Lost in translation!

PUNE: When Durga Dixit, director of the Aikyabharati Pratishtan gets requests for translation jobs, she just has to call up her regular translators and get the job done. For, Dixit has a group of trusted people who can translate documents into target languages. When the quantity of the work increases and she faces a deadline, however, she feels the crunch. There are just not enough people to go around. Many agencies have the same story, a dearth of skilled translators in the city.

As Pune grows into an international industry and IT centre, translators and interpreters are in high demand. And, surprisingly, the situation is worse for Indian languages. "There sure is a scarcity of translators, especially from vernacular languages to English and vice versa. Most of our work comes in these languages. The quantity of work is growing and the job can be done even at home. Still, there are just not enough skilled persons. And, where Pune loses, Mumbai gains. "Trained manpower for this work is needed. We have proposed that the government start a new course aiming at translation from English to vernacular languages," says Dixit.

BITS International handles translation works for domestic as well as foreign clients. Chairman and managing director of the organisation, Sandeep Nulkar says, "Skilled manpower is not increasing at the same rate as the work is. One problem is the lack of specialised courses for this purpose. Even existing courses have not been tailored keeping in mind the concerns of practising translators. Since translation needs special skills, even though the number of students learning languages is increasing, that does not amount to the availability of the good translators."

Interestingly, Pune seems to do well in grooming translation talent. "Delhi and Pune are cities where a conductive ambience for emerging translators exists. Even Bangalore does not have Masters-level courses in as many languages as we have here. That is why so many IT companies there are hiring translators from Pune," Nulkar says. Madhura Datar, founder of the Language Services Bureau, has 45 years of experience in translating. "There are many translators, but professional ones is hard to find," she says. "For some not-so-common and Indian languages, the problem is more acute." Datar has trained many students over the years and still teaches those willing to learn. "The situation has changed very much in the last few years. Though more people are learning the skills, there’s scope for everyone."

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(The news can also be read at Times of India site here)

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Chinese learners dwindling in Pune

Pune: Chinese may be the buzzword in kitchens, shops and businesses, but when it comes to the language, there seem to be few takers. Institutes teaching the Chinese language are seeing a fall in the number of students opting for the course.

Though there are few establishments in the city that offer such a course, their enrollments were rising until a couple of year ago. Anagha Natekar, co-ordinator of the course in Symbiosis Institute of Foreign Languages (SIFL), told TOI, “It is our personal perception that the Chinese bubble has burst. We have a capacity of 25 students, but even that number is hard to achieve.”

Agrees Ketan Vadke who arranges personalised Chinese courses: “Compared to other languages, demand for Chinese seems limited. However, by itself, the awareness about the language is definitely rising. We usually see business people and professionals enrolling for language-course.”

Swati Somani, training co-ordinator and counselor with Chrysalis institute has a different take. She asserts that, comparatively, the last two to three years have seen a rise in the number of students. “Since there are few who know the language, lot of people opt for it to work as translators and interpreters. And, there is a fair bit of money in it,” she said.

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Hollywood faded out

Where would the English movie viewers go to watch their favorite and anticipated films? That is the question looming large in the minds of those who watch Hollywood stuff frequently. The regular theatres for the English movies are fast turning into endangered species. They are shrinking to exhibit the stuff in the fear of loosing the profit in the favor of dubbed movies. Dubbed movies also are fast encroaching on the space for the original Hollywood stuff.

It was in the year 1994. First ‘Jurassic Park’ had made waves in the pre-publicity era and its release was widely expected. When the movie actually hit the theatres, it came in two separate versions i.e. English as well as Hindi. That heralded a trend whereby more and more foreign films were dubbed in Hindi and few other regional languages. That business strategy paid off very well paving the way for major and minor Hollywood studios to set up their offices here itself.

What happened to English films later took place with films in other languages too. Chinese, Japanese, French and so many other films started making rounds. Not only through theatres, but through pirated CDs and DVDs too. Increasingly people started to see English films in their language instead of the original ones. The things have come to such a pass that ‘Spiderman 3’ last year was dubbed in Bhojpuri, a first for any Hollywood or for that matter, any non-Bhojpuri. The trend continued unabated and ‘A Night in Museum’ was released in India in only Hindi. However, the film was available in English on DVD circuit.

Rising localization and increasing competition has made original Hollywood films now as rare as old Hindi flicks. Either you see Hindi dubbed versions or else you see nothing. Even some multiplexes are going for the dubbed versions. In short, the day is not far away, when one will have to ask : English films, where are they?

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Happy Birhtday…..Boss!

He reigns supreme in the hearts of those who, with a stomach for reverence and thirst for entertainment frequent the darkness of the film theatres. His mannerisms have survived the criticisms of the detractors and the onslaught of the time. Through thick and thin, from touring talkies to multiplexes, Tamil superstar Rajnikant rules the box office and the minds of cinegoers alike. This is not a new eulogy in the light of the recent success of the Sivaji the Boss, but a time tested praise the actor deserves most.

Rajnikant is celebrating his 58th birthday today. As I write this, he would be celebrating this occasion with the same modesty and charm that he is always known for. He will retreat to one of the holy places that only he knows, visit some orphanages or old people’s home, distribute some sweets or meal to students and many other charity deeds he do often. But for the millions of his fans worldwide, 12th Dec. is the day for commemoration every year. The reserved attitude of their idol notwithstanding, they will also be involved in welfare activities.

Why Rajnikant holds this charisma and influence on so wide an audience is a question that a large no. of critics and viewers have pondered on alike. I would hardly like to add this leaf in the already heavy pile of life stories available on the net. What I would like only to add here, besides wishing him Happy Birthday of course, is that whenever an enjoyment-hungry man will take his place in the darkness of the theatre or in the comfort of his home moving his eye on the TV screen in search of the stuff that he wants, the brimming activities of Rajnikant will be there to amuse him.

People call him desi James Bond or Amitabh Bachchan of the South India. I think and insist that it is passé. Rajnikant is Rajnikant…his own citations of Superstar and Style King fail to appropriately describe his personality. So, the best thing we can do is to watch his movie and say………Repeat


Wish him again Happy Birthday Rajnikant.

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The winner of Kremlin

Vladimir Putin, the outgoing president of the Russia, has once again registered a victory in the form of a stupendous success for his party United Russia, in the parliamentary elections of his country. The questions raised on the manner in which this triumph has come can easily be compensated off by Russian public as a whole with the achievements of the Putin in the last eight years in the office. These questions also, it might be pointed out, have been moved up only by some western countries, US being chief among them. The demand for an independent enquiry into the allegations of irregularities in electoral process put forward by the US gives only the hint of the extent to which it is wary of Putin.

By contrast, Putin has relished this victory with élan. He has not bothered himself with answering these demands and instead focusing on the future course of his action. Though he has exhibited joy in view of this victory, he has in his peculiar manner not gone overboard. He know his business well and he has just implied that he is going to do just that. Whether he will like to effect a change in the constitution and be a president for the third time, or will he wield his power by remaining behind the veil is to an open question. What one is sure of is that he has been rewarded for his spectacular accomplishment in bringing Russia to the brink of its former glory of a Superpower.

When Putin took charge of the presidency in from Boris Yeltsin, land of Russia was nothing more than chaos. People were forced to stand in queues for their daily meal and industry had came to a standstill. As if it was not enough, Russia’s position in the international community was also diminishing. Old friends like India were looking the other way in the garb of globalization and new allies were hard to come by. The economic reforms started by Yeltsin regime had severely affected Russia and people were suspicious of any new move in that direction. Topping the list was the problem of separatism and terrorism, especially in Chechnya.

V. Putin, as he is referred to in the Russian media, showed guts and resolve to solve many, if not all the problems facing his country. One can recount how he managed to face hostage crisis in Moscow and Beslan, even sacrificing some lives for the integrity of the nation. On the economic front, not all of the credit goes to him, but the fact remains that he has used his resources so well, that today Russia does not look so impoverished as it looked not long ago. Instances can be counted when he has looked eye to eye with US or any other western country and scored a point or two.

Here is one. Circa 2002. The then US Secretary of State is on Russia’s official visit. After two days of talks and meetings, he speaks all the good things and says, in the course of one of his briefings, that US does not want any country to help Iran. Within hours, Russia’s ministry of energy declares it will help Iran build a reactor at Bushehr for electricity generation. The only thing US could do was to issue a statement deploring this decision.

These and other aspects have made Mr. Putin a conqueror. He has won his battles from the days in the KGB. He won them in Kremlin. Now he has won the hearts of his fellow countryman. A great achievement indeed!

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The No Show of Sports Movies

Movies and sport compete each other in India for the popularity. The length and breadth of the country unites when it comes to the talk of the movies and sports, especially cricket. But this similarity has seldom been translated in cooperation. The history of the Indian cinema is bereft of any great sport movie till now and what has been showcased now is a relatively new work, which is a product of mainly changed attitude of new crop of filmmakers.

The dearth of good sport movies from Bollywood stable is especially appalling when one looks at the Hollywood which churns out excellent sport movies time and again. Compared to Hollywood, Bollywood’s attempts have been too few in this direction. Neither the audience here has shown any taste for this genre of cinema nor the makers have shown any inclination to cultivate the same. The result is here for all to see, rather not to see.

There were some sports movies in India in the past. ‘Awwal Number’, ‘Boxer’, ‘Ashwini’, ‘Hip Hip Hurray’ etc. were the movies which attempted to showcase sports based subjects in the movie format. But it was only in the last five years or so that the trend has really got steam and the wagon is running in full vigor. ‘Bend it like Beckham’, though coming from Briton based filmmaker Gurinder Chadda, was a runaway hit and talk of the tinsel town some five years ago. That set the coin rolling and thereafter ‘Lagaan,’ ‘Chak de India’ etc have made their entry here.

The question here is : Is this trend here to stay or die away before we even notice it?
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Some Important Sports Movies

Hip Hip Hurray (1983)
Director : Prakash Jha
This film is about a Computer Engineer who happens to be a sport lover and soccer coach in a school in Ranchi. While carrying out his job duties, the hurdles and resistance he faces as well as his determination and the final victory of his soccer team forms the narrative of the movie. An excellent movie as a whole in its category.

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Boxer (1984)
Director : Raj N. Sippy

This flick inspired by the then stupendous success of Rocky starring Sylvester Stallone was more a run-of –the-mill Bollywood film rather than a Boxing feature. But it helped Mithun Chakaborty to establish in Bollywood as a hero.

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Ashwini (1992)
Director : Chandramauli
This movie based on the real life story of ace athlete Ashwini Nachappa was a unique experiment in its genre. What was more noteworthy was that the main role of the athlete was enacted by Ashwini herself. The sad part of it was that though the film appeared well, it received a meager response at the box office.

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Awwal Number (1990)
Director : Dev Anand
The evergreen and irrepressible Dev Anand came up with this novel film. The disheartening part was the half-hearted treatment given to the portrayal of the subject. The film had dwelt on many subjects related to Cricket. Alas, but that dwelling was too superficial. This movie starring Dev Anand, Amir Khan and Aditya Pancholi could not even register its presence at theatres, let alone making any news.

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Lagaan (2001)
Director : Ashutosh Gowarikar
This was the film that heralded the new crop of sports movies adoring today’s silver screens. It has cleverly blended patriotism, history and the cricket frenzy of Indians to give a superb celluloid venture. Making its presence felt at the last stage of Oscar race has also helped it to an extent to be a memorable movie.

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Iqbal (2003)
Director : Nagesh Kukoor
This is the story of a deaf and mute but excessively talented Cricketer living in an obscure village. The film saw a stupendous response thanks to the story which was just a filmed version of the dreams and aspirations of thousands in this country. The film not only gave a new identity to Shreyas Talapade, but it also showed to Bollywood filmmakers that an entertaining and successful movie could be done without spicing it up with routine tricks.

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Chak De India (2007)
Director : Shimit Amin
This was perhaps the first film made with a focus on Hockey. Based on the life incidents of Mir Ranjan Negi, it has also blended patriotism and reality. It has received accolades as well as success at many levels. It has not lost focus on Hockey, on account of which it has really became a sports movie.

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Tara Ram Pam (2007)
Director : Siddharth Anand
Though this movie is a story of a Racing Champion, it stops short of bring a sport movie. The reason for this are too obvious. There is no depiction of Car Racing. Instead it focuses on family drama. The audience too did not heeded to the movie. The movie only showed some scenes on Racing field. That’s all.
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A ghastly act, but a possible reaction too…!

The rape and murder of a call centre employ here in Pune has shocked everyone. This is not the first incident but the its very reoccurence shows an inherent lethargy in the system.

The victim, Jyoti Choudhary’s body was found in a roadside farm yesterday near the Gahunje village near Talegaon Dabhade in Pune district. Primary investigations have revealed that she was raped and subsequently murdered by the driver of the company cab Purushottam Borate and his accomplice Pradeep Kokade. Both of them took the cab to the village saying that they have one employ to pick. Since Jyoti was speaking to her friend in Bangalore, she did not noticed this. It was only after some time that she knew she was mislead. But it was too late by then.

As the contact with Jyoti was severed midway, her friend contacted her sister in Delhi who in turn contacted the relatives in Pune. Jyoti was living with her sister and brother- in-law in Pune. Yesterday was her last day in the company. Police had a complaint by her brother-in-law. Meanwhile this incident has once again brought to fore the insecurity in the BPO sector and especially the question of night shift for women. Some have even questioned the role of the company or the security measure taken so far. While the deceased person ought to get the full sympathy, the behavioral pattern of these company employees should also be put to test. This point has long been overlooked.

India was long known for its poverty. It is one sector in which even today the country has done little to boast. The relative prosperity we have seen is there thanks to BPO and IT sector. While this affluence attracted hoards of new people, who are young and energetic all the same, it has also created an unbridgeable gulf between them and the lesser blessed people. The yesteryear jealousy between haves and have not has now transferred to this level.

The driver and his accomplice apprehended in the above crime are a just example of this argument. Their names betray their humble origins in the Maval area of Pune. The wealth and opulence of their passengers, (considering that they ferry these employees daily) and the somewhat liberal attitude of the folks might have imbibed a feeling of envy in them. That might have prompted them to do such a ghastly act. Of course, this is an argument and the criminal bent of mind a person might have a different effect on a whole.

What I only want to say is that this point should not be overlooked.

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