Jaane Kya Hoga Rama Re....

What is it about super heroes that we like the most? Is it their invincibility? Or is it the fact that they are always there to protect the world from the evil? Or is it that they are so .. human despite the powers?

Ask me and I'd say the most desirable thing in a superhero is their invincibility...! But many would vote for the vulnerability despite the super powers.. we are a race that likes to see power being defeated.. why can't we accept superiority? Why can't we accept perfection.. a super hero has to have a flaw.. why? well part of the reason is that there wont be anything for the villain to work on otherwise and hence no storyline... but those can be restricted to weaknesses like superman's failure when there's kyrptonite around .. but these days the audience has turned the villain instead.. asking for more human-like superheros.. they should be susceptible to a dark side within themselves, they should be envious like others.. they should be susceptible to even subpoenas when someone sues them.. I mean where are we headed.. even the heroes we idolize are like us .. then whats so super about them...Really we should stop making the extraordinary seem ordinary.. and ordinary seem like the be all and end all of life.. Its not fair.. not for the people who aim for perfection..

The concept of greatness is far miscalculated and misjudged these days, right from reality shows that vote for the most vulnerable and supposedly downtrodden than the actual genius.. just be cause 'humanness' is over rated.. the common man is powerful.. but hey guys let the experts do their job.. We elect people who are commoners and have no bit of leadership qualities.. because we identify with them as a commoner.. and see what happens when you hand over the nation to such people who can't lead.. where as the actual leaders.. they have to sit all day in the parliament trying to prove their point..and become mere non-entities..

I am not saying that perfection does not exist among the commoners.. but that does not mean you select someone who has no talent just because he is a commoner or a person from a community that was backward in the 1940's or was treated badly in the early 1800's! We are slowly headed towards a society where people staunchly believe that a person cannot be good at everything.. cannot be a perfect person and a person even remotely having such qualities is a fraud.. well leave alone perfect at everything.. the world these does can't even accept that a person can have exceptional ability in any one thing either.. it pains me when I see Emon Chatterjee from Indian Idol participate in all XYZ competition to prove himself while the likes of Suhit and Abhishek and Chang (whose talent is honestly not on par with Emon) get to cut an album with Sony.. and you know the worst part.. the winner is even worse in singing talent than the people mentioned above... and why is all this happening? Its because the winner is from a small town.. has a background that is different from the others.. and was initially not treated well in the competition.. and his commonness and flaw-ful singing is glorified to the extent that he wins the competition and poor the talented lot.. are just named arrogant and affluent.. so are undeserving..

when is this going to stop? Movies show us how a small town girl comes up on her own and her feet to win a modeling contest.. a fairytale story.. but if every small town girl without any talent or looks comes to town and is made a model.. imagine how lakme fashion week would be! And categorizing the city ones as snooty and high-and-mighty.. is a gross stereotyping of the city lot.. what does that mean..? all city girls are snobs and all small town girls are modest.. give me a break! That is not just presumptuous but also preposterous.. Wake up guys.. let talent be talent.. no strings attached.. let heroes be heroes .. don't make them human..!

Hmm if you are wondering why this sudden post of heroes and talent .. its the anticipatory emotion on the release of Drona and the beginning of the new season of Indian Idol.. Jaane Kya Hoga Rama Re..........

Naam Bade Aur Darshan Chote...

Yes.. the world around me does remind me constantly of this song that I used to often hear on my Dad's Old Hindi Songs collection... "Bholi surat dil ke khote, Naam bade aur Darshan chote" a cry of frustration when one is duped by the dangerous hype that completely evades the actual truth.. this is prevalent in every walk of life.. there is famous saying that goes "Empty vessels make more noise" no one seems to be realising that these days... It might have started years/eons ago.. but has taken a different and for-the-worse twist now.. and as someone great I know said.."We are living in perilous times darling.. The World belongs to Bullshitters". Oh God .. what wouldn't I do to keep things straight forward.. instead of playing with words so much that they eventually mean nothing..all though this has been existing from long long time.. the frustration with such people came back with vengeance not too long back... and with a movie called "Saawariya" ... in two words.. terrible disappointment.. I have read white nights.. and expected the director to do some justice.. as the story itself has not much in it.. its all the characters... and the melancholic wait of the lady and then the man..its not about innocent love.. its about the passion in their wait... he has all his priorities wrong in the movie.. took some really straight forward people and complicated them to hell.. played with hysteria and voila... saawariya.. oh and by the way the 40 crores that were wasted on this movie.. and Sanjayji asks "I have visuals.. and I have good songs .. what else does the audience want" .. How unassuming!! Hah! Does he think his audience is as dumb as him.. Good Lord made a soft romantic short story into a nightmare.. this could have as well been done on a pretty bridge by the dal lake even.. and would have been a hit had he stuck to the book... but alas.. had to waste crores... can never get over that fact.. I am not against using opulent sets.. no way.. I am probably the most ardent fan or art directors.. people who are constantly ignored.. and the art is good.. only when substantiated by equivalent goodness and soundness in story, direction, action... Alas.. we don't live in that world anymore.. and what hurts me even more.. is that people actually think its a master piece.. It took me a galore of Hrishikesh Mukherji's movies to get me back to normalcy..

And just when I was recovering.. bullshitters strike back with a vengeance... and I realized that they do this more often than any supervillian in a comic book does..In a certain class I take I came across this one person who speaks.. and oh my does he speak.. anyone with even an ounce of knowledge of the subject will know that its bull shit! but he chooses his victims carefully.. and talks about the subject as though he's known it all of his life.. the truth is nada...nothing at all.. nor knowledge, nor facts.. but yet people listen to him with rapt attention as though he is some Guru... I did feel like walking up and yelling and saying.. wait.. this is not real stuff.. he's just speaking for the sake of it... not real matter.. And I would have if sense had not prevailed over me.. but that was not the end.. a certain professor I spoke to replies to a query when asked what is the value of this constant? It could be N .. it could be N+1.. it could be anything.. its more important that you understand that it could be anything than thinking perse what it could be actually...." Grrr.. the truth there was that the constant could and should take one and only one values else the whole theory is annulled! I did not know whether to break into tears or laughter... and the philosopher who created the "may be" theory... that proposes that man should never be certain about anything.. even the plain visible facts.. no the grass may be green, pink or blue.. you never know... yes but what is visible to you, there should be some absolutes somewhere.. axioms of which you derive and propose theories.. they may be disproved.. but then there is another axiom that has come into picture that has disproved it.. there has to be a fixed point somewhere..

But what happens to all these people in real life? The student gets a job offer in a reknown company even before he can complete his first year .. the professor has got an opportunity in a another univ and left ours (thank God for that ).. and millions of copies of the book by that the "may be" philosopher are sold... why?? covering things in ambiguity has become a fad these days .. a person in a job is not told his exact responsibilities.. why because they don't simply know.. throwing terms around and shrouding them in ambiguity.. and laugh around at people who stand up against it and demand clarity "Hah.. you don't understand us??" Why can't people be simple and straight forward.. everything would be so clear if one just said straight forwardly.. this is what it is.. this is what you should do.. else a simple I don't know... lets find out... Its as simple as that.. if its not.. we'll tackle layer by layer.. but if the issues, facts, nothing is straight what can one do? except.. sing the way I did "Bhole surat dil ke khote, naam bade aur darshan chote"... and thus the world disappoints me...as I await the day when questions like "are you living? do you exist" come up with the answer "may be... who knows.. nothing is certain.."

Kya yehi pyaar hai...

Its summer time and the sun sets at 9 pm... and its bright and hot till then..restricting my usual free spirit which asks me to roam around the town and discover new shopping venues..yes its there in me too.. the common streak found in any girl of any origin... the shopping mania! But this isn't about that.. With all the restrictions from weather in place.. I am spending more time watching stuff on the net than anything else.. And I come back.. to my favorite reality show..Indian Idol (Desi i.e other wise I love the old UK game show Crystal Maze). In one of the recent episodes.. the third gala round, Emon, the perceivably best singer in the group got nailed very badly by the judge Anu malik.. Why.. because he is conscious of the fact that he sings good... and he had to apologize for that.. What world are we living in? The world that condemns us for even being conscious of what we are good at? Is it really a sin to be happy and confident about our abilities? Its pathetic that one has to be guilty of ones goodness.. let alone loving ones positives.. while being aware of ones negatives.. Why should one not be proud of himself for being a great singer... Its but obvious that Emon had a great voice.. and its parody that he should be in tears because of it.

Why can't people accept somethings.. If he is bad.. he will be voted out.. and should be too...but what I can't understand is why the judge thinks he might be voted out because he is good.. and he loves himself for it.. God is this what we teach the young ones.. that guy is a solid 7 years younger to me.. and represents the gen X and this is what we are projecting to them.. be guilty of ur talent, dont be proud of urself, from where can they build self dignity and self esteem then?
Love and confidence.. it all boils down to that... Love yourself for what u are good at.. not for what you aren't.. be honest about it, thats where ur humility lies.. not in the fact that u are guilty about ur goodness... and be confident of ur talents.. if u are honest.. it will come automatically..(ah but thats in a ideal world where there exist no people to make u feel sorry about urself). Love yourself.. truly.. only then can u expect some one else to fall in love with you.. if u think u are pathetic and expect that someone else will think u are wonderful and are waiting for them to come and tell you that.. so that u can start feeling good about it.. I'd say.. you are a fool!

Kya Hua Tera Vada

Yes.. I'm back after a longer break than I had intended to.. but hey things get tough sometimes .. these are perilous times when one has to work with more efficiency and more concentration.. and I deliver each time, however these are times when u can't really expect the other party to do the same... Isn't it a simple.. just do ur duty the way it should be done.. with a dash of dedication and a pinch of efficiency.. alas no one believes its simple any more.. "Hmm I will do it.. but later", "Ya.. i started to do ur stuff but something else came along.. " This is all one hears.. Can't I please reverse time.. esp back to a couple of generations back when Granpa would say something and it would get done in like minutes.. or for that matter even in dad's time.. right from the garage mechanic to the sabzi wala to his boss in the office.. all used to work with the same energy levels and the same consistency as he did.. and thing moved smoothly.. now there are road blocks and potholes.. and as a result nothing gets delivered on time.. and the quality is completly lost!

I keep remembering some tea ad when I was kid and was still in India, the ad went something like this.. the lady of the house does rounds, sees the mali etc. and scolds them this and that.. and is in hot mood, slumps down on a chair and says "Can't I find any consistency anywhere?" and then her husband sneaks a small cup of tea under her nose and she sniffs the same smell the same quality that has been there for years... the same tea! with the same consistency! Wow that was a brilliant ad... and look at the stuff being doled out on the name of creativity.. I love each of those dairy milk ads and even the coke ads.. but now.. the quality has really really dropped.. no consistency in creativity.. a couple of years back the friends who swore by me, think twice to drop by.. no consistency in relationships! I can cite many more such instances.. but whats the use.. its proven that the word "consistency" is endangered... and all it takes to recover is a little effort..

Are Deewano Mujhe Pehchaano...??

What am I or Who am I.. which is the one that matters the most? I often come up with this puzzle of whether the person matter or the identity.. I agree that name and location and social status and all such stuff matters.. but how much does it weigh when there are a zillion other things that define ones personality.. I am a dancer, I am a painter, I am grad school student.. I am the one that has the cheek to go upto the engineering school Dean and say.. "hey.. ur face looks really familiar.. who are you.." hardy har har... but then that's me.. and that is what defines me.. I am an absent minded student who always loses her way back home.. but does it matter what my name is or which street I live in..? And yet people ask.. the first time they meet.. so what is your name..I wish I could say hyderabadi zafrani pulao.. as in Cheeni kum.. but alas I can't..and I am not a famous person that I have to say my name and details everytime I meet someone.. even on the net.. the first thing that a person asks is.. name and then ASL.. area, sex, location.. Grr..

Probably that's the reason why I can't remember the names of people I meet either.. I can talk to a person whom I've known in my school days and yet not remember her name.. I would vividly remember that she was the one who stole my lunch box and gobbled it up.. but I would not remember her name...:) .. Darn what if it were the other way round.. go up and say.. Hey tinku how are u.. and then not find a single thing that u remember.. but I guess that is a rare possibility.. if you can remember the name of the person then u will surely remember the details.. and yet people ask for names and id's.. Whats in the name? I could be sheela, meeta, raani or even asraani.. and in this age of the Internet no one would even know.. you can build an entirely different personal id.. and yet somehow there is much importance given to names ..

Why is it that people feel safer when someone says " hi my name is ....." than someone who says.. whats in the name.. u can call me whatever u want.. why the judgment against such a person? I think it might be that the secrecy of name, age, location might make others think that something is being held back ..may be she's linked with the underground.. may be she's a don.. why can't it just simply be .. may be she does not like her name.. or perhaps she's got too many ex's! whatever be the reason.. if its an informal meeting.. or over the net then i think its not at all necessary that one introduces themselves with names and mundane things like that..

There are so many times when i feel gosh.. I wish I could escape to a place where no one recognizes me.. I wish I could be just me.. or not be me.. be a character out of the loads and barrels of books I have read... alas no one prefers it these days.. not that I blame them.. its not a safe world anymore.. but there are harmless people wanting to have some harmless fun without the necessity of recognition spoiling the scene.. but that's just me.. a whole lot different from the rest of the world..I wish people would stop asking me who I am and rather question me on what i do, what I like, what I think, what I feel is right or wrong..what I am on the whole!

Meri Aawaz Suno...

Meri aawaz suno.. listen to my voice.. its the best! thats what every individual thinks now a days.. at least the ones that go on all sorts of reality shows and contests that claim that they will make you the voice of nation an idol that can be looked upon.. etc. etc... but they ppl who are chosen as the best.. are rarely the best.. 'coz the contests are looking for well in one word.. and "all rounder" someone who looks good, who can sing well, who has the attitude and who can impress the crowd with talk and walk! wow! thats a lengthy list.. but who is like that..well thats what I ask.. but ppl who come for the contest.. and mind you every one of them.. thinks and oozes confidence.. but how? I remember after years of practice in on an instrument, I was still nervous to go in front of an audience.. and that is to say that me and the instrument worked like.. clockwork!

Huh but the confidence is certainly deceptive! Ooze confidence but no talent.. the coming up of Sanjaya in the American Idol goes to prove "talent? woh kis khet ki mooli hain".. or for that matter the winning of debojit over vineeth in sa re ga ma pa or winning of sandeep over karunya.. honestly speaking karunya had the talent.. but not the looks.. and Lord knows how many karunyas who are probably dark, short or stubby are working in the background as chorus singers or worse are working as software engineers.. crying out every minute for recognition as a person with one talent.. not many.. not a superman!

Talent searches earlier used to be concentrated on one person achieving something great in one area..TSE exam searched for the ones talented in areas of Math or physics or general knowledge.. not all at once.. and singing competitions looking for singers.. but the reality shows these days look for so many things in one individual.. that the effect is muddy! the person ultimately chosen is so-so at everything.. not great in everything.. he/she can certainly dance, sing, look good, talk the talk and walk the walk.. but only 20 to 50%.. not 100% in everything.. where as a person who is really talented is conveniently ignored giving him a title of an incomplete person! where as he/she is one complete in the true sense.. as there is that 100% in one dimension, in one area.. and he/she excels in it.. the rest are all mere details..

Does that not sound unfair? ignoring the talented to take up a person who is mediocre in all things? Jack of all and master of none? The pathetic part is that all these talent shows are being judged by public votes and its really sad that the general crowd now roots for mediocrity rather than the talent power house.. and they name it the "idol" and expect people to bow down and respect it! Injustice at its peak I say.. u listen to the singers who are selected in indian idol 2 and decide for urself

Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin...

Yesterday I was watching this terribly depressing movie.. Provoked.. which has Ash in it playing the role of the lady who changed the entire outlook towards women and oppression in the world of jury - Kiranjeet Ahluwalia. But the main thing is after seeing a photo where a Dalit woman is being hit with a bamboo stick on the road, the stuff shown in the movie seemed a little pale.. which is probably not fair.. but I tend to think if the beat up his woman on the road, then think of what happens inside. And then as the protagonist says in the movie .. the woman is expected to shut up and take it all for the sake of a false honour in the society. Why us? why should the woman take all that? Why should we swallow our self esteem and pride.. and be like a doormat to the man? Sleep with him.. else be raped..and this is the very person who promises to honour you and love you for not just this but the coming few lives even.. If you think these things don't happen any longer.. and this was an incident that took place oh so long ago in 1989 ..think again.. in fact look again.. there are very few women who are actually happy with marriage.. and most of them are the people who understand each other and not treat each other like objects of play.. be it normal or sadistic.

If its not physical abuse.. in bed or out.. its mental tension.. all over the place.. stifled with thoughts about him, his ego, his approval..its like what Tabu says in Astitva, In being Mrs Aditi Shrikant Pandit.. just the Aditi got lost somewhere... and while there are billions of women identifying themselves with the statement.. there are hardly any men willing to accept it even, let alone get the same feeling..would it not be nice if a man came up and said.. I lost my identity being your husband.. but never..even if they feel that their ego would stop them from uttering a word.

Well having said all that.. I still believe there are decent husbands in this world.. who view their wives as companions and not sex toys.. and there are a lot more who think the world about their wifes.. its the ratio that matter.. this versus that.. and of course the torturers win! You'd be surprised at how many of them are the educated lot who think that their education gives them a right to dictate terms in their spouses life and decisions.. I agree there should be mutual consent.. but then imposing ones ideas and decisions or for that matter even opinions is not a birth right! Hmm.. come to think of it.. its better that one stays single... than lie on the bed with a man who neither thinks not behaves in a civilized way, with move love and affection than ego , arrogance or passion.. and stare in to the ceiling or the revolving fan and think...Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin (There is no end to this night)

Yeh Jo Hain Zindagi

Hmm.. continuing on the last post.. there have been several things happened last week that made me think about the civility in people.. My dad used to say "Common Sense is the most rarest sense found in a man" well I agreed at that point, but lately I have come to think of it as Civic Sense is the one that is the rarest well the last post I said how I had to keep quiet and grin despite the loud music.. coz it was someone else's property.. well now the someone else comes to my property and does not pay heed to my choices and restrictions.. comments on how my paintings look and how my educational institution is and that our country's army is not fit to go to war!! Huh I think.. how dare he does that, despite the fact that he knows half my family is from the defense forces.. well well.. according to me anyone who thinks that fighting for the nation is trivial and peanuts they should be asked to undergo a compulsory training in those harsh environments.. the soldiers are with constantly vigilant at the borders of the country protecting it with their lives and thats the cost they pay for us to breathe free air.. just because we are no longer on our motherland does not mean that we can look down upon their efforts and their supreme scrifices!

How insensitive can a person be.. I agree that everyone is entitled to have his/her opinions but there is a place and time to voice it and and then of course call it your opinion.. don't declare it as though its the universal truth! Especially not when there are people around who can take it very personally. There is a limit to how much of the other person I can take, especially if the person means no more to me than a acquaintance turned friend.. for the past one year.. it definitely calls for more politeness from the other quarter. Is it so difficult to think before you talk.. actions and words have a lot of importance .. and they can be misinterpreted very easily.. in such a delicate web of society if a person decides to rip apart the thin lines that bind us by speaking the wrong things in front of the wrong people and at a very wrong time.. then what more can one say... except that its a pitiful situation. But then.. I still kept quiet.. after the noisy lot left, I came back and thought.. why did I keep quiet.. I should have told something, he needs to be at least apologetic about it.. if not anything else..but then I did not.. 'coz it just seems so rude.. and as my mom says "Athiti devo bhava" .. A guest is like God.. do not ill treat.. and so I keep mum.. but then swords are crossed.. either he learns manners or quits talking.. If the cost of friendship and entertainment is restriction of choice and comments on personal achievements be it myself or my family.. then that is not worth paying.

There are some rules in life that people should follow if they want to live in a society comprised of different people with different cultures, tastes, and backgrounds. I don't say sacrifice your choice of things for the sake of being a social being.. but then don't hurt others sentiments by your words.. the universe always conspires to bring back the good/evil you do unto others.. some day you're bound benefit/regret what you've done..

Alas, this is life (yeh jo hain zindagi) .. and these are the kind of namoonas (characters) you see day by day!

Dum lagake...

Is it necessary that one has to try hard to fit into the good books of another.. How important is it to "be nice" ? I have a lot of friends.. who love heavy metal.. and make the car a disco type environment when going on drives... but I am quiet as a church mouse at that point... and let it out when they are in earshot.. hmm its their car, their wish.. its civil to shut up.. and bear.. and there are many more instances like that... so the question is.. is it fair that I be subjected to this torture as a compensation for their friendship? They are all nice people, but for this one thing.. and couple more perhaps.. nothing I can't grin and bear...and there I go again.. pushing myself into something I don't necessarily have to put up with!

Well its a wonder sometimes how many things I get pushed into.. education.. hardly ever had a choice.. even if I was given one.. I'd choose the one that fits best into the society.. Engineer.. doctor..all thats there...pushed into relations because I can't say "NO". And I am very sure I am not an isolated case.. there are many like me who feel that in the deemed and esteemed eyes of the society and circle of friends you should be so-and-so and have so-and-so qualities.. Hmm why the society and friends you may ask.. but the fact remains.. although we have an identity of our own, we still are are apart of a bigger game here.. and well lets face it loneliness is something that is fatal..slow poison as they say.. I have not met a person in life with no human interaction for years together.. you have to have someone.. alas you never find the perfect one.. the one that adjusts to all the stuff that u do.. its give and take.. hmm but then again, how much can u give and how much can u take.. thats how much you have to "push" yourself..

Take for instance the current youth, the gen X ..(I belong to gen W) they feel the pressure on them to change themselves into style gurus and popular divas to fit in.. else they are afraid of being left out..and as a result, the ages of tradition and culture is being washed away.. all thats left is "fit in" culture.. which is hip-hop and glamor and highlighted hair. I agree you can change yourself and make over... but only if you wish to.. not because some x,y,z on the road wishes so..let alone friends..how does it matter if you are overweight or underweight.. as long as you are healthy.. but nay.. society is for those who can wear the stylish clothes ..rather fit into stylish clothes.. so what if I have to become anorexic for it.. or resort to eating fatty food..

But alas.. sense does not prevail when we take decisions that affect our life for the "appeal" of others.. but then again.. we all do to an extent wish that you be known amongst the people around you as the sweetheart! and so you push yourself..Dum lagake ...