trials & tribulations of a restless mind

Patriotism

yashi2612 — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:02:00 +0000

What makes one a patriot and what doesn’t?

Some time back, I was discussing government spending in Mauritius on a blog when someone told me that I should not worry about it since I don’t contribute any money to the government coffers. The person was implying that it was none of my business since I was not living in Mauritius. This has happened to me too often. People tend to think of me as a traitor just because I have studied and am now working abroad. They think I don’t have the ‘right’ to discuss Mauritian matters.

These people call themselves patriots. They are the ones who are working in Mauritius, helping the country move forward (apparently) and who, generally hate people who dare to move abroad for studies or work. But this is not patriotism, is it? What is patriotism? In the past, it used to be about fighting colonial rule to free your country from oppression. It was about revolution and about sacrificing your life for your motherland. This definition doesn’t strictly apply anymore. If you work in Mauritius, you are not more patriotic than someone who is working in Singapore. A Chinese factory worker in Mauritius is not more patriotic than I am because he or she is working in Mauritius and paying taxes! Yes, you might be a bit jealous. Yes, you are indeed contributing to the Mauritian economy indirectly. But patriotism is something entirely different.

Mauritius does not have a very high crippling emigration rate. These days it is even harder to move to another country, given the tougher immigration laws in Europe and it is getting more and more appealing to stay, study and work in the country. But if someone thought he or she wants to study abroad and probably work abroad for some time to get some valuable experience, why do people think that person is letting the country down? Most people emigrate due to financial incentives abroad which could improve their fortunes, a significant number of people really want to get the best education and best work experience possible. When confronted with this, most Mauritius-based Mauritians would immediately get on the high horse of pseudo-patriotism and childishly dismiss the emigrants as people who don’t give a damn about the country. This could not be further from the truth as it is pure ignorance.

Patriotism is not a competition. It is not a matter of ‘oh no you work abroad, I work on the Board of Air Mauritius in Mauritius and I am helping the country, what the hell have you done for your country?’ Patriotism is about changing things for the best. It is about making a positive impact in your own way. If you have to arm yourself with the best possible education and experience, then so be it. If you have to live in France for 10 years and then come back better equipped to make a difference, then so be it. Do not judge someone prematurely. Do not view temporary emigration as a sin. Sure, some people will not come back, but why don’t we look at the people who will help? When would we stop whining about those leaving and start taking action or atleast suggest ideas? Why do you want to blacklist people who are abroad? Can’t they help at all? Can’t they initiate a debate or propose an idea? Hell, they could be more patriotic than the person shouting about the glory of the Motherland from the rooftops, clad in the national flag! They could be more patriotic than the person who will tell them not to worry about the future of the country but then would be complaining like bored housewives hooked on Tulsi-related banter!

As a slight variation to JFK’s famous words, ask not what other people are or aren’t doing for the country; ask what you can do for your country. Do not accuse someone else of being unpatriotic until you have accomplished something for your country, and even if you have achieved something, does it make you right or more patriotic to call other people unpatriotic? No it doesn’t!

Patriotism is not what it used to be. It either is too strong and powerful a word to be usable in this day and age or now has a considerably changed definition. Either way, everyone at some point in their life do something good for their country, whether directly or indirectly. Studying or working abroad has absolutely no bearing on how patriotic you are. After all, you might be working in Mauritius in a manner, destructive to the country’s well-being or indeed in a stagnant way. It is all about making a difference when you are best able to do it. Be YOUR best before you can do YOUR best for your country. And if you can’t do it, then no-one should begrudge you. Do you think when Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and Nelson Mandela were campaigning for the end of oppression in their respective countries, they were thinking about those damned people who had ‘abandoned’ the struggle? I don’t think so…

Rant over… I need a cup of very strong tea, no sugar please…

Gulaal: Movie Review

yashi2612 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:09:00 +0000

Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Raj Singh Chaudhary, Ayesha Mohan, Aditya Shrivastava, Piyush Mishra

Music: Piyush Mishra

Writers: Anurag Kashyap, Raj Singh Chaudhary

Director: Anurag Kashyap

After Dev D, Anurag Kashyap comes back with a powerful political movie, Gulaal, which means red. As
usual, there are no Khans nor any Kapoors involved. The cast is lead by the fabulously talented Kay Kay Menon.

Synopsis: Dileep Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary), a simple law student moves to Rajpur in Rajasthan. He gets introduced to Rajput politics via his housemate who gets killed while he is running for a college post. Dileep is then chosen by the Rajputana separatist movement, whose influential leader Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon) will use all means available to get the Rajputana region recognised as a state, to run for the election. Dukey Bana’s rival, Karan (Aditya Shrivastava) will do his utmost to foil Dukey’s plans. What follows is a series of political ploys and manipulations as the rivals wrestle for power.

Remarks:

What a powerful story! Gripping throughout, with multiple subplots and with all characters playing important roles. There are no secondary roles.

Kashyap’s direction is brilliant as usual. There are subtle details on the screen, here and there, which catch your attention as well as capture the essence of certain scenes. Like when Dileep Singh is going through tough times and the neon lighting which normally reads ‘Hello There’ now has the ‘o’ or ‘t’ signs not working and reads ‘Hell_ _here’. There are loads of these kind of touches to scenes which is the mark of a meticulous director. The lighting is awesome too, with a red glow as the perfect background to some intense scenes.

Next is the cast. Kay Kay Menon continues to delight with his undeniable talent. The quivering moustache complements the fiery calmness of his character of Dukey Bana. But the one who steals the show is Raj Singh Chaudhary who also wrote the movie and plays Dileep the innocent bespectacled youth who is transformed during the movie. He is not a newcomer but this is his first movie as leading man and he is magnificent. Another promising talent to look out for. I could go on and on about the cast, so high was the level of performance by each and every one of the actors. A special mention for Ayesha Mohan who plays the femme fatale, and a rare female political character in a normally male-oriented genre.

Least but not last, the music and lyrics of Piyush Mishra! Already a talented dialogue writer, Mishra’s music is at times soulful and at times intense with strong lyrics which do justice to the political feel of the movie. I will definitely be looking out for his music in the future!!

All in all, Gulaal is probably the best political movie I have ever seen. I cannot even think of one drawback of the film. There are bucket loads of swearing, as is customary for a Kashyap offering, but you look past this because the movie itself is too overpowering for you to resist its brilliance. Anurag Kashyap reminds me of a young Ram Gopal Varma, I sincerely hope he doesn’t end up like RGV though, because at the moment, Anurag Kashyap could go on to become a legend of Bollywood. Personally, it makes me an even bigger fan when he is described as the anti Yash Chopra by the Indian press… Let the revolution continue…

Movie Rating: 4 out of 5

State of Play: Mini Movie Review

yashi2612 — Mon, 04 May 2009 22:25:00 +0000

Cast: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren

Writers: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray, Paul Abbott

Director: Kevin Mcdonald

Synopsis: A reporter is on a mission to uncover the truth and conspiracies when the personal assistant of his friend, a Congressman who is investigating a controversial deal with a military defence contractor dies. He will have to make sure not to mix friendship and personal gratification as a reporter with the pursuit of the truth, however uncompromising it could be. His work is not made any easier by the fact that the powers at play are not to be taken lightly.

Positives:

Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind) is absolutely magnificent as the reporter who risks his own life to try to get to the crux of the matter.

Ben Affleck (Daredevil, Pearl Harbour) may surprise a lot of people with his impressive performance as Congressman Collins.

Helen Mirren (The Queen) needs no introduction and duly delivers as the no-nonsense foul-mouthed Editor of the Washington Globe, Crowe’s boss. Rachel McAdams (Wedding Crashers, Mean Girls) takes on a new kind of role and does not disappoint as the assistant to Crowe.

Plot is engaging till the end, generating interest throughout.

Negatives:

With an even stronger cast and director, this could have been the film of the year.

Final Verdict: Adapted from a successful BBC mini series of the same name, this is an absolute must-see. This is a pure classic thriller at its best, with actors on top of their game and a compelling storyline. There is no amazing CGI special effects, no over-the-top action with S.W.A.T teams breaking into compounds: It does not need any of those. If you still need more reasons to watch it, here is one: Russell Crowe. Enjoy it!

Movie Rating: 4 out of 5

2009 Time 100 : Most Influential People in the World

yashi2612 — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:50:00 +0000

Time Magazine recently published their yearly list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

The list is divided into 5 distinct categories and there are no rankings. According to the managing Editor of the Time 100 (as the list is called),it is not a list of the hottest, most popular or most powerful people, but rather the most influential.

Without further ado, here’s the list, by category:

Leaders & Revolutionaries

* Edward Kennedy – senior US Senator from Massachusetts
* Gordon Brown – British Prime Minister, leader of the Labour Party
* Christine Lagarde – French Minister of Finance, prominent labour lawyer
* Thomas Dart – Sheriff of Cook County in Illinois, USA
* Avigdor Lieberman – Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Joaquín Guzmán – Mexican drug lord, $5million offered for his capture.
* Nouri al-Maliki – Iraqi Prime Minister
* Hillary Clinton – US Secretary of State
* Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono – Indonesian President
* Boris Johnson – Mayor of London
* Norah al-Faiz – First female member of the Saudi Arabia Council of Ministers.
* Elizabeth Warren – Chair of a panel which monitors the US banking bailout
* Paul Kagame – Rwandan President
* Nicolas Sarkozy – French President
* Angela Merkel – German Chancellor
* Wang Qishan – Chinese Vice-Premier, former Mayor of Beijing
* Xi Jinping – Chinese Vice-President, leading candidate to be next President
* David McKiernan – US Commander of Forces in Afghanistan
* Ashfaq Kayani – Pakistan Army’s Chief of Staff
* Barack Obama – US President

Builders & Titans

* The Twitter Guys – Founders of the leading micro-blogging service, Twitter
* T. Boone Pickens – Chairman of hedge fund BP Capital Management
* Ted Turner – American media mogul, founder of CNN
* Tessa Ross – Runs Film4,the innovative British film production company
* Carlos Slim – Mexican telecom tycoon, 3rd richest man in the world
* Brad Pitt – Hollywood Actor
* Meredith Whitney – Wall Street stock analyst
* Suze Orman – American financial advisor, author and TV host
* Lauren Zalaznick – American TV producer
* Timothy Geithner – US Secretary of the Treasury
* Nandan Nilekani – Indian software magnate, co-chairman of Infosys
* Stella McCartney – British Fashion designer
* Jamie Dimon – CEO and Chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co
* Sheila Bair – Chairman of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
* moot – 21 year old founder of 4chan.org
* Alexander Medvedev – An executive director of Gazprom
* Alan Mulally – CEO of Ford Motor Company, former Vice President of Boeing
* Robin Chase – CEO of GoLoco.org, co-founder of Zipcar
* Jack Ma – Chinese internet entrepreneur, founder of alibaba.com
* Bernie Madoff – committed $65billion fraud

Artists & Entertainers

* Rush Limbaugh – American radio host
* M.I.A. – British singer and visual artist of Sri Lankan origin
* Sam and Dan Houser – British creators of Grand Theft Auto video game
* Kate Winslet – Oscar-winning British film actress
* Werner Herzog – Germany film director
* William Kentridge – South African visual artist
* Penélope Cruz – First spanish actress to win an Oscar
* Lang Lang – Chinese pianist
* John Legend – American soul singer
* Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio – American architect couple
* Gustavo Dudamel – Venezuelan orchestra conductor and violinist
* Jeff Kinney – American game designer and author of children’s books
* Tavis Smiley – African American TV talk show host
* The View – American talk show
* Zac Efron – High School Musical series star
* Tina Fey – American comedian
* Tom Hanks – Hollywood Actor
* Jay Leno – American stand-up comedian and TV host
* A.R. Rahman – Indian composer, nicknamed the Mozart of Madras
* Judith Jamison – American dancer and choreographer

Heroes & Icons

* Michelle Obama – First Lady of the US
* Chesley B. Sullenberger – Pilot who carried out emergency landing on Hudson River
* Richard Phillips – Sea captain taken hostage by Somali pirates
* Seth Berkley – Founder of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
* Michael Eavis – British dairy farmer, founded the Glastonbury Rock Music Festival
* Leonard Abess – Ameridan banker and philanthropist
* Hadizatou Mani – Nigerian human rights activist known for her fight against slavery
* Rick Warren – American Pastor and author
* Van Jones – White House Special Advisor for Green Jobs
* Somaly Mam – Cambodian human rights advocate
* Rafael Nadal – Spanish Mens’ Tennis World Number One
* Suraya Pakzad – Founder of the Voice of Women Organization in Afghanistan
* Jeff Bezos – Founder of Amazon.com
* Tiger Woods – US golfer
* George Clooney – Hollywood actor
* Brady Gustafson – Lance Corporal of the US Marines, recipient of the Navy Cross
* Sister Mary Scullion – Advocate for the homeless in Philadelphia
* Oprah Winfrey – American media star
* Sarah Palin – 2008 Republican Vice-Presidential candidate
* Manny Pacquiao – Filipino ‘pound-for-pound’ best boxer in the world

Scientists & Thinkers

* Nouriel Roubini – American economist who predicted the current home prices collapse
* Amory Lovins – Environmentalist advocating use of renewal energy
* Jon Favreau – President Obama’s speechwriter
* Dambisa Moyo – Economist of Zambian origin
* Dan Barber – American Chef
* Yoichiro Nambu – 2008 Physics Noble Prize winner
* Roland Fryer – Professor of Economics at Harvard
* Martin Lindstrom - Used neuroscience to determine how and why we buy
* Barbara Hogan – South African Health Minister known for her work on AIDS policy
* David Sheff – Author of a book about drug abuse
* Steven Chu – 1997 Physics Nobel Prize winner, now US Energy Secretary
* Paul Krugman – 2008 Economics Nobel Prize winner
* Connie Hedegaard – Danish Environment Minister
* Daniel Nocera – Chemist known for his research on water as a fuel
* Stephan Schuster and Webb Miller – Biologists, DNA experts
* Nicholas Christakis – American physician and sociologist
* Doug Melton – co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute
* Paul Ekman – American psychologist
* Shai Agassi – Founder of Project Better Place
* Nate Silver – American statistician

That is one long list and it has taken me a few hours to research the people one by one!

For more info, click here

The pitfalls of social networking

yashi2612 — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:15:00 +0000

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking websites in the world, with around 200 million users. But it recently lead to the sacking of a Swiss woman.

The Swiss woman was on her day off but her employer, through a bogus Facebook profile saw her active on the website after she told them she was too ill to go near her PC. The employer apparently created the fake profile and became her ‘friend’ so as to monitor her activities on Facebook. She was promptly sacked, despite her declaring that she was accessing Facebook via her iphone while in bed.

Since the advent of social networking sites, privacy has been a major issue for its users. At first, it seems like a totally ludicrous idea that someone’s privacy could be violated on a website where you are supposed to be open to meeting new people and keeping in touch. After all, you are supposed to showcase a lot of personal information and, as a result, are always running the risk of your personal details being snapped up by undesirable parties.

Facebook (not sure about other websites, but MySpace are also adamant they do not share member information to third parties) say that they never share any personal details with third parties. So, apart from the occasional stalker, you should be fine as long as you are careful about what and how much you divulge.

But when it comes to employers, where can the line be drawn? According to Careerbuilder.com, when recruiting, 20% of companies admitted to checking candidate’s profiles on social networking sites while a staggering 33% had refused to go forward with a job offer after seeing a candidate’s online profile. Apparently, uploaded pictures showing ‘inappropriate’ behaviour are one of the factors that could lead an employer to not offer a job to a candidate.

As in the case of the Swiss woman above, employers could also be watching your online activities, especially when they have some doubts about that day you took off because one of your grandparents died (for the seventh time). I had one such experience once. While at university, I was working in a night-club part-time. I once faked illness to get a day off because my exams were approaching and I had exhausted the number of study holidays I was allowed to take. During the day, I got a call from the manager, who was on a networking site which was exclusive to my fellow university students and staff. He saw one of my posts on there where I was looking for someone to cover my shift due to me HAVING MY EXAMS and not because I was ill. I know it was quite stupid on my behalf because I was fully aware of my boss being on that network. But I did not get anything worse than a small reprimand (maybe because they liked me a lot). But not everyone could be as lucky as I was.

In some extreme cases, like in the one where employees brought Virgin Atlantic into disrepute, it could be fairly understandable. But with the boundaries of ethics becoming more blurry by the day, what constitutes invasion of privacy by an employer? Where does the personal responsibility of the individual end and the ethical behaviour of the employer start? The debate will rage on and privacy is already one of the top hot topics in an increasingly competitive and insecure world which is witnessing an information revolution.

No Schengen visa required for Mauritians

yashi2612 — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:38:00 +0000

It’s finally happened!

In the past, Mauritians needed a Schengen visa to visit Europe (except for the UK who are not entirely European). The Schengen agreement is an agreement which removed all border controls between the European countries who signed the treaty. We used to need to apply for the Schengen Visa which gave us access to the Schengen countries, but as from now, Mauritian nationals do not need to apply for one and they can stay in the Schengen region for up to 3 months at a time.

This is especially good news for those Mauritians in the UK, including myself who could not travel to mainland Europe without a visa. And I was massively jealous when my friends in France and other countries within the Schengen area could travel to neighbouring countries without hassle! But that’s in the past now! Hopefully I will take some days off in May after my exams, and take a little trip to France!

Click here for the list of countries which do not require the Schengen Visa.

I also found this interesting page on Wikipedia which tells us which countries Mauritians can travel to without a visa!!

Think I will be doing Amsterdam first (for obvious reasons!) and then Jamaica!(again no need to explain why!)

More info about this piece of news here.

The Damned United : Movie Review

yashi2612 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Cast: Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Stephen Graham, Jim Broadbent

Writers: Peter Morgan, David Peace

Director: Tom Hooper

I don’t normally review Hollywood movies but I do have a great liking for British cinema. After his amazing performance as TV broadcaster David Frost in Frost/Nixon, Michael Sheen plays yet another real-life personality, legendary British football manager, Brian Clough.

The Damned United is a big screen adaptation of the fiction novel, of the same name, based on real events about the turbulent 44 days Brian Clough spent at the helm of Leeds United before being sacked. I have to admit, I am no Clough expert, but his record at Derby County and Nottingham Forest, both of whom got promoted out of the Second Division (now called The Championship) and went on to win the First Division (now The Premiership) under Brian Clough speaks for itself. The latter even tasted back-to-back European success with Forest within years of being promoted to the top flight of football. But in between his stints at these club, Clough spent 6 weeks as manager of Leeds United in 1974, which was the darkest time of his illustrious career.

The movie is woven around real people but the events in those 44 days are fictional. Clough is fired by Derby County, even though he won them a league title, because he is very outspoken against the chairman. He is offered the job at Leeds United, then the biggest club in England, but separated from his right-hand man, Peter Taylor who is described as the ‘goods in the back of the shop’ while Clough is ‘the shop window’, and confronted with a squad of footballers loyal to their previous manager, Don Revie, Clough experiences all kinds of trouble trying to get the team to function and his big ambitions are dealt a severe blow.

Michael Sheen is hilarious and delivers an incredibly captivating performance as the mercurial manager. You discover a witty Clough, with his famous one-liners, for e.g when he proclaims that he is not the best manager in England but he’s definitely in the top one. Clough was the first true Special One and Mourinho is never going to come even close to how controversial and outspoken Clough was. The movie captures the over-confidence of Clough as well as the touching sight of his plight (especially when he kneels down and begs Taylor to get back with him), which was not often visible to the public.

British cinema is, for me the most genuine cinema I have ever experienced. After ‘This Is England’ and the various masterpieces from Danny Boyle, this movie made my evening!! Don’t miss the 1hr38mins of an amazing fictional documentary of ‘the best manager England never had’.

Movie Rating : 4 out of 5

Secrets of a long life

yashi2612 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:43:00 +0000

I work in a life insurance company and we recently got the results from a number of studies about the rates of mortality in the UK we had ordered. These are particularly important when we have to price life insurance policies, calculate a capital reserve for them and various other things. It also makes for fun reading to know how certain living habits can make a difference to how long you live for!

The studies, which also used some of the company’s statistical numbers, found out how many approximate years your lifestyle could add or take off your life expectancy. They are only theoretical, the number of years mentioned are only estimates and other factors like genetics also affect your life expectancy. Well, the studies came up with 14 ‘secrets’ of a long life! So how can you increase your time on Earth?

Be married/live with a partner : add 1 year
One more reason for those single to get depressed!!

Maintain a healthy weight : add 6 years
A healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) is 18.5 and 25. Apparently, being severely obese (BMI of above 40) reduces your life by 4 years while being underweight could take off 2 years. Calculate your BMI here and cheer yourself up or, in case of an unfavourable BMI level, get off your bum and start losing some weight!!

Don’t smoke : add 10 years
That’s if you compare someone smoking 20 a day and a non-smoker. Even if you smoke less, your life expectancy decreases significantly.

Love to laugh : add 8 years
According to scientific studies, people who laugh for 15 minutes each day could live add an extra eight years to their lives. Sweeeet!

Be a woman : add 3.3 years
Not possible for everyone unfortunately! But women do tend to live 10% more than men around the world.

Clear out the mess : add 1 year
People who live in chaos are more likely to feel stressed and depressed. Sorting out this disorder can add another year. I am doomed…

Eat well : add 6.6 years
Rather obvious! According to Erasmus University in Rotterdam, a diet which includes daily consumption of garlic, wine, vegetables, fruits, almonds and dark chocolate could extend life expectancy by up to 6.6 years!

Eat less meat : add 3.6 years
A study carried out at Loma University in the US found that people who ate meat less than once a week on average lived 3.6 years longer than their carnivore counterparts.

Be positive : add 9 years
Being optimistic makes you less prone to viruses and makes you recover quicker from illnesses and injuries. Apparently, these people tend to live in healthier ways by doing more exercises and engaging in more social activities.

Keep the faith : add 3 years
According to the University of Pittsburgh, people who attend weekly religious services can expect to live around three years longer than non-attenders. Before there is an uproar, this is only an estimate, but I could see how it could work. Religious people in general tend to be more cautious about their lifestyle.

Be born later : add up to 6.1 years
According to the UK Government Actuary’s Department (GAD), people born 25 years ago had an average life expectancy of 84.6 years for men and 88.5 years for women. People born in 2009 now have an average life expectancy of 88.5 (males) and 91.8 (females). Predictions from GAD suggest that people born 25 years from now could live as long as 91.7 (men) and 94.6 (women)! So try to postpone your birth as far as…oh no…

Get a good night’s sleep : add 5 years
Poor sleep can contribute to a number of medical factors which can put people at risk of heart disease. Those who regularly get at least six or seven hours’ sleep can hope to live up to five years longer than those who sleep badly. So next time, people pester you about waking up early, tell them you are only trying to increase your life expectancy!!

Floss your teeth : add 6 years
Flossing your teeth daily can add as much as six years to your life expectancy by removing harmful bacteria that can contribute to cardiovascular disease. Generally having a good dental hygiene not only prevents the person next to you fainting from the bad smell from your mouth, but also ensures a better overall health.

Get a pet : add 2 years
People with pets are less likely to suffer from depression and visit their doctors less often than those without. It is also said that stroking a pet can reduce blood pressure and stress levels.

I hope these tips will help you extend your life, even if most of them are quite obvious. As for me, I am off to the pet store to get a wife and a hamster!

Dev – D : Movie Review

yashi2612 — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:57:00 +0000

Cast: Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Mahi Gill, Parakh Madan

Music: Amit Trivedi

Writers: Anurag Kashyap, Vikram Motwane

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Dev-D is an adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s famous tragic love story, Devdas. If Sanjay Leela Bhansali stuck to the original and gave it all the splendour a modern budget of Rs500m could afford, Anurag Kashyap, the controversial director of Black Friday presents a modern take on the story. He kept the main characters and the bulk of the story but he moulds them into what he thinks they would have been like in the 21st century on a dark canvas. He is financed by a subsidiary of UTV, UTV SpotBoy who are known for their promotion of directors and writers who have an unconventional approach to movie making (as characterised by their low-budget successes of last year, Aamir and Welcome To Sajjanpur).

Dev (Abhay Deol), who hails from a rich Punjabi family comes back to India after his studies in London and looks forward to meeting his childhood sweetheart, Paro (Mahi Gill). But the fiery Dev, consumed by his ego and jealousy rejects Paro after hearing rumours about her loose character. Paro, outraged, marries a well-off man from New Delhi and moves there. Heart-broken Dev goes to Delhi in the hope of somehow regaining his love and ends up mired in a life of alcohol and drugs. He would also meet the prostitute Chanda (Kalki Koechlin) and develops a weird but strong bond with her. Dev’s life slowly descends into wretched chaos, albeit with the occasional moment of happiness, and is left to the mercy of fate.

I initially had my reservations about this movie since I am a huge fan of Bhansali’s Devdas. The first few minutes when Dev, while in London, asks Paro over the phone if she touches herself give you an idea of where the movie is going. It is not meant to be extravagant and sentimental. Dev-D is outrageously dark and in-your-face crude, with a few background tracks (which do not amaze, but do blend in well with the story) and no song sequences. The movie reflects the sex, drugs and rock’n'roll culture of the modern youth and breaks almost every boundaries of Bollywood (I have never heard the word ‘c*ck’ being uttered in a mainstream movie!!). But as soon as I saw Abhay Deol’s swagger as carefree and arrogant Dev, I couldn’t get away from the screen. The characters, even though modern and twisted are portrayed in a strong emotional way. Even Mahi Gill’s characterisation of Paro carries shades of grey. On the whole the excellent cast adds to the brilliance of the dark plot. Special mention should also be made of Franco-Indian debutant, Kalki Koechlin who makes the role of Chanda (the modern Chandramukhi) her own. She has a promising future ahead.

If you are in the mood of some ground-breaking dark Bollywood ‘maal’ with a daring director at the helm, or if you want to catch a glimpse of the ridiculously talented rising star, Abhay Deol, then watch this flick, which is probably the best dark drama since Omkara. But if you like rosy romance where boy meets girl and never have sex before mariage, then stay away from this!! Also, it’s not the best movie to watch with your family, as you might have guessed already!

Movie Rating : 3.5 out of 5

Pope in AIDS controversy

yashi2612 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:27:00 +0000

Recently, I was shocked to read on a news website that the Pope, on his way to Cameroon for a mass, declared that “HIV/Aids was a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which can even increase the problem”. Oh dear…

The religious leader of almost a billion people around the world and 20% of Africans suggested that use of condoms would not solve the AIDS epidemic which is affecting millions in the ravaged African continent, but instead thinks “spiritual and human awakening and friendship for those who suffer” is the key to circumventing this problem which is choking Africa.

Now I don’t deny that abstinence and non-promiscuity can almost eliminate risks of contracting the HIV virus, but condoms have been extremely effective in combating not only AIDS but various other sexually-transmitted diseases (STD’s). While they don’t provide perfect protection, they still drastically reduce your chances of contracting the virus. Abstinence is an idealistic concept which cannot be applied to Africa, one of the poorest regions in the world. It could be the perfect solution but it’s not a realistic solution.

The Pope goes on about how use of condoms can actually increase the spread of AIDS, which is an even more outrageous statement. But nothing suggests that condoms encourages promicuous and non-abstinent behaviour. The bottom line remains that condoms have saved lives and will continue to save lives. The Pope’s comments were massively frowned upon, with major Europeans governments expressing concerns over the statements. Various charity organisations have also condemned the comments as ignorant, alienating and dogmatic. There are even a few within the Catholic Church who do not discourage condom use, like Belgian Cardinal Goddfried Daneels who said in 2004 that using a condom with the intention of stopping disease was morally different from using one to prevent the creation of life and that condoms could be the lesser of the two evils. Father Gerry O’Collins, Emeritus Professor at the Gregorian University in Rome, said the commandment ‘thou shalt not kill’, “trumps other issues”.

Religious beliefs can be dangerous because people take them very seriously. Sure, religion teaches a lot about virtuous living which is not necessarily old-fashioned and could work towards creating an ideal/clean society. But dogmatic views like those expressed by the Pope do nothing to help the fight against the HIV/AIDS monster. It’s time for intransigent beliefs to be ditched, atleast in the short-term, for more a realistic approach. When a billion people worldwide hangs onto every word you say, you should NOT make such a faux pas. I understand the Church’s reservations about condom use, but a dose of realism will be more helpful than trying to hold on to religious dogmas.

Read more about this on the BBC News website:
Pope’s condom stance sparks row
Why the Pope opposes condoms