THE FINAL PILGRIMMAGE

Yes! The childhood dream now stands fulfilled. On 23^rd Sept 2018, I witnessed Indo Pak Clash in Super 4 round of the Asia Cup.

And yet there is an underwhelming feeling to this experience. Have I seen a bit too much of Imtiaz Ali…. Manzil se Behtar lagte hain yeh Raste..... or is it the fact that India registered their biggest ever victory in ODI cricket against Pakistan in the match could be the reason…… There can be multiple reasons for this weird feeling, where I achieved what I wanted to and now I think I wish I did not achieve it. However it was a journey that I simply could not avoid

The millennials, who would have watched the last 10 years saw India and Pakistan meet  14 times and India came out at the top in 9 of them. So they would not understand the fuss about the contest. One has to confess that, one has to be above a certain age to be able to understand the rivalry of India Pakistan contest.

India became the World champions in 1983 despite having a weaker record in limited over cricket till such this date. This is both overall and head to head. To exploit the already existing hate between the two nations and their love for cricket, Sharjah  was chosen as the venue for India-Pakistan clashes, which showcased the cricketing skills of these countries in the backdrop of war-like imagery. People have argued that this literal “war minus the shooting” did immense damage to the cause of friendship between the two nations. The images of foul-mouthed, flag-waving spectators inside the stadium, being beamed live inside millions of drawing rooms in the two countries, became the new tool to prove how “hatred” for each other defines the two neighbors. Yet what cannot be forgotten is the nail biting contests that defined these battles. A last ball 6 by Miandad off Chetan Sharma actually demotivated India so much that for next 3-4 years, we could not win a contest against the arch rivals. It took almost 10 years (1997) for India to return the favor when Rajesh Chauhan hit that 6 in the last over… the venue was Karachi. Then there are other images which flash across your memory …. the Sohail send off from Prasad at Bangalore in 1996, the More Miandad kangaroo fight in Australia in 1992, the cut of Tendulkar off  Akthar 10 rows back at South Africa in 2003, the “Aaloo” that ran behind the spectator at Canada, the 314 chase in Independence Cup at Dhaka where Hrishikesh Kanitkar became a hero and I could go on and on. However the most enduring memory for me was the fear that the Pakistani players had on us. I would fear a Wasim, Waqar, even Aaqib Javed and even if India was cruising, I never felt safe because we knew the never say die attitude of Pakistan. To me that quality alone made Pakistan Pakistan.

In the last decade the balance has decisively shifted towards India. I did some number crunching and the statistics reveal what we knew

Duration	Matches	India Win	Pakistan Win	India Win %
Overall	131	54	73	41.22%
upto 2000	78	27	47	34.62%
Last 10 years	14	9	5	64.29%

Pre 2000s, India would win only 1 of the 3 matches it played. Post 2000, that ratio improves dramatically to a point that now Pakistan wins only one of the 3 matches it plays against India. However even more worrying for the Indo Pak contest are the results of last 5 matches including the one I saw yesterday

It shows not only that India has won 80% of the time in last couple of years, but it shows the contest were one sided. Even the lone Indian loss was a dramatic one sided affair.

However we need to remember that Pakistan cricket works. No team has defied odds so routinely in the history of any sport. You can, in fact, always give them good odds on defying odds. I know that doesn’t make sense, but so does the enigma of Pakistan cricket team. It seems they are on a mission of putting cricket pundits, fortune tellers and bookies out of job. Pakistan loves to lose when you back them to win and when you give them no chance, they will turn in their best performances. You bet on them at your own peril. Not sure how, but it does. It’s counter-intuitive, a bit like Quantum Physics for a layman, but there is ample proof of it around. It’s kind of weird too, it succeeds even when you think it’s laughably inept. And hence you can never ever ever ignore them. I have certain friends who despite seen this multiple times do not acknowledge this and hence they would be proven wrong. I am certain of this fact. The only thing predictable about Pakistani team is their unpredictability. Hence the admiration and the feeling of satisfaction when you see Pakistan being defeated co exist in me. 

Having said all of the above, I must admit I have this weird hate-hate relationship with Pakistan cricket. I hate it when they seem invincible. I hate it when they seem defenseless. Only a moderately successful Pakistan team keeps me at peace. But for Pakistan cricket, moderation seems haraam. 

While it was underwhelming to have witnessed the contest but as I said before, for the people above a certain age, the baggage we carried, it had to be let off. I can now die in peace! 

Yesterday with that biggest Indian Win in limited overs cricket I completed my pilgrimage. 

Jai Hind!

JOURNEY TO BE A FITTER ME

April 2017, I had come back from a wedding. I was going through the pictures of the event and I did not like what I saw. At 37, putting it mildly, I was very fat.  On the weighing machine I was 93kgs. Now for those who know me know, I am very passionate about sports. I could not believe as to how I came to this situation. Morning Backaches had become a routine and cholesterol was flirting with the borderline. That was it. Today, on 29^th Dec 2017, I weigh a just less than 75kgs and I am putting this down to remind myself more than anyone else of things that helped me get from 93 to 75.

Logic Of weight Loss:  The equation for weight loss is a common sense equation

CALORIES SPENT – CALORIES INTAKE = WEIGHT LOSS

If one understands this, it is clear, one has to spend more calories during the day than one can consume and if possible the difference should be as huge as possible. So let us take both of the ingredients of weight loss. 

1)      Calories Spent: Again this component has two parts.

a.       First is your basal metabolic rate. The energy you spend during the day. The more active you are during the day, the more calories you burn. Take those stairs to climb 2-3 floors, park your car a little further, fill your bottle only half and walk twice to the tap in your office during the day, clean your home on weekends, play Tennis, cricket, run with your kid. Things like Green tea without sugar, lime water without sugar etc also trigger ones metabolism. Unfortunately, with age this rate goes down.

b.      Physical Activity: There is no substitute for hard work. One has to exercise hard and consistent.

2)      Calorie Intake: What you eat is what you become. From my personal experience, this affects the weight loss more than the 1^st part. Most Indians are veggies by nature. The problem however is the process of cooking that makes it difficult for us to keep calories under check. Oil and Sugar are the main culprits. Snacking does not help either. I was guilty of all this. Today, I still have my share of Samosas, Pav Bhajis, Occasional indulgence at Chatori gali for the deep fried Tikkis and the stuffed parathas, but all this is evenly spread. For most of the other days, eggs, Musseli, 2-3 rotis with pulses, cooked vegetables are order of the day for both meals. Fruits are filler for me. Apples, Melons, Kiwis, cucumbers etc form my evening snack. The worst part of the day is post dinner. I have a habit of munching while watching TV. This part is yet to be honed and I still get sucked into unhealthy snacks. Desirable is munching walnuts, prepare chana (black and white) salad with Onions, green chutney and green chilies to make it tasty.

While any success is a lot of things coming together and so was this success in reducing weight was a combination of lot of things coming together, I would like to bring point out the following that really helped me

LIFE GIVES A CHOICE! Yes it does. I could have sulked. Professionally too, I wasn’t at my best and there were enough reasons to sulk, self-pity and all of that. However, I chose not accept the status quo and do something about the situation. Accepting status quo like accepting defeat. Sports had taught me to fight. It is in the mind. Like most of the good but hard things, it all boils down to how bad you want that. How much hard work you are ready to put for the same. Simple. Technique, process etc. do play a role but the most important in there in your brain. There are days that you will hit lows. You shall not able to lift those weights, run that mile you are used to. It is your will that will challenge the status quo. In the end that is what makes the difference.

HARD WORK! I know there is a big industry out there which helps one achieve ones goal for reducing weight. The fact remains, the arithmetic of reducing weight is basic. One needs to work hard and that is it. Nothing less and nothing more. I must put a disclaimer that I have not used any supplement, added protein etc during this weight loss. The only expense for me was the Gym fees which I will gladly continue to pay.

CONSISTENCY! Consistency and Intensity are both important, but I have realized,  it is the consistency that is more important. If one is consistent, the intensity will increase. I started with maximum pace of 6.4km/ hr on tread mill. Now I can run 11-12km/ hr easily for say 30-45 mins. It happens when you are consistent. Its easier said than done. For me, Rahul Dravid was an inspiration. The man would do the same thing, putting his head down, day in and day out and that’s it. What I have been doing for the last 7 months is wake up at 6:00am and hit the gym. You are more likely not to miss the gym in the morning than in the evenings. We have our work pressures, socializing etc to do and hence that is the time I recommend to follow. Similarly, one should be consistently mindful of eating.

TECHNIQUE! This is the end of getting into the nitty gritty. I must acknowledge the advice from my former colleague Mr. Mohammed Adeel (from Lahore, Pakistan). He introduced me to this website called www.bodybuilding.com and there you have this 84 days programme called Lee Labrada’s 12 week Lean body trainer . I did not follow the recommended Diet plan but used it for exercises. It has a neat app which one can use every day in the gym. One records every set/ every move you make. It consistently tells you what to do next. Techniques to do these exercises are explained. I am currently in week 10 (doing it the 2^nd time) and I find the programme neat as it covers all parts of the body. It balances cardio and weight training.  Further as I grew thinner, I managed to run faster and longer distances. I have run between 7-10 kms at a stretch, more than 7-10 times in last 3 months. Variations do help as body should not be allowed to get into any comfort zone. In fact that is why the programme I got is wonderful. One day it helps to work out Chests shoulders and Triceps, the next day may be the Legs and the abs, the 3^rd day back and biceps and the 4^th day is about Cardio. In fact it’s a mix of all that and not in that order. Keep your body guessing is the key.  Truly a wonderful resource.

MONITOR PROGRESS! “In God I believe, for everything else bring data”. This for me was again a technique to keep me motivated. The app as discussed above would make notes of the exercises I would take up daily. Every day I would weigh myself. The days of eating indulgences would show up there. Similarly weekly I took pictures of my front, side and back. When you see your improvement, you are more motivated. The more you are motivated the more you will lose weight and so on.  

SUPPORT FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS! Losing weight is a lifestyle changing process. Unless your partner supports the cause, one is likely to fail. I must credit my wife to bearing up with me in the process. She has to curb her excellent cooking skills. Similarly, here in UAE, I have an excellent inner circle of friends, who were always health conscious. Trust me it helps to have correct benchmarks around you who inspire and push you.  

Excellence is not a destination but a journey. While I am happy to share the above, I know it is one milestone. Inshallah, this shall lead to years of fitter me.

Abu Dhabi, UAE 

29^th December 2017 

Golden Era of Indian Cinema

Indian Cinema has come of an age and that’s only an understatement. For a person who has been bought up on regressive Indian Cinema of the 90s, the new era now is like a breath of fresh air. This era is that of Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bharadwaj, Vinkramaditya Motwani, S Rajmouli, Anand Rai and many more associated with them. Its almost a team which is out there to make Cinema the way it is supposed to be. The depth and the range that never existed is now there to be seen.  From a cricketing analogy, this seems to be era between 1996 and 2011 when the likes of Sachin, Saurav, Rahul, VVS, Kumble played who encouraged the Yuvis, Bhajjis, Shewags, the Dhonis. Indian Cinema has clearly entered the same phase.

I shall talk about 3 recent releases which are so different from each other and yet if you have to find something common in them is the excellence with which these 3 stories were pursued and executed. I discuss them in the order of their releases in India and not necessarily any other order of preference.

TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS

 “Hum thode Bewafa kya nikale… Aap toh badchalan ho gaye”.  Clearly the movie was made over the top. Anand Rai who had earlier made Ranjhanaa too understands the mass sensibilities so well and plays the films for the masses. Yet the movie is so different from the 200-300 Crore films. The screenplay that allows the characters to be developed and then they playing over the top would not have been easy but with the two recent movies, Anand Rai shows how even an entertaining film can be executed. No item numbers were required because the film’s characters are itself an item number. Coming from the heart land of India- Kanpur, Delhi, Punjab, the movie celebrates smart dialogues, the changing  and many times conflicting social values. Films need not be senseless to be entertaining is what Anand Rai so effectively portrays in his movies. That he got an actress like Kangana who herself brings that liberating spirit to the table, exponentially enhanced the effect of the film.

BAHUBALI

What more can be said about that has already not said. Films to many, like me, are not only about substance but is an larger than life spectacle. Irrespective of the genre of the film being made, I believe the reason that a film is to be made is because the filmmaker believes that a story is to be told. More often than not, filmmakers in India try and make a spectacle and then try and base the story around that spectacle. The spectacle could be a big star or in some case CGI. CGI does not need a story….. The story telling might need CGI. Bahubali passes this litmus test. The story was there and it need a scale. S Rajamouli should be complimented as a story teller and as a project manager. He succeded not only in the art of story telling but ensure that a project of this scale was executed to perfection. The result of was a spectale which help its audience to their seats for more than 150mins and the quest is for more is not done with. Bahubali, in true sense of the word, is larger than life and yet a story that connects the sensibilities of human race to core.

MASAAN

“A celebration  of Life and Death and everything in between” said the poster of Masaan. To my surprise the movie was exactly what it promised.  Unlike, Bahubali and Tanu weds Manu, this by that definition for a non filmy film. It’s a film with layers. Christopher Nolan is the film maker that comes to mind when you discuss about films with layers. “The Drark Knight” was a film which both a child and an intellect will like for reasons of their own…. Both interpreting the movie the way they want to. This movie has many layers and much has been left to the imagination of audience. I like it. I like when a filmmaker respects the intelligence of its audience. The movie shows life in Benaras, the way it is. It is the audience which interprets it the way it wants so much life the real life.

I was particularly hurt by a small scene when they at the Harishchandra Ghat of Benaras where the bodies were being cremated. Some one in the background shouts for the skull to be broken. Let me explain this ritual.  A few minutes after the body  has been consigned to the flames, Kapal Kriya is performed. In this, one of the longer bamboos used in the Arthi is used to break the skull of the body. This is done by the person doing the cremation. Forehead is where the soul of the dead is supposed to be concentrated. Once broken, the soul is freed from the body and starts the search for the next body. I performed these rites almost 5 years back. It is by far the most painful duty that I have performed as a human. It sends shivers down my spine even now. That highly soul shattering experience, is shown as a casual shot in the film. I am sure many might have missed it. I am sure the purpose of the shot was the effect that it left on it. To show how such soul shattering experiences which a person like me cannot forget for 5 years now,  is the life of “Doms” of Kashi. The lead actor of the movie wants to escape the place and lead a good life. Those aspirations were more than justified with that one shot. The movie has many such experiences. It’s a movie that wont leave you for a long time.

In conclusion, it is clear that the three movie which have been released within months of each other have raised the bar of Indian Cinema across genres. While Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Bahubali are over the top, larger than life films, Masaan is story of life and death. It has substance. Our filmmakers have delivered them to their audience exactly the way they are meant to be  served. Its true that we still do not have a Quentin Tarintinos , the Christopher Nolans, the Martin Scorsese , the Steven Spillbergs, the James Cameroons as yet. But the new breed of film makers are not very far off. They can deliver is proven. This is clearly by far the Golden era of Indian Cinema.  The only question now to be asked to our film makers is …. Can they dream. The film  industry is after all an industry of dreams.

Tilak and Jinnah

I happened to the a Marathi Movie that released earlier this year called "Tilak: Ek Yugpurush". A fantastically made movie clearly shook me from inside. The movie and the quest to understand the Indian Freedom movement made me do a bit of research for myself. Let me share some things I found. 

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak first leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities called him "Father of the Indian unrest." He was also conferred with the honorary title of "Lokmanya", which literally means "accepted by the people (as their leader)".

Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of "Swaraj" (self-rule) and a strong radical in Indian consciousness. He is known for his quote in Marathi, "स्वराज्य हा माझा जन्मसिद्ध हक्क आहे आणि तो मी मिळवणारच" ("Swarajya is my birthright, and I shall have it!") in India. Not many people know this but he formed a close alliance with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, later the founder of Pakistan, during the Indian Home Rule Movement.

Just outside the grand, wood-panelled Central Court in Mumbai High court stands a marble tablet with these lines inscribed in stone: “In spite of the verdict of the Jury, I maintain that I am innocent. There are higher powers that rule the destiny of men and nations and it may be the will of providence that the cause which I represent may prosper more by my suffering than my remaining free.”

Tilak was tried on three occasions by the Bombay High Court, for inflammatory speeches and sedition. On one occasion — the occasion on which Tilak spoke those line — his defence lawyer was Muhammad Ali Jinnah. In 1916, Jinnah defended Tilak when he was charged with sedition, ultimately securing his acquittal. 

Jinnah's commitment to Indian freedom was in many ways formed by his relations with Tilak and another Indian National Congress leader, Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

Images of mighty historical figures often circulate as fond stereotypes — good, bad and ugly. They also have the power of indoctrinating society into believing that they are inviolable. If Tilak is routinely identified with his “Swaraj is my birthright” assertion, Jinnah is invariably hailed as the creator of Pakistan. 

Scholars and the public at large in both India and Pakistan need to revisit Jinnah's person and political legacy in an attempt to better understand this region's history.  It is important for Indians to reclaim Jinnah as a freedom fighter and integral figure in our own history, while Pakistanis need to acknowledge that the founder of their nation made some mistakes.

I am sure I cannot and shall not stop here. The quest to know what and how the ugliest divorce (India- Pakistan Partition) in the history of mankind took place cannot end here. The answer, I am sure, cannot be in black and white, as the history  taught to us in India would like us to believe. 

Making Peace with Chaos - Pakistan Cricket

Try explaining Pakistan cricket to a newcomer – the second-largest population of cricket fans in the world, but with an ostensibly terrible infrastructure that makes it profoundly unsuitable to success at international level. The same Pakistan that shook the world with their World Cup win 20 years ago. The same Pakistan that turned cricket upside-down with a spot-fixing scandal.

This is cricket, the Pakistan way. For years, Pakistan has been a lightning rod for controversy within the cricketing fraternity, a country of cricketing juxtapositions. A country where politics and religion divide, and cricket unites.

Put simply, Pakistan cricket is chaos in flux.

There is a splendid uncertainty unlike any other team in cricket’s history. Naivety is at the heart of its cricket, leading to a simmering volatility. For fans, this is an irresistible combination, a fatal attraction that sucks in the most hardened neutral.

The best example of Pakistan’s chaos is, of course, Shahid Afridi. Though a senior statesman in terms of sheer experience, he is impulsive and incorrigible. Afridi is a Pathan by heritage, a fact often used as a way to either rationalise or justify his most irrational behaviour. His consistent disappointments are punctuated with periods of virtuoso brilliance, and, as a result, fans retain faith in him. Again, this is hardly unique in international cricket: Indian fans would call it the ‘Rohit Sharma Syndrome’.

In 2009, Afridi was Pakistan’s star player as they won the World T20. Yet, months later, Afridi said: “I shouldn’t have done it. It just happened. I was trying to help my bowlers and win a match, one match.”

This was in response to video evidence that found Afridi guilty of ball-tampering – by putting a cricket ball in his mouth, gnawing at its seam, and then casually tossing it back to the bowler.

The same man who inspired Pakistan’s greatest limited-overs success since 1992 is also the same man who, as a child, you imagine teachers would scold for running with scissors.

It is unlikely that Afridi would have played over 400 international matches in any team other than Pakistan. To this day, he continues to get himself out with the same, ill-advised caveman slogs that pre-date Glenn Maxwell by well over a decade. And, to this day, he excites and infuriates.

***

“I’ve said it many times that everybody remembers the last shot of the WT20, but nobody remembers who brought Pakistan to the end.” – Misbah-ul-Haq

We take it as a given that Pakistan are uncoachable in the traditional sense. There are myriad external and internal factors that can knock even the most competent coach and captain sideways. Political interference, favouritism and fickleness from the media are present in many countries, yet they are all dialled up a notch in Pakistan. Highly regarded coaches and captains have tried, and more often than not failed, to exert control over this disparate group.

In stark contrast to Afridi, Misbah could have been mistaken for milquetoast with an MBA. If it was an act of divine intervention to freakishly guide Misbah’s paddle-sweep into the hands of Sreesanth in 2007, then seven years later, it was a fittingly karmic rebalancing of the universe for the same man to smash records. Misbah has attracted more unfair criticism than one man should endure, often for a perception that he was batting too slowly in a team where he couldn’t trust the batsmen around him (paging: Shivnarine Chanderpaul). Misbah has been a professional scapegoat for the last few years, taking so much flak that he must have felt like the only sane man in the asylum.

In what must go down as one of cricket’s greatest feats of man-management, Misbah has guided Pakistan through a period of on-field prosperity, and a lack of off-field controversies. He recognised that a hands-off approach works best with Pakistan, allowing plenty of room for his players to breathe.

This is not, however, a novel strategy for Pakistan. In 1999, before their World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, Pakistan went on a team outing to Alton Towers instead of holding a training session. A fairly common occurrence in Pakistan cricket – and no, I’m not referring to Inzamam-ul-Haq on the log flume. Eyebrow-raising unorthodoxy, shoulder-shruggingly effective.

***

At some point, masochism became an ingrained part of the Pakistan fan’s identity. Post-mortems of numerous unthinkable collapses have taken on a ritualistic nature. No longer a forum for venting, but an examination of a fan’s inner contentedness. How quickly can you make peace with Pakistan?

These days, chaos is no longer lamented. It is embraced, all part of Pakistan’s joie de vivre. Pakistan are the antidote to sterilised, factory-line cricketers.

In Afridi and Misbah, we have polar opposite characters, and through this near-comical contrast, it’s easy to see why so many Pakistan fans are in an abusive relationship with their team. Afridi is the hope, the let-down, the pay-off. Misbah is the expectation.

“In October, Pakistan summoned our incredulity as they lost to Australia in an ODI by two runs. Weeks later, they had thrashed Australia in a Test series, and Misbah had equalled Sir Viv Richards’ record for that fastest-ever Test century.

Perhaps the true fruit of Pakistan cricket. In its unpredictability lies its greatest glory.”

Nishant Joshi's article in Wisden India

http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-article/pakistan-cricket-making-peace-chaos/134230

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

"To be, or not to be..." from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is the perfect way to describe the dilemma of Vishal Bharadwaj’s recent film “Haider” – A film he claims to be adapted from Shakespeare’s , arguably the best play, “Hamlet”.  Clearly in the trilogy of Makbool, Omkara and Haider (all films adapted from Shakesphere’s play), the third installment is the weakest.

Before you read further, a couple of disclaimers. I am a big Vishal Bharadwaj fan. The 2^nd disclaimer being, I love Kashmir. I have been to Kashmir in 1990, 2008 and earlier this year April 2014. I simple love the place. Hence I had great expectation of “Haider”- A Vishal Bharadwaj film.

I would love to interpret  the film as Vishal would have expected us to believe- An Adaptation of Hamlet. While I am guilty of not reading the original play (which I am sure, I am incapable of), what I understand is that, it was a great story of “Dharamasankat”. A lot of tension, rivalry, undercurrent of passion and revenge would be expected of the story. Unfortunately the intensity expected out of  film was absent. In fact knowing Vishal’s body of work….. He can create that intensity when there would be none. While Hamlet did provide him the plot to do the same, the film was flat in terms of that anxiety, tension, etc. The performances in the film reminded me of Indian Cricket team in the late 90s. We used to have brilliant individual performances but the team would lose anyways as they combined effort did not come across. While individual performances were brilliant from all the leading actors of the movie including Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay, Irfan Khan, etc., the chemistry between Tabu and Kay Kay was missing. So was the chemistry missing between Shahid and Tabu. Chemistry between Tabu and the other two characters had the potential to turn this 2 hr 40 min drama into a potboiler. Imagine a sensual track between Tabu and Shahid (mother and son) to counter that between Uncle and mother. That is was a weapon Hamlet actually used in the original play. It is obvious that Vishal did not have the courage to depict that in Haider. While in Dedh Ishqiya (a film produced by Vishal), another "taboo subject" of  Lesbianism was touched upon, here he lacked the courage to test Indian sensibilities. A missed opportunity!!!

It is difficult though to take “Haider” on its face value. Hamlet was a dramatic revenge saga of Hamlet against his uncle.  Haider on the other hand seems disillusioned by the Indian establishment more than his uncle. Vishal was unable to explain the transition of a clean shaved Shahid to the typical beard look of Shahid. I could not understand what Vishal was trying to show, that, if one gets disillusioned you start looking in a typical way? Or was he trying to show that separatist look in a certain way. In either case, he could not pull it off well. Also I did not understand as to why Haider gave that Chutpaz Speech at Lal Chowk. Was he against his uncle or the Indian establishment?

This brings me to the 2^nd point. I think the movie was not so much about Hamlet than it was about Kashmir. So to view it from the perspective of an adaptation of Shakespearian drama would be unfair.  Vishal chose Barashat Peer to write the script with him. It is obvious that Mr. Peer had his own separatist propaganda and that shows in the film. Mr. Peer was hardly interested in "Adaptation of Hamlet".  The film is totally biased account of the Kashmir insurgency during 1995- 96 where the Indian army was shown as a conspiring evil force who uses torture and abduction as a weapon. It cannot be expected of Mr. Peer, that he would give Indian Army’s point of view on the issue. In fact any attempt on the same was more sarcastic than real. One more thing that baffled me was all of senior Army officers were shown as South Indians (and not Sardars!). I did not understand the subtext there.

Having said that, I also acknowledge the fact that it was the expectations from the film, that spoilt it for people like me. I went in to see an adaptation of Hamlet and I saw a separatist point of view movie instead. Political films … even the documentaries are  supposed to be biased. Otherwise they are not raunchy enough. In fact they are used as a propaganda and this film should not be seen any differently. The irony is that just before the release of the film, the same army which is accused of all the wrongs in Kashmir by the film worked selflessly to save hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris. Perhaps, as an afterthought, as a notion of acknowledgement of the blunder, Vishal did praise the role of Indian Army in the floods. The damage was already done by then though. A day shall come when he will regret “Haider”.

Another point I want to make here is that we as a country should be proud of ourselves in the way we handled the movie. It was no doubt anti Indian, anti Indian Army and yet the film was cleared by our censor board. Compare that to the actions of Pakistan. The film had hardly anything which was anti Pakistani and yet they have a ban. Clearly our democracy allows diverging, infact in this case views almost amounting to Sedition, to be tabled. So much can be said about the claim of the film "Haider" which tries to propagate a myth that India does not allow freedom of expression. 

“To be or not to be” from Hamlet perfectly describes Vishal’s state of mind in Haider. Till the end he could not decide if “Haider” was an adaptation of Hamlet in the backdrop of Kashmir or it was story of Kashmir in the backdrop of Hamlet. It was neither.........  and hence a disappointment!

THE JOY OF MODI SARKAR

I would be understating if I said I am happy with Modi’s Win. I am overjoyed. Yes the success of Modi is also success of RSS but then whats the big deal. I, as a child, attended many of the Sunday Shakhas of RSS in my paternal town of Etha in UP. What I still remember is being impressed by the discipline and sense of purpose towards the society. A RSS expects the society to follow the higher ideals that they are preaching. This is what gives the PM designate that zeal. The Pracharak appeals to the patriotic fervor first, culture second and religion follows much later. People overreact on RSS BJP connection. If anything RSS brings a sense of discipline in BJP

Here are some of the reasons that make me happy

END OF NEHRU GANDHI ERA IN POLITICS

I’m overjoyed that the Congress got hammered. We are close to seeing the end of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty in politics, which is fantastic. This vile family has caused incalculable damage to our country with its destructive economic policies, which has kept our country poor for the seven decades since independence. It’s impossible to quantify the effect of this, but I believe that this family has orders-of-magnitude more blood on its hands than, say, a Narendra Modi would even if all the allegations against him were true. I’m glad to see them finished as a political force, though it is likely that they will continue to be a political spectacle for a while yet, which I welcome. Pappu provides much amusement.

DECISIVE MANDATE

On economics, Modi can’t do worse than the UPA did. Modi has done a lot to create a conducive environment for small businesses in Gujarat, and his main campaign slogan, ‘minimum government and maximum governance,’ is music to my ears. But it will take a lot of doing, and this is why I’m glad his mandate is so overwhelming, and he is free of the constraints of coalition politics. He now has the power to get the job done, and no scope for excuses. He can carry out the measures that are essential if we are to be the manufacturing superpower that he has said he aspires to make India. He has the power to do; we will now see if he can walk the talk.

YOUTH HAS CHANGED THE POLITICS FOREVER

Do you know why so many first-time voters exercised their mandate: These people are shrugging aside considerations of identity and symbolic politics: caste or the Gandhi family do not matter to them. They want progress, development …. Vikas (Yes the entire youth wants me ;) Even if Modi doesn’t deliver, and these new voters, and other new voters to come next time, abandon him, we can see the parameters based on which they are making their choices. Those won’t change. The parties that don’t adapt themselves to this new political marketplace will be rejected. The same way they were this time around.

MODI HAS NO OPTIONS BUT TO PERFORM

 It will nevertheless not be easy for the BJP to replicate this performance the next time around. Consider that a big part of this wave was the party winning 71 out of 80 seats in UP. Now, one can expect the BJP to also win the next UP assembly elections. So at the next Lok Sabha elections in 2019, they’ll face double incumbency in UP. They’ll be fighting on the basis of performance, not promises, and perceptions. The results then will not depend alone on Modi’s governance. It will also depend on extraneous factors like the last monsoons and the state of the world economy. A few percentage points could lead to a huge swing in terms of seats. Surely Modi will understand this and hence he has to give this chance his best shot.

AAP DECIMATION

I am also Happy that Kejriwal’s AAP failed. AAP, under the pathetic leadership of Kejriwal has failed and I am sure all will agree that’s an understatement. . I wont even touch upon the 49 days Delhi disaster. Maybe only history might forgive Kejriwal for that, I cant. AAP separated from Anna Movement as they understood that in a representative democracy, if you need to make your voice heard, you need to win seats in Assembly and Parliament. Hence as a political party it is your duty to win as many seats as possible as you can. What did AAP do. It is famously known that Kejriwal said that anyone who stands on the ticket of AAP will win from Delhi. Result is in front of us. AAP was defeated in every single seat of Delhi by more than 10% votes. Kejriwal more than the AAP needs to realize that they are not the only people who have sacrificed and joined politics. Also they need to realize that  governance and Politics has more to do with working at Grassroots that to be in Media studios.

I say I am happy with debacle of AAP, but actually I am not. I had hope that they will bring newness to the political scenario but the 49 days of disaster…. I mean how on earth could you give Free water…. Give free electricity to your followers ….. I still fail to understand how their Left of center politics different from that of a Mulayam, Laloo or Mayawati. They have hurt me as I had hopes with them. Now I want to see them washed…. Kejriwal definitely.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion I must say, I believe, Modi acts purely out of self-interest and not ideology. At the centre, he will do whatever he believes will increase his political capital. I don’t think communal violence will be part of that equation. I think development will. That gives me hope.