Shell shocked I was - when I first read the news on Wednesday morning at work. Since the past 3 days we have been watching the live news over the internet. It was like watching a movie or something - it was too mind numbing to see the terrorist kill the top Indian officials, hijack their cars. shoot at random and take the hotels under siege. It felt horrible to watch it live - it was spine chilling to see twenty something youth firing away at innocent people unflinchingly. I am just numb and speechless and hardly know what to say or feel.
My emotions range from sadness to depression to anger to hatred to pride. There is a nagging sense of loss. I think that we as a country are doing something really wrong. I don't know what - but this should not have happened. It was heart wrenching to see the saga go on and on for more than 60 hours now. I feel really sorry for the people who were a part of the gory attack that happened and all we can say is it will end soon!! Will it - really? Yes, Mumbai will be brought under control soon - but has this really ended? Again, India will adopt a holier than thou attitude and I don't know if that's what it should be doing. We cannot sit waiting for some divine intervention to happen and end this madness. I think it is high time that India takes matters in its own hands.
May all the terrorists who were behind this be killed and I wish they rot in hell. I don't think that I have ever felt so strongly about anything or anyone. But I really pray their end. Watching the Indian security forces fight relentlessly, tirelessly for such a long time fills me up with a sense of pride and also gratefulness. Hats off to all the police force, the army, NSGs, the fire fighters and all the security forces of India who put their lives in the line of fire and did such a great job in cleaning up the whole mess and finishing off the terrorists - also a tribute and salute to all the people who lost their lives in this gory mess. May their souls rest in peace! My condolences to the victims and their families who have been traumatized by this attack.
I don't want to get into what mistakes were made by India in the handling of this terror situation. And sitting here far away from the ground realities, its incredibly unfair to pass judgements. Even as I type these words rescue operations are still on at the Taj where the NSG and the Army is battling it out in Mumbai.
When I started to write this post, I intended it to be a long one - because I felt I had so much to say about the past three days - but somehow the words are eluding me - something of such big magnitude cannot be contained in a mere post. I just hope that justice will be brought!!
-Moi
P.S: Where is Mr. Raj Thakarey - does he realize that the commandos brought in from different parts of the country - they were North Indians and South Indians who are fighting it out for Mumbai - who are ready to lay down their lives so that people in Mumbai can feel safe. I am just tired - I am tired because I have been so angry and my mood has been so volatile for the past 3 days.
29 November, 2008
20 November, 2008
06 November, 2008
This and that!
A black Bond – what next??
Now that Barack Obama has been elected the first African American President of the United States, everybody is swept in the Obamania. Daniel Craig has said that if the world’s most powerful human being is black, it is now time to make history with movies – with a Black Bond. Wow - what next?? Not that I would mind – because I am sure black or white 007 will be eye candy for me J
I am glad that this Obama chapter has reached its end. I will get to watch and catch up on the prime time tv – that I have missed for the last 6 months! Because the Mister watched, heard, read, ate, drank only Obama for the last 6 months so much that even my MIL who's been here for 3 months knows what Obama's schedule for the day is. Understandably the Mister is very sad - he is experiencing withdrawal symptoms!! One more thing I am glad about is I don’t have to watch Keith Olbermann every night – ‘cos God knows I would have puked if he would take another potshot at John McCain – talk about unbiased news channels.
Another high for me this weekend – Hamilton won the Formula One this year – and is the world champion. Me says – he should have won last year but yay!!!
On the last note – Rest in Peace Michael Crichton. The great writer passed away yesterday. The dinosaur man gave us many great science fictions.
- Moi
Now that Barack Obama has been elected the first African American President of the United States, everybody is swept in the Obamania. Daniel Craig has said that if the world’s most powerful human being is black, it is now time to make history with movies – with a Black Bond. Wow - what next?? Not that I would mind – because I am sure black or white 007 will be eye candy for me J
I am glad that this Obama chapter has reached its end. I will get to watch and catch up on the prime time tv – that I have missed for the last 6 months! Because the Mister watched, heard, read, ate, drank only Obama for the last 6 months so much that even my MIL who's been here for 3 months knows what Obama's schedule for the day is. Understandably the Mister is very sad - he is experiencing withdrawal symptoms!! One more thing I am glad about is I don’t have to watch Keith Olbermann every night – ‘cos God knows I would have puked if he would take another potshot at John McCain – talk about unbiased news channels.
Another high for me this weekend – Hamilton won the Formula One this year – and is the world champion. Me says – he should have won last year but yay!!!
On the last note – Rest in Peace Michael Crichton. The great writer passed away yesterday. The dinosaur man gave us many great science fictions.
- Moi
05 November, 2008
Face of Hope...!!
At last it has happened – at last it is over. The arduously long 2 year campaign for the Presidential elections ended last night. And what an end! Barack Obama has become the face of hope for this country and the whole world. All the action happened very close to home and it was really awe-inspiring and humbling. And to a moment so historic, it couldn’t quite sink in that the images being beamed across the world came from so close to home. We were at real close quarters to where history happened last night.
Barack Obama has re-defined HOPE.
I watched his victory speech last night and actually had goosebumps listening to him talk...watching the wild cheering crowds, tears glistening in their eyes, nodding and believing what the man was saying. I really felt for a moment that I should have been there at Grant Park just to feel the spirit of the people.
And I could'nt help but wonder, can this ever happen in our country? Will there ever be a leader who can capture the imagination of the people, inspire people and actually make them believe that good things will come. Will there ever be a day when I’d actually want to attend a political rally to hear my leader speak in India. And will I really want to vote for a person for his own merits, not trying to figure out who is the lesser of the bunch of evils? Were Gandhi and Nehru like that, I wonder. Did they manage to galvanize a crowd into action? Will there be a day when a truly truly deserving candidate lead my country? Will the Change sweep over us, ever?
- Moi
Mood of the day: Happy and Hopeful
Song of the day: That's the way it is! - Celine Dion
Barack Obama has re-defined HOPE.
I watched his victory speech last night and actually had goosebumps listening to him talk...watching the wild cheering crowds, tears glistening in their eyes, nodding and believing what the man was saying. I really felt for a moment that I should have been there at Grant Park just to feel the spirit of the people.
And I could'nt help but wonder, can this ever happen in our country? Will there ever be a leader who can capture the imagination of the people, inspire people and actually make them believe that good things will come. Will there ever be a day when I’d actually want to attend a political rally to hear my leader speak in India. And will I really want to vote for a person for his own merits, not trying to figure out who is the lesser of the bunch of evils? Were Gandhi and Nehru like that, I wonder. Did they manage to galvanize a crowd into action? Will there be a day when a truly truly deserving candidate lead my country? Will the Change sweep over us, ever?
- Moi
Mood of the day: Happy and Hopeful
Song of the day: That's the way it is! - Celine Dion
04 November, 2008
1 Minute Movie!!
I love Hindi movies – but I think that the 80’s was the worst phase of Indian Cinema aka Bollywood, when movies were made which were mostly family dramas and had really crappy people in the name of actors like Mithun Chakaraborthy, Raj Kiran, Raj Babbar etc
After watching an endless amount of such movies mostly on Doordarshan I think this is a list of the salient points that most of the movies consisted. Most of the movies would contain at least 1 to all of these stereotypes. Read this for those who don’t have the time to see them all.
1. The elderly woman with the saree pallu draped around her head and a big red bindi denotes a chaste pati vrata naari , indulgent mother and wonderful cook who whips up 75 course meals with her smile and pallu intact and without a drop of perspiration. She has witnessed first hand the battle of Mahabharatha and the unfolding of the Ramayan. Preferred background score when she is around: The sweet sound of Bansuri or Flute! Visualise Nirupa Roy – she was the quintessential mom of Bollywood.
2. A frail old man in a kurta pyjama is almost always the father who works hard at the villain’s factory for a pittance. He is a sincere and dedicated worker who sticks to his job even though he has not been paid for the past 72 years! He suffers from a chronic cough that may be used to kill him off if the script demands. Preferred background scores for Pitaji: A mournful violin recital. Visualise A.K Hangal or Shriram Lagoo – they fit the role perfectly.
3. If their daughter is shown plain and with a cherubic character, then she is sure to get raped by the villain so that her brother, the hero has enough ammo to go after the villain. She will commit suicide after she vomits.
4. If the sister is shown wearing short mini skirts and revealing clothes then she is a bad bad girl and will surely fall under the charm of the villain’s sidey and get pregnant. Hearing this father will suffer a heart attack and die leaving the family destitute. The sister will turn a new leaf overnight and wear simple cotton sarees and begins going to the temple morning, evening and night. She will eventually marry the father of her child after the last scene when the Hero beats him up black and blue and is about to crush his head with a rock the size of Mt Abu. She will intervene just before the Hero crushes his head by imploring the Hero to spare the father of her unborn son or crush her too with the ten tonner of a rock. The father of the unborn child is immediately due to a chemical reaction, transformed into a good man who will promptly agree to marry her without a DNA test of the baby.
5. Then there is the hero of the movie, with perfectly black, oiled hair and big sideburns. Wears extremely tight pants and a shirt with the top two buttons open. He is a model son, a model student, a model brother, a model boyfriend – you get the drift. There will definitely be a rakhi scene with a bhai-behen ka pyar song. Visualise Raj Babbar, Mithun Chakraborthy etc
6. A woman in a saree with her eyebrows shaped in a sharp arc is the vixen of the piece. Her make up is harsh so that you don’t mistake her to be the loving mother. And to drive home the point that she is the villainess of the piece, the preferred background scores for her will wear out the cymbals and drums of the background orchestra. Visualise Bindu or Aruna Irani
7. The gal who arrives into the camera frame in slow motion, tossing her hair to some electric music is the Heroine. The Hero instantly falls in love with her. She instantly dislikes him. Then they sing a song picturized around ten International Gardens spanning seven countries. She falls in love with him after the song is over. Then they introduce themselves. Visualise Leena Chandravarkar or Anita Raj (if you know who she is J)
8. The man with the really bad sun glasses and cheap Cigar is the villain! He will sit on a papier-mâché throne in front of a bar with foreign scotch whiskey bottles filled with what looks like weak tea surrounded by a bevy of beauties called Mona, Monica, Ruby and Julie, not necessarily in that order. Visualise Ajit, Pran, Prem Chopra etc
9. The Villain will almost always kidnap the Heroine and keep her captive in a dilapidated fort or some ruined building with time bombs ticking. The fort has huge walls with "Raja loves Rani" and "Jesus saves!" kinda scribbling all over.
10. The hero comes to the rescue of the heroine and beats up the bad guys like no tomorrow. All the desi ghee and makhan ka khana that the mom fed him all these years helps him flex his muscles and fight away everybody.
11. The mother of all battles happen in the last scene when the dilapidated fort is made further bereft of huge rocks that the Hero takes to throw at the Villain and his hired men.
12. The Police arrive at the fag end of the movie without an FIR being filed. This is a miracle of sorts in India and happens only in Hindi movies. They will immediately spot and arrest the baddies from the milling crowd of people beating each other to pulp. Visualise Iftikhar in a jeep with 10 other police people in their Khakhi uniforms.
13. Hero and heroine are immediately beamed up to a marriage pandal where they smile coyly, bedecked, at the camera and the legend “THE END” with flowers in the background.
And the audiences feel genuinely happy it is over!
- Moi
After watching an endless amount of such movies mostly on Doordarshan I think this is a list of the salient points that most of the movies consisted. Most of the movies would contain at least 1 to all of these stereotypes. Read this for those who don’t have the time to see them all.
1. The elderly woman with the saree pallu draped around her head and a big red bindi denotes a chaste pati vrata naari , indulgent mother and wonderful cook who whips up 75 course meals with her smile and pallu intact and without a drop of perspiration. She has witnessed first hand the battle of Mahabharatha and the unfolding of the Ramayan. Preferred background score when she is around: The sweet sound of Bansuri or Flute! Visualise Nirupa Roy – she was the quintessential mom of Bollywood.
2. A frail old man in a kurta pyjama is almost always the father who works hard at the villain’s factory for a pittance. He is a sincere and dedicated worker who sticks to his job even though he has not been paid for the past 72 years! He suffers from a chronic cough that may be used to kill him off if the script demands. Preferred background scores for Pitaji: A mournful violin recital. Visualise A.K Hangal or Shriram Lagoo – they fit the role perfectly.
3. If their daughter is shown plain and with a cherubic character, then she is sure to get raped by the villain so that her brother, the hero has enough ammo to go after the villain. She will commit suicide after she vomits.
4. If the sister is shown wearing short mini skirts and revealing clothes then she is a bad bad girl and will surely fall under the charm of the villain’s sidey and get pregnant. Hearing this father will suffer a heart attack and die leaving the family destitute. The sister will turn a new leaf overnight and wear simple cotton sarees and begins going to the temple morning, evening and night. She will eventually marry the father of her child after the last scene when the Hero beats him up black and blue and is about to crush his head with a rock the size of Mt Abu. She will intervene just before the Hero crushes his head by imploring the Hero to spare the father of her unborn son or crush her too with the ten tonner of a rock. The father of the unborn child is immediately due to a chemical reaction, transformed into a good man who will promptly agree to marry her without a DNA test of the baby.
5. Then there is the hero of the movie, with perfectly black, oiled hair and big sideburns. Wears extremely tight pants and a shirt with the top two buttons open. He is a model son, a model student, a model brother, a model boyfriend – you get the drift. There will definitely be a rakhi scene with a bhai-behen ka pyar song. Visualise Raj Babbar, Mithun Chakraborthy etc
6. A woman in a saree with her eyebrows shaped in a sharp arc is the vixen of the piece. Her make up is harsh so that you don’t mistake her to be the loving mother. And to drive home the point that she is the villainess of the piece, the preferred background scores for her will wear out the cymbals and drums of the background orchestra. Visualise Bindu or Aruna Irani
7. The gal who arrives into the camera frame in slow motion, tossing her hair to some electric music is the Heroine. The Hero instantly falls in love with her. She instantly dislikes him. Then they sing a song picturized around ten International Gardens spanning seven countries. She falls in love with him after the song is over. Then they introduce themselves. Visualise Leena Chandravarkar or Anita Raj (if you know who she is J)
8. The man with the really bad sun glasses and cheap Cigar is the villain! He will sit on a papier-mâché throne in front of a bar with foreign scotch whiskey bottles filled with what looks like weak tea surrounded by a bevy of beauties called Mona, Monica, Ruby and Julie, not necessarily in that order. Visualise Ajit, Pran, Prem Chopra etc
9. The Villain will almost always kidnap the Heroine and keep her captive in a dilapidated fort or some ruined building with time bombs ticking. The fort has huge walls with "Raja loves Rani" and "Jesus saves!" kinda scribbling all over.
10. The hero comes to the rescue of the heroine and beats up the bad guys like no tomorrow. All the desi ghee and makhan ka khana that the mom fed him all these years helps him flex his muscles and fight away everybody.
11. The mother of all battles happen in the last scene when the dilapidated fort is made further bereft of huge rocks that the Hero takes to throw at the Villain and his hired men.
12. The Police arrive at the fag end of the movie without an FIR being filed. This is a miracle of sorts in India and happens only in Hindi movies. They will immediately spot and arrest the baddies from the milling crowd of people beating each other to pulp. Visualise Iftikhar in a jeep with 10 other police people in their Khakhi uniforms.
13. Hero and heroine are immediately beamed up to a marriage pandal where they smile coyly, bedecked, at the camera and the legend “THE END” with flowers in the background.
And the audiences feel genuinely happy it is over!
- Moi
03 November, 2008
What can you say..??
The Mister glowing over the ipod touch I gave him for his birthday – he is all smiles and checking out the gizmo with alacrity.
Moi: (Trying to get some attention from him) I am happy you liked the gift so much
The Mister (All misty eyed and sincere) : It’s my favorite toy after you!!
Well, what can you say to that ??
Happy Birthday to you Mister!!
Mood of the day: Happy – (its going to be 73 deg today)
Song of the day: Kabhi Kabhi aditi
- Moi
Moi: (Trying to get some attention from him) I am happy you liked the gift so much
The Mister (All misty eyed and sincere) : It’s my favorite toy after you!!
Well, what can you say to that ??
Happy Birthday to you Mister!!
Mood of the day: Happy – (its going to be 73 deg today)
Song of the day: Kabhi Kabhi aditi
- Moi
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