The Bong Connection...

Yesterday I saw this movie. Pretty well made, well edited, well enacted, well scripted and a crisp movie. No, am not here to give a review of any sort, I dont think I will be doing justice that way, because I cannot differentiate a "Aap ka Suroor" from "Anurodh". I think I am a true fan of our Hindi Film Industry (Amitabh Bhacchan hates the term "Bollywood" and so do I!), and enjoy watching films, good, bad and ugly with the same kind of spirit and enthusiasm.

Before watching this movie, I had read an article about this movie on TOI, which said, Anjan Dutta had a satirical take on Bangalees in the film! But honestly, I couldnt find the satire at all... wonder where my IQ level is going?!

The story is of two characters, both bangalees (thats one of the major similarity between the two), two young guys who are born and brought up in two entirely different situations and society, and who chase their dreams and end up in a land which is totally unknown to them. One of them (people who know me, know how miserably bad I am with names, and hence shall stick to the actors' real names rather than the screen ones, please excuse me for that), Shayan Munshi plays the character who is an NRI, born and brought up in the US of A! He is highly inspired by Bengali music "baul geet" and wants to pursue his music career in Bengal. His grandfather is a great musician of the past, and he intends to learn music from him. This guy, despite being born and brought up abroad, is very much close to his grand father and his love for bangla gaan is something which honestly shocked me! Long live these kind of real life characters, if they exist at all!

The other guy, played by Parambrata, is an academically bright young guy who has never stayed out of Kolkata in his entire life so far, but lands up with a million dollar job in USA in pursuit of his dream, or rather shall I say, in order to realise his dreams.

And then the story unravels how these two guys try to cope up with the alien society they end up being, how they get familiarise with this new society despite not being able to completely adjust to the "norms" of that society, how they work towards adopting themselves to the norms of the new society. Their experience, their likes, their dislikes, their heart breaks, and how at the end of the day, they return to their root! Shayan returns to USA and Parambrata returns to Kolkata.

And thats what I liked the most about the movie. This movie is not about whether you are a Bengali, or a Marwari... its all about returning to your root. No matter if you are a Bengali, Punjabi or an English, you belong to where you are born and brought up! If you are brought up in USA, lets face it, you grow up to be an American, thats where you belong, thats what you are accustomed with. ABCD, or American Born Confused Desi, is a term which is created by us, to show them in poor light, but lets face it, I can site many real life examples of how the young generation in India is aping US culture. Only day before yesterday, I happened to go to Camac Street/ Parksreet pretty late at night, and was shocked to see the way guys and girls, who are probably till in their teens, roaming around, they were drunk, their dresses were not worth mentioning. My point is if its a concern, then its a global concern, why single out those who are born abroad. And honestly, if you stay in a place for long, and particularly from your childhood, then you imbibe those things that the society offers you. You cant expect a bong child brought up abroad to be very "Bangalee" in nature. You cannot and shoudnot impose "Bangaliyana" on him. And if you do that as parents, or very worried Mashi, Pishi, Mama, Kaka, then the outcome will be a confused person, a confused identity... now whether you call him ABCD or WXYZ is upto you!

The movie showed the bangalees in US, and termed them as happy and confused "second class citizen" but then they are the older generation. The present generation is quite confident of their status. And thats what I appreciate about this present generation. Whatever you are, be proud of your identity. Be flexible in your attitude, be ready to accept your flaws if somebody points that to you (actually you are lucky if you have someone who can honestly point your flaws), and be ready to work on them. Thats what I appreciate the most about this generation. They are open minded, may be a bit spoilt and pampered ( but its definitely not their fault!) But they call spade a spade, and they are ready to accept their flaws. They are not apprehensive of saying "sorry" if they realise they are wrong. And we call them ABCD? No way! They are more like global citizen. They are not confused at all. Bangalee or not very Bangalee...how does that matter?

Love

There is no difficulty that true love will not conquer; No disease that true love will not heal; no door that true love will not open; no gulf that true love will not bridge; no wall that true love will not throw down; no sin that true love will not redeem...

It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble, how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangle, how great the mistake. A sufficient realsation of love will dissolve it all. If only you could love enough, you could be the happiest and the most powerful being in the world.

Prayer for You, My Friend

I said a prayer for you, today,
And I know God must have heard-
I felt the answer in my heart
Although He never spoke a word!

I didn't ask for wealth or fame,
I knew you wouldn't mind-
I asked him to send you treasures
Of a far more lasting kind!

I asked that He would be near you,
At the start of each new day-
To grant you love and blessings
And friends to share your way!

I asked for happiness for you,
In all things great and small-
But it was for His loving care
I prayed the most of all!

As long as you follow...

Now I know I can't lose
As long as you are there for me to follow
I'm gonna win (I'm gonna win)
I'm gonna beg, steal, or borrow
Yes I can live today
If you give me tomorrow
As long as you are there for me to follow.

I am in love with you Stranger...

The bleary eyed mornings of dream filled nights.
My closed eyes and you in retina color.
In the green fields, in the blue rain.

In the whirl of the night,
Laughing loudly, smiling softly.
On your lips. In my kohl lined eyes.
I think…
I think…I am in love with you stranger.

Waiting for a beep on the cell phone all day.
Running home to write shards of life in an email.
I think…
I think...I am in love with you stranger.

Blue China plates and lovers kissing on a bench,
Whiff of perfume, headlamps on a dark winding road.
An old song on the radio, jogging into a new day.
I think…
I think...I am in love with you stranger.

Colored curtains on suburban windows,
Unlocking the front door at day’s death.
Walking gingerly on wooden footboards,
Car spotting on lonely intersections.
I think…
I think...I am in love with you stranger.

Driving past beautiful cottages, with quaint names
Promising to knock on the doors, with you by my side.
I know...
I know...I am in love with you stranger.

Me...

He always said, I was weak. He always said I could never take a stand.

I never believed all of that.

I took great decisions at work. Under pressure I solution like a man on fire. It just happened the other day, we had a resource utilization issue. My manager was perplexed, lines on his forehead, he was pouring over the figures. I saw the problem, I figured the end, and I had the mean. It's normal. It's so natural. It isn't even an effort.

I just "see" the solution.
No lengthy deliberations, just a clear clear mind.

But now, as far as life goes - I think he was right. I never did take a stand. I followed the straight and narrow. I followed the routine, the obvious. I wallowed in the perplexity. I savored irony. I celebrated inaction. Self deludingly believed the middle path to be the hgh ground.

In retrospect, the work days were never twelve hours plus, the clients' demands were never that worrisome. The next role change was never that critical.

I realize now, I was never a workaholic. I realize now, I was just a refugee. I realise now, I was just trying to "impress" others and thus deviating from "Me"

Is the Child You were, proud of the Man You are?

Are you playing with the child
Making him count
Are you taking him on a sunny day out

Are you playing him a song
Letting him draw
Stubbing crayons orange blue lemon

Are you giving away candy
Sweatmeat floss
Are you watching him jump
Giggling with laugh

Flying balloons for him
Holding his hands
Rocking on laps
Telling fairytales to the bedtime lad

And there’s a baby
It moves down the memory lanes
Knocks on the door
That’s dingy and dark
He crouches on mud floor
Tugs your shirt sleeve
You leave him lorn
And he quivers in weakly

Out out
You shout
And baby disappears
And you never find him
While playing with the child
The child of us
He’s peering meekly
Don’t spoil him with a rod
He’s on the road
He’s on the move
Just shying away
Away from you
He’s the child who play with you.