Today, some actor, apparently a veteran, died of natural causes in Bangalore. Now, I really don’t hold much respect for thespians to a point where I would mourn their death, but then, people have their own unusual priorities. Why would I write about an actor of regional film passing away? I have never seen any regional film…not Kannada at least, so why do I dedicate blog space? I want to talk about the fall-out and the shameful display of “fans” (cough…cough…hooligans).
I call up home this afternoon, to find dad picking up the phone. Now, I know the parental unit are having a very good time in my absence, but Dad taking leave was a little too much. All educational institutes are closed and he got the day off. And there are riots? Riots on account of the death of a thespian… well, this would not be the first time Bangalore has witnessed this sort of behavior from what can only be politely referred to as numbskulls whose humdrum lives are filled with cinema. Wait! Cinema is the wrong word….humdrum lives filled with a mere commercial vulgar display in the guise of a movie. The first time around, when the stalwart of the local film industry passed away, all the unemployable and frustrated youth were out on the streets burning cars, beating the police, any citizen they found, ransacking of stores and an overall break down of order. And this was ignored as the government felt people needed to vent grief….on that accord, the next time I am filled with grief, I can burn cars! If the same behavior were done by any affluent taxpaying hard working citizen, the local regional hooligans would be up in arms screaming how we are tainting their culture. Who would then respond by hitting and beating our women and destroying our lives.
And few years hence, another actor dies, the story remains. Bangalore burns and is brought down to its knees thanks to the mob. And there is only one reason for all of this…our good old democratically elected government. A government that keeps the people poor, stupid and hungry. A government that ensures they remain the way they are so that their lives are filled with the inane details of politics and bad cinema. Why should they care for the tax paying citizen, they don’t vote! And if those citizens ever cry wolf, we’ll throw our trump card of culture in their face and do what we feel like.
Hypocrisy has a new definition…the Indian government.
Some actor dies, and my grief is expressed by targeting the honest uncaring citizens. So, in short, if we don’t feel any connection to the actor and are not filled with sorrow, and wish it were us dead instead of him…we will be filled with grief that our city burns. Call me a radical…but sometimes, democracy needs to be forgotten. Shoot a few of the rioters….and hopefully the rest would follow. If they love the actor so much and are so stricken with grief…why don’t they commit mass hara-kiri and rid us of their presence. Perfectly good waste of a soul and a physical body…. Well, at least the government did not disappoint. Trust them to stay silent and blame it all on grief.
I call up home this afternoon, to find dad picking up the phone. Now, I know the parental unit are having a very good time in my absence, but Dad taking leave was a little too much. All educational institutes are closed and he got the day off. And there are riots? Riots on account of the death of a thespian… well, this would not be the first time Bangalore has witnessed this sort of behavior from what can only be politely referred to as numbskulls whose humdrum lives are filled with cinema. Wait! Cinema is the wrong word….humdrum lives filled with a mere commercial vulgar display in the guise of a movie. The first time around, when the stalwart of the local film industry passed away, all the unemployable and frustrated youth were out on the streets burning cars, beating the police, any citizen they found, ransacking of stores and an overall break down of order. And this was ignored as the government felt people needed to vent grief….on that accord, the next time I am filled with grief, I can burn cars! If the same behavior were done by any affluent taxpaying hard working citizen, the local regional hooligans would be up in arms screaming how we are tainting their culture. Who would then respond by hitting and beating our women and destroying our lives.
And few years hence, another actor dies, the story remains. Bangalore burns and is brought down to its knees thanks to the mob. And there is only one reason for all of this…our good old democratically elected government. A government that keeps the people poor, stupid and hungry. A government that ensures they remain the way they are so that their lives are filled with the inane details of politics and bad cinema. Why should they care for the tax paying citizen, they don’t vote! And if those citizens ever cry wolf, we’ll throw our trump card of culture in their face and do what we feel like.
Hypocrisy has a new definition…the Indian government.
Some actor dies, and my grief is expressed by targeting the honest uncaring citizens. So, in short, if we don’t feel any connection to the actor and are not filled with sorrow, and wish it were us dead instead of him…we will be filled with grief that our city burns. Call me a radical…but sometimes, democracy needs to be forgotten. Shoot a few of the rioters….and hopefully the rest would follow. If they love the actor so much and are so stricken with grief…why don’t they commit mass hara-kiri and rid us of their presence. Perfectly good waste of a soul and a physical body…. Well, at least the government did not disappoint. Trust them to stay silent and blame it all on grief.
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