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August 15th. A day associated with flags, flag hoisting, and a general level of celebration.
So, what is so very special about this day ? What is it that we are celebrating ?
Freedom is an obvious answer – but freedom from what? Theoretically, it is freedom from the rule of the British Empire or Independence from the British Empire.
So what is it that Independence means – it means the right to run your own life. But, as we all know, as human beings, we can’t ever be totally free. There are too many bonds and obligations. We cannot do what ever we want, in any society that we live in. For example, you cannot run naked down your street without being arrested for obscenity. You cannot increase the size of your home without a zillion permissions. you cannot marry more than one person simultaneously. Infact, most of our lives are determined by all those things that we can’t do, rather than all the things that you can. All that we can do is live within a certain set of laws, rules, norms and regulations – that hopefully, allows you maximum flexibility in leading your life without too many constraints.
What does Independence or indeed Freedom mean to nations? The ability to be free of ‘outside’ interference. But, we live in an interconnected world. (Unless, of course you live in North Korea). The UN, theoretically, ensures ‘good’ political behavior; the World Bank ‘good’ financial behavior; the ITU ‘good’ telecommunications behavior and so on. Most nations cannot get away with murder – unless of course you are the USA led by George Bush or Pakistan under any leader.
So, I come back to my question – what is it that we are celebrating, and should we really be looking at how we define that day – so that in a modern world, it doesn’t just become another day marked by cards and revelry without any substance ?
Is it freedom that we ought to be celebrating or the Right to Self Determination
If it is the latter, then what happens if one part of the Nation wants the right to self determination by itself ? Should there be force used to keep this part back in the whole or should the people be given the chance to exercise their right to determine their future ?
Maybe we ought to be celebrating interdependence rather than independence. A day where most people in this country choose to be part of the whole rather than being part of various fragments. Where each part of that whole is important, is treated with dignity and respect. And, where the nation lives up to the promise of allowing us the freedom to be.
For me, freedom is the ability to live my life with a certain sense of security – economic, political, religious, legal – where I can live my life without interference or threat of interference; without braving bullets to get to work or to get home; where my little savings grow steadily without fear that it will disappear down some rabbit hatch; where food is not a luxury; where medical care is available for all, not just those who can afford it; Where learning is accessible and not forbidden; where i don’t get beaten up for breaking rules written a couple of thousand years ago …
For me, Independence Day actually means all these. And, i have benefited from most of the things that i have listed. I am lucky that I don’t live in a community with a Khap panchayat or a state where the Armed Forces Special Provisions Act is in force; – I am lucky that my home does not adjoin hills rich in minerals that are gifted away to prospectors; and I count my blessings that my desire for education was neither hampered by my gender, or religious rules, or societal norms or abject poverty. But, a large chunk of people who became free on the same day as I, do not enjoy those freedoms.
Maybe – we all collectively, rather than converting 15th August to a Hallmark card and a shopping discount day, ought to keep this day contemplative and work towards ensuring that Independence is not just a term.
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One of the parameters of development is girls going to school.
For me, there are few more uplifting sights than mothers taking their kids to school
Kishore Kumar was a genius. His repertoire varied. and his legacy phenomenal. He was perfectly at ease with all kinds of music
from the fun & frolic (my name is anthony gonsalves); to the melancholy (manzilen apni jagah hai); from the soft wooing numbers (ek ajnabi hasina se) to the boisterous declaration of intent (haal kya hai dilon ka na pucho sanam). He also was great at the rebel anthem – muqaddar ka sikandar – and the whimsical folksy philo number -which Mukesh did very well – like ruk jaana nahin …
There is another area of songs that Kishoreda excelled in, and that was the inebriated lover. I am not quite sure whether he imbibed or not, but the songs that he sang for the intoxicated lover were quite outstanding. Here in, no order of preference are my favorite Kishore da ‘drunken’ numbers
A) Yeh jo Mohabat Hai - no one sang for a wounded lover, better than Kishoreda. For some reason he managed the bitterness, the hurt and the ‘why me’ feeling better than most. Rafi sahaab’s drunken songs (hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukare) were more melanchonic, Kishore da’s more punchy
Here he is, in the film Kati Patang, drinking to the vagaries of a disloyal love. ‘mar jaye mit jaaye, ho jaaye badnaam’ sound incredibly personal.
B) My Name is Anthony Gonsalves – Kishore Da sings for the Big B. I can’t think of a more endearing drunk than Anthony Gonsalves. Remember the scene in the film, where Anthony after a punch up with Amar (Vinod Khanna) begins applying band aid on the mirror !
This is the song where Anthony chances upon Jenny (Parveen Babi) and promptly gets drunk. The song is a blast and an all time favorite.
The English gibberish ‘the hemoglobin of the atmosphere’ is rapped (before the term came into existence ) by Amitabh Bachchan.
C) Yeh Kya Huva - alcohol does not just get you drunk, it also leads to philosophical clarity (atleast in Hindi films) as is the case in Amar Prem. Kishore Da sings this for Rajesh Khanna who is trying to figure the who, where, when, what, why of life 
D) Salaam-e-Ishq meri jaan - alcohol doesn’t just make you melanchonic or philosophical, it also lowers your inhibitions. Here is a song from Muqadaar ka Sikandar – my favorite adaptation of Devdas. Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan setting the screen on fire with Salaam-e-Ishq
E) Jai Jai Shiv Shankar - Bhang is not alcohol – but its effects are similar. Loss of inhibition, boisterous behavior, and the belief you can ‘handle’ it. An emotion akin to that felt by idiots who get behind the wheel of a car and drive after one too many. Here is Kishore da (with Lata Mangeshkar) singing for a completely sloshed Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz in Aap ki Kasam
and of course, there is the Big B, after consuming bhang laced paan who has a blast in the old “Don”. Legend had it that Kishoreda, sang the first part of the song with paan in his mouth – whether it was laced with Bhaang or not is anyone’s guess.
F) Thodi si jo Peeli - When you are drunk, you do strange things like dance on tables (a friend has done that) or sing antakshari with Shiv Sena workers (me – or you do what AB does in Namak Halaal – tho’ in this song, if memory serves me right, he pretends to be drunk rather than being. But still a good inebriated song. Check for KK’s well timed hiccups
for me, this film was the best that Bappi Da has ever composed for – each song is a classic.
G) Hai Hai Hai Yeh Nighayen - In early Hindi films – 50′s and even 1960′s alcohol meant westernization – unless of course you were getting drunk on country liquor in a tawaif’s kota. It never happenend in a family, party scenario. Here is one of the early Kishore numbers picturised on Dev Anand – who actually didn’t need alcohol to be wobbly – The film is Paying Guest
H) Khulam Khula Pyaar Karenge Hum Dono – Alcohol, in Hindi films, is also a pheromone, that brings about strange behavior in those who imbibe it. Such as the desire to make out on a public road in the hill stations. Here are Kishore Da and Asha Bhonsle singing for Rishi Kapoor & Neetu Singh – in Khel Khel Mein.
I) Badi Sooni Sooni Hai - the single drink is a dangerous thing, especially when you are depressed or alone. It accentuates the feeling and pushes you to the second, and the third and so on…. As exhibited by AB in Mili. There is no one more alone than AB in this film – his father murdered his mother when he was a kid, and the neighbours can’t stop talking about him. His salvation is Mili (Jaya B) – classic Mills & Boon plot with a great dose of sentimentality. There is one more first here – AB acted in a chick flic before the term came into existence.
J) Chingari Koi Badke - Alcohol disperses all illusions and makes the world a clearer place – atleast until you stay drunk. The film is Amar Prem, and Kishore Kumar sings for Rajesh Khanna – who is in a permanent state of alcohol induced philosopher mode. One of my favorite songs of all times.
Do add your favorites to this list.
Also check out last year’s list – Classical Kishore - Kishore da singing songs based on classical ragas.
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shooting in Madh is always interesting. And, much as I like shooting photos of cast and crew, it is the neighbourhood that fascinates me.
Madh,in addition to having shooting locations, is also the home to small fishing villages ,who possibly look at all of us in the media doing silly things, scratch their heads and say ‘these people must be crazy’
Last month – on an overcast day -when everytime i said roll the clouds burst – we shot at Grafiti house – Madh with Sonali Kulkarni, for the show Art Beat.
This is one of the clicks from there.very over exposed – but i like the whites and the hint of a human … sometimes flawed photos really strike a chord !
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Today is Bharat Bandh…. at least Mumbai Bandh. The road outside my house is deserted. All the building kids are out playing football. There isn’t a rick to be seen. Buses are few & far between …. And, I have nothing better to do than catch up on reading.
Amongst the old headlines that I read, in my poor inflated google reader, was one that struck me as being the panacea to all problems. It was, of course, my favorite body – the Khap Panchayat – coming out with another gem. They advocate the lowering of marriage age – from 18 to 15 for girls – to prevent elopement and therefore honour killings!
Om Prakash Mann, Haryana president of All India Jat Mahasabha, said.
“By lowering the legal age of marriage, young couples can be prevented from eloping. A girl brings shame to her family when she runs away. Parents kill the guilty children in a fit of rage,” he said.
My first response was WTF, and my second was ‘what a brilliant idea’ – if we take this kind of thinking to its logical end, think of all the social problems that we can solve. I have jotted down a few, please feel free to add your thoughts to this
- Rape – Men Rape. If men are castrated (chemically, we don’t want to cause the poor dears any pain) they can’t rape. So castrating all men – whether or not they are potential rapists will prevent rape.
- Widow remarriage is against our custom. If we didn’t get married, we won’t get widowed/widowered … abolishing marriage, therefore, will prevent widows. and therefore prevent the socially delicate problem of widow remarriage.
- Female Foeticide - If men are castrated, and marriage is banned, then there can be no children and therefore no female foeticide
- Dowry – if there are no girls there should be no dowry. But, to be on the safe side, let’s ban all goods and services. And, while we are at it – let’s ban money.
- Pollution – Industries cause pollution. Get rid of industries then most pollution will disappear. Also, since industries produce goods, and people ask for goods as dowry – banning industry will also stop dowry …
finally, even if there are only one boy and one girl from the Jat community renaming after all our strictures are followed, we will still oppose intercaste marriage — because it is against our culture
And finally, to all my friends who were embarrassed by the Maulvi’s and their idiot fatwas, don’t worry the Hindus have caught up
finally. the baby is out. a labour of love, sweat, tears and a fair amount of screaming . Some of us have gone bald, the others grey. we have lost weight, and sleep. The birthing pangs have been quite something. But, will we do it again – in a heartbeat
sometimes i wonder if the making of a movie is as exciting as the movie itself.
Now the formal bit :
Cogito Entertainment’s maiden Marathi Feature Film – Jhing Chik Jhing – releases today in theatres across Maharashtra.
Having won a dozen or so awards – from best story to best film, best actors to best child actors – the film has been received well at all the previews that we have had till date.
But, the true test is with how the audiences respond to the story, the actors, and whether they talk about it to others encouraging them to see!
We have done our best, the rest is in the hands of the audience
Here are the theatres in which the film is available in Mumbai:
In Mumbai the film is available with English sub-titles at the following theatres, and at the following times :
sun city – vile parle- 12.45 show
24 karat – jogeshwari w – 4.15 show
Movie Star – Goregaon – 6 pm & 9 pm.
In Pune these are the theatres in which the film is available :
In Pune the film is available with sub-titles at INOX for the 1.40 pm show.
the reviews have already begun coming in:
Check out:
- Poonam’s review at Visceral Observations here
- HT Cafe’s review over here
- Passion for Cinema has a bit here with User Generated reviews and ratings
- Upperstall – has a similar page here
- Jeeturaj at Radio Mirchi gave it a 4 star rating yesterday
- Amit Bhandari at Star maaza – said it is a must watch film, and gave it a 4 star rating.
Do try and catch it – and let me know what you think
Not the problem facing a third of Indian districts – but the colour. It is quite fascinating, how much of red pops up when you decide to see India through a view finder.
When i first began working in television, one of the no-no colours was red (the other was white) – both were supposed to cause video noise on telecast. But, later I understood that it was a problem with the way the colours were lit, and the expertise of the cameraman – not the colours in themselves.
when you travel India and neighbouring countries, you see a lot of variants of red – and i love the contrast with the browns and the greens, and click. Here are some of my favourites
This is a Laman woman, somewhere near Ahmednagar – Maharashtra. The Laman’s were traditionally salt selling nomadic. But post independence they were given land and became settled. Their costumes tend to have coins sewn into them, as well as mirrors.
a farm worker in Nepal.
A women’s group in Himachal Pradesh that was gathering that day to work out how to get a road to their village.
A sadhu outside the Kizhaperumpallam temple – one of the sacred Navagrahas, plus a temple to the Lord of the Universe Mahadeva.
Tail lights reflected in the rain, Mumbai !
a woman going to work – Mumbai
A tomato seller, Mumbai
and the little flower girl – selling roses in the rain, Mumbai
Of course, no post on red will be complete without one of my favorite ads of all times – the Coke ad from the 1996 world cup – the colour of passion is red, with Nusrat on the music track – what more can you ask for ?
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Cogito Entertainment’s first Marathi Feature Film “Jhing Chik Jhing” releases on the 11th of June 2010.
Promotion and Publicity are in full swing. The partners are all over Maharashtra holding Press Conferences. The promos will hit the TV channels by the end of this week, and the theatrical trailer is running across theatres in Maharashtra
Here is the theatrical trailer:
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Cogito Entertainment’s first Marathi feature film Jhing Chik Jhing is releasing on the 11th of June . And, obviously before its release there are a zillion things to be organised and put into place. Distribution is the next phase of the film. and to get audiences to the theaters, a fair amount of thinking and planning has gone into publicity and promotion.
Yesterday, we received the photosets that will go up at various theaters. Have a look. And, tell me what you think !
Bharat Jadhav in his award winning role as Mouli – a good decent man who has nothing left to lose but his sense of honour and self respect.
Chinmay Kambli in his award winning role as Shyam – a boy who won’t let circumstances prevent him from reaching for the stars
Madhavi Juvekar – i her award winning role as Manda.
Dilip Prabhavalkar – plays kavi
Aarti More plays Dipti
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