FILMunFAIR… !!?

How fair has our most loved and the oldest awarder of the Indian Cinema been over the recent few years is a debate that takes new heights every time right from the announcement of nominees till the end of the Finale! From Aamir Khan backing off (for not been awarded for Rangeela and losing against SRK – DDLJ) to Manoj Bajpai’s unsatisfactory remarks (for being awarded supporting actor in critics section and losing out for Sallu – KKHH) to the Nightingale rerouting her award to Kavita Krishnamurty (for Pyaar Hua Chupke Se – 1942 A Love Story), it has been controversies and more controversies…

I remember watching it from my childhood days and feeling let down every year for one reason or the other. Now I’ve safely come to a conclusion that this award is more to do with popularity than real recognition! I simply couldn’t stop crying foul for our beloved trio who’s been giving us some memorable music year after year, was let off from the nominees for 2007. Did we forget ‘Bolna Halke Halke’ or ‘Mast Kalandar’? No, but Filmfare chose not to recognize the composers of ‘Maa…’, ‘Bum Bum Bole’, ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’ and ‘Hey Johnny’, ‘Hey Baby’!

It’s one award that everyone wants and everyone denies accepting this fact. ‘Well, awards don’t matter to me… I don’t work with awards in mind at all!’ The same people change stands easily when they get one, ‘It’s obviously a dream come true… Finally my hard work has paid off and I’ve been recognized’ I don’t blame the artists, after all the grapes you missed were sour! But for how long do we award the box office bumpers and personal favorites?

Aamir was right in calling he doesn’t really connect with the idea of awards in India. Nor do I… how would you compare Mr. Anu Malik with legendary Madan Mohan saab? I know I’ll not be forgiven for this gustaaq, but Mr. Malik easily won the competition for the (already) forgotten tunes of Main Hoo Naa against the Classic and unforgettable Veer-Zaara of Late Madan Mohan saab!

From Oscar entries to the state awards to the Padmas (& latest Bharatratna favorites), there’s no justification even from the Jury who come out and apologize in the end! (Remember Mr. Shatrugan Sinha’s lip service to little Darsheel after the latter’s rejection and unknown reasons for Ekalavya and Paheli’s entries to the Oscars and also Ajay Devgan’s National award from a panel, which had close friend Prakash Jha?)

With so many subjective and debatable standards, favorable juries and more raised eyebrows, such awards might soon loose their charm!
Sorry Filmfare, but its truly Unfair!

Little Princess!

Once again with time in the midst of lush green jungle one in million, small little princess was born as a boon to the joint family! Being pretty and naturally beautiful, she was pampered by the whole family who stood together both during the time of crisis and at celebrations. Her mom fed her the most and no siblings complained. It was a real heavenly life that princess enjoyed and there seemed no end to happiness!

As the sun rose on a beautiful misty morning, a dewdrop decorated her and made her look the best creation of God! There was a shine, an attraction and whoever saw her was awestruck. They brought cameras to take pictures that would be kept forever and they took pride of possessing the glorifying princess in their album! She liked it herself and enjoyed Sun smiling at her, rains cleansing her and the danceable cool breeze for nights! It was a perfect world where no problem ever existed until this…

The joint family was broken! Some people had come with unimaginable and unseen weapons; they were killers and heartless creatures of God! They had killed half of the family that lived inseparably for years. Princess cried for being helpless, so did her other family members. It was dreadful and sad days followed. She didn’t eat, didn’t drink, and didn’t enjoy the Sun! Mom took princess close to her heart one night when the winds blew sternly. She said, ‘Dear child, life is not always fair. Smile and move on until you stay!’

One prayer was always recited in the family. They prayed and hoped the killers would never return, they wished they all lived until God wanted them back, no one forced them to death and only their creator separated them!

Princess had stopped remembering the loss of her neared ones and lived a happy life with rest of the family. As days passed and months flew, princess grew older. She was big and had seen more pains with cheer. Princess turned grey and soon was in her last days. Once a young and attractive had become old and wretched! She knew it was time for her to bid goodbye to the family and cried everyday hoping to live another day! But the day had to come and it did. She fell off and touched the ground…

There was no life, just another leaf fallen on the ground from a big tree. People walked over the leaf, played with it and sometimes tore into pieces. No rain or Sun brought any pain. Once again with time in the midst of lush green jungle a princess had rested in peace and had cried with her last breath…

‘I pray and hope the killers would never return… wish my family and rest of the trees live like me until God wants us back and none cut us apart until our creator separates us!’

I wanna fight!

I wanna fight, yes I wanna fight
You can’t hold me tight…
I do it right, I do what I feel is right
Don’t you dare stop me, alright?

I ride fast on snaky roads…
I kill all who come even close
Alone I move all night…
I give u damn… I slap you tight

You think you’re gutsy, you think you match me right?
You’ll know too soon, you’ll affright
You’ve got no way out, you’ve gotta keep quite
Oh let me show you with love, for you the hell I decorate

The time is now just right…
Before next fortnight, world will watch me fight…
I’m no big sprite, its gonna be a checkmate, alright?
Yes I wanna fight, yes yes I wanna fight!!!

Dedicated to someone I love

YoungAged/Engaged!?

Now the government of India doesn’t want to give our youngsters any break. It says, ‘Wake up guys, you get married soon!’ I couldn’t stop laughing when I read the age for marriageability for the men is going to be reduced from 21 to 18. An 18 year old man!? LOL

Then we can more often see boys (oh sorry, men) fighting it out with parents in the 1st year of college not for a bike or movie tickets, but for wedding costumes! More boys (oh sorry again, men) would be college dropouts mostly due to paternity leave (or may be there will be a clause in our secondary education system for such a provision)!

Statistics say that in the big cities in India, today there are 40% marriages breaking down! And they break up while in their 1st 2 years predominantly! That also implies young couples are not able to carry it off well. It would make sense if the eligibility had gone up from 18 and 21 to 21 and 24 (for girls and boys respectively) 18 is just not the age… definitely not! At 21, one is both out of college and employed or pursuing higher studies and secured his future. At 18, we are crazy. I can’t decide which Walkman I want to buy, which bike I want to ride and which subject I should opt for! But here’s an offer for deciding on my life-partner!

But wait for a second… see the positive side of it! If I marry at 18, I wouldn’t wait to become a father beyond 19 and 19 years later I might have a grandchild… that’s precisely when I’m 38! Superb… I’m more greedy, I might well be a great grandfather at just 38+19->57 (when our fathers turned just grandfathers)! And if I lived any extra longer, I had my 4th generation before closing my eyes! (Poor granny of mine is still waiting for her 3rd generation and pestering me to do something ;)

So go India go! Get all the boys and girls married in their teen-ages so that our own very old saying ‘S.S.L.C. (class X) – Stop Studying Learn Cooking’ lives on!

Oops I’m growing old now… I should find a match before my last cousin who is 8 years younger elopes (lawfully)! :-)

Marke bhi naa marna hai pyaar!

Aankhon mein tum chupi ho… baaton mein tum ruki ho…
Dil ke siva nahi kahi… kyu tum nazar aati ho!
Chup chupaake rehjaana… saamne yoo nahi aanaa…
Marke bhi naa marna hai pyaar!

Tum jo yoo jaachuke, milne main aaoo kya!
Ya tumse kiya jo tha, wada nibhaaoo kya!
Door jitna hai hum, paas utna hai gham...
Jeeke tanha, khush na jab ho, maut paao…!

Wo din tha jab aaya, sab kuch hee legaya!
Ek tumhee ko chuna, baqi kyu rehgaya!
Marna tha jo tumhe, hona tha juda hamein…
phir mile kyu, bichadey bhi kyu, main jiyu kyu...!

Chup chupaake rehjaana… saamne yoo nahi aanaa…
Marke bhi naa marna hai pyaar!

Belated Happy Birthday, My Love!

It was the birthday of someone who has been so special to me, someone who will always remain special and someone for whom I’m made… its been 10 years since I started wishing her secretly but its only today that I decided to go to the post office, get a small inland letter and throw my heart out and post it! Call it a coincidence or something that I got her address just yesterday (a day before her birthday) from a magazine. Not that I tried to get her address or planned to write to her ever… now that I saw it, I thought let me give it a try!

I didn’t want to practice on any paper (nor did I get more than 1 inland letter) though it was my very first letter to the very first lady in my life! Wow, it’s such a great feeling to imagine I’m writing something to her after 10 years of muteness! I really didn’t want to get a big greeting card or a fancifully decorated cover, just a small inland letter and a small piece of writing! Here I start…

To the dearest Urmila,

I don’t know how many such letters you would have got before and how many of them were truthful! I’m one of those who’ve never seen you in real, never spoken to you but one of those who see you every night in dreams… one of those who decorate their rooms with hundreds of your posters… one of those who’ll watch all your movies on 1st day… love you for whatever you do, whichever way you look and whatever you wear!

It was on October 2nd, Gandhi Jayanti when we had holiday after the programme while in school. I was 15 then and was in high school. Having watched the promos on TV and listened to the music thousand times, I decided to go all alone and watch what would turn out to be the best and most favorite movie of mine… RANGEELA! I was truly smitten…

That was the day it probably started and never seemed to end… my unending love and affection for you were growing over the years. As I watch you sing and dance, as I follow your interviews or watch you on an ad I feel happy, my face glows and I’m delighted! The first face I see every new day, every last minute of the night and every New Year… I see you as my mobile and my laptop’s wallpaper. I’ve not seen my heart but I’m sure it has a colorful painting engraved and that painting is the best painting I ever created of yours!

For you I’m no-one but for me you are a special someone and for the special someone I send these special wishes on a special occasion… (I know my letter will reach you late)

WISH YOU BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Only yours,
Krish!

I felt so good after posting it and everyday I wondered did it reach her, did she read it, and did she reply! Few days passed and one day while I was writing my final semester’s last exam I heard screams from outside the classroom. A small boy (who was a neighbor of mine) was holding something in his hand and said, “Bhaiyya, you have a letter from Mumbai… Urmila’s letter!”

My pen stopped moving forward, I had to run out and could not control my emotion. It was the happiest moment of my life and with shaky sweaty hands I handed over my answer sheet, which was nearly empty and rushed out of the classroom. I was running behind him for the letter and he took me to the river stopping nowhere. As he ran into the river, waves were rushing and he was taken in… he was drowning! I ran on to save him and had to swim quite deep… I caught hold of him and got him out safely. I searched his hand, his pocket and everywhere near the shore. But, the letter had submerged into the water!

The whole day I sat on a stone on the shore crying! It was evening as sun was all set to drown when my eyes ran into something that was lying away from the river. It looked blue and wet. I ran hard and took it in my hand with a big grin on my face, which vanished in a jiffy! It was the same letter I had posted a few days back that had come back with an extra note…

NO SUCH ADDRESS FOUND, DELIVERED BACK TO THE SENDER

Why I love TZP (Taare Zameen Par)

Yes, I loved it a lot! So what’s the big deal, everyone else loved it too! One way or the other, sometime or the other everyone did experience what Inu (Ishaan Awasthi) did. A child prodigy, I believe everyone is. But when is it that the parents would stop and let the kid take over? When do they exactly stop forcing him from doing things their way (which is mostly the right away)!? Here’s a small story…

Name: Krish, Class: XI, Age: 17, Ambitions: Many, Class X %: 75, Class VII %: 90, Expectations from family/friends/relatives/neighbors etc etc: State rank in Class XII
Rating in Class XI (until now): VERY POOR, Attention to studies/class: Poor, Feedback from teachers: Below Average, Special Talents: Unknown!

What is it that most of our schools are preaching!? Get a 99% in class XII and join IIT or worse case is 90% and get into a descent college. If you get anything less than 70, don’t take up engineering or medical; study B.Sc. and run behind jobs or stay jobless for long time! But Krish’s bio-data (which is printed above) clearly suggested there’s no place at IITs. And with lots of ambitions and dreams, he did what all his classmates did but without a will! Then came a call for stage plays for the year with which most of the boys were not interested (they knew only IITs) Krish didn’t think twice to register and wasn’t worried what his parents would say!

The practice sessions went on, classes were missed, notes not taken and attendance shortage was obvious. As the event concluded, Krish was awarded the best actor for his class and the college. He brought with him 2 trophies, which delighted his parents. As he was the winner for his college, the next call was for inter-collegiate level. He won an award again!

Class XI %: 45, Attendance shortage: 4 subjects, Feedback: Might fail in Class XII, no seriousness in studies!

What could have his parents done!? They encouraged him to do more plays, took him to external troops and challenged him to win again! There were calls for TV and radio shows… He was winning prizes wherever he went! But Class XII exams were waiting to come, everyone did hard work, made him feel inferior, treated him a dumb and declared he would be one of the low scorers for sure! Eventually, it was true! The teachers suggested he should not take up further studies and whatever he was capable of wasn’t really useful! This made the parents sad…

Yet another sad story… our lives are decided based on what’s widely accepted by the society and our environment! Mostly we are ruled and influenced by strangers than ourselves! If Inu is a good painter, there’s no big deal. Important factor here is, since Inu’s classmates are good at studies he has to be good at studies and not painting. If they become engineers and doctors, join MNCs, earn well and work abroad, he has to follow!

Krish’s life moved on. He now accepted the challenge to win, not in his plays but in studies. He joined some college, got good marks and is now doing what his other friends are doing. Being a little different is such a curse in our society even to this century!

Let Krish be a Krish and Inu an Inu… dreams and ambitions are for oneself! Don’t poke your nose!

I need an Answer!!!

Oh today I played pool very badly… one of my bad days with the game continued! But then it was time to meet ma good old buddy at the Forum for lunch at Pizza Hut! Forget about all the calories, fats etc etc… just enjoy the yummy cheesy Ring O’ crust pizza (the new arrival) with oregano and extra spice!!! Wow, super! My mouth still waters…. ;)

Then it was some quick shopping at the united colors of Benetton! Yes, I know I haven’t got my salary, but who cares when the wallet is filled with credit cards ;) And you hardly get 50% off at this store! I didn’t wanna miss it…

And as always, the evening’s destiny was the adda at Jayanagar 4th block where we sit on the roadside and chitchat. My memory goes back to as far as some 20 years (or atleast 15) when I used to come with my parents and some family friends to the same place and the roads looked pretty much empty in total contrast to today’s Jayanagar! But today it was a little more different …

The sweet friend of mine hadn’t come yet and I was waiting sitting there all alone with lots of people (mostly the oldies) I generally don’t sit there alone even if I’m waiting for a friend. I prefer going to Planet M (now Temptation M) or ‘Show off’ or any other store! Since I was already tired with my endless defeat in the game today and a heavy (junk) meal, I chose to sit down.

A beautiful girl (with traditional salwar suit) who was a stranger had come to sit on the next bench when my attention got deviated to one of the sad things on earth! Whenever I witness it as a helpless and hopeless creature, my mind freezes! It goes out of ideas and I curse pretty much everyone from politicians to myself to god (who leaves me wondering why there’s so much unbalance and unfairness) Sometimes some people have an answer … You don’t call them arrogant, but I definitely have a problem here!

‘Why can’t you go and work somewhere? What’s wrong with your body parts?’
Or
‘Hey go away, are you not ashamed to do this? Go and find a job… or else I’ll slap you!’
Or
Some people don’t say anything, but just donate whatever they could (the good old one rupee coin)

I’ve seen people react this way and look back with anger! Now whose fault is this? I read begging is illegal! OK, whoever calls it illegal must also be insane! Imagine you don’t have your salary for 2 years… I’m sure you can’t! Let’s cut it to 1 year… hmmm, difficult right? Ok, let’s make it 3 months. What would you do? You may try to get your investments broken! But that won’t help much. The EMIs wont let you get away! So next thing, you ask your parents/siblings/friends. Now nobody has any money for 3 months… (Come on, its only an imagination!) You go to banks… now, which bank gives you loan when you are not earning and neither have a security! Is it too much of an imagination? No, I don’t think so… (If you don’t agree, most of the others would! Atleast that’s what the survey says) So what’s your next step? Confused? Now think about those under privileged friends of ours with whom God wasn’t so happy. Should you and I leave them to where they are?

We all know most of these people are exploited. They have been forced by someone to go for begging and at the end of the day all money goes to a kingpin! Worse, some are robbed of their body parts and put into this business! Whatever it is, I can’t stop worrying when I see a small kid on the road… I mostly carry chocolates with me, which I affectionately give them. Even I have problems giving them money! It goes to someone else (mostly) or they get used to it and live the rest of their lives begging! But a child who’s 8 years of age is the future of this country and we see her begging for her daily food on the streets! Fortunately there are lots of NGOs coming these days that adopt such children… but being the most populated country in the world, number of such kids is also increasing badly! We don’t want to see our future begging for the present!

Next time you/I see a kid on road, think for a while… may be 10 seconds! I’m sure you/I’ll find lots of questions, but if you/I find even a single answer write to me.
Because I need an answer…

Flip-Flop

Oops, I’m not happy!!!

Oh yes, I mean it… I’m not happy today! I applied for Future Group’s IPO and didn’t get a single allotment. I applied for Reliance Power IPO and got very less shares. I’ve resigned and have been asked to work in more night shifts! I’m serving my notice period and didn’t get my salary! With markets gone so steep, I can’t sell my shares for ridiculously low prices. How will I manage two plus months without a salary!!?

Phew! But yes, I got the money I had put in these IPO’s back, which will help me until I get paid from my new employer. On account of my extra night shifts I get 2 days prior release! Yes, there’s always a flip side to whatever happens in life… this is not a 1st time realization, but a 1st time blog on this topic.

So there’s no ‘not at all happy’ or ‘100% happiness’ in life. As I finish writing, I wanna go to bed declaring I’m not so unhappy. In fact I gotta go play pool tomorrow with my buddy… one of the happiest things to do these days! :)

When Dreams Come True … It could be ‘Nightmarish’

‘Dream’ - I’m almost always amazed by this one word! Well, who’s not!? Some dreams that only flash while asleep and some with open eyes; I like to call them close and open dreams. I know at times these close dreams are so irrelative and annoying, scary and unbelievable while the open dreams are always pleasant and endearing! They make us hopeful and ambitious, passionate and craving to achieve what we dreamt…

A fast rewind takes me to class 4 when one close dream showed me running away with the little girl in my class… the dream never seemed to get out of my memory. I kept thinking for many days, (even today) what did it mean! May be I loved her company or may be I liked running (not eloping) Another day I saw my doggy talking to me exactly like humans did! How impossible, and that’s why I call them close dreams… u see with closed eyes and once u open your eyes the dreams shut the door and die in the memory!

Now, the open dreams as I said are pleasant etc etc blah blah! But hang on, they don’t die in our memories, they stay on engraved for many many years. I dreamt of becoming a big boy while in school, today I’m big and I wish I were still small … (the taare zameen par effect may be)! I dreamt of joining the best college and I got in there… wow it was superb, so heartening to realize your dreams!!! I dreamt of getting a piano, a video game a computer and what not! They seemed to be tough on the 1st day, but eventually came true.

It made me ignore all my close dreams and remember the open ones. One day or the other, the open dreams saw the light of the day! As days progressed my open dreams started growing. The list was jumbled and dreams went mobbish…

I wanted a job soon after I passed out… I got it!
I wanted a better salary… I got it!
I wanted to work for a bigger company… I got in!
I wanted to work for the best company… I did it!
I wanted the best treatment… I got it!
I wanted more… I didn’t get it!
I wanted some more… I didn’t get it!
I want something else… I haven’t got it!
I want something better… I still haven’t got it!
Oh, I haven’t got anything for a long time… I really need to get something now… !?!?!?!

Yes, the open dreams should be open, not closed! There’s a clear difference between them! Unless you open up your dreams fully they wont come true. They may get stuck in the mid-way leaving you wondering is this what you dreamt of!? It’s so bad; it was good in my imagination! I should have never dreamt; or I should have never realized this dream; it should have never come true!!!

Dreams should not be let in the air but nurtured and well thought of, so that they neither die nor become nightmarish realities.

I wanna keep dreaming openly, more openly and like to remember this as I wake up next morning for a new open dream (dreams, rather) …

You should dream for dreams become thoughts and thoughts become action and actions, realization! - Dr. Abdul Kalam