Journalist throws his shoe at Bush!

A television correspondent, Muntadar al-zaidi, threw a shoe at the US president George Bush in a press conference at Baghad. The press conference was being addressed by Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
In the press conference, suddenly the assailant leaped up from his chair, took his shoe out and threw it on Bush who was 20 feet way from him. Bush, however dodged the attack. In Arabic the journalist called after, "This is a farewell kiss, you dog. This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."
Muntadar al-zaidi, is a TV correspondent working for the Iraqi owned station, Al-Baghadadia which is situated in Cairo, Egypt. As soon as the incident occurred he was taken in custody by the security officials and is now under arrest.
President Bush however took the whole incident as a joke. He added ‘It’s a publicity stunt, just to gain attention. It’s just like when you go to a rally and you see people showing their middle fingers to get ‘noticed’. I didn’t even know the guy’.
Al-Baghadadia’s manager however had no clue as to why did Muntadar take an action which will are bound to have bad repercussions on his career and life. He hasn’t been able to reach Muntadar himself and talk to him. However, the station issued a request on the channel, addressed to the Iraqi government to spare Muntadar’s life, asking for the journalists world over to stand by them.
I know that such an extreme action on the part of a journalist has to be condemned, and the journalist punished but irrespective of what the world thinks, I feel that for a person like Bush, the cause of the deaths of millions of innocent people, I’d say that he just missed by what he deserved.

Slumdog Millionaire: Bollywood, Critics' Choice For The Oscars?

Indian movies might not have had a lot of luck in the prestigious Annual Academy Award’s- The Oscars, but the Indian connection to it cannot be denied.
‘Slumdog Millionaire’, a movie by the critically acclaimed British director, Danny Boyle, is being considered as the hot favorite for bagging the well famed Oscars in the Best Movie category. Slumdog Millionaire is a movie based on the novel ‘Q and A’ by the Indian Diplomat, Vikas Swarup. Based on the game show ‘Kaun Banega Karorpati’, it revolves around the life of an Indian boy and his journey through the ups and downs of life. Loss, gain, love, hatred and survival through all of it in the most vicious of circumstances that life had to offer him-which ultimately takes him to the hot seat for the 1 crore question.
The movie stars Bollywood superstar Anil Kapoor taking on the role of Mr. Amitabh Bachhan as the show host, along with another huge Bollywood star, Irfaan Khan. The film also stars Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal and Frida Pinto, who are now paving their way to stardom because of the huge success of the movie all around the world.
The movie is shot in the streets of India- cities like Mumbai and Agra, shooting right outside the Taj Mahal. One third of the movie is in Hindi, adding to the quintessential Indian feel that is espoused in the viewers. World renowned Indian music composer, A.R. Rahman has given the movie its connection to the famous Bollywood music, by using the megahit song ‘Choli Ke Peechey Kya Hai’ from ‘Khalnaayak’. There’s another famous song, ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ from the movie ‘Don’.
But the thing that makes Slumdog Millionaire as the top runner for the Oscars is the coveted best film of the year 2008 award by the National Board for the Review of Motion Picture (NBRMP). The prestigious awards have been considered as the ‘pre-Oscars’ or the first major awards of the Oscar Season.
The Board President, Annie Schulhof said, "Slumdog Millionaire, with brilliant direction by Danny Boyle and incredible performances, shares a passionate story about one man's courage and determination for the woman he loves."
The NBRMP awards are a major achievement adding to the phenomenal awards studded kitty of the film which includes- Best Film, Best Director (Danny Boyle) and The Best Newcomer (Dev Patel) for the lead actor at the British Independent Film Awards; 2008 Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award, The Austin Film Festival's Audience Award and The Chicago Film Festival's "Audience Choice Award".
Critics all over the world have already hailed Slumdog Millionaire as ‘larger than life’, ‘a stunner’, ‘unforgettable’, ‘Bollywood-style’, a ‘phenomenon’, a ‘cinematic stunt’ which has presented the ‘real India’ to moviegoers.
Peter Travers, of the eminent magazine, Rolling Stones said, ‘It's modern India standing in for a world in full economic spin. It's an explosion of color and light with the darkness ever ready to invade. It's a family film of shocking brutality, a romance haunted by sexual abuse, a fantasy of wealth fueled by crushing poverty." He admitted that what he felt for the movie wasn’t just admiration, but ‘mad love’.
Well, with that said, it’s time to wait and watch who wins the battle at the Oscars: Bollywood or Hollywood?

Why Not Rap Raj Thackeray For Not Retrieving Mumbai's Peace?

Last month there were a lot of articles written on Raj Thackeray. His solution for ‘retrieving Marathi pride’ by urging for an open war against North Indians in Mumbai were mostly condemned while some were genuinely floored by his fidelity towards Marathi, Mumbaikars and Maharashtra.
In an article, ‘Why Rap Raj Thackeray For Retrieving Marathi Pride’ someone strongly supported Raj for his pro-Marathi and anti-North Indian policies. My article is just a reply to the above mentioned article.
The 4 days of havoc that Mumbai suffered from 26th to 29th November, Mumbai saw no sign of the Marathi and Maharashtra fanatic Raj Thackeray. No comments, no interviews, no consolations, no condemning, no nothing. Now, in this media savvy world, it’s impossible to believe that Raj did not have an option for addressing and communicating with Mumbai. Not a word for his precious mumbaikars and Maharashtra? Many people addressed the terrorist attacks. Rattan Tata through an interview, Amitabh Bachhan and Amir Khan through their blogs expressed their concern, anger, frustration through media while there were no signs of Raj Thackeray. Many people, who genuinely cared about Mumbai came out on the streets out side Taj, Oberoi and Nariman House while the operations against terrorists were going on. While Delhi remained quiet and was saddened because of the terror strikes that took place in Mumbai, the JNU students arranged a candlelight march to mourn for the same. The very same people, whom Raj was always against in Mumbai. Still, there was no clue of Raj, and that too when he was in Mumbai! It’s disconcerting to see that the once, well-known for making public appearances and connecting with people through media, Raj Thackeray had gone missing.
People from all over India have condemned these attacks and are more than willing to help Mumbai in every way they can. We condemn violence against anyone in the country, be it the North or the South, East Or West. India is one and Indians will always support Indians. Diversity is something that we should celebrate and not condemn. This is the true essence of our country. It’s only the Indians who will help Indians. Irrespective of caste, creed, religion or now, region.
But the question is that had Raj Thackeray completely forgotten about his love for Marathi people when Mumbai was in real danger? Do terrorists make him forget about his love for his people and state? Or does he only like to bask in the glory for launching a full fledged campaign against the poor and weak?
People, who were a strong supporter of Raj Thackeray must re-assess him on the basis of his actions. Do you really need a leader who would desert you in the time of need? Who cannot even hold Mumbai together and soothe the people in such crucial times? Who is incapable of encouraging his people when the occasion arises? I guess, it’s time people acknowledge Raj for the real person he is and something he pretends to be to satiate his political and personal desires.

Charging i-pods with onions?

I love my music and what better way to listen to your favorite songs than on an i-pod or your mp3 players? But you know what? I admit that I am a little careless when it comes to charging up the battery. I’m sure there would be many of us who would absolutely forget to get our music players charged in time. And sometimes, I misplace my charger but the worst of the worst comes, when we are out for a hike or there’s a power cut while our i-pods are left with no battery to play. No battery, no music!
Well, as they say there’s a solution for everything. Recently a method has been devised to charge up the i-pod with the help of an onion! Household Hackers in a video on their website, demonstrated the method. All they needed to charge up the device was a USB plug, a screwdriver, a gatorade drink and an onion!
The method was simple; they took a screwdriver and made a hole on one side of the onion, all the way to the middle. Then they repeated the same to the other side of the onion. Next they soaked the onion in the Gatorade drink for about half an hour making sure that it was completely dispersed in the drink. After half an hour they dried the onion to get the excess liquid off. Then, plugged one end of the USB cord in to the i-pod and the other to the onion. In about 15 to 20 minutes, the i-pod was charged and ready to be played!
The concept behind it is even simpler. Gatorade, Red Bull, and other sport drinks contain electrolytes. They are the electrically charged minerals like potassium, sodium, etc. which are used to charge the battery here. Gatorade contains KH2PO4 which is the main salt that is required to charge the cells.
The role of the onion? Onions create ion gradients which gives the cell a charge. The electrolytes (ions in solution) will saturate the cells, greatly increasing the number of ions in the cells, and thus storing more of a charge in them. Onions coincidentally contain a lot of potassium metaphosphate (KPO3), which, when combined with all the water soaked up from the Gatorade, is used to produce even more KH2PO4! That’s how the battery gets charged up and the i-pod ready to go.
Now, obviously you have to take a lot of caution to do this experiment or our dear i-pods would be permanently damaged. The concept is indeed original and innovative. But, if you ask me, I wouldn’t want my device to smell like an onion! Music is my feel good factor, but onions are the complete opposite of it. So I’ll be sticking to my chargers this time, until we find an eco friendly method that doesn’t tampers with my jovial mood. And I’d suggest the same to all of you.

Adventures Of A Chai Lover

I don’t know how many of you out there start your day with a cup of hot tea, but instinct tells me that there would be plenty. The first thing that I do in the morning is prepare my cup of piping hot tea with lots of milk and sugar and not to miss, Indian tea leaves. It gives me just the kind of kick I need to jumpstart my day.
Recently, a friend of mine came to spend a few days with me from Spain. The love for tea is something we both shared. But our idea of it was quite different. While I fancied the strong Indian chai, with milk and sugar, she preferred it without any of it. She was fixated with the herbal and flavored tea.
When a few years back green tea, black tea and the various flavored teas were introduced in India, I tried them. Not to my delight, I found their taste totally bland. Whereas the chai we make satisfies our craving for the beverage, the herbal teas left you feeling empty.
When I shared the same with my friend she called the ‘Indian version’ of tea absolutely unhealthy and the herbal teas nutritious and nourishing. Now, I know the health experts would start arguing about the infinite benefits of the herbal tea in curing insomnia, headaches, reducing weight and what not! While our Indian chai would be criticized for its high nicotine content, the high blood pressure and various other heath issues. But haven’t we been consuming it for hundreds of years and yet my grand mother, her great grand mother and the previous several generations couldn’t think of giving it up. And didn’t they do just fine in their lifetime. They were healthy, fit and fine! Now, I can’t say that the chai is very beneficial for one’s health but what harm can a cup or two of it do?!
Getting back to my friend, I offered her a cup of tea I prepared for myself, just to taste and then decide. On tasting it, she was absolutely baffled. She found the tea delicious. I believe that it’s the way we prepare the tea, here in India, with boiling and mixing all the ingredients that brings out the real flavor. I, anyhow never liked mixing the milk afterwards. It never quite seemed to blend in and bring the flavor out of the tea.
The tea culture in India is being re-defined by various hotels and cafes. They offer a variety of teas which come with an unreasonably high price. One fine day, I ventured into one of such cafe and I was surprised by the vast range of tea flavors they had. So I decided to have something called the ‘English Breakfast’ tea. I was utterly disappointed since I didn’t find the taste any good. It was watery, dull and boring! Moreover a cup of it cost me about 90 Rs. Senseless, isn’t it? After tasting about a dozen of different kinds of tea, from black tea to the berry tea, from the green to the white tea to fruit teas, I have finally arrived at the conclusion that there’s no competition to my indigenous chai.
Talking about tea, how can I miss the mesmerizing dhabbey waali chai. No matter wherever you travel to, in India, you are bound to find the lively dhabbas. I simply adore them since I can find different versions of chai over here. Be it the sweet, aromatic, masaala chai, the elaichi chai, the cinnamon or cardamom flavored tea, they all make for a sumptuous treat. And all for what? Mere 5 or 10 rupees! Divine indeed! The only thing I wish would be for them to take a little more care about the hygiene. But, trust me, no matter how much the globalization has paved way for numerous cafés to open up here, they’re no competition to the ‘dhabba and chai’ culture of India.
I really fail to understand that how can the milkless and sugarless tea possibly compete with the rich variety of chai we have in India?! I can never think of having my tea with lemon, or the ones with flower or fruit flavors.
Now, iced tea would be a different topic altogether, but for the hot beverage, nothing beats the delectable chai. It’s exotic, it’s savory and it’s my instant energizer. So, no matter how much herbal, flavored or healthy tea invade the market, at the end; my pick would always be the yummy Indian chai.

Andrew Symonds And His Addiction With Drunken Breawls

We all know about Andrew Symonds’ love for alcohol, getting drunk and eventually getting into fights. Living upto the expectations, the Australian all-rounder has found himself amidst another one of his drunken brawls and controversies, which never seem to leave him aside.
This time Andrew Symonds has reportedly picked up a fight with a layman in the pub of the famous Normanby Hotel in Brisbane, Australia. On Sunday evening, when he was drinking with his friends and other players to celebrate the 149 run victory over New Zealand in the first test at Ghaba, he got into a physical altercation with a man from the public.
Symonds, however, as usually denied the allegations, stating that he got into the fight only because he had been provocated by the other guy. According to him, at first he tried to walk out of the situation but the fight was caused because of the persistent nature of the other bloke. His claims were backed by the manager of the hotel.
Quite frankly, with the track record Symonds has maintained of getting into trouble, who in the world will find his words worth trusting?! His weird and erratic behavior has kept him in the limelight for reasons one wouldn’t like to be known for.
In the 2007 World Cup, he claimed that he had been set up by somebody, when a guy slapped him in the parking lot and had a camera to record Symonds’ reaction! In 2005, he was banned for 2 matches when he showed up drunk for an ODI against Bangladesh! His immense unpopularity in India was the result of an argument between him and Harbhajan, in which he claimed that the later used a derogatory term, ‘monkey’ for him, this very year in January.
Whatever one may perceive of him, the ‘troubled child’ or the ‘trouble child’ of the Aussie team, controversies seem to ADORE this chap.

Rahul Mahajan, The Manipulator

Rahul Mahajan, the cute, funny, sacrificing and benevolent human being has been judged as the ‘Badey Dill Waala’ of the Bigg Boss house. He won the hearts of many when he opted for the voluntary exit from the show safeguarding the interests of the other three contestants and taking the entire blame for the breakout from the house. Probably, he did deserve the title in this case, but how can one be sure that it was an act of compassion without being driven by any self motive?
Yes, he willingly rejected a sure shot chance at Rs 1 crore. He knew very well that he was the most popular of all the contestants and hence his probability of winning the game show was very high. So his opting out of the game came across as an enduring act to the people. More over he gained respect of millions by asking the public to vote for the poor, dhabeywaala Ashutosh.
But was the motive of Rahul Mahajan, son of Pramod Mahajan (the quite wealthy, late politician, who left him a fortune with which he could lead a luxurious and comfortable life without any struggles) to win 1 crore rupees? Rahul Mahajan is undoubtedly entitled to several crores from the fortune his family has. Money cannot matter to an already extremely rich person!
Rahul’s main motive was to clear up his absolutely crappy public image. After the death of his father he became very unpopular when he was reportedly found involved the drugs abuse case. He was charged under sections 21 (sale and purchase of drugs), 25 (allowing one’s premises for the use of drugs), 27 (consumption of drugs), and 29 (conspiracy and abetment) of the NDPS Act. Section 21 can land him in jail for a minimum of 10 years. Apart from this he had an image of an atrocious ‘wife beater’. His former wife, Shweta Singh Mahajan on the show ‘Zindagi Live’ admitted that he was not the kind of person he was portraying himself as to the public. He was on a show, and he had to create a liking for himself in the hearts of the audiences. That was probably his motive behind being the ‘cute, friendly, calm and tolerant’ person he was. He knew well, that one mistake and he would have to face the repercussions his entire life. Bigg Boss gave him the perfect chance to salvage his public image that he had absolutely destroyed in the past two years. And he did do so nicely! By supposedly ‘sacrificing the money and the title’ and urging people to vote for the poor lad Ashutosh.
How can one ignore his alleged affairs with Payal Rohatgi and Monika Bedi. He was supposed to be in a relationship with Payal at first, but then he got intimate and close with Monika Bedi, ignoring Payal. Later when Monika was evicted, he gave leg and body massages to Payal, which were absolutely cheap! And the when Monika came back, he declared his undying love for her, even though Monika insisted on getting to know each other better first. But after the show, he completely denied being in love with her and said that they were just ‘friends’. Monika made a complete fool out of herself for trusting him! Besides people from the show themselves pointed out that he was a master player. Diana Hayden said that behind his silly and funny habits, his motive was to influence others. Once out of the house, Sambhavana said that ‘he knew the game well. He was not whatever he was showing the audiences’. Debojit also felt highly disappointed with him when he came to know about his two faced nature.
A wife beater and a manipulator, how can one really empathize with him when he deliberately opted out to gain the sympathy of the masses?
I have every reason to believe that it was a calculated move on his part- to glorify himself as a great human being. Money, he did not need, but he was in a desperate need of fostering a positive impression in the minds and hearts of people. A great player indeed, who got what he wanted in the end and emerged as the true winner. Ha!

Indian News Channels: A Good Option For The Drama Starved Audience

Since 9th November, Indian television has been plagued by the worst ever strike by the TV producers and employees leaving the viewers without any cat fights, saas-bahu arguments, adultery, etc, etc, to feed on from the daily soaps. 2 weeks of repeat telecast of the programmes (that were already memorized to the core in the minds of the devout followers of these shows) was a mental torture for the couch potatoes. But, hey! There’s always a silver lining somewhere around…isn’t it?
So.. to the rescue of the avid drama addicts, came the Indian News Channels! Yes. IBN 7, Aaj Tak, Sahara Samay etc, etc..critically acclaimed by the soaps and drama critics for their outstanding performance in presenting before you the masaala-maar-ke, as well as the theatrical version of news, have indeed lived up to the expectations by the drama starved audiences.
With the entire day coverage, exclusive reports and expert comments on the Bigg Boss reality show by IBN 7 and Aaj Tak have proved to be the daily dose of the daily soaps fanatics. Another episode of covering the ‘Killer Beauty Queen of Meerut’ was like oxygen to a dying person. For three entire days, from the morning till the night, there was in-depth analysis on each and every remark and action of the two girls involved, Priyanka and Anju. Were they homosexuals? Was Anju raped by Ajinder? Was Priyanka an out of the marriage child? And many such other crucial issues were addressed. And not to miss was the BJP, Congress, and other political parties’ along with the Indian army’s views, debates, allegations and fights on Saadhvi Pragya, Dayanand Pandey and Lt Col Shrikant Purohit’s alleged role in the Malegaon blast case.
I suppose that with such a fantastic performance in the dramatics and theatrical area, the extensive coverage, resources and efforts deployed in such stories, Indian news channel are going to pose a serious threat to the popularity of Ekta Kapoor’s camaraderie of ‘K-serials’.

BANNED CONDOMS, FREE VIAGRA?

Viva Mexico! Viva Viagra! would be the new slogan on the tongue of the oldies in México. The government of Mexico City has decided to provide the 70 years and older men with free Viagra and other impotence drugs like Levitra or Cialis. The Mexican government will be offering these pills to the elderly after they undergo medical examinations. According to Ahued, there's an estimated 112,000 men 70 or older that live in the Federal District, which has a total population of 8.7 million. They will be distributed at special health clinics in the city on December 1. Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says the city is implementing the plan because sexuality "has a lot to do with quality of life and our happiness."
WOW! It’s interesting to note that even though the government is highly concerned over the sexual lives of the elderly, it still follows the ‘Global Gag Rule’, a policy which requires non-governmental organizations to stop their access to USAID-supplied condoms and other forms of contraception. It’s a peculiar situation where on one hand the govt. is helping increase the reproductive mechanism while on the other, they refrain women from having abortions and using contraceptives.
The double standards that the govt. has adopted makes you think whether such programmes are just to increase the vote bank for the next mayoral elections to be held in March next year. It’s a shame that while the mayor thinks that sexuality has a lot to do with the quality of life and happiness, unwanted babies and safe sex do not.

TRANSEXUALITY, ABNORMAL? THINK AGAIN!

For all those who considered transexuality a case of abnormality and as a case of mental and physical disorder, I’d LOVE to break the news: You’re Wrong! Courtesy to the Australian scientists who recently found that transexuality can be explained biologically as it is caused by a genetic component.
Confirming the above claim, Prince Henry’s Institute researcher Lauren Hare said, “We think these genetic differences might reduce testosterone action and under-masculinise the brain during foetal development. There is a social stigma that transsexualism is simply a lifestyle choice. However, our findings support a biological basis of how gender identity develops.” The research was carried out on DNA samples of 112 male-to-female transsexuals which were compared with the samples from 250 men. The team constituting of American and Australian scientists says that it is known that longer versions of the androgen receptor gene are associated with less efficient testosterone signalling and this reduction in the action of the male sex hormone may have an effect on gender development in the womb and contributes to the female gender identity of male to female transsexuals.
Transexuality is a Gender Identity Disorder (GID) where a person feels that he/she is trapped in the body of the wrong sex. The person wants to have the opposite of his biological sex. For years, transsexuals have been treated as a hindrance to the society. Finding the truth about oneself and then getting the acceptance from the near and dears of a person is highly important yet an extremely difficult job. Majority of people dismiss the claims made by transsexuals as a mere mental problem or confusion. Instead of getting them into therapy for clearing their doubts about their gender, they are treated as retards. Without the support of a person’s friends and family, it’s a zillion times tough to get through this procedure. The traits and feelings of being trapped in the body of different sex starts to show in childhood itself. But hey! What do children know about sex and gender, is the kind of attitude people have towards them. It’s time to take notice about such issues and get the person into the G.I.D. therapy as soon as possible. Life of a person can be destroyed or made by one such decision. Just because of ignoring such problems, most of the people get to know about this after getting married or having kids…which in turn plays havoc on the lives of the ones close to them. So instead of lending deaf ear to it, it should be treated, so that one can lead a normal life from the very beginning.
Although the scientists said that further research would be required to support the claims, it’s indeed a reason for all the transsexuals of the world to cheer up and for the people to change their attitudes towards them.

BALIKA VADHU

Indian television is indeed all about K serial, saas bahu operas and sensationalism. How can one ever forget Ekta Kapoor's statement on the much popular 'Koffee with Karan' in which she claimed to make serials only for the lower-middle class, family oriented females and give them something to ''identify'' with. After all the relating with the deaths, re-births and female cynicism, I finally found one show worth writing about. Balika Vadhu.

The practice of child marriage started 4000 years ago in India. Many things changed through the course of time like discrimination based on one’s caste, women emancipation, economic and social growth of our country, etc., etc. But there are things that even 4000 years of time hasn’t been able to eradicate. Sadly, child marriage is one of the social vices that till date exist in our country.

Recently a programme called ‘Balika Vadhu’ went on air on channel Colors, dealing with the above mentioned issue. During its promotional campaign and trailers I thought it would be yet another serial telling us what we already know. That child marriage is immoral, inappropriate and most importantly, it can be devastating for the lives of children. Nothing that we’re not aware of! But what I didn’t expect was getting to know about the countless matters and intricacies that were attached to this one practice. Set in a small village of Rajasthan, the story revolves around the life of a child bride, Anandi, before and after getting married. She is married into a wealthy family where the tradition of bringing young brides from extremely poor families is followed.

Balika Vadhu was not aimed to eradicate the very practice by condemning and criticizing it, instead the intent was for the people to see the consequences of it. In Rajasthan, where child marriage still occurs, the audience gets to see the results in a very justified and clear manner. Be it a little girl being expected to get all worldly and mature at a pre-teen age , the way she copes up with pressures of living in a different house with people she doesn’t even know. Their huge expectations of managing the entire household-cooking, cleaning, taking care of everyone in the family and behaving according to them are supposed to be met. We see how women are still being treated as objects that have to abandon their lives, family and friends (without having any say) to fulfill the responsibilities they have been passed on. That being of a passive, tolerant and a perfect housewife. Anandi, although being excellent in studies and having a great interest in it, cannot go to school. Since, after married she has the sole responsibility of taking care of her household. Whereas Jagadish, her husband, is the apple of everyone’s eyes, gets to play, go to school, do what so ever he wants to since he’s a guy.

Through Phooli’s character, a child widow and Anandi’s best friend, we get to see the life of a widow. At an age of about 8 or 10, she cannot get dressed in colourful clothes, apply makeup, wear bangles and hair clips and ribbons which she absolutely adores. She has to follow a particular dress code of dull, plain clothes. She is made to follow a strict code of conduct set up by the society. She is abstained by all the worldly pleasures, cannot remarry or go to school and has to live with her parents till the time death rescues her. When she doesn’t know what married life is all about, she is forced to lead the life of a widow.

The consequence of consummating a girl at an early age resulting in her death has been shown through the story of Basant’s (Anandi’s tauji) ex-wife. The dominance of the males and the rich has been clearly reflected by Basant’s remarriage (even though he is a widower and about 50 years old) to a girl his daughter’s age and a virgin by his demand. Being a male, and a powerful and a rich one, he gets to ‘choose’.

Balika Vadhu does not put everything regarding child marriage in just black and white. If on one hand there are elements of a rigid and unchanging society (in the form of Anandi’s daadi-sa and Basant tauji), there are also characters like Anandi’s father and mother in-law, who understand the problems created by child marriage. They want things to change but are not courageous enough to go against the society. The very interesting and strong woman who dares to go against the norms and do what’s best for her is played by Gahna, Anandi’s new tayji. After coming to know about the incident of early consummation of her husband’s ex-wife, she adamantly refuses to sleep with him even after he and her mother-in-law threatens to throw her out of the hose and kill her. The life of the poor families having daughters has been referred to as a crime in the society. The parents of these girls want their daughters to get married in a wealthy family so that they can lead a comfortable life. They succumb to any kind of pressure or demand laid down before them by the rich. However the affluent families do not refrain themselves from repeatedly telling them about the noble deed they have done by marrying their sons to the poor and the needy. They have endowed the girls with all the luxuries of the world, hence, their ‘kindness and gratitude’ must never be forgiven. Isn’t it a shame that instead of making life good for their own daughters they sell them off without considering the aftereffects on the social, psychological and physical state of the girl. Last but certainly not the least, the characters of Anandi, Jagadish, Phooli manifestate the changes and the responsibilities that children are gifted with their marriage. The way they have been shown to adapt themselves and adjust in the society is touching. These innocent, tender souls without any knowledge about the way things work in a patriarchal, oppressive and unchanging society are made to grow up at an incredibly young age.

Balika Vadhu makes you think and gives you plenty and plenty of reasons to bring about a much needed change in the Indian society.

MNS And Raj Thackeray; It's All About Hate Politics

The recent attacks organized by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on the North Indians have been strongly criticized and condemned. Be it the encounter of Rahul Raj, the beaten to death worker Dharmadev Rai or the Pande and the Gupta family. Keeping all the debates aside, it’s the common man who has suffered. Raj Thackeray’s policies are ripping the nation apart, and I believe if the case remains so, the rest of the mumbaikars might have to face the consequences of his actions. He is dividing the country. The two sides being the North India and Mumbai. And in no way must he forget that the mumbaikars do not only reside in Mumbai. They go off to other metropolitan areas aswell.. so should they be treated the same way in North India? Or should the Indians who go abroad in search of a better life and jobs be beaten up aswell? Because that's exactly what millions of people have done. Is that what he is implying?
Yes, Raj Thackeray has a point. There is a situation that has to be handled since the natives of the state are indeed suffering. But resorting to violence is no solution. Raj Thackeray and MNS are just using the current problem for their own political agendas and aspirations irrespective of what the common man has to suffer. They are using ‘hate politics’ as a tool to win the confidence of the people of Mumbai and hence come to power. Coming back to the problem at hand, I propose that there should be a law that secures a specific amount of jobs to the natives. It indeed would be a shame if the locals would have to move out of their very own town in search of jobs.
Raj Thackeray might have a valid point of ensuring the well being of the mumbaikars but his methods are unjustifiable. He was born in Maharashtra and hence was endowed with the legacy of a prosperous state. In comparison the majority of the remaining states in India are not well off. And hence, the people are forced to migrate. Give them the option of the same life in their states, would they then consider moving out?

NO HOLD BARS

Recently I came across an amazing movie ‘Real Women Have Curves’. Finally a movie that doesn’t make you feel that you have GOT to loose weight to feel beautiful! Completely out of the box it can easily put movies like Shallow Hall and Fat Girlz to shame. It is the first of it’s kind movie with a lead protagonist who stays fat from the start to the end. She is not ashamed about it no matter how much do the people nag her. The film embraces any body size and shape as beautiful, the first where self confidence and esteem are not gained by shedding off pounds. Instead, real women are presented uncensored. Yep! There is a scene where the overweight females are dancing in their lingerie without being conscious of their bodies. Commendable, it is. From the beginning till the end they learn to change their idea of beauty. They learn to accept themselves in a society which only calls for thin as pretty. The film focuses on the fact that females are not just about looks. They’re not a mere object of desire. They have brains, emotions, ideas and thoughts that might just knock your socks off- without looks being the criterion.

Adapting the idea to other issues and not just limiting it to accepting fat people, the problem with us is that we all try to measure upto standards, set by the society- be it beauty, intelligence, creativity or any other thing. And when we don’t find ourselves upto that mark, we don’t think we’re good enough. I say, to hell with that! Haven’t we been listening all our lives about everyone being different in their own unique way…so, why can’t we accept ourselves the way we are and totally be in love with it. When I come to think of it, the people I like the most, are the one’s who are absolutely unconventional. Che Guevara, Oprah Winfrey, America Ferrera, Nelson Mandela etc, etc. have all broken the stereotypes. And in what way. I feel that it would be the first step towards being able to accept different people and respect and love them. No standards, no pressures- 100% YOU! Celebrate what you've got.

I changed my mind after watching this movie and I hope you do too, because it is indeed necessary =)

MULAN II- Review

To say the least, it was a disappointment watching the sequel to the famous Mulan. Instead of an adventurous comeback the sequel was melodramatic!, dealing with the theme of arrange marriage v/s love marriage in ancient China (much to the horror of Mulan fanbase. yikes!). Less than 5 minutes of action, a few tears, some silly flirting and the huge debate over the opposites, good or bad in a relationship, Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southerland present to you Mulan II.

The movie starts with general Shang proposing Mulan. Mushu with the fear of losing his job as the guardian dragon after Mulan gets married, takes up the job of parting the two. Mulan and General Shang are then called by the Chinese emperor to take his 3 daughters- Mei, Su and Ting Ting to the kingdom of Qui Gong. They are supposed to get married to the 3 princes of the kingdom (whom the haven't ever seen) so that an alliance could be formed between the two kingdoms to fight the upcoming Mongol forces. General Shang, Mulan alongwith along with Chien-Po, Ling and Yao (the three soldiers from the first film) move ahead with the mission of escorting the princesses safely to the kingdom Qui Gong. On the journey the princesses and the soldiers fall in love. Mulan jumps with joy when she comes to know about it while General Shang is outraged. They both learn that they are extremely different and decide to break off the wedding. Shang tells his soldiers that the mission is still on and they are supposed to stay away from the princesses and only obey their duty of protecting them on the way. Seeing Mulan unhappy after the breakup, Mushu confesses to Mulan that he created all the misunderstandings between Shang and her. Mulan sets out to tell Shang that she still loves him but by then the bandits attack them. Shang while fighting with the bandits falls down the bridge and is presumed to be dead. Mulan asks the soldiers and the princesses to run away and abandons the mission. On reaching Qui Gong, she makes up a story of a fatal accident on the way resulting in the death of all others and instead of the princesses offers herself to marry one of the Qui Gong prince so that the alliance could be formed. Meanwhile Shang emerges from the river alive and heads to Qui Gong to stop Mulan from marrying the prince. Mushu helps the cause by voicing the Chinese God of Alliance leading General Shang to marry Mulan.

The charm and distinctiveness that its prequel bore is completely lost. The movie does not deal with the concept of arrange v/s love marriage in an interesting way. The approach is melodramatic instead of a logical one only emphasizing ''following the heart''. The custom of arrange marriage in ancient China has not been condemned but simply questioned. Moreover why love marriage is better than the arranged one has not been mentioned. Mulan II started out on a promising note but after about 20 minutes the same conventional and sappy plot took over the film and carried till the end. If not to anyone else, Mulan II at the most could probably serve the pre-teen audience seeking out to know something about the customs and rituals in the ancient world.

IN SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE…..That’s Where Boundaries Fade.

I live in Delhi, the capital of India. In a small area of 1,483 sq kms, it holds a population of nearly 13,782,976 people. Everyday I step out of my home I see soo many people, some delhiites and mostly not….the reason….? Being the capital, it has been looked upon as the land of opportunities by people from all over the country which makes them pack their bags and migrate over here. Most of them are from Bihar and UP. Over the years these people have formed another community which has become a part of this state. Treading into the city, there is not a single area where you wouldn’t find slums…poverty has been creeping up; crime has been increasing at an exponential rate. Inflation in the economy and lower living standards are just worsening the current scenario.
Majority of the delhiites lend the blame to the people who come from other cities for the present situation. And the fact is that it is true…people from other cities commit most of the crimes. The question at hand is that whether anything is being done to change this status. Why do people migrate from small villages and cities to metropolitans- in search of jobs, better livelihood, opportunities. Yes. That’s what we all need. So would it be reasonable to blame those people who come here just to find the most basic necessities of life…? Certainly not. Everyone has the right to lead a nice, comfortable life. So why are these things not being made available to people in every region…? Why is it that people are left with no other choice but to leave their home grounds and wander into the unknown streets…? Why does this phenomenon needs to take place….?
Yes, Delhi is the capital of the country and yes, it is looked upon as a dreamland and yes, it has everything that might just lure a person to settle here. But for how long…? For how long will it be able to support people from the entire country, for how long will there be enough land to dwell on, for how long will there be resources to sustain life…? What happens when the city would be nothing more than a dump of frustrated souls living in a place with scarce resources, inflation reaching new heights, the very prosperous middle class crumbling into the pressures giving way to the two extremes-the rich and the poverty stricken?
The problem of migration from villages to the cities and from countries across borders is something that occurs everywhere, every time.
While on his trip in Anatolia, Robert D Kaplan mentions Naci Garve, man selling crockery from a battered pushcart. Naci says, ‘’I am an Arab, an Alawite, the same religion as Hafez-al- Assad [Syrian ex president]. But I have no loyalty towards Syria. Sure we’ve got our problems here. Ozal’s reform did make the rich richer and poor poorer. But in Syria for decades the economy has been much worse. The Syrians cross the border to Antakya to shop. In Syria people need ration cards, but here we have so much more freedom in Syria you cant even breathe.’’
In another such encounter in turkey, he writes about a 25 year old woman named Suna from Anatolia itself. She points to a row of grim modern apartment blocks, all cheaply constructed, and says, ‘’that’s where my family is headed. Every day I look at those houses and want to live there. My husband and I have only one child. We don’t want any more. We want to give our child a life we never had. We can’t depend on the government. We’ve got to do it ourselves.’’
Overriding emphasis on the metropolitans and duly neglecting the suburbs adds to the cause. The dynamics of a country while referring to development has always been elite based and favored the political interests and ambitions of the politicians- be it Sheila dixit in Delhi or Hafez in Syria. But can development take place in only a handful of hundreds of cities? This kind of strategy leads to migration when people are forced to leave their lands in pursuit of a better life. This is exactly what leads to the ever increasing gap between the poor and the rich. And this is what leads to the condition of cities like Delhi, Anatolia. The terms and the meaning of progress need to be reassessed and readdressed. The meaning of progress is not only political and technological but most importantly a social reform.

RELIGION: THE OTHER SIDE

I am not religious and I don’t follow any religion just to please my parents or other people in the society. I've always been criticizing the preachers of any religion for being blind and illogical in their approach. But strangely, sometimes apart from just inculcating blind faith and as to what I think, irrationality, religion has an innate quality of being able to transfer morality and hope where people have lost faith in the socio-political and economic system of the society they live in. We are a part of a world which is dominated by inequalities- social, economical, political and cultural. And when I talk about this side of religion, I am referring to societies where the above mentioned institutions have miserably failed to provide the people with the basic amenities and requirements to lead their life. Societies which prevail in the third world countries, like some in Africa and Asia, where people are dying of hunger, women roaming around naked, babies abandoned by their mothers lying around in their own feces, children sorting out the garbage just to find some petty thing to eat, where its not uncommon to find people with multiple forms of malaria, tuberculosis, etc., where people murder each other just to earn a piece of bread, where even the most educated people are left with no opportunities. In these societies people are left with nothing except hope which is what religion provides them. It binds them with morality so that they don’t commit crimes-thefts, murders, kidnappings, rapes and what not.
I don’t think that following a religion changes this scenario, but it does give people something to hold on to…faith and hope that they could lead a better life without surrendering into the world of crime and death. All I can say is that I am lucky enough to have been born in a society where I can lead a life without having to believe in the very existence of god.

Indian Chicks…..Lost In Indian Popular Culture…??

Literature is the mirror image of society….so….why is it that when I want to read a novel or see a movie or a programme about the contemporary, post feminist Indian female, I hardly find anything related to it…? Bridget Jone’s Diary, Legally Blonde, Sex And The City among movies; Grey’s anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Sex And The City, Ugly Betty in the television shows; Shopaholic series , Princess Diaries, Pride and Prejudice in the chick lit genre have not only been immensely popular in the west but have also made a huge fan base in India. Then, why is there a scarcity of chick culture in the popular culture of India?
In Indian cinema women are still being given the passive roles of objects of desires or of the hardcore feminists challenging patriarchy, or of some kind of prop being used since the role of a female protagonist (however small it may be) is necessary to the plot. Indian television is still being dominated by the ever crappy saas bahu serials or over dramatic reality shows like big boss and the wide variety of talent hunt shows. As for literature is concerned, apart from two books (Trust Me & Piece Of Cake) I haven’t come across any other novel in this genre.
A contemporary Indian female would love to see a bharatiya avatar of the Bridget Jones (being bugged by her parents to wear traditional clothes and loosing weight to get married) or Rebecca Brandon (making chapatis in the kitchen for her Luke). Everyday women with everyday problems set in the Indian soil is what I’m craving for. A lighthearted yet intelligible heroine with the indianized set of problems and their unique solutions. Its certainly high time for the post feminist Chicks in Indian popular culture to mark the beginning and give the female audience something to relate to and hence really enjoy.