Avatar

Just when the Sci-Fi scene was starting to look bleak, along came James Cameron (the great soul that blessed us with the Terminator) after a decade long hiatus to deliver "Avatar". I had the privilege of watching it in IMAX 3D format and believe you me, this movie was made for this format. Two broad reasons why I just loved this movie.

The first one is the amazing story. Much like Star Wars, despite the film being set in another time and in another galaxy (not exactly "far far away", the star Alpha Centauri is pretty close), the story is but a reflection of what we see around us right here today. We as humans, recklessly abusing nature, without realizing what is really precious. In the year 2154, humans have set out to take over the moon Pandora of the planet Polyphemus, orbiting Alpha Centauri, the "oil" being the precious mineral unobtainium (the pun is intended I guess). The planet's indigenous population, the Na'Vi stand in the way & in their greed, the humans are even ready to go to war with them. Jake Sully(played by Sam Worthington), a paraplegic US Marine, is entered into the Avatar Program, after his brother's death. An Avatar (the term derived from Hindu Mythology, meaning the manifestation of God in a human form) is a biologically engineered human-Na'Vi hybrid body, that acts as a surrogate for a human to use to move on Pandora, the air being unbreathable. Each Avatar is remotely linked to a human, who can control it using his mind and allows the human to move and sense as if he were truly in place of the Avatar. Jake manages to gain the trust of the Omaticaya tribe of the Na'Vi, who are usually apprehensive of humans and are now at the brink of war with them. Though initially part of the plan, Jake realizes & sympathizes with the deep love and respect that the Na'Vi have for nature. Through Jake's journey, we are also reminded that we are destroying what's precious here on Earth too. I absolutely loved the concept of the Na'Vi way of communing with Mother Nature. Apart from the title, the director seems to have borrowed a lot more from Hindu Mythology. The ways of worship and respect towards nature are concepts deeply entrenched in Hinduism and other ancient religions, which are otherwise dismissed as "Pagan" in modern times. Ultimately, the Na'vi are the manifestations of pure beings that humans will hopefully still strive to become, so our Earth, more vibrant,diverse and beautiful than Pandora will continue to shine.

The second major reason is the technical aspects of this film. First being the ground-breaking CGI, that has rendered this wonderful environment. Whats so "ground-breaking" is that unlike other forms of motion capture (meaning capturing movements for animation using human models), the digital rendering can actually be seen live as the capture is being done, and changes to the environment can be done on the fly. The true test of animation is not its level of detail in an isolated environment (face it, those Japs cant keep harping about Final Fantasy all their lives, its now become pretty much common), but its ability to fuse in effortlessly with the live-action world. And thats where this new technology surpasses all else. You just have to see the realism of the Na'vi and other creatures on Pandora, and their seamless interaction with live action humans and objects. And being the geeky Sci-Fi fan I am, who has by now learnt of the Star Wars universe as if it were a history-geography syllabus in school, the other awesome aspect for me is the creation of this new fantasy world. I am now eager to catalog all this fictional wildlife, from the Titanothere & Thanator to the Banshee & Leonopteryx. Plus also hope to learn more about the other Na'vi tribes apart from the Omaticaya in the sequels. (Cameron has said there will be a trilogy if this movie is a success, and by the looks of things, well.... bingo!!!)

So, to end things all I have to say is Sci-Fi fan or not, geek or not, everyone will absolutely love this movie.

Long Live the Na'vi!!!!!!

Like Reflections on a Page

"Solitary Shell" by Dream Theater

He seemed no different from the rest
Just a healthy normal boy
His mama always did her best
And he was daddy's pride and joy

He learned to walk and talk on time
But never cared much to be held
and steadily he would decline
Into his solitary shell

As a boy he was considered somewhat odd
Kept to himself most of the time
He would daydream in and out of his own world
but in every other way he was fine

He's a Monday morning lunatic
Disturbed from time to time
Lost within himself
In his solitary shell

A temporary catatonic
Madman on occasion
When will he break out
Of his solitary shell

He struggled to get through his day
He was helplessly behind
He poured himself onto the page
Writing for hours at a time

As a man he was a danger to himself
Fearful and sad most of the time
He was drifting in and out of sanity
But in every other way he was fine

He's a Monday morning lunatic
Disturbed from time to time
Lost within himself
In his solitary shell

A momentary maniac
With casual delusions
When will he be let out
Of his solitary shell

An Inspiration

Being a fan of war movies, Ridley Scott's 'Black Hawk Down', based on the US Somalia operations, undoubtedly ranks among my faves. The soundtrack, like the movie, is equally superb. One song that stands out for me is the one that plays on the end credits. The tune just hit me when I was watching it for the first time leaving the movie theatre. Once I checked out the lyrics, I was truly inspired. Named 'Minstrel Boy', it is performed for the movie by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros. But originally, it is a poem written by the Irish poet Thomas Moore in the early nineteenth century in remembrance of his friends who had fought & been martyred in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

The lyrics:

The minstrel boy to the war is gone,

In the ranks of death you'll find him;

His father's sword he hath girded on,

And his wild harp slung behind him;

"Land of Song!" cried the warrior bard,

"Tho' all the world betrays thee,

One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,

One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain

Could not bring that proud soul under;

The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,

For he tore its chords asunder;

And said "No chains shall sully thee,

Thou soul of love and brav'ry!

Thy songs were made for the pure and free

They shall never sound in slavery!"

Footnote : Once I did listen to the entire soundtrack, I was disappointed to learn that my favourite composer A.R. Rahman has directly lifted tunes from it (viz. a song called 'Barra Barra') for the songs 'Khalbali' and the opening sequence of Rang De Basanti. :(

In case he has mentioned his inspiration, I stand corrected, but I am truly disappointed.

What I Know Now

A few things I have discovered since coming to the USA:

1) RULES. You wait for signals to cross the road on foot too. Its irritating for someone who has spent his life in Mumbai.

2) SMOOTH ROADS. An 8 hour bus journey from NYC to Buffalo is less stressful than a 1 1/2 hour busride from Kandivali to SEEPZ.

3) POLITENESS. Despite the tales of American brashness, they actually greet everyone on the street. Dont even get me started on the 'Thank You's and 'Have a nice day's when you go to counters at stores or information desks.

4) DESI. Yup, that’s what you become when you come here.

5) HOTPANTS. Need I say anything more?

6) WOODEN HOUSES. They can actually withstand all the weight.

7) CHEAP ELECTRONICS. Will Airtel or Hutch ever give you a Sony Ericsson 760 for Rs. 4000 because you took their postpaid connection?

From Mumbai to Buffalo

Well, here I am in the U S of A. Almost a week here, and still getting used to it. It is so different here. The roads, the traffic rules, the houses, the people. Some of the stereotypes I had in mind sure turned out right. The African-American brothers here do like to groove to the hip-hop beat while driving, and talk with that same Will Smith/ Chris Tucker swagger.

But speaking of Buffalo, it turned out to be a picturesque countryside. It might be the second biggest city in NY state after NYC, but the two are poles apart. Just spent an hour or so in the Big Apple, but it had the madness of Mumbai written all over it. The traffic, the crowds, the hustle-bustle wow!!! Here in Buffalo, its calm, quiet and peaceful. Ofcourse, the odd police siren goes off every hour or two, but hey its USA baby.

Now, about the SUNY Buffalo campus. I am impressed. Its divided into two actually, the North and South campus both connected by the "UB Stampede" buses that run at 10 min frequencies. It also has its own metro station(yay!!!!). The campuses are filled with halls, Starbucks Coffee/ Burger King et-all outlets, parking lots. Right now, with no work to do, I feel like being in a park. Guess it will all change real soon, but I'm looking forward to it.

Overquoted Quotes

First of all, Jai Maharashtra!! My beautiful state is now 49 years old. Thanks to those 105 brave souls who gave up their lives for realizing the dream of "Sanyukta Maharashtra". You will forever be remembered as we remember the great Shivaji Maharaj himself. 

Now, moving to my topic. After all the confusion the IPL 2009 has turned out just fine. Its good to see the Mumbai Indians doing good as well. 

While watching the IPL, I noticed a quote being used over and over by almost all the commentators : "City Moment of Success"(or so I thought). It is being used to describe every single event in the match - a wicket, a sixer( oops.. a DLF Maximum!!). Turns out, the quote is actually "Citi Moment of Success". Since, Citi Group is one of the official sponsors of the IPL, the commentators are supposed to use this term presumably as often as they can. And they all seem to be following orders: Mark Nicholas, Robin Jackman, L Sivaramakrishnan et al. From what I noticed, the little master Sunil Gavaskar is the only person who has avoided using it. And thats a good thing as well, his amazing repertoire of words makes him a treat to listen to. Now back to this quote: I guess the commentators can't help it if they are asked to do something by the sponsors. But give me a break, hearing one single quote over and over again every single day!!!

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the commentators get so used to saying it, they continue it in other tournaments. And wouldn't it be fun if that would turn out to be one sponsored by say... Standard Chartered!!! :) :) :)

गर्व आहे मला मी महाराष्ट्रीय असल्याचा :)

Just watched a Marathi movie in a theater after a very long time. The movie - Mi Shivajiraje Bhonsle Boltoy. Directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, and also starring him in the title role(but not the lead!!) of the pride of Maharashtra : Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But the movie belongs to Sachin Khedekar, who plays the middle class 'Marathi manoos' to perfection. 

The movie brings out the angst of the Marathi manoos through the story of Dinkar Rao Bhonsle(Khedekar), how he feels lost in his own Mumbai. But rather than indulging in some sort of 'outsider'-bashing, we are taken the root of the actual problem. It is the lack of ambition and drive to succeed that is making him lose his hold over his own city. As a Maharashtrian(oops Maharashtriya) watching this movie, it is full of scenes which look straight out of one's daily life experiences. We follow Bhonsle as he is converted from a push-over to a hero with the help of the spirit of Shivaji Maharaj, who is distressed that someone who shares his last name should feel ashamed of being Marathi.

The supporting cast is awesome too. Makarand Anaspure as Maharaj's trusted man provides the necessary comic relief. But another comedian Siddarth Jadhav, does a complete turnaround playing a ruthless don Usman Parkar. Me and my friend have rechristened him "The Indian 50 Cents" after seeing him in this movie. I was also quite impressed by the beautiful Priya Bapat who plays Bhonsle's daughter. And famous adman Bharat Dabholkar played an amazing cameo as the evil Mughal Afzal Khan. That particular part of the movie which describes how Maharaj killed the deceitful Afzal Khan was truly inspiring to me. 

The way Bhonsle single-handedly fights the builder mafia is a bit far-fetched, but I guess its permissible cinematic liberty. The inspiring message that this movie sends out to the people of Maharashtra overshadows all else. Especially at this time, with the elections around the corner, with people desiring leaders who will truly represent Maharashtra at the Centre. 

On a different note, it was truly heartening to see full houses for this superhit movie. It has made me believe Maharashtra will rise again.

असेल हिम्मत तर आडवा!!!!!! 

What does it mean?

What does it mean?

When you search for someone you know isn't there

When you listen to a voice no one else can hear

When you wait for the rain under a sky so clear.

What does it mean?

When a face haunts your thoughts day & night

That leaves you neither in darkness nor light

And yet somehow it feels so right.

What does it mean?

When someone's grief makes you forget your own pain

Words spoken so few, yet for eternity shall remain

When you will wait knowing you'll never meet again.

What does it mean?

When trying to pull away only makes the feeling grow

When you remember someone in your prayers, in joy and sorrow

And it doesn't even matter that they will never know.

Destiny???

Rewind<< 2004 : A few months into my engineering in EXTC, I was wondering if i made the right choice. After a lot of thought( those who know me well can imagine the volume!!), I decided to change my branch to Computers. Because I loved it, and didnt care whether people thought EXTC was more "promising".

Fast Forward>> 2006 : With doing MS fixed in my head, but after a brief stint at work in an Indian IT firm, I went for the on-campus Syntel aptitude test without any worries. I had barely even prepared. Cleared the test, then cleared the interview, and I was right there along with my EXTC friends. Who couldnt help wonder how meaningless running after EXTC was... 

Fast Forward>> July 2007 : Having finished B.E., sitting at home doing nothing. Heard a few friends had called up Syntel themselves for their date of joining. Did the same, and was presented with 2 choices : 30th August - Pune or 11th October - Mumbai. What to do?? Take the later batch in my home sweet home. Or go to this other pretty city right besides mine. I decided the latter. 

Fast Forward>> Playing (2007-2008) : Met new people from almost all over India. Made some really good friends who I am continuing to interact with(wherever they are : here, Pune, Chennai or anywhere else). Still I do regret not being able to have been in the company of a few, for long enough to get to know each other better.

Present Day> : Back home now since 7 months. Looking forward to travelling big time in a few months. Just thinking about these past few years, and how one different decision at any stage would have just things dramatically. Hmm... NowI'm back, good old friends, some new ones... Hey talking about the 11th October batch.. I have managed to meet a quite a few of them, with 2 of them now really close chums of mine!!

Whew!! Life comes full circle. 

Though I do look back and think if I should have done things differently( mind you I'm not talking about choosing comps n Pune, I'm glad about both). Some other decisions I took along the way that sometimes I'm not sure about. But its reassuring to hold a belief, that somewhere down the line, I could end up finding out I was right after all. See at one point, I was gonna go for MS right after BE.. I would have graduated right now, bang in the middle of the economic meltdown. Hmmm... Destiny, Fate??? Dont know???

Viva La Vida... Cheers to Life!!!   

Dont Hate Love, Dont Chain Freedom

Before you misunderstand me, let me get one thing straight. To hell with Valentine's Day. Its just another marketing strategy to mint money. Gift shop chains, hotel chains, music companies: they all just sell it. If I had a girlfriend, I wouldnt need this day to show her I loved her. A special day? How about her birthday or the day we first met? But nobody has the right to force people not to celebrate it. You cant beat up couples for it. Go ahead, burn cards, demonstrate against gift shops, show your resentment against the commercialization. But you cant impose your restrictions on the public. Personally, I dont like going to pubs & discs either. But I dont look down on people who do. Its a matter of choice. If its causing loss of morality, its their parents' problem. Who is this 'Sri Ram Sene' to decide? They look like a bunch of drug addicts themselves. And the Bajrang Dal have always been a bunch of class-A retards. But I was sorely disappointed with the Shiv Sena. It has always stood up for things that matter: for Maharashtra, for policemen vilified for killing terrorists, for poor farmers' rights. But not this. Come on, guys! An average middle-class youth otherwise supports you for your stand on other issues, if not the methods (but personally, I love the way you guys kick ass wherever deserved). You are only driving us away by impinging on our freedom. On a better note, the MNS had declared this as a non-issue. :-)

Looking back at 'The Dark Knight'

Sci-Fi & Action movies always excite me. But its a few particular directors that truly make me sit up & take notice say George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott etc. When 'Batman Begins' was released, I was skeptical. The previous franchise was a dud for the most part, the only saving grace was 'Batman Forever' with Val Kilmer( an amazing yet underrated actor) as Batman & awesome performances by Jim Carrey(my fav) & Tommy Lee Jones. I was particularly repulsed by the new franchise director Christopher Nolan when he took a few liberties with the basic Batman premise. Suddenly, the sleek Batmobile became the gigantic 'Tumbler'. But overall it was a good movie. Then came the sequel that changed it all. Nolan's attempt to make the movie & the characters as realistic as possible paid off. In the guise of a comic-based action movie, 'The Dark Knight' turned out to be a grim, intense, thought-provoking movie.The late Heath Ledger immortalized The Joker, a psychopathic, shrewd criminal mastermind. Christian Bale is perfect as the misunderstood, forever in pain  caped crusader. Aaron Eckhart brought out the contradiction in Two-Face. For me, two things about the movie have made me a truly crazy fan. First is undoubtedly the Joker. His mannerisms, his amazing dialogues.. outta this world. He truly has given us a "better class of criminal". The other is the very meaning of 'The Dark Knight'. Especially since how relevant it is to our world today. Can there truly be a perfectly good hero? Highly improbable, by our human standards. Batman is our hero. He falters, he is misunderstood. He has to take the tough choices that make people hate him. He has to remain the outcast, the criminal. 

So Christopher Nolan has now joined my list of favourite directors. More so, after watching his amazing, time-warped 'Memento'(the inspiration behind Ghajini). And 'The Dark Knight' has become another movie in my eclectic collection which  I watch & discuss a hundred times over, to the point of nauseating those around me.

The Curious Case of Maharashtra

This is a continuation of yesterday's post. Let me take you back to the late 1950's. While the Constitution allowed creation of Indian states along linguistic lines, they curiously didnot want to do the same for the Marathi-speaking areas of Western India. Four years and 105 lives later, the state of Maharashtra was born on 1st May 1960. With its capital city Mumbai, home to the Wankhede, Marine Lines & oh yes... Flora Fountain, rechristened as Hutatma Chowk(Martyr's Crossroads) in memory of the 105 brave souls who laid down their lives courtesy the bullets, not of the British or of Pakistanis, but our own fellow countrymen. The victory belonged to the efforts of the Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti, whose prominent members included Acharya Atre, Prabodhankar Thackeray(Balasaheb Thackeray's father) , Senapati Bapat and Shahir Amar Shaikh. 

To me, this is a part of history that I feel proud to look back on. But not to nurse any ill feelings towards my fellow Indians. It was just that the people in power at that time wanted control over the financial capital of India. As they still do today. Still efforts are on to create a separate state of Mumbai, a move supported vehemently by the likes of Amar Singh & his ilk. These politicians are covertly trying to create their votebank in Mumbai. Rather than solving the problems in their states(which anyway they themselves have created), these goons & buffoons in the garb of netas encourage migrant influx into Mumbai. These poor people take up whatever work they can, hardworking & determined that they are (something I admire). With stars in their eyes, they are ready to work for whatever measly sum they are offered(which is why they are in demand). Then the bubble bursts, that tiny sum cannot fulfill their dreams and it ultimately leads them to crime. So, like never before in the history of Mumbai, we have record cases of robberies & murders by watchmen, security guards themselves. All employed in bulk as low cost labour from you-know-where. And there are several other examples such as railway recruitment etc that may be cited. This has to change and that is all the Shiv Sena & the MNS are saying. There is no "Maharashtra is only for Marathis" agenda. That even sounds so stupid to me. Mumbai boasts of bigger Navratri celebrations than Gujarat. Also the biggest Durga Puja celebrations outside of West Bengal. People from other states have always been and will continue to be welcome here. The opposition a while back was not against Chhat Puja, but against Lalu, Amar Singh and the rest bringing their slimy carcasses here to play dirty votebank politics. 

I hope people understand what ails us. I guess the problem lies in all of us. We have become a nation of indifferent people, unwilling to look the problem in the eye, imagining it doesnt exist. So, I maintain that this is not just Maharshtra's but India's problem. Maharashtra pays the lion's share of taxes in India. But gets nothing in return for its development. But I'd be more than happy if a good percentage of that money is spent on improving the conditions in UP and Bihar. Just as Uddhav Thackeray said in an interview, "Don't blame us. We are doing this for our state. Blame your states' leaders who have failed you and left you in this plight."

And to my other fellow Indians from more fortunate, developed cities like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bangalore etc just try to find out these facts before you base your judgements on the so-called news reports of all these so-called news channels like Aaj Tak, India TV(no prizes for guessing where their patronages lie). 

Jai Hind !! Jai Maharashtra !! Jai Gujarat !! Joi Bangla !! (I'm sorry all the other states are included in the first salutation, I only reserve separate references for my favourites.. :)  )

P.S. : I promise to write on some pleasant topics next time onwards

For Mumbai

Mumbai.... what can I say?? My home sweet home, my native place. So much has been said & continues to be said about this "City of Dreams". The recent terrorist attacks notwithstanding, still the safest & best city in India, though I must say Ahmedabad is catching up real fast. But Mumbai isnt pulling away. Sadly, its deteriorating. Why? Population explosion, congestion etc. The reasons we all know. But the reasons behind these reasons.
There begins the great debate - 'Locals vs Outsiders'. How do you define a 'Local'? To me any domiciled citizen is a local, whatever his mother-tongue is. I have Gujarati, Malayalee, Kannada, Bengali, UPiite & Bihari friends and acquaintances who to me are as Maharashtrian as I am. Then there comes the set of people who form the skilled workforce - engineers, doctors & other professionals from around the country, who come here to form a kind of symbiotic relationship with the city. They utilize the opportunities the city gives them, & they give it back in their own ways. These are the two sets of people that form the fabric of Mumbai. Thisis what makes Mumbai tick. But Mumbai faces a problem. We have a third set of people - illegal migrants. I do sympathize with them. Nobody likes to leave their home. It is the extreme poverty that drives them. But is exhausting this great city a solution? UP and Bihar produce the largest percentage of the Indian Armed Forces. Their capabilities are unquestionable. Both states also produce a large number of IAS officers. Ironic then, that they are the most illiterate & backward states in the country. The reason - their politicians. And, owing to our population - based division of Parliamentary seats among states, these same politicians are the reason for the problems our wholenation faces. I'm pissed off seeing thugs n buffoons like Lalu and Amar Singh represent our country. So why blame the Shiv Sena and MNS? I admire the Thackerays. They have their own way of doing things. You might not agree with their ways, but shut up and listen to what they want to say. Or would you rather hear Lalu explaining how he digests cow fodder, and Amar Singh going on about how the Delhi Police faked an encounter with one officer even getting himself killed to make it look real?
Maybe the MNS is overzealous, but the real problem needs to be brought into focus. I always try to debate this with my friends from other metropolitan cities like Kolkata & Ahmedabad. If my city faces a problem that needs to be solved, there might be a hundred ways to do it. But if I dont have the guts to come up with a better solution, the least I can do is support anyone who atleast has one. Now, I'm not naive to ignore that politicians want votes. But if they are taking up a real issue, can we not use our voting power to make sure they do solve it. The problem Mumbai faces echoes the problems of India - corruption, indifference by all people, not just politicians. Just maybe, Mumbai will be the torch-bearer for the rest of the country on the path to progress.

An Introduction

So as I start off, first a little intro. I am 23 years old & a software engineer by profession. Interested in technology, the sciences, have been into astronomy, palaeontology since childhood. Quite a Hollywoood movie buff, & have a varied taste in music. No specific genre, just that the music must be passionate & deep. Proud of my Marathi heritage and my India.

About my personality, well I'm not good at describing it. I guess you'll just have to meet me to find out. Or some of you psychic types can try to figure it out from my posts( good luck!!).

So, out here in my 'Colosseum of Chaos', I will be talking about a whole mix of things, without giving a damn about whether anyone else gives a damn about it.