Growing Up in 90s’: A Glorious Decade or a just Golden Age Syndrome?

Golden Age Syndrome -The exaggerated belief that something (politics, news, morals, video games) used to be substantially better than it is now, expressed usually with bitterness about the present condition.

~Urban Dictionary

Looking Back

Looking back in time and reliving old memories is often a sudden emotional rush that occurs in every human. The tendency to compare newer with older stuffs and contemplating on the glory of yesteryear always come as an overwhelming experience. I don’t hold any grudges against current generation, but there are loads of thing from the past I’ll never fall short in romanticizing with. I guess, that’s what they call, “Nostalgia.”

My entire childhood, those innocent days, was invested in watching TV shows, playing SEGA Games and visiting wilder and unknown places. Back in 90s’, I was madly in love with my Television. We din’t have commercial internet back then nor cell phones!

I tend to suffer from Golden Age Syndrome more or less “Nostalgia” every now and then. I love 90s’. if I get a chance I’d love to relive it again! I romanticize that precious decade. I miss those days when we’re intentionally mischief, avoided eating green vegetables, talked about ghosts and spirits all night long, relished on chocolates and cared none about personal hygiene. it’s the time when we loved watching Cartoons and imitated the likes of He-Man, Captain Planet and so on.

#1 Signing off an Auto-book was one way of keeping personal records of friends in schools and colleges back then. It was pandemic. Everyone in the class used to own an auto-book and every other friend used to write something on it. Undoubtedly, everyone used to write about mundane things they loved most; Films, actors, singers, albums with personal picture intact in every profile.”

#2 I used to explore newer and wilder landscapes with my cousins. We used to dwell at places our parents prevented us from. We loved playing Sega games, traversing unknown part of the city and building imaginary world of our own.

#3 Even before htting puberty, I always wondered what it felt like experiencing adult Nudity, talking Profanity or SEX in general, the things my parents avoided whenever i’s around. Undoubtedly, the first experience of such things always come as a Shock!! I was novice to contemplate on such emotions, but movies like Preety Woman, American Pie and American Beauty helped me a lot to ease my primary confusions, later which became the building blocks of adulthood! 😀

Advent of MTV Generation in Indian Subcontinent

The thing which surely can’t be missed about 90s’ is MTV (Music Television). The whole generation of music awakening and crazy fashion trends that entered during 90s’ in Indian subcontinent, which was still a decade later to those glitzy MTV generations of North America and Europe. In local scene, 90s’ bought the newest and unique talents in music industry, and MTV provided’em with a concrete platform. The advent of pop culture in Indian subcontinent marks the prominent move westwards. The affluence of great music coming from Nazia Hassan, along with budding singers like Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, Lucky Ali, Babul Supriyo and Alisha Chennoi etc made the whole continent jive in cooler beats.

It’d be hard to find people who grew up in 90s’ and haven’t heard cool-ish tracks like “O Sanam -Luckly Ali,” “Tanha dil -Shaan,” “Lover Girl Alisha” and “Dole Dole -Suchitra.” I did! They played’em in every major Radio stations back then. MTV was flooded with new artists. Cheap posters and postcards of Actors and Music Sensations were pandemic in stores, those days. The international musicians who ruled this particular decade were Michael Jackson, Madonna, Backstreet Boyz, Venga Boys and so on. Adding rap in a song became prevalent during 90s’.

MTV gave birth to new trend and lifestyle among youngsters, mostly school and college kids. Archies’ Cards back then were selling like hot piece of cake. The celebrations of Valentines Day became dramatic. Expression of love, buying gifts for the loved one and party culture ended up becoming viral.

Still fresh and young, I encountered a cooler way of greeting Friendship day or Valentines’ to friends. Fast food restaurants and cafes with cooler themes became second-home for youngsters. Archies’ cards, VCRs, Radio FMs and Cassettes were religious aspects of daily life. We ate MTV, we slept MTV and we wept MTV!!

I grew up in a culture where my uncle was totally into Guns n’ Roses, my siblings were into MJ, Madonna and Hindi Pop sensations, and I was into Cartoons. I used to wake up watching MTV, eat breakfast with Cartoon Network, do homework with Star Plus TV (the cooler and western version) and sleep with Star World TV.

After coloring my life with glamour and glitz of television, I completely forgot about life that existed outside TV. But I still consider it was Fun!

I find watching MTV back in 90s’ way cooler than today, because it was unknown to commercial-ish programs filled with the story about lives of stupid celebrities or wannabes’.

Check out Cool MTV IDs (From 80s’ to 90s’)

Cheesy Movies

The English movies like Twister, Jumanji, Titanic, Terminator, Home Alone and The Lion King were selling like hot cake back then and Indian movies; DDLJ, Hum Apke Hein kaun and such took away the local audiences. It gave new meanings of expressing love and established newer ground for testing emotions. Everything in life of a young guy back then started to feel like a typecast of either Raj from DDLJ, Rahul from Dil to Pagal Hein or Prem of Hum Apke Hain Kaun. Movies back then were reel version of a liberated life every youngster desired.

#1 I personally enjoyed watching English movies with my cousins and siblings in a group. We used to turn the lights off, close down all the curtains, put on VCR cassettes and watch films like; Terminator, Jumanzi and Twister. The Oohs.. and Aahs.. and foretelling of possible plots or scenes came out at almost every turn of the film.

#2 For the first time, I experienced almost 20 people crying at a same time during a certain movie scene. Year 1997, the whole crashing and diving of Titanic ship and Leonardo dying at the middle of an ocean made my whole family go frantic and cry at very same moment. Back then, we used to get two different VCRs for a single lengthy film, and “Titanic” was one of it.

#Throwback #90s’ #Commercials #TVShows

Looking back at some exceptional stuffs that happened back in 90s’!

Backstreet Boys

Guns n’ Roses

Just Mohabbat @SonyTV

MTV Masthead 80s’-90s’

Cartoon Network masthead

The dwindling population of Tiger has just reached the All Time Low of 3,200!!

Killing Tigers or Maneaters (as many of you would put it) is the symbol of grandeur, nobility and pride. Killing tigers has always been a passion for the Great kings, aristocrats and hunting enthusiasts. “The more you kill, the popular and fierce Ruler you become!” is what they all believed in!

A tradition ascending from the Mughals to the likes of Maharajahs, British Lords and Poachers, was a sever act of killing spree which .

~Royal Hunting Expedition & Genocide~

It all started during the time of Emperors who ruled majority of South Asia, primarily those who ruled over Indian Sub-continent. The Mughals were the primary starters of Royal Hunting (Sikar). Emperor Babur killed for pleasure, so did Akbar the Great and his heirs, and later Maharajas and British Generals. It was a symbol of royalty and pride; a method of proving manliness and socio-economic strength. Killing 100s of tiger in a day was next to none for them when they were done killing more than 1000 animals in a single hunting expedition.

British Raj, the ultimate successor of Mughal empire and the makers of Modern India, chose hunting to dominate their local peers. Killing tigers was not just a prideful enjoyment but a point worth proving to Indian monarchs and locales.

The Rajputs accompanied by British lords and generals killed 100s of tiger in a day. De-skinning the remains and showing off was the ultimate purpose of this great royal game.

~Poaching Tigers for Medicinal Purposes and Smuggling~

China is the biggest importers of poached Tiger parts. They primarily use it to prepare ancient medicines. Some elites prefer keeping tiger skin or bones at their home as a symbol of nobility.

WWF’s Initiative

97% of tiger population has been lost during the turn of 20th Century and till now. Many of the species has totally disappeared, namely; Bali Tiger, Javan Tiger, Caspian Tiger and South China Tiger, followed by many which are in the state of extinction.

Today, estimated total of 3,200 tigers survive in the wild. The endemic course of human-tiger conflict, poaching and habitat loss and fragmentation has caused the population to dramatically decrease from 40,000 to 3,200 in just mere 43 years.

In Nov 2010, leaders of the tiger range governments met in St. Petersburg, Russia and agreed on the goal to double the number of wild tigers by 2022. They presented the global tiger recovery program which represents the plan and commitments by the countries to achieve this laudable goal.

Download WWF’s Infographic on Tiger Facts

Back in Time

British hunting expedition in India, dating back to b.1950

British hunting expedition in India, dating back to b.1950

Fresco of Mughal Emperor Babur in a hunting expedition

Flyer advertising for Hunting in India for elite British Holidayers, dating back to b.1950

Nepalese monarch posing after killing One-horned Rhino, in Nepal.

British General and his mistress posing after Tiger Hunt, 1902

Tiger population Stat. 2013

(Pick of the Week) Reinhold Messner -Who Revolutionized Climbing for Ever!!

He was the first to climb 14 Eight-Thousander, and Everest without bottled Oxygen, twice!! He led revolution in climbing, and gave birth passion to die for!

With the loss of his younger brother during his first ever 8,000er summit of Nanga Parbat, Messner hardened himself and went overboard on mountaineering achievements that none ever achieved in their life.

messner habeler garabato

Adventure Travel Blog

Superhumanly determined, Reinhold Messner has pursued his uncompromising vision to reach the summits of Earth’s highest peaks—and beyond.

~National Geographic

Reinhold Messner is the Rainmaker in Climbing/Mountaineering fraternity! I’ve been tending to write about Reinhold Messner (my favorite) for quite sometime. They say, “with Great power comes Great responsibility,” Messner was well gifted with Great powers; a power to hold oneself, challenge the unknown, push beyond the limit and take the guts out in whatever one does, and even greater responsibility to let know the world that Nothing is Impossible. He proved the Grit and Passion is what drives human desire.

Creating awareness among peers about the greatness and purity of Mountains and warning them to not ruin its beauty has been Messner’s prime agenda lately.

~Background~

With first successful ascent of Everest without the support of Bottled Oxygen (which he describes as “by fair means”), Messner proved that climbing…

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Is Porn a Crime?

Porn is defined as,

printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate sexual excitement.

Porn and Voyeurism

“Mercury and Herse”, scene from The Loves of the Gods

In real life, voyeurs are motivated by their fetish to secretly watch someone undress or indulge themselves in sex or sensual acts, whereas, Porn, unlike the fetish, is a common human nature to seek out sexual gratification through digital media.

Both possess the underlying risks. A voyeur might be caught by the person while a porn addict can be caught by internet police, internet service providers and countless numbers of hackers. However, a major similarity between both these medium is that people rarely indulge in these acts in public in fear of repercussions. They both enjoy their existence in a secrecy, hence, increasing the enticement and arousal, hence, voyeurism and porn is most alike.

Should Porn be branded a Crime?

Although, Pornography has been banned by many nations, branding it an outright crime is still a question unanswered. Being caught with porn is liable for jail term. More so, being caught with underage porn accounts for a severe jail term.

Softcore porn

We are a curious being, and we learn from our experiences. We seek knowledge on the subjects we are unaware of. So, should porn be stopped? Can we find an alternative to pornography? Can it be prevented for the certain age of audience? Should we stop it or control it?

Most feminists call it an outright abomination. They seek an immediate end to it and they have great points to support their belief. Brandishing female body in camera for male pleasure is an offence against womanhood. As most audience account for men, most themed-porn is solely made to cater male sexuality where inhumane treatment of women is common.

As porn is one of the largest and most profitable media, stopping it is impossible. Most of it can be controlled but why whom and how? Even if people are made aware about these facts, will they ever stop watching porn?

Alike voyeurism, porn cannot be prevented. People will always find an access. It can’t be called an outright crime, however, most of it must be prevented, especially exploitation of underage girls, women without their consent and brutal themes in porn.

Some Experts even suggest that pornography can be used for treating Voyeurism and rape-intent. That is a great thing, as it will save one person from committing a crime, however, what form of porn will they watch can’t be assured. I would like to leave it open-end.

Mother India (1957)

Mother India (1957) came out a decade after the India got its independence. In the decade preceding the film, many political and social upheaval had taken place. The new constitution was drafted, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and the country was stepping into drastic modernization under the leadership of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

The film purposely commemorates the idea of freedom and the unchained spirit. As opposed to Katherine Mayo’s book “Mother India,” which primarily criticized Indian culture and the role of women in the society, Mehboob Khan decided make his film with the exact title to Mayo’s book.

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Review

The film is mostly remembered for the fictional character Radha and Nargis’s portrayal of the same. She exemplifies courage and greater sacrifices throughout the film. She is even bribed by Sukhilala, the money lender, to sell herself, however she refuses and chooses to face the dire consequences instead. It was a unique experience for the audiences too for there never was a film with a female protagonist before, and that too a woman who glorified womanhood.

There are many great scenes in the film. It was reported, the local villager willingly flooded his 500 acre land for the famous flood scene in the film. Sunil Dutt as Birju, the youngest son, shines throughout with his unique charm and rebellious attitude. It is for his attitude, that he gets killed in the end. He is killed by his own mother who refuses to let him take away a women’s dignity. In the shocking scene, Radha shoots him without a single doubt whatsoever.

Rajendra Kumar, Rajkumar and especially Kanhaiyalal as Sukhilala beautifully carried their respective roles.

The music was given by the legendary Naushad, and the cinematography was directed by another legend Faredoon A. Irani. No one can ever forget the song, “Duniya main hum aye hain to jeena hi padega,” which is sung by Radha when the entire village decides to migrate elsewhere after a great flood.

Critically acclaimed and awarded with countless accolades, Mother India became the finest example of Indian films. The greater idea of the film was also to bring global attention towards the Indian cinema, when the world was mesmerized by Hollywood and fresh European cinema, namely; Italian Neo-realism and French new wave.

A scene from Mother India, when the entire village is wept away by the flood

Katherine Mayo’s book “The face of Mother India”

A scene from Mother India, where, Radha’s two sons are helping her irrigate the land

Mother India was also shot in Mehboob Studio of Mumbai

Mehbook Khan (Left) with Raj Kapoor (Center)

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An excerpt on Nargis

Nargis Dutt

Nargis Dutt (1929-1981) was one of the most popular actor of Indian cinema. She was born ‘Fatima Rashid’ to Jaddan bai, another famous actor, singer and composer. With a career spanning over 30 years, she starred in many popular Hindi films.

In Mother India, she portrayed the role of a Radha, a single mother. Unlike many female characters in Hindi films, her portrayal vastly differed from the cliche and stereotypical portrayal of women in films. Radha still remains one of the most iconic fictional characters in film.

Nargis later married her screen-sharing co-actor Sunil Dutt and gave birth to Sanjay Dutt, another popular actor.