Watched the 55th National Film Awards ceremony..
Shankar Mahadevan sang "Maa" and by the end of his performance, everyone from the President to Manna Dey to Yash Chopra to Priyadarshan to Percept's Shailendra Singh to Sonam Kapoor to the Army men on President's security were teary and eyes of some even failed to contain.. Reminds me that all of us are humans.. And when Shreya Ghosal sang "Yeh Ishq Haaye", a camera caught the President humming the song along.. Truly music transcends or I may say art transcends.... actually, what not??
After the National Awards were announced, I managed to catch a couple of the awarded movies which I had not already seen. And I realized what I would have missed had it not been for the National Awards recognizing these fantastic creations.. I am eagerly waiting for the English or Hindi versions of others..
If not for the National Awards, I would have not known that Priyadarshan who directed the three utterly funny characters in a slugfest for money in "Hera Pheri" could with even more finesse depict a silk weavers inability to buy a silk saree and his subsequent trysts with communism in "Kanchivaram".. And that Shailendra Singh and Percept who manage the big and the rich including many of our dear cricketers, also support regional cinema and produce movies like Kanchivaram..
Its great to see that the National Awards recognize good cinema and retain credibility amidst the numerous pompy showy popular cliche award functions..
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
I got a mail
The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 's Speech in Hyderabad..
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our
Achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success
Stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a
Self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements
But our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters. I
Was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the
Day
After a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The
Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a
Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid
And a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The
Gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the
Newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so
NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign
Things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign
Technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that
Self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this
Lecture,
When a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal
In life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her,
You and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India
Is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you
Have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.
Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is
Yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a
Face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International
Best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in
The stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay
$5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim
Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking
Lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or
A shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you
Don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during
Ramadan, in Dubai . YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered
In Jeddah . YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange
In London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD
Calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph
(88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,
'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son.
Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell
Anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New India ?
Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr.
Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the
streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And
then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the
authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the
officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure
in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job.
Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to
the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do
everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the
government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all
over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper
and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms
but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air America to bask in their
glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to
England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out
to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and
brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape
the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is
mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great
deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F.
Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA
AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Lets do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or
junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our
Achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success
Stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a
Self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements
But our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters. I
Was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the
Day
After a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The
Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a
Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid
And a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The
Gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the
Newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so
NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign
Things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign
Technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that
Self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this
Lecture,
When a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal
In life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her,
You and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India
Is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you
Have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.
Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is
Yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a
Face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International
Best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in
The stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay
$5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim
Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking
Lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or
A shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you
Don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during
Ramadan, in Dubai . YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered
In Jeddah . YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange
In London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD
Calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph
(88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,
'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son.
Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell
Anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New India ?
Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr.
Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the
streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And
then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the
authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the
officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure
in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job.
Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to
the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do
everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the
government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all
over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper
and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms
but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air America to bask in their
glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to
England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out
to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and
brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape
the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is
mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great
deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F.
Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA
AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Lets do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or
junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
I got my ultimate motivation for life
With my internship going on at Rabindra Nath Tagore Medical College and Maharana Bhupal Hospital, Udaipur, I am currently posted in the Department of Paediatrics.
There was a small girl aged around 3 years admitted in the ward with pulmonary tuberculosis. She had been in the ward for the last 18 days and it was my first day in that ward. The girl had to be discharged and I called for her attendants to educate them about the medication schedule. I was shocked to find that the girl was accompanied by just her brother who was 10 years old.
They had come from a village, some 70 odd kilometers away from Udaipur. Out of curiosity I started asking that boy for some more details. He told that he had got his sister admitted here for the third time in the last year. I asked him about their parents and about what he did. Then came the ultimate shock. He said his mother conspired along with some man and killed his father and then left the two children and ran away. He does cleaning work in a marble factory and tries to bring home at least one meal a day. His grand mother lives with them. She is very old and just about manages to make rotis from the aata he brings.
Even if he can't get medicines for free or on subsidy, he pledges to buy all the medicines and wants to see his sister back normal again. He couldn't easily find a free Tuberculosis drugs (DOTS) distributor near his village and the one he found, asked for Vitamin M (money) from an already deficient kid.
How easy it could have been for him to leave her sister somewhere and run away or even run away from home himself and earn and have it all by himself. I don't want to be preaching here, but flashes of news articles about female foeticide did whoosh through my mind. Life isn't always easy but may be it won't be worth living that way. This incident I feel is going to serve as a motivation for me through my life.
There was a small girl aged around 3 years admitted in the ward with pulmonary tuberculosis. She had been in the ward for the last 18 days and it was my first day in that ward. The girl had to be discharged and I called for her attendants to educate them about the medication schedule. I was shocked to find that the girl was accompanied by just her brother who was 10 years old.
They had come from a village, some 70 odd kilometers away from Udaipur. Out of curiosity I started asking that boy for some more details. He told that he had got his sister admitted here for the third time in the last year. I asked him about their parents and about what he did. Then came the ultimate shock. He said his mother conspired along with some man and killed his father and then left the two children and ran away. He does cleaning work in a marble factory and tries to bring home at least one meal a day. His grand mother lives with them. She is very old and just about manages to make rotis from the aata he brings.
Even if he can't get medicines for free or on subsidy, he pledges to buy all the medicines and wants to see his sister back normal again. He couldn't easily find a free Tuberculosis drugs (DOTS) distributor near his village and the one he found, asked for Vitamin M (money) from an already deficient kid.
How easy it could have been for him to leave her sister somewhere and run away or even run away from home himself and earn and have it all by himself. I don't want to be preaching here, but flashes of news articles about female foeticide did whoosh through my mind. Life isn't always easy but may be it won't be worth living that way. This incident I feel is going to serve as a motivation for me through my life.
Friday, August 29, 2008
इंसान, इंसान से घबरा रहा
इंसान, इंसान से घबरा रहा
धमाकों की गूँज से ज़र्रा ज़र्रा थर्राह रहा
यह देख भारत माँ का दिल कराह रहा
देख आज इंसान, इंसान से घबरा रहा
कहीं रहीम को रुला, वह "हे राम" का नारा लगा रहा
राम को मौत की नींद सुला कोई "रहीम का बंदा" कहला रहा
देख आज इंसान इंसानियत को भुला रहा
कोई हरी पताका, कोई भगवा ध्वज फहरा रहा
गली गलियारों, चौक चौबारों में रंग लाल बह रहा
देख आज इंसान ख़ुद को विधाता कह रहा
भाषा धर्म के नाम पर इंसान बरगला रहा
और सत्ता का लोभी वह हैवान बेखौफ हंस रहा
देख आज इंसान , इंसान का तमाशा बना रहा
गरीब और गरीब, और अमीर, अमीर होता जा रहा
आम ज़िन्दगी से नेता और नेता से आम इंसान कतरा रहा
देख कैसे आज इंसान, इंसान से घबरा रहा
जो इस धरती पर जन्मा, गुणगान कहीं और के कर रहा
यह देख मेरी माँ का दिल पसीज पसीज कर रो रहा
देख आज इंसान मिटटी से बेगाना हो रहा
खून के कतरों, मांस के चीथ्रों में वोट बीन रहा
सुरक्षा की तोप और मवेशी के चारे में नोट गिन रहा
कितना नीचे देख , आज इंसान गिरा जा रहा
तमाशबीन न तुम, तमाशबीन न मैं
तमाशा है ख़ुद, हर वह इंसान
जो हाथ पर हाथ धरे यह तमाशा देखे जा रहा
धमाकों की गूँज से ज़र्रा ज़र्रा थर्राह रहा
यह देख भारत माँ का दिल कराह रहा
देख आज इंसान, इंसान से घबरा रहा
कहीं रहीम को रुला, वह "हे राम" का नारा लगा रहा
राम को मौत की नींद सुला कोई "रहीम का बंदा" कहला रहा
देख आज इंसान इंसानियत को भुला रहा
कोई हरी पताका, कोई भगवा ध्वज फहरा रहा
गली गलियारों, चौक चौबारों में रंग लाल बह रहा
देख आज इंसान ख़ुद को विधाता कह रहा
भाषा धर्म के नाम पर इंसान बरगला रहा
और सत्ता का लोभी वह हैवान बेखौफ हंस रहा
देख आज इंसान , इंसान का तमाशा बना रहा
गरीब और गरीब, और अमीर, अमीर होता जा रहा
आम ज़िन्दगी से नेता और नेता से आम इंसान कतरा रहा
देख कैसे आज इंसान, इंसान से घबरा रहा
जो इस धरती पर जन्मा, गुणगान कहीं और के कर रहा
यह देख मेरी माँ का दिल पसीज पसीज कर रो रहा
देख आज इंसान मिटटी से बेगाना हो रहा
खून के कतरों, मांस के चीथ्रों में वोट बीन रहा
सुरक्षा की तोप और मवेशी के चारे में नोट गिन रहा
कितना नीचे देख , आज इंसान गिरा जा रहा
तमाशबीन न तुम, तमाशबीन न मैं
तमाशा है ख़ुद, हर वह इंसान
जो हाथ पर हाथ धरे यह तमाशा देखे जा रहा
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Insaan, Insaan se ghabra raha
Dhamaakon ki goonj se, zarra zarra tharraah raha
Yeh dekh Bharat Maa ka dil karaah raha
Dekh aaj insaan, insaan se ghabra raha
Kahin Rahim ko rula, wah "He Ram" ka naara laga raha
Ram ko maut ki neend sula, koi "Rahim ka banda" kehla raha
Dekh aaj insaan, insaaniyat ko bhula raha
Koi hari pataaka, koi bhagwa dhwaj fehra raha
Gali Galiyaaron, Chauk Chaubaron mein rang laal beh raha
Dekh aaj insaan, khud ko vidhaata kehla raha
Bhaasha Dharm ke naam par, insaan bargala raha
Aur satta ka lobhi wah haiwaan, bekhauf hans raha
Dekh aaj insaan, insaan ka tamasha bana raha
Gareeb aur gareeb, aur ameer, ameer hota ja raha
Aam zindagi se neta aur neta se aam insaan katra raha
Dekh kaise aaj insaan, insaan se ghabra raha
Jo is dharti par janma, gungaan kahin aur ke kar raha
Yeh dekh meri Maa ka dil, paseej paseej kar ro raha
Dekh aaj insaan, mitti se begaana ho raha
Khoon ke katron, Maans ke cheethron mein, vote been raha
Suraksha ki tope aur maweshi ke chaare mein, note gin raha
Kitna neeche dekh, aaj insaan gira ja raha
Tamaashbeen na tum, Tamaashbeen na main
Tamaasha hai khud, Har wah insaan
Jo haath par haath dhare yeh tamaasha dekhe ja raha
Le dekh aaj insaan, insaan se ghabra raha
Yeh dekh Bharat Maa ka dil karaah raha
Dekh aaj insaan, insaan se ghabra raha
Kahin Rahim ko rula, wah "He Ram" ka naara laga raha
Ram ko maut ki neend sula, koi "Rahim ka banda" kehla raha
Dekh aaj insaan, insaaniyat ko bhula raha
Koi hari pataaka, koi bhagwa dhwaj fehra raha
Gali Galiyaaron, Chauk Chaubaron mein rang laal beh raha
Dekh aaj insaan, khud ko vidhaata kehla raha
Bhaasha Dharm ke naam par, insaan bargala raha
Aur satta ka lobhi wah haiwaan, bekhauf hans raha
Dekh aaj insaan, insaan ka tamasha bana raha
Gareeb aur gareeb, aur ameer, ameer hota ja raha
Aam zindagi se neta aur neta se aam insaan katra raha
Dekh kaise aaj insaan, insaan se ghabra raha
Jo is dharti par janma, gungaan kahin aur ke kar raha
Yeh dekh meri Maa ka dil, paseej paseej kar ro raha
Dekh aaj insaan, mitti se begaana ho raha
Khoon ke katron, Maans ke cheethron mein, vote been raha
Suraksha ki tope aur maweshi ke chaare mein, note gin raha
Kitna neeche dekh, aaj insaan gira ja raha
Tamaashbeen na tum, Tamaashbeen na main
Tamaasha hai khud, Har wah insaan
Jo haath par haath dhare yeh tamaasha dekhe ja raha
Le dekh aaj insaan, insaan se ghabra raha
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Fear Factor - 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' - the Akshay version
Reality shows are the biggest hits on Indian TV these days. Four or so years back we had channels like AXN, Discovery and some others airing Hindi dubbed versions of reality shows abroad. Sa Re Ga Ma, Antakshari etc were more like competitions being aired on TV but Indian Idol if I am not mistaken was probably the first Indigenous reality show. Then all sorts of shows came, some of which tested talent and others things like strength, endurance and tolerance.
The newest biggie on the idiot box is the Indian version of Fear Factor called "Khataron Ke Khiladi" airing on "Colors" and featuring none other then bollywood's original Khiladi - Akshay Kumar, as the anchor. The show which started with 13 glam dolls of TV, cinema and modeling fields had created waves even before it saw light. The show has lived up to the hype and the expectations.
The stunts in the show are of the highest standards and indeed very very scary. The glam girls too have caught eyes with their gutsy acts. Yana Gupta and Netra Raghuraman have looked like perfect army material. The biggest disappointment has been the attitude of Vidya Malwade, who played the role of "Vidya Sharma", the Indian women's hockey team captain in "Chak de India". She looked an absolute coward denying attempting two tasks and ended up being kicked out on the second occasion. She did everything possible to rubbish the image she had after "Chak de...", at least in the eyes of those who watched those episodes of "Khatron ke...".
The show has thus far looked very impressive with different stunts requiring contestants to climb very high, dive in cold water, handling snakes, burying the face in insect dunes etc. The extremely beautiful contestants have pleased the eyes and bagged applauses displaying great courage.
The newest biggie on the idiot box is the Indian version of Fear Factor called "Khataron Ke Khiladi" airing on "Colors" and featuring none other then bollywood's original Khiladi - Akshay Kumar, as the anchor. The show which started with 13 glam dolls of TV, cinema and modeling fields had created waves even before it saw light. The show has lived up to the hype and the expectations.
The stunts in the show are of the highest standards and indeed very very scary. The glam girls too have caught eyes with their gutsy acts. Yana Gupta and Netra Raghuraman have looked like perfect army material. The biggest disappointment has been the attitude of Vidya Malwade, who played the role of "Vidya Sharma", the Indian women's hockey team captain in "Chak de India". She looked an absolute coward denying attempting two tasks and ended up being kicked out on the second occasion. She did everything possible to rubbish the image she had after "Chak de...", at least in the eyes of those who watched those episodes of "Khatron ke...".
The show has thus far looked very impressive with different stunts requiring contestants to climb very high, dive in cold water, handling snakes, burying the face in insect dunes etc. The extremely beautiful contestants have pleased the eyes and bagged applauses displaying great courage.
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