The End of the year….. A year of Change??

As the year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect upon the progress of the largest democracy in the world. It’s been a year of political turmoil, economic lopsidedness and bureaucratic negligence. India seems to continue fighting its vicious circle of problems, on every front.

This year, politics has seen it all. It has seen the emergence of a hero, or rather the creation of a hero, in the name of Modi. He has occupied the limelight of Indian politics, being declared BJP’s Prime Ministerial Candidate. On the other hand, we have the Congress who seem to be so keen on passing Bills and making statements, as the General Elections are just a few months away as we approach 2014. I have still been unable to comprehend how the Prime Minister has started to speak after 4 years. The state elections seemed to show the anger of every citizen of this country. Gone are the days when people were influenced by promises made in political rallies. They have realized the need for a positive change in politics. I would call it a renaissance period in democratic politics. We have witnessed the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party. Calling himself as the leader of a Movement, and not a political party, Arvind Kejirwal has managed to create the much needed change that Indian politics needed. Its been ages, but we never seem to have found a solution to one of our greatest impediments to growth and progress… Corruption. Kejirwal has always kept his focus on eradicating corruption by forming a proper channel of political administration. We hope he gets a chance to prove himself, as BJP and AAP fight for Delhi, with neither having the majority to form the Government, and neither ready to join hands with one another.. To be frank One thing I am very happy about!!!! :D

With Raghuram Rajan being appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, the country has been witnessing a slow, but steady growth in economy. From a time when the dollar went to a record high of 67, he has managed to stabilize the economy, though its too early to call it an economic revolution. His primary concerns have been in controlling inflation and reducing Government expenditure. With a forever rising fiscal deficit, it continuous challenge for the government to stabilize the economy. This makes me wonder if it was the right time to pass the Food Security Bill. Criticized as a political move to gather votes, its been one of the very few bills passed by the ruling party in their tenure. With the current economic scenario, it occurs to every mind as to whether this was indeed an appropriate time to pass a Bill which would continuously bother the Government Treasury and test the Public Distribution System which has never been put into place. The manufacturing sector still seems hit by the economic crises. It’s a hope for a global economic change.

We move into a New Year hoping for a better political and economic revival benefitting the common man.

Last but definitely not the least, it goes without saying that the world has lost one of its greatest leaders of the current generation. Nelson Mandela had been and will forever remain as the hero of a Democratic Africa. His struggle for freedom from apartheid will always be remembered as one of the greatest fights that humanity has displayed to our systems and cultures. RIP Madiba. We will always remember you!!

THERE IS INDEED THE NEED FOR CHANGE………. HOPING FOR A GREAT YEAR AHEAD!!!!!!

Which is more beautiful??

A warm summer morning I decided to take a stroll along the countryside for fresh air. It was  long  since I had been to such a place. The skies were clear, the temperature  mild and it was a perfect day to enjoy  the beauty of  Nature. I wanted to spend the whole day amidst the green meadows just swaying my hands along the green grasses. Thousand yards away I could see a mountain as majestic as it can be, rising above all land, touching the heavens. The sun was hiding behind it waiting for the Earth to rotate a bit more so that it could display its ultimate powers. It was a sight I had never seen before. A light wind swept over the flowers and the  Nature giggled in the sunshine. In the silence I could hear the various sounds of Nature, from the birds chirping to the light wind swaying over the flowers. This was Nature, The Art of God more beautiful than anything else.

                                                              

                                                                           I just walked through the flowers making a path for myself, humming the tune of my favorite song. It was a day I wanted to spend  secluded from the busy life of the city. But then I witnessed something....Something I presume to be the next beautiful thing that God has created....A woman!!! I was there since long, enjoying the tranquility of Nature but I had missed seeing this beautiful girl. There she was, a few yards away sitting on the grass with a small dog accompanying her. It was now that I realized that maybe Nature is not the most beautiful thing God has created. She had  striking features with piercing blue eyes, a sharp nose and tender lips. I stood dumbfounded  watching in awe at this creation of God. She looked elegant and charming. 

                                                            

                                                                       I always had an impression in life that only character will decide a person and that I will not be tempted by looks of a girl. One second was enough to revolutionize my ideas of a perfect girl. . She did not  notice me as She was engrossed in patting  and caressing her dog.

                                                                        There was a voice inside me forcing me to go  and speak to her. But I did not have the courage to do it . I  wondered what she will think of me if I go initiate a conversation. She may be scared and run away But I was restless. There was no way I could just walk away from her. She was like the magnetic pole that always attracts the opposite pole. Questions kept creeping into my mind of what I should do next........

                                                                    Slowly but steadily, the clear sky was covering  with the clouds.  slowly it became dark. However; Nothing could make me take my eyes off her. I took me some time to realize all this was happening. Even though all this was happening the solitary girl was unmoved. She kept sitting and patting her dog  ignoring the changes in the environment . 

                                                                    

                                                                       Now it started to drizzle. It was now that the girl saw the skies and started to get up. She suddenly slipped. I don't know what made me do this but I went towards her and held out my hand. She held my hand and got up dusting the sand off her dress. All  this happened in a flash and got over even before I realized that I did it. She was then standing before me. We were facing each other, looking into each others eyes. A closer look at her eyes made me  feel her innocence. She was staring at me as if expecting I would say something. I knew this but I could not open my mouth; thinking of what I just did. Seconds seemed like  hours as we both looked at each other. The rain started pouring down in its full strength. Before I came back to reality she held my hand and rushed me to a nearby tree. Her dog followed her barking all the way. Her touch made me was ......... . We both stood beside each other guarding ourselves from the rain. Her dog was excited at the sight of rain and began jumping up and down. She ordered her pet to keep quiet.

                                                                      I was still in my dreamland. I started imagining us  walking down the aisle exchanging rings and sharing our love for each other. She brought me back to the “real” world by tapping me on the shoulder. I looked at her. My adrenaline was pumping... I wanted to tell her those three beautiful words “I love you” and nothing else. The picture of my mom came to my mind who would simply be frustrated at the of me loving a girl. But nothing seemed to be important to me than  her. I mustered up the courage to speak to her. I did nothing but pick a few beautiful flowers , rested on my knees and said “I love you”.

                                                                There was a look of surprise across her face to what then became the  cutest smile I had ever seen in my life. She fixed her eyes on me and leaned over to accept my flowers and said “Thank you.......”A voice more beautiful than that of a nightingale. Wow!!!!A look of acceptance spread across her face and I realized that I had accomplished one of the toughest tasks of my life. We both held our hands together, leaning on the the tree looking at the sun which had come out and the beautiful rainbow which was now visible across the mountain.

             

                                                                      Then suddenly water was splashed across my face. Thinking that she was playing with me I opened my eyes moving away the water on my face. I saw someone who was extremely familiar. She was none other than my MOM!!!!! There she was holding a bucket of water screaming at me “Get up you lazy fellow!!!! You have an exam tomorrow”. For a moment I felt so sad that everything was just a dream. But then I realized that such a person may never exist in reality because nature is God's most beautiful creation . What a dream it was!!!! 

My Story of Life

                                                                      Hictor Finner was an actor par excellence. Coming from a very poor family he had struggled a lot to become one of the best actors of all time. His hard work and determination had won the hearts of many. After grabbing two Oscars for this blistering performances in “Wonderful Man” and “The Woman's Sight” he was making a movie with one of the most innovative directors in modern era namely John Simmoner. Shooting had commenced and there was a lot of expectations on Finner's shoulders to satisfy the fans of his which was increasing everyday.

                                                                    Titled “The Thriller” the movie was about the life of a man.  It was made a point not to publicly announce much more about the movie and shooting was kept top secret. Only thing that was known was that Finner was going through a lot of training sessions for bringing his best performance on screen.

                                                                     It was just a week since shooting had started. It was 9:00 pm in the night. John made it a point to rehearse a shoot scheduled for the next day. That assured better performances by the actors. By the time the rehearsal was over it was 10:15 pm. Hictor after a hectic day of work comes to the hotel. Having no mood to undress he just falls on the bed and sleeps. Suddenly he hears a loud scream. He gets up trying to clear his eyes and see his watch. It was 11:15pm. Hictor was a gentlemen. He was always there to help people whenever he could. He got up and looked down the corridor. Only one door was open, two rooms to his right, allowing the light to enter into the corridor. He walks down the corridor and enters the dimly lit room. There he saw, covered in blood, a woman's body. Even her face was hardly seen. It had stabs all over the stomach. There was a slit at the throat. Agitated, Hictor runs to his room and calls 911.

                                                                  The cops arrive and collect all the evidence possible. It was a professional murder planned such that there were not much clues left for the police to work on. On questioning Hictor he explains how he heard the scream and came to the room to find the corpse. There was nothing much he could tell and the cops thank for his immediate call. He felt happy he could help in some way. He was told that her name was Helena, a manager in an IT firm.

                                                                   

                                                                   The next day Hictor is unable to set his mind right after the incident he had encountered and asked John for a day of rest and he agreed. In two days, shooting had resumed and there was a need to change the location. The crew fly to Detroit to continue their shooting. As shooting progresses John becomes extremely impressed by Hictor's performance.

                                                                   One day in the sets a strange event occurs. One of the crew of the film comes panting and shouting explaining that he saw the assistant camera man of the movie dead in one of the rooms in the location. Shocked on hearing this, Hictor and John run to Room no 14. There they find Julius, his eyes wide open and his hands hanging from the sides of the bed. There was a mark of a piercing knife on his forehead. The crew didn't dare to touch him fearing they may be responsible for losing some evidence. The cops arrive at the scene of the crime and try to get all fingerprint's available. They file a case and detective Marx from the Scotland Yard is appointed to investigate the case.

                                                                  

                                                                  He questions everyone in the sets individually trying to get as much information as possible. Shooting remains canceled for a period of a month. Investigation was being carried on but it was in vain. John and Hictor were questioned the most, being the director and the lead actor. They share what ever they could giving all the information to the detective.

                                                                After a month, producers start questioning the progress of the movie and the director resumes shooting. Everything was going well,when after five days of shoot a terrible thing happens. One of the light men in the crew is found dead hanging from a rope in the sets. Marx rushes to the spot. He immediately orders the shooting to be canceled and demands the crew to stay in a hotel for fifteen days for questioning. They have no option but to abide by the rules.

                                                               After many sessions of questioning the detective is unable to draw a line. Just when he was about to question a crew member some intuition makes him think of a solution to the problem. He swivels his chair turning to the director. He asks the director to tell him the plot of the movie which he was currently shooting. The director hesitates,hinting that it was kept a secret. After a bit of persuasion the director tells him the story.

                                                              The movie was about a man who, due to the loss of his wife becomes depressed and slowly starts becoming mentally ill and starts killing people who come in his way or get into arguments with him. As the director starts elaborating on the story the detective gets a clue. What if Hictor himself, because of his involvement in the character had himself turned into a killer? The idea keeps coming to him but he doesn't express this thought. After hearing the complete story the detective thanks the director and leaves.

                                                              The next day Marx questions Hictor on the preparations he had done for the movie. Hictor explains how he had researched on behavior of people who were mentally affected. As Marx started digging deeper into what Hictor had prepared, he gets to know how Hictor had prepared the screenplay by exploring new ways to murder people. Marx now gets a clear idea on who the murderer is. The only point was that there was not enough proof.

                                                              Hictor is asked to come to the neural and psychiatric centre. Having no idea on why he was called, he goes there. Top doctors from the leading psychiatric research centers in the country assemble there. The psychiatrist start questioning Hictor. Slowly as he digs deeper into his character in the movie he senses a change in Hictor's behavior. Hictor starts yelling at him and suddenly reaches out to a surgical knife and tries to attack the doctor. The personnel in the hospital quickly hold Hictor by his hands and legs and rest him on his chair.

                                                             The doctors explain John that this is a case where too much involvement in his character had led Hictor to become that character itself. This was not exactly a case of multiple personality disorder. Only conclusion doctors could come out with was that maybe the story  was running in his head that particular time leading to his dangerous actions. The whole plot was clear to the doctors now. It was Hictor who was responsible for these deaths. Marx gets the information on the death Hictor had encountered in the hotel. Marx now gets a clear picture in his mind. The only problem was that, while collecting the details from people Marx had interviewed, Hictor had a perfect alibi on every occasion.

                                                              The only way to conclude the case was in the hands of the  specialist doctors by making him accept his mistakes, from the horses mouth itself. The sad thing was that Hictor never knew he was responsible for the deaths. Keeping him under complete attention under the doctors and luring the story out of his mind, Hictor(or his subconscious memory which was responsible for the deaths) finally tells what actually had happened.

                                                               “I was actually reading a book that day on how to slit the throat of a person and murder him. That's when a  woman came to my room asking for water. As I was talking with her she was telling me that being a woman and a wife was the worst thing that had happened to her. After she went I just took a knife entered her room and slit her throat.” - After hearing this the doctors realize that Hictor was physically responsible for killing the woman but it was his subconscious mind. The “real” Hictor had heard the scream earlier but assumed that he had heard it only after he had come back to bed. He killed her because she was of the opinion that being a wife was a worst feeling. Whereas in the movie he has lost his wife and he becomes mentally ill because he starts missing her.

                                                             

                                                                “Similarly I had come to the sets earlier than anyone else that day when I was alone with Julius. As we were talking he spoke terribly about his wife which I didn't like and I killed him. Similarly the light man I killed was earliest to come to the shooting to set the lights when we had arguments about personal life as a husband” - This was all Hictor's subconscious mind narrating what all it had done. Hictor always had an alibi because these incidents happened in minutes before he actually returned to his hotel. When Hictor was interviewed by Marx regarding his activities his subconscious mind failed to tell the truth and he always proclaimed that he never went to the shooting spot so early.

                                                               Here was a man, because of nothing but his passion for acting never realized what he was doing when he was shooting for a movie. Here was a man who had to be treated for years and still be kept under close watch for his activities. Here was a man, who's involvement in his career was solely responsible for his career to come to an end........

                                                    These were the last lines in the biography titled “My Story of Life” by John Simmoner.       

Gravity- A review

After a rather elongated time period in terms of Einstein’s relativity wherein life has zoomed past the speed of light, I am back with an article to enlighten the readers on my experience in space for the past 90 minutes. Little do we realize and recognize what it feels like, floating in a dark hole, which never seems to extinguish, where we never have a door to come out….. Now, after my experience with the smart and sexy Clooney and Sandra, I will have a profound respect for any human being described as an Astronaut!!

Gravity seemed to me a concise documentary into a life in outer space. The white screen (in the theatre), seemed to enfold into a vast expanse of the outer space, with a cross sectional view of our mother Earth. That was indeed exemplary picturization. Little did I know then, that I was about to stay afloat for the next hour or so!!

Dr Ryan Stone and Matt are on a mission to service the Hubble Telescope when being warned and by Houston of a possible attack by space debris due to a Russian missile strike on a satellite. As they prepare themselves on aborting the mission, the communication systems fail and they are left “Alone” in outer space. Finding no way of resuming their journey in their shuttle Explorer, which being damaged far beyond usability, having no survivors, they tether themselves to thrust themselves towards the International Space Station.

As the oxygen levels sink, both in our seats and in Stone’s space suit, Matt makes her survive by making her breathe, pondering into her life on Earth… As they dig deeper into their emotions, they start digging deeper into the vast outer space, closing in on the International Space Station. In a rapid turn of events, both of them cling on to the edges of the space station, in turn clinging on to their lives. In a rapid thought of saving atleast one life, Matt lets go of Dr. Stone, vanishing into outer space.

Being characterized as an experienced astronaut, Matt takes the role of a lifesaving guide in the last few hours of his life guiding Dr Stone to safety. She prepares to escape in a Soyuz, later finding it to have to fuel. Her inexperience in astronomy takes over as she prepares to give up her life, switching off the oxygen supply. Matt, her guide, enters the Soyuz and suggests to use the landing rockets to guide her to the space station. Matt had entered the Soyuz… The Soyuz being “Her Mind”!!!! Realizing the solution to the problem, she drifts towards the Chinese Space Station. . .

She makes her way to Mother Earth in a capsule landing in the sea, leaving her footprints in the sands of Earth, devoid of “GRAVITY”….

The director seemed to amaze me with his intricate portrayal of “Zero Gravity” atmosphere, where every small pin and screw seemed to hang around in the space shuttle. The best part was Dr. Stone’s tears dangling their way towards us in 3D!!!

With not much knowledge of science, I do not wish to comment on any technical glitches. With the movie’s exceptional visuals, I was awestruck how silence was used as the “Loudest” weapon in the mass destruction sequences, keeping in mind Sound never travels in space… The use of Silence was just amazing!!! Whether it is possible to have the Hubble and the ISS in the same orbit is a daunting question, but questioning is quite easy!!!

 Let us stand, without floating, and applaud “Gravity”

INDIA..... FOR HALF A YEAR!!!!!!

We are in India!!! The most happening place on Earth for us!!! Things keep changing!! Politicians keep promising!!

The year started on a very high note as the country saw the resurgence of the youth on exercising their democratic authority over the political class. Promises were delivered on changing the country and changing the attitude of people. In Delhi, helplines were set up and the necessity of more trained policemen was realized. The Justice Verma committee did a tremendous job of making the amendments in astonishing time giving a hope for the people of India……Yes!! We believed!!!!

March was marching towards us as everyone geared up for the Budget. As country was in an economic turmoil, it was a budget which had to prove India could be brought on track. Despite the budget allocation for roadways and a few other positives to take from it, it was a budget which lacked the foundation to strengthen India’s prospects of a economic make over. The increasing allocation to departments which hadn’t properly spent the money allocated in 2012 was a disappointment to hear.

Then came the problems with our neighbor’s which never seems to end. Beheading at the LOC brought strong outrage among the political class emphasizing the need for stricter foreign policies. A country’s development is definitely dependent on the relationship with its neighbors. The criticism over India’s soft nature with its brutal neighbors was an issue that needed a look into.

Akhilesh Yadav, highly appreciated for his exceptional management of lakhs of people in the Kumbh Mela, was called for a lecture to Harvard. Did that go well? Unfortunately that made news too. To me, as a political representative from India, this should have been considered a privilege for any Indian. Citing frisking issues on religious grounds, this lecture was cancelled citing unforeseen circumstances.

The Public Distribution System (PDS), is being regarded as one of the most disorganized systems for food grain distribution. Food grain distribution is key for a developing country like India. A lot of money is invested in food allocation. If 50% of the money invested is going off to mediators, the leakage seems to be on an enormous scale, beyond comprehension. Introduction of the Aadhar could reduce corruption to a large extent. Effective implementation throughout the country could take a few years.

The CBI, regarded as a prestigious organization in India, came under the hammer for politicians misusing it. The CBI’s autonomy is being fought for many years, still a resolution has not come in clear favor of it. The most important requirement for a country is that its intelligent agencies need to be devoid of influence from bureaucrats. This could spoil the integrity and respect that an organization like it deserves.

UPA and its scams. As the ruling party was trying to make up for its failures there came scams putting an end to their impressive faces ahead of the 2014 polls. With a respected organization like the Indian Defence force coming under the scanner for its chopper gate, hopes started fading over Congress’s next term. If the 2G was a starter, here came a shocker in the form of coal scam. Inappropriateness over the allocation of school amounting to a bribe of approximately 1.76 lakh crore was unacceptable. Adding fuel to fire, Pawan Kumar Bansal was held in a corruption case. The PM’s office faced the pressure over the change in the CBI’s report, which led a major reshuffle in the Cabinet.

Probably to remind our completion of 60 years of Independence, we had the rupee falling to an all-time low of 60 rupees to a dollar. We hear from the Chief Economic Adviser it’s nothing to fear about. India is progressing…………………….

As all this is happening, the opposition still seem to have a confusion of who heads them and still fight over their hierarchy. This doesn’t seem to be the most important thing to do if they are keen to overpower the ruling party.

Parliament sessions are disrupted…Bills are pushed through with urgency….Politicians seems to forget they are indeed working for the citizens of this country… Democracy in India needs a rethinking….

Miles to go before we sleep….. Miles to go…..

Street Cricket Vs International Cricket

On the third day of a crucial test match between India and Pakistan, there comes Shoaib Akhtar firing in at 150kmph and we have the WALL at the other then presenting the full face of the bat to play the best known defensive shot known to our country. Some people call this wasting time and lowering the scoring rate. On another day, when the best known slip catches drops a sitter, we all curse him. When our best known bowler bowls a wide, we are in the utmost verge of breaking our television sets. We culminate everything into one phrase, “This should not be done in the International level”. Yes. No denying that fact.

Cricket is religion. No one hates the game. From the days of childhood having a dream to be like Sachin, to the days after college, we never seem to stop playing this game. That is when you realize how tough it is. We drop the easiest of catches, miss scoring on the easiest of short balls. 15 overs and you search for the nearest tap to refill yourself!! This is when the realization dawns on you the painstaking effort it takes to be a cricketer. Unless you confine your life to ONLY CRICKET, it can never be made into our profession. Hats off and I salute each cricketer who strives for the game of cricket and their country!!

Budget 2013- An Economic Reform???

With hardly a few days left for the finance minister to open the cat out of the bag and state his Budget for the fiscal year 2013-14, people in all rungs of the social ladder will be expecting an economic reform to take place.

As stated in Abraham Maslow’s theory of human motivation, the first step is to attain the basic requirement of food, water and shelter. With rising prices becoming quite common today in our country, there is a need for economic stability among people of various income groups. The expectations of a farmer vary from those of a middle class man who manages to earn 3,00,00 rupees a year.

In a country primarily relying on its agricultural revenue, the importance of waiving off farming loans needs to be realised. This will greatly benefit those people who fall in a lower income bracket. Though write off of central loans save a lot of money for the state governments, people argue on the basis that waiving off loans is against the moral principles of lending loans. It penalises those who repay the loans. The question of expectation comes into picture. Farmers might expect further loans to be waived in the future. The problem lies in the fact that when prices rise, these people are forced to spend an large part of their income on a basic requirement like food, which takes savings out of the equation.

For people in the middle income criteria, it’s about increasing the income limit for taxation. High taxation rates in times of inflation could hit hard in the financial positions of people in the middle income group. The standard of living of these people is reduced. The obvious solution is now increasing the tax rate for people of the high income group. People will never hesitate to pay taxes if the money is used properly. Now increasing the tax rate for this income category prompts people into black money. They focus on saving money rather than giving it out to the government to be eaten off by corrupt politicians.

With the weakening manufacturing sector, there needs to be an increase in investment there which could not only strengthen its stand but also generate jobs for thousands. The manufacturing industries need a revamp in the way they are run. Adequate funding to improve the infrastructure of this industry and build up more micro-industries could help boost growth and generate jobs which could in turn reduce the percentage of unemployment.

Education is the backbone of a developing country like India. A lot of thought has to be given to allocating funds to promote students to pursue higher education, particularly those of a poor financial background. Exceptionally talented people of a poor background need to be encouraged by providing more government scholarships. Infrastructure in schools situated in the rural areas could be improved. People here fail to send their children to school because of improper sanitation facilities. This is a primary requirement especially for girls. This indirectly affects the literacy rate on the whole. The last venture of providing mid-day meals to children helped a great deal in increasing the students who turn up in school. Such innovative ideas are in call for, to improve standard of education provided to the poor.

With energy crises in states like TamilNadu, where the output from industries have been poor due to acute power crises, investing in transmission lines to benefit transfer of power could go a long way in increasing the throughput from industries. Power, unlike edible entities like milk (which can be transported easily) needs transmission lines to transfer it from one state to another. Proper infrastructure of transmission lines to carry power from states like Gujarat to Tamilnadu was one of reasons for the two hour power cut on a daily basis which can in turn affect the working of software and manufacturing industries. Fuel price always seems to be exponentially increasing which eliminates the possibility of using generators.

The Aadhaar(UIDAI), was a great step towards mobilizing funds and preventing corruption, or at least keeping it to a minimum. Nandan Nilekani took the great responsibility of leading the team to work on the Aadhaar. Great deal of investment went into infrastructure development, since this requires optical fiber lines to reach villages and rural areas. In the Aadhaar, money is transferred directly into the concerned person’s account which prevents its misuse. Further investment is a assured necessity for its full-fledged use throughout the country. The next task lies in integrating the Aadhar throughout the country and partnering up with nationalised banks for error free transfer of funds. 

India is witnessing a dull period in its economy with GDP falling to as low as 6% in the last quarter. Economists are predicting only slight signs of improvement in the GDP in this year. Analysis in October 2012 showed that the manufacturing and production sector are picking up.

The current situation reminds me of the economic crises that hit our country a decade ago. In 1991, P.V Narasimha Rao turned to Manmohan Singh, making him the Finance Minister to overcome the financial crises the country was in. He succeeded in bringing the country back on track as far as the economy was concerned.

A Budget is always expected by the citizens of the country to be better than the previous year. Today a revolutionary economic revolution is in call for.

The UPA have been staunchly criticized for its incapability to act for the past few years of its ruling. They have been written off the 2014 elections. A satisfactory and promising budget this year could probably affect the way the votes swing in the 2014 elections.

The Secret: A review

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a book that has changed the way I approach life. The way I think. The way I speak. It has transformed me as an individual.

Primarily focusing on the importance and relevance of positive thinking, this book explores the lives of many individuals, who through their exceptional mind power have overcome fateful accidents, financial constraints to make their life into one of happiness and prosperity.

The book begins with the “Law of attraction” which focuses on the idea that we attract into life, what we think. It explores the influence of negative thoughts on our daily lives. Every individual tends on focus on what he doesn't want rather than what he wants in life. This was true in my case too. That’s the nature of thought process. If you can devote ten minutes of your time after reading about the law of attraction, you might realize the mistakes that you do.

Life is how you structure it to be. If it’s not going the way you precisely we want it to, the structuring, rather the thought process in you, needs a refinement. The present is a reflection of the thoughts you have culminated through the years.

Universe is a Catalogue

The Universe is perceived to act as a catalogue, where you can flip through its pages to get what you desire. The beauty in life lies in the fact that no two people have the same needs.

“Money doesn't grow on trees son”- The most common phrase I hear from my dad. We always believe that money or wealth is accumulated through hard work. This book changes the way we think about money. It’s probably easy to earn money after all!!

Medical miracles are often seen where people, completely bedridden fight it through to success in life. Our body is a product of our thoughts. “ I've seen kidneys regenerated. I've seen cancer dissolves. I've seen eyesight improve and come back”, says Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith. Real life stories are stated as examples which you can’t argue with.

In a few cases people might be financially well off but they fail in their relationships. They fail to attract the right people into their lives. You need to understand yourself as an individual before you expect others to understand you. When you don’t appreciate yourself how can others? In the quantum physic level, Dr Fred Alan Wolf explains how the molecules of energy vibrate with constant positive thoughts. 

The complete book is a vicious circle of the positive thought process. For those who feel you are an extremely positive person I recommend you to read this book because you can make your life even better. You need extreme dedication to incorporate the thought process that is explained in detail in this book. But once this gets into routine, you will find that the results are life transforming. I have truly experienced the fruits of my positive thoughts which made me fight health problems. 

This book is worth millions!!! Shelling out 600 bucks is definitely worth it if you believe in it. If you feel that’s not worth, just watch “Secret- The Movie” where the book has been made into a movie by Paul Harrington. It kindles the feeling of positivity and self-belief in you.  Visit www.thesecret.tv for more information about the book.

Vishwaroopam: A review

It was a journey of two and a half hours of adept screenplay and breathtaking performances. The director has marveled at his efforts of bringing us a spy thriller with such technical ingenuity and social consciousness.

Characterization:

Deep emotional venture into characters is seen only in Kamal Haasan and Pooja Kumar. As a nuclear scientist Nirupama's social interest or rather responsibility is seen. Kamal, in which ever form he is in expresses himself with complete emotion which makes his characterization more transparent. Rahul Bose poses as an excellent choice as terrorist, probably for the first time, with his body language and voice. Andrea, I believe is more of a tool to build up the story line.

Story:

With no particular statement against a religion, the director has tried to show the world really what's happening. The adamancy and refusal for change is a prominent character among jihadis. They are completely bound by religious and cultural views of their chauvinistic society. “Probably a terrorist too has a heart", is something he tries to convey in a few scenes. The story had an excellent blend of being a spy thriller and a movie which ventured into the life of people (Jihadis). In the chauvinistic society predominantly dominant in places like Afghan, its quiet apparent, as the film portraits, a blatant fact that a child is motivated or rather grown in an environment which instills in him the ideology that he will one day be a warrior. It’s not a choice given to him. He is lured or forced into his fate.   

We could see exceptional piece of screenplay writing throughout the movie. Cinematography was excellent especially during fight sequences. Thought provoking camera angles made chase sequences a treat to watch. The way the complete "act of terrorism" has been thought of is mind boggling. Whether it’s the pigeons of New York or the chemical called Cesium, it was a whole new concept. The story writer has gone into the mind of a terrorist to get most innovative ideas. Locations and costumes have been very well thought off. Whether it’s the sets of Afghan in Chennai or the headquarters of FBI in New York you can't think of anything better. Few guesses can be made regarding the progress of story by the interval if we watch the movie with complete involvement.

Exceptionally clear explanation for every aspect in storyline. A comical touch by Viswanath turns into a fight sequence which to me is one of the best choreographed and shot till date in Tamil Cinema. You can feel the hard work which has been put in when you see movie on screen. Even the drop of water dripping has its own significance. It was movie with a bilateral purpose of show casing talent with a strong social relevance.

What made me ponder my thoughts upon was how one actor bonds into three distinct roles he plays, plays those roles with complete flawlessness and makes us wonder if it’s the same man, Kamal Haasan who played those roles.

The movie makes us think of two things at the end. How could he encapsulate all he wanted to convey in three hours and last but not least, when advance bookings start for Vishwaroopam II.

CAN I CALL IT INABILITY TO CHANGE???

Freedom – A Far Fetched Dream?

The year, 2012, ended on a serious note, because of the Delhi Gang rape incident. The nation gave up celebrations to respect the "Delhi Braveheart" as she was, is and will be called.

She was a student of physiotherapy whose name was not revealed as it’s against the Indian law. Therefore, media houses used pseudonyms like Amanat, Braveheart, Nirbhaya and so on. Though there have been many rape cases in India (many of which go unreported) it was the heinousness of this incident that made the people raise their voice. Many protests were organised not only in Delhi but in other cities like Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkatta. People amassed in thousands outside the Parliament to support her.

When social networking sites were flooded with updates and tweets about her, on the political front, there was complete silence, which surprised many. Neither the politicians nor the head of the country can be held responsible for such a brutal crime committed by six people. But on the other hand, they are the responsible and learned people, who ought to have come out and pacified the citizens, whose relentless pursuit for justice was for a serious cause. It was a perfect chance for the votes to swing their way because there was not a better opportunity to win a citizens heart.

What was shocking was the way the peaceful protestors were treated, which added fuel to fire and ultimately culminated into a rampage. Smoke grenades and cannons (luckily here it was water cannons!!)are not unheard of in wars, but this was the first time I witnessed them being used on innocent civilians. Section 144 was imposed in the national capital. Does it mean that there is truly no individualistic importance given to a citizen in this country?

Further, the explanation that the Delhi Police were not under the control of the head of the state was unacceptable. I truly appreciate the effort of the Head of the State to have been one among the people to hold a candle. She offered clear explanations and promised immediate and swift action. She participated in open discussions to hear the suggestions of the public, which goes a long way to show unfathomable interest in improving security for women. Helpline numbers and fast track courts were set up with immediate effect. Very importantly, the change in laws, pending for years was amended.

The panel of Justice Verma, Gopal Subramaniam, Leila Seth drafted a 600 page report encapsulating the changes in law that were feasible. Though the juvenile age still remains to be 18, which couldn't be reduced to 16, for reasons that may be, the effort was remarkable. I felt bit disheartened though when Justice Verma remarked that he had to type his own work since he couldn't afford a typist with his pension.  30 days is all it took to bring in the necessary changes. After a long time, a democratic country’s voice was heard. Had it not been for the resurgence of the public this would have gone as another drop of water in the ocean. The next question is "When laws are made for the people why can’t they be flexible? Here it was termed a "Rarest of rare case". I still haven't got the inner meaning of the statement. On what basis can a hideous crime like rape be classified as a rare case? It’s a question of a woman’s life and social security. Questions seem endless and pointless.

There are enumerable number of such cases being reported, and for a few, people are not allowed to file an FIR. People are made to think twice before they report a case in a police station. They start to feel insecure about the policemen. If this is the kind of insecurity that exists with the people who ought to provide security, there is no doubt the freedom of expression will be curtailed, or probably in a decade, be abolished. There needs a rapid change in the way security personnel are trained. They should lend a helping hand when one is needed. What is extremely saddening is that such rules are being enforced now. A true democratic country can change only if the people in that country realize their role as a citizen and change themselves. It’s an evolutionary process. This evolutionary process are the seeds which grow to make a country with complete freedom of expression.

The attainment of the developed country status by 2020 seems to be a far -fetched dream of a great visionary, Dr. Abdul Kalam. If society needs a refinement, the people, the politicians, the teachers, the leaders in every fraternity need to change.

It’s the attitude of individuals and not the stringent imposition of rules that can bring a country's development.

EVOLUTION OF FILM-MAKING

The past few decades  have shown us the evolution of contemporary and controversial cinema. Gone are the days when it was a fight to establish your supremacy as an actor or director par excellence. We have had great actors and directors who have showed the world that cinema can be as innovative as an other field.

Actors and film- makers have realized the social relevance and importance in making a film because it has become part of every human beings life. What was just a tool of entertainment has become the reason for a few murders too(in the real world).  People instill into themselves the characters, emotions during the 3 hour tenure. Today, cinema can be used as a tool to discuss issues pertaining to the country or the world.

As in the words of George Bernard Shaw, "The only genius to have come out of the movie industry", Charlie Chaplin, showed us that it was an art of body language or exceptional expressions that can get you off your seats and applaud an actor. He had seemingly ventured into every aspect of film-making, quiet surprisingly for a man who journeyed from "rags to riches". His first "voice" movie, The Great Dictator showed us the intent and social aspect in his movie making. It was not just an imitation of a leader. He was an actor who, through his journey, wanted to be part of and contribute to society.

We had another director, who made it a point to showcase himself in every movie of his, Alfred Hitchcock. Born just 4 months after Chaplin, he could confine thrillers inside four walls of an apartment. His in depth analysis of the inner psychology of characters was mind boggling. He incorporated technology a lot in his movies. His shower scene from "Psycho" is to date the greatest scene of all time in the history of cinema.

From a small village in Paramakudi, a boy who was written off the school distinction boards, is an actor who has and still strives to make films for a purpose. Kamal Haasan or Ulaganayagan, has been a farmer, tirelessly ploughing into the land of Indian Cinema, to extract the best out of him. His films have shown social, political, economic, religious and people's issues. From Hey Ram, through Anbe Sivam and now to Vishwaroopam, he has showcased that respect for a human being or a jihadi. Truly undeterred by failures, he has made films to improve the quailty of film-making and not for a potential profit. 

With the recent turn of events for the film Vishwaroopam, I seemingly was bewildered by the importance given to a movie these days. Its become a part of individual. Though the question of "democratic expression" was broken, which I was very unhappy about, I was happy that people do consider cinema "THEIRS". 

Immense support from the filming fraternity made me feel that an actor will always get what he deserves. The support and encouragement he got were the fruits of his labour through the 53 years he has made his present felt on screen. 

It is these people, who consider making movies their social responsibility and way to contribute as a citizen to the society, who leave their footprints not only in the Hollywood Walk of Fame but also in the Sands of time.