The MS family. Review on Mouthshut

Where should I begin? Reviewing mouthshut.com or “MS” as it is fondly called is truly a herculean task, if ever there was one. And you might have noticed that I’m also showing my pretty face in a video review and I would never stoop to such decadency as being recorded on camera if it wasn’t something special, and mouthshut.com is indeed very special. In the most literal sense, MS is like a family. I know that probably sounds ultra-clichéd but let me expand on that analogy of the “MS family”.

I joined MS back in late 2008, back when I was looking for reviews of the then released Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.Times of India failed to impress me anymore with their reviews and by chance I happened to come across some reviews of the film on this site and I was instantly smitten.

As a young member of the MS family, I soon learned how to operate within the confines of the household. You learnt how to stay grounded whenever another family member brought you the moon and the stars in your praise, you learnt what to say and what not to say at appropriate junctures, you learnt how to handle the more ‘nastier’ remarks, you learnt how to scratch others’ backs, you learnt how to churn out generic “thank yous” whenever your review or diary got featured by the dozen, you learnt whose bad side you can be on and get away with it and whose you can’t. These are just some of the things that a “young” MS family member learns in order to progress in this family. Of course, some of us have mastered this art, while some of us are still learning. I call these the tricks of the trade. But most of all, you learn to get a tub of good butter popcorn if a feud is on before intervening on someone’s behalf.

Just like a family, the MS family’s greatest strength is its forgiving nature. Its always heartening to know that no matter how bad things might have been, people are more than willing to forgive and start afresh. After all, if a family member commits a mistake, we do not reprimand him/her by kicking them out of the house, we scold them and help them get back on track. But there are still others who continuously try their luck and our patience with their notoriety. In these circumstances, the MS family is more than happy to take a sterner stance, with or without the help of our patriarchal heads.

Which family doesn’t have feuds? In my life as a MS family member, I have seen our family reach unprecedented highs and pathetic lows, yet my confidence in the family is unnerved. Yes, sometimes our cries go unheeded and our patriarchal heads seem unmoved, but that does not stop us from coming together to fight menaces from time to time. Where else can you find this but in a family where people come together, forgetting their differences to fight a common menace that threatens to destroy the sanctity of the family whether it is plagiarism, “star”dom, personal attacks, the invasion of fake ids or the DPs of desperate women fiasco. Due to the temporary destruction of sanctity from common threats, we have lost some great family members, but we’ve also gained some new ones, who have grown on us with time because of the infinite charm that they possess. Each member brings with them a freash outlook, a new way of handling things, a new way of communication, a new opinion on age old issues and just adds to the great variety that is already at display on the site which makes it infinitely more tantalising.

The “Elders” of the family are ever present to help new members or just keep a healthy environment in which the family thrives. If things get monotonous and boring, new initiatives by fellow family members make sure that boredom is left alone at the boardroom. In fact, MS is anything but a review site. It’s a site where people come together to express their views on any topic under the hill uninhibited. Just like a family where other members share their opinions and views on topics and how they feel about incidents in their lives, MS family members are also not afraid to share their lives and ask for help from other family members if the need arises. MS is not just about reviewing books, movies, technology, television, holiday destinations, icons, cuisines etc, it is equally about sharing our lives with our fellow family members and realising what a huge role they play in shaping our views as individuals.

The parents of the family are always blamed whenever their children commit mistakes. Most of the time, the MS family is mature enough to resort issues amongst themselves without disturbing the powers that be. But on some issues, the family is unable to come to resolutions, or is powerless to implement them with the aid of patriarchal heads. It is in these scenarios that there is a crisis of faith and disillusionment. It is difficult to fathom, but there are situations in which even the patriarchal heads are powerless. This is the generation gap. Parents complain that the children do not understand the responsibilities that they as parents have whilst the children complain that the parents are turning a deaf ear to their problems in their time of need. Which family does not have this generation gap problem?

The children only complain because they are worried and passionate about the course that this family will take in the future. Complain and concern share a mutual bond. You complain because you care. Now it remains to be seen what impact the perceived ignorance of the patriarchal heads has on the family. It is time for another batch of sparrows to leave the nest forever? Or are the problems that our family faces too big even for the patriarchal heads to solve? Will this mean that sticking together as the MS family is our only hope? Only time will tell. Till then, I wish the very best to my MS family, a family that is gifted with the most incredible individuals, without whom, a part of me would be incomplete.