RIFLE RANGE BOY

The symbolic crossing of the 38th parallel The leaders of the Koreas cajoling each other to cross the coveted line. ©FG The world is pleased with the symbolic crossing of two brothers, brothers-in-arms, who, for the good 60 over years were hawkishly looking after each other with scorn over the 38th parallel. The arbitrary line set up in a wishy-washy way in 1955 after a feud which was heading nowhere. Instigated by cheering and doomsday prophets from the world over, the siblings spotted tangential growths of gargantuan proportions, so we are made to believe. Bear in mind, the world should not be too complacent that everything would be hunky dory from now on. Remember, the euphoria after the fall of Berlin Wall did not last enough for the world to forget the dark years of the Cold War. Lest not we forget the generally great vibes that Neville Chamberlain got after his meeting with the soon to Führer of the Reich. And the faux pas that followed as Germany invaded Poland befo...

Kafka in Ayodhya and other stories (2015, 2018) Author: Zafar Anjum Perhaps not many would appreciate the significance of the illustration of the insect to the title of this book. Of course, it is related to Franz Kafka's 1915 original novella 'Metamorphosis' where the protagonist transforms into a beetle-like insect overnight. It is a strange tale with many concealed messages and has been hailed one of the most fabulous fictions of the 20th century. It questions the purpose of our existence and our relationship with the people around us. This potpourri of short stories immerses our thoughts into the daily lives of the characters in their contemporary Asian lives. From a journalist, Herr Kafka, who turns up around the time of the court's announcement of Ayodhya's 'Ram Mandhir- Babri Masjid' legal wrangle to a name-dropping self-proclaimed broke 'writer', there many more chronicles in this book to let your mind to go wild. Another interesti...

The Number 23 (2007) I did wonder once why the seed of humanity is intertwined around an unusual number, 23; a prime number. [ Refer ] It could easily be centred around an even number or one around the most mysterious figures known to Man, i.e. nine. But it had to be 23. A funny number. Obscure or intentional? Actually, if we look around us, the number 23 appears more often than we realise. The enigmatic constant manifests as Avogadro's expression of  6 X 10 23   is the number of atoms in a mole of a substance. The Quran's first verse was told on the 23rd day of the ninth month, and it took 23 years to be fully revealed. Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times; Brutus' twenty-third one proving fatal after saying Et  Tu, Brute?' Then there is the superstitious belief of 'enigma 23' where bad things can happen around number 23. I thought Jim Carrey acted very well in this thriller. He portrays the role of a disturbed city dog catcher who bel...

Their Finest (2016) Unlike movies like 'Dunkirk' and 'Darkest Hour' that looks at a macro level, at the decisions and moves made at a higher level, this British film looks at it from a somewhat different angle. It reveals two things, as I see it; how the war affects the little man in the streets of London and how the spin doctors bend the truth to give a more grandiose picture to suit their agendas. Somehow, in the name of nationalism and duality of nature of things, we always see ourselves as the aggrieved but the righteous one. Is it just me or do I see more and more flicks where the female, in many recently released movies, play a more dominant and composed role? Their male counterparts are made to appear weak and fickle.  Catherine Cole, a Welsh lady, starts work with Ministry of Information to make documentaries to boost the morale of the public during the trying times of World War 2 as the UK is under attack by the German forces. She hears about a...

Cast in stone at a local temple for all to see. At one look, this passage, probably from the scriptures of Manu, must be the most patriarchal statement ever. This marble slab is plastered on the walls of a local Hindu temple. It is proudly placed amongst the many meaningful verses from the Gita. I wonder if anyone takes time to read it, understand its message. If they did, I wonder if they would state their dissatisfaction. Or perhaps request for other more appropriate messages in keeping with the demand of time, space and societal sensitivity!  These words may have carried relevance in a different era and in a distinct community milieu.  One would say that it is cherry-picking if certain parts of the scriptures are blanked out and the ones meeting our agenda are picked up. All words of wisdom should stand the test of time. It should be relevant to the end of times.  This trend of discussion is nothing new. Even during so-called 'Golden ...

Vikram Vedha (2017) Source: Wiki Whenever one goes back to his wayward ways, I remember Amma would say, "See, Vethalam has gone up murunga tree!" The story of Vedhalam (Vetal) goes back to the tales of King Vikramaditya and the fables of moral dilemmas. In one instance, the mighty King had to capture Vetal, a demon, from a cemetery. He was supposed to keep a code of silence and not utter a single word, or the creature would retreat back to the tree it was hanging. The King followed suit. The imp was such chatty chap who kept telling stories upon stories and demanding answers. He asserted that if the King knew the answer and did not reply, his head would explode. If the answer were correct, the devil would jump back to the tree. The devil would stay if the answer were wrong.  Like that the devil escaped captivity as the wise King could his tales that ended with riddles. 25 stories were told. The King could answer all 24. The demon dodged and the sorcerer caught him, an...

The Good Place (Seasons 1-2; 2016+ ) Yes, Ted Danson of the 'Cheers' is at it again. No, not a remake of the 1980s sitcom but he stars in another sitcom. Danson does not reprise his role of Sam Malone, the bartender. Maybe for old time sake,  he gets to the back the counter to serve in one scene.   This show deviates from your typical offering of American comedy where canned laughter spliced with unimaginative jokes weaved with sexual innuendoes rule the day. Interestingly, this show deals with something out-of-the-world, literally, that is.   It delves into the meaning of life and talks a lot about philosophers who gave their input trying to explain our existence,  the purpose of it all and the way one should live it. Questions like mortality, morality, telling white lies, mindfulness and inter-human relationships are dealt in a playful yet profound way.  Bartender, at your service! The first episode starts w...

All it takes is for someone to snoop around to look for another destination. A place where people lead an idyllic life living in symbiosis with the elements of nature, with the divine forces as their guiding light. Venture capitalists move in. They show them the carrot and the lure of what money can do to enrich their 'impoverished' lives. They influence the elders who steamroll all oppositions who want to maintain the status quo. The general public thinks the opposers are just spoiled sports, reminiscing the old times, living in the past and not moving with times. The time to live, the new kids on the block say is now, and they do not want to be left behind. So builds a frenzy, to join the bandwagon to draw sightseers to see what they had to offer. The natives were willing to play dance monkey to the tune of the first world revellers. Slowly, the natives' lives change. Their age-old tradition of caring for humanity rather than worldly materialistic things is but a thin...

Just as much as people love to indulge in seemingly unproductive activities like shopping, I like to just stand idle in the street somewhere and see how the world go at that corner of the planet. In fact, it is a form of mental callisthenics that stimulates the mind to think what possibly happened behind the persona that people portray as they walk head held high in confidence. Down in Amritsar, Punjab, where the land is fertile, and the name of the town takes after the substance, honey, that has healing qualities and are soothing to the palate, my friends decided to bring home some of its produce. To spice up your life, indulge in some people  watching  and let your mind go wild! Walking down the rows of shops accompanied by the symphony of honking motor vehicles and enthusiastic shop assistants trying their level best to entice potential customers into their shops, I found the job in indulging in my occasional pastime of people watching. Engrossing oneself in thi...

Just as much as people love to indulge in seemingly unproductive activities like shopping, I like to just stand idle in the street somewhere and see how the world go at that corner of the planet. In fact, it is a form of mental callisthenics that stimulate the mind to think about what possibly happened behind the persona that people portray as they walk head held high in confidence. Down in Amritsar, Punjab, where the land is fertile, and the name of the town takes after the substance, honey, that has healing qualities and is soothing to the palate, my friends decided to bring home some of its produce. To spice up your life, indulge in some people  watching  and let your mind go wild! Walking down the rows of shops accompanied by the symphony of honking motor vehicles and enthusiastic shop assistants trying their level best to entice potential customers into their shops, I found the job of indulging in my occasional pastime of people watching. Engrossing oneself...

In the heat of the midday sun and  the congestion of late morning  midtown Lucknow traffic, two  bosom buddies apparently of  different faiths as evidenced by  their choices of garments, tread  the cracks between vehicles to  reach their destination on the  back of a motorcycle. T he thing about Lucknow that fascinates me is how the Lucknowites keeps alive their past history despite the pressures from external forces, namely the political leaders, who are hellbent on re-writing the nation's history to fit into their political agenda. With the heightened inclusiveness and fear of domination around the world, it is indeed enlightening to learn that people here relish upon their past. They must be thinking that to go forward in life, one should not forget where one has come from. Our future is determined by our history. If we do not remember where we came from, how are we going to know where are we heading to? History teache...