Aal izz well with 3 idiots

CORE OF THE MOVIE: Pursue excellence and success will follow

 “It’s a strange country -- a pizza gets delivered in 30 minutes

but a life-saving  ambulance takes more time to reach.”

 I watched a lot of Hindi movies during my teens.

My father was then managing a theatre -- which meant I could watch movies free.

However, Free did not mean watch as you like. All movies must be viewed by dad first before he allowed us to watch and it must be on weekends.

But for Hindi movies, he gave us a free pass because they were mostly “clean” – free of sensual scenes and violence, and usually, there was a weekend afternoon show.

So, I grew up with quick-witted Hindu songs and dances, laughed through every comedic scene, dreamt through every romance, cried through every instance of dramatic despair and emotionally alive moments, meditated poignant sequences solemnly and thrilled and amazed by suspenseful setups -- usually to a lovely, heartfelt, happily-ever-after conclusion.  

Hindi movies were such wonderful, invaluable endeavours in my youthful days. And it was with the same expectations last week that I watched 3 idiots -- Bollywood’s highest grossing movie in India and the highest grossing Indian movie internationally – not in a cinema but in the comfort of my home after reading a review from a biblical perspective by a pastor who is also a writer.

Tan Soo-Inn, a pastor of Graceworks Pte Ltd wrote:

The movie is in fact a morality play and though it keeps you laughing all the way, the storyline teaches some profound lessons. I thought the ending of the movie was telling us how it portrays the hopes that dwell in most human hearts.

Three friends were admitted to the Imperial College of Engineering, one of the India’s most prestigious colleges where only the best are accepted.

Farhan, the first idiot, wanted to become a wildlife photographer but his father dismissed his passion as a stupid dream. Since the day he was born, he was “stamped” as engineer by his father but Farhan struggled without interest.

The second idiot, Raju, came from a poor family background and saw engineering as the ladder to climb out of poverty with a paralysed father, an ailing mother and an unmarried sister banking on his success. Fear of failure turned Raju into a nervous wreck who did extremely bad in semester results.

Rancho, the last idiot, was a true learner who studied not for grades but the fun of learning but it made him notorious with the lecturers.

Farhan said of Rancho: “Today, my respect for that idiot shot up. Most of us went to college just for a degree. No degree meant no plum job, no pretty wife, no credit card, no social status. But none of this mattered to him -- he was in college for the joy of learning -- he never cared if he was first or last.”

Such was the genuine and touching friendship of the three idiots. They laughed at each other, cried for each other. They fought. They envied. They were insecure but painfully honest with it.

There is a one-liner punch that I like most about the truthfulness of their friendship. It came from Farhan who -- after finding out that Rancho has topped their exam – said: “That day we learned when your friend flunks, you feel bad -- when he tops, you feel worse.”

How many of us with that kind of feeling are honest enough to say it out loud?

Yet, the supposedly ‘dumb’ trio, despite their candid and often not so complimentary views about each other, stood together in their weakest moments and they also kept their promises.

3 Idiots is a message to parents not to put unrealistic pressure, duty and responsibility on their children that is pushing the latter to the point of physical and mental collapse.

At a funeral of a fourth year student who committed suicide leaving a note "I quit", Rancho said something worth pondering on, "Everyone thinks it's suicide. The postmortem report says cause of death: intense pressure on windpipe resulting in choking. All think the pressure on the jugular killed him. What about the mental pressure for the past four years? That's missing in the report. Engineers are a clever bunch. They haven't made a machine to measure mental pressure. If they have, all would know this isn't suicide - it's murder."

Farhan’s father made a dramatic U-turn to support his son in his pursuit of photography by exchanging his graduation gift of a computer for a professional camera!

How many of us parents are prepared to make such a dramatic about-face by allowing, not to mention supporting, our children to pursue what they really want to be?

3 idiots also portrayed how teachers were reduced to mere repetitive robots by an old-fashioned education system. They still clung to teaching methods used decades ago. No longer were teachers or gurus revered by their students nor the students respected by their teachers.

In the movie, the head professor delivered the inception speech to freshies umpteenth times. It was repetitive to the last word and even the porter boy who overheard it each year, could parrot every line with utmost ease.

Another punchy line from Rancho to the professor: “I wasn’t teaching you engineering, sir -- that you know better than me. I was teaching you how to teach.”

Apart from a combination of humour and powerful satire, the script used many one-liners that were both thought-provoking and haunting. 

There were scenes in the film all too familiar to many of us such as the delayed arrival of the ambulance or fire engine in response to distress calls. In one take, when the ambulance arrived late to take his ailing father to hospital, Raju’s mother lamented: “It’s a strange country -- a pizza gets delivered in 30 minutes but a life-saving ambulance takes more time to reach.”

Without being preachy, the movie delivered the message about friendship, parenting, hope, faith, love and courage with utmost sincerity. It bound the audience together with aal izz well (all is well), a simple phrase meaning stay positive. The three idiots recited it when they became frazzled or nervous, leaving the you inspired to take a closer look at your own life.

Be not dismayed by your lack of understanding of the Hindu language, there are subtitles and even the songs to help you along. In fact, what made 3 idiots so entertaining is the dialogue.

So what’s the hope that dwells in most human hearts?

Pastor Tan graciously allowed me to use this quote of his: We live in a post-modern world that discards any notion of absolute truth and any objective meaning to life. Yet, so many of us laugh and cry in response to a movie like The Three Idiots. In the darkness of the movie theatre, we still long for love and meaning in some perfect world. And we still believe in the existence of evil and want it to be defeated. And we still cry out to be saved.

What are you waiting for? Go and catch a glimpse of the three idiots and become the fourth one! I just did.

Remaining true to ourselves

Recently, Marina Mahathir and Nurul Izzah  granted an interview to a magazine, Clive, talking about their fathers.

Their fathers were once a team in government when Tun Mahathir was the prime minister and Anwar his deputy. From the best of team to the bitterest of “enemies” in the twists and turns of their fathers’ political careers spanning over three decades, it was quite beyond my comprehension that how the two women can sit side by side comfortably for a joint interview.

One of the best advices their fathers have given them as they were growing up is the same: to remain true to themselves.

Marina said before she was sent to United States after her Form Five to stay with an American family, her father said, “You are going over there, it is a different culture but we are who we are.”

Whereas Anwar said to Nurul, “You must always stay true and appreciate your local culture as well as English literature.” Nurul was then fascinated by English literature.

 I have reservations to whether the two men live up to what they preach, but I would not hesitate to rate them as “A-Star” dads for the upbringing of these two amazing women for who they are today!

Mary and Martha

I like seeing things behind the scene. So, there I was reporting at a gathering of 5,000 "Marys", but I took a peek at what was cooking in the kitchen at the back by the "Marthas".

Yes, Mary and Martha - you do remember that homely  little incident recorded in the Gospel of Luke when Jesus comes into the home of Martha and Mary as an expected guest (Luke 10:39-42), don't you?

Here is an extract from a sermon by Ray Stedman on peace and absence of peace -

Martha, like any good housewife, goes out into the kitchen and gets busy trying to get a dinner ready for Jesus. She becomes all distracted and upset. You women know how she feels. She loves him, but since he has arrived unexpectedly she hasn't prepared anything. Nevertheless she tries her best, going through all the resources of her kitchen, to get something special ready for him.

You can imagine her in there, can't you? -- opening the cupboards and slamming the doors, opening the refrigerator, wondering "What shall I do?" She gets all anxious and troubled. She begins to burn her fingers and spill things. The coffee boils over and everything is a mess.

Soon she can take no more. She goes into the living room where Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to him quietly. And Martha explodes and blames the whole thing on Jesus. That is characteristic of a troubled heart. She says, "Lord, don't you even care that Mary has left me to serve alone?"

I've always appreciated the fact that Martha at least got it off her chest. She wasn't one of those women who go into frigid silences, with icicles hung all around the room for weeks. It has always seemed to me that she is aptly described by the rhyme that goes,

There's a gladness in her gladness when she's glad,
       And a sadness in her sadness when she's sad.
    But the gladness in her gladness,
       And the sadness in her sadness,
    Are nothing to her madness when she's mad!

This is Martha when she comes into the living room. And think of it! So distracted and upset, so troubled is she that she blames the one she wants to bless.

Do you remember his answer? "Martha, Martha, you are so full of care and troubled about many things. But Mary has chosen the one thing which is needful," (Luke 10:41-42).

What is that? Peace. Mary chose it by listening to One who could set her thoughts aright, could set her mind at ease.

And, for the benefit of anyone who is concerned, in the Greek the account does indicate that Mary had already been out in the kitchen and had done her part, had prepared a simple little repast that was perfectly adequate.

But Martha wanted to put on a banquet, and she didn't have what it took. So she was all upset and distracted and anxious about the whole affair. Mary had chosen the one thing needful -- peace.

As for my story of 5000 Marys and some 20 Marthas - it was all peace - such is the simplicity of rural community.

Who are You?

The photo theme today is YOU. Remembering you and you - with Colis Tan and Yu Xuan, my two GB girls whom I had the opportunity to share life with when they were in Fourth and Fifth Form. Now they have graduated from University, shinning and excelling in their fields of studies.

Who are you?

If you are in Christ, your name is written on God’s hands. 
It is not written in ballpoint, or the way you write in your blog or facebook, or even the way you might note in your diary, "Dental appointment on Monday" to remind yourselves. Your name is written in eternity.

Cling to Christ. Hold on tight to Him.
If in anytime your grasp starts to slip, know that it’s God who is gripping on you, it is not your grip on him. That’s the assurance.

The things on earth, if they fill you at all, fill you only temporarily.
You can try to fill yourself up with activities, accomplishments, popularity – but earthly fulfillment leaks out the bottom as fast as you can heap it in the top. The fullness of a life in which God reigns is a fullness that overflows today, tomorrow and forever.

Look to God alone for approval, for the substance of who you are.
When you know God’s love and acceptance, you can accept yourself just as you are, with all your imperfections. You can discover who you are, and help you feel loved and valued.

Give thanks often to God for how He created you.
“You are wonderfully and fearfully made.” (Psalms 139:14a)

Police power challenged

THE deafening silence among politicians and community leaders over the storming of the Sibu Hospital early in the week by an armed gang to beat up a man in the Accident and Emergency Ward is baffling.

What was even more galling was that the 20 armed men who styled themselves as ‘debt collectors’ assaulted the man in the presence of three armed policemen who had rescued the victim from an earlier beating at a café.

In fact, the assailants more than ignored the men in blue as several of them actually pinned the cops to the ground while the rest beat up the man as medical personnel looked on helplessly.

According to reports, the victim is a 28-year-old Sibu resident while most of the armed attackers are younger adults.

Sarawak has seen a rise in blatant challenges to police power in recent years and this incident is the worst so far.

While the total disregard for the law and its enforcers is a serious cause for concern, what is even more worrying is that aside from See Chee How, the Batu Lintang state assemblyman, not a single political or community leader has voiced any concern over this brazen disregard for law and order, even in the presence of the police.

Has our society degenerated to accepting such lawlessness as something we have to live with? Or are our leaders too intimidated by these gangs to raise even a whimper against them?

The police responded by arresting nine of the gang members the same day and detaining them for three days before releasing them on bail.

Sibu police chief ACP Shafie said they would be charged for rioting with dangerous weapons and would be fined or jailed, if found guilty.

While we should praise the police for their quick response, it is disturbing to note that nothing was said about getting to the root of the problem.

Charging nine of the attackers (were the other 11 were innocent bystanders?) is like taking painkiller for headache without actually curing the ailment. 

It is alarming that Shafie himself had openly said he believed the spate of violent crimes was linked to underground cyber gambling, a scourge the police in Sibu have vowed to eradicate.

However, aside from a few raids on cyber cafes, resulting in the seizure of computers and arrest of some workers, efforts to get to the bottom of the problem appear to have been in vain so far.

Even the man in the street seemed to have dismissed the case as ‘another of those things that happened’ and got on with life. Why bother when it is none of our business?

If that is situation, then we are travelling down a very dangerous road that will eventually lead to even bigger social problems. The erosion of police power, a key component of the rule of law, will inevitably lead to a collapse of the rule of law.

More than ever before, the nation has seen many challenging the power of the police -- either in the form of illegal street protests and rallies, or in a rarer case like the hospital incident where armed men held down police personnel to get at their victim in front of so many witnesses.

Seemingly, some politicians have tried to steer public opinion in favour of the challenge to police power for their own political ends or whatever reason best known to themselves.

However, could not police power be gradually eroded by the disquieting trend among certain groups, including young adults (supposedly our pillars of the future), of thumbing their nose at authority? This is the crucial question that must be asked and add-ressed.

According to the background of the case, the victim in the hospital attack had borrowed RM150,000 to bet at a cyber gambling centre. He lost big -- and his family had to bail him out but he still owes RM30,000 plus interest. The family, who has been threatened, is still trying to come up with money to pay off the debt.

The victim was reported to have also been kidnapped on May 1 and only released after his family successfully negotiated for his freedom.

Obviously, neither the victim nor his family lodged a police report of the kidnap. Or had the police been slow to act? The alleged abduction was brought to light only one month later when the victim was assaulted in the café and subsequently sent -- under police escort -- to the hospital where he got another beating.

A loan of RM150,000 from a cyber gambling centre is a shockingly huge sum. Many will not able to save that much in one lifetime of working!

Was it at a cyber café that the borrower was beaten up? Was it the same cyber café that lent him the money to gamble? Is the cyber café licensed and legal? There are many questions the public want answered.

It is believed the recent mafia-style shootings were related to failure on the part of cyber gamblers to settle their debts. All the cases are still unsolved.

In March this year, a businessman who ran several pubs and reflexology outlets was also shot by an unidentified gunman at a traffic light junction in Miri.

In August last year, a 48-year-old businessman with interests in pubs and other ventures died after being shot pointblank twice at a traffic light junction also in Miri.

In October the same year at a popular café, 44-year-old Law Leh Kuong was shot at close range and she died from her injuries. The woman was with her timber and entertainment businessman husband at the time of the shooting.

A month later (Nov), more than 30 gangsters, armed with kwantau, parang, swords, baseball bats and other weapons, broke into a street fight for control of cyber gambling territory in Bintulu.

Earlier on in January, the woman’s younger brother was also shot dead in another broad daylight street shooting. Then in July, a 30-year-old man was shot in the head with a shotgun while having breakfast at a shop in Kuching. He died the following day.

In May 2011, a molotov cocktail was thrown at a police inspector’s car, damaging the door on the driver’s side. No casualty was reported.

“My men are following my instructions in carrying out their duties and they (the gangsters) are apparently trying to challenge me. Be a gentleman and please come to me directly,” Shafie said.

While the Sibu police chief may take the gangsters’ defiance as a personal challenge to him, for the public, it’s a challenge to the police as a whole.

Most people who borrowed from cyber gambling centres for their betting were saddled with crippling debts following losing streaks and they paid a heavy price if they failed to settle.

“That’s how violent crimes started -- when the group asked the debtor to come out and talk over the debt,” Shafie noted.

With such a settlement procedure, especially the part where the borrower can “talk over the debt” with the lender, one can be exonerated for thinking that collecting cyber gambling debts is a legal profession!

Street shootings. Gunshots fired at house. Firecrackers thrown into house. It seems many of our towns are teeming with miscreants, racketeers and thugs. An alarming scenario, to say the least.

Allowing police power to dwindle and diminish will inevitably lead to a disruption or even a collapse of the rule of law.

See Chee How, who is also the state PKR vice chairman, has said voiced out that besides the Penal Code, there are sufficient legislation and enactments to prosecute the operators and owners of illegal premises.

It’s certainly time for our law enforcers to step up their crime-prevention efforts lest the cost will be too high for us all when we have to deal with more social ills linked to illegal businesses.

We're together again

There are many things that can be basis for a friendship - shared music, shared interest, next-door neighbour and ...

Soldiers protecting the country at a time of Indonesian confrontation at Sarawak border, dated back to 1960s!

This is something different, something deepper. It is 50 years of friendship.

50 years later, Captain Mark is back with the community in Bunan Gega celebrating Gawai with his fellow ex-border scouts.

They had been together for the same goals - protecting the land. When one suffered, the others suffered with him. When one was honoured, the others rejoiced with him.

What a friendship! What a joy!

Mark said God willing, he would be back with the community to celebrate Gawai!

And why not? Harvard researchers have found that for senior citizens, friendship and social activities result in longer life. Friendship contributes to longevity just as much as regular exercise does.