One prominent feature of MOST of the hollywood movies I have watched till this day is that the story would always be about, or atleast will have elements of, Americans being the saviour of the world. Whether Americans really are, is debate in itself, but I had always dismissed any urge to get upset about it by thinking of two possible reasons for the above mentioned observation: 1) May be just the movie maker believed so. 2) General feeling among Americans could be so, and intelligent movie maker knew what to give to the people to make it a box office hit.
Either way, I couldn't get rid of the idea that atleast some think so!
But the last two hollywood movies I watched makes me think again.
1st was '2012'. It was quite surprising to see that movie showing an Indian as the one who figured out from all his observations what was gonna happen to earth very soon. Quoting the hero of the movie: "he was the one who joined all the dots". Though the rest of it was very much like any other regular hollywood thriller which threw enough cheap sentiments into the air for the audience to catch and get excited/sentimental about, the Indian factor came through as a refreshing surprise!
And then came 'Avatar', with even bigger blow to my prejudice that, in hollywood movies when it came to Inter-national/inter-continental/inter-planetory issues, Americans would always be the good guys. Hollywood movies had taught me that Aliens were always hostile. Atleast among all the HW movies I had seen, Avatar was the first to show people from earth (no prize for guessing: from which country) as the bad guys! I think Cameron himself has acknowledged that his movie hints at America's recent military ventures into various parts of the world on commercial interest.
Anyway, what interests me is the courage shown by these movie makers to step closer to reality even within the fiction, that these movies are.
Am I seeing some changes? And, would I see more?
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
നൈസാമിന്റെ നാട്ടില്, മഴ പെയ്തൊരു നൈറ്റില്
It was... "Just another rainy monday 2 am"....(Please read it with the tune of Fool's Garden's "LemonTree"...but everything happened quite opposite to what the lyrics of that song says!!!!Everything happened! and I dont wonder!) Lemme give a brief description of the background ...it was heavy down pour and needless to say, road was slippery, and as always when it rains, no streetlights.
I was just about 200 meters away from my office when I noticed some big rocks on the road. I could also see the headlight of an on coming car, that too on the wrong side of the road. Instincts were quick enough... My right foot and right hand worked hard on the respective brakes, but were of little consequences. Bike had already started its plan to slide over the road. The only option left for me was to sneak it through the gap between the Car and the rocks. Alas!!!... lots of pebbles spread all over the"life line" gap!!!! Rest all happened in a flash....I had nothing else to do but just experience and "enjoy" what was happening to me!!! Once I was thrown off the bike, I slid on my chest over the road for around 3 to 5 meters (As I didn't have the measuring tape with me at that moment, Icouldn't measure the "Dummy to dummy" and "dummy to the wall" distances) You won't believe it guys....I just got a brainwave to keep my face up while sliding to save it from bruises !!! (hats off to my instincts once again) That was the best I could do....After many nano seconds of sliding, I stopped just like a Goods train stopping at an empty station. I looked back (not exactly the way the retired people do) just to find that the bike has also chased me up in the whole sliding episode!!! and was resting cool'ly over my right ankle. Had to do some tug of war with the bike to get my leg out. By this time the car waala stopped and came out to help me with the bike. He asked me something in some language, which I knew had only one meaning - Are you fine? I put up the best smile I could (ഓര്മ്മകളില് ഒരു "സൈക്കിളില് നിന്ന് വീണ ചിരി"). He left as fast as he could.
A quick damage estimation on my body was done. Arms.. Legs.. cool !.. they seem to be okay.. Neck is fine too! Good.. Thank god, no bone seems to have gone out of place. But I lost the "original company paint and primer" from many parts of my body, which I have been carrying since birth!!! And now, the bike! It's my roomie's bike! A quick prayer was said- "Oh god, please save my money".
Only me and bike at 2 in the night, on a darkroad, and it was raining....Would have been a romantic moment had there been a girl too. (too much to ask for in one night?) Anyway, after some good effort on the 'kicker', the bike sprung back to life. The kind of relief I felt at that moment... Oh god! Can't put that into words.
I was slowly regaining my senses. What next? Office medical room? I was standing drenched on the road wearing a pair of trousers torn off at inumerable places, a jacket which suffered all those asphalt smooches... Going to medical room in that dress? No way! (Who wouldn't know that the nurse would be malayali!) Plan B was to go back to my flat. Can't forget the look on my roomie's face. A quick wash of all the wounds followed. It was already around 2-40 am, and he dropped me back at office. I am already half an hour late. Went directly to my desk, logged-in on my machine and checked the queue...Ah.. good.. the Kiwis are yet to wake up it seems! Then to the so called Medical room.
Here starts the good part. Two guys were sitting in the medical room and were getting their wounds dressed up. Suddenly one of them says to a guy who brought them there: "വെള്ളമടിച്ചത് കാരണം വേദന അറിയുന്നില്ല!!!" And the Nurse intervenes: "ഒന്നനങ്ങാണ്ടിരിക്യോ?"
Holy cow!!! All Mallus!!!
Later I get to know that they also fell down exactly at the same spot where i did! (വീഴ്ചയിലും ഒരു മലയാളി കൂട്ടായ്മ!) In total, including the Nurse and a friend of her, there were 6 malayalis in that small room at 3 am ! You might wonder why I am so excited about it. The reason is that I hadn't seen as many malayalis together in daylight at hyderabad before!
I was just about 200 meters away from my office when I noticed some big rocks on the road. I could also see the headlight of an on coming car, that too on the wrong side of the road. Instincts were quick enough... My right foot and right hand worked hard on the respective brakes, but were of little consequences. Bike had already started its plan to slide over the road. The only option left for me was to sneak it through the gap between the Car and the rocks. Alas!!!... lots of pebbles spread all over the"life line" gap!!!! Rest all happened in a flash....I had nothing else to do but just experience and "enjoy" what was happening to me!!! Once I was thrown off the bike, I slid on my chest over the road for around 3 to 5 meters (As I didn't have the measuring tape with me at that moment, Icouldn't measure the "Dummy to dummy" and "dummy to the wall" distances) You won't believe it guys....I just got a brainwave to keep my face up while sliding to save it from bruises !!! (hats off to my instincts once again) That was the best I could do....After many nano seconds of sliding, I stopped just like a Goods train stopping at an empty station. I looked back (not exactly the way the retired people do) just to find that the bike has also chased me up in the whole sliding episode!!! and was resting cool'ly over my right ankle. Had to do some tug of war with the bike to get my leg out. By this time the car waala stopped and came out to help me with the bike. He asked me something in some language, which I knew had only one meaning - Are you fine? I put up the best smile I could (ഓര്മ്മകളില് ഒരു "സൈക്കിളില് നിന്ന് വീണ ചിരി"). He left as fast as he could.
A quick damage estimation on my body was done. Arms.. Legs.. cool !.. they seem to be okay.. Neck is fine too! Good.. Thank god, no bone seems to have gone out of place. But I lost the "original company paint and primer" from many parts of my body, which I have been carrying since birth!!! And now, the bike! It's my roomie's bike! A quick prayer was said- "Oh god, please save my money".
Only me and bike at 2 in the night, on a darkroad, and it was raining....Would have been a romantic moment had there been a girl too. (too much to ask for in one night?) Anyway, after some good effort on the 'kicker', the bike sprung back to life. The kind of relief I felt at that moment... Oh god! Can't put that into words.
I was slowly regaining my senses. What next? Office medical room? I was standing drenched on the road wearing a pair of trousers torn off at inumerable places, a jacket which suffered all those asphalt smooches... Going to medical room in that dress? No way! (Who wouldn't know that the nurse would be malayali!) Plan B was to go back to my flat. Can't forget the look on my roomie's face. A quick wash of all the wounds followed. It was already around 2-40 am, and he dropped me back at office. I am already half an hour late. Went directly to my desk, logged-in on my machine and checked the queue...Ah.. good.. the Kiwis are yet to wake up it seems! Then to the so called Medical room.
Here starts the good part. Two guys were sitting in the medical room and were getting their wounds dressed up. Suddenly one of them says to a guy who brought them there: "വെള്ളമടിച്ചത് കാരണം വേദന അറിയുന്നില്ല!!!" And the Nurse intervenes: "ഒന്നനങ്ങാണ്ടിരിക്യോ?"
Holy cow!!! All Mallus!!!
Later I get to know that they also fell down exactly at the same spot where i did! (വീഴ്ചയിലും ഒരു മലയാളി കൂട്ടായ്മ!) In total, including the Nurse and a friend of her, there were 6 malayalis in that small room at 3 am ! You might wonder why I am so excited about it. The reason is that I hadn't seen as many malayalis together in daylight at hyderabad before!
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