TopYaps

---

• Pseudo-Intellectuals Or The Aantels: The New Social Group Of Kolkata
• Five Great Film Directors From Bengal
• 10 Tips For North Indians To Have An Easy Life In Chennai

Pseudo-Intellectuals Or The Aantels: The New Social Group Of Kolkata Posted: 04 Jan 2014 03:30 PM PST After having read so many articles on Kolkata, you must be thinking it to be a very traditional, fond of art and culture and kind of timid. Well, if that's really it, then you're in for a brilliant surprise! Like every other city, Kolkata too has a set of people who have higher and more refined the rest. However, I don't know whether this is the case in all other cities or not, in Kolkata, of late, you'd notice the emergence of a third group who lies, well, in between these two groups. The group consists mostly of the know-all youngsters, "fondly" referred to as the pseudo intellectuals or the "aantels". Let's have a look at a few pointers of an aantel— 6. You should wear a loose handloom kurta over really loose jeans If you're an aantel, you have to shout it loud to the world. Wearing the regular jeans-tee combo is just not for you. You've to stick to the uniform—faded, worn-out blue denims and loose handloom kurtas. You can never afford to have a clean shaven look and well groomed hair.  Actually, the idea is to wear an unkempt look—no matter how consciously drawn it is! 5. You're not really an intellectual enough if you hadn't studied Literature Whether or not you're fond of literature, you have to have a fair idea of most of Literature. At least, you should be well versed with a few poems—particularly that of Rabindra Nath Tagore, Pablo Neruda, Joy Goswami and the likes. In other words, you should "know" high literature—whether or not you can understand them or appreciate them, isn't much asked for. But, then again, you should be able to formulate your points and brag about them during adda sessions. 4. You should know the worth of money and hence, must smoke the cheapest of cigarettes You may be the son or the daughter of a millionaire, you may be quite frequent to the 5 star restaurants and resorts (when with your boy/girl friend or with your family) but, when among fellow aantels, you can never go on splurging! You may have the option of buying the best cigarette brands quite easily, but you have to settle for the Charminar at best. What? You don't smoke? Well, then, we're sorry, but you're not fit to be an "intellectual" dear! 3. You have to be fond of weed and Ganja Smoking, for this category, doesn't end with cigarettes; you have to smoke weed and ganja as well, and be quite a frequent smoker. No, you don't have to shove yourself in some queer corner of the street, the university campuses provide enough space to you to smoke these, without any calling for any disturbance from any unknown, not-so-superior person. 2. Be a part of all the contemporary political debates According to the general belief, intellectuals must have a fair knowledge of all that's happening around the world, and must stand up united against all the wrongs. Well, the people of the "pseudo-intellectual" category feel the same, no matter whether they know what it is all about or not. They would invariably walk in the Rainbow walk, shout out loud against rapes but would also laugh at the transgendered people. They would keep an eye on what's Rahul Gandhi's doing or what Modi's saying, but ask them about the basic problems faced by the slum dwellers in their own locality, and they would immediately deflate. One word of advice to them, don't just sit back and complain; if you want some change, learn about it and be the one to usher in changes. 1. Always carry a DSLR Yes, you have to act like a miser; you have to carry out that I-am-so-simple kind of an attitude but you have to shell out some extra bucks and buy the latest DSLR, whether or not you can handle it, or love photography for that matter. However, having a fair idea about the lights and angles is mandatory. Carrying a DSLR is like having a license to speak freely on discourses of art and photography to your heart's content. It's like a status-quo which you have to maintain in order to stay in this world. The post Pseudo-Intellectuals Or The Aantels: The New Social Group Of Kolkata appeared first on TopYaps.

Five Great Film Directors From Bengal Posted: 04 Jan 2014 11:30 AM PST For the people of Calcutta, life would be a total waste if you have not seen or cannot appreciate any good films and theatre. Calcutta has been a seat of culture and art since its very inception, more so because it was the seat of the British raj due to which the urban people of the city had an access to foreign films and education much before the rest of the country. From that time till the contemporary age, Bengal has produced great film directorial talents who not only became famous in India but started to be counted among the top directors worldwide. Let's have a look at some of those talents— 5. Aparna Sen Aparna Sen started her career in films as an actress in Ray's Teen Kanya. After working with great directors like Ray and Mrinal Sen, Aparna went on to direct her own film in 1981, 36, Chowringhee Place, which won worldwide accolades and positive reviews from the critics. It was in her directorial debut only that she won the National Award for the best director and also the Grand Prix at Manila International Film Festival. Her other brilliant on-screen critically acclaimed films are Paroma, Unishe April, Sati, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer among others. 4. Rituparna Ghosh A self-professed admirer of Satyajit Ray, Rituparna too started his career in the advertising sector. It was in 1992 that the legend made his debut with Hirer Angti, and since then, till his death in 2013, Ghosh made about 20 films and acted in around 4 films. In his films, Ghosh liked to explore the psyche of the characters at some moments of crisis. In fact, he was perhaps of the very few directors who spoke openly in his films about homosexuality—the issues faced by the homosexuals, their anxiety and their identity hassles. If you are yet to witness any film by the great filmmaker, our suggestion would be to watch Ar Ekti Premer Golpo (although he's the actor in this film, it is said that the film has been ghost-directed by him) and Shob Choritro Kalponik, wherein a lady understands and falls in love with his husband after his death. It's definitely one of the timeless classics! 3. Mrinal Sen He's a director who excelled not only in the Bengali film arena but in "Bollywood" as well. He's considered as one of the emissaries of the Indian New Wave Cinema. Although a contemporary of Ray, his films mainly revolved around the Marxist paradigm and the Naxalites. He was a master in portraying vividly the middle class society, and instead of romantically upholding the society, he would criticize it as well—after all, it is people who make a society, and people are never black or white totally. Mrinal Sen has won innumerable accolades and awards world-wide which includes the Golden Hugo Award at Chicago International Film Festival and the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival—for Khandahar and Kharij respectively. 2. Satyajit Ray Perhaps one of the biggest names in the film fraternity, Ray was regarded as one of the foremost directors who welcomed the Indian New Wave to the Indian screen. However, till his death, he was against the idea of terming his own films as "parallel" ones. In his films, he has portrayed the adversities faced by people of all classes—and of women in general. He also made two Hindi films (one short and one full length) in his lifetime—Sadgati and Shatranj Ke Khiladi. However, if you ask us about any suggestion regarding the Ray-films to be watched—we would be in real difficulty. So, stop choosing, and start watching! 1. Ritwik Ghatak If Satyajit Ray was drawn to the world of cinema by an utmost passion and love for films, Ritwik Ghatak was drawn towards them for a specific propaganda to reach out to as many people as possible to serve his Marxist political purposes. Once, he professed that he's into film making because that's the best way to reach to maximum number of people; if there are any other medium better than films, he would switch over before thinking twice. Well, no matter what his intentions were behind film making, his films are a treat to the real film lovers and we're definitely happy with that. Among all his films, our suggestion is Jukti Takko Ar Golpo. The post Five Great Film Directors From Bengal appeared first on TopYaps.

10 Tips For North Indians To Have An Easy Life In Chennai Posted: 04 Jan 2014 07:30 AM PST Chennai is a wonderful city and a great place to live but many north Indians who go there to study or work, find it hard to adjust to the dramatic change in culture and language. There are some wrong perceptions about Chennai and south Indians in general that make the north Indians feel scared of moving to a city like Chennai. The truth is that Chennai is just like any other city of India. Here are 10 tips that will help you fare better in Chennai. 1. Don’t Keep Any Preconceptions When you go to Chennai don’t go with any prejudices that you might acquire from things you hear from your relatives and neighbors. Go with an open mind and don’t judge people just because their skin is darker and they speak an alien tongue. 2. Don’t Blame Locals for Not Knowing Hindi Many north Indians feel that just because everyone in north India knows Hindi, that everyone in Chennai should also make an effort to learn it. Tamil is their mother tongue and they are proud of it. South Indians don’t come to Delhi and call out people for not knowing Tamil so don’t do it when you are there. 3. Learn Tamil if You Can Do you know any south Indian living nearby? Can they speak at least a little bit of Hindi? Most probably they can. They do so to fit in better in a strange land and you should do the same when you visit Chennai. Try to learn at least a little bit Tamil and also learn to read the signs. 4. Try Out the Local Cuisine Many north Indians complain about not having good food in Chennai but that’s not true. You just need to be open and try out a little of the local cuisine. It can be an acquired taste and if you are going to live for a long time in Chennai then you better acquire it. If not, there are many places in Chennai where good north Indian food can be had. 5. Beware of the Auto Wallah The auto wallahs of Chennai, just like in any other city in India, are always looking for some easy money. If they realize that you are a north Indian who has no clue about where he’s going or what he’s doing then they will not hesitate in hustling you out of some money. So take autos that will go on a meter or take buses. Learn to negotiate with the auto wallahs. 6. Find a Place to Live Near Your Office or College A lot of money, time and headache can be saved by getting a place near to your office or college. You could try a paying guest situation or get together with a few like minded friends or colleagues and get a place on rent. 7. Don’t Make Fun of Tamil Cinema It might seem funny to you but you shouldn’t make fun of it in public as the people really worship their film stars over there. 8. Don’t Discuss Politics with Locals They are also very passionate about their politics besides their films. No wonder many of the film stars later become politicians. So don’t discuss politics with the locals and don’t try to enforce your views on them. 9. Respect the Local Culture Many local people in Chennai think that north Indians are too bossy and disrespectful when they visit Chennai. Make sure you don’t fit the stereotype of the typical north Indian. Be respectful and you’ll find that you’ll get respect back. If you are sincere and humble, the locals will help you in every way possible. 10. Visit Local Temples and Sites in Your Free Time When you have some free time, don’t hesitate to explore the city. Chennai is a rich and colorful city that has a lot to offer for those who are looking. Don’t restrict yourself to a few malls and the Marina. Try out other small places and the many temples of the city. If you stay for a longer period try out some places nearby as well. The post 10 Tips For North Indians To Have An Easy Life In Chennai appeared first on TopYaps.

You are subscribed to email updates from TopYaps To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610