By Rachana Mirpuri

I rolled up the windows and waited in the passenger side of my cousin’s gray beaten down Toyota Corolla in downtown Miami. Since I was alone, I quickly connected my iPod to the car’s power port and selected ‘Play’ on the song I knew by heart, that I had listened to hundreds of times since it first came out in 1995. Soon the wispy notes of a piano, guitar, and his hauntingly beautiful voice wafted all around me, holding me close in a cloud of loss. Spread out on my lap before me was the New York Times dated June 26, 2009, with Michael Jackson’s regal red coat, aviator sunglasses, jet black hair and his effulgent smile looking out at me, barely any distance between us.

“Another day has gone and I’m still all alone, how could this be… you’re not here with me.”

I had known one day this day would come. I remember I even tried to imagine to myself how I would feel, how the world would react to losing the biggest household name and entertainer that ever lived, but I couldn’t do it. It just felt too strange. But here it is, it happened; and it still feels so strange to acknowledge a world without the King of Pop, to listen to his songs and realize that he is gone for good. I grew up with Michael Jackson’s legendary videos constantly on MTV and had sleepless nights because of his Thriller video. I procrastinated with Billie Jean on my headphones and grew a great attachment to his persona and his god-given talents. Unfortunately I never had the chance to see him perform live in person but I was hoping to this year in London. I’m jealous of the people who say “Yes, I’ve been to a Michael Jackson concert” because that fact alone, has so much value. While my sisters were fawning over Michael Jackson with his sequined white glove and his moonwalk during the Bad World Tour in 1988 (the biggest tour by a solo performer that broke multiple records and turnout at venues; he set a new Guinness World Record with seven sold-out concerts), I was left behind at home. Eight years old, wearing a fedora hat, I spun and flipped my arms the way he did it, capping it off with the crotch-grabbing move. Oh, he was incredible.

We all saw it…

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Is Veganism a cult?
Umm, yeah. We have secret meetings and sign our names in our own blood. Of course it isn’t.

A Rock Metal band then?
No although there are a lot of punk and rock bands that advocate it.

What is Veganism and is it contagious?
It’s a philosophy of life and yes, I think it’s contagious. Veganism is a philosophy that is based on peace and the idea of respect for all sentient beings. Vegans believe that humans have no right to use animals for our own ends. A vegan is a person who does not consume and avoids using any products that come from animals, including meat, dairy, leather, fur, wool, etc.

Vegans believe that since animals have the capacity to suffer physically just like humans, and that they have the capacity to suffer mentally in many ways similar to humans, we have no right to abuse or exploit them. It is true that animals cannot reason as we can, or are “more stupid” than us, but how does that give us the right to use them? I’d like to mention a famous quote by Jeremy Bentham that goes with that sentiment:

“The question is not, ‘Can they reason?’ nor, ‘Can they talk?’ but rather, ‘Can they suffer?’”

We are spared the sight of slaughterhouses – all we see is what ends up on our plate and we do not think of it as being a once-living, sentient being. But if we all saw the suffering, I know things would be different for most people.

Is there a rivalry between the Vegans and Jains?
Not that I know of?

How does Veganism differ from Vegetarianism?
Vegetarians do not eat the flesh of animals, while vegans go beyond that and do not eat or use anything that comes from animals.

So taking into account the number of Vegans, Vegetarians and Jains, if there was a war between the three groups, who would win?
That’s a peculiar question but since you asked, probably the vegetarians since there are so many more of them….vegans are pretty passionate about their beliefs and might carry that into the battle, but I do not think they would do well against the number of vegetarians out there.

What usually turns someone into a Vegan; is there a common turning point amongst most people?
Numerous people attribute their decision to becoming vegan to a book by Peter Singer called ‘Animal Liberation’. The book talks about the ethics behind being vegetarian or vegan and the conditions of animals in factory farms. Many call the book the bible of the animal rights movement. It’s kind of what really got the ball moving on activism for animals.

Others say they turned vegan or vegetarian from learning about the conditions in factory farms from other sources such as pamphlets and videos from animal rights organizations and activists.

Do Vegans have a leader, the Head Vegan perhaps, and how long has this cult been around?
I do not have the authority to disclose that information.

How long has Veganism been around?
I know it’s been around a very long time…but it’s been picking up in popularity lately.

How does one become a Vegan – is registration and a fee required?
Some people turn cold turkey and just stop eating meat, eggs, and dairy all at once but that is not too common. Usually people transform in stages – most of the vegans I know were vegetarian first, and then turned vegan after a few years or so. I think that is the best way to go – it gives your body time to adjust, and it lets you learn the different non-meat foods out there so you know what else there is to eat before you take the next step.

How about some sort of incentive, like a free T-Shirt or a 401k plan?
Nope. The only incentive, which I think is a great one, is the knowledge that you are living a more compassionate lifestyle and are not contributing to animal suffering.

Does Vegansim have any religious connotations?
People have linked it to any religion’s preaching of compassion and nonviolence, so religion can be used to back up veganism.

Is Veganism itself a religion, belief or faith?
Not really. It’s more of an extension of the belief that animals are not ours to use.

Do Vegans wear a uniform, tattoo or have any other form of branding so they can be identified?
Nope, we blend right in with ‘normal people’.

What if a Vegan consumes non-Vegan products by mistake, are they to spend eternity in Vegan purgatory?
That happens all the time because it is very hard to know exactly what goes into the foods and products you use. So no, they do not go to vegan purgatory, they just try to avoid it next time.

What does one have to do if they wanted to leave the Vegan band and go solo? Is there a prayer or ritual, a Virgin Sacrifice perhaps?
They can’t ever leave.

Good for Vegans cause you’d be hard pressed to find a Virgin to sacrifice in this day and age, am I right or am I right?
Yeah you probably are.

Does your kind go from door to door in robes trying to convert people to your faith?
We do not need to do that. Like I said before, veganism is contagious. We try to educate people on why we made the decision to make the switch, not by going door to door, though, and usually they see our point of view.

Do you Vegans congregate around a fire in the dark of night and chant spells?
You’d have to join them in order to find out.

Is it true that your kind are allergic to sunlight, garlic and holy water and the only way to get rid of you is a wooden stake through the heart? Also, you should know I have a stake under my chair so no sudden movements, capiche?
Why would I tell you how to get rid of vegans? And I think you’re probably thinking of Vampires.

Vampires? But I thought you were Vegan!
That’s it, this interview is over!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Ms.Sunaina Chugani for taking the time out to help shed light on the topic of Veganism and for being such a good sport about it.

Movie : SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Grade : A+

Directed by : Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach)

Starring : Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Madhur Mittal, Irrfaan Khan, Mahesh Manjrekar.

Inspired by : Vikas Swarup’s Novel “Q&A”.

Short Story : Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a tea boy in a call center in Mumbai. In search of his long lost love Lathika (Freida Pinto) he manages to get selected as a contestant in the Indian Version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”, hoping that she would see him on television and they would be re-united. Things take a drastic turn when Jamal is a question away from winning the top prize and is arrested under suspicion of cheating. During the interrogation Jamal gives an account of how he knew the quiz answers and what significance the questions had in his life.

Suspension of Belief : To say this film is good is an understatement, this film is probably one of the best films ever made in the history of cinema and maybe even one of the best films you will see in your lifetime, films just don’t get any better than this. This film coming from Danny Boyle, the British director of “Trainspotting” & “The Beach” is quite unusual because it’s basically a film with an entirely Indian soul masterfully crafted and handled by Boyle. Simon Beaufoy’s screenplay is brilliant, he will without doubt win each and every trophy for Best Adapted Screenplay this awards season, the screenplay is a text book for upcoming screenplay writers. The Cinematography is like a canvas painting, no one has ever shot Mumbai so beautifully. AR Rahman’s background music has taken him to a different league, he has garnered 3 Academy Award nominations for his work on the film. Every aspect of the filmmaking excels in every department. Danny Boyle has been successful in raking out fantastic performances from his cast which mainly comprises of novices. The SAG award received by the film for Best Ensemble Cast is truly deserved because the film does not lie on the shoulders of a single cast member but on all the performances combined. The one performance which deserves a special mention is of Ayush Mahesh Khedekar as the little Jamal, it’s quite a performance. This film is something special, even if you don’t watch movies watch this one, it’s not just a movie it’s an experience of a lifetime which cannot be missed. 10 Academy Award Nominations, need I say more?

What you didn’t know : Danny Boyle initially was to shoot the entire film in English but later realized that in order to keep things realistic, a lot of it had to be shot in Hindi.

Working Title : “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire “

Review by Amit Jumani – amitny@aol.com

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