Friday, December 28, 2007

तारे ज़मीन पर...

Ladies and gentlemen, if you have to watch a movie to end the year with, go and book your tickets for this flick. 'Taare Zameen Par' is a must watch for one and all. A definite tear clincher and most definitely one for the entire family...esp. the parents.

Not much to be said about तारे ज़मीन पर . This movie is made to be watched and felt. Watch it for Darsheel's fabulous acting and Aamir's chemistry with the kid. The brilliance of Aamir Khan is just out there to see and marvel at. That's all there is to say. :-)

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

As Good As It Gets...

I received the below mentioned article as a forwarded message today in my mail box, originally published here. Well, the author might have underestimated the Tiger but the fact remains that he has been the best captain we have ever seen, a true fighter and a pillar of determination & grit. The first time he made a comeback was at the Lords in 1990's; and what a comeback it was! Making his presence felt in the international arena. A powerful hitter of the ball, he went on to become the 'Prince of Calcutta', a nickname given to him by none other than Sir Geoffrey Boycott. The Prince of hearts went on to become the 'Maharaja' of the game and dominated the off side in such a fashion that Rahul Dravid once retorted, "On the off side, first there is God and then there is Saurav Ganguly". A tribute from one great batsman to another. His loss of captaincy and subsequent ouster from the team might have been a temporary setback, but not enough to dampen his spirits. If anything, it probably gave him a reason to get back. About a year ago when 'Dada' made his comeback, after being dropped unceremoniously, people were astounded. The critics who had written him off were stunned and silenced. A year gone by and Saurav has ensured that their mouths are kept shut for good. That's the way to fight back. Not with words but with deeds. With the year 2007 being his best year so far, I believe he has miles to go from here onwards.

The Pepsi commercial ('Apne Dada ki baat sunenge naa aap?') that Saurav did before the world cup was probably an ominous sign. One should have taken the hint then. A tiger can be kept in a cage for a while but it doesn't lose his ferocity.

One should never forget, a wounded tiger is a very dangerous creature and once recovered, it hunts down its prey and feasts like never before!


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A stirring revival
Ganguly's fairytale
Sambit Bal
December 9, 2007

If you're looking for a clue to what has helped Sourav Ganguly sustain his spectacular run in Test cricket since his return at the fag end of last year, don't bother looking at his footwork or the flow of his bat. Take, instead, a close look at his eyes while he is batting. They speak of a calmness that borders on serenity, and a combination of composure and resolve. You could see it in his comeback innings in Johannesburg, which fetched him an unbeaten 51, and you could see it through his epic innings in Bangalore that marked a new high in his career.
In his bowling, and on the field, we have seen the more familiar Ganguly; excitable, emotional, even fiery. He has appealed cantankerously and celebrated his wickets and catches with child-like gusto. His batting hasn't lacked his natural flair - in fact, he has been batting with greater freedom than he did in the period leading up to his temporary banishment - but the most noticeable feature about his cricket has been his poise. It hasn't left him even after he has occasionally been cornered into an awkward position by a short ball.
He has let himself go only once: it was an emotional moment, getting to his first hundred before his adoring home fans. But his celebration after he got to his first double-hundred, a landmark he sought and will cherish, was far more subdued. There was the raising of the arms and the acknowledgment of applause from his team-mates and the crowd. But then there was also a series of little pumps of the fist, and a waving of the helmet. Those were for himself. There was an air of fulfillment, of a man celebrating privately in public. His smile touched a million hearts: his struggle to regain his place, and some would say his honour, have been among the most stirring and uplifting stories in cricket.
Let's be done with the numbers first. Incredibly for a man who was given up for dead, 2007 has been his most successful year statistically. Potentially he has three innings left still, and he has already scored 932 runs at 62.13. His most prolific year to date has been 2002, when he managed 945 runs - but it took him 16 Tests back then. Put together, 2005 and 2006 yielded him only 422 runs from 11 Tests at 28.13, and that included a painstaking hundred against a hopeless Zimbabwean bowling attack.
The manner of his removal, first from captaincy and then from the team, continues to rankle with his supporters, and surely with him. But it is undeniable that from that low has emerged this high. It was perhaps a bit disingenuous for Greg Chappell to claim credit for Ganguly's revival, but in the cold light of the day, the exile, the sheer indignation of it, did make the revival possible, and ultimately far more poignant.
The credit for it must go entirely to Ganguly, for few rational observers would have seen it coming. It wasn't just that the runs had dried up; his skills, his responses, seemed to have deserted him, and he bore the look of a haunted man.
He owes his return to a change in the selection committee, but the rest of the story is about a man who simply refused to surrender to what seemed inevitable to most. Much can be said about his improved footwork and the decisiveness of his stroke-making, but in the end, it has been a triumph of spirit, of incredible strength of mind and faith.
Remarkably, in a batting line-up featuring Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, Ganguly has been India's best batsman since his return. Not merely for consistency and the number of runs scored - during the course of his double-hundred he became India's leading run--getter this year - but for the assuredness of the manner in which he has made them. His half-century in his return Test in Johannesburg, though subdued and a bit laboured, helped India to what ultimately turned out to be a match-winning first-innings total in a low-scoring Test. And in the decisive Test in Cape Town, only he looked fluent and in control in the fateful second innings; his dismissal induced a crawl that proved terminal.
In England he had a series of vital contributions, and none better than a 79 on a challenging pitch in the second Test at Trent Bridge. Apart from Zaheer Khan's inspired swing bowling, my warmest memory from that match is of Ganguly's square-driving.
Michael Vaughan set an off-side trap, with four men between cover and gully, and Ganguly teased and mocked him by caressing, punching and guiding the ball repeatedly through that cordon: one to the right of point, then one to the left, and then a couple between the two gullies. He was denied a hundred by a wrong decision, and his response to that dismissal told a story. In an earlier time he would have left kicking and stomping; here he did so with an ironic, rueful smile. The protest was registered, but without causing offence.
Admittedly his hundreds in the current series have come against feeble opponents. The pitch at Kolkata offered nothing to the bowlers, and Shoaib Akhtar was drained by illness. But at Bangalore he was not so much up against the bowlers as the match situation. He provided the calm cushion for Yuvraj Singh to flow at the other end without ever sacrificing his own strokes.
Personally, my favourite Ganguly innings of the series is a small but vital one. It came during the run-chase in the final innings of the first Test. Shoaib had just cleaned up Rahul Dravid with a ripper; India had over a hundred runs to get; and Tendulkar was finding non-existent demons in the pitch. In this banana-skin situation, typical to India, Ganguly, who had fallen cheaply in the first innings, set about cutting down the target nervelessly, with deliciously timed fours against Shoaib, Mohammad Sami, and Danish Kaneria.
The toughest challenge lies ahead. Australia will come hard at him, and the pitches will test his skills. But he is living out a fairytale at the moment, and nothing he achieves will be a surprise anymore. There are many, me included, who believed Ganguly's time as an international cricketer was over. We owe him an apology and a salute.

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Days (Nights) to remember...

So...it's been nearly 2.5 months since I started working the night shift...starting at 2300hrs till 0830...it seemed exciting at first...a new experience...watching the empty ODC...barely any souls around. It's hard to imagine that this place is buzzing with activity the whole day. With maybe around 10000 ppl in the campus the office campus is active throughout the day.

The first couple of weeks were spent roaming around the campus at around 3 in the night and exploring all the buildings...lots of junk food in the nearly empty cafetaria...listening to music on high volume while working...and watching the rising sun at 6AM. The crimson and orange skies just before the sun rose was so beautiful...as if the guy up there had spilled the paint on a canvas and then very skillfully gathered it up into a big orange sphere!

Well, so much for the initial days of fun. It does begin to take a toll on a persons normal body cycle and affect one's life...am pretty glad that this is goin to end soon. The only thing I would miss is probably the serene and calm environment. Don't like a crowd around much you see. :-)

In case, you are suffering from a similar case of sleepless nights then just forward this link to your boss. Am sure that's a big enough hint ;-)

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Meet Joe Black

A movie that never fails to amaze me, no matter how many times I watch it. It talks about life. It talks about the power of love. It talks of respect. It talks of the wonderfulness of being alive. It talks of being true to oneself and to everyone around us.

When we grow old and are 65 and we look back at our lives, how many of us can boast of a life so enriching and absolutely fulfilling that you would have no regrets? You wake up from bed and say to yourself, 'I don't want anything else'. A life so inspiring that death itself would stop by for a moment and admire the person you are.

Recently, I was having a conversation with a friend on 'Carpe Diem' and what it would translate to in various contexts. I guess regardless of the context, what it translates to is simply that whatever we do, time is always a constraint. How we handle that constraint and make the most of what we got in hand ultimately decides the person we are. Isn't it?

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Take Your Fl(P)ick!

Well, it's been a week already and I think the hype and all have subsided. Things have become clear on the obvious choice for some. For those of you who have only got the reviews but haven't actually got to watch them yet, here's my take on both the releases.

Saawariya: If you want entertainment, then forget it...go watch something else. This is a movie which has got a very simple story (I know some might say, 'if it can be called a story!', but nevertheless). Boy meets girl...falls in love with her...girl loves some other guy...other guy is absconding...will he come back?
Sounds simple enough? Probably Sanjay Leela Bhansali thought the same too. So what does he do to create the grandeur that we genrally see in his movies? He gives the entire setting a fairy tale look. The look is amazingly suitable for a Hans Christian Anderson kind of a story. A random unknown town, the roads and buildings of which are just like in a storybook. It rains AND snows depending on the mood of the characters. The prostitutes wear colour coordinated dresses (Green or Blue mostly!). People behave so indifferently to the central characters. It's more like there is nothing else happening around. It's just the story of these two youngsters and those related to them. Every now and then they break into a song. With roughly an hour worth of songs in the movie, you feel like bits and pieces of a narration is thrown in between a musical. You would definitely be in a trance. But the likely cause might be the amazing cinematography and the grand sets with the blue and green lighting rather than the brilliance of the story. Innumerable references to Raj Kapoor and the RK banner looks like they wanted Ranbir to be launched under the home banner but probably thought otherwise and just put in the proxies for the effect. But the question one would ask is what exactly was SLB trying to achieve from this?

As far as the newcomers are concerned, they seem to have the talent to be good actors someday. Maybe a different movie, a different kind of a role. Ranbir would definitely do good in a serious/action kind of a role while Sonam looks pretty versatile. But Saawariya was simply the wrong platform. Watch Saawariya only when in a sombre mood. It's not for the regular moviegoer.

Om Shanti Om: That's what I call a real entertainer. Forget all logic. It's not meant to be logical at all. But if you want value for money and 2.5 hours of fultoo entertainment then this is the right movie to watch. The first half sees a lot of 70's drama. SRK overacts like no one can and the best part is that he is meant to do so. All characters have been beautifully enacted by some very very good actors. Kirron Kher in the role of the 'overacting Filmy Maa' is simbly supaarb :-) . Shreyas is brilliant as usual. But the surprise pack is Arjun Rampal. Carrying off such a brilliant negative part in this kind of a masala movie is quite credible. Deepika Padukone, contrary to popular belief, can actually act and she does so brilliantly. She caries of the classic as well as the mod look with such ease that it is difficult to judge where she looks better. The two main attractions of the movie, in my opinion, would definitely be the spoof on south indian movies and the 'Deewangi' song. Watch out for SRK in the 'Rascalaa...Mind It' avataar. Mindblowing! No other word for it.

And the 31 star song does indeed take you back to the old era. Rekha, Jeetender, Mithun doing their jigs with the new brigade is very very entertaining and it really looks like they had one hell of a party at the sets :-).

The movie credits at the end of the film is definitely worth a watch. I don't think any movie-maker has brought his entire backend staff on-screen and given them due credit in this fashion ever.
OSO is a very apt tribute to the Hindi film Industry and to everyone who make it possible for us to love the industry and its movies despite everything. Farah Khan, you rock!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Celebration...

Got the below mentioned piece in a forwarded mail recently and it got me thinking. Have we really forgotten how to be a friend? Since we were kids, we might have met many people. Some we liked, some we didn't for various different reasons. Some of those became very good friends. Some became close acquaintances while some we resented and they were on our hit list always.

Time passes and we keep in touch with some of them but some do drift away only to ring the bell on the doors of our memories at the most unexpected of times. When that time comes, what do you do? Is the relationship similar as it used to be? Can we ever be like that again as we used to be?
Just a few questions that comes to the mind.

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Celebration means......

A winter evening.

Four friends.

One barsaat.

Four glasses of chai.


(OR)


Hundred bucks of gas.

A rusty old bike.

And an open road.


(OR)


Maggi noodles.

A hostel room.

4.25 a.m.


(OR)


3 old friends.

3 separate cities.

3 coffee mugs.

1 internet messenger.


(OR)


Rain on a hot tin roof.

Pakoras deep-frying.

Neighbours dropping in.

A party.


You can spend
Hundreds on birthdays,

Thousands on festivals,

Lakhs on weddings,


but to celebrate
all you have to do is spend your Time ..

Keep in touch with your loved ones ........

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Monday, November 12, 2007

Diwali Deewangee

It was a weekend we had been waiting for sometime. A four day holiday...away from work and away from doing the usual stuff. Well, it certainly was unusual in a lot many ways.

8th November: PP arrived in the morning from Hyd. Pre-diwali day. Lots of crackers to be bought and we had no clue where to get them from! Surprisingly, Bangalore had a few or no cracker shops at all in every corner of the road like we have it back home. The evening started with bowling at Megabowl on airport road. And before I forget to mention, we had a very competitive match indeed. The winner (Shk) scored much more than twice the score of the person ending up last and yours truly fought till the last ball was bowled, to end at 3rd spot. (the fact that there were just four of us is incidental ;-) ). Well, it was a futile search for crackers that day, but the drive on the Whitefield Road was good.Coffee at CCD followed by dinner at Golconda Chimney was a nice way to end the evening. By the way, for those who haven't been to Golconda Chimney...you must try it out. The food is quite good.

9th November: Diwali day and NO CRACKERS yet! Made some calls and were told that Hosur road is the place to go. So off we went on our bikes again. We found a wholesaler for 'Standard Fireworks' pretty close by on Hosur Rd. and the variety of fireworks available was just what we wanted. It had been 4 years since I had stopped bursting crackers and this year was going to be a 'back to the past' kind of a celebration :-). We got the stuff which lasted well over 3 hours. Diwali evening was quite exciting. Last years celebrations were at Ooty and hence it was my first Diwali at Bangalore. I lighted Diya's and two Phuljhari's at my flat before joining the others at Sbz's place. The first half of the evening did consist of some weird and crackling designs formed of those patakha's. A sample of the artistic skills of the crazy gang can be seen below.



Interval was full of laddoos, mewa and wine. Interesting combo...All this with the movie 'Jaaneman' playing in the background! I know...that is an 'Eeks' moment! ;-) Well, the rest of the crackers were burst in the next 30 minutes in a really marathon session where the rockets were flying every which way you can imagine...the Chakri's chose to run under the bikes and the bombs/sparklers threatening to start a forest fire! The Ladi being the grand finale was not a dissapointment at all. And we really hope (actually quite sure) that the galli ke doggies wouldn't bother to threaten the people of this particular galli at least for the next few months.

Dinner was at a nearby restaurant where we saw some people leaving the place with a box of sweets in their hands. We were quite amused and a bit happy to know that the reataurant was pampering the guests thus, until someone overheard that they were personal guests of the owner! Well, never mind. Too much sweet isn't good for the weight conscious anyway.

10th November: The D-Day! We were watching 'Saawariya' today. Had already got some diametrically opposite reviews from various sources and hence were quite apprehensive. Well, what it turned out to be is something I will not discuss on this post. Evening we had to do some shopping for a trekking expedition at Kalawarhallibetta (Skandhagiri Hills). We left from Bangalore at around 11PM. The group included Sbz, PP, Nash, Smr and of course Hum :-). Kalawarhallibetta is a difficult place to find (esp in the night) if one doesn't know the route. We had a yummy dinner at a Dhaba near Yelahanka. The dhaba was ideal for one of those ghost movie settings. Reached Chikballarpur at around 1.30AM and then the driver of our cab got thoroughly confused as to which direction to go in! Just wonderful isn't it? We asked for some directions and found the turning that had a KM-stone with 'Nandigram 6 km' written on it. We turned left from the Chikballarpur main road and carried on. Going further we lost our way again and at 2AM there was no one to ask directions to as well. There was some divine intervention near a place which read Sri SathyaSai Ashram. We found a friendly woman awake who directed us onto the right path. Well, if you thought that we were to find the place now for sure, well you're almost right but not quite. We were indeed blessed with this amazing pathfinder (a.k.a our driver) who could get confused at the slightest excuse. Probably the excuse this time was the scary shadowy figure we saw on the road. Totally covered in blue with a blue and white headscarf and standing hunched on the side of the road holding a stick! The figure wasn't moving at all and as we went past it, for a moment it did scare us when the headlights of the vehicle flashed on the figure, until we realized what it actually was. Well, coming back to our quest for Skandagiri Hills, it turned out that we had to take a turn at the Visveswariah Arch and enter the village (this was the birth place of Sir M.Visveswariah). Some 2 kms further on this road the Skandhagiri Hills trek start point was there. Some negotiation with the guide took place and we were off to start the expedition uphill. Our backpacks loaded with water, chocolates & biscuits and with flashlights in our hands we were all set to conquer Mt. Skandagiri! :D. We had barely walked 30 minutes that the task began to look quite daunting but nevertheless doable. For Nash, who hadn't done a lot of trekking earlier, the uphill trek was a difficult one and we had to stop every 10-15 minutes to let him catch his breath and also goad him on to continue walking, trying various incentives included playing songs on the cellphone to taking pictures on the rocks in the no-moon night. To top this, the guide was a pestering kind who it seems, had some sort of a inter-galaxy shuttle to catch on reaching the top of the hill. The continuous 'come FAST saar' was quite irritating as well. So much so, that PP contemplated throwing him off the cliff if he said FAST once again, and as if on cue the next word from the guide was, 'FAST saar!' ;-) Lucky that the guy was some distance ahead of us. We reached the top of the hill after around 2.5 hours of climbing and one would have thought that the difficult part was over. We were walking on flat ground and were nearing the top of the cliff where all other trekkers could be seen, when suddenly there was a noise behind me and Nash just disappeared! Just like that...Poof...into thin air! Just that it wasn't the air but the ground that gave way underneath his feet. He had fallen through the grass on the left side of the path and into a bush some 6 feet from the top of the hill. When we tried locating him, all we could see was his right hand. Thankfully, his fall was broken by the dense bush and he was somehow holding onto something. His left foot was stuck in the branches and right foot was loose with no foothold underneath. We were terrified but thankfully, the guide knew the hills. He got a few other localites and they got into the trees below and tried pulling Nash up. I could hear PP mumbling something and realized that probably they were silent prayers. Am sure that's what everyone else was doing at that moment. We didn't know how deep the pit was and how bad the fall had been/could have been if Nash had continued falling.

We hear of accidents and near death experiences from other people and always think that it can't happen to one of us. We are always very careful. But what happened there, just made me realize, that one can't be too careful always and unthinkable things can happen to anyone. But, destiny does play a role. There's a reason and time for everything that happens around and to us. We do not know what would happen in the next moment. All it takes is a split second to change your life. A blink of an eye and everything can be what you have always dreamt of or what you never wanted to happen! Just goes on to say that don't take life for granted. Sure, we should live by the moment and be happy with what comes our way, but whatever comes your way mayn't necessarily be what you deserve. Probably it happened to you because there are better plans written ahead in the future chapters of your life and these are the ways to be prepared for what lies ahead.

Coming back to the cliff, the guide got us some help and we could reach Nash at last. With some effort he was pulled up and was back on solid ground. What was amazing was that, all his tiredness had disappeared and his sense of humor was back in a jiffy. Now the only thing that he was complaining about was that we failed to take pictures when he was busy playing Tarzan hanging on the edge of the cliff!

11th November: The sunrise was in another 20 minutes and it sure was beautiful! A sunrise on top of a hill from where we could see the clouds floating below was simply breathtaking.



We started our climb downhill around 6.30AM and reached the foothills in about 2 hours. We reached back in Bangalore in around an hour and totally crashed out. Terribly tired but the experience was amazing. I think we should plan our next trek soon. Sbz-Take the hint ;-)

Dead tired from the trek and slept most of the afternoon. Evening did pass by quite fast and the small vacation was nearing an end. But this was a long weekend that would last in my mind for a very long time to come for a lot of reasons.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Myth-o-logic!

Came across this piece here.
Reflects today's situation in the country very aptly.
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The Lord surveyed the Ram Setu and said "Hanuman, you and your vanara sena had built this bridge several centuries back with great diligence and devotion. It is remarkable that it has withstood the ravages of the climatic and geographical changes over centuries. It is indeed an amazing feat especially considering the fact that a bridge at Hyderabad built by Gammon using latest technology collapsed the other day even before they could stick the posters on its pillars."
Hanuman with all humility spoke "Jai Sri Ram, it is all because of your grace. We just scribbled your name on the bricks and threw them in the sea and they held. No steel from TISCO or cement from Ambuja or ACC was ever used. But Lord, why rake up the old issue now?"
Ram spoke "Well, Hanuman some people down there want to demolish the bridge and construct a canal. The contract involves lot of money and lot of money will be made. They will make money on demolition and make more money on construction."
Hanuman bowed down and said "Why don't we go down and present our case?"
Ram said "Times have changed since we were down there. They will ask us to submit age proof and we don't have either a birth certificate or school leaving certificate. We traveled mainly on foot and some times on horseback and so we don't have a driving license either. As far as the address proof is concerned, the fact that I was born at Ayodhya is in itself under litigation for over half a century...If I go in a traditional attire with bow and arrow, the ordinary folks may recognize me but Arjun Singh may take me to be some tribal and, at the most, offer a seat at IIT under the reserved category. Also, a God cannot walk in dressed in a three-piece suit and announce his arrival. It would make even the devotees suspicious. So it is a dilemma to say the least."
"I can vouch for you by saying that I personally built the bridge."
"My dear, Anjani putra, it will not work. They will ask you to produce the lay-out plan, the project details, including financial outlay and how the project cost was met and the completion certificate. Nothing is accepted without documentary evidence in India. You may cough but unless a doctor certifies it, you have no cough. A pensioner may present himself personally but the authorities do not take it as proof. He has to produce a life-certificate to prove that he is alive. It is that complicated."
"Lord, I can't understand these historians. Over the years you have given darshan once every hundred years to saints like Surdas, Tulsidas, Saint Thyagaraja, Jayadeva, Bhadrachala Ramdas and even Sant Tukaram and still they disbelieve your existence and say Ramayana is a myth. The only option, I see, is to re-enact Ramayana on earth and set the government records straight once for all."
Lord smiled "It isn't that easy today. Ravan is apprehensive that he may look like a saint in front of Karunanidhi. I also spoke to his mama Mareecha, who appeared as a golden deer to tempt Sita maiyya when I was in the forest and he said that he won't take a chance of stepping on earth as long as Salman Khan is around!!!"

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Tryst With Destiny

60 Years ago we became citizens of a free nation. Today as we complete 60 years of independence, let us remember the pledge once again.
Nehru's Tryst with destiny speech delivered on 15th August 1947:-
Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?

Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now.

That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfil the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this One World that can no longer be split into isolated fragments.

To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill-will or blaming others.

We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell. The appointed day has come-the day appointed by destiny-and India stands forth again, after long slumber and struggle, awake, vital, free and independent. The past clings on to us still in some measure and we have to do much before we redeem the pledges we have so often taken. Yet the turning-point is past, and history begins anew for us, the history which we shall live and act and others will write about.

It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materializes. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed! We rejoice in that freedom, even though clouds surround us, and many of our people are sorrowstricken and difficult problems encompass us. But freedom brings responsibilities and burdens and we have to face them in the spirit of a free and disciplined people.

On this day our first thoughts go to the architect of this freedom, the Father of our Nation [Gandhi], who, embodying the old spirit of India, held aloft the torch of freedom and lighted up the darkness that surrounded us. We have often been unworthy followers of his and have strayed from his message, but not only we but succeeding generations will remember this message and bear the imprint in their hearts of this great son of India, magnificent in his faith and strength and courage and humility. We shall never allow that torch of freedom to be blown out, however high the wind or stormy the tempest.

Our next thoughts must be of the unknown volunteers and soldiers of freedom who, without praise or reward, have served India even unto death. We think also of our brothers and sisters who have been cut off from us by political boundaries and who unhappily cannot share at present in the freedom that has come. They are of us and will remain of us whatever may happen, and we shall be sharers in their good [or] ill fortune alike.

The future beckons to us. Whither do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman.

We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be. We are citizens of a great country on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communalism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or in action.

To the nations and peoples of the world we send greetings and pledge ourselves to cooperate with them in furthering peace, freedom and democracy. And to India, our much-loved motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent homage and we bind ourselves afresh to her service. Jai Hind.

Monday, August 13, 2007

India at 60

As India celebrates its 60th anniversary of gaining independence from the British Rule, the world is celebrating the event.
Have we as a nation finally arrived? Have we achieved what we set out to? Are we the best yet?
These are a few questions that arise in our mind.




All I can think of right now are these lines of Robert Frost-
" The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Pottery July :D

Amazing month this is...

July 13th, 2007



July 21st, 2007



Eagerly Waiting... :D

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Juju, You will be missed...

The day hasn't begun on a very good note.

Having talked about the Legend of Juju in an earlier post, it was a big shock when I heard the news this morning. Juju passed away last night...

The one year that we shared in the same campus, the same block, the same wing...were some of the most eventful and exciting moments. I still remember the first week when he came to our rooms and asked us to get dressed in formals, fill a bucket of water and assemble at Scotland Yard (the codename for the well/assembly area). What followed was fun. A Block intro unlike any other. Who can forget the "Uff Yeh Mumbai Ki Ladkiyan!" and the reaction that followed :-) or "Juju Power....Machhar Maar". One of the liveliest, funniest and jolly guys you would ever meet.

You will be missed and we will remember you fondly. May you find peace wherever you go!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

If Only...

Isa Bhai: Usse Maloom tha Hai Naa?
Bhaskar: * Nods in Agreement *
Isa Bhai: Wah! Wah! Marte marte chela guru ko jeena sikha gaya...dukh apne liye Rakh, Anand Sabhi Ke Liye!

Having watched this movie for the Nth time, it never fails to astonish me and it leaves behind a tear in the eye everytime.
The movie-Anand; one of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's finest pieces of art.
Zindagi Badi Honi Chahiye babu Moshaye, lambi nahi. (Life should be large and not long). The message is conveyed so beautifully.

If only people were a bit unselfish...
If only there was no dissatisfaction...
If only there were no disagreements...
If only there was a little bit more of tolerance towards each other and life in general...
IF ONLY!!!

If only we realized the importance!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Surface Computing!

Think about this:
  • When was the last time you used a landline phone (barring the office phone)?
  • When was the last time you went inside a bank to withdraw money?
  • When was the last time you rented a video cassette from the local video library? Or for that matter actually saw one?!
  • When did you last use a tape recorder to listen to your favorite music?
The pace at which technology outpaces itself is astounding.
If you thought that the gadgets in the James Bond Movies were cool and if the latest product from Apple, the iPhone fascinates you then what you are going to see will blow your mind off.





Read more about it here.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

A Month Already...

It’s been a month already since I went home. 12th of May was the day we were all looking forward to…Me and my cousins. One of them was getting married the following week. Boys being boys, they always leave packing to the last minute and the case wasn’t any different this time as well (barring me…am the meticulous planner types…or so I like to believe ;-) ). One of my cousins C (the would-be groom) didn’t sleep the whole night for fear of missing the flight. The other one S merrily had a bottle of wine and slept like a log after calling me up to wake him in the morning! We had to be at the airport by 6.30 at least to catch our 7.30 flight. When I called up S at 5, he did pick up the phone after 10 rings. Calling him up at 5.40 again was indeed a blessing in disguise. Why? Coz the great man had fallen asleep again and we were supposed to leave by 6 from our home! Well, finally we managed to leave by 6.10AM and reached the airport at 6.35. C was already there and was quite worried. One really doesn’t want to miss the flight when he’s getting married in 2 days you see! All said and done, we did manage to catch our flight which incidentally got delayed due to refueling. We took off 30 mins late and the flight was again delayed at Chennai (Reason: They were refueling again!!! That too after a total flying time of 30 mins since the last time they fueled!). No wonder they call it a no frills, low cost flying experience. They wouldn’t even fuel up more than what was absolutely necessary!
When finally we reached our destination, the baggage claim took some 40 mins! I had never seen a conveyor at the airport being turned on and off after each load of luggage was dumped on the belt.

The vacation had started off pretty interestingly and was bound to be very eventful. Sunday saw C & Me distributing cards to a few of his friends. Met almost all the other cousins on Sunday and the amount of noise at home could have reached supersonic levels had there been any more kids!
Monday was the big day. The groom was ready by 10AM and the Baaraat (procession) started from their place at around 11AM. Being peak summertime, we were all dreading the heat. Thankfully it was cloudy and was a big relief to us all. Marriage processions in our part of the world are pretty fun filled and involves a lot of dancing (free style bole to desi ishtyle as well) to the tunes of some local hits. The hot favorite was “Ekda Ekda ra…”...The groom isn’t supposed to get out of the car till we reach the marriage hall, but then this was a once in a lifetime affair (well for most people, it usually is ;-) ). We spared no time in pulling C out of the car and he was all too glad to show us a few steps in his own inimitable style.
The marriage ceremony was a fun affair and the highlight was the ‘Hata-Ganthhi’ opening ritual. This is similar to the ‘Joota Chhupai rasm’ in North India. The groom places his palm over the brides palm and their hands are tied. The Saali (sister in law) then bargains with the groom for her choice of gift or sometimes cash to open the knot before the Muhurtam. The bargaining part is real fun especially when the all the people from the grooms’ & brides’ side get together to strategise and negotiate on the deal. Most of us being MBA’s put in all efforts to strike a win-win deal & while all this was going on, our dear cousin C was enjoying the whole situation. He was in an advantageous position after all (sitting on the Mandap holding his beloved’s hand) ;-).
The ceremony was over by 5 and the Vidai was a pretty sentimental affair. The bride and her parents and relatives (and the neighbours and their neighbours) all crying like there is no tomorrow. I always find this whole thing pretty amusing. Even a few people from the groom’s side could be seen crying including one of my Bhabhi’s and one of C’s friends!

The next few days saw 10 of us cousins going for a one day trip to Puri. A visit to the Jagannath temple is always something to cherish. The calm and peace of the place among all the chaos is simply amazing. The kitchen of the temple feeds lakhs of devotees every day and is one of the largest kitchens of the world. The best thing is that no food is ever wasted. The logistics are all so well planned! After the temple visit, we spent a few hours at the beach and headed back home by the Puri-Konark marine drive. The Konark temple is really a sight to look at in the evenings. The lighting is simply great.

The next few days at home went by so fast that I never realized that it was already time to get back to Blr on 21st. It was a long awaited trip and I simply had a blast. Who knows when the next time would be or what is in store for the next time ;-) !!!

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Some of My Fav Songs...

Bryan Adams Summer of 69
Simply love this song...Those were the Best days of my life! I get the goosebumps everytime I hear those words. :-)



Boyzone's Words
Just amazing lyrics




Europe's Final Countdown
Always a JLT Favorite :-)

Friday, April 27, 2007

General Nonsense

It's been a long and busy week. So much so that me hv been waiting for the weekend since the middle of the week (not that I don't do that often, but u know how it is when u r tired of work).
Was so bored today that i clicked my own pic with my cellphone and sent it to a friend just to chk out if the mms feature of my fone worked!!! And guess wot...it did work :D Yippeeeee.....

Neway, the world cup is finally ending and the last match is on Saturday. Would be nice if the Aussies would lose for a change ;-)

Tuesday is a holiday coz of Labor Day and hence a lot of ppl have taken the day off on Monday...a nice and long weekend...a mini vacation so to say...

And talking of vacations, I can't wait to go home in about 2 weeks time :D

Still 7 mins to go before I leave from office...

Neway watching Tara Rum Pum tomorrow...the tickets of which were procured with a lot of difficulty.

still 4 mins to go...what the heck...lemme start packing the bag n shutdown this pc...that will kill some time...

Friday, April 13, 2007

Jana Gana Mana

This video link was sent by a friend today and surprisingly I hadn't watched this video
earlier. Really beautifully made and quite mesmerizing.


Would request you to please stand up before you play the video.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Inzy's Last Bow...


It's not everyday that you witness a great sportsman leave the game with such a tremendous farewell. Inzamam-Ul-Haq in his more than 15 Yrs career has come a long way. With over 10000 runs in One-Day Internationals, this man has led his team to some amazing wins.
Agreed that he never had a great world cup record and the ousting of the team from the 2007 edition was one of the most humiliating ways to end such an illustrious career, but all said and done the kind of farewell the man got from the fraternity speaks volumes about him.
Not only did the entire Zimbabwe squad bid him farewell, the whole Pakistan squad was on the field to accompany him during his final walk, off the batting pitch. And as Charu Sharma said during the match...'Big Bears Do Cry!'
Clearly one of the most touching farewells to one of the best the game has seen.

Kemmangundi

Been quite a while since I finished this long pending post.
Pictures of the trip can be found here , here , here & here.

For those who have been wondering what is Kemmangundi…well, it’s a hill station around 250 kms from Bangalore in the district of Chikmaglur. The place is also known as KR Hills named after King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. Places of interest around KR Hills are the Kalahati Falls, Hebbe Falls & Shanti Falls.
We (Me, S & B) started on our journey from Bangalore at around 12AM. It did take us a while to decide who would sit in the front seat of the Indica…and No…the fight wasn’t to occupy the seat but rather giving up any sort of claim to the front seat of a car!!! Reason being that the guy who sits there can’t fall asleep throughout the journey as the driver may get distracted…

Anyway, S agreed to occupy the seat for the first half of the journey and I switched places with him at around 2AM after we had stopped for some tea. One useful piece of advice that I got was, “Put on your seat belt. That way even if you fall asleep, you wouldn’t be using the driver’s lap as a pillow!”; pretty good advice I thought.
We reached Kemmangundi around 4.30AM and boy was it scary? We found our way to the Horticulture Guest house, thanks to a wild rabbit hopping merrily along the road. Of course that wasn’t the only wild life that we saw. A Jackal was moving around in the bush probably looking for some late night/early morning snack. Anyway, we reached the guest house only to find absolutely no sign of any homo sapien…just 4 Canis familiaris (Bole to kutte). It was quite scary when the animals strategized and surrounded us from four different directions, thus preventing us from moving from our spot. S armed with a stick did put up a brave front and chakravyuha ko cheer kar we managed to escape. Luckily, some one woke up and opened a door somewhere. On exploring a bit we were relieved that it was the caretaker. Though, the fun didn’t end there. Apparently, the guy with whom we had confirmed our booking was on leave and hence we were given a temporary room. We had to shift to another place in the morning around 9AM. Though the lady in-charge of guest house bookings was quite helpful in arranging for the same.

All this took quite a lot of time in the morning and we were a bit delayed for the trek hat was planned. Nevertheless, we started on the trek around 12PM, on the lookout for the famous Shanti Falls & the much hyped Z-Point. Well, we did come across these landmarks but the Shanti fall proved to be less of a waterfall and more of a stream trickling down the hill. Of course, the water body proved to be such a big relief on our way back due to the heat and hence thirst. Z-Point was just a small path cut in the mountain in the shape of a reverse Z! Reaching the end of the trek seemed like such an achievement. Walking almost 4 kms on that hilly track was something. Hadn’t done anything like this for quite a while and it was quite exhilarating. J
The return path seemed easier as we were going downhill but at the same time it was scary. There was a point where a wrong step to the edge would have taken us thousands of feet down the valley. It seemed like the entire valley was going around us and we were still, when we observed it from the corner of your eyes as we moved ahead in a straight path. Was a bit dizzying.
Reaching the Shanti Falls was such a great relief…B broke into a song as soon as he saw the water body and ran into the stream in a La-Aamir-Khan style!
Back at the guest house, we headed towards the Nursery, post lunch. The green lawns were so inviting after the tiring trek that we just fell over there lazily. After a few foto sessions returning back to the room was bliss. Evening saw us venturing out for some food (this is a scarce commodity) and dinner just omlette at a roadside thela. Walking in the pitch dark jungle was a bit scary though. The rest of the evening was spent reading books and getting cricket updates on the India-Bangladesh match on the fone. Of course we did have our cricket expert with us (Chk out the pics below) who very patiently heard every suggestion that we made and like a true gentleman and fan didn’t react to the outrageous remarks made by us.



We left the place early next morning around 9AM for the Kalahatti falls. This is a religious place for both Hindus & Muslims and one can see people from both communities traveling here to visit the shrine.

The trip back home was quite uneventful and the taste of real food at a roadside restaurant near Bangalore was so heartening.

Real looking forward to the next trip.

For those who want to visit KR Hills, I would suggest you get your guest house bookings done well in advance. It can be done by calling the horticulture guest house directly or at Lalbagh.

Details of the same can be found here.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Visual DNA!

Came across this interesting way to represent one's preferences here.

Yahoo Humbled!

The internet has become a very powerful medium and the bloggers community which has been growing by the numbers day-in and day-out has been a strong force to reckon with.
Came across this article recently which proves this point very effectively. Btw, I never realized that the Creative Commons License put at the bottom of my page could be such an important thing! ;-)

Friday, March 09, 2007

For The Woman in Your Life

8th March is celebrated as the International Day of Women across the globe. Heard and saw quite a lot of activities on this day yesterday. There were radiostations inviting women into their studios and talking to them over the air, hospitals organizing free health checkups for women and even pubs/restaurants serving drinks 'On the House' on the day...Boy, sometimes do you wish you were a woman! ;-)
But on a serious note, we do see, even today, a lot of things that need to change. We say that we're living in a new world, but how many of us truly believe and practice the principles of this world?
Received an e-mail from a friend on Womens Day. It sure is pretty interesting and quite relevant.

"A Woman"
This is written in the Hebrew Talmud, the book where all of the sayings and preaching of Rabbis are conserved over time. It says:
"Be very careful if you make a woman cry,
because God counts her tears.
The woman came out of a man's rib.
Not from his feet to be walked on.
Not from his head to be superior,
but from the side to be equal.
Under the arm to be protected,
and next to the heart to be loved."

Thursday, March 08, 2007

There's Something About the Nawabs Place!

No trip to Hyderabad can be uneventful. This is a fact and everytime I have visited the place something unexpected has happened. If it was the bus during the last visit, there were a whole lot of happenings this time around.
On the Holi weekend, a couple of us planned a visit to the city of Nawabs to celebrate with the whole gang out thr. Left office early on Friday and surprisingly the auto we took reached the bus-stand well ahead of time. After we got down from the auto, the fun began. As we reached the bus, I suddenly realized that I had left my travel bag in the auto! The worst part was that apart from the usual stuff that ravel bags are supposed to carry, it had my digicam and cellphone as well. A frantic attempt to look for the auto was futile. We tried to lodge a complaint at the nearest Police Station but it was of no use. Apparently the place where we lost my stuff was not under their jurisdiction and we were directed to another Police Station (and one thought these things happened only in the movies!). We obviously couldn’t get there as we had a bus to catch.
Got on the bus and had an uneventful journey from Blr to Hyd. Reached on time and then we decided to go for breakfast. As we stepped on the road, we witnessed an accident (my first live one!). A bike hitting a car that was making a turn coming out of a petrol pump. And then my friend remarked that the driver of the bike (who was somewhat injured) had traveled with us on the same bus from Bangalore! Coincidence?
Well I did my shopping for clothes in the afternoon. Had a gr8 lunch and met up with friends.
Next day Holi was a short affair. Played for just about 30 mins but the colors were terrific. Couldn’t get them off for 2 days :-) .
Of course, whatever happens is due to a reason. We just need to think beyond and realize that. Isn’t this what makes the small moments of life worthwhile. I lost some prized possessions but the amazing experience during the entire trip more than made up for that I guess.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Happenings...

Things are happening too fast. People around me are going through major life changing events...some changing jobs, some getting married, some setting up their own business! These are for the good.
On the flip side, I also find people around me, those who I love, both family and friends, going thru some difficult times...Saturn shows up in the skies for a rare celestial event and I'm told that it's gonna hv a good effect on my sun-sign. If it's good, then why is everything not okay. Aren't the people around me also part of my life and hence logically the good that happens to me shud rub off right? Well, I guess that's why life is called a journey. It isn't a script to be followed.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Rocky Balboa: A Review

Rocky Balboa: The name inspires courage, determination and sheer will power. If reel life ever came face to face with real life, this would be a name to reckon with. Most people grew up with the legend of Rocky since 1977 when the first edition was released. So popular was the character that they had to make sequels after sequels after sequels.
Rocky Balboa is the sixth one in the series and probably the final one! The movie made with a budget of $24 Mn opened in theatres with great reviews. The story is based in a time when Rocky in his late 50’s has retired finally and is running a restaurant in Philadelphia. Things get interesting when a computer simulation fight between the reigning World Heavyweight Champion Mason Dixon & Rocky Balboa predicts that Rocky would win knock out. This leads to an interesting series of events wherein an exhibition fight between the two is organized and no points for guessing, Rocky is on top again.
The movie is no different from the other parts. Of course the re-introduction of Spider (Rocky’s first opponent in the first movie) and Little Marie (also from Rocky-I) brings in nostalgia. Powerful lines such as “It doesn’t matter how many punches you take. What matters is how hard you can take them and yet be back to take some more!” & “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over” would definitely have a lasting impression on the mind. Typical Rocky philosophy but true to the core.
What I felt though was that the movie was a bit too fast paced and too much was shown in too short a time.

Nevertheless, Rocky still rules and Rocks the World of Boxing, be it Virtual or Real!

Who knows, there might still be another sequel to this…coz Rocky is known to bounce back and in his own words, It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over! :-)

Thursday, February 01, 2007

List of Things to Do Before I Die...

Picked up this tag here...The ones marked with an X have already been achieved :D

(X) Live far away from home
…Bangalore is far…okay!!!
( ) Learn Salsa
( ) Go to South America
(X) Read avidly
(X) Climb a mountain
( ) Go to the top of Eiffel Tower
( ) Visit Amstredam
( ) Stand on the edge of the roof of a skyscraper
( ) Hug a stranger
(X) Bake a pizza
( ) Own your own restaurant
(X) Watch the sun set and rise
( ) Go scuba diving
(X) Ride a roller coaster
( ) Become a parent
(X) Fall in love
( ) Go to the theatre
(X) Lie down on the grass and do or feel nothing
(X) Go to a small quaint town/village to get away from the city
(X) Go to a concert
( ) Have a food fight
…and will never have. Shudn’t waste food!
( ) Go on a hot air balloon
(X) Maintain a hobby
…Does watching movies count?
( ) Spend christmas in New York
(X) Sleep under the stars
…did this when in college. Slept on the water tank 4 floors above the ground! Scares me now when I think of it.
(X) Dance in the rain
…Is a lot of fun!
( ) Go sky-diving
( ) Visit the pyramids
(X) Learn a foreign language
…My definition of foreign language is anything other than my mother tongue
( ) Ask someone you just met for a date
(X) Get tipsy with good company
…and the company was gr8…love u all…u know what I’m referring to ;-)
( ) Have your heart broken
( ) Eat sushi
…This is off my list!
( ) Volunteer somewhere
(X) Quit a job
(X) Surprise someone
( ) Stay in New Zealand
…ummm probably will make it Switzerland :-)
(X) Go to and make a friend someplace you don't know anyone
( ) Run a marathon
( ) Go Rafting
( ) Drive a Ferrari
( ) Own a villa

Will add on to the list as I remember.

You have been tagged...feel free to add to the list

Miles to Go Before I Sleep...

Was searching for this poem today after reading another of the poet's famous poem at a fellow bloggers page.

The last stanza gives me goosebumps even to this day!

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

-- Robert Frost

Thursday, January 25, 2007

I

Was just browsing through random blogs and came across this tag here.


I am thinking...
that I should post more often.

I said...
what’s on my mind and that which concurs with the heart.

I want...a peaceful life.

I wish...people would stop being so manipulative

I miss...
home and food cooked by mom.

I hear...selectively but ‘listen’ to soft instrumentals.

I wonder...
what life after death is like.

I regret...
nothing. Every decision I take, whether right or wrong, is my decision.

I am...
unique.

I dance...
badly.

I sing...
when I feel like or when I am happy.

I cry...when I get emotional, whether in real life or when watching movies.

I am not...
a hypocrite.

I write...
when I feel like.

I confuse...
others just for fun.

I need...
company. Being alone sucks big time! Hence the pretty close friends list.

I should...
slim down ;-)

I finish...
what I start.

This was fun. Wanna try this? Just pick up the tag if you like it.

Those Were The Days...

Received this mail today from a Friend...Probably a forward...but really took me back to those days...
------------------------------
Those were the days....

When gulli-danda and kanche (marbles) were more popular than cricket...

When we always had friends to play aais-paais (I Spy), chhoopan-chheoopai and pitthoo garam anytime...

When we desperately waited for 'yeh jo hai jindagi'

When Chitrahaar, Vikram-Baitaal, Dada Daadi ki kahaniyaan were so fulfilling...

When there was just one TV in every five houses and

When Bisleris were not sold in the trains and we were worrying if Papas will get back into the train in time or not when they were getting down at stations to fill up the water bottle...

When we were going to bed by 9.00pm sharp except for the 'yeh jo hai jindagi' day...

When Holis & Diwalis meant mostly hand-made pakwaans and sweets and moms seeking our help while preparing them

When Maths teachers were not worried of our Mummys and Papas while slapping/beating us...

When we were exchanging comics and stamps and chacha-chaudari, billu and pinki were our heroes...

When we were in nanihaals every summer and loved flying kites and plucking and eating unripe mangoes and leechis...

When one movie every Sunday evening on television was more than asked for and 'ek do teen chaar' and 'Rajni' inspired us...

When 50 paisa meant at least 10 toffees...

When left over pages of the last years notebooks were used for rough work or even fair work...

When 'Chelpark' and 'Natraaj' were encouraged against 'Reynolds and family'...

When the first rain meant getting drenched and playing in water and mud and making 'kaagaj ki kishtis'...

When there were no phones to tell friends that we will be at their homes at six in the evening...

When our parents always had 15 paise blue colored

On a serious note I would like to summarise with...


When we were using our hearts more than our brains, even for scientifically brainy activities like 'thinking' and 'deciding'...

When we were crying and laughing more often, more openly and more sincerily...

When we were enjoying our present more than worrying about our future...

When being emotional was not synonymous to being weak

When sharing worries and happiness didn’t mean getting vulnerable to the listener...


When blacks and whites were the favourite colors instead of grey...

When journeys also were important and not just the destinations...

When life was a passenger's sleeper giving enough time and opportunity to enjoy the sceneries from its open and transparent glass windows instead of some superfast's second A/C with its curtained, closed and dark windows...

I really miss those .. do u?