V for Vendetta

Remember, remember, the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot...
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot...

I must admit... I really wouldn't have bothered to see this one if not for the incessant pestering by the potato.... and now that i've seen it I'm kinda thankful he did...

When I first saw the trailer for this movie more than a year ago, I was pretty much sure that this was just another obscure comic book trying to make some money in tinsel town.. Even the star of the movie seemed very goofy to me.. Now that I've finally seen the movie I have to admit I was being way to judgemental... Hugo Weaving (Smith from the Matrix trilogy) plays the elusive V, a vigilante out to seek justice from the future police state that is England...Even though he never shows his face through out the entire movie, the powerful tones of his voice really convey the entire essence of his tale... the subtle undertones of the movie are what really turns you on...there is more than one reference to the "former United States" in the movie... Natalie Portman's role in the movie takes the audience through the life of an everyday person living in the almost fascist state of the (hopefully, very very distant) future... Her chance meeting with V changes her outlook on life and turns her from the timid push over citizen to someone willing to change the system....

All in all, well worth a watch... Have you seen this movie, yet ? If so, post a comment to tell me if you liked it (you'll either love it or hate it..).. If not, y not take a chance with the movie with the goofy looking super hero

:)

The Indian Awakens

I'm half way through reading Amartya Sen's acclaimed best seller "The Argumentative Indian", and I must admit, I am more than impressed with this collection of 16 essays. The essays focus on the history of India, how India is viewed from outside, how India is viewed from within and what India can become given the history that India has had. Throughout the book, Dr. Sen talks about the argumentative tradition of the Indian people - a tradition, which he believes, is the reason for the outstanding success of India's democracy. He talks about the historical significance of this argumentative tradition in the resolution of differences of opinion. He traces this history to the time of the great Mauryan emperor Ashoka and his nation wide "conferences" on the Buddhist faith. This is a tradition, Dr Sen says, continued in the time of the Mughal empire and further on in pre and post independence India.

Dr Sen's critical analysis on the life and time of Rabindranath Tagore and the wisdom behind his opinions on India and his championing of the need for argumentative introspection, are definitely worth a read. Also interesting is Dr Sen's examination of Pandit Nehru's "Tryst with destiny" and how the Indian nation still have some way to go before we meet the pledges that were taken just before the midnight of August 14, 1947.

Bottom line:
This book is definitely a must-read for anyone who thinks he or she knows anything about India. I guarantee it will be an eye opener and I'm sure more than one myth about India will end up shattered in your mind.