Zorro and India

I was watching the dance scene of ‘The mask of Zorro’ and happened to remember one show aired on a TV channel a few years ago. I remember it because of the utter stupidity of the show.

It was during release of the movie ‘Spider Man 2’. This TV channel (I wouldn’t like to name it but just keep it in mind that it is one of those channels which we found “cool” during our teenage but later found out it is full of crap including its reality shows) made a show with 4 kids trying to portray their favourite superhero as the best. Now, when I say ‘Superheroes’, there are 3 names that will come to your mind, almost involuntarily, Batman, Spiderman and Superman. Some Indians may replace any of these names with ‘Krrish’ (I for one moron don’t how to spell his name).

Heaven knows why that TV channel selected four kids for that show and let me remind you it was before the Krrish era (I for one moron still don’t know how to spell his name J). They had to somehow bring one more superhero into that show. If I ask you now, I am sure you would scratch your head wondering who the fourth one will be despite the hint I gave in the beginning. It was ‘Zorro’.

I don’t refute if Zorro is a superhero. The thing that didn’t go well with me was the way ‘Zorro’ was enforced on the audience. As I said 90% of the audience to which the TV channel was catering was not aware of who on earth was Zorro. The funniest part is that the kid who was “supposed” to support Zorro also didn’t know who the hell Zorro was. It made for very funny scene when the other three kids were talking about the greatness of the respective superheroes they were supporting and this guy supporting Zorro didn’t utter a single word and just looked like an idiot on a national TV.

I am not talking here for that kid. The thing is, I still feel western culture(When I said ‘western culture’, I meant European and North American culture, don’t mistake it with South American or African, which is still west considering India’s geographical location, culture J) is enforced on most of the people in this country? I think some of these TV channels are doing so.

On an honest note, I didn’t know anything about Zorro apart from few things that there were few flops movies with Zorro as the protagonistJ. He had some Spanish or Portuguese connection and his name in Spanish meant ‘Fox’. To this day I fairly know anything more about him.

Indian Couple Refuse to Give Their Child a Religious Identity

Read the original news here http://friendlyatheist.com/2009/12/27/indian-couple-refuses-to-give-child-a-religious-identity/. I saw it first on the front page of 28th December's "Times of India" (Mumbai circulation), but couldn't get the link to paste it here

Not often you woke up for some pleasant news like this. Thankfully, at least once in a while you bump on something like this. I appreciate the stand these couple have taken and I sincerely wish others follow this.

I just happened to remember the days when I left the religion column blank whenever I was asked to fill up any form.

I wish similar thing happens with nationality as well. Imagine the day when we don't need any nationality to identify ourselves, instead we all say we belong to earth. I wish it happens one day :)

One world, One humanity!

A tree called vengeance - Digging to its roots - Part VII

(NOTE -- Please read in the order the story is posted... from Part I)

I am the best in school. Studies to sports to extracurricular, I am always ahead. The undisputed star of my school, Brandon Foster. Everyone is a friend. No rivals, no enemies, no competition. Perfect my life it seems, but not normal. I want someone to compete with. But sadly I don’t find anyone

I am writing a play for my school function. At least in that play the protogonist of my story will have a normal life. There will be a villain. What will be his name? I will call him just A Guy. I will play both the characters. My mom says why not take others to play one of the characters. I don’t like it. I am the one who can rival my self. Play was a hit. I start writing more and more plays around these two characters. Everytime I play both the characters. It’s fun. Now I know how I want my rival to be. All my teachers praised my work. “Brandon. If there is anyone who can rival him it can only be Brandon”. They’re right.

But lately one guy has arrived in my school. He looks very much like me. I hate him for that. I hat him everything. He matches me in everything I do. I win one, he wins the other. Our rivalry is becoming well known. Nowadays he creeps into my home. He scatters my things just to irritate me and flees away before I call my mom. But he doesn’t know I am afraid to call my mom. One day he spilled the milk. I said it was him. But my mom doesn’t believe me. She thinks I am lying. She scolded me and warned never should I talk to her about him. I think she looked a little scared. I would never tell her about him after this. And she never looked worried after that.

I moved to graduation school. Damn! He joined the same school as I am. I still don’t know his name. I still call him A Guy when I talk about him.

But one day I found out his name. He was playing cricket. Somebody said, “He plays like Dave Madison, that Oz player”. Let’s call him Dave Madison. Yes, that is the name of A Guy. Dave Madison. Strange thing is, since he got the name Dave Madison, he started to look more like Dave Madison rather than me.

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