Stupid : Sreenivasan Jain of NDTV

Sreenivasan Jain has a huge homework problem. He manages to disappoint me with his interviewing style. Any journalist who is interviewing Mira Nair knows that there are so many things to discuss with her. When you don't do your homework, you realize that your conversations border on the superficial.
When journalists can, and in this case with a brilliant director like Mira, they try to talk about better things like direction. Jain, in his usual, lets-get-a-controversial-quote manner asks mundane questions(that string of Q&A is reserved for the likes of Rakhi Sawant and Mallika Sherawat!). Truly it is he, in his infinite ignorance, that blows away a golden chance and tries to turn it into a "give your opinion on mainstream actors and who should win the Oscar" baloney. When eventually Mira, diplomatically, tells him to ask about her work, (which is something we all want to know about). That's when he fumbles and tries to keep the conversation going by reverting to Shantaram and Johnny Depp.

All in all, a hopeless one hour of Bombay Talkies.

A lot has transpired since the time this post was written. Sreenivasan Jain has moved onto a bigger role in NDTV and has handled the mantle in a better way. His coverage of the Mumbai Terror Attacks has earned him a justifiable place in the category of better journalists. I think it is fair to say that his mediocre days are behind him.

On a slightly similar but different subject, a scary terrifying article about the safety of women in Delhi.

The Good Earth by Pearl.S.Buck

Maybe its just a freakish coincidence, maybe its divine, that 'The Good Earth' entered my life in a tattered broken down state. The book was torn from front to back, had yellowed pages and looked like it had been handed down many generations--the perfect book in my opinion. It had all the elements of a story that was told and retold across families and maybe debated and discussed with joy, love and sometimes with sudden revelations. And truly it is a story that you would hope passed down from one generation to another. The kind of framework and the perfect set of characters that would appeal to any generation, living in any part of the globe and in any decade. So its tingling and wonderfully stimulating that such a story came to be a part of my life, in a condition that is more than befitting--torn,battered,yellow but intensely human.

'The Good Earth' essays the life of Wang Lung-a Chinese peasant who is emotionally attached to his land. Its about his innate stubbornness and personal belief system that refuses to accept the existence of God and ancestors and places his love for his land above all. His marriage to O-lan and his subsequent rise and fall in fortunes are a mirror that Pearl Buck holds to showcase the wonderful Chinese culture in the times of Chinese revolutions, wars and famines. The book talks about life's unknown and the desires and destiny of man, entwined with the fickle mindsets of Mother Nature. Its very subtly sprinkled with time-tested nuggets of wisdom.
The beauty of the story is the narration. Its the single most mind blowing factor of the book. To be able to hold your reader's attention with narration and description and minimum dialogue is quite a feat. And the author does it with simple sentences and basic grammar. Pearl's childhood in China, helps the content of this book grow. The way the world is, from a peasant's eyes is remarkable and for once, you do feel lucky that your ancestors worked hard enough to get you this far.
The spurt of desire
Uncontrollable urges lead many to crime
Tis' an undeniable faith
That makes life sublime

Stretched by toils of life,
The pawn suffers in the game
Its the vagaries of nature
that keep life the same.

If there is ever a classic that should stand high up there, with Heidi, the Jane Austen classics, Tolstoy and Chekhov, its this.

There is an alchemy in sorrow. It can be transmuted into wisdom, which, if it does not bring joy, can yet bring happiness.--Pearl Buck

Happy Pi Day

Celebrating the birthday of this magical number!!!
Incidentally or not, its Einstein's birthday too!

A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving...--Albert Einstein

Three Mute Smiling Faces...

Mute.
A Himesh Reshammiya song.
Mute.
The incessant traffic horn.
Mute.
Feedback loop howling of a microphone.
Mute.
The friction between a chalk and blackboard.
Mute,
is the silent chatter of a threesome on a crowded train.
Mute,
are their wildest expressions, their deep pain.
Mute,
are their endless giggles and generous laughter.
Mute,
they are despite their strife
Mute,
aren't their big dreams and life.
Mute
they are ...because they were born that way.
Mute,
we are...because we stand and curiously stare.

Because in the run-up to an interesting life, we often bump into people of extraordinary grit and joy. The three dumb women on the train were oblivious to the world around them and discussed issue close to their heart, with passion and fervor. They didn't realize a "mute" spectator was busy painting the story of their life in words and verses...
Three Cheers to a spectacular life!!!

Mr. Woodrow: You know why I like to teach children, Jack? So I don't get so wrapped up in being an adult. So I can remember that there are other things that are important in life. Like riding a bike, playing in a treehouse, or splashing in water with good shoes on. You were a shooting star amongst ordinary stars. Have you ever seen a shooting star, Jack? It's wonderful. It passes quickly but while it's here it just lights up the whole sky. It's the most beautiful thing you'd ever want to see. So beautiful that the other stars just stop and watch. You almost never see one.
Jack: Why?
Mr Woodrow: Because they are very rare, quite rare. But I saw one--I did.
Jack: But I just want to be a regular star.
Mr Woodrow: Jack, you'll never be regular, you're spectacular.

P.S.--while your busy celebrating life, make sure you see the movie Jack...where this quote is from ...Its spectacular!!!

On global warming

Chargers on the list of potentially harmful equipment for Mother Earth is quite a revelation!!!
Lets wish global warming away with some teeny weeny changes in our lifestyle!


Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find. ~Quoted in Time