Terrific innovation - Lifestraw

I'm starting a new series on what I think to be great innovations of our time. First off the block is the 'LifeStraw'.

Aimed at making clean drinking water available to the poor nations of the world, the LifeStraw is a simple but effective device. Using LifeStraw, users can simply suck water from the dirtiest of waters, but drink 99.9% clean water because of the device's unique filtration system.

By making safe drinking water more available, LifeStraw will fight potentially deadly health issues such as Cholera, Dysentery and Typhoid. LifeStraw could also be a lifesaver in disaster relief. Fresh drinking water was a huge concern for victims of the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.

LifeStraw could provide much needed water to victims of future disasters. And, as if this technology wasn't already cool enough -- it's actually affordable, too. For an estimated price of around $2 to $3, one LifeStraw can filter as much as 185 gallons of water. That's one person's required supply for an entire year!

Need a James Bond car

The other day, I was discussing traffic woes in Bangalore with my friends over lunch. Sure, everything looks chaotic, but here's one way of navigating through easily.

What if you had a James Bond car? With missiles and bullets at your disposal at the flick of a button?

Just imagine, this scene - You are in a traffic jam. You can see an ambulance approaching from behind begging for clearance. You are on the right side and you somehow start moving towards the left to make way. However, there's a Qualis on the left lane trying to squeeze its way through. The ambulance is still blaring. The Qualis starts honking in frustration and just doesn't stop. He knows about the ambulance, but still honks. He gesticulates his fist towards you.

What if you had a bazooka missile which could vaporize that Qualis?

Think again.

The Hebbal flyover is in danger

Claimed as the largest flyover in South Asia, the Hebbal flyover is in danger of crashing.

I traverse through this piece of construction everyday and there isn't a time when the North-South ramp is not clogged with vehicles.

How much can it bear? The flyover is pounded by hundreds of thousands of heavy vehicles 18 hours a day, and in my estimation, for 8 hours, the flyover is burdened with traffic jams.

Stranded on the flyover, I have felt the flyover sway! It is very very scary.

I'm not a pessimist, but this is another example of a tragedy waiting to happen.

Om Shanti Om review

It was almost after 7 years that me and my wife saw a movie alone together. We were a touch uncomfortable without our two kids, but it was a nice experience of watching the whole movie without any breaks!

Farah Khan takes the cake in the OSO-Saawariya battle. OSO is a perfect Bollywood movie - very much like an Indian curry - a bit of everything - thoda si masti, thoda emotion, thoda drama and everything else in between.

By the time you exit the theatre, you feel fulfilled. At least that's how suckers-for-entertainment like me and my wife would feel. The movie does credit to the original re-incarnation story of all-time - Karz - which was a movie I grew up with. Even today when I see Karz, I'm subjected to goose-pimples, and it was Karz that put Rishi Kapoor in my list of the best actors hall of fame.

Shah Rukh Khan is benefitted by the script and screenplay - but for me, the poor guy is getting trapped in his own web of style. I feel he needs to de-energize at times and sober up a bit. Even his hamming gets arrogant.

But whatte story. The movie doesn't let its grip over the viewer even for a moment.

I wasn't impressed with Deepika till the second half. At the end, I would say that she has dum. Pretty face, but no hot bod - and only substantial roles will keep her alive in the industry. Talking of hot bods, you are given an opportunity of comparing Deepika during the Deewangi.. number. Shilpa, Tabu and Rekha - the mothers of oomph in Bollywood - make you realize that Deepika is merely a post with a bright lamp.

I thought the guest appearances were well thought and laid out. It's obvious that Farah Khan has quite a few frat-friends. And full credit to people like Shabana and Shubhash Ghai, for mimicking themselves. Manoj Kumar over-reacted.

Kirron Kher's depiction of 70's acting was superb to watch. Especially in one scene in the beginning, when OP Makhija comes home late and drunk, and the mother wakes up to say, 'tu aa gaya beta?'.

Shreyas Talpade didn't deserve this minuscule role - he's a treat to watch. Arjun Rampal finally found his groove in the baddie role, but his nostril flaring became a bit predictable.

Farah Khan built my expectation of guests so much, that I even thought that the climax will feature Simi Garewal - and that would have been interesting.

Songs are ok, and pale in comparison to the Saawariya scores - with the only exception of Ajab si. The 6-pack number, Dard-e-Disco is horribly choreographed - dancing in ankle-deep water looks amateurish.

The credits at the end of the movie is a nice tribute to the unsung heroes of Bollywood. But watch out for Shirish Kunder - Farah's hubby - who literally thought it was his chance to be identified as the next big thing.

Finally, maybe I'm a dha, but I realised the significance of the movie title, only towards the end....Om - Shanti - Om.

Saawariya review

I was with my entire family last Saturday to watch Saawariya at Vaibhav. My wife is a big SLB fan and she was excited from the time I had done the booking (a week in advance).

My son, aged 6, didn't want to come - he now thinks movies are boring - but we somehow managed to drag him along. And the movie proved his premonition.

The problem with Saawariya is that SLB got carried away by the SLB brand and tag. Grandeur if you must, but not at the cost of one of the two formulas that work in Bollywood - (a) masala or (b) story.

Another downside of pleasing-to-the-eye movies is that, after a while, you stop appreciating the beauty presented to you. The story is the king and unfortunately, Saawariya fails to manipulate the audience with any substance.

There are however, two saving graces - the music (oh so melodious) and Ranbir Kapoor (it's always nice to see raw talent). Sonam Kapoor, poor thing not her fault, is reduced to a terribly scripted role. She's got that confused look about her - maybe her true emotions came through there.

My personal favourite song of the movie - the qawwali, Yoon Shabnami.

My recommendation - watch it, but only once, but don't forget to grab a CD or download its mp3s.

All I want is a house - at any cost

My family and I were invited for a 'house-warming' ceremony yesterday. My distant cousin finally managed to buy a flat in one of the recently-sprung-up areas of Bangalore.

I was looking forward to visit this place, as I was curious to see the 'new' Bangalore. I should have known. Disappointing will be a mild word. Disgusting.

Crawling traffic, non-existent roads, no proper utility supply, difficult access to community services, zero access to medical care, well, I could go on.

And to think of it, flats in these new locales are selling like there's no tomorrow. Why? Blame it on the great real estate rush in Bangalore. Everyone dreams of having his own 4 walls - and will not mind these 'minor' inconveniences to be a home owner. Greed gets greater than sense.

And because nobody minds, nobody thinks of providing these basic necessities, and nobody even begins to plan to provide.

It's a viscious cycle. May even never be broken.

The Great Indian Con Job

As usual, I was driving to work today and on the way, I saw scores of people walking on the pavement moving in a singular direction - towards the Vidhana Soudha.

There must have been at least 10,000 people, and they were walking, coming in buses, trucks, tempos and other forms of transport. The occasion? Surely for the swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Karnataka.

I took a second look at the milling crowds - they didn't look like party workers at all. Matter of fact, they all were poor, haggard villagers, who have been herded into Bangalore to attend the political event.

This got me thinking. I made a mental list of facts:

1. These folks are not here for the love of the party or the new government.

2. They're here because their attendance is incentivized - either through cash or freebies like food, clothes, intoxicants, etc.

The above is true for any such political event. Parties need to show strength and the poor masses are an excellent and cheap resource for populating these events - either to display mass support or to make sure that the speaker doesn't address empty stands!

Now for some hypothesis - if all these 'attendees' were well-to-do, prosperous folks, would they take the trouble to come from far flung villages to attend an event they have no clue about?

Obviously not. I mean, if someone tells YOU to hop on to a truck and sit through heat and dust listening to a day-long political sermon, and in exchange, you will receive some money and clothes, would you?

Therefore, it makes complete sense for those ruling this country and its various states to sustain that valuable mass of resources. They know that as soon as prosperity seeps to that strata, they won't have anyone to bring for their rallies, political events and ceremonies.

So?

Keep that mass poor for as long as possible. That explains why we continue to remain one of the poorest countries in the world. And if the current system continues, we will remain there for eternity.

We keep hearing politicians and ministers talking of 'growth for all' and 'inclusive growth', but nothing is ever really done. Now I understand why.

I call this the Great Indian Con Job. But many erudites and intellectuals prefer calling this 'democracy'.

Unfortunately, the 10 pc growth that is being witnessed is only limited to the urban folks. Moreover, we're forced to live in a cocoon, built by newspapers, magazines and television.

The truth however is hidden in some obscure documentary that never makes it to mass media.

Finally, India today is perceived as a 1 billion people strong economy. But can someone tell me of that 1 billion, how many actually contribute to the economy and receive its benefits?