Existentialist

A central proposition of existentialism is that existence precedes essence, which means that the actual life of the individual is what constitutes what could be called his or her "essence" instead of there being a predetermined essence that defines what it is to be a human.

- From Wikipedia

NCC - II

Coming back to NCC and his Autobiography. I think I am kind of getting a hang of why this book was so controversial. NCC at his time was exposed to enough ideas and thoughts to start questioning and relating things around - to them. His parents were liberal and encouraging though as he says, looks like they were not prepared for the children to become intellectuals instead of using education as a means of gaining material success in this world. His childhood was heavily laced with names, books, art etc of the west. And throughout the book it is very easy to see the influence of West over him. (Wikipedia calls him self-professed Anglophile).

Now western ideas have always conflicted with eastern ideas in the basic way. Western thought processing is very logical and success oriented in this world outwardly. Eastern philosophy always encourages one to delve within to find that happiness. NCC was born in east amidst this philosophy which in the first place is hard to understand or follow. Further the essence of eastern philosophy is long lost and what remains of it is a mixture of mechanical and unexplained duties - this mixed with the history of India with all those different people and cultures and way of life has formed a very complex society to understand. What apparently remains of it seems chaos and ideas that are either illogical or unprogressive - as far as success in todays world is concerned.

NCC from his standpoint, always seems to be the mind that embraces logic and order over the existing life. Being exposed to the west - in a society that was in awe of their success, it was inevitable for him to not relate or figure out what was missing here. He has given ample insight around this in his book. His thoughts are progressive and definitely have progress of his nation in mind. They are no way derogatory to the life he was born in - though they directly conflict.

His explanations in the book don't come from a person who can explain things in Indian Context - it's always as someone who can explain things better by citing examples from life, literature, art or ideology of the west. Hence I am sure that it was tough for many Indians to understand him and easy to brand him. People do not have the maturity to see different perspective. In a nation that was reeling in the aftermath of the British Raj, his ideas were definitely taken otherwise. Plus he has stood in many places against what is supposed to be normal in the society of his days.

The controversies were inevitable. But then again, it was his autobiography and he was free to be himself - one does not think of the whole world when course of a life is being discussed. It was a life and it was led like this. If it could be better or worse - it is for no one to comment.

Aldar Kose and Shigai Bai

Being born in a nation that was geographically close to Russia and also on friendly terms with the nation that was USSR once, it was very normal for Russian fiction to be available to us easily. Our diplomatic ties with USSR were always good and on the other hand the exchange of artistic thoughts and ideas were plenty. There was Raj Kapoor and then there was Rahul Sanskrityayan whose Volga se Ganga - I have not read but it's one of the top books on my reading list.

Most of the book fairs during our childhood use to have a Russian section which had all these originals and translations available. The name that comes to my mind instantly when I think of these books in Raduga Publications. At one time, I have seen and read a numbers of books that came out of that publications. My note here is mainly for the Russian Folk Tales and Stories for Children that formed a staple literary diet during my childhood.

Then there were these other books that were big and colorful and nice. They said less and were treat for the eyes.

There were these books that had protagonists named Nikolai, Andrey and the lot, a witch called Baba Yaga, a miser called Shigai Bai who was always outsmarted by Aldar Kose. Terms like Uzbek, Tatar, Krygiz and Kazakh were so common that I kind of learnt them before I knew what they actually meant in the geographical, cultural and historical sense. I had a number of them and the stories gave an amazing insight on the Russian (of the USSR) life. 

A number of other books consisted of a story of a charmed and mechanical castle, story of this girl who shifts in a new neighborhood only to befriend the coolest boy on the block. He had this crazy secret society and tasks of which she becomes a part. 

Then finally it was all those books that I happened to find in a cupboard of that old and dilapidated house. I just could not fathom how the value of those was not understood by people around. And my love for Tolstoy, Dosteovsky and the rest began.

NCC - I

I have been reading Autobiography of an Unknown Indian by Nirad C Chaudhuri for some time now. Frankly speaking I have not completed the book and I am not sure if I will complete it too. It is not fair to say anything about a book which I have not even finished - but for sure what ever I have read of it has left a mixed impression.

It has strengthened my belief that childhood days and its memories are the strongest. The nostalgia is way too strong and invariably all autobiographies have large portions attributed to it. The details to which NCC has gone to describe a lot of that, somehow I could not see it in his later years.

I will surely try to complete the same & get back further on controversies associated with the book.

Akira Kurosawa's Dreams

I have always seen these segments from Akira Kurosawa's dreams on youtube only. Sitting and watching the film as such had not interested me when I had first attempted it. The reason is, I always liked few segments over the others. This dream sequence is my favourite. It features art and a happy effort of paying tribute to an artist. The sequence starts with an amazing set depicting The Drawbridge at Arles with a Group of Washerwomen and end with Wheatfield with Crows. Vincent Van Gogh is played by Martin Scorsese and the background is Chopin's Prelude No. 15 in D-flat major.