Ways to cope with loss...of the sporting kind

So this is how it ends, one of the most amazing summers of cricket. With Team India losing (quite horrendously). When team India suffers a loss like it did at the NatWest series, one goes through four stages of grief. First is obviously anger, at the incompetence and poor fielding (substitute 'poor fielding' with whatever you think lead to India's downfall in particular - in the context of the 7th ODI, bad umpiring will do just as well as poor fielding) of the boys in blue.

Second comes despair and along with it the uncontrollable urge to smash something or bang ones head against a wall at the futility of it all, because try as we might we cannot get over the fact that even though India could improve is all aspects of the sport yet it will still lag behind the dominant team(s) of the sport (Australia, if it wasn't obvious). The chances of India beating Australia are always low, regardless of pretty much anything. The second stage is also an expression of the average Indian fan's inability to come to terms with their team's loss and hence their need to see the bigger picture (in this case, India's inability to beat Australia in the long-term) instead of focusing on the immediate failure. Within the second stage itself, we find a few sub-stages. The sub-stage of grief espoused by a fan will entirely depend on the temperament and intensity (and how much of their money is riding on the match) of that fan prior to the loss. Sub stage 1 is super-anger, this is a manifestation of the second stage in which the fan will go to irrational lengths to avenge the emotional distress he feels by acting out violently against the cricket players themselves (case study: Angry fans threatening violence through the years). A second sub stage can be seen as a defense mechanism, in which the fan convinces himself of India's complete inability to beat any team (this second sub stage was recorded in a number of Indian fans after the World Cup loss to Bangladesh) in order to lower his expectations and avoid being hurt. This is the extent of research on the sub stages of stage two, but it has been proven that there exist many sub stages that haven't yet been delved into.

The third stage is acceptance, because even of Team India can't beat Australia or Bangladesh, they are still our team, our boys, right?

The fourth and final stage of this spiral of grief is one that has confounded sociologists and sport researchers for ages. The fourth stage of grief is single handedly responsible for the resurgence of millions of Indian fans time and time again after defeats of all proportions. It is quite simply faith and hope that a team with a billion hopes riding on it will succeed. That it will try its damned hardest to live up to expectations, because like it or not every Indian has a vested interest in the Indian cricket team. That they will win, because without this fourth stage of grief all of us fans are just bitter, hopeless human beings...and that isn't fun for anyone. The boys in blue are my team, come hail, high water...or even a couple of bad games.

Stop the presses!

Andrew Flintoff will be playing in the match today. The last two matches that India won bolstered by mammoth scores did not include the Flintoff variable. A variable that could very well spell doom for India.

Uh-oh.

We'll know soon enough

It is about time for Sachin to get his century...

This is it. This is what one of the most exciting cricketing summers has lead up to. The final showdown between India and England at the legendary ground of Lord's. With less than 3 hours to go before the game begins everyone finds themselves on the edge of their seats.

India and England have over the course of the series demonstrated how evenly matched they are. If the tests were a showcasing of the Indian side's mastery of the 5 day game, the ODI's have not projected any clear winners. Neither team has completely dominated the field. A week ago no one could be blamed for thinking that England had pretty much swept India out of the series. A little bit of luck combined with some commanding performances had put England in the drivers seat. Who knew that India was planning on crashing the England party...and how! Their backs were against the wall, they were in a do or die situation, they had to win at least two back to back matches to stay in the series, and we all know how India wilt under pressure. But turns out that this Indian team did not get the memo. For this time they did not wilt under pressure, they actually thrived under it. Each and every player contributed with the bat, the ball and in the field.

The first signs that India would not be following the usual script came at Leeds where India displayed some amazing teamwork, while Sachin and Sourav shone brightly, as India fought its way back into the series. If this be Sachin and Sourav's swan song, what a magnificent tune! Next came the gloriousness that was The Oval. In a match that saw more than 600 runs being scored, India came out on top with match winning performances from the (as I like to call them) 'old boys' club of team India, Sachin and Sourav. Not to mention a positively steely innings from the newest blue on the block, Robin Utthapa (or as Michael Atherton called him "Uttha-pa-tta"!). He came in when India needed 82 runs from 54 balls at a run rate of 9.11, Enough to shaken any player let alone a wee lad of 21 years. Undaunted he batted consistently, in face of some of the best bowling that England had in its aresenal. And when India needed 8 runs from four balls, he smartly executed two fours to lead India into the final at Lords.

Kapil Dev is right, regardless of who wins this series the true winner this summer has been cricket. So the stage is set for a nail biting finish to a great summer of cricket. India seems to have all the momentum, but are also known to lose their cool in big match situations. Both teams have everything to lose, making for a great on-field dynamic. England will throw everything they have at India. An in-form Kevin Pieterson, great fielding, confident newbies, home ground advantage, it won't be easy for the boys in blue. Let's leave it all out in the field boys and make it a match to remember!

Some of my views on certain controversies

So this was an angry email I sent to someone in the middle of the night. I was hopped up on caffeine and was quite annoyed - the product ended up being this email. Here goes nothing....

Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul praised Hindu Nationalists for
"reclaiming India's Hindu heritage" and the repatriation of
the Ramjanmabhoomi was a "welcome sign that Hindu pride was
re-asserting itself"

He was born in Gorakhpur, and lives in Trinidad.
I am so sick of hearing about the loss of Hindu  pride..
I don't think Hindu pride went anywhere that it needed to
be 'reclaimed'...also, in a secular nation why should
something like Hindu pride even exist...if anything, it
shouldbe Indian pride. It is shameful to admit that if
something like the demolition of the Babri Masjid had happened
to a temple,and was lead by a Muslim mob, people like V.S.
Naipaul(among others) would call it a resurgence of the
mentality of the oppressor that apparently every Muslim has,
or even better, it would be labeled a pro-Pakistan action to
indicate that all Indian Muslims are Pakistani at heart and
tote around photos of Osama Bin Laden with them.

I am absolutely outraged, I thought the intellectual quarters
of the country could see the Babri Masjid crisis for what it
actually is, a rampant, violent, most importantly,
inappropriate and criminal move by the Jan Sangh/BJP to widen
their vote bank, regardless of how many lives get trampled
under their feet. But apparently not, V.S Naipaul, a freakin
Nobel Laureate, has been quoted describing the destruction of
the Babri Mosque as a "creative passion", and the invasion of
Babur in the 16th century as a "mortal wound." Most
disappointing is the fact that this man writes beautifully
on the dangers of misplaced political passions yet he did not
for a second stop to think what quotations like the ones
mentioned above could do to inflame the political passions of
certain groups.  He is an academic, a writer, an intellectual,
his job is to enlighten society, to lift society towards a
better, more aware existence - not to further thrust them into
the fires of hatred and intolerance.

On a more personal note - I am worried that my rampant outrage
against the BJP and consequent support for the Congress (who
are not blameless in any way shape or form) might just be me
following trends. Just supporting the party currently in power,
because I remember back in '96 I thought Atal Bihari Vajpaee was
God's gift to mankind and that he would lift India out of the
mess she was in. And now I support the congress because apparently
they are better than the BJP? Maybe I am just a fair weather
political agitator. Yet regardless of the party I support, I can't
help but think that what the Jan Sangh/BJP did with Babri Masjid
and then Godhra was wrong on a fundamental level, on a level that
is higher than death and killing, possibly on a moral level.

Then again, morality is an extremely tricky word, especially
when used with regards to religion. For all I know, the
demolition of the Babri Masjid was a moral act in the eyes of
some people. Is there a morality above individual morality? If
there is then who decides what it is and what makes that person
capable of doing so? If there isn't then how is a country like
India able to survive as a cohesive unit? I have all these
theoretical questions but on a practical level I still feel
that I am right, that using religion for political gains is
wrong, and if it is then the Congress has also exploited
religious and communal rifts, so what gives them the moral right
to turn around on the BJP and accuse them of religious fanaticism?
Isn't that another political ploy? But then again, I guess I
am just being stupid, for who has heard of morality and politics
ever going together?

However isn't my condemnation of the BJP just an example of me
forcing my morality on a group of people? How I think they should
have behaved?


I strongly believe that after independence there was practically nothing stopping
India from going down the path of other Commonwealth nations like Ghana,
Uganda and even South Africa that suffered (and are still suffering) years of
civil war, racism and violent dictatorship. India on the other hand is still a
thriving democracy and an emerging economic powerhouse, I mean a country
whose people are capable of regularly electing a communist government has to
be something special, eh? The reason India didn't fall into the commonwealth trap
was simply because of its secular nature. Secularism was India's saviour and should
be its most cherished heirloom, yet we continually try to destroy it and in doing so
jeopardize the very existence of India as a nation.


Self Destructive, much?

TBC

P.s. please excuse the lack of grammar or structure...

The Big Reveal!

What is this? The week of big revelations? First it was the 'exclusive' Jodhaa Akbar first look and now Filmfare is running a story on Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor with, wait for it...actual pictures! Scandalous!

Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor have been jealously guarded all this while by their mentor and director Sanjay Leela Bansali, to the extent that we couldn't see their faces even in the promo. This was obviously a publicity stunt and SLB was just waiting for the right time to reveal his shishyas. This must be the right time because *drumroll please* here they are -


Say hi to the future of Bollywood as SLB sees it. Finally we have more than just those few blurry pictures of the two of them that always used to come up when we searched google for Ranbir or Sonam (you know which ones I am talking about). Finally we can attach a face to the names. Finally the world is in order again...phew!

By the way, SLB looks way creepy in that picture...

Jodhaa Akbar: piquing curiosity

This past week Indiafm revealed the look of Hrithik and Ash for the movie Jodhaa Akbar. Georgous though the outfits are, it is the concept that is most intriguing. What is with hiding the faces of your actors? Sanjay Leela Bansali does it in the promo for Saawariya and now Ahutosh has also jumped on the bandwagon. Apart from the curiosity generating aspect of the hidden faces I think Mr. Gowariker is trying something a little more complex.

Love is a very equalizing emotion. Anyone can fall in love and everyone does, regardless of social boundaries or mores - be it hot shot CEOs, socialites, college students, or even poor ass hobos - in this case be it a Mughal emperor or a Rajput princess. Jodhaa Akbar, one can assume, is the story of a love that withstood class, creed and caste, it is the story of Akbar and Jodhaa who despite being from completely disparate social and religious strata, fell in love. In the end this is just the love story of a girl and a boy, any girl and boy. So in fact, the two people on the poster could be anyone, making this movie first and foremost, a love story of a man and a woman, hence the hidden faces. Well played Mr. Gowariker.

Or maybe I am just reading too much into it.

Sachin, Dhoni and Ganguly...what more can a girl ask for?

The fourth ODI didn't end up being a good experience for the Indian team (even though Agarkar proved his worth by taking four glorious wickets) thanks to some very inspired batting by Broad and Bopara (who by the way is nicknamed puppy...so cute!) - classical case of so close and yet so far. India should be used to it by now, since they are veterans of the snatching-defeat-from- victory's-jaws syndrome.

But wait, I am being unnecessarily harsh, because believe it or not India are still in the series! As much as the fourth ODI was a huge disappointment, the 5th was the magnificent resurgence of a team that found inspiration in two of its most experienced members. India's latest outing was the reaffirmation of Sachin's place in the side. Batting like he used to in the glory days, Sachin Baba, made a glorious 71. Watching Sachin and Ganguly bat beautifully in tandem felt like someone had turned the clock back to the 90s, when these two together were the maharajas of the the field. Actually, I take that back, the decades are insignificant, be it the 90's or the 2000's Sachin is still a God.

More often than not, when the opening partnership is substantial it leads to good innings from the players that follow, and Headingly was no different. The Indian top and middle order together caressed, drove, guided and smashed the ball to all the corners of the field. But let's make sure that in all this prise that is being heaped on the batsmen we do not forget the bowling and fielding, in particular the amazing effort of Dhoni behind the stumps. In a day that saw at least three dropped catches, Dhoni managed to create wicketkeeping history for India by being involved in 6 wickets. Five catches and one stumping (plus a couple of catches by Powar and Karthik) later India were all but home, unfortunately it was the rain and Messers Duckworth and Lewis that saw them all the way. But hey who am I to complain, as long as India wins I am a happy camper.

'United we stand, divided we fall' never rang as true as it did when Team India performed like champions and won the 5th ODI in what was truly a team effort.

It all hinges now on two matches in London, will India be able to repeat this amazing feat at The Oval? Only time will tell, but for now let's just bask in the glory of what this team can achieve when it sets its mind to it!

4th ODI preview!

Three down four more to go. The Indian cricket team is in a little bit of a bind, if they don't win the fourth ODI at Old Trafford tomorrow, they are in for an uphill battle. If England win their third out of seven matches, India will then have to save three matches in order to prevent England from winning the series - phew, it's enough to make a grown man cry.

Worse news for India, England is not going to take it lying down. Flintoff will probably be back, adding to the firepower of the English bowlers, this can only mean one thing for the Indians...buckle down and STOP conceding runs in the field!! Conservative estimates contend that India concedes about 40-50 runs thanks to sloppy fielding. Things are getting so bad that Robin Singh, India's newly minted fielding coach is also sort of wiping his hands off the responsibility of the failures, he is reported by cricinfo.com as saying:

We can only instill as coaches, it's up to the players to execute it out in the middle.

Uh-oh...I guess the players in the middle will have to pull off something major and silence their detractors...if only until the next match. Good news is that India have won the last two encounters they had at Old Trafford, so maybe the ground is lucky for India, good thing too, cuz India is gonna need all the luck they can get. However, it is futile to despair, the only thing to be done at this point is keep faith in the abilities of the team and hope to god that Sachin Tendulkar finds his elusive century!

So, in the immortal words of Shahrukh Khan, Chak de India!

The new IT boy of Hollywood

Isn't that just such a heartwarming photot?

That there is probably the best thing to have come out of Scotland since Sean Connery himself. His name is James McAvoy, and here he is with KieraKnightley at the Venice film festival premiere of their new movie Atonement. Now, not only is Mr. McAvoy is a gorgeous Scottish actor with a gorgeous Scottish accent (what more can you ask?) but he has done some amazing work and it is now his time to shine. He started off in theatre and then moved onwards to British television where he was a part of the highly acclaimed TV series Shameless, he also played Macbeth, in a BBC adaptation of the Shakespeare classic. He found his footing in Hollywood with a majestic performance as a Scottish physician to Forest Whitaker's Idi Amin in Last King of Scotland. In that particular movie McAvoy's brilliant acting was overshadowed by Whitaker's portrayal of the brutal dictator (for which he eventually won the Oscar). Most recently he played Tom Lefroy - the supposed inspiration for Mr. Darcy in a fictionalized account of Jane Austen's early life called Becoming Jane. McAvoy now has a number of high profile projects lined up that I can't wait to see. Just can't get enough of his wonderful performances and not to mention his beeootiful blue eyes ;) !!

It is really easy for actors with nice accents and pleasant looks to fall into the Hugh Grant trap once they get their break in Hollywood. Hugh Grant quickly became the go to guy for the love boy roles in women oriented romantic comedies, case in point - Notting Hill, Two Weeks Notice and Bridget Jones' Diary to name a few. This is not to say that Hugh was anything but good in these movies, but he was none the less the dreamy, English eye candy. So far McAvoy has managed to pick roles that are wonderfully diverse and challenging and let's hope he continues to do so and avoids the temptation of becoming the next victim of the Hugh Grant school of acting!

As long as he keeps doing what he has been doing so far, I think he will be just fine!

4 movies to look forward to this fall

Let's do this in the order of least to most anticipated (according to moi):

1. Aaja Nachle: The only reason I am looking forward to this the least is because the promo was like a particularly unsatisfying amuse-bouche. All we see is Madhuri Dixit dancing and a frame that declares her return. I am sure that once the Yash Raj publicity machine kicks in the movie will garner much more curiosity but for now the return of Madhuri is apparently enough. I was never a big fan of Madhuri so for me one of the main reasons for watching this movie will probably be the presence of Kunal Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma.





2. Laaga Chunari Mein Daag: Unfortunately the biggest news about this film: Rani Mukherjee playing a prostitute. Unfortunately because this sort of hype tends to overshadow the other aspects of the film, and from the star cast and director I am hoping for something more than just a vehicle for Mukherjee to display her acting prowess. After Black with Rani and this is again (in the oft repeated words of film critics) an off-beat role for Ms. Mukherjee. From the promo it is easy to glean that the story is about a small town girl from Benaras who is thrust into the big bad world of prostitution. The portions shot in Benares Konkona Sen Sharma look spectacular (this might also be because I am slightly biased towards Benares), I am a little bit worried that the parts with Rani as a prostitute might come off looking cheesy ("Hi, I am Natasha") but I guess only time will tell. I am most looking forward to the Kunal Kapoor and Konkona pairing. This is going to be their season. After Rang De... who doesn't love Kunal? And they were so cute together on Koffee with Karan...in short, I hope they rock!!



3. Om Shanti Om: The expectations from this film are mammoth, Farah Khan's sophomore effort after the blockbuster Main Hoon Na, Shah Rukh Khan riding high on the success of Chak De India the gorgeous Deepika Padukone who in Karan Johar's words is the most beautiful face to hit Indian screens in a while. Forgive me for saying this but with all these expectations something was bound to crumble, and it did. The promo wasn't all that great. I really wanted it to kick ass, and it just didn't. The costumes, however look great (Kudos to Karan Johar), srk was kinda annoying in the promo, but one will have to wait and watch to see how much of the promo will be translated on to the big screen. The expectations are still high and I hope to god this will be a good movie, because frankly I didn't like Main Hoon Na, but I really like Farah Khan, and good movies should happen to good people ;). Om Shanti Om is a sure shot hit, but it would be disappointing if it is successful solely because of its star power. (Deepika Padukone looked like such a star on this Sunday's episode of Koffee with Karan, and they were all having so much fun!!)




AND SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST....

4. Saawariya (squeeee!!!): Possibly the most anticipated movie of this season. Not only because it is Sanjay Leela Bansali's first film after the magnum opus that was Black , but also because he has achieved a casting coup of sorts by pairing Ranbir Kapoor (we all know his lineage) and Sonam Kapoor (Anil Kapoor's daughter). The story of Saawariya has been guarded with the utmost secrecy, but wikipedia is reporting that the movie is an adaptation of Dostoevsky's heartbreaking short story White Nights. If this is indeed true, Saawariya promises to be a wonderful story as well as a visual treat. The promo itself is poetry in motion with the stamp of Bansali throughout. If each frame in Black was a brooding painting in the tones of grey and charcoal, Saawariya's frames are dyed in the hues of greens and blues representing youth and love. Words cannot express the purity and beauty reflected in each frame of the promo. My favourite part: The last frame where SLB - the showman beyond compare of his generation - pays homage to Raj Kapoor - the original showman. Am beyond excited for this movie!!! This much excitement warrants excessive punctuation!!!

In conversation with Khushwant Singh and Ghalib

The grand old man of Indian literature, Khushwant Singh has - along with Kamna Prasad - compiled a masterful collection of Urdu poetry called "Celebrating the Best of Urdu Poetry". This beautiful edition brings together selected works of Sauda, Meer, Bahadur Zafar, Zauq, Ghalib, Faiz and many more.

Urdu kya hai kothe ki tawaif hai
Maza har ek leta hai mohabbat kaun karta hai

These disheartening lines are chosen to inform the reader of the status that Urdu enjoys in society today. An immensely quotable language has become just that - a collection of quotes. Everyone quotes Urdu poetry but few study it. I, unfortunately, fall in the first category.

I come from a family that prides itself on being able to recite reams and reams of Urdu and Hindi poetry from rote. Interest in poetry is practically a requirement. Until very recently I was bucking the family trend quite radically. For me, Khusrau and Ghalib were relegated to the background while the works of Shakespeare and e.e. cummings took centerstage. All that changed when I heard chap tilak sab cheeni.

Disclaimer

Welcome, bienvenue, namaskar etc. etc.

Indian popular culture can be a very mystifying being. Most sociological studies on culture acknowledge the existence of hierarchical tiers within culture, evident amongst them is a high culture and a low culture. Popular culture would, in most cases, be consigned to the lower culture stratum. Forgive me for resorting to cliches, but India is bursting at the seams with the copious amounts of culture, high or otherwise, available for consumption. Although, more often than not, Indian culture has been condensed to certain dominant forces. To the untrained eye (this is not to say that I am in any sort of way trained to spot cultural trends - apart from the basic understanding of culture that is imbibed just by living in India) popular culture of the Indian variety can be boiled down to two things, Hindi cinema and the glorious-ness that is Cricket.

Now, regardless of individual preference, movies are the national pass time and Cricket is the national religion. It is not hard to imagine why they emerge as the representative forms of Indian popular culture. However, in endowing Cricket and Bollywood with the ability to represent what India is about, we end up losing a lot of what India is. Personally, I love Bollywood and I worship Tendulkar (in spite of recent loss of form), but I also have high regard for Hindi and Urdu poetry, for Indian secular ideals, for Indian music, literature, history, dance, theatre, the list is endless. I am not trying to encompass Indian culture in the very limited space of this single blog, neither am I an expert of cultural studies, so some of my observations might seem extremely naive and ignorant. I am just someone who holds India and everything that defines it, very close to my heart. I am just trying to express (as best I can) what it all means to me and give the age old cultural debates a fresh perspective. Cricket, Bollywood, poetry, history all included.