26.4.08

Dis n dat

Sarabjit may not be hanged – and we all knew it.

If indications given by Pakistan’s ex-human rights minister Ansar Burney are anything to go by, there is a strong possibility that Pakistan would commute the convicts’ capital punishment into life term.

“I have come to know from top political sources of Pakistan that the death sentences of all convicts could be commuted to life imprisonment,’’ said Burney, while talking to TOI over phone from Karachi on Friday. However, he refused to disclose his sources.

This is a good move, simply because I am not for capital punishment. But think about it: It means that Sarabjit has not proved to be innocent. Then, what happens to his family that got the visa to appeal for clemency? He is still a criminal, and Pakistan has virtually sponsored and pampered the family of a criminal. What does this mean?

I have already shown the loopholes in the Sarabjit case and am not moving an inch on it. I am glad though to see his daughters and wife; his sister was hogging (and continues to do so) the limelight, including that huge suicide drama after all these years.

The problem is that everyone, including the ‘humane’ Mr. Burney is caught in the drama after Kashmir Singh admitted to being an Indian spy. Both the countries are looking foolish. I hope Kashmir Singh does twist a few more tails.

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I wanted to watch Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? It does not matter that it is a rip-off of the American reality game show. Nothing could keep me riveted. The contestant seemed to have been told to behave like an airhead and she kept making faces like a schoolgirl. She was a PhD, incidentally, who took several minutes to give the answer for the largest planet.

The kids are smart, and smarmy. I wanted to smack them across the cheek. What is being proved here? That children are intelligent and we cannot take knowledge for granted?

Fine. If the kids are so bright then they should refuse to become little lambs and follow their parents’ advice and participate in game shows, to begin with. This is all about money and these children too are learning that knowledge can get you big bucks. It isn’t knowledge for the sake of knowledge.

And the Help segment is called ‘cheats’. What does this mean? Again it is legitimate. Oh sure, the adult participant has to tell us that they are cheating. This is so very juvenile.

As regards, the anchor, Shahrukh Khan, I must say he is not going over-the-top, just yet. But, but…one day he will.

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When I wrote about the IPL, I did not anticipate that there would be protests about the cheer leaders. Mine was and is not a moral position. Anyway, it is fun to watch the TV channels. The usual suspects. Ad man Alyque Padamsee drawling like he is going to stretch a vowel forever holding forth on how this is all about entertainment; Mandira Bedi behaving like she is the only woman in the country who understands cricket; she makes it a point to wear low-cut clothes to show empathy with the cheer-leaders. I saw this hilarious picture of cheer-leaders practising on the pitch!

The cricketers are truly feeling left out. I had posted an update on how they are being treated. No wonder Harbhajan tries some tame dishum-dishum with Sreesanth, who should really hurry and get the hell out of the game and start shooting for that Telugu film in which he is to play the hero opposite four women. (I even read a report that says Bollywood’s loss is their gain!) He was always a good one for playing to the gallery with his impromptu dancing on the field; now there are tears too…

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Wear your bum-wiper!

A model displays a creation made of toilet paper and paper towels during a fashion show organized by a paper company in Lima

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