Familiarity breeds...

If you guys don't know I love being in Hyderabad already,well you know it now!:D
I don't know what it is,but seeing familiar faces all day does wonders for one's mood.
(Don't put nazar yaar....itne dinon ke baad mein ITNI khush hoon :D )

I find I'm able to handle minor disappointments (I still sulk for the big ones) and changes relatively well.I'm smiling at random strangers,and I'm singing out loud.I'm also writing,blogging and talking to people a lot more actively.After quite some time,I'm feeling a different sort of happiness-not the rush you get when you see Robert Pattinson or SRK posters,not the relief that floods you when you're done with a nasty assignment,but the sort of happiness that doesn't ebb in a few moments,but emulsifies into a comforting satisfaction that stays with you for a while.

Treaded on the old lanes,
Went to the forgotten balcony to watch 'em planes.
Fed on the deliciously oily chaat,
Revisited things close to the heart.

Cracked old jokes ,
chatted up many an old friend,
Hummed those forgotten tunes,
Finally,the scars did mend.

Some buildings waited in welcome,
some had already gone to their grave.
Some people didn't (thankfully) change,
And that helped me face the ones that did,it made me brave.

If people need holidays,
don't souls need one too?
If you knew your brew of life was available at that one place,
Wouldn't you visit often too?



I know people say that familiarity breeds contempt.But y'know what?
Sometimes familiarity just breeds smiles.All day long. :) :) :)

Enough said.

Rise up!

Rise up!
No,I'm not talking about the latest song that's got everyone in such a tizzy!
I wanna take a moment here to remind everyone to rise up.Simply rise up,beyond all the difficulties,beyond all the barriers,physical,emotional,or any other sort.Face the challenges,brush away the insults,and turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to all the negativity around.

Remember to rise up and I promise your day will end with a smile :)
There,that's better!


Cheers !

No,I'm not a Legilimens!

All of us,at one time or another,have faced double standards.And doled them out too. And while people may have reason to mask their real feelings from time to time,constant pretense is just …annoying.

Sometimes I wish people would tell me what exactly they think of me.But since they never do that,I have to play mind reader and lemme tell you ;it’s really hard to filter out true emotion from all the socializing crap.But a part of me wonders if I’ll be able to handle the truth. Dependent creature that I am,I dont really know if I’ll be able to digest the idea that a friend or a loved one prefers not having me around.


Sure,no one can hope for universal popularity,to borrow a phrase from Dumbledore.All one can hope for is a little honesty,some patience and a tinge of reality in the farce that are some relationships today.

Ah hope!

99.part silly,part sober,pure paisa vasool

A hot Sunday afternoon in Bangalore with little cash leaves you with little options of leisure activity.So my friends and me hit the mall to catch a flick and do some quality tp (for people unfamiliar with Hinglish vernacular,tp=time pass).

Fueled with desires of watching some Matthew Perry-Zac Effron humor,we reached our destination,only to find that 17 again wasn't being screened.With the oh-so-frustrating multiplex strike that was active countrywide,we didn't have much to choose from.In the end, we decided upon 99.

To be honest,we didn't expect much.The reviews were very mixed, and we were in a very Hollywoody mood,so we just accepted the afternoon as it unwound and settled in theater #7 ,waiting for the "part fact. part fiction.pure fun" to hit us.







Fun was an understatement.I loved the movie!!!We were treated to a good three hours of wholesome,cheerful,childishly wicked,and entertaining cinema.Everything about the movie impressed (me).I don't know squat about screenplay,cinematography or any of the finer details but what I do know is that if you are a part of the typical young(or young at heart) crowd and are blessed with an open mind,you will love this casualand humorous look at the lives of two petty crooks who meddle their way out of a sticky end.

The characters were fresh,the actors... wonderfully real.The humor,irreverent and unflattering.The message,well,there were none ..but that's the whole point really.This movie doesn't preach ,nor does it resort to any cinematic "formula".It simply offers you a slice of life's roller coaster rides,and a delightful slice at that.

What to watch out for? The Kunal Khemu-Cyrus Broacha duo.Wow!It reminded me of the famous Chandler Joey chemistry.The crooks offer lots of gyaan throughout the movie though they blunder through their own lives :)
Soha Ali Khan,pretty and powerful,shows us she can carry off a goofy joke as well as 5 inch stilettos with impish charm.Boman Irani ,as versatile as ever is the chronic gambler who battles his creditors with wry laughter and smart maneuvers.We couldn't have asked for a better cast.
Another interesting fact is that the movie is set in the pre millenium era,with fads,jokes,cellphones,and incidents from the years 1999-2000,which makes for an interesting background.

This is not an average afternoon no-brainer, but a lighthearted attempt at an intelligent film.And needless to add,a successful attempt.Kudos to the team of 99!There were so many moments when you will just have to turn around to look at your friends and share an anecdote or two because somewhere the movie strikes a chord.Yes indeed. Do watch it if you get around to it.
Cheers!

Truth and falsehood are next door neighbours

I'd like to believe that truth and falsehood are neighbours.Although there is clearly a world of difference between the two,overcoming that difference can be done in a fraction of time.

You see,when you stop believing in something that is true and real,it doesn't hold any value for you anymore.It doesn't represent any entity that you set store by.In other words,it isn't true anymore,not to you at least.

It also works the other way round.Once you start believing in an abstract,imaginary or unreal idea,concept or person,you start to function as if that idea/person/thing is an integral part of your existence.No matter how ridiculous it may seem to others,you're still going to set store by it ,aren't you?
It's a truth you've acquainted yourself with.

There's a fine line between truth and falsehood,my friend,and that line is you.

A plateful of art,with science on the side?

This is an oft-repeated complaint,and yet it needs to be voiced,because no solutions have been discovered yet.It started when I caught some of the Step Up! movie while doing some mindless matinee television surfing.As I watched the dancers fret over their showcase dance performance and have dancing companies come and scout for talent at their art school,I wonder why we haven't seen much of that at home,here in India.Art generally plays second fiddle to science or inevitably bows down to the craze of the nation ,"engineering".

I know that movies aren't exactly a parameter of life ,but it is common knowledge that the West takes art seriously.We hear about colleges offering a major in dance or music and many students actually going for it.There apparently are many scholarships offered for such programs too.Art is given its rightful place,and respected as a form of expression that requires as much creativity and genius as any other field does ,both at the workplace and at home or in society.

I hate to criticize, but can you tell me honestly if you haven't heard conversations like this before in and around your neighborhood?

Aunt/Uncle/Parent : "So tell me beta ,what are your plans for the future?

Son/Daughter/some teenager :"Yeah,I've always been interested in painting or photography or some visual medium like that ."

Parent :"Woh sab toh theek hai beta,but let's get serious.What do you plan to do for a living??

Kid:"Yes,I mean it seriously.I've found I'm good at it,it's not just some new hobby.

Parent: "I don't understand why you always go off on a tangent like this.Can't you be a grown up about your career?Look at [Fill in name of elder sibling here].Look he's a doctor now!Can't you..."

And so it goes.I've been a victim of it myself,when I wanted to major in Economics or English Literature. The worst part of it is ,no one is wrong here.You can't blame a parent for wanting to look out for their kids.In an extremely competitive land of the Indian junta ,you sometimes have just one opportunity to make it big,and they just don't want you to mess that up.In a family where financial troubles loom large,and insecurity becomes the topic of discussion at the dinner table,people tend to veer others towards tries and tested careers like engineer,doctor,banker,etc.

Ironic isn't it though?That this kind of prejudice should exist towards art in an era where our nation's pride ,A.R.Rahman wins global recognition for his music?Where reality shows are held every hour of the clock to discover the next singing or performing sensation?Where Carnatic singers' concerts are booked solid during the "Kutcheri" season?Where millions of dance schools select students from hopefuls every year and introduce them to the professional industry?


What's the problem then?Is it a fear of the unknown,a instinctive desire to stick to family tradition?Or a mere battle of wills?Whatever the reason maybe,the result is that kids have to lock up their precious ballet flats and ghungroos,or give away their electric guitar,and erase a shining dream from their eyes as they stick to the..what is it? the "conventional" route.

We've got to do some attitude improvement folks.Unless you want to unknowingly extinguish a spark even before it got a chance to burn brightly.

So,the bottom line is... I'm hungry.For once ,can you serve me a plate full of art,with science as a side dish for a change?

Best rainy day songs

Rainy weather and music go together like Bollywood and drama,or like summer and heat,or like food and me....there,you get the idea.
Today's semi-hailstorm got me thinking of some of the tracks I absolutely love to play or listen to ,on rainy days.Since logic never governs me,my choice is spontaneous and may seem irrational.

1)Chak dhoom dhoom -Dil Toh Pagal Hai

Keywords-rain,madhuri,srk,delightful kids,dance sequence,foot tapping music

2)Chaiyya Chaiyya-Dil Se

Keywords :Lovely forest locale,Darjeeling's choo choo train,shahrukh looking delectable,lovely dark tunnels

3)She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5

Keywords: Great vocals,simple beat,universal emotion


4)Colourblind -Darius

Keywords :Vivid.Colourful.Cliched.Yet makes you smile


5)Queen Of My Heart -Westlife
Romantic.Pretty.Tinge of sadness.

I'll add more to the list as I recollect them.Do you have any favourite rainy day songs?What are they?