Dirt on My Mind

“This is just not fair,” whined my sister in law on Sunday when her patient wait for Sony to telecast the much awaited TV premiere of Vidya Balan starrer The Dirty Picture went in vain as the channel announced that the film could not be screened due to ‘unavoidable circumstances’.  She was possibly one of the many enthusiastic viewers or shall we say in this case ‘voyeurs’ J who had missed the theatrical release of the film and wished to find out what the whole world and its aunt was going gaga about. So obviously speculation went ripe about the many reasons that could have caused such sudden cancellation. Reportedly, the Information and Broadcasting ministry of India received a quoted number of 600 calls from viewers protesting the screening of the film at prime time slots, judging it not suitable for children. The producers’ claim of having got the film censored with 59 cuts went unheard while the whole episode justifiably raised the ire of leading lady Vidya Balan who questioned the integrity of the I&B Ministry and its duplicity of intention, acknowledging her performance with a National Award and then dismissing the film as unsuitable for public view. Balan lashed out at the Government adding, “I do hope that better sense prevails and that the film industry is not once again used as a convenient high-profile punching bag for anyone looking to establish their moral credentials.”

I wonder though if we should blame only the Government. What about the 600 odd Indians who feel it is fine if their kids watch reruns of Two and a Half Men and Sex and the City, women cheerleaders displaying cleavage and butt at the IPL matches and item songs feature female actors wearing itsy bitsy garments, prancing seductively. I am not even going to start talking of Hollywood films which almost always have generous doses of smooching, lovemaking and indecent exposure in some way or the other. If you take a moment to think about it you will realise that the same moral credentials Balan talks about remain questionable when it comes to the majority of us Indians. And glaring examples of the same can be found in popular culture around us.

The entry and subsequent welcome Sunny Leone received in the Bigg Boss house immediately comes to mind. The whole country watched and approved of this adult film star’s presence on a show in India, irrespective of the moral nature of her profession. Her friends Sky, Pooja and Juhi Parmar even went on to embrace her identity after it was revealed during the course of the show. So does that mean by accepting Sunny Leone and her professional qualifications, we actually respect her decision to pursue an active career in well, exhibiting her personal assets? Is Sunny now the brand ambassador of her sorority in the adult film industry? Do we now see such women as being socially acceptable and thus deserving of equal respect as women in any other professional sphere? And finally do we then start believing that there is nothing wrong with women resorting to such means to earn money...would we give a clean chit to every woman doing the same? So when Sunny signed Jism 2, her fans cheered but now the same fans are feeling miffed that she is still making merry through her adult videos by cashing in on her newfound starlet status. Why so? Are we now trying to say that she should put behind the same profession that we seemed to accept her with, warts and all?

Further examples can be found close to home. An HT survey conducted earlier this year tested trends in attitude based on the responses of 7021 of India’s youth, living in metro cities. As per the survey, 54.9% agree to pre marital sex no longer being an issue but on the other hand 62.3% want their spouse to be a virgin. Homosexuality is not acceptable for 76% of youth so I am guessing those who join the Pink Parades and the Gay Parades of the world are simply doing it under peer pressure or the urge to act ‘cool’ in front of the world. The truth remains that we seem to have our heads muddled up in an endless quagmire of convoluted ideas rooted in our traditional Indian value system. This is at once negated and sometimes overcome by a seemingly western outlook thanks to our growing exposure to the outside world. How else do you explain why parents in sophisticated urban homes do not approve of sex education being a part of the school curriculum when the same parents encourage their kids to be friends with the opposite sex from an early age?

I can continue with more striking traits that prove the inherent hypocrisy that deepen the chasm between our thought and action but would like to instead end with one more attitude that further captures our confused mental approach towards women in the 21^st century. This is something most women looking for a prospective suitor for marriage will encounter these days. Most well educated, liberal and progressive guys looking for fair, beautiful and descent (read virgin) girls insist on their wives pursuing their profession even after marriage but also frown at the said wives not being able to cook garam rotis, broom the dust off the shelves and massage the saasuma’s feet when she comes home in the evening. You see, this is to compensate for the lost time spent in office doing whatever work they do there. Like my sister in law lamented, “This is just not fair.”

We are living life in the fast lane, whether we like it or not. The world is passing by us at supersonic speed and we need to run faster to catch up or risk being left behind. It’s therefore time we shed that garb of hypocrisy and really understand that it is not going to help to sit on the fence or be bigoted about the emerging trends around us. India is gaining global recognition and being marked everyday as the go-to country for all sorts of multicultural influences and aspects. Let’s not come across to the world as Indian born confused desis, please.

PS. The author of this article has been a frequent viewer of Bigg Boss, IPL cheerleaders, Two and a Half Men and Sex and the City apart from being a Hollywood film buff and does not intend to classify such content as malicious or offensive. She is just concerned that many so called adults who are watching the same are yet to grow up.

Come discover India’s very own United Kingdom!

The best holidays are those that take you to a destination you know the least about. Of course, thanks to travel websites that seem to be mushrooming by the bucketful, the chances of not having any information about your holiday destination are frankly remote to netizens like us. As a matter of fact, I have no qualms about researching on the place I am about to visit. In fact, I thoroughly practice and endorse the same diligently to uncover all geographical factors that could affect the holiday- distance from home, the climate, the local terrain, sight seeing spots, food habits, culture...these are all browsed through before making a detailed itinerary so as to not waste time once I reach the place. This habit has helped me plan really rocking holidays from the nearest to the remotest places in India- Pune, Goa, Kannur, Mahabalipuram, my honeymoon in Sikkim and my recent weekend excursion to Lansdowne.

 Believe you me when I say, there is no better place than India that can win top spot as an ideal tourist wonderland. Where else can you find such sheer abundance of rivers, lakes, waterfalls, sea, mountains, beaches, lagoons, backwaters, hills, plains, hinterland, greenery, snow, desert, forest, religion, culture, language, literature...I can go on and on. Little wonder then that my list of places to see before I die has so many destinations left! Not even cricket, Republic or Independence Day or Bollywood can get me as close to being a patriot as the inherent need to indulge and extol on the virtues of exploring the natural bounties of the country we live in.  Each and every place I have ever visited has only refurbished my idea of India being a traveller’s delight, barring the few encumbrances of crowds, traffic, dirt and the tropical climate you may encounter during your sojourn. And if these are the very things you wish to escape, I have recently hit on the perfect place to unwind, breathe and just do away with your earthly worries.  Travel light, make sure you drive a sturdy car and are an exceptional driver to boot and book a weekend at the Fairydale Resort at Lansdowne.

An early browse through the best resorts at this picturesque hillstation in the Pauri Garhwal region of Uttarakhand revealed other viable options for accommodation like Kasang Regency, Blue Pine Resort and Ananda Retreat to name a few. However, I was glad my husband chose this resort over all others, simply because this is the closest you can get to feeling like you are living in a home away from home. With your own privacy and space being on top priority when it comes to Fairydale’s hospitality, the resort that clocks a hundred years this year, offers peace, tranquillity and fresh air, alien to the urban dweller caught in the daily humdrum of a hectic life. Providing the right amount of seclusion even as you get a glimpse of rudimentary life in the nearby hamlets, with a breath taking view of the gorgeous valley amidst the sky touching peaks, having our cottage right in the heart of all this was deeply invigorating. The sudden rains on our way uphill caused a dip in temperature rendering the climate chilled and windy for the better part of our stay but almost as if the Sun God understood we needed to soak up some shine too, it came out in all its glory giving us enough time to explore the nearby scenery and tourist spots like Bhulla Lake and the Santoshi Mata Temple.

Lansdowne was originally called Kaloo Danda which almost made me mentally thank British immigrant Lord Lansdowne after whom this place was renamed during the Raj. Till date, Lansdowne houses a War Museum that preserves relics of an almost ancient past in the form of guns, ammunition, medals of honour, musical accompaniments, uniforms, army garb and overalls, mappings of the war routes from the World Wars fought by the Garhwal Rifles, whose Regimental Centre established in Lansdowne is responsible for the town’s development and maintenance.  Of particular interest were fossils found by soldiers, the native costume and culture of tribals inhabitant in these regions and Pakistani currency bearing the forbidding face of Jinnah seized from enemy soldiers off the battleground. We also visited St.John’s and St.Mary’s churches, two pretty little Victorian structures on hill tops, giving further proof of the English influence on the local history. 

Situated at an altitude of 1706 mtrs, you may want to thank the Cantonment for the beautiful preservation of this unspoilt jewel. Hardly the type of place that can burn a hole in your budget, this Himalayan haven has just the right amount of touristy spots that are trekkable and easily covered in a short span of a day or two, without tiring you out or interrupting the rejuvenation process that sets in once you reach here. Of course, all the walking will further help you build an appetite for the deliciously healthy, hygienic and delicious feast that awaits you at the Resort- for example, a simple course of aloo gobi, paranthas, dal makhani,  chicken curry, rice and rotis in generous portions proved to please the palate and go easy on the digestion throughout our stay. By the way, make sure you pick up playing cards or good old board games like ludo or snakes n ladders if you are planning to live in rather than venture out during your stay with family or friends.

If you are driving up from Delhi, follow the route towards Hardwar and take a detour towards Meerut, crossing Mawana, Bijnor, Najibabad and finally Kotdwar. Make sure you carry motion sickness pills if you are the types who gets dizzy on circuitous routes and hair pin bends. My trick is to eat light, snack on fruits and not drink too much water. Also, great company and good music through the road trip can work wonders on a long winding journey that takes approximately 6-7 hours max.

Btw, don’t be amused if you see vehicles with UK written on their number plates. The tiny town of Lansdowne does fall in Uttarakhand, in the newly formed state of Uttaranchal.  The climate here is not very different from United Kingdom actually, with heavy snowfall in the winters and the maximum summer temperature touching 25 degrees Celsius max for the most part. Of course, the only difference is the monies you will be spilling out to afford a trip to this UK!!

B town’s Barbie Dolls

When I was a kid, one of my prized possessions used to be a beautiful Barbie doll gifted by my parents. I could spend hours playing house with her, so what if she couldn’t quite converse with me at our frequently held tea parties? Her long flowing golden tresses, those dreamy eyes with the long lashes, those sparkling brown eyes, that tiny waist and the never ending legs she had made for such a pretty picture, I could sit and admire her for hours. And nothing can describe the sheer joy of seeing her dressed up in trendy clothes of the seasons ranging from a cute summery frock to a dangerously low cut swim suit, showing off that well-toned body. Now if you have started doubting my mental health thanks to this sudden bout of nostalgia at mere girlie fascination with a toy, think again. Are we as a generation truly over our Barbie doll phase? I beg to differ and in fact would like to include the entire male  population that enjoys watching contemporary Hindi cinema indulging in just such adulation for the said Barbie dolls that girls as kids play with. Still thinking? Since you are asking for it, here’s introducing the Barbie Bolls that have endeared themselves to tinsel town so much that most of them are some of the highest paid actors in the industry today. As for their acting talent? Err…Barbie dolls don’t exactly come equipped with that quality, do they?

Katrina Kaif: There is no arguing with the fact that this British Indian beauty has looks to make a Greek Goddess envious of her. She is one of the few heroines on the block who can look cool even without make up and has the standard qualifications that guarantee you the eyeballs- long hair, fair complexion, great smile, towering height and those oomphy legs. What she doesn’t seem to have on ample display though is the strength of her performance to match the external packaging. Yes, so she seems to have earned a significant number of hoots and whistles with her Sheila and Chameli acts but that could only mark her as a good item girl. After playing wallflower in several of her initial films, Katrina has bravely tried to tread deeper waters with films like Rajneeti, Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. What goes clearly in her favour is her getting cast opposite actors like Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan in her forthcoming films that ensures great mileage and provides excellent cover against getting pulled up for poor histrionic skills. Some people simply get lucky, as my Mom would say.

Jacqueline Fernandez: She made her debut in a film called Aladin but her claim to fame was as Dhanno in the hit item song remake of the Laawaris original, ‘Aapka kya hoga’…with Riteish Deshmukh, Akshay Kumar and Arjun Rampal for company. She sizzled with Emraan Hashmi in Murder 2 which failed to elicit too many votes in her favour. Mahesh Bhatt in this case couldn’t make a Bipasha Basu of this Sri Lankan import. Enter Sajid Khan who has now cast her in his already crowded ensemble sequel, Housefull 2 where she will be romancing John Abraham. Now considering her mentor has his hands literally full with so many actors jostling for space, it will be interesting to see what acting lessons Jacqueline is able to pick up that will make her rise above the rest.

Deepika Padukone: This is one debutante who couldn’t have asked for more in her very first film. Om Shanti Om launched her with as much pomp and splendor as befits a newbie among a thousand others. The hit Jodi of Farah Khan and Shahrukh Khan could do no wrong and together they propelled her to the heights of instant stardom, winning her quite a few plum projects in its wake. It’s been a drop downhill since then with hardly a film that would go down in the history of cinematic glory. Of course, a happening personal life has kept Deepika afloat in the front pages of gossip columns but she will need more than a Ranbir Kapoor to turn the tide of her lukewarm career in days ahead.

Sonam Kapoor: You’d have thought being blessed with a silver spoon in her mouth and Anil Kapoor’s genes and simply being a Kapoor would make life easy for Sonam. Yes, she has managed to get the paparazzi going crazy over her recent tryst with international fashion houses and designers but if her last film Players is anything to go by, Sonam will need more than just cocktail gowns and backless cholis to help her get appreciated as a blooming actor in her own right. And you thought being a star kid was easy.

Nargis Fakhri: The good news is her age seems to be the least of the factors that could make or break Nargis’ film career. The girl who brought so much grief to Ranbir Kapoor’s character in Rockstar must be having sleepless nights over the fact that no A-list star is particularly knocking on her door with offers after her debut. The fish like pout, the light brown mane and the regal posture may be getting the flashbulbs popping wherever she walks but we will have to wait and watch how this half Kashmiri-half Czech damsel’s shot at glamour and fame pans out.