A Sort of Review - Body of Lies

Films, Media, Reviews 7 Responses »
May 162010

I like watching movies uninterrupted. no breaks every 15 minutes, no phones ringing, no kids crying …. Which pretty much rules out watching movies on TV or even at the multiplex. At one point in time I had a huge VHS collection – now I tend to buy DVD’s where i can, or watch it as a DIVX.

I acquired a Body of Lies sometime last year. I have always liked the work of Ridley Scott – and consider Blade Runner amongst my favorite films of all times.

Body of Lies is Ridley Scott’s adaptation of a novel by David Ignatius.The story is about the CIA’s war on terrorism – and how the lines get blurred between them and those they fight.

Di Caprio plays Roger Ferris a ground level operator – who hops across the Middle East trying to keep the world safe ! Russel Crowe plays his CIA controller Ed Hoffman – flabby, and with a God Complex – who pulls his strings like a puppeteer.

The one role that stood out was that of the Jordanian Intelligence Chief Hani – played by Mark Strong. He is alone worth the 2 odd hours you spend on the film.

If you suspend belief – which you must since this is a film – the film is plausible. The film contains the kitchen sink – Gizmos, satellite technology that can read a coke label from the skies, A Hero who can flit from country to country and take over spy operations, who speaks the language like a native, who along with one guy on a computer manages to create a terrorist organisation by him self, and a nice nurse whom he falls for – and for whose safety he hands himself over to the bad guys to face torture and possibly death. It makes you ask ek admi desh ke liye kya kya karega :)

In a way it was a nice Sunny Deol role for Di Caprio – the only thing missing was dancing in the desert.

Di Caprio is earnest as Roger Ferris – almost believable in what’s a Bond role without the suspension of disbelief. Crowe – his controller, and someone Di Caprio is in conversation all the time – has a seriously funny track. He controls intelligence while playing dad – in between taking his kids to the loo, football matches, dropping them off at school and the like. If intelligence is controlled this way – no wonder the US is losing the war on terror :)

This by no means was a bad film, but it is not something i will remember even next week !

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Posted by gargi at 10:10 pm Tagged with: , ,

Outliers - a Review

Books, Desi Pundit, Media, Reviews 7 Responses »
Jul 262009

Outliers

Take some data. it could be any data. Add a bit of correlation, stir in a bit of causality, simmer with coincidence and garnish with a leap of faith – package well with a chatty narrative style -and bingo – you have Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, which looks at what makes people successful.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book immensely. I finished it in two days. I found it entertaining and his take on the world, as always, is engaging. But, there was nothing new. Nothing that made you look up from the book and say “oh, wow – why didn’t i think of that’ . Nor is there the kind of insight that there was in “Tipping Point”

But, as always, with his books – i did like the construction of each hypothesis and the way he draws together various, diverse, distinct and seemingly antithetical strands – and builds cohesive and plausible argument.

As I said earlier, Gladwell looks at what makes successful people. And, the answer is Hard Work (10k + hours before success), when you were born, Historical conditions, ethnicity – the Chinese work harder because of their history as paddy growers; Language – kids who learn in their more precise mother tongue do better ; and social class. Definitely not rocket science. Nor piercing insight. But, well written, nonetheless.

Would I recommend this book – yes. it is a lesson in non linear thinking. So long as you don’t expect any great insights – its a good book.

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Posted by gargi at 8:11 pm Tagged with: , ,

Krishnaa's Konfessions Quick Review

Books, India, Reviews 1 Response »
Aug 122008

After a long time, I picked up a book by an Indian author and managed to finish it. And enjoy it. And, not tear out my hair in frustration at the pace of the story or the meta level philosophical inputs that keep creeping into story lines.
krishnaa

Smita Jain’s debut novel is a good fun romp through the murky pool that is the Television Soap industry. Krishnaa – real name Priya – is a soap writer with a writer’s block . When you have to churn out 4 episodes a week – and everyone and his kitchen sink are doing pretty much the same — there is a definite possibility that a writer’s block will set in. So she sets about turning her neighbour’s telescope into the homes of other neighbour’s and ends up with a mystery that could end up getting her killed.

Fun, contemporary, desi and without any metaphysical angst or mumbo jumbo — Krishnaa’s Konfessions is a fun read… do try and pick it up…

I am hoping to see more from this author….

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Posted by gargi at 3:20 pm Tagged with: , ,

Rang De Basanti

Films, India 7 Responses »
Jan 282006

Last evening SR,SK and I played hookey from work to go and see Rang De Basanti. One of the few films in recent times that completely struck a chord with me. And by the sounds of it – the audience as well. One of the few times one could see a movie in complete silence – no mobiles rang. The audience laughed, winced, sniffed almost synchronistically! The story is a coming of age and conciousness of a bunch of lotus eaters – Aamir Khan (DJ), Kunal Kapoor (Aslam), Sidarth (Karan), Sharman Joshi (Sukhi)- into whose life comes a Hindi speaking Brit Documentary film maker Sue (Alice Patten)- Her teri maa ki aankh had the audience in stitches, and it was so pat & perfect. Sue’s grand father served in British India. He was to jailor to Bhagat Singh & his friends.And his diary recounts his attempts at breaking his prisoners, which leaves them stronger and him broken. Sue’s documentary is the story of her grandfather and his memories of these young men who died for their ideals. Sue’s friend in India Sonia (Soha Ali Khan) – who is a part of the Lotus Eater Group. Sue’s first interaction with group ends with a confrontation with an unnamed rightwing group – let by Lakshman Pandey (Atul Kulkarni). On the periphery of the group is Flt.Lt. Ajay Rathod ( a very well fed Madhavan), the love of Sonia’s life. Sue cannot fathom why the Gen Nex of India doesn’t care a damn about its dead freedom fighters. or about doing something for their country. The film maker in her casts them in the roles of Chandrashekar Azad, Bhaghat Singh and co. And in doing so she changes their destiny. The film flits between Sue’s interaction with DJ & co, and her making of the documentrary – telling the story of her grandfather, Chandrashekar Azad, Bhagat Singh and co. At first the content is a bunch of words that have no relavence. It is difficult for the ametuer actors to relate to them, remember them, and deliver them with impact. However, as the documentary progresses, the words begin getting more personal. Enacting the roles of those with ideals seems to imbibe the lot with more than ideals. It imbibes them with resolve and steadfastness to see out a course of action. Continue reading »

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Posted by gargi at 10:16 pm Tagged with: , , ,

Freedom from Caste?

India 2 Responses »
Aug 172005

One of the purchases that I made at the Strand Book Sale was Dr. Narendra Jadhav's book The Untouchable.
From the author's note, the book grabs your attention and keeps it rivetted.

"Every sixth human being in the world today is an Indian, and every sixth Indian is an erstwhile untouchable, a Dalit"

The book is an incredible read. In the main it is a romance – the love story between Dr.Jadhav's father – Damu – and his mother – Sonu. Caste forms the backdrop of this incredible partnership. The affection, love and mutual respect that Damu and Sonu have for each other comes through in every page. Sonu's voice and perspective and her vision of happiness completemented by Damu's vision of a society where he and his children are treated just the same as anyone else. Not much to ask for, but a lot even in today's day and age.

The story begins with Damu running away from his village to Mumbai to escape caste oppression. He does the unthinkable. Stands up for his rights as a human being. And that in a caste ridden village society is a definite no no, and he gets whipped for his troubles. In the middle of the night – he and his wife take off for Mumbai.

The book is divided into alternate Damu and Sonu chapters. So we see the unfolding of this incredible story from both points of view. Different perspectives of the same event. Parallel events in each others lives that build the narrative. Sonu's incredible story of how she as a new wife learns to 'love' her husband. Damu's own feelings of tenderness and affection towards his wife contrasted with his sense of outrage at an unfair system. And this outrage is directed as much towards the upper castes that seek to dominate and oppress Damu and his family, as it is directed towards his own community for accepting the discrimination.

Damu describes the aftermath of the Mahad water agitation – where Ambedkar had led a satyagraha to ensure that Dalits were allowed equal rights to portable water. He says (pg 24):

We returned to Mumbai only to learn that the orthodox high-born of Mahad had the Brahmin priests 'purify' the 'desecrated' water reservoir by pouring into it 108 pots of curd, milk, cow-dung and cow urine amidst loud religious chants?
Didn't these educated people realise that the notion of purification with animal urine was more ridiculous and despicable than the idea of defilement by human touch?

Obviously not. In conservative Tam Bram families even today – it is recommended that a woman who has delivered a baby has the panchamrut that is made up of milk, ghee, cow's urine, a bit of dung and something else equally yuk. It is no wonder that most of my female cousins remain unmarried and unhindered by kids!

Advice that Sonu is given on making her husband happy:

"Accept your husband. Taht is the reason why we have been given our long flowing padar for the sari. It is big enough to accomodate all the shortcomings of our men, and long enough to cover them with the shade of our understanding"

Caste oppression and discrimination are part and parcel of the book. But nowhere does the author let go of the narrative and stand on a soapbox. And, that is possibly the reason why the book makes more of an impact than anything else that I have read on caste. It is chilling in its normalcy. You care so much about Damu and Sonu that anyone who wants to harm them is the villian.

Unfortunately, I cannot find an on-line reference for the book. But, buy the book. gift the book. It is a must read for our generation. Especially because many of us believe that caste does not matter any more.

untouchable

And for all of us who think that caste is history, think again. This morning while reading the newspaper this article. A Dalit woman (therefore doubly discriminated) sarpanch was not allowed to raise the flag on independence day:

In a letter to the Bundelkhand police superintendent, Anita Bai Ahirwar has alleged that government officials did not permit her to hoist the national flag on August 15 because she belongs to the Dalit community.

“I was told by the officials that chamar-chamariya (Dalits) cannot hoist the national flag at the centre of a market place,” Anita Bai wrote, giving an account of how she was prevented from raising the flag in a chowk that fell under the jurisdiction of her panchayat.

Words fail me on this one. They truly do.

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