Appeared In: The Times Of India
Section: The Times Of Ideas (BRIEFCASE)
Written By: Divya A
Date: 18th August, 2007 (Saturday)
Watching the emotionally-charged Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham with my family over the weekend, one could not help chuckling and giggling to see my folks gazing intently at the usual melodramatic scenes with wet eyes. And then, something strange happened. When Kajol's UK-born son in the movie sings 'Jana Gana Mana' at a school function and the British audience stands up is respect, tears rolled down my cheeks. The on-screen mom might have had glycerine in her eyes, but mine were real. Call me sentimental but one felt that life, for Indians, had come a full circle. It is a feeling shared by many of my contemporaries.
Although freedom was served on a platter to our generation, the 'India factor' is there in all of us, in abundance. We may shy away from public display of patriotism. but deep inside, we certainly take pride in being Indians. Be it celebrating 60 years of free India or the 150th anniversary of the 1857 uprising, or a global Indian takeover for that matter, the pride is palpable. We might be sick of our politicians and rampant red-tapism, but when the Tatas sing in Corus, we all join in. When Americans and Britons outsource their jobs to India, the cry goes up: "I told you so, it's useless chasing dollar dreams. There's a boom at home!"
We can't stop raving about Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams leading space missions, or waxing eloquent about SRK and Big b at Madame Tussauds. When Husain or Tyeb Mehta is shown in galleries alongside Picasso and Da Vinci, it feels like a personal honour. When Lata sings 'Ae mere watan ke logon', few can hold back their tears. Strains of 'Mera rang de basanti chola' invariably generate a lump in many an Indian throat.
Coming back to our movies, only two films managed to hang on in our memory last year - Lage Raho Munnabhai and Rang De Basanti. And both had India factor in abundance. While one talked of Gandhi's principle of non-violence being relevant even today, the other, in contrast, said the 'Do or Die' attitude of pre-independence heroes is the need of the hour. And surprisingly, both went down equally well with audiences in India and elsewhere. This year too, the two films that are running to packed houses are Gandhi, My Father and Chak De! India. Although they belong to different genres, India is in focus once more. It seems patriotism pays in Bollywood as well.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
India Talkies
Posted by Streamstresser at 12:50 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Awesome Quotes [Updated Irregularly :D ]
-> It was one of those perfect summer days - the sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, the birds were singing and the lawnmower was broken.
- James Dent
-> When Soloman said that there was a time and a place for everything, he had not encountered the problem of parking an automobile.
-Bob Edwards
-> After you've heard two eyewitness accounts of an accident, it makes you wonder about history.
- Dave Barry
Songs That Evoke Extreme Emotions:
Forty Foot Echo - Brand New Day:
A lover feeling extremely sorry for all the mistakes he has committed in the past, and is wanting his girl-friend to come back. The lyrics say so much in so little and even though they're not literal but abstract, they convey so much about relationships.
Tum Se Hi (O.S.T. - Jab We Met):
The lyrics and the melody just takes you into some other state, make you feel euphoric, and romantic as well.
Scott Stapp - Relearn Love:
A guy who had become a part of the cold-hearted world, who realizes it has changed him to be what he really isn't and now he wants to get out of it. He surrenders in front of God pleading Him to make him re-learn what love is all about.
Switchfoot - Twenty-Four:
Very deep and powerful song. It is about all of the things one struggles with and how many times you fall down.. Since John Foreman was 24 when he wrote this, he talks about how he's fallen down every year of his life... full of screw ups. But this song is about surrendering to God.. "Raising the dead in me" is about God reviving the his spirit... And he's basically saying he's not going to give up even though things have changed so much around him, including himself.
Breaking Benjamin - Diary Of Jane:
A guy who's frustrated with circumstances after his break-up with his girlfriend. He's ready to be everything she wants him to be, he's wanting to go back to her and try and find a place back in her life.
Switchfoot - You:
A perfect song to dedicate to your soul-mate (the Mr./Ms. Perfect)
Poets Of The Fall - Carnival Of Rust:
It's the lyrics that'll get you. The song absorbs you into itself, and specially, (once again) it's the lyrics that will mesmerize you.
Poets Of The Fall - All The Way/4 U:
It's about the guy promising the girl to be there for her at any time she wants him... The way it's sung takes you into a state of trance, specially the last para...
0 comments:
Post a Comment