Keh ke lena.....Y I HATE JOURNALISM!

Teri keh ke loonga- Not sure how many of U watched the latest Wasseypur saaga. If U watched the bell would have rang while reading the title it self !! "KEH KE LOONGA" has become a cult long ago and no need to mention every one loved the song and started humming on a daily basis when ever they are frustrated , to take revenge on boss , to show their hatred on some one , to show angst through their write ups etc but the reason I named this article as keh ke lena is not to discuss wasseypur again (have done a lot of it)! KEH KE LOONGA is my favorite song too and I want to dedicate this to most of the journalists in our country who feel very proud about this task “Keh ke lena”. As you are here you may want to read this post written some 2years back about"Indian media – misusing freedom?" .The situation didn’t get better in these 2years. It actually worsened . With the intervention of too much of online media in our lives be it facebook , blogs , twitter and tumblr etc everyone wants to voice their thoughts , share some news or report an incident.  

Funniest are FB posts where a grave accident in US which killed 5 Indian students is discussed as importantly as Aradhya bachan’s revelation. Everyone wants to talk one thing or the other. It’s definitely good to discuss, share opinions and voice your thoughts or fight for your rights if needed but here am going to discuss what happens when it becomes “excess” and when every other crap occurrence is entitled as “NEWS” or “REPORT”!

You all must be aware of the Guawahati molestation case. Am sure many of us would have forgotten  those criminals’ names and none would be knowing the actual law and punishment in India in such case but almost all would know how to search on you tube. WAIT! Why to search?!If you open You tube it might show up in most viewed or featured videos as well! 8 out of  10 Indians who have access to Internet would definitely have watched this video sighing and pitying : “Ah Poor girl! This shouldn’t have happened?”

MEDIA covered it very well. The way those animals held her, tore her clothes, her replies etc. When someone shared it I couldn’t go beyond 30 sec. It all seemed like a plot. Who is actual MEDIA? Who took the video? Who stopped the act is all in haze. I was disturbed for a week or so and then forgot about the news like many. I heard 4-5 people were arrested. Yep media say they have done a great job but one from the same media was also arrested for encouraging the criminals in their heinous act! I was glad at least few were arrested (GOD KNOWS IF AT ALL THEY ARE REALLY PUNISHED). Even after the arrests I don’t feel like thanking the MEDIA as I HATE THE MEDIA’s style of reporting, passing the information to people. Is it necessary to repeat and re-repeat the news and the clippings of the crime?  I never understood the TRPS but Media is ever ready to make people feel uncomfortable or sick!

When YSR (A.P.’s X CM- Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy) expired in that tragic helicopter accident the news which was AP’s sensation 2 years back a news channel which sighted the copter remnants displayed the news in BIG BOLD letters BREAKING NEWS. We were speechless , sorrowful but at the same time I was feeling funny as the reporter continuously shouted PLEASE NOTE THAT IT is our channel ** TV which reported this incident first. I was not even sure if he mentioned that the CM of A.P. died!! It was outrageous and hilarious at the same time. Such is the craving of news channels and journalists (most of them) to earn brownies! You all must be aware of Peepli Live and Rann Movies.

Media concentrated a lot on Aish’s weight than Saina winning Bronze medal. There is a eve teasing, a rape or murder or women bullied in NCR or some other committed suicide you can see media hovering around the crime scene like dementors (it is harry potter Lingo) with their Jet black Cameras and microphones! It’s very difficult for them to report without sucking the life out of you! Once I saw some mishaps in Ashram where people are actually drugged to make them feel “spiritual” and then the swamy does his cheap tactics and acts with disciples specially women. I don’t remember which swamy and when it happened but I remember that I felt like puking and switched off the TV like always as the program was covered for more than 1 hour. One thing I don’t understand about reporters is they report the happenings but what after that? Do all follow up to see if there is a progress due to their efforts? Do all cross check if justice has been granted?  That swamy still takes spiritual lessons and I keep seeing his hoardings and ads. 

 I guess most of the media have their  best interests in just showing what all they want to and then move on to another grave news or Ram charan’s  or Genelia’s wedding or a made up weather report . To me all three kind of news seem to be handled with same intensity and seriousness by many news channels.

The purpose of writing this article is some blog I recently read where I got rude responses from the author who claims he is a journalist! Am sure Barkha dutt or Karan Thapar or the man who is barred recently Aseem  Rastogi (for his cartoons [A wicked act but a sensible one which reflects Indian politicians and corruption]) or many other International journalists  would be more polite than him while replying! I myself have interacted with many magazine editors and international reporters. There is a journalist from Gulf who writes serious journals and addresses issues and reports them. He replies to me patiently me being just another reader! Every other naive or experienced journalist or reporter should learn first how to talk without losing their cool when a reader expresses concern or needs a clarification. You cant just escape by saying. Am a reporter so I report. Face it! Am not sure if they have this session on"  how to talk to your readers?" in their journalism classes!

Firstly the report (as he says that he is a reporter and he would report no matter what) he made on his website was about some fake religious website where a person (obviously you can imagine the sanity or ignorance levels of the person on the other side of the box) will chat with you and help you in getting converted to a particular religion! The name of the religion was written in CAPS in his title which itself is a bit provoking and places the reader if he is from the same religion in DISCOMFORT zone! The post is given a PS: Not to hurt anyone and NOM and not to be serious etc etc. Any post which has this is bound to hurt someone or the other!  COME ON WE ARE BLOGGING almost since valmiki shouted Maramaramara. The chat conversations were pasted where the person in hoodwink who wants to get  you converted asks all his doubts to the other one blaming “Your religion is no good right?? (I am not writing the exact snippets as I don’t feel like) I heard this and this about it ."

What will anyone expect the other person will reply?!  He will obviously say, “NOPE! We are good, holy . That’s all a hoax!”

What irritated me more were not the website authorities’ most expected replies but the way the person who is investigating the website asked the questions. Any sane person would know that website is a big joke and ignore it but he being a journalist wanted to investigate it, know its authenticity and report to people. Even if I think on a bigger picture am not sure if he is doing any good to mankind due to this mocking- report! To me it showed the hidden intentions to showcase the bad and there’s no sign of him asking anything about religion itself!  He first of all dug from excavations some site which nobody knew even existed and then highlighted it with the chat convo he had using some temporary ID and pasted all the replies!

Anybody who say they are neutral will definitely be from similar kind of journalism or a person who knows the journalist or someone who is not sensitive and doesn't bother enough or a person who thinks the effort is a heroic act. Even I felt irritable when I saw such fake website exists but god knows how many more such websites exist taken the infinite religions in to count. There are even people who are claiming after that post in some argument that “In so and so religion I never saw such site!” Did he/she go through ALL the websites of that religion? I don’t think it is humanly possible to do that and how exactly did that report help people?

My only concern is when there is already so much havoc in the world due to religious rivalry and so many other important issues is there something good achieved by notifying this website to people ??Ya Ya people got alert and are surprised and shocked but this could have been done in a better way too but as a matter of fact the reporter claims it was neither mockery nor foolery just a clean report! Leave good or bad, is this post even necessary in present day scenario! Well I don’t see any use due to this report.  The only result is few laughs and mocks from the fellas and friends and pats by colleagues as if it is a “BRAVO” act! To me it was an unnecessary provoking act. So was to many others.

Some diplomatic people say it was just unleashing the fact and being a reporter if the purpose is only to report whatever big or small the sector of people is getting offended then I HATE SUCH JOURNALISM! I hate the holier than thou journalists who think writing and then giving adamant replies and apologizing in public will resolve everything. There is nothing “heroic” about all this to me!

So friends I want to conclude this article by wishing and hoping abundant sanity exists in the world. If there is insanity then reporting the insanity in such a way that sane people’s brains get blocked is more insane and I guess whenever a person is writing or reporting something with regards to religion  and then gets rude on hearing peoples perspectives should be ready to taste sour grapes!

PS: I respect all religions and hence am not digging in to the mess they create or the fake-ness and fairness of any religion and harness my knowledge coz am least bothered about all such reports! I am only bothered about silly reports getting projected in a sillier useless way!

If Keh- Ke – lena is the motto of many journalists then I am glad that am not in to this profession which long long ago used to be a dreamy profession to me!

Heroine is like a heavy dose of HEROIN- Sluggish and Drowsy

Heroine Review

originally at http://planetbollywood.com/displayReview.php?id=f092312075003

There’s very little to say about this movie which feels like a badly remade Page 3 / Fashion. If you have seen one movie you have seen them all! Madhur Bhandarkar is well known for making women centric movies specially those women who want to climb the ladder of success like in corporate or who want always to be in limelight and rule the glam-world like in page 3 and Fashion! All the 3 are memorable movies but the mistake Madhur did is tossing all these familiar elements again in to a movie like “Heroine” with skin show –check , one or two bold scenes – check , short tempered love lost lady – check and lot of glamour , make up , awesome costumes and expecting it to amuse the audience. We were ofcourse amused not by the stereotypic Madhur’s movie but by Kareena who is so rosy pink that she can turn all girls red due to jealousy !Kareena’s complexion is unmatchable and the confidence and pomp with which she carries Mahi Arora’s role is worth applause ! An impulsive Kareena suffering from Bipolar disorder – (the fact which very less people noticed / heard being told by one of the crooked faced journalists wearing those weird ornaments in the back drop )is highly emotional and reacts at anything and everything. She reminds us of none other than Kanganna Rannaut so to me its a total run-out and her PR Divya dutta again smokes, shows her skin (MOST UNWANTED SCENE of the movie) and wears similar ornaments! Needless to say Kareena is more glamorous and sexy! The story goes like this – Mahi Arora already one of the top heroines is at the zenith of success .

She Introduces herself with a drool worthy song “Mai heroine hu“ and attracts the  audience but fails to keep the same enthu intact among viewers as the movie flows. The story is predictable and the actors seem bored by their respective roles. Be it a Sanjay suri , Arjun rampal or Randeep Hooda all seemed dim and repeated kinda roles. Along with a gay role there is a sparkling Shahana Goswami in a short episode who helps Mahi with her acting in a prostitute movie and just has a lesbian “moment” with Mahi. Sorry for leaking this but trust me it’s not a spoiler worth not to be spoiled J

In the first half you will at least be engrossed in Kareena’s costumes , the LAKME eyeconic liner she used and her different shades of lipstick which make her look like a ravishing diva. She is absolutely charming and lives up to the No 1 heroine role which comes naturally to her she being one of the top heroines in bollywood. The sequence of scenes and the speed of the story is also OK in the first half but post interval where there was much scope to act where Kareena fails and the movie gets intolerable and Mahi weeps and weeps and weeps little more , ditches the loyal Angad (Randeep Hooda) as she wants to concentrate on career ,leaks the video tape with Aryan (Arjun Rampal)  to make her movie run somehow and succeeds but fails personally and emotionally and also fails to grip the audience’s attention L who get too bored by the plot. Her eyes were looking hurt and success-thirsty and at the same time sad at whatever she was doing .

She is a successful actress but highly insecure and emotional since the beginning of the movie. I hope film industry is not filled with many such insecure sick people who cannot control themselves and all in all I feel Madhur should come out of that Glam-world-is-a-sick-world to be zone and show something new and different.He says he has put all possible real happenings in bollywood in the movie (seems MMS Scandal happened to Kareena) but burdening all the happenings on a single Mahi Arora was the biggest mistake. She falls in to the valley of failure and depression and then comes back to surface and starts planning to be successful in her own insecure zone and audience will start yawning counting the number of times she falls and resurfaces! At one point when she wears the same black dress for 2days and keeps weeping and drinking I wanted to take out some gun and shoot her so that the movie finishes fast but unlike Kanganna she doesn’t die but moves on and moves out of bollywood, India and flies somewhere in Europe to live like a non-celeb and normal person.

“Phew”! We were very happy when the movie finally ended and from the moment I came out of theatre I am appreciating Fashion much more for being a better watch, with better music, undoubtedly better performance by Priyanka Chopra , Mugdha Godsey and every one ! Other than Kareena all roles seemed wasted to me and flow of scenes is illogical!

If  you are a hard core Kareena fan you can go to the movie. Her halkat jawani is enticing of course. You may laugh at me but I feel like watching Fashion now and plugged to Fashion ka Jalwa right now as I feel like enjoying the old wine in old bottle! One thing to be happy about is Aish getting pregnant and walking out of the movie. It would have been a third degree torture if there was no Kareena. “Celebrities are those who struggle to be invited first by the front doors and then fight to run out through the back stage” is true and Madhur portrayed it well in all the movies but Madhur sir please show in your next movie that bollywood is not filled with all psychotic, homosexual , moral less and short tempered blokes and damsels now that every scene of yours is getting UN-realistic due to melodrama and hysteria

My rating – 1.5 / 5

Generation Gap !! Tch tch :)

courtesy: Toon doo

Go savour the Barfi !

Movie: Barfi

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Ileana D’Cruz, Priyanka Chopra, Saurabh Shukla

Director: Anuraj Basu

Screenwriters: Anurag Basu, Sanjeev Datta

Producers: Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy Kapur

Director of photography: Ravi Varman

Costume designers: Aki Narula and Shefalina

Music: Pritam

Barfi – When I read the title I was wondering will it be so awesome like barfi that we can savour throughout the movie but I must say it’s much more relishing, relieving specially after watching and not watching but just hearing about bundle of crap Bollywood recently dished out like Ek tha tiger , Jism 2 , Raaz 3 etc etc . I was scared if mute Ranbir will disappoint me specially as I love the animated Ranbir immensely but GOSH am amazed to see him in a much more vivacious character giving his best and cutest performance. His expressions, eyes , pure soul , his don’t worry be barfi attitude and his sign language will definitely steal audiences hearts. Having said that the autistic Jhilmil uraf Priyanka steals the show soon after she enters. Initially I was little apprehensive as to how she would carry herself but she comes out with flying colours brightly  doing absolute justice to her name and role ! Illeana D’cruz who gained fame in tollywood is gorgeous and she didn’t over do her part. Strangely I liked the way she performed for the first time. May be here the credit goes to Anurag Basu. Like in many Anurag basus movies musicians are playing their instruments in the back drop. Remember Gangster , Life in a Metro :-) ? As soon as I saw the music band I sensed its Pritam even without checking out the cast and crew. Music is soulful and the title song “Matwaala Barfi “ sung by Mohit chauhan and Swanand kirkire is magical and the narration of Barfis birth and how he is named Murphy is interesting. I even loved the song in the background during initial  titles “Picture shuroo hogai, Bachon aur mobile ko off karo” ! The movie starts with smiles and ends in smiles. Its like a subtle art of living lesson to all without long speeches and boring preaches. Main kya karoon by Nikhil Paul George is one more unforgettable song and voice. Rest all songs also blend well in the movie. The movie to me is picturesque and poetic the stanzas of which seamlessly flow.    

          

Three cheers to Cinematographer Ravi Varman who captured the scenic Bengal beautifully and I just made a mental note while watching the movie that I have to visit Darjeeling. The film oscillates between 1972, 78 and 2012 and Darjeeling and Kolkata in a slightly haphazard way but you don’t mind it as you are just smiling throughout due to our Chaplin cum Mr. Bean. Barfi’s tactics not only make jhilmil happy but also the audiences!  In few scenes you may even remember the Note book movie, the scene where Illeana’s mother tries to teach her why the engaged shruthi (Illeana) has to marry her Mr. Right and not Barfi and also in the ending scene where Jhilmil is curled up on Ranbirs death bed. In few frames I even remembered Sadma (Kamal Hasan and sridevis award winning movie where Kamal Hasan treats sridevi as kid and tries to civilise her). Ranbir looked similar to him in many frames , even in the frame with grey hair, nevertheless a loud applause to his performance which is solely natural and not a cheap imitation of any veteran !A pat on the back for priyanka chopra who made me think of the real autistic people and the challenges they have in life!

The film opens with a old Shruthi in the present day mentioning and introducing Barfi and the simple things he taught her in life followed by Barfi’s entry in Darjeeling who is fun-frolic guy  always bubbling with energy. He says “Biggest risk in life is not taking any risk.” Shruthi just when getting close to him ditches him and obeys the parents but destiny gives her chances to meet Barfi again and again. She cannot get over him even after 6 years of her marriage  but then story takes a different turn and Jhilmil and Barfi are together leaving shruthi a bit jealous at Jhilmil’s destiny and her own fate! Ranbir is extremely sweet and pull-a-cheek level cute but I must admit I was staring at Shruthi who is shown so beautifully! The scene where Barfi hugs and sleeps with his father who has a kidney failure and needs money for treatment is tearful. His eyes show so many deep emotions – love, helplessness, hope etc. The way he wants to earn money for his father’s treatment by kidnapping jhilmil and robbing bank and all other consequences are comical !

The way he tests friendship by cutting the lamp post and making his friends stand with him when it falls just at their feet is hilarious and our Jhilmil passes  the test as she is confident that holding the hem of Barfis shirt will protect her ! I personally loved this scene. To me it is the best scene in the movie. All the simple happenings and feelings in anyone’s life are portrayed amazingly ! Barfis philosophy is simple to enjoy the smaller things in life rather than running behind luxuries! Barfis world is shown dreamy like a fairy land with toy trains ,wintry forests complete with fireflies that you can catch in shimmering soap bubbles. Love doesn’t need perfection but love at times is a impulse of  heart without any pre plans and so  beautiful that you can lead a perfect life even with 100 imperfections. This is the beautiful message in the movie when Barfi and Priyanka start living together and Shruthi is left behind with her fantasy  to lead such a life and die together in each other’s  arms!

In one sentence You travel the Barfi’s journey on a roller coaster with all the smiles, awe and turm oil. If only every one who is physically strong could live in such a dream land of BARFI! Lastly if Rajkapoor was alive he would be proud of his grandson for being a showman like him!

My rating : 4.5/5