The wishlist that will make for a better 2012

hope that niceties visit us through the 12 months and beyond, that 2012 finds its feet in positivity, good health and togetherness.

As for me, here are six things I will like to do, depending on what lies ahead:

No 1. My most eagerly awaited date will be with the good, old, romantic Yash Chopraji who is on to his next Bollywood blockbuster. He seldom gives flops and even those like Lamhe which is counted as one, live to make a huge amount of money in years that follow and among audiences who mature to his version of a love story.

Needless to say, and I am pretty sure not many would dissent, there is no other chemistry Professor who has all his equations right that Yash Chopra. From Kabhie Kabhie to Veer Zara, he has gripped your hearts as no one else. Now in his late 70s, it is delightful that he has decided to come out of his self imposed retirement as director after he dabbled rather grippingly with a cross-border romance in Veer Zara.

That was way back in 2004. Since then, Bollywood viewers have been literally starved of heartbeat romances and with new-age directors loving the dark, realistic side of life coming up with their contempt of “chiffon romances”, there was no hope in hell for a real heartstring tugger.

But now that the yet untitled Yash Chopra film, with Shah Rukh, Katrina and Anushka in the lead, hope flutters again as does the heart after a long long time. Waiting for the Diwali bonanza with, of course, the plea for Yashji: “Never retire, please!.”

No 2. I would wish a long life for Anna Hazare and hope that the public at large does not desert his campaign just because the issue will be hanging fire. The people’s movement of 2011, which incidentally was global, will need to be given wind and fire in a big way if we have any honest intentions to root out corruption. It was unfortunate to see and hear the committed Arvind Kejriwal having to explain at length the sparse population that the year-end dharna recorded in Mumbai even as the Government tried to push through a farcical and blatantly ridiculous Lokpal Bill through Parliament. In 2012, I would like to see the focus solely on this corruption campaign with the people realising that their attendance is necessary to fight to quality of life in India.

No 3. After the Yash Chopra movie, my most awaited happening for 2012 is stability of the aam aadmi’s pocket. Experts nix any such hope in the bud, declaring that the grandfather of all recessions is staring down 2012. Still, hope flutters eternal in human breast, man never is but always to be blessed. So, I hope that we, as a population, take control of our purse strings and not go berserk with the lures staring out of windowpanes of the myriad shopping malls, and now, the online deals that will surely hit the pocket in a much bigger way that the malls did in previous years. So the “shun” word may not be too bad an idea.

No 4. Of course, goes without saying one Mr Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th 100 is also my most awaited and I, as the rest of the nations will surely want. That he does not sail out of Australia without getting this growing monkey off his back. And while on Tendulkar, let me just hope that 2012 does not emerge as the year of retirements. Our greats are ready to walk. One wonders how well one will relate to an Indian team which does not have Dhoni as captain and no Sachin, no Dravid, no Laxman, in Team India! One hears that all these greats will be announcing their retirement somewhere down this year.

No 5. London beckons too as 2012 has all the ingredients in it for giving Indian sporting capabilities a new medalistic dawn. This Big Games we expect a good haul in boxing, shooting, archery, badminton, wrestling and, perhaps, at least a presence of hockey on the English turf.

No 6. Then there are many others in the wishlist but there is also an acute lack of space. I desperately want India to win in Australia, lift the T20 Cup in Sri Lanka; I also want hockey administrators to call a ceasefire and fight only for the uplift of the national game; I want TV news to turn more responsible and less sensational, hope CID’s ACP Pradyuman doesn’t stalk me and last but not least, I want our growing number of celebrities to catch up with at least a modicum of manners! They have become rude, nasty, hawkish and a little bit too full of their vane self.

Source: Published in Sunday Pioneer, 1 January, 2012