That Omar Abdullah decides to quit following ‘allegedly false’ allegations of his involvement in the shocking sex scandal in J&K is understandable. But to contemplate on whether he is a ‘softy’ at heart and fit to rule the turbulent state of J&K is equally incomprehensible. We often forget that politicians and leaders possess a set of feelings too. Feelings when if stretched to an extreme, come back and sting, like a slingshot. But alas! Even Shiney Ahuja knows that being a public figure comes with a price tag. So what keeps Abdullah blissfully ignorant of this?
His emotional move has been called as one meant to uphold his honor and dignity. And why wouldn’t it be called so? Unlike many politicians who choose to remain silent on the face of truckloads of accusations made against them, Omar did something that has seldom been done by any minister. Along with upholding his dignity, he has also set a dangerous precedent to take the moral high ground. One can call it a case of young- blooded surge because the old and sagging are not capable of this. While Omar says he learnt to “expect the unexpected”, one can be sure opposition leader Beig learnt a similar lesson himself. So strong was the young CM’s reaction that the PDP leader had to backtrack on his remarks. Quitting on a mere allegation? Beig clearly didn’t see what hit him.
To think of it another way, it is a win-win situation for Abdullah. Assume he is one of the suspects on the ‘shame list.’ What may be the repercussions? He would be forced to resign his post, a statement that Beig already made in the Assembly. On the contrary, Abdullah decides to quit even before he has been proven guilty. That way, if he is innocent, he will be re-instated on his throne, just as he had left it. To say the least, many have been calling it a move to avoid ‘losing face.’ So true of the young being conscious of protecting their own image rather than thinking in the national interest. Couldn’t he have waited for the CBI to carry out its investigation or test the authenticity of the PDP’s statements? No. Omar evidently seems to have taken a shortcut to being seeded as ‘dignified’ in the political race.
The question is, where does this political chaos leave the state of J&K? Does a sensitive state like this need its share of political bickering? Now even as the opposition party leader Mehbooba Mufti cries foul at the CBI for shielding Omar, no one can deny that the meticulous mudslinging from both sides has put state crisis on the back burner. Why hamper the progress of the state and its governance by resorting to such gutter politics? There is no doubt that Abdullah’s decision was an imprudent one. But would it leave him perturbed about his or his party’s position? Well, whoever said that a quitter never wins will need to re-phrase the time-honored idiom.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Must see, Indians in NYC!
The media is abuzz with Sarkozy “stigmatizing” the Islamic communities in France and Obama urging the ‘post-Obama America’ to stop alienating Islamic communities. While one doubts if France has nothing personal against Islam per say, the Bush-America did everything in its bad book to settle their personal scores. So does America today look beyond 9/11? Kabir Khan’s cinematic genius gives us hope that it almost may.
Though his earlier genius, Kabul Express was given a shrift by critics as being too documentary-ish, New York is definitely high on gloss living up to the Yash Raj banner. The core theme of the movie touches close to another inspiration from 9/11, Khuda Kay Liye, but then again, that’s where massive production budgets, cutting-edge editing and cinematography come in. All these together ensure there isn’t a moment in the film that you will want to miss.
The plot revolves around the lives of three friends whose destinies alter during the same time as the skyline of New York City. Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) an Indian immigrant is forcefully detained by FBI officer Roshan (Irrfan Khan) and interrogated for his possible terrorist links. The interrogation forces him to flash back to his days as a student in NYU where he met Sameer aka Sam (John Abraham) the dude of the college. In comes Maya, (Katrina Kaif) a tomboy who he later finds himself falling in love with.
But in a true Bollywood style triangle, Maya fancies Sam. A revelation of this, and the fall of the World Trade Centre, Omar moves out of the lives of Sam and Maya, only to return seven years later, as an undercover FBI agent. Roshan shocks him revealing that one of his friends is a kingpin of a sleeper cell involved in terrorist activities. He agrees to be an undercover agent only to prove his friend’s innocence. Little does he know of the road that lies ahead.
One can’t stop marveling at the director’s sense of vision. The movie explores the reasons people take to terrorism as a form of revenge. Post 9/11 scenario, why now? In fact, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. When the wounds have begun to finally heal, the movie serves as a hope they won’t cut open again. Noticeably, the movie manages to please both, the victor and the vanquished, creating a win-win situation for itself. While on one side it terms America’s scared reaction post 9/11 as being wrong, it also doesn’t distinguish between a ‘good’ rebel and a ‘bad’ rebel.
Striking a superb balance between realism and fun, it is meaningful and entertaining at the same time. John does complete justice to some of the most poignant scenes in the film, of him being illegally detained. Just to watch him being subjected to the despicable atrocities is enough to make you flinch in your seat. Katrina is wonderful finally proving herself, portraying roles other than the ones in ‘non-brainers.’ Neil’s portrayal of an Indian immigrant is effortless and Irrfan is well, Irrfan… doing what he does best. Kudos to Kabir for his attempt to blend entertainment with political sensibility, in a cinematic brilliance! Definitely, something you will not regret having watched.
Though his earlier genius, Kabul Express was given a shrift by critics as being too documentary-ish, New York is definitely high on gloss living up to the Yash Raj banner. The core theme of the movie touches close to another inspiration from 9/11, Khuda Kay Liye, but then again, that’s where massive production budgets, cutting-edge editing and cinematography come in. All these together ensure there isn’t a moment in the film that you will want to miss.
The plot revolves around the lives of three friends whose destinies alter during the same time as the skyline of New York City. Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) an Indian immigrant is forcefully detained by FBI officer Roshan (Irrfan Khan) and interrogated for his possible terrorist links. The interrogation forces him to flash back to his days as a student in NYU where he met Sameer aka Sam (John Abraham) the dude of the college. In comes Maya, (Katrina Kaif) a tomboy who he later finds himself falling in love with.
But in a true Bollywood style triangle, Maya fancies Sam. A revelation of this, and the fall of the World Trade Centre, Omar moves out of the lives of Sam and Maya, only to return seven years later, as an undercover FBI agent. Roshan shocks him revealing that one of his friends is a kingpin of a sleeper cell involved in terrorist activities. He agrees to be an undercover agent only to prove his friend’s innocence. Little does he know of the road that lies ahead.
One can’t stop marveling at the director’s sense of vision. The movie explores the reasons people take to terrorism as a form of revenge. Post 9/11 scenario, why now? In fact, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. When the wounds have begun to finally heal, the movie serves as a hope they won’t cut open again. Noticeably, the movie manages to please both, the victor and the vanquished, creating a win-win situation for itself. While on one side it terms America’s scared reaction post 9/11 as being wrong, it also doesn’t distinguish between a ‘good’ rebel and a ‘bad’ rebel.
Striking a superb balance between realism and fun, it is meaningful and entertaining at the same time. John does complete justice to some of the most poignant scenes in the film, of him being illegally detained. Just to watch him being subjected to the despicable atrocities is enough to make you flinch in your seat. Katrina is wonderful finally proving herself, portraying roles other than the ones in ‘non-brainers.’ Neil’s portrayal of an Indian immigrant is effortless and Irrfan is well, Irrfan… doing what he does best. Kudos to Kabir for his attempt to blend entertainment with political sensibility, in a cinematic brilliance! Definitely, something you will not regret having watched.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Towards the end...
At 19, consider that I am at the end of my teen life, and achievements have been placed tastefully in a glass shelf for the world to see, I would say I have had certain meaningful experiences. Experiences are lessons learnt, but I have yawned at the face of such instances that have been instrumental in making me what I am today. My journey until now has been more like a bungee jump than a roll coaster ride. It was not a slow and steady seating on a ride seat, but more of a headlong plunge into the unknown.
At 19, I have seen angels turn into devils and back. And this exposure commenced in school itself. I recall myself praising a fellow student and her doing the same about me, just in the most brutally negative way. As a student, there was always a spark shooting between the teacher and me, notorious for being a ‘trendsetter’ as they said. And by trendsetter I don’t mean that I paraded into school adorned in designer wear.
At 19, I don’t believe in long lasting friendships or relationships sort of rubbish. I consider that friends are just enemies in disguise. So, when I thought I was making genuine friends, I realized I was creating for myself an army of traitors, who would one fine morning betray me, all together at the ‘war’ front. At such times, your pillow is your pillar of strength, friend, confidante.
Being quite the adventurous kind, I have given most of my peers and elders, minor heart attacks, so much so that this has now become a profile statement – ‘Beware, can cause minor heart ailments.’ I cannot fathom why I am mistaken by almost everyone as the tough and gutsy gal, while I remember not going to the loo alone almost for a week after watching an Indian version of Exorcist meets Emily Rose, (1920).
Relationships are always tricky; many of them just serve a purpose. I believe except for the bond we share with our parents, chosen by God and not by us, is conditional and subject to end due to changing attitudes. I know that life is what it is because we choose to make it so. I have not regretted the choices I made because, in the past, that is exactly how I wanted things to be.
At 19, I have seen angels turn into devils and back. And this exposure commenced in school itself. I recall myself praising a fellow student and her doing the same about me, just in the most brutally negative way. As a student, there was always a spark shooting between the teacher and me, notorious for being a ‘trendsetter’ as they said. And by trendsetter I don’t mean that I paraded into school adorned in designer wear.
At 19, I don’t believe in long lasting friendships or relationships sort of rubbish. I consider that friends are just enemies in disguise. So, when I thought I was making genuine friends, I realized I was creating for myself an army of traitors, who would one fine morning betray me, all together at the ‘war’ front. At such times, your pillow is your pillar of strength, friend, confidante.
Being quite the adventurous kind, I have given most of my peers and elders, minor heart attacks, so much so that this has now become a profile statement – ‘Beware, can cause minor heart ailments.’ I cannot fathom why I am mistaken by almost everyone as the tough and gutsy gal, while I remember not going to the loo alone almost for a week after watching an Indian version of Exorcist meets Emily Rose, (1920).
Relationships are always tricky; many of them just serve a purpose. I believe except for the bond we share with our parents, chosen by God and not by us, is conditional and subject to end due to changing attitudes. I know that life is what it is because we choose to make it so. I have not regretted the choices I made because, in the past, that is exactly how I wanted things to be.
Wah! Kya emational atyachar!
Dev D is supposed to be a modern day take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhayay’s classic Bengali novel Devdas. Anurag Kashyap claimed he did not want the film to look like a modernized version of Devdas (2002) by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. But for all we know, after the disastrous No Smoking, he needed to prove his worth as a director in the Indian Film Industry. And so he did!
The film is an offbeat, which seems like the usual masala but steers clear from the predictable demise of the main protagonist. Ideologically, the movie dives into the terrain of liberated female sexuality, his representation of a woman today. It did manage to create hype and lived up to its expectations. In the film, the three main characters – Dev, Paro and Chanda, are portrayed as strong, resilient; belonging to this generation entangled in the web of love, lust and ego. The characters of Paro, the village girl and Chanda, the innocent girl caught up in the famous MMS scandal of Delhi Public School, were shown to be sexually confident. The desire to ‘do it’ with a virgin female, a sad Indian male trait and the angst that of a women when termed as ‘infidel slut’ formed the undertone that Anurag wanted to illustrate.
In the movie, Dev ditches Paro as he disapproves the way she conducted herself sexually and doubted her sleeping with other men. Ironically, towards the end he realizes maybe he was never in love with Paro and ends up falling in love with Chanda, who since the beginning of the movie, was an innocent girl turned hooker; the object of fascination for many men who came to her doorstep for satiation. Wasted Dev suddenly realized what he was missing out on!
The concept of the movie was a brainchild of Abhay Deol, which was worked upon by Director Anurag Kashyap. As mentioned earlier, Kashyap did not want to make another remake of any nine previous film versions titled Devdas. He stuck to creating a modern take on the 1917 Bengali classic novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhayay infusing it in a different cultural aspect. Instead of Bengali, he chose the Punjabi culture.
After the failure of No Smoking, the economic effect were also evident on Dev D. Apparently, UTV had given the film a budget of 4 crores and was not happy when it reached to 8 crores. UTV was sacred that Dev D would meet with a similar fate and hence urged Kashyap to change the plot and the characterization; since all of them had grey shades and they did not expect the film would stir emotions. However, Kashyap remained adamant and refused to bow down to this sort of organizational influence.
He had decided he wanted to make his own version to reflect the novel but through the current generation perspective, which he believed, was more relatable to the masses today. His lead character Dev D was a debauching, hypocritical sensualist, who is self - destructive without knowing so. There was a debate about the progressive era the film was set in and it’s implications to which Kashyap explained the disturbing milieu today was in sync with the way he saw the movie to be, macabre and brutally fascinating.
The character of Dev D reflects the director’s life as a student in Delhi who got involved with doing drugs and alcohol and was confused and depressed. The reference was a personal influence put down in characterization. His references of Paro and Chanda, as being sexually and culturally liberal, is his intrinsic proclivity towards what Indians call ‘sluts’. He even wrote a screenplay called ‘The Girl Who’d Sleep with Anyone’. In the movie, he wanted these characters to be as powerful as Dev was.
The film appealed to the youth to an extent that “emotional atyachaar” is now a popular catch phrase. Many instances in the film were picked up from news headlines as the MMS scandal in Delhi Public School and ‘the drunk, rich kid involved in a car accident’ to see what exactly motivates the youth to do what they do. This cases were reasons that the media created wide spread publicity. The commercial influence aspect came in here, which helped the movie cash in on the box office.
Personally, I could relate to it because of the time it has been set in. Ideologically, the movie portrays a milieu, which is very predominant. Fast food, fast cars, fast cash! Where love is confused with lust and vice versa. Where one doesn’t know what they want. Drifting is the name of the game and people live from one high to another; everyone is looking for the next fix.
The film is an offbeat, which seems like the usual masala but steers clear from the predictable demise of the main protagonist. Ideologically, the movie dives into the terrain of liberated female sexuality, his representation of a woman today. It did manage to create hype and lived up to its expectations. In the film, the three main characters – Dev, Paro and Chanda, are portrayed as strong, resilient; belonging to this generation entangled in the web of love, lust and ego. The characters of Paro, the village girl and Chanda, the innocent girl caught up in the famous MMS scandal of Delhi Public School, were shown to be sexually confident. The desire to ‘do it’ with a virgin female, a sad Indian male trait and the angst that of a women when termed as ‘infidel slut’ formed the undertone that Anurag wanted to illustrate.
In the movie, Dev ditches Paro as he disapproves the way she conducted herself sexually and doubted her sleeping with other men. Ironically, towards the end he realizes maybe he was never in love with Paro and ends up falling in love with Chanda, who since the beginning of the movie, was an innocent girl turned hooker; the object of fascination for many men who came to her doorstep for satiation. Wasted Dev suddenly realized what he was missing out on!
The concept of the movie was a brainchild of Abhay Deol, which was worked upon by Director Anurag Kashyap. As mentioned earlier, Kashyap did not want to make another remake of any nine previous film versions titled Devdas. He stuck to creating a modern take on the 1917 Bengali classic novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhayay infusing it in a different cultural aspect. Instead of Bengali, he chose the Punjabi culture.
After the failure of No Smoking, the economic effect were also evident on Dev D. Apparently, UTV had given the film a budget of 4 crores and was not happy when it reached to 8 crores. UTV was sacred that Dev D would meet with a similar fate and hence urged Kashyap to change the plot and the characterization; since all of them had grey shades and they did not expect the film would stir emotions. However, Kashyap remained adamant and refused to bow down to this sort of organizational influence.
He had decided he wanted to make his own version to reflect the novel but through the current generation perspective, which he believed, was more relatable to the masses today. His lead character Dev D was a debauching, hypocritical sensualist, who is self - destructive without knowing so. There was a debate about the progressive era the film was set in and it’s implications to which Kashyap explained the disturbing milieu today was in sync with the way he saw the movie to be, macabre and brutally fascinating.
The character of Dev D reflects the director’s life as a student in Delhi who got involved with doing drugs and alcohol and was confused and depressed. The reference was a personal influence put down in characterization. His references of Paro and Chanda, as being sexually and culturally liberal, is his intrinsic proclivity towards what Indians call ‘sluts’. He even wrote a screenplay called ‘The Girl Who’d Sleep with Anyone’. In the movie, he wanted these characters to be as powerful as Dev was.
The film appealed to the youth to an extent that “emotional atyachaar” is now a popular catch phrase. Many instances in the film were picked up from news headlines as the MMS scandal in Delhi Public School and ‘the drunk, rich kid involved in a car accident’ to see what exactly motivates the youth to do what they do. This cases were reasons that the media created wide spread publicity. The commercial influence aspect came in here, which helped the movie cash in on the box office.
Personally, I could relate to it because of the time it has been set in. Ideologically, the movie portrays a milieu, which is very predominant. Fast food, fast cars, fast cash! Where love is confused with lust and vice versa. Where one doesn’t know what they want. Drifting is the name of the game and people live from one high to another; everyone is looking for the next fix.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
