Ronaldo versus Messi

Yesterday was the BIG day for football (soccer) lovers all over the world. Kolkata has always been crazy about football, and, as a die-hard Kolkatan, I am no exception. I have always loved the powerful manoeuvres of the players with the ball. And last night, I stayed awake to watch the dream-like finale of the European Champions League. Manchester United versus Barcelona F.C.
A little after midnight, as the television screen came alive with the players coming on to the field - with Andrea Bocelli's live, heavenly vocals resonating the stadium (Stadio Olimpico, Rome), I felt the goose-bumps. More importantly, it was the crucial question that waited to be answered: Who's bigger? Cristiano Ronaldo of Man-U? Or Lionel Messi of Barca?

Needless to say, it was a contrast of physiques and demeanours of Ronaldo and Messi, the two contemporary football legends that was being put to test.

While Ronaldo is more assertive and unpredictable, Messi relies on technique, more than anything else.

Cristiano Ronaldo is often called the Wonder Kid of football. His powerful shots galvanise into easy victory for his team more often than not. While Messi is ever impressive with his flair and finesse.

Sadly, yesterday did not go in favor for Manchester United. Right after the first ten minutes, after the scoring of the first goal against them by the Barca striker Eto'o, I sensed their despair. As if the lines of the Bard came true for Man-U:
"They've got the blues
Into their shoes...
Never shall they win again,
Destined to lose.."
- that's how they played thereafter!
While we saw Ronaldo becoming isolated and frustrated, Messi not only scored the second goal - a fine, cushioned header - after seventy minutes of play, he was central & integral to the fine and focused performance of Barcelona. Messi's status was sealed. But just for now. It isn't the end of story for young Ronaldo. And nor is it the end of the great debate which will surely continue to engage football lovers.
[pics courtesy: DailyMail]

Lok Sabha Polls, 2009

The recently concluded parliamentary elections have shown the majority of the electorate opting for two things in particular.
First, a change for the better so that the MPs are not non-performing functionaries.
And, that they want a stable government at the centre, thereby saying 'no' to dillydallying and experimental coalitions.

There are many new trends that have emerged from the results. It has been unanimously asserted that this time there were a large number of young voters. The proportion of youth among voters is larger in our country than most developed countries, thanks to the 'demographic dividend'. Our country has been passing through a phase when the proportion of young adults in the population is noticeably large. Now one might probe its political implications. The idea that a larger proportion of youth will lead to a greater role for youth in politics is based on too simplistic an assumption that they constitute a distinct political constituency - a section of population with distinct political preferences, attitudes and voting patterns. However, the induction of several first-timers and young politicians in the Union Cabinet has shown that the powers-that-be are showing that they are conscious of the emerging trend of positive bias for a fresh governance.

The outcome of the 15th Lok Sabha elections have been interpreted by many as the surge of youth. Many have analysed the young voters eager for a youthful leadership to come up. Rahul Gandhi has been seen as a major draw as the United Progressive Alliance inched towards a near-majority in the 545-seat Lok Sabha, of which 543 are elected. There is nothing wrong with the preference for a youth-oriented leadership or a mandate for Sonia Gandhi's, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi's leadership. But one also has to guard against false lessons in bureaucratic-bourgeois democracy. Parliamentary politics must not degenerate into a harmful waste because of the very structure of the economy-polity in India, whereby illusions are circulated and the way for revisionist decay gets paved.
In both West Bengal and Kerala, the common people have come out and voiced their rejection of the way CPI(M) has governed. It is interesting that the other partners of the Left Front - RSP, Forward Block and CPI - seem to have been much less hit by the popular anger; in Bengal each has won two of the three seats they contested. Thus, at the end of elections, CPI(M) finds itself in an absolutely reduced and marginalised state - far from its declared role of being the force that uses the parliament to bring relief to people within a capitalist economy.
Across the world, the neo-liberal economy has been facing a crisis. In many developing countries, people are turning to the communists and social-democrats to counter the socio-economic helplessness. It is indeed sad that in such a worldwide scenario, the common people, in their negation of the communal/corrupt/anti-people politics of many local, as well as national parties, are forced to elect a government which is in alliance with neo-liberal forces.
The Congress' gamble - focusing in a major way on the young voters, often the first-time voter - has paid off well. Its youth power has been recognised as a formidable force, and its new young leaders are raring to go. Jyoti Mirdha, Meenakshi Natrajan, Mausam Noor, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada, Agatha Sangma and Sachin Pilot are some of the young faces in the Parliament that we will be watching out for.
[pic courtesy: Prabir Sikder]

SUPERNATURAL: It's All in the Family!!!!!!!!!!

Here's doffing my hat at a favorite television series of mine: SUPERNATURAL.
Honestly speaking, I did not warm up to it at first.... had thought that it is all about the spooky effects and the dishy actors Jared Padalecki & Jensen Ackles, and hence was prejudicially dismissive.
But lately, as I caught up with some of the episodes on AXN, I have found it to be quite fascinating!


I made it a point to watch the entire series, as released till date, on video. I have to say, unashamedly, that I found it rather gripping.
Here's the premise, in a nut-shell:
Twenty-three years ago, Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) had lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father John (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) raised them to be soldiers. He taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America...and he taught them how to kill it.
Sam and Dean spent their lives on the road, cruising America's highways in their 1967 Chevy Impala, battling supernatural threats and searching for the demon that killed their mother. Together with their father, they closed in on that demon. A bloody battle ensued, and the demon killed John before escaping.
Grieving the death of their father, the brothers' mission to kill the demon - and every other evil creature along the way - continued. Meanwhile, they began to learn troubling details about Sam. They discovered that the demon they were hunting had a special plan with Sam at its center: to free hundreds of demons from hell, creating an unstoppable demonic army, and to make Sam the leader of that army. Horrified by its plan, the Winchester brothers fought the demon. In a climactic battle, they finally brought the demon down, but at a terrible cost. They were unable to stop the demon from unleashing three hundred powerful demons from hell. And in a shocking turn of events, Sam was killed in the fight.

Unable to go on without his brother, Dean made the ultimate sacrifice. He summoned a deal-making Crossroads Demon and exchanged his soul for the life of his brother. The deal brought Sam back to life-but left Dean with a single year to live.
Now, Sam and Dean face all-out demonic war. And as they work to stem the rising tide of demonic activity, they continue to travel the country, battling the supernatural wherever they go: changelings, cursed objects, vampires, witches, malevolent spirits, even a very un-merry Anti-Claus. Dean's clock is ticking, with Hell awaiting him in less than a year's time. Meanwhile, Sam still faces the fallout of the slain demon's plan to make him leader of the gathering demonic army. Wrestling many new questions about his destiny, Sam must uncover the dark secrets buried within his own past and within his family's history. And he must find a way to save his brother.

RUNNING........

♥║aM i RuNnIng fRom LiFe....?║♥

BuT
It'S iMpOsSiBle To gEt aWay.......!!!!!
♥║SoMeTimEs I wIsH I coUlD jUsT cLoSe mY eyEs,║♥
AnD tHeN tHInGs wOuLd bE diFFeReNt.
♥║I jUsT wAnT tO bE sOmEbOdY.║♥
I DoN't kNoW if I cAn, BuT I'll tRy.
♥╠I'Ve MeSseD up in My lIfE mOrE ThAn oNce.╣♥
BuT at leAsT I'm sTill aLIve.
BuT do I WaNt to be?
♥║Yes . . . I do.... mayBE║♥
PeOpLe meSS uP aLL tHe tImE.....
♥⌠It'S no ReaSoN to jUsT RuN aWaY.⌡♥
If I do, mY pRoBleMs wiLL wAiT foR mE.
I JuSt goTTa mOvE on.....
♥╠OnE hAs to aCcePT wHaT onE hAs dOnE.╣♥

JuSt cAn't SiT aNd fEEl SoRRy fOr mYsElF.
LifE's noT tHaT bAd..... iS iT?
♥║It'S wHaT wE MaKe iT oUt tO bE.║♥
ThErE wiLL be gOOd aNd bAd TimEs.
♥║SOmeTiMes mOrE bAd tHaN gOOd.║♥
EitHer WaY it's LiFe.
♥⌠I WoUld nEvEr wAnT to cHaNge mY lIfE.⌡♥
EVen thOuGh I've meSSed up In tHe pAst.
♥╠I tHiNk it hAs MaDe me a sTrOnGer pErSon.╣♥
So iNsTeAd of ruNNiNg,
♥║I'll sTaY and tAkE lIfE aS iT Is║♥

The Blah-blah Times

The heat is on.
Definitely so.
Here, there, and everywhere.
In Kolkata, the mercury had soared to record levels in the past ten to twelve days, and last Saturday's norwester & brisk shower notwithstanding, the daytime heat is just unbearable.
Plus, the heat generated by the pre-poll exchange of vocal missives by the political parties, and the threat of post-poll flare ups, making things worse for the ones who've been lying low, meek and subdued.
Then there is the ongoing IPL T20 cricket tournament that has had an unbelievably poor show for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Although the matches are being played in the far-off, pleasant-climes-blessed South Africa, the no-show of the Kolkata Knight Riders has meant heated outbursts here, Shah Rukh Khan won't be too happy as he is getting much maligned here, the Kolkatans are piling up their hatred against the high-profile owner of KKR!
As a nation, we are witnessing the dance of democracy, as the parliamentary elections are a witness to newer challenges, newer lows in terms of political conduct, and thus the political atmosphere is getting all heated up, rather getting vitiated! A unique sample of the same, worth mention: As a mark of protest from the electorate, a total of 1473 voters did not exercise their franchise even after visiting the booth on the day of polling in MP!! They recorded their decision not to vote in a special register!!!
In the world of entertainment, discounting the political tamasha as not so entertaining, the tussle between the multiplexes and the Mumbai producers has seen an absence of new Bollywood releases in the theaters nationwide, since April 4. The hot debate, if the multiplexes should stop their muscle flexing and agree to a 50-50 revenue sharing, is still on!!!!
Globally, as if the heat emanating from the economic slowdown was not enough to make the nations bleed, now it is the swine flu outbreak that the World Health Organization has sought a red alert on, to avoid a pandemic spread of the deadly virus!!!!
On the global blah-blah horizon, the newer threats arising from global warming are alarming all and sundry. Major cities could be in jeopardy on account of the same!

Why has the summer become all so gloomy? Isn't summer supposed to be fun at least for the temperate regions of the world? Wish I was in one right now.....
one cannot choose to remain in an air-conditioned room 24X7!

Perfect Imperfect

Wouldn't it be wonderful..if things were PERFECT?
IDEAL.....? Dream-like? Cherished? Blemish-free?
Well, ideal sounds good so long as it is beyond reach.
Perfect sounds perfect from the prism of imperfect.
Only if we shut our eyes to imperfections and learn to focus on what suits us, we can make it as near perfect as possible.
The sane and the prudent would advise: Enjoy the best in one another, and, in one, learn to accept the best
and learn to accept the rest.....!
But that would be 'the perfect advice', too idealistic to follow, no?
We search for perfections for almost half our life, if not the entire life, and yet it is in the end that we find that the purpose of search itself had been so self-defeating!
Then we do not even hesitate to ignore the tapered ends,
it is then when the end is near that we do not even chuckle at the thought of going 'gentle into the good night', we became a mockery of our youthful zeal that had once set out to smoothen the rough edges of all imperfections, in relationships, in people, in life at large.....
I wish... just wish, desire, dream.. that we, pluralistic glorification of the 'I', could just be a little more sane, a little more prudent, and a little more at ease with the madness in our souls, and surrender to our self-seeking guidance of the innate supreme!

For Aman

On tenth of last month, I woke up to a front-page news in The Times of India that shattered my heart. Aman Kachroo, who had passed out of DPS International, Saket, Delhi, and had joined Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda, in Kangra last August, was beaten to death by his seniors. Ragging in colleges and hostels, and even death from ragging was not being reported for the first time, but that this incident should happen in a medical college where only the best and the brightest secure admission and the perpetrators were potential doctors learning to heal, makes Aman’s death more poignant.
Sad, but true, ragging continues because society at large wants it to continue despite legal injunctures. Year after year, precious lives fall prey to ragging, some commit suicide, only a few like Aman are too brutally tortured & murdered, while most are left permanently traumatised, emotionally and psychologically scarred. The extreme cases of ragging are as a result of the perpetrators getting incensed by the protests on the part of the freshers or their refusal to take subjugation lying down. It is as good as vendetta; the psychopathic tendencies raising their ugly heads, as they do in case of sex-offenders in general, who graduate from sexual harassment to gang-rape to lynching. The most important arena of legitimising ragging is the oral passing-on of stories of parents to children, from alumni to students. A practice that teaches one to submit, to be subjugated and humiliated rather than to refuse orders becomes a ritual. It goes by the name of 'hazing' in the U.S., though death on account of hazing is more a rarity. When a student commits suicide, the first response of many is that if hundreds of other students in their same hostel didn't commit suicide, why did this one? The ensuing victim-blaming makes sure ragging survives. The media’s focus on ragging cases rather than the everyday goings-on in hostels also makes sure that the cases are seen as exceptions. The student who drops out, or becomes mentally unstable, or is ostracised by his/her hostel community for complaining are not highlighted. Even the family and peers begin stereotyping them as 'shy' and 'timid'.
As the details kept appearing in the newspapers, and on the new channels on television, I felt like throwing up. Where was the need to sesationalise the events that continued unabated night after night in the name of ragging? Rather, we must immediately start sensitising the youth, even the children, and try to stem out the menace called ragging if we want to take pride in being civil, being human!
Luckily, for the first time, contempt notices are being issued to Principals and the University Grants Commission seems to be waking up from a state of deep slumber. The apathy on the part of the teachers, wardens or even parents cannot continue. We should gauge the significance of the far-reaching consequences of ragging and treat them as criminal offences. We can only hope that the Government will look into the Raghavan Committee’s fifty recommendations and, at the very least, amend the Indian Penal Code to make ragging an offence. The Prevention of the Ragging in Colleges and Institutions Bill, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2005 is yet to become a law. The Bill makes the offence of ragging punishable with imprisonment up to three years and a fine of Rs 25,000, and empowers the Government to ban ragging in educational institutions. The civil society is not powerless. Deterrence can play a big role. Exemplary punishment of the guilty will make future perpetrators think twice. But more importantly, there should not be a lack of willingness on our part to do our bit to eradicate ragging!

[Info, pics: courtesy - Google, NDTV 24X7, The Times of India]

Dev: Challenge Won!

Dev is one of the many new heroes of Bangla Cinema who have made their presence felt in a host of new-age movies that have been reaching out to the viewers in Kolkata as well as in suburban West Bengal.

Dev is now hot property in Bangla Cinema thanks to his hugely successful mainstream film called 'Challenge'!

Dev's real name is Deepak Adhikari. Born on 25th Dec, 1982, Dev is a typical Capri. He is no doubt blessed with good looks, romantic appeal and an affable nature.

The plus point that is nothing but Dev's USP is his physique, he maintains it well, and hits the gym to tone up aptly for his hunky screen appearance. For his female fans, he also has the perfectly disarming smile to enchant them!

Dev's family hails from Midnapore, but they had shifted to Mumbai many years back. Born at Bandra, Mumbai, Dev did his schooling from Purushottam High School, Bandra and he earned his diploma in Computer Engineering from Bhartiya Vidyapith, Pune. After finishing studies, he returned to Mumbai and started out as an observer on the sets of Abbas-Mustan’s Taarzan: The Wonder Car. He also did an acting course at the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Academy. His first break was in the revenge-saga called 'Agnisapath' which was not successful at the box office, but his 6-feet-plus height & physical agility got him noticed. In 2007, he got his big hit in 'I Love You', directed by Ravi Kinnagi. Venkatesh Films backed him & promoted him in a big way indeed! A year later he was again cast in a romantic musical called 'Premer Kahini'. In 2008, he also starred with Koel Mullick in 'Mon Maane Na', directed by Sujit Guha. Further, he was seen in two hot item numbers "Pant-e taali" & "Jibone ki paabona" in 'Chirodini Tumi Je Aamaar'(2008) and 'Jackpot'(2009) respectively. A terrific dancer, and a promising new-comer with all the ingredients of a superstar, Dev has arrived big time with 'Challenge' - a romantic-actioner by Raj Chakraborty - that has the tag line "Nibi na saala? [Won't you accept the challenge?]"..... well, Dev has won the challenge, by a huge margin, it seems!

My weaknesses..........

No one is comfortable dissecting one's own weaknesses. But here I am attempting to do just that.
I know that one of my biggest weakness is that I perceive my insecurities & threats as a bit more magnified than they are. I often feel as if I'm on my own. Vulnerable. Ready to be exploited, battered, bruised.
Well, guess what? As a result of my persecution complex I do have to go it alone in reality too!
Crazily romantic that I am, I keep looking for that special someone to watch over me, like a loving parent or soulmate. And I keep looking at all the wrong places!
I do get scared, i do feel lonely. That's the reason, I am always on the lookout for someone, real or virtual, to protect me with loving arms.
I have at times felt abandoned and without hope. My negative vibes set me up for the bad news in the real world too. The external jolt brings me to my knees.
Perhaps I never felt properly mothered. That's how my shrink had put it once. She mentioned in particular that this weakness of mine, needing someone to lean on, often complicates things, and brings in its wake other weaknesses too. Yes, I know, in spite of being an adult, sometimes I feel like a lost child. And sometimes I feel that the people around me, who are largely insensitive, else desensitized, are getting a kick out of seeing me suffer or seeing me writhe in pain. 
My perception as regards what I feel is lost or amiss, as analysed by my shrink, is as follows:
My parents probably did the best they could, but I wasn't fully supported in a way that encouraged me to follow my dreams and prosper. I needed a parent who would take me by the hand and give me unconditional support.

I feel that the love I need to fill up that gaping hole inside should not be searched for in others..... rather, I should find the love I have inside, despite feeling ravaged and brutalized.
With this very realization, everything in life becomes easier. I try to feel taken care of by my own healing love, so that I attempt to put all of my energy into the things I'd like to acquire and accomplish.
It looks like 2009 is going to be a challenging year, especially on the personal front, as regards my relationships are concerned. Yet, I am braving the odds, fighting them head on, with a wilful perception of a sense of safety that may have eluded me in the past. I do not deride my weaknesses, my flaws; nonetheless I am trying my level best to battle & surmount them.
I know, I will feel hopeful again.

Chatting Up a Radio Jockey

Radio Jockeying has been much in vogue since the air waves opened up to FM. Today the FM channels have in fact moved away from the original concept of 'a tool to keep the suckers awake', and have created new listeners in all the metro cities. In spite of the stiff competition provided by television and the Internet, radio has emerged as a very strong contender. And it is needless to say that the people who ride these air waves are respected and adored by the millions of listeners. A radio jockey, RJ in short, is synonymous with friendliness and courtesy. Waking up in the morning to the warm voice of the friendly radio host; listening to one's favorite numbers being played by him/her as one drives to work, or is on one's way home, or even late at night in an intimate personal space; laughing when he/she is being funny and witty, & enjoying the conversations between the RJ and the callers on air - today's RJ obviously occupies a definite place in our lives.
It is my pleasure to speak to Tonmoy Roy Choudhury, better known as MJ Roy (he uses the prefix MJ - Music Jockey - as opposed to radio jockey, I guess it is the radio station's prerogative), who currently hosts Chill Fatafat , from Monday to Friday , 4pm-8pm , on 94.3 Radio One - 'For the Fatafat Generation....!'
Here is my informal chat session with him:
Q) First let me ask you about the beginnings; how did you become a radio jockey, how did you come to radio?
MJ Roy: My stint with radio began with Radio Mirchi, it was mid-2006.
Mirchi spotted me while I was hosting - a profession I was into the 3rd year then - one of the shows. I was asked to appear for an audition. I got through – but not to the studio. They appointed me as their Radio Reporter – as there was no on-air vacancy then. I served as Mirchi Reporter Tonmoy until May 2008 , when Big FM beckoned and I joined. And left even before I could memorise and differentiate between the lunch-serving pattern every week. I was 21 days old at the station and left due to some professio-personal reasons best known to me! Then – it might sound 'easily' , but not quite – Radio One gave me that one show that I am , till date , the host of – for 3+ months , just.

Q) Did you or do you have any role models / inspirations?
MJ Roy: I did not have any – as I have never had the desire/dream of becoming an RJ.
However, in time, I developed a zing for the thing called – Rjing. I had nourished my grey cells observing the on-air deliveries of the RJ’s of Radio Mirchi , specially – Sree , Deep , Mir, Neel and Arnabi.

Q) What were the teething problems, if any?
MJ Roy: (Laughs) The same to that of any of Brangelina’s babies. Absence of sound knowledge of what to byte, pun intended, and what not.
Actually, less is more on radio, as it is 'the theatre of the mind'. It’s a one-to-one medium. Catch-phrases like these and other radio-theories and hands-on practicals helped adding teeth, supported by few on-air 'you-can’t-escape-them' goof-ups , which eventually has put me in a position where I can confidently say "Cheese" (grins widely)!!

Q) What were the challenges of being part of a new entrant among the FM channels (Radio One), compared to the existing ones?
MJ Roy: It’s your 100 metres in a 4x100 metre relay race which is, maybe, in its second leg. You know, how other competitors have fared so far. We have to accept the fact that the songs, the commercials, and most importantly – the listeners – the spectators of the Radio-Race – are the same. Therefore, the deciding factors are – programme design , on-air content and the delivery of it and the music-policy of the station.
Quite obviously the challenges lay in designing and executing the deciding factors. The designing part is handled by the Programming Director mainly – for Radio One , it’s Shekhar who is also the Breakfast-Jock of the station. The music policy ensured the fact that we play only hit numbers and don’t experiment much with new entries. And finally , the content – once decided what to deal with, I was left with the delivery part – which is really challenging. I had to say 'ayes' when I was rechristened – ROY. And then, building the on-air persona of Roy , connecting to the listeners' psyche and then trying to give them something new every time I speak – it's truly challenging!

Q) How involved do you have to be in the programming or the content design?
MJ Roy: My show is my baby. The contests, the content, certain on-air announcements – all have to be planned properly so that once I go on-air, there’s no chance of a goof-up. An RJ's commitment towards the show should exceed, if possible, the commitment one miss Paris Hilton shows towards shopping even in the time of global economic meltdown. And, while showing one's commitment, one SHOULD know that London is the capital of Great Britain, ha ha ha!!

Q) Please share some your experiences on the live call-in sessions... how prepared do you have to be?
MJ Roy: You can't be much prepared. Period. You have pitched your topic. Now, you know somebody will call up. It can be Parambrata Chatterjee or a pabitra chakladar. You hear a voice. And if you want to know theoretically what might happen next – ask Mr Stephen Hawking to solve this lovely game of permutation and combination and probability. Causes? One topic, many callers, many opinions. Many topics, one caller, many opinions.....

Q) It is indeed evident that apart from the technicalities, which an RJ must always be equipped to deal with, alongwith the malfunctioning and glitches that are part of the transmission, RJs have some serious sweating out to do, and even then, loads spontaneity, humour and sensitivity must be doled out...
MJ Roy: Well, just savour this.. Radio One was promoting it’s frequency – 94.3 by a simple contest. If you have the numbers 9, 4 and 3 in that order in your life , call up the RJ. This lady calls up during my show. Her bank account number has the combo. In order to check if she’s fabricating, I ask her to tell me the account number, right there. She obliges. The numbers are in the required order. But, before I give her the prize, I decide to give her a shock and say – 'now that I have your account number, I'm gonna loot it! BANG – she hangs up. I put that recording on-air with a modest request – "Trust me. I haven't seen 'Aankhen'(the film where the guys loot a bank in a novel manner)....!".

Q) Hey, that was weird...
MJ Roy: It doesn't end there.... the very next day as I was continuing with the same contest, the lady calls up again. She blames the timely demise of the pre-paid validity of her cell phone connection and apologises. We start afresh, this time, with the 7 digit warranty number of a ceiling fan. The 'Dennis-the-Menace' in me speaks out again – "Summer’s approaching. What if I steal the fan?" She laughs her heart out – thanks to a mini top-up (laughs out loud)!!

Q) How much of your programmes' content is scripted and how much is impromptu?
MJ Roy: You can script only the skeleton of your show, especially the monologues. The conversations are 100% impromptu.

Q) On a serious note, what according to you have been the significant changes on the radio programming front?
MJ Roy: That Radio, apart from being heard, can also be seen today – has been the most significant change. At times, radio shows are tailored keeping in mind the possible presence of the RJ amidst his/her listeners. Contests and prizes were there, but what came to the Indian scenario with the introduction of FM Radio was the chance of meeting your hitherto unseen on-air friend.
Plus, the marriage of other infotainment mediums to radio is another point worth a mention. The presence of radio stations as Radio Partners on TV shows , school/college/corporate events and at times in the newspaper has taken its omnipresence to a higher pedestal.

Q) What are the pre-requisites of being a successful radio jockey?
MJ Roy: Inability of initiating impromptu conversations. Absence of sense of humour. To understand that GK means Gibberish Knowledge. And, the musical instinct of playing Himesh Reshammiya – full blast - @ 5:37 in the morning.
If you are bad at or lack any/all of these, you can be a radio jockey. Success – will depend on how bad/worse/worst can you be.

Q) Finally, tell me about your future plans.. where do you see yourself in ten years from now?
MJ Roy: I actually started with stage-anchoring. Moved on to do TV-anchoring and did a little bit of acting. Radio happened suddenly. I wish to continue doing all.
Or, on a lighter note, maybe I’ll be interviewing the kids of the present superstars on radio, just before their debut movie hits Home Theatre systems across the planet.

Q) And any forthcoming appearance of yours we are likely to see?
MJ Roy: I may appear for a tête-à-tête on a vernacular channel before the release of an anticipated film, where I maybe seen in a leading role.

Wow! That's great news, it is usually the voice of the RJ that his fans are in love with, but I am sure that in your case, you will be piling up on fans with your physical presence as well. I wish you all the best, ALWAYS!

'Gulaal': The Revolution Continues

Anurag Kashyap is a filmmaker who loves to provoke, and is too ambitious, however his ambition stems from creativity as well as his characteristic dynamism. He might not always fully realize his ambition on screen - yet he tries, relentlessly, and it is this very effort which makes us viewers sit up, and take note. We can never afford to be indifferent, we can never fail to respond to his kind of cinema!
'Gulaal' is a revolution, not so much because it has political elements dramatically placated in the narrative, but more for the manner in which Anurag Kashyap attempts to turn the age-old cinematic conventions on their head! He makes full use of the colors, the sights, the sounds, the locales, the characters, the realistic backdrop and the surreal images, and gets us involved in the violence-induced potpourri.
In his own admission, the director has said that he had been much angry and frustrated when his film 'Paanch' got banned! It was before 'Black Friday', and he wanted to say a lot at that time. The new states of Uttaranchal and Jharkhand were formed. The 27th and 28th state. He was upset as to why these new states were being formed. At that time, he was introduced to a part time model, Raja Chaudhary, who had written a story on college politics, which Anurag found to be 'a nice story but nothing more' and that eventually, after much research & meat being worked into it, 'Gulaal' was conceived. First it was supposed to be produced by Michael Arrakal, but after a small schedule, the film got shelved. He went on to make 'Black Friday' after that. Jhamu Sughand then stepped in to produce 'Gulaal' as the release of 'Black Friday' was stalled by the Court. However, the troubles weren't over; a new set of bottlenecks cropped up. 'Gulaal' was stopped midway alongwith 'Johnny Gaddar' and 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na', the two other films of Jhamu. The former was picked up by Adlabs and the latter by Aamir Khan. Nobody picked up 'Gulaal' because it lacked saleable names. Kashyap made 'No Smoking', 'Return Of Hanuman' and 'Dev.D'. Finally it was Zee Motion Pictures that bought the project and decided to complete and release it. 'Gulaal' now graces the screens just as Holi - the festival of colors - has just wrapped up, and as the success and acclaim are still being showered on Kashyap's 'Dev. D' that is still enjoying a good run at the city plexes.
'Gulaal' stars Raj Singh Choudhary, Jesse Randhawa, Abhimanyu Singh, Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastav, Mahie Gill, Deepak Dobriyal, Ayesha Mohan, Piyush Mishra and Pankaj Jha. The music & lyrics are by Piyush Mishra; Editing: Aarti Bajaj; Art direction: Wasiq Khan; Cinematography: Rajiv Ravi. I found it to be aptly continuing the revolution that Anurag Kashyap has started as he emblazons the screens with the powerful cinematic vehicles, and cements his position in Bollywood as a maverick scriptwriter-cum-director.

Happy 44th Birthday, Aamir!!!!

Aamir Khan, the most consummate lead actor in Hindi films today, never fails to create news and sometimes has had immense fan following all through. He has broken grounds with his films in the recent times, and some of his films have undoubtedly become trendsetters among the masses, while some of them will always remain the moot-point in the serious discussions on films. On this day, this star-actor turns a year older, and I salute his prowess & his proficiency!

Recently, Aamir Khan has been declared as the most powerful man in the Mumbai film industry, but Aamir, being Aamir, has commented:
“I am not really interested in power. I think it's important to know what one can really do with the power. According to me, power is how one uses it. I can be very powerful but if I can't use it for any good or can't contribute to the industry then I am actually powerless. I would like to use my power by working with new directors, giving new actors to the industry and making experimental films.” [Filmfare Power List, for the year gone by.]

Aamir loves to be the chameleon, playing diverse characters, in diverse get-ups, and here's doffing our hats to his latest avatar as an elderly Sardarji, for the Tata-Sky commercial.

Happy Birthday, Aamir! May all your dreams come true..... here's wishing you all the best for all your future endeavours!


[pics courtesy: indiatimes.com, google.com, Tata Sky, Titan Watches]

Vivek: The Fresh Face of Bangla Cinema

Vivek Trivedi is one of the new kids on the Bangla mainstream cinema scene, and one thing is certain - he is here to stay! Here is a heart-to-heart chat that the young hero had with me, and - for the first time on my blog - I am reproducing a candid conversation with a celebrity!!!!




Hi Vivek, I am so glad that you have taken time out from your busy schedule to have this chat with me. First, I would like to know what keeps you busy these days. Your first film 'Prem' had released almost a couple a of years back, right?

Vivek: Ya, after 'Prem', that was released in May, 2007, I did a few more films but sadly only one more got released.

Which one was that?

It was called 'Bhalobashar Dibbi', and it was directed by Milan Bhowmik. It starred Roopa Ganguly, Mukesh Khanna in the cast too. The other films got stuck for several reasons. However, I am expecting the release of a slew of films in the months to come.

Wow! That's great news! You must be too busy with the shoots of late...

Vivek: Ya, you can say so. I am excited about the new films that I have been currently working on. Especially, 'Ronnie Aar Bonnie', 'Phire Pete Chaai'

Besides, shooting for the films, you have also been busy with shows...

Vivek: Yes, in winter - when it is supposed to be the peak season for us performers - we have to tour the rural districts. The small townships and the suburban centres are where the filmstars from Tollygunge are really adored.

The stage shows must be really hectic, aren't they?

Vivek: Yes, the travelling can be termed hectic, performing in these live shows isn't such a big problem though.

Is your eldest sister, Priyanka, who is a major draw for the audience in Bengal, also a part of the same touring troupe?

Vivek: Right. There's the Priyanka-Jeet duo, one of the bet loved pairs post-'Saathi', and I am paired with Shreya, who was my co-star in my debut film.

Okay, let me ask you something that is uppermost in my mind... what do you think of the so-called resurgence of Bangla cinema? Many of the Bangla films have had great success in the recent few years, do you feel buoyant?

Vivek: The entire scenario, thankfully, has been changing for the better. In fact, I consider 'Saathi' to be a major turnaround for Bangla commercial cinema. The general look of the films has improved by several notches. The scale of the films, their mounting and the production values are high. The films in spite of catering to the tastes of the regional audience are being given a polish and an edge that had been non-existent a few years back.

The makers, and even the stars, seem more confident when it comes to the style quotient booming up; what do you say?

Vivek: The song sequences of quite a few Bangla films are being shot overseas nowadays, be it in Singapore, Malayasia or other global scenic locales. So, I would agree that the things definitely look promising.

And what about the schism between the mainstream films and the so-called parallel or alternative cinema?

Vivek: See, I have till now been associated with only the mainstream or commercial films that has its own viewership. Largely, these films are in great demand in places like Midnapore, Birbhum and Bankura. Not that the mainstream films are viewed in the cities, they often get a bumper response in the single-screen theaters in and around Kolkata.

I am sure you are aware of the recent mainstream cult hits like 'Chirodini Tumi Je Aamar' and 'Mon Maane Na' which have opened in-roads for new makers, as well as launched several fresh faces....

Vivek: Very much so... the songs, the story-telling - even though many are remakes of cult-hits from the South- and the marketing have all been contributing factors.

After Mithun, Prosenjit & Jeet having been the crowd-pullers for a really long time, there are quite a few new heroes in Tollygunge who have been doing well, like Hiran, Dev, Soham, Rahul and even you...

Vivek: Well, I am counting a lot on the upcoming ventures of mine, Surajit Biswas's 'Tumi Jodi Aamar Hote', Tapan Banerjee's 'Rajdrohi', Mrityunjay Roy's 'Aamar Antare Tumi' are all films that are expected to augur well. Let's see if I'm lucky enough in becoming the people's favorite... a long way to go.

Luck plays a major role too in becoming successful in this tinsel world, no?

Vivek: It does, and I very much believe in luck. Film-making involves a lot of risk-taking, and the people working in films are naturally great-believers in the luck-factor!

On a different note, don't you rue the fact that still a large section of the city folks snub the Bangla mainstream films as being crass and downmarket? They do not even get released in the city's multiplexes!

Vivek: Look, you have to understand the ground reality.... the multiplexes in Kolkata, where the average price of a ticket is 150 bucks, is not where the average movie-goer, who's interested in Bangla films, goes to watch our films! The market for our films lying elsewhere, the release of our films in the city multiplexes is not yet feasible. It is all a question of realistc demands.

Finally, let me say that I love the fact that you are so amiable and down-to-earth, in spite of having had a grooming in the US.. you are the youngest in the family, right? You do seem very confident and poised..

Vivek: Thank you... I was born here in Kolkata, I am the youngest - my sisters Priyanka and Apsara, both having had their share of limelight. We had shifted to the US during my childhood. I have also been to Singapore and have stayed in Mumbai for a while too. I consider myself to be a thoroughbred Kolkatan and it is here that I have been working. So, there!

The chat does come to a close..... but let me convey my earnest good wishes to you, Vivek. I hope you make a big name for yourself and make all of us proud too.
[Pics courtesy: The Telegraph; seen from top:Vivek with Ferdous & Rituparna Sengupta, and Vivek with co-star Shreya]

Making Cricket a Casualty!

Who had expected that even cricketers' lives would be at stake as they travelled to an international venue for playing the game for fostering goodwill & peace? Well, terrorism, or rather the politics of terror is such an anathema that it spares none!
For us, that is all the sane, rational people of the world, regardless of nationality or divisive entities that define us, it is indeed appalling that anybody should have targeted a sporting team in such a brutal manner, it is far too shameful than words can describe.
Though it is still early to talk review the incident in detail, as the reports that have already flooded the media are sketchy & brief, as expected, it can be affirmed that around a dozen heavily armed assailants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team's bus and a police escort as they had been driving to the Gaddafi stadium in the Pakistani city of Lahore. The attackers are believed to be holed up in the area itself, that is how the media have been briefed, as I write this very post. The terror attack is also believed to have been patterned in the same way as that of the Mumbai attack on 26th November, 2008.
Six members of the Sri Lankan cricket squad were reportedly wounded in the attack wherein the gunfire seems to have lasted for about half an hour. The unidentified gunmen, two of whom were even seen in the footage shown on television, fired AK 47s and rockets and hurled grenades as the team bus was about to reach the venue for the on-going Test Match. It must be mentioned that after the dastardly attacks on Mumbai, India had cancelled the proposed five-week series in Pakistan, having been critical of the country's role in indulging terror outfits, thereafter Sri Lanka came ahead with its offer of touring Pakistan in place of India. The head of Sri Lankan cricket, Arjuna Ranatunga had himself said that they had a duty as a friendly neighbour in the region to help Pakistan when it was needed the most.
And this is how the goodwill ambassadors were rewarded!!!!!!!!!!

India has blamed the attack on Pakistan-trained militants and the incident has sharply raised the tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Sri Lanka has immediately cancelled the rest of the tour.
Among the Sri Lankan cricketers who have sustained injuries, Thilan Samaraweera has reportedly been the worst hit. Mahela Jayawardena has a cut in his ankle, Kumar Sangakkara has had a shrapnel cut to shoulder, Ajantha Mendis has had a shrapnel wound to his back, Tharanga Paranavithana has suffered a shrapnel wound to his chest. Paul Farbrace - the assistant coach - has suffered a shrapnel wound in his arm. Former Pakistan Test cricketer Ahsan Raza, who was the reserve umpire for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka series, was critically injured.
It is believed that the threat perception for the Sri Lankan cricket team that had already been there, was not handled effectively by the Intelligence Agencies. However, the team-bus did take a different route today, the usual practice of going through the road along the canal, was replaced by going through the Liberty market. The attack could still not be thwarted. According to reports, the gunmen were carrying weapons in sacks and were dressed like college students. It seems that the mad rampage of the terrorists will see more such lay casualties, until & unless the politics of terror that the terror outfits worldwide keep stemming from gets uprooted. May more power prevail to the voice of sanity & reason, may the lights of hope be rekindled.

'Dev. D' - A Revolution on Screen!

SaratChandra Chattopadhyay's classical romantic hero, Devdas, was a drunken escapist, a doomed lover, a Bengali protagonist who reflected his failure in coming to terms with his own emotional scruples & that of others, but he can hardly be called a rebel. However, Anurag Kashyap has given Devdas a new spin. Dev, the hero, is still the loser in love, but it is his angst that burns the screen. It is the rebellious director himself who has taken ample liberties with the story and the characters, using his imagination & creativity to infuse life in each of the characters in a modern setting, and using crisp & witty dialogues, real-life situations lifted straight from the newspapers, mind-boggling cinenatography, stylized editing, catchy musical score, psychedelic surrealism, and wonderfully amoral sexuality as powerful tools. It is a trailblazer of a movie; unsettling, provoking, unconventional, and thoroughly irreverent. Abhay Deol, as the titular protagonist, has put in a power-packed performance, and so have the apparent fresh faces - Mahi Gill (as Parminder/Paro), Kalki Koechlin (Lenny/Chanda) & Dibyendu Bhattacharya (Chunni).