Five Point Someone vs. Three Idiots

Let me disclaim this to be any tale of dunces or any equivalent form. All views have been written by a rational human being.

As I departed the Bangalore airport in March, 2007, my sister, unwillingly parted with the book by Chetan Bhagat - Five Point Someone. It had been creating raves among Indians and few Asians. Since the moment, I finished the book, there has not been a day when I have not wondered whether this book was the worst one that I had got to read. The writing and narration was irreparably mediocre. Yet, the book was a success. It was because -we have a large percentage of young populace, many aspiring to become an IITians, and also the story had romance coupled with a happy ending - recipe for immediate success on home turf. Only by a cats whister, Chetan missed out being called a Devta (God) of Indian literature.

Now, the Devta is upset that his unique story has been plagiarized by group of moviemakers - who called his tale - The three idiots. Chetan shows his benevolence, and accepts the movie, eventhough, a penny of the box-office profits wasn't shared with him. We have a martyr. Maybe build a memorial for him. Acknowledge his petty achievements as national. I am curious to know what the Sahitya academy, Man Booker and Pullitzer committee are thinking on this issue.

I have been amused at all the hoopla that the farce of a book and the movie has created. The three idiots, showcases, 40 year olds as 20 year olds - no genetic disorders of any type, and still managed to win an unaminous vote of approval. Somewhere, I believe that this generation of our society has deprecated such, that a two piece worth of art is viewed as a Rembrandt. Where has the intellect, a capacity to distinguish genuine and unworthy, disappeared. There seems to be an apalling void that has blurred the vision of the modern day, Indian populace - who seem to be retarding fast in the evolutionary cycle. This element of biology is still not understood, well enough, to provide a hypothesis. So, I call it foolhardiness and rest my case.

Another one down

The world is rapidly changing - yes, it is a cliche - yet, we become more aware, when those who we grew up listening, seeing and idolizing begin their journey to netherworld. Recently, I suffered a personal loss, which had left my mind bare for few days; last evening, a celebrity, who personified a generation of people, passed away. Vishnuvardhan - the few who have followed south Indian cinema, will instantly recognize, was lost. Nothing to ponder about the circumstances, the usual suspects that insinuates the genes of hundreds of millions of Indians, got him.

His mark on movie-land can be accounted with path-breaking list of movies. I remember him for many, which left a lasting impact on his ability as an actor and human-being on me. With due credits to Freddie Mercury - another one down and another one down, another one bites the dust.

Snow Blizzard

A couple of weeks ago, Philadelphia, witnessed a record snowfall. We were buried - literally - in snow for nearly a week. I wake up today morning - new year's eve - it is snowing ! This is getting to become a miserable habit for the weather, to endow us with the white mess. This is an aspect that makes, the eclectic northeast united states, cumbersome. As my friends in the west coast and south are soaking in the warmth of the sun's rays, I would have to lumber out to work, absorbing the cold and make myself believe that I am glorified to be a witness to nature's seasonal recreation.

I am stopping the rambling now, as I am beckoned to head out - cheers mate !

UDRS

Cricket has been trying to reinvent its decision making tools in order to attract more viewers. It is believed that this would decrease the umpiring errors that are committed on the field and provide an equal opportunity for the teams to win. I find this to be mere hogwash. This seems so ridiculous that I foresee, in order to please the world-wide audience, there will come a time when a spectator supporting a team can call in to request a review if the captain is indecisive.

Growing up, I had accepted that erroneous decisions by the on field umpires was a essential part of the game. The element of uncertainty that existed via this decision making process and its impact on the game aided in instigating conversations with friends and strangers with equal probability. Also, the umpires and their idiosyncrasies added a charismatic flavor to the archives of the sport, which led to long hours of idle banter. Well, it all seems to be heading towards a nostalgic ending. I wish - some sense is introduced in to the modern day administrators - who seem to be keen on turning cricket into a soap opera. I feel that the world has become a bit more boring with this piece of electronic intrusion that is to be used to alter human decisions.