Unwanted

Bharat never thought he would be seeing this day in his life. He was lying on one of the beds of the old age homes. He lay awake in the endless night wondering how he ended up here.

His own daughter Veena had thrown him out of his house saying that she could not afford to take care of him anymore and that she had her own children to take care off. Her husband had left her and it was him who brought back her to his place and encouraged to work.

Finding himself on the streets he called up his only son Vijay who had settled abroad who suggested that he better take shelter in the old age homes. Not once did he say that he would try to resolve the issue or that he could stay with him.

With the help of his friends, he found himself a place to sleep at night in one of the old age homes. Though retired, the 63 year old decided to take up an accountant’s job to fend for himself.

As he closed his eyes, tears kept flowing down through his face as he tried to sleep with troubled thoughts haunting him…

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This story is actually based on a news piece that I came across. This is just one of the realities of our lives where when people get old they are thrown out on the streets by their children or left at old age homes as they cannot or don’t want to take care of them. No section of the society is untouched by this phenomenon.

What I fail to understand is what prompts this decision even when they are aware that it’s wrong and how they go on to justify it. Parents go on to make sure that their child gets the best of everything they could provide, so what changes the relationship between the children and parents when they grow up?

My best guess is that as children get more involved into their lives they tend to become detached to parents who are less involved. Then they just start treating them like any individual they come across without giving a thought what they had done for them (Their normal justification would be, they are suppose to do that).

My question is what should a parent do to make sure that they are taken care of in their old age? The problem is that at most times one can not do anything about it. Coz when one is raising a child that is not the question that haunts them, its only when they reach a stage in their life where the tables are turned and the children need to take care of the parents, that they come to know how successful they were as parents.

At the most, parents can make sure that they make a will and do not disclose about it any other member of the family and avoid transferring properties in the names of their child if the children don’t treat their parents properly.

What such adults do forget is one day they are going to finding themselves in the same situation and who knows they could find themselves at the mercy of their own children…

The Review

I saw the TV premier of the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”. There has been a lot of controversy involved around this movie especially the way India has been depicted and the debate brought on by an actor’s blog. Also wanted to watch Frieda Pinto’s acting whether she is good enough to share the limelight with Hollywood stars.

When the movie first released, I hardly felt the need to watch it somehow I had the feeling that the movie was not that good. So ever after winning 8 Oscar awards, I still did not change my mind on watching this movie. When I saw the promos of it being aired on the television, I made sure I watch it to find out the truth whether it deserves the hype or not.

Here is my verdict. The movie failed to make an impression on me and I am glad that I did not go to the theatre. The story of an underdog who goes on to become a millionaire, if one has watched closely enough it is a typical Bollywood dished out movie with a Hollywood style of finishing to add to the overall taste (just like a pinch of salt perhaps).

I am thinking of catching up with the other nominated movies to know how this movie went to win the Oscars. There were heavy contenders as far as I know from the story plot. I am wondering how a movie goes on to win a Best Picture or Best Director award without any members of the cast being nominated for their roles while this was not the case for the other movies nominated under the same categories.

There is no denying in one fact though, the word “Slumdog” will be used as a racial slur against Indians. Regarding the debate that has been brought by the actor’s blog if one has watched enough Bollywood movies; they would realize that the common man is no more part of the Indian society. Most of the movies would show the actor hailing from a rich family and they live in palatial houses, which most of the Indians can only dream of buying. Where is the Amol Palekar who represented the common man? Somehow I have this feeling of him getting replaced by Abhay Deol (with the exception of certain movies). Something that is close to reality and people could relate to. Why is that Hollywood movies tend to be closer to reality whereas ours far away from it?

The movie showed the life of the people who we choose to remain ignorant about. I liked the Taj Mahal scene the most where Mumtaz was said to have died in a road accident. I don’t believe the movie is good enough to win the Oscars; somehow my interpretation of a movie winning an Oscar would be based on how the movie moved one in a certain way and the feeling remaining in the end or making one think even after it had ended. This movie fails to do so.

Frieda Pinto is hardly there on the screen. A 5-10 min role which makes it hard to tell about her acting abilities. I hope she is good enough to get signed by Hollywood. I also hope that she is aware that this won’t last long that coz not many Indians or for that matter Asians do not have things going for them. One’s looks matter a lot. No doubt Ben Kingsley (real name Krishna Pandit Bhanji) who played Gandhi had a longer stint coz no one could not make out, that he was of Indian origin and not white as he is mistaken. Bend It Like Beckham is a good example, the lead star Parminder Nagda got overshadowed by Kiera Knightly who had a small role and went to working in big budget movies. As for Dev Patel, he seemed to carry just one expression through out the movie.

In the end, the real winners were the slum children who played the main characters childhood coz there lives have been transformed in a big way and hope that they are able to make the best out of it and stay on top of whatever comes their way.

I am proud of A.R. Rehman and Resul Pookutty for making India proud :D

Hard To Believe

I reached her place, and was sitting in the hall with others. After sometime she came out draped in a saree looking beautiful, flowers on her hair and most importantly wearing that beautiful smile that one can hardly forget. I made sure that I capture it with camera.

Somehow I found it hard to sink in the feeling that she was going to get engaged today. Time flies so fast. She belongs to the Sisterhood Clan (I’ll write about that later). She is one with whom I have grown up. I have already started wondering about how life would change with her getting married. I am already feeling that I have got old to write like this :D

We both are of the same age in fact she is just five days older than me and I am the one who has to live with the tag of being the youngest. Whenever such family functions takes place I find myself capable with multiple abilities that I don the role of a photographer, a task master and sometimes carrying out the errands.

I always have a role to play which makes me share the limelight. The first time it happened on Sister II marriage where I had an important role to play. It was captured on video and I was there on the screen for more than a minute with a Mundus (Pagdi/Turban) on my head. The result of this fame was that I got my first marriage proposal. The second time with Sister III was just hilarious; I thought soon we (there were others with me) are going to play rail gaddi around the couple.

This time round I was going to gift clothes to my would-be brother-in-law. As I presented him and we both posed for the cameras, I found it hard to stop smiling as after presenting him the clothes, we again posed with a handshake, kind of make me feel like I was attending a summit. I also had a photo session later with the would-be bride and the sisterhood clan joining, with one missing.

As everyone came on the stage to give their blessing to the couple, in the end I also went up in the end and stood next to my would-be brother-in-law. There was a lot of speculation going on who is taller, him or me. I won hands down :))

As I got down from the stage and stood nearby, one of my brother-in-law’s mother got hold of me. Somehow she seemed to be in awe of me. Every time she sees me and the only thought that comes to her mind is of getting me married. There was also a debate on what height should be my would-be wife, with others pitching in.

We went back to her home later. As I said the feeling was yet to sink in, so I was leaving I kept my hand on her head like an older brother. I am protective about her and am hoping/praying that she is blessed with a happy married life.

I am already wondering whom I should call when I am bored. I always felt better talking to her coz I can talk any nonsense and still not feel foolish. She was my partner in crime. Marriage would change all of that.

I would miss her, or am I already missing her :P