Virender Sehwag

Its high time i wrote an article on this special batsman. First up, hats off to his performance in the 2nd test at Galle. His single handed batting display where he scored 201 of the 329 runs in the first innings is the prime reason for our victory!

I hate calling myself a "fan" of anybody. Maybe its because fans are often narrow minded and non-critical when it comes to their respective "idols". And maybe its also because fans know a lot of info and trivia about their idols, which i certainly don't have. Hence I'd rather call myself an Admirer. Until a year ago, it has been only Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble from our Indian Cricket Team that i call myself an admirer of. Now, Viru too!

He is one of the most exciting cricketers to me. When he is out on the field to bat I'm always on my heels! ( not literally! :-D ) You'll never know what he does next. I tell you, i cannot imagine many players who would hit a sixer to get to their triple century.

Such is the courage and attitude of this guy. And that's what i like most about him. His attitude to the game. The way he approaches his batting is unique. The naivety he possesses with regards to his batting is a joy to watch. I remember Ravi Shastri quoting him from an interview saying that "When i go out on the field to bat, all i think of as an opener is to whack the ball all over the park. Because thats only way i can make the new ball old and remove its shine and swing!!" :-D

His chirpiness on the field whether batting, bowling or fielding is another thing i like. I hope Viru never changes and he is the same always. He is an asset to the team and i think he should never be dropped from it. Because when Sehwag clicks, he can demolish the opposition like none else! He is a real match-winner!

The Abortion Issue

This has always been a hotly debated topic as Rationalism and Religion take different stances on this issue.

As far as I'm concerned, i think religious views should be altered based on circumstances which warrant an abortion.

A possible case might be that of a rape victim. In the rare case that she is unable to recieve medical treatment immediately following rape, and, in the rarer case that she becomes pregnant, is it then justified to perform an abortion on the unborn foetus?

What we should consider in this case is that the bearer of the consequences of rape i.e. the pregnant woman has not made the Choice to become pregnant. But there lies a Choice whether to perform an abortion on the foetus. Why should the woman bear a child which can cause her mental agony, because of the nature of events leading to its birth. Besides it is not a Choice she made. It was an act of violence.

Pro-ethicists and theologians may argue that this is just as bad as a career-oriented abortion from the point of view of the unborn foetus. But the comparison is ridiculous as the situation and reasons are different. They may also say that that the attitude of these pregnant women towards their unborn child, may progressively change from repulsive to that of something innocent. That is however a subjective view and varies from person to person. It is easy for them to pose such arguments than placing themselves in the woman's position.

Today you have the Mehtas' case making news on all channels throughout the country. As per the law, according to the provisions of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, abortions are permitted up to the 12th week of pregnancy. Between the 12th and the 20th week, an abortion can be permitted with the consent of two doctors only if the mother or the child faces a fatal risk. However, beyond the 20th week of pregnancy, an abortion can be conducted only if the mother’s life is in danger and not the child’s. A doctor, who conducts an abortion beyond the 20th week for any reason apart from a fatal risk to the mother, can be sentenced to imprisonment of up to seven years. Unfortunately the mother (Mrs. Mehta) is in her 25th week of pregnancy and has found out that her child has a congenital heart problem. Should the law be amended?

I firmly believe so. The law cannot make exceptions. And hence has to be amended. The law exists to make lives better and safer. It is not the mother's or the child's fault that only a
diagnosis after 20 weeks revealed the defects. Besides, the fundamental question which arises is, Is it necessary to give birth to a child whose life is at a fatal risk from the moment it is out of the womb? Is it necessary to give birth to a child who cannot lead a normal life like others, when the birth itself can be avoided? Why does the child and the mother have to undergo suffering and agony for no mistake of theirs?

The Dark Knight - A Review

"The Best movie to have released in recent times!!"

IMHO The Dark Knight is a movie to which the above statement can be applied to.

The pre-release hype that surrounded this movie was unmatched. The very good first part (Batman Begins) and the death of the movie's main antagonist Heath Ledger (The Joker) were the prime reasons for it. Besides this Warner Bros. adapted aggressive marketing for this big budget movie. There are very few movies that i can think of that have lived up to the hype that they've created. This movie not only lives up to it, but surpasses all. There are even fewer movies that i know, that have become both, box office hits and critically acclaimed. And this movie is one of those elite!

There is not one aspect of the movie where the movie falls short of a high standard. Be it Direction, Acting, Story, Entertainment, you name it, this movie has got it all. Its just not one of those mindless non-stop action flicks, with Only jaw-dropping stunts. It has got everything. Even Emotion, which many movies of this genre lack.

And then just when you thought it was all over there comes a twist! That is another thing special about this movie. Despite the length (2hrs 30 mins) the movie is so gripping and fast-paced that you will never once feel "its a bit of a drag now" (i checked my watch in the end to see if it really was 2 and a half hours).

A lot has already been said about The Joker's performance that I'm about to say. Whether he deserves an Oscar can only be said with relation to other great performances in other movies this year. The Joker has put up a splendid show but then again i feel that its not the kind of performance that cannot be replicated. Maybe it was my huge expectation on his performance which has made me say this, I don't know. There are already talks about who might be the next joker (Daniel Day Lewis? Johnny Depp?). It remains to be seen if anyone can ever match up to Ledger's performance. Though all this said, it is acting which you would love to see over and over and over again..... The Joker has immortalized Heath Ledger.

Christian Bale has been overshadowed by Ledger in this movie. But nevertheless the cast of Bale, Oldman, Eckhart and Caine have delivered power-packed performances befitting the movie's stature. I feel Katie Holmes would have done the job better than Maggie Gyllenhaal, as she is a better actress than the latter, in my opinion.

The movie is even a visual spectacle and for those looking for high-flying action and special effects, you wont be disappointed.
Possibly one of the best parts of the movie arrived in the last 10 minutes or so, which contained memorable dialogues and powerful scenes. It sets this movie apart from any other super-hero movie ever made. And when the words, "The Dark Knight" is displayed across the screen just before the end credits roll, you can feel the hair on your skin rise!!

Expectations are obviously high on Chris Nolan for the next Batman movie. But even if he is the same man who made Memento and The Prestige besides the two Batman movies, i don't think even He can surmount his accomplishment in The Dark Knight!

There is little that I've said above that has not been said before about this movie. So rather than reading the countless rave reviews, i suggest you watch the movie immediately, if you haven't. Watch the movie without any of the expectations created by Reviews similar to this one, to enjoy the movie even more. :-) :-)

Rating : 10/10

(I never thought I would put such a rating ever again, for a movie after The Departed !)

Metal - The most Misunderstood genre in Music

When i first started listening to Metal music, i may never have imagined that i will write such an article.

To most people, Metal may typify as Noise! :-D Cant really blame them because that was the way even i've felt (sometimes) in my very initial stages of listening to this genre.

There are some kind of movies where u did not quite comprehend much, and hence feel a re-watch is needed. And it is only after the re-watch u appreciate the true greatness and value of the movie There are some other similar kinds of movies in which u do not feel too good after the end, and u think u will never see this movie again. But later when u start thinking about the entire movie as a whole, u start to appreciate it a lot more, to the point that u want to watch it again. Quality Metal music can be compared to either of these kinds of movies.

Because of its "heavy" nature and relatively limited audience (compared to easily appealing genres like Pop and Rock), very little Metal music is heard in Mainstream music. (Mainstream music refers to the Commercial world of music like in Airplay and Music Videos, the kind of music We hear most of the time, on Radios and TVs). Hence few people actually get to know more about this genre. The common misconception that this kind of music is Noisy and bad for the ears, is Nonsense to say the least. It is just the same as any other kind of music in that sense.

As it is obvious Metal requires some patience in listening to. To me the extent to which a music is "Good" depends on how much it sustains the interest in me Everytime i listen to it. The layers of music in a song is what will eventually keep this interest. In other words it is the Richness of the music which sustains interest.

In my short talk above u would have realized that i am talking only about the Music in a song. Thats right. I don't give a damn for the lyrics in a song. One reason for that s i feel music is a language of its own and the music is what captures me most. Besides i feel lyrics in most songs don have much value or sometimes even meaning ( unlike poetry!). It is only in the rare case that i start enjoying a song So much that i try to make out its lyrics. And of course the above statements don't apply when i listen to Hip-Hop songs :) :)

Coming back to Metal, i can say that it is one of the most instrument-centric genres. Most listeners of Metal don pay much attention to its lyrics. They listen to it for the way the music is created. Most of the time this is done by the Classic instruments of Drums and Electric Guitars. They are the mainstay of Metal music.

Metal is a very diverse genre in itself with tens of other sub-genres originating from it. Each of the sub-genres differ in one or more of the following Major ways :

1) Kind of Vocals used
2) Song Structures
3) Pace of the music
4) Tone, Bass
4) Instruments used

I must add here that Linkin' Park, a band which is especially quite popular in India, come under the category of Nu-Metal (or so they say!!). I should however say, that their music is average or below average imho. And if you want to listen to some "real" metal, they're certainly not it!

To most of the relatively new listeners of this genre, some genres may appeal more than the rest. But for the experienced listeners it All ultimately boils down to Great Music.

For those who enjoy music, and really dig instrumental stuff, i recommend giving Metal a try. And remember, it does not come on easily at first. :-)