Desicritics Author: Gauri Warudi

Movie Review: Harischandrachi Factory

Gauri Warudi — Tue, 9 Feb 2010 00:38:33 EST

Almost a century ago, one man showed dreams on the silver screen to the Indian people. It wasn't easy at all for Dhundiraj G Phalke aka Dadasaheb Phalke. An uphill journey, ordeals and challenges to be met. Yet he surmounted them all-with perseverance and passion- and against all odds, realized his silver dreams and progressed further, thus laying the important foundation for today's Indian film industry.

Trying to capture just a small slice (around 2 years or so) of the life and struggles of this great patriarch of the industry, is debutant director Paresh Mokashi's Marathi film, Harishchandrachi Factory. Although it's a delightful film, with Mokashi portraying Phalke in a different light, it tends to ridiculously border on the frivolous with Mokashi's Phalke virtually clowning around, most often than not. One would like to think that a man of that depth and restless curiosity would be portrayed with a little more reverence while being shown on the very medium he brought to this country..

Mokashi's intentions may not have been to do so, but the Chaplinesque portrayal and light-hearted narrative tends to undermine the gravity of the struggle that Phalke had to go through to realize this impossible( in that era) dream.

Nandu Madhav has obviously interpreted Phalke's persona ( as a rather bumbling, restless character??) as scripted by Mokashi and to that extent he is good; Vibhawari Deshpande as Saraswati, Phalke's exuberant, enthusiastic wife is like a breath of fresh air and so are the child artists(all of them)-Phalke and Saraswati-the chemistry is amazing; we get to see an occasional poignant moment between them, but by and large the film is too frothy and light, which is what I had a problem with. Besides this, of course are the sets. They remain just that-SETS--often falling short in lending authenticity to the period.

To top it all, (and I wasn't alone) the end had us stumped. There was an odd moment when the audience waited for something more to happen only to see the end credits rolling! It was then that they began shuffling in their seats.

However to give the devil his due, the earlier half of the film is enjoyable...with Anand Modak's music lending a touch of nostalgia to the whole experience.

Movie Review: Natarang -The Choices And The Passion

Gauri Warudi — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:41:55 EST

It's all about choices one makes and the passion in one's heart. The stronger the passion and conviction, the stronger is an individual to stand up for one's choices and live by them in the face of all adversities.

This is the gist of the new Marathi film Natarang starring Atul Kulkarni and others. Directed by debutant director Ravi Jadhav, Natarang is the story of a young farm laborer Guna Kagalkar, whose passion for the performing art pushes him beyond his family, village and all societal norms to realize his dream. Guna's dream is to portray the role of a king- and we see him being referred to as 'Raja'. Circumstances force him to assay the role of a 'Nachya' ( an effeminate character, also referred to as 'maushi') and this choice brings him up against several odds. Yet having made his choice, he stands by it. Guna decides to take his destiny in his own hands, when the going gets tough on the farms, to set up a tamasha troupe.

The film has a simple, yet effective narrative. You cannot help empathizing with Guna. Atul Kulkarni's portrayal of Guna is effortless and simply remarkable. If he is a perfect 'pehelwan' complete with huge biceps ( not six-pack though) and the rustic look, then he is equally comfortable as the nimble nachya. Full marks to him for that portrayal. He brings out the angst and trauma of the tortured nachya convincingly. Guna has a never-say-die attitude and that's what makes him a winner, despite losing all he has while pursuing his dream.

The supporting cast (all the members of the tamasha troupe set up by Guna) do justice to their roles as does Kishore Kadam as the wily yet loving troupe manager Pandoba. Sonali Kulkarni ( the new one) as the tamasha dancer Nayana Kolapurkar, is impressive.

Mahesh Limaye's camera, while capturing the picturesque country side, adds to the pathos of the troubled Guna when he is left with no choices at a certain point in his journey.

Music by Ajay-Atul is catchy; In the lavani "Wajle ki bara" Bela Shende surprises with her rendition. "Khel Maandila" is a touching composition which takes us through Guna's journey.

Natarang has been produced by Zee Talkies, which perhaps saw its potential well in advance.

This one's a winner, no doubt. A must see.

Gallivanting in Galveston

Gauri Warudi — Sat, 5 Dec 2009 11:55:18 EST

Boy! What a whirlwind trip to terra firma, that was - from sea, to air to mother earth. It sure was another experience added to my already bulging kitty of experiences.

The moment I heard that some technicians were coming on board and some officers were to sign off, I knew this was my chance to go ashore. 5 weeks on board and I needed a break and well what better chance? Initially I had hoped I could go to Houston, but later settled for just Galveston; something better than nothing, huh? Well, although there wasn't much to do ashore, atleast it was a break.

Tuesday morning, we were all set to board the helicopter, but the weather was all set to play spoilsport! Just when we had given up hope of the helo coming, a radio message announced its arrival. And there we were off to Galveston- me, third engineer Kedar and another crew member who was signing off.

Having done enough of recceing for hotels and activities to be done in Galveston, I knew exactly where I was headed for and what I wanted to do; yet I was disappointed to learn that in Galveston people are not too tourist savvy, leaving me to fend for myself--or was it just the winter setting in?

Our helicopter ride that rainy, windy afternoon was uneventful and 35 mins later, we reached the helo-base at Santa Fe; and 25 minutes thereon to the Quality Inn Suites where I was to spend the next two days. Checking in done with quickly, we headed straight for the Walmart Supercentre, as Kedar had to do tons of shopping for the ship's Christmas celebrations.

Before we knew it the clock had sprinted on and it was 1530 hrs. Time for Kedar to head back to the ship. Little did we know there was a surprise waiting for us. The rains had worsened and winds blowing hard. So Kedar and the new chief officer had to stay back in Galveston! Good for them, I say and head back to my hotel. The rest of the afternoon and better part of the evening were spent looking for calling cards, F & B(Being a vegetarian, that always is a priority on my 'to-do' list)

I loved the Quality Inn. Nice people, squeaky clean lobby, elevators and extremely user-friendly and neat, snug rooms. The staff was warm and helpful, in an unobtrusive way. The best part about the location of the hotel was its proximity to eateries (the hotel didn't have a restaurant or cafeteria, just a coffee machine and buffet breakfast) and retail stores. With a room with a view, small wonder then that I went shutter-happy! In such places, not having a vehicle does restrict mobility, yet, it didn't stop me from venturing out and recceing the places nearby on foot.

I had been warned by family members not to venture out after sundown-"Better stay indoors, get your food and beverages and relax" Well, I did just that. Armed with sufficient food and 'beverages'( it was called Coors Lite!!) and the idiot box (having been out of touch with it for over 5 weeks) I was only too happy to snuggle under the quilt and channel surf like there was no tomorrow! Obama was addressing the nation, the giant Christmas tree was being lit up at the Rockefeller Centre, Tiger Woods' personal life was being shredded and done to death, LLCool J was 'making noise' at the Grammy nominations concert and....Jay Leno and Craig Fergusson kept me company( hehe, with their late late shows). Total relaxation, total ecstasy!

Although I intended to go out and see places like Moody Gardens and the Strand, it wasn't possible due to insufficient tourist information and no vehicle. At one point, I did toy with the idea of taking a cab and moving around, but dropped it pronto, since the thought of being stranded at the Strand wasn't really very exciting!

However, being a 'foot soldier' too was enjoyable and by the end of the second day, I had quite begun to like Seawall Boulevard. Simply watching life pass by on the streets and the calm sea (yea, I had enough of it on board, but there it was), the waves gently brushing the under-construction break-water ( Ike had destroyed many structures here) and ofcourse shopping (my greatest passion) at the several stores, took up all my time. While on my search for calling cards,food n beverage, I landed up at this convenience store called Tiger Mart. While talking to the gentleman at the counter it is apparent he is an Indian too and casual chat reveals apra gujjubhaii-toh phir kya?? Gujarati ma vaat shuru thaii gayu!! Hahaha!! An opportunist, that's me, yessiree! Anything for a cheer-:-)

My return was advanced by a few hours since there were several changes in the ship's schedule and eventually I was all by myself on the trip back to the ship. Affable Affy was my pilot (Affy, is Afzal, a Pakistani settled in Texas) who on learning that I was Indian, chatted all the way across the sea touching every topic under the sun from Pakistan's political condition, to Kashmir, to India's progress and to his family... he was more than obliging when it came to circling over the ship so I could get a few good shots--by the time the helo touched down on the ship, we were like old buddies! Thanks Affy!

I must mention KJ here -Kjirstin Dupont, the owner of Republic Helicopters. A mild mannered, ever-smiling lady, with quiet dynamism. Managing 4-5 helicopters and running the business smoothly is no mean feat and KJ does it with élan .Every one who spoke of her did so with respect and fondness. ...you go KJ!!

Two days away from the ship and on terra firma sure was a great break from the monotony. I feel like Santa Claus though, (the helo replaced the reindeer)having come loaded with goodies that some of the people had asked for...did you hear something?? Ho! Ho! Ho!!

Merry Christmas ya'll!! And Season's Greetings.

And We Roll Into The Fourth week!

Gauri Warudi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:11:40 EST

Nov 12, 2009

The sea has calmed down and life's getting back to normal. There's promise of much activity on board what with many people signing on, and signing off over the next couple of days, not to mention the STS(ship to ship) cargo discharge taking place on Friday 13th (oops!!)....that's tomorrow.

Watched a remarkable film, "Scent of a Woman"!! Boy, was I speechless with Al Pacino's histrionics or what??? Undoubtedly one of the few really great films and rightly awarded the Oscar (1993) Wonder how I missed out on watching it all these years. I'm definitely going to buy a personal copy when I get back home.

It's going to be a totally different experience watching cargo being discharged STS (the last we had seen it was almost 15 years ago)...d-uhh can't remember much. So yes! Something new to look forward to...watch this space. Hopefully I should be able to click some pictures too!!

Nov 13, 2009

There's been activity on board since 0900 hrs...I'm beginning to talk like shippies, now! The 4 officers who signed on, arrived in the helicopter along with the vetting inspector( d-uhh I don't really know what that means).

Everyone seemed to be just zipping around, busy...at lunch hour though, it was surprising to find the mess almost full; some introductions made and I learn that the 2nd mate, the Chief mate and 2 engineers have arrived. Now some 3-4 guys will be leaving in the next few days, which means some more helo landings and take offs..which brings me to the thrills I got while video shooting the helo landing and take-off today (ofcourse with my l'il Kodak digicam--LOL!)

The cargo discharge was to start at around 1700 hrs, but the 'daughter ship' hasn't yet arrived and is expected at 2130 hrs...sigh, looks like I'm going to have to stay up late if I want to catch the action!!

Watched a silly, rather crappy film called "Made of Honor"....once again I was wondering why on earth do they make such predictable, mushy crap? And then when I saw this superb film "Ray"...I forgot all about the earlier crap and was fully engrossed in it. The trails and travails and the heady success that Ray Charles Robinson (the man with the golden voice) went through in his life has been very well depicted in the film. Jamie Foxx has portrayed the blind singer very well; as have all the supporting cast, not to forget the musicians. Ofcourse much of the original music has been used...well.

Nov 14,2009
The daughter ship, Intrepid Reliance, (about 1/3rd the size of Nectar)finally arrived at 2130 but came alongside only at midnight. Despite having gone to sleep, the ship's engine and the shudder kept interrupting my slumber and small surprise then that I was up at the right moment when Intrepid came alongside and I could take a few pictures, in my sleep!

The cargo discharge apparently began thereafter and Dilip came to take his rest only at around 0330 hrs....aahhh that's the flipside of being the Master of a super tanker, I suppose.

After breakfast I could go up on the bridge and watch the entire operation of carfo discharge and the following procedures and take pictures and video footage. All of which concluded at 1530 hrs and Intrepid pulled away. It's rather intriguing to listen to all conversations that go on, on Channel 16 of the VHF radio....the service launch AET Liberty is the one that gave the fenders to both the ships as well as the hoses for the cargo discharge. The Mooring masters and surveyor were transported from one ship to another in the typical basket...reminded me of our sojourn in that basket 15 years ago, when the kids and I were picked up from a small launch on to SCI ship, Sekhon!! Memories, memories.....

The local papers are full of rave reviews for the new film, "Precious", based on the novel "Push", about childhood abuse and incest. Apparently the protagonist played by newcomer Gabourney Sidibe, is a seamless performance! Oprah Winfrey is one of the producers, it seems. The rave reviews are predicting a nomination for the Academy awards for Gabby, as she is known....well!

Nov 17, 2009 Week 4 begins---

It's a bright, crisp and cold morning. There's a cold front passing and the mercury has dropped considerably. It's 13-14 C outside, with biting cold winds. Yesterday and this morning, the helicopter pilot found difficulty in landing as the winds were blowing at around 35 nauts..

I couldn't stand on the bridge wing to see the helo landing and take-off. 3 officers signed off today and soon they'll be homeward bound!! Wow! we could see the excitement in their eyes, a spring in their step. Its always like that, when you're going home!

The tread mill in the gym has gone kaput, so I had to make do with the cross trainer and the rowing machine...but that's ok. Saannu ki??? Tread mill's going to be fixed soon.

Been watching some 'timepass' films. "Bewitched" with the demure Kidman kept me fairly entertained whereas "Are we done yet" had me saying "Is it over yet?"...a forced attempt at comedy, for sure!

Chief cook, last night surprised us all by cooking up a storm with the 'Aloo methi' recipe I ave him. This guy's too good. He's really interested in his work and so proud of what he cooks and feeds the people on board

The coffee machine has finally been installed on the ship and the aroma's all over the alley ways; guys are drooling about it, cos it's the kind where you make coffee with the beans...I haven't yet managed to get my hands on that cuppa...I will soon, I MUST!

So here's to cold winds and hot cuppas!

Life At Sea: A Fortnight Later - Hurricanes, Casualties and Paranthas

Gauri Warudi — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:37:32 EST

Hurricanes, casualties and paranthas

Nov 9, 2009

Two weeks back we were in Galveston and boarded the ship the following day. Time flies, of course.

Now I’m in rewind mode. These past 2 weeks have been totally relaxing. I’ve probably never seen so many films, done so much of light as well as meaningful reading; getting those amazing books was the right decision. Commentary on the Bhagwad Gita by dad, Dr SG Mudgal, Translation of the Brahmasutras (also by him) besides of course the Upanishads, (a commentary by Eknathan Eswaran) and Sri Sri Ravishanker’s book - a wealth of reading, when one needs to refresh and rejuvenate one’s mind and spirit.

Of the films seen, I enjoyed God Tussi Great Ho and also Yeh Mera India - the latter although jingoistic is positive and the former is totally enjoyable as well as preachy. Which gets me thinking. What exactly does an audience look for in a film? For, both these films flopped, particularly the latter. Similar seems to be the case with Billu. I thought it was enjoyable, except for the numerous songs—yet I believe it didn’t do well at all at the BO!

Hurricane Ida has wreaked havoc in El Salvador, I hear, and has continued her trail of destruction down the gulf. The sea is tremendously rough and we’ve been rolling and pitching all through the night and through the day. Apparently this weather will continue for another 24 hrs at least.

Which brings me to my current status…accidentally casual, er casually accidental. Oh! See what an accident can do to one’s typing skills too?? Its actually accidental casualty! Oh yes, that I’m accident prone is well-known, but that I’d be the first victim of the ship’s rock-n-rolla wasn’t so obvious; but well, there I was, going for a post-dinner walk on the bridge and what happens? The ship decides to do a little jig at that precise moment when I was trying to open the heavy metal door and my toe gets stuck under the darned thing - ouch! It hurt— it also bled like there’s no tomorrow. A brief flutter and panic and I’m all bandaged and ready for action again!! LOL!

Nov 10, 2009

Today’s a new day. The weather is improving, the sun’s shining bright and hopefully Ida’s bid farewell.

I’m no gourmet, but it seems my limited culinary skills are being put to test and enjoyed/approved by the young officers on board. Home sickness perhaps? Which is the reason that they all jumped with joy when we announced that Methi paranthas it would be for dinner last night…With so much of ‘kasuri methi’ packets lying in the store and chief cook having limited use for it, I suggested the recipe for paranthas he was only too happy to learn something new. “You want me to assist you Madam?” he asked politely. Oh yes! And there we were at 3 in the afternoon making a huge heap of ‘em paranthas. Now, was it a hit or was it?? Gives me the courage (LOL!!) to teach him a few other things from my limited culinary kitty-bag…:)

More Reports From The Sea

Gauri Warudi — Sun, 8 Nov 2009 01:28:50 EST

GOLDEN SUNRISES, WEATHER REPORTS AND MAILING RECIPES!

Nov 7, 2009

It’s such a beautiful morning. There was just a hint of golden light peeking thru the curtains when I woke up. That was that! I jumped out of bed, cos I couldn't let such a picturesque sight get out of hand. The sunlight was just daring to crack thru the dark clouds which were passing by. Lo and Behold! I got such an amazing series of pictures - collector's items, really!

I log on basically to chat with my boys, catch up with friends n family and update my blog. I find Kartik online and guess what? He wants me to send him the recipe for pithale, a Maharashtrian delicacy (LOL!)

Yesterday was another new experience on board. The drill was advanced to Friday instead of Saturday. This is a requirement on all ships; that fire drills and boat drills be conducted every week, in order to remain prepared in case of any eventualities. The surprise yesterday was the oil spill drill. It was something worth observing and learning from! Then followed the fire drill. It was very different from last week's, for sure. This time it was a mock fire in the paint locker. The crew reacted precisely and I saw people wear their fireproof rig and gear up with the extinguishers etc…then followed the boat drill which was pretty much routine.

Amongst the few books that I have carried there’s this really fascinating book, Wisdom for the New Millenium by Sri Sri Ravishanker. An amazing read, really. Things that one has already heard and read a dozen times over have been reiterated here. And yet it is so wonderful to read. Sri has his way of explaining, narrating ideas, concepts, fundas. I could go on and on. It’s a must read, no doubt. For those who find it hard/boring/time consuming to read the Gita or the Upanishads, this is a very reader friendly book. Worth its weight in gold no doubt. Deep concepts explained in a rather fun manner in everyday parlance. The other book by Sri Sri which is fun to read is “God Loves Fun”….

The crew wants a party tonight too, I hear. I guess they love their tambola games, LOL! And why not. Being away at sea far away from family and friends, everyone needs some excitement and entertainment. These are small thrills.

The ship has a system with a software installed about weather changes; which gives an update every couple of days or as is requested by the individual vessel. The report last night warns of foul weather and a cyclone warning about 300 miles away from where we are anchored - this place is known for cyclonic weather. Galveston and around. Remember Katrina??

If reports are to believed (and yea, these we can, unlike our Indian met Deptt)we will have bad weather on Monday, perhaps!!

Ahhh well. That remains to be seen, huh?

Life On The High Seas

Gauri Warudi — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:14:40 EST

Nectar here we come!

What’s it like? 15 years? It almost seems as if time has stood still where ships at sea are concerned - obviously, what else can we expect?? The sea’s the same, ships are similar - just people change!

But let me start from the very beginning. I’d been preparing for this voyage for almost a year now. Ever since Kartik started his applications for courses abroad and I knew now would be the time for me to join Dilip on his voyage, once Kartik went away. Almost everyone knew of my intended voyage! The background work had been going on for months now and sooner than we knew Kartik had flown off to UK and we assumed(rather we were told) that we too would fly out by the first week of October. However we were in for a surprise when we learnt that our departure was postponed by almost three weeks.

Yet, when the time actually came I still went into a tizzy and got the creepies and anxiety pangs. Oct 23rd we are all packed, reach Mumbai and ready to take off when we hear that our departure has yet again been postponed by a day(further extended by another again)…a friend said, “Relax, enjoy your stay in 5 star comfort”…hey all that’s fine, but once one is mentally prepared to take off, it gets rather irritating to keep waiting…

However, on the flip side, while at The Orchid, Mumbai, on the morning of our departure, we had a pleasant surprise- on our way down to the lobby, who should greet us but Mr Vithal Kamat himself! Here we were, stepping into the elevator, and a churidar-kurta clad, bearded, bespectacled gentleman greets us, saying, “Hello, goodmorning…welcome..I’m the President of this hotel. My name’s Vithal Kamat.” And even before we could react or catch our breath, he continued, “Here’s my visiting card…I usually catch people in the lift so they can’t run away from me,” he adds with a chuckle! We were caught unawares and didn’t know how to respond…he continued talking and guided us towards the duty manager’s table asking him to present us with his book and a couple of copper glasses( a gift item from the hotel!) The book penned by Kamat himself, titled Idli, Orchid and Will Power is a translated version from his original Marathi “Idli, Orchid ani me” It was still unbelievable that we’d actually had a bump-in with the man himself.

Anyway coming back to our departure, Oct 25th we finally headed for the CSIA, to board the flight to Doha and then on to Houston. it was fine up to Doha, but on to Houston it was one long never ending 15 and half hour flight! No major complaints. At Houston airport things went off pretty smoothly, and soon enough we were met by our driver and were on our way to Galveston, where (we were told by a rather minimal speaking Afro-American driver) we were to stay at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort for the night. “O 800 tomorrow,” he said like a school headmaster, while telling us about our pick-up the next morning

Tired and waiting to knock off, we however had to pay heed to our gastronomic needs too, huh? The front office dude tells us with a nasal twang, “Dinner’s closed, your agent didn’t tell us about it…however there’s a deli about a block and half down the road, where you could pick up some food,”…..A block and a half away??? Crazy?? We weren’t in any physical condition to even think about trudging there…nevertheless, Dilip convinced him to order pizzas for us; and by the time we had dinner and slept off it was well past midnight; but boy! How we slept.

The Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort is a sea-front resort and is a pretty sight, the first thing in the morning…it wasn’t day-break yet, but one could see the sea and the beach in the dim lights and it was amazing….. “breakfast is from 6 am onwards,” front office guy(Kevin, I think that was his name) had told us. So like obedient kids, we were ready for breakfast by 7 am. The night was wearing away and a very pretty dawn awaited us, as we sat in the glass front restaurant, munching on bagels with cream cheese (for veggy people like us, the choice was limited!) and sipping coffee. The guy at the restaurant was a genial old man, in his mid-60s perhaps who chatted us up a bit, since we were the only people in for breakfast then.

Breakfast done and check-out finished with, we were on our way to Santa Fe, where we were to board a chopper to reach the ship. It was a 35 minute ride and an experience of a life-time. As we went over the US Gulf, I was excited as well as tense - all the Grisham and Denker novels ran thru my mind, imagining worst case scenarios - hahaha. But no untoward incidents took place and presently the chopper captain was like “Maersk Nectar, Maersk Nectar, helicopter here…landing in about 5 minutes”….wonderful!!

There we were and I went shutter happy clicking pictures from all possible heights/levels/angles…gawsh!! Finally here I was, on board Maersk Nectar and this was to be my home for the next four months!! There’ll be more notes coming now, and am firm I’m gonna make the best of this chance given to me.

The first week on Nectar

No sooner had we landed than Dilip was on his way to take over from the off-signing captain. We reached the Captain’s cabin (cabin? It’s a goddamned suite for Chrissake!!). While Dilip got busy with his work, I got into conversation with Deepa, the captain’s wife. Their l’il girl Disha, took to me as if we had known each other for ages!

Deepa took me around showing me the various decks, the mess room, the galley and other places, while Disha clung to me for dear life. God, some things don’t cease to amaze me!

So while Dilip got busy familiarizing himself with the ship and the people, and taking over from Capt Kirupakaran, I kept myself busy nosing around the cabin and its contents…this suite is a luxury really - opening into the Captain’s office, it leads into a day room and then the bedroom. The day room is huge, with a coffee maker, a fridge, DVD/VCD player, TV, music deck and LOADS of space, these supremely fancy yet comfortable TV chairs and what-have-you.

The returning heli flight got delayed due to some technical hitch and Kirupakaran and family got a bit delayed; so a quick lunch and the problem sorted out, they bid goodbye to us and then it was just us settling in and occupying our spaces for our stuff!! Haha, really funny, how I made myself completely at home, calling a certain drawer ‘mine’ and taking control of it!!

The evening went off in a flurry, what with dinner being served (all meals are buffet) at 6:00 PM and then a walk on the aisle/wing on the deck).

Day 2-

Rested plenty with almost 10 hrs of sleep, I woke up quite early and after a nice cuppa, got ready to begin the day - daylight comes rather late, at around 7:00 am…beginning with a good healthy breakfast, I sat down to watch one movie I’ve been longing to watch, Frost/Nixon. Man, what a film!! Perfect in every way. Although I’d say Frank Langella’s resemblance to Nixon wasn’t perfect, but his histrionics left me spell bound! Superbly crafted and scripted, small wonder that it was nominated for the Academy awards, yet I wonder why MILK beat it, will have to find out, because I haven’t watched Milk. It seems as if Nixon is gonna come outta my ears, what with me having watched All the President’s Men on the flight from Doha to Houston - geez!

“There’s a gym on the ship,” Dilip had told me and Deepa repeated the same. Eager to see the place, I ventured in there. Quite well equipped, it has the basic cardio machines and I am quite content with it - I worked out today for about 25 mins to the music of MJ, one of my fave singers. I tried out the tread mill and the rowing machine…wow! Felt good; and then went right ahead and had a cheese sandwich!! Sheesh! Aahh well, but I guess I’m going to be walking and exercising quite a bit over the next four months, so I shall allow myself the occasional indulgence!

As I was going towards the gym, Chief officer Manish came telling me that they had caught a shark!! Holy Christ, a shark?? “Yes, Ma’am, we’re going to let her off once we show it to Captain,” he announced, so once I was done with the gym and Dilip awoke from his slumber, I went right down to the 2nd deck and took pictures of the hapless baby - she wouldn’t let the bait go out, so it had to be cut off from the line; and then they threw her back into the waters.

The sea was quite choppy; there’s a swell and Dilip explains that had we not been loaded or had we been on a smaller ship (Maersk Nectar is a 3.5 lakh ton ship) people would’ve started getting sea sick oh for small mercies!!

Day 3:

The sea continues to be rough; in fact by the afternoon, they suspect that the anchor is being dragged and they may have to take measures to secure it/put it back in place. Engines are ready if need arises for the ship to be moved and the anchor picked up and dropped again - mercifully there’s no need.

But, as I sit keying in these thoughts, the ship is shuddering a bit-perhaps the anchor will have to be moved? Let's see.

I have been spoiling myself silly, watching films, reading and oh yea, doing some work—like laundry etc!! And I thought I wouldn’t have to lift a finger…hahaha…I reckon its good I have to do some minimal work, otherwise, I’d lose practice and find it difficult when I reach home after 4 months!

If I liked Frost/Nixon yesterday, Sankat City today got me MAD! Grr, why do people make such senseless films? It almost seemed like a diluted and stupider version of another senseless film called Hulchul ( yea, that Priyadarshan film) A huge amount of talent wasted…Kaykay, Anupam Kher - what were they thinking? Chunky Pandey and Rimi Sen - well, the less said the better. Ahh well!

I've been reading Vithal Kamat’s Idli, Orchid and Will Power I don’t think I’m too impressed. Maybe I expected much more. Although it is inspiring, the narrative does not flow smoothly.

Oct 30, 2009

It’s a week since we left home. The sea’s been rough all night. Ship’s been rolling and it felt as if we were being rocked in a cradle! Although it was pitch dark outside, I could see the rain beating down on the port hole and clambered out of bed to capture it on my camera. The sights are all so new, I am shutter-happy all the time.

In the middle of the night, the 2nd officer calls Dilip for some thing. I barely note this and am back into deep slumber for a while. At 6 am though 2nd officer says its raining heavily and visibility is barely 5 miles…that’s when I clambered out of bed….

There’s not been a dull moment hitherto. Weather keeps changing all the time and there’s something fascinating happening every moment…..the day’s just begun!

Oct 31st 2009

The sea has been so calm, the sun has come out and it’s been a beautiful day so far. We had a fire drill and boat drill today. For the first I just had to go to the bridge, but for the boat drill I had to go down to the main deck and join the crew and officers. Go thru the exercise of putting on the life jacket and await while the officers and men lowered the life boat….ahh well, one more experience in my kitty!

While I waited on the bridge, for the fire drill to be over, I saw some dolphins dancing on the starboard side of the ship…a mother and baby perhaps??? Yesterday too, as we were leaving to go down for dinner, 2nd officer Abhay calls in to say, “Captain there are a few dolphins on starboard side, perhaps Ma’am would be interested in seeing them?” Oh yes ofcourse I was!! I ran up the stairs to see them from the bridge wing and tried to take some pictures; but the fellas were too fast for me to be captured!!!

There’s a party being arranged tonight….just an introductory kinda thing. No drinking of course, just games and stuff. People look forward to such events!!

Our cabin: It had been a tiring 24 hrs and more and wasn’t surprising that I knocked off at 8:30 PM!!! Something I’ve never done in the past 10 yrs perhaps!!

All in all I know I’m in for a luxurious holiday…gearing to watch lots of films and do plenty of blogging…there’ll be more coming, watch out!!

Of drills, dolphins and calm seas

Nov 1, 2009

We set our clocks back by an hour last night, so got an extra hour’s sleep!! Went down to the galley to teach second cook (a Fillipino) how to make ‘upma’ I guess I managed to make a decent version of the stuff…lots of unknown/unfamiliar factors, beginning with the quality of the ‘sooji’….aahh well. Now it remains to be seen how the people like it!! Hahaha… Oh but the Fillipino cook really cooks up nice Indian stuff - hats off to him!

Last night we had a few rounds of tambola and yours truly won a small prize of $7!! Small thrills. Back home, I’ve always been unlucky in tambola.

Nov 2, 2009

Ahh what a bright and beautiful day it is today! A long day too, I think…..lots to do, much to key in and more.

As I sit here, I wonder about the wonders of technology. What with the internet, it seems as if we haven’t gone away from home! One has gotten so used to being connected with people, the few days in between that were incommunicado, seemed like ages. Now that we have the internet on board (albeit intermittent) life has returned to normal..(LOL!). Fascinating to say the least. Here I am sitting on the ship, 40 miles inside the US Gulf, and yet constantly in touch with the whole world….if that’s not amazing then what is??

Enough said about the wonders of technology…..I must confess, I stand corrected on the Vithal Kamat book…now that I’ve read every word, sentence and page of the book, I have to admit, it is a hugely inspiring book. My earlier opinion was perhaps rather premature??? Having said that, I also have to reiterate, that the book could have done with better English and a keener editing. Too many typo errors and grammatical mistakes. For a scribe such things don’t go unnoticed!

It’s Guru Nanak Jayanti and Tripurari Pornima today. The moon is full and beautiful! Early in the evening, she had risen in the East and as dusk came on, the changing hues of the horizon and the sea, in that reflected/refracted light, was simply awesome. The reflection of the moon on the sea in the darkness of night, created a very dream like image with the shimmering surface of the waters lending the magical touch to the picture! Naturally I was shutter happy and managed to capture some beautiful sights…..every evening I’m out either on the deck or the bridge wing, looking for the fascinating colors of dusk (dawn isn’t possible, as I’m not much of an early riser!)….life sure is different and one takes a very fresh look at Nature.

Films, galleys and dream homes

Nov 3, 2009

It’s a week today, since we came on board. Days seem to have just flown by. It makes me think about how the next 15 weeks will go by. Perhaps we will continue to remain here, anchored off Galveston or sail off elsewhere. Who knows? Any which way, it’s a relaxed time for me.

While taking an early morning walk on the deck today, we saw different types of little and medium sized birds hopping on the deck, keeping us company…a partridge like bird, a sparrow(??) and of course sea-gulls and swallows are always there, but later in the evening. These little early birds reminded Dilip of such visitors on board when they sail. He narrated how these birds sit on the foremast or on the bridge wing and move with the ship, but a few days later are found dead on the deck…lost their way, left behind or hungry!!!! Such is life and such is Nature!

That brings me to a typical day on board the Nectar--

Wake up by around 6:00 am, freshen up, have tea and go for a walk on the deck. By 8:00 am, get ready for breakfast. Then the day's all mine to read, watch films, surf the net, blog, chat until lunch time that's 12:00 noon.(We have net access on ever alternate day). Again all afternoon relax, gym at 3:30 PM, relax, walk on the bridge wing maybe,and then dinner at 645pm. Post dinner its again reading, writing, walking and then watching film with Dilip if he is free from his work. or then lights out by 830 PM!! Can't believe am actually knocking off so early...wonders never cease, now do they??

Nov 4, 2009

“Maqsad bagair zindagi ka koi matlab nahi hota,” says Victor Banerjee to little Tahaan. I just watched the film Tahaan by Santosh Sivan A very touching film, about misplaced ideals, and end of innocence; there’s a positive end to it all though, but I wonder is this reality? Nevertheless, what the old man tells l’il Tahaan is so true. We have to have a goal to reach, aim to achieve-otherwise life becomes meaningless - am I getting philosophical? Maybe!

The second officer signed off yesterday. He was going home after 6 mths and you could see the excitement on his face while he was leaving. The new guy came in with plenty of goodies like DVDs and magazines and stuff - small joys for people who are here on board without much to look forward to by way of entertainment.

So last night we tried hard to watch at least a part of two really horrid films (from the freshly arrived DVDs. LOL!). Quick Gun Murugan and Do Knot Disturb. Good Lord! I wonder why on earth do people make these films and who on earth finances such disasters!

Out of the newspapers the second officer got, we had this huge heap of issues of the Houston Chronicle. It was fun reading the local news and also looking at the various sales and related stuff announced thru a pile of flyers and sales mailers!!(typical of all US papers)

I got some cheap thrills going thru the realty pages. Dream homes being sold at varied prices. Ranging from $200,000 upwards!! Oh to own one such house!

At the same time, I read an article about various homes lying vacant due to forced-eviction of people who have failed to pay back their loans. These homes are in shambles and are being maintained by some alert and aware neighborhood youngsters in a bid to keep the realty price in check! So much for dream homes, huh??

This morning, it was decided that tonight’s dinner would be Idli-sambar-chutney…no, it wasn’t an impromptu decision - actually, hua youn ki, almost 2 dozen coconuts had been called for in the ship’s provisions list. Now, no one had a clue as to what was to be done with them, ‘cos you see, if the coconuts were broken, how does one use them, since there was no coconut scraper on board! Now that’s a genuine difficulty ain’t it? So the chief engineer got a scraper made, and then began the planning of how and who would scrape the coconuts? Well, to cut a long story short, they asked me if I’d prepare/teach Chief cook to prepare sambar and chutney. Well, why not? So there we were, getting ready with all the raw material, masalas and what-have-you. Chief cook insisted I should teach him and he’d make the chutney himself.(This dude has a great deal of interest in his work, I must admit most Indian cooks wouldn’t do their work so passionately)

Well, that’s how we went about it. It was a great hit…cook prepared wonderful, fluffy idlis (the instant mix kind) and the sambar and chutney simply added to the joy! All in all a nice dinner…finished off with some nice cinnamon cake.

Now, how can one hope to stay fit and fine? No amount of walking and gymming is going help, I say! Phew!

Farewell, MJ - You'll Always Live In Our Hearts

Gauri Warudi — Wed, 8 Jul 2009 10:34:31 EDT

As I sat and watched the memorial service to the King, Michael Joseph Jackson, it all seemed so surreal. Was he really no more? It hit home really hard - yes!! The King was gone - moved on to History.

Cut to: June 26th, 7:30 am, my son suddenly wakes up when an sms buzzes on his cell--"Michael Jackson is dead' says the clinical message.

He scrambles out of bed, almost yelling, "Ma, Michael Jackson is dead". I hardly react. That's not news one expected. It doesn't sink in. Not one bit. I go about my work, and am almost in denial, maybe? Until, the newspaper comes in and the headlines announce the cruel news.

Even then, it hasn't really sunk in. I log on to facebook and it is then that I see people's status messages that announce, his sudden cardiac arrest, his death etc. Holy God!! He is dead, isn't he, I ask myself. By the end of the day, news channels are going to town carrying various versions of the news, the foul play angle, the alleged murder, the tired Michael buckling under-so on and so forth.

Not many then even remotely remembered his brilliance; oh the news channels that is. The 'aam aadmi' was already talking about his music and his special brilliance, his entertainment quotient and all that comes with being MJ.

Over the days, the paparazzi and the oh-so-sanctimonious news channels had found other sensational news and MJ took a back seat, with an occasional news flash, about his autopsy report. His family maintained a stoic silence, even when the news about the 'will' broke.

It was only yesterday, at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, that the true picture about MJ started opening up. The memorial service had thousands in attendance inside and outside the Staples centre and billions round the world, glued to their TV sets. Yours truly was one of them. In rapt attention and with goose bumps, I watched the service, listened to odes/tributes and shed tears. Well, my eyes were moist, for sure. Wasn't his a wasted life? A persecuted man, who finally got his much deserved rest? As MJ's brother Marlon, put it, "At least now, they'll leave you alone, Michael" Indeed. Everything that MJ did, was news and controversial news at that. Nothing he did seemed good enough for the media, the critics.

It doesn't mean he did no wrong! Of course, he made his mistakes; he was a sensitive fool, who became a sucker often times. Who was every bit a showman. But, he was human, wasn't he?

I remember, it was way back in the early '80s that we first got a chance to listen to MJ tracks, when we got a VHS tape of 'Motown 25' with a lot of early footage of MJ's performances. Around the same time, he was already making it big with hits like Billy Jean, Beat it and other tracks, and picking up awards like they were meant only for him! He was a King, the ultimate showman, he sure was.

When Jennifer Hudson sang, "Will you be there?", the end lyrics in MJ's voice reflected his hurt and pain so clearly! Tributes flowed from his contemporaries and his friends. He was very generous, did a lot of charity and truly cared for the lesser privileged. He created a platform for black talent, they said. I say, these words came a tad too late. Too late. Wonder if you heard them and smiled, MJ?

Whatever. Now that you've beat it, and reached Neverland, may you rest in eternal peace and continue to hum, "I'll be there."

Maharashtra Shining? A Close Look at Rural Maharashtra

Gauri Warudi — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:58:29 EST

Is Maharashtra shining?

Well not entirely, but almost, you could say. Our wanderlust and my work (of making documentary films) has been taking us through a lot of rural areas and the experience has been amazingly educative in more ways than one.

Last year and the year before, it was a drive through a large part of coastal Maharashtra, namely Konkan. A roller-coastal ride, is how I had described my Konkan trip All through our Konkan trip, we noticed tiny hamlets/villages with neat houses, small clean courtyards and loved the Konkan hospitality. The towns however weren't very much to write home about.

This time we had a close look at interior Maharashtra-actually, just a slice of interior Maharashtra, to put it right. Our visit to Bhandardara (one of the prettiest hill stations I've been to, recently) took us close to Nature, in the folds of the Sahyadris and up close to Mt Kalsubai; though the regret of not scaling the imposing mountain, remains.

Coming back to our ride into the heartland of Ahmednagar district's, (Akole Taluka) lake villages(my term for those little hamlets)- one would've thought that being on the fringes of one of the largest lake- Arthur Lake- would mean zero water problems and a great pretty picture for these villagers, right? Wrong. All through our visit in these villages, we found, hardly any of them have water in their courtyards. Except for a few like Panjare, Samradphata and Udadawane, where we saw hand-pumps/tube-wells; all other villages have their women folk(and surprisingly, quite a few men folk too) walking a few kilometres to fetch water in pots precariously perched on their heads.
Talking to our guide, Sonawane, we realise that these villages have not developed uniformly. While many have primary and middle schools, toilet blocks and 'aanganwadis', when it comes to water- not much has been done to improve their lot. We question him as to why there were no waterlines to all villages. All he could offer in reply was that some villagers who could afford, had privately laid pipes for their farms, while others still had to trudge miles for this basic necessity.

Why just Akole taluka? Closer to Pune, in Zendewadi, too, while on a film shoot, I had noticed that despite a lot of prosperity resulting from horticulture yields and farm produce, water and sanitation were the biggest problems. None of the houses in this village has a toilet block!! While we were shooting here, we women crew members had a hard time! When asked, the womenfolk had nonchalantly replied that they all went to the fields to perform their morning ablutions!! Jeez and we think we have problems in the city. When I spoke to one of the more prosperous women there, she said, "If we have a toilet block, it'll need that much more water; when we have to fetch water on our heads, do you think we can cope with such huge water demands, as required to keep the toilet block clean?" Valid point, but then why aren't they too adopting the water conservation techniques followed by some other villages in Maharashtra? For that, she had no valid answer, except that their land was rocky and didn't allow for proper water conservation. I didn't buy that argument, cos there have been startling/shining examples of Ralegan Siddhi and Hiware Bazar(in Nagar district) as well as Gawadewadi(on which I have made a film) where people have helped themselves through sheer grit and persistence and made their villages self sufficient.

The government has been doing its bit for their upliftment, which is amply evident, through the motorable roads all along through the villages, sanitation measures (Hagindari mukt gram-meaning villages free from open air defecation)-yet the authorities have failed their rural responsibilities by not providing water, and electricity. Villages have 12 hour power cuts! It seemed that the basic needs have to be arranged for/struggled for by the people themselves; with or without the help of some willing NGOs.

On the positive side, we do see some move to install windmills, and assume it could be a stroke of luck for these poor villagers and that their wait for uninterrupted power will be over!!

We were certainly impressed by the cleanliness in most of the villages in the region we drove through. We could see children enthusiastically walking, running down from their homes to school, singing rhymes/poems and yes, schools had teachers too!

The 'aanganwadis' or play-schools, are another project that impressed me. While speaking to one of the aanganwadi volunteers, I was indeed touched to see how for a meagre honorarium of Rs 125/month, this lady (in her mid-50s)was doing her job with sincerity. She informed me that in her centre, women are attended to/advised from the first trimester of pregnancy and aided up until their deliveries. The child is then looked after until he/she turns 6 years of age. Women send their children here in the mornings and pick them up on their way to the fields. The teacher however rues that in spite of the school timing being up to 2 PM, mothers took their children away by 1130 AM or so. Well, something's better than nothing, I comment, to which she nods and adds that she teaches children to count from 1-10, recite poems, recognise shapes etc. There were bright posters put up on the walls with pictures of animals, places, people etc. (the aanganwadi was in a rather ramshackle, old room) and a toy horse and car were lying around on which a couple of children were still playing. It was an eye-opener, to say the least. Finding life's meaning in limited resources? Perhaps.

I come away in deep thought and stay that way for a long while as we drive to different spots; as we enjoy Nature's beauty in this part of the state, there are a thousand questions still playing on my mind, making me wonder when and how will we ever rise above all these basic necessities being fulfilled and truly become India Shining?? Beyond just slogans and jingoistic speeches, beyond vote seeking and exploitation in the name of growth.

*Disclaimer: This is just a personal observation and opinion-an ordinary Indian citizen's heartfelt thoughts-not some statistic laden paper!!

Movie Review: A Wednesday - Hell Hath No Fury Like the Common Man Wronged

Gauri Warudi — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:31:07 EDT

Close on the heels of "Mumbai Meri Jaan" comes another film commenting on the life of the common man amidst the mayhem of terrorism. "A Wednesday", written and directed by debutant Neeraj Pandey, is a powerful film, albeit with its own share of glitches and shortcomings. But I'm willing to overlook them, in the larger picture.

On the threshold of his retirement, Prakash Rathod, Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, (played by Anupam Kher) reminesces about one particular case, that's not recorded anywhere in police files, but firmly etched in the minds and hearts of all those involved in the case. Thus starts a racy, thrilling journey that takes you through an entire day, A Wednesday; when a drama unfolds, as an anonymous caller (Naseeruddin Shah) demands the release of four dreaded terrorists, with a threat of a series of bombs if there's failure to comply. The caller is a tech-savvy, cool operator, who has a complete tech set-up on a roof top of an under construction building. He issues threats, while calmly chomping on sandwiches and gulping cups of coffee.

The twist in the tale is the biggest surprise and one sighs with a quiet, "I wish this could really happen!" when the climax unfolds itself.

Brilliant performances by two stalwarts, Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah raise the bar of the film anyway; add impressive portrayals of two police officers, Arif and Jai, by Jimmy Shergill and Aamir Bashir, respectively.

"A Wednesday" keeps you completely rivetted to the story and you wish the intermission is done away with almost immediately. It is compelling and poignant at times, with a major 'monologue', rather a touching rant by Naseer drawing attention to the 'chalta hai' attitude of our authorities and the 'stupid common man' as he puts it.

The let-down in the film, however, is Deepal Shaw, who stands out like a sore thumb with her wannabe performance and makes TV news reporting seem like a silly exercise. (Of course, what with the TRP fetching news reporting, it has become a joke, no doubt).

Despite a few contrived situations and Deepal Shaw, "A Wednesday" is a MUST WATCH.