Two Films...

In 2022 film ' Licorice Pizza ' the writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson told the story of a 15 year old boy falling in love with a 25 year-old lady who came as a photographer's assistant to the school for the annual photo shoot for their year book. The film was beautifully filled with incidents that showed how Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) was a grown up and Alana Kane (Alana Haim) was still an school girl for their age - the reason both could connect emotionally. 

The film went on to win 3 nominations at 94th Academy Awards; best picture, best director, best original screenplay. Such was the scale of creative film making of a rather unusual theme that it was named one of the best films of 2022 by the American Film institute. 

The recently released Malayalam Film 'Christy' has a similar storyline which with its beautiful cinematography the writer and director Alvin Henry created the teen vibe and romance from the boy's side very well; the lady's character remained strong and was apparently in no need for a teenage love and attention. Unfortunately, inspite of the good performance by actors the film ends with the bitterness and disappointment of a lame love story that pulls no strings of our hearts. World has no place for losers is the popular saying whether it be in love or anything else and how a story of love would fare when the one who loved did not try to take the bull by its horn. Worthy losers are heroes too. The boy it seems had failed to convey how much he wanted what he wanted before he took the self humiliating step unlike Gary Valentine who knew exactly what he felt for Alana Kane from the moment he saw her and told her clearly what he wanted her to be in his life when he reached the age and the film became endearing when he kept up his efforts for what he believed in till the very end despite being turned down by his love many times. 

Even the memory won't serve us right no matter how much we try to glorify it when what should have been done was not done in the first place. So much for "based on a true story". 

India and her Internet Usage

A developing country like India has more internet users than the entire population of USA.

According to a report published by IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India) 346 million Indians use internet; the population of USA is estimated to be around 336 million.

The Internet users of India mostly engage in E-Commerce, online payment etc.

The Pandemic Impact

Before the world was locked down by the pandemic the number of Indian Internet users were  230 million (2019); during the lock down the number of users have doubled with more males using internet in both rural and urban areas.

All for entertainment

Entertainment, communication and social media encourage more and more users to try the internet. Entertainment through the OTT has almost equal number of subscribers in both rural and urban areas.

Texting and emails are the popular means of communication.

Future Growth

692 million Indians have used internet at one time or the other and the user base is expected to reach 900 million by 2025. With the urban usage has almost reached its peak with 347 million users at 69% of the urban population there is plenty of leeway for expansion in the rural market which is at present at 351 million at 37% of the rural population. Interestingly two out of every five rural users have tried the voice facility; services like online gaming, shopping and payments are bound to grow, the use of  Indian languages by the Operating Systems will throw open tremendous growth opportunity for internet usage and its related development opportunity in India. Goa and Bihar stands at the extremes in terms of the usage with the population.

Vishu

 

Vishu marks the beginning of the new year of Kerala on the first day of the month of Medam and the Malayalees celebrate that day auspiciously. According to the lunar based local astronomical calendar the sun completes an annual circle and starts afresh by moving on to Aries or the ‘Mesha Raashi’. On the Gregorian calendar the day falls between April-May. The day denotes the beginning of the spring globally; locally the farmers start preparing their fields and lands for the monsoon, on which depends the entire agriculture system of the land which unfailingly arrives on the first of July and continues for the next 3-5 months. Though at present Vishu is considered as a Hindu festival it was and is a universal festival; before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, there was only one local calendar and the day was auspicious to all the communities.

Meaning of Vishu

In Sanskrit Vishu means equal; First day of Medam has equal hours of day and night (Equinox). The day is dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna and they are worshiped on the new year day which symbolises the re-union of Sun and Mesha; hence a family festival. Vishu is not complete with these family rituals; Vishu Kani, Vishu Kaineetam and Vishu Sadya.

Festivities of the day

Vishu Kani: ‘Kani’ is the first sighting of the day. On the eve of Vishu, the prayer room of the house is set ready with the idols of Vishnu or Krishna with all the worship materials like, lamps, flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, coconuts, beetle leaves, arrack nuts, cucumber, jack fruit, mirror, holy book, cotton mundu (dhoti), Rupees and coins. All these fruits of labour and necessities of life are arranged in big bell bowl and placed neatly and aesthetically nearly the idols or the picture of the Gods by the eldest lady of the family with an oil lamp on the floor (Nila Vilaku). The next day morning, everyone is expected to make the first sighting of these symbols of prosperity and fruits of labour as a blessing and a good start to the new year, praying the new year too would be as or even more bountiful as the preceding one. The Holy scripture, mostly Ramayana, is read on the occasion.

Vishu Kaineetam:  The eldest man in the family gift the younger ones with money. Later, everybody set out to burst fire crackers welcoming the new year. It is followed by a sumptuous lunch which is the famous Vishu Sadya. The celebration will continue to the night and the crackers, a favorite of children and adults alike fondly called as the ‘Vishu Padakam’, will keep bursting without a break all around the neighborhood.

 

 

Edible Oil Prices

 The vegetable oil prices have been going up both locally and internationally. Both our governments at the center and states smartly brought the prices down by cutting down the taxes. A timely step that is bringing down  the retail prices since mid October. 

Picture source: Company website

A 2.5% Basic Duty was charged on crude palm oil, crude soybean oil and crude sunflower oil.  In addition to this a 20% Agricultural Infrastructure cess was also charged on the imported crude oil.  When the price were down at the international market the taxes did not stretch the retail but when the prices went up it choked the local retail. 

The government in order to control the rising retail price swiftly pulled back the basic duty and brought down the Agricultural Infrastructure cess for crude Palm oil from 20% to 7.5% and for Soybean and sunflower oil it was even further reduced to 5%.

Our banana splits and chips are going to remain at the same price level atleast. yes indeed that is a good news for all the Banana fry lovers. 

Picture Source: Company Website

Some of the Indian Companies that deal in edible oil are;

1. Adani Wilmar

2. Ruchi Soya

3. Gemini Edibles & Fats India

4. Modi Naturals

5. Gokul Refoils and Solvent

6. Vijay Solvex

7. Gokul Agro Resources

8. NKP Proteins