Author: Pran Kurup

The Chief Minister of Karnataka, home to India’s Silicon Valley, who was buried in corruption charges, finally resigned from his post and promptly proclaimed, “I am a free man.” How long will it be before our judicial system puts him and his cronies behind bars? The Telecom scandal of the 1990s featuring Sukh Ram took over 10 years to wind its way through our legal system, so Yeddurappa is probably a free man for several years to come. Meanwhile, the king-pin in the multi-crore CWG scam, Kalamadi, is claiming dementia.

Appalled by this and a litany of many more such scams, we have Anna Hazare, with an illustrious life dedicated to the service of the nation, on a war-footing to eradicate corruption, backed by scores of supporters. He wishes to fast unto death and our government won’t let him do that. If you ask me, given the dismal state of the country, we should be thankful that a man of his credibility, stature and deep sense of patriotism does not actually kill himself in despair!

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Ok, that’s a rather tacky title. I’ll be the first to admit that. But jokes apart, the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara has some interesting takeaways for most people. So I couldn’t resist the title. This movie is about three friends who decide to reconnect and go on a road trip across Spain. There is plenty of banter, some hilarious comedy combined with some clever dialogues that make the film truly enjoyable, though it was a little over-stretched, especially towards the end. Hrithik Roshan plays Arjun, a workaholic financial broker, who wants to rake in all the moolah he possibly can by the age of forty and then take it easy. Farhan Akthar plays the role of Imran, a free-spirited advertising copywriter, while Abhay Deol plays Kabir, who runs a construction business and is engaged to be married to an interior designer.

During this road trip across Spain, they meet a half-British, half-Indian girl, Laila, played by Katrina Kaif. Laila and Arjun hit it off despite their general difference in outlook towards life. The film essentially highlights the importance of seizing the day and living in the present rather than planning for a future that may never exist. It also illustrates how breaking out of our day-to-day routines and doing something completely different for a while helps one get out of the rut, so to speak, and view the world with a different perspective and in a totally new light. Arjun, for instance, realizes that there is more to life than just making money. Kabir comes to the realization that he does not have to follow through on a commitment just because he was caught in a situation merely by circumstances.

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One of the common arguments put forth by many is that anti-corruption must start from within, at a very personal level. “When you are stopped by a policeman for a traffic violation, would you stop paying a bribe? When you want to get ahead in the line in a government office, would you stop paying a bribe?” they ask. In other words, they believe that in order to eradicate corruption, everyone must pledge not to encourage corruption in any form themselves — it is a question of our personal values and the culture of our society as a whole. Extending this view, they argue that this is the ultimate solution for our corruption woes and that no law is going to have any impact as long as this change does not take shape in the minds of each one of our citizens.

In an ideal world, these are truly noble, idealistic intentions that can certainly help alleviate corruption. The reality in today’s India, however, is very different. A policemen accepts a bribe because he simply can’t make ends meet with the salary he receives. Besides, he knows that this is a safe and easy way to make money without getting into trouble. The reason why he is looking to make extra money is because the salary he receives is not commensurate with the increasing cost of living.

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It’s the year 2013. A top Union Minister is at his secret farm house, sipping scotch on the rocks and smoking a Cuban cigar, while his men stealthily shunt bags full of currency notes. Suddenly, the door swings wide open and a man barges in, walking with a noticeable swagger, sporting dark glasses despite the night lights, and wearing a sleek leather jacket. He jumps and seats himself onto the table in front of the Minister in a jiffy.

“Mera naam hai Pal; Log mujhe pyar se Lokpal kahte hain,”(“Yen peyer Pal, Lokpal! Peyer kaeta summa addiruthilla,” — in the Tamil version) he says, followed by a long, seemingly incessant, mean-sounding laughter. Instantly, the Minister’s goons set aside their booty and charge towards the man with mega-sized sticks. The super hero grabs the sticks in the nick of time, almost like he had an extra pair of eyes at the back of his head.

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