It's SHOCKING!!!

It’s SHOCKING that our government fails time after time after time and that even their so called CORRECTIVE measures are deeply flawed.
It’s SHOCKING that they would take an entire week to demand or accept a resignation from the most inept chief minister.
It’s SHOCKING that there was no competent minister to take over the most important seat in Maharashtra governance immediately.
It’s SHOCKING that they haven’t figured out that if we wanted to be divisive as a nation we would have would have voted for fundamentalist Hindutva slogan shouting saffron groups that have created Hindu- Muslim hostilities or Manoos crazy lunatics that create regional hatred and segregations.
It’s EVEN MORE SHOCKING that they haven’t stopped catering to vote bank politics and are THEMSELVES orchestrating divisive politics. What is this “if Dalit chief minister then Maratha home minister” NONSENSE!!! What happened to the concept of THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB irrespective of caste, religion or gender??? Have the congress forgotten, or maybe not even realised, that the Indian population does NOT care for divisiveness or our gender/ caste/ religious differences? And the greatest proof of that is that they voted a party to power that had a foreigner at the helm.
It’s SHOCKING that the ruling government will not only keep dabbling in divisive politics but will not even save us from the horrific fall out of it. The Shiv sena and MNS claimed that north Indians are a menace to Mumbai but it is only THEM that have held the city to ransom. It is only their political groups that have REPEATEDLY over months and years vandalized the city, thrashed cab drivers, burnt hundreds of buses, hit and beat innocents on the street, brought the economic hub of India continually to a stand still with forced bandhs and cost the tax payers thousands of crores in damages and loss of revenue. For years despite our cries for help the Congress did NOTHING about it and pretty much looked the other way. It’s SHOCKING!!!
It’s SHOCKING that the Congress has not been intolerant and stern with such goons from the very beginning. We could have put that those thousands of wasted crores to much better use… like our security!!!
It’s SHOCKING that despite Mumbai being the economic hub of the country and putting out over 40 percent of the country’s taxes that the city still lacks security and infrastructure.
It’s SHOCKING that 50 odd years post independence that as a nation we STILL LACK infrastructure, accountability, transparency and a solid game plan to rid corruption, poverty and terror on our streets.
It’s SHOCKING that our politicians take so much care about their personal security (paid for by OUR tax money) and care so little about the citizens of the country that elected them. Times of India’s front page told the story of a common man who walked into the CST, popularly know as VT station, (where the terror rampage happened) exactly 4 days post the incident with a revolver. He walked through the metal detectors at many entry and exit points and was not even stopped once. He then went to the cops and demanded to know WHY he was not stopped and was told they hadn’t heard the beeps.
It’s SHOCKING that despite mammoth budgets for our defence fund we have ineffective metal detectors to protect the common man, ineffective bullet proof vests to protect our brave forces, and the use of NSG commandos only for politicians.
It’s SHOCKING that it’s taken so long for national outrage. However, I say better late than never and it’s time to demand ACTION and to turn a deaf ear to their promises.




There are 3 things I’d like to say to the Congress…
1. It’s time to LISTEN to the people of India and care for THEM, because a democracy is “of the people, by the people and FOR the people”.
2. The symbol of the Congress is the hand. The same hand can either caress and comfort the population or slap them repeatedly. The choice is theirs.
3. They are accountable for what they do and also what they don’t do. Inaction is also action.
4. If they don’t show the public visible change very soon, I’m sure the public will make sure they change the government…. Their time to effect change starts…. NOW!!!

attack a celebrity and become one!!!

We need to have our obscenity act better defined. On the grounds of “obscenity and vulgarity” we have random people and organisations, even politicians jump onto the “lets attack a celebrity bandwagon”, be it for the clothes they wear (Mallika Sherawat’s new years costume), the language they use, the people they hug (Shilpa and Richard Gere), or the fact that Rahul Mahajan rubbed a bit of oil on Payal Rohatgi’s legs in Bigg Boss season 2. It makes one really makes one wonder!!! Why don’t we see the same politicians/leaders/ religious groups take rape issues, burning of innocents, and constant destruction of public property by various groups with as much zeal? Why is it that the same people who attack celebrities and launch FIR’s against them for improper conduct do not seem to have the same zeal to tackle heinous crimes and dangerous people in society who target countless innocent but unknown people? Why is it that they will not personally take it upon themselves to take the MNS to court for attacking non Maharashtrian’s and for all the loss caused by their violent outbursts but will be the first to attack celebrities because the outfit was too revealing?
Mallika Sherawats short skirt, a bit of oil on Payal’s legs and Salman Khan enjoying a Hindu festival does not cause innocent people to lose their livelihood, fear for their lives, suffer loss of loved ones and property, or get beaten up! However, it has been seen that various organisations that jump up and start morcha’s and stage violent protest, DO CAUSE ALL THE ABOVE!!!
If the public does not like what they see on TV or on film, they see they can simply change the channel or walk out of a cinema hall or choose not to be a fan of the person in question. The fact is, the most attacked celebrities have the maximum number of fans and the TV show in question has superb TRP’s, which is proof in itself that the audience is clearly enjoying it and finds nothing objectionable about the same. They’re clearly not tuning out.
Has it just become fashionable to attack celebrities? Does the fact that the media jumps into the fray when a celebrity is involved in a “controversy” make it that much appealing? Does it tantamount to instant fame for the attacking group or individual?
We haven’t despite the entire hullabaloo over the years seen even one organisation or politician request the courts to clarify what is obscene and what is not. Probably because the ambiguity suits them and they can launch themselves as the upholders of morality and get instant fame. What is obscene and what is not is clearly left up to the personal standards of every Indian citizen and given the sizeable numbers of our population and different strata’s in society that’s a helluva lot of permutations and interpretations of the same.

I think it’s high time the film and entertainment industry put a stop this easy route to fame for others and protected themselves and their interests. As a family we need to approach the courts for a clear understanding as to what qualifies as obscene and immoral. Till such time, I’m sorry to say, they have loaded guns and clear intent, and we’re just sitting ducks!!

Happy Independence Day

 

Happy Independence Day!! May we be free of pettiness of mind, free of the pressure of conformity, freedom from fear and most importantly, gender bias!!!

My recent reality show Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi was a liberating experience and is, according to me, an’ Indian male fairy tale’ malfunction!!! I mean, what happened to the good Indian girl who cooked, cleaned, screamed at the sight of a cockroach and let the man wear the pants?

In a complete antithesis to the image of the domesticated Indian woman, 13 girls in assorted shapes and sizes, with polar personalities ranging from the “goody two shoes” bahu of television Anita Hassanandani, to daughter of Maharashtra’s soil Sonali Kulkarni, effervescent tomboy Urvashi Sharma, calm and composed twins Tapur and Tupur and others (including me J ), have blazed a trail of glory on television sets across the country leaving most of India’s male population gob-smacked.

Having said that I don’t think that I, or for that matter any of the other girls had fathomed the hazards that lay ahead of us in South Africa or the degree of heroism we would have to exhibit when we boarded the plane.

I had with great excitement scoured the internet and You Tube for video’s of Fear Factor and with every gruesome, awesome, overwhelming, exhilarating visual tried to envision what my body and mind were going to be subjected to. Ha ha!! Trust me. NOTHING prepares you for the reality or adrenalin rush of Fear Factor!

The schedule of KKK was grueling, as were the conditions we shot in. But I was up for the challenge be it 4 am wake up calls, minus one degree weather, bruises and injuries, or just the most mind boggling stunts. After all, the tag line is ‘Jo Dar Gaya Woh Ghar Gaya”, and I for one, was most certainly not ready to go home.

 

Why would I? When else in life would I have the chance to experience being so many super heroes rolled into one. I have felt like super girl when I have flown off high rise buildings without a care as to where I land, like spider woman when I have climbed across glass buildings 12 floors high with suction cups, like James Bond when I have flipped and smashed a BMW, like Medusa surrounded by innumerable snakes, and like Rambo when I’ve jumped off helicopters into icy waters.

The reach and impact of television is phenomenal and as a result of it, the last one month has been euphoric!!! It feels wonderful, utterly wonderful to walk into malls, multiplexes and restaurants and be surrounded by people applauding my bravado, older women telling me that I’ve made them proud, younger women telling me I’m inspirational and having men doff their hats in my direction.

I truly hope the superb ratings and enormous success of KKK is representative of a changing mind-set in middle class India. That somehow families have broken away from saas bahu melodramas and been inspired to take on challenges, to dare, to achieve and most importantly to break moulds. That irrespective of gender, whoever watched KKK connected with the dormant strength they are innately blessed with and most importantly, that they’ve learned it’s ok to fail, but that its not okay to not try.

I’m also hoping on the 61st year of our independence that more and more women of modern India trade kitchen politics for the real thing. Women first achieved the right to stand for public office in South Australia in 1894 but in India, Sarojini Naidu, became the first woman President of the Indian National Congress in 1925.

Be it politics, business, IT, industry, entertainment, banking and all the way into space, the emergence of the new Indian woman is apparent vis-à-vis her representation in cinema, modern literature, newspapers and magazines and this tough woman wants to be seen and to be heard. She’s moving from proving her virtuosity to proving her mettle. I mean, if a modern day Sita had been asked to the walk across burning coals she’d probably respond with “get a life”, or divorce you, or ask you to see a shrink. If you persist, she will in all probability march you off to the cops. And then again, maybe post Khatron ke Khiladi she’d call it stunt # 33 and do it just for fun!!!

I’m constantly being asked as to how I got the courage to perform such death defying stunts. I have 2 answers. First, are my children, because I believe in leading by example and I want them to grow up to be fearless and take on all challenges that life will send their way. And the second is that, it’s not because things are difficult that we don’t dare. It’s because we don’t dare, that things are difficult!!!

Hugs and happiness,
Pooja
poojabediblogs.blogspot.com

It's a magical world

Hiiiiii People,

Hope all are in high spirits. I am back home after a month long shoot from South Africa and have some free time at hand, so thought of logging on and checking mails and stuff. Internet- It’s one of the best things that has happened to us, And I have decided to make the best use of it. I was already very active on Facebook when one day it dawned to me that here’s another way where not only can I express myself but also can connect to you guys more. So here I am.

The Internet has fundamentally transformed our lives in ways that we could never have imagined about a decade ago. Its influence on how we connect with each other has been the single most defining factor of the new millennium.

This is the era of networking and when you think about it, we are actually living in a very exciting age, one where you can connect with just about everyone and everything at the click of a mouse. And this is not restricted to individuals or groups - you can literally plug into the universal consciousness and enter a parallel e-world where every person is ‘connected 24 by 7’.

It’s almost as if we have this great supercomputer running on human energy with an infinite number of links that throw up a multi dimensional range of emotions, utterly fascinating and extremely compelling at the same time.

Most importantly, the Internet has played a vital role in changing the one-dimensional way in which people used to previously get information, which would more often than not, end up shaping their perceptions in a rather skewed manner.

For instance- the story of the five blind men and the elephant. For those who skipped this one in school, it’s about how each one of them bases his impressions on the portion of its body he comes into contact with. The one who gets hold of the tail declares that the elephant is like a rope, the one who grabs its leg swears that it is like a tree trunk and so on.

Similarly people often end up making up their minds about people they have never met - especially celebrities - after just glancing through a few gossip columns. Someone would tag you in one manner another would fit you in one slot.

Having been through this sort of multi dimensional assessment myself, this blog is my way of saying there’s a lot more to me than just a sum of all the parts people tend to gossip about. I am what I am and through this blog, you will in time, get to know the real me.

Until my next post you guys can catch me on Khatoron Ke Khiladi on Colors channel. Some time later I'll write about how it was to be there.

Hugs and happiness,

Pooja

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