Sunday, October 31, 2010

Memories

As I sat sifting through,
Papers old and new,
I came across words...
Words which transported me back to my school and college world.
There was a sparkle in my eye
And my lips twirled.
A smile crept up
As I scanned across.....
Across pages which I had imprinted on
Thoughts, feelings, experiences and moods
Happy moments, sad ones and anger too.
During school days, college days, those days of my childhood.
Those memories came and flooded my mind
The situations, those times, I could see crystal clear
Things which I had forgotten, miraculously appeared.
Those times which I left far behind
Suddenly seemed so important, so near.
I was overwhelmed
And embarrassed at some of my writings.
Smiled at some, chuckled at many.
I wish I could rewind and go back then.
Then when everything was so simple and fun.
Even sad moments never seemed to last
And problems and troubles were tackled with a laugh.
Those times with friends talking gibberish and nonsense
The teacher’s shouting’s and at times praising,
Our parents fussing and behind us running.

Those childhood memories made me so ecstatic
That I couldn’t stop flipping those pages.
I didn’t want that moment to end
Between me and myself.
Sometimes we stock things without realising
That years later when you happen to find it
It brings a glow on your face
A glisten in your eyes.
The child within us begins to evolve
And everything around seems so serene and so calm.
All those memories big or small,
I want to keep them as close as I can.
And hope each passing day
Is cherished this way.
So tomorrow, maybe when I’m feeling down and low
The today’s now, brings a smile on my face tomorrow.

The complexity of the mind

The human mind is so complex
Difficult to understand it is, immaterial which gender it is.
When it’s happy, when it’s sad
When it’s depressed, when its glad
When it’s funny and ready to swing,
Or serious, it’s difficult to speculate.
There are million things as a common man,
What even you do, sometimes you can’t understand.
Why ones sad on someone’s death
While the corpse is happy to be cremated?
Why someone’s laughing a minute ago
And all of a sudden is depressed and low?
Why don’t we practise
Sometimes what we ourselves preach?
Shout at someone for their mistakes
When we have been guilty of doing the same?
Why do we make someone our best friends
And then betray them in the end?
Why is it that people who love each other so much
Part in between for measly tiffs and act tough?
Sometimes people who we think we know better than ourselves
Seem to be those we understand very less.
Why feel happy, when someone’s in tears
Or feel happy when someone’s losing someone dear?
Why are we speechless when there is so much to tell
And let emotions take over ourselves?
So many whys such few are the because’s
So many things we do which have no causes.
Our own minds we cants understand
For something’s no reason the human mind has.

The Queens Necklace

The dusky sea, the starry night
Meet at a point far from the eye.
The shore welcoming the crawling sea
With a necklace of lights and glitterati.
The tetra pods seems to be embracing the water
With its open arms.
The red , blue and golden lights
Contrast the cloudy sky
Which seem to be giving away the sea
In the form of waves to the land.
So calm, so pleasant, so serene
But yet a rustle echo’s in the air.
An echo of peace, an echo of life,
An echo of mystery, an echo of the noise of the lights.
As time passes one wishes it would stop
As the shadow of the silver circle on the sea forms.

Snail

As delicate as a baby or even more
As hard and brittle as corals are
Sitting quietly on the lush green grass
With dew drops covering its brown carcass.
Slowly emerging from its cocoon shaped shell
A brown and slimy body resembling gel.
Raising the shell from the ground
A solidified fluid slithers out.
Forming a triangular shaped headhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1741465725733386169#
With a featureless face looking above
As though squinting its imaginary eyes due to the sun
Its face crunching as wrinkles form.
Two deformed antennae cropping up from its skull
Like liquid pouring out and freezing under the sun.
Once its out of its protective cover
Slowly it slides pulling its cover.
Its shell seems so heavy at the speed it pulls
But doesn’t stop to rest till it reaches its food.
Munching and relishing on fallen leaves
Like a pure vegetarian living on greens.
But a sudden touch on its skin
Causes an alarm and frightens it.
Moving its sensitive body into its shell
The want for privacy beckons it in.
Ugly yet beautiful, hard yet frail,
A complex creature is this snail.

Friday, October 22, 2010

(Mis) Representation on television

Indian television has suddenly seen a surge of Indo-Pak bonding in the last month. What started of as a peace building initiative through music by singers Sonu Nigam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in the form of Chotte Ustaad seemed to set a trend of sorts, with Bigg Boss 4getting two Pakistani artists to be a part of the show. However, the first being a novel and a brilliant idea, the second I have a problem with.

Chotte Ustaad as we all know has one Indian singer and one Pakistani singer team up and compete with 11 other such pairs of children. While Sonu Nigam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan played mentor, the special guests on the show ranging from Abida Parveen, Shankar Mahadevan, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Sonam Kapoor, Shaan, Priyanka Chopra, Mahesh Bhatt, the Kapoor khandaan etc too lauded the efforts and the talent.

The show was unique in many ways. Firstly, it made Indians and Pakistanis team up and not compete against each other. Secondly, many Pakistani families managed to accomplish things they just dreamt off, like visiting the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, watching their children share the same platform with biggies like Asha Bhosle and meeting stars like Rishi Kapoor which otherwise they would only see onscreen. Thirdly, it propagated peace and promoted talent and fourthly it was a show which ran on talent and an overwhelming message and not on controversies, drama and sleaze. Yes, it was high on emotions but in the right way.

The show not only gave a great opportunity to the young singers to showcase their talent but also showcased Pakistanis in the right light in India. For a change Pakistani’s weren’t looked down upon but were looked at in a positive light. Finally, most Indians realised that yes, people there are not terrorists or fundamentalists like they are made out to be, they are nice, they too have emotions, they are friendly basically they are the same as us and extremely talented too. Also when the voices of both the countries met in unison the songs just sounded more soulful and melodious.

On the other hand you have Veena Malik and Begum Nawazish Ali entering Bigg Boss. Now, firstly anyways Veena Malik is scandal ridden, and secondly, for your personal interests I hope they realise they are putting an entire country’s reputation at stake. Unlike the other contestants who are just representing themselves, these two have an extra burden of representing their country. Yes, for 2 weeks it’s easy playing Mother Teresa, but putting up a farce for 90 days is kind of difficult. And to top it all one small even genuine mistake of theirs will be lapped up by the media like there is no tomorrow.

Unfortunately, thanks to the relations between both the countries, not many Indian’s get to visit Pakistan and vice-versa; hence the level of misconceptions about both the countries amongst the masses is quite high. And television rather a show like Bigg Boss is catering to the masses, who will believe everything they see. So at the end of the show most will turn around saying that Veena Malika and Begum Nawazish Ali represent the general Pakistani. Well, I don’t know how they or any common Pakistani would take that, but as an Indian, who has friends and relatives there and has visited Pakistan, its so not true.

For once I would say Colors please listen to Shiv Sena and get those 2 out of there soon. Okay maybe that’s going a bit to far, no I don’t support Shiv Sena, but the reason I want them out of there is not because they are Pakistani but because Colors, with your editing skills, and want to catch eyeballs and TRPs you may just end up straining relations, not at a diplomatic level but on a people to people level. I agree the two are there for their personal gains, like maybe getting into the Indian television industry and so on but hello, you are kind of maligning the image of your country in return.

On one hand you have people like Wasim Akram, Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and so much so Pakistani kids creating a positive image and on the other hand the two of you in Bigg Boss which is known for sleaze and controversies. Till now no one has exited the show with a positive image, not even the winner, so what makes them think they will.

So, kudos to shows like Chotte Ustaad and hope many more such shows are introduced to build people to people relations.

Bigg Flop - 4

It’s been almost 3 weeks now, and one of Indian televisions most over hyped and much speculated shows – Bigg Boss 4 turned out to be quite a damp squib compared to the previous editions. Yes, one expected Salman Khan’s magic to work just like Dus ka Dum, well actually that’s the only thing which works for the show – considering the lacklustre line up of inmates who gave an even more lacklustre opening to the show.

Those expecting Shakti Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Shiney Ahuja, Chunkey Pandey, Sangeeta Bijlani, in return got a dacoit, a thief, a cross-dresser, a lawyer, two television actresses, two out of work actors, some Bhojpuri tadka and a supermodel. Talk about diversity.

So we had a terrorist’s lawyer, rather ex lawyer Abbas Kazmi, who thankfully like he was thrown out of the case was also thrown out of the house, and later on from a few circles in his personal life. Well seeing him roam around in sleeveless tshirts, complaining about less food wasn’t entertaining anyways. Then you have former bandit queen Seema Parihar, who not only looks scary but its difficult to understand what she says that when she does (and I think she too finds it difficult to understand what others say). Then you have a scandal-ridden star son Rahul Bhatt (apparently David Headleys gym buddy) who seems to be on a maun vrut of sorts most of the time. A former thief Devinder Singh or Superchor Bunty who couldn’t even last for a day thanks to his excess usage of expletives also made his presence felt. Suddenly, Bigg Boss’s house seemed more like jail in the literal sense.

Now coming to the list of entertainers - we have a traumatised divorcee and once upon a time soap queen Shweta Tiwari, who seems to be busy smothering everyone. Then there is Pakistani TV host Begum Nawazish Ali, who is sometimes referred to as Begum and sometimes Ali, I am pretty sure if she stays in that house a bit longer she will come out of there turning schizophrenic. Adding to Shiv Sena’s furore is another Pakistani actress Veena Malik who is better known as a world famous controversy queen especially after blowing the cover of Mohammed Asif. So basically one episode she spent crying about him, the weekends she spends trying to flirt with Salman Khan and the rest of the days either fighting or flirting with Hrishant Goswami. One minute, who is Hrishant Goswami??? I know a model but his claim to fame? Well talking about wannabe’s they even had Splitsvilla winner Sakshi Pradhan in the house for a while. Doesn’t speak much about the reputation of the show even when you have a Salman Khan hosting it.

With his endearing smile and pearls of wisdom is Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari whose favourite song seems to be Munni badnam hui (Doesn’t he know it’s the audience he has to impress and not Salman Khan). Besides that there is Mr super calm Sameer Soni. Yes, his nomination last week was quite surprising, but he seems like one of the only sane people in the house besides Anchal Kumar. Supermodel Anchal Kumar, sweet and helpful and has a great wardrobe too, but why exactly did she cry so much once Abbas Kazmi was evicted, and why was he praising her so much on all radio channels once he was out of the house?

When it comes to speculation though the only thing which managed to grab if not many a few eyeballs was Sara Khan and her damsel in distress act which is highly irritating and her proximity to the jobless Ashmit Patel who loves talking or flaunting his six pack abs but still complains that he is fat. Well, their closeness has surely left her boyfriend actor Ali Merchant stressed out and left him with a lot of questions to answer on his personal life. He even went on record saying “Sara treats Ashmit like a father.” Really now? Yes, Ali we believe you. And last but not the least the latest entrant 7 feet 3 inches Khalli. Firstly, how is he fitting in that house, and secondly how is this otherwise down to earth, shy wrestler going to stay in that house? Well, at least we know his reason for entering – he hurt his foot and can’t wrestle so let’s make some money instead.

With a line up like this, you don’t need to be Einstein to figure out why the show hasn’t been able to generate enough fireworks to sustain viewership. Then if you didn’t have Shiv Sena causing a black out of the show for a week, you had Amitabh Bachchan coming back with KBC, and for the weekends Akshay Kumar with Master Chef, and if that’s not all soon Rakhi Sawant will be giving them competition with Rakhi ka insaaf (this has just got to be the heights of stupidity on Indian television). Even a unisex bedroom hasn’t been able to add any masala, which separate ones could in the last 3 seasons. Well, the only saving grace is the weekends with the aakhri salaam with Salman Khan. His antics and jokes, which sometimes border on being crass managed to raise the TRP’s and also keep the viewers interested. Till now three weeks have been quite boring and sitting through one entire episode is a drab, and there are still 70 more days to go. Sigh.

Friday, October 1, 2010

When my newspaper spoke to me

Tuesday morning begun like, well, every Tuesday morning. I woke up as usual after putting my alarm on snooze at least thrice. Then half in my sleep picked the newspaper from outside the door and threw it on the sofa. Made my cup of coffee and sat down to read the paper. I picked the paper unfolded it and began to read. However, as soon as I unfolded the paper I heard someone croaking in the background, giving some gyaan on Volkswagen and I was like “What the hell?” My newspaper was talking, and like many others I too was caught off guard with The Times of India’s latest innovation the “Speaking Newspaper”.

True to its image of always bringing about changes in the print media, TOI in association with Volkswagen released their latest innovation – The Speaking Newspaper. The speaking chip inserted in the paper on September 21st was a “blockbuster” of a kind as claimed by the publication ensuring that Tuesdays will never be the same. Supposedly, the world’s first speaking newspaper had a pre-recorded message on the new Volkswagen Vento, which played the moment an unsuspecting reader opened the four page special supplement. This innovation startled most of the readers. Some found it interesting while some irritating and in some cases it led to funny situations.

Reactions:
  • “My paper is haunted”: Watching too many late night horror flicks? Well, if you were one of those maybe that was your reaction. People in some parts of the city thought their paper was possessed or haunted and immediately threw it away after which some people went ahead and conducted puja’s and havans to rid their place of all evils.
  • Bomb alert: Many places witnessed calls being made to the police as some suspected the device to be a bomb. In Mumbai, someone heard a beeping sound and alerted the police. The bomb squad reached promptly and cordoned off the area only to find an audio-ad. Soon the commissioner of police in Mumbai and Delhi alerted the people not to get stressed. Well, at least something kept our pot bellied cops busy and on their toes.
  • Collector’s Item: No sooner did the word go around, that many people wanted to lay their hands on the first speaking newspaper. Beg, borrow, steal or buy the Times Group did witness a surge of sales and interest amongst the people. Everyone seemed to want one copy for themselves. Maybe a few years from now someone will find it in their khazana and probably tell their grandchildren tales on the first speaking newspaper.
  • Prank paper: Many people used the paper as Tuesday morning pranks, wherein they startled or scared unsuspecting readers.

Pros:

  • Innovative: The concept is not only interesting but quite innovative. Though this was an ad, for the future for those running late for work or are too sleepy and are unable to scan the news, it would be helpful to have someone read it out to you instead. After all you can’t carry your TV along with you and not everyone has net on the go.
  • Generate interest: What the speaking newspaper did do was create a buzz around town. Not only was it a great promotional tactic for Volkswagen as I am sure everyone took notice of their new vehicle but also for the paper. People who never read papers actually made it a point to read the paper that day, even if it was just that supplement.
  • Smart move: The smart move was made from the Times Groups point of view. This 4 page supplement shared the same masthead with different stories as the front page of the main paper and The Bombay Times was enclosed within these 4 pages, thus, making it look like the main paper and many regular readers mistook it to be the main paper too till they heard the voice.
  • Marketing strategy: However, irritating it may have seemed to some, one had to admit it was a novel and a great marketing strategy for both the paper and Volkswagen. People actually took notice of both the brands, and this led to an increase in circulation in the paper as well.
  • New age media: In today’s day and age when newspaper readers are declining as they are switching to newer forms of media, this if developed on further can bring about a respite to the declining readership. A newspaper you can read and hear does sound like an interesting concept.

Cons:

  • Intrusive: Yes, it is a good concept and a great idea but couldn’t we be forewarned instead of being taken by surprise. Honestly, when a person wakes up in the morning, they do like that “alone morning time” which is filled with some form of serenity and being caught off guard with a man croaking in the background seems a bit intrusive. And imagine the quest of the person who has a habit of reading their daily morning dosage of news in the loo.
  • Instructions please: Okay you wanted to surprise us, point taken. However, couldn’t the Times Group be generous enough to donate some edit space to instructions on how to stop the speaking chip from speaking? Though all one had to do was cover the speaker to stop the sound, not everyone realised that. This led to people breaking the device and throwing them out of the streets.
  • Better voice quality: Any which ways you ended up spending I am sure quite a bit on the speaking chip, so why couldn’t you do us a favour and get an instrument whose voice quality was better. I would have really appreciated it if I heard a person talking instead of croaking early in the morning.
  • Newspaper or Ad-paper: Volkswagen got a four page supplement, plus an ad in the main paper, so why did the speaking chip only have to talk about Volkswagen. The Times of India is a newspaper not an ad-paper and if they wanted this to be called the speaking “news”paper then maybe they should have had someone narrate the headlines followed by “this was brought to you by Volkswagen”. Alas! Money talks.