LAST CHRISTMAS OF GEORGE MICHAEL

LAST CHRISTMAS OF GEORGE MICHAEL

The WHAM fame Geroge Michael, who always been the face of pop music for two decades have rested his claim this Christmas.  His unique blend of soul and dance music made daring social commentary and personal remarks.

George Michael died on yesterday at his home in Goring, England. Michael Lippman, his manager revealed, his cause of death was heart failure. Today his family passed a message, "passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.”

2016 years has marked the unfortunate demise of David Bowie, Prince and Glenn Frey and George Michael. George Michael is known to India for these famous songs like ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘Careless Whisper’.  He started his career with a band ‘WHAM’. He was in controversy for his songs like ‘freedom’, ‘Fast love’, ‘I Want Your Sex’ and ‘Fantasy’.

George Michael has sold his 100 million albums globally; he earned numerous Grammy and American Music Awards, and proudly recorded duets with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Luciano Pavarotti and Elton John among others.

           Today Elton John wrote on Instagram "I have lost a beloved friend — the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist.”  He always had a tailored look and flaunted his Lionel stage gestures ruled the hearts of millions. George Michael was active in a number of charities and helped raise money to combat AIDS. He always helped needy children and supported gay rights.

Geroge Michael has a very special status in India, as globalization era of India witnessed inter-net café, music in cake-shops and food joints created a buzz around of pop music. It was fag end of decade 1990 and beginning of new millennium or first decade of 2000. In socio-psychological lingua we call this generation as ‘internet generation’. The use of pop t-shirts, skirts, jeans and accessories like necklace, wrist band and ripped jeans was in fashion. George Michael’s life size posters were sold across India. India was in love with this Brit man in late 90s. I have seen collegians who booked their orders in Archie’s gallery or Hallmark shops for him. It was the time when every collegian use to past the poster of pop icon in their room. The word ‘den’ was very popular on those days when boys use to call their study room as their ‘den’.  Those were the last days of cassettes. Collegians use to fill or buy new albums of George Michael with zeal to join his legion. Boy-bands like BACKSTREET BOYS, BOYZONE and many others have opened their online accessory shops by following the footsteps of George Michael.

George Michael always stood rock high for his soul turning lyrics, his songs like ‘praying for time, kissing a fool, faith, waiting for that day and faith’ has modern day imagery and similes. His lyrics talked about everyday life and narrated the niche problems and complexes of youngsters. Every youngster found a cozy corner to listen his songs. This pacified their innermost feelings. George Michael never used any biblical or heavy literary terminologies. He always created metaphors out of modern day objects.

George Michael enriched the last two decade and left many memories with us. We will remember and recall him for his music and the modern day imagery. George Michael’s controversial songs kissing a fool, faith, outside, fast love, I want your sex, and somebody to love are the best example of outcry of post-modernism.  In coming years George Michael’s songs will read as a paragon of post-modernism.

George Michael who cut short his life at 53 will always be remember for his ‘Last Christmas’ 

The Art of TRANSLATION

The Art of TRANSLATION

After working in media industry for 15 years and teaching Cinema for 12 years I have come to a conclusion, language cannot be stored in a dictionary.

I differ with the thesaurus, as it claims to give exact synonyms and antonyms. Every word has its own meaning and life. Every person when use any word it has a bit different intentions and it connotes the slightly different.

Every language has a beauty, while using the words; we unfold, manifold or undo the beauty. Today I have chosen a word ‘fool’. Let us see how many synonyms we find for it. We often call a person ‘fool’ for doing something idiotic or a naïve person who is easily tricked.

 Dunce - a person who is slow at learning; a stupid person.

John Duns Scotus a Scottish theologian and scholar his followers were ridiculed by 16th-century humanists and reformers, who referred to them as ‘dunces’.

 ‘Ignoramus’ - was the approval given by a grand jury on the prosecution’s insufficient evidence for to warrant the case going forward. The modern sense of ignoramus reflects the character in George Ruggle’s 1615 comedy Ignoramus, which satirizes the sheer ignorance of lawyers.

Dullard - is an old-fashioned word for a dumb person. Who need to explain on how to sit in a chair, it is also in Middle Dutch word dullaert, from dul (‘dull’).

 Drongo - is a Australian and New Zealand English word, it is insulting like  "idiot" or "stupid fellow". This usage derives from an Australian racehorse of the same name (apparently after the spangled drongo, Dicrurus bracteatus) in the 1920s that never won despite many starts.  According to Merriam Webster it is a stupid or unimaginative person.

 Klutz -it has Yiddish origin klots, meaning ‘wooden block’, klutz refers to someone for clumsy, awkward, or foolish nature.

 Little Witham – it is a pun, several villages in Lincolnshire and Essex called ‘Witham’. Someone from ‘Little Witham’ is credited for their stupidity. ‘Witham’ has been used to refer to someone ‘witless’ or a fool.

Silly Billy - was clown common at fairs in England during the 19th century. It was very common in London as a street entertainer, along with the similar clown Billy Barlow. This depicts an act of a person playing the part of a fool or idiot, impersonating a child and singing comic songs. It is attributed to people named William. According to Urban Dictionary it is strictly speaking a derogatory term.

Nincompoop - a foolish or stupid person. It has a Latin roots,  Latin legal phrase non compos mentis "insane, mentally incompetent" (c.1600), Slang definition A fool or stupid person 

Blockhead - The OED puts it best: ‘A wooden head, a wooden block for hats or wigs; hence, a head with no more intelligence in it than one of these, a blockish head’. Ouch, A foolish person.

Dunderhead – a person how use no brain, or Blockhead. There are many wonderful-sounding words like dunderhead, chucklehead, knucklehead, muttonhead, puddinghead, thickhead, airhead, and pinhead. They all carry same meaning.

Dumbo - a stupid person. This term is made out of dumb + o. It was popularized in the 1950s by the Disney film Dumbo. Poor cartoon elephants!

I have got a referential quote on this occasion, While teaching translation in class, I first make read this quote to my students.

“There is no such thing as a perfect, ideal, or 'correct' translation. A translator is always trying to extend his knowledge and improve his means of expression; he is always pursuing facts and words.”
Peter Newmark, Manual De Traduccion / A Textbook of Translation

When I studied Salman Rushdie for my PG, I came across his following lines,

“The word 'translation' comes, etymologically, from the Latin for 'bearing across'. Having been borne across the world, we are translated men. It is normally supposed that something always gets lost in translation; I cling, obstinately to the notion that something can also be gained.”
Salman Rushdie wrote in Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991

I read books, news paper and compare the news from different press, medium and language. Once I met world renowned linguist Dr. Sumit Paul and he shared what he learned from his mentor Umberto Eco at Oxford. “Translation is the art of failure.” 

Last week when a small girl of 3rd standard asked me on ‘translation’ I explained it to her with the words of Mark Twain “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is really a large matter it’s the difference between lightning and a lightning bug”

Lately when I was doing a research on the propaganda, I dug out the WWI and WWII propaganda strategies. I find out the lines of Friedrich Nietzsche, “To use the same words is not a sufficient guarantee of understanding; one must use the same words for the same genus of inward experience; ultimately one must have one’s experiences in common.”

While writing and predicting on US election and European political developments I find out Noam Chomsky aptly wrote on language.  “Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied.”

Urdu the sweetest language of subcontinent, Urdu has its three ‘F’ Faiz, Firaq & Faiz who rules Urdu literature. Ahemad Faraz , Faiz Ahmad & Firaq Gorakhpuri.  Faiz Ahmad once said on translation, “The first rule of translation: make sure you know at least one of the bloody languages!”

To call it a day, I would love to share couple of proverbs

Russian Proverb - a “Translation is like a woman: if she is faithful, she is not beautiful; if she is beautiful, she is not faithful.”

Italian Proverb - “Translator, traitor.”

Cinema of Woody Allen

Cinema of Woody Allen

“To love is to suffer. ... Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy.”  Woody Allen

Woody Allen at 81 and perhaps counted in few intellect US film directors today celebrating his birthday.

Woody Allen, who has niche audience; in one of his interview from UK Guardian he said, “My intention was people would pay their money and have some kind of human experience.” 

Woody Allen started his career as a comedian in1950s, wrote jokes and scripts for television and publishing books. In 1960s, Allen began explored his hand in stand-up comedy, this world of comedy shaped his persona of an insecure, intellectual, fretful nebbish.

Allen started writing and directing films in 1960s, So far he has directed over 40 films are Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). In 2007 he said Stardust Memories (1980), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Match Point (2005) were his best films.  Critic Roger Ebert described Allen as "a treasure of the cinema."

Allen won four Academy Awards: three for Best Original Screenplay and one for Best Director (Annie Hall). He also won nine British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. His screenplay for Annie Hall was named the funniest screenplay by the Writers Guild of America in its list of the "101 Funniest Screenplays."  In 2011, PBS televised the film biography, Woody Allen: A Documentary, on the American Masters TV series.

I remember his film Melinda and Melinda, I watched all his film in theaters or archives but this film was very rare to his fans. This film did not make a good fortune on box office and fetched no awards to him. I was curious to watch this film as this film is a discussion about life, the 4 people who sit on dining table talk about a fictitious character Melinda and takes her life ahead, one say, life is a comedy and show Melinda journey it turnout to be a black comedy and one say life is a tragedy and shows Melina journey but it turns out to be comedy. They conclude, ‘it is our perception what matters and not the situation’.  

 “I'm probably more interested in eternal human feelings and conflicts. If I make a good film, it will always be good. The same feelings and problems will persist 5000 years from now. Like the Greek tragedies which still touch us today, which still work.”

Woody Allen SPIGEL TV interview June 20, 2005 

It was the first time when I searched all VCD stores of town and accidently got the VCD in gray market. It proved to be a trove for me. Today on the birthday of Woody Allen I am offering my greeting through this article. I am sure he will touch 100 if not 150 and he will make more film which talks on life.

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and people behind it

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and people behind it

Finally Donald Trump, the blustery billionaire businessman, has become the US President.

Americans head to the polls in November; they need to choose between Trump and the Democratic Party’s nominee Hilary. They have chosen the opinion of various people who shared the view about these candidates. Understanding a candidate they studied and analyzed their history, nature, capacity and the future consequential decisions will be made from the White House.

When it comes to Trump, a man with no political experience and a guy of ever-changing platform, it’s hard to know what Trump really thinks. It becomes important who are the people he is surrounded with. They may have influential role in dictating policy.

Roger Stone - Who is he? He is “Campaign confidante,” “long-time ally,” “closest political advisor”. He may not have any direct relation now but Stone has built his reputation on controversy and dirty tricks.  It is interesting to see how he created the atmosphere for Trump. In 2008, he created an anti-Hillary Clinton group called C.U.N.T., Stone later said that he could not think of a good acronym for B.I.T.C.H.

He came close to Trump in 2012, after Trump raised crusade to question the validity of President Obama’s birth certificate and citizenship. Stone called the accusations “brilliant. We can call it ‘base building’.

Steve Mnuchin -The Chairman of investment company Dune Capital Management, become campaign’s finance chair last week. If we dig a history then we find him as one of the most notorious bankers in America.  He is known for the foreclosure of loans.  It reflects an extreme mentality of profit at all costs.

Corey Lewandowski - The much famous person among Trump’s campaign staff, Corey Lewandowski came into light this year when he grabbed a Breitbart reporter by the Army and Police charged him with misdemeanor battery, but a court lately said he would not be prosecuted.

Lewandowski served as campaign manager but known as a politico who is known for his sexist and racist behavior.  During this campaign he made sexually suggestive and at times vulgar comments for female journalists who have covered Trump’s presidential bid.”

Carter Page -A former investment banker and one of Trump’s foreign policy advisers. He is currently working in Global Energy Capital as managing partner. He was previously a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Edward Klein - The journalist-turned-gossip columnist Edward Klein was recently spotted dining with Trump at a campaign stop in Indiana. Klein claims he’s known Trump “for 35 years.

Klein is a self proclaimed best penman to run smearing campaign against Democratic politicians. He wrote salacious, almost astonishing stories about them. He stories are based on the quotes of anonymous sources.  This raised the questions about his credibility.

We can see some of the Klein’s stories like, “Hillary Clinton was once raped by her husband Bill, and their daughter, Chelsea, was conceived in the rape. Clinton and Obama once got into a physical fight.

Katrina Pierson we can call her the face of the Donald Trump campaign. People watched her talking his words.

Pierson became Trump’s national spokesperson; she is a polarizing figure in Texas politics. We can read her as if she is an activist more interested in self-promotion than in the work of political reporting.

Paul Manafort - He proved to be a task force in Trump campaign for one specific purpose. He made sure Trump secures enough delegates to clinch the nomination at the Republican National Convention this summer.

Carl Paladino - A blustery, rich, white, New York businessman who went with untraditional and offensive rhetoric ways to secure the Republican party nomination.

Paladino is one of the original Tea Party heroes. He made headlines for his outlandish behavior. Lately when campaigning for Trump last month, he called president Obama as “raccoon in the basement.”

Michael Glassner - Trump’s national political director. He was Palin’s top adviser during the 2008 presidential campaign. Glassner is   pro-Israel. In 2014 he told the Journal, “he felt very strongly about the threat of radical Islam.”

Don McGahn – Serving for the The law firm ‘Jones Day’ and  ‘Trump’s principal campaign counsel. He is leading the team.  McGahn is famous for a controversial former FEC commissioner and election lawyer, he is also a bit of an iconoclast.

Hope Hicks - Communications director for Donald Trump holds a famously low profile. This 27-year-old public relations professional had never worked on a political campaign now she is a person addressing journalists covering Trump’s White House bid.

Hicks handled Trump’s controversial Twitter feed; in that she takes dictation of Trump when he’s talking about something, then sends his thoughts to someone else in Trump’s circle to take it further.

Joseph Schmitz - Schmitz was Pentagon as Defense Department inspector general under President George W. Bush to investigate waste, fraud and abuse.  He is the author of “Sharia: The Threat to America” for the Center for Security Policy, same widely-criticized organization that provided the poll information cited in Trump’s Muslim ban proposal.

Sam Clovis - Sam Clovis is handling Trump campaign’s national co-chair and senior policy adviser after former Texas Gov.

In Iowa, Clovis was known as a college professor and radio host. Being a host he commented on Obama’s racial makeup would make it difficult to impeach him.

Daniel Scavino Jr- He is, Trump’s director of social media. He worked with executive vice president and general manager at the Trump Organization until 2013.  Scavino used defensive and often offensive   tweets to attack politicians, GOP presidential candidates, Mitt Romney, and Hillary Clinton.

Gen. Keith Kellogg - Keith Kellogg is a Trump’s foreign policy adviser. He spends his post retiring time for national defense contracting firms, including CACI international.

Kellogg   had a brief stint in Iraq as CEO of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) but the CPA is largely judged as a failure. During CPA tenure Kellogg served under L. Paul Bremer, who is widely accounted for dissolution of the Iraqi Army and this fuel insurgency in Iraq. It is the key factor in the formation of ISIS.

Ben Carson - Former Republican presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon endorsed Trump and became a part of his close circle, stood beside him at press conferences. He changed his once negative tone about the real estate mogul Trump.

Carson played many controversial moves, includes claim  that women  abortions are like slaveholders, Obama care is the worst thing since slavery, and  Americans should not elect a Muslim to the presidency.

George Papadopoulos - he is Trump’s foreign policy advisers- who wrote  few op-eds for Israeli news sites — focuses on natural gas in the Mediterranean region.

Papadopoulos advised Ben Carson during his presidential bid, and is the director at the Center for International Energy and Natural Resources Law & Security at the London Center of International Law Practice. He previously worked as a research fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute.

Walid Phares - Trump chosen Phares as a foreign policy advisor, He’s a counter-terrorism expert.” He worked for Mitt Romney in 2012, and a frequent guest of Fox News. He is known for a conspicuous hawk for stoking fears of radical Islam — particularly about the spread of Sharia law in the United States.

I personally feel US has great future if they work on peace and progress. US economy need revamp of automobile and heavy industry sector. Share markets all over the world are uncontrollably moving. They need a confidence.

Brexit has weakened the Euro, the other countries have started creating a noise and their voice has to be herd. The generation who is watching will witness a major change and this change is going to shape our personal, private and social life.  

9/11 has changed the perception of civilization. Afghanistan war made things worse and Iraqi war changed the tread equations. Paris attacks shook the Europe. Jasmin revolution used the social media but threw the fascist power of six nations.

Surprisingly people from across the globe are becoming more ethnocentric and community oriented. Everybody is living uncertainty. The victory of Trump can give us the hope for better world.

Donald Trump taught us pivotal lessons of Marketing

Donald Trump taught us pivotal lessons of Marketing

Donald Trump’s candidacy has been a powerful force in the race and grabbed a great deal of media attention.

Trump is already been generating headlines. Trump’s brash demeanor and hateful or stupid statements made him rise in the polls.

We as Indian should learn some lessons of marketing from Trump. They will be helpful for any brand or political cause.

1. One should know your audience

Donald Trump doesn’t care for your love or hate. He’s targeting only a selected crowd. Trump is giving voice to feelings that are widely shared in that political party and natives. In the same way, your brand doesn’t have to appeal to “everyone.” Know your target market and speak to their concerns in a relevant way.

2. One should know their brand

Donald Trump knows who he is. The Trump’s campaign trail is familiar to New Yorkers. Trump is famous New York real estate developer, bestselling author and TV reality-show contest business mogul on “The Apprentice.”  Trump is famous for his image. He’s now entering into politics over business deals. He’s always known for bold and brassy and always carried a take-no-prisoners attitude.

We can underline the strategy - A brand needs to stand for something. There are many who hate Trump, but they find themselves grudgingly admiring the consistency of his brand message. What you see is what you get.

3. Be bold

Trump always gave outrageous remarks during the campaign. May it be his inflammatory remarks about Mexican immigrants or accusing John McCain of not being a “war hero,” but every new media tornado seemed to boost his image in the polls. The reason: core supporters respect him for speaking truth.

The lesson: Don’t be afraid and stand strong as a brand, even if it’s controversial. He took a risk. We should learn, even if you lose some customers who don’t “get it,” as long as you keep appealing to the niche market of customers who love you the most.

4. Love yourself and your abilities

All candidates these days test out their message before it goes on air, they try to find the right combination of words and issues to appeal to the voters. It often up sounds excessively artificial. We lose the real human connection between candidate and voters. Trump being a conservative Republican people called him unrehearsed and unpolished -- he’s always ready to speak off the cuff. Every day on the campaign he talked his mind out.

The same goes with our product. It is vital to trust your good idea and trust that others will feel the same.  If you try to make your product appealing to everyone, it ultimately appeals to no one. As the saying goes too many cooks spoils the soup, makes a sense here.

5. Do no bend and regret

Trump promoted his campaign loudly and clearly. He never bends on his stand and never apologized for his comments. He stood strong by his stand and never replied the media or people who blamed him.

It’s hard to know where to draw the line. Never apologize for the mistakes you have not made. Apologize for the mistakes you made. It creates your image. Never give a heed to your critics and your reaction becomes a cannon fodder against you.

article US Elections over Indian Economy

US Elections over Indian Economy

Trump is coming with the lead in US 2016 elections and it makes me think in an optimistic manner.  The win of Trump over Hilary is most expected result by native US citizens.  Hilary who is a democrat candidate had fantastic debates with Trump.  

After reading the numerous views from press and online portals I have made my opinion. Problem of unemployment, unwedded mothers, and decrease in production industry, unequal payments, illegal migrants, terrorist issues and taxes are the biggest problems for US.

Hilary Clinton made her campaign on following points

1. "US families making less than $125,000 a year, we get free tuition" for in-state students at public colleges.

2.  Offer for hard-working, law-abiding immigrant families a path to citizenship to increasing immigration enforcement and liberalizing future immigration.

3. Promise of affordable health care to more people. It is the same existing point where Obama has already working.

4. "We will do everything we can to overturn Citizens United."

5. "Fighting for equal pay."

6. "I will not raise middle-class taxes."

7. Clinton says she would "say ‘no’ to new trade agreements unless they create American jobs, raise wages, and improve our national security."  

8. "We’re going to increase the federal minimum wage."

9. " Hillary is a long-time advocate for more stringent gun control,

10. "Clinton wishes to make the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II"

Donald Trump came up with concrete promises  

1. Trump promiced to Build a great wall on the border of Mexico.

2. Temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States.

3. He will be working on bring manufacturing (jobs) back

4. Impose tariffs on imported goods made in China and Mexico

5. Renegotiate or withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement and Trans-Pacific Partnership

6. ‘Full repeal of Obama care’ and replace it with a market-based alternative

7. He is going to renegotiate the Iran deal

8. Trump vowed to leave the Social security, retirement age and benefits intact

9. Trump’s proposed tax reforms, everyone would indeed get a cut

10. If Trump wants to take oil from ISIS by invasion, occupation and a reconstruction worth billions of American dollars.

The promises of Donald Trump appreciated by natives and he got their votes. Hilary lacks in concrete promises. Trump talked facts and figures during his campaign. Trump talked very clear. Hilary talked emotionally and tried to gather the support for herself as a women candidate.

Hilary lacked the public speaking skills; Donald Trump used his PR agency and had his public speaking very sensational and crisp. Migrated desi people liked the talk of Hilary but one should understand the migrated people will always be less in number than the natives. Migrated people will never understand the grassroots problem of natives. They cannot adopt the native culture. They always remain aloof from culture.

The win of Donald Trump is the international political phenomenon. Many countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa are electing leaders who are of fascist nature.  People have high hopes on him.

A country like will have hard luck on IT, Pharma, Banking and Automobile sector. The conventional sectors of our economy will weaken the allied sectors like entertainment, service, retail, online retail and exports. Donald Trump is going to be a hard nut for India.

ADHM Film Review

ADHM Film Review

ADHM is going to be the landmark of Indian cinema. Everybody will remember ADHM as a film which surpassed the barriers of religion, nation and marriage system for LOVE.  ADHM clearly talks on the pangs of LOVE and depth of FRIENDSHIPADHM. ADHM openly admires the Mohomad Rafi . This is a rare site in recent Bollywood history.

ADHM has two women muslim girls as lead characters. ADHM is blunt on FLINGS, LOVE IN REBOUND and LOVE AFFAIRS. I am pleased to see ADHM has maintained the passion of love and warmth of friendship. It is very rare that Indian cinema has portrayed the inner journey of characters on screen in successful manner.

ADHM has foot tapping music. The old Bollywood songs are narrated in films as part of background music or as a part of story. The passion for Bollywood cinema is reflects in the behavior of Alizeh (Anushka Sharma). The dialogues between Alizeh & Rahul (Ranbir Kapoor) mimic the hindi film characters. The role of Saba (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) is a Shaira and she acted upto mark. Her dialogues will be a feast to audience. Saba makes Rahul realize the true love and Rahul confess his feelings to Aliizeh again. ADHM is a film portrays journey of LOVE IN REBOUND to PURE LOVE.

‘Love in Rebound’ is a new concept to Bollywood films and Indian audiences. It is necessary to understand and digest in nowadays when life has become uncontrollably fast and competition has become fierce. FB, Twiter, Whattsapp and Social media is not enough to connect the heart. ADHM proves how these technology fails to convey the feelings and how the love for M.Rafi , Bollywood Song and Bollywood fantasies carry the power to connect the hearts and cements the gaps.

The glow sign of EVOL which from behind reads LOVE, in urban dictionary we find it as an adjective and it means Almost evil, but humorous, evil is love spelled backwards. Alizeh show this to Rahul. It is her cozy place, where she uses to linger for hours to find the answer of life. Rahul finds her at that place when nobody in the world got her whereabouts.  

ADHM is one of those films which provoke your fall in love and love again. While writing this article, I remember a line, once my Oxford Professor told me.

“It is never too late to have a fling for, April is as good as Spring. “

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil attributes to Writers and their Muses

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil attributes to Writers and their Muses

The love story of Ayan, Alizeh and Saba entice us to screen. As a film critic I have penned down a review earlier, this time I would like to find the psycho-literal linkage between characters.

This article of mine is an attempt to dust out the love affairs of writers and their muse. Love is a psychological feeling suppressed under various social, political, national and religious factors. Writers have experienced it and explored it at length. I have selected the best writers who have extensively written on love. They have experienced the pangs of love. It has motivated them to write and their writing later converted into many medias and became classic.

John Keats and his lady love Fanny Brawne exchanged their feelings through letters.  These immortalized  beautiful love letters masterpieces. John Keats's most famous sonnets, “Bright Star” is written for her.

He urged Fanny "whenever you know me to be alone, come, no matter what day."

Dante Alighieri met Beatrice when he was just 9 years old; they were in love till the last breath. Beatrice met untimely death; a grief stricken Dante wrote his feelings in La Vita Nuova. He also mentions Beatrice in his masterpiece ‘the Divine Comedy’.

William Shakespeare, who has inspired the world literature, had a muse. We can find the trace in his 154 sonnets, a ‘Fair Youth’ and a ‘Dark Lady’. His relationship with the Dark Lady of beautiful eyes remains as mysterious as her name. Some attributed it to notoriously famous prostitute Lucy Negro.

The French poet Charles Baudelaire met Jeanne Duval in 1842 at Haiti. They spent 20 years of courtship together. We find her influence in Baudelaire’s writing and his life. He dedicates many of his poems to her. Baudelaire lovingly called her his “Vénus Noire” (black venus). 

F. Scott Fitzgerald the writer of The Great Gatsby met Zelda Sayre in 1918 at Alabama.  They had first met in a train station, which Fitzgerald later recounted in The Great Gatsby.  Zelda has a heavy influence on his writing career, he created many female characters but every character has a ting of Zelda. Experts have found out this after studying her diary.

W. B. met Maud Gonne an Irish Nationalist revolutionary in 1889 and was instantly smitten by her. He expressed his love for her number of times between 1891 and 1901, and she always rejected. This unrequited love reflected in his poems of romantic yearning.

Ayn Rand in her teenage, the author of The Fountainhead had a huge crush on her neighbour Lev Bekkerman. Bekkerman was selfish and reckless, and didn’t care for Rand’s feelings. This inspired Rand to create destructive and dreamy character of Leo Kovalensky in her first published novel, we the Living.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German writer, was in love with a woman. She was engaged to someone else. Goethe had suicidal tendencies and they were reflected in his first novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, the protagonist shot himself to death in despair after his failed love affair. This also gave birth to the trend of copycat suicide, named Werther effect after Goethe’s novel.

Jane Austen had a year of almost whirlwind romance with Tom Lefroy, who later became the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. This was the same period when she wrote Pride and Prejudice. It is widely believed that the main characters and their affair are heavily influenced by Austen’s own. All we know is that, their love was never fulfilled, and Austen remained single for the rest of her life!

These classical love affairs cannot be compared with film ADHM but this film attributed to them. ADHM may not be considered into modern classic but it is certainly a landmark of changing times and climes

ADHM is a milestone film to introduce the concept of ‘fling’, ‘one sided complete love’ and ‘love on rebound’. Director has used contemporary chaotic lifestyle and plastic emotions. This film clearly makes a demarcation between love and lust.

Long live Fidel

Long live Fidel

Pablo Neruda triggered controversy for his affiliation with the Communist Party and his open support of Joseph Stalin, and Fidel Castro.

Fidel Castro’s revolution brought sovereignty, non-mortgage-able and non-transferable granted property to all planters, non-quota planters, lessees, sharecroppers, and squatters. He made a Law for granted workers and employees the right to share thirty per cent of the profits of all the large industrial, mercantile and milling enterprises, including the sugar mills. He offered all planters the right to share fifty-five per cent of the sugar production.

He made a law for confiscation of all holdings and ill-gotten gains of frauds during previous regimes or gains of all their legatees and heirs. Castro wanted to make Cuba the bulwark of liberty and not place of tyranny.

Castro was influenced by his professor Primo de Rivera’s speeches. His biggest struggle against the Batista dictatorship of 1950s, Castro showed hatred against the United States. In 1959 U.S. saw totally transforming Cuban society.  The U.S. saw Castro as the leader of the Cuban revolution and against “the Yankees.” The Soviets provided the support for Castro’s ambitions.

11 US precedents right from Eisenhower till George W Bush tried to assassin him from 1953 to 2009. These presidents made 634 attempts to kill him. Fidel Castro is known for his fight against capitalism and imperialism.

I am stuck by the line of  Daily Mail UK ‘His handsome, bearded face may have largely disappeared from the T-shirts of the world's more idealistic students but Che Guevara still lives on for one man.’

In 1955 when Che met Fidel Castro, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, in a letter to his parents, I got few lines for you.

"It didn't take much to prompt me to join any revolution against a tyrant, but Fidel struck me as an extraordinary man ... He had exceptional faith that once we left for Cuba (from Mexico) we would arrive. That once we arrived we would fight. And once we fought we would win. I shared his optimism. I had to, to fight, to achieve. Stop crying and fight."

Che was with him for Cuba, the post Batista years he wrote a letter to Fidel to resign his position. It is interesting to read few lines of this letter.

Che wrote a letter to Fidel Castro, on April 1, 1965. Havana

Fidel:

At this moment I remember many things: when I met you in Maria Antonia's house, when you proposed I come along, all the tensions involved in the preparations. One day they came by and asked who should be notified in case of death, and the real possibility of it struck us all. Later we knew it was true, that in a revolution one wins or dies (if it is a real one). Many comrades fell along the way to victory.

Other nations of the world summon my modest efforts of assistance. I can do that which is denied you due to your responsibility as the head of Cuba, and the time has come for us to part.

I have always been identified with the foreign policy of our revolution, and I continue to be. Wherever I am, I will feel the responsibility of being a Cuban revolutionary, and I shall behave as such. I am not sorry that I leave nothing material to my wife and children; I am happy it is that way. I ask nothing for them, as the state will provide them with enough to live on and receive an education.

Written: April 1, 1965 Transcription/Markup: Brian Baggins - Online Version: Ernesto Che Guevara Internet Archive (marxists.org) 2002

Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s writing in Granma on the eve of Castro's 80th birthday. "Fidel Castro is there to win. His attitude in the face of defeat, even in the most minimal actions of everyday life, would seem to obey a private logic: he does not even admit it, and does not have a minute's peace until he succeeds in inverting the terms and converting it into victory."

The first time Castro and García Márquez met on Jan. 19, 1959, it was “Operation Truth,” It was Fidel Castro’s attempt to open Cuba’s trials of the Fulgencio Batista regime to journalists. García Márquez landed in Havana just to observe the trials along with his friend Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, he asked Castro, “Have you eaten?” The trial they witnessed was of a colonel accused of civilian murders in a small town called El Oro de Guisa. García Márquez first signed a request for leniency, but it was denied.

The Bay of Pigs and the New York episodes left a strong impression of Cuba on Garcia. His1967 publication “One Hundred Years of Solitude” made García Márquez an international sensation; two events the following year formed the basis for his relationship with Castro.

Fidel Castro will be known as a revolutionary of 20th century. CNN claims Fidel Castro survived 600 assassination attempts.  Today all over Cuba boards, placards are hung "Long live Fidel."

article Celebrating Cinema - Woody Allen

Celebrating Cinema - Woody Allen

“To love is to suffer. ... Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy.”  Woody Allen

Woody Allen at 81 and perhaps counted in few intellect US film directors today celebrating his birthday.

Woody Allen, who has niche audience; in one of his interview from UK Guardian he said, “My intention was people would pay their money and have some kind of human experience.” 

Woody Allen started his career as a comedian in 1950s, wrote jokes and scripts for television and publishing books. In 1960s, Allen began explored his hand in stand-up comedy, this world of comedy shaped his persona of an insecure, intellectual, fretful nebbish.

Allen started writing and directing films in 1960s, So far he has directed over 40 films are Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). In 2007 he said Stardust Memories (1980), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Match Point (2005) were his best films.  Critic Roger Ebert described Allen as "a treasure of the cinema."

Allen won four Academy Awards: three for Best Original Screenplay and one for Best Director (Annie Hall). He also won nine British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. His screenplay for Annie Hall was named the funniest screenplay by the Writers Guild of America in its list of the "101 Funniest Screenplays."  In 2011, PBS televised the film biography, Woody Allen: A Documentary, on the American Masters TV series.

I remember his film Melinda and Melinda, I watched all his film in theaters or archives but this film was very rare to his fans. This film did not make a good fortune on box office and fetched no awards to him. I was curious to watch this film as this film is a discussion about life, the 4 people who sit on dining table talk about a fictitious character Melinda and takes her life ahead, one say, life is a comedy and show Melinda journey it turnout to be a black comedy and one say life is a tragedy and shows Melina journey but it turns out to be comedy. They conclude, ‘it is our perception what matters and not the situation’.  

 “I'm probably more interested in eternal human feelings and conflicts. If I make a good film, it will always be good. The same feelings and problems will persist 5000 years from now. Like the Greek tragedies which still touch us today, which still work.”

Woody Allen SPIGEL TV interview June 20, 2005 

It was the first time when I searched all VCD stores of town and accidently got the VCD in gray market. It proved to be a trove for me. Today on the birthday of Woody Allen I am offering my greeting through this article. I am sure he will touch 100 if not 150 and he will make more film which talks on life.

article on the birthday of Britney Spears a journey from noun to verb, adverb and phrase

Britney Spears a journey from noun to verb, adverb and phrase

The year 2000 has brought new ideology to the youth across the globe. MTV or Channel V is the new youth choice of television. Satellite Television has proved to be boon to Indian youth by that time.

The genre of music video replaced the place of much needed book. Music video artist overtook the place of Cine star. Music Video artist became the heart throb and youth icon. Britney Spear who was a teen sensation made records on Billboard top ten by her back to back music videos on music channels.  This celebrity status of Britney Spears spread across India.  Britney’s fist debut hit, ‘hit me baby one more time’ became youth anthem.

Every college canteen, cake shop and food joints displayed her posters. That was the era of karaoke, umpteen numbers of teen girls tried to mimic her voice and moved her footsteps. Many hardcore rock loving boys criticized her as being loud and cheap. Girls went crazy with her lingua franca. She became a super star overnight without working in a single film.

News papers started publishing her gossip as if she is the most looked for community as it was the first phase of globalization; it was the era of no mobile telephony. Print was the most powerful and sought-after media. Radio, TV was the supplementary media. Britney Spear could not hold her charisma post 2007 as it is the post globalization and internet era. She faced fierce competition of many teen sensations and her growing age, marriage and other gossip put her down.

Today on her birthday it worth taking a look how this cute looking Britney Spears added a chapter in psychological chapter, English language and how she became a landmark of capitalism, She inspired writers to write on market trends.

Psychology - Britney Spears Complex - Mental condition where one thinks they are very popular, and/or talented, when in fact they are neither.

Thomas Bond, Chris Hughes’s book ‘O-level English Critical Guide (Concise) (Yellowreef)’ describes Britney Spears as a bad role model for young teenagers

Christopher R. Smit wrote a book on 21st century marketing scenario, ‘The Exile of Britney Spears: A Tale of 21st Century Consumption’

Christopher Smit is associate professor of media studies at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He writes on the intersections between media, aesthetics, culture, and the disabled body.  Christopher R. Smit examined Britney Spear as a cultural icon and analyzes what her story says about the state of our souls. This book does not talk about Spears or her turbulent life, this book is a sobering assessment of pop culture and the way we devour, digest, and expel celebrities in modern society. John Sinkevic shoulders this opinion.

Dr Lupin a Britney fan (fan after her breakdown) reads these books as a sociology text book.

Britney Spears’s single "If U Seek Amy." many pointed out, the song's title, as the lyric itself makes no sense in context, boys of boulevard started teasing girls by this song, ‘ if you seek Amy.’ The suggestive video compel TV news anchor, "Britney Spears Song Lyrics Spell Out Obscenity in Disguise," the question was has Britney pioneered a new kind of dirty pun?

If we dust out the literature we find the trope of spelling out fuck with the words if you see Kay has been explored by musicians. The blues pianist Memphis Slim’s song "If You See Kay," about his lost girlfriend, in 1963:

If you see Kay
Please tell her I say, "Hurry home."
Lord I ain't had no lovin'
since my little Kay been gone.
If you see Kay,
Please bring her home to me.

Rock songs of same title lo-fi pioneer R. Stevie Moore in 1977 released his "If You See Kay," a heartbroken revenge song that concludes: "If you see Kay you."

Canadian band April Wine in 1982 released a lousy song “If You See Kay" has lines like "She had the look of need/ Like 'Give it to me'/ I decided I should take a chance."

The pop-punk band Poster Children In 1990 released a ragged and raucous song of same title "If You See Kay,” In 2005 the Norwegian punk band Turbonegro released the slick and poppy "If You See Kaye," performed in English.

The Irish band used the same trope and released their song "If You See Kay" . they acknowledged  in an interview, it is the debt to James Joyce—whom we identify as "a literary god in Ireland”. James Joyce used this trope, “If you see kay" gag in Ulysses. The Irish literary god does in fact appear to be the first person it in Ulysses; Joyce used poetry sung by the Prison Gate Girls:

If you see kay
Tell him he may
See you in tea
Tell him from me.

In the third line, Joyce manages to encode cunt as well. Take that, Britney!

Joyce isn’t the only great writer to encode dirty words in his work, much before English William Shakespeare used a similar trick. In Twelfth Night, Olivia's butler Malvolio receives a letter written by Maria but in Olivia's handwriting; analyzing the script, Malvolio says, "By my life this is my lady's hand. These be her very C's, her U's and her T's and thus makes she her great P's." With the and sounds like N, Shakespeare not only spells out cunt, but includes pee  as well, no news anchor, or even a town crier, to explain it.

Jesse Sheidlower formerly the editor at large of the Oxford English Dictionary and now the president of the American Dialect Society. In his book,’ The F-Word’ and mentioned Britney Spears in a chapter. He also published it in Observer 2003 an article stating the language and Britney Spears.  

Britney Spears added a word ‘Auto-tune – an old studio trick made famous by Britney Spears’ in Oxford this year.

Let us take a look at some other words her fans read it in different way,

The word Frappuccino: A blended coffee beverage. But fans of Britney Spears read it: A source of pure joy and happiness.

The word Felicia a phrase “bye Felicia!”: But fans of Britney Spears read it: Britney’s longtime, and much beloved assistant.

Lexie: A name, traditionally given to females. But fans of Britney Spears read it: Britney’s adorable mini-me of a niece.

To me Britney Spears is the best example of marketing; she is the best example 15 minutes of fame Warholian fame. She triggered the era of crass consumerism all over world. Her success is nothing but the capitalism. Today on her birthday, I wish her all the best and recall her voice ‘hit me baby one more time’

Pulchritude of Zsa Zsa Gabor reign on 19th and 20th century

Pulchritude of Zsa Zsa Gabor reign on 19^th and 20^th century

Zsa Zsa Gabor Actor and socialite pioneered the concept of celebrity ‘famous for being famous’ and created her personality as a brand in 19th century. She being a Hungarian-American girl her career spread over Cinema, Reality TV and Social Media.

She has many classical films on her shoulder, to name a few are John Huston’s Moulin Rouge (1952) and Orson Welles’s Touch of Evil (1958).  Zsa Zsa Gabor wrote novels - ‘How to Catch a Man, How to Keep a Man, How to Get Rid of a Man.’

Watchdogs have wrote on Gabor about her own constructed image of glamour and exoticism , giving off a scent of money, cigarettes, sex, Riviera holidays it was addressed as “dahlink”.

She triggered many one-liners to matrimonial industry. “I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man I keep his house,” In public and private she always been the grandest of dames. “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend and dogs are a man’s best friend.”

“Husbands are like fires – they go out when unattended” – Newsweek, 28 March 1960.

“I never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back” – The Observer, 28 August 1957

When how many husbands she had had asked: “You mean apart from my own?” – I Wish I’d said That! by Kenneth Edwards, 1967

A girl must marry for love, and keep on marrying until she finds it – Colombo’s Concise Canadian Quotations, 1979.

He taught me housekeeping; when I divorce I keep the house – on her fifth husband, quoted by Ned Sherrin in Cutting Edge, 1984.

I don’t remember anybody’s name. Why do you think the ‘dahling’ thing started? – Hollywood Wits, K Madsen Roth, 1995.

She once stated, "Men have always liked me and I have always liked men.

"But I like a mannish man, a man who knows how to talk to and treat a woman – not just a man with muscles."

Gabor shown her precocity on media and proved how lucrative self-promotion,  She played the character of Gabor (self) in her first movie, Lovely to Look At (1952), and her last, A Very Brady Sequel (1996).

In 1940s when she had her European roots and allure, she used Gabor name in showbiz to echo it as Garbo, already a star. She changed her first name to Zelda, sharpened her skills to voice school to get rid of Budapest vowels. Gabor kept the name, some time interviewers and fans pronounced Zsa Zsa, it created the doubled purring sound resulted into an exotic and sensual mystique.

To call Zsa Zsa Gabor a proto-Kardashian though is to underestimate her charm and her allure. Zsa Zsa Gabor was known for flaunting striking consumption; dripping with jewels, her image was that of a woman who knew how to get what she wanted.

She has always been ahead of time; she was liberal on liking sex much before the sexual revolution of 1960s. She had courtship with Sean Connery and Frank Sinatra, John F Kennedy, Elvis Presley, John Huston and Henry Fonda. 

Sari Gabor alias Zsa Zsa Gabor was born in Budapest, probably in 1918, to a soldier father and Jewish mother with American connections.  Her film career spread over 1952 to 1994. She had a huge TV career as a reality show host. She has always been in headlines for her own persona. She has given birth to a concept of own personality as a brand.  Zsa Zsa Gabor said goodbye to this world at the age 99.

About writer

Write is a cinema critic and media teacher from last 15 years.