In which I defend Alia Bhatt.
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About the Author: Shoba Narayan
Shoba Narayan is an author, journalist and columnist. Besides writing, she is interested in nature, wine, gadgets and Sanskrit. Her lifelong mission is to get fit without exercising and lose weight without dieting.
Just heard your take on Radio Newzealand :)
Yes, that was a smart repartee from Alia Bhatta, but really I think it was most probably engineered by her smart father and designed beautifully by All India Bakchod (I wish you had mentioned that group..the whole song thing etc is obviously their creation..you must have seen their ‘it is your fault’ video parodying blaming women for rape). I would like to know whether AIB came to Mahesh Bhatt with the idea or vice versa :)
Incidentally, listening to the discussion on Gandhi the film made me a bit uncomfortable. I am not sure whether all this eulogising comes from our post colonial baggage (at least for my generation..I am sixty four now, though born post independence. I was raised by parents of that era and teachers and others who were freedom fighters). I haven’t seen that movie for decades now (though I loved it then), Would like to see it again now to see if my perspective has changed. In these decades in between, I have had opportunities to work with (Social and political scientists ) academics in Norway and UK that I think has added a little more critical perspective to my thinking. ‘Some’ people being snarky..not sure about that..maybe these days more people are snarky than not…just saying…sometimes I wonder if people like us are getting divorced from grass root realities..
and er..Balaji has become pan Indian now ..I know of so many North Indian friends coming to visit Balaji in the last fifteen or more years…
Apologies for using your space for my views..just felt like expressing my thoughts :)
Thanks, Usha. Sorry to have left out AIB. Didn’t know about them. Re: Gandhi. Interesting point re: post colonial baggage. Have been thinking about it a lot these days, particularly since Indians now point out this “baggage” more frequently. Friends call me on it: “would you have praised this particular art work/design had the creator not been American/English?” etc. I think this next generation of Indians will completely be over this– hai na?
Feel free to use this space, particularly for critiques of my writing.