Analysing the influences

One of the funniest and catchy dialogues in the movie "Gangs of Wasseypur" was from the character Ramadhir Singh.

Ramadhir Singh: Hum abhi tak jinda hain kyunki hum sanimaa nahi dekhte.
Sab saale sabke dimaag me apni apni picture chal rahi hai, sab saale hero banna chah rahein apni picture me.
Ee saala Hindustan mein jab tak sanimaa hai, log chutiya bante rahenge.

(English Translation)
Ramadhir Singh: I have outlived all my enemies till now because I don't watch films.
Everybody's mind is corrupted because of films, everyone wants to be a hero.
For as long as there is cinema in our country, people will be fooled.

Kalki Koechlin

I remember reading an article by Kalki Koechlin in Tehelka a few years back. It mentioned how, when all of 6 years old, she ran away(actually, decided to run away) from her house after a tiff with her parents. After abandoning the running away plan and while coming back, she was picturing everything in her mind like mother running towards her tearfully, father putting down the phone in which he was calling police and hurrying to wrap her in a blanket, all in slow motion.

 However, the reality was different. As soon as she stepped in the house what she was got an earful of scolding for playing out in the rain and a slap for breaking her lunchbox. Kalki's article talks about, as adults how we tend to take ourselves very seriously and get caught up in the moment. We conjure up filmy condolences, music score and all, to satisfy our emotional outbursts. We tend to imagine ourselves as hero or heroines of the movies.
Now that sounds very similar to Ramadhir Singh's view point!

Kalki Koechlin with Anurag Kashyap

So, who is Ramadhir Singh?
Ramadhir Singh is a character in the movie created by Anurag Kashyap.
Anurag Kashyap is a famous Bollywood movie director.
Anurag Kashyap is married to Kalki Koechlin.
Now, we know where Anurag Kashyap got the lines for Ramadhir Singh.

Ha ha ha...very amateurish discovery of a well known fact.

But I guess, when a historian finds out the influences in Shakespeare's life which made him create the classics, it makes stuff for Phd thesis, isn't it?

Victoria's Tears

2013 Australian Open produced some incredible performances in both mens and women section. It produced some truly emotional moments, the HD transmissions accentuating every bit of those human drama.

In the women's final there was 23 year old Victoria Azarenka battling 31 year old Li Na who rediscovered her winning ways midway through the tournament and became the overwhelming crowd favorite. Coming into finals under a cloud of allegations on poor sportsmanship, taking an extended injury time at a crucial moment of her semifinal against the teenaged Sloane Stefens, Azarenka had to battle not just her spirited opponent in best of form but also a partisan crowd booing her at the first opportunity. A tumble in the second set resulting in a concussion and suspected injury won more fans for Li Na casting Victoria deeper into the villain mold.

Then like a true champion, Victoria put her head down, dug deep, shut out the taunts from the crowd and eventually prevailed over her opponent to stake claim on the trophy for second consecutive year. However, winning the final point opened the floodgates of the pent up emotions, Victoria breaking down like a child, wailing, tears streaming. That was one of those moments were we could see a human being laid bare stripped of ego letting go off the suppressed sorrow. The tears were not the tears of joy in winning the contest, but that of victim wrongly accused hearing the verdict absolving her of the crime. The tears were that of anguish and pain of being called a cheat. The tears were that of relief, of coming out clean and a feeling of being accepted back into the fold.

“This is a trophy that she suffered to win, so maybe that explained the tears,’’ said Sam Sumyk, who has coached Azarenka to consecutive Australian Open titles.