February 2017

DUB News

Descendants of the Sun: Love in the time of war and mission!

By Nidhi Panchal February 7, 2017

South Korea’s most successful T.V. Show, Descendants of the Sun will soon air on Indian Television. The hauntingly beautiful and tragic love story of Caption Yoo Si-Jin and Doctor Kang Mo-Yeon has won numerous hearts across the world in 2016. Get ready to be swept over by the Hallyu-wave (Korean-wave) as Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo brings to us the wartime love story fraught with heartbreaks and romance!

Descendants of the Sun, South Korea’s most successful Television Drama which is also allegedly being dubbed as Asia Best show of 2016 is soon going to air on Indian Television. The demographic of Indian Television scene has seen rapid change over the past few years. In the recent years the viewership of American and British shows has not only increased in India but, the Asian and European Cinema is also gaining audiences. The recent success of Pakistani and Turkish T.V. Shows is a textbook example of how cinema, especially T.V. shows can transcend boundaries.

Descendants of the Sun, starring South Korea’s famous actors, Song Joong Ki as the very dashing, charming and heartbreakingly cute Army Caption Yoo Sin-Jin and Song Hye-Kyo as talented, stubborn yet beautiful surgeon Kang Mo-Yeon brings to us a tale of love and heartbreak in the times of war. This show has everything from drama, action, and thrill to heartbreaks and romance which will surely sweep you off your feet! Even though the show is a romance drama one can clearly see the underlying patriotism of the characters towards their nation.

Spoiler Alert!

Love and Mission!

Captain Yoo Si Jin – “Doctors don’t have boyfriends because they’re too busy.”
Doctor Kang Mo Yeon – “Soldiers don’t have girlfriends because it’s too hard (too much work).”

Caption Yoo Si-Jin and Doctor Kang Mo Yeon’s love story will definitely make you cry and laugh like never before. Caption Yoo Si-Jin is a part of secret UN-peacekeeping team and Kang Mo-Yeon is a famous doctor. The never ending cycle of guy leaving the girl for mission takes a toll on their relationship. But, fate has other plans for them. Kang Mo volunteers as a surgeon for a medical relief project in the area where Yoo Si Jin is posted. The story moves forward and their love is threatened by natural disasters, war, car-wrecks, gunfights and Ebolo like virus outbreaks.

Patriotism

Don’t be fooled by the Caption Yoo’s flower boy face and chocolate abs because the show has some serious fight scenes from knife fights, fist fights to gunfights! Caption Yoo believes he fights “for the peace & freedom for the land” he lives in and “protecting beauties, elders, and children” is his ultimate rule. The narrative is fraught with commando fights, North Korean spies, CIA-backed military coups and jaw-dropping action sequences where Song Joong Ki fights gangsters, mafia and natural disasters.

Second leads, bromance and OST!

Apart from the leads, the seconds leads Dae Young and Myung Joo’s consistent palpable chemistry and unwavering love for each other defying army hierarchy will surely tug your heartstrings. Also, K-Pop listeners will recognise Shinee’s (K-Pop boy group) leader Onew giving a stoic performance as a doctor.

The show’s OSTs are beautiful, especially Chen (from EXO) and Punch’s “Everytime” is a song which make you fall in love. The breathtakingly beautiful locations and top notch cinematography will keep you glued to screen. The humour, bromance and extremely cheesy lines will make smile throughout the 16 episode. People will die, get kidnapped, shot and tragedies will occur but, amidst all chaos and war the beacon of love will shine the brightest.

Catch Descendants of the Sun on Zee Zindagi at 8-9 PM, Monday-Saturday from 8^th February, 2017 in India.

Image Credits: http://www.koreandrama.today/

Nidhi Panchal

Uncategorized

The Realism of Escapism

By DU Beat February 7, 2017

To escape is to create a safe haven for the perturbed minds and souls yearning for a different reality, but when do we need to snap back to the truth from our imagination?

Shirley Jackson in her book said, “No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.” Through Alice we were taught that “Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.” These words of wisdom resonate far and wide; for, the realms of truth can be bitter and harsh, and it is a coping mechanism of the mind to resort to ideas which provide the cushion of comfort. To be able to pursue the pleasures of distraction and engage in the happiness of fanaticism is what an escapist seeks, and to evade from the emotional turmoil of our hearts is what an escapist needs.

The aesthetically pleasing movies, the heart-engrossing books, and the time-warp periods of daydreaming are the portals to a different you, and that’s endearing. The vexations and sometimes overwhelming aspects of life are minimised through this, giving you the freshness and strength to get back at the troubles with a recharged dose. However, the excess of anything is deemed to be perverse, and so goes for the issues of the mind. The theories of Economics oddly fit the gaps of this puzzle; for like the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility states, the more we invest ourselves into the realm of escapism, the more its value and advantages disappear into delusion. Think of escapism like chilli flakes or oregano on your pizza. You can sprinkle it on the top to savour and relish the taste, but too much of it will ruin the whole thing.

The indulgence in a different space, in enjoyment or indifference, can be instrumental only to a certain degree. Resorting to a hobby can transport you into a dimension of relaxation and give you the time you need to cope with the uninvited eventfulness. But the other times, the human mind fails to distinguish between escapism and avoidance, and everything is then ignored in the name of ‘distraction.’ It can hinder parts of your life in ways incomprehensible. So often do the bifurcations of right and wrong fade away into shades of grey, and in a similar fashion does the minute line between these two entities becomes consciously irrelevant.

Stop. Ask yourselves: How to wake up from that dream we would like to live every day? Transcend the ideas of fun from the confines of our mind to the stretches of real life experiences. There’s so much to do, so much to explore. Moments are limited, cherished, and yearned for; and to live in the moment is one of the greatest joys of life. With the fact that one wishes to ‘escape’ work, love, or life in general, it becomes monumental to ask yourself why. Why the need to hide away from the perturbing parts of life? The ‘whys’ and ‘whats’ need to be answered before its late, for the defence mechanism we so conveniently employ can only shield us from the monochromes of life for so long. Maybe, what’s harsh and bitter doesn’t need to be stressful and disconcerting; they are just renditions of unhappiness which your escape mode constructs. The mind is fascination and beautiful, but the vastness and depth of your untampered vision are what makes all the difference.

In the words of Haruki Murakami, “Closing your eyes isn’t going to change anything. Nothing’s going to disappear just because you can’t see what’s going on. In fact, things will even be worse the next time you open your eyes. That’s the kind of world we live in. Keep your eyes wide open. Only a coward closes his eyes. Closing your eyes and plugging up your ears won’t make time stand still.”

Image Credits: Fine Art America

Saumya Kalia

Arts & Culture

Lack of artistic freedom in Indian Cinema

By Anagha Rakta February 6, 2017

Sanjay Leela Bhansali was slapped and his set was vandalized by the fringe group Karni Sena, and made the whole nation question if artistic freedom even exists in India…

Based on some floating rumours, members of Karni Sena vandalised the set of upcoming movie Padmavati and attacked crew members and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur. The reason for the vandalism according to the Karni Sena members is allegly that Bhansali is “distorting historical facts” because apparently Alauldin Khilji and Rani Padmavati have an intimate scene in the movie. This however, was just a rumour and Bhansali and team have gone on record saying that there isn’t such a thing.

It is shocking as Bhansali, who is a National Award Winner and a recipient of the Padma Shri, has to go through the pains of this vandalism because a section felt as if it was their moral duty to stop the “distortion” of the truth. Which brings me to my question: is there always a need for the absolute truth in art?

This is not the first time an incident like this has taken place in Indian cinema – social pressure has jeopardized many movies in the past. A few months back, when Fawad Khan was forced to leave the country and his movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was termed “anti-national”. The situation got so bad that the director Karan Johar had to make an apology video because people were boycotting his movie because of their “nationalist” beliefs. Why is Indian politics getting involved with art again and again?

This is also not the first Bhansali movie that has faced a controversy like this. His movie, Goliyon ki Raasleela, Ram-Leela, was scrutinized for using the words raasleela and ramleela in the title. Petitions were filed against the movie by Hindu protesting and the screening was banned in Uttar Pradesh. Kamal Hassan’s film Vishwaroopam faced many controversies initiating a two week ban in Tamil Nadu as well as protests from the Muslim community.

Filmmaker Govind Nihalani says: “The level of intolerance today is much higher. Today, censorship is happening by private groups – everyone wants to see how one has presented a character or story in the name of religion, history, personality, etc.”

Lack of artistic freedom is not just restricted to only cinema. Writers and painters also have their art banned because it is “not suited to the Indian culture.” Whatever Indian culture is, it shouldn’t be taking away someone’s right to express themselves through art.

Image credits: DNA India

Anagha Rakta

Arts & Culture

College Fests from the Eyes of…

By DU Beat February 6, 2017

A multitude of people bear witness to the magical fest period; for each eye views the enigma on stage in a different light. What do your eyes see during these vibrant days?

Between the starry nights and stimulating events; between the pre-fest anticipation and the post-fest remembrances; between the excitement of a fresher and the nostalgia of a third year lies the magnificence of the fest season. The long affair is the product of months of diligent planning, hours of tiresome execution, and transcendence of the vision into reality. Read on to explore what strings in the back of the mind of the college factions!

The Enthused Fresher’s

Stories, anecdotes, and experiences are often parted to the first years as the extensive bits of pearls of wisdom. The first thing to grace our minds in relation to DU is the grand affair of fests which lasts for weeks. With elevated expectations do the first years get ready to grace their first cycle to witness the glory!

The Nostalgic Soon-to-be-Pass outs

As the graduation phase draws to a close for the topmost layer of students, a wave of beaming nostalgia hits the hearts and souls of the those who shall bid adieu to the varsity which has managed to envelop our lives. With a stream of flashbacks clouding their thoughts and vision to capture anything and everything, this set of the audience is sure to make the best of the bests!

The Over-worked Organisers

From the department fests to college fests, leave it to the Organising Committee to be flustered with an incessant supply of work and a shortage of time to do it. To see all ideas translated into action is a thing of beauty, but the degree of hard work and hectic schedules which go in the behind-the-scenes is exhausting. Running through the event, they are the architects of the wonderful creations!

The Omnipotent Media Team

Once the stage is set, from hunting for information to endeavouring to achieve the perfect click, the media teams (yours truly!) circle the campus with recording devices, ready to spread all reins of our coverage. The goal of this faction lies in the belief of covering and capturing the very essence of the event, to be chronicled for the world to remember!

Image Credits: DU Beat

Image Caption: The varying perspectives of the different sections of people who visit fests!

Saumya Kalia

Arts & Culture

The uncomfortable truth about DU’s Slam Poetry scene

By DU Beat February 6, 2017

As a community of believers of free speech, the burgeoning slam poetry scene in India is surprisingly averse to constructive criticism, giving way to its own stagnation.

There is something inherently ironic when a community, usually invested in voicing the most uncomfortably true opinions about the society, itself shies away from criticism. It signifies an unwillingness to grow. Currently, this is what threatens to make the desi version of slam seem gimmicky. Non-acceptance, the elephant in the room which nobody is willing to confront, may as well turn the tables for a presently blossoming slam poetry scene across Delhi’s cafes and colleges. Let’s face it, India still has miles to go to produce performance poetry matching the levels of, say, the “Button Poetry” series. There is too much focus on performance, and often the content suffers.

“I usually attend slams because it’s good money. I just have to write to engage the crowd and evoke a few responses, but I’m not really happy with what I write,” claims a second year student, a regular at competitive poetry slam events across the DU circuit. There are, believe it or not, students who think desi slam is just a passing trend. Some find the “training grounds” for young slam poets (workshops, slam retreats etc.) too pricey. They provide close to no useful training for that amount of money.

This is the rotten core underneath the shiny veneer of a sense of empowerment, which many budding poets experience by reciting at these events. This is a facet which many relate to, but are scared to confess. When the herd follows one route, can an individual sheep turn the other way? But it must, if India is to witness world-class slam poetry events, producing top-notch poets.

On one hand, the genre of slam poetry is in itself, without a doubt, an excellent means of communicating hard-hitting messages. A live audience can listen and respond to politics, sexuality, anxiety, love, heartbreak and much more, almost immediately. It provides the poet instant gratification, if he or she was successful at moving the audience. And if not, the audience can very well discard them. The results are immediate.

However, on the other hand, the current and popular version of slam in colleges edges dangerously close to melodrama. It should not(contrary to misconceptions) just be about evoking uncontrollable tears as if it were a cheesy saas-bahu soap, or evoking peals of laughter as if it were stand-up comedy.Granted that slam requires a certain kind of writing — poetry meant to be read aloud, not read in solitude. Even so, there should be a standard, key concept and structure to it. Poetry cannot be a mindless formula of rousing extreme emotions.

In a country where education is one of the most profitable businesses, young poets have to ensure that the slam scene doesn’t head down that dirty road. It is time to swallow the bitter pill of constructive criticism. Nobody is a “born” poet and actor. We all have to begin by learning the tricks of the trade.

Image credits:ndsmcobserver.com

Image caption: Keep calm and Poetry Slam

Deepannita Misra

Cultural Festivals

Annual Cultural Fest of LSR: Tarang ’17

By Vineeta Rana February 6, 2017

The last day of the annual cultural fest of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Tarang, created mass hysteria with the exciting events going on simultaneously in different parts of the college premises. ‘The Battle of Bands’ began with rock bands from different colleges where the Hindu College Collective from Hindu College, University of Delhi emerged as the winners. They were followed by the Asteroids and the Loose Puppets in second and third place respectively. In the event ‘Sangam’, the Indian choir competition, Swaranjali of Hans Raj College bagged the first position, followed by Alankar of Hindu College and Samranjini of Gargi College. The nukkadnatak or streetplay event was attended by the dramatics societies of various colleges from all over DU with fascinating scripts. Issues such as casteism and child abuse were discussed. It was a non-competitive event, but the amphitheatre remained crowded with the frenzied audience. Baila, the western dance competition mesmerised the crowd with amazing performance, such as those by Maitreyi College who were declared the winners. Participants of Jesus and Mary College and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce bagged the second and the third positions respectively. Saaz, the Indian duet competition entertained participants for where Daulat Ram College emerged victors, followed by Kirori Mal College and Hans Raj College.

In addition, there were other events such as ‘Story Telling Competition’ by Elocution, Still Life Painting, and ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’, of which the latter was inspired by the classic novel Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and was presented by Hive, the fine arts society of LSR. Workshops like those of beat-boxing and modern calligraphy, as well as mystery rooms were also conducted. Students of colleges from all over both DU and other universities participated in these events.

The scrumptious food stalls, footwear stalls, jewellery stalls, and candy stalls drew the crowd but the most attractive events of the last day were the performances of stand-up comedian Kenny Sebastian and indie-pop singer Lucky Ali. Kenny’s jokes hit the audience’s funny bones and the crowd exhorted throughout. Kenny took over the guitar, presenting his funny lyrics along with melodious tunes and tickled everyone till they let out boisterous laughs. Lucky Ali with his evergreen voice and his classic hits of the last two decades made sure that his fans were satisfied with his style of performance and the songs. He sprinkled the show with his major hits such as those from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai as well as some non-commercial indie songs.The festive merry feeling in Tarang 2017 throughout all three days was the best way to begin with the season of fests in DU with massive participation of students from colleges all over India.

Image Caption:Tarang 2017 comes to a close after three days of immense extravagance

Image Credits: VibhanaKanwar for DU Beat

Radhika Boruah

E-Issue

Ellen DeGeneres breaks People’s Choice Awards record with 20 wins

By DU Beat February 5, 2017

Ellen DeGeneres is a name synonymous with the American comedy and entertainment industry. She is known all over the world for her humour, smile, charm and tremendous courage, making her a force to reckon with. After spending over 20 years in the American entertainment industry, in 2017, Ellen bagged 3 more People’s Choice Awards, making her award tally the highest across Hollywood. She won awards in the fields of Favourite Daytime TV Host, Favourite Animated Movie for Finding Dory, and Favourite Comedic Collaborator. Previously, Ellen has won awards for Favourite Daytime TV Host six times along with Favourite Talk Show Host four times, Favourite Comedic Actress four times and Favourite Humanitarian. Ellen was presented the trophy by Justin Timberlake who referred to her as ‘one of the best people on this planet’. Ellen, humbled by her 20^th win, thanked her audience for their support, motivation and laughs.

Apart from Ellen’s 20 wins at the People’s Choice Awards, she has also won 29 Emmys, numerous other awards for her charitable works, and most recently, the Presidential Medal of Freedom given to her by President Barack Obama. Ellen has also hosted popular and prestigious events like the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards and the Prime Time Emmy Awards. Ellen is truly an icon the world admires as she personifies the importance of courage, grace and determination in order to lead a commercially successful life. Ellen has always taken bold steps in her life, which have led to her global significance. She was the first openly lesbian television actress who talked about LGBT issues, bullying and depression. Her coming out story gathered a mixed reaction in a slowly modernising America. In 2008, she married her long time girlfriend Portia de Rossi. Ellen and Portia have been very proud of their step towards gaining marriage equality for all same sex couples across America. Ellen is a proud humanitarian who engages herself with charitable causes across the world and also stands strongly for animal rights.

Ellen has been viewed as an icon of phenomenal success and strength. Her ever expanding network of global significance keeps growing as she proves to the world that being happy and being who you truly are must be complementary terms in order to produce a successful life. May she keep putting a wide smile across our faces forever. We love you Ellen!

Picture Credits: Fox News

Joyee Bhattacharya

QWERTY

QWERTY: Big acquisitions of companies built by Indian techies

By Kavach Chandra February 5, 2017

Many Indians take the risk of starting their own venture, especially in the field of technology. However, there are only a few who are rewarded handsomely for taking that risk. Making the right decisions can lead to the success of a company, and when it comes to selling the company, the right choice is what makes it or breaks it. Selling too early and selling too late, both roads lead to financial regret and loss of zeros at the end of the number on the cheque. Here’s a list of few Indians companies that sold to the western giants such as Facebook, Google and others:

1. TupleJump

TupleJump was a Hyderabad based startup which focused on machine learning, a field of artificial intelligence. The company was acquired by Apple very quietly, sometime in 2016, for a whopping $20 million. The company comprised a very small team of 16 at the time of acquisition. It was started in 2013. It is Apple’s first acquisition in India.

2. Flutter

Navneet Dalal and Mehul Nariyawala founded Flutter, a startup focusing on gesture based technology. The company is known for their “flutter app” which allowed users to control apps such as iTunes, VLC and others using hand gestures and movements. The brilliance of the app lay in the fact that no additional hardware was required, unlike Microsoft’s Kinect, at that time. It was acquired by Google in October 2013 for $40 million.

Image Credits: Wikipedia

3. AppDynamics

Jyoti Bansal founded AppDynamics in 2008. It is an IT operation and application performance maintenance company, working majorly in the area of managing performance and availability of applications on cloud platform. It was acquired by Cisco for $3.7 billion.

Image Credits: appdynamics.com

4. Little Eye Labs

This Bangalore based startup makes software which analyses the performance of android apps and generates detailed reports. It was acquired by Facebook in January 2014. Although the actual amount hasn’t been disclosed, the deal is said to have been sealed in the range of $10-15 million. It was the first Indian company acquired by Facebook.

Image Credits: littleeye.co.in

Kavach Chandra

Cultural Festivals

Hacks for the DU Fest Season

By DU Beat February 5, 2017

There are a few elements within the peripheries of life which are known to flourish magnificently in association. Food and happiness, heartbreak and ice cream, weekends and binge-watching, and University of Delhi and the fest season. With a multitude of colleges bringing forward numerous reasons to escalate excitement levels with intriguing competitions and enthralling events, have a look at the musts to guarantee a satisfying fest experience!

Classes, Society, and Work Management

All fun and no work make Jack an even duller boy. Amidst the excitement to sway to the rhythms of fun, take a step back and engage in some Time Management 101. There are a plethora of legendary fests which wait for your presence, so juggle between events by squeezing in the occasional classes between fest and society meetings, and treat yourself to some fest-fun later!

The Entry Logistics

With Facebook reminders of fests and events also come reports of buying passes in black or selling fake IDs. While some colleges relax entry restrictions, others tighten them to reduce the possibility of non-DU students getting into the realms of the fun which everyone is talking about. Find out about the requirements of your scheduled fest, and be prepared.

Wardrobe Woes

As the weather transcends from the chilly winters to the warmly-pleasant summers, it is important to plan your outfits keeping the weather in mind and so as to not go through the ordeal of repetition. Keep up with the trends, do smart shopping, and go for outfits which are easy to handle and maintain!

Get Ready to Roll

As you set the stage to make the best out of this period, make sure all internal matters are taken care of. Shield yourself from the cold, for a fever can put your fest plans to rest. Eat and drink at regular intervals so as to not tire quickly, and come prepared with some Chandler Bing-unlike moves to grace the DJ nights.

With the energy levels full to the brim, are you ready for the season of fun?

Image Credits: DU Beat

Saumya Kalia