emotional fusion

last Sunday got some free time to view some Hindi movies, and a friend's 500GB hard disk, with both GOW or 'Gangs of Wasseypur 1 & 2', and kya super cool hai hum.  Intuitively felt these days, movies are about making many short  pieces of inspired visuals, and then joining them together as a feature film. but anyways, some of these short clips are brilliant in themselves.

kind of like a joke book, where out of the 100 odd jokes, out of which some you like, hate, enjoy, get confused and if lucky, then may laugh out loud too.

so, can't write the off totally, though the amount of self promotion happening in movies these days beats even TV adverts about their own products such as soaps.  Every movie pays homage to couple of scores of other movies, and they all seem to stand up on each other; somewhat like action comic genre & super powered hero story chains.

anyway, few scenes which i reflected back on.  (the examples given below are from just few scenes, from couple of movies, but it seem to indicate a trend... or something like that ;)

first, from a tamil movie, called Angaditheru.  a critically acclaimed real life film, but as mentioned above, short clips joined together. there is a standout scene - a down and out guy, goes around asking roadside shopkeepers for a job, but is rejected repeatedly.  on his way out, he goes to answer nature's call to nearby urinal and comes out in a hurry holding his nose... its very unclean and smelly... then an idea strikes him, he borrows some basic cleaning equipment and cleans up the urinal (which is a govt. built free for all one).. and then sits outside that urinal and asks for a small fee from anyone who wants to use the urinal.  (of course, its illegal, but no one realize that, and i guess people also would be happy to pay a little to have a clean place). - but this scene is not much connected to the movie plot as such.

in movie, GOW-1 & 2 (gangs of wasseypur), 2 youngsters (named perpendicular and tangent) go to rob a store keeper with guns.... but before going in to the shop, they take off their slippers (footwear), as per the custom.  my mind did a somersault when i saw them taking off their footwear, even though they are going into rob that shop; and i asked myself, 'did they just take off their slippers now?' - maybe the director realized such a fleeting glimpse of taking footwear off wouldn't be enough to hammer that point, so after threatening and robbing up the shopkeeper, the 2 youngsters shout at each other as one of them goes to wear the other's slippers.

- they are willing to break such crucial laws/rules and rob another person, but obey a mere norm of taking off their footwear before going into a shop! (i felt its an apt reflection of Bihar, or India or even the whole of human beings... where oxymorons and contradictions rule, but guess we are like this only!

there are other scenes as well, where, at a shotgun marriage, guys carrying guns stand behind a terrified groom, who when asked by priest, whether he agrees for that marriage, is unable to speak.  the gun-man behind him, says 'yes' (on the grooms behalf), but the priest innocuously insists, "he (the groom) should say that"...
-when its so obvious that rules are broken and the groom is forced at gun point to marry, why insist of minor a technicality that, the groom should say it in his own voice? !!  wonders never cease.

of course, a trade mark of the GOW director, anurag kashyap reflects in many scenes, i.e. emotional fusion. after a shocking shootout, which ends in a funeral scene, a singer belts out 'yaad teri aayegi', a song from the 1970/80's, which is a song about heartbreak/lost love.  it somehow makes sense in a weird way in that funeral scene, but adds tinge of black humor to the grief, shock and sadness of that scene..  an involved viewer would be left to wonder what emotions are he/she is feeling at that moment...

hence the title.... just like mixing of music genre's... whadya think?

gate crasher, woman in red

Everyone seems to be talking about the gate crasher, or the ‘woman in red’ who spoilt Indian teams march in Olympics 2012 opening ceremony (on web).   Olympics have become ultimate media sport… Radio had its limitations to milk tabloid value of happenings; TV did and is improving, but internet & social media really know how to squeeze it. 

Aint the same thing happening in this blog too?  Well, I decided to write about it, only after the 2^nd part occurred… the apology.

Here are 2 links for reference: which gives information on the part 1

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9437157/Olympic-ceremony-gatecrasher-was-an-Indian-student-who-claims-she-was-told-to-lead-out-her-nation.html

and part 2.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/9449492/Mathura-Nagendra-opening-ceremony-gatecrasher-sorry-for-error-of-judgment.html

Try to see, how people from viewed these events…

Of course, many Indians cried foul, some Britishers trivialized the whole news, the father of that girl said, its all a misunderstanding, the girl posted it on her facebook (till she later realized how shameful it all is)…

She initially claimed to have been following orders! And later gave a defensive apology… "It was chaos. A lot of people were around. It was a huge event as we all know."  - Then what about other nations marches? Why weren’t lots of people wandering around with each team?

After giving such statements, she adds.  "I hope this will be forgiven."

What are the chances of that?

Why were so many people upset at this ‘woman in red’, even before this apology?

Some sites pointed out, that because she “Hogged all the attention in the 10 seconds when Indian team were shown on opening ceremony”.   – easily understandable, since this would be the only time most of the 81 person team from India will get any media attention.  But other than that?

Would it be because, it shows utter disregard for the coordination work that she was given, and utilizing it to have fun, even though it was a very selfish thing to do? – could be for lots of people.

Any other reasons? – jealousy could be another; How many people who cried shame would love to do the same thing, given the opportunity?  How many can say NO, and stand their ground, when given keys to a cookie jar?

Maybe lack of color coordination and looking lousy as an eye sore? – What would have happened if this gate crasher was a super model look alike?  - hmm… just trying to guess as many reasons as possible… comment if you think of something..

Whew! Let’s get back to our real words… Oh, it’s still raining out here ;)