Missing the real Gandhi : from Ratna

This is from an old friend who left a high flying career in advertising to be closer to reality. There are many different opinions on my being in the Talent show, but read on to what she sys later. It’s important and from the heart :
“Watch you every week on India’s Got Talent and you are great. About time you came back to where you belong. Loved the episode where you started dancing when that horrible caricature of Amitabh was on stage sining Jumma Chumma….cracked me up. Incidentally, Colors is a great channel to be on – these guys are doing really different stuff. especially in serials. If you get a chance, please do watch Ballika Vadu…
Even more importantly, your thought about a TV channel for rural India – that is such an incredible idea, Shekhar and you more than anyone can do it …why dont you?
Some thoughts. Have lived for 9 years now in Mysore and a little closer to rural India …a land of ironies where people bathe once a week because there is no water…and the water that they drink it so bad you wouldn’t give it to your animals. People drink a little tea and eat a few handfuls of puffed rice, because that’s all the food that they can afford – other than one frugal meal a day.
You wept when you saw those handicapped kids
Malnutrition haunts and blinds 60,000 Indian kids every year when we have 2000 varieties of greens growing in our country. The irony of it is that just one bowl of greens costing less than a ruppee and a plate of dal chawal and a banana or two a day can save these children. And the greater irony is that we are the world’s largest producers of fruits, vegetables and milk.
The reason why Gandhi disconnected with the rest of the leaders just before we got our independence is because he understood more than anyone did that India is in its villages. We still don’t – so people leave lives of dignity and fresh air in the village to work as maidservants in large cities ….and the irony of it is that we still wonder why our cities are rotting sardine cans ready to burst…
We made Gandhi into the stuff of statues and Gandhi topis when he was – and is – one of the most savvy and contemporary of men, full of humour, his ear firmly to the ground, who could teach the Indian advertising industry a thing or two about brands and the power of symbols and about communication. One of the world’s best known brands is a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles, a stick and a dhoti…
But I ramble on…..i hope not too much

8 thoughts on “Missing the real Gandhi : from Ratna

  1. Shekhar Saahib
    Aadab
    I came to know about that you are very emotional person.Yesterday night my wife called me over ISD and informed that you wept in some TV show and overwhelm after listening the wishes of participant.See ..In our country 30% are not eating meal in 2 times in a day.So many girls are not getting married because parents are not having enough money to get them married.uffffff…Most of the person are passing away with medicine .Even without know that what the disease they had.very horrible condition……
    My few lines of one mine NAZM is related to this ..
    I wish to god to make my dreams true so that new poem of other phase can be written..I am sure some day i will write.Yeh mera vishwaas hain ki mera desh zaroor badlega.
    Aamin
    Deepak Sharma
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  2. this is very core of all our problems……………..we always wish somebody to come from “the chapters of history” to inspire us or solve our problems…….like children do when they confront something big …..”let my father come………and then i’ll see you”………..
    if gandhi knew “the problems and solution” of those times …it is not necessary that he would have been the same success in our times ……IT IS OUR TIME………..we too are responsible for the problems and only we can solve it……..
    we have the potential for the change …and “will to change”………..
    until and unless we stop looking for our so callede glorius past(if it was….in my opinion it wasn’t)and heroes…..we can’t have the strength and confidence for “the change”.
    India need an “AANDHI”of will-force which will sweep away its all miseries ………rather than a “Gandhi”.
    vishal …………………. mumbai
    9833067513

  3. this is very core of all our problems……………..we always wish somebody to come from “the chapters of history” to inspire us or solve our problems…….like children do when they confront something big …..”let my father come………and then i’ll see you”………..
    if gandhi knew “the problems and solution” of those times …it is not necessary that he would have been the same success in our times ……IT IS OUR TIME………..we too are responsible for the problems and only we can solve it……..
    we have the potential for the change …and “will to change”………..
    until and unless we stop looking for our so called glorius past(if it was….in my opinion it wasn’t)and heroes…..we can’t have the strength and confidence for “the change”.
    India need an “AANDHI”of will-force which will sweep away its all miseries ………rather than a “Gandhi”.
    vishal …………………. mumbai
    9833067513

  4. Ratna,
    Great to read your thoughts.
    The reason why Gandhi disconnected from the rest of the leaders, not only in India but across the world (even today) is because he saw the Big Picture.
    I believe the world would be a better place if altruistic leaders saw beyond their belly button and even beyond that of their own country.
    Peace.

  5. Hi,
    India’s Got Talent! appears to be a great show. It was nice to watch you on TV after a such a long time. Last time we saw you was on Upanyaas on DD, I think. What a nice serial it was! Where have such meaningful serials disappeared.

  6. I havent watched that show. I am sure it must be good and if your usual competance is on display, I am sure you are a delight to watch. The show I watch is an “average common demoninator” entertainment fest called Rakhi Ka Swayamvar. How fun that is. Unpretentious sillyism for the common folk! Love it.
    Your friend Ratna is very right about the majority of India living in rural areas, and how rural India needs working on desperately. However she has been smoking something really bad, to declare that people in the villages lead lives of dignity and in fresh air. Perhaps she discounts that the majority of those who live in the villages, who own nothing and still treated worse than dirt and yet bound by the worst social constructs. Yeah, thats the majority of the village population. That my friends is the reality! It is all rotten, even this purity of rural life in India. It is almost as patronitizing as the “noble savage” idea.

  7. Dear Sir:
    Some more fantastic ads with Nicole Kidman for bottled water, and we will save this world. Great work on that ad, by the way. Let us sell more water so that the poor kids, like in Slumdog Millionaires or whatever its called, can be saved. KEEP IT UP, SIR!!!!

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