Amodini's Book Reviews

Book Reviews and Recommendations

Music : The age of retro

Written By: amodini - May• 03•10

When it comes to music, I do think that the old-timers knew what they were doing. Classic music that can be listened to again and again; unforgettable is what I mean. I still remember coming home from school on hot afternoons and hearing the AkashVani RJ’s (did we even call them RJs back then ?) melodious, and oh-so-prim voice go “Aur ab suniye . . .”  and then some lovely song would waft up from the old radio. Akaash Vani (literally the Voice of/from the Sky) was government run All India Radio, because then there was Akaash Vani and DoorDarshan (television), and that was pretty much it as far as non-print media was concerned.

When the music industry started opening up, and this was way before there was even a pop/rock scene in India, there came Biddu, and Nazia and Zoheb, and the era of disco. And then ofcourse the flood-gates crashed open, and the media waves were awash in your choice of music and visual entertainment. Home-grown rock bands started popping up, and newer singers showed up to sing the “modern” filmi songs. But then good things never die, they just change and come back. So also with music.

Desi music has come a long way since then, and along with newer sounds and musical sensibilities, there is also the retuning of the past, or remixing. There are some songs that are so good already that you can’t actually improve them – like the Sholay “Mehbooba O Mehbooba” number, but then there are some which go from good to fabulous with a little modern tinkering, like this one.

Two artists who come to mind as far as remixing goes are Bally Sagoo and DJ Aqeel. Sagoo who essentially fused desi music with hip-hop, interpreted golden oldies for the dance floor with a lot of success. DJ Aqeel meanwhile, is touring the US this May. He’s been around a while and one of the first videos of his to make it to MTV, and become a huge hit, featured a very young Ayesha Takia, when she had a . . . waist. She probably wasn’t even a star then – she looks about 16, and yes, she’s wearing sparkly red bell-bottoms, but the song probably called for it. And I love how this number goes from a coy Jaya Bhaduri and goofy Randhir Kapoor romantic scenario to a swinging I-am-so-hip-and-I-know-it dance interpretation, and works.

Good for me

Written By: amodini - Apr• 21•10

Amy Grant’s “Heart in motion” album released in 1991. The video “Good for me” is a silly, “outtake-ish” style one, but the song is fun nevertheless :

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90778kQ4FQY]

The Great Indian tamasha : Tharoor and the IPL

Written By: amodini - Apr• 18•10

All the Indian media can talk about is Shashi Tharoor and the IPL scandal. The head honchos of Indian politics are ready to make important decisions about his suitability as a Minister, and everyone’s horrified at the “inappropriate” behavior. Wow – you think that there may be some shady dealings in the IPL ? In the BCCI ? In Indian politics ? Oooh, big surprise !

Nike India Cricket Team Supporter Shirt 2009-2010Forgive my cynicism, but why the moral outrage ? Did everyone imagine that the IPL was a charitable organization that does what it does out of love for cricket and poor cricket lovers ? That infighting in the BCCI is because the BCCI doesn’t have perks ? That politicians have their fingers in every bureaucratic pie possible because the pie doesn’t yield rich dividends ?

It is difficult for one thing to watch Barkha Dutt, straight-faced, declaring that the PM and Sonia Gandhi will be foretelling Tharoor’s fate soon. And right after that newsbyte, the next is how hot it is in India now, when it not even peak summer. So hot that poor people who have no access to water are left to hunt for muddy water. Cut to a shot of a woman digging a hole in the ground, and cupping out dirty, muddy water into a vessel for her use.

Now it is an accepted fact that Mr. Tharoor doesn’t hold his horses when he writes or tweets. It probably also is apparent now that he hasn’t quite grown into the thick skin that most Indian politicians accquire (as a gift from the grand old republic of India, maybe ?) when they take office. Nor is he aware of how to hide the evidence (if there is indeed any truth to what the media reports as his “wrongdoing”) or appear unfazed when charges of corruption are thrown at you. He would do well to take a leaf out of his fellow politician’s books, a little desi tutelage maybe ?

Now Tharoor has been persuaded by the “core group” of politicians to tender his resignation. His political head on a platter. To be served to the opposition. This one the governement loses, and the Prime Minister must intervene to save face. Sunanada Pushkar gives up her claims on the 70 crore booty, and her representative tells us how “hurt” she is to have been misunderstood. Yes, really, we all commiserate.

And what of Lalit “Altruist” Modi and his ilk ? Business as usual after all this has blown over ? Because it will blow over. Once the people tire off it, once it has saturated the media waves. Also because as long as the cricket lover has his fix of the game, who really cares who made how much money ? Because they all are. It mighty be shady or murky or whatever you choose to call it, but that is the name of the game.

While one has no clue whether Tharoor did it or not, one does know that several public functionaries in higher offices do much worse, and are never brought to book. Plus there’s always a problem in public perception, with the idea of making money. With the IPL, frankly, I couldn’t care less – it’s free enterprise. It’s work and it’s moneymaking stem from “recreational” activities, and it’s not taxpayer money. They are providing a service where there was an opportunity. It is a (cash) cow, and it is being milked. By Modi, by the BCCI, by the various nameless consortiums that are stakeholders in it. The IPL is a business, even if India attaches a great fervor and emotion to it, because it involves cricket. And from that point of view, there’s nothing really wrong with it. Yes, one could argue that there must be transparency, blah, blah, blah, but then one must argue that before there is transparency in the IPL, there must be transparency in the government, and in the various ministeries which purport to have high standards (The right to education ! For all children ! Really ? Well, I never . . .) but do nothing about accomplishing them

On the other had, when the government decides to spend tax-payer money on building useless monuments, or bureacratic white-washing like changing names of cities, while people scrabble for muddy water in the dirt, it’s problematic (to put it mildly), and actually where the real questions should be raised.Yes, and while everyone is hyped up on cleaning up this mess, it would do well to remember, that there are several messes to clean up, and this one is probably one of the least consequential of the lot.

Is this empowerment ?

Written By: amodini - Apr• 15•10

When I saw this promo on TV, I thought finally – someone with their head screwed on the right way :
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVfL6kmciXM]

Unfortunately and horrifyingly, as it turns out in this serial, the heroine, the girl who speaks up, marries the ring-leader of the molesters (the guy in black). Disturbing, to put it mildly. Sevati Ninan in the Hindu, has this to say :

From the current crop of serials, a very good example of enthusiastic consumption of a bizarre plot line is the serial “Mann ki Awaaz Pratigya”. The production house, Star TV, bills it a “fight against disrespect of women”. And what does the lead character do? She marries a goon who eve-teases her. Then she tells him that he can win her body but not her love. You fight disrespect by marrying the eve-teaser, taking the battle into his home.


One scene has the couple standing around while the goon’s mother and father discuss the fact that the bride did not let her husband near him on her wedding night. The father suddenly sticks his gun at his son’s head. The son narrows his eyes and dares his father to kill him. Later his mother is told by his father, that she needs to have her tongue chopped off with a pair of scissors because she interrupts when the menfolk are talking.


But on a blog called ‘TV serials and TV shows’ there are 53 comments about Pratigya and here’s what viewer postings say: “it is best serial.” “It is best story. This story is Power of women. I like Pratigya Character.” “Excellent concept. its needed to see by all girls and women. very good and congratess to teem of pratigya. (sic)” “Its a pretty gud serial i liked krishna’s character.” “PRATIGYA serial is very good story.” “I should tell this or not but i like Krishna the way he speaks in the serial the story is good hats off to your team why i see that show is because i like Krishna a lot.”


Krishna is the goon who is the raffish protagonist. “It’s a very nice serial. I love krishna’s eyes.” “Pratigya serial is very good. Every character is very natural and Krishna Bhaiya is awesome. His dialogue delivery is wonderful. I like him very much. In fact I am going to crazy about him.” If this degree of appreciation needs comprehending, here is another visitor comment which offers an explanation: “The serial has started off well…the challenge is to sustain the interest. Krishna is a typical young brat from North Indian which would appeal to young audience.” Young audiences are discovering that harassing her is the way to get the girl you want? There I go being literal again.

How nice that the Indian people have taken a goonda to their hearts ! “Krishna Bhaiya is awesome” indeed ! Excuse me while I throw up (there goes my dinner).

Entire article here.

Stuck with you

Written By: amodini - Apr• 11•10

I have always liked his slightly raspy voice, and here is one my favorites from Huey Lewis (and the News). “Stuck with you” is circa 1986, and you can probably tell that from the video – it’s sweet, corny and a little dumb, but I’m not complaining.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8b0IKQxx2k]

Book Review : Venus

Written By: amodini - Apr• 07•10

Venus by Ben Bova Title : Venus
Author : Ben Bova
Genre : Science fiction
Pages : 382
Rating : 3.85/5

One of the books in the “Grand Tour” series by Hugo award winner Ben Bova, Venus is a novel about space travel and exploring new worlds. It is also a classic “underdog” tale with a bit of the “coming-of-age” genre mixed in. The book itself is set sometime in the future where the moon has been colonized, rejuvenation treatments are common so no one really grows old anymore, and man has tried to explore other worlds in search of life and life-sustainable living environments.

Venus has a harsh climate – that much is known. The first attempt to actually explore the planet fails and results in the death of the explorer, Alex Humphries, the elder son of billionaire tycoon, Martin Humphries. Humphries, a cold, hard, domineering man has one son remaining – Van. Unlike the now dead Alex, Van is frail and resented by his father for surviving. Van also has a potentially fatal condition – pernicious anemia, in which the red cells in his blood are unable to replicate. To keep alive Van must inject himself at regular intervals with a life-giving enzyme. Not quite the able, confident son Martin wanted, Van is loathed and mocked by his unloving father as “Runt”.

I pulled in a deep breath, then stood as straight as I could manage. “And it’s lovely to see you too, Father.”
“Aren’t you enjoying my party?”
“You know better.”
“Then what’d you come for, Runt?”
“Your lawyer said that you’d cut off my stipend if I didn’t attend your party.”
“Your allowance,” he sneered.
“I earn that money.”
“By playing at being a scientist. Now your brother, there was a real scientist.”

Van lives a rich socialite’s life, dabbling in science, on the allowance his wealthy father scornfully gives him. The only two people who actually ever loved him, his mother and his elder brother Alex, are now dead, and Van is surrounded by fair-weather friends. When on his 100th birthday, Martin announces that he is cutting off Van’s allowance, Van finds himself almost penniless. When Martin also announces an award of ten billion dollars to any explorer who brings him back Alex’s remains from Venus, Van, tempted by the award money and the desire to explore the inhospitable planet in Alex’s name, decides to launch a mission to Venus.

“I’m going to take your prize money,” I said.
That popped his eyes open. “What ?”
“I’ll go to Venus, I’ll find Alex’s body.”
“You?” he laughed.
“He was my brother!” I said. “I loved him.”
“I had to twist your arm to get you to come up here to the Moon, and now you think you’re going to Venus?” He seemed enormously amused by the idea.
“You don’t think I can do it?”
“I know you can’t do it, Runt. You won’t even try, despite your brave talk.”
“I’ll show you!” I snapped. “I’ll take your damned prize money!”
Smirking, he answered, “Of course you will. And elephants can fly.”

Van, however noble his intentions, has stiff competition, because there is one other man angling for the award He is Lars Fuchs, Martin’s sworn enemy, a ruthless renegade out to wreak the worst kind of revenge on Martin and his family. . .

This is true-blue science fiction, but it is also a “human” story, with lots of drama, emotion and unexpected twists thrown in. Quite a satisfying combination. Told in first person, we see the story unfold from Van’s point of view. Bova fleshes out Van’s character nicely, and really Van is quite the underdog. He has fainting spells (when there is a delay in taking the enzyme), is incapable of exertion, is frightened of new adventures, and mostly takes the easy way out. When faced with true scientists who revel in investigation, he realizes that he has just “been playing” at it.

Van is regarded by others, as a wishy-washy character, incapable of accomplishing anything of value. With his impulsive decision to go to Venus, Van surprises others (and himself), but hellish Venus is going to test him as he has never been tested before. As the main protagonist, Van was a bit on the weak side, never quite able to energize me into rooting for him wholeheartedly. Since he is the narrator, we are privy to all his fears, which takes away from his character, because really, don’t most of us want our heroes to stand tall, feeling not even the smallest twinge of fear in the face of grievous danger ?

This is the first book by Bova that I have read, and even though a part of a series, stands alone quite well. Bova is good at description, develops arresting characters, and keeps the events in the book moving pretty quickly. This book was an excellent read, un-put-down-able after about a 100 pages. Each book in the Grand tour series is focused on a planet in our solar system. If they’re anything like “Venus” and I’ve heard they all are at least as good, if not better, they go straight on my to-read list.

The unbearable lightness of being

Written By: amodini - Mar• 30•10

The BBC reports :

. . . demand for fair-complexioned brides and grooms to grace these occasions is as high as ever


Fuelling this demand are the country’s 75-odd reality TV shows where being fair, lovely and handsome means instant stardom.


As a result, the Indian whitening cream market is expanding at a rate of nearly 18% a year. The country’s largest research agency, AC Nielsen, estimates that figure will rise to about 25% this year – and the market will be worth an estimated $432m, an all-time high.

Entire article here.

Just haven’t met you yet

Written By: amodini - Mar• 27•10

A lovely song for a lovely day :

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJmKkU5POA]

Book Review : The Marriage Bureau for rich people

Written By: amodini - Mar• 25•10

marriage bureau for rich peopleTitle : The Marriage Bureau for Rich People
Author : Farahad Zama
Pages : 291
Publisher : Amy Einhorn Books (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Rating : 3.5/5

Farahad Zama’s debut novel, “The Marriage Burueau for rich people” is a simple story, set in coastal Andhra Pradesh. I was drawn to it by comparisons of it to the “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” books, and Jane Austen’s works. Unfortunately while neither of those claims stand (very) tall, this is still an entertaining read.

The story, told with a minimum of fuss and lots of detail, is centered around a Marriage Bureau and the people who run it. Mr. Hyder Ali, a retired government clerk, decides to open up a Marriage Bureau. As the business thrives, Mr. Ali hires an assistant, Aruna, a poor but well-educated girl. As the two go about sorting through client’s wants and problems regarding potential matches, Aruna must resolve a problem of her own . . .

Zama creates sympathetic, well-etched characters in his book. Mr. Ali is retired, and now he’s at home, “disturbing his wife’s routine” (so says his wife). Both Mr. and Mrs. Ali are good, middle-class people, helpful and kind. While Mr. Ali goes about finding potential life-partners for the rest of the world, he frets about his own social worker son, who has devoted his life to advocating on behalf of the poor and repressed. Aruna is a mild-mannered, dutiful girl, very conscious of societal proprieties, and the author manages to give us a feel for what’s going on in her head, when she must step out of her self-prescribed bounds.

As for comparisons with Jane Austen’s works, there aren’t any, except for the fact that this book is about match-making, and Mrs. Bennett excelled at it. It is a little galling, from the feminist point of view, that modern day Indian films and books (Bride and Prejudice, A suitable boy, A marriage bureau for rich people), can still be inspired from a “historical” romance, wherein the only objective and occupation of people in above said dramas is matrimony. Not that it in itself is a bad thing, but the fixation of “marriage” as being the resounding (and only ?) answer to all female problems, is detrimental to the health of most girls.

Mr. and Mrs. Ali are older folk, who have seen the world and are wiser for it. Through the interactions between them, Mr. Ali’s clients, and Aruna and her family, we get to see different points of view, interspersed with home-spun morality and advice :

“What stories you tell,” said Mrs. Ali, laughing for the first time since the day before. “How can you compare human beings and animals? It doesn’t make sense.”


Mr. Ali shook his head and said, “It is true, though. Many men think that their daughters will only be happy if their son-in-law is a rich officer or a software engineer in California. That’s not necessarily true. You need a man with a good character who will respect his wife. If you have that, any woman will be happy, even if money is tight.”

The author also brings out the caste and class-ridden culture, and the plight of folks in difficult financial binds. I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of people in this story – rich, poor, beautiful, plain, boorish, sensible, haughty and greedy – the marriage bureau being the perfect place to meet all of them. Plus it was interesting getting a look-see into the marriage market :

Mr. Venkat’s demands for his son’s bride were not many, thought Mr. Ali ruefully. She had to be fair, slim, tall, educated but not a career-minded girl. Her family had to be wealthy, ideally landowners, and from the same caste as Mr. Venkat. If they were from the same city, that was even better. They had to be willing to pay a large dowry, commensurate with his own family’s wealth and son’s earning capacity. Mr. Ali wrote it all down.

Now, Mr. Zama is not a word-smith, and I say this kindly. His words are simple and to the point, which gives this book a modest beauty. While he describes events and actions in the book in great detail, this isn’t lush, lyrical prose which will sweep you off your feet. In fact, sometimes the details feel dry, because he is just chronicling steps, one by one. Here’s an example :

Aruna’s mother lit the second ring of the gas burner and put an aluminum pan on it. She poured a couple of tablespoons of oil into it. When the oil was hot enough, she took out an old, round wooden container. She slid the lid open on its hinges. Inside there were eight compartments, each holding a different spice. She took a pinch of mustard seeds and put them in the oil. When they started popping, Aruna’s mother dropped cloves, cardamom pods, and a cinnamon stick into the hot oil. She added a small plate of chopped onions to the pan. The lovely smell of frying onions filtered through the kitchen and the rest of the house.


Aruna finished cutting and joined her mother at the burner. When the onions were brown, she lifted the brinjals, letting the water drain out of her fingers, and added them to the pan; they sizzled loudly. Once, they had all been added, her mother stirred the vegetables around. Aruna got an old Horlicks bottle holding chili powder out of the cupboard. She took out a spoonful of the dark red powder and mixed it into the onions and brinjals.

For someone like me, familiar with the city and it’s locales, and much of the local customs (and cooking), it was at times exasperating to read in painstaking detail about “country liquor”, or of making “pulihora”, or brinjal (egg-plant). But it is a minor quibble.

Most of the language used by the author is simple and straightforward, pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get; there is not much scope for reading between the lines, or subjective interpretation. I will say that there are few books which can employ such a writing style and still work, as this one does. This book also works because it is strong on content and it’s characters are well thought out and exude “goodness” (and not in an annoying way).

There are a couple of oddities in the book – for one, why is an Andhra-ite bride wearing a red sari ? Don’t they wear cream (off-white) ones during the ceremony ? And also this :

On Friday, about a month later, Aruna arrived home and went into the kitchen as usual to help her mother. She started chopping up ladies’ fingers – okra – into little rings.

The lady’s finger (or is it lady finger ?) appears to have been pluralized to ladies’ fingers. If okra remains okra, then why does lady’s finger turn into ladies’ fingers ? Grisly humor (one can just imagine Aruna chopping them up on her cutting board), or just plain typo ?

All in all, a nice, light read – recommended.

P.S. : I can totally see this as a Hindi film, a la Katha.

Horror : Cinema’s step-child

Written By: amodini - Mar• 18•10

Horror filmsA lot can pass for horror – in some hindi films that is. And I don’t mean the acting or the direction or the just plain bad script/story/dialogue. Yes, they scar the soul and probably traumatize you for life ; I write this from my shrink’s office waiting for my next appointment where she (the shrink) will attempt to find out why being a Hindi film critic is injurious to one’s mental health.

But my terribly sad story aside, when I mean horror I’m being strictly technical – horror, as in the spine-tingling, chilling emotion, when you watch a film, eyelids minced together, peeking through your fingers and hands firmly clapped to your face. But, sadly (or horrifyingly if you prefer it) there is little of it in Indian cinema. Truly, when it comes to Indian films, horror is a second-class citizen. We either all roll our collective eyes at the superstitious mumbo jumbo so abundantly found in traditional Indian horror, or laugh out loud at the creatures that populate it. The horror genre has been around quite a while, but unlike drama or romances, it hasn’t quite developed into something better.

Horror in Indian cinema is naturally derived from it’s rich folklore. Plentiful all around the country, the beauty of folklore is that it is amorphous, ever-changing, and names no authors. Thus there many stories which sort of just “float” around, about haunted havelis, and injustices done. They might be rumors, things just “heard” from a passer-by, or tall tales passed down from generations, but they comprise a set of stories which inspire film-makers. There are creaky gates, evil zamindars, and beautiful, ghostly women.

Deriving as it does from the supernatural, and mired in folksy superstition, the horror genre has had a presence in numerous languages. “Bhool bhulaiya” in fact was a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu and starred Shobhana and Mohanlal. There are other examples in South-Indian cinema, like the 1984 Tamil film Nooravathu Naal, which was inspired by the Italian Giallo genre of films. In it a young woman has mysterious flashbacks where she can see murders being committed. This film was remade in Hindi as “100 days” and starred Madhuri Dixit. Another big star Rajnikanth starred in the 2005 film Chandramukhi, which dwelt upon the haunted haveli theme. Also inspired by the super-natural was the 2004 Marathi film Pacchadlela, which starred Shreyas Talpade.

Hindu philosophy has much to say on the phenomenon of re-birth, or as Bollywood filmmakers will have it, re-incarnation. From the 1949, Kamal Amrohi film Mahal, which catapulted Madhubala to stardom, to the Rishi Kapoor starrer Karz, and it’s most recent remake “Om shanti Om”, the story of a tortured soul hanging around waiting for vengeance has inspired many a filmmaker.

While that’s all well and good, times they are a-changing. Modernity has seeped in, spawning our very own uniquely Indian whackos (move aside Norman Bates). From the good-looking young man who can’t stop stuttering K-k-k-k-kiran (Darr), to the deranged co-worker who’s jealous of the hero’s wife (Pyar tune kya kiya), harmless looking psycho Cyrus (Being Cyrus) and the tremulous young woman all alone in the house and scared to death (Kaun), psycho-horror is one horror sub-genre doing well in current day cinema.

Indians are tale-spinners. Grand-mothers and mothers tell us bedtime tales. And then in the filmi context, friends do it too. Sitting by the fire, at an appropriately deserted camping spot, each friend tells spooky tales to scare the others. Which is not a problem really, unless you have to answer the call of nature. In the woods. All by yourself. Remember “Darna mana hai” ?

Traditionally Indian cinema has been dismissive of the horror genre, considering it B-grade (almost like Hollywood). But while horror outside India has come of age, being absorbed into the mainstream (Aliens, Jaws, Constantine) desi horror never did find it’s place. Although Indian cinema excels in many categories, and newer and talented directors seem to be sprouting out of the woodwork with unfailing regularity, horror is not the fine art it could be. Apart from the horror-thriller genre which has been absorbed into mainstream Hindi cinema, and directors like The Ramsay brothers and Ram Gopal Verma who have done their bit, horror does not seem to have much attention paid to it.

Indian horror has also been inspired by Hollywood films. Where Desi horror is yet limited in it’s scope, Hollywoodian horror has many sub-genres, like “scientific” horror, or “armageddon” horror. And Hollywood is prolific, whereas Indian horror films are a handful per year, if that. In 2008, for example there was one horror film – Phoonk. In 2009, we had “Raaz – the mystery continues” and “13B”, which was released in Hindi and Tamil, and featured Madhavan. In 2010 so far, there’s been only “Click”. Phoonk 2, and Shaapit are slated for later.

Many of Hollywood’s earliest horror films fall into the “personality” horror, or “demonic” horror category. Traditional horror films in Hollywood featured demons, werewolves, zombies and vampires. The 1975 film Omen dwells upon the AntiChrist. There was also the 1982 Poltergeist and Wes Craven’s “Nightmare on Elm Street”. Skilled directors working in horror have given the genre some credibility. Steven Spielberg brought horror elements like gore and splatter, into a mainstream film like Jaws(1975). The classic Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho (1960) brought about horror via Freudian psychology, whereas The Birds (1963) was inspired more from the horror of “catastrophe” or Armageddon.

In the 1990s and the 2000s, horror returned to the slasher/splatter sub-genre – “I know what you did last summer” being a prime example. There was also 7, Saw, The Blairwitch Project, and Wes Craven’s Scream. Directors have remade old classic horror films like “Friday the 13th” and the recently released Wolfman (2010). And “realistic” horror has made a comeback – in “Paranormal activity” a young couple rigs up a camcorder to show the super-natural happenings in their apartment.

Horror well-done is scary stuff. Bring it on !

Note : The edited version of this post was originally published in the Deccan Herald, here.