February 08, 2010 | 11:53 AM
For Heath Ledger, again
Dear Shekhar,
it's always a pleasure read the beautiful words you dedicate to Heath...they make me feel better and I'm happy that every year you write something to remember Heath on this bad day. I discovered your blog after that tragic 22 January. Now I don't know how to express, but my feelings are confused...sometimes it seems to me that just yesterday Heath was with us, like as the time stopped and it's still too early to understand, sometimes instead I feel like if the time moves on and every day with all the chaos around us I have not the time to think about him regularly like I did before. I don't like this sensation!!!!
It's the first time I'm writing on your blog, I'm just a cinema's lover and I loved follow every movies and every project of Heath, he was so unique, so different from any other, so special. I never had thought his life was so early interrupted. He was so full of energy. It's hard to express all the emotions I feel. After his passing, I promised to myself to try to get what I want,without regrets, without fear, the life is so unique and unpredictable to waste time, it's time to face the life.
Heath will be alive forever 'till we are here to remember, speak and love his films and his life.
Rest in peace, young cowboy.
Thanks Shekhar
Un abbraccio
Martina
February 02, 2010 | 10:56 PM
The concern about Commonwealth Games in Delhi
After China stunned the world with the incredible show they put up for the opening of the Beijing Olympics. I do hope we in India have something at least more spectacular than our ever dependable star acts on stage. Actually they are very good and most of them (and the best really is A R Rahman's concert act) have developed very professional acts on stage. But we need to go beyond that now.
What is of concern are the constant news items that keep appearing of the lack of preparation for the commonwealth games, even though I know that in India we are all used to somehow pulling everything off at the last minute. But of far far greater concern is this article that appeared in an Australian paper about child labor being used to accelerate the preparations. Of course the Western (and I guess now the Australian) press loves to put down accelerating economies like ours, but the following article is pretty disturbing :
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/delhis-commonwealth-games-slave-labour-shame/story-e6frf7jo-1225826064514
January 29, 2010 | 03:53 PM
View of Bangkok from my hotel room
If you look carefully, that's the river in the center that runs through the City. The photograph does not represents the true nature of the city (unlike my photo of New York), but when I saw this, I could not resist clicking it
January 28, 2010 | 11:53 AM
Cisco partners conference in Bangkok
Have set up this blog as a discussion piece for participants who had many questions but there was no time to take them up.
The Incredible new Ipad - Steve Jobs dreams of world domination
So tell me Mr Jobs - why did you make me spend $ 2000 on a upscale Macbook Pro just two weeks ago ? I am stupid I guess. I should have waited for the Ipad.
Been looking at live feeds of Steve Job's launch of the new Apple tablet - the Ipad. It is amazing looking and has amazing apps. There seems to be nothing that it cannot do. It is your one interface with the rest of the world, whether through broadband or through 3G. The applications will allow you to do all your work, reading, browsing, play, creativity in whatever field you are - all through the Ipad. And all priced between $ 500 an $ 900
So here's the rub. Why do I need the Ipad when I can have most of what it offers on my new ($ 2000) Macbook pro laptop. And if I cannot - why ? And if the reason is that there are more Apps available on the Iphone or the Ipad - then why are they not available on my much more expensive Macbook laptop ? In Steve Job's view is the laptop dead ?
Hmm.. my laptop has memory of 350 GB's while the Ipad maxes out at 65 GB's. But that seems to be more a marketing decision than a technological one. Remember the first Ipods that had less than 1 GB memory ? The Ipad has a USB port but no firewire port. But when was the last time I used my firewire port in any case. Date transfer is getting better on the USB port.
OK, you cannot run DVD's on the Ipad, but I suspect that soon the Ipad will have such a large memory that you will just download a DVD at the soon to come fast compression technologies that will allow you to download a whole film in seconds. And the DVD is dying as a technology in any case as increasingly sophisticated pen drives take over - delivering many films or other interactive data through your USB port. Plus the Ipad has a beautiful keyboard as a accessory and am sure they will be connectable to external hard drives that are getting smaller and more portable. Waiting for Apple to increase memory in the Ipad
Why do I think Mr Jobs is going for World Domination ? He has once again made a deal with At&T for connection through 3 G - why does he do that ? Because he see's Apple being your one portal to connectivity, right from service provider to user interface.
And don't be surprised if Apple buys out AT&T soon - and the only one that can stop him is The Trade Monopolies Commission - or the ingenuity of the Indian kerbside computer engineer that will break all his codes in a jiffy !
January 27, 2010 | 11:44 AM
What is the World Economic Forum at Davos about ?
As the most important annual networking weekend between business, economic policy makers, bankers and politics ? Yes, Davos is unbeatable. But to be touted as the place where people get together to solve the economic problems of the World is a little silly. Most of the people attending caused the ecomonic problems of the world.
The people attending the forum are much more interested in solving their own economic problems, their own balance sheets, their own positions of political power. There is nothing wrong with that. It's how the world exists and business is done. However the assumptions that in solving their own problems effectively provides solutions to the problems of the rest of the planet is completely false. 90% of the people of the World are irrelevant to Davos, except as perhaps potential markets.
There's is a wrong view of the world economy. We can no longer live in isolated oasis of economic prosperity dotted around the planet in an overpowering sea of poverty. Globalization has made sure that social strife too is an exportable commodity much more than it was a decade ago. The movers and shakers at Davos should think about that as they clink their Champagne glasses over their deals.
They should also know that all the economists, bankers, political and business leaders concentrated in that little village this weekend have consistently got it wrong. That is because that the harsh truth is - that creating the economic reforms that the world really needs will erode the power and business base of the very people making the decisions at Davos. Highly unlikely they will do that.
January 26, 2010 | 02:39 PM
Happy Republic Day for India the Idea.
Sitting at Narita Airport in Tokyo. Thinking about my country and my people. The people of India. It's Republic Day today in India.
The people of India ?
Is there another country on this planet with people as diverse as ours ? And while we constantly speak and complain about differences and conflicts, today must be a day to celebrate that diversity. The fact that despite the diversity we have clung to one nation even though everything threatens to tear us apart everyday.
Why ? Because India is more than a country. It is an Idea. An Idea that was born as a reaction to being colonized, to being enslaved by colonial power for centuries. As long as the Idea survives, India survives. They day we let go of that idea, we might as well let go of India.
January 22, 2010 | 06:47 PM
Heath Ledger, have two years passed ?
It's 5.20 am and am struggling to sleep in my hotel room in San Hose. Jet lag ? No, something else is nagging me - and then it comes like a bolt, a sudden sharp, almost physical feeling of sadness. It Heath's 2nd Anniversary of his passing.
For those that know this blog, will know of my special relationship with Heath. Well, that survives time. Even through the sadness and heavy heart I sense him laughing and smiling almost looking down and saying "Get on with it, Mate !"
Lots of other things come to mind. What do two years mean ? What does passing of time mean ? How little or more have I achieved in the last two years. How productive have I been - and all this on context of Heath's passing as if time stopped there and started again ? Is what you have done, or what has happened, or the events that have taken place since the only measure of time ? Or is there something far more eternal about time ?
Tonight I am going to LA and having dinner with Orando Bloom. The last time we met was in Heath's friend's pad in Melbourne, where Heath was proudly showing a rough cut of Four Feathers to all his friends. So proud was he of his performance in a film that actually did very little at the box office.
So I am just going to look up at Heath's smiling face and say "Hey, Mate ! We are still down here trying undersatnd it all" Trying to imitate his broad Australian drawl.
January 20, 2010 | 04:37 AM
At Isha with Sadhguru
Interviewing Sadhguru on the meaning of God, Love, Shiva and relationships. You should be able to see the interviews on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7uZQZOvCG0
January 16, 2010 | 09:03 PM
Haiti - whats life worth ?
When there is a calamity of such huge proportions, you wonder this. What's life worth ? As with the Tsunami in South Asia, the Earth Quake in China and then in Pakistan. Whole ideas of of religious morality come into question. The equation between Sin and suffering, between Karmic action and Consequence. What Sin did hundreds of thousands of people, including children, commit to call upon such suffering ? What astrologer could look at the the horoscope of so many people and predict tragedy for all of them at the same instant ?
How many of those were young people in love about to get married. How many plans for the future destroyed in one instant. How many pregnant mothers, with their last thoughts of their unborn babies that they nurtured as the concrete fell about them. How many parents reaching out to their children in that instant with the instinct to somehow save them, and being crushed to death before their hands could even touch them for one last instant. How many people desperately clawing at debris with their bare hands as they hear their loved ones screaming and crying for help, as the cries die down and knowing there is no hope, still clawing and screaming in agony, just one word again and again
Why ? Why ?
I don't know why. But all I do know is that life is NOW. Grab it NOW. Tell them you love them NOW. Hug your kids NOW. Do what you have to do NOW. Tomorrow is a fantasy. The only reality is this moment and NOW.
And why does it take a tragedy to remind us again and again ?
My heart goes out to the people of Haiti. And to all of us. For we are not separate from them. None of our tomorrows are certain.
January 02, 2010 | 06:22 PM
View from my hotel in Innsbruck
For the Fans of Masoom (and others)
Remember Mini ? The little girl from Masoom ? Well she is a grown up mother of two and teaches music. Hers is one of the most beautiful New Year letters I got this year and am going to share :
Dear Uncle,
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year! I'm sure, the new year will be packed with more laurels, good health and peace for you.
I'd called you to wish you on Diwali, but couldn't get through. Hope I get to meet you sometime this year. Really looking forward to it.
This is something I read, and really liked it:
"It doesn't matter what you do for a living...
..It doesn't matter how old you are...
..It doesn't matter what planets are squaring your moon...
...What matters is if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human..."
- from "The Invitation" by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Hope you have a great year ahead!
Love and Regards,
Aradhana (Mini)
Happy New Year, Eternally and Momentarily
what do we search for
when all existence is here ?
in the snowflake that melts
before you catch it ?
in the dust particle
of the first ray of light
which disappears the moment
you try and isolate it ?
in your own shadow,
that changes
the moment you turn around to look at it ?
all existence lives
eternally, momentarily
in the moment
you experience yourself
as part of it,
if you don't try
and define it
isolate it
measure it
and capture it
beyond that moment
I wish you all an eternal momentary happiness
December 29, 2009 | 04:49 PM
Paani - inspiration vs efficiency in screenplay writing
As I work hard in completing the detailed screenplay for Paani, I come across something that I am sure other creative people suffer from - at least I hope they do. How do you really know if something is really good or not unless at that moment of writing your feel a surge of inspiration - a surge of emotion ? Something inside you that tells you a big 'yes'.
And how many of those inspired moments do you need in a film both in conceiving it and in the execution of it to make it inspirational for the audience ? For the film to transcend, as it were from prose to poetry ? The problem is that you could wait forever for inspiration - sitting staring out of the window as I am right now. When people ask me why I have made so few films, the real answer is that I trust my heart and not my mind. And to live through the heart all the time can be completely and utterly exhausting, frustrating and ultimately self destructive. So where does one find the balance ?
In just getting on with it. To trust that in disciplining oneself into the mundane everyday process of just being efficient and writing, the inspiration may (and usually does) come and suddenly you are alive, and your eyes blur with tears and your heart beats faster. Your fingers type without you asking them to, and you are inspired !!
Remembering that not every moment in a screenplay can be moments of great inspiration. First you will never finish it, but also you will exhaust your audience's emotions in the 2 hours they sit in the movie theater. There is the technical aspect of screenplay writing which says that "between great inspirational moments there need to be pauses and connective tissue to ease the viewers mind to the logic of story telling. It is likely that without these pauses the viewer at the end of the film will just go 'huh ??'
PAANI is a love story based in a City where the Water Wars have broken out between those that have Water and those that do not. At a time when Water has become a weapon of social and economic control.
Lindsay Lohan's poverty tourism - a therapy ?
This has been sparked by a statement I read by m/s Lohan's mother, that her trip to India where she saw the plight of the poor Indian children changed her and she is a different person now. Like it was the best therapy ?
Ok, enough of this. Enough of press and media attention gotten from celebrities visiting poverty stricken children in the world. Enough of media attention for celebrities adopting kids from materially deprived places all over the world. I think the attention should be on why, despite being the greatest consumers in the world, despite having every material choice they can imagine....
why does seeing someone else living in poverty make you feel better about yourself ?
December 25, 2009 | 03:22 PM
Who does this planet belong to ?
View of the Church behind the Hotel in Innsbruck where I normally stay. Beautiful as the church is - this is the first time in years the locals recall there being no snow here on Christmas. It's the same lament all over the Ski slopes too. There has been little snow, and of course the word on every persons lips this year is 'Global Warming'. And everywhere the feeling in Europe is that the politicians have let us down.
Of course media is playing the blame game. Some blame the US and Obama for not following the Kyoto treaty - while others blame China (and India too) for playing a great game of one upmanship with the US and President Obama. Whatever happened it just showed that the current political system is completely inept at solving any global problem.
Who does the planet belong to ? Surely the fundamental resources belong equally to all beings on this planet - no one can argue that the air belongs to everyone. Every Chinese man woman and child has the same right to the fundamental resources necessary to keep life going as does every Western man woman and child. No more no less.
So why are we looking at Carbon footprints of nations as a whole ? It should be measured per capita, and if so, the whole equation changes. Will the West ever accept that ?
December 24, 2009 | 04:13 PM
Kaveri with Bruno, her Ski Instructor in a snow storm in Innsbruck
December 22, 2009 | 12:00 AM
Paani - can the making of fim be a community event ?
Why should a film be just one event ? Is it possible to share the evolution of a film - and create a community around it ? To share my thoughts and those of the others around it so the ultimate experience for the viewer is more personal and involved ?
December 18, 2009 | 10:16 AM
Copenhagen talks are a complete sham : the wisdom of the prostitutes
In protest the prostitutes of Copenhagen offered free sex to the delegates of the Conference on Climate Change. They knew that nothing else would come off it, so just come and have fun u guys - and since your tax payers paid for all of you to fly down for a sojourn have a few drinks on us too.
What is Copenhagen about ? Posturing ? Politicking ? Individual political profiling ? The whole meaning of the climate conference is lost in meaningless and endless documents and words. The environmental cost of leaders of the world is stunning if nothing comes off it - and it seems nothing will. Meaningless stupidity.
I feel sorry and ashamed that I joined thousands of people around the world to encourage our Prime Minister to go. I did not realize it would have been so easy to subvert the process through such incredible complexity. It is so obvious that not one of the heads of state actually mean what they say.
The planet suffers from over consumption, period. 5 % of the populations consumes 80% of the worlds resources. So we HAVE to learn to live with less. We have to think about everything we do, right from simple things like how much water we expend in a shower, to the environmental cost of packaged food, even to number of clothes we buy, knowing that cotton growing is a hugely water consumptive activity,
We need to reevaluate the way we live.
And yet there is such a contradiction in what we call economic recovery- the so called Stimulus Plans all over the world ! They all work on getting the consumer to go back to consumption levels before the economic meltdown world - wide. The government of the United States is celebrating a a pre - Christmas shopping frenzy in the US as a sign of economic health -
But what about the health of our planet ?
December 17, 2009 | 12:25 PM
Water Wars again ? Can we turn Bangladesh into a Desert ?
Sir , Now India making a Dam at the river of Barak ...Which will cause the North-east part of Bangladesh to become a desert ... Would love to know your views about this
For more >
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipaimukh_Dam
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/27/bangladesh-india-no-to-tipaimukh-dam/
The war Of Water Just been Started By India !!!
-Rajib
A Rahmaniac from Bangladesh
The light of love
let the light of love
shine through
even when
the darkness
of familiarity
begins to cast it's shadows
