Girls go about sashaying in the skimpiest of clothes.Guys cuddle them, smooch them or even perform acts of utmost taboo.No moral policing is being done here.People dont raise a hue and cry.So no major questions are raised .Gyrating semi naked heroines are ogled at by different age groups.They say its all REEL life.
What happens when a handsome fifty year old gets caught by the heat of the moment and repeatedly kisses an "Indian" actress.Sentiments are flared.People denounce the act.Reactions galore.How could two people kiss on stage in a Live event .Its "REAL" life for gods sake!!!.They should have acted responsibly .It was a AIDS function afterall.Events unfold and junta are deeply stirred with emotion.One such gentleman files a PIL .Richard Gere gets an arrest warrant under section 294 (performing obscene acts in Public).
One word can decribe the unfolding of such events.HYPOCRITES.Obscene acts in Reel is ok, but in Real it flares up people, and kindles them to recite the epochness of Indias socio Cultural edifice.What they fail to realise is that more often than not movies reflect a part of the changing face of society.They also depict a cultural change espoused by the Gen X or Gen Y .They can ogle at gyrating semi naked woman on screen but a kiss in public is a NO NO.When will our society stop being dualistic and accept facts as they are?
So next time when two people in love want to share a moment in public please rethink. No kissing on the cheek repeatedly allowed.A safe solution is in hand .Please blow out kisses to each other.Its an age old formula and it doesnt involve touching the member of the opposite sex.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Agree to Disagree
Iam very passionate about watching good ,quality cinema.Watching movies of different genres makes for good timepass and also improves our perspectives on varied issues.The bottleneck here is to find these movies.
Generally we depend on word of mouth.Friend X calls , raves and rants about a movie ,we are impressed and think its surely worth a watch.Another alternative would be to peruse the papers /net and look for the critically acclaimed 'reviews' written by movie enthusiasts.These critics give an indepth analysis as to the strengths, weakness , bottomline , storyline and what not.This review is akin to a SOP that students write eager to impress the higher authorities .
Now there have been numerous cases wherein I have wanted to bonker my freind who recommended the movie.The movie according to me would have been a damp squid and all the hullabaloo made in the papers
about it would have been totally unwarranted for. This has happened many a times in the recent past. That is when I realised that liking/disliking a movie is solely subject to a person's individual opinion/mood.That is why critics review movies like 'Babel' as having exemplaray performances and a must watch , while I had to administer headache pills after seeing the (uncensored)version.Another grossly overrated movie would be 'Namesake'.The movie's picturisation though taken from Jumpa Lahiris book is highly cliched.The conflicts of an ABCD has been watched a zillion times.The underlined meaning of why the boy was called 'Gogol' losts its appeal in the early stages of the movie.After the travails that the Ganguly family go through Oh-shima (thats how Ashima is called )decides to return to India, but the main person behind the weaving of the stroyline is left abrupt .His Bengali wife has dumped him,but he seems to be happy because he has an depressed Russian author's book for company.
So how does a person choose to see a movie?.One read reviews ,listen to freinds but finally its your say to watch it.Do not blame them at all regarding their opinion .Agree to disagree(albeit in a cool manner) as each person is subject to their opinion .
Generally we depend on word of mouth.Friend X calls , raves and rants about a movie ,we are impressed and think its surely worth a watch.Another alternative would be to peruse the papers /net and look for the critically acclaimed 'reviews' written by movie enthusiasts.These critics give an indepth analysis as to the strengths, weakness , bottomline , storyline and what not.This review is akin to a SOP that students write eager to impress the higher authorities .
Now there have been numerous cases wherein I have wanted to bonker my freind who recommended the movie.The movie according to me would have been a damp squid and all the hullabaloo made in the papers
about it would have been totally unwarranted for. This has happened many a times in the recent past. That is when I realised that liking/disliking a movie is solely subject to a person's individual opinion/mood.That is why critics review movies like 'Babel' as having exemplaray performances and a must watch , while I had to administer headache pills after seeing the (uncensored)version.Another grossly overrated movie would be 'Namesake'.The movie's picturisation though taken from Jumpa Lahiris book is highly cliched.The conflicts of an ABCD has been watched a zillion times.The underlined meaning of why the boy was called 'Gogol' losts its appeal in the early stages of the movie.After the travails that the Ganguly family go through Oh-shima (thats how Ashima is called )decides to return to India, but the main person behind the weaving of the stroyline is left abrupt .His Bengali wife has dumped him,but he seems to be happy because he has an depressed Russian author's book for company.
So how does a person choose to see a movie?.One read reviews ,listen to freinds but finally its your say to watch it.Do not blame them at all regarding their opinion .Agree to disagree(albeit in a cool manner) as each person is subject to their opinion .
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Adverse-Enticements
Advertisements have always interested me.It fascinates me as to how they can catch a person's attention within a span of 30 secs and sometimes go to the extent of convincing them to buy the product.The highly commercialised World Cup this year was a great opportunity to observe the different advertisements doled out by Corporate Majors.Some ads are brilliant , they rouse the viewer's attention and ultimately lead to amazing 'Brand Recall'.The Moto Rockr Ad looks sleek and suave.Airtel's Dheko Ji kaun Aaaya Hai has supposedly stirred emotions and is a big hit amongst the middle aged .
But I do not want to dvelve upon the so called winner ads.I want to touch upon a few ads that have made me cringe and shudder with utter dismay.Take for example a recent Rediffmail ad.It is one of the most slimiest ads of the season.The picturerisation is gross and the double meaning is even grosser.I wonder if any viewer with his mental faculties intact would ever get enticed by such an ad.Such ads are surely adverse - enticements.
Talking about ads ,I have to mention Pepsi's failed attempts at marketing their soft drink.Their ads pale in comparison to that of Coke simply because they are staunch believers of promoting their soft drink through our Cricketers(or something related to cricket) alone.Even SRK tried various gimmicks ranging from OHH AAH India -AAya India , to the recent Blue Billion and the Ladega tho Jeethega Ads.God save these fellows .Madam Indra Nooyi CEO of Pepsico who is known for her astute strategies , has porbably failed to realise that none of her soft drink division's ,marketing strategies are working in India.After India's World Cup debacle , one would expect Pepsi to lay off their fervour for Indian Cricket Centric Ads.But these guy never despair.They dole out a new ad.Its absolutely Brilliant !!!It showcases a group of young Indian boys who stitch over sized cricketing attires with hopes of winning the world cup 2011.
Another dowright loser ad was Zen Estilo's.Initially the ad reminded me of some nursery rhyme.It had ticky tacky or picky packy being repeated untill it got onto a person's nerves.Thankfully the rhymes were done away with after the agency realised that toddlers werent going to buy cars after all.
I hope ad agencies can innovate and bring out more number of appealing and enticing ads.
But I do not want to dvelve upon the so called winner ads.I want to touch upon a few ads that have made me cringe and shudder with utter dismay.Take for example a recent Rediffmail ad.It is one of the most slimiest ads of the season.The picturerisation is gross and the double meaning is even grosser.I wonder if any viewer with his mental faculties intact would ever get enticed by such an ad.Such ads are surely adverse - enticements.
Talking about ads ,I have to mention Pepsi's failed attempts at marketing their soft drink.Their ads pale in comparison to that of Coke simply because they are staunch believers of promoting their soft drink through our Cricketers(or something related to cricket) alone.Even SRK tried various gimmicks ranging from OHH AAH India -AAya India , to the recent Blue Billion and the Ladega tho Jeethega Ads.God save these fellows .Madam Indra Nooyi CEO of Pepsico who is known for her astute strategies , has porbably failed to realise that none of her soft drink division's ,marketing strategies are working in India.After India's World Cup debacle , one would expect Pepsi to lay off their fervour for Indian Cricket Centric Ads.But these guy never despair.They dole out a new ad.Its absolutely Brilliant !!!It showcases a group of young Indian boys who stitch over sized cricketing attires with hopes of winning the world cup 2011.
Another dowright loser ad was Zen Estilo's.Initially the ad reminded me of some nursery rhyme.It had ticky tacky or picky packy being repeated untill it got onto a person's nerves.Thankfully the rhymes were done away with after the agency realised that toddlers werent going to buy cars after all.
I hope ad agencies can innovate and bring out more number of appealing and enticing ads.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Divine Intervention
Few years back, I could easily be referred to as 'Agnostic'.I say agnostic because my prayer smacked of rote recital , as my belief in the almighty was very shaky.Visiting temples everything seemed fine but I seemed to be struck with a wave of questioning everything that happened around me and demanded a logical explanation.Now I seem to be clear with the basic tenet on which my faith in the lord rests.I call this tenet 'Divine Intervention'.
Oprah Winfrey once said "Pray like everything depends on God , and act like everything depends on you".I totally subscribe to her view .Performing our duties to the best of our abilities might ensure 99.99% success , but there is always the 0.01% of Divine intervention which ensures final fructification.Also there have been instances when we are simply at loss as to why such cruel things happen to us.These things belie Science , Logic and Reasoning.I would put such things also as the ramifications of the power that the almighty wields over us.My tenet of Divine intervention also rests on the corollary that "God helps those who helps themselves".
Speaking of Divine intervention I visited Srirangam a week back with a close friend.It is obvious that Srirangam lacks in funds when compared to the likes of Tirupati.But I do not understand why major portions of the temple near the corridor etc has to be unkempt .Also there were only two Sannidhis (Rama, and adjoining Andal) which donned fresh paint and looked bright.Am I being ignorant in questioning as to why other portions
looked lacklustre? Also the utsavar at Tirupati seems to be glistening (if Iam right tirupati temple is also pretty old),while the utsavar at Srirangam seemed a little dull.Does "Ranga"lack funds or is it not being dispensed properly.
At Srirangam there were recitals of hymns which I was completely unaware of and varied other things that I completely had no idea about.But I learned what interested me and what I thought could enrich me as a person. Finally ,I have to mention that I was completely besotted by my friend (and her family's) warmth .
Oprah Winfrey once said "Pray like everything depends on God , and act like everything depends on you".I totally subscribe to her view .Performing our duties to the best of our abilities might ensure 99.99% success , but there is always the 0.01% of Divine intervention which ensures final fructification.Also there have been instances when we are simply at loss as to why such cruel things happen to us.These things belie Science , Logic and Reasoning.I would put such things also as the ramifications of the power that the almighty wields over us.My tenet of Divine intervention also rests on the corollary that "God helps those who helps themselves".
Speaking of Divine intervention I visited Srirangam a week back with a close friend.It is obvious that Srirangam lacks in funds when compared to the likes of Tirupati.But I do not understand why major portions of the temple near the corridor etc has to be unkempt .Also there were only two Sannidhis (Rama, and adjoining Andal) which donned fresh paint and looked bright.Am I being ignorant in questioning as to why other portions
looked lacklustre? Also the utsavar at Tirupati seems to be glistening (if Iam right tirupati temple is also pretty old),while the utsavar at Srirangam seemed a little dull.Does "Ranga"lack funds or is it not being dispensed properly.
At Srirangam there were recitals of hymns which I was completely unaware of and varied other things that I completely had no idea about.But I learned what interested me and what I thought could enrich me as a person. Finally ,I have to mention that I was completely besotted by my friend (and her family's) warmth .
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