List of protest rallies in December for Jan Lokpal
As expected, the Government and our parliamentarians have betrayed us once again by passing a weak Lokpal in the on-going Winter Session of the Lok Sabha. Hence, the time has come for us to show once again that we won’t take it lying down. We are ready to do what we did successfully in April and Augsut 2011- protest!
There will be a number of protest rallies all across India in the month of December before the massive protest from December 27 begins.
Here is the list of protest rallies all across India: -
1) Kanpur: December 1, Thursday (Candle March)
Venue: Phool Baug, Near Gandhi Statue. Contact - 9580303575 , 9616002123
Time: 5pm
2) Mumbai: December 3, Saturday
Venue : Mahajan Wadi, Opposite Voltas, Dr Ambedkar Road, Below Lalbaug Flyover,
Chinchpokli East, Mumbai.
Time: 5:30pm to 8:30pm
3) Chandigarh: December 4, Sunday (Car and Bike Rally)
Venue: Sec 17/21 roundabout, Opposite Sec-17 Bus Stand, Chandigarh, India.
Time: 11am to 2pm
4) Pune: December 11, Sunday (Full day Dharna)
Venue: Kamala Arcade, Opp. Balgandharva, J.M. Road, Pune.
Time: 10am to 10pm
5) Pune: December 11, Sunday - Freeze Mob to Support Anna Hazare's Fast
Venue: Outside Pune Railway Station at 1pm, at Swargate Bus Stand 3pm and at Shivajinagar Bus Stand at 5:pm.
6) New Delhi : Anna Hazare’s protest on December 11, Sunday
Venue: Jantar Mantar
Time: Full day
Let us show the government once again how wrong they are in underestimating the power of The Common Man!
Common Man to rescue Indian TV?
Finally, there comes something which revives my interest in TV serials. After more than a decade, I felt like watching a soap (as they call it now) when I saw promos of R K Laxman Ki Duniya – Aam Aadmi Ke Meethe Namkeen Kisse on Sab TV.
There are three reasons for me being attracted to it. Firstly, it’s based on R K Laxman’s Common Man. His cartoons based on the daily life of the aam aadmi are captivating for all of us. Secondly, because I am obsessed with the concept of The Common Man. And lastly, it was more than refreshing to see something clean and simple on TV during an era of meaningless and obscene content.
I am hoping the show rises at least to the level of my expectations. R K Laxman Ki Duniya starts tonight (November 28, 2011) on Sab TV at 9:30 from Monday to Friday. Let’s see if The Common Man can rescue Indian TV from the dumps it has fallen into!
Dirty Resemblance?
For making a biopic, the most important ingredient is to find an actor who resembles the person on whom the movie is made. Of course it is impossible to find an exact lookalike but there should be at least 15-20% similarity in the looks of the personality and the actor.
Milan Luthria’s The Dirty Picture is based on the life of the deceased southern sex symbol Silk Smitha. The makers have signed Vidya Balan to play the character of the dusky actress. However, I feel it was a wrong move to sign Vidya for the role as, according to me, there is hardly any resemblance between both the actresses.
Look at the pictures below and try to understand my point.
(Article continued after picture.)
* Silk was dark while Vidya is fair.
* Silk’s expression was naturally sensual. Vidya’s face doesn’t have that sensuality. Looking from the promos, the latter has to make efforts to give that kind of expression.
* Silk’s face had that naughtiness but Vidya has a cute face.
* There is a big difference in the overall look and body structure of both actresses.
* Most importantly, Silk had expressive eyes, i.e she could speak by just looking at you. Vidya’s eyes, on the other hand, clearly lack that kind of expression.
The Dirty Picture might well become Vidya’s best performance till date but I seriously have doubts with the makers’ choice for the reasons already stated above. Having said that, I would be happy if Vidya manages to make the character alive and I am proved wrong. Let’s wait till the release of the film which is on December 2, 2011.
Hello Jai Hind! (Marathi Movie) Review
Direction: Gajendra Ahire
Production: Trupti Bhoir
Cast: Nitin Chandrakant Desai, Trupti Bhoir, Kedar Shinde, Ravindra Mankani, Vinay Apte, Murli Sharma
Music: Illaiyaraja
Rating: * *
Plot: Durga (Trupti Bhoir) is married to Shivaji Pawar (Nitin Chandrakant Desai), a police constable who worships his profession. Mighty proud of being a part of Maharashtra Police, Pawar is always ready to lay down his life while on duty. He gets a chance to show his courage when 26/11 happens in 2008 only to become physically handicapped while battling the terrorists.
Looking from the point of view of the victims, the 26/11 Mumbai attack was much more disastrous than it appeared. Ganjendra Ahire’s Hello Jai Hind! tries to portray the effect of the horrifying incident on one such victim. Although the end result is rich in terms of performances, the weak script becomes the reason for its downfall.
Having said that, the makers should be appreciated for depicting the life of a victim and throwing light on the shameful fact that terrorist Ajmal Kasab is still not punished for the heinous crime.
After the initial few minutes, the film goes on to the flashback mode which shifts the focus from the main issue. Later on, although it was important to show the difficult and realistic life of the cops, the proceedings keep dragging on without coming to the main point. Two lengthy songs (‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ and one during the couple’s marriage) don’t help either.
Finally, there comes the crucial moment at the interval point which raises your expectations for an interesting second half. However, the post-interval portions focus too much on the tragedy and helplessness of the protagonist with the story hardly moving forward. In addition, two more songs ‘Laut Ke Aane De’ and ‘Ganjalela’ add to the drag.
The terrorist’s conversation with Pawar is too fictional and just goes overboard. Perhaps, it was used as a justification for Pawar’s act in the penultimate moment. Lastly, the climax doesn’t provide a punch either.
Well-known music composer Ilayaraja’s Marathi film debut deserves appreciation. The background score and Amalendu Chaudhary’s cinematography are worth mentioning and so are the dialogues.
Performances are the biggest plus points. Art-director-turned-filmmaker Nitin Chandrakant Desai makes his acting debut in a central role and does exceedingly well especially while showing physical disability. Barring few moments, he overall gives a laudable act. Trupti Bhoir in the role of a housewife is terrific. She perfectly fits into her character and gets to deliver some praiseworthy lines.
Rest of the cast Vinay Apte, Kedar Shinde, Ravindra Mankani, Murli Sharma and the actress who plays Durga’s sister chip in with good performances too.
Overall, Hello Jai Hind! succeeds in paying tribute to the 26/11 victims but is let down by the writing department. Adding the fact that the movie hasn’t taken a positive opening, it will have a tough time at the box-office.
3 years on, Kasab continues to be India’s guest!
I am unable to believe that it will be three years since the 26/11 terrorist attack happened in Mumbai. In fact, the effect of the horrifying incident was such that most of us have a feeling that it was just recently that the inhuman activity took place. Although one-by-one five years have passed, Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist who was arrested red-handed for committing the crime, continues to live as India’s guest!
The whole of India (or the world) saw him killing innocents. Later, he himself admitted to it. Hence, proving his crime and convicting him wasn’t difficult. Yet, he hasn’t been punished for committing the most heinous of crimes! What the hell is stopping our law system and government?
I have said this before as well – this will surely motivate upcoming terrorists to attack India as they very well know they will get to live a long life even if they are caught.
On one hand, the US soldiers entered an unknown country and ruthlessly killed the person who committed the biggest terror attack on their homeland – Osama Bin Laden. On the other hand, we have Kasab in our custody. He is convicted but yet he is not punished. Most ridiculously, crores of rupees, which are paid by the common man in the form of taxes, are also spent on him! Shameful is a tiny term to describe this!
I think it would have been better if Kasab was killed in the operation. What have we achieved by arresting and convicting him? We wouldn't have spent crores on him and made a fool of ourselves in front of the world!
By delaying the punishment, more and more amount of salt is getting rubbed on the wounds of the victims and their families! Plus, the sentiments of the common man are getting hurt further and further. How much more will our government and law system hurt the common man?
The only possible way looks like the one shown in the movie A Wednesday. The pro-terrorism attitude shown towards Kasab is making me think like this! How can I have respect for a law system which is becoming a circus?
Single slap turned into bigger humiliation!
Throwing shoes at (so-called) personalities has become a thing of the past after Harvinder Singh, a common man, slapped Union Agricultural Minister Sharad Pawar in Delhi. He was the same person who slapped Sukhram last Saturday.
The incident would have not gained this much attention if the NCP party-workers hadn’t reacted in this manner. By damaging public property (setting tyres ablaze, breaking shops, etc) and doing rasta-roko, they have made the incident more famous. In other words, the party-men made sure Pawar’s humiliation became a much bigger one than it was intended to be.
Few years back, a gentleman had hurled a shoe at ex-US President George Bush. This started an unusual trend since after that, few other (some so-called) personalities were attacked in the same manner. So, will Harvinder’s act start a much bigger fad of big names getting slapped? Let’s wait and watch!
This is the video of Sharad Pawar getting slapped by Harvinder Singh: -
Pornstar on primetime! Who next?
In India, pornography is considered a crime while porn is considered a disgrace. Obviously due to this, pornstars and looked down as one of the biggest social evils and are also considered worse than prostitutes. But our so-called reality show makers of Bigg Boss 5 have signed pornstar Sunny Leone in their desperation to earn TRPs!
Now suddenly, a pornstar is welcomed with open arms! In fact, she was given a superstar welcome! They are making it appear as if acting in porn movies is a respectable profession! Those who considered the profession the most shameful are now watching someone from the same profession with their families!
I wonder whether one can stoop so low? How can they become so blind to earn viewership and publicity that they can portray a pornstar as a respectable celebrity in a place like India? More importantly, where are those political parties and groups who are always up in arms against anything that harms Indian culture?
Prostitutes and bar dancers enter their profession not out of choice but due to financial woes. By reading Leone’s interview published in Bombay Times, it is certain she comes from a well off family. She has revealed she entered the profession out of choice (obviously to earn quick bucks). So, if we can respect her, why look down upon on sex workers and bar dancers, who are victims of circumstances?
These are some of the other things shown in the so-called reality show: -
* Shakti Kapoor indulging in all kinds of cheap behavior. He even pressed the a** of a female contestant! No objections raised by anyone!!!
* Even a pregnant woman Sonika Kaliraman locked in the house!!!
* Mehak Chahal, Pooja Misra, Shanali Nagrani, Rageshwari, Lakshmi, Siddharth (Sid), Aakashdeep Saigal, etc fighting and cribbing against each other in a manner which will make kids appear grownups.
* Skin show especially in those pool parties! Regular vulgar moves!
* Imagine all this being shown on primetime!
It’s shuddering to think how further low the makers of Bigg Boss will fall to generate hype and TRPs! Looks like if the makers don't get the desired TRPs, they might even try to bring Kasab in the house! They will justify their proposal saying, “What difference will it make since he is already locked up as our guest since years?”
P.S – I am not at all sorry to say that the makers of the show are no different than pimps!
Anna Hazare’s New Blog
After shutting down his blog due to a fall out with his blogger Raju Parulekar, who was accused of putting up his own views without permission, Anna Hazare has returned to the blogosphere by starting a new blog.
The URL of his new blog is - http://www.annahazaresays.indiaagainstcorruption.org
Anna's Facebook page and Twitter page remains the same which are: -
Link to his Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anna-Hazare-Says/268687513149703
Link to his Twitter Page - http://twitter.com/#!/annahazaresays
LET'S KEEP THE FIGHT ALIVE!
Winter Session likely to trigger winter protests
The all important Winter Session of the Lok Sabha starts tomorrow on November 22, 2011. Apart from the issues of Chidambaram vs BJP and Mayawati's four-part theory of Uttar Pradesh (UP), all attention will be on Jan Lokpal Bill. Will it be passed finally?
Anna Hazare, head honcho of India Against Corruption (IAC), has firmly stated that if the Jan Lokpal Bill isn't passed in the Winter Session of the Parliament, the IAC, along with crores of Indians will start another round of protests. The massive protests which took place in August this year and shook the hell out of the government will be seen again. In fact, there are hints from IAC members that winter protests will be much bigger than the monsoon one!
Looking at Congress' attitude and the cheap games they have been playing to keep the focus away from the main issue, I won't be surprised if they disappoint the IAC and the masses once again. They might come up with some new cheaper tactics. Hence, it is more than likely that we will have to hit the streets once again and make the government bite the dust... once again. We are all ready and geared up. Bring them on!
MCA wakes up, slashes rates for India-WI test at Wankhede
In a hugely surprising movie, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has drastically reduced the ticket rates for the third and final test between India and West Indies staring from Tuesday November 22 at the Wankhede Stadium.
The ticket prices for the match are as follows: -
* East Stand (Lower) per day – Rs 50 (This is not a typing mistake!)
* East Stand (Lower) for five days – Rs 150 (!!!)
* North Stand, Vijay Merchant Stand and Sachin Tendulkar Stand per day – Rs 100
* North Stand, Vijay Merchant Stand and Sachin Tendulkar Stand for five days – Rs 500
* Vithal Divecha Stand per day - Rs 150
* Vithal Divecha Stand for five days – Rs 600
* Sachin Tendulkar Pavillion and Corporate Box Seat for five days – Rs 25, 000
The biggest reason for such drop in ticket prices is due to the fact that the attendance for the first two matches of the series has been way below par. Secondly, last month only around 13,000 turned up for the India-England one day international whereas the capacity at the newly built stadium is 33,000. And lastly, there has been an over-overdose of cricket in 2011. Plenty of matches took place in India in the world cup earlier this year.
This was followed by the Indian Premiere League which had as many as 60 matches played in a span of less than two months. Even after this, India has been playing regularly in England, West Indies and then again in India against England and against the West Indies in the ongoing test series.
Over the years, the ticket prices at Wankhede (especially for ODIs and IPL matches) have been abnormally high. But one thing is sure that if spectators remain away from the matches, the association can be forced to reduce the rates. I think we should continue to do this so as to make sure we are not charged ridiculously high to witness our favorite game.
The same can be happen at cinema multiplexes as well. For per ticket, the price can go as high as Rs 350, 400 or more! Due to this, common middleclass people are forced to stay away from multiplexes. But if we refuse to bow down to the demands of the multiplexes by boycotting them, they will be forced to reduce the rates. It has happened at few multiplexes like PVR Lower Parel. After all, there is a hidden power which is amongst we the people!
Picture courtesy - Pravasitoday.com