By Juhi:
‘Lunch box‘ is a great movie. Yes it is, Irfan khan is perfect as usual, Siddiqui worked impressively too and Nimrat Kaur perfectly portrayed the role of a lonely housewife. I give it 5/5.
However, I was left disturbed in the end. It wasn’t the ending of the movie, what proved annoying was the video that came during the interval. It was an ad for Delhites on behalf of Congress and it ended with Sheila Dixit’s smiling photograph. There were school going girls (I don’t understand why they avoid boys so much while making ads), workers, labors, private and government employees etc. in that advertisement. Metro was introduced like an actor is introduced in a movie, and DTC buses like an actress, long stretched roads and flyovers like the red carpet.
All it wanted to say was that every one in Delhi, be it children, farmers, drivers, housewives, office goers, metro employees, differently able or senior citizens, every single person residing here meets “tarakki” every day. They were all saying one line “wo humse har roz milti hai. Kon? Tarakki.”
Everyone smiled in the video and they were extremely happy, as if they just met Amitabh Bachhan. Mrs. Dixit, I too live in Delhi, why don’t I meet the “tarakki” that you are talking about, even once in a month? I am sure there are few more in my league who are not able to meet your “tarakki”.
Had you denied putting that red light over your car, you would have seen traffic jams and those kids who either beg for penny or sell flowers and hankies or show some crazy stunts on roads instead of going to schools. Ask them, they live in Delhi too, they will tell you how many days your “tarakki” meets them.
Some of them go to government schools. I have been teaching them. You know what they say when I ask them why they don’t know about any subject but Mathematics? They say, in school, teachers come, take attendance and then a big nap. That’s it. And we know Mathematics because in the evenings ,we sell corns or fruits and vegetables. We learnt calculation in the process. That’s what kids below 14 are doing in your constituency ma’am.
Have you seen people living under flyovers ma’am, fighting to survive every season? Ask them. They will definitely tell you in which season they meet “tarakki”.
Have you heard about MG road, Mrs. Dixit, or have you ever travelled roads other than those surrounding Parliament in Central Secretariat and Race Course? Half an hour of mild rain can turn roads into flooded land. People like us who don’t have cars will have to fold trousers and walk amid the shit from potholes. Now, when girls will fold their trousers, they will be raped in your Delhi, ma’am, where “tarakki” meets everyone everywhere.
Where Mrs. Dixit? On these flooded roads or in cul-de-sacs where women of every age and every community are being raped brutally in morning, evening, noon and night and silenced by rapists and policemen. Shall they be asked if they meet your “tarakki” every day?
Have you lately been to any government hospital ma’am? There is no respect for human life, patients are lying on floors, hygiene is now no where to be found, no bed, no doctor, people die on those floors unattended. Have you seen people dying of hunger, committing suicide because they couldn’t earn for their family? Sometimes, they kill their family and then themselves for the same reason. Did you know about that ma’am?
Do you have the courage to ask them if they meet your “tarakki”?
Metro is a landmark development and you should congratulate yourself for it but it is an old story now. Pillars in blue line are developing cracks, they are in urgent need of maintenance ma’am and so is your government. I know you have the power to broadcast ads anywhere and everywhere but at least hire some good technicians, script writers and video editors. Audience who are watching ‘Lunch Box‘ are not going to buy it.
I hope your party knows that people need real stuff now; employment, education, standard health system, proper drainage and roads and visible development, not self praising pieces.
(I am not a supporter of BJP. That ad made me angry for so many reasons and this is a bit of it.)