Just Two!?

It's really outrageous. Whenever there is an ugly fight between politicians for whatsoever reason, why on earth are innocent lives claimed? You always see that happen. Just a few months back three employees of "Dinakaran" daily were killed owing to the bitterness between two politicians of the same family. Now 2 passengers, a woman included has been burnt alive in a bus bound for Chennai from Bangalore.

But the co-party members and other peers of Karunanidhi expressing their concerns over the attack on his daughter's mansion, but not about this. Why? because they are just two votes? They are two nameless persons, and it's not even election time. So why bother?

My simple mind is unable to comprehend this: Who is to blame for their tragic ends?

• God?
• Fate?
• That stupid mob that set fire to the bus? - They are justified, you know? because they had asked all the passengers to get down, and these two were apparently sleeping.

Priyanka Bhotmange

She was a young girl of seventeen;

She was very good at academics;

She wanted to join the army;

She had doting parents and affectionate brothers;

Her family was educated, self-sufficient, and had self-esteem;

And that was the crime in this cursed land - for she was a Dalit...

I am not going to talk about it, but as September 29 draws nearer, as a whole year has rolled by after what happened... I just remember this:

"Priyanka will not be avenged as long as you have even one square inch on earth where a woman is held as the repository of male honour." - Annie Zaidi, Reporter, Frontline

Yes, that's the truth.. and truth could never be more bitter...

Again… There is a spectre haunting the nation… no, unfortunately it’s not Communism. It’s the mania of Sivaji aka Rajni aka Superstar aka the most sinful and lavish production of a movie. (the highest budget movie ever produced in India – about Rs. 80 crore)

I say, isn’t it after all just a movie?

But the average Indian film-goer (let alone the avid and crazy fans) cannot simply be convinced of the fact that it’s just an ordinary masala movie or the actor is just an actor – to quote his own humble words. No they won’t listen even to him, when it comes to that!
They will drool and go teary-eyed over how humble the great man is! They rave over him, worship him like God, and anyone who tries to even raise a word against all this is termed cynical or even jealous!

The media obviously has no holds barred when it comes to anything that is high-budget, hi-fi, high-tech, and high-class! Right from the prestigious multinational news channels like CNN-IBN down to the vernacular channels, the media is determined to milk this hype for all its worth.

And director Shankar is always held up in a pedestal for he toils and makes mastermind scripts that aways have a so-called revolutionary message.

All that is fine, it’s of course the right and pleasure of the fun-loving youth to indulge in such hypes and feed their insatiable hunger for fun and fervor which the BOSS only adds to. But what irks me is the price that they pay for it. Yes, literally!

It is said that the film has earned more than what it spent on the movie, even before its release. And the numbers are out of the scope of the financial expertise of the common man, who is albeit ready to pay Rs. 1000 for two-and-half hours of sheer entertainment!
One of my friends rejoiced over the fact that he got his ticket cheap... just for Rs. 150!

I am just alarmed at the moral responsibility of these so-called great directors and the venerable production house that made this movie. They simply sit back and enjoy the people’s folly that includes everything from sticking “Vels” in their tongues, to performing “Paalabhishekam” to the actor’s cut-outs.

They ultimately have no intention of educating the poor fan who is so pathetically ignorant. Now while the actor makes no such claims and is fairly an honest person when it comes to his style and taste in making films, the director is much different.
He has claimed himself to be a noble artist dedicated to the art of film-making, while he is yet to make an honest attempt on a simple and healthy movie without spending a colossal fortune. Now, that’s hypocrisy at its worst.

We all speak how rotten the film industry is. We all sigh about how the other nations are in a very higher platform when it comes to movie making. What we do not realize is that the movie makers simply blame it on “us”. Yes, they justify their pathetic films saying you and I have such cheap tastes and they give only what we demand.
I say, haven’t good films ever prospered? Take for example Autograph, Mozhi, Pithamagan, Black, there are several more, I am sure, if you stop to think.

Well, it is said that movies are just for entertainment and one should not be so seriously looking for any morals or messages there.

But it is certainly a serious matter that such a powerful media that can grip the entire nation for months together – that which unifies most of the energetic youth, claims much of your time and money is nothing but a collage of colorful songs, hip-shaking dances, and the frivolous tale of a fictional hero.

It's ok to watch a film that's just funny, light-hearted, even uttely stupid with no serious theme to get through. It's like eating sugar, knowing it's just sugar.
But the so-called intellectual directors are like fraud doctors whose so-called medicine to reform the society might in fact turn out fatal.

Letters...

There is this popular TV Ad for an equally popular phone network - very poetically created with beautiful cinematography. A bunch of kids in a village are playing with paper boats sailing them in puddles. What's so special about that? There is... the boats are made of unused Inland letter cards and Postal envelopes! The message conveyed is that people even in the remote rural areas do not need snail mail now, and that telephonic communication is extensively available - thanks to "their superior" network!
Yes, it's all very well and we can't deny the comfort we enjoy in today's fastpaced world. But nevertheless, I found it unnerving - the wasting away of those unused letter cards that so remind me of their happier and glorious days.

Remember them? The cute post cards your aunts and uncles used to send you at festivaltimes, the blue inland cards your grandparents used to write to you and your parents, and the greeting cards and thick envelopes you used to 'Plz Rush To" your hometown friends when you (or they) were away for college!

Where have they vanished now? I am sure, if you are a nutter like me, you'd have them all stacked in a giant-size plastic bag or gunny bag and kept safe in a loft or the top shelf of your closet.

But have you ever bothered to take down the lot and flick through the sheafs of the aging pages? I doubt there is a better way to liven up life and love! There is nothing more self-rejuvenating than seeing the loving messages inked by your loved ones' handwriting, especially FOR YOU! No bulk forwarded goodmorning SMSs or email messages were known then!
The present day's frostiness and langour will melt away like ice and you will feel an inexplicable glow of warmth and love that you will want to share with everyone around you!


What will you not give to go back to the summer holidays you spent ecstatically at your granny's village! But you can relive those evergreen memories when you read your granny's letter asking you to come and stay!

And just think, the bond of friendship is never sweeter than in your teens and preteens.
Today's teens are said to be a lucky lot. Parents see it as a status symbol that their kid caries a mobile to school.

But I honestly thing that millions of forwarded jokes, goodmorning SMSs, or interactive e-greetings cannot replace the warmth you used to feel when you "open with smile" a loving (or teasing) greeting card your best friend sent your way, in those good olden days!

I mean, writing was a major (if not the only) means of communication even just a decade back. That was before the Ambanis, Mittals, Nokia etc... saw it as their major responsibility to connect people!

I agree, one would be chucked off to a museum if they talk against the communication revolution we all have come to enjoy today! But yes, it's only communication and very effective that is. But where is the rejoicing connection?
It looks like no technology can equally satisfy business needs and emotional needs. It sure dips towards one side and you know better which!

So all-in-all, the e-Mail, palm-tops, Hand-helds, SMS are all faster but the snail was much more sweeter!

Hmm.. It took so long for me to come back to my blog. I created this way back in November and just forgot all about it. Now when I come back, I was prompted to choose the new version (God knows how far I would appreciate it.. I was quite puzzled getting used to the old one, as it is.)

I wonder, why did I ever want to blog? I am a little apprehensive of sharing my thoughts/writing with others. I muddle my own mind enough with them, why bother others? Especially when most are not blessed with such superior mind power as mine. ;-)

So I just opened this to scribble something, vent my feelings and thoughts....and just to see if I can really make something out of it... Well, I don't have high hopes!

Hi!

This is my new Blog.

Deepa