First of all it's important to discuss certain issues first. I have not posted a follow up to my first article on Indian Pacemen dropping pace. I wanted the madness surrounding the World Cup to die down a little before posting an opinion on this perennial weakness of Indian teams.
Watching the final has been a tumultous , heart-aching exercise in futility. It requires no genius to guess that Sangakkara pulled up the coup of the century by bluffing beautifully at the toss. It shocks and saddens me to see an international captain resort to 'Ghetto Tactics ' to gain any kind of advantage in the final. It is a well known fact (TV replays proved it) that he lost the toss in the first go and then capitalised on the sleepiness of the match refree and the ongoing confusion created there on.
However expecting anything different from 'Sanga' was preposterous , the man is a downright phoney who fakes everthing from his accent to sportsmanship. What should irk Indians and their fans is that Dhoni did not stand his ground , he knew that he had called correctly , he should have stood firm and told the match referee in no uncertain terms about his call. The fact that the Indian captain budged was the only reason that the sleepy Jeff Crowe called for the coin to be tossed the next time. Now one can argue about sporting spirit, ethical behaviour and ramble endlessly; this still doen't prove the fact that our captain showed extraordinary timidity in accepting an unfair call.
The boggling fact is that India is the powerhouse of World cricket today and its captain should have told the referee and the Sri -Lankan captain to bugger off in no uncertain terms , I am sure that the ICC would not have had the courage to do anything on this and for once we would have had a genuine Badass captain who would have got under the skin of the opponent. (Sourav : We miss you mate)
The crux is that India lost a Golden opportunity to bag the cup and most probably will stifle in a chase , as i am writing this i desperately want to be proven wrong.
It would be a crime if Sri-Lanka won and then dedicate this victory to a man with a questionable bowling action , ask any self respecting cricketer and he will tell you that the man has not bowled a single legal delivery in his career , medical studies and all that Jazz be damned.
It is only through the support of Mera Bharat Mahaan that the 'Javelin thrower' as referred by our famous (cricket sardarji) has survived so long in international cricket.India have thrown their heavyweight behind the man everytime the ICC came close to banning this man , Jagmohan Dalmiya was the ICC head honcho when the spinner was first called in Australia and India supported our neighbour with an eye on future votes and position in the ICC.
If not for anything else India and its captain owe a World Cup to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar for his unbridled genius , passion , technical superiority and being a thorough gentleman. I just hope that the lure of IPL and its moneyed thugs have not stolen the most crucial thing of our cricketers --------Their Heart.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Dropping Pace: A Fashion (World Cup Woes)-Part 1
Among all the brouhaha of the cricket world cup , one goes through a lot of analysis , comments , write-ups and columns regarding the strengths and weaknesses of teams . You will find sundry cricket experts pontificating on the various merits and demerits of teams playing. The funny part is that these same qualtities or the lack of thereof are known to everybody who follows cricket , however the diktats of commerce has ensured that you are force fed the same banal tones time and again.
One comment which however sounded somewhat true and also gave rise to many sour memories is Harsha Bhogle's description of Indian fast bowlers dropping pace as a fashion. Now you can count on the fact that Bhogle always writes and speaks his mind even if he has to taper it down sometimes maybe due to commercial obligations of channels or portals.
The reason why I wanted to bring up this issue was the unrelenting mass orgasmic frenzy of our channels in projecting a quite ordinary Indian side as favourites even before the world cup began. Yes! we are number 1 in test cricket and probably second in ODI's , however one look at the squad selected for the world cup should have told all the pundits enough about the capability of this team to progress further.
And No! there was no need of an ecstatic Krishnamachari Srikanth making the prediction about the best team being picked and all that for people to believe otherwise.(Should have put suspicions in the minds of fans already).
Why that great fast bowler Praveen kumar was picked was beyond my understanding? In fact the 'legend' has been continued in the team for the past two years on basis of two or three mediocre performances and 'Baba Dhoni's' umpteen blessings on anybody from Maya's territory. It obviously escaped our selectors minds that the man cannot surpass 125 kmph in his dreams and would have been cannon fodder on Indian wickets.
The other pick was our perennial old man with a stoop "Ashish Nehra" , I am sure we will be blessed with a Tushar Kapoor hit before Nehra achieves full fitness. I am not going to talk about Harbhajan for this is a post about fast bowlers and the man obviously wants to ditch spin since he darts his deliveries at batsman foregoing the art of spin when the collar gets hot. (A seperate post therefore should come on the most overrated player of our generation)
Now the crux of the matter is pace , show me an Indian who says he doesn't care about an Indian tearaway bowling at 150 kmph consistently and I will show you an impostor. Do we have such bowlers the problem is yes we had! What happened to Ishant Sharma when he was bowling above 150 in Australia in 2008? if he dropped pace was there a system which took him under control? Our captain obviously has 'Alti-Plati De Ghumiake ' on his mind so you always find him rooting for great talents like Chawla and Praveen.
It is another ingenuity of our system that we call a gambling captain a brave captain , see! it keeps the money tickling in.I don't think Ishant ever found any support from the captain or the team management and we have squandered a golden opportunity of breeding a thoroughbred.What do you expect from a person who publicly criticised Sreesanth for his agression and made his displeasure clear. This treatment was meted out to a bowler who was outstanding in South africa.
There is obviously a rotten stink of parochialism in our selection as the above selections would point out. The end result was that Sreesanth came under tremendous pressure to perform in the first match and got hammered. Our great saviour and leader needs to purge his cricket brain of all cobwebs and learn about effective leadership and for heaven's sake chide a player behind closed doors and not in front of everybody. The behaviour is all the more surprising considering his affection for a certain Chawla again from 'Maya's territory'.
Obviously the captain sees more to Chawla then even his state teammates see in the legspinner who makes Narendra Hirwani look like Shane Warne.
What was the harm in trying a partnership of Ishant and Sreesanth along with Zaheer for the world cup , the theory is at least we had three bowling spearheads and not 'put the ball there' kind of bowlers like Munaf whose grunt is more effective than his bowling.
Yes! dropping pace has become a fashion but when you ground your thoroughbreds to dust you don't expect them to have the same thump in their hooves. A case here over the IPL overkill and too much unnecessary cricket.
This is a long post with a second part.
One comment which however sounded somewhat true and also gave rise to many sour memories is Harsha Bhogle's description of Indian fast bowlers dropping pace as a fashion. Now you can count on the fact that Bhogle always writes and speaks his mind even if he has to taper it down sometimes maybe due to commercial obligations of channels or portals.
The reason why I wanted to bring up this issue was the unrelenting mass orgasmic frenzy of our channels in projecting a quite ordinary Indian side as favourites even before the world cup began. Yes! we are number 1 in test cricket and probably second in ODI's , however one look at the squad selected for the world cup should have told all the pundits enough about the capability of this team to progress further.
And No! there was no need of an ecstatic Krishnamachari Srikanth making the prediction about the best team being picked and all that for people to believe otherwise.(Should have put suspicions in the minds of fans already).
Why that great fast bowler Praveen kumar was picked was beyond my understanding? In fact the 'legend' has been continued in the team for the past two years on basis of two or three mediocre performances and 'Baba Dhoni's' umpteen blessings on anybody from Maya's territory. It obviously escaped our selectors minds that the man cannot surpass 125 kmph in his dreams and would have been cannon fodder on Indian wickets.
The other pick was our perennial old man with a stoop "Ashish Nehra" , I am sure we will be blessed with a Tushar Kapoor hit before Nehra achieves full fitness. I am not going to talk about Harbhajan for this is a post about fast bowlers and the man obviously wants to ditch spin since he darts his deliveries at batsman foregoing the art of spin when the collar gets hot. (A seperate post therefore should come on the most overrated player of our generation)
Now the crux of the matter is pace , show me an Indian who says he doesn't care about an Indian tearaway bowling at 150 kmph consistently and I will show you an impostor. Do we have such bowlers the problem is yes we had! What happened to Ishant Sharma when he was bowling above 150 in Australia in 2008? if he dropped pace was there a system which took him under control? Our captain obviously has 'Alti-Plati De Ghumiake ' on his mind so you always find him rooting for great talents like Chawla and Praveen.
It is another ingenuity of our system that we call a gambling captain a brave captain , see! it keeps the money tickling in.I don't think Ishant ever found any support from the captain or the team management and we have squandered a golden opportunity of breeding a thoroughbred.What do you expect from a person who publicly criticised Sreesanth for his agression and made his displeasure clear. This treatment was meted out to a bowler who was outstanding in South africa.
There is obviously a rotten stink of parochialism in our selection as the above selections would point out. The end result was that Sreesanth came under tremendous pressure to perform in the first match and got hammered. Our great saviour and leader needs to purge his cricket brain of all cobwebs and learn about effective leadership and for heaven's sake chide a player behind closed doors and not in front of everybody. The behaviour is all the more surprising considering his affection for a certain Chawla again from 'Maya's territory'.
Obviously the captain sees more to Chawla then even his state teammates see in the legspinner who makes Narendra Hirwani look like Shane Warne.
What was the harm in trying a partnership of Ishant and Sreesanth along with Zaheer for the world cup , the theory is at least we had three bowling spearheads and not 'put the ball there' kind of bowlers like Munaf whose grunt is more effective than his bowling.
Yes! dropping pace has become a fashion but when you ground your thoroughbreds to dust you don't expect them to have the same thump in their hooves. A case here over the IPL overkill and too much unnecessary cricket.
This is a long post with a second part.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Celebrity bloggers and Vanity: Anil Wilson
Any intelligent observer would be able to judge the wheat from the chaff. In case of the blogosphere there seems to be an epidemic of bloggers trying to bask in some glory that their professions have bestowed on them. If there is an Amitabh Bachchan writing his generally pompous and somewhat pontificating blog there is no dearth of some people in 'Traditionally Respectable' professions indulging in the mundane.
One such blog I recently came across was of Mr Anil Wilson , erstwhile principal of St. Stephens and also Vice Chancellor of H.P University at one point of time. If academicians are considered a breed of knowledge bestowers than somehow the writings have to reflect that. In the case of Mr. Wilson sadly this is far from the truth.The recent post has been "To Chemo or not" a poem depicting a dying man's dilemma to undergo chemotherapy . The verse couldn't have been more puerile , the whole attempt has been to pass off mediocrity as something noble, exemplified by the note at the end(Hope this does not turn Shakespeare in his Grave.)One certainly expects better from somebody with a doctorate in Literature , considering the fact that the man also headed an institution which produced some of modern India's brightest and enlightened minds.
The rest of the blog is also pathetically rudderless with a lot of self praising entries depicting a callow nature fed on some grandiloquent flattery. There is an entry where Wilson describes an encounter with Amitabh Bachchan in Shimla , again the post reeks of a mind filled with preconceived notions and fallacies. The whole blog points towards a mind which has got undue attention due to heading a prestigious institution. Institutions should be ranked as per the calibre of their academicians , seeing Mr. Wilson's pop academic theory and carelessly written entries, one wonders on the procedure and rigour applied to choose people heading our elite institutions.
One such blog I recently came across was of Mr Anil Wilson , erstwhile principal of St. Stephens and also Vice Chancellor of H.P University at one point of time. If academicians are considered a breed of knowledge bestowers than somehow the writings have to reflect that. In the case of Mr. Wilson sadly this is far from the truth.The recent post has been "To Chemo or not" a poem depicting a dying man's dilemma to undergo chemotherapy . The verse couldn't have been more puerile , the whole attempt has been to pass off mediocrity as something noble, exemplified by the note at the end(Hope this does not turn Shakespeare in his Grave.)One certainly expects better from somebody with a doctorate in Literature , considering the fact that the man also headed an institution which produced some of modern India's brightest and enlightened minds.
The rest of the blog is also pathetically rudderless with a lot of self praising entries depicting a callow nature fed on some grandiloquent flattery. There is an entry where Wilson describes an encounter with Amitabh Bachchan in Shimla , again the post reeks of a mind filled with preconceived notions and fallacies. The whole blog points towards a mind which has got undue attention due to heading a prestigious institution. Institutions should be ranked as per the calibre of their academicians , seeing Mr. Wilson's pop academic theory and carelessly written entries, one wonders on the procedure and rigour applied to choose people heading our elite institutions.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire : Review and musings.
Cinema is a medium where a lot of life's happenings like misery, happiness ,sorrow are captured in their various hues. Literature does not have any obligation on society to act as a medium of change. It can depict society as it is, without a coloured view on right and wrong. Literature and cinema are alike in their ability to tell a story , however enchanting or dull depending on the whims and the talent of their respective creator.
I had heard a lot about this movie before I finally got a chance to see it , agreed there were a couple of scenes which were disturbing however, the essence of the movie did not diminish. I also failed to understand critics of the movie for their consistent nitpicking on its alleged catering to western stereotypes. One of its celebrated critics who later withdrew from his comments,being India's new favourite blogger who uses his blog to shed light on his day to day activities and has found a new pastime in celebrating certain movies and downgrading others, however i do not intend to delve into that area as of now , this movie is good and their are reasons which should have been obvious for any cinema lover.
First of all Slumdog Millionaire is a superb story of a downtrodden youth and his journey through the first half of his life. There is a touch of Magic Realism in the movie which many Indian Filmakers , actors and critics failed to pick up due to their fixation with the message theme. Danny Boyle is a filmaker and it is his right to show the movie as he wants without carrying any burden of moral education. Jamaal wallowing in shit for an autograph is not depiction of a slum dwellers hard life as a Metaphor of a child's fascination with his childhood hero. Similarly the depiction of violence and shifts from one situation to the other is a journey of a protagnist struggling for his identity . This treatment of the extraordinary circumstances of an ordinary child is a beautiful mix of cinematic and literary traditions of magical realism. Danny Boyle's 'Trainspotting' was again a brilliant film and for people to understand Slumdog Millionaire , one has to look into his earlier work to understand this filmmakers craft.
This movie does not bother with explanation centric cinema of bollywood. It allows us to use our own intelligence to interpret its happenings.It does not go into a long paen where Irfan Khan has a guilt of conscience and he releases Jamaal to take part in the show , It does not go into overt messages on right and wrong , it is a mystical journey of a weather beaten , callow but hardened youth and needs to be looked at in the same fashion. I was actually not surprised when 'Aamir Khan' said that the film did not work for him . For all Aamir's sincerity and hardwork , subtlety has never been a part of the actor's cinema and acting. He is not a natural actor and potrays emotions in the typical bollywood syle of grimacing and lighting up for sad and happy scenes. His movies tend to be message heavy including the revered 'Taare Zameen Par' I always wondered on why could that movie not be more subtle. Ishaan's dilemma had to be explained time and again , the explanation part should have stopped after the discovery of the Kid being a Dyslexic. Unfortunately the fimmaker kept on piling us with tears and more tears to bring home his point and ultimately had to make the child a winner in the end for popularity.
Slumdog too has the phenomena of ending as a feel good movie however the craft is at another level altogether. Yes it suffers from some typical caricatures and is not Danny boyle's best work , yet the movie is brilliant disregarding some of these flaws. This is cinema working on the platform of magical reality much like Pan's Labyrinth and should be appreciated for that. Viewing 'Slumdog Millionare' is a visual treat and is food for an appreciative intelligent viewer,as for the Amitabh's and Aamir's of bollywood , let them bask in their message theme glory. Bollywood's actions and its actors have never basked in subtle colours.
I had heard a lot about this movie before I finally got a chance to see it , agreed there were a couple of scenes which were disturbing however, the essence of the movie did not diminish. I also failed to understand critics of the movie for their consistent nitpicking on its alleged catering to western stereotypes. One of its celebrated critics who later withdrew from his comments,being India's new favourite blogger who uses his blog to shed light on his day to day activities and has found a new pastime in celebrating certain movies and downgrading others, however i do not intend to delve into that area as of now , this movie is good and their are reasons which should have been obvious for any cinema lover.
First of all Slumdog Millionaire is a superb story of a downtrodden youth and his journey through the first half of his life. There is a touch of Magic Realism in the movie which many Indian Filmakers , actors and critics failed to pick up due to their fixation with the message theme. Danny Boyle is a filmaker and it is his right to show the movie as he wants without carrying any burden of moral education. Jamaal wallowing in shit for an autograph is not depiction of a slum dwellers hard life as a Metaphor of a child's fascination with his childhood hero. Similarly the depiction of violence and shifts from one situation to the other is a journey of a protagnist struggling for his identity . This treatment of the extraordinary circumstances of an ordinary child is a beautiful mix of cinematic and literary traditions of magical realism. Danny Boyle's 'Trainspotting' was again a brilliant film and for people to understand Slumdog Millionaire , one has to look into his earlier work to understand this filmmakers craft.
This movie does not bother with explanation centric cinema of bollywood. It allows us to use our own intelligence to interpret its happenings.It does not go into a long paen where Irfan Khan has a guilt of conscience and he releases Jamaal to take part in the show , It does not go into overt messages on right and wrong , it is a mystical journey of a weather beaten , callow but hardened youth and needs to be looked at in the same fashion. I was actually not surprised when 'Aamir Khan' said that the film did not work for him . For all Aamir's sincerity and hardwork , subtlety has never been a part of the actor's cinema and acting. He is not a natural actor and potrays emotions in the typical bollywood syle of grimacing and lighting up for sad and happy scenes. His movies tend to be message heavy including the revered 'Taare Zameen Par' I always wondered on why could that movie not be more subtle. Ishaan's dilemma had to be explained time and again , the explanation part should have stopped after the discovery of the Kid being a Dyslexic. Unfortunately the fimmaker kept on piling us with tears and more tears to bring home his point and ultimately had to make the child a winner in the end for popularity.
Slumdog too has the phenomena of ending as a feel good movie however the craft is at another level altogether. Yes it suffers from some typical caricatures and is not Danny boyle's best work , yet the movie is brilliant disregarding some of these flaws. This is cinema working on the platform of magical reality much like Pan's Labyrinth and should be appreciated for that. Viewing 'Slumdog Millionare' is a visual treat and is food for an appreciative intelligent viewer,as for the Amitabh's and Aamir's of bollywood , let them bask in their message theme glory. Bollywood's actions and its actors have never basked in subtle colours.
Friday, September 19, 2008
'Yeh Dil Yeh Pagal Dil and Awargi'
I have always had the highest respect for Ghulam Ali as a Ghazal singer. Part of this lies in my affinity towards this form of music.Ghulam Ali is one of the finest artists in this genre of music and I can never tire listening to his Ghazals. Whether at home or while driving these Ghazals provide me with solace from the maddening Delhi traffic.My favourite among all his Ghazals is 'Yeh Dil Yeh pagal Dil mera', it is a beautiful Ghazal with wonderful classical overtones sung by a master at his peak. It evokes sheer poetry with metaphors like 'Kal Shab mujhe Beshakl si Awaaz ne Chaunkan diya'(I was surprised by a faceless voice yesterday). Now the translation is a bit ordinary and anyway no use in translating beautiful Urdu poetry into mundane English.I would daresay people like Ramgopal Varma and his ilk can even find some movie title out of this (in the horror genre).
The point is about how langour and leisure are beautifully captured in the Ghazal with comparisons of a Dasht(desert) and an imaginary town.This Ghazal is a rendition of the human soul troubled by constant changes and the necessity to adapt to them.When Ali sings 'Sehra ki tapti ret par maine likha Awargi' you revel not only in the poetry but also the rendition by a maestro singing about loneliness being fought and at times accompanied by blissful leisure.
The verses of the Ghazal show the various moods of a man on the path of identification of his soul and aim in life ; so a Dasht(desert) is a desolate path in his heart which is parched. The 'Awargi' theme is the balm with which this man consoles himself. Poignant the Ghazal is , but is not without tenderness and joy.
Ghulam Ali's mastery over the form and his rendition embraces you and also provides joy . You are secure in the knowledge that you are listening to the sonorous and yet playful tones of a secure 'master'.
The point is about how langour and leisure are beautifully captured in the Ghazal with comparisons of a Dasht(desert) and an imaginary town.This Ghazal is a rendition of the human soul troubled by constant changes and the necessity to adapt to them.When Ali sings 'Sehra ki tapti ret par maine likha Awargi' you revel not only in the poetry but also the rendition by a maestro singing about loneliness being fought and at times accompanied by blissful leisure.
The verses of the Ghazal show the various moods of a man on the path of identification of his soul and aim in life ; so a Dasht(desert) is a desolate path in his heart which is parched. The 'Awargi' theme is the balm with which this man consoles himself. Poignant the Ghazal is , but is not without tenderness and joy.
Ghulam Ali's mastery over the form and his rendition embraces you and also provides joy . You are secure in the knowledge that you are listening to the sonorous and yet playful tones of a secure 'master'.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Family Confessions
There are certain aspects of a person's life ,which forever remain buried under the veneer of daily chores. I have never expressed a lot of my emotions in public as it gets tedious on the listener, who might himself feel embarrassed by the display.
Last year was the hardest year of my life so far. The reason for it being tough were manifold , if a person really believes that bad luck can be a consistent phenomenon than it really wrenched its maximum out of me in 2006. I lost my father in December 06 , that in itself was grief that I have not fully reconciled to even now.
What hurt me most was that a proper healthy man got suddenly paralysed with an unexplainable illness , he had to immediately be shifted to Delhi for Medical treatment. The treatment in itself took a toll on his body and perhaps weakened by it he passed away in December last year. It is not perhaps a one in a million case but what about the apathy that the fellow blood relatives can show on an emotional and sensitive man ?
I would not like to go into details but some of my fathers closest kith and kin showed 'exemplary arrogance' when all he required was their emotional support.People forgot how my father risked his own health so that one of his nephews could be married off in great style when his father was languishing in a hospital ICU. I only expect people who are intellectually and emotionally bankrupt to indulge in this kind of apathy when their own Kin lies on his deathbed.
A few exceptions notwithstanding ---and they being very few indeed, both my parents faced this calamity on their own. My brother and I had to go through intense emotional distress seeing our father in physical and mental pain. Why did this happen to a selfless man who cared much for his relatives and even for people who looked up to him as an elder guide ?
The answer is not shrouded in some metaphysical explanation , it is brutually and obscenely obvious to the casual observer. 'Convenience' , yes! that most benign of all words is behind this emotional bankruptcy. Most of our relatives were firmly ensconed in their convenient lifestyles and would always want to stay away from the cauldron of trouble that was brewing in our home. Nobody has the time to be the soothing balm on my family's tormented heart. I do not grudge these people , they do not want to get themselves embroiled in such 'Mundane' matters. They are people for whom an honest day's work is an anomaly. They are people who begrudge anybody's growth . So the point emerges, run away in distress but be present in joy.
I on my part have become immune to the sorrows of certain people today. I can't be an emotionless mannequin for I have my father's noble blood in my veins. However I also know that hatred and vengeance are a human trait and much as I can't go into the medieval times and obliterate my foes. I can still show cold blooded indifference to the plight of some of my relatives.
I ask myself a pertinent question, has something in me died with my father? Yes! for I am no longer the same carefree youth. I now belive in fighting for one's rights and fight I will with anybody who gets in my family's rights. I will not tolerate any nonsensical interference in my family matters and would happily go into a war for my parents rights.
This post is not a guide in revenge and hatred. It is a guide to the putrescent--decadent mask that our relationships have come up to.
Last year was the hardest year of my life so far. The reason for it being tough were manifold , if a person really believes that bad luck can be a consistent phenomenon than it really wrenched its maximum out of me in 2006. I lost my father in December 06 , that in itself was grief that I have not fully reconciled to even now.
What hurt me most was that a proper healthy man got suddenly paralysed with an unexplainable illness , he had to immediately be shifted to Delhi for Medical treatment. The treatment in itself took a toll on his body and perhaps weakened by it he passed away in December last year. It is not perhaps a one in a million case but what about the apathy that the fellow blood relatives can show on an emotional and sensitive man ?
I would not like to go into details but some of my fathers closest kith and kin showed 'exemplary arrogance' when all he required was their emotional support.People forgot how my father risked his own health so that one of his nephews could be married off in great style when his father was languishing in a hospital ICU. I only expect people who are intellectually and emotionally bankrupt to indulge in this kind of apathy when their own Kin lies on his deathbed.
A few exceptions notwithstanding ---and they being very few indeed, both my parents faced this calamity on their own. My brother and I had to go through intense emotional distress seeing our father in physical and mental pain. Why did this happen to a selfless man who cared much for his relatives and even for people who looked up to him as an elder guide ?
The answer is not shrouded in some metaphysical explanation , it is brutually and obscenely obvious to the casual observer. 'Convenience' , yes! that most benign of all words is behind this emotional bankruptcy. Most of our relatives were firmly ensconed in their convenient lifestyles and would always want to stay away from the cauldron of trouble that was brewing in our home. Nobody has the time to be the soothing balm on my family's tormented heart. I do not grudge these people , they do not want to get themselves embroiled in such 'Mundane' matters. They are people for whom an honest day's work is an anomaly. They are people who begrudge anybody's growth . So the point emerges, run away in distress but be present in joy.
I on my part have become immune to the sorrows of certain people today. I can't be an emotionless mannequin for I have my father's noble blood in my veins. However I also know that hatred and vengeance are a human trait and much as I can't go into the medieval times and obliterate my foes. I can still show cold blooded indifference to the plight of some of my relatives.
I ask myself a pertinent question, has something in me died with my father? Yes! for I am no longer the same carefree youth. I now belive in fighting for one's rights and fight I will with anybody who gets in my family's rights. I will not tolerate any nonsensical interference in my family matters and would happily go into a war for my parents rights.
This post is not a guide in revenge and hatred. It is a guide to the putrescent--decadent mask that our relationships have come up to.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Star Kids and Nepotism
If one brouses through film channels , all you get to see are the promos of new 'big releases like Saawariya and Om Shanti Om showing . Even channels like NDTV are not immune to this malaise by showing an increasingly emaciated SRK and an obnoxious Farah Khan extolling the virtues of their Magnum Opus. I do not have a problem with movies and national news existing side by side but there has to be a line drawn somewhere.
One aspect which shouts glaringly is,why we in India are subject to intense media hype about the next big film debut. Are we as a country and society so decrepit,so devoid of talent that we have to face the ignominy of one 'Great ' star kid launch or the other. When you listen to the interviews of one Mr. Bhansali about his great desire to work with newcomers , why are the newcomers----offsprings of filmstars?
I have nothing against children of filmstars trying to become stars , however this meansthat the 'Acting Gene' is automatically passed on by the parents to their kids.
It means that rest of the people struggling in the industry belong to a lesser God !
It means that Indians should not really crib about 'nepotism' for it exists in its most sycophantic and decadent way in its greatest entertainment medium.
Who am I to crib about this?when our 'great' filmmakers know what they are doing . Why should I crib when the great Mr. Bhansali knows what is right for the classes and the masses.Well! you can't expect more from a man who makes a 'Farcical Melodrama ' like Black and gets labelled as the next 'David Lean ' of Indian Cinema.
A Man who made a caricature of Amitabh and made him act over dramatically. Anyway I don't think that Mr. Bhansali is a bad filmmaker but he is certainly a melodramatic and overrated one.Coming back to Star Kids , I have not seen sons or daughters of great actors in the west becoming sensations overnight. A Michael Douglas or a Nicholas cage are exceptions but nobody would doubt their credentials as actors of merit.
Now whom do we have in India , I would not like to take names but most of the breed is mediocre while some are downright appalling.An Abhishek Bacchan is lionised for his performance in 'Guru' while a KK menon or Pankaj Kapur just get a passing mention.(In Black Friday and Dharm respectively).Why so these rich kids have to make a foray into films to prove their worth, I believe the answer itself lies in riches,these people are used to a certain standard of living and after 'Dad' retires or reaches the twilight of his career , this "precociusly" talented breed knows that they must find a similarly high paying job to maintain themselves.
Is this breed really as talented as their illustrious parents? if you look at our film industry than it means any actor's child is a born genius in the league of his own. If this adage is true than take its parrallel in this country's other opium 'Cricket'. 'Sunny Gavaskar's ' son should have been as talented as his father, this also means that Sachin's son would also be a great batsman simply due to his fathers genes.
'Sadly' in life such an occurence is rare and rather fanciful.I have no grudge against people earning money due to their lineage but life is cruel and the spirit of competition should be encouraged and fostered. Our public is as much to blame for making mediocrity shine in India , for the masses encumbered and crushed by life's hardships find solace in three hours of banality propagated by somebody born with a proverbial silver spoon. Clearly irony can't have a more sordid face.
I as a middle class Indian have no rights to speak against banality , however surely something in our collective conscience should point out towards reality and not myth.
One aspect which shouts glaringly is,why we in India are subject to intense media hype about the next big film debut. Are we as a country and society so decrepit,so devoid of talent that we have to face the ignominy of one 'Great ' star kid launch or the other. When you listen to the interviews of one Mr. Bhansali about his great desire to work with newcomers , why are the newcomers----offsprings of filmstars?
I have nothing against children of filmstars trying to become stars , however this meansthat the 'Acting Gene' is automatically passed on by the parents to their kids.
It means that rest of the people struggling in the industry belong to a lesser God !
It means that Indians should not really crib about 'nepotism' for it exists in its most sycophantic and decadent way in its greatest entertainment medium.
Who am I to crib about this?when our 'great' filmmakers know what they are doing . Why should I crib when the great Mr. Bhansali knows what is right for the classes and the masses.Well! you can't expect more from a man who makes a 'Farcical Melodrama ' like Black and gets labelled as the next 'David Lean ' of Indian Cinema.
A Man who made a caricature of Amitabh and made him act over dramatically. Anyway I don't think that Mr. Bhansali is a bad filmmaker but he is certainly a melodramatic and overrated one.Coming back to Star Kids , I have not seen sons or daughters of great actors in the west becoming sensations overnight. A Michael Douglas or a Nicholas cage are exceptions but nobody would doubt their credentials as actors of merit.
Now whom do we have in India , I would not like to take names but most of the breed is mediocre while some are downright appalling.An Abhishek Bacchan is lionised for his performance in 'Guru' while a KK menon or Pankaj Kapur just get a passing mention.(In Black Friday and Dharm respectively).Why so these rich kids have to make a foray into films to prove their worth, I believe the answer itself lies in riches,these people are used to a certain standard of living and after 'Dad' retires or reaches the twilight of his career , this "precociusly" talented breed knows that they must find a similarly high paying job to maintain themselves.
Is this breed really as talented as their illustrious parents? if you look at our film industry than it means any actor's child is a born genius in the league of his own. If this adage is true than take its parrallel in this country's other opium 'Cricket'. 'Sunny Gavaskar's ' son should have been as talented as his father, this also means that Sachin's son would also be a great batsman simply due to his fathers genes.
'Sadly' in life such an occurence is rare and rather fanciful.I have no grudge against people earning money due to their lineage but life is cruel and the spirit of competition should be encouraged and fostered. Our public is as much to blame for making mediocrity shine in India , for the masses encumbered and crushed by life's hardships find solace in three hours of banality propagated by somebody born with a proverbial silver spoon. Clearly irony can't have a more sordid face.
I as a middle class Indian have no rights to speak against banality , however surely something in our collective conscience should point out towards reality and not myth.
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