Gone are the days when TV actresses were not just beautiful but could act as well. It’s hard to find a combination like that these days.
Showing posts with label Indian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indian. Show all posts
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Monday, 9 January 2017
Cartoonists: The Heart of Every Newspaper
Mornings are incomplete without a tea and a newspaper for many of us. What is it that completes a newspaper? Well, there are many elements off course. But there is something no newspaper reader misses. While editorials bring out momentous issues in a more serious way, there is a small column of cartoons, which admittedly steals the limelight. Every news story is written precisely with hard facts. Cartoons are also based on facts regarding the issues in society but they have a sarcastic representation. It is generally referred to as editorial cartoons of political satire. They are the heart of the newspaper.
Thursday, 7 July 2016
3 of the most interesting Indian conspiracy theories
1. The Nine Unknown Men
What is it?The society of the nine unknown men is a secret society created in around 270 BCE by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. When Ashoka was disgusted after the killings of the Kalinga War, he wanted some days of peace where he discovered secrets about the human life that was preserved to nine men in nine books, all sworn to secrecy.
Monday, 4 July 2016
What makes your neighbourhood AUNTIES gossip?
Not only on television but in real life, most people come across women also known as 'aunties' in their neighbourhood who like keeping themselves up to date about the happenings from door to door and an eagle-eye view of coming and going of persons in general. These women are a group strongly united by gossip and disapprovals. They are experts in giving the stink eye and the 'I am watching you' look. But have you ever wondered that maybe these annoying aunties are an important part of our community and are actually benefiting us?
India is a country where we all live like a big joint family. Neighbours are an important part of our lives and privacy is still a distant dream for many. Prying eyes and smirky looks are common. Women who are bound by their domestic walls come together and discuss people's lives, and simultaneously pass their judgements. Our neighbourhoods have strong gossip networks and rumors spread like wildfire. Where gossip may be considered a big evil by all, it is actually one of the most effective ways to reinforce correct behaviour.
In fact according to David Archard, a philosopher "Gossip exposes the wrongdoer to public shame or ridicule and consequently functions as a deterrent to such wrongdoing." And in actuality on numerous occasions, you do find yourself re-evaluating your actions in fear of becoming the local gossip topic.
But if these gossiping aunties reinforce correct and moral behaviour, why are they considered annoying and interfering? The answer lies in the core element of gossiping. The basis of a strong gossip network is the sharing of similar moral values and mannerisms. Therefore, if you do not fit into their paradigm, you risk becoming the topic of gossip and considered as an outsider of the community. India is still struggling with the wide and toppling generation gap and to be honest, most of our neighbourhood aunties just make our lives harder because of some book of outdated rules they have been taught to follow.
Believe it or not but the local gossip network or 'aunties' in our case, know more about of our lives than they let on. You can very well notice that in crime shows, local gossip helps the detectives long way to trace the life either of the victim or the suspect. A community surrounded by gossipers can apparently serve better than a CCTV camera in times of need. I also do not rule out the possibility that gossip can be harmful and bad. Too much involvement in gossip can lead to negative impacts as well. Gossip can also lead to complete distortion of a person's public image combined with blackmail purposes.
Another important fact to understand is that you absolutely cannot escape this phenomenon. We are social animals and apparently we have a need to belong. When you enter a community with its own set of rules and model of living, you have to adopt it. But looking ahead as we will be the educated future of this community with so many spoon-fed Western values, there is a huge possibility of us becoming gossipers with quite a different type of values and mannerisms but equally ridiculous in nature.
In fact according to David Archard, a philosopher "Gossip exposes the wrongdoer to public shame or ridicule and consequently functions as a deterrent to such wrongdoing." And in actuality on numerous occasions, you do find yourself re-evaluating your actions in fear of becoming the local gossip topic.
But if these gossiping aunties reinforce correct and moral behaviour, why are they considered annoying and interfering? The answer lies in the core element of gossiping. The basis of a strong gossip network is the sharing of similar moral values and mannerisms. Therefore, if you do not fit into their paradigm, you risk becoming the topic of gossip and considered as an outsider of the community. India is still struggling with the wide and toppling generation gap and to be honest, most of our neighbourhood aunties just make our lives harder because of some book of outdated rules they have been taught to follow.
Believe it or not but the local gossip network or 'aunties' in our case, know more about of our lives than they let on. You can very well notice that in crime shows, local gossip helps the detectives long way to trace the life either of the victim or the suspect. A community surrounded by gossipers can apparently serve better than a CCTV camera in times of need. I also do not rule out the possibility that gossip can be harmful and bad. Too much involvement in gossip can lead to negative impacts as well. Gossip can also lead to complete distortion of a person's public image combined with blackmail purposes.
Another important fact to understand is that you absolutely cannot escape this phenomenon. We are social animals and apparently we have a need to belong. When you enter a community with its own set of rules and model of living, you have to adopt it. But looking ahead as we will be the educated future of this community with so many spoon-fed Western values, there is a huge possibility of us becoming gossipers with quite a different type of values and mannerisms but equally ridiculous in nature.
Written by Sanya K. Aitwani
Complicated thinker with a creative streak and perceptive outlook.
Complicated thinker with a creative streak and perceptive outlook.
Thursday, 16 June 2016
Are Indian TV serials ruining our society?
Everything, small or big, contributes to the making of a society. Since each house has, at least, one idiot box, it suffices to say that the role played by it is a major one. The concepts which are portrayed in various shows are either inspired by the society or they are influencing it one way or the other.
Television is closely associated with the film industry. Film stars work on small screen to get closer to the audience. With their weekly shows, these big screen celebrities become a more common face just like small screen stars who becomes part and parcel of every household. Similarly, many television artists are lucky enough to get a chance on the silver screen. Shahrukh Khan started his career with shows like Fauji and Circus. His talent was recognised by the filmmakers and they launched him in movies. The rest is history. He is the king of Bollywood and also world’s highest paid actor, according to the Forbes magazines. Sushant Singh Rajput and many other stars are following his footsteps with the hope earning the same fame as him.
Along with that, the promotion of movies is not possible without appearing on these daily soaps. So, why are we accusing these serials? Why some of us think that they’re ruining the society? Clearly, they’re working as a boon for the wanna be actors and Bollywood stars too.
The answer is pretty simple. Whenever I pick up the remote and switch to a channel with a hope of watching some good shows, all I stumble upon is a melodramatic show with similar storylines. Mother-in-law hating her son’s wife and trying everything in her power to make her life miserable. Either that or a love-hate relationship followed by a forced marriage where the couple will re-discover romance. If by any chance, producers decide to twist the stereotypical storyline, they would begin with a new story sans the relationship trouble but, in the end, they are bound to go the same old way because they want to drag this show for, at least, ten years.
Running time of a show is not a problem if they’re showing sensible things and not rubbish, different yet acutely similar storyline. 'Friends' was on-air for roughly ten years and 'Grey’s Anatomy' has been on television for more than eleven years. The difference lies in the manner. Dividing a show into various seasons keep the viewers interested and invested. While Indian television shows go on for years, no one bothers to divide them into seasons. It is troublesome to keep a track of episodes and storylines.
The other thing which makes it unbearable is the cowardliness of the creative heads. No one wants to go beyond the household issues. They are more than happy to exploit relationships. When can we expect them to produce something which goes beyond the kitchen dynamics?
It is definitely ruining the society. With an exception of a few serials, all of them consist of powerless female leads who have two important objectives: dress up as if life is a never ending party and be weak and garner the sympathy of the viewers with teary eyes and doe-like face. It displeases me to end when I see these characters. They do not go beyond the house chores. Hardly any of them is working and having a successful career. Is this the message they are trying to give? This is certainly not the present scenario. A lot of women are earning and living off on their salaries. They have a life beyond the four walls of the house.
If they’re present the society, they are definitely living in the past. But their restricted mindset is working as a hurdle and viewers minds might narrow down by this. We need some forward thinking characters with a new mindset.
Other than that, there is no visual treat for the audience neither are they introduced to the new concepts. Viewers’ desires to watch something different like Game of Thrones or intriguing like Sherlock will have to wait for another decade or so.
Earlier, we have sitcoms like Office-Office and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai to keep us entertained without employing any serious characters. Pity, those days are gone.
Now, we have shows like Sasural Simar Ka and Yeh Rishta and they can never live up to the expectations of the youths. This is why youngsters are turning to American TV series and prefer them over Indian serials.
Written by Priyanka Chauhan
A bibliophile and an aspiring writer who lives with a dream to travel the world.
Television is closely associated with the film industry. Film stars work on small screen to get closer to the audience. With their weekly shows, these big screen celebrities become a more common face just like small screen stars who becomes part and parcel of every household. Similarly, many television artists are lucky enough to get a chance on the silver screen. Shahrukh Khan started his career with shows like Fauji and Circus. His talent was recognised by the filmmakers and they launched him in movies. The rest is history. He is the king of Bollywood and also world’s highest paid actor, according to the Forbes magazines. Sushant Singh Rajput and many other stars are following his footsteps with the hope earning the same fame as him.
The answer is pretty simple. Whenever I pick up the remote and switch to a channel with a hope of watching some good shows, all I stumble upon is a melodramatic show with similar storylines. Mother-in-law hating her son’s wife and trying everything in her power to make her life miserable. Either that or a love-hate relationship followed by a forced marriage where the couple will re-discover romance. If by any chance, producers decide to twist the stereotypical storyline, they would begin with a new story sans the relationship trouble but, in the end, they are bound to go the same old way because they want to drag this show for, at least, ten years.
Running time of a show is not a problem if they’re showing sensible things and not rubbish, different yet acutely similar storyline. 'Friends' was on-air for roughly ten years and 'Grey’s Anatomy' has been on television for more than eleven years. The difference lies in the manner. Dividing a show into various seasons keep the viewers interested and invested. While Indian television shows go on for years, no one bothers to divide them into seasons. It is troublesome to keep a track of episodes and storylines.
The other thing which makes it unbearable is the cowardliness of the creative heads. No one wants to go beyond the household issues. They are more than happy to exploit relationships. When can we expect them to produce something which goes beyond the kitchen dynamics?
It is definitely ruining the society. With an exception of a few serials, all of them consist of powerless female leads who have two important objectives: dress up as if life is a never ending party and be weak and garner the sympathy of the viewers with teary eyes and doe-like face. It displeases me to end when I see these characters. They do not go beyond the house chores. Hardly any of them is working and having a successful career. Is this the message they are trying to give? This is certainly not the present scenario. A lot of women are earning and living off on their salaries. They have a life beyond the four walls of the house.
If they’re present the society, they are definitely living in the past. But their restricted mindset is working as a hurdle and viewers minds might narrow down by this. We need some forward thinking characters with a new mindset.
Other than that, there is no visual treat for the audience neither are they introduced to the new concepts. Viewers’ desires to watch something different like Game of Thrones or intriguing like Sherlock will have to wait for another decade or so.
Now, we have shows like Sasural Simar Ka and Yeh Rishta and they can never live up to the expectations of the youths. This is why youngsters are turning to American TV series and prefer them over Indian serials.
Written by Priyanka Chauhan
A bibliophile and an aspiring writer who lives with a dream to travel the world.
Wednesday, 15 June 2016
People who make SNAPCHAT super fun and entertaining
After the Tanmay Bhatt controversy, Snapchat became the most talked about app. We even had a few news channels explaining it to the audience that how it works.
Now that most of us know about it and a few of us are practically addicted to it, we should be aware of certain personalities who make this social media platform extremely enjoyable. These are my top 5 people and they are all Indian personalities.
I didn’t purposely include Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner or Miley Cyrus because our people are entertaining enough.
Snapchat Username: aslisonasnap
Now that most of us know about it and a few of us are practically addicted to it, we should be aware of certain personalities who make this social media platform extremely enjoyable. These are my top 5 people and they are all Indian personalities.
I didn’t purposely include Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner or Miley Cyrus because our people are entertaining enough.
1. Sonakshi Sinha
Snapchat Username: aslisonasnapMonday, 13 June 2016
The Indian Stereotype Conundrum
If there is anything that bothers me more than bad grammar, then it is the delusional phenomenon that many people believe. I am referring to the habit of stereotyping Indians. In fact, stereotyping any person seems like a stupid thing to do. People tend to get bothered because of being stereotyped. Obviously, this is because no one likes to be judged. Now since the article is based on the Indian perspective, there are two ways in which we Indians face this issue.
STEREOTYPED BY ALIENS:
I know your reaction after reading that heading. Stereotyped by aliens? What’s he on about? Well, when you look at the definition of Aliens you’d be reassured that I am not referring to the ones who don’t live on Earth, but the ones who don’t live in our country. Stereotyped by those who don’t know much about our country but yet pass judgements on us as if they are one of us! Irritates the hell out of you, right? Fair enough.
Contrary to the popular beliefs:
STEREOTYPED BY INDIANS:
The hypocrisy is high with this one. You may try denying this but every Indian does it (exceptions exist of course). We tend to stereotype people from our own country. It is not something we learn separately but it is what we notice in our environment and incorporate it senselessly in our thinking and perceptions.
Again contrary to popular beliefs:
Again, the list is endless. But you get the point, right?
Stereotyping is a much broader concept than what I just mentioned above. It’s not only restricted to your nationality, it goes beyond that. A person is stereotyped on the basis of his/her religion, caste, gender as well. Stereotyping a person is much more harmful to society than we may fathom. It creates an illusion, a fake judgement of a person whom we don’t even know properly. A study shows that whenever a person is stereotyped in his/her workplace, it may affect that person’s performance as a result of the prejudice that is created. It affects more aspects of our life than we can imagine. A person confessed that he didn’t choose a profession of his liking only because of the fear of being stereotyped in the society. What we may laugh off as a joke, some people tend to take it seriously and rightly so. No one has the right to judge you based on what some other person belonging to your caste or gender or religion did in the past.
It is very important to combat this situation. And the good thing is that it can be done. The very first thing we can do is admitting the fact that we do stereotype. Solving the problem starts with its identification. Having an open mind about people and situations and discussing these situations may help raise the seriousness of the issue. While it is pretty difficult to imagine a world where stereotyping doesn’t exist, it is possible to considerably reduce the application of these stereotypes in our day to day life. This will not only help in reducing the unjustified evaluation of individuals but also will give us a broader perspective of the world and life.
I know your reaction after reading that heading. Stereotyped by aliens? What’s he on about? Well, when you look at the definition of Aliens you’d be reassured that I am not referring to the ones who don’t live on Earth, but the ones who don’t live in our country. Stereotyped by those who don’t know much about our country but yet pass judgements on us as if they are one of us! Irritates the hell out of you, right? Fair enough.
Contrary to the popular beliefs:
- We don’t eat curry and spicy food all the time.
- We don’t wobble our heads like Bobbleheads just for the sake of it.
- We definitely are not a country of snake charmers.
- Our country isn’t smelly! (Debatable)
- Not all Indian men are Rapists.
STEREOTYPED BY INDIANS:
The hypocrisy is high with this one. You may try denying this but every Indian does it (exceptions exist of course). We tend to stereotype people from our own country. It is not something we learn separately but it is what we notice in our environment and incorporate it senselessly in our thinking and perceptions.
Again contrary to popular beliefs:
- Not every Punjabi person is loud, not every Punjabi is all about booze.
- Not every Tamilian eats Idli and Sambhar daily. NOT EVERY SOUTH INDIAN IS MADRASI.
- Not every Maharashtrian hates North Indians.
- Not every Gujju is all about Dhoklas!
- Not every Bengali guy is a ‘Scholar’ and fish lover.
Again, the list is endless. But you get the point, right?
Stereotyping is a much broader concept than what I just mentioned above. It’s not only restricted to your nationality, it goes beyond that. A person is stereotyped on the basis of his/her religion, caste, gender as well. Stereotyping a person is much more harmful to society than we may fathom. It creates an illusion, a fake judgement of a person whom we don’t even know properly. A study shows that whenever a person is stereotyped in his/her workplace, it may affect that person’s performance as a result of the prejudice that is created. It affects more aspects of our life than we can imagine. A person confessed that he didn’t choose a profession of his liking only because of the fear of being stereotyped in the society. What we may laugh off as a joke, some people tend to take it seriously and rightly so. No one has the right to judge you based on what some other person belonging to your caste or gender or religion did in the past.
It is very important to combat this situation. And the good thing is that it can be done. The very first thing we can do is admitting the fact that we do stereotype. Solving the problem starts with its identification. Having an open mind about people and situations and discussing these situations may help raise the seriousness of the issue. While it is pretty difficult to imagine a world where stereotyping doesn’t exist, it is possible to considerably reduce the application of these stereotypes in our day to day life. This will not only help in reducing the unjustified evaluation of individuals but also will give us a broader perspective of the world and life.
Written by Anand JC
Reader. Writer. Teacher. Preacher. Occasional Exerciser. Master Procrastinator ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Not the usual drama, Sony TV caters us two refreshing shows
Yes, I am talking about 'Kuchh Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi' and 'Ek Duje Ke Vaaste'
Sony TV has come up with quite a few different concepts right from the days of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi to a man trapped in a woman’s body Bhaskar Bharti. Not to forget they even collaborated with YRF and gave us some classy shows like Mahi Way, Rishta.com.
Even now, when the other leading channels have major saas-bahu dramas, Sony TV has got us two fresh tv shows like Kuchh Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi and Ek Duje Ke Vaaste.
Kuchh Rang... is the story of Dev Dixit and Sonakshi Bose. Dev is a devoted son who lost his father at a young age. His mother dislikes his choice of a life partner in Sonakshi and is forced to choose between the two.
There is no love at first sight, no falling into each other's arms, no eye locks nothing. The story is about these two individuals actually getting to know each other.
Sonakshi is a strong, practical, independent working woman; a nutritionist, with a family which totally supports her independence. Dev, on the other hand, is someone who has struggled a lot to achieve whatever he has in life, he loves his family to death and is extremely caring but may still come off as a guy who is arrogant and controlling. Another important character is that of Dev’s mother; Ishwari Dixit. She is a sweet, heart-warming personality but is possessive about her son. She has a past which makes her like this.
Their worlds collide when Dev appoints Sonakshi as his mother’s personal nutritionist. It’s interesting to see this story unfold and getting to know how Dev and Sonakshi fall in love and what exactly is the reason Dev’s mother disapproves his choice of a life partner in Sona (as she is fondly called in the show).
Ek Duje Ke Vaaste is a story of Suman and Shravan. Suman lost her parents at a young age and grows up to become an independent woman. She lives with her maternal family and is extremely dutiful towards every member to an extent that some of them take advantage of her. Things take a turn when she meets Shravan; her childhood best friend with whom she had a fallout.
Shravan is a lawyer like his dad and returns from London after 10 years. He was mistreated by Suman in childhood and wants to seek revenge of that from her.
Shravan-Suman’s story is engaging because they aren’t complete strangers, instead, they have a history. Their story is backed up with some effective flashback sequences. The first 25 episodes basically dealt with the two characters clearing up the differences they had and discovering a new side of each other.
The friendship they share is deep, their conversations are relatable. You just can’t help but adore and sometimes envy their friendship. As it is famously said, the best relationship is when your lover is your best friend. This very well implies on Shravan Suman’s friendship which is slowly progressing towards a love story.
The most likeable part of both the shows is the character sketches of the female leads. They are strong, independent women and just not like the ones we are used to watching. They are both far off from shedding unnecessary tears and actually stand up for themselves whenever required.
Both the shows are realistic and not overly high on drama. It’s been 3 months since they started and their online fan base is already huge.
Add them to your watchlist if you really want to watch something different and refreshing.
Sony TV has come up with quite a few different concepts right from the days of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi to a man trapped in a woman’s body Bhaskar Bharti. Not to forget they even collaborated with YRF and gave us some classy shows like Mahi Way, Rishta.com.
Even now, when the other leading channels have major saas-bahu dramas, Sony TV has got us two fresh tv shows like Kuchh Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi and Ek Duje Ke Vaaste.
There is no love at first sight, no falling into each other's arms, no eye locks nothing. The story is about these two individuals actually getting to know each other.
Their worlds collide when Dev appoints Sonakshi as his mother’s personal nutritionist. It’s interesting to see this story unfold and getting to know how Dev and Sonakshi fall in love and what exactly is the reason Dev’s mother disapproves his choice of a life partner in Sona (as she is fondly called in the show).
Shravan is a lawyer like his dad and returns from London after 10 years. He was mistreated by Suman in childhood and wants to seek revenge of that from her.
Shravan-Suman’s story is engaging because they aren’t complete strangers, instead, they have a history. Their story is backed up with some effective flashback sequences. The first 25 episodes basically dealt with the two characters clearing up the differences they had and discovering a new side of each other.
The friendship they share is deep, their conversations are relatable. You just can’t help but adore and sometimes envy their friendship. As it is famously said, the best relationship is when your lover is your best friend. This very well implies on Shravan Suman’s friendship which is slowly progressing towards a love story.
The most likeable part of both the shows is the character sketches of the female leads. They are strong, independent women and just not like the ones we are used to watching. They are both far off from shedding unnecessary tears and actually stand up for themselves whenever required.
Both the shows are realistic and not overly high on drama. It’s been 3 months since they started and their online fan base is already huge.
Add them to your watchlist if you really want to watch something different and refreshing.
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