Sridevi's Weblog » sridevi

What a mov(i)e?

sridevi — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:40:26 +0000

Slumdog Millionare, the celluloid depiction of Mumbai slums and the circumstances the children there in go through, is successful in winning 8 Oscar Awards; additionally, in drawing International attention to Indian slums and poverty.

Certainly, India has been in an ever-increasing focus for its competencies and there by put under check by the developed nations. Is it not an appropriate time for familiarizing slums (only) in India on Oscar stage?

An episode analogous to this: In 1927, Katherine Mayo, an American journalist wrote a book Mother India highlighting the plight of women in India. It described Mayo’s belief that India was not ready for independence either. It became a bestseller. But in India, it created a storm of protest. Around a dozen of books were published with titles like Father India, Sister India, A son of Mother India Answers,………….. all in retort to Mayo’s report. Number of rebuttals floated up focusing western culture. There were protests all over. She was blamed for painting India in a bad light.

I’ve gone through few pages of the book. Definitely, the modern Indian woman can not just digest the then realities of her intimates (if at all those were the facts). But, one can perceive the intentions with which the book was written. Personally, I feel the whole ignominy (though) did some good to Indian women. It was an eye-opener and the minimum age for marriage was raised to 14 for girls and 18 for boys after the release of her book.

Again India is through global lens for some different stories. Times have changed. Now, Indians have grown more broad-minded. They can easily adopt western cultures, yet adapt themselves for revolts too. They definitely can not tolerate interference of Ramsena in their lives and start a campaign against it and can popularize very much. No issues with that campaign. However, I feel this issue also needs another such campaign. Just an idea… to the leaders of that campaign.. I congratulate them on their success.. and request them to take up this issue too… But, I wonder how many of them really feel the pain that India is shown in negative light and for the usage of objectionable word in the title?

The film’s screenwriter Simon Beaufoy said in interviews that he just liked the word… ‘Slumdog’; Just like the word? And used the word ‘dog’?

No doubt, our competencies have also been recognized internationally. I certainly congratulate the award-winners.

The other day, as part of my routine I was browsing through net and really taken aback by few realities….

US dumps toxic waste in Indian ports..

For five yrs, this massive toxic oil pile is sitting in a Mumbai port - –

Britain dumps its garbage on Indian soil

India Becomes Dumping Ground along with few other developing nations for UK’s Toxic E-Waste

Who is responsible for all this? Developed nations impose all weird conditions on developing countries like India for their safety, to get over their insecurity, and to continue their supremacy for decades.. if possible for centuries together. Keep your countries very clean, throw the dirt on others, and then make movies and money throwing few dollars/pounds.

Hmmn.. A bit relief: There is an SMS in circulation.. “credit of oscars must go to congress, because without congress, there would not have been slums in India after 62 years of Independence”; and a news too that congress takes the credit for SDM’s success. Think about it…

BTW, I wish all women, “Happy International Women’s Day 2009!”

Happy New year 2009!

sridevi — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 08:23:55 +0000

Happy New Year 2009!

Courtesy: Karunakar and Sateesh

Hi! Wishing you…

sridevi — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:44:51 +0000

Courtesy: Karunakar, my colleague. (As I wanted to wish some of my friends on this occasion, he prepared it on my request. Thank you, Karunakar!)

Litchi…Mrs. Laloo(chi)

sridevi — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:11:13 +0000

BIO-DATA

Name : Mrs. Rabri Devi

Qualifications:

Speaking whatever comes to her mind

Anything for her husband

Mother of nine children

The lover of Litchis (fruits which look like strawberries)

Designations:

Ex-Chief Minister of Bihar (just for namesake)

Wife of Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav, ex- Chief Minister of Bihar

Recent Achievement:

Exhibiting her fondness for Litchis & Mangoes (fruits of those trees she had planted) in a press meet and accusing Chief Minister Mr. Nitish for not sending a single fruit to her family this season. She said,

“Litchi season is now coming to an end, and Nitishji did not send a single fruit to us”

“humne lagaya tha, humko bhi milna chahiye tha”

Remuneration:

What should be given???????

The story behind:

Mrs. Rabri Devi, during her stay in 1, Anne Marg – the official residence of Bihar Chief Minister, planted Litchi & Mango trees there. Mr. Nitish, current Chief Minister and occupant of the official residence, last year sent litchis and mangoes of those trees to Rabri & family, considering their liking.

As Mrs. Rabri has not yet received fruits this year from Mr. Nitish, resorted to sharing her agony with the media. On top of all, Mr. Nitish has given a clarification saying that, “The litchi trees were infested with pests.” He also said that fruits would be sent to Rabri when they become ripe.

How ridiculous?? Moreover, Mrs. Rabri devi claims, “At least I have a right to fruits from trees I planted with my own hands.” In that case, I fear the value of properties Rabri has right over in Bihar!!

However, It’s explicable in case of Rabri, who had never understood or tried to understand a single file she signed, and would say ‘saheb se puchhiye‘, when asked by anyone about any file, but Nitish, who should be working for the people as Chief-Minister of Bihar, is also conversing about such inane issues.

Apt Quote:

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. ~Aesop

A good experience

sridevi — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:25:49 +0000

Yesterday – 23-01-08

AAAAH…, At last, I am here…..! Finally, I could take out sometime….at 11:50 pm…I chose the book, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” to the blog in the last few days. It reached into the hands of its owner, Akhil, who might be enjoying reading it. I finished reading it a week back… somehow, couldn’t blog since then… ! After a hectic day, I am trying my day to not to end… with sleepy eyes..!

Liked the narration of Moshin Hamid, the author of the book… the story is not so exciting… but, the way his narration goes on, the language, which is mostly in the first person (using You & I) leaves a personal touch. But, the style that he adopts in the introduction and conclusion parts of each chapter, where he converses with an American stranger, I found it a little disturbing.

I just try to brief the story..!

Changez, a Pakistani young man of eighteen years goes to USA for his higher studies in the prestigious Princeton College, and subsequently gets into one of the famous consulting companies, the Underwood Samson in USA (which has “focus on fundamentals” as its objective). He falls in love with Erica, who could never come out of a realm of memories of her child-hood friend, and lover, Chris, who dies at a young age suffering from cancer. Changez tries and finally fails to pacify her melancholy, and, one day she vanishes. On the other side, an emotional commotion stifles him, related to America’s dominance, its role, and the strategy it adopts during the battle between India and Pakistan. The Protagonist, who once was very good at pursuing fundamentals of his job, turns into reluctant fundamentalist and leaves his job and the country, which gave him unforgettable experiences of life, unable to cope up with his emotional turmoil. He returns to his homeland and becomes a fundamentalist who instigates many young men to protest against American stratagem, which are largely intended to reinforce its supremacy.

Hmmmnn… I tried my level best to exercise my memory!

I adore many expressions used in the book! He expresses many emotions and feelings quite simply, subtly, which most of us would have left unsaid in our lives. I am sure some of these expressions would stir up those buried feelings with in for lot of us, those who would read this book.

Here I go…quoting a few!

Today – 24-01-08

I wanted to post this yesterday on the blog, but as it was getting late, I couldn’t finish it. BTW, Akhil finished reading the book and also blogged about it. Hhmnn.. Better late than never!

Consider these statements:

“It hurts when you care about someone and they go away.”

“These unworthy sentiments helped me to keep my distance.”

“Things might have worked out rather differently if I had turned around.”

“I resolved to write this to her in an email, as a sort of apology, perhaps, and as an invitation to resume the contact between us.”

“I brought something of her with me here-or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I lost something of myself to her that I was unable to relocate in the city of my birth”

“What is natural in one place can seem unnatural in another; and some concepts travel rather poorly.”

“Time only moves in one direction. Remember that things always change.”

“Certainly I wanted to believe, at least I wanted not to disbelieve.”

“I felt as though a world has ended.”

Good expressions! Aren’t they?

All in all, a good experience indeed, reading it!

I am Enlightened!

sridevi — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:13:27 +0000

It’s been a long-time since my last post. Last few days have been really busy and quite disturbing..! I wanted to share quite a few views, which have lost their relevance.

Day before yesterday while reading the newspaper an article with few food statements caught my attention. It was food for thought. I was connecting those enlightening statements to my current situations with all regards.

But, my inner-self was not ready for my adaptation.

Folks, find my adaptation of those enlightening statements…….at this point in time! Just for fun!

Bold: by Osho

Whenever you have a problem, just look at it.

I’ve been simply looking at it…!

Problems are fictitious; they don’t exist.

Fictitious? I don’t know why these are real for me… and I am facing the heat!

Just go around the problem, look from every angle, how can it be? It is a ghost…

Does it really look like a ghost? Naah….

You wanted it, that’s why it is there. You asked for it, that’s why it is there.

Why should I want it? Does anybody want any problem? And, when did I ask for it?

You invited it, that’s why it is there.

Definitely I didn’t invite it….! I don’t know how and why it started making its presence..!

Next time you are having a problem, look into it, look hard into it.

I am going to do that….! I feel only looks don’t solve the problem……!

Look into it as a here-now thing, just enter into it. Don’t think about causes, reasons. Just watch the problem as it is.

Unknowingly, I’ve already entered into it and been watching the problem as it is… and also thinking about the causes and reasons…it’s time to resolve or retort.

And you will be surprised that looking hard into it, it starts dispersing. Go on looking into it and you will find it has gone.

Hope so, OSHO!

Insensitive technology teaches sensitivities

sridevi — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:55:39 +0000

“The robotic babies are designed to teach parenting skills and require feeding, diaper changes, burping and sleeping and also record data on how their human parents treat them.”

I wonder!

Do prospective parents really need these robotic babies for learning parenting skills?

hmmnn…

I know that technology has been intruding into our lives for better or worse, but, now it is intruding into subtle human emotions also….!

why ignore our parents and grandparents who carry a bunch of experiences with them, who would be ready to share their experiences, if we prompt them just once…..?

Surprisingly, I’ve found the following sentence in a different segment of the same web page, with the title “Honey cures coughing children: Study”:

“Many families are going to relate to these findings and say that grandma was right,” said ….

Here is the link

Intoducing myself

sridevi — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:46:16 +0000

Hi!

I am a new kid on the block( Blog)!

I am working in the field of Journalism/content management, wish to make my name and slog for the same.

I enjoy being in the world of dreams…and certainly, live in reality …think a lot, interested to know any new thing which comes in my way of life.

I am here for enhancing my intellectual horizon!

I invite you to post your comment on my blog hereafter.

Bye for now!

Hello world!

sridevi — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:34:26 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!