A Bucket of Ice Water

I recently saw a post on my Facebook wall, It was a 15 second video of one of my relatives taking the “ice bucket challenge” and nominating three of their friends for the same. I couldn’t help myself from commenting and informing that this isn’t a game and is for a larger cause of ALS. As usual ignorance is bliss and westernizing our self is the norm of the times.

The chatter in this country when Modi was elected Prime Minister was never focused on Nationalism although through his speeches he has referred to it multiple times. Indians and especially the new generation of which I am a part have rarely missed an opportunity to ape the West. The trend that began in the early 2000 has rapidly taken over sometimes overlooking some deep intrinsic cultures that prevail in our country. I am for one am advocate of disowning old cultures tenterhooks that prevent us from moving ahead as a country but sometimes I find that as Indians we have a habit of trying to impress the West even if it is sub consciously. While people abroad rave about the culture and values of India we as a people( speaking about a larger mass than a selected few) do not give the same respect to the same. Hence whether it be the ‘selfie’ trend of the ‘ice bucket challenge’ we are usually grossly misinformed or conveniently over look the facts indulging in draping ourselves in out all too Westernized living style.

What I found very demeaning about this post and several after was that pouring of water somehow was meant to stave off our adventurous spirit or the very feral mindset of following a trend somehow unconnected but which gave us a social standing of being better than others. No matter how much you love being in the limelight, a social cause deserves your respect.

But I am sure many more people will indulge in this game ignoring it’s true purpose. I just wish the bucket was of ‘ice cream’ and I could get a bite or two.

India: Undefined

The greatest apathy of our great country lies not in the politicians but in the common man. While commentators in the news, publications write editorial of praises of a new India taking the bureaucracy to task and holding them to their promises. There is no mention of the silent masses, the people whose emotional tolerance has receded into the darkness. People who are neither bothered or moved by acts of inhumanity. These are people who seem to have a lack of national pride or care. They are people who spit on streets, pee on the walls who treat the country as a dustbin and who do it with complete ignorance.

I see them everyday on the streets, in social circles people who still act liberal while slowly feeding their regressive vices through acts of total intolerance. Who on one hand speak about reform and a lack of initiative from the political class while themselves act exactly like those politicians in their sphere of influence. Then why blame anyone, when your own moral character is hypocritical.

Indian was built on the platform of social, secular, republic, a country that believed in democracy and the power of the people. But it is precisely those people that have led to the downfall of the Indian social culture. Look at it this way, before the British came to colonize India, who were we, we did not have our identities as Indians, we were part of colonial regimes of the Marathas, Cholas or the more prominent Mughal Empire. The British colonisation of the region gave us the identity as Indians. As a people part of a region against the British, but this unity was hollow in its very core. When we see a foreign enemy we strengthen ourselves to drive them out. But what lied beyond 1947, pockets of segregated countrymen who form groups through cultural and religious identities and then fight for their rights against what can now be called the “the Indian elites”.

But the adoptions of terms like socialism, secularism and democracy from the West was it ratified by the complete country. Did at any point of time a national consolidation of the foundation on which our country stands today built into the hearts and minds of the people. If that was done, why is it that today at the helm of the 21st century while we stand on the brink of progress are we divided into regional and territorial identities. What is worst is the propagation of these ideas by the government. There are now talks of reservations based on religions, the word 'merit' has multiple meanings in this country.

My greatest fear is of never seeing this country reach the heights that it once had, the progess that we were promised or the power we hope to achieve. To create believers out of cynics like me, we need unity, the emotion of nationalism, of national identities not in words but in actions.

The time is still not lost on us. Maybe we lost some generations but we have so many to look forward to. This rise of the youth has manifested itself in cities, this country is bigger than we might realise. It comprises of people capable of doing horrors. There is no time good enough to treat your country with the respect it deserves.


Just as a 0 divided by itself is undefined, a country divided by itself cannot stand.

Kai Po Che!!!!

The final moments of Kai Po Che! were heart wrenching, seldom do movies rise above the book in telling the story with such finesse. There are moments in the movie which will draw a variety of emotions from laughter to anger. It was a perfect dish of religion, cricket and friendship.

Kai Po Che adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s ‘The 3 mistakes of my life’ is a story of three friends Govind, Omi and Ishan portrayed well by Yadav, Sadh and Rajput. A die hard cricket fan Rajput along with his friends decide to open a sports academy and meanwhile they find a protege Ali who Ishaan takes under his wing. The 2001 earthquake and the polarising riots of 2002 create differences between friends while they try to protect Ali from harm. The book is quite different from its adaptation that corrects many flaws that are inherently part of the seemingly protected world of Chetan Bhagat. Abhishek Kapoor brings the story to the real world where bad things happen and you deal with them.

This was my first Chetan Bhagat book and inspired me to read his other works. It was not a perfect book and had its flaws, but I cannot praise Kai Po Che! to do it true justice. Every moments delivers meaning, even if its Ishaan shouting at his sister for disturbing him during the match or when we see Omi at the end completely breaking down. You will hold those small moments close even after leaving the theatre I know because I have.

What truly drives this movie is its characters. Three newcomers grab the screen and deliver such fantastic performances its delves into your soul. Rajput is an outstanding find and his emotions were very natural. Amit Sadh, an actor lying on fringes of the screen for so many years shows his caliber and potential to become a good actor. Rest of the cast is as good as the three leads.

The films has its Rock On moments of friendship, conflict and love. Its depiction of politics and friendship ,a truly unique combination of differing ideologies. Hardly falling at any moment rather its showed layers after layers of complex human behaviour with such ease and simplicity that one must truly applaud the effort of Abhishek Kapoor as a director.

Amit Trivedi has given some superlative songs to add to the background. Especially ‘Manja’ depicts friendship that goes beyond any differences. But what truly draws me to watch this movie again is the smaller moments that really steal you and puts you in awe of such amazing work. In the context of Indian cinema where pointless cinema draws crowds, fill theatres this one is just a perfect answer to the critics of the quality of Indian cinema and the taste of the Indian mass.

Kai Po Che! makes you believe in the power of friendship, but it goes beyond to give a more definitive meaning to self belief. It teaches you to stand up for what is right even if the whole world is against you. It inspired me to believe in the spirit of love, compassion and I hope the same for you.

Eulogy to Indian Cartoon Industry

 The beginnings

One of the earlier known animation was the “Flip Book”, a simple yet unique invention. But going back to the 1600’s the technique of a magic lantern was developed, giving the early signs of the animated world. Over the years newer techniques and technologies have facilitated creating beautiful and majestic worlds. Animation is profoundly beautiful, a blank canvas of opportunity, letting the world see things never physically possible. Art has always been the channel of human expression much before cinema was perceived.

From early projections through lantern or glass to handmade drawings running through projectors or filmed on camera. Animation has evolved itself into a reckoning force, it has moved beyond the kid’s entertainment to adult animation like The Simpsons, South Park or Family Guy. Probably the world’s best known and most successful animators was Walt Disney, he gave us great characters like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse etc. His work inspired artists like Hanna Barbara who created “Tom & Jerry”.

Today the world of animation knows no bounds, animated movies are constantly top grossers. Not only that movies like Toy Story, Finding Nemo have cult followings among cinema goers and a must watch for every child.

India’s animation world

What I am here to talk about is the Indian animation world and especially the Indian cartoon channels. Animated movies in India are still seen as a food for kids, hence they have never moved beyond the cheesy characters into real cinema. The target group is small, so is the investment which keeps our technology at a nascent stage as compared to the global scenario. Even with big stars giving their voice to movies like Jumbo(Akshay Kumar) or Toonpur ka Sultan(Ajay Devgan) the sophistication of the production is very poor.

 I grew up reading comics by Pran Kumar Sharma of Diamond Comics, fans like me would remember Billu, Pinki and Chacha Chaudhary. Even to this day these are the most original creations ever. I moved to Tinkle, Tintin and the simpleton Suppandi. As a child in days of just DD National and Metro we got one hour of toon every day and shows like Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad, Duck Tales, Tales Pin, TMNT etc. There were superheroes like Batman, Spiderman or our very own He-Man.

                                                                     

When Cartoon Network made its presence felt in 1995, I was enamored by the whole wide world of cartoons Dexter’s Laboratory, Captain Planet, Swat Cats, Johnny Quest and many more. These shows were excellent even if they lacked in animation they more than made up for it by pure uninhibited entertainment. My friends would remember those days playing Contra and catching Scooby Doo at 8. While Aahat solidified our belief in ghosts, Scooby Doo taught us ghosts aren’t real. Those few years were great for kids who got to see such great cartoons.

But as I grew up  I saw the fading state of Indian cartoon channels, now instead of one we have many Pogo, Disney, Animax. I have a younger brother and I asked him why you don’t watch cartoons and he tells me they are boring. So while I grew up, our cartoon channels dumbed down, they included a heavy dose of Indian characters like Bheem, Karan etc but where the spark, the fun or the entertainment was. These shows were more mythological than the real Mahabharata. If that wasn’t enough we borrowed majority of shows from Japan. If Pokemon wasn’t enough, there is Doremon or BeyBlade, the whole trifecta. I remember seeing Shin Chan and couldn’t recall any cartoon that depicted such behavior. . Though I hear a sister channel Boomerang runs all these classics but it is not available in India.

The sad part is with these shoddy shows running on mainstream networks, most kids would never know what they have missed. I feel bad for this generation who never got to taste the beautiful delicacies of cartoons and have to settle for second grade shows.

Talaash: Even Mr. Perfect can go wrong

A very strong track record, we expect nothing but perfection from Aamir Khan. He is so profoundly perfect in his moves, that it begs the question what can move this mountain. His recent TV stint though far from perfect did make its mark on the television audience. For those 90 minutes the country was galvanized. He is called Mr. Perfect for nothing, all his recent movies have been a notch above or something different than the day to day mashed up dish we are served. In all this junk food, Aamir’s movies are fine dine complete with a glass of wine.

Excel Entertainment should be a very proud production house which can boast of very strong titles like Dil Chahta Hain, Lakshya, Rock On and I can go on. They have always brought alive new cinema and given opportunities to fresh directors. The same can be said for Aamir Khan Productions, these two coming together certainly is an event to watch out for.

The expectations from Talaash were huge, as is with every Aamir movie. Big names were attached to the project and with Aamir at helm the stakes are that much higher. The only new face was the director Reema Kagti known for Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.  not the most rememberable movie. The promotions and trailers of Talaash did not reveal much, but neither did it gave a wholesome feeling as some movies do.

Talaash combines a murder mystery, with a emotional back story of Inspector Surjan Shekhawat and his wife Roshni. The movies begins with a thrill and reveals new twists in every scene, meandering so close to perfection but losing my faith at the finish.

 There was a lack of originality when it comes to scripts, but I concede that the premise of Talaash was good and the story seemed well written. What failed the movie was execution, the only strong point of the screenplay was its ability to keep the mystery alive till the very end. Other than that it failed at so many levels, I am horrified Zoya Akhtar such a talented filmmaker failed at seeing the gaping plotholes. Once your start is faulty you will struggle to finish well. Reema Kagti starts of well revealing so much in such little time by interval the intrigue was built and so were my expectations. But as with most movies, without due diligence to the second half the movie crucifies itself. What could have been, what it was.

The music of the movie is completely enamoring taking the story ahead at every juncture combined so well with the rest. The characters were all very well played. Rani was wasted, though the story did not leave much for her to bite into. Aamir hogged the most screen space, and delivered a convincing performance. The most perfect cast was let down by very weak dialogues by Farhan Akhtar clearly he does not hold the talent of his father. In such chilling moments, the characters spoke such sub standard lines that it shocked me. The only character that was convincing in every scene was Nawazuddin Siddiqui, he stole the limelight with his expressive eyes and amazing range.

It is sad to see that an amateur director derailed such an opportunity and what I had to settle with was mediocrity. With Aamir doing one movie a year, I had hoped for so much more.

Jab Tak Hain Jaan : No love is perfect

Hum sirf tumko jaante hain,

Hum sirf tumko chahte hain,

Maana hain tumko apna jahaan,

Jab tak Hain Jaan, Jab Tak Hain Jaan.

Today I caught Veer-Zaara on the television, and it took me back to that pure definition of love. Was that Yash Chopra’s legacy? To me his genre was impossible love Silsila, Lamhe, Darr. He creates circumstances where love cannot happen and he makes it happen. That was his true flair. The fact that some of his best work was never appreciated (Silsila, Lamhe), two movies I consider absolute genius. It brings me back to my experience today. I saw Veer-Zaara and saw those pure unadulterated emotions on celluloid, only Yash Chopra could bring such dedicated love on screen. You can watch it over and over and it will make you shed a few tears. Love it or hate it, Shahrukh can make romance feel alive.

But then I come back to Jab Tak Hain Jaan and I just cannot understand where it could have gone right. Could Yash Chopra have pulled it off with such a weak script. Could Shahrukh Khan’s indelible charm been enough to make me enjoy this movie. Sadly the answer to both is NO. The problem starts with Aditya Chopra’s script or lack of one and it falls right down to the end. I do not doubt the intentions of the director truly pure and truly wonderful. I thought the casting, the locations they were brilliant. But I just could not digest the story. As it goes even good actors cannot make you like a weak story.. With three hours in length I cannot remember one scene that stood out. I feel sad that such a great director had to suffice with such a weak last film. 

The 3 minute delight

I had been planning since a long time, but some how it kept slipping my mind. But finally I checked out a new trailer ‘Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola’, Vishal Bhardwaj has also been the one to enamor, one of the few good directors we have at our disposal. What started with Maqbool is still continuing on, the man creates legacy behind him.

His music is to die for and he sings well. But its his talent of story telling that completely floors any audience. The new movie is about three characters Matru ( Imran Khan), Bijli (Anushka Sharma) and the artistically gifted Pankaj Kapoor as Mandola. Only some directors could bring that rugged Indian feel to a script and the trailer emphasizes that while creating tension along with building curiosity.

The dialogues hit the spot, just like a cold brew and the movie looks filled with thrills and frills. The antics of these characters give the impression of no holds barred fun and the trailer ends on an absolute high note.

I don’t think I have seen such well executed trailer in a long time, hopefully the movie would live up to it.