A Curious Case Indeed !

In 2008 there was this wonderful movie made by David Fincher called "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" , based on a short story of same name by F.Scott Fitzgerald. The movie was about titular character who was born as 70 year old and aged in reverse . Curiously as he grew older (age-wise) , Benjamin Button kept getting better , fitter , energetic and younger. Age is one those concepts which we always love to challenge as it dictates what we can/should do , it creates an invisible boundary or box limiting the roles to be played during that period of life. Hence the concept of being able to defy and move opposite to age and what it entails is a very fascinating subject.

Of late in India , there seems to be a 'Benjamin Button' effect going around , clock seems to be running in reverse all over. First there was this case of country's biggest ever superstar actor who is in late 60s , sending the clock for toss and playing a 12 year old kid suffering from progeria. While it could definitely be said that Mr.Bachchan fitted the role to perfection and nailed it with his portrayal , same unfortunately cannot be said about another blockbuster movie which hit the screen earlier this year. The movie has a title which in a way proclaimed what it expected the audience to be ! It had an actor in mid 40s and two other actor in 30s hoodwinking concepts of age and playing college kids who challenge education system with glee and with great commercial success ! The movie in spite of strange choice of age-defying actors did work thanks to the basic ideas espoused by the movie and its good presentation . Credit is also due to the actors for having put in effort to ensure they somewhat fit the bill. The concept has been such a huge success that this month in India there has been a spate of Ads on TV starring these actors with one of them reprising a college boy role again in a series of Ads for a telecom operator .The other actor , the super star , amazingly continues to play yet another age-defying role this time of a young son leaving family for first time to big city for his first job (!) , promising to stay in touch with his parents and also his college going girlfriend through his cellphone ! If this is not enough the 3rd actor , who is from South India , appears in an ad for a bathing soap whose USP is that it helps hide age and makes you look much much younger !!!

Now for some serious time benders - in the field of sport. This years' IPL has just proved that age is just another statistic which can be bandied about during pre-match analysis and discussions , but out there on the cricket field it hardly matters. The so called veterans of the game , who were supposed to be on their last leg and were being nudged out by media decided that this is the time to roar back . Sachin Tendulkar has never batted so well ; In international cricket in the last few months He has played some stupendous innings and in IPL that form seems to be continuing He can hardly put a foot wrong of late . Kallis seems to have struck the form of his life and in the initial matches no one could even get him out . Vaas rocked the party right from start of season with a clutch of wickets . Hayden put many youngsters to shade with his experimental Mongoose bat , rest of the veteran gang - Murali , Kumble , Dada , Gilchrist , Warne are all having a ball this season and seem to be more competitive than most youngsters. And the buzz is that Brian Lara is planning to come back and is widely believed to be in contention for a place in one of the new franchisees , with Kemp and Martyn also playing (and heck with Michael Schumacher behind the wheels of a F1 car ) one could be excused if there was a confusion on which decade we are in !

What has happened to world suddenly i wonder , the clock seems to be turned back somehow ! What next i wonder ?!