This is shocking ….on second thoughts maybe not!

I usually do not comment on silly celebrity faux pas. Most of the time they do it for some publicity and so it is not really worth commenting about. But this latest controversy about Salman Khan really made me see red. What further angered me was the program ‘Face the Nation’ on CNN-IBN. The topic of the day was ‘Are celebrity soft targets?’ Surprisingly in a panel of five people, three were supporting Salman Khan’s right to free speech. What the hell?

To answer the question -Are celebrity soft targets?- Yes, they are and they will be. It is a part and parcel of celebrity-dom. If a person gets the benefit of being a celebrity then he/ she has to also face the flip side. That’s part of life.

My two bit on this particular ‘controversy’ –

You can read the background here if you don’t already know.

Salman Khan had no business commenting on the 26/11 attacks. If he was promoting his film, he should have stuck to that. Even if he was asked a question about this he should have parroted the famous celebrity line -NO COMMENTS. His father says on the above mentioned program that Salman Khan is not very articulate. Then my dear, it is all the more reason he should have refrained from commenting about it. I don’t buy the argument that he could have been absolutely unaware of the uproar his statements would cause. A 40-something man in this country does not understand the nation’s emotions about such a sensitive topic? Does he not understand that he did not make these statements in the privacy of his home but on camera? He gave the interview to promote a film and so I can safely assume that it was meant for public consumption. In such a scenario is not your responsibility to ensure you choose your words carefully?

Celebrities realize their hold over public imagination and their ability to influence mass opinion. It may not be to a comprehensive extent but they do influence people enough that corporates run after them to endorse their products. When you take huge sums of money to endorse a product and encourage people to buy it you do it because you know it sways them towards what you are saying. Someone on that aforementioned show commented that he was probably not aware about the 26/11 case and he is not a politician and so we should not take his statements seriously in this regard. From what we know he is neither a diamond expert nor an FMCG one, but he does take money to tell us which one is the best and he is paid that money because people listen to him and believe him. Then Mr. Khan should you not be held responsible for your statements? People listen to you and believe you. Then it is your duty to think before you speak.

A certain actor lost his career because of the statements he made about Mr.Khan to the press. That was only a private matter between two people. This has affected the entire nation Mr.Khan. How should you pay for this?

And lastly, he tweets -‘Sorry bolne mein koi sharam nahi.’. That is the tragedy, Mr.Khan, that you have no shame. When you apologize you should be ashamed for what you have done and truly regret it. Such a high handed statement totally sucks!

Anyway Mr.Khan, you were forgiven by the people of this country for the ‘black buck’ as well as the ‘pavement killings’ and I am sure you will soon be forgiven for this as well. But do you think you deserve it?

And I am on a roll

Another tag! But this seems like a nice one 🙂

3 things that scare me
1) The New
2) Lonliness (Emotional not physical)
3) Violence

3 people who make me laugh
1) Scott Adams
2) P G Wodehouse
3) Indian Horror Movies (unintentional hilarity though)

3 things I love
1) Freedom
2) Creativity
3) Spontaneity / Prsesence of mind

3 things I hate
1) Loudness
2) Crassness
3) Pettiness

3 things I don’t understand
1) Mathematics
2) Why is there no ‘Undo’ option in life?
3) Do all people who say ‘it’s not rocket science’ really know everything about rocket science?

3 things on my desk
1) Pen Holder
2) Mobile Phone
3) A daily calender which has a ‘thought’ for each day – some are bang on and others utter trash but all of which make me ponder for a minute each day

3 things I’m doing right now
1) Blogging when I am supposed to be working
2) Waiting for the cabbie to pick me up
3) Planning a fun imaginative hypothetical weekend

3 things I want to do before I die
1) Bungee Jump
2) Pilot a plane
3) Write a book

3 things I can do
1) Recite the alphabets backwards as fast as I can do it the ‘normal’ way
2) Touch my palms on the floor without bending my knees
3) Describe anything, just about anything, so vidly that you can experience the incident -however boring and still feel interested in it

3 things you should listen to
1) Vishnu Sahasranamam in the mornings -great way to begin your day
2) A R Rehman
3)Your parents -atleast I should listen to mine

3 things you should never listen to
1) The  ‘Grrrr’ of the air conditioner in your bedroom
2) Honkings from other motorists…..seriously, what’s the point?
3) Advice from people who have never ‘been there done that’

3 things i’d like to learn
1) Belly dancing
2) Play the violin
3) Marketing -I totally suck at it

3 favorite foods
1) Mom made
2) Hubby made
2) No, the third is not milkmaid (ha ha) Hmm its Pizza, Parathas, Paneer, Pasta (gosh1 Now I have a P-ixation, i mean P Fixation)

3 beverages I drink regularly
1) Water
2) Horlicks
3) Buttermilk

3 childhood TV shows / books
1) Great Robot
2) Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi
3) Wagle ki Duniya

1) Enid Blyton -Secret Seven, Famous Five, Malory Towers
2) Tinkle
3) Chandamama & Gokulam

3 names I go by

1) Chintu
2) Som
3) The third one is not for public consumption

3 things I like about myself
1) Resilience
2) Sense of humor
3) Spurts of brilliance

3 things I don’t like about myself
1) Resilience
2) That my brilliance is still only in spurts and not yet free flowing
3) Willingness to forgive and forget

3 essentials
1) Something to live for
2) Someone to laugh & rant with
3) Someone to blindly trust

3 things I like in the opposite sex
1) Confidence
2) Chivalry
3) Comic….Nah! I was just going for the ‘C’ grade stuff! Its actually ‘D Grade’ -Decisive

3 things that I want to do badly now
1) Run home to mom & dad
2) Have a pizza
3) Go on a vacation

3 careers I am considering right now
1) Author
2) Entrepreneur
3) Librarian

3 places I’d love to go on vacation
1) New Zealand
2) Paris
3) Rome

Just saying

Well, I was not keeping too well and had an extended vacation at home. During the course of this, I discovered that our soaps and serials (someone do tell me the difference) are getting more and more interesting by the day. I tried to catch up with some of them. But mostly I ended with a dizzy spell! What do these mean really??

Firstly we have the plain old boring ones which immediately reveal what they are about or at least string a few words which make sense together. So we have a sprinkle of relationship based ones (blood and holy others) plus simple ones relating to famous movie stars. …basically something slow dim witted ones like me understand.

Pavitra Rishta

Choti Bahu

Hamari Devarani

Mile Jab Hum Tum

Rakt Sambandh

Sabki Laadli Bebo

Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo

Then we have certain others which are what I can call ‘Ctrl C Ctrl V’ but what I should call ‘inspired’. These are inspired from movie title and song lyrics which I think are done for instant recall or by lazy imaginations. Like these –

Sasuraal Genda Phool

Chand Chupa Badal Mein

Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat

Tere Mere Sapne

Baat Hamari Pakki Hai

Jaane Pehchane Se Ajnabi

Thoda Hai Bas Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai

Bairi Piya

Yeh Pyaar Na Hoga Kam

Laagi Tujse Lagan

Karam Dharam Apna Apna

Bhagya Vidata

Then we have certain others who are truly concerned / obsessed with the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter. I have attempted to understand the subject of these programmes through their titles. Try me!

Na Aana Is Des Laado

See, we have a housing problem. There are too many hutments and shantys. Please don’t come and increase the population on the streets.

I did also briefly consider that this may have something to do with Thirupati and Lado but maybe I was wrong.

Rang Badalti Odni

Not everyone can afford new clothes in different colours. So we change the colours of our existing ‘odni’ to do the trick. How? Watch Badmaash Company.

Kesariya Balam Aavo Hamare Des

This, I am guessing, was sponsored by the competitors of the one who did Na Aana… The guys say, look at our townships, our beach houses, our villas. Do come (with the kesar of course) …and watch the CWG?*

Who Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki

This, I suspect has something to do with Chennai. In the days gone by, everyone had an independent house and no one lived in apartments. Today, thanks to the IT culture and general population explosion, people are demolishing their houses and collaborating with builders to raise apartments. You think this serial has something to do with that? Girl staying in a big independent house which is then broken into flats….and others talk about her “Woh rehne….

Rehna Hai Teri Palkon Ki Chaaon Mein

Again, no place to stay except in the chaaon of your palkon.

Sarvggun Sampanna

Actually, this one has been wrongly classified here cos I initially thought this has something to do with the ubiquitous paan. My bad!

* I only inserted the reference to CWG to increase the chances of this blog being found on any search engine. Adjust kariyo….

And finally to the truly bizarre….I grant them that they manage to keep the viewer curious as to the storyline and theme as also not get randomly ‘inspired’. But this is getting too much, don’t you think?

Agle janam mohe bitiya hi kijo

This is definitely not making sense to me. Help!

Mera Naam Karegi Roshan

This only requires a Gazette Officer. If you want to change your name to Roshan, go ahead. Why make a weepy track of it?

Yahaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli

Am guessing the scene to be – Girl sitting in USA in front of a PC, opening Google Earth and pointing out to the guy –Yahaan Main….But how do you run a weekly / daily show out of that?????

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

Do you think this could be the first serial / soap to have viewer participation?

Agar aapko lagta hai ki yeh rishta ‘pyaar’ hai tho type keejiye A aur bhej dijiye 3458936767 par.

Kyonki Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai

This is bizarre simply because the people behind this must have thought –“Let’s string together the names of one hit program which will ensure instant recall and another decent one with a philosophical bent.” Whoa!

Nanhi Si Kali Meri Laadli

And your point is????? Universal Motherhood program.

Papad Pol Shahbuddin Rathod Ki Duniya

No comments and no references to a certain lovable Mr. Wagle

Mrs & Mr Sharma Allahabadwale

No comments again! What I would like to know are the opinions of other Mr. and Mrs. Sharma who are not from the Big B town???

Lapataganj

Help!

Gutur Gu

I am now wondering if I wrongly hit Discovery channel while doing research for this blog post

Agnipareeksha- Jeevan ki Ganga

I have the faintest clue what this could mean. They have 2 of the 5 elements. Maybe we would have more like ‘Vayu –Jeevan ki Dharti’ or something ‘Gone with the wind’ types! Your guess is as good as mine.

Well, these are only my guesses about these shows. I have never watched any of them. I know I have not included any shows from Sun and other Tamil channels but that begs another blog post someday.

This post happened in the process of my rigid scientific process of choosing which one to watch. Any suggestions? For your information, I am the type who watches Indian Idol, Big Boss, Comedy Circus and reruns of Friends. So now tell me, which of these shows would you recommend?