Astu: Not about Alzheimer. !

Even after being a practising physician over three decades, I have hardly encountered a patient of Alzheimer who had crossed the bridge never to return. Though the clinical features were known to me, it was touching to watch it unfold on the screen. In a short span of three days, I happen to watch two movies on the same subject. From two totally different environments, cultures even continents and to certain extent contents too. But the core was the same. Trials and tribulations of, not the patient who suffers from the Alzheimer's but the near and dear ones who surround him or her. As far as the patient is concerned, he/she is on a different planet altogether by the time it is diagnosed.
The slow decline of the memory, due to permanent decay of the nerve cells, initially for the recent past and then in its entirety, is the usual course of the disease. Thus it becomes difficult to pick it up in the initial stages. It though, maybe useless,  because there is no definitive treatment as off now and the disease progresses relentlessly, ultimately making the person vegetable! Just existence but no awareness. What the affected one goes through, during this phase, though easy to guess but is extremely difficult to comprehend. Lapses of memory alternating with phases of awareness may be looked at. by the relatives as the crankiness of the old age. To take care of such a person who has lost his 'Self' but not 'mad' in the conventional sense is a mammoth task for the near relatives taking the physical and mental toll, taxing every facade of life and straining the interpersonal relationships almost to the point of snapping!

First one 'The Notebook.'  a Hollywood classic from last decade and the second one, of course, our own  'Astu' in Marathi. Both the movies show the downhill course of the patient and the dear ones so graphically that if it does not touch the strings of your heart, maybe you were born, without one!

The Notebook is a story of Noah and Allie, childhood friends from South Carolina who fall in love but the world war II separates them.  Noah declared practically dead, returns alive after seven years to find Allie in different arms, of Lon whom Allie had met in the hospital for wounded soldiers where she was offering her services as a nurse. Materialistic mother of Allie hides the fact from Allie, that Noah is still alive and is waiting for her. Devastated but still having lingering hope of reunion with Allie in mind, Noah buys the home of her dreams, resurrects it to the last detail, the way she had wanted it to be and waits patiently for Allie. After a lot of emotional upheavals, Allie returns. But the crux is not her return.

The story told in flashbacks reveals many tender spots in the journey. Noah has now become old and staying in a hospital, rather home for aged and keeps on reading a story for an inmate, who has lost her memory. Engrossed in his tale she keeps on regaining her lost horizons but only for moments. Once when she regains the lost past, asks Noah ' Are you telling our story? I know that's me, Allie, and you are Noah, the only thing that I dread now is how much time do I have to lose it completely.?' And Noah breaks down.

The vacant expression on her face, his efforts to rejoin the broken links from the past, her remembering their children for a moment, but the children finding her distant and unrelated, everything unfolds in front of you, seldom leaving your eyes dry! Contrary to usual Indian perception about the west, Noah not only loves her deeply till his last but stands true to the last grain of his being, when she was losing hers, in spite of being asked by the kids to leave her and be with them for a smoother old age!
'Astu' is not far from 'The Notebook' in the essence, only here the ties are between a father and a daughter who steadfastly refuses to keep him in a home for the similarly affected. This her being Indian, maybe, refrains her from doing so, perhaps her western counterpart might have done it much earlier. Her attachment to him, the guilt of losing him, feeling of helplessness after losing the battles on every front, resignation to the situation, her ire towards her sister for conveniently abstaining herself from the parental duty, every aspect of Ira's, daughter's persona is built up gradually so affectionately that you feel helpless with her,  you cry with her, you feel dejected with her and in the end, after finding the father you get elated with her! Her husband though understanding and with her in this ordeal, is aloof at one level as if it is not his battle. Her sister rational to the point of being cruel too keeps herself away from the actual emotional battlefield, pushing every responsibility of the father on her elder sister's able shoulders but slipping quietly away when the point of skirmish is reached! Though not overtly selfish but calculating due to her education, she too melts after realizing the sacrifices made by the elder one.
There is no point in elaborating the story in details here because that's not the purpose. Critical appraisal too is not the intention. Just how the story is told and while taking different turns how it brings forward the umpteen covert layers of the characters within, when they are thrown in that unforeseen situation, is a treat for the intellect! And I enjoyed "Astu' at that level fully.
Iravati Harshe, so far known as a good looking model, gives such a nuanced performance that it was hardly surprising that she got the highest award for it. It would have been a big let down if she wouldn't have got it! Her face becomes so transparent at times that one can easily feel her inner vulnerability and turmoil just by the looks in her eyes. Her ire by the quiver in her voice projects so effectively that you are instantly by her side! I can not think of 'Astu' without her. It was a Himalayan role and she has come out with more than flying colours.
Amruta Subhash too has given, well studied and meticulously crafted out, performance, though the entire character for me seemed unnecessary because the fight was Ira's and not Dr Shastri's. She scores because her character is etched that sharply and for an actress of her calibre it was really a far simpler task than it was for Irawati, which had too many different and complicated shades! 
For the ones who haven't had the basics of Sanskrit, at places it goes well over the head. I could not but think any other profession for Dr Shastri. Dr Gupte's character was a patchwork and her justification, well, too contrived!
Pune in Marathi cinemas nowadays looks so glamorous that I wonder many a time whether it's the same town which I resided in, forty years ago and was an idle overgrown village without glitz and glamour whatsoever!
'Astu' works at the cerebral level and so those who lack it, [ they are in plenty and it was reflected in the attendance,] might not enjoy it. For me?  It was treat for all my senses!

Prelude: 'Astu'

When 'Astu' So it be, a Marathi movie was released for the first time four years ago in Pune's Prabhat Cinema for odd timing at 9.30 AM, as an only show, it was expected that it won't reach the target audience. Mumbai for Marathi cinemas in those days was situated in US of A, maybe having few Marathi speaking people, distant cousins of Puneites was the prevalent thought! So naturally, though I longed to watch it, I could not! After many trips to Pune to have at least the DVD I realized, even now, there is a dearth of a discerning audience for meaningful but off the track Marathi cinema, because street smart Cinema like ' Time Pass ' was running to the packed houses even in multiplexes of Mumbai. DVD was just not available. And suddenly one day, I don't know what happened but the ad for Astu's re-release appeared in the daily papers and I felt as if my long-cherished desire was about to be fulfilled.  Though there is a big multiplex bang opposite my home, which does screen Marathi movies, apparently did not have a screen for 'Astu'. So I had to find a distant one. The second problem was of timings. The suitable time, was farther away while the nearer one, was at an odd time, so unsuitable for me. And I realized for a movie buff like me who loves to view good Marathi Movies it's still difficult in Mumbai to arrange for it.

The day I decided to watch it, after making all the arrangements at the clinic I headed for a multiplex in Kurla. And it started raining heavily, so heavily that the wipers were as if the redundant parts of the car. Again Kurla is known for extensive flooding. Mumbai rains, all the odds were absolutely against my watching the movie, but determined that I was I reached the multiplex after driving, hundred to two hundred meters or so in knee-deep water. But I reached the venue well ahead in time. The lovey-dovey couple in front of me in the queue took very long time even to decide which movie to watch. Then there was seat selection, it went on and on. After a long wait when I reached the window and asked for a single ticket for 'Astu' the clerk made the face as if he had heard the name, for the first time. Of course, when 'Sultan' is at the box office who was going ask for a single ticket for 'Astu' When I repeated, he said ' Oh Astu, Marathi Movie ?' in a tone as if I was asking for a fried lizard! He peeped in the screen, then looked at his manager and said  as if apologetically, ' Sir, the projector system of that Audi is under repairs so please enquire again at the show timing.' I got so annoyed and said, ' I know because I am the only patron, you are giving excuses' He smiled sheepishly which gave away him and his excuse! I persisted for the ticket, he asked me to come back again at the show timing. After having a good lunch of chicken burger at Burger King I reached the window again at the given time.

This time he was straight forward and said,' Sir you are the only viewer, so we can not run the show.' I was not angry, but I was firm, persistent and had determined, 'Not to go home' without watching the movie. After treading in knee-deep waters and driving in torrential rains, it was do or die for me! So I reminded him and his manager, the rule by Maharashtra Government that makes the management compulsory to run the Marathi movie show even if there is a lone patron! And it simply worked, both gave in and I entered the Audi with a ticket in hands, triumphantly!  

Fanaticism ? End in near future.

Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, now Turkey ...all failed nations.
Entire Africa except for Zambia and Zimbabwe: very unsafe even to move around.
Brussels, Paris, Nice, on terrorist maps and whole Europe under immigration burden and insecure. Greece, Portugal failing economically.

America under the terror of gun wielders and Trump.and will go on

Australia, NZ too far and not much scope economically,

Thus wrote my dear friend and it made me think. Most of the countries he mentioned are either harbouring terrorists or under the terrorists' threat. Read Muslim threat here. And my problem is, is it going to stop? After a lot of deliberation, sadly, I have to come to conclusion, No, NO in capitals, no it's not going to stop. Either it will go on perpetuating the way it is going on now or all the other groups, out of sheer exasperation may come together [ highly unlikely] and wage a civil war in all the countries against the Muslims, as now, everybody seems to be affected.

The ball that was started rolling by the then president of US of A, Mr George Bush was, in fact, a snowball and now it has become too huge to manage, for the rest of the world. An unnecessary war that was thrust on Iraq for many a damn motive, petrol, regional, - world supremacy, greed for power, has come on the threshold of every nation in the world.On the home turf, it was started by Mr L K Advani, by which neither he could achieve anything for himself nor the nation, contrary the chasm increased so much that both the groups instead of moving towards scientific modernism, are going back to medieval times. Thus grandmother does not wear burqa but for granddaughter, it is a must, and the lines for a two minutes glimpse of Lalbag cha Raja are going in miles! CA and Doctors from the Jain community have started following unbalanced diet advised 5000 years ago without even bothering about the advances made by the medical field in this respect. Same ones, but are the first ones to buy the gadgets doled out by the same funda, Research, done mostly by the westerners!

The prime force for the ongoing occult war waged by the Muslims against the world is their steadfastness to stick to their religion. Basically, every religion is a package deal. Being most recent, Islam is most precise and compact so the doctrines are stern and watertight. 'I tell you, so you have to do it.' It is that simple, you are not allowed to use your brains, so no question arises to question any diktat! And so for the one who embraces it, it becomes extremely difficult to wean oneself away from the ideology. Because to think alternatively, you must have the faculties to think, the very fact is, its the very faculty that is taken away from you by its puritanical principles.

In today's scenario, the same thinking pattern does not allow the follower to think otherwise and clearly.. So any attack on his religion makes him more hardcore to take revenge. So the world, mostly the western, as such may take pride in destroying Lashkar- E Toiba, yesterday so it made the way for ISIS today and now if they become successful, even partially, in curtailing the ISIS, there would be yet another one, phoenix-like organization waiting in the wings to take over the war where it would be paused. So by dusting the superficial layer off, would the problem be solved? Well No. It's the thought that counts and as of now there does not seem to be any sane thinker or authority that would guide the lost, [ Again so-called 'Lost 'because he himself is not going to accept that he is 'Lost'] and bring him on the right path![ What's that again ?]

Another question that naturally could be asked, for this ongoing terrorism at this juncture, is "Who" funds them? The pertinent factor here is Finance !, There is definitely some nation or a group which has enough money to keep this state of affairs going on, so the world constantly gets scalded in boiling furnace. Naturally, the finger could be directed to, either Middle East and Islamic Countries and worse to the United States Of America! It's understandable for Middle East countries to fund Islamic Organizations but US of A? The answer is simple. In yesterday's Nice incidence the truck that created havoc, was fully loaded with hand grenades. War Fare! From where do these outfits get their ammunition or artillery supply? As of now, the US of A is the biggest manufacturer of arms and her economy depends on this industry. So it's highly beneficial for the industry, and thus in turn for US of A to have some war or the other, being fought somewhere in the world! Because for both the sides, the US of A is the biggest ammunition supplier! And Why this needle of suspicion. The nation that could unearth Osama Bin Laden hiding in some Pakistani rat hole still is not declaring Pakistan as 'Terrorist' harbouring state and is content in shedding croc tears when there is terrorist attack anywhere in the world but India, read Kashmir!

That's not the case with Hinduism. It's so pluralistic that it has a problem from the definition itself. Whether to call it a religion or not. So a soft option that was taken out, 'It's a way of life ' was not digested by the puritans so they came out coining it as ' Sanatan Dharma'. And thus this fanaticism singularly does not apply to Islam alone.As I have said earlier 'Every religion is a package deal' So when you vouch for good principles of 'Hinduism' you can not get away from 'Nanga Sadhus' high on cannabis having 'Akhadas in Kumbh !' They too are part and parcel of Hinduism. Or A brigade who could not digest some harsh truth about their warrior Idol, published after extensive research in Prime institute of the world, went berserk attacking the institute and destroying extremely valuable documents preserved with care over the years by the earnest, honest and genuine pundits.

Thus the way a teen wearing burqa disturbs me, a toddler reciting Shlokas from Rugved too unsettles me. You are sending an innocent mind in the dark caves of religion without her/him even being aware of it. We really, really don't have any choice in selecting the religion. It's compulsorily passed on to us because we are borne to the parents who practise it, without really understanding it! And the cycle is going on for generations, centuries together and will go on for the next hundred centuries!

My question is 'Do we require religion or even for that matter, 'THE' God in today's times ?' The concept 'God' came first and the religions followed it. If we omit 'X' from Algebra there won't be Algebra at all, thus if we omit 'God' there won't be any religion, thus no terrorism in the name of God and/ or religion!

And 'God' ?! That is yet another riddle altogether!

Intelligentsia In continuation

A reader found my previous blog so ambiguous that he likened it to 'Mumbai Chaupaty' bhel. My bad! So here at the outset only, let me put all my cards on the table.
1. In India, a paper degree does not necessarily mean Intelligence. At the worst, both are inversely proportional. Mugging for the exams can get you a certificate without understanding even a bit about what you learn.
2. Scientific temperament is grossly in short supply. So is the comprehensive understanding of life in general, where science should play a bigger part, in reality, it is overshadowed by any other factor, but it!
3. It does not matter which discipline you belong to, religion and other factors play a much more significant role in moulding your person.
4. Rational thinking takes a back seat when concrete actions are desired
5. You hardly find a real intelligent gem, if he comes by any chance, he comes with a tag of religion, political affiliation, his own bias so and so fore.
[In context to the last blog, a dietician has to be a dietician and not a 'Jain' dietician ! ]

What prompted me to post the first part, were two patients, highly educated at that, but in my opinion, lacked the comprehensive awareness about everything in general, that education should [or is it must]   impart. Sorry to say but in multiple cases my experience was to the contrary. In today's India, a person is highly qualified on the paper but when it comes to the application, it draws to zero. From M. Tech s to B.E.s from C.A.s to MBA s it draws a blank. I am refraining myself from using the word flack !. I am deliberately omitting Arts and commerce graduates because there, it is absolutely dark. Extremely sorry to say but these are my personal experiences. unfortunately, they stand true, even for science graduates in some cases.

I was talking about two patients, one is a chemical engineer and the other B.E., software techy. When first came to me, he was weighing 100 kgs.; was suffering from diabetes, and mild hypertension from a very young age. I advised him to lose weight on war footing to have a better future for both, him as a person and his diseases too. I, in my own way, explained to him the basic principle of physics, which, him being chemical engineer, should not have been a problem to grasp [ in another case too, who was computer engineer, it stood true ]. Mass is never created never lost. If you are weighing more, you are taking more mass from nature, YOU are not manufacturing/ or producing it! In the next visit, he was weighing 117 kgs and the software engineer jumped from the 80s to 100 kgs! The height was, they both feigned ignorance about how it escalated without them eating a single calorie more! I wondered, these highly educated, qualified science postgraduates if don't understand the basic science then it's absolutely futile to hope that Pyaridevi from Zumari Talaiyya is going to follow what science needs her to follow! 

Why I omitted Arts and Commerce, even, postgraduates? 

Take a hypothetical situation. If you are marooned on an island or in a jungle. and If you are M.A. in economics with Honors, or PhD in Marathi literature, your principles of economics or comparison of Shakespeare's King Lear with V.V. Shirwadkar's 'Nat Samrat' is not going to help, it would be science that would help you to survive !. Literature for intellectual satiety is luxury, comes into picture only when everything is going good physically! Science is life, commerce and arts come much later!

Right from the day one, when you are conceived in the mother's womb till the date you breathe your last, it's nothing but science, science and science ! You come to know about commerce and Arts much much later, so it is imperative that every individual living, MUST have basic knowledge of science, mostly about his own body and to my utter disappointment the very fact, lacks profoundly in Indians, not aware of their western or developed counterparts, as did not have much chance to interact with them! But whatever I gather from the media, those are available at my disposal,  they seem to be better off!

And it does not apply to the science of life alone. Right from the minute you get up in the morning, science starts playing the part. The mattress you slept on the previous night, bristles of your toothbrush, ingredients of your bathing soap, yarns and pattern of weaving used for making your shirt, the vehicle you ride to the office, everything, absolutely everything, when has science as a base, it makes life easier, so to have an interlude to enjoy Beethoven in the evening!

And to my utter surprise, most of the Indians are floating in the air when it comes to absolute pure knowledge. There is no zeal, zest or even curiosity to be enlightened. And if you are female, less said the better!

Thus the point is, in India your education on paper and your Intelligence [ in Hyphenation] just do not match! So we have a large number of the well-educated populace but truly intelligent one is coming by very rarely! And the woe is this rare truly intelligent one too, nowadays comes with a label!