Taare Zameen Par- Music Show by Children

 It was an endearing show of Bollywood songs across decades. The orchestra was superb, and so were the kids who performed. A novel idea, to present a kids' performance instead of one by grownups, and well-handled. Some songs rendered were done professionally. Two that stood out for me were Husn ke lakhon rang from Johnny Mera Naam and Ek chatur naar from Padosan. Happened at Yeshwantrao Hall in Kothrud yesterday.

Vedanshi Modha was a great compere and her dad was on the keyboard, as well as the organiser. Some good guys on the guitar, tabla and drums. Makrand Patankar and Radhika Atre were in the audience, both good singers themselves.. 

A rocking performance!

 

Rating Governance and Civic Facilities

 One way to keep governments in check is through Rating their performance on various counts that matter to you and me.. 

I propose a Rating on a 1 to 10 scale on the following-

1. Commute- ease, cost and availability of options

2. If there is a metro, ease of getting there and last mile connectivity

3. Cleanliness- availability of dust bins and garbage clearance on roads

4. Enforcing traffic rules - stopping errant drivers of all kinds, crazy parking and so on..

5. Ease of business at any govt. office we encounter.. RTO Passport, or any other

These will do for a start. Periodically do this through public posting based on actual experience, through independent agencies and individually through social media instead of stupid Whatsapp forwards.

Accountability

What is accountability? There is none in an autocracy, unless the King feels it is needed. 

Bu there is shame, or should be, in any system of governance.

When there is no shame, we end up with the Emperor's New Clothes kind of situation.

The damage done by Yes-men (gender-neutral) is enormous, in any system.

The bureaucracy by its nature has no spine. But others are expected to have it.

It took 25 days to show up the rulers for what they are.. 

Hope they reform themselves, so that we don't regress any more than we have already..

 

Right to Protest

 Democracy has some inbuilt assumptions.

One of them is a right to peaceful protest. The prime example of non-violent protest would be Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

It really does not matter how serious the ruling party thinks the issue being raised is. If a number of people think it needs to be raised, it is serious for them. The rest of the citizens can decide for themselves and either support, oppose or be neutral to them.

But if you take away that right, it can have serious consequences, as history has often shown.

It is in the interest of the government in a democracy to heed such protests, and do something about them before they go out of hand. It's just a part of the democratic structure.

Play in Marathi- Mahapur

 That means Great Flood. It's a story about a guy and a girl who are friends from school, for many years. He thinks it's a love story, until she decides to get married to someone else. That leads to his going to pieces, and living in delusion with several attacks of disoriented behaviour. 

There are references to the 1942 Quit India movement (and its hangover, many years later), the role of various people and parties in it, and also to Sane Guruji and his books. But fundamentally, it's a love story gone wrong, and the guy's current state of mind.

Very well acted, directed. First staged in 1975. Written by Satish Alekar, Mohan Gokhale was the original director and actor. Now, a different set, but very competent.

Main Vapas Aunga- Film Review

I like Naseeruddin Shah. In film and theatre. He does not let you down, in this engaging look at love blooming between a Sikh boy and a Muslim girl in what will be Pakistan, before 1947. 

Partition and what precedes it changes the equation for the young lovers. He promises not to leave her side, and to come back for her, if he is forced to separate.

How things pan out is what the movie is about.  Diljit Dosanjh, and the young couple- Sharvari and Vedang (I think) play their roles to perfection. The direction is good, though I feel about 10 minutes could have been cut to reduce the length of the film.

Overall, worth a watch.

Film Review- Baby Do-Die-Do

 This is a Huma Qureshi film, out and out. She does a good job as a twin sister, who grows up to be a contract killer. Yes, that's not the suspense, but there are enough twists to keep you twisted till the end.

It's tough to make a thrilling suspense film with a female protagonist. The usual temptations like unwanted songs are kept at bay, and the direction is crisp and focused. The 2 hour length is just right.

The actors-all of them-are good. The plot keeps you interested from the first minute.

We used to call Karmarkar Do-die-do as a joke when we were kids. That is used in the title. Great film in its genre.