don’t have such fertile imagination to come up with these gems):
‘Camere me kaala jaadu karte dekhi gai churail’ (The power of the camera, Dibakar Bannerjee’s inspiration?)
‘India TV ke paas hila dene wala video’
‘Kapde churane wala bhoot’
‘Commissioner ka kutta laapata’
‘Chajje pe billo rani’ (this was about a cat perched on a roof, roof-shattering news indeed)
Khooni ped ka rahasya
Yeh khabar sirf kirayedar dekh sakta hai, makaan malik dekhega to royega
'kanoon ke lambe haathon se narbhakshak ki pitaai' (lawyers bashing up pandher)
'dhongi baba ka naag nritya'
'dada ki dadagiri rang layee' (Saurav ganguly)
04 May 2010
some media bashing
The recent self-righteous and smug display of moral outrage over the IPL by the media, the politicians, and any and everyone who wants to be heard without having anything substantial to say is ridiculously funny and tragic at the same time. The ever-increasing impact of the media can have no better manifestation than this imbroglio. Speculative reporting, uninformed opinions, and shameless sensationalism has been the hallmark of media houses over the past decade or so. Lately, however, it has touched a new low with absolute disregard for accountability and answerablity. How often do we see reports citing ‘informed sources’ or ‘insiders comments’? That the media influences the actions of the state was exemplified by the sudden surge of allegations of financial misconduct, uproars in parliament and the abrupt probes into the so-called IPL scam. In a country where financial misconduct is almost a norm, the alacrity with which state agencies swooped down upon the IPL was ridiculous and absurd. And the media, which was crying hoarse over how the IPL is a ‘murky’ and sinister undertaking clammed up, all of a sudden. There was no attempt to substantiate the charges leveled, and no reporting of what the tax raids and crack-downs unearthed The sickening slander and attacks on individuals vanished into thin air as soon as the situation veered away from speculative to substantive.
And this was not the first instance that the media transgressed over its role as a reporter to a creator of news or a self-appointed opinion-builder. The Nithari killings were a shocking example of how the media can create abominable villains without bothering about even a shred of evidence. The fact that Moninder Singh Pandher was acquitted by the courts was conveniently ignored by the media. This is largely because our collective conscious loves to hate. Branding someone as a cannibal and coming up with macabre analyses of the gory details of the killings, the media never even bothered to ponder upon the fact that no one is guilty until proven. Letting their imagination run riot, the media actually weaved up stories of illicit relations, and the tragic possibility of a father killing his daughter in the Arushi murder case in Delhi. The sole aim of the media in these instance and many more, was to introduce shock value, the more implausible and horrifying the claims, the better. This tendency surfaced once again in the systematic slander against Sunanda Pushkar.
Invariably, the media loves to feed upon the clichés and beliefs of the majority. The insinuation that a single woman has to indulge in some hanky-panky to become successful reeks of the shameful regressive mores, redolent of Madhur Bhandarkar movies.
Around a year back, a vernacular daily in MP cited ‘informed sources’ to claim that the ‘Big Bang’ experiment might lead to the end of the world. Recently, leading electronic and print media reported unauthorized border intrusions by China, again, citing ‘highly placed government officials.
There will be numerous such vignettes on the recent IPL scam, like the claim that the I-T department has prepared a investigation report related to alleged match fixing and betting in IPL. The fact that the I-T department completely denied any investigations except the alleged tax frauds doesn’t bar the media from continuously toeing the betting line, and setting up panels and discussions on match fixing and betting at the IPL. And by now we would all have heard an acquaintance or two waxing eloquent about how he always knew that the IPL was fixed. Amid all the bellicose claims and counter-claims, initiated by the media and conveniently picked up the politicians and the susceptible media consumer, no-one bothered to check the veracity and credibility of these reports. How many of us know what are the exact charges leveled against Lalit Modi and what is the substantiation of these charges, or what exactly is the much discussed ‘sweat equity’ which brought innumerable riches to the vampish man-eating sunanda pushkar. We smugly concluded that out long-held beliefs were finally being vindicated.
What makes it all the more sinister is the impact of such irresponsible reporting. Pandher, the ‘cannibal’, was brutally assaulted by a group of lawyers, and will bear a lifelong stigma. The parliamentarians went into a tizzy about how the opposition had its hands full with the dirty money from the IPL. In a country where the legal recourse takes years to materialize, we have Joint Parliamentary Committees set up in a matter of days to probe the financial conduct of the whole IPL bandwagon. Yes, media vigilantism does have its positive aspects, but lately things have gone a bit too far and the result of it all is a growing skepticism developing towards the authenticity of the media, which was considered to a infallible and reliable not too long back.
And this was not the first instance that the media transgressed over its role as a reporter to a creator of news or a self-appointed opinion-builder. The Nithari killings were a shocking example of how the media can create abominable villains without bothering about even a shred of evidence. The fact that Moninder Singh Pandher was acquitted by the courts was conveniently ignored by the media. This is largely because our collective conscious loves to hate. Branding someone as a cannibal and coming up with macabre analyses of the gory details of the killings, the media never even bothered to ponder upon the fact that no one is guilty until proven. Letting their imagination run riot, the media actually weaved up stories of illicit relations, and the tragic possibility of a father killing his daughter in the Arushi murder case in Delhi. The sole aim of the media in these instance and many more, was to introduce shock value, the more implausible and horrifying the claims, the better. This tendency surfaced once again in the systematic slander against Sunanda Pushkar.
Invariably, the media loves to feed upon the clichés and beliefs of the majority. The insinuation that a single woman has to indulge in some hanky-panky to become successful reeks of the shameful regressive mores, redolent of Madhur Bhandarkar movies.
Around a year back, a vernacular daily in MP cited ‘informed sources’ to claim that the ‘Big Bang’ experiment might lead to the end of the world. Recently, leading electronic and print media reported unauthorized border intrusions by China, again, citing ‘highly placed government officials.
There will be numerous such vignettes on the recent IPL scam, like the claim that the I-T department has prepared a investigation report related to alleged match fixing and betting in IPL. The fact that the I-T department completely denied any investigations except the alleged tax frauds doesn’t bar the media from continuously toeing the betting line, and setting up panels and discussions on match fixing and betting at the IPL. And by now we would all have heard an acquaintance or two waxing eloquent about how he always knew that the IPL was fixed. Amid all the bellicose claims and counter-claims, initiated by the media and conveniently picked up the politicians and the susceptible media consumer, no-one bothered to check the veracity and credibility of these reports. How many of us know what are the exact charges leveled against Lalit Modi and what is the substantiation of these charges, or what exactly is the much discussed ‘sweat equity’ which brought innumerable riches to the vampish man-eating sunanda pushkar. We smugly concluded that out long-held beliefs were finally being vindicated.
What makes it all the more sinister is the impact of such irresponsible reporting. Pandher, the ‘cannibal’, was brutally assaulted by a group of lawyers, and will bear a lifelong stigma. The parliamentarians went into a tizzy about how the opposition had its hands full with the dirty money from the IPL. In a country where the legal recourse takes years to materialize, we have Joint Parliamentary Committees set up in a matter of days to probe the financial conduct of the whole IPL bandwagon. Yes, media vigilantism does have its positive aspects, but lately things have gone a bit too far and the result of it all is a growing skepticism developing towards the authenticity of the media, which was considered to a infallible and reliable not too long back.
13 April 2010
piracy: the only door to good cinema
Thanks to UTV world movies / Lumiere etc, we now have legal access to movies like 400 blows, 13 tzameti, red, blue, white, the lives of others etc. Otherwise, the only way out was the illegal one, which, I'm against, on principle, but principles are means to set others’ right, to gain an upper hand over an adversary, to win an argument, not for implementing upon ourselves. But, seriously, the only way you can procure non-english/non-indian language movies is through the internet or from the gaudy, swarming shopping holes invariably called AC markets. They have everything laid out for air conditioning, closed areas, little ventilation, no windows, self-closing doors, everything except the air conditioner. So when you enter the place, you can get a whiff of each shopkeeper’s body odor, but you can’t make it out because there are so many of them, and fused with it is the physical 'exuberance' of so many shoppers. In this oppressive atmosphere, you have to jostle for space with five or six more maniacs like you, each eying with greed the cardboard boxes in which the Kieslowskis, Bergmanns, and kubricks are waiting to delight you. The experience of traveling to such a place and then finding a gem like ashes and diamonds which you’d been looking for quite some time, is so exhilarating, it gives you goose flesh all over.
I was initiated into this milieu and subsequently into the world of 'sub-titled' cinema by a close friend, who’d led me to a similar place, except that due to a crackdown on piracy, it appeared much shadier and scarier back then. In Mumbai, constructions appear small externally, when they are viewed against the backdrop of the massive behemoth of the city itself. Once you get in, they seem to expand, and I used to be amazed at the sheer multitude of entities these apparently insignificant little buildings contained within themselves. Little galleries, which seem to be closing in on you, in which you’d have to turn sideways to let someone pass., small offices and shops, barely enough to allow two to sit, no windows and no way in for the sun. The darkness used to be spooky and morbid, be it morning, noon, or night, it was impossible to tell if the weather was cloudy or the sun was shining.
Anyway, I was led into such a setting and presented with some DVDs suggested by my friend and I realized that there's a plethora of great cinema beyond the english/hindi language stuff waiting to be explored. Initially, I was slightly circumspect about buying the DVDs, arguing about how piracy could destroy the film industry and so on and so forth. But once I caught the fever, I realized that someone who loves cinema and is not considerably rich cannot help but buy pirated movies. If I were looking for a legal DVD of say, a La Strada, or a fairly well-known 81/2, or even relatively unknown English movies like barry lyndon, would I get it? As far as I’m aware, I won’t be able to find it in any store in India. If I do choose to buy it online, it’d cost me half a grand at the very least. Around two years back, Palador and Moser Baer introduced a collection for World Movies; I thought this would be the end of all our problems. But I turned out to be wrong; each DVD was priced at 499, and later reduced to 399. Now, for a movie addict, the expenditure would turn out to be somewhere in the range of 3000-4000 per month. And if you opt for pirated cinema you'd get 10 DVDs at the price of one legal copy.
Now you can even avoid paying the 400 by downloading anything you want from the www. The only hitch is that if you want to watch movies in languages you dont understand, you might find it difficult to get sub-titled versions.
I fail to understand the rationale behind selling a DVD for 400-500. Even if you dont consider the economies of scale, a single DVD wouldn't cost Moser Baer not more than Rs. 15. Of course, they have to pay for the content and the rights, but even then, how much would be the net cost of a DVD, certainly won't be so high so as to justify the pricing. So what sort of returns are they expecting? And when they don’t sell, it will be conveniently concluded that India does not have a market for ‘intelligent cinema’. I don’t think the market dynamics justify the kind of pricing that we see in DVDs. As far as supply is concerned, as long as the prices are so high, the sales will remain low from the legal channel, so the perceived demand will remain less, and obviously the supply will not increase, a proverbial chicken and egg story.
Sadly, the biggest losers here are the film makers and their crews. If there are legal avenues to procure content at logical prices, I’m sure most viewers would prefer to use it. But if the price differential remains so high, this trend is likely to continue and flourish. I, at least, owe my ardor for cinema almost entirely to the illegal business of piracy.
I was initiated into this milieu and subsequently into the world of 'sub-titled' cinema by a close friend, who’d led me to a similar place, except that due to a crackdown on piracy, it appeared much shadier and scarier back then. In Mumbai, constructions appear small externally, when they are viewed against the backdrop of the massive behemoth of the city itself. Once you get in, they seem to expand, and I used to be amazed at the sheer multitude of entities these apparently insignificant little buildings contained within themselves. Little galleries, which seem to be closing in on you, in which you’d have to turn sideways to let someone pass., small offices and shops, barely enough to allow two to sit, no windows and no way in for the sun. The darkness used to be spooky and morbid, be it morning, noon, or night, it was impossible to tell if the weather was cloudy or the sun was shining.
Anyway, I was led into such a setting and presented with some DVDs suggested by my friend and I realized that there's a plethora of great cinema beyond the english/hindi language stuff waiting to be explored. Initially, I was slightly circumspect about buying the DVDs, arguing about how piracy could destroy the film industry and so on and so forth. But once I caught the fever, I realized that someone who loves cinema and is not considerably rich cannot help but buy pirated movies. If I were looking for a legal DVD of say, a La Strada, or a fairly well-known 81/2, or even relatively unknown English movies like barry lyndon, would I get it? As far as I’m aware, I won’t be able to find it in any store in India. If I do choose to buy it online, it’d cost me half a grand at the very least. Around two years back, Palador and Moser Baer introduced a collection for World Movies; I thought this would be the end of all our problems. But I turned out to be wrong; each DVD was priced at 499, and later reduced to 399. Now, for a movie addict, the expenditure would turn out to be somewhere in the range of 3000-4000 per month. And if you opt for pirated cinema you'd get 10 DVDs at the price of one legal copy.
Now you can even avoid paying the 400 by downloading anything you want from the www. The only hitch is that if you want to watch movies in languages you dont understand, you might find it difficult to get sub-titled versions.
I fail to understand the rationale behind selling a DVD for 400-500. Even if you dont consider the economies of scale, a single DVD wouldn't cost Moser Baer not more than Rs. 15. Of course, they have to pay for the content and the rights, but even then, how much would be the net cost of a DVD, certainly won't be so high so as to justify the pricing. So what sort of returns are they expecting? And when they don’t sell, it will be conveniently concluded that India does not have a market for ‘intelligent cinema’. I don’t think the market dynamics justify the kind of pricing that we see in DVDs. As far as supply is concerned, as long as the prices are so high, the sales will remain low from the legal channel, so the perceived demand will remain less, and obviously the supply will not increase, a proverbial chicken and egg story.
Sadly, the biggest losers here are the film makers and their crews. If there are legal avenues to procure content at logical prices, I’m sure most viewers would prefer to use it. But if the price differential remains so high, this trend is likely to continue and flourish. I, at least, owe my ardor for cinema almost entirely to the illegal business of piracy.
lost gems
The 80s, a time when Hindi cinema was probably at its nadir, with movies like ‘Justice chaudhary and Nagina making it big, was also the period which saw the emergence of some of the greatest Indian film-makers, whose brilliance was given the recognition it deserved much later. The period when the audience’s sensibilities were being insulted so rampantly, when even Amitabh Bachchan was becoming unwatchable with disasters like Mard, Geraftaar and the likes, also witnessed the emergence of a wave of brilliant film-makers churning out phenomenal works consistently under the ambit of NFDC. Unfortunately, even before these films were made, they were graded as esoteric and arcane, and in a bizarre and hostile classification, ended up being identified as ‘art’ movies. There was absolutely no attempt to change this perception, or maybe there weren’t enough resources to do so, but due to these slants, these brilliant works invariably ended up on the idiot box, shown during the least-watched time-slots and with so little enthusiasm that they were destined to flounder and fade away from memory. I’m quite sure movies like Mandi, Trikaal, Disha and many others would have appealed to a huge audience which was being tormented at the hands of lewd 45 year old men jumping around earthen pots, winking and trying to grab at the asses of south-indian women playing coy. But it almost seemed as if NFDC did not want to sell these movies, their only concern was to get them made and their job was over. In a way, the fact that it was a non-profit organization, which in the first place allowed such movies to be made, turned out to be their bane, as the producer didn’t seem to give a damn about the film’s success, which is the reason many of the remarkable works of art from that era are now untraceable.
Thankfully, some of these movies, like Ankur, Mirch Masala etc. are available to us now in DVD/VCD formats. Additionally, some are legally available online such Party, Massey Saheb etc. But there is still a surfeit of movies which have been forgotten. Probably NFDC didn’t preserve the prints because it didn’t seem worth it to them or maybe they were not considered commercially viable, the fact that we are unable to retrieve some of the masterpieces of our times is really distressing.
The few I can recall from that era as being breath-taking but probably not available anywhere would be:
Thankfully, some of these movies, like Ankur, Mirch Masala etc. are available to us now in DVD/VCD formats. Additionally, some are legally available online such Party, Massey Saheb etc. But there is still a surfeit of movies which have been forgotten. Probably NFDC didn’t preserve the prints because it didn’t seem worth it to them or maybe they were not considered commercially viable, the fact that we are unable to retrieve some of the masterpieces of our times is really distressing.
The few I can recall from that era as being breath-taking but probably not available anywhere would be:
- Sudhir Mishra’s Ye Woh Manzil To Nahi: College politics captured remarkably well, a precursor to hazaaron khwahishen aisi. One of the best acts from pankaj kapoor
- Prakash Jha’s Daamul: Rural Bihar and the tragedy it is (i'm sure it still is, despite all claims to the contary by the nedia on Nitish Kumar's magic)
- Current: Don’t know who made this, but it was smashing, a simplistic premise of how one farmer (played to perfection by om puri) depserately tries to get electricity for running his tube-well and how he finally smashes it in despair
- Aziz Mirza’s Albert Pinto ko gussa kyun ata hai: Funny yet tragic, aziz mirza's best
- Mani Kaul’s Bagh Bahadur: Pavan Malhotra was outstanding in this, similar to kafka's take on trapeze artistes
- Goutam Ghose’s Paar: Brilliant premise of a couple trying to cross a river with their livestock, can you imagine anything like this being made today?
- Basu chatterjee's Do ladke dono kadke
07 April 2010
best hindi film albums of the decade
Gulaal: Piyush Mishra
The very first time you hear the soundtrack of Gulaal, you’ll inevitably ask, where were you all these days, Piyush Mishra? Easily the most authoritative and innovative work of our times, this was a one-man show all the way. Penning the lyrics, composing, singing, and even acting, Piyush Mishra floors you with his brilliance. Each and every composition was a gem, and choosing the best would be quite impossible. How often do you come cross poetry which can carry itself with or without the accompanied music;
Not that the music wasn’t brilliant, be it the brooding ‘raat ke musafir’, the raunchy ‘chakmak’ or the tongue-in-cheek ‘ranaji’. Throughout the movie, the somewhat directionless script would suddenly spring to life with a jolting ‘aarambh’ or a cynical ‘duniya’. And the poetry wasn’t restricted to the unconventional; even ‘aisi sazaa’ rose way above the mediocrity dished out in the name of lyrics these days.
The Legend of Bhagat Singh: A R Rehman
Like most of Rehman’s best works, music of ‘legend...’ does not strike you as being outstanding when you hear it for the first time. But give it a patient ear and you’ll fall in love with it. A R Rehman has the knack for choosing the perfect voice for a song, and extracting the best out of the playback singer, exemplified by ‘pagdi sambhal’, ‘sarfaroshi’ and ‘des mere’.
Swades: A R Rehman
For some reason, Rehman’s best works, quite like R D Burman, figure in movies which turn out to be duds on the BO. And his most ordinary works become runaway hits, cases in point Ghajini (atrocious by his standards) Slumdog Millionaire (definitely the most overrated of all his albums) and Taal (just above average). Rehman has introduced or discovered some of the most successful and unconventional playback singers of this decade, be it Kailash Kher in Yu hi chala chal, or mohit chauhan in masakalli.
No Smoking: Vishal BhardwajEasily the most under-rated and unheralded composition of this decade, ‘No smoking’ was again brilliant in all the three aspects, poetry, music, and rendition. To create 7 songs all focused on a cigarette, and doing it so remarkably, is something only Gulzaar could accomplish. Definitely the best from Vishal Bhardwaj after Maachis in the 90s.
Jism: M M KreemWhere has M M Kreem gone? Probably because he was associated with the Bhatt clan, his talent was criminally wasted in the Hindi film industry. The Bhatt clan movies in the past decade have come up with some of the best traditional urdu poetry, ably led by Sayeed Qadri. Awarapan and Mere Khwabon ka hare k naksh were absolutely brilliant, and were enhanced by the uncomplicated and conventional music by Kreem.
Delhi-6: A R Rehman:
Another dud with great music by Rehman. Unlike Legend and Swades, Delhi-6 did not seem to find enough takers even for its music, largely because of the concurrent brouhaha about the Oscar-winning slumdog. But I’m sure even A R Rehman would acknowledge that slumdog was way below his best, while Delhi-6 was quite close to it. Rehman’s most memorable compositions have been the devotional ones, one of which was arziyan from Delhi-6. Mohit Chauhan arrived with a bang with a superb rendition of masakkali. Along with Tere Bina from Guru, Rehna Tu was probably the best from the songs Rehman sung himself.
Omkara: Vishal Bhardwaj:
Zabaan pe laga, is reason enough for this album to appear in this list. Superbly penned by Gulzar and amazingly sung by Rekha Bhardwaj, this song and most others in the album were excellent. Notable also was the unfancied O sathi Re.
Hey Ram: Ilyaraja
There are many who emphatically aver that IlyaRaja is a much better composer than his protégé, Rehman. While I disagree with it, there’s no doubt that the rare occasions when he has composed for a hindi movie, he’s delivered.
Saathiya: A R Rehman:
Nothing more to write on Rehman, again his use of Adnan Sami in udi udi, reaffirms his knack for choosing the right singer.
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India: A R Rehman:
The songs were ordinary by Rehman’s standards, but in the cinema hall, their impact and relevance to the script was awesome
A few more which were almost there:
· Tehzeeb by A R Rehman: Wish Rehman had not used percussion as much as he did on the songs of tehzeeb, they were melodious enough as it is. The poetry reminds you of sahir.
· MAI MEri patni aur wo by Sanjay Jaipurwale: Who can possible forget the remarkable ‘guncha’ again sung by Mohit Chauhan, or the melodious doob jaana re from this absolutely unknown composer who has since vanished from the scene. Not surprising, as no one really noticed the movie, leave alone the music.
· Rock On!!: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy: Not so outstanding more so for a musical but pretty imaginative
· Guru: A R Rehman: Two great numbers: jaage hain der tak and tere bina
· Jab We Met: Pritam: All the songs were slightly above average
· Rog: M M Kreem: Typical kreem
· Kaminey: Vishal Bhardwaj
· Namastey London: Himesh Reshammiya-Surprise
· Dev.D: Amit Trivedi: Not memorable but quite different
· Oye Lucky Lucky Oye: Sneha Khalwankar As unique as it gets, inspired by the music of rural punjab
· Welcome to Sajjanpur: Shantanu Moitra: Ek meetha marz de ke, great on the ears
· Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani by Pritham: Tu Jaane Na..
The very first time you hear the soundtrack of Gulaal, you’ll inevitably ask, where were you all these days, Piyush Mishra? Easily the most authoritative and innovative work of our times, this was a one-man show all the way. Penning the lyrics, composing, singing, and even acting, Piyush Mishra floors you with his brilliance. Each and every composition was a gem, and choosing the best would be quite impossible. How often do you come cross poetry which can carry itself with or without the accompanied music;
Not that the music wasn’t brilliant, be it the brooding ‘raat ke musafir’, the raunchy ‘chakmak’ or the tongue-in-cheek ‘ranaji’. Throughout the movie, the somewhat directionless script would suddenly spring to life with a jolting ‘aarambh’ or a cynical ‘duniya’. And the poetry wasn’t restricted to the unconventional; even ‘aisi sazaa’ rose way above the mediocrity dished out in the name of lyrics these days.
The Legend of Bhagat Singh: A R Rehman
Like most of Rehman’s best works, music of ‘legend...’ does not strike you as being outstanding when you hear it for the first time. But give it a patient ear and you’ll fall in love with it. A R Rehman has the knack for choosing the perfect voice for a song, and extracting the best out of the playback singer, exemplified by ‘pagdi sambhal’, ‘sarfaroshi’ and ‘des mere’.
Swades: A R Rehman
For some reason, Rehman’s best works, quite like R D Burman, figure in movies which turn out to be duds on the BO. And his most ordinary works become runaway hits, cases in point Ghajini (atrocious by his standards) Slumdog Millionaire (definitely the most overrated of all his albums) and Taal (just above average). Rehman has introduced or discovered some of the most successful and unconventional playback singers of this decade, be it Kailash Kher in Yu hi chala chal, or mohit chauhan in masakalli.
No Smoking: Vishal BhardwajEasily the most under-rated and unheralded composition of this decade, ‘No smoking’ was again brilliant in all the three aspects, poetry, music, and rendition. To create 7 songs all focused on a cigarette, and doing it so remarkably, is something only Gulzaar could accomplish. Definitely the best from Vishal Bhardwaj after Maachis in the 90s.
Jism: M M KreemWhere has M M Kreem gone? Probably because he was associated with the Bhatt clan, his talent was criminally wasted in the Hindi film industry. The Bhatt clan movies in the past decade have come up with some of the best traditional urdu poetry, ably led by Sayeed Qadri. Awarapan and Mere Khwabon ka hare k naksh were absolutely brilliant, and were enhanced by the uncomplicated and conventional music by Kreem.
Delhi-6: A R Rehman:
Another dud with great music by Rehman. Unlike Legend and Swades, Delhi-6 did not seem to find enough takers even for its music, largely because of the concurrent brouhaha about the Oscar-winning slumdog. But I’m sure even A R Rehman would acknowledge that slumdog was way below his best, while Delhi-6 was quite close to it. Rehman’s most memorable compositions have been the devotional ones, one of which was arziyan from Delhi-6. Mohit Chauhan arrived with a bang with a superb rendition of masakkali. Along with Tere Bina from Guru, Rehna Tu was probably the best from the songs Rehman sung himself.
Omkara: Vishal Bhardwaj:
Zabaan pe laga, is reason enough for this album to appear in this list. Superbly penned by Gulzar and amazingly sung by Rekha Bhardwaj, this song and most others in the album were excellent. Notable also was the unfancied O sathi Re.
Hey Ram: Ilyaraja
There are many who emphatically aver that IlyaRaja is a much better composer than his protégé, Rehman. While I disagree with it, there’s no doubt that the rare occasions when he has composed for a hindi movie, he’s delivered.
Saathiya: A R Rehman:
Nothing more to write on Rehman, again his use of Adnan Sami in udi udi, reaffirms his knack for choosing the right singer.
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India: A R Rehman:
The songs were ordinary by Rehman’s standards, but in the cinema hall, their impact and relevance to the script was awesome
A few more which were almost there:
· Tehzeeb by A R Rehman: Wish Rehman had not used percussion as much as he did on the songs of tehzeeb, they were melodious enough as it is. The poetry reminds you of sahir.
· MAI MEri patni aur wo by Sanjay Jaipurwale: Who can possible forget the remarkable ‘guncha’ again sung by Mohit Chauhan, or the melodious doob jaana re from this absolutely unknown composer who has since vanished from the scene. Not surprising, as no one really noticed the movie, leave alone the music.
· Rock On!!: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy: Not so outstanding more so for a musical but pretty imaginative
· Guru: A R Rehman: Two great numbers: jaage hain der tak and tere bina
· Jab We Met: Pritam: All the songs were slightly above average
· Rog: M M Kreem: Typical kreem
· Kaminey: Vishal Bhardwaj
· Namastey London: Himesh Reshammiya-Surprise
· Dev.D: Amit Trivedi: Not memorable but quite different
· Oye Lucky Lucky Oye: Sneha Khalwankar As unique as it gets, inspired by the music of rural punjab
· Welcome to Sajjanpur: Shantanu Moitra: Ek meetha marz de ke, great on the ears
· Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani by Pritham: Tu Jaane Na..
04 February 2010
sex and the web
Had some faltu time and decided to look at my spam folder, it was quite a hilarious experience, the language and the creativity is outrageous
Want to be with me? Write me sms.
Hello my dear. Hey, want to marry a Russian (almost all such mails talk about Russian ‘beauties’, whats it with Russians) beauty? I want you, my good man. Come to my profile - you'll get a surprise! You want what would you be good (???)? Come to me.
Make your love locomotive enter her tunnel on a full speed (this is priceless).
You have not had sex with a Russian girl? Come to us and you shall have it!
Hello my sweet kitty - do you completely forgot about my Russian pussy?
I'll gently kiss your neck, lower and lower (this is as low as you can get), come to me.
I'll like you? Remember that night in the hotel? (whats the idea behind writing this)Can I ask you? "Was you ever have sex with a Russian girl? (Russian again)Would you like to try it?"
I am now in America - a guy looking for dating and sex. (this a guy or a Russian girl?)
I thought you loved me - and you?
Hello! Spring has finally come! Romance is in the air!
Beautiful and still single (!!!) Russian and Ukrainian women are eager to meet you!
They have placed their profiles at SingleRussianGirls dating site and waiting for your emails.
Tell me many kind words dear.
When you stopped a taxi for me (that’s the height of imagination),
it was very nice, do not want to see me again? Marina.
Let's talk more my bunny
Hello, my sun (first time I heard sun as a term of endearment), you do not have a girl?
"I was completely free! (you are not free anymore?, why the mail then)
I used to be skeptical about penis pills advertised in the mass media. I read the medical sites that said herbal supplements could never help you increase your penis size. That depressed me, because I knew I didn't have a penis big enough to arouse any of my partners. At my age, I could not perform sexually as well as a young man. Being assured that I wouldn't lose my money anyway, I tried 3 bottles (3 bottles, that guy’s desperate) of your ViagPURE Pills and was pleasantly surprised by the results I saw. In about 3 weeks of taking the pills I witnessed a dramatic increase (3 bottles of pills should turn it into a beanpole) in thickness and length. At the time I finished my third bottle I had 2 more inches on me and a considerable improvement in my sex life. It is certainly well worth the money I paid.
And this was worth the time I spent
Want to be with me? Write me sms.
Hello my dear. Hey, want to marry a Russian (almost all such mails talk about Russian ‘beauties’, whats it with Russians) beauty? I want you, my good man. Come to my profile - you'll get a surprise! You want what would you be good (???)? Come to me.
Make your love locomotive enter her tunnel on a full speed (this is priceless).
You have not had sex with a Russian girl? Come to us and you shall have it!
Hello my sweet kitty - do you completely forgot about my Russian pussy?
I'll gently kiss your neck, lower and lower (this is as low as you can get), come to me.
I'll like you? Remember that night in the hotel? (whats the idea behind writing this)Can I ask you? "Was you ever have sex with a Russian girl? (Russian again)Would you like to try it?"
I am now in America - a guy looking for dating and sex. (this a guy or a Russian girl?)
I thought you loved me - and you?
Hello! Spring has finally come! Romance is in the air!
Beautiful and still single (!!!) Russian and Ukrainian women are eager to meet you!
They have placed their profiles at SingleRussianGirls dating site and waiting for your emails.
Tell me many kind words dear.
When you stopped a taxi for me (that’s the height of imagination),
it was very nice, do not want to see me again? Marina.
Let's talk more my bunny
Hello, my sun (first time I heard sun as a term of endearment), you do not have a girl?
"I was completely free! (you are not free anymore?, why the mail then)
I used to be skeptical about penis pills advertised in the mass media. I read the medical sites that said herbal supplements could never help you increase your penis size. That depressed me, because I knew I didn't have a penis big enough to arouse any of my partners. At my age, I could not perform sexually as well as a young man. Being assured that I wouldn't lose my money anyway, I tried 3 bottles (3 bottles, that guy’s desperate) of your ViagPURE Pills and was pleasantly surprised by the results I saw. In about 3 weeks of taking the pills I witnessed a dramatic increase (3 bottles of pills should turn it into a beanpole) in thickness and length. At the time I finished my third bottle I had 2 more inches on me and a considerable improvement in my sex life. It is certainly well worth the money I paid.
And this was worth the time I spent
31 December 2009
20 best hindi films of this decade
Here’s another list, the top twenty hindi films of this decade, i.e., 2000 onwards, in my opinion. More or less in order of preference.
- Swades: We, the People (2004)
- Maqbool (2004)
- Black Friday (2007)
- Lagaan (2001)
- Company (2002)
- Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008)
- Shaurya (2008)
- Taxi Number 9211 (2006)
- Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006)
- Sehar (2005)
- Hungama (2003)
- Main Meri Patni Aur Who (2005)
- Garam Masala (2005)
- Malamaal Weekly (2006)
- Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye (2008)
- Mithya (2008)
- Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003)
- Shikhar (2005)
- Dev (2004)
- Aankhen (2002)
24 December 2009
mumbai diaries - 26th july at deonar
I was among the fortunate few who witnessed the momentous day in the annals of Mumbai folklore, the flooding on 26th July. I was not affected by it in the first person, sitting peacefully at a friend’s place in the suburb Deonar, which is on higher altitude than most parts of the city. However, when I ventured out after the unprecedented downpour had stopped; I witnessed another instance of the peculiarities of the city’s denizens. On a small chai shop, there was a throng of people, soaked from top to bottom, and each desperately vying for attention. They seemed genuinely pleased with themselves, as if they were describing a historic feat of theirs rather than a calamitous situation. Each had a story to tell, about how he or she waded through knee deep water to walk five or six kms, and how there were numerous others doing the same. It’d be a bit insensitive to make fun of a situation which involved the loss of numerous lives, but one can’t help but marvel at the city’s masochistic tendencies. What particularly baffled me was that a big number of these sufferers could actually have avoided the deluge if they had chosen to stay indoors. It was not as if it was a sudden flooding which happened without anyone’s knowledge. It was a gradual build-up over a period of four to five hours, which was continuously being televised and almost everyone was aware of the grim situation before embarking on their adventures. And in the discussions which followed, on the streets, in homes, on television, each individual was emphatically trying to go one up on each other. And those who missed being in action invariably started feeling deprived and left-out, with no tale to tell. Even so many years down the line, you can detect an inexplicable pride saying “I was there on that day”.
15 December 2009
Stanley Kubrick: The creative genius
A character in a movie is usually defined with reference to the script; it does not exist beyond the confines of the script. The character exists because the story needs to progress. There may be some film-makers who try to flesh-out the character by mulling over the likely responses to a designed situation. But a rare few seem to think of the characters as actual entities beyond the action–response cycle. The peculiarities of the character are pre-defined, and it does not usually grow, it does not evolve into a more violent, a more loving or a more disgusting person as the story progresses. His mannerisms, his gait, his eccentricities, his dialects, the people he loves or hates, are all decided by someone else for him. Stanley Kubrick, however, evolved characters rather than just defining them. Consider the way his characters from different movies referred to the act of sex. For the marines in the Full Metal Jacket, it was the bellicose, martial ‘boom-boom’. For the deranged and vulgar Alex DeLarge and his bunch of drooges from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ it was the ‘ol’ in-out in-out’. Professor Humbert Humbert, the step-father-cum-lover of Lolita, with all his erudite ambivalence and the meandering ways of the small town, referred to it as ‘getting a cavity filled’. The estranged couple of ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ had lost its allure and could only describe it as the ‘physical act of love’. Just by referring to a single apparently insignificant event in the film, the characters here are establishing their unique identities and acquainting the audience with their mind-sets and milieu. Even if these may be ideas from the screen-writer or anyone else associated with the films, I’d give credit to the film maker for having provided the room, the urge, for the stimulation of such creativity.For Stanley Kubrick, the character was a lot more beyond someone who took the script to its logical culmination. For him, the character was a story by itself. In Dr. Strangelove, Jack Ripper was not just one militant, Russian-communist-hating maniac; he was also a failed lover who somehow managed to attribute even his inability in bed to the Russians. Even the complexity of HAL in 2001: A space odyssey was dictated by an innate ‘logical’ intent to make sure that the mission succeeds, which according to it, was possible only when the rest of the crew was eliminated. The violent streak of Jack Torrance in Shining was not out-of-the-blue. It was just an exaggerated manifestation of his minor irritations at his wife and son.Just by the way of their expressions, the characters in Stanley Kubrick’s movies establish themselves as individuals with distinctive personalities. Each expression, each step, each action and each word uttered went towards strengthening that personality, to such an extent that they would start appearing like the natural behavioral traits of the individual. At these times, we forget that what we perceive as being personality traits are all contrived and manufactured; we tend to ignore the fact that the personality itself is a figment of someone’s imagination, so how can the traits be inherent. We fail to realize that there is no Dr. Strangelove out there who has this extraordinary figurative hand running out of control, we never dwell upon the fact that there have been no historical records which tell us how the ape-man from the 'dawn of man' felt that surge of all-conquering power when it devised it’s first ‘weapon’. Once we realize that this is all a result of the creative imagination of an individual, of course, abetted by a few others, but largely, a single individual, we realize the enormity of the brilliance that we behold. Such meticulousness, the remarkable eye for details and a razor sharp mind, were only some of the things which established Kubrick among the world’s most imaginative and exalted film-makers. Kubrick’s penchant for authenticity was so extraordinary that he his replica of the B-52 bomber he used in Dr. Strangelove had the US Air Force questioning him on how he managed to shoot in a USAF bomber. Everything, right from the controls to the survival kit contents was precise and accurate. At times, his meticulousness went to absurd proportions. Like, in 2001: A space odyssey; for a sequence in a space station when the toilet is shown, there is a reference to a printed ‘instructions for using a zero-gravity toilet’ put up near the toilet, which the protagonist is unable to read because of the small text size. Thereafter, there’s no further reference to the zero-gravity toilet or the instructions. Many year later, the actual instruction booklet was exhibited, which was actually five-page long, and when you go through it, you’ll realize that it actually tries very hard to simplify using a toilet in a zero-gravity situation describing numerous contraptions and their functions. In another such instance, in clockwork orange, when Alex is shown in a record store, flirting with a girl, one of the records on display is that of 2001: A space odyssey. What was this? Advertising? An idiosyncrasy of an eccentric genius? Or a ploy to play with fans? We’ll never know for sure.
27 November 2009
mumbai diaries
The city of Mumbai, widely anointed with temporal sobriquets such as the city which never sleeps, the city of dreams, and the city with an indomitable spirit, has held an allure, a mystique and a sense of inadequacy for the millions living away from this remarkable convergence of humanity. The denizens of small towns, villages and even other metros are invariably in awe of this monolith, and millions of its residents. I persistently held the city in an inexplicable reverence for years, visiting it as a kid, and even as an adult. My first few trips to the behemoth after I’d attained the age and the ability to discern and judge from my own perceptions only served to entrench this awe, largely because I was only a temporary visitor who did not have to go through the grind of the average mumbaikar. I was not made to go through the travesties which make this city what it is. I was like someone who enjoys the rare kicks afforded by a dabbler as against the dope fiend who just cannot survive without his daily fix, even though he’s long ceased to experience the high associated with it. My perceptions changed dramatically when I actually had to experience the city at its rawest. And gradually the aura began to fade, the inanity of the sobriquets started hitting me and the collective human monolith broke down to show its simplicity and pettiness.
Having gone through a particularly harrowing journey in the peak of summer through the burning hostile territory of our country, the vidarbha region, I was sapped of all energy and my only desire was to rest in a cool, hospitable bed. Waiting for a friend who was expected to pick me up from Kurla, I went into a slumber enervated and apprehensive about taking the city on all by myself. I was bluntly brought to life when I realized that someone was trying to pull my bag from under my arms. I turned around to find a frowning cop wielding his lathi, and thus began my initiation into the ways of the city. Phenomenally pleased with himself, the policeman started giving me a liturgy on how someone could rob your pants off without your knowledge in Mumbai. Drop-dead drowsy as I was, I still managed to notice a twinkle in his eyes, as though he was extolling some saintly virtues of his fellow city-mates. This was my first lesson, the average mumbaiah is proud of everything about the city, more so, about the sleaze prevalent therein. Anyway, I was summarily kicked out of the station, having been informed that this was not a place to sleep. I could not have agreed with him more, had I not seen at least a hundred more, with my limited range of vision, committing the same crime that very time in front of my eyes.
Having given up on my friends’ arrival, I took the cop’s advice and ventured into the frying pan, the first time on my own, feeling circumspect and drained like never before. I was not unprepared, though, I was aware of the approximate distance to my destination, as well as the fact that travelling in a local train was the best option. On enquiring about the local trains, I got a look which was a combination of condescension, exasperation, and ‘what a moron’, with the concise explanation that I had to go to kurla to catch a local. I was quite bewildered, being under the impression that I was already at Kurla. After guiltily pestering a few others, who were in a tremendous hurry and considered any obstruction in their furious tempo a sacrilege, I discovered that I had to go to another station, roughly 1 km away. While a few auto-drivers bluntly ignored my pleas to take me to the kurla station, a bystander, or rather, a by-racer; as noone actually stands in the always-in-a-hurry city, started giving me a lecture on how easy it was to walk one km. Ignoring his advise, I decided to take the road route.
Thus began another going-nowhere discussion with the autowallas about getting to lokhandvala. Meanwhile, a sikh driver, ostensibly moved by my plight, came up with a ‘helping hand’, snatching my luggage and dumping it in his cab without a moment’s notice. Though somewhat aware of the dent travelling in a cab would make in my wallet, I was too pooped to ignore my mind’s frantic pleas for a respite. The cabbie feigned complete ignorance about lokhandwala in andheri, which I’m sure every single resident of Mumbai would agree, was quite preposterous. After seemingly scouring the whole city for the elusive lokhandwala, the cabbie probably developed some sympathy for me. Following a two hour quest which I slept through, we finally arrived at the apparently obscure lokhandwala complex at andheri. Pretty much expecting a hefty amount, I paid up the taxi and finally reached my destination. Almost at the point of losing my bearings, I experienced unprecedented delight when I found a bed laid out for me in an air-conditioned room and what followed was a marathon 17 hour sleep to prepare myself for bigger challenges in the days to come.
Having gone through a particularly harrowing journey in the peak of summer through the burning hostile territory of our country, the vidarbha region, I was sapped of all energy and my only desire was to rest in a cool, hospitable bed. Waiting for a friend who was expected to pick me up from Kurla, I went into a slumber enervated and apprehensive about taking the city on all by myself. I was bluntly brought to life when I realized that someone was trying to pull my bag from under my arms. I turned around to find a frowning cop wielding his lathi, and thus began my initiation into the ways of the city. Phenomenally pleased with himself, the policeman started giving me a liturgy on how someone could rob your pants off without your knowledge in Mumbai. Drop-dead drowsy as I was, I still managed to notice a twinkle in his eyes, as though he was extolling some saintly virtues of his fellow city-mates. This was my first lesson, the average mumbaiah is proud of everything about the city, more so, about the sleaze prevalent therein. Anyway, I was summarily kicked out of the station, having been informed that this was not a place to sleep. I could not have agreed with him more, had I not seen at least a hundred more, with my limited range of vision, committing the same crime that very time in front of my eyes.
Having given up on my friends’ arrival, I took the cop’s advice and ventured into the frying pan, the first time on my own, feeling circumspect and drained like never before. I was not unprepared, though, I was aware of the approximate distance to my destination, as well as the fact that travelling in a local train was the best option. On enquiring about the local trains, I got a look which was a combination of condescension, exasperation, and ‘what a moron’, with the concise explanation that I had to go to kurla to catch a local. I was quite bewildered, being under the impression that I was already at Kurla. After guiltily pestering a few others, who were in a tremendous hurry and considered any obstruction in their furious tempo a sacrilege, I discovered that I had to go to another station, roughly 1 km away. While a few auto-drivers bluntly ignored my pleas to take me to the kurla station, a bystander, or rather, a by-racer; as noone actually stands in the always-in-a-hurry city, started giving me a lecture on how easy it was to walk one km. Ignoring his advise, I decided to take the road route.
Thus began another going-nowhere discussion with the autowallas about getting to lokhandvala. Meanwhile, a sikh driver, ostensibly moved by my plight, came up with a ‘helping hand’, snatching my luggage and dumping it in his cab without a moment’s notice. Though somewhat aware of the dent travelling in a cab would make in my wallet, I was too pooped to ignore my mind’s frantic pleas for a respite. The cabbie feigned complete ignorance about lokhandwala in andheri, which I’m sure every single resident of Mumbai would agree, was quite preposterous. After seemingly scouring the whole city for the elusive lokhandwala, the cabbie probably developed some sympathy for me. Following a two hour quest which I slept through, we finally arrived at the apparently obscure lokhandwala complex at andheri. Pretty much expecting a hefty amount, I paid up the taxi and finally reached my destination. Almost at the point of losing my bearings, I experienced unprecedented delight when I found a bed laid out for me in an air-conditioned room and what followed was a marathon 17 hour sleep to prepare myself for bigger challenges in the days to come.
09 October 2009
elimination of the naxal threat
Around an year back, I had written a post about how the Chhattisgarh government’s tactics were serving to destroy the entire social structure of the Bastar tribes (http://resistancerebellionanddeath.blogspot.com/2008/08/do-read-this-and-think-youve-nothing-to.html). A year down the line, the very tactics, endorsed by the local media, the urban middle and upper class, and the central government, and conveniently ignored by the national media, have been adopted on a nationwide scale. A recent article in Tehelka, the only publication which regularly tries to communicate the tribal’s plight, has prompted me to express my views on this extremely significant, but again, largely ignored, move by the Indian government.
In the words of the home minister, P Chidambarm, a counter-insurgency militia has been deployed to wipe out the naxalites from India. As the Tehelka article pointed out, the biggest discrepancy in the state’s ‘elimination strategy’ is that the enemy in this military operation is unidentifiable. From the home ministers’ standpoint, it seems it’s the naxals. But who are the naxalites? The oxford and Webster dictionaries still don’t recognize the word, although the oxford dictionary does consider the words ghee, pakora, samosa, and tandoori significant enough to be included. Wikipedia offers a very one-dimensional labeling of the naxalites as a group of violent communists who have rejected parliamentary democracy and have vowed to rule the people by imposing dictatorship of their party.
The churlishness of these disinterested third-parties aside, who would the home minister term as a naxalite. A simplistic definition would be someone who subscribes to the naxalite/maoist ideology. But even the staunchest anti-naxalite would agree with the fact that most of those who have taken up arms to combat the state are from the most oppressed, disenfranchised and illiterate sections of the society. The so-called ideologues hardly ever get into the battle zone, nor do they subscribe to the mindless violence propagated by the cadre. On ground zero, the naxalite is in all likelihood unaware of the country to which mao belonged or the essential premise of his brand of communism. His/her revolution is limited to getting back at the entity whom he considers culpable for the miserable living conditions he and his fraternity have had to endure for decades. He does not have the discernment to segregate the state from the human beings which constitute it. In his restricted point of view, an inhuman attack on any individual from the government machinery is an act of retribution.
Quite obviously, this viewpoint is by no means justifiable. But then, why is the state resorting to the same warped rationale? Why is it conveniently turning individuals into groups to make its task of identifying the enemy easier? Shouldn’t there be a difference between the thought process of the democratically elected machinery and an illiterate rabble-rouser? From the actions initiated over the past few months, the difference has ceased to exist. Instead of eliminating the problems faced by individuals who constitute and comprise the state, the solution adopted is to eliminate the very individual who has a problem.
On a more elementary level, how does the state, represented by the militia, actually identify a naxalite (or a group, for that matter)? The simplest way out, and which has been in vogue for the past decade or so in states like chattisgarh is to dub anyone who is disgruntled as a threat. And from what the trends of the past few months depict, the threat is not to be kept behind bars anymore, it has to be liquidated.
The most juvenile idea behind the tactics being adopted, as propounded by P. Chidambaram is that the naxalites are a bigger threat than J&K terrorists. By that logic, if the government, even after adopting the most stringent military measures in the disputed state, has been unable to make any headway towards removing terrorism, how does it expect to tackle this ‘bigger threat’ within such a short time and with much a much lesser military force?
In the words of the home minister, P Chidambarm, a counter-insurgency militia has been deployed to wipe out the naxalites from India. As the Tehelka article pointed out, the biggest discrepancy in the state’s ‘elimination strategy’ is that the enemy in this military operation is unidentifiable. From the home ministers’ standpoint, it seems it’s the naxals. But who are the naxalites? The oxford and Webster dictionaries still don’t recognize the word, although the oxford dictionary does consider the words ghee, pakora, samosa, and tandoori significant enough to be included. Wikipedia offers a very one-dimensional labeling of the naxalites as a group of violent communists who have rejected parliamentary democracy and have vowed to rule the people by imposing dictatorship of their party.
The churlishness of these disinterested third-parties aside, who would the home minister term as a naxalite. A simplistic definition would be someone who subscribes to the naxalite/maoist ideology. But even the staunchest anti-naxalite would agree with the fact that most of those who have taken up arms to combat the state are from the most oppressed, disenfranchised and illiterate sections of the society. The so-called ideologues hardly ever get into the battle zone, nor do they subscribe to the mindless violence propagated by the cadre. On ground zero, the naxalite is in all likelihood unaware of the country to which mao belonged or the essential premise of his brand of communism. His/her revolution is limited to getting back at the entity whom he considers culpable for the miserable living conditions he and his fraternity have had to endure for decades. He does not have the discernment to segregate the state from the human beings which constitute it. In his restricted point of view, an inhuman attack on any individual from the government machinery is an act of retribution.
Quite obviously, this viewpoint is by no means justifiable. But then, why is the state resorting to the same warped rationale? Why is it conveniently turning individuals into groups to make its task of identifying the enemy easier? Shouldn’t there be a difference between the thought process of the democratically elected machinery and an illiterate rabble-rouser? From the actions initiated over the past few months, the difference has ceased to exist. Instead of eliminating the problems faced by individuals who constitute and comprise the state, the solution adopted is to eliminate the very individual who has a problem.
On a more elementary level, how does the state, represented by the militia, actually identify a naxalite (or a group, for that matter)? The simplest way out, and which has been in vogue for the past decade or so in states like chattisgarh is to dub anyone who is disgruntled as a threat. And from what the trends of the past few months depict, the threat is not to be kept behind bars anymore, it has to be liquidated.
The most juvenile idea behind the tactics being adopted, as propounded by P. Chidambaram is that the naxalites are a bigger threat than J&K terrorists. By that logic, if the government, even after adopting the most stringent military measures in the disputed state, has been unable to make any headway towards removing terrorism, how does it expect to tackle this ‘bigger threat’ within such a short time and with much a much lesser military force?
28 May 2009
truth?
These days, I often wonder if I can actually say I believe in something, with conviction. In Sri Lanka, whatever the media says and whatever had been happening for years now seems to indicate that the hard-nosed decimation of the tigers is an encouraging development. However, every now and then, you come across write-ups and exposes illustrating such horror and tragedy that you invariably start questioning the rationale behind such an act when it is likely to result in an even more tempestuous reprisal.
In chattisgarh, the national and international media, independent bodies, NGOs etc. reveal that the government is carrying out an unprecedented abuse of the tribal population. You enter the cities of chattisgarh, the media and the populace is all praise for the government for having rid them of the power problems, for establishing the state as an industrial power-house, and for taking the fight to the naxalites.
For them, the law-enforcer has to counter the tribal naxalites’ violence with violence and any accusation of excesses is either collateral or manufactured by the naxals. The media in the region is particularly in favor of the establishment, which is attributed by some to fear of the state and by others to true understanding of the ground situation, depending upon their political leanings.
The national media, and even the international media, seems to have a diametrically opposite view of the situation in the state. That the media is always looking for ways to find scapegoats and particularly to blame the establishment for all the ills is a well-known, the Mumbai blasts being a case-in-point.
We do know that the media’s credibility is questionable, but so is that of the government. Everyone knows how conveniently the state distorts the truth to suit itself. So, how do we get to know the ‘truth’? Not everyone can get into Vanni and Dantewada to see for oneself. Are we destined to live in the dark forever, occasionally blinded by some artificial flashes of artificial illumination?
In chattisgarh, the national and international media, independent bodies, NGOs etc. reveal that the government is carrying out an unprecedented abuse of the tribal population. You enter the cities of chattisgarh, the media and the populace is all praise for the government for having rid them of the power problems, for establishing the state as an industrial power-house, and for taking the fight to the naxalites.
For them, the law-enforcer has to counter the tribal naxalites’ violence with violence and any accusation of excesses is either collateral or manufactured by the naxals. The media in the region is particularly in favor of the establishment, which is attributed by some to fear of the state and by others to true understanding of the ground situation, depending upon their political leanings.
The national media, and even the international media, seems to have a diametrically opposite view of the situation in the state. That the media is always looking for ways to find scapegoats and particularly to blame the establishment for all the ills is a well-known, the Mumbai blasts being a case-in-point.
We do know that the media’s credibility is questionable, but so is that of the government. Everyone knows how conveniently the state distorts the truth to suit itself. So, how do we get to know the ‘truth’? Not everyone can get into Vanni and Dantewada to see for oneself. Are we destined to live in the dark forever, occasionally blinded by some artificial flashes of artificial illumination?
27 May 2009
the ipl trophy
Quite in consonance with the nature of the event, the trophy designed for the IPL also focuses more on the stars and the glitter rather than the basics, which is cricket. It is quite amazing that a trophy for a cricket tournament involving the world's greatest cricketers depicts the figurine of a batsman playing an impossible shot with an incorrect and absurd grip on the bat. In fact, its quite amazing how so many people managed to ignore this for two years, because its quite evident that a right-handed batsman playing a shot with his left hand being the bottom hand is quite out-of-the-question.
The bat swing is also so inane that its evident that the designer has absolutely no clue about cricket, just another one is the list of those involved in this amazing event.
08 August 2008
Do read this, and think, you've nothing to lose
Chhattisgarh, which claims to the only power surplus state in the country, has been witnessing a bloody struggle for power for roughly three years now. The rest of the country doesn’t know about it, we all know Chhattisgarh as an emergent state rich in minerals and ores, covered with dense forests, and a prospective industrial hub. We get to know about Chhattisgarh only when the Times of India comes up with a survey placing Bhilai/Durg on the sixth spot among the fastest developing cities in the country. Those of us born and brought up in the affluence of Bhilai, feel great about the news and get on with our lives. Even when we were there we didn’t care about what was happening 150 kms away in the tribal regions. Indeed, it wouldn’t be fair to expect anyone to care. Naxalites, disillusioned tribals, needless violence, have all become a part of our daily lives.
But what’s been happening in Chhattisgarh since 2005 goes far beyond that. It is true that we should always take anti-state reporting and campaigning with a pinch of salt, as they are often exaggerated to the hilt and even fabricated at times, but the sequence of events, the credibility of the people involved, and the evident situation in the tribal areas do suggest that the districts of Bastar are weighed down by anarchy and bloodshed of an unprecedented magnitude, which shows no signs of abating.
Stray incidents of violence and unrest were commonplace in the area since the early 90s, even before the assassination of the leader of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Shankar Guha Niyogi, in 1991. As has been the norm, the hired assassin was apprehended but is still awaiting the result of the trial and there is still no clue as to who hired him. The growth of the naxalite movement gained ground after the murder of the union leader and the callousness shown in nabbing the culprits.
The state of affairs in Bastar after the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2001 went from bad to worse. The people from the most backward district in the country were frequently displaced in the name of industrialization. Of course, industrialization does have benefits which eventually trickle down to the populace, but due to the inherent inefficiencies of the bureaucratic set-up, the tribals ended up without land, without livelihood and without hope. Sent into improvised camps and settlements, they had to confront atrocious living conditions and a sense of deracination.
Though the state probably meant well, the collective ire of the tribals fell at them, and the naxalites cashed upon it. Thus the strength of naxalites kept growing and the government, forced by the systemic inertia, did nothing to improve the tribals’ conditions, instead focusing on improving the state’s image to attract external investment.
With increasing violence, attacks on personnel, policemen, forces etc., there was a marked change in the state’s collective consciousness, evident in statements of police and government officials. The state developed an antagonism, and was intent on vendetta against the naxalites, who they started bracketing with the tribals.
That’s where it all started to go wrong, when the law enforcer cannot do its work dispassionately and carries pre-conceived notions; a situation like Hitler’s Germany is likely to arise. The state, incited by a few intense strikes by the naxalites, chose a course aimed at curbing violence which ended up escalating it beyond controllable proportions.
It formed a unit called Salwa Judum, which literally translates into ‘Purification Hunt’ and gave it the license to commit all crimes to eradicate the influence of naxalites from the tribal regions. An initial group of a few people, who were not from the armed forces but locals having a history of violence and crime, was sent out into the tribal areas to identify and terminate the naxalite sympathizers. To extend its power, a reward of 2 Lakhs was proposed for any tribal who wished to join the SJ, with the assurance that they could contravene the law. (The above is inferred from a recorded conversation from one of the meetings of Salwa Judum, where the SP of Bijapur is stating this to a group of tribals, noted from the Statesman)
As anyone with a sane mind can imagine, with the formation of this group in 2005, all hell broke loose in Chhattisgarh. Any and everybody who wanted to settle scores could easily do so and get paid for it. The remarkable disaster this policy turned out to be is evident from the official figures of casualties revealed by the state:
2003: Maoists: 74, Civilians: None
2004: Maoists 83, Civilians: None
Salva Judum formed in July 2005
2005-2006: Maoist: 65, Civilians: 243
First three months of 2007: Maoists: 42, Civilians: 226
And these are all official state figures, seeing which and with increasing criticism from the media and the people in general, the state distanced itself from the group. However, in 2005, at the formation of the SJ, the District Collector of Dantewada was present and he went on to attend almost all their meetings. So, the distancing was a bit too late. Maybe the state tried to reign in the SJ, but the war has reached such proportions that the SJ has become a bigger threat than the naxalites.
Besides all these repressions and thoughtless acts, the state also came up with a visibly dictatorial and unconstitutional act called Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act in 2005. Under the auspices of this act, the state could detain anybody without bail for anti-state activities for an indefinite period pending trial/. Probably aware that the formation of the SJ would invite huge criticism and wrath, the state incarcerated all those who were likely to raise their voice and mobilize protests in the region. These included the pediatrician and member of PUCL, Dr. Binayak Sen, who was a close associate of Shankar Guha Niyogi, Praful Jha, a journalist, Ajay TG, a filmmaker and scores of others under fabricated charges. The most ridiculous charge was placed on Dr. Sen who was a frequent visitor to the prison in Raipur where he went to attend to an injured Naxalite. Consequently, he was charged with sedition. He has since been in jail pending trial.
Its imperative to attract attention towards the incarceration of the people who can communicate the people’s woes to the world. If they continue to be behind bars, the repression will continue and the country will remain unaware of the world of difference that exists between the lives of a tribal in Bastar and an executive living at Napean Sea Road. I don’t know what can be done, but there has to be something, the media is hungry for anti-establishment rhetoric and for projecting heroes. Here we have real heroes and they don’t even know about them.
But what’s been happening in Chhattisgarh since 2005 goes far beyond that. It is true that we should always take anti-state reporting and campaigning with a pinch of salt, as they are often exaggerated to the hilt and even fabricated at times, but the sequence of events, the credibility of the people involved, and the evident situation in the tribal areas do suggest that the districts of Bastar are weighed down by anarchy and bloodshed of an unprecedented magnitude, which shows no signs of abating.
Stray incidents of violence and unrest were commonplace in the area since the early 90s, even before the assassination of the leader of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Shankar Guha Niyogi, in 1991. As has been the norm, the hired assassin was apprehended but is still awaiting the result of the trial and there is still no clue as to who hired him. The growth of the naxalite movement gained ground after the murder of the union leader and the callousness shown in nabbing the culprits.
The state of affairs in Bastar after the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2001 went from bad to worse. The people from the most backward district in the country were frequently displaced in the name of industrialization. Of course, industrialization does have benefits which eventually trickle down to the populace, but due to the inherent inefficiencies of the bureaucratic set-up, the tribals ended up without land, without livelihood and without hope. Sent into improvised camps and settlements, they had to confront atrocious living conditions and a sense of deracination.
Though the state probably meant well, the collective ire of the tribals fell at them, and the naxalites cashed upon it. Thus the strength of naxalites kept growing and the government, forced by the systemic inertia, did nothing to improve the tribals’ conditions, instead focusing on improving the state’s image to attract external investment.
With increasing violence, attacks on personnel, policemen, forces etc., there was a marked change in the state’s collective consciousness, evident in statements of police and government officials. The state developed an antagonism, and was intent on vendetta against the naxalites, who they started bracketing with the tribals.
That’s where it all started to go wrong, when the law enforcer cannot do its work dispassionately and carries pre-conceived notions; a situation like Hitler’s Germany is likely to arise. The state, incited by a few intense strikes by the naxalites, chose a course aimed at curbing violence which ended up escalating it beyond controllable proportions.
It formed a unit called Salwa Judum, which literally translates into ‘Purification Hunt’ and gave it the license to commit all crimes to eradicate the influence of naxalites from the tribal regions. An initial group of a few people, who were not from the armed forces but locals having a history of violence and crime, was sent out into the tribal areas to identify and terminate the naxalite sympathizers. To extend its power, a reward of 2 Lakhs was proposed for any tribal who wished to join the SJ, with the assurance that they could contravene the law. (The above is inferred from a recorded conversation from one of the meetings of Salwa Judum, where the SP of Bijapur is stating this to a group of tribals, noted from the Statesman)
As anyone with a sane mind can imagine, with the formation of this group in 2005, all hell broke loose in Chhattisgarh. Any and everybody who wanted to settle scores could easily do so and get paid for it. The remarkable disaster this policy turned out to be is evident from the official figures of casualties revealed by the state:
2003: Maoists: 74, Civilians: None
2004: Maoists 83, Civilians: None
Salva Judum formed in July 2005
2005-2006: Maoist: 65, Civilians: 243
First three months of 2007: Maoists: 42, Civilians: 226
And these are all official state figures, seeing which and with increasing criticism from the media and the people in general, the state distanced itself from the group. However, in 2005, at the formation of the SJ, the District Collector of Dantewada was present and he went on to attend almost all their meetings. So, the distancing was a bit too late. Maybe the state tried to reign in the SJ, but the war has reached such proportions that the SJ has become a bigger threat than the naxalites.
Besides all these repressions and thoughtless acts, the state also came up with a visibly dictatorial and unconstitutional act called Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act in 2005. Under the auspices of this act, the state could detain anybody without bail for anti-state activities for an indefinite period pending trial/. Probably aware that the formation of the SJ would invite huge criticism and wrath, the state incarcerated all those who were likely to raise their voice and mobilize protests in the region. These included the pediatrician and member of PUCL, Dr. Binayak Sen, who was a close associate of Shankar Guha Niyogi, Praful Jha, a journalist, Ajay TG, a filmmaker and scores of others under fabricated charges. The most ridiculous charge was placed on Dr. Sen who was a frequent visitor to the prison in Raipur where he went to attend to an injured Naxalite. Consequently, he was charged with sedition. He has since been in jail pending trial.
Its imperative to attract attention towards the incarceration of the people who can communicate the people’s woes to the world. If they continue to be behind bars, the repression will continue and the country will remain unaware of the world of difference that exists between the lives of a tribal in Bastar and an executive living at Napean Sea Road. I don’t know what can be done, but there has to be something, the media is hungry for anti-establishment rhetoric and for projecting heroes. Here we have real heroes and they don’t even know about them.
30 April 2008
deprival
Have lost the desire to write, or read a thing, to think without a purpose, to venture out without any intention, to while away time at a chai shop, to watch the people around me, to love, to hate to be passionate, to be angry, to be vociferous, to be silent, to be irritating, to be irritated, to be bothered, to bother someone, to enjoy on my own, to stay all alone, to know something new, to hear someone’s point of view, to realize that this has unwittingly turned into a verse, to appreciate that things can’t be much worse.
20 February 2008
guilt
The single-most significant, rather the only reason for disturbance, guilt. Listening to a song, smoking, guilty about wasting the time that could’ve been spent on something else, for screwing my lungs, to my future, and her future, it sucks. After my break-up, emptiness, an excuse for every stupidity, groped around for sympathy, finally reached my hermitage, living alone, feeling that this was bliss, guiltlessness was bliss. Do anything I want to, now again, guilty about listening to music, watching a movie; do not relish reading anymore, always working out a plan. Sitting at a south Indian restaurant, for the whole day, just to live those moments, now even eating is a job, last few months there were pretty bad, agreed, there was always something to run towards, remember, I even felt guilty about not knowing the meaning of the word ‘perdition’ of not owning a car, a DVD player, I have no idea what this is
07 February 2008
self-appointed authorities
To Raj Thackeray and his troop of monkeys (yes, I mean monkeys though the one Harbhajan used would be more appropriate for you all, in fact, it’s an insult to monkeys to equate you with them). Anyway, all you buffoons out there hell bent upon making peoples’ lives miserable, I challenge you, any one of those who are a part of this gang of scared kids, to a duel, hand to hand. I’m nearing 35, have a smoke infested, drug-abused, unshapely, body which is in such a pathetic state that I can’t climb three storeys without having to take breaks for rest at least twice. But I can take on the physically strongest among you, I’m sure, because you guys are such pathetic losers that even if you do subdue someone physically, you will be the one will who suffer and the next moment try to find someone else who is the bane of your existence. You’ll make up another gang of your deprived brethren and vent out your combined frustration at your impotency on some new unknowing target. You would never realize that no one else is a bane; it’s your existence which is a bane. Right now, you are fighting north Indians, later you’ll fight south Indians, still later you might fight someone else. What you don’t understand is that your being good-for-nothing has nothing to do with them. There have been many instances like these in the past; many mad caps like this inconsequential bug raj Thackeray in history, Hitler, amin, Mussolini, all of them attributed their troubles to an identifiable group which was easily targetable. All of them knew that the best way to gather disillusioned loafers was to make them believe that they are wronged, and point them towards it. But at least these Mussolini and Hitler’s have their moments of glory; at least they have power, money, what about you, you all couldn’t do that either, reviled, kicked around, hated by everyone, the likes of you are an object of ridicule, destroying MF Husain’s paintings, burning posters of taslima nasreen and harassing people on valentine’s day. It is laughable, at least the earlier villains of the piece had some ideals, some conviction on which they based their tyranny, their evil. You all, even you don’t know what the basis off your sporadic attempts at violence are. youre almost like the bunch of stray dogs who stay down when alone on the highway but start running after every car and bike if they are ion groups, without any tangible reason, just because they are more in numbers.
11 January 2008
dnrc gems
If a grapefruit is happier than a bulldozer, then that means your toaster can turn jam into sound.
so wonderful that existing adjectives are inadequate. I recommend a new word to be used exclusively for DNRC members: splendsmartiful.
so splendsmartiful that the mere sight of you stuns doves in flight, causing them to plunge to their deaths.
those of you on this mailing list will form the new ruling class and get to treat all other people like five-and-a-quarter-inch diskettes.
from scott adams dnrc newsletters
so wonderful that existing adjectives are inadequate. I recommend a new word to be used exclusively for DNRC members: splendsmartiful.
so splendsmartiful that the mere sight of you stuns doves in flight, causing them to plunge to their deaths.
those of you on this mailing list will form the new ruling class and get to treat all other people like five-and-a-quarter-inch diskettes.
from scott adams dnrc newsletters
saigon
There's something truly extraordinary about the first ten minutes of apocalypse now, I find it so bewitching that am in a trance every time I watch it; the first shot, the chopper blade sounds, this is the end, explosions, beautiful friend, chopper blades the jungle again, the face of charlie sheen, the eyes of charlie sheen, in fact, one of the most noticeable things about the film; his eyes; which always give the expression of being dead and alive at the same time; those who've seem the movie can easily relate to that; and then his voice, not a fantastic voice, but something about this film, makes it seem like the most resounding voice ive ever heard;
saigon;
rewind and replay
saigon;
rewind and replay
07 December 2007
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