Aamir Khan continues to impress..........

I have never been interested in Bollywood crap throughout my existence. But one thing is for sure, I have been a Amir Khan fan throughout the same span of time. Amir is a refreshing change that wafts through the Bollywood scene once every year. I for once eagerly await his new project every year. Here I refrain from calling his movies 'films'. This term is reserved for the lesser actors like the other Khans, Khannas and Bachans who have absolutely no volition to try something new. The main question is why would they. The normal flick churned out of the Bollywood factory is what the customer demands. These films continue to be earners in the rural markets even if they flop in the urban scenario. The fantasy and utopian world portrayed in these films is the ultimate hope of all those Indians. It is the hope for which almost 60% of India grinds through its day on a measly $1. Hope is a rather strange word. It is played around with aplomb. It is the word that wins election(even in USA).
Back to Amir and 3 Idiots. This film is not revolutionary in the true sense. It handles well the issue of an archaic education system that seems to place greater value on grade/marks than original thinking. In a sense, Amir seems to have continues on from Taree Zameen Par albeit with an absence of the Dyslexia thing. Every film made by Amir seems to have a hidden message be it Rang de Basanti, Taare Zameen Par or 3 Idiots.
The trio of actors have played their part amazingly well. Madhavan continues to impress. I have begun to like his acting since seeing him in Guru. I personally love actors who refrain from over acting in a high budget film. That is my main grouse with a host of actors/actresses in Bollywood. Amir is also aptly supported by Sharman Joshi.
The comedy in the film seems true to the fact that it actually makes you laugh. With the slapstick comedy in most films that forces you to laugh, here it was a refreshing change. I have actually laughed a lot watching 3 idiots. The last time I had such a good time was watching Hera Pheri and some old Indian comedies. I have absolutely no words for Boman Irani. The guy is a different breed. He can perform in any role given to him with almost absolute perfection. The guy is a genius.
The ending of the film seems a bit filmy. I mean delivering a baby in an open room on a rainy night with a vacuum cleaner to help is perhaps stretching the plot to its extreme. Also the intermittent ducking of Amir underneath the cover to deliver another woman's baby will probably be looked upon with a certain bit of reservation, especially in rural parts of India. Superstitions and honor etc are such strong predicaments in rural areas that a woman can be allowed to die in childbirth than hand her over to an unknown individual in spite of him being a doctor.
The main issue is tackled brilliantly. The ragging scene was shown without any frowns or reservations, exactly as it should be. The entire education system is questioned in a way that the audience are bound to at least give it a second thought. That many Indians would go back to their engineer/doctor centric lifestyles is another thing. There is a severe lack of awareness in India. People only know to play safe. Risk is an anathema.
To conclude, I would like to congratulate Amir and the director Hirani for a wonderful entertainer. I think Amir should direct more films. There are many other issues waiting to be told through the auspices of the reel.

Climate change and Indian Consumerism

With the Copenhagen Summit now on the brink, the word climate change is now back in business in India. Every day we find media channels, newspapers harking over this much publicized and contentious issue. The stories, an attempt to catch the fantasy of the reader / viewer, range from simple coverage of the day's news regarding the issue to doomsday scenarios by some 'expert scientist'.

For the uninitiated, Global warming / climate change are two interlinked terms, two sides of the same coin. The steady and exponential increase in greenhouse gases traps more heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. This results in an concomitant increase in temperatures which in turn has a domino effect on climate patterns around the world. Melting of polar ice caps, increase in frequency of storm / hurricanes/ typhoons, unseasonal rainfall are just some of the signals of these changes. The situation in India is especially grim in the Himalayan glacier region. The glaciers are receding are an unnerving rate. This may in future jeopardize the water situation in north India.

Delicate issues like climate change fail to hook on the Indian public due to their inability to appreciate and relate the consequences of climate change to their day to day life. Climate change being a typically slow phenomenon does not show drastic effects. This much fancied term is of major relevance only in Indian cities. There is little awareness about it in the interiors of the country.

My inspiration for this article came from reading an article in today’s DNA Money. The article detailed a survey of consumer tendencies in a globalised world now grappling with issues like global warming. The survey provided for an insightful analysis into the mindset of the Indian public. The overall conclusion from the survey is hard to miss. It shows that consumers in India have a propensity for brands that profess environment consciousness. But what really struck me in the survey were two questions.

How many would prefer a hybrid car to a luxury car?

Indians – 33% Globally – 67 %

How many would prefer an eco-friendly house to a big house?

Indians – 30% Globally – 70 %

Almost all other questions raised had a better percentage of Indians giving a positive answer to those of the global population. The article went on to admire the awareness among the Indian public regarding climate change and their attitude towards green products.

The above two questions clearly show that the Indian public is ready to support climate change campaigns and initiatives undertaken by the brands they opt for. But when it comes to personal level decisions, we somehow tend to overlook our propensity for the environment. A booming Indian economy has raised income levels substantially over the past decades. This has translated into an Americanised consumerism among Indians. Lifestyle products which were for a long time out of the common man’s reach are suddenly accessible. And we are not holding back. Every one now dreams of owning a car. Most of the general public now yearns for the luxurious lifestyle. But in our penchant for such material happiness we are shirking the basic issues that the Western world has finally come to admit. We are into the consumeristic frenzy that had America gripped during the 1970’s. Shouldn’t we learn from the mistakes committed by the west? At least for now, we do not seem to care.

I lament the fact that Mr. Jairam Ramesh is looking to a 20 – 25 % reduction in carbon emission by 2020. Unless we check the consumerism that has come to characterize the present generation, the target seems at best unachievable. In that respect, the initiative by the government to install 20000 MW of solar energy is truly a welcome sign. We need concerted efforts to achieve this target. Along with that a change in the consumer psyche from rampant consumerism to minimalism is also a requirement.