Slumdog Millionaire

Ever since it swept the 81st annual Accademy Awards, also know as the Oscars, on the 22nd of February, there has been plenty of debate on whether the film actually deserved all the accolades. Well they was always going to be a debate about that from the very first. Firstly because it wasn't you typical Oscar type movie, at heart it was a much better version of a Bollywood movie. And secondly it was an outsider's view of a situations. So there was definetely going to be a debate.

Many scoff movie as an attempt to further stereotype the nation's poverty, to the extent of glorifying it. True we are known as a 3rd world country and for poverty, but we can't deny that it isn't present. for those who say this haven't much been to these places let alone seen these. What you got to admire about the director is that he had the guts to film the movie on real location. Where Indian directors like the Chopras and the Johar constantly use foreign locales and sound stages as a stand in for actual locations, here you had a foreign director actual filming the movie in actual locvation with people from those areas. You got to commend Danny Boyle for that.

Many say that the movie earned these awards based on sympathy votes because of the attacks on Mumbai. Others believe that movie was marketed well for it to earn these awards. Well firstly I wouldn't say that these were sympathy awards and don't think promotion of the movie had anything to do with it. Then we need to remember that movie swept all the major awards like the Golden Globe, the Critic Choice, The BAFTAs, the SAG, before the Oscars. So that does count in favor of the movie. Secondly the movie's message of hope against all odds was was pretty uplifting and boded well for time when all the major economy is in the state of depression.

Many say that this wasn't A R Rahman best work, he's done better before. I would say "so what if this isn't is best work, it did earn him two Oscars, that does stand for something. Plus it is the first time that an Indian music director was given such a platform and succeeded in winning alot of admiration.

On the whole everyone is entitled to their own views, but then its not right to put down the picture so badly. I did watch the movie and I truely loved it.

The Film(Un)Fare Awards

As the Oscar season slowly draws to a close and hopefully Slumdog Millionaire would have capped a fruitful award season, our very own, and self proclaimed Hindi film Oscar, announced their nominations. And seeing the people that have been nominated really perplexes me. But then ones got to realize that these are not really awards, but they awards in disguise of ego stroking ceremony. These awards are nothing but an act of butt kissing.

How else would you explain some of the people nominated and in the end the people who take away the actual awards. How else you would explain the same actor taking an award each and every year. Are yso dearth of talent in the industry. How would you explain actresses claiming to be the next big thing ni Hollywood when all their international ventures have been B-grade films and even flopped miserably. But let alone Hollywood, their very own Bollywaood films don't do well. How would you explain how an actor receives a best actor trophy even though when you examine his body of work it feels like you are looking at same character over and over again. How do you explain a filmaker who is so celebrated by these awards show when all he does is create over the top characters, that are louds and brash, who promotes other countries and whose character are always lavish and living in luxury. Or another filmaker who is so obsessed with the US and Archies that he creates a his world around it.

I guess the Indiam award shows will never change and we has slaves to them will continue to applaud them and really start believeing the lie that they are good.

Questions

Recently two of my ex colleague, and yes I can call them friends, returned back to the office. These two had been given the boot from the organization in January, so they had come to collect their settlements from the office. Both stated how happy they are with what they are doing currently and how the doing so much better now than what they doing before. And with the prospect of a much better work environment, how happy they were to get out, or shown out, at the right time.

What struck me about their situation is what was I doing in here in this organization. If the world outside had much better things to offer than what this organization gave me, what was I doing here? Were they truly happy with what they had or was it just an act put up for the benefit of others? Whatever their reason behind their feeling, it made question myself if I was doing the right thing? If I was in the right place? OR what was doing with my career? Am I steering myself in the right direction or am I just getting stuck in one place?

I am truly happy for them...but the question that rises in my mind what are we doing with ourselves??? Question loads of questions, with the answer not in sight.

We all go through life's ups and downs. We all have our own way to celebrate when we are on the upper, brighter side of life. But what do we so when we need to pick our self up. What do we do when we need a little cheering up.

There are many things that we we could do. First look for that number of that one person you know who would cheer you up and lift our spirits up. We do this very often. This person could be a family a member, a chaddi buddy, a lover. We turn to them as a crutch would support a crippled man.

Many would drown themselves in various activities. When of the activities I love to indulge in is gymming. It not only lets me take my mind of the trouble but also helps me channel that feeling into building a good physique for myself. Then there are activities like sports and video games that you could involve in.

But then there is one way which I love. Actually if you think about it there are two ways that I love to do. One of them is to watch a movie where don't need to think, that's light refreshing, fun and entertaining, plus there is no sadness associated to it. For example, you have the movies Mamma Mia and Hairspray. When I want to cheer myself up and have a nice time I just watch them and I know by the end of the movies it would seem like my troubles would seem faraway...like yesterday. The other way would be what I am doing write now...blogging. I am actually giving vent to my emotions, releasing and letting what if people our reading it...I just want to let it out of system.

Whatever may be your method of getting yourself out...my wish is...it should work for you :)

Who Do You want Me To Be???

"I can be brown, I can be blue, I can be violet skies. I could be purple, I could be anything you like...Why don't you like me without making me try."

Growing up I rememeber my aunt telling me why can't I be more like my elder sister, quite, not mischievous, less talkative...why couldn't I be like her. As I grow older I know my mom would want me to be like my best friend. Married, settled, with a good paying job, and most importantly with kids.

Well I myself wanted to be someone else. Someone who I thought would be more acceptable to others. Someone who wouldn't appear dull and boring. Someone who would be handsome and good looking and would have everyone swooning over me. Someone who would get the job done and get the bouquets and throw the bricks at others.

We all want to be someone better, someone more acceptable than we are. Or at least that's what we think. We want to be someone else for others, someone more in tune what other want us to be. But that may not be what is good for us.

We want to have that body and look like the men's health magazine cover model and so we work ourselves into a muscle spasm for that. When we go for an interview we try to be someone who pleases the interviewer. At work we are people who our bosses wants us to be. Everywhere you see we are being people for the sake of someone else.

So when are we ourselves. The person behind the mask. Actually we ourselves when we are with the people who lets us be who we are. Kids, romantics, lovers, idiot, neurotics and so much more. It's when we are with them we can behave like who we really our.

Memories

Memories, these are something that remain with us forever. People may come and go but their memories remain forever. They form the base on which we live life, the crutches that we lean on when we are lonely and sad. They help us get through though and rough time, when we are down in the depths they help us to pull ourself up. They are something that never goes away though at times we try and want them to to. They can be about the good time and the bad times, happy times and the sad times. They gives us the strength but can also be our weakness. We can either let go of them or hold on to them tightly. We either store them or banish them. But whatever they maybe they form an important part of life.

Indian Culture

Recently there was an attack on a pub in Mangalore and the woman were molested because they felt that pub culture is not Indian and by man handling these woman they were teaching them a lesson. Earlier thye have attacked valentine days, dances because they didn't feel like it was Indian culture. And there are so many things they object because they do't feel like it's Indian culture.

So this brings us to the question, 'What exactly is Indian culture?' Is it Indian culture to molest woman to prove who you are? Is it Indian culture to go around bullying people, destroying, injuring, in other word to be a hooligan. Is this Indian Culture??? Lord Krishna used to tease the village belles and steal curds from the milkmaids. So is eve teasing and stealing a part of the Indian culture. The Lord Ram doubted the virtue of his wife Sita because she was kidnapped by Ravan and banished her under the pressure of his subject. So is doubting your spouse and giving into pressure a part f Indian culture. I can say the second is true in case of Indian culture.

Throughout Indian history we know of ruler quarreling against each other going into wars with each other. We learnt about trachory, brother against brother, father being imprisoned, bigamy. Are these part of Indian culture. At least these were tolerant and people did live together in harmony. but then how the situation have changed today???

In current time we are living with people who are narrow minded and intolerant. It no that they believe they are doing te right thing, what they really want is to have their way, by might. Wish they could put all these energy in trying to get the nation right.

If you say that the children of today are getting out of hand, then is banning pubs a solution to reign them in??? Remember the forbidden fruits are even more tempting. There are so many issues that needs to addressed. Wished they spent more time on solving that.