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9/29/11

9 reasons why Berly’s 9 reasons are not reasons at all or who is afraid of Prithviraj?

This is a longish post and might soon drive the reader to the point of absolute boredom. Still, I am attempting to venture on a somewhat boring dissection of Berly’spost on the Malayalam star Prithviraj. Since the author gave 9 reasons in favour of Prithviraj, I am offering 9 disagreements to these 9 reasons.

Prithviraj is not the first public figure who is subjected to abject sms-jokes or virtual criticism. We have an entire session on Seedi Haji which can even be qualified as a separate branch of literature. I don’t even want to start here on the number of Rajani jokes most of us get on an hourly or daily or at least weekly basis. Since someone attempted to lay out 10 (in fact 9) reasons to hate Prithviraj which in turn serve as a criticism to those who spread jokes on him, let me think on my foot and share with you my random thoughts!

I want to make a distinction here which is my disclaimer as well. This is not a post for or against Prithviraj. This, on the other hand, is a post on a post on Prithviraj.  I am not a die-hard Prithviraj fan. Nor am I an ardent-Prithviraj-Hater. I belong to that group who likes a good laugh. I belong to that group too, who stand tall for people who seek justice when their privacy and honour are violated. Since Berly’s post doesn’t kindle either of the emotions in me (for that matter, any), let me do a matter-of-fact analysis of the 9/10 existing reasons he has so humorously articulated.

As I already said, this is not an absolute “for” vs. absolute “against” write up on the star in question. Instead what I am attempting here is to offer 9 reasons why the 9 reasons the author gave are not reasons at all. These are my disagreements with the banal nature of the reasons the author gave.

One can take this also as an exercise of commonsense. What I share here is the opinions that many of us expressed while laughing such jokes off over a coffee or over office breaks.

1.      Author’s reason: Prithviraj (hereafter referred to as P) publically announced that he is not in love with a journalist and later married one. He didn’t seek blessings or fall at the feet of his fans/audience

My disagreement: I don’t think it matters much to the Malayali audience whether P married a journalist after having denied such a relationship before. What P wants to share with public and what he doesn’t is a matter of his personal choice. At this point in history, we all do admit and adore personal choices and freedom. But what appears as unacceptable is that while denying this, P made a seemingly intellectual allegation against media. He brought in issues of media responsibility and media ethics which were unnecessary. One can deny or hush up one’s personal affairs, love life and personal secrets in an urge to protect one’s own privacy. What’s wrong in it!! But why a story-length unnecessary verbal exercise on ethics and responsibility? Isn’t that gimmicking something that pisses people off?


2.      Author’s reason:  P speaks good English

My disagreement: He speaks English well; many of us do. Good or bad is a question of relativity. But I genuinely don’t think most people have a problem with that. We are accustomed to stars speaking English. Take a good watch at the full-length-drama filled Coffee with Karan series!! We have veteran scholars like Narendra Prasad. Not to mention young stars like Reema Kallingal, Archana Kavi etc etc!!!And we have stars who went abroad, settled there for a while and later came back. And stars who went abroad and never came back.  Who is jealous of abroad-return stars? Who is afraid of Metro bred stars and abroad-educated ones? If we have to compare P only in relation to stars who do not speak English, that is reductionism. If we look at the larger industry picture, then there are stars, speaking English left right and centre. And nobody makes a case for those who speak English. Nobody makes a case for those who don’t either! Why should the author? One a lighter note, has anyone ever applauded, off screen or on screen, the pronunciation accuracy of Suresh Gopi!!!!



3.      Author’s reason : P has a good body

My disagreement: Of course he does. We enjoy watching good bodies on screen. We lament when our so called superstars’ beer bellies came jumping off the screen. That is not a trend initiated by P, neither in Molliwood nor in Bolliwood. A good body is the demands of the current industry so that one will not be shown the door. P is only doing what he has to do, to keep himself in the industry. Also, aren’t we used to watching six-packed-stars, increasingly now that the Bollyood-Kollywood-Molliwood or whatever wood division is being eroded?

4.      Author’s reason: P answered questions with clarity and exhibited general knowledge.

My disagreement: Are you referring to the same interview that many of us watched? If yes, then our standards of clarity and general knowledge differ. I am persuaded to think that mutual ego massaging is considered as clarity and general knowledge in some parts of the world.

5.      Author’s reason: He filed a case against those who “stole” Urumi

My disagreement: The idea that piracy is staling is long been thrown out of the window. Piracy is something that is set into motion with a particular digital culture.  Piracy culture is not seen as “bad” or “good” these days. On the other hand there are arguments that go in favour of piracy as piracy is an act of releasing something that is considered as “privately regulated”. There are views that see piracy culture as posing a challenge to the state regulations. Also piracy is the cyber way of negotiating with digital spaces. Why reducing piracy to good or bad question at all? There are Intellectual Property laws to protect one’s copyright interests. P made use of it. Well and good. Why should the author bring in a moral comment on that?

6.      Author does not have a 6th reason. So don’t I.


7.      Author’s reason: P reads books and talks about books

 My disagreement: I agree with the general argument of the author here that there is a particular way we are tempted to look down on people who read and talk about books. But let me be case specific. What P chooses to read is his personal interest. What P reads does not place him above or below anyone. That cannot be a general standard of sophistication either. I might find P interesting because he reads certain books. Another person may find a star who is into real estate interesting. A third person might find an actor who is into dancing interesting. What’s the big deal?  Why should we think that it should be a general universal criterion? “Fan-hood” or “Fan-dom” as they call it these days does not operate based on such standards of sophistication at all. Also, why should we glorify the personal reading habit of someone who is an ardent advocate of personal space and secrecy? Just as much his marriage should not matter to the general public, his reading habits should also not!!

8.      Author’s reason: He is into industry for the last 10 years and not even 30 yet!!

My disagreement: Come on, look at Daniel Radcliff and Emma Watson. They are into industry for 11 years and not even 25 yet!!!

9.      Author’s reason: He continues to give interviews despite the anti-Prithvi- wave!!

My disagreement: Cinema is his bread, man!! If he has to continue in the industry he has to ignore such things, which he is doing. What is so great about it? This is what all our stars did in the past and are doing in the present.  Haven’t we seen stars who went through great scandals and extreme stigma and yet chose to fight and remain in the industry? That is no news!

10.  Author’s reason: Aged stars and Torrent Downloads

My disagreement: The point about piracy culture is discussed in one of the p points above. I shall not detail it again.

About the “aged” stars acting as youngsters and college goers! One of P’s celebrated arguments is that stars should choose roles that suit their age. That point is well taken! He can even give examples of Robert Redford and Richard Gere of whoever! But let me point towards the short-sighted-ness of P’s argument here. His criticism is always based on the male stars. What about female stars who can’t remain in the industry because they lost their charm/youth? If Richard Gere or Robert Redford acted at the age of 40/50/60 as aged characters, there were equally aged Merryl Streep and Demi Moore who supported the plot. Does our industry give a space to female stars who get aged so that they can be on-screen companions to our aging super stars?  Why does P, who is so concerned about the male actors acting young, not talk about such gender biases? Is the author really too short-sighted to see this?
At the end o all this one question remains, who is afraid of Prithviraj!!!

Note from the blog authour: For a change I am allowing a guest post ;)






9/16/11

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The very thought of Virginia Wolf and Sylvia Plath evokes both hatred and compassion in me. (Now don’t ask me why and I am not going to explain it either.) At some point I even used to believe that Leonard Wolf and Hughes are angels and they didn’t deserve all the agony and woes.

I never wanted to place myself in any of these miserable souls’ shoes. But life had different plans for me. There were times when I lived the lives of Wolf and Sylvia forcefully and played the roles of Hughes and Mr. Wolf willingly.

The Sylvia Wolf path was designed for the tough ones and I realized I neither have the integrity nor the depth to tread the path. When the realization hit me I changed my game plan and started searching for a Sylvia Wolf to whom I can play Hughes and Mr. Wolf. And finally when I found one, especially after going through the hell with in the Sylvia Wolf being, I learned no Leonard and Hughes can contain any Sylvia Wolf. I had to stop this hatred game and accept the fact neither Leonard or Hughes are angels.

The fact is that the world has only two kinds of people-those who think Leonard and Hughes are self made angels and Wolf and Sylvia are madnesses that none can contain.

(No gay reading to this post will be tolerated)