Sifting fact from fiction

For a few of you, this line of argument may be completely new and ridiculous. But for those who try to seek explanation for everything, you may find this acceptable. How true are the things we consider as facts about our history? Historians are under the mercy of the incumbent rulers. Victors have unlimited power in twisting facts and rewriting them to show them in good light.

In the Indian perspective, most of our history is vague and intertwined with religion. Accepting the occurrence of Mahabarath and Ramayan, still doubts persist on the degree of truth in them. Were the Kauravas really the malicious lot? How will historians have treated the pandavas, for polyandry, if they had lost the war? In any story that is passed down generations, people are bound to exaggerate facts and the final product that is present is a really distorted version on truth.

Extending this line of thought to recent events, we can even question the validity of the Pearl Harbor attacks. Did Japan really wrecked havoc or did US use a stray navy plane as a reason to enter the already full blown world war. Also if Pearl Harbour can be made into a dramatic movie, how will the Americans react to a movie that is made on the Hiroshima & Nagasaki bombs. Also US's recent aggression towards these countries is lot because of a whole generation being fed on war gloryfying movies and that explains Bush's continued presence in the office. And also the influence US wields on the world now can be seen from the way the current wars in West Asia are being portrayed to others.

This line of argument finds support in the movie '300' in which the Persian King Xerxes threatens Greek Leonidus that he will erase them from history after the war if they fail to come under his ascendancy.

The current scenario with respect to history writing is more optimistic than in the past. We have various options by which we can pass all that happened with us to our descendants. But they face an Herculean task. They have to sift through all the evidence and reach a judgment about us. Most of them might be tired to do that and just follow the popular opinion of their day.

Omkara

Went to the movie on the shortest possible notice, again precariously perched on the auto. And once in the theatre, found a patient guy who can help me with my hindi comprehension and sat near him. Saif Ali Khan plays the role of a sniper (without a scope though) in the gang. The movie opens with Saif marking a baarath bus’ tire, thus stopping Kareena’s wedding. Prior to it Kareena falls in love with Ajay because he has injured his shoulder. I am not kidding. Kareena plays a very optimistic role. Once when Ajay comes to her home, she gives him a cup of coffee with her engagement ring in it. Kareena’s positive intuition and the hot coffee prevents Ajay from swallowing it.
As Ajay is shifting to politics, he is forced to find a successor for his gang. Vivek Oberoi gets picked up inspite of Saif’s seniority. This forms the crux of the movie. As there is no legal way in which Saif can snatch the leadership which he feels he deserves, he resorts to artifice. He spins an affair between Kareena and Vivek and makes Ajay believe it. Bipasha Basu’s role has been woven into the main story to have two item numbers. Also Konkana Sen plays the role of a village belle. As there are six stars in the movie, the director has made use of a simple means to identify the couple combinations. If two people of the opposite sex have an ornate hip bracelet with them when together, it means they are a couple and you can guess what will happen next. Now between all this entertainment, the gang goes on with its job increasing its frag count. At a stage of the movie when you start to feel that the cops have been significantly absent, guess who turns up as cops. Our own Ajay and Saif and still more fragging.
Finally Saif is given a deadline for proving la affair. I first misunderstood the deadline to be the morning of the marriage. But it turned out to be just before first night. Saif finally cooks up some crazy call in which it seems like Vivek’s reading of a paper written by Saif. Our gullible Ajay believes it. Now starts the killing spree. Whatever ways you think people can die, they do here. Kareena is smothered to death with a pillow by Ajay. Konkana confesses that she had stolen the ornate bracelet. So now Ajay turns on Saif. Then loses interest and chases them away. Then comes the sudden revelation that he is a necrophile. Later Konkana surprises Saif with a sickle and slits his throat. Now with too many confusions about who was right and who wasn’t, the director chose to end the movie allowing Ajay to kill himself thus saving our time and the reels