Bombay Talkies : Mere Reflection or Mirror of Indian Cinema

A Much Hyped Movie not only among Indian Cinema Lovers but among Film fraternity as well and which is projected as Tribute to 100 Years of Indian Cinema; but is it worth watching or stands in words as "Tribute" to 100 years of Indian Cinema ???

Cinema for Indians is not a source of Entertainment but is  passion, Love, madness of Indians( We viewers)  who once used to live in "Amarvhitra Katha " and has been grown up by listening to bed time stories........ and now in absence of that try to find the same in Cinema.

We try to co-relate ourselves with Drama and Emotions of Cinema or craftsman of Cinema takes the same from our life. Here, whatever I am stating is in context of 'moderate cinema' which identifies with us or vice a versa. 

Here, it is important to mention the so called "Filmi Songs" which are like healer of Our Soul or atleast we feel the same healing or co-relate it with situational scene of cinema where songs have magical affect on life of protagonist of Movie. Probably by looking at this character of ourselves, it is been said that Cinema and Cricket (Lets skip it at the moment and stick to Topic of Cinema right now) are in Blood of Indians.

So, this movie in its Four Segments try to focus on madness of Cinema Viewers and its effect on their life  though the darker side of this addiction (in better word "Love for this form of Art" and Popular word "Filmi Keera" ) is effortlessly avoided but not at the cost of Cinematic Liberty or prerogative of our Filmmakers and the same cannot be questioned.

Therefore, This is surely a movie which must be watched, applauded and encouraged ..... But on issues of it being called as  "Tribute to 100 years of India Cinema" I disagree..... I better term it as "Four Connected Compartment of Indian Cinematic Rail" which has much more compartments not connected with this Rail.       

By

A Viewer 

SHASHANK SHEKHAR

A Girl of tender age and Indian Culture

Festive days are on its high, and you can feel the same, no matter where you go and for what purpose. In comparison of other metros, Delhi has opened its arms wider, you strongly feel the spirit of festiveness in spite of falling from any religion. Diwali is one of such festival which cause to affect everybody in their own way.

But spirit of festive effect of Diwali is not the reason behind my writing but one incidence which prompted me to share the same with you all.

I was waiting for 'life of Delhi commuters' for my destination and I saw a father and his 5 year old daughter sitting at bench of metro station Platform. The daughter was properly dressed like a school girl on a non-school day. I was sitting next to them and had to wait for my metro and was wondering to pass the unbeatable wait of the my destination metro. In the mean time I heard her asking her father that she wants to talk to her mother, father dialed his mobile and gave it to daughter, she spoke to her mother and method of her talking clearly signifies that her mother is out of city and she was narrating things about her place of residence at Delhi and narrating what has she done in morning. I was amazed to listen to her as she was talking so responsibly like a newly married Indian girl who gives each and every details of her work to her mother and asks if mother suggests anything more.  After few minutes of talk with her mother in which mother gave some additional instructions to her for the home, conversation ends. Thereafter, I came to know that they were waiting to receive somebody as the daughter was being inquisitive to know and father was telling that somebody from their hometown is coming and she suppose to “Pranam”(greet) him like her own uncle, and daughter nodded. I was amazed to see the behavior of the daughter and her maturity at her age. For a moment I was very happy and feel proud of our culture but my thought diverted and questioned myself that do we expect the same courtesy and manner from a boy of her age, and answer is in negative. Sorry but I don’t want to offend our male chauvinistic society but the basis difference between the upbringing where we expect the girl more courteous and mannered and I take it positively as it benefits girls in general as its always good to be so and helps in every walks of life. Here I don’t say that boys are ill mannered etc. but certainly they use to be careless or in better words carefree which has its own negative impact on him for future run. This may be the main reason which caused to result in many surveys saying that women are better employer or manager or can work good in team for herself as well as for team etc.

Though all Indian festivals irrespective of any religion, teaches us to be more respectful and courteous to all but girl either willingly take it more seriously or asked to take it so, but certainly it works well for her and society and everyone especially boys also should learn it from them.

            

An encounter with an endangered emotion cum feelings

I got urge to write this Blog when I was.........or better I should narrate the same to you and leave it up to you whether it was worth writing and reading or not.
So, I start herein.... It was a day when I had nothing to do or had no intention to do anything or was too tired after a long day  than to surf channels of T.V. and suddenly had to pause my remote button, which (Remote) would have been suffering from unbearable pain due to its merciless exploitation by me since last few minutes. Anyway I am not here to tell you Tragic biography of Remote Control of T.V. and its unbearable pain due to merciless use of it by viewers and sense of  ownership over it by whoever having control of it, no matter for how much time.
Coming on subject of this writing, My fingers stopped to do more service to unending thrust of my eyes to watch something more worthy or pleasing like an imperialistic king who never gets satisfied and want to swallow everything.
Coming on the subject...So, I  felt compelled to pause on a Movie channel showing a Hindi Movie. You may wonder ...what is so uncommon about a Hindi Movie being shown on Hindi Movie Channel, which they do so repeatedly. Here, I am not going to write about Policy of Entertainment Channels of showing Movies repeatedly, no matter it is in Hindi or dubbed in Hindi from Hollywood or South Indian Movies or Bhojpuri Movies and Loyal viewers like us.
Coming on the subject, I paused the channel because  there was something which touched me. But it was not content of the movie which was as usual very common and not novel but the repetition or lifting of the stories from here and there. Anyway I am not going to tell you the remarkable talent of our filmmakers who instead of getting inspired from others (which is ok) but just copy the same and sell it among real appreciator of novelty and creativity i.e. we the Audience.
Coming on the subject, I was touched by the Title of the Movie, and it compelled me to remember the feeling which is already in category of endangered emotions of Human beings. This title or rather Word or rather a feeling in itself forced me to think, when the last time I encountered with it, and I really felt terrible that I don't remember my experience with it lately. We have got so busy in the worldly things and collecting the same for the Happiness that we have started forgetting the very gifted emotions to every Human being by Nature. Again I am not going to discuss the the irony of us, who have created and living in the virtual societies and being so addicted in virtual social networking that we have no time for people around us, rather we get busy in updating our status or framing status to update and checking notifications of comments at the cost of extinction of true emotions. Here, I am afraid to tell you that soon this emotion may be left out by Dictionary due to its ignorance and non-applicability in these days. I feel terrible that slowly we are becoming so mechanical that we are missing the small happiness which lies in such emotions.
I feel go on and on ....but do not feel to conclude it , but it need to be done....so I summarize it merely by revealing that TITLE which compelled me to pause my Remote  and write this Blog. This word  is mixed effect of innocent feelings and its subsequent pure action. It connects the Internal Purity with Mechanical Actions and resultant is abrupt but innocent reaction of people, who still have not lost the purity of their emotion but only keep forgetting it connect with Life................................................the Title or Emotion was "गुदगुदी"               

मुझे मालूम नहीं : Just a thought to Pen down

मुझे मालूम नहीं 

अब ये राहें कब मुरेगी , कब तक ये धुप रहेगी 
कब छाँव मिलेगा , मुझे मालूम नहीं l

कब तक नींद के आगे कोसो दूर वो चैन मिलेगी 
कब वो ख्वाब बसर होगी ,मुझे मालूम नहीं l

कब तक ये कारवां यूँ ही चलता रहेगा 
कब पनाह मिलेगी आस को साँझ की, मुझे मालूम नहींl

पर मुझे मालूम है की आगे जाना, और आगे जाना है
आँखों में मंजिल और खवाबो में साहिल ले, और आगे जाना है
मुझे मालूम है ll
.........शशांक शेखर ...

My Learning of/from Mahatma: Father Of Nation

Since Childhood, I have been listening about The Great Gandhi: Father of Nation. Like every other children who think always high of his father and never think or imagine any flaw in character and acts of father, I gave Gandhi a place near to God and not ready to listen and always ready to argue with anyone who had to say low about Gandhi.I can recall number of incidence when I feel like defending and did so on number of topics like Gandhi Vs. His dream of Complete Swaraj or Gandhi Vs.his act of not defending Bhagat Singh, Gandhi Vs.his indifference with Subhash Chandra Bose,Gandhi Vs.his favoritism towards Nehru,  Gandhi Vs.his attitude or method to get independence and most particularly Gandhi Vs.attaining divided freedom and consequential loss to nation etc.

Slowly with time and  being able to differentiate facts and perception and able to access  Books and information about him etc. my approach of defending Gandhi or rather being irritated while listening low about him, got diluted. Now I feel more liberated or in other words persistent with any talk about Gandhi. Now, I can answer or argue or laugh or ignore, any loose talk about Gandhi. The change in my approach is because now I understood that no body could defend Gandhi because he never defended himself ... because being defensive make other feel right of what they do. He always believed in carrying his work by his own or at least try to do by himself and trying to find happiness of all by way of truth. This approach has helped me in my own experience of my life till date.

Now, as growing youth of Nation , I understand or able to understand that our elders may have flaws or have done mistakes, which could not be defended or defense may not be right approach  but the best way...show our love or  to admire their statute is to follow the right path shown by them.

Now with help of  Gandhi's perspective of life ..I understood that we have to answer or respond to challenges put before us by people or  life...but  by our own method with believe in us rather than just copying other's method without any logic. 

I need not say why Gandhi was great , but I only want to say that he never projected his greatness or never hid his flaws or mistakes....and as far as him as  father of Nation is concerned .. irrespective of  flaws or mistakes of him , if any (Even Father is 'God like' not 'God' but 'human being' , so may have some flaws)....he still is Father of Nation and he gave people of India a daring to think about freedom and personal strength to act for the same.

A LETTER TO/FOR WOMEN

A Day which signify the strength of women, a day which signify the tolerance of women, a day which signify various facets of love and affection which can only be shown by women, a day and its light which can be sensed and felt by us only because of women, a day which is not enough to salute a women because in absence of her, there was/is/will no question of life, hope and happiness.

Women spread happiness due to her ability to get into different shoes easily at a time. It is established truth that behind every successful man, there is a woman. So, this is perfect time to repay at least some, by giving contribution, even a small, for the upliftment of them. Women don’t need much of our help, they are self sufficient, only assistance what they expect from us , is a smile with sense of proud for them. If one cannot support , at least should not cause any hindrance for the sake of pseudo-manhood. Why can’t we men break the myth of “weaker sex” and support women to spread their wings which finally cause to strengthen the society and nation.

But the ‘greatness of women’ also confer accountability and responsibility on women to maintain their dignity and respect, which is being diminished by few in name of pseudo-sense of freedom. We must remember no freedom is so important which is attained at the cost of very elegance and respect of women. Women should also be cautious from the wrong projection of women freedom and women empowerment by setting wrong example or icon. It must be noted that a wrong role model or/and wrong path can never lead you to right end. You should also be clear at your heart that at what cost you want your dreams to fill your eyes and this is only in your hand. What you feel about yourselves is reciprocal with what you let other feel about yourself. Today’s women are so strong that no body dare to let you feel inferior unless you let them do so.

You don’t need a day to cherish your achievement , you are competent enough to let world to admire your ability. Therefore, I can only say to you that you are source of strength , power and all positivity, and you are capable to do whatever you intend to, you hold the whole world in your hands. I salute for your past, admire and cherish your present and confident of your future.

Democracy, Governance and Military : Time to introspect for filling trust deficit

Role of Military has never been in dispute to protect the sovereignty of the India. India, where the balance of power is effectively distributed under umbrella of constitution. Democratic set up of Indian governance has never been in question like our Neighboring countries and even role of Indian Military has been well confined and crafted .Therefore, we have never witnessed any cross line of Military and the government but the present clash between Army General and the government is very unusual. Here neither I am trying to make a point that who is at fault or not, nor I have any doubt about the correctness of our Army General’s age but merely trying to see this issue in view of its possible futuristic affect on the governance, healthy relations between Military and Government.

Discussion of good governance is incomplete without reference of democracy. Democracy is obviously prime method and end of governance. If Democracy is life of Good Governance, Speech and expression is its soul. Speech and expression may be used for different reasons and/or by different medium. Right of speech and expression is not absolute but is subject to restriction like slander, defamation, contempt of court or any matter which offends against decency or morality or threat to security of state. Sometimes, the immediate purpose behind particular sppech and expression may differ but ultimately it only lead to strengthen root of democracy if it is exercised judiciously. Therefore there is direct nexus as right of speech and expression strengthens democracy and democracy secure sovereignty and security of nation. Democracy and the Sovereignty do not contradict each other unless it is looked beyond the ambit of welfare of state which is very object of the establishment. Democracy specifies the type of governance but sovereignty protect the governance from the various alien forces. Here it is pertinent to mention that in order to protect the sovereignty, Army is essential to established and maintained.
Democracy and democratic principle is very wide term and must have long roots to ensure the ultimate goal i.e. welfare of people and state.

Coming to the present issue, finally after much speculations, in camera dispute and in studio (News Desk) debates, finally our Army General approached the Hon’ble Supreme Court against its own Government branding it as fight for his integrity and Pride. Apart from the legal issues and balance of convenience which is now in hand of court to decide. Here, I will not going to discuss the established set of judgments of Supreme court with respect of dispute in service age or the Jurisdiction of court. I am only discussing herein the issues other than legal.

First of all we need to understand that why this issue is so important and what is the affect of it. Here point of view of Army General is that if he does not fight for his pride and integrity , it will give wrong signal about his character and therefore , Army as well as civilian may think that General was not truthful. But here the question is even bigger than that. Here, there is a conflict between so called personal integrity and pride and the integrity and pride of nation. Here, General is not mere a person but is a position or office who is heading 2^nd largest Army of World and Pride of Nation. Army has only one school of thought i.e Discipline and Obedience. It is irony of the concept of speech and expression which is misread with individual right to approach court especially when the individual is Army general of Nation. Here the big questions are :

• Whether the individual pride and integrity is bigger than the national pride and sovereignty ?
• Whether the reputation of an individual is more important than the dignity and the pride of Office which he is holding ?
• Whether the Army General is complying with his service to the Nation and Indian Army properly in view of the Oath taken by every Army personal?
• Whether the Army general is setting bad example to his fallow officials and army men?
• Whether this issue is merely a question of his age or his fight extends to his right of continuance in his office for one more year?

We are hopeful that very soon the dispute will be resolved by Supreme Court of India but certainly will leave a scare in form of a question that why the Army General and the Government let their disagreement to public eye and even went one step ahead, and approached court which was not warranted.

Here I must say irrespective of the outcome of the court verdict, the governance is already defeated at the risk of trust deficit between the Military and the Government. It is very serious concern for us that why we have been lacking discipline in every walk of life and now this bug has started affecting the very institution which is based primarily on discipline, command and obedience and gives service for the safety of nation in true faith and allegiance to our law of land.

It’s time to serious introspection at the level of governance, at the level of office of Army general and most importantly at the level of individual conscience who is holding public office.