On the eve of Valentine’s Day, while love was supposed to be in the air, somebody decided it would be as good a day as any to blow people up. Thus ensued the bombing of a popular eatery called the German Bakery in the western Indian city of Pune.
I remember growing up in India and growing to understand fear. You always knew what to do because everyone else was doing it. Don’t go out there are riots, angry mobs running wild and crazy in the streets killing people in the name of religion or politics or something important like that. Grow up a little more and you learn new terms like bombs and terrorists and mangled and dead. I know all these words and then some. I love my country, but I can’t help but be annoyed at what can be and still won’t be because our politicians are corrupt and uneducated and our people are easily swayed, willing to fight to honour someone else’s ideals, someone else’s greed.
I don’t believe in Valentine’s Day but I do believe in love, I believe in life and I believe in equality. This is the oldest story in the book, almost everything that results in death or destruction in India is more often than not blamed on Pakistan (I’m not saying that they are entirely guilt free either). But I am tired of this tug of war – India blames Pakistan and Pakistan denies all terrorist ties. In fact for all of you who didn’t know this and I quote the Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on this “We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/14/hindus-india-talks-ban-pakistan-bomb-bakery)
In the aftermath of yet another ‘terrorist attack’ a few things immediately stand out – Pakistan is blamed without proof almost immediately (I must also emphasize that proof or no proof Pakistan will continue to shake its head and ‘condemn’ terrorism), the same Hindu nationalist leaders that strike terror within the nation due to their small-minded policies and agenda have called for peace talks with Pakistan to be cancelled (the previous talks were cancelled following the terrorist attacks of November 2008 in Mumbai). Firstly what good is that going to do? I mean I have no illusions that the ‘peace talks’ will result in us letting go of our deep seated enmity against Pakistan but even attempted peace talks should be better than none right? I mean what probability laws apply here?
I am an Indian citizen and I am tired. I am tired of knowing friends and family who have died in bomb blasts. I am tired of a country that gets used to it. I am tired of a government that gives statements like There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram described as "a significant terrorist incident". (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gnZHVHrTQyoJ9GcXp9z7VwSpffkA).
So I ask you. Are there any insignificant terrorist ‘incidents’???
And THAT'S how you make a movie!
I know I’m supposed to love Bollywood movies because the song and dance and drama is supposed to be in my blood. Compared to a large percentage of the Indian population, I watch very few Hindi movies and I like even fewer but one cannot deny the fact that every now and then a gem of a movie does surface. There will be that one movie that has all the elements of a typical Bollywood film fiasco and yet manages to surpass pure genius.
‘3 Idiots’, directed by Rajkumar Hirani is one such film. The film depicts the stress associated with the education system in India and how parents tend to push their kids towards professional careers that may/may not be of their choosing. Parental pressure and strict professors are big in India. Kids grow up early in terms of responsibility and there is always the general fear in breaking away from the norm to take up an arts course or God-forbid choose not to study.
I have not laughed this hard while watching a movie that had such a strong message in a very long time (I actually don’t remember the last time that happened). Laughter is the best medicine and it is true that once you get people laughing they are more likely to listen to what you have to say.
'3 Idiots’ has everything – youngsters, college life, random song and dance sequences, beautiful cinematography, amazing dialogues, a star cast and of course parts of the plot that would only happen in a Bollywood movie. I actually took my Zimbabwean friend along to watch the film and he was pleasantly surprised and definitely entertained.
I like the idea that Indian cinema is now more easily accessible the world over and that people from all walks of life are more accepting to Bollywood. I’m glad Danny Boyle made ‘Slumdog Millionaire because it opened doors and opened minds and made It possible for at least a fraction of the population to conceive that maybe India has more to offer than just poverty and over population.
So the next time you see that Indian movie playing at a cinema near you, get a good opinion and maybe give it a go. You might actually like what you see. As with most things, you never know until you try.
‘3 Idiots’, directed by Rajkumar Hirani is one such film. The film depicts the stress associated with the education system in India and how parents tend to push their kids towards professional careers that may/may not be of their choosing. Parental pressure and strict professors are big in India. Kids grow up early in terms of responsibility and there is always the general fear in breaking away from the norm to take up an arts course or God-forbid choose not to study.
I have not laughed this hard while watching a movie that had such a strong message in a very long time (I actually don’t remember the last time that happened). Laughter is the best medicine and it is true that once you get people laughing they are more likely to listen to what you have to say.
'3 Idiots’ has everything – youngsters, college life, random song and dance sequences, beautiful cinematography, amazing dialogues, a star cast and of course parts of the plot that would only happen in a Bollywood movie. I actually took my Zimbabwean friend along to watch the film and he was pleasantly surprised and definitely entertained.
I like the idea that Indian cinema is now more easily accessible the world over and that people from all walks of life are more accepting to Bollywood. I’m glad Danny Boyle made ‘Slumdog Millionaire because it opened doors and opened minds and made It possible for at least a fraction of the population to conceive that maybe India has more to offer than just poverty and over population.
So the next time you see that Indian movie playing at a cinema near you, get a good opinion and maybe give it a go. You might actually like what you see. As with most things, you never know until you try.
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