So long time no see.
On Friday was the centenary anniversary of Indian cinema. I don't understand why everyone calls it 100 years of Bollywood!!! It is not hundred years of Bollywood. It is the entire Indian industry. There was a lot to read. Mint has come up with an excellent issue containing such detailed information. There are 10 parts and profiles of Mehmood, Kajol, Dharmender, Kamal Amrohi, Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Waheeda Rehman, Shashi Kapoor, Kamal Swaroop, Kishore Kumar, and Lata Mangeshkar.
Do read them here
I have not read all the parts. But all other parts are available if one searches the cinema issue. W14 also brought out their series again on Bollywood. The one below is one on the '90s.
But my favorite was this article.
The article talks about how we have forgotten to love ourselves, and perhaps that is why we do not appreciate the love in movies.
We yawn when we see love-at-first sight sort of chemistry and go blank should any character even speak of laying down their lives for the other. Our makers are the same as us, they don't get it either and so we have half-baked stuff like Aashiqui-2. It isn't anything to write home about, but I still wonder, if it (or JTHJ or even Ishaqzaade, for that matter) was made 20 yrs back would it be more watchable just because we, as an audience and as people, were more in love with love then, than we are today?
I loved the part about Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Perhaps what she is saying is true, we have become too love-less. And maybe that is why Ashiqui 2 is doing well, it brings out the old romance, although critics are saying there is nothing new in the story. Talking of Ashiqui 2, that song Sun Raha Hai Na Tu is just brilliant. The way the very first line, apne karam ki kar adayein, is sung as soon as the song starts is simply wow. The song is addictive; I like it more than Tum Hi Ho.
And you know Shakuntala Devi passed away recently. Greatbong posted this on his timeline. It is a very moving article about she dealt with her husband's sexuality. She was really a great person.
And someone on her timeline posted this video about introverts and somehow each and everything in the video defines me as a person. I totally agree with the part when it says the thing that pisses them off the most is when someone tells them they are too quiet, and I can't tell how pissed I get when someone tells that to me. And the thing about me is I am an introvert when I meet face to face, but my social media avatar is quite vocal. It is like I substitute my human interaction with the online presence.
In fact, there has been a significant and controversial discussion going on for the last two-three sessions in one of our classes. Our professor says that new research says that although extroverts are often viewed as better leaders, they are not always tuned in to the needs of their group. Particularly when they have proactive followers, introverted leaders have been found to have groups with higher productivity (14-28%) than extroverts.
This led to howls of protest from some people that this couldn't be true. I, somehow, felt good about it. But I don't necessarily agree with associating leadership with being introverted. I think it is too abstract to bucket leadership into characteristics. I know I am studying in a B-school, but somehow, I think leadership is over-hyped. I am more of a follower and happy to admit that. If everyone leads, wouldn't it lead to chaos? Or maybe that is why I cannot be a good leader.
Talking of leaders, many people blame Manmohan Singh for being a terrible leader because he just doesn't say anything. I think that is just a part of the problem. The main issue is that he cannot make any decisions. He is a powerless leader, and there is nothing worse than being one. Not saying anything just compounds the problem. He didn't say anything in the first term either, but he showed some spine. He went to let his government fall to pass the nuclear deal. He took a stand, and people respected it. But his second term has been a disaster. Sonia Gandhi's National Advisory Council, which is the shadow cabinet of our country, has brought some terrible laws, and the government has gone into policy paralysis. He is an excellent economist and knows that the NAC's socialist policies will not work, but he doesn't oppose them. People say he is an honest man. That doesn't mean he can escape responsibility. Our Constitution has the principle of collective responsibility that our entire council of ministers is accountable to the public. It was his government, and he had the power to stop things from happening. He should just resign and call for elections. It will save one more year of policy paralysis. Leadership is about taking a stand, even if it means standing alone for what is right. Manmohan Singh does as much work in a single day as Vajpayee did in a year, yet everyone misses Vajpayee. He indeed was one of our best prime ministers.
Talking of leaders, many people blame Manmohan Singh for being a terrible leader because he just doesn't say anything. I think that is just a part of the problem. The main issue is that he cannot make any decisions. He is a powerless leader, and there is nothing worse than being one. Not saying anything just compounds the problem. He didn't say anything in the first term either, but he showed some spine. He went to let his government fall to pass the nuclear deal. He took a stand, and people respected it. But his second term has been a disaster. Sonia Gandhi's National Advisory Council, which is the shadow cabinet of our country, has brought some terrible laws, and the government has gone into policy paralysis. He is an excellent economist and knows that the NAC's socialist policies will not work, but he doesn't oppose them. People say he is an honest man. That doesn't mean he can escape responsibility. Our Constitution has the principle of collective responsibility that our entire council of ministers is accountable to the public. It was his government, and he had the power to stop things from happening. He should just resign and call for elections. It will save one more year of policy paralysis. Leadership is about taking a stand, even if it means standing alone for what is right. Manmohan Singh does as much work in a single day as Vajpayee did in a year, yet everyone misses Vajpayee. He indeed was one of our best prime ministers.
And you know I just saw an old Grey's Anatomy episode. There is a patient who is suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. He has to switch off the light ninety-six times, say the word clean three times - these types, and say to Cristina that she is judging him. He says it is always the people like me who judge me the most. You are Type A student right? Straight A student, top of the class. Well, you have managed to turn your compulsions into something productive. But we are cut from the same cloth. That's why you can't stand me.
For an instant, I got really worried. Because I have these small superstitions like I have to check that the door is locked at least five times, the water tap is off odd number of times, and some other such things which I have to do before I go to sleep, else I won't get to sleep. And it made me scared for a minute..what if I have OCD later? Too much thinking but no...and as Meredith sums it up perfectly,
Superstition lies in the space between what we can control and what we can't. Find a penny pick it up, and all day long you will have good luck. No one wants to pass up a chance for good luck, but does saying it 33 times really help? I mean is anyone really listening, and if no one is listening why do we bother doing those strange things at all? We rely on superstition because we are smart enough to know we don't have all the answers, and that life works in mysterious ways. Don't diss the ju ju from wherever it comes.
And one strange thing is happening. I have noticed the attitude of some people has changed towards me. Recently, in the last few days, some friends are behaving very sweetly while some have become further apart. But it is alright. I do not know what has happened though.
The weather is finally getting better. It was snowing till two days ago!!! Snow in May! But temperature finally reached in twenties during day today.
Cannot wait for Bombay Talkies :( :( The title song is receiving flak from everywhere for being tacky. It is composed by the genius Amit Trivedi. But I am ok with it. I didn't find it as awful as the media is saying. But I guess I like tacky films, and I am tacky :{
I hear Karan's story is the best. He has left even Anurag Kashyap behind, and I have to have to watch. All my favorite directors in one film.
Finally, you must read Beth's post on 100 years of cinema. It is lovely. I like it when she says she loves Vasundhara Das. And after that, I am constantly humming Chalein Jaise Hawayein from Main Hoon Na. Vasundhara is so pretty; she acts, sings, and composes. This is what Wiki says,
Vasundhara Das (born 1977) is an Indian recording artist, songwriter, composer, actress, and environmentalist. Best remembered for her debut playback song "Shakalaka Baby" for the soundtrack of Mudhalvan (1999), Das went on to record many songs in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Telugu and Malayalam feature films. She earned a nomination in Filmfare's best singer category for her songs "Aaja Gufaon Mein" and "Rabba Rabba" from the film Aks (2001).
Weren't those songs fantastic? And of course, the most famous of them all is "It's the time to disco." That reminds me, the next movie on the must-watch list is Aks. I still haven't seen it, and I will see it.
Aaja Gufaon Me Aa - Aks
Read Beth's post here:
More later.
Dialogue of the Day:
"Main janta hun aapko sahare ki zaroorat nahi, main sirf saath dene aaya hun."—Shekhar, Tum Bin
Awesome blog post Pankaj....as always...agree with the article on people not expressing love today for many consider such expressions to be cheesy...
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:) Thanks Dips :)
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