सांस्कृतिक भाडोत्रीपणा बंद करा !

महाराष्ट्र शासनाच्या ‘फर्मानशाही’ फडणवीस परंपरेची पुढील आवृत्ती म्हणजे सांस्कृतिक मंत्री रा. रा. विनोदजी तावडे यांचा नवीन आदेश. सर्व मल्टिप्लेक्सेसना ६/९ वाजता म्हणजे ‘प्राईम टाईम’चा वेळ मराठी चित्रपटांसाठी राखून ठेवावा लागणार आहे. सरकारच्या एका जुन्या आदेशाप्रमाणे सर्व वेळांमध्ये मराठी चित्रपट दाखवणे बंधनकारक असले तरी ६ वाजता, ९ वाजता गर्दी नसते ही सबब पुढे करून अनेक मल्टिप्लेक्स सिनेमा दाखवत नाहीत. त्यावर शासनाने या निर्णयाची कठोर अंमलबजावणी करायचे ठरवले आहे. 

            महाराष्ट्रात सांस्कृतिक उत्थानाची जबाबदारी ही इतर कोणाची नसल्याने मायबाप सरकारने ती स्वत:कडे घेतलेली आहे. त्यामुळे साहित्य संमेलने, नाटके, सिनेमे यांना जनतेच्या कष्टाच्या रकमेतून अनुदाने दिली जातात. या अनुदानांमधून निर्माण होणारे सिनेमे तद्दन भिकार दर्जाचे असतात, हे सर्वश्रुत आहे, शासनाच्या कृपेने हे थिल्लर सिनेमे मराठी रसिकांना बळजबरीने बघावे लागणार आहेत. मुळात भाषा/संस्कृती टिकवण्यासाठी कायदे व नियम करुन काहिही होत नाही हा गेल्या ६५ वर्षांचा इतिहास आहे. पण इतिहासातील चुकांपासुन शिकण्याएवढे शहाणे सरकार आपल्या नशिबात नाही. आणि स्वत:च्या हिमतीवर उत्तम सिनेमा बनवून तो प्रेक्षकांपर्यंत नेण्याची कुवत निर्माते-दिग्दर्शकांमध्ये नाही. म्हणून त्यांनाही सरकारी कुबड्यांची गरज पडते. 

सिनेमा ही कलाकृती आहे. त्याला एक कलामूल्य असते आणि एक व्यवसायमूल्य. दोन्हीही गोष्टी चित्रपट व्यवसायासाठी महत्त्वाच्या असतात. अप्रतिम कलाकृती असणारा बाबूजींचा (सुधीर फडके) ‘वीर सावरकर’ फारसे उत्पन्न मिळवू शकला नाही. पण कालपर्यंत पोनोग्राफीची स्टार सनी लिओनचे सिनेमे तुफान कमाई करतात. कला व व्यवसाय दोन्ही जपणारे अनेक सिनेमे या देशात तयार होत असतात. अगदी मराठीतील उत्कृष्ट उदाहरण म्हणजे बालगंधर्व किंवा देऊळ. अशा सिनेमांना मराठी रसिक गर्दी करतो देखील.

 मात्र ‘पहिली शेर, दुसरी सव्वाशेर, नवरा पावशेर’ किंवा ‘सालीने केला घोटाळा’ असल्या भिकार सिनेमांना प्रेक्षक बघायला येतील ही अपेक्षा का ठेवावी? आणि कुणासाठी? चित्रपट बनवणे, हा व्यवसाय आहे. तो व्यवसायासारखा चालावा. अकिरा कुरु सोवा, स्टिवन स्लिपबर्ग, शेखर कपूर यांनी कधी मंत्रालयाचे खेटे घातल्याचे ऐकिवात नाही. त्यांनी त्यांच्या पद्धतीने सिनेमे बनवले आणि व्यवसाय केला. ज्याला तो जमत असेल त्याने करावा, नसेल तर करू नये. सरकारने नियम करण्याची काहीही गरज नाही. सिनेमा चालला नाही म्हणून कधी कोण्या अभिनेता, अभिनेत्रीने आत्महत्या केलेली नाही. सरकारला एवढीच हौस असेल तर शेतकऱ्यांकडे (गाईंनंतर आता शेळ्या, मेंढ्यांकडे) लक्ष द्यावे. 

            मराठी भाषेचे संवर्धन सिनेमांमधून होऊ  शकते का? या प्रश्नाचं उत्तर निश्चितपणे हो असे आहे. पण त्यासाठी ती कलाकृती जागतिक, किमान राष्ट्रीय दर्जाची हवी. मराठी सिनेमा जागतिक दर्जाचा ठरतो तो ‘श्वास’, सिंहासन यांच्यामुळे’, ‘दे धक्का’, ‘उलाढाल’ यांच्यामुळे नाही. मराठी चित्रपटसृष्टी जागतिक दर्जाची आहे ती निळू फुले, जब्बार पटेल, अरुण सरनाईक आणि विजय तेंडुलकरांमुळे. आजच्या पिढीतील दात वेंगाडत, फालतू पटकथेवर अर्धवट नाचणाऱ्या नटांमुळे ना मराठी चित्रपटांचा विकास होतो ना मराठी भाषेचा. 

अलिकडच्या काळातील सिद्धार्थ जाधव, पंढरीनाथ कांबळे, संजय नार्वेकर, सई ताम्हणकर आदी मंडळींनी काढलेले सिनेमे प्रेक्षक सोडा, त्यांनी स्वत:देखील कसे पाहिले असतील, देव जाणे. शून्य विनोदमूल्य असणाऱ्या प्रसंगांना भडक स्वरूप देऊन स्वत:च हसणाऱ्या या नटांसाठी शासनाने एका अक्षराचीही मदत करण्याची गरज नाही. माजी मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण यांनीही या निर्णयावर टीका केली आहे. त्यांच्या काळातच हा नियम झाला असला तरी विरोधासाठी विरोध हे तत्त्व त्यांनी इमानेइतबारे पाळले आहे. मराठी निर्माते दिग्दर्शकांनी निर्णयाचे (अर्थातच!) स्वागत केले आहे. एकूणच काय, सांस्कृतिक भाडोत्रीपणाचे हे पुढचे पाऊल आहे!

The Fall and Fall and Fall of AAP

"Democracy", said Plato, "is the rule of ignorant fools." He could not have predicted better. The rise and fall and rise of Aam Adami Party is a strange phenomenon. But Indian democracy is deep and complex enough to breed (and withstand) such ridiculous ideas. It was democracy that led Hitler to power. Never mind. We are still on safer side of history.
In a rally opposing the Land ordinance, a farmer committed suicide yesterday. The shocking part was to see a farmer commit suicide in front of a huge gathering, who just stood by and did nothing. The poor fellow was hanging there for 23 minutes and no one came to support him. The worst part was Arvind Kejariwal (or HH  Arvind) continued his rally after the incident. That is sheer non sense.
Then AAP leaders go on wordily rampage. The Chief Minister has a famous excuse for every single issue. "Police is not under him."
Mahakavi, the Second Kalidas, His Literary Majesty Kumar Biswas asks, "Latak gaya?".
As if, one had to hang a banner. Oh yes. It has been hanged.
Ashutosh asked whether Kejriwal was supposed to climb up? (Oh yes. He was. The savior of Mankind. "AA Gaya hai dushman ko maranewala! HH Arvind!!!!!)
And Somnath Bharati said this was a conspiracy against AAP.

We are a nation of goddamn fools. Here is a Chief Minister - under whose watch the National Capital is supposed to run - oversees a suicide, later calling it conspiracy. If this is conspiracy, shame on you Brutus and Mark Antony. You are just in Junior KG.

P Chidambaram in a column had congratulated AAP on recent Delhi victory and had advised HH Arvind to focus on Delhi before going national. But ambition is like gravity. All you need is little push. Now he wants to be a contestant to next Lok Sabha elections. The brutal majority of 67/70 has not only clouded AAP's judgement, they are rapidly evolving into a 'Khap Panchayat'.
This AAP phenomenon is nothing but a bloated version of populism, stemming around a man, squarely incapable for the job. That, AAP is not a mature political party was proved when the rational voices within party were expelled. It goes a step forward now, proving Plato right at every corner.

Even 3 years after the formation, no one knows what is the ideology of AAP.
They do not stand for anything. They stand against everything.
It is nothing but extreme Populism. So, HH Arvind has hijacked 'Opposition to everything' from left and 'Rally on rally' from Congress. Rahul baba seems to have finally got the direction he wants to take his party to. But his way is no different than opposing every single item.

I am no Modi sympathizer or AAP hater. Its just plain analysis.
Modi is way too smart for these people. We need someone intelligent enough to keep check on his power. The strategies used by opposition have the same entertainment value that a joker in the circus has.

In this mess of political spectrum, AAP seems to be consistent in one thing. Make fool of oneself and stay in news. Do whatever it takes to stay in media.
The worst part is, people have to pay for it. In this case, India's democracy.

May the poor fellow find peace!

भैरवी, पण निनावी

रात्रीचा दीड वाजलाय.
प्रचंड उकडतंय. डोक्यावरचा पंखा अर्धवटच फिरतोय.
पुस्तक वाचताना कळत नाही, पण लक्षात येतंय

सगळं आयुष्य निखळ समोर मांडणारे नसिरुद्दीन शहा.
काय काय साम्य आहे आपल्यात आणि त्यांच्यात.
आहे का मी उगाच शोधतोय..
संपलेला दिवस. केलेली कामे. आलेले फोन, न आलेले फोन.
हव्या असलेल्या गोष्टी, नको असलेल्या गोष्टी
सारखा ऑनलाईन रहायची सवय.
उगाच BBC किंवा Indian Express बघायचं.

काय झालंय पेक्षा काय राहिलंय याचाच हिशोब मोठा.
हेही नेमकं 'झालंय काय'…
काहीही डोक्यात आलं आणि लिहिलं (आणि कळालं नाही) म्हणजे कोणी गालिब होत नाही.
आणि इथे व्हायचं तरी कुणाला आहे?
संध्याकाळची शांत वेळ. हातात पुस्तक. डोळ्यावर झोप येतेय.
दारावरची बेल. दचकुन जाग.
अचानक आठवतं कि हे राहिलंय ते राहिलंय

शेंगदाण्याच्या टरफलासारखी प्रतिभा हवीये कुणाला?
कुणास ठाऊक कि आत आहे काय?
नुसतच टरफल?
हो कदाचित…

शांतपणे पडलोय.
मी Youtube उघडतो.
उस्ताद बिस्मिल्ला खान.
शेहनाई खूप आवडून पण आज तो सूर लागत नाही असंच वाटतंय.

हे विचार करायचं आपलं वय आहे का?
बरं तेवढी कुवत आहे का?
आणि कुणी सांगितलंय विचार करा. कोणी वाचणार आहे का?
आणि काय फरक पडणार कोणी वाचून?
कदाचित आयुष्यच भैरवी सारखं झालंय.
भव्यतेची ओढ आहे पण कातरपणाही तेवढाच.

न रहावून प्रभा ताईंचा 'शाम सुंदर नंद कुंवर' आठवतो
सवाईच्या शेवटी सवाई गंधर्वांची एक छोटी फिल्म दाखवतात
अंगावर आलेला शहारा आठवतो…

हरीजींची बासरी आणि मग भीमसेनजींची 'बाबुल मोरा'….

बहोत नैहर छूट गए ये भी तो बात सही है..

गुलझार : तेरा नाम हि काफी है. इससे भी बेहतर नज्म और क्या होगी...

Gulzar sahab turns 80 today. Apart from from many others, that's hell of a good reason to write something.
We live in a generation where you listening to classical music raises some skeptic eyebrows (filled with an utterly useless contempt), as if I confess being a cannibal. We live in times where lyrics of the song hardly matters, lest the music. So the sound of few instruments clashing over each other, becomes the 'Trendy music'. 
That's why "दिलबरा दिलबरा, अपुन कि तू अपुन तेरा" becomes a song and "सारी दुनिया पितल दि, बेबी डॉल मै सोने दि" becomes a super hit one.What always strikes me in that music (or whatever it is), is the complete absence of meaning in the lyrics (or whatever they are). 

Though there are few glorious exceptions like Piyush Mishra and Swanand Kirkire. 
Gulzaar sahab is such a marvel, more so when looked from our generation.
Every artist belongs to a generation. 
For Gulzaar sahab, the belonging began long ago and continues even today. 



He transcends not the highest level of emotions, but the barrier of ages as well. 
So he can write

"भोले भाले, भोले भाले दिल को बहलाते रहे

तनहाई में तेरे ख़यालों को सजाते रहे

कभी कभी तो आवाज देकर मुझको जगाया ख़्वाबों ने"

The sheer realization of the meaning brings a genuine smile. 
His transcendence goes on. Thus he also writes

"मेरा चैन वैन सब उजड़ा,ज़ालिम नज़र हटा ले

बर्बाद हो रहे है जी,तेरे अपने शहर वाले

हो.,मेरी अंगड़ाई ना टूटे तू आजा

कजरा रे कजरा रे तेरे कारे कारे नैना.."

Its so hard to believe that a 'Dadaji' like figure can write something like, 

"जंगल जंगल बात चली है पता चला है 

अरे चड्डी पेहन के फूल खिला है"

Yes. Embrace that smile wholeheartedly. That's what Gulzar sahab is all about. 

He enriches us. Enlightens us. Shows what he has seen and what all there is to be seen.
Whatever I've read so far, Gulzar sahab comes closest to Saint Dnyaneshwar's idea of "इये ह्रदयीचे तिये हृदयी"..
I am not an authority to comment upon his works. 'वो हमारी औकाद नहीं'. 
I am just a simple person, whom Gulzar sahab taught to Listen, when all I was able to do, was to Hear.

"वैसे तो जुबां में अल्फ़ाज़ों की कमी नहीं थी 

आपने उन्हें मक़सद दिया

बातें तो हम फिर भी करते थे 

आपने उसका मतलब समज़ा दिया"

[The amateur words will make you understand that I wrote them!!] 

There are so many facets of him we (at least I) don't know. 
One I am thankfully aware of, is the excellent documentaries he has produced. From Bhimsen Joshi to Amjad Ali Khan, they are truly awesome.

Its such an honour to be living when he lives amongst us.
Gulzar sahab, thank you so much for enriching our lives. May you live 100 years more and still be as young as you were and as you always are.
 आप को आपहीकी नज्म से सलाम...

"जी में आता है

तेरे दामन में सर छुपा के हम

रोते रहें, रोते रहें

तेरी भी आँखों में

आंसुओं की नमी तो नहीं"

Reasons for optimism in today's world

You have no idea how the world around you is. 
Neither you understand it fully nor you are capable of, you believe.
You are not able to understand philosophy behind neither sorrow nor pain.
Being somewhere between a theist and atheist, You neither blame the god/destiny nor you accept the consequences of the outcome.
Every morning when you read the newspaper, positive news seems overshadowed by negative ones. 
The happyness (Yes, HappYness) is hijacked and gloominess prevails. 
The world seems you writ large.



Sometimes our own personal actions (and inactions) result in consequences you dont want to face. Most of the cases, the result is strange inactivity leading to nothing.

After some time, you do not feel the pain. You don't suffer anymore. You become neutral to the negative feelings. You decide to bounce back hard. You read something that might inspire you. Something that might cheer you up.
In most cases the search is in vain. 
Inspiration does not come with the doses of such steroids. 
In the end, all of it sucks.

You keep focusing, not looking the negative parts. 
They still are there. You feel them. 
All of a sudden they rise up, without notice. They take a toll.

Fate 1 :: You 0

The scoreboard keeps ticking. Your chance of goal lies far ahead. So you go on defensive. Waiting for the moment when you can score the goal. You imagine the cheer once you'd score the goal. In the meantime you try to keep fate away from scoring another goal.

The process though enriches you, leaves a void inside. Something remains missing. You cant find it out, lest fighting it. 
That is sadness. Profound sadness.
Its not sorrow or pain that drowns you. Its sadness. Over everything.
Especially when you look at the world from your personal lenses, you feel the darker side to be more true.
Israel-Palestine-Ukraine-Plane-Putin-Obama-Modi-Rahul-Climate-WTO-Erdongan-ISIS-Naxals-Landslides........
Helplessness prevails. Does the life paints you only in grey?
The profound understanding of something in life which you have no control at all.
It saddens you more. Connects you to the inner core.

You keep on looking to read something. 
Search for new sources. 
Open those webpages. They lie dormant in the browser. And eventually you close them without reading.
You start a movie you have heard of. You begin it but change to something new half way through. Even a Tom Hanks or Steven Spielberg can not rejuvenate your mood.

Then suddenly while surfing lazily over internet and looking for familiar content, you open a tab. 
It has a few articles by a renowned thinker. You like him. Admire him
So you start looking at the articles. One catches you eye. 
You begin it. Keep on reading.
Its pretty long. Its a commencement speech at Harvard. You visualize sitting there listening to it. The text is very simple. 
It describes what everybody sees around. The gloominess. 
Then peeling the negatives, it takes you to the profound sense of reality.
Its Einstein writ large. You realize, ''Hold on. I never thought it that way!''
The main idea grips you to the core.
Making sense of the non-sense.
Towards the end, the idea is strong enough to bring you up from the dreaded bottom the inactivity.
You cheer up. 
You decide to do something you wanted to do for long. You fire up your will.
You take the chair and start writing!

PS: Based on true story.
Here is the link to the article mentioned above.
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/25/reasons-for-optimism-in-todays-world/

Why I hate IPL?

During a recent discussion, I had a heated argument with some friends over IPL. 
I was (and certainly am today) of the opinion that the whole IPL things is the worst thing that could happen to Indian cricket and I hate it. So, here's why.

At the outset, I would like to clarify that I'm not against T20 cricket format. Its great. Test-One Day-T20 is like Vilambit Khyal- Madhya lay and Drut lay of a bandish. Times change and the game has to change accordingly. People like to watch a smaller version, so be it.
In more than one ways, T20 carried forward the passion, in a quicker way.

So, Its fun! Indian winning First T20 World cup was really great. Specially as we won against Pakistan. Had it not been the ba**ard Shrisanth to take the fatal catch of Misbah, it would have remained as the great memory.

But when BCCI came up with this idea of IPL and the way it has progressed, the thing has done more harm to cricket than anything else.

Everything, art or sport, music or film has an intrinsic value associated with it. 
Along with the intrinsic value, there also is an element of Entertainment. Both should be in appropriate portion.
A sad reality about the Indian Classical Music today is the lower proportion of entertainment for the masses. So very few actually are able to enjoy it (fortunate me!).

Cricket has that inherent intrinsic value. 

A game of intense stamina, intelligence, sharp reflexes. Its a combo of Chess and Rugby requiring the precision of a Shooter. The flexibility of game allows it to be played from Eden Gardens to Municipal Gardens with equally intense emotions.

I'm sure everyone remembers their best 50/100 s or hat-tricks taken, may be with a plastic ball. The run outs when bicycle Tyre worked as stumps. 2 Batsman playing, the one on non striker end just having a plain stick for the want of a bat. 

A billion hearts missing a beat when a off swinger would pass off the bat of Sachin. 
Watching a clever trap set by Anil Kumble to get a experienced batsman. The cameras panning from top of the stadium when bowler starts and focusing on batsman just at the right time. It was all related to the game, to the sport, to the anxiety, to the passion, to me and to you.

What IPL has done effectively, is amplified the entertainment part a million times and completely neglecting the Sport part.

In our country, any Batsman is generally more famous than Bowler, as Batting is adored more than Bowling.  Agreed. 
So, what you do is put on rewards for every single hit Batsman makes. Then you change the rules of the game to suit big shots being hit. Even that wasn't sufficient, so you curate the pitches suitable for batsman.

That's like playing a great computer game with cheats on. So, you just keep on shooting. Never mind ammo or you getting hit. Ridiculous!

Even when that seems inadequate, you start fixing the matches.

I am not against the money flowing in IPL. There are many players who have a stable life out of IPL income. It has also widened reach of cricket. But at what cost?? 

The game itself!

Its a plain truth now that a lot of black money (and perhaps the Underworld) is involved in IPL. And when the manager of a winning team in implicated in fixing scam, what else is required to ascertain the integrity of the game. 
The cricketers are no different than Gladiators fighting each other, for money now, for their sport means nothing.

The sad part is the way IPL is put down our throats.  99% of us are ignorant fools (Thanks Justice Katju). The way we accept our politicians quietly over the morning tea, we just accepted and swallowed what was fed to us. When you are being shown a 3 hrs fantacy everyday every summer, why bother whats in there. And we would have turned on TV to watch a  saas-bahu opera. 

So it hardly matters what we watch. Its the 'masterly inactivity' of our minds that makes sure such phenomenon become popular.

Harsha Bhogale is my favourite Commentator/Columnist. His book is titled, ' Out of the Box: Watching the game we love'

God save us from this IPL. Else his next book could be 'Out of the Mind: Watching the game we used to love' 

300 Rise of an Empire (omg!. but WHY??)

Imagine Plato on the day they killed Socrates. Filled with rage, he was walking down when he met Ram Gopal Varma. RGV saw him and offered him to do a movie to take on his rage through spoiling the blood. Searching for a script writer, they finalized Chetan Bhagat. While they were discussing the plot, Vrinda Karat approached them and put down the view that such a bloodbath can not take place in the absence of Women (Her view, not mine!)

So all of them went to Romila Thapar to seek truth, who opened her Pandora's box and helped them all.

All of that eventually resulted into a fabulous piece of movie making, i.e. 300 Rise Of an Empire!!!

My dear Thyliptous, why on gods earth would you do that?

I hadn't seen a ridiculous movie in ages. Thank god. My wish now stands fulfilled! 

Before I begin to describe why I am criticizing the movie, I want to confess. I had liked prequel of this movie i.e. 300 pretty much. The special effects, an idea for which 300 soldiers gave their lives, excellent acting skill and a genuine piece of History.

This new piece of shit, sorry bloooood has nothing to with history. Ok, understood. You wanna create new history. Fine! But please, you better create something meaningful.

The worst part of this Romila Thaparization of history is addition of two women. I am not anti feminist and I do like to see Women centered movies. But why do you add two women who have excellent Sword skills and only revenge to serve upon. I mean, if Eva Green was so good at sword, she should have applied for job at Rambo Circus.

Last but not the least, the hero Thermoleptics of Thermophylics whatever his name is, also is deeply saddened first thinking why he shot an arrow, then why only one arrow. He could be an excellent inspiration for Kumar Vishwas to write a patriotic poem.

To be precise, its like watching 3 Sunny Deols combined in one, with barrels of blood descending from sky. For it hardly matters who is getting blooded as long as some semi naked guys are waving their swords, while a god king watches all that from a height. I could not understand till the end, whose rise do they mean and which empire are they talking about?

The worst part I felt in the movie was the loud cheers those bloody shots were getting. Dear Freud, after all, you are right. Maybe we want to do all that happens on screen by ourselves. We even do it partly in video games. We just come here to see a real life, magnified form of our inspiration of violence. To like bloodbath on screen is a purely personal choice (to which I am not against). But cheering to such meaningless filming is nothing better than the Romans cheering for Gladiators. 

Original or Graphical, I'm sure blood spill still instills the same Adrenaline rush...