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Showing posts with the label GC

NRI Ki Jubaani - When a NRI Returns… Observations and Experiences

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As I stepped on the tarmac with tired feet and luggage which was growing heavier by the minute….I was hit by muggy and humid air which sat on my body like a wet blanket. Entering the airport terminal, the cacophony of countless voices and the jostling bodies made it all seem surreal. The sour faced policemen were herding all of us like cattle with their baton and looking down at us with disdain as if we were more of ‘dharti pe bojh’ than 'humans’. Hubs looked at me and said ‘Welcome to India’. The word ‘NRI’ (Non Resident Indian or Non Returning Indian or Non Required Indian)  lost its importance the moment ‘IT’' boom pierced the eardrums of Indians in the year 2004. The frenetic pace at which the ‘IT ‘crowd hauled abroad actually spoiled chances of ‘Non- IT’ people like us, to stand out in the crowd. Now, nearly each house  has someone in ‘pardes’ (foreign land) working for a software firm or doing a Masters in USA, UK or Australia. With the increasing economic develop

Killerk (Clerk –1989) – A Movie Review

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To boldly go where no man has gone before A movie from bygone era when ‘Clerks’ or ‘Sarkari Babus’ were still honest and do gooders and thought taking Baksheesh to push paper was so not kosher. Manoj Kumar plays the part of a poor patriotic clerk called (so clichĂ©d) ‘Bharat’ at the Ministry of Defence. The one who always had a hand on his face and has played a ‘Bharat Maa ka beta’ in most of his movies. The movie starts with ‘ Pitaji’ , Ashok Kumar writhing in pain because of a heart attack. The family is distraught as they don’t have money to pay ‘ Doctor babu ki fees ’. Bharat comes to the rescue with the perfect medicine for a heart attack. To hell with modern medicine..if you have a couple of pencil cells and ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ ka song, you will have the patient singing and marching in no time. The doctors just fool us all with CPR and hospital bills. Daddy deario starts singing and marching in no time as the wifey and baccha log look on with pride. The miracle of a few

Rise and Fall

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This post has been published by me as a team member of The Wordsworth Legions for the SUPER 4 round of Bloggers Premier League (BPL) – The first ever unique, elite team blogging event of blog world. To catch the BPL action and also be part of future editions and other contests, visit and register at Cafe GingerChai He knew the end was near as darkness closed in. He gasped for air but the rope was tight around his neck. The faces of his mother and father flashed across his mind. Newspaper headlines on the Bed screamed out ‘Superstar Akhil Kumar caught naked with an 8 year old boy in a police raid’. P.S: 55 Fiction is a form of microfiction that refers to the works of fiction limited to a maximum of fifty-five words. To read posts by other members of the Wordsworth Legion in the  Super 4  Round, see here:  Shilpa , Pujitha ,  Smitha ,  Tavish ,  Kshitij ,  Parth  and  Hitesh.

The Bleeding Heart

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“My heart is thudding in my chest but  I know I should remain strong but  I am scared of dying. My name is Nilufar Gholami, I am Karimi Gholami’s daughter and today is my last day on earth. I will be executed under Sharia law for committing adultery. All the people from my village in this great country ‘Iran’ with gather to see me die. I have committed no crime but yet I will be punished for it. The village council and Judge Rashidi have declared the sentence of ‘Death by Stoning’. My father wishes to save the family’s honor by sacrificing my life as he is ashamed of me. I was kidnapped and raped by Saeed, my own brother-in-law as he was not happy with my sister . My father was angry with me, as I have tainted the family name, he beat me up and I begged him for forgiveness. I said I was sorry for what had happened and accepted my mistake. My father appealed to the village council to have me stoned to death for committing adultery. Saeed was awarded 200 lashes for his crime”.

Divine Prostitution

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Anjamma looked at her daughter Kaveri with a mixture of pain and relief as she bathed her in the river water with the other women.  Kaveri is just 10 years old and is excited at the prospect of wearing new clothes and flowers in her hair. ‘Aai(Mother), when do I get to put flowers in my hair? will they be Jasmine? I love Jasmine flowers, they smell so sweet’. ‘Kaveri, hold still, let me scrub you properly, you should be pure during your marriage ceremony’. Today, Kaveri is to be wedded to ‘Lord Khandoba’ and become a ‘Murali’, just like her mother. She is to be a servant of god and become a ‘Devadasi’. Anjamma’s family and other men and women in Jejuri have gathered for the marriage ceremony at the temple. Kaveri is dressed in ‘Parkar Polka’ (Skirt and bodice) of bright red with a zari border. There is milk, yoghurt, butter, coconuts, flowers and turmeric powder and as the priest chants mantras, Kaveri is made to stand next to the idol and people shower her with turmeric  and

Love in Bollywood

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Bollywood has epitomised love in all forms through its Movies. 'Pyar', 'Ishq', 'Mohabbat' and of course 'Love' many words for the same emotion. It has defined love in myriad shades from motherly love to passionate love and even violent love.  Bollywood Movies throughout the decades have used 'Love' as the central theme, one of the most powerful motivators for human actions and emotions. The star crossed lovers and love triangles were one of the main themes of most movies in the era of 70's and 80's. The theme of movies in 90's changed as an effect of Liberalization. Though 'Love' was still a central idea in many movies, the formula changed and now we had obsessed lovers, rich guy/poor gal, NRI love stories and candy coated love themes popping up at an alarming rate. In Hindi movies each lover had his/her unique way of expressing their love for each other. They may break out into dance and song at the spur of