The Appreciation of Uselessness

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Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:15:00 +0530

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Wolfmother- Cosmic Egg

Just Watched: Paa After hearing a lot of praise for this film,...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:50:00 +0530

Just Watched: Paa

After hearing a lot of praise for this film, I finally went and watched it with my family. My mother’s reaction expressed more or less the same opinion that I had of the film — it was nothing but a form of emotional blackmail. This, mind you, doesn’t mean that the film isn’t good. In fact, it is a very interesting watch. The problem with it is the wafer-thin script, where there was a lot of scope for improvement. The direction isn’t all that good. The best thing about this film is the acting. Amitabh Bachchan as the 13-year old Progeria patient Auro is outstanding, this performance only confirms the fact that the man is a genius. Abhishek Bachchan is top-notch but has some really weird dialogues. (“Thank God I wasn’t wearing a condom!” –Really now?) Vidya Balan is quite good but rather annoying at times. Paresh Rawal and Arundhati Naag are adequate in their roles. The kid who plays Auro’s best-friend is really nice. This is one film that needs to be watched at least once, for Amitabh Bachchan if not anyone else.

Personal Rating: 7/10

Division Bell: The Telangana Factor

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:41:00 +0530

When India became independent from Great Britain in 1947, the princely state of Hyderabad was under the control of the Nizam of Hyderabad. The Nizam, a Muslim, wanted to retain his independence from India. The people of the region, however, launched a movement to join the Indian Union. After repeated attempts by the Centre to convince the Nizam to join Indian failed, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the first Home Minister Deputy Prime Minister of the country, decided to annex the state of Hyderabad and sent in the army, which defeated the Nizam’s forces to wrest control of Hyderabad. This is known as Operation Polo.

In an effort to unify the Telugu people, and preserve the unique culture of Telugu people, Potti Sreeramulu attempted to force the government to listen to public demands for the unification of Andhra based on linguistic lines. He went on a lengthy fast, and only stopped Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru promised to support unification. However, there was no movement on the issue for a long time. He started fasting again for attaining statehood for Andhra in Madras in October, 1952. The government of the day however did not make a clear statement about the formation of a new state despite several strikes and demonstrations by Telugu people. December, 1952, after having fasted for 58 days, Potti Sreeramulu laid down his life trying to achieve his objective. There had to be reactions to his death and the movement for separate statehood grew so violent that Nehru had to make an announcement about the formation of a separate state within a week of Potti Sreeramulu’s death. Andhra attained statehood on 1 October 1953, with Kurnool as its capital.

In December 1953, Nehru appointed the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to prepare for the creation of states on linguistic lines. This was headed by Justice Fazal Ali and the commission itself was also known as the Fazal Ali Commission. The efforts of this commission were overseen by Govind Ballabh Pant, who served as Home Minister from December 1954. The commission created a report in 1955 recommending the reorganisation of India’s states.

The SRC was not in favour of merging the Telangana region with the then Andhra state. Para. 382 of SRC Report said “opinion in Andhra is overwhelmingly in favour of the larger unit, public opinion in Telangana has still to crystallize itself. Important leaders of public opinion in Andhra themselves seem to appreciate that the unification of Telangana with Andhra, though desirable, should be based on a voluntary and willing association of the people and that it is primarily for the people of Telangana to take a decision about their future.” The concerns of the people of Telangana were numerous. The region had a less developed economy than Andhra, but with a larger revenue base (mostly because it taxed rather than prohibited alcoholic beverages), which Telangana people feared might be diverted for use in Andhra. They also feared that planned dam projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers would not benefit Telangana proportionately even though Telanganas controlled the headwaters of the rivers. The Telangana people feared too that the people of Andhra would have the advantage in jobs, particularly in government and education. Para. 386 of the SRC Report said “After taking all these factors into consideration we have come to the conclusions that it will be in the interests of Andhra as well as Telangana area is to constitute into a separate State, which may be known as the Hyderabad State with provision for its unification with Andhra after the general elections likely to be held in or about 1961 if by a two thirds majority the legislature of the residency Hyderabad State expresses itself in favour of such unification.”

The central government decided to ignore the SRC’s recommendations and established unified Andhra Pradesh on November 1, 1956. Hyderabad, the former capital of the Hyderabad State, was made the capital of the new state Andhra Pradesh. Kerala and Karnataka states were formed the same day in 1956, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960. However, a “Gentlemen’s agreement” provided reassurances to the Telangana people as well to Andhra people in terms of power sharing as well as administrative domicile rules and distribution of expenses of various regions. This agreement is known as Gentleman’s agreement of Andhra Pradesh (1956). The formation of linguistic states is the single most important event in the history of South Indian languages, as it provided an opportunity for these languages to develop independently, each of them having a state to support.

In the following years after the formation of Andhra Pradesh state, however, the Telangana people had a number of complaints about how the agreements and guarantees were implemented. Discontent with the 1956 Gentleman’s agreement intensified in January 1969 when the guarantees that had been agreed on were supposed to lapse. Student agitation for the continuation of the agreement began at Osmania University in Hyderabad and spread to other parts of the region. Government employees and opposition members of the state legislative assembly swiftly threatened “direct action” in support of the students. This movement led to widespread violence and deaths of hundreds of people and students of the Telangana region. The movement, however, fizzled out.

The emotions and forces generated by the movement were not strong enough, however, for a continuing drive for a separate state until 1990s when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), promised a separate Telangana state if they came to power. BJP created Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarkhand states in 2000 as promised, but they could not create a separate Telangana state because of the opposition from Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the part which was in power in Andhra Pradesh and was also a coalition partner of the BJP, having helped them form the NDA government at the centre. It is at this point where the present Telangana movement was born.

K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) was then in the TDP and also served as a minister and later as the deputy speaker of the AP assembly. In 2001, he quit his post as well as the part and formed the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), a party which he proclaimed to be the face of the Telangana movement.

Cut to the General Elections of 2004 which also coincided with the AP Assembly Elections. The TRS formed an alliance with Congress and won 26 state assembly seats. The party also won 5 parliament seats at the national level. It joined the governments at both the state and central levels. KCR was even made a union minister. I don’t really like KCR and am not a fan of the Congress either. Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP chief continues to be one of my favourite politicians and the way KCR taunted him before and after the 2004 elections in way made me feel that KCR wasn’t exactly devoted to the Telangana cause despite he advocated it. Moreover, as there wasn’t too much discord in AP, I also felt that the movement shouldn’t have existed in the first place. While I can accept the movement now, I must admit that I don’t exactly support it.

My suspicions about KCR were confirmed when, in 2006, the TRS withdrew support for the central government on the grounds of indecision by the government over the delivery of its electoral promise to create Telangana, which was also put in the Common Minimum Program (CMP). The CMP clearly states that the Congress-led UPA government at the centre would “consider the demand for the formation of a Telangana state at an appropriate time after due consultations and consensus.” For this, KCR and his TRS should have had patience and not withdrawn support from the centre, something which, on most occasions leads to a lot of political turmoil.

As if that wasn’t enough, the TRS very conveniently joined the Grand Alliance, which had the TDP at the helm of affairs, for the General and Assembly Elections this year. The TRS contested for 45 assembly constituencies and won only 10 of them. This, quite obviously, was a major setback for KCR and his party members. I feel that KCR deserved the electoral thrashing because of his craving for power. Politicians like him are a shame for the nation.

I wasn’t a big supporter of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) either, but the mandate in his favour at the state level and the Congress-led UPA at the centre was nothing but a vote for stability, something which I can appreciate. Not only did YSR become the first Congress CM in AP history to complete his 5 year term, he also became the first person to lead a party to back-to-back election wins after a full 5 year rule in the state. YSR’s untimely death in a helicopter crash in September was something that hit the Congress leadership hard as there was a power struggle within the party’s state wing. KCR, being the opportunist that he is, has just taken advantage of this situation. YSR was the biggest hurdle for KCR as he never gave scope to the TRS while he was in charge, thanks to his strong leadership and great rapport with the central leadership.

Two weeks back, KCR decided to start a fast-unto-death demanding that the Congress party introduce a Telangana bill in the Parliament. Student organisations, employee unions and various organizations joined the movement. This set off demonstrations on college campuses and plunged Hyderabad into a political crisis. Several universities were shut down, students were jailed and thousands of police and paramilitary officers arrived after a two-day general strike effectively paralyzed the city which has a population of four million people. A number of people committed suicide too. With universities being shut for so long, the students will end up suffering as exams can’t always be delayed.

I, for one, was extremely surprised to see how the students of Osmania University were reacting during one of the bandhs in favour of the Telangana movement. Breaking windows of cars and tourist buses is something which I can’t understand as they aren’t owned by the government. I feel ashamed to think that I studied in Osmania University for a year. What gives these students the right to bring the government machinery down on its heels?

Even more surprising is the fact that the Union Government accepted KCR’s demand. I can understand when there was a debate in Parliament to request KCR to call off his fast but conceding to his ridiculous demand of statehood so that he breaks his fast is just outrageous. All the reactions to this decision can easily be justified by just this one point. The UPA had clearly mentioned arriving at a decision after discussion and consensus in the CMP and this decision totally defeats that purpose.

The backlash that has been seen by people not in favour of the movement is understandable as the announcement by the Home Minister, P. Chidambaram was indeed very rushed. This announcement was just made a few days back and this means that the city of Hyderabad is still in a very precarious position. KCR has reiterated time and again that Hyderabad should be the capital of Telangana. While I do understand this position, another opinion that has been doing the rounds is that Hyderabad is made a Union Territory following the Chandigarh model, which would also let it be the joint-capital of both– Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is a view that personally endorse to a certain extent. Not only will the city be the place from where both these states will be administered, it will also enjoy a special position at the national level with the centre pumping in development funds. Chandigarh has many privileges in terms of development and it also has taxes that are among the lowest in the country. In fact, Chandigarh is the only place where there is no house tax.

Because of this, and the resignations of various MLAs, MPs and State Ministers, the Andhra Government may just fall. President’s Rule already seems to be the best option considering the current situation in the state. This announcement has also set a dangerous precedent to other movements for separate statehood in India viz., Gorkhaland, Bundelkhand, Poorvanchal, Kamtapur, Harit Pradesh, Vidarbha, Mithilanchal, Santhal Pargana, Coorg, Koshala and Saurashtra. In fact, some of these have already come to the fore with their demands after the Telangana announcement.

There are people around me who are in the mood for a debate and I can’t blame them at all but some of the points that seem logical are equally ridiculous. It is quite difficult to prove that more division leads to better efficiency. Actually the demand for carving states out of existing states is prompted by politicians who want bigger roles for themselves. What good has it done for Jharkhand or Chattisgarh or for that matter, even Uttarkhand. I accept that there has been a little development in these places but has it really been worth it? No! I find it very amusing to see that despite its flaws, this view is the one that is being advocated the most. While government apathy can be blamed for the rise of the Telangana movement, one must also take into fact that this movement isn’t as big as it is portrayed to be; this could be shown only if there was a way to gauge opinion in the twin-cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. If the TRS had enough support in Hyderabad, they would have fought the municipal elections and not backed out due to lack of support. The irony is that they want this very city to be their capital. The most important thing to take into consideration is the method; we need consensus and not dharnas and the like. One also can’t forget that the formation of a new state comes with its own share of trials and tribulations. Despite this, I do concede that the state government has failed to ensure the welfare of the Telangana people. In 1956, Hyderabad had a population of 5 Lakhs, now it is 90 Lakhs, Hyderabad is a microcosm of Andhra Pradesh and, if you look at the bigger picture, India, and hence, should ideally not be in the hands of separatists. Telangana has been projected as a solution by a handful as the means to end decades of ignorance. Smaller states cannot ensure better governance and can easily mean more in terms of expenditure in terms of ministers, bureaucrats, ministries, etc., thereby giving more room for exploitation. Why do we need a separate state to show what we can achieve when we cannot do the same in the current one?

As I have stated above, the more the states the more public expenditure towards the bureaucratic expenses, capital investment towards the construction of state capital and buildings and government offices, more expenditure towards security for all ministers and other VIPs of the state, new infrastructure etc. At the end of the day, who benefits from all this? People have to realise this and nip in bud the ambitions of such politicians. The behaviour of the masses that have been influenced by KCR can be explained from what my very learned room-mate wrote in his Political Thought term paper: “…in our day-to-day pursuit of happiness and material benefit, we are nothing more than a collected borrowed opinion, an aggregation of cascading follow-the-leader types.”

All this brouhaha has led to the success of KCR’s ploy. He is to Telangana what Shibu Soren was to Jharkhand. He was the one who came up with a slogan that said: “Telangana waley jago, Andhra waley bhago,” which loosely translates to “Arise people of Telangana, run away people of Andhra.” Yeah, right. I don’t have any qualms in saying that I doubt the very credibility of his fast. Now he’s only being smart in not commenting on the backlash and saying it is up to the centre to resolve the issue. He also went on to say that, “The Government of India is the Government of India. Once it takes a decision that becomes the prestige of the government to ensure that it is implemented.” Smart one Mr. Rao, good job!

The UPA government has mismanaged the entire issue. The best way for the Congress to wriggle out of the KCR’s was to announce the second SRC at this juncture, give the committee four years time to study the situation in depth. Instead it had yielded to a blackmailing politician like KCR who wants to put the clock back at a time when the country has a semblance of economic recovery and getting back on track. I don’t think it is too late as the SRC can be reconvened even now and this would also mean adhering to what has been put down in the CMP. All I can do now is wait and watch, as the fight for the city which I once called home cascades into a political mess.

On a lighter note, I want to quote a fake news headline that I came across on Twitter a while back:

“Problems of new states solved: Justice Liberhan to head a commission to look into the demands.”

Just Watched: De Dana Dan Boredom makes people do the strangest...

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:45:00 +0530

Just Watched: De Dana Dan

Boredom makes people do the strangest things sometimes. Ventured out into Dehradun today and got so bored that I ended up watching this. The actual reason I watched this was to try the theatre out. Now, Dehradun doesn’t have any multiplexes, at least not one which is functional yet; there are just a handful of single-screen cinemas around. I had heard that New Empire Cinema was the best of them all and today after trying it out I have to agree. For a single-screen cinema out here, it looks quite good and the picture quality is excellent. In fact, thanks to digital projection, this cinema can actually give multiplexes a run for their money if they are to come up here. A thumbnail of New Empire Cinema is given below (Click for larger image)

Coming to the movie, well, let’s just say that Priyadarshan’s style hasn’t changed much. He starts in pretty much the same way, establishes numerous characters (most of which are unnecessary) and then creates a crazy climax which has people running after each other. This washes the laughter down the audience’s throats, quite literally. Despite its loudness, I must accept that it does manage to entertain though some of the jokes are very forced. The stars of the show are Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty (the Hera Pheri trio), who are hilarious. The other comedians (like Johnny Lever and Rajpal Yadav) are quite funny too. While Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy are just eye-candy, the former actually does a decent job and looks very pretty too (as usual). Neha Dhupia’s role doesn’t make sense like many of the other characters, but at least she tries (a little too hard, actually). The music is nothing special at all.

This movie can be enjoyed best when you are in the mood for something mindless yet fun. Decent one-time watch.

Personal Rating: 5.8/10

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Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:49:41 +0530

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Just Watched: Kurbaan Came back to Dehradun late last night and...

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:11:00 +0530

Just Watched: Kurbaan

Came back to Dehradun late last night and managed to catch this flick a while back. Stuti had written a good review for it to publish in the forthcoming online issue of Off The Record… (OTR). Shruti, too, had said that it was good. After being in awe of the soundtrack (especially the amazaing title track, which you can listen to here), I decided to watch the movie in one of the theaters here (no multiplexes here, you see; and this theatre Payal is horrible!)

For a Hindi movie dealing with terrorism, this one is a great watch that has wonderful performances by the cast especially Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi (Yes, Yes. Exactly, Exactly), Om Puri and Kirron Kher. The cinematography and background score (Salim-Sulaiman) are top-notch. While there are quite a few glitches (Karan Johar is the producer, after all), they can be forgiven. The screenplay is superb and this makes the film a gripping watch. The issue of terrorism is dealt with neutrally. Watch out for the brilliant classroom interaction scene. The dialogues too are very well written by Anurag Kashyap (Yes, the same Anurag Kashyap) and Niranjan Iyengar. In this way, it betters Fanaa, which was the last movie with a similar plot. Rensil D’Silva, take a bow!

Personal Rating: 8.3/10

Thoughts on 26/11, a year later

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:57:00 +0530

A year ago, to the very day, Mumbai was faced with what can be termed as the worst terrorist attack on Indian soil. Terrorists stormed into the city and left a trail of blood at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Leopold Café, Cama Hospital, Nariman House, the Oberoi Trident and the Taj Mahal Hotel. The last three places were in fact under their control for three days and the hostage situation made it all the more difficult for law enforcement agencies to bring things under control. It was a very well-plotted terror attack that left the nation in a state of shock as almost 200 people were killed in a span of three days. The terrorists had come via boats and shot anybody in sight, proving that they were on a mission to take as many lives and cause as much damage as they could. Even now the memory of this incident brings tears to my eyes and why shouldn’t it?

The role of the media is something that has to be talked about. While I do agree that they crossed the line a number of times, one most also take into consideration the fact that it was their 24 hour reporting that actually united the nation in that time of sorrow. They, however, shouldn’t have only stuck to the hotels that were attacked and given a better coverage of what happened at CST. After all, it was at CST where the common man was attacked. This just goes to prove the media’s fascination with the elite.

Probably the greatest irony is the fact that exactly sixty years ago India’s Constituent Assembly adopted our Constitution, something which was adopted two months later on 26 January, 1950. Because of this 26 November was declared National Law Day. Who could have thought that utter chaos and lawlessness would be seen in the country’s financial capital on National Law Day?

The Taj Mahal hotel is one of Mumbai’s finest structures that is right in front of the city’s most prominent landmark- The Gateway of India. During the British Raj, the first thing that one saw after the Gateway while sailing into the city would be the magnificent structure of the hotel, which is a heritage building in its own right. Watching it burn was an image that I, among many others can’t take out of the mind easily. Even more disturbing was the hostage situation at Nariman House, where the Israeli Mossad actually sent their men for helping the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos, who were air-dropped on top of a neighbouring building for carrying out the counter-operation- Operation Black Tornado. Most of the Israeli occupants were killed. Just the child of two of the casualties (a Rabbi and his wife) and his nanny managed to make it alive. My heart goes out to that two year old child Moshe.

The sacrifice of officers is also something that keeps the memories intact. ATS chief Karkare, ACP Kamte, encounter specialist Salaskar and NSG commandos Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Havaldar Gajendra Singh fought the terrorists till their very last moments. In fact, Major Sandeep’s last words are believed to be “Do not come up, I will handle them,” something which he told his men as he was hit by bullets as he was taking on armed terrorists inside the Taj Hotel. Don’t forget Tukaram Gopal Ombale either. It is because of him we have the lone surviving terrorist. I salute the dedication of these men. The bravery of the staffers (especially the manager of the Taj, a man who lost his wife and two sons in the attacks) of both the hotels and volunteers who helped survivors is very commendable too.

In India, terrorism has always been a criminal justice issue. Terrorism is basically a crime that is intended to have a disproportionately large impact on a society through the creation of terror. This involves the use of violence with the intention of achieving a political or social goal. Terrorist organisations usually follow the strategy of forming cells. A cell consists of various terrorists, each with a special responsibility. After the terrorists strike, this temporary organisational structure breaks as the cell disbands. This makes it difficult for the law enforcement agencies to get hold of them.

To succeed in the war against terror, at least one of two integral elements of terrorism must be eliminated. These elements are the motivation of the terrorists and their operational capability. Their primary motivation is their hate for Indians. Hating someone isn’t a crime. But when individuals and groups have views such as these terrorists do, it becomes a matter of concern. While it is extremely difficult to get rid of this element of motivation, the operational capability of terrorists can be handled if the law enforcement agencies apply themselves in the right way. Sharing of information between these agencies is very crucial. Intelligence failures have often been cited as reasons for the failure to stop a number of terrorist attacks (including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks). Not only was there a lack of co-ordination between agencies but also communication problems between branches inside a single agency. This needs to stop. Sharing of information shouldn’t only be in India as there need to be mechanism for sharing foreign intelligence with the agencies in charge here. With federal agencies communicating with each other on a regular basis, there will be a more co-ordinated attempt at preventing terrorist activities.

Democratic society and rule of law should remain intact even in the face of the anger we have within because of incidents like this. We have no option but to let the criminal justice system run. What terrorists basically want is the failure of the very system on which the fabric of society is based and revenge will blind us, something which will shake the foundations of our system. Ajmal Kasab, the only surviving terrorist from the 26/11 attacks is now being given a fair trial as we are upholding our Constitution by giving him legal representation, something which we are bound to do unless we are in a state of war against his nation i.e. Pakistan. Also, I have read somewhere that Kasab cannot be given capital punishment even if we are able to prove that he was acting on orders of the Pakistani high command as that will make him a prisoner of war and India, being a signatory to the Geneva Convention cannot execute a prisoner of war. All we can do now is wait and watch as the law takes its course. In the mean time let us salute the spirit of Mumbai, a city that has carried on regardless of what it has faced. This makes the city win our hearts as we all pray for the city. I hope the Shiv Sena and MNS don’t have any problem with that.

"For some, the temptation of power is supreme. The usual means for acquiring power is through..."

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:59:18 +0530

“For some, the temptation of power is supreme. The usual means for acquiring power is through politics. There is always an urge and quest to use politics for acquiring power and for one’s own purpose – nothing matters beyond political desirable results, however achieved. In the process of acquisition of power the consequence of the process on the institution, the nation, individuals and society as a whole does not matter. Life itself becomes politicized. Objectivity or intellectual honesty is lost in the process. To acquire the political power or achieve the politically desirable results, constitution, law, written or unwritten moral epics, epics are contemptuously ignored. Healthy or legitimate process of governance is not cared for and political neutrality is lost.”

- Report of the Liberhan Ayodhya Commission of Inquiry

Took this photograph with my mobile phone’s camera three...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:50:18 +0530

Took this photograph with my mobile phone’s camera three days back, when I had gone to Puri. I was quite surprised by the decent quality considering the fact that there isn’t good lighting.

Just Watched: Inglourious Basterds I finally saw this film a...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:01:00 +0530

Just Watched: Inglourious Basterds

I finally saw this film a while back and calling it a masterpiece would actually be an understatement. With this, Quentin Tarantino has stamped his authority on the genre that advocates what is often called aesthetic violence. The guy makes extreme violence seem so funny at times! The wonderful direction is accompanied by top-notch performances by Brad Pitt (hilarious), Christoph Waltz (ruthless), Diane Kruger (beautiful) and Mélanie Laurent (scheming). Eli Roth, Mike Myers and Til Schweiger are very effective too. Also, watch out for Samuel Jackson as the narrator!

This, for me, is the best film of the year and is hence, a must watch. After all, I, for one, have found the glorification of violence rather amusing.

Personal Rating: 9.1/10

When boredom is inevitable, people, at times, end up doing crazy...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:41:00 +0530

When boredom is inevitable, people, at times, end up doing crazy and retarded things. I did the very same with the help of Paint.NET. I wasn’t involved in the conceptualisation, by the way. Now, who can guess what this actually is? By the way, a similar image will be my display image on Facebook in a few days.

Just Watched: The Ugly Truth A movie that deals with the battle...

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:44:17 +0530

Just Watched: The Ugly Truth

A movie that deals with the battle of the sexes in a rather fresh manner. Not a good movie to write about but fun nevertheless. Gerard Butler is his usual self and Katherine Heigl is very charming. All-in-all, a good watch that does get a tad teasing at times.

Personal Rating: 6.2/10

Forum Non Conveniens: Now that, is twisted.

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:57:00 +0530

Lies. A web of lies. That is what I seem to be finding everywhere now. I have usually taken the help of lies to hide a bitter truth or for justifying certain actions. Of late, however, I have seen how lies have been uttered to me for exactly the same reason I use them and I am actually awestruck at how they have affected my thinking. Despite this I must insist that I have taken good care of myself.

Albert Camus once said that lying was “a beautiful twilight, which gives to each object its value.” Wasn’t he right in saying so? Why do most people believe that the truth is what matters the most? Sometimes it easier to figure things out from lies than from the truth. At least that is what I have learnt from numerous experiences, especially the more recent ones. It is often said that sometimes silence hints at the truth. If that is the case, then why not lie instead? What is the point causing anxiety by being silent or by ruining things by telling the truth? Sometimes I am forced to wish that my entire life was a lie. At least that would give me the power to believe that I didn’t act the way I have ever since I was born. I want the force to be with me.

Lies are said to be taboo when we are in our formative years. But haven’t we used lies for our own good at times. Let me make a comparison with the word ‘fuck’, which, in a way, is taboo too. The context in which we usually use this word is almost entirely different from its meaning as per the dictionary. ‘Fuck’ is all about sex and nothing about sex all at the same time. Most of our uses of this word hardly have anything to do with sex and yet the taboo is so strong that we tend to embrace the negative connotation!

I try to think about everything that is going on around me and it seems quite intriguing when I do so but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel about things. It is this feeling that makes things a little dull. The problem arises when what I think overlaps what I feel about. That is the time my memory starts playing games with me. Now, I seem to remember the dates of random events only because they hold a certain trivial importance in my life.

I can’t even begin to describe how, around five years back, at this time of the year, my state of mind was considerably volatile while a freak accident exactly two years back initiated a change within me, a change that has got me to a point of no-return. As I write this, it is as if all that has gone by in these five years occurred right now. This is probably because most of it is just pain, pain that helped me get a decent idea of many things that I was otherwise in a fix about. People think that my memory of trivial incidents is a little stupid. Quite surprisingly, I completely agree with them as this is one thing about me that I want to change but I haven’t been able to do that, at least not yet. That coupled with the fact that I’m having a ball.

In recent times I have unwittingly been sucked into a vortex of lies and this fact is slowly getting to my mind. This is one thing that I need to stop from happening as the logical consequences don’t look really good not only for me, but for many who are around me. There’s one thing that hasn’t changed much though and that is the fact that the answer is “blowin’ in the wind”, all one needs to do is look. You see, it is quite a long story.

"Life is a rainbow which also includes black."

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:07:48 +0530

“Life is a rainbow which also includes black.”

- Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Just Watched: Aladin And I thought I will get to watch...

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:11:00 +0530

Just Watched: Aladin

And I thought I will get to watch Inglourious Basterds. Thanks to scheduling errors, I had to endure this farce in Ahmedabad after the end-semesters were done away with. Kids will love it but I hated it. What was Amitabh Bachchan doing in this one? One word- pathetic.

Personal Rating: 3.4/10

David Shepherd: The epitome of the English sportsman

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:31:50 +0530

David Shepherd: The epitome of the English sportsman:

A very well-written tribute to the wonderful David Shepherd, who passed away a couple of days ago.

Just Watched: Iron Maiden- Flight 666 When you come across...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:06:00 +0530

Just Watched: Iron Maiden- Flight 666

When you come across something like this, you just can’t help watching, even when examinations are on. Loved every moment of the live album/documentary. Everything about this is perfect. A must watch for all Maiden fans. This is one awesome experience.

Personal Rating: 8.6/10

"If you ever lose that 15 year-old kid inside of you, then it won’t make any sense at all."

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:09:05 +0530

“If you ever lose that 15 year-old kid inside of you, then it won’t make any sense at all.”

- Bruce Dickinson

"Lack of unity and cohesion in national parties, particularly the Congress Party, and behaviour of..."

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:13:10 +0530

“Lack of unity and cohesion in national parties, particularly the Congress Party, and behaviour of the members of the different groups within the party have weakened the authority of the leader of the party who becomes the Prime Minister.”

- Dr. J.N. Pandey, The Constitutional Law of India (46th Edition)

Vishal Dadlani- Kurbaan Hua… Album: Kurbaan OST Composers:...

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:18:00 +0530

Vishal Dadlani- Kurbaan Hua…

Album: Kurbaan OST

Composers: Salim Merchant & Sulaiman Merchant

Ever since the music of this film released, I have been hooked to this track. The drums, the bass and Vishal Dadlani’s voice. An amazing track, with wonderful lyrics by Niranjan Iyengar. Overall, I am quite impressed by the soundtrack as it has a very fresh feel to it. Also, I am really looking forward to the movie.