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The 43rd Interna-tional Film Festi-

val of India (Iffi)that opened withLife of Pi, willclose with MiraNairs The Reluc-

tant Fundamentalist. Both filmshave an India connection. Theresno better way to showcase Incredi-ble India on screen. That could bethe reason why the Iffi consoli-dates its focus with four interna-tional titles that were shot on sig-nificant locations here: Save YourLegs that releases in Australia thisJanuary; Best Exotic MarigoldHotel, seen in metros this year;Slumdog Millionaire, which madethe Oscars say jai ho! India andThe Namesake, that was perceivedas the countrys greatest tourismcommercial.

A quick flashback shows Ash-ton Kutcher shot at SafdarjungTomb, Hauz Khas and Taj Mahalthis August, for Jobs, made onApple founder Steve Jobs whocame to India in 1974, seekingspiritual enlightenment. BeforeKutcher, Julia Roberts came forEat, Pray, Love (2010), a film abouta recently divorced womans questfor self-discovery. Earlier, KateWinslet came for Holy Smoke(1999), taking a satirical look atreligious zealots. Spirituality andIndia might seem coterminous ifyou follow the titles shot in Delhi,Kolkata, Haridwar, Varanasi, Pon-dicherry, Mumbai.

On the flip side, when makersof Skyfall sought to shoot Bond onthe Goa bridge, they were deniedpermission although Bollywood

ever, preceded by Gregory Peck,Roger Moore and David Nivenwho, in the WW II film Sea Wolves(1980), launched a covert attack ona German merchant ship trans-mitting information from neutralPortugals territory in Goa.

Antonioni and Rossellini havebeen enticed to shoot the Kumbh

Mela. Conrad Rooks Siddhartha(1972) took iconic photographerSven Nykvist from Rishikeshashrams to Bharatpur palaces,as the born-rich Shashi Kapoorsought a life in harmony withhimself. The Merchant-Ivory li-brary couldnt have been shotanywhere else. Mira Nair, DeepaMehta, Gurinder Chadha areincessantly probing the culturalconflicts when the East and theWest come together. A fresh lot ofdirectors are filming the thugeesof The Deceivers (1988); the refor-mation of The Warrior (2001); afamily reuniting in DarjeelingUnlimited (2007); British seniorcitizens outsourcing their retire-ment in Best Exotic MarigoldHotel (2012). And so the list goes on.

The picture could only get big-ger. And the countrys long coast-lines, lush forests, golden deserts,snowcapped mountains, ancientmonuments, metropolises, tribalpockets its civilisational diver-sity, in short, could lure many morefilmmakers. Such projects willbring economic gains. So why dontwe look inwards and hurry up theprocess of streamlining the rules?

That would, undoubtedly, buildon Indias philosophy VasudhaivKutumbakam the whole worldis a family. For, as Ang Lee saidwhile filming Life of Pi: You be-come the movie you are making.

cannot rob people of joie de vivre.For the German adventure The

Tiger of Eschnapur (1959) availa-ble in three versions beginningfrom the 1920s Fritz Lang in-dulged the stereotypes of Indian

maharaja, white-skinned Eurasiandancer, and German architect.By then, George Cukor in hisBhowanipore Junction (1954),had already filmed with remark-able sincerity, the Eurasian com-munity, amid the turbulence ofthe British withdrawing fromIndia. Full three decades passedbefore A Passage to India (1984),David Leans final film, ques-tioned the clash of civilisationsin British India.

These titles tell only half thestory: India has also been thestage for Octopussy (1983). At atime when James Bond turns 50,its good to know that 30 years agothe cult character came to Udai-purs Lake Palace. He was, how-

before that, Jean Renoir shot TheRiver in Kolkata, and providedlessons for Indian masters likeSatyajit Ray and Subrato Mitra.For all the criticism it garneredfor gaining from poverty, Slum-

dog Millionaire did win Indiancinema a new technical recogni-tion through Resul PookuttysOscar for best sound mixing.

India entered the internationalscreen in 1938, when Zoltan Kor-dan shot The Drum in Technicolor.It was one of three British filmsthat came to be known as the E m-pire Trilogy. The Rains Came(1939), with Myrna Loy and TyronePower, was about an Indian aristo-crat who returns from medicaltraining in the US to give himself tothe poor folk of Ranchipore. Thetheme found an echo in The City ofJoy (1992) where Patrick Swayze,a doctor, searches for spiritual en-lightenment after the loss of a pa-tient and discovers that poverty

showed Kidnap, featuring SanjayDutt, on the same location. Not-withstanding talk of a singlewindow for securing permissionsfrom I&B, home and defenceministries, ground reality hasremained the same since the pro-posal was drafted after DeepaMehtas Water shifted to Sri Lan-

ka. With the result that AshtonKutcher came, shot for two daysand left without taking permis-sion from I&B!

On the other hand, Save YourLegs, an Australian comedy oncricket madness that binds thetwo countries, had a very happyexperience, said producer RobynKershaw at Iffis Film Bazaar. Theyused a local contact and that really

helped with cultural sensitivity.Consequently, next time she willlook for serious collaborationsince the crew here is so fantasticand offers such great choice!

The gains from an internatio-nal filmmaker shooting in Indiaare multiple. When Richard Atten-borough came to shoot Shatranj KeKhiladi, he firmed up his decisionto make Gandhi with an interna-tional cast. The Oscars are just oneindication of where it placed Indiaas a filmmaking giant. Decades

Romancing India On ScreenBy cutting red tape, the government can make India a global film destination

Ratnottama Sengupta

Exploring new vistas on the silver screen

Indias long coastlines,lush forests, golden

deserts, snowcappedmountains and ancientmonuments, itscivilisational diversity,in short, could luremany more filmmakers

I I

T

he BJPs wannabe prime ministerial candidates have finally readwhat they believe is the writing on the wall: there is no stopping

Narendra Modi from aiming for the top job in New Delhi. TheGujarat chief ministers techno-savvy media campaign, his tight focuson development, the size and enthusiastic reactions of the crowds whoattend his public rallies, his disdain for his local rivals, his sharp, oftentasteless, attacks on the national leadership of the Congress seem to haveconvinced them that he is all set to win a third term in off ice.

The bickering in the Congress party ranks over the distribution oftickets stands in contrast to the acquiescence of the BJP state unit in the

choice of its candidates for the assembly poll a choice that Modi alone

has made. His muscular approach to politics, with its emphasis on a cult of

personality, appears to be paying dividends. Under these circumstances,the wannabes doubtless reckoned, they might as well hold their personal

ambitions on a tight leash and, as an

insurance for the future, fall in line.

Sushma Swaraj, who was fa-voured by the late Bal Thackerayas the BJPs mascot, fired the firstshot. Another contender, ArunJaitley, followed suit. Lesser mor-tals like Gopinath Munde, and thepartys loudest of loud mouthsNavjot Singh Sidhu, lost no timeto follow in Sushma Swarajsfootsteps. Sidhus cheap shot at

Keshubhai Patel dubbing him as an anti-national may have embar-

rassed the party leadership. But this, the wannabes must have surmised,was akin to a roadside accident.

The wannabes may well have jumped the gun. A senior BJP leader,Venkaiah Naidu, continues to sit on the fence. There is no word yet from L KAdvani who has not formally declared that he is not available for the top job.Most important of all, the RSS leadership in Nagpur is bound to regard theendorsement for Modi as a vote of no-confidence against Nitin Gadkari,anointed by it to head the party. So, no matter how well Modi performs inGujarat, there is no guarantee that you can take his national role for granted.The NDA partners in particular can be trusted to ask Modi to take a firmstand on the question of minorities. Modi might win the battle in Gujarat,but to win the war at an all-India level will be a different ball game.

Falling In LineBJPs wannabe prime ministerial candidatesjump the gun by endorsing Narendra Modi

You may expect Shweta Bhatt, the valiant wife of the police officer SanjivBhatt, to break into Stand by your man, a popular 60s country song.The homemaker wife has rushed in where political stalwarts fear to

tread. Resonating with the spirit of those cloyingly sweet and jarring lyrics,Shwetas act of bravery is meant to aid her husband Sanjiv and his fightagainst Narendra Modi. The verdict of the forthcoming uneven electoralface-off is virtually a foregone conclusion. But hold that thought. You could

instead choose a different strain of music, for instance, Harry BelafontesMan smart/women are smarter and ask: Who is the smarter one in this case?Shweta Bhatt or the Indian National Congress?

A political greenhorn, leveraged by a dispirited Congress, Shweta isabout to take on the roaring Gujarati lion in his s eemingly impregnableden. If that doesnt qualify as reckless political bravery, nothing does. Butreckless valiance is not always a bad thing to experiment with. Especially indire situations like this one when you simply have nothing to lose. What youneed perhaps is to make a symbol out of your defeat, to send out a hollowmessage of courage or honour in the face of yet another imminent calamity.That could be the Congresss desperate game plan. But in this bizar re Modivs Bhatt episode, thats not the only idea at play. A devoted wife suddenly

taking the political center stage, with husband by her side, who ends upspeaking much too often on her behalf, also reinforces the traditional idea ofIndian womanhood.

As Shweta herself has said, victory is not the essence of her contest. Inother words, the politics of this high-pitched election has alreadybeen pushed aside. At the centre of all the buzz is the unexpected-ness of a housewife, deciding to brave the dirty political world, ifonly for the sake of her embattled husband. Remember Lalu Prasad,who at the height of the fodder scam found succour from his politi-

cally novice wife Rabri Devi? Forced to give up his chief ministership, Laluanointed Rabri as his successor, sidelining party heavyweights. Till then

confined to the house and the kitchen, Rabri was pushed to the nerve centre ofpolitics, not just of Bihar, her state, but also the Delhi darbar.

In this case, much is to be said of the conduct, or the lack of it, of the rulingCongress, Gujarats main opposition party. Languishing on the sidelines ofGujarats stormy political theatre, the Congress has systematically allowedits adversary to walk all over it. The partys continued listlessness is inex-plicable, to put it mildly. One would have expected the Congress to work itselfinto shape, especially in the aftermath of the 2002 riots and build for itself anidentity that Modi would find tough to reckon with. Not just that, even on thechief ministers much publicised development model, much was to be saidas well as exposed. But the Congress played truant. Most of the stark revela-tions pointing to the g aping holes in Modis development project came fromacademics and stray journalists. Not the opposition party. The Congresscontinued to hibernate till it chanced upon a face-saver in Shweta Bhatt.

Interestingly, the Modi vs Bhatt case raises que stions about not just party

politics, but also gender politics. The BJP has grabbed this opportunity topoint fingers at Sanjiv Bhatt and decry his charges ag ainst Modi. But just for amoment put politics aside, and Shweta could easily become the BJPs brandambassador promoting the image of the ideal Indian woman. As a party,which hardly ever misses an occasion to celebrate the sati-savitri cult, theBJP should be proud of Shwetas contribution to fortifying this patriarchalidealism. But thats not the only contradiction. Shwetas unexpected electoral

foray must surely be a dampener for Modi and his professed masc uline politics,his macho aggression, his inability to apologise. Imagine all that being wastedon a political neophyte like Shweta Bhatt.

Stand by your manMonobina Gupta

Not just political tensions, the Bhatt vs Modisaga is also a mirror of gender relations

Someyears ago i spent a few days in Kigali,the capital city of Rwanda in centralAfrica. During this visit, i happened to

meet a Gujarati Indian, who was living inKigali as an immigrant. He was running a

cloth shop in t he city.One day i visited his shop and fou nd that he

was able to deal with his customers in fluentand understandable English. He seemed tohave a good working knowledge of the lan-guage. One of his friends told me that there wasan interesting story behind his English. Whenthis Gujarati Indian first came to Kigali, andopened his shop, he knew no English.But a large number of his customerswere English-speaking, so he felt com-pelled to try to speak in English.

During the early days, his Englishwas far from good. One day someonesaid to him, If you are not in a posi-tion to speak correct English, whyare you trying to speak it? Theshopkeeper simply replied, I speakincorrect English so that i may beable to speak correct English.

And so it came about. In two years timehe was able to deal with his customers in theEnglish language. When i met him, he was

fluent in English as a means of communication,and for a shopkeeper that was good enough.

Therefore, Where theres a will theres

a way. If you have a strong enough will toachieve something, you will do so, soonerthan later. Strong will itself is like successfulschooling as you learn from experience, andfor a sincere person, experience is a success-ful teacher.

Studies of the human brain tell us that itcontains numerous windows. Some are openand others are closed. It requires a compellingsituation to open the closed windows of mind. If

one has a shocking experience a nd takes it seri-ously, that will automatically open those c loseddoors. This process can sometimes bring aboutmiracles: a person can then play a role that wasunimaginable prior to that experience.

This principle can be applied to almostevery situation, big or small. Anyone can

perform a miracle, the only condition beingthat he should have the capacity to turn theshocking moment to good account.

In psychology the brainstorm theoryexplains such abnormal events. When there isa shocking experience, there is a storm in thehuman brain. This brainstorm activates dor-mant cells of the mind, and one becomes capa-

ble of doing what one could not haveaccomplished in a normal situation.

There are numerous examples likethat of say, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.

He was born into a poor, untouchablefamily. As a boy, he found hims elf

rejected in his own society. This sadexperience was overwhelming, buthe decided to overcome this situa-tion. After much hard work, he suc-cessfully completed his education,and finally emerged as a great mind

in the drawing up of the Indian Constitution.After Independence he was appointed as thechairman of the drafting committee of theIndian Constitution.

What is imperative in such a situation isthat one who faces such adversity should not

become demoralised, but should learn fromother peoples behaviour towards him, so thathe may unfold his own potential.

A strong will can help reveal ones hiddenpotential. But there is a difference betweenwilling and wishing. Do not follow any unre-

alistic wish: follow your true will and you willbe able to follow your dream.

Follow the Maulana on our website,www.spea-kingtree.in

When Theres A Storm In Your BrainMaulana Wahiduddin Khan

THE

SPEAKING

TREE

At a meet organised by the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), pettypoliticians have called for a probe into inter-caste marriages inTamil Nadu. Last heard, inter-caste marriages werent illegal in

India. Nevertheless they threaten to blur caste and other identity divides

that many politicians like to prey on, hence the absurd demand for aprobe. While the mobilisation of Vanniyar caste sentiment against dalitsappears to be the motive force behind the PMKs demand, in north Indianstates there have been calls to ban marriages within the same gotra(family name) and same village. Moral vigilantism against such weddings,

at the instance of caste and khap panchayats, has resulted in honourkillings. Similarly, inter-religious weddings have become pretexts forwhipping up communal sentiment.

A change can happen only if such caste and village panchayats are

forced to stop their efforts to intervene in personal choices of youngsters. Italso requires that such organisations are deprived of their unhindered

authority and also their powers to influence investigators and prosecutors

and protect the guilty. Likewise, those who claim to represent a religious

community should not be allowed to come in the way of inter-religiousmarriages. As long as we reinforce the power of community elders over the

individual, or in general privilege the views of old people over those of

youth, we will be stuck with archaic and fixed identities perpetually at war

with each other. The PMKs machinations are only a symptom of this. Thecontrary proposition also holds: empowering personal choice is the best

route to social peace.

Identity WarsInstead of probing inter-caste marriages, thePMK needs to turn the searchlight on itself

The key to successful leadership todayis influence, not authority.

KENNETH BLANCHARD, American author

THE TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHITUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 201218 THE TIMES OF IDEAS

A T H O U G H T F O R T O D AY

This is with reference to the editorial Crucia lPest Control (December 3) lauding the well-conceived measures propounded by theSupreme Court to check molestation. Therampant incidence of lewd remarks, groping,insulting, stalking and molesting women are

an everyday reminder that the executive hasfailed in its duty of protecting women andthat eve-teasing remains a blot on publicbehaviour. Now that the SC has stepped in, itis hoped that the police and other adminis-trative bodies will not dither from executingthese measures. Suggestions such as requir-ing the drivers of public transport to take thevehicle to the police station or holding mu tewitnesses to molestation accountableshould be acted upon with alacrity. Prose-cuting those accused of this offence quicklythrough a summary trial and prescribing animprisonment of at least a fortnigh t if provedguilty would be the next logical step.

Y G Chouksey,PUNE

Need for public transportThis is with reference to the editorial LearnFrom Europe (November 29). It is pertinent tonote that the rush for cars is also an indica torof inadequate public transport system inmost of our cities. Local transport in cities isserved by autorickshaw and taxi services,which operate under severe financialconstraints and are generally not in a position

to provide the best services. The busservices are too meagre and few and farbetween which makes them overcrowded.If personal transport is deliberately kept outof reach before satisfactory public transportis made available, then travel will becomeall the more difficult.

R N Misra, AHMEDABAD

Check on molestation

S N A P J U D G M E N T

The armys decision to press aheadwith the creation of a permanentcadre for the Army Aviation Corps

(AAC) represents a significant step for-ward in meeting the strategic obje ctives ofthe armed forces. A full-fledged aviation

wing would enable the army to operate itsown light observation and attack helicop-ters in the short term, and medium-liftchoppers and fixed-winged aircraft in thelong term. At present, most ofthe air support provided to thearmy offensive or tactical fallswithin the domain of the air force. Thisrequires considerable efforts to ensuresmooth coordination between the twoforces. However, with adequate heft, anexpanded AAC can take care of all of thearmys air support needs below 10,000 ft.

A dedicated aviation wing for thearmy would not only improve the lattersresponse capabilities in battlefield scena-rios but also provide land forces a platformto operate in an extra dimension. An avia-tion brigade would add considerable teethto the armys strike formations and pivotcorps, greatly improving mobility of

troops as well ascapacity for force pro-jection. This is alsocongruent with therecognition that con-ventional division of

the armed forcesbased on terrain land, air and sea is becoming increas-

ingly redundant, borne out by the armiesof the US, China and even Pakistan.

Critics of the move have cited dupli-cation of efforts in the face of limitedresources as a reason for impeding thearmy from acquiring its own mini airforce. However, this is merely symptom aticof a turf battle between the army and theair force, with the latter refusing to let go ofcertain prerogatives. Such petty squab-bling must not be allowed to come in theway of the larger interests of the armedforces. A full-fledged aviation wing for thearmy is a step in the right directio n.

Army to acquire dedicated aviation wing

Congruent with strategic needs

Indias slowingeconomy is tak-ing an inevitable

toll on its defencebudget. At thisyears beginning,the finance minis-try red-flagged an

ambitious militaryexpansion plan by

oddly asking, will the Chinese threatlast more than two years? Next, thedefence budget for 2012-13 saw a realincrease of just about 8%. The need ofthe hour is clearly to optimise existingresources, but it is precisely this objec-

tive that is being undermined by self-indulgent muscle-flexing between dif-ferent defence divisions.

Whether pushing for the right tooperate its own attack helicopters or amini air force, the armys case has beenchallenged by the Indian Air Forcescontention that its core competence in

aerospace should make it the defaultleader in all aerial war-fighting tasks.Note that the IAF has been struggling inthe face of shortage of pilots, training

facilities and the tendency of its backboneMiGs to come crashing down. Giventhat the army has its own unique set ofupgradation challenges, why would it

want to start at Ground Zero where IAFis already at work?

The main argumentgoes that the armyshould not have to wait

for the IAFs air support in situations ofurgency and surprise. Why not? IAFsattack fleet should provide timely sup-

port to the army in all tactically appro-priate situations. Shortfalls in deliveryneed to be addressed via better coordi-nation, which will be far more cost-effective and advantageous than thearmy muscling onto the IAF s turf. What-ever international examples the cham-pions of the armys mini air force cite,the most significant global trend is theintegration of defence forces into a seam-less unit for fighting modern warfare.

What will IAF do then?

C O U N T E R V I E WRudrani Jalan

I IT I M ES V I E WI I

When ones food is pure,ones being becomes pure.

Chandogya Upanishad7.26.2

Appreciate fully what youare eating, en joy it fully,breathing and smellingthe aroma to add to the

taste, chewing slowly andwell, to taste more and to

digest better. Discover thesubtleties of taste. Gentlykeep bringing the wander-

ing mind back to tastingfully what youre eating.Feel the difference! Give

thanks for the chance to beable to enjoy what you eat.Kalari Kovilakom, Kerala

If you eat with love thatis good; what you just

gulp down like anything,that will kill you.

Sant Kirpal Singh

Food to a large extentis what holds a societytogether and eating isclosely linked to deepspiritual experiences.

Peter Farb &George Armelagos

Conscious Eating

I IE D I T P A G E

M A I L B O X

We want your views and comments. Please write to us atspeakoutedit@timesgroup.com

I IS A C R E D

S P A C E

After serving a one-yearjail sentence for graft inthe Commonwealth Games,Lalit Bhanot is back at theIOA helm. His recent elec-tion as IOA secretary gene-ral shows the continuedstranglehold of power poli-tics over sports bodies.Bhanot partnered Haryanapolitician Abhay SinghChautala to wrest controlof the organisation. To pro-mote excellence in sport,bodies like the IOA must be

de-politicised forthwith.

Bhanot Rehabilitated

In a brazen act Nitin Ni-kam, a MNS cor porator,repeatedly slapped an el-derly private contractor,D G Patil, for delay inrepairing a damaged wa-ter pipeline near Mum-bai. Caught on camera,the incident happened infull public glare. Politi-cians seem to think noth-ing of taking the lawinto their own hands. Toreverse this unhealthytrend, the guilty must bepunished.

Corporal Punishment

Evertried to find perfectlove through scent?According to a study inthe Biological Psycho-logy journal, checkingout someones smell is animportant way of findingMr or Ms Perfect. Menand women, whore un-able to smell, were foundto be more insecure asagainst those with astrong sense of smell. Sonext time, remember touse your nose beforetaking those love vows.

Follow your Nose