A Billion Votes, A Billion Hopes in 2019 (Part 2): Iss Baar Fir, Kiski Sarkaar…

“Iss baar Modi ka Wapis aana mushkil hai”! (This time its difficult for Modi to return to power) claimed a grocery shopkeeper. The other customer standing on the counter responded “Mushkil to hai… Par aayega firse Modi.. Baaki sab chor hai” (Yes its difficult.. But still Modi will return – Rest are thieves). These market conversations in India are sometimes the best indicator of the winds in Indian elections context, mostly better than the experts predicting the biggest festival of Democracy in the world. With around 90 Crore voters, Indian elections are biggest Democratic event across the globe, and to put it in context the most complicated one keeping in mind that Indian is referred as a sub-continent with most heterogeneous population.


5 Years back when Modi was campaigning for BJP as a PM candidate, I had mentioned that out of various challenges he would face, the biggest would be to live upto the expectations he was setting up amongst the public at large in case he wins. After the historic mandate BJP won in 2014, Modi has been tirelessly working to deliver on those expectations he had set up – But he should have expected this when he was promising the moon to the electorate 5 years back. Modi might still like to take the credit that one thing which has remained constant is that 5 years back the elections revolved around him as a challenger, 5 years later the entire elections again revolve around Modi – This time as an incumbent – This happens to be the biggest challenge in a country like India where anti-incumbency is generally stronger than pro-incumbency, especially at Centre.

After having followed the campaigning for last several months, it would be safe to say that though the country is voting to select 543 Members to the Parliament, essentially barring a few states in South India, almost on every seat people are voting either For or Against Modi. Like 2014, elections have again been converted into a presidential contest. The Big difference is that the opposition has made certain strategic partnerships to corner the NDA government in certain key states like UP, Bihar and Karnataka in addition to the fact that BJP is facing anti-incumbency in several Hindi heartland states where it lost power to Congress in recent state polls. Understanding the challenge at hand, the BJP has worked on a two prong strategy – To try and retain maximum possible seats in the North and West where it almost swept las time and gain in North East, West Bengal and Orrisa to compensate for its losses in the heartland states.

Buoyant Congress is expecting to make gains under more confident Rahul from its 44 tally in 2014 from the states where it won in recent state elections and with some pacts it has sealed with DMK, TDP and RJD. Non NDA and non UPA regional parties are again very optimistic with likes of Mayawati, Akhilesh hopeful of Mahagathbandan in UP (BSP joining hands with SP and RLD), Mamta in West Bengal, YSR in Andhra, Naveen Patnaik in Orrisa, KCR hoping TRS clean sweep in Telangana are all hoping to get maximum seats in their respective states to be in a position to call the shorts in case NDA was unable to get past the magic 272 mark. Out of these, the Key state which is likely to make the most impact to this 3rd front fortunes as well as the fortune of NDA is Uttar Pradesh which sends maximum 80 MP’s to parliament. After getting drubbing in 2014 LS polls and later in 2017 State elections, regional heavy weights joined hand to put a formidable counter to Modi-Yogi pair in UP as their joint total exceeds the BJP votes in both last elections in many constituencies. NDA seems mentally prepared to lose from its historic 73 seats in 2014 in the state, the only thing nobody can ascertain before 23rd May is the extent of this loss – This along with the gains BJP can make in Bengal and Orrisa will decide the fate of next Government.

NDA has tried to intervene multiple threads to woo voters this time and pacify the unhappy ones. It has again projected Modi as Messiah of honesty, integrity and strong leader country can bank on. Alongside they have run parallel themes to consolidate their supporters through Hindutva, National security (Balakot – which found maximum mention in entire campaign), foreign policy success and development initiatives in terms of last mile delivery of their schemes – namely Ujjala (Gas for women), Swatch Bharat, Ayush Bharat (Healthcare scheme launched), direct transfer to farmers, bank accounts for poor, huge boost in Infrastructure – It has really touched the lives of Indians in one way or the other. To Modi’s credit, he has managed to run a fairly clean Government, much better than the UPA’s 2009-14 rule especially on corruption and inflation, which were key in the rout of the UPA in 2014. This coupled with its development initiatives has helped it convert anti-incumbency into a pro-incumbency to a very large extent. On the flip side, Unemployment, healthcare, and rural farmers distress were areas where it is getting negative feedback from many quarters – Only if opposition could focus more sharply on these rather than going with “Chowkidar Chor Hai” on Rafale, which due to lack of facts did not resonate with the masses and backfired in terms of “Main Bhi Chowkidar” campaign led by Modi from the forefront.

Kautilya had written if opposition gangs up against the ruler, be assured he is an honest one! This time opposition seems hell bent to remove Modi – hardly giving a credible Alternate. Only 23rd May will tell if our Chowkidar gets another term to build on the base he has prepared to make India a stronger developed nation or if the Chowkidar is changed for being a “Jumlebaaz”. But personally having interactions with fellow countrymen in last 6 months and closely monitoring public reactions through various platforms in last 3 months post Balakot, one should not be surprised if we have not yet picked the ground level support in favour of Modi – Which could translate into a similar or even a better outcome for NDA as compared to their performance in 2014. If that was the case, hope Modi 2.0 will be even better for our nation.

We will get our answer soon, but hope the results bring the best contender to Delhi and may God give him the strength to run our country more efficiently and make it a global superpower. Jai Hind!

A Billion Votes, A Billion Hopes : Abki Baar, Kiski Sarkaar…

“Iss Baar lagta hai Modi nahi Ruk Payega”… There was a silence for around 20 seconds. I paused while moving ahead to hear the response of the other person as sometimes the road side discussions provide answers to the most complex questions of the Indian politics. “Par usko Rukna chahiye bhi nahi, iss baar Desh ko uski Zarurat hai”… There was no rhetoric, no jingoism and no greed, but both these statements covered in totality the plethora of feelings running across the masses this time outlining the crux and baseline of the biggest festival of Indian Democracy which is currently on.

This election seems different on several counts than what we may have ever seen before. With communication medium exploding like never before, we may not have seen this earlier in terms of coverage and eye for detail. 24 Hour news channels, print media, radio stations, social media and the internet have made it more special, more intensely fought battle.

The most elections earlier have been centered on the ruling Govt, with most opposition parties ganging against the incumbent; but this election sees a peculiar trend where the ruling front is almost falling over every party requesting them to stop a “Person”. These elections have become a referendum on this “person”. The 2014 polls have boiled down to either you are with him or against him and the person in question is the BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Damodardas Modi. Some see him as a mass leader with modest background of a tea seller; being a progressive visionary with excellent execution skills. Then there are others who see him as an authoritarian divisive leader who is a threat to the secular fabric of this nation. The latter feel that Minorities would not be comfortable under such a leader and this has already started a process of minority consolidation against BJP, which has in turn started process of counter consolidation in many areas thus making election polarized taking the development talk in the background. But you may like him or hate him, the fact of 2014 is you just cannot ignore him. And to be fair to him, you also need to give him credit for the aggressive in your face campaign which has highlighted the passion with which he chases any set targets. Addressing around 200 rallies after being anointed PM candidate in over 6 months, he has taken the fight to the opposition camp.

The ground reality seems to suggest that the people especially youth have bought this strong decisiveness, the development model and the hope which he seems to be selling. Thus a big section of electorate which has never voted for BJP is likely to vote for Modi this time around. Yes, the biggest win for him this time has been that he has been able to sell “HOPE”, these are four words which have the ability to raise the morale of Individuals, economies, the societies and even the Nations.


Another interesting aspect which has popped up is the 2 tides which the main political formulations are trying to propagate. On one hand UPA is trying its level best to make this a “Secular versus Communal” battle so that discussion is not just centered on the issues coming out of anti-incumbency. However those very people they are terming as communal are going hammer and tongs against the UPA on the issues of Development, governance, corruption, economic slowdown & price rise which are hurting the people at large. This has even divided the intellects, with some feeling a threat to "secularism" being the top threat, while others feel this threat has not taken country anywhere and this is an election for real issues and one who can address it is best suited to lead the nation.

After Narendra Modi won his 2012 Gujarat Assembly elections, he had set his eyes for a bigger role of serving the nation. But there were 4 set of challenges which were to be addressed in his journey to lead this great nation. The first one was being accepted with in his own party as the PM candidate. After long and public party drama late last year, he finally managed to overcome internal dissent of seniors to become the face of the party. It was followed by the challenge of being the untouchable for the allies as his anointment saw JD(U) famously moving out of the NDA. But Mr. Modi managed to create a national mood in his favor which prompted allies like LJP, TDP, MDMK. PMK & DMDK to forge pre-poll alliances with the saffron party helping him win the second battle. The third and the foremost challenge is winning the elections for his party helping them return in power after being in opposition for 10 long years. If opinion polls are to be believed, he seems to be on his way for achieving this with trends suggesting BJP crossing 200 mark on its own with NDA closing in on the 250 seats mark with highest voting percentage for it ever. But we need to wait for 16th May to have a clear answer if it is a Modi Wave/factor (as you want to term it) or was it simply the media hype. But one factor which nobody is currently even talking is what if he gets chance to lead the nation after polls. The fourth & biggest challenge for Namo will be the one to meet the huge expectations of the masses who may be buying his idea of governance & development considering him to come up with a magic wand for all their woes. Thus the margin of error for him would be very less post victory with opposition waiting to pounce on even the smallest error which is bound to exist and people expecting him to correct everything in no time.

As for Congress, the biggest loss for it is losing the perception battle ahead of polls. The eye popping scams, inflation, security concerns, economic downturn and inability of its top leadership to tackle the aggressive opposition’s rising star has made them lose the battle even before the first ballot was polled. With demoralized cadre and strong public mood against it, they are all set for the poorest showing in the history of free India. Many feel they were not able to articulate whatever good work was done during their tenure and the baggage of UPA 2 was too heavy for their shoulders. Now it seems to be only a question of the extent of loss which needs to be ascertained. As the opinion polls are suggesting, one would be surprised if the national party is able to reach 3 figures in 2014. One thing which they have done right is not to name Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate even if he is the face of the party. Seeing the trend against it, not pitting him officially against the Modi seems thoughtful strategy as Politics is not about being a martyr, it is about staying alive to win another day. With around a quarter of population still backing them in opinion polls, the party and its leader still have that mass appeal to make a comeback in future, not probably in 2014.

The regional players were as excited as the NDA to gain from the anti-incumbency against the UPA. But the challenge faced by them is the lack of a binding vision and cohesive force which could make their national ambitions sustain. For every SP, there is a BSP, for every Left, there is a TMC & for every DMK, there is an AIADMK which makes it almost impossible to work out a formulation where Govt could be formed at the Centre. But they still have hope, right from Mulayam to Didi to Amma to Nitish; everyone still has that faint hope that maybe, just maybe each one of them may land up at 7 RCR after the 16th May!! With a desperate Congress and Left, you never know if the numbers may again prompt and help stacking up a “Secular” front post results just like shaky Deve Gowda Govt in 90’s. But even otherwise, these others are still likely to be critical in the next Govt formation unless and until NDA sweeps with majority.
And what about the latest kid on the political block?? One may have heard that everything which goes up comes down and the speed at which it goes up is directly proportional to its speed of decline. Maybe the AAP is following the rule. They stole the show in Dec last year with unexpected results in Delhi. But rather than slowly building on that success, and creating a massive growth path for them, they decided to go for a flash in the pan spreading too fast and too thin. Though one would not like to write them off, but their rhetoric and dramatic 49 day stint in Delhi may not have helped their cause which was initially based on a strong idea and stronger popular sentiment. It seems the Kejriwal led party may have lost the plot for at least for the current Lok Sabha polls and it would be surprising if they cross the double digit mark nationally which in turn would give its leaders an important message to rethink their strategy, ideology and growth road map.

The high voter turnout will certainly point out the eagerness of the public to elect their next Govt which would help them address their Needs, Aspirations and Dreams; though not exactly in the same order for all… As an Indian, without any bias; I would certainly hope that every countryman uses the right to Vote judiciously to give a strong, stable and progressive Govt which works for us and keeps India First. Get up my countrymen and use the political ink to write your, your family’s and your country’s bright future. As for which way the wind will stop, we may just need to wait for another month. On 16th May 2014, we will have the answer to “ABKI BAAR, KISKI SARKAAR”!! Jai Hind.

SJSA Part 2: Being out of the QUEUE : "The Jugaad Syndrome!"

Some habits die hard. And there are others which seem to be immortal. But the challenge is in changing habits which have a tendency to become a part of our genes, a part of our DNA!
Few months back, I was in a Taxi rushing to Airport and it broke down on its way. Though I was a bit anxious, Taxi driver moved out and restarted the vehicle in minutes. He came back and as we started moving ahead, he quipped with a grin “Jugaad se to hamara desh chal sakta hai sahab, ye to sirf gaadi hai!!” (By improvisation/work around, we can make our country run, this is only a car!) The words were simple, yet they left me thinking what this improvisation really means in our daily lives… I was not getting my answer…
Few days back, a friend of mine got a driving license after a lot of efforts to drive in one of the middle east country with a left hand drive. With a sigh of relief he confessed “ Though it is very difficult to get a license here, but driving here definitely makes us better drivers, do lane driving & being more systematic. It actually makes us Indians learn how to follow the rules & stay in the Queue”!! I finally had my answer to the Jugaad in our lives….

The message was short & crisp. If one analyses the concept of lane driving in our daily life, we will realize that we have become so habitual of breaking the rules, having that work around for any task; that it has reached a stage of giving us that satisfaction & a sense of pride! Be it the crime against women, or the inherent corruption in the system, be it the road side accidents or something as simple as standing in the queue for buying movie tickets, if one witness everything around; it would be clearly evident that the bottom line of every problem happens to be our habit of being Out of the queue. We want our erring neighboring countries to maintain treaties, we expect our Government to fulfill every election promise, we expect them to enact the laws with NO deviance to the way they are framed, we expect our company to be honest following the rule book to the hilt in favor of employees. But when it comes to us as individuals??? Well “I” have all the right to bypass the entire lane as the rules & queue are meant to be followed by everyone except me!! We want all the rights under the sun with an umbrella which shields us from all the responsibilities.

Today when we go through the news channels and news reports of our country, there is so much negative energy that it sometimes gets difficult to figure out if Media is creating this negativity or is it the negative lives of people which is getting reflected in the frames of media. But in either of the cases, the fact remains that if it is “WE” who are at receiving end of this apathy, it is only “WE” who need to be blamed for initiating this fire which seems to engulf one and all.
Thus “I” will continue to break the queues wherever possible: For buying the milk or movie tickets, for crossing the traffic signal or getting my kid enrolled in a school…. Its my habit of being out of the lane, the exemplary birth right of standing out of the Queue…

Lets get it right fellow Indians, the candle lights at India gate, ridiculing politicians on Facebook & Twitter, slamming virtually everyone from celebrity to Babus to our college principal is not going to change our nation for good. If there is going to be a start, it is going to be with “I, Me & Myself”… Let me sleep tonight with the promise of waking tomorrow in the queue of a Billion plus. Maybe our tomorrow would be better than today. Lets get in a queue… Happy Independence Day, Jai Hind :)

Why Modi's Gujarat model of Development & Governance needs to be taken to New Delhi...

The recent controversial, uncalled and unjustified comments from Home Minister Shinde followed by BJP hitting back at him and the Congress are events which hurt us as a country and make us sorry about the state of Indian politics. This is something which should certainly not set the tone for the 2014 polls as it is this divisionary politics which has held back the potential of this nation from being a global superpower. At the start of 2013, lets strongly take ahead an important aspect from Gujarat elections which will hold the key for a brighter future for all of us.Let there be no color of terror, no greed for quotas, let inclusive growth, opportunities for Youth, safety of women, corruption less governance with all round & inclusive development be more important to us than points which tend to divide us & which divert attention from core issues.

The last one month has been eventful on the Indian political landscape. If Gujarat saw another emphatic win from Mr. Modi, BJP with intentions of using corruption as a Major theme for 2014 decided against second term for Nitin Gadkari getting Rajnath Singh back as party President. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi has been formally elevated to the number 2 position at Congress party at the recent Chintan Shivir at Jaipur.

Let’s get this straight; this is not a comparison between Modi & Rahul, not endorsing strengths or weakness of either of the party. Irrespective of our political affiliations and personal favorites, lets rally behind the reasons which should form the base for 2014 polls. Narendra Modi winning for a third consecutive time maybe important from the BJP perspective, but from the perspective of the Indians, this win holds significance due to the nature of this confrontation between the two biggest national parties. This is something which as Voters; we must endorse and carry forward to the Parliamentary polls commencing next year. Though Modi had won the state elections on couple of occasions earlier, this time it was different than his earlier wins. On previous occasions, it was more to do with polarization and emotive appeals and had less to do with rationale or merit behind results. However on this occasion, Modi fought totally on the development plank with performance & governance as the barometer to reward or discard him, the results have been thus strictly on merit and aspirations rather than the age old planks of divisional politics. The interesting part is that the areas where he has lost, even there local issues and challenges on the development front seem to be reasons of average performance, which in itself is a healthy trend for one and all. The Bihar elections of 2010 and now the Gujarat elections of 2012; it seems that the Indian electorate is finally starting to judge on merit and rewarding the performers consistently!! It may be a bit early to predict this as a trend, but in this environment of negativity, every positive movement is worth lapping. This is one of the rare positives, which must go in the next year!!

http://rochakvig.blogspot.com/2012/01/day-india-votes-for-development.html


Whether Mr. Modi succeeds in this endeavor, will be difficult to judge as governing a population of 6 Crore effectively does not guarantee a similar show in managing a heterogeneous population of 120 Crores with multiple diversities and complexities attached. It would also present UPA with an opportunity to break away NDA’s “Secular” allies and also polarize the minority vote further, but it would give them a headache of fighting elections on the Positive canvass, where they will have to talk about Development, governance, performance and public satisfaction!! Even when they are plotting the seeds for UPA-3 in terms of “Food Bill” & “Direct Cash Transfer”, it may not have a smooth sail knowing the current public mood which seems to be against the ruling front on issues of corruption, price rise and poor governance. Thus evident from Shinde's recent remarks, UPA in all likelihood may like to stick to its old guns blazing highlighting the “Non-Secular” image which BJP & Modi has been attributed to highlighting the dark chapter of 2002 if BJP projects him as their National face. Even when it would try and sell its latest game changing schemes as the products touching the “Garib Aadmi”, it would have to even play its vote bank cards appropriately to keep the electorate as well as coalition partners on their side to ride anti incumbency avoiding direct confrontation on the core topics. Frankly we would be much more happy Congress talking about Cash transfer, Food Bill & MNREGA rather than the color and religion of terror. UPA’s win or loss at center better is decided by the merit or lack of its performance in last 5 years rather than emotive appeals misleading the voters.

As far as BJP is concerned, it may be a tricky proposition. On the first thought, it seems that Modi with his clean, strong and good governance image may be the best bet for 2014 as their current leadership seems as clueless as the Congress led UPA; unable to convert the public anguish in its favor as a viable alternative. There are people who have started believing the point of social activist turned politician Kejriwal that there is NO OPPOSITION in India, all are partners in the game of looting with only different designations of Ruling front & opposition! It is high time BJP changes its earlier right wing politics along with this thought and whole heartedly approves and takes charge through its effective, performance based and popular brand of “Modi” hoping to amass support as an alternative, which Indians can look up to. It would definitely strengthen the favorable vote with possibility of having in its kitty additional bench sitters fed up from system who hailed Modi’s win from their respective states. Challenge would be to sell the promise of replicating the Gujarat Development Model on the national stage to fulfill the needs and aspirations of the public at large and also get together the so called Secular forces as one party getting clear majority seems distinct possibility.


If this aspirational politics of merit will actually succeed, next year will present us an answer, but as Indians we must hope that the contenders play the game with these rules of merit to serve with mutual respect for each other as against the age old Negative politics of hatred & promises!! Rahul Gandhi after assuming his role of Vice President has again sounded that he would like to play positive constructive politics which we all are desperately waiting for and if this turns out to be the case, we all should hail the Rahul-Modi showdown on the unseen positive canvass which can be a game changer for Indian politics and public alike. Hare Ram, Inshallah, Wahe Guru; we really hope a brighter, safer and content future for our and next generations; AND Modi bidding for the top slot at Delhi with his Gujarat governance model fighting against Rahul’s Positive politics is certainly a start to see the light beyond the tunnel. Amen :)
India has started voting for development and this is what it really Needs!!! Happy New Year…

Bollywood Box Office 2012 : It is Being Salman!!

The year 2012 has been a fairly good one for Bollywood from the Box Office perspective with both small budget and big budget films doing well. This is yet another year which has cemented Salman Khan as the undisputed “King/Badshah/Emperor” as far as the Box office is concerned, having just one contender who is close to him; and that is “Salman Khan”!!

There are a few trends coming from last year which have emerged stronger this year. If the action films had initiated a new trend with “Wanted” few years back, this year has ensured that its this genre which will call the shots as far as the successful list goes contributing the top 4 most successful movies of the year : Ek Tha Tiger, Dabangg2, Rowdy Rathore & Agneepath. Second trend which has gained significance this year is the importance of the opening weekend and contribution of Important Holidays in the first week of the film. If EK Tha Tiger continued Salman’s association with success @ Eid, it wrote history with an opening day of 32 Crores on the Independence Day. Dabangg 2 gained from Christmas holiday and Agneepath had a Huge opening on the Republic Day with record breaking 21.7 crores at Indian Box office. This was later eclipsed by the Tiger Salman on the Independence Day. Another trend which gained significance was that sequels to winning brands will succeed as long as they are packaged well: Housefulll2, Jannat 2, Raaz3 & Dabanng 2 all carried forward the success from their last outings.


If 100 Crore club has become the new buzz word @ Bollywood, Salman starrers get measured by the number of days they take to cross this magical figure! His last 5 films have cruised this mark : Dabangg, Ready, Bodyguard, EK Tha Tiger (ETT) & latest Dabangg2 have competed to cross the mark earlier than the previous one!! While Kabir Khan’s ETT had merit in becoming Blockbuster, Dabangg 2 seemed a replica of earlier version, only Chulbul Pandey making it click with the audiences! If this golden phase will be endless for him, only time will have an answer. But as of now its only Being Salman!! He has left all other stars including his Khan Competitors miles behind as far as the box office is concerned. Akshay Kumar had a successful year with 2 of his movies hitting the bulls eye with Sajid Khan’s Housefull 2 & Prabhu Deva directed Rowdy being years third biggest hit. With his production Oh My God getting universal applause along with superhit status and Khiladi 786 being an average fare, Joker was the only dampener for him in 2012. With 2 of his films in the Top 5 this year, he can certainly claim the year after Salman! He only needs to see if his 5 movies a year is a viable Business model considering every movie needs extensive marketing today. Hrithik made his mark with Agneepath this year. The Karan Johar production was the first Superhit of the year with critical acclaim for Hrithik as Amithabh’s legendary character Vijay Dinanath Chauhan & Sanjay Dutt shining as Kancha.

If Sallu swept with 2 Blockbusters, it was Amir who could not match the expectations of returning after 3 Idiots, with his Talaash meeting mixed reactions from critics & public alike and failing to cross the benchmark of 100 crores in India. Though Reema Kagti directed film was a brave offbeat attempt from the star, it was not something which seemed an attempt which took the star 3years to come back after his last Universal blockbuster which happens to be still the most successful film ever. Shahrukh did manage to cross the magical figure, but with Jab Tak Hain Jaan (JTHJ); he could not crush competition from Ajay starrer “Son of Sardar” with both films just faring to be Hits eating business of each other as Diwali releases. Though Yash Chopra’s last film as director got hyped due to unfortunate demise of the filmmaker before the release & the public spat between YRF with Ajay Devgun for the number of screens for their respective ventures, it failed to live up to expectations on Box office. This year has further increased the gap between him and his friend turned colleague Salman on the popularity charts with latter ruling as the undisputed “King” amongst audiences, while former being in news more for his undesired public spats rather than the Box office speaking for him.

Ajay Devgan had another good year with his Bol Bachhan & Son of Sardar working for him with Tezz being only losing venture. Ranbir tasted more success with Barfi winning over critics and public alike strengthening his credentials as an Actor & a Star! From the actress, it was Katrina who spoke with hits like ETT, JTHJ and some exciting projects up her sleeve, she is bound to have longer successful spell with the box office. Sonakshi had a great year with Rowdy, Son of Sardaar & Dabangg2 to her credit. Kareena just had a face saver in terms of Talaash & most successful “Fevicol” number to her otherwise poor year where EK Main aur Ek Tu & Heroine fared badly. Priyanka tasted success with Agneepath and author backed role in Barfi, which won her critical acclaim while Teri Meri Kahani was a total washout. Then new stars were seen on the horizon this year in form of Ayushman Khurana & Yami Gautam (Vicky Donor), Arjun Kapoor & Parineeti Chopra (Ishaqzaade) both being successful launchpads for the actors. Karan Johar launched in hit Student of the year Alia Bhatt, Sidharth & Varun Dhawan.

The year witnessed some unconventional & smaller films succeeding with the audiences balancing the big budget fares proving a market for every “Good” movie which entertains and clicks with the filmi junta. After Dirty picture, Vidya Balan gave another superhit in form of Offbeat “Kahaani”. If Paan Singh Tomar had Irfaan Khan gathering praise along with the maker, Gangs of Wasseypur was Anurag Kashyap’s vision which was lauded. Emraan Hashmi had success with the Bhatt’s in terms of Jannat2 and Raaz3, while Vicky Donor, Cocktail & English Vinglish were some other successes for the year.
With shelf life of Bollywood products being reduced to 1-3weeks at the Box office, it is becoming a game of right package, economics coupled with aggressive marketing & the right release dates to be on the winning side. Lets hope this year will see more success for the Bollywood as the last one and keep the audiences thronging the multiplexes and single screens for meeting their favorite stars & the pop corns :) :)

The 10 Point Challenge of being UPA, ehhh INC!!

Congress: At the CROSS roads…

Sometimes one can assume that running the Indian Govt is like riding a Tiger! Neither it is easy to ride it, nor one can afford to get down from its back :)

The recent controversy about Salman Khurshid’s comments on current political status and need for their No2 leader to demonstrate bigger role may have caught many eye balls, but the point he raised may be only a tip of the iceberg for the party which is facing challenges on various fronts currently. Today when we see (or at least try and see, since there is little clarity!) the UPA Govt in action, one can figure out that it’s more about the Congress party which seems to be “enjoying” this tiger ride more than anyone else. Its allies are in the best position where they are enjoying power with little accountability and though they are in Govt. they never leave any opportunity to run down the Govt along with opposition on any step which does not “seem pro-masses”. Barring a DMK which had its anxious moments thanks to Telecom scam, allies seem to be enjoying the best of both the World’s, while the Congress seems to be getting the brunt from all the sides!
If we see the political scenario from the public eye, there are quite a few pointers which the grand 127 year old party needs to immediately address or else it is staring a realistic scenario of losing the “Ruling tag” in the near future:

1) No Visible Defined Goal: There seems to be a mess of sorts in terms of Goals, Strategy & Execution. The party seems to be lacking not just a long terms road map but even the short term and midterm goals don’t seem to be in place around which the strategy and execution plans can be woven. As one of the senior party leaders has recently stated, Governance and Politics has got intermingled in such a manner that there is only one thing which is clear: Chaos! Initially the power sharing between the PM and party high command worked well for them, but the recent spats, scams, policy decisions have cast a shadow over the arrangement as to who will plan and who will execute, “How” is a question which hardly reaches the table. Party needs to have a Vision, a Direction towards which it needs to be led as a collective well-knit unit in the interest of all the stakeholders…

2) State of Paralysis: Often we hear only about the lack of economic reforms, but it is more of total lack of reforms: Be it economic, political or administrative which is collectively hurting the Nation. There have been bills including judicial ones which have been pending. Due to scam up roars, even bureaucracy has gone into a freeze not willing to take any action for that matter. If Manmohan Singh getting FM and Pranab being proposed for Rashtrapati Bhawan is considered a move, Sonia may have played a master stroke in not just getting their man as President but also paving way to allow PM to play and direct the Reforms game he is considered to be a master of! Though in this current landscape, it will not be easy even for him.

3) Lost in the politics of Coalition: Opposition seems to acting better than their allies. At least they are clear that they need to oppose! Economic paralysis is something which is hurting everyone and its time Govt gets the political will to score before it gets late. Party seems to be finding light in the maze between TMC, SP, BSP & DMK. Neither these “Allies”, nor the Govt is sure if they are “In” or if they are “Out”. Even after winning 206 seats in 2009, if Congress has to manage such show, one can reckon their state if there tally falls in the next Lok Sabha. Bigger problem is that it does not itself have clarity if it wants to go all alone in future or manage this “Coalition of Opportunism”.

4) Showing the National face or the Regional face? Its centrally controlled leadership under Sonia Gandhi’s iron hand has certainly helped it being stable and having disciplined stock which was not the case in 1990’s, but little local faces have started hurting its fortunes now. Be it UP, Bihar, AP or many other states, at most places it is devoid of strong local leaders. If YSR could ensure 33 seats for them in the last polls in AP, after his tragic demise, going against popular sentiment and not allowing his son to be in the chair is a decision which today will be difficult to justify knowing the YSR Congress monster it is looking at in addition to the Telengana woes and seasoned TDP in the next polls in the state which sent Max. MP’s for it. What it needs to think is if it needs more Sheila Dixit’s to help Center concentrate on bigger challenges.

5) Who is the Leader: Youth OR Experienced? Though parties like SP have seamlessly combined the Youth power with experience of erstwhile leaders, Congress yet seems not to be in sync as there have been murmurs of dissent every time elections come or policy is prepared with experienced lot calling the shots as of now. Though transition is underway, it still would take time before the Youth start leading from the front and come out of the shadows of the elderly. There seems to be a base prepared in terms of second rung youth leaders and the Crore plus IYC membership, but one yet has to see them taking the center stage.

6) History or the Future? Today nearly 65% of the country’s population is less than 35 years of age. This population only relates to Nehru and Indira as historical personalities and now they seem more inclined to see fresh ideas, fresh ideologies corresponding to the current times. So today when Sonia Gandhi seems to be having some undisclosed illness and preparing to pass the baton, Rahul Gandhi would be the face who would be tested by this population. Though there would be a lot of followers he would get, there would be an equal amount of detractors in the crowd who would test him and find empowerment breaking the “dynastic shackles” in their endeavor to see a modern India free from historical references of any sorts. It is here the party needs to clearly learn from its history to strengthen its Present and seek a brighter future for itself and the country!

7) Popular or Practical Policies? Success of MNREGA has given confidence to NAC to go with more such schemes like proposed Food Bill. But seems there heart and mind are not in sync as to which way to go as the mind tells them that the direction of heart is not easy. Moreover 2 things deserve to be given due importance. Firstly the funds which need to be spent for such inclusive programs need to be arranged and current economic paralyses along with shaken investor confidence will not help the cause. Secondly there have been good policies which have been made for ages in India. Where we lack is the Execution. There still seems to be little importance given on that front.

8) To be Corrupt or to be in Opposition? Power corrupts & absolute power corrupts absolutely. After witnessing recent scams, public will be happy they dint give the latter to UPA in 2009. It’s evident that every party which comes to power gets to see the corrupt side of some of its leaders, sometimes less sometimes more. With recent media renaissance and frenzy to highlight happenings, corruption as an issue has become a headache for those in power. If that was not enough, the groups like Anna’s People against corruption have further helped propagate the sentiment of people against the ill. So Congress needs to decide if it prefers to fight corruption charges being in power or fight the Govt by others; after sitting in the opposition!

9) Give us 10 More Years?? One can imagine a BJP or BSP to come to the electorate and ask them to give a term to depict how they could lead the development efforts. But when one hears a Congress leader asking for another “Chance” it seems a joke to say the least. An individual may not be the best judge to figure out if the current state of the nation is good or bad knowing the history where we started 65 years back, but the party which has been at the helm of things for almost 5 decades now forming almost 70 % of the central Govt’s till date should not seek chances from the voters. It should simply talk of its performance: The Good or the Bad is something which needs to be decided! In 2004, they got a chance as they were riding the anti-incumbent wave, but if this time if there has to be one, they will need to tide against it!

10) Self Introspection: Like in recent UP polls, a party leader hinted something which seemed pro-minority, and when it fell flat suddenly they projected themselves to be "truly secular" and "Unbiased". They want to talk about merit, in the same breadth they talk about increased quotas. There are a lot of times we don’t work on the basics while being in complex scenarios. One such basic; which party leaders should currently do is self-introspection to clearly identify What they want, When they want and How they intend to do it. The answers to these simple questions may give them a road map to have answers to more complicated ones!

In this entire dark story there are a few bright spots. Congress as a party has seen all this many times earlier. They have it what it takes to “Manage” this and much more, thanks to their experience! They are masters in turning the tide and have been written off earlier also; only to come back stronger. Lack of a planned, united & strong opposition is another factor allowing it breathing space during crisis. Hopefully even this time there would be seasoned players and think tanks within the party who would be having answers for not just these points but many other obstacles which will come during their bumpy run to 2014. How successful they would be in clearing these points along with more severe opposition assault is something the Janta of the country will decide when they go to vote in 2014.

Rowdy Delivers; what it Promised!!

I am not sure why I am so elated as neither Sanjay Bhansali nor UTV have agreed to share the profits with me after a huge opening it has taken, but then there are few things from the heart which defy logic! Though Akshay Kumar had witnessed few successful outings after Singh is King, I firmly believe he had not got that one Huge Masala film with right genre & hype to woo the masses in hoards as he missed the bus in picking action projects which are ruling roost for last few years. This was his best chance to score, with right genre, music, & promotions : & he along with the team of Rowdy Rathore seem to have scored Big by delivering what they had promised : Entertainment for the Masses :)

There are few films which are meant for mass audiences & there are others which are targeted at elite intellects. Right from the conceptualization of this film, the producers, actors & the director were very clear that they were making this one for the mass Indian audiences on the lines of Dabangg & Singham. The same was depicted in the trailers & when one sees the movie, he would realize that the people will get what was promised: Doses of Action, comedy, romance, songs: a Complete Entertainment package. Critics & pseudo intellects can stay away as this outing was not meant for their sharp brains.

When you try and copy a successful product with some alterations, there are two possibilities. One is that you might end up cooking a Khichdi which is intolerable to eat. The other possibility is that you end up making an equally compelling product if not better than the original. It is here Prabhu Deva scores big time. He was trudging a high risk zone of mass entertainers where comparisons with Dabangg, Singham & Agneepath could have hurt his fortunes badly in case he would have faltered, but he has executed his dish pretty well to ensure a successful product.

Makers have shown no qualms in accepting that they did not intend a sophisticated product for classes. There is a definite plot which has been picked from the Superhit Telgu version. The alterations have been made to suit it to the Hindi mass audiences with clear vision to serve them whether it is characterization, look, dialogues, screenplay, music, cinematography or the choreography. The screenplay ensures you sit in a 140 minute joy ride with seat belts on!
The movie is however not free from minuses. There are sections in the middle which seem totally unwanted. Then some songs seem to pop up from nowhere, either to increase the length of film or give some required footage to Sonakshi. Few scenes & dialogues look over the top and actually filmi…

Story is about 2 look a likes and the way their lives intersect and impact each other. One is an honest cop fighting the goons in Bihar & the other is a thief in Mumbai who comes across surprising incedents where he gets attacked for mistaken identity. Akki is the soul of the movie and plays double role with ease: One of the super cop Vikram Rathore which would remind you of Salman & Ajay in their successful outings earlier. But it is as thief Shiva, he brings the house down! He seems to be in his element to the hilt, be it body language in action scenes, or the comedy where he has again excelled. Even critics who would bash the movie will find it difficult avoiding crediting him for being the bright spot. He should thank Prabhu (Both God & director!) as he couldn’t have asked for a better return to action genre.. Sonakshi has limited screen time but looks good the time she is there with good chemistry with the actor. Other actors playing negative roles have done full justice to their roles of being the modern Gabbar’s in the new age Sholay  Sajid Wajid’s music is in sync with the entertainment quotient though they could have given few compositions better. Cinematography is of high grade covering the landscape well. A very special mention to the dialogue writer: He has done wonders to the film by striking a chord with audience prerelease & even a bigger chord post release by creating a roaring impact , people are certain to cherish & take home “Jo mai bolta hu vo mai karta hu, jo main nahin bolta, vo mai definitely karta hu”

The Mass audience of B & C grade centers will certainly like Rowdy more than their counterparts in metros. The class audience of metros who seek entertainment will also like the venture. But the intellect section which may not have liked potboilers like Bodyguard earlier should stay away from this one.
At the box office this will work, & work big time. Smaller centers would see records tumbling; bigger ones will also see descent business. This will certainly help Akshay consolidate his position after Housefull 2 as the star of masses and give Salman Khan Company in that segment. As for producers, they have kept their all promises: Promise of entertaining audiences & make distributors & themselves go all the way smiling to the bank. In one of my previous articles I had mentioned, the result for Akki's biggest test this year would be out by 3rd June, yes it is out & he has scored HUGE! As for Akki fans, we can only tell the critics: “Don’t Angrryyyyyy Us” & let us celebrate the Rowdiness :D :D