आवाज कोणाचा???

महानगर पालिका निवडणुका तोंडावर आल्यात. वातावरण सगळीकडेच चांगलेच तापले आहे.

कुठला पक्ष जिंकणार ह्याकडे सगळ्यांचे लक्ष आहेच. पण तत्पूर्वी, निवडणुकांची धामधूम बघायला मज्जा येत आहे. रस्त्यारस्त्यावर रिक्षा, bikes, बसेस, आणि मोर्चे ह्यातून प्रचार होत आहे.

प्रत्येक उमदेवार हा "गरिबांचे दुःख जाणणारा, त्यांच्या समस्या सोडवणारा, हळवा, कर्तव्यदक्ष, सुशिक्षित, आणि शब्द पाळणारा" आहे. प्रत्येक उमेदवाराने भरपूर (खाबू) कार्ये केली आहेत, म्हणूनच तो/ती जनतेची आवडती आहे. (म्हणून तर प्रत्येकाची कित्येक कोटी मालमत्ता आहे.) निवडून आलो तर काय काय करून जनतेचा सेवक म्हणून कार्यक्षम राहू हे प्रत्येक जण पटवून देत आहे.

ह्या निवडूणुकीत प्रचार केवळ सभा, भाषणे ह्या पुरता मर्यादित नाही राहिलेला. मतदारांना स्वतः जाऊन भेटणे, इथंपासून, मतदारांच्या भ्रमणध्वनीवर फोन/sms इथपर्यंत सर्व युक्त्या वापरायला जात आहेत.

एकमेकांच्या पक्षांना नावं ठेवणे, कुरघोड्या करणे, कार्यकर्त्यांमध्ये वाद घडवून आणणे येथपासून 'आमुक आमुक शहर देशोधडीला लावण्याचे काम" विरोधी पक्ष करत आहे इथपर्यंत वाद-प्रतिवाद चालू आहेत. खरं किती, खोटं  किती हे जाणकार मतदार जाणतातच. तथापि सर्व उमेदवारांची हि बाचाबाची बघायला, ऐकायला गम्मत वाटते.

ह्या निवडणुकीत मला जाणवलेली गोष्टं अशी कि अपक्ष उमेदवार बरेच आहेत. त्या सगळ्यांची चिन्हे फारच गमतीशीर. नारळ, शिट्टी, कप-बशी, क्रिकेट खेळणारा खेळाडू, मेणबत्त्या, टेबल, खुर्ची, गॅस सिलेंडर, कॅमेरा, कंगवा,फुगा ह्यासारखी अनेक चिन्हे!!!! साधारण हजाराच्यावर उमेदवार रिंगणात आहेत. बहुदा अपक्षांची संख्या जास्त असावी.

ह्या रणधुमाळीत, कोणी जिंकेल, कोणी  हरेल! कोणाचे नशीब फळफळेल, कोणी अगदी हिरमुसून जाईल!! आवाज कोणाचा येईल??? मतदारांचा की खणखणाऱ्या नाण्यांचा???

Why So Much Hulla-Bulla On Barfi?

... I really do not understand!

Why do we have to go back and analyse the film and then realise that it is copied from other films? Why can't we just enjoy it just as it is?

I watched Anurag Basu's interview yesterday. He openly admitted that the film is a tribute to all the movies that he grew up watching. He also mentioned that there was a note in the beginning of the movie saying so, which he had to remove because of the "Smoking is injurious to health" message that he had to add. Isn't that enough?

More than that, how does it matter if he has copied the scenes from such other movies? Just adding them in the movie in the right manner, at the right point of time in the movie, and with the right timing, direction, and editing is a feat in itself, don't you think?

Several scenes are copied exactly as they are from the other movies. That does not make their importance any less in Barfi. They remain as enjoyable as before. To understand that those scenes from those particular movies could be reused in this movie in the same likeable manner is great. To direct the artists to give excellent timing and beautiful moments in Barfi is awesome. To bring out the same effect, to shoot the scenes from the same angle, all that requires technique, and definitely a great understanding of camera work and filming.

I really do not mind Anurag Basu copying the scenes. In fact, he has used the same theme of those scenes. But used them beautifully in his movie. And what really is wrong in that? All great artists have done that. Shakespeare is a good example of that. Most of his world-famous dramas had their plots or stories picked up from stories from history that were already well-known in those times.

So, if one film-maker does use the world-famous scenes from different movies in his movie, why should it be such a big issue?

If such scenes had been used by the Chopras, Johars, or Khans, would the media raise similar issues? Or would these bigwigs be acquitted just because of their well-known names?

An Hour Of Drive

I got up early, cooked, cleaned, got ready, and we left for office at 9.30 a.m. on the dot. In hopes of reaching early to office, we were to meet only with disappointment.

As usual, for apparently no reason, the signal at Khadki Bazaar was not working. That affected the traffic till almost a kilometer behind. I have just not understood the reason of shutting of traffic signals and manning the traffic manually.

Why can't the right authorities understand that it just does not make sense! With one signal off, there is so much of wastage of time, money, petrol, and an overall increase in the frustration of thousands of drivers. Not to count the extra work the traffic police have to do! It's sheer madness!

And because there is already a bottleneck, everyone just wants to go before the other. No one is ready to stop, allow others to move, or follow traffic rules. Two-wheelers encroach on the footpath, pedestrians cannot walk on the roads, trucks, buses, cars just race to move ahead. Pandemonium!

So today, even after starting at 9.30 a.m., we just did not reach early. It was an hour's drive! The futility of starting early!

The Slap Rules

Really! What repercussions a slap can make! What sound! And yet another way for the media to make an issue of something. Anyway, the media always needs some or the other thing to talk about and to make a big deal about!

But, seriously...one slap Mr. Sharad Pawar got (which I think he certainly deserved!) and the whole country is in a uproar. Panic is everywhere as it is rumoured of riots in Pune and outskirts. I mean, c'mon people! Is it worth it? And in reality, nothing had really happened. No riots, no fights, nothing. It was pretty calm and quiet. Only a sudden rush of people to reach back home.

Ever wondered how much of time might have been wasted? How many man hours wasted because people had to leave their jobs midway? How many more hours were lost because of the traffic jams that occurred because all people had left work at the same time, creating a chaos? How many more hours wasted in front of the idiot box listening to all the crap and hue and cry of the overblown issue?

And what was the media talking about...breach of security, how Mr. Pawar was indeed wronged, how the man who slapped must have been a mad man, how he was taken into custody. Is that all? Ever wondered why he took such a step? In fact, I would like to shake the young man's hand for the daring he has shown. He has done a most worthy job that no one else could have done. He most certainly deserves a Bharat Ratna as someone mentioned!

If people did not as much blink an eye at the incidence, shouldn't we say that most felt that Mr. Pawar got what he deserved? Perhaps people really are happy about what has happened! No wonder its video became such a big hit on You Tube!

What I would like to say in all this is that let not such minor incidences ruin our routines. Such incidences will happen (more I hope so!) We can't stop living as much as we can't when our brethren are killed in bomb blasts. And certainly, this issue does not deserve the magnitude of a bomb blast. It is not at all that serious. After all, it's just a slap! And to make it such a big issue itself is more embarrassing for the receiver.

The least we can do is forget about the whole incidence and not respond to any "Bandh." Moreover, we can  only pray for more such brave men, who dare to act!