Archaic figures of speech

Do you still 'roll down' your windows?, how about 'hanging up' the phone, no?

It turns out that we do not actually do the things that we use as figures of speech, interesting yes.

Imagine a few years down the line when twitter and facebook are long on, will we still say 'tweet that shit' or 'update status'

Hmmm

Under soft yellow lights

Under soft yellow lights

By Chennakeshav Shenoy

Under soft yellow lights she lives

Unforgiving crimes from forgotten times 

She carries the secret but never speaking

Wealth  poverty goodness and evil 

she is intimate with all

In light the time zooms by but in the careening darkness it can halt to a crawl

Under soft yellow lights

She makes love to them all

Some enjoy her gentle reticence some her fiery desire 

She has made princes and paupers she stands unchanged 

Draped in her soft yellow lights

Narendra Modi: his fifty shades

In some ways Narendra bhai is like Christian Grey for me. Though he is extremely successful, charismatic, obviously caring of his people he has a dark past and some bones in his closet.
I was too old to not be fully aware of the Gujarat riots. The media worked round the clock to let everyone know that the state machinery was abetting the rioters and violent criminals. The CM was in effect allowing systematic crime against the Muslims be unchecked - I wouldn't go so far as to liken it to genocide but that's the pattern most G word movements have gone historically.

In close quarters the Hindus were pleased. A cruel part of their brain was deeply satisfied. They congratulated each other for the great victory against the 'mossies' or half dozen other derogatory terms for the community. Part of the discussion fell squarely on the man the media held responsible. They made it sound as if he was the one who took to the streets with arms to perpetrate violence. Narendra Bhai was the crusader, the one who stood up to the 'Muslim Horde'.

An important fact that people are forgetting about the Gujarat riots was that Godhra killing was a huge point of contention for Hindu hardliners and a matter of anger for the Hindu. Retribution was to be sought, but the hindu doesn't have the stomach for violence or retribution. The riots were fundamentally wrong but there emerged a man who would stand up for them.

This single point drives in the back of most heads, both who are for him and against him.
And yet Narendra Modi has made positive movements in his state. There is visible development and policy has been consistent. Grassroots are happy with him and the middle class as well as the corporates. This at a time in India when we have policy paralysis, a dissatisfied corporate community and an ignored middle class. Does Modi look like a leader who can change things for our country?
My personal opinion is that now is not the right time. He should be a BJP leader to rally ground forces in states outside the comfort zone of Gujarat Karnataka and formerly Himachal. He has to grow two or three strong CMs in other states. And then with their combined support go to the centre.

The biggest question mark remains though, will we be putting a pro hindu hardliner in the PMs seat? Most people would not be comfortable with the idea - least of all me.

There was another person supported by the liberal elite of their country who didn't agree with the ideology of their leader but considered it a trade off for economic turn around and pride - that man was Adolf Hitler.

Palghar takes us back into time

I am not much of a social commentator, i do have my own opinions but i would not say that they are informed and backed by concrete evidence and research. And yet it is valid because i would like to vouch myself to be a keen observer with a sane mind, for that is all it takes to understand the case with the two women at Palghar who were wrongfully taken into custody and booked under a heinous offence.

That they were taken into custody was a heinous offence in its own right should be a matter of shame - but not debate. There is no debate that two, otherwise law abiding citizens, were taken into custody was a gross injustice and absolutely asinine. What is worse is that there is fear in the minds of the people to speak against authority.

The woman who posted her personal opinion on a social networking site probably did not realise that her action would lead to national debate, that wasn't her intention. She was sharing an opinion with her friends, and in that this was not social activism or to instigate change. Yet the Sena felt it was, they were angry, they were sullen - this was the ultimate affront to their authority and a slap across their face and tarnished the memory of their great leader.

We don't see it as an affront, we don't see it as being harmful or inciting anger. But there was anger, helplessness and depression in the Sainiks, they needed an outlet and all of it was misdirected at this woman and her friends and relatives. I do not appreciate their actions, i do not like that they forced the local police authorities to charge them, i understand the plight of the police, but i cannot forgive them for it. All of this is moot though there is a larger picture.

Whether she thought of it or not, the woman had a voice, she had felt safe enough to exercise her right to free speech and speak about the bandh on Facebook. Do you remember how many times we have hushed our voices or told someone to shut up when they mention anything about the Sena. This is exactly that, you can do what you like because you do not have a problem with violence and believe that you can stop all dissension - Sena gave a decisive blow to free opinion on Facebook and hence free opinion online. We sit in our ivory towers of Metropolitan India and are safe in the absolute diversity which allows us the safety in our anonymity but spare a thought about the 1000 Palghars of our Country. The youth that reside there, their right to free speech and opinion.

Yes the case has been revoked, yes there has been disciplinary action against the Police but those youth, they will have to find their voice again. All over again.



Digital giveth and Digital taketh away - c'est la vie

Life's happy surprises

Can you surprise yourself?

The ability to surprise ones'self is perhaps the most happy feeling. When you see yourself do something which you had not believed possible. It could be as simple as smiling in the morning, when you are clearly not a morning person, allowing yourself to be calm through a crisis, making a decision and sticking through it.

We have to nurture the ability to truly surprise ourselves. Without it we do not have much to live for. A life of monotony is like a scripted television show with cliches and probable plot. There has to be some unnecessary drama which would make us change who we are, or at the very least shake us out of our routine.

My friends have previously complained that my blogs are very obtuse and never really speak what i am trying to say. To them i say, i cannot give away parts of my life which are very personal to me. Parts which are at the very core of me. My hopes, my prayers, my fears and my desires.

Though i feel very much like talking about it, since i cannot control who reads this blog, i cannot have the world read.

My current surprise is that i can clearly say that my recent trip to Goa gave me a perspective, and i really surprised myself. I was a different person or rather i became a different person.

Go out there, surprise yourself let the waves of happiness crash on your shore.

Dabangg Hue Hum

The honest truth is that at heart we are all completely crass. As i write that i am a bit hesitant and would reduce the gamut to only me. I am a true ghaati at heart - the very core of my being rests this hoot calling, tapori dancing, abuse spewing, paan chewing Ghaati. The pleasure of dancing to Tapori drums also known as dhol (though i seriously feel that it is not the right word) is unparalleled. Nothing can actually give me the same joy as a Remo's flute song can.

For all these reasons and more Arbaaz Khan's Dabangg appeals to me. From the very moment that i learnt of the movie i knew that i would love it. It was Salman Khan at his unpretentious best. The most genuine of movies as you can get. If Dabangg was a guy - he would be the dude at a party that stuck out like a sore thumb, yet would be most comfortable and the whole crowd would gravitate towards him. That dude is Salman Khan....

There are no promises of being an intelligent movie, of being an artfully made masterpiece that would blow our mind, one with a social message or even sensitive to a certain section. This movie just doesn't care....and in that it is very genuine. The movie goes so far as to say - i have no plot - i am Dabangg- i am going to have some mindless fight scenes and you are going to enjoy it. There are some scenes with romance - UP style - and you as a woman will not object to it. I am a corrupt police official, i want to be successful, but i am also a nice guy so....love me...or don't i give a fuck!

But you love the protagonist, not because he is Salman Khan, but because that is why you have gone to the movie, to love him. You are not there to judge him, you are not there to critique him, you are there to chill out with the dude. You don't care what he does, or how he does it, if it makes sense or is completely ludicrous - you like the dude....before the movie starts.

A lot of people would want to draw parallels with this kind of a movie and Rajani movies. It is possible that we have that perception, but we have to fight it big time. Here is why:

1. A Rajani is a God - what he does on screen is true, and he and only he can do it - the crowd watches in awe.....

1. B Salman is a Dude - what he does is obviously not possible, him and only him will we watch doing it - the crowd watches in OHHHHHHHHHH (full chutiyapatti)

2.A Rajani is an idol - people want to be like him - want to follow his moves and be HIM

2. B Salman is our hero - we look up to him but know that we can't do what he does and we will not try and insult him

3. A Rajani = Revered

3. B Salman = Loved

I spent 80 bucks watching this movie in Aurora Kings Circle Matunga. The movie was worth the money 4 times over - at the least. The most fun i have had in a movie theater in a long time. The whole atmosphere was electric, we had the mindset of ejoying the movie and we were not dissappointed. If the critics want to do a good job of critiquing this movie, they will have to shred it to pieces, because from a Critical stand point it is SHIT. But it is our Shit - we LOOOUVE IT.

Dabangg Hain....pichure Dabangg....hamein aur chahiye...aur....bahut aur.

Peace OUT

She is just not that into you!

*Regret*

It is the worst possession to have. And we keep collecting more and more of it as we get older. I hear people speak about the regrets that they have at the very ripe of their life. I hear them feeling dismayed by the amount of baggage that they are carrying around with them.

That trip that they should have gone on.

That movie they should have seen in the theater.

That dream they should have followed through.

That girl they should have asked out.

Justifications galore will fall out of our pores to ensure that we convince ourselves that we ultimately did the right thing. That we made the right decision. We didn't miss the bus, we intentionally chose to walk.

My personal opinion on the matter is that it is better to have given it your best shot to make sure that you do not have to look back in regret. Why should you second guess yourself for anything that was perfectly in your control? Why should you make excuses for yourself simply because you were just too chicken?

Ultimately it comes down to the one thing - Courage!

*Courage*

The coxcy, the balls the JIGAR to take that leap of faith in the hope of success. In the hope of happiness, for the joy of achievement. Courage is all that you ever need, to take those risks in life. To gamble for happiness. As in business, higher the risk the higher the reward.

"But she is just not that into you dude!"

Those are very hard words to hear, especially coming out of the mouths of your closest friends. The same people who want to see you as happy as you can be. The same people whose responsibility it would be to fix the broken pieces that make up - you. Their unbiased opinion counts for a lot, their investment in your happiness makes them the wisdom voice guiding you all the time.

*Dilemma*

A conundrum - to take this good advice or go into the thing head first. Previous experiences tell us that what friends say are wise words, yet our mission to not carry any additional baggage always makes us want to take that shot. So what is it that you should do?

*Full Circle*

This brings us full circle back to the moot point. Shouldn't we take the plunge anyway?

Why should we let this deter us from our path of complete disclosure and confident attempt?

*Reckless Abandon*

Fortes fortuna adiuvat - fortune favours the bold. And so we all should go to it - be reckless - be free - be without inhibition - without doubt - without fear

A moment

A love

A thought

A dream aloud

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Note to my confidants

I think if this what i am about to do, does not pay off - you will always put me back together.