Amodini's Book Reviews

Book Reviews and Recommendations

On my right to worship

Written By: amodini - Jul• 20•06

Women are impure. Sabrimala Temple to conduct purification rituals. I’ve watched this issue on TV, read about it in the media. I mean, it’s not such a secret really. There are temples that ban women from certain services. Sometime back I’d read about the Sardarnis who’d tried to perform seva at the Golden Temple. They were stopped. I’ve read articles about women who are infuriated at being kept behind a screen in mosques, and have sought to conduct women-led prayers. The Vatican does not allow women to be priests. When my American colleague (a Christian) got married her grand-parents refused to attend the wedding because a female priest was conducting it. She went ahead anyway.

In the US, I’ve visited temples where after the Aarti, the priests won’t let me circumambulate the temple because all the men must go first. Women must follow after every single male in the vicinity, be he an adult man or a little boy, has had first dibs on the worship of God. In a very beautiful temple in my city, I was barred entrance since I was wearing a sleeveless salwar-kameez. I was offered a shawl-like cloth to cover my offending arms, but I demurred and preferred to not enter at all. But in this case it’s not just for women; even men are not allowed inside if wearing sleeveless T shirts or shorts (you are offered a shawl for the arms, and a lungi like garment for the legs). Either way, it feels wrong. So I could presumable have filth in my heart but be allowed inside, and be the Lord’s most ardent devotee but be refused entrance because of bared arms/legs ? Does God really care if I choose to go sleeveless in the summer heat ?

I have seen segregation of men and women in temples in India and the US. I have also seen temples (funnily only in the US) where women won’t be allowed in if any of the “Gurus/Mahants” are inside. I’ve tried to ask why – but have never recieved clear answers, and other women in the temple have been appalled that I even dare question the secret workings of the “holy” mind. Very “holy”, I’m sure. Anyway, the most I’ve been able to gather is that “Guruji” will be “distracted” by the sight/presence of women. The same argument, apparently, goes for the bachelor God Ayappan. However is all-knowing, omnipotent God really so weak that he can be defiled by the presence of a mere women ? Aren’t women, uterus and all, creations of God ? Isn’t God all-seeing and all-knowing ? Does this fragile God exist only in the sanctom sanctorum of these temples, easily upset by a woman’s desire to worship him ?

I must admit that the one time I was refused admission into the innards of the prayer hall, because a “Guruji” was inside praying, I’d felt a little ashamed. I was ostracized for being “female”, something inherent. It’s not like they were keeping me out for my having lied, or trolled blogs or whatever, it was something I had no control over, for being me ! What’s with all that talk about being God’s children ? So, what God created man, and was like – Yeah, you, man ! You can worship me anywhere, anythime – no boundaries for you, my good friend ! When God created women, he created women with inbuilt impurities ?? Makes no sense that God would bother with such frivolities, or the arduos inhibitions of modesty (cover your arms, legs, head . . . – let’s leave a 1 mm opening in front of your nose to permit breathing – and really being the Lord’s loyal servant you shouldn’t even need that !).

I still visit the temple which bars my unclad arms. I stay outside though – I don’t attempt to enter, when I know that the garment I’m wearing will cause one or more of the many temple volunteers to rush towards me with an outstretched shawl. The temple is very beautiful and serene from the outside. I haven’t protested, lodged a petition, or attempted to get the temple authorities to rectify their policies. Why ? Because entrance to the temple doesn’t affect my life ; it is not a basic need (for me). I go to other temples, too. And frankly, what I have to say to God and what she has to say to me (and I hope she’ll say nice things 🙂 ), can be said anywhere.

Categories : _culture_and_society , _women

Superman returns

Written By: amodini - Jul• 07•06

Superman Returns (Two-Disc Special Edition)Superman is back and hasn’t aged a bit since we last saw him. In fact, after a little less than 2 decades since the last Superman film, the man in blue seems to have gotten younger. Played by Brandon Routh (26), Superman looks so young, I’m amazed Clark Kent is even out of college, much less holding down a job. But Routh does good. To the role of Superman he brings dignity and charm and “virtue”, even when he’s playing the “let’s-look-but-not-touch” game with now engaged and mother-of-a-son Lois Lane (played by Kate Bosworth). He’s a little less polished as Clark Kent, where he’s bumbling looks a little put-on, and the comic timing is just a tad async. Still, given the fact that he “looks” like Superman, rippling musckes and all, and manages to fly gracefully (in those tights – not a mean feat), he’s a worthy successor to Reeve.

Lois Lane, intrepid girl reporter, has moved on with her life, whilst Superman was away investigating the remains of his home planet Krypton (for 5 years amazingly – one would think being Superman he’d zip there and zip right back, but maybe Krypton is too far away 🙂 ). And emotional attachment to Lois notwithstanding, Superman found it too difficult to tell her that he was going (for 5 years !! – apparently not as sharp as he looks) and that has left her pretty miffed. Well, yeah, one would think so. So off she goes and has a baby and gets engaged – presumably in that order (OK, OK no spoilers). Her fiance Richard (James Marsden) is a nice guy and works for the “Daily Planet” too. I’d say Marsden had his job cut out for him with this role. How do you manage to appear nice while playing the kabab-ki-haddi, and handling jealousy at the same time ? Coz you know (yeah you do !) that baby and all Lois still love the man in blue. So how is Richard supposed to be nice while understanding that his lady-love might have a thing for Superman ? Tough competing with a handsome, good, kind super-hero, no ? And seriously I felt bad for poor Richard. I mean he was there and all for Lois while Superman was off gallivanting.

Inline with Superman film tradition we have archenemy Lex Luthor, still bald, and still hating Superman, and now played by Kevin Spacey. Spacey as Luthor makes the character more bookish, a criminal armed with knowledge – all the more deadly, and I’ll say I really enjoyed the rendition ; where’s the fun in competing with dumb goons ? Of course there are planty of dumb goons in Luthor’s employ, one of whom is played by our very own ABCD Kal Penn. Kalpen bhai had high hopes from this film, but I’d say they are well and thoroughly dashed ; his non-existent role consists of a few fleeting seconds where he grimaces/smiles, and he speaks one line in the entire film. He’s better off playing leads in smaller films.

OK back to Lexy – Luthor now has grandiose plans of creating new continents (and destroying a few) with pilfered crystals from the Fortress of Solitude. And this time he’s got a foil for Superman, who will definitely try to upset his evil plans. You think Superman will succeed ? Now, now let’s not get cynical folks, let’s believe that there is indeed a man is blue tights flying about our skies saving us from disasters, and he’s oh-so-good he’d melt your heart. And all will be well.

As for the film, I liked it – it worked up slowly, but it got there nevertheless. However since I am not as blinded as I used to be as a super-hero-dazed kid, by the flash of the Superman logo, I’ll say I found a few logical faults. For one the folks at the “Daily Planet” are not the sharpest tools in the shed . Looking at Kent’s profile and Superman’s profile (on TV) does not reveal any similarities of facial structure to them. Nor does the fact that Kent and Superman have been gone the exact same time (Kent took a break “seeing the world” for 5 years after which his boss gave him his job back – nice boss, huh ?). What – you wan’t more clues ? So much for being “investigative” journalists !

Technically speaking, the effects are good, Superman lifts off and speeds up without missing a beat. Stopping planes inches from the ground, and batting away lethal bullets with his eyes, seem’s like child’s play with good special effects. Which got me thinking, why does Superman fly wih his arms straight up overhead ? Is that the only position for flying ? Must the fists be balled up (at times in the film – I looked) or flattened out (at other time in the film – I really looked) ? We do know for a fact that Superman can indeed fly in other positions, with objects and women (mostly Lois, unless he’s saving otherm damsels in distress) in his arms. So why the diving pose ? Propulsion ? Need to look athletic and graceful (this is Superman after all) ?

Sundry musings aside people, do go out and see the film. It’s entertaining and worth the bucks.

Categories : _films , _film_reviews

Vacationing in India – 06 (Continued)

Written By: amodini - Jul• 06•06

In continuation (see first part of this post) :

The traffic situation is better I think, although I don’t drive there; the honking has lessened. At times though it’s almost embarrasing to be following the law and actually waiting at a red light while all other traffic whizzes past nonchalantly. No one considers it a big deal to be going the wrong way (against the traffic on a one-way street), it’s prety much a free-for-all. I don’t see how they can combat that unlesss they start doling out like thousand rupee challans for traffic violations, and somehow getting the violators to pay it. Thousand rupees should hurt. Delhi is now chock-full of cars of different makes, there’s Honda, Toyota, Chevy, Ford, Hyundai, the Tata brands, Maruti etc. All small cars which make sense since parking and roads are in short supply. I did see a few large Mercedes, BMW and Land Cruisers, and I’m wondering how these people manouever these big cars, or find the space to park them anywhere ? I mean seen from the rear, the Maruti 800 is almost half the width of the Land Cruiser – you must really want to drive that Land Cruiser in India !

Didn’t do much sight-seeing, except for a visit to the Akshardham temple. The temple itself was very beautiful with the entire grounds and facilities being very well maintained and land-scaped. Plus it’s a very large complex with sprawling gardens, all very lush and green (no water problems here), and it took us almost an entire day t see it. The main temple is gorgeously carved and surrounded by water – very pleasant on a hot summer day. Besides the main temple they have other buildings which house the IMAX theatre, the “boat ride” and the exhbition halls. The IMAx theatre shows you a film on Lord Swaminarayan’s life, and the “boat ride” is a mechanized “boat” taking you through various mechanized scenes in early India/Indian culture enshrining Hindu achievements. iThe exhibition halls are animated in the sense that they depict Lord Swaminaryan’s life via scenes with moving/mechanized figures. Quite interesting.

Besides the temple, central Delhi is also very beautiful – I’ve always found it so. North and South block, Rajpath – grand old buildings with good roads, clean-kept surroundings, always a pleasure to drive thorugh. Also those beautiful grand Ministerial bungalows in the centre of Delhi – nice. Delhi is greener and cleaner now, however stuff is still cloaked in babu-dom. I’m inclined to agree with Tavleen Singh here.

Connaught place looks a bit run-down though, and grimy and there is garbage and filth lying around. But shopping is a pleasure as always, even on hot, hot days. Malls lie deserted during the week-days, and even on the weekends, when there are crowds, not many people are actually buying. Most are lounging around; the mall is a very comfortable and cool (literally) place to hang out, but that’s it. The people that are buying are buying are at Lajpat Nagar, or Sarojini Market or Chandni Chowk, because really the malls can’t rival those markets. Small, the shops are cheek-by-jowl, and the street vendors and little wooden shops do roaring business. And the variety is amazing.

Delhi airport also looks better, I hear they are starting to implement the privatisation process. There is some greenery, the TVs are gone, although there have been no overt face-lifts when I pass through. The rest-rooms are the cleanest I’ve ever seen them, with a lady inside handing out little strips of toilet paper (?) to wipe one’s hands. On landing I don’t see any of those ubiquitous louts promising to take you through immigration “quickly” for a price. However, during the security checkin on my way back (to the US), the man loading the suitcases on and off the X ray machines is surreptiously accepting money from passengers, for which he heaves the suitcases on and off the luggage carts. I don’t give him any money and have to heft the suitcases myself.

The immigration lines are not too long, and people seemed to be lined up approximately in front of each immigration official’s counter. Just as my turn comes, a man from the neighboring line steps in front to the official’s counter. Before I can say a word, the official is on his feet and is pointing the man away to his line and his immigration counter. In Hindi he explains that passengers must stick to their respective lies and counters and not attempt to move as they wish. The offender, heavy-set and untidily dressed, suitably admonished goes back to his line, to wait his turn.

Once immigration is done, we move ahead to the passenger security line. At the end of the lines, they have the security checks, where cloth barriers have been set-up tp screen the women as they are patted down. The lines are long, but they are actual lines, not groups of people, which is great. As we get to the end of the line (there are about 10 people ahead of me) after about a 30 minute wait, a few men walk ahead and stand in groups at the gate. When I ask one whether he is in the line, he tells me that since his flight is boarding he has been told to go the head of the line by someone. Now, I have seen various airline representatives working the lines for passengers with flights ready to take-off and none of them are around this group. So I can one of the airport staff over and ask them to get the people back at the end of the line where they belong. After much argument, the men are still there although they have moved away from me, some ahead and some back, and the airport official (a woman) is shrugging her shoulders and telling me that there is nothing she can do – that’s how people are.

So, all in all a good trip, although the next time I go it might be in the winter or atleast when the rains have started – might be less hot.

Categories : _travel

Vacationing in India – 06

Written By: amodini - Jul• 05•06

Back in the US after a 4 week long vacation in India, I am now well and truly jet-lagged. Surprisingly wasn’t very jet-lagged the first time (after landing in India). Am glad to be back though, because nice as it is to meet parents and siblings, after a while I long to be back “in routine”. There’s my bed, and there’s the car in which I can drive myself (note no chauffeur) anywhere I please (ah ! happiness !), and there’s the kitchen where I can cook stuff (yeah I know – I have to cook – there is no servant), and there’s the TV in front of which I can lounge in my pyjamas in very un-ladylike poses, without the doorbell ringing a dozen times an hour, and without the whole world including the dhobi, the chowkidar, the sabziwallah, the courierwallah, the bartan-wali squishing their way past my front-door. Silence. Pierced only by the incessant chatter of kid’s squabbling. What can I say ? It’s good to be home.

The hot topic in India this time seems to have been the heat. My cousin from Bombay calls up to question my intelligence in dragging the family to Delhi in the peak of summer. She lets me know that Bombay is a good 10 degrees cooler – why even she keeps away from Delhi at this time of the year. Yeah, yeah, says my sister later when I tell her about the conversation, she (the Bombaywali cousin) was born in Switzerland, no ?

Everyone’s busy in India, and I’m glad that my mom has a full social calendar, and dad’s really busy with his work. The younger folk work so hard at their 8 hour (more like 12-16 hour) jobs it’s amazing. Still, it’s good to be busy. After a couple of days of vegetating, and getting used to no-cooking life (the tea arrives magically along with the newspaper, breakfast appears within minutes and a full lunch is served around 2 pm – which leaves the evening tea/snack and the dinner – post-India I am so stuffed – can’t handle 5 meals a day anymore) I long to get out of the house. But it’s pretty hot – even Lajpat Nagar, where I went for the afternoon, is deserted – apparently the real crowd starts when the sun goes down. However I do manage Lajpat Nagar on 2 bottles of chilled Pepsi, a sip lasts me a couple of minutes in the sun.

A number of malls have sprung up, and I was impressed by the fact that the ring road has a lot of fly-overs; it’s almost a freeway – but more on the traffic situtation in my next post . . .

Categories : _travel

How to offend Indian sensibilities 101

Written By: amodini - May• 27•06
 photo Telnaes_FreeSpeech_zps9f37e380.gif

Image Courtesy : Washington Post

There are now several ways to offend various sections of the Indian public. If you are female you have so many more options than the men – oh, lucky you ! Take your pick :

1. You could speak your mind on pre-marital sex, and offend political parties, and get sued, like Khushboo.

2. You could wear skimpy clothes and do stage shows, and get booked for indecency like Rakhi Sawant.

3. You could decide to wear fewer clothes in movies, a la Mallika Sherawat, thereby denigrating Indian culture and get effigies of self burnt by the BJYM.

4. You could have a wardrobe malfunction at a Fashion Week, and offend, in one fell swoop, the sensibilities of all Indian women, like Carol Grecias or Gauhar Khan.

5. You could indulge in partying at five-star hotel in Chennai and get pulled up for “immoral goings-on“ and indecency.

6. You could wear a sleeveless top and jeans (gasp!) to Anna University and draw flak from the Vice-Chancellor.

Now if you’re a man, your options are rather limited, but you could :

1. Attempt #5 above
2. Emulate Aamir Khan and demand rehabilitation for the Narmada dam displaced and offend the entire Gujarati population.

Never fear that the the government will come to your rescue, or will assist in anyway in helping you assert your right to free speech or the right to not be morally policed. It’s all a matter of votes or money, and really dear, no one wants to rock that boat. The most that anyone can do is issue a namby-pamby statement (like the Honorable Prime Minister) weakly deploring the restrictions on free speech.

So here’s to a good time ! Feel free to offend sensibilities and be persecuted.

Categories : _culture_and_society

Culture in the big, bad USA

Written By: amodini - May• 19•06

Reading Indigo Warp’s take on the Indian family, I see many different repsonses, sort of contesting differences between cultures, and subtly (or overtly) stressing that “our” culture is best, because we can readily point out the flaws in a foreign culture. However our culture doesn’t become better by criticising other cultures. And you can criticise a foreign culture only when you truly understand your own, not just by comparing superficialities.

The reasons why “foreign”, actually American culture/family is criticised are many, and I’ve heard them many times too. But here’s a very popular one – I’ve heard this in films and from people :

– You dont have take an appointment to visit your moms or sons house (in India) like in the US.

This reason is way, way over-used to somehow indicate superiority in culture/atitude. Just because you call someone to check if they’re going to be home, does not in any way indicate a strain or formality in relationships, or that you love your Mom less – it just saves time and effort. Not only in the US, but in Delhi also we (and most of my extended living-in-India family) call ahead of time to make sure that people are at home before we land up. Why ? Essentially because when physical distances are great and traffic not too helpful, you’re frittering away time going places where no-one’s home.

Everyone here calls before coming whether you’re desi or not. Chances are you can’t actually walk to homes unless they happen to live in the neighborhood, and if you’re making the effort to drive you might as well as check if someone is at home, before you waste your time. Time is a precious commodity everywhere, even in India where we seem to think that people have a lot of time. I think that was true in my mother’s time when she was a full-time house-maker (still is) and the evenings could be more devoted to family when the rest of the family got home. Now, I see my cousins who work in MNC’s in India, working 12-18 hours a day, and I wonder how they find time for their families.

I would not be too happy to drive 20 minutes to a friends’s place and find her not in. I call before I go anywhere and I am called by most of my desi friends before anyone comes over. Very practical, no one takes offense, and no issue of “culture” whatsoever. If anyone is not going to be at home, you teel them that, and everyone understands because they are just as busy as you. I am prone to be more welcoming to people who check for my convenience (and theirs) rather than be forced into acting hostess, when I have somewhere else to be. Yes, I know “Athiti devo bhava”, but the “Athiti” needs to be considerate too.

In families where both parents work, the weekends are jam-packed with chores, you have to get the groceries, cook, clean, launder, and cart the kid’s to and fro from numerous classes. There’s a good chance that if you drop by impromptu you will find a locked home. So if you’re not going to be home, why be a hypocritical good Desi and say “Yes” when you actually mean “No” ? You’re doing your guest (and yourself) a dis-service if the welcome is only limited to lip-service.

In India speaking your mind (especially if you’re a woman) is considered bad. So, everyone is expected to be polite and agree to social overtures, even if you’re greatly inconvenienced. Saying “Yes” when you wish you could say “No”, or being forced to forego pre-decided plans for politeness sake, is not evidence of greater “culture”.

Me, I’ll take the plain-speaking any day.

Categories : _culture_and_society

The travails of Mr. Feroze Khan

Written By: amodini - May• 18•06

A very interesting and side-splitting article from NDTV. Presumably you’ve all heard of the debacle Feroze Khan created in Pakistan when over there for his brother’s film’s (Taj Mahal) premiere. Of course, more entertainment ensued after that gaffe. The BJP vice-president Muktar Abbas Naqvi jumped up to support Feroze Khan, calling him a true nationalist. Yeah, we’re all for cheap publicity ! Many adjectives are suitable for Feroze Khan, but “nationalist” never crossed my mind. Feroze Khan the poster boy for Indian nationalism ? Hmm, no dearth of jokers here. OK, so then poor, caught-in-the-crossfire Akbar Khan of course said that his brother did not mean it, and threatened to sue Naqvi. Apparently matters have come to a head now, with President Musharraf banning Feroze Khan from entering Pakistan.

Oh, much fun is had by all. The on-lookers I mean.

Well, I wondered then whether Mr. Khan was drunk or stoned to make such remarks while in Pakistan presumably trying to sell the movie there, right ? I mean, did he think that the Pakistani public would want to see the movie more if he derided them and criticised the country at large ? Basic economic sense my dear, you can think and say what you like, but I’m not sure you want to castigate the people you wish to sell to. They might not buy your stuff.

On a side-note, I’m wondering : Can Mr. not-all-there-Feroze Khan be banned from India ? The BJP might oppose the move, of course.

Categories : _india , _culture_and_society

Can she eat sattu like us ?

Written By: amodini - May• 05•06

Having easy access to desi channels here adds to one’s entertainment in many ways. Besides the obvious doses of Hindi film and songs etc., one also gets the chance to view Indian politicians make unabashed fools of themselves on international television. This morning, on NDTV, I watched with disgust Amar Singh’s diatribe against Sonia Gandhi’s accent, her manner of speaking Hindi, and her inability to eat sattu. Amar Singh campaigning in Rae Bareli, was in his element mimicking Ms. Gandhi’s accent and manner, and apparently really enjoying himself. And he played to the gallery it seems, because I could hear laughter. People found it amusing that Mr Singh has mimicry skills , coupled with the ability to make cheap shots – apparently requirements to be an Indian politician. Now Amar Singh is ODIOUS, and I’m no big fan of Ms. Gandhi either, but such crass displays are nauseating, sickening and leave me floating de-spiritedly on strong waves of revulsion. Amar Singh, his face contorted to mimic Sonia’s manner, voice raised in high falsetto – this is the face of Indian politics ?

Now Amar Singh is not way up there on the IQ quotient scale, but stooping to this level is ridiculous. And the horrible quandary is that I’m not sure whether to laugh at this dumb man, as I watch his childish antics in disbelief, or cry at the specimen of politicians this dense person represents. One part of me tells me not to be so naïve, after watching politicians take money on camera, I still believe that they should debate one another on intelligent, mattering-to-the public issues, like poverty and education, that they should employ the sparse gray cells they possess to think of the well-being of the nation and it’s people ? After watching an affronted Singh huffing and puffing his way out of the Zee awards, because his friend the GREAT AMITABH (after all he is the Big B, let’s all come lie at his feet, for here lies salvation) was not accorded a seat to go with his presumed status, I naively believe that Singh has an iota of common sense in his entire body ? And what’s wrong with Bachhan & Co. ? Why do they associate with bottom-of-the-political-barrel scum ?

All this while, Sonia’s been in politics, all Singh can come up with is “can she eat sattu like us ?” ??? Clarification Mr. Singh : the constitution does not require you to be a sattu eater to qualify to contest elections, and extensive research has proved that sattu eaters perform just as dismally in Indian politics as non-sattu eaters. And this is hot off the wires, Mr. Amar Odious Singh, and no doubt will come as a crushing blow to your sattu-devoted self, non-sattu eaters can even, GASP ! HAI ! HAI ! DOUBLE GASP ! aspire to become , OH MY GOD ! the PRIME MINISTER !!!

I do think that the CEC must come up with standards of moral decorum to be preserved when castigating one’s opponent in the public/political arena. No, it’s not that I am worried about Ms. my-dynasty-shall-rule Gandhi’s psyche upon hearing the sattu diatribe; politicians have thick skins, she’ll get over it. No, my concern rather is to give politicians something tangible and constructive to argue over, like ideologies and policies, something that might be marginally more useful than sattu-eating contests.

After all, we can’t let sattu sway matters, can we ?

Categories : _india , _culture_and_society

Daal bukhara, the easy way

Written By: amodini - Apr• 13•06

Oooh, daal bukhara on a cookery show. On “Cook na kaho”. Must be easy. Images of hot, simmering, yummy, and oh-so-eclectic-tasting too, dal come to mind. And so I think as idly channel surfing I come upon this guy getting ready to go about some serious cooking. So I think. So it seems. And me, like other normal folk, cook dal the easy way, the plain way, you know microwave raw dal in microwave for about 30 minutes until pulpy soft, mash and add tadka. Easy, yeah ?

But, us mortal won’t-cook-until-neccesary folks like a little exotic khana once in a while. Hence need to watch “daal bukhara” demonstration. So this is what Upen Patel (as I find out later), he with the mix of the Brit. and African accent (the soft T’s) does :

1. Slices onions up and deep fries them (Whoa! Deep-fry ! Why deep-fry when you can shallow-fry ? Oh, I get it – life too painful and all, yeah ? Let’s get it over by ingesting loads of oil, should make that stupid heart stop dead in it’s tracks, what ?)

2. Then, while onions are frying, heats up another pan, and picks up a scissor and a packet of (gasp!) PRE_COOKED dal. Snip ! Snip! The PRE_COOKED dal is in the pan and heated up.

3. Last, add fried onions to PRE_COOKED daal, simmer, and garnish.

Now, I like food easy. But not that easy ! Since when did it become legit. to use PRE_COOKED daal to make daal-bukhara ON A COOKERY SHOW ? What about the boiling, the adding of spices, the . . . I don’t know, the name “daal bukhara” deserves more time and more justice done to it. I don’t need instruction to make daal bukhara from pre-cooked dal, although it would have been most helpful if the camera had actually panned on the brand of pre-cooked dal Patel used (his mom’s favorite, he said).

Serious hoodwinking in the name of cookery, I say.

Categories : _food , _television

Blade Runner

Written By: amodini - Apr• 12•06

Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)Saw Blade Runner right after I read the novel. And it was dissapointing. The book was good, albeit a bit too philosophically depressing. The film had a real 80’s style feel to it – brought back memories of Madonna and her early videos, and her radical colored hair-styles. Yes, the film was made in the 80’s but it was set in the 2000’s wasn’t it ? And while the city was shown all tall buildings and flashy neon signs with air-taxis, the street life was a replica of let’s say old Delhi, except with international pedestrians.

Deckard (played by a very young Harrison Ford) seems to favor chinese food, I’m guessing because he’s eating in what seems to be an open air chinese dhaba. The street is dirty and crowded and there is water everywhere (hard to tell whether it’s raining or the drainage system is awry) . Which brings me to another pet peeve of mine – why is that sci-fi movies portray the future as grey and bleak, no color, dirt and chaos everywhere, overflowing drains, crowded streets ? Take The Matrix as an example – Neo decides to side with the good guys, and moves in with Trinity and the rest, but then he also embraces a drab existence. They might have the cutting edge technical tools, the latest weapons, and the coolest sun-glasses in the world, but they dress in similarly colored grey-green clothes, sleep in grimy looking quarters, and eat what looks like mush.

In “Blade Runner”, the film assumes that much of earth has been detroyed/irradiated by world wars, but does not the urge to make what’s remaining beautiful still exist ? I’m pretty sure now, that color-coordinated clothing, pleasing locales, and clean environments bias me towards the movie. And cutting edge technology helps too.

Blade Runner (Movie-Tie-In Edition)I watched the Director’s cut of Blade Runner, and yeah I got the back ground beacause of the book. The original version of the film, I believe had Harrison Ford narrating the story – a very good idea, now that I have watched the film. How does the director presume others follow the story without the narration ? All that hokey about the mechanical owl – a viewer does not immediately ascertain that animal life is rare and expensive on earth now, and that humans wish to have pets, and because pets are expensive the poorer folk make-do with mechanical imitations ? There are things that make-up the story which are not told and not easily guessable (they call it fiction for a reason) like what’s a Nexus 6, why are they on the outer worlds, why are the outer worlds colonized in the first place, and why are the Nexus 6 to be retired anyway ?

The film felt vague, unclear, bizarre (in places) with some very surreal episodes – which kind of takes away the impact. The very premise that Nexus 6 are so “human-like” that to distinguish them fom humans is difficult to comprehend in the film in the first place. The 6 Nexus-6 humanoids which land up on earth are shown a little abnormal to begin with, and Priss is way surreal. In the book, Luba Luft was the totally normal Nexus-6 humanoid, indistinguishable in behavior too.