'Intimacy' - Hanif Kureishi

"It is the saddest night, for I am leaving and not coming back."...Thus begins 'Intimacy' by Hanif Kureishi which tells the story of Jay, a middle aged writer who is about to leave his partner of 10 years, Susan and their two sons and going to live temporarily with his friend Victor. The novel describes the state of Jay's mind the night before he decides to leave his family for good. Jay tries to justify his decision and also reflects his life with Susan and the sons. The small details of his family and his likes and dislikes towards its members gets zeroed in on this narrative. The book depicts the restlessness of Jay's mind as he reasons his longings, complains about what he did not get out of that life which he is about to leave and endeavors to hold on to what is very dear to him, as for example his relation with his two sons.The night before he will leave his house, Jay reflects on the change that underwent in his relationship with Susan, over the course of time, accepts his misgivings and tries to imagine the life his family will have after he is gone. 
The story flashes back and forth in time as Jay remembers the time he spent with his parents, how he used to look upon his father and the way his mother's indifference affected him. Jay also remembers about his friends, their relationship with the spouses, the lovers he had, especially Nina, a girl much younger to him. His leaving the family sometimes suggests his wish to be with Nina and sometimes that very reason fades away in the protagonist's denial. In 'Intimacy', the author portrays a certain aspect of human life, where uncertainty attempt to paralyze our spirit, age to restrict the risk-takings but the mind compels to break-free and savor the fantasies. 
The language of the novel is crisp, bearing a nonchalance of speaking to our own selves. The decisions and the states of Jay's mind described are very honest and unapologetic. The novel is written in the voice of the protagonist and the reader sees his world through his eyes. 
The book catches my attention because of the situation it is in and the ways that emerge. It does not talk about idealism and is not reluctant about it. The book delves on very human problems, wishes and desperation which are very crudely humane. The only thing that does leave a gap is that the characters remains as  Jay's version of them only. They express themselves very little through dialogues and incidents which are their own and are not observed or judged by the protagonist. 


My favorite quote from the book: "Nothing is as fascinating as love, unfortunately".


Image courtesy : http://books.google.com/books/about/Intimacy.html?id=zx2oAAAAIAAJ

The Glass Bowl

On my last vacation to India with my 5-month old son, my mother gave a glass bowl from her crockery trove. The reason I write about this apparently trivial object is because this particular bowl (it is from the time when I was a baby and just started being fed rice cereal from a bowl) is almost my age....i.e., nearing thirty.
Maa has preserved this bowl from its potential brittleness like she also has kept our (me and my sister's) first shoes, frocks, kindergarten report cards and many such souvenirs of our childhood. The bowl was carefully made to survive trough the years by my mother. I cannot even imagine being capable of preserving a glassware for so long.
I came back with it and now my son has his cereals and pureed fruits from the same bowl......how interesting does that sound to you? To me it is amazing, and a wonderful emotion.....even more so now as the petals of motherhood are slowly blooming in my life.
In this special phase when I feel the responsibilities along with the joy of being a mother, I also get to understand my mother in a whole new light....like never before, and suddenly sometimes I miss being around her, living far away in another land, with only social networks and telephone to turn to in today's 'tech-all' times. 
I could always relate to her in a mother-daughter way, but now I have started to relate and feel our motherhood....although I have a long way to traverse....

Sharadiya

Today is "Mahalaya", which signifies the end of the "Pitr-Pakshya" and the beginning of the "Devi-Pakshya". It is said that on this day, Maa Durga leaves her Kailasha abode to start her journey for her paternal home on the earth. 
Mahalaya also marks a stipulated, quite predictable routine for many of us. Waking up early and listening to the "Chandipath" (Rendition of Shlokas for the worship of the Goddess) by Shri Birendra Krishna Bhadra, feeling the crisp autumn air which seems to proclaim the advent of the much awaited festive season....the much anticipated Durga Puja ( or Navaratri, as it is otherwise known in many other parts of our country). This year, the wait is even more important and special for me. After 3 years, I will be going home for the Pujas. There is nothing like spending this time of the year with your family. I have known the pain, of staying far away from the family, missing them much more during this festivities, so the reunion this year is so special......only if my husband could join me too in the trip back home...that would surely have completed the joyous moment. Guess for me, not every good thing occur at once. I have some and I lose some...
But here's wishing everyone reading this piece a very happy, peaceful and safe festive season. May the reverence of Goddess Durga touches our lives. 




Image Courtesy : aumkaar.wordpress.com

9/11

Year 2011 - USA is commemorating a decade of the horrifying tragedy that rocked the heart of the country....stole many innocent lives...near and dear ones gone forever....

This 9/11, I am in this country and cannot help watching the live coverages from Ground Zero on TV, and wondering how strongly this country has moved on...without forgetting a single moment of that fateful day.

Real people, with their stories of loss and longings, tear my heart apart. Our world is repeatedly being assaulted by these heinous acts of terrorism. The present time has so become vulnerable in the hands of people who probably themselves do not even know what they want... 

Looking back, in the year 2001, the day when all these happened, I was in Kolkata, and I remember that was my 1st day in my College Hostel ( Our favorite PCGH )....I knew nothing much then about the WTC but know that it was something very important and surely knew how terrible a thing had happened. Several years later....in 2009, when during a trip to New York city, I visited Ground Zero, I felt a severe surge of emotion...I watched the Freedom Tower being built and I realized that this is going to be a mark of sadness and hope, of holding on to the past and moving on to tomorrow,of never forgetting the moment and becoming stronger by the day...all blended together. 

I look forward to seeing the light of that day, when we do not have to have tears in our eyes remembering something so heartbreaking and inhumane..."You may say I am a dreamer....but I'm not the only one..."

A Mom now..

On 2nd May, 2011, my husband and I, brought home our little bundle of joy, our son, Sanket. Life has changed wonderfully since....Things which I have never imagined happened...something never felt before, was felt in the past two months...and I can also see the promise of many more such wonderful things to occur in future. 
So the new mom is happily busy nowadays. 
Mothers' lives are never relaxed..as many will agree, and I am of course no exception. My little two-month old keeps me on my toes - action packed days and sleepless nights ( the later I am wishing to pass soon ).....:) But exhaustion has seldom been so rewarding, and sleep has never been so easily ignored. 
Looking at the little one's face makes my day now.....when he smiles at me ( a thing he has started doing just a few days ago ), it takes my heart away....
All for today...hope to be back soon...:)

Historic Win....!!

The most awaited tournament for the cricket players and the lovers of the game, the ICC World Cup, 2011, came to an end on Saturday, April 2.......and did it finish the way we want it to.......you bet...!!! India, after awaiting 28 years to bring the coveted cup home, succeeded and so well deservingly won it by beating Sri Lanka in a match that will be etched in the annals of cricketing history, forever.


I am sad that I cannot join the euphoria back home.....but really feel after following the whole tournament and its glorious end that words really do fall short for describing occasions like this....:) Kudos to all the players and our brave hearts who exhibited tremendous cricketing sensibility on the field and finally became the proud owner of the World Cup.

The winning Indian Team with the ICC World Cup 2011 Trophy.

http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/photos

Let it snow.....!!

Last evening, we, the residents of Nashua, NH, experienced the first snowfall of the season. This is my first winter in this part of the United States....and I loved the view and the feel of this beautiful city after it is covered with the new snow of the season. The sky was overcast for the most part of the day and evening and my prayers to see the full moon shine upon the first snow remained unanswered.....and I missed the glittering evening delight but hope to catch it some other time this season....!!!
The heavy snowfall sometimes becomes difficult and gets in the way of our daily activities here but nevertheless I am excited for a whole new experience.....!!! :)

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart.."

Reader's Digest is one of my favourite reading materials. I love this magazine because of its interesting articles on an extended range of topics..the magazine provides me with doses of humour, famous quotes, lifestyle lessons, real life incidents and experiences....and even good recipes sometimes...!!
All of a sudden, today, I started writing about Reader's Digest because this latest edition carried an article about one gentleman's experience about the effects of two little but very important words in our lives - Thank You.
The piece gave me a renewed insight about the importance of being thankful for what we are blessed with....the persons and possessions of our lives. The thought that moved me the most in the article is, I quote -
"Until you learn to be grateful for the things you have, you will not receive the things you want."
We sometimes forget to thank other people or even just be grateful for what we already have and rather crib about what we don't have or about the things we want even then...
The feeling of being grateful is rewarding and this feeling gives us the hope and persistence to sail through life - to be happy for what we have, to feel for those who don't have even that much, to be patient for what we want to have and to let go of what we were not destined to have... :)

Life is full of moments....some good, some not-so-good, some filled with happiness, some others heartbreaking. But this well-connected moments and their accumulation make this journey more beautiful, enriching...and worth living for.
Some incidents occur and the memories and the associated feelings, the impressions....remain etched in our minds. Other occurrences fade away by the passage of time...much as the sea-waters wash away the foot-prints we leave while walking across the shores.....
Our lives are thus a rendition of remembering and forgetting.......of holding on to some, and letting go of the others...!!!




Image from: ininweb.uprm.edu

Thanksgiving..

In one of my earlier posts, I wrote about the festivals celebrated widely in the United States. Thanksgiving Day is one of them. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, it is originally a harvest festival, where people of the region pay thanks to Almighty for a bountiful harvest and in a larger sense it marks the thanksgiving for everything that matters in our lives, for all the beautiful relationships and for all that we are blessed with in our lives. In USA, the day is awaited throughout the year with pleasant anticipation and is celebrated with joy along with friends and family. The one important aspect of this celebration is the family re-union over dinner and the menu (another important parameter) famously consists of a turkey delicacy. I have observed while living here that the Thanksgiving Day is the only day where most of the offices and businesses remain closed and the later reopens in the wee hours of Friday morning with wonderful and huge deals to the shoppers' delight. Thus the whole weekend starting from the Thursday until the Sunday remains in true festive spirit nation-wide.
I am now revealing the true intent of my story...that this year, after merely observing the pomp of the day for the past two years, we decided to celebrate the day in our own way. One of the two major aspects of the festival was missing (as we are thousand of miles away from our family...so family get together was painfully out of question)....but turkey was not.....!!!! So we decided to have a turkey dinner...:) Observing that a whole turkey would be too much for just the two of us, we bought a Turkey wing and I cooked it in true Indian style ( much in the same way as I would have made chicken tandoori )....!!! and I must say, we loved it....it tasted even better than chicken...( as were said by many of my friends here...) 
For the two of us, (the husband and I), experimenting with food doesn't happen very often....we prefer to stick to our good old Indian foods and delicacies, but we tried this and much to our delight, it came out very good.....We most definitely will always be very much Indian, in every way possible, and..even more especially when it's about the palate....but Thanksgiving with turkey will remain memorable......:)

p.s. For my friends here, I share a photograph of the Turkey I cooked....:)

Sau Gram Zindagi......

Yesterday, we went to watch Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest movie 'Guzaarish'.....Bhansali is known for his larger-than-life portrayal of stories, scenes and the characters. His films transcends the viewers to a different world, to a space which is somewhere beyond reality but falls short of absolute fantasy.....thus leaving a lone cinematic possibility of being and the incidents happening.
'Guzaarish' dishes out the same intrigue and uniqueness and to top that, the film is shot by cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee with an excellence which seems less of a lens-work and more like an artiste's stroke on canvas....only it is celluloid...!!!
The story is plain....it just is about a well-known magician (played by Hrithik Roshan) , who, 14 years ago, met with a near fatal accident which leaves him quadriplegic. Being paralyzed physically, his health gradually deteriorates and after living, loving and suffering through his condition, he finally appeals unsuccessfully for Euthanasia (mercy killing). 
The story, as plain and with some constraints in the weaving of its details, acquires a certain level of drama with the maneuvering of the characters, their passion and demeanor, and the associated sequences. The gaps in writing has been somewhat covered by the camera and the director's expertise in the portrayal. The performances by the lead and character artiste's deserves mention. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's (playing the nurse to the ailing magician) mettle has been redefined, giving an impression that only Bhansali can understand, work out and make her come up with the best. Hrithik Roshan reasserts himself with respect to the acting skills as well as his drop-dead charisma, in this piece of cinema. The film expresses itself and flashes back into the incidents happened earlier in a very different and stylish manner ( I won't come out with the details here for keeping the magic intact for those who have not yet watched the movie), the scenes and colors are equally distinctive and used with defined sensibility. The costume and music, because of its unlikeness, went well with the narration.
For me, it was an experience worth having, except for a tad bit of melodrama in bits and pieces throughout and especially in the closing shot. Moreover much of the narration leaves many a things to the perception of the viewers, the expressions not as detailed as in his earlier films.......and this perspective of the movie may do either good or pose as a disadvantage for the movie  depending on the audiences' demand for clarity. 
'Guzaarish' is about the celebration of life and its moments.....the love we feel, but the movie does not blurt out the message, loud and clear..it flows underneath along the length of the film. 
I would have loved it rather more if it ended giving out a brighter sense of optimism as it intended to do, it seemed....but fell short for whatever reasons......
          "Thodi si teekhi hai, thodi meethi hai....
                 sau gram zindagi..........samhaal ke kharchi hai"

Today, November 22, is the birthday of a very dear friend of mine....but I don't write about the birthdays of all my friends in my blog. But she is special. Special because she is one of my friends since the time I came to know what is known by the term 'friend' (literally, I mean.....the greater meaning is still left to be fully understood), because we are friends since we were in class I, because I have neither seen her since 2001, nor spoken to her. But I still say we are friends and she knows that too. We just passed out of high school and she decided to take a certain step in her life which I thought (and still think the same) to be a serious lapse in judgement on her part. I suffered but severed all ties with her because I thought that she deserved much better and I was not ready to hear to her inconveniences (which often elevated to sufferings as well, as I correctly thought it would be like that )....I think I love her too much to bear those circumstantial constraints in such young age. I hear from my parents and common friends sometimes that she is all right, has settled in her life in a good way, got over all the problems but I, till date, choose not to be a part of her life. 

But I think of her often, remember her on her every birthday, and I knew somewhere inside that she knows this fact and she understands. She tried to contact me a few times, the friends who knew both of us thinks that I over reacted....but it's perhaps a confession that I, knowing the fact that each person is destined to live with certain respective terms and conditions in life, still cannot get over the feeling that she deserved much more than she went through. May God bless her with immense happiness, peace and love in her life.....and I want her to understand ( I know she does) that I consider her as one whom I'll always regard as my friend and will always love her.....only I choose not to be a part of her present....

The 'Missing Home' Season

I sometimes feel that life here in US is difficult and that is only when I miss home, miss my parents, sister and friends....that remains a very difficult moment or minutes, hours or days...based on the severity of my home-sickness....For the past three years, the last quarter of the year, i.e, from October-December gets very low and depressing for me...and the reason is quite obvious....I miss the festivities back home,  Durga Pujo, Deepavali, etc. I'm still fortunate to live now in such a country where we get to celebrate Indian festivals in small yet special ways...but the grandeur is hard to find nevertheless. Same remains the case for our parents and close ones as they miss us the most during these festivals which also mark the re-union of family members and friends who have not seen each other for a long, long time. The husband has consoled me with the word that we'll be there at home during the Pujas next year....I'm just looking forward to it.....from now only...!!!! :)


Missing our near and dear ones is an everyday affair when it comes to people like us who live miles away from their own land and people.....but if I would ever regard a particular time as the 'Missing Home' season, it's now..


Now I will brighten up myself a bit to get over this sadness.....
I feel this a very wonderful coincidence..that here in USA, the festive season also comes now, in this quarter of the year....It's Halloween today, the festival to ward off the evil during this harvest season (or, the day of the dead, as it is variously explained to describe the significance of the celebration), the Thanksgiving Day, which comes in November, the festival to express gratitude and thankfulness to God and to our friends and relatives for every possessions and relationships that we are blessed with, and finally the Christmas, in December, which we celebrate in India in as joyful way as it is here.....


So, festive season, more or less is in the same time here as in my own country.....celebration is all around...missing only are the persons whom I love so much.....they are staying so, so far away....!!! When we meet once a year...it then becomes no less than a festival....!!! But this wait becomes so long...........






Image from: euro-quest.tripod.com

The Festival to Love and Care..

'Raksha-bandhan' is a very celebrated occasion of our country. It signifies love and the pledge to protect your near and dear ones. Generally 'Rakhi' is stringed by the sisters on their brother's hand as mark of love and respect and the brother makes a promise to protect her from all odds, come what may... Such a wonderful expression....!!! 


Since childhood, my sister and I celebrated Raksha-Bandhan in our own way. We used to make or buy rakhis for each other and celebrate the day. We felt that if it means love, respect and to stand by each other at all times, then it should not be confined to only brothers and sisters....it can well be between two sisters and two brothers as well...or between friends for that matter. Both of us were, and still are, partners of our good and bad times...that's why this particular expression is important to us, and will remain so forever. Perhaps, that's why Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore initiated Raksha-Bandhan during Swadesi movement and christened it as 'Maitri-Bandhan', emphasising on the affection, oneness and regard one should have for everybody and thus took it beyond the boundaries of any particular relation.


On this auspicious day, today, I observed another wonderful thing. My sis-in-law, yesterday was wondering over phone about not being able to tie rakhi in her brother's hand, because of the very common fact we experience in our lives at present, the physical distance!!!....and upon me came the responsibility of  tying rakhi to her brother (my husband)...:) I initially felt awkward thinking about it as my mind was shrouded with 'filmy' ideas that tying Rakhi is a symbolic way of 'making' brother or attaining a sibling feeling towards that person...:) !!!! Bollywood does have an impact..."Maano ya na maano". But eventually I did tie rakhi on his wrist and felt that if its 'Raksha Bandhan', then it is quite appropriate this way too....as husbands do pledge to protect their wives from all adversities in the best possible way, don't they?......so what's wrong with it? So I acted on behalf of my sis-in-law, true, but the ritual also became my way of giving and getting a promise to stay together through thick and thins......

Mankind is blessed with the idea of fellow feelings.....the respect, love, affection or liking we feel for our parents, siblings, husbands/wives, friends and even for all fellow human beings is the greatest gift we have been bestowed with by nature....and we should, at all cost, try to protect this goodness in us.




Image courtesy : http://www.deepwarriors.com

63

India, as a free nation, 'at the stroke of the midnight', will be 63. Many things, issues, people have changed....much more needs to change. But today as I wish my dear country and all the people and myself a very Happy Independence Day, I would not delve into the meaning and idea of independence, as I did last year this day on my blog. We all know by this time what this word means and what it should imply in our lives.

We, sometimes, are able to do justice to the idea of freedom.....sometimes we are not.


Today, let's do a different thing.....today, let's look back and see what we've got and what we haven't. Let's list down the plus-es and the minus-es. Herein, let's celebrate the assets and keep in mind the issues that gives us joy and inconvenience respectively......Alphabetically, here it is for all of us:


Amitabh Bachchan : The word 'Legend' has a synonym now
Breaking news : without a break.....take it or leave it
CWG : will be big and successful, now 'you may say I'm a dreamer'....
Drama :want it in movies and soaps.but get it more in politics and news channels.
Editorial Pages : more interesting than the rest of the pages anyday
False Promises : we have had enough...time for some real action !!
Green Initiative : way to go.....!!!! :)
Hatred : communal and regional (courtesy 'Raj'niti ) alike
Incredible India : Our tourism needs to see a better day
Journalism (television) : needs an overhaul (not everybody though), less drama, more insight.                                             
Kashmir : belongs to India. Period.
Love : is the word for us ...for everybody...forever....:)
Money over matter : The aim needs a change
(social) Networking : Real work...or nothing ??
Optimism : slogan of the nation....."Hum honge kamyaab"
Premier Leagues : blending occupations
Quantity : has a quality of its own
Religion : eternally overrated and extensively misused
Soniya Gandhi : salute to a survivor....in many more ways than one
Terrorism : STOP IT...!!! 
Unity in diversity : our one big strength
Vendors : in streets, roads and highways.....moving merchandise..!! 
We the people with...
X-tra Large hearts.....to make
You feel loved and welcome
Zorro : each one of us needs to be, in our own right to cleanse our minds and society at large.            
                                     
I'm sure and you'll agree also that our India has too many more assets and specialties.....(and issues,too, for that matter) to record in one alphabetic stretch.To spice it up, I resorted to the alphabets this time and found that many more have been left out. I hope that India, with our effort and love, raises innumerable assets like these in days to come.....our vices along with our virtues makes us complete... but our effort to make minimum possible vices makes us BETTER......!!! With this dream and aspiration, I finish today....."Jai Hind".








Image Courtesy : http://www.buzzytimes.com


                          






                           


                          

'What is this Thing called Love' by Gene Wilder : How did I like it?

"What is this thing called Love" by Gene Wilder is a compilation of 12 stories based on love and the pathos, tragedy, doubts, and many other emotions attached with Love. So they are not exactly love stories but stories about love and its emotional companions. The stories aptly describe the many facades of love and the people in love. The skepticism of the characters, their emotional dilemmas and all their humane rights and wrongs bring liveliness and innocence to the stories. The writing is lucid, unlike the content which are more mature and sometimes complicated in their concept. The complex emotions and states of mind has been described with awesome simplicity. The tragedies and failures are described in a somewhat lighter way giving the pathos a silver lining of getting over. The stories exudes mystery (The Lady with the Red Hat), innocence ('In Love for the First Time' and 'The King of Hearts'), pain ('The Anniversary', 'The Birthday'), hope ('The kiss', 'Passion','Tango without Music'), desperation ('The Hollywood Producer'), heartbreak ('Are you really in Love' and 'My Old Flame') and playful love (The Flirt). The book conveys that every emotion related to love can assume the title of Love itself, and very often it does. Love remained in all the emotions of the stories mentioned above -- subdued, disguised in some and expressed in others. The stories convince the title as in describing the unending joy and peace love can bring.. as well as the sarcasm and pathos it can fill our lives with. 

Fading Virtue

Sometimes it so happens...that a line of a poem, or a dialogue from a film impacts us in a big way and makes us think. Day before yesterday, I was watching Yash Chopra's "Kabhie Kabhie" and had such an experience. The movie, along with a great story and an ensemble superstar cast, had a dialogue by Shashi Kapoor which remained etched in my mind long after I finished the film. His character said to his wife: " Is duniya mein agar aadmi insaan ban jaye, to wohi bahut badi baat hai..."(It's a real great achievement in this world for a man to be able to be humane). The line impacted me big time. How very true it is....really...!!!! We aspire to be many things in this one life we have been blessed with. We try to achieve bigger posts, larger material gains, etc. But how often do we think about becoming a good human being? How often do we appreciate a humane indulgence in this fast paced world where 'we don't have time to stand and stare'? So it really would turn out to be an achievement if we care to value more about humanness. In this modern world where we have everything we need and everything we would ever need, in just moments.... humanity is rather fading out from our lives in a very imperceptible yet threatening way.
The consequences we face in today's world due to lack of these human virtues are taking a toll on our lives, lifestyle and more importantly, on our psyche and conscience. Violence, cruelty, insensitive morales are alarmingly increasing. It's high time we ponder upon ourselves. It would sound like preaching if I start writing about the do's and do not's..I shall not do it in here....we would rather think in ways that suits us.....to give our bit for a better world, for our children, and more importantly to achieve to be humane, from just a mere man/woman.




Image Courtesy: http://www.freepixels.com 

A tribute to Kishore Kumar : In my own way

Today, the 4th of august, is the 81st birth anniversary of the music maestro, Kishore Kumar. I am (my whole family is, for that matter) a huge fan of his songs, like millions of other Indians. I remember, when in school, we just begun to know the beauty of music, our parents, mother especially, introduced my sister and me to the magic of Kishore Kumar. She categorically pointed out the lines of the songs, where the voice of Kishore Kumar touches your heart in such a way that lasts forever. The more we listened, the more addicted we went on to be....to the charm and melody of his voice. So much so, that I remember, when in high school, my sis and I only listened to him in our tape recorder. We were even so expressive about our love for his songs that even our close friends gifted Kishore Kumar audio collections to us on occasions.
     Kishore Kumar is often aptly described as the quintessential dreamer or the eccentric genius. I find myself short of words when listening to his songs. Be it rib tickling “chil chil chillake” or “my name is Anthony Gonsalves”, romantic “tum ho mere dil ki dhadkan” or “bhawre ki gunjan" or “main pyaasa tu saawan”, or sad renditions like “beqarar dil tu gaye jaa” or “badi suni suni hai”.......it touches my senses in an incomparable sort of way.  I am thankful that I get to hear this eternal magician of melody. He is versatility personified. I am amazed to observe the various moods his songs so perfectly exudes. He quenched the best from the brilliant compositions through his golden voice. The greatest thing about Kishore Kumar is that almost all of his songs are chartbusters, each one a masterpiece in its own way....and each of his songs, at the same time, were so earthy that anyone of the masses can relate to it, can sing or hum a line or two on his own.
     Thank you Kishore Kumar for making us more intuitive towards our emotions.




Image Cortesy: http://www.buzzytimes.com

Just Like That..

Life does not turn out to be that fun always.....Sometimes it brings boredom or sadness or something-not-right kind of feelings in us. I, personally go through this many a times, and so thought about sharing it with you all. But of course, when such things happen, we by our natural tendency to get over odd situations, try something different. That way, the crisis tides over in a smooth fashion. The method of bouncing back from an odd situation is different for different individuals, I'm sure. What works for me is creating or making something from scratch. That works wonders for me when I get into a bad mood, I'm upset, or simply sad. 


A few days ago, during this kind of a bad patch in my daily life, I baked a cake, not knowing the fact that the work will upbeat my mood suddenly...but I was excited to observe that I felt much better...Believe me or not, it happens. Because, the joy of creation is one of the greatest joys of the world. Making something or cooking or baking a cake, for that matter, may not be as mighty as the creation of a life, or something like that....but still it works. Thereafter, whenever I find myself in a not-so-good frame of mind...I try to cook a delicacy, or bake a cake, or draw a picture. In general, I make something on my own. Writing may also be an option, but I write/blog whenever I feel an urge to say something. But in sadness, I somehow do not feel the urge to talk...


I leave this post open to your experiences and suggestions...
I hope you also face situations like this sometimes.....
What do you do to get over, my friends?

I Hate Bad Love Stories

For a movie buff like me, to sit through a bad movie can be very very depressing....and after that I'm venting it out by writing. I thought the ideal fun on a lazy Saturday afternoon will be to watch a movie...and going by the recent mass adulation on 'I Hate Luv Storys', I decided to watch that. But what was this?? I can't believe this came out of Karan Johar's production house. Now, for the critics here of KJo, let me tell you, like it or not, I'm a huge fan of his cinema. The sincerity and love with which he makes not-so-real and not-so-possible things believable, touches my heart and gives me immense joy.


But I am disheartened with IHLS. The only consolation is that it is not exactly a KJo's film.....like, as in, he didn't direct it, and I'm sure it would have been far far better if he did. The film is childish to begin with,very immature in both conceiving and conveying, nobody cared about the story, acting was mediocre(the lead actors were not even half-used), the script totally lacked the conviction and focus...oh...!!!! I guess, the director hardly even knew what he's trying to portray...how can it ever come across as believable? The film gets awkwardly predictable with clichéd lines, clumsy sets and very commonplace costumes. It was not even a tenth of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Johar's most naive creation. This film awfully lacked the wit, passion and smartness his banner exudes. I wonder whether he ever was present when the film was shot....!!! 


I am disappointed will be an understatement. For one like me, who takes films personally, this was a terrible experience. But for the songs, nothing in the film stands out. Wake Up Sid, another recent film of the same production house was a way too good.


 I love love stories but this was a bad one..