Hindi Films behind the Veil

Hi everyone,

Been a long time since my last post! A combination of work (lots – both at office and at home!), Windows crashing (Thank You, Mr. G.) and a temporary writer’s block (miniscule) led to this.

However, things seem to be back to normal (lots of work is now normal – and I’m loving it :-)), so here’s my latest – on Hindi Films Behind the Veil.

Sometime in 2004, I was travelling between Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Upon entering the flight, I saw an elderly, distinguished looking Saudi gentleman in my place, animatedly talking to the gentleman next to him. Realising that he could have made a mistake, I said, “Excuse me Sir, I think you’re sitting on my seat.” He gave me a beatific smile and responded, “Young man, I know I’m sitting on your seat!”

My consternation must have been immediately visible. Seeing me flummoxed like that, he explained that the gentleman on his left was an old friend from his youth. They had lost touch, and had bumped into each other after nearly 25-30 years, and were catching up on all the lost time!

Then he asked me, “Where are you from?” I still remember his words when I said I was from India. “Aah! The land of Amitabh Bachchan.”

Huh!!! I mean, I know that a lot of people across the globe love Hindi Films, and a lot of people would recognize Mr.B. Egyptians, for instance, are crazy about him. But this was Saudi Arabia.

Conservative, puritan Saudi Arabia.

Where films are not made, there are no cinema theatres and expats watch movies from their country on their DVDs at home.

And virtually no Saudi understands Hindi.

I must have showed my amazement on my face, to which the gentleman explained that there were cinema theatres in Saudi Arabia earlier. He had grown up watching Hindi films on his 16 mm projector in the Old City of Jeddah, and was a big fan of Amitabh Bachchan, having watched all his films from Zanjeer onwards.

I thought that possibly the older generation of Saudis - who had seen some Hindi films – must have some knowledge about our cinema. But for the younger ones, who have grown up on American culture and swayed to Lebanese pop music, our films must be as alien as possibly someone from Alpha Centauri.

That notion changed about a year later, when my wife and I were out shopping in Azizia, Jeddah – an area populated by people of the countries of our sub-continent.

Those who know Jeddah would know that the Pakistani populated area of Azizia is one of the best places to get pirated CDs. One can get decent quality CDs within a day of the movie releasing in India, and sometimes even the day before – from hawkers, who are discreet when they have some ‘information’ and pretty blatant otherwise, spreading their wares on sheets on the footpath.

Well, coming to the point, my wife and I were shopping for some fresh vegetables, next to this hawker of CDs, when a group of 5-6 very excited Saudi girls chatting animatedly came up and asked the hawker for the latest “John Ibraheem film”.

???

After they’d done their purchase and moved on, the hawker shared that after his shirtless debut in Jism, our Abraham was the latest heartthrob of Saudi girls, and he actually had to stock better quality, extra CDs of John’s films.

Well, well, well! I wouldn’t even have dreamt of that!

Should Traffic Police be given incentives for fine collections?

As promised, I’m back this week – though without all the thoughts put together – I must confess!

Interestingly, there is an added incentive to me to really get angry and pour all my vitriol in this post. Between Friday and Sunday, the rear of my car was kissed twice; once by an auto and once by a Sumo. Thank Allah there was no major damage – just a few scratches.

So, let me start this blog with an incident that took place in Switzerland, about a decade ago. A colleague of mine – let’s call him Raj – was there in winter; around late Dec-early Jan. One night, he had to go to someone’s house for dinner. It was past midnight when he was returning, it was snowing heavily, there was not a soul on the roads – just him, and the taxi driver.

At a junction, the driver stopped. Raj exhorted him to move on, pointing out that there was not a single vehicle coming from any direction, not a single person, not even a stray dog! Added to it, the junction was not manned by any policeman or a camera. Yet the driver refused to move till the signal turned green!

Imagine, stopping at a red signal knowing fully well that there is no problem if he jumped it! When Raj asked him, all that the driver had to say was “There was a red signal and I had to obey it”.

This was one extreme example of people obeying traffic rules. On the other hand, I have seen instances abroad where drivers were caught and fined for a simple offence like moving on to the shoulder of the road, when not allowed. The stick ensured compliance.

Moving from that, why is our mentality related to traffic the way it is? With the clarity of distance (Thank You, David Rock and RCS) and asking the 5 Why’s (Thank You, Sakichi Toyoda San), let’s try to understand it.

So, the fact is that we break traffic rules with impunity
Why – Because everyone else does it
Why – Because we know we can get away with it
Why – Because we can bribe the policeman
Why – Because he is underpaid. (I read somewhere once that a ‘gataari kaamgar’ – a person who cleans the drains – in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation has a higher salary than a constable. Can someone please remind me of the reference or correct me if I’m wrong?)

Got that in 4 why’s.

There is also another way to look at it.

So, the fact is that we break traffic rules with impunity
Why – Because everyone else does it
Why – Because we know we can get away with it
Why – Because there would be no policeman to catch us
Why – Because there are not enough policemen. (Tried opening the website of the Mumbai police to ascertain the number. Most pages do not open! Finally, on one page, I read this line – “The Traffic Control Branch has now grown to a strength of over 2,000” (Ref: http://www.mumbaipolice.org/traffic/org_fun7.htm) . And the Navi Mumbai Traffic Police chart shows a staff strength of 277. Yes, you read right, just 277. (Ref: http://www.trafficpolicemumbai.org/Navi%20Mumbai%20Traffic%20Police%20Zones%20&chowkies.htm)
Again, got that in 4.

Imagine, 2,277 policemen, including inspectors, senior policemen et al, for an area comprising the entire population of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia!!!

Have a heart, folks, for the overworked and underpaid policeman.

So, in short, policemen accept bribes because they are overworked; and because they are underpaid. In other words, monetarily dissatisfied. And here is an easy way out to earn some additional bucks, and possibly get back in some oblique way at the establishment.

So, why don’t we give them their due – and in the right way?

Just a thought. Increase fines to high levels, such that people will think not twice, but multiple times, about breaking rules. I mean, Rs.1,000 for driving in the wrong lane (I’d love to see those truckers on Vashi Bridge lining up), Rs.3,000 for overspeeding, Rs.5,000 for a jumping a red light...

And have an incentive scheme for the policeman – just like most salespeople have. 25% straight on every fine earned for the policeman, 5% for the superior officer. Keep 20% for quarterly incentives for the policeman / police station. That still leaves 50% of the amount that goes to the kitty of the traffic police for modernisation etc. Make all this amount tax free, and have strong rules on policemen caught over-charging commuters – or worse still, yet accepting bribes. A simple rule – dishonourable discharge.

Have surprise checks to ensure compliance, and get the college youth involved in this. NSS – here’s a chance to do something really visible, and earn grace marks.

What say, folks? We could put our collective heads together and present it as a case to the Jt. CP – Traffic. Simple, implementable thoughts on traffic management, including possibly-
Incentive schemes for policemen
Alternate days for vehicles to come on the roads
No four wheeler with only one driver / passenger in the morning / evening peak drive times to be allowed
Come to think of it – hologrammed number plates installed directly by the traffic police. Revenue for the police, and a way out of the number plate mess that we have. Incidentally, have you noticed, most cars having ‘fancy’ / regional number plates also have a symbol of one of the four major political parties?

Maybe it could be a way out of the mess that we have, maybe not. Maybe there would be all the bureaucratic rigmarole that would drag us down, maybe not. But we would never know till we try, right?

So folks, I’m adding two polls to this post. Do you think that incentivising policemen for fine collection is a viable idea, and should we take up some similar thoughts and present them to the Jt. CP – Traffic. I shall look forward to your comments and your votes.