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Sidharth Bhatia
People feel. I write. Writing and revolution go hand in hand. It was the 70's. Emergency, unemployment and a sense of general deprivation prevailed over the country. It was then that I decided to write. I wrote because I felt the anger, I wrote because I wanted to give words to what thousands of Indians felt... |
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Monday, April 6, 2009
The message that comes through this long explanation, tirade if you will, is that Bachchan thinks that he has become some kind of totem upon which people in the media hang their own prejudices. "I refuse to be considered by his ilk as a specimen of 'dirty laundry' that must be ritually beaten clean," he writes.
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Monday, February 23, 2009
So congratulations then to all those who were associated with Slumdog Millionaire. From the producers, director and script-writer to the youngest child actor, it is everyone's success and whatever one might say -- it is not an Indian film, it shows the seamy side of Mumbai -- etc, you got to admit Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy brought a perspective no Hindi filmmaker would ever have. Even dirt and filth in Bollywood films, when it is shown, is so glamourised and artificial that it loses any meaning. The much talked about shit scene (an echo of a similar scene in Trainspotting, also by Boyle) has attracted the ire of all those who feel this is poverty-porn, and it is certainly cringe inducing, but who can deny it is marvellously inventive. Read the entire post »
Friday, February 20, 2009
The movie in question is Luck by Chance and the story is loosely based on -- try a guess -- Shri 420. The basic premise: sweet but canny boy comes from outside Mumbai to try his luck in the big bad city,meets a lovely and sweet young girl who sacrifices a lot for him but two-times her with a more sexy woman whom he uses to climb to the top. In Shri 420 Raj has the talent to card-sharp and gets taken in by the glamour of the upper class world who too use him; in LBC, Vikram is an actor who is selected by a producer in dire need for a new face. Substitute Konkona and Isha for Nargis and Nadira it all falls into place. Read the entire post »
Monday, February 16, 2009
Last I checked I was an Indian, but I am always intrigued by who or what this "real Indian" is. Economically, it would be the man who is barely earning enough to keep his head above the water and could even be described as poor. If religion was the criteria, it would have to be a Hindu. And viewed politically, one would have to say he (and she too) would be largely middle-of-the-road. So does that rule me and my ilk out? If I was a Muslim leftist with a good income, would I not be a "real Indian?" Do middle-class Hindu radicals make the cut? Read the entire post »
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Most politicians come from this backward mindset and therefore react in a backward way on socio-cultural issues. But they are missing the bus. More and more Indians are growing up in the cities and towns. They are not necessarily rootless; they are proud Indians but are also at ease with a fast globalising culture. At the very least, they value their freedoms, of which the most important is freedom of choice and thought. By siding with the Ram Sene types, Indian politicians have read the situation incorrectly. Pub or no pub, drinking or no drinking, no one in India will approve of beating up women. The BJP's verbal callisthenics and the mealy mouthedness of certain politicians like Ashok Gahlot who suddenly woke up to the assaults on Indian culture (female foeticide is fine) have shocked young Indians. Read the entire post »
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
This Indian culture bit is a big humbug. This is not the place to give a long lecture on what constitutes culture, but the way the word is used and abused must be clarified. Culture is composed of many things--traditions, rituals, food, clothing, attitudes; all contribute to the cultural uniqueness of a people. The informal way in which people address their elders in America is part of their culture; no one minds it because they understand where it comes from. Some of that has crept into our discourse in urban India, where it is more acceptable than say in a small Indian town. If you don't like it, you can make it clear; but you cannot pick up a rock and throw it on the other person. Read the entire post »
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Now, the Sena has targetted Karkare's widow. They do not like her professed sympathy for Ajmal Kasab the lone terrorist in police custody. Karkare's wife has apparently expressed the opinion that Ajmal should be given another chance to live to see the gravity of his crimes. Assuming she has said exactly that, it can at worst be described as a simplistic and idealistic worldview, though it also shows her humanity. Read the entire post »
Saturday, January 3, 2009
All of them danced together and when the clock struck 12 and the fireworks went off, the families hugged each other tightly. It was as if people wanted to have their near and dear ones in close proximity. Did the attacks and the uncertainties of our times make people reach out to their families, I wondered. It was a warm bonding moment, (even if the onslaught of Bollywood music and the complete abscence of any rock or pop was a downer.) We need to watch this closely--is 2009 going to be the year of the family? Read the entire post »
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Security is a good idea and should be encouraged, but at one point, commonsense steps give way to paranoia and suspicion. Every citizen needs to be aware of basic security tips – reporting an unclaimed bag is a good idea – but when we start getting jumpy at every step and lose all sense of proportion, we turn into a frightened society Read the entire post »
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The reaction of Muslims – assuming one can see them as a whole, discrete community – has been a sensitive one. But it is also defensive one. Somewhere there seems to be a realization that Muslims must shout that much more so that it becomes clear amidst the cacophony that they too are angry and upset, as much as anyone else. It is almost as if they are keen, even desperate to show they are Indians too.
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