Theres nothing about Sachin thats possibly not been written or that i could possibly add. Without taking away anything from his phenomenal achievements or superlative efforts or sheer genius over the past two decades just wanted to delve and understand our reaction and behaviour towards his double ton, just the day before.
Were we happier about Sachin scoring 200 or the fact that 200 could be scored in a one dayer at all ??? My gut says, its the latter ! Guess, the joy came more from the fact that he demonstrated to all that the peaks we do not even consider - can be conquered, missions accomplished and mind barriers broken - with sheer passion and perseverence !
My sense is that we may have, perhaps, been just as happy if a Sehwag or a Dhoni or even a Yuvraj had scored the same!
Had they done it, the joyous explosion, as in Sachin's case would also have partly come from the realisation that it was achieved by an Indian and not a Ricky Ponting or a Saeed Anwar ; that too against reasonably solid & quality opposition as opposed to a Zimbabwe or a Bangladesh.
Similarly all these guys play as aggressive and exciting cricket (even if not as classy) as Sachin - so the sheer firepower in their knocks and their entertainment value would have made it enjoyable for all.
The moot point is - would any of these guys been able to do this? Maybe not. I think the spontaneous overflow of energy and wow came from the fact that a milestone as memorable and important such as this -now rightfully stands against the name of a guy one considers to be far more deserving than those who are good but perhaps not good enough and surely not as consistent, classy or passionate as this man. and for sure, not as humble about their feats and talent! if the Bharat Ratna has to be conferred on a sports person some day - wonder if there could be anybody better than him?
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
with MNIK, K-Jo loses his groove
Incidentally completely forgot to write about MNIK. Was highly disappointed with the movie. Not only was it over-hyped, the famed SRK-Kajol chemistry was almost absent and it lacked pace and grip through most part. Some sequences intended to be emotionally charged (the whole Afro-American bit) were puerile and laughable.
The others dragged. Came out of the theatre feeling absolutely nothing - for the movie, for SRK or for the community it intends to target. K-Jo must be thanking his stars for having FOX star pick up most of the tab.
For the first time in the last decade felt that Kajol cd have actually done better. She looked good but sounded loud, screechy and over the top. Guess K-Jo's intentions with the film were noble. But meaningful yet interesting cinema has to be lot more than a diseased or suffering hero going on in search for a larger than life mission and good cinematography. What about an engaging storyline coupled with a great screenplay and interesting characterisations?
The only bit i liked in the movie was its music and songs.
I have loved K-Jo's earlier candyfloss stuff and genuinely believe he can do that better than the very best in the world. Thats his groove. why go away from it?
Leave the serious stuff to others.
Guess everyone wishes to grow and evolve. But believe me, in this case - it has to be a lot lot more !!
(Incidentally i saw this movie with family (3 females) and a friend and her daughter - all 5 females (ages varying from 8 to 39) didnt mind the movie at all. So i guess i am in a minority.)
The others dragged. Came out of the theatre feeling absolutely nothing - for the movie, for SRK or for the community it intends to target. K-Jo must be thanking his stars for having FOX star pick up most of the tab.
For the first time in the last decade felt that Kajol cd have actually done better. She looked good but sounded loud, screechy and over the top. Guess K-Jo's intentions with the film were noble. But meaningful yet interesting cinema has to be lot more than a diseased or suffering hero going on in search for a larger than life mission and good cinematography. What about an engaging storyline coupled with a great screenplay and interesting characterisations?
The only bit i liked in the movie was its music and songs.
I have loved K-Jo's earlier candyfloss stuff and genuinely believe he can do that better than the very best in the world. Thats his groove. why go away from it?
Leave the serious stuff to others.
Guess everyone wishes to grow and evolve. But believe me, in this case - it has to be a lot lot more !!
(Incidentally i saw this movie with family (3 females) and a friend and her daughter - all 5 females (ages varying from 8 to 39) didnt mind the movie at all. So i guess i am in a minority.)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
In your face gets a whole new meaning
3 events of the last 1 week have rekindled hope that All is Well. All have got to do with incidents that shook us earlier in more ways than one. What has happened now is a welcome counter- reaction that should have probably come in earlier. It is the tight figurative and in some cases almost physical lash on the visage of what we believe was so rationally corrupted. Muthalik - the man who had pub going girls beaten up in Mangalore last Valentines - was attacked and his not so pretty face painted black ; Rathore - the infamous cop adept at assaulting and mentally torturing hapless teenagers till they committed suicide - was stabbed on his face till he bled and bled; and finally Uddhav and Bal Thackeray were literally spat on their faces when their irrational and obnoxious opposition to fairly sane comments from SRK and MNIK were thrashed and pee-ed upon by the average junta.
Just hope that these guys understand that their views and style is so terribly out of sync with current ground realities. The "In your face" punches that they got were just so thoroughly well deserved. More importantly, sincerely hope that the guys who attacked them arent punished. These are actually our heroes who need to inspire and be felicitated for a job well done.
Just hope that these guys understand that their views and style is so terribly out of sync with current ground realities. The "In your face" punches that they got were just so thoroughly well deserved. More importantly, sincerely hope that the guys who attacked them arent punished. These are actually our heroes who need to inspire and be felicitated for a job well done.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Vinaash Kaale Vipareet Buddhi...
Could this be more apt for anyone else other than Mr Uddhav Thakeray and his gang of hoodlums...?!
By stretching their war of words with SRK, by coercing theatres to shun advance bookings of MNIK and now by texting the story synopsis of the movie to the aam janta and inciting their cadres to violence, they are holding a city at large to ransom.
All in the name of his being anti Indian and to make him apologise to the guardian angel of Public morality - Bal T. Would a mere apology transform him from a pro Paki to a Pro Indian ?what kind of logic is this? With supposed freedom of speech, why must anyone apologise for what he thinks and says and that too, to people sans any legal authority?
Obviously the game and stakes appear to be much bigger than whats being shared in public forums and the media.
It almost appears that there was a large cash deal being worked out between KJo and the Sena and SRKs apology was to be the face saver for both sides. But an agreement eluded Kjo as the Sena expected a much richer cash quantum and SRK - for once - refused to capitulate. I guess this unexpected twist coupled with the recent Rahul Gandhi slap on their face has made Sena determined to stoop to new lows.
They seem to have forgotten that SRKs statement or his lack of apology is not a matter of earth shattering importance or a reason fit enough to vitiate the atmosphere in the city. It is neither likely to win them new friends nor revive their ties with old supporters. Even loyal supporters might find it tough to back this illogical stand. To me, this is not just a sign of hollowness but might just prove to be the Sena's waterloo!
Mercifully - the govt for once has wowed to act. So tons and tons of security is now consipicuous outside every darn theatre in Mumbai - many glum faced at their leaves having been cancelled. The bandobast appears heavier than immediately post 26/11. To say that this is just for a movie release would make it sound like this is perhaps the only significant event post Obama's elevation!! But then, a precedent must be set for all "such drama" driven political parties.
Unfortunately, most of us - even if we want to - are unlikely to risk our limb & life to watch MNIK. Police presence not withstanding. So even though SRK-KJo may not like it, the movie might loose out in mumbai - but this may be the price to be paid to rid Mumbai of the jingoistic agenda of Uddhav and Mr Bal T.
In this whole seemingly futile fight - both the Sena and the govt seem to hv forgotten that there are bigger worries in mumbai and elsewhere. Vinaash Kaale, vipareet buddhi. God help.
By stretching their war of words with SRK, by coercing theatres to shun advance bookings of MNIK and now by texting the story synopsis of the movie to the aam janta and inciting their cadres to violence, they are holding a city at large to ransom.
All in the name of his being anti Indian and to make him apologise to the guardian angel of Public morality - Bal T. Would a mere apology transform him from a pro Paki to a Pro Indian ?what kind of logic is this? With supposed freedom of speech, why must anyone apologise for what he thinks and says and that too, to people sans any legal authority?
Obviously the game and stakes appear to be much bigger than whats being shared in public forums and the media.
It almost appears that there was a large cash deal being worked out between KJo and the Sena and SRKs apology was to be the face saver for both sides. But an agreement eluded Kjo as the Sena expected a much richer cash quantum and SRK - for once - refused to capitulate. I guess this unexpected twist coupled with the recent Rahul Gandhi slap on their face has made Sena determined to stoop to new lows.
They seem to have forgotten that SRKs statement or his lack of apology is not a matter of earth shattering importance or a reason fit enough to vitiate the atmosphere in the city. It is neither likely to win them new friends nor revive their ties with old supporters. Even loyal supporters might find it tough to back this illogical stand. To me, this is not just a sign of hollowness but might just prove to be the Sena's waterloo!
Mercifully - the govt for once has wowed to act. So tons and tons of security is now consipicuous outside every darn theatre in Mumbai - many glum faced at their leaves having been cancelled. The bandobast appears heavier than immediately post 26/11. To say that this is just for a movie release would make it sound like this is perhaps the only significant event post Obama's elevation!! But then, a precedent must be set for all "such drama" driven political parties.
Unfortunately, most of us - even if we want to - are unlikely to risk our limb & life to watch MNIK. Police presence not withstanding. So even though SRK-KJo may not like it, the movie might loose out in mumbai - but this may be the price to be paid to rid Mumbai of the jingoistic agenda of Uddhav and Mr Bal T.
In this whole seemingly futile fight - both the Sena and the govt seem to hv forgotten that there are bigger worries in mumbai and elsewhere. Vinaash Kaale, vipareet buddhi. God help.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Unexpected Purpose
How so very often we fall prey to despondence and allow the cobwebs to strengthen. Times when not much seems to make great sense are perhaps times when God chooses his messengers and beams them onto us.
Had a meeting with a fairly old aquaintance. we were never great friends. yet he chose to call on me while visiting mumbai -when there is not much in common in terms of our respective work lives and business - either current or future.
Guess he was to meant to provide me with a dream. Not really directly but through a half an hour conversation that we had on sundry things in life. After his departure, i felt a greater sense of purpose and meaning than before his visit. It is not that we discussed mind boggling
issues. Our conversation was mostly on our respective failures so far.
but he delivered to me an optimism that had perhaps got lost under mounds of dust.
Guess am going to dream again.
thx buddy.
Had a meeting with a fairly old aquaintance. we were never great friends. yet he chose to call on me while visiting mumbai -when there is not much in common in terms of our respective work lives and business - either current or future.
Guess he was to meant to provide me with a dream. Not really directly but through a half an hour conversation that we had on sundry things in life. After his departure, i felt a greater sense of purpose and meaning than before his visit. It is not that we discussed mind boggling
issues. Our conversation was mostly on our respective failures so far.
but he delivered to me an optimism that had perhaps got lost under mounds of dust.
Guess am going to dream again.
thx buddy.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
will this xenophobia ever go away
While the shiv sena might have been outsmarted and outmanouvered by Rahul Gandhi's latest train antics, something tells me that we havent heard or seen the last byte in this tale.
With the regional parties increasingly finding themselves squeezed for space in the political spectrum and given their lack of vision and understanding of a broader world view, it is and it would be so much easier for them, even in the future, to opt for basic-grass root division or strategies and ideas that can get them clutter breaking appeal and traction with the deprived populace they seek to cultivate and seek support from.
We have seen evidence of this in Karnataka, in Gujrat, in UP and now in Mumbai. I am certain this is neither the last city nor is Shiv sena the last political party pushing this agenda. In UP it was caste, in Karnataka it was culture, in mumbai it is language and in some other city it could be something else. At its heart is the economic disparity that political parties choose to exploit. And this disparity is not about to disappear away in a hurry. After all, it will always be easy for the sons of the soil from the economically weaker sections to buy the logic that people from other states have come and taken away what should have belonged to them and that they should be opposed. The political class would be only too happy to stoke the fires.
The prospect for people like us who have genuinely believed in "I am an Indian and the whole country is for us" and who work away from their state or city of birth could indeed be scary. Imagine being driven away from the city you live in purely because of your caste or language or something as inconsequential that you normally do not bother about. How does one fight when powerful politicians , goondas etc - or the state itself turns against you - irrespective of what one has achieved or where one has been paying one's taxes?
Would love to believe that consistent and continuous growth in -education and economy -the two elixirs that can ameliorate this mess, will help resolve the situation over the course of the next few years. But what if - the polity remains as infirm and weak spined as it is today?
Does the solution lie in being a son of one's own soil after all? does one look for a job elsewhere and start investing in the city of ones birth?
Maybe i am being too myopic and pessimistic and i hope that i truly am. and that the reality is much better than this.
With the regional parties increasingly finding themselves squeezed for space in the political spectrum and given their lack of vision and understanding of a broader world view, it is and it would be so much easier for them, even in the future, to opt for basic-grass root division or strategies and ideas that can get them clutter breaking appeal and traction with the deprived populace they seek to cultivate and seek support from.
We have seen evidence of this in Karnataka, in Gujrat, in UP and now in Mumbai. I am certain this is neither the last city nor is Shiv sena the last political party pushing this agenda. In UP it was caste, in Karnataka it was culture, in mumbai it is language and in some other city it could be something else. At its heart is the economic disparity that political parties choose to exploit. And this disparity is not about to disappear away in a hurry. After all, it will always be easy for the sons of the soil from the economically weaker sections to buy the logic that people from other states have come and taken away what should have belonged to them and that they should be opposed. The political class would be only too happy to stoke the fires.
The prospect for people like us who have genuinely believed in "I am an Indian and the whole country is for us" and who work away from their state or city of birth could indeed be scary. Imagine being driven away from the city you live in purely because of your caste or language or something as inconsequential that you normally do not bother about. How does one fight when powerful politicians , goondas etc - or the state itself turns against you - irrespective of what one has achieved or where one has been paying one's taxes?
Would love to believe that consistent and continuous growth in -education and economy -the two elixirs that can ameliorate this mess, will help resolve the situation over the course of the next few years. But what if - the polity remains as infirm and weak spined as it is today?
Does the solution lie in being a son of one's own soil after all? does one look for a job elsewhere and start investing in the city of ones birth?
Maybe i am being too myopic and pessimistic and i hope that i truly am. and that the reality is much better than this.
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