With you! For you! Always!

That's what Delhi Traffic Police would like us to believe. And I, for one, want to believe.


I called up the DTP helpline and had an interesting conversation- well, remarkable enough to be blogged about.


KC: I am calling from Vasant Kunj. This is to inform you that a traffic signal situated at the T-point of Sector D1 is not working. It starts working at 8:05 in the morning but before that, it does not and this leads to major traffic jams in the area.
DTP Official: What is the red light number?
KC: I do not know.
DTPO: What is the red light name?
KC: I do not know. (Inner mulling- do red lights have names? Like Ram, Shayam, Tom?)
DTPO: How can I help then Madam? I need to know where exactly the red light is…
KC: It is at the turn for Sector D1.
DTPO: (Very patiently) That does not help me Madam. I don't know where Sector D1 is, I haven't been there. I need a prominent landmark.
KC: Well, there is an Aggarwal Sweets nearby.
DTPO: (Absolutely patronizingly) Well, there is an Aggarwal Sweets around every corner. How does that help me?
KC: (Inventing wildly & a tad forcefully) It is known as the Sector D1 red light. That's the landmark.
DTPO: Fine. Ok. We'll see what can be done.
KC: Thank you. How will I follow-up on this complaint? As in how can I track the status?
DTPO: Follow? Track? (Long breath and in a tone taken to talk to a 5 year old) You will know when the red light starts working, won't you?
KC: (Hangs head in shame) Yes, of course. Thank you.


At the end of this chit-chat I realized that I am no where close to being teez than a panchvi pass. As rightly pointed out, I should have had my facts ready. And what do I need to track anyway- the number of jalebis the DTPO will have at Aggarwal Sweets?


Blatantly ignoring my logical incompetency here, let's focus on the outcome of this particular call. I logged a complaint last Thursday. This Monday the stop light was working. That is the kind of power the police is dispensing to the local populace these days. In fact, it is quite possible that the traffic sign was rectified over the weekend and was fully operational by Sat or Sun but then I did not take the trouble to ascertain that, did I?


I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the DTPO and I think it's amazingly awesome that suddenly we have such a proactive traffic police force- a body that is both smart and savvy. For someone who stays miles away from social networking sites, I find it amusing that even I am aware that Delhi Traffic Police is now on Facebook. When responsible citizens bring to light gross traffic violations for the convenience of the police, the DTP's page status goes: "Relax and chill people. We are looking into all complaints and grievances!" How kewl!


Please do visit the DTP web site. It has fun poetry like:

Accident brings tear, safety brings cheer.
Don't be a hell mate, wear helmet.
Don't be rash, let's you crash.
Caution and care make crashes rare.

Also, have a dekko at http://www.delhitrafficpolice.nic.in/trivia.htm

And then on a serious note, it's commendable that there is a growing sense of accountability and responsibility all around. Cheers to a brighter, safer and hassle-free future of traffic in Delhi!

Harry Potter and Maut Ke Tohfe!

Did Warner Bros. one fine day in their wrong mind, read my blog? Really? Well, let's not ask the wrong question and instead celebrate the cinematic progress of the Harry Potter franchise. Almost 70% of the cast came of age during the filming of the series, but apparently so did the technique and method of shoot.

The amazing thing about the 7th HP book was that it was extremely fast-paced and full of adrenalin that made it immensely enjoyable and succeeded in firing the imagination of its readers, without the bang and boom of audio-visual aids. To match that level of intensity in the movie would always be a challenging task.

Part 1 of the 7th HP movie tries it's best to remain loyal to the book and it does manage it admirably. It succeeds at various levels from establishing the characters and their various actions to explaining the tale and its numerous twists. This is a huge leap from the disastrous showcase of the 6th movie where the meat of the 6th book was simply glossed over.

It always is difficult to convert books into movies. A lot is lost, just like in translation. The intent with which a book is written is different from the intent with which it's captured on screen. No wonder the director's vision is different from the writer's idea. But, the underlying fact remains that they both are telling the same story and "nothing is more telling than a story".


A lot of times while reading books, I tend to imagine and visualize them in their onscreen avatar. Some stories are in essence so powerful that their progression to the big screen is indeed the next logical step in the process of evolution. And therein is where lies, the curse and boon of a good story- it just might in the process of this conversion lose its soul.

The pen has always been mightier than the sword, but when did it become swankier than the camera?

men to the last movie that will end an era!