May your Season be Festive
1 year ago
Friday, December 15, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Quotation of the Day
"They say ignorance is bliss. I don't agree. People ignore me all the time, and I don't like it one bit."
- yours truly The Maverick
- yours truly The Maverick
Monday, June 26, 2006
Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo: Because This Movie Has Killed Me
Just got done watching Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo, and it is a miracle that I've survived to write this review. No one should be made to endure the torture of sitting through the whole 3 hours of this flick. (Yes, I do realize that the movie was released in 2004 and my warning comes a little late in the day)
The first things you notice about the film are the rather tacky special effects and bad acting right upto when the ship has drowned completely during titling. I have no idea how much money they spent on the scene, but to me the production value seemed poor. And that's no compliment to the producer, who is also the director (and can't point fingures either way). I liked Anil Sharma's Gadar; in fact, I liked it a lot. But in this movie, he has evidently lost it completely.
The casting-coup that Sharma was so proud of at the launch of the movie is, at least in part, the reason for the pathetic end-product. In trying to give equitable parts to his megastars, Sharma loses grip over the story, and the slack builds to the extent of total loss of control.
Besides, the casting itself is far from perfect. While Amitabh Bachchan as the proud, patriotic, and authoritative Amarjeet Singh is great, Naghma is a complete misfit as Kunal (Bobby)'s mother. Bobby Deol and Akshay Kumar have matured as actors and look good as army officers, but Akshay simply lacks the voice and dialog-delivery required for some of the dialogs that have been handed to him. That is a shame, as for most part Akshay fits the role to the T. Ashustosh Rana is efficient and believable, as always. Danny Dengzongpa is his usual self in the small role that he is given. Sandali Sinha looks better than she did in Tum Bin and acts better too, but her timing is off.
The biggest problem of the movie is the plot, though. The film is confused about what it wants to be. Is it the coming-of-age story of a mischievious young Kunal, who has joined the army for family tradition but wants to fly off to America and make money? Or is it the tale of a brave officer Rajiv Singh, who is taken a prisoner-of-war shortly after leaving his wife behind, on the very date of his wedding (did someone mention "Border"?)? Perhaps it is the tale of defence advisor Amarjeet Singh, who is prepared to sacrifice everything - even his son and his grandson - for the nation. Or maybe it is the story of Pakistan army's Colonel Ashfaque Khan who achieves enlightenment and "reforms". The film tries to do too much, and in the process ends up doing nothing.
It has so may sub-plots that it seems to be a collage rather than a single coherent entity. Perhaps the director wanted to keep the audience at the edges of their seats, but the "twists in the tale" act as mere distractions, and do not provide any thrills at all. Ditto for the one-joke acts of Vivek Shauq and Rajesh Vivek, that are thrown in for the obligatory comic relief. Way too many songs don't help the cause either.
The pace increases somewhat in the last quarter, but by then the convoluted storyline has worn you out, and you have either trashed your television or killed yourself. To be fair, the story concept is not that bad and I may even have liked it had it been used to write a novel; it is just not a good movie unless the first 2 hours are compressed to 1 hour.
The make-believe situations do nothing to make me believe them. The research is rather lamentable, as is almost standard for Hindi films. While, to its credit the film has mostly used the correct army uniform and insignia, it flops miserably when it comes to research on army operations. Though Kunal Singh is depicted to be in 10 Para Battalion, a special forces paratrooper commando battalion also known as Red Devils, his operations are those of the infantry.
No realism has been attempted through make-up and special-effects, either. The war scenes and dingy PoW camps were prime opportunities to show-off any vision or ability to provide a remote semblance of reality. But Askhay loses no limbs in bomb explosions, sustains no hideous-looking wounds even though he is on top of his petrol bomb exploding over Pak-ammunition, and is not so much as scarred by the "chemical tests" in the PoW camp. Apparently, the worst that could happen to you in a Paki PoW camp is that you won't get a barber for 2 years. Similarly, all Bobby Deol sustains in the war are mere rashes, even though a grenade explodes right at his feet.
The "peace-talks" scene is banal and boring, and it is rather disconcerting that the Indian and Pakistani representatives address the US representative as if he is in a position of authority, though the dialogs are purportedly directed at the "international community". I have to admit, though, that I loved the jingoistic and clever pre-meeting dialog where the Indian representative tells the Paki counterpart, "Teen baar to hum kar chuke hain yuddh mein, abki baar kya chahte hain (aap)? Chautha?" *We've beaten you three times already in war. What do you want now? Funeral (it is a wordplay - chautha can be translated to mean either "fourth" or a post-funeral ritual)?*
Shaktimaan's dialog is melodramatic and mostly impactful though it comes across as corny on occasion. Some of Akshay Kumar's numerous "shers" (couplets) are pretty good, actually:
अबके सावन में ये शरारत हमारे साथ हुई
हमारा घर छोड़ के सारे शहर में बरसात हुई
Abke saawan mein ye shararat hamare saath hui
Hamara ghar chhod ke saare shehar mein barsaat hui
(This year's monsoon has done a mischief with me
It has rained in the entire city except for my thirsty house)
चलो, हम अपना हुनर आज़माते हैं,
तुम तीर आज़माना, हम जिगर आजमाते हैं
Chalo, hum apna hunar aazmate hain,
Tum teer aazmana, hum jigar aazmaate hain
(Let's test our respective skills
You test your arrows, I'll test my heart/courage)
हूँ मैं परवाना, मगर कोई शम्मा तो हो, रात तो हो,
जान देने को हूँ हाज़िर, कोई बात तो हो
Hoon main parwana, magar koi shamma to ho, raat to ho,
Jaan dene ko hoon haazir, koi baat to ho
(I could be a moth, only if there was a flame at night,
I could die for you, only if you had the charm)
The girl says: मैं कुछ अर्ज़ करना चाहती हूँ Main kuchh arz karna chahti hoon ( I want to say something)
अब इन खातून से क्या खेलें,
ये तो अभी से अर्ज़ करने लग गईं
Ab in khatoon se kya khelen,
Ye to abhi se arz karne lag gain
(How can I keep playing with this lady,
She is already appealing for mercy - wordplay...arz can be translated to either "say" or "petition")
Finally, while the film is dedicated to Indo-Pak friendship, and even ends with that premise, the concept is used obviously superfluously in the film. A kind Subedar Abdul and a "reformed" Colonel Ashfaque Khan are the token nice Paki guys, apart from the faceless Pakistan government that comes around.
My verdict: Avoidable. Borderline, if compressed to 2 hrs.
The first things you notice about the film are the rather tacky special effects and bad acting right upto when the ship has drowned completely during titling. I have no idea how much money they spent on the scene, but to me the production value seemed poor. And that's no compliment to the producer, who is also the director (and can't point fingures either way). I liked Anil Sharma's Gadar; in fact, I liked it a lot. But in this movie, he has evidently lost it completely.
The casting-coup that Sharma was so proud of at the launch of the movie is, at least in part, the reason for the pathetic end-product. In trying to give equitable parts to his megastars, Sharma loses grip over the story, and the slack builds to the extent of total loss of control.
Besides, the casting itself is far from perfect. While Amitabh Bachchan as the proud, patriotic, and authoritative Amarjeet Singh is great, Naghma is a complete misfit as Kunal (Bobby)'s mother. Bobby Deol and Akshay Kumar have matured as actors and look good as army officers, but Akshay simply lacks the voice and dialog-delivery required for some of the dialogs that have been handed to him. That is a shame, as for most part Akshay fits the role to the T. Ashustosh Rana is efficient and believable, as always. Danny Dengzongpa is his usual self in the small role that he is given. Sandali Sinha looks better than she did in Tum Bin and acts better too, but her timing is off.
The biggest problem of the movie is the plot, though. The film is confused about what it wants to be. Is it the coming-of-age story of a mischievious young Kunal, who has joined the army for family tradition but wants to fly off to America and make money? Or is it the tale of a brave officer Rajiv Singh, who is taken a prisoner-of-war shortly after leaving his wife behind, on the very date of his wedding (did someone mention "Border"?)? Perhaps it is the tale of defence advisor Amarjeet Singh, who is prepared to sacrifice everything - even his son and his grandson - for the nation. Or maybe it is the story of Pakistan army's Colonel Ashfaque Khan who achieves enlightenment and "reforms". The film tries to do too much, and in the process ends up doing nothing.
It has so may sub-plots that it seems to be a collage rather than a single coherent entity. Perhaps the director wanted to keep the audience at the edges of their seats, but the "twists in the tale" act as mere distractions, and do not provide any thrills at all. Ditto for the one-joke acts of Vivek Shauq and Rajesh Vivek, that are thrown in for the obligatory comic relief. Way too many songs don't help the cause either.
The pace increases somewhat in the last quarter, but by then the convoluted storyline has worn you out, and you have either trashed your television or killed yourself. To be fair, the story concept is not that bad and I may even have liked it had it been used to write a novel; it is just not a good movie unless the first 2 hours are compressed to 1 hour.
The make-believe situations do nothing to make me believe them. The research is rather lamentable, as is almost standard for Hindi films. While, to its credit the film has mostly used the correct army uniform and insignia, it flops miserably when it comes to research on army operations. Though Kunal Singh is depicted to be in 10 Para Battalion, a special forces paratrooper commando battalion also known as Red Devils, his operations are those of the infantry.
No realism has been attempted through make-up and special-effects, either. The war scenes and dingy PoW camps were prime opportunities to show-off any vision or ability to provide a remote semblance of reality. But Askhay loses no limbs in bomb explosions, sustains no hideous-looking wounds even though he is on top of his petrol bomb exploding over Pak-ammunition, and is not so much as scarred by the "chemical tests" in the PoW camp. Apparently, the worst that could happen to you in a Paki PoW camp is that you won't get a barber for 2 years. Similarly, all Bobby Deol sustains in the war are mere rashes, even though a grenade explodes right at his feet.
The "peace-talks" scene is banal and boring, and it is rather disconcerting that the Indian and Pakistani representatives address the US representative as if he is in a position of authority, though the dialogs are purportedly directed at the "international community". I have to admit, though, that I loved the jingoistic and clever pre-meeting dialog where the Indian representative tells the Paki counterpart, "Teen baar to hum kar chuke hain yuddh mein, abki baar kya chahte hain (aap)? Chautha?" *We've beaten you three times already in war. What do you want now? Funeral (it is a wordplay - chautha can be translated to mean either "fourth" or a post-funeral ritual)?*
Shaktimaan's dialog is melodramatic and mostly impactful though it comes across as corny on occasion. Some of Akshay Kumar's numerous "shers" (couplets) are pretty good, actually:
अबके सावन में ये शरारत हमारे साथ हुई
हमारा घर छोड़ के सारे शहर में बरसात हुई
Abke saawan mein ye shararat hamare saath hui
Hamara ghar chhod ke saare shehar mein barsaat hui
(This year's monsoon has done a mischief with me
It has rained in the entire city except for my thirsty house)
चलो, हम अपना हुनर आज़माते हैं,
तुम तीर आज़माना, हम जिगर आजमाते हैं
Chalo, hum apna hunar aazmate hain,
Tum teer aazmana, hum jigar aazmaate hain
(Let's test our respective skills
You test your arrows, I'll test my heart/courage)
हूँ मैं परवाना, मगर कोई शम्मा तो हो, रात तो हो,
जान देने को हूँ हाज़िर, कोई बात तो हो
Hoon main parwana, magar koi shamma to ho, raat to ho,
Jaan dene ko hoon haazir, koi baat to ho
(I could be a moth, only if there was a flame at night,
I could die for you, only if you had the charm)
The girl says: मैं कुछ अर्ज़ करना चाहती हूँ Main kuchh arz karna chahti hoon ( I want to say something)
अब इन खातून से क्या खेलें,
ये तो अभी से अर्ज़ करने लग गईं
Ab in khatoon se kya khelen,
Ye to abhi se arz karne lag gain
(How can I keep playing with this lady,
She is already appealing for mercy - wordplay...arz can be translated to either "say" or "petition")
Finally, while the film is dedicated to Indo-Pak friendship, and even ends with that premise, the concept is used obviously superfluously in the film. A kind Subedar Abdul and a "reformed" Colonel Ashfaque Khan are the token nice Paki guys, apart from the faceless Pakistan government that comes around.
My verdict: Avoidable. Borderline, if compressed to 2 hrs.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Fanaa: The Death of Sensibility
Fanaa means destroyed (or destruction) or dead (or mortality/death). As is the case with poetry, here the word is used in the sense of sacrificing oneself to the extent of complete destruction (yes, I do notice the redundancy of "complete" here).
The movie is about (you guessed it) love and sacrifice. And as it quite explicitly labors to convey, it is also about making difficult decisions; choosing between the right and the wrong is easy, but choosing the better among good paths and the proper among the wrong options, that's what defines our lives.
So far, so good. To start off on a high note, Shibani Bathija's story is quite good, and had a lot of potential. And writing stories is what she should stick to, as her screenplay is a wreck. Kunal Kohli's dialog is mostly just plain bad and bombastic. I did get one gem, though: Insaan ki khwahish ki koi intihaan nahi, do ghaz zameen chahiye do ghaz qafan ke baad (There's no limit to man's desire; he wants six-feet of land after getting six-feet of coffin).
Some people might say that Kunal Kohli earned his spots in direction with Hum Tum, but judging from this film, I'd say he should dump his megaphone. Film-direction is not his cup of tea. This movie is pretentious, inadequately prepped, and tackily treated. And there are some rather glaring inconsistencies too. For instance, in the latter half of the movie "the storm" stops for some work, and for a song, but Rehan, who supposedly had been stalled by the storm, doesn't get on with his mission. The storm itself is badly executed - from a mean, long snowstorm, one would expect at least knee-high snow on ground, and a thick layer of snow on porch railings and windows. Guess what? No shovelling required at all!
Nobody ever explains how Zulfiqer Ali Beg figures out that the "electronic part" in Rehan's jacket is a "nuclear missile trigger". Similarly, why Zooni, with newly-gained eyesight, is asked to identify Rehan's body, remains a mystery. There were so many people - the coworkers, the girls, and presumably the neighbors - Rehan was supposed to know well and weren't called in, that one just has to wonder how much thought and effort the director actually put into pre-production.
The attempt to create an FBI-CIA sort of jurisdiction tension between Bureau of Military Intelligence and RAW is totally lame. And there is no depth in the characters of RAW psychologist Tyagi and BMI Anti-terrorist unit chief Sushil Rawal, or even in the operations and methods of these agencies. The comparison of the terrorist organization IKF to CIA, KGB, Mossad and RAW is simply ludicrous.
The action scenes are the worst. The filmmakers' attempts to rip-off classy action-sequences from films like the James Bond movie The World is Not Enough come across, at best, as poor imitations, and rather hokey to be frank. Rehan's invincibility is reminiscent of Tauheed's in Hindustan Ki Kasam. Now, I have no problems with the protagonist being an incredibly good fighter, and almost invincible. But to achieve that effect, the scenes have to be shot right; this movie's presentation is ridiculous, and I draw the line at unconvincing. And I won't even bother to divine why, when the chopper has to be shot down in the climax, the honors are done by the RAW psychologist, not some army sharpshooter.
For most part the movie takes a very predictable path. Let me be clear here: I have nothing against predictability. There have been many movies that have taken the beaten path and yet proven to be delightfully entertaining. But almost by definition, a mystery or a thriller can not be a good movie if the viewers can anticipate what's going to happen next.
Quick comment on production design: Not good. One example: The looks for Aamir's two avatars are clearly "inspired" by Hrithik Roshan's double-role in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. But plagiarism was never a sin in the Indian film industry.
This movie is about as realistic and convincing as the Sunny Deol-strarrer The Hero. And the music of The Hero was better. Which is a pity since The Hero's music was no great shakes while Yashraj Films' productions have typically had exceptionally good music that goes on to become super popular. Not here, though; Jatin-Lalit's score is uninspired, and the only tunes worth humming are the ones "borrowed" from previous hits.
The acting is above average. Kirron Kher and Rishi Kapur are appropriately cast as Zooni (Kajol)'s parents. They deliver convincing performances, as has come to be expected of them. Kajol is a complete misfit as a Kashmiri girl, but her acting somewhat makes up for this casting error. Aamir Khan was probably the right choice for the role of Rehan. Unfortunately, his acting oscillates between the extremes. For the most part, he is Aamir Khan. But occasionally, and not very often, he magically dives into the soul of the character, and then the result is mesmeric. Tabu and Sharat Saxena are miscast, given underdeveloped characters, and made to look like idiots. They do whatever is expected of them, but don't you look for stellar performances; you aren't about to get any. Jaspal Bhatti is in for one joke, and is completely wasted. You won't even notice Lara Dutta. Master Ali Haji playing Rehan Jr., is a disappointment. Normally, child-artistes deliver performances even better than seasoned professionals; this performance is one of the worst I have ever seen on screen.
Don't get me wrong. Fanaa does have its moments. The climax scene where Rehan turns around to shoot Zooni is one of them, however clichéd and predictable it might be (not to mention badly shot). But here's the problem of this movie: As a thriller, it never makes you slip to the edge of your seat; as a drama, it never touches your heart and soul.
Final verdict? Fanaa just about slips through the cracks to qualify as barely watchable.
The movie is about (you guessed it) love and sacrifice. And as it quite explicitly labors to convey, it is also about making difficult decisions; choosing between the right and the wrong is easy, but choosing the better among good paths and the proper among the wrong options, that's what defines our lives.
So far, so good. To start off on a high note, Shibani Bathija's story is quite good, and had a lot of potential. And writing stories is what she should stick to, as her screenplay is a wreck. Kunal Kohli's dialog is mostly just plain bad and bombastic. I did get one gem, though: Insaan ki khwahish ki koi intihaan nahi, do ghaz zameen chahiye do ghaz qafan ke baad (There's no limit to man's desire; he wants six-feet of land after getting six-feet of coffin).
Some people might say that Kunal Kohli earned his spots in direction with Hum Tum, but judging from this film, I'd say he should dump his megaphone. Film-direction is not his cup of tea. This movie is pretentious, inadequately prepped, and tackily treated. And there are some rather glaring inconsistencies too. For instance, in the latter half of the movie "the storm" stops for some work, and for a song, but Rehan, who supposedly had been stalled by the storm, doesn't get on with his mission. The storm itself is badly executed - from a mean, long snowstorm, one would expect at least knee-high snow on ground, and a thick layer of snow on porch railings and windows. Guess what? No shovelling required at all!
Nobody ever explains how Zulfiqer Ali Beg figures out that the "electronic part" in Rehan's jacket is a "nuclear missile trigger". Similarly, why Zooni, with newly-gained eyesight, is asked to identify Rehan's body, remains a mystery. There were so many people - the coworkers, the girls, and presumably the neighbors - Rehan was supposed to know well and weren't called in, that one just has to wonder how much thought and effort the director actually put into pre-production.
The attempt to create an FBI-CIA sort of jurisdiction tension between Bureau of Military Intelligence and RAW is totally lame. And there is no depth in the characters of RAW psychologist Tyagi and BMI Anti-terrorist unit chief Sushil Rawal, or even in the operations and methods of these agencies. The comparison of the terrorist organization IKF to CIA, KGB, Mossad and RAW is simply ludicrous.
The action scenes are the worst. The filmmakers' attempts to rip-off classy action-sequences from films like the James Bond movie The World is Not Enough come across, at best, as poor imitations, and rather hokey to be frank. Rehan's invincibility is reminiscent of Tauheed's in Hindustan Ki Kasam. Now, I have no problems with the protagonist being an incredibly good fighter, and almost invincible. But to achieve that effect, the scenes have to be shot right; this movie's presentation is ridiculous, and I draw the line at unconvincing. And I won't even bother to divine why, when the chopper has to be shot down in the climax, the honors are done by the RAW psychologist, not some army sharpshooter.
For most part the movie takes a very predictable path. Let me be clear here: I have nothing against predictability. There have been many movies that have taken the beaten path and yet proven to be delightfully entertaining. But almost by definition, a mystery or a thriller can not be a good movie if the viewers can anticipate what's going to happen next.
Quick comment on production design: Not good. One example: The looks for Aamir's two avatars are clearly "inspired" by Hrithik Roshan's double-role in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. But plagiarism was never a sin in the Indian film industry.
This movie is about as realistic and convincing as the Sunny Deol-strarrer The Hero. And the music of The Hero was better. Which is a pity since The Hero's music was no great shakes while Yashraj Films' productions have typically had exceptionally good music that goes on to become super popular. Not here, though; Jatin-Lalit's score is uninspired, and the only tunes worth humming are the ones "borrowed" from previous hits.
The acting is above average. Kirron Kher and Rishi Kapur are appropriately cast as Zooni (Kajol)'s parents. They deliver convincing performances, as has come to be expected of them. Kajol is a complete misfit as a Kashmiri girl, but her acting somewhat makes up for this casting error. Aamir Khan was probably the right choice for the role of Rehan. Unfortunately, his acting oscillates between the extremes. For the most part, he is Aamir Khan. But occasionally, and not very often, he magically dives into the soul of the character, and then the result is mesmeric. Tabu and Sharat Saxena are miscast, given underdeveloped characters, and made to look like idiots. They do whatever is expected of them, but don't you look for stellar performances; you aren't about to get any. Jaspal Bhatti is in for one joke, and is completely wasted. You won't even notice Lara Dutta. Master Ali Haji playing Rehan Jr., is a disappointment. Normally, child-artistes deliver performances even better than seasoned professionals; this performance is one of the worst I have ever seen on screen.
Don't get me wrong. Fanaa does have its moments. The climax scene where Rehan turns around to shoot Zooni is one of them, however clichéd and predictable it might be (not to mention badly shot). But here's the problem of this movie: As a thriller, it never makes you slip to the edge of your seat; as a drama, it never touches your heart and soul.
Final verdict? Fanaa just about slips through the cracks to qualify as barely watchable.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Monday, May 01, 2006
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Sunday, March 26, 2006
There's something about America
Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Monday, March 20, 2006
Quotations of the Day
I got two gems today:
1. A brand-new pickup line: "I'm your BATNA, baby!" (BATNA is a negotiations concept, and the acronym expands to Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement)
- one of my MBA classmates
2. "If you keep trying, you don't get anywhere."
- one of my MBA classmates
1. A brand-new pickup line: "I'm your BATNA, baby!" (BATNA is a negotiations concept, and the acronym expands to Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement)
- one of my MBA classmates
2. "If you keep trying, you don't get anywhere."
- one of my MBA classmates
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
The Story of Holi - The Legend of Prahlad
Last year, I introduced you to the concept of Holi. As is true of most religious festivals, there is a whole mythological background to Holi too. The most well-known aspect of Holi is the color play, and there is "evidence" of Lord Krishna1 (born around 3226 BC2) playing Holi with gopis (village belles). However, there is little or no indication of the origin of the ritual. There is, however, a mythological explanation for the origin of the festival itself and the ritual of the communal bonfire on the eve of the color play.
To begin at the beginning, the earth was submerged under water, stolen and hidden by an asura/daitya (demon) called Hiranyaksha, who had also stolen the vedas from Brahma3. Hiranyaksha was the most cruel & malicious king history had witnessed, and perpetrated unspeakable atrocities. To save the earth and the people, Vishnu4 decided to incarnate as varaha (wild boar) avatar. He killed Hiranyaksha, returned the vedas to Brahma and land to the people.
Now, Hiranyaksha had an elder brother Hiranyakashipu, who was understandably very upset, and vowed to avenge the death of his brother. He went to the Himalayas and performed the most strenuous tap (penance) for Brahma for years. When Brahma appeared before him5, Hiranyakashipu asked that he may be killed "neither by any weapon nor any creature made by Brahma, neither in the day nor in the night, neither on earth nor in the sky". Brahma said, "Tathastu (So be it)6" and granted him the wish. Swooning with the pride of immortality, Hiranyakashipu went back, reclaimed his kingdom, and went on to become the most barbarous ruler of all.
In the meantime, while Hiranyakashipu was away the sura/dev (deity) king Indra7 had invaded and plundered his kingdom, massacred his cousins and even kidnapped queen Kayadhu who was pregnant at the time. Indra had intended to destroy Kayadhu's womb so that she wouldn't give birth to a ferocious asura. Devarshi Narad8 stopped him, assuring him that the unborn would grow up to become a great devotee of God. Thus convinced, Indra released Kayadhu, who went on to stay at Narad's hermitage. While the baby was still unborn, Narad used to address the it and preach to Kayadhu everyday. Thus, the baby could never forget what it learnt, from Narad, while still in the womb. At the appropriate time, Kayadhu gave birth to Prahlad. Prahlad, the youngest among all sons of Hiranyakashipu, was also the most virtuous. Since childhood, he was a great devotee of Vishnu.
One day, as Prahlad sat in his lap, Hiranyakashipu asked him, "Son, what do you like the most?", to which Prahlad replied, "Father, I want that everyone must surrender himself at the service of Lord Vishnu". Hiranyakashipu thought that someone had misguided his son, so he laughed and sent Prahlad to be educated by Shand and Amark, the sons of Shukracharya, the guru of all aasuri (demonic) knowledge & arts. Shand and Amark started to teach him arthshastra (economics), dandneeti (law) and raajneeti (politics). Prahlad had no interest in these disciplines, but he never showed any disrespect for his teachers. When the teachers felt they had sufficiently educated and reformed their pupil, they took him back to the father.
Once again, taking Prahlad on his lap Hiranyakashipu lovingly asked,"Son, what do you like the most?" And yet again, Prahlad replied, "Listening to the virtues of God, recalling and reciting His name and plays, serving His feet, praying Him and having a sense of dedication for Him are the part of my devotions. By these devotions, focusing one's mind on the Lord is the best thing in my opinion, that the education can be imparted in this way".
Indignant, Hiranyakashipu threw him on the floor, and started to reprimand Shand and Amark. Prahlad got up and said,"Don't be angry, father, its not their fault. Lured by lust, the whole world is moving towards hell. Such people cannot meditate to God. They do not know that their welfare is possible only in respecting the Supreme Being. Whoever touches the feet of God, gets freed from the cycle of birth and death."
That his son worshipped Vishnu, who had killed his brother, infuriated Hiranyakashipu so much that he immediately ordered the execution of Prahlad. The asuras started to hack at Prahlad with their swords, axes and machetes. The weapons had no impact on Prahlad, who sat there meditating. His skin had become impregnable. This only enraged Hiranyakashipu further. He started to look out for even more formidable ways to kill his son. He got Prahlad trampled by mammoths, threw him in a snake pit with angry poisonous snakes, got him thrown off a high cliff, and made him drink poison, but all in vain. He even got Prahlad tethered to huge stone slabs and thrown into the sea. But Prahlad returned unhurt.
Then Hiranyakashipu turned to sister Holika, who had a mystical fireproof shawl. Donning that shawl, and taking Prahlad in her lap, Holika sat on a huge pyre which was then lit. As luck would have it, the fireproof shawl was blown off Holika and onto Prahlad. Holika was incinerated, but the boy escaped unharmed.
Since that day, the people started celebrating Holi, as Holika dahan (burning Holika) by lighting up communal bonfires on the day Holika tried to kill Prahlad.
Prahlad's tale didn't end with Holika, though. The asuras tried, futilely, their illusionary, magical and mystical powers to get rid of him. Shand and Amark even generated a mystical ogress Kritya to kill Prahlad, but she ended up killing them instead. The kind-hearted Prahlad prayed to the God and got his teachers revived.
Hiranyakashipu began to feel afraid and, in a last-ditch attempt, once again sent Prahlad to Shand and Amark's school. There, the 5-year old Prahlad would assemble his fellow disciples around him and preach to them virtues and devotion. The asura boys started following his preachings. Horrified, the teachers sent Prahlad back to his father.
Now, Hiranyakashipu decided to kill Prahlad himself and at dusk tied him to a pillar of his court. Sword in hand, he asked condescendingly,"O fool, with whose powers you have been humiliating me? Now, I am going to kill you. Call your God to save you".
Undaunted, Prahlad replied humbly,"Father, don't be angry. Omnipresent Vishnu is the protector of us all. I am not dishonoring you. One's own mind is his biggest enemy in the world. The God is all pervasive. He is in me, in you, in your sword and is also present in the pillar".
Prahlad hadn't even finished the sentence when the enraged king struck with his mace. The pillar shattered with a deafening crash. From the pillar emerged a creature no one had seen or heard of. The huge wereleo had the head and hands of a lion, and the body of a man. It was Vishnu's Narasimha (wereleo) avatar. Narasimha grabbed hold of Hiranyakashipu, and dragged him to the threshold. On his thighs, Narasimha placed Hiranyakashipu and tore him apart with his sharp claws. Thus, it was neither a creature of nature nor a creation of man that killed Hiranyakashipu, it was neither on earth nor in sky that he was killed, it was neither day nor night when he was killed.
When the rage of Narasimha did not subside even after killing the asura king, Prahlad fearlessly went to Narasimha and lied down at his feet. Overcome by affection, Narasimha picked Prahlad up, embraced him and asked for forgiveness for having taken that long in coming and for all that Prahlad had to suffer in the meantime.
He told Prahlad that he would grant him a wish. Prahlad replied,"O omnipotent, kindly don't put me on test by asking me to seek a boon. Those who seek rewards in exchange of their service are not servers but they are the traders. You are my true Lord. Even then, if you wish to grant me a wish, kindly bless me that never any desire may arise in my mind for anything". He even asked for forgiveness for his father, that Hiranyakashipu may be freed from his sins. The lord granted that wish, and made Prahlad the king of asuras. Prahlad went on to be the most benevolent, virtuous and just king.
------------------------------------------------------------
1 Lord Krishna/Kršna was an avatar of Vishnu and is part of the story of the Mahabharata, the world's largest epic, with 100,000 verses. Bhagwad Gita or The Gita which is widely, though incorrectly, believed by the west to be the Hindu Bible, is not a separate book, but a part of the Mahabharata.
2 The Mahabharata Chronology, Dr.K.N.S.Patnaik, The Hindu Net
3 The creator among the Hindu holy trinity of Gods.
4 The preserver among the Hindu holy trinity of Gods.
5 If you perform penance with a pure heart for long enough, the Gods are obligated to grant your wish, irrespective of who you are or what you might do with your gift.
6 Tathastu (So be it) is the typical way in which the Gods granted wishes.
7 Indra, the king of suras has been responsible for many villainous acts as per Hindu mythology. While suras/devs and asuras/daityas are typically classified as gods and demons for the simplicity of western understanding, a more balanced view would be look as them as two races almost constantly at each others' throats. While the west would like to think in terms of black and white, good and evil, things weren't as simple: there were some bad suras and good asuras.
8 Devarshi = Dev + Rrshi (the holy ascetic). Narad is an interesting mythological character and appears in subsidiary but important roles in many tales. He wanders about singing bhajans (devotional songs) & playing his lute, and doubles up as a messenger between warring factions. He is a mischievious character, and can even be seen encouraging some malicious asura kings in their devilish tasks so that their sins catch up with them, i.e. become so unbearable that God has to take action against them. He is also credited with the invention of the veena, the principal Indian stringed instrument.
To begin at the beginning, the earth was submerged under water, stolen and hidden by an asura/daitya (demon) called Hiranyaksha, who had also stolen the vedas from Brahma3. Hiranyaksha was the most cruel & malicious king history had witnessed, and perpetrated unspeakable atrocities. To save the earth and the people, Vishnu4 decided to incarnate as varaha (wild boar) avatar. He killed Hiranyaksha, returned the vedas to Brahma and land to the people.
Now, Hiranyaksha had an elder brother Hiranyakashipu, who was understandably very upset, and vowed to avenge the death of his brother. He went to the Himalayas and performed the most strenuous tap (penance) for Brahma for years. When Brahma appeared before him5, Hiranyakashipu asked that he may be killed "neither by any weapon nor any creature made by Brahma, neither in the day nor in the night, neither on earth nor in the sky". Brahma said, "Tathastu (So be it)6" and granted him the wish. Swooning with the pride of immortality, Hiranyakashipu went back, reclaimed his kingdom, and went on to become the most barbarous ruler of all.
In the meantime, while Hiranyakashipu was away the sura/dev (deity) king Indra7 had invaded and plundered his kingdom, massacred his cousins and even kidnapped queen Kayadhu who was pregnant at the time. Indra had intended to destroy Kayadhu's womb so that she wouldn't give birth to a ferocious asura. Devarshi Narad8 stopped him, assuring him that the unborn would grow up to become a great devotee of God. Thus convinced, Indra released Kayadhu, who went on to stay at Narad's hermitage. While the baby was still unborn, Narad used to address the it and preach to Kayadhu everyday. Thus, the baby could never forget what it learnt, from Narad, while still in the womb. At the appropriate time, Kayadhu gave birth to Prahlad. Prahlad, the youngest among all sons of Hiranyakashipu, was also the most virtuous. Since childhood, he was a great devotee of Vishnu.
One day, as Prahlad sat in his lap, Hiranyakashipu asked him, "Son, what do you like the most?", to which Prahlad replied, "Father, I want that everyone must surrender himself at the service of Lord Vishnu". Hiranyakashipu thought that someone had misguided his son, so he laughed and sent Prahlad to be educated by Shand and Amark, the sons of Shukracharya, the guru of all aasuri (demonic) knowledge & arts. Shand and Amark started to teach him arthshastra (economics), dandneeti (law) and raajneeti (politics). Prahlad had no interest in these disciplines, but he never showed any disrespect for his teachers. When the teachers felt they had sufficiently educated and reformed their pupil, they took him back to the father.
Once again, taking Prahlad on his lap Hiranyakashipu lovingly asked,"Son, what do you like the most?" And yet again, Prahlad replied, "Listening to the virtues of God, recalling and reciting His name and plays, serving His feet, praying Him and having a sense of dedication for Him are the part of my devotions. By these devotions, focusing one's mind on the Lord is the best thing in my opinion, that the education can be imparted in this way".
Indignant, Hiranyakashipu threw him on the floor, and started to reprimand Shand and Amark. Prahlad got up and said,"Don't be angry, father, its not their fault. Lured by lust, the whole world is moving towards hell. Such people cannot meditate to God. They do not know that their welfare is possible only in respecting the Supreme Being. Whoever touches the feet of God, gets freed from the cycle of birth and death."
That his son worshipped Vishnu, who had killed his brother, infuriated Hiranyakashipu so much that he immediately ordered the execution of Prahlad. The asuras started to hack at Prahlad with their swords, axes and machetes. The weapons had no impact on Prahlad, who sat there meditating. His skin had become impregnable. This only enraged Hiranyakashipu further. He started to look out for even more formidable ways to kill his son. He got Prahlad trampled by mammoths, threw him in a snake pit with angry poisonous snakes, got him thrown off a high cliff, and made him drink poison, but all in vain. He even got Prahlad tethered to huge stone slabs and thrown into the sea. But Prahlad returned unhurt.
Then Hiranyakashipu turned to sister Holika, who had a mystical fireproof shawl. Donning that shawl, and taking Prahlad in her lap, Holika sat on a huge pyre which was then lit. As luck would have it, the fireproof shawl was blown off Holika and onto Prahlad. Holika was incinerated, but the boy escaped unharmed.
Since that day, the people started celebrating Holi, as Holika dahan (burning Holika) by lighting up communal bonfires on the day Holika tried to kill Prahlad.
Prahlad's tale didn't end with Holika, though. The asuras tried, futilely, their illusionary, magical and mystical powers to get rid of him. Shand and Amark even generated a mystical ogress Kritya to kill Prahlad, but she ended up killing them instead. The kind-hearted Prahlad prayed to the God and got his teachers revived.
Hiranyakashipu began to feel afraid and, in a last-ditch attempt, once again sent Prahlad to Shand and Amark's school. There, the 5-year old Prahlad would assemble his fellow disciples around him and preach to them virtues and devotion. The asura boys started following his preachings. Horrified, the teachers sent Prahlad back to his father.
Now, Hiranyakashipu decided to kill Prahlad himself and at dusk tied him to a pillar of his court. Sword in hand, he asked condescendingly,"O fool, with whose powers you have been humiliating me? Now, I am going to kill you. Call your God to save you".
Undaunted, Prahlad replied humbly,"Father, don't be angry. Omnipresent Vishnu is the protector of us all. I am not dishonoring you. One's own mind is his biggest enemy in the world. The God is all pervasive. He is in me, in you, in your sword and is also present in the pillar".
Prahlad hadn't even finished the sentence when the enraged king struck with his mace. The pillar shattered with a deafening crash. From the pillar emerged a creature no one had seen or heard of. The huge wereleo had the head and hands of a lion, and the body of a man. It was Vishnu's Narasimha (wereleo) avatar. Narasimha grabbed hold of Hiranyakashipu, and dragged him to the threshold. On his thighs, Narasimha placed Hiranyakashipu and tore him apart with his sharp claws. Thus, it was neither a creature of nature nor a creation of man that killed Hiranyakashipu, it was neither on earth nor in sky that he was killed, it was neither day nor night when he was killed.
When the rage of Narasimha did not subside even after killing the asura king, Prahlad fearlessly went to Narasimha and lied down at his feet. Overcome by affection, Narasimha picked Prahlad up, embraced him and asked for forgiveness for having taken that long in coming and for all that Prahlad had to suffer in the meantime.
He told Prahlad that he would grant him a wish. Prahlad replied,"O omnipotent, kindly don't put me on test by asking me to seek a boon. Those who seek rewards in exchange of their service are not servers but they are the traders. You are my true Lord. Even then, if you wish to grant me a wish, kindly bless me that never any desire may arise in my mind for anything". He even asked for forgiveness for his father, that Hiranyakashipu may be freed from his sins. The lord granted that wish, and made Prahlad the king of asuras. Prahlad went on to be the most benevolent, virtuous and just king.
------------------------------------------------------------
1 Lord Krishna/Kršna was an avatar of Vishnu and is part of the story of the Mahabharata, the world's largest epic, with 100,000 verses. Bhagwad Gita or The Gita which is widely, though incorrectly, believed by the west to be the Hindu Bible, is not a separate book, but a part of the Mahabharata.
2 The Mahabharata Chronology, Dr.K.N.S.Patnaik, The Hindu Net
3 The creator among the Hindu holy trinity of Gods.
4 The preserver among the Hindu holy trinity of Gods.
5 If you perform penance with a pure heart for long enough, the Gods are obligated to grant your wish, irrespective of who you are or what you might do with your gift.
6 Tathastu (So be it) is the typical way in which the Gods granted wishes.
7 Indra, the king of suras has been responsible for many villainous acts as per Hindu mythology. While suras/devs and asuras/daityas are typically classified as gods and demons for the simplicity of western understanding, a more balanced view would be look as them as two races almost constantly at each others' throats. While the west would like to think in terms of black and white, good and evil, things weren't as simple: there were some bad suras and good asuras.
8 Devarshi = Dev + Rrshi (the holy ascetic). Narad is an interesting mythological character and appears in subsidiary but important roles in many tales. He wanders about singing bhajans (devotional songs) & playing his lute, and doubles up as a messenger between warring factions. He is a mischievious character, and can even be seen encouraging some malicious asura kings in their devilish tasks so that their sins catch up with them, i.e. become so unbearable that God has to take action against them. He is also credited with the invention of the veena, the principal Indian stringed instrument.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Slow Dance - An Internet Forward
Today I am unoriginal. This is an email forward that I just received and decided to put on my blog. I first received this one about 4 years ago. It may have started circulating even before that. However, when I received it today, I felt very much like the poet who wrote it, and I'd like to say the same thing to some friends. Thus, I am putting it up. Of course, I will spare you the mass/chain mail stuff.
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"HI"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"HI"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Friday, February 10, 2006
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Quotation of the Day
"The South is religious. The rest of the country is educated. "
- one of my MBA classmates
- one of my MBA classmates
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Quotation of the Day
"I wonder what's gonna happen to the next generation of Indians born in the US" (referring to the 'losing of roots' among American Indians or American Born Confused Desis/ABCDs, as they are called)
- My friend and senior at the MBA program
"I am more concerned about a graver problem. What's the next generation of Indians born in India be like"
- yours truly The Maverick
- My friend and senior at the MBA program
"I am more concerned about a graver problem. What's the next generation of Indians born in India be like"
- yours truly The Maverick
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