"The Post" (English)

In the twilight years of his career, director Steven Spielberg has been trying to tell different stories in different genres. The latest film "The Post" is quite an exciting story - the story of how rival newspapers tried to pip each other to the post (pun unintended) in publishing "The Pentagon Papers" (the papers which reveal damning confessions about how the American public in particular and the world at large was led to believe that the Vietnam war holocaust was fought without a cause. Playing the key roles in this episode is Meryl Streep as the legendary Katherine Graham, publisher and owner, The Washington Post and Ben Bradlee, the famous editor, The Washington Post. In approximately 115 minutes, Spielberg gives a riveting account of those episodic moments in his typical fluent but linear style of story-telling, though following the same drumbeat routine - a prologue of a war where an element of reporting takes out a chunky box of classified information by subterfuge and the narrative afterwards as to how two of America's most vibrant newspapers, The New York Times and The Washington Post trying to assert each other's snoopy adventures get to the finishing tape by reaching the source. And finally, the brilliant climax where a celebration of the Freedom of the Press ushers in with a dramatic Supreme Court verdict and a lot of maudlin moments for Kat Graham and Ben Bradlee.

On the whole, the movie is absorbing with all the details that Spielberg narratives reconstruct - the excitement of how newspapers worked in the times when nobody else , not even the Television was breaking news by the minute and mobiles and internet were unthinkable and the humongous pressures that newspaper editors and publishers went through during the worst Presidency years that American media has ever seen. The good part is the vividness and the emotionalities retained without too much fussing, aided by persuasive and nuanced performances by Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. Music by Speilberg's favorite composer John Williams is piercing yet non-invasive - the director and the music composer have shared so many lifetime's work between each other that they don't need to make an effort to fall in sync with each other - once again proved by the output of BGM in the film. The ending is a bit dramatic and formulaic with self-congratulatory glances exchanged by the two protagonists- Streep and Hanks as if they have done iconic expose. All they did was to publish papers and re-interpret history of several presidencies before and during Nixon's tenure  as to the true motives of the Vietnam's war. Spielberg's strengths have been in story-telling but his weaknesses are in ignoring the larger pictures that emerged later on giving some post-script insights.

For instance, more than 3.5 million people were killed in the Vietnam war and over 58,000 American soldiers died during the war leading to devastating economic consequences. No cursory mention of the same is made except just dramatizing the efforts to reach custody of the secret papers. Do those who followed the  war know that those war years are what changed the economic landscape of the world forever- Nixon was forced to abandon the Gold Standard as the dollar took a beating and hyperinflation rose? There were two books written by the protagonists - "Katherine Graham: A Personal History" and "Yours in Truth: A personal portrait of Ben Bradlee" which give exquisite insights into the effects of the War and the fallout on the American economy as well as on the Foreign policy (of which nothing has changed). This being a limited excursion into the adventurist spirit of a noted American publisher, Spielberg can be excused lapses of interpreting the larger unintended consequences of historical blunders but in my view, it is a golden opportunity missed by the director in enhancing the reportage value of the narrative. Was "Platoon" a better film than this on the Vietnam War? Unfair because the anecdotes depicted are totally different but just a food for thought whether Spielberg has the objectivity of an Oliver Sone in re-imagining political potboilers. What we can take home from the film is the general depreciation in values of Press Freedom and an unhealthy uptrend in generating "fake news" and whataboutery. Two golden lines from the film will resonate with everybody who values press as the fourth estate to keep an eternal vigil on democracy: "The principal duty of the press is to safeguard the interests of the governed, not the governors". And "The only way to assert the right to publish is to publish it." A good film to watch if you care about   some of these lofty ideals which are becoming rarer than rare-earth metals. Spielberg could have also used a narrative to mention the episodes which later led Warren Buffett to bite into the shareholding of The Post and later, much later, how Jeff Bezos took hold of the venerable newspaper just as it was about to fold up.

My rating: 3/5

#ThePost #StevenSpielberg #JohnWilliams #TomHanks #MerylStreep #TheWashingtonPost #Amazon #WarrenBuffett #VietnamWar #PentagonPapers

Khushwant Singh - the man with the pen which didn't have a condom!

At 99, Khushwant Singh would have been the oldest Indian writer of pre-Independence era to vote in the ensuing elections but death bowled him out before he could turn 100. For millions of Indians, Khushwant Singh has democratised writing in ways that even his peers and legends who followed him, couldn't. His writing unlike some of his Nobel Prize co...ntemporaries had a magical mixture of elegance, simplicity, information, amusement and food for thought.

It will take many biographers, maybe the likes of Humra Quereshi and Shobhaa De to cover his majestic sweep of works in prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, travelogues, histories and biographies, edited anthologies, letters, reviews, essays, obits, profiles and of course, those jokes on everything the Indians love and abhor. You can take "Train to Pakistan" as a moving novel that's semi-autobiographical. Or, you can discuss his stamp of authority in volumes on "The History of Sikhs" (which can be compared in affections and passion for one's homeland with Winston Churchill's body of work in "The History of the English-speaking people"). The man has written about thirty two books and nearly a dozen short stories. He has edited such diverse newspapers and periodicals like "Yojana" (a neat journal on economic issues) and "Hindustan Times" and "National Herald". And he has edited a periodical which fired a generation of readers, including my father, who were trying to unshackle the colonial pangs. Known as the "Illustrated Weekly of India", Khushwant Singh made it a national rage covering topics from economics, politics, art and religion to buxom beauties and saffron swamijis. That it sold over four lakh copies at its peak should tell you how reader-centric Khushwant Singh was. He wrote on sex and sublime matters with ease and always cared for the reader who read his writings with respect, humility and time-sense. You could measure each piece of his for the insights per page; if there was no insight it humored you well with low-downs on people that entertained you.

I got introduced to Khushwant Singh's writings by my father - that propelled me to take up atleast part-time writing, it spruced up my life in ways I cannot imagine. My father used to read out loud his column "With Malice towards One and All", make me underline crafty expressions and turns of phrase and fetch their meanings. Just his range of writing is enough to inspire many writers into the profession of reporting and writing. It is inconceivable he had an opinion on so many aspects of our culture, literature, polity and socio-economic situations.

I still bump into many strangers and acquaintances who bond me with in their love for Khushwant's writing style. While I have followed most of his writings and books, it is the step-up in the pace of his writing during the last ten years that amazes me. In this period, he penned his autobiography "Truth, Love and a little malice" which summed his life in the most honest manner including his foibles and false loyalties with fallen angels like Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi. He wrote a few more pieces of fiction: "The Sunset Club", "Burial At Sea" and "The portrait of a lady". He encouraged more compilations of his pieces including those that hijacked his tranquility (as he was forced to respond more cheekily and non-chalantly): titles like "The End of India', "Inside the Great Indian Circus", "Book of Unforgettable Women", "Why I supported the Emergency", "Death at my doorstep." and more books on malice, jokes and gossip.

Three books stand out for those who love to read more of the humanist and the freethinker he was till the very end. One is "The Khushwant Singh treasury" which includes his favorite prayers, poems, proverbs and profanities for each of day of the year. An entry for 18 November reads thus: "Work is worship, worship is not work". For 19 March: "The one commodity we Indians are never short of - natural gas".

Two, a book of profiles compiled with Humra Quraishi "The Good, The Bad and the Ridiculous" which gives a peep into his lust for painting even the drabbest personality with colors an spice. You could read just two profiles on Dhirendra Brahmachari and Giani Zail Singh to get the money's worth but there's more to it than the two much-maligned people.


Three, the last of his books published by Penguin India in 2013 called "Khushwantnama: The Lessons of my life" - an abridged autobiography for those who dont' have patience for reading all his life's labor, it contains the right chapters about the man's life along with his views that will bone you up with stuff to get inspired. The chapters have so much of wisdom that it can be an epiphany for those who share his interests in the state of the nation, the state of writing in India, what it takes to be a writer, the twelve rules to live long and happy, use of humor as a lethal weapon, state of journalism in India, dealing with death and the importance of Gandhi.


While I regret I haven't been been able to meet or exchange a word with him, I feel connected with him through his writing like millions of readers. Reading his concise writing pulls you into a fellowship of articulateness that speaks much about the man and his values- on how to be a good Indian, a tolerant Indian, an Indian who loves the roots but is truly secular, doesn't put religion before humanism, loves life, celebrates controversy and good sex in utmost loyalty, get disciplined about lifestyle, laughs at self more often and develop good humor and helping nature at all times. Khushwant Singh has achieved every award in India - from Sahitya Akademi Award to Rockfeller Grant and the coveted Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan in time unlike writers like Anita Desai and Ruskin Bond who only got Padma Shri late. He lived a life rich with action throughout -whether as a diplomat, lawyer, teacher, editor or a writer. He was not the craftiest writer who wins Pulitzers and Nobels but he carried himself well right through his innings.

Someone asked Khushwant Singh his comment about being a prolific writer. His response: "No one has yet invented a condom for the pen." Long live the pen in its modern format. Long live Khushwant Singh - the man who erased his original date of birth, 2nd February and celebrates his birthday on the 15th of August. R.I.P.KS.

How Tollywood fared in 2013 - An analysis by Sriram Karri

Your intrepid film critic has been quoted in the New York Times for views on how Tollywood is faring. Written by Sriram Karri. Of course, much has been said but only few quotes taken. Good analysis and interesting views on the shifts happening in the Telugu film industry.

Please read the article from the link below:

http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/

International Herald Tribune is dead, Long Live International New York Times

I have been seduced into reading IHT by a former boss at BNP Paribas who was one of its most conservative readers for over 30 years. In the eight months that I worked, amongst many memories and a pink slip and some wonderful colleagues, I think knowing about an elegant newspaper called International Herald Tribune has been a late revelation of sorts for me as well as happiness unlimited as my love for language grew. IHT had an elegant first page, a nose for a story in every news, a bench of the best English prose-writers of the world, journalists and columnists who wanted to, as the adage goes, literally write literature in a hurry, unlike many other newspapers in the world. The headlines beamed life livelier than the story sometimes and suggest a mastery over a language - they were businesslike but conveyed the essence for the global travellier - the target audience the paper never failed to satisfy all through its 126 years of existence. If it was a corporate result, the headline says,"Phone Sales help Sony post profit in quarter." Or, a headline on China,"Murky future for China's family firms." Or, a breakthrough in stopping blackouts in America," Data Tools to keep lights on." The Tribune always had presented news that was readable, racy and vivid without an apology for longer headlines too if that conveyed the essence better: "Virtual Desktops, freed of clutter, follow wherever you go." LIkewise, you can say the paper had high-quality editorial standards which made it a symbol of the thinking global citizens even if the paper had its origins in Paris - but has become more American over the last few decades. 

But when it started, it was the local newspaper in Paris for the Anglo-Saxons but now it is the finest international newspaper for English-speakers everywhere and you can no longer tell it is based in Paris at all. But what a transformation for a paper all through the 126 years, it traded hands and changed names several times in its course of history, and Publishing houses vied for it as it was a Kohinoor Diamond. It must be in the eyes of the many discerning readers because the founding editor, James Gordon Bennett Jr. proudly used to say, "Our readers are prepared to pay for the kind of journalism we do, and they feel an incredible amount of loyalty towards us." It used to be "New York Herald", then it moved from Bennett to New York Sun, then the title changed to "New York Herald Tribune", then a famous American ambassador to Britain acquired it in 1966 who brokered a deal with The Washington Post to enhance investment in the paper. All through those years, NYHT staved off competition from European newspapers including from the global edition of New York Times (the paper that gobbled it up today). NYT surrendered as the circulation of New York Herald soared and bought out the remaining stake of the American owner and thus was born International Herald Tribune, as a joint venture between the Washington Post-New York Times. So, IHT was effectively born circa 1967 and the name clung on despite the full ownership returning to NYT in 1991. The name became a darling for the global class of English-readers even as the newspaper stuck to its twin values of innovation and editorial quality - the best in breed and always at the biting edge of the times. 

The paper was flashed as a status symbol even in Hollywood movies and European movies as it became a cult reading standard. It was used in a movable feast of visuals atleast for two minutes in one Jean Luc Goddard film (the director who first used the technique of "jump cut"). At one time, in Paris, some of the most famous Americans breathed fire into the English language and all of them endorsed IHT: Ernest Hemingway, F.Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Miller, Getrude Stein, and even ace humorist Art Buchwald who sprang up much later in the 1950s. In fact, Art Buchwald quipped on the length of the title of the newspaper itself: "International Herald Tribune?  By the time you've finished pronouncing it you've missed the plane!" The paper was always objective, even when the hegemony of Americans became more and more pronounced, during the two world wars, during the Vietnam War and the many battles that they keep fighting. You should see the reportage of the newspaper on the day Nirbhaya's Rape case verdict came- it was exemplary, concise yet comprehensive.

Unlike the NYT, IHT always maintained a balance between depth and length, while remaining stylish. It was never more than 22-24 pages and wore lightly on the laps and palms of the executives who live in between terminals. At one time, the paper had staff from 25 different nationalities and got distributed to 186 countries by facsimile transmission (a unique first for the paper). In India, we were lucky that at least a Hyderabad-based owner, Deccan Chronicle group have been distributing this paper for the last several years, atleast since 2004 I think.  NYT did a reader survey way back in 2003, whether it should drop the words IHT as a brand and instead label it as "The New York Times International" as they have already started sub-titling it as "the global edition of New York Times". "No" was the answer from both advertisers and readers. But it took ten years more for the personality of the paper to be gradually changed by NYT management, introduce veteran columnists like Paul Krugman, James Saft, Roger Cohen, and Joe Nocera and eventually cannibalise the personality of the paper to re-launch New York Times on a global scale. It is still a development that may not resonate with IHT's affectionate readers who are used to seeing a Gothic three-feet masthead called "International Herald Tribune" with the "T" made to look like a gothic version of the bird "Owl" which was believed by the founder Bennett to bring good luck. I find that the masthead of "International New York Times" retains the gothic style and that fills me with hope and nostalgia. IHT always recognised its readers not just as moneymaking tycoons and billion-dollar traders, it covered so many features everyday in science, health, sports, arts, letters and surveyed the worlds of business and finance like they were real people. I trust the NYT to make INYT retain the editorial fragrance and the bewitching reporting standards of the IHT. Even though I haven't read all the 126 year old newspaper issues of IHT, I cherish them since I begun reading it since 2001. I hope even if IHT folded up, India will welcome INYT with folded hands.

Why I love The Hindu

Thoroughly impressed by "The Hindu's aggressive ads in paper and TV taking on the likes of "The Times of India". The ad aims to take a direct potshot at Times of India - for feeding readers with mindless drivel on pageants and gossips and page-3 profiles and not giving them stuff thats relevant, useful or rooted in Indian heritage. During my journalism college days, we had an ebullient editor one Mr Jagadeesan who was holding out "The Hindu" newspaper and pointed out everything they do right editorially (though may not always have the content you like to see). The quality of reporting, the neutral stands on most mattters, the vibrant letters page, the many supplements that only keep getting added everyday of the week, the way the stories on page 1 are laid out - no story has a "runner" (like, say, turn to page 12 for more and so on), uncluttered reportage and layout, fonts that keep changing with the times (pun unintended), emphasis on developmental journalism and narrative panache, the group that brought out Businessline - my favorite business newspaper.


Mr Jagadeesan was right in 1992 - there will be no interference by Advterising Divion into editorial matters and there is almost always a "Kaizen" of sorts happening - continuous improvements in printing quality, supplements, new insights, features like "Reader's Editor", "Literary Review", "Cinema Plus", etc. Of course some legendary analysts like KK Katyal or GK Reddy are not there anymore but the paper never compromised on ethics. The staffers still get humble but inflation-adjusted paypackets, the ladies get a Kancheevaram saree every Diwali and the gents get a Pattu Pancha. Every employee of "The Hindu" group gets lifetime subscripiton of the newspaper besides Sportstar, Frontline etc.

Way back in 1978 itself, when it completed 100 years of existence, the newspaper was voted as one of the six great newspapers of the world on line with the likes of Manchester Guardian, La Monde, Times London, and New York Times. Amongst the initial bunch of pre-1900 newspapers which grew from strength to strength - "The Hindu" alone has created a respectable tag for its stories, reporting and associate publications. Not "The Statesman" (which shrank after CR Irani and SK Datta Ray), not the ToI as they have commercialised news, legalised page 3 as another celebrity league, and vandalised local news into coteries serving different interests. Of course, "Hindu's family feuds even though a strict Iyengar secret keeps getting out into the open and gives some salicious salvation to newbies like "the Mint" to comment on their goings-on. The newspaper is also disliked by many for it's haughty views on the Sri Lankan issue, BJP, communist shortcomings, secularism and love-hate relationship with the politicians in Tamil Nadu but the paper is very clear for what it wants its readers to notice it for - conservative but egalitarian. It is in that sense very Nehruvian in its views - Nehru always believed that the ruling majority must encourage and respect the minorities else the minorities can feel threatened to air their views or assert their cultures otherwise. "The Hindu" follows this in publications - they may not appease the "Hindus" but they never isolate the "minorities". Ethics wise also, they deserve a pat. Who else but "The Hindu" could have sacked the great cricket journalist - R.Mohan. It is interesting how the Times will respond to the changing times.