intentionally amateur

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Bangalore Clouds

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Tehelka loves Congress(Or fears BJP?)

No one needs reminding on how Tehelka has conducted one sting operation after another on BJP. The Defense Expose and The Gujarat Sting Operation are the 2 examples that spring to mind immediately. And today when Assam is literally burning - Tehelka is mute. It's amazing. No shrill shrieks. No In Depth Analyses from the FREE, FAIR, FEARLESS Tehelka. Tehelka's coverage of Assam riots is conspicuous by its absence. Even the Mumbai violence that followed the Assam riots wasn't able to wake Tehelka up?

Let Assam burn. Let Bangladeshis run amok in Kokrajhar. Tehelka would rather busy itself blasting Chetan Bhagat,Baba Ramdev and casting doubts on Team Anna. Sure, that's way more important and easier than to be seen speaking in the same voice as BJP. It's better to keep BJP out of the power as it may open up cases of Income Tax violation against Mr. Tarun Tejpal. What's the point in being free,fair and fearless when their own survival is at stake.

Way to go Tehelka.... You Rock !

Monday, August 13, 2012

The new escapist fares

What do you think is the real reason behind the success of Gangs of Wasseypur,Paan Singh Tomar,Shanghai and the ilk. If you ask me these are the new means of escape for our beloved urban youth - the multiplex audience. Surrounded by the plastic smiles - mostly in their wall to wall carpeted offices, tired of English in their workplaces they(or us?) and recently migrated from their small towns to big cities, they want to escape to The Real India. A land where people ain't politically correct, where no one thinks twice before uttering MC,BC and the similar stuff.

In a way Anurag Kashyap,Tigmanshu Dhulia et al are doing what Sooraj Barjatya,Karan johar etc have been doing till now. Especially Sooraj Barjatya. His Hum Aapke hain Kaun was the movie that ruled millions of Indian hearts for a long long time. At a time when the great Indian joint family was disintegrating at a scorching pace, he sold the dream of a Ramayanesque family to the Indians who wouldn't mind shedding tears by the bucketful. Even his Vivah did quite well - especially in Bihar.

But times they are a changing. Had Haasil been released today - it would have done quite well. It was too early to make money. But the same director has been able to reach 10 times the audience with Paan Singh Tomar.

In the opening credits of Gangs of Wasseypur, Anurag Kashyap congratulates himself for being able to return to his roots - i.e. the rugged lands of UP,Bihar. But paradoxically - for him to be able to return to his roots and be applauded in the process - his audience had to migrate away from their own.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Early Morning

Reality of Wasseypur

Here are few articles exploring the real Wasseypur :

REAL GANGS OF WASSEYPUR: जेल से भी साबिर का मर्डर प्‍लान कर रहा फहीम

गैंग्स ऑफ वासेपुर में यह कौन रामधीर!

वासेपुर- सच या अफ़साना

कोयला तस्करी की माफियागिरी और बादशाहत धनबाद में

10 करोड़ का अपार्टमेंट बनवा रहा फहीम खान

The real life Fahim khan who is portrayed by Nawazuddin siddiqui in the movie Gangs of Wasseypur

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Blue collar job sites

Chachii.com

Babajob.com

for hiring a maid/driver etc.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Asha Bhat from Jammu Kashmir

In today's Satyamev Jayate,

Asha Bhat from J&K was invited. She is the first Kashmiri Pandit woman to win a Panchayat election in a Muslim majority village of J&K.

Here are few related links :

Pune salutes Kashmiri woman’s historic win

Sunitha Krishnan from Prajwala

In today's Satyamev Jayate,

Sunitha krishnan from Prajwala was invited who helpstrafficked women and girls in finding shelter.

Here are few related links :
Prajwala India Home Page

Sunitha Krishnan on Wikipedia

Prajwala on Wikipedia

Sanjeev Kumar - Bahishkrit Hitkari Sangathan

In today's Satyamev Jayate,

Sanjeev Kumar from Bahishkrit Hitkari Sangathan was invited. He works for the most vulnerable groups of the society - including Doms and other Dalits.

Here are few related links :

Youtube - Bahishkrit Hitkari Sangathan

Sruti.org.in - History of Bahishkrit Hitkari Sangathan

Hunger strike for land rights in Bihar

Mohammad Shareef from Faizabaad

In today's Satyamev Jayate,

Mohamaad Shareef AKA Sharif Chacha was invited. He cremates the unclaimed bodies - be it a Hindu or a Muslim. Here are few related links :

Philanthropic Undertaker - Tehelka

Man of the last rites

Godfrey Phillips Award

Dr Naseema Huzruk - Helpers of the handicapped

In today's Satyamev Jayate,

Dr. Naseema Huzruk was invited. She started Helpers of the handicapped - an effort to help the handicapped live with respect.

Here are few related links :

Naseema the Incredible - Tehelka

Helpers of the handicapped, Kolhapur - Home Page

An article in Outlook India

Dashrath Manjhi from Gahlaur,Bihar - The Real Hercules

In today's Satyamev Jayate,

There was a piece on Dashrath Manjhi - a real hero who fought with a mountain alone to carve out a road out of nowhere. Sounds to me one of the biggest heroes ever.

Here are few related links :

The Man Who Made War on a Mountain- Tehelka Article

Dashrath Manjhi on

The story of Dashrath Manjhi

Remembering a man who moved a mountain – alone

Babar Ali - World's youngest headmaster

In today's Satyamev Jayate:

Babar Ali from Ananda Shiksha Niketan was invited. He is perhaps the youngest headmaster of a school - a charitable one.

Dreaming big with Babar Ali

Subashini mistry - Humanity Hospital - Hanspukur, West Bengal

In today's episode of Satyamev Jayate,
Subashini mistry and her son Dr. Ajoy Mistry were invited who run a charitable hospital named -Humanity Hospital in Hanspukur, West Bengal.

Here are few related links :

Humanity hospital - Home Page

Article in Reuters - Are charity hospitals the only hope for India's poor?

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Santha Sheela Nair

In today's Satyamev Jayate Santha Sheela Nair was invited for his efforts towards Rain water harvesting in Chennai.

Here is an article in The Hindu on her :

http://www.thehindu.com/education/careers/article2486895.ece

Naveen Chandra from Sealine Society Mumbai

In today's Satyamev Jayate Mr. Naveen Chandra from Sealine Society, Mumbai was invited for his efforts towards rain water harvesting.

Here are few links :

NDTV

Pbworks.com

TOI

Rajendra Singh of Tarun Bharat Sangh for water conservation

In today's Satyamev Jayate, Rajendra Singh from Tarun Bharat Sangh was mentioned for his efforts towards water conservation in Alwar, Rajasthan.