Ad-vocate

If there was one thing i dearly missed in my soujourn in manipal, it was the television. One month of domesticated life however has convinced me otherwise. I somehow lack the patience to sit and watch anything on television. Just when it starts to interest me there is a commercial break. And what irks me even more is the quality of ads that are aired. Here are a couple of ads that i believe should not be aired. It could be hazardous to the advertising industry ! These ads could possibly drive away some prospective ad film directors or copywriters to other more lucrative careers or let young creative impressionable minds overlook advertising as a satisfying career.
Firstly theres this undergarments ad that features a physically challenged kid who decides to participate in a race competing with other kids. Once the race starts the kid loses his crutches and falls down. The helpless kid summons daddy dearest. I'd imagined some comic book hero who appears wearing his underwear on the outside. After all, it is an undergarments ad. But hey! who is this? is it a man? is it superman...no its Salman khan! And the buck "or shall i say black buck" does'nt stop here. For some godforsaken reason he rips his shirt off, picks up the kid and starts running,eventually diving at the finish line a-la-rhodes and emerging the winner. humm! the mere fact that i cannot recall the name of the brand seems to defeat the purpose of making the ad.besides i have committed it to mind for its preposterity. Are these ad makers underestimating the intelligence of its consumers?
there is another brand which features ads which are high on pot. one of these harpic type brands which needs to exhibit a pot-pourri of toilets that do not use the product. and suddenly a salesman from the company turns harry potter and uses this magic potion which turns the toilet sparkling white! tasteless to say the least!
now there used to be these itch guard ads which were very disgusting. these ad makers seem to have come of age by shedding the " an itch in time saves nine" paradigm. these guys literally started from scratch and what materialised is an ad thats very subtle but effective. the harpic ad makers better take a good look lest their ads are flushed out of television!

In my good books...

Here's the list of books I read in the month of July.

The Jungle books by Rudyard Kipling.*
Geetanjali by Rabindranath Tagore
How to be good by Nick Hornby
Life of Pi by Yann Martel*
Matilda by Roald Dahl*
How to Advertise By ....
Airforces of the World By David Wragg

Fables by Bill Willingham which includes
Legends In Exile (issues 1 to 5)*
Animal Farm (issues 6 to 10)*
Bag 'O Bones (issue 11)
A Two-Part Caper (issues 12 and 13)
Storybook Love (issues 14 to 17)
Barleycorn Brides (issue 18)
The Last Castle
March of the Wooden Soldiers (issues 19 to 21 and 23 to 27)*
Cinderella Libertine (issue 22)
War Stories (issues 28 and 29)*
The Mean Seasons (issues 30 to 33)
Jack Be Nimble (issues 34 and 35)
Homelands (issues 36 to 38 and 40 and 41)*
Meanwhile (issue 39)
Arabian Nights (and Days) (issues 42 to 45)
The Ballad of Rodney and June (issues 46 and 47)
Wolves (issues 48 and 49)
Happily Ever After (issue 50)

Hitman by Garth Ennis which includes
Vol. 1: Hitman
Vol. 2: 10,000 Bullets

Marvels By Kurt Busiek *

Its very unlikely I'll better this in August. The ones with the * are highly recommended.

Have you ever seen the rain?

My worst fear is monotony. And with mediocrity being a humble accomplice, monotony easily strengthens its grip on my life. Having made this discovery some time during my graduation, i've always tried to explore newer realms of activity. Though my explorations have never yielded anything of significance, it has surely affected my interests. If I may say so, my interests over the years have "compounded", yet they remain "simple". Which brings me to my latest interest-Photography. Its been something of a lifesaver; it floats my boat in seas of ennui. When my temper slips from its moorings, it is lead back to where it rightly belongs by my latest interest.
Monday seemed like an acronym for monotony unlimited on the 23rd. And then there was a respite. The dark clouds "flashed" a silver lining...and then it rained! It was a blessing. For some reason I still cannot fathom, it stimulated my imagination and took me out of my narrow,humdrum self. I could'nt resist capturing the moment.
On a lighter note, I've come to realise that the rain patterns in a city often reflect the attitudes of its people. At least in the three places that i've lived in namely Bombay, Hyderabad and Manipal(not really a city!), the rains behaved very much like the residents of the respective areas. The rains in bombay work overtime like the quintessential mumbaikar, oblivious of the surroundings,come rain or storm(metaphorically speaking). Its counterpart in Hyderabad is extremely lethargic and laid-back. Extermely inconsiderate of the people who depend on it. One often gets the impression its about to rain, but the overcast conditions flatter to decieve. Its eventually a whole lot of wind. And when it begins to rain, it goes through a characteristic Hyderabadi "light lele mama!" ph(r)ase and lo! There is light! The sun in all its splendor.The rains in manipal however, like the students who reside in the university town require a deadline to function. It is hardly seen during the year and it piles up all its torrents for the examination months of May-June.
Using this analogy, i'd like to extend my observational induction to the city i'm likely to move to next - Delhi. I imagine the rains in Delhi behave like the babu's who bring life in its entirety to a standstill, and who need to be bribed periodically with prayers.Ah! Now I know what Jim Morrison meant when he said "Petition the lord with prayer".He was probably suggesting how one could overcome a shortage of rainfall in Delhi.

Animal Instincts!

check out the archives here

Harry Today gone tomorrow?

1.7 Lakh copies sold in India yesterday. My kid sister is a proud owner of one of those copies. I must admit I was one of the victims of the pre-sales hype and had to see this for myself. And the experience was so overwhelming, that I'm still at a loss for words.
So i'll make it easier both for the reader and myself. Uploading these pics will save me an effort of furnishing some six thousand words at least. Check it out...



Duh! and you thought booking the tickets for the latest harry potter movie was any easier?










we've come a long way baby!

English side bottoms up?

Much has been said about India's tour of England. I've always wondered if we've been victims of the in-house TVCs of the channels who've won the telecast rights or the TOI hype preceeding every tour the Indian cricket team embarks upon.So how good in this team, and how well are they equipped to stand up to the english onslaught on home turf?



This Indian team like most teams that have travelled to the sacrosant home of Cricket is as good as it gets on paper. But are they only so good on paper? Have they struck the right balance between experience and youth? Experience of english conditions is imperative for a side thats looking to achieve its first series win in england since 1986. I've followed cricket since 1991 and during this period, the men in blue have travelled twice to England(excluding the '99 Wc and the '04 ICC trophy). The observations I've made are on the basis of these tours.

In 1996 I remember Azar leading the team under the most controversial of circumstances.The team selection seemed to defy logic and common sense.Besides "Nepotism" seemed to be the operative word. The press cried hoarse about 5 karnataka lads who had been picked by the the selection committee led by G.Vishwanath. The three bowlers in Kumble, Srinath and Prasad were easily the best bowlers then. But also in the squad were a few rookies, Dravid and Joshi(of karnataka), Paras Mhambrey, Vikram Rathore and Saurav Ganguly. Also the spin department was heavily loaded with Kumble,Raju,Hirwani and Joshi, while the three seamers Srinath,Prasad and Mhambrey, with the latter two making their debuts,were all new to english conditions.Also the ones who missed out on the team did have their share of supporters- Manoj Prabhakar, Vinod Kambli and Salil Ankola.It looked like India had lost the series even before their flight departed the Indian shores.



India did lose the series 0-1. But the team did have their moments to cheer about. Firstly, Sachin Tendulkar, the 23 year old deputy played with a responsibility that defied his age in years. In what remains one of the best innings he's ever played, desipte the fact that it was one to a losing cause, his 122 in Edgbaston is one of the best "How to bat" guides for all budding batsmen. Srinath and Prasad established themselves as a potent opening pair of fast bowlers. Dravid's and Ganguly's exploits on debut along with Sachins 177 in Trentbridge prompted Tony Greig to say "1973 was probably one of the worst years for english cricket. It was the year Sachin,Saurav and Rahul were born."


Under Captain Courageous Mr Ganguly, the men in blue had a more memorable outing in 2002. Having just won the Natwest Trophy, the team sported positive vibes that probably concealed problems that were similar to what their counterparts in 1996 faced like a largely inexperienced bowling attack and make shift openers.The story lines were somewhat similar.The three bastions of the Indian middle order formed a fort on the foundation of which the team put up huge scores on the board. Also Shewag and Bangar, although make shift openers, did enjoy considerable success and the highly motivated Anil Kumble was desperate to make amends for the forgettable 1996 tour. It showed on the 1-1 scoreline.



That brings us to the present team. It still has Sachin, Rahul, Saurav and Anil in their ranks and it still depends on these four who are experiencing the autumn of their respective careers. Much will depend on how these four lead the rest. Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik play a very crucial role of the openers. And Jaffer has always been guilty of playing away from the body. That would make him very vulnerable to falling for the bait that Hoggard and co present him. Dhoni is going thro a lean patch, both as a keeper and as a batsman. In England, the flaws in a keepers technique are easily exposed and Akmal and Ramadhin will surely bear testimony to that fact.One can expect Dhoni to be subjected to some pressure.



The conditions are going to suit the seamers,but a young fast bowler on his first english tour has often been troubled by the slope in the wicket at Lords. While bowling up the hill can easily wear you down, bowling downhill on the contrary can affect your accuracy. Here's where the bowling coach has a big role to play along with the captain. He needs to identify specific roles for every bowler based on their strengths.And the most experienced pro, Anil Kumble will be expected to use his repertoire very judiciously on pitches that offer little assistance to his brand of spin bowling.

The English team is currently enjoying a high under Michael Vaughan. Injuries to Harmison, Jones and Flintoff notwithstanding, the English side will still have an edge over the visitors. Indian batsmen will still find Hoggard and Sidebottom quite a handful. I expect England to win the series 1-0 or 2-1, if weather permits a result in every game.

This now brings me to the best Indian XI ever to play in England. To mark the 75th anniversary of Indian Cricket, a panel of experts did come out with their list. I'll reserve my criticism of their choice for another entry. Here's my list:
Sunil Gavaskar
Vinoo Mankad
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
Saurav Ganguly(captain)
Dilip Vengsarkar
Farook Engineer(wk)
Kapil Dev
B S Chandrashekar
Javagal Srinath
Md Nissar
12th man: Ekanath Solkar
reserves: Chetan Sharma, Anil Kumble and Md Azharuddin.

If a reader finds that the selection has been unfair, let me remind you this based on performances in England.

All roads lead to "Roma": Movie Review

Federico Fellini's Roma is an autobiographical tribute to Rome, Italy, featuring a narration by Fellini himself and a mixture of real-life footage and fictional set pieces. What sets this movie apart is the fact that it lacks plot. In fact it is an autobiography of a proud Roman, but hardly a story of one individual. The movie starts with Fellini’s first impressions of the city as a student. The nostalgia is clearly evident in the scene when an instructor leads a group of students on an excursion. On the banks of River Rubicon is a revision of Caesar’s “Alea iacta est” before the wards follow their instructor and cross the river enroute Rome. Probably the sequence is reminiscent of Fellini’s childhood.



Suddenly after this is an artistic impression of Rome in the 30’s. After we are introduced to the city, we witness the director's early years, arriving in Rome in 1931 during the time of Mussolini. The 18 year old moves into a tenement building and then embarks on a wild journey as he is inducted into the carnivalesque culture of Italian street life. To accentuate the effect of this breathtaking sequence are the elements of projected light and layered yet amplified sound. The road side eatery is well lit and vibrancy of the ambience is exemplified by the colourful dishes that are being served. The background score is a babel of shouting voices, of customers satisfied or otherwise, of couples fighting, of children playing Football and celebrating a goal, of mothers grumbling and toddlers crying, of waiters shouting out the menu to fresh customers, of tramps who sing and dance to entertain and earn their meal; all this sandwiched between Nino Rota's wonderful music and sharp witty sarcastic dialogues like “ Who’s that? Lellos daughter?” “ Whose do you think, the priests?” “ In Rome, we say no matter what we eat, it all turns to shit”.



The movie however is inconsistent with chronology. The charms of the past are ever present, but often the audience is teleported 40 odd years into the future where a film crew is making a movie on Rome. Throughout the movie there’s never a clear distinction between the past and the present. It is possibly to showcase certain aspects of the culture which do not change with time. The overlapping of the past and the present and the continuation of one within the realms of the other is best shown in this sequence where the film crew is on a site seeing trip inside the newly built sub way tracks. Inside the tunnels, labyrinthine catacombs lead to an ancient roman house, buried several kilometers below the present day Rome. What is unveiled is a spectacular sight. We are shown a glimpse of the past in the cave which is laden with frescoes and statues. But this scene is brief as we see that on being exposed to the atmosphere, these artifacts reveal a thick layer of dust and physical decay, which gives us an idea of a number of centuries that these pieces have endured.






Fellini also employs a style that shifts between the narrative and the documentative, fantastical fiction interwoven with farcical facts. There is this scene when the present day world bows to natures fury. The traffic is stranded because of heavy rain and there is chaos everywhere but in the backdrop,braving the storm bravely is the colloseum. The director’s dexterity is well advertised with his handling of prostitution. The brothels are portrayed the way they ought to be, as one of the ills of society, but the portrayal as such is incredibly chaste. The movie aptly ends with a motorcycle rally at night. The shots of impressive buildings at night with the motorcycles’ vrooming noises in the background is artistic, to say the least.

To sum up, Roma is a love story, where a man professes his love for the city he’s a part of. It’s a tribute to Rome by one of her most famous sons. Your first viewing will invariably result in an infatuation, both for the city and the movie. It is surreal but not very distant from reality. But to enjoy this movie, a viewer should be willing to give it some time. After all, Rome was not built in a day. Nor was Fellini’s masterpiece.