Yesterday, sharp at 10 pm, all of us glued in front of the TV. It was not a movie, not a match but a serial. Yes, even I was surprised to the extent of my jaws falling apart. And all the credit goes to anu’s mausi ji. She saw that serial just for 1 day with us, told us the story in details and we were hooked to the series to know what happened next!!!
With changing times, even our very own idiot box has changed a lot. Earlier there used to be just one channel and we used to remember even the advertisements’ by-heart. Now there are so many channels that all our time is spent in channel surfing and we don’t even remember what we watched in the last half-and-hour.
Even today when we discuss about TV serials, we remember and cherish the good old DD serials only. We wonder how B.R.Chopra’s Mahabharata and Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana had increased the sale of TVs exponentially. Roads and shops used to be empty on Sunday as soon as the clock struck 9. People of all age groups used to watch these epics with the same emotions and sincerity. Whatever I know of these epics, is mainly because of these serials. I wonder how much the next generation would know of these epics in absence of such serials. It’s not that these epics have not been telecasted after that, but even the comparison of B.R.Chopra’s Mahabharata and Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana with today’s serials are an insult to the veteran directors.
And how can we forget our in-house James Bond, Vyomkesh Bakshi. All of us used to solve the cases with the same inquisitiveness as Vyomkesh and were awed by his intelligence and logical thinking. The best part of those times were that it did not matter where the tv remote was because there was no need for changing channels for the entire stretch. Now we fight over changing channels more than watching the programs.
I remember how I used to rush from my school to see the soap ‘Yug’. We didn’t even miss the title track which I still remember with tune ‘Yug badla badla Hindustan…..’. Now if ever we watch some program, we just see the scenes in which some important part of the story is telecasted, forget about title tracks and it wont even matter if while changing channels we miss 15 mins of a 30 min soap.
Then there were Fauji (which gave us our King Khan), Shanti, Jungle Book, Malgudi Days and many others. The thought of these serials still bring a smile on our faces unlike those of today.
And all this I wrote just on the thought that I would have to live without tv for the next few months. Even if those good old serials are not there, it helps you kill time without worrying about work, relations and daily chores.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Ye ladka thoda filmy hai...!!!
Since childhood I had despised even the thought of use of some words (most of them are considered slangs) but then there are a few charming people who would say the worst of words in a way which would make you smile. ‘Gadha’ is one such word and DD is one such person. Before meeting him, I had never ever imagined that I would be using this word with a smile and would be listening to it day and night with a smile.
Writing about DD is not at all difficult as he has a heart of gold without any pretentions. He would never hide anything from anyone if it is belongs to the 95% of his life but he would not tell anything to anyone if that thing belongs to 5% of his life. This world is full of people who would claim that they tell everything to you but actually they would just be telling 5% of it. His strange truthfulness and honesty is rare to find in this world of hypocrisy.
Very few people know what their passions are but he’s one such person whose friends also know what his passions are…!! Cricket, Movies and Work (though not in same order)… Name a song and he would tell you the movie, actor, actress, situation and what not. And the same with cricket…any match…any cricketer…he’s a live encyclopedia. And as far as work is related, he would never miss office when we plan to go out!!!
He has innumerable talents but the most noticeable talent he uniquely (only one more person has this rare talent) possesses is the SRK voice. He mimics SRK amazingly well. Even hard core SRK fans (hope you people can guess whom am i referring to) have vouched for the similarity of dialogue delivery.
Such people come into your life and lit it up so bright that you shine with inner happiness. DD is one such person in my life and this post is the least I can do for him. Thanks a lot for being such a wonderful friend…!!!
Writing about DD is not at all difficult as he has a heart of gold without any pretentions. He would never hide anything from anyone if it is belongs to the 95% of his life but he would not tell anything to anyone if that thing belongs to 5% of his life. This world is full of people who would claim that they tell everything to you but actually they would just be telling 5% of it. His strange truthfulness and honesty is rare to find in this world of hypocrisy.
Very few people know what their passions are but he’s one such person whose friends also know what his passions are…!! Cricket, Movies and Work (though not in same order)… Name a song and he would tell you the movie, actor, actress, situation and what not. And the same with cricket…any match…any cricketer…he’s a live encyclopedia. And as far as work is related, he would never miss office when we plan to go out!!!
He has innumerable talents but the most noticeable talent he uniquely (only one more person has this rare talent) possesses is the SRK voice. He mimics SRK amazingly well. Even hard core SRK fans (hope you people can guess whom am i referring to) have vouched for the similarity of dialogue delivery.
Such people come into your life and lit it up so bright that you shine with inner happiness. DD is one such person in my life and this post is the least I can do for him. Thanks a lot for being such a wonderful friend…!!!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Ever thought about this?
This day started like any other day with gmail and timesofindia.com... The only difference was the thought with which it started. The first line which I read today was "Punjab burning after Vienna killing". I could not relate Punjab and Vienna in any way so inquisitively clicked on the link for details. Some religious Sikh guru was killed in Vienna and riots broke out in Punjab. People in huge numbers were out on roads burning cars, buses , trains and what not.
The killing of the Sikh Guru was tragic beyond doubt but is it justified to kill thousand other innocent people to show your grief and anger? Will that guru's soul not lament seeing the deeds of his disciples in his absence? Is this a proper way to bid adieu to a guru who has showed us the path to peace and prosperity? If by killing thousand innocent people, that great person could again come into existence, it could still be justified by a few. But this is nothing but killing the preachings of the guru immediately after his demise and is even more sad.
Is this not the starting point of terrorism? Even the terrorists kill innocent people giving the same logic. At some point of time, even their near and dear ones were killed and they were out to take revenge. Hopefully this riot will end in a couple of days and Punjab will be as peaceful as ever. But the seeds of extremism would be sown in some young mind which might harm another hundreds of innocents in years to come.
The killing of the Sikh Guru was tragic beyond doubt but is it justified to kill thousand other innocent people to show your grief and anger? Will that guru's soul not lament seeing the deeds of his disciples in his absence? Is this a proper way to bid adieu to a guru who has showed us the path to peace and prosperity? If by killing thousand innocent people, that great person could again come into existence, it could still be justified by a few. But this is nothing but killing the preachings of the guru immediately after his demise and is even more sad.
Is this not the starting point of terrorism? Even the terrorists kill innocent people giving the same logic. At some point of time, even their near and dear ones were killed and they were out to take revenge. Hopefully this riot will end in a couple of days and Punjab will be as peaceful as ever. But the seeds of extremism would be sown in some young mind which might harm another hundreds of innocents in years to come.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Censor Hai..!!!
99 out of 100 people hum some song or the other at least once a day. That song may not be the one they like the most or might not be the most pleasant sounding one but it is generally the one which we hear recently. No wonder that after a bus journey I hum ‘Pardesi jana nahi…’ for 3-4 days !!
Today morning, while having my breakfast, I started humming ‘Jan Gan Man Rann hai…is rann me….’ (I had seen the trailer of this movie last night itself) and the following series of thoughts flashed into my mind.
‘I should stand up while singing Jan Gan Man….but wait… this is not Jan Gan Man…it’s Jan Gan Man Rann hai…so I need not stand…’
And since that time I have been continuously humming this song from movie RANN directed by our very own RGV. This song forced me to think whether it’s rightfully banned or it should be left on the audiences to use their discretion.
There’s no doubt that this song is very ear candy and with proper marketing it has the potential to make it to every house hold. I don’t know anything about the storyline as of now but it’s not difficult to guess that it would be portraying some rampant corruption or any other evil that has besieged the nation. I am pretty hopeful that, like any other bollywood movie, the good will eventually overcome the evil and it will all be goody goody at the end of the movie. But what if the music gets dear to the mass inside and outside the country? I am sure there will be more percentage of population who would have heard this song rather than those who would watch the movie and eventually see the good destroy the evil. Imagine how much of negative publicity and disgrace it would bring to the nation.
When Slumdog Millionare won the Oscars, we Indians were the first to say that the West likes seeing India as a downtrodden country. If we blamed Boyle for showing India a poor country then how can we Indians tell the world that
“Vindh himachal yamuna ganga … Me tezaab ubal raha hai
Mar gaya sab ka zameer … Jaane kab zinda ho aagey “
In a country where the public sentiment is hurt even by the use of words like ‘barber (in Billu)’, ‘mochi’, ‘chamar’ (in Aaja Nach le) then how can we tolerate someone saying these lines about our nation to the whole world
“Desh ka aisa haal hai lekin …Aapas me ladd rahe neta
Jana gann mangal daayak jaya hai …Bhaarat ko bacha le vidhaata!!! "
Every country has problems and I am not saying that we should not focus on our problems but there is a way to do everything. And above all some things are not meant to be played with. National Anthem is one such thing. Is there such a lack of creativity that people cannot express their feelings without adding indignity to our national anthem?
I am sure that at a time when we have been blessed with some what stable mandate in polls… the economy having faced the brunt of global downturn has survived, rather done well… there is widespread feeling of " jai ho " post Oscar and post polls… we do not want some one to come with slogans of " bhay ho " and spread fear and uncertainty which is so contagious.
To err is human and therefore the possibility that someone starts singing ‘Jan Gan Man Rann hai..’ instead of ‘Jan Gan Man’ cannot be ruled out. So what’s the need of this song when it threatens to lessen its dignity?
Today morning, while having my breakfast, I started humming ‘Jan Gan Man Rann hai…is rann me….’ (I had seen the trailer of this movie last night itself) and the following series of thoughts flashed into my mind.
‘I should stand up while singing Jan Gan Man….but wait… this is not Jan Gan Man…it’s Jan Gan Man Rann hai…so I need not stand…’
And since that time I have been continuously humming this song from movie RANN directed by our very own RGV. This song forced me to think whether it’s rightfully banned or it should be left on the audiences to use their discretion.
There’s no doubt that this song is very ear candy and with proper marketing it has the potential to make it to every house hold. I don’t know anything about the storyline as of now but it’s not difficult to guess that it would be portraying some rampant corruption or any other evil that has besieged the nation. I am pretty hopeful that, like any other bollywood movie, the good will eventually overcome the evil and it will all be goody goody at the end of the movie. But what if the music gets dear to the mass inside and outside the country? I am sure there will be more percentage of population who would have heard this song rather than those who would watch the movie and eventually see the good destroy the evil. Imagine how much of negative publicity and disgrace it would bring to the nation.
When Slumdog Millionare won the Oscars, we Indians were the first to say that the West likes seeing India as a downtrodden country. If we blamed Boyle for showing India a poor country then how can we Indians tell the world that
“Vindh himachal yamuna ganga … Me tezaab ubal raha hai
Mar gaya sab ka zameer … Jaane kab zinda ho aagey “
In a country where the public sentiment is hurt even by the use of words like ‘barber (in Billu)’, ‘mochi’, ‘chamar’ (in Aaja Nach le) then how can we tolerate someone saying these lines about our nation to the whole world
“Desh ka aisa haal hai lekin …Aapas me ladd rahe neta
Jana gann mangal daayak jaya hai …Bhaarat ko bacha le vidhaata!!! "
Every country has problems and I am not saying that we should not focus on our problems but there is a way to do everything. And above all some things are not meant to be played with. National Anthem is one such thing. Is there such a lack of creativity that people cannot express their feelings without adding indignity to our national anthem?
I am sure that at a time when we have been blessed with some what stable mandate in polls… the economy having faced the brunt of global downturn has survived, rather done well… there is widespread feeling of " jai ho " post Oscar and post polls… we do not want some one to come with slogans of " bhay ho " and spread fear and uncertainty which is so contagious.
To err is human and therefore the possibility that someone starts singing ‘Jan Gan Man Rann hai..’ instead of ‘Jan Gan Man’ cannot be ruled out. So what’s the need of this song when it threatens to lessen its dignity?
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