Memory Impossible

 

As I re-watch the Mission Impossible movies in anticipation of the final instalment's release later this year, I recently revisited the second part. When it first hit theatres in 2000, it was hailed as the gold standard of action movies—at least in India. The adrenaline-pumping sequences from the film became so iconic that several Indian films and shows tried to emulate them. Though I didn’t watch it upon release, I saw it a few years later and, like many others, was swept away by its sheer excitement.

But then the Mission Impossible series kept evolving, and with each new movie, it seemed to only get better. The films began weaving in real geopolitical issues while deepening the personal struggles of the characters, especially Ethan Hunt. When I revisited MI:2 now, however, I was in for a shock. The film that once seemed like the pinnacle of action cinema now felt like a big (for the year 2000) and dumb movie. The tone felt completely out of sync with the films that followed, and Ethan Hunt’s character was almost unrecognizable—he acted and fought in ways that didn’t align with what we came to know as his true self. If the series had ended with Part 2, it would’ve been a fun, standalone ride, but as a chapter in a larger saga, it felt disjointed.

One ridiculous part was the film’s depiction of an injectable nano-GPS device that could track people via a single laptop—an absurd premise, especially given how GPS technology works in the real world. The first movie had its own ridiculous sci-fi moments with the Intel 686 AI-enabled chip, but that is all right!

So why was I shocked by this? The movie was exactly what it was before, yet my perception had changed. I was astonished by the inaccuracies in my own memories. It struck me that what we remember is not necessarily the truth of an event, but rather our perception of it—shaped by our biases and worldviews, which evolve over time. Watching MI:2 made me question: what else in life have I misremembered?

Recently, I read Stumbling on Happiness by renowned psychologist Daniel Gilbert. Contrary to what the title suggests, it’s not a guide to finding happiness, but rather a deep dive into the limitations of our foresight. The central thesis is that if our memories are inherently flawed, how can we trust our predictions for the future? This misalignment is what leads us to pursue things we think will bring us happiness, only to realize, once we achieve them, that they aren't what we truly want.

The key takeaway here is that we’re all subject to our biases, and our plans will never be perfect. But by acknowledging the flaws in our thinking, we can become more accepting of ourselves. And perhaps, in doing so, we get a little closer to understanding what true happiness is.

Movie Review: Fighter

 

Pakistan attacks an Indian CRPF convoy. Can a team of skilled Indian Air Force personnel strike back and eliminate the terrorists behind the dastardly act?

Touted as India’s answer to Top Gun, Fighter is an action-thriller starring Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, and others. Directed by Siddharth Anand, who gave us crafty action flicks like Bang Bang, War and Pathaan, does Fighter go a notch up and live up to the humongous expectations? After all, Pathaan was the first Bollywood movie to enter the Rs. 500 crore club.

Set in the backdrop of the real-life Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy that rocked India in early 2019, followed by the Balakot retaliation by the India Air Force, Fighter takes ample liberty to fictionalise the events that shook the sub-continent. We have the Air Force battling the Jaish-e-Mohammad (which claims responsibility for the attack on the CRPF) and the Pakistani Army in a series of escalations that threaten to blow out into a large-scale war between the two neighbours (that is not how the real-life event played out, and to date, the actual perpetrators of the terrorist attack have not been identified). Leading the team of avengers in the Air Force are Group Captain Rakesh Jaisingh (Anil Kapoor), Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania ‘Patty’ (Hrithik Rishan), Helicopter Pilot Minnie Rathore (Deepika Padukone), and other fighter pilots.

Fictionalising a serious real-life event for cinematic liberties is the last of the movie’s drawbacks. Much more stark is the confused positioning- Fighter does not know what it wants to be. Is it like Top Gun, a film about the camaraderie and the travails of airmen? Or a glossy action flick like Pathaan or a gritty one like Rambo or Commando? The film gets quite violent, especially in the finale, which involves a ground-rescue operation of captured hostages. However, the violence does not appear realistic, and the torture scenes look out of place. So do the dogfight scenes, which are supposed to be the film’s USP, which has been done using less-than-decent VFX.

The character development front also leaves much to be desired. Patty’s romantic backstory with his boss Jaisingh’s sister (which ended in tragedy) and his forced romance with Minnie look cliched. Minnie’s turbulent relationship with her father, played by the delectable Ausutosh Rana, does evoke emotions but feels forced.

What about the acting and direction? The former isn’t bad per se, especially from the three leads, but there is nothing remarkable to write about. The director and the actors have all given much better stuff before, both in and outside the action genre. And the villain? The actor in Fighter is a poor caricature compared to the powerful performances by Tiger Shroff in War (that was indeed the actor’s best work to date) and John Abraham in Pathaan. Another disappointment is the music- both unnecessary romantic songs and patriotic or motivational numbers. Who could have thought a film with the combined talents of Siddharth Anand (Anjaana Anjani), Hrithik Roshan (Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai) and Deepika Padukone (Om Shanti Om, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) will have such drab numbers?

It was Fighter a few months back. A week back, Bade Miyaan Chotte Miyaan also met a similar reception by the critics. It is time for Bollywood to stop making these derivatives of the YRF Spy Universe films. Without YRF, the vulnerability clearly shows.

Rating: 2 Stars

Cryptos: The Theatre of the Absurd

 

            Long back, during the days when I watched TV, I came across a movie while surfing channels. I can’t recall the name, but I remember the scene. Shatrughan Sinha was playing the role of some local goon. When the character played by Rishi Kapoor asked him for money, he pulled out a piece of paper and, using not a pen but a burnt matchstick, scribbled the words ‘Rs. 100’. That paper worked as a currency in the neighbourhood!

            Think this is absurd? The movie must have been one from the 90s. If the makers were told what they had then included for drama would one day become a widespread reality, imagine what their reaction would be? Welcome to the world of cryptos. Before I proceed, one disclaimer. There was a time when even I was taken by the crypto story. The promise of a decentralized currency meant a more egalitarian world. One in which monetary power would devolve from the hands of Governments to the people. I was also under the mass delusion that still affects many.

            It is simple. Rules and regulations may be annoying. But it is better to have them than none at all. All those who drive any vehicle will agree to this. No rule does not make the system more egalitarian. It only leads to dominance by power players who have a field day running amok over the smaller fish. In the world of cryptos, the power players are the different exchanges, crypto banks, and issuers of digital tokens. This article is not about the detailed m.o. of the rampant manipulations done by the crypto entities.

            In most cases, the manipulations involve issuing some new crypto token, creating hype around them, artificially raising prices, showing self-created money as balance sheet assets, and then taking loans or venture-fund in fiat currency using cryptos as tokens. With some variation here and some there, one factor remains common. Cryptos are about manipulating the prices of otherwise useless entities and convincing buyers that the price will increase. Many people know the stories of the crash of Terra, Celsius, and FTX. Their charismatic founders were once the darlings of a particular set of people, quite similar to the gangster in the aforementioned movie.

            What explains the high price paid for obscure tokens like Dogecoin? Or the craze of last year- Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). I value art. But why should I pay real dollars to purchase drawings of apes anyone can see online for free? Jack Dorsey, the former chief of Twitter, made the image of his first tweet into an NFT. Common memes have been made into NFTs and sold for ridiculously high prices- the disaster girl meme was sold as an NFT for half-million dollars. Imagine the real disaster when the bubble bursts!

            The problem with Cryptos is that after 14 years since the first Bitcoin came into existence (3rd January, 2009), it still does not have a good use case apart from speculation. Its volatility prevents its use as a method of exchange, a very necessary feature of a currency. And speculators do not want to use cryptos for trading with physical goods or services. The one industry that has benefitted a lot is the global scamming network. First, it was internet-enabled finance. Now with cryptos, it is impossible to detect money flow from source to destination. Frauds happened before as well, using bank wire transfers. Cryptos have made the process easy and undetectable.

            Apart from creating ambiguity in the global money supply, cryptos are a terrible waste of resources. The proof of work algorithms needed to generate new coins take increasingly more computing power to solve. Hence, crypto mining happens in dedicated server farms with hundreds of high-power machines operating in tandem. With so many real problems the world faces, shouldn’t the resources be diverted to something more useful?

             To sum up, cryptos are the wild-west of modern finance. I once believed that regulations would be of help. But as John Oliver pointed out in his show’s latest episode, regulations would only add a veneer of legitimacy to the proceedings. It would make banks and financial institutes delve into the world of cryptos, putting public money at risk. Many people are already calling for a ban, following the example of China. That may appear anti-democratic. I do not normally favour any prohibitions. But this may be an exception. We can start at the leaves, if not the root, by heavily penalizing errant people and companies. Before it is too late, the world should come out of the cryptoverse of madness.

Book Review: An Atheist Gets the Gita

Authors: Rahul Singh and Galyna Kogut

Rating: 3/5

Premise: ‘Will this make us happy?’ A business meeting where this rather unusual phrase is spoken piques the curiosity of Anweshak Jigyanshu, a fresh IIM MBA working in a Singapore investment bank. Should happiness be the goal of business? Curious to know more about the person who said those words, he manages a breakfast invitation at his place, which spills over to the evening. Over the course of the day, Anweshak is introduced to the ancient Hindu text of Bhagavad Gita, how it acts as a guide to happiness, and what are other lessons can be learnt from it. Anweshak, being an atheist, is hesitant at first. As the hours progress, he becomes more responsive to the arguments.

Review: A lot is said about the knowledge hidden in Bhagavad Gita. A common claim is that the book is not religious but a guide to life. The knowledge it offers is universal and can benefit each person on Earth. Is that really the case? ‘An Atheist Gets the Gita’ tries to answer these questions. Does it succeed?

The Indian philosophical system is not monolithic. It contains numerous texts. The Bhagavad Gita itself is a part of the larger Mahabharata. And there are countless other texts that go by monikers like Upanishads, Puranas, Vedas, and many more. The historical origins of some of them have been found (e.g. the works of Adi Shankara, who was a bonafide historical figure), while others remain mystical at best. In all this, one detail remains- the texts are both internally and externally inconsistent. They do not add up. The books are full of contradicting information. For example, while the Bhagavad Gita says that lust is the gateway to hell, other depictions of Krishna talk about his numerous wives. In all likelihood, the books were not written by a single person. They were written by different people who added to the existing story, at times basing them on real people they knew. Trying to pass mythological texts as historical facts is a process of going down a deep rabbit hole.

Any religion or belief system comprises three aspects- Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics. Epistemology means the relation between the observer and the observed- in other words, it is all about knowledge. Ethics talks about the proper conduct to follow. And Metaphysics is about explaining the origin of the Universe and life in its different parts. Even the various schools of Indian philosophy (Vedanta, Nyay, Sankhya, Vaisheiskha, Mimamsa, and Yoga) differ on these three aspects. They differ because they consider some of the aforementioned texts as more important while completely negating others or interpreting texts according to their worldview. Even the Vedanta subschools (Acintya bheda abheda, Advaita, Bhedabheda, Dvaita, Nimbarka Sampradaya, Shuddhadvaita, Vishishtadvaita) differ considerably.

In such circumstances, trying to pass off any religious book as the ultimate guide leads to gross misrepresentations. Many knowledge points discussed in ‘The Atheist Gets the Gita’ were not from Bhagavad Gita but other texts like Shrimad Bhagavatam, Ramayana, Kathopnishad, and more. If you sift the relevant portions, they do contain snippets of wisdom.

The book by Rahul Singh and Galyna Kogut scores in one place- the detailed research done by the authors. Both scientific facts and mythological details are presented with great diligence. Some of the arguments are logical, especially those relating to epistemology (karma, atma, and so on) and ethics. The ones about metaphysics (age of Universe, concept of time) should not be included in a managerial take on the Gita. The book started with the question, ‘Will this make us happy?’ Does Gita contain points that can help one find happiness? Yes, it does. But a lot of that (especially the how) depends on the text’s interpretation, which varies according to the school one follows. Is Gita the ultimate book? Certainly no. Gita was written when the understanding of humanity was at a relatively nascent stage. There is a far greater understanding of how the mind works, which one won’t find in an ancient text like Gita. And will this book make an atheist into a believer? Or make someone who believes in something different into a strict follower of Gita? No.  

The Brand Is Not Enough

In the October of 2015, the world was witness to a movie titled 'Beast of No Nation'. An Africa set war-drama, this film had hopped across the festival circuit before finding a worldwide audience in that month and year. It was the start of something new. It was the first of its kind, a phenomenon that would become the mainstay of film buffs in pandemic times. It was the first Netflix original movie. Till a greater part of this century, Netflix was known as a shop to rent DVDs. Not many years had passed since it had started its internet streaming service, aided by the increasing ubiquitousness of high-speed internet. Netflix had already produced critically acclaimed web series like 'House of Cards', 'Orange Is the New Black', 'Daredevil', and more. But this was the first time the web platform was venturing into movie releases. Naturally, the film industry watched the development with keen interest. Some dismissed Netflix as a passing fad, others doubted its mainstream relevance, while some were really optimistic about it. As time showed, the people in the last category won the opinion war. Not just Netflix but many other OTT channels exist to bring original movies right to the device.

'Beast of No Nation' was directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, a Japanese American auteur whose credentials included some relatively unknown movies like 'Sin Nombre' and 'Jane Eyre'. It is ironic that the same person who started one phenomenon also ended another. He is the director of 'No Time to Die', the latest (and perhaps the last?) movie in the series featuring the debonair spy James Bond aka 007. At the end of the film, in a scene reminiscent of Iron Man in MCU, James Bond sacrifices himself to save the world. It wasn't just this scene that MCU inspired- the lead character's story arcs and the main villain's motivations are very similar in both cases. 

The key question remains- now that James Bond is dead, what should be done with such an iconic brand? The movies have existed since 1962, and the stories have existed since the early 1950s. The name James Bond (or just Bond as he prefers to be addressed) has so many connotations- it can mean an expert, a person confident in his field. It can also mean someone morally ambiguous yet with a heart of gold. Love Bond, hate him (and the movies), or even ignore- but no one can deny that the brand James Bond carries a lot of equity. Perhaps more than all the Netflix original movies combined. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the makers 'No Time to Die' chose to wait for more than a year for a theatrical release instead of an OTT release. Now that James Bond is no more, what should be done?

The positioning of James Bond got changed over the decades. While the original stories capitalized on the cold war frenzy, they were meant to be entertainers than profound discourses on international geopolitics. That was evident by the over-the-top and many times silly situations and villains that the films offered. Spectre stands for Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion! The actors changed, and the movies tried to explore contemporary themes. 'The Living Daylights' had a plot dealing with 'heroic' Afghan Mujahiddens- it looks absurd in hindsight, just like Rambo 3. With its theme of media interference in politics, 'Tomorrow Never Dies' especially stands out in this regard. Before the Craig era, no Bond film had a story arc- they could be mostly watched independently. That changed with the Daniel Crag starer 'Casino Royale' in 2006. With the subsequent movies released, the idea was to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. By the time 'No Time to Die' came out, people were interested in the fate of the characters, not just the action and the scenery- something akin to the 'Fast and Furious' series. The Craig starters were characterized by more relevant political themes and less in-your-face sexism. Even Bond had become woke like the rest of the world.

As the franchise celebrates 60 years in theatres, it has to take a call on what is next for the iconic brand. A complete reboot is an option but does that make sense in an era where the spy genre is crowded with movies in multiple languages? A likely route will be to continue with Nomi's character, played by Lashana Lynch, as 007. Taking a cue from other iconic British characters like Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter, the franchise can also go for prequels, animated series, and video games (which already exist). Bond-themed merchandise stores and a museum are also worth considering. Whatever is the plan, things need to be done fast lest the franchise gets forgotten in these fast-changing times. Not even Bond has all the time in the world.

No Stars Are Born

 

‘Koi Hero Yahaan, Koi Zero Yahaan, Koi Star Hai, Koi Bekaar Hai’ – Song Lyrics from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.

The word ‘Star’ has a rather metaphorical connotation. Lie stars in the sky, their earthly counterparts represent a pinnacle that people aspire to be. Be it the performing arts, sports, or the different sciences- there are people celebrated for their stellar talent and accomplishments, thus earning them the title ‘star’. From Sachin Tendulkar to C.V. Raman, and from Shah Rukh Khan to J.R.D. Tata- all of them are/were stars in their respective fields.

This blog post attempts to dig deeper into the phenomenon of stardom. Where there are stars, there are fans. The following contemplation is applicable for almost every field except politics. As someone said, the day we become a fan of a politician, we have failed in our duties as a citizen.

Take any field and name three prominent people that immediately come to mind. Very high chances that those people have been around for a long time or are even deceased with their legacy living on. That is quite natural. Becoming a prominent ‘star’ requires years, even decades of consistent effort. But what about the stars of tomorrow? That is where things get tricky.

Call it is a diffusion of opportunities or any other name, it cannot be ignored that opportunities are now restricted to a select few. The OTT era has led to the presence of actors whose names are mostly unknown. The same is true for sports- the roster in national teams and club games has increased to never before numbers. Hardly any two tournaments have the same constituent of team members. And a replacement for someone is readily available. In the Indian context, there was a time when the names of the latest Olympic medalists (and all the current members of the Cricket team) were on everyone’s tongue tips. That is not the case now. The same is true for other fields- Chetan Bhagat is not the only writer of contemporary fiction now. At one time, Bollywood had four main male singers and two main female singers. No more now.

Let us come to the sciences- be it physical, biological, or social. In many fields, the main stuff has already been discovered and whatever is being done s only incremental. Such scientists attain prominence, but it is remains restricted to others their fields. There are fields where breakthroughs happen- like Prof. Sarah Gilbert’s team inventing the Astra Zeneca Covid vaccine. But there are so many others attempting the same or something similar. Such fame is usually short-lived. How many of us can recall the names of the Nobel Prize winners of this year, forget the preceding years? In the world of business, there are superstar businessmen. But such people are usually never free from controversies. And because of the diffusion of opportunities, either direct competition, substitutes, or even a disruption of the norm is never far away.

Stardom is not going to be the same as before. The Internet has led to a democratization of human activities- things are no longer enclosed in hallowed chambers. Unlike the lyrics of the song from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, no one is the best- at least not for long.

 

Can law be protected by breaking it?

"A license to kill is also a license not to kill"- Quote by M (Ralph Fiennes) in Spectre.

Law-enforcement is not an easy job. Very often, enforcement personnel have to collect evidence against suspects. Since obtaining a search warrant is a time-consuming process often involving judicial red-tape, the police use surreptitious methods to do the task done. And in doing so, they commit the crime of breaking-and-entering.

A more serious matter is that of encounter killings. These are killings by the Police that are not sanctioned by the judiciary. This was very useful in eliminating underworld gangsters in Mumbai and the dacoits in Chambal. But as expected, the encounter cops became too powerful for their own good. To have a better record than rivals in the department, some encounter cops started staging fake-encounters i.e. killing innocent people after framing them for crimes they had not committed. Worse, some cops were even found to indulge in supari killings (contract killings). The near elimination of organized crime had left a vacancy in people willing to kill for money. And who better than morally-compromised trigger happy encounter cops to fill the place?

In the global space, the world powers are known to commit heinous acts in the name of counter-terrorism. The War on Terror has caused the countless loss of life in the Middle East and Africa. A similar situation happened in Mexico and Columbia in the War on Drugs. The intelligence personnel were known to favour certain incumbents in the criminal trade. These wars certainly eliminated some terrorists and drug-cartels respectively. But did it curb the root problem or only made it worse? It dehumanized by desensitizing the local population to violence and only created resentment against the global peacekeeping process.

Gangsters and terrorists cannot be allowed to go scot-free. But what is the appropriate action against them? It is ethical for nations to indulge in preventive killings within their borders and in international territories? Who should have a licence to kill, and when? And should that person be of the stature of James Bond, or even the local constabulary should have that privilege?