Aamir Khan : the star marketeer

I guess Aamir Khan should have rightfully written the book ‘’ What They Don’t Teach You At Havard.’’ The versatile actor has proved time and again his inborn marketing genius of promoting his films.

The reclusive actor knows well when to crawl outside his shell and hog the media limelight. Khan has always made himself a saleable commodity by breaking his average five-year sabbaticals only to promote his films. After donning the producer’s cap, this period has considerably shrunk.

The latest marketing gambit of the man is for Delhi Belly. He has vociferously termed the film as an adult fare. This act has been termed by Mahesh Bhatt as the forbidden fruit syndrome. Who would miss an adult fare?

Even the film promos feature producer Aamir who tells his actors that the movie is going to spoil his squeaky clean image !!

And hey, didn’t Bhanja Imran file a PIL against fixing the legal drinking age to 25 years by the Maharashtra government. No awards for guessing which film is going to benefit from the media hype arising from the issue.

Few would have forgotten the marketing blitz created by Aamir for his film 3 Idiots. How he roamed incognito across the country in different getups and systematically released its video in media to push the film. The film’s business is a record.

Aamir is known for his fetish for donning the garb of the character from his latest film in real life too.
So we had a fill of his Mangal Pandey mane when the film was in the making. Ditto for Gajani and Dhobi Ghat.

Aamir makes sure that his that the TV commercials that he is doing at the moment also act as a vehicle for his film promotion. Thus we find his screen image and getup getting reflected in the characters of his commercials.

For the sake of his films, Smart Khan hardly misses a chance to strike a social stance. Flashback to 2006 when he joined hands with Medha Patkar to espouse the Narmada Bachao cause. The backdrop, of course was release of Rang De Basanti, a film with a nationalist/revolutionary streak. His take on education post 3 Idiots and on media manipulation post Peepli Live are also case in the point.

It is a fact that unlike other stars Aamir doesn’t has an agency to handle his endorsement business. And reportedly he makes Rs. 5 crore per endorsement per year while his peers earn the same amount for a three year contract. So much for his business acumen.

Of the three Khans he is the savviest, the smartest. The business of his movies speak for themselves. A perfectionist attitude plus street-smart marketing makes him the real King Khan of Btown.

The Silence of Manmohan Singh

‘’The Prime Minister should talk more.’’ This was the take of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Dr. Manmohan Singh’s lack of verbosity.

Dr. Singh does find himself in an unenviable predicament. In the political arena where oneupmanship is the mark of a man, the honourable prime minister’s verbal handicap is often seen as a disqualification.
Chidambaram tries to explain it away as the ‘style of the person.’ Well, the style has become a stigma now…

The academician Singh has been too long in the pell-mell of politics to be excused of not having sufficient time or opportunity to hone this skill.

It takes a man of gritty innards to stay in a position of power, in full public spotlight, and be anointed as a pliable man. So is honesty just an ornamental badge that he sports to hide his inadequacy ?
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To give him due credit, Mr. Singh has never been a politician. He never has contested a Lok Sabha election. That probably would have given him some exposure to the practise of political padreship, of the necessity of opening up and laying it thick and sleek on people.
Entry through the backdoor of Rajya Sabha has just reinforced his taciturn tendencies.

Once in the high office, the Big Momma of Congress has done all the politicking and stick-weilding for him. Manmohan Singh had just to contend with the last-mile of office-administration. The line between appearance and reality had been clearly etched.

In such a scenario the need to stand up and speak out again has been reduced to a minimum, going much with the personality of Mr. Singh.
Now that the heat of corruption has started to sear the party and its front-liners, the need for a more vocal leader has been felt and articulated. And if the leader is young , so much the better !!!
This then is the crux of the comments of Chidambaram and Digvijay Singh made in reference to the prime minister.

Uncle Salman Khan

‘’Main toh chachu ban gaya re…’’ thus spake Salman Khan when asked about Aishwairya Rai Bacchan’s pregnancy.

Coming from Salman this was both expected and unexpected. Sallu is well known for his unbridled, eccentric comments, but he has been quite tightlipped about his ex-girlfriend Aish. So his tongue-and-cheek remark has raised eyebrows.

Salman-Aish romance started during the making of HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM in 1999. It lasted for about four years and finally ended rather nastily with a breakup in 2002.

Both famously commented on their breakup.
AISHWAIRYA - “The Salman Khan chapter was a nightmare in my life and I am thankful to god that it is over.’’

SALMAN KHAN – ‘’ I love Aishwarya. I am not hounding her. It’s not a teenage obsession that I feel for her — it’s pure love. She’s such a traditional Hindustani girl at the bottom of her heart. The fact that she respects her parents so much makes me admire her more.” (Hindustan Times, 2002)’’

The affair was one of the most torrid and talked-about in Btown. It ruffled many feathers, touched the life of many and finally the Aish blitzkrieg ended with marriage to Abhishek in 2007.

Though both went their own ways Salman never really forgot Aish. Of all the women he loved and lost (Somy Ali, Sangeeta Bijlani, Katrina Kaif) Aish was the closest to his heart.
During courtship though Salman did many wrongs on Aish, but after the breakup he never really spoke against her. In fact it was Aish’s another ex-beau Vivek Oberoi who raked the issue years later in Farah Khan TV show and called her an ‘ artificial, plastic girl.’
Since 2002 both of them have maintained a stoic silence about the other and maintained a dignified aloofness. Whenever their path crossed inadvertedly (much to the glee of the media), both of them became embarrased.

The Bacchan parivar was quite professional in its relation with Salman. Big B did films with Salman. Attended shows were he performed. In fact, Salman even met Bacchan Junior after his marriage and had a talk with him for half an hour in the vanity van. The topic , purportedly was Aish. Since then Salman and Abhishek bonded fairly well.

Salman was never lucky in love. According to his father Salim Khan, Salman looks in his girlfriends the image of his mother. He is a momma’s boy at heart and looks for mothering from his hot ladies. And that makes them run away !!!

With Aish it was over-possessiveness which spoilt the love-story. He became violent and psychotic. Something which he never became in any of his other romances. After the breakup he probably realized this and has never again gone round the bend. Even when his last ladylove Katrina developed closeness with Ranbir , Salman kept in control. Even the breakup was a silent affair.

Right now the Maverick Khan remains that elusive bachelor who grasps unsuccessfully at love. The golden-hearted bad boy of Btown. Hero at the Box Office, Flop at Romance. His lost loves strongly etched in his heart, whom he forgets not.

And now by becoming a self-proclaimed Chachu of Aish’s kid has he not reaffirmed his forget-me-not kinship with Aishwairya Rai Bacchan.

BUDDHA HOGA TERA BAAP

He ain’t no old man folks. Apna Bacchan Senior is no senior citizen. The title of his new film aptly sums the angst of this ‘’angry young man.’’ In filmdom no one wants to be a buddha, and the stars and the superstars are almost allergic to (old)age.

If Dev Anand has maintained his pristine youth and earned the sobriquet of ‘’evergreen hero,’’ others of his ilk have never stopped trying.
More so in today’s era of gym-bred heroes where muscle-hustle is more important than histrionics. So we have the 45 plus and 50 plus iron-pumped, hair-weaved,face- lifted, botox-injected , and what-not brand of heroes who are desperately trying to not appear buddha.

In this scenario if the original angry YOUNG man Amitabh Bacchan maintains a youthful persona despite the merciless onslaught of all of his 68 years it is no wonder. The guy deserves it man.

Look at Bacchan’s filmography. In all his acting years though his’’ old man act ‘’ in films like Baghban, Black etc have been critically applauded, it is his ‘’young man act’’ in films from Deewar to Kaante and beyond that has created frenzy amongst his old and new fans.

Watch his body language even now. Compare it with Deewar days. No difference. Same disdainful gait, same growl in his baritone and the same fire in his eyes. Action or Jackson, it is Bacchan of 70s revisited.

Bacchan’s youthfulness shows up all the more when he shares screen with stars of the day. The 40 plus macho men pale into insignificance when Bacchan gets into the act.Quiclky rewind mentally to KKKG group dance sequence or a Baghban dance number, and you will get the point.

Part of Bacchan’s young persona springs from his tough mental attitude which gets reflected in his work ethics and lifestyle.

He is a teetotler and a spartan eater. A discplined, no-nonsense man who gets up at 5 am to gym, and then works incessantly till he collapses in his bed. He is a perfectionist who still sweats to get into his roles.

Takes up jobs ranging from small ad. Film of nondescript hairoils to tv shows and makes them big. The type of assignment which other superstars would think twice before taking up. He takes up challenges whatever the world thinks ….and that is youthfulness.

He drives his own car, bonds well with guys half his age, visits nightclubs at dead of the night, surfs Goa waters on speedboats and flirts well as and when he likes. And that is youthfullness.

And in such a scene and shot, if someone tries to write him off as an old dodo, then you will have to forgive him for swearing ‘’ BUDDHA HOGA TERA BAAP.’’

Digvijay Singh : the unofficial court jester

The maverick Diggy is at it again.
Known for his verbal tangents and unsettling utterings Digvijay Singh has let loose one more arrow from his quiver.

He has championed the cause of Rahul Gandhi as the heir to the prime minister’s throne. According to Diggy, post his 40th birthday the Amul Baby of Congress has matured for the top post. And ofcourse with avuncular concern he adds that the baba should now tie the matrimonial knot.

Diggy’s antics are not new. Sometimes one suspects him to be the unofficial spokesperson of Queen Sonia, and sometimes a court jester who has got a royal licence to shoot his mouth as he pleases.

Sample this : Digvijay was taking Baba Ramdev headon after the Congress bluff and buster act, and risked a court summon in the process.

By calling Amar Singh a Congress supporter , Digvijay had taken the wind off Singh’s sail when the latter had started his anti-Shashi Bhushan campaign. Afterall Rahul baba is no sympathizer of Amar Singh.

Post the death of Osama Bin Laden he had called him Osamaji and had called for a decent burial of the slain Al-Qaida leader. This gleefully ruffled the feathers of BJP, and put Congress on the backfoot too.

And not long ago he stirred a hornest nest by claiming that the slain Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare had called him up and told about threat to his life from Hindu extremists. A move aimed at RSS but which also backfired on Congress with US Wikileak on the issue condemning the party of `` playing religious politics.``

Now, by verbally anointing Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister has he marked time for Mr. Manmohan Singh? With a slew of corruption cases emanating from the cupboards of his regime has Mr. Singh become a liability for the party? Does the Congress seek a fresh and young caliph to take on the anti-corrpution brigade , among other things?
These and more questions have been raised by Digvijay. So is he merely articulating the internal and mental debate that is going on within the party??

Digvijay’s bile against the BJP/Sangh Parivar is well-known.Afterall he had lost his gaddi to Uma Bharti in Madhy Pradesh. Most of his jibes are directed against the Right. The type of unbridled comments that other ‘’responsible ‘ party functionary would rather not utter. This suits the party high command well. But in the process the court jester also lets off some uncalled-for uncomfortable remarks. Well that’s the bargain.
Now becoming the unofficial mentor and chaperone of Rajiv Gandhi he seeks to draw close to the Party Missus and also to keep his option open and bright within the party.

Eight Best Practices of Healthy Eating

Eating correct is fundamental to vibrant health and longevity. Human life oftentimes revolves around three meals a day. And in the process, satiety of the taste buds takes precedence over satiety of hunger . This is the point from where food starts becoming a poison for the system. Overeating and wrong eating gets entrenched as a habit, and diseases takes root in the body.
In order to make eating habits a boon for the body, a curative rather than degenerative process, it is necessary to stick to some best practices of nutrition.

# 1. Eat Less – Overeating is the root of many disease which beset the human body. One should get up from the dining table while still a bit hungry. Overeating taxes the digestive system and takes a toll on the internal organs. Ayurveda prescribes that half of the stomach should be filled with food, one fouth with water and fluids and one fourth should remain empty.

# 2. Eat More Fruits – Eat more of fruits and raw foods. These are nourishing foods containing minerals and vitamins which are absorbed directly by the body. Cooking destroys the natural nutrients. Negligible toxic wastes are produced by the metabolism of fruits and raw foods.

# 3. Drink Plenty of Water – One should drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. Sufficient water intake helps in proper elimination of toxins from the body. However, little water should be taken with meals as it dilutes digestive juices. Water should be drunk an hour after a meal.

# 4. Eat less meat and no red meat – Flesh food release large amount of toxins in the system. Beef and pork metabolize to release still more toxic byproducts. Despite elimination- efforts by the body, parts of these toxins remain in the system and clogs it. Bacteria feeds and breeds in these toxins and beget diseases.

# 5. Eat Your Carrots – Dangerous diseases like cancer occur when body lacks anti-oxidants to counter the oxidation process in the system. Carrots, onions and such similar foods are rich source of antioxidants. These antioxidants neutralize the free radicals which result from the oxidation process.

# 6. Eat A Light and Early Dinner – Take a light dinner at least two to three thours before going to bed. This makes digestion proper. Going to sleep in a loaded stomach makes digestion difficult and sleep disturbed. A light and early dinner releases the body energy from digestive work for self-healing and regeneration.

# 7 . Eat Less of Refined Food – Refining strips the food of its fibre , mineral and vitamin elements. Thus foods like white sugar, white bread, milled rice lack their original goodness . They lack the roughage. Refined foods lead to increased cholestrol buildup and faulty elemination.

# 8 . Fasting – Fasting is the reverse side of the healthy eating coin. Fast at least once a week. Fast on water, fruit juice or fruits as the system demands. Fasting gives the internal organs a much needed rest. During fast while organs rests, energy normally used by them gets released to regenerate the system. Toxins are eliminated.

So it is not enough to eat well, but to eat judiously as well. Only then food will bring its boon of health, vitality and longevity.

Satyagraha - 2011

As Baba Ramdev's satyagraha-lila enters a do or die phase, the civil society movement matures to yet another level.

From the very beginning the anti-corruption campaign had an open invitation to madhatters of all hues.

Anna’s sane voice got risked of getting drowned in the ensuing rabble-rousing.

Amar Singh vs Shanti Bhushan was a made-for-media fight.

While civil society enthusiasts and satraps tried to showcase it as a second fight for independence , UPA tried to cope up with it’s demand in a flatfooted manner, and then threw all sorts of spanner in the works.

Enter Baba Ramdev. Baba with his list of preposterous demands and naïve approach was a sitting duck from day one.

Lacking political acumen he proved a soft target for the government.
The rabid Right found in him a readymade vehicle to ride onwards.

Few pointers emerge from the whole anti-corruption drama.
· Role of a proactive opposition is being increasingly being grabbed by the civil society.
· Government is totally confused in its handling of the civil society activism.

· In all probability, corruption won’t ever be on the backburner

· The opposition will ultimately ride the tide of anti-government sentiment triggered by the movement .

· Nation might be heading for a newer mode of agitation and social change

· Civil Society movement will give birth to a new brand of honest, political leadership

· Finally Civil Society will emerge as the non-formal ombudsman of the nation.

So in all probability the mad hatters party may not be all that bad for the country.

Nirvana via Media

The lila of Baba Ramdev as it is unfolding today, and as it is being relentlessly reflected in the national media has brought to the fore the fact that modern yogis and godmen of India have realized the importance of making media their handmaiden.

Their nirvana lies in the magic of numbers, of increasing their tribe of followers and in messaging to masses their maxims. Media is a convenient `ally` in this exercise.

Media can ill afford to ignore the so-called breaking news…and Babas of all hues are past masters in adopting public postures that pass off as news. They know that any publicity is good publicity.

Baba Ramdev wants to translate his yoga followers into a votebank. And hence embraces media as his ‘brother.’

Usage of media as a tool of mass communication in itself is not bad. But it’s use to meet own’s narrow ends is bad.

Afterall, Gandhi liberally used his magazine ‘Harijan’ to propogate his socio-political philospohy and Sri Aurobindo used ‘Arya’ as medium to present his world-view. In fact Gandhi’s reliance on the press for support of his non-violence movement is well-known.

Even in his bestselling book ‘The Man Whom Nobody Knows,’ Bruce Barton claims that if Christ were to come on earth in this age he would have used modern communiction tools to propogate his message.

Our freedom struggle is replete with instances of strategic use of magazines and newspapers by nationalists to mobilize the masses.

However, the key difference in media-savviness between the saints and leaders of the yore and of present day Babas lies in the motives.

Today it is more of mass manipulation through mass communication. And in an era of TRPs and circulation-driven ad. Revenues mass leaders cannot be ignored.

As to the question of seclusion in the private lives of contemporary leaders. It finds no place in their universe of ideas. Seclusion has always been the price of greatness, of spirituality.
Now with greatness, spirituality and self-abnegation at discount, wither seclusion???

Buddha and Christ : comrades in Spirit

Buddha and Christ are avatars of the same Truth. Both are masters of compassion. Masters who chose to cosuffer with fellow human beings.

Their sympathies were broad enough to encompass not only friends but also foes.
Forgiveness was their life-blood. Forgiving `seventy-times-seven` was their unwritten dictum.
Self-suffering their mantra and nonviolence their creed.

It was the prod of suffering which made Siddarth make the Great Enquiry. Made a Buddha out of a prince.

Though little is known about Jesus’s motivations and his Great Enquiry, a general understanding is that it was as mystical as Buddha’s.

The Sermon on the Mount of Christ is almost Buddhist in its moral tones. Loving the neighbour and forgiving unconditionally are cornerstone of his teachings.

The path of Enlightment of Gautam the Buddha is well-etched historically. His disenchantment with the trappings of the world, his abandonment for the Big Search, his steely resolve to find the Noble Truth (`..though fleeting flesh and bones dissolve, I will leave this posture nevermore`), his mistakes of Sadhna and his Boddhisattva are so well recorded.

The spiritual life of Christ is, however, shrouded in mystery. We gather from strands of information strewn in the Bible that Christ was a mystic.
Before the start of his mission he was baptized by John. It can be interpreted as an initiation into a spiritual tradition. That this tradition was esoteric is well brought about by his mystical injunctions.
Sample a few :
· The Kingdom of God is within you.
· If therefore thine eyes be single thy body shall be full of light
· Know ye not that you are gods

However unlike Gautam the Buddha not much is known about the mystical practises of Jesus the Christ.

Both prophets were tested by Satan and both emerged successfully from the test.
Christ faced temptation from Satan when he fasted for fourty days on Mount Sinai. Later he spurned the Satan.
Buddha was tempted by Mara the Satan and remained steadfast.

Today the spirit of these two great masters still lives on in the hearts of their followers.
A Martin Luther King, a Nelson Mandela, a Gandhi and a Dalai Lama still carry their light of nonviolence and forgiveness onwards.