Monday, October 25, 2010

Book review


The Zahir
Author: Paulo Coelho
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Harper Perennial (Eng. Trans.)
Publication year: 2005
Pages: 336 (Paperback)
Available at: Crossword
Rating: ***** (5/5)


What is obsession? What is love? Are they two sides of the same coin? Or, are they so different that the mention of the former may seem like an insult to the latter? This is the dilemma addressed in this book by Paulo Coelho.

Zahir, in Arabic, means visible, present, or incapable of going unnoticed. It is someone or something, which once we have come into contact with them or it, gradually occupies our every thought, until we can think of nothing else. This can be considered either a state of holiness, or of madness.

The Zahir revolves around the narrator, a bestselling novelist. He enjoys all the privileges that money and celebrity bring. His wife of ten years, Esther, is a war correspondent who, despite of her professional success, and freedom from the conventional constrains of marriage, is facing an existential crisis. When she disappears with a friend, Mikhail, who may or may not be her lover, the police question the narrator.  He is suspected of foul play by the authorities and the press of having a role to play in the inexplicable disappearance of his wife from their Paris home. Was Esther kidnapped, killed or did she simply abandon a marriage that left her unfulfilled? 

The narrator does not have any answers, but he has many questions of his own.
He continues to try to keep the same life as when his wife was still around. But becomes preoccupied with finding out why she left. The insanity continues and becomes an obsession making even the most lighthearted tasks unfathomable. He reminds himself, of her support, which he at the time took for granted. She became the reason why he was now, a famous writer. In time he finds himself a girlfriend, whom loves him and hopes that perhaps one day, he will love her too. They become partners, supporting each other’s careers, but his fixation with The Zahir, becomes ever more intolerable.

Then one day Mikhail, the man with whom Esther was last seen, finds the narrator, and promises to take him to his wife. In his attempt to find a love lost, the narrator discovers something unexpected about himself.

A haunting and redemptive tale of love and marriage, The Zahir deals with the dark side of obsession and explores its potential of both fulfilling and destroying our dreams. It is a thoughtful meditation on faith, celebrity, marriage, love, and their relationship to freedom and creativity.

The Zahir teaches us that each of us without an exception has a Zahir. It is up to us what we make of it. It’s our choice whether to get obsessed and destroy our Zahir, or to live our life with our Zahir in the backdrop as something that we know belongs to us forever, and not to need a reassurance all the time.
A contemporary, all encompassing story that leads us through an inner and outer encounter with our worst enemy, ourselves.

Paulo Coelho is widely known as the master of human emotions. His books have affected a million people all over the world and changed their lives forever. His words have the power to get you thinking, make you laugh and cry in a span of moments. Love, loss, life, inspiration, dreams are the major themes of his books. They make you believe in the power of love, make you believe in yourself.


Some of my favorite extracts from The Zahir are stated bellow:
The day man allows true love to appear, those things that are well made will fall into confusion and will overturn everything we believe to br right and true. The world will become real when man learns how to love; until then we will live in the belief that we know what  love is, but will lack the courage to face it as it truly is.
It is so important to let things go. To release them. To cut lose. People need to understand that no one is playing with marked cards; sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Don’t expect to get anything back, don’t expect any recognition for your efforts, don’t expect your genius to be discovered, or your love to be understood. Complete the circle. Not out of pride, inability, or arrogance, but simply because whatever it is no longer fits into your life. Close the door, change the record, clean the house, get rid of the dust. Stop being who you were and become who you are.
 





























Rating: *Awful **Best avoided ***Average ****Good *****Speechless
Paid News: Myth or Reality?

The concept of paid news has been a hot controversial topic for the past decade. This practice has seeped into out media houses slowly and steadily, eating away at the basic principles of journalism. Before we get any further, let us understand what paid news is. Paid news can simply be stated as “The act of paying money to representatives of media companies, print or electronic, to gain favourable coverage so as to satisfy an ulterior motive”.

Now the million-dollar question remains: “Is paid news a myth or reality?”. Is it a myth, that has been fabricated to defame the sacred (wink!) media houses, or is it a fact as blatant as that of the sun rising from the east every morning? The concept of paid news has gone beyond the corruption of individual journalists and media houses. The duty of the press, which is to provide accurate information to the public, has been sidelined to make way for money thirsty journalists. By the end of this discussion, it will be proved beyond a shred of reasonable doubt that paid news is indeed a reality that the media houses have brought upon themselves.

 Earlier, it was a general error to think that the practice of paid news is merely confined to the Bollywood sections of the media. It was common knowledge that stars pay the media houses to gain publicity. It happens even today. Stars pay a mighty price to appear on the “Entertainment” section of the publication or news channel. What is pushed under the carpet is the fact that there is yet another class of “professionals” that resort to the phenomenon of paid news as a quick ladder to success. They are none other than our beloved Netas. They have undermined the very idea of free and fair elections, by paying their way into the media to display the kind of portrait they want to put forth to the public. It is a safe and fail-proof means of campaigning before the elections. This method of publicizing ensures the fact that they can show what they want to show the public. Slick!
The right to information has become yet another decoration on the Constitution of our nation. We have reached a state where we are informed of only what the elite class wants us to be informed. The duty of the press, which is to keep us up-to-date of the actual happenings in the nation, is up for grabs. So whom do we trust? What is the guarantee that the next piece of news item will be unbiased and not guided by commercial motivation? Whom do we look up to? Who is responsible for the rectification of this issue?

Oh yes, we have the Press council of India! But oops! That organization is nothing more than a tooth less tiger! All they are authorized to do is send letters to the concerned media houses which can be chucked into the waste bin before even the seal is torn opened.

Another interesting question arising from this issue is that, “Is monetary gain the only vested interest of the media houses in accepting paid news?” Can it not be that the media houses are feeding some underlying motive by indulging in this unscrupulous activity?
Let us take into account the latest greatest event hosted by out nation: the Common Wealth Games. It was a sensation that had gripped the nation like never before, not because it was an international event of a superior caliber, but because the endless juicy controversies that surrounded it. The controversies had been showcased in the last two months, much later than they actually took shape.  It has been reveal that a majority of the news channels, newspapers and magazines blatantly refused to carry anti-CWG stories before July 2010 because of the advertising carrot that CWG was offering to the media houses. The media was warming up to this racket until the CWG fell flat on its face.
Sometime in November last year, Mr Kalmadi received a proposal from a leading English newspaper (with the largest circulation in India) for positive coverage of the CWG. The entire deal was worth 12.19 crore. The newspaper wanted an “Official Newspaper” status.
As a part of its extensive coverage, the newspaper promised special features, seminars, CWG quiz, marathon in major cities and towns, etc. the proposal also subtly stated that the coverage will have “the potential to form public opinions at large”.

And then comes the catch. It says: “It is also expected that with the influence that the “Response” department has over the editorial, the OC can get neutral or positive coverage from now to the games”.
The only question that arises is: “Had Mr Kalmadi agreed to this proposal, would they still have gone ahead with the negative coverage that they did?”.

The Press Council on India submitted a pathetic report on paid news stating that self-regulation within the media houses is the best option to curb this problem. Well, reading the facts mentioned above and the document given bellow, we can figure by ourselves how much of “Self-regulation” had actually taken place or is going to take place. The media is playing the role of the brand ambassador to the politicians, film stars and anyone else, as long as a few “Paties” and “Khokhas” are willing to change hands.


 At any J School students are taught certain Principles that underlay the foundation of journalism. They play the role of guidelines to a journalist. These days though the trend seems to be something like this: “Study the Principles of Journalism at J School, mug them up, puke them into your answer sheets, but if some of it still remains in your system, then chuck it in the first bin you find on your way out of the J School”. Is the future of India media bound in the shackles of Paid News? Let’s wait and watch.
(PS: Bellow is the Proposal that Mr Kalmadi received from the leading news paper regarding the CWG)


  
 


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Good publicity is good, bad is even better

Publicity and showbiz go hand in hand. Today, to promote movies, stars are usually found on the reality shows on television, urging people to watch their movie. Oh but this tactic is of course reserved for the common film stars, and not for the Dabangg Salman Khan. He has taken care of both national and international promotion for his latest movie, by simply giving an interview to our very old friend Pakistan, on the sensitive subject of the 26/11 terrorist attack. He has, without a second thought, made remarks as the only reason the attack was hyped was the elite class being involved, and also that the Pakistan government had nothing to do with the attack. And all hell broke loose.
The question to be asked now is not what authority he has to make such a statement, as it is a matter of opinion of course, but the question is that when the interview was aired three weeks preceding the release of his latest movie, why is it brought to notice now, immediately after the release? Even a blind man can see the catch from a mile away. It is a full blown publicity stunt. The news regarding his interview was probably withheld, and then conveniently used to the advantage of publicize the movie.
Can we only lay the blame on Salman? What about the media? Did the media not have an ulterior motive behind delaying the exposing of this bit of news? How can it happen that a celebrity of Indian nationality gives an interview on Pakistani TV, comments on such a sensitive issue, and yet manages to escape the notice of the media for three entire weeks? We can’t help but wonder what role the media played in this issue. Whom is the media responsible to? Is it to a particular celebrity or to the nation as a whole? The only factor that motivates the media houses is the TRP. They with hold information to utilize it at the right time, which in turn enhances their TRPs.
This entire incident is an excellent example of how the media has sold itself to sensationalism. Their motto seems to be “The more scandalous the news item, the happier we are”. How does it natter that the issue at hand is one that concerns the entire nation? It’s all about catching hold of a person’s nerve and pressing it at the right time. Has the media twisted Salman’s words and made it seem like this? Have they been entirely fair with him? Or have they with held parts of the interview so as to make the episode seem all the more outrageous?   It is yet again a brilliant opportunity for our politicians to jump forth and express their horror at the comments made and try to impress upon the people how much they love our country.
Who is the real culprit? Salman? The media? Or the politicians? Whose ulterior motive has been served? And at what cost? An issue as sensitive as the 26/11 has been used and twisted to the benefit of someone. Whether it has been done on purpose or otherwise and by whom remains the million-dollar question.

A gentleman's guide to buying an engagement ring

When we think of an engagement ring, the picture that conjures up in our mind instantly is that of a brilliant, clear and sparkling diamond set in either gold or platinum. Gorgeous! Yet, do we pause and think of the state of mind of the man who is at the verge of purchasing one? This occasion will probably be his first experience in the wild world of jewellery itself!

But before it comes to purchasing an engagement ring, there are a number of things a man has to look after. For instance, finding the girl who is the “one”. CHECK, Asking her father for her hand in marriage. CHECK, Planning the perfect proposal. CHECK, Selecting the perfect engagement ring. OOPS!
How should he go about that? Should he go for the priciest one? Whom to ask? The first time any man enters a jewellery store he is surrounded with concepts he has probably never heard of before. Tiffany setting? Inclusion? Eternity brand? It all seems to fly over his head!
But don’t fear because now we are here! Presenting to you the complete guide on how to go about picking an engagement ring your girlfriend will go bonkers over. So let’s get started.
Firstly, set a budget. You need to be sure of how much you are willing or rather able to spend on the ring. There is nothing even remotely romantic about going into debt over an engagement ring. After all, it’s the thought that goes into purchasing the ring that matters. If you are sure that she is the “one”, then don’t delay because you cant afford a more expensive ring.
Secondly, make it a surprise. It is sweet taking your girlfriend to the jewellery store and letting her choose the ring. And there goes your element of surprise down the drain, along with your once in a lifetime chance to show how romantic and considerate you are. You will also miss out in the chance to see the look of surprise on her face when you propose to her, the ring fits, and its exactly what she wanted.
Next, you need to get her ring size right. It would be highly embarrassing when you get down to one knee, propose, and are trying to push the ring up her finger, but it won’t budge! Now to get her ring size you need to be a little sneaky! You can either swipe a ring from her dressing table when she is getting dressed in the bathroom, or ask one of her friends to do it for you. Do remember to pick a ring that she doesn’t wear regularly so that she would be less likely to miss it.
Lastly, you need to research her style. Does she prefer a small stone or a large glitzy one? Is she a platinum or gold or a silver woman? Does she like diamonds, or will she prefer some other stone? Which jeweler she prefers over others? These are the questions you need to know the answers to, so as to get an idea of her style.
So gentlemen, now you can sure heave a sigh of relief, and be prepared to accomplish the proposal of your dreams, and hers as well!