Urban Versus Rural

I have grown up in rural or semi-urban areas in my early life, but having come in to the city of Hyderabad, rarely went back to rural areas except on holidays or when driving through.

Rural life looks idyllic from an urban lens, but there are hardships that may not be apparent. Availability of water, electricity and so on is the first major difference, and is one reason why we (India) are still considered underdeveloped.

Given equal opportunity, rural kids can do as well as any other, but availability of schools and training in spoken English is not easy to find in many parts. That creates a lifelong handicap and gives an edge to the Urban kids. Not easy to correct in later years of a person's life.

One way to develop rural areas may be through Tourism. With greater interest today in sustainable tourism and its many variants, it is possible to come up with a plan for the variety of lifestyles and learning opportunities that tourists have, potentially. 

Mukkabaaz- Film Review

Given that the film runs its length on two completely new actors in the lead, it's a very good attempt. It's the charming heroine and raw, gritty hero who actually make the difference in a tale that's in danger of becoming a new stereotype. The North Indian small-town ambience leading to turmoil in the lives of some of the protagonists, I mean. A complete anti-thesis of the Karan Johar urban stereotype, this is nevertheless another one. If what is depicted in it is true, it is sad indeed that small town autocrats still function in this way. If it's not, cinema needs to write and tell stories which are more varied.

The good things are Vineet Singh and Zoya Hussain- the lead pair, and the known faces of Ravi Kishen and Jimmy Shergill (who's also getting typecast). The length of the film is a tad too long, and shaving 15-20 minutes off would have made it a lot crisper and more effective in its impact. It drags at times, because you know what's going to unfold.  The subtext of forward versus backward castes is handled well, without intruding too much on the storytelling. Also, the joblessness in small town India comes through, in attempts to get one through sports quotas. The end is a big surprise. Overall, not bad. Worth a look for a film buff, especially if you are not into mindless extravaganzas. The music could have been better.

Paan Singh Tomar

Actually, the title sounded weird, and I put off watching this movie partly due to its title. But in the light of many positive reccos, bought a VCD (poor man's DVD). And was really impressed. The lingo is a bit strange (some rural dialect of Hindi) and takes a bit of getting used to. But a powerhouse performance by Irrfan Khan, that would thrill his fans, and a taut screenplay makes it well worth a watch. And there is a message in it too. That we usually treat sportsmen badly- particularly our athletes.

There have been many good anti-establishment films made by the likes of Govind Nihalani, Shyam Benegal and so on. Ardh Satya, Aakrosh etc. tackled themes from farmer's problems to corruption and ganglords, and this is another in the category. A bit unusual, like the name of its director, Tigmanshu Dhulia.

Rural India probably has a lot of problems unlike the ones we have (traffic, noise, angst), and this movie makes you aware of some. Sibling rivalry over land is one that is tackled here, without any convincing solution. Like the angry young man who seeks to solve everything by throwing his fists around, the solutions are simplistic. And they may not actually work. Israel-Palestine and Indo-Pak wars are a good example that violence may breed violence endlessly.