To do or not to do ??

I admit the fact that most of my articles over here are jejune but i take pride in the fact that i deal with taboos. Before you start calling me bumptious, i want to get started. The issue am writing is on pre-marital sex(PMS). I know i know, sania mirza, khushboo n narain karthikeyan have raked up this issue way back in march. Dont ask yourself tht why am i writing on this issue after these many days. Before you concoct your own conclusions, let me clarify that if you are expecting a titillating dare-bare confession then sorry folks !! My sexual life has been and is non-existent. This article is not going to sing paeans to my impotency.

When i mentioned to one of my friend that i am writing on this issue, she said that "write something which is common". In some cultures, such as our own, pre-marital sex is a taboo. But inspite of that, PMS is unbelievably common. Time and again, indian cinema(which is a reflection of indian society and its mores) has always ostracised the couple which indulges in PMS(take kya kehna for instance). What leads to PMS ?? Greater mobility, greater anonymity, greater tolerance of the mores, peer group culture, influence of media, and decline in parental control are factors that led to PMS,atleast in metropolitan cities. It would be erroneous to assume that boys and girls indulge in sex for physical pleasure alone.

Recently, the delhi high-court has passed a landmark judgement which is that " if the husband does not indulge in sex with his spouse then that is equivalent to mental torture and a good solid reason for divorce". The reason i said this as watershed judgement is that it will mollify the torture endured by indian woman. Physical torture is something which heals along with time but mental torture can only be more painful as time goes by. Many divorces in our country happen due to non-compatiblity on the bed. Indifferent sexual drives among the couples(lets talk about heterosexual couples for time being) has been a major contributor to the high number of divorces happening.

Due to this reason, i firmly advocate PMS. But not on a trial and error basis. The couple must be having a platonic relationship for atleast 6 months. And if they are willing to live forever, only then should PMS be done. Some of you out there may say, what if, after the whole thing is done and the couple is not compatible on bed, its the girl who would have lost her virginity which only her husband had the right to breach. Well people, there used to be this maverick painter known as amrita shergil. Her work - the village- has recently got sold for a whopping 6.9 crore rupees at sotheby's and christie's. This woman had numerous sexual experiences.

Khushwant singh had desribed her as follows- "many men made scars on her body but no one could make a scratch on her mind". Thats what a rational man would like to do. As laura castellano very aptly puts it in erich segal's seminal work"the doctors"- you must be very happy that this guy indulges in such cheap thrills. Making hue and cry over a piece of tissue is like israel bombing whole of lebanon just for that one absucted soldier.. No no, am not being chauvinistic. I do know that a woman's virginity is a very precious thing. But we have to accept that an ever lasting relataionship is much more important than the timing of the "first blood soaked blanket" experience.

I know that i have written something very inflammable. But i hope to see some meaningful harangue.

A very disturbing and well made film

Before i start writing this article, i would like to thank mansi(for suggesting this movie) and all those sources ofbearshare who have made it possible for me to watch the fantastic movie known as requiem for a dream(RFD). RFD would
be rated among the top three technically sound movies i have ever seen. The other two being- city of god and in the mood for love. RFD deals with the most rampant issue in our society. DRUGS. I would have loved to rope in rahul mahajan for
more insight on this topic but he is away for a honeymoon in jhumri talayya. RFD is the most grotesque movie i have ever seen. It even transcends the brutality of passion of the christ and american history x. This is not ambrosia for people of
masochistic or misanthropic attitude towards life. It merely depicts the deleterious and minatory effects of drugs on humans.

The story is intertwined between an old woman(played to the T by ellen burstyn) and her son(portrayed by the competent jared leto). Jared has a girlfriend- the sensuous jennifer connelly.. Jared looks for quick bucks and so he
starts selling drugs. His mother is obsessed with wearing her red dress for the tappy show. And so she starts taking drugs for getting young. At basic level, the movie seems quite straightforward what with showing the adverse impact of drugs on
human psyche . Its the treatment that leaves you gasping for more and more. After many days miturtification has not set into me while watching the movie. I was damn engrossed in the film.

The split photography and the fast track editing makes you wonder at the pulchritude and poise of cinema. The climax is so grisly and dark that u wish you can be anywhere but there, watching the movie. The way jared leto's hand is affected and the lesbian orgy of jeniffer connelly leaves a lump in your throat. Ellen burstyn's paroxysms make you wish "if only i could stop her from eating those tablets."
The movie is replete with heart rending moments. I will mention three of them

1)The way jared leto caresses the nipple of connelly and appreciates her beauty was the most sensuous cinematic moment after dilip kumar's brushing of feather on the face of madhu bala in mughal-e-azam. And the way connelly says "till now whoever said it was meaningless ".

2) when jared leto confronts his mom and tries to restrain her from taking the tablets. The way she breaks down still lingers in my mind. She says
"The show gives a reason to smile. It makes my morning alright. A reason to wear red dress"

3)The break down of jared leto in the car after knowing that his mom is taking drugs and he cannot stop her.

Watch requiem for a dream if you are a cognoscente of meaningful cinema. This is one movie i would like a pastiche being committed by the indian film makers..