DRAWING PARALLELS

HAVING SEEN "HAZARON KHWAHISHEIN....." FOR THE SECOND TIME, I FEEL, I AM IN A POSITION TO DRAW COMPARISONS,BETWEEN FEW BOOKS AND MOVIES, I HAVE SEEN,OFF LATE.LETS PUT IT LIKE,I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY THE COINCIDENCES THAT LIFE CATAPULTS US INTO.FOR EXAMPLE,A VERY BASIC ONE.I SEE "SWADES"(ONE OF MY FAVS) THE SAME YEAR WHEN I AM STUDYING SOCIOLOGY,BY CHANCE I GET THROUGH THE CREDITS AND CATCH HOLD OF A BOOK NAMED"BAPU KUTI" WHICH ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER ACKNOWLEDGES FOR HAVING TAKEN IDEAS FROM IT.I PURCHASE THE BOOK,AFTER A LOT OF SEARCH AND RESEARCH, AND FIND IT THOROUGHLY INTERESTING,THROUGH THE STORIES PUT ACROSS, ABOUT ORDINARY PEOPLE DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.JUST IMAGINE,THIS SUCCESS STORY,IMAGINE THE LIFE IN THIS VILLAGE ,THAT MARS,TOLD ME ABOUT,WHICH IS FULLY SELF RELIANT,SOMEWHERE IN THE HEARTLAND OF GUJARAT."BAPU KUTI" HAS SEVERAL SUCH STORIES,OF AN IAS OFFICER WHO QUIT HER PRESTIGIOUS JOB AS A DISTRICT COLLECTOR,JUST BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO WORK THE WAY SHE WANTED TO.SHE QUIT AND DID WHAT SHE DREAMT OFF.OF RAVINDRA SHARMA,OF ADILABAD,WHO AS A KID,CHERISHED THE DAWN SINGERS,THE HYMN SINGERS AND LOCAL PERFORMERS,BUT AS HE GREW UP AND MODERNISATION SWEPT THROUGH THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES,THESE FOLKS VANISHED IS SUCH OBLIVION THAT,EVEN THEY THEMSELVES,WOULD NEVER COME TO KNOW.
"SWADES" WAS REALLY INSPIRING,I LEAVE APART,THE VIEWS OF FEW PEOPLE,WHO SAY IT WAS DOCUMENTARISH AND ALL THAT BORROWED SHIT.I BELIEVE IT WAS A STORY WELL TOLD.WHILE I WAS GOING THROUGH ALL THIS,I WAS ALSO READING,SHASHI THAROOR'S "INDIA-MIDNIGHT TO MILLENIUM"(MARS WILL JUMP OUT OF HIS SEAT I KNOW,IN PRAISES OF THIS BOOK,OF COURSE).THIS BOOK WAS ABOUT SOCIO-POLITICAL CHANGES THAT CAME ABOUT IN OUR ENORMOUS COUNTRY IN THE 50 YEARS AFTER THE INDEPENDENCE.I FOUND IT VERY INTERESTING,BECAUSE HE HAS JUST PUT EVERYTHING SO WELL,IN AN IMPECCABLE"ENGLISH".

EH,AGAIN A COINCIDENCE,WHAT IS IT WITH THIS "CHE GUEVARA" YAAR?
I SAW HIS IMAGE IN "HAZAAROON...",SUDHIR MISHRA'S INTERVIEW,AND WHAT THE HECK,KIDS ARE HAVING HIS NAME TOO THESE DAYS, LONG LIVE,THE COMMUNISM.I WONDER,WHAT IDEOLOGY,DO I BELONG TO?JUST KIDDING.WE'LL CONFIGURE THAT WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO.RIGHT.GEETA,COINCIDENCE OR JUST PLAIN THING,ARE BOTH CHARACTERS IN "SWADES" AND "HAZAAROON....." WHO GO TO VILLAGES AND TEACH IN SCHOOLS,AND HAVE GOT VERY FIRM BELIEFS,BELIEF IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR WORK,FORGET ABOUT THEIR IDEOLOGIES.SECOND,BOTH EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL,TALENTED AND PROMISING.GAYATRI JOSHI AND CHITRANGADA HAVE IMPRESSED ME SO MUCH THAT,SECRETLY,BUT SURELY,I MAY TELL MY MOM TO FIND A GIRL FOR ME,WHO TEACHES,AS WELL.JOKES APART,THE QUESTION THAT HAS PLAGUED ME SINCE,I HAVE WATCHED THESE FILMS,IS THAT,WILL GOWARIKER AND MISHRA BOTH STAY UPTO THE STANDARDS THEY HAVE SET THEMSELVES,WHEN "JODHA AKBAR" UNFOLDS AND MISHRA CHURNS OUT ANOTHER FLICK.

SOME FINE DAY,I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO "SEWAGRAM ASHRAM",OR EVEN "SABARMATI ASHRAM" TO LIVE THOSE MOMENTS OF THOUGHT AND PEACE WITH MYSELF AND SEE WHERE DO I BELONG.SOMEDAY,I WILL ALSO LIKE TO ENLIST ALL THOSE STUPID COINCIDENCES,WHICH HAVE MADE DEFINITELY SOME DIFFERENCE TO ME,SOMEHOW.MORE TO COME SOON.....

FOR BEGINNERS CHE GUEVARA(ISKO TO MEIN NAI CHODUNGA!) IS A MARXIST WHO WORKED ALONGSIDE FIDEL CASTRO,TO SHAPE UP A REVOLUTION IN CUBA,THE SUGARLAND.TIME TO REVOLUTIONISE,SOCIALISE,COMMUNALISE,POLITICISE,SLEEPISE,EATISE,,,....
SHIT,BRAIN HAEMORRHAGE,DOCTOR KO BULAO....BACHAO.