Hum Log: The forgotten TV Series

The pioneer Hindi TV Serial, Hum Log was aired on DD National in 1984. The Indian audience loved the show and the characters have become legend and the soap a common name in the world of Indian Television. Hum log was a story of an Indian middle class family and their daily life struggles. Written by Manohar Shyam Joshi, the title score was composed by legendary music director, Anil Biswas. However, this soap has great significance in the history of India Television. Owing to the broadcasting of Hum Log in 1984-85, Indian TV saw an important turning point in the growth of television in India. 

Hum Log was India's first long-running soap opera. Hum Log was a dramatic serial that was aired mainly to entertain audiences. These soap operas were called telenovelas, literally meaning "television novels", where they are the most popular genre of television programming. Hum Log was a special kind of soap opera that utilized the entertainment-education strategy by intentionally placing instructive content in this entertainment message. The idea of such an entertainment-education soap opera came to India from Mexico, where Miguel Sabido, a talented television producer-director created a methodology for inserting educational issues in an entertaining medium by designing positive, negative, and transitional role models for the educational values that were being promoted. 

Around 156 episodes of Hum Log were broadcast in Hindi for 17 months during the years 1984-85. The television program promoted such social themes as gender equality, small family and planned family, and national integration as well. At the end of each 22-minute episode, veteran Hindi film actor Ashok Kumar used to discuss the on-going story and situations with the audience in a unique style, using Hindi couplets, and limericks. Ashok Kumar connected the drama to viewers' everyday lives and thus created a special place in their lives, where the audience could connect their day to day chores. While discussing any negative aspect, he used to openly ask for public review and also encouraged them to inform any such real incidents that they have witnessed. 

The study of Hum Log's audience review showed that a high degree of para-social interaction occurred between the audience members and their favorite Hum Log character. Para-social interaction is the perceived face-to-face interpersonal relationship that develops between a television viewer and a media role model. For instance, many Hum Log viewers reported that they routinely adjusted their daily schedules to see their favorite characters and their lifestyles. Many other individuals reported talking to their favorite characters through their television sets and also realized the real life obstacles that often come up in others lives if not theirs. Vinod Nagpal as Basesar Ram, Jayshri Arora as Bhagwanti, Rajesh Puri as Lallu, Abhinav Chaturvedi as Nanhe, Seema Bhargava as Badki, Loveleen Mishra as Chutki, Divya Seth as Majhli, Lahiri Singh as Dadaji and Sushma Seth as Dadi were the pivotal characters of Hum Log TV Serial. 

Hum Log achieved audience ratings of 65 to 90 percent in North India and between 20 and 45 percent in the prime cities of South India. About 50 million individuals watched the average broadcast of Hum Log. 

That's One Old Clip There!

Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. The first steps by humans on another planetary body were taken by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969. The astronauts also returned to Earth the first samples from another planetary body. Apollo 11 achieved its primary mission - to perform a manned lunar landing and return the mission safely to Earth - and paved the way for the Apollo lunar landing missions to follow.

Astronaut Armstrong emerged from the spacecraft first. While descending, he released the Modularized Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) on which the surface television camera was stowed, and the camera recorded humankind's first step on the Moon at 109:24:19 GET. A sample of lunar surface material was collected and stowed to assure that, if a contingency required an early end to the planned surface activities, samples of lunar surface material would be returned to Earth. Astronaut Aldrin subsequently descended to the lunar surface.

I think this is one of the most historical event in mankind. Not just because man stepped on the moon for the first time but because of the technological advancement that we have achieved as we were able to get the live voice of Neil Armstrong talking. If you listen closely to the clip you will be able to hear that Armstrong is describing the surface of the moon to us. He also tells us when he lands on the moon what happen. The most talked about line of Armstrong as he steps on the moon can also be heard: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Clearly the event was of huge significance and the choice of words was quite deliberate. Armstrong maintained for some time later that he said "for a man" rather than "for man". That line was what he, with the help of his wife, had prepared in advance. The rather fuzzy tapes of the event aren't clear enough to be sure, although the 'a' does appear to be missing. He is also heard talking to Buzz Aldrin. I think it is very important because we come to know how far has the mankind reached and what all great he has achieved. 

Even thought the tape is very unclear we are able to get a few things that they talk about. I think its more than sufficient for us to know an amazing journey they had. 

Listen to the clip by clicking on the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0umbmzpQigU

What Is It About Classical Movies?

There are many reasons why the spectators might not have liked Guru Dutt’s opus, Kaagaz ke phool back in 1959. First its badly-humoured, then its flaunting of proper morals and conventionality; the absence of a satisfying happy end. Many people still think today that the movie drags on, that it’s self-indulgent…

I think its weirdness and self-consciousness are signs of a suffering reality. Honestly, I do prefer less depressing movies, comedies that make you roar with laughter or smile with appreciation. Still, Kaagaz ke phool possesses a soulful charm, a sombre artistry that touches me, and evokes romantic poetry at its destructive best. 

For example, after that country escapade where the heroine and her director are teased by the bunch of youngsters in the hay-filled truck, the scene cuts to the aftermath of a car accident: he has been wounded, while she’s all right, and he has to wear a bandage over his eyes. There is no real need for this accident in the structure of the story: it will not bring the two lovers any closer, thanks to the age-old trick of pitying feelings, or to some cheap physical contact. On the contrary: Sinha is going to chase Shanti away from his presence. The interest of the scene is(I believe) in the introduction of the theme of blindness. Sinha wears his bandage over his eyes to make us understand that he is resisting the attraction which he is feeling for Shanti, and that his cinematographic art isn’t sold out to appearances and superficiality, as his in-laws declare, and as a gossip-mongering press(which his daughter’s friends read at their school) would like to connect him with.

I believe that the black and white cinematography in the movie serves this purpose: the beam of intense white light, that burns through the darkness of the studio, is the artist’s creative dream; his vision, his will and his desire. This laser-like ray of light corresponds to the artistic process of transmutation of the object which the artist perceives as creational material.

Notice how the creative beam of light is also present at that moment.

I’ll just finish by a few words on the actors. I liked Johnny Walker in the film: he’s just hit the right mix of artificially calculated clowniness, to make us understand that, even if he is taking advantage of his social situation, he’s aware of it, and can side with the moral condemnation of a society based on the established hierarchy of money and appearances.

Guru Dutt strikes as the somber and dejected idealist he likes to pose as, yet behind the pose we feel his sadness and his pain: more than in other films, perhaps, the theme of desolation and recreation through art and love beyond the decadent society of men, is present.

Waheeda Rehman, finally, fascinates thanks to her multifaceted talent and grace. She has a persona whom we can cover with affection, and is closer to us, because it is both passionate and naïve, both clever and anxious, both hilarious and ardent. Her femininity is closer to our humanity, perhaps, because she expresses her desires and emotions on a reachable level, where one recognizes a sister and a comrade.

10 Most Iconic Pictures Ever

"A pictures speaks thousand words." 

                                       -Anonymous

These words are rightly said and they do hold true even for me. Sometimes you just need  not speak anything but the message can be conveyed even with a picture. So here are a few pictures that I think have a great meaning behind them and a story to it.

Let the waves not take you down. Stand up to the challenge.

Just hold my hand and make me feel alive, but not too hard as you might break me.

Look into my eyes and you might be able to see through my soul.

We have and always will be strong. Period.

What looks on the outside my not be on the inside. Do not judge me by my color. I may surprise you.

Damn it! If only I could drink the good water which is not already used by someone else.

Even the most dangerous water bodies calm down when the winter arrives.

Mommy look I am finally back home. I am flying across the borders.

Well isn't it just like our drive in restaurants that we have these days. 

"What have the humans come to? And I thought we the the so called animals!" thought the vulture while waiting for his "food" to die.

Well I hope you guys liked it. I did not intend to hurt anyone's emotion through these picture. If I did I apologies.  Let me know what are your thoughts regarding these pictures. Do post a comment below for any suggestions or otherwise.

Happy Blogging!! :)