A letter to the Tweeting World!

October 31, 2010.

To all you Tweeples,

‘Yesterday was 361 updates ago!’ this is what my 9 years-old cousin answered me when I asked him about how was his birthday the previous night. This new literary definition of ‘yesterday’ did not surprise me at all. Then I guessed his current activity; he was uploading snaps of his birthday celebrations on Face book. And I was right! He was happy, all smiling. He was waiting for the comments from his friends and then him replying to them and all of this. However, I was a bit afraid...afraid to see him sitting in front of the computer for hours and hours, just updating things on Face book or tweeting on Twitter. My concern was for both the things; his socializing in the virtual world for hours and his physical inactivity during this time!

A friend of mine updates himself on Face book in a very hilarious way. ‘Good Morning! Will brush now’, ‘Done with the breakfast, will leave for work now’ and ‘Reached home, getting fresh now’. Whoa! Once I asked him, ‘don’t you get bored while updating the same things again and again?’ His reply was like this, ‘No, I don’t. People want to know what others do. And then you can see that all my updates have at least 3 likes!’ I couldn’t ask anything further. The reason being out of those three, one like was by him, himself!

Another friend of mine had changed her relationship status from ‘Single’ to ‘In a Relationship’ and updated all happy smileys on her status. When asked the reason for this new found happiness, she answered that she had found her soul mate and that too, on Face book! She had not even met him. Few days later, I found her profile status with all sad emoticons. And her relationship status had changed to ‘Single’ again. Yes, on Face book!

As I said, these things have ceased to surprise me. Life, itself, is getting a brand new domain now. And that is the world of social networking. A plethora of emotions thrive on the status updates and the ‘likes’ made by people. Not even a single day goes without a fancy and a thought provoking tweet on Twitter. While this new form of socializing gets the centre stage, the quintessential activities of our life have taken a back seat. Ahem!

Social networking was never new to us. Even before Face book, MySpace or Twitter came into the picture, discussion forums used to reign the communication and networking. Eventually though, this communication got a fancy outlook with these highly popular social networking sites. Even we grew with sending mails to each other or chatting online about various things. But we were never so obsessed about it before, as we are now. Today, it will not be an exaggeration if I say that our lives are hugely dependent on this social networking. Then no matter how you try to deny this fact, you can’t really succeed.

The problem arises when people forget their existence for these social networking sites. Being online and updating their accounts is turning fancier to them than going out with friends or playing football. The problem arises when people pour the emotions online to such an extent that some way or the other, they less dignify themselves. The problem arises when they choose their life partners from the virtual world without thinking much of the consequences to be faced later. And the problem arises when people devote most of their time on these socializing domains than giving some time to their lovely parents and friends.

These might not be the problems. I might be wrong. It is quite subjective. May be they do not perceive things the way I do. But the consequences are definitely universal. And I say so very emphatically because the girl I mentioned above, who had found her soul mate online, has gone in a depression. The reason being the boy she had chosen for herself on Face book and was so madly in love with, was a fake account. She showered all her emotions to him through chats but the end result broke her apart. Currently, she is under psychiatric treatment.

I am not trying to generalize things by this one incidence. But don’t we need to get more cautious? The photograph, which you put as your profile picture, can also be misused. Some people reveal so many things about themselves that you can’t help but laugh. These things include the contact numbers, postal addresses to name a few!

Don’t you think that talking to a friend personally can be much more fun than chatting with him online? Don’t you think that emotions can best be felt and nurtured when expressed and showed in real life than the virtual world? Many people might call me ‘opinionated’ for expressing things this way and that I have a narrow mind. No problems! I don’t mind at all.

Aforesaid setbacks notwithstanding, I am not trying to tell you the disadvantages of social networking or that we should stop being on Face book or Twitter. These sites are the best way to connect with the people, with your old friends, with distant relatives and to create an impressive profile of yours. But we shouldn’t forget that life is much more than that…much more than those updates and likes and tweets. And Internet is much more than Face book and Twitter!

So all you tweeples, the next time you tweet around, just think of all these things. Happy life!

From
Kalpak Chavan

A Sensible Idiocy!

The world of Bollywood can't get so generous and considerate that I literally think of thanking it. Yes, I would like to thank Bollywood for bringing in a product like 3 Idiots, thank Rajkumar Hirani for his accurate, nerve tickling way of telling the story, thank Aamir Khan for rendering a flawless performance and making the character so realistic and of course, thank Chetan Bhagat for writing Five Point Someone. Yes, I would like to thank Mr. Bhagat now. When I had read the book few years back, I wasn't so impressed. May be this (movie) is the best way to convey the message. May be this is the best way to make the nation understand the meaning of life, a happy life.

India will proudly top the countries of the world where a child's career is decided by his or her family, friends, relatives, teachers or sometimes in-laws too. The young minds are influenced by others' minds and seldom choose their career paths based on their dreams, their love. People say that genius minds are very less. I strongly disagree. Every brain, every mind is genius in it's own way. The only thing which is common is, not understanding one self and one's mind. Today, I feel really happy that people around me are watching 3 Idiots not just for entertainment. The self introspection and understanding is increasing. Everyone is questioning his mind, gauging his interests, finding his real passion and trying to follow his own dream. Spectacular!

Yes, it is a spectacular achievement for the team of 3 Idiots including Mr. Bhagat! Each and every scene of Aamir in the movie gives an emphasized message which steals the heart, makes us think and ponder for a while. Only a personality like Aamir Khan can think of pulling off such a well-written role perfectly. May be he is the same personality in his real life as well. A man with full of passion for acting in his life. This movie is a benchmark in his career and with this, he has proved that he is a man of substance and not just an actor. He has made the young minds understand all the simple yet necessary things of life with such an ease and grace. He has made them understand the fact that there is no point running after success. In fact, let success run after you. So chuck all your fears and inhibitions, gauge your dreams and fulfill them with lots of passion in life. When in pickle, the three words can bring a smile on your face...Aal Iss Welll!!!

And the result is in front of us. A friend of mine, Hardik, who always wanted to be in a creative field, is somehow moving to and fro in the world of Engineering. But today, he has become much more realistic about his dream, his passion. He has plans of going in animations. And he doesn't have any fear or inhibition while saying this. Truly...Aal Iss Welll!!!

It is not every time that we get such a meaningful form of cinema. Even parents and teachers should watch it once to understand the magic behind this idiocy. We live in a world of suicides and depression. There is no proper time other than now for leaving that world and being a true idiot for life. Yes, there is no harm in being one for this is a very sensible idiocy!

Did you vote?

This was the first question my father asked me in the morning when he and mom were already at the voting booth and I was still on the bed. This was my first time to vote. So, indeed, I was excited. I have always seen mom and papa whenever they used to go for voting and I used to hang along with them when I was a child. I used to cry for that little line of blue ink on my fingers. Then somehow papa used to convince me that it's not for small children! Today, when I went outside to cast the first vote of my life, all these pictures scrolled down through my eyes. The only thing I was unsure about the day was whom to vote for?!


'Politics is a dirty game. I won't vote', said a friend. Another one reasoned out as 'does it really matter if I go and vote?'. One of them said, 'We'll go for a movie and if time permits, we'll think about voting.' While another one quipped, 'I just don't want to stand in those lines and spoil my holiday.' Hmm. A long list of excuses, isn't it? We will have hundreds and thousands of excuses for not voting and only one for voting your franchise and that is simply, 'I want to vote!'

Whenever you criticize someone, be it politics or movies or anything, you should really have some or the information about it. Sitting on the critics' seat doesn't entitle you with a 'know-all' power. My only point is that when you criticize politics, you should actually go and vote. And if you don't go and vote, you should stop blaming politicians for once you're not the part in electing them, you don't have any right to comment on their abilities and disabilities. It's only when you go out and vote, you can actually go and complain, criticize and shout at politicians. Now whom do you vote is an altogether different issue. It's more about being a part of the process of electing your franchise, of changing your system. Mind you, it's easy to say that 'be the change if you want a change', but difficult to implement. Those who want a change will never actually stand up and think of the change. They will simply keep on pin-pointing others, blaming the whole political scenario and talk as if they are the last people to be affected by the hopelessness of the politics.

Today, I'm a proud voter. This game of politics will go on and on. It's all upon the people to think about where to start with if they want any change in their life. Even if a contesting candidate loses out, he actually doesn't have anything to lose. The popularity which he gets during promotion campaigns opens up many new avenues of success eagerly waiting for him. It's more about his individual image than his party or politics. And the voter doesn't understand this. He simple complains!

Happy voting!

A Superstar in making?

Bollywood can breathe high. Yes, finally there’s a motion. There’s a development. I won’t say it all started this year. But it has definitely accelerated this year. We got movies like Dev D which redefined the sexual taste of audiences while Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey struck a different chord by making movie watching experience so different, so intelligent. And especially this year, we have got another actress whom we can put in the league of Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. She is none other than Priyanka Chopra.

It all started last year when Fashion was released and Priyanka was suddenly a critics’ hot favorite. She struck the chord with audiences as well with her next release, Karan Johar’s Dostana, wherein she exposed her western look, flashing comfortably in a bikini. No wonder she won all the Best Actress Awards for Fashion. But unlike other actresses of her time, she is improving continuously, with each and every film of her. She is so much in sync with her character Sweety in Kaminey that you can’t wait but give a standing ovation. Yes, she is proving herself time and again. More specifically, in an era of actresses where there is lot of debate on who is the number one actress of Bollywood, Priyanka is climbing the ladder up high.

The same spark was seen in Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. Apart from being typical commercial Bollywood heroines, they got accolades from critics as well. Moreover, they were the reason why people came and watched the movies. For a while, such a caliber in an actress was missing in Bollywood. Aishwarya Rai is going very slowly with her career. She is still at the top but quite stagnant in her position. Guru and Jodha Akbar came with powerful performances by the actress but somewhere she is lagging behind. May be that age is one of the factors. She is still beautiful but today’s audience needs a fresh face every now and then. Preity Zinta is literally invisible as her other commitments are keeping her busy. Bipasha Basu was never in the core competition of the actresses. In recent years, apart from Corporate, she doesn’t have a single movie to rave for. There were lots of hopes from Kareena Kapoor post Jab We Met. But it seems that she is happy with the awards which she got for that movie. Of course, Kareena has given some memorable performances like the ones in Dev, Yuva, Omkara, Chameli and Jab We Met. But eventually she had been obsessed with her size zero thing and Saif Ali Khan that it appears that the focus has shifted. But still we can keep hopes from her.

Rani Mukherji had lost all of the fame and adulation which she got a couple of years back by confining herself to the Yash Raj Films. The only movie in her kitty, Dil Bole Haddipa, again a Yash Raj Film, is slated to release in mid-September. It’s perhaps the only chance in front of her to prove her stardom. Or else it will be a great fall of the empire which Rani built with her movies like Saathiya, Yuva, Hum Tum, Black, Bunty Aur Babli and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Bollywood would literally loose a talented actress like her, an actress who had joined the leagues of Sridevi and Madhuri.

Katrina Kaif is doubtful as a front runner in number one post. She has a huge fan following, no doubt about that. But her movies are working not because of her. There is not a single movie of her which can be remembered because of her. Only grace can’t sail you through. Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor and Genelia D’Souza still have to prove themselves by making good choices of movies.

So the only remaining contender, perhaps the most compromising one and a talented too, is Priyanka Chopra. Kaminey has shown that she can act not only well but put her entire heart in the character. Two more movies of her will be releasing this year. She is in lead in both of them. They are Ashutosh Govarikar’s What’s Your Rashee? and Pyaar Impossible, a Yash Raj Film. She has a long way to go. But considering her career graph, her screen presence, her sex appeal, her choice of movies and her versatility, she can reach the topmost pedestal soon. It’s not possible to get another Madhuri Dixit, but we can always have a Super Star in actresses which Bollywood is missing at the moment.

Message is YOU!

Last three days were the most exciting days of my life. You wait for some unexpected moments and yes, here they come. With the surprise…charm…and enthusiasm.

When the week started, little did I know that it was going to be a different one. Some formally dressed people came in our class room and were dividing our class in two batches so that they could carry out their seminar. And what kind of seminar? Seminar on personality development. Err! Now what’s this? Already we had those boring sessions on communication skills and presentation techniques in our previous semesters. Wasn’t that enough to groom our personality?

No, it wasn’t. It will never be enough. That was my first reaction when the first day of this seminar was over. I felt better, rather, I was excited. I could sense a particular enthusiasm in me. Otherwise the usually serene, tired me, was actually feeling like swinging to and fro and exercising even though I was late at coming home. When enthusiasm grips you, you feel at top of the world. There arises an urge to explore many new things about yourself, about others and everything around you. You feel fresh. And exactly this was my condition that evening when I was returning from the first day session of the world famous Dale Carnegie’s official Personality Development program.

A friend of mine commented that I actually don’t need it. But somewhere I felt how I badly I need it. At least after the first day, I was very keen to attend the remaining two days. And this magic was because of our enthusiastic trainer, Feroza Engineer. We were lucky to have her. She was quite open minded, sometimes crazy, smart, dashing and a very approachable personality. Her mere presence gave us the indication that what will follow won’t be an utter boredom. Yeah, it wasn’t. She made us swing, dance, laugh, talk and most importantly, showed us how to be ourselves. Her funda was quite clear. When you talk to people, your words, your presentations or anything, is not the message. The message is the real YOU. YOU have to be expressive. YOU have to be convincing enough to let person in front of you get impressed by you. YOU have to be the most approachable, smart person. In short, YOU have to be the message. YOU have to be YOURSELF.

It was an immensely learning experience. But at the end, it all depends on what you do about it. Nobody in the world can make you talk, if you don’t want to talk. And in the competitive world as ours, there’s no room for introvert people. You’ve to become a people’s person. You’ve to become flexible. You’ve to become decisive. Otherwise there’s no donut for you!

At the last day of the seminar, I also got to know that I was being elected as the Joint Secretary in Literary Council of the college. I wasn’t aware of it as we were in the seminar and when we came out for a five minute break, everyone outside came congratulating me. Initially I was confused. I had given the interview and almost forgotten about it. But unexpected things always happen. And when they happen, you feel pleased, happy, jubilant.

It’s only when you be yourself that you can make others understand you and yourself. In whichever professions you go, you’ve to be open minded and dynamic. By dynamic, I don’t mean that you need to be an all rounder. Of course you should know your limitations and weaknesses. But you can always make an attempt to overcome them. If you don’t bring a change in yourself, you’ll never feel the change in anything around you. You’ll become stagnant. So the key is to always explore new avenues within and outside you. There is nothing in life which you can’t do. At the most, you’ll fail in doing it. So what’s the big deal? At least you’ll be proud of yourself for the fact that you’ve explored something different…tried something new.

Common man..at his best!

A Wednesday (2008)

This movie was released in India before Mumbai Terror Attacks 26/11. But one can easily gauge its relevance with more assurance today. The message the movie gave is a simple thing, that are we really safe today wherever we are? But it is supposedly the most difficult question for our Government and the common folks.

For that matter, when lakhs of Mumbaikars gathered at Gateway of India or Oberoi to show their anger in a non-violent manner, it was showcased very diligently. But what after that? When it comes to sign petitions and making NGOs, only few raise their hands.

And the less you speak of the politicians the more it is better. But anyway, why to blame them when we ourselves elect them? We blamed them after 1993...when terror gripped Mumbai like a wild fire...and we blamed them after 17th July, 2006...when Mumbai's railway was exploded by the cruel minds. Even today we are blaming. And soon the blame game will over. And everyone will almost tend to forget it. And we say that it's the Mumbai spirit to keep going on and on. Great!

What Naseer's common man has done in this movie is an exemplary definition not only for Mumbaikar's but all those who feel that since we are safe, let's continue with our work. I'm not saying that common man should adopt this stance which is adopted by Naseer's character in the movie, but at least we can try for the myriad options to unite and collectively adopt strategies to enhance our own security.

Leaving aside this issue, I guess this movie is an eye-opener for many people worldwide. It is simple yet gripping. I salute the story and screenplay writer Neeraj Pandey who has scripted each and every scene with a lot of practicality and consciousness. His direction is noteworthy.

Naseer shines as always. He has this particular way to deliver his dialogues which I like the most(sometimes, I try to imitate it!). And equally commendable performance is delivered by Anupam Kher as the decisive Police Officer who’s last scene of meeting the common man and not revealing his name took the movie to an all-together different level of maturity. Rest all actors have done their part well.

This movie needs a more public viewing than Filmfare or any other film nomination!

Rating: 4/5

Rab-bing the wrong way!!

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)

Some movies are meant for pure entertainment. The things like logic and sense don't work in such movies. They are the symbol of true Indian Commercial Movies made just for entertainment. And the fact that such movies exist in Indian Filmography is very obvious thanks to our culture, traditions and beliefs. And such movies will continue to work in India, no matter you are in 2008 or 2080. This movie is an example of such movies.

The best part of this movie is the screenplay by Aditya Chopra. In fact, it is the only thing which makes this movie a one-time watch. The story lacks sense, logic and hold in several parts but still the way it is presented by Aditya is commendable. I believe that Aditya as a screenplay writer and a dialogue writer succeeds than he as a story-teller. The dialogues and the tactful presentation of scenes has been his forte in all his movies. Same was the case in Mohabbatein.

Anushka Sharma is the worst choice for the role of Taani. If the director wanted to cast a new face only, then he could have searched for someone better than her. She looks good and sweet but lacks the much needed serenity or emotions on her face for the role of Taani.

The music is RNBDJ's another plus point. Salim-Sulaimaan has done pretty well job. Haule Haule keeps on haunting you even after the movie. Tujh mein rab dikhta hai and Dance pe chance are soothing to hear. Even the shabad in the opening credits sounds too well. End credits keep you engaged for a while.

Yash Raj Movies are always technically sound. No wonder this movie has a good cinematography.

It's Suri's character which Shah Rukh has done very well. As Raj, we have always seen him. Such a performance was expected from him after being in the industry since so many years.

Lastly, as I said, logic and sense doesn't hold any grounds here. So it's fine if Taani fails to recognize Suri as Raj and falls in love with him. It's a Yash Raj Hindi Film. I am sure many are here to love such movie. Let them enjoy!

Rating: 2/5