A glass of steaming milky syrupy tea is best served cut. One by two or two by three, it embodies the spirit of sharing and camaraderie (and more significantly a resource crunch). Come, have a sip.
The last ad of this series was released in April 2007 - the very catchy and wonderfully executed Hindustan Ka Dil Dekho ad for Madhya Pradesh Tourism (Incredible India). And in May 2009 comes another memorable ad. Some feel that the the first one was better and don't think much of the new TVC. I beg to differ, a little.
Like the last time Cutting the Chai is the first to put up the ad on the internet (I checked).
Hindustan Ka Dil Dekho was more like an ad showcasing the wonders of the state of Madhya Pradesh and inviting people to come visit. This time, the theme is similar but with a little twist, it is not an invitation for MP Tourism but an endorsement (dekho to dekha), a kind of a first person account. And the bioscope makes way for a pair of very expressive (and continually moving) eyes.
This new jingle is also very catchy, quite like the last, and would make for a good ringtone. Preview and download if you like:
I had twitted about this a few days back, but since the readers of this blog far outnumber my followers on Twitter, thought it was worth the while to post about it here.
The YouTube video player has some features that would save us the bother of moving the fingers to the mouse and then move the cursor to click the buttons/icons.
A click of a key on the keyboard while watching a YouTube video can perform some simple (and oft needed) functions.
A little list of useful YouTube keyboard shortcuts/commands:
Decisive - that's the word they are using to describe the Congress' (and the UPA's) victory in the 15th General Elections. Though the Election Commission is still a while away to declare the final results, the writing on the wall is in bold capital letters - MANMOHAN SINGH WILL BE PM FOR 5 MORE YEARS, and I hope he does.
Though the campaigning by the Gandhi family, especially Rahul played a major role (as evident from the party's performance in Uttar Pradesh), it was the image of the incumbent Prime Minister and the prime ministerial candidate that made people reaffirm their belief in the Grand Old Party.
As much as it is a win for the Congress, it is also a defeat for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies. Politics of hatred might work at the local level, but when it comes to the national politics Indians have higher expectations from its leaders. And the personal attacks also seem to have backfired. The lesson for the BJP here is that it first needs to build a strong leadership, at this juncture Lal Krishna Advani doesn't seem to be the Prime Ministerial candidate for the next General Elections. And they shouldn't even think of Narendra Modi, the Modi magic turned out to be a hoax in the larger national arena and the Gujarat Riots of 2002 has tarnished his image for ever. Even dollops of development cream can't remove the ugly scars.
The party needs to develop a strong leadership, a leadership that Indians would not directly associate with its rightist leanings, someone like Atal Bihari Vajpayee (but who speaks with fewer pauses). The problem is who will it be?
While the BJP ponders over its leadership woes, it should also start rebuilding its image. And for starters that can play the role of constructive opposition instead of the usual disruptive and rabble rousing tricks that they employ inside and outside the House.
The next five years are very important for the BJP as they have a lot of undoing to do and the Congress would have already started projecting Rahul Gandhi as the candidate for the PM's post for the 2014 elections. They need to counter the Rahull factor too.
Though I admire Manmohan Singh, I sometime wish, like so many other Indians, that he was a little more assertive in speech. Sometimes words (and how you say them) are as important as the deeds that they articulate. But this is SMS's day, his stand on the Nuclear Deal was in a way ratified by the electorate.
Though a UPA win was expected, the numbers even surprised the Congress. Their internal calculations had given them a far lesser figure. About the exit polls, they weren't as off the mark as 2004, but the margin of error was big. I think it Dorab Sopariwala on NDTV who came the closest.
Congress sweeping Delhi 7-0 was also expected and the margins of victory are also impressive.
Having assembly elections with the General Elections undermines the importance of the Legislative Assemblies atleast in the national media. Though I believe that it should be the general practice, as it would save crores of public money.
The 2009 General Elections would be remembered for another thing - the beating that the Left got in its bastions West Bengal and Kerala. It was a long time coming. Nowadays ideologies seem to be a disposable commodity and clinging on to it might not always translate into votes. Beliefs should be firm, but at the same time flexible to meet the needs of the changing world. Else the world would just leave you behind.
Coming back to Manmohan Singh. It is unlikely that he would fight the next elections, though technically he didn't fight this one too (for a Lok Sabha seat), but the good gentleman should deliver what the common Indian expects of him. A clean and efficient Prime Minister is not enough, what India and Indians want is a corruption free and smoothly functioning administration. I know it is a tough task but someone sitting on the most powerful post is expected to work hard.
The Congress should also refrain from populist measures, they might be good for votes but not for the economy, that is slowly trying to recuperate.
Though I want to write a lot more, but after spending 15-hours inside a chilly television studio, working, I think my body deserves some rest. Moreover the head also doesn't seem to be working right. 2014 will be a far more interesting fight, provided the BJP plans it right.
This surrogate advertisement for AC Black Whisky (displayed product was AC Black Apple Juice) had stirred up a bit of controversy in the early 2000s. The TVC was subsequently taken off air.
A man takes a sip of Aristocrat Black Apple Juice/Whisky and looks at an attractive woman on the other side of the room, and her neckline gets lower and diminishes with every sip.
As he sips for the kill, he finds his shirt open. The woman is also playing the same game. The tagline says, Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai (Anything is possible).
The agency is JointArms Communication and the company Jagatjit Industries Limited.
Print ad:
Another memorable ad from the AC Black Series was one where a waitress is collecting empty glasses and a man and a woman place their 'AC Black Apple Juice' glasses on the tray side by side. And while the waitress carries away the tray, the glasses collide and so do the man and woman. As the glasses sway, the two begin to dance. And when the waitress turns on the tap to wash the glasses, it starts to rain. The rain dance continues as the glasses get washed and finally when the glasses are placed side by side to dry, the couple freeze in their dance posture.
[This ad was requested by Sanjay from Bangalore. Thanks Sanjay, for reminding me of this.]
Imagine on a rainy night you open the door and find Katrina Kaif drenched in a white saree (in typical Bollywood style) asking if she could seek shelter from the rain.
Though the advertisement says Old Admiral Aqua Pura packaged drinking water, like most such ads, it is a surrogate ad for Radico Khaitan's Old Admiral Brandy. The tagline reads, Har Pal Ka Saathi (A companion for all times).
In the background the lilting duet originally sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein from the 1974 film Ajnabee plays.
The music's by RD Burman and lyrics penned by Anand Bakshi. The sensuous rain number was picturised on Rajesh Khanna and Zeenat Aman (dressed, not in a white saree, but in an almost white dress that I think is a maxi).
10.7 of the Election Commission's A guide for the Voters [PDF link] clearly mentions that "Photography of a voter casting vote is prohibited." But the Election Commission's own website carries an image of a woman casting her vote on an electronic voting machine [Link].
And if photographing a voter casting his/her vote is a punishable offence (should be under Section 128 of Representation of People Act, 1951 [PDF link]) then action should be initiated against Getty Images and their photographer covering the polling in Guwahati, Assam, for these images: [1] [2] [3].
The producers wanted some controversy around the Jana-Gana-Rann title song for Ram Gopal Varma's upcoming film Rann [Official website], and they've got it. Though some newspapers (surprisingly) treated it differently.
Update: The Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) has refused permission for / banned the airing of the controversial Jana-Gana-Rann song. This also means that the promo cannot be screened at theatres.
The two trailers/promos for Rann are essentially the same only the text in the beginning and the end are a little different.
The purpose of the National Anthem is to incite patriotism amongst the citizens, and in these troubled times the Jana-Gana-Rann rendition is appropriate. There is no point praising the motherland where most things are not right, rather the feeling needs to be awakened that there is a lot wrong and it will get worse if we do not make amends. This song does precisely that. And we should brush the controversies aside and listen to this heart-stirring number.
All said and done, Jana-Gana-Rann is an amazing piece. The kind that makes your hair stand on its end. Not sure who The lyricist for the particular song is Saarim Momin or Prashant Pandey. For the music, it is one of these four: Amar Mohile, Bapi-Tutul, Sanjeev Kohli or Jayesh Gandhi.
The last RGV movie I liked was Sarkar and am looking forward to Rann. Hope he betters Sarkar this time (the sequel Sarkar Raj was pale in comparison).
In his director's note RGV says:
Rann means battle. And battle is a fight between large organised forces. In the context of a civil society and its deep complexities, large organised forces (read news channels, political parties and industrial czars) are not just involved in a fight with each other, but more importantly and frighteningly, they are battling a war within themselves and this is especially true of news channels.
Making news is not the easiest thing in the world. So the next best thing obviously would be to make anything and everything appear to be news.
The way the news are presented today are much more entertaining than family soaps and thril-ers. What's worse is that we enjoy this kind presentation so much that we have got addicted to them.
There is the government - a system which runs the country, then there are wealth creators like industrialists etc and then there are politicians in the ruling party and the opposition.
All the above in a democratic society are supposed to be working for the common people and the one and only means of the common people having any idea as to what those are up to is through the media. Hence the media has been invented as a truth telling machinery serving the purpose of the common people so that they know they are in good hands or in case they are told that are not, they can hope to exercise the power of their vote to bring about a change.
But in free economy system where there is so much competition the media by default is lost in its purpose.
The media is a reporting agency. It reports news. News is what is new. New is what you hear for the first time. So to be able to be the first to tell you the various newspapers and channels have an intense competition among themselves and this they do on a need to survive, on an ego to be on the top and on a greed to get rich.
To be ahead of competition means more circulation and higher TRPs which in turn generate more and more ad revenue which will translate into making more and more and more money.
Also the fact that in the process the people who run the media realise their power of influencing the common people inevitably makes them power hungry.
To sum up, Rann would expose the behind-the-scenes truth of how a truth telling machinery by the very virtue of its positioning has no choice but to corrupt itself to become a money-making and power-brokering enterprise.
He has a point. Doesn't he?
Here's the lyrics for the song (English translation included):
Jana-Gana-Rann
Jana Gana Mana Rann Hai Is Rann MeinZakhmi Hua Hai Bharat Ka Bhaagya Vidhaata
Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha
Ek Doosre Se Ladd Ke Mar Rehein Hain Is Desh Ne Humjko Ek Kiya Hum Desh Ke Tukdey Kar Rahein Hain
Khoon Bahaa Ker Ek Rang Kar Diya Humne Tiranga
Sarhadon Pe Jung Aur Galiyon Mein Fasaad Danga
Vindh Himachal Yamuna Ganga Men Tezaab Ubal Raha Hain
Mar Gaya Sab Ka Zameer Jan Kab Zinda Ho Aagey
Phot Bhi Tava Shubha Name Jaage Tav Shubh Aashish Maange
Aag Mein Jal Kar Cheekh Raha Hai Phir Bhi Koi Sach Ko Nahi Bachaata
Gahe Tava Jaya Gaatha
Desh Ka Aisa Haal Hain Lekin Aapas Mein Ladd Rahein Neta
Jana Gana Mangal Daayak Jaya Hai
Bharat Ko Bachale Vidhaata
Jay Hai Yeh Marann Hai Jana Gana Mana Rann Hai
English Translation
There is battle in every mind And in this battle the future Of India is wounded
Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha
Are fighting amongst and killing each other This country made us one And in return we are breaking it into pieces The Dravidians, the Orissa, the Bengal
By shedding blood, we have turned the Tricolour into one just bloody colour
Battles ablaze on the borders While riots burn down our lanes
Acid is boiling in Himachal Yamuna Ganga
Dead is our conscience Who knows when it will come back to life
Yet we chant god's name praying For his blessings
The truth screams as it burns in fire Without a saviour for it
Yet we sing the victory song
This is the state our country is in And the leaders fight within
The salvation of all the people waits in your hand
Oh God! Please save India
Is this victory or is this death? There is a battle in every mind
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order has released a video "recovered from the possession of a dead LTTE terrorist by the 58 Division during ground advances made into general area South of Vellamullivaikkal."
Since the original file posted on the www.defence.lk website was an unwieldy 14 MB WMV file, I've reprocessed it in a more web-friendly format.
Sri Lankan authorities assert that the video proves "LTTE's use of civilians as forced labour."
"The video shows footage of terrorists in civilian attire firing at both security forces and fleeing hostages by a pedal gun fixed to an armour-plated 'Unicorn' type vehicle. In the background, civilians brought to build earth bunds are forced to camouflage the vehicle with leaves and branches. The video clearly shows another LTTE cameraman who is positioned to video any form of military retaliation towards the terrorists, taking cover among the civilians brought to forced labour. This is what they do and this is the very sort of footage extracted by international media to carry spread the LTTE's spin on the ground reality."
The Lankan government has also published images from 'Prabhakaran's family album': Album 1 | Album 2
The last ad of this series was released in April 2007 - the very catchy and wonderfully executed Hindustan Ka Dil Dekho ad for Madhya Pradesh Tourism (Incredible India). And in May 2009 comes another memorable ad. Some feel that the the first one was better and don't think much of the new TVC. I beg to differ, a little. 
I had 
Ever since the ads started airing during the ongoing IPL season, everyone everywhere is gushing about them. And they are indeed cute.
