The Indian Panorama

Tag: Boxing

  • ‘Midnight’s Children’ fails to draw viewers in UK

    ‘Midnight’s Children’ fails to draw viewers in UK

    LONDON (TIP): ‘Midnight’s Children’, a film based on the 1981 Booker Prize winning novel by Salman Rushdie is scheduled to release in India on February 1, 2013, and could be heading for an unimpressive box office result in Britain, where it opened on Boxing Day. That it is showing at central London’s Empire cinema is prestigious. But allocated to it is a mini-theatre with a capacity of about 40.

    Only two tickets, including the one bought by this correspondent, were sold for a performance, during what’s a holiday period in the UK. If this reflects a nationwide trend – and reports are not encouraging – the Deepa Mehta directed movie can bid goodbye to decent returns from the British Isles. What was deemed to be an “unfilmable” novel was converted into a screenplay by the author himself after two years’ of labour (he is also the film’s narrator).

    By remaining faithful to the book, he may have sacrificed its celluloid potential. The UK’s Guardian newspaper in its review said: “It sheds no fresh light on the material, turns and turns but with no new spin, fails to pepper the source. This is self-defeating faithfulness, which genuflects so far as to insist the audience can’t be released for some 148 minutes, and employs actors perfectly cast to the point of blandness.” Screen magazine is kinder. It sees the film “emerging as a prestige, middlebrow arthouse attraction”.

    The story of two newborns “tumbling forth” at the hour of India’s independence meanders from Mumbai to Karachi, Dhaka, and to Pakistan being inflicted a resounding military defeat by Indian forces and the consequent loss of its eastern wing in 1971.

  • Guest Comment: Parliament fracas It’s a dull world, let members have some fun too

    Guest Comment: Parliament fracas It’s a dull world, let members have some fun too

    By Akshaya Mishra

    Why grudge poor parliamentarians the little fun they have? The whole of this session they have had no work. And when they finally had the chance to come together, some got carried away by the occasion. A minor bout of pushing and shoving followed. That was it. There’s no point dwelling too much on the conduct of the two Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party members of Parliament. Members too are entitled to some entertainment at work.

    The sense of shock over the incident is amazing indeed. There should have been words of appreciation at the graceful bout between two aging members. Our parliamentarians are known to shout at each other, tear papers, hurl expletives and rush to the well of the house at the smallest provocation. This time they went a notch ahead. There was apparently no objection from other members when the two got into their antics. From what is visible from the video grab, no one was trying to intervene and keep the duo apart.

    The whole talk about the dignity of Parliament is nonsense. The proceedings within the house mirror the way our democracy functions outside. Trust me, it is as chaotic, as nonsensical and as interesting. When one party stops Parliament from functioning for two weeks we don’t notice the righteous outrage or those complaints of desecration of the dignity of institutions. When another tries to play games with parliamentary institutions the reaction is muted. When activists hurl abuses at the august house from the streets they are lustily cheered. There’s enough damage done to the dignity of the house already. A small wrestling bout between two members could not damage it more.

    So let’s stop being hypocritical about the whole issue. Let’s welcome the future of parliamentary democracy in India with grace. In the days to come we might get to watch more intense physical combats with karate kicks flying and boxing skills at play. Some honorable members would lift their mundus to deliver the knock-out kick to their political rivals. You might see Salman Khanesque muscle act, ripping of the shirt and all, in response. Ah! democracy would be such a wonderful experience the future generations. One is already jealous of them.

    However, all this entertainment would be possible only when Parliament functions, which one is sure will happen once in a while. Imagine a test of numbers during a trust vote being settled through fisticuffs. The members losing out will be declared unfit for voting. The situation will necessitate induction of young and healthy members in parties. The consequence is good for the democracy. Finally, there will be relief from the old faces and youthfulness in Parliament. The young in the country will have their due. The only problem, they will be from akhadas or karate classes, not educational institutions and professions requiring high intellect.

    The makers of our Constitution, wherever they are, would be groaning at the state of our parliamentary institutions already. They would not be finding parliamentarians settling issues through trading of blows a great idea. But they lived in different times, simpler times. They thought nation-building was possible through civilized debates on the floor of the houses of Parliament. They would never have perceived that stalling of Parliament could be used as a political strategy. They thought that is how mature people and nations address issues. We live in different times. The situation is far more complex now. Nation-building is subservient to party-building under the everything goes philosophy of the new age.

    Probably we all are responsible for the pathetic state of our Parliament. The two members who had a fight are symptoms of how far things have fallen. It’s time to sit back and introspect. Democracy is a serious business, not entertainment.