Reel Culture V/S Real Culture

Reel Culture V/S Real Culture

Think twice before you go for a movie. Which would you prefer- a Bollywood or a Hollywood one? With the content remaining the same both offer you loads of crap in the name of wholesome entertainment. In the dream factory of Bollywood, aspirations are being fulfilled, even as more are born every second. In a nation of a billion fantasies there is always a new star in the making. The new age actors are ready to go to any extent for the character to be safe in their hands.

Indian movies are no longer ambassadors of Indian culture. With directors trying hard to draw a line between the aesthetic and the vulgar, Indian movies seem to be deteriorating in quality day by day. Gone are the days when film makers made movies for the satisfaction of their creativity. Today’s film makers make movies for fame and wealth. If any of you, the wannabe actors read this article let me illustrate what you should do to be a part of the crowd. Criterion no: 1 is that you should be a director’s actor, the director will tune your system clock and you have to perform. If you try to register your protest it will be considered as an act of interference on your part as there is a thin line between passion and interference. Indian movies are neither at Cannes nor at the prestigious Oscars. They are exclusively the ‘MADE IN INDIA’ brand meant for titillating Indian audiences. Why would the jury prefer Indian movies for Hollywood ones? The movies featured at Cannes and Oscars are typical of different cultures. The actors seemed to have lost the appetite to explore the unexplored realms of cinema. The Indian entertainment industry has lost its credibility, sensibility and sensitivity.

With banal talk shows and phone-in programmes the situation in the TV-industry is no different. The attractive youth who picks up the phone never forgets to ‘welcome’ you and ‘Thank you’ for calling. Cinemas rather than becoming a medium of social change are trying to promote a new culture among the youth. Premarital sex, live-in relationships or divorce were taboo for the middle class a decade ago, but today’s youth gracefully approves all that.

News channels carry tales of sleazy actions caught on camera. Spy cameras are omnipresent and omniscient causing havoc not only to people at work places but also to politicians, housewives and executives who get caught red-handed. From a multicultural society India seems to have transformed itself into a monoculture one which is in sync with the western world. The work of Indians should be a celebration of Indianans. The private domain has become public spectacle with formatted reality shows, 24 hours news, eternally remixed videos and endless film promos. The line between real and reel is no longer distinct. With the urge to emerge on the international scenes Indians seem to have divorced Indian culture.

Article by: Neethi Jayakrishnan,St. Teresa’s College

Miracle Of Smile

Miracle Of Smile

Every year on September 5th we pay tribute to all our teachers. Once when Mother Teresa could not go to a school to deliver her teacher’s day message, the authorities went up to her. Mother said, “What message should I give? If the message exceeds in length, the interpretation will not be effective. Hence I would like to be simple and practical. ‘S*M*I*L*E’ that’s my message to all teachers. For if they smile, the children will smile, when children smile, the whole world will smile”. I cannot remember till date any other anecdote as powerful as this. It speaks volumes of the miracle of smile.

What is the significance of smile? Take my word; there is no healer as happiness for diseases afflicting mind, body and soul. ‘smile’ reflects inner happiness. It is an effective tool to gauge your happiness quotient. There was a time when you immediately recruited on the basis of I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient). Today E.Q. (Emotional Quotient) has taken over. Tomorrow H.Q (Happiness Quotient) will be in demand. So the ability to put all your pressures and worries on the backburner and being cheerful has assumed paramount importance.

All parents today expect their wards to be masters of all trades. Children hence practice the uphill task of juggling all the activities with time. Even an error of the smallest dimension leads to their nervous breakdown. They should learn to take failures in their stride and move on. Marks and ranks can take you to places, but it is your character that’ll give you respect. ‘life is lived but once’, ‘life is like an ice cream, enjoy it before it melts’ – these are the adages that great men have gracefully accepted and put into practice. There is a vital fact that Lord Krishna effectively conveys through Gita even, and that is:
‘Wise men endowed with equanimity, renounces the fruits of action. An action without a desire for its fruit will bear fruit. Suppose a farmer sows seeds without selfish motives, will he get corn? Yes he will.’

Only by enjoying what you do will you be able to remain happy. Happiness acts as a stress buster. It exudes positive energy giving others courage and confidence. According to experts, Priyanka Gandhi enjoys greater mass appeal than Rahul Gandhi. Reason? Her charismatic approach to life. There have been many leaders from time to time who have topped popular charts with this approach. Bill Gabriel Okara in his widely appreciated poem, ‘Once upon a time’ describes the shifting and changing morals and values of people. He says, there was a time when people used to laugh heartily. Whenever they met one another, their joy knew no bounds. There eyes and hearts reflected sincere laughter. He goes on to say that frankness has gone out of their lives. Now they seem to laugh ‘with their teeth’. Their cold eyes tell a different story. Their may be times, when you run into people, who take you for granted. it is at these times that you should have the courage and sincerity to stand up to your conviction.

  Life is all about making memories and hence let those memories be sweet and lovely so that when you look back the world must be smiling with confidence at you. It is not important how many times you fall down, what is important is how many times you pick yourself up and carry on.

Hey friends, pardon me if it was a long sermonizing talk. What you need to remember is so very simple SMILE. It can cure your sadness, madness, illness, loneliness and eeriness. I had a wonderful time writing about SMILE; hope you had a great time reading it too………………………………..!

By, Neethi Jayakrishnan,St.Teresa's College