Aces win Matches

My friend Ram sitting right beside me is licking his tongue at the mention of the term "matches"; the ever so optimistic cricket fanatic. Well he might be an Ace but he hasn't really won any matches of the type that I am gonna talk about. More so because he is a born winner and rarely has any "matches".

Now lets get over to tennis, the game that obviously comes to one's mind when you talk about Aces. Who said Aces win matches??? The player with the most number of aces in the last 2 years unfortunately hasn't won even a single grand slam in the last 5 years. Who then says that Aces win matches!!!

Now to the game which would be the most appropriate when it comes down to Aces . Well anyone remember Casino Royale!! - the high octane Bond thriller featuring Daniel Craig. Well that I suppose is a big enough hint about what I have been talking about. Yes ... none other than poker.

My knowledge about poker is next only to my knowledge of what my professors teach in my classes [:)]. But as my "gurudev", the all too famous Suku "Kung-fu" Panda says : Aces win Matches.

Movies - A mirror of the society

In such a short duration of time I simply cant believe that this is my second post on movies. Well movies are one of the ways to portray your(rather the movie makers') view of the world. Yash Chopra has used them to sing the song of love on terrains far and wide, Karan Johar has used them to give an insight into family and then extra marital life. The depictions may not be real imitations of life but do give you a fair idea of the situation.

The other day I turned a lunatic and sat down to gobble up 3 really nice movies: Khuda Ke Liye, Black Friday and then Mumbai Meri Jaan. Khuda ke liye showcases the life in terror and blindfolded Pakistan. How a girl's life turns to hell among the gun shots and burkhas.

Black Friday is like a documentary which has simply hunted down the culprits of the Mumbai serial blasts of 1993. After seeing it , I had no doubts as to why the movie's release was delayed till after the sentences were pronounced in the trials.

Mumbai meri Jaan was a bit less aggressive but still the story revolved around terrorist activities.

By the end of the day I was in a state where I was filled with hatred for the Muslim customs and the way the hardliners turn people into evil creatures. The one question that kept ricocheting in my mind, are people this dumb to believe in such baseless preachings like "Mousiki gunaah hai(Music is a sin)"?Common man!!!! If they are this dumb, so how is it that they are able to plan and execute such hideous acts of crime?

Well now lets have a look art the current state of Bollywood. I would forgive the readers if they have a hearty laugh on a "trash can like Kidnap or a fantasy like Drona being a Mirror of our society". What were the movie makers thinking about while making it and what were the established actors thinking about when they signed it :)....

Gone are the days of Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor who had the nerves to think out of the box in making movies like Pyaasa and Mera naam joker, ones in which human longings and wants have been perfectly exhibited.

Its true that you need talent to make a movie, but it is true that you need to be smart enough to appreciate good ones as well. It defies logic when pathetic movies like Singh is King and Aap Ka Surroor are labeled super hits. Well one for Raju Srivastava to make into a great joke in the next laughter challenge :) .

Quality filmmakers with an imaginative skillset are in serious short supply, and those there are hardly get the returns they deserve.Commercial filmmakers these days will be unanimous in their decission if it comes to decide between a steamy swim suit scene or a revolutiuonary speech and 99 times out of 100 the responce of the audience will justify their choice. Does it mean that we are losing the sense to judge things or is it just that our "longings" have a prececdence over our inclination towards the best?? Best for the readers to decide.

Indians and Aggression - Do they lack it or do they prefer not to show it ???

Once a cricket fan, always a cricket fan. That's my motto. Well the title might suggest otherwise to a cricket fan but this post hardly is a cricketing topic. Or in more familiar terms, it holds true in each and every aspect of a normal human life(including Indians).

We as Indians prefer to be aggressive in specific conditions. One such situation could be to show your inferiors "Who's the boss!!". Another occassion could be teachers bossing around with students on petty matters(Who better to have experienced it more than my batchmates ;)). Another occasion could be a bit of showing off in front of your girl friend. Is that it???? Is it the only time aggression finds a place in our feelings and emotions. How about the current situation when there has been a financial breakdown in the business world. What have we done "aggressively" to get over it. The result is that the worst hit economy by this meltdown (USA) , has its currency soaring to a decade long high as compared to "stable" economies like India.

Now lets get back to cricket. On the backdrop of the current Indian Victory over Australia this might seem a bit harsh but I bet the topic would have been raised if the result would have been any different. Having a lead of 201 in the first innings is sufficient to give headaches to the opposition especially knowing that you can bat again. But even the "daredevil, combative Indian cricket captain", MS Dhoni, didn't have the guts to go for the kill. Its not often that a team like Australia is floored, so I dont think this is a chance to let go.

Then again lets have a glance at the current political scenario. The Preso(would be insulting to the nation to write the full word but I hope you can make the word out of it [:)]) of India looks nothing more than an ordinary house wife with no voice at all. Has anyone heard her give out a message on the meltdown or the catastrophic fllods in Orissa or the riots in different parts of the country. She has really taken the "ceremonial post of Indian Politics" at its face value. Then again we have the PM. The top most leader of the "democratic " India hardly seems to be anything more than a meek leader who can easily be eclipsed by a common college student with decent PR skills. In the pictures taken during his recent viosit to the USA he hardly seemed fit to be a leader who was going to decide India's nuclear needs for the coming decade or so.

Our lack of aggression simply means that we Indians have been manipulated over and over again. Whenever we have had the strength to stand up to the challenge and face the world , we have been world beaters. The world resisitance to India's Pokhran Nuclear tests of 1999 during the A.B. Bhajpayee Govt. flashes in front of my eyes and it really feels proud that we have had leaders like him.

Then why is it that we are afraid to display our aggression often. Is it that we are afraid to take the "Bull by the horn"??? Or is it that we are afraid of the reaction that our actions may invoke. Whatever it is I would like the readers of this article to spend sometime to think over it andhelp me decide "Do Indians lack aggression or is it that they prefer not to show it".