Kavi is a 19 minute fictional short film (Hindi) nominated in the best live action short film category at 2010 Academy Awards. It is directed by Greg Helvey, a student at the University of Southern California and produced by Guneet Monga and Harish Amin.
The official website of the film [link] asks, did you know that slavery still exists? The story revolves around an Indian boy who is forced to work in a brick kiln as a modern-day slave. Unsatisfied with his fate, Kavi must either accept what he’s always been told, or fight for a different life even if he’s unsure of the ultimate outcome. The film is made on a shoe string budget and shot near Mumbai. Helvey says that the goal of the film is to motivate action through awareness.
The main protagonist Kavi is played by Sagar, a boy from Oshiwara slums. The film is a 2009 student academy award winner in the narrative film category. In 2004 Born into Brothels and in 2009 Smile Pinki won Oscars in the Best Documentary category.
Greg Helvey on twitter writes [link], hope this gets eyes on Human Trafficking.
Will Kavi be the next Slumdog Millionaire?
People vote and bring you to power to maintain law and order. What is the ruling party of Maharashtra doing? How can few goons under an autocrat go on terrorizing people at their whims and fancies?
I am of the opinion that the star in question here is a shrewd businessman and according to this tweet, Fox star entertainment is fully supporting him. The question here is not about him getting the publicity for his soon to be released film.
The important question here is about the ruling government’s stand? Why were no arrests made till now? Why do we vote and bring them to power if they are only capable of bhashan and adopt a wait and watch policy till the problem is escalated beyond repair. Are they waiting for the riots to happen, common people to get killed so that it becomes the burning issue in the next elections that fetches them votes and Bollywood gets their next script to fill audience with rage and patriotism?
Those in power should walk the talk. They shouldn’t try to get mileage out of sensitive issues.
What does your display picture convey?
When I started blogging, I wanted something that was unique and me. I didn’t want my face on the display so I went through one random album on my laptop and found this picture 
interesting. So did many who asked me what the green liquid in my glass is. It took me months of blogging and familiarity to put my actual picture as avatar.
I came up with display name on impulse. The first couple of times I left comments on other blogs as ‘mesoliloquy’. Then I thought it was long and shortened it to ‘Solilo’ and thus started a spate of mails and questions to confirm my gender and nationality. One actually (now come back to blogging, will you?) told me that she thought it was some Spanish guy trying to score with Indian women by leaving sweet messages. If that was not enough, my blog name initially was Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn, the famous Rhett Butler line. Later I thought it was uninviting and changed it to the present one.
Couple of months back, I read this article about a woman who endured a lot of flak when she changed her display picture on twitter. Apparently, people don’t take you seriously if your display picture is jokey or blonde. Daughter of Sen. John McCain was sent obnoxious tweets and pictures of Victorian dresses when her twitter display picture was a bit revealing [she has changed it now]. People have nothing better to do than obsessing over others’ display pictures. I think this kind of obsession is one sign to de-twitter/off-blog immediately.
Leaving the obsession part, I think most of us form opinion based on display picture and writing style. Whenever I see a picture of woman behind the camera, it reminds me of IHM. I think she owns that display picture. Same is the case with Rakesh and his tattoo avatar, Crafty’s doll, Hitchwriter and his new DPs after every haircut (ahem..it looks the same everytime) . I still associate many bloggers with their first unique avatars. It is now part of their online persona.
Coming to forming opinions, I was surprised when Mandu told me that she would like me to add heels to the header that I was designing for her. Now going through the comments on her blog, I know that I am not alone. There is nothing wrong in liking heels, in fact I love my stilettos and wedges. It is that many of us just form opinion based on the writings which is just a facet and not entirely us. Last week I spoke to this devil who kept insisting that I sound so sweet (yes! I have proof. Now you can’t deny it, devil). He made a hoarse Mwhahaha sound which was close to Rosie O’Donnell’s noise voice and assured me that I don’t sound anything like that. I have to confess that I didn’t take much liking to the devil before but slowly realized that he is a sweet fellow (I am sloshed). Sometimes you see a reflection of your childhood on another blog and take an instant liking to that person. This is once such post written by someone who is a close friend now and look at the date on that post. It was so much of a coincidence for me. All of us form opinion about others; sometimes right, sometimes wrong but we do.
Anyways, coming back to my actual question, how did you come up with your first display picture? Does it show a facet of your personality, your life? What is the story behind your display picture/gravatar?
