who was the falling man?

September 11, 2001 was a day of many incredible and shocking stories: stories of survivors and stories of heroes. But there was one story that people didn't want to face. The story of the people who began to jump from the World Trade Center just minutes after the first plane hit. Their images were caught on videotape and in photographs, but soon they were never seen again, as if they had never existed.

One of the most chilling images to emerge from the horror of 9/11 was the image of a man falling headlong 1,300ft to the street below against the steel-and-glass background of the World Trade Center.

While pictures of the Twin Towers billowing smoke and flames will remain the most enduring image of the terrorist attacks, this one man's dying moments somehow humanise the toll of New York's darkest day.

And yet, as famous as the image is, the man's identity has remained a mystery, till 2006, when a 43-year-old employee of a restaurant called ‘Windows on the World’, was identified by American chef and television personality Michael Lomonaco as The Falling Man.

The man was possibly Jonathan Briley, a sound engineer who worked in the restaurant ‘Windows on the World’ at the top of the north tower.
Over the years, his family had always assumed he perished in the building.
On the day he died, Jonathan had kissed his wife Hillary goodbye before making the 20-mile journey from his home in Mount Vernon to Manhattan where the restaurant was located.

That morning, ‘Windows on the World’ was holding a breakfast for 16 members of the Waters Financial Technology Congress, and 71 other guests.

At 8.45am, less than an hour after Jonathan arrived for work, American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the north tower. The impact sliced through floors 93 to 99, killing hundreds, immediately creating a 1,000C inferno as the plane's fuel ignited.
The fireball was so intense that people in the building's lobby were burned as the flames shot down the lift shafts.

But it was the 1,000 people trapped on floors 100 to 107 who were unluckiest. With the lift shafts severed and staircases blocked by rubble, fire and choking smoke, there was no escape.

With the air becoming unbreath-able, desperate staff and diners began smashing windows. And it was in those final moments that Jonathan, an asthmatic, must have made his dreadful decision.
Official estimates of how many people leapt from the buildings vary from 50 to 200.

This picture of the falling man is somewhat deceptive; it gives the impression the man is falling straight down. In reality, this is just one of a dozen photographs of his fall. In the other photos, it is evident that he is tumbling through the air out of control.

9/11: The Falling Man is a 2006 documentary film about the picture and the story behind it. It was made by American filmmaker Henry Singer and filmed by Richard Numeroff, a New York-based director of photography. The film is loosely based on Junod's Esquire story. It also drew its material from photographer Lyle Owerko's pictures of falling people. It debuted on March 16, 2006, on the British television network Channel 4. It later made its North American premiere on Canada's CBC Newsworld on September 6, 2006, and has been broadcast in over 30 countries. The U.S. premiere was September 10, 2007, on the Discovery Times Channel.

Goodbye, Safin

At the age of 29, with loss to Argentine del Potro in the Paris Masters, the ever-entertaining Marat Safin called it a day. It had been a troublesome few months for him; with at most average performances taking into account his quality and credentials. His last noteworthy result was the 2008 Wimbledon Semi-Finals, in which he had defeated Novak Djokovic en route to the penultimate stage of the prestigious tournament. His tennis career has been full of ups and downs, but the Russian would have peace with the fact that he was his own master.

Virtues like discipline and stability were antonyms to Safin. Nine years ago, the young boy of 20 stunned the tennis fraternity when he defeated legend Pete Sampras in straight sets and claimed the US Open. The world showered praise for this new wonder-boy and predicted high honours for him.

Yet as they say, it is not the talent but the temperament which ultimately makes a player. Marat seemed to be more fascinated by off-field life – his friends, his cars and his parties; and his tennis did not take off the way it was expected. It is understandable when it is acknowledged that he emerged from modest means. It would be unfair, however, to dwell more on his personal life as his injuries did not help matters either. For the next four-five years, he was recognised as a decent player for his parts played in Davis Cup ties for Russia, and a finals appearance in the Australian Open in 2002; but it was not the future as expected, for his talent was immensely more than what results showed. Fabrice Santoro, asked to comment on his encounter with Lleyton Hewitt in Paris-Bercy final in 2002, said: “This is the number one in the world against the best player (Safin) in the world”.

In the Australian Open 2004, Marat finally looked to be able to come of age. He finished a proud runner-up to the other big legend Roger Federer. Towards the end of that year, Marat caught amazing form which eventually culminated in the Australian Open triumph in early 2005. In the Semi-Finals, he clashed with a Roger Federer at peak, and saved a match point in the fourth set to defeat him 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 9-7 in one of the most thrilling matches in tennis history. He destroyed the home favourite Lleyton Hewitt in four sets in the finals to claim his second grand slam.

However, this was not a sign for things to come. He could be considered unlucky to be in the same era as Sampras and Federer - two of the greatest players in history, but Marat did not deliver enough on the tennis court. Yet he remained a most interesting player to watch. Breaking of rackets on the court as a vent of rage was his patent, as was also his honest and outspoken comments. He never worried about others’ opinions about him. Many times he tended to throw away his grip on matches by not being hungry enough on the court. He was perfectly dignified, honest and possessed a good sense of humour. His antics were dear to his passionate fans.

Marat got what he wanted – enjoyable life, dignity and fame. That he remained one of the biggest underachievers in tennis may be of concern to others. Even in the short career that he has had, he has given us more than a couple of moments of the brilliance that might have been.

This is it

It was announced in March by the man himself.

“I’ll be…I’ll be performing the songs my fans want to hear.”

“This is it. I mean this is really it. This is the final…this is the final curtain call.” A pause. “Ok? And…um…I’ll see you in July,”

The July never came.

Tickets for Michael’s concerts had sold at a rate of 11 per second. The concerts were arguably the biggest musical event of the year, and expected to be larger than life.

Efforts made to reveal the moonwalker preparing for live performances after a twelve-year long gap culminated into Kenny Ortega’s ‘This is it’ - a much-anticipated movie released as a documentary-feature.

A sincere attempt at showcasing the master artist at work, the film portrays the man as gentle and simple – at the same time a realistic perfectionist keen to ensure the best quality performance for his fans. Whether jamming to ‘Jam’, or lifting the hands and legs together with his band of dancers in ‘They don’t really care about us’, Michael seems to have a full sense of technical details for the perfect music and rhythm.

He ensures that he himself does not give it his all in the rehearsals, to finally let loose on the d-day. Sometimes just gingerly luke-warming, and looking for the best possible rhythmic collaboration and synchronisation of dance with the music, he seems to genuinely enjoy the moments, and the prospect of another gift for his fans.

Thematic videos of many of his popular songs such as ‘Smooth Criminal’, ‘Thriller’ and ‘Earth Song’ were re-created bigger and exciting to capture the imagination of everyone.

And his team was just in a trance. To be able to share space with the man himself was simply overwhelming.

“Michael has a depth to him that people don’t really know.”

“This is a dream come true. When MJ comes in the room his presence is just amazing….”

The movie is not another spectacle of miraculous song-dance-action, but the revelation of the real man, as calm and wise as a seventy-year old and physically as young as a twenty something. He wanted to be on stage for his fans and also for his children, as in his own words ‘they were old enough to appreciate it and he was still young enough to do it.’

His wish, however, unfulfilled:

“It’s an adventure…it’s a great adventure. Wanna take them places where we’ve never been before…wanna show them time that we’ve never seen before…”

Michael Jackson – an illusion

29 August 1958 was the beginning of the life of one of music’s greatest ever spectacles


It is said realisation of true value sinks in when a possession is not there with us. The man who changed the face of entertainment around the globe and touched a billion lives through his music, dance, charities and values, left us two months ago. The whole world suddenly wants to relive the magic of Michael Jackson, the same helpless person who was rejected and made fun of for the latter part of his life. On August 29, he would have turned 51, and may have also provided us so much more joy with his concerts, a chance to be immersed in his world of musical performance.

As humans, we are bound to make mistakes. Yet to treat the pure soul as an outcast in recent years now seems an unforgivable sin – more so when we realise that the overflowing love that he gave to the world was repaid in the same quantity the opposite way. For the past few years he lived lonely and in intense pain, yet lived it with a smile. The men and women who laughed at him for his freaky ways turn his fans all of a sudden. Why does this happen?

Michael Jackson’s life was as magical as an illusion.

Since his groundbreaking album ‘Thriller’ as a 24-year old, he has always been in headlines and under heavy media scrutiny. From the rumours about his changing appearance in the mid 80’s, his choice of pets and criminal charges, cynics always saw him as an odd, eccentric persona who could defy human logic in his entertainment abilities as well as lifestyle.

As an artist he was a revolutionary trendsetter. With the high pitched ‘Aaow!’s and Hoo!’s in his songs to the recording of his own heart beat as an introductory rhythm in ‘Smooth Criminal’, the robotic dance, the anti-gravity lean, the moonwalk, the sideways slips, and countless other eye-popping innovations in his videos, live performances and records along with his extraordinary musical talent, Michael Jackson’s craze in his peak years literally crossed all boundaries. Wherever he toured the world over, millions would scream when they saw him on stage, weep like crazy and some of them would always faint. Indeed, he possessed the power of hypnotising masses perhaps comparable to Adolf Hitler many decades ago.

In a survey conducted in 1997, Michael Jackson was declared the most famous personality on the planet. The brand that was Michael Jackson was so well-known; one would have to live under a rock to not know who he was.

With unsurpassable fame and recognition, his desire for humanitarian initiatives, of teaching the world full of war and hatred the joy of unconditional love, peace and unity could not be suppressed. Along with countless charities, he established his ‘Heal the World Foundation’, provide medicine to children and fight world hunger, homelessness, child exploitation and abuse.

The foundation also brought underprivileged children to his Neverland Ranch, to go on theme park rides that Michael had built on the property after he purchased it in 1988.

He holds the record for the maximum charity recorded by a pop-star.


In the 35th Grammy Awards, he was given the ‘Living Legend Award’. Michael confessed then, “My childhood was completely taken away from me. There was no Christmas, there was no birthdays, it was not a normal childhood, nor the normal pleasures of childhood...But as an awful price, I can not re-create that part of my life. However, today, when I create my music, I feel like an instrument of nature. I wonder what delight nature must feel when we open our hearts and express our God-given talents.”

The same year he faced criminal charges, an ordeal that took light out of Michael’s life. Media started to get hold of the negative fodder that they thrive on – Michael was blackballed and the media largely tore him to shreds. For these allegations he annulled the release of his single ‘Dangerous’ and cancelled the Dangerous World Tour. It was in this phase of his life that he got addicted to anti-depressant drugs. His next album HIStory saw a new avatar of a highly outraged and emotional Michael, cross with the injustices to him and to people around the world.

Some of his singles in the album, out in 1996, was directed at the media, especially tabloids. ‘Scream’, the most expensive video ever made and a Grammy award winner was a direct attack on tabloids, and so were the singles ‘This Time Around’ and ‘Tabloid Junkie’. One of his most popular songs ‘They don’t really care about us’ was based on violation of human rights, and ‘Stranger in Moscow’ themed loneliness and dejection symbolic of how he felt during the trying phase of his career. HIStory sold over 40 million copies to date, making it the best-selling double disk album in the world.

After his 1997 album ‘Blood on the dance floor’, which is currently the best selling remix album in the world, Michael rarely saw the brighter side of life and career.

He put his heart and soul into his new album ‘Invincible’ (released in 2001), for which Sony did not support him with the funds. At wars with Sony chief Tommy Mottola, Michael could not promote his new album. Radio stations refused to play his songs yet the album was a hit – it sold 13 million copies worldwide, a remarkable feat of continuous string of hits. In 2005, he was again victimised for criminal allegations.

He was freed of all charges after a few months, but his image was tarnished. By now the damage was done – Michael became a recluse, only comfortable in the other world in his Neverland Ranch. It was a knee jerk reaction.

He had once explained his attraction to simple and innocent fun. Robbed of his childhood, he had himself revealed he was a Peter Pan at heart, and hence the name ‘Neverland’ to his home, which resembled an ultra-luxurious theme park.

“I wanted to have a place that I could create everything that I never had as a child. So you see rides, you see animals, there's a movie theatre. I was always on tour travelling, you know, and I never got a chance to do those things. So I compensated for the loss by - I have a good time - I mean, I can't go into a park, I can't go to Disneyland as myself. I can't go out and walk down the street. There's crowds and bumper-to-bumper cars. So I create my world behind my gates,” Michael had said. He invited tons of underprivileged children in Neverland for them to have an idyllic taste of childhood.

A fresh lease of life was provided to him by AEG for a string of live performances in London in July this year. Tickets sold at an astonishing rate of 11 per second. His true fans, troubled by the injustices in his recent times, wanted to see him perform, ‘remember the time’ and grab hold of his magic a last time.

On June 25, we awoke to a rude shock. Michael Jackson had passed away.

Hollywood director Steven Spielberg had described Michael as a ‘fawn trapped in a burning forest’. As the police searches for the one who killed Michael, deep down we all realise that we had killed him long before.

For his fans, Michael was an angel – naïve, innocent and childlike, who could not deal with this cruel world. People kept ignoring Michael, and when he left for heaven, crib and weep for him as they now realise his true worth.

They realise Michael was special. Perhaps death serves him well, for he will not have to face the “strange behaviour” of earthlings anymore.

Being an Indian on Independence Day

Flag-hoisting ceremonies, cultural programmes, flying of tricolour kites, patriotic songs and movies in television strive to ring a bell in the Indians on August 15. It is a striking reminder of our extraordinary struggle for the right of our own country, the lives that were shed to drive out our foreign oppressors.

“A new star rises, the star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being - a vision long cherished materialises. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed! We rejoice in that freedom, even though clouds surround us, and many of our people are sorrow stricken and difficult problems encompass us. But freedom brings responsibilities and burdens and we have to face them in the spirit of a free and disciplined people,” said Nehru when the fateful moment arrived. Today India has vastly improved, yet for youngsters it is the responsibility that freedom gave us which lacks fulfillment.

For every sixth person in this planet, Independence Day holds infinite more significance than just the achievement of freedom. 00:00 hours August 15, 1947 presented a blissful moment of new-found dignity and honour – a new life, a new dawn of another era. What makes it even more special is the fact that our exceptional leaders laid the foundation of a pure and principled nation. The real unified India was given birth to that moment.

The nation took off then, but has not been able to achieve a perfectly smooth and successful ride. Many college students feel that India ought to learn from nations like South Korea and Malaysia who have been able to bring a huge turnaround in their fortunes. Japan, in fact, was in ruins after the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. They have not looked back since.

Says Sanjay Gupta, a second year engineering student in IP University, Delhi, “For me, Independence Day means the celebration of our freedom, but we can’t leave it at that. We also need to look at the harsh realities – our country is economically better than just the Sub-Saharan Africa. Our system needs a re-look. The fact that we have a coalition government is itself testimony to the fact that there is confusion and stagnation in our system. Our administration is just too lackadaisical. A single proposal to be legalised takes years for being passed by the parliament and then implemented. Moreover, everything gets diluted because of corruption and confusion at all levels. Lack of education among masses and a huge population makes it look worse. I’m proud to be an Indian, but I only wish there weren’t so much corruption and a struggle for survival everyday.”

It must be kept in mind, however, that India’s founding fathers stressed on the purity of means. Having people from all kinds of backgrounds, faith, caste, language, creed and colour, India strives to embrace all. The slowness and stagnation is only a repercussion to achieve this.

“Every theory applied will have a side-effect. If there is brainwashing and lack of clarity of thought among voters during elections, it is because Universal Adult Franchise attempts to give a fair chance to the illiterate adult people of India in its administration. India will have to face problems for such justness and fairness in the means, but it is worth it, because our founders have chosen the morally rightest way of running this most unique and diverse country in the world. Though slowly, India has been developing the correct way. China may be much more developed and competent than us, yet fact remains that it is virtual dictatorship there. Independence Day means a lot to me,” says Deepak Shenoy, a call centre employee.

It is a common consensus among many youngsters that it is India’s population and diversity which pose as a hindrance to faster development.

They believe small towns of India need to be revitalised to ease the pressure off metropolitan cities and achieve urbanisation at a faster rate, which is quintessential for overall development of the nation.

“15th August every year prompts us to look ahead. To be flourishing we need to move out of villages as soon as possible. 70% of Indians are still very poor and survive on farming in villages. It is a long way ahead,” adds Megha Choudhary, a class 12 student in Delhi.

The optimists among the youth today, though appearing to have been smitten by the West, do admit that the family values, deep-rooted culture and the rich heritage of India is something they cherish and have always been proud of. Being an Indian involves immense responsibility, they feel. There are never-ending problems that India face that cannot be solved in a day, yet there have been numerous known and unknown instances in which Indians have shown courage and risen above all odds to achieve miracles.

Independence Day, thus, acts as a reflection of today’s India in comparison to 1947. It is not just a walk down memory lane, but also a reminder of the duties as a citizen of the nation. It is time we focus on abiding by the duties and fulfilling them.

Concern takes shape over future of five-dayers

The craze for the Ashes seems to spare no cricket enthusiast. The First Test at Cardiff got off to a slow start as both squads were a little circumspect. Invariably as all Ashes encounters, the match was an extremely close one as Australia had almost wrapped it up in the last hour of the final day. All spectators were entertained to a cliff-hanger of a contest, yet the image of a couple of elder men in the stands having forty winks in the midst of it seems to suggest a broader tale, a cause for concern.

Former England opener Geoff Boycott, among many others, believes Test cricket is dying and that it is time to panic.

“If you're watching England against Australia this summer, we're all seduced into believing Test cricket is fine because you could sell Test match cricket twice over for huge amounts of money because it is the oldest form of Test match cricket and has history and tradition. But every other series around the world there are declining attendances and there have been declining attendances for many years,” he said.

For quite some time now, and more so since the advent of the exciting Twenty20, Test cricket has been losing its audiences. The purest form of the game, synonymous to classical music in the world of entertainment, does not pull in crowds as in the days of Benaud and Gavaskar. After much deliberation on the matter by rule-makers Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the International Cricket Council has finally woken up to realise the gravity of the situation, though for settling on the right steps to take a definite shape the ICC seems confused and still lethargic to panic.

A 19-member committee of the MCC, including former greats such as Alec Stewart and Steve Waugh, had recently put forward a proposal of having a World Test Championship and trial of day/night Tests with pink balls, to add to the anticipation and thrill of the longest version, and enhance its viewership.

“Test cricketers want to be able to say they're the world champions of Test cricket. Most players still believe it is the pinnacle of the game and why not reward that every couple of years with a Test cricket championship or a trophy you've won?” said Waugh, who also reasoned that it would dump the dependence of a mere ranking system.

Five full days of perceived slow cricket without any guarantee of a declared winner at the end of it is a major reason for the huge decline in its popularity in recent years, when a cricket devotee satisfies his interest through one-dayers and T20’s in the fast-paced lifestyle.

Boycott also mentioned that the entire packaging of Test cricket needs a re-look, and marketed better, like T20 tournaments such as the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The MCC has also opined that a proper control on the number of foreign players recruited in the IPL, especially from lower-ranked nations could avoid players being lost in lucrative deals, for cricketers are nowadays shortening their Test careers to concentrate on the shorter versions – Andrew Flintoff and Chaminda Vaas have both announced retirement from Tests, saying they wanted to continue in ODIs and T20s. Captain of West Indies Chris Gayle was in controversy around two months ago for voicing that to him T20 was far more important and exciting than Tests. Future of the original form of the game is there for everyone to see, and it is difficult to fathom ICC’s lack of initiative to rectify the situation, which has gone disastrously out of hands.

In fact, the ICC has taken strange decisions in the past years that have been impossible to comprehend. It awarded Test status to Bangladesh when the standards of Test cricket was already going low; it allowed back-to-back Tests which spelled doom for cricketers for lack of breathing space; it had no say in the wrongly planned itineraries: it is feared that as long as it schedules some tournaments (not involving Tests) and cricket boards of nations organise matches separately, the itinerary would never be coordinated. Needless to say, the ICC lacked inventiveness to analyse and help the condition.

It has come up with an idea of having four-day Tests, a suggestion that has brought criticism from all quarters. It has, however, succumbed to the pressures by the MCC and has accepted the possibility of trial of a day/night Tests scheme in 2010.

The solution to the uphill battle to draw crowds lies in making the ‘boring’ game ‘interesting’. As the purists sigh in despair over the popularity of ‘instinctive’ cricket which is acting like a slow poison for the five-day version, the ICC needs definitive direction and quick, bold decisions to save it from extinction.

Federer breaks Roddick, and record

Roger Federer had to be aided heavily by lady luck for his record-breaking fifteenth Grand Slam title when he scraped through the sternest of tests by the skin of his teeth from Andy Roddick in the men’s singles final here on July 6. It was advantage Roddick from the start of this cliff-hanger of a match as he probably gave it more than his best for his first Wimbledon title, breaking Federer twice in the match and having four set points in the second set for a two-sets-to-love lead, only to be denied by destiny.

The American lost 7-5, 6-7(6-8), 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 14-16 in an epic final that lasted 4 hours and 19 minutes. It was a matter of a single break of serve in the final set, which did not happen till the 30th game of the set. All of Roddick’s shots were more than a match for Federer, who was invariably always saved by his serves – he conjured up 50 aces in the entire match.

The Swiss now holds the record for possessing the most number of grand slam titles in history, breaking Sampras’ record, which stood at fourteen.

“I thought Andy played great,” said a relieved Federer. “It was so different to what I have experienced in the last few years against Rafa. Today it was a serve-and-return game which is more classical for grass. It's frustrating at times because I could not break Andy until the very end. So satisfaction is maybe bigger this time around, the fact that I came through after not being able to control the match at all.”

Sampras, however, had to concede that the man from Basel was the best in the sport. “I have to give it to him,” he said.

For much of his career till 2007, the man they called ‘magician’ stood victorious in almost all the tournaments that came his way, holding the No.1 spot for a record 237 weeks straight. It was the Spaniard Rafael Nadal who proved a thorn in his way thereon.

In the last two years, the Swiss has merely won three grand slams, two without having to play his nemesis.

Just as Nadal started to prove to have conquered all surfaces when he won his first Australian Open title 6 months ago, he lost to an upbeat Robin Soderling in the third round in the French Open this year. The loss was a shocker but it was later found out to have been because of his long term knee-injury, for which he withdrew from Wimbledon. Federer made most of it to claim the title in Paris.

He might not have expected much of a fight in the finals of the Championships Sunday evening, only to be proved wrong by a rejuvenated Roddick.

The big-serving American took the first set and was on the verge of claiming the next one, being 6-2 up in the tiebreak, but did not have the luck to claim the set and eventually the match. The missed backhand volley, which could have given him the set, must have played in his mind a million times after the 4 hour marathon.

It was evident that his game has undergone a huge positive transformation. His forehand was much heavier and effective and his serve bigger and better (they had always been big). His backhand, which was a liability earlier, proved to be a lethal weapon – he was consistently able to invent passing-shot winners from almost any part of the court. It was a delight to see a spring in his step, the desire to win and the self-belief that he could exploit cracks in the champion.

This was his best chance of claiming a grand slam after 6 long years, during which he faced criticism and even despair as he had once thought of giving up his career. In 2004 and ’05, he had faced Federer in the finals here. The Swiss was almost untouchable then, unchallenged and unmatched by anyone – he was completely taken off-guard this time.

“I’m sorry Pete, I couldn’t hold him off,” said Roddick, dignified in defeat and understandably disappointed.

The exhausted 15,000 crowd, which had come to witness history being made by their favourite champion, went home with the idea that the best player did not win. It was Federer’s deep reserves of cunning and stubbornness that allowed him to out-last Roddick. They kept chanting the name of the American after the match.

“It's a crazy match, my head is still spinning,” Federer confessed to them.

Roddick vowed to come back to win the title next time. With the Rafas, Djokovics and now Roddicks breathing down his neck, Roger Federer’s reign has all signs to be short-lived.

The end of an era

(“The world will never be the same again")

The world came to a standstill and suffered an inconsolable loss on June 25 when the King of Pop and the biggest superstar in our generation Michael Jackson breathed his last. Just days before a performance in London, which would mark his comeback after a tumultuous phase in his career, the enigmatic pop-star died supposedly of cardiac arrest in California. The demise was so sudden that the global community was overwhelmed with shock and disbelief. He was just 50.

For his fans, Michael was the musical god. He was a messenger of music who transcended boundaries. Once called ‘the most famous man on the planet’, Michael was not just a genius but a magnetic persona.

He was a man who revolutionised entertainment in a never-before way. Right from his performances as a part of the ‘Jackson five’ as a five-year old, Michael’s genius was there to be seen. He was so involved in music and rhythm that he soon ceased to be just an extraordinary singer, and achieved unscalable heights that other artists could only dream of. The hat, a single glove, white socks and black loafers, his gravity defying dance – Michael’s aura was so captivating that he became a kind of property that everyone wanted to own. His albums and on-stage performances were the spreaders of Western Culture in all pockets of the globe, and his music reverberated everywhere. His influence to music and the world was so immense and multi-dimensional that it is even said Elvis Presley, the man who could be called Michael’s predecessor in some ways, couldn’t match his popularity.

Michael was mysterious. His white face achieved through plastic surgery became a most weird form of his old self, and made him look alien-like, which along with his dazzling attire and inconceivable self-invented dance styles, was like witnessing some kind of magic. Although always under public eye, his psyche could never be fathomed.

He lived in a rarified world which he could only identify with. A perfectionist, he was never totally satisfied with his feats in the entertainment world and always re-invented himself. He was so obsessed about his profession that he could never keep his public life stable. In magnitude he was such a big star that he could not live up to the responsibilities and precautions that are fundamental to keep his public image under check.

Before his highly anticipated third solo album after ‘Thriller’ in 1982, which still stands as the best selling album in History, a Guinness World Record, Michael’s face began to grow paler. It was rumoured that he had bleached his face to have achieved this, which he clarified to have been because of disease vitiligo, makeup and stage lighting among other reasons. In the ‘90’s his face had grown milky white- a stark contrast from the lovely dark boy he was in ‘Off the Wall’ and ‘Thriller’. Needless to say, he faced criticism from many quarters, but a deeper gauge into his mindset would convey to us that it never involved any racist connotation. Michael, with his face wanted to become a seemingly supernatural star, someone who could catch everyone’s imagination. His plastic surgeries went awry and disfigured his face a little more than he would have liked, but in the end he achieved what he wanted – he became a numinous ghost who could defy all human logic. His persona on stage was indeed paranormal to the point of insanity.

The insanity, however, became a feature of him in his off-stage public life. His line of work had so consumed him that he couldn’t mature in the other facets of life. His bizarre behaviour noted by the intolerant American media, earned him the nickname ‘Wacko Jacko’. The emotional artist that he was, he endured a traumatic phase of living in his latter years, laughed at by many for his eccentric ways and ridiculed for his controversies. It seemed no one wanted to see him smile again. The criminal accusations against him were all proved false in 2005, but by that time, his image was tarnished. Divorced by both of his wives, Michael for the last ten years lived alone with his kids. Yet he had billions of loyal fans, those who stuck with him through thick and thin. Uri Geller, one of his close friends, confessed, “I had once asked him, ‘Michael, are you a lonely man?’ He took ten seconds to answer, before replying in pain ‘Yes, I’m a very lonely man.’ There was no one whom he could confide in.” His display of affection for people and humanity was taken differently by different people.

Michael was on the threshold of a comeback in the 02 Arena in London on July 13, which would make the globe relive the moonwalk, and experience the past glory one more time. Fate, however, had different things in store for him, and for his devastated fans.

For much of his magical career spanning four decades, Michael was always involved in charity-work.

His statistics were mind boggling. He sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognised him as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and "Thriller" as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Michael won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award. These figures, however, are incompetent in gauging the achievement of Michael Jackson and the ripples he created in the entire planet.

He was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Michael had once said, “This world we live in is the dance of the creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye, but the dance lives on.” Indeed, Michael came and went in the twinkling of an eye.

But his legacy will live on forever. For his contribution to music, Michael Jackson is immortal. As one of his fans tearfully said, “The world will never be the same again”.

Pakistan leave woes behind, lift cup

An all-round display by Pakistan led by Shahid Afridi won them the final as they defeated an off-colour Sri Lanka in the Finals to lift the T20 World Cup on June 21. The swashbuckling cricketer almost single-handedly guided the Pakistan chase after a superb bowling performance to be declared the man of the match. Unpredictability and uncertainty in Pakistan cricket, however, did not cease as Younis Khan resigned from captaincy with immediate effect.

Electing to bat first, Sri Lanka suffered early setbacks. The inform Dilshan was found lacking in facing the rising delivery which was used to good effect by Mohammed Aamer. He ultimately mistimed a hook and gifted his wicket away in the first over. Pakistan looked like a side hungry to win as the trio of Mohammed Aamer, Abdul Razzaq and Umar Gul along with spinners Ajmal and Afridi gave nothing away to put the islanders under pressure right from the very first delivery. The fearsome Jayasurya and Jayawardene too did not last long as the Lankans were a dismal 34 for 4 at the end of the powerplay. It was as if Pakistan had clearly thought of a perfect strategy to strangulate Sri Lanka and professionally went about affecting their game plan. Sangakkara restored some parity with a responsible innings of an unbeaten 64, first cutting out all risks to stabilise the ship, and then accelerating towards the end with Angelo Mathews. Mathews’ explosive 35 off 24 deliveries helped them bring some respectability to their total, and Sangakkara’s team ended up with a modest 138 to give the bowlers some chance.

The much hyped Lankan attack, headed by the three ‘M’s – Murali, Mendis and Malinga – could not live upto its reputation as Pakistan batted with controlled aggression to annihilate their assault. The steadiness and composure with which Afridi and company went about their chase was so uncharacteristic of Pakistan – it epitomised the positive outlook the team seemed to have developed towards the latter stages of the tournament. Earlier, Akmal with some breathtaking shots and Shahzaib put on 48 runs for the first wicket, and from thereon it was an Afridi show. Afridi took a lot of singles in his innings of 54, and chose the right moments to go after the bowling. The way he handled the most formidable attack of the tournament was a pleasure to watch, as he batted till the end to hit the winning runs and stand triumphant with his bat and helmet in the two hands of his, like a warlord who had just conquered the world.

For years other nations have expressed their fears in touring the trouble-torn nation, and after the attacks on Lankan cricketers in Lahore earlier this year, it was feared that Pakistan would be removed from the cricketing map. The win left nightmares of its loss to India in 2007 behind, and ensured that the people there had something to cheer about amidst endless misery. Afridi’s coming back of form after a miserable couple of years with the bat made the victory even sweeter, and augurs well for the team.

Younis said in the post-match presentation that it was ‘a gift’ for his countrymen back home. He appealed to the whole cricketing world to remove all inhibitions and tour their country, for without international cricket in Pakistan the future of the sport in the nation would be in jeopardy. “Everybody knows [the situation in Pakistan is] not good but it's not our [the players] fault. Youngsters, especially, need home series because if there is no cricket in Pakistan how can we motivate the youngsters, especially the school level and college level? So I think this will help to build us a new structure in Pakistan,” he said. The 32-year old closed the press conference that followed with a stunner – announcing his decision to quit captaincy, which he later reportedly attributed to his being ‘too old for Twenty20 cricket’.

Even though Lankans were tamed easily, Sangakkara was extremely proud of his teammates. “We’ve had a great tournament and I’m proud of the way the team played and the attitude it showed,” he said.

The next World T20 will take place in West Indies in April, 2010.

End of a fairy tale

“It helps me keep in touch, and makes me feel like man of the match,” is what MS Dhoni confesses in an advertisement on television, referring to services of a cellular provider. Ironically, his performances on the field are nowadays never worthy of a ‘man of the match’ award. For a couple of years no one has questioned his outrageousness or lack of form – it was after all he who had elevated the Indian team to such great heights as the world champions and winners of the bilateral series in Australia. During his tenure as the captain till this shameful debacle a few days ago, it was astonishing to realise that he got away with each and every decision that he took. In other words, he had an amazing foresight.

Many would agree that he had to fall someday, and hard. Call it overconfidence, fatigue, lack of motivation or team spirit, or a combination of all of them, the Indian team right since its warm-up match against New Zealand never looked like a side hungry to win. It appeared a congregation of world-class players who tried to save their reputations more than anything else, while trying to ease the pressure off themselves as the defending champions.

The attitude was a stark contrast to that of the underdogs they were in the inaugural edition of World T20 two years ago. The largely unknown Indian team then without any of its famous stars played fearlessly, and with right positiveness and aggression. Dhoni utilised his opportunity to take charge of the team to perfection, as every team member gave it his all. New stars were born in the likes of Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa, and there were others like Sehwag who made the best use of this chance to get back into reckoning. It all started with the bowl-out victory against Pakistan – a game that we miraculously seized from them. It provided the side a boost which proved a catalyst in our ultimate triumph.

Dhoni’s fairy tale started from there. He began taking bold decisions which invariably always paid off. Indeed the whole of India was awed by the man with the ‘Midas touch’. He was said to be unruffled at all situations, a thinker who could foresee like no other. He led the Indian side to victory in two straight finals against the Aussies in the bilateral 50-over competition in their own backyard, as if it was no big deal. Such a sensation he had become that Chennai Super Kings had to shell out six crores – more than for any other cricketer by any other franchise - to pouch him in the auction for the Indian Premier League.

He had the nerve of opting out of the test series against Sri Lanka last year, citing fatigue for having played ‘too much cricket’ as the reason. When the BCCI announces the side for any upcoming series, each selected member of the squad is supposed to honour and justify his selection, as there are numerous aspirants who are left fuming, and who would desperately want to be selected and prove their worth. Needless to say, it was a slap on BCCI’s cheek, who on their part decided to remain quiet and in fact respect our wonder boy’s decision.

He returned to captain the Indian side in the one-dayers that followed, and India won once again. Later in the year, Dhoni led his side to a convincing series victory against Australia at home, a series which saw Kumble and a hurt Sourav Ganguly playing their last for India. New faces filled up the ranks and coast was clear for him – there would be no one whose ego he would have to handle, who could question his decisions or who could challenge his supremacy in the near future.


During all those tough series against the top cricketing nations in the world, Dhoni was said to have brought to the team the aura of invincibility. Though his form with the bat faded gradually, the team kept performing and delivering the goods. He started appearing in too many advertisements on television, and devoted sufficient time for modelling. He even conjured up enough cheek to dishonour the national awards by being absent during the award ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier this year, for reportedly commercial priorities. Yet his aura did not fade, and his brethren at Ranchi continued to religiously worship their favourite deity.

Even when his attitude came under the scanner quite a number of times, his ‘cool’ behaviour and team’s outstanding performances always bailed him out.

Not this time, however. As India lost to an exuberant England by 3 runs, his critics finally found their voices.

Many tactical mistakes and disastrous judgements in crucial moments came to the fore. The altering of Yuvraj’s batting number, the promotion of Jadeja to the top order in the game against England and the dropping of Ojha in crunch matches were baffling decisions and lacked logic. In the game against the Windies, he scored an 11 ball 23, slow even by Test standards. Rumours about strife between Sehwag and himself saw him lose his cool in front of the media at the start of the tournament, which did not exactly prove a good omen. Everything seemed to be falling apart for him.

More than the strategic mistakes however, it was the body language that was unbearable to watch. Nothing could have been more painful for the Indian supporter than to witness the casualness and lack of intensity among the so-called ‘superstars’. It was evident that this status that they enjoyed proved to be fatal. The defeat and exit from the World Cup only brought them, led by our ‘Captain Cool’, falling to the earth.

Dhoni must have realised by now that no one can be bigger than the game. India has infinite cricketing talent. If needed, Dhoni can be replaced by any new face, who may prove to be better than him. As we hope for a transformation in outlook from the person, it is times like these that we realise the worth of greats like Kumble or a Gilchrist – purely because of the approach towards their game, and respect for their country.

Burma in anticipation

The desperate steps taken by the military government in Burma to detain Aung San Suu Kyi has only made the voices calling for her release louder. However, the constant pressure on them from the United Nations and many other countries and societies all around the world have yet failed to bring about a fair end to the ‘fake trial’. As the world awaits the verdict with bated breath, the people of Burma live in anticipation, fear, hope and despair.

India’s indifference to the whole issue is alarming since it involves its own interests. Also, being the largest democracy in the world and a proud protector of human rights, the silence from India is unfathomable. A petition has been sent to the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister of India only yesterday on behalf of 118 Indian M.P.s to urge the government to help Burma. It remains to be seen whether it has any effect.

“India’s patience is admirable,” remarks Dr. Tint Swe, an exiled Member of Parliament of National League for Democracy (NLD), who has lived in India for the past 19 years and has failed in his attempts to make the Indian government act. “India thrives on petty party politics. The moment a political party offers a supporting hand to you, the opposition party will decide not to. Further, it is nearly impossible to seek an appointment with the top authorities here,” he fumes. Like millions of other Burmese nationals, he wants the agony to end, and end quickly.

There are more than 2100 odd political prisoners living in the worst possible conditions in the jails in Burma. Three M.P.s have already died in custody due to the torture. The public is weak and afraid, and desperately in need of change.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s release thus becomes quintessential in order to restore the long lost democracy in the country, through non-violent means.

The daughter of democracy, who has selflessly fought for a secure and prosperous future for her countrymen, is currently kept in the infamous Insein Prison during the course of her trial. Not allowed a single visitor apart from her witnesses, she is cut off from the rest of the world. Foreign ambassadors who have witnessed the trial have themselves confessed that the verdict seems predetermined.

San Suu Kyi was alleged to have welcomed a visitor to her home, thus violating the terms of her house arrest. American John William Yettaw is said to have been received by her and offered food and drink. Sources suggest that the ‘visitor’ was not stopped at the gate by the guards, who on their part deny having seen him entering her gate.

“The regime is clearly afraid that her release would cause their downfall. It is simple – they want to keep her out of active politics for as long as possible,” says Dr. Tint Swe, who hopes against hope that the pressure from the world community as a whole would compel the officials to announce the judgment in her favour.

The Burmese people are unable to effect a united opposition since the military regime crushes the uprisings with a heavy hand. Even then, there are found slogans on government institutions demanding the release of Suu Kyi in Rangoon and other cities in the nation.

It is clear that mere vocal support is not enough. Till San Suu Kyi remains in prison and countries like India do not interfere in the ‘internal affairs’ of the country, it is feared that the fate of Burma will remain that of Zimbabwe.

‘We will fight for freedom’

“Ours is the worst government in the world. We appeal to the Indian Government to help us. We want to go back and live in our country”, thus reverberated the strong voice of the frail elderly Burmese national throughout the hall. It echoed the sentiments and brought forth the pain of millions of Burmese citizens at the Constitution Club here on Wednesday.

It was a congregation that aimed to urge and motivate the Indians to stand up and contribute towards the release of Burmese leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and help the cause of democracy in Myanmar. Member of Burmese Parliament Dr.Tint Swe rightly expressed his surprise over the silence of India on the whole issue. The ‘issue’ is not just the protection of human rights, but also the overthrowing of the dictatorial military Junta regime there.

Burma has been under this tyranny for the last 47 years. San Suu Kyi, the recipient of Nobel Peace Prize (1991) and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1993), stood on the verge of Myanmar’s reversal of fortunes in 1989 when for the first time free elections were held. However, she was immediately put under house arrest and elections were cancelled when her party, National League for Democracy (NLD), secured a landslide victory.

Since then she has always been in and out of prison, and in 2003 she was convicted for six years. Today was supposed to be the day of her release but for the past two weeks she is again on trial for some trumped up excuse.

“The regime is clearly afraid that she would bring all the people of Burma together and cause their downfall. Without her, there can be no reconciliation in Burma. India should not be blinded by its economic interests and should not support the present inhuman establishment there”, said Ms.Thin Thin Aung, Presidium Board Member, Women League of Burma. She also opined that India’s silence would risk its own internal security, referring to the unstable situation in the north-eastern states.

Actor and Social Activist Nandita Das also expressed her embarrassment over the fact that India, the proclaimed protector of human rights, needed selfish reasons to be woken up.

“The reason why we are speaking to a sterile government is because we have not understood the Burmese resistance”, held filmmaker Amar Kanwar, thus pushing for a thrust in the movement.

Many Burmese have been forced to flee their native land and stay in India as illegal immigrants. It is a matter of great concern for them as their own homeland is not theirs.

Eminent veterans Ms. Jaya Jaitly and Mr. George Fernandes also expressed their solidarity and support for the cause of the Burmese, reassuring them of a brighter future and the restoration of democracy.

“In our time, we will repent not on the evil deeds of the bad but on the silences of the good” once predicted Martin Luther King. The prediction has proved to be true.

A fitting finale

It was a bolt from the ‘Deccan’ for Vijay Mallya’s team as the men in blue from Hyderabad pulled rabbit out of a hat to lift the IPL trophy at Johannesburg on Sunday. Royal Challengers fell short by 6 runs in their pursuit of a paltry 143 as the Deccan Chargers held their nerves to shape a perfect close to their fairy tale.

In the post match presentation that followed the hour-long grand closing ceremony, one felt for the dejected Anil Kumble whose team came so close. However, it was a phenomenal rise of Gilchrist’s team this season as they finished toppers of the league as compared to a lowly eighth in the inaugural edition last year.

The reversal of fortunes involved not only immense hard work, but also a combination of self-belief, winning strategies and an ideal blend of youth and experience. The whole team rallied around their leader and gave it their all. Purple cap holder RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha bowled brilliantly and Rohit Sharma with his composed batting was a sensation. Gilchrist and Gibbs were superb at the top of the innings, and the lesser players such as Harmeet Singh also contributed their bit with the ball and in the field. It was a complete team effort.

A year ago the same team performed miserably and finished last. Dubbed as the ‘best team on paper’, they failed to win more than two matches. Flashes of brilliance from Gilchrist and Symonds were of no avail as there was no unity among the players. They proved to be the ‘punching bag’ as nothing went right for the team and the franchise. It was a different story this time.

As Gilchrist himself confessed, he wanted his players to treat every delivery in their matches as “the most important thing in their lives at that instant”, thus striving to bring the best out of them. A perfectionist that he is, he fixed his team’s mistakes and shortcomings with a constructive approach and renewed freshness that played the role of a catalyst in the amazing turnaround in their performances. His own contribution has been nothing short of a revelation – after having retired from international cricket for more than a year, he amassed close to 500 runs in the tournament. He was always seen guiding and motivating his troops from behind the stumps with enthusiasm that epitomised the positive change in the mindset of the players.

His innings of 85 against the Delhi Daredevils in the Semi-finals was an absolute treat – one of the finest innings in any form of the sport.

Last year, it was the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals who had stunned even the experts by winning the IPL. It provides all the hope and motivation to the infamous Kolkata Knight Riders to bounce back from their ordinary show this season amidst endless controversies fuelled by a suspicious blogger.

Although undesirable, one feels ‘the controversies’ will be here to stay as it presents the ‘spice’ in the whole movie that is the IPL. Indian Premier League, however, has undoubtedly provided a handful of surprises in both seasons and entertained us no end, leaving the audience gasping for more. True cricket-lovers would only hope that it ceases to attach the eyeball-generating tags to attract customers.

May 16

Witnessing press statements on television is one thing, but putting ourselves in the shoes of ‘the media’, quite another. As we neared the CPM Party office to cover the events on Saturday during peak hour of peak summer, we did not know what to expect.
 
Initially we stood staring at their huge symbol. The same sickle and star which had authorized its unchallenged monopoly in West Bengal for 32 years, and left its mark on all lower class peoples out there, had just received a stab in the back. The deserted feel about the place said it all – Left was beaten comprehensively in both Bengal and Kerala, to usher in a new era. TV Journalists were waiting outside for live feeds and surround any politician like swarm of bees. It took us some time to assimilate the whole flavour of such election coverage and take initiative. It was like the discovering of a whole new world out there – a world consisting of journalists who hobnob with popular and unpopular people of our society.
 
Soon CPM MP Nilotpal Basu arrived. The media immediately formed a circle around him. “We will have a dispassionate objective analysis on our performance in our Polit Bureau meeting on May 18. We will continue with our policies of secularism, national integrity and sovereignty”, he said. “We will analyse our performance in the meeting”, was his pet answer to all questions bombarded to him. I personally asked him about Singur and Nandigram issues being a reason for his party’s performance in Bengal (and patted myself on the back), and you guess the reply.
 
I realized the hollowness of those formal statements, there was no sign of genuineness as no one wanted to provide an interesting or controversial ‘byte’. Everyone had his/her own interests in mind, and were trying to save their skin. Brinda Karat, as expected, was a disappointment too.
 
I made myself familiar with the tricks of the trade and learnt about the subtleties involved in this profession. A friendly Mr.Partho told us about his experiences in this field and broadened our horizon no end.
 
It was in the evening that Mr.Sitaram Yechury arrived at the party office to oblige journalists in turn. Exclusive interviews with India TV and Star News took place in front of us, before we were finally allowed to ask a question. This time, there was some substance, “we must understand that people voted keeping the Centre in mind, and not for local issues.” On their defeat, he also added, “It was the Congress alliance with Mamata that most likely brought us down,” apart from the one-liner.
 
Refreshed yet fatigued, we left Bhai Vir Singh Marg with a smile on our faces. It was our first step into the unforgiving and creative reality of our field. May 16, 2009 would remain etched in our memories for a long time.
 
 

The real blog

This is a phenomenon, which for 200 million Indians at least is like drug-addiction – an everyday dosage that keeps them entertained, interested and preoccupied in a never-before way. The eyeball-generating tags attached to the mini form of the sport, and the hype that this capitalist media generates about the Indian Premier League has already had such tremendous influence on the masses, that apart from a few urban matured maniacs, the fake ipl player has become rather difficult to analyse and accept.

Look at it from a different angle, and the blogger has done everything right in creating a new entertainment value – the explicit descriptions, hilarious sarcasm,
and the spicy writing style of his in his revelations (fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com) have captured the imaginations of all involved with IPL and the Knight Riders. Invariably, the bigger the size of a commodity, the larger seems its share of controversies and negatives, and the Infamous Premier League is proving no exception. The ire that came from Subhash Chandra’s nerve of coming up with the ICL, which was virtually a slap on BCCI’s cheek after the 2007 World Cup debacle at the Caribbean, meant the IPL vowed to prove a point and show the might of the richest cricketing body in the world. It lured corporates, and along with a combination of cheerleaders, fireworks, masala-spoken anchors, Bollywood stars and non-stop cricket involving the most competent sportsmen the world over, created suddenly a whole new culture, that which proved to be a successful venture for all apart from, and also for, us consumers. Since then there is no looking back.

Kolkata Knight Riders, from the time it came to existence, has had the highest brand value and is always in headlines. And then suddenly arrives its supposed member IPL Anonymous out of nowhere and has a serious dig at all IPL Stars - the players, coaching staff, anchors, commentators and even Bollywood stars; lays bare every detail of outrageous ‘inside stories’ and finds audience. He throws up embarrassing questions to everyone associated with the running of this T20 Extravaganza and his own team, and enlarges the whole culture even more.


Is he really a player? Why is he delighted to reveal everything? Are all cricketing values getting lost? Is it all part of just propaganda? Are we consumers just fools? These are debatable queries that may or may not ever be answered officially. What we for certain know is that the incurring of these questions itself is one of the ulterior motives of this blogger. Most of us are still at a loss to really conclude whether this blog by such an ingenious blogger should at all continue. After all, it entertains us no end. It also provides us with the real pictures of the Bhookha Naans, Appam Chutias and Sheikhs of tweak. For the pessimists, IPL and the blogging phenomenon are part of a strategy to exploit gullible consumers. All this is in a way the side effect of excessive commercialization of this beautiful sport.

The concept of dirty capitalism then comes into picture. IPL exists merely on profit-motives, and its value to us is nothing more than 3.5 hours of cricketing entertainment. Lets learn to gradually remove passion from interest, swallow and discharge everything out of our systems before it swallows us. But let the blog continue, because for the point it makes, and the questions it raises, the fake IPL blog is not fake.

Vote

What is in a vote?

Those of us who vote during elections perhaps do not reflect so much on this ultimate right of an Indian citizen. Majority of us Indians are gullible, influenced easily by propaganda, and the rest of us are copycats. The elites, who actually hold the key to positiveness and prosperity, hardly bother. It is really heartening to realise the efforts put in to trigger an upsurge and wake people up through the jaagore campaign, etc. but there is still a long way to go.

Yet it contains the aspirations of a better future, the possibility of change, both positive and negative, the possibility of curing, or further aggravating the wounds of the nation. A vote also contains deep sentiments and hope for individual citizens. It can make or break a nation, play with the lives of people. The brainwashing of public minds by politicians, the corruption, misuse of power and all the negativity that has happened all these years did not come out of the blue - in a way it is a side-effect of the Universal Adult Franchise, but is still worth it. We need not be pessimistic about ignorance of rural voters, in many cases, the majority, who vote - they atleast exercise their right.

A single vote is like a drop in the ocean, but we forget that an ocean is itself made up of drops. If fingers are to be pointed, they must be directed to the educated elites who do not wish to dirty their hands, and keep asking, "What is in a vote?"

Please spare cricket

Last ball of the match - six runs to win. After some seriously tense moments and a chat with Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma runs in to bowl. Millions of hearts on either sides of the border skip a beat. An overpitched delivery is smashed to deep mid-wicket for a six and Pakistan wins the Asia Cup Final. They hardly seem to have relived that joy in recent times.

Cricket has always been a different kind of passion in Pakistan. With least infrastructure and no resources, it is raw skill that makes a cricketer in the troubled nation. Loss, especially to India, pains them. The existence of a military rule, the tough life and a crude and unforgiving mindset has troubled them no end and has prevented progress. Right from the time of partition, it has strived to be among the top cricketing nations and in some ways, has even been one up over India. Like us, they too play cricket on streets. It was this game which gave Pakistan a tiny bit of recognition, but the recent events, lately triggered by the 3/3 attacks, have threatened to remove the Islamic country even from the cricketing map.

The Mumbai attacks last November were an eye-opener - a revelation which confessed to us Pakistan's true nature. The rosy friendship promising to blossom a few years ago ( the 2004 series proving to be false joy) was an illusion. If there was no 26/11 Indian cricketers might have been attacked in Lahore, or worse, killed. If we believe the video clips of the Lahore attacks, terrorists seem to have a free licence. Is the government present there against terrorism at all?

We basked in the legacy left by the Imran Khans, Wasim Akrams and the Javed Miandads, and hope to witness their heirs. As we entertained ourselves with a cracker of a match at Christchurch today, as true cricket lovers we wish terrorism take a beating and atleast cricket - the most beautiful game in the world, is spared.

Mumbai

Important Indian urban centres all have a story to tell, but Mumbai is still special. The narrow streets, the dirtiness and the poverty of this cramped metropolis is a common feature, yet it arguably is the country's most important hub. The lifestyle and culture is so fascinating that it attracts people like moths to light.

Bombay along with capital Calcutta were the pride of British India. The place continued to prosper and rise unlike Calcutta, whose economic growth specially, started to stagnate from the 70's. Bombay thus took over as the commercial capital, and along with the hugely profitable entertainment industry and attractive opportunities, became the temptation of all the economic classes. Needless to say, the number of migrants every year rose to infinite levels and the lack of space invented hassles. But it still survives even as population promises to wreak havoc on the city every year.

Skyscrapers and pretty British structures give it the most international look, the fast life and the ultimate elite culture today makes it the eyeball of the youth. City life never ceases to stop - even the recent attacks only provided a break of two days. And still Mumbai is in no way mechanical or robotic - it has got life, charm and meaning. The proud Mumbaikars are honest and principled, and value tradition.

The combination of its features gives rise to an emotional connect. In the end, you start loving the life of Mumbai - with all its imperfections and fascinations, it is still 'the place to be'.

New Zealand vs Australia T20 International

One run was the margin. The Kiwis would be shaking their heads with disbelief. Having come so close to winning the ODI series before giving in to bad luck, this time nothing could go wrong. However, the Aussies prevailed yet again inspite of a most ordinary performance in this T20 match at the SCG.

The crowd had come in to witness some slam-bang action which was non-existent, yet in the end the game proved to be a nail-biting thriller. Chasing a modest target of 151, New Zealand started to stutter right from the start when Guptil was caught plumb in the crease for naught. Fulton's departure in the third over dried up the runs, they were only 28 for the loss of 2 wickets after 5 overs. Brendon McCullum played a responsible innings and steered the innings towards some safety along with Neil Broom, and later on with Grant Eliot, but David Hussey and Bracken gave nothing away to ensure a constant pressure on the batsmen. McCullum could not up the ante when required-after smashing Hopes in 17th over for 20, when one really expected him to go berserk he was caught at the ropes in a most extraordinary fashion by Adam Voges. Voges took the catch, fell over the rope, threw the ball back and returned to catch it again, to everyone's astonishment. 14 needed off the last over-the first four deliveries produced 2 runs, before a four and a six to reduce the margin to just one run.

When they were batting, Australia honestly looked like a struggling lower team which has had no experience. After a good enough start by Warner and Haddin, a couple of wickets, and they lost their way. Runs were coming in singles and rarely doubles. At the halfway mark the game appeared as boring as a slow test match, score being 67 for 3. Apart from some rare giveaways, New Zealand bowlers bowled real tight and wickets fell at regular intervals. 150 for 7 looked easily gettable, but not to be.

Australia , inspite of its pedestrian performances in recent times, has the spirit. The question now is not whether it is still the team to beat, but whether this inexperienced lot would still grow again to be the cricketing bully. Or will India take over the mantle in due time.

The unique rivalry

Sport is unkind. We all felt for him when the Swiss broke down after his loss to the ultimate muscleman of the tennis world. "God, its killing me" was a response we did not want from the gentleman, and indeed, if not for Nadal, we would always see him ever-smiling. We gasp with disbelief at the level of tennis this rivalry produces. Victory or defeat doesn't matter-our heart gives in to both of them.

The Australian Open final was a delight, and sealed a story of glory of the 22-year old Mallorcan. Having survived a Verdasco tsunami in the semi-finals- the longest ever match at the Open and arguably the most nerve-wrecking, and with hardly any rest, Nadal was still able to conjure up enough strength and muscle to down the favourite. His style of play may not convince everyone about whether he'd sustain this standard, but there seems to be nothing going wrong with him, or may never be. From being just the 'King of clay', he has conquered all surfaces-a feat previously achieved by two legends.

Federer whereas is already among the best in history. He needs nothing to prove to anyone, since he's been the undisputed No.1 for a long time. People love him for being the serenely beautiful player-a rarity in the world of aggression. The loveliness and elegance in his tennis as well as his personality makes him the most special among the greats. And he needs to understand defeat as a part of life, an experience or a phase that would make him stronger, and that he would cherish.

He may or may not have to hand over the mantle to Rafa in due time, but Federer needs to keep smiling. Then he'd win hearts, as he always does.

Super Warner

The Proteas had no answer to wonder-boy Warner’s stunning heroics, as he kept clearing the fence of the world’s biggest cricket ground with ease to the delight and amazement of 62,000-odd spectators there. The combined team effort of the fresh and young faces of Australia gave them a much deserved 52-run victory in this T20 encounter at the MCG and redeem some lost pride.

Chasing a more than respectable target of 183, South Africa got off to the worst possible start and never really recovered. Gibbs was leg before the third ball of the innings itself-a touch unlucky to be given out, de-Villiers fell onto the stumps when he got a nasty one from Tait the next over before Kallis being bowled off Hilfenhaus, which left them tottering at 12 for 3 off 4 overs. With his clean and pretty-looking strokes, Duminy somewhat steadied the ship thereafter and milked the bowling for quite some time. After van Jaarseveld’s soft dismissal, much was expected of Boucher but he too departed pretty soon, caught brilliantly in the deep by Mike Hussey, who fell backwards over the mid-wicket boundary to take the catch.
Wickets continued to fall before Duminy but he tried his best to keep one end going. Till he was there, one felt they were alive in the game, though with the rate almost 12-per over, it was a daunting task. The partnership with Albie Morkel gave them some hope as Tait continued to prove expensive, but that didn’t last long as in the 16th over Morkel was caught in the deep off Bracken, who was hard to score of. Once Duminy was caught plumb in front in a mistimed effort of a reverse sweep for a bold innings of 78, the match was effectively over.

This was after the Dave Warner spectacle of muscled strokeplay of the highest quality. In his innings of 89 off 43 deliveries, his trademark crisp heave over midwicket for his sixes left the crowd gasping with astonishment. Ntini, Steyn and Kallis were all treated with disdain as the Proteas had no answer, and the 22-year old completed his fifty in just 19 balls-the second fastest in the world. Ponting never really got going and fell trying to match Warner, but it didn’t matter since the Aussies were 100 on the board in just 10 overs, well poised to go beyond 200. The magician along with David Hussey kept the crowd entertained, before Ntini ended the partnership in the 14th over, taking both their wickets off successive deliveries. Needless to say, Warner was given a standing ovation. Batsmen arrived and departed as South Africa did well thereafter to restrict them to 182 for 9. Morkel, Ntini and Steyn at the death bowled really well to epitomize the never-say-die spirit of their team.

Warner became the first man to debut for Australia in any format without first-class experience since 1877. This occasion will be etched in the minds of the cricketing world, for he has created a sensation out of nowhere. He has a great future in the game, or atleast this format. From unknown origins of club cricket, his story is likely to be synonymous to that of rags to riches. Hats off to the selectors.

Hopman Cup

The duo of Marat Safin and sister Safina just could not finish it off, as Slovakia took the Hopman Cup again. Skills-wise, both of them could have defeated the winners anyday. Results merely show the difference in confluence of tactics, temperament and mental strength.

Dominica Cibulkova and Dominic Hrbaty had the better ingredients in the end, or atleast better luck, it has to be said. First, it was Safina who paid the price for over-trying to be aggressive and gain confidence in her play. With first set secured, she needed a calm head and a balanced approach to wrap up the match, but her forehand continued to betray her and she lost the set, and eventually the match. Cibulkova took strength from her frustration and defeated her without fuss, with least signs of nerves in a somewhat tense match. The match epitomised the importance of confidence. When 1-5 down in the third set, Safina did try to make a comeback, but it was far too late and Cibulkova wasn't going to be broken twice. It was all upto the big man Marat Safin to take revenge and ensure a mixed doubles match to decide the winner.

Personally, I am in awe of the attitude and style of Safin, and with exceptional tennis skills he possesses the
calibre to be among the best in the world for quite some years now. He was confidence personified in his match against Hrbaty, but never went for the kill. That was to be his undoing as Hrbaty continued to fight back and stay in the match, and most amazingly defeat him. At no point in the match except at the death did Hrbaty look better than him, but in the end only results matter. One felt Safin had numerous chances to bury the game, but that did not happen, and a third-set tiebreak decided the fate, in Hrbaty's favour. One could only shake one's head in disbelief and realise why the Russian is among the biggest underachievers of this game.

Marat Safin is unique and fascinating-a croud puller. He announced his arrival with a win against Pete Sampras in the US Open in 2000 with a stunning display of tennis. The dormant volcano erupted on another occasion-the Australian Open 2005, when, on his birthday, he fought off the Federer-at-peak in the semi-finals in a gruelling five-setter, and went on to win the tournament. The world expected a whole lot more than just two grand slams. The Australian Open is the platform-it is time he wakes up one more time.

The true hero

Amazingly talented, multi-faceted, exceptionally creative, having maturity of the highest level and known to be the among the most handsome faces in Bollywood-Aamir Khan is unique. He has been revered and appreciated for every single project in recent years, for not just bringing about mini-revolutions in the industry, but also for redefining entertainment with his movies. Although still a commercial superstar, he has moved beyond just the profit-motive and has taken pains to bridge the gap between art and commercial films through his instinct of getting attracted to peculiar scripts. With his newest piece of work, Ghajini, he has shown that he can master every role, and every script.

The story adopts the old theory of hero, heroin and villain, and contains negligible food for thought or matter of public concern, theme being the culmination of a tragic love story, with hero's revenge against the murderer of his beloved. Action packed with appreciable violence and brilliant screenplay, it has utmost
entertainment value. For many of his fans though, it is a matter of disappointment since being the old reel-life hero isn't what really defines Aamir Khan in Bollywood, but to many others, it was a pleasure to realise and witness his hand in conventional films. In many ways, this movie was a reminder of Aamir's versatility, and as usual, the feature of it were the scenes of perfection and extraordinary acting-his trademark.

In the industry he is mistaken to be mechanical when referred to as "the perfectionist", though he isn't from any stretch of imagination mechanical in his approach towards his profession, or film-making in general. I had seen the making of perhaps his most extraordinary effort till date- Taare Zameen Par, and realised the amount of heart he had put in. He was best friends with the kids of New Era School, Panchgani, and they had more than just fun...an experience of a lifetime. Aamir made them realise that the most essential ingredient of acting is the ability to not act, but the imagination of reality in the acting, and created the most jovial environment possible-the fun factor even got out of hands in some instance. In fact, I doubt whether other actors put so much emotions and heart in their projects. Monotony and non-creativity or non-sensitiveness are antonyms to his personality. The idea of him being robotic, is laughable.

This man represents the urban elites of the nation, and invariably lifts the level of Bollywood through his unique and exceptional contribution. Aamir is only human, but achieves realistic marvels within his limitations that appear magical. The unexpected is expected from him.

Best friends

There was a touching tale I’d read ages ago that has left an undying impression on me. Although a little childlike and simple, it throws light on the inescapable reality- the choices, helplessness and destiny of humans.

There were two vagabonds Sam and Mike, the best of friends, who struggled to earn two square meals a day. Miserable and always depressed, they want a change in fortunes. Mike is so desperate that he would not hesitate to apply wrong means, morally or otherwise, to heal his deprivation. He therefore tries to convince his friend for them to be a part of small crimes. But Sam would not sell himself. Mike thus wants to part forever, but on Sam’s request, he agrees to meet him on the same spot, the forked road, twenty years hence.

Sam moves on. Sad, hurt and hungry, he fails to avoid an accident with a carriage. He is taken to hospital and provided treatment. The owner of that carriage is a hugely rich businessman, kind at heart, and childless. For a few months till Sam recovers, the couple takes care of him and grows attached to him, and decides to adopt him as their son. After a few years the couple dies. Sam is now richer beyond his wildest dreams.

It is five minutes to twenty years that he is travelling in his own carriage with a casket in hand, a smile on his face and tears in his eyes. He is about to meet his best friend after twenty long years. Suddenly, a robber stops the carriage and tells him to hand over all that he’d got. Sam uses his mind. Just as he is about to handover the casket to the robber, he drops it.

Clang! The policeman nearby is alerted and the robber caught.

Sam smiles and says, “I cannot part with this casket. It belongs to my friend whom I shall be meeting after twenty years.”

“Sam…Sam…is that you? It’s me, Mike…Oh, what a long journey I’ve had...won’t you hear my tale?”

“What! Release this man at once, constable.”

“The day we parted, searching for opportunities late night, I stumbled upon a gang of thieves, which was trying various ways to enter a house through the bars of a window. I was skinny enough, so the gang tempted me to do the job for them. I was able to fit myself through those bars. That was the beginning of my journey. I soon became a part of an anti-social gang.”

“But why? …You know God has been so kind to me that now I’m a rich man.” He then tells him the story of his life.

“Mike, I wanted to share my good fortune with you. Please keep it.” He hands over the casket to Mike.

“I’m not worthy of being your friend,” Mike says with a smile on his face and hands it back. “I shall meet you again only if I find myself capable of it. Here again, ten years hence, or maybe never.”

And both part ways again.

Delhi treats itself to Formula 1 delight

Veins pulsed threateningly as the mean machines of Renault scorched Rajpath and left Delhiites spellbound in an amazing extravaganza of maddening race stunts and blinding velocity during the 4-hour long Renault Roadshow on Sunday. As Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. and test driver Lucas di Grassi managed more than 300 kilometres per hour in less than 8 seconds, eyeballs popped out to catch the deafening sound and the blur of vision from as close as possible.

The beautifully decorated Rajpath was not exactly thronged by visitors at the start, but as the show warmed up through Indian army skydivers (we witnessed the number of crows in the sky increasing due to it), Mahindra Renault Logans, crisp commentary and music, quite a large crowd gathered all eager to witness the unknown. Renault sports cars, including the Megane Trophy driven by Julian Piquet, whizzed past the stunned enthusiasts as unbelievable drifting manouvers and 360 degrees spinning were done effortlessly.

At around 2:15pm India watched live the first Formula 1 car, and though it was only a preview, people had by now gone crazy. The real Formula 1 spectacle was seen a little later when di Grassi drove, zigzagged, revolved and spun his car cruelly fast
to the delight and amazement of everyone. The best part was set for the last when present Renault Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. drove his R-27 and set the path on fire. These wondrous machines could reach speeds of 100 kilometres-an-hour in just 2 seconds, 200 kilometres-an-hour in just 4.5 seconds and totally halt from 300 kilometres-an-hour in just 4 seconds. The smoke and majestic sound had filled the air, bringing the traffic around the area to a standstill.

However, it was Terry Grant, the famous Hollywood stunt director, who captured all imagination with his impossible stunts. In one of them, spinning his car at all angles, he revolved it endlessly at the intersection of the road when amidst all of this he came out of the car, did a namaste to the crowd, and even got down of the car for a few moments to let it revolve amazingly on its own.
Then, he also made the car move like a remote control toy as he showed amazing control to manouver it in between two girls standing less than two metres away.

For all lovers of speed and racing in Delhi, and for all the ignorant ones present at the event too, this was an experience of a lifetime. Formula 1 is not a common sport in India, and the objective of this initiative by the French team was not only the potential market, but also to draw more people into this sport before it finally arrives in India. Yet, one seriously doubts whether the average Indian public would perceive it to be more than just a tamasha.