Pin-pointing the last film that I really enjoyed in a cinema hall (and I don't mean, enjoyed WITH friends, which translates to talking to 'em most of the time, munching on popcorn and drinking cola) is difficult. When I look back, I'd probably say Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol..which didn't really offend my non-patriarchal ideas of a society (though the woman agent being used to seduce the bad guy WAS a little ..off the track of my mind). But then again, it's one of those films you watch, enjoy, and forget. You don't really learn anything, and nor does the "action" affect you in any positive way. Hence, this blog being the only probable way in which I COULD tell people about the existing-yet-not-evident commercial cinema, I decided to write a little something on the cinema, which is food for my mind and soul. Documentaries. The Ignored Ones. The Ones that are pushed back (deliberately) and sometimes are ignored entirely, so that the "issue" doesn't make the involved people vulnerable to a large section of the audience. Documentaries are so largely associated with 'non-entertainment,' boredom and slow-paced that it is almost impossible to make the voices of the oppressed ones, or to expose a truth, in front of a large audience. Most of us have a pathetically horrific expression on our faces when someone points out the essential role of documentaries (read: this truth makes us vulnerable to our conscience, and doing so would force us to defy the 'social norms'). But alas! The truth cannot be repressed, it will find a fissure in the boils of falseness, and will force its way out.

Here's a piece of my mind, on something close to my heart and soul:

Going by the technical definition, Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record. But is that the only purpose of making documentaries? Maintaining a record? With the meaningless films coming up today, with no issues to talk about other than pointless violence and surreal love stories, one needs to wake up and realize what cinema means.

Cinema is the most powerful form of media, with audio and visuals supporting the content, it creates a hard-hitting impact on the viewers. In fact, we get so engrossed in watching films that we hardly realize that half of the time, we sit in darkness, and this whole technology is based on the principle of persistence of vision. With 24 frames of still pictures passing in front of our eyes per second, we feel as though the picture is moving. Interesting, isn’t it? Cinema was meant to talk about such subjects that we are not aware of, or turn a blind eye to, in such a way that it makes us think- think hard. Given that modern cinema is miles away from achieving this, we need another form in the same medium to fulfill this important goal, thus documentaries come into the picture.

Documentaries are not a new concept, they were existent before too, but now, their significance and vitality has increased. In India, documentary filmmakers like Anand Patwardhan, persevere to bring out consciously suppressed issues through their films. Anand Patwardhan- the Father of Indian documentaries has made award wining films, such as Ram ke Naam, which talks about the Hindu-Muslim riots, The Narmada Diary- bringing to light the Narmada Bachao Andolan and War and Peace, talking about the issues related to Nuclear power plants in India. Anand has spent half of his time fighting with the Censor Board of India, regarding the screening of his documentaries, which posed a threat to the government. Finally, when he was allowed to screen his films, the issue either died out, or it was screened at such hours, where watching them was virtually impossible. These instances, where the authorities try to suppress the voices of the common man, prove the importance of documentaries.

Documentaries in India strive to bring forward the agonies of the depressed classes, the tribals and the villagers. For example, ‘Lesser humans’ - a documentary by Stalin K. sheds light on the condition of Scavengers, or low-castes in Gujarat. ‘The bitter drink’- another documentary by C. Sarathchandran unfolds the real face of the multi national company- Coca-Cola and how its plants are destroying the lives of thousands of innocent villagers. Hence, it is imperative for us to be aware of the sufferings of people who make up more than the half of the Indian population.

After a short conversation with students, I came to the conclusion that most would rather watch the conventional cinema than going in for “boring” documentaries, though they do agree that documentaries make a better cinema than other films. I believe that awareness on documentaries and their necessity in today’s world needs to be spread, so that it attracts a large number of young audiences, who would not only watch them, but get inspired and do something about the issues raised in them. Personally, I think documentaries make more sense, provide more information, and are much more than just “time-pass” and “entertainment.” It allows me to grow, learn and question. Documentaries are the truest, if not the only definition of what cinema should be.

Here, I’d like to mention a special thanks to the Film Club of my school, and my mentor, who guided me from the dark to see light, without holding my hand. And now, its morning all over again…..

Lost thoughts..reflected back

I just found it a little weird that even in a ''highly'' religious function, people actually hire singer, or apprentices in a more polite word, to sing bhajans. Or any other religious song for that matter.

I mean since it is a devotion coming straight from the heart, shouldn’t the song essentially come from there only. And the ''sur'' shouldn’t matter a lot when people are so mesmerized by the beauty of the feelings. Like it is a tranquil environment that has taken over their heart and soul and there is no stopping the singing and ultimately the dancing in joy?

But rather there is this ''fakeness' in the whole process of dedicating the whole day to the Lord. It’s a paid singer singing that is, doing what she pretty much had to. I mean there is no spontaneity, you have to maintain your class and society (read dressing up well and wearing ridiculously expensive jewelry)

If the intention is to awaken the spirituality in oneself by releasing the liberations of the body, mind and soul and selflessly offering food to the great Lord, then why is there so much of boastfulness, unnecessary elaborateness and showing off?

I mean can’t it be simple, which according to me would connect more than anything

Another thing that i find VERY weird is that the hired singer/apprentice/dummy actually accepts the money which is being given to him/her for faking 2 hours or more of a high devotion and mesmerized feeling (whether the singer actually does that or not is another thing entirely.) but then again one COULD argue that, oh well, it is his/her living after all. She needs to sustain herself, right? There are endless counter-arguments too. For instance, the sustaining could be done in a more “ethical” manner. But who are we to define a person’s ethics.

Just a thought, that in this “still growing from old ideas and modernizing” era, have we really modernized? Or have we lost the entire essence of a process, and turned to dis-tasteful events, or “instant-ness?” Deep thinking is required my friends, and then some more.

Last night I was changing the channels of my television (when there was an advertisement in MasterChef Australia :P) I came across Bigg Boss ... (the name itself is so "exclusive") and I was thinking about what kind of impressions these people make on youngsters who are ready to absorb almost anything .. from music to what-nots (ahem ahem)

Jane Austen has always been my utmost inspiration .. not only her works.. but her style, her beliefs, her ideas .. her independent thinking has always inspired me .. So here's a piece on Jane Austen's works and the similarity of it with the Indian Society.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

These words have become immortal and they have been carved in the very core of my heart. This truth is not only universally acknowledged in the Victorian Era England but it is also applicable and well-fitted in the realms of the Indian society.

A young, eligible, handsome bachelor in the neighborhood – ah! How tempting! – and add the enormous wealth factor to that and it becomes the perfect prey- to be hunted down and hypnotized by the charms of their daughter.

Groom- searching has been an old Indian custom – practiced since ages and widespread even now, especially in the families sticking to and refusing to leave behind the old tradition. The typical conversations about the groom (what is his disposition? How is the family? So many sisters? Will he be able to support her? Good looking? ……… GOD!!!!); the infuriating and embarrassing questions the ‘groom’s-side’ asks the girl as though she is their possession – all this was too tempting for Jane Austen – the ‘master-mind’ behind the outright contenting must-read books – to resist. The humorous episodes of peculiar match-makings, the away in which a family chases after a handsome, wealthy guy and finally the incredible account of the feelings of love and hatred – Jane has captivated all these sentiments beautifully. Unknowingly, she has killed two birds with a single arrow- one from Victorian Era England and the other one from timeless India.

Jane Austen’s characters are often correlated with having a sense of responsibility and duty- such as Elizabeth Bennet, who held her self-respect high above than that of her sisters and she gave a lot of importance to her ‘pride’. Jane’s first published novel in 1811 was ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and its first edition read – “By a Lady”. (As compared with other women writer of her time- like the Bronte sisters who wrote under the pseudonym "Bell brothers") Even though a woman writer in that time was not respectable- she wanted the society to know that a woman is not simply a human that learns to play the pianoforte, dresses beautifully and marries- no- she is more than that. I immensely respect Jane’s belief in herself- and her ‘avant-garde’ personality. She is a source of inspiration for the young generation, not only in England but also in India. People who are ready to question situations and the social circumstances, people who can differentiate between what is right and what isn’t and people who give paramount importance to their own personal views and opinions youth is what a developing nation like ours calls for.

I, am a downright Jane Austen fan- not only of her ideas or language or her stance, but about standing up for it and having confidence in it. She, in the Victorian Era earned her living by writing books (when it was preposterous for a lady to do so); instead of marrying- and besides that, she even respect her decision and never let the conventional beliefs of the world get in between her life and her passion. I believe that she is a true woman- fighting for herself. I can proudly say that I am a Janeite. Big Time.

:)

Completing the syllabus- we hear this phrase SO often, that my ears are literally TIRED of these words .. It's a race, a competition....in which most beautiful things are lost.. lost behind the transition between the "want" to study, and the "compulsion" to study .. Going way off the topic- students nowadays only study, because they have to. Given the chance, I'm sure they'd rather spend time on FaceBook ...

But among the few classes that I REALLY look forward to is English ... beauty beyond barriers .... Poems, sonnets, stories..... fun

"The Frog and the Nightingale" - a masterpiece by Vikram Seth, a maestro in himself ... really inspired me ... So I wrote a poem, with animals as characters, as a satire on our society ... In the quest to learn more and grow more with each passing day, I aspire to make the most out of what I've got ....

So here's the poem:

The Snake and the Rabbit

"All eyes turn to me

As i tread along the path

The leaves cover the thorns

Beauty is such an art!"

Haughtily exclaimed the rabbit

Her head held oh-so-high!

Looking around as if to check

How many at her beauty did sigh!

Along came slithering, slivering

A snake- such a scare

Exclaimed the rabbit- "How could

To cross my path you dare!"

"Forgive me, my mistress"

The snake bowed deep into the Earth

"I'd forgotten there for a moment

Of humbleness here, there is a dearth."

Cried the aristocracy

For all her worth she fought

"You've dared to defy the social laws

For punishment now, you shall be sought"

"For all you can claim

Is a mere slither on the ground

Known to be a betrayer

To an ordinary fate you're bound"

These words, though heard before

Filled the snake with awe

She kept quiet at this humiliation

Choosing not to flout another law

Caressed by the snow fur

The look in the rabbit's eyes undaunted

Attendants all around her

The fox, the rat- keeping her enchanted

"I've been judged by my dark, tainted looks

A tradition carried on since ages

My ancestors' 'sins' I have to bear

For they have been forever engraved in pages"

"As I try to rise inside myself

By your kind words you empathize

Make me fall deep down infinitely"

The snake said unheard, invisible tears in her eyes

And so the world and its ways

Upholds the rabbit to the peak

Terrified of the minorities' empowerment

Simple acceptance is what the snake seeks.

:)

The Sun, The Stars, The Sky, The Rain .... Nature ...

beauty re-defined

In a world where sharp noses, fair complexion and a size-zero body define beauty, we need to rethink what we mean when we say"Hey, you're beautiful"

We've forgotten the difference between looking pretty and being beautiful ..

With the purpose to re-discover the sense of contentment and happiness in beauty .. here's an ode to the source of light, to the source of life- The Sun

ODE TO THE SUN

“A ball of fire!”

A young student exclaims

“no, it’s more of a heavenly body.”

We hear a mature say

“still not complete-“

Adds on a wise mind

“it is a star

The biggest and the

Mightiest of all

The centre of our world

The Milky Way”

But my mind questions-

Is it just that?

Just some scientific object?

Can a textbook define

Its boundaries unlimited?

Sun- the creation of God

The father of the Earth

Who brightens the path

Of all its ‘sons’

The sun so majestic

The source of light.

As I walk along the road

In the daytime so long

I glance up at you, Sun

But why is it so that no matter

How hard I try

I just can’t see your face?

Are you too shy?

To show yourself to me

Or is it so that

Your beauty is so unimaginable

That it will be vulnerable

If we see it?

Do you really believe

We could destroy it

Just like we have

Diminished every other object

‘Object,’ we say, of nature

Whose beauty is so

Marvelous- breathtaking?

If you think to Sun

I believe it is justified

For you know what is right

You know what is best

As you smile along

It brightens my face

I wonder what’ll happen

When that horrible day comes

The day you’ll smile no more

Shaking the thought away

“Savor it while you can”

I say

I jog along the path

You are smiling as always

But too beautiful to bear

It brings sweat on my face

Tired by your happiness

In a world too sad

I’m sorry I can’t keep up

As I run along the path

Thinking along the lines

I realize your guidance is god-like

To processes too important

To be shadowed by your

Circular kindness

You suddenly send tears of joy

Relieving us all from

The inevitable pain of your magnificence

As if the water cycle wasn’t enough

You regulate our life-cycle too?

Oh Sun!

Don’t you ever fatigue?

I wonder at what an inspiration

You are- one too under-rated

One too misunderstood

Your splendor is the element of joy

It’s the cycle of laughter

The cycle of care

The cycle of love

Of sadness unshared

But most importantly

Your beauty reflects

Just what you do

Everything in a circle-

Never ending

Unlike us, your inner beauty

Is as glamorous

As you look.

Thought after thought- in a long string

Connected- could be un-ending

But as you take a dive

Inside the hills, or the clear blue waters

Somewhere with a nod of approbation

I am satisfied- I know that you’ll

Come along tomorrow

And even in the black night

Sunshine all around me

I am peaceful.

An introduction

Greetings!

I have started this blog ... to communicate with people, about issues that concern me .. or about the things i love ..

In a world where internet is as important as food for most of the "privileged" I wish to bring forward the fact that Internet is not limited to social networking sites .. videos .. and downloading pirated music...

Internet is probably on of the strongest media to communicate with millions, if not billions across the whole World... Making a proper and responsible use of such a media is not only necessary, but is our duty..

Hence I feel that through this blog .. i can express myself .. my thoughts, through poems and short stories ...

Writing is my passion .. it is something that turns the blues to the yellows and the blacks to the whites ...As William Wordsworth said "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.." I love to pour my feelings into a blank paper .. it makes me feel complete ..

:)