Skip to main content

Trust fundamentally

Just watched a Mira Nair film called 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist', based on a book written by a Pakistan born author about the changes in American sentiment post 9/11.

While a love story, its part political drama laced with sharp acting from an international cast of renowned and some relatively young actors.

The theme of the movie revolves around the aspirations of a once well to do Pakistani kid that wants to restore his family and himself to the status they lost to shifts in culture in his native Pakistan.

He chooses to find that dream like many migrants in the USA.  As he ascends the corporate ladder with his innate financial acumen, he also is shown reflecting on what he is slowly giving up in intangible terms.

Capitalism is a multi faceted temptress and the protagonist is clearly sucked in to its eddies.  He realizes that color of skin after all gets thumped under the bureaucratic weight when it comes to him being typecast as a threat in America.

 Human condition is a mystery no matter what part of the planet you are on and there are no right or wrong people just degrees of trust.

An intriguing story it's well delivered in a couple of hours with medley of Kauali music and other fusion music scores as background to the back and forth timeline along with a brief tour of the globe.

Comments

  1. Erik Erksson, a psychologist, had proposed seven stages (I think) of a child's development. One of these was Trust versus Mistrust, where he leans towards one of these. Governments may also have something of that type where they typecast/mistrust whole countries/communities/ways of thinking

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On the go(zay masta) in Japan again

Cool cat the Japanese are Tokyo at dusk  My second visit to this land of the rising sun after almost a decade. Back then clearly I was wet behind the ears product manager and likely didn’t pay attention to all (efficient) things Japanese. But today I did and of course continue to be impressed. It is as much the obvious stuff like on time travel that is both clean and comfortable and all that which makes it possible. The impressive landmark and landscapes that these humans have put together despite their cramped (or because of it) surroundings and precarious geological conditions could amaze a novice architect among us. But it’s also the little things that someone had to think about which have a phenomenal impact on day to day lives that make the Japanese stand apart. Below are few random examples- 1. Providing a very fine machined wooden toothpick in every packet of wooden chopsticks. The said chapsticks are simply set on the To Go counter of any food vendor/ convenience store wher...

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...

The Central State aka MP

Narmada river and site of Omkareshwar Indore Rajwada or palace of the Lady Holkar   Somewhat geographically centered in India is the hot landscape of MADHYA PRADESH. A region I had a faint memory of visiting as a young lad eons ago. Now in my (along with my best half) quest to get to know lands far and wide I got an opportunity to visit Indore city and surrounding areas in MP. It begins with an evening visit to a bustling old market selling native snacks both savory and sweet. It is the realm of jewelers who run night time street side restaurants once they close their primary operations at dusk. Think of it as desi style block party that I am told goes into wee hours of the morning. My impression was it is worth one visit.  The humid and hot ambience along with crush of humanity doesn’t make for a pleasant dining experience but the sheer variety of foods sort of makes up for it. From piping hot coconut filled fritters to oodles of milk based sweet confections, I gorged on item...