What A. Bansal Thinks

S o I watched ' Dhadak ' this weekend. Booking the tic kets itself was an act of valor as the movie had received widely negative reviews. But contrary to the popular opinion, I found the rom com worth watching and worth my time. The main plus point of the movie is its genre. With the Bollywood wildly romanticizing the genres of biopics and nationalism, I must say, the movie brings with itself a breath of fresh air.   The story revolves around  two young passionate lovers who find themselves trapped in the hierarchy of the society and ultimately fall victim to it.   What shook me to the very core was the ending of the movie. There was a stunned silence in the  theater, as everyone's mind was blown away with the harsh reality of ' Honor killing' . After watching the movie, a person feels nothing but sorry for the society and for the people living in it .  Over the years, we have fabricated for ourselves such a large number of traditions, values and mora

'They all started together with the aim of cracking PMT (Pre Medical Test), they studied together, even went to the same coaching institute. Every one was a MBBS aspirant and loved to be called one. Then, the moment of truth happened and some got admission in MBBS while others opted for alternate systems of medicine like Ayurveda , Homeopathy or Unani .' This summarizes the entry of medical students in the various systems of medicine in India . The ultimate aim of any system of medicine is to cure illness. But for getting to a remedy, one needs to understand the root cause of the problem and for apprehending the problem, one needs to understand the normal functioning of the body. This is what forms the basis of the curriculum for every system of medicine. While the physiology and pathology of human body is constant and has to be taught alike in every course, it is the cure that is based on different principles and beliefs and this is what segregates different system

Recently I was watching Rajkumar Rao 's " Bose - Dead or Alive ". Rao , as usual, was phenomenal in his work. But the scene that caught my attention was the introductory scene of Bose ' babu ' where he beats up a professor after the later forces the students to remove all the 'totems' in order to 'liberate' them from their superstitions. This took me back to my school days. Enrolled in a Convent Missionary school, once we got a circular instructing us to remove all the sacred objects or symbols like threads , lockets , bracelets etc. by the next day, failure of which would attract an invitation from the Principal's office. Next day was the much anticipated inspection from the baptized heads of the institution. It was quite Ironical to notice a person in a vestment with a cross around his neck instructing/forcing the students to remove all the totems as there is no real power attached to these objects.  ' Practice what you preach

"The Indian elite is a system where there is a 100 percent reservation for its own genetic material." - Manu Joseph, New York times. Bollywood is alleged to be the flag bearer of Nepotism . What is Nepotism ? The word usually surfaces when any actor from a lineage of 'Stars' is given a break in Bollywood . According to Oxford it is the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. In my opinion Bollywood is a scapegoat. Why to blame Bollywood ? India has been a flag bearer of Nepotism for centuries. The practice started when Kings used to declare their son as heir to the throne of their kingdom. The practice is still prevalent in England where currently Prince Charles is next in line to the British throne . Modern India is a product of Nepotism . It prevails in every field - from the Gandhi clan in politics to the Tatas , Birlas and Ambanis in the field of business. In his book &

The whole controversy around the movie 'Padmavati' has sparked a variety of debates in this 'secular' nation.  While some of the opinions are acceptable and are valid, many of them are mere bogus allegations. Amidst all this chaos, a word that has surfaced is - Jauhar. What is ' Jauhar  ' ? Tracing its roots from the Arabic translation of the Persian word, 'Jivhar', meaning jewel or merit, it is the practice of mass self-immolation by women to avoid capture, enslavement and rape by any foreign invaders, when facing certain defeat during a war. Jauhar was common among Rajput women and the Rajput community considers it as an act of valour and takes pride in it. But the Pandora's box of opinions has something else to offer. One amongst many of these questioned the practice of Rajput queens to commit ' Jauhar  '. They are asserting that choosing death over life is not an option and life is all about struggle. But, wha

The Supreme Court of India has declared triple talaq as unconstitutional in a judgement which is being considered as a milestone for women empowerment.  This decision will help many muslim women to abstain from a life, which is at mere will of her husband's speech.  So, this decision, in a way prevents muslim women from leading a life of 'half widow'. But, what about those women who are forced to live a pathetic life as widows due to death of their husbands?  If you are into news, you would be fully ' unaware ' where I am going with this , because no news channel cares about them. Yes! What about the empowerment of Hindu women who lead a terrible life after the death of their husbands !! If you visit Mathura , Vrindavan or Radhakund , you will surely notice, women in white, singing bhajans, relentlessly in temples and ashrams, sometimes continuously for 7-8 hours.  At first, one is quite impressed by their dedication towards Lord, but if one digs

A widespread chaos has spread in Northern India with the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a case of sexual assault. This has put the credibility of Gurus in different parts of the country to test. Foreign media is questioning how a modern India could be in thrall of these self-styled godmen or Gurus . Here are some excerpts from the coverage of this event by international media houses - BBC - "How a divided India fuelled the rise of the gurus?" Washington Post - "If anything, however, the situation in Panchkula illustrates how intractable the guru world remains in India’s globalizing social and political circles.” France24 - “Like other thousands of gurus in India, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is, above all, a powerful man.” Australia's ABC -   “Some Indian holy men can summon thousands of supporters on to the streets. Their systems of patronage and sermons are hugely popular with people who think the government has failed them.” So, let&