Cricket and Politics ....

Sad State of Affairs
The confusion always persists in my mind whether to enjoy the game or believe in what people say if the matches are all fixed etc etc nevertheless I was a cricketer myself(used to play middle order bat and a leg spinner) during school days. The demi God status cricketers enjoy and the pots of dough that flows in have really made the people who are involved in the game crazy specially the ones who are behind the game such as organisers,selectors,members of cricket boards and clubs.I have heard so much about the politics and the cut throat competions in the game which is as good as the politics in my field viz Film Industry.But it really hit me when I had to witness it myself and especially when someone from our own family has become a victim to the merciless,ruthless politics in the game.

Recently there was a state selection process to select good talents for the state of Tamilnadu in which one of my nephews had taken active part.Time and again the 14 and a half year old guy has been proving his excellence and talent by his flawless batting and useful bowling and he has been treasuring the newspaper cuttings and reviews that vouch for his promise and talent.This time there was a huge camp organised for this purpose and he too,took part with immense interest and expectation.His game again was amazing and he was in great form as well and he really won the appreciations for his style,power and intelligent game.There was a selection match after the initial level of filtering people in which he was selected too.This guy was the top scorer in the two day test match and the newspapers brought that out too the very next day.His parents,friends,coach and all others were more than just sure about him being a part of the selected lot and were sure that no recommendations from ministers or MLA's or MP's or Counsillor's or ward members or cardholders of any political party was required as the guy had proven his worth himself....

Then came the most shocking news.All the aforementioned people's assumptions and beliefs had gone topsy turvy...His name was not even in the city level and much to the surprise people who had scored lesser than 10 runs were in the selected list.The guy was shattered beyond words and it took so many days to console him about the harsh realities of life..... People who read my blog might think that I am provoked and disturbed only because this attrocity that has taken place to my nephew but the fact is there are lots and lots of such people who have been overshadowed and engulfed in the politics of the game who might have become another Sachin ,Rahul,Saurav or Yuvaraj...Politics from the grassroot level is eating up the game ....

Despite all this initial slaughtering, the guy still loves the game more than anything,continues his net practices,fitness exercises and enjoying our Indian teams performance at the 20-20 world cup,hoping that he would be given a chance again.......sooner or later.....

Chak De Bollywood

It was a red letter day in my life that I had an opportunity to watch CHAK DE INDIA....Thanks to my friend R and her husband A for taking me with them....I owe them a great treat in return for sure:))
Whatta movie...Chak De Bollywood hats off to director Shimit Ameen(AD ya work panna ivar kitta ellaam dhaan work pannanum....)
The movie starts off quite simply without any heroic introductions to KING Khan Shahrukh.....Hope at least one southi star accepts such a thing hehe...May be i am dreaming or asking for too much.He is falsely accused of match fixing and loses his hockey career....The guy returns with a bang and uplifts the spirits of Indian womans hockey team which was until then a sick pathetic unit of egoistic girls who live in their own identities and refuse to unite as a team.....and eventually wins the world cup for INDIA....
The introduction of the team members starting from the angry punjabi kudi to the ignorant Jharkand girls is really splendid...
The gutsy Sharukh has a mammoth task ahead.He has to satisfy the male chauvinistic management,get sponsorships,unite the egoistically inflated hostile team member girls....so much...but he handles with much ease as much as the director handles the screenplay and direction in a flawless way....
Sharukhs characterisation has been perfect and one of the best any actor could have had in the recent times....SRK couldnt have asked for anything better but one has to appreciate the actors courage to have signed a slightly off beat movie when bollywood masalas are waiting at his doorsteps for the remuneration he demands...No words to appreciate his flawless subtle and underplayed performance...Undoubtedly he is one of the greatest acting geniuses in the world....
The heroines ...most of them unknown as actors have pulled it off with ease..only Vidya Malavade is a known actor among them but all of them have put in great efforts and every single character stands out.They have sincerely played hockey as well...it was so great of the producer and director to have taken pains in training them formally in hockey before commencing the shoots.
One more commendable job is the handling of the expected climax in the most interesting way...We are pretty much sure India would win but director Ameen has succeeded in bringing us to the edge of our seats till the last second...
The camera work,Sulaiman-Saleems back ground scores and montage songs, immaculate editing all add up to the beauty of the movie and have worked in perfect synchronisations to make it huge and add up to the grandeur of the movie...
I was amazed by the way patriotism has been handled in this film..There was no over doing or singing patriotic songs or anything but it has been expressed now and then along with the story line..especially when SRK talks about a white guy hoisting the Indian flag the day before the final match....A movie that should not be missed.....for sure.. A movie SRK and Yash Raj films would be remembered for...A movie every non cricket playing Indian would die for......no more words to appreciate( i rarely get so emotional)
I have always been a critic of some sick bollywood movies...with same old story lines, all movies dealing the stories of NRI s,similar sounding songs,making cheap fun of south indians and non hindi speaking indians,over exposing heroines and smooching champions ....but movies like Dil Chahta Hai,Lagaan ,Rang De Basanti and now Chak De India have been proving that bollywood has already taken the giant leap ahead of south indian industry which ,I hope we will soon be able to catch up if educated movie makers add to the population of the existing movie makers....
JAI HIND................. CHAK DE BOLLYWOOD.....