Archive for November 2015
To Aamir: Terror has no Religion & Intolerants have no Nation
Aamir Sir, when some people started lambasting you for the intolerance remarks, I stood up for you. You, whose movies I have loved, laughed and cried with. I would have stood up for all my childhood superstars be it Akshay, Shahrukh or Salman. I also stood up as your fellow citizen. We follow our heroes closely Sir and I know you as a person who only likes to express himself via your movies; a person who does not like to pursue any political agenda.
But the statement you issued post the incident, has saddened me. When you said, “To all the people shouting obscenities at me for speaking my heart out, it saddens me to say you are only proving my point”, I didn’t like it. I will tell you why.
People shouting obscenities at you are not the poll bearers of our nation. They are pathetic people who insult our nation. Why I am sad is coz, during the same interview you said, “People who kill citing Kuran are not Muslims. They are terrorists. Terror has no religion.” I couldn’t have agreed more.
Why then you consider people who threw obscenities at you ‘the face of intolerant India’. They are just bad people who like to badmouth other people. They got nothing to do with tolerance or intolerance or nation. If we go by your logic then Islamophobia will also be a ‘proven point’, which it is not.
You might have been hurt. I also feel hurt at times, but if we start generalizing for “proving my point”, something is wrong.
Just as you said, a person killing in the name of Allah is not a Muslim, he is just a terrorist. I request you Sir to consider the people who threw obscenities at you as just bad people. They have nothing to do with tolerance or intolerance or nation.
Why Elections in India will not be won on Social media, Not Yet
When Modi won elections in 2014, we noticed something new. Modi was miles ahead of his counterparts when it came to social media. We attributed the spread of huge Modi wave to social media. Some even thought that elections henceforth will be decided on social media. Bihar elections demolished it all. Social media was hinting at NDA victory. The results were upside down. What went wrong?
My take is, elections in India will not be won on social media anytime soon. The depth and diversity of internet is still languishing at the bottom. Apathy and social ostracization is still rampant in our country.
Let me explain by relating what happened in my home state UP. When Mayawati won historic 2008 elections, people were stumped the same. All surveys went haywire. Even the pan shop talks betrayed the results. Why? Analysis revealed that Mayawati voters came more from backward castes. Given the non-inclusive growth in India, these people lie at the bottom of social and income levels. At pan shop talks, they hesitate speaking their minds for fear of social ostracization by affluents of the society. Even in surveys, wary by years of apathy, they don’t openly support Mayawati, a Dalit. This ends up in wrong calculations. I call it the ‘Vocal Effect’.
Supporters of lower caste parties/leaders are less vocal. Supporters of forward caste parties/leaders are more vocal. Same behavior has moved to social media. Neither the spread of internet is across castes, nor are all of us vocal. Hence we always find Modi and AAP supporters more vocal on social media. Recently Congress people have also joined in, but are again not that vocal due to fear of being trolled for past scams.
Imagine what will happen if you comment on facebook that you support Lalu Yadav or for that matter Congress. You will face nasty comments, will be lambasted. Now imagine if you were a Dalit and posted status, “I support Mayawati”. We all know what humiliation will be meted out in comments section. So people choose to remain silent. I would have chosen silence too.
Hence I feel it’s still a long way to go when social media discourse could give clear directions. It would require equal penetration of internet. It would happen when backward castes are no longer made to feel backward. It would happen when social ostracization and social media trolling ends. Not anytime soon.
Nationalist from NRI Quota: Ravish Kumar kills it!
Ravish Kumar, NDTV, is a killer man. I have been a fan of him for quite some time now. In fact these days his is the only debate show that I see on Hindi news channels.
His specialty is he says pointy things in a calm manner. It hits you right where it matters. No diatribes, no high pitched voices, simple observations with a smile.
Sorry my NRI friends, with intolerance debate reaching absurd levels, he has hit you guys and hit you bad. This is what he has to say on Aamir Khan and intolerance debate. “All those who have recently become Nationalist from NRI Quota, beware, you might soon be put in the same category of bhagodas (deserters), which you are calling Aamir Khan”. He did not defend Aamir here but made a pun on the absurdity of it all.
Ravish Kumar, Sir, you can easily replace any Talk show host from Jay Leno to Kapil Sharma. You would beat them all hands down. Your smile is your most potent weapon. And you know how to make perfect puns.
Spectre: Bond is back and how!
To be true, I found last movie Skyfall a bit slow and at times boring. I have a certain set of expectations from a Bond movie. It should have a bit of Bondapa if not more. Spectre gives me that and then some.
You won’t find a better opening sequence. It’s grand and would have cost some good bucks. This is where Bond movies are different. They don’t shy away from being lavish. From the first frame to the last, the air engulfs you. You enter a make believe world and go globe-trotting.
A lot has been said about similarities between Bond and Mission Impossible movies. Truth is nowhere near. Ethan Hunt has to perform some serious stunts to look like Bond, whereas Bond is already Bond. The calmness and assuredness that James brings in just blows you away.
The car chase sequence between Bond and Bautista is a class sequence in all its glory. You can’t take your eyes away for even a second. We have seen a lot of car chases over the years. This one stands on its own feet. The elegance makes the difference.
With Bond girl Lea Seydoux, I initially suffered with the MI-4 hangover, where she played a French assassin, a negative role. If you have seen Mission Impossible-4, you might also feel the same. I was waiting for the moment she went rogue and shot James. Another actor with a different filmography would have been better. But she plays role earnestly.
Kudos to Christoph Waltz for keeping up with the legacy of some great Bond villains. He is able to carve out a character for himself and that in itself is a rare feat. His back story could have been a little better but still he brings in enough insanity to go the distance. Monica Bellucci dazzles in a brief appearance. Andrew Scott (arch villain of Sherlock) is wasted. Moneypenny, M and Q play their curtailed role perfectly.
Given that this might be the last time Daniel Craig reprised the role of 007, it serves a fitting finale for his run. It gives closure to his previous Bond films and proves even Bond can have a happy ending.
प्यार नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं
सुना बहुत था, जाना नहीं,
यह एहसास होता बड़ा हसीं,
लगा था बस कहकहा यही,
प्यार नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं।
हम जीते हैं औ मरते हैं,
जीवन हैं क्यों यह नहीं पता,
मरने से पहले हो एक बार,
प्यार नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं।
कभी बातों बातों में हो जाता है,
कभी सर्द रातों में हो जाता है,
होता है तब कहता है दिल,
प्यार नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं।
जो लगते थे खंडर उजाड़,
उनमें रंग जैसे भर जाते हैं,
औ हमसे यह कह जाते हैं,
प्यार नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं।
समय थम सा कुछ जाता है,
पल सब पल-छिन हो जाते हैं,
हर टिक टिक बस यही सन्देश,
प्यार नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं।
हर सपने सच्चे लगते हैं,
बेगाने भी अपने लगते हैं,
खुद बचा मर ना जाऊं कहीं,
प्यार नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं।
पर क्या यह सब सच्चा है?
या पल भर का एक गच्चा है?
पता चलता सबको है खुद ही,
प्यार नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं।।
Don’t badmouth Aamir Khan
Let’s hold our horses and reflect for a min why Aamir said what he said. I might not have agreed with Aamir in the past but I consider him to be diplomatically sound person. He weighs in his words and speaks only what sounds good to his audience. Why then he said, “Sense of intolerance has grown in last 6-8 months and that his wife is worried to the extent of asking him to leave India altogether”?
I take him at the face value. I discount his grudge with Gujarat Govt during Narmada movement and non-screening of his movies thereof, as a thing of the past. Then why?
The Award Gang has been successful in their propaganda. They have been able to create an atmosphere of fear. Aamir was speaking what he and his wife really feel and not putting on an act. He referred to seeing newspapers headlines and feeling afraid. If you read newspapers these days, you will feel the fear too. Award Gang has been successful in selling their narrative.
Onus is now on Central Govt, which like it or not has been hit badly. That their own people have made obnoxious comments and those people are still holding party posts have not helped. Instead of bad mouthing Shahrukh or Aamir, who just like a lot of other people have fallen prey to the agenda of Award Gang, Govt must act smart.
Find a way to change the narrative. How Vasundhara Raje handled the cow art controversy should be the template. Instead of lambasting Shahrukh/Aamir, Govt must go overboard in nipping each and every act of intolerance in its bud. Do what Vasundhara did, apologize if need be.
Appear concerned. Send public notices to bad mouths of your party. Send notices to State Govt’s where these acts of intolerance are taking place. Scold them publicly at every forum. Award Gang has made its move and is winning this. It’s time for a counter move. Not brutal but smart.
Hypocrisy exposed || Modi hugs Lalu: Silence || Kejriwal hugs Lalu: Hue and Cry
I am disgusted with Kejriwal hugging corruption convict Lalu on stage today. But I am disgusted more with a lot of Modi supporters going overboard in demonizing Kejriwal. Demonize all you want, I am with you. But why this one sided demonizing?
Few months back Modi attended wedding of Lalu’s youngest daughter and showed similar bonhomie. Similar bear hugs and similar smile. Why none of you spoke then?
When intellectuals do one sided AwardWapsi, such people raise hue and cry. But when they themselves do this one sided propaganda, they don’t even blink. If this is not hypocrisy then what is?
I am not defending Kejriwal, nor I am demonizing Modi. I am bringing out the two face of such people who call themselves upright. You spoke against Award Waapsi, I stood with you. But now when you do the same to Kejriwal, you need to be exposed.
You flood social media with obnoxities when Kejriwal hugs Lalu while you stayed silent when Modi hugged Lalu or for that matter Digvijay Singh. You need to be exposed.
I was angry when Modi did it. I am angry when Kejriwal did it. I am angry when anti-award-waapsi people behave like award-waapsi-gang.
Love smells funny
Oft’ heard love is in the air,
Never told what the smell is,
Dark of night to mornin’ sunny,
I bet love just smells funny.
Oft’ heard No Sorry in Love,
Why Greeting cards to Say Sorry,
No Sorry, can lead to mutiny,
I bet love just smells funny.
Oft’ heard love makes one poet,
Never told it’s the heartbreak,
Makes one to gamble, to rummy,
I bet love just smells funny.
Oft’ heard, Love at first sight,
Never told about sights thereof,
If it were all just lust honey,
I bet love just smells funny.
Oft’ heard No substitute for love,
Never told of those who tried,
Replacement bought from money,
I bet love just smells funny.
Oft’ heard Most Alive when in love,
Never felt we were dead all along,
It’s rumor spread by dead bunny,
I bet love just smells funny.
Oft’ heard Love is endless,
Never told Love is too short,
Forgetting it is long agony,
I bet love just smells funny.
Health is Wealth
There are times when you have to take a step back and take stock of your life. One such scenario is health issues. As you grow old, you become more susceptible to health hazards. In the mad race towards the goal, the meta-physical, we completely ignore ourselves, the physical.
Working overtime, sleeping late, getting up early and repeat. Sometime, one wonders if it is all worth. One can argue, different people find different means to kill time till death, or else things might go chaotic. Maybe they are right, maybe they aren’t. I feel we should relax and enjoy the life as it is. If we believe in God and even if we don’t. Even if we know “Why we are here?” even if we don’t. One thing is for sure, we have the power not to slog and over work.
Regular workout, regular holidays, regular enjoyment and relaxation are very important. One leaves it for far too late and it often comes to bite. Ask yourself, once in a while, are you happy? Do you sleep well? A sound sleep gives us more answers as to we are going on right track or not.
If you are not sleeping well, time for some change. Time to chillax!
७ बातें जो सिर्फ आपको ‘प्रेम रतन धन पायो’ फिल्म में ही मिलेंगी
७ बातें जो सिर्फ आपको ‘प्रेम रतन धन पायो’ फिल्म में ही मिलेंगी।
१. हल्दीराम: आजकल की फिल्मों में आपको मैक-डोनल्ड, पिज़्ज़ा हट मिल सकते हैं। पर सिर्फ सूरज बर्जात्या ही है जो हल्दीराम से भोजन करते हुए हीरो को दिखा सकता है। शुद्ध देसी भोजन। सिर्फ इसी फिल्म में हीरोइन चुपके से हीरो के लिए हल्दीराम से खाना ला सकती है।
२. गाने में मठरी-चकली: गाने के बीच मठरी, गुजिया, चकली, चिवड़ा का जिक्र सिर्फ राजश्री की फिल्म में ही मिल सकता है।
३. शुद्ध शाकाहारी भोजन: सिर्फ यहाँ ही आपको, हीरो भिन्डी की सब्जी बनाता दिख सकता है। साथ ही वेज-कोरमा और भरवां बैगन।
४. हीरो का बहन से प्यार देखकर हीरोइन का और प्रेम उमड़ना: कौन फिल्माता है आजकल यह। सलमान का बहन प्रति प्यार देखकर सोनम का रोम रोम सलमान के लिए प्यार से भर उठता है।
५. पद कंदूक मैच : फुटबॉल के मैच को हिंदी में बोलते हुए सिर्फ ‘प्रेम रतन धन पायो’ में ही पाया जा सकता है।
६. अभी नहीं: बर्जात्या ही है जिसकी फिल्म में हीरो, हीरोइन से कहता है कि अभी इस सबका समय नहीं आया है। शादी का इंतज़ार करते हैं।
७. शुरुआत राम लीला से: जहाँ आइटम गाने आम बात हो गए हैं और सीटी-मार शुरुआत जरूरत, वहां राम लीला से फिल्म की शुरुआत आपको ‘प्रेम रतन धन पायो’ के अलावा कहाँ मिल सकती है?
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