We’ve had fun in the world of Blogosphere. There are times when someone would suggest you to start your own blog, and share your personal opinions & experiences. The first thought that came to my mind was, why blog, what difference does it make? Are we gaining anything from it? Other than reader’s comments. But once this assignment was given out in class it actually changed my perspective of blogging. There are good and bad sides to a blog.

The bad sides is that it’s really hard to get noticed by other bloggers and have your voice stand out. Like I initially had a tough time requesting people to view my blog and express their views and opinions. If you have the right kind of writing skill and a unique content, people can become a part of your world.

The experience I’ve gained from blogging was the ability to self express. It is not easy for a average person to form thoughts and express them regularly in the form of a blog to be viewed by friends and strangers alike. According to my theory of blogging, it brings out a right to self expression, simplicity and genuineness.

Before signing off this assignment, I must thank my teacher and the rest of the students of MS Communication where they’ve been very cooperative for taking their time off reading my blogs. And it’s been an incredible experience.

I am not a great Stephanie Meyers fan, but I sure watched Twilight around 5 times. And this was not because I am in love with Robert Pattinson, but because I liked the director’s other movie Thirteen , and a really close friend is one of the fatally ‘Robsessed’ girls, and so anyway I watched the movie quite a few times. Now that I haven’t really had the time to get a bootlegged copy off the net, and it has not released in India yet, I can’t wait to watch New Moon.

But for my entertainment and yours, I have asked my crazy obsessed people to give me her views, and I’ve put them up here. Besides, here’s the link to the Rotten Tomatoes page.

Now. This is intense.

Twilght was an indie film, made on a small budget of $32 mil. The dialogues were cheesy, the acting bad, and the special effects were the worst seen in decades. I blame the director for all these shortcomings. One thing that did work, however, was the music. The background score and the soundtrack were haunting, possibly one of the best in 2008. It was because of the music that the general mediocrity of the movie could be ignored. And the style of the film was such that you would be drawn to Edward Cullen, the Byronic vampire hero. In spite of all its flaws (and there were many), Twilight was like a drug; you just had to keep watching it, squirm-worthy scenes or not.
 
In New Moon, the first-person narrator Bella Swan is dumped by the love of her life, Edward. Little does she know that he is leaving her only to protect her from his grisly other-worldliness. Bella, being a typical insecure teenager, buys into his lie and readily believes that he doesn’t want her anymore. So she becomes catatonic, and the only person who can save her from madness is Jacob Black, a werewolf. — Ok I got bored of summarising the story. Will just give my opinions. Delete this para.
 
Summit Entertainment did the many fans of The Twilight Saga a great disservice by increasing the budget of New Moon by only $10 mil, a pittance for something with such a massive fan-following. New Moon shines where Twilight failed, yet, it doesn’t have the pull that the first installment did. First, and most importantly, the background score is highly un-memorable. Some good songs from the soundtrack aren’t used as well as they could have been. There are exceptions of course, Possibility and Hearing Damage elevate their scenes to a completely different level.
 
Acting: The humans have done a wonderful job, bringing humour into an otherwise angsty movie. Billy Burke as Bella’s father, and Anna Kendrick and Mike Welsh as Bella’s friends Jessica and Mike steal the scenes in which they appear. Kristen Stewart who plays Bella, carries the entire movie on her capable shoulders; without her expressive acting, we wouldn’t know what was going on. Mixed reviews for the vampires; Michael Sheen as Aro shines, Robert Pattinson as Edward merely does his job and looks pretty (stunning). For someone who hasn’t read the books, his acting will seem mediocre, but he plays his part well, especially in the scene where he has to portray immense pain. Ashley Greene plays an annoying Alice, and you want to punch her while giving her fashion advice. Apart from Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), the werewolves have little role, and their performance is passable.
 
There is great improvement in the makeup department, but one wonders why no one bothered to upgrade to a better costume designer/wardrobe specialist. The cinematography and special effects are excellent; the discerning eye will see subtle touches such as the camera being nudged by CGI wolves, and a vampire’s speed being given context by a bird. The screenplay is shoddy, with poor pacing, an excess of cheesy lines (“I am nothing, nothing”, “No Bella, you’re everything, everything”), and a ridiculous scene where the couple wear granny-clothes, but overall, the movie works very well. It succeeds in one area that even the author failed; the convincing build-up to a love triangle. Watch it if you have read and liked the books, or have an affinity towards angsty, independent films. Watch it, also, if you like Kristen Stewart. You will fall in love with her for playing a beautiful, stubborn, strong and vulnerable Bella, arguably the most drab character in the series.

Courtesy: Deepika Sreedhar

In the final year of my Bachelors in Visual Communication, we were required to make short films-two advertisements and a short film or music video of some sort. We had to make a commercial advertisement, and one Public Service Announcement. I picked a commercial on Lipstick. It was a fun affair, my friends acted in it, and we shot it in our own hostel. The lighting was one of my lamps from home, and we made the set ourselves, with a table, a few colourful bedsheets, and food arrangements. It was the most fun thing we’d ever done, trying to get my friend to emote, getting the light to fall well on her face, highlighting the lips, getting the right kind of music. Even the editing, which is usually tiresome, was absolute fun. 

The video came out delightful. Following this, I started work on the Pubic Service Announcement. This involved making a tyre bounce exactly the way we wanted it to, on all kinds of terrain- on a plain road, down a staircase, round in circles on a rocky surface, amidst others. This then had to be edited to suit the music and by the time we were done editing, it was the shortest short film ever. But also the best

The next semester, I chose to make a music video. This was a cool collaborative effort, which involved all my friends acting, we shot it in different places on campus, for almost a week. It was picturised on the song ‘ Million Ways’ by OK Go, and was about how teenagers yield to Peer Pressure and fall into the traps of drug abuse and promiscuity, and how it changes their lives in an irreversible way. The video received positive reviews from my teachers and friends alike. It was totally worth the days of planning and shooting and the hours of non stop editing

It’s been nice reliving those months of my life. They were the busiest, and yet the most fun times of my life so far.

Bedroom politics got us hooked, bedroom secrets had us shocked and now, it’s wedlock that’s catching our fancy. Or, let’s just say, cashing in on our fancy. Our fascination, obsession and the fixation with shaadi is no cult secret. With the idea of perfection attached and emotions overflowing, we live only to find a soulmate who will complete us in every respect. And boy, what a spectacle of an event that is. And, where there is a marriage, there is moolah. Loads of it!

So, the great Indian wedding tamasha got a new-found meaning with a string of reality shows showing us the holy and unholy side of matrimony. Primetime remote control junkies like nothing better than wedding extravaganzas on the soapbox. The ‘real’ wedding spectacle came when controversy’s child Rakhi Sawant decided to hold her Swyamvar. Millions were hooked to the lavishly mounted grand finale of the nation’s first ‘live’ swayamvar. It’s another matter that the it ended into a much-hyped engagement.

And, thus began the journey to the marriage mandap though tube. Star Plus had Vivaah and the Indian version of The Perfect Bride. Women looking for suitable brides for their sons through an audience poll! Rahul Mahajan turns groom with NDTV Imagine’s Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayenge with 16 girls vying to become Mrs Mahajan. All these and much more. But what’s at stake – families, emotions or traditions? What’s turning marriage into a masala TV?

Marriages have been one of the most discussed topics for us, right from the day we are born till we attain marriageable age. Matrimonial through reality TV may work because people like to see the drama unfold before their eyes.

So, it is all about selling our emotions and traditions to us and then justifying it in the name of reality? It sure is. I don’t see how such reality shows help build up a relationship or guarantee to maintain the sanctity of marriage. How long will these relationships last needs to be seen. The whole Rakhi ka Swyamvar blew up a few days back, and I don’t understand why anybody would be willing to put their personal life at stake for just a few bucks.

Well, no reason can justify why Rahul Mahajan, whose marriage to ended in an ugly divorce and whose ‘rumoured’ link ups with, Payal Rohatgi and Monika Bedi, will have 16 girls swooning around him for the sake of wedlock.

The TV wallahs have understood the psyche of how we function as a society. We have stopped thinking and are dictated by the media. It is unfortunate that we relate to these shows when all they look for is TRPs. A case of clear TRP gimmick or slice of big fat Indian weddings, one thing is for sure. These shows seem to find a perfect ground. But then, you never know about the Indian viewer.

 

Remember the 80s and the 90s? Indian cinema was blatantly commercial. They did not pretend to make artsy movies. Every movie had a central theme of entertainment. It was all so well put together, so honest. While the masala was masaledaar, the non conventional movies were pretty amazing themselves.

Here’s a look at Hindi cinema today.

http://www.thevigilidiot.com/2009/07/04/kambakkht-ishq-review/

http://www.thevigilidiot.com/2009/11/02/london-dreams/

http://www.thevigilidiot.com/2009/10/20/whats-your-rashee/

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. But it really makes us think, in a period where movies like Taare Zameen Par came out, these came along, were insanely over publicised, and a few of them even did well! Whose IQ is lower, ours or the makers’? Post in your comments!

Link Courtesy : Sahil Rizwan - http://www.thevigilidiot.com/

Evidently, I am a little late in expressing how appalling this whole Obama-Nobel thing is, but I found these comic strips from the web to compensate. There was one that said: ‘Nobel Prize for peace to Obama, Fashion to Michelle Obama and Chemistry for your amazing chemistry!’ , which was my favourite.

What exactly did the Nobel committee aim at doing? In our culture, we have this concept of a little black dot to distract from the general beauty of it all, ‘nazar na lag jaaye’ concept. Was this it?

I definitely think so. Do you?

I am currently on this Coldplay obsessive phase. On most nights,I go to sleep listening to Yellow .

Coldplay’s been around for a while now, almost a decade in the limelight. From Satellite and the Parachutes, to their amazing Rush of blood to the head, X and Y and the more recent Viva La Vida.

The song that won me over was Clocks. The cold piano opening that continues throughout the song as a riff, the lyrics that explain the contrasting switches in mood between helplessness and self infliction, the song is a masterpiece. Rush of Blood to the Head is an amazing album. Every song is so poignant, so well written, the music and the lyrics alike. Apparently, since the album came out after the September 11th attacks, it garnered great mass appeal owing to the songs having subliminal loss and the unavoidable need to move on, similar to the general feeling of the world around that time.

Another single of the Rush of.. album is God Put a smile upon your face. The song features guitar riffs, similar to the manner in which clocks opens, but it is Chris martin who steals the show. What do I like? What do I not like, about this man’s voice? His versatile voice, the adorable British drawl, the way his voice tells u how much he yearns ‘God gave you style, God gave you grace’ , when he hums the part that says ‘Your guess is as good as mine’ -priceless.

Moving on to other songs from the album, ‘Green Eyes’ is probably the sweetest song ever written for a person. ‘I came here with a load, it feels so much lighter, now I met you! Honey you should know, that I could never go on, without you’ . Probably the best example to show that anything written honestly from the heart can only come out looking beautiful. ‘And anyone who tried to deny you, must be out of their mind’.

While every song in the album ( Daylight, A Whisper, The Scientist, to name a few) deserves a special mention and pages can be written about each of them, I must take your leave now, hoping that my humble yet honest love for Coldplay has contagiously spread to your hearts.

Happy Listening!

 

2009 was amazing for Indian cinema. What with Slumdog Millionaire , and then A.R. Rahman winning two Oscars. I’ve ben watching So you think you can dance for a while now, and I haven’t seen a performance as good as this one. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do.

Go Bollywood!

 

 

 

It’s raining in Bangalore.  I walk into my apartment, my clothes and hair damp. I am desperately missing home. I call home at 8 50 pm, hoping I won’t disturb my parents while they eat dinner.

‘Hello’  It’s my grandmother. ‘Kutti, your parents have gone out, dinner with Kala aunty.’ . Ah. How could I have forgotten. Kala aunty is my nosy neighbour. As much as I hate her knowing most of everything that goes on in my house, I know my mom will be miserable if she wasn’t always around, so I unquestioningly  digest the news of their monthly ritual of dinner at the local club.

‘How’re you, paati? Are your knees fine?’ Paati loves to chat. Back at home, she’d constantly chit chat while removing the knots in my hair. Or while she taught me over and over, how to make the cross stitch. ‘ Everything’s good kanna, Paati’s getting older. How’re you?’.  The usual. Not too whiny, not too confident. The familiarity makes me want to cry.

‘I’m okay, Paati. It’s raining heavily here. random bout of rain. I got wet while coming back from dinner’. We chat for about 5-6 minutes about the weather and she uses heavy tamil words like ‘Kaliyugam’ and ‘Punyam’ . I start to feel eased into my life again.

And it starts. Paati’s voice turns into a frenzied whisper, she almost croaks out as she says, ‘Alright kutti, I’ll ask your parents to call you when they come back, I must go now.’  I was just feeling better! Why the hurry?

‘Its Kolangal time, I have to go now. Talk to you soon kanamma, she says, and clicks off the phone.’ I feel lost. But then I imagine my paati with her long, deliciously silver-white hair swishing behind her, as she sits and watches Kolangal, and smile to myself. Kolangal is the tamil soap shes been watching since I was in class ten. And yes, it’s been on for so long.

At that moment, I know why my friends call me gossip girl. And where I get that need to know everything about everything from.

We stand today at the threshold of an age where we fully appreciate the need of education. While it is true that there are bigger battles to fight like poverty, health and hygiene, all of these can be got rid of by making the simple investment of education.

But what IS education? Mere dismissal of ignorance, passing on of knowledge? Which one is education, teaching one how to answer, or teaching one how to question?

In correlation to this thought, I think of a poem by Umberto Maturana, the son of a biologist from Chile, expressing his dissatisfaction caused by his teachers not encouraging him to learn anything new, but limiting his knowledge to their own.

I’ve written it down here

Don’t impose on me what you know,
I want to explore the unknown
And be the source of my own discoveries.
Let the known be my liberation, not my slavery.
The world of your truth can be my limitation;
Your wisdom my negation.
Don’t instruct me; let’s walk together.
Let my richness begin where yours ends.
Show me so that I can stand
On your shoulders.
Reveal yourself so that I can be
Something different.
You believe that every human being
Can love and create.
I understand, then, your fear
When I ask you to live according to your wisdom.
You will not know who I am
By listening to yourself.
Don’t instruct me; let me be.
Your failure is that I be identical to you.”

Umberto Maturana