Make this Valentine day extra special and memorable by celebrating love with the entire family. A complete package of food, fun and entertainment. A flagship event by Induz (non-profit) that has been sold out for the past 5 years. Reviewed by TV and news media as one of the best valentine’s event for families in the bay area.

Saturday, February 11th 6:30 PM @ Mehran Banquet Hall, 5774 Mowry School Road,  Newark CA 94560

**** Event hosted by Celebrity Hollywood Actor Roger Narayan  ****

Banquet Dinner & Bar,

Valentine’s Special Fashion Show “Forever in Love”,

Live Music performance by Bay Area Leading Singers & SurPal group,

Bollywood, Latin & Tango Dance Performances,

Best Dressed Couple Prizes,

DJ Dancing

FREE Child Care & Separate Kids Area with Arts, Crafts & Entertainment

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS NOW

EARLY BIRD SPECIALS $30; $20 Kids (limited)

REGULAR $35 Adults; $25 Kids (5-12 yrs) Under 5 years Free

VIP Sweetheart Couple Special $100 (includes champagne, chocolates, rose, premium seating)

TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE:(no service charge)    www.sulekha.com/induz

For Sponsorship, tickets and additional details, please contact:

Sanjay Saxena (510) 449-8530       Ray Mitra (510) 875-5006      Anupam 646-320-824   Email info@induz.org

Proceeds benefit art and music education for underprivileged children at orphanages in India and at low-income schools in Bay Area. For more details, visit the Induz website.

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I attended this event last year, and highly recommend it for parents looking for interesting ways to occupy their kids this summer. I found about Sulphur Creek’s internship program in Hayward, and also about other animal rescue opportunities. (My teen was into nature those days.) There are lots of other interesting opportunities, both to volunteer and to learn.

SUMMER PROGRAMS FAIR

Community Event ** Free*** Open to the Public

Organized by: TGIF – The Gifted in Fremont,Fremont Unified School District

What: “2012 Summer Programs” Fair

Where: American High School (Rotunda), 36300 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, 94536

When: Friday, March 02 , 2012, from 6:15 – 8:15pm

Who: ALL families with kids ages 5-18 yrs

Why * Looking for ways to enhance your kids’ study skills, life skills, leadership, and communication skills over the summer?

* Do your teens need service learning hours and activities for their college applications?

* Need ideas to engage your kids for the summer?

Mark your calendar.

Check us on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/TGIF-Summer-Programs-Fair/358894864125867?sk=info

If you are a business or an organization that provide services to kids ages 5-18 and would like to showcase your services, contact spf2012@giftedinfremont.org

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By Meenu Arora

Some people see the New Year as a chance to start afresh. Is it time to make yet another unbreakable promise to oneself?

THE REALITY

Let’s take a look at the New Year resolution stats. 40 to 45% of American adults make one or more resolutions each year. 75% resolutions are kept past the first week, 71% past the second week, 64% past one month and 46% past 6 months. (Source:  Journal of Clinical Psychology, Volume 58, Issue 4, 2002.) The four most popular New Year resolutions are related to self-improvement or education, weight, money, and relationships.

THE PLAN

Be Specific: Like all other goals, New Year resolutions should be specific, have measurable landmarks, and a solid deadline. They should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based (SMART goals). For example, if one’s resolution is to lose weight, it helps to attach a real and realistic number to the goal. Breaking down the final goal into short term goals and tracking progress can help one stay motivated. To give yourself the best chance for success, share your resolution with close family and friends who can provide support (read: nag!) to help you make the change and attain your goal.

Reward Yourself: Meeting each short term goal should be an occasion to celebrate (preferably not a box of chocolates for the weight loss goal!). This can take away some of the sting of the resolution, because, by definition, the goal is something that has been previously hard to attain. Rewarding yourself is also a way of honoring your commitment to change. Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit, and 6 months for it to become part of your personality.

KIDS AND THE NEW YEAR

Kids can have New Year resolutions too. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released suggestions for New Year resolution for kids of different age groups. For example, preschoolers could be helped to have resolutions like cleaning up their toys, brushing their teeth twice daily and washing their hands. For kids 5-12 years old these are extended into trying out new sport or activity, wearing a helmet while biking, wearing sunscreen before going out in the sun, being friendly with other kids and not to release personal information on the Internet. Teenagers’ New Year resolutions range from proper nutrition to appropriate usage of cell phones (no texting while driving, for example), community service goals and treating other people with respect.

DESI RESOLUTIONS

For Indian Americans, the New Year can be  a time to get into some good habits and practices ranging from practicing vegetarianism, eating less junk food, improving fitness levels, embarking on a dream vacation, reaching out for a spiritual connection.

There are those who believe that making confident choices every day is more important than New Year resolutions. I heard a friend say, “Just give New Year resolutions a rest and in the coming year do your best!”  Kudos to those who have the self-discipline and motivation to have ongoing goals and staying on track. For the rest of us, New Year’s resolutions can be a great way of kick starting our life towards a different, more positive direction. And let’s not forget to look back and give thanks for what we have and what we have already accomplished with our lives.

Meenu Arora has over 10 years of experience teaching and working with kids. She writes on topics on kids and health. She is a physician of homeopathy and currently works in a quality management position.

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The biggest challenge for a blogger is to get inspired to write, especially when there are just so many distractions. (At this moment I count 7, no, 8 portals to the time sink that is the world wide web in my house, who knows how many more the Christmas season will bring). But sometimes you come across a piece of information that motivates you, or infuriates you to get off that lazy, spreading butt and vent.

Today’s prod is this article in the NYT:

Amazon was encouraging customers to go into brick-and-mortar bookstores on Saturday, and use its price-check app (which allows shoppers in physical stores to see, by scanning a bar code, if they can get a better price online) to earn a 5 percent credit on Amazon purchases (up to $5 per item, and up to three items).

I would be more appalled, but all I can think of saying to the company is – “Suckers! We’ve been doing this for years for free.” How do you think Fremont, CA lost every single bookstore in the neighborhood?

After the Citizen’s United decision by the US Supreme Court, there were howls of outrage by progressives about terming corporations as people. I used to protest too, but lately I’ve been wondering if the war could be better fought by exposing exactly what kind of people corporations are – greedy, self-serving, and soulless.

That kind of personality that would not be tolerated in a human being. We value qualities like compassion, tolerance, and altruism in other human beings, so why shouldn’t we demand it of a corporation too? After all, if the corporation has a right to free speech, a right to spend money without restrictions, (and life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness too, it seems) then why shouldn’t it be bound by the same kind of civilized behavior that we expect of our more sentient peers?

However, social behavior is a product of conditioning; the boor and the bully are usually stopped not by the law but by ostracism, by the collective agreement that their behavior is not acceptable. An analogical strategy would be send Amazon the message that their heavy-handed tactics are abhorrent by boycotting them. But is that even possible anymore? As I write this, a few packages are on their way to my doorstep; a few weeks ago, when I saw a copy of Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder in an airport bookstore, my hand hovered over it only for the seconds it took my brain to resolve to look it up online. (I eventually found it in my local library, but with Amazon’s lending service on the Kindle, and enormous pressure to cut funding for government services, I wouldn’t be surprised if the next assault is on that esteemed institution.) I was one of those handful of people in my city who shopped at my local stores regularly, but Fremont has now become a junkyard of dollar stores, buffet restaurants, and discount clothiers, apparently the only kind of retail that can weather a recession.

Ms. Patchett is one of the authors quoted in the NYT article. To her credit, and my fervent admiration, she has opened up an independent store in Nashville, TN, precisely to counter this mind-numbing creep of commerce into literature. Even her response to Amazon’s latest shenanigans is resigned rather than militant -

“There is no point in fighting them or explaining to them that we should be able to coexist civilly in the marketplace,” [she writes]. “I don’t think they care. I do think it’s worthwhile explaining to customers that the lowest price point does not always represent the best deal. If you like going to a bookstore then it’s up to you to support it. If you like seeing the people in your community employed, if you think your city needs a tax base, if you want to buy books from a person who reads, don’t use Amazon.”

Is someone in my neighborhood listening? Please open a bookstore – I promise you at least one loyal customer.

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Relax on this friday evening with friends, family and make some new friends, shake a leg, and enjoy a great evening – all while contributing to a good cause. Proceeds from the event will benefit art and music programs for underprivileged children at orphanages in India and low income schools in bay area, US.

Venue: Swagat Indian Cuisine, 4918 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont CA

Date: Friday 16th Dec 2011   Time: 7:30 PM – Midnight

ATTRACTIONS: Karaoke,  Holiday theme decor, Free Photo with Santa, Kids Performance, kids activity area/arts, sumptuous dinner.

TICKETS: ONLY $12 for adults 10 and over; 5- 10 years $7; Under 5 years FREE

Click here to buy online tickets at Sulekha (Sulekha fees only 25 cents)

Tickets will be available at the door. RSVP is required for headcount. Email rsvp@induz.org. Call 510-239-7299

SCHEDULE:

7:30 – 8:30 : Karaoke Singing

8:00 – 9:00 : FREE Picture with Santa Claus

8:30 – 9:00: Kids Performance

9:00 – 11:00: Karaoke Singing

11:00 – Midnight – DJ Dance

NOTE: For this event, we are pre-registering singers. Please send an email to rsvp@induz.org if you wish to sing. We would also like to get the name of the song you will sing and get the tracks in advance. This will save time lining up singers.

It is not necessary to sing a song based on the theme, but welcome. Meragana.com will be available, but as a backup plan, we like to request you to bring a track in a CD or mp3 player just in case we have issues with internet connection.

We will have a kids’ performance. If you wish for your kids to perform (sing, dance etc), please send an email along with the performance details. Performance should ideally be within 3 mins. Please note the performance timing for kids from 8:30 – 9 PM.

Kids will have an activity area to keep them busy with arts etc.

Book your tickets/RSVP soon before we sell out like last time.

See you on 16th December!

Musically yours,

Induz Karaoke Committee

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By Geeta Padmanabhan

The Highways and Minor Ports Secretary to the Tamil Nadu government, in his letter dated 29 August, 2011 wrote to the Advocate-General of Tamil Nadu:… “the Government, now, after careful consideration of the objections and issues raised by various sections of people, have decided to drop the project.” He asked the A-G to inform the High Court about the decision of the Government. This was in reply to a case filed by a fisherman.

The “project” mentioned here is the absurd, illegal, anti-environment, anti-fishermen, anti-beach plan to build an elevated expressway along the shoreline of the four beaches in Chennai. [see the previous article here.] This four-lane expressway, by some miracle, was supposed to de-congest the southern part of the city of its high volume traffic. Car drivers – only four-wheelers would be allowed on the e’way – would take to the “scenic route” at once and all would be well with our interior roads. Never mind all those who were on the e’way had to go back to the city, through narrow hamlets. One side of the road is filled with sea water.

The words “objections and issues raised by various sections of people” is truly sweet to hear. And not just because I was in one of those “sections of people”. Whether completely meant or not, these words convey the recognition of an obligation of the government: that they should consult the people affected before embarking on a civic project. Projects are not one-sided, top-down affairs. They are not arrogant decisions made on the premise “The government knows best” or on the specious argument “While implementing such large projects, the welfare of a few may have to be sacrificed.” Lack of consultation was the main characteristic of the project from the time it was fraudulently introduced in the master plan for the city to the time a detailed project report was prepared by consultants Wilbur Smith & Co. Even the environment impact study was done in secrecy.

But we won. Some have said that the victory was made possible by the opposition coming to power and in an age-old practice, calling off the previous government’s projects. That would be belittling the three-year battle fought at various levels. Why would the current political party abandon the project unless there was some gain in that action? After all, the e’way would be a 1200-crore highly visible monument proclaiming government power.

So it was people power? Yes, with one qualification. It was people’s power exercised with sharp strategy. In this particular Tom-and-Jerry game, we ended up being Jerry. I am happy to share some of the approaches.

[1] Once we got the information about the proposal, Saravanan, a fisherman decided to pursue it through RTI (Right to Information Act). He applied for information so constantly that after a while he was probably “given” it without fuss. This required doggedness, and he had that in plenty. Every time we saw “progress” in the proposal, we formulated our counter-strategy.

[2] We educated the press. The national and local press had the government’s view which was all about de-congesting city roads. We invited them again and again for briefings. We talked about the fishermen and their livelihood, the impact on environment, the tsunami and the e’way, the Olive Ridley turtles that came to nest, the Adyar estuary, the Theosophical Society’s forests, the Kalakshetra (both run close to the seashore), the need for open spaces, the pollution and of course, the illegality of the construction. We made pamphlets listing the damage and distributed them. We gave traffic solutions. In the months of our quiet agitation, some of the reporters became so well informed that they began to dig up facts about the case. They came up with excellent reports. We were in the news – in local papers, in national dailies, on TV.

[3] We conducted seminars – in Kalakshetra, in the Madras Institute of Development Studies. We invited transportation experts to talk of the futility of building expressways to de-congest city traffic. We had representatives from all the stake-holders, including a students’ group that works to save the Olive Ridleys. We had statistics and examples. Through all this, our strength grew. Our Google group now swelled with IDs.

[4] We visited the beaches early Sundays and late Saturdays and talked to people about what they would lose, what the impact on the environment would be. We made banners, sold T-shirts, organized stilt-walkers with the message: “Say No to the Beach Expressway.”

[5] A group of college students meanwhile got together to form ROB (Reclaim Our Beaches). The beach is ours, was their message. Take ownership of the beach, keep it clean. They brought their college friends, played music, raised funds, conducted cleaning trips to the estuary. “The Expressway is the biggest garbage” they proclaimed.

[6] Meantime, the fishermen got organized. We invited their reps to our meetings and told them of the government’s intention. The 14 fishermen’s colonies passed resolutions in their local-body meetings and sent copies to the officials. We attended their press meets, their human-chain protest. We visited their colonies and interacted with the women. We told them some bitter truths about the expressway (No public transport would run on it). We made their livelihood and re-habilitation major issues of our campaign. I would like to think that this was the first time that a middle-class group spoke passionately about the rights of the poor. Remember, we are all car-owners and the expressway was meant for us.

[7] International support came from the Theosophical Society whose world-wide members wrote to the state and central government. Local support was strengthened when we went to schools asking kids to send post cards to the Chief Minister with pictures of turtles or a clean beach or an e’way-free beach.

[8] We then got a copy of the Wilbur Smith Detailed Project Report. We analysed it for legal loopholes. It was absurd, but that wouldn’t help in a court argument. We found that the company had merrily claimed that they had done the public consultations and were given approval for the projects by four fishermen (reps of the people affected, as mandated by law). We registered a complaint at a police station about this fraud. We demanded proof in the form of signed documents.

[9] The government now tried to work at the central-cabinet level. The Coastal Zone Regulation that did not allow any construction 500 metres from the waterline was re-written to include “roads on stilts” where this was necessary. Once it came up, all the areas landward of the expressway would be free for commercialization. This was in line with calling the expressway a linking road (hey, all roads link!); laying dirt tracks overnight and showing them as pre-existing roads that the e’way would replace; carting sand away from the Adyar river-mouth in the name of de-silting. We registered our objection. We sent petitions to the Environment minister at the central cabinet. We liaised with the national fishermen’s forum on this one.

[10] We went on a fast for a day.

[11] When the elections were announced, we called all the candidates contesting in the relevant areas and asked them to take a stand on the e’way.

[12] We did not have the Ramlila numbers you saw on the screen. Convincing visitors to the beach to join the movement was our toughest task. Most thought an expressway was the panacea for their traffic woes. They could zip across 10 kms in 5 minutes! Ours was a small group. We never had more than 20 people at our meetings. But we won.

People say that Anna Hazare’s Ramlila grounds campaign got its sheen by the infusion of professionals, for whom strategizing is a well-honed skill. I’m thrilled that we’ve proved what the educated can do to thwart a government plan through a well-thought-out campaign, media education/support and thorough knowledge of the law.

This is the press release we put out two days ago. We are meeting this Sunday, September 11, 2011 to find out how we can keep this energy going to keep the beaches clean.

The Tamilnadu Government has formally declared the scrapping of the Rs. 1000 crore elevated expressway project from Lighthouse to ECR near Kottivakkam. Welcoming  the announcement (attached), residents of South Chennai, fisherfolk and environmentalists expressed their gratitude to the Chief Minister, the Fisheries Minister and the Highways Minister. The project would have affected 14 fishing villages, all four of Chennai’s beaches and caused great damage to the environment. This decision of the Government will be submitted to the Madras High Court by the Advocate General. A case challenging the Detailed Feasibility Report of the project was filed in the Madras High Court last year by Kasinathan, the former President of Urur Kuppam Panchayat.

Residents and fisherfolk who learnt about the details of the project by using the Right to Information Act have vigorously opposed the project since its inception. Fourteen fishing villages have even issued resolutions opposing the project. Leaders of the then opposition party — AIADMK — too had expressed their support to the campaign against the expressway. Residents have urged the Government to consider improving public transport systems so that the benefits accrue to common people.

For comments on this victory, please contact:

Kasinathan. (Urur Kuppam. Petitioner in the Madras High Court case): 9841429893

K. Saravanan.  (Right to Information Activist. Urur Kuppam): 9841868634

Suresh (Odai Kuppam): 9710072477

Veerabhadran (Thiruvanmiyur Kuppam): 9382138957

Kuppan (Kottivakkam Kuppam): 9383677999

Siddharth Hande (Reclaim Our Beaches — Youth Group): 9840295081

Navaz Currimbhoy (Save Chennai Beaches Campaign): 9841042470

Geeta Padmanabhan (Save Chennai Beaches Campaign): 044 24520535

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As Dandia season rolls around, I’ve decided to compile all the local events for easy reference. Let me know if I’ve missed some of the smaller events and I will update this post.

A kind reader reminded me that I hadn’t put up a Dandia calendar yet on this site. I’d been lazy about it since I thought there were several other references out there, but apparently it’s been useful. So here goes. Please let me know via comments if I’ve missed any.

SEWA Dandia: Sewa International USA presents an evening of Garba-Dandia with the melodious group of Dimple Patel. Free lessons for Dandia.

Subsidized food and drinks will be available.

All proceeds will go towards Sewa International service projects. Details can be found at sewausa.org.

Where:Milpitas High School Main Gym, 1285,Escuela Parkway, Milpitas, California, 95035

When: October 1, 2011 8:00PM to Midnight

Tickets: 10 $. Buy here. Children under 10 free.

Contact:Yagnesh Pathak Phone : 510-364-6095

—————————————

IFDA Navratri Hungama 2011: IFDA is organizing a Dandia Raas and Garba night with live music by Ushma Vahia and troupe. There will be a garba/dandia workshop from 7:00am to 8:00pm followed by dancing until midnight. There will be lots of food and ample parking.

So come with your families and have fun right here in Evergeen, San Jose.

Part of the proceeds benefit Jeena, a non-profit organization in the bay area dedicated to serving special need kids and their families along with IFDA’s Special Need Peer Interaction Program that benefits middle school and high school volunteers right here in evergreen along with Special need kids.

When: Saturday, October 15 at 7:00pm – October 16 at 12:00am

Where: East Valley YMCA Gym.1975 South White Road ,San Jose ,CA 95148

———————————————

SEF Dandia: The Sankara Eye Foundation’s Dandia event has been sold out every one of the last 7 years. Events start at 7 p.m.

When & where: September 24th, October 1st and October 8th: Santa Clara Convention Center. Music: PreetySha and Troupe.

October 15th: Alameda County fairgrounds, Pleasanton. Music: Dhol Baje Entertainment

Tickets at local stores and at sulekha.com.

Contact: sefdandia@gmail.com  SEF Office – 1-866-726-5272  Inquiries – 408-658-0191  Sponsorships – 408-230-4698

———————————————-

SSF Dandia: Small Steps Foundation has a big Dandia night in Fremont every year. It is a kid-friendly event with music by Dimple Patel and her group. Dandia timings are 7:30p.m. to 11:45 p.m. Free dandia lesson in the first hour.

When: October 8th

Where: Centerville Junior High Schoo,l Fremont.

Tickets: Can be bought online at Sulekha.

—————————————————————————–

Vibha Dandia: No info yet, but will update as and when it becomes available.

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Induz Dandiya 2011: Start this festive season with Induz Dandiya 2011 with bay area’s most popular Dr. Sharvari Dixit and her troupe. First time ever in the Bay Area, Dandiya with spectacular Laser lights! Child care facility, ample parking, food, dandia sticks etc will be available. Proceeds from the event will benefit art and music programs for underprivileged/orphan children in India and US. For more information visit www.induz.org

Where: Centerville Junior High School, 37720,Fremont Blvd, Fremont, California, 94356

When: Sep 24 2011 7:30PM to 11:30PM

Contact: Ray Phone : 510-875-5006

Tickets: Adults 12, children 7. Early Bird – Adults 10, children 6.

—————————————————————————–

Saratoga Dandia: The Annual Saratoga Dandia is a social event and an opportunity for families and members of the community to come together and celebrate with their friends and neighbors dancing to live music. LGS Recreation is proud and pleased to sponsor this outstanding community event with proceeds benefitting SUSD.

When: October 7, 8 p.m. onwards.

Where: Redwood Middle School, 13925 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, California, 95070

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Sisters Siddhi and Riddhi Khara started the online venture only a few years after graduating from UC Irvine. Siddhi, who has a degree in international business, and Riddhi, who worked as an event planner, were keen on developing an organic business that was inspired by their Indian upbringing. “Our friends were constantly borrowing clothes from our extensive collection,” says Siddhi, and the sisters wondered if there was a business there.

The idea of lending saris is deceptively simple, yet BIB seems to have gone the extra mile to think of every contingency that faces a woman looking at six yards of sequined cloth. Along with the base product, BIB sends every accessory you might need – from the petticoat to safety pins. And a helpful guide on the website suggests pairing with suitable clutches and jewelry.

What about the blouse, you may ask. And here’s where BIB’s meticulous planning delivers a winner. As any woman who has struggled into blouses made for her thinner self (pretty much everyone!) will attest, this item is usually the biggest headache for the fashion conscious event-goer. BIB takes care of it by sizing their blouses by US clothing sizes and sending a second blouse a size up or down with tie-backs for easier fitting. Rentals are usually for a week and the shipment and return are pretty much the Netflix model, with a prepaid envelope for easy mailing.

And so far, BIB’s growing customer base has been appreciative and respectful. Saris have returned in very good shape and first time users are gratefully converting into repeat renters. The business, which just opened its virtual doors in May 2011, already has over 4,000 members signed up and ready to try its product during the upcoming festival season.

Borrow it Bindaas may be aimed at the Indophile Westerner keen to make an exotic splash at her next do, but it taps into a hidden need even in the Indian community. Given that most desis circulate within a small group, it is always a challenge to bring a new look to every event. And then there is the second generation desi, who rarely makes a trip to India to stock up.

Vrunda Merchant is one of those youngsters for whom BIB is a boon. The social worker doesn’t have much of a personal collection of saris, but like to dress up occasionally. She rented a vibrant orange Archana Kochhar sari form BIB with all the bells and whistles and was so delighted she borrowed another designer sari by Neeta Lulla soon after. “I can’t really afford these high end clothing items on my county salary,” she says. Vrunda paid about $60 for her 6-day rental per sari. She confirms that the receipt and return were both super easy.

Say ad girl Ruth McCartney, who describes herself as a “digital diva,” “I just love the idea.” McCartney rented abeautiful red sari from BIB for a business event at the Beverly Hills Hilton. “I decided to turn some heads,” she laughs, “Saris are a pretty feminine fashion for those of us who like to dress up.”

Adds McCartney, “Russell Brand and Katy Perry just had their wedding in India. I’ve seen people wear it on red carpets much more often these days.” The sari is everywhere, it appears. McCartney also accessorized her sari with earrings, bangles, and a purse from BIB. The tailors at BIB even stitched the pleats for her. “It was so comfortable I wore it the whole day,” says Ruth.

With more designers keen to explore the American market, BIB’s already diverse inventory is all set to expand. The BIB sari idea has been so enthusiastically received that the sisters have diversified into salwar kameezes and anarkalis. For the cash-strapped, US-based customer, BIB offers a great way to get a taste of high couture at bargain basement prices. I’m keeping an eye out for the IPO!

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Varma brings a crisp, international feel to the story of three juvenile roommates in a dingy Delhi one-roomer who inadvertently get involved in a search for a babushka doll containing diamonds. Their madcap adventures around Delhi make for many laugh-out-loud moments, though when the tagline of a movie is “Shit Happens,” one doesn’t expect quite such a literal interpretation.

Delhi Belly belongs to the post-modern Indian film movement inhabited by movies like Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey, though it is much lighter fare; think Ben Stiller in a Tarantino movie. Disastrous events like a roof collapse and a claustrophobic gun fight in an enclosed hotel room are dealt with breezily. There seems to be an implicit understanding between the movie and the audience that none of the principal characters will come to any harm and that the bad guys will get their just desserts. This makes it possible to enjoy the dramatic moments without stress, though it also makes you care less about the characters.

It is a also tad annoying when you see Indian stereotypes being exploited, like the ball-scratching street vendor, but Delhi Belly more than makes up for it with the crackling dialogues, entirely in English, but also very grounded in Indian situational humor, not an easy feat to achieve. Director Abhinay Deo, who also directed the stylish but poorly written Game, does a first class job with a much better script, though mainstream audiences will blanch at the constant swearing and casual sex.

I was surprised to find many Indian English films on Wikipedia, though they are largely art films or productions outside in India. But the language feels comfortable and natural here, as do the sexual situations the characters are portrayed in. Like the characters in Monsoon Wedding, it is obvious that the trio of Tashi (Imran Khan), Arun (an excellent Vir Das), and Nitin (Kunaal Roy Kapoor) belong to the educated Delhi elite, and it is a reality of modern India that a whole generation is growing up in the metros without wanting to or needing to speak in the vernacular.

Aamir Khan, who produced DB, pushes the envelop again; with movies like Peepli Live and Delhi Belly, his production house is doing what NFDC used to do in my youth – support emerging filmmakers with innovative ideas who want to explore ideas outside mainstream Bollywood. He’s not the only one, but his presence is surely encouragement for all the other experimenters out there. Plus, the economics of multiplexes obviously makes it possible for these movies to be made – the existence of filmmakers like Dibaker Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap is proof of that.

In Delhi Belly’s case, I suspect much of the revenues would have accrued from the music rights way before the movie released – the songs are wacky, irreverent, and fun. “DK Bose” created an internet sensation when listeners realized what the words actually were when the chorus was repeated. Aamir makes an appearance before the end credits with the peppy item number “I Hate You (Like I Love You)” dressed as Austin Powers…it is a hilarious end to a funny movie.

With its expletive-ridden dialogue, crude humor, and casual sex scenes (no nudity though!) Delhi Belly is about as far from a “family movie” as you can get. If you like the genre, it is a worthy addition. But if what you look for from an Indian film is comforting escapism, this is not the ticket for you. While audiences in India might walk out of screenings, viewers in my local Union City multiplex were roaring with appreciative laughter and unwilling to leave their seats even after the credits started rolling.

Notice I said “Indian films.” DB makes it amply clear that it is time to shed the Bollywood tag. Jai Ho!

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By Geeta Padmanabhan

With Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalitha being sworn in chief ministers, nearly 380 million or 30% of the population will be governed by women [include UP under Mayavathi and Delhi under Sheila Dikshit]. It’s interesting that for decades women have been asking for a bill allowing 33% reservation of parliament seats for women. Life’s little irony!

Of the two results – in W. Bengal and Tamil Nadu – it was the one in Tamil Nadu that sprang a big surprise. News channels were way off the mark when they predicted anything from a DMK victory to a narrow lead for Jaya’s ADMK in assembly numbers. Just goes to show how these “scientific” polls done in AC-ed computer rooms and among a mere 6000 respondents are complete duds. The drivers, hawkers, maids and industrial workers were sure – amma would come back. They were worried about just one thing – the counting could be rigged. “She will win,” my maid said emphatically. “But a month between polling and counting… that worries me.”

Yet, the numbers are a surprise – 203/234. In all the interviews and analyses we were subjected to, it is Jaya alone who believed in these numbers. “My alliance will get over 200 seats,” she said, and one could see the interviewer smirking. I wonder where she is now – the interviewer, I mean.

So, how did the comeback queen, well, come back?

[1] Her campaign. She organised a youth wing, issued cards to them, asked them to find their own leaders. Once that got through, every week, she asked party leaders to organise street corner meetings in every town, every district. These were done from open trucks at public places and included all these new members. This was the training ground for the new recruits on how to reach out to the people. The speeches were meticulously written – by herself – describing local problems and attacking the local governments. These protests were recorded and broadcast on her Jaya TV and drew large audiences.

[2] In the month preceding the poll date she stormed the state – in a vehicle that dramatically opened at the top. One could hear audible gasps among the public when she emerged from the opening seated under a canopy. Tamil Nadu loves opening scenes; when the actor appears in the movie, he/she is greeted with whistles and applause.

[3] In every one of her election speeches she talked of the state – the state of the economy and law and order. She had stats to show how the power production had gone down, how the state debt had risen, how sand and granite were being mined illegally, how the prices had risen, the free rice was being sold in neighbouring states, rounding it off with the thundering announcement that in the middle of all this, the first family managed to prosper. She connected the “family’s” biz interests to why they were soft on Sri Lankan Tamils’ plight, to the Cauvery issue with Karnataka. It did help that she was once a very popular actor.

[4] She protested relentlessly, to the Election Commissioner. She explained how elections had been rigged in the past, how money got distributed, how the counting could go wrong, and what she wanted done. Amazingly, every one of her requests got accepted.

[5] She made a strategic alliance with another actor’s party – DMDK. The party had a 10% vote share in the previous election – a share that was cast against the ruling DMK. She gave them the 41 seats they demanded and kept for herself enough numbers to form her own government. “The people of Tamil Nadu will not like a coalition government,” she explained. Vijaykant (DMDK) too, saw the benefit of this alliance – he wanted DMK ouster and presence for himself in the assembly. The handshake paid off very handsomely for him. With 27+ seats now DMDK is the second largest party in the assembly and Vijaykant could be the leader of the opposition!

[6] Jaya knew that the last assembly elections were won because of the promise of freebies. Going for something free is deeply ingrained in the Tamil psyche- or why do shops announce “commissions” in gold buying! Even when you buy veggies you expect free sprigs of curry and coriander leaves – the “kosuru” without which no householder will pay the vendor! She waited for the DMK to announce the freebies, and doubled everything – they promised money, she promised gold. They promised free power, she promised cows and goats as well. Result: the “freebie” lure got neutralised.

[7] She put the 2G spectrum issue to the forefront by offering to support the central government unconditionally. Speaking calmly and in perfectly measured tones and with excellent diction she told a TV channel that she would see to it that the government did not fall if Raja got arrested and the DMK withdrew support. If she were seen as a crusader against corruption, could the Congress afford to lag behind? Raja was put behind bars and the spectrum issue became everyday conversation.

[8] She got help from NGOs. Several organisations went around campaigning against corruption – they printed booklets explaining the spectrum case, about land grabbing, environmental disasters coming out of the frenzy of building, about heritage sites being damaged by the Metro Rail project. I don’t know when a vast majority of people got educated on complex issues so thoroughly before elections.

[9] Tamil Nadu has a high percentage of educated voters. That may be because here politicos see education as business and any number of schools and engineering colleges are run using political profits. The young educated demographic know what is going on, and what to do.

[10] Jaya used her TV’s reach very well. [Did she hire a good PR firm?] In a series of talk shows, her anchors discussed economic issues in the state with experts, the spectrum case with all the players involved in TN and at the centre.

So it was all hard work and strategy. To dismiss the victory as the “people’s habit of seeking change” is to overlook the many pixels in the picture.

Jayalalitha has a very difficult task ahead “putting the administration back on rails”. We can only wish her the best. And hope she will set aside temptations of vendetta and concentrate on her mandated job.

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