A number of comics and incompetent folks have managed to rule this nation, but I think the biggest joke of them all is our finance minister.
Chidambaram looks like a mathematics professor and speaks like an accounts wiz, but his crazy actions have always given away the real man: I think the mantri knows as much about finance as I know about tarot card reading: zilch.
The FM has done nothing to help ease the inflation. He’s done nothing to find solutions to the stocks crisis. He’s done nothing to find ways and means to save both the industrial sector and the aam aadmi. He’s come up with zero ideas to save jobs. There have been no plans worked out to cope with recessionary times. Through his hugely failed tenure, Chidambaram has simply been left wondering what happened. And when his mind does go on overdrive, he comes up with schemes like each time you take a client out for a drink, you pay tax on it (or some such drivel.)
And what is his latest mantra for the industry? Cut prices! Haha, what can be a bigger joke than that. He wants corporates to further erode their already eroded profitability! So how on earth will they pay salaries? And hire staff? Very clearly, this idea is aimed at garnering votes. And has no financial planning behind it. The Congress is desperate for price fall with elections round the corner. Since the FM has no idea how to do his job, he’s asking the private sector to bail him out.
I am deffy not voting for the Congress in the next elections. Unless they promise me Chidu will be in charge of the animal husbandry department.
Thursday 23 October 2008
Conspiracy of silence
"The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
I really don’t understand what the fuss about Obama is all about. We have had a Muslim prez, a Sikh PM and a Christian calls the shots in this nation… and a Dalit lady could well be the PM soon. So we have been there and done what the US is doing now. All I know is black or white, ANYONE is better than Dubya, so it’s a welcome change.
What we SHOULD be worrying and fussing about, are huge eff-ups back home. And the biggest eff-up of them all is Raj Thackeray.
When I watch Raj Thackeray in action as he sets about building his sinister brand, I can’t but help notice a similarity between him and the rise of Hitler. (In fact, Thackeray has openly spoken of his deep admiration for the Nazis.)
The same hateful speeches. The same fascist ambitions. The same deadly, crowd-pulling charisma. The identical attempt to feed on the masses’ perceived fears and insecurities. The ditto violent attempts at ethnic cleansing. The parallels are stark and frightening.
And sadly, as we get ready for history to repeat itself, it is clear that the past has taught us nothing. The vast majority in the city remain silent spectators. Either they believe in the neo-Nazi, or don’t seem to care, or are plain scared of speaking out against him. And what’s truly frightening is the tacit support Thackeray seems to be enjoying from the celebrity Marathis. Shobhaa De and others are candid about it. And public idols like Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar (both of whose words carry more weight than any political don) are missing. And the print media has decided to focus on Bollywood and parties. And now Obamaji. In short, people who can make a difference, who can stop the rebirth of Hitler, are busy doing nothing.
Yup, my words carry little weight in comparison with these worthies. Yet, I am ready to take on the man. Whatever happens in politics, we cannot allow the damned communal, lingo divide under any circumstances. Sadly however, newspapers in this country are loathe to giving me space. So all I can do is blog.
And don’t get me wrong: I am not against the idea of priority jobs for locals. But I certainly don’t want a Hitler to play that card for me.
Because I know evil will flourish if the rest of us remain silent spectators. If we do nothing.
I really don’t understand what the fuss about Obama is all about. We have had a Muslim prez, a Sikh PM and a Christian calls the shots in this nation… and a Dalit lady could well be the PM soon. So we have been there and done what the US is doing now. All I know is black or white, ANYONE is better than Dubya, so it’s a welcome change.
What we SHOULD be worrying and fussing about, are huge eff-ups back home. And the biggest eff-up of them all is Raj Thackeray.
When I watch Raj Thackeray in action as he sets about building his sinister brand, I can’t but help notice a similarity between him and the rise of Hitler. (In fact, Thackeray has openly spoken of his deep admiration for the Nazis.)
The same hateful speeches. The same fascist ambitions. The same deadly, crowd-pulling charisma. The identical attempt to feed on the masses’ perceived fears and insecurities. The ditto violent attempts at ethnic cleansing. The parallels are stark and frightening.
And sadly, as we get ready for history to repeat itself, it is clear that the past has taught us nothing. The vast majority in the city remain silent spectators. Either they believe in the neo-Nazi, or don’t seem to care, or are plain scared of speaking out against him. And what’s truly frightening is the tacit support Thackeray seems to be enjoying from the celebrity Marathis. Shobhaa De and others are candid about it. And public idols like Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar (both of whose words carry more weight than any political don) are missing. And the print media has decided to focus on Bollywood and parties. And now Obamaji. In short, people who can make a difference, who can stop the rebirth of Hitler, are busy doing nothing.
Yup, my words carry little weight in comparison with these worthies. Yet, I am ready to take on the man. Whatever happens in politics, we cannot allow the damned communal, lingo divide under any circumstances. Sadly however, newspapers in this country are loathe to giving me space. So all I can do is blog.
And don’t get me wrong: I am not against the idea of priority jobs for locals. But I certainly don’t want a Hitler to play that card for me.
Because I know evil will flourish if the rest of us remain silent spectators. If we do nothing.
“I will become a goongi budhiya!”
(Here's my int with Mrs B for People mag, in case you missed it.)
In one significant respect, Jaya Bachchan is a misfit in the film industry. In a world full of diplomacy, double-speak and political correctness, she stands out like a breath of fresh air. Always direct, always candid, always all-heart. And this unique characteristic has got her much strife on a regular basis. The last being the ugly verbal spat with Raj Thackeray, which led to threats of violence on the streets of Mumbai. The question is, will this fiery actor and MP now tone down, and become as boringly discreet as the rest of the film frat? Has Bollywood lost its last surviving brave heart? In an exclusive interview, Jaya bares her soul on this, and may other compelling issues.
You were holidaying with Mr Bachchan in Paris last week… was it an escape from the recent crisis on the language issue?
No, it wasn’t about that, I don’t believe in the word ‘escape’. He was in Paris, he had some meetings to attend and the shoot had got cancelled. So I joined him there.
It’s been thirty five years of marriage. Does the romance continue?
Well, with time the connotations of the word ‘romance’ change, it’s not the way when you are sixteen. It means spending time with your children, grand children, remembering moments, and that’s romance too. We lead very ordinary lives.
Mr Bachchan doesn’t buy you roses anymore?
(Laughs.) Of course he does! You know he could have been in Paris on his own, but he invited me to join him, and that was a very sweet thought. Once, I had stepped out of the room, while he was busy blogging. And bought him a perfume that I know he likes. So maybe this is romance.
Marriages seem to be falling apart these days, how have you managed to keep it going for so many years? How can you keep a man faithful to you for so long, that too such a desirable man?
By just leaving him alone. You have to have the conviction. I married a good man and a family that believes in commitment. (Thinks.) You must not get too possessive, especially in our profession, where you know things aren’t going to be easy. You can either drive the artist crazy, or you can help him or her to grow. And if he goes, then he was never yours! (Smiles.)
But surely all those rumours about affairs must disturb…
(Thinks.) You are a human being, you do react. If you react to negativity, you also react to positivity. You are reassured every second by gestures, by looks, by happenings, and that keeps you going. (Thinks more.) A human being at a very vulnerable age and time gets carried away either ways, and if you are sad you are sad, and if you are happy you are happy.
Once and for all: Is there any truth about the affair with Rekha?
If there was any, he would have been somewhere else, na? People liked them as a couple on screen, and that’s fine. The media tried linking him with every one of his heroines. My life would have been hell if I had taken it all seriously. We are made of sterner stuff.
Would you mind if they worked together again?
No, why should I mind? But I feel it will be more like a sensation than actual work. And that’s a pity because one will miss the opportunity of seeing them together. Both of them probably realise it will go beyond work.
Doesn’t the husband ever scream at you for being so outspoken?
(Stares hard.) Do I look like the kind of person who can get shouted at? He’s my husband, he’s not my boss! I think Amitji is more worldly-wise than I am. I call him Gandhiji (laughs). He always looks at things from the other person’s point of view.
And you agree with him on that?
On a philosophical level, yes. On a normal human level, no! (Bursts out laughing.)
I think after the recent issue with Raj Thackeray, you will think ten times before making a public statement. Guess you’ll lose your spontaneity.
Who is to blame? You tell me. The problem is certain people have the liberty to say what they like, certain people don’t. I will try to be correct from hereon. I felt genuinely sorry for what I had said at the music launch, and that’s why I called you. But I have certain convictions which no one can take away from me. Maybe I say things that come from the heart, maybe I should use my mind, I need to realise who I am. I will become a goongi budhiya from now! (Laughs sarcastically.)
Has Sonia Gandhi made an effort to thaw the ice between the two families? There were reports she was concerned about the MNS tirade against you.
I don’t know. I suppose being the leader of the party that governs this state, she may have enquired.
Don’t you think for emotional reasons the Gandhi and the Bachchan family should get friendly again?
Well, if you speak of emotions, then one should ask did it (the break-up) have to happen in the first place?
You are not an easily forgiving person…
I agree with you. But if you reason with me, I am a very forgiving person. I am an honest person, I do not have needs in life, I can be happy anywhere. And I hope and think I have brought my children up with the right values. I keep telling my son every single day, it doesn’t matter if a film does well or not. What matters is a light boy saying thirty years later, ‘it was such a pleasure working with you’.
And I guess you would want some of those values to rub off on people who join the family, Ash for example.
Yes. That is why I wanted my son to marry a girl who has those values, who has that tradition, that culture.
Is that one of the reasons Abhishek’s marriage plans with Karisma didn’t work out?
(Long silence.) She has the blood and genes of the Kapoors. They have the tradition. Her father and I were buddies, they had good relations with my husband. So one must not always blame the families.
So then what went wrong?
Ask Abhishek.
Did it have to do with Babita?
That I don’t know. Look, I don’t think it’s correct to discuss this, they are both married people now, so let’s bury this issue.
About the movies. Films from your era had soul. Guddi, Abhimaan, Koshish. These days most stuff is mindless entertainment.
With due respect to the Hollywood culture, even there the films being made today aren’t what they used to be. And it’s the same here. Money has become the over-riding factor. Very few people are saying, ‘let’s make a sensible film, let’s work within a budget, let’s make a little profit, and be happy’. We have forgotten to create art, and have become very dependent on the commercial aspect. We should learn a lesson from the European cinema. You know, I don’t watch previews these days because I would hate to give my true reactions to the director.
Did you like Drona? And please don’t respond as a mother.
I didn’t mind it. I think they have tried to make something different. I think the budget they had for a concept like this, they needed twice the amount of money. But I think children will love the film.
SRK came for the Drona premier, that was nice of him.
Yes. Abhishek called him and said, ‘Sir, it will make a huge difference to me if you arrive’. And he did, which I think is very gracious of him. I have a weakness for Shah Rukh.
He did not say a very nice thing about Ash in that brawl with Salman, you don’t hold that against him?
Of course, I do. I haven’t had the opportunity to discuss it with him, and I am going to speak to him about it. If he was at my home, I would have slapped him, just as I would my own son. But I have connected with him in my soul, and that’s it.
So then why didn’t you invite him for the Abhi-Ash wedding?
Is Aishwarya going to invite him for the wedding? Let me tell you, very honestly, if we could have invited him, we would have changed the date of the wedding. I would like to give my family the freedom and the space.
You must have hurt when you heard Raj Thackeray say, ‘Guddi buddhi zaali, pun aazoon akal aali naahi’.
Of course, yes, I was hurt. I would never use this kind of language. And I am more hurt that the conscience keepers of this nation kept quiet when he used this kind of language.
Didn’t you stop Mr Bachchan from committing hara-kiri with RGV ki Aag?
Yes, I did stop him.
And he didn’t listen.
Noo! (Smiles.)
In one significant respect, Jaya Bachchan is a misfit in the film industry. In a world full of diplomacy, double-speak and political correctness, she stands out like a breath of fresh air. Always direct, always candid, always all-heart. And this unique characteristic has got her much strife on a regular basis. The last being the ugly verbal spat with Raj Thackeray, which led to threats of violence on the streets of Mumbai. The question is, will this fiery actor and MP now tone down, and become as boringly discreet as the rest of the film frat? Has Bollywood lost its last surviving brave heart? In an exclusive interview, Jaya bares her soul on this, and may other compelling issues.
You were holidaying with Mr Bachchan in Paris last week… was it an escape from the recent crisis on the language issue?
No, it wasn’t about that, I don’t believe in the word ‘escape’. He was in Paris, he had some meetings to attend and the shoot had got cancelled. So I joined him there.
It’s been thirty five years of marriage. Does the romance continue?
Well, with time the connotations of the word ‘romance’ change, it’s not the way when you are sixteen. It means spending time with your children, grand children, remembering moments, and that’s romance too. We lead very ordinary lives.
Mr Bachchan doesn’t buy you roses anymore?
(Laughs.) Of course he does! You know he could have been in Paris on his own, but he invited me to join him, and that was a very sweet thought. Once, I had stepped out of the room, while he was busy blogging. And bought him a perfume that I know he likes. So maybe this is romance.
Marriages seem to be falling apart these days, how have you managed to keep it going for so many years? How can you keep a man faithful to you for so long, that too such a desirable man?
By just leaving him alone. You have to have the conviction. I married a good man and a family that believes in commitment. (Thinks.) You must not get too possessive, especially in our profession, where you know things aren’t going to be easy. You can either drive the artist crazy, or you can help him or her to grow. And if he goes, then he was never yours! (Smiles.)
But surely all those rumours about affairs must disturb…
(Thinks.) You are a human being, you do react. If you react to negativity, you also react to positivity. You are reassured every second by gestures, by looks, by happenings, and that keeps you going. (Thinks more.) A human being at a very vulnerable age and time gets carried away either ways, and if you are sad you are sad, and if you are happy you are happy.
Once and for all: Is there any truth about the affair with Rekha?
If there was any, he would have been somewhere else, na? People liked them as a couple on screen, and that’s fine. The media tried linking him with every one of his heroines. My life would have been hell if I had taken it all seriously. We are made of sterner stuff.
Would you mind if they worked together again?
No, why should I mind? But I feel it will be more like a sensation than actual work. And that’s a pity because one will miss the opportunity of seeing them together. Both of them probably realise it will go beyond work.
Doesn’t the husband ever scream at you for being so outspoken?
(Stares hard.) Do I look like the kind of person who can get shouted at? He’s my husband, he’s not my boss! I think Amitji is more worldly-wise than I am. I call him Gandhiji (laughs). He always looks at things from the other person’s point of view.
And you agree with him on that?
On a philosophical level, yes. On a normal human level, no! (Bursts out laughing.)
I think after the recent issue with Raj Thackeray, you will think ten times before making a public statement. Guess you’ll lose your spontaneity.
Who is to blame? You tell me. The problem is certain people have the liberty to say what they like, certain people don’t. I will try to be correct from hereon. I felt genuinely sorry for what I had said at the music launch, and that’s why I called you. But I have certain convictions which no one can take away from me. Maybe I say things that come from the heart, maybe I should use my mind, I need to realise who I am. I will become a goongi budhiya from now! (Laughs sarcastically.)
Has Sonia Gandhi made an effort to thaw the ice between the two families? There were reports she was concerned about the MNS tirade against you.
I don’t know. I suppose being the leader of the party that governs this state, she may have enquired.
Don’t you think for emotional reasons the Gandhi and the Bachchan family should get friendly again?
Well, if you speak of emotions, then one should ask did it (the break-up) have to happen in the first place?
You are not an easily forgiving person…
I agree with you. But if you reason with me, I am a very forgiving person. I am an honest person, I do not have needs in life, I can be happy anywhere. And I hope and think I have brought my children up with the right values. I keep telling my son every single day, it doesn’t matter if a film does well or not. What matters is a light boy saying thirty years later, ‘it was such a pleasure working with you’.
And I guess you would want some of those values to rub off on people who join the family, Ash for example.
Yes. That is why I wanted my son to marry a girl who has those values, who has that tradition, that culture.
Is that one of the reasons Abhishek’s marriage plans with Karisma didn’t work out?
(Long silence.) She has the blood and genes of the Kapoors. They have the tradition. Her father and I were buddies, they had good relations with my husband. So one must not always blame the families.
So then what went wrong?
Ask Abhishek.
Did it have to do with Babita?
That I don’t know. Look, I don’t think it’s correct to discuss this, they are both married people now, so let’s bury this issue.
About the movies. Films from your era had soul. Guddi, Abhimaan, Koshish. These days most stuff is mindless entertainment.
With due respect to the Hollywood culture, even there the films being made today aren’t what they used to be. And it’s the same here. Money has become the over-riding factor. Very few people are saying, ‘let’s make a sensible film, let’s work within a budget, let’s make a little profit, and be happy’. We have forgotten to create art, and have become very dependent on the commercial aspect. We should learn a lesson from the European cinema. You know, I don’t watch previews these days because I would hate to give my true reactions to the director.
Did you like Drona? And please don’t respond as a mother.
I didn’t mind it. I think they have tried to make something different. I think the budget they had for a concept like this, they needed twice the amount of money. But I think children will love the film.
SRK came for the Drona premier, that was nice of him.
Yes. Abhishek called him and said, ‘Sir, it will make a huge difference to me if you arrive’. And he did, which I think is very gracious of him. I have a weakness for Shah Rukh.
He did not say a very nice thing about Ash in that brawl with Salman, you don’t hold that against him?
Of course, I do. I haven’t had the opportunity to discuss it with him, and I am going to speak to him about it. If he was at my home, I would have slapped him, just as I would my own son. But I have connected with him in my soul, and that’s it.
So then why didn’t you invite him for the Abhi-Ash wedding?
Is Aishwarya going to invite him for the wedding? Let me tell you, very honestly, if we could have invited him, we would have changed the date of the wedding. I would like to give my family the freedom and the space.
You must have hurt when you heard Raj Thackeray say, ‘Guddi buddhi zaali, pun aazoon akal aali naahi’.
Of course, yes, I was hurt. I would never use this kind of language. And I am more hurt that the conscience keepers of this nation kept quiet when he used this kind of language.
Didn’t you stop Mr Bachchan from committing hara-kiri with RGV ki Aag?
Yes, I did stop him.
And he didn’t listen.
Noo! (Smiles.)
Not in my name!
I am not a Marathi manoos, but if I was one, this is what I would be screaming from the rooftops.
Because the literate factions of the community know Raj is misleading the gullible members, his heart does not bleed for the community, he is like any other self-serving neta.
Because they know this sort of hate politics is going to destroy this nation, when it is the external enemies and our pressing internal problems we should be collectively focussing on.
Because they know Raj’s actions will come home to haunt the community, Marathis working in other states can and WILL come under pressure in good time. There are enough goondas in every state of India.
Because they know there is no heroism in bullying and kicking poor students from other states.
Because they know Thackeray is smearing the image of the entire community by waging hate in their name, and silence means quiet acceptance of this repugnant situation.
I fervently appeal to all my Marathi speaking pals to raise their voices against this goonda. Especially in the Marathi newspapers, television channels, and radio stations. And try to make the gullible members of the community aware of Thackeray’s real agenda.
Because they must know once the Marathis reject this man for his hateful and violent ways, Thackeray will have no choice but to build his party on the development agenda. Or, quietly fade away.
Jai Maharashtra!
Thursday 16 October 2008
Corporate responsibility
Some notes and observations on the Jet lay-off:
I find it interesting that the first door the laid-off staffers knocked was that of Raj, not Uddhav. Should tell you something about who the next godfather of Mumbai is. Now we understand how much the canny Raj benefited his own brand by ‘fixing’ the Bachchans amongst his other nefarious deeds. The misfit Uddhav must now gracefully admit defeat, and forget about his future in militant politics.
I have this niggling feeling one of the reasons the media is so concerned about the sacked staffers is that the demonstrators consist of attractive chicks and hunky doods. Makes for good visuals. A refreshing change from the striking mill workers, farmers and rickshaw drivers they usually deal with. Personally, I am waiting for the Kingfisher babes to come out on the roads. Chosen personally by the tasteful Dr Mallya, these gurls have sexier figures.
While it’s never a great feeling to lose your job (I have been unceremoniously sacked once), my sympathies lie with the Jet management in this instance. They have every right to lay off staffers in bad times, the law of the land allows corporates to fire. So it’s extremely unfair that they are being put under such pressure by the media and the parallel governments. What people need to understand is this pressure will cause CEOs to hire with caution during good times. And it’s these same youngsters who stand to lose in the long term.
Also, I am sorry if these 20-something kids took loans and are now saddled with EMIs. Whose fault is that? Did Naresh Goyal ask them to take such risks in unconfirmed jobs? We middle-aged sods did not borrow till we were in our thirties, and after we had covered our arses for contingencies. Perhaps this is a wake-up call for today’s gen that lives unplanned, for-the-night lives.
Let’s assume the airlines are forced to take these staffers back, and the airlines cannot afford them. What will happen? What if they shut down operations for some time? Imagine being stuck with the maha regressive and maha inefficient Indian Airlines all over again. Did someone mention this country moves one step forward and two steps backward?
Finally, spare a thought for the dance bar girls. Many of the laid off girls had to lay dirty old men to eek out a living. The air hostesses can and will find decent jobs if they stop protesting on the streets, and try to scan employment ads. Guess more than money, it’s the cushy, high-life they are finding difficult to kiss goodbye.
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