My obsession with Swades

I watched Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades again. This time, I watched it while living in the US. The location from where you watch it does make a difference!


The first time I watched it was at home, in my country. I was amazed at how the movie told the story with no extras. The usual melodrama is missing; a lot of things are conveyed through expressions and good music. The movie touches my heart on so many levels. I hardly know of any other movie as flawless as this one.

I am sure many Indians living in the US can relate to Mohan Bhargav almost as soon as the movie starts. There is everything that one can need for a comfortable life, and still a vaccuum. When Mohan is on his way to India, just before the flight lands, he looks out the window - at his physical motherland. This scene is very close to heart for my husband, who said he did the exact same thing the first time he went home.

Mohan goes to the old age home to look for Kaveri amma, his foster mother. Upon enquiring about her, another old lady comments that Kaveri amma is very lucky coz someone always comes looking after her. A wave of emotion swept through me thinking of all the old people who live in these homes - how they wait for someone to come and enquire about them, how they feel neglected and unwanted......wish there were an easier solution for this. In fact, I liked the lighter side of this shown in Lage Raho Munnabhai....the concept of Second Innings is very appealing to me :)

Mohan's first meeting with Geeta is sweet, and shot without the excesses. He is obviously very taken by her and likes her respect for values. After the short meeting, she is gone and he is wondering how he can get in touch with her again.

The first song is Yun hi chala chal raahi - while many people love this song, I dont find it as good. Its definitely a good song to listen to on maybe a road trip. I simply love the scene where Mohan pulls his caravan into the village of Charanpur. The curious faces of kids, the narrow roads - a very authentic shot of how village people marvel upon the arrival of something unknown to them.

The scene where he meets Kaveriamma and touches her feet is very sentimental - again, just the right amount of sentiment. Geeta is refreshingly simple and beautiful, and to add to that she is a girl with a mission -to educate all the kids in her village and to expand the school started by her parents. I love the arguments she has with Mohan -asking him not to criticize India when he hasnt done much to help the situation -I have done likewise in the past, when I was in India. It is a sort of idealistic argument, but I too believe that educated Indians with a conscience can achieve a lot to improve the situation in the country.


Mohan starts falling in love with Geeta, with the simplicity of the village life and wants to contribute to their welfare. He speaks out his mind in the village panchayats, and uses every opportunity to make them take an educated approach to problems. One of my favourite songs in the movie is Yeh Tara Woh Tara, where Mohan tries conveys the message of unity to the village by singing and dancing with the kids. The lyrics of this song are simple yet convey a powerful message - one that we all are taught in school but seldom remember to follow -Unity is strength.


Then there is the touch of humour with scenes like the one where Melaram brings up business propositions to Mohan, to open restaurant(s) in the US , Mohan going to the class where Geeta teaches, Mohan crooning 'I've been waiting, for a girl like you' while taking a bath in the backyard of the house.


Kaveriamma appreciates Mohan's good intentions of improving the village but wants him to get a reality check. She sends him off to collect rent on one of her farmlands from a poor farmer. The song 'Saanwariya' starts as he leaves for the trip, with Geeta realizing her love for Mohan. The trip changes Mohan's life in a profound manner. He is unable to digest how poverty really is and what it means. Even in such poverty, the farmer feeds Mohan and Melaram, as his kids look at the food hungrily and longingly. Mohan leaves some money with the farmer, just to temporarily relieve him of his miseries.


Mohan comes back from the trip a changed man. He has more interaction with the villagers - he cringes at their superstitions and wants them to look at issues based on facts as opposed to old beliefs. In the Dusserah celebration, picturized through the song 'Pal pal hai bhari', he has a message at the end - telling the villagers 'Man se Ravan jo nikale, Ram uske man mein hain'. As he gets more involved with the struggle and strife of all these people, Mohan decides he wants to do more. He takes up a project to produce electricity for the village, using their own water and resources, thus making them self sufficient. He gathers all people young and old and through sheer hard work and determination, gets the electricity generated. An old woman is shown looking at the bulb, that lights up when the electricity is generated. These are the very scenes that make this movie. During this project is also the fantastic 'Dekho na' song, which is as simple and romantic as a song gets. It kind of takes you back in time, when songs were picturized this simple - the hero and heroine are content to be in each other's company and dont need a hundred extras jumping and dancing along with them.


Mohan's vacation is drawing to an end and upon receiving an ultimatum from his boss, he painfully decides to go back. He loses an argument with Geeta about taking Kaveriamma with him. With a heavy heart, he packs up and the entire village gathers to send him off. Mohan's eyes are only searching for Geeta. He has almost given up, when he sees Geeta along the way. She gives him a parting gift - a box of things that will bring India to his mind. After a tearful goodbye, Mohan is back at the NASA in the US. He is working on an important satellite launch. Even during the hectic work schedule, his mind wanders to thoughts of India - to the villagers, their lives, their struggles, their joys and sorrows; to Geeta and Kaveriamma and the little kids; to the old lady above whose face the bulb lights up; to where his heart and soul really belong! We have the most amazing shehnahi playing the haunting tune of 'Yeh Jo des hai tera'. The scene where Mohan looks at a revolving globe and sees the Indian map and tears up has my eyes welling up too. The beats and background music of this song start right then. Hats off to lyrisict Javed Akhtar 'Yeh jo des hai tera, Swades hai tera, tujhe hai pukara....yeh woh bandhan hai jo kabhi toot nahi sakta' During this song, Mohan's friend Vinod tries to convince him that going back to India is not a wise decision, but Mohan is undeterred. He finally resigns from the NASA and goes back to his homeland. His boss tells him 'Go, light your bulb' and he responds 'I will'.

The last scene of the movie shows Mohan participating in a local wrestling match with the villagers; with Geeta, Kaveriamma, the kids and everyone watching. He wins the match and washes himself in the river, laughing and joking with Geeta, and the camera zooms out. Happy ending!

All in all, Swades is a movie that inspires me and hopefully inspires an entire generation of Indians.

Time

I often hear the phrases 'no time', or 'I gotta go' or 'I am in a rush'. Why is everyone always running against time, or running out of time? People's lives are loaded with so many activities these days.
I myself used these phrases lavishly when I was working in India. I also had a ton of things to do or take care of always, and being in a job that involved continuous interaction with people didnt make it any easier. I used to long -- for some peace and quiet, for some time alone to check email in private, for those good old days when I would lie on my bed with my eyes closed and listen to my favourite songs, for a tea break and gossip when its raining outside, for some time to express my creativity, for an extra hour of sleep on weekends! What I would give to get that extra time, I used to think.
Lo and behold -God granted my wish! He got me married, transported me across the seas and put me in the United States. 'Here you go', he said, 'I give you one whole year of time and its upto you what you make of it'.
I was thrilled to bits thinking of all the wonderful things I could do with my new found freedom. No one, emphasis 'NO ONE' could tell me what to do or when to do it. I was, the master of my destiny and my time. The initial days were spent watching tv, lazing about, learning how to cook and sleeping to my heart's content. Soon I joined the gym and my husband & I made fitness a part of our life. This was followed by an eventful move to a new apartment. Setting up the new place kept me excited for about a month. Then I discovered the amazing public library near my apartment - I mean, it was a bus ride away, neverthless it close enough to motivate me to get good books to read. Between reading books I always did something on the creative side. My family ended up being the guinea pigs - every occassion and opportunity to give gifts was used and I deeply satisfied myself doing the things I longed to do. I used to have this secret desire to watch almost every movie that released, the trailers would just tempt me - and so I fulfilled that dream as well until the point I have got bored of new releases and am back to watching old select ones for now. Inevitably though, some days would be a drag. I would email a ton of friends, talk to my folks on the phone incessantly, watch my favourite tv shows and still be bored. Such days used to make me think that too much of anything is never good for anyone - from super-busy to at-home-housewife, I had to make an extreme transition. In a day or two though, I'd be back in my spirits, always bounding with energy and overflowing with ideas and plans. Fitness played (and still does) a very important role in my everyday life, books enriched my knowledge, recipes blogs made me a better cook and my own blog itself made me feel like a writer of sorts.
I still call people on the phone when I am bored and want an ear - and when I hear 'I gotta go', I reluctantly hang up and turn to youtube for entertainment.
Pretty soon though, my waiting ends and I'll be getting back to work. Boy, do I look forward to a hectic schedule and saying to people 'Can I call you back, am a little busy right now?'

Oh what a year

We've been married for an year now - just celebrated our first wedding anniversary a couple of days back. As I look back on this past year, I want to capture all of the wonderful and exciting things I've done for the first time. Not normal and routine things like tasting a new cuisine or driving to and seeing different places - things that gave me a thrill and that I consider 'aha' moments.

On our anniversary we went to the Symphony Orchestra. It was just awesome to watch (and hear) so many artistes working in perfect harmony to produce something so magical. There was a lead violin player, a young lady by the name Sarah Chang, who's won accolades for her performances from the age of 8! Her fingers seemed to work like magic. And then for the Beethoven's 9th symphony, there was a choir that sang while the orchestra played - all in all some 150-200 people performing at once. I was awestruck to say the least. I was just imagining the effort they must have put in, the hours of rehearsals, the dedication to the art, the pleasure it gives them and the joy it gives to the audience. My salutes to artistes of the world! I admire them so much :)

My first time on a cruiseliner is also memorable. Nicely dressed in formal clothes, as I set foot on the cruise I was thrilled thinking about how different this was from anything I had done before. There was wine and food and family together at the table. It was raining and we looked through the glass, and soft music played in the background. There was a small performance called the Spirit of Chicago - the artistes danced and sang. It was cold on the deck, warm inside, we took pictures both inside and outside. The cruise was for 3 hours on the Lake Michigan. Never imagined how big a lake can get (no wonder they are called the Great Lakes) The water was amazingly clear blue. Oh the whole thing was just so lovely!

Skiing. Looks easy, is tough as hell. For an average person who's not accustomed to too much physical activity, skiing is a big challenge. But its a terrific experience - the slipping on snow, the falling down, getting stuck and unable to get up without help and being sore with the bruises. Just going down the smallest and easiest slope without falling gives the sense of a big achievement. And then there was the snow tubing. Cold air and snow in the face, and going down on a tube with absolutely no control on it. The best part is you can go together - two, three and even five people can choose to hold hands and go down together. Gosh! I would want to snow tube again.....and again....and again!

Participating in a parade. Off we went in our green clothes on a very cold morning in March. Its the St.Patrick's day parade I was told. Knew nothing about it so did a quick check on Wikepedia (it aint hard to know it all these days) In short, people wear green and drink lots of beer and celebrate. As long as we could have some fun, I am always game. At downtown, I ignored the cold when I saw people in all kinds of green clothes bustling about. Was even more excited to animals also with green accessories. So adorable. There were dogs, a pony and a groundhog. We caught a glimpse of the mayor, there was the Pittsburgh Steelers fans (football team), the army folks and all kinds of different groups marching away to glory. Give-aways like green beads and toffees and food samples were strewn all over the roads. We walked the entire strech of the parade, shivering every once in a while. At the central square everyone gathered to guzzle green coloured beer. Not being a beer drinker and having been exhausted by the two hour walk , we marched back to the car. All in all very special for me to see so many people together just enjoying themselves. My heart longed for India where we see crowds everyday :)

Astronomical adventures. The drive to the place is an experience close to the horror of a Hitchcock movie. Dark winding roads with very few cars or people visible. You only need to imagine the eerie music in your head to complete the movie! The last mile or so is the hardest part. Warning symbols indicate more sharp turns and chances of deer crossing the path. And we have to dim our lights as we pull into the open air observatory where amateur and professional astronomers are busy looking into their telescopes or making notes in torchlight. The human eye takes a while to get accustomed to the natural light of the moon at night - so if a car pulls in with its brights on, it hurts the eye and again takes time to re adjust to the natural light. So anyway, I take my time to look around and see that there indeed are people and parked vehicles around. I heave a sigh of relief just knowing that we arent alone in a jungle or something. My husband deftly assembles the telescope and asks me what I want to see. The moon's a little too bright apparently so its gonna be hard to see much else tonight. Whatever you can show me - said I, as usual just enthusiastic enough that I am doing something 'different'. So first I get to see the moon a little more closely, then we looked at Venus. Mars was not visible at the time for reasons I cannot recollect. That night there were supposed to be leonid showers. That was the reason for a bigger turnout at the observatory. So after seeing the moon and Mars, we sat and waited to see if we were lucky enough to be witness to the showers. Astronomy needs a lot of patience. Our luck turned when we got to see two or three meteors! It happens in a flash - you almost think you have imagined it rather than seen it. Not at all like the Bollywood movies where the hero and heroine have time enough to talk to each other, see it, make a wish and look at each other again and hide the fact that they believe in such superstitions ;) What a thrill it was to see them. I expressed my happiness at being able to participate in such an interesting activity and my husband had the look that said - 'Ab to tumhe chand sitare bhi dikha diya' (Now I have shown you the moon and stars too). On a recent second visit to the observatory I got a closer look at Jupiter and could see four of its moons. We did this both from our telescope and the observatory telescope which is much more powerful. Look forward to future adventures :D And I can probably say to him 'Mars nahin dikhaya' (you havent shown me Mars).

These were some of my best moments in the past year; experiences I put 'in my own words'. Apart from all of this we have travelled around, met friends and relatives, visited museums, walked in state parks, seen almost every movie that anyone dared make and much more. Cannot help but think - oh what a year!!

A walk in the park

I have created a new adage - A walk in the park is worth two in the gym.

The fresh air , the morning dew, flowers glistening in the sun, dogs running around, the quietness, the early morning calm - all make it worth the effort of pulling oneself out of bed :D

As my husband and I took a morning walk in the nearby dog park, armed with the camera, I couldnt help but wonder - why dont we do this more often. Running in the gym, counting calories burned seemed so artificial, so unnatural. Being in the park gave the feeling of oneness with nature. We shot this picture, among other beautiful ones. Simple beauty, nothing magnificent, yet worthy of our time and appreciation.

I thought of the poem we all read in school - What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare. How true it is - I said to myself.

Come spring, we have been walking at one park or the other. The most natural way of keeping fit and enjoying the surroundings! I highly recommend it to everyone :D

First impressions

Before I forget, I want to list down the ten things in America that really amazed me during my first few months of stay here:

1. Democracy.. taken a step ahead.
Advertisers can name their competitors and criticize them openly. Imagine the detergent ad in India with the words 'sadharan sabun' and 'naya rin'. That would be so different if this were allowed back home.

2. Canine/Feline luxuries
There are specialty foods and diet pills for pets like cats and dogs. So you will see an extreme close up of some exotic dish and how its prepared, how mouth watering it is -- and at the end of it a dog/cat is shown savouring it! And as if there arent enough diet pills and weight loss programmes for human beings, pets can have their own dose, should they feel left out!

3. Ticket, Ticket...no more !!
You need exact change for the bus fare. If you dont have a bus pass or a student id, you need to carry the exact fare for eg. $1.75. Else, just pay whatever you have and move on. There is no bus conductor to tender change :)

4. Dedication goes an extra mile...
People jogging on the pavement. And mind you -not just in summer. There is no weather in which I've not seen a jogger on the road; and I believe I've seen them at all times of the day/night. While we shiver in our multiple layers of winter clothing, it is astonishing to see someone in half pants and a sweatshirt running along the road with the ipod plugged in. Truly inspirational.

5. A Convenient journey
All pavements are friendly for handicapped people. For that matter, special parking lots, seating in public transportation, public places of interest like museums - all have specific provisions for handicapped people. Thats called caring for the disabled.

6. Blame it on the weatherman
Whats the constant obsession with weather all about? Rainfall is termed as a "Rain Event", no less. Forecasts are available by the hour, location and based on the purpose eg. driving/outdoor sports/interstate driving/travel etc. Only until I saw a perfectly sunny evening change into a severe rainstorm and back to the sunny evening all within a half hour did I realize the importance of weather monitoring. And only after going through the first winter in Northeast America I understand why everyday in summer is called 'A beautiful day' :)

7. Goodbye, State electricity boards.
Electricity is privatized. So when you move, you take your electricity service provider with you.

8. Buy more to save more ??
Sales and discounts. All year round all the time. And more sales and discounts for every holiday - from President's Day to Chirstmas.

9. Size does matter.
From the tree alongside my apartment building to the grocery store round the corner, everything that meets the eye is larger than things I've ever seen in India. Needless to mention the cars, roads, malls, office buildings etc. And oh - people too. It took coming to America to make me understand the meaning of morbid obesity.

10. Whats your zipcode?
Vehicle Insurance changes based on location - not just by city but by area. The zipcode where you live/park your vehicle determines the insurance quote. That was definitely news to me!

Lastly, one note on the traffic in America. For folks (like me) who have driven through the craziest of conditions in India, it just seems too rule-ridden out here. Safe, but not used to it one bit.

Simplicity has charm

One of my favourite quotes is as follows:

Be simple maiden, for simplicity has charm
Which neither a friend can steal, nor a foe can harm

Watching old Indian movies makes me nostalgic of childhood - of simpler times. Life didnt seem this complicated back then. The father worked, the mother raised children, the children went to school, the family ate dinner together and tv watching was restricted. Every weekend didnt have to be special - people were happy to spend time at home or socialize with friends and relatives. Sunday specials were simple things like a different dish at lunch, the tv shows like Ramayan, Mahabharat, He Man, Barba Pappa or the regional movie on Doordarshan at 1.30 pm.
Everyone knew that good things in life were attainable ; and that patient waiting combined with hard work would pay off. Watching movies at the theatre, eating out at restaurants and eating cakes were celebrations on special occassions like birthdays and anniversaries. Remember the thrill of being gifted with a five-star bar?

Today, doing these would be considered 'normal' at best. Everything from weekday evening activities to weekends and vacations have to be exotic, superlative or extraordinary. Just observing movies, tv serials, music and news today will reveal the extent of 'hype' about everything in the world now. Actors are overdressed and over made up, locations are exotic and mostly foreign and ostentatious, music remixed so it can be played in discotheques and news revolves around celebrities. Letters are replaced by emails and greeting cards by e-cards, phone calls by sms s. Is there any kid who will be happy receiving just a five-star bar as a birthday gift?

Yet, change is inevitable and we must go with the flow. Every individual can now express himself; and as Thomas Friedman says - the world is flat. Opportunities are beyond imagination and connectivity couldnt get better. One still has a choice in what they embrace and imbibe.

In my own little way, I want to archive memories and collections of our times - for I dont know if our next generation will experience them firsthand.

Here are some cherishable memories -

The Rasna girl
Cadbury's gems
Plain yellow post cards
Inland letters
Mile sur mera tumhara
Black and white television
Television without commercial breaks
Karamchand
Maggi's original masala flavour
Street cat bicycles
Renting VCRs and video casettes
Walking to the milk booth to buy token milk