Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander

I just watched this movie – came highly recommended by a film-maker. It was OK. A least it wasn’t your typical Bollywood formula. It was a little amateurish in the direction/story, but likeable.

But I have problem with the message it sends. Warning: Story Spoiler ahead. In the story the younger brother lands in a race in which his older brother has always come second to the bad guy in the story. Of course, he wins (what did you expect?) and vindicates his older brother who could not compete in the race because he had been in the hospital after being beaten up by the bad guys (see above). Of course, until the race or just before it, the younger brother is a nocount layabout who prefers chasing girls, smoking cigarettes with his cronies and generally being useless.

The message it sends and which I have a problem is that someone who puts in a few weeks worth of effort right at the end, can beat a two-time champion who has been training for the race for several years. And this is the problem with India today. People expect to be winners without actually paying the price for it. They lack commitment and discipline and want to be champions. And the crowd eggs them on ignoring reality and hoping for miracles.

This was the problem with the recent so-called Cricket “debacle”. When India lost, people were furious/sad at being let down by their heroes. But wait a bloody Siddhu minute! India was ranked sixth in the world, how did anyone expect them to win?

This is the problem I have with India Shining - no one wants the discipline and hard work required to make India a World Power, but like little children they think they deserve it regardless.