Saturday, November 21, 2009

Diet Prose

After twitter my prose is on diet. Tweeting or microblogging is a way of putting your ideas in the shortest way possible. I was surprised how difficult it is to tell something simple in less words. Great exercise for the language.

Aappu Kitti!!!!

I am angry today.... I am really feeling let down.
It is not a new thing, but I am happy that whatever others did to me I did the right thing. As always....
Today the HR executive says they are planning to cut my 15 days salary. Because I offered to stay for one month and help them in training the guy replacing me. Worst thing is I actually did that. May be now they think they can afford to make me fel bad....
If I had run away without informing to work in Cohera, I would have been in profit.
OK, I may suffer for a month, but if this thing leaks no one will resign from FPL. They will just abscond. Every month after the salary day there will be a missing man. Then who will suffer really?
I will go and give a piece of my mind to my boss and CEO, whatever they decide I am ok with it.....
I have seen worse things in life....

Sunday, November 15, 2009

We are like that only...

Morning I was watching a movie by Satyajith Ray, the master filmaker, in DD channel- Shatranj ke Khiladi. We knows the value of DD only on such occasions while you find such gems once in a while when browsing through channels.

It is a movie set at the times of first reevolution 1857. Avadh is the last egg that Company wants to add in their basket and they are planning to annexe the kingdom by hook or crook. Avadh's Nawab is a weak ruler interested more in poems and art fforms and totally ignores complicated politics. Slowly British is about to accomplish the task without shedding blood or without a shot fired.
Parallely another story runs. Two rich noble men, both great friends are looking for a place to play Shatranj, chess without being pestered by their household or social isues. A series of comic situations are unfolded and Ray shows us what the whole country was doing at these times of trouble thereby helping Company indirectly in their mission.
The starcast is quite huge and the actor's work is commendable. Richard Attenborough stars as the shrewd Company General. Amjad Khan gives life to the role of weak Nawab, Sanjeev Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey portrays the role of chess players while Shabana Azmi and Fareeda Jalaal are their wives respectively. Farooq Sheikh acts as Fareeda's secret lover. Amitabh is the narrator of the story.
The movie although set in past gives a strong message to the present and future to learn from it. It is crystal clear when Sanjeev Kumar's character tells in the last scene- "after nightfall, we will go back home. We both need darkness to hide our faces." They knows they are doing a crime to their country and family by not doing their duties towards them, but they are so immersed in their vices that they cannot correct it.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Where are the giants?

Do any of you remember the stars of yesterdays, the real men? I am talking about the guys like Dileep Kumar, Amitabh, Kamal, Rajni, Jayan, Sukumaran and the recent lot like Mohanlal, Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar etc.
These figures used to look big and matured, even at the times when they started the career. Imagine Amitabh in Anand or Deewar, Dileep Kumar in Mughal E Azam, or Kamal in Sathya . They dont seem changed much even after years. But just look at the recent lot. All look like small kids or try to look so. Aamir, Akshay or Shahrukh being such talented actors never look or feel matured like the above said guys. All want themselves to be teen agers. Is it a trend of the times? or is it that its youngsters who come out to watch movies these days and they want to be appealing to them?
Think of Jayaram, when he came in Aparan, I dont think any one thought of him as a boy. He was like a grown up man. But think of Dileep, he still looks like a boy. You know what I mean. I had asked these to many guys to check whether I am just feeling that way because when these formers debuted I was a boy. But every one agrees with me.
What I feel is that there wont be actors like Suresh Gopi or Jayan or Amitabh any more. Or even female actors like Hema Malini or Shobhana. There wont be supporting actors like Thilakan, Venu, Murali or Nana Patekar. All we can see is polished good looking actors with chiselled looks. May be it is the modernisation.

Spoiled oppertunities...

You have some wonderful actors who have proved their mettle, you have a novel story thread that involves lot of contemporary issues like oppresion of weaker sex and a premise on the subcontinent's present rage- cricket. What can you do with it?
You can royally screw up the whole thing by making the leading pair run around trees and sing! Unbelievable... thats bollywood, a whole oppertunity to make a classic film spoiled by putting in lot of predictability and cliches.
I watched Dil Bole Hadippa last day... I wouldnt have seen (seen not watched!) it full if it didnt had Rani and Anupam Kher who puts up superb performances with a wafer thin script. Shahid Kapoor after a brilliant performanF in Kaminey totally goes beserk aping Shahrukh a la Chakde Style.
Come on, man! we have seen NRI returned choclate heroes, we have seen heroines teaching them indian culture, we have seen them running around trees and going on dates... but we havent seen an Indian heroine with a cricket bat in her hand kicking some ass in cricket field dressed up as Sardar with thick beard. Instead of decveloping on these novelties you ended up serving us same old stuff yet again... Dissappointing!

Resigned....

Last week I gave my resignation from FPL. There was an offer from my friend that was standing from months. Finally I decided to take it. It is good if it goes as he has told, I get a hike of 20% and stake of 10% in his firm. Yes, this is the same place I had worked before joining FPL. Hope things goes right this time around.
Fortunately relieving from FPL wont be a big task as I thought. My reliever will join next week. Then it will be only a case of handing over the tasks to him and ESCAPE!
I will have to shift my home somewhere near Whitefield. House owner says he can give advance only on January.. have requested to do something about it. That problem also will be solved if some one agrees to come therwe soon. After all it is a much coveted house in the neighborhood.
Friends are looking for a home already. I have to go there tomorrow to check out some places. I have told amma that we wont be getting a home so big and nice as the present one in city, but hope she wont mind.