tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91530428124184794322024-03-14T06:34:34.406+04:00Stray BirdsThe longing is for the one who is felt in the dark, but not seen in the day.Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-5246617791345046942015-12-30T17:07:00.000+04:002015-12-30T17:27:11.822+04:00I Wonder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wonder<br />
Why does the river flow unceasingly<br />
Ecstatic to meet the ocean<br />
I wonder<br />
Why does my heart skip a beat<br />
Ecstatic to meet a face unseen<br />
<br />
I wonder<br />
Why does sugar<br />
Make everything sweeter<br />
Why does a candle<br />
Make everything brighter<br />
I wonder<br />
Why does it seem that sugar<br />
And candle have learned it from her<br />
<br />
I wonder<br />
By spreading their merry songs in the golden hours<br />
What secret pleasure do the birds gain<br />
I wonder<br />
Why does my foolish heart yearn moment<br />
After moment to talk with her again<br />
<br />
I wonder<br />
Who teaches a butterfly<br />
To fly<br />
A baby<br />
To cry<br />
I wonder<br />
Why do her words make<br />
Me high<br />
<br />
I wonder<br />
Why in cheer and in tear<br />
In wisdom and in foolishness<br />
In gladness and in sadness<br />
In youth and in withering age<br />
Nothing would be meaningful<br />
Nothing would be complete<br />
Without her<br />
I wonder<br />
Why is life<br />
Best enjoyed together<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- Pavan Daxini </div>
<div>
December 30, 2015</div>
</div>
Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-46052213494397419022012-11-06T07:30:00.002+04:002012-11-25T05:39:08.065+04:00When I'm Feelin' Blue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What can I do</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When my muse be away</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="acb2ca70807bb32847c7ea95b13eb7fc3bfd39b8" grtype="null" id="GRmark_acb2ca70807bb32847c7ea95b13eb7fc3bfd39b8_From:0">From</span> me a-shy,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just like the old lady in the moon</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="28ac420f58b8167718bb7269af7865c775af60ba" grtype="null" id="GRmark_28ac420f58b8167718bb7269af7865c775af60ba_Hidin:0">Hidin</span>' behind, a</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thousand dark clouds</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On a stormy night.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I shudder, I tremble, I shiver when</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I see the storm a-come</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hear the thunder a-roar</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For no shoulder is left for me, no </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Shoulder more, to rest</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My weary head on.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">O Dark Ones, I pray</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You, who are a-<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="acd1590150652628306947ede4a01e3d21829db3" grtype="null" id="GRmark_acd1590150652628306947ede4a01e3d21829db3_marchin:0">marchin</span>'</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Are a-<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="073dcfc990a5f2eaa1dacae32a3856f0df1ef99c" grtype="null" id="GRmark_073dcfc990a5f2eaa1dacae32a3856f0df1ef99c_howlin:0">howlin</span>', and a-blowin'</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Across all lands,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rivers and sea!</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You, whose dark eyes</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Clearly see,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All that is vanity.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If, in some faraway land,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My Mary you <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="edfc4ce6d2863859ad7e6f3219e1f94360bde0cc" grtype="null" id="GRmark_edfc4ce6d2863859ad7e6f3219e1f94360bde0cc_sight:0">sight</span>,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like a <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="2d0a16faccfe45995ecb1e63c773747bddb17c6d" grtype="null" id="GRmark_2d0a16faccfe45995ecb1e63c773747bddb17c6d_honeybee:0">honeybee</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lost at the hour of dusk</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Away from her <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="5663d166e6028e80d2217bbcdfc5ed9ab05c80f2" grtype="null" id="GRmark_5663d166e6028e80d2217bbcdfc5ed9ab05c80f2_lov'd:0">lov'd</span> ones</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Forlorn and sad</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even in the freedom</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of the vast forest filled with</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Infinite flowers.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Would you not be so</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kind, I pray</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To take my message across</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And say</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">She is equally being miss'd</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At home.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But, if you <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="ed74db30587b9adf4486084b692ee5a96a80fe92" grtype="null" id="GRmark_ed74db30587b9adf4486084b692ee5a96a80fe92_sight:0">sight</span> my Mary</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="f36fd9a7ff924de0a60d843c1517be7d20020490" grtype="null" id="GRmark_f36fd9a7ff924de0a60d843c1517be7d20020490_A-bloom:0">A-bloom</span> like a flower of Marigold</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the break of dawn</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mist on all her petals unfold</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="2f47b76c8309814b1c54d9b3613b892a7b4c8b24" grtype="null" id="GRmark_2f47b76c8309814b1c54d9b3613b892a7b4c8b24_Enjoyin:0">Enjoyin</span>' the gentle sunlight</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A-<span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="73b3e8f29d7473569b788e65317c497029889408" grtype="null" id="GRmark_73b3e8f29d7473569b788e65317c497029889408_immerse:0">immerse</span> in the music</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of birds <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="efe232025af5c3c7523c66068c1f571d364f901e" grtype="null" id="GRmark_efe232025af5c3c7523c66068c1f571d364f901e_chirpin:0">chirpin</span>' in their flight</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Equally happy and content.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tell her not, I pray</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All which I'm <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="e275a5a7e2bc95b052da38d1c71a149d0955cdb9" grtype="null" id="GRmark_e275a5a7e2bc95b052da38d1c71a149d0955cdb9_goin:0">goin</span>' through,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="4e3efa2f090a6beb6d08182faa444ef74e8e4bcf" grtype="null" id="GRmark_4e3efa2f090a6beb6d08182faa444ef74e8e4bcf_Trapp'd:0">Trapp'd</span> in this abyss,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This eternal darkness where</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">No one but you can see, <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="bd7cd8f2e982ff5dec28582446200fcee399fbd9" grtype="null" id="GRmark_bd7cd8f2e982ff5dec28582446200fcee399fbd9_me:0">me</span>, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ever <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="e21ba7eab388ed5c6b02e47b2a79410d622171c2" grtype="null" id="GRmark_e21ba7eab388ed5c6b02e47b2a79410d622171c2_whinin:0">whinin</span>', and <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="e21ba7eab388ed5c6b02e47b2a79410d622171c2" grtype="null" id="GRmark_e21ba7eab388ed5c6b02e47b2a79410d622171c2_pinin:1">pinin</span>', and</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="d1aa50c023e4d37784976481a523eb86a34dfc2e" grtype="null" id="GRmark_d1aa50c023e4d37784976481a523eb86a34dfc2e_Wishin:0">Wishin</span>' only</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To see her face.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ah! <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="15ed107c91f1432c241318bc3694cadc9e494d9b" grtype="null" id="GRmark_15ed107c91f1432c241318bc3694cadc9e494d9b_the:0">the</span> dark clouds have <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="15ed107c91f1432c241318bc3694cadc9e494d9b" grtype="null" id="GRmark_15ed107c91f1432c241318bc3694cadc9e494d9b_clear:1">clear</span>'d</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And the storm is over yonder</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The moon is yellow</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And the night is young</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh! <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="e939b9530a3860a88cbec02f335d36448eae39e4" grtype="null" id="GRmark_e939b9530a3860a88cbec02f335d36448eae39e4_just:0">just</span> what can I do</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I'm <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="196c5b2ff2e02a93042a0f5c5ff4ef3ee619f9e3" grtype="null" id="GRmark_196c5b2ff2e02a93042a0f5c5ff4ef3ee619f9e3_feelin:0">feelin</span>' blue.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Pavan </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6 November, 2012</span></div>
</div>
Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-82800945744199487442011-12-25T06:02:00.000+04:002012-01-10T12:12:27.496+04:00I Know Why the Nightingale Sings Tonight<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh! tonight
'tis true
What the nightingale sings
With her unfolded wings, for she
Learnt from the wind, utter
A sigh.
'twas sometime
Earlier this night, the wind
Overheard the brook, which
Whisper'd to a passing creek, of
The story the pebbles told, when
Down her banks they rush'd
And roll'd.
'twas sometime
Earlier this evening, the pebbles
I threw in the brook, as
Many as I could reach, and with
Single each, single only was the
Name, which escap'd lips of mine
Of you.
Five and a twenty cold nights
Have come and gone, since
You went afar and I'm alone. Remember
The Adieu I wished? And
Nary </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">has</span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a moment </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pass'd in which
Have you not been
Solemnly missed.
And tonight
'tis true
What the nightingale sings
With her unfoldeed wings, for she
Spreads in the open air, the song of
My quiescent despair.
So tonight
I picked up the stones. And
With a deep sigh, I
Threw and watch'd them
Roll. And off they
Roll'd! And on they
Float'd! In a moment they
Drown'd! Helplessly
Drifting away
Into the stream.
Oh! tonight,
Baby you’re away, and I
Feel helpless, yes
'tis true.
Tonight, it's Christmas eve. The nightingale
Sings, the wind blows, the stream
Flows, Christ
Is born, and I am
Just as helpless as
A rolling stone.
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Pavan </span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">25th December, 2011</span></div>
</div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-78865850873137076092011-11-07T19:21:00.001+04:002012-08-09T12:03:24.337+04:00Early Morning Rain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceboy_dreams/6224039370/" title="Just another morning"><img alt="Just another morning by Pavan Daxini" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6224039370_65f9f715bb.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceboy_dreams/6224039370/"><span class="GingerNoCheckStart"></span><span class="GingerNoCheckStart"></span>Just another morning</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceboy_dreams/">Pavan Daxini</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
<span class="GingerNoCheckEnd"></span><span class="GingerNoCheckEnd"></span></div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-69395894027678700352011-09-01T05:23:00.000+04:002011-09-01T05:23:50.398+04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #161410; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;"></span><br />
<div align="center" style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<em>“One<br />has to<br />tiptoe lightly<br />and steal up<br />to one’s<br />quarry;<br />you don’t<br />swish<br />the water<br />when you are<br />fishing.”</em></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 1.5em;">
</div>
<div align="right" style="line-height: 1.5em;">
~Cartier-Bresson</div>
</div>
Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-18218224189896948922011-09-01T00:44:00.001+04:002012-01-05T21:51:37.625+04:00A Solitary Sailor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Those days, they were dark,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Those nights - often cold,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Soon it began to rain,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Never did it stop again.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There was flood,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Water, water, everywhere,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And I know not how,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was able to survive.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There was blood,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dead bodies, floating, everywhere,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And I know not how,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am still able to breathe.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the horizon a faint ray,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">First few sparkles of sunlight,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">No soul to be seen near my boat,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For everybody is long dead.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And I keep floating alone,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Boat aimlessly wandering,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here, there, somewhere,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have nowhere to sail to,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Does anybody out there,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to sail too?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I want to breathe,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the open air,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Does anybody out there,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to breathe too?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Pavan</span></div>
</div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-36398186738605623302011-06-19T01:34:00.001+04:002012-08-09T12:06:57.742+04:00Where Have All The Flowers Gone?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceboy_dreams/5842485935/" title="Nut cracker."><img alt="Nut cracker. by Pavan Daxini" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/5842485935_cce95dc2fc.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceboy_dreams/5842485935/">Nut cracker.</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceboy_dreams/">Pavan Daxini</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
Clicked this one during autumn 2010. Memories.</div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-55586418921254432742011-06-08T00:14:00.000+04:002011-06-22T00:45:29.010+04:00An Unconventional Birthday Wish<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Dear Stuti,<br />
I am substituting this little verse for the traditional "Happy birthday to you, enjoy your day" post on your wall, a 140-character tweet or a forwarded text message. I know it's a little unconventional way to wish someone "happy birthday", but here it goes.<br />
Hope you like it.<br />
----<br />
<br />
It was<br />
the seventh day<br />
of the month sixth. A hushed cry<br />
echoed through the busy corridors. It drowned<br />
in the metal clicks, hurried footsteps, the squalls<br />
and hollers. Amid all these<br />
she was born. Much like<br />
a little angel in the<br />
face of the earth. It was<br />
a happy day.<br />
<br />
Days passed. The cries<br />
grew louder and clearer. Soon weeks,<br />
months and years passed. The cries<br />
transformed into a smile. Myriad colors<br />
sparkled in her eyes. They<br />
spoke of dreams. It was<br />
a beautiful smile.<br />
<br />
The early years. Blossom,<br />
wind, rains and heat<br />
witnessed her. With the winds,<br />
she ran freely. She played hard, sang<br />
kicked, cried, scratched<br />
and laughed. She threw pebbles<br />
in freely flowing freshets. She watched<br />
as the sun set and one by one the pebbles<br />
drowned to the depths. They were<br />
the curious years.<br />
<br />
Education came through. Both formally<br />
and with experience. Soon<br />
she realized, the cruel<br />
face of the world. Dreams<br />
shattered. Innocence vaporized<br />
like a sole drop of water<br />
resting on a rough surface<br />
in a warm summer afternoon. The shadows<br />
on the wall grew long. She suffered<br />
and agitated. That was<br />
when she learned to live with compromises.<br />
<br />
She didn't believe in magic. Before<br />
she met him. When<br />
she had never expected things to get<br />
any better. He came as<br />
a wave of fresh air. Like a firefly<br />
dancing in endless darkness. She grabbed<br />
his hands. His tender touch. She will never forget<br />
her first kiss. The warmth<br />
the promises, the glee.<br />
The nights spent wondering<br />
if anything can<br />
ever go wrong. They were<br />
the wonder years.<br />
<br />
The skies turned gray. The unlikely<br />
happened. They weren't<br />
together anymore. All of a sudden<br />
the tree of her happiness<br />
was uprooted it seemed. Her dreams<br />
slayed. Although she knew<br />
crying wouldn't help, she<br />
couldn't stop herself. The endless nights<br />
now she spent wondering, If<br />
there ever would be a sparkle<br />
of sunlight in her purposeless life. She stopped<br />
believing in magic. They were<br />
the times of self discovery.<br />
<br />
Today,<br />
four and twenty fine years have passed since<br />
the hushed cry had echoed<br />
in the busy corridors. Time has been<br />
a cruel teacher. But the lessons learned<br />
are like the pearls collected<br />
from the surface of deep ocean. She has emerged<br />
from the dark ocean, strong<br />
and victorious. As she is reading<br />
these lines, surrounded by<br />
endless candles and innumerable<br />
well-wishers by her side, I urge her<br />
to take a moment and flash that smile,<br />
that beautiful smile which everybody<br />
is so used to adore. To<br />
remember those dreams,<br />
which once sparkled in her eyes.<br />
<br />
<br />
- Pavan<br />
7th June, 2011.</div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-63131631524675119802011-05-30T01:34:00.001+04:002012-08-09T12:06:05.904+04:00Need to Grow Either Wings or Fins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceboy_dreams/5736721423/" title="Need to grow either wings or fins"><img alt="Need to grow either wings or fins by Pavan Daxini" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2049/5736721423_14c411cbe5.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceboy_dreams/5736721423/">Need to grow either wings or fins</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceboy_dreams/">Pavan Daxini</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
Random picture from Kerala Visit.</div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-68693984149220390582011-04-23T16:05:00.000+04:002011-06-22T00:58:52.897+04:00I Remember You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
Saw your face in the crowd the other day,<br />
I remember what you used to say,<br />
Remember those songs we used to sing,<br />
The memories of the old times still ring.<br />
<br />
The forever blinding gaze,<br />
Surrounded by the Christmas lights,<br />
And that staring endlessly,<br />
Into cold starry nights.<br />
<br />
With hand in hand,<br />
Remember that moonlight walk?<br />
The sound of outdrawn breaths?<br />
Overhearing the mute cries?<br />
Yeah! I remember you.<br />
<br />
Bounded by the silent reproach,<br />
Words sometimes sound so meek,<br />
Few unsolicited questions,<br />
And a couple of answers to seek.<br />
<br />
The time has flew,<br />
The years passed in haze,<br />
Plastic smiles that survived,<br />
Tears been long vaporized,<br />
Old memories now amaze.<br />
<br />
It's Christmas Eve,<br />
Sitting by the attic I look past the horizon,<br />
The remembrance surrounds the night,<br />
And the lights still shine so bright.<br />
<br />
On the table lay two cups of coffee,<br />
And some shear and strain,<br />
Besides rests an empty chair,<br />
And no one to brew the pain.<br />
<br />
Trains of thoughts rush by,<br />
The fondling recall, that first kiss,<br />
The heart forever crushed by,<br />
The same old wish.<br />
<br />
The Santa flew past my house,<br />
His sleigh shining bright and blue,<br />
Quickly vanishes he with his bagful of gifts,<br />
And I remember you.<br />
__<br />
Pavan<br />
24 April, 2011</div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-16696994219799168972011-04-17T17:06:00.000+04:002011-06-22T01:01:39.819+04:00Benighted Omen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 14px;">The distant smells that come my way,<br />
Seem to be ripe and sway,<br />
I wish not to see the dark times ahead,<br />
Hear not the rumbling screams and cries,<br />
My gaze fixed upon their revealing face,<br />
As them demons of future stare back,<br />
And nothing save the benighted omen,<br />
To be found in those frightful eyes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 14px;">----</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">OKAY. It's one week before I face my sixth sem ester end-semester exams. And, continuing my tradition from last semester, I decide to return with my idiotic blogpost(s). So, I am</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"> just surfing through my archives, and - </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">VOILA! - I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"> discover this. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">While written way back, this mini verse, never sounded more apt.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">Pavan,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">17 April, 2011 </span></div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-35809934872546086242010-11-24T05:16:00.003+04:002011-06-22T01:13:13.621+04:00Book Review: God and Golem, Inc.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>God & Golem, Inc:<i> A Comment on Certain Points Where Cybernetics Impinges on Religion</i></b>, published in 1964, has been penned down by Norbert Wiener. Wiener (1894-1964) happens to be the coiner of the term ‘cybernetics’ in its modern sense. Wiener is a well-regarded mathematician and has a vast number of technical papers to his credit. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">However God and Golem Inc, has very little to do with the subtleties of theoretical physics or mathematics, it concerns itself majorly with socially relevant issues of <b><i>cybernetics</i></b> that intersect with religion. The author here refrains himself from using any highly technical phrases to prove his points. Some of the ideas do remain rather vague, as a result of this approach. But it seems necessary as the book caters to a much wider audience this way. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The three main issues, discussed throughout a number of short essays in the book, are: </span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><i>Machines which learn themselves</i></li>
<li><i>Machines which have capacity to reproduce themselves</i></li>
<li><i>The relation between man and machine</i></li>
</ul></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Learning is a property which has been long attributed to <b><i>self-conscious systems</i></b>, or simply put living organisms. But there have been efforts to make <b><i>learning machines</i></b>, which might ultimately lead to the invention of the long anticipated (and feared) <b>“Artificial Intelligence”</b>. The author takes an intereting example of C<i>heckers</i> playing machine. The computer which has been programmed to play a game of <i>Checkers</i> also possesses an interesting ability to <b>“learn”</b> from its past experience and improve its game in accordance. Such a machine was able to consistently defeat its creator, Sameul, in the initial phase.<i> "It did win,"</i> the author writes, <i>"and it did learn to win; and the method of its learning was no different in principle from that of the human being who learns to play checkers.”</i> An interesting point raised here is <b>the conflict</b> between the Devil and the God, as described in the <b><i>Book of Job</i></b> or <b><i>Paradise Lost</i></b>, might seem to be a pitifully unequal contest in the first sight. To avoid <b><i>moral dualism</i></b> Devil must be considered God’s creation. The game, it has been argued, between the Creator and the creation, ignoring the <b>omnipotence of the Creator</b>, happens to be quite a <b>real conflict</b> with a <i>possibility</i> of the creator losing the game. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Second point deals with the <b>ability of reproduction</b> amongst machines, or whether such ability exists at all? Man makes man in his own <b><i>image</i></b><i>, </i>which is supposedly an echo or a prototype of the act of creation, by which God has made Man in <i>his</i> own image.<i> </i>The author demonstrates that man has made machines which are able to make other machines in <i>their own image</i>. These images can very well be <b><i>pictorial</i> </b>as well as<b> <i>operative images</i></b><i>. </i>This brings me to the title of the book. Can we safely say that <b><i>God is to Golem</i></b> as <b><i>Man is to Machine</i></b>? Golem is considered to be the embryo of Adam, shapeless and not fully created, according to <b>Jewish mythology</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The author ponders upon the <b>relation between Man and Machine</b> next. He ponders on the subject of androids, or the semi-machine humans. In fact to have forecast the development of such systems in back in 1964 is rather impressive. <b>"Render unto man the things which are man's and unto the computer the things which are the computer's,"</b> the author warns. The issues discussed here are more of <b>ethical</b> in their nature. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The author also touches upon a lot of other important issues, except for the main three described above. Some of the examples include <b>human responsibility</b> in usage of advancing technology, sensory feedback to <b>artificial organs</b>, <b>machine game-playing</b>, <b>Cold War</b>, <b>Marxism</b>, <b>Darwinism</b>, adversities of Ideological thinking and even <b>Economics as a science</b>. This exemplifies the range of the author as well as shades some light upon his vast knowledge pool. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">However, at times, it appears that the book lacks direction. Some of the issues are left rather contentious. His ideas including the <b>right to die</b> and the ones including <b>machine self-reproduction</b> seem rather vague. The book however remains crisp and sharp, devoid of any unnecessary length. The ideas are presented in progressive manner. Sometimes it appears that he overestimated future technology, such <i>optimism</i> however isn’t very uncommon among the authors coming from a scientific background.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">He puts forward the notion that scientists and engineers are moral people, whose work is based on their fundamental belief in human goodness. He states that deepest hell in <b>Dante’s Inferno</b> has been reserved for the sin of <b>Simony</b> (which was used in the context of the misuse of Church’s power). He draws parallel to this old term in the sense of misuse of growing technological powers for a more personal gain, or usage of money as a force. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It remains an important book. One might not necessarily agree with all the points covered in the book, especially the ones touching upon religious issues, depending upon his/her personal beliefs. But the book has got courage to ask <b>difficult questions</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My favorite line from the book: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><blockquote><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“Remember that in the game of atomic warfare, there are no experts." </span></b></blockquote><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b></div></div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-88230556394914709592010-11-22T02:36:00.001+04:002011-06-22T01:19:54.839+04:00Inside The Gutter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Thought me had no one,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Noone to take care mine,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Take mine care,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before it was, </div><div class="MsoNormal">Noticed your,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Small your paws,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Brown fur,</div><div class="MsoNormal">A rat me all got,</div><div class="MsoNormal">All me got,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Trapped inside both,</div><div class="MsoNormal">The same gutter,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rat got the me,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Me got rat,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Both we bored, </div><div class="MsoNormal">Enough ignored,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our shared stories,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Biologist and histories,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bonded really we,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Shared all could we,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Shared food our,</div><div class="MsoNormal">We shared our food,</div><div class="MsoNormal">He shared his body,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Me shared mine hunger,</div><div class="MsoNormal">And left was me,</div><div class="MsoNormal">All alone,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Me was alone,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Inside the gutter.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Pavan</div><div class="MsoNormal">22 November, 2010</div></div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-20709762659301340902010-11-18T02:04:00.000+04:002011-06-22T01:37:27.687+04:00Been There<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Been there, seen it <br />
Your smile your pet mouse<br />
Both inside your wooden house <br />
Upon the mountain inside the stone<br />
<br />
But your mouse is dead your smile stolen<br />
Your furniture broken your cousin grown fat<br />
Bet your insurance company<br />
Didn’t know anything about that<br />
<br />
I still remember our first kiss<br />
Going to the movies, flying the red kites<br />
The trip to Albino, our first few fights<br />
<br />
Shades of gray lingering between<br />
All the blacks and the whites<br />
Happy times, sad days, desperate nights<br />
<br />
But when I needed your love the most<br />
Your condolences, your advice<br />
You were never there<br />
No one to hear my cries<br />
For you were dancing in the distance<br />
With the tall guys<br />
<br />
Never thought you will leave someday<br />
Was it so easy to betray <br />
When I was exhausted you threw me away<br />
Just like an empty bottle of spray<br />
<br />
Sometimes, in my dreams, can sense you<br />
Hear your footsteps, can hear their distant sound<br />
My fears shake me up, from dreams they wake me up<br />
And there is nothing but emptiness to be found<br />
<br />
Took long to realize you were gone<br />
Considered jumping from the stone<br />
Loveless, desperate and vulnerable<br />
I was left, all alone<br />
<br />
But the seasons have changed<br />
The crows now sing in melodic tone<br />
The owls have grown smarter<br />
The person I was long lost long forgone<br />
<br />
I should have known you will leave someday<br />
That it is easy to betray<br />
You will throw my exhausted soul away<br />
Just like an empty bottle of spray<br />
<br />
When I needed your love the most<br />
Your condolences your advice<br />
You danced with the guys, squat and tall<br />
While my cries echoed in the empty hall<br />
No you were never there<br />
<br />
But I have <em>been there</em><br />
Have killed your mouse stolen your smile<br />
Broken your furniture it took me some while<br />
But your cousin growing fat<br />
Now I have nothing to do with that!<br />
<br />
-Pavan<br />
<em>15 November, 2010</em></span></span></div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-73247115132105923592010-11-14T13:18:00.001+04:002011-06-22T02:02:19.001+04:00A Lovely Saturday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Over the hilly town</span></span><br />
<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Under the dead nun's gown</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Have put it down</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But somehow</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Can’t find it now</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Can’t locate grave of the nun</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Under the burning sun</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But I won't give up</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Will return when the moon shines</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And the silver fox cries</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Find my paper crown </span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I will burn the place down</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sit atop the banyan tree</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoying the off spree</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Watching the world burn free</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Cherish the moment</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoy every last scream</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">People burning while still in their dream</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Will dance naked over dead bodies</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Eat the flesh of children</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And when I am all fed up</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I will consider my mistakes undone</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For god is kind</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Having a sound mind</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I shall confess all my crimes</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Beat up my back couple of times</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My sins, be forgiven</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And someday</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When I meet Him</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We shall ride horses made of clay</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And to Him I would say</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"It was a lovely Saturday!"</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-Pavan</span></div><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">14 November, 2010</span></i></div></div></div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-62494551009218702802010-11-09T11:29:00.000+04:002011-06-22T02:13:50.549+04:0041<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Underneath moonlit skies, on curving yellow roads we walked,<br />
Over elating highlands, warm rainforests her shadows I stalked.<br />
<br />
In some silent whispers, couple of nameless songs she hummed,<br />
Insinuating ideas dusted and newfangled alike, and we talked!<br />
<br />
Enjoying unblemished sunshine a marsh harrier upon us flew,<br />
Fresh smells of flowing seas of blue mountains and rambling squirrels it blew.<br />
<br />
She told me of her grandpa’s old clock, about how much he cared,<br />
Other funny little stories of her childhood she shared.<br />
<br />
And I listened wondering all the while,<br />
Upon a green leaf and little orange flowers, a butterfly hovered meanwhile.<br />
<br />
“So Cute!” Pointed Mrs. Wayne to her husband and their only son,<br />
A small fist extended as the boy captured the fly, just for the sake of fun!<br />
<br />
A lion roared in vicinity, out Mr. Wayne took his shredded gun,<br />
Four thousand feet above us all a German fighter-plane flew, under the hooded sun.<br />
<br />
The butterfly escaped the fists, the plane dived,<br />
The lion roared again, the harrier smiled.<br />
<br />
Her dimples flashed In the sun,<br />
"Bang!" roared Wayne's aforementioned gun.<br />
<br />
I told her a joke which one I don’t remember now,<br />
But it did make her laugh, her beautiful smile leaving a faint afterglow.<br />
<br />
The bullet traveled through the air,<br />
Cutting through all the love and despair.<br />
<br />
Faster and faster it moved death etched upon its nose,<br />
The shrewd king of jungle jumped, missing the bullet quite close.<br />
<br />
Straight the bullet traveled ‘cause it still had to kill,<br />
And it pierced right through her heart leaving her silent still.<br />
<br />
Impending upon her doom she lay down on the grass, quieten and motionless,<br />
The ghost of her last laugh still etched upon her face.<br />
<br />
A teardrop fell upon her body, the harrier joining in silent requiem.<br />
And I sat beside her despairingly hoping for another such bullet to come.<br />
<br />
Thinking of all the mountains together we crossed,<br />
Only to be met by an end so glum, so sad.<br />
<br />
Unaware we were of our destiny, but it hardly matters,<br />
Her stories remain untold, the journey never ends.<br />
<br />
<i>-Pavan</i><br />
<i>4 November, 2010</i><br />
<br />
<b>An afterthought:</b><br />
But then it’s never the<i> journey</i> that terminates, is it?</div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-45837487513731626742010-10-10T02:42:00.000+04:002011-06-22T02:19:11.765+04:00ALIEN Movie review [SPOILER ALERT!]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p$1><p$1><p$1><p$1><p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEgynksNm8CWhUtO6ji8GA48sLv7qES7SDQppt4T0Hy6OA5u3bM7s42AJ2R6rdxL5T2AEK1KgONvvAv0s0MUcfExO8sB9FT41uqbgo2Dc6MNFernnUydmxY_3YoEscf0SaI_q26wB4kLP/s1600/1979_alien_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEgynksNm8CWhUtO6ji8GA48sLv7qES7SDQppt4T0Hy6OA5u3bM7s42AJ2R6rdxL5T2AEK1KgONvvAv0s0MUcfExO8sB9FT41uqbgo2Dc6MNFernnUydmxY_3YoEscf0SaI_q26wB4kLP/s1600/1979_alien_006.jpg" /></span></a></div><p$1><p$1><p$1><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Ripley:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Will you listen to me, Parker? Shut up! </span></span></i></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><p$1></p$1></span></span></p$1><p$1><p$1><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Parker:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Let's hear it. Let's hear it.</span></span></i></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p$1><p$1><p$1><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Ripley:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">It's using the air shafts. </span></span></i></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><p$1></p$1></span></span></p$1><p$1><p$1><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Parker:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">You don't know that.</span></span></i></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><p$1></p$1></span></span><p$1><p$1><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Ripley:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">That's the only way. We'll move in pairs. We'll go step by step and cut off every bulkhead and every vent until we have it cornered. And then we'll blow it the fuck out into space! </span></span></i></p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set in an undated future, the 1979 <b>science fiction</b> Alien depicts the tale of a 7 member crew trapped with a barbarous Alien inside the commercial towing spaceship Nostromo. And it does it so in a most perturbing manner. The starkness of space, the gloomy atmosphere and the dark undertones all add up to a compelling movie experience.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alien begins rather slowly, but it gains significant momentum in a few scenes. Nostromo, the commercial towing spaceship of the "Mother" Corporation, is set on its return course to Earth. Upon receiving a possible distress signal from an apparently desolate planet, the 7 member crew is woken up from their hibernation. The company policy forces them to investigate the source of the signal. Dannas, Lambart and Kane <i>(3 of the crew members)</i> bravely set out to investigate it. Surprisingly they find some remnants of an unoccupied spaceship on the hostile planet. Inside its chambers Kane comes into contact with some egg like objects. One of them burst open and an fibrous little creature throws itself at Kane.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kane is taken into medical facility on the spaceship. After a while the creature disappears. Shortly it is found dead. Eh! No damage done. It’s almost too good to be true. Celebrations are in the air. The crew decides to throw Kane a grand dinner party. The normal dinnertime chit-chat is shortly interrupted. Kane starts choking and muzzling. Suddenly a creature spurts wide open from Kane’s chest, as if it were made of plastic, and evades into the more gloomier areas of the spaceship, leaving Kane dead as a rat. Shortly after Kane, it is Brett’s turn. All possible attempts of the remaining members of the crew to capture/kill this monster form the rest of the movie.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director Ridley Scott’s well-honed talent of creating a dark/tensed environment only elevates the film to an entirely new level. In 1979 no technology existed for creating fancy computer generated images of the Alien. A lot of <b><i>‘manual’</i> effort</b> had been put behind the very design of this creature. While a lot of parallel was drawn from real-world insects, a lot of things were derived from just fragments of pure imagination. That certainly contributes to the somewhat obscure ‘reality’ of the creature. Throughout the film a constant fear of an arcane entity is felt, which is successful in keeping the viewers on their toes. </span></div><p$1><p$1><p$1><p$1><p$1><p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXKavKlElJCZwzP1X9TKFxsV-7Y1XuRGG7COmcb7F3tGrS3WKIvFe359FJh-ompOMJSo7lrVyAxF8TN1EHFzKsJMSxmNeeYnCI6oAact0x4BsTVf6oAZWwcPyMFAl2UehT4IoIW-kxyym/s1600/N4MQKB81pHRQVum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXKavKlElJCZwzP1X9TKFxsV-7Y1XuRGG7COmcb7F3tGrS3WKIvFe359FJh-ompOMJSo7lrVyAxF8TN1EHFzKsJMSxmNeeYnCI6oAact0x4BsTVf6oAZWwcPyMFAl2UehT4IoIW-kxyym/s320/N4MQKB81pHRQVum.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><p$1><p$1><p$1><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alien come with quite a <b>handful of feminist intimations</b>. <i>(Maybe a first in a genre of Science Fiction?)</i> It is one of the factors that make it <i>ahead of its time</i>.The simplest of them being the fact Ripley <i>(a woman!)</i> happens to be the only surviving character. In a<i> rather controversial </i>scene, she is shown in her mere underpants before she finally blows the Alien off into the space. A parallel to the old myth </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The weakest of them shall defeat the death”</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> could be drawn in reference to the particular scene. There might be other inferences too, but no tangible explanation has been provided by Mr. Scott in past 30 years since the release. Other intimations include the way Alien chooses Kane to conceive and latter give birth to its child. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(By the way, Is the Alien male? Is it female? Or is from an altogether different gender? Again, no explanation is provided!). </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even the preponderant corporation is named </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Mother'</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></span></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><p$1></p$1></span></p$1><p$1><p$1><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually it is this </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mother corporation</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that proves to be the <b>main villain</b> behind the misfortune of the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nostromo</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> crew. Being a </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">just another commercial ship</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, none of the crew members are sophisticated enough to handle the adversities of the mission. In fact Ash </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(the android planted between the unsuspecting members of the crew, in order to carry out direct orders given by ‘Mother’)</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> imperturbably tells others when his identity is exposed</span></span></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">"I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies. “</span></i></span></blockquote></div><p$1><p$1><p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p$1><p$1><p$1><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ash has clear instructions that first mission priority is to bring Alien back home, and the crew is </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">expendable</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Ash argues that it is essential to bring Alien back to earth because </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">‘such a species has never been encountered with and they need to perform all kind of tests’</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It seems a rather farfetched logic and common sense doesn’t comply with it. (Is it worth the risks? Why send a commercial ship with unarmed crew?) As one of the crew member suspects, the Alien could be boon for military purposes. In such a case the future of whole humanity could be at stake. The underlined message is crystal clear; </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">it would be the evil corporates’ money craving policies that would bring upon the Apocalypse (if ever) and not some random monster from outer space</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It might even be much before we acquire technological prowess to manufacture giant spaceships travelling thousands of light-years. <i>(Maybe is this the reason actual timeframe of the movie is never revealed?)</i></span></span></p$1></p$1><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><p$1></p$1></span></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p$1><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The name of spaceship </span><b style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nostromo </span></b><i style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(derived from the famous 1904 novel Nostromo, by British novelist <b>Joseph Conrad</b>)</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> means </span><i style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“our men”</b> </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">or<b> </b></span><i style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“the third man”</b> </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">in Italian. It is interesting to know that there can be <i>two interpretations</i> of the term. Ash </span><i style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(the science officer)</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> acts as a </span><i style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nostromo </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">for the </span><i style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mother Corporation</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">, while Ripely </span><i style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(the 3rd</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> officer of the ship) </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">could be the </span><i style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nostromo </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">for the rest of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">crew-members</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 115%;">.</span></span></p$1><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><p$1></p$1></span></p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p$1><p$1><p$1><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a movie which hugely rests on the performances, as there are no </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">super-effects</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> or </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fancy locations</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to keep the audience immersed, almost every actor does a solid job. Especially </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sigourney Weaver</b> </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is first rate portraying the role of Ripley. Set design<b> </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>(Ian Whittaker)</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is commendable. Background score<b> </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>(Jerry Goldsmith)</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> attributes for most of the uneasiness felt throughout the film. The Cinematography<b> </b></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>(Derek Vanlint)</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is excellent for its time. The movie has a very strong visual feeling about it. The particular usage of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>light and shadows</b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b>is remarkable. Especially in the scenes constituting the recovery of the lost alien, the foreign planet is captured magnificently by </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">underexposed wide shots</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. On the flipside the pacing could have been a little better, as several of the scenes add only to the length of the movie. Especially the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">long shots</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> when one of the crew members searches empty halls trying to find a lost cat are very predictable. Many questions are left unanswered in the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">screenplay</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, leaving up to the viewer to have his/her own interpretations. </span></span></p$1><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><p$1></p$1></span></p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p$1><p$1><p$1><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ridley Scott</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> does manage to pull off an engaging as well as intelligent film which, as rightly said by many critics, happens to be much ahead of its time.</span></span></p$1></p$1><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><p$1></p$1></span></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><p$1><p$1><p$1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. I almost forgot to mention. There is also a cute cat in the movie, what more can one ask for? :-)</span></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><p$1><p$1><p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;"><p$1><p$1><p$1><p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></p$1></div><p$1><p$1></p$1></p$1></div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-4384518978852375862010-03-29T03:36:00.000+04:002011-06-22T02:21:52.753+04:00Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute: Entrance and How (by RUSTICMIND)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Its been a year since I began contemplating seriously about getting into a film school. A series of confusions ensured that I miss the FTII 2009 dates. The binduest of all being the fact that I had to leave my peanut salary and start with an empty bowl again. It made me think over and over. My mind almost threw my heart out of head one day until I re-read a famous advertising quote inscribed on my office wall. The one we often use to describe our profession to non advertising people, especially women as that might impress/intrigue them. Who knows? Whatever. Doesn’t matter. What matters is the quote : “ Don’t tell my mother I work in advertising. She thinks I play the piano in a whorehouse”. Wait a minute !! whorehouse. Oh yes!! thats what whorehouses (agencies) do. They hook us, enchant us and keep us shut out from the real world. If you got to find your voice and truth, you got to get out of that cushy creative department of yours. With that note I decided I have to take the plunge. So I went ahead and checked the dates for SRFTI ( <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute ) </em>entrance exam. Lucky dog! The forms have not been announced and were about to be offered sometime soon (the exam was postponed else it would have been around FTII’s <img alt=":D" class="wp-smiley" src="http://passionforcinema.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /> ) . Thus began my journey of appearing for the entrance and making it through.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Enough flattering and buttering of words and emotions. Lets get down to business. Which is to give you guys a clear picture on the whole process of selection. I am sure everyone knows how to fetch a form and get an admit card so wont waste my time over it and go straight to the exam details.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Stage -1 ( Written)</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 papers. One tests you on Arts and culture and people of India. The other is a creative test as per your applied discipline(direction & screenplay, cinematography,editing, sound design).</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Paper 1: A&C&P of India (100 marks, 1 hour)</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You ought to have a some idea on the roots of arts and culture primarily. Like knowing the various forms of art and folk forms that thrives in our country. From painting to sculpture to theatre to handicrafts, you name it, they have it on that paper. The good part is, its a multiple choice question paper. Questions like who has written this book, what is the form of theatre known as in West Bengal, amongst the shown paintings which one is this and which one is that… things like that.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Paper 2: Course Specific ( 100 marks, 1.5 hours)</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I had applied for direction and screenplay ( sorry as I don’t know jack shit on what they asked for the other 3). Basically 4 questions. 25 marks each.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a) A given synopsis which has to be described as how you cinematically see it in 20 shots per say ( If you can wrap it up in less than 20, nothing like it)</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">b) which recent movie you enjoyed watching and why. Have to mention a few on credits like the director (how dumb!), cinematographer (hmmmm), screenplay (not sure) and music director (thank god I know this!)</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">c)Writing a sound narrative on a given situation. No dialogues or description of ‘we see…’. Just pure plain SFX to establish the space and time around that situation. The situation can be anything, one of the options I got was a kid who’s got lost on a bus stand.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">d)Writing a dialogue conversation for a given scene. I wrote for a context of 2 strangers talking on the train for the first time.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Except b), every question has 2 choices to pick. And the most important thing is that they have given you a printed question answer book, so no writing beyond prescribed area. You are allowed extra sheets I guess but its advised to keep it to the printed book only.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Stage 2- Orientation program & Viva Voce</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Patted my own back for clearing the first round. Umpteen beers down my belly, several miles east I travel to appear for the orientation. Entered the campus, got myself registered and did all the tam jham.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Day 1</strong>: Inspirational Talks, speeches, screening of few final year student diploma films , Checking out women, seniors & the other selected aspirants etc. After half a day, they lead you to respective departments and hereon my post becomes very specific to those who are seeking to specialise & get into direction and screenplay (you are welcome to read even if you aren’t <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://passionforcinema.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /> .</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">20 selected students ( direction discipline) are divided into 4 groups. Each group has to name themselves and have a representative. Then the whole group will introduce themselves and others in their group. The same happens for all groups. Please don’t try your interpersonal skills overtly here. This is the first hurdle where unknowingly you might blabber some stuff which you could have kept to yourself. Choose your words wisely.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Then you got an SOP to write. Statement of purpose. Limited to a page and 30-45 mins of time. No one’s interested to read a speech. Its your life and how that journey has led you to the film school which will interest them.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Day 2:</strong> You watch a film, based on which you are asked to answer some questions. What made you like/dislike the movie. Describe the cinematic elements that you like/dislike and stuff like do you relate to the film personally or not. Then you have some chai samosa, meet seniors, smoke cigs, bitch about some chutiyas who you think are useless there.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Few yawns and then attention!! the discussion over an exercise that will transform your talking into doing (ACTION!!) starts. A camera exercise. An awesome 5some experience in my case. Its called the 3 shot exercise. Like the name suggests, every student has to shoot a film on a given topic in 3 static shots. The topic can be anything. Like freedom, indulgence, aspiration or nuisance!!</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">when I say 3 static shots, I mean 3 preset shots where you can do nothing with the camera (no zooms, playing with menu, trying to show off your camera skills). Your frame is static, your characters can move. But no dialogues. You can make your frame for each shot before you shoot. It has to be sequentially shot, camera edited. And yes, you can tap in sounds, but only ambient.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The exercise is assessed on the basis of a) compositional value b) plot as per theme c) team spirit and value you bring to every film in your group.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This exercise is to happen the next day and post giving the theme, the faculty will tell you to leave the room and discuss the sequential shooting order (who’s shooting which time of the day) and see the location (you can shoot anywhere within the SRFTI campus). Your team is your crew. The camera will be handled by a senior who’s an assigned cameraman to your group. Each group will have one. And yes, each student has only 1 hour to shoot. ‘Enough restrictions imposed for the day’, see you tomorrow the faculty would say smiling at you and off you go for the day.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Day 3: The 3 shot exercise</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My take out from the day:</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Try and build your mood with the help of the natural light setting as much as you can. Like if you have the last slot to shoot, choose a topic on the given theme that can be complemented with the surround lighting.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">They say your cameraman is there to assist you. Most of us overlook the connotation and use them as mere operators. Use them as your value adds. They can help immensely for anything and everything (camera angle, light, how to cheat etc…</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Please feel free to add your suggestions to others films, but not just for the sake of it. If you are desperate to earn those team brownie points, It shows.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pack up and move out of the college. The faculty bench will assess your films overnight and will talk about it the next day in your department interview.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Day 4: Department Interview</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Based on your SOP, film appreciation & 3 shot exercise, the faculty starts digging deeper into your interests. They want to know why, how, what the institute can give you. A small little discussion over your 3 shot exercise and why you chose the particular theme and stuff. They can have a candid chat on anything and everything in between as well. From the films you watch to the no of joints you smoke in a day, the questions can be specific to vague.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">While this interview happens one by one, there’s a provision to watch a movie for the waiting candidates and the ones who are done with. This interview along with the other exercises are the tenets on which the faculty recommends people to a final panel of external selectors for final selection which is to take place in the next 2-3 days.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Day 5,6 – Final Interview with external jury</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">They already see who’s recommended and who’s not. So more or less, this is just a formal interview but an important one. Here, its just a little chit chat discussion in brief of your work and what led you to the film school and all. By this time, you’ll be comfortable enough to handle this interview. Buddhadeb Dasgupta and Sunny Joseph were there on the panel this year alongwith a psychologist, the dean and some gentleman I don’t know.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Day 8/9 – Final Results</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Going by my take, the key to getting selected is to stay honest with yourself and your beliefs. They don’t want another Satyajit Ray or Ritwik Ghatak or anyone else for that matter. They are interested to see you. Your way of looking at things. Your take on life.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mota Mota, that is what this entrance is all about. FTII would be more or less similar in terms of pattern I think.I would love to write about the campus and the life there in detail but I got a train to catch. In sometime, I will be boarding a journey that will transit me from the world I live in to the world I seek. And yes, excited I am <img alt=":D" class="wp-smiley" src="http://passionforcinema.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /> . Hope this blabber gives you a better picture about the entrance in general.</div><br />
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</div><div><div>Blog by: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 22px; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="http://passionforcinema.com/author/rusticmind/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #154a7f; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Posts by rusticmind">RUSTICMIND</a> </span></div><div>SOURCE: <a href="http://passionforcinema.com/satyajit-ray-film-and-television-institute-entrance-and-how/#comment-415881">http://passionforcinema.com/satyajit-ray-film-and-television-institute-entrance-and-how/#comment-415881</a></div></div><div><br />
</div></div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-44934265175987599072008-11-14T20:27:00.000+04:002012-08-09T13:01:38.425+04:00Opration Bluestar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I want to make it clear that, through this article I do not wish to support nor condemn Operation Bluestar. I just wish to report the reasons, operation itself and its aftermaths, trying not to take up sides with any particular party. Another thing I want to make clear is that the operation itself was not much different from any other regular army mission, it's the reasons and the aftermath which makes it much more significant, as much more disturbing. This incident has, indeed, hurt both the Indian army and the community of Sikhs throughout the period of time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="heading">In the decade of 1980’s <i><st1:country -region="-region" st="on">Pakistan </st1:country>backed terrorism</i> had acquired major proportions in <st1:place st="on">Punjab</st1:place>. The demand for Khalistan, a separate nation for Sikhs, was increasing with every passing day, and so was the number of </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">innocent common civilians</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> killed in the terrorist activities. Sikh terrorists killed Hindu political leaders, common Hindus, Sikhs, migrant workers and all who dared </span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-indent: 0.5in;">oppose</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> their demands and commands. Even the state government and the police had their hands tied. Punjab was steadfastly becoming the worst state of </span><st1:country -region="-region" st="on" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><st1:place st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, which at some time, not much far in the history, was considered the most prosperous state. It demanded for some hard-core action at the national level.</span></span></div>
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<span class="heading" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of <st1:country -region="-region" st="on"><st1:place st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country> thought no differently. After a series of high-voltage political drama, the hard decision was taken, at last, which eventually proved to be the primary cause of Indira Gandhi’s shootout by her own Sikh bodyguards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="heading" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The mission was entrusted to </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Gen. Arun Vaidya, proposed chief of the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-indent: 0.5in;">Indian Army</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, assisted by </span><span class="heading" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">General K. <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="97899db1e900798fee0261794575dca9359e588b" grtype="null" id="GRmark_97899db1e900798fee0261794575dca9359e588b_Sundarji:0">Sundarji</span> who describes:</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"We went inside with humility in our hearts and prayers on our lips." </i></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="heading">On June 1, a total curfew was imposed upon the whole state, which included total cutoff of electricity, mass media blackout, and absolute cutoff from other states. The whole state was put under the </span>Lt. <span class="GRcorrect" grphrase="37243086aea3780cd7ecdb7d50337b374c08c471" grtype="null" id="GRmark_37243086aea3780cd7ecdb7d50337b374c08c471_Gen:0">Gen</span>. Ranjit Singh Dayal. Around 1,00,000 soldiers entered and eventually controlled <st1:place st="on">Punjab</st1:place>, troops were planted around each and every Gurudwara of the green state, and thus the stage had been setup for the most complex ever Anti-Terrorist action of the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The terrorists, extremists or the separatists, however you prefer to name them, were headed by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. They had long since setup, the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Amritsar</st1:place></st1:city> situated Golden temple, the most sacred symbol of Sikhism, as their primary base from where commands were issued and the most bloodshed terror acts were planned cold minded. Time magazine reported (about <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Amritsar</st1:city></st1:place>, in the issue dated 7 November 1983) that:</span></div>
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<b><i>"These days it more closely resembles a city of death. Inside the temple compound, fierce Sikh warriors wield submachine guns, guarding against encroachment by government security forces. Outside, the security men keep a nervous vigil, all too aware that the bodies of murdered comrades often turn up in the warren of tiny streets around the shrine."<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">But now (3rd June 1984) the temple’s every square inch was cornered by troops from </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">the Indian army</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">. A final warning and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-indent: 0.5in;">a last chance</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> to surrender was given by the army, in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-indent: 0.5in;">whose</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> reply came, though not much unexpected, automatic gunfire. And though the mission, or rather the Operation, which many soldiers dreaded, others just considered as a part of their duty, began formally.</span></div>
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<span class="heading"> More than 17 houses were destroyed in the neighborhood, which the army believed provided, or might provide shelter to the militants. After the mass destruction two large 18th centaury towers were destructed as the militants were constantly using them as watchtowers, showering heavy gunfire on anyone near the temple-campus.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="heading"> After the primary success of the mission, army forces consisting of the </span>1st battalion and the Parachute regiment<span class="heading"> marched right into the Golden temple on the sad day of 5th June 1984, opposed by light gunfire of the Sikh militants. They marched, they fought, they killed, they died. Those who survived regrouped and requested for more forces to be sent. The commandos were thereafter followed by the 10th battalion. After suffering heavy casualties, 7 APC tanks marched into the temple and helped further with the goal of removing militants from the temple and securing Akal Takht, one of the most holy shrines of Sikhism. By the evening of 6th June 1984, most of the militants were removed (read killed) from the temple and its surroundings. And this ambitious mission was thus successfully accomplished. Or at least militarily successful. Politically, it happened to be a disaster. For it worked like a dagger piercing the sobbing hearts of Sikhs throughout the <st1:country -region="-region" st="on"><st1:place st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country>. For it played with the religious sentiments of millions of our brothers. For it raises a question, that still needs to be answered: Was operation Bluestar <i>really</i> necessary? Was there no other alternative?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">So strong were the aftermaths that a whole book can be written on the subject (in fact, some were</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">). Most powerful, yet sad, aftermaths include 1984 riots and Indira Gandhi assassination. 1984 riots were primarily caused by the numerous rumors including army's destruction of the Golden temple to a major extent, soldiers consuming alcohol in the sacred premises, Sikh women being harassed by soldiers in small towns. The Sikh community, </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">already known for its hot blood, was on fire. Sikhs initiated the riots, Hindus replied and so spread the riot like a wildfire. T</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">he entire state Punjab was in flames. Man became thirsty for man’s blood. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Bloodshed corpses, destroyed property, children crying for their parents who might never return, slaughter, torn down houses, chaos, misery, agony - became a common sight. Probably r</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">iots of such intensity were never witnessed by this country, and hopefully will never be in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-indent: 0.5in;">the future</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">.</span></div>
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Some questions that raise on the back of my head:</div>
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a) Why was the day of ‘Vaisakhi’ chosen as the D-day of the operation, because this meant that more than 10,000 pilgrims were captured during the whole operation inside the temple?</div>
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b) Why so many innocent civilians were killed during the operation? (Even army doesn’t deny that civilians were killed by both parties).</div>
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c) Was it really necessary to use tanks in the temple prelims?</div>
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d) Why were the Akal Takht, Research library, and the museum destroyed during the mission? (It took 15 long years to reconstruct them).</div>
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e) Why were the bodies of the dead never returned to their families, nor even tried to be identified? Just gotten rid of without performing any rituals.</div>
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Some numbers may help in putting the brutality of the operation in some context:</div>
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The official death toll: </div>
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Military - 83</div>
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Militants and civilians - 492 </div>
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But some noted historians and researchers place the number around this:</div>
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Military - 700</div>
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Militants and civilians - 5000 </div>
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Who decides how successful the mission actually was?</div>
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Pavan,</div>
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November 2008</div>
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</div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9153042812418479432.post-9059512833256939732008-09-16T12:30:00.000+04:002011-06-22T02:37:44.909+04:00Couch Surfing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So here goes my first ever blog post.<br />
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I just read about couch surfing, and it's really an exciting concept.<br />
<br />
There is a website called <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.couchsurfing.com/">www.couchsurfing.com</a></span> . You can register yourself there. Now what it does , or rather what you can do with it, is really interesting. It basically acts as a platform for all the 'couch surfers' (just like an ordinary social networking site, you'd say). But the adventure just begins with this website, at the point where it ends on other social networking websites, that's knowing new people all the way round the globe.<br />
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Okay, now one may be justified by asking 'What the heck is this <span style="font-style: italic;">couch surfing</span>?' Actually it is a method of traveling.Now assume that you are on a vacation trip to Paris. Now as you don't know anyone out there you will obviously have to reside in a hotel, eat expensive meals and rent <i>even-more-expensive</i> city guides and then rely on them to guide you along the whole city. So is the traditional approach, adopted by the most of the travelers around the globe. Now before you ask, 'Now what's wrong with that?' let me tell you<br />
a) You have to spend lots of money, thus your tour is shortened.<br />
b) You can never have the 'real' feel of the culture of Paris.<br />
<br />
That's where <i>'couch surfing'</i> enters the scene. Actually being an <i>'couch surfer'</i> you reside right at the house of some local family of Paris during your stay, of course with their prior consent, share their dinners and your memories at the dining table, and get a feel of the 'actual' culture.The best part is you can slash your expenses by a great deal and hence have a stay long enough. Some families may allow you to share their extra bedroom, some their guest room, some may even give you their spare keys, and some just a <i>single crouch</i>. That's why it's called couch surfing , because you don't expect anything more a <i>single couch</i>. However its not an <i>all-expense-paid</i> trip, you may bring some gifts for your hosts form India and present them at the end of your stay.<br />
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Too good to be true, ain't it? Enter scene 2. In order to get these astonishing benefits of couch surfing you have to offer similar services at your place. And believe me (although I have absolutely no experience of couch surfing, but still Believe me) some times it's true fun, whilst an enriching experience at some other. In our sanskruti (culture) of "<b>Atithi devo bhava</b>" (Guest is God) it surely is an enlightening and exciting experience to host people from different geographical and cultural backgrounds all over the world.<br />
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So here the above mentioned website comes in handy. People who aspire to become couch surfers create an account there, they tell other people about themselves, their interests, hobbies, etc. And when they need to travel to any particular place they search for the registered <i>'couch surfers'</i> in that region, find people who share similar interests and send them requests for seeking their hospitality. If the other-party finds them appropriate, it approves the request. Maybe you will get rejected several times before finding an appropriate 'match', no hard feelings, bro! And you can always link references on your profile of people you have hosted and/or resided with, it always helps!<br />
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You would be surprised to know that according to wikipedia:<br />
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<i>"The CouchSurfing project was originally conceived by Casey Fenton in </i><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><i>2000</i></span><i>. According to Fenton's own account, the idea arose after obtaining an inexpensive flight from </i><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><i>Boston</i></span><i> to </i><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><i>Iceland</i></span><i>. Rather than stay at a hostel, Fenton randomly emailed 1500 students from the </i><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><i>University of Iceland</i></span><i> asking if he could stay. Fenton ultimately received over fifty offers of accommodation. On the return flight to Boston he began to develop the ideas that would underpin the CouchSurfing project."</i><br />
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Some fun facts,<br />
<ul><li>It has 700,000 members across the 232 countries of the globe,</li>
<li>Out of them 6500 are from India.</li>
<li>It claims to have 30 million page views by July 2008. </li>
<li>It's slogan is <i><b>"Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch At A Time"</b></i></li>
</ul>At the end of the day (or, at the end of the post) I would like to conclude that it is a fast emerging trend among travelers, and I thought you (being my blog reader, few as they are) ought to know such kind of things. So are you ready for the 'Couch Surfing' experience?<br />
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PS: Do comment if you had any such experience(s) in your past!</div>Pavan Daxinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06923815464094872462noreply@blogger.com6