Rajiv Gandhi Awards 2009

New India... Old India...

The fact that we use these phrases separately always feels strange, as if the two are different countries, that are just sharing a common past but not a shared present or future, like Pakistan & India.

And yet, watching the Rajiv Gandhi Awards 2009 on Sony TV today just brought to life the paradox of the New India & Old India co-existing besides each other, and a little awkwardly.

The event had all the faces of new India - the young achievers, awards for some real modern India achievements to be proud of, new age Bollwyood stars (aka Shahid, Hrithik, Priyanka, Katrina), Raju Srivastav (cracking jokes at everyone), slick choreographed performances, dazzling & psychedelic lighting, MCs with a script that was actually engaging, and even Vishal-Sekhar doing a 'rock on' show walking amidst the audience & getting them to sing alongside their loud, impactful (yet terrible) voice.

And it had all the faces of old India too - the politicians in their kurta pyjamas, the very-doordarshan sets, the calling out of 'women' achievers in a separate category (and worse, referring to them as 'modern women'), the jai-hind/independence day celebration mode of the speeches, the VIP front row, the rajiv gandhi photo on the award stauettes that were being given away.

But, it was clear that the old and the new India didn't really come together as one being. Despite best intentions, it felt like a forced bringing-together of what IS India 2009 & what IS ALSO India 2009 (& thank god isn't all of it). It felt like the public sector India that is trying to show that it can be 'modren' too.

It felt like SBI with internet banking facilities, not ICICI Bank. It felt like Doordarshan with DTH, not NDTV. It felt like MTNL with Dolphin mobile services, not Airtel. It felt like Maruti Esteem Vxi, not the Santro. It felt like Swades, not Lage Raho Munnabhai. Like Roohafza with a new sexy ad, not Real Fruit Juices. Like Air India with business class & online check-in, not Jet Airways. It was new (-ish), but still anchored in the old. It was the old India trying to say 'look everyone, I'm wearing new clothes'

It is true that the new India has emerged out of the old. But, it is fascinating to see the two still existing side-by-side in 2009, without really mixing with each other... just about recognising the presence of each other, acknowledging their similarities, ignoring their differences, and together evolving into the next decade...

Hannibal - Thomas Harris

The Name that sends shivers down your spine.

I think 1991 changed what we called scary. A whole new world of terror opened up when Anthony Hopkins stared at the camera. This was something that stirred inside you that was both profound and horrifying at the same time. Even today when I think of Dr. Lecter completely tied with the face mask, standing in front of the woman politician complementing on her dress, I feel a chill

And yet this sequel to the masterpiece disappoints immensely. It feels like a Hollywood movie that is hurriedly written into a book. The plot revolves around the gross and gruesome more than the mind-scare. Thomas Harris seems to have forgotten that the explicit stuff of the first book/movie was something that built on the basic psychological plot and made it scary. But the core of the fright was still in the mind, not in the blood. But, between pigs, revenge, brutality & a few sob stories, Harris seems to have completely lost the plot.

What is good about the book is that it builds both Dr. Lecter and Clarice further as people. I definitely got to know them much better by the time I was through with the book. I got to know them as well as they get to know each other in the book. But, beyond that there is nothing. A melodramatic past sob story of Hannibal (almost as a reason for why he is the way he is), becomes a bit too much to take.

Towards the end, it seems that Thomas Harris remembers that this was supposed to be a psychological nerve-wrecker, not a Wes Craven movie and he quickly builds in some strange, un-connected mind-games that Hannibal plays with Clarice and with the reader. But, by the time I got to that stage of the book, I was so keen on finishing the book, that I had stopped caring. I just wanted to the book to end... But end, it doesn't!

Yet another sequel that goes kaput. I may still watch the movie (since Hollywood is what the book was anyway), but I may take some time before I begin Red Dragon, Mr. H.

Rene Barbier Classic 2007

Bought this one in a neighbourhood shop in the alleys of Barcelona, next to La Ramblas for under 4 Euros and must be one of the best 4 bucks I spent in a long time.

Hailing from the Penedes region of Spain, this 2007 Vintage has an aroma that captures your attention from the first sip. It's the aroma that sets the stage for what is to come... a soft, low tannin, easy drinking wine... yet a deep, involved, flavourful experience. It's one of the few wines I've had that balances the apparent contradiction of light and deep. It's light in the mouth, yet deep in its taste. It's light on the aroma, yet deep in its soul. It's light as it flows into you, yet deep in its effect on you.

75cl bottle, 13% volume and 100% Spanish. Rioja may be the most famous region, but Penedes is what seems to appeal more to my Indian soul. And the new grapes I've now tasted have whet my appetite for more. 60% Tempranillo, 30% Grenache, 10% Monastrell, this wine is a must have.

Rene Barbier (www.renebarbier.com) has won my pallette and there's more to have where this came from...

Piccini Gran Selezione Oro Chianti Riserva 2005

This flowing gorgeous red has as long an effect as its name. If I were to describe what Tuscany life would be like (not having been there) based on this wine, I'd say happy, relaxed, easy, slow, flowing and looking forward to what the next day, month, year will bring.

Had this light wine with a cheese & tomato thin crust pizza and the 2 Italians got along really well, coming together like long lost lovers meeting after months of separation. One of the best Chianti's I've had, the bottle only has this to say"Riserva Gran Selezione Oro is an excellent and elegant wine. The Piccini family, now in it's 4th generation, devotes special care to the wine reserving and uses only the very best grapes. Scrupulous and meticulous ageing enhances its characteristics producing the complexity, equillibrium and smoothness that are the essential requisites for a great wine" (13.5% vol)

The Piccini family don't seem to have much of a writing streak, but they sure know how to make good wine. Cheers Amici!

Casillero del Diablo Cab Sauv Syrah 2006

Fruity, sweet, aromatic, this one comes with both the reassurance of faith in Chilean wines as well as surprise in the flavours that the Maipo Valley delivers. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes, this wine is sweeter than you would expect, but has the smooth, fullsome, all-consuming experience that a lot of Chilean wines have come to be known for. Not one to mess around with Indian food, this one is best to have by itself. I think it's safe to say that this belongs to the "see you again soon" category.

"Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada is an assemblage of selected grapes from Pirque and Peumo vineyards. Essentially Cabernet Sauvignon from Pirque, the origin of Casillero del Diablo, in the Maipo Valley, the wine also contains Syrah from Peumo hillside vines in the Rapel Valley. Casillero del Diablo has been aged in French oak for 14 months."

Piccini Chianti Superiore 2006

Few years ago, if someone had told me that one of the wines that will not only be good accompaniment to Indian spicy food, but will also lift the flavours of the meal is an Italian one, I would have probably laughed.

And yet this Tuscan beauty is just that. Chianti is possibly the second most popular thing about Tuscany (the first being the views) and it delivers flavours of the food like no other. On the bottle it says "Chianti Superiore is an exceptionally well balanced wine of great structure with a pleasant dry, smooth and elegant flavour with complex aromas on the nose of sweet plum, black cherry & spices resulting in an iconic wine from the Tuscany region of Italy. Serve at 18 degrees, with grilled read meat or game". I would add "enjoy with a nice helping of some really flavourful spicy Indian biryani, making sure you take a sip with every bite"

On it's own, the wine may not make much of an impression, feeling smooth, slightly dry though quite light & aromatic. But, along with food, it transforms into a whole other experience.

Jacob's Creek Grenache Shiraz

Australian Shiraz... and Australian Grenache... this has to be one of the most unique grape blends that the New World has produced. And for all the promise that the grapes have, something is amiss in this wine... a tad too sour, a tad too light, a tad too mild.

The winemaker writes "Winemaking at our place has been a tradition since 1847 when Johann Gramp planted his first vineyard on the banks of Jacob's Creek. This lively blend of Grenache & Shiraz grapes produces a medium weight wine boasting aromas of juicy raspberries and lots of fruit on the palate. At our place we enjoy it with red & white meat, pasta and cheese"

Medium weight, yes. Aromas of raspberries and fruit, yes. And that's what makes the experience. But, what's missing is the taste. Even after the second glass, the wine doesn't feel like it wants to open up. It feels like it's not taking the moment seriously and is interacting with me on a very superficial level. High alcohol content (14% volume) still makes a good evening out of it, but feels like "I'll call you sometime" is where we will leave it for now...

Rawnsley Cabernet Merlot 2006

There's something about Australia... And there's something really special about South Australia, where some of the finest wines in the world are produced. Rawnsley estate is no exception. It's been almost a year of my relationship with Rawnsley and I think it's safe to say that it's a long term commitment now. Every red that I have sampled over the last year has not disappointed... be it single grapes or blends.

This one is a blend (Cab Sauv & Merlot), 2006, 750ml, 13.5% vol and it's gorgeous. It's a flavour-ful, wholesome experience with the aroma being the beginning of the seduction. Have it in a large goblet that will do justice to its aroma. Fruity and spicy its in composition, it's fairly light and opens up slowly. Make sure, you give it the time it deserves. Not a wine to rush through. The Winemaker, Thomas Jung, describes it as "rich and smooth with an abundance of black fruits on the nose, together with chocolate & spice notes on the palate... to be enjoyed with red meats, spicy pasta dishes or stronger flavoured cheeses". As for me, I felt this wine with a nice helping of rice and spicy Indian egg curry and all I can say is curry never tasted better.

Suffice it to say, the French may have invented the Cab Sauv & Merlot blend, but the Australians seem to have given it just a little bit of that extra verve that makes all the difference.