'54% of India's people are in the 15-25 age bracket.This is - well, the future generation - the generation that will define what India will become in the next few decades.' Haven't we heard this argument enough times in enough places?
But somewhere,we fail to realise how its already started changing the dynamic of our everyday existence.Today.
Film-makers have started realising that this is the segment of the population which will make or break a movie.Hence the number of family-entertainment movies have gone down - and the number of movies that appeal to this young audience have increased.The Hum Aapke Hai Kauns of this world have given way to experimental concepts - Dhoom,Salaam Namaste,Darna...series - Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor have given way to Mallika Sherawat and Emraan Hashmi.Yash Chopra now makes movies like Neal n Nikki!!!
I remember there was a time when there were discussions in the family as to whether Rangeela was a good movie to take young kids to - because of the levels of 'exposure' in the movie.Today, 'exposure' is in our drawing rooms - and audiences are lapping it up. Today Salaam Namaste -the 'live-in' movie - has become family entertainment - which just goes to show how the social fabric is fast changing from the times gone by. I'm not suggesting that if I decide on a live-in relationship with someone tommorow - my family will support me - but yes, they surely wouldn't be shocked when I mention it. And that is a HUGE change.
Films are becoming very representative of this 15-25 generation , their ideas and ideologies.And that generation is responding.The latest is a political-party by IIT-passouts promising 'corruption free governance'(seems straight out of Yuva).Then there are Rang De Basanti type candle-light protests at IndiaGate against the court decision on the Jessica Lal murder , another against reservations and quotas. And from the looks of it, these wont be the last ones.
Very rarely do I have positive things to say about Hindi films.They have generally been, well, too filmy for my liking.But if any of the above is even partly because of films - then those films and their messages deserve a pat on the back.
So here's to more RDBs,Yuvas , and a few Murders too!!!
07 May 2006
02 May 2006
Gurgaon's Travel Problems
This post has been long overdue.Anyone who's been in Gurgaon and has had to travel locally will identify with what I have to say.
Gurgaon has no public transport.No buses.No trains.No autorickshaws.There are just the Kolkata-ishtyle man-pulled cycle-rickshaws which take people from place to place locally.But these are slow and take almost 4 times the time that a motor-vehicle would.People travelling within Gurgaon on business -and their kind is increasing- have no means of public transport.Pretty sad, coming from a city which seems to be exploding on the development front and is supposed to be competing with Bangalore as a major MNC/IT/BPO hub. This lack of public transport is a serious challenge for travelling salesmen, to people new in the city and the people on temporary stays - for whom, a personal vehicle isn't a viable option.
I was wondering what could be a good answer to this problem.The easiest would be ,of course, to go in for the 3-wheeler meter-based rickshaws which ply in most other cities.Which would be great.But the quick implementation of which would be difficult.
When I was in Goa a couple of years back, for the first few days,I did not have a vehicle to commute.There were the state run buses - which ran at their own speeds.But a quicker way to get around was using the 'pilot' - a guy on a bike who would transport you from one place to another at good speeds.Typically, you haul yourself onto the backseat and the pilot takes you to your destination for an agreed-upon priceThis is a state-supported concept in Goa - and it works great - because long distances are covered quicker on 2 wheelers - and the fuel-efficiency of the 2 wheeler keeps the costs affordable to the traveller and the operator.
Could this work in Gurgaon?Worth a try.
Gurgaon has no public transport.No buses.No trains.No autorickshaws.There are just the Kolkata-ishtyle man-pulled cycle-rickshaws which take people from place to place locally.But these are slow and take almost 4 times the time that a motor-vehicle would.People travelling within Gurgaon on business -and their kind is increasing- have no means of public transport.Pretty sad, coming from a city which seems to be exploding on the development front and is supposed to be competing with Bangalore as a major MNC/IT/BPO hub. This lack of public transport is a serious challenge for travelling salesmen, to people new in the city and the people on temporary stays - for whom, a personal vehicle isn't a viable option.
I was wondering what could be a good answer to this problem.The easiest would be ,of course, to go in for the 3-wheeler meter-based rickshaws which ply in most other cities.Which would be great.But the quick implementation of which would be difficult.
When I was in Goa a couple of years back, for the first few days,I did not have a vehicle to commute.There were the state run buses - which ran at their own speeds.But a quicker way to get around was using the 'pilot' - a guy on a bike who would transport you from one place to another at good speeds.Typically, you haul yourself onto the backseat and the pilot takes you to your destination for an agreed-upon priceThis is a state-supported concept in Goa - and it works great - because long distances are covered quicker on 2 wheelers - and the fuel-efficiency of the 2 wheeler keeps the costs affordable to the traveller and the operator.
Could this work in Gurgaon?Worth a try.
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