Just one of those days when i am sitting a little late in office. But the difference is that i really have no reason to stay late. i have some deadlines but that doesnt mean i need to burn the midnight oil. and yet i just dont feel like getting up. I am finding something here that hasnt been with me for a long time now. Silence.
Its been a long while since i have felt this. The overwhelming power of silence. And today, i am feeling it, taking it in, drawing a long drawn draught. Awhile ago i was working and listening to some music, and reading a few beautiful blogs. and then i stopped. I stopped working, stopped the media player, closed the blogs. and just sat.
Except for one more of my freinds, there is no one out here. and since he is busy doing some work, there is no conversation to make and so i am sitting in complete silence. oh of course there this ricketty old fan ( the table one mounted on the wall), with its continous whirring sound to give me company. Other than that. Silence.
Its not that i am in mood for an introspection or meditation or any of that sort. In fact these days i rarely feel like doing that. I am not even thinking about anything. Am just taking in this silence. Its calming , soothing to me.
Silence is beautiful. Sometimes i just walk out of my room in the dead of the night, and roam on the streets, when there is no one out. Just watch the buildings, the trees, the lights, all silent. Nothing. and then the solitary shriek of an owl that breaks it all.
and there are times when even in the midst of the greatest amount of noise you feel it. Sometimes even in the rush and the crowd and it all, you feel the silence around. You feel you dont connect to it all. But thats because you are connected to yourself.
A lot of things, a lot of emotions, a lot of feelings, ambitions, reactions, all mixed to color your life. and everything then colored by this one force. Silence.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Of Railgaadis, the lower berth and the Parsi aunties
I am fond of travelling by trains. I simply love it. Not for me the get up , get down and before you blink your eye, you are there, air travel so to speak. True of late, i have been travelling more often than not by air, but its more of a necessity than a fascination. But given a choice i would travel by train.
In fact i keep telling myself the reason why i have so far not gone to the US of A while so many of my freinds have been there and back is because Indian Railways has still not started its special Rajdhani Express from New Delhi all the way to New York. I am waiting to be the first passenger on that.
And when it comes to getting a seat, i simply love the lower berth. Oh to sit on the window seat and watch the entire world speed by, the forests, the fields, the cities, the typical ways the sounds of the gaadi change when you travel over a bridge on a river, the hundreds of smells in the air as the train stops at a station, its all bliss.
As a kid it was always me and my sister fighting on who would get to sit at the window seat. and being the elder one that i was, i generally had to give in to my sisters demands ( psst, hope shes not reading this)
When i grew up and started travelling alone, i heaved a sigh of relief. Atlast i could travel on the lower berth and sit at the window all to myself.
Alas!
It was not to be. It just so happens that when you are travelling alone and are a bachelor male like me, you will always end up getting Side upper berth. and if you have someone ten times your size ( and i already am fat), sitting on the side lower berth, you cant even get to sit for sometime before bedtime on his seat.
But this last time that i was travelling from Mumbai to Delhi and back i decided that i had enough . I bribed, threatened, cajoled my travel agent and finally managed a lower berth in the main compartment for both return and onward journeys to myself. And i felt like standing like Leonardo Di Caprio on the Titanic and shouting " I am the King in the World".
So you see there i was on the d-day all happy, at the railway station when i would rush to my bogie, my compartment. And i did walk in like a king to meet his subjects and his queens. And then........my heart sank.
Giving this young king company in the compartment would be two lovely parsi grandmas, one lady with a son who wanted to be an IITian, and a young chap from the navy. Now i dont have anything against my fellow passengers except for the fact that you already know you will have to give up your much desired lower berth to the aunties, who have been givenn the upper berth which they cannot climb due to their age.
And give my lower berth i did. so did the other young chap. I mean i am all for helping people and especially the elders but yaar ek gal dasso.............kissi ko meri lower berth se kya dushmani hai bhai. Bachpan mein behen ne nahin baithne diya ab autiyaan nahin baithne deti.
Anyways so there i did the good deed, much to my dislike and the journey went on. And it would all have ended on a solemn note but for the fact, that the two aunties / grandmas seem to have taken a liking to me. Now i know i am fat, but am not so uglily fat as to look sick and in need of urgent attention.
And so it was that i lay shocked and astounded and all the other eds, when one of the aunties called out to me a half hour before we were to reach Delhi station and gave me a loooong lecture on how i need to take care of myself. And the crux of that looong lecture was...."GET MARRIED SOON"...........your wifey dearest would take care of you...give you proper diet,....make sure you exercise and blah blah blah......wooosssssssssshhhh. all i could do was just listen and say hmm, aah and all that when the whole of me wanted to run away. Naah.....it was not that munna raaja sharm de naal laal pila hoya paya si, ki aunty ne us di shaadi di gal ched di. Par yaar take a chill man. Ek thi meri daadi, ab ek ho gayee aunty.........somebody tell me ki kya mere chehre pe likha paya hai " Single Desperately Ready to Mingle".
Anyways i know the aunty meant well. and i really liked the aunty. in fact both of them. they were not the typical naggin ladies who would keep telling people not to disturb and all. In fact they made good conversation and it was an interesting journey.
Just that there were two sore points..........My Lower Berth and of course "Shaddi kar le mere laal".
Mummy.....if you are reading this...i promise. Ab main roz gym jaaaonga. next time aunty wont say anything to me.
adios.
In fact i keep telling myself the reason why i have so far not gone to the US of A while so many of my freinds have been there and back is because Indian Railways has still not started its special Rajdhani Express from New Delhi all the way to New York. I am waiting to be the first passenger on that.
And when it comes to getting a seat, i simply love the lower berth. Oh to sit on the window seat and watch the entire world speed by, the forests, the fields, the cities, the typical ways the sounds of the gaadi change when you travel over a bridge on a river, the hundreds of smells in the air as the train stops at a station, its all bliss.
As a kid it was always me and my sister fighting on who would get to sit at the window seat. and being the elder one that i was, i generally had to give in to my sisters demands ( psst, hope shes not reading this)
When i grew up and started travelling alone, i heaved a sigh of relief. Atlast i could travel on the lower berth and sit at the window all to myself.
Alas!
It was not to be. It just so happens that when you are travelling alone and are a bachelor male like me, you will always end up getting Side upper berth. and if you have someone ten times your size ( and i already am fat), sitting on the side lower berth, you cant even get to sit for sometime before bedtime on his seat.
But this last time that i was travelling from Mumbai to Delhi and back i decided that i had enough . I bribed, threatened, cajoled my travel agent and finally managed a lower berth in the main compartment for both return and onward journeys to myself. And i felt like standing like Leonardo Di Caprio on the Titanic and shouting " I am the King in the World".
So you see there i was on the d-day all happy, at the railway station when i would rush to my bogie, my compartment. And i did walk in like a king to meet his subjects and his queens. And then........my heart sank.
Giving this young king company in the compartment would be two lovely parsi grandmas, one lady with a son who wanted to be an IITian, and a young chap from the navy. Now i dont have anything against my fellow passengers except for the fact that you already know you will have to give up your much desired lower berth to the aunties, who have been givenn the upper berth which they cannot climb due to their age.
And give my lower berth i did. so did the other young chap. I mean i am all for helping people and especially the elders but yaar ek gal dasso.............kissi ko meri lower berth se kya dushmani hai bhai. Bachpan mein behen ne nahin baithne diya ab autiyaan nahin baithne deti.
Anyways so there i did the good deed, much to my dislike and the journey went on. And it would all have ended on a solemn note but for the fact, that the two aunties / grandmas seem to have taken a liking to me. Now i know i am fat, but am not so uglily fat as to look sick and in need of urgent attention.
And so it was that i lay shocked and astounded and all the other eds, when one of the aunties called out to me a half hour before we were to reach Delhi station and gave me a loooong lecture on how i need to take care of myself. And the crux of that looong lecture was...."GET MARRIED SOON"...........your wifey dearest would take care of you...give you proper diet,....make sure you exercise and blah blah blah......wooosssssssssshhhh. all i could do was just listen and say hmm, aah and all that when the whole of me wanted to run away. Naah.....it was not that munna raaja sharm de naal laal pila hoya paya si, ki aunty ne us di shaadi di gal ched di. Par yaar take a chill man. Ek thi meri daadi, ab ek ho gayee aunty.........somebody tell me ki kya mere chehre pe likha paya hai " Single Desperately Ready to Mingle".
Anyways i know the aunty meant well. and i really liked the aunty. in fact both of them. they were not the typical naggin ladies who would keep telling people not to disturb and all. In fact they made good conversation and it was an interesting journey.
Just that there were two sore points..........My Lower Berth and of course "Shaddi kar le mere laal".
Mummy.....if you are reading this...i promise. Ab main roz gym jaaaonga. next time aunty wont say anything to me.
adios.
Run
I borrow this title from Neeraj's poem.
Have you ever had this absolutely innane urge to run?
to run and to keep running forever. Run, no not because you are escaping from something ( you never achieve that by running anyways). But run just for the sake of running.
Run hard, run as fast as you can. Feel the blood rushing in your veins, the wind beating against your face. Feel the muscles strecthing, aching ( for someone like me, errrr, it happens a little too quickly :)), the body breaking. and then when the body finally wants to give up, you want to carry on a little more. so you force it to go on and on.
Its exhilarating. to do something only for the sake of doing it, not because you want to use it to achieve something. To do something like its the only thing left to do.
Just run.
Oh well, right now i might as well just run for my "billi".
Have you ever had this absolutely innane urge to run?
to run and to keep running forever. Run, no not because you are escaping from something ( you never achieve that by running anyways). But run just for the sake of running.
Run hard, run as fast as you can. Feel the blood rushing in your veins, the wind beating against your face. Feel the muscles strecthing, aching ( for someone like me, errrr, it happens a little too quickly :)), the body breaking. and then when the body finally wants to give up, you want to carry on a little more. so you force it to go on and on.
Its exhilarating. to do something only for the sake of doing it, not because you want to use it to achieve something. To do something like its the only thing left to do.
Just run.
Oh well, right now i might as well just run for my "billi".
Friday, September 01, 2006
Life...........You Sang to Me.........
Its close to midnight, and i am still in office, which is a little unusual for me, because i rarely get to stay beyond 5 in the evening at office. But had some work and just about wrapped it up. and thought to drop a few lines before i say goodbye.
I take the liberty of an empty workplace to let my computer play Marc Anthony's " You sang to me", for me. Its a beautiful song. Beautifully sung, great music. Strange that i never ever listened to it before. and now i cant stop listening to it the whole day. The song just does something to me. And no its got nothing to do with the fact that its a very romantic number. It just is cheerful, shall i say. lifts one up.
Just this morning i was having a long winded discussion about life and its idiosyncracies with a freind. A number of points we touched. Talked about negativity and positivity and the likes. About aims, hopes, aspirations, love, and so on and so forth. And i made a statement i had concocted some time back to him " Negativity has an aura of romanticisim that is irresistible, and yet i prefer the mundane positivity of life". Wont go too much into it though. had a long innings on that.
Tonight, i am feeling good inside. about a lot of things. About life in general, some special ones in particular. and that includes self too. Its like you get to speak to some people, some close ones, your dearest freinds, who touch you just at the right moment, the right chord, and you just wish you would fly out to the clouds.
Life does have its own ways. One moment, you think it couldnt get worse. and next, it couldnt get any better. Maybe its lifes way of telling you, bear with me, i have my own idiosyncracies. But i am with you. I love you and i am always with you.
to you my dear life, to you sire and to you princess.........i raise a toast. Let the music flow.
Adios for the night..........have a new mission to complete before next summer now.:)
ciao
I take the liberty of an empty workplace to let my computer play Marc Anthony's " You sang to me", for me. Its a beautiful song. Beautifully sung, great music. Strange that i never ever listened to it before. and now i cant stop listening to it the whole day. The song just does something to me. And no its got nothing to do with the fact that its a very romantic number. It just is cheerful, shall i say. lifts one up.
Just this morning i was having a long winded discussion about life and its idiosyncracies with a freind. A number of points we touched. Talked about negativity and positivity and the likes. About aims, hopes, aspirations, love, and so on and so forth. And i made a statement i had concocted some time back to him " Negativity has an aura of romanticisim that is irresistible, and yet i prefer the mundane positivity of life". Wont go too much into it though. had a long innings on that.
Tonight, i am feeling good inside. about a lot of things. About life in general, some special ones in particular. and that includes self too. Its like you get to speak to some people, some close ones, your dearest freinds, who touch you just at the right moment, the right chord, and you just wish you would fly out to the clouds.
Life does have its own ways. One moment, you think it couldnt get worse. and next, it couldnt get any better. Maybe its lifes way of telling you, bear with me, i have my own idiosyncracies. But i am with you. I love you and i am always with you.
to you my dear life, to you sire and to you princess.........i raise a toast. Let the music flow.
Adios for the night..........have a new mission to complete before next summer now.:)
ciao
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Whew
That was one heavy post. Maybe its because i just realised that i cannot get away without working in office forever. :((. The force of that is just too much to bear. Ab mujhe kaam mil gaya hai. And so before i get so so neck deep in work like the rest of my better freinds that i vanish, let me write to my hearts content.
I saw Breakup the other day. Decent movie must say. And kudos to Jenny darling for taking up the project. The first part was pretty decent and though the second half was long, what was best was the ending. Something our KJo and party could never dream of, because they still beleive its always Forgive and forget in a truly Indian hindustaani parivaar. Agreed the movie here was not set in an Indian Household, but well its true here too. Things broken do not get back. and thats what the movie was about. Wont count it amongst the best, but did like it ok.
In other news, i just realised that i have a very few years of the life i love left. My grandma called me the other day, and dropped the bomb ( ouch, was that the It i was talking about :((). and i thought it was only the ladies of my age who had to go through this and not the munnas like me. tell you what, i am soon going to meet the Shastriji who made my Janamkundli , and bribe him a little ( haan haan, woh buddha ho gaya hoga, to kya, everthing has a price)....and ask him to put a couple of rahus and ketus here and there, and touch up the whole stuff.......bus dus saal ke liye setting fixed. Phir Main aur Meri tanhaai.........wah wah.
My plans of ending up on the bargad ka ped next to my freinds' homes are taking strong shape these days. I keep goofing up big time, and am soon to get killed and end up a ghost. and then i shall roam the world on the bargad trees outside each and every home of my freinds. Not that they are really worried about that. They know they committed one original sin, having me as their freind. and well they gotta take it.
Ooops, now i see It coming again.......and i got to rush before it again engulfes me...like a thousand tsunamis and god knows what.
ciao
I saw Breakup the other day. Decent movie must say. And kudos to Jenny darling for taking up the project. The first part was pretty decent and though the second half was long, what was best was the ending. Something our KJo and party could never dream of, because they still beleive its always Forgive and forget in a truly Indian hindustaani parivaar. Agreed the movie here was not set in an Indian Household, but well its true here too. Things broken do not get back. and thats what the movie was about. Wont count it amongst the best, but did like it ok.
In other news, i just realised that i have a very few years of the life i love left. My grandma called me the other day, and dropped the bomb ( ouch, was that the It i was talking about :((). and i thought it was only the ladies of my age who had to go through this and not the munnas like me. tell you what, i am soon going to meet the Shastriji who made my Janamkundli , and bribe him a little ( haan haan, woh buddha ho gaya hoga, to kya, everthing has a price)....and ask him to put a couple of rahus and ketus here and there, and touch up the whole stuff.......bus dus saal ke liye setting fixed. Phir Main aur Meri tanhaai.........wah wah.
My plans of ending up on the bargad ka ped next to my freinds' homes are taking strong shape these days. I keep goofing up big time, and am soon to get killed and end up a ghost. and then i shall roam the world on the bargad trees outside each and every home of my freinds. Not that they are really worried about that. They know they committed one original sin, having me as their freind. and well they gotta take it.
Ooops, now i see It coming again.......and i got to rush before it again engulfes me...like a thousand tsunamis and god knows what.
ciao
It
All this while he had known it would happen.Expected it to happen. Steeled himself for it to happen. But never estimated the force with which it happened.
It came all of a sudden. A tiny spark, a miniscule hint, a single word, a silent whisper. and he knew it. The realisation hit in. Maybe it was because he had gotten himself accustomed to it, to picking up those clues, that he picked it up where noone else could. Maybe it was a sign from above.That its time. Time to let the truth out.
But the force of it.Something like a thousand tsunamis crashing onto a solitary island.it swept away everything, everything damn thing that came in its way. Leaving not even a trace. leaving him dazed and dazzled by its very brilliance, a brilliance he could do nothing about but admire, brilliant even in its destructivity.
But it couldnt sweep everthing. something remained. Like the tiny pea on the princess's bed, that did not let her sleep. Like a thorn that refused to go out. A nagging pain. a tiny whimper.
Life goes on. Its the same street, the same home, the same black sky and the same blue sea. The same voices, the same laughter, the same crude jokes, the same burning ambition, everything the same.........and yet.....
Not everythings the same. The sky that is black is deathly, the blue sea does not shine, the voice is faint inspite of being loud, the laughter like a shattering glass. The jokes, cruel in their humor. An ambition that stays only because it has to stay. A life that goes because it has to.
A tempest of thoughts these, that engulf him, as he sits on a solitary spot in the midst of the beach. A kid is playing ball by the sea-shore. He kicks the ball high in the air,the ball flies more than he imagined it could.......and lands on a thorny bush.....and kaphut goes the ball. The child is shattered. He bursts out crying. He cries aloud for a long time, and then goes silent. He walks over to the bush, and takes what is left of it in his hand. Silence. A long suffocating silence.
It came all of a sudden. A tiny spark, a miniscule hint, a single word, a silent whisper. and he knew it. The realisation hit in. Maybe it was because he had gotten himself accustomed to it, to picking up those clues, that he picked it up where noone else could. Maybe it was a sign from above.That its time. Time to let the truth out.
But the force of it.Something like a thousand tsunamis crashing onto a solitary island.it swept away everything, everything damn thing that came in its way. Leaving not even a trace. leaving him dazed and dazzled by its very brilliance, a brilliance he could do nothing about but admire, brilliant even in its destructivity.
But it couldnt sweep everthing. something remained. Like the tiny pea on the princess's bed, that did not let her sleep. Like a thorn that refused to go out. A nagging pain. a tiny whimper.
Life goes on. Its the same street, the same home, the same black sky and the same blue sea. The same voices, the same laughter, the same crude jokes, the same burning ambition, everything the same.........and yet.....
Not everythings the same. The sky that is black is deathly, the blue sea does not shine, the voice is faint inspite of being loud, the laughter like a shattering glass. The jokes, cruel in their humor. An ambition that stays only because it has to stay. A life that goes because it has to.
A tempest of thoughts these, that engulf him, as he sits on a solitary spot in the midst of the beach. A kid is playing ball by the sea-shore. He kicks the ball high in the air,the ball flies more than he imagined it could.......and lands on a thorny bush.....and kaphut goes the ball. The child is shattered. He bursts out crying. He cries aloud for a long time, and then goes silent. He walks over to the bush, and takes what is left of it in his hand. Silence. A long suffocating silence.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
"Subah subah ik khwab ki dastak par darwaza khola,
dekha ........................................"
This nazm by Gulzaar sahab has always evoked strong emotions within me. However with due respects to him, today that first line acted as an expression of an altogether different reaction. I opened the daily newspaper and as is my usual wont was going through the usual items and paused to glance at my horoscope when i read this
" Romance takes a beating today". and i kinda jumped. first reaction " subah subah akhbaar ki dastak pe panna palta to dekha, us paar se ek dhamki aayee hai mujhe".
Now someone please tell me, for some poor soul, all time member of the FOSLA ( Frustrated One Side Lover's Association if you please), where will something take a beating when when it does not exist. I assumed it was a warning for myself to behave or else risk being beaten up with sandals, or shoes or what have you.
The icing on the cake was when i shared this apprehension with a freind of mine and she very sweetly replied "Agar ek sandal pade, to ask for the second one, mere kaam aayegi". :((. Yeah buddy if you are reading this, well, i am just looking for the right requirements as of now.
Anyways, so this was the beginning of a glorious day for me. Now as i was again browsing through this harbringer of doom for me ( newspaper if you please), i come across this article which says that the I&B ministry has decided to ask all tv channels to apologise in public for airing all those oh so very offensive advertisements.
Now i have stopped having any political leanings for sometime now ( my mother has been after my life, because i lean a lot while walking), but somehow this great government or rather all the present governments in different parts of the country never fail to amuse me. They seem to have all the time in the world for moral policing of all kinds. And some times i just sit up thinking, how come a stupid advertisement on a stupid pair of pink polka dotted "chaddis", really offend my moral sentiments. Or how will banning an advertisement on Mc Dowell's somehow stop me from drinking my guts out, if i were one of them ( for the record i am a total teetotaller).
Ok i am all for decencies being maintained and all, but arent our mummys and daddys there to do make sure we see the right things. ( i happen to be one of the lucky souls, who has a couple of good angelic freinds who also make me shut my eyes when watching MTV at a McDonald's restaurant at Mumbai Central). why does the uncle at I&B want to become my dad. In fact my dad stopped doing it himself long time back.
anyways, its been a long tirade on this topic. and i do know one more guy writing on this issue, that too with a language handicap as mine, will not tilt the scales in favor of like minded people. But i seriously would like to believe all our nations troubles are over, what with the govts having nothing to do except to tell me what to see, what to eat, what to drink, how best to frown when my lady freinds visit this temple somewhere ( man, this is something i could write reams on, it is so gross in its idea) and so on and so forth.
meanwhile i think i shall now go back to sleep soon, and this time wait for a real dastak on a real khwaab and no not one with sandals, .......sigh..........
ciaos
dekha ........................................"
This nazm by Gulzaar sahab has always evoked strong emotions within me. However with due respects to him, today that first line acted as an expression of an altogether different reaction. I opened the daily newspaper and as is my usual wont was going through the usual items and paused to glance at my horoscope when i read this
" Romance takes a beating today". and i kinda jumped. first reaction " subah subah akhbaar ki dastak pe panna palta to dekha, us paar se ek dhamki aayee hai mujhe".
Now someone please tell me, for some poor soul, all time member of the FOSLA ( Frustrated One Side Lover's Association if you please), where will something take a beating when when it does not exist. I assumed it was a warning for myself to behave or else risk being beaten up with sandals, or shoes or what have you.
The icing on the cake was when i shared this apprehension with a freind of mine and she very sweetly replied "Agar ek sandal pade, to ask for the second one, mere kaam aayegi". :((. Yeah buddy if you are reading this, well, i am just looking for the right requirements as of now.
Anyways, so this was the beginning of a glorious day for me. Now as i was again browsing through this harbringer of doom for me ( newspaper if you please), i come across this article which says that the I&B ministry has decided to ask all tv channels to apologise in public for airing all those oh so very offensive advertisements.
Now i have stopped having any political leanings for sometime now ( my mother has been after my life, because i lean a lot while walking), but somehow this great government or rather all the present governments in different parts of the country never fail to amuse me. They seem to have all the time in the world for moral policing of all kinds. And some times i just sit up thinking, how come a stupid advertisement on a stupid pair of pink polka dotted "chaddis", really offend my moral sentiments. Or how will banning an advertisement on Mc Dowell's somehow stop me from drinking my guts out, if i were one of them ( for the record i am a total teetotaller).
Ok i am all for decencies being maintained and all, but arent our mummys and daddys there to do make sure we see the right things. ( i happen to be one of the lucky souls, who has a couple of good angelic freinds who also make me shut my eyes when watching MTV at a McDonald's restaurant at Mumbai Central). why does the uncle at I&B want to become my dad. In fact my dad stopped doing it himself long time back.
anyways, its been a long tirade on this topic. and i do know one more guy writing on this issue, that too with a language handicap as mine, will not tilt the scales in favor of like minded people. But i seriously would like to believe all our nations troubles are over, what with the govts having nothing to do except to tell me what to see, what to eat, what to drink, how best to frown when my lady freinds visit this temple somewhere ( man, this is something i could write reams on, it is so gross in its idea) and so on and so forth.
meanwhile i think i shall now go back to sleep soon, and this time wait for a real dastak on a real khwaab and no not one with sandals, .......sigh..........
ciaos
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Nanhi Kali
This happens to be one of my favorite songs. My dad used to sing it to me when i was a kid. as i lay across his chest, the gentle rumbling of voice and the up and down of his chest as he sang to me, would put me to sleep in a twinkle of an eye.........sigh.....bliss
Nanhi Kali ( from the Hindi Film "Sujata")
hava dheere aana
nind bhare pankh liye jhoola jhoola jaana
nanhi kali sone chali hava dhire aana
nind bhare pankh liye jhoola jhoola jaana
nanhi kali sone chali
chaand kiran si gudiya naajon ki hai pali - 2
aaj agar chaandaniya aana meri gali
gun gun gun git koi haule haule gaana
nind bhare pankh liye jhoola jhoola jaana
resham ki dor agar pairon ko ulajhaaye - 2
ghungharu ka daana koi shor macha jae
daane mere jaage to phir nindiya tu bahalaana
nind bhare pankh liye jhoola jhoola jaana
nanhi kali sone chali hava dhire aana
Nanhi Kali ( from the Hindi Film "Sujata")
hava dheere aana
nind bhare pankh liye jhoola jhoola jaana
nanhi kali sone chali hava dhire aana
nind bhare pankh liye jhoola jhoola jaana
nanhi kali sone chali
chaand kiran si gudiya naajon ki hai pali - 2
aaj agar chaandaniya aana meri gali
gun gun gun git koi haule haule gaana
nind bhare pankh liye jhoola jhoola jaana
resham ki dor agar pairon ko ulajhaaye - 2
ghungharu ka daana koi shor macha jae
daane mere jaage to phir nindiya tu bahalaana
nind bhare pankh liye jhoola jhoola jaana
nanhi kali sone chali hava dhire aana
Saturday, August 05, 2006
The Rickshawwallah
I saw him first in my first year of college. Short, dark, with a large moustache, stooped back, he stood outside our hostel "rajendra bhawan", ready with his rickshaw. Ready to offer his services to the motely group of Facchas as we were called.
The first day me and my roomie used his rickshaw to travel down to civil lines to make some purchases, we were caught by a group of seniors who made us get down and ragged us. For the next one month, we of course were never allowed to use rickshaws and had to do all the walking around the campus.
After that however, it was always " Bhaiya, civil lines chalo", " Bhaiya, library", or simply " Chemical Department". And he would simply smile and start on his way. Oh and he always had a word of greeting for us. Always would ask us how we were or something. I remember once i was talking to my co-traveller, and mentioned something about the army, and he immediately butted in, saying he used to be a Subedar in the army. And then he started recounting somethings. Of course, restless as we youngsters always were, we rarely listened to him with full ears as he ranted about. So after awhile he would go quite.
There were times, when i did chat with him. Especially when i was travelling alone. And he would ask me " babuji kaise hain, padhai kaisi chal rahi hai" or a typical " kaafi dino se baithe nahin aap".
There were other times when if you got on his rickshaw, he would smell of alcohol. Those were the times he was quiet. He would just go about doing his job. drop you at civil lines, or the library or if you wish at the girl's hostel. And once you paid, he would salute in his trademark style and just cycle away, unless someone called him.
Years passed by and we kept changing our hostels from rajendra, to ganga, to govind finally. Every year one could find him waiting at the gates of one of the hostels. Like so many other things , i guess he too became an integral part of my college life. And when i left college, like the rest of the things, i found myself missing him too.
I bet hes still there, waiting as always at some gate or the other. Someday ill go back to my college meet him and well say " Thank you". He might not understand. Or maybe he will.
The first day me and my roomie used his rickshaw to travel down to civil lines to make some purchases, we were caught by a group of seniors who made us get down and ragged us. For the next one month, we of course were never allowed to use rickshaws and had to do all the walking around the campus.
After that however, it was always " Bhaiya, civil lines chalo", " Bhaiya, library", or simply " Chemical Department". And he would simply smile and start on his way. Oh and he always had a word of greeting for us. Always would ask us how we were or something. I remember once i was talking to my co-traveller, and mentioned something about the army, and he immediately butted in, saying he used to be a Subedar in the army. And then he started recounting somethings. Of course, restless as we youngsters always were, we rarely listened to him with full ears as he ranted about. So after awhile he would go quite.
There were times, when i did chat with him. Especially when i was travelling alone. And he would ask me " babuji kaise hain, padhai kaisi chal rahi hai" or a typical " kaafi dino se baithe nahin aap".
There were other times when if you got on his rickshaw, he would smell of alcohol. Those were the times he was quiet. He would just go about doing his job. drop you at civil lines, or the library or if you wish at the girl's hostel. And once you paid, he would salute in his trademark style and just cycle away, unless someone called him.
Years passed by and we kept changing our hostels from rajendra, to ganga, to govind finally. Every year one could find him waiting at the gates of one of the hostels. Like so many other things , i guess he too became an integral part of my college life. And when i left college, like the rest of the things, i found myself missing him too.
I bet hes still there, waiting as always at some gate or the other. Someday ill go back to my college meet him and well say " Thank you". He might not understand. Or maybe he will.
Rain Teaser
As i stepped out of my home to go to office today, it started drizzling, and by the time i had managed to catch an auto to my office, it was pouring. In less than 15 minutes, within which i reached office, it stopped. As suddenly as it had begun.
That is the rains here for you. Of course you can discount the 944 mm floody downpour of last year or the 150 mm one this year beginning which sent everyone into a tizzy. Barring these few, its always a quick heavy downpour and then a slow slight drizzle. A teasing drizzle. A taunt, a wink and a smile. and then a loud laugh, again followed by another taunt, a wink and a smile. It goes on forever.
I guess its the games that gods play. They sure do get bored up there dont they. So they like to have a little fun with us mortal souls on this land. And Monsoons are the best time i guess. So you have heavy downpours someplaces, while the rest remain parched.
At places, you have eyes dry in anticipation of a few drops, while at others, eyes that dont open at all, so heavy it is.
And yet the season brings with it so many different colors. You see the kids dancing around, trying to keep their paper boats afloat. The elders of homes sitting in their balconies, watching the slow pitter patter. The smell of hot tea and luscious pakoras. That couple sneaking out for a little time alongside the stormy sea at the stand. Of course you also see the nuisance that the concrete brings, the noisy road snarls, the lone vardi vaala trying to put somesense, the delays and all.
all combined to give another kaliedoscope. Serene at times, wild at others, and yet always a cute little game.
Cheers
That is the rains here for you. Of course you can discount the 944 mm floody downpour of last year or the 150 mm one this year beginning which sent everyone into a tizzy. Barring these few, its always a quick heavy downpour and then a slow slight drizzle. A teasing drizzle. A taunt, a wink and a smile. and then a loud laugh, again followed by another taunt, a wink and a smile. It goes on forever.
I guess its the games that gods play. They sure do get bored up there dont they. So they like to have a little fun with us mortal souls on this land. And Monsoons are the best time i guess. So you have heavy downpours someplaces, while the rest remain parched.
At places, you have eyes dry in anticipation of a few drops, while at others, eyes that dont open at all, so heavy it is.
And yet the season brings with it so many different colors. You see the kids dancing around, trying to keep their paper boats afloat. The elders of homes sitting in their balconies, watching the slow pitter patter. The smell of hot tea and luscious pakoras. That couple sneaking out for a little time alongside the stormy sea at the stand. Of course you also see the nuisance that the concrete brings, the noisy road snarls, the lone vardi vaala trying to put somesense, the delays and all.
all combined to give another kaliedoscope. Serene at times, wild at others, and yet always a cute little game.
Cheers
Friday, July 28, 2006
Eyes
To the One
Eyes full of mischief,
eyes full of laughter,
eyes to cause every heart to flutter,
eyes with an innocence, of the dove that flew,
eyes with a warmth of the spring air that blew,
to change the face of the cold earth due,
eyes with the fragrance of a thousand wild flowers,
eyes clear like the sparkling brook, with the black of the sky,
and the white of the clouds,
eyes deep like an ocean,
eyes mystic like an abyss,
the beholder hath a magic,
that charms an old rustic,
eyes that mirror the pretty beholder,
may the shine stay forever and ever,
the persona grow stronger and better,
to conquer the dreams that the eyes reflect,
and make every one come true with a zest,
a prayer a wish for the beholder,
that comes from miles yonder.
Eyes.
Eyes full of mischief,
eyes full of laughter,
eyes to cause every heart to flutter,
eyes with an innocence, of the dove that flew,
eyes with a warmth of the spring air that blew,
to change the face of the cold earth due,
eyes with the fragrance of a thousand wild flowers,
eyes clear like the sparkling brook, with the black of the sky,
and the white of the clouds,
eyes deep like an ocean,
eyes mystic like an abyss,
the beholder hath a magic,
that charms an old rustic,
eyes that mirror the pretty beholder,
may the shine stay forever and ever,
the persona grow stronger and better,
to conquer the dreams that the eyes reflect,
and make every one come true with a zest,
a prayer a wish for the beholder,
that comes from miles yonder.
Eyes.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Polka Dots
Polka dotted pyjamas colored pink,
could they ever make me think,
put me completly on the brink,
leave me without food and drink???
and yet today, the polka dots,
as i call them have brought,
a state from which run i cannot,
it all began on one sunny friday,
with me and my freind chatting away,
when suddenly to me it struck,
the polka dots might have gone bust,
leaving their owner in the dust,
i asked my freind if she was aware,
or a part of the conspiracy that was dared,
she said she knew not what i said,
was upset with the whole episode instead,
so dear were the polka dots to her too,
so a search we decided to do,
from BOM to BANG,
to the revered land,
the best of agencies the best of the troops,
marched with us boot to boot,
countries and lands we traversed,
in the search that cost us dollars,
we had no luck we had no success,
but give up we could not,
the future rested on our search we thought,
and then came the big judgement day,
when we thought we had found our way,
the dots had been spotted at a strip miles away,
However elation was not to be,
it was rumour we were made to believe,
but we know thats not true,
there were there for a moment sure,
but like the mystic who comes and goes,
they vanished without any show,
leaving their admirers on their toes,
Till today the polka dots remain,
a treasure we searched in vain.
and yet now sometimes at night,
i wake and look to my left and to my right,
coz the dots call up to me to come and see,
in all their resplendant glory to thee,
its a mission that start afresh i must,
find the polka dots i must,
will you my dear freind lend me a hand,
to restore the old glory to that band,
of the good old Polka Dots.
could they ever make me think,
put me completly on the brink,
leave me without food and drink???
and yet today, the polka dots,
as i call them have brought,
a state from which run i cannot,
it all began on one sunny friday,
with me and my freind chatting away,
when suddenly to me it struck,
the polka dots might have gone bust,
leaving their owner in the dust,
i asked my freind if she was aware,
or a part of the conspiracy that was dared,
she said she knew not what i said,
was upset with the whole episode instead,
so dear were the polka dots to her too,
so a search we decided to do,
from BOM to BANG,
to the revered land,
the best of agencies the best of the troops,
marched with us boot to boot,
countries and lands we traversed,
in the search that cost us dollars,
we had no luck we had no success,
but give up we could not,
the future rested on our search we thought,
and then came the big judgement day,
when we thought we had found our way,
the dots had been spotted at a strip miles away,
However elation was not to be,
it was rumour we were made to believe,
but we know thats not true,
there were there for a moment sure,
but like the mystic who comes and goes,
they vanished without any show,
leaving their admirers on their toes,
Till today the polka dots remain,
a treasure we searched in vain.
and yet now sometimes at night,
i wake and look to my left and to my right,
coz the dots call up to me to come and see,
in all their resplendant glory to thee,
its a mission that start afresh i must,
find the polka dots i must,
will you my dear freind lend me a hand,
to restore the old glory to that band,
of the good old Polka Dots.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
The Day After
Day After,
A city shell shocked,
a fabric shattered,
by nature & by godmen,
and now by terror,
a heaviness in the air,
of frustration and despair,
a pall of gloom,
and impending doom,
the cries so far,
ears they jaar,
heart they rent,
a why i ask,
and yet in all this dark,
i see a light,
of the spirit that is human,
a guiding beacon,
the defiant silence,
the will to fight,
and stand upright,
and while at it to help those one might,
of few words more action,
the mob that helped,
its limping back,
it will come back,
a prayer for the bereaved,
a wish a desire,
let us spare,
the wrath so dire,
a wish, a prayer for the ones gone,
and strength to those left here,
Amen.
p.s.- dedicated to the innocent lives lost in yesterdays terrible blasts in Mumbai. May the souls rest in peace and god give strength to those bereaved to bear the loss with strength.
A city shell shocked,
a fabric shattered,
by nature & by godmen,
and now by terror,
a heaviness in the air,
of frustration and despair,
a pall of gloom,
and impending doom,
the cries so far,
ears they jaar,
heart they rent,
a why i ask,
and yet in all this dark,
i see a light,
of the spirit that is human,
a guiding beacon,
the defiant silence,
the will to fight,
and stand upright,
and while at it to help those one might,
of few words more action,
the mob that helped,
its limping back,
it will come back,
a prayer for the bereaved,
a wish a desire,
let us spare,
the wrath so dire,
a wish, a prayer for the ones gone,
and strength to those left here,
Amen.
p.s.- dedicated to the innocent lives lost in yesterdays terrible blasts in Mumbai. May the souls rest in peace and god give strength to those bereaved to bear the loss with strength.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
A little bit of me
p.s. - i am republishing something i had posted long back and inadvertently deleted :). now a little updated
A liitle bit of me I have been looking at numerous places where they ask me to describe myself, and i find myself not being able to do the same. eventually i end up carping the same old stuff, stuff that 90 in a 100 would be using, something on the lines of " am still confused, am trying to find myself and such".
Now the very fact that i have been carping such stuff makes me think do i really do not know myself? Can it be possible that 22 years after i came into this world, i have no idea what i am, who i am, and questions of the sort? or is it that i am trying to hide myself behind a facade? does that then mean that i am scared to show myself to the rest, either because i fear the rest shall reject me or because they might harm me if they know what my real self is? whew.............that seems to be a really disturbing thought and would undoubedtly show me as suffering from a really serious case of self-deprecation.
However, coming from a science and engineering background ( though the latter is a little suspect), i have always believed, that in most critical situations the conclusion that is the simplest is generally overlooked, and only later does one realise that indeed it is the right conclusion. I shall make no mistake of that sort here. So let me simply dump the higly complicated analysis as of above, and think for a moment of a very simple reason, for my inability to describe myself. simply put difficulty in articulating in a concise form what i believe i am or worth or whatever.
Hmm that sounds pretty ok now. Now that i have solved the initial problem of why i am unable to answer such questions, let me see if i can now try and actually answer the same.
About me. Well to start with, i am in the 23rd year of my so far not very long life, having recently passed out in chemical engineering from a reputed instituion, and completed two years in the corporate world.
Life so far has been good. School, college, all have passed in a roller coaster of sorts. I have had my best times, my worst times ( which actually were not that bad, only they seemed so at that time), have learnt quite a few things and yet feel there is so much to know, have changed myself in many ways, even though inherently i still remain the same.............................a completely excitable, quick to temper, kid who is trying to grow into a man, and slowly but surely succeeding at it too.
I have a pretty large circle of freinds and yet when it comes to it, the number with whom i have a really close relationship are simply put countable on ones fingers. My buddies from school are perhaps the best. have 5 best freinds from school who have continued even after we passed out from school, went to different colleges and now working at different places. then there are another 5 -6 from college. Not that it really surprises me or makes me feel bad. at the end of the day, actually one gets to have only so many freinds. i mean look at it this way, there is also a limit to which one can expand ones horizons. plus i am really happy to have such a coterie of great buddies.
Yet there was a time, esp in college, when i used to really go out of my way when dealing with freinds. and what used to happen was that when my expectations were not fulfilled i used to get depressed. It really took me a long-long time to get over this kind of a mental makeup. But finally i did manage to do it. Thats one of my most important learnings from college. i could in fact write a book on the same. But i guess i wont do that here.
School and college have been very different playing and learning fields. Let me elaborate on the same.
I spent a great time in school. Was among the toppers in my class, pretty good in co-curricular, kind of a cyanosure of teachers eyes. All in all had a great time. Learnt quite a few things, though when it comes to the practical ways of life, there i did not learn much. Maybe its because we were so well protected from the outside world. We had our parents, our teachers and then our freinds whenever we needed them.
Perhaps the most important aspect of life in school was the element of innocence it carried. whatever we did, at the end of the day, there were no hidden agendas, nothing.
and then those golden days ended. and we came to college. that was the first time i went out of home and stayed alone. Thats when i can say the real lessons in life as a whole started for me. Perhaps the biggest lesson for me was how to become more and more flexible in ones approach to life. that was one thing my parents had always told me i lacked. here i did develop a lot of sense of flexibility.
Of Course, i also had some setbacks. Academically it was all the way down the ladder. i simply did not study in college. Got involved in emotional distractions and wasted a lot of time. Looking back, i almost yearn to go back and rectify this perhaps the biggest mistake of my life. This unnecessary emotional distractions was one hell of a bane for me. Cannot blame anyone else for the same. But yes i should never have done that. Anyways, as they there is always a rise after a fall. So at the end of the day, i learnt my lesson well, my academics though they suffered but i still go a decent grade and finally landed up with a good job in the corporate world.
College life indeed has taught me so many things. In fact there are so many things that i am still trying to inculcate into my life. Havent really succeeded but i hope to do so soon.
Its now been two full years in the corporate world. The learnings here have been basically more of a professional sort. The one thing that i have been learning more these days is how to handle your finances when you are your own manager and not your parents. ha ha ha ha.
Sometimes, when i look back, i feel pangs of nostalgia at the times spent. So many times do i wish i could go back and relive all those moments at school and college. so many times, have i wished to go back and change things. But then whats done is done. I guess my emotional quotient is a little too high for todays world. but then thats the way it is. maybe with a little more time, that will lower.
At the end of the day, i find myself asking myself, do i really feel i have anything to regret???? No, an emphatic no. I might introspect on past doings and misdoings, but thats all part of life is it not. Misdoings are for you to learn from and make sure you dont repeat, not to brood or regret upon.
Life goes on, like a song,
adios
Chaos
A liitle bit of me I have been looking at numerous places where they ask me to describe myself, and i find myself not being able to do the same. eventually i end up carping the same old stuff, stuff that 90 in a 100 would be using, something on the lines of " am still confused, am trying to find myself and such".
Now the very fact that i have been carping such stuff makes me think do i really do not know myself? Can it be possible that 22 years after i came into this world, i have no idea what i am, who i am, and questions of the sort? or is it that i am trying to hide myself behind a facade? does that then mean that i am scared to show myself to the rest, either because i fear the rest shall reject me or because they might harm me if they know what my real self is? whew.............that seems to be a really disturbing thought and would undoubedtly show me as suffering from a really serious case of self-deprecation.
However, coming from a science and engineering background ( though the latter is a little suspect), i have always believed, that in most critical situations the conclusion that is the simplest is generally overlooked, and only later does one realise that indeed it is the right conclusion. I shall make no mistake of that sort here. So let me simply dump the higly complicated analysis as of above, and think for a moment of a very simple reason, for my inability to describe myself. simply put difficulty in articulating in a concise form what i believe i am or worth or whatever.
Hmm that sounds pretty ok now. Now that i have solved the initial problem of why i am unable to answer such questions, let me see if i can now try and actually answer the same.
About me. Well to start with, i am in the 23rd year of my so far not very long life, having recently passed out in chemical engineering from a reputed instituion, and completed two years in the corporate world.
Life so far has been good. School, college, all have passed in a roller coaster of sorts. I have had my best times, my worst times ( which actually were not that bad, only they seemed so at that time), have learnt quite a few things and yet feel there is so much to know, have changed myself in many ways, even though inherently i still remain the same.............................a completely excitable, quick to temper, kid who is trying to grow into a man, and slowly but surely succeeding at it too.
I have a pretty large circle of freinds and yet when it comes to it, the number with whom i have a really close relationship are simply put countable on ones fingers. My buddies from school are perhaps the best. have 5 best freinds from school who have continued even after we passed out from school, went to different colleges and now working at different places. then there are another 5 -6 from college. Not that it really surprises me or makes me feel bad. at the end of the day, actually one gets to have only so many freinds. i mean look at it this way, there is also a limit to which one can expand ones horizons. plus i am really happy to have such a coterie of great buddies.
Yet there was a time, esp in college, when i used to really go out of my way when dealing with freinds. and what used to happen was that when my expectations were not fulfilled i used to get depressed. It really took me a long-long time to get over this kind of a mental makeup. But finally i did manage to do it. Thats one of my most important learnings from college. i could in fact write a book on the same. But i guess i wont do that here.
School and college have been very different playing and learning fields. Let me elaborate on the same.
I spent a great time in school. Was among the toppers in my class, pretty good in co-curricular, kind of a cyanosure of teachers eyes. All in all had a great time. Learnt quite a few things, though when it comes to the practical ways of life, there i did not learn much. Maybe its because we were so well protected from the outside world. We had our parents, our teachers and then our freinds whenever we needed them.
Perhaps the most important aspect of life in school was the element of innocence it carried. whatever we did, at the end of the day, there were no hidden agendas, nothing.
and then those golden days ended. and we came to college. that was the first time i went out of home and stayed alone. Thats when i can say the real lessons in life as a whole started for me. Perhaps the biggest lesson for me was how to become more and more flexible in ones approach to life. that was one thing my parents had always told me i lacked. here i did develop a lot of sense of flexibility.
Of Course, i also had some setbacks. Academically it was all the way down the ladder. i simply did not study in college. Got involved in emotional distractions and wasted a lot of time. Looking back, i almost yearn to go back and rectify this perhaps the biggest mistake of my life. This unnecessary emotional distractions was one hell of a bane for me. Cannot blame anyone else for the same. But yes i should never have done that. Anyways, as they there is always a rise after a fall. So at the end of the day, i learnt my lesson well, my academics though they suffered but i still go a decent grade and finally landed up with a good job in the corporate world.
College life indeed has taught me so many things. In fact there are so many things that i am still trying to inculcate into my life. Havent really succeeded but i hope to do so soon.
Its now been two full years in the corporate world. The learnings here have been basically more of a professional sort. The one thing that i have been learning more these days is how to handle your finances when you are your own manager and not your parents. ha ha ha ha.
Sometimes, when i look back, i feel pangs of nostalgia at the times spent. So many times do i wish i could go back and relive all those moments at school and college. so many times, have i wished to go back and change things. But then whats done is done. I guess my emotional quotient is a little too high for todays world. but then thats the way it is. maybe with a little more time, that will lower.
At the end of the day, i find myself asking myself, do i really feel i have anything to regret???? No, an emphatic no. I might introspect on past doings and misdoings, but thats all part of life is it not. Misdoings are for you to learn from and make sure you dont repeat, not to brood or regret upon.
Life goes on, like a song,
adios
Chaos
Sunday, June 18, 2006
The Sunset
As the rays of the setting sun,
prepare to say goodbye for the day,
they stop, they halt and listen to what she has to say,
her voice is music, her face brings a cheer,
the rays beg the sun, let us be here,
this moment is one to savour for ever,
the sun says come again with the moon,
and shine on her that her radiance may,
spread cheer and happiness on all with her today.
prepare to say goodbye for the day,
they stop, they halt and listen to what she has to say,
her voice is music, her face brings a cheer,
the rays beg the sun, let us be here,
this moment is one to savour for ever,
the sun says come again with the moon,
and shine on her that her radiance may,
spread cheer and happiness on all with her today.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Rang De Basanti!!!!!!!!!!!! - Thumbs Up!!
It has been a while since i have posted something out here. and i decided to start my regular posting ( yes this time i promise to be regular), with my own reveiw of a movie that i saw recently.
Rang De Basanti, is in one word a Good movie. A novel plot, beautifully sketched out, comprehensively acted out, amazingly scored in music and what have you.
Sue, an english filmmaker comes to India with a dream to make a documentary on the Indian Revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru etc. Shes inspired by her grandfather who served in the Indian prison where these revolutionaries were lodged, and wrote a diary on his daily interactions with them. She chooses for her cast a group of collegians from Delhi, comprising DJ, Sukhi, Aslam,Karan,Sonia and Lakshman Pandey.
Its a group that any youngster would connect with. Wild, fun loving, with ideas of their own that are yet still in the making even if they appear permanent. A group that tends to live for the day and then wait only for the next. Of course you have Pandey as a fanatical Hindu nationalist but he has a change of mindset as the story progresses. So do all the others as the movie within the movie completes. The mood changes with the death of Sonia's Fiancee Flt Leiutenant Ajay in a Mig 21 Crash. The events that unfold thereafter are poignant and tragic leading to a an emotional climax.
What i liked about the movie as i said before was the portrayal of the idea. The way the flashback of the Indian Freedom movement is gelled with the story of the current is simply great. In fact i did not realise in the beginning why it happened but when the end approaches you know why it was done.
All the performances are strong, and you can beleive it when i say even Aamir Khan cannot overshadown his co-actors here. Of course credit goes to him too for his own portrayal of a Punjabi brat ( DJ), but the others are equally strong characters. The music is one more point. AR Rehman shows once again his genius.
Its a beautifully made movie, and as commented by one of my freinds, one hell of a movie after Dil Chahta Hai.
Of course just as anything cannot be perfect and i do have a couple of points. I thought Anupam Kher as the industrialist father and Om Puri as Aslam's father were wasted. i mean you cant give such measely roles to such great actors. but then thats just a point. Then i also thought maybe the part about the crash and the subsequent actions should have been given 15 more minutes. it was kinda abrupt.
But as i said before, nothings perfect, and hell i am also not a perfectionist. I really enjoyed watching the movie, and i plan to watch it once more with my family when i go back hom in Feb end.
till then
Kudos
Rang De Basanti, is in one word a Good movie. A novel plot, beautifully sketched out, comprehensively acted out, amazingly scored in music and what have you.
Sue, an english filmmaker comes to India with a dream to make a documentary on the Indian Revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru etc. Shes inspired by her grandfather who served in the Indian prison where these revolutionaries were lodged, and wrote a diary on his daily interactions with them. She chooses for her cast a group of collegians from Delhi, comprising DJ, Sukhi, Aslam,Karan,Sonia and Lakshman Pandey.
Its a group that any youngster would connect with. Wild, fun loving, with ideas of their own that are yet still in the making even if they appear permanent. A group that tends to live for the day and then wait only for the next. Of course you have Pandey as a fanatical Hindu nationalist but he has a change of mindset as the story progresses. So do all the others as the movie within the movie completes. The mood changes with the death of Sonia's Fiancee Flt Leiutenant Ajay in a Mig 21 Crash. The events that unfold thereafter are poignant and tragic leading to a an emotional climax.
What i liked about the movie as i said before was the portrayal of the idea. The way the flashback of the Indian Freedom movement is gelled with the story of the current is simply great. In fact i did not realise in the beginning why it happened but when the end approaches you know why it was done.
All the performances are strong, and you can beleive it when i say even Aamir Khan cannot overshadown his co-actors here. Of course credit goes to him too for his own portrayal of a Punjabi brat ( DJ), but the others are equally strong characters. The music is one more point. AR Rehman shows once again his genius.
Its a beautifully made movie, and as commented by one of my freinds, one hell of a movie after Dil Chahta Hai.
Of course just as anything cannot be perfect and i do have a couple of points. I thought Anupam Kher as the industrialist father and Om Puri as Aslam's father were wasted. i mean you cant give such measely roles to such great actors. but then thats just a point. Then i also thought maybe the part about the crash and the subsequent actions should have been given 15 more minutes. it was kinda abrupt.
But as i said before, nothings perfect, and hell i am also not a perfectionist. I really enjoyed watching the movie, and i plan to watch it once more with my family when i go back hom in Feb end.
till then
Kudos
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