Listen all my friends dear,

There's indeed a leap in the year.

You will work more for a day,

Without getting any extra pay.

So make it large and say Cheers !

Let 2012 be the best of your years .

Moth,oh foolish moth,
why dance around the flame ?
To end up in a blaze,
you have yourself to blame.
What you thought a sanctuary,
was nothing but a shadow.
Like a mirage in the desert,
She'll leave without much ado.
You were doomed the moment
you stepped on shifting sands.
Now don't expect your tormentor,
To lend you her helping hands.
Try as much to escape but
your fate is almost sorted,
Just wait and watch how somebody ends
something which you started.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Arunangshu Paul
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death of Kim Jong Il

The death of Kim Jong il is an event which may have far reaching repercussions on the world . Kim Jong il had succeeded his father Kim il Sung as the head of North Korea in 1994 and ruled the so called communist state as its head and extending the dictatorship which his father originated. Under their collective rule for over six decades, North Korea has largely been a closed and impoverished society branded as a rogue state  by the USA and the west but also attained  nuclear capabilities . But the help and succour received from China has helped it to pull through as it has been historically a strategic buffer to China against the US influence emanating from South Korea.

The son, Kim Jong-un is tipped to takeover as the new head of state , thus perpetuating the dynastic rule . But the question which is being raised is whether he will be able to retain his hold on the military and ruling elite of the country and fend off the power struggle within. With any signs of instability, Korea will again become a flashpoint for international conflict with the growing might of China pitted against the US efforts to take advantage of any chink in its armour. The thought of an instable nuclear Korea with undisclosed amount of warheads at its disposal is alarming. Added to the fact is the scope of these nuclear devices being sold or finding its way to terrorist organisations or adventurous states .

From history it is often observed that  the death of  a strong autocratic leader of a country under a long spell of dictatorship or one-party rule  unleashes forces beyond the control of those in power and a political reorganization takes place, often accompanied with civil unrest and strife. A recent example has been erstwhile Yugoslavia under Tito  and Soviet Union after the death of Brezhnev / Cherenenko. Therefore , the developments in Korea will be keenly monitored for its geo-political ramifications which will also affect , inter-alia, the currency movements in Asia.

Also posted on my facebook profile

Shot in the dark.

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The winter dusk was just setting in,
when you crossed my way.
Your face was a mask,
I couldn't even ask.
Hello ,how are you ?
These unspoken words will haunt me now,
till this night is through.

Awake, in the middle of night.

How does it feel to remain awake,

in the middle of the night,

as the darkness covers everything.

With the scent of sweat and the

exhaustion of just concluded coitus

hanging around the room heavily.

How does it happpen, this loveless

locking of bodies , to satisfy some

primal desire in such a boring routine.

To flush out the pain within, spurting out

in spasms of desire , with the anguished cry

from the inner recess of a fractured soul.

The silhoutte in the shadows lying across

facing the wall in a satiated slumber ,

evenly breathing ; lingering in the pleasures

explored, maybe dreaming.

Or is it really so ?

The dead of the night plays tricks on the mind.

Suddenly suspicious, the hand extends in the

old habit to reassure the ego.

What a shock it is to touch the bare body

which was so warm in the fire of lust,

only a few minutes back;

now feels so cold and icy like a cadaver .

Code of life

Can anybody ever decide,
 how much to delve inside ?
Even as we try to fathom
the inner depths of mind.
The periphery of our inner selves
is spread so vast and wide
What lies within, how many have seen?
beyond what the eyes can sight.
This quest, this search, goes on and on
till the end of  our road.
But the question remains unanswered
as no one have cracked the code.

The more I try to reach you,
the further you drift away.
Tell me what is my mistake,
in loving you this way

Forever the sky, lets me fly, into the back of the beyond.
Why I search, what I find,no answers need to be found.
They start with the cloudsand end in the stars ,
with the rainbow as the bridge.
The mind carries me high above,with the soaring winds.
Abdicating behind all what I have like a  happy king.
Waiting for none, I carry on in my own crazy way.

There was something different with this Sunday. After watching a late
show of a movie on Saturday night (TDP,see previous post) woke up
later than usual. Leafing through the newspapers with the cup of
tea,received a call from a very old school friend, Shakti, from
Jamshedpur. He had come to Mumbai with two associates and wanted to
have a Mumbai darshan. He had put up, very surprisingly at a hotel
in Belapur, very near my house.

I agreed,even though my wife was not too keen to let me spend the
Sunday ,roaming in Mumbai. So with Shakti and his two friends , we
started off in a Scorpio hired by them.

Our first stop was the Sidhi Vinayak temple which I visited after
almost 12 years. This was followed by the Mahalaxmi temple and the
Haji Ali , which I had never visited previously. Now, I am not a
religious person but don't mind visiting such places if God calls me
to his abode. So ,the pre lunch session was really different from my
normal routine.

Whenever I visit such places, I am struck by the power of faith as
expressed by the devotees which leaves me wondering if I am leading a
wrong kind of life by not following a proper religion with all its
ritualistic frills.

The actual darshan at all these places lasted for about 2-3 minutes as
the jostling crowd of devotees were constantly pushing from behind.
Everybody seemed to be eager to complete the ritual of darshan.I don't
know how much of the God was in their mind in the melee. I reserve my
comments on this.

The actual walking up to all these pilgrimage was quite tiring and
strenuous. Shakti is a person with weight problem and looked quite
pathetic after all this. I saluted his spirit of piety as I smoked my
poison in a very non religious urge to calm myself. The time was 2.15
p.m.when we reached the vehicle.
All of us were feeling famished by now.

We planned to have Thalis at the Golden Star or Rajdhaani but the
driver's confusion landed us at Fort . We had by then hungry and had a
very unlikely but tasty Chinese type food at 5 Spice.

After ambling around Fort area which looked totally different and
empty on a Sunday,we went to The Gateway,where a Naval function or
show was on. The Gateway was cordoned off for public. Joined the crowd
of curious onlookers thronging the sea front promenade in front of the
Taj hotel. My friends were happily clicking pics as I was enjoying the
anonimity amongst the crowd which I always like.

We were going back when one of us proposed to watch the sunset. By
then we were near Sion and turned the car towards Santacruz. After
watching the sunset there and having the mandatory nariyal pani with
malai and roasted corn on the cob (bhutta fry), we made our way
back,discussing the great Dev Anand who passed away today.

It was a mad and spontaneous Sunday. It was a really different Sunday.
Shakti will return tomorrow. Who knows when we will meet again ? But
he took me near God. That's what I will remember.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Arunangshu Paul
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Ooh la la , ooh la la.........
She is terrific. Vidya Balan breathes life into The Dirty Picture and
makes it alive. She also proves herself as the best actress in the
country as all the aspects of acting,be it physical or emotional has
been portrayed by her in the most convincing manner.
Make no mistake,the role essayed by her was a very difficult one and
she has proved herself in the most emphatic manner.

The film itself is a deconstruction of the 80s era when with the
advent of TV and video technology,soft porn became a fuel to ignite
the Indian male fantasy. Movies were made,mainly in the southern
states,which catered to the repressed and sex obsessed average Indian
male who were opening up to the world with increasing disposable
income.

Milan Lutharia had earlier made the movie Once upon a time in Mumbai
which also tried to capture the period of 70s and 80s in the backdrop
with the life of the mafia don Haji Mastan , purportedly in the
forefront . He has very cleverly tried to use the formula again in a
different cocktail of sex,sleaze with titillation by leaking
beforehand the information that this movie was based on the life and
times of Silk Smitha,the sexy siren from south.
But this has made his task a huge challenge as unravelling the layers
of the complex female mind is always tricky and with a subject like
this it needs very delicate handling to avoid the trap of being
labelled as crass or vulgar. He has been majorly successful in this.
Aided by a tight screenplay and witty dialogues, the tempo of the
movie is even paced and flows with the story line.

This movie is a one woman show and for a change, the male actors have
been used as props.

The heartening feature was the presence of many ladies and a housefull
show. Overall its a good entertainment and a plausible narrative
without any superhero,crime or violence.worth watching.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Arunangshu Paul
visit me on facebook

Silk Smitha

Watching the promos and posters of the movie The Dirty Picture and the claims made by the makers, that it is based on the life and times of Silk Smitha, the sexy siren from south, one can't help remembering her.
There she was, providing visual delight and igniting the male fantasy of the repressed  and depressed Indians. She was termed as vulgar, crass and an exhibitionist. But everybody wanted to have a peep and if possible a piece of her. Those were the times when zero size was not in vogue. Compared to the present day wonders built on starving, dieting, body sculpting, botox jobs and the generous use of silicones, the raw and earthy appeal of Silk Smitha will remain an eternal hit. She was mind blowing, period. The curves were feminine, not in coyness or capitulation but as a challenge to male virility. It was a fire which burned the senses but never torched the heart. Women hated her and called her names. The eyes darkened with kohl, the full lips and the oily makeup only enhanced her raw sensuality and made people uncomfortable in their pants. Such was her effect.

People from my generation will definitely have a vivid recollection of her. I remember noticing her first in the photographs in the now defunct SUNDAY  magazine, then edited , initially by M.J.Akbar and later by Veer Sanghvi. They had a special page devoted to southern films. Of the South Indian actors mentioned there at those times, four became very familiar, later to the northerners too. KamalHasan, Rajnikanth, Sridevi and off course Silk Smitha.

But Silk Smitha was different from the others. She never got the respectability from media or the masses. People treated her like an object of desire, to satiate their hidden and forbidden dreams in a carnal fantasy . Just think of it once, how does it feel when you know that whenever a male is looking at you , or even your photograph, it is either with an open or suppressed urge to have your body. No love, no respect , not even a simple friendship or fellow feeling from all the people around. No wonder, her life ended tragically in a suicide. Bold she was no doubt, but ultimately not brave enough to face the reality or chose another option to live. Life may have given her all the adulation, all the attention she may have craved for but also converted her body into a commodity, which she had to bare, day in and out for the voyeurs.

Nobody may have cried for her. None may remember her as a normal human being. All that we may have with us are the recollection of a voluptuous woman who would make our heart race with her presence on screen . Curse her, castigate her, run her down but there is no denying that there is a bit of Silk Smitha  in every one of us. Shameless, exhibitionist, vulgar, self deprecating  and with a up in your face attitude. We like to cover it with our values and the cloak of morality. But then who are we to pass moral judgement on others when everyday we are ourselves making so many compromises and selling ourselves for some personal gains, either directly or indirectly.

Everyone used her,compromised her for their own interests and to mint money. Today also the movie being released is using her name to sell itself with high voltage publicity and promotion. I will also watch the movie.There is no shame in accepting lust as an integral part of our life. It happens to everybody and it is natural. Denial of it in yourself is unnatural. I am not sure whether the movie will ultimately do justice to her and bring out her personality for us to stop for a moment and remember her , not with the uncontrolled and burning primal desire but with the respect which a fellow human being deserves to have been a small, hidden, dark and maybe a closed chapter of our life.

Wherever she may be, may her soul rest in peace....................................