Sicko

If you are from a country where nearly 400 million people still live below poverty, you should probably not be complaining about the health care system in the United States. But if you have lived in the US for sometime, it would hardly go unnoticed that the health care system is such a farce. 50 odd million people (i.e. nearly 15% of the population) are uninsured (health care without insurance in the US is worse than the worst nightmare!). It doesn't stop there. Even if you are a middle class citizen covered by a "good" health insurance, you would still dread at the thought of visiting a doctor.

Michael Moore is direct, ruthless and when given a chance, strips down his opponents with utter disregard. I was thrilled when "Sicko" was released this friday, especially because the 2008 campaign has just picked up pace. and boy, has he done a good job! It will be interesting to see if the documentary has any influence on the voters or the intent of policy makers at the Capitol.

I can't stop thinking about the pros/cons of organized lobbying and how it would fit in a more complex democratic framework like that of India. Are we much better off now? I don't know.

Democratizing Commerce

Interesting Talk by C.K.Prahlad. Check the video here.

Tasveer Banata Hoon, Tasveer Nahin Banti ...

Tasveer banata hoon tasveer nahin banti
ek khwaab sa dekha hai taabir nahin banti
[Tasveer-Picture, Khwaab-Dream, Taabir-Interpretation(of dream)]

Bedard mohabbat ka itna sa hai afsana
nazron se mileen nazrein mein ho gaya deewaana
ab dil ke behalne kee tadbir nahin banti
[Bedard-Heartless, Afsaana-Story, Tadbir-Plan)

Dum bhar ke liye meri duniya mein chale ao
tarsi hui aankhon ko phir shaqal dikha jao
mujh se to meri bigdi taqdeer nahin banti
[Taqdeer-Fate]

Singer: Talat Mehmood
Lyricist: Kumar Barabankvi
Music: Naushad

Listen to the song here.

Check the alternative version here by Jagjit Singh.

Political Courage ?

" ...It may perhaps seem odd that in my private life I go around interfering and giving people advice like this without having the courage to come forward in public life before you, the people and give advice on matters of public interest. The reason for this is what you have often heard me talking about in all sorts of places, the kind of divine or supernatural sign that comes to me. Perhaps this is what Meletus was making fun of when he wrote up the charge against me. It started when I was a child, a kind of voice which comes to me and when it comes - always stops me doing what I am just about to do. It never tells me what I should do, it is this which opposes my taking part in politics and rightly opposes it in my opinion.

You can be sure Athenians, that if I had tried in the past to go into politics, I would have been dead long ago and being no use at all either to you or myself. Please don't be anooyed with me for speaking the truth, there is no-one in the world who can get away with deliberately opposing it or any other popular assembly or trying to put a stop to all unjust and unlawful things which are done in politics. It is essential that the true fighter for justice if he is to survive even for a short time should remain a private individual and not go into public life. ..."

Apology(audio or text)
-Socrates as accounted by Plato.

Surmayee shaam Is tarah Aaye

I consider two lyricists/poets clearly a cut above the rest, though their approach to poetry is very different. Sahir ludhianvi was a revolutionary, his songs make you think, question and revolt like no one else's can. and then there is Gulzar, who blends reality with abstraction to perfection.

Sometimes, I find myself in a blissful state, where I could completely forget my existence and just enjoy each and every moment of it. and more often than not, such a moment is accompanied by a song that I love. Gulzar's lyrics over the years has provided many such beautiful moments.

Gulzar creates magic in this song, and Suresh Wadkar's voice is as sweet as nectar.

Listen to the song here or here.

surmayee shaam is tarah aaye
saans lete hai, jis tarah saaye

koi aahat nahin, badan ki kahin
phir bhi lagtaa hai, too yahin hain kahin
waqt jaataa sunaayi deta hain
tera saaya dikhaayi deta hain
jaise khushboo nazar se chhoo jaaye

din ka jo bhi pehar guzarta hain
koi ehsaan sa utarta hain
waqt ke paanv dekhtaa hoon main
roz ye chaanv dekhtaa hoon main
aaye jaise koi khayaal aaye
saans lete hai, jis tarah saaye

-Gulzar

Working Class Hero

As soon as you are born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
Till you're so fucking crazy you cant follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you cant really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and tv
And you think you are so clever and classless and free
But you are still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me

-John Lennon

Watch the Video Here.

"The eye cannot choose but see,
We cannot bid the ear be still,
Our bodies feel where'er they be
Against or with our will."

-William Wordsworth

15 Park Avenue

Last friday was not a very pleasant one. An untimely demise of someone I knew was lingering in my head from the previous day. I picked up this movie that evening and a little over half an hour into the movie, I was ready to quit. I was definitely in no mood to watch a depressing movie. Somehow I continued to watch, and I am glad I did. There are no spoilers ahead, so read along if you havent watched it.

15 Park Avenue is Aparna Sen's second movie I was watching after Mr.and Mrs.Iyer. In Mr.and Mrs.Iyer, a well directed low budget movie, Konkana had portrayed the role of a tamil iyer to perfection. 15 Park Avenue is also directed by Aparna and has both Konkana and Rahul Bose in the lead as well.

Konkana plays Mithi,a schizophrenic, and Shabana Azmi, at her usual best, plays the role of her elder sister. The director has excelled in bringing out the delicate relations between various characters in the movie. The ending of the movie though might seem surprising, brings out the central theme to perfection.

Incidentally, this is the third movie about schizophrenics, I can't stop adoring. The first one was Puttanna Kanagal's masterpiece in Kannada, Sharapanjara and the second was Russell Crowe playing John Nash in A Beautiful Mind.

If you haven't watched this one and you do have a decent connection to internet, watch it here! Courtesy Youtube.

Dum le le ghadi bhar, yeh chaiyyan paayega kahaan...

A new year, a new hope and a new dream. If I were to rewrite Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech, it would be an endless one. I am sure it is the same with each one of us. What is beautiful about a dream is not just the creative aspect of it but the relentless pursuit of human will from its conception to realization. Not many of us dare to dream. But nothing great has ever been achieved without dreaming. Dream big, Do not worry whether you have the ability to achieve it or not, and pursue it with a bigger heart.

Shailendra is one of my favorite lyricists. Most of his songs which I like have been sung by Mukesh, but this one has been sung and composed by my all time favorite music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Whether be it moments of dejection, loneliness or of reflection, this song has always been there for me. No doubt the lines are very powerful but the way Burmanda has sung this song is simply brilliant. He has added so many dimensions to it. Each time I listen to this song, I am amazed how much I enjoy it in a different way and in a different context.

Check the song here

I wish I could have given an audio link to this, as the video will simply be a distraction (its a brilliant movie though).

Have a great 2007!

We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need is something to be enthusiastic about.

--Charles Kingsley

Update: I will be away from blogging for the next two months.