Excerpt from the poem - Rain and Riches by Sunil Sachdev

 In its truest sense

the rainbow should come 

before the rain 

as 

then at its end would be 

not only 

a pot of gold 

but a shower 

of rubies 

 and gems

and diamonds 

Great Indian Recipe: Parliamentary Brick - Poems by Sunil Sachdev from the book U Turn

 Carefully select one well-grown 

and thick skinned student leader 

dress him up like a chicken 

then put him in a kneader 

the purpose of the kneader 

is to make a spineless dough 

but the thick skin should remain 

to tell half truths and to bow

now put this special dough 

in a national party mould

party name is not important

provided its leaders are old 

keep the mould in a furnace 

lit by communal fires

and blow air mixed with slogans 

to brainwash and inspire 

when this hardened lout turns 

red and yellow and white 

you know he is ready to change 

colours, and wear what's right 

the 'brick' is now ready 

to lay another foundation 

to join Indian politics 

serve parliament and nation. 

क्षणिका

मैंने तुमसे नहीं सीखा 

गिर कर सम्हलना 

तुम्हारा योगदान 

बस गिराना भर था। 

कविता की ज़िद

वो जो छींक 

आधे में रुक जाती है न? 

जिसके आ जाने तक 

सांस रोकने के अलावा कुछ नहीं कर सकते? 

पूरे अधिकार से 

रोक देती है 

जो भी ज़रूरी काज या बात 

कर रहे हों। 

सर्वाधिकार संपूर्णतया सुरक्षित। 

कुछ कविताओं का मन में आना भी 

ऐसा ही है। 

You know that sneeze 

that stops midway

just to demand 

complete attention? 

Where you have to stop doing

or saying 

Whatever it is that you were

saying or doing? 

Yeah, some poems 

come to the head 

in the same way. 

My EVM journey

Yesterday was elections where we live. 

I noticed that on the Electronic Voting Machind, the candidates from the 2 main parties - BJP and Congress were placed next to each other. 

Anyway, I registered my vote but to my surprise, the button next to it lit up. 

I thought, at the time, that i had pressed the wrong button. 

But since the other button belonged to a party that is responsible for the massacre of my family members, I just could not let it go. 

All day and all evening, I kept thinking of how I could have pressed the wrong button. 

And at night, I focused the brain to go back to the moment the button was pressed. The symbol of the candidate is to the left. Which symbol was it when I was pressing the button?? 

It was the right symbol. I did press the intended button, but the machine registered my vote differently. 

I understand this is a serious accusation, and there is no way of proving it bcs there is no CCTV camera inside the booth, but I know what happened here. 

Incidentally, only one party created a ruckus saying that the EVMs can be tampered. It was the party that 'erroneously' got my vote yesterday. 

Even if no one knows, I know. 

Update: The results were announced and the party who got my vote unintentionally still lost. Surprisingly, only in my state, they started talking about an EVM malfunction. No other state where they lost, did they allege EVM malfunction. My sense is that they expected some amount of ground votes (real votes) and some amount of EVM rigging, and that would be the way to win elections. But the rigging did not quite compensate for the lack of ground votes, hence the frustration. However, after this, i will never allege that EVMs are incorruptible. I stand corrected through personal anecdotal experience. 

Book Review: U Turn by Sunil Sachdev

This book is now out of print. It came out in 1992. 

Every book belongs to an era. 2024 is not the right era for half of this book. But for the other half, it is still relevant. 

The writing is crisp and intelligent. The metaphors are well drawn. Sarcasm drips in the right dose from every line. 

One of the strangest things on earth 

is a place they call school. 

while the place is meant for learning, 

you learn out of as a rule. 

At some places, there is timeless angst: 

without a motherland to defend, 

a soldier should kill who? 

In a poem called Life Management, he presents a view that many of us will chuckle and agree with: 

The long-term objectives 

vs the short-term goals; 

the debate is endless

but the theory has holes. 

The futility of words is rued at the end of a long poem on the subject: 

Great poets, thinkers, and the like 

will come and go for ever 

they can't change a thing

but fill library shelves forever. 

It is in education and politics that his comments are most incisive. One can debate their practicality, and that is what makes them food for thought. On education: 

The whole outlook on education 

needs a revolutionary U-Turn 

each to his needs should be the aim 

not to his age as is the pattern. 

Love for nature is also very evident at more places than one. But this paragraph stands out: 

It its truest sense 

the rainbow should come

before the rain; 

as 

then at its end would be 

not only 

a pot of gold 

but a shower 

of rubies 

and gems

and diamonds. 

The poems I especially liked are Coloured Vision, and the series on Indian recipes. 

Coloured Vision: 

If green is the colour 

of leaves

It can't be the colour 

of envy. 

If blue is the colour 

of the sky 

how can I ever feel blue? 

If red is the colour 

of the glowing sunset 

how can it mean danger? 

If black is the colour of 

a starry night 

how can black bring bad luck? 

If white is the colour 

of a new born day 

how can white stand for mourning? 

Reason #142587 that I love secondhand books: I got an author signed copy of the first edition - 1992!!! 

झूठे

तुम्हारे बोल 

का क्या मोल? 

प्रतिच्छेद

मर्दों के संसार चलते हैं 

चौपालों से 

अखबारों से 

पंचायत से 

टीवी पर चल रहे फुटबाल से 

सामयिक चर्चाओं से 

निवेश पर विवेचनाओं से 

दफ्तरों से 

खेल के मैदानों  से 

संगीत- नाटक सभाओं से 

घरों की बैठकों से 

औरतों के संसार चलते हैं 

सांझे चूल्हे से 

पनघट से 

पानदान से 

झूलों से 

नदी के घाट से 

बैलगाड़ी में बैठ पहुँचने वाले मेले, 

तीज त्योहार से 

व्रत उपवास से 

गरबा, सेंदूर खेला, वरलक्ष्मी व्रत, बोपटलु से 

घरों की रसोईयों से 

इनके मिलने के दायरों में 

कोई प्रतिच्छेद (intersection)  नहीं है 

This poem speaks about the social settings for men and women, and how there are literally no common areas where men and women can socially interact with each other. This leads to limited dialogue and exchange of views. While the poem has some exaggeration, because they do interact in marriages and other social functions, by and large, both the topics of discussion and the physical spaces where they meet are very different. Even when entertaining at home, men tend to sit in the drawing room, while women retire to the kitchen or the 'parlour'. Even while working in the office, men tend to socialise in office, while women focus on finishing work and reaching home to start their home shift of caregiving and domestic work. 

The world of men

is in offices 

pubs 

football matches 

news discussions

water coolers 

drawing room discussions 

The world of women

is in watering holes 

bakeries 

swings 

fairs 

dance parties 

kitchen chats 

And there is 

no intersection. 

Film Review: Bad Newz

 

First things first, Dharma Productions is the producer of this movie. How do we know that? From the endless plugs of ghosts of movies-we-hope-you-will-remember-but-nope-you-don't. 

The writers are Tarun Dudeja and Ishita Moitra. They deserve a special award for having the highest number of missed opportunities of humour in a script. 

What I loved about the film is the plot. One will not even blink at a plot about two women who are dependent on the same man because he is the father of both their children. But a woman is having step-fraternal twins - from two different fathers. What's more? The prospective fathers agree to a paternity test AND don't bat an eyelid when they are told the results. 

This could so easily have been a moral science story with a serious lecture in place. The woman sermonising about the general ills of society for women. But it was crafted as a funny script, where the protagonist is an ambitious chef. The situations that lead to the... situation.. appear natural, not forced. 

Tripti Dimri is a good actress. The revelation in the film was that Vicky Kaushal is not just a versatile actor, he also has amazing screen presence. In a character that has probably been played ad nauseum, and for Dilliwallas, is not a character at all, he manages to create something that one continues to want to see. Any comparisons with Ranvir Singh are not fair - for the simple reason that this character is a little more nuanced. The empty bravado that was integral to Ranvir's character is totally missing here.  He is GOAT but also attached to mom and vulnerable and scared of not having his phone on him. 

Amy Virk is a surprise. The casting of Amy Virk is perfect-o. This character needed his calm presence. While both screen time and range for his character are limited compared to Vicky's character, he manages to make his presence felt.  

The storytelling is interesting. In the sense that the situational comedy does not all fall flat. It remains light-hearted, and most importantly, is able to avoid the irritating slapstick flavour that one has come to expect from Bollywood films. Where it does not amuse, it at least does not irritate. 

The cinematography is good, but is more than ably aided by the fantastic locations. The music score did not really lead to humming once the movie was over. The background score made its presence felt in the right way at some places. 

Final feeling? I was amused for the most part. Some chuckles were drawn and once, laughter also happened. Can this trio deliver another comedy? Maybe. But it will be a lot of hard work.