News from Panaji

News from Panaji somehow brings a vague sense of disquiet. The other day Nikhat Kazmi remarked that "Shwaas" is nothing but melodrama -- melodrama of the Karan Johar variety. The next day Farrukh Dhondy says Indian audiences and film makers are not mature enough (to spot shades of grey between black and white).

Interesting that Nikhat Kazmi cannot appreciate Shwaas, but found Lagaan much better than "No Man's Land". Interesting that while Kazmi makes careless remarks about Shwaas being pure melodrama -- imitating a Karan Johar? -- she is being accused of plagiarism. Also interesting that Dhondy is now speaking about maturity! After all, not much time has passed since he told this to William Dalrymple:

"Come on Willy, get a ball transplant and say so, if that's what you and your Indian dilettante circuit think."

Dhondy and Nikhat Kazmi are perhaps birds of the same feather. For instance, Dhondy thinks Sonia Gandhi and Dalrymple are "invaders", and Kazmi looked comfortable with the proposition that Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri over a temple. Both of them tend to possess a rather exclusionary viewpoint.