Pink Panther 2

I have watched all the movies of the Pink Panther series. The ones featuring Peter Sellers as well as Steve Martin. Each movie is fantastic!

Now, the Pink Panther movies never have any basic sense of story and are filled with nonsense comedy. But the way it was acted by Peter Sellers, and now by Steve Martin is just wonderful. Of course one would find many people who would complain of "missing" Sellers, but for me both are hilarious.

It has become a fashion amongst the critics to criticize Pink Panther 2, but I found it as likable as the others in the series. If I find Sellers's dialog "Do you have a rrromm?" funny, then Martin's "AAmburyer" is funny too. Ms. Aish R. B. has done a good job too. Rubbing shoulders with Steve Martin is of course a "big thing" (remember the press conference by Inspector Clouseau in Pink Panther (2006)?) for any artist.

Observations

Well, the travel was a nice change, after a long time. Almost after six years! This gave me a good opportunity to note various kinds of people and their behavior under varied circumstances.

At a "romantic" night a newly wed couple who were on their honeymoon and having dinner on a beach side restaurant I observed the young wife, neatly dressed and her husband. The look on the wife's face was so strange. It was almost blank. The way she held the pizza-triangle in her left hand and munched on a small bit, forcing her lips to remain closed, made the entire scene so mechanically romantic. I hope, I am proved wrong in my analysis. Honeymoons should mean excitement and fun and laughter all through. On the contrary I had the opp. to get acquainted with two middle aged couples. Boy! they had a gala time on the whole trip, their tiny toddlers along with. No doubt, I vouched for the plan, that it is a good idea to go for one's honeymoon, after a certain period of time, say an year or so after the marriage, especially in cases of "classical" arranged marriages in India.

Another individual who left an impression on my mind. This time in the dirt filled road leading to "Traimbakeshwar" temple on Maharashtra's state transport bus. I observed the lady bus conductor. Now, for someone who has ventured not much out of Delhi, a lady bus conductor is in itself a "big thing". But what I noticed, was her smart, middle aged matured look and the way she carried herself during her duty. I really admired her professionalism and efficiency of work.

Just wondering, how it would to have a lady bus conductor on Delhi's blue line buses :). Just contemplate the situation that she is asking an elderly man to step back from the gate. "Arrey taaoo....paache na holey..."

Religious abnegation?

Shall the goal be achieved doing all these things? Maybe, because not doing these have not yielded results as yet. Let us see.

Oh yes! the title credit for this post goes to Tess. Thanks.
The question mark is to indicate, the confusion, whether the title phrase is actually what I meant or not.

Self proclaimed "Best Friend"

President Obama in his message to the people of India, on the occasion of our Republic day declared that America was the "best friend" that India has. Well, though the Indian media went "ga-ga" over this "personal" touch, is it not the other party that should feel the same? Is not President Obama's remark a little laughable? I hope, the President means with all honesty, in what he said.

And how many times have world leaders pledged their friendship towards India? It is always driven by vested interests, like cheap labour, opening of the Indian markets for their industrial dumping and even refuelling their fighter air crafts rather than actually standing by us when the nation needs international support. Our foreign policy too may be a bit to be blamed, since at times of international crisis we always tend to look towards the developed powers, rather than take bold and tough decisions by ourselves.

Getting married

No, not me as yet :) I refer to the title of the post in third person narrative. Actually, of late I've been attending in short spans, marriages of my close friends.

Knowing them so well for the past so many years, it is an unique experience to see them go through the motions of the rituals and the "hulla-gulla" associated with typical Indian weddings. I never forget to ask them the question, "Kya ab feeling aa rahi hai?" (Do you get the feel of marriage, now?) just after the marriage is over, and their answer mostly tends towards the negative.

They also speak of a "turning point" in their life. After this, they need to plan, act and decide taking another "big factor" in mind, which probably they never did during their bachelorhood days. That could possibly explain, the "change / maturity" one talks about after marriage.

Hmm.... interesting thing, this marriage stuff....

India Ga Ga over Obama

I congratulate the people of America on electing their 44th President. In these difficult times, I hope the decision of the citizens of America is proved right in the years to come.

What has been irritating however, is the manner in which the Indian media has handled his election as the next president. The media is trying to portray that with him as the president, there is going to be some radical change in the relations between the two nations. Every where you find articles displaying how he appoints people of Indian origin to government posts. His fascination and admiration for M. Gandhi and Hanuman ji is also being hailed as being a sign of being "pro-Indian".

What the hell? We Indians have a tendency to serve and lookup to someone to take us out of the hole we are in. Do we really want our trouble of cross-border terrorism to be solved by the Americans? Why do we have to get a stamp of all our actions from some other nation? Did America care about the rest of the world when Iraq and Afghanistan happened? Did Israel care about UN and the rest?

And finally, why would Mr. Obama give a damn for the welfare and "war on terror" in India, if his interests are well served, by giving loans and aids to our neighbour? Any decision that he would take would be the best that would be for America and her people. And that decision may not be necessarily the best for India.

Swami and Friends

Last weekend, I bought VCDs and DVDs of two T.V. serial series, which were broadcast on Doordarshan in my childhood. One, "Vikram aur Betaal" and the other "Malgudi days". I had watched only a few of "Vikram aur Betaal" episodes, and only one of "Magludi days". We did not have T.V. at home in those days, so my viewing was even more restricted.

The last episode of "Swami and Friends" was touchy. It is always difficult to part away from a relationship. The moment when you come to know, that all this is going to end now, causes a thump in your heart. You do not believe it at first. It is more painful, when you know the exact moment, when you would see each other, probably for the last time in your life. You are never sure, if you would meet him or her again in your life. Suddenly you feel there is a void in your life.

No wonder Ahmed Faraz said:

Phir usi raah-guzar par shaayad,
Hum kabhi mil sakein magar shaayad.

Jo bhi bhichde hain, kab mile hain 'Faraz',
Phir bhi tu intezaar kar shaayad.