Elections are Coming

The Elections are Coming.

The biggest celebration of our "democracy" - Elections in 5 states later this year are just the trailer for the grand affair scheduled for first part of 2014.

Already the dirtiest sport of all - political mud-wrestling has started in its full glory. Charges, counter-charges, facts mixed with fiction, on hand some physics defying theories while vegetable prices defy gravity, bomb blasts in a rally of 1 Chief Minister, another injured in stone-pelting, a state getting divided... well its just the beginning of one of the dirtiest battles in Indian political history. Add a trigger-happy social media which knows no restraint. The perfect recipe for disaster. And this is just the beginning. Wonder what else is in store for us.

The following poem (Jungle Gaatha) by Ashok Chakradhar perfectly sums whats happening in the country right now. Certainly worth a listen.  India certainly is no better than any jungle.

पानी से निकलकर मगरमच्छ किनारे पर आया,

इशारे से बंदर को बुलाया.

बंदर गुर्राया- खों खों, क्यों,

तुम्हारी नजर में तो मेरा कलेजा है?

मगरमच्छ बोला-नहीं नहीं, तुम्हारी भाभी ने

खास तुम्हारे लिये सिंघाड़े का अचार भेजा है.

बंदर ने सोचा ये क्या घोटाला है,

लगता है जंगल में चुनाव आने वाला है.

लेकिन प्रकट में बोला- वाह!

अचार, वो भी सिंघाड़े का, यानि तालाब के कबाड़े का!

बड़ी ही दयावान तुम्हारी मादा है,

लगता है शेर के खिलाफ़ चुनाव लड़ने का इरादा है.

कैसे जाना, कैसे जाना? ऐसे जाना, ऐसे जाना

कि आजकल भ्रष्टाचार की नदी में

नहाने के बाद जिसकी भी छवि स्वच्छ है,

वही तो मगरमच्छ है.

एक नन्हा मेमना और उसकी माँ बकरी,

जा रहे थे जंगल में राह थी संकरी।

अचानक सामने से आ गया एक शेर,

लेकिन अब तो हो चुकी थी बहुत देर।

भागने का नहीं था कोई भी रास्ता,

बकरी और मेमने की हालत खस्ता।

उधर शेर के कदम धरती नापें, इधर ये दोनों थर-थर कापें।

अब तो शेर आ गया एकदम सामने,

बकरी लगी जैसे-जैसे बच्चे को थामने।

छिटककर बोला बकरी का बच्चा- शेर अंकल!

क्या तुम हमें खा जाओगे एकदम कच्चा?शेर मुस्कुराया,

उसने अपना भारी पंजा मेमने के सिर पर फिराया।

बोला-हे बकरी - कुल गौरव, आयुष्मान भव! दीर्घायु भव!

चिरायु भव! कर कलरव! हो उत्सव! साबुत रहें तेरे सब अवयव।

आशीष देता ये पशु-पुंगव-शेर, कि अब नहीं होगा कोई अंधेरा

उछलो, कूदो, नाचो और जियो हँसते-हँसते

अच्छा बकरी मैया नमस्ते!

इतना कहकर शेर कर गया प्रस्थान,

बकरी हैरान-बेटा ताज्जुब है, भला ये शेर किसी पर रहम खानेवाला है,

लगता है जंगल में चुनाव आनेवाला है।

Don't think there is any more apt description of our politicians than this.

MovieNotes: The Lunchbox

Movie - The Lunchbox

*ing - Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddique

Director - Ritesh Batra

Language - Hindi with smattering of English

Genre - Daily Life

Basic Premise

A case of mistaken delivery by dabbawalas leading to an exchange of notes from the "dabba" maker to its unintended recipient. And how a curious friendship/bonding develops between the two characters who are getting to know each other through these notes.

MovieNotes

• The first thing you notice is the realistic way of capturing the everyday life of Mumbai. Travelling in trains, buses, occasionally taking the auto or taxi while trying to get everyday work finished up while travelling. 
• The next thing which strikes is the almost complete lack of background music. There are background noises of course. And music is not completely absent. Songs do come in through different medium like radio or cassette players or children singing.
• What makes the movie great? The brilliant starcast  (if you can them stars). And its not just the visible ones. There are invisible characters whom you don't see, just hear or the ones who are talked about but neither heard nor seen.
• The story moves at its own pace over the course of a month, neither waiting nor jumping along. However there is gentle progression in the way the characters behave over the course of the story.
• There are random life observations thrown in. Observations which can only come through experience but they are not the of the preachy kind. Just the ones which when you hear, you tend to nod your head along.
• And finally the ending. What happened next? What did the characters do? All of it is left open. The story is not closed. Like life itself, there is no logical conclusion. Given that the movie depicts just a little passage of life, not coming to any logical conclusion was probably the best part.

Trivial Note - Since when did the famed Dabbawalas make a mistake? What happened to their 6 sigma acclaim? At least the mistake was not a one-off occurence but a recurring one,otherwise they couldn't have come up with a beautiful story.

Rating - 9/10

Closing Note - The hoopla of the film not being nominated as India's entry for next year's Oscars. Not having seen "The Good Road", I am in no position to comment on the merits and demerits of the case. But such controversies are either (a) needless distrations from the film, or (b) publicity gimmicks. And if its (b) then it is insulting to a truly well-made film.

Previously on MovieNotes - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

P.S. - Some weird reason, I also got reminded of Stanley Ka Dabba while watching this film

Misty Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar - A charming little weekend getaway from the madness of Mumbai. Situated some 250 kms from Mumbai, its a beautiful hill station located in the Western Ghats.

During the monsoons, it gives a feeling of being literally walking in the clouds. There is an all prevalent mist which breaks up only when it rains. The driving conditions are not great and its best to use a local tourist taxi for the local visits. All charges are fixed by local authorities

Places to visit - Not too many. A couple of local temples, multiple vantage points providing their own breath-taking view of the same valley (But a spectacular view, one must say), an old Maratha fort in Pratapgarh, multiple waterfalls along the roadside.

The area is known for its Strawberry farms (though not in season during the monsoons).

Must-have - Strawberry lassi served in clay containers.

Advise - Pack enough warm clothes. It gets really cold there.

In short a perfect place to relax and getaway from the hustle-bustle of daily life

Here is a little photo-log of Misty Mahabaleshwar. 

And the Mist Lifts - to reveal this breath-taking view

A family portrait- of our ancestors

The beginnings of many a river

The Misty Lanes - Perfect settings for a horror movie

Strawberry Lassi - A must have drink served in clay glasses

Shivaji's Statue (Pratapgarh Fort) - The mist makes it singularly impressive

A waterfall along the road side - One of the plenty

Can there be an excess of greenery ever?

Windmills

Misty Mahabaleshwar - I liked you.

India @ 66

Eve of 15th August. India's Independence Day. In 1947, Pt. Nehru chose this day to make a historical speech (tryst with destiny). To celebrate that speech, Nishantzworld chooses to mark this occasion with an annual rundown of the nation as I see it. (Click here for the 2012 edition).

Like our population, the number of our states has increased with the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh. So instead of one there will be now 2 states with potentially a Union Territory (Hyderabad being joint capital) also thrown in. Meaning new sarkaari jobs (double State government and the associated paraphernalia). Meaning more looters looking for a share of the loot. 

Meanwhile the Rupee is breaking newer and newer grounds alongwith petrol and diesel. A race is on to see who will get to the century first. While the poverty line is shifting lower and lower (at least in $ terms). Amidst all this the Government is hell bent on still being in the planning stage while all action is focused on the coming general elections.

Elections - They can't come sooner. And hopefully regardless of the results, the politicization of social media will be less. I am as tired of the inept UPA government failures as the Narendra Modi fanboyism on the social networks. Once upon a time social media was funny, informative and social. Now its just become a medium of outraging. Agreed there is a lot to outrage about. But venting it out on facebook/twitter is going to be of no avail (Nor will this blog help :P)

Rampant corruption, regular border troubles, Naxal violence, rapes & acid attacks, economy moving towards deep trouble - yet all our so called "leaders" are interested in is trying to preserve their "kursi". A game of oneupmanship is all that is being played between UPA, NDA, and the opportunists of the so-called 3rd Front. We have a Prime minister who says keeping quiet is the best policy (hazaaron jawaabon se acchji khamoshi meri) and an Opposition which believes that a functioning Parliament is not essential for governance.

The Uttarakhand floods showed what happens when nature plays with us. Humans might think that they are the superior beings on this planet. But Nature always has a way of taking control again. Always.

Now to the other national passion - Cricket. Spot-fixing scandal emerged but there was no sense of disbelief, just plain anger at the revelations. Worse was the politicization of team selection. But there was a saving grace. A new hero always emerges. Thank You Shikhar Dhawan.

As for the other sports,  the Indian Olympic Council celebrated a highly successful (by our standards) Olympic performance by getting banned. Enough said.

And finally to the 3rd front of India - Movies. Bollywood has started making biopics & sports films and making good experiments apart from the regular masala fare. But one genre is still untouched. Given how successful Hollywood comic books characters have been on screen, when will we see a movie based on our home-grown superheroes like Super Commando Dhruv.

In all, another terrible year gone by. And nothing much to really look forward to in the year ahead. But after all this, I will still say - Mera Bhaarat Mahaan. Because there is some part of me which still believes in the idea of India.

Rains: Before & After

Previously on NishantzWorld - Rains: Likes & Dislikes

The rains are here in full force. Seems like its been raining cats and dogs since as far as I can recall (Or as we say in Hindi - मूसलाधार कुत्ता बिल्ली  बारीश ). Time to a do a quick before & after check

Before

Its the blistering, sweltering heat of summers. You pray for rains for relief.. The first sign of dark clouds in the horizon and your heart starts to sing.

The first drops of rain.
Slight freshness in the air (even in this polluted metropolis). The smell of wet earth.
"Its raining #cityname - announces the social media (Twitter & Facebook).
All signs that the monsoons have arrived.

Another song starts as you don't want the rains to end...

Unfortunately your wish for non-stop rains actually gets fulfilled. And...

After
A couple of months of this kutta-billi baarish. Office commute time has tripled due to craters having taken over in place of roads. 

Common sight everywhere

The chief prevailing smell is that of damp clothes which have been trying to dry for a week or so.
TV signals disappear during critical points in a live telecast.
"Stuck in traffic jam. I hate rains" - blares out the same social media.

And the song for this moment. The opening lines of this Anu Malik "masterpiece".

And while you wonder if these were the rains you had been waiting for, the cycle repeats year after year.

MovieNotes: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Movie - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

*ing - Farhan Akhtar, Yograj Singh, Pawan Malhotra, Divya Dutta and others

Director - Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Language - Hindi with sprinkling of Punjabi

Genre - Sports, Biopic

Preamble

Bollywood is making biopics - Good

Bollywood is making sports film - Better

Bollywood is making biopics on sportspersons - Great

Basic Premise

Story of India's greatest male athelete, Milkha Singh.

Notes

The Highs

• Farhan Akhtar - the actor. Also good performances by Japtej Singh as the young Milkha and Divya Dutta.
• Music - Zinda is going to be the new training background song.
• The army drill scenes.
• The little bits of trivia thrown in - e.g. Ayub Khan giving Milkha Singh the nickname of Flying Sikh, the mug of milk being the chief motivation for Milkha to run.

The Not So Highs

• The romantic tracks. Mostly unnecessary and could have been easily edited out and made the film shorter by half an hour.
• The lack of perfect ending. A missed Olympic medal is not a great story finisher. So the makers turned it into a tale of Milkha conquering his own personal demons.

Random Notes

• Some shades of Paan Singh Tomar also in the movie. After all both were national champion atheletes from the army background. But post-athletics career took different turns.One turned into a dacoit, other into a living legend. Interestingly, both were teammates in the 1962 Jakarta Asiad.
• Hunger is the biggest motivation to run. Certified in both Paan Singh Tomar & Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
• If we believe the film, Ms Stella cost us an Olympic medal?
• Divya Dutta & Vidya Balan - Two very good actors who can easily pass off for each other.
• As a nation, we have been so starved of Olympic glory that we have our near-misses (Milkha Singh, PT Usha) are more celebrated than some of our recent medal winners.

Rating

9/10 - A well made and acted movie with great music. But could have been a little more ruthless in editing.

Closing Note - Bollywood is making biopic on sports and actually doing a good job of it.

Previously on MovieNotes - Man of Steel

The Wimbledon Magic

There is a certain charm about Wimbledon that no other annual sporting event has. You can't exactly pin-point it to any one particular reason.

• The adherence to the traditions,
• the all-white dress code
• Taking the middle Sunday off (not caring for TRPs)
• the Royal touch with players bowing towards Her Majesty's representatives in the Royal Box
• addressing the players as Mister or Miss rather than just their surnames
• the wait for a British champion
• Unllike the other Grand Slams it does not need its country's name just the locality name

Most likely all of the above. For me personally its the the fact that my first tennis watching memories are associated with Wimbledon.

The Year - 1989. 

Both Singles finals played on Sunday and the winners - the German duo of Steffi Graf & Boris Becker. Instantaneously making a 6 year old me their fans for life.

There are other tennis tournaments, 3 other Grand Slams, the year-end Masters, the Davis Cup. but none of them quite come near to matching the charm that Wimbledon has. Only French Open with its distinctive red courts & use of French terms in the scores comes close.

I write this on the eve of the finals of the 2013 Championships. And recollect the Champions in the past 20 odd years gone by - Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Federer, Hewitt, Nadal, Graf, Navratilova, Hingis, Davenport, the Williams - Wimbledon champions all of them. My favorite Wimbledon champions.
Goran Ivanisevic in 2001 - Ranked outside top 100, Wild Card entrant, 3 time former runner-up. As fairy tales go, it rarely gets better
Jana Novotna in 1998 - Famous for choking in 1994 final & crying on Duchess of Kent's shoulders, losing in another final and then finally winning on the 3rd attmpt. That's what I call redemption.

And now we are in 2013. Whom would I love to see holding the winner's trophies. Lisicki (A German victory - my old favorite Tennis playing country) & Murray (the lad deserves to get this Brit-not-having-won-since-World-War-II monkey off his back).

But whoever wins - the Wimbledon Magic will continue on and on.

MovieNotes - Man of Steel

Movie - Man of Steel

*ing - Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russel Crowe, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane & Others

Director - Zack Snyder

Language - English

Preamble

Confession - Haven't watched any of the Superman movies before. And not a big comic book fan either.

However the interest level in watching the resurrection of the Superman series was quite high. Mainly due to Christopher Nolan being attached to it. The trailers looked promising. Nolan's touch along with Hans Zimmer's music prophesised a Superman struggling with his own identity, a darker villain and a good background story with big name actors playing the minor characters.

Basic Premise

Superman and his Kryptonian origins are explained. He is yet to become the hero known world over but taking his baby steps towards becoming one. Also a titanic clash to save the world and establish his superhero credentials (for the forthcoming movies).

Notes

The High Notes

• Best Scene - When Superman goes on his first flight. Full-on Goosebumps
• Performance of the film - by the two fathers of Superman - Crowe & Costner, incidentally both also known for playing Robin Hood.
• A villain whose intentions are not necessarily wrong. General Zod was trying to save his race.
• The back-story of Krypton. Probably won't be mentioned ever again.
• The climax battle between Superman & Zod.
• The Easter Eggs hinting at Lexcorp & Wayne Enterprises for forthcoming movies.

The Not High Notes

• The conclusion of the climax battle. If it was this simple, why was hell wrecked on Metropolis. Probably a million died in this battle to "save" Earth.
• The portrayal of Lois Lane.
• The Superman Character Destruction - The S does not stand for Superman; he doesn't wear his underwear outside any more; Lois Lane knows Superman's real identity before he joins Daily Planet. The true comic book fans must be seething on seeing all this.
• Superman finding a ready-made suit for his world-saving role.
• There is nothing worth remembering in the movie. No memorable dialogues, action sequence etc.

The Random Notes

• The Superman Pose - After you become "Super", you need to stand straight, hold your arms into your body and then (most important) look towards your side with the head slightly bent and wearing a serene smile
• Henry Cavill finally breaks his unlucky jinx and gets to play a major role.
• The term "Superman" is hardly used throughout the film.

Rating - 7/10; Overall the movie left me a bit underwhelmed. Mainly due to the higher (almost unrealistic) expectations set by the The Dark Knight Tilogy.

Previously on MovieNotes - Zalzala

Deja Vu - Issued In Public Interest

It felt like the opening scene from Hangover II. It had happened again. The questions were why me? And again?

Losing a mobile is not a nice experience. Losing repeatedly is even worse. Feels like I have been "marked" as a serial victim.

Now to the event itself. Got onto a BEST bus as per my daily schedule. After some time, say 15 minutes, decided to check the phone. And the phone had disappeared. As simple as that. Heart sank with the feeling of deja vu.

Asked the neighbouring passenger to dial my number. As expected, phone was switched off. The thieves are quick, both at nicking the phone, and manually removing the battery.  Tried to recollect the incidence of the theft.  This is probably how it had happened.

A large sized fellow was the first to get onto the bus. Near the top step, lots of coins "slipped" out of his hand which he stopped to collect blocking the way. Meanwhile I was directly behind him on the next step, with both hands on the bus handles for balance. Felt a sudden surge behind me due to others trying to get on. Probably this was the moment when the phone was nicked. Also noticed that the big fellow who had dropped the coins got down after a couple of stops. Pretty sure this was an organised operation. One person creates a distraction while blocking up the path and someone else uses this precise moment to pick the pocket.

Another bitter lesson learnt. Do Not get distracted in crowded, public places even when the distraction is right in front of your eye. "Constant vigilance" is the only way to keep your belongings safe.

Losing a phone is major nuisance. The worst bit is that the cost of the phone itself is the least concern. The value of the personalization and memories attached with the phone is much greater than just the phone cost. Contacts, messages, pictures, your personal high scores in various games are intangibles which have no use to the thieves but cant be replaced.

And a suggestion - Always keep the phone locked with a pin/password. You might never see your lost phone again. But at least your "personal" data will not be accessible to anyone else.

Sharing this, so that others maybe alert in such scenario.

P.S. Hoping & Praying that this tragically epic trilogy of losing phones has reached its conclusion.

Rains - Likes & Dislikes

Has there been any weather phenomenon more romanticized than the rains? More paeans have been written about, more songs composed in the praise of and in the wait of rains than for any other natural occurrence. And as with every other feature of life, it comes with both positives & negatives. 

After about two and a half days of the monsoons, I have already begun liking & disliking the rains in about equal measure. 

• Like - The first pit-pat-patter of the rain drops, the smell of the wet earth, escape from the summer heat. WOW
• Dislike - Getting stuck in the office commute
• Like - On an early morning drive with just a slight drizzle.
• Dislike - The dish signals disappearing during live sports programming. Already affected - Champions Trophy cricket, French Open finals & ironically a rain-hit F1 Grand prix.
• Like - Sipping tea while watching the falling rain outside.
• Dislike - The almost non-stop drizzle forcing a stay-at-home Sunday.

As the season progresses, the list can go on and on. Already beginning to dread the to and fro office commute from tomorrow.

P.S. A little rainy day song compilation from some three years back.