Gujarat

What is going on in Gujarat ? How can voting be compulsory ? It is inconceivable to me. Voting is a right, not a duty. Has no one opposed it in the courts ? What if all the names on the ballot paper are crooks ? How can you force me to vote for a crook, against my conscience.

I agree that it is good for the democracy if everyone votes. So, if the law is well-intentioned then there must also be a "no vote" option on every ballot paper. If a majority of the voters opt for "no vote" then the constituency must be under presidential rule, via the Governor or an IAS officer.

In its current form, it is impossible to implement it, voter fraud will increase and so will related corruption. How about the political parties weed out the crooks from their parties instead, for the sake of democracy !

Vinayaka Chavithi

When I was at home in India, Vinayaka Chavithi was always an ocassion spent with family. I remember waking up to the wonderful smell of home-made (mom-made) prasadam and other specials, ofcourse after some coercion that its getting late for puja. It felt serene, eventhough it was just another day. There was a certain mood to the day.

My mom would be in "madi", so we (my bro and I) were not supposed to touch her until we had a 'head-bath' and were wearing new clothes. My brother and I would then decorate the "paalavelli" with kumkam, turmeric and fruits. The entire house smells great - karpooram, agarbatthi, fruits, flowers, patthri etc. It is just mesmerizing.

Dad would always lead the puja while mom is finishing up "maha naivedyam". I remember that the whole process would take about 3-4 hours, especially because we both had a million questions every year - What does that mean ? What is the story behind it ?... and sometimes just recollecting an answer we remembered from last year. It was great fun !

It is not the same, thousands of miles away from "home" where everyone has a tilak on their forehead, where everyone is wishing each other "Happy Vinayaka Chavithi", where you are counting the number of idols you have visited, where you are stuffed with the prasadam from every visit, where its a holiday even if its on a wednesday, where you get to shout "ganpati bappa morya" in real world and not on facebook, where you eat your favorite food (amma chethi vanta), where your parents bless you with their hands on your head, where you are happy to be home and your parents are happy that you are at home. It is just not the same, thousands of miles away...

Obey the laws !

I read this news about Shah Rukh Khan being detained and interrogated in Newark Intl Airport. Why is there such a big fuss about it ? Yes, he is a huge star, in India. Yes, he probably wont get involved in any terrorist activities. Yes, he was among Time magazine's 50 most influential people. So what ? Laws are meant to be obeyed. If his name pops up for random check, what are the authorities supposed to do. If you want to question that "random"ness, thats a different matter altogether.

Sanjay Dutt was not given a free pass in 1993 because he was a "star". A much bigger "star" like Sachin Tendulkar did not get a free pass when there was a case of misusing the flag, inspite of the great name and joy he brought to the country. They are all ordinary citizens of the country and the world who have to obey the laws and rules, just like anyone else.

In fact, a few years ago there was also talk about Bollywood actors and producers, including Shah Rukh, having connections with the underworld. If he gets a free pass, it is not unlikely that he or his family would be threatened and he would be forced to do something against his will. So stop this nonsense.

And on the other hand, to the critics of this episode who are saying that Shah Rukh is just doing this to create hype for his movie "My name is Khan" - Look at yourself in the mirror. You are more intelligent than that. You mean to say he got some people in the US immigration involved in this and orchestrated it ? If it really happened and he is using it for movie publicity, well, he is entitled to as long as it is harmless.

A couple of months ago, Dr. APJ Kalam, the most respected president of India, was frisked away and thoroughly checked. Being the humble and honorable man he is, he did not have any problem with that. Some people complained about the treatment meted out to him (but not as many that are complaining regarding Shah Rukh, what a shame?). Whose mistake is it ? The Indian government's. Someone from the Indian embassy in US should be at the airport to take care of the formalities.

We are all better off following rules. Remember, the law enforcement folks have to SUCCEED EVERYTIME to win, whereas the terrorists have to succeed JUST ONCE.

Slumdog, now a Billionaire !

So.. yesterday was oscar night. I seldom watch it completely, but yesterday I did... almost. I missed a couple of awards, and Ben Stiller's mockery of Joaquin Phoenix. On the whole, it was good, except for I hate all the hype and pompousness, and the artificiality in praising everyone on the red carpet. Whatever. I do feel disappointed with the fact that the only attire for men is a black tux. Mickey Rourke was a welcome change in white. If the physical world tends to be biased towards men, the fashion world is utterly biased towards... u guessed it.

Lets get down to the awards. Hugh Jackman put up a decent show. The opening was good. I wanted more from him, though. However, this is my first start to finish oscar night. So...

I have not watched most of the movies nominated, so I am not going to judge the results. Apparently, most of them were expected, even if it was not obvious. Nevertheless the excitement is super when someone wins an academy award. Hathaway is ofcorz talented, and was simple. So was Kate Winslet who broke the oscar jinx. Penn, son of a gun, is very very talented and certainly deserved it. I always appreciate people who can poke a little fun at themselves and have a good sincere laugh when others do it.

The biggest winner of the day was, undoubtedly, Slumdog Millionaire. By winning the oscars (as many as 8 out of 10 nominations), it won the hearts of a "Billion" people, and more. Yes, its not an indian movie. Yes, it was not made by an Indian. Yes, Yes, Yes. But, you cannot deny the fact that everyone associates the movie with India. A majority of the cast and crew is Indian. More importantly, everyone involved in the project now has a new love for Mother India. Her beauty, her diversity, her history and her hospitality. For the west, India is not anymore that mystic land of snake charmers and farmers, eventhough they are still there. Its a rapidly developing nation, with youth and innovation. 

It is very ironic that Indians are celebrating the success of a movie that depicts one of the evils of their society. It is true that the film shows the darker and murkier side of India, and one cannot brush it aside as lies... coz its not. Its the sad and unfortunate reality. But, in a way it serves a purpose. Makes us more aware of the harsh environment/treatment that some people have to put up with for the sake of "Survival". Whats even worse is that its the same story in a lot of developing countries. A lot of people choose to ignore that fact. Every society has its share of good and bad. We should embrace the good and work towards minimizing the bad.

Rahman derserves all the fame and recognition, eventhough it was not his best feat in music. Technically, I dont know. But soul stirring music - Roja, Bombay, Lagaan..  and may more were much better. Two oscars is a great personal achievement, and also for the nation. And it is very humbling to see such a talented guy say "Ella pugazhum iraivanuke" after accepting the award. His live performance was superb too. He mentioned his mother, his country and his mother tongue. Danny Boyle was terrific. All the SDM kids were excited and fantastic. I personally want to thank the producers and others who went out of their way to give those kids the experience of a lifetime, and in doing so may have the changed their and many others' lives.

For me, the best moment of the night was when Resul Pookutty won the oscar for Sound Mixing and said "I dedicate this award to my country. This is not just a sound award but a piece of history that has been handed over to me". Indeed !

Daffatan, Indeed !

I was browsing through the rediff website yesterday and saw that there was a review of the movie Delhi-6. Did not really read it, but got the gist of it. I think the title conveyed the message that it is a good follow up to Rang De Basanti. That excited me having been unaware of the theme/concept of the movie, and having seen RDB and liking it, very much ! So very unlike me off late, I immediately started looking for the theatres in which it is playing so I could buy the tickets online and surprise Sandhya and Madhavan. The first couple of websites did not have any NJ theatres (at least none close to our place). The inner voice in me said... "no way. Delhi-6 isnt playing in any theatre near my house ? impossible". So I looked for more and eventually found it. ha ha. 3 tickets for the 7pm show today. Done. I set an alarm in the cell for myself at 5:oopm today to make sure that I did not forget about the movie plan since no one else knew about it.

Fast forward. 4:45pm today. I had to call a customer to resolve some issues, hoping I could wrap it up soon. hmm... 6:00pm, its finally over. It takes about 45min to get home (subway) and another 15-20 min to get to the theatre from there (car). Friday evening traffic. So we finally get to the theatre at 7:25p. By now, Madhavan already knows about the movie (coz I already told him last night). Sandhya is still unaware as I told her that we will just go out. When we were almost at the theatre I told her that we were going to watch 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'. Once in the theatres, she was hungry so got herself something to eat... and busy with carrying that stuff she did not see the movie name before entering the theatre. lol. We are in there and and since the movie has already started, she knows its not 'Benjamin Button'. Eventually she realizes its D6 and is pleasantly surprised (coz she did not know it was releasing today).

Slight fast forward. Intermission. wtf ? Nothing interesting or exciting or inspiring or amazing has happened yet. Then, in less than 15 min, I got my money's worth and more. Dil... gira kahin par... Daffatan. Beautiful song and I was blown away by the picturization. I dont want to hype it for those who havent watched it yet, or give away the brilliance. I will say that it was different. Not everyone may like it, but I was impressed. Since then it was above average. Sonam was pretty, and Abhishek did well. Most actors did a good job, even the ones with very small roles. Eventually Rakeysh did have a message, and it was not preachy. The movie certainly cannot be compared to RDB. That was a masterpiece with a great message, and very inspiring. Anyway, I walked out of the theatre a happy customer and wanting to see 'Dil gira' once more. Ah... well. Thats always a good feeling to walk out of a theatre with.

Dil... gira kahin par....

Baby Steps

Well, my first post on my first blog. I have considered blogging as elite for sometime. So what made me blog "all of a sudden" ? Coz of two of my best friends. One has been blogging for a while now, Naveen. So that made me comfortable with the idea. The other thought I was "descriptive" and should blog, Ramu. I personally think I dont have the patience. I wish to prove myself wrong.