Khuda Ke liye - In the Name of God

I am not sure what was more moving about this movie – the plot, the characters, the sensitive issues of atrocities on women, Sufi soundtrack or the overall take on the abuse of Islam. With a fetish for the true (read = NOT fanatic) Islamic culture, this movie highlights to me, in the most objective and impartial manner, the essence of being a Muslim. Through the characters, different aspects of Muslim lifestyles are brought into the foray. Without any intentions of revealing the plot of this movie, several problems are addressed with due space for each of these to grow into the minds of the viewers. While on one hand is the violence women face by their fellow-Muslims, on the other are the stark changes in the mind of the young blood, who tends towards fanaticism, wrongly influenced by the self-proclaimed ‘Islamic-know-it-all’! There is also another who falls prey to injustice due to racial discrimination.

Set across three countries (continents) – Pakistan, England and USA – the time spans between pre 9/11 and ends around end of 2002. It depicts various facets of Muslim lifestyle - rich family in Pakistan with a mix of traditional and liberal values, double standards of a UK-settled Muslim, stuck to his orthodox beliefs and status symbol, conditions of women during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, radical (fanatic) Maulana and his sermons on the dos and don’ts in Islam, American investigator whose perceptions of Muslims are clouded by 9/11 and brilliant characterization of a spiritually elevated Maulana (played by Naseeruddin Shah) whose understanding of the religion paves way for the viewers to comprehend. He is shown to be a renowned Maulana, who has a pragmatic approach to Islam and is in love with his Islamic wel-being. Some of the best dialogues come from him. Below is the one of the scenes that best portrays various angles on the misuse of Islam:

His dialogues represent the hypocrisy that exists not only in the religion but more so, those who interpret it without any true knowledge. Creating a lasting impact among its viewers, the makers of this movie illustrate the role of Islam in present day. While the world is witness to the battle between Islaam and ‘Other Religions’, this movie attempts to objectively define the religion per se and points out what it theoretically lacks. It does not provide all the answers but sets the agenda for the audience to question.

To USC....and to my Own!

One of the aspects (not sure positive or negative) about venturing into professional world is how we feel about revisiting our college days. I recently revisited my college days when we went to see A’s Alma-Mater - University of Southern California - and obviously those nostalgic moments did make me want to go back to that life. Although a Saturday, there were a lot of activities happening around campus. Guess the term weekend exists only outside of campus life! The atmosphere provided all the freedom any James Dean could ask for and yet it proved to be the strongest restrainer! While some students were basking in the summer sun, others were busy working their way out through assignments and deadlines. The campus shared a sense of belonging and yet in all the camaraderie, there also appeared to be a deep sense of isolation. Exploring vast structures of USC including the Library, the Silent Chapel and the Computer Centers and hearing wacky instances of students staying overnight at these facilities to create amazing things was fun and can imagine it to be an essential part of the college experience.

This made me go back to the first day of my university life and reflecting on the same reminded me that while at college, you get to ‘know about’ many but you ‘know’ very few. Guess it is realizing a thin line between an acquaintance and a friend, which often you think you have crossed it when you really haven’t. And that, what any MBA professor would teach you about human relations, time management and effective spending, college life lets you evolve it practically.

One of the most intriguing concepts I learnt about was the entire world of Fraternity and Sorority (totally alien to me!). While all institutions have a ‘group’ culture, this by-far beats them all! Right from the names they have – Phi Beta, Alpha Kappa, Delta and so on – they ceremonize their existence, some have an anthem and represent virtues with apparent history to their ‘past’! They were formed to provide community initiative and create social responsibility but down the years, this has filtered to become more sophisticated and there exists a lot of peer pressure…wherein group members are discouraged from interacting with those who are deemed ‘uncool’ by their set ‘standards’! Not sure how this would dampen the overall spirit of the university, my guess is those who can’t be bothered with this would anyways have the time of their lives! While am sure being part of such a group would change one's life, it may not necessarily be the life for all!

As we drove away from USC with a nascent haze of nostalgia, I look back at all that my University did for me – and understand!

Citius Altius Fortius - For Tibet!

That’s the motto of the Olympic Games, in Latin, meaning – Swifter, Higher, Stronger. Today, the Olympic Torch – carrying the motto of the game around the globe – made its odyssey run in San Francisco, a day after its arrival in the city (and Northern America).

Fortunate enough to be a part of this event, it sure was an intriguing experience for me. While the world watched this event, it was also witness to the ongoing protest by the Tibetans. There were thousands of people at this event – local residents who must have skipped work, students, performers, tourists (like me) who happened to be in the city and hundreds of protesters marching around. Glimpse of the event shown below:

Tibetans protesting (not the torch relay but the overall Beijing Olympics) the event must have come from far and wide. Some of the protest hoardings shown below:

To all my Tibetan Friends especially Chenga and Tensing, the world is watching and supporting the fight for your rights.

CILTIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS
Am sure your efforts will bear the fruits soon!

To the West Coast - Via Virgin!

Traveling from the East to the West Coast in the US seems like going to another country – long flight and a different time zone! But having taken Virgin America to fly to the west coast was indeed a fascinating experience. We had heard good reviews about the airline and considering the other competitors are not even worth mentioning, this one did stand out from the lot. Of course, I did have a bad experience with my luggage earlier on with this airline so wasn't sure but the deal was worth considering.

The moment you enter the aircraft, what strikes you is the cool lighting – blue/pink/purple - and hip-hop music playing in the background. It almost feels like entering a lounge. The crew members are most friendly and not to forget, the sense of humor they carry with them.

The safety video before take-off brings a smile on your face and makes you want to actually watch it!

The airline seems technologically advanced compared to the other airlines. Each seat has a power-plug in for electronic devices. Since there was no WIFI, it wasn’t much use but I can imagine this facility to be utilized by lots of business travelers. There are personal screens that provide decent entertainment including regular TV news updates. One can even chat from one seat to the other. Like all other airlines, Virgin too does not provide in-flight meals and this means one has to buy them in the aircraft. So an interesting feature is how you can actually order from your seat screen and your meal gets served to you asap! For instance, you navigate into the food section, select from a list of options, add to the shopping cart, swipe the credit card and voila, you have your order delivered on your seat! I personally thought this was the coolest feature to have in the airline and soon perceive other airlines following suit. So overall, the journey was pretty decent - oh but we did have an episode with our luggage (again) and hopefully, we should have it delivered soon.