Freebies??...seriously sleazy

Hello pals,

Spring is here, so much colour, so much vibrance, the weather seems a little hotter than usual here in Bangalore, but the full bloomed trees around holds the flavor of the season. Can't wait more blooming n brightness.

Picture of the post is very much spring's favorite flowering worldwide, the cherry blossoms. Pictured in Kew Gardens, London, these pink blossoms are my most favorite.

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Free Free Free..as soon as this tag catches our eye, we rush in to find what it is and grab one without asking why it is free? This is most common human syndrome...we can't ignore the freebies. Just because they are free they need not be useful or attractive. Just the term 'free' associated with it is all worth the pain to grab it. We don't mind the long queues, claustrophobic lanes, crowded malls, long waits anything will be withstood. With the same craze for freebies, we often run behind those masquerades who in the name of free schemes cash this vulnerability in us. 

Just like the big businesses when under pressure tend to offer discounts, freebies and attractive offers to lure the customers, those masquerades also follow similar strategy. All is well as long as the business runs well, it could be because of the quality offered, or the top notch services or for its sheer variety. The free scheme strategies step in only when the business starts sliding down in the market. Proper recovery strategies could be something like inspecting and retrospecting internal flaws. Since this is tedious and involves some serious commitment to be better, and only those businessmen who are quite committed and passionate to keep up their business standards go for retrospection, the rest opt for easy alternatives like free schemes. This is easy because, the proclivity to get freebies never dies down in us. 

Across pan India, so many chief ministers have been vouching many freebies from rice to power, from health to travel, from books to laptops if they were voted. Some of them did keep up their vows..recent freebie event was at UP as you all know. Laptops were the giveaways as part of the event. May be next time, they could giveaway nano cars for those people below poverty level to 'to erase the economic boundaries' as they call it. At least the nano cars will provide some shelter to live, as anyways their economic status will not support them to fuel the car. With such expensive items as giveaways how else can we show gratitude except accepting them to swallow huge chunks of public money to fill in their big bad accounts.

So our tendency to love and enjoy freebies is strategically exploited to its best. We never imagine what they are asking in return or what they are trying to grab in return...do we?? As a cousin of mine said.."why should we? we got what we want and they will take what they want..who cares". Yes we hardly care. That is why they pay big bucks to buy our 'right to chose',..in other words 'our freedom of expression' is bought and molded as per the buyer's wish. Yet, we don't care..because we aren't smart when it comes to resisting the bait.

Of course, the offers are too alluring to resist...there are color TVs, laptops, free rice, free health, free education etc; To run those free laptops and TVs,there should be power and many states are already in shortage. Hence, the laptops become real piece of poster hoardings (for the ex-CM). When one can't afford a square meal, what else they could do but watch that free color TV with starving stomach. The free health offer for below poverty line people could kick up the other prices high into the sky as even the well put up families use that scheme masking themselves as poor...and free rice scheme could help us accumulate more and just more carbohydrates as other staples will be at unusually high prices. The free education could get any tom dick & harry graduate no matter they are interested or qualified. So where are we heading??? In spite of all these big time side effects, we still can't get over the freebies.

Never do we ask those masquerades to govern us in such a way that we get the basic necessities at affordable prices,stop the worthless schemes which brings the lazy bugs out in us, corrupt free governance that doesn't allow us and them to act as per own wish, and let them know that we cast the votes only on performance basis but not for the gimmicks they play.

Don't you think offering those freebies is sleazy???

Cheers

Jyostna 

Endorsing an Exquisite Flick

Hello All,

Wishing all the readers a very Happy Dussera!!! I hail from the Durga Ma's famous temple town, so Dussera  has always been a special festival for us. Visiting the temple at least once during the Navrathri days was mandatory and quite a feat because there was huge crowd always and it continues to be so even now. Dussera is symbolically celebrated for triumphant victory of good over evil and considered as the best time to start something! 

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In India, entertainment has been limited to cinema & TV to many. Going out for a picnic, doing an adventurous hike, hanging out with friends is pretty much pertained to youngsters and college goers. Except for few communities from the metropolitans, the scenario hasn't changed. Art exhibitions, magic shows, literature, dance and music festivals etc don’t appeal to most of us. Hence cinema has occupied prominent position in entertainment arena. 

The influence of cinema has also been quite strong since decades. Our rituals and festivals also include cinema these days, be it the dialogues, the histrionics, or the music. When cinema has so much to do in our lives, don’t you think there should some responsibility and sensibility in the movie makers. But how many of them have that in mind while crafting their story line??? Imagine a cinema that would conquer all your senses, connects with you emotionally, and still entertains you...have you seen one lately??? I did!

I have been a great fan of director Balki's craft. I loved the cinematography brilliance in his films, and the subtle portraying of the characters. Nothing is overdone, no dramatic scenes yet connects with you so emotionally. Music was also soothing and relates so much with the storyline. After all, it was the maestro's magic! When his wife Gowri Shinde came up with her film, I wasn't surprised but expected that she would have taken up some lessons from her husband, in other words, her cinema would be Balki influenced!!! However, my assumptions were proved to be incorrect after watching the film ‘English Vinglish’. Very few debut directors have the finesse in storytelling; at least most of them tumble at screen playing their characters even though they are very good script writers. I think she has done exceptionally well, that you never miss the continuity in the story. As I mentioned, Balki’s films have excelled in cinematography aspects, the same applies to Gowri’s as well. NYC has been the most picturesque location for filming, but the excellence lies in capturing the soul of the city and was rightly done.

Coming to the storytelling aspect, her choice of lead protagonist is one of the keys to her success. I wouldn't say nobody else could pull off that role like the eternal actress Sridevi, but this being her comeback film is one of the best advantages why the director could succeed. The same strategy, I think worked for a film like Cheenikum too. If not Amitabh, somebody else could also do the role, but films like that need a combination of a crowd puller and an exceptional actor. Here Gowri Shinde had loyally followed her husband’s footsteps.

Coming to the responsible and sensible factor that I mentioned…the film had certainly justified that aspect too by giving 3 very best solutions for the biggest of today’s problems in families.

Problem 1 - The insecurities and the behaviour problems which draw a divide between the teens & parents. Shashi’s (Sridevi) teen daughter’s adamant behaviour hurting her sensitiveness is very well conceived in all the scenes. Neither the mother turns out too dramatic unlike many nor does the eldest in the family (grani) emote furiously. Instead the grani shrugs off saying its very common problem with teens.

Solution – As subtle as the problem was portrayed, so was the solution coming as an answer that was put in a wisest way possible. It was Shashi expressing her feelings in English, which she learnt with determination after being humiliated by her own husband and teen daughter. The solution not being shown as a retort but a simple wise way of making people realize what was their mistake.

Problem 2 – Imbalance in marital relation often misunderstood as infidelity leading to divorce and break ups. Shashi’s husband was shown often occupied with his own world, masking his love with male ego, ignoring her for different reasons, bullying her weakness and taking pride in doing so, not considering her feelings as important as his etc., Time and again this is misunderstood as infidelity and leads to break ups.

Solution – Clearing the confusion airs about this kinda attitude from the spouse, especially when the two have travelled quite a long time together. It is important to bring back the balance. The answer came from the loyal and wise housewife Shashi explaining how a marriage should survive in difficult times. Again, no drama in this process but puts across her lines with austerity ‘that at least one of the two should stand up and take charge of the situation to bring back the harmony instead of vying more and more because that phase is temporary and could be resolved’. Marriages which fall apart for silly reasons have big lesson to learn from the speech that Shashi delivers to her niece. Most of the times, it is confusion that leads to break ups. 

Problem 3 – Another common phase in a man or woman’s life which is not generally spoken out in our society considering it as a taboo. Post marriage, for a man or woman, at a certain point of time there would be an attraction from the outside world. There is nothing to disagree. When Shashi was proposed by her co learner in the class, she takes it in a very positive way although shocked for a second. She answers him that she is happy that somebody makes her feel good about herself.

Solution – Being liked by somebody is no way a grave sin; let it be even after marriage. But, knowing where to draw a line is where your dignity lies. As Shashi says that she feels happy that somebody appreciates her beauty and cooking skill while her own family ignores. Well aware with Shashi’s  family issues, when her niece overhears the proposal, she encourages that it is okay to go otherwise…Shashi again strikes back with a crystal clear answer that she is need of respect and not love. Hence she rejects the proposal with poise, grace and clarity. It is very easy to fall for an outsider when your own relation is in a turbulent phase. But having the clarity between the myths and reality at that stage is very much important. The fact that her family ignores her is real, but doesn't love her is a myth! She is very much aware of that which many of them are not in real lives.

All these truths have been perfectly interwoven with the script not sidetracking the main storyline. And of course, Sridevi is one big aspect why you are glued to your seats, she has sheer magic and charm in her performance! On a lighter note, what an idiot would he be if he ignores a wife as beautiful as Sridevi ;). Kudos to the new captain(Gowri Shinde) on the block for the exquisite work she has done!!!

Cheers

Jyostna