America's got talent. Have you?

I imagine all Indians chasing me with their clubs, sparrows, axes, and swords in their hands when I pose such a question to them. Their creations without a speck of imagination and streak of originality speak volumes of their poverty of ideas.The series of very old and not so popular movies of yester years watched constantly on my T.V. gave me a fair idea of what extent our so called great directors and movie makers were seriously engaged in plagiarism. They were receiving their laurels and national awards for stealing themes, music and concepts, never bothering to acknowledge their indebtedness to international cinema.

They can be forgiven for their old wine being served under a a changed label, as they were at least accredited with few of their own. Now all of them are seriously engaged in administering large doses of plagiarized T.V. Programmes. All the dirt and filth which is shown here is conveniently transported to our viewers with least discrimination. They want their judges to be brutally frank to the extent of wickedness.(Thanks Raghu for Rodies.) Reality shows, a new germ which has been transmitted, show every moment of a person except defecating. Dance contests are forced to be acrobatics breaking many bones and ribs. American Idol, Are you smarter than fifth grader? You think you can dance? food channels, news channels, slapstick comedies, serials with multiple marriages and ever youthful grannies, crime investigations and hospitals, ghost serials, police files, name it we have no hesitation in copying all of them. They might be facing lot of problems in adopting "The moment of truth" and "Wife Swap" to the Indian environment, which I suspect still awaiting for their turn to be rubbed on our heads.

Many good things which happened in this world are inspired. But any inspiration should be good enough to enrich our own. Are we drained out of ideas? Still I believe that we have great pool of talent. Is it so imperative that we forget our own creativity and be copy cats? Can't we find any thing worthy in our long standing tradition of art? Look at them. They imitate no body.They do what is right for them. But how worth is our mindless imitation? All the crap which suits a person on an altogether different continent should necessarily fit you? All the incoherent questions clutter my mind. It is not just about conceiving a programme.I certainly do not underestimate the power of visual media.