Saturday, March 12, 2022

Cinema and its Magic

Vasu Reddy from Chicago
vasureddy@aol.com

 
While in my college days in India, there was no internet, not much television except single channel that broadcast national news and propaganda of the ruling party.  I don’t really remember being much of a TV watcher in my early and formative years.  Movies and Cricket were the main avocation outside of finishing school as quickly as possible.  I was good at school so whatever I did otherwise didn’t seem to bother my guardians.  If you got good grades in school, whatever you did was just fine, which I think is true to this age and time.  You have got to have a lot of energy to do well in school and hangout at the same time.  I had plenty of it.
 
Since the early days I can remember I loved to watch movies.  Simple and Indian masala and formula movies were always my favorite.  My memories are full with Amitabh Bachchan movies still and all of us wearing huge bell bottom pants and sporting long hair.  In those days following the latest trends in movies was just as normal as going to school.  I didn’t have any exceptions to trending with the movies in my circle of friends and siblings.  We all looked different but just about had the same style.  I have a lot of memories in pictures which I shared, and to date many of my profile pictures are from those days showing the style of the time.
 
My love for time pass movies continues from school to college to more degrees and a life time of travel and work.  Even today I love to watch movies, in any language I can find.  I have never liked horror but thriller movies and even television is a source of relaxation and enjoyment.  I have my own couch and a big screen with Netflix and Amazon Prime and a host of other channels that are at finger tips, and when at home by myself they have my attention.  I really don’t mind watching by myself or with family and friends.  Almost all Indian movies are just watching the couple of hours of long narration, song and dance, taking a single line story and twisting and turning it to a predicable ending is something I have never gotten tired of.  Every once in a while there will be a twist in a new movie that probably will be with a surprise ending.  I don't mind sticking to Indian movies, as I know what will be the end, but I will watch the entire movie.  Sometimes I skip the songs for a break, or if I am watching on my own smart TV skip them.  In theaters I will sit thru the end of the movie and enjoy the grandiose of the celluloid and appreciate the trouble that the makers went to bring it to the market.
 
I know times have changed and life and expectations have changed.  I don’t believe the movie makers and their dreams have changed.  The imagination (we have a lot of judges) is inclusive of the movie world.  We have everything we need to read and see on the internet.  The world travel (ignoring the current pandemic) is at an affordable price.  The technology makes anything possible.  It is inexpensive to create digital medium.  The aspects of movie making that have skyrocketed are the fan base and paycheck of the lead actors.  The audience acceptance of any movie while is as unpredictable as it has been from the beginning of time, it remains unpredictable.
 
Before I forget, I have to reiterate that I love cinema and television.  My viewing habits have not evolved or changed.  I enjoy watching the continued manipulation of a simple good versus evil story told with small variation, which is told thousands of times.
 
Before I vent my feeling on 100’s of reviewers including yours truly (I do write movie review on occasion) and the advent of internet as a primary medium for communications, the irony of reading them is upon a regular movie buff.  I might not be able to watch something day one or week one but as with many movie buffs, I want to watch and enjoy the experience without bias.  I don’t mind the reviews but they have become biased and sometimes terrible, and I even get the feeling if the person who wrote ever watched the movie.  In any case the Telugu movie reviews have become terrible in representing the movie and its experience.  For those who lived in the Chicago area for a while would remember Roger and Ebert, and their reviews of the new movies.  In fact all the news papers had their expert reviewer’s ad they were quite true to the pulse of the general public.  We don’t have that kind of sincerity in Telugu movie review critics.  This is in special reference to publishing a review day one or before the public gets a chance to see the movie.  I am not criticizing every review and every internet publication, but almost all the big movies seem to have their favorite critics, both writing very good and very bad analogy; both feeding to an individual actor by elevating or bashing.  It’s a terrible exposure as public has these reviews available for free and the reviews instill the bias of the person who pens them: often for individual preference or bias.  We can’t stop them from popping up as Internet is everywhere and we are on it 24/7/365 days.

I don’t have a solution, except making every effort to avoid reading them and talking to anyone about a movie.  This is also terrible as sharing the anticipation of a new movie was always a part of the movie going experience.  The difference in the days without internet was anticipation and excitement at least until you watched the movie.  Nowadays it is the internet buzzing out the experience with someone writing what I really want to experience for myself.  It’s a bummer.

My latest and very short review is here.  I saw Radhe Shyam, released on 3/11/2022 which is the new Prabhas movie on the day of its release.  I avoided the internet review or speaking to anyone.  I saw the movie alone.  To me it was no Amitabh Bachchan movie, but it was a Prabhas movie and it was worth my money.  To validate my words, see it without prejudiced reviews and you will certainly agree with me.

Enjoy the movies and the experience of escaping into celluloid of a couple of hours.  It costs little and will continue to show you life in color.  At last any review of the movie by critics is that they have found your viewership to be worth something, so they will keep trying to influence your movie viewing habits.  Even if you choose to view a review, just remember the movie is what we want to watch, and escape from reality life.

I will continue to enjoy the movies, all of them that I am able to watch.  I will create my own review after I actually watch the movie, or the show.  For now let me find the next movie to watch.

Friday, December 24, 2021

The Theory of Nothing

Vasu Reddy from Chicago
vasureddy@aol.com

There are theories for everything.  I have been trying to find some solace in working every holiday, hoping that me showing up to work will help someone else who will celebrate the holiday, while I cover the time that I could have been doing nothing.  Perhaps for last 5 years I have put someone else ahead of my own theory of doing nothing, while letting other's let me work the holidays.  2021 has not been any different.

There is no absolute value to sacrifice and courtesy when it is not your turn.  No one seems to care and no one really gives two hoots about your time and effort.  The time value is personal and when you offer your time it is assumed that you are in the mode of self sacrifice, and it has no real value. "The theory of nothing."

2021 is almost done, actually in the last week.  Has been another year of Corona Virus variations, and it seem to never end.  I continue to work as much as I can, just as I did in 2020.  What a funny name for a crappy year "2020".  I was too glad that the year is almost in hind site, just as should be the reference to 2020.  The funny part is 2021 is exactly with same life lessons as it was 2020, and I am happy these 2 years are behind us.

I hope tp feel 2022 is a step to normalcy.  Whatever that means by normalcy.  My optimism has limits and although there no cynic that has surfaced within me in the last 24 months, my age probably has made me a bit open to the Theory of Nothing.  It really has.  I see even people less than half my age don't empathize with selflessness.  They are probably thinking it's their privilege.  Actually I have not seen empathy as an emotion lately.  Just nothing.  Only self preservation at any cost.

Let me get to my own "Theory of Nothing" now.  It serves no purpose.  As a ZERO by itself is really nothing, but a zero with something with in front of it will make it of value and the numbers will add up.  I have to start 2022 soon, and I have start believing in the theory of something (no more nothing).  I have to start behaving like the rest of my fellow Americans and start being selfish about my own time.  I am after all speeding forward, and my time is as good as anyone else's.

Sunday, July 04, 2021

Independence Day 2021

vasureddy@aol.com

Vasu Reddy from Chicago

I am along with just about everyone else in America look forward to Independence Day every year. In 2020 Corona Virus dominated the airwaves and the world, and everything about independence was muted, or shut down. There was only essential workers that were slogging and everyone else sidelined, laid-off, furloughed and on government support. 

The rich really did not suffer as they were well placed to get richer, but common man was restricted and waiting for a shot in the arm. I really mean that literally. Having the resources was very important to survive the pandemic.

Even simple things such as Internet and a computer to be a part of online classes made a huge difference for children to simply attend school. Parents had no choice but to make a working computer and Internet be available to children to go to school. Food and medicine were also at a premium. Everything that people took for granted was simply out of bounds, and life had a clearly new set of guidelines.

After more than a year into it there was relief coming from the vaccinations, and government also intervened with providing assistance with unemployment and cash assistance. Weather the relief provided was enough or not, or it reached people who most needed it, weather politicians were thinking of people, so many questions but the government despite its political differences made many help line to assist people with the pandemic.

I am not sure if everyone agrees with how much is enough, but definitely 2 different people running the country in the time of the pandemic, both made efforts to send money and support to all people of the nation. My personal preferences on which party I support doesn’t make any impact on what is needed by the common man in the time of extreme need. I also am fully cognizant of the all people in bucket for help might not be the best case support structure.

We are seeing that some of the employment being ignored as people got so used to free money and benefits and coming back to work might be a bit difficult as the freebies might outweigh the paycheck. But as with anything good or bad, there is an end to it. People should be getting back to work, and tap of freebies is being shut down or going to run out of funds and essentially the personal need will bring most people back to work, and payroll.

Personally I worked more through the pandemic and did not want to stay home. I felt being essential was important despite my health concerns. I felt needed and I also felt good that I survived the pandemic and I also continued to show-up for work every day. I would have it no other way. As soon as the vaccine was available I got both my doses, as well as everyone in my family including the children did get the vaccine. It was more to protect ourselves and also everyone around us.

No one in my family complained about the lack of freedom, lack of interaction or lack of anything. We just followed the rules set by the government and work place. It was not difficult as we were doing exactly what the nation was suggesting we do. Nothing political about our behavior, it was logical be to be safe and keep people safe around us. In fact it made little difference to make the work and life adjustments as a family, and I am happy we survived it.

We truly hope the rest of the nation will quickly get vaccinated and get proper protection against the virus, and we all go back to what we were used to as normal. It’s fun to go to the beach without a mask. It’s fun to walk the mall without a mask. It’s fun to go to work without a mask. It’s fun to do everything without covering half of your face, but it’s necessary to survive so you can look forward to the land of the free again.

2021 Independence Day a bit less stressful as we can look at what we did in 2020. I am referring to just hind sight, but the reality of a global scare. There was no nuclear war, there was no economic war, and there was an enemy that we had no weapon to attack that was blasted across the globe. We found a way to tackle the virus quickly and as the vaccine becomes available we will get back to a more normal world as we know. It is perhaps best to think that we will live with the virus and we will also record that we survived another crisis.

Over the ages nothing in the human survival strategy has changed. It is age old to face a crisis and find a way to survive and thrive. We always look forward a better future, irrespective of circumstances. I too feel that kids and adults will look at their after pandemic life as a blessing. It will once again be a place of freedom, literally a face without a mask, and a handshake with a warm hand. I personally was happy to be working and while it was stressful to worry about contracting the virus, I was equally satisfying to be a part of support solution. While 2021 Independence Day has some relief compared to 2020, here is hoping 2022 will be back to the celebration of individual freedom and forward looking.

Monday, February 24, 2020

Inclusive India

Accepting a group of people being persecuted anywhere in the world into any society is correct.  It's human.  Hindustan was once a vast nation that has been invaded and ruled by a variety of outsiders and other nations until its division and independence in 1947.  The present day India and its history is as old as the human civilization and is well documented.  As much as it has a history of culture, education, tolerance and unity it also has a vast amount of destruction and intolerance by the invaders and also a huge amount interference in its current society.  The India I know is and will always be one of religious and cultural inclusion and human harmony.  Big town, small town and little town or whatever place in India; are reflections of these communal harmony and people living together.  Its true they have distinct religious identities, but I don't see it as a communal divide rather a beautiful and great Indian fabric.  The politically charged religious disharmony is far from the common man's routine life in India.  It is not to say that there is no disagreement between people.  It is natural as in any family there will be disagreements and discord.  India is such a huge family and it is natural to have discord.

The current political environment that is charged with for and against accepting persecuted people from nations surrounding India has been intensifying.  The premise of the 2019 citizenship act "Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019" is to allow non-muslim minorities from nations where they are being persecuted into India as it citizens.  One doesn't have to be a scholar to appreciate the basis for the law.  We all might not agree with signalling only non-muslims to be welcome into India, as its new citizens but we have to appreciate the fact that we should welcome anyone who is being persecuted with open arms.  The objection by Indian political parties and some Indians is based on the basis of prejudice against Muslims.

If in fact the religious groups that are being accepted as new Indian citizens from Muslim nations, what would be the objection by anyone in India?

For me a common man with no political interest and who lives in a nation of immigrants, the questions to those who oppose Indian government on this particular law are simple.

1. What will be the objection to accepting people of non-muslim faith into India if they are being persecuted.  All are welcome to search the internet for information on all these countries listed in this law.
2. If there is a case of any other community to be welcome into India then why not the opposition parties propose such legislation.  There is nothing stopping from new laws being proposed for any community to be invited into India on the basis of persecution.
3. Does anyone believe that people will leave their homeland just because India is passing a law that allows a certain religious group/s as citizens?  If they are happy with the nation where they live and they have equal rights why would anyone leave?  They might leave looking for work or a better life, but why would they seek another nations citizenship?
4. Whoever is opposing the new law within India should be welcoming those who are being persecuted, rather find ways to open their minds and places for helping.
5. Overall if any other community needs to be included in the same law, show the need and bring the public to embrace it.

People of a still developing nation welcoming people who are being persecuted because of their religious beliefs should be more welcoming rather than protesting.  It will be a Hindustan of the ages where people always welcomed the needy.  Politics are for inclusion but not for persecution.  Help these people who want to escape persecution and find a place of inclusion.

Jai Hind.  

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Pulse of the People

Vasu Reddy From Chicago

In the last couple of weeks I did predict that Modi will come back to be the prime minister for the next 5 years.  In reality the man doesn't need any money and he doesn't have hangers on to protect, and no one from his family chasing scams.  If he does nothing else no scams would always keep him as the prime candidate for continuing as the prime minister. We don't have to rehash that he has no personal baggage to worry about, and that continues to be his political power.  I am sure the man will continue to work long hours for the agenda of  greater India.

I read a lot of columns in the American media about his choices of politics and BJP as a nationalist party, and how minorities might (MIGHT) be undermined in India, and how his rock star image as India's leader impacts the elections, and a whole lot of gibberish about the fifty shades of gray attributed to the man, all in the same space of a few words about the massive mandate for a politician with almost 700 million people exercising their right to vote with little difficulty all across India.  Just the scale of the election is daunting and complex. and the country wide mandate for one man's vision for the second time, is not really appreciated.  It is really not material as no Indian living in India really cares about what anyone else is writing about their leader.  But for Indians living outside of the nation, reading the commentary is sad.  It depicts the senseless perspective of scribes who really don't appreciate a secular nation with such vast geographical and ideological diversity, in which people easily live together and while appreciating the differences in life while bound by one massive Hindustan.

Democracies are delicate but strong, and they survive the differences of opinion, with simply following the majority. Although modern India has been independent only since 1947, its people are bold and dynamic while exercising of their right to choose a leader with every election.  There is little room for making large scale promises and participating in scams and survive the next election.  India has time and again shown its true ideology of freedom in its elections, and 2019 is no different.

It is also wonderful to see the normalcy of the nation return immediately after the election, and absolutely free and clear of partisanship that was displayed by political parties thru the electoral process. Transfer of power or a party coming back to power, happens without friction, and politicians who lost now look forward to 5 years later and the ones who won have to perform for the next five years.  That's all there is to either retaining power or getting elected.

Modi should focus on his second election manifest.  His ides for fair taxation, low inflation, more employment, better infrastructure and curbing black money all of these along with a clean and green India all have a very high value to India.  All the gentleman needs to do is reinforce with his cabinet to work on them every day.  My favorites are clean India and clean Ganga.  No better way to look at the country other than a clean and beautiful nation.  And Modi can keep working towards a clean India.  He has nothing to loose even f his pushes his popular agenda, as his party or any party's politicians wont elect him, the people of the nation will reelect him again; all he has to do is drive his policies of development and cleanliness.  And I believe he will continue to push his agenda.   

In covering my state of Andhra Pradesh, Jagan getting elected with such massive majority is not a surprise.  An infant State with a old and seasoned politician could not give his people the comfort of experience they needed for a brand new state.  Now we have a very young man with an unprecedented mandate, and legacy of his father (who accidentally passed away almost ten years ago) who is still fresh in people's hearts.  Before and after his election, he has only raised his voice in support of people and maintained independence from any national alliance, while only committing to supporting any party that aligns for a special status for his state.  Even after his election he has kept his polite mannerisms and has assured that he will deliver the best state government in the nation.  I hope he will simply try to work on his political manifesto, and keep smiling like his late father did.  Make our state shine and make our state smile.  Our people want a big brother, and not just election handouts.  I hope just as I wish Modi will stick to his agenda, Jagan too will continue to be focused on people's agenda as he did for the last 10 years, and hoping that both of them will make all of us NRI feel proud.

Jai Hind.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

What next for India?

vasureddy@aol.com
Vasu Reddy from Chicago

In about a week’s time India would have voted for the new 5 year government.  This election has been similar in tone to the last one, except this time the BJP is the incumbent, and Congress still seems to struggle with its overall identity.  A lot of regional political parties (and their leaders) making a lot more noise.  You hear of the federalist system, and more power to the states, and a leader that the opposition wants who is not from congress, all this while congress itself trying to be relevant and project Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate.

Modi working to come back into the PM chair for the second term, and he has been the choice of BJP as its leader.  He continues to pack powerful speeches and rallies, and outwardly seem to be confident of retaining the majority for the next 5 years.

It will be foolish to predict what the outcome is.  The case and point of the US elections in 2016 is a great lesson to pollsters and predictors to keep their opinion/s to themselves.  Nevertheless the supporting media for each party will predict landslide for their candidate/s.  All politicians contesting and their supporters will obviously predict their candidate to come out victorious.

I have been partial to Modi (I don’t have a vote in India as an NRI) but the last time and for the last 5 years, I have been looking at what he said verses what he did.  Without justification to what the last 5 years of BJP government’s delivery to their poll promises, one thing that I have always believed is that the head of the government stay scam free.  I believe with what I read and watch, Modi has remained a man with little interest in stealing public money.  I truly believe he has no reason to (as he did not have any 5 years ago) loot public coffers.  I continue t believe that Modi is a career politician who doesn’t have the need for looting public coffers as he has always kept family and friends away from his politics and his life.

You get to see someone for 5 years as a nation’s leader; you will have little reason to guess.  We have 100% access to the leader’s life, and his actions.  Modi started very aggressively as a leader representing India to the world, and despite the criticism of his style, he represented India quite aggressively and positively to the world.  Modi was equally at ease with USA or China, Japan or Germany, Pakistan or Bangladesh, and any other nation he visited ofr dealt with.  Modi’s early reaching out to the global leaders continue to pay dividends for India, and have helped with the Industry and trade dealing for India, quite positively to the terms before his first term.  He is a determined politician with also a single-minded focus on the nation.  I truly believe Modi doesn’t have any personal interest in dollars and cents.  The man is a representation of his party, the BJP and as all of its leaders has no personal profit motive.

While I preach of no predictions, I think Modi will be PM for another term.  This prediction is solely based on looking at the opposition.  INS and Rahul Gandhi have no chance of winning the elections by themselves, or with the many associations they have been trying to cultivate.  The Indian political history after 1970’s and beyond is with regional and opposition parties began to challenge congress.  So their leadership still in stage I, with many old men trying to hang on to power, and desperately trying to be relevant.

The old INC is no longer able to display a national agenda, doesn't have the footprint it did after India’s independence.  It is not a competitor in politics or policy, and it might need several more 5 year terms, for it to become relevant (might never be what it was with Panditji or India Gandhi).  For a non voter looking at Rahul, he seems to only cherish with his cartoonish jibes at Modi.  The younger Gandhi has no political or philosophical experience to represent 1.3 billion people.  He might never be able to fully appreciate and represent India as his family once did.  I really don’t think INC has a chance of coming back into power in 2019.  This column or any number of columns might not be sufficient to revisit the scams in congress, and people in their memory are still fresh in their recollection of the scale of misuse of public resources.

The regional parties even if all of them plan to combine as opposition to BJP lead government (including congress) it’s an unlikely alliance that can be successful.  Simply agreeing to a PM candidate will dislodge much of the alliance.  BJP has Modi as their leader, and with coming to power there is a clear leader to represent the party.  The power of incumbency is always of high political value because of the power and infrastructure that it automatically provides.  In 2019 it’s unlikely a unified opposition with a single leader can emerge to challenge the BJP and Modi.

The public opinion on Modi and his government is difficult to read, as we did with INC.  There is no clear cut and nationwide anti-incumbency to Modi and BJP.  Personally a little bit of less showmanship and a little more of education to people would have helped.  In an opinion piece I can certainly write of the time Indian politicians spend in running each other can be spent more on people’s work to further the public’s agenda.  I really don’t hear anything about positive news, only the bitter bickering of old men about each other, in very personal terms.

In a week from now, it is highly likely we will see BJP (and allies) come back in power.  I sincerely hope Modi will work on his poll promises (this time) and also more focus on internal issues to India.
I am not going to forget the special category status to my state of Andhra Pradesh, and with a full hearted appeal for the people’s mandate.

Jai Hind.

Cinema and its Magic

Vasu Reddy from Chicago vasureddy@aol.com   While in my college days in India, there was no internet, not much television except single chan...