The above comment of yours is applicable to your post too!!!
Indian cinema is not the Hindi cinema you described. The best of Indian cinema happens in regional cinema - Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Assamese etc.
And comparing Aamir Khan to Toshiro Mifune is a bit of a stretch. Aamir is yet to do the body of work Toshiro Mifune did only for Kurosawa. But your quote by Kurosawa on Satyajit Ray is accurate.
Bollywood is used to identify the 100 plus Hindi cinema coming from Mumbai (Bombay). India has major film producing centers in Chennai for Tamil films (Madras), Hyderabad for Telugu films, Bangalore for Kannada Films, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi (Cochin)for Malayalam Films, Kolkatha (Calcutta) for Bengali films, Guwahati for Assamese films etc., where the other 900 plus films are made every year.
What you see in theaters in UK/USA/New Zealand/Australia/other countries are Hindi films catering to the Non-Resident-Indian audience. And most cities will have one or two theaters that cater to Tamil films, Bengali films, Malayalam films, Kannada films and Telugu films.
The examples you gave were of poorly made films. To understand Indian cinema, try the films of Satyajit Ray, Ritwick Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Aravindan, Shaji N Karun, Shyam Benegal, Ketan Mehta, Girish Kasaravalli etc. You will not be disappointed.
I have been to China. I have also been to US/UK/Japan/Thailand and India. Yes, you get pirated films/games/applications more easily in China, India and Thailand.
One of the major reasons for piracy in a developing country is the price of the original item.
Here is an example: seeing a film in theater will cost in India between Rs.10-100 depending on the city and quality of the theater (btw 25 cents to $2.50). It will cost $7-10 in US theaters.
Buying a DVD of a film in India will cost minimum Rs.500 ($12)...whereas, in US, you get DVDs between $6 to 15. A reasonable price for DVDs in India for any film should be around Rs.100-200 (between $2.50 to 5).
Why is Microsoft not that worried over software piracy in India? Other than some token raids/press releases, they dont do anything. The reason - they want Indians to be proficient in their software for a future workforce.
Vehicular pollution from a city like Shanghai or Mumbai (the smog that made your travelling family uneasy) should not be equated with industrial pollution of a country like USA.
The the most creative and inspiring games, films and music come from independent artists who create because of only one reason - 'passion'. But the work they do will not be appreciated beyond a minority unless your 'friendly neighborhood multinational' thinks it will make money (a decision by completely clueless suits) and picks it up for wide distribution.
Internet was supposed to minimise the distance between the creators and the public. Though technology has minimised the costs of producing games, music and films to a great extent, distribution is still a big issue.
The only silver lining in the horizon is the less than expected performance of Hollywoood blockbusters, average artists heavily promoted by music companies, and games developed and marketed by big players in recent times. Whether this will amount to genuine talent getting appreciated or not is yet to be seen.
True Bollywood will be the scientists breaking into a song and dance in the middle of research. There will be boy scientist from rich family meeting girl scientist from poor family and vice versa and villain scientists who oppose the union rather than trying to dominate the world.
Also 'Bollywood' is a misnomer. What you mean by 'Bollywood' is Hindi cinema. India produces more than 800 feature films in many languages and Hindi is only 15%.
The problems were that they break their own laws and that the authorities look the other way. Their whole society condones the breaking of their own laws.
Your analogy is similar to the one about speeding...if there is a rule/law that states you should not do more than 60MPH and if you do more than that it is breaking the law.
Ask yourself does your whole society and the law enforcement condone the breaking of the speeding law? If yes to what extent it is uncivilized? How many are caught if they speed?
Those who are not sinners should throw the stones.
CDs and DVDs in China are sold on street corners for $1-$2 dollars a piece.
I think you are plainly wrong. I was in Shanghai for two weeks last month and my friends and guides were Chinese. I am yet to see a street corner that brazenly sells CDs and DVDs. I do agree they are available and touts approach you discreetly.
A business can't survive without customers that purchase their goods. Factories are set up for the mass production of pirated goods. That makes for an entire industry based on pirated goods. Considering law enforcement ignores these pirates, that means that Chinese society does condone this behavior.
Chinese society are passive bystanders to the so-called piracy that is happening...the same way your society is passive to what your government or your law enforcement agencies are doing on many occassions and instances far more dangerous and threatening to the world community that DVD/CD piracy.
Wow. I haven't. You've actually seen people selling this stuff on the street corner in the US?
Openly peddling on streets should not be the only criteria. Please remember DVDs/CDs are way overpriced in China or India. Let me know what happens in your street corners when a copy of Windows XP is priced at $1000 or a DVD of a latest film is priced at $190. Then I can give you policemen buying the stuff from streetcorners, webcams and photographs as proof.
People don't starve to death when they don't get a foreign CD.
You are offering an incentive for 'piracy' by severely overpricing a product which can be easily copied. Microsoft never bothers about piracy of its software in India except for the token raids or press releases by the Indian office. The reason - they want Indians to use their software and get comfortable in that so that they have a workforce in future. So even the organizations who lament about piracy are selective in what they want to enforce which is nothing but double standards. This is infact hurting the acceptance of the many flavors of open source software in India. Ditto with China.
I recently heard a BBC anchor lamenting 'how can these guys be terrorists, they were living in a civilized world' - which was till a few decades back (even now in some places) supporting or actively taking part in most of the horrible atrocities known to mankind. This was the stupidest and the most arrogant comment I ever heard in mainstream media. And your attitude towards the rest of the world is the same - we are civlized, you are not because you do this and this. Please remember I can give you a list of 500 items that show your world as uncivilized.
You seem to generalise the whole of Chinese as uncivilized as they break software or IP laws. Let me ask you one question - are you implying this does not happen in the west? Are all the subscribers to the earlier form of Napster or Kazaa or Limewire or Bittorrent Chinese or Indians?
And how can you say the whole Chinese society or Indian society condones the breaking of the laws? Where have you got first hand information - have you lived in China or India? Are you quoting main stream media?
Agreed there is piracy of DVDs happening from China. And I gave you a reason for that...which does not mean the society condones such a practice.
And law enforcement agencies in Bombay and Shanghai are not as well funded and with resources as the ones in New York or London. So the main priorities will not include cracking DVD pirates. And I have seen pirated DVD or software in 'your cities' too.
Your attitude reminds me of Mary Antoniette - if they cant have bread, why dont they eat cake. If they cannot afford the DVDs on sale, why dont they plainly walk away.
Everyone knows you have to pay back credit cards. But that easy availability of credit sometimes help people in buying stuff beyond their reach. Whether you get into financial trouble or not is different and we will see in the next few years how America copes with its household debt.
So now we have to get into an argument on what is a 'civilized world'!
Most people in the 'civilized world' might use something called a 'credit card' to buy stuff they are unable to afford. I dont think 'they merely walk by' is what happens.
If you are an American just look at the credit card debt carried by US households and you will get an answer if your 'civilized world' merely walks pasts or actually swipes the card.
There are other social/economic factors for piracy of VCDs/DVDs I could've explained...I dont want to do that since your view of 'civilized world' is quite narrow.
China -- where 90 percent of music and movies are pirate copies....
I was in China last month attending one of the biggest audio-visual trade shows.
90 percent of music and movies sold in China and India are way overpriced for the public. For example a DVD costs between $9-$11.
As long as the price remains high piracy will happen...doesnt matter if it is Guiterez or his mother-in-law is the US Anti-Piracy Police Chief.
A few weeks back I was dealing with a top Indian VCD/DVD distributor in Bombay. Later I saw films from his label at the nearest roadside shack selling for Rs.50-100 ($1-$2) with the same label/cover/inlay card/logo/details as the ones available in regular stores. Later I realised it is the same guy who distributes to both the regular stores and the 'pirate'.
This business practice makes sense for the distributor...he makes a profit whether he is selling to a regular store or 'pirate' (a slimmer margin when he sells to the 'pirate'). And we all know the material cost for producing a DVD.
I also heard both original DVDs and duplicates are made in the same factory...which is real socialism.
It is Hare Krishna or the Hare Krishna Movement...the International Society of Krishna Consciousness and not Hari Krishna.
FYI - Krishna is a Hindu god, an avatar of Vishnu, the preserver of the universe. The other two major gods are Brahma, the lord of creation and Shiva, the lord of destruction.
A recent survey of 332 technology decision-makers at large u.s. companies reveals a growing concern over sensitive information leaving the enterprise through email and through USB memory sticks hidden in their employees ass.
In its 2005 study on outbound email security and content issues, email security vendor and ass searching expert Proofpoint found that more than 63% of corporations with 1,000 or more employees either employ or plan to hire workers to read outbound email and search their employees ass when they arrive and leave from work.
It was through the use of these "special" visas that all of the September 11th terrorists secured admittance to the United States. There is virtually no security or monitoring of these special visa holders.
No terrorist entered US using H1 or L1 visas. They entered USA using student visas - it was easy for Saudi citizens to get student visas.
I cannot understand your motive for implying terrorists came to US using H1 or L1 visa. I find your allegation similar to the "Iraq has weapons of mass destruction" argument.
There are good restaurants (not the swanky yuppie joints, but working class ones) in the uptown area of Chicago where you can get a decent meal and a beer for about $10.
Same with London - you should move out of Picadilly and Trafalgar and other touristy spots for these rates. Try Kilburn.
I am connected to the web via a cell phone and a USB cable in Bombay. Infact I can be 'anywhere' in this country and get online. The network is generally reliable.
Costs for Rs.600 (about $15) per month with a 1GB download limit. Throughput is twice/thrice of a dialup.
Similar services in Chicago cost much much more with unwieldy annual plans.
Last October I found London had enough open WiFi spots. But that city has not even a single water fountain - wild Brits want you to buy stupid bottles of water for 1 bloody pound.
In Kuwait City airport - one of the big allies of US - there are two public telephones with warning signs - "These instruments are under constant surveillance..." - wild Arabs!!!
Decent dinner for three with a few drinks -
Bombay - $6-10
London - $45-50
Chicago - $20-25
Kuwait - ???
I am a filmmaker (not from US), an award winning one, and I write my stories for the films I can make.
I dont let anyone touch my scripts. I have few very close friends who go through the script and look for mismatches and an important quality called "truth quotient".
I had serious problems with my actors (who are big name stars) who wanted their ideas to be incorporated on my scripts. Once I told the male lead I will take the necessary changes and later, one day before the shoot I told him I cannot. If I was going to make the changes, I would not make the film.
He got royally pissed. But he co-operated and we made the film. His performance is well regarded and got him a Special Jury Prize at an International Film Festival where the film won the Best Picture Prize.
My gut instincts were right - he is the best actor of his generation, but he has no concept of a script/screenplay. Ditto with your average studio executive, Producers and even your crew.
Why I say the above - I have read more than 100 good screenplays - when I see a good screenplay I understand.
Mike Leigh said he does not differentiate between Writing and Directing.
Now a days, average feature film you see has 3-4 writers - like 3-4 Directors on a single film.
Last year I was travelling the length and breadth of this vast country.
In the last ten years, the biggest changes in India are the spread of ATM's and mobile phones. When the state run BSNL started cellular services in 2002 in rural Indian towns, there were stampedes to get the application form.
What you dont find is decent broadband and good roads. Broadband may happen soon with Reliance Infotech putting fiber. But no chance of roads getting better.
And the country proves the trickle down theory favored by World Bank and IMF will not work. I am yet to see anything trickling down. And the country is liberalising for the last 10 years.
Slashdot Mirror
Who mods this crap up?
The above comment of yours is applicable to your post too!!!
Indian cinema is not the Hindi cinema you described. The best of Indian cinema happens in regional cinema - Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Assamese etc.
And comparing Aamir Khan to Toshiro Mifune is a bit of a stretch. Aamir is yet to do the body of work Toshiro Mifune did only for Kurosawa. But your quote by Kurosawa on Satyajit Ray is accurate.
Bollywood is used to identify the 100 plus Hindi cinema coming from Mumbai (Bombay). India has major film producing centers in Chennai for Tamil films (Madras), Hyderabad for Telugu films, Bangalore for Kannada Films, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi (Cochin)for Malayalam Films, Kolkatha (Calcutta) for Bengali films, Guwahati for Assamese films etc., where the other 900 plus films are made every year.
What you see in theaters in UK/USA/New Zealand/Australia/other countries are Hindi films catering to the Non-Resident-Indian audience. And most cities will have one or two theaters that cater to Tamil films, Bengali films, Malayalam films, Kannada films and Telugu films.
The examples you gave were of poorly made films. To understand Indian cinema, try the films of Satyajit Ray, Ritwick Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Aravindan, Shaji N Karun, Shyam Benegal, Ketan Mehta, Girish Kasaravalli etc. You will not be disappointed.
I have been to China. I have also been to US/UK/Japan/Thailand and India. Yes, you get pirated films/games/applications more easily in China, India and Thailand.
One of the major reasons for piracy in a developing country is the price of the original item.
Here is an example: seeing a film in theater will cost in India between Rs.10-100 depending on the city and quality of the theater (btw 25 cents to $2.50). It will cost $7-10 in US theaters.
Buying a DVD of a film in India will cost minimum Rs.500 ($12)...whereas, in US, you get DVDs between $6 to 15. A reasonable price for DVDs in India for any film should be around Rs.100-200 (between $2.50 to 5).
Clueless executives with no idea of the market/living conditions of a country makes decisions sitting in their air conditioned suites. These idiots remind me of the 'belt tightening teams' sent by World Bank when a country required financial aid. Recently there was an ATP Event in Vietnam, with tickets so overpriced, the Vietnamese who went to buy the tickets had to turn back disappointed.
Why is Microsoft not that worried over software piracy in India? Other than some token raids/press releases, they dont do anything. The reason - they want Indians to be proficient in their software for a future workforce.
Vehicular pollution from a city like Shanghai or Mumbai (the smog that made your travelling family uneasy) should not be equated with industrial pollution of a country like USA.
The US contains 4% of the world's population but produces about 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions. By comparison, Britain emits 3% - about the same as India which has 15 times as many people.
Games, films, music...things might change.
The the most creative and inspiring games, films and music come from independent artists who create because of only one reason - 'passion'. But the work they do will not be appreciated beyond a minority unless your 'friendly neighborhood multinational' thinks it will make money (a decision by completely clueless suits) and picks it up for wide distribution.
Internet was supposed to minimise the distance between the creators and the public. Though technology has minimised the costs of producing games, music and films to a great extent, distribution is still a big issue.
The only silver lining in the horizon is the less than expected performance of Hollywoood blockbusters, average artists heavily promoted by music companies, and games developed and marketed by big players in recent times. Whether this will amount to genuine talent getting appreciated or not is yet to be seen.
Elephants need very simple solutions to be cut off...a 3 meters long by 3 meters deep moat will stop any elephant from crossing.
True Bollywood will be the scientists breaking into a song and dance in the middle of research. There will be boy scientist from rich family meeting girl scientist from poor family and vice versa and villain scientists who oppose the union rather than trying to dominate the world.
Also 'Bollywood' is a misnomer. What you mean by 'Bollywood' is Hindi cinema. India produces more than 800 feature films in many languages and Hindi is only 15%.
I can even understand buying a waste like Compaq...but agreeing or even wanting to sell IPOD was ridiculous.
If this idea of selling IPOD through HP was indeed Mrs. Ciorina's idea she deserves to be kicked out.
I think she spent most of her time on being trim and fluffy. She should not have been made CEO, but a chief PR officer, or something similar.
Then most of the CEOs are like her...trim and fluffy.
The problems were that they break their own laws and that the authorities look the other way. Their whole society condones the breaking of their own laws.
Your analogy is similar to the one about speeding...if there is a rule/law that states you should not do more than 60MPH and if you do more than that it is breaking the law.
Ask yourself does your whole society and the law enforcement condone the breaking of the speeding law? If yes to what extent it is uncivilized? How many are caught if they speed?
Those who are not sinners should throw the stones.
CDs and DVDs in China are sold on street corners for $1-$2 dollars a piece.
I think you are plainly wrong. I was in Shanghai for two weeks last month and my friends and guides were Chinese. I am yet to see a street corner that brazenly sells CDs and DVDs. I do agree they are available and touts approach you discreetly.
A business can't survive without customers that purchase their goods. Factories are set up for the mass production of pirated goods. That makes for an entire industry based on pirated goods. Considering law enforcement ignores these pirates, that means that Chinese society does condone this behavior.
Chinese society are passive bystanders to the so-called piracy that is happening...the same way your society is passive to what your government or your law enforcement agencies are doing on many occassions and instances far more dangerous and threatening to the world community that DVD/CD piracy.
Wow. I haven't. You've actually seen people selling this stuff on the street corner in the US?
Openly peddling on streets should not be the only criteria. Please remember DVDs/CDs are way overpriced in China or India. Let me know what happens in your street corners when a copy of Windows XP is priced at $1000 or a DVD of a latest film is priced at $190. Then I can give you policemen buying the stuff from streetcorners, webcams and photographs as proof.
People don't starve to death when they don't get a foreign CD.
You are offering an incentive for 'piracy' by severely overpricing a product which can be easily copied. Microsoft never bothers about piracy of its software in India except for the token raids or press releases by the Indian office. The reason - they want Indians to use their software and get comfortable in that so that they have a workforce in future. So even the organizations who lament about piracy are selective in what they want to enforce which is nothing but double standards. This is infact hurting the acceptance of the many flavors of open source software in India. Ditto with China.
I recently heard a BBC anchor lamenting 'how can these guys be terrorists, they were living in a civilized world' - which was till a few decades back (even now in some places) supporting or actively taking part in most of the horrible atrocities known to mankind. This was the stupidest and the most arrogant comment I ever heard in mainstream media. And your attitude towards the rest of the world is the same - we are civlized, you are not because you do this and this. Please remember I can give you a list of 500 items that show your world as uncivilized.
You seem to generalise the whole of Chinese as uncivilized as they break software or IP laws. Let me ask you one question - are you implying this does not happen in the west? Are all the subscribers to the earlier form of Napster or Kazaa or Limewire or Bittorrent Chinese or Indians?
And how can you say the whole Chinese society or Indian society condones the breaking of the laws? Where have you got first hand information - have you lived in China or India? Are you quoting main stream media?
Agreed there is piracy of DVDs happening from China. And I gave you a reason for that...which does not mean the society condones such a practice.
And law enforcement agencies in Bombay and Shanghai are not as well funded and with resources as the ones in New York or London. So the main priorities will not include cracking DVD pirates. And I have seen pirated DVD or software in 'your cities' too.
Your attitude reminds me of Mary Antoniette - if they cant have bread, why dont they eat cake. If they cannot afford the DVDs on sale, why dont they plainly walk away.
Everyone knows you have to pay back credit cards. But that easy availability of credit sometimes help people in buying stuff beyond their reach. Whether you get into financial trouble or not is different and we will see in the next few years how America copes with its household debt.
So now we have to get into an argument on what is a 'civilized world'!
Most people in the 'civilized world' might use something called a 'credit card' to buy stuff they are unable to afford. I dont think 'they merely walk by' is what happens.
If you are an American just look at the credit card debt carried by US households and you will get an answer if your 'civilized world' merely walks pasts or actually swipes the card.
There are other social/economic factors for piracy of VCDs/DVDs I could've explained...I dont want to do that since your view of 'civilized world' is quite narrow.
China -- where 90 percent of music and movies are pirate copies....
I was in China last month attending one of the biggest audio-visual trade shows.
90 percent of music and movies sold in China and India are way overpriced for the public. For example a DVD costs between $9-$11.
As long as the price remains high piracy will happen...doesnt matter if it is Guiterez or his mother-in-law is the US Anti-Piracy Police Chief.
A few weeks back I was dealing with a top Indian VCD/DVD distributor in Bombay. Later I saw films from his label at the nearest roadside shack selling for Rs.50-100 ($1-$2) with the same label/cover/inlay card/logo/details as the ones available in regular stores. Later I realised it is the same guy who distributes to both the regular stores and the 'pirate'.
This business practice makes sense for the distributor...he makes a profit whether he is selling to a regular store or 'pirate' (a slimmer margin when he sells to the 'pirate'). And we all know the material cost for producing a DVD.
I also heard both original DVDs and duplicates are made in the same factory...which is real socialism.
It is Hare Krishna or the Hare Krishna Movement...the International Society of Krishna Consciousness and not Hari Krishna.
FYI - Krishna is a Hindu god, an avatar of Vishnu, the preserver of the universe. The other two major gods are Brahma, the lord of creation and Shiva, the lord of destruction.
A recent survey of 332 technology decision-makers at large u.s. companies reveals a growing concern over sensitive information leaving the enterprise through email and through USB memory sticks hidden in their employees ass.
In its 2005 study on outbound email security and content issues, email security vendor and ass searching expert Proofpoint found that more than 63% of corporations with 1,000 or more employees either employ or plan to hire workers to read outbound email and search their employees ass when they arrive and leave from work.
It was through the use of these "special" visas that all of the September 11th terrorists secured admittance to the United States. There is virtually no security or monitoring of these special visa holders.
No terrorist entered US using H1 or L1 visas. They entered USA using student visas - it was easy for Saudi citizens to get student visas.
I cannot understand your motive for implying terrorists came to US using H1 or L1 visa. I find your allegation similar to the "Iraq has weapons of mass destruction" argument.
Good rate for T-Mobile - $15 per month is reasonable.
Good tip about London bars and drinking water. I dont believe in bottled water in Western countries - I think it is a waste!!!
You should move out of touristy places for these rates.
In South Bombay you will not get these rates. You have to move to the burbs - Borivli, Thane, Belapur etc.
In Chicago you have to go uptown - on Lawrence Aveneue or Devon.
In London try Kilburn.
You should avoid swanky yuppie STARFUCKY places for these rates and tips are not included.
Basically try working class neighborhoods in any city - rates and quality of food will be decent.
There are good restaurants (not the swanky yuppie joints, but working class ones) in the uptown area of Chicago where you can get a decent meal and a beer for about $10.
Same with London - you should move out of Picadilly and Trafalgar and other touristy spots for these rates. Try Kilburn.
Tips are extra!
I am connected to the web via a cell phone and a USB cable in Bombay. Infact I can be 'anywhere' in this country and get online. The network is generally reliable.
Costs for Rs.600 (about $15) per month with a 1GB download limit. Throughput is twice/thrice of a dialup.
Similar services in Chicago cost much much more with unwieldy annual plans.
Last October I found London had enough open WiFi spots. But that city has not even a single water fountain - wild Brits want you to buy stupid bottles of water for 1 bloody pound.
In Kuwait City airport - one of the big allies of US - there are two public telephones with warning signs - "These instruments are under constant surveillance..." - wild Arabs!!!
Decent dinner for three with a few drinks -
Bombay - $6-10
London - $45-50
Chicago - $20-25
Kuwait - ???
"Men accounted for 71% or nearly 1.9 mln site visitors, compared to the women who comprised 29% or the minority population who visited in March 2005."
The study also disproved the widely held assumption - in the web no one knows you are a dog.
His first film was a true independent film. The subsequent ones had no independent nature whatsover.
Doing your own editing does not make you independent.
IMHO the best example of a true US independent filmmaker is Jim Jarmusch.
And the whole "independent label" is a misnomer.
"legendary independent filmmaker"
He is a filmmaker - but how is he legendary and how is he independent?
Using GMAIL for the last 6-7 months and after deleting spam and unwanted emails, I am now using about 10% (100MB) of the available space.
In an years time I should be approaching 250GB you are talking about.
And I am not storing files.
This is the best comment I heard on film writing.
I am a filmmaker (not from US), an award winning one, and I write my stories for the films I can make.
I dont let anyone touch my scripts. I have few very close friends who go through the script and look for mismatches and an important quality called "truth quotient".
I had serious problems with my actors (who are big name stars) who wanted their ideas to be incorporated on my scripts. Once I told the male lead I will take the necessary changes and later, one day before the shoot I told him I cannot. If I was going to make the changes, I would not make the film.
He got royally pissed. But he co-operated and we made the film. His performance is well regarded and got him a Special Jury Prize at an International Film Festival where the film won the Best Picture Prize.
My gut instincts were right - he is the best actor of his generation, but he has no concept of a script/screenplay. Ditto with your average studio executive, Producers and even your crew.
Why I say the above - I have read more than 100 good screenplays - when I see a good screenplay I understand.
Mike Leigh said he does not differentiate between Writing and Directing.
Now a days, average feature film you see has 3-4 writers - like 3-4 Directors on a single film.
Last year I was travelling the length and breadth of this vast country.
In the last ten years, the biggest changes in India are the spread of ATM's and mobile phones. When the state run BSNL started cellular services in 2002 in rural Indian towns, there were stampedes to get the application form.
What you dont find is decent broadband and good roads. Broadband may happen soon with Reliance Infotech putting fiber. But no chance of roads getting better.
And the country proves the trickle down theory favored by World Bank and IMF will not work. I am yet to see anything trickling down. And the country is liberalising for the last 10 years.
Does that mean liberalisation is bad?
No.