Experimentation in progress….
A Fall
A story I recently wrote has been published on Pure Slush. Read it here: http://pureslush.webs.com/afall.htm
8mm film of my grandparents
Dadi recently found two 8mm film reels, which I happily agreed to digitize somehow. The first reel had “Republic Day Parade 1961″ scrawled on it – and later cut out – in an unknown handwriting. The address of Kodak Developers at Hornby Road, Fort, Bombay was written in my Dada’s handwriting. So I went into the process of digitization quite clueless as to what I would find.
What I found was quite astonishing – the majority of the film was taken pre-1953 (my grandparent’s wedding) – perhaps around the time my Dada (MP Srivastava) went to Manchester to study. When he was around 24 at that age (my age right now!). In the video we see my Dada’s sister Manorama Sinha, her dashing Army-man husband Narbadesh Sinha, and a whole bunch of their kids (Anita Bua, Prashant Chacha, Perhaps Rekha Bua and Shivesh Chacha), on a holiday to what looks like Logie Estate in Mussorie (so pre-1951 when it was given on rent).My Dada (MP Srivastava) is holding a baby wearing a sleeveless sweater. We can also see General SK Sinha’s father (according to my Dadi, he resembles SK Sinha aka Mane) and mother (name unknown – but Dadi remembers that she used to tie her sari seedhe pallu). There is someone who resembles Dadi’s father (PC Saxena – Inspector General of Police) – which means that that section of the film was post 1953.
Later we see Dada (MP Srivastava) posing with a lady – unknown – in front of some grassy type area. Near the river we see Dada (MP Srivastava), Ramesh Dada (RP Srivastava) and Vimla Dadi (married to Ramesh Dada) joke around in front of large river or sea. Some of the film could have been shot in Kanpur – some of it perhaps in Bombay or Cal – when Dada went/returned from UK by ship.
1. The way i did it – take a lightbox and take photographs of sections of the reel. then manually cut copy paste each frame and save as a separate image. then import the image sequence into a video editing software. painful.
2. the way smart people do it – simply use a projector to project the film and use a dv camera to record it! if u can find a projector that is…
I later read somewhere online that if your reel smells like vinegar (and both my reels do!) – it’s probably in terrible condition and won’t be playable on a projector anyways. So one reel to go…….! phew…
Hindi, Maths & Library: Pratham Style
Second part of the Pratham video finally up! Check it out here :)
Indian Rupee Symbol – Font Download
Thought about integrating the Rupee Symbol into basic fonts to allow easy use. Aside from the entire nationalistic hoopla – it is a cool symbol. And it definitely needs to be redesigned so that it can be integrated into all basic fonts without sticking out. The folks at Foradian have tried to do so. They’ve explained quite nicely how to install fonts – so check them out.
Below are my efforts at making a Times New Roman Rupee font and an Arial Rupee font. I’ve used the same grave symbol ` (button above the tab key) to be the Rupee symbol.
Here are the Times New Roman Rupee Font & Arial Rupee Font. Available for download in ttf and odf.
Click to download:
Times New Roman Rupee (241)
Arial Rupee Font (257)
How to install:
1. Click on link above, save file, OK
2. Unzip and extract files
3. On Windows Vista, right click on “Times New Roman Rupee” and press install.
Click to download:
Times New Roman Rupee (241)
Arial Rupee Font (257)
For the young who want to
By Marge Piercy
Talent is what they say
you have after the novel
is published and favorably
reviewed. Beforehand what
you have is a tedious
delusion, a hobby like knitting.
Work is what you have done
after the play is produced
and the audience claps.
Before that friends keep asking
when you are planning to go
out and get a job.
Genius is what they know you
had after the third volume
of remarkable poems. Earlier
they accuse you of withdrawing,
ask why you don’t have a baby,
call you a bum.
The reason people want M.F.A.’s,
take workshops with fancy names
when all you can really
learn is a few techniques,
typing instructions and some-
body else’s mannerisms
is that every artist lacks
a license to hang on the wall
like your optician, your vet
proving you may be a clumsy sadist
whose fillings fall into the stew
but you’re certified a dentist.
The real writer is one
who really writes. Talent
is an invention like phlogiston
after the fact of fire.
Work is its own cure. You have to
like it better than being loved.
—
Writers Anonymous: A 3 Step Program (Quentin Huff)
[Step One: Resentment]
Hi, My name is Quentin.
I’m a write-a-holic.
I can’t control it, can’t curb
the urge to write.
I need help.
I want my life back.
[Step Two: Commitment]
I write poems on fast food napkins,
with toothpicks, using ketchup for ink.
I jot ideas for poems
on my arms and legs. When I run out of space,
I use my shoes.
I make motions
similar to Michael Jackson’s moonwalk
when I need to erase.
I make up stories
while making love to my wife.
She left me. Who needs her?
She was suffocating my creativity.
I await submission replies
like an addict, hands trembling,
head shaking in disbelief.
Not another bout with rejection!
I’m manic depressive.
I’m happy to be here.
No I’m not.
I live for revision.
Instead of sex, I have poems.
I eat feedback.
[Step 3: Contentment]
As a recovering write-a-holic,
admitting my problem
has provided a much needed catharsis.
Joining this nurturing group has
(Excuse me,
but are you going to throw away that paper cup?
That’s good paper!)
taught me to reconcile my past
and move forward.
Film for Pratham
We recently made a film for Pratham, an NGO dealing with education. Here’s the English Section of the film. Looking forward to your feedback!
Close Encounters of the Fake & Capital Kind
It is 1.30 am on November 23, 2005. A thirty-eight year old man and his wife are traveling on a luxury bus from Hyderabad to Sangli, Maharashtra. A friend by the name of Tulsiram Prajapati is accompanying them. The bus driver is trying hard to stay awake, when a Qualis swerves in front of him. He brakes hard. Another car, a Tata Sumo, pulls up beside him. Five ATS officers dressed in plain clothes storm the bus. They tell the driver to stay calm, they are simply conducting a routine police check. The man is dragged out of the car. His wife screams, begging for his release while insisting that she remains with him. Both are taken away, along with Prajapati.
Within a few days the man is shot dead. He is labeled a terrorist, an agent for the LET, conspiring to kill political leaders including Narendra Modi. His name, Sohrabuddin, suitably fits the profile of a terrorist. The woman is alive for a few more days, after which she too is killed, her body burnt, her remains missing forever.
The friend is safe – for the moment. On December 28, 2006, a little over a year later, he too is shot dead. Police claim he was a member of the Sharif Pathan gang. In actuality, he was a witness to police terrorism.
It is now 2010. Rajkumar Pandiya, one of the IPS officers accused of killing Sohrabuddin, is brought to court for a bail plea hearing. Through his counsel, Ram Jethmalani, he says that he “should have been honoured and not hounded” for eliminating a notorious terrorist. He continues, somewhat ironically, Sohrabuddin may have been “killed in a fake encounter, but for that the process of law cannot be subverted.”
On the same day, another man is brought to court in Mumbai. He is accused of a similar charge. Shooting innocent civilians at a point blank range. His name is Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab – the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai attacks in 2008. It is yet to be decided whether he will be sentenced to death.
The similarity between the so-called protectors of the nation and the so-called enemies of the nation is uncanny. The point is there is always a justification. Always a few words which can make an action seem right. Whether it is a corrupt police officer staging an encounter, a young man with an ideology and an AK-47, or even a court of law sentencing a criminal on the basis of verifiable evidence, everyone has a reason.
Without going into the finer details of what is justice, I believe it is safe to say that there is no ‘honour’ in killing. If Ajmal Kasab can be sentenced to death for killing, I believe the Indian state is guilty of the same crime. Should the Indian state then be sentenced to the same punishment?
Ads4Good & Avanti Fellows
Perhaps it’s the driver’s kid – greeting you with an enthusiastic ‘Good Morning’ every time he sees you. Morning, noon and night. Or the jhadoo-pochcha waali shyly asking you if have an extra Class XII maths book lying around. For the eldest of her four daughters. Or the two foot rascal at the redlight who holds your car ransom with a dirty rag and a brilliant smile. You feign anger, asking him why he’s not in school. His smile widens and you can’t help but fall under it’s spell. You crossly relinquish a few coins, telling him he better start studying soon.
You’ve thought about it. Often enough. You may have even tried to do something about it. Gathered a few kids from the neighbourhood in on your front porch.
‘Let’s start at the very beginning,’ you say enthusiastically. ‘When you read you begin with A, B, C.’
‘A, B, C,’ a chorus of voices chant back.
The first day passes with great results. You are impossibly happy with the kids. They’re bright and full of potential. And you make a wonderful Julie Andrews. However, soon enough, the newness of it all wears out. The kids are still enthusiastic, but you tire to see that their progress is slow and at times painful. They are learning at different levels. You find it hard to manage them. One kid wants to draw. Another wants to play. One can read. Another can’t recognize the alphabets. You hate to say it but their enthusiasm irks you. Gradually, the frequency of the classes lessen. Till they entirely stop.
So where does that leave you? Incapable of ‘giving back’ to society despite wanting to? I don’t think so. Not all of us are born teachers. There are other ways you can help out. Read on:
1. Ads4Good.org: ‘Ads4Good is a unique initiative which allows everyone with a blog or a website to raise funds for their favorite cause for free.’ Basically, look at the ad at the bottom right side of this page. Instead of making $8.33 on Google AdSense in 3 years, I’m giving whatever money generated by clicks on the ad to Ads4Good in support of education. Akshay Surve, the very nice guy I met last year who gave birth to Ads4Good, sent me a mail yesterday saying that Ads4Good has made enough money in the short span of time its been running to send 12 kids to school for a year on a recurring basis (or to plant two hundred trees!)
If you want to add the widget to your site, just go the the Ads4Good website.
2. Avanti Fellows: ‘Helps underprivileged students study at the best Indian Universities. We support our students with coaching for competitive exams, mentorship and financial aid through their high school and undergraduate education.’ Avanti Fellows was founded in 2009 by another Akshay (Akshay Saxena) and Krishna Ramkumar as well as other undergrad students from IIT Bombay. From what I gather, the main aim is to get kids admission into an IIT by offering financial support as well as mentorship by current students/alumni of IIT Bombay. It’s similar to Bihar’s Super 30 in it’s intent, but is more participative according to me. You can recommend a student for a fellowship, offer your support as a mentor or even give a donation. While this is a great idea, I would love to see a more self-sustaining financial solution (this usually my biggest problem with non-profits).
Anyway, I think these are two examples of a great idea being actualized. It’s awesome to see young people dedicate so much time and energy into things which can’t exactly be termed as lucrative. Also, being the ‘creative-type’, I’d love to see similar support for the arts. Not everyone is born with a logical frame of mind. Not everyone can be an engineer. Some people are simply more visually inclined. I think it sucks that if you don’t have money to fall back on – you simply can’t pursue a career in the arts, be it writing, photography, design, fine arts, etc, etc.
Fireflies 2010 – Festival of (World) Music
Fireflies is one of the music fests I eagerly look forward to. Banyan trees, stars, music and drink/smoke as you please – it doesn’t really get better than this. But it was better. Last year.
Fireflies 2010 saw a huge, huge crowd. The organizers say there were 4000 to 5000 people. More than double of last year. The venue obviously doesn’t have the capability to handle so many people. The amphitheatre had so many people that once you were in – there was no way out! If, by any misfortune, you decided you needed to pee – well, may the Earth spirit by with you!
The sound system wasn’t the greatest. A lot of feedback happening, the artists complaining that the monitors sucked.
Individual reviews:
1. Jalshaghar – A Hindustani jazz/fusion band from Pondicherry (I think). They were good altogether. Very tight – played typical ‘world’ fusion music. The drummer, the saxophonist and the keys were trained more in jazz. The sarod player and the tabla player were the Hindustani touch. Although the jugalbandi between the sarod and the sax was interesting, altogether there wasn’t anything too unique about Jolshagar. There seemed to be distinct Hindustani moments and distinct jazz moments. The instruments are tight but now they need to experiment and move beyond the world music tag.
PS: The tabla player was quite hilarous. Standing up in resignation, complaining that the monitors were too terrible for him to continue.
2. Hulivesh: Folk dance involving crazy dancing tigers. The little kid tiger was fun to watch. The body art and costumes were nice – but the crazy dancing went on for a bit too long. A story line would have made it more interesting.
3. Lounge Piranha – A post-rock band gracing a ‘world music’ fest with their presence. But something was wrong this time. But their first few songs just seemed off. The guy in the grey shirt with curly hair – Abhijeet? – was going off a lot. The flute prodigy Pervez squeaked his way into some song too. That didn’t work. Things started to sound better when white shirt guy – Kamal? – took over vocals and Shalini came on bass. Then things sounded better. George Mathen on drums was, as usual, awesome. The humour was there, slightly lamer than usual. But something was wrong. I’ve heard them at B-flat, in a smaller, more personal space. They were way, way better there. Perhaps it was the amphitheater? The music didn’t seem wholly interesting or original either. I think we’ve reached a post-post rock stage!
4. Prakash Sontakke group: This fusion group had AMAZING percussionists last year. 4 guys making awesome, awesome music. This year, it was anything great. Prakash Sontakke on slide guitar played the same old fusion. Then came his award winning Canadian friend – Pradhan (?) Michael Johnson weilding a guitar in a kurta and a strange topi. He sang some completely non memorable songs. The only memorable part of the show was a verbal jugalbandi between the drummer and the tabla player.
5. Bharat Sargam and group: If you have Indian blood in you, you will HAVE to raise your hands and thrust your hips to the qawalis of the Bharat Sargam group. These guys got the crowd going crazy! They spoke in simple Hindi and were understood by the majority of the crowd. The must-have qawal, Mast Qalander, was performed, although it wasn’t the best rendition I’ve heard. The accompanying instruments were surprisingly tuneful. They weren’t the best qawals on the planet – but they knew how to please the crowds. They strangely played some Bollywood tunes and Daler Mehndi instrumentals. Crowds went mad.
6. Vayali – Kerela folk music surviving on the USP of having no string instruments, only bamboo instruments. Duplicate of last year. Need to innovate. They were followed by drummers from Kerela too – Aadum Pambe got the crowds going again!
7. Low Rhyderz – hip hop and reggae! God nooo! Please noo! They’re Bangalore song was the only passable song. But please please please – no! No hip hop and pseudo-reggae next year!
8. Bharat Mata Nach Kud Baja – Old folks trying to play music after watching their instruments rust for many years. Thats wat these guys sounded like. The first song was out of tune – the bass and guitar weren’t going. The rest of it was uninteresting. A waste of time.
9. Kyle McCloud and Hayley Sabella – greeted the morning with a prayer. The guy’s vocals kept going off, but the girl had a pleasant voice.
Feedback to Fireflies: If you organize an annual 12 hour music fest, you have to make it better with each year. More thought has to be given to the line up. You can’t have good artists only in the first half – and bring crappy artists for the morning hours. People have come from miles away just to listen to the music. Subjecting them to bad or passable music in the morning isn’t okay. It’s torture! Also, you can’t bring the same artists back year after year. There are a lot of extraordinary musicians in the country – who would happily play for Fireflies.
And please – say no to Indian hip-hop!
