Monday, August 31, 2009

Kaminey Faale!

How come thif movie haf become fuch a hit! For me, it turned out to be a dud! I am ftill not fure what waf exactly the focal point of it! Feparated-and-reunited- twin brotherf or a ftory about gang war? The wanton bloodfed (bloodshed) and violonfe (violence) at the end isf abfolutely pointleff. Fahid Kapoor is juft about ok and all the hype about hif fterling performanfe uncalled for. And the villainf too are hardly fcary and don't make for a hair-raifing experienfe. Priyanka's juft herfelf trying her best to lift up the movie....in vain

The ftory initially feems alright with identical twins separated - one vituouf and the other not. But then, i juft kept waiting for the plot to thicken. But even when they exchange placef and i thought there'f going to be fome comedy of errorf. Inftead, they are quickly reftored back to their original settingf. The confrontation that they have at the end and the tragic circumstanfes of their father'f death bring no catherfif (catharsis). The angle comef as an after thought in an attempt to prop up the childhood enmity between brotherf. 

Priyanka Chopra isf running moft of the time and doing thingf a woman in the initial ftages of her pregnancy fhoudn't be doing. She ftill managef to have pretty healthy twinf!!! i know i fhoudn't be ufing common fenfe in a Bollywood movie...but couln't ignore something so obviouf. Shahid Kapoor (the one who lisps, hence no f's) is beaten up all the time and he ftill goes on without any medical attention or firft aid! The blood clot is a perennial feature of his make-up in the second half! 

All in all, 3 hours in the hall were a colossal waste of time for me! Just couldn't wait for it to be over! (mein 'fa' ko 'fa' nahin bolti!) 

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Obsessed with Size Zero!!

i know i have dealt with something similar recently but this seems to be all over the place. We are undoubtedly a generation obsessed with weight loss and acquiring that perfect figure. We talk about the goodness of diet food at dinner tables, have switched to low fat and sugar free options and hang on to any and every advice we hear that can help us reach our goal. We are ready to take on any form of physical activity to beat us back into shape. Aerobics, Power Yoga, Gym, Yoga, Sports or simply hour-long walks. Anything at all. 

Like i said it is everywhere and try as much as you like, you cannot escape the truth staring in your face - you don't have that perfect figure. Switch on the television and you are likely to find fitness programs on every third channel. Pick up the newspaper and you will more often than not run into articles related to health and slimming tips. How many glasses of water, helpings of fruits and vegetables, minutes/hours of physical activity- it's all there for you to follow. Even aunties will tell you how they try to beat those extra inches (only 'try'). Chatting up with Mrs. Sharma while waiting for the school bus to arrive, in kitty parties, at Yoga classes, at all-women family get- togethers or simply while sweating it out in the local park in saree and sneakers! There is no dearth of information we are inundated with. 

You decide to turn away from all that and catch up with a quite movie to make you feel better. But you are sure to be haunted by the size zero figures and six-pack abs on screen to add to your torment. And your thoughts move back to the dream of achieving slim thighs and a slender waist someday! And every woman who aspires to make it to size zero dreams of flaunting a John Abraham as her man. And every man who yearns for the six-pack body fantasises of Kareena Kapoor for a spouse. (no wonder matrimonial columns even today demand 'slim and beautiful' girl) We might not reach our ideal situation but over the years the desire remains buried somewhere deep down in our hearts. 

i wonder if this craze of losing weight and looking better is not because of cosmetic reasons. The way lifestyle related diseases threaten us, it's not easy to ignore our health. It's worth the time and effort to look good and also be able to keep diseases at bay. On the flip side we might choose to accept that Indian figures are not meant to be as slender as they are in the West. We are broad and we look beautiful that way. Eating in moderation and enjoying the life we've been given could be such a better approach to being happy and healthy! 

As for me i promise not to make my blog a commentary of health obsessions of people! 

Friday, August 28, 2009

No Bang..... only whimper!!

That’s exactly what it has been, with me missing from action for a few more days even after i finished my exam. The days just fly past and i only end up contemplating what should go next on my blog. And my blog being very special to me, i want exclusive time (lots of it, actually) to mull over what to write, how to write, researching facts etc. i promptly visit my blog first thing when i switch my comp on (half hoping some good samaritan has done the deed for the day by commenting on any of my posts!), but that’s the end of it. A fastidious person that i am, i want my post going online exactly when i finish it and not when i start writing it since i might do a post in bits over a day. So now you know that i take my blog pretty seriously and do not want to write things that wouldn’t interest my precious readers!

And i also know the reasons i have elaborated above are insignificant to you. So let’s talk of something else. There is no dearth of different professions in today’s times. Changing times have given birth to a lot of newer ones. We call them offbeat professions. i find some of them quite intriguing. When I was in school, i only knew about subjects that would make me a teacher, doctor, engineer and all those kinds of usual stuff. i never knew what made a Social Commentator. Or a Relationship Expert? Imagine making a career out of commenting on the changing social fabric of a city. Or better still being paid to state on a TV program that men are genetically programmed to be unfaithful!!

And then there are Mind and Body Experts who can tell you how to find what all of us are looking for - Happiness!! That's a cool off beat profession. A couple of such people are a huge rage in India. They get quoted in the leading newspapers and readers gulp down their nuggets of wisdom first thing in the morning. i wish i was one. i would never ever be unhappy since i would know how to capture the elusive emotion the whole world is striving to achieve. Leadership Gurus. That's another category of innovative people who have given rise to another fraternity altogether.

i am wondering where would i fit in! Will be back with some innovative off beat careers i can pursue! Watch this space!!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Back with a Bangg!!

Deep into the bottomless pit. Without any source of light. No window to the outside world. Waiting for someone to find me and get me out of there. Futile attempts at scratching the dark walls around in an effort to free myself of the nightmare but all in vain. Mouth wide open trying to snatch as much air as I could but for vague reasons air dint seem to reach the depths. Just going round and round within the confines of mournful existence. Living in the reality of hopelessness...

And then my saviour with a click of a switch restored glowing brilliance of light into my life. i could see light and connect with the world around. Oxygen rushed into my lungs giving me a new lease of life. i was suddenly unfettered and free to do what i chose to. And....and....then i realised my life had no meaning without my internet connection!!!!

My computer seemed only a box fit enough to watch movies and that’s it.... It had life but had lost it’s soul... i could put it on and but had nothing to do with it. The modem decided to act up just when my knight in shining armour (read my husband - in absolutely mundane terms) was away. i couldn’t check mails, log onto Facebook or write my blog!! It was like i could think of all important things to do online just then! And a nut that i am wen it comes technology, i made umpteenth hopeless and fruitless visits around the cables to figure out the wires that to me seems to send out internet signals by magic. But all i could find were plugs for the printer-cum-fax machine, modem, wireless port, telephone adaptor, table lamp, radio....phew and a couple of other things maybe. And wires emanating from all those sources of modern conveniences all over the place! And how would poor me figure out what the hell was wrong.

While i was ‘down under’ trying to set things right and undo the tragedy that had befallen me, my knight told me to simply switch the modem off and then on!!!! And lo! the internet buzzed into life! Gawd! Technology has strange ways of behaving. i can say that. And the astonishing grip that internet has on us is truly unbelievable. Moreso for me who’s become the owner of a laptop only a year ago and spent the better part of my life without computers and 24 hour internet access was a far away cry. As children, internet and computers were relegated only to the dominions of books and scientists. i was so excited when my sister decided to buy a computer in the late 90's. Reason - multimedia kit that she bought with it so i could watch movies and listen to music on it!!!! i got to use computers everyday only when i started working. And i wasn't really excited at the idea of being with them.

But today, the endless dalliance with my laptop takes up chunk of my day....and why me! It’s that way with most of us. How many hours in a day do we spend dawdling away reading stuff that others have written, scrapping friends on Orkut and Facebook, checking emails, forwarding emails, chatting with friends etc etc. Doesn’t matter whether we are lounging on our couch or in the middle of travel - technology has ensured that we have access to the cyberspace wherever we are!!!

Most of what we do online might not be educational or informational but we have to be online and stay connected! It just helps feeling so much better. And I know losing that connection even for a while can feel like losing a close bosom friend!!!! Hail Internet!!!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Will be right back....

Well! i've been missing from action for a few days cz of time constraints. i have an exam next week and i really don't seem to be reaching the end of my textbook. But i've also been exploring other blogs, reading them (cursorily though, exam remember!) and trying to figure out interesting things that can be put on my site to make it look more happening and fuller. Right now i feel it looks so empty. And once my exam is over, i shall get down to actually trying out gadgets that i want to put on my blog.

Since my exam is on my mind, i've not been really keen on mulling over things to write about. And there hasn't been anything in the past week to really trigger my responses. Except maybe the hullabalu about SRK's detention at Newark airport. Big deal! Should have belted out dialogues from a few of his movies and the officials there would have themselves ensured his speedy ejection from the airport!

Anyways, i got to get back to my studies and stop hacking away at the keyboard with my mindless rambling! Till the next time......

Thursday, August 13, 2009

30 is the new 60

This is the best time to be born on earth! Even the original creator of the world couldn’t have dreamt of such variety! Mankind has beaten him in all departments of innovation and creativity. We’ve decoded the DNA, found ways to modify our food, figured out each calorie in every morsel that goes into our mouth, unveiled the mysteries of nature to manipulate it to the best of our interests, found cures for every ailment that man could possibly suffer from. Satisfied with his accomplishments, Lord Mankind decided it wasn’t enough to vanquish Nature, he would invent his own nature and call it Technology!

Today, we can stop aging and look naturally beautiful (thanks to botox and its ilk), plan the traits you want in your children (refer to the advancement in Genetics), talk to people living in another corner of the world as if the person were in front of you (haven’t you heard of internet!?), be available at the press of a button (I meant the speed dial on your phone!) get paid obscene salaries for your job (corporate world). There is a solution to every problem. Marriage doesn’t appeal to you? Live-in. Can’t go to office today? Keep the office at home- work on the laptop silly! Can’t stand men, you can still produce a child of your own (ever heard of IVF?). And the list is endless…

But with all those luxuries around, we have forgotten to move our precious ass and go get some exercise. We are just too busy (even with all the gadgets around to save us time and make our lives so much easier) Added to it is the array of food options available in all kinds of cuisines. Eating out has become a fashion rather than a rare family ritual it used to be about a couple of decades ago. We are in such a tearing hurry that we can't spend time to even walk down the lane to buy basic stuff that doesn't need carrying around. Something drastic seems to have gradually changed (ironically) in our lifestlyes over the years - from the time we were kids to the time we've become a part of the fast paced choked with more than we can cope with.

Suspicion of diseases unheard of in the 30s seem to stare in our faces. At least threaten to. Cholesterol, Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure, Heart issues - the list seems as impressive as the former list of conveniences that results in the latter list of problems. There are paranoid discussions about healthy diet, good lifestyle habits and quick ways to shed pounds all around. So i guess Nature has its way of levelling out and getting back at Man almighty who thought He could achieve anything. He has. And a little more.

i feel all we need to do is to slow down. God has blessed us with no less than 24 hours in a day and all of us can afford to spend some time for ourselves. All the more important because we live in this fast- paced world. Just watch what we eat (indulge once in a while, though!!) And more importantly - get out of the air-conditioned interiors and make your body work (out)! i am sure our bodies would go back to their natural selves only if we treated them the way they were meant to be. We need to let our body catch up with the pace at which our minds are racing. Or better still, slow down the pace of the mind. "God is in His Heaven and all will be well with the world"

Monday, August 10, 2009

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Pink Money

Legalising Homosexuality in India has taken our country by storm. It is certainly music to the ears of gays who were forced to stay closeted fearing the stigma attached to them. The move of the honourable court is a commendable one in ensuring that discrmination is not done on the basis of something as personal as a person's sexual preference. A mere proclivity doesn't make a man (or woman) since a whole lot of other characterisitcs define a human being.

But all the halla gulla about the Gay relationships being made legal in India seems almost anachronistic when you look at it from a global angle. In countries like the UK and the US, the power of Pink Money has made its presence felt across business sectors leading to a flourishing economy that runs on it. (funny that even money changes colour depending on who it comes from - greenbacks to pink dollars!) In the US, huge amounts of Pink Dollars even went into prestigious campaign accounts in the Presidential Elections and both Obama and Hillary Clinton wooed the gay vote bank. While we in India are still coming to terms with the fact that people can fall in love with others of the same sex, pink money is a multi-billion industry abroad. There are shops, restaurants, resorts and even cabs that cater exclusively to the Homosexual communities.

Well! Those are liberal and broad minded societies that condone a lot more than this. But it is an insult to our rich, cultural heritage of India to even think of such a thing. It is a sin, against God nd Nature. People who love others of the same sex are possessed and probably need curing etc etc. But hey! Look around and you will find the ripples of change just beginning to emerge even in our country. Designers who cater to this commnity also, spas where you can enjoy with your partner without feeling awkward and event management companies who can put up an event together just for gay couples what want to come together and enjoy with some of their own kind. It might take a while before this trend becomes current but the mindset is slowly but surely changing.

We country moving towards being a developed country would be so in the real sense when we have made sure that no sectionsof our society are discriminated against. We need to exemplify equality which is one of the pillars of our Republic. And the new law is a major step towards upholding those very values that make mera Bharat mahan.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Where's my old dose?

Women are liberated every where in the world except on the Indian idiot box!!! The serial makers seem to revel in the teary saga of the oh-so-weak-dependent-on-her-husband Bharatiya Naari. What strikes me is that these serials are so far away from the reality that it sucks. Especially from a woman’s point of view. (i don’t know if men derive a vicarious pleasure watching their species dominate women at least on TV, cz that’s where you can find them so often) i am not an avid watcher of the soap sagas. One doesn't have to be. Just run into the promos and that's the high point of the day's episode! Most of them are in the same vein.

It’s good to expose the existence of child marriage and female infanticide even today but the focus seems to get lost through the episodes and it is back to woman-bashing. Milk any situation to get the TRPs going and what’s better to tug at the hearts people (apparently women watch them more than men do) than a bechari woman being put through exploitation.

Without exception, none of these women seem to have a mind of their own. Most serials are endless epics of putting up with gross injustices perpetrated on them. All of them, no matter what time of the day or night, are found dressed in their costumes and jewellery (does that get any farther from real life!) The women are made to put up with the most igniominious situations just to add to the melodrama!!! And all these characters don’t seem to know that her counterpart in real life has transformed her fate. She has left behind men in most professions (I think I can safely say all professions!)

The second most common theme in our daily dose of entertainment is conspiracy, bitterness and politics. Once again, without exception. Even a seemingly innocuous and appealing story of Meera has intrigue and envy surfacing right in its first week. And that was the last time i watched it. It’s as if people have no better business but to concoct schemes and machinations against whoever they can target. None of those characters lead normal lives. There’s always a storm rocking the boat of their lives.

i agree that there are a lot of sections in our society where the women are still at the receiving end. Domestic violence, female infanticide are very much a reality. But i am talking about daily 'entertainment' that craetes recreation and diversion after the end of a tired day. We expect some clean and positive entertainment. Gone are the days of comedies like Yeh jo hai Zindagi, Dekh bhai dekh and classic programs like Buniyaad, Hum Log that depicted family values and were the favourites of the masses.

People responsible for television should realise that these uninspiring stories have so much of potential to become instruments of social change. Today, when we are talking about television as a mode of entertainment and information in every Indian village, it is important that it reflects the positive changes of society. Rather than condone presentation of women in poor light, television should ensure that the less exposed in the society are inspired with stories of man-woman equality and what a woman is capable of achieving.

A New Beginning!

Hello Everyone! Bookmark this blog cz i am sure none of you want to feel left out when this rocking place becomes the talk of cyberspace! Too haughty, right! Nah! Just trying to feel upbeat since i finallllly started a blog and have begun taking baby steps towards making it going great! Of course, i look forward to your comments, suggestions, arguments, questions, disagreements, affirmations etc to make it an interactive place.

My primary intention to begin with is to just hack away at the keyboard and the rest can follow later when i figure out the meandering pathways of settings, layouts, gadgets etc! i don't promise to give to spicy gossip or biting reviews, neither do i intend to sermonise or elevate through my blog. It's going to be just a rambling, flowing stream of thoughts that stop by at points of interest and examine, investigate or simply comment!

For now, thanks so much for visiting my blog and reading my first post. Do drop a line if you happen to know me and you are welcome to do so even if you don't!!!

Enjoyy!

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