What a year it has been for Sourav Ganguly. The man, who made the greatest comeback in cricket a year ago, scored 1,000 runs in a calendar year in both formats of the game, hit the first double century of his career, scored his maiden hundred at the Eden Gardens in front of his home crowd, and now, scored a century of Test matches when he stepped into the MCG on Wednesday.
From carrying drinks (or his refusal do so) in 1992, to his shirt-waving act at the Lords balcony, from making Steve Waugh wait at the Eden Gardens for the toss during the epic 2001 series, to the entire fiasco involving Greg Chappel, Dada has always been in the midst of many controversies, more non-cricketing than cricketing.
Now with his 100th Test at Melbourne, Dada has crossed a new landmark. And, I am sure it would be more satisfying to him than any of his other centuries. Going by his current form and body language, it seems retirement is still a far way off.
The man, who changed the tag of “tigers at home, rabbits abroad” that India carried earlier, has never looked hungrier for runs. Like him or hate him, but it is difficult to ignore the man who is “after God on the side”. Souravmania is here to stay.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Please invent a Time Machine, Mr Wells!
Three years of staying away from Kolkata has made me realise how important the city is to my life. There hasn’t been a single day that I have spent without reminiscing about Kolkata. Nostalgia strikes me, especially, when I am in the company of my Bengali buddies or when the drinking gets a bit heavy. At the same time, my eyes get moist and I feel a lump in my throat in the full knowledge that those days that I spent in Kolkata will never return.
I wish, along with the novel, Mr H G Wells had actually invented the Time Machine, so that I could relive those days… so that I would never miss...
...the sight of locals staring at westerners, or the ‘whites’, making them really conscious and uncomfortable. Few years ago, on a winter afternoon, I saw a bunch of ‘whites’ playing frisbee at the Maidan. It was surprising to notice that the real action was not inside the playing arena, but outside it, where a sizable crowd had gathered just to watch the ‘whites’ playing
...a bus ride for Rs 3
...a cup of cha at the roadside for Rs 2
...the chicken, mutton or egg rolls, or combinations, at roadside stalls starting from Rs 8
...a plate of chicken or egg chow mien at the same stall starting from Rs 10
...the juiciest mutton steaks at Olypub
...watching movies at Lighthouse, New Empire, Globe, Roxy, Metro, Chaplin, Elite, or one of the other English movie theatres. I felt very sad when, on my last trip, I saw Lighthouse had been turned into a shopping arcade
...the smoke and alcohol-filled evenings at Starlit Garden, the only-men’s bar at Park Street
...grabbing a quick beer on certain hot afternoons at Starlit Garden before proceeding to Kusum’s for their mouth-watering hot kathi rolls
...the Christmas week where the whole Park Street would be lit up from one end to the other with a huge Santa greeting people at the head of Park Street
...the Flury’s all day breakfast —a simple affair comprising eggs, toast, ham, bacon, sausages and brown bread
...michael’s roadside momo stall in Camac Street. The momos cost fifteen bucks for a plate of five on all weekdays from 11 am to 2 pm
...the great music at Someplace Else, a narrow dark room by the lobby of Park Hotel. I love the bar counter, the stage set up for a live band, the cocktails, good music and good finger food
...the makeshift book stalls constructed with wood, bamboo, sheets of corrugated tin and canvas on College Street, or ‘boi para’ as it is referred to by Bengalis
...the visits to one of the most ‘intellectual rendezvous’ in Kolkata, the Indian Coffe House. Every time I think about Coffee House and my college days, I listen to the evergreen song by Manna De – “Coffee house-er shei adda ta, aaj aar nei”
...the evenings that I spent watching the sunset at Outram Ghat having ‘cha’ in a ‘bhaar’
…bunking my classes to play cricket in the winter afternoons
… getting into the tin-plated buses, sharing an auto rickshaw with 5 (sometimes 6) other people, taking a ride in the tram and the metro rail, shopping my heart our in Esplanade, getting on the hand-pulled rickshaw and much much more.
Kolkata is not just a city for me. It’s an experience, an experience of a lifetime filled with so many fond memories... memories that would forever be a part of me. It is a city that would always be my home, no matter in which part of the world I live in.
I wish, along with the novel, Mr H G Wells had actually invented the Time Machine, so that I could relive those days… so that I would never miss...
...the sight of locals staring at westerners, or the ‘whites’, making them really conscious and uncomfortable. Few years ago, on a winter afternoon, I saw a bunch of ‘whites’ playing frisbee at the Maidan. It was surprising to notice that the real action was not inside the playing arena, but outside it, where a sizable crowd had gathered just to watch the ‘whites’ playing
...a bus ride for Rs 3
...a cup of cha at the roadside for Rs 2
...the chicken, mutton or egg rolls, or combinations, at roadside stalls starting from Rs 8
...a plate of chicken or egg chow mien at the same stall starting from Rs 10
...the juiciest mutton steaks at Olypub
...watching movies at Lighthouse, New Empire, Globe, Roxy, Metro, Chaplin, Elite, or one of the other English movie theatres. I felt very sad when, on my last trip, I saw Lighthouse had been turned into a shopping arcade
...the smoke and alcohol-filled evenings at Starlit Garden, the only-men’s bar at Park Street
...grabbing a quick beer on certain hot afternoons at Starlit Garden before proceeding to Kusum’s for their mouth-watering hot kathi rolls
...the Christmas week where the whole Park Street would be lit up from one end to the other with a huge Santa greeting people at the head of Park Street
...the Flury’s all day breakfast —a simple affair comprising eggs, toast, ham, bacon, sausages and brown bread
...michael’s roadside momo stall in Camac Street. The momos cost fifteen bucks for a plate of five on all weekdays from 11 am to 2 pm
...the great music at Someplace Else, a narrow dark room by the lobby of Park Hotel. I love the bar counter, the stage set up for a live band, the cocktails, good music and good finger food
...the makeshift book stalls constructed with wood, bamboo, sheets of corrugated tin and canvas on College Street, or ‘boi para’ as it is referred to by Bengalis
...the visits to one of the most ‘intellectual rendezvous’ in Kolkata, the Indian Coffe House. Every time I think about Coffee House and my college days, I listen to the evergreen song by Manna De – “Coffee house-er shei adda ta, aaj aar nei”
...the evenings that I spent watching the sunset at Outram Ghat having ‘cha’ in a ‘bhaar’
…bunking my classes to play cricket in the winter afternoons
… getting into the tin-plated buses, sharing an auto rickshaw with 5 (sometimes 6) other people, taking a ride in the tram and the metro rail, shopping my heart our in Esplanade, getting on the hand-pulled rickshaw and much much more.
Kolkata is not just a city for me. It’s an experience, an experience of a lifetime filled with so many fond memories... memories that would forever be a part of me. It is a city that would always be my home, no matter in which part of the world I live in.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The ABC of Bengali
A is for Aaffice. This is where the average Kolkakattan goes and spends a day hard(ly) at work. If he is in the Government he will arrive at 10, wipe his forehead till 11, have a tea break at 12, throw around a few files at 12.30, break for lunch at 1, smoke an unfiltered cigarette at 2, break for tea at 3, sleep sitting down at 4 and go home at 5. It’s a hard life!
B is for Bhision. For some reason most of the Bengalis don’t have good bhision. In fact in Kolkata most people are wearing spectacles all the time. The effects of this show in the city.
C is for Chappell. This is the Bengali word for the Devil, for the worst form of evil. In the night mothers put their kids to sleep saying ‘go to bed, or Chappei will come and take you away.’
D is for Debashish. By an ancient law every fourth Bengali Child has to be named Debashish. So you have a Debashish everywhere and tying to get creative they are also called Deb, Debu, Deba with variations like Debnath and Deboprotim thrown in.
E is for Eeesh. This is a very common Bengali exclamation made famous by Aishwarya Rai in the movie Devdas. It is estimated that on an average a Bengali uses eeesh 10,089 times every year. (That’s counting eeesh and other eeesh-ish words).
F is for Feesh. These are creatures that swim in rivers and seas and are a favourite food of the Bengalis. Despite the fact that a fish market has such strong smells, with one sniff a Bengali knows if a fish is all right. If not he will say ‘eeesh what feeesh is theesh!’
G is for Good name. Every Bengali Boy will have a good name like Debashish or Deboprotim and a pet name like Shontuda, Chonti, and Dinku. While every Bengali Girl will be Paromita or Protima as well as Shampa, Champa and Tuki. Basically your nickname is there to kiil your goodname.
H is for Harmonium. The Bengali equivalent of a rock guitar. Take four Bengalis and a Harmonium and you have the successors to The Bheatles!
I is for lleesh. This is a feeesh with 10,000 bones which would kill any ordinary person, but which the Bengalis eat with releeesh!
J is for Jhola. No self respecting Bengali is complete without his Jhola. It is a shapeless cloth bag where he keeps all his belongings and he fits an amazing number of things in. Even as you read this there are 2 million jholas bobbling around Kolkata- and they all look exactly the same!
K is for Kee Kando. It used to be the favourite Bengali exclamation till eeesh took over because of Aishwarya Rai (now Kee Kando’s agent is trying to hire Bipasha Basu).
L is for Lungi. People in Kolkata manage to play football and cricket wearing it. Now there is talk of a lungi expedition to Mt. Everest.
M is for Minibus. These are dangerous half buses whose antics would effortlessly frighten the living daylights out of Formula 1 race drivers.
N is for Nangtoe. This is the Bengali word for Naked. It is the most interesting naked word in any language!
O is for Oil. The Bengalis believe that a touch of mustard oil will cure anything from cold (oil in the nose), to earache (oil in the ear), to cough (oil on the throat) to piles (oil you know where!)
P is for Phootball. This is always a phavourite phassion of the Kolkattan. Every Bengali is born an expert in this game. The two biggest clubs there are Mohunbagan and East Bengal and when they play the city comes to a stop.
Q is for Queen. This really has nothing to do with the Bengalis or Kolkata, but it’s the only Q word I could think of at this moment. There’s also Quilt but they never use them in Kolkata.
R is for Rabi Thakur. Many years ago Rabindranath got the Nobel Prize. This allows everyone in Kolkata to frame their acceptance speeches and walk with their head held high and look down at Delhi and Mumbai!
S is for Sardarjee whom Bengalis are very envious of because he is born with a semi-monkey cap on.
T is for Trams. Hundred years later there are still trams in Kolkata. Of course if you are in a hurry it’s faster to walk.
U is for Ambrela. When a Bengali baby is born they are handed one.
V is for Violence. Bengalis are the most non-violent violent people around. When an accident happens they will shout and scream and curse and abuse, but the last time someone actually hit someone was in 1979.
W is for Water. For three months of the year the city is underwater and every year for the last 200 years the authorities are taken by surprise by this!
X is for X mas. It’s very big in Kolkata, with Park Street fully lit up.
Y is for Yastarday. Which is always better than today for a Bengali.
Z is for Jeebra, Joo, Jip and Jylophone.
B is for Bhision. For some reason most of the Bengalis don’t have good bhision. In fact in Kolkata most people are wearing spectacles all the time. The effects of this show in the city.
C is for Chappell. This is the Bengali word for the Devil, for the worst form of evil. In the night mothers put their kids to sleep saying ‘go to bed, or Chappei will come and take you away.’
D is for Debashish. By an ancient law every fourth Bengali Child has to be named Debashish. So you have a Debashish everywhere and tying to get creative they are also called Deb, Debu, Deba with variations like Debnath and Deboprotim thrown in.
E is for Eeesh. This is a very common Bengali exclamation made famous by Aishwarya Rai in the movie Devdas. It is estimated that on an average a Bengali uses eeesh 10,089 times every year. (That’s counting eeesh and other eeesh-ish words).
F is for Feesh. These are creatures that swim in rivers and seas and are a favourite food of the Bengalis. Despite the fact that a fish market has such strong smells, with one sniff a Bengali knows if a fish is all right. If not he will say ‘eeesh what feeesh is theesh!’
G is for Good name. Every Bengali Boy will have a good name like Debashish or Deboprotim and a pet name like Shontuda, Chonti, and Dinku. While every Bengali Girl will be Paromita or Protima as well as Shampa, Champa and Tuki. Basically your nickname is there to kiil your goodname.
H is for Harmonium. The Bengali equivalent of a rock guitar. Take four Bengalis and a Harmonium and you have the successors to The Bheatles!
I is for lleesh. This is a feeesh with 10,000 bones which would kill any ordinary person, but which the Bengalis eat with releeesh!
J is for Jhola. No self respecting Bengali is complete without his Jhola. It is a shapeless cloth bag where he keeps all his belongings and he fits an amazing number of things in. Even as you read this there are 2 million jholas bobbling around Kolkata- and they all look exactly the same!
K is for Kee Kando. It used to be the favourite Bengali exclamation till eeesh took over because of Aishwarya Rai (now Kee Kando’s agent is trying to hire Bipasha Basu).
L is for Lungi. People in Kolkata manage to play football and cricket wearing it. Now there is talk of a lungi expedition to Mt. Everest.
M is for Minibus. These are dangerous half buses whose antics would effortlessly frighten the living daylights out of Formula 1 race drivers.
N is for Nangtoe. This is the Bengali word for Naked. It is the most interesting naked word in any language!
O is for Oil. The Bengalis believe that a touch of mustard oil will cure anything from cold (oil in the nose), to earache (oil in the ear), to cough (oil on the throat) to piles (oil you know where!)
P is for Phootball. This is always a phavourite phassion of the Kolkattan. Every Bengali is born an expert in this game. The two biggest clubs there are Mohunbagan and East Bengal and when they play the city comes to a stop.
Q is for Queen. This really has nothing to do with the Bengalis or Kolkata, but it’s the only Q word I could think of at this moment. There’s also Quilt but they never use them in Kolkata.
R is for Rabi Thakur. Many years ago Rabindranath got the Nobel Prize. This allows everyone in Kolkata to frame their acceptance speeches and walk with their head held high and look down at Delhi and Mumbai!
S is for Sardarjee whom Bengalis are very envious of because he is born with a semi-monkey cap on.
T is for Trams. Hundred years later there are still trams in Kolkata. Of course if you are in a hurry it’s faster to walk.
U is for Ambrela. When a Bengali baby is born they are handed one.
V is for Violence. Bengalis are the most non-violent violent people around. When an accident happens they will shout and scream and curse and abuse, but the last time someone actually hit someone was in 1979.
W is for Water. For three months of the year the city is underwater and every year for the last 200 years the authorities are taken by surprise by this!
X is for X mas. It’s very big in Kolkata, with Park Street fully lit up.
Y is for Yastarday. Which is always better than today for a Bengali.
Z is for Jeebra, Joo, Jip and Jylophone.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Indian cricket in 2007: First heartbreak, then victory
The year 2007 was a mixed bag for Indian cricket.
In February, the team landed in West Indies for the World Cup as one of the favourites. But what happened thereafter was, perhaps, the worst for Indian cricket since the 1979 World Cup. However, in 1979 there was at least some consolation – the team was playing in just its 2nd World Cup, the one day format of the game had not yet caught on, and India was pitted against the mighty West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
But what happened in 2007 was nothing short of a disaster. The team had a great batting line-up — probably the best in the world — it had the right blend of youth and experience, and it had fared very well in two previous series at home against West Indies and Sri Lanka just prior to the World Cup.
Even then the World Cup dreams of a million people back home crumbled in the first round itself. Team India was stung by Bangladesh in its first match. In the second, it redeemed its grace somewhat by achieving a victory against minnows Bermuda after scoring a World Cup record score of 413. However, in the third match India was comprehensively beaten by Sri Lanka, and eliminated from the World Cup.
Now, the question was how would Team India rise up from the ashes? Will the fans back home forgive the team for its disastrous World Cup campaign? Will Indian cricket regain its lost glory? If yes, how?
All these questions were answered in September, just seven months after the World Cup disaster. India reached South Africa to participate in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship, this time with Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the helm.
No one gave this team a chance. Their three batting superstars - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly - were missing and India had played just one Twenty20 match before this. But Dhoni’s boys surprised everyone by winning the tournament after a series of giant-killing acts. En route to the final, India beat Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan (twice).
It was India's first major triumph since winning the 1983 World Cup. Apart from adding a glorious chapter in the history of Indian cricket, the victory also laid to rest demons of the 50-over format of the World Cup.
India cricket in 2007 can be classified as the tale of two dreams - one that fans all over the world wished they never had, and, the other, that the country will never want to wake up from.
Now, all that needs to be done is to continue the victory march in Australia.
In February, the team landed in West Indies for the World Cup as one of the favourites. But what happened thereafter was, perhaps, the worst for Indian cricket since the 1979 World Cup. However, in 1979 there was at least some consolation – the team was playing in just its 2nd World Cup, the one day format of the game had not yet caught on, and India was pitted against the mighty West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
But what happened in 2007 was nothing short of a disaster. The team had a great batting line-up — probably the best in the world — it had the right blend of youth and experience, and it had fared very well in two previous series at home against West Indies and Sri Lanka just prior to the World Cup.
Even then the World Cup dreams of a million people back home crumbled in the first round itself. Team India was stung by Bangladesh in its first match. In the second, it redeemed its grace somewhat by achieving a victory against minnows Bermuda after scoring a World Cup record score of 413. However, in the third match India was comprehensively beaten by Sri Lanka, and eliminated from the World Cup.
Now, the question was how would Team India rise up from the ashes? Will the fans back home forgive the team for its disastrous World Cup campaign? Will Indian cricket regain its lost glory? If yes, how?
All these questions were answered in September, just seven months after the World Cup disaster. India reached South Africa to participate in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship, this time with Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the helm.
No one gave this team a chance. Their three batting superstars - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly - were missing and India had played just one Twenty20 match before this. But Dhoni’s boys surprised everyone by winning the tournament after a series of giant-killing acts. En route to the final, India beat Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan (twice).
It was India's first major triumph since winning the 1983 World Cup. Apart from adding a glorious chapter in the history of Indian cricket, the victory also laid to rest demons of the 50-over format of the World Cup.
India cricket in 2007 can be classified as the tale of two dreams - one that fans all over the world wished they never had, and, the other, that the country will never want to wake up from.
Now, all that needs to be done is to continue the victory march in Australia.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Goodbye Pujas, hello whoopee
Even as I bid farewell to Maa Durga with a heavy heart, an article in The Telegraph caught my fancy. And I must say, after I finished reading it, the smile, that was evident on my face before Pujo, returned back.
Here goes the article that asks us to “consider 10 things you can do to continue the spirit of festivity”.
Hello, routine
Come, open your eyes. The Goddess is bidding us goodbye and all is well with the world. The loudspeakers are being carted away, the road blocks in the neighbourhood are being dismantled, and the hordes who were camping outside your house are going back home. The mad Puja shopping is over, and you can actually step into a mall without being trampled to dust. All the office babus are getting back to work, albeit a bit reluctantly. Go get all those things done that had been held up because of the Pujas. This is also the time for a good post-Puja bitching session — about what people wore, who romanced whom, lousy gifts and so on. Life interrupted has been resurrected.
Fun galore
But don’t despair — the fun is far from over. Bijoya — with all its wonderful sweets and savouries — starts today, and continues till Kali Puja. If you are a noise-and-light junkie, think of Diwali. Christmas is round the corner, and then there’s the New Year. This is the time for exhibitions — from Lexpo, to the film fest to the event that all of Calcutta waits for, the Book Fair. The first ever Shaadi Vivaha Expo will be held in Calcutta later this month. If you are missing the Puja crowds, traffic snarls and eating dust, just go mela hopping. It’s an extension of the Puja festivity, after all.
Theory of relativity
Was your house looking more and more like an overcrowded railway platform the last few days? No more. The relatives — mashi-pishi-pishey-mesho — are packing their hold-alls. Check the time table and since you can never trust the traffic leave them at the airport or the station well before the expected time of departure. You’ll miss them, no doubt, but how do you measure the pleasure of lounging on a sofa before the television without having a relative tell you to sit up straight?
Brr, it’s fur
Bring out the mittens — it’s started snowing in the upper Himalayas. Those of us trapped here in the near-tropical zone but perpetually pining for our favourite season can gear up for the winter too. The early mornings and late nights provide a foretaste of the season of glory about to start with its mellow sun and notun gur. Let’s hope those of you who indulged yourselves during the pre-Puja shopping spree have left aside respectable funds for new shawls, furry caps and sweaters. For those of us who didn’t, there’s always the credit card.
Howzzat!
Cricketmania couldn’t get any better than in this winter, when Team India are scheduled to bat their way through a choc-a-bloc schedule on the pitch. First, they take on arch rivals Pakistan at home for a five-ODI, three-Test series through November. Then comes their long trip Down Under, where they play four Tests against Australia (again!) and follow that up with a tri-nation ODI series featuring Australia and Sri Lanka. That safely takes care of quality viewing time through January and February. And if you still want more, the Indian Premier League and the Indian Cricket League are both slated to begin sometime in spring 2008, promising plenty of hair-raising domestic action. So grow those nails now, to bite on later.
Play bookworm
Nothing beats the idea of spending idle winter afternoons by burying yourself into the pages of a book you simply can’t have enough of. The first instalment of Amitav Ghosh’s much hyped ‘Ibis Trilogy’, titled Sea of Poppies, will be published by Penguin in early 2008, while HarperCollins is all set to come out with Darlingji: The True Love Story of Nargis & Sunil Dutt by Kishwar Desai sometime next month. Arundhati Roy is working hard at her book in some quiet corner. And while you wait for that to be published, you can always pick up the Puja editions of the magazines that you didn’t find the time to dig into all these days. So make the most of your spare time now, either at home, or at work — when the boss isn’t looking!
Wonder wanderlust
Those extra compartments called ‘Puja Specials’ that they link to the rears of overnight trains will be gone in a couple of days. And gone — along with them — will be the gangs of balaclava-(read: monkey cap) clad, boisterous ‘toorishts’, who are either perennially paranoid about their children falling off the cliff in the heart of Darjeeling or are energetically (and unsuccessfully) on the lookout for ‘rui maachher jhol’ in Gangtok. So book that quiet holiday you’ve wanted to treat yourself to, without any fear of running into a constipated ‘Bultu Mama’ while catching a spectacular sunrise at Tiger Hill. Or read that long unfinished book while lazing on the sands of Kovalam or Goa, with a chiller for company. The bounties of Nature are for you to savour — the shouting brigade has gone back home!
Bye-bye oldies
Youth is in, and let’s celebrate the coming of age of India’s wanna-do lot. This is the year that’s been set aside for our young — from cricketer M.S. Dhoni to new actors Neil Nitin Mukesh, Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. Rahul Gandhi is dimpling away, giving the old, toothless neta a run for his money. We don’t have to watch those tired old faces anymore — young India is on the rise, Rahul Dravid notwithstanding.
That’s the ticket
One mother leaves, another returns. Queue up for Madhuri ‘mother-of-two-sons’ Dixit’s new film, Aaja Nachle. Mrs Nene’s comeback film is one of the much-awaited mega films to be released soon. Om Shanti Om — showcasing Shah Rukh’s spectacular six-pack abs — will be out next month, along with Saawariya. You could go see Rani Mukerji in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag too.
Life’s a circle
Count the days — there are only 350 days before the start of Puja 2008. Before you know it, the roads will be clogged, the markets spilling over with people, the beats of dhak drowning out all sounds, and the smell of dhuno in the air. The traffic, the noise, the colours, the food, the excitement, the chaos — everything will be back. And you’ll love it all!
Here goes the article that asks us to “consider 10 things you can do to continue the spirit of festivity”.
Hello, routine
Come, open your eyes. The Goddess is bidding us goodbye and all is well with the world. The loudspeakers are being carted away, the road blocks in the neighbourhood are being dismantled, and the hordes who were camping outside your house are going back home. The mad Puja shopping is over, and you can actually step into a mall without being trampled to dust. All the office babus are getting back to work, albeit a bit reluctantly. Go get all those things done that had been held up because of the Pujas. This is also the time for a good post-Puja bitching session — about what people wore, who romanced whom, lousy gifts and so on. Life interrupted has been resurrected.
Fun galore
But don’t despair — the fun is far from over. Bijoya — with all its wonderful sweets and savouries — starts today, and continues till Kali Puja. If you are a noise-and-light junkie, think of Diwali. Christmas is round the corner, and then there’s the New Year. This is the time for exhibitions — from Lexpo, to the film fest to the event that all of Calcutta waits for, the Book Fair. The first ever Shaadi Vivaha Expo will be held in Calcutta later this month. If you are missing the Puja crowds, traffic snarls and eating dust, just go mela hopping. It’s an extension of the Puja festivity, after all.
Theory of relativity
Was your house looking more and more like an overcrowded railway platform the last few days? No more. The relatives — mashi-pishi-pishey-mesho — are packing their hold-alls. Check the time table and since you can never trust the traffic leave them at the airport or the station well before the expected time of departure. You’ll miss them, no doubt, but how do you measure the pleasure of lounging on a sofa before the television without having a relative tell you to sit up straight?
Brr, it’s fur
Bring out the mittens — it’s started snowing in the upper Himalayas. Those of us trapped here in the near-tropical zone but perpetually pining for our favourite season can gear up for the winter too. The early mornings and late nights provide a foretaste of the season of glory about to start with its mellow sun and notun gur. Let’s hope those of you who indulged yourselves during the pre-Puja shopping spree have left aside respectable funds for new shawls, furry caps and sweaters. For those of us who didn’t, there’s always the credit card.
Howzzat!
Cricketmania couldn’t get any better than in this winter, when Team India are scheduled to bat their way through a choc-a-bloc schedule on the pitch. First, they take on arch rivals Pakistan at home for a five-ODI, three-Test series through November. Then comes their long trip Down Under, where they play four Tests against Australia (again!) and follow that up with a tri-nation ODI series featuring Australia and Sri Lanka. That safely takes care of quality viewing time through January and February. And if you still want more, the Indian Premier League and the Indian Cricket League are both slated to begin sometime in spring 2008, promising plenty of hair-raising domestic action. So grow those nails now, to bite on later.
Play bookworm
Nothing beats the idea of spending idle winter afternoons by burying yourself into the pages of a book you simply can’t have enough of. The first instalment of Amitav Ghosh’s much hyped ‘Ibis Trilogy’, titled Sea of Poppies, will be published by Penguin in early 2008, while HarperCollins is all set to come out with Darlingji: The True Love Story of Nargis & Sunil Dutt by Kishwar Desai sometime next month. Arundhati Roy is working hard at her book in some quiet corner. And while you wait for that to be published, you can always pick up the Puja editions of the magazines that you didn’t find the time to dig into all these days. So make the most of your spare time now, either at home, or at work — when the boss isn’t looking!
Wonder wanderlust
Those extra compartments called ‘Puja Specials’ that they link to the rears of overnight trains will be gone in a couple of days. And gone — along with them — will be the gangs of balaclava-(read: monkey cap) clad, boisterous ‘toorishts’, who are either perennially paranoid about their children falling off the cliff in the heart of Darjeeling or are energetically (and unsuccessfully) on the lookout for ‘rui maachher jhol’ in Gangtok. So book that quiet holiday you’ve wanted to treat yourself to, without any fear of running into a constipated ‘Bultu Mama’ while catching a spectacular sunrise at Tiger Hill. Or read that long unfinished book while lazing on the sands of Kovalam or Goa, with a chiller for company. The bounties of Nature are for you to savour — the shouting brigade has gone back home!
Bye-bye oldies
Youth is in, and let’s celebrate the coming of age of India’s wanna-do lot. This is the year that’s been set aside for our young — from cricketer M.S. Dhoni to new actors Neil Nitin Mukesh, Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. Rahul Gandhi is dimpling away, giving the old, toothless neta a run for his money. We don’t have to watch those tired old faces anymore — young India is on the rise, Rahul Dravid notwithstanding.
That’s the ticket
One mother leaves, another returns. Queue up for Madhuri ‘mother-of-two-sons’ Dixit’s new film, Aaja Nachle. Mrs Nene’s comeback film is one of the much-awaited mega films to be released soon. Om Shanti Om — showcasing Shah Rukh’s spectacular six-pack abs — will be out next month, along with Saawariya. You could go see Rani Mukerji in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag too.
Life’s a circle
Count the days — there are only 350 days before the start of Puja 2008. Before you know it, the roads will be clogged, the markets spilling over with people, the beats of dhak drowning out all sounds, and the smell of dhuno in the air. The traffic, the noise, the colours, the food, the excitement, the chaos — everything will be back. And you’ll love it all!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Aashchhe Bochhor Aabar Hobe!
Today is Dashami... another Durga Pujo comes to an end. It’s the last time that one would hear the divine beats of the dhaak tonight.
A pall of gloom descends everywhere because it is time for Maa Durga to leave, to return to her husband Shiva. This is ritualised through bishorjon (immersion) of Maa Durga and her children in the river Ganga amid loud chants of bolo Durga mai-ki jai (glory be to Mother Durga) and aashchhe bochhor aabar hobe (it will happen again next year).
This is one day that makes me really said. In fact, even as I type this piece I can feel a lump in my throat. The sight of the huge idols being taken away in large processions for immersion sometimes brings tears to my eyes.
There are also certain ceremonies associated with this day that make me nostalgic. They take me back to my days in Kolkata.
First, the Durga baran. Married women wearing the traditional laal-paar saree (saree with red border) bid adieu to the Goddess, adorning her with sindur (vermilion) and feeding her sweets.
They greet Maa Durga in the morning for one last time. They perform aarati, insert paan-leaves in the hands of Maa Durga, put sweets on her lips and wipe the eyes of Maa Durga and her children as one would do to wipe off tears while bidding farewell to near and dear ones. Then the women apply the sindur on Maa Durga’s head.
After this, begins another ritual called sindur khela (vermillion game). Married women apply sindur on each other, praying for the well-being of their husbands, asking the Goddess for her blessings. This is an emotional ritual. The loha (the metal and gold bracelet given to the bride by the mother-in-law) and pala/sannkha (the red and white bangles worn by married Bengali women) are also touched up with sindur.
Sindur khela brings with it a mixture of joy and sadness as it marks the end of pujo. With the time for Maa Durga’s departure approaching, it becomes hard to hold back tears. As children, we were told that on this day one can see Maa Durga’s eyes glistening, as if she is teary-eyed.
Finally, as Maa Durga is being taken away for immersion, the women take some sindur from her head and apply it to the parting in their hair. What is left on the fingers is applied to the loha.
Then in the evening men follow the customary kolakuli (embracing each other), while younger members of the family touch the feet (pronam) of the elders seeking their blesings. Then sweets are distributed among each other amid greetings of Shubho Bijoya.
Nothing, in fact, can be compared to the magic of Durga Pujo in Kolkata. An outsider can never understand what it is that makes Durga Pujo so special.
Being a Bengali, Maa Durga resides in my heart. And this Durga Pujo, I have made a resolution. Next year onwards, no matter where I am in this earth, I resolve to be in Kolkata during these five days. Because I cannot stay away from the chaos, the aroma, the noise, the rhythm of the dhaak, the music, the smell of good food, the brightly illuminated pandals, the traffic congestions and all that is associated with Durga Pujo.
However, for the time being, it’s just Shubho Bijoya!
A pall of gloom descends everywhere because it is time for Maa Durga to leave, to return to her husband Shiva. This is ritualised through bishorjon (immersion) of Maa Durga and her children in the river Ganga amid loud chants of bolo Durga mai-ki jai (glory be to Mother Durga) and aashchhe bochhor aabar hobe (it will happen again next year).
This is one day that makes me really said. In fact, even as I type this piece I can feel a lump in my throat. The sight of the huge idols being taken away in large processions for immersion sometimes brings tears to my eyes.
There are also certain ceremonies associated with this day that make me nostalgic. They take me back to my days in Kolkata.
First, the Durga baran. Married women wearing the traditional laal-paar saree (saree with red border) bid adieu to the Goddess, adorning her with sindur (vermilion) and feeding her sweets.
They greet Maa Durga in the morning for one last time. They perform aarati, insert paan-leaves in the hands of Maa Durga, put sweets on her lips and wipe the eyes of Maa Durga and her children as one would do to wipe off tears while bidding farewell to near and dear ones. Then the women apply the sindur on Maa Durga’s head.
After this, begins another ritual called sindur khela (vermillion game). Married women apply sindur on each other, praying for the well-being of their husbands, asking the Goddess for her blessings. This is an emotional ritual. The loha (the metal and gold bracelet given to the bride by the mother-in-law) and pala/sannkha (the red and white bangles worn by married Bengali women) are also touched up with sindur.
Sindur khela brings with it a mixture of joy and sadness as it marks the end of pujo. With the time for Maa Durga’s departure approaching, it becomes hard to hold back tears. As children, we were told that on this day one can see Maa Durga’s eyes glistening, as if she is teary-eyed.
Finally, as Maa Durga is being taken away for immersion, the women take some sindur from her head and apply it to the parting in their hair. What is left on the fingers is applied to the loha.
Then in the evening men follow the customary kolakuli (embracing each other), while younger members of the family touch the feet (pronam) of the elders seeking their blesings. Then sweets are distributed among each other amid greetings of Shubho Bijoya.
Nothing, in fact, can be compared to the magic of Durga Pujo in Kolkata. An outsider can never understand what it is that makes Durga Pujo so special.
Being a Bengali, Maa Durga resides in my heart. And this Durga Pujo, I have made a resolution. Next year onwards, no matter where I am in this earth, I resolve to be in Kolkata during these five days. Because I cannot stay away from the chaos, the aroma, the noise, the rhythm of the dhaak, the music, the smell of good food, the brightly illuminated pandals, the traffic congestions and all that is associated with Durga Pujo.
However, for the time being, it’s just Shubho Bijoya!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
দুর্গাপূজা is here again!
I don't think there is any other region in this world that can claim to possess such a rich heritage and culture as Bengali culture. It is the world's greatest culture. And I, having emerged from a pre-dominantly Bengali neighbourhood of Rabindra Sangeet, smell of fish curry and the sweet taste of rosshogolla, can vouch for this.
The best thing about our culture is its association with festivals — Saraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Dol, Kali Puja, Bhai Phota and the greatest of them all — the Durga Puja. Durga Puja is the greatest social and religious event of the Bengali calendar. It means the convergence of the Bengali's emotion, culture, love of life, warmth of being together, joy of celebration and the pride of artistic expression.
Durga Puja is much more than just worship… It makes me proud to be a Bengali, proud to be a part of the greatest culture on Earth - the Bengali culture.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Bangla bands: Striking a chord
I was never a fan of any Bengali rock group or ‘Bangla bands’ as they are called. Whenever I was told about them, I used to have a disgusted look on my face. I always thought whatever songs they sang were either translations or adaptations and their audiences were restricted within the college campus and youth circuits. However, that was till the time I was in Calcutta.
Now, it has been more two and half years that I have been away from the city. For the first time after leaving the city, I realised my true love for Calcutta and everything with a Bengali flavour, and that includes Bangla bands as well.
I realised, their songs were not mere adaptations and their popularity was not just with youngsters, but with a wide cross section of people. With the growing popularity of Bangla rock and fusion bands, it is very difficult to ignore them.
Bands like Parosh Pathor, Lakkhichhara, Fossils, Cactus, Chandrabindoo, Krosswindz and Bhoomi have carved a niche for themselves globally. While Cactus, Bhoomi and Chandrabindoo have performed in the US, the Krosswindz song Tangra Tobu Katon Jaye was nominated for Best Indian Classical/Traditional Song in 2006 at Just Plain Folks, a music awards in the US parallel to the Grammy.
Apart from this, now even prestigious music companies and websites from America such as ‘Apple’ and ‘Broadjam’ are selling Bangla music in the West.
What I like the most about their songs is that they are Calcutta-like, with lyrics that speak about the ordinariness of everyman, daily battles won and lost, self disgust, concern for youth or the rebellion against authority, among others.
Be it the anthemic hit Bhebe Dekhecho Ki by Mohiner Ghoraguli, who are touted as the first Indian rock band, the unforgetable Ami Shudhu Cheychhi Tomay by Cactus from the soundtrack of the Bengali film Nil Nirjane or the haunting tunes of Adorer Nouko by Chandrabindoo, I get a nostalgic feel every time I listen to them.
Bangla bands are just rocking. They strike an instant chord with the listener as they speak the language of the Bengalis. Their music has attained a new avatar. It is going places, with a new look and feel. With more international shows and collaborations in the offing, the guys and girls wearing white kurtas with namaboli prints, blue jeans and red dupattas are sure to attain even greater heights in the days to come.
And that is something that I am proud of.
Now, it has been more two and half years that I have been away from the city. For the first time after leaving the city, I realised my true love for Calcutta and everything with a Bengali flavour, and that includes Bangla bands as well.
I realised, their songs were not mere adaptations and their popularity was not just with youngsters, but with a wide cross section of people. With the growing popularity of Bangla rock and fusion bands, it is very difficult to ignore them.
Bands like Parosh Pathor, Lakkhichhara, Fossils, Cactus, Chandrabindoo, Krosswindz and Bhoomi have carved a niche for themselves globally. While Cactus, Bhoomi and Chandrabindoo have performed in the US, the Krosswindz song Tangra Tobu Katon Jaye was nominated for Best Indian Classical/Traditional Song in 2006 at Just Plain Folks, a music awards in the US parallel to the Grammy.
Apart from this, now even prestigious music companies and websites from America such as ‘Apple’ and ‘Broadjam’ are selling Bangla music in the West.
What I like the most about their songs is that they are Calcutta-like, with lyrics that speak about the ordinariness of everyman, daily battles won and lost, self disgust, concern for youth or the rebellion against authority, among others.
Be it the anthemic hit Bhebe Dekhecho Ki by Mohiner Ghoraguli, who are touted as the first Indian rock band, the unforgetable Ami Shudhu Cheychhi Tomay by Cactus from the soundtrack of the Bengali film Nil Nirjane or the haunting tunes of Adorer Nouko by Chandrabindoo, I get a nostalgic feel every time I listen to them.
Bangla bands are just rocking. They strike an instant chord with the listener as they speak the language of the Bengalis. Their music has attained a new avatar. It is going places, with a new look and feel. With more international shows and collaborations in the offing, the guys and girls wearing white kurtas with namaboli prints, blue jeans and red dupattas are sure to attain even greater heights in the days to come.
And that is something that I am proud of.
A peculiar paradox...
“...Durga Puja, at the onset of autumn, articulates a most peculiar paradox. In a purely physical and material sense, the city comes to a standstill. Traffic becomes even slower, walking becomes impossible with millions of people out on the streets, and business comes to a halt. But in another sense, the city comes alive. Calcutta, despite its poverty, its deprivation and its lack of certain amenities, is suddenly gripped by a new spirit of joy, gaiety and abandon...”
This is how a certain newspaper described the biggest festival of the Bengalis.
Maa Durga’s homecoming is a unique experience which Bengalis all over the world cherish. The eager wait before the pujo, the zest for enjoyment and then finally the sense of involvement can find no parallel.
This is the only time of the year when impoverished families forget their worries and celebrate, when the rich and the poor divide goes for a toss and everyone is out there to celebrate the homecoming of Maa Durga.
Durga Pujo is important not just as a religious occasion, but for the enduring tradition it symbolises.
Durga Pujo is very close to my heart. It reminds me of my childhood, the days that I spent in Calcutta simply enjoying the entire occasion and the experience as a whole.
For me, it is the best time of the year. These five days make up for the rest of the year.
However, the only sad thing about it is that it is too short...why can’t Maa Durga be here for 365 days?
This is how a certain newspaper described the biggest festival of the Bengalis.
Maa Durga’s homecoming is a unique experience which Bengalis all over the world cherish. The eager wait before the pujo, the zest for enjoyment and then finally the sense of involvement can find no parallel.
This is the only time of the year when impoverished families forget their worries and celebrate, when the rich and the poor divide goes for a toss and everyone is out there to celebrate the homecoming of Maa Durga.
Durga Pujo is important not just as a religious occasion, but for the enduring tradition it symbolises.
Durga Pujo is very close to my heart. It reminds me of my childhood, the days that I spent in Calcutta simply enjoying the entire occasion and the experience as a whole.
For me, it is the best time of the year. These five days make up for the rest of the year.
However, the only sad thing about it is that it is too short...why can’t Maa Durga be here for 365 days?
Durga Puja and a deep regard for nature!
Durga Puja is all set to go eco-friendly this year.
A prominent body of the priests has ordered its members to perform the rituals sans plastic. The organisation issued a diktat to all its members in West Bengal, urging them not to use plastic in any form while performing the prayer rituals. According to the diktat, no devotee can offer garlands, flowers or fruits in polythene carry bags. Plastic flowers used for decorating idols and plastic pouches for distributing bhog (food of the goddess) would also be barred.
This is really a novel idea considering that apart from environmental pollution, the huge quantity of plastic used during the five days of festivities could lead to disaster if a fire broke out.
Apart from placing a ban on the use of plastic, the member priests have also been asked to discourage the use of candles and wax during the festival as these are made of paraffin, which is injurious to health. Instead, the priests have been asked to promote diyas that are filled with ghee or oil.
This effort by the organisation is really heartening… So get set to get engulfed in a medley of ornamentation, illumination, the aroma of mouth-watering delicacies and the sweet aroma of the diyas.
A prominent body of the priests has ordered its members to perform the rituals sans plastic. The organisation issued a diktat to all its members in West Bengal, urging them not to use plastic in any form while performing the prayer rituals. According to the diktat, no devotee can offer garlands, flowers or fruits in polythene carry bags. Plastic flowers used for decorating idols and plastic pouches for distributing bhog (food of the goddess) would also be barred.
This is really a novel idea considering that apart from environmental pollution, the huge quantity of plastic used during the five days of festivities could lead to disaster if a fire broke out.
Apart from placing a ban on the use of plastic, the member priests have also been asked to discourage the use of candles and wax during the festival as these are made of paraffin, which is injurious to health. Instead, the priests have been asked to promote diyas that are filled with ghee or oil.
This effort by the organisation is really heartening… So get set to get engulfed in a medley of ornamentation, illumination, the aroma of mouth-watering delicacies and the sweet aroma of the diyas.
Get set to welcome Maa Durga!
The monsoon rains have withdrawn... there is freshness in the autumn air which is augmented by the clear sunshine. The beautiful sights of kaash flowers swaying under deep blue skies and sweet scent of shiuli all remind us of the fact that Maa Durga’s homecoming is just a few days away.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A hat-trick of successes for Indian sports, post-Chak De India!
It has been a great two months for Indian sports. For the third time, sports lovers in this country have been treated to, what I call is the Chak De India magic. I call it the Chak De India magic as there has been a resurgence in Indian sports in the two and half months so far after the release of the SRK-starrer on August 10, 2007.
First, the Indian football team created history by lifting the Nehru Cup international football trophy for the first time with a 1-0 victory over Syria in a tough final played in Delhi on August 29, 2007. The victory spurred a resurgence of football in India.
Then came the turn of hockey on September 9, 2007! Amidst a roaring crowd, the Indian hockey team won the Asia Cup after beating South Korea 7-2 in a hard fought final in Chennai. Not just the convincing win, but the Indian hockey team also added another feather to its cap. Its tally of 57 goals in the event became the highest for any team. Truely, a Chak De performance.
Finally, it was the turn of cricket. The Men in Blue rocked the shores of South Africa in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship. India beat Pakistan in the grand finale at Wanderers, Johannesburg, on September 24, 2007 and that too without the presence of its major stars. This day will be remembered in cricketing history.
And, what’s ironical was the presence of the man himself – Shah Rukh Khan – who played the inspirational coach in Chak De India at the Wanderers to cheer the Indian cricket team.
The match winning performances of India’s sporting sensations have taken the nation by storm. The title song of Chak De India has become an anthem of sorts. It has spread magic across all sports in India.
As the adrenaline is running high with India’s successes in sports, it’s time to say Chak De India again and again.
First, the Indian football team created history by lifting the Nehru Cup international football trophy for the first time with a 1-0 victory over Syria in a tough final played in Delhi on August 29, 2007. The victory spurred a resurgence of football in India.
Then came the turn of hockey on September 9, 2007! Amidst a roaring crowd, the Indian hockey team won the Asia Cup after beating South Korea 7-2 in a hard fought final in Chennai. Not just the convincing win, but the Indian hockey team also added another feather to its cap. Its tally of 57 goals in the event became the highest for any team. Truely, a Chak De performance.
Finally, it was the turn of cricket. The Men in Blue rocked the shores of South Africa in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship. India beat Pakistan in the grand finale at Wanderers, Johannesburg, on September 24, 2007 and that too without the presence of its major stars. This day will be remembered in cricketing history.
And, what’s ironical was the presence of the man himself – Shah Rukh Khan – who played the inspirational coach in Chak De India at the Wanderers to cheer the Indian cricket team.
The match winning performances of India’s sporting sensations have taken the nation by storm. The title song of Chak De India has become an anthem of sorts. It has spread magic across all sports in India.
As the adrenaline is running high with India’s successes in sports, it’s time to say Chak De India again and again.
Chak Diya India
“The only time that a World Cup was held in South Africa, Team India made it to the finals though the whole nation had written them off after a defeat in the group stages to Australia… and cricket is a funny game. So who knows (what's may happen this time)…”
This is what I had written in my post on September 11 - the day the Twenty20 World Cup began. A fortnight later Mahi and his boys have proved me right by pulling off a remarkable and almost unbelievable victory in the first Twenty20 World Cup.
What a moment for Indian cricket! Who would have dreamt of this victory? A young and enterprising team, led from the front by a great captain, winning the tournament in which the pundits had written us off. Without Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, the result was against all expectations.
This no-fear cricket has not only warmed all Indian hearts but instilled tremendous belief in India’s new-generation team. Above all, the win has, as Dhoni said, done the “repair work” that was necessary after India’s disastrous exit from the World Cup earlier this year. This is really looking good for the future of Indian cricket.
India beat the biggest teams in international cricket, Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan (twice). The team batted like lions, bowled like tigers and fielded like leopards. In a tournament that was supposed to give nothing but trouble to the bowlers, the opposition never got on top of our attack, and don’t forget we did not have Zaheer Khan. Bowlers like RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Sreesanth and Joginder Singh did it for us.
This win celebrates youth. Yuvraj Singh hitting six sixes in an over, Robin Uthappa, who can come in at any situation and make his mark, Rohit Sharma, not intimidated by the opposition even on debut, Irfan Pathan, once the blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket who came back the hard way after being sent home in the middle of a tour. And a special mention to Gautam Gambhir whose quiet but effective contribution laid the foundations for Yuvraj’s heroics.
Age is on their side as it is for the captain who led from the front. MS Dhoni has shown that he has the capabilities of being a true leader, one who can lead from the front and inspire his team. His appointment as ODI skipper is probably one of best things to have happened to Indian cricket in a long time.
All the best to Dhoni and his boys! Hope you give us many more such reasons to rejoice in future.
This is what I had written in my post on September 11 - the day the Twenty20 World Cup began. A fortnight later Mahi and his boys have proved me right by pulling off a remarkable and almost unbelievable victory in the first Twenty20 World Cup.
What a moment for Indian cricket! Who would have dreamt of this victory? A young and enterprising team, led from the front by a great captain, winning the tournament in which the pundits had written us off. Without Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, the result was against all expectations.
This no-fear cricket has not only warmed all Indian hearts but instilled tremendous belief in India’s new-generation team. Above all, the win has, as Dhoni said, done the “repair work” that was necessary after India’s disastrous exit from the World Cup earlier this year. This is really looking good for the future of Indian cricket.
India beat the biggest teams in international cricket, Australia, South Africa, England and Pakistan (twice). The team batted like lions, bowled like tigers and fielded like leopards. In a tournament that was supposed to give nothing but trouble to the bowlers, the opposition never got on top of our attack, and don’t forget we did not have Zaheer Khan. Bowlers like RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Sreesanth and Joginder Singh did it for us.
This win celebrates youth. Yuvraj Singh hitting six sixes in an over, Robin Uthappa, who can come in at any situation and make his mark, Rohit Sharma, not intimidated by the opposition even on debut, Irfan Pathan, once the blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket who came back the hard way after being sent home in the middle of a tour. And a special mention to Gautam Gambhir whose quiet but effective contribution laid the foundations for Yuvraj’s heroics.
Age is on their side as it is for the captain who led from the front. MS Dhoni has shown that he has the capabilities of being a true leader, one who can lead from the front and inspire his team. His appointment as ODI skipper is probably one of best things to have happened to Indian cricket in a long time.
All the best to Dhoni and his boys! Hope you give us many more such reasons to rejoice in future.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
C'mon India... do it... one last time!
YES! We’ve done it... we’ve avenged the defeat in the 2003 World Cup finals. Kingsmead came to resemble Little India as thousands of Indian flags were waved with abandon. And what more...we ourselves are now in a final... a dream final... an India vs Pakistan final in a World Cup. So what’s if it is a Twenty20 World Cup. A World Cup is a World Cup after all.
In my post on September 11 (Cricket’s latest avatar: Can Team India adapt?), I had mentioned that “The only time that a World Cup was held in South Africa, Team India made it to the finals though the whole nation had written them off after a defeat in the group stages to Australia… and cricket is a funny game. So who knows…”
So far my prediction, or should I say my wish, has come true... Let’s hope this time we go one step further and get back the cup...the cup that matters.
What’s notable about this Indian team is its self belief and fearless attitude. Be it the eccentric Sreesanth, the cool Irfan Pathan, the intense Dinesh Karthik, the calm and responsible Mahendra Singh Dhoni, composed Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh and Joginder Sharma, flashy Robin Uthappa and Rohit Sharma, or the crown prince Yuvraj Singh... every member in this team has played their part and played it to the best of their abilities so far.
Now they have just one more game to go... perhaps the most important game of their lives as no one had given them a chance in this tournament. It’s time to prove all those critics wrong.
It’s time for the team that made an early exit in the 50-over format of the World Cup in humiliating circumstances just six months ago, to throw everything into the game on Monday afternoon at the Wanderers as they have done so far in this tournament. Nothing short of over 200% intensity would do.
C’mon India... you can do it... one last time.
It will surprise no one if the DJ decides to kick off the festivities with Redemption Song.
In my post on September 11 (Cricket’s latest avatar: Can Team India adapt?), I had mentioned that “The only time that a World Cup was held in South Africa, Team India made it to the finals though the whole nation had written them off after a defeat in the group stages to Australia… and cricket is a funny game. So who knows…”
So far my prediction, or should I say my wish, has come true... Let’s hope this time we go one step further and get back the cup...the cup that matters.
What’s notable about this Indian team is its self belief and fearless attitude. Be it the eccentric Sreesanth, the cool Irfan Pathan, the intense Dinesh Karthik, the calm and responsible Mahendra Singh Dhoni, composed Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh and Joginder Sharma, flashy Robin Uthappa and Rohit Sharma, or the crown prince Yuvraj Singh... every member in this team has played their part and played it to the best of their abilities so far.
Now they have just one more game to go... perhaps the most important game of their lives as no one had given them a chance in this tournament. It’s time to prove all those critics wrong.
It’s time for the team that made an early exit in the 50-over format of the World Cup in humiliating circumstances just six months ago, to throw everything into the game on Monday afternoon at the Wanderers as they have done so far in this tournament. Nothing short of over 200% intensity would do.
C’mon India... you can do it... one last time.
It will surprise no one if the DJ decides to kick off the festivities with Redemption Song.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Underdogs India knocks 'chokers' South Africa out of Twenty20 World Cup
When a young Indian team under the captainship of Mahendra Singh Dhoni landed in South Africa about 10 days ago for the Twenty20 cricket world cup, nobody gave them any chance. They were the “underdogs”. However, people have now started taking the “underdogs” seriously when, in two successive days, they put it across two teams with the most experience in this version of cricket.
The hero of the match against South Africa was a 20-year-old making his debut. Rohit Sharma played with the poise, composure and temperament of an experienced professional. And if we add his exceptional fielding abilities to his batting, we can say that India has found a long-term middle-order batsman who should eventually make a mark in all forms of the game.
India, who is all of one game old in this format when the Twenty20 WC started, has shut many critics with their awesome performance. While we got to see some awesome batting display in the match against England, the victory against “chokers” South Africa — one of the best teams in cricket that has failed to go past the semi-final stage of a major tournament since being readmitted to the international fold in 1991 — saw significant performances in batting and a sensational display of fielding skills — Dinesh Karthik’s sensational catch to dismiss Graeme Smith, and Rohit Sharma’s Jonty Rhodes-like dive to run out Justin Kemp.
The only area that India needs to keep a watch on is the indiscipline in bowling. They gave away a handful in wides. Their excellence in other areas along with South Africa’s uncanny ability to play their worst cricket at the biggest stages allowed India to get away with it, but on Saturday against Australia such profligacy might cost them dear.
The hero of the match against South Africa was a 20-year-old making his debut. Rohit Sharma played with the poise, composure and temperament of an experienced professional. And if we add his exceptional fielding abilities to his batting, we can say that India has found a long-term middle-order batsman who should eventually make a mark in all forms of the game.
India, who is all of one game old in this format when the Twenty20 WC started, has shut many critics with their awesome performance. While we got to see some awesome batting display in the match against England, the victory against “chokers” South Africa — one of the best teams in cricket that has failed to go past the semi-final stage of a major tournament since being readmitted to the international fold in 1991 — saw significant performances in batting and a sensational display of fielding skills — Dinesh Karthik’s sensational catch to dismiss Graeme Smith, and Rohit Sharma’s Jonty Rhodes-like dive to run out Justin Kemp.
The only area that India needs to keep a watch on is the indiscipline in bowling. They gave away a handful in wides. Their excellence in other areas along with South Africa’s uncanny ability to play their worst cricket at the biggest stages allowed India to get away with it, but on Saturday against Australia such profligacy might cost them dear.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Indian cinema has not seen anything like Pather Panchali!
Last week I saw Pather Panchali (Song Of The Road) for the nth time… I sat down and wondered about all that had been said and written about the film over the years and then felt like doing something to pay tribute to one of the most astonishing films in the history of cinema. I decided to make a collage of a few stills from the films that I could say was my way of paying tribute to this amazing film, even if it was in a very small way.
Along with this I also ended up paying tribute to the man who made this wonderful film.
The man who started off as a visualiser in an ad agency in Calcutta… the man who made 35 feature films and five documentaries… the man who won practically every award in filmmaking… the man whom both the British Federation of Film Societies and the Moscow Film Festival Committee named one of the greatest directors of the second half of the 20th century… the man who received the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement as well as the Bharat Ratna - Satyajit Ray.
Ray caught the attention of cinema connoisseurs worldwide with the release of Pather Panchali in 1955 after about three years of unceasing financial difficulties.
Ray never wrote a complete screenplay for Pather Panchali… he sketched most of it. Some of those sketches - series of wash paintings in the manner of comics - are displayed in the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris.
The film - first in the Apu trilogy - mirrors the life in rural Bengal seen through the eyes of two children - Apu and his sister Durga - born in an impoverished family.
Pather Panchali has some of the most visually stunning scenes I have ever seen... the first raindrops on the bald pate of an angler, the water hyacinths in the pond, Durga and Apu spellbound by a humming telegraph pole, the siblings running through the kash (white cotton flower) fields at the sight of an approaching train, Durga developing pneumonia and dying or the scene after Durga’s death when Apu on discovering the necklace that she had actually stolen, throws it into the pond so that it remains a secret forever that his sister was the thief she was said to be … I can just go on and on.
Along with this I also ended up paying tribute to the man who made this wonderful film.
The man who started off as a visualiser in an ad agency in Calcutta… the man who made 35 feature films and five documentaries… the man who won practically every award in filmmaking… the man whom both the British Federation of Film Societies and the Moscow Film Festival Committee named one of the greatest directors of the second half of the 20th century… the man who received the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement as well as the Bharat Ratna - Satyajit Ray.
Ray caught the attention of cinema connoisseurs worldwide with the release of Pather Panchali in 1955 after about three years of unceasing financial difficulties.
Ray never wrote a complete screenplay for Pather Panchali… he sketched most of it. Some of those sketches - series of wash paintings in the manner of comics - are displayed in the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris.
The film - first in the Apu trilogy - mirrors the life in rural Bengal seen through the eyes of two children - Apu and his sister Durga - born in an impoverished family.
Pather Panchali has some of the most visually stunning scenes I have ever seen... the first raindrops on the bald pate of an angler, the water hyacinths in the pond, Durga and Apu spellbound by a humming telegraph pole, the siblings running through the kash (white cotton flower) fields at the sight of an approaching train, Durga developing pneumonia and dying or the scene after Durga’s death when Apu on discovering the necklace that she had actually stolen, throws it into the pond so that it remains a secret forever that his sister was the thief she was said to be … I can just go on and on.
However, two scenes in the film have left the maximum impact on me.
One is the scene when the monsoon arrives and Durga dances exultantly in the rain while, the less-adventurous Apu, watches her admiringly, huddled under a tree in the distance. Soon Durga joins her brother and they huddle together.
And the second one is the scene of Durga’s death. Apu summons a neighbour saying his mother has called her as Durga’s condition has deteriorated. The woman comes to Apu’s house. Inside, Durga’s mother Sarbojaya is sitting, unnaturally still, staring with unseeing eyes holding Durga’s lifeless head on her lap. The neighbour picks up Durga’s hand, but finds no pulse. She sits down near Sarbojaya and then embraces her, stroking her hair in a gesture of compassion, sharing her grief. To me this is one of the most saddest scenes ever filmed in Indian cinema... unspoken, silent and yet everytime I see it I get a lump in my throat.
A critic had once said about Pather Panchali: “The images speak and we listen with our eyes.”
This is my tribute to the some of the most enduring images on Indian screen and the man who created them. Indian cinema has not and will never ever see anything like Pather Panchali.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Way to go Zimbawbe
Cricket fans all over the world, except Australia, will not forget last night in a hurry. It was a night to remember as Zimbabwe inflicted the mother of all upsets in their Twenty-20 game against Australia. They outplayed the best team in the world... a team that looked overconfident right from the word go.
What an embarrassment for the men in skin-tight yellow and grey lycra.
And lest anyone think this was a fluke, it was not. For almost the entire game Zimbabwe were, almost unbelievably, on top. They bowled sensibly, fielded like demons and, finally, batted with the kind of wisdom that any top team would be proud of. They made the world champions look like no-hopers.
The Aussie batting lacked fluency, their bowlers were too wayward and their fielders fumbled and gave away overthrows. On the other hand, Zimbabwe threw themselves wholeheartedly into everything.
A great lesson for all those teams out there looking for ways and means to defeat the Aussies... put them under pressure... they will crumble.
What an embarrassment for the men in skin-tight yellow and grey lycra.
And lest anyone think this was a fluke, it was not. For almost the entire game Zimbabwe were, almost unbelievably, on top. They bowled sensibly, fielded like demons and, finally, batted with the kind of wisdom that any top team would be proud of. They made the world champions look like no-hopers.
The Aussie batting lacked fluency, their bowlers were too wayward and their fielders fumbled and gave away overthrows. On the other hand, Zimbabwe threw themselves wholeheartedly into everything.
A great lesson for all those teams out there looking for ways and means to defeat the Aussies... put them under pressure... they will crumble.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Cricket’s latest avatar: Can Team India adapt?
It’s just a couple of hours before the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup kicks off in South Africa. The Proteas are virtually living on a prayer… that’s the only way they can hope to break the World Cup jinx and not let it again be a case of “so near yet so far”.
On the other hand, the Aussies look all set to continue their domination and add another World Cup to their enviable kitty.
That brings us to the question “Where does Team India stand?”
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has already asked fans back home not to expect too much. Does that mean he is giving it up even before the tournament gets underway?
I would say “no”. On the contrary, I feel Dhoni is being practical.
First of all, India has very little experience in this format of the game. Secondly, without the presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan and with Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh under pressure to perform, it won’t be cakewalk for India. That’s the reason I say Dhoni is being practical and not raising false hopes.
So let’s sit back, relax and enjoy the newest avatar of cricket for the next fortnight… let the game win.
AN AFTERTHOUGHT:
The only time that a World Cup was held in South Africa, Team India made it to the finals though the whole nation had written them off after a defeat in the group stages to Australia… and cricket is a funny game.
So who knows…
On the other hand, the Aussies look all set to continue their domination and add another World Cup to their enviable kitty.
That brings us to the question “Where does Team India stand?”
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has already asked fans back home not to expect too much. Does that mean he is giving it up even before the tournament gets underway?
I would say “no”. On the contrary, I feel Dhoni is being practical.
First of all, India has very little experience in this format of the game. Secondly, without the presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan and with Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh under pressure to perform, it won’t be cakewalk for India. That’s the reason I say Dhoni is being practical and not raising false hopes.
So let’s sit back, relax and enjoy the newest avatar of cricket for the next fortnight… let the game win.
AN AFTERTHOUGHT:
The only time that a World Cup was held in South Africa, Team India made it to the finals though the whole nation had written them off after a defeat in the group stages to Australia… and cricket is a funny game.
So who knows…
Saturday, August 18, 2007
The Don… the country’s national game… and a dash of patriotism… Can’t ask for more
“Play for India first, then play for the team and, finally, if you have any strength left, then play for yourself…”
These words may sound philosophical, but when I heard them for the first time, my instant reaction was WOW! Because it came from none other than Shah Rukh Khan, who plays the coach of the “Indian National Women’s Hockey Team” in the movie Chak De! India.
Chak De… is the story of Kabir Khan, a hockey player, who is labeled a “gaddaar” because he fails to score a crucial goal, costing India the men’s hockey World Cup finals. For seven long years, Kabir has to bear the humiliation and insult. Finally, he gets a chance to prove to the world that he was not a traitor when he is hired to coach the Indian women’s hockey team that needed a coach but had no takers. Kabir fights against all odds and makes the unthinkable happen when the team wins the World Cup, and, in the process, he gets back his lost pride.
Chak De! India is a special film. It is one of best sports films I have ever seen.
The movie highlights, or rather, revives a sport, which is supposedly the national game of our country. It breaks all stereotypes and touches on issues like male chauvinism, racial discrimination, gender bias and lack of unity to name a few. It is one of he most thought-provoking movies I have seen.
Chak De! India is all about hope. It is all about keeping the country first and then your self. It is all about playing together as Team India and not members of individual states. Above all, Chak De! India is about pursuing a dream and believing that it can become a reality.
This is one of Shah Rukh’s most subdued performances till date. He lets his co-stars’ youthful charisma carry the movie, while portraying a character that vigorously and unabashedly advocates the advancement of women.
In short, Shah Rukh, the star, pulled audiences into the theatres and thereafter for the next 150-odd minutes Shah Rukh, the actor, keeps them enthralled.
The performance of the man can be best gauged by one newspaper review that says, “…even if you're a non-SRK fan, you gotta go 'n see him perform. And if you still remain unconvinced, just tell me one actor who would have dared to risk a script, which has no usual bollywood masala. The man knows his job and understands his strength!”
This film is the best I-Day gift for all Indians. It couldn’t have come at a better time than on the eve of the 60th Independence Day of India. The film surely strikes the goal… SPOT ON 10 TIMES OUT OF 10!!!
Chak De! Shah Rukh
These words may sound philosophical, but when I heard them for the first time, my instant reaction was WOW! Because it came from none other than Shah Rukh Khan, who plays the coach of the “Indian National Women’s Hockey Team” in the movie Chak De! India.
Chak De… is the story of Kabir Khan, a hockey player, who is labeled a “gaddaar” because he fails to score a crucial goal, costing India the men’s hockey World Cup finals. For seven long years, Kabir has to bear the humiliation and insult. Finally, he gets a chance to prove to the world that he was not a traitor when he is hired to coach the Indian women’s hockey team that needed a coach but had no takers. Kabir fights against all odds and makes the unthinkable happen when the team wins the World Cup, and, in the process, he gets back his lost pride.
Chak De! India is a special film. It is one of best sports films I have ever seen.
The movie highlights, or rather, revives a sport, which is supposedly the national game of our country. It breaks all stereotypes and touches on issues like male chauvinism, racial discrimination, gender bias and lack of unity to name a few. It is one of he most thought-provoking movies I have seen.
Chak De! India is all about hope. It is all about keeping the country first and then your self. It is all about playing together as Team India and not members of individual states. Above all, Chak De! India is about pursuing a dream and believing that it can become a reality.
This is one of Shah Rukh’s most subdued performances till date. He lets his co-stars’ youthful charisma carry the movie, while portraying a character that vigorously and unabashedly advocates the advancement of women.
In short, Shah Rukh, the star, pulled audiences into the theatres and thereafter for the next 150-odd minutes Shah Rukh, the actor, keeps them enthralled.
The performance of the man can be best gauged by one newspaper review that says, “…even if you're a non-SRK fan, you gotta go 'n see him perform. And if you still remain unconvinced, just tell me one actor who would have dared to risk a script, which has no usual bollywood masala. The man knows his job and understands his strength!”
This film is the best I-Day gift for all Indians. It couldn’t have come at a better time than on the eve of the 60th Independence Day of India. The film surely strikes the goal… SPOT ON 10 TIMES OUT OF 10!!!
Chak De! Shah Rukh
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
The 30-minute 'crap-athon'
“From the dusty playgrounds of Ranchi, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has made it as the Captain of the Indian team, for the inaugural Twenty-20 World Cup” — screamed one of reporters of a news channel last night while trying to prove that India’s future lay outside metros, in small towns.
Further, the channel also went to the extent of talking to a so-called “panel of experts” that used heavy-duty quotes/words like “alternative culture”, “metropolitan culture” and “India versus Bharat divide...” to prove their point.
However, mid-way through the “Special” I reached a saturation point and could absorb nothing more when the reporter started a debate on “...has our system been unjust for many decades and only a thin elite has been ruling all fields, leaving out a vast majority?”
I mean, it was hilarious. I still can’t fathom the fact that what made the channel feel that “the Buntys and Bablis of small towns are all set to conquer, while the babalog of the big cities are fading away”. People from small and lesser known towns have been making it big for years now.
Virender Sehwag, who made his ODI debut for India in 1999 against Pakistan, is the son of a grain hawker, who lived in a house stuffed with siblings, uncles, aunts and 16 cousins in Najafgarh, on the outskirts of New Delhi.
His teammates, fast bowler Munaf Patel and left-arm seamer R P Singh, hail from Bahruch in Gujarat and Rae Bareily in Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
Irfan Pathan, who made his India debut in 2003, grew up in a mosque in Baroda, Gujarat, in an impoverished family. His father served as the muezzin. Now, even his brother Yusuf has made it to the Twenty-20 squad.
Current bollywood queen Priyanka Chopra, who won the Miss World title in 2000, completed high school at Army Public School in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.
Then there is Govinda who was born and brought up in Virar, a far-flung outpost of Mumbai. “Chi chi”, as he is popularly known as, made his Hindi film debut in 1986, and has since acted in over 120 films with some of the biggest names in Bollywood.
About 5-6 finalists in each of the three editions of Indian Idol, a talent hunt show, were from places such as Jharkhand, Shillong, Uttaranchal etc.
So from where did this utter crap debate on “…the future of India lie outside the big cities” creep up?
I am not trying to take anything away from the people mentioned above and many others who have made it big from humble beginnings. All that I am trying to say is that why sensationalise such a fact which is not new, which has been happening for years? Why can’t the media curb its instinct for sensationalism for anything and everything? After all those patronizing teasers of the so-called “big story of the day”, the much-hyped story turned out to be a 30-minute “crap-athon”.
All that I can think of now is something that I had read in another blog — “The Indian media is full of vested interests, idiots who pontificate knowledge and predators preying on the infirm and intellectually challenged...”
How true!
Further, the channel also went to the extent of talking to a so-called “panel of experts” that used heavy-duty quotes/words like “alternative culture”, “metropolitan culture” and “India versus Bharat divide...” to prove their point.
However, mid-way through the “Special” I reached a saturation point and could absorb nothing more when the reporter started a debate on “...has our system been unjust for many decades and only a thin elite has been ruling all fields, leaving out a vast majority?”
I mean, it was hilarious. I still can’t fathom the fact that what made the channel feel that “the Buntys and Bablis of small towns are all set to conquer, while the babalog of the big cities are fading away”. People from small and lesser known towns have been making it big for years now.
Virender Sehwag, who made his ODI debut for India in 1999 against Pakistan, is the son of a grain hawker, who lived in a house stuffed with siblings, uncles, aunts and 16 cousins in Najafgarh, on the outskirts of New Delhi.
His teammates, fast bowler Munaf Patel and left-arm seamer R P Singh, hail from Bahruch in Gujarat and Rae Bareily in Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
Irfan Pathan, who made his India debut in 2003, grew up in a mosque in Baroda, Gujarat, in an impoverished family. His father served as the muezzin. Now, even his brother Yusuf has made it to the Twenty-20 squad.
Current bollywood queen Priyanka Chopra, who won the Miss World title in 2000, completed high school at Army Public School in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.
Then there is Govinda who was born and brought up in Virar, a far-flung outpost of Mumbai. “Chi chi”, as he is popularly known as, made his Hindi film debut in 1986, and has since acted in over 120 films with some of the biggest names in Bollywood.
About 5-6 finalists in each of the three editions of Indian Idol, a talent hunt show, were from places such as Jharkhand, Shillong, Uttaranchal etc.
So from where did this utter crap debate on “…the future of India lie outside the big cities” creep up?
I am not trying to take anything away from the people mentioned above and many others who have made it big from humble beginnings. All that I am trying to say is that why sensationalise such a fact which is not new, which has been happening for years? Why can’t the media curb its instinct for sensationalism for anything and everything? After all those patronizing teasers of the so-called “big story of the day”, the much-hyped story turned out to be a 30-minute “crap-athon”.
All that I can think of now is something that I had read in another blog — “The Indian media is full of vested interests, idiots who pontificate knowledge and predators preying on the infirm and intellectually challenged...”
How true!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
ICL juggernaut is all set to crush BCCI
Poaching is the name of the game. Well... that is the message the new Twenty20 Indian Cricket League, better known as ICL, seems to be conveying to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The Indian Cricket League, which is set to debut in October 2007, has hired ex-international cricketers like Kapil Dev, Tony Greig, Dean Jones and Kiran More as its board members.
A few days ago, it signed up Brian Lara by offering him a contract reportedly far more lucrative than the sum he earned while playing international cricket for the West Indies.
And now with other big names like Australian greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, the “sleeping Pakistani giant” Inzamam-ul-Haq, the greatest New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and “the master blaster” from Sri Lanka Sanath Jayasuriya on the verge of signing contracts, the cricket world is finally paying attention to the Zee Group’s venture.
Feeling the heat the most is BCCI because ICL is well on its way to pursue a form of the game that the governing body was not interested in. For long, BCCI had maintained that the Twenty20 version was a “handy tool to revive the game only in places where it had lost appeal”. The board was not even in favour of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, but had to embrace the format after it was outvoted 10-1 at an ICC meeting in Dubai few months ago (which means except BCCI, every other member was in favour of the Twenty20 World Championship).
Now, I guess, BCCI wants to admonish ICL as it realises that ICL has already got some ace its sleeve... or maybe they are worried that the argument they had put forward in the court a few years ago that “the Indian team does not play for India, but for BCCI”, may not hold good anymore.
We have seen for years the cricket run by BCCI. Now, it is time to give a chance to ICL.
The way ICL has gone about its task so far, I have no doubt that once it takes off, Subhash Chandra’s enterprise will not just run parallel to the existing cricket league managed by BCCI, but will overtake it.
In 1977, when Australian media baron Kerry Packer launched World Series Cricket, purists and even the Australian Cricket Board had derided his tournament as “Kerry Packer’s Cricket Circus”. Looks like this time it is going to be the other way round—people may soon start referring to BCCI as the Board of Control for “Circus” in India.
The Indian Cricket League, which is set to debut in October 2007, has hired ex-international cricketers like Kapil Dev, Tony Greig, Dean Jones and Kiran More as its board members.
A few days ago, it signed up Brian Lara by offering him a contract reportedly far more lucrative than the sum he earned while playing international cricket for the West Indies.
And now with other big names like Australian greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, the “sleeping Pakistani giant” Inzamam-ul-Haq, the greatest New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and “the master blaster” from Sri Lanka Sanath Jayasuriya on the verge of signing contracts, the cricket world is finally paying attention to the Zee Group’s venture.
Feeling the heat the most is BCCI because ICL is well on its way to pursue a form of the game that the governing body was not interested in. For long, BCCI had maintained that the Twenty20 version was a “handy tool to revive the game only in places where it had lost appeal”. The board was not even in favour of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, but had to embrace the format after it was outvoted 10-1 at an ICC meeting in Dubai few months ago (which means except BCCI, every other member was in favour of the Twenty20 World Championship).
Now, I guess, BCCI wants to admonish ICL as it realises that ICL has already got some ace its sleeve... or maybe they are worried that the argument they had put forward in the court a few years ago that “the Indian team does not play for India, but for BCCI”, may not hold good anymore.
We have seen for years the cricket run by BCCI. Now, it is time to give a chance to ICL.
The way ICL has gone about its task so far, I have no doubt that once it takes off, Subhash Chandra’s enterprise will not just run parallel to the existing cricket league managed by BCCI, but will overtake it.
In 1977, when Australian media baron Kerry Packer launched World Series Cricket, purists and even the Australian Cricket Board had derided his tournament as “Kerry Packer’s Cricket Circus”. Looks like this time it is going to be the other way round—people may soon start referring to BCCI as the Board of Control for “Circus” in India.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Dribble in the rain
It's been two years now that I have been shifted from the “city of joy” — Kolkata — to the “city of dreams” — Mumbai. I have realised in this period that monsoon is a big thing in this city. Apart from the cooling showers, which bring a respite from months of the gruelling heat, this season is characterised by diseases and death, stories of neglect by the municipal authorities, open gutters, discussions on the substandard quality of roadwork resulting in potholes and, above all, flooding. And it’s been the same year after year.
However, for me, there is one thing about the monsoons that bring back fond memories of childhood... fond memories of those days that I spent in Kolkata... fond memories of some serious football action in the slush.
This used to be the beginning of a “new season” for us when we all geared up for football matches played solely in mud and slush after months of playing cricket in dry and humid conditions.
I get nostalgic about those days in Kolkata when we (I and my friends) used to rush out of our houses the moment we used to hear the first clap of thunder. Even though there were 3 large grounds close to my house, none of them used to have even an inch of space with 5-6 parallel “matches” going on.
Soon, even our “team” used to make a grand entry into the ground. For no reason, we used to dive in all parts of the ground. Football skills used to take a backseat. We used to slip and fall (deliberately), laugh and in between also score some goals.
Even the timing of the monsoons couldn’t have been better — just after the beginning of a new academic year when there used to be no exam tension. None of us were ever worried about falling sick or missing school.
What followed after the “match” used to be even more interesting. All charged up, we used to jump into this nearby old swimming pool of green slime and have the time of our lives on the pretext of trying to clean ourselves up before heading home. We were told that this pool, which had been lying unused for a while, used to be pristine clear in its heydays. That was our only consolation before jumping into the “dark green” water body.
Looking back, I miss those days a lot. It feels worse every time I visit Kolkata, for all that I see is a new building that has sprung up in those places that used to be our playground.
When I see the children in my locality playing in the “gulli”, I wonder, will any of them ever experience the fun of getting wet in the rains and rolling in the slush... will they ever experience the feeling of being in a winning team... a team that has won by an insane scoreline of 17-0 or 25-0 in a “para” football match in the rain?
However, for me, there is one thing about the monsoons that bring back fond memories of childhood... fond memories of those days that I spent in Kolkata... fond memories of some serious football action in the slush.
This used to be the beginning of a “new season” for us when we all geared up for football matches played solely in mud and slush after months of playing cricket in dry and humid conditions.
I get nostalgic about those days in Kolkata when we (I and my friends) used to rush out of our houses the moment we used to hear the first clap of thunder. Even though there were 3 large grounds close to my house, none of them used to have even an inch of space with 5-6 parallel “matches” going on.
Soon, even our “team” used to make a grand entry into the ground. For no reason, we used to dive in all parts of the ground. Football skills used to take a backseat. We used to slip and fall (deliberately), laugh and in between also score some goals.
Even the timing of the monsoons couldn’t have been better — just after the beginning of a new academic year when there used to be no exam tension. None of us were ever worried about falling sick or missing school.
What followed after the “match” used to be even more interesting. All charged up, we used to jump into this nearby old swimming pool of green slime and have the time of our lives on the pretext of trying to clean ourselves up before heading home. We were told that this pool, which had been lying unused for a while, used to be pristine clear in its heydays. That was our only consolation before jumping into the “dark green” water body.
Looking back, I miss those days a lot. It feels worse every time I visit Kolkata, for all that I see is a new building that has sprung up in those places that used to be our playground.
When I see the children in my locality playing in the “gulli”, I wonder, will any of them ever experience the fun of getting wet in the rains and rolling in the slush... will they ever experience the feeling of being in a winning team... a team that has won by an insane scoreline of 17-0 or 25-0 in a “para” football match in the rain?
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