AKS

Since I didn’t go home last weekend I spent my time in Pune enjoying myself. My Saturday was spent celebrating suddenly planned childhood friends’ re-union and pajama party at Mansi’s Place with Meghana, Maya, Priya and their kids- Isha, Rhea and Simran. We had loads of fun. The kids called me Maau mavshi. Hehehe. Cute isn’t it??? I asked Rhea what she liked Pani puri or Bhel puri and the Little smart girl said she liked me…hahaha street smart kids, must say! Know exactly what will melt mavshis’s heart away! Kids are such fun to be with!! So many old childhood memories pleasantly came alive. Spent the whole of Sunday in bed suffering from fever and cold due to excessive intake of COLD DRINKS on Sunday nite ; ) Nikita showed me two films on her laptop to make me feel better and forget the agonizing ordeal that the high-temperature had subjected me to.


I am glad I got to see Luck by Chance : ) not so glad I had to see Victory : (



Points to be noticed




Luck by Chance

Zoya Akhtar rolls out a fabulous Film on luck, opportunities and success in her directorial debut. At the tad end of the film, when selfish Vikram played to the hilt by Farhan Akhtar confronts Sona acted by the charming Konkona Sen and tells her how much he needs her and how she is the pillar of strength etc etc. At that moment you feel like it is going to wrap with a clichéd end of an archetypical Hindi film, the heroine with a huge heart will put her wounds behind and embrace the hero, but instead she packs a punch by gently declining it saying that the hero is an opportunity seeker perhaps a narcissist who puts his interest before others. He talks a lot about himself, how she will add to his joy thus undermining the emotions of Sona- how she feels and why. How he will contribute to her life……..

She says his selfishness is not his fault; its how some people are…..that set me brooding on the topic


I just know of somebody who jumped the gun at others expense and discarded someone out of his life because he had found a single Window of opportunity to do so. That makes me think may be this particular XYZee was hunting for one, who knows may be for a long time. So the rhetoric question that bombed my mind was is Opportunism a crime, is it moral or is it just a way of life? Are opportunists born with a different brain mechanism or are they just people like u and me with a strong alternate set of ambitious priorities for which they can go to any dire ruthless limits?



When Milton Friedman an American Economist said in 1912 that one man’s opportunity is another man’s statesmanship he was right to a certain extent. Opportunism is an art. And a very intelligent one at that. From whatever I have gathered by observing these people. You need to have the following qualities to be a good opportunist, other wise you will fall flat on your face even if you attempt it.


Extreme stone hearted behavior
Burning Ambition for fulfilling self-possessed prophecies
Art of conveniently sidelining the goodness of others
Leaving no stone un-turned to cater to your high end priorities
Most importantly, an acute sense of timing to hit the iron rod when it is hot.

Not everyone has a capacity to incorporate all these and make other people’s destruction work to their vantage.

It takes a lot of Business like intelligence and management to execute these elaborate selfish plans. These people are practical Geniuses.

Though you may morally decline this idea yet such people are the ones who reach most close to success. They get whatever they want. I do not know how long they enjoy what they get! But yes their goals are achieved for sure. And all of us join this selfish brigade at some point or the other.


Shawn Carlson on the other hand gives a different treatment to the subject by comparing it with devil worship. Allow me to quote him-
Never attribute to Devil-worshipping conspiracies what opportunism, emotional instability and religious bigotry are sufficient to explain.

If we take a look from the moral point of view- Opportunists are at par with the Jew’s ideology of Hitler. They are people who do not care for the emotional and physical abuse of others that their actions invite. Such people do not care for even their own kin when it comes to gaining what they intend to. If you are married to one of these kinds, then you better beware. If your business partners are of this nature you should start keeping your Plan B ready right from day one.


These people are everywhere. They exist both in our public and private domains of life. If you are one of them thank your stars that you are at the USER end but if you belong to the rest- beware because sooner or later you will meet people who will put you in the USED category.

So, my inference is – Opportunism is definitely not moral but it’s not immoral as well. It is just a way of life, practiced by a few success driven people…..

Other good food for thought dialogues

If you really want to be successful you will have to go and meet success, it won’t come to you

You can either be happy by thinking about what you have or either be sad crying for what you haven’t. It’s a choice you make.




Victory

Victory is a hackneyed film with no interesting credit points- Neither has the premise any novel promise nor has the acting been exceptional.

Same old “ Yuvraaj Singh” like hackneyed story of small town guy- getting fame- Becomes leisure driven- change in priorities- ignores cricket- downward spiral starts- Falls- works on his drawbacks- rises to super stardom again. The movie had nothing new to offer, with average performances from Harman and Amrita. Gulshan Grover’s baddie act reminded me of his 80’s films where he played the loud mean villain. (Surprisingly he got to rape atleast one girl in all these films, giving a tough competition to his contemporary Shakati Kapoor). Anupam Kher is good at what he does! Especially playing a paralytic is quiet challenging! You get goose bumps when you look at him (I do not mean he is too hot; I am only trying to say he is too good at acting : )

Four things I liked about it

Failure is not when you fall but failing to rise when you fall( Sounds like the exact same dialogue that Raj Babbar tells Priyanka Chopra in Fashion)
When you are wrong, don’t just say sorry! Work towards healing what you have damaged. And you can do it even when the road is tough!
BRET LEE………..I was drooling over him! My God he is such a handsome hunk! I think I will start watching cricket for him??? What say…hehehe
Did I mention BRET LEE……..BRET LEE….BRET LEE…………..and BRET LEE of course ; )