Mirror, Mirror on the wall, Who’s the fairest of us all?

Oh yes, this is one of the innumerable posts that lament the Indian obsession with all things white and pure or to put it more squarely – with “fair” skin!

It is chronic – this flaxen mania. From pregnant women forced saffron or kesar down their throats so that they give birth to vanilla babies, never mind the dark genes that run in the family – to nauseating matrimonial advertisements wherein a “fair” alliance is sought - gori is often written in brackets for most of these ads up north (of India) to explicitly state that they are not looking at any other kind of fairness in the wife-to-be.

Thanks to Fair and Lovely, white skin soon became the sure shot route to success in all aspects of life for a girl – career included. Recall the ads where a girl could become an air hostess, doctor, businessman, model, dancer etc. just by lightening her complexion (and as if that is possible)!

In this age of equality how could the double X chromosome warriors be left behind, and thus heralded the age of Fair and Handsome – brutally murdering the Mills & Boons romance of the tall, dark and handsome knight!

What irks me the most is the hypocrisy of the people advertising for these products. What about all the tall claims that beauty is not skin deep and dusky being in?

I was extremely disappointed when SRK, John Abraham and Shahid Kapoor signed endorsements for skin-whitening creams and lotions. If supposedly educated and influential people do not take any personal responsibility towards changing the dysfunctional social mindsets, how is a change in the positive direction to come about?

In this regard, the news article here about Ranbir Kapoor refusing to do a fairness ad campaign was heartening, even if I am not sure if he’s actually taking a stance or if this is just a publicity gimmick or if there is a time/price issue involved.

This is not just about endorsing colas or clothing, this is about endorsing biases, and irrespective of how indecent is the amount you are offered, "colorism" or racism/bias based on color of skin is something we need to stand against!

Darrrling…7th khoon kaunsa tha?

Yes, before I get into commenting on the movie, I really want to know which was the seventh murder or sin that is referred to in the title - the intermission (after 3 husbands) says “4 more to go” and yet the second half shows only 3 kills! I am not exactly dumb but a little confused here...

At the risk of spoiling the plot a wee bit for those yet to watch the movie – 6 husbands are murdered. The seventh husband is Christ but he is not a victim as such – so not Suzanna’s sin really – Then does she kill herself – is suicide the seventh sin she confesses to? Or is the director just trying to be a smart aleck leaving the audience with a talking point!

Those who have watched the movie, please care to explain and those who haven’t please care to watch and then care to explain :D. Why should I be the only one losing on my Sunday peace?

7 Khoon Maaf is sort of a black comedy that charts the lethal pursuit of love by the main protagonist – Suzanna. While she has the option to step out of the relationship in each of her marriages, she chooses the more macabre way to end her woes – murder of the husbands. Priyanka Chopra is compelling in her portrayal as the psychotic dame with blood on her lips – disillusioned in marriage, hopeful in her cheery optimism, and dexterous in the execution of the murders.

The director has been largely successful in making a film that is shrouded in macabre from the beginning to the end. The excellent camera work is a must-mention!

The dialogues bring out the shades of grey in each character fairly well and in a sense lead you to the fatalistic finality of the dark plot that Ruskin Bond has quite eerily put together. Having said that, the first half remains more engaging and racy than the second.

All the men have done a good job in giving Suzanna the key motives for murder – fine performances.

The background score fits well with the morbid theme providing the audience with that creepy anticipation; and the hugely popular Darrling is so apt and addictive! (I just can’t get over it. YouTube link here)

What of course is lacking in the movie is the fact that it remains hugely unconvincing as far as the story telling goes – the ready availability of accomplices, the all too obvious traps planted – and the whole logic that a single woman would be wedded to the choicest of scoundrels in one lifetime is a little skewed!

Thus, making the movie a could-be-super-engaging blood thriller - but nor does it fall to the depths of an insipid mediocre flick. This one’s quite deftly crafted and though is bone-chilling only in parts, it is watchable.

If this movie is not a crowd puller, blame the orthodox Indian masses. 7 Khoon Maaf does not cater to any of the regular expectations that the audience have from a Bollywood release. It does not try to engage the emotions of the viewers – it leaves you out in the cold – the horror unnerves you but there is no overt attempt at evocation of feelings of empathy or sympathy.

In that sense, there is no realism – there is an emotional disconnect, which lets you watch and appreciate the story at a creative, fictional distance.

(Image source: Google Images)

Destination India!

Here goes the context: Vish was asked by someone he knows to provide a few travel tips for a trip in February to India, Chennai specifically. This person is an American and this was his first expedition ever to India.

So when we got down to putting some tips together we decided to omit the most common ones that Google would throw up or any other site on India would provide.

I thought of sharing the tips here. We based most, in fact all of these, on what we have observed during our conversations with people from other countries and what we have personally experienced when travelling back and forth.

• If this is your first trip to India, be warned - you shall be stared at with no particular intention to harm you or make you uncomfortable. Most Indians can get very inquisitive of "foreigners". So take all the attention with a pinch of salt. As far as regional security goes, it is extremely safe, so no worries on that front.

• Mentally brace yourself for crowds. The population within the metro area of Chennai is over 6.5 million people (No. 32 in the world in terms of population in metro areas). So, you'll know exactly what I am talking about when you get out of the airport - people, people, and more people. Embrace yourself for a "noisy" welcome - most places, and more so the airport and outside are exceptionally noisy when compared to most American states. No solution for this one :). It might be a bit draining at first but you will get used to it.

• Be careful with the food. Spicy means really spicy - Ensure that when you place the order, you specify your tolerance level for spice and chilies and any food allergies that you might have.

• Most American brands, when it comes to daily food, clothes etc., are available here in the malls, so don't bother too much with stacking up too many stand by options from home.

• If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing and traveling (which ideally you must if you have the time - there are some great historic and culturally significant places around and Feb is a reasonably okay time to explore the city), it would be a good idea to keep a mosquito repellent cream and disinfectant cleansing solution handy at all times. You can buy them locally in India if you are not too particular about a specific brand. I recommend Mahabalipuram, Dakshinchitra and Pondicherry if you get the time.

• You have to take advantage of the numerous beach side resorts on the East Coast Road (ECR) if you get the time. Suggested resorts are Fisherman's Cove, GRT. Secluded beaches and a lot of amenities provided. The beaches in the city are way too crowded.

• As with most developing economies, infrastructure is always the slowest to keep pace with the development, hence you will see construction everywhere - houses, roads, flyovers and metro rail. Therefore, the dust and pollution level in India in general and in Chennai, in particular, are very high - ensure you travel in a closed vehicle. You might experience watering and reddening of the eyes - It would be good to keep eye-irritation relief solution in hand all the time in addition to any anti-allergens that you take. Also traffic jams everywhere so you will have a lot of time to observe all the mayhem around you. ;)

• Traffic rules are non-existent so watch it when you are walking around the streets. (Welcome to the civilized world!)

• Sadly, the huge rich-poor divide ensures that there are always people out there to waiting to make a fast buck off tourists; the general impression being that anybody white has a lot of money to spare! Ensure that you know the general rates of autos (3- wheeled rides not advisable to take), taxis (call taxi service is readily available) before hand so that you can negotiate fares before the ride - it's good to go to fixed-rate shops, or take a local along for shopping when going to touristy small markets. Gratuity is NOT a must but if you feel you got good service its fine. Most people expect to be tipped from foreigners but you are under no obligation to pay.

• The best places to get a drink are the numerous hotels in the city which have their own lounge bars. I recommend The Park, Zaras Tapas Bar, and Taj Connemara for a few. The Park especially is in the heart of the city (located close to the US consulate) and is the watering hole for a lot of expats.

• Thankfully, in Chennai most people do understand English but not so much the American accent - It would be a good idea to speak slowly and loudly to get your point across.

That was our rather exhaustive list! Let me know your take. What would you add? What would you let go?