My bed of roses

Past few months have been quite uneventful which includes my lazing over to update this space. I have been fixating myself into deep reading and I have finished over four books in two weeks (a personal record). Other than that I have been working over the still progressing, head spinning, life churning decisions of mine. And here is how a typical thought runs on its own winding over the nerves in my head.

"MBA! Time for me to do a PG." (Yaaawn).

"But which college do I choose? Screw those sinister exams. CAT, MAT, RAT, SNAP, CRAP, FMS, JMET, blah, blah, blah! Hmmmmmmmmm."

"Wait-a-minute, should I go for this?" (Fingers playing with my hair)

"I should definitely revive my job hunting strategies for now – getting back to books is scary and I want to be done with exams forever! Somebody banish them!"

"But I ain’t gonna go back to those scrawny techie jobs; remember you swore it to yourself the last time!"

"But then what is the other better option???" (Biting the corners of my mouth)

Imaginations on the roll-day dreaming; whatever it’s called

SNAP! "No seriously! What should I do???"

Now I think of a million ways to escape the next train of thoughts that’s on its way

Nature’s call, gotta run / Raid the fridge / Got to finish this book / Nap time! / Vigorously starts typing texts over the phone / Spiteful urge to irritate someone in the house      

Oh yes, and those taunting neighbors and relatives (relatively unknown to me) who can’t just wait to get me married off.

I would say, “You people ain’t getting rid off me that quick.”

They would flabbergast, “OMG!!! You do have someone in your life, don’t you? Do your parents know? Who is the guy? What about religion and caste? OMGGGGG!!!! ”

They never fail to render me speechless.

I would shoot back, “Now when did I say that?????”

They would then begin with their mantras on life (in Lola Kutty style) “All girls are like that now. They introduce and decide everything on their own caring the least of what parents think. We know you are not like that but you shouldn’t keep your parents waiting. Now be a good girl and no fooling around. We will help you find some good desi boys who can fly you to I-Am-Erica. We just want to see you happily married off before we go to our graves.”

I would think “Why don’t I just dig them up for you myself right now!” “#!/= @&^?%*!$~#”

I smile back at them politely like a doll wishing I could say a lot more but sadly goes unsaid.

The Buck Stops Here

The sad state of affairs with the IPL was something that was expected to happen sooner or later. Any person would ponder to look on to the other side of entertainment and realize the huge amounts of bucks flying around when our own governments are going nuts on how to shelf down the food prices. Not only has there been a betrayal of public trust but also how corruption was written all over and no one recognized those signs.

Enough has been said on the IPL issue but take a step back and look onto some of its positive side, something which I happen to read lately. Last year’s IPL in South Africa gave in a huge boost to its economy during the bad times along with the good work of promoting the country’s tourism and infrastructure. Schools in each of the host cities where given scholarships and other opportunities which uplifted and brought back lost hopes to the students. The games then were a fine example of entertainment through cricket and community recognition as a social cause.

Unsurprisingly when IPL came to India, none of this even happened. Because everything here has to be tagged in with glamour, Bollywood, parties, ego clashes, cheer girls and Page3. Oh! And yes the big bucks on the roll. Cricket is no more a game. It’s another one of those emerging businesses where you embroil to make ‘easy money’.

Source: The Hindu

Bachao!

Yes, that is what I would scream out when a movie turns out so sour that I end up strangling myself for watching it. This is usually what I would do in general but if it’s an exclusive ‘treat’ from bollywood, then it gets uglier. I’ve been watching bollywood grow (or degrade) through the years since the day I have learnt to understand the language. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, the movies were so caught up in unraveling the twists and turns in the very popular and monotonous theme of ROMANCE, either woven out by a cheesy writer or partially or completely borrowed from the other film fraternities.

Every movie had an incredibly audacious hero by the names Raj/Rohit/Aman/Rahul/Vijay (sometimes with a sidekick called Mitto or Bittu or Chintu) who had fallen in love with the gracious Pooja/Tina/Priya/Sapna, with one of them from a super rich clan and the other clamped in poverty. The plot usually works out on how the couple fights on tirelessly till the end against the tyrants with wild names like Rocky/Tiger/Vicky/Robert and with the inclusion of the infamous dialogue from the lead female “Mujhe Bacha Lo!” every time the villains eye her. Oh and how could I go past without a mention on the sizzling songs where the lovebirds run around (yet managing to get the music notes a 10 on 10) with a 100 or something dancers out of nowhere amidst the rain, snow and the ‘holy smoke’.    

Ok, I quit with the mockery but I simply cannot help it. Today bollywood in its utmost glorified version has a mass appeal all over and I wonder what has happened to the world.  Movies that kill me are the ones with huge numbers rolling by their side and the ones that I get impressed with turn out to be among the lowest of the lowest in the box office. Inspite of being a part of today’s Gen-X, I find appeal in watching the wonders of Nasseruddin Shah and Om Puri and off late Paresh Rawal. Why are filmmakers so hesitant to portray the messages that are important in the real world? And why do actors go on signing such blunt movies that makes you want to throw a brick at them? Movies like Parzania, A Wednesday, Road to Sangam make it to the limelight once in a blue moon and yet are over shadowed by the supercilious and glamour-obsessed film industry and its audiences.