Best of youtube -- Thought-provoking and captivating stuff

The year is slowly closing like a creaky, rusty old shutter. I sit here, look back and think of things I watched this year. I published a list of highly recommended Foreign films 5 days ago. Time for another list. In this era of sequels and reboots you should have seen that coming.

Do you like boring speeches by intellectuals? Well, I don't like them either!! Do you like the shouting fests organised by the so called news channels (AKA the hour of the fretting and fuming ?) Please say NO.

Is there a middle-ground? Is there content that is neither mind numbingly boring nor mindlessly, blood curdlingly TRP friendly? Yes, there is!!

To prove my point I have prepared yet another year end list. A list of mentally stimulating, "Food for thought" kind of stuff in Youtube.  I will now post a list of some thought provoking stuff in youtube. These were not necessarily posted in youtube this year, it is just that I saw them this year.

Don't get intimidated by the lofty subject matters that they are tackling. They all are interesting, absorbing and stimulating. Not a single one of them is boring

1. Every Frame a Painting by Tony Zhou: This guy posts video essays on Cinema. A channel that I adore. Art of cinema analysed like never before. In a world full of dull and derivative content, and  this is such a breath of fresh air. Insightful, entertaining and very informative. It is like a guided tour of cinema.

2. Justice with Michael Sandel: If you thought that lectures are sleep inducing and dull think again! This is a series of lectures by Michael Sandel in Harvard. He talks about things like what Justice is, what the moral choices can be. It is one of the most popular courses in Harvard and you will know why once you watch it. Fascinating, thought-provoking, engaging and truly educational stuff.

3. Those who complain about the lack of good content in channels like Times now and NDTV must switch to Rajya Sabha TV. This might seem like to switching to unglamorous ART films after watching Farah Khan's films. Go for it if you think that such a switch would be good! I especially recommend the following:
Interview with Salim Khan on his life and screenplay writing. This is a part of an interview series called Guftagoo. Irfan Saab's Hindi/Urdu is so pleasing. And the people interviewed really have things to say that are worth listening. Watch other interviews also.
Tarkash with P Sainath: An eye-opener on how topics like rural India and poverty get ignored by the media. Gripping and moving.This is a part of another interview series called Tarkash.
Interview with Rajendra Singh on water conservation. Another great one about rivers and other water bodies. Part of the Tarkash series.

4. Nerdwriter: This guy makes very interesting video blogs/essays on very interesting topics. Always stimulates the brain, you always end up saying, "I got to learn something new". Give it a try.

5. Michael Greene on the concept of GDP. I have always felt that measuring the success of a country by GDP was a wrong idea. This man so articulately nails the point home about why it is so. Humourous and thought provoking.

6. Tarek Fatah on India and Pakistan: A critical view of Pakistan. Intellectual, piercing and forthright.  Indians will love this one. You will also learn so many things. I just did not want this one to end.

7. MJ Akbar on India and Pakistan: Almost on the same topic but a completely different perspective. Intellectual and thought - provoking.Worth listening to.

8. Gurumurthy on Indian financial models: Journalist Gurumurhty's lecture about Indian economy and financial models. This was delivered as a lecture in an IIT. Astounding, thoughtful and such an eye-opener.

9. INK talks: I am yet to watch most of their videos. This is an Indian version of TED talks. Looks very interesting.

10. Baloney detection Kit by Michael Shermer: How to detect bullshit? How to differentiate between valid claims and conspiracy theories? How to sift through the bogus claims and reach truth? Michael Shermer gives a set of tools.

Ten foreign films that you must watch -- An year end list

As the year staggers and teeters to a close, it is time for the movie buffs to drink a glass of masala buttermilk and compile year end lists. I didn't see that many 2015 releases, So I am offering a list of some very good foreign films that I saw this year. These films provided experiences I treasure.

1. Loft: Here is a gem from Belgium. One of the best mystery thrillers that I have seen recently. It meets my criteria of the "Best twist films". The film unfolds like a good puzzle about a murder and I am sure that you will not guess what really is happening. Yet, when they explain everything in the end, it comes as a surprise but it all makes perfect sense. Hallmark of a good whodunnit movie.

2. Omar: What do you need to make a good thriller film? Stars? Big budget? Explosions? Chases? Thumping music? No. All you need is a good story. Here is a stunning low budget film by Palestinian film-maker Hany Abu-Assad. I was waiting for this film as I had loved his previous film Paradise now which was about Suicide bombers.
Story takes place in the Israeli occupied places in West bank. Hero is a youngster who has his childhood friends and loves a girl, he also happens to be a freedom fighter/Terrorist. Film starts leisurely and then the tension starts building slowly. The last one hour is so gripping, suspenseful and tense. This is easily one of the best films in recent times.

3. Mother of mine: 70000 Finnish children were sent to Sweden during During world war II, this is the story of one such kid who has to leave his mother and stay with strangers. A mother and son type of emotional story. Very touching and captivating.

4. Halima's path: Those who liked "Incendies" which was about the horrors of the war in Lebanon will like this. A deeply moving portrayal of the heartbreaking consequences of Bosnian war, a very touching, human story of love,loss and discovery. Keep your kerchiefs ready.

5. Divided we fall: A terrific film from Czechoslovakia. What an amazing, virtually unknown, gem! It deals with a Czech family during the German occupation of World War II who hide a Jew in their home. The characters are fleshed out and portrayed in a way that is deeply involving.

6. Captain Abu Raed: This is a film from Jordan. It is the story of of an Airport janitor who picks a captain's hat from the trash bin one day and walks back home. Kids in the neighbourhood assume that he must be a captain, from there it becomes a character based drama on how his relationship with the kids changes.
Film has a distinctly middle eastern flavours. It sort of reminds you of the Iranian films of Majidi Majidi and Makmalbaf. It is a humanistic story about suffering, wisdom, forgiveness and sacrifice told in an endearing manner. The pace is is unhurried and leisurely. Slow pacing works nicely for the movie. It is a low budget film , it is simple and charmingly so.

7. Balzac and the Chinese seamstress: It is about two Chinese male teens sent to a remote Mountain village in China to be re-educated about Communism. It is a meditation on power of stories and books. It is about the magical quality of books to really bring your fantasy to things you will never see in real life.

8. Barfuss: This is a romantic comedy from Germany. Nice lighthearted fun. Story is a about a loser falling for a mentally ill girl. It has the right mix of emotions and gags to make it a good entertaining watch. An interesting and funny love story.

9. He loves me loves me not: A French thriller.It stars Audrey Tautou whose on screen image is that of a cutie, quirky, sweety pie(Mainly because of Amelie).
It starts as a love story but morphs into something else, I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't seen it. It is told cleverly in a non-linear style. There are sufficient twists and turns in the series of events to keep the viewer intensely interested and wanting more.

10. The Raid 2: Berandal - Indonesian. Finally watched this sequel on which I was having a goni cheela(sack) full of expectations. Raid redemption had my adrenalin pumping like never before. Like in Ong Bak or Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films here also entire film was just an excuse to show the fighting skills of hero and other characters. What I had liked was the way the tension got escalated. Tension would keep mounting every 5 minutes. That way this film is quite different. This one actually tries to go the Infernal affairs/Departed way and tries to tell a story. So there are just 4-5 fights.
The last 2-3 fights were awesome and completely had me stunned. Good characters and some real bad-ass, stunningly choreographed and executed fights make it worthwhile.

ಅಮೀರ ಖಾನನೂ ಭೋಗ ಷಟ್ಪದಿಯೂ!

ದಿನ ಬೆಳಗಾದರೆ ಅದೇ intoleranceಉ, ಮತ್ತದೇ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ವಾಪಸ್ ಸುದ್ದಿ , ಅದೇ ಸಹಿಷ್ಣುತೆ, ಮಾಮೂಲಿ ಎಡ ಬಲಗಳ ಕಚ್ಚಾಟ ನೋಡಿ ನೋಡಿ ನೋಡಿ ತಲೆ ಚಿಟ್ಟುಹಿಡಿದಿದೆ. ಬೇರೆ ಏನಾದರೂ ಮಾತಾಡ್ರಪ್ಪಾ ಅನ್ನುವವರಿಗೆ, ನಾನೂ ಅದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬರೆದು ತಲೆ ನೋವು ಕೊಡೋಣ ಅಂತ! ಹೆದರಿಕೆ ಆಯ್ತಾ, ನಾನು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದು ಆ ತರ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ಮೊದಲು ಕುಮಾರ ವ್ಯಾಸ Fight Club ನ ಸಂಭಾಷಣೆಯನ್ನು ಭಾಮಿನೀ ಷಟ್ಪದಿ ಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆದರೆ ಹೇಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ ಅಂತ ಒಂದು ತಮಾಷೆಯ ಕಲ್ಪನೆಮಾಡಿದ್ದೆ(ಓದಿರದೇ ಇರುವವರಿಗಾಗಿ ಅದನ್ನು ಕೆಳಗೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೇನೆ). ಇವತ್ತು ಇನ್ನೊಬ್ಬ ಕವಿಯನ್ನ ಹಾಳು ಮಾಡೋಣ ಅಂತ.

"ತಿರುಕನ ಕನಸು" ಹಾಡು ಕೇಳಿದ್ದೀರಲ್ಲ ? ಅದು ಮುಪ್ಪಿನಷಡಕ್ಷರಿಗಳು ಬರೆದ ಹಾಡು. ಅವರು ಹದಿನಾರನೇ ಶತಮಾನದವರು. ಆ ಹಾಡು ಭೋಗ ಷಟ್ಪದಿಯಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಆ ಮುಪ್ಪಿನ ಷಡಕ್ಷರಿಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ಅಮೀರ್ ಖಾನ್ ಪ್ರಹಸನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಬರೀಬಹುದು ಅಂತ ಒಂದು ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಕಲ್ಪನೆ, ಭೋಗ ಷಟ್ಪದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ:
ಮಿಡುಕಿದಳು ರವೀನಾ ಬೆದರಿ
ಸಿಡುಕಿದನು ಅರ್ನಬ್ ಟೀವಿಯಲಿ
ಹುಡುಕಿ ಹೇಳಿ ನಿಜವ ದೇಶ ಕೇಳುತ್ತಿರಲು
ದುಡುಕಿ ರಮಣಿ ಹೇಳಲ್ ದೇಶ
ಬಿಡುವಮೀರ ಖಾನರೆ ನೀವು
ಕಡುಕಷ್ಟವೆ ನಿಮಗೆ ಏನಚ್ಚರಿ ಅಕಟಕಟಾ

ಹಳೇ ಬರಹದ ತುಣುಕು :
"You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You are not your fucking khakis. You are all singing, all dancing crap of the world" ― Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
ಇದನ್ನ ನಮ್ಮ ಕುಮಾರ ವ್ಯಾಸ ಬರೆದರೆ ಹೇಗಿರಬಹುದು ? ಹೀಗೆ :

ಕಾಯಕವು ನೀನಲ್ಲವೊ ಕೇಳು
ಮಾಯಕದ ಧನ ಕನಕ ನೀನಲ್ಲ
ರಾಯರೆಲ್ಲರನೊಯ್ವ ರಥವೇ ನೀನು ಧರಣಿಯಲಿ
ಕಾಯ ಒಪ್ಪುವ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ನಿನ್ನದೆ
ಆಯೆನುತ ಬೊಬ್ಬಿರಿದು ದುಗುಡದಲಿ
ಗಾಯನದಲಿ ಬಾಯ ಮೌನವ ಮುರಿವೆ ನೀನೆಂದ
(ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಕಮ್ಮಿ ಭಾಮಿನೀ ಷಟ್ಪದಿಯಲ್ಲೇ ಇದೆ, ಕಲಿಯುಗ ದ್ವಾಪರವಾಯಿತೋ ಇಲ್ಲವೋ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ , ಆದಿ ಪ್ರಾಸಗಳನ್ನ ತರುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ನನಗಂತೂ ಸಾಕಾಯಿತು)

ಕೊನೆಸಿಡಿ:ನಮ್ಮ ಎಫ್ಫೆಮ್ ಚಾನೆಲ್ ಗಳ ಜನರನ್ನ ಕುಮಾರ ವ್ಯಾಸನ ಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ಕರ್ಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿ (Time Travel) , "ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಗಣೇಶ ಸ್ತುತಿ ಭಾಮಿನೀ ಷಟ್ಪದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೀರಿ ನೋಡೋಣ" ಅಂದರೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಬರೀಬಹುದು? ಹೀಗೆ(ಇದು ಜಿಪಿ ರಾಜರತ್ನಂ ತಮಾಷೆಗೆ ಬರೆದ ಪದ್ಯ) :
Cultಉ ಕಾವ್ಯದ ಮಸಿಯ ಕುಡಿಕೆಯ
Tiltಉ ಮಾಡುವ ಮೊದಲು ಹಾವಿನ
Beltಉ ಹಾಕಿದ ಗಣಪನನು ಹಾಡುವುದು ನಮ್ಮವರ |
Faultಉ ಮೀರಿದರಿದನು severe
Joltಉ ತಪ್ಪದು ಸತ್ಯ thunder
Boltಉ ಬಿದ್ದಂತೆಂದು therefore ಗಣಪತಿಯ ನೆನೆವೆ ||

Kannada cinema for dummies

I came up with my version of Kannada cinema for dummies. A hitch-hiker's guide to Sandalwood!

Yogaraj Bhat

• Goes to a road-side bookshop in majestic. 
• Buys a travel guide like, "ಕರ್ನಾಟಕಗಳು, ಪ್ರೇಕ್ಷಣೀಯ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳು,ಒಳ್ಳೊಳ್ಳೆ ಸೀನರಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಇತರ ಹಾಳುಮೂಳುಗಳು"
• Our hero is lazy, ಫುಲ್ಲು ಓತ್ಲಾ, ದಂಡಪಿಂಡ. But he is a motor-mouth. 
• Hero goes to this ಪ್ರೇಕ್ಷಣೀಯ ಸ್ಥಳ with ಒಳ್ಳೊಳ್ಳೆ ಸೀನರಿಗಳು
• He meets our heroine(who acts like a mental) and falls in love
• Sonu Nigam song. Tippu song, ಹರಿಕೃಷ್ಣ ಸಾಂಗ್, Othla song, ಸಿಕ್ಕಾಪಟ್ಟೆ ಫೀಲಿಂಗ್ ಸಾಂಗ್ 
• More of ಪೋಲಿ ವೇದಾಂತ and ಓತ್ಲಾ ವೇದಾಂತ

Suri

• Buys ಹತ್ರೂಪಾಯಿಗೆ ಸಿಗೋ Benglooru map. 
• Searches for the best slums
• Locates the bars with the dimmest lights nearby
• Auditions for people who can play rapists, psychos and ಮಚ್ಚು - ಲಾಂಗು types
• Thinks of ಸ್ಮಶಾನ, ಡೆಡ್ bodies and all things dark and gloomy
• Weaves a story that can include all of the above

Naga Shekar

• Writes the climax first, which is -- Hero/Heroine dies
• Makes a list of all possible tragic things like Earthquake, Volcano, Rape, AIDS, Ebola, poverty, betrayal etc etc..
• Inflicts at least 2 or more of the tragic things upon hero/heroine
• Creates a story that can meet the conditions mentioned above

Pawan Kumar

 Of the Facebook, by the Facebook, for the Facebook

Uppi

• Takes notes from Philosophy 101 book
• Hero has a Phd in ಕಿರುಚಾಟ and ಅರಚಾಟ
• Heroine is a bitch
• This bitchy heroine does something bad to our hero
• Twist. Confusion. More confusion.
• Hero tames the heroine
• Wait, another twist, heroine was actually a good girl/she was a metaphor for something

Guru Prasad

•  They sit and talk
•  A new character enters and he joins the talk
• After a while................................................They change the topic and continue to talk

Sudeep

Please refer to the article on Telugu films*

Appu

• Appu smiles, he dances, he fights
• Appu meets the girl. He smiles, he dances and he fights
• Appu gets sent to Africa to abolish Ebola and he smiles, dances and fights

Ravi Chandran

• Heads to the nearest market
• Buys ನವಿಲು ಗರಿ, ಬಲೂನು, ಪಾರಿವಾಳ, ಸೀರೆ, ಹೂವು ಅಂಡ್ ಹಣ್ಣು (ದ್ರಾಕ್ಷೆ, ಇನ್ಯಾವುದು ?!)
• Designs fancy sets for songs
• Uses all the items purchased in step 2 on a gorgeous looking heroine in songs Searches for a Tamil story that can fill in the blanks between these songs

* The article is yet to be written!

Disclaimer: ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರ್ಯಾರ ಕಾಲು ಎಳೆದಿದ್ದೇನೋ ಅವರ ಸಿನೆಮಾಗಳು ಒಂದೂ ಬಿಡದೆ ನೋಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ, ಉಪ್ಪಿ, ಸೂರಿ, ಗುರು , ಯೋಗರಾಜ್ ಇವರುಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಅಭಿಮಾನ ಇದೆ ಅಂದರೂ ಸರಿಯೇ. ಇವರಿಗಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿದೆ ಅನ್ನುವ ಭ್ರಮೆ ನನಗಂತೂ ಇಲ್ಲ . ಇದು ಸುಮ್ನೆ ತಮಾಷೆಗೆ, ಕಾಲು ಎಳೆಯುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದು. ನಿನ್ನೆ ಬಾಲಿವುಡ್ ಅನ್ನ ಹೀಗೇ ಕಾಲು ಎಳಿಯುವ ಪೋಸ್ಟ್ ಅನ್ನು Facebookನಲ್ಲಿ ಶೇರ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೆ. ಅದನ್ನು ಓದಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಫ್ಯಾನ್ಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಿನಿಮಾದ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯೂ ಇಂತದ್ದು ಬೇಕು ಅಂದರು, ಅದೇ ಜೋಶ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆದೆ ಅಷ್ಟೇ. ಕುರಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳುವ ಹಾಗೆ : ನಾವು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದು ತಮಾಷೆಗಾಗಿ . ದುರುದ್ದೇಶ ಏನೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ನಾನೂ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಹಾಗೆ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಿನೆಮಾಗಳ ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಯೇ