Seventeen Tomatoes...

Kash aisa hota...par hua kuch yun

2008-06-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

As I was working on a Lotus Notes issue at work, something snapped. "Oh, its just my cuff button that has become undone"... or so I thought. "Oh No, my button actually fell off" Panic Attack!! I took the button and put it in my pocket, knowing very well that now my next job will be to find someone who can stitch it back. I know I know, most people will roll their eyes and maybe say, "...that's so damn easy". Oh Well, this needs a bit of history...

**Flashback with a very weird background score**

I belong to an Army background with my Dad, Grandpa, Uncles, Aunts, all following the Army tradition. Being in Army has its advantages and disadvantages but we will start with advantages that turned out to be my disadvantages later in life. We had a "Helper" for almost everything throughout my Army life. There was this main Helper, who would do all the house chores including getting groceries and canteen ka samaan. There there was a cook who would come occasionally for parties, there was a driver for our jeeps and jongas, there was a dhobi for washing and pressing all the clothes and believe it or not there was also shoe-polish guy who would come to polish Dad's shoes (as in Army shoes tells a lot about person's rank and all, its almost a izzat-ka-sawaal). Rest of the things were taken care by Ma. Anyways, the point is that by the time I graduated from school, I had hardly done any chore myself. Now you would say, "that's not a very nice thing...blah blah" but that's how it was.

After my 12th grade in Dehradoon, I got admission in Engineering college in Karnataka and moved to the hostel and that's where the sayapa (problems in Punjabi) started. My expectations were very low. Kash aisa hota, if someone could wake me up at 6 am with a glass of warm milk, then the bucket in washroom would magically fill up with hot water, the clothes would be ready to wear by the time shower was done, breakfast would be ready on the table, shoe would ofcourse be polished and someone would hand me the tiffin, as I would head to my classes.

But alas, ...par hua kuch yun, my friend would bang at my door saying "uth jaa hero, kab tak karishma ke sapne leta rahega" (Karishma Kapoor was the Priyanka Chopra of that time), warm milk ke jagah subah subah warm gaaliyan sunne ko miltee, the bucket would have to be carried to the washroom and the water would be as cold as Vijay Mallya after the first IPL season, the clothes would be as crushed as Shahid after being dumped by Kareena, breakfast would have to be taken in the Mess with everyone fighting for parathas as Amitabh and SRK fight for TRP ratings, shoes would be as dirty as Salman's jokes in Dus ka Dum and there would be no concept of tiffin.

The moral of the above rant is that with time every chore was learnt albeit the hard way. Now, I can cook my own meals, press my own clothes, do laundry, polish my shoes, prepare my own tiffin etc etc but the one thing that still eludes me is shirt ka button lagana. So, if someone knows how to stitch a button, please contact me with precise instructions in my comment box. Dhanayawad !!

Singing Dakus

2008-05-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Music has no language but it doesn't hurt if it is in your own language. My first memory of music was the Cibaca/Binaca Geetmala that Mom would listen every night with the mesmerizing voice of Ameen Sayani as the host. It was always preceded by almost as haunting voice declaring, "Yeh Akashvani hain, ab aap sunege Ammen Sayani ke saath, Binaca Geetmala", the early Indian version of top ten songs of the week. Me and Mom will sit around our radio, which was as big as some of today's tv sets, and wait for the Geetmala to begin.

My other early musical encounter(s) came through my Dadajee who was a fan of Urdu shayaris and ghazals. He used to write shayari in chaste Urdu as a young man and according to him had written a diary of Urdu couplets. But he failed to grab that diary when leaving Pakistan during the partition (because at that time everyone believed that they will one day return back home) and it was one of his greatest regret that he did. He never wrote shayari again but didn't forget to appreciate the beautiful tradition either. I always shared a very special relationship with my Dadajee, maybe because I was the first son in the family (or that's how my cousins put it across me). One of the many things that my Dadajee passed me was his love for good shayaris and ghazals. He was a big fan of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and the moment he would start singing, the whole house would reverberate with wah wahs from Dadajee.

My Dadajee was also a big fan of pair of classical Punjabi Sufi singers, Wadali Brothers (Puranchand and Pyarelal Wadali). For him the world would stop when the brothers would come on tv. Those were the days of Doordarshan and in order to promote Indian arts, there would always be segments of classical dancers and singers. Whenever Wadali brothers would come, me and my brother will run to Dadajee and shout, "Dadajee, Daku aa gayee, Daku". He would leave whatever he was doing and sit infront of the tv with a loud wah wah. We would call the brothers Daku because they had a very rustic look and infact looked like Dacoits to us.

My Dadajee passed away few years back and with time so did my memory of Singing Dakus. On my recent trip to India, as I was shopping through a Mall, my ears caught sound of a familiar voice. It was the sufistic voice of Kailash Kher from his new album and the song was, Saiyaan. The voice was so mesmerizing that I almost followed it with my cousin to the Music World from where it was coming. As I was going through CDs in the sufi section, I caught a glimpse of Singing Dakus and all the memories of My Dadajee came rushing back. I got their "Treasured Moments" CD and it was almost like a piece of memory in a little shiny disc.

After coming to Canada, I downloaded the songs on my iPod and started listening them every evening on my way from work. Apart from all the memories, it was the beautiful tradition of classical Punjabi Sufi folk music, that made me fall in love with their music all over again. Almost every song has a story associated with the rural life of old Punjab (incl. Pakistan side of it), whether its a story of Laila Majnu or Bulle Shah or some other sufi fakir or Guru Nanak. The songs are sung in old traditional Punjabi which has a certain softness to it despite of the harsh but deep throated voices of the singers. Every song is a masterpiece straight out of Punjabi folklore.

Ghoonghat Chak Ve Sajna starts with a beautiful redention of Bulle Shah's poetry with the writer asking a philosiphical question, "Bulle shah kehnde ne, padh padh aap mufazil baneyo, kadhi apne aap nu padiya nayee..." [Bulle Shah says, you have studied and studied and can explain everything, but have you ever read yourself?]. The song is sung very differently from the version sung by Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab. The art of injecting stories within the song makes it very unique.

Ve Sone Diyan Kangna is another song which is one of my favorites where they render stories about Laila Majnu and poetry of Waaris Shah in a beautiful way. The song is infused with sufi music about love with some amazing lines like, "...Ishq waaliyan de renda sadaa yaar saamne..." [For those in love, the lover always remain in fromt of (eyes)]. Another beautiful way love is expressed is the way they tell the stories from the love story Laila Majnu. One my my favourite story goes like this...

Majnu saab Laila de aashiq saan. Jis vele school jaana tee Laila da naam hee likhde see. "Mere Laila mera rabb hain. Mera mehboob mera khudaah hain." Apne Laila tohn baigaar khudh nu khudh nahin samjheya, Laila nu khuda samjheya. Jis tarah Pir Bulle Shah kehnde ne, "Na tu saada rabb na asee tere bande, naa asee maare marde, jis jannat da tu maan karda, tere jannat vich nayee varde."

Majnu ne apne Laila nu khuda maneya, tee aake phatti tee Laila da naam likh denda hain. Maulvi jee kehnde, kee likh reeya hain. Majnu saab kehnde, kya likhun. Kehte, khuda ka naam likh. Majnu saab kehnde, khuda kaun hain? Maulvi ne kaha jisse La-eh-lah kehte hain. Majnu saab kehte, wohi toh main likh raha hoon. Woh kehta tu toh Laila likhta hain. Kehta nahin, aap La-eh-lah kehte ho main Laila kehta hoon.

Khuda ne khush hoke Mujnu ko inaam deeya aur kaha, Majnu ko bula ke leke aao. Mujnu saab kya jawaab dete hain...

"Farishte jaa kaha Majnu, tujhe Allah bulata hain...
Mujnu saab kehte, kya woh mujhe dekhna chahta hain...
Mujnu unke paas kyun jaaye, Mujnu unke paas kyun jaaye...
Agar Khuda ko zaroorat hain toh Laila bann ke aa jayein..."

Each and every song makes me appreciate the musical taste of my Dadajee and the wonderful tradition of Punjabi folk music. The album is indeed my treasured moments of the Singing Dakus and all the memories associated with them.

Man Vs Machine - Who will win this race?

2008-04-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful evening and after doing all my chores it was time to relax a bit. I had the evening to myself as my brother had gone to his college, preparing for his impending exams. I prepared my lunch and played the movie, Naya Daur, the Dvd of which I got from the library yesterday. This was the new colored version of the 1957 Dilip Kumar-Vyjayanthimala classic.

My favourite song from the movie, Uden Jab Jab Zulfein tere

The movie was released 10 years after India's independence, when the country was going through a transition phase. India was struggling between the Industrialization of the country vs. the human factor which is the main resource of this vast country. The story like most Indian stories was also about friendship, love, jealousy, family and faith. But like most stories of that era, the movie raised some questions and surprisingly most of those questions are still relevant. The questions about man vs. machine, growing India vs. forgotten India, progress vs. human cost of that progress. As India is growing these questions are becoming more and more important. Questions which cannot be ignored if the progress has to be real.

Uden Jab Jab Zulfein tere in Black and White

Recently there have been lot of news about vegetable hawkers and small store owners threating the new organized retail sector to close down their stores. In some cases they have been successful because the Government is worried about their vote bank. The question is, who is right? Are the big corporations like Reliance ethical in opening vegetable marts across that country, where they can leverage their power to bring down the prices? Or are the vegetable hawkers wrong in closing down these big chains rather than competing with them on equal terms? What about the consumers, do they prefer buying their vegetables after some bargaining and getting some dhania for free or do they prefer to go into air-conditioned shops and buy the freshest vegetables at lowest prices?

The movie is about two friends who get divided by the same girl they fall in love with. The movie takes a dramatic turn when the village which is solely dependent on the forest industry and tongas (horse carts) for taking the passengers of the local train to the villages nearby, encounters machines. In the movie, son of the landlord of that area returns from the city and brings with him machines to replace people in sawmills. Suddenly half of the village is unemployed and the rest of the village, the tonga-wallas, face the same fate when the landlord decides to ply a bus to take train passengers to the village. Protagonist of the movie, Dilip Kumar's character, goes to meet the landlord's son to settle the isue.

Rest of the story surprised me for a very different reason. Second part of the movie was eerily similar to the movie Lagaan. Replace the Britishers in Lagaan with landlord's son, replace the Aamir Khan's Bhuvan with Dilip Kumar's Shankar, replace the cricket match with race between a tonga and the bus, and there you have essentially the same movie. I am surprised that not many reviewers were able to catch the similarity. The scene where Bhuvan accepts the bet is exactly same as Shankar taking the bet from landlord for the race. The climax cricket match with the whole village watching is again eerily similar to climax race between tonga and the bus. Ashutosh should be commended for taking the story and moulding it very smartly. But the credit for the story should goto the original writers and B R Chopra for portraying such a forward-thinking story with the backdrop of rustic village life, which brings me to another related question. Why have the so-called Bollywood moved away from the story of villages.

For a country where 70% of the population is still living in villages, its an irony that only two significant movies, Swades and Lagaan, have been village based in recent times. Is it because 30% of India is now earning more than the 70%? A cinema which had its heart in the villages of India is now catering to the NRI audience while conveniently forgetting the same people that supported it all this while. It seems the progress in Hindi Cinema has left behind the forgotten-ones. The thought makes the movie Naya Daur even more ironic. It seems men (and women) with money, foreign visas and machines have left behind the men with the plough once and for all.

...and a blackout

2008-04-07T00:32:00.000-07:00

...the first thing that I noticed was a familiar picture taken by Marlee inside the bookshop, the shot of an older lady reading the book "nudes". My eyes started wandering for a familiar face that I had never met. And there she was, sitting in red against a red background and almost meshing within it except for a beautiful smile that greeted me. I wouldn't lie but there was an initial awkwardness from my side but it all vanished by the time we sat on the couch. We started talking where we had left in our chats, smses and phone conversations. My first impressions of Marlee was that she was a beautiful girl with a certain innocence about her that reflected in her writings too. She gave me a wonderful scarf from her native Assam while I didn't got her anything, not even the damn red roses. After some iced tea, we decided to go for lunch and I left it onto her to decide since Delhi was like a strange dream to me after so many years.

We decided to go to a Chinese place, Bercos, where I had been before once, long time back. The place was crowded like anything but we managed to find a table for two. I told Marlee to order and almost wished she wouldn't order any kind of dish with silkworms in it (just kidding). Jokes apart, the food was delicious and we were full in no time. Marlee had told me about a Delhi Blogger's Meet that she had been invited to the same day and we decided to join them in the evening. We still had an hour to go, so we decided to goto the Central Park and relax under the winter sun. We called our common and dear friend Mehak from there and it was almost an extension of our chatting sessions together.

Blogger's Meet was in Blue's pub and we walked into some really good music. Marlee met and then introduced me to Lalit, the blogger that had invited her for the meet. There were about 10-15 other bloggers that we had never met online or otherwise. We found a seat at the corner of the table beside a journalist from a national newspaper. We introduced ourselves to few bloggers but were almost feeling out of place as most of them knew each other and were also serious bloggers. It has to be said that Lalit really took very good care of us and in no time we were mingling with bloggers and having the Blogger's meet cake.

It was surprising that couple of bloggers knew me as Seventeen tomatoes but had never commented on my blog and vice-versa. The most surprising part came when one of the bloggers asked me if I knew Harry and I said that I have a cousin named Harry. As it turned out my Bua's son was one of the founders of Delhi's Bloggers Meet. Suddenly everyone was referring me as Harry's cousin. We had couple of drinks and it was almost time for us to leave. We made short videos about blogging and what it meant to us, for the organizers and left. My parents had to pick me up while Marlee's friend had to accompany her. So, we called them at a common place where I introduced my parents to her and then it was time to leave. We had made some plans to meet again but as I said earlier my plans never turn out as planned.

I don't remember when I met Neetie online but its like I have always known her. She used to write poetry but would change her blog-address every time. She would come to my blog once a month and tell me the link to her new blog. With time I was able to convince her to stick to one blog and she eventually did. Suddenly we were chatting everyday and despite of the fact she was very shy, we opened up to each other. It has been a wonderful journey to not only see her grow over time but become a confident and independent girl. Although, with time she almost left blogging and would meet me online once in a blue moon but our friendship remained as strong as it ever was. We would talk about our lives where we had left the last time and the conversation will always flow. I had promised her that I will meet her whenever I would come to India. She would ask me everytime, "Tu kab aa raha hain?" And here I was in India, but again like all my plans, something or the other would come up. First time even though I was in her area since my Bua lives there, it was pretty late when she returned from work and we decided to meet sometime else. Other time she took a holiday to meet me but I had a Doctor's appointment and that plan was canceled too.

It was my last week in Delhi and my Uncle from US was visiting. We once again went to our Bua's place and I called Neetie. She was leaving work and it was late-ish evening. She told me that she will try to see if her cab-driver can drop her near my Bua's place. She called again when she was near our place and told me that she was unable to find our street although she was very near. I told her to wait and I would come to the main road to meet her. As soon as I left, the city blacked out. Here I was, who had no idea about the place, had never met this friend and looking for her without any lights on the streets. I was running from one corner of the street to another, talking to Neetie on phone when she suddenly asked me what I was wearing. I turned back and there she was accompanied by one of her cab-mates who left as soon as I waved her. I crossed the road and met her where she gave me a shy smile. Again after a second of awkwardness we were talking like we knew each other since ages. By the time we reached my Bua's place we were very comfortable with each other. I introduced her to my extended family, including my parents, bua, chachi and even Marshaal, bua's Labrador. This had to be the most awkward way to meet a Blogger, with your whole extended-family in toe. But I was more than impressed with how Neetie handled herself. I could not believe it was the same shy girl who wouldn't even go out of her house for days. It helped that she had met my parents even before she had met me (Post: Meet my parents). We ended up talking mostly about stocks as she is in the stock industry and my Dad has invested in some stocks as well. It was already late and her fiancee was at my Bua's place to pick her up. We bade good-byes and she was away within only half hour of meeting me. Next day she called me and said that never for a second she felt that she was meeting me for the first time and I told her that the feeling was mutual. My only regret was not to attend her wedding which was in two weeks time. Few days back when she showed me her wedding snaps, it was like I was there with her during her happiest hour. As she would always say to me "God Bless !!"

I wish I had met some more bloggers but am sure there will be a time and place for each one of them. I am just thankful that all my blogger friend's made me feel so welcome back home. I can't wait to be back among them soon but this time there will be no plans.

A tale of a rose, a blackout and lots of tring trings (and a sms)...

2008-03-23T22:04:00.001-07:00

I was looking forward to the trip of India for more than one reasons and one of that was to meet some bloggers. Blogging for me started as a way to share my reviews on books and led me to some wonderful friendships. Best thing about these friendships were that these were very different from my "real-life" friendships. I had made quite special friendships all over India during my growing years. My Dad's regular postings made sure that we moved every 2-3 years and I would have to start making those friendships all over again. Most of those friendships would start by scanning the new classroom and looking for kids who had a certain look, whether because they looked studious or helpful or sons/daughters of Army officers. As it turned out, blogging was different. I started visiting blogs based on thoughts/writings of people rather than a "certain" look. And, so I had made friends from all over the world, from every imaginable religious/social/economic/regional background. I made friends with people (mostly gals...ok I confess) that I wouldn't had made even if we were studying in the same school/classroom. This fact made my trip all the more exciting.

I started getting calls on my parents cellphone even before I landed in India (you know who you are...lol). I got calls from almost all my friends during the trip and even if some of them missed to call me, I knew that they only had good wishes for me. I also received few very surprising and wonderful smses from across the border. All these gestures made bloggers all the more real to me. It also made my trip back home very welcoming.

I had made lots of plans before leaving for India and this trip taught me that not all plans come to fruition. My trip to Bangalore/Hyderabad was canceled after my Didi decided to come to Delhi instead and my parents didn't wanted me to go away as it was already a very short trip. I know some of the bloggers from those cities had made some plans and am really sorry for not making that happen. There is always next time but the next time there won't be any premature planning. And then there were some local plans in Delhi that led me to believe that there is always time and place for everything. Myself and one of my first blogger friend, Payal, made atleast 2-3 plans to meet after landing in Delhi but something or the other came up and so it was not meant to be on this trip. It would have been a pleasure to meet her and will be a pleasure when we meet someday later.

Now this trip was not only about disappointments. There were more than a couple of bloggers that I was able to meet during the trip. Surprisingly, I met some bloggers that I had never planned to meet or for that matter knew them through blogs. As I said before, there is a time and place for everything.

My first meet was with a smart, sexy and intelligent girl from North East part of our country, Marlee. I met Marlee through Mehak's blog and somehow found a certain innocence in her posts and comments. There was something refreshing about those everyday posts and we became friends pretty soon. It wasn't long before we started chatting and at one time were sending smses from our breaks at work almost everyday. Even though we have such different personalities, we actually had few little things in common, whether it was some yaadein about Shillong or our sense of humor (although mine is way better than hers).

Marlee had once told me about her favourite bookshop and so we decided to meet there itself as we both love reading. As we were deciding where to meet and all, I joked with her that you can recognize me because mere haath main ek laal gulab hoga. For some reason she found it hilarious and warned me not to meet her if that will be the case. Anyways, the place was decided and I was there few minutes early (its a better way to say that she was late by few minutes). So, I thought to go around CP and actually look for that one rose but to my disappointment there were no flower shops near that bookshop. I was able to find a really cheesy plastic rose from a street vendor but the guy selling won't sell me one piece but wanted me to take the whole damn guldasta. I knew that one rose will give me a kick in the rear but the whole guldasta will make Marlee one of the Charlie's Angel's and myself the innocent villian. So, I didn't buy it but this whole process had made me late by few minutes and had to rush to the bookshop. Now like an idiot I was waiting for her outside the shop while she was sitting inside, in the comfort of the place. It took us 2 cell calls to figure out where we were. And so I went inside the bookshop in anticipation of meeting my first blogger friend.

(to be contd.)

...the bad and the ugly

2008-03-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Every country has flaws but sometimes we become oblivious to them. Its when we go out of our environment that we notice those flaws more prominently but on the other hand we also notice flaws of the new environment when compared to the older one. The bad and the ugly side of India is not to put it down or glorify its flaws but its an observation from the outside by an NRI (Non Required Indian, ofcourse) ...

On my way to India, I was sitting next to a South Korean girl and after the initial awkwardness we started talking. She was going to India for the first time with few of her friends who were sitting on the other aisle. She took out her guidebook and started asking me about places to visit. I like a home-sick NRI started glorifying India like its the only heaven on earth and angels will come to take these South Koreans on tour of their lifetime. That was until my plane landed at Indira Gandhi Airport and I entered the immigration area. The first words on coming out was WTF (not the words I had originally thought while listening to music of Swades on the way). I had never seen so much confusion in my lifetime. There was construction going on for the new airport and so the one that was operational was as bad as it could get. There was dust everywhere and no one to help the way out. I had to help an old couple fill up the immigration form as there was no help offered by the airport staff. There was so much confusion at the baggage area that my only hope was that my baggage will come out fine. But like everything in India, amidst all the confusion everything turns out just fine and so did my baggage. As I was leaving the airport to look for my parents my thoughts went for those simple South Koreans and what must have been there first thoughts of "Incredible India".

The new airport plan for Delhi - the faster it comes to fruition the better.

The other bad part was encountered as I left the airport and that was our Dilli ka traffic. Ok, I will agree that every NRI gets a road-shock with our traffic, no matter if the same person would have been zooming through the same traffic 7 years back like he owned those roads. For me it was crossing the roads which was an hassle in itself. I remember the first day we went to the Great India Mall and we had to cross the road to goto the Gurudwara on the opposite side. It took me and Mom close to half hour to cross a damn road while people were crossing the road like they were all on suicide watch. Despite the Metro, traffic is bad enough but its the traffic sense of Delhites that makes it worse. People cross the red-lights like they don't exist and horn is used more than steering wheels while driving. I dreaded going out only for one reason and that was the traffic. It takes ages to go from one place to another and the pollution can make any sane person insane within 10 kms range. I think roads can be improved, transportation can be improved, pollution can be checked but how can we improve the traffic sense of millions of people.

The traffic is everywhere except where it should be.

Among all this confusion the most funny part was that couple of fully-functional flyovers were closed because the authorities were unable to find a bloody neta to inaugurate it. I dread the day when Nano will hit the road because where are the roads? According to a report if all the cars on Delhi start running there will be only 450 meters of road left in Delhi. Atleast that will fit few Nanos.

Ok, I haven't come to the ugly part yet. I wouldn't say there were any "really" ugly parts to my trip but there were a couple of incidents that bordered on ugliness. The first incident does not reflect majority of Indians or for that matter Delhites but it was still an ugly incident to go through. We were waiting for our red light on the way to Faridabad and like almost every red-light there were poor kids begging for money. One of the kid went to couple of guys sitting on their bikes and asked "Bhaiya, kuch paise de do, mere behen ke shaadi hain". The guys starting laughing mockingly and replied back, "Abey tere behen ke shaadi bhi ho jayegi, chinta kyun karta hain" and then had a hearty laugh. For me it was the most disgusting incident to witness on the whole trip. I can imagine that it is not fiscally possible to give money to every person asking on the streets but who gives right to people to pass judgments on someone's poverty and that too in such a sarcastic cruel manner.

I had a pretty long conversation with my cousin who was visiting from US about something relating to above when we were passing through McDonald's and she bought couple of Mac burgers for some kids selling roses outside. I argued that its all good to buy stuff for these kids but most people living in India would say that NRIs come here once every blue moon, throw some pennies at the poor and then go away to their "good" life but we have to face them at every street corner everyday. I don't think we came to any conclusion but the fact that if that kid can eat good food one night then what's the harm.

The last ugly part of the trip was where it all started, the departure lounge of the airport. Its sad but there was more security in Malls than at the airport and there must be atleast million people leaving that day. It was so bad that I couldn't even properly say bye to my family. Inside the airport was craziness personified. Although, I was at airport 3 hours before my flight, I barely made it few minutes before. A British lady almost had a nervous breakdown with the kinda of rush and heat. The ugliest part was one American white guy paying bribe to get infront of the line and airport official allowing him with a certain casualness. The first thing I did after the security check-in was to call my parents and warn them not to go outside India till the new airport is built. I was huffing and puffing by the time I reached my flight and was considering it a miracle that was able to board the flight in one piece, which was thankfully 1/2 hour late because of a snow-storm in China.

Even after all this there is something about India that makes you miss it the moment your flight takes the wings. All the bad and ugliness seem very minuscule compared to all the love and affection you get from your own people. I am already missing it and looking forward to my next trip....errr...after the new airport is fully functional.

P.S: Hindustan Times article regarding more counters, entry gates at Delhi Int'l Airport soon...

Good, Bad and the Ugly...

2008-02-24T04:16:00.000-08:00

A trip to India is always special as you come across the irony of the country where good, bad and the ugly co-exist with a scary understanding between each other. The special part about my trip was that there was far much good, far less bad and patches of ugliness. The immortal line from Rang De Basanti seems to be coming true, "Koi country perfect nahin hoti, usee perfect banana padhta hain". I hope in this effort of making the country perfect, we don't forget some of the imperfections that make the country all the more special.

The Good(s)

One thing that has transformed Delhi forever is the start of Metro. For me, Metro is a 21st century miracle almost comparable to building Taj Mahal in the 17th century. It may seem like an exaggeration but the truth is that Metro has put Delhi ahead of any other city in India atleast when it comes to transportation. The miracle is the speed, the smoothness and the efficiency, with which the whole operation is running. Infact, when the whole debate about Bharat Ratna was going in India, the first person that came to my mind was Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, the man behind the miracle called Metro. My experience on the Metro was great. I always wanted to take a ride even though have been on countless similar subways because c'mon this is Delhi's Metro, it has to be special. I loved the security, the efficient and unique ticketing system, the frequency of service and cleanliness of the place. Hats off to everyone responsible for making it possible!!

Metro Station entrance at CP

Although, there are Malls everywhere you look around, it was good to see that Mom and Pop shops are still running and fighting back with gusto. My Mom still feels more at home at a kirane ke dukaan than a swanky shop in a Mall. I think she still prefers bargaining than going through the impersonal store with prices written in stone for everything. I also felt more at home taking Mom to the nearby dukaan to buy aata and seeing the dukaanwaala bhaiya starting with, "Namaste Aunty jee" rather than a scantly clad girl asking "How can I help you Maam?"

My Mom's favorite shop for chunnis in Karol Bagh

My automobile genes got a huge kick on this trip while checking out all the new car models. Its just a coincidence that Auto Expo started as soon as I landed in Delhi. By far, my best vehicle on Indian roads was Mahindra's Scorpion (and it has nothing to do with similarity to my zodiac sign). The hype around Nano (or lakhtakiya car) was another interesting part of my trip. I liked the innovativeness of our channels to show the Nano to the world with catchy titles like, "Nano se naina mil gayee". Although, Nano maybe ready for Indian roads but are Indian roads ready for a Nano, that's a million dollar question for future.

The Great India Mall (ironically with all the American brands inside)

There were thousand other day to day good things about India including the sumptuous food items, family and friends around, a sense of belonging and so on, but those vary from person to person and frankly doesn't make India unique. Its the way India is trying to find its own self that makes India unique. Indian identity which may seem getting lost in the Malls is still found in the bylanes of places like Chandani Chowk. India is not only alive but thriving and ready to sore only if it is able to curtail the few bad and ugly things around it but we will talk about that some time later. For now, let's celebrate the goodness of the place that still feels home, India.

Yaar main India chala...

2008-01-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

Finally, its time to go back home. In about 14 hours, my flight will start the journey to the place that still feels home. Its been a long wait but it all seems worth it at this moment. I am not sure what awaits me there or how it would feel going back after this long time, but this is the journey I have been waiting for...

Ok, now lets move on to the fun part. Here is a whiff of my NRI imagination gone wild...

Scenario No.1 - DDLJ ishtlye homecoming...

Girls in colorful clothes running and dancing in sarson ke khet, flying their dupattas singing "Ghar aaja pardesi, tera des bulaye re...". Some of the girls hanging in jhoolas under the tree singing, "O baaghon main jhoolon ke mausam waapis aaye re..."

Ok, there is one big flaw in this scenario, am not going to Punjab and only way Delhi girls can dance in "sarson ke khet" is if its a name of some dance club, where they won't be wearing dupattas anyways.

Scenario No. 2 - KKKG ishtyle homecoming...

My plane lands at Indira Gandhi airport. I come out wearing black overcoat running towards a waiting helicopter with a bag in my hand. My parents instead of coming to pick me up have decided to sing and dance while doing puja at my Noida palace (errr...apartment). My helicopter lands and I start running towards my home...

The biggest flaw in this scenario is the helicopter. I think it will take all my bank balance to hire one and the other obvious flaw is that there is no space to walk in Delhi forget about landing a helicopter unless malls in Noida now comes with a courtesy helipad.

Scenario No. 3 - Swades ishtyle homecoming...

The haunting music of Swades is playing in my ipod. I am sitting at the window seat of Air India...err...Air China. I have almost finished my supper. I pull back my seat, close my eyes and start imagining the first meet with family and friends. The captain comes on the speaker and informs that we will be landing on time at 1:45 am. I look outside the window and see some blinking lights. I come off the flight, try to argue with Immigration that haven't bought any new electronics, see my parents waving from outside, hug them, put the luggage in the car and leave for my home.

There is no flaw in this scenario and can imagine my homecoming already...

I am excited, anxious, happy and so much more to come home after such a long time. I can't wait to meet my family, old friends, some new friends who I haven't met in person but who are as dear to me. Let the journey begin...

PS: Happy Birthday to Anks. Your Birthday is really a lucky and happy day for me :-)

PPS: Belated Birthday to Preeti (Hyderabad waali). I hope to meet you on this trip :D

PPS: Moral of the post: Whatever the scenario, I am no less that SRK :P

Taare Zameen Par…

2007-12-24T15:47:00.000-08:00

Dekho inhe yeh hain, oos ke boodien…
Patoon ke godh main, aasman main koodien…

Angdayee lein phir, karvat badal kar…
Nazuk se moti, hans de phisal kar…

There are movies that entertain us, there are movies that make us sad, there are movies that mirrors our society and then there are movies that can bring a change in that society. Taare Zameen Par is one such movie that can bring a positive change in our society and how we deal with kids. The movie takes you on a journey through the eyes and mind of Ishaan, an eight year old kid suffering from dyslexia. The movie is not about special need kids or dyslexia but it is about everyday kids and how they are conditioned in our society to succeed at every cost.

The movie takes ones attention from the first shot, shot of Ishaan trying to catch fish in his school pond. It tries to explore how a child’s mind works in our complex and competitive society. As Aamir’s character says in one scene from the movie “We are not raising kids these days but products in assembly lines.” The movie is not about kids who are able to cope with this competition and succeed but millions of other kids who are not able to compete in this fast-paced world and are termed as, losers, idiots and bevakoofs. Is losing such a bad thing? Is succeeding everything in our society? Maybe it is, because it’s a dog eats dog world. We have created a society for winners but there is no place for losers in our society.

The movie deals with all these questions in the most sensitive way. Aamir’s character, Raam Shankar Nikumbh, as a teacher who tries to understand children’s psyche is a masterpiece of work. Aamir as a Director never for a single shot lets his own character dominate the real hero of the movie, Ishaan. The best part of the movie is the simplicity with which it is shot. There is a certain laziness with which Aamir lets us into the mind of Ishaan.

There are number of stand out scenes in the movie but some unforgettable scenes like when Aamir discovers Ishaan’s dyslexia or how he explains it to Ishaan’s educated but unaware parents or how he explains to Ishaan’s Dad the meaning of khayal rakhna in a very subtle way or the climax art show with some hilarious and beautiful moments, will remain with me for a long time.

There is no doubt that this is one of the finest movies to have come out of India in recent memory. Aamir has used movie making to deliver a message that is not preachy. I am not sure if it will change anything in India or make people more aware about the problem of dyslexia but the movie still has the potential to make that change. It is not easy to change society or people’s mindset but actors like Aamir have the most powerful medium of movies to bring about the change. People don’t like changing when they are forced to or preached about and that makes this movie even more important.

As I was watching the title song of the movie, it reminded me of all the special needs kids that I have come across in my life and my only wish is that hopefully every one of them will come across a teacher like Raam Shankar Nikumbh who can change their lives for good.

Yeh toh hain sardi main, dhoop ke kirane...
Utare jo aangan ko sunhera sa karne...

Mann ke andheron ko roshan sa kar dein...
Thiturthi hatheli ki rangat badal dein...

A to Z ... A bit more about Me Me Me !!

2007-12-16T10:11:00.000-08:00

There is this little but bright hope of light in my blogworld that always complain that 'yours truly' writes very long posts but when I don't update for some time, she writes a whole tag so that I would take it. Since I am one of the first three bloggers to comment on that post (I didn't cheat, I swear), here's my two cents...

A - Available? - Always for girls. Boys need not apply.

B - Best Friend - Avi (from my Engg. days)

C - Cake or pie - Pineapple cake and apple pie :D

D - Drink of choice - **hick** Nimbu Paani (what did you guys thought?)

E - Essential thing used everyday - ToothBrush (twice a day)

F - Favorite Color - Blue (most of my formal shirts are in that shade)

G - Gummi bears or worms - Worms (as a kid I used to eat every kind of worm...yummy)

H - Hometown - Agra

I - Indulgence - Aloo ka Paratha (what else?)

J - January or February - January (because I will be in India next year at that time...yeayyyyy)

K - Kids and names - Okie, Dokie and Pokie

L - Life is incomplete without - Someone to care about (wah wah, it rhymes too)

M - Marriage Date - Don't know. (My answer will remain the same before or after marriage...lol)

N - Number of siblings - 1 naughty brother

O - Oranges or apples - Apple a day keeps doctor away (Thank God it doesn't apply to nurses...oh la la)

P - Phobias or fears - Dog biting my butt (seriously...no kidding)

Q - Quote - One person with courage makes an army

R - Reason to smile - Kids :D

S - Season - Monsoon (which I miss from back home)

T - Tag three people - Anyone who loves me :P

U - Unknown fact about me - I was once attacked by foxes while trekking in Ladakh (**howling like foxes**)

V - Vegetable you don't like - Pumpkin (or Ghiaa??)

W - Worst habit - Laziness (**yawnnnn**)

X - X-rays you have had - None

Y - Your favorite food - Apart from Indian, Greek or anything my Mom makes :D

Z - Zodiac - Scorpio (watch out for my sting)

Thank You Hope !!

And the award goes too...

2007-12-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

I will be completing three years of blogging this month and during this time have made some of my best friendships through blogs. Although with time some of them have faded, some of them lost, some of them have been forgotten but then some of them passed the test of time. I may never meet some of the bloggers but our friendships will remain because it has passed a stage where we don't need to comment on each other's blogs to express our desire of friendship. Ok, I don't want to give a long bhashaan but want to do something fun. What can be more fun then giving fake awards to all my friends over the years. This is just for fun, so let's keep it that way...

The laziest storyteller of my blogword - The award goes to none other than Anks. Thankfully for me, I started reading her story when it was almost complete but have heard of some torture stories of the wait for one part after another. Jokes apart, she is one of the most talented bloggers with a knack for writing, painting, cooking, story-telling and travelling (errr...to her 2 hour long job site everyday).
The Smiling girl of my blogworld - The award goes to one blogger who always end her blogs with wishes of smile for others, Anz. She was one of my first friends in the big-bad world of blogging and even though our friendship have changed colors over time, she still remains one blogger who I can chat anything and everything about. It helps that she is awake at most odd times of the night when most "normal" people are sleeping...lol
The funny-bone of my blogworld - I think not only all his bones are funny but tissues, muscles, body-organs, hair (esp. moustache hair), everything is funny. He is none other than Mr. Chandu. If you want to meet him, he can be found outside Bangalore Gurudware on Sundays wearing polka dotted dhoti...he he.
The incident-prone traveler of my blogworld - She writes the best travel posts because something or the other happens that makes it so interesting. She is none other than colorful Colors. I can't wait for her next incident-filled travel to my part of the world next summer.
The Gujrati cheese of my blogworld - She is Gujrati and her blogs are the cheesiest with the extra sprinkling of lovezilla cheese. She is Kaush from the GujjuPunju unity blog. I am not much in touch with her and we had our ups and downs during these three years but also had some of the fun times at the peak of blogging.
The most wanted blogger of my blogworld - She is one reason I am writing this blog because if she would have encouraged (read: bugged) me to keep updating, I wouldn't have made all these wonderful friendships. She is none other than Mehak and she is most-wanted because not only she is most loved but everyone wants her to start writing again. Am I right guys/gals?
The social consious of my blogworld - She writes about everything from politics to women's affairs to movies to sports to shayaris but all her posts have a social consious that makes one think. She is no one else but loonie the moonie. I haven't had lot of interaction with her apart from blogs but she has remained one of the most common visitor to my blog.
The Gujrati-with-eye-on-moon (not to build a Motel) of my blogworld - She is my another Gujju friend who is struck by moon and the heavenly planets. She is the India-crazy Moonstruck who has tried to tempt me by showing up as M&Ms candy...lol. We have chatted, fought, talked, discussed and done everything friends do under the sun (errr....moon).
The sentiMental of my blogworld - She has made me senti and moresover made me mental. She is none other than senti with an extra dose of mental, Neetie. We don't talk regularly these days like we used to but when we do there is no hesitation between us. I keep blabeering and she keeps laughing. She has changed for good over the years and as she always says to everyone, God Bless!!
The cooking Mayteeeeeeee of my blogworld - She is the reason I started to cook regularly and speak so fluent Ozzie English...lol. She is Kanpur-raised Nupur, who is as Ozzie as she is Kanpuriya. She is another blogger who am very comfortable talking to, more so when it is about food. Her dahi-chawal recipe still rocks for a single person like myself. Cheers to you Mayteeeeeeee !! OnO
The rain-girl of my blogworld - She is one of my oldest friend (not in age ofcourse) who has always made me look at rain from different angles. She is another very multi-talented blogger, Payal, who is an artist, writer, poetess, sculpture, fashion designer, Happy Birthday singer and above all a loyal friend. I can't wait to read her next interpretation of rain **hint hint Payal**
The review queen of my blog-world - I am not sure how I forgot to mention her in the first draft of this post but she is really the reviews ke rani of my blogworld. She is the ever vivacious Pinks or as calls herself the lazy blogger...lol. She has written some fabulous reviews, some that I agreed with and some I agreed to disagree with. She is also the most talented when it comes to making her own templates for blogs.
The South Indian with gajab ke Hindi of my blogworld - She is south Indian but knows of atleast 100 ways to give me sweet sweet gaalis in hindi from atyachari to branhmchari to shakahari. She is another blogger who has stopped blogging not because of lack of time but sheer laziness :P She is the fluent-hindi-speaking-south-Indian, Preeti. But beware of her because she is the reason for spreading my polka-dot rumours (grrrrrrrrrrrrr)
The love story of my blogworld - They are the cutest couple in the blogworld with the most heart-warming love story. When a Punju girl meets a Rajsthani guy, it not only results in the most expressive blog but great food recipes :P They are none other than inseperable, Preeti-Sachin. I wish everyone has a love story as beautiful as theirs.
The most hardworking Princess of my blogworld - She is one blogger who has done some action to her words. She may have stopped blogging but her words and actions are an inspiration to me and so many others. She is our Princess who has made a difference to the world we all live in.
The most loved blogger of my blogworld - As the title suggests, she is indeed the most loved blogger of my blog world. She is the elusive Red jee, whose post still haunts my consious. She may only come online once in a while but that is enough for me to consider myself lucky enough to be in her presence.
The across the border friend of my blogworld - When I started blogging it was to meet Indians from around the world, little did I knew that I will meet a friend who I may never meet or who lives in a country that I may never cheer for in a cricket match or who I will have more in common with than anyone I have ever met. She is the blogger from the other side of the fence, Reema. I don't think mere words can describe our beautiful friendship that has broken all borders created by the politicians.
The expressive feeling my blogworld - She is the most expressive blogger whose feelings come poring out of her words. She is very much loved Juneli, who has written some of the most memorable, expressive, extensive and poetic posts. The sincerity with which she leads her life reflects in her posts. She is my another across the more friendly border friend.
The khamakha of my blogworld - She became my friend khamakha, bugs me khamakha, debates with me khamakha, writes khamakha, eats hardly khamakha and is my cutest friend khamakha. She is khamakha se bharpoor, Sonali. She has taught me some Bengali that she herself learned from her friends. She is another of my long-time friend that has made me a better person khamakha.
The cricket crazy of my blogworld - She is crazy and cricket-fanatic. She may not write often but her posts are all about quality that is unmatched just like Tendulkar's 100. She is cricket-crazy and waise bhi crazy Riddhi. I hope she writes often because she is one hell of a writer who can bounce you with her words just like Shoaib bounces Ganguly.
The best combo of my blogworld - She is exotic and she is hot (or as she calls drool-worthy). You can't get a better combo than that and that's what makes her unique. She is none other than Marlee. And to add more spice to that combo, she is one person who can out-smart even myself with her wit and intelligence.
The photogenic photographer of my blogworld - If there is one guy who every girl 'clicks' with other than me, then it is Pranshu. He sees the world from a different angle and is one of my very select few guy friends in the blogworld.
The Bengali beauty with brains of my blogworld - She is my most smart, hardworking, beautiful bengali friend who is one of the best singers in my blogworld. She is the most dynamic Aindrila, who not only has the most unique name but is a unique person in her own rights. She is an amazing person and one of my most cherished friends.
The Chuii Muii of my blogworld - She is one friend who I hope never stop **smiling**. The way she expresses herself with poetry and songs is unmatched. She is none other than my chuii muii friend, hope. She makes sure I smile everytime she sees me online. The simpleness of our friendship is something that makes me hopeful that there are still few things in the world that are best kept simple.
The coolest mom of my blogworld - I wish everyone has a cool mom like her. She is my newest friend, Fuzzy. If only everyone had a sense of humour like her, the world will be a funny place to live in...lol. As Ina would say, "Ma abba chabba jabba"
The best visitor of my blogworld - Each and everyone who visited my blog once and left their comments or read it silently is the winner of this last award. Somehow each and everyone of you have encouraged me to write. Thank You !!

The story of a mystic…

2007-11-24T11:50:00.001-08:00

He was born in a small rustic town in the Punjab province of Pakistan. He came at the time when Muslim rulers were ruling a predominantly Hindu country and the tension between the two religions were bordering on a break-down. He wandered around the world from an early age influencing people from all walks of life. His stories known as sakhis are still part of folk-lore of Punjab on both sides of the border.

Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in Punjab province of Pakistan where the mystic was born

One of his most famous sakhis that my Mom used to narrate me during those hot summer evenings of Jodhpur was when He left his house to go around the world. He was very close to his sister and he promised her that when she will remember him from her heart, he will come back to meet her. One day when she was making roti, it puffed and she started crying because she remembered how her brother loved puffed rotis and next thing she knew He standing outside the door asking her to serve the roti before it went cold. Maybe because I never had a sister, I always found this story the most heartwarming of all his sakhis.

Bibi Nanki, the mystic's sister, saying him goodbye before he left for his travel

He literally traveled around the world from Pakistan to South India to Sikkim to Kashmir to Ladakh to Tibet to Mecca to Iran to Iraq. Like a true mystic he learned from the world around him and passed his wisdom to his followers. He saw how people were discriminating around the world with each other. The world was divided between castes, between Brahmin and Shudras, Shias and Sunnis. Religion was being used around the world to divide people more than unite them. He himself believed in Raam as much as he believed in Allah.

The mystic with his two followers, Bala (a hindu) and Mardana (a muslim), on his numerous travels

Influence of women on his life started from the love he shared for his sister. His view of women can be rightly summed from one of his writings, where he said, “From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman.”

His stories have remained but his teachings have been forgotten. His followers are now more interested in saving the religion rather than understanding his teachings. The tension between Hindus and Muslims have only increased with time. While His remains, which turned to flowers when Hindus wanted to cremate his body and Muslims wanted to bury his body, still bloom in another rustic town of Pakistan.

Gurudwara Darbar Shib, Kartarpur, Pakistan, where the mystic turned into flowers

Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti !!

Savitri, Savitri...

2007-11-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

Some of the Ads that have come out of India are truly innovative. Its amazing how people Tivo their shows here so that they don't have to watch Ads and we look for Ads from India on Youtube. Anyways, these days my favorite Ad reminds me of an old show on Doordarshan about reincarnation. There was a story how a young boy goes to a new place for the first time only to realize he has been there in his last birth. The way that story has been incorporated in this Ad with humor is awesome. Love the young sardar jee boy in the Ad and his expressions. Check it out and try guessing what the Ad is about before the end...

Savitri, Savitri, I am also coming to India soon. Watch out **wink**

Diwali Dhamaka – Om Shanti Om

2007-11-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

Suno suno bhaiyon aur unke behno, hamare shehar main aa raha hain Shah Rukh Khan ka Diwali Dhamaka – Om Shanti Om. Isme ladkiyon ke aur kuch ladkon ke chahte atomic bamb Shah Rukh Khan hain. Unke saath patli kamar waali nayee phuljhari Deepika bhi hain. Aur villain ke bhoomika main hain rocket ke tarah lambe Arjun Rampal. Yehi nahin isme 31 seetaron ke ek ladee bhi hain, jo aapke suni zindgai ko chaka chanundh kardege. Toh aaye iss Diwali hamare saath seetaron ke patakhe jaalayee…

If this was 70s then this would be the best publicity in the villages and small towns of India. Actually, it reminded me of the movie scene from Swades and whatever one may say about Indian film industry, the fact is that it is one source of entertainment that has entertained Indians from all strata of life. Whether it was K L Sehgal or Dilip Kumar or Madhubala or Rajesh Khanna or Rekha or Amitabh Bachchan or from today Shah Rukh Khan or Rani Mukherjee, movie stars have always provided an escape for people from all walks of life. A child labor in Dharavi maybe working 14 hours a day to make a shirt for retail giant GAP but when he sees Shah Rukh Khan on the big screen after saving his every penny, he feels like the King himself.

This Diwali we decided to celebrate the festival with the patakhas of Bollywood. The choice was between Om Shanti Om and Savariya but the reviews made it obvious that it will be Shah Rukh who will prevail over the grandson of India’s first film family, Ranbeer Kapoor. All the publicity of the movie Om Shanti Om had made us all the more excited. We booked our tickets online and decided to goto theatre one hour in advance. We first stopped at Ricky’s (I thought they would at least serve me for free) for our dinner. We reached theatre on time, grabbed our tickets and stood in the line of all desis, which is an experience in itself. I think people in India are 10 times more civilized now then desis living here. The moment the door opened people started crossing the line to go ahead. It took me back to the days of single screen theatres in India where as soon as the ticket window would open people would start running as if Shah Rukh himself is the person issuing the ticket. Inside the theatre it was worse with people grabbing chairs worse than our politicians. Finally we were able to find some decent chairs and were able to see idiocracy of desis from the vantage point. After 45 mins of mindless Ads the movie started…

I won’t give away anything about the movie but it was indeed a Diwali Dhamaka. From the first shot till the last, it was a celebration of Bollywood. The movie had everything that every desi crave to watch. The best part of the movie was the colors, it was like watching a rangoli on screen with so lively colors of clothes and the stars themselves. The storyline though borrowed in parts from Karz (and those who don’t believe it needs to watch Karz again) was very well executed. From the bell bottoms of flabby 70s to the torn jeans of abs-induced 2007, the movie was rocking in ever sense of the way. Even though the story was unbelievable it was executed to perfection by Farah Khan. The comedy parts, the senti parts, the music, over-the-top acting, the dances, were all very integral to the storyline.

Farah Khan has indeed hit the bulls eye this time. If I thought Main Hoon Na was the worst superhit then Om Shanti Om is gonna be her best superhit movie. She has grown in leaps and bounds as a director. The camera angles, the lighting, the colors, the visuals were all stunning to say the least. She has shown that she can make a male-dominated movie with as much conviction as any other director in the country. Hats off to her!!

The music of the movie was the most rocking and yet melodious of this year. The picturization had to be good as it was Farah Khan’s movie and every song was picturized as beautifully as it could have been. My favorites were Main Agar Kahoon, which has been picturized in the style of 60s and 70s, Ajab Si, which is the most romantic number and will make girls drool over SRK’s dreamy eyes and Deewangi Deewangi, which was the most exciting number with 31 stars adoring the screen (with my favorite being Mithun Da).

This is a Shah Rukh Khan movie all the way. I think every theatre should keep the medical kit handy as many girls will faint after seeing his dreamy eyes with shirt-less abs. There were few girls sitting beside us who would almost jump on their seats whenever SRK was on screen (and believe me he is there in almost every shot). So, if you are a SRK fan then this movie will make you his a/c and if you are not then this movie has the potential to make you one. This movie required over-the-top acting and there is no better actor than SRK for that. Watch out for his over-the-top South Indian acting sequence, it will make all kind of knots in your stomach from laughing so hard. SRK may not be the best actor but his movie has proven that he is the best entertainer.

I don’t think there have been a beautiful debutant as Deepika Padukone. She is the daughter of India’s best badminton player till date, Prakash Padukone and believe me if this is how it works, every guy in India should take badminton. She is oh-la-la **whisting** **howling oooooooooooo** **drooling** *sighing** **huffing puffing** . Ok ok, I am getting over the top too but this is only in the spirit of the movie. Deepika doesn’t only looks great but she can act beautifully too. I think her eyes speak the language that only we guys can understand. Watch out Bollywood!!

Arjun Rampal as a villain is great. The role suited him to the T. I don’t think anyone could have done better than him. Shreyas Talpade was a revelation in this commercial affair and will go long way. Kirron Kher was perfect for an over-the-top-melodramatic Mom. Infact, casting of every character was just about perfect. But for me among all the special appearances the one that took the cake was none other than Akshay Kumar. He is indeed the comedy king of Bollywood and no wonder why.

I think this was the best way to celebrate Diwali by watching patakhas on the screen rather than polluting the environment by blowing them on streets.

Haan toh bhaiyon aur unke behno, agar aapko yeh review padhne main mazza aaya toh phir movie dekhne zaroor aayeega kyunki “Picture abhi baaki hain mere dost”.

Shakal-e-kitaab...

2007-10-31T22:39:00.000-07:00

Shakal-e-kitaab or Facebook, as it is more popularly known, is a $15 billion worth phenomena that has swept the social networking world. I think million new applications are made everyday (exaggeration…duh!!). Although these applications can be annoying but the site is still very addictive as it keep updating you about your friends. So, now I know if R is shopping for shoes (ha ha!!) or M is perked up coz the payday is coming soon (lol) or G is craving Greek food (wink) or Ri is wishing everyone a happy Halloween. Oh that reminds me Happy Halloween to everyone from my side too.

Last week Facebook showed me the real power of social networking. As many of you know that my Dad was in the Army, so I have traveled a lot and changed 11 schools till my 12^th grade (blah blah blah). There are some obvious perks of an Army lifestyle, you get to travel to many exotic places that you would never visit otherwise, Army canteen has always been great for buying goods at sometimes half the price than retail, making new friends all over the country and meeting people from different backgrounds. There is one big disadvantage to this lifestyle though, forgetting friends as you move from one place to another. I have lost touch with almost all my school friends because of this wandering. I have made lots of friends over the years but there were two that stood out, Sree and Anuj.

We were living in Meerut, the city known for its Hindu-Muslim riots, and my Dad had decided to put me in Kendriya Vidhyala School from St. Mary’s Academy as the former was an Army based school and made it easier for us to move in case of sudden posting in between school years. It was my first day at school in 8^th grade. I was a very shy kid in those days (still am **sharmaying**) and was eating my lunch alone in the class.

“Hi, my name is Prashant and this is Anuj. What’s your name?”

“Ricky **eating aloo ka paratha that Mom had made in morning**”

“This is your first day at school, right?”

“Yea”

“Which school did you come from?”

“St. Mary’s Academy”

“Oh!! What percentage did you passed your 7^th grade with?”

“74%”

“Want to be friends?”

“Sure”

This was a start to one of the best friendships of my school life. They both were the smartest kids in class, trying to outdo each other to come first. Sree was a South Indian genius with varied interests. He would make helicopters by carving wood, knit his own sweater for winters and come to school on his grandfather’s antique bike. Anuj was a very typical UP ka ladka, very conservative but very smart. Sree used to live in Army Cantonment area, while Anuj lived in old part of the city called Begum Bridge. We would often hang out at Sree’s place as Army Cantonment areas are usually nicer than rest of the city. We would play cricket, study together and goof around, all day long. Sree’s Mom used to make some of the yummiest Rasam with rice and Idlis, that we would end up eating after a game of cricket in the nearby maidan. This was my daily routine for the next 2 years until it was time to move on.

We moved to Dehradoon, while Prashant moved to Chennai and Anuj stayed in Meerut. I kept in touch with Anuj by snail mail but over time the mails stopped coming. I made new friends, moved from one place to another, settled in Canada but could not forget our friendship. Infact, the only sole picture of us three during Prashant’s birthday is etched in my head like a Mohenjodaro carving on stone.

Few years back, I was searching for someone on yahoo and instinctively searched for Sree. I got one hit with the same name; I emailed him and got a reply after a week, saying that he was the same Sree from Meerut. I replied him again but never got the reply back, so assumed that someone was playing a prank. Last week, I decided to try my luck in Facebook and again got one person with exactly same name. I left a message and got a reply after 2 days that he was the same Sree. But this time I was sure he is the right guy because my name in Facebook is Ricky but he replied me by my non-nickname. I got another message from him today, telling me where he is, what he is been up to and remembering old times. Unfortunately, even he has lost contact with Anuj.

This may seem like a small thing for most of the people reading this mail but for me it is a big thing. All my friends on Facebook have friends from school except me and I would always wonder what Sree and Anuj would be doing at this stage of their lives. Thanks to Facebook, now I know about atleast one of them…