Betweeen pain and hope, Sri Lanka is learning to hold on to hope as it painstakingly rebuilds the nation. Rajeev Nair reports from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka wakes up to another morning with a pang in its bosom, a tear in its eyes and a lump in its throat: Two weeks after the killer tsunami struck the coast of this island nation, the people are learning to cope with the loss, and struggling to live with it.
Colombo, the capital city, wears a picture of normalcy outwardly. But the aftermath of the disaster, and the largesse of international aid agencies and individuals that has followed, is hard to miss.
On Jan. 10, the airport at Katunayake, some 35 kilometres from the city centre, welcomed a group of Swiss volunteers, who have come in to Sri Lanka with medical supplies. They will soon fan out to disaster-struck areas.
The airport also witnessed groups of marines, and the authorities, in a bid to streamline the expatriate Sri Lankans, returning from various countries, particularly the Gulf, and the foreign visitors, have put up assistance personnel to guide relief teams and media units. Their entry procedure is eased. Volunteers can also sign up to join in for relief work at the airport.
If the foreign visitors go about their work with the commitment of volunteers, the expatriate Sri Lankans who have returned home make for telling pictures. It is homecoming for some, many of them returning to their country after long stints in Gulf countries; some are maids, many are workers at textile units. The vacationers, many of them unaffected directly by the tsunami, fall smilingly into the warmth of greeting relatives.
But heart-rending stories await some others. Safeer, 28, an employee with a bank in Abu Dhabi, lost his three-year-old daughter and a little nephew to the killer waves. His wife, Nahoura is recuperating from the trauma and after a week of hospitalisation is under the care of Safeer's sister, who has been married off a few hundred kilometres from his hometown, near Colombo.
He lost a house, built at a cost of Rs15 lakh, which was completed only recently. He also lost another residential property. Add to that gold worth Rs4 lakh. All these were his earnings from over five years of work in the Gulf. He was to return to Sri Lanka, to stay with his wife and child, and now his dreams lay shattered. He can cope with the loss of property and money, but his daughter's life âÄ“ that loss chokes him.
He clutches on to a photograph of his daughter sent only a few weeks back. The little girl had also written in clumsy big letters, aided by her mother no doubt, how she wanted colour pencils, pens and a school bag. Safeer was planning to send her to nursery.
Safeer's tale resounds in the woes of Sajjad, who had been working in Saudi Arabia for many years now. Only recently did he move in to Abu Dhabi; he lost his entire property and whatever savings he managed. Luckily, his nearest of kith and kin escaped.
Residents in Sri Lanka say how the killer waves were in some instances rather erratic in picking up its victims. Karu Naratna, a driver with a destination management company, Walkers Tours, remembers spending the night before at a hotel near Yala National Park. It is a popular picnic spot in the south of Sri Lanka, 20 kilometres from Tissamaharam. He had left early to Colombo, when the waves struck and disrupted road traffic. He took a detour from Hambantota, one of the worst affected regions, and drove inland to reach Colombo. The hotel he had lived in was virtually unaffected by the waves while a closer one was totally devastated.
Incidentally, the animals of Yala National Park survived the ordeal, largely unaffected, while nine staff and three of their family members, of a total of 80 employees, died. The flora of the park too has reported little damage though officials say the 'coastline has been reshaped.'
Experts say the seismic activity that triggered off the tsunami could also have emitted energy waves of long wavelengths, which the animals could sense and hence scramble for safer spots.
Naratna also cites the 'mercy' of the killer waves in sparing Colombo; the city centre faces the sea, which was unusually turbulent on Dec. 26, the day disaster struck.
Sri Lanka has formed a 'Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation,' Tafren, which has identified housing, hospitals, schools, roads and bridges, railway, urban township development, water supply and drainage, power, telecommunications, fisheries, tourism and tourist resorts, coast conservation and environment protection, and wildlife and wildlife sanctuaries as areas of priority.
Full story, more reports and pictures on Sri Lanka tsunami relief work at http://tsunamireliefreports.blogspot.com/
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Mangal Pandey (Film Review)
A Pandey for big bucks
Mangal Pandey
Cast: Aamir Khan, Toby Stephens, Rani Mukherji, Amisha Patel, Kiron Kher
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: AR Rahman
Cinematography: Himman Dhamija
Editing: Sreekar Prasad
Art direction: Nitin Desai
Written by: Farrukh Dhondy
Direction: Ketan Mehta
Showing at theatres in the UAE
There is an inherent falsehood in a film that chooses to be selectively fictional. It becomes a bother in the context of The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (the English/Hindi version) because director Ketan Mehta (whose repertoire includes the outstanding Mirch Masala) brings in too many real-life situations and people in contact with purely fictitious characters for utterly filmy reasons.
(Read more... and other film/music reviews at http://archienaironfilms.blogspot.com/)
Mangal Pandey
Cast: Aamir Khan, Toby Stephens, Rani Mukherji, Amisha Patel, Kiron Kher
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: AR Rahman
Cinematography: Himman Dhamija
Editing: Sreekar Prasad
Art direction: Nitin Desai
Written by: Farrukh Dhondy
Direction: Ketan Mehta
Showing at theatres in the UAE
There is an inherent falsehood in a film that chooses to be selectively fictional. It becomes a bother in the context of The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (the English/Hindi version) because director Ketan Mehta (whose repertoire includes the outstanding Mirch Masala) brings in too many real-life situations and people in contact with purely fictitious characters for utterly filmy reasons.
(Read more... and other film/music reviews at http://archienaironfilms.blogspot.com/)
Blogging in the UAE: A comprehensive look
Buzz-time in UAE blogosphere
It cannot be denied now that the UAE has a vibrant blogosphere — a clutch of weblogs or blog-related web sites that discuss diverse aspects of living here. The blogs range from being acidic to hilarious, and intellectually sharp to inanely playful. Rajeev Nair reached out to a few bloggers
As wordplay goes, BLOG and BLOCK are more like estranged twins. They bumped into each other in the UAE. And, as future historians can take note, that rendezvous in cyberspace marked the beginning of a new era for bloggers in the UAE.
It also catapulted "Secretdubai" into the hall of fame of bloggers.
For over three years Secretdubai had been blogging to her heart's content; about bad breakfasts at boring press conferences to the UAE weather. Succinct and incisive, her observations still didn't really provoke readers (if at all they were there) to react with 'comments.'
She was perhaps looked upon as another witty blogger, who was pushing the frontiers of the written word. She herself was just an "occasional blogger" then posting about three to four takes on UAE life per month.
All that was to change post July 18, 2005. Secret Dubai diary, her weblog defined as "the intrigue and adventure in the United Arab Emirates," was blocked by Etisalat.
Secretdubai wrote:
"The cyber-ink must dry on the quill for now, as the Great Proxy wields its heavy axe and severs Secret Dubai diary from UAE computers.
Will prison vans and manacles await at the airport?
Fellow bloggers and web diarists, all courage to you in these dark and difficult times."
By the time the "block" was lifted, thanks to enthusiastic campaigning by many fellow-bloggers, Secretdubai had become a cult figure of sorts for bloggers, who associated her experience with that of the curbs placed on a free press.
Her July 18 post, 'Suffering in silence,' fetched 81 comments, virtually all of them proclaiming solidarity with Secretdubai. Her next blog, 'Blocked, unblocked and back,' had about 28 welcome notes, including one from "Emirati," that read: "Believe it or not, you live in the UAE where secretdubai's blog is not only allowed, but loved."
"I was overwhelmed by people's reaction in campaigning to get the block lifted," recalls Secretdubai, a "female expat since 2001," in an email interview. "I had been surprised at the post that got the (temporary) ban because it was someone else's poem aimed at the ridiculously quaint language used in a newspaper here. Of all the entries people could have got bothered about, I was surprised it was that one."
Her blogs are more frequent now, and there are more visitors, the site meter well-accelerated. Secretdubai, however, expects the curiosity to die down. "There may be a few more readers that stick around, but it's not likely to have mass appeal," she notes.
She is likely to be wrong. On Aug. 18, her post, 'Guide to New Dubaiians' had 40 cyber-surfers opening their minds. In this part of the world where even newspapers find true feedback hard to come by, Secretdubai's readers open up the possibility of a new era in publishing here using weblogs.
A UAE community blog set in motion recently to announce the arrival of new bloggers shows infectious levels of on-line buzz. There is new blogger virtually (no pun intended) every other day that gets added on to the UAE blogroll.
Secretdubai does not see it as marking the emergence of an alternative media in the Gulf. "In certain countries, such as Bahrain, they (the blogs) seem to have more of an activist role and purpose than in the UAE. With the general media progressing so rapidly in the UAE, there is already quite a bit of open debate about most controversial issues in the daily."
Bu3askoor, a male UAE national, who blogs 'Anything Blogable' at http://bu3askoor.blogspot.com, shares the view. "If you live in a country where the government enforces unbelievable control on what is being said in public, then it will become an alternative media outlet. I think in the UAE, we are doing fine."
Ike, a male Filipino expat, feels UAE's blogs already serve as an alternative media. 'Blogging from the UAE' through http://ikesulat.blogspot.com, Ike sees it as part of the power and freedom offered by blogs.
Keefieboy, a male UK expat, whose blog, Adventures in Dubai (http://webmasterdubai.blogspot.com) is updated frequently, says blogging by their very nature is opinionated —"the opinions expressed, raw and unfiltered by any editorial process" — thus stymieing its chances of serving as a viable alternative media. "Most bloggers do not have access to reliable news sources and do not have the time to research 'exclusive' stories. What they can provide is an alternative view of current events with possibly a bit more 'bite.'"
"Blogs are a great complement to the traditional media," says Brn in Al Ain (Bss & Brn in Al Ain — http://bssandbrninalain.blogspot.com). "The great thing about blogs is that they allow people from different walks of life and with various areas of expertise to express their opinions and observations. The media does a fine job by and large but it is impossible for reporters to know everything. Bloggers can fill in the gaps on knowledge in their stories."
A feel-good trigger
Blogging is a feel-good trigger for many. Secretdubai started it "more as a personal diary to keep a record of things here that amused, intrigued or frustrated me. It is also a way to keep a record of the way Dubai and the UAE are rapidly changing and to communicate to readers overseas about this country."
One of the pioneering bloggers in the UAE, Adnan, who unlike many other bloggers takes no pain to stay anonymous, is more of a multi-blogger, who is currently active in four blogs.
From jottings of a personal nature initially, his blogs moved on to engage readers on regional politics while two blogs, which are also money-spinners, are dedicated to his core passion and profession: Wristwatches.
Keefieboy says blogging allows him to "engage in dialogue with a range of people" that he would not normally meet.
Sometimes blogging can be a personal experience to keep connected with friends and family "back home" as Brn in Al Ain observes.
Ike found blogging to be too hip an on-line activity for him to jump into the bandwagon. He warmed up to idea before long himself being a writer who makes "long posts on mailing lists, writes articles for on-line publishing and gives lengthy email replies even to complete strangers" — as he did for this feature.
For Saeed, blogging is an extension of his personality. "It is a place where I let some steam off. Sometimes you would read an article somewhere and go 'that's just not right!' A blog offers an area where you can let your thoughts out whether someone out there reads them or not."
Content freedom
Obviously, the blog content varies with bloggers. "It can be anything that strikes me as worth writing about," says Keefieboy, who has been living in Dubai for about 11 years, currently involved in website and multimedia design through his DMC-company. "My 'target reader' is anyone who is interested in knowing more about Dubai and the UAE. I also have a bunch of readers who are former Dubai residents."
Ike finds the trigger in "peculiar news items and nice personal events," after setting off on which he "can go zonkers" on his own. The bottomline is that he doesn't write fictional stuff.
Bss & Brn in Al Ain jot down about anything from spaghetti noodle length to the generosity of UAE donors in rebuilding Iraq. Bss, who works at the University in Al Ain, defines his blogs as "observations about life and how they appear to him" as an American.
Secretdubai says people are interested in reading about interesting things. "People are fascinated by the Middle East and Dubai. The three questions I am constantly asked by friends and family overseas, in order of frequency, are: Is it safe over there? What is it like for women; can they work/drive? What is The Palm/The World all about?"
Self-restraint:
With freedom comes responsibility. Most bloggers are particular about what goes into their blog, not just in what they write, in the feedback they get too. It is not uncommon for bloggers to remove "comments" that offend anyone's sensibility.
"Most of us bloggers exercise enormous amounts of self-censorship," Secretdubai observes. "A couple of times I have censored people's comments on request, after they have expressed an opinion they later felt nervous about. One time, I also deleted a post where I felt someone was being deliberately offensive."
Keefieboy says that unless the definition of 'what you can and cannot say' isn't clarified by law, he will tread carefully. "I don't try to hide my real identity and for that reason I am always careful to write pieces that I can defend, and that should not be offensive to any of my readers."
Anonymity, most bloggers feel, isn't an issue at all. "I have never once for a second felt that anonymity would protect me from the authorities," says Secretdubai. "It would be child's play for them to trace someone's Internet account usage."
She, however, stays anonymous for "personal privacy and her employer's privacy."
Bu3askoor says that while anonymity can motivate one to blog, he practices self-censorship. "Lack of knowledge of what is permitted by the law, to be said of others, makes you exercise caution. On the other hand, Islam discourages backbiting; so I do not single out individuals on my blogs."
Ike too does not try to hide his identity though he has "ideas for several other blogs where he should be anonymous." He says he has 18 ideas for blog entries that he can't start right now.
Likewise, Bss has very limited anonymity having written a lot about himself, where he lives and what he does. But he exercises self-censorship also because he believes it is rude "for a guest, which is what I am, to insult his hosts."
"If everyone is going to have to ask themselves, 'Is it possible that what I'm writing could possibly offend even one person, even if they misunderstand what I say,' then I don't see how anyone could write anything (offensive) especially with the language barrier that exists with some people," he adds.
Bottomline:
As with any communication tool, blogs too essentially are about interaction. "I love it when I get a comment," says Keefieboy, "because it shows that not only are people reading the blog, but they are sufficiently engaged to add their own contribution."
Brn in Al Ain takes delight in the cultural exchange his blogs have facilitated as well as the kind gestures of friendship forged on-line but activated in real life. He recalls how a UAE national had offered to ride him around in Dubai when he was car shopping.
Ike prods people to comment on his blog; any written reaction is "good enough" for him. "What is disheartening is the feeling that no one might be reading your blog," he says.
Ike shouldn't worry, really. It took many months before Secretdubai started getting regular feedback.
Building a dynamic blogosphere is only a matter of time. And keying into cyberspace the right words...
Boxes:
For the uninitiated
Blogs (for weblogs) are web-based publications consisting primarily of periodic articles normally in reverse chronological order. Blogs range in scope from individual diaries to arms of political campaigns, media programmes, and corporations: Wikipedia
John Berger coined the word 'weblog' in Dec. 1997. Peter Merholz condensed it to 'blog' in 1999.
Blogging became as easy as a three-step process with the launch of Blogger by Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)
Blog vs Diary
Bloggers still debate on where a personal diary ends and a blog starts. The essential character of a personal diary — personal — is obviously lost in blogs. That, however, is the most simplistic of explanations.
The Internet is abuzz with the blogs vs diary debate with the more creative ones coming up with elaborate differences between the two.
Here is from vaidehinatu.blogspot.com: "It (diary) follows the rhythms and tunes of only one soul. Should a diary be this open so anyone can access it...? ... once everything goes on-line, things become less personal and more generic...
Which is perhaps why most people call their blogs as on-line diaries.
From the diary of an unknown blogger
Dear Diary,
I saw a billboard last December announcing that, dear diary, you won't be "boring" anymore. That you will wear brand new looks, that you won't come in black, grey, blue, green jackets, that you will be slicker than the average single-(blue)-line notebooks.
Every December, dear diary, I waited for you. You know, I won't buy you. I would rather wait for one of those countless MNCs with countless end-of-year complimentaries to drop one of your kind in my mail-box.
That way, dear diary, you are a perpetual latecomer. My diary reaches me one month after New Year, when all my steely resolve to "keep a diary" has evaporated like the morning dew that no longer envelopes the Dubai Creek.
Like letters gave way to emails, and greeting cards to e-greetings, shall I believe, my dear diary, that you too have gone on-line? And with that, you also have become less personal, more public?
Reading you by a third eye was sacrilege in good ol' yesterday. And history records of many broken hearts caused by dads prying upon their pretty daughters' pink-paged diary of hearty secrets.
Aren't you aware, dear diary, that adventurous heroes, including the one and only James Bond has sought you out; that secret codes have been written on you and staked away, away from the reach of villains? Haven't many in your tribe become later-day best-sellers? Haven't you helped wage war and win peace, and discover new lands and conquer them?
You bore accounts of mounting expenses and dwindling incomes; you stored addresses; you had that mandatory one-pager where we posted our blood group and contact address (to be intimated in case of emergency)... you hid in your bosom floral-scented letters and rose petals; you sneaked in your folds a photograph, and the kisses thereon...
You had your fill some nights; little letters scrawled over your body. Some other days, when the world was gloomy, there weren't any words to share.
Dear diary, you died from countless hearts many years ago. You are reduced to moth-eaten unwanteds in attics of old homes, and old minds. New homes and young minds don't know you neither do they need you.
No, no blog can ever be the same as you.
Some day, some one will reinvent you, like the 'not so boring' diaries, and perhaps, then I will return to you.
Until then, I have a tryst in cyberspace, with my newfound cyber soul-mates
cu
Urs wistfully,
A blogger
It cannot be denied now that the UAE has a vibrant blogosphere — a clutch of weblogs or blog-related web sites that discuss diverse aspects of living here. The blogs range from being acidic to hilarious, and intellectually sharp to inanely playful. Rajeev Nair reached out to a few bloggers
As wordplay goes, BLOG and BLOCK are more like estranged twins. They bumped into each other in the UAE. And, as future historians can take note, that rendezvous in cyberspace marked the beginning of a new era for bloggers in the UAE.
It also catapulted "Secretdubai" into the hall of fame of bloggers.
For over three years Secretdubai had been blogging to her heart's content; about bad breakfasts at boring press conferences to the UAE weather. Succinct and incisive, her observations still didn't really provoke readers (if at all they were there) to react with 'comments.'
She was perhaps looked upon as another witty blogger, who was pushing the frontiers of the written word. She herself was just an "occasional blogger" then posting about three to four takes on UAE life per month.
All that was to change post July 18, 2005. Secret Dubai diary, her weblog defined as "the intrigue and adventure in the United Arab Emirates," was blocked by Etisalat.
Secretdubai wrote:
"The cyber-ink must dry on the quill for now, as the Great Proxy wields its heavy axe and severs Secret Dubai diary from UAE computers.
Will prison vans and manacles await at the airport?
Fellow bloggers and web diarists, all courage to you in these dark and difficult times."
By the time the "block" was lifted, thanks to enthusiastic campaigning by many fellow-bloggers, Secretdubai had become a cult figure of sorts for bloggers, who associated her experience with that of the curbs placed on a free press.
Her July 18 post, 'Suffering in silence,' fetched 81 comments, virtually all of them proclaiming solidarity with Secretdubai. Her next blog, 'Blocked, unblocked and back,' had about 28 welcome notes, including one from "Emirati," that read: "Believe it or not, you live in the UAE where secretdubai's blog is not only allowed, but loved."
"I was overwhelmed by people's reaction in campaigning to get the block lifted," recalls Secretdubai, a "female expat since 2001," in an email interview. "I had been surprised at the post that got the (temporary) ban because it was someone else's poem aimed at the ridiculously quaint language used in a newspaper here. Of all the entries people could have got bothered about, I was surprised it was that one."
Her blogs are more frequent now, and there are more visitors, the site meter well-accelerated. Secretdubai, however, expects the curiosity to die down. "There may be a few more readers that stick around, but it's not likely to have mass appeal," she notes.
She is likely to be wrong. On Aug. 18, her post, 'Guide to New Dubaiians' had 40 cyber-surfers opening their minds. In this part of the world where even newspapers find true feedback hard to come by, Secretdubai's readers open up the possibility of a new era in publishing here using weblogs.
A UAE community blog set in motion recently to announce the arrival of new bloggers shows infectious levels of on-line buzz. There is new blogger virtually (no pun intended) every other day that gets added on to the UAE blogroll.
Secretdubai does not see it as marking the emergence of an alternative media in the Gulf. "In certain countries, such as Bahrain, they (the blogs) seem to have more of an activist role and purpose than in the UAE. With the general media progressing so rapidly in the UAE, there is already quite a bit of open debate about most controversial issues in the daily."
Bu3askoor, a male UAE national, who blogs 'Anything Blogable' at http://bu3askoor.blogspot.com, shares the view. "If you live in a country where the government enforces unbelievable control on what is being said in public, then it will become an alternative media outlet. I think in the UAE, we are doing fine."
Ike, a male Filipino expat, feels UAE's blogs already serve as an alternative media. 'Blogging from the UAE' through http://ikesulat.blogspot.com, Ike sees it as part of the power and freedom offered by blogs.
Keefieboy, a male UK expat, whose blog, Adventures in Dubai (http://webmasterdubai.blogspot.com) is updated frequently, says blogging by their very nature is opinionated —"the opinions expressed, raw and unfiltered by any editorial process" — thus stymieing its chances of serving as a viable alternative media. "Most bloggers do not have access to reliable news sources and do not have the time to research 'exclusive' stories. What they can provide is an alternative view of current events with possibly a bit more 'bite.'"
"Blogs are a great complement to the traditional media," says Brn in Al Ain (Bss & Brn in Al Ain — http://bssandbrninalain.blogspot.com). "The great thing about blogs is that they allow people from different walks of life and with various areas of expertise to express their opinions and observations. The media does a fine job by and large but it is impossible for reporters to know everything. Bloggers can fill in the gaps on knowledge in their stories."
A feel-good trigger
Blogging is a feel-good trigger for many. Secretdubai started it "more as a personal diary to keep a record of things here that amused, intrigued or frustrated me. It is also a way to keep a record of the way Dubai and the UAE are rapidly changing and to communicate to readers overseas about this country."
One of the pioneering bloggers in the UAE, Adnan, who unlike many other bloggers takes no pain to stay anonymous, is more of a multi-blogger, who is currently active in four blogs.
From jottings of a personal nature initially, his blogs moved on to engage readers on regional politics while two blogs, which are also money-spinners, are dedicated to his core passion and profession: Wristwatches.
Keefieboy says blogging allows him to "engage in dialogue with a range of people" that he would not normally meet.
Sometimes blogging can be a personal experience to keep connected with friends and family "back home" as Brn in Al Ain observes.
Ike found blogging to be too hip an on-line activity for him to jump into the bandwagon. He warmed up to idea before long himself being a writer who makes "long posts on mailing lists, writes articles for on-line publishing and gives lengthy email replies even to complete strangers" — as he did for this feature.
For Saeed, blogging is an extension of his personality. "It is a place where I let some steam off. Sometimes you would read an article somewhere and go 'that's just not right!' A blog offers an area where you can let your thoughts out whether someone out there reads them or not."
Content freedom
Obviously, the blog content varies with bloggers. "It can be anything that strikes me as worth writing about," says Keefieboy, who has been living in Dubai for about 11 years, currently involved in website and multimedia design through his DMC-company. "My 'target reader' is anyone who is interested in knowing more about Dubai and the UAE. I also have a bunch of readers who are former Dubai residents."
Ike finds the trigger in "peculiar news items and nice personal events," after setting off on which he "can go zonkers" on his own. The bottomline is that he doesn't write fictional stuff.
Bss & Brn in Al Ain jot down about anything from spaghetti noodle length to the generosity of UAE donors in rebuilding Iraq. Bss, who works at the University in Al Ain, defines his blogs as "observations about life and how they appear to him" as an American.
Secretdubai says people are interested in reading about interesting things. "People are fascinated by the Middle East and Dubai. The three questions I am constantly asked by friends and family overseas, in order of frequency, are: Is it safe over there? What is it like for women; can they work/drive? What is The Palm/The World all about?"
Self-restraint:
With freedom comes responsibility. Most bloggers are particular about what goes into their blog, not just in what they write, in the feedback they get too. It is not uncommon for bloggers to remove "comments" that offend anyone's sensibility.
"Most of us bloggers exercise enormous amounts of self-censorship," Secretdubai observes. "A couple of times I have censored people's comments on request, after they have expressed an opinion they later felt nervous about. One time, I also deleted a post where I felt someone was being deliberately offensive."
Keefieboy says that unless the definition of 'what you can and cannot say' isn't clarified by law, he will tread carefully. "I don't try to hide my real identity and for that reason I am always careful to write pieces that I can defend, and that should not be offensive to any of my readers."
Anonymity, most bloggers feel, isn't an issue at all. "I have never once for a second felt that anonymity would protect me from the authorities," says Secretdubai. "It would be child's play for them to trace someone's Internet account usage."
She, however, stays anonymous for "personal privacy and her employer's privacy."
Bu3askoor says that while anonymity can motivate one to blog, he practices self-censorship. "Lack of knowledge of what is permitted by the law, to be said of others, makes you exercise caution. On the other hand, Islam discourages backbiting; so I do not single out individuals on my blogs."
Ike too does not try to hide his identity though he has "ideas for several other blogs where he should be anonymous." He says he has 18 ideas for blog entries that he can't start right now.
Likewise, Bss has very limited anonymity having written a lot about himself, where he lives and what he does. But he exercises self-censorship also because he believes it is rude "for a guest, which is what I am, to insult his hosts."
"If everyone is going to have to ask themselves, 'Is it possible that what I'm writing could possibly offend even one person, even if they misunderstand what I say,' then I don't see how anyone could write anything (offensive) especially with the language barrier that exists with some people," he adds.
Bottomline:
As with any communication tool, blogs too essentially are about interaction. "I love it when I get a comment," says Keefieboy, "because it shows that not only are people reading the blog, but they are sufficiently engaged to add their own contribution."
Brn in Al Ain takes delight in the cultural exchange his blogs have facilitated as well as the kind gestures of friendship forged on-line but activated in real life. He recalls how a UAE national had offered to ride him around in Dubai when he was car shopping.
Ike prods people to comment on his blog; any written reaction is "good enough" for him. "What is disheartening is the feeling that no one might be reading your blog," he says.
Ike shouldn't worry, really. It took many months before Secretdubai started getting regular feedback.
Building a dynamic blogosphere is only a matter of time. And keying into cyberspace the right words...
Boxes:
For the uninitiated
Blogs (for weblogs) are web-based publications consisting primarily of periodic articles normally in reverse chronological order. Blogs range in scope from individual diaries to arms of political campaigns, media programmes, and corporations: Wikipedia
John Berger coined the word 'weblog' in Dec. 1997. Peter Merholz condensed it to 'blog' in 1999.
Blogging became as easy as a three-step process with the launch of Blogger by Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)
Blog vs Diary
Bloggers still debate on where a personal diary ends and a blog starts. The essential character of a personal diary — personal — is obviously lost in blogs. That, however, is the most simplistic of explanations.
The Internet is abuzz with the blogs vs diary debate with the more creative ones coming up with elaborate differences between the two.
Here is from vaidehinatu.blogspot.com: "It (diary) follows the rhythms and tunes of only one soul. Should a diary be this open so anyone can access it...? ... once everything goes on-line, things become less personal and more generic...
Which is perhaps why most people call their blogs as on-line diaries.
From the diary of an unknown blogger
Dear Diary,
I saw a billboard last December announcing that, dear diary, you won't be "boring" anymore. That you will wear brand new looks, that you won't come in black, grey, blue, green jackets, that you will be slicker than the average single-(blue)-line notebooks.
Every December, dear diary, I waited for you. You know, I won't buy you. I would rather wait for one of those countless MNCs with countless end-of-year complimentaries to drop one of your kind in my mail-box.
That way, dear diary, you are a perpetual latecomer. My diary reaches me one month after New Year, when all my steely resolve to "keep a diary" has evaporated like the morning dew that no longer envelopes the Dubai Creek.
Like letters gave way to emails, and greeting cards to e-greetings, shall I believe, my dear diary, that you too have gone on-line? And with that, you also have become less personal, more public?
Reading you by a third eye was sacrilege in good ol' yesterday. And history records of many broken hearts caused by dads prying upon their pretty daughters' pink-paged diary of hearty secrets.
Aren't you aware, dear diary, that adventurous heroes, including the one and only James Bond has sought you out; that secret codes have been written on you and staked away, away from the reach of villains? Haven't many in your tribe become later-day best-sellers? Haven't you helped wage war and win peace, and discover new lands and conquer them?
You bore accounts of mounting expenses and dwindling incomes; you stored addresses; you had that mandatory one-pager where we posted our blood group and contact address (to be intimated in case of emergency)... you hid in your bosom floral-scented letters and rose petals; you sneaked in your folds a photograph, and the kisses thereon...
You had your fill some nights; little letters scrawled over your body. Some other days, when the world was gloomy, there weren't any words to share.
Dear diary, you died from countless hearts many years ago. You are reduced to moth-eaten unwanteds in attics of old homes, and old minds. New homes and young minds don't know you neither do they need you.
No, no blog can ever be the same as you.
Some day, some one will reinvent you, like the 'not so boring' diaries, and perhaps, then I will return to you.
Until then, I have a tryst in cyberspace, with my newfound cyber soul-mates
cu
Urs wistfully,
A blogger
Profile: Somalian Author
A 'novel' experience
Awes A. Osman, a Somali residing in Dubai, has penned a novel inspired by his student days in India. The book, Skinless Goat in Somalia, published by Neshui Press, will be launched at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. Rajeev Nair writes
"Strange things remain to look strange to the society — but only for two days and after that people get used to it."
This line from the novel, Skinless Goat in Somalia, written by Awes A. Osman, holds the clue to the title of a book that was seeded many years ago, when Osman was still a student in India.
The Somali had jotted down his random thoughts then, and now many years later, he has dusted memories, gleaned long-lost ideas, and put them all together to publish his first novel.
Yes, Osman is thrilled. He had been pursing his dream of publishing the novel for many years now. He had gone through the grind of countless rejections. He persisted and finally, now, his efforts have paid off. A US-based publisher, Neshui Press, is bringing out the novel and Osman hopes to launch the book in October at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
However, the writing of the book is only part of the Osman story. His tale spans two distinct continents, two varied cultures and many different time zones.
Currently, marketing manager of Business Link, Dubai, an exhibition organiser, which was one of the first companies to reach out to the Iraqi markets despite the sanctions, Osman's story flags off from Mogadishu, Somalia's capital city.
He was born the second of five children. His father was a businessman; his mother a homemaker. He completed his secondary education at the 15 May Secondary School, its name derived from the Somali Youth Day celebrated on May 15.
He had arrived at a crossroads and decided to follow his heart and move to India. He was also encouraged by his uncle, the late Dr Omar Osman Mohammed, who financially supported his studies, to go to India for higher education. "A colleague of my cousin was from India who eventually arranged for my travel to India," recalls Osman.
He knew India from the Hindi films that many Somalis loved watching before the ongoing civil war disrupted the social fabric. He remembers films like Bombay to Goa and Sholay, and also recalls that Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Mithun Chakravarty enjoyed the patronage of the Somalis.
But he was also aware of the huge risk he was embarking on, travelling to a foreign land, where he knew hardly anyone. He stayed in Mumbai, initially, where his accommodation was arranged through an acquaintance in Somalia.
Osman wanted to study engineering or medicine, but found it hard to obtain admission. He toured many Indian states before he could enroll for chemistry at the Jabalpur University. Here, he was pleasantly surprised to meet many more Somali and other African students.
Jabalpur triggered off the writer in Osman. Indeed, his novel is initially set at the Jabalpur University campus. "Professors there used to teach in Hindi and obviously, foreign students couldn't follow the classes. They had to resort to private tuition at the professors' home," he says.
This is one of the pivots in the novel, wherein the hero, Ali, a Somali student, meets Sunita, the beautiful daughter of his professor, and the two fall in love. Osman remembers that his own professor had a daughter similar to Sunita but denies any romance. "The novel is inspired from real-life only as far as the settings go," he explains. "The characters and events are entirely fictitious."
Osman's stay in Jabalpur offered him interesting insights into India. He would tour the villages, interact with the public and share thoughts. In Jabalpur, a Somali student still had curiosity value. That wasn't to be in Pune, where he transferred after one year. "The people just didn't bother about your nationality. We, simply, assimilated into the city's cultural plurality."
In Pune, the professors taught in English, and there were a number of African students. Osman remembers the regular get-togethers with the foreign students.
Here, he also nurtured an academic interest in Indian politics. He still remembers vividly the aftermath of the assassination of the Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi, in 1984, and the emergence of her son Rajiv Gandhi from the ranks to lead the nation in crisis.
He also studied the differences in the cultures and lifestyles in India and Somalia, and observed the steady decline of joint families in India, though the tradition of large families living together is still a norm in Somalia.
He was also impressed by the Indian democracy. "The public have a big say in the political shaping of their social life and what role the government should play," he observes.
Completing his graduation, he also did a computer course in Pune after which he flew to Saudi Arabia to start working.
He hadn't visited Somalia in all the years. "I used my vacations to know more about India and also to write this novel."
Only after he worked in Saudi Arabia for one year did he return to Somalia after nearly five years. He had kept alive his interest in publishing his novel, and realising that Dubai is an ideal destination to nurture his literary career, he moved in to the city.
"Initially, I was groping in the dark. I didn't know who to approach or how to become a novelist. I knew no one who was experienced in publishing. It was a self-learning exercise," recalls Osman.
The surge in popularity of the Internet was to prove a boon to Osman. Suddenly, he had better access to publishers and literary agents. "I knocked on many doors. No one wanted my work. Those were the days when I could sense that the e-mails and letters addressed to me would only be notifications of regret by publishers."
Osman, however, was insistent that he wouldn't pay to get his book published. "Since my book was about India and Somalia, I knew that it would not be instantly appealing to US or UK publishers. I knew I had to wait."
Meanwhile, he met with PV Vivekanand, editor of The Gulf Today, who helped Osman in editing the manuscript.
"The endless wait seemed worth it when finally Neshui Press accepted my manuscript," says Osman. The book is being readied to be launched in October. Many years of chasing a dream was finally coming to fruition.
Skinless Goat in Somalia, essentially, is a love-story of an Indian girl and a Somali boy, the repercussions of their romance and insights into the Somali and Indian mindset vis-a-vis the relationship. The novel also portrays the India as understood and witnessed by Osman.
"My message with the novel is that love is border-less," says Osman. "No boundary, no politics must stand in the way of true love."
On his novel, Osman says, "it is an experience every foreign student in India might encounter one day or the other. It is not just about love; it is about two different personalities and the sharing of cultural experiences between Africa and India."
Osman hasn't left behind India. "I am working an another book, also based in India. I am in love with the country as a source of intriguing stories and fascinating experiences."
Currently, Osman, as a Somali intellectual based in Dubai, is also championing the cause of restoring normalcy in his country, ravaged by 14 years of anarchy. He has initiated an informal forum, the Somali Intellectuals Association in Dubai, with over 20 members who meet regularly to discuss the evolving situation in Somalia. "We publish articles on the Web and try to create an awareness about the strife and pain that plague our country."
(Awes A Osman can be contacted at 050-737 8802. Email: skinlessgoatinsomalia1@yahoo.co.uk, skinlessgoatinsomalia@hotmail.com)
Awes A. Osman, a Somali residing in Dubai, has penned a novel inspired by his student days in India. The book, Skinless Goat in Somalia, published by Neshui Press, will be launched at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. Rajeev Nair writes
"Strange things remain to look strange to the society — but only for two days and after that people get used to it."
This line from the novel, Skinless Goat in Somalia, written by Awes A. Osman, holds the clue to the title of a book that was seeded many years ago, when Osman was still a student in India.
The Somali had jotted down his random thoughts then, and now many years later, he has dusted memories, gleaned long-lost ideas, and put them all together to publish his first novel.
Yes, Osman is thrilled. He had been pursing his dream of publishing the novel for many years now. He had gone through the grind of countless rejections. He persisted and finally, now, his efforts have paid off. A US-based publisher, Neshui Press, is bringing out the novel and Osman hopes to launch the book in October at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
However, the writing of the book is only part of the Osman story. His tale spans two distinct continents, two varied cultures and many different time zones.
Currently, marketing manager of Business Link, Dubai, an exhibition organiser, which was one of the first companies to reach out to the Iraqi markets despite the sanctions, Osman's story flags off from Mogadishu, Somalia's capital city.
He was born the second of five children. His father was a businessman; his mother a homemaker. He completed his secondary education at the 15 May Secondary School, its name derived from the Somali Youth Day celebrated on May 15.
He had arrived at a crossroads and decided to follow his heart and move to India. He was also encouraged by his uncle, the late Dr Omar Osman Mohammed, who financially supported his studies, to go to India for higher education. "A colleague of my cousin was from India who eventually arranged for my travel to India," recalls Osman.
He knew India from the Hindi films that many Somalis loved watching before the ongoing civil war disrupted the social fabric. He remembers films like Bombay to Goa and Sholay, and also recalls that Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Mithun Chakravarty enjoyed the patronage of the Somalis.
But he was also aware of the huge risk he was embarking on, travelling to a foreign land, where he knew hardly anyone. He stayed in Mumbai, initially, where his accommodation was arranged through an acquaintance in Somalia.
Osman wanted to study engineering or medicine, but found it hard to obtain admission. He toured many Indian states before he could enroll for chemistry at the Jabalpur University. Here, he was pleasantly surprised to meet many more Somali and other African students.
Jabalpur triggered off the writer in Osman. Indeed, his novel is initially set at the Jabalpur University campus. "Professors there used to teach in Hindi and obviously, foreign students couldn't follow the classes. They had to resort to private tuition at the professors' home," he says.
This is one of the pivots in the novel, wherein the hero, Ali, a Somali student, meets Sunita, the beautiful daughter of his professor, and the two fall in love. Osman remembers that his own professor had a daughter similar to Sunita but denies any romance. "The novel is inspired from real-life only as far as the settings go," he explains. "The characters and events are entirely fictitious."
Osman's stay in Jabalpur offered him interesting insights into India. He would tour the villages, interact with the public and share thoughts. In Jabalpur, a Somali student still had curiosity value. That wasn't to be in Pune, where he transferred after one year. "The people just didn't bother about your nationality. We, simply, assimilated into the city's cultural plurality."
In Pune, the professors taught in English, and there were a number of African students. Osman remembers the regular get-togethers with the foreign students.
Here, he also nurtured an academic interest in Indian politics. He still remembers vividly the aftermath of the assassination of the Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi, in 1984, and the emergence of her son Rajiv Gandhi from the ranks to lead the nation in crisis.
He also studied the differences in the cultures and lifestyles in India and Somalia, and observed the steady decline of joint families in India, though the tradition of large families living together is still a norm in Somalia.
He was also impressed by the Indian democracy. "The public have a big say in the political shaping of their social life and what role the government should play," he observes.
Completing his graduation, he also did a computer course in Pune after which he flew to Saudi Arabia to start working.
He hadn't visited Somalia in all the years. "I used my vacations to know more about India and also to write this novel."
Only after he worked in Saudi Arabia for one year did he return to Somalia after nearly five years. He had kept alive his interest in publishing his novel, and realising that Dubai is an ideal destination to nurture his literary career, he moved in to the city.
"Initially, I was groping in the dark. I didn't know who to approach or how to become a novelist. I knew no one who was experienced in publishing. It was a self-learning exercise," recalls Osman.
The surge in popularity of the Internet was to prove a boon to Osman. Suddenly, he had better access to publishers and literary agents. "I knocked on many doors. No one wanted my work. Those were the days when I could sense that the e-mails and letters addressed to me would only be notifications of regret by publishers."
Osman, however, was insistent that he wouldn't pay to get his book published. "Since my book was about India and Somalia, I knew that it would not be instantly appealing to US or UK publishers. I knew I had to wait."
Meanwhile, he met with PV Vivekanand, editor of The Gulf Today, who helped Osman in editing the manuscript.
"The endless wait seemed worth it when finally Neshui Press accepted my manuscript," says Osman. The book is being readied to be launched in October. Many years of chasing a dream was finally coming to fruition.
Skinless Goat in Somalia, essentially, is a love-story of an Indian girl and a Somali boy, the repercussions of their romance and insights into the Somali and Indian mindset vis-a-vis the relationship. The novel also portrays the India as understood and witnessed by Osman.
"My message with the novel is that love is border-less," says Osman. "No boundary, no politics must stand in the way of true love."
On his novel, Osman says, "it is an experience every foreign student in India might encounter one day or the other. It is not just about love; it is about two different personalities and the sharing of cultural experiences between Africa and India."
Osman hasn't left behind India. "I am working an another book, also based in India. I am in love with the country as a source of intriguing stories and fascinating experiences."
Currently, Osman, as a Somali intellectual based in Dubai, is also championing the cause of restoring normalcy in his country, ravaged by 14 years of anarchy. He has initiated an informal forum, the Somali Intellectuals Association in Dubai, with over 20 members who meet regularly to discuss the evolving situation in Somalia. "We publish articles on the Web and try to create an awareness about the strife and pain that plague our country."
(Awes A Osman can be contacted at 050-737 8802. Email: skinlessgoatinsomalia1@yahoo.co.uk, skinlessgoatinsomalia@hotmail.com)
Celebrity Interview: Indian Actor-Director Sreenivasan
Sreeni effect
How do you react to Sreenivasan, the versatile Malayalam film artiste? Don't you invariably laugh with him at your own follies? That is the 'Sreeni Effect.' It makes you understand yourself better, writes Rajeev Nair
Sreenivasanism: Some golden rules
1. You don't have to travel in a private bus to understand life better.
2. Every moment in life, think of yourself as less than adequate. The moment you feel you have 'arrived,' there ends your story.
3. A good work of art stems only from a good human being.
4. Be a slave to cinema; not to a filmmaker.
Suddenly, not without reason, Sreenivasan is in demand.
"I haven't done a film for months, and see how busy I am," the versatile Malayalam film artiste says, seated in a hotel room in Dubai.
In less than one hour, he has 'undergone' three interviews, the fourth trauma about to begin, in addition to discussing 'serious cinema issues' with the organisers of the International Malayalam Film Festival, who had roped in the actor-script-writer-director from his current base in India, Chennai.
Time is beyond Sreeni, as with every one, of course. But with Sreeni, you won't know it ticking by. One question, and Sreenivasan will have all the answers. He would go on and on; his remarks caustic, witty, humorous, sharp, biting, punchy.
And beware, you won't even know when a question hits back at you, the boomerang magnified by a tricky Sreeni touch.
Haven't you see this man in action if at all you have missed all that straight-from-life comedy in his films? His television show in a Malayalam channel is so popular and guess what, this man is extemporising! Taking on everything under the sun, he included.
That is the magic of Sreeni. He makes you feel introspective. As an individual. As a part of the society. As one in the larger humanity. You strip yourself of your hypocrisy and laugh at yourself.
"I don't criticise anyone nor do I condemn. What I try to do is provoke people to think," he says.
There is a feel-goodness to the man's works. Which is the feel-goodness of the man. Because Sreeni believes that a "good work of art can come only from a good human being."
Sreenivasan had fired a volley at the inaugural ceremony of the film festival. He was in an introspective mood: "Have my ideas, my cinema, have they become old?" he voiced.
He later said such introspection is essential to survive as a filmmaker. "The moment you feel you are good, you are finished. I think it is a question every one must ask oneself. That is the only way to rejuvenate oneself. Stay doubtful. Always. That is one step in the process of being up-to-date."
This pillar of meaningful Malayalam cinema entered its portals through PA Backar's Manimuzhakkam. Not the 'very mainstream' cinema, if you may call it. Acting over the years in more than 125 films, ghost-story writing many others (including, if a rumour is to be believed, Priyadarshan's Poochaykkoru Mookkuthi, which is now back in circulation as the Hindi Hungama), scripting some momentous movies, directing landmark productions, and bagging a clutch of awards, this man makes humour his creative tool.
A sharp one, that.
He lashes as he laughs. He whips as he weeps.
This man is Malayalam cinema's rarity.
He has been churning out stories from his own life. "We write a lot, we write out a lot of bad stuff, and then will come a gleaming product," he says. "You should empty out the bad writing through constant endeavour. Only then will the best come out."
To be a good writer, he says, "one must have the ability to understand another person's mind, experiences, issues and reasoning in all its depth. That is a quality one must have not only as a writer but as an individual. First be a good man to be a good artist. The worse I am as a human being, the more worthless my films would be."
Sreenivasan says some of his 'rather good' films have come in breaks. "During the gap, I was just doing the job of writing. If the right thought does not come in the right time, you cannot have a good work."
Sreenivasan has been called the 'intellectual' in mainstream cinema. He disagrees. "Intellectuals are born once in a century. Aristotle, Plato, Galileo — these are the intellectuals, who bulldozed down existing fallacies and societal blunders. I don't fit anywhere near the genre."
Nor does he agree to the art-commercial face-off in cinema. "I can only say for myself. I believe in two kinds of cinema: One, I like. The other, I don't. I liked Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Elippathayam, I saw that a number of times but that doesn't mean I have enjoyed every film of Adoor's. I really don't know what an 'intellectual' or art film is."
Sreenivasan says you should not be a slave to anyone's name. "I am ready to be a slave of cinema not to a filmmaker. The moment you are awed by the name and fame of a filmmaker, your thoughts cease functioning."
Malayalam cinema, now, does not offer choices, says Sreeni. "If you ask why there are no choices, why good cinema is not being made, again, I can only answer for myself."
And his answer, Sreeni says frankly, "is a matter of my ability."
He debunks the theory that good cinema does not happen because of the declining appreciation levels of the audience. "You can't say so. At the height of Malayalam cinema's glory, the industry had produced such films as Ladies Hostel, College Girl, Ayalathe Sundari, Themmadi Velappan, and so on. They were all super-hits. Can you say that audience appreciation level has stooped even further?"
Those days, he says, "more of better films used to be made; now, their number has come down."
Nor does Sreenivasan agree that a greater influence of Hindi and Tamil films is the reason for the current bane. "Just because Hindi and Tamil films do well because of songs and dances, how can you make a film with an emphasis on songs?" he asks. "These are misconceptions. It should be changed."
Sreenivasan says today's films have become 'cinecry,' one that blends 'cinema' and 'mimicry.' "If that is what the people want, why don't we play along seems to be the prevailing mood," he says.
As for the so-called 'art' filmmakers, Sreenivasan says they refuse to be contemporary. "How many of these filmmakers have dealt with contemporary issues? I liked Elippathayam because of its intense characterisation but I wouldn't call the film contemporary. These filmmakers talk about life 50 years back, 100 years back, call it period cinema. Has anyone among them handled a subject that affects today's society, today's realities? I have no respect for anyone who doesn't do so. These people want to appease the governments, they want awards. Contemporary reality won't fetch them laurels."
"But I think we must feel regretful only if good cinema is being made amidst this din and they don't fare well. We haven't been making good cinema, so where is the scope to condemn?"
Sreenivasan is currently scripting a film for Mohanlal. But no, it is not one that will recreate the 'yesteryear Mohanlal.' "The very usage, 'yesteryear Mohanlal' is wrong," he says. "Let Mohanlal surge ahead. Why do you want to drag him into his past? It's not Mohanlal, Dileep or Mammootty that needs image building. It's cinema that needs reinvention. I don't think cinema is a tool to create stardom for a few individuals. It has many other purposes."
But Sreenivasan is confident and optimistic. He sees a new beginning. A new breed of films will evolve, he foresees. "Today's trashy cinema will serve as their manure for growth."
How do you react to Sreenivasan, the versatile Malayalam film artiste? Don't you invariably laugh with him at your own follies? That is the 'Sreeni Effect.' It makes you understand yourself better, writes Rajeev Nair
Sreenivasanism: Some golden rules
1. You don't have to travel in a private bus to understand life better.
2. Every moment in life, think of yourself as less than adequate. The moment you feel you have 'arrived,' there ends your story.
3. A good work of art stems only from a good human being.
4. Be a slave to cinema; not to a filmmaker.
Suddenly, not without reason, Sreenivasan is in demand.
"I haven't done a film for months, and see how busy I am," the versatile Malayalam film artiste says, seated in a hotel room in Dubai.
In less than one hour, he has 'undergone' three interviews, the fourth trauma about to begin, in addition to discussing 'serious cinema issues' with the organisers of the International Malayalam Film Festival, who had roped in the actor-script-writer-director from his current base in India, Chennai.
Time is beyond Sreeni, as with every one, of course. But with Sreeni, you won't know it ticking by. One question, and Sreenivasan will have all the answers. He would go on and on; his remarks caustic, witty, humorous, sharp, biting, punchy.
And beware, you won't even know when a question hits back at you, the boomerang magnified by a tricky Sreeni touch.
Haven't you see this man in action if at all you have missed all that straight-from-life comedy in his films? His television show in a Malayalam channel is so popular and guess what, this man is extemporising! Taking on everything under the sun, he included.
That is the magic of Sreeni. He makes you feel introspective. As an individual. As a part of the society. As one in the larger humanity. You strip yourself of your hypocrisy and laugh at yourself.
"I don't criticise anyone nor do I condemn. What I try to do is provoke people to think," he says.
There is a feel-goodness to the man's works. Which is the feel-goodness of the man. Because Sreeni believes that a "good work of art can come only from a good human being."
Sreenivasan had fired a volley at the inaugural ceremony of the film festival. He was in an introspective mood: "Have my ideas, my cinema, have they become old?" he voiced.
He later said such introspection is essential to survive as a filmmaker. "The moment you feel you are good, you are finished. I think it is a question every one must ask oneself. That is the only way to rejuvenate oneself. Stay doubtful. Always. That is one step in the process of being up-to-date."
This pillar of meaningful Malayalam cinema entered its portals through PA Backar's Manimuzhakkam. Not the 'very mainstream' cinema, if you may call it. Acting over the years in more than 125 films, ghost-story writing many others (including, if a rumour is to be believed, Priyadarshan's Poochaykkoru Mookkuthi, which is now back in circulation as the Hindi Hungama), scripting some momentous movies, directing landmark productions, and bagging a clutch of awards, this man makes humour his creative tool.
A sharp one, that.
He lashes as he laughs. He whips as he weeps.
This man is Malayalam cinema's rarity.
He has been churning out stories from his own life. "We write a lot, we write out a lot of bad stuff, and then will come a gleaming product," he says. "You should empty out the bad writing through constant endeavour. Only then will the best come out."
To be a good writer, he says, "one must have the ability to understand another person's mind, experiences, issues and reasoning in all its depth. That is a quality one must have not only as a writer but as an individual. First be a good man to be a good artist. The worse I am as a human being, the more worthless my films would be."
Sreenivasan says some of his 'rather good' films have come in breaks. "During the gap, I was just doing the job of writing. If the right thought does not come in the right time, you cannot have a good work."
Sreenivasan has been called the 'intellectual' in mainstream cinema. He disagrees. "Intellectuals are born once in a century. Aristotle, Plato, Galileo — these are the intellectuals, who bulldozed down existing fallacies and societal blunders. I don't fit anywhere near the genre."
Nor does he agree to the art-commercial face-off in cinema. "I can only say for myself. I believe in two kinds of cinema: One, I like. The other, I don't. I liked Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Elippathayam, I saw that a number of times but that doesn't mean I have enjoyed every film of Adoor's. I really don't know what an 'intellectual' or art film is."
Sreenivasan says you should not be a slave to anyone's name. "I am ready to be a slave of cinema not to a filmmaker. The moment you are awed by the name and fame of a filmmaker, your thoughts cease functioning."
Malayalam cinema, now, does not offer choices, says Sreeni. "If you ask why there are no choices, why good cinema is not being made, again, I can only answer for myself."
And his answer, Sreeni says frankly, "is a matter of my ability."
He debunks the theory that good cinema does not happen because of the declining appreciation levels of the audience. "You can't say so. At the height of Malayalam cinema's glory, the industry had produced such films as Ladies Hostel, College Girl, Ayalathe Sundari, Themmadi Velappan, and so on. They were all super-hits. Can you say that audience appreciation level has stooped even further?"
Those days, he says, "more of better films used to be made; now, their number has come down."
Nor does Sreenivasan agree that a greater influence of Hindi and Tamil films is the reason for the current bane. "Just because Hindi and Tamil films do well because of songs and dances, how can you make a film with an emphasis on songs?" he asks. "These are misconceptions. It should be changed."
Sreenivasan says today's films have become 'cinecry,' one that blends 'cinema' and 'mimicry.' "If that is what the people want, why don't we play along seems to be the prevailing mood," he says.
As for the so-called 'art' filmmakers, Sreenivasan says they refuse to be contemporary. "How many of these filmmakers have dealt with contemporary issues? I liked Elippathayam because of its intense characterisation but I wouldn't call the film contemporary. These filmmakers talk about life 50 years back, 100 years back, call it period cinema. Has anyone among them handled a subject that affects today's society, today's realities? I have no respect for anyone who doesn't do so. These people want to appease the governments, they want awards. Contemporary reality won't fetch them laurels."
"But I think we must feel regretful only if good cinema is being made amidst this din and they don't fare well. We haven't been making good cinema, so where is the scope to condemn?"
Sreenivasan is currently scripting a film for Mohanlal. But no, it is not one that will recreate the 'yesteryear Mohanlal.' "The very usage, 'yesteryear Mohanlal' is wrong," he says. "Let Mohanlal surge ahead. Why do you want to drag him into his past? It's not Mohanlal, Dileep or Mammootty that needs image building. It's cinema that needs reinvention. I don't think cinema is a tool to create stardom for a few individuals. It has many other purposes."
But Sreenivasan is confident and optimistic. He sees a new beginning. A new breed of films will evolve, he foresees. "Today's trashy cinema will serve as their manure for growth."
Feature on the ME Toy Fair in Dubai
Return of simplicity
Hi-tech fun might have its takers but many toy makers are developing simple, back to basics toys — a fact underscored at the recent Middle East Toy Fair 2003 held in Dubai. Rajeev Nair has the details
IT was the parting shot of profound philosophy from a taxi driver.
The expert observation had come with little prodding:
"Toy fairs are very common today."
Pause.
"Toys help kids. They also ruin them."
Pause.
"The elders don't change. Then why should we expect today's kids to be understanding?"
Silence. Lost in thought.
Inside the Dubai International Convention Centre exhibition hall, there was little to substantially prove the man's allegation about toys ruining kids.
But certainly, the Middle East Toy Fair 2003 had showcased a lot that without doubt helps children. And adults too.
Best of all, however, was the prevailing 'back to basics' creativity. Somehow, the puzzles, board games and — surprise, surprise — wooden toys had taken the edge out of hi-tech gizmos. While the familiar buzz of the video game monitors and the squeaky, shaky, shrills of IT he/she-men could still be heard, their presence was largely overshadowed by imaginative toys that were simple and friendly.
How about the wooden toys to start with? Tom-Toys, a German manufacturer, had showcased just that. Made from beech wood, the company's collection predominantly featured a range of trucks that not only capture the fancy of children but adults too. "We launched wooden toys two years back, and it has been welcomed very well by the European and US markets," asserts Christian C Zimmerman, marketing director of the company.
Wholly hand-made, these toys employ a sweat and saliva resistant varnish, and also correspond to international safety regulations making them "fully safe for children" says Zimmerman.
The beauty of these toys is that you can easily reconstruct the simple mechanics of toy construction with these wooden models, which per se serve as objects of sheer joy for children.
"With these wooden toys, we were essentially going back to basics," explains Zimmerman, a viewpoint shared by fellow-countryman Hermann Bruns, who handles the international sales of Ravensburger.
His company specialises in a range of games and puzzles, and had earlier participated in the Middle East Toy Fair in year 1999 and 2002. "The response is better than I had expected," said Bruns, whose products already enjoy a market presence in the UAE, distributed through the Dubai-based Memar International Co.
Ravensburger's products include such games as the exciting Funny Bunny (where you have to hope over the holes and race to the top to bag the juicy carrot), Here a Chick There a Chick (where you have to move one hen from its nest and put it on another that doesn't have a hen, and find chicks or eggs), Cat & Mouse (where each player is one of four cheeky mice that scramble around a giant block of cheese), and a lot more — in short, those recreating the basic, simple pleasures of games.
It is not as if Ravensburger had turned its back to technology. It had created game CDs and computer games earlier but dis-continued it. "For us, computer games and CD-ROMs are over," says Bruns. The reason: "There are a lot of free downloads."
In the last three years, Ravensburger has therefore decided to concentrate on games and puzzles, its core capability, and its 25-member R&D team works to create exciting new products. "Our target group is from the 2-to-99-year-old," says Bruns. "So we innovate taking into account the interests of a wide cross-section of users."
The company had recently launched Hologram puzzles, an idea that struck Bruns at the Hong Kong Toy Fair. "Normally, it is very difficult to combine the plastic for holograms and wood, the base for the toy. Our R&D team found a way out," he explains. Another innovation has been the 'Flokati,' where a special woolly material goes over the surface of the characters making them special toys.
The 'Frame Puzzle' of Ravensburger narrates the 'inside story' too. For example, in a Frame Puzzle of an aircraft, lifting one piece of the puzzle, say the front end, reveals a picture of the cock-pit and the pilots.
Ravensburger also has a letter puzzle: You can write a full-length note on the back of the puzzle, piece it up, and send it to whoever you wish to, and enjoy the prospect of the recipient working on the puzzle and arriving at your message.
"Our games and puzzles not only help children to be good team-players, they also learn to win, and more importantly, to lose," says Bruns.
Revell, another German participant, had showcased a series of models that would appeal to both kids and adults. The toys, primarily targeting the men and boys of the world, are to be assembled by the buyer from component plastic parts. "You have to pick the right pieces, paint them, and glue them together to get the toy," says Marko Rachner, the company's export manager.
The company targets the six-plus-year-olds, and also has toys that need not be painted making it easier for the smaller ones to work on the toys. A range of aeroplanes, cars, helicopters, ships, sail-boats — the list of Revell's offerings is seemingly endless. Their recent toy is the model of an Airbus A380, which will fly the skies soon. For girls, the company has a range of horse sets.
While harping on 'back to basics,' how about travelling back in time? Back some 1400 years? To the company of Buzur Mehir, the vizier of the Persian emperor who invented backgammon? The game that was sent down to the Indian emperor, who had sent the game of chess as gift with the note:
"Who thinks much more,
Who knows much more,
Who sees further,
will gain.
That's the life."
Accompanying the backgammon was the note:
Yes, who thinks much more,
Who knows much more,
Who sees further,
will gain.
But it needs a little chance. That's the life."
The Istanbul-based Game Company has developed backgammon boards in three leather-wood combinations. The advantage, says its sales representative E Murat Ermis, is that "the dice does not fall out of the board, and there are provisions to accommodate the chips and dices as well as the facility to record scores."
Backgammon, explains Ermis, is very popular in Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and even the United States.
And if you thought labels and stickers are joys of delight of your childhood, and has little to do with today's little ones, you must talk to Mohamed Abou El Seoud, president and CEO of Etoile, an Egyptian company, specialising in stickers and book-labels. They also have a rich collection of magnetic and dome stickers. Some of the products are meant for corporates too: Control panels, front panel decorations, trademarks in PVC and polycarbonate coated with flexible polyurethane resin.
"The volumes are high and prices low in our segment," says Seoud. "Therefore, it is crucial to develop fresh ideas and extend our product range."
Exercise machines to improve balance, speed of reaction and co-ordination; balloons of many hues showcased by the Dubai-based Pallone International; edutainment and entertainment concepts developed by Fun City; bowling games; fun tools for toddlers — the Middle East Toy Fair had a varied fare, and while toddlers were not around to enjoy them, the event being a trade fair, surely, the market will soon have enough objects that would thrill them.
Box:
Cork to toy: A success saga
Meet Edoardo Tusacciu, president of PlastWood, the inventor of Supermag, the fastest selling toy in Europe that fetched five awards in the US including one for being the 'best family integrator'
THE TV screen at the pavilion of PlastWood at the Middle East Toy Fair 2003 has been blaring out images incessantly. In the midst of a conversation, Edoardo Tusacciu, president and CEO of the company diverts your attention to the screen.
The occasion is the opening of the company's new product range. Out of a plane comes first a sheep followed by a smiling Tusacciu.
"The sheep is a symbol of my place, Sardinia, an island in Italy," he says through his interpreter. "I wanted to change the perception that Sardinia is not just sheep; we can also make the world take notice of us for PlastWood's toys."
And that indeed has happened.
PlastWood's creation, which hit the European market in January, Supermag, has been reported as the fastest selling toy in Europe. In the US, it fetched five awards including one for being the 'best family integrator,' which brings together kids and adults.
To think that just a few years back Tusacciu was running a cork factory like virtually every other entrepreneur in Sardinia. "We have only cork companies and now we have PlastWood too," he says.
He had 50 employees in his cork factory, and he retained them all and added another 100 more in his toy factory, which creates, what can essentially be termed, a 'building block' toy. Only Supermag is magnetic — as the name suggests. "Super stands for its exclusivity, and mag for the magnet," says Tusacciu.
A construction toy that would appeal to anyone from a 3-to-99-year-old, Supermag has been proven to be totally safe for children, says Sharon Harvey, who works with PlastWood's Dubai Liaison Office. "It is a very educational toy, and has been appreciated greatly by engineers and architects too," adds Enrico Basevi de Alcubierre, also with the Dubai Liaison Office.
A simple toy comprising 'building blocks' in sphere and rods, you can construct anything using Supermag. It helps children develop manual skills and creativity, and architects enjoy its company as it helps them visualise their models.
Tusacciu demonstrates the versatility with structures including that of Burj Al Arab that he has created with Supermag.
The man truly loves toys, and in his table he does not have a computer but a Supermag box. "Working with toys has always been my hobby," he says. "In fact, as a child, I have made my own toys, starting with the simple wheel."
Tusacciu is not against the inroads made by hi-tech computer games. "We need both, " he says. "But with computer games, the child plays with just the computer, an inanimate object. With such games as Supermag, he or she is encouraged to play and share his emotions and feelings with friends and family members."
He is working to add on more variants to Supermag, and create five different lines with variants in colour and shape. He has also created Catch Mag, a board game that involves player luck and strategy.
The television screen now has Tusacciu cutting a giant-sized cake. The next shot shows him with cake splattered over his face.
This man loves fun.
And the cheer augers well for his creations.
- RN
Hi-tech fun might have its takers but many toy makers are developing simple, back to basics toys — a fact underscored at the recent Middle East Toy Fair 2003 held in Dubai. Rajeev Nair has the details
IT was the parting shot of profound philosophy from a taxi driver.
The expert observation had come with little prodding:
"Toy fairs are very common today."
Pause.
"Toys help kids. They also ruin them."
Pause.
"The elders don't change. Then why should we expect today's kids to be understanding?"
Silence. Lost in thought.
Inside the Dubai International Convention Centre exhibition hall, there was little to substantially prove the man's allegation about toys ruining kids.
But certainly, the Middle East Toy Fair 2003 had showcased a lot that without doubt helps children. And adults too.
Best of all, however, was the prevailing 'back to basics' creativity. Somehow, the puzzles, board games and — surprise, surprise — wooden toys had taken the edge out of hi-tech gizmos. While the familiar buzz of the video game monitors and the squeaky, shaky, shrills of IT he/she-men could still be heard, their presence was largely overshadowed by imaginative toys that were simple and friendly.
How about the wooden toys to start with? Tom-Toys, a German manufacturer, had showcased just that. Made from beech wood, the company's collection predominantly featured a range of trucks that not only capture the fancy of children but adults too. "We launched wooden toys two years back, and it has been welcomed very well by the European and US markets," asserts Christian C Zimmerman, marketing director of the company.
Wholly hand-made, these toys employ a sweat and saliva resistant varnish, and also correspond to international safety regulations making them "fully safe for children" says Zimmerman.
The beauty of these toys is that you can easily reconstruct the simple mechanics of toy construction with these wooden models, which per se serve as objects of sheer joy for children.
"With these wooden toys, we were essentially going back to basics," explains Zimmerman, a viewpoint shared by fellow-countryman Hermann Bruns, who handles the international sales of Ravensburger.
His company specialises in a range of games and puzzles, and had earlier participated in the Middle East Toy Fair in year 1999 and 2002. "The response is better than I had expected," said Bruns, whose products already enjoy a market presence in the UAE, distributed through the Dubai-based Memar International Co.
Ravensburger's products include such games as the exciting Funny Bunny (where you have to hope over the holes and race to the top to bag the juicy carrot), Here a Chick There a Chick (where you have to move one hen from its nest and put it on another that doesn't have a hen, and find chicks or eggs), Cat & Mouse (where each player is one of four cheeky mice that scramble around a giant block of cheese), and a lot more — in short, those recreating the basic, simple pleasures of games.
It is not as if Ravensburger had turned its back to technology. It had created game CDs and computer games earlier but dis-continued it. "For us, computer games and CD-ROMs are over," says Bruns. The reason: "There are a lot of free downloads."
In the last three years, Ravensburger has therefore decided to concentrate on games and puzzles, its core capability, and its 25-member R&D team works to create exciting new products. "Our target group is from the 2-to-99-year-old," says Bruns. "So we innovate taking into account the interests of a wide cross-section of users."
The company had recently launched Hologram puzzles, an idea that struck Bruns at the Hong Kong Toy Fair. "Normally, it is very difficult to combine the plastic for holograms and wood, the base for the toy. Our R&D team found a way out," he explains. Another innovation has been the 'Flokati,' where a special woolly material goes over the surface of the characters making them special toys.
The 'Frame Puzzle' of Ravensburger narrates the 'inside story' too. For example, in a Frame Puzzle of an aircraft, lifting one piece of the puzzle, say the front end, reveals a picture of the cock-pit and the pilots.
Ravensburger also has a letter puzzle: You can write a full-length note on the back of the puzzle, piece it up, and send it to whoever you wish to, and enjoy the prospect of the recipient working on the puzzle and arriving at your message.
"Our games and puzzles not only help children to be good team-players, they also learn to win, and more importantly, to lose," says Bruns.
Revell, another German participant, had showcased a series of models that would appeal to both kids and adults. The toys, primarily targeting the men and boys of the world, are to be assembled by the buyer from component plastic parts. "You have to pick the right pieces, paint them, and glue them together to get the toy," says Marko Rachner, the company's export manager.
The company targets the six-plus-year-olds, and also has toys that need not be painted making it easier for the smaller ones to work on the toys. A range of aeroplanes, cars, helicopters, ships, sail-boats — the list of Revell's offerings is seemingly endless. Their recent toy is the model of an Airbus A380, which will fly the skies soon. For girls, the company has a range of horse sets.
While harping on 'back to basics,' how about travelling back in time? Back some 1400 years? To the company of Buzur Mehir, the vizier of the Persian emperor who invented backgammon? The game that was sent down to the Indian emperor, who had sent the game of chess as gift with the note:
"Who thinks much more,
Who knows much more,
Who sees further,
will gain.
That's the life."
Accompanying the backgammon was the note:
Yes, who thinks much more,
Who knows much more,
Who sees further,
will gain.
But it needs a little chance. That's the life."
The Istanbul-based Game Company has developed backgammon boards in three leather-wood combinations. The advantage, says its sales representative E Murat Ermis, is that "the dice does not fall out of the board, and there are provisions to accommodate the chips and dices as well as the facility to record scores."
Backgammon, explains Ermis, is very popular in Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and even the United States.
And if you thought labels and stickers are joys of delight of your childhood, and has little to do with today's little ones, you must talk to Mohamed Abou El Seoud, president and CEO of Etoile, an Egyptian company, specialising in stickers and book-labels. They also have a rich collection of magnetic and dome stickers. Some of the products are meant for corporates too: Control panels, front panel decorations, trademarks in PVC and polycarbonate coated with flexible polyurethane resin.
"The volumes are high and prices low in our segment," says Seoud. "Therefore, it is crucial to develop fresh ideas and extend our product range."
Exercise machines to improve balance, speed of reaction and co-ordination; balloons of many hues showcased by the Dubai-based Pallone International; edutainment and entertainment concepts developed by Fun City; bowling games; fun tools for toddlers — the Middle East Toy Fair had a varied fare, and while toddlers were not around to enjoy them, the event being a trade fair, surely, the market will soon have enough objects that would thrill them.
Box:
Cork to toy: A success saga
Meet Edoardo Tusacciu, president of PlastWood, the inventor of Supermag, the fastest selling toy in Europe that fetched five awards in the US including one for being the 'best family integrator'
THE TV screen at the pavilion of PlastWood at the Middle East Toy Fair 2003 has been blaring out images incessantly. In the midst of a conversation, Edoardo Tusacciu, president and CEO of the company diverts your attention to the screen.
The occasion is the opening of the company's new product range. Out of a plane comes first a sheep followed by a smiling Tusacciu.
"The sheep is a symbol of my place, Sardinia, an island in Italy," he says through his interpreter. "I wanted to change the perception that Sardinia is not just sheep; we can also make the world take notice of us for PlastWood's toys."
And that indeed has happened.
PlastWood's creation, which hit the European market in January, Supermag, has been reported as the fastest selling toy in Europe. In the US, it fetched five awards including one for being the 'best family integrator,' which brings together kids and adults.
To think that just a few years back Tusacciu was running a cork factory like virtually every other entrepreneur in Sardinia. "We have only cork companies and now we have PlastWood too," he says.
He had 50 employees in his cork factory, and he retained them all and added another 100 more in his toy factory, which creates, what can essentially be termed, a 'building block' toy. Only Supermag is magnetic — as the name suggests. "Super stands for its exclusivity, and mag for the magnet," says Tusacciu.
A construction toy that would appeal to anyone from a 3-to-99-year-old, Supermag has been proven to be totally safe for children, says Sharon Harvey, who works with PlastWood's Dubai Liaison Office. "It is a very educational toy, and has been appreciated greatly by engineers and architects too," adds Enrico Basevi de Alcubierre, also with the Dubai Liaison Office.
A simple toy comprising 'building blocks' in sphere and rods, you can construct anything using Supermag. It helps children develop manual skills and creativity, and architects enjoy its company as it helps them visualise their models.
Tusacciu demonstrates the versatility with structures including that of Burj Al Arab that he has created with Supermag.
The man truly loves toys, and in his table he does not have a computer but a Supermag box. "Working with toys has always been my hobby," he says. "In fact, as a child, I have made my own toys, starting with the simple wheel."
Tusacciu is not against the inroads made by hi-tech computer games. "We need both, " he says. "But with computer games, the child plays with just the computer, an inanimate object. With such games as Supermag, he or she is encouraged to play and share his emotions and feelings with friends and family members."
He is working to add on more variants to Supermag, and create five different lines with variants in colour and shape. He has also created Catch Mag, a board game that involves player luck and strategy.
The television screen now has Tusacciu cutting a giant-sized cake. The next shot shows him with cake splattered over his face.
This man loves fun.
And the cheer augers well for his creations.
- RN
Celebrity Interview: Indian Actor Vijayakanth
Mass appeal
Common folks have won elections with just his poster and blind fan-fare. But Vijayakanth, Tamil super-star, is not tempted to jump into politics. He is the hero of the masses; he understands them. And he is happy the way life has treated him. A fair share of successes, some box-office failures but never out of favour. Rajeev Nair met him in Dubai
VIJAYAKANTH, South Indian super-star, throws at you 'intros' in every step.
1. He was once called the 'Poor Man's Rajnikanth.' Today, his films released alongside major Rajni starrers have surpassed the one and only Rajni's films in box-office collections.
Proof: The stupendous success of year 2002's Ramanna.
2. Vijayakanth gently pats his face. He has a broken cheek bone. It is rather non-existent, fallen to a bullet taken in at a cinema shoot. He did plastic surgery to cover the damage but decided that three days after or before his birthday — which is celebrated like a national holiday by his fans on August 25 — he would do no more stunts.
Reason: The bullet had stuck him on an eventful August 26 in the early 80s.
3. Vijayakanth has no immediate plans to jump into politics. But he could win elections even without even campaigning. At a Tamil Nadu provincial election, 450 of his fans, who had nothing but his blessings and a few posters of his, emerged triumphant.
Inference: The man gels with the masses. Much like his many on-screen avatars.
The action hero of Tamil cinema, the first one in the region to do the frightening helicopter stunt after the sad demise of Malayalam actor Jayan, all of 82 kilogrammes, will floor you with his down-to-earth graciousness.
There are no star dramas, and you could have very well been with the rice mill owner from Madurai, who happened to land up in cinema, quite by chance, and who also happens to be the only actor in Tamil cinema today to have delivered three confident hits in the past three consecutive years.
And yes, he still has the rice mill, which he says helped him understand the needs and aspirations of the common folk. It also might have put him in good stead enacting the saviour act of the under-dogs in countless films.
The man has an earthy sincerity. In his words, and body language.
He was recently in Dubai to announce the Tamil Mega Star Night 2003, a star-studded show scheduled to take place next week. Excerpts from an interview:
You are in your 25th year in Tamil cinema. Looking back, what are your impressions about the industry?
Twenty-five years back, a film would be completed in 20 days. Today, with all the technological excellence, it sometimes takes 60 days, 80 days or 100 days.
Earlier, a dance sequence would have the hero and the heroine. Then the number of extra artistes who accompany them started increasing. First it was five, it became ten. Now, you have over 40 and 60.
This is because of the arrival of television and the popularity of foreign language films. People watch MTV and V Channel, and in a bid to satisfy people, film-makers started adding more of everything.
I used to do some 14 fights in a week earlier — one during day, and one during night. Now, one fight takes four to six days. I once took 13 days to complete a fight.
Everything has increased, in fact. Even, the ticket charges have gone up.
Will you be hosting any silver jubilee celebration?
I am planning something to coincide with my birthday but nothing has been finalised as yet. For the birthday, anyway, the accent will be on charity work. I donate Rs25 lakhs to an educational trust every year.
In the last three years, you have delivered a hit every year. But things are not all that rosy in the Tamil film industry. It is going through a bad phase. What do you think is the reason for this slump?
Lack of good stories. The audience wants change. While there is an improvement in the technical side, one should remember that there is no substitute for a good story. And lack of touching stories is not just a problem confined to the Tamil industry. Even Malayalam film industry is facing the same problem.
I have been hearing stories since the last three months. I did not hear a single story that did not remind me of at least one of the 142 films I had did earlier. It is also important how you treat the story. It makes all the difference.
But there is also another major reason: Video piracy. It is a major issue.
You have been an ardent campaigner against video piracy. Why is it that, despite such measures, piracy continues unabated?
Video piracy is a global phenomenon. It is happening in Hindi, Malayalam, Hollywood. Recently, I was in Alappuzha, Kerala, for the shooting of Chokka Thangam. I saw the VCDs of the latest James Bond film, Die Another Day, being sold for Rs45.
Corruption is rampant in this business. In Tamil Nadu, for example, if the CD business fetches Rs9 crores, at least three crores go to the police as bribes. We have informed the government about it all.
If the government is serious about stopping piracy, and take sincere steps, video piracy can be put to an end.
When you first came to cinema you were known as the 'Poor Man's Rajnikanth.' Today, your films clash with his, and as with Ramanna, even performs better than Rajni's. How do you feel?
Rajnisir has his audience. So even if my films release alongside his, there is no loss in viewership for either of us. Even if there is a loss, I would say it is a loss from the profit.
You are also the president of the South Indian Film Actors Association. But there are many fissures in your midst, especially the kind that came to surface during the Cauvery issue...
I was out of station during that time. I think there was a conflict somewhere, which we haven't been able to pin-point exactly. We have some clue but I can't disclose anything about that. I think I could have dealt with the issue if I were in town.
Where had you gone?
I had gone location scouting for a film, which we had to eventually drop. Immediately upon coming to know of the issues, I returned.
You are in the limelight. You have mass appeal. And people even talk of the political overtures in your recent films. Are you joining politics?
These rumours about I joining politics started after my fans won some 450 seats in provincial elections. The flags of my fan associations resembled the DMK, AIADMK (the main political parties in the state of Tamil Nadu) flags. They contested the elections on their own using just my posters. They told me that I need not even campaign.
Did you support them with money?
No. All I did was print them my posters.
Now that they have won the elections aren't you confident about succeeding in politics...
To enter politics, there must be careful deliberation. Politics is like an ocean. One just won't jump into it because others call you 'leader' and the media makes speculative statements.
When you first acted, it is reported that you were denied offers saying your Tamil accent was not good. Is it true?
Yes. In fact, that was a sort of challenge to me. I wanted to prove them wrong.
You have always promoted upcoming artists. You have supported the current heart-throb Vijay during his initial years just as you give newcomers the chance to direct films under your own production banners. Aren't you creating your own competition, in a way...?
I have always been like that. I have also introduced artists like Mansoor Ali Khan. What is important is to do your work properly. I have total confidence in myself.
You have had a very tough going. You would have one hit followed by many flops. People have tried to write you off, and then you would bounce back. What set you going during the dark phase?
I have always wanted to win, and setbacks have only boosted my desire to win. If you keep on winning too, it is bad. You will develop arrogance. Ups and downs help you understand life, and help you develop a clear judgement.
Why do you do mostly action films?
I have done comedy initially. Then my films started addressing social issues, which I could understand perfectly because of my close working relationship with employees at my rice mill. Most of my sentimental films have done well too.
In doing action films, do you use dupes?
I do the stunts myself. And I don't practise for the stunts. I haven't learnt any karate or whatever. All I do is the regular exercise. Whatever the stunt master does, I would do. If the stunt master cannot, I too cannot do it. I need someone who can show me how to do the stunt. If there is a difficult stunt that I can't do at one time, I would think of it during the night, practise during my routine exercise and try it again.
You had gone for a desert safari in Dubai. How was the experience?
I have gone through greater thrills. I copied the helicopter stunt of True Lies in one of my films. After Jayan died in the helicopter crash, no other actor was willing to do such stunts. I insisted on doing it myself. Look (pointing to his cheek, below his right eye) it is plastic surgery. I have no bone here. A bullet had hit here. Rumours did the rounds that I lost my eye.
Who is your most favourite villain?
Thilakan. His power of dialogue delivery is terrific. In Malayalam actors, I am a great fan of yesteryear hero Sathyan. I have plans to remake his film, Kara Kaana Kadal.
Common folks have won elections with just his poster and blind fan-fare. But Vijayakanth, Tamil super-star, is not tempted to jump into politics. He is the hero of the masses; he understands them. And he is happy the way life has treated him. A fair share of successes, some box-office failures but never out of favour. Rajeev Nair met him in Dubai
VIJAYAKANTH, South Indian super-star, throws at you 'intros' in every step.
1. He was once called the 'Poor Man's Rajnikanth.' Today, his films released alongside major Rajni starrers have surpassed the one and only Rajni's films in box-office collections.
Proof: The stupendous success of year 2002's Ramanna.
2. Vijayakanth gently pats his face. He has a broken cheek bone. It is rather non-existent, fallen to a bullet taken in at a cinema shoot. He did plastic surgery to cover the damage but decided that three days after or before his birthday — which is celebrated like a national holiday by his fans on August 25 — he would do no more stunts.
Reason: The bullet had stuck him on an eventful August 26 in the early 80s.
3. Vijayakanth has no immediate plans to jump into politics. But he could win elections even without even campaigning. At a Tamil Nadu provincial election, 450 of his fans, who had nothing but his blessings and a few posters of his, emerged triumphant.
Inference: The man gels with the masses. Much like his many on-screen avatars.
The action hero of Tamil cinema, the first one in the region to do the frightening helicopter stunt after the sad demise of Malayalam actor Jayan, all of 82 kilogrammes, will floor you with his down-to-earth graciousness.
There are no star dramas, and you could have very well been with the rice mill owner from Madurai, who happened to land up in cinema, quite by chance, and who also happens to be the only actor in Tamil cinema today to have delivered three confident hits in the past three consecutive years.
And yes, he still has the rice mill, which he says helped him understand the needs and aspirations of the common folk. It also might have put him in good stead enacting the saviour act of the under-dogs in countless films.
The man has an earthy sincerity. In his words, and body language.
He was recently in Dubai to announce the Tamil Mega Star Night 2003, a star-studded show scheduled to take place next week. Excerpts from an interview:
You are in your 25th year in Tamil cinema. Looking back, what are your impressions about the industry?
Twenty-five years back, a film would be completed in 20 days. Today, with all the technological excellence, it sometimes takes 60 days, 80 days or 100 days.
Earlier, a dance sequence would have the hero and the heroine. Then the number of extra artistes who accompany them started increasing. First it was five, it became ten. Now, you have over 40 and 60.
This is because of the arrival of television and the popularity of foreign language films. People watch MTV and V Channel, and in a bid to satisfy people, film-makers started adding more of everything.
I used to do some 14 fights in a week earlier — one during day, and one during night. Now, one fight takes four to six days. I once took 13 days to complete a fight.
Everything has increased, in fact. Even, the ticket charges have gone up.
Will you be hosting any silver jubilee celebration?
I am planning something to coincide with my birthday but nothing has been finalised as yet. For the birthday, anyway, the accent will be on charity work. I donate Rs25 lakhs to an educational trust every year.
In the last three years, you have delivered a hit every year. But things are not all that rosy in the Tamil film industry. It is going through a bad phase. What do you think is the reason for this slump?
Lack of good stories. The audience wants change. While there is an improvement in the technical side, one should remember that there is no substitute for a good story. And lack of touching stories is not just a problem confined to the Tamil industry. Even Malayalam film industry is facing the same problem.
I have been hearing stories since the last three months. I did not hear a single story that did not remind me of at least one of the 142 films I had did earlier. It is also important how you treat the story. It makes all the difference.
But there is also another major reason: Video piracy. It is a major issue.
You have been an ardent campaigner against video piracy. Why is it that, despite such measures, piracy continues unabated?
Video piracy is a global phenomenon. It is happening in Hindi, Malayalam, Hollywood. Recently, I was in Alappuzha, Kerala, for the shooting of Chokka Thangam. I saw the VCDs of the latest James Bond film, Die Another Day, being sold for Rs45.
Corruption is rampant in this business. In Tamil Nadu, for example, if the CD business fetches Rs9 crores, at least three crores go to the police as bribes. We have informed the government about it all.
If the government is serious about stopping piracy, and take sincere steps, video piracy can be put to an end.
When you first came to cinema you were known as the 'Poor Man's Rajnikanth.' Today, your films clash with his, and as with Ramanna, even performs better than Rajni's. How do you feel?
Rajnisir has his audience. So even if my films release alongside his, there is no loss in viewership for either of us. Even if there is a loss, I would say it is a loss from the profit.
You are also the president of the South Indian Film Actors Association. But there are many fissures in your midst, especially the kind that came to surface during the Cauvery issue...
I was out of station during that time. I think there was a conflict somewhere, which we haven't been able to pin-point exactly. We have some clue but I can't disclose anything about that. I think I could have dealt with the issue if I were in town.
Where had you gone?
I had gone location scouting for a film, which we had to eventually drop. Immediately upon coming to know of the issues, I returned.
You are in the limelight. You have mass appeal. And people even talk of the political overtures in your recent films. Are you joining politics?
These rumours about I joining politics started after my fans won some 450 seats in provincial elections. The flags of my fan associations resembled the DMK, AIADMK (the main political parties in the state of Tamil Nadu) flags. They contested the elections on their own using just my posters. They told me that I need not even campaign.
Did you support them with money?
No. All I did was print them my posters.
Now that they have won the elections aren't you confident about succeeding in politics...
To enter politics, there must be careful deliberation. Politics is like an ocean. One just won't jump into it because others call you 'leader' and the media makes speculative statements.
When you first acted, it is reported that you were denied offers saying your Tamil accent was not good. Is it true?
Yes. In fact, that was a sort of challenge to me. I wanted to prove them wrong.
You have always promoted upcoming artists. You have supported the current heart-throb Vijay during his initial years just as you give newcomers the chance to direct films under your own production banners. Aren't you creating your own competition, in a way...?
I have always been like that. I have also introduced artists like Mansoor Ali Khan. What is important is to do your work properly. I have total confidence in myself.
You have had a very tough going. You would have one hit followed by many flops. People have tried to write you off, and then you would bounce back. What set you going during the dark phase?
I have always wanted to win, and setbacks have only boosted my desire to win. If you keep on winning too, it is bad. You will develop arrogance. Ups and downs help you understand life, and help you develop a clear judgement.
Why do you do mostly action films?
I have done comedy initially. Then my films started addressing social issues, which I could understand perfectly because of my close working relationship with employees at my rice mill. Most of my sentimental films have done well too.
In doing action films, do you use dupes?
I do the stunts myself. And I don't practise for the stunts. I haven't learnt any karate or whatever. All I do is the regular exercise. Whatever the stunt master does, I would do. If the stunt master cannot, I too cannot do it. I need someone who can show me how to do the stunt. If there is a difficult stunt that I can't do at one time, I would think of it during the night, practise during my routine exercise and try it again.
You had gone for a desert safari in Dubai. How was the experience?
I have gone through greater thrills. I copied the helicopter stunt of True Lies in one of my films. After Jayan died in the helicopter crash, no other actor was willing to do such stunts. I insisted on doing it myself. Look (pointing to his cheek, below his right eye) it is plastic surgery. I have no bone here. A bullet had hit here. Rumours did the rounds that I lost my eye.
Who is your most favourite villain?
Thilakan. His power of dialogue delivery is terrific. In Malayalam actors, I am a great fan of yesteryear hero Sathyan. I have plans to remake his film, Kara Kaana Kadal.
Celebrity Interview: Indian Actor Vineeth
Dignified charm
From his first role in the Malayalam film, Nakhakshathangal, as a gawky romantic, to the suave, sophisticated character roles he now plays in Tamil and Telugu, Vineeth has indeed matured gracefully. Rajeev Nair met him in Dubai
MUCH before mimicry proved a stepping-stone to cinema, talent got recognised on-stage. Vineeth, who danced to the front page of Malayalam dailies through his prize-winning performances at school youth festivals, walked into the minds of Malayalam moviegoers with a given: He had proved his mettle. All that the directors needed to do was tap into it.
The gawky, even clumsy, romantic of Nakhakshathangal, Vineeth’s first role, now would seem utterly dated. Vineeth’s dhoti-clad innocence, which was to be repeated in many more Malayalam films, has given way to youthful, trendy flamboyance. And it is paying rich rewards.
Vineeth has done over 18 Telugu films, a number of Tamil flicks, and after several months of absence is back to the Malayalam silver screen with a peppy role in Rafi-Mecartin’s festival flick, Chathikatha Chanthu.
To put down the youngster as just another actor would be gross injustice. A disciple of the renowned dance exponent, Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, Vineeth asserts that acting is his profession, and dancing his passion.
Vineeth is turning a new leaf in his life. He is getting married in August to a Bahrain-based Keralite girl.
Excerpts from an interview with the actor, who is in Dubai for a stage show:
You started off your acting career in the role of a very ordinary Keralite youngster. And you did a few more roles of the same nature. Today, you have cultivated the image of a flamboyant hero. Has the change been deliberate?
It is a process. I was very raw when I came into the industry. I wasn’t professionally trained in acting; I was just a dancer, trained in classical dancing. I was fortunate in doing films with well-known directors and actors.
From them, I learnt a lot of things about basic acting, and I started improving. Once you reach a stage where you work with a lot of talented people their vibrations come into you, and there is an almost automatic transition. It happens with all artistes, and of course, there is the element of hard work and your involvement in what you are doing. I love my work.
How do you prioritise between acting and dancing?
Acting is my profession. Dancing is my passion. I have been dancing since childhood, and I am still continuing my training under Dr Padma Subrahmanyam. I never mix these.
Does being a dance performer any way constraint your abilities as a commercial film actor, especially, in evolving as a full-blown action hero?
Yes, it has definitely been there. Being a dancer, your movements become more graceful and acting too becomes more real. I have been careful not to let that creep into my performance with the help of directors and choreographers. I think I was lucky to get some good roles, and work under renowned directors. It was a kind of a learning experience. This has helped me when I went into Tamil and Telugu.
Don’t you think you missed the bus to stardom in Malayalam cinema by crossing over to Tamil?
I missed a couple of films, which is the reason for the gap. Otherwise I could have made a better mark in Malayalam. But I never regret the move. Those (Tamil and Telugu) films gave me a national exposure. Kathal Desham (memorable for the Mustafa song composed by AR Rahman) gave me good exposure in Telugu; I have done some 18 films there. As an artiste it is a big challenge talking another language, and mingling with other actors.
Where do you get more recognition — in Kerala, Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh?
I have done more films in Malayalam, and more than Tamil I do Telugu films. Popularity wise too, films ran better in Telugu. And then, of course, there was a change in the trend everywhere. Newcomers were making their entry but I still get good characters, even in Tamil.
Returning to Malayalam after close to three years, do you find any changes in the overall scenario?
No. I did Darling, Darling three years back. It was a hit and I was getting a number of offers. But I wanted to do something unique and nice with a good banner under a good director. Otherwise you end up wasting your time doing nothing. It is very important that not only the subject but also the whole production process is sound and well-planned. From what I get, I choose. And of course, luck plays a very important part. Chathikatha Chanthu is doing well, and my role is appreciated too.
You have been training in dance for many years now…what do you seek in dancing?
You keep on improving your techniques. You can improvise on each item, and you can learn different styles, and in the same style too you can keep on improving. Dancing is never complete. It is continuous learning process.
Do you plan to teach dancing too?
No. For that you should really spend time with your students and be with them. That is a totally different dedication like how Shobhana does today. When I have that kind of time and when I can dedicate myself to the role of a teacher, I will definitely do it.
What is your forte in dancing?
I enjoy Mohiniyattom but as a performer I prefer Bharathanatyam, and now, Bharatha Nrithyam, which is revived by Padma Subrahmanyam.
The Malayalam film industry is going through a rough patch; probably, you might not have been affected by it at all, since your interests seem beyond just Malayalam cinema…
No, it has definitely affected me too. Being a member of the (actors') association, I am very sad something like this has happened. It is a creative field; you cannot restrict actors in expressing their creativity.
How do you rate the current breed of newcomers in Malayalam cinema?
They are extremely talented.
You don’t seem very comfortable with comedy takes...
I am essentially a director’s actor. I can improvise on what he says. I cannot do much of slapstick stuff. I guess I can handle the situation, though. I am not bad and I can manage my timing because in comedy it is essential to keep your timing to let your co-actors react.
You have done a number of memorable films including Nakhakshathangal, Champakulam Thachan, Sargam, Kamaladalam…clichéd as it may sound, which is your favourite role?
My all-time favourite will be Aavarampoo (the Tamil remake of the Malayalam flick, Thakara), by Bharathan. It was a very different film. And Sargam, of course. I have done a number of memorable films in Telugu too. I did a film with Soundarya (who died recently in a helicopter crash); she was a very talented and dignified woman.
Do you expect your marriage to affect your fan following?
Fans…fans…they always appreciate the talent in an actor. They have always rated me as a good actor, and I must continue doing good films, and stay a good actor. I hope I can do that.
From his first role in the Malayalam film, Nakhakshathangal, as a gawky romantic, to the suave, sophisticated character roles he now plays in Tamil and Telugu, Vineeth has indeed matured gracefully. Rajeev Nair met him in Dubai
MUCH before mimicry proved a stepping-stone to cinema, talent got recognised on-stage. Vineeth, who danced to the front page of Malayalam dailies through his prize-winning performances at school youth festivals, walked into the minds of Malayalam moviegoers with a given: He had proved his mettle. All that the directors needed to do was tap into it.
The gawky, even clumsy, romantic of Nakhakshathangal, Vineeth’s first role, now would seem utterly dated. Vineeth’s dhoti-clad innocence, which was to be repeated in many more Malayalam films, has given way to youthful, trendy flamboyance. And it is paying rich rewards.
Vineeth has done over 18 Telugu films, a number of Tamil flicks, and after several months of absence is back to the Malayalam silver screen with a peppy role in Rafi-Mecartin’s festival flick, Chathikatha Chanthu.
To put down the youngster as just another actor would be gross injustice. A disciple of the renowned dance exponent, Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, Vineeth asserts that acting is his profession, and dancing his passion.
Vineeth is turning a new leaf in his life. He is getting married in August to a Bahrain-based Keralite girl.
Excerpts from an interview with the actor, who is in Dubai for a stage show:
You started off your acting career in the role of a very ordinary Keralite youngster. And you did a few more roles of the same nature. Today, you have cultivated the image of a flamboyant hero. Has the change been deliberate?
It is a process. I was very raw when I came into the industry. I wasn’t professionally trained in acting; I was just a dancer, trained in classical dancing. I was fortunate in doing films with well-known directors and actors.
From them, I learnt a lot of things about basic acting, and I started improving. Once you reach a stage where you work with a lot of talented people their vibrations come into you, and there is an almost automatic transition. It happens with all artistes, and of course, there is the element of hard work and your involvement in what you are doing. I love my work.
How do you prioritise between acting and dancing?
Acting is my profession. Dancing is my passion. I have been dancing since childhood, and I am still continuing my training under Dr Padma Subrahmanyam. I never mix these.
Does being a dance performer any way constraint your abilities as a commercial film actor, especially, in evolving as a full-blown action hero?
Yes, it has definitely been there. Being a dancer, your movements become more graceful and acting too becomes more real. I have been careful not to let that creep into my performance with the help of directors and choreographers. I think I was lucky to get some good roles, and work under renowned directors. It was a kind of a learning experience. This has helped me when I went into Tamil and Telugu.
Don’t you think you missed the bus to stardom in Malayalam cinema by crossing over to Tamil?
I missed a couple of films, which is the reason for the gap. Otherwise I could have made a better mark in Malayalam. But I never regret the move. Those (Tamil and Telugu) films gave me a national exposure. Kathal Desham (memorable for the Mustafa song composed by AR Rahman) gave me good exposure in Telugu; I have done some 18 films there. As an artiste it is a big challenge talking another language, and mingling with other actors.
Where do you get more recognition — in Kerala, Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh?
I have done more films in Malayalam, and more than Tamil I do Telugu films. Popularity wise too, films ran better in Telugu. And then, of course, there was a change in the trend everywhere. Newcomers were making their entry but I still get good characters, even in Tamil.
Returning to Malayalam after close to three years, do you find any changes in the overall scenario?
No. I did Darling, Darling three years back. It was a hit and I was getting a number of offers. But I wanted to do something unique and nice with a good banner under a good director. Otherwise you end up wasting your time doing nothing. It is very important that not only the subject but also the whole production process is sound and well-planned. From what I get, I choose. And of course, luck plays a very important part. Chathikatha Chanthu is doing well, and my role is appreciated too.
You have been training in dance for many years now…what do you seek in dancing?
You keep on improving your techniques. You can improvise on each item, and you can learn different styles, and in the same style too you can keep on improving. Dancing is never complete. It is continuous learning process.
Do you plan to teach dancing too?
No. For that you should really spend time with your students and be with them. That is a totally different dedication like how Shobhana does today. When I have that kind of time and when I can dedicate myself to the role of a teacher, I will definitely do it.
What is your forte in dancing?
I enjoy Mohiniyattom but as a performer I prefer Bharathanatyam, and now, Bharatha Nrithyam, which is revived by Padma Subrahmanyam.
The Malayalam film industry is going through a rough patch; probably, you might not have been affected by it at all, since your interests seem beyond just Malayalam cinema…
No, it has definitely affected me too. Being a member of the (actors') association, I am very sad something like this has happened. It is a creative field; you cannot restrict actors in expressing their creativity.
How do you rate the current breed of newcomers in Malayalam cinema?
They are extremely talented.
You don’t seem very comfortable with comedy takes...
I am essentially a director’s actor. I can improvise on what he says. I cannot do much of slapstick stuff. I guess I can handle the situation, though. I am not bad and I can manage my timing because in comedy it is essential to keep your timing to let your co-actors react.
You have done a number of memorable films including Nakhakshathangal, Champakulam Thachan, Sargam, Kamaladalam…clichéd as it may sound, which is your favourite role?
My all-time favourite will be Aavarampoo (the Tamil remake of the Malayalam flick, Thakara), by Bharathan. It was a very different film. And Sargam, of course. I have done a number of memorable films in Telugu too. I did a film with Soundarya (who died recently in a helicopter crash); she was a very talented and dignified woman.
Do you expect your marriage to affect your fan following?
Fans…fans…they always appreciate the talent in an actor. They have always rated me as a good actor, and I must continue doing good films, and stay a good actor. I hope I can do that.
Wrap-up story of Dubai 2003
The Third World closes in
Lee Kyang Hae can rest in peace. The fatal stab the South Korean WTO protester inflicted on himself has, indeed, touched a raw nerve.
Cancun was more than a shadow at Dubai 2003. And the WTO talk impasse served as a wake-up call that united the developed and developing nations to realise that 'negotiations must move on.'
While the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, in itself, had never been looked on to deliver a cook-book recipe for global prosperity, the radically pro-poor tangent it acquired at Dubai has indeed made the session more relevant for the developing countries.
The World Bank positioned itself from an aggressive 'do this' donor to a 'take it if you want' facilitator, which echoed in the customary pre-joint session media briefing of the president, James D Wolfensohn.
Apart from the World Development Report of the Bank and the four reports on the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, the bank came in for a huge round of applause at the joint session, when Wolfensohn reiterated the need for a 'greater balance between the rich and poor countries.'
For those who hoped a concrete action plan on Afghanistan and Iraq, the WB and IMF promised little but lavished on their steadfast commitment.
While IMF was explicit about their role in Afghanistan as advisory, both the IMF and WB emphasised that war-ravaged Iraq will receive no loans until the legitimacy surrounding the country's interim administration was resolved.
However, Dubai 2003 served as a platform for meaningful and productive dialogue. Wolfensohn met with the Iraqi delegation to discuss the need assessment plan the WB, IMF and UN had together prepared.
Afghanistan benefited from an investment workshop hosted by the International Finance Corporation, which deliberated on the country's move to grant licences to foreign banks in the country. Afghan also won an extra $1.2 billion aid pledge from the US to be disbursed over the next one year.
Another concrete monetary pledge came from the Netherlands, which adopted a radically pro-poor image. The Netherlands Development Co-operation Minister Agnes van Ardenne, who vowed 2.5 billion euro for education of the poor, was vocal in her support of the developing countries stance vis-a-vis Cancun.
At the joint session, she had said: "I urge all developed countries to eliminate export subsidies for the products of particular importance to developing countries and to follow the EU initiative, Everything but Arms."
The voice of the developing countries echoed in the words of the IMF Managing Director Horst Kohler too. He agreed to the views aired by the Governor of the Bank and Fund for Bangladesh M Saifur Rahman that apart from good governance, macroeconomic policies and people's participation, developing countries needed huge investment.
The issue of greater voice and participation attained greater relevance at Dubai 2003 with China and Brazil being aggressive advocates of the developing countries, and African nations cautioning that in the rush, their voice must not be drowned.
And the last voice heard at the gubernatorial addresses at the joint session, that of Jean Baptiste Compaore, governor of the fund for Burkina Faso and chairman of the African caucus, rounded off it all well: His was a call for a level playing field for Africa. Precisely, what Wolfensohn meant when he mentioned of a 'new global equilibrium,' and Kohler vowed as he pictured "all in one boat."
Lee can rest in peace.
- Rajeev Nair
Lee Kyang Hae can rest in peace. The fatal stab the South Korean WTO protester inflicted on himself has, indeed, touched a raw nerve.
Cancun was more than a shadow at Dubai 2003. And the WTO talk impasse served as a wake-up call that united the developed and developing nations to realise that 'negotiations must move on.'
While the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, in itself, had never been looked on to deliver a cook-book recipe for global prosperity, the radically pro-poor tangent it acquired at Dubai has indeed made the session more relevant for the developing countries.
The World Bank positioned itself from an aggressive 'do this' donor to a 'take it if you want' facilitator, which echoed in the customary pre-joint session media briefing of the president, James D Wolfensohn.
Apart from the World Development Report of the Bank and the four reports on the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, the bank came in for a huge round of applause at the joint session, when Wolfensohn reiterated the need for a 'greater balance between the rich and poor countries.'
For those who hoped a concrete action plan on Afghanistan and Iraq, the WB and IMF promised little but lavished on their steadfast commitment.
While IMF was explicit about their role in Afghanistan as advisory, both the IMF and WB emphasised that war-ravaged Iraq will receive no loans until the legitimacy surrounding the country's interim administration was resolved.
However, Dubai 2003 served as a platform for meaningful and productive dialogue. Wolfensohn met with the Iraqi delegation to discuss the need assessment plan the WB, IMF and UN had together prepared.
Afghanistan benefited from an investment workshop hosted by the International Finance Corporation, which deliberated on the country's move to grant licences to foreign banks in the country. Afghan also won an extra $1.2 billion aid pledge from the US to be disbursed over the next one year.
Another concrete monetary pledge came from the Netherlands, which adopted a radically pro-poor image. The Netherlands Development Co-operation Minister Agnes van Ardenne, who vowed 2.5 billion euro for education of the poor, was vocal in her support of the developing countries stance vis-a-vis Cancun.
At the joint session, she had said: "I urge all developed countries to eliminate export subsidies for the products of particular importance to developing countries and to follow the EU initiative, Everything but Arms."
The voice of the developing countries echoed in the words of the IMF Managing Director Horst Kohler too. He agreed to the views aired by the Governor of the Bank and Fund for Bangladesh M Saifur Rahman that apart from good governance, macroeconomic policies and people's participation, developing countries needed huge investment.
The issue of greater voice and participation attained greater relevance at Dubai 2003 with China and Brazil being aggressive advocates of the developing countries, and African nations cautioning that in the rush, their voice must not be drowned.
And the last voice heard at the gubernatorial addresses at the joint session, that of Jean Baptiste Compaore, governor of the fund for Burkina Faso and chairman of the African caucus, rounded off it all well: His was a call for a level playing field for Africa. Precisely, what Wolfensohn meant when he mentioned of a 'new global equilibrium,' and Kohler vowed as he pictured "all in one boat."
Lee can rest in peace.
- Rajeev Nair
Interview: Yoga Master Bharat Thakur
Happy arrogance
Artistic Yoga arrives to Dubai. Developed by Bharat Thakur, internationally renowned yoga master, the powerful system of yoga helps you be happy - just as Thakur is. Rajeev Nair met him in Dubai
YOGA master Bharat Thakur calls the brain a coconut. Mind is a mix of memory and creativity, and yoga, the ancient Indian tradition of mind-body-soul transformation, according to him is ‘Endocrine Exercise’ and its whole purpose is to make people happy.
Of course, he is happy. And he says everyone who is happy must step forward and say so. A happy man, Thakur says, lets go.
He also puts on an air of arrogance, which he says is put on to keep away weird people who seek ‘instant enlightenment’ from approaching him. He knows what he speaks about, and he says so.
Thakur regards Yoga as just one – the ancient Indian tradition. “There is nothing called Artistic Yoga,” he says. “It is just a name,” — one he gave to a holistic system of yoga that he put together.
With ‘Artistic Yoga,’ he aims to elevate yoga from mere flexibility training, as, he feels, is mostly the practice. He researched extensively on his beliefs while he worked as teacher at schools, and says that yoga offers a complete fitness regimen by enabling strength, endurance, flexibility, agility and balance for the body.
“You don’t need extra weights to train your body,” he says. Hunk-like cultivated looks, he says, are ugly. “Some simple postures of the 8,400,000 postures in yoga would do for good, happy looks.” His yoga does not make people tired, or look unhappy. “Look at long distance runners. They look sick because they are overloading their lungs. Artistic Yoga stimulates the mind and body.”
His advice to beat stress is to “live life to its fullest right now. Right now, be happy,” he says. Yoga presses some gland or the other in the body, he observes, and the pressure on these porous glands makes them secrete anti-stress hormones. “A simple slap can create tremendous stress on the human body. Imagine, what happens to your body, living stressed, day after day, week after week, month after month...”
The important thing in yoga, Thakur says, is to practise it daily. Any one, at any time, can practise yoga. “But, do it daily.” He says it is best to practise yoga from the age of five.
Thakur says he is neither a master nor a guru. Such titles embarrass him.
It is this seemingly blatant disregard for pretentious attitudes that sets Thakur apart.
He was in Dubai recently to conduct workshops on ‘Artistic Yoga,’ in association with Serenity. He plans to open his yoga studio in the emirate, and thus open up his world of yoga — Artistic Yoga has over 1.5 lakh practitioners in India alone — for the benefit of the residents of a city, which he says, “has happy vibes.”
Simplicity seems the essence of the man. He has written three books without much of the jargon associated with yoga titles, and plans some 50 books including one soon for computer users and another for women.
He is sharing a wisdom, which he sourced from nature, from the Himalayas, where he spent 16 years from the age of four, after being chosen by his master Sukhdev Brahmachari.
Lore has it that his parents, yearning for children for long, had promised the yogi their first son. Living in the Himalayas, he understood life but he was not, Thakur says, “culturally trained. That I learnt from the society.”
He moved to the mainland, and did post-graduation in exercise and biomechanics. Prior to that he had studied Sufism, Buddhism, Jainism, and the ancient Indian medical system of Ayurveda. “It was essential to go to the universities, to the accepted principles of education, because, for example, I would call charkas as plexus now, and convey the meaning to people. It has changed the way I interact with people. I have been groomed now. Had I just come from the hills, I would have been more animalistic – screaming, shouting. Now, I am much better.”
He arrived at yoga last. “Sufism, Buddhism, Jainism – they are all isms. When the master dies, that becomes an ism. An ism is a belief, but yoga is life. It is not spiritual or religious; it is a research, an experiment man does on the human body.”
Yoga, in its spiritual level, he says, could be philosophical. “But it is not philosophy; it is wisdom with a straight meaning. India calls it darshan shastra, the art of viewing, not the art of listening. The art of doing is wisdom. The art of believing is philosophy. Yoga goes towards doing not listening or understanding.”
Thakur wouldn’t call himself enlightened. “If enlightened people say they are enlightened they are stupid. I don’t want to be stupid.
But he wouldn’t confer to whether there is a state of enlightenment. “That, you will have to work yourself out. If I confer about the state of enlightenment, I will kill your celebration of life. You will start worshipping me, and you will do nothing for yourself. I guide people on the way towards whatever you call it. I don’t claim anything. I am a normal, straight, basic human being - a friend, a guide. ”
Thakur expounds that happiness must be proclaimed. An Indian philosopher J Krishamoorthi once observed that the moment you say you are happy, you lose your happiness to which Thakur says, “He said that about the art of awareness. It is a behavioural pattern. I am not teaching the art of awareness. I am trying to be there. In one, you are standing by the side of the sea, and talking about swimming. Another is entering the sea, and talking about swimming. Once you are in the sea, you will be wet. And you know you are wet and there is no problem in raising your hand to say you are wet (happy).”
Basically people are caught up with their lives, observes Thakur. “They don’t understand that they have to live for themselves too. They are living for others. Man is a crowd, and he will be happy, when he moves from the crowd to a single being.”
Man needs yoga, says Thakur, because “a direction is needed. If there is no direction you might end up being a hippie. Yoga is nothing but an energy-channeling process. There are so many happy people in the hills, why aren’t there so many happy people in the homes? Yoga was never part of the life of people. Swamis are happy; non-swamis aren’t. I want to create swamis in normal households. Live in your house, practise yoga, and be happy.”
While yoga might be popular in the West, more as a fad, Thakur says, “Western people cannot practise yoga. The involvement of Western people in the system of yoga is very low. They can only accept us from the physical asanas. They have not crossed beyond that. What they do is all c--p. I would prefer working with the Asian people. Go to Japan. They are so open, fabulous people. See Dubai, there is so much good response from here.”
Yoga is for happy people, says Thakur, and for unhappy people. “Happy people are more welcome in my life.”
Artistic Yoga arrives to Dubai. Developed by Bharat Thakur, internationally renowned yoga master, the powerful system of yoga helps you be happy - just as Thakur is. Rajeev Nair met him in Dubai
YOGA master Bharat Thakur calls the brain a coconut. Mind is a mix of memory and creativity, and yoga, the ancient Indian tradition of mind-body-soul transformation, according to him is ‘Endocrine Exercise’ and its whole purpose is to make people happy.
Of course, he is happy. And he says everyone who is happy must step forward and say so. A happy man, Thakur says, lets go.
He also puts on an air of arrogance, which he says is put on to keep away weird people who seek ‘instant enlightenment’ from approaching him. He knows what he speaks about, and he says so.
Thakur regards Yoga as just one – the ancient Indian tradition. “There is nothing called Artistic Yoga,” he says. “It is just a name,” — one he gave to a holistic system of yoga that he put together.
With ‘Artistic Yoga,’ he aims to elevate yoga from mere flexibility training, as, he feels, is mostly the practice. He researched extensively on his beliefs while he worked as teacher at schools, and says that yoga offers a complete fitness regimen by enabling strength, endurance, flexibility, agility and balance for the body.
“You don’t need extra weights to train your body,” he says. Hunk-like cultivated looks, he says, are ugly. “Some simple postures of the 8,400,000 postures in yoga would do for good, happy looks.” His yoga does not make people tired, or look unhappy. “Look at long distance runners. They look sick because they are overloading their lungs. Artistic Yoga stimulates the mind and body.”
His advice to beat stress is to “live life to its fullest right now. Right now, be happy,” he says. Yoga presses some gland or the other in the body, he observes, and the pressure on these porous glands makes them secrete anti-stress hormones. “A simple slap can create tremendous stress on the human body. Imagine, what happens to your body, living stressed, day after day, week after week, month after month...”
The important thing in yoga, Thakur says, is to practise it daily. Any one, at any time, can practise yoga. “But, do it daily.” He says it is best to practise yoga from the age of five.
Thakur says he is neither a master nor a guru. Such titles embarrass him.
It is this seemingly blatant disregard for pretentious attitudes that sets Thakur apart.
He was in Dubai recently to conduct workshops on ‘Artistic Yoga,’ in association with Serenity. He plans to open his yoga studio in the emirate, and thus open up his world of yoga — Artistic Yoga has over 1.5 lakh practitioners in India alone — for the benefit of the residents of a city, which he says, “has happy vibes.”
Simplicity seems the essence of the man. He has written three books without much of the jargon associated with yoga titles, and plans some 50 books including one soon for computer users and another for women.
He is sharing a wisdom, which he sourced from nature, from the Himalayas, where he spent 16 years from the age of four, after being chosen by his master Sukhdev Brahmachari.
Lore has it that his parents, yearning for children for long, had promised the yogi their first son. Living in the Himalayas, he understood life but he was not, Thakur says, “culturally trained. That I learnt from the society.”
He moved to the mainland, and did post-graduation in exercise and biomechanics. Prior to that he had studied Sufism, Buddhism, Jainism, and the ancient Indian medical system of Ayurveda. “It was essential to go to the universities, to the accepted principles of education, because, for example, I would call charkas as plexus now, and convey the meaning to people. It has changed the way I interact with people. I have been groomed now. Had I just come from the hills, I would have been more animalistic – screaming, shouting. Now, I am much better.”
He arrived at yoga last. “Sufism, Buddhism, Jainism – they are all isms. When the master dies, that becomes an ism. An ism is a belief, but yoga is life. It is not spiritual or religious; it is a research, an experiment man does on the human body.”
Yoga, in its spiritual level, he says, could be philosophical. “But it is not philosophy; it is wisdom with a straight meaning. India calls it darshan shastra, the art of viewing, not the art of listening. The art of doing is wisdom. The art of believing is philosophy. Yoga goes towards doing not listening or understanding.”
Thakur wouldn’t call himself enlightened. “If enlightened people say they are enlightened they are stupid. I don’t want to be stupid.
But he wouldn’t confer to whether there is a state of enlightenment. “That, you will have to work yourself out. If I confer about the state of enlightenment, I will kill your celebration of life. You will start worshipping me, and you will do nothing for yourself. I guide people on the way towards whatever you call it. I don’t claim anything. I am a normal, straight, basic human being - a friend, a guide. ”
Thakur expounds that happiness must be proclaimed. An Indian philosopher J Krishamoorthi once observed that the moment you say you are happy, you lose your happiness to which Thakur says, “He said that about the art of awareness. It is a behavioural pattern. I am not teaching the art of awareness. I am trying to be there. In one, you are standing by the side of the sea, and talking about swimming. Another is entering the sea, and talking about swimming. Once you are in the sea, you will be wet. And you know you are wet and there is no problem in raising your hand to say you are wet (happy).”
Basically people are caught up with their lives, observes Thakur. “They don’t understand that they have to live for themselves too. They are living for others. Man is a crowd, and he will be happy, when he moves from the crowd to a single being.”
Man needs yoga, says Thakur, because “a direction is needed. If there is no direction you might end up being a hippie. Yoga is nothing but an energy-channeling process. There are so many happy people in the hills, why aren’t there so many happy people in the homes? Yoga was never part of the life of people. Swamis are happy; non-swamis aren’t. I want to create swamis in normal households. Live in your house, practise yoga, and be happy.”
While yoga might be popular in the West, more as a fad, Thakur says, “Western people cannot practise yoga. The involvement of Western people in the system of yoga is very low. They can only accept us from the physical asanas. They have not crossed beyond that. What they do is all c--p. I would prefer working with the Asian people. Go to Japan. They are so open, fabulous people. See Dubai, there is so much good response from here.”
Yoga is for happy people, says Thakur, and for unhappy people. “Happy people are more welcome in my life.”
Celebrity Interview: Egyptian Actress Youssra
Bold and graceful
Youssra, Egyptian film sensation, is forthright about her views. Having portrayed bold characters, and having ruffled many a feather — be it through reported lawsuits against slander or by being opinionated about her work, she speaks her mind. And enjoys every minute of life. Rajeev Nair met her in Dubai
YOUSSRA arrived in style. At Madinat Jumeirah, the latest addition to Dubai’s hospitality sector, the media waited for less than one hour, the customary wait before the grand entry of any celebrity.
Showtime was hosting the Egyptian film actress, who now features in the digital satellite pay television network’s promotion campaign. There, on-screen, the projector beams her to life, returning home from one tiring day at work. Straight-away, she switches on the television, and in no time is hooked to the diversity of the Showtime bouquet.
Along with the images on television, Youssra laughs, cries, twitches her face in mock anger, flashes a feeling of hurt, and all the while, unknown to her, a thief is getting away with her prized possessions. Not much later, the television attracts him too, and soon, he is seated by the actress, shedding copious tears at the on-screen happenings. And Youssra is jolted back to reality to see a thief in her living room. She screams, he screams, and Showtime makes a statement: ‘Getaway…Anytime.’
The sensational film artist with over 70 films to her credit and probably as many awards including the prestigious best actress award at the Middle East Oscars 1999, say Showtime officials, was chosen because she believes in the product; Youssra has been a Showtime subscriber. The PR note had quoted the actress saying, “No other television network takes me away anytime I want.”
“It was important to the integrity of the campaign that Youssra not only believes in the product but lives with it too,” says Peter Einstein, chief executive, Showtime Arabia.
Minutes later, as a hushed silence of anticipation falls on the exquisitely adorned meeting room, the door opens, and in comes, Youssra. There is an added moment of silence before the claps began. Throwing smiles into the air, waving her hands across the scribes, identifying someone in the crowd, she is immediately ready for the Q&A. “In Arabic or English only, please,” she smiles, and the scribes are smiling with her.
There is a self-assured dignity to her bearing. The actress who has done such bold roles — both in films and on television — as to generate heated debates, sure enough, knows what she wants from life. Which is why she endorses the fun-dance retinue that the television channels churn out explicitly.
“You cannot stop having fun,” she says. “You must enjoy yourself, have a good laugh, cry a little, talk serious a little — that’s life. I am not against it (such celebrations). You can’t have serious poetry alone and live on that. You are human, you must have it all in life,” she says. “I think, if you cannot enjoy life, you cannot create, you cannot have a solution for anything. I am talking this from a very human point of view.”
The no-nonsense approach continues as she takes one question after another, never for a moment tongue-tied, and volleying back some queries to the scribes and even making them ponder on.
Here, sits the woman, much emulated by many an Egyptian youngster. Her layered blonde hair-do, her mannerisms, she sure has set hearts afire. Captivating moviegoers with films somewhat provocatively titled Countless Kisses, A Girl Seeking Love, A Smile is Not Enough and The Youth Dance on Fire, among others, Youssra fetched mass appeal via television too. Also involved in theatre, the actress has often been described as a tough-talker, who minces no words.
Starting her film career, way back in 1977, Youssra emerged a symbol of flamboyance in less than three years. She bagged her first major award in 1979, taking home the honour-acting award from the Film Committee Festival. At the Bahrain Actors Festival, she won the Golden Lioness, and Tunisia recognised her with an award for enhancing culture. Newspapers, critics and film festivals have honoured her commitment to her work, and she topped in the Top Ten polls by Nile TV in 1995 as the Best Egyptian Actress.
She was involved in the hosting of many festivals as official, and was associated with the Cartage Film Festival, Valencia Film Festival, and Cairo Film Festival.
Her self-confidence, it is reported, has prompted her to take people to court for sly comments, and yet, she enjoys the patronage of the press.
Youssra has always underscored her resolve to be fearless, and she asserts, she has been fortunate enough to be choosy about her roles. However, at the core, here is an individual who demands her privacy, who feels the need to be considered human, not an out of bounds star.
“Sometimes, people forget you are human,” Youssra told Time Out. “They want you to be perfect all the time. But you can’t. You are only human. You can’t be perfect all the time.”
Doing bold roles, some like her character of an aspiring singer who deserts her lover to marry a rich man in The Red Rose, which evoked a wave of debates, is not an aspect of her career that Youssra regrets. “I am proud of all my roles. If I haven’t loved them, if I haven’t believed in them, I wouldn’t have been doing them,” she adds.
Though she has been equally at ease doing television, theatre and films, Youssra says films are her favourite. “Because films are the most joyous and glamorous world. Television is a lot of hard work and you have to be very choosy. You must be careful enough to choose such characters that interest all the viewers. The television is easy to be switched off. I don’t want someone watching my programme to switch it off,” she says.
Having fetched much fanfare through her television programmes, she appreciates the medium as an art. "It inspires, it creates and it stretches the imagination. It transports you to another place," she says.
She however is awed by the instant feedback theatre brings along. “Theatre is amazing,” Youssra says. “You don’t wait. It is all on the spot. You don’t wait for things to happen. The waving, the clapping, the cheering, it is all spontaneous and sudden.”
As a performer, she says, theatre is addiction. “And I love it.”
Youssra, Egyptian film sensation, is forthright about her views. Having portrayed bold characters, and having ruffled many a feather — be it through reported lawsuits against slander or by being opinionated about her work, she speaks her mind. And enjoys every minute of life. Rajeev Nair met her in Dubai
YOUSSRA arrived in style. At Madinat Jumeirah, the latest addition to Dubai’s hospitality sector, the media waited for less than one hour, the customary wait before the grand entry of any celebrity.
Showtime was hosting the Egyptian film actress, who now features in the digital satellite pay television network’s promotion campaign. There, on-screen, the projector beams her to life, returning home from one tiring day at work. Straight-away, she switches on the television, and in no time is hooked to the diversity of the Showtime bouquet.
Along with the images on television, Youssra laughs, cries, twitches her face in mock anger, flashes a feeling of hurt, and all the while, unknown to her, a thief is getting away with her prized possessions. Not much later, the television attracts him too, and soon, he is seated by the actress, shedding copious tears at the on-screen happenings. And Youssra is jolted back to reality to see a thief in her living room. She screams, he screams, and Showtime makes a statement: ‘Getaway…Anytime.’
The sensational film artist with over 70 films to her credit and probably as many awards including the prestigious best actress award at the Middle East Oscars 1999, say Showtime officials, was chosen because she believes in the product; Youssra has been a Showtime subscriber. The PR note had quoted the actress saying, “No other television network takes me away anytime I want.”
“It was important to the integrity of the campaign that Youssra not only believes in the product but lives with it too,” says Peter Einstein, chief executive, Showtime Arabia.
Minutes later, as a hushed silence of anticipation falls on the exquisitely adorned meeting room, the door opens, and in comes, Youssra. There is an added moment of silence before the claps began. Throwing smiles into the air, waving her hands across the scribes, identifying someone in the crowd, she is immediately ready for the Q&A. “In Arabic or English only, please,” she smiles, and the scribes are smiling with her.
There is a self-assured dignity to her bearing. The actress who has done such bold roles — both in films and on television — as to generate heated debates, sure enough, knows what she wants from life. Which is why she endorses the fun-dance retinue that the television channels churn out explicitly.
“You cannot stop having fun,” she says. “You must enjoy yourself, have a good laugh, cry a little, talk serious a little — that’s life. I am not against it (such celebrations). You can’t have serious poetry alone and live on that. You are human, you must have it all in life,” she says. “I think, if you cannot enjoy life, you cannot create, you cannot have a solution for anything. I am talking this from a very human point of view.”
The no-nonsense approach continues as she takes one question after another, never for a moment tongue-tied, and volleying back some queries to the scribes and even making them ponder on.
Here, sits the woman, much emulated by many an Egyptian youngster. Her layered blonde hair-do, her mannerisms, she sure has set hearts afire. Captivating moviegoers with films somewhat provocatively titled Countless Kisses, A Girl Seeking Love, A Smile is Not Enough and The Youth Dance on Fire, among others, Youssra fetched mass appeal via television too. Also involved in theatre, the actress has often been described as a tough-talker, who minces no words.
Starting her film career, way back in 1977, Youssra emerged a symbol of flamboyance in less than three years. She bagged her first major award in 1979, taking home the honour-acting award from the Film Committee Festival. At the Bahrain Actors Festival, she won the Golden Lioness, and Tunisia recognised her with an award for enhancing culture. Newspapers, critics and film festivals have honoured her commitment to her work, and she topped in the Top Ten polls by Nile TV in 1995 as the Best Egyptian Actress.
She was involved in the hosting of many festivals as official, and was associated with the Cartage Film Festival, Valencia Film Festival, and Cairo Film Festival.
Her self-confidence, it is reported, has prompted her to take people to court for sly comments, and yet, she enjoys the patronage of the press.
Youssra has always underscored her resolve to be fearless, and she asserts, she has been fortunate enough to be choosy about her roles. However, at the core, here is an individual who demands her privacy, who feels the need to be considered human, not an out of bounds star.
“Sometimes, people forget you are human,” Youssra told Time Out. “They want you to be perfect all the time. But you can’t. You are only human. You can’t be perfect all the time.”
Doing bold roles, some like her character of an aspiring singer who deserts her lover to marry a rich man in The Red Rose, which evoked a wave of debates, is not an aspect of her career that Youssra regrets. “I am proud of all my roles. If I haven’t loved them, if I haven’t believed in them, I wouldn’t have been doing them,” she adds.
Though she has been equally at ease doing television, theatre and films, Youssra says films are her favourite. “Because films are the most joyous and glamorous world. Television is a lot of hard work and you have to be very choosy. You must be careful enough to choose such characters that interest all the viewers. The television is easy to be switched off. I don’t want someone watching my programme to switch it off,” she says.
Having fetched much fanfare through her television programmes, she appreciates the medium as an art. "It inspires, it creates and it stretches the imagination. It transports you to another place," she says.
She however is awed by the instant feedback theatre brings along. “Theatre is amazing,” Youssra says. “You don’t wait. It is all on the spot. You don’t wait for things to happen. The waving, the clapping, the cheering, it is all spontaneous and sudden.”
As a performer, she says, theatre is addiction. “And I love it.”
Artist Interview: Zari Etemadi
Designer art
Commercial art is a rather nascent enterprise in the UAE. The challenge before the freelance commercial artist is to satisfy one's own creative urges while accommodating the client brief. Zari Etemadi arrives at this balance by experimenting with diverse media. Rajeev Nair met her
Zari Etemadi tries not to conform, and that is a tough task. She is an architect, interior designer and artist, and there are no tangible dividing lines that segregate the three in her works.
Each creative expression has benefited from the other two — a structure for a painting, the colour scheme for an interior design, sheer aesthetics in an architectural project...
Etemadi is one of the established pioneering commercial artists in the region, which hasn't limited her in pursuing a purely "art for art's sake" creativity.
And that is where she tries hard not to fall into image traps. She does breathtaking portraits but her forte is modern contemporary art. She enjoys the liberty of flitting between the two while not experimenting with various other forms, styles and media.
A self-taught artist, who nurtured a passion for painting as a child, but followed her parents' advice to take up a more secure architect career, Etemadi's personal art preference is a sort of homecoming for her.
Born in Iran, growing up in the US, where she lived for over two decades, graduating in architecture from the University of Tennessee School of Architecture, and working as an architect with the prestigious Jung/Brannen Associates in Boston, Etemadi's home in Dubai has a series of personal paintings that depict the majestic doors of Abyaneh, Iran.
These renditions in canvas are simply striking and very much wood-like, and they announce Etemadi's ardent interest in Abyaneh's doors, which have two sets of knobs that make different sounds: One proclaims the guest as a male and forewarns the female inmates to arrange their head-dress. The other knob announces the arrival of women.
Etemadi is saddened to see such brilliantly carved doors giving way to metal sheet doors, and the pain is reflected in a painting that contrasts tradition with modernity.
Her personal favourites are the paintings of the two door knobs — a male and female, which share space with works also inspired from the Iranian heritage. However, she doesn't like to be branded as another artist looking for inspiration in Iran. That is just one of the many facets to her art.
Like commercial art, which happened by chance when she was working for an interior designer firm in Dubai, and had to create a 3.5 metre painting. A commercial artist was hired for the project but it did not shape up according to the client brief. Etemadi took up the task, and this painting for the Dubai Police Academy Officers Club brought Etemadi much appreciation and more offers for commercial art.
Currently, Etemadi's works decorate prestigious projects including Union Properties' Nautilus Academy at Al Mussalah Tower, Net.Com Project and Executive Club; Jumeira Rotana Hotel; and an impressive 360 cm x 160 cm rendition for Dubai Festival City created to the brief of its interior designer manager Alyson Hutchinson. Private clients have also hired her services for creating contemporary interiors.
Etemadi feels that commercial art is growing in demand in the UAE with the boom in the real estate sector. She is comfortable working to the brief as well as conceiving her own art projects that suit the mood of the property as she did at Jumeira Rotana.
Having worked as architect and interior designer with companies including Schuster Pechtold & Partners, and Wrenn Associates in Dubai, and imbibing a sense for the high-rises in Massachusetts, US, Etemadi says no formal training in art per se has given her a rare sense of creative freedom.
"I have always been good with colours," she adds. "I just go with my feelings." Because she is not constrained by the rules of artistic training, Etemadi says she is "able to work with different media and execute different ideas."
Etemadi has not hosted an exhibition of her works but then her commercial art has already earned her a place of pride amongst the region's artists. One reason why solo exhibitions have been delayed, she says, is because she has been exploring so many different media and styles.
Etemadi feels there is a message in her current artistic endeavour. She had delved into architecture alright putting aside the dreams for a creative artist career but "however much one may force you into something you might not want to pursue, you can still follow your dreams."
That requires undiluted commitment, which Etemadi has proved she has aplenty.
Photographs: Mohammed Rasheed
Commercial art is a rather nascent enterprise in the UAE. The challenge before the freelance commercial artist is to satisfy one's own creative urges while accommodating the client brief. Zari Etemadi arrives at this balance by experimenting with diverse media. Rajeev Nair met her
Zari Etemadi tries not to conform, and that is a tough task. She is an architect, interior designer and artist, and there are no tangible dividing lines that segregate the three in her works.
Each creative expression has benefited from the other two — a structure for a painting, the colour scheme for an interior design, sheer aesthetics in an architectural project...
Etemadi is one of the established pioneering commercial artists in the region, which hasn't limited her in pursuing a purely "art for art's sake" creativity.
And that is where she tries hard not to fall into image traps. She does breathtaking portraits but her forte is modern contemporary art. She enjoys the liberty of flitting between the two while not experimenting with various other forms, styles and media.
A self-taught artist, who nurtured a passion for painting as a child, but followed her parents' advice to take up a more secure architect career, Etemadi's personal art preference is a sort of homecoming for her.
Born in Iran, growing up in the US, where she lived for over two decades, graduating in architecture from the University of Tennessee School of Architecture, and working as an architect with the prestigious Jung/Brannen Associates in Boston, Etemadi's home in Dubai has a series of personal paintings that depict the majestic doors of Abyaneh, Iran.
These renditions in canvas are simply striking and very much wood-like, and they announce Etemadi's ardent interest in Abyaneh's doors, which have two sets of knobs that make different sounds: One proclaims the guest as a male and forewarns the female inmates to arrange their head-dress. The other knob announces the arrival of women.
Etemadi is saddened to see such brilliantly carved doors giving way to metal sheet doors, and the pain is reflected in a painting that contrasts tradition with modernity.
Her personal favourites are the paintings of the two door knobs — a male and female, which share space with works also inspired from the Iranian heritage. However, she doesn't like to be branded as another artist looking for inspiration in Iran. That is just one of the many facets to her art.
Like commercial art, which happened by chance when she was working for an interior designer firm in Dubai, and had to create a 3.5 metre painting. A commercial artist was hired for the project but it did not shape up according to the client brief. Etemadi took up the task, and this painting for the Dubai Police Academy Officers Club brought Etemadi much appreciation and more offers for commercial art.
Currently, Etemadi's works decorate prestigious projects including Union Properties' Nautilus Academy at Al Mussalah Tower, Net.Com Project and Executive Club; Jumeira Rotana Hotel; and an impressive 360 cm x 160 cm rendition for Dubai Festival City created to the brief of its interior designer manager Alyson Hutchinson. Private clients have also hired her services for creating contemporary interiors.
Etemadi feels that commercial art is growing in demand in the UAE with the boom in the real estate sector. She is comfortable working to the brief as well as conceiving her own art projects that suit the mood of the property as she did at Jumeira Rotana.
Having worked as architect and interior designer with companies including Schuster Pechtold & Partners, and Wrenn Associates in Dubai, and imbibing a sense for the high-rises in Massachusetts, US, Etemadi says no formal training in art per se has given her a rare sense of creative freedom.
"I have always been good with colours," she adds. "I just go with my feelings." Because she is not constrained by the rules of artistic training, Etemadi says she is "able to work with different media and execute different ideas."
Etemadi has not hosted an exhibition of her works but then her commercial art has already earned her a place of pride amongst the region's artists. One reason why solo exhibitions have been delayed, she says, is because she has been exploring so many different media and styles.
Etemadi feels there is a message in her current artistic endeavour. She had delved into architecture alright putting aside the dreams for a creative artist career but "however much one may force you into something you might not want to pursue, you can still follow your dreams."
That requires undiluted commitment, which Etemadi has proved she has aplenty.
Photographs: Mohammed Rasheed
Mood Piece on a Bollywood Film Awards ceremony in Dubai
Bollywood blues
The Zee Cine Awards ceremony in Dubai saw virtually every emotion on stage — except copious tears. That flows, post-event, from unexpected quarters. The show per se highlighted the Dubai dateline on Indian dailies, and assures more Bollywood galas in the Gulf. Rajeev Nair writes
The Indian reporters, who flew in from Mumbai to cover the Zee Cine Awards ceremony, hosted for the first time in seven years outside India, in Dubai, bracketed the 7000-odd audience in one mould: The stinking rich.
Hadn't we all shelled out Rs50,000 to attend the show? So shouldn't we all be a patient lot, ready to wait in the long queues, while they, the privileged press-people from very own India, don't even have easy access? Off-stage mis-management, they lambasted.
None, however, has so far argued on the mind-boggling glitz of on-stage entertainment that Zee Cine Awards 2004, indeed, was.
The event, reporters say, has been excellent. And we the rich Dubai-Indians would cherish the show even more — for haven't we flashed our Rs50,000?
Not every one in the audience have spent that much money on Zee Cine Awards. However, many who weren't part of the Bollywood star-fall which Dubai Airport Expo witnessed that last Thursday evening of a cold February, would have more than willingly fished out Dhs5000.
Surely, not every one has that kind of the money. Also likely that they couldn't lay hands on the tickets. It was a sell-out crowd, and if there were empty chairs, well, blame it on the sponsors who hung on to their privileged tickets without happily giving them away.
Now...
The winners have gone home... another trophy added on to their living room showcase. And as Rakesh Roshan, who walked away with the best director and best film trophies, said: Another reason not to forget Dubai.
There weren't losers tears worth the name. Best debut (female) winner Bhumika Chawla tried an emotionally charged acceptance speech. After all that confident compering, good try, we dare say.
One obviously disappointed contender — the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio — picked the listener's choice award run by a local FM station. They trod off visibly happy.
Shah Rukh Khan was not to win the best actor award. (Overheard: Hrithik did such a cute act, didn't he, darling?) Khan was rewarded Superstar of the Year. Preity Zinta too earned the 'Superstar' tag, while Urmila Matondkar took home with the best actress gold. Amitabh Bachchan was celebrated as the Golden Great, which post-show reports say, he wasn't sure whether he won it or was asked to give it out to old pal (Veeru) Dharmendra.
There are more post-show reports of how Bachchan was offended with a "15th row seating" and how his politician-friend Amar Singh fought for a front row after the towering super-star was almost mobbed by fans.
"What can I say? If they thought I was suited for the 15th row, so be it. It's my friend and brother (politician) Amar Singh who took offence on my behalf," Bachchan later told Indo-Asian News Service.
Another enterprising reporter said of Singh exchanging blows with Shah Rukh Khan, which has been dumped as "mere fiction."
As complaints go, Shahid Kapoor, who bagged the best debut (male), commented on stage about how he was rattled by the security guys. Those men in black and a menacing grimace...can't blame them if they fail to spot a star from a glittering 7,000 audience. Aren't we NRIs simply dashing?
Such is the stuff that drives gossip mills, when we don't debate about bids on trophies that would boost the tormented ego of fallen stars. Phil Collins was singing: "She calls out to the man on the streets...." Rajesh (no surname scooped out) was moved. Salman Khan almost cried. What a noble moment! Ironies to follow....Will the old women in an Indian old age home be the eventual losers?
As Shah Rukh Khan commented about carrying with him the opening credit in his complimentary meBank account, Dubai has enough rich men to wipe their tears. Presumably.
Every film gala generates spicy stuff. And leaves some questions unanswered. Some of the more frivolous ones would be: Why did Shah Rukh Khan eventually opt out of making that crane act, which would have paraded him over the audiences' heads? When will Javed Jaffrey put up a more palatable compering act? And will the presenters stop regarding the audience as a bunch of kids, who aren't aware that every line of theirs is rehearsed and out there on the teleprompter?
On a more serious note though Zee Cine Awards, like every other popular film award ceremony in India, on which actor Amir Khan has gone on record saying he has no faith, raises more industry-specific issues.
Does Bollywood need the popular and critics award dichotomy?
Why do shabby productions make it to the nominations?
When would Bollywood find a true place in international cinema, while staying loyal to the "music video" tag for its films?
Why can't the Hindi film industry generate another Sundance event that promotes indie (read that as art) films?
And when will Karan Johar and his tribe indeed grow up, and celebrate quality cinema, not mushy melodrama?
That popular cinema is not necessarily the best is underscored in Bollywood. That rank bad acting can still fetch you a place in best performance nominations happens in Bollywood. That sheer glitz and meaningless attitude can slaughter blossoming talent is exemplified in Bollywood.
Zee Cine Awards 2004 served no exception to Bollywood's commercially driven fancies.
Apart from a few surprises, where films that swam against the currents of commercialism did find mention and acknowledgment, over all, as with most popular film awards in India, Zee Cine Awards played to the gallery.
It was a perfect balancing act where those who lose out in the "democratic" voting process were given a consolatory berth. Winners all was the mantra. And winners all, they were. Actors, technicians...
Not to forget Miss Niru, Natasha, Miss Nair and Jamal, who were picked from the audience to go on stage and pampered with gifts by none other than a charged Shah Rukh Khan. His was a display of incredible stage presence and confidence. Khan's wisecracks weren't all rehearsed. And he easily took the audience by storm...
Another performer who truly shined through the evening was Pakistani artiste, Omar Sherif, whose stand-up comedy had the guests in splits.
Also winning was the sheer showmanship of Bollywood technicians. The stage, the well choreographed dances, the effects ...they were truly dazzling making even the die-hard opponent of Bollywood trivia, a loyal fan of its razzmatazz.
Indo-Pak camaraderie was a pertinent winner. Every one advocated friendship sans borders to the point of rhetoric and Urmila stressed the point in her acceptance speech.
The biggest winner, however, has been Dubai. Not for the Rs50,000 cheeky show of wealth by the NRIs...
But for the datelines it earned in the international press. It was proclaiming to Bollywood its presence as a new, untapped destination for films, stage shows, and grand galas like the Red Bull aftershow party held at Grand Hyatt Dubai.
And as Bollywood's song-dance formula fare go, Dubai has takers aplenty.
The Zee Cine Awards ceremony in Dubai saw virtually every emotion on stage — except copious tears. That flows, post-event, from unexpected quarters. The show per se highlighted the Dubai dateline on Indian dailies, and assures more Bollywood galas in the Gulf. Rajeev Nair writes
The Indian reporters, who flew in from Mumbai to cover the Zee Cine Awards ceremony, hosted for the first time in seven years outside India, in Dubai, bracketed the 7000-odd audience in one mould: The stinking rich.
Hadn't we all shelled out Rs50,000 to attend the show? So shouldn't we all be a patient lot, ready to wait in the long queues, while they, the privileged press-people from very own India, don't even have easy access? Off-stage mis-management, they lambasted.
None, however, has so far argued on the mind-boggling glitz of on-stage entertainment that Zee Cine Awards 2004, indeed, was.
The event, reporters say, has been excellent. And we the rich Dubai-Indians would cherish the show even more — for haven't we flashed our Rs50,000?
Not every one in the audience have spent that much money on Zee Cine Awards. However, many who weren't part of the Bollywood star-fall which Dubai Airport Expo witnessed that last Thursday evening of a cold February, would have more than willingly fished out Dhs5000.
Surely, not every one has that kind of the money. Also likely that they couldn't lay hands on the tickets. It was a sell-out crowd, and if there were empty chairs, well, blame it on the sponsors who hung on to their privileged tickets without happily giving them away.
Now...
The winners have gone home... another trophy added on to their living room showcase. And as Rakesh Roshan, who walked away with the best director and best film trophies, said: Another reason not to forget Dubai.
There weren't losers tears worth the name. Best debut (female) winner Bhumika Chawla tried an emotionally charged acceptance speech. After all that confident compering, good try, we dare say.
One obviously disappointed contender — the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio — picked the listener's choice award run by a local FM station. They trod off visibly happy.
Shah Rukh Khan was not to win the best actor award. (Overheard: Hrithik did such a cute act, didn't he, darling?) Khan was rewarded Superstar of the Year. Preity Zinta too earned the 'Superstar' tag, while Urmila Matondkar took home with the best actress gold. Amitabh Bachchan was celebrated as the Golden Great, which post-show reports say, he wasn't sure whether he won it or was asked to give it out to old pal (Veeru) Dharmendra.
There are more post-show reports of how Bachchan was offended with a "15th row seating" and how his politician-friend Amar Singh fought for a front row after the towering super-star was almost mobbed by fans.
"What can I say? If they thought I was suited for the 15th row, so be it. It's my friend and brother (politician) Amar Singh who took offence on my behalf," Bachchan later told Indo-Asian News Service.
Another enterprising reporter said of Singh exchanging blows with Shah Rukh Khan, which has been dumped as "mere fiction."
As complaints go, Shahid Kapoor, who bagged the best debut (male), commented on stage about how he was rattled by the security guys. Those men in black and a menacing grimace...can't blame them if they fail to spot a star from a glittering 7,000 audience. Aren't we NRIs simply dashing?
Such is the stuff that drives gossip mills, when we don't debate about bids on trophies that would boost the tormented ego of fallen stars. Phil Collins was singing: "She calls out to the man on the streets...." Rajesh (no surname scooped out) was moved. Salman Khan almost cried. What a noble moment! Ironies to follow....Will the old women in an Indian old age home be the eventual losers?
As Shah Rukh Khan commented about carrying with him the opening credit in his complimentary meBank account, Dubai has enough rich men to wipe their tears. Presumably.
Every film gala generates spicy stuff. And leaves some questions unanswered. Some of the more frivolous ones would be: Why did Shah Rukh Khan eventually opt out of making that crane act, which would have paraded him over the audiences' heads? When will Javed Jaffrey put up a more palatable compering act? And will the presenters stop regarding the audience as a bunch of kids, who aren't aware that every line of theirs is rehearsed and out there on the teleprompter?
On a more serious note though Zee Cine Awards, like every other popular film award ceremony in India, on which actor Amir Khan has gone on record saying he has no faith, raises more industry-specific issues.
Does Bollywood need the popular and critics award dichotomy?
Why do shabby productions make it to the nominations?
When would Bollywood find a true place in international cinema, while staying loyal to the "music video" tag for its films?
Why can't the Hindi film industry generate another Sundance event that promotes indie (read that as art) films?
And when will Karan Johar and his tribe indeed grow up, and celebrate quality cinema, not mushy melodrama?
That popular cinema is not necessarily the best is underscored in Bollywood. That rank bad acting can still fetch you a place in best performance nominations happens in Bollywood. That sheer glitz and meaningless attitude can slaughter blossoming talent is exemplified in Bollywood.
Zee Cine Awards 2004 served no exception to Bollywood's commercially driven fancies.
Apart from a few surprises, where films that swam against the currents of commercialism did find mention and acknowledgment, over all, as with most popular film awards in India, Zee Cine Awards played to the gallery.
It was a perfect balancing act where those who lose out in the "democratic" voting process were given a consolatory berth. Winners all was the mantra. And winners all, they were. Actors, technicians...
Not to forget Miss Niru, Natasha, Miss Nair and Jamal, who were picked from the audience to go on stage and pampered with gifts by none other than a charged Shah Rukh Khan. His was a display of incredible stage presence and confidence. Khan's wisecracks weren't all rehearsed. And he easily took the audience by storm...
Another performer who truly shined through the evening was Pakistani artiste, Omar Sherif, whose stand-up comedy had the guests in splits.
Also winning was the sheer showmanship of Bollywood technicians. The stage, the well choreographed dances, the effects ...they were truly dazzling making even the die-hard opponent of Bollywood trivia, a loyal fan of its razzmatazz.
Indo-Pak camaraderie was a pertinent winner. Every one advocated friendship sans borders to the point of rhetoric and Urmila stressed the point in her acceptance speech.
The biggest winner, however, has been Dubai. Not for the Rs50,000 cheeky show of wealth by the NRIs...
But for the datelines it earned in the international press. It was proclaiming to Bollywood its presence as a new, untapped destination for films, stage shows, and grand galas like the Red Bull aftershow party held at Grand Hyatt Dubai.
And as Bollywood's song-dance formula fare go, Dubai has takers aplenty.
Profile: UK Touring Theatre Group
Theatre sans frontiers
UK Touring Theatre, currently in Dubai to stage a black comedy, Abigail’s Party, at Madinat Theatre through Sept. 22, takes British theatre out of its confines to a wider world. Their first destination has been the Middle East. Rajeev Nair writes
Two years of a touring theatre and already into its second play in Dubai – that is the mark of the response UK Touring Theatre has elicited. The Middle East has, indeed, been one great stage for them starting with Qatar, Bahrain and now, Dubai.
Commercial, accessible theatre is the bottom line of UK Touring Theatre, founded in April 2003 by Libby Machin. It takes classic and contemporary plays to English speaking audiences in a range of worldwide venues.
UKTT flagged off their Dubai season with The Woman in Black, and after the second play, Abigail’s Party, to be staged through Sept. 22, they will end the season with Private Lives in November before returning with probably a Shakespeare play next year.
Abigail’s Party is a funny, black comedy adapted from the 1977 television piece by Mike Leigh. There are only five characters, and notably, Abigail never makes an appearance. The play centres on Beverly and Laurence, who have invited their new neighbours Angela and Tony to a welcome party. Susan is another invitee, whose daughter Abigail is holding her own party three doors away. Starting off with small talk and niceties, the play moves on to the strains in the relationship between Beverly and Laurence, and Susan’s anxiety about Abigail before ending in a “shocking climax.”
Machin says the play’s 1977 setting is not a deterrent in communicating to the Dubai audience. “Perhaps, ten years ago, the play might have jarred. But now, 1977 is a long way into the past. It is like doing a Shakespeare. If the story, situations and characters work, the play touches audiences. I hope they (the audience) understand the characters. The play is quite a classic in terms of the clothing, sets and other accessories, and we have a perfect visual comedy on hand.”
She is particularly pleased with performing at Madinat Theatre. “Running a theatre company, for me to have a proper theatre in the Middle East is simply wonderful. Madinat Theatre is amazing; it has great acoustics and we have sets designed in London put up with a production team that works closely with us.”
In bringing a play from one part of the world to the other, UK Touring Theatre works the play to suit the audiences. For Dubai, with its cosmopolitan crowd, the group makes the plays very energetic with a lot of movement on stage.
With over 19 years in theatre, Machin says that despite the preponderance of television and cinema, theatre is here to say. “Theatre is live; it happens now and the audience is part of the action. It makes for a special and unique experience for both the actor and the audience,” she says.
The strong allure of the stage is predominant in the cast too. Mario Vernazza, who plays Laurence, has just completed shooting for Da Vince Code with Tom Hanks; Adam Scott (Tony) comes to Dubai from the Edinburgh Festival having starred in the critically acclaimed production, Parade. Tess Dignan (Angela) is a West End regular and international voice coach; and Amanda Osborne (Susan) has just returned from starring at the English Speaking Theatres in Frankfurt and Vienna. Machin has many television credits including Make My Day, Shelly, Casualty and The Bill.
Vernazza says the passion for theatre is what often drives many actors to do television. “The theatre is very much an actor’s medium. In television and cinema, many decisions are made by somebody else. With plays, you step on to the stage and it is yours. You are in charge, and that is different every night. You invent the journey every time you make it.”
He says the Da Vince Code film experience was “fabulous” but essentially, it wasn’t much different from doing a big play. “Inside, it is the same; everything is part of the technique and craft.”
The level of artistic commitment to touring theatre is the same as with any other mass entertainment media, says Adam Scott. “You are away from friends and home. You must make a quick relationship with the people around you and understand their needs very fast.” Of course, it also gives the opportunity to travel. Three weeks ago he had a hoarse throat, feeling mellow in a rainy Edinburgh. Now, he is in sunny Dubai.
The cast say Abigail’s Party will be a bleak comedy, where the characters don’t think they are comic but are real, reasonable people. But in them, the audience discovers the laughter. “It is essentially five ordinary characters with some extraordinary happenings on stage,” says Machin.
And much to UK Touring Theatre’s delight, they discover that Abigail works in the Middle East as much as in Britain because very often humanity speaks one language of emotions.
(UK Touring Theatre can be accessed at www.uktt.net; tickets to the play are priced Dhs125 and are available at the Theatre Box Office, Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Doors open at 7.30 pm; show commences at 8.30 pm)
UK Touring Theatre, currently in Dubai to stage a black comedy, Abigail’s Party, at Madinat Theatre through Sept. 22, takes British theatre out of its confines to a wider world. Their first destination has been the Middle East. Rajeev Nair writes
Two years of a touring theatre and already into its second play in Dubai – that is the mark of the response UK Touring Theatre has elicited. The Middle East has, indeed, been one great stage for them starting with Qatar, Bahrain and now, Dubai.
Commercial, accessible theatre is the bottom line of UK Touring Theatre, founded in April 2003 by Libby Machin. It takes classic and contemporary plays to English speaking audiences in a range of worldwide venues.
UKTT flagged off their Dubai season with The Woman in Black, and after the second play, Abigail’s Party, to be staged through Sept. 22, they will end the season with Private Lives in November before returning with probably a Shakespeare play next year.
Abigail’s Party is a funny, black comedy adapted from the 1977 television piece by Mike Leigh. There are only five characters, and notably, Abigail never makes an appearance. The play centres on Beverly and Laurence, who have invited their new neighbours Angela and Tony to a welcome party. Susan is another invitee, whose daughter Abigail is holding her own party three doors away. Starting off with small talk and niceties, the play moves on to the strains in the relationship between Beverly and Laurence, and Susan’s anxiety about Abigail before ending in a “shocking climax.”
Machin says the play’s 1977 setting is not a deterrent in communicating to the Dubai audience. “Perhaps, ten years ago, the play might have jarred. But now, 1977 is a long way into the past. It is like doing a Shakespeare. If the story, situations and characters work, the play touches audiences. I hope they (the audience) understand the characters. The play is quite a classic in terms of the clothing, sets and other accessories, and we have a perfect visual comedy on hand.”
She is particularly pleased with performing at Madinat Theatre. “Running a theatre company, for me to have a proper theatre in the Middle East is simply wonderful. Madinat Theatre is amazing; it has great acoustics and we have sets designed in London put up with a production team that works closely with us.”
In bringing a play from one part of the world to the other, UK Touring Theatre works the play to suit the audiences. For Dubai, with its cosmopolitan crowd, the group makes the plays very energetic with a lot of movement on stage.
With over 19 years in theatre, Machin says that despite the preponderance of television and cinema, theatre is here to say. “Theatre is live; it happens now and the audience is part of the action. It makes for a special and unique experience for both the actor and the audience,” she says.
The strong allure of the stage is predominant in the cast too. Mario Vernazza, who plays Laurence, has just completed shooting for Da Vince Code with Tom Hanks; Adam Scott (Tony) comes to Dubai from the Edinburgh Festival having starred in the critically acclaimed production, Parade. Tess Dignan (Angela) is a West End regular and international voice coach; and Amanda Osborne (Susan) has just returned from starring at the English Speaking Theatres in Frankfurt and Vienna. Machin has many television credits including Make My Day, Shelly, Casualty and The Bill.
Vernazza says the passion for theatre is what often drives many actors to do television. “The theatre is very much an actor’s medium. In television and cinema, many decisions are made by somebody else. With plays, you step on to the stage and it is yours. You are in charge, and that is different every night. You invent the journey every time you make it.”
He says the Da Vince Code film experience was “fabulous” but essentially, it wasn’t much different from doing a big play. “Inside, it is the same; everything is part of the technique and craft.”
The level of artistic commitment to touring theatre is the same as with any other mass entertainment media, says Adam Scott. “You are away from friends and home. You must make a quick relationship with the people around you and understand their needs very fast.” Of course, it also gives the opportunity to travel. Three weeks ago he had a hoarse throat, feeling mellow in a rainy Edinburgh. Now, he is in sunny Dubai.
The cast say Abigail’s Party will be a bleak comedy, where the characters don’t think they are comic but are real, reasonable people. But in them, the audience discovers the laughter. “It is essentially five ordinary characters with some extraordinary happenings on stage,” says Machin.
And much to UK Touring Theatre’s delight, they discover that Abigail works in the Middle East as much as in Britain because very often humanity speaks one language of emotions.
(UK Touring Theatre can be accessed at www.uktt.net; tickets to the play are priced Dhs125 and are available at the Theatre Box Office, Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Doors open at 7.30 pm; show commences at 8.30 pm)
Celebrity Interview: Indian film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan
The man, the master
Indian film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan says cinema must be understood in its cultural context. Rajeev Nair met him in Dubai for a freewheeling interview
After nine internationally acclaimed films and many documentaries in a span of over three decades, there is only one introduction to Adoor Gopalakrishnan, India’s international film maker. That is one word: Adoor. It stands for the man, his films.
An Adoor film bears a stamp of individuality. It is one that Gopalakrishnan, no, Adoor created after a painstaking study of films at the National Film Institute of India. His first film, Swayamvaram (1972) brought about a paradigm shift in the average Keralite’s approach to cinema apart from winning three national awards.
Forever bound to his roots, his cultural context, Adoor makes films about the society he lives in. His characters are thoroughbred Indians, Keralites. Yet, and that is the mastery of his craft, his films fetch universal acclaim, and inevitably, snide remarks from mainstream Indian filmmakers. Given a chance they snub him but then, Adoor is the last man to take an unfounded criticism lying low. He lashes back at the detractors of his cinema, good cinema, ministers, directors, jury chairpersons or not.
He has won the Indian national award for best director four times, best scriptwriter thrice, and has screened his films in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Rotterdam and Toronto, among others. He was honoured by the Indian government with a high civilian honour, Padmashri; by the French government with the Commandeur Des Arts Et Lettres order for his outstanding contribution to international cinema; and his film, Elippathayam was adjudged by the British Film Institute as the most original and imaginative film of 1982.
His book, Cinemayude Lokam (The World of Cinema) fetched him the national award for best book on cinema and he pioneered the Chitralekha Film Society that heralded the Film Society movement in Kerala. Adoor’s love for performing arts finds creative expression as documentaries on, among varied subjects, Koodiyattom, Krishnanattom, and Yakshaganam.
Adoor was recently in Dubai to attend the screening of his recent film, Nizhalkkuthu, as the inaugural film of the International Malayalam Film Festival organised by the International Malayali magazine.
Excerpts from a freewheeling interview with the master filmmaker:
You concluded your recent article on Satyajit Ray with a comment: ‘I have many human failings but I don’t have an iota of disrespect for my masters.’ Are you aware of a public perception that you are one who speaks your mind, that you are a difficult man?
I don't tell lies. I don't pretend what I am not. I speak my mind and do not hide anything. I have no regrets in doing so because it is much better that way. One should uphold what one believes in. What we see around us are compromises for small or large personal gains. That is wrong.
You have worked on various Film Festivals, been on juries, and headed cinema bodies. Are you happy with the evolution of Indian cinema over the years? Or do you feel the films are moving into a more commercialised mould?
The circumstances were little different when I started making films. In 1972, when I made Swayamvaram, the situation in Malayalam films was such that one couldn't make a film without a song, dance and Adoor Bhasi (a veteran comedian). But those days, every film at least used to come to theatres; that is changing now. Most theatre owners today too are keener to screen films of a particular bent.
In Malayalam cinema, what we see today are imitations of Tamil cinema. Earlier, an average Malayali would snide Tamil films for their total disassociation from reality and the loud acting. Today, Tamil films have become fashionable. Mumbai films imitated MTV, Tamil cinema copied them, and today, we copy Tamil.
Why doesn't good cinema become mainstream cinema? Why is there a dichotomy in cinema to this day?
It is an age-old curse. Somehow, it is still not recognised that cinema is a medium to be approached in a serious way. It is still regarded as a mere tool for entertainment. Even the literate are victims of this thought-process.
Why is it so? Is it because of a poor sense of film appreciation?
There are many things, which we can never explain fully... As per statistics, Kerala is a cent per cent literate state. From the amount of dailies and magazines published, we, as a people, are expected to be good readers. If you publish a book, a novel, for example, because it is the most popular, they print about 1000 copies as the first edition. Suppose all these are sold out, and assume that 2 to 3 people read each book; it means you have about 2000 to 3000 readers.
But take the case of a cinema, made in the most austere fashion with glamour and glitz; just one show of that film fetches as many viewers, if not more. Even a film that had a bad run at theatres is still watched by many thousands. This means reading and cinema do not relate; they diverge at some point.
The important consideration here is women. We have a big contradiction when it comes to the literacy of women. The root cause of good cinema being ignored is women. They harbour a feeling that serious cinema is not for them. The best-made films in Kerala have very limited viewership of women. There is no family audience for serious cinema.
You have made nine films. Have all these made money?
Yes, all of them have covered the costs but not necessarily from Kerala. Some of the films have made money in Kerala - like Swayamvaram and Kodiyettam... In fact, Kodiyettam is a sort of superhit going by its cost and returns.
Is making cinema that you are committed to becoming more difficult with each passing year?
I always make a film hoping that audiences in Kerala will respond to it well. But the unique structure of our distribution network is such that my films will reach theatres only if they are distributed by those agencies that distribute popular films too.
Could it because of the star value associated to some of your films?
The star value works only for one day. You have a film with Mammootty; you get a full house on the first day. But when they realise that Mammootty does not portray a role that they are familiar with, the very next day, the turnout of that kind of audience falls because the film does not fit their expectations...
Whose appreciation do you value?
I value every audience. Every film is appreciated by different individuals differently based on their sensitivities and sensibilities. I feel that every one can appreciate my cinema at some level...
Take the case of Nizhalkkuthu - many people, those who are accustomed to popular cinema, have liked this film.
Could it also be because Nizhalkkuthu has many elements that are also associated with popular cinema, like Ilayaraja's music, the rich visuals...?
All my films have these elements. In fact, MB Sreenivasan, who had worked on my films earlier, did some of his career best music for my films. In Nizhalkkuthu, you don't hear the kind of music you would hear in a popular cinema by Ilayaraja. The film is unique in its handling of the background score; here, it has been treated to be a foreground score. People who have a culture of seeing good cinema would understand it. For others, the sound is still very enjoyable.
You reportedly take the most time to script a film. When you script, do you have an ideal audience in mind?
I see myself as the audience. I must like the script...
Are you your own critic?
Yes.
As a critic of your own films do you feel any of them could have been made better?
No. I have nothing to correct in them because I don’t rush into making the films. More than writing the script, what I struggle more is in choosing the subject. What should I film and why, bother me the most. And only when that bother becomes overwhelming do I start writing.
How does a spark come? Nizhalkkuthu, it has been reported, owes its genesis to one line from a Vaikom Mohammed Basheer work, and a news story in a daily...And why did you want to make Nizhalkkuthu, now?
Every artform is a communication of what you experience profoundly and what touches you most. But to communicate that, to share that thought process, you must also be vigilant. You cannot do what does not touch you only because it might appeal to others.
Suddenly, Nizhalkkuthu seems to have acquired a contemporary relevance, especially following the state-hanging incident in West Bengal recently. Comment...
I have had many such occasions where situations from my films have happened in life, or characters from my cinema have sprung out of life. The principal characters of both Mukhamukham and Anantharam have come to meet me. The West Bengal incident is that sort of a visitation for me.
What do such visitations imply for you?
It implies the truth in what you said. It means that you entered that realm of total truth.
Do you believe that films can bring about social change, or even affect the society? One of the criticisms following Mukhamukham was that you were taking on the Marxist party. Very soon, however, Kerala witnessed sections of the party cadre questioning the leadership. Do you think your film played its mite...?
No, it was not because of the film. To claim so would be sheer arrogance. I won't make a claim that the dissenting voices in the party were the result of my film. But what one should understand is that art can often see the truth that doesn't come to the surface, the reality that is cocooned in the externalities. Art should see that. The social change is not because of the art; but the artiste sees that change beforehand and it is reflected in his work.
Is that good cinema?
Yes. (Good) cinema is truthful and (it) sees the truth. An artiste should approach to discover the truth and the people must have access to that art.
A criticism against your films is that they are not very communicative…
Which film?
Say, Anantharam...
No...When I was making it, I was insistent that people should enjoy the film. Every film normally ends with all loose ends neatly tied up; I have deviated from that. It is a different artistic experience. You take it in your mind, see it from a different perspective and enjoy it further.
But the technique of the film, the story of story-telling, do you think that went down well with the people?
Why not? Every one can enjoy that. These are experiences from everyday life. There is nothing one cannot relate to. See, when someone narrates a story, it is not told without any bearing on your life. What you hear is not the entire story of anyone’s life, however. Look into yourself. There is an introvert and an extrovert in you. These roles interplay according to the need of the moment.
You have adapted two stories of others for your films Mathilukal and Vidheyan. Was there any difference in your creative output working on another person's story?
I never had any restrictions (with the stories). And Vaikom Mohammed Basheer (Mathilukal) had accepted it wholeheartedly. He gave me absolute freedom but with Zachariah (Bhaskara Patelarum Ente Jeevithavum) there were some issues...But I treated both stories in my own way. I am not taking a copy of the story; I am not merely replicating it. The film is my take on the story.
You wrote in a recent article that while you were a student at the National Film Institute, you used to dissect movies from every possible angle with acclaimed teachers. Do you think that sort of a learning culture is lacking in today's critics and filmmakers?
Most of today's critics don't review films because they have an in-depth knowledge of films. I don't think they even want to learn because what they write regularly are about a certain kind of regressive cinema. That does not need any sort of talent. Cinema, today, is a very complex phenomenon. It is not enough that you see films to write about them. You must be well-read, and you must be aware of everything that happens around you for which you need an open mind
How do you react to false criticism?
In Kerala, many people regard being critical as a mark of their superiority. If a critic agrees that a film is good, he feels he is somehow inferior to the filmmaker. To criticise without understanding the film is heinous. That misleads the people.
Does it happen that critics approach your films with a pre-determined slant?
No one would question the competence of the writer who writes about regressive films. But that knowledge is not enough to write about my kind of films. To do so is a lack of humility. The other side of the picture is critics lavishing praise on foreign films. Our critics never have any doubts about these films.
Do you think your films are better appreciated abroad than in India?
No, I didn't mean to say every one in Kerala who writes about film is illiterate about cinema. There are very knowledgeable people but the tragedy is that they don't write. They keep silent.
You also make documentaries. Is there a difference in your creative output as compared to doing films?
I used to run an institution earlier; I had to take care of my employees. During those days, I would make documentaries on any subject - rubber cultivation, family planning...whoever commissions anything, I would do the documentary. But since the last 10 to 20 years, I have been doing documentaries only on performing arts. I want to make a documentary on Kalamandalam Raman Kutty Nair (the Kathakali exponent) but I don't have the money. I have approached a few institutions; if they give the money, I will like to do it.
You shifted from playwriting to screenwriting. Now, do you think it is possible to make a return?
No. A film is a total commitment. You can't alter your focus. Recently, I had a retrospective in America at the State University of Cleveland. They asked me to teach cinema for six months. I refused because it affects the rest of my work totally. Even if I am not making a film now, at some corner in the back of my mind, I am working. I am also writing a book on cinema.
Intellectual dishonesty permeates to virtually every level of film appreciation. Talk about Indian cinema, and filmmakers will take the name of world masters. How important do you think is to know the masters?
If you are really interested in cinema and not for the sake of namedropping, it is imperative that you watch them to understand the basics of cinema.
But isn't there an inherent sensibility for every individual that is dependent on one's roots and culture? Is it therefore possible for a foreigner to understand a Malayalam cinema or vice versa entirely?
It takes time to understand the masters. When I was young, I simply couldn't make out who is old and who is not in foreign films. The physiognomy of a foreigner is alien to us but take an Indian; we can place him in his right context. Every cinema, every work of art is relevant in its cultural context. This includes the religion, climate, geography…. Any one who watches a Bergman film cannot write a studied review just like that. To understand Bergman, you must study Christianity, the society, Bergman's background, his marriages, even his liaisons - from a physical level these are all important. Now, from a cinematic point of view, you must understand the cultural climate of Europe when the film is based...
From the feedback you receive from the Western audience who appreciates your cinema, do you feel they take pains to understand your cinema by understanding the society you live in?
What I have observed is that people who have visited India at least once appreciate my films better. A whole appreciation happens when they study our cultural context. Every work of art has a function; the work has the keys to understand it, and those who find the keys get to the core. In Kerala, people who go for popular cinema, either observe the dialogues, or the music, or the dances. They don't care about the rest. They simply choose what they feel like picking. When they don't find what they are looking for, there is friction.
Another criticism against your films is that they are obsessed with the past...
To comprehend the life that you live today, you need a certain distance. I am not making a document on the past. The past is only a material for my films. The criticism about Nizhalkkuthu was that it was not relevant to the present. The West Bengal incident has disproved this.
You were most prolific in the 80s. You made four films - Elippathayam, Mukhamukham, Anantharam, and Mathilukal during the decade. Since then your films have been stretched far. Do you think the 80s saw your creative peak?
I haven't thought of this before. May be...the thing is you have to connect everything to the life you live. After Kathapurushan, there was a long gap, during which period there were many issues in my life. I couldn't concentrate on a theme during those days.
Do you believe in a peak of creativity?
No. What I feel is that my work is becoming more rigorous with every film of mine. It is not sagging.
You have always made your admiration for Ray vocal and you have been described as the filmmaker who continues the legacy...
I don't imitate Ray; if I am to imitate Ray what is the purpose of me making films? And then, Ray wouldn't have liked my films either.
Are awards important to you?
I don't make films to win awards.
But in case your film does not win any award, will you be frustrated?
Awards have two functions: It recognises good cinema and presents it before the public. It is a forewarning of good cinema. The second function is that when they reject a good work, a work that is inferior suddenly attains importance. That is negative.
What is your take on the new filmmakers?
One of the recent films I was impressed by was Mansarover by Anup Kurian. It is an outstanding first film but it did not get any mention at the national level. But it is not the first film that matters. It is the second and third film. With time, people want all successes together - financial as well as art. That is when they fail. This is because many filmmakers lack conviction. They must constantly study.
Couldn’t the compromises be because of financial difficulties…? For their existence…?
If you care for existence, you don't get good work.
Have you made sacrifices for good cinema?
I don’t see what I did as sacrifices. I have enjoyed every bit of my life. I have never done anything in cinema that is against my conscience.
So do you feel that only a "good" human being can make good cinema?
That would take us to the question of who a good human being is. Many people might not find me as a good human being.
It also takes us to the basic question. What is good cinema?
Isn't it very clear? Who is a good man? One who doesn’t commit bad things. A good man is one who performs his prescribed duties. He is committed to his family, his society, and his country...Good cinema too is like that.
Box:
Adoor: Filmography
Swayamvaram (1972): A newly wed idealist hero and his wife are thrown into the harsh realities of life. In many ways, the film encloses a microcosm of Adoor’s later works especially in the disillusionment of the hero with the ideology he believes in. The hero dies an untimely death. The closing scene of Swayamvaram, where the camera pans into the widow who reacts to the knock at the door is described as a classic moment in cinema. The film also marks the beginning of Adoor’s long innings with cinematographer Mankada Ravi Varma. Music was by MB Sreenivasan. Cast: Madhu, Sharada
Kodiyettam (1977): The film chronicles the life of a nobody, Shankaran Kutty, who drifts aimlessly – he is a regular at temple festivals, and flies kites with children. Later, he decides to start afresh. Cast: Gopi, Lalitha
Elippathayam (1981): It documents the fall of the feudal system in Kerala and the trials and tribulations of the idle feudal lords, who are caught like rats in a granary that has no grains: The granary is now a rat-trap. Cast: Karamana Janardhanan Nair, Sharada, Jalaja. Music: MB Sreenivasan
Mukhamukham (1984): A take on the disenchantment of idealist party workers with the Marxist party in Kerala, the film was much debated. The hero is Sreedharan, a dedicated party worker who goes missing. He is celebrated as a martyr but when he returns, the leaders are disillusioned with him. But a questionable death restores his glory. Cast: P Ganga, Ashokan, Balan K Nair, Kaviyoor Ponnamma
Anantharam (1987): A story about story-telling, the film develops as a commentary on his life by the protagonist, Ajayan. He later narrates another story and the two tales intertwine. Cast: Mammootty, Ashokan, Shobana
Mathilukal (1989): Based on Vaikom Mohammed Basheer’s autobiographical work, Mathilukal, the film glimpses into the mind of the author, who is imprisoned during the freedom movement. The film explores Basheer’s mindscape vis-à-vis his conversations with a woman beyond his own walls. Cast: Mammootty, Murali and the voice of KPAC Lalitha
Vidheyan (1993): Adapted from Paul Zachariah’s story, the film explores the psyche of the under-dog, who is servile to the core; he submits himself and his family to his landlord. Cast: Mammootty, MR Gopakumar, Tanvi Azmi and Sabitha Anand.
Kathapurushan (1995): A young boy deprived of paternal care grows up under the protected environment of his mother and grandmother, and is later drawn into the leftist ideology. Eventually, disillusioned with life, he returns to his roots. Cast: Viswanathan, Mini, Aranmula Ponnamma
Nizhalkkuthu (2003): Set in 1940s in a village in Kerala, the film treks into the life of Kaliyappan, the state-executioner. The king summons him for enforcing another capital punishment but the victim’s tale unsettles the old man; his revolutionary son, who had been part of the freedom movement and also condemns hanging, is forced to wear the hangman’s garb. Cast: Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Sukumari, Murali; Music: Ilayaraja.
Indian film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan says cinema must be understood in its cultural context. Rajeev Nair met him in Dubai for a freewheeling interview
After nine internationally acclaimed films and many documentaries in a span of over three decades, there is only one introduction to Adoor Gopalakrishnan, India’s international film maker. That is one word: Adoor. It stands for the man, his films.
An Adoor film bears a stamp of individuality. It is one that Gopalakrishnan, no, Adoor created after a painstaking study of films at the National Film Institute of India. His first film, Swayamvaram (1972) brought about a paradigm shift in the average Keralite’s approach to cinema apart from winning three national awards.
Forever bound to his roots, his cultural context, Adoor makes films about the society he lives in. His characters are thoroughbred Indians, Keralites. Yet, and that is the mastery of his craft, his films fetch universal acclaim, and inevitably, snide remarks from mainstream Indian filmmakers. Given a chance they snub him but then, Adoor is the last man to take an unfounded criticism lying low. He lashes back at the detractors of his cinema, good cinema, ministers, directors, jury chairpersons or not.
He has won the Indian national award for best director four times, best scriptwriter thrice, and has screened his films in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Rotterdam and Toronto, among others. He was honoured by the Indian government with a high civilian honour, Padmashri; by the French government with the Commandeur Des Arts Et Lettres order for his outstanding contribution to international cinema; and his film, Elippathayam was adjudged by the British Film Institute as the most original and imaginative film of 1982.
His book, Cinemayude Lokam (The World of Cinema) fetched him the national award for best book on cinema and he pioneered the Chitralekha Film Society that heralded the Film Society movement in Kerala. Adoor’s love for performing arts finds creative expression as documentaries on, among varied subjects, Koodiyattom, Krishnanattom, and Yakshaganam.
Adoor was recently in Dubai to attend the screening of his recent film, Nizhalkkuthu, as the inaugural film of the International Malayalam Film Festival organised by the International Malayali magazine.
Excerpts from a freewheeling interview with the master filmmaker:
You concluded your recent article on Satyajit Ray with a comment: ‘I have many human failings but I don’t have an iota of disrespect for my masters.’ Are you aware of a public perception that you are one who speaks your mind, that you are a difficult man?
I don't tell lies. I don't pretend what I am not. I speak my mind and do not hide anything. I have no regrets in doing so because it is much better that way. One should uphold what one believes in. What we see around us are compromises for small or large personal gains. That is wrong.
You have worked on various Film Festivals, been on juries, and headed cinema bodies. Are you happy with the evolution of Indian cinema over the years? Or do you feel the films are moving into a more commercialised mould?
The circumstances were little different when I started making films. In 1972, when I made Swayamvaram, the situation in Malayalam films was such that one couldn't make a film without a song, dance and Adoor Bhasi (a veteran comedian). But those days, every film at least used to come to theatres; that is changing now. Most theatre owners today too are keener to screen films of a particular bent.
In Malayalam cinema, what we see today are imitations of Tamil cinema. Earlier, an average Malayali would snide Tamil films for their total disassociation from reality and the loud acting. Today, Tamil films have become fashionable. Mumbai films imitated MTV, Tamil cinema copied them, and today, we copy Tamil.
Why doesn't good cinema become mainstream cinema? Why is there a dichotomy in cinema to this day?
It is an age-old curse. Somehow, it is still not recognised that cinema is a medium to be approached in a serious way. It is still regarded as a mere tool for entertainment. Even the literate are victims of this thought-process.
Why is it so? Is it because of a poor sense of film appreciation?
There are many things, which we can never explain fully... As per statistics, Kerala is a cent per cent literate state. From the amount of dailies and magazines published, we, as a people, are expected to be good readers. If you publish a book, a novel, for example, because it is the most popular, they print about 1000 copies as the first edition. Suppose all these are sold out, and assume that 2 to 3 people read each book; it means you have about 2000 to 3000 readers.
But take the case of a cinema, made in the most austere fashion with glamour and glitz; just one show of that film fetches as many viewers, if not more. Even a film that had a bad run at theatres is still watched by many thousands. This means reading and cinema do not relate; they diverge at some point.
The important consideration here is women. We have a big contradiction when it comes to the literacy of women. The root cause of good cinema being ignored is women. They harbour a feeling that serious cinema is not for them. The best-made films in Kerala have very limited viewership of women. There is no family audience for serious cinema.
You have made nine films. Have all these made money?
Yes, all of them have covered the costs but not necessarily from Kerala. Some of the films have made money in Kerala - like Swayamvaram and Kodiyettam... In fact, Kodiyettam is a sort of superhit going by its cost and returns.
Is making cinema that you are committed to becoming more difficult with each passing year?
I always make a film hoping that audiences in Kerala will respond to it well. But the unique structure of our distribution network is such that my films will reach theatres only if they are distributed by those agencies that distribute popular films too.
Could it because of the star value associated to some of your films?
The star value works only for one day. You have a film with Mammootty; you get a full house on the first day. But when they realise that Mammootty does not portray a role that they are familiar with, the very next day, the turnout of that kind of audience falls because the film does not fit their expectations...
Whose appreciation do you value?
I value every audience. Every film is appreciated by different individuals differently based on their sensitivities and sensibilities. I feel that every one can appreciate my cinema at some level...
Take the case of Nizhalkkuthu - many people, those who are accustomed to popular cinema, have liked this film.
Could it also be because Nizhalkkuthu has many elements that are also associated with popular cinema, like Ilayaraja's music, the rich visuals...?
All my films have these elements. In fact, MB Sreenivasan, who had worked on my films earlier, did some of his career best music for my films. In Nizhalkkuthu, you don't hear the kind of music you would hear in a popular cinema by Ilayaraja. The film is unique in its handling of the background score; here, it has been treated to be a foreground score. People who have a culture of seeing good cinema would understand it. For others, the sound is still very enjoyable.
You reportedly take the most time to script a film. When you script, do you have an ideal audience in mind?
I see myself as the audience. I must like the script...
Are you your own critic?
Yes.
As a critic of your own films do you feel any of them could have been made better?
No. I have nothing to correct in them because I don’t rush into making the films. More than writing the script, what I struggle more is in choosing the subject. What should I film and why, bother me the most. And only when that bother becomes overwhelming do I start writing.
How does a spark come? Nizhalkkuthu, it has been reported, owes its genesis to one line from a Vaikom Mohammed Basheer work, and a news story in a daily...And why did you want to make Nizhalkkuthu, now?
Every artform is a communication of what you experience profoundly and what touches you most. But to communicate that, to share that thought process, you must also be vigilant. You cannot do what does not touch you only because it might appeal to others.
Suddenly, Nizhalkkuthu seems to have acquired a contemporary relevance, especially following the state-hanging incident in West Bengal recently. Comment...
I have had many such occasions where situations from my films have happened in life, or characters from my cinema have sprung out of life. The principal characters of both Mukhamukham and Anantharam have come to meet me. The West Bengal incident is that sort of a visitation for me.
What do such visitations imply for you?
It implies the truth in what you said. It means that you entered that realm of total truth.
Do you believe that films can bring about social change, or even affect the society? One of the criticisms following Mukhamukham was that you were taking on the Marxist party. Very soon, however, Kerala witnessed sections of the party cadre questioning the leadership. Do you think your film played its mite...?
No, it was not because of the film. To claim so would be sheer arrogance. I won't make a claim that the dissenting voices in the party were the result of my film. But what one should understand is that art can often see the truth that doesn't come to the surface, the reality that is cocooned in the externalities. Art should see that. The social change is not because of the art; but the artiste sees that change beforehand and it is reflected in his work.
Is that good cinema?
Yes. (Good) cinema is truthful and (it) sees the truth. An artiste should approach to discover the truth and the people must have access to that art.
A criticism against your films is that they are not very communicative…
Which film?
Say, Anantharam...
No...When I was making it, I was insistent that people should enjoy the film. Every film normally ends with all loose ends neatly tied up; I have deviated from that. It is a different artistic experience. You take it in your mind, see it from a different perspective and enjoy it further.
But the technique of the film, the story of story-telling, do you think that went down well with the people?
Why not? Every one can enjoy that. These are experiences from everyday life. There is nothing one cannot relate to. See, when someone narrates a story, it is not told without any bearing on your life. What you hear is not the entire story of anyone’s life, however. Look into yourself. There is an introvert and an extrovert in you. These roles interplay according to the need of the moment.
You have adapted two stories of others for your films Mathilukal and Vidheyan. Was there any difference in your creative output working on another person's story?
I never had any restrictions (with the stories). And Vaikom Mohammed Basheer (Mathilukal) had accepted it wholeheartedly. He gave me absolute freedom but with Zachariah (Bhaskara Patelarum Ente Jeevithavum) there were some issues...But I treated both stories in my own way. I am not taking a copy of the story; I am not merely replicating it. The film is my take on the story.
You wrote in a recent article that while you were a student at the National Film Institute, you used to dissect movies from every possible angle with acclaimed teachers. Do you think that sort of a learning culture is lacking in today's critics and filmmakers?
Most of today's critics don't review films because they have an in-depth knowledge of films. I don't think they even want to learn because what they write regularly are about a certain kind of regressive cinema. That does not need any sort of talent. Cinema, today, is a very complex phenomenon. It is not enough that you see films to write about them. You must be well-read, and you must be aware of everything that happens around you for which you need an open mind
How do you react to false criticism?
In Kerala, many people regard being critical as a mark of their superiority. If a critic agrees that a film is good, he feels he is somehow inferior to the filmmaker. To criticise without understanding the film is heinous. That misleads the people.
Does it happen that critics approach your films with a pre-determined slant?
No one would question the competence of the writer who writes about regressive films. But that knowledge is not enough to write about my kind of films. To do so is a lack of humility. The other side of the picture is critics lavishing praise on foreign films. Our critics never have any doubts about these films.
Do you think your films are better appreciated abroad than in India?
No, I didn't mean to say every one in Kerala who writes about film is illiterate about cinema. There are very knowledgeable people but the tragedy is that they don't write. They keep silent.
You also make documentaries. Is there a difference in your creative output as compared to doing films?
I used to run an institution earlier; I had to take care of my employees. During those days, I would make documentaries on any subject - rubber cultivation, family planning...whoever commissions anything, I would do the documentary. But since the last 10 to 20 years, I have been doing documentaries only on performing arts. I want to make a documentary on Kalamandalam Raman Kutty Nair (the Kathakali exponent) but I don't have the money. I have approached a few institutions; if they give the money, I will like to do it.
You shifted from playwriting to screenwriting. Now, do you think it is possible to make a return?
No. A film is a total commitment. You can't alter your focus. Recently, I had a retrospective in America at the State University of Cleveland. They asked me to teach cinema for six months. I refused because it affects the rest of my work totally. Even if I am not making a film now, at some corner in the back of my mind, I am working. I am also writing a book on cinema.
Intellectual dishonesty permeates to virtually every level of film appreciation. Talk about Indian cinema, and filmmakers will take the name of world masters. How important do you think is to know the masters?
If you are really interested in cinema and not for the sake of namedropping, it is imperative that you watch them to understand the basics of cinema.
But isn't there an inherent sensibility for every individual that is dependent on one's roots and culture? Is it therefore possible for a foreigner to understand a Malayalam cinema or vice versa entirely?
It takes time to understand the masters. When I was young, I simply couldn't make out who is old and who is not in foreign films. The physiognomy of a foreigner is alien to us but take an Indian; we can place him in his right context. Every cinema, every work of art is relevant in its cultural context. This includes the religion, climate, geography…. Any one who watches a Bergman film cannot write a studied review just like that. To understand Bergman, you must study Christianity, the society, Bergman's background, his marriages, even his liaisons - from a physical level these are all important. Now, from a cinematic point of view, you must understand the cultural climate of Europe when the film is based...
From the feedback you receive from the Western audience who appreciates your cinema, do you feel they take pains to understand your cinema by understanding the society you live in?
What I have observed is that people who have visited India at least once appreciate my films better. A whole appreciation happens when they study our cultural context. Every work of art has a function; the work has the keys to understand it, and those who find the keys get to the core. In Kerala, people who go for popular cinema, either observe the dialogues, or the music, or the dances. They don't care about the rest. They simply choose what they feel like picking. When they don't find what they are looking for, there is friction.
Another criticism against your films is that they are obsessed with the past...
To comprehend the life that you live today, you need a certain distance. I am not making a document on the past. The past is only a material for my films. The criticism about Nizhalkkuthu was that it was not relevant to the present. The West Bengal incident has disproved this.
You were most prolific in the 80s. You made four films - Elippathayam, Mukhamukham, Anantharam, and Mathilukal during the decade. Since then your films have been stretched far. Do you think the 80s saw your creative peak?
I haven't thought of this before. May be...the thing is you have to connect everything to the life you live. After Kathapurushan, there was a long gap, during which period there were many issues in my life. I couldn't concentrate on a theme during those days.
Do you believe in a peak of creativity?
No. What I feel is that my work is becoming more rigorous with every film of mine. It is not sagging.
You have always made your admiration for Ray vocal and you have been described as the filmmaker who continues the legacy...
I don't imitate Ray; if I am to imitate Ray what is the purpose of me making films? And then, Ray wouldn't have liked my films either.
Are awards important to you?
I don't make films to win awards.
But in case your film does not win any award, will you be frustrated?
Awards have two functions: It recognises good cinema and presents it before the public. It is a forewarning of good cinema. The second function is that when they reject a good work, a work that is inferior suddenly attains importance. That is negative.
What is your take on the new filmmakers?
One of the recent films I was impressed by was Mansarover by Anup Kurian. It is an outstanding first film but it did not get any mention at the national level. But it is not the first film that matters. It is the second and third film. With time, people want all successes together - financial as well as art. That is when they fail. This is because many filmmakers lack conviction. They must constantly study.
Couldn’t the compromises be because of financial difficulties…? For their existence…?
If you care for existence, you don't get good work.
Have you made sacrifices for good cinema?
I don’t see what I did as sacrifices. I have enjoyed every bit of my life. I have never done anything in cinema that is against my conscience.
So do you feel that only a "good" human being can make good cinema?
That would take us to the question of who a good human being is. Many people might not find me as a good human being.
It also takes us to the basic question. What is good cinema?
Isn't it very clear? Who is a good man? One who doesn’t commit bad things. A good man is one who performs his prescribed duties. He is committed to his family, his society, and his country...Good cinema too is like that.
Box:
Adoor: Filmography
Swayamvaram (1972): A newly wed idealist hero and his wife are thrown into the harsh realities of life. In many ways, the film encloses a microcosm of Adoor’s later works especially in the disillusionment of the hero with the ideology he believes in. The hero dies an untimely death. The closing scene of Swayamvaram, where the camera pans into the widow who reacts to the knock at the door is described as a classic moment in cinema. The film also marks the beginning of Adoor’s long innings with cinematographer Mankada Ravi Varma. Music was by MB Sreenivasan. Cast: Madhu, Sharada
Kodiyettam (1977): The film chronicles the life of a nobody, Shankaran Kutty, who drifts aimlessly – he is a regular at temple festivals, and flies kites with children. Later, he decides to start afresh. Cast: Gopi, Lalitha
Elippathayam (1981): It documents the fall of the feudal system in Kerala and the trials and tribulations of the idle feudal lords, who are caught like rats in a granary that has no grains: The granary is now a rat-trap. Cast: Karamana Janardhanan Nair, Sharada, Jalaja. Music: MB Sreenivasan
Mukhamukham (1984): A take on the disenchantment of idealist party workers with the Marxist party in Kerala, the film was much debated. The hero is Sreedharan, a dedicated party worker who goes missing. He is celebrated as a martyr but when he returns, the leaders are disillusioned with him. But a questionable death restores his glory. Cast: P Ganga, Ashokan, Balan K Nair, Kaviyoor Ponnamma
Anantharam (1987): A story about story-telling, the film develops as a commentary on his life by the protagonist, Ajayan. He later narrates another story and the two tales intertwine. Cast: Mammootty, Ashokan, Shobana
Mathilukal (1989): Based on Vaikom Mohammed Basheer’s autobiographical work, Mathilukal, the film glimpses into the mind of the author, who is imprisoned during the freedom movement. The film explores Basheer’s mindscape vis-à-vis his conversations with a woman beyond his own walls. Cast: Mammootty, Murali and the voice of KPAC Lalitha
Vidheyan (1993): Adapted from Paul Zachariah’s story, the film explores the psyche of the under-dog, who is servile to the core; he submits himself and his family to his landlord. Cast: Mammootty, MR Gopakumar, Tanvi Azmi and Sabitha Anand.
Kathapurushan (1995): A young boy deprived of paternal care grows up under the protected environment of his mother and grandmother, and is later drawn into the leftist ideology. Eventually, disillusioned with life, he returns to his roots. Cast: Viswanathan, Mini, Aranmula Ponnamma
Nizhalkkuthu (2003): Set in 1940s in a village in Kerala, the film treks into the life of Kaliyappan, the state-executioner. The king summons him for enforcing another capital punishment but the victim’s tale unsettles the old man; his revolutionary son, who had been part of the freedom movement and also condemns hanging, is forced to wear the hangman’s garb. Cast: Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Sukumari, Murali; Music: Ilayaraja.
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