Not today nor tomorrow

I have miles to go before I wake up,

And so today I'll sleep.

After spending a lifetime in slumber,

I know there is nothing to hurry.

I will open my eyes when I see fit,

stretch a little or may be not.

We will see then what I'll do,

I have miles to go still

for today I shall sleep.

I am tired as of now,

and I will hit the bed.

I don't want to be a rebel anymore.

Even by default.

If I have to keep trying, if I have to keep pushing.

If I have to be something that can be classified as rebel

I don't care anymore.

The demands are too high.

And the end product is too lame.

I don't want to be it,

the 'it' that can be caught, defined, limited

and not to forget condemned if 'it' falls off its high alter.

I am not a rebel,

not even by default.

I rebel against the category of rebels.

Politically incorrect sensitivity

There is something radical about political incorrectness if the privilege is exercised cautiously. Political correctness, itself an inside joke in the women's lib movement to begin with, is institutionalised in a way that differences and discriminations continue to be perpetuated. But political incorrectness does away with cursory nods and goes straight to the heart of the problem. It will not sit well with your 'liberal' beliefs as well -- that's really the point. It does not adhere to any prescribed codes of behaviour, nobody and nothing is sacroscant. During the Iraq war, late night show with JLeno or whoever became the only source of real information coz he was not tied down by any laws or rules. The views expressed were his own but more importantly he was not serious. He was taken seriously though. The only US show that I took to in the last one year is Saturday Night Live. 
India's poor attempt at this political incorrectness The week that wasn't is the only 'news show' that I used to watch and continue to watch now. I can't take the incessant analysis with arrogant experts and dismissive, presumptious anchors. News needs excavation from layers of moralising and reflections if at all the anchors' volume is under 180 decibels. Cyrus' distanced, cynical, satirical look at issues as against the suffocating closeness of IBN's own broadcasting helps. Cyrus is not the funniest man in India but I like his attempt. He is politically aware and sensitive at unexpected moments and he spares no one. In fact the jokes seem to be targetted at IBN itself on many instances.
These shows are different from stand up comedies like Russell Peters' videos though Peters is often very consciously political. The primary purpose of these acts is laughs and political incorrectness comes in handy. TWTW or SNL's primary purpose is political incorrectness -- a different way of interpreting events than mainstream media.
Recently I read a review of Quick Gun Murugan which made a case for nonsense cinema as a way out for the creativity starved Bollywood. QGM is definitely a worthwhile effort if that was the cause. Having Vinay Pathak, Ravir Shorey, Sandya Mridul all talking in Tamil was not the pt. We have had Ash, Genelia, Tabu among others talking in Tamil ostensibly. (And frankly it is an improvement on them. Ash and Genelia are screechy which makes their presence even worse while Tabu has beautiful expressions with awkward dialogue delivery so Revathi is a wonderful voice for her) I think this means a breakdown of language barriers. Language is not important anymore for communication in this film. What is communicated is one idea (literally just one -- which is why a full length film seems redundant) that there is a cacophony of voices around us which enmate from a weird mishmash of characters -- QG Murugan stands between different cultures, an amputated arm from Tamil cinema that was mocked cruelly through fetishisation for its difference. But with a full length film QG is reclaimed and restored as a whole. Reappropriated for the purpose of comedy, the film actually hits back at the mocking audience by pointing out that they now are watching a tamil movie for all their ethnocentrism. The nonsensical approach is not only a way out for Bollywood, which has highly stylised but hollowed products like Rock On and now Wake up Sid (which make me want to run towards Rab ne bana di jodi), where chaos and illegibility is the key. It is also a politically incorrectness that signifies the reconfiguration of power equations that has already happened in some ways in Indian cultural landscape. The film is probably as funny or even less funny than cyrus but I appreaciate the attempt.
The same goes for the emminently non-funny Raju Srivatsava. Of course a snob like me will be biased against him but his political incorrectness has a way of making points that normative though liberal people will shudder to make. He was apparently seen in Big Boss wearing a T-shirt that said 'nobody knows I'm a lesbian'. Way to go guy.

The days are in a hurry,

they just want to finish up quicky and bolt.

Where do they go and what do they do there?

Are they sneaking out and living life kingsize elsewhere?

They know people there, I know they do.

Out of the blue

I wanted to post badly, despite my hectic schedule, and this non-brainer idea popped into my head. My top ten Rahman numbers. They are by no means a comment on the merits of his individual songs. Possibly, some songs may just be ordinary or some other songs not listed here might be better representations of his talent. These are just some of my top favs. 

10. Oruvan oruvan mudhalali - Muthu, Kaise mujhe - Ghajini
9. Noor un ala - Meenaxi; Kahin toh hogi woh - Jaane tu ya jaane naa 
8. Snehidene - Alai Paayudhey; vennilavae - Minsaara Kanavu 
7. Munbe vaa - Silunu oru kaadhal
6. Yeh jo zindagi hai - Earth; Aayo re sakhi - Water


5. Kannathil Muthammitaal, Vellai pookal -- Kannathil...
4. Pudhu vellai malai - Roja
3. Dil se re - Dil se
2. Tee Tee - Thiruda Thiruda
1. Rehna tu, Dil gira dafatan - Dilli 6


PS: Blue is his next release :P

Fumbling, stumbling, never walking straight.

I realise I had an optimistic spirit after all.

I hoped I would be tall, calm, collected one day.

Cynic though I called myself,

I was shamming as well as anyone else.

The web of deceit that I was caught in like any other,

was laughing up its sleeve all the time.

Even in rebelling, I was supporting.

I thought I was walking out

but in reality I was helping it stretch itself.

Alas, I have stopped now.

Perhaps I did long back.

Thanks for the liberation, Mr Bush

And Mr Obama for keeping up the good work. Within a few months of a brave protest by Afghan women against legalisation of marital rape, the men have come up with another solution -- they will starve the wives who refuse sex.
A Taliban without the sham of western democracy seems to be more decent every day.

All this I can only hope means that the men are more and more insecure about their position.