THE DIARY OF Z

Prison Break makes you an addict. You can’t wait to watch the next episode on TV. Your eyes might be dead and tired watching the episodes back to back (I got it downloaded from the Net), but your motivation to keep watching it is so high that your eyes can’t do a thing about it. Such is the addiction. Right now, two seasons, each of 22 episodes, are over. The next season is to start in September. Can’t wait. Feeling breathless already.

SO WHAT IS PRISON BREAK?

It’s about an average bloke Lincoln Burrows getting framed for the murder of the vice president’s brother.  The first season is all about how Michael Scofield, Lincoln’s exceptionally talented brother (possessing something called ‘low latent inhibition’ that equips him with a remarkable capacity to remember everything he sees) lands in Fox River prison as a fellow prisoner by purposely committing a bank robbery and his eventual escape from prison with seven other prisoners who help him in his endeavour.

Seems like a simple enough premise for the first season. But the way it’s executed is a screenwriter’s test of skill. Watch each of the episodes and you will notice that there isn’t a dull moment and I mean it when I say this. This is a thriller all the way. The dialogue delivery, the impeccable casting and the characters make your day. Each of their uniqueness is what allows Scofield’s gameplan to work.  And how? Watch it to FEEL it.

SO WHAT’S THE SECOND SEASON ABOUT?

How all the fugitives try to save themselves from the clutches of the law. If you think, it’s boring, brace yourself for some mind-blowing ‘cops and robbers’ game you’ve never watched on Indian television. There is the US secret service, the President’s men and the FBI coming together to put the pronounced fugitives back in the cage.

TERSE ACTION, CONSISTENT CHARACTERISATION

Each character is given equal ammo to make his presence felt. Be it the psychopathic T Bag who is always on a killing spree or the super sensitive Scofield who can’t bring himself to hurting anyone leave alone killing. There’s the hip hop kiddo who eventually turns out to be quite a toughie who will give his life for the safety of his prison inmates. There’s Sucre, who will do anything to lead a happy life with his wife. This is one ‘on the run’ season that grips you from the word go. You feel what they are feeling, you experience the same knots of anxiety, confusion and sheer dread, you feel transported into the world of these characters and don’t see a way out… until the next episode starts rolling in. It’s a great feat by the writers and the different directors who helm it from time to time.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE THIRD SEASON?

To the point of getting repetitive, Scofield is now back in prison, this time in a prison in a banana republic like Panama where there is no extradition policy – if you are jailed here, you can never go back to your country.

Therefore, the problem here is more compounded. Escaping from a prison in the US was still easier, but at Panama, it can be quite a roller coaster ride filled with too many lows and very few highs. It seems to have all the promise of the previous seasons and the potential to be better than all of them. We are waiting, Scofield. Bring it on.

PS: The first episode of Season 3 was out a few days ago… disappointing fare… hope it revives interest and starts winning back viewers soon.

India is shining indeed. After much auctioning, the Tatas took over Corus and became the fifth largest steel maker in the world and only the second in Europe after NRI Lakshmi Mittal’s company. And then, you have Shilpa Shetty’s victory over alleged racism on a TV show that got her Rs 86 crore in endorsement and other deals. Not to mention, Sania Mirza regaining her form and entering the top 50 world ranking.

After IT, these are the most notable ones hitting international headlines of late. A decade ago, India was internationally known for only beauty queens who served little purpose. Today, a majority of scientists at NASA are Indians. Ditto with the intellectual capital in Dubai and other Middle eastern countries.

However, what enthralls me most is how India is helping non-Indians make their millions. Take Gregory David Roberts, the writer of Shantaram, a film that’s soon going to hit the production floors in Hollywood. It’s a real-life story of Roberts himself. Life changed for this armed robber and heroin addict when he escaped from an Australian prison and took refuge in a Mumbai slum. Roberts soon establishes a free health clinic and joins the Mumbai mafia as a money launderer, forger and a street soldier. More than the story, it’s the sights and sounds of India that give the book a gritty authentic flavour. Roberts wrote Shantaram three times after prison guards trashed the first two versions. Roberts was captured in Germany in 1990 and eventually extradited to Australia. One completing his prison term, he set up a small multimedia company and is now a full-time writer living in Melbourne. That’s the story of an armed robber who becomes a well-known writer, courtesy India.

Yann Martel is yet another writer who made profound use of India to launch himself into the international market. His book Life of Pi won him the Man Booker Prize 2002. Though born in Spain, he grew up in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Alaska and Canada. But as an adult, he spent time in Iran, Turkey and India. It’s the last destination that germinated this book. More than anything, it’s the Panchatantra-like quality of the book that captivates you. It’s this essence that Martel imbibes from his visit to India and makes maximum use of it to weave a tale filled with ‘astonishment, delight and gratitude.’

Which brings me to Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup. After serving in Turkey, the US, Ethiopia and the UK, when he sits down to write a story, it’s set in India. His book Q&A is a straight take on Kaun Banega Crorepati bordering on how a show like that can also be rigged. But what is again the highlight is neither the show nor the rigging but the rich and diverse culture that we live in. And that is what engages the reader and takes you on a roller-coaster ride: from the mafia underworld to glue-sniffers, arrogant whites, oppressive servants and families who prostitute a daughter… essentially all the ingredients of a Bollywood potboiler. No wonder this book is being made into a film and a stage musical. What’s more, for wider access, the book is being translated into twenty-five languages.

My friends in the publishing industry tell me that India is shining so bright that any book on India is being lapped up, merit be damned. So when are you writing your first book, dear reader? Make the most of now.

For once, I didn’t see actors as actors but as characters. Thank you, Chak De! For once, I thought sports can go beyond cricket. And for once, I thought Chak De delivers the message that most other films try to but fail miserably. Director Shimit Amin has done his best to get the best out of each of his actors. Most importantly, he has got Shah Rukh Khan to step out of his star persona and become hockey coach Kabir Khan.

It also happens to be the first time that King Khan has played a Muslim on the big screen. Not that it matters. What does is the characterisation. At one point, you think of comparing this to Lagaan, another sports-based film with the oppressive British rule as the backdrop. But let us not compare. With the limited canvass and an excellent script, Amin has done wonders and also kept the film within two-and-a-half-hours. Forget the music, forget the fact that it’s about a coach trying to resurrect himself (as the captain of the men’s hockey team seven years ago, he had failed to hit the penultimate goal at the world cup).

When everyone has lost hope on India doing anything in hockey, Khan steps in to become the coach of the women’s hockey team, a ragtag collection of players from different states, languages, accents and cultures. Complicating the proceedings is that each one has a score to settle with the other player. No one is bonding with each other, forget about bonding with the coach. Coach Khan has a tough job on his hands. Not only does he have to prove that he means it when he says he will get India the world cup, but also prove to the team that they are best when they work as a team and not as individuals.

But no, it’s far from preachy and there are no long motivational lectures by Khan. Amin ensures that the dialogues are few and far between and much of the transformation happens through action. And most of all, the realisation seems believable. And motivational. You cry with joy when the players chuck the ball into the goalpost and you grit your teeth when they don’t realise their folly. You become them. And that’s the beauty of this film.

Make no mistake. When they beat their opponents against all odds, you will bring your hands together and clap for India. Yes, the film’s that much more real. And kind of revives the Lagaan days. Thank you, Shah Rukh Khan for letting everyone in the film be stars as well. Thank you, Amin for making this happen. It’s rare to see a sports-based film to work so well for the viewer. But this film does and it shows. The audience in the theatre claps when India wins and Khan resurrects himself from a messy past.

There are a few quibbles, though. Not everyone of the player’s characters is well etched out like the way it was done in Lagaan. Some are silent watchers, some are troublesome, some have their weaknesses, and some are ambitious. Perhaps, there wasn’t enough screentime? Don’t think so. When Ashutosh Gowariker can blend a love story into a film whose selling point is the cricket match, how can Amin not do the same with his characters? The editing is good, but in some parts, it seems a bit abrupt. You can clearly see that some other scenes in the film have been blotted out for brevity. The editing could have been more seamless.

At the same time, the dialogues could have been snappy and more inspirational. On occasions, when Khan is giving his gyaan, one always felt he would say something that’s got some punch, but most times disappoints. Thankfully, he doesn’t when his team is to meet the finalists at the world cup. However, one thing is clear. After you watch this film, you will come away feeling elated with yourself and with the fact that you’ve lived, however briefly, with different characters who make up a mini India. You come away feeling happy for the girls. You come away feeling happy for yourself. It’s a movie that can be watched more than once. So what are you waiting for?

PS: ‘Chak De’ means ‘Go for it’.

Prior to 2004, remembering dreams had become a long-forgotten art for me. Either I was having dreamless nights or my dreams were so inconsequential that they never rose to the conscious level and nudged me into remembrance.

Just when I resigned myself to more dreamless nights, the reigning Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan came along. No, not in person but we met up when I drifted into the land of nod. This time, I remembered the dream clearly because I was confronting Khan on a certain issue.

“Why aren’t you protected?” I asked him.

Khan snapped his fingers. Two bodyguards wearing pale blue shirts appeared from behind me and inspected the area, their backs to Khan and me.

That’s how much I remembered of my dream.

I mentioned this to Tarun Cherian, the then creative director at Scion Advertising who was also a reiki master and spiritual guide. Without much ado, he placed before me three possible interpretations:

One: Khan’s life could well be under threat.

Two: Khan might be feeling threatened by competition from newcomers or he might be going through bouts of low self-esteem because some consider Aamir to be a far better actor.

Three: Khan could well be me feeling threatened about something like the meditation workshop I was to take up with Cherian a few days later. But I was protected, if the dream was to be believed.

The ball was in my court. I was to accept one of the options that best suited the situation. I thought option three might be most accurate. Here I was trying to take up a two-day meditation workshop a few days later to ‘expand my soul’ and didn’t know what it meant or what I was getting into. But curiosity was what got me into journalism and curiosity was what got me into saying ‘yes’ to the workshop. Since the dream said I was protected, I went ahead.

The workshop went along swimmingly and I was anything but threatened - I was rejuvenated beyond my expectations.

On Sunday, Shah Rukh Khan was all over the TV channels. At least two persons were killed and 15 injured when a bomb exploded at the fag end of his concert in Sri Lanka on Saturday, December 11, 2004. But the actor was safe. Reports said the bomb had ripped through the 10,000-rupee stands just as the Bollywood superstar ended his three-hour concert (it was held despite protests by Buddhist monks who said the musical show coincided with the first death anniversary of a popular monk.)

What does all this mean? That, sometimes, dreams should be taken seriously.

When I am unsure, when I need to decide, when I need to read someone’s mind, I consult Dr Love. Nah, it’s no shrink out to rip me off in my hour of need.

It’s a Windows 95 freeware that throws up startling facts about interpersonal relationships, and it’s all in percentages. I might not take it at face value, but it does provide enough mirth to brighten my mood.

When I first downloaded the software, I thought some testing was in order (the funda is to give two full names of people or places or things and it will throw up the love percentage).

The love quotient of Iraq and USA stood at 1 per cent. Ditto with India and Pakistan. Not bad, I thought, and moved on to Iran and Iraq. 0 per cent, declared Dr Love, and went on to conclude that it was ditto with Iraq and Kuwait.

Right off the bat, the bond between the cricket world cup and South Africa seemed to be the strongest (86 per cent) followed by West Indies (83 per cent). Sorry about India (54 per cent).

Now I thought some generic things might make things more believable. I played coffee and tea against each other, and realised they share a good rapport (71 per cent), though beer and vodka bonded the best (91 per cent).

Not surprisingly, cellphones and landlines didn’t like each other (22 per cent) and so did war and peace (26 per cent), Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (10 per cent).

Convinced, I asked Dr Love about Romeo and Juliet and he said, 98 per cent (congrats Shakespeare). And the one that scored off each other was love and lust with 98 per cent.

It was now my time to be the guinea pig. Between Zahid H Javali and Zahid H Javali, I scored 86 per cent (I do love myself but by what percentage, I knew only now).

My love for Bangalore (97 per cent) was higher than my hometown (Dharwad scored 43 per cent), which was true indeed.

Moving on, I sought to know my personal equation with Allah.

“63 per cent,” pointed Dr Love, clinically.

I typed ‘God’.

“74 per cent.”

After my friend recommended that Word Press is the best place to blog, i have moved bag and baggage out here… yes, i am going to transfer all that i had written in my earlier blog out here… one by one… so everyone thinks i hav been updating almost every day…

Feel free to comment on my debut on Word Press… they are always welcome, including suggestions, criticism, etc…

Cheers!

A786