PORN-o-COPIA

In countries like India, cable television brought about a huge revolution. The reach of Doordarshan and its limited programs underwent a landmark transformation. Villages and cities started watching newer channels and thus begins my story for this post. In a country where sex is treated like a skeleton in a closet, Sun TV decided to take a huge plunge by offering....wait for it...PORN! Lo and behold, it was the entry of the plump women and portly men in the drawing room of every household. Kids like myself tuned to Sun late nights on weekends with the volume turned off. But much to the dismay of the teen population (and some adults!) the I&B mafia (they ought to have Italian origins!) boycotted these screenings. Late night movies vanished into thin air. It was like, there was no "juice" left in the TV programs except the regular stuff. But, where there is a will, there is a way. People found out that the internet was a rich anthology of porn. Desi hubs were flocked by millions of cyber space enthusiasts to download the latest "clips". It was amusing to know of the exchange of "CD"s containing adult content in every nook and corner of every campus. It was just one big "CD Mafia" which had internet as its core strength. Some of the accounts chronicled mention of students picking up fights for the ownership of these CDs ;).

One infamous account which I remember was when my friend accidentally popped a CD into our college workstation thinking that it contained MATLAB. This incident reportedly happened when my learned friend was trying to demonstrate the use of MATLAB to a group of good looking teenage "chicks". The CD started playing the "MATLAB" component and the display was filled with -men and women shedding clothes...and ...well u got the point rite? One of the "chicks" remarked..."Dude, grow up!" We all laughed till my stomach began aching!

Another of my friends was an enthusiast when it came to porno stuff. As the grapevine has it, he compiled a "Mr.Skin" kinda CD from all the DVDs he had and rented it to people in his colony. I had the privilege to view this CD and was astounded by his astute work!! (aesthetics i meant)

Well, coming to America, porn and the concept of nudity underwent a radical change for the Yankee loving desi folks. Here, porn shops were there right across the street. CDs and DVDs were hitherto either pirated or ripped from the net while I was in India. Here, one could order stuff from sites like E-Bay. It was a surprise to know that the Occident didnot really make a brouhaha when it came to these adult oriented materials. A jolt from the blue kind of thing was when I turned on the TV once to find this- "Katie Morgan's pornography 101". The damsel sans clothing was vividly explaining the history of pornography and its repercussions on American Culture. It meant a journey from black and white movies to the current day HD.America in fact hosts one of the biggest conventions with the theme -"Adult movie stars and their appearances" (Source: "The Girl Next Door" movie).

The essence of writing this apparently "meaningless" essay was to highlight the distinct treatment given to this age old "art" on either side of the globe. It is looked down upon in a country with the largest population density and embraced openly by one with the least density.

FYI, it is a meaningless post....if you reached till here...your patience is admirable ;)

"A journey to the other side...."

A movie so unique that it defines a genre of its own! Thats my take on the widely acclaimed marathi movie "Uttarayan". The tale of "Durgi" adapted by director Bipin Nadkarni is about a man who meets his childhood love in his twilight years. It is a poignant story of love and affection revolving around the two protagonists- one a widower and the other a woman "Durgi" with a broken marriage. Adding to Durgi's woes are the constant taunts from the society about her character and place in society. The movie begins circa 1960 in Pune where she gets married to a rich barrister who turns out to be a drunkard. Her father-in-law tries to make advances towards her. Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, she braves her way through life.
Enter "Raghu" the widower who now has the sole purpose ensuring that his son's life in firmly ensconced in comfort and happiness. Blessed with a picture perfect happy family, Raghu meets his old friend and that's when the topic of "Durgi" comes up. "Raghu" vividly remembers his fond memories from teenage years, his doting love for the girl and the pain of seeing her married to some one else but himself. He returns to meet her , only to find her in a state of apathy.
Contemporary marathi movies are pioneering a new trend- adapting a story to fit the settings of the bourgeois who are hard working people with a set of values in life. A touch of realism makes these movies more appealing to the average cinema goer. It makes "Uttarayan" easy to identify with, as it is with other marathi movies. This journey to the other side hits a road block once word gets out about a sexagenarian's "Raghu" wanting to marry "Durgi" a woman with a questionable past.
It is the ease with which the narrative takes its course,which captivates the audience. "Dhund Hote.." in both male and female versions, has been a rendition with a lot of poise. The other songs too are good and allows the user to sink in the emotions experienced by the two protagonists in the movie.
Personally, I hope the Marathi movie makers invest more time and energy to come up with such great storylines to take Marathi cinema to new pedestal,of glory and fame.
:)

The "Middle Class" Guy

One of the sects of the Mumbai Diaspora which continues to fascinate me, is its middle class. This archetypically modelled section is often attributed a lot of success for producing quality engineers, doctors, accountants and other pros. The reason behind this success is the thought process which the middle class has, mainly its utmost respect for education and hard work.
One of my favorite heroes comes from this background. His acting prowess and the ease with which he sinks into his roles, continues to amaze me. For the past several years, he has worked with the great "Bongs"-Basu Chatterjee, Hrishikesh Mukherjee among a few notable of them. The man i am referring to is none other than- Amol Palekar. He has been the epitome of the "middle class" hero for as long as I remember. His expressions and dialogues in all of his movies spoke a lot about the twists and turns one encounters in various walks of life. It was "Golmaal" where his character bends every rule to secure his foothold in the office of a moustache-loving babu. This movie talks every bit about the aspirations of an easy going young man who yearns to be the next Amitabh! One cannot help but wonder at how he could hold his own amongst the actors of his generation like the great Utpal Dutt. If "Golmaal" was all fun and games, "Choti si Baat" was a story of a young man whose very aim is to charm the lady he likes with his qualities (genetically inherited from his middle class parents!). The only hitch is that he is too introvert to take life into his own hands and be the "Man". "Choti si Baat" spoke about the troubles of a person who never had to make a decision on his own till it came to the issue of a girl he loved. It reflected the middle class upbringing with children living in the shadows of their parents despite reaching a nubile age.
"Baton Baton Mein" was yet another masterpiece for its simple portrayal of a young couple's marriage plans being affected by the decisions of their families. One of the most hilarious scenes from that movie was when the hero and the heroine plan a movie date, only to know that their parents would accompany them as well! Far before movies like "Saathiya" (Alaipayuthey) which showed romance brewing in the otherwise congested local trains of Mumbai, "Baton Baton Mein" started the trend. Well, one could easily understand from the movie that Mumbai had lesser population then!
This post was dedicated to Amol Palekar and the middle class fraternity cause of one reason. Both seem to have vanished from the film circuit. No longer does one find the well educated young man in movies, who Amol so graciously portrayed on the 70mm reel. Its all the Karan Johars and the Shahrukhs who have decided to take film making into their hands with larger than life roles and scenes enacted in the flowery confines of Snow Clad Alps. If only someone thought of the middle class.....:)

Room-Mat-ing......

Hi,
I am back to writing ....(plz bear me once again!). Since coming to the U.S., I have had a myriad of experiences more personal, than professional. Some are good, others are nasty while there are some which are just strange! Well, the first thing to do when we come arrive is to find a house and people who can stay with ya (by sharing rent of course! we are cheap!). These "people" or "persons" are called "roomies". Many of my close friends too had trouble finding good roomies, whilst others had trouble getting rid of the BAD ones! Well, here are a few observations...about roomies and some pointers to get you started, in general.

1) As many point out, a good friend might not turn out to be a good roomie.
2) Be aware of sweet talking people who approach you for a roomie request. Statistically, these are the ones who want to get work done from you! (ALL OF IT!!)
3) A person who often shows non chalance when it comes to matters of food, mostly is going to suck as a roomie. (Since he/she (if you are lucky!) may not be interested in cooking edible products)
4) History bears testimony to...............(that was just to grab attention!)
The best of friends can be the worst of roomies!! Try to be a roomate with a friend who has a history of being a good roomie as well. OR better still, tie up with a total stranger.
5) When it comes to disagreements, your behavior and personality as well as people skills matter. If you are known to be a bull headed ,headstrong person, just lock horns with the person who is arguing! For people like me (who are diplomatic) you have to walk a tight rope. DONOT hit back and try to pacify the sparring parties. (Machiavelli says this is a good situation to score brownie points!!! on either side!)
6) COOKING-1: This has been a subject over which roomates have split and fought like knights in shining armor fighting over a fair maiden! (with vessels etc..). You can never be sure of the "roomate" being a good cook. Please donot over expect ,neither should you under-expect (hows that for neologism over,under etc).
Some roomies are understanding ,but seem to be a rarity. Most others tend to think they are country cousins of "Tarla Dalal" or "Sanjeev Kapur".( You might suck as a cook if you are wondering who these ppl are!).
7) COOKING-2: IF you are stuck with a bunch of people who cook as bad (or worse than you !!) then here are some suggestions...a)Buy lot of ready to make vegetables from Patel bros or any ready to eat stuff from any grocery store. b)Try to find a house (preferrably one full of good looking girls who cook as well are friendly).Befriend them, and you know what ................( share their groceries ! what did you think?). For those who can ,eat out on the eve of your roomies cooking turn. He/she might do the same if you are a bad cook!!!
8) COOKING-3: The best idea is to get a girlfriend/boyfriend or import one from India and make her/him cook. Girlfriends are a good choice given their proven skills. Guys are a makeshift suggestion for girls who donot like to cook. One more idea for the male gang....try to be good friends with ur girl's roomies! In case you both break up, your stomach doesn't have to suffer!!!
9) RENT: This has been a bane for many students who come to the U.S. "My roomie $^@&*$ doesn't pay a dime!!!" and "Shell out the rent $%$@^" are some of the commonly heard dialogues. Well, I have heard of roomies stealing crockery and spoons,forks etc too! Currently there is no panacea to this situation, but there are a few suggestions. Try to divide bills equally amongst all,instead of one person paying for all. As time passes, the others forget to give their share and it becomes difficult to make them come to terms with the fact that they need to pay to stay!
10) SLEEP: If you are one of those (like me) who donot have your girlfriend as your roomie..then here are a few tips- Tell them blankly if they snore. Guys especially snore and donot admit! Well, if you have roomies who sleep walking and talking..then all the best !

"No Donut for u...Bad Server!!!"

The era of social networking is changing our perspective towards socialising. Earlier, a few calls here and there and one could get a bunch of buddies together, to watch a game (football for US and cricket for India!).It was simple. With the advent of technology, socialising has become more of an online thing. "Orkut" in particular has come into vogue.
What are the repercussions of this "Orkut" era? Well, there seems to be a clear demarcation between 2 types of user- casual and not-so-casual. The casual user usually lingers around in cyberspace, invites buddies to Orkut and sends out a few messages. He/she is not an avid follower of what happens in anyone elses' "Scrapbook" except his/her own.This user has limited "fan" following ,a couple of "testis" and a few things sprinkled abt his/her profile abt his/her preferences for stuff like cuisine and sports etc.The other type is ,what personally I would call a victim of over socialising. This user is an avid follower of everyone elses' cyber life. It is something like the "grapevine" except now it is public. The one thing which drives this user's incessantly towards orkutting is the openness of its design. You can virtually snoop on anyone and everyone. (Keep track whether your girlfriend is still committed to u!)
"Facebook" offers a plethora of options for the advanced user. "Advanced" can be w.r.t. stuff like Quizzes, Astro stuff and a whole bunch of things other than pure interaction.It's acceptance in U.S. has made it a target for even the terrorists.They use it covertly to gain access to valuable data anywhere in the world.
To be frank and candid, the whole concept gives birth to what can be called "multiple" personas. For e.g. a stupid joke sent to you,may evoke a negative reaction from you. But, to be polite ,you might send an emoticon with a "cheerful" visage. Another instance is blocking of users. In real life ,you may find it tough to avoid people who are a real pain in the a**. But, social networking allows you to block such people from accessing your cyber personalities. Thus, its quite possible for one to forget the way things work in the real world,and be content with their cyber life,which is virtual. But, for now let us enjoy what it is ...without worrying about its long term effects..I gotta rush btw....some one offered me a friend request..WHOA!!! It's a GIRL who did t.."She's Single!!!!".....[:)]

Bhool Bhulaiyya

Quite often than not have we noticed that Hindi films lack substance. The celluloid scenes are a rehash of many older flicks-some Indian ,others from Hollywood. But being an avid movie goer ,like many, I decided to watch this Akshay Kumar flick.

"Bhool Bhulaiyya" is a remake of an old Malayalam movie which won many accolades for its unique concept. The storyline is different and deals with multiple personality disorder. As a movie buff, I liked the movie and its plot,its USP being the funny action star Akki and the gorgeous Vidya Balan. The last scene focusses mainly on Balan and she does full justice to the audiences' expectations. Bollywood has not experimented much with such kind of genre. Another movie based on this theme is "FightClub" which boasts of action and suspense all the way ,right till the end. If you like movies like "Butterfly Effect" and "Fight Club"--this one should be not missed.

Enjoy "Bhool Bhulaiyaa"! "A movie with giggles if not substance!!"

Ram...

The festival of Dussehra beckons India to celebrate the event of Lord Ram obliterating Ravana. With the colors of freedom filling the skies of Ayodhya, the Lord returned in all pomp and gaiety from his victory in Lanka. The epic of Ramayana is a marvellous work of my ancestor (surprised?) ,Rishi Valmiki. Ramayana has no shades of grey ;the reason being "Satyayug" as its era. The story speaks of the righteous Dasharatha whose queens donot bear children till he performs some "yagna" to appease the deities. After that, the princes are born to the queens and then the storyline takes a turning point where Ram has to be banished from this kingdom. Then there is another important factor to this whole poetry, Lord Hanuman- the loyal one. Hanuman is said to have fought his own son ,Makardhwaja to free Ram and his brother Lakshman from the clutches of Ravana's collaborators.
In today's context, we can definitely pick and choose values from this story. Not being didactic, I feel the concept of loyalty has a strong bearing on this entire epic. May it be Sita's sacrifice or Lord Hanuman's valor. Another aspect is the concept of strong family ties and that too in the face of adversity. Bharatha, Rama's sibling who inherits the throne himself awaits Ram's return whereas he could have easily had everything to himself. A fascinating twist to this tale is of the enemy ,Ravana. Although he acts against Ram and seizes his wife by force, he is said to been a pious person, a devout individual with strong powers of concentration. This historic foe has qualities which are rare to find ,yet he acts vainglorious. His bravado and lack of respect for the qualities like compassion, love are what bring about his downfall.
The tale ends with Ram's sons reuniting with him and is indeed a touching moment when a father identifies his long lost sons. In Marathi, "Geet Ramayan" is a rendition of songs which are specifically composed for each of the events in "Ramayana". Its last parts are exemplary in the way in which the dramatic moment of Luv and Kush, Ram's sons identify themselves,singing praises of the very father who had to disown his wife Sita.
Being an indian, we ought to ponder over the virtues and vices of this "Purshottam" and not repeat the mistakes which he did. Fighting over Ram Sethu and depriving the coastal area inhabitants of their livelihood is definitely something which one should do on this day. Instead of alluding to myths, the Indian of today needs to brace up for more of incisive decision making and proper analysis of situations.Its not a question of "followers" versus "Atheists". The question is all about making sense and striking a balance between the two.