What do we celebrate?

So what is this media frenzy all about? Slumdog millionaire has bagged 10 Oscar nominations and very desi Mr. A R Rahman has been nominated thrice under two award categories. But, is this achievement really worth celebrating. Take a nice and fine look at the movie and you will discover that movie does precious little to bring forth the reality of the subject. Slumdog in itself is a good cinematic creation but lacks the vigour or the intensity of real India. Set in the slums of Mumbai the movie tells the rags to riches story of a slum dweller only through vicious yet real satire. I don't have any problem with the slums, neither do i have anything to say against the satire and sarcasm in the movie. What disturbs me most is the deliberate attempt to pander to the whims and expectations of the West. Even after its stupendous growth, India is still perceived to be land of snake charmers and bullock carts by most in the west. The movie not in the perspective, but in the content and the presentation is surely an extension of the same idea.

India as a country is much more than just the slums and slum dogs. It sybolises the will to win, to survive, to thrive and to remain happy even in the worst of times. The movie highlights so many aspects of the slum life but is least concerned about the prospect of highlighting the way people live. It is only concerned about what becomes of them. But, don't we agree that if the end is the most important thing then all the human folk is reduced to the same whimpering mess. Men like Napoleon, Gandhi, Marx and many others are remembered by mankind for how they lived, rather than how they perished. People have to realize that every person in this world is born to face difficulties. Only in the case of slum dwellers we notice them more because we have the opportunity to take some time out for ourselves. But, nevertheless these men and women stand testimony to the indomitable human spirit. The movie as it presents this scence is shockingly awful. The reality fails to bite and the satire falls face first. The emotions (well I was able to find little don't know about you) refuses to move and the plot is hardly an attempt to attain finesse. Debutant Freida Pinto has done her part but Dev Patel fails miserably at his attempt to emulate a slum dog. However, this is only the tip of the ice berg. The two best acting performances in the movie come from boys who are actually slum dwellers. It is shame that these kids are hardly a part of the promotion of the movie and I seriously doubt they would ever be able to watch their performances on the big screen just like we did. Ironies galore and so do fallacies, but there are certainly points where the movie appeals to the viewer. Rahman's music comes out top. It is rich, soulful and definitely conveys the message the movie fails to do. The other good thing about the movie is the choice of the sequences and the flawlessness with which they have been edited. But, every thing said and done it is only a movie about India and not an Indian movie. So India wake up and don't shrug this off with biscuits and the morning chai after a night of thinking. Decide how would you like to be seen in the future. The choice is all yours......

Dreams come true....

Not so long years ago, words echoed "I have a dream that the four children of mine will some day live in a country where they are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character". That was Rev Martin Luther King Jr. expressing his idea of a dream, few would have called probable at that time. But, how swiftly have things changed and what a change this has been. As the entire world saw an African American take charge of the most powerful nation of the world, history was written and a memorable one. Move the clock two years and back and this all seems so impossible. No one would have ever imagined that a rookie senator from Illinois will turn the tables on the face of the stalwarts in the US elections and would script a story never heard of in the annals of history. Barrack Hussain Obama has just done that. While I write this article, the world wide web is being flooded by Obama's swearing in ceremony videos. The ceremony has already become the most watched show in the history of television. But, the story does not end with the razzmatazz. It signifies a greater end, a broader perspective and richer thought process. Obama's triumph is not just that of a race or a man, it is the triumph of belief over despair, of merit over dogma and of endurance over hate and humiliation. There used to be times when the blacks did not get to vote and now they have come this far that a member of their community holds the top most job in the land. It heralds the unfolding of a saga where meritocracy is the order of the day. It is the reaffirmation of the values of equality of opportunity and well being. Obama's term irrespective of how it turns out to be will certainly be unique, for his feat is nothing short of monumental.

Mr. Obama is taking up the office in the most trying of times. America has two unfinished wars to deal with and with the economic slump taking its toll, souls will be difficult to pacify. The economic crisis has left the Americans heart broken. It has shook their confidence more than their markets. The Americans for the first time are feeling down and out. The whole country is in grips of frustration and the coming months promise to be no better. China and Russia are both lurking up to the heels of the Americans and the once undisputed American dominance is now being questioned seriously. Obama has the task set in front of him. He has to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, he has to be extra sensitive with central Asia, he has to build up a sagging economy and a frustrated nation and he has to face the ugly force of terrorism. Certainly this is an uphill task, but Mr. Obama will have to face it and mind you if he is able to pull this out he will not only establish his reputation but will also lay the foundation for more such changes in the entire world. After all the Europeans are yet to witness a change of this magnitude. But, as of now let us just be happy for Mr. Obama. Hope his tenure is like one of those beautiful dreams that last forever and end only to become reality.

We the people of India.....

Of tainted politicians to banned cricketers. Of in-effete bureaucrats to jailed felons, our elections have it all. Recently Sanjay Dutt the noted Bollywood actor and son of former minister Sunil Dutt evinced in serving the country by becoming an MP fighting on a Samajwady Party ticket. Shahrukh Khan some days back had announced that he might contest the polls on a Congress ticket. Many other actors such as Govinda are already the member of the Lok and Rajya Sabha. But, the celebrity list does not end there. The latest addition to this list is former cricketer Azharuddin who will be contesting on a Congress ticket in the coming elections. The message in all these cases is clear that the political parties want to cash in on the huge fan base these celebrities command. As coalition politics has taken command every seat in the Lok Sabha counts for a lot. These celebrities many a times make easy meal of the elections and make in roads into the galleries of power. The political parties gain from their presence and rake in huge benefits, thanks to the seats these people capture. Everyone seems to gain from this except the ones for whom this process is instituted, the common people. 

                    The celebrities have little or no idea about the issues confronting the people of this country, their foray in politics is the best they can do to maintain their public images. This is certainly bad for the general interest of the people.  No person would disagree with this. The celebs are making easy money and the common man is left to languish in the dark alleys. His fight for subsistence continues and so does the lone hope that some day some thing might happen. That some day his prayers will be answered, that he and his family will live in proper living conditions and their children will have a secure future. However, the reality is anything but. The way as it appears, the political parties are hardly concerned about the well being of the people. They are exploiting the weaknesses of the democratic process to fulfill their needs. As is evident in such cases the legislators are hardly qualified to work for the people and make a royal mess of the democratic process. It is a shame that nothing much can be done to stall this process except pray that some day good sense will prevail and good times will descend upon us. Wish the founding fathers of our democracy could have thought about this, so that "We the people of India" could have really lived in a country that offers hope and promise not dismay and frustration.