Earthly Musings

Obituary "There was a misconception that the film (Bobby) was made to launch me as an actor. The film was actually made to pay the debts of Mera Naam Joker. Dad wanted to make a teenage love story and he did not have money to cast Rajesh Khanna in the film” – Rishi Kapoor The above statement speaks volumes about this great actor and an icon who won hearts through his handsome looks and charming smile.   Bobby for me was a film that initiated me into Hindi Films.   I went on to follow Rishi Kapoor through his films.   While his contemporaries like Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bacchan, Vinod Kumar were making it big in Hindi Film Industry, Rishi Kapoor silently spread his love across masses. I followed this great star through his films Rafoo Chakkar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Khel Khel mein and Hum Kisi se kam naheen, Kabhi Kabhi, Doosra Aadmi, Karz and many other movies.   His presence in screen was magnetic and so was his way of dressing.   I was so i...

 © Jaya Prakash Kallikkal 2020 A fear seems to spreading all around in the wake of massive spread of Novel Corona Virus 19.   Just a while ago, I received a message on my mobile phone stating that classes in colleges in Delhi have been suspended till further orders in view of the CORONA Virus scare.   This alert not just confused me but also brought out an immediate question in my mind as to whether we are adequately prepared in terms of pandemic mitigation and relief if the virus wrecks havoc in the city in the coming days! India has not been able to insulate itself from the spread of the virus which originated in Wuhan, China and the virus has now spread to multitudes of cities in this country.   Despite strict measures in terms of screening of airlines passengers arriving from Virus infected countries, N-Corona virus has seeped into life of Indians and poses a huge threat to the Indian Health system. Pressure on health sector especially PHCs,...

While India grapples with ways and plans to contain spread of novel   corona nvirus that is spreading as wildfire across the globe, immediate casualty besides human health seems to be business and commerce.   While airports across important business hubs witness lesser footfalls, many have closed down due to fears of a wider spread.    The strains of the virus were first detected in Wuhan, China towards New Year Eve, 2019 has in three months has spread to more than 70 countries across the globe. Figures of casualties and attempts are containing further spread is being tried out by governments with a slew of measures involving health care, diplomatic interventions and information campaigns, we can take   bit of relief from the fact that deaths are being reported in 3% cases and rest 97% are reportedly recovering with quarantine.   Though no immediate relief in the form of vaccine is expected, human populations need to rest their hopes on persona...

DO YOU PINE FOR…. Do you pine for ….. A place, a person, a moment A tangible object, an intangible feeling! A long walk could be as exhilarating and liberating as a session of serene serenade on the beach of the sea or a session of yoga on a mat. No I am not going to talk of exercise or a work out. I write this after my toe stepped on an innocuous looking object while on a morning walk yesterday. New Delhi is chilly and hazy in winters and seeps into a tormenting pattern of summers soon afterwards. However a few weeks of bliss engulfs the city spliced between these two extremes, the Spring! Long walk across expansive grass turf is bliss in such a season. If the esplanade is dotted with pine trees still better. Shade giving and aromatic, these trees with their distinct foliage provides the much needed succor to a mentally depressed city dweller during times of stress. Belonging to genus Pinus, Pines are conifer trees that has more than 126 species found across the...

OPENING FILM AT IFFI 2019 Nonostante la nebbia (Despite the Fog) Golden Jubilee version of IFFI 2019 kicks off in Goa with the Italian Film Nonostante la nebbia (Despite the Fog), a film by Goran Paskalejevic that veers around the life of a refugee, Ali Musa Sarhan who loses his parents when their boat capsizes near the Italian Coast.   Ali is accepted by a couple who has lost their child.   The psychological travails and the solace in accommodating the arab in place of their son.   Donatella Finokjaro (Valeria) and Giorgio Tirabasi (Paolo) face the challenges and confrontations within and outside their family in such an acceptance. In a real world when hundreds of refugees scourge the streets in hope of a better life in other and seemingly better parts of the world, children and often minors are left destitute waiting to be accepted or left to decay without parental care on the streets which accentuates the issue of refugees especially minors and depic...

Free rides  in Delhi [Pink slips handed out to employees during recession or hard times has often been abhorred by employees workers unions but from 29 th of October, 2019, women in Delhi would be handed out pink slips in city transport buses to avail a free bus travel in the city of New Delhi.This novel project embarked upon by the Delhi Government has an added buffer. 13000 marshals are being deployed across the city to oversee that the plan goes without hitch. Marshals will not only hand over the pink slips to lady passengers they would also ensure their safety during the journey.] Delhi has been growing over the years but it has not been able to absorb the huge rise in passenger traffic owing to multifarious reasons. While first two decades of post independence era brought about white collared workers into the government sector into the capital post seventies threw open infrastructural sectors, small scale industries and tertiary operations drawing millions int...

                      God’s own country, in deluge While the month of August 2018 brought out images of flooding caused by opening up of dams due to heavy rains in Kerala, while preparing to mark the first anniversary of floods this year, God's own country is yet again, deluged in rains that is far exceeding    the normal patterns of rainfall in the state.    This year, however, it is unprecedented landslides in hilly regions and washing away of huge tracks of soil that is taking its toll on people of this beautiful state in South India. I translate and reproduce here, a portion of a write up, I came across in  Vadakancherry online , which reflects the reality on ground zero and exemplifies public reaction to natural calamities in the state reinforcing my faith in this land and its people.                       “Henceforth no one sh...