Kings of good times

Life is a roller coaster ride for the human race. It may be a circus for the universe; with the stars, planets and satellites waltzing around in harmony. However, the lesser mortals who walk the streets each day and break their backs to get themselves and their king sized families a decent meal, end up with king sized families which is a result of liquor that takes over their brain after. A daily dose of the intoxication usually rids them of the brutal assaults of the daily grind. The numb senses play havoc and after a point relax their charred emotions. The outcome is a wailing bundle wrapped in tatters. More mouths to feed and a sick looking woman to tend to everyone's needs. These low-waged, tired folks are the harbingers of king sized clans that encompass relatives in hordes - sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts etc.


The people who toil hard earn the tan. The money however, flows away from them and reaches the barrels of the Kings of Good times. The eternal King of good times in India is the effervescent Vijay Mallya. The owner of Kingfisher brand of beer, Kingfisher Airlines and God know what not? His companionship with money is an envy for all. The rise of the beer baron was catapulted into limelight by the media which had got it's new head turner. Only this time it wasn't some slim bodied model walking out of a steamy scene, as seen in the glossy magazines. It was, on the contrary, a man of slight heavy built, a salt and pepper beard and most of all a Kking sized pocket that never ran dry. That he would have a bevy of ladies walking in their bare minimals and even posing for calendars and posters; if his name was attached to a project, is another story.


In my pursuit to gain more info rmation on the kings of good times; I googled to find the name of Avinash Bhosale, a Pune based builder, who is fast gaining a reputation for himself. He has a fascination for all good things in life and has a craze for cars.Another name labelled by the media is that of Sanjay Gupta, the director of Bollywood as the King of good times of Bollywood. Why he was named so isn't quite known. I would have voted for Feroze Khan to be nominated as the one who ruled good times in Bollywood. The man's flamboyant existence and bindaas attitude was a style none in the country could ape.


Media endorses certain rich and powerful people with tags that people aren't able to shrug off. These rich people who bask in the glory of their royal aura - a creation by the media aren't able to shrug their new found status. In the pursuit they run after more money. With more money comes more desires and with more desires, the want to spend it in style. Style then becomes a necessity and to maintain their entities the rich find new ways and means to earn more. It turns into an unending cycle. Do they really never cry? Don't they ever suffer? How do they always smile? are questions that are never asked. The rich live in denial of their pains and the media harps on the lines spoken by the men/women who drive the world. After all who wants to be remembered for his days of distress?

The facade becomes the identity and the smile - permanent. The other emotions roll over and bow for attitude to take over. Good times get synonymous with the names who drive the big cars, own air planes, live in palatial houses and get richer. They rule the good times and Kings they are. Time takes it's tide and kingdoms are taken over by others - others, who have the zeal to appear positive against all odds - after all that's what kings are made of.

Salma Hayek - Frida Kahlo

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo

Paintings of Frida Kahlo

Salma Hayek in the movie 'Frida'

Salma Hayek as Frida

I happened to pick up a few DVD's and one of them happened to be a series on Salma Hayek, the mexican born Hollywood actress who has her roots somewhere in Germany. The first movie I watched was 'Breaking up' and wasn't much impressed. Her accent couldn't trap the intelligent side of my brain, nor was her luscious figure an impressing factor. The scenes meant to tittilate minds only had me irritated. The whole concept of people breaking up is so common. Yes! so people break up, so what's the big deal!! Life doesn't stop even for death.

But, four movies down and i chanced upon 'Frida', the story of the artist Frida Kahlo, and it stuck to my heart. It was like Salma Hayek was Frida herself. Such intense emotions were so beautifully portrayed that I was moved to tears. It was after a long time that I thoroughly enjoyed a movie. The love story of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo (both artists par excellence) is moving. The sacrifices they make, the testing time and the perseverance to go on all make up for a classic movie.

A list of Salma Hayek movies:
Breaking up
Bandidas
After the sunset
Once upon a time in Mexico
Frida
Desperado