My review of Sur.

Sur is an unusual movie. It’s a wise juxtaposition of both art and commercial cinematic values. There are clearly no dividing lines. Just as the story, the complexity of perceived categories within cinema genres are to be accepted here, not opposed.

It’s not supported by the honky-dory pairs of well-known actors. Indeed the main role is enacted by a playback singer of little eminence. The leading actress, too, is introduced to the audience here. Music by Kreem is experimental and theme of the movie challenging.

Tags: Saswat, Bollywood, Film

By Saswat Pattanayak

How justifiable is it to institutionalize the people who have throughout fought the institutions in their lives?

The counter-argument of course which runs says that these people have laid down their lives so that the new institutions come to force.

But then the pertinent question should address the issue of the new institutions to verify if they are the reflections of what was meant to be at the outset of the motive to change?

If it is not, and which is most likely the case, then is it not true that there is even greater need to replace the existing institution lest it (the present) by virtue of its continued approval, legitimizes the changed structure as one desired earlier, at the outset?

The question then, becomes of a matter of whether making legends of people is important? For when we look at the past, the recent legends had actually fought the institutions which had made legends off people in the past and on whose shoulders they stood valiantly, defiantly to mercilessly wipe out the aspirations of the common people whose dreams had to be shared with the receiving ends, not the initiations.

Tags: Saswat, Activism

Dave Winer's RSS 2.0 Political FAQ. Winer says, "My goal in writing this FAQ is to help people understand how RSS politics works."

Tags: Saswat, Technology

Can a library display irk a section of people so much that they file a case against assumed 'pedophilia'? Well, sure like hell.
Some folks are so angry at the injustices in the world that they have done just that, because four cases at the second floor of Sacramento's main library show old gay and lesbian paperback books from a private collection.
What a shame that people's resentments are directed only at the unproductive directions!
To study more of what happened in this objective marketplace of ideas, click here.

Tags: Saswat, News, LGBT, USA

The official resentment against nudity has been hitting news of late. Most recent is at the Nevada County's Rood Administrative Center.

The Union has a complete story:

Nudes are accepted at the Sistine Chapel in Rome, the Louvre in Paris, even Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. But five area artists discovered Saturday that the naked human body isn't quite as welcome in Nevada County's Rood Administrative Center.

The artists each contributed a painting for the month-long Annual Open Studios Art show which opens tonight at the government building. While the works of 60 other artists will be visible, those five artists will not be allowed to display their works. The five nude paintings were pulled Saturday morning as the show was being set up by Nevada County Arts Council representatives, at the order of Tom Coburn, Nevada County's general services analyst.

Tags: Saswat, Feminism, News, USA