Bhagalpur shamed...yet again

The underbelly of Indian democracy?

The disturbing visuals that were beamed across television channels on August 29, 2007 stood testimony to the dead conscience of our so called civilized society...

A twenty-something man, accused of chain snatching, was mercilessly beaten up by the local residents of Nathnagar in Bhagalpur district of Bihar.

A barrage of blows was being rained upon him...everyone seemed to take immense pleasure in kicking and punching the malnourished man – his hands tied behind his back.

After beating him black and blue, the irate mob handed him over to the police.

And the police was no less...

A policeman tied one of his feet to the back of his motorcycle and dragged him through the street.

Bhagalpur had earned the epithet for police brutality three decades ago when policemen poured acid into the eyes of several under trials.

And this time too, the district police stood up to its reputation...

The wretched man cried and pleaded for mercy...but to no avail...all those present at the scene had lost their conscience.

None came for the man’s rescue...everyone watched the savagery...silently.

Humanity grieved and wept...

‘Chak de! India’

All about women empowerment, a dying sport and a determination to win...

'Chak De! India’ has indeed superseded everyone’s expectations. I watched this movie last Friday...and I was awestruck. The adrenalin pumping film had no dull moment...no boring scene...it seemed as if everything was happening right before my eyes...everything seemed real.


The film has brought the spotlight back on a dying sport...which is ironically our national sport. Without any skin show or mushy romance, the film grips you like a fairy tale, like a dream...but with a lot of substance.

The film, whose title literally translates into ‘Buck up India’, is loosely based on Mir Ranjan Negi’s life. Negi, the Indian goalkeeper, was held responsible for the humiliating 7-1 loss to arch rival Pakistan in the 1982 Asian Games final. Accused of treachery, he vanished from the hockey scene for almost a decade and a half. He returned as a goalkeeping coach and helped India win 1998 Asian Games gold. And later in 2002, Indian women’s team won the laurels in 2002 Commonwealth Games under his tutelage.

Shah Rukh Khan is simply amazing in the role of coach Kabir Khan, a disgraced man, who has been reluctantly entrusted upon the task of training the Indian women’s team for the world cup...A bunch of 16 spirited young girls who are not without their share of flaws and weaknesses. Needless to say, the team is hardly a team – with no sense of team or sportsman’s spirit. Ego hassles and regionalism reign supreme.

Shah Rukh, former captain of Indian Hockey team, tries to recuperate from the shame and ignominy he has been going through for the past seven years. Branded as traitor and accused of match-fixing (Revealing the story here won’t be nice idea...isn’t it?) with Pakistan, Khan returns to the field for the love of the game and (may be) to reclaim his lost glory.

Now, binding together all the team mates with a common goal seems to be a Herculean task for the coach. The girls, who hail from different states and diverse backgrounds, have little sense of companionship. And it’s a treat to watch Shah Rukh bringing them together and making them realise their ultimate goal.

And the performances are all marvellous - be it the protagonist, the girls, or the character artists, everyone has done a wonderful job. Anjan Shrivastav appears a replica of a ‘sarkari babu’ in the role of the hockey federation president. And Shah Rukh’s assistant ‘Krishna Ji’ is also worth mentioning.

But the lifeline of the film is the 16 girls...their daily bickering...their transformation into a team which later works towards a common goal...but the infightings continue till the last moment.


The women fight gender bias while Shah Rukh has to combat the ‘babudom’ plaguing Indian sports.

The team gets a new lease of life and a fresh bout of confidence when the Indian Men’s team raises their hockey sticks as a symbol of acknowledgement and respect for the women’s team...I love that scene. I want to write more but have to stop here...I fear I’ll reveal the story, which I don’t want.

Go and watch the movie...or watch it at home...but please do watch it. It’ll fill you with patriotism...it will fill you with that indomitable spirit that is required to attain the unattainable.

Metrosexuality and Indian Male

Indian male has stormed a hitherto women's bastion and that too with a bang. Indian advertising is witnessing a sea change with metrosexual man causing ripples in the mad-ad world with his appeal and style.

Metrosexual, a relatively recent jargon, is yet to find mention in popular dictionaries, however men with this tag have already rocked the rather conservative Indian advertising arena.The locution befits men who take extra-care of their appearance, regularly visit beauty parlours for all those beauty treatments so far associated with women only, such as manicures and pedicures, facials, waxing, and much more.

Carrying their softer feminine side on their sleeves, they are not embarrassed with their ways which are in stark contrast with the image of a macho man.

Experts say that Indian urban male has become far more conscious about himself and his looks and spends substantial amount of his income on personal grooming and beauty products.

The changing trend has given marketers an idea to launch advertising campaigns where well-preened men are endorsing products instead of female models.Lux, one of the oldest brands of India's premiere Hindustan Levers Limited, has featured Bollywood icon Shahrukh Khan in its 75th anniversary celebrations advertisements. The brand so far was endorsed only by reigning Bollywood beauties.

The sweeping social changes have led to the doling out of new products, which especially cater to men. Hair gels, deodorants, colognes, after shave lotions, and a number of other toiletries are making inroads into the lives of urban males who have high disposable income and access to sophisticated shopping malls replete with a plethora of branded personal care products, clothes and accessories.

The latest to join the bandwagon is a new fairness cream "fair and handsome" launched by a renowned personal beauty care products company targeting complexion conscious men.The commercial for the cream, has, again a male model trying to woo pretty women with his complexion lightened by applying the cream.

Metrosexuality is, thus, one of the fastest emerging urban phenomenon that has given an entirely new dimension to the personality of the Indian male.Analysts, however, say that portraying men as metrosexuals might not go very well with the rural audience where the concept has still to find takers.

It is, however, rocking the urban India, where men won't mind going under the scalpel to get that perfect nose, lip, or opt for head-to-toe skin polishing to bring that extra gloss and brightness to their persona.

Haneef’s back...but what about others?

The month-long ordeal for Dr. Mohammed Haneef and his family is finally over. The Indian doctor returned home from Australia on Sunday night to a rousing welcome from family, friends, relatives and well-wishers after the terror charges against him were dropped and his honour restored. While Australian media and local NGOs played a pivotal role in his release, the Indian government too intervened and did what it could do for him. Ironically, when our Prime Minister objected to the stereotyping of Indians in view of Haneef’s arrest in Australia, he simply overlooked the fact that many continue to languish in prisons of his own country without being charged. When our progressive Prime Minister appealed Australia to honour and safeguard Haneef’s rights, he forgot how the rights of several voiceless men and women are regularly violated because of the painfully slow and sometimes-flawed justice system in India. Under such circumstances, the pride and self-esteem of the person become the first casualty and his life second. And the appalling conditions in the overcrowded prisons simply add to his never-ending woes. And how about those who are charged on flimsy grounds after being rendered powerless by the ruthless and moth-eaten system? There have been several instances in the past when anti-terror laws were used thoughtlessly and blindly. People are booked and incarcerated on mere suspicion...and the suspicion could arise from a variety of factors, including the community one belongs to. It takes them months and years and sometimes an entire lifetime to prove their innocence. So how are we preserving and protecting their rights? Are we not dishonouring the very tenets of democracy? And we have the cheek to call Australia a racist country? We are the casteist, the communalists and world’s greatest hypocrites.