A Case of Restroom Injustice!

One thing common to traveling by long distance trains, watching hutments near the railway line, and more recently, crossing slums (also portrayed in the award-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire), is the stench, cramped spaces, lack of hygiene and most importantly, lack of basic sanitation facilities, especially when it comes to women. Recently, as I took to road-trips more seriously, I stood witness to a startling problem, one which I was subject to as well – the case of ‘Restroom Injustice to Womenfolk’!

Keeping the adventure, fun and frolic aside, one thing has always made me cringe and continues to haunt me – ‘The pain of finding a decent, hygienic restroom and not falling sick with an infection on using a dirty one! Without sounding like a feminist, I can safely say that men, no matter what, never face an issue while on a road travel and can relieve themselves almost anywhere, and by that I mean ANYWHERE! 

As funny as it may sound, I have several antics up my sleeve that I have had to put to use to find a decent restroom; some samples being:

• Locating a good petrol pump on a highway in spite of a full tank to run to the restroom (usually a decent petrol pump will have a clean, separate restroom for women)
• Realising the importance of a McDonalds or a Coffee Day on the highway – not to quench my thirst or fill my tummy with good food, but use the restroom in the hope of it being hygienic, clean and woman-friendly!
• Tricking the husband (read: forcing him with puppy-face expressions) into stopping at a fancy-looking restaurant/ hotel and make him drink the world’s most tasteless tea at Rs 30, just so that the wife can use that decent restroom there! 

Wondering if I was being a drama queen or was there really such a dearth of sanitation facilities for women, I went looking up on the problem and I was taken aback with startling revelations. It is not simply the lack of separate, clean toilets for women on the highways, but a shameful lack of proper sanitation facilities across most cities, big and small. 

Here’s how:

• According to a NYT article printed recently, a census data found that more than half of Indian households lacked a toilet, a rate that has actually worsened in the past decade despite India’s growing wealth, as slums and other substandard housing have proliferated in growing cities (Read complete article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/world/asia/in-mumbai-a-campaign-against-restroom-injustice.html?pagewanted=all)  
• A 2009 report by the Centre for Civil Society found that Delhi only has 132 public toilets for women (men had 1,534). In Mumbai, there are 10,300 pay-as-use toilets for a population of around 12.5 million (2011 provisional census data)—around one toilet per 10,769 people.
• For roughly half of India’s 1.2 billion people, toilets are still something of a luxury. Recent census findings show that 46.9% of households in India have a personal latrine, while 53.2% own cell phones.
• While this is bad news for everyone, it is worse for women, and particularly for urban women, for whom, lack of a private toilet can mean the difference between safety and sexual assault. A 2010 report on Delhi slums by Sanitation and Hygiene Applied Research for Equity found that of the 42 women in three slums surveyed, 66% suffered verbal abuse, 46% were stalked and 30% have been physically assaulted while going to the public toilet.

At a time when we presume India is shining, FDI is making its inroads, we’re winning Olympic medals, the most powerful country is standing up and taking notice of India, we somehow choose to shun some of the most basic problems, which, if ignored, can snowball into disaster… Well then, is there something called hope and resolve to this?!?!

Thankfully there has been some action, and one can see some light at the end of this dark, dingy, dirty tunnel… A few years ago, the Haryana Government started its ‘No Toilet, No Bride’ campaign, painting walls across the state with the slogan: “I won’t allow my daughter to marry into a home without toilets. Not very long ago, superstar Shah Rukh Khan stated that he wanted to build public utilities for women through his own investment, in small towns and villages…

In another instance, a tribal bride from Madhya Pradesh's Betul district had risked her marriage and left her household in the absence of an indoor lavatory. She was even invited by then President Pratibha Patil and Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, who honoured her for her boldness towards a social cause.

Another girl from Kanchanpur Kuiya village threatened to leave her in-laws' home after three days of staying there while strongly objecting to the absence of a proper toilet in the house.

Looking at all these instances, I am pleasantly surprised and proud that more rural women are stepping out to fight for a ‘clean’ change within the society! But don’t you think it is about time the educated, urban, fairer sex swung into action??? 

This picture is Dirty…..!!!!

2011 saw a bold, dirty picture winning a string of accolades, critical acclaim, box office success, while minting loads of monies!  Vidya Balan starrer The Dirty Picture was to make its Television Debut on Sunday on Sony TV, a leading entertainment channel. Well, last heard… the screening was stalled last minute by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India. The directive from the Government is that the film has adult content and can be telecast only on the late night or the non-prime time spot (post 11pm).  Also reported was the fact that the makers of the film spent over 2 months re-editing the movie with more than 50 cuts for the television version. All this to get the screening stalled at the last minute!

I saw the film on the big screen in the first week of its release and I can safely claim that content-wise it is average. I say average because the filmmakers missed capturing the life of the average, southern siren Silk Smitha and rather focused largely on the oomph and glamour surrounding the roles she was famous for. Whether it is a true account of her life continues to be a subject of several debates! What stood out, however, was the rather bold move by actor Vidya Balan to have chosen the role and played it with aplomb, thereby making the movie memorable and hatke for certain!  

All good so far… My curiosity really begins at the hypocrisy over stalling the screening last-minute after all the hype and hoopla surrounding it. Here’s why:

• Few months ago, this very ministry (I&B Ministry), which decides on the National Film Awards, presented the Rajat Kamal for Best Actress to the protagonist of The Dirty Picture, Vidya Balan. If the film was not suitable for viewing in public, at home, then why bestow its lead actor with a “NATIONAL” award? The film could have easily been cornered and ignored!
• If this movie was cleared by the CBFC or the Censor Board (which, surprisingly, is also a part of I&B Ministry) for public viewing in theatres, why this ban for television viewing? This means either the Censor Board is a pseudo body or people who would go to a theatre to watch films do not account for ‘the TV viewing public’ in the country!
• Having watched the film, I am convinced that there is nothing in the film which is not seen by the Indian audiences on a daily basis, prime time or no prime time!

If this is a case of the mighty moral policing, then this common man, yours truly, has a few very simple questions…

• Why any form of censorship is completely ignored when it comes to the frivolous content of leading prime time television shows, both fiction and non-fiction, which are “meant” for family viewing?!
• Most importantly, why bestow a National Award for movies like The Dirty Picture in the first place? By way of giving a national award for best actress, the Government certifies that a performance par excellence merits viewing and telecasting. So why these double standards suddenly?

With several infamous instances of crime, scandals, hypocrisy, not to forget the notorious porngate scandals, no moral police, I believe, has the right to question what the public likes to and wants to watch in the confines of their homes.

On a closing note, television viewing is purely a question of personal choice and self-restraint. With the television and satellite TV, was invented something called the 'Remote Control' that can be used to switch channels or switch the TV off! 

In this case, let’s just hope that the public gets a chance to at least understand why this ban and the logic behind this dirty picture of hypocrisy. 

AN UNFORGETTABLE KAHAANI!

If the success of a movie depends on a well-executed Kahaani, then this Kahaani is a new high, and several notches higher. It will surely take you on a never-before rollercoaster and keep you at the edge of your seat!

Sujoy Ghosh’s latest suspense-thriller Kahaani starring the talented Vidya Balan, is a clear winner with movie-goers and critics alike for a fresh, racy, edgy, gripping and intriguing tale, till the last frame.

Set against the backdrop of the dingy by lanes of Kolkata, Vidya Bagchi (Balan) lands from London, in search of her missing husband. From there begins a journey, a story within a story that unfolds with immaculate intensity and impressive twists! The milieu is perfect – a cluttered, begrimed Kolkata on one side, representing the tangled temper of the female protagonist in her quest to unfold the mystery behind her husband’s disappearance, and yet the vibrant colours of Durga Puja calling for power and strength of a woman who can go all out in search of the truth and end the vice.

Such is a contrast drawn in Kahaani as it touches multiple dimensions with clear, systematic logic, articulate direction, crisp editing and a telling climax. Vidya Balan is a delight to watch on screen as she carries off the role of a much pregnant woman with effortless perfection. Your heart goes out to her when she breaks down in one scene and with the very next scene she gives you strength with her grit and gumption.

But Kahaani is not about Vidya alone. Several handpicked, well-etched characters, most of them from Bengali cinema, are convincing, look very real and give dimension to the narrative. The fact that the movie rises beyond the ordinary is because each of the characters, however big or small the role, is comfortable in their skin and readily blend in the movie.

Contrasting characters of the friendly cop played by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, the stern officer played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui or the freaky insurance agent in Saswata Chatterjee definitely stand out. Sujoy Ghosh and Advaita Kala’s story is the real hero, the direction, editing and narration make it slick, Setu’s cinematography in portraying the extremes – the depressing, mysterious and the vibrant and full of hope Kolkata – is impeccable! The streets of Kolkata are simply like the second lead, or should I say, the main lead alongside Ms. Balan!

Amidst several forgettable twists and tales in the past, this Kahaani will continue to fascinate the viewer till someone else dares to make something better! Ami Shotti Bolchi…

The King is Back with a racier chase....Don 2 entertains!

A movie-viewing experience for me has most certainly got to do with being entertained than sitting and dissect each frame! This is the very reason for me to keep reiterating that I am no "critic" but an audience who wants to have a fun time at the movies.

I recently caught the movie of one of the craziest superstars of the generation - the baadshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan! You love him, you hate him, but Don ko ignore karna mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai! It is impossible to ignore the fact that even though he is slightly pompous and egoistic, he is one of the most successful, intelligent and self-made superstars! The most loved villain, Don, is back in a leaner and meaner avtaar, promising lots of style, action and entertainment!

The story of Don 2 takes off from where Don ended and travels across Malaysia, Switzerland and Germany and builds with a newer characters waiting to be bashed by the brash Don. With his uber luxe style, slick action sequences and cheeky dialogue delivery, SRK (except for his cocky walk) practically carries the movie on his shoulders, as most characters including Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani or Kunal Kapoor just about make their presence felt. But when it is a Shah Rukh Khan movie, it ought to be all about him, right?! What is however very contradictory is the fact that Don in the first part says, "Yeh romatic baatein mujhe badi boring lagti hain" and goes on to romance the tough Roma (Priyanka Chopra) in the sequel!

While Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy barely strike the musical chord, the Maya-song in Usha Uthup's signature style definitely lingers in the mind! As Farhan Akhtar shines with his stylish Ocean's Eleven meets James Bond-style slick direction and some memorable Don-isms, Jason West takes the audience on a picturesque journey with his cinematography while Anand Subaya's editing is crisp. All in all, 2011 culminates with a racier, wittier and naughtier entertainer. Hail the arrogant, suave, cool anti-hero! Don 2 is a complete paisa-vasool film!

A lot of critics have simply not ceased their "bash-SRK-at-every-occasion" remarks. I am only amused by this attitude for some reason. An unapologetic Shah Rukh Khan has always done what he felt is right and never failed to entertain albeit huge risks with projects like Asoka, Paheli, Billu or the latest mammoth venture RaOne. At least he isn't riding on the effortless success-formula of remaking massive south Indian hits in Hindi! Let us give the man some credit for daring to change the norms of film-making by bringing in VFX, creating state-of-the-art studios and churning one entertainer after another for those who spend a few hundreds to walk into a multiplex with a hope of being thoroughly entertained! 

As for the critics-if you want to scrutinize every shot and frame of every possible movie, a host of Film Festivals are round the corner....satiate the urge to closely study the movie-making process and let the common viewer enjoy all the naach-gaana and action on screen!

As I walk out of the multiplex, I am all charged up and inspired (by the man himself) to bare my heart out and let my thoughts flow on one of the most entertaining slick-flicks and one of the wackiest, wittiest, eccentric yet charming entertainers! 

I end my 2011 movie-watching experience on a high...total bollywood ishtyle! And after the mean machine, I wouldn't mind a fresh dose of the eternal romantic Raj in 2012!

Reviving Block printing....

Book Shelf - a young girl's enthusiasm to popularize the habit of reading!

Unsophisticated, real, rustic... Deool, the Peepli of the Marathi manoos!

There are movies that can make you laugh, cry or simply entertain, and then there are those that can touch your heart even before you know it! I was struck by one such experience from the word go, and this time, by a Marathi movie, thereby urging me to pen my thoughts. I have to admit that Marathi cinema has, in recent times, matured leaps and bound with masterpieces like Harishchandrachi Factory, Valu, Bal Gandharva, to name a few, that have appealed to both critics and masses alike.

Before I go any further, I have to confess... I am no professional film critic, I simply believe in experiencing the movie and being entertained with what I see on the screen. Which means, you are not going to read the story, plot or such details. You will read, from an eyes of an "audience", the experience, the learning, the thoughts that raced my mind as I sat there for a couple of hours. It is only apt that one spends that time watching a movie and living the story than listening to it from a third person! The movie in question is Deool (Temple).

As the lights went dim, the screen lit up with an enchanting piece of sand art....two hands running through sand to create innate and picturesque designs as the film credits rolled. I was certain that the next two and a half hours would most definitely be promising and intriguing. And boy, I wasn't disappointed one bit!

The movie talks about a superficial transformation and "development" of a remote village in Maharashtra called Mangrul, portraying the shallow ideologies of the characters, which in more than many ways represent "each one of us" - our fears and one-dimensional perceptions, and the dwindling rural fabric and roots.

With stalwarts like Nana Patekar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Sonali Kulkarni along with a stellar performance of writer-actor Girish Kulkarni, the film argues on the real definition of development, while skilfully representing both positives and negatives with balance. A fitting location, life-like situations, perfectly etched out characters, raw humour and satire, take the movie and the viewer to an altogether different level! It can easily get our mind to think and our heart to cringe.

With a backdrop of faith versus blind-faith and commercialisation of religion in the guise of progress and development, care has been taken that the it does not sound preachy and the viewer is thoroughly entertained!

In many ways, Deool is a representation of 'Peepli'-like circumstances and the audience is left with the task of picking between the right and the wrong. All in all, entertaining, eye-opening and overwhelming in many ways!