Monday, November 20, 2017

Thank You, America!!

 

It was 1987 and fall was on the horizon for the US east coast. An Indian guy was walking back to home from a bar. He was attacked by a group of people. He died four days later. It was a hate crime carried over by a group call Dotbusters - the name a reference to the bindi worn by Hindu women on their foreheads. They wrote a hand written letter to the local newspaper, “We will go to any extreme to get Indians to move out of Jersey City.”*
Times are different now in the United States. A lot has happened since that fateful night of 1987. Today close to 15% of Jersey City’s population is made up of Indian Americans. There is a greater visibility now of Indians on American streets, and also of Indian food and culture. Indian-Americans have the highest median income of any ethnic group in the United States. The bindi isn’t the bulls-eye anymore. But bigotry still raises its awful head. Be it an innocent patron being killed at a bar or an attack on a person wearing a turban. Recent political events have led to Immigrants being painted as job snatchers, drug peddlers & criminals. But the truth is immigrants are moms and dads, honor students and college graduates, they are the entrepreneurs and leaders of the Fortune 500 corporations. They are the future of the United States of America.
I know for sure, the recent unsettling events are limited to politics because the fabric of this great land is tightly woven with love and respect for each other. Believe me, I’m not pretending that America is flawless but even with her paltry shortcomings, we are so privileged to live in such a great land. This thanksgiving, I want to thank this land for giving me and many more like me, an opportunity to purse ‘success’- whatever that ‘success’ might be, in a fair, open, friendly and respectful surrounding.

* "Indians in America" by Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, Mar 15th 2017

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Maska Hai Maska ... Ekdum Jhakaas!!


There are actors who are defined by the era and there are actors who define an era. Sure Bombay film industry has its Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bacchan & Aamir Khan, but there is this one actor who has created his own legacy. He is the one who successfully transitioned from being the favourite of Gen X to the millennials. His walk is confident, his face expressive, his body hairy and his performances intense…Anil Kapoor. He is an actor who has managed to make a career out of reinventing himself in order to evolve with the trends to not only keep himself relevant, but dominate amongst the new generation.

He started his career in early 80's. In his first decade in the industry he played everything from a street thug in a comedy (Chameli Ki Shaadi) to an idealistic lawyer in a courtroom drama (Meri Jung). From an obedient son (Saaheb) to the lover boy (Janbaaz). This movies cemented his status as a talented actor. While most debut actors of the time developed an image, and leveraged that same image into as many films as possible, Anil was never satisfied doing the same thing repeatedly.

He is constantly heralded as being one of Bollywood's most adaptable actors. His touted versatility became more pronounced as his career advanced. From playing supporting role to Salman (Biwi No. 1) to teaming up with Nana as a sleazy gangster (Welcome). Viewers love him when he plays an old patriarch of a dysfunctional family (Dil Dhadakne Do) to an unmarried half Brit-half Punjabi uncle (Mubarakan).

As an ardent fan of Anil Kapoor, Lamhe & Tezaab will always be his crowning glory. I think his most impressive achievement is to be relevant throughout his career. His is one career where we can confidently say…Maska Hai Maska ... Ekdum Jhakaas!!