Fir Mile tum mera tumhara-is it??

I have been planning to write on this topic for a long time now. But thought to ignore it thinking how it matters. Today when the entire TV channels has been showing the new edition of the song “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” I just could not take it anymore. The earlier edition of the song brought out the Indian integrity and sense of national belonging. This song shows India has 60% television stars, 25% singer’s 8 % sports stars and rest few second for army men. This pathetic version of this song features a Shahid Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra or Deepika Padukone whose contribution to the nation is perhaps greater than an APJ Abul Kalam or a Saurav ganguly or a Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Narayana Murthy – this is an insult if the maker of the song thinks it in this way. They did not even feature a Sachin Tendulkar but after public hue and cry they included him but that does not end the pathetic appeal of the song.

If these people define Indian independence and integrity then god save the country. Does our country comprise of these people or have these people taken up the onus of serving as the face of nation. The earlier song had people from various fields like literature, art ,music, sports, movies just to name a few…This version has Bollywood written all over it. I question the presence of many celebrities in this song. I question the song being played on Independence Day. This is a nation you are talking about not a fictitious world like Bollywood.

Peepli [Live]

The best way to describe the movie “Peepli Live’’ is that it’s different. Coming from a first time director the movie is a wonderful dark movie coated with humor. Although the movies looses its way into predictable format in the second half but yet it highlights serious issues plaguing journalism, media ,politics and how government schemes are misutilized. The ending would perhaps make you feel disappointed but the first surely lives up to the expectation. It’s more like an art-house movie promoted like a commercial one.

 
The strength of the movie lies in the characterization. Each character in the movie is realistic and one can relate to their pathos. The main character who has few dialogues in the movies yet his mannerism and expression invokes a sense of sympathy throughout the movie. His elder brother, his wife, his mother all adds up to a wonderful example of poverty in India. The local politician, the chief minister, the agriculture minister all falls into perfect shape. The journalist and the TV channels activities shown across the movie only show the knowledge of the director coming from the same background. Finally the rivalry between Hindi and English news channel are brought to open.

 
The movie also questions journalism and role of media in building up nation. It has shown how news is manufactured from events which are sale-able as per TRP while the real news gets sidelined. Poverty is highlighted with power pact humor for the very first time. When the protagonist Nattha is tricked into committing suicide by his own brother one feels their funny bones tickled. There are few moments which according to me keep the movie alive.

• The discussion of the local journalist with the journalist of the English movie channel brings out the reality of news reporting done today. Its disturbing but commercially practical.
• In another scene a farmer who lost his land and made his living my digging clay, dies in the same hole dug by him.
• A particular Hindi news channel reporter actually creates sensational news out of faeces left behind by the protagonist of the movie.
• A lower caste political leader tries to turn the suicide into a caste related and issue.
• The 'Lal bahadur' scheme actually turns out to be a hand pump which is of no use to a poor farmer and which highlights how government schemes turns out to be such a waste for the needy.

 Over all the music and back ground score supports the story all along and the satirical tale ends with Nattha leaving the village and coming to work as a daily laborer in the town. It ends as abruptly as it begun…so the name ‘Peepli Live’ is probably an appropriate title.
If u are in sulking mood due to rain and keep complaining about government and media for your misery you can go and enjoy this movie. For all those who see movie as a medium of entertainment go at your own risk to watch this movie.

Awsome Letter

I got this write up through a mail and thought of sharing it:

Dear Wife,

1. Between 11 June and 11 July 2010, you should read the sports section of the newspaper so that you aware of what is going on regarding the World of Soccer, and that way you will be able to join in the conversations. If you fail to do this, then you will be looked at in a bad way, or you will be totally ignored. DO NOT complain about not receiving any attention?

2. During the World Cup, the television is mine, at all times, without any exceptions. If you even take a glimpse of the remote control, you will lose it (your eye).

 3. If you have to pass by in front of the TV during a game, I don’t mind, as long as you do it crawling on the floor and without distracting me.

 4. During the games I will be blind, deaf and mute, unless I require a refill my drink or something to eat. You are out off your mind if you expect me to listen to you, open the door, answer the telephone, or pick up the baby that just fell on the floor....It won't happen.


5. It would be a good idea for you to keep at least 2 six packs in the fridge at all times, as well as plenty of things to nibble on (excluding your body parts), and please do not make any funny faces to my friends when they come over to watch the games. In return, you will be allowed to use the TV between 12 am and 6 am, unless they replay a good game that I missed during the day. 

6. Please, please, please!! If you see me upset because one of my teams is losing, DO NOT say "get over it, it's only a game", or "don’t worry, they'll win next time"". If you say these things, you will only make me angrier and I will love you less. Remember, you will never ever know more about football than mime and you’re so called "words of Encouragement"" will only lead to a break up or divorce.

 7. You are welcome to sit with me to watch one game and you u can talk to me during halftime but only when the commercials are on, and only if the half time scores is pleasing me. In addition, please note I am saying "one" game; Hence does not use the World Cup as a nice cheesy excuse too "spend time together".

8. The replays of the goals are very important. I don't care if II have seen them or I haven't seen them, I want to see Then again, Many times.

 9. Tell your friends NOT to have any babies, or any other child related parties or gatherings that requires my attendance because:
a)) I will not go,
b)) I will not go, and
c)) I will not go.

10. But, if a friend of mine invites us to his house on a Sunday to watch a game, we will be there in a flash.

11. The daily World Cup highlights show on TV every night is just as important as the games themselves. Do not even think about saying "but you have already seen this...why don’t you change e the channel to something we can all Watch?" because, the reply will l be, "Refer to Rule #2 of this list".

 12. And finally, please save your expressions such as "Thank Good the World Cup is only every 4 years". I am immune to these words, because before and after this comes the Champions League, Premier League, Italian League, Spanish League, KPL, FAA Cup, Euro Cup, etc.

 P.S:By the way if you get stuck on the road call the Police or 100.

 Thank you for your cooperation.
 Husband

Search Engines goes on Strike.

Today while discussing the Air India strike during Lunch hour we chanced to discuss a scenario if all Search Engine go on strike. What will happen to our lives??

It’s theoretically impossible for that to happen but just by chance if all the servers shut down some day what will happen. I am sure the mass of India would remain unaffected but considering the usage of Google worldwide, I can imagine a mini dark age to be dawn on the netizens.

Trying to find the how much the world uses search engine I went to http://www.google.com/trends . The statistics generated there is mind boggling. The usage of Google for education/work/entertainment has virtually created a matrix of its own. Imagining a day without this matrix means a virtual shutdown of an important part of life.

Just imagines all Search Engines goes on strike on a Saturday. I won’t be able to get quick references to websites, phone numbers, address etc and would be completely lost in World Wide Web.Now imagine this for everyone. It will be a virtual dark age minus all online communication. A part of your identity will stop functioning. But there is a catch. This will probably give the time to use our brains whose grey matters are slowly replaced by Google search. Today thoughts and memories are dependent on Google search engines. So without the search engines we would struggle on many aspects of our lives.

The web now has become so large and complex that without search engines we will be lost in the labyrinth of words and images and videos. The search engines are the torch to search our way through this maze of information. So without this torch we are doomed.

Honestly I would like to see the actual affect of this scenario. I am sure no company will shut its server down for this kind of social experiment which amounts to losses of millions of USD. But we should ponder over this scenario. The dependency on a virtual network has grown so much over the last 5 years that the question arises “Are we ready for Search Engines, if it decides to go on strike”??