Millionaire and Slumdog

“Shrill why do you have to think so much.Get a life!!”

Seriously that’s what many friends tell me but I would agree with Sheldon(from Big Bang theory) and Einstein. I fail to understand why should I not be using that 1.2 kgs of gray matter which is so underutilsed in all of us. Only 10% in an average human being .

So here I ruminate.

When I see little kids selling diyas on the eve of Diwali I am forced to think “What a paradox!!” I am in a country where even the poorest of the poors worship the Goddess of Wealth Lakshmi on the eve of diwali and yearn for fortune..Is God listening?

I wont rattle out the figures of economic disparity in India which is are at an all time high.Stats are here.No wonder this week newspaper columns have been writing

so much on whether the ostentatious,luxurious and some like Mr.Mani Shankar Aiyar who have been calling it “vulgar” expenditure that cannot be justified in the form of Formula one races. As Mr. Shankar and the like minded put it, there is a greater India that needs that amount of money just to be alive while the rich indulge in their entertainment. Right or not I wont remark as my last post was on the futility of debates…But the fact that each time we see a poor child begging..aren’t we not filled with a bit of guilt? God..what have I done to deserve this good a life?

Inherently we all like to see,read and tell our kids success stories where people have carved their niche, out of their sheer mettle.We all get that inner joy when we see someone going from rags to riches.If we are rich we will be infused with sympathy..If we are poor we will have a certain degree of empathy.
So as the nation exults in the victory of Mr. Sushil Kumar winning 5 crores, I have penned down a few lines in hindi keeping in mind the last 7 days.

 समय तो एक ही है,भगवान भी एक ही है

 पर कहीं एक तरफ दीवाली है तो दूसरी तरफ दीवाला है..

 पूजा के मन्त्र भी एक ही हैं,विधि भी एक ही है..

 पर कहीं एक तरफ सोने की लक्ष्मी है, तो दूसरी तरफ दिया भी नही जल पाया है..

 दिन भी वही है,दिनांक भी वही है

 पर कही एक तरफ घी के हज़ार लड्डू हैं,तो दूसरी तरफ बताशा भी ना चढ़ पाया है..

 देश भी एक ही है..दुनिया भी एक ही है

 पर कहीं F1 देखा जाता है..,तो दूसरी तरफ दूरदर्शन भी नही आता है..

. संख्या भी एक ही है और सत्ता भी एक ही है

.. पर कहीं 5 करोड़ बस हाथो की मैल है..तो कहीं KBC ही एक आशा है...

 समय तो एक ही है,भगवान भी एक ही है

 पर कहीं भाग्य विधाता है और कहीं भाग्य विदा हो जाता है...

FOOT IN MOUTH

I had a splitting headache today and had to pop a crocin...

No no..and definitely not the perennial tantrums of my Boss

But because of a hell raising debate...

I really believe I’ll be a very good spouse because of my apathy towards debates and arguments..and I realised at the end of the splitting debate..err.. headache that I definitely will never be able to make in to even the local panchayat forget Lok sabha and the rest..

     The topic though was a trivial one; at the end when the sweet  arbitrator tried to put us to ceasefire and when we,the great debaters who are otherwise good friends,realised that we had whiled away an hour;we both decided to shut up!!

So,have you ever seen a happy end of a debate?

I cant recollect one such example except those debate competitions in school where one holds up a trophy!

         Frankly I feel all those years in school where students are encouraged to take part in debates (pointless again is the entire concept where kids are given a topic,asked to write or get it written,mug up the content and deliver it from their memory in front of a naive audience) goes down in drain..

They say debate is an intellectual pursuit..but how?

At the end of 99% of debates both the parties are left unconvinced and not an iota do they agree with each other.

Human beings are supposed to be opinionated and possess the thing called “ego” which doesn’t feel good when bruised.

In my observation,the more “intellectual” a person claims or is renowned to be ,the more opinions  he has of  his own,and the less likely he is to be budged from his ground of thinking because he has ultimate assurance,confidence and at times even pride in his “intellect”.

         Look at the those correspondents on TV talk shows trying to put debaters to peace when they start screaming at each other on screen .The futile debates in the parliaments and unnecessary interruptions and delays cost so much to our exchequer.

Hailing from an engineering college where we get enough of time for discussions and “bakar” I remember a few incidents.

     During college some of my guy friends had a debate over the complexion of Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal as to which of the 2 singers is fairer..

To prove, both started downloading images on google and trying to prove their point .

Result: An entire night wasted with no conclusions.(Not that even reaching a conclusion on this one would make a huge difference to anyone)

Some similar ones are

Who is the better khan Aamir or Shah Rukh?

Who is the more beautiful of the two?

Aishwarya or Sushmita?

What is better ?

A smart and not-so beautiful wife or a not-so smart but beautiful wife?

Which is innocuous Halal meat or Jhatka?

What is healthier?

Veg food or non veg?

MBA as a career option or not?

Life in big cities or Life in small ones?

Ahh..and those debates men so often get embroiled and start quoting facts and figures just  to prove who is greater of them.

Sir Don Bradman or Sachin Tendulkar?

Pele or Maradona?

Federer or Nadal?

And suddenly some one will quote a statistic and the other party will disagree and bet and go google just to prove him wrong..but damn that still doesn’t end the debate..

Let it just be guys ..There have been issues and debates unresolved since time immemorial..Most of the times I feel the debaters just end up wasting their time and energy.

Like the UN debates of Palestine Vs Israel.

India Vs Pakistan

Communism Vs Democracy

Industrial Development Vs Eco-system sustainability

God Vs Science

    If there is any little benefit out of a debate then it goes to those who are the silent neutral observers,who listen to it with an open mind and seek some knowledge from both the sides . Its like two dogs strive for a bone and the third one runs off with it.But very soon this third dog meets another one and starts fighting as he soon has his own opinion too.

 So how right is it for you to vent your spleen over a statement you believe in?How right is it for you to engage in a debate?

Debate  sure promises a repartee and as movies show even helps forge relationships but I have decided for the umpteenth time to shut up and never engage in one.So what if people think I am dumb and too pacific! After all its my own opinion.  So you don’t want to debate on the “FUTILITY OF DEBATE” .Do you?

I WISH I COULD BE YOU..LAILA!!

I finally came out of my Cine-Bad luck record..Paisa Vasooled after a long time..

I was in Kolkata on company business and got time post work to catch a movie

Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara was a totally refreshing movie..It  was much like a Lonely Planet show..Spanish tourism is bound to get a boost.

Another reason why I probably am singing in praise is because I was able to establish a connect with Laila(played with Katrina) before you Kat Fans get offended I am aware Katrina is light years  away from any girl next door in terms of pulchritude.

No I am not a deep sea diver like Laila.. rather I just have had the practice of  swimming  ..I fear the deep end. Laila talks about what she wants from life

“Meeting new people  and experiencing new at every point in life”

That  sounded so much like a soliloquy to me.

I ‘ve so wanted to see the country and the world..and I don’t have a problem doing it alone..
But there are things to stop me in this pursuit!

     As I was going to bed ruminating about this…. I got an sms from an official  acquaintance who asked me if I was okay in  and if I had heard any rumour..Not very pleasantly, I replied that I was not in town and I didn’t pick up any rumour hints at midnight.The next morning I’m woken up by another phone call..This time from my aunty in Ranchi..she  asked  me  the same question “If I had heard the news going around?”

Now what rumour/news had been floating around that I was oblivious of?? And this is what I heard “A female employee of my Company  was raped at the very scenic Dimna Dam while she was visiting the place in the company of a male friend” Since there are not many female employees in the manufacturing sector I could understand their concern….

  Like each time I read about such cases..I was irked,aghasted,repelled by this heinous act..I’d been disturbed all day long.After day long of engagements I returned to the Hotel it was 8.30 pm.I had to buy a gift for a dear friend.I googled nearest Titan showroom. I decided to put myself to a small test and set out on foot all alone based on the random google maps . I made a quick circle from ho chi minh sarani that was deserted .The showroom had its shutters half down and was about to close in the  camac street.Struck by hunger I went out to hunt for street food on the notorious  Park street on a  Saturday night and its nearby lanes at nine at night.I wanted to pack food  at a roll corner but I had become aware of a group of guys who were staring  so I ditched the idea.

  I returned back safe! A  short celebration of liberation!

But the morning thought had still been haunting me…Are such perpetrators worse than savages?

I’m sure even animal kingdom has respectable protocols..and so do “uncivilized” tribes in Africa

And worse what aftermath does the female go after she has undergone something as ravaging as a rape.

The entire question of “why me?” or worse

“God! Why did you make me a weaker gender?”

Paradoxically In a country where Durga,Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped..I know people will call it a feminist’s question but isn’t this a humanitarian one?

  Why do they do it?What do they get out of it?and you know what “they” does not include a minuscule percentage population?The National Crime Records Bureau state that in the year 2009  a total of 21091  rape cases were reported in police station.Officially every 30 minutes a woman is raped.Adding to that Medical Counselors say that only 1 in 69 cases are reported.So you can well imagine the number of females who are so devastated and don’t want to go through the stigma of being asked “disgraceful questions” by police and medical examinations just to prove what they have gone through.

 Thinking and cringing at it;I read a Nielsen report  revealed that Indian women are the most stressed out in the world: 87% of our women feel stressed out most of the time.. Even in workaholic America, only 53% women feel stressed.There’s not a single day when we girls are not reminded of our helplessness..

       If  I take an auto the guy sitting or uncle sitting next to me will try to nudge me..

If I am travelling in a bus the “bhaiya” needs to be reminded to make some space and not to make contact..

If I’m travelling by train..God! help me if I’m alone be it AC..General class..I’ll have all the eyeballs on me..staring at me as if I were some alien..Here’s a fact most of us wont sleep in train at night lest the man sleeping on the next berth tries to lay his hand on us..Many a times no one will come to rescue even If you’ll try..and Please  don’t ask us to report to the police waala 50% times even he might be eyeing us with uncouth eyes..If you’re walking on streets comments will pass once or twice..Again if the situation is really bad  some one will just come on his bike and make sure he gets the thrill of scaring a girl out of her wits by touching her..and before you will have come out of the shock and have had the sense of noting his number down he’ll be gone in a jiffy.

   Workplace too might not always be a friendly place.In a recent poll it was found that  60%  of working women have faced sexual harassment at some point of time in their working lives. 

 Coming to the point,I cannot take a knapsack on my back and cannot put on my khaki shorts and go about camping in some field or exploring some mountain alone by myself.. Laila(Katrina) seized the day and lived every moment to the fullest beause she was in Spain and not in India and probably was the daughter of a well to do man..I cannot seize the day..I cannot impress Hrithik Roshan by my free spirit..I cannot live the way I want to because there might be some villain lurking  out there..

I HATE LOVE STORIES

He used to sit there at my newly launched “Chai bar” very often….
Clad in kurta and jeans he used to frequent my Tea shop every Sunday..
It had been almost half a year and he hadn’t missed even a single sunday..He generally used to be there alone with his only company being a book and a cup of tea..and used to sit there for a couple of hours..
It had been a dream come true for me launching a tea bar chain of my own..I used to make sure that I was present at this Manor Road joint every Sunday
He was tall,sultry and spectacled…(just my kinda guy)
Somewhere in mid thirties meaning only about a couple of years elder to me..I was happy with life but Ma always had been hinting that my free single independent life needs a “suitable man”….and each time I saw him I thought the same..
The first 4 weeks I remember he’d only order “Assam Special” and consume it copiously..
He used to come to the counter and rattle his order straight away..I suggested him once “why don’t you try something else as well? Oolong is good too”
He gave me a look of surprise that seemed to say “ you seem to be following my orders lady?”
Ahhh..how I wish I could follow them
He readily acceded and said “ok,ill try it..” and flashed his smile..
I understood what “being swept off one’s feet meant”
I always wanted to talk to him..find out what book was he was reading?
Once when he came to order “oolong” at the counter I furthered our conversation by saying “Oh yes Oolong will just go perfectly well with your current read”
Isnt that book about Roald Amundsen’s adventure at the south pole?
   He had said “so miss,It seems you do more than just selling tea”
I sprang at that opportunity and boasted him about my B-school stint and entrepreneurship plans..I wanted to know about his pursuit as well..no it wouldn’t matter…if he were just a struggling writer or journo..
We would have married and I would be happy selling tea ever after and just see him stay occupied with his book and my hand made tea….
I was just about to ask him his pursuit when I was accosted by another customer at the counter..
For once I didn’t want to do business..
There were so many pretty girls and women frequenting my “chai bar” but he never ever raised his eyes to even take a glimpse of them…forget ogling …much to my relief.
 The only habit I found a bit disconcerting was when he stepped out to smoke..but I would make him quit that too someday..
At times he used to bring a laptop ..I would watch those tough,muscular hands in motion..working fast on the keyboard..I would generally make myself conspicuous and try to grab his attention by being extra polite and courteous to other customers..…Once I had brought my 3 yr old niece along..and I remember how he had offered her a chocolate out of his pocket when he’d come to order “Oolong”
Somehow his reticent and tough yet gentle demeanour never allowed me to open up very freely to him..besides it would be partial and unethical as a shop-owner to give extra attention to one customer…most importantly it would let loose a babble of tongues..
And one day…
It was raining really wildly that day..I stuck to my routine..and by 11 was there at my counter…
The clock struck 11:30 and he wasn’t there…since the weather had turned stormy and rainy a few customers chugged in cars and stopped in for tea but I didn’t receive their orders with alacrity..
I was distracted..and slowly was getting disappointed..
No..how could I stay without seeing him for the rest of the week?
Had he come today I definitely would start my discussions on the book he was reading last week..
Not only had I bought the book but did extra research on it…to impress him… and wore my best black salwar suit for that slim look with perfect matching jewellery…
Despondent I exited from my Manor Road “chai bar”..since It was raining I grabbed the other day’s newspaper to provide that mobile shed and ward off the rain..I sat in my car and left then newspaper on the dashboard.I was about to start the car when I saw the newspaper… That page had a news I never wanted to believe “ Ranchi:August 15,2017 The Jan Lokpal finds Mr. Ajay Kishore guilty of misappropriation funds worth Rs. 10 crores.”Above this news piece was his picture.That was how I came to know him

I came ..I saw ..They conquered..

As the entire nation has been painted in the euphoria of the Indian Cricket team winning and bringing the "Cup that counts" home and as the media is fully catching up with this well deserved long awaited frenzy..I decided why not do the same...
I know there are some thousands blogs sprouting simultaneously on the same subject..
All this a catharsis to yesterday’s victory....
I am frankly no big cricket follower..i know nothing about IPL(and frankly don’t want to)
I give a damn to any match going on that doesn’t involve my country.
I am what as guys would love to describe “a typical Indian girl” who still has difficulty understanding inside edge,long on,mid off,slip,silly gully and all those stuffs..
I am just one of those nondescript persons in the crowd who want their country to win..
And definitely win against Pakistan...I admire Sachin Tendulkar as any one in the country for his amazing brilliance with the bat and the utter humble conduct
And yes I take great pride like any other Ranchiite
“ hey you know what Dhoni is my neighbour and we studied in the same school”
I am like thousands out there who will either wear the same coloured T they wore last time because India won...will eat the same food in between the breaks because India won the last time they practised that..and definitely will or will not sit in front of the TV set when their favourite team is batting..In my case its a bit extreme..I believe my presence is cursed and so I don’t watch my country batting..So,It happened in the Finals yesterday..sitting at the edge of my chair on the computer refreshing score card on cric info and listening to the cheers and despondent sighs of folks watching the match outside.
Last few balls when India seemed destined to win I came ..I saw and they conquered..
It was then that I experienced the euphoria and rejoiced the moment..
It was great listening to Kumara Sangakkara’s eloquent speech after which I was told that he is a law student himself..no wonder..where all that acumen and words flow..
Another great point to note was apna Dhoni’s speech he said "had we lost out I would have been asked why sreesanth not ashwin?yuvraj singh why not at number 4 despite his form ..there are plenty of questions?” and when asked about his run bank he said
“I had a point to prove not to others but to myself..”
That is what makes people great..they remain unaffected by criticism..they care not what people have to say about them..We fans are really impractical..
For instance when Nehra gave away runs in the match against South Africa we lambasted him..
This takes me back to the 2003 world cup
India had a horrid beginning to the tournament, their first match was against minnows Holland, who tumbled the Indian batsmen out for just 204 but India ended up winning by 68 runs, the unconvincing victory setting the stage for immense criticism. The next match on India's list was against world champions Australia. The Indian team, batting first..India were out for 125. Australia scored the target in 22.2 overs, only losing one wicket. The Indian performances in the first two matches triggered uproar within India, player effigies were said to be burnt on streets

India moved and won the next matches against Zimbabwe and Namibia. India finished off the Pool Stage with an 82 run victory over England and a 6 wicket victory over Pakistan. Ashish Nehra achieved 6/23 against England to help India defend 250 as England were all out for 168.

That reminds me of the very famous lines from Julius Caesar when Antony remarks
“The evil that men do lives after them,The good is oft interred(buried) with their bones”


Its very easy for us to pontificate and say how this shot should have been played,or how that ball should have been chased..or how that extra leap should have been taken to grab the ball..
The worst was 2007 world Cup when public’s wrath knew no end
India's World Cup campaign started disastrously, as they lost to Bangladesh in the opener, leaving them with two must-win matches in their group. India next scored 413 against Bermuda India won the game by 257 runs, and this left them to beat tournament favorites Sri Lanka. Due to their loss to Bangladesh, India's presence in the tournament depended on them defeating Sri Lanka.
At the Queen's Park Oval at Trinidad, on 23 March, the Indian pace bowlers made early inroads, dismissing the danger men,the Sri Lankan innings ended for 254 for the loss of 6 wickets.
The Indians batting crumbled against the Sri Lankan bowling attack, India were all out for only 185, considered surprising given India's batting strength and the batting-friendly nature of the Queen's Park Oval. With one victory and two losses, India were hence knocked out of the World Cup. It was also the first time since 1992 that the Indian cricket team failed to progress to the latter stages of the tournament.
After the debacle, there were several attacks on players homes and protests by infuriated fans, especially in Bangalore and Mumbai.Such volatile can we be ..Fans even burnt posters of GOD.

No wonder the cricketers say so morosely in the Birla Sun Life Insurance advt “Jab tak Balla hai that hai” ( Glory will stay till runs emanate out of the bat)


“A critic is someone who never actually goes to the battle, yet who afterwards comes out shooting the wounded”
So I learn a lesson here..bouquets and brickbats will always be there what matters most is BELIEF in yourself and your decisions..
With great power ..comes great responsibility..
Thanks to you men in blue for having braved fan pressure and performing "bleedingly" well


Here’s a lovely piece from the movie ratatouille by where the critic confesses his job as





“ In many ways the work of a critic is easy, we risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves our judgement,we thrive on negative criticism which is fond to write and to read...but the bitter truth that we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating itself and there are times when a critic truly risks something and that is in the discovery and defence of the new ...the world is often unkind to the new talent ,new creation but new needs friends....”

WHICH COLOUR DO YOU CHOOSE?

Imagine …...
What if we Homo sapiens had no rods and cones(photo receptor cells) to see the colours..Imagine what if the only colours we could see would be black and white?
Why would Google name its browser CHROME and what would the logo of WINDOWS look like?... 4 plain boxes??
Why would Beatles have given the hit “ the yellow submarine?” or how would be humming our desi hit “Neele neele ambar…”
How would the doctors see the Red Blood cells and figure out the yellow disease of Jaundice?
Why would we hanker after Red meat,Red wine,Chocolate cake,Saffron Lassi??
We would not be spending hours on deciding which colour car to buy?
We would not be spending that extra money to get a bright coloured mobile phone..
You could get your house coloured in black and white?
Vehicles would be bumping into each other as Traffic signal would have no meaning…no green,no yellow and no Red…
What would you gift your Girlfriend?
A white rose or a black one?
What would a bride be in?A black and white “joda”? What would happen to the red vermillion on her hair?
What about the intricate and lustrous Gold jewellery?
Though Men would be thanking that they now don’t have to wait hours while their spouses decided which colour dress to buy or put on…
But then How would India be “men in blue” and Pakistan “in green”?
How would you support the RED DEVILS and THE BLUES?
What fun would it be to see a football match without RED card and YELLOW card?
What would business be like?
No PINK slip,no RED herring prospectus,no BLUE print,no YELLOW pages and most importantly no GREENBACK.
Though Business suits would still be the same formal black and white with black and white ties.

What fun would it be watching AVATAR and Harry Potter in a dual chrome mode? What fun would Parle POPPINS and Cadbury GEMS be?How distinctly different would the SUPERMAN,BATMAN,SPIDERMAN and GREEN GOBLIN be?Why would young Girls dress themselves as some PINK fairy in the fancy dress competition?
Why would the teacher be teaching you Rainbow and later go on to teach you Dispersion and Newton’s and Rayleigh’s experiment with spectrum?(Though that would reduce the syllabus a lot)
How easy it would be to tell mom that u’ve spilled ink from your fountain pen and not ketchup?
Crayons would have no meaning..

Why would Grandma worship NEELKANTH ? and why would she be watching “baalika vadhu” on COLOURS channel.
Why would I be here writing this post had I not got a holiday on the occasion of “HOLI”?
HAPPY HOLI……
Imagine a life without so many hues?
But luckily most of us can see and enjoy these various hues..
Yet there are a lot amongst us who cannot see ..who don’t know what colours look like…who don’t know what HOLI is like..
LET YOUR EYES CHANGE SOMEONE’S LIFE ..

COLOUR THE BLIND

45 and counting...

Around 45 and still counting..no I’m not counting Sachin’s ODI centuries..neither am I keeping a track of Brad Pitt’s age..and definitely not watching Megan Fox’s weight..
I must have seen the movie SWADES some 45 times..and I’m not alone..as Wikipedia says it has a cult following in India and South Asia..
The time this movie released I must have been in class 12 or so..
When I first asked a few friends how the movie was their reply was “preachy and boring”
Truly what is one man’s meat is the other man’s poison ..and when I watched this movie..it turned out to be more than meat for me..It left me with an amazingly awe inspiring feeling..
Philosophical,patriotic,brooding,musical and definitely romantic
The “dehati(rustic)” in me was aroused...the beauty lied in the extreme simplicity of the script .. even though the movie was a bit long(194 minutes)
Ashutosh Gowarikar churned a fantastic screenplay...and I am sure all connoisseurs and people in their right minds will agree with me...
The brilliant and sensitive acting by Shah Rukh Khan in this movie just corroborates the fact that Khan knows the art of emoting...Gayatri Joshi plays her part with utter finesse...though she could have been better at emoting..
Her character as Geeta was very special because it was one of the rare occasions in which Bollywood took some pride in showing the lead female having a great deal of brain..that could be a good reason why it didn’t create a commercial success..after all there weren't “item numbers in dishabille state”

Geeta has a mind of her own..highly opiniated ..and crunches numbers with as ease as probably Shakuntala Devi that leaves the NASA scientist SRK woooed ..though having completed her education from DU..she believes she is doing her best for the country by working at the grassroot level by educating children..There is a scene where she snubs a marriage alliance because she wants to work after her marriage .
I personally think the National Literacy Mission or National Commission for Women should take up this scene as an ad campaign after all SRK is a household name..

Bhanu Athaiya(who won the Oscar for best costume design for Gandhi) has used great hues and dressed the characters in colours that gel so perfectly well with the plot.. who so ever thought sarees and salwar suits are a passé?
Geeta in her sarees and salwar suits is a sight to behold....and Mohan with his suave self epitomises the man any father would want his daughter to marry..The two character always agree to disagree..
There are good number of instances when they debate on what each of them is doing for the good of society...like when Mohan says how “you Indians keep defending yourself by using culture and tradition as shields” and when Gita says yes to Mohan’s marriage proposal but disagrees to settle in USA ..she even calls him “Non Returning Indian (NRI)”

Kaveri Amma’s role played Kishori Bala is stuffs most of our grandparents are made of..
Compassionate,wise but still obfuscated by “gen next”
I mean I was dumbstruck when A.R rahman won Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire.
It definitely wasn’t his magnum opus.Every movie is made of dialogues and scenes and background score
The jury should have listened to the background score of swades and also the songs.
Alas Rahman didn’t even win a desi filmfare for his work in Swades..He lost to none other than Copy Cat Anu Malik..
The soulful use of Shehnai in the title theme of Swades...and the simple humming that lends divinity to this track...Aaahh..
The lyrics by Javed Akhtar of the song “yun hi chala chal rahi”..my favourite lines being
“Har sapna sach lage, jo prem agan jale
Jo raah tu chale apne mann ki
Har pal ki seep se moti hi tu chune
Jo sada tu sune apne mann ki”..i wont translate these lines..theyll lose their essence..
Romantic undercurrents going in the movie..be it when Mohan is mesmerised by Geeta’s intelligence or when Geeta gives side glances at Mohan when the villagers are watching Zeenat Aman’s song “chura liya hai tumne jo dilko”
When Mohan heaves a sigh of relief when Geeta rejects her marriage alliance with someone else..
When Mohan is lost in awe of Geeta as she teaches him to tie the Dhoti..

or when he peeps by her window when she’s correcting papers..
Geeta confesses her love for Mohan when he’s busy working on hydroelectric project..
And the best of it when Mohan sweeps Geeta of her feet in her own classroom..


Coming to the strong social message the movie sends..

Ask not countrymen what the country can do for you..ask what you can do for the country.
For most of us who like to boast about our NRI relatives..
Mohan is appalled by the state of the country side ..but slowly in a matter of days gives up mineral water and his caravan..starts sleeping on the charpoy and bathes by the well..
Comes to know about the great divide between the haves and the have-nots..illiteracy.
The most poignant scene being the one in which the small boy is trying to sell water.

Mohan is shaken to see how villagers have become complacent with life in dark..when ironically one of them utters out “Ravana burning looks so splendid in the dark”
He starts on his mission of producing hydroelectric power.This is inspired by the true story of Aravinda Pillalamarri and Ravi Kuchimanchi, the NRI couple who returned to India and developed the pedal power generator to light remote, off-the-grid village schools...and he does it.
I remember my Mech Prof. Asking us about the turbine principle behind Swades? So there were others too appreciating the movie I thought.
When Mohan is called back to NASA folks in the village of charanpur are saddened .They don’t want him to go back ..One of them remarks “Its like apni hi chaukhat ka diya giving light to neighbour’s house”
At last Mohan goes back to NASA but isn’t happy there..he decides to come back to his SWADES..
And continue research at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
He’s thoroughly discouraged by his colleagues who say he’s being “foolishly romantic”
And when he submits his resignation to his boss ;his boss exclaims how he “could be going places”if he stayed with NASA
To which Mohan replies “I am going places” with a sparkle in his eyes...

I finish this blog with Swades being played in the background of my laptop.....still counting..

LITTI CHOKHA OR ROSOGULLA

I have always been asked about my roots??
"U look like a bong but your surname is Ranjan?"
My mother has been accosted by few Bengali women at parties
When the Bengali ladies nonchalantly start talking to her in Bengali easily assuming she is one...
Until my mom has to break their Rosogulla in mouth epiphany and say “No,I am not what u think..I cannot speak Bengali”
Given the fact that we were Bengalis some five generations back,my great grandfather also wrote Bengali poetry...
We came to then undivided Bengal’s while my ancestors were practsing tehsildars(tax collectors)
They settled in the present Bihari village near Bhagalpur,they learnt the language of the land and embraced the language called ANGIKA, angika comes from Anga..the mythological land of Karna..... And post independence when it became difficult for them to get jobs because of their Bengali surname “Ghosh” they changed it to “Verma” .There were many families like these who form a very small and closed community...so much so when there are alliances or marriage proposals everyone ends up being related to /or knowing the other one....While some Bengalis look down on us saying "How could you have forgone ur language?"
Well,my ancestors did it..so i dont owe an explanation of defence.....

So, when very often I am asked, “ what are you?”
To which my spontaneous reply is “A girl,if you havnt figured out till now”
The conversation starts to spiral until I am jolted with “ No,what I mean to ask is are you a Bengali or Bihari?? I mean you look like a bong,your Grandma the other day I saw was draping a bong saree,you were talking on the phone in hindi but addressing your aunt as Pisi and uncle as kaku”

If I judge that I have enough time to satisfy the enquirer's curiousity i try to explain them my ancestral lineage...a bit more than what I have tried to explain in my blog....
After that 10 minutes of history I am still asked “ Ok...so I understand...but how do u wish to be called now a bong or bihari?”
Oh my God!! Hey bhagwan!! Thakur kichhoo kor! How does Katrina Kaif manage in Bollywood Circuit with such mixed roots!! Oh I forgot she’s too hot not to be socially acceptable...

There are other times when I see that its no use obfuscating the person in front of me...I simply say.."Look I'm a Bihari,hope u got no problems with that?"
after all I can speak flawless Hindi but flawful Bengali....
and I know that the person isn’t ever going to turn up for any my family marriages (which even today take place the Bengali way..)

If its a near and dear friend who has asked me if I am a Bong or Bihari to which I reply “ I am actually both” .... they look at me with that cunning smile and say ... “Oh!! your parents had a love marriage..Its gonna be so easy for u convincing them if u find a suitable boy urself..they so much will understand your situation”
How I wish the above statements could be true ....

The times when I experience those twisted chuckles at the back of my mind is when
I am either surrounded by non-Bong friends who start complaining of how
The bong kids are pampered ..the concept of “Shonar chhele” where the boy needs to get Z+ security before leaving his home..the boy will be mollycoddled and stuffed with sweater and bear caps lest he catches cold..or when his parents will rush in from any corner of the world to feed him Paish,Machher Jhol aar Baiguun Bhaja”
The fact that when two Bengalis meet they’ll talk only in Bengali(their aami tumi) and if you happen to be a non bong in that circuit....they’ll treat you as if you were a mere lamp post..simply non existent...

That's when the Bong in me gets aroused to refute back that most reasearchers or Professors at top notch universities are either Tam Brams or Bengalies...
Oh come on!! We have to accept the love for literature ,music and arts can be seen in every nook of Kolkata..
And also admire the fact that they take pride in their language... though also agreeing that it becomes a trouble at times when they happen to neglect the non-bengali speaking person...

Again I cant say for sure which category i fall into....

And the observation my bong friends would make
“oye daakh..Bihari gunda(look at the Bihari goon)..and they'll talk about the incorrigible habit of biharis
Chewing the Paan(beetle leaf) with the red slime dripping out of the mouth...and the ubiquitous spit patterns around ...and if not that the tobacco(read:khaini) rubbing on the palms...
Be it Delhi University or any other University we “bhaiyaas” have earned a recognition for our the uncouth and brusque attitude of bullying..after all we have that isshpunk and isshtyle...showcased in the hits like Dabbang
The habit of pulling train’s chain wherever we want..bursting inside reserved sleeper compartments and scaring people out of their wits and forcing them to give away their booked seats...eve teasing..kidnapping
Talking at the highest decibel on mobile phones with LALOOISH accent..

In defence i’d make clear that Bihari’s have the brightest minds especially when you look at the IIT JEE merit lists and UPSC merit lists...We've toppled corrupt governments..
And the situation in Bihar is changing now for good with it skyrocketing GDP..
Having said so much I’ve enjoyed great company with both BONG and Bihari friends...
Growing up in a Para(colony) where the Bongs and Biharis stayed in the same apartment blocks..and Bihari guys pursuing Bong girls..
I love Litti chokha as much as I love Sondesh...
At my home we celebrate Durga &Lokhhi Puja as well as Chhatt with equal fervour..

I can so clearly write about the traits because I have traits of both or as I would like to believe traits of none...I can be a virtual portmanteau or an oxymoron..depends on what u want me to be...
Finally I have a great idea ..the next time some one asks me “Are u a ......?”
My reply “ just log on to http://shrillvoices.blogspot.com
Gosh!! what is it going to be like if someday in future my kids are asked the same question?
Long live blogspot!

ABSOLUT SOLUTION

Quite a few friends of mine have wanted to see me drunk...as they truly believe I’ll give them quite an amusing entertainment package when I’m “out”..
Now for all you men reading this “come on... don’t give that LADIES AREN’T EXPECTED TO DRINK...looks”
But I have never given them this opportunity till date and cannot say for sure If I ever will..I don’t attach any taboo to the concept of drinking...but yes, this thought does occur to me at times..what if I keep gulping the drink non stop... and let the situation out of control...
Naa..I don’t want to create a public nuisance...
And what trigerred this blog was the movie “no one killed Jessica”
Is drunkenness that insane and irrational that it can make a man kill a woman who just refused him to serve more...
Then I wondered this is not it...
There are many Jessicas in India..though the damage in those cases don’t always result in the fatality as this one did...
I know Munia my domestic help refuses to get married because she says that in her community men beat the women black and blue and abuse them to the extent of death if the women; who after a day’s hard work of washing clothes,sweeping floors,or selling vegetables refuses to part with their hard earned money...
As a child having grown up in Jharkhand where the local liquor called “ hadia” fermented rice with “mohua” is sold like cold drinks in every other nook and cranny..I remember how our moms used to be worried about us until we were back from tuitions or schools..lest some drunkard was on a loose in the neighbourhood basti
Personally drinking has never appealed to me but people refute saying “ its a personal choice...”
But it doesn’t become a personal choice when you’re out there in a party ,sloshed drunk..with little or no control over your brain and then start mouthing obsceneties,..
And performing histrionincs that leave people in and around you uncomfortable...
If you are smart and cerebral enough a person who just enjoys drinking in social gatherings to the effect that you don’t create a nuisance and are well under control..then nothing like it!! May you meet all the pretty girls you’ve ever thought of...But those of you who don’t know where to draw the line..and drink as if there’s never ever going to be a tomorrow ,consequently dehydrating your entire body and de-sensing your brain...and proudly proclaim..”I’ll drink as much as I want to..Its my choice”...
Its in no way a personal choice as your callous drinking behaviour adversely affects others as you puke and leave the floor,car dirty with someone else to clean it...and someone else to pay the bill..
Its not a personal choice, when in order to “de-stress” men consume alcohol in copious quantities and end up unleashing their heightened libido on any woman whom they come across..
Why ???..........haven’t we read of those innumerable news clippings where in some policemen and in many cases spoilt brats in drunken stupor have molested women..
Cases when some dipsomaniac may have boarded a train and causes discomfort to women and people around...
Drinking is not a personal choice when you(men and women) are totally inebriated and under influence and cant see the road ahead or the vehicle ahead and ram into the next vehicle coming on the road or run over some mere mortal and take his life away in the blink of an eye..


Wiki lift:
Of the adult US population, at least 75% are drinkers; and about 6% of the total group are alcoholics. In groups which are almost 100% drinkers, the alcoholism rate is about 8%. Many reports state that about 73% of felonies are alcohol-related. One survey shows that in about 67% of child-beating cases, 41% of forcible rape cases, 80% of wife-battering, 72% of stabbings, and 83% of homicides, either the attacker or the victim or both had been drinking.The case is not different with India as well..

Same irksome feelings for smokers as well..
I have not understood atleast why so called “aware and educated” give in to smoking knowing fully well that its not good for anyone on the planet...not good for the small kids in the bidi and cigarette industry..not good for the passive smoker next to you..and definitely its not going to do you any good!!
And trust me guys!!girls don’t get attracted to men who prove their machismo by smoking cigarettes..and for you girls who smoke this is what the HEART THROB JOHN ABRAHAM had to say, “I’ve tried to quit smoking..but what I don’t understand is why women smoke?..Its not good for their health as it affects maternity..also they are superior moral beings than men..how can they err”
Any smoker doesn’t want his son or daughter to pick the habbit..why ??
Its not about being too good to be true but about realising why should you be
doing something that isn't good for you

I’ve asked a friend who’s a chain smoker “Dont you know that this could just kill you?”
His reply “ you could die anywhere,here because of an earthquake or there on the street because of an accident”
Now what does one have to say to an argument like that?
True its your wish..its your life...make it better ...
make it worse..Its a personal choice