MALGUDI DAYS - Trip Down Memory Lane

Malgudi Days when you come across this two words itself you will just get back to your old memories itself. Malgudi Days was directed by the late legend Shankar Nag but the words was based on novel by RK Narayan. There are 39 episodes(mainly) which you will get from youtube or torrents too. It was telecasted on the Doordharshan.

The Malgudi Days had casts like Shankar Nag, Ananth Nag, Girish Karnad, Vishnuvardhan etc,. All were Kannada casts but it was in Hindi language. This showed that Shankar Nag had taken the Kannada industry to the worldwide known and still it is.  It was all shot in Karnataka itself. It was like place where you will not or ever see now. There was carts, village people, lakes, postoffice, less  shops etc.,

There are total of 39 episodes(mainly) which is in Hindi language. Every episode was most famous and was fully different after all the most famous was swami and friends. All episodes was top class. And still Shankar Nag remembers each and everything of his brother who directed Malgudi days from the old time( when someone asks to him about Malgudi days). Even I can proudly say that I was born on the soil of Karnataka where Malgudi Days had taken.

Each and everyone will remember it forever and its our duty that we need to show this to our future generations, so that they can feel that we lived like this before. 

SATYAMEV JAYATE

We, the kids of 90’s come from an era which marked the beginning of the end of the black and white television in India. We have seen the rising of Indian television with the likes of our childhood superhero Shaktimaan entertaining us with his awe-inspiring action and later explaining us ‘Chhoti Chhoti magar moti baatien’. We have seen its downfall with Ekta Kapoor’s ‘Saas-Bahu’ serials to a channel showing same episode of C.I.D ten times a day to a bunch of lame news channels coming up with shit like 'Save your cows from Aliens'. Amidst the flood of these idiotic serials, we saw Bollywood’s renowned superstars making a debut on silver screen. Let me tell you that I, like many others, used to be a television freak but nowadays I hardly watch television. But when I watched the first episode of ‘Satyamev Jayate’  hyped after his extreme publicity both online and on television through the Ads, I was stunned and equally delighted. Stunned, for knowing the ugly truth of Indian society and delighted, for watching an undoubtedly awesome initiative by someone like Aamir Khan.

• It is well researched and bring you face to face with the real people, not just editorial columnists and fake intellectuals.
• It doesn't cling on to past too much. It focuses on new ideas and future prospects.
• It shows the real ugly facets of the society and real bad numbers, but never wishes to make you over -aggressive.
• It simply forces you to think and act. Is that too much ?

Remember school debates and speeches regarding social issues?
They all concluded with one simple (and maybe overly used) suggestion, SPREADING AWARENESS.Satyamev Jayate implements it.

Change has to come from people and people will change only if they know what is it that needs to be changed. Team Satyamev Jayate wants people to discuss. They underline the fact that why change is needed.Then they leave it to you and your thinking that how that change can be brought about.

The format of the show involves all.
Their research invokes you.
The show is very practical in giving solutions(rather suggestions).
Plus it helps the Indian society become bold and talk about issues.

Satyamev Jayate.

SARABHAI v/s SARABHAI - Quality Desi Sitcom

The show was launched back in 2005 (almost 9 years!) but was amazingly ahead of its times in terms of concept, dialogues, characters and what not. Before there was Comedy Nights with Kapil, or Tarak Mehta, we can proudly say, that this sitcom was the baap of them all. So here is a trip down the memory lane. 6 reasons, why you and I, love Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai.

1. The Amazing Maya factor:Â You switch on the television, and you see the whole menu of saas-bahu saga being served to you. You would say now, how was Maya Sarabhai any different? Well, for starters, she had class. Her whole character, that of the high class sophisticated woman, did not only provide a fresh breath of air in place of monotonous scheming in-laws, but also made us believe that there are actors who can carry such a different role without a glitch and become everyone’s favourite. She shined through the whole series. Be it having an argument with her husband and daughter-in-law or becoming a doting mother to her sons, she carried the whole character in such a way that very few people can.

2. A Poet’s Dilemma: Rosesh Sarabhai. You name this person and I get an image of a white faced, slick boy who used to be tied to his mother’s apron strings and recite awful poetry much to the dismay of people, which of course, he didn’t understand. Adding to that his shrill nasal voice, and womanly way of talking did not only make him unbearable to his family members except his Moma, but also made him earn a special place in the hearts of his audience. His poetry did half the work for his character which was as amazing and new as his whole personality. Nobody could have carried of this character in a way that Rajesh Kumar did. Hats off to you!

3. A Suitable boy and his “Unsuitable” wife: Sahil and Monisha were a couple made in heaven, but a middle class heaven or so Maya thought. The mismatched couple created a storm not only in Maya’s heart, but also in the hearts of their viewers. The most remarkable thing was how the whole middle class v/s upper class conflict was depicted. The little sarcasms from Maya and equally illogical answers by Monisha created the firstsaas- bahu tug of war which we actually loved to watch and wanted more of it every day.The Suitable boy, on the other hand, remained sandwiched between the mother and wife and I don’t think anyone has found an answer to that sort of conflict ever.

4. The coolest father-in-law: Unarguably, if someone had the guts to oppose the marshal rule put by Maya, it was Indravadhan Sarabhai. The only father-in-law in the history of Indian television to support his daughter-in-law, piss off his wife, irritate Rosesh and put pearls of wisdom in Sahil’s mind, that too, all at the same time. Satish Shah’s perfect comic timing coupled with excellent dialogues written for him did all the wonder and made him the coolest father-in-law ever!

5. The not so sidey characters: Apart from the main characters, the show specialized in having extremely funny and unconventional recurring characters. The most amazing ones that come to my mind are first Madhusudhan Fufa who pulled of the art of being deaf so subtly that it looked almost natural. The second person is undoubtedly Dushyant, Sarabhai senior’s son-in-law, who had a real knack for all things technical and used to explain everything by doing proper practicals, on Rosesh. His “I explain” meant a long winding description about how things work especially useless things like a motor knife. But the best part about their characters was how easily they used to fit in the situation and do their parts in a manner that never looked as something that have to be put in to stretch the tale.

6. The technical talks: A story is never complete without having proper dialogues and an Indian television sitcom needs a bit of background score to go with it too. One thing that people actually loved about the show was that it brought about the idiosyncrasies prevalent in the society and since we all know that a pen is mightier than a sword, the writers of the show really did a mind blowing job. The sarcasms, the middle class and high class accents and mannerisms and especially the awful poetry created magic on the small screen which has stayed with people even after the show was finished. In addition to this, the background score of the show also made a powerful impact on each character, which the viewers enjoyed immensely.


Nine years have passed since the show was conceptualised, but nine years after that, we still long for shows like this. I am sure Gutthi and Palak keep you entertained, but this was one show that left a smile on everyone’s face. A smile which is as heart warming as it was nine years back.

CAPTAIN VYOM - Desi Star Trek?

Captain Vyom follows the story of well.. Captain Vyom (Milind Soman) and his comrades in their escapades across the universe. Sounds like Star Trek there, doesn’t it? It is. Now let us sprinkle a little bit of Star Wars, please?

And bam! What do we have? A Yoda like Tom Alter who plays Vishwapramukh and of course, Captain Vyom- the protagonist- is the villain’s progeny! Yes, he is the grandson of the world’s most evil person- ruler of Parajeev, the parasite, the alien race from thirteenth dimension. 
Rahul Bose plays one of the super-villains in the show. It was created by Ketan Mehta- the man who gave us Mangal Pandey!

Its our own Indian Star Trek, I am sure such series would raise some curiosity in children about space travel.

I think it was the best India has produced in this genre till date.
A complete story which wasn't over stretched. Decent acting. Considering that time, quite good special effects and background score.

But this series seem to be non-existent.
Even a Google search yields no signs!
Not available to buy, Not on torrents, not in any store, nowhere and not even a single clip on YouTube!

SHAKTIMAAN - Homegrown Superhero

It was a lazy evening. The sun was setting, and we were sitting on the rocks, and two of my friends were debating on who was the greatest superhero?
I just sat back and smiled at their ignorance. These fellows were light years away from the truth. The greatest Superhero of all time was not some Marvel of the West. DC ki AC ki taisi.
The greatest superhero was right here. Homegrown, and our very own.


Now wait, all you snobs who read this and sniggered, just you wait. In the next ten minutes, I am going to wipe that smirk off your face.
Here are some of the reasons why Shaktimaan can beat any of the others with his left hand (he is right handed):

Powers: What differentiates a Superhero from a hero? Quite simply the superpowers they have.
The conventional superheroes have a limited set of powers that they exercise when they get an opportunity. Most of these powers are related to strength, speed, agility, or a special weapon. And here is where Shaktimaan beats the others hollow.

HE HAS GOT INFINITE POWERS.
Being a wise man, Gandalf never shows his backside to Shaktimaan.
Every episode of Shaktimaan revealed a new power. He could fly, burn metal with his gaze, crush rocks with his bare hands, among many other awesome things. Now, suppose Superman is flying to Canada to save someone. You construct a huge wall in middle. What does the Man of Steel do? Turn around and risk flying over the Bermuda Triangle. What does Shaktimaan do? He just appears there!

AWESOMENESS TEST #1: DIFFUSE A NUCLEAR MISSILE
How Iron Man does it: Check for speed, velocity, trajectory, impact, and target.
How Shaktimaan does it: Bicycle kick
You see, in the 21st century, you cannot fall back on your limited set of powers. You have to innovate and use your mind to work out of problems. And Shaktimaan? Unlimited powers, mofos! Eat that!!

Shaktimaan propagates Indian culture:
As your parents, elders, neighbors, their elders, politicians, TV shows, films, and anyone else will tell you, what makes us the greatest nation in the world in spite of our poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, and corruption, is our culture.
Now, Shaktimaan upholds Indian culture. He never does vulgar stuff (like that Superman fellow flying around in his inners) or He-Man (whose costume and bob-cut blond hair make you wonder – “Is He Man?”)
Shaktimaan was born out of the rays that came out of the foreheads of seven rishis, and hence Indian culture is inherently there inside him. He regularly chants Gayatri mantra, Om, and other such prayers on the show.

Shaktimaan does not have sidekicks and lady loves:
Even though Superman has been around for more than 50 years, the charms of a woman still make him go weak in the knees.
Which superhero does that, man?
A superhero’s life may be awesome, but the one curse they share is that they cannot marry, start a family, and go shopping – maximum they get to kiss the girl in the end of the film, that’s all. Even though they know this, all the superheroes cannot resist the charms of a woman.
Shaktimaan? Hah! He has resisted Geeta’s charms for more than a decade now. He doesn't indulge in love-shove bullshit (also it’s not Indian culture, ya).
Another thing superheroes suffer is sidekicks. Now tell me, if you are a superhero, why do you need a sidekick? Why not create an army then? Losers! No wonder Batman’s sidekick is called Dick! Shaktimaan is enough by himself, ok? He doesn’t need these daisy dicks sidekicks and other distractions.


Shaktimaan has a paunch:
In India, everyone has a paunch. We are a country of extremes when it comes to body shapes – an Indian will either be stick thin, or have a paunch. Shaktimaan, who understands market dynamics (plus the whole rishi forehead – centre of knowledge thing), has a paunch, and has no qualms showing it off.
Shaktimaan packing a paunch
In this way, he gives hope to millions of Indians to aspire to become better, super versions of themselves. And what is this need to have abs and all, man? If you are a superhero, you anyway have superpowers. Why do you need to wake up in the morning and do push ups and crunches? Dumb fellows!

Shaktimaan is concerned about the future of the country:
Shaktimaan has a humane side. After every episode, he advises children on different subjects – like switching off fans and lights before leaving the room. His sole purpose of existence is not just victory of good over evil. He is not avenging his father’s death. He is concerned in creating good citizens for the country.
Also, in the 21st century, one cannot go about breaking bridges and buildings. One needs to think about the environment, sustainable superheroism, and limited resources. This is where Shaktimaan scores over others by a large distance.

Yeah! Who is laughing now?
Unfortunately, for all his awesomeness, Shaktimaan was given a raw deal. If it was aired on BBC, we would have had aliens sitting in a dharna demanding him for themselves. Unfortunately, he was on Doordarshan.
And the world forgot about him – the Messiah of the Good, the hero with a heart, fists of steel, and at the same time a khata-peeta khaandan ka ladka.

Indian Television: Good or Bad?

With the increasing use of internet and social networking sites, television industry is dying (s-l-o-w-l-y becoming less popular), especially as far as the (urban) youth is concerned. Gone are the days of daily soaps on Indian TV with the same concepts. Because of this, producers are now desperate to gather audience by getting their attention using arguably cheap content. 

Such are the so called “reality shows”. Apart from the abusive language used on these shows to get youth attention, they hardly have any “reality” in them. They are actually creating ‘fake realities’. We’d like to believe people don’t live so, would that be too optimistic?

However, there are some good shows produced on Indian television which offer entertainment without compromising on values. Some also help in sending a message and creating awareness along with entertainment, which, we think, is the best form of entertainment. Such shows are well-received also though they may not be viral hits or TRP generators as the producers perhaps argue. What we need is more such shows on Indian TV which can fulfill a purpose along with entertainment, don’t you think?

Television, with the right intentions, can be a powerful tool in shaping the society for better. Any message sent out in the form of humor or entertainment is much more effective than teaching or reading. It’s time we utilize this resource for the betterment rather than degradation! See what we did with the Polio campaign, this medium still has such great potential, we just need the creative and social support behind it!