Saturday 23 February 2013

India: Undefined

The greatest apathy of our great country lies not in the politicians but in the common man. While commentators in the news, publications write editorial of praises of a new India taking the bureaucracy to task and holding them to their promises. There is no mention of the silent masses, the people whose emotional tolerance has receded into the darkness. People who are neither bothered or moved by acts of inhumanity. These are people who seem to have a lack of national pride or care. They are people who spit on streets, pee on the walls who treat the country as a dustbin and who do it with complete ignorance.

I see them everyday on the streets, in social circles people who still act liberal while slowly feeding their regressive vices through acts of total intolerance. Who on one hand speak about reform and a lack of initiative from the political class while themselves act exactly like those politicians in their sphere of influence. Then why blame anyone, when your own moral character is hypocritical.

Indian was built on the platform of social, secular, republic, a country that believed in democracy and the power of the people. But it is precisely those people that have led to the downfall of the Indian social culture. Look at it this way, before the British came to colonize India, who were we, we did not have our identities as Indians, we were part of colonial regimes of the Marathas, Cholas or the more prominent Mughal Empire. The British colonisation of the region gave us the identity as Indians. As a people part of a region against the British, but this unity was hollow in its very core. When we see a foreign enemy we strengthen ourselves to drive them out. But what lied beyond 1947, pockets of segregated countrymen who form groups through cultural and religious identities and then fight for their rights against what can now be called the “the Indian elites”.

But the adoptions of terms like socialism, secularism and democracy from the West was it ratified by the complete country. Did at any point of time a national consolidation of the foundation on which our country stands today built into the hearts and minds of the people. If that was done, why is it that today at the helm of the 21st century while we stand on the brink of progress are we divided into regional and territorial identities. What is worst is the propagation of these ideas by the government. There are now talks of reservations based on religions, the word 'merit' has multiple meanings in this country.

My greatest fear is of never seeing this country reach the heights that it once had, the progess that we were promised or the power we hope to achieve. To create believers out of cynics like me, we need unity, the emotion of nationalism, of national identities not in words but in actions.

The time is still not lost on us. Maybe we lost some generations but we have so many to look forward to. This rise of the youth has manifested itself in cities, this country is bigger than we might realise. It comprises of people capable of doing horrors. There is no time good enough to treat your country with the respect it deserves.


Just as a 0 divided by itself is undefined, a country divided by itself cannot stand.

Friday 22 February 2013

Kai Po Che!!!!

The final moments of Kai Po Che! were heart wrenching, seldom do movies rise above the book in telling the story with such finesse. There are moments in the movie which will draw a variety of emotions from laughter to anger. It was a perfect dish of religion, cricket and friendship.

Kai Po Che adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s ‘The 3 mistakes of my life’ is a story of three friends Govind, Omi and Ishan portrayed well by Yadav, Sadh and Rajput. A die hard cricket fan Rajput along with his friends decide to open a sports academy and meanwhile they find a protege Ali who Ishaan takes under his wing. The 2001 earthquake and the polarising riots of 2002 create differences between friends while they try to protect Ali from harm. The book is quite different from its adaptation that corrects many flaws that are inherently part of the seemingly protected world of Chetan Bhagat. Abhishek Kapoor brings the story to the real world where bad things happen and you deal with them.

This was my first Chetan Bhagat book and inspired me to read his other works. It was not a perfect book and had its flaws, but I cannot praise Kai Po Che! to do it true justice. Every moments delivers meaning, even if its Ishaan shouting at his sister for disturbing him during the match or when we see Omi at the end completely breaking down. You will hold those small moments close even after leaving the theatre I know because I have.

What truly drives this movie is its characters. Three newcomers grab the screen and deliver such fantastic performances its delves into your soul. Rajput is an outstanding find and his emotions were very natural. Amit Sadh, an actor lying on fringes of the screen for so many years shows his caliber and potential to become a good actor. Rest of the cast is as good as the three leads.

The films has its Rock On moments of friendship, conflict and love. Its depiction of politics and friendship ,a truly unique combination of differing ideologies. Hardly falling at any moment rather its showed layers after layers of complex human behaviour with such ease and simplicity that one must truly applaud the effort of Abhishek Kapoor as a director.

Amit Trivedi has given some superlative songs to add to the background. Especially ‘Manja’ depicts friendship that goes beyond any differences. But what truly draws me to watch this movie again is the smaller moments that really steal you and puts you in awe of such amazing work. In the context of Indian cinema where pointless cinema draws crowds, fill theatres this one is just a perfect answer to the critics of the quality of Indian cinema and the taste of the Indian mass.

Kai Po Che! makes you believe in the power of friendship, but it goes beyond to give a more definitive meaning to self belief. It teaches you to stand up for what is right even if the whole world is against you. It inspired me to believe in the spirit of love, compassion and I hope the same for you.