Well Done, Michael Jackson!!

Comparisons are common especially when it comes to paraphrasing the feat of an individual with that of a famous persona that may be existing, existed or never existed! By Never existed I mean comparing with any fictional character that is made famous like Robin Hood. I have come across many such statements like say like-Gandhi, like-Einstein, like-Newton, etc. Many giants from the past have been successful to iconize their name but very few were famous with a wide variety of the masses and also long lasting at the same time!!

In this aspect I think Michael Jackson is very famous and was a living legend who was able to hold the imagination of the whole world. Dubbed "King Of Pop" he became very popular in America and also rest of the world. I was myself awestruck by seeing his trademark "Moonwalk" and to a lesser e

Michael Jackson via last.fm

xtent "Robot". There can't be a more famous and inspiring personality whose fame reached even the remotest part of the world where even the media has not penetrated! Such was his aura that every budding dancer was compared with him even when he was alive. Prabhu Deva's entry into movies was as a dance assistant appearing for dance and songs initially. Remember "Chiku Bukku" with Gautami? It was such a hit that I was told that he learned his steps with Michael Jackson! I was too young that time and naturally I believed such stories. And lol He became India's MJ!

I remember Jackson's "We are the world" to be one of the first albums that I had seen. But I came to know more when my cousins used to see his numbers in MTV. "Dangerous" and "All I wanna say" were the others that I used to see regularly in TV. His tour to India was much publisized and attracted front page coverage in national dailies. Everything relating to Jackson was famous. His Neverland Ranch, his style of dressing even the military jacket and his trademark glove. Though some pediophile accusations were prevalent none were proved and MJ was aquitted of charges. His sudden change in skin complexion, his support for the black, his charities were famous as well.

The impact he made by his music and culture is so great that his legacy and influence will never be challenged atleast in the immediate future. Many younger generation just copied him and was attracted to music simply because of this Jackson including Britney Spears, Mariah caray and Justin Timberlake. Even after his death he remains as the sole leader in Pop Culture - As Michael Jackson. And when I see Appu (sister's little son) dance and I tell him spontaneously "Well done, Michael Jackson"!

Mahabharata - My Views

Image via Wikipedia

My acquaintance with the Mahabharata started at a young age with my Grand Mother narrating interesting stories to the ever observing little minds of mine and my cousins'. I used to fantasize myself as the main characters coming in those stories with magic surrounding all around me. Yeah, those were the days when I used to admire Krishna and liked to imitate his mischievious acts that are annoying and contrastingly admirable at that age. But I actually followed credulously when DD-1 broadcast these stories in series every Sunday. The five Pandavas, the Kauravas, Krishna - all of them became real and imitable. May be many a kid's imagination was captured at that time by this series. My later days saw a twist in thought with me reading some works by Collins, Wodehouse and Dickens that had real life biographies and kind of things that can happen at present. And of course some commentary work of B.G.Tilak in English about "The Gita". I realised that Gods were made in earth by the admirers and followers. My grandmother's version of a small kid dancing on the hoods of a 10 headed serpent now seemed ridiculous and perverse. Also it may be a premonition to be different from others in family who are all austere believers and followers of age old tradition and dogmas. But then I wanted to know why this epic is so great and revered even after so much bloodshed and war for worldly pleasures and wealth.And one day I happened to read an article that one of my cousins send me online the link of which I provide below. It had small articles about understanding old stories and their relevance in modern times. It was simple to read and gave ideas about why Mahabhrata is still cited as references and why people try to follow it after so long a time.
The Mahabharata teaches all of us an important lesson and this is about circumstances that make a man to take decisions. For instance Arjuna is at first not interested in war with kith and kin for power and wealth but changes mind hearing Krishna's advice. He justifies the war for dharma or virtuousness. The abridged version of the story will indeed give a plain idea of a tit for tat ideology but the broader reading would allow us to get insights into the culture and customs of the people of that times. The gambling by the heros and their suffering in exile and finally when they got their kingdom back they had to lose thier 100 cousins and dear ones. The illustrious and chivalrous Karna who was losing every time and killed treacherously in war and the ever cunning Krishna winning every time. Do this mean that good deeds always loses out in this world? No the Mahabharata serves or tries to explain that only the circumstance is the villain and what one does at one instant of time will turn against him at the other instant. Here lies the subtle clue to why this epic is much celebrated even after centuries. It gives us a cause and effect reasoning for all the things that happen with us and for good things to happen we have to be good ourselves. In this way Mahabharata really denounces the real life heros and tries to interpret that being God and devil lies in one's own thoughts and acts.
Does that mean that I'm an atheist? No I still really do not know the meaning of atheist and I'm an ardent follower of traditions and beliefs so naive and incredible in this century.
http://www.devdutt.com/category/mahabharata