One of my greater pleasures in life has been reading two Indian authors--- Sudha Murthy and Ruskin Bond. One is the wife of a man who helped script India's success story in the Software industry –Infosys Chief Mentor Mr N R Narayana Murthy. Sudha Murthy has done her duty in life as a wife, mother and is now using literature as an avenue for self expression as well as a means for funding her larger calling in life --Charity. The other Ruskin Bond is a professional writer who chose the path of literature over that of a cushy job and remained single so that he could devote himself to his call in life-writing. Ruskin Bond is a man who still in some ways lives or at any rate writes in a time warp. While he has retreated to the hills in Mussoorie, the settings of most of his stories are Dehradun, more specifically the Dehradun of his boyhood.
Sudha Murthy's stories are spread across the country and while she often likes to delve into the past and recount even old stories, this lady's stories are as contemporary as they get. The two writers’ despite the difference in their background and the settings of their stories have one thing in common--simplicity. Reading both of them is to see writing reduced to its simplest form. Not for them the bombast of words but the simplicty of an idea. Indeed this is the common strain that binds the two authors together. Whether Sudha Murthy is writing about how she taught her grandmother to read or the ungratefulness of a man who refuses to acknowledge those who helped him in his past--her stories manage to reduce the human situation to a level of simplicity which few authors before her have managed. Her stories in English (which is all that I can read due to my own linguistic limitations) may not please the lover of literature but the reader can relate to what she is writing. All of us have seen children taking up the phone and blocking it through incessant use even as their parents watched helplessly. Haven’t we all at sometime not encountered a chattering relative and a poor people who are honest to the core?
Ruskin Bond on the other hand can elevate the art of simple writing to a literary form. While he chose not to study in England and opt out of the usual routine of studying in a Victorian setting his writings are unmistakably literary. The settings of his stories are maybe Dehradun but the contribution to literature is unmistakable. In many way Bond alongwith R K Narayan can be considered as a pioneer in Indian writing in English. Long before it became fashionable or profitable.
Next time you have time on your hands and you are wondering as to what to do not reach out for the television set but pick up a collection of stories by Ruskin Bond or Sudha Murthy. If not anything else, you would have had a glimpse of that long forgotten art--simplicity.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Karl Marx and Madhuri Dixit
It was April 1992 and I was four months into my career as a film journalist. After covering pretty mundane stuff in Mumbai, I finally got a chance to head towards the cooler climes of Ooty. It was my first trip as a film journalist and I was finally getting to where the action happened--the location shoot of the film Prem Deewane starring Jackie Shroff, Pooja Bhatt, Vivek Mushran and of course Madhuri Dixit. who had five years back danced into millions of hearts with “Ek do Teen---..
At 27, I had a certain natural exuberance and certainly thought that the world was my stage. It was at the location of the shooting when I perceived Madhuri, I was as some eminent writer has said--suitably overawed. It was then that the significance of the moment dawned on me. I was in the presence of Madhuri Dixit.
Madhuri spoke to the bunch of journalists who had come from Mumbai in between giving shots. My natural exuberance returned after a while, when I began my line of questioning.
Indian cinema I said in my wisdom hadn’t really come upto world standards. For instance when a person read a book he came away feeling far more intellectually charged than when watching a movie. Madhuri asked me to explain this further. For instance, I said that when a person read Karl Marx, one came away with thoughts of revolution while one got nothing of that sort on watching our movies. “That is because, when a person goes to the movies he is looking at taking his mind off his troubles and enjoy. He is not receptive to messages like those given by Karl Marx,” Madhuri said. I was suitably impressed by her explanation.
Soon after some more questioning I felt that perhaps I had been too aggressive. I confessed to her that I was one of her fans and had seen her movie Saajan several times. I also suggested that she had possibly enough of me for the time being. She just laughed and said, “We will call you Karl Marx,” even as I said goodbye.
A sense of humour and a sense of timing. The same sense of timing that made her walk away from the arc lights and settle for matrimonial bliss at the right moment. That is Madhuri Dixit Nene for you.
At 27, I had a certain natural exuberance and certainly thought that the world was my stage. It was at the location of the shooting when I perceived Madhuri, I was as some eminent writer has said--suitably overawed. It was then that the significance of the moment dawned on me. I was in the presence of Madhuri Dixit.
Madhuri spoke to the bunch of journalists who had come from Mumbai in between giving shots. My natural exuberance returned after a while, when I began my line of questioning.
Indian cinema I said in my wisdom hadn’t really come upto world standards. For instance when a person read a book he came away feeling far more intellectually charged than when watching a movie. Madhuri asked me to explain this further. For instance, I said that when a person read Karl Marx, one came away with thoughts of revolution while one got nothing of that sort on watching our movies. “That is because, when a person goes to the movies he is looking at taking his mind off his troubles and enjoy. He is not receptive to messages like those given by Karl Marx,” Madhuri said. I was suitably impressed by her explanation.
Soon after some more questioning I felt that perhaps I had been too aggressive. I confessed to her that I was one of her fans and had seen her movie Saajan several times. I also suggested that she had possibly enough of me for the time being. She just laughed and said, “We will call you Karl Marx,” even as I said goodbye.
A sense of humour and a sense of timing. The same sense of timing that made her walk away from the arc lights and settle for matrimonial bliss at the right moment. That is Madhuri Dixit Nene for you.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Aamir Khan: Good things in life can be real too
The year was 1988 and as my tired eyes and brains sought some relief while preparing for my final year B.sc examinations, I suddenly heard a mellifluous strain wafting in. Glancing up, I saw that it was coming from the Television set. A young actor and actress were singing “Ghazab ka ye din socho zara”. I was struck by the boyish good looks of the actor who was at that time a new face. The actor was Aamir Khan, the actress Juhi Chawla and the movie of course Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT). This movie to me heralded more than a fresh face in Indian cinema. As subsequent events were to prove, it also marked the beginning of the vulgar song era that started with Himmatwala.
Little did I know then I would meet Aamir Khan four years later. I had become a film journalist, and had gone to cover the shooting of Yash Chopra’s Parampara starring Aamir somewhere near Pune. The year was 1992 and his movie Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar had been released to much acclaim.
Aamir was very happy discussing the character he portrayed in the movie—Sanjay Lal- the enfant terrible who matures and takes on the responsibility of participating in a bicycle race after his brother (Marmik) had to withdraw following a fight brought on by who else but Sanjay Lal’s actions. There was also a refreshing honesty about Aamir. When I asked him why his movies between QSQT and Dil flopped he said, “They deserved to flop”. Also on display was a passion to excel. Even after Yash Chopra okayed a shot I saw Aamir asking for a retake many times. The great director obliged.
Soon I left film journalism and moved on to other things in life but the meeting with Aamir left an indelible mark on me. Last Friday, while watching a TV programme on the actor turning 44, I remembered my brief meeting with him. Next day the media was splashed with interviews of Aamir Khan who had now moved on to becoming a film maker apart from continuing as an actor.
In one of the interviews he said that whenever he had made a decision based on what his heart told him, he had succeeded. On the other hand, whenever he made decisions based on pure logic they often did not work out. As an example he pointed out to Parampara. One has to concede that this is one of his least memorable movies.
The significant thing is that in a glamour world dominated by hype Aamir Khan still rings true. The actor seems to be marching to an inner beat. If there is one word that can define Aamir Khan it is perhaps originality. Good things in life can be real too.
Little did I know then I would meet Aamir Khan four years later. I had become a film journalist, and had gone to cover the shooting of Yash Chopra’s Parampara starring Aamir somewhere near Pune. The year was 1992 and his movie Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar had been released to much acclaim.
Aamir was very happy discussing the character he portrayed in the movie—Sanjay Lal- the enfant terrible who matures and takes on the responsibility of participating in a bicycle race after his brother (Marmik) had to withdraw following a fight brought on by who else but Sanjay Lal’s actions. There was also a refreshing honesty about Aamir. When I asked him why his movies between QSQT and Dil flopped he said, “They deserved to flop”. Also on display was a passion to excel. Even after Yash Chopra okayed a shot I saw Aamir asking for a retake many times. The great director obliged.
Soon I left film journalism and moved on to other things in life but the meeting with Aamir left an indelible mark on me. Last Friday, while watching a TV programme on the actor turning 44, I remembered my brief meeting with him. Next day the media was splashed with interviews of Aamir Khan who had now moved on to becoming a film maker apart from continuing as an actor.
In one of the interviews he said that whenever he had made a decision based on what his heart told him, he had succeeded. On the other hand, whenever he made decisions based on pure logic they often did not work out. As an example he pointed out to Parampara. One has to concede that this is one of his least memorable movies.
The significant thing is that in a glamour world dominated by hype Aamir Khan still rings true. The actor seems to be marching to an inner beat. If there is one word that can define Aamir Khan it is perhaps originality. Good things in life can be real too.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Courage and International Women’s Day
What is courage ? Is it David taking on Goliath ? Is it Lord Rama fighting the demons while still a mere teen ? Coming to our times and closer home , is it the bravery displayed by the employees of The Taj during the attacks on 26/11 ? Or the bus driver who drove the Sri Lankan cricket team to safety when they were attacked about a week back at Lahore ?
While all these rank as singular acts of courage spread over time, my definition of courage is very simple. It is really what you tell your wife when she is away from you.For years, I have been asking my friends especially journalists to tell their wives something very simple. All they have to do when their wives are away on a visit especially to their maternal home is to pick up the phone and say, “ Darling, I am really enjoying life and not missing you at all.” A simple enough piece of work one would think. Especially to journalists who are convinced they should be ruling the world ie in the rare case when they think that they aren’t already ruling the world. Not one of them has taken me up on this challenge. These ardent writers of stories and aggressive mails to company CEOs have been strangely found wanting in eloquence when it comes to this simple task.
They have simply taken the easy way out: they have laughed and treated this purely as a joke. Truly this is a world where men aren’t men . Mind you all it requires to be courageous is to utter a few words. No facing Goliath, demons or terrorists.
Well I can say with conviction that I have fared better than them. That could be because I am an ex-journalist. I have told my wife precisely these words but have made it sound like a joke. There are limits beyond which even an ex-journalist’s courage cannot be stretched.
This is the best tribute that I can pay to to my wife and millions like her across the globe as I write this on International Women’s Day.
While all these rank as singular acts of courage spread over time, my definition of courage is very simple. It is really what you tell your wife when she is away from you.For years, I have been asking my friends especially journalists to tell their wives something very simple. All they have to do when their wives are away on a visit especially to their maternal home is to pick up the phone and say, “ Darling, I am really enjoying life and not missing you at all.” A simple enough piece of work one would think. Especially to journalists who are convinced they should be ruling the world ie in the rare case when they think that they aren’t already ruling the world. Not one of them has taken me up on this challenge. These ardent writers of stories and aggressive mails to company CEOs have been strangely found wanting in eloquence when it comes to this simple task.
They have simply taken the easy way out: they have laughed and treated this purely as a joke. Truly this is a world where men aren’t men . Mind you all it requires to be courageous is to utter a few words. No facing Goliath, demons or terrorists.
Well I can say with conviction that I have fared better than them. That could be because I am an ex-journalist. I have told my wife precisely these words but have made it sound like a joke. There are limits beyond which even an ex-journalist’s courage cannot be stretched.
This is the best tribute that I can pay to to my wife and millions like her across the globe as I write this on International Women’s Day.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Thank you Dale Carnegie: Envy is indeed ignorance
I have never been a follower of gurus or subscribed to any isms in my life. I have always maintained that the only ism I subscribe is optimism. However during my teenage days, the one person whose teachings I tried to put into practice was Dale Carnegie. His books –How to Win Friends and Influence People & How to Stop Worrying and Start Living had well a profound influence on me. Especially, I was so much influenced by How to Win Friends and Influence People that my college friend Shankar described me as a “follower of Dale Carnegie”.
Basically as I understood it, Carnegie advocated that we genuinely try to see things from other person’s point of view and made it absolutely clear that he was not advocating a bag of tricks. He was a strong advocate of praise as opposed to flattery. If truth be told, some of his methods largely worked. I did make a few good acquaintances by following the simple principle of praising people regarding their genuinely good qualities. Also, I was considerably emboldened by reading How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. I not only stopped worrying but became over confident. This was reflected in my 12th standard examination results.
Gradually, as other experiences in life shaped me, I realized that Dale Carnegie’s views were not always practical. While they had their merits, it could not serve as a compass for my life. For instance, ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’ seems to suggest that it is possible to friendly at all times. Life has taught all of us that, human nature is as much about conflict as friendship. Later when I read that Dale Carnegie had committed suicide, I lost all faith in his work. How could a man who wrote ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living’ commit suicide?
As time passed, I realized that just as Dale Carnegie was not right about everything, he was not wrong about everything either. I must confess that, I am forever indebted to a small part of what I read in ‘How to Stop Worrying----’. He quoted an excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous essay on ‘Self Reliance’ which went as follows: There comes a time in every man’s education when he realizes that envy is ignorance and imitation is suicide.
I do not claim to be a saint who has not been touched by the green eyed monster. I have however been largely free of envy in my life. This comes form the simple realization that envy is indeed ignorance. I shall forever be grateful to Dale Carnegie for this valuable lesson.
Basically as I understood it, Carnegie advocated that we genuinely try to see things from other person’s point of view and made it absolutely clear that he was not advocating a bag of tricks. He was a strong advocate of praise as opposed to flattery. If truth be told, some of his methods largely worked. I did make a few good acquaintances by following the simple principle of praising people regarding their genuinely good qualities. Also, I was considerably emboldened by reading How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. I not only stopped worrying but became over confident. This was reflected in my 12th standard examination results.
Gradually, as other experiences in life shaped me, I realized that Dale Carnegie’s views were not always practical. While they had their merits, it could not serve as a compass for my life. For instance, ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’ seems to suggest that it is possible to friendly at all times. Life has taught all of us that, human nature is as much about conflict as friendship. Later when I read that Dale Carnegie had committed suicide, I lost all faith in his work. How could a man who wrote ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living’ commit suicide?
As time passed, I realized that just as Dale Carnegie was not right about everything, he was not wrong about everything either. I must confess that, I am forever indebted to a small part of what I read in ‘How to Stop Worrying----’. He quoted an excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous essay on ‘Self Reliance’ which went as follows: There comes a time in every man’s education when he realizes that envy is ignorance and imitation is suicide.
I do not claim to be a saint who has not been touched by the green eyed monster. I have however been largely free of envy in my life. This comes form the simple realization that envy is indeed ignorance. I shall forever be grateful to Dale Carnegie for this valuable lesson.
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