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!!

Navratri - The Art of Dancing

 

As fall descends upon the east cost of United States and makes people cringe at the thought of summer getting over, there is a community that is waiting all year just for autumn to begin. For autumn means Garba season is about to start. Garba is one form of Indian folk dance that has kept up with the times and have added flavor from the present era. From heart surgeons to hip hop kids, all ascend to the area school gyms or convention centers over the weekend to dance at the beats of the Dhol. 

Navratri is nine nights of garba, but we non-resident Indians have adjusted Navratri as per our schedule. Instead of nine successive nights, we celebrate it over four weekends. The working women and men, dressed in business casual clothes from 9 to 5, toss them aside as soon as they get home to garb themselves in stunning ghaghra/choli, kurta/pyjamas and head to temples, school gyms and arenas. Navratri is a medley of dance, fun, festivities, bonhomie and religious devotion. The resounding drumbeats, the chimes of the bell, the synchronized claps, everything comes in the perfect rhythm.

Garba’s are so electrifying, and mood is so contagious that spectators become performers. Being an ardent garba fan, I manage to shake a leg or two whenever I get a chance. It’s unfortunate that my passion for garba doesn’t reflect on my steps. A few of my friends & family have tried to teach me over the years and have lost hope. There is a famous Amitabh Bachchan dialogue, “Hum jahan khade ho jaate hain, line wahi se shuru hoti hain.” In my case, it’s the otherway round…”Hum jahan khade ho jaate hain, line wahi pe samapt ho jati hai.” But I don’t let my Sunny Deol syndrome stop me from enjoying the beats of the dhol.

This Navratri, let’s all bask in the glory of music and dance. Let the nine nights of Navratri pulsate with positive vibes and high energy.

Time for India to Bite the Bullet!!

Japanese PM was visiting India to lay the foundation stone for India’s first High Speed Rail (HSR) or Bullet train project. Does a country that can’t even maintain its 150 year old railway infrastructure, need an ultra-luxury, super-fast train?

I was struggling to find a justification for this project and then I read about a comment made by Chairman of Railway board in 1969 – “India does not need a Rajdhani Express. In a poor country such air conditioned trains are luxuries, best avoided”. Have Time brought us back to the same crossroads where a nation has to decide on a path breaking project to lead the way for the following decades? Thankfully the Chairman was overruled, and today we have Rajdhanis, Shatabdis, Durontos, Gatimaans and many other AC express trains.

That was not an isolated incident, Delhi Metro project was criticised for being very expensive and elitist. But today ridership of Delhi Metro is at a record level and it is world’s fourth largest network. It will jump to second, after completion of Phase IV. Advent of Metro has expanded the reach of Delhi by creating jobs and development of the whole NCR (National Capital Region). Even the Maruti Suzuki project and the Bombay-Pune Express highway was seen as an elitist project during the inception. But today both those projects are seen as a turning point in their respective sectors.

Expectation from Bullet Train project is to see an entire ecosystem come up around manufacturing of bullet trains, creation of value-chain, with thousands of suppliers. Most significantly we will be able to climb the value chain for infrastructure projects and in future might export the same knowledge to other developing countries.

Just as an Aam Admi is riding on a Delhi Metro for a daily commute and travels cross country on one of the AC trains, in a few decades, we hope they will be riding one of many high speed trains crisscrossing the nation.