Saw a brilliant performance of Bikhre Bimb, a Hindi adaptation of Girish Karnad's work. In a one act, solo performance, Arundhati Nag conveyed a range of emotions, from ecstacy to jealousy to helplessness. It's about a surprising twist to an acclaimed author's life story. The props used are very intelligent- a TV that carries a spitting image of the actor on stage, talking to her out of the idiot box.
Having seen a play after quite some time, I felt the impact was even better. A sidelight was the presence of Shabana Azmi at the theatre (Ranga Shankara). Bangalore seems to be picking up again as a 'playful' place, judging by audience number and reactions. Long live drama!
English Language
Reading a fascinating book called Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson, who usually writes travelogues. What strikes me about him is his meticulous research into facts and anecdotes about diverse people. Reminiscent of Arthur Hailey who in the past wrote about airports, hotels, finance industry etc. in great detail. This book has a lot of interesting observations about English language, its history, evolution, and reasons why it became the force that it is, compared to many other languages.
One important reason for its rapid development in tune with the times is that there is no single custodian of the language, and the second is that English is open to influences and new words from many other languages. The stories of the people who wrote the first few dictionaries of the language (Webster being one of them)are also quite fascinating. One dictionary took almost forty years to compile!
One important reason for its rapid development in tune with the times is that there is no single custodian of the language, and the second is that English is open to influences and new words from many other languages. The stories of the people who wrote the first few dictionaries of the language (Webster being one of them)are also quite fascinating. One dictionary took almost forty years to compile!
Diwali
I hit a record of sorts by meeting 3 different friends, two old and one new, in the three days this Diwali. I usually shudder to drive in Bangalore (a phobia of sorts) due to the sorry state of the roads and even sorrier driving habits of Bangaloreans. Which is why this is a record.
The feelings evoked by Diwali are however, unique. It brings about the urge to splurge on everything- food, sweets in particular, sparkling diyas, or lights of any kind, consumer goods, etc. I restricted myself to a new music system cum many other things, made by an unheard of Japanese brand. But I am sure I would have bought something else if the holiday had been longer.
Also saw Blue, India's first movie with underwater action occupying a lot of screen time. I thought it was a good attempt at this, and action on the road. Only a flimsy story to take it forward, but the, which Bond movie has a great story? Lara Dutta makes a good Bond-style heroine, though that can't be said about Sanjay Dutt and Akshay, who are poor substitutes for the real thing. Shot in the Bahamas, which I visited long ago, was an added attraction, since we also dived there during our trip.
The feelings evoked by Diwali are however, unique. It brings about the urge to splurge on everything- food, sweets in particular, sparkling diyas, or lights of any kind, consumer goods, etc. I restricted myself to a new music system cum many other things, made by an unheard of Japanese brand. But I am sure I would have bought something else if the holiday had been longer.
Also saw Blue, India's first movie with underwater action occupying a lot of screen time. I thought it was a good attempt at this, and action on the road. Only a flimsy story to take it forward, but the, which Bond movie has a great story? Lara Dutta makes a good Bond-style heroine, though that can't be said about Sanjay Dutt and Akshay, who are poor substitutes for the real thing. Shot in the Bahamas, which I visited long ago, was an added attraction, since we also dived there during our trip.
Bangalore Book Fair
The Bangalore Book Fair is an annual event that hosts publishers from all over. This year's edition is special, however, because pothi.com will have a stall there. What is pothi.com? It is a Print-on-demand (or POD) publisher based in Bangalore. So what, you may ask. They are also the publisher of my autobiography called "My Experiments with Half-truths". That's what makes this year's event special for me. It's from November 6th to 15th.
What makes the POD so attractive to fiction/poetry/non-fiction authors is that the content is entirely under the author's control. So a Michael Moore (whose Stupid White Men had some problems getting published) could use this form of publishing, and so could you or I, unknown authors to begin with, who may never get published any other way. Sales are usually slow, because it is sold online against an order, and the author needs to promote his book (as I am doing now), but there is no pressure on an author to buy a minimum number as with normal self-publishing/printing. It is deeply satisfying, for some reason, to see your thoughts in print even in the age of the internet.
What makes the POD so attractive to fiction/poetry/non-fiction authors is that the content is entirely under the author's control. So a Michael Moore (whose Stupid White Men had some problems getting published) could use this form of publishing, and so could you or I, unknown authors to begin with, who may never get published any other way. Sales are usually slow, because it is sold online against an order, and the author needs to promote his book (as I am doing now), but there is no pressure on an author to buy a minimum number as with normal self-publishing/printing. It is deeply satisfying, for some reason, to see your thoughts in print even in the age of the internet.
Paulo Coelho and Michael Moore
A brief review of two books I read last weekend.
Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho is an interesting book. It looks at inmates of a mental asylum in Slovenia (where is that?) and delves into our inhibitions, need to conform to societal norms, and inability to let go. Also, it leaves you wondering if everyone is 'mad' in their own way.
Michael Moore's Stupid White Men is a typical takeoff on George W. Bush, Gore, and all the white men in the U.S. and the world, in general. Very persuasively, Moore argues that the bomb was made by a white man, the internal combustion engine which pollutes our air was made by a white man, people who chucked him out of his jobs were all white men, and ...so on. But the media always portrays the villain as being black men or other non-white men. It's hilariously funny, and also scathing in attacking many holy cows...if Tharoor had done it, he would have been exiled. Rupert Murdoch's company (his US publisher) did try to stop it, but the association of Librarians' raised a stink, until the publisher was forced to publish the book as per their contract.
Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho is an interesting book. It looks at inmates of a mental asylum in Slovenia (where is that?) and delves into our inhibitions, need to conform to societal norms, and inability to let go. Also, it leaves you wondering if everyone is 'mad' in their own way.
Michael Moore's Stupid White Men is a typical takeoff on George W. Bush, Gore, and all the white men in the U.S. and the world, in general. Very persuasively, Moore argues that the bomb was made by a white man, the internal combustion engine which pollutes our air was made by a white man, people who chucked him out of his jobs were all white men, and ...so on. But the media always portrays the villain as being black men or other non-white men. It's hilariously funny, and also scathing in attacking many holy cows...if Tharoor had done it, he would have been exiled. Rupert Murdoch's company (his US publisher) did try to stop it, but the association of Librarians' raised a stink, until the publisher was forced to publish the book as per their contract.
Two Film Reviews
I saw two movies, the last two days. A quick review.
Quick Gun Murugan is a really nonsensical and enjoyable take on cowboys, Tamil films, corporate shenanigans, and mamis of Mylapore (that's in Chennai), among other things. It's funny by design, and to look for too much logic, structure, and cinematic greatness as in a Shyam Benegal movie would be futile. But for me, it worked. From the lipstick worn by Murugan, to the Zimbly wonderful Locket girl (Lola Kutty in another avatar), Mango Dolly whose item number is better than any of Rakhi Sawant's, to Gunpowder, and Rice Plate Reddy (the villain), it's a bunch of imaginative characters, and the "Mind it"s and "I say"s enhance the masala mix. A great way to entertain yourself, if you dig this sort of stuff. Potential for many sequels too, I think.
The Kite Runner is a good adaptation of the book. Sensitively told tale of cold war politics, meaningless wars, and the bizarre roles of the so-called religious men in destroying an innocent society, aided of course by the greed of the superpowers. The setting is Afghanistan, but it could have been anywhere. South America, Africa, or Asia. Or Europe, which has seen more mayhem this century than the rest of the world put together. The U.S. emerges in this film as a hero, but that's only because Michael Moore did not make the movie.
Quick Gun Murugan is a really nonsensical and enjoyable take on cowboys, Tamil films, corporate shenanigans, and mamis of Mylapore (that's in Chennai), among other things. It's funny by design, and to look for too much logic, structure, and cinematic greatness as in a Shyam Benegal movie would be futile. But for me, it worked. From the lipstick worn by Murugan, to the Zimbly wonderful Locket girl (Lola Kutty in another avatar), Mango Dolly whose item number is better than any of Rakhi Sawant's, to Gunpowder, and Rice Plate Reddy (the villain), it's a bunch of imaginative characters, and the "Mind it"s and "I say"s enhance the masala mix. A great way to entertain yourself, if you dig this sort of stuff. Potential for many sequels too, I think.
The Kite Runner is a good adaptation of the book. Sensitively told tale of cold war politics, meaningless wars, and the bizarre roles of the so-called religious men in destroying an innocent society, aided of course by the greed of the superpowers. The setting is Afghanistan, but it could have been anywhere. South America, Africa, or Asia. Or Europe, which has seen more mayhem this century than the rest of the world put together. The U.S. emerges in this film as a hero, but that's only because Michael Moore did not make the movie.
Reality Shows
Somehow the reality shows have not caught my fancy. What could be the reason? That I am unreal? I cannot vouch for that, and there is a seeming contradiction. If I am unreal, then my vouching for it is as unreal, so it may not matter.
But look at the reality shows that are being lapped up as much as the saas bahu serials were. I look at it this way. If your life is "really" good, then you would be too busy living it, rather than watching TV- real or otherwise. If your life is not really good, then you need to spice it up with entertainment that is far removed from your not-so-good reality. In either case, my analysis shows that reality shows should not have a market. But why do they get watched? Secondly, are they really real? Or is it all a rehearsed drama for the benefit of the producer?
What do I like to watch? Mostly, Travel and Living, the odd comedy show, and the news that sounds a lot like entertainment, what with Advani (sounds like a cousin of Akashvani) looking sad at being asked to retire at eighty something....but I do miss Laloo, who was a true entertainer. Even when he guest lectured at Harvard, or IIMA.
But look at the reality shows that are being lapped up as much as the saas bahu serials were. I look at it this way. If your life is "really" good, then you would be too busy living it, rather than watching TV- real or otherwise. If your life is not really good, then you need to spice it up with entertainment that is far removed from your not-so-good reality. In either case, my analysis shows that reality shows should not have a market. But why do they get watched? Secondly, are they really real? Or is it all a rehearsed drama for the benefit of the producer?
What do I like to watch? Mostly, Travel and Living, the odd comedy show, and the news that sounds a lot like entertainment, what with Advani (sounds like a cousin of Akashvani) looking sad at being asked to retire at eighty something....but I do miss Laloo, who was a true entertainer. Even when he guest lectured at Harvard, or IIMA.
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