Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Quotes for Cinema

Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world..
All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl..
Photography is truth. Cinema is truth twenty-four times per second.
--Jean-Luc Godard

One man writes a novel. One man writes a symphony. It is essential that one man make a film.

--
Stanley Kubrick

Suggestions for improvement of ITBHU

Suggestions for improvement of our institute

Note: The following article is written by Himanshu Rai (Mechanical 2008), who feels there is a need to make improvement in the various fields for our institute in particular and for IT-BHU community (students, alumni, faculty, administration) in general. Particularly, it discusses about the issues of conversion to IIT, foreign collaborations, industrial linkage, campus life, curriculum, websites, branding of institute, steps needed for improvement, etc.

He has collected and compiled the information from wide range of sources, including from online discussion groups and by talking to different people. All views expressed are his own, and they are stated in a positive way. He can be contacted at: himanshurai.mec08itbhu@gmail.com)

Below is the excerpt from his article. To view his full article, click:Suggestions_for_improvement_of_our_institute.pdf

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Mantra of Life

I have taken this heading of the post from the song ‘what is the mantra of your life’ of the Euphoria Band. It helped me in my journey within.

I am currently involved in the concept known as 'Gap Year'. I am not actually taking one year gap for leisure time. I postponed my joining at CSC to November for giving time to my family before muddling up in corporate world. The introspection and self evaluation comes in this part of time. I am lucky enough to be free from any urgent financial woes by my family. Most of the time is dedicated to introspection and reading books or blogs. The self evaluation time will really help me in attaining long term goals.

I looked back and analyzed both my personal and professional life. My colleagues are coining this time of mine as uneconomic and wasteful phase of my life. The success is seen in very short future context and comparison with others is made often. I do not use this time for touring or part time jobs. The adventure part was of least importance to me. I was learning new and diverse things in mine graduation years although there were fall in grades due to negligence in academics. I feel like collector of the data bank during last 4 years of engineering. There was no synthesis of data in my mind. I give emphasis on my spirituality, philosophy, cinema and books in this period of time. I am walking on less traveled road but like each great tree, life is a plant of slow growth. I really believed in this mantra of life :  Instead of a linear life path, it was like adding a little zig to your zag.

Five point for everyone (Results of Introspection):

1-Saral bano, Sugam aur sadharan nahi (Be simple, not ordinary and effortless in practice).
2- Hum sab adhitiya pehle hain,asaadharan baad mein ( We are unique first then extraordinary.)
3-Aaveg gyan kaa lakshan hai aur anubhuti shaashwat hai (Sprinting of innovative Ideas is the symptom of genius but sensation is eternal)
4-Budhi saager ke laher ke samaan hai,chanchal aur satahi ,par anubhuti samudra tal ke samaan,shaant aur neestabdh (Direct Perception or Intuition has more far reaching effect than logic and reasoning.)
5- Prabhad aur Purusharth sath sath chalte hain (Luck and Hard work goes hand in hand.)

Last word on these ethical lessons which I sense these days was: You pay for your deeds.
I get my mantra of life AND YOU?

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Superheroes of Indian Films

Rajnikant, Mithun Chakraborthy, Mohanlal, Mammoty, Kamal Hassan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan & Chiranjeevi are the prominent superstars of Indian film industry.

First two names are the phenomenon in Indian film industry. They are not even stars of Indian movie industry. Rest of all names in the list is of superstars. But anyone do have clue over superstar and phenomenon. Phenomenon has cast charm over the people without any acting. They are worshiped by the people due to their iconic presence and style on the screen.

Most of the people do not have clue that ‘Mithun da’ has won national award for his acting in prestigious art film 'Mrigayaa'. Now, the commercial movies have made brand image of ‘Mithun da’. Masses know him for his hit films like Disco Dancer, Boxer and Dalal. Most of young people feel his presence in epic roles in Gunda, Loha, Cheetah & Ravanraj. He is virtually style icon of youths coming from down trodden society in north India from past 25 years. For die hard fans of mithun da, read this website.

Rajnikant’ is name of living style to each filmi geek of India. His special technique of igniting cigarette becomes a fashion in his fans. Now, cigarettes are changed by Chewing gums due to dangerous following of successors in public smoking. He is second highest paid actor after Jackie Chan in Asia. He is living legend in every sense.

From past 30 years, both of them are ruling the hearts of Indian people. They have got exclusively fan club and temples dedicated to them. The fight scenes in their movies can make envious to comic super heroes. Law of nature (even gravity) cannot bind their action sequence. Their external beauty and style has attracted heroines from last 3 generation. Also, their action scenes are synchronized with each other in different movies. They are the binding forces of north and south India. Least exaggeration sentence: They are pole stars (2 in same constellation) of great India reel life…………

I was looking for the reason of the rise of these phenomenons. ‘Mithun da’ hails from Bengal and ‘Rajnikant’ start off his career in Tamil movie industry. Tamil and Bengali societies are one of the leading societies in term of reformation with English education. People with western way of thinking forms a small but influential intellectual part in the society. There is no entertainment for common masses. These two rise on such occasion and becomes the role models by their screen roles of rebel hero. They stand against the local mafia, corrupt policemen, greedy merchant and shrewd politician. The violence and struggle life of ‘mean streets’ match the attitude of ‘Rambo’ in the background. They rise as a voice of family, community and society in reel life.

These two mortal gods have been face of India mostly go unnoticed or undisclosed in intellectual society.They are role models for masses. Despite of all these nonsense stuff, just do not forget about real heroes of children: Krish or Mr. India (Big Screen) and Shaktimaan (T.V. Screen)………………………………

Movies for Teachers

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. ~William Arthur Ward

Teacher inspires you to think for yourself. He is friend, philosopher and guide for learning minds. Teachers sometimes need to be reminded about why they teach in the first place. Teachers face stiff test from student in the depth of their knowledge. Shallow people hide in the veils of seriousness while sincere one rules the heart of student.

There are movies which transform your attitude for teaching profession. However, there is a career lesson in films. It doesn't lie in the film, though through viewing. The lesson is: Look beyond MBA, Engineering, Medical and Journalism. Any career you choose today, you can make a difference.

Many movies depict determined teachers using innovative teaching tactics according to need of student. They break the continuum of boring lectures into interactive sessions. One of the best known innovators is Anne Sullivan who persisted in teaching Helen Keller in the movie 'The Miracle Worker'. Anne Sullivan had high expectations for Helen Keller and helped her realize her incredible potential. Film 'Black' is scene by scene lifted from this movie. One fun way for teachers and students to recharge is to watch movies about the real or reel life stories of inspiring teachers.

This is the list of top quality cinema for inspiration to young minds:

Dead Poet’s Society
Good will Hunting
Mona Lisa Smile
Entre les murs
Freedom Writers
To Sir with Love
Ron Clark Story
Finding Forrester
Ciao, Professore!
Half Nelson
Breakfast Club
Dangerous Minds
October Sky
Taare Zameen Par
Jagriti
Sparsh
Rockford
The Miracle Worker
Conrack
Stand and Deliver
The Emperor's Club
•Lean on Me
•Merry Andrews
•Educating Rita
•Mr. Holland's Opus
•Blackboard Jungle
•Good Morning, Miss Dove
•Born Yesterday

•Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Individual success will not be attained by migrating to a particular 'hot' industry, or by securing government jobs. Instead, Teacher inspire the students to realize on two questions: who they really are and work that they truly love. A teacher motivates students to build a new success path for themselves. Result of efforts of teacher will be distinct individuals unleashing a productive and innovative power in their field.