Hmmmm... In case your thinking this another review of the Slumdog Millionaire your wrong. This is an account of how the movie appealed to me on more than a superficial level.
Spoiler warning:In case you haven't watched it already I wouldn't recommend reading further.
Well to begin with, the movie has done amazingly well at the various award ceremonies. It has been nominated under 10 categories for the Oscars including Best Motion Picture; which brings us to the question: Does it truly deserve all the attention?
From an Indian point of view, it seems like a brutal yet realistic public washing of India's dirtiest laundry (well literally if you've watched the Dhobhi Ghat scenes). Its a slap in the face to us priviledged Indians. But I discovered a much deeper meaning in it.
Right at the begining of the movie you'll see the kids playing in the slums among all the rubbish and filth. Disgusting? Look deeper. Do you see the smiles on their faces? They seem to be oblivious to the cruel world around them. Can you confidently say you've been that happy and carefree any time in the near past? I for one envied those kids. They dont even know the dreadfull word that plagues most of us in the developed world today -"Recession".
Next up, when the little protagonist of our movie Jamal is in the "Orphanage" waiting for his turn to show off his singing talents, can you see the hope and optimisim he has? He's dreams of living in the famous Harbour road. Now think, just because this kid lives a hopeless life in a slum does that mean he doesnt have hopes? I'd say his dreams are bigger than mine ever was as a kid. Need inspiration? Look no further.
When he's all grown up, you'll notice he suddenly has an accent. To the superficial observer that might seem like a blooper. Look closer. He's been working as a tea server in a call centre for a few years atleast. Now where else in the world but in one of India's famous call centres, can you find the high probability that a poor slum boy will not only learn english, but learn it with an accent! He also gains loads of information on the way by just "overhearing" the training sessions there. Now thats actually very realistic in my opinion.
Towards the end, the movie illustrates a very stark reality in his brother Saleem's death. "You may be submerged in a bath filled with money, but you sure as hell wont be taking any of it with you on the one way flight out".
These are but a few of the many things that struck me while watching it. Im not saying you'll like the movie but if there's one thing thats sure, you'll stop cribbing about your own life.. atleast for a day! Oh and yeah, you'll also think twice before you give a coin to a beggar child.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, December 26, 2008
Life lessons learnt this year
Its been yet another eventfull trip around the sun. Some of the life lessons I've learnt this year:
1. Having a career AND a life is possible.
2. You know you have something amazing going on, when a friend manages to make you the happiest person alive.. from the other side of the globe.
3. Blood is often thicker than water...however there are exceptions.
4. You are not a doormat, enlightening people about this gains respect ;)
5. People can be a lot deeper than at first glance.. and possibly a lot shallower.
6. Last but not the least, NEVER underestimate the importance of a bottle opener. :D
1. Having a career AND a life is possible.
2. You know you have something amazing going on, when a friend manages to make you the happiest person alive.. from the other side of the globe.
3. Blood is often thicker than water...however there are exceptions.
4. You are not a doormat, enlightening people about this gains respect ;)
5. People can be a lot deeper than at first glance.. and possibly a lot shallower.
6. Last but not the least, NEVER underestimate the importance of a bottle opener. :D
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Unsung Heroes
The recent terror event in Mumbai left not only India shocked.. For Indians like me it was 3 days of sheer frustration and helplessness. I mean all I could do was sit glued to the TV in my living room and watch as people fell to bullets or got gutted in the fires. And as the world watched there emerged from this tragedy, Heroes. Martyrs who gave up their lives to keep the rest of us safe.. True while these men who made the ultimate sacrifice deserved every bit of appreciation, my mind wandered to the little pieces of news that had caught my eye during the round the clock telecasts. In my opinion very important news but that never seemed to make the highlight. Stories of the other kind of heroes, the ones who lived but had nobody to tell their stories.
Why do we sensationalize the martyrs while ignoring the living Heroes who deserve so much more than they've been given credit for.
Take for example the case of the senior police inspector who set a trap and caught the now infamous Ajmal Amir Kasab. This deadly criminal Kasab has by far been the most usefull link to the investigartors. He's been confessing very crucial information exposing the roots of the LeT (Lashkar e Toiba- the Millitant organization responsible for the attacks). Well now according to me whoever managed to catch this heavily armed terrorist alive, with nothing but a poor quality bullet proof vests and a near antique service rifle as ammunition, deserves the highest accolade there is to give. Put this man or men in the media spotlight, if only to show to the world at large - The brave WILL be rewarded. But that din't really seem to happen. The man was forgotten after a brief article in the news and the papers.
Antoher case that caught my eye was that of the South African commandos. They were a group of commandos who were on holiday. They rose to the occasion and were solely responsible for saving the lives of nearly 150 people at the Taj Mahal Hotel. These men went beyond the call of duty and did what few in their place would have done. Dont these brave men deserve more than a tiny article in the corner of the newspaper and a couple of minutes of TV coverage?
Then there was the case of a railway announcer. He risked his life announcing on the microphone at the railways station about the activities of the terrorists and guiding the passengers away from the carnage. He almost paid with his life when he narrowly missed a bullet directed towards him.
These are just few which caught my eye. There were many many more, stories of brave hotel staff, and of course the commandos who finally outdid the terrorists. Where are the rewards for these people? Where is the aprreciation they deserve that will encourage more people to be brave the next time a crisis presents itself?
I think its important that we honour the memories of our martyrs, but I think its a little more important to pay a bigger tribute to our unsung heroes.
Why do we sensationalize the martyrs while ignoring the living Heroes who deserve so much more than they've been given credit for.
Take for example the case of the senior police inspector who set a trap and caught the now infamous Ajmal Amir Kasab. This deadly criminal Kasab has by far been the most usefull link to the investigartors. He's been confessing very crucial information exposing the roots of the LeT (Lashkar e Toiba- the Millitant organization responsible for the attacks). Well now according to me whoever managed to catch this heavily armed terrorist alive, with nothing but a poor quality bullet proof vests and a near antique service rifle as ammunition, deserves the highest accolade there is to give. Put this man or men in the media spotlight, if only to show to the world at large - The brave WILL be rewarded. But that din't really seem to happen. The man was forgotten after a brief article in the news and the papers.
Antoher case that caught my eye was that of the South African commandos. They were a group of commandos who were on holiday. They rose to the occasion and were solely responsible for saving the lives of nearly 150 people at the Taj Mahal Hotel. These men went beyond the call of duty and did what few in their place would have done. Dont these brave men deserve more than a tiny article in the corner of the newspaper and a couple of minutes of TV coverage?
Then there was the case of a railway announcer. He risked his life announcing on the microphone at the railways station about the activities of the terrorists and guiding the passengers away from the carnage. He almost paid with his life when he narrowly missed a bullet directed towards him.
These are just few which caught my eye. There were many many more, stories of brave hotel staff, and of course the commandos who finally outdid the terrorists. Where are the rewards for these people? Where is the aprreciation they deserve that will encourage more people to be brave the next time a crisis presents itself?
I think its important that we honour the memories of our martyrs, but I think its a little more important to pay a bigger tribute to our unsung heroes.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Now and Then...
It started when I went to my school reunion a week ago... yeah school reunions have this effect on people.. A rush of memories come back to you. As you see the people and the places which you'd frequent.. It all comes back to you.. The good and the bad.
Most of my memories were nice happy ones. But there were what I'd call smidgens of suppressed unpleasant memories.
I wasn't really a popular kid in school or belonged to what you might call a popular group. But we were very nice girls who'd talk to everyone n show no signs of snobbishness. Back then these bunch of girls who thought they were "superior" to us would sometimes attempt to humiliate us or pick on us. Going back to school and seeing those faces brought back some memories I'd completely forgotten about.
Now comes the good part :) What were these girls doing in life right now..? NONE of them seemed to have done anything halfway useful with their lives at all. Most of them were doing or had completed the easiest degree they could find or working in some unknown place just scrapping by. On the other hand (not trying to show off ;) ) me and my friends were well placed in life all of us either pursuing masters degrees or had become full fledged career women.
I know it sounds like I'm a selfish and vain person but I've never felt prouder of myself when a particular girl who picked on me, looked at me with this look of wonder and shock when she found out where I worked. At that moment I looked at my friends who not only led amazing lives but also looked gorgeous that day. The dumb, ugly and fat/skinny girls had transformed into beautiful engineers, a doctor, a couple of biotech experts and an MBA graduate in the making. There aren't words to describe the pride I felt that moment.
This also got me thinking. If only there was a way of knowing what lay in store for me in my future, my life as an 8th grader would've been so much easier. Just knowing that I'd be a lot more successful and better looking than the girl who called me a ugly and skinny little thing would've saved me a lot of pain.
But that day if I had known.. would I still have become what I am today..? Would I still have been a nice down to earth person or would I have been consumed with a false sense of vanity..? The later would've been closer to the truth. If I had'nt been picked on in high school would I have found that drive to achieve..? Most importantly would I have pushed myself to the limits to prove to myself that I was capable of being successful..? Nope..
Once this thought process had come to this conclusion the choir began to sing our school song.. We stood then and sang louder than we've ever sang..with big smiles on our faces..and goose bumps running down our spines... This time REALLY thanking our school(and all its specimens of human form) for making us who we are today.
Most of my memories were nice happy ones. But there were what I'd call smidgens of suppressed unpleasant memories.
I wasn't really a popular kid in school or belonged to what you might call a popular group. But we were very nice girls who'd talk to everyone n show no signs of snobbishness. Back then these bunch of girls who thought they were "superior" to us would sometimes attempt to humiliate us or pick on us. Going back to school and seeing those faces brought back some memories I'd completely forgotten about.
Now comes the good part :) What were these girls doing in life right now..? NONE of them seemed to have done anything halfway useful with their lives at all. Most of them were doing or had completed the easiest degree they could find or working in some unknown place just scrapping by. On the other hand (not trying to show off ;) ) me and my friends were well placed in life all of us either pursuing masters degrees or had become full fledged career women.
I know it sounds like I'm a selfish and vain person but I've never felt prouder of myself when a particular girl who picked on me, looked at me with this look of wonder and shock when she found out where I worked. At that moment I looked at my friends who not only led amazing lives but also looked gorgeous that day. The dumb, ugly and fat/skinny girls had transformed into beautiful engineers, a doctor, a couple of biotech experts and an MBA graduate in the making. There aren't words to describe the pride I felt that moment.
This also got me thinking. If only there was a way of knowing what lay in store for me in my future, my life as an 8th grader would've been so much easier. Just knowing that I'd be a lot more successful and better looking than the girl who called me a ugly and skinny little thing would've saved me a lot of pain.
But that day if I had known.. would I still have become what I am today..? Would I still have been a nice down to earth person or would I have been consumed with a false sense of vanity..? The later would've been closer to the truth. If I had'nt been picked on in high school would I have found that drive to achieve..? Most importantly would I have pushed myself to the limits to prove to myself that I was capable of being successful..? Nope..
Once this thought process had come to this conclusion the choir began to sing our school song.. We stood then and sang louder than we've ever sang..with big smiles on our faces..and goose bumps running down our spines... This time REALLY thanking our school(and all its specimens of human form) for making us who we are today.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Let it rain
Nope I wont give up trying to write sucky poetry :P
Twas a night I tread through the woods
whilst silence filled the wild.
As I walked in awe and a twinge of dread
thunder rolled above my head.
Soon the night smothered out the moonlight,
a slice of icy wind crawled up my spine.
I looked to the skies and saw em fall
slow at first glimmering like drops of stars.
Soon the heavens began to cascade
and the shadows continued to fade.
The cold was now almost in my soul
how I longed for a warm hand to hold.
"Why does fate have to be unfair?"
I asked the gusts of air.
They drifted to me carried by the wind,
these voices spoke from beyond...
"Do not despair, for beyond these realms
another soul walks.
Braving the dark and frost ridden night
he waits for the warmth of your hand.
The night is darkest before the dawn
and when twilight breaks your hearts will unite.
Until that time this pain will remain,
to ease it out we send you the rains.
Smile and you'll feel warmth arise,
in knowing that these woods
will teem with life once again.
But until that time arrives,
let it rain... let it rain."
Twas a night I tread through the woods
whilst silence filled the wild.
As I walked in awe and a twinge of dread
thunder rolled above my head.
Soon the night smothered out the moonlight,
a slice of icy wind crawled up my spine.
I looked to the skies and saw em fall
slow at first glimmering like drops of stars.
Soon the heavens began to cascade
and the shadows continued to fade.
The cold was now almost in my soul
how I longed for a warm hand to hold.
"Why does fate have to be unfair?"
I asked the gusts of air.
They drifted to me carried by the wind,
these voices spoke from beyond...
"Do not despair, for beyond these realms
another soul walks.
Braving the dark and frost ridden night
he waits for the warmth of your hand.
The night is darkest before the dawn
and when twilight breaks your hearts will unite.
Until that time this pain will remain,
to ease it out we send you the rains.
Smile and you'll feel warmth arise,
in knowing that these woods
will teem with life once again.
But until that time arrives,
let it rain... let it rain."
Thursday, September 11, 2008
I do belive in fairies :)
Over the past two months one of the main life challenges I've had to face is the process we all just take for granted "growing up". Lets face it I'm what you might call a mature person... Well 70% percent of the time.. The rest 30% I'm what my friends call a total wild child. But its never been black or white with me. I tend to bring humour along with me where ever I go and sometimes even in the most serious situations. Hence when I got my first job many people told me "Listen you've had your share of fun now its time to grow up." What exactly does this "Growing up" involve I ask and nobody's been able to give me a satisfactory reply.
Well as far as my own observations go I've met people who are barely a couple of years older than me but are "grown up". Then there are those who are well into their mid 50s and still have an air of fun around them. Then I realized what people say when they ask me to grow up. It most of the time means :
1. Dont laugh out loud even when something is really funny. A fake dignified chuckle will do the job.
2. Don't do anything spontaneous AND fun at the same time.
3. Mask your emotions beyond the needed decency level. A good example for this would be if you met your long lost best friend one day, you cant whoop in joy and give him/her a hug. You're just supposed to walk over with a neutral smile on your face and shake hands.
4. The most important rule of growing up. Don't ever have mischievous or naughty ( not THAT way!!!) or crazy ideas. If you do for the love of God don't implement them!( Well this completely rules out playing pranks apparently.)
Only when you follow the above rules are you considered a productive member of society. Utill then your just a silly child.
Well I've made up my mind if growing up involves following even one of the fun(read the sarcasm will ya?) rules above, I solemnly swear that I REFUSE to grow up!!
Yeah well you heard it I'm going to remain this free spirited wild child even when I'm in a nursing home in some retirement colony. So if someone has a problem with that, they better watch out. Because just maybe the next prank's gonna be on them!
Ever heard of or read the story of Peter Pan- The boy who never grew up? Well he says when a person grows up and stops believing in fairies a fairy dies. In my world that roughly translates to a person who stops believing in the magic of life's simple pleasures. Well just for the record I do, I do believe in fairies!!
Well as far as my own observations go I've met people who are barely a couple of years older than me but are "grown up". Then there are those who are well into their mid 50s and still have an air of fun around them. Then I realized what people say when they ask me to grow up. It most of the time means :
1. Dont laugh out loud even when something is really funny. A fake dignified chuckle will do the job.
2. Don't do anything spontaneous AND fun at the same time.
3. Mask your emotions beyond the needed decency level. A good example for this would be if you met your long lost best friend one day, you cant whoop in joy and give him/her a hug. You're just supposed to walk over with a neutral smile on your face and shake hands.
4. The most important rule of growing up. Don't ever have mischievous or naughty ( not THAT way!!!) or crazy ideas. If you do for the love of God don't implement them!( Well this completely rules out playing pranks apparently.)
Only when you follow the above rules are you considered a productive member of society. Utill then your just a silly child.
Well I've made up my mind if growing up involves following even one of the fun(read the sarcasm will ya?) rules above, I solemnly swear that I REFUSE to grow up!!
Yeah well you heard it I'm going to remain this free spirited wild child even when I'm in a nursing home in some retirement colony. So if someone has a problem with that, they better watch out. Because just maybe the next prank's gonna be on them!
Ever heard of or read the story of Peter Pan- The boy who never grew up? Well he says when a person grows up and stops believing in fairies a fairy dies. In my world that roughly translates to a person who stops believing in the magic of life's simple pleasures. Well just for the record I do, I do believe in fairies!!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
OUB - The Order of the U******** Beauties
Dedicated to the sister hood. Love you girlies soooo much *hugs*. Was supposed to do this for friendship day last week. Kindly excuse the dealy :)
They say every great group in history has a wonderful tale behind it... Well ours is a simple one really. Here's how it goes..
The OUB consists of 5 friends who've known each other from kindergarten. They got to know each other a little better in 7th grade over playground games and lunch break discussions. Before they knew it they were in separable. They'd been through it all each other's first crushes heart breaks and many other little events that makes a little girl grow up. When they left school they never really made any promise to stay in touch. But stay in touch they did! They met up once in a few months but thanks to the advent of technology they pretty much knew every single detail of each other's lives. Just goes to show how true companionship needs no promises.
Pretty soon our little beauties were all grown up, but still single :) Yes every single one of them. But did they fret about it...? nope.. They instead realized the sisterhood they shared would take them through any curve ball life would throw at them. Thus one lazy Sunday afternoon somewhere along the bylanes of Brigade road the OUB was founded. The sisters of this order love each other so much and have actually reached the degree of closeness that they now are capable of even reading each other's minds.. Lets meet these unique individuals who share this lovely bond
Athena: The goddess of wisdom this one. Smart with a quirky sense of humour this girl has amazing patience. Which she needs inorder to deal with the vast number of mental cases that seem to endlessly surround her. Kind hearted and simple and a great support to the order.
Nimbus: The girl with a boy's name. This goddess is famous for her helping nature and the ability to smile and be nice even to people who don't deserve it. Never fails to cheer up the rest of the order. A wonderfull example of an ideal friend.
Fortuna: The goddess of creativity. Seems silent but is a bundle of good ideas. Be it great fashion sense or her take on the male species you know whom to go to whilst in the quest for an honest opinion. Sweet and sensitive girl who'll keep your secret safe.
Artemis: The goddess of good times this one. One extra bubbly girl who's sense of fun is highly contagious. There'll never be a dull moment with this one around. Always ready to help or listen to endless sob stories this girl knows just how to make you feel loved.
Aphrodite: The goddess of gab. This girl is famous for her capability to keep the conversation going. Though her stories are never boring. Sweet and caring girl who can switch in a moment from being a silly child to a mature adult as her friends need her to be.
The bond that these goddesses share is more than 10 years old now and is stronger than ever before. They have transformed together from being silly little girls to mature independent women. Over the coming years their bond will only get stronger.
One of the principal missions of the OUB is to see that all of them go from U to T. One day in the not so distant future they will make the transition. The order claims that Aphrodite is not U any more but she says that what she did is not good enough to be considered T.
Today the order continues to enjoy the adventures the sisterhood has to offer with Aphrodite now officially the godmother to help the others make the transition from U to T.
They are confident that no matter where life takes them or what ever ocean or continent separates them they will forever remain soul sisters.
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