We Bleed Blue!

Goodness gracious!!! I missed my articles, my writing, my random thoughts, my opinions, and much more. This past month, life changed dramatically and believe me…I relish this change every minute. Anyhow, let’s not get into those details. I have another article under-production dedicated only to that transition.

We Won! We Won! India Won! That’s the brand new mantra all across the nation and globe. If there’s a single Indian residing in an alien country, s/he is celebrating to the fullest. Winning the match from a strong contender and our very own neighbor is no Joke. This match was not an ordinary match. It was bigger than a Karan Johar or Shahrukh Khan Film or the 3G scam or even the Commonwealth Games. This was the baap of everything. The intensity of Cricket is beyond imagination. To find out the real meaning of Cricket, one should travel to India during the World Cup. No one cares about job, school, college, homework, exam, movies, movie stars… Only cricket runs through the mind. And if Sachin is playing, the world stops and so does the time. He’s the God, the real idol of our nation [literally]. For proof, please meet my significant other. He won’t tolerate a single comment against the God. Period.

Today is the D-day itself. It’s life or death. The last world cup we won was in 1983 on this very day. We have been eagerly waiting for another victory. India is batting at this very moment and our beloved got out. I almost had a fit for a moment and Facebook got crowded with sad comments/frown emoticons. Tweeple started bombarding twitter with uncalled tweets. The fans are going totally bonkers at the stadium. With every good shot the entire public goes ga-ga. ‘We will rock you!’ No doubt, no double thoughts, no qualms. The match got real intense in the beginning. It could have gone either way. Sri Lanka had a fair chance however we didn’t lose hope. On the last ball Dhoni did it with his SIXER. He lifted the spirits of the entire nation. That’s exactly what we needed. We did it! We won the World Cup 2011. After twenty eight hard years we finally achieved the one and only goal. A salute to all the men in blue. The atmosphere became too sentimental. Everyone around had joy of tears when the boys picked up the God himself. This win is wholly and entirely dedicated to Sachin. He’s the man and always will be. Hail to the Master Blaster!

The street life after the match was unthinkable, unmatchable to any celebration ever. Mango people went totally bonkers. Traffic didn’t seem as painful. The patriotism emerged out of every living soul in India and elsewhere. There were more tri-colours on view than ever before. Thousands and thousands of euphoric Indians were on the roads. I wish I was in India to witness the enthusiasm, the madness, the mania. The scene on the Marine Drive/India Gate/Gateway of India was bizarre. We created history on Saturday April 2, 2011. The most memorable day ever! RESPECT to the men in blue…

“He carried the nation for 21 years and it is about time we carried him” – Virat Kohli

Infidelity

Ever wondered why infidelity is increasing everywhere? Why is there a dire need of betrayal and duplicity in any relationship? Why can’t the marriage institution remain a faithful, pure and sin-free institution? Considering the fact that every other institution is filled with filth and disgust…

Infidelity is as old as the human race. Be it poor or rich, high class or low class, celebrity or a common man; it’s amongst all kinds of people. But, why is it out there? A rich person might get a little more opportunities than a common man. Because of the simple reason i.e. money. No money, no honey. Even politicians keep mistresses and relish their life to the fullest. To name a few: one can never forget the most heated and debatable affair of Clinton & Monica. If the president himself is shacking up Monica in the Oval office then no need of pointing fingers on the rest of the country. Ditto for the CEO of HP who was luxuriating with an intern while the entire company was busy working there a** off so that the CEO can latch on to his bonus. Be it US, UK or India, a sex scandal is a toast to the town.

The only way you can peek into someone’s personal life is through our beloved Media. They don’t let any celebrity go scot-free because of the continual agitation of increased TRP. It has become a habit of constantly reading about big people and their so called affairs. Our very own Shehanshah of the industry was jerking around with Ms. Rekha ji and later denied the accusations on a talk show. A couple other names would be Aamir Khan, Saifoo “The Nawab”, Shiney “The Rapist” Ahuja, Ranbir “The condom guy” Kapoor and many more. The bollywood industry is bombarded with such names. Good thing, we Indians have the tendency of forgetting too fast too easily.

One name which came too hard on the fans was Tiger Woods. Apparently, when a person of such caliber is found under the umbrella of infidelity, the public will be surprised. However, a difference here is that if prominent personalities get caught red-handed, they do not deny their infidelity and infact admit to it. That’s how the rich people roll in Amrikka and their career are not fully ruined. Whereas in India, careers do get stalled and even end which is why corruption has become a compulsion.

Ganda hai par dhanda hai yeh…

Was it a legit Ayodhya’s verdict?

Finally, the much heated debate came to a conclusion. The respectable judges decided to announce the verdict on the most awaited litigation. Frankly speaking, until the verdict came out, I had minimal knowledge of Ayodhya’s case. After reading through couple of articles and TOI news chain, I got enlightened with the case. Not much, but enough to write this article. Instead of coercing myself in reading the long lost history of the case, I decided to cluster upon different opinions on the verdict. I came across many distinct notions and could not come up with an adept conclusion.

According to the court’s verdict, the location was divided among Muslims, Hindu’s, and another Hindu party. On the judgment day, Delhi went into a mute mode. No traffic, companies declared holiday, mobile network disconnected, cops on every nook n corner. It was expected that whatever the decision comes out to be, one party will get antagonized regardless. The expectation came to a reality, however, surprisingly no protest and no maara-maari!

India is an insane country when it comes to religion. This is the simplest trick people use to wage a war within the country. The current issue as well is between Hindus and Muslims. So, if everyone is completely acquainted with the fact, why not elude such issues? After conversing with a few people, I came across many other solutions. Why not build a memorial museum at the location? That will make life simpler. Don’t you agree? The constant debate needs to find a border line. Day in, day out, it’s getting bigger and out of control. Isn’t Kashmir enough to keep the grudges alive?

There is only one Almighty. If one thinks, their God is more superior, so be it! At least don’t impose the superiority on others. Nevertheless, it is clearly worthless saying such words. We have gone way too far in religious battle. There is no end to this issue. The saga has become a part of our daily life. How come we don’t see people protesting for a better education or a better life? The mandir/masjid kissa is oldish. Today’s generation require temples of learning. The world has become so competitive that without education you are not even worth a penny. Youngsters will settle for a job and a better life, anyday. They are least interested in politics of religion. It’s enough we have to deal with IPL politics, CWG politics, Khap Panchayat politics, Kalmadi – Modi – Diks*** politics.

It will be ridiculous to see round 2 for this case. We are fully aware of the outcome. There is no verdict which will be acceptable by both parties. It’s high time we put our foot down and drill some sense in these chaps. We were the best and we can be the best…again!

P.S. Let us all burn the Ravan this year. Happy Dussehra to all…

Let the game begin – CWG 2010 New Delhi, India

Marvelous and jaw-dropping opening ceremony of Commonwealth Games in our India. I am wholly speechless to see the entire nation unite at this very proud time. I doubt if there was even a single true Indian who did not get a glimpse of the biggest gala ever in our very own country. The moment I got up and caught myself surfing through the TOI website, my whole body rejuvenated to see even the smallest clipping of the fire crackers shooting at the sky at Nehru Stadium; the 40 crore aerostat [helium gas balloon] showcasing multitude of pictures/videos of our rich heritage and bestowing a warm welcome to all the participating countries [money well-spent]. Jumbo Dhols, Drums, Dholak’s and Nagada’s echoed from ten different corners of the stadium. A small kid with Tabla in his hands had the entire nation grooving to his Taal. Couldn’t resist myself and gave it in by doing a couple of thumka’s…! Every country marched in were given a clamorous applaud while the drums rolled and the lights twinkled. Loud and proud, the Oscar winner, Mr. A R Rehman gave a spectacular performance. Also, not-so-forgotten Shibani Kashyap mesmerized the assembly with her hatke awaaz. In those three spellbinding hours, Delhi was lit up with lights and colours to present a properly conceived and exquisite show.

Traffic was a complete havoc as everyone was rushing towards the stadium to capture the best moment of their life. With all the cultures coming together and representing India as one dignified power, the whole planet went into a silent mode. As one of my aunt’s wrote on her Facebook status, “CWG opening was just "STUPENDOFANTABULOUSLY FANTASTIC", India ROCKS, Delhi ROCKS. Proud to be an INDIAN. Sabsey Aage Honge HINDUSTANI... to that my reply was, ‘Indeed’. The real show-stoppers of the ceremony were Prince Charles with his wife Camilla and Pratibha Patil accompanied by Manmohan Singh and Suresh Kalmadi. Even though, the public hissed while Kalmadi gave his special speech, it mattered to the very least. No one was willing to ruin the entire ceremony only because the small kids pulled together a praiseworthy performance to present every culture of our country and the aerostat which was closely monitored by masses because their a** was on fire. They knew the world had their eye set on them. Had there been any accident, it would have invited chaos for the whole nation.

Everyone bypassed the controversies, corruption, Kalmadi, the entire hoopla of CWG games and ceased the moment to enjoy every bit of the ceremony. Even with so many predicament and complications, we showed our alliance to the whole world. Oh well, let bygones be bygones, for now. I’m not alleging to completely neglect the whole corruption issue but I won’t spoil the mood since the whole country united once again. Dost, this is what India is all about. We bash up each other if required and we stand united when needed [the most].

As a proud Indian, I sign off on my article.

3 Cheers for Mera Bharat Mahaan…!

Mocking or Shocking – Peepli Live?

While I was having Monday blues, I still managed to execute a plan with my girls for Peepli Live. A movie, I was waiting to watch from the first glimpse of the trailer. The very first glance was so strong that it caught my attention in a split second. I personally, liked the movie. Reason being, I myself belong from a small town and hail from a farming family. People are having mixed feeling about the movie and the whole gimmick created on farmer suicide issue.

Infact, I had a pretty healthy debate with someone on the movie. So, let’s look at the movie from two perspectives. First, hats off to Aamir Khan for publicizing the concept of farmer suicide which is actually one of the very sensitive issues in our country. The whole mockery was constituted to lure the attention of public. Which, in return was very successful because the movie received 4.5 ratings. However, the mockery didn’t go waste. From an audience perspective, I believe, I left the theatre thinking about Prakash [one of the characters of the movie]. His dialogues moved the viewers. Even though the script delivery was given in a very calm manner and did not bring tears to the eyes; it still left a durable connection with the viewer. A satire of farmer’s destruction was nicely and neatly explained. The movie showed the farmer’s tragedy sarcastically. It was depressing to see how a farmer gets entangled between bank’s loan which turns into a debt and then pressure from family and to make matters worse, the Thekedaar!

Second, some people are not taking this movie positively at all. Infact, they think it created hoopla only because Aamir Khan promoted the movie. Also, that the movie was presented with wrong intentions. It was left in people’s mind as a publicity gimmick and not a serious issue. Farmer’s didn’t commit suicide because they were greedy but because they were frustrated, agitated of loosing their only land inherited from their forefathers. By manipulating and mimicking this concept, the director was not able to show the actual reality. For a farmer, his land is the only property which makes him proud and provides him roti, kapda and makaan.

How is it that our Rajneeti never concocted any policy for such delicate issue? The media played their role effectively. Aam junta is already aware of deceit played by the news channel on every sensitive issue. That was not new to the audience. Indians are very smart people plus very well aware of the tricks played by our very own media. I openly ask my readers, what’s their say in this? Which perspective do you agree upon? Is it okay to produce a gimmick out of an issue or did this film really change people’s point of view towards the farmer’s of our country?

Ekta Kapoor and her World…!

From the bahus to a 20-year leap in one day to the love triangles; our highly regressive households. This is what Ekta Kapoor has done in the past decade. The daughter of our former legendary actor; Jeetendra. Till date, she’s the youngest most successful business woman across India.

I do no count myself in her fan list. I hate the fact that the life shown in these serials is surreal. The dawn of the day starts with the daughter-in-law humming bhajans and a feet-touching exercise. The breakfast table is decorated as a center-piece on a wedding reception – and mind you, this is an everyday day task. The rest of the day is spent showcasing the culinary marvels in the kitchen followed by some gossiping and bitching. There’s always a vamp who entangles a love story with the eldest son/daughter of the household; in the hope of taking over the so-called-some-100crore-property. Three generations will go by but ‘Baa’ apparently survives each generation. Wonder what tonic she’s been taking? Almost every episode has one function or wedding or festival. The bahu of the clan is portrayed as a sacrificial lamb. Be it early morning or late at night, the makeup never gets tarnished. Not to mention the diamond jewelries/trendy hairstyles/lavish sari’s/and an absolutely dirtless villa. With the obvious not seen by the fabricated artist in these dumbfounded serial, the viewer’s blood pressure rises to a point where they literally want to crush Ekta and her team into pieces. In today’s day and age, where do you derive such cordiality in a household? Such is the insidious blandishment of Ekta’s serials.

Ditto like Google, Kapoor has the entire Indian domiciliary in her palm. Infact, not just India, even the neighbouring countries are ambushed in the charisma of our television serials. Another major factor is that 70 percent of the publicity is done via serials in this modern age. Be it a movie, a product, a designer, a song, everything is commercialized in today’s world.

One can rattle on all day on this cunning topic however; one must also not forget the good deed hidden in such business. With the way poverty level is growing in our country, Ekta has done a colossal business by bestowing a role [or a job, if we may call it] to hundreds and hundreds of people out there. No wonder all these serial actors consider Ekta as their Guru. Despite the fact, Ekta is on everyone’s hit list, I still think she’s the most felicitous person in our country. She surely has done wonders to the television industry. Its no more called a ‘chota parda’!

Honour Killing: Sheer act of cowardness!

A part of me was trying to avoid writing an article on honour killing. It’s too caustic and grievous. I gathered all my courage today to engross on this crimson issue in our democratic country. Yah, I’m from a democratic country, per se. It was none-other-than media who came up with the phrase ‘honour killing’. What’s the honour in killing your own daughter or son?

Didn’t we learn in schools/colleges, ‘Live and let live’? Then why not follow the same mantra throughout our lives? Let’s not ridicule ourselves by captivating the new generation into the same ole’ traditions. What’s the point of giving good education to the genX if our ancestors choose not to become open-minded? What’s the point of having democracy if we still have to obey Khap Panchayat and their so-called-laws? Guys cut the crap and get practical! Forcing a girl into a marriage will be equivalent to forcing her into adultery. Getting infuriated to see your son/daughter elope is still legible. Howbeit, killing your own offspring for such reason and afterwards claiming an ‘honour’ in this murder in front of media is an absolute disgrace to our country, our religion, our tradition and evidently to our society. People should understand that back in the day’s; laws, culture, rules, regulations were made in order to make life better, convenient and happy. But where do we stand today? Instead of boycotting against honour killing and proposing a restrictive order against it, the number of killings are increasing by the day. On top of that, the murderers aka the family of the dead are openly alleging their so-called-good-deed. Com’on, good-deed???

I hail from a country where parents live for their kids. A country where a father dreams for his daughter’s marriage from the day she opens her eyes. A country which bows down for Mata Rani, Lakshmi Devi, Sita Mata, and Parvati Ji. A country where Gotra also plays a major role. However, I can bet that 90 percent of genX doesn’t even know which Gotra they belong to? Here’s an example: the other day I went to Temple for a Pooja. Pundit ji were performing the Pooja while I sat there with my hands folded facing Shivji & Parvati ji, expressing my heart to Them with my eyes closed AND… suddenly Pundit ji asked, ‘beta, aapka Gotra kya hai?’ I opened my eyes with a blank expression and in a confused state nodded ‘I don’t know’. Does this mean that my Pooja was not successful? Is a prayer bounded to a Gotra?

Ditto for marriage! A relationship is not dependent on a lineage or clan assigned to a Hindu at birth. I guess, people are just looking for reasons to kill each other these days. Is it really painful to see a happily married daughter? Is it that easy to gather that motivation and aggression to murder your little girl who grew up with you? The brutal sins executed by the family members won’t be forgotten. Jo jaisa karega, woh waisa bharega…!

Can we pretend that airplanes land safely back on the ground…!

Breaking News: Air India Express flying from Dubai to Mangalore crashed and caught on fire while landing on the Mangalore airport. People all across the world stunned, shocked, agitated, disturbed, horrified, and daunted… Boeing 737-800 was carrying 166 people from which 158 were burned alive and only 8 survived. My heart aches for the families who lost their loved ones. My deepest condolences to all of them…

The plane crashed into the thick forested valley off the runway after slamming through a boundary wall. Our Mangalore airport falls under a ‘special’ category. By special I mean, airports which are not entirely safe while landing and taking off. Also, this particular airport is sitting on a humungous forest and deep valleys. Anyhow, of course we can bypass that because our politicians have all the excuses in the world to save their gaddi. This is a symbol of corruption and negligence. At one point our national airlines used to be India’s boast to the rest of the world – we were so proud of it! It was ranked in the Top Ten airlines of the world. And now, I feel disgraced and disheartened by this disaster. This crash is considered the most disastrous in the India’s aviation history. Some of the stories on TOI have made my blood boil… Our so-called-democracy has humiliated us completely. So many innocent lives lost, so many dreams shattered, so much of pain, so many words left unspoken, so much turbulence, so much provocation, so much… This collision left nothing but remorse for every living soul.

Just like many disasters, this one was short-lived too. The breaking news came down from Page 1 to other stories. Bravo to our media! If the saying is correct that, ‘a media can make or break news’, then why not make a much bigger hoopla of this news? Why not force the politicians to take stricter actions towards corruption? Why not dig deep? Why not? But wait, that’s not how it works here… Air India crew members went on strike today [Tuesday 25 May 2010]. Reason being, Air India’s decision to defer salary payments. Bravo to our politics! How do ‘mango people’ survive in this democracy? I wonder… Oh well, hats off to all ‘mango people’ who helped the survivors from the burning flames in Mangalore. Hats off to the three sisters who lost their [pilot] husband in three major Air India crashes: 1979 and 2000. The perfect scapegoat for any crash is the pilot… if he’s alive nail him; if he’s dead blame him! This is the painful truth. Mano ya na mano!

My heart goes out to all the families who lost their loved ones in the crash. Rab Rakha…!