Most of these are from FB status updates, emails I have sent to friends
1.) Someone asked me my birthday but you know, in this era of gender equality, if I can twist that one-liner , I would say "Never ask a man about his age and a woman about her salary":-)
2.) Finally started cleaning the room...whenever used to be fed up with the room's bad state in the last 3.5 months here , I used to go for long nap , wishing things would be a little different when I get up...but now have accepted the finality of Newton's First Law of Motion, "Things at rest remain at rest unless acted upon by external unbalanced force" and NO! mental force doesn't count :-)
3.) A joke from my Macro Economics notebook (Credit to Sir) "What is the politically correct term which Economists employ when they want to call someone 'kanjoos'? His Marginal Propensity to Save (MPS) is higher than others" :-)
4.) Contexual joke KGP 1st year
Miss World competition or something like that was there..and models were getting scores of 9.3, 9.2, 9.8 out of 10 ...
"Inka CGPA hai kya yeh" :-)
5.) On slowdown/recession, from one of my email
I thought this slowdown has not touched my company until they started giving us bananas instead of apples in the morning canteen :-)
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
My article in IIMK magazine
BYOMEE’S CORNER
Sometimes it takes just one knock on your door to change your life. 30th October 2009 11:30 PM Yes..That was it..I open the door; “We are from Tadka”.I couldn’t believe my ears. The day I was waiting from my childhood had come. I grew up on stories of my father telling about an IIM which will come in the sylvan surroundings of God’ Own Country and how its students will get into uncomfortable situations, get scolded from Professors, make interesting pairs with members of opposite sex, will plant imaginary escapades to fuel the rumour-mills just to get featured in that magazine which will become the lodestone of every budding and hidden writer of that campus-Tadka.
The next day mandate was given, "You have to give Gyaan". I said, “Did you say I have to give Gas or Gyaan?””Ek hi baat hai..Just stick to 300 word limit. You See, we have sharper scissors than Indian Censor Board and any attempt to exceed this 300 will result in complete removal of all the vowels from your article.”
“Main Apni Favourite Huun”
The biggest problem in life happens when we start comparing ourselves with others. Always remember, If you are not as smart as XYZ, probably he thinks that he is not as dynamic or jovial as you are. If you are not as handsome as Amir Khan, may be Amir Khan thinks he is not as handsome as Tom Cruise. The crux of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity as given in the seminal research paper “Separating Wheat From Chaff: Relativity Revisited” by Byomkesh Kumar is just this, “Benchmark yourself against your past. Relative grading means “You have to always do better in your next endeavor than in your past.””
Singing Pink’s song “Don’t Let Me Get Me” with lines which run “Don't wanna be my friend no more, I wanna be somebody else. Don't let me get me, I'm my own worst enemy” was cool in the Stone Age. This FB-Twitter generation’s buzz word is what Kareena says in Jab We Met when Shahid asks, “Tum apne aap ko bahut pasand karati ho na.” “Bahut, Main apni Favorite huun”. But how do you become your favourite?...(Snip Snip...Scissors at work)
Sometimes it takes just one knock on your door to change your life. 30th October 2009 11:30 PM Yes..That was it..I open the door; “We are from Tadka”.I couldn’t believe my ears. The day I was waiting from my childhood had come. I grew up on stories of my father telling about an IIM which will come in the sylvan surroundings of God’ Own Country and how its students will get into uncomfortable situations, get scolded from Professors, make interesting pairs with members of opposite sex, will plant imaginary escapades to fuel the rumour-mills just to get featured in that magazine which will become the lodestone of every budding and hidden writer of that campus-Tadka.
The next day mandate was given, "You have to give Gyaan". I said, “Did you say I have to give Gas or Gyaan?””Ek hi baat hai..Just stick to 300 word limit. You See, we have sharper scissors than Indian Censor Board and any attempt to exceed this 300 will result in complete removal of all the vowels from your article.”
“Main Apni Favourite Huun”
The biggest problem in life happens when we start comparing ourselves with others. Always remember, If you are not as smart as XYZ, probably he thinks that he is not as dynamic or jovial as you are. If you are not as handsome as Amir Khan, may be Amir Khan thinks he is not as handsome as Tom Cruise. The crux of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity as given in the seminal research paper “Separating Wheat From Chaff: Relativity Revisited” by Byomkesh Kumar is just this, “Benchmark yourself against your past. Relative grading means “You have to always do better in your next endeavor than in your past.””
Singing Pink’s song “Don’t Let Me Get Me” with lines which run “Don't wanna be my friend no more, I wanna be somebody else. Don't let me get me, I'm my own worst enemy” was cool in the Stone Age. This FB-Twitter generation’s buzz word is what Kareena says in Jab We Met when Shahid asks, “Tum apne aap ko bahut pasand karati ho na.” “Bahut, Main apni Favorite huun”. But how do you become your favourite?...(Snip Snip...Scissors at work)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Song in My Mind
Euphoria's Sone De Maa
Indian Pop
My lines on this song from the above post---
Before Kya Itna Buraa Huun Maan(TZP) and Lukka Chuppi(from RDB) by Prasoon Joshi , these were some of the best lines written on that atavistic wish which everyone feels after frustrations, struggles of adult life to get back to his childhood, to let someone else care for "aanta, daal ka bhaav", to keep doing what one likes, to just sleep at leisure without the rude alarm clocks waking you up and deadlines to be taken care of, to be simple again, to be a child again, to let the Pleasure Principle of Id rule you without being quietened either by the realities of Ego or ethics/morals of Super-Ego, neither to feel pressurized to catch up with workaholics in weekdays nor succumbing to peer pressure of "having to do the in-things" on weekends
Id, Ego, Super-Ego on wiki
When it was used in the soundtrack of Shootout at Lokhandwala, the lines were something like this
lyrics of Sone De Maa
Ho Maa, Ho Maa, Ho Maa
Teri Kahaani Mein Jita Tha Beta Tera
Tu Hi Bata Maa Kya Jhuta Tha Kissa Tera
Aansu Baha Na Maa, Ik Din Yeh Hona Hi Tha
Lamha Lamha Jita Jahaan, Ladate Ladate Main Thak Gaya
Sone De Maa Main Nahi Jeena - 3
Sone De Maa, Sone De Maa
Kabse Hai Tumane Maa Aawaaz Di Na Koyi
Kabse Andheron Mein Ghar Mera Khoya Kahin
Sadiya Huyi Tere Aanchal Mein Soya Nahin
Lori Koyi Phir Se Suna
Chalate Chalate Main Thak Gaya
Sone De Maa Main Nahi Jeena - 2
Sone De Maa Nayyo Jeena
Sone De Maa
Aakhari Angadaayi, Nind Mujhe Aayi
Dheere Dheere Dhundala Sama
Hasate Hasate Abb Kar Vida
Sone De Maa Main Nahi Jeena - 2
Sone De Maa Nayyo Jeena
Sone De Maa
Sone De Maa Main Nahi Jeena
Sone De Maa Nayyo Jeena
Sone De Maa
Teri kahaani mein sacchayee jeeti sada,
Tu hi bata maa kya jhootha wo wishwaas tha,
Bikhri kyon maa mere sapna ka sansaar tha,
Lamha-lamha dhokha naya,
Tanha-tanha main thak gaya.
Sone de maa ab na jeena * 4
Sapna jo toota bhi, dekho main roya nahin,
Saaya jo toota bhi, khud ko main bhoola nahin,
Sadiyaan hui tere aanchal mein soya nahi.
Lamha-lamha jeeta jahaan,
Tanha-tanha main thak gaya.
Indian Pop
My lines on this song from the above post---
Before Kya Itna Buraa Huun Maan(TZP) and Lukka Chuppi(from RDB) by Prasoon Joshi , these were some of the best lines written on that atavistic wish which everyone feels after frustrations, struggles of adult life to get back to his childhood, to let someone else care for "aanta, daal ka bhaav", to keep doing what one likes, to just sleep at leisure without the rude alarm clocks waking you up and deadlines to be taken care of, to be simple again, to be a child again, to let the Pleasure Principle of Id rule you without being quietened either by the realities of Ego or ethics/morals of Super-Ego, neither to feel pressurized to catch up with workaholics in weekdays nor succumbing to peer pressure of "having to do the in-things" on weekends
Id, Ego, Super-Ego on wiki
When it was used in the soundtrack of Shootout at Lokhandwala, the lines were something like this
lyrics of Sone De Maa
Ho Maa, Ho Maa, Ho Maa
Teri Kahaani Mein Jita Tha Beta Tera
Tu Hi Bata Maa Kya Jhuta Tha Kissa Tera
Aansu Baha Na Maa, Ik Din Yeh Hona Hi Tha
Lamha Lamha Jita Jahaan, Ladate Ladate Main Thak Gaya
Sone De Maa Main Nahi Jeena - 3
Sone De Maa, Sone De Maa
Kabse Hai Tumane Maa Aawaaz Di Na Koyi
Kabse Andheron Mein Ghar Mera Khoya Kahin
Sadiya Huyi Tere Aanchal Mein Soya Nahin
Lori Koyi Phir Se Suna
Chalate Chalate Main Thak Gaya
Sone De Maa Main Nahi Jeena - 2
Sone De Maa Nayyo Jeena
Sone De Maa
Aakhari Angadaayi, Nind Mujhe Aayi
Dheere Dheere Dhundala Sama
Hasate Hasate Abb Kar Vida
Sone De Maa Main Nahi Jeena - 2
Sone De Maa Nayyo Jeena
Sone De Maa
Sone De Maa Main Nahi Jeena
Sone De Maa Nayyo Jeena
Sone De Maa
Teri kahaani mein sacchayee jeeti sada,
Tu hi bata maa kya jhootha wo wishwaas tha,
Bikhri kyon maa mere sapna ka sansaar tha,
Lamha-lamha dhokha naya,
Tanha-tanha main thak gaya.
Sone de maa ab na jeena * 4
Sapna jo toota bhi, dekho main roya nahin,
Saaya jo toota bhi, khud ko main bhoola nahin,
Sadiyaan hui tere aanchal mein soya nahi.
Lamha-lamha jeeta jahaan,
Tanha-tanha main thak gaya.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Song In My Mind
"Kya Hai Tera Mantra" by Euphoria
MANTRA
Intro: Na na...
Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai,
Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai
Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai,
Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai
Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Is pal mein aao khud ko jaan lein pehchaan lein hum,
Aao dekhein jeevan ke rang sabhee,
Bhoolein na beeti jo thi, dekhenge hoga jo bhi,
Pehle jaane to sahi, kya hai tera mantra?
Hai jeet kya aur haar kya, gham aur khushi ke paar kya,
Hai megh ke aasaar kya, toofaan kya majhdhaar kya,
Hai baadlon ke paar kya, koi aur bhi sansaar kya,
Bas jaan lo hai pyaar kya, hai ye mera mantra!!
Dekho pukaarein tumhe nabh ke sitaarein,
Baahein phailaaye aasmaan,
Bahti hawaaein tumhe kahti fizaaein,
Dekho thamey na kaaravaan.
Lekar chal yaadein kal ki, karta chal tu waadein kal ke,
Is pal pe tere kadmon ke nishaan,
Dekhenge aane waale, manzil ko pane waale,
Poochhenge chalne waale, kya hai tera mantra?
Mehnat bhi hai, himmat bhi hai, thodi si, haan, kismat bhi hai,
Aankhon mein hain kuchh khwaab bhi aur seene mein hasrat bhi hai,
Hai saanson ka aadhaar kya, aur zindagi ka saar kya,
Bas jaan lo hai pyaar kya, Hai ye mera mantra!!
Aao na, socho na, dil se mita dein sab faaslein,
Sarhad na, mazhab na, hum sab rangein hon,
Ek rang mein, ek rang mein.
Tera hai apna kya, tera paraaya kya, tera hai aasha kya, tera hai jeevan kya...
Tera hai sapna kya, tera hai Eishwar kya, tera hai bhaasha kya,
Tera hai mantra kya...?
MANTRA
Intro: Na na...
Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai,
Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai
Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai,
Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai
Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Is pal mein aao khud ko jaan lein pehchaan lein hum,
Aao dekhein jeevan ke rang sabhee,
Bhoolein na beeti jo thi, dekhenge hoga jo bhi,
Pehle jaane to sahi, kya hai tera mantra?
Hai jeet kya aur haar kya, gham aur khushi ke paar kya,
Hai megh ke aasaar kya, toofaan kya majhdhaar kya,
Hai baadlon ke paar kya, koi aur bhi sansaar kya,
Bas jaan lo hai pyaar kya, hai ye mera mantra!!
Dekho pukaarein tumhe nabh ke sitaarein,
Baahein phailaaye aasmaan,
Bahti hawaaein tumhe kahti fizaaein,
Dekho thamey na kaaravaan.
Lekar chal yaadein kal ki, karta chal tu waadein kal ke,
Is pal pe tere kadmon ke nishaan,
Dekhenge aane waale, manzil ko pane waale,
Poochhenge chalne waale, kya hai tera mantra?
Mehnat bhi hai, himmat bhi hai, thodi si, haan, kismat bhi hai,
Aankhon mein hain kuchh khwaab bhi aur seene mein hasrat bhi hai,
Hai saanson ka aadhaar kya, aur zindagi ka saar kya,
Bas jaan lo hai pyaar kya, Hai ye mera mantra!!
Aao na, socho na, dil se mita dein sab faaslein,
Sarhad na, mazhab na, hum sab rangein hon,
Ek rang mein, ek rang mein.
Tera hai apna kya, tera paraaya kya, tera hai aasha kya, tera hai jeevan kya...
Tera hai sapna kya, tera hai Eishwar kya, tera hai bhaasha kya,
Tera hai mantra kya...?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Movie Scene In My Mind-1
"Mia: Don't you hate that?
Vincent: What?
Mia: Uncomfortable silences. Why do we feel it's necessary to yak about bullshit in order to be comfortable?
Vincent: I don't know. That's a good question.
Mia: That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the f*** up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence." fave scene from Pulp Fiction Uma Thurman & John Travolta
Vincent: What?
Mia: Uncomfortable silences. Why do we feel it's necessary to yak about bullshit in order to be comfortable?
Vincent: I don't know. That's a good question.
Mia: That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the f*** up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence." fave scene from Pulp Fiction Uma Thurman & John Travolta
Friday, November 20, 2009
Segmentation and Positioning in Indian Pop
Even though pop music in India has at least a decade back origin, I would say that 1993-94 was when we Indians woke up to the fact that songs can be made without the need to situate them in movie. Baba Sehagal’s RAP songs (someone said to me RAP stands for Rahein Aap Pareshan :-) ), Alisha's Made In India song and Biddu's Boom Boom song sung by Nazia Hussan (featuring a very young Anupama Verma, yes the same from Big Boss 1 ) were the catalysts along with Daler Mehndi's Bolo Tara Ra.
It was the same time that we middle class Indians were slowly realizing that not English movies have a corrupting influence on character. This was courtesy Jurassic park of Spielberg. This reminds me of an interesting anecdote narrated by one of my friends in college. He was watching Titanic in TV (Of course, all art dilettantes who wanted to appreciate Leonardo do a live portrait of Kate Winslet were hugely disappointed with the censors going snip snip on that scene, and movie was de-toxicated for TV viewing. ). His grandmother came and scolded him something like, "Kya gandi picture dekhte rahte ho?" and then she switches the TV channel to a Hindi movie channel showing Helen dancing in a slit-thigh gown trying to patao Amitabh in Don :-)
So, the realization that "English movies don't have songs and English bands release albums without placing them in movies" and "evolution of desi pop" was almost simultaneous.
As happens in any industry with almost no barrier to entry, there were lot of new entrants with different positioning and segmentation. Following is my attempt to slot them:--
1.) Region
i.) Punjabi pops Daler Mehndi
ii.) Altaf Raja targeting UP, Bihar with Subah Pehli Gaadi Se
2.) Location
i.) College – Yaaro yehi dosti hai by KK; Purani Jeans
ii.) That Girl Next Door to Your Apartment – Aankhon mein tera by Aryans ( featuring Shahid – if you watch him in that video with Hrishitha Bhatt, it is so difficult to believe that a Jab We Met type restrained // Ishq Vishq type probably the most confident debut in a comic role by any male actor in recent times (Just watch the scene where Satish Shah tries to explain “Birds And Bees” to his precocious son Shahid or his advice to fake Sachin to impress Shenaz something like “haan square cut thoda kum aur apna elbow sidha rakhana ..”) // Kaminey type quirky performance is lurking inside him
3.) Extraordinary feats
i.) Underwater shooting in Dooba Dooba
ii.) Breathless song
4.) Gender
i.) Phalguni Pathak's Maine Payal hai chhankayi (featuring Riya Sen and, if you did not notice, Ayesha Takia in one of her first pop songs appearances, after that Complan ad she did with Shahid in her childhood "I am a Complan Girl; I am a Complan Boy")
5.) Age group wise
i.) For kids -- Amitabh’s classic Ek Rahein eeir, ek rahein bir, ek rahein phatte aur ek rahein hum ; Sunidhi Chauhan’s “sunk-without-a-trace” kid pop song Aira Gaira Nathhu Khaira(her first album after she won Meri Awaz Suno on DD)
ii.) Teen school going/college going love -- Shaan's Lovology
iii.) Twenties love (Sonu Nigam’s Ab mujhe raat din from Deewana album (IMHO, his best album)
6.) Based on music genre
i.) Classical – Piya Basanti featuring Nauheed
ii.) Rock – Parikrama
iii.) International type – Seulmont by Alisha
iv.) Remix -- Someone rightly said “R. D. Burman kab tak inke ghar ki roji roti chaleyenge”
Nahin Nahin abhi nahin (featuring Ayesha Takia in a lift..why exactly is she taking a spoon of coffee syrup like medicine in that video .. I never understood..but it worked for me)
7.) Behavioural/ Situational/ Mood segmentation
i.) Madly, Truly, Deeply wala love songs – Dooba dooba rehta huun by Silk Route
ii.) Feeling wala nostalgic love – Maaei Ri from Euphoria featuring Rimi Sen
iii.)Unrequited love – Woh Pyaar Mera featuring Amrita Rao by Alisha
iv.) Junooni pyaar – Apki Dua Hai by K.K.
"Uski Hi Dhun Mein Hoon Mujhe, Tum Deewaana Kaho
Aap Ki Dua Hai Pyaar Hua, Ishq Ka Mein Beemaar Hua"
v.) Hyper-confident, possessive love – “Kaise bhulegi mera naam” from Euphoria (my favourite band)
"Tu hi meri zindagi, tu hi meri har khushi,
Tu hi meri preet hai tu hi hai meri jaan.
Tu hi meri dhoop hai, tu hi meri chaaon hai,
Tu hi mera dard hai, tu hi hai muskaan.
Kaise bhulegi mera naam!!
Sakhiaan teri deti taane mujhe dher sare,
Gharwaale ne tere itna bhala-bura kaha.
Din bhar kaam karoon, raaton ko main dhundhoon tare.
Samjhegi tu to mujhe isilye itna saha.
Kya ho gaya sanam, mila koi naya sanam,
Chaahegi tu aur kisi ko, mane na kyon mera yah man.
Hoga to wahi sanam, kuchh bhi karle jatan, Ek din banegi tu meri dulhan!
Tu hi meri zindagi, tu hi meri bandagi,
Tu hi meri subah hai tu hi hai meri shaam,
Tu hi mera geet hai, tu hi mera meet hai,
Tu hi mera puja hai, tu hi hai mera Raam.
Kaise bhulegi mera naam!!
Kya hua ke agar milna sake hum,
Kya hua ke mere waadon mein na dum
Pyaar to hua na kam, Jeeti tu haarein hain hum
Sun liya maine, sah liya maine,
chheen lunga tujhe abki baar.
Kaayar na hoon main, jhoota na hoon main,
Kamzor na hoon, bas karta tujhe pyaar"
vi.) Egoistic love Kabhi aana meri gully by Euphoria
“Kya karegi tu ghar se nikalke, jaaegi tu kahaan,
Kya dekhegi tu Taj Mahal ko, main na hoon jo wahaan,
Kya nazar aur kya nazaare, kuchh nahin inmein baat,
Nagri-nagri kya dhoondegi, main nahi jo tere saath.
Kabhi aana tu meri gully Tujhe palkon pe rakhoonga ji.
Baat dil ki karoon Hindustani jo hoon,
Jab jee chaahe to aaja na jee.
Kabhi aana tu meri gully-2
Kya karegi tu Kashmir jaake, swarg tera yahaan
Kya baithegi tu Ganga-kinaare, main na hoon jo wahaan.
Kya ye jannat, kya ye teerath, kuchh nahin tere kaam
Ho jaaenge dhaam saare, legi jab mera naa-ha-ha-ha-haam.”
vii.)Sensitive love – “Ab Naa Jaa” song by Euphoria featuring Vidya Balan
“Aankhen band kar loo jo mein dekhu bas tumhe
khwabo mein hi keh sakta hoon apna tumhe
rehne de mera yeh vehm pe hi yakeen naa ja abhi
pyar ki yeh raat hain ab na jaa chotti si ek baat hain ab na jaa
tumhhi se hain meri neend naa bhi ho to kya
tumhi see hain meri battein naa bhi ho to kya
kehne do taaro ko kahani ankahi na jaa abhi”
viii.)Inspirational – Kya Hai Tera mantra by Euphoria
"Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai, Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai, Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Is pal mein aao khud ko jaan lein pehchaan lein hum,
Aao dekhein jeevan ke rang sabhee, Bhoolein na beeti jo thi,
dekhenge hoga jo bhi, Pehle jaane to sahi, kya hai tera mantra?
Hai jeet kya aur haar kya, gham aur khushi ke paar kya,
Hai megh ke aasaar kya, toofaan kya majhdhaar kya,
Hai baadlon ke paar kya, koi aur bhi sansaar kya,
Bas jaan lo hai pyaar kya, hai ye mera mantra!!
Dekho pukaarein tumhe nabh ke sitaarein, Baahein phailaaye aasmaan,
Bahti hawaaein tumhe kahti fizaaein, Dekho thamey na kaaravaan.
Lekar chal yaadein kal ki, karta chal tu waadein kal ke,
Is pal pe tere kadmon ke nishaan, Dekhenge aane waale,
manzil ko pane waale, Poochhenge chalne waale, kya hai tera mantra?"
ix.)“Boy asking naughty question, Girl giving sensitive answer, boy getting emotional” song Lucky Ali + Kavita Krishnamurthy
"Male:- Gori teri aankhen kahe raat bhar sooyi nahi
chanda dekhe chupke kahi aur taare jaante hain sabhi
ke kisne dil le liya kisko dil de diya yeh dil ka lagana koi jaanta nahi
Gori teri aankhen kahe raat bhar sooyi nahi
Female:- Dil mein teri yaad basi tu samjhe ga nahi
jo hain mere paas hai tera mera kuch nahi
kyun akhiya chupao kyun tujhko satao
dil tod ke tera mein kya pao
bol piya bol piya bol piya bol piya bol piyaaa bol
saajan teri baatein badi ke mein raat bhar sooyi nahi
chanda ne bhi dekha nahi aur taaro ko yeh maloom nahi
ke meine tujhe dil diya tera dil le liya mera tu hi hain bahana kyun manta nahi
saajan teri baatein badi ke mein raat bhar sooyi nahi
Male:-- Aate jaate mausam jaise lagte the sabhi
humne bhi to manga rab se apna bhi koi
Duniya se bachao palko mein chupao
dil jeet ke tera sab ko batao
sun gori sun gori sun gori sunnn sun gori sun gori sunnnnn
Gori teri aankhen kahe jaane anjaane mein kahi
chanda ne bhi dekha nahi aur taaro ne bhi jaana nahi
ke tune mujhe dil diya mera dil de diya mera jeene ka bahana koi aur nahi"
9.) Family relation
i.) Sibling rivalry -- Riya Sen in Jab Saamne tum aa jaate ho by Jagjit Singh and Asha Bhonsle
ii.) Maa -- Euphoria's "Sone de maa" ---Before Kya main Itna Buraa Huun Maan and Lukka Chuppi(from RDB) by Prasoon Joshi , these were some of the best lines written on that atavistic wish which everyone feels after frustrations, struggles of adult life to get back to his childhood, to let someone else care for "aanta, daal ka bhaav", to keep doing what one likes, to just sleep at leisure without the rude alarm clocks waking you up and deadlines to be taken care of, to be simple again, neither to feel pressurized to catch up with workaholics in weekdays nor succumbing to peer pressure of "having to do the in-things" on weekends
"Teri kahaani mein sacchayee jeeti sada,
Tu hi bata maa kya jhootha wo wishwaas tha,
Bikhri kyon maa mere sapna ka sansaar tha,
Lamha-lamha dhokha naya,
Tanha-tanha main thak gaya.
Sone de maa ab na jeena * 4
Sapna jo toota bhi, dekho main roya nahin,
Saaya jo toota bhi, khud ko main bhoola nahin,
Sadiyaan hui tere aanchal mein soya nahi.
Lamha-lamha jeeta jahaan, Tanha-tanha main thak gaya."
10.)Those which defy characterization/ refuse to be slotted
i.) Daku daddy 2008 song featuring Hrishitha Bhatt and Shakti Kapoor
ii.) Aie hip hop hopper tu pyar to kar by Sunidhi 2008
It was the same time that we middle class Indians were slowly realizing that not English movies have a corrupting influence on character. This was courtesy Jurassic park of Spielberg. This reminds me of an interesting anecdote narrated by one of my friends in college. He was watching Titanic in TV (Of course, all art dilettantes who wanted to appreciate Leonardo do a live portrait of Kate Winslet were hugely disappointed with the censors going snip snip on that scene, and movie was de-toxicated for TV viewing. ). His grandmother came and scolded him something like, "Kya gandi picture dekhte rahte ho?" and then she switches the TV channel to a Hindi movie channel showing Helen dancing in a slit-thigh gown trying to patao Amitabh in Don :-)
So, the realization that "English movies don't have songs and English bands release albums without placing them in movies" and "evolution of desi pop" was almost simultaneous.
As happens in any industry with almost no barrier to entry, there were lot of new entrants with different positioning and segmentation. Following is my attempt to slot them:--
1.) Region
i.) Punjabi pops Daler Mehndi
ii.) Altaf Raja targeting UP, Bihar with Subah Pehli Gaadi Se
2.) Location
i.) College – Yaaro yehi dosti hai by KK; Purani Jeans
ii.) That Girl Next Door to Your Apartment – Aankhon mein tera by Aryans ( featuring Shahid – if you watch him in that video with Hrishitha Bhatt, it is so difficult to believe that a Jab We Met type restrained // Ishq Vishq type probably the most confident debut in a comic role by any male actor in recent times (Just watch the scene where Satish Shah tries to explain “Birds And Bees” to his precocious son Shahid or his advice to fake Sachin to impress Shenaz something like “haan square cut thoda kum aur apna elbow sidha rakhana ..”) // Kaminey type quirky performance is lurking inside him
3.) Extraordinary feats
i.) Underwater shooting in Dooba Dooba
ii.) Breathless song
4.) Gender
i.) Phalguni Pathak's Maine Payal hai chhankayi (featuring Riya Sen and, if you did not notice, Ayesha Takia in one of her first pop songs appearances, after that Complan ad she did with Shahid in her childhood "I am a Complan Girl; I am a Complan Boy")
5.) Age group wise
i.) For kids -- Amitabh’s classic Ek Rahein eeir, ek rahein bir, ek rahein phatte aur ek rahein hum ; Sunidhi Chauhan’s “sunk-without-a-trace” kid pop song Aira Gaira Nathhu Khaira(her first album after she won Meri Awaz Suno on DD)
ii.) Teen school going/college going love -- Shaan's Lovology
iii.) Twenties love (Sonu Nigam’s Ab mujhe raat din from Deewana album (IMHO, his best album)
6.) Based on music genre
i.) Classical – Piya Basanti featuring Nauheed
ii.) Rock – Parikrama
iii.) International type – Seulmont by Alisha
iv.) Remix -- Someone rightly said “R. D. Burman kab tak inke ghar ki roji roti chaleyenge”
Nahin Nahin abhi nahin (featuring Ayesha Takia in a lift..why exactly is she taking a spoon of coffee syrup like medicine in that video .. I never understood..but it worked for me)
7.) Behavioural/ Situational/ Mood segmentation
i.) Madly, Truly, Deeply wala love songs – Dooba dooba rehta huun by Silk Route
ii.) Feeling wala nostalgic love – Maaei Ri from Euphoria featuring Rimi Sen
iii.)Unrequited love – Woh Pyaar Mera featuring Amrita Rao by Alisha
iv.) Junooni pyaar – Apki Dua Hai by K.K.
"Uski Hi Dhun Mein Hoon Mujhe, Tum Deewaana Kaho
Aap Ki Dua Hai Pyaar Hua, Ishq Ka Mein Beemaar Hua"
v.) Hyper-confident, possessive love – “Kaise bhulegi mera naam” from Euphoria (my favourite band)
"Tu hi meri zindagi, tu hi meri har khushi,
Tu hi meri preet hai tu hi hai meri jaan.
Tu hi meri dhoop hai, tu hi meri chaaon hai,
Tu hi mera dard hai, tu hi hai muskaan.
Kaise bhulegi mera naam!!
Sakhiaan teri deti taane mujhe dher sare,
Gharwaale ne tere itna bhala-bura kaha.
Din bhar kaam karoon, raaton ko main dhundhoon tare.
Samjhegi tu to mujhe isilye itna saha.
Kya ho gaya sanam, mila koi naya sanam,
Chaahegi tu aur kisi ko, mane na kyon mera yah man.
Hoga to wahi sanam, kuchh bhi karle jatan, Ek din banegi tu meri dulhan!
Tu hi meri zindagi, tu hi meri bandagi,
Tu hi meri subah hai tu hi hai meri shaam,
Tu hi mera geet hai, tu hi mera meet hai,
Tu hi mera puja hai, tu hi hai mera Raam.
Kaise bhulegi mera naam!!
Kya hua ke agar milna sake hum,
Kya hua ke mere waadon mein na dum
Pyaar to hua na kam, Jeeti tu haarein hain hum
Sun liya maine, sah liya maine,
chheen lunga tujhe abki baar.
Kaayar na hoon main, jhoota na hoon main,
Kamzor na hoon, bas karta tujhe pyaar"
vi.) Egoistic love Kabhi aana meri gully by Euphoria
“Kya karegi tu ghar se nikalke, jaaegi tu kahaan,
Kya dekhegi tu Taj Mahal ko, main na hoon jo wahaan,
Kya nazar aur kya nazaare, kuchh nahin inmein baat,
Nagri-nagri kya dhoondegi, main nahi jo tere saath.
Kabhi aana tu meri gully Tujhe palkon pe rakhoonga ji.
Baat dil ki karoon Hindustani jo hoon,
Jab jee chaahe to aaja na jee.
Kabhi aana tu meri gully-2
Kya karegi tu Kashmir jaake, swarg tera yahaan
Kya baithegi tu Ganga-kinaare, main na hoon jo wahaan.
Kya ye jannat, kya ye teerath, kuchh nahin tere kaam
Ho jaaenge dhaam saare, legi jab mera naa-ha-ha-ha-haam.”
vii.)Sensitive love – “Ab Naa Jaa” song by Euphoria featuring Vidya Balan
“Aankhen band kar loo jo mein dekhu bas tumhe
khwabo mein hi keh sakta hoon apna tumhe
rehne de mera yeh vehm pe hi yakeen naa ja abhi
pyar ki yeh raat hain ab na jaa chotti si ek baat hain ab na jaa
tumhhi se hain meri neend naa bhi ho to kya
tumhi see hain meri battein naa bhi ho to kya
kehne do taaro ko kahani ankahi na jaa abhi”
viii.)Inspirational – Kya Hai Tera mantra by Euphoria
"Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai, Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Kisne ye jaana hai ye kitna puraana hai, Jaata kahaan ye silsila?
Phir se na aana hai ye kitna suhaana hai Pal ye jo humko hai mila.
Is pal mein aao khud ko jaan lein pehchaan lein hum,
Aao dekhein jeevan ke rang sabhee, Bhoolein na beeti jo thi,
dekhenge hoga jo bhi, Pehle jaane to sahi, kya hai tera mantra?
Hai jeet kya aur haar kya, gham aur khushi ke paar kya,
Hai megh ke aasaar kya, toofaan kya majhdhaar kya,
Hai baadlon ke paar kya, koi aur bhi sansaar kya,
Bas jaan lo hai pyaar kya, hai ye mera mantra!!
Dekho pukaarein tumhe nabh ke sitaarein, Baahein phailaaye aasmaan,
Bahti hawaaein tumhe kahti fizaaein, Dekho thamey na kaaravaan.
Lekar chal yaadein kal ki, karta chal tu waadein kal ke,
Is pal pe tere kadmon ke nishaan, Dekhenge aane waale,
manzil ko pane waale, Poochhenge chalne waale, kya hai tera mantra?"
ix.)“Boy asking naughty question, Girl giving sensitive answer, boy getting emotional” song Lucky Ali + Kavita Krishnamurthy
"Male:- Gori teri aankhen kahe raat bhar sooyi nahi
chanda dekhe chupke kahi aur taare jaante hain sabhi
ke kisne dil le liya kisko dil de diya yeh dil ka lagana koi jaanta nahi
Gori teri aankhen kahe raat bhar sooyi nahi
Female:- Dil mein teri yaad basi tu samjhe ga nahi
jo hain mere paas hai tera mera kuch nahi
kyun akhiya chupao kyun tujhko satao
dil tod ke tera mein kya pao
bol piya bol piya bol piya bol piya bol piyaaa bol
saajan teri baatein badi ke mein raat bhar sooyi nahi
chanda ne bhi dekha nahi aur taaro ko yeh maloom nahi
ke meine tujhe dil diya tera dil le liya mera tu hi hain bahana kyun manta nahi
saajan teri baatein badi ke mein raat bhar sooyi nahi
Male:-- Aate jaate mausam jaise lagte the sabhi
humne bhi to manga rab se apna bhi koi
Duniya se bachao palko mein chupao
dil jeet ke tera sab ko batao
sun gori sun gori sun gori sunnn sun gori sun gori sunnnnn
Gori teri aankhen kahe jaane anjaane mein kahi
chanda ne bhi dekha nahi aur taaro ne bhi jaana nahi
ke tune mujhe dil diya mera dil de diya mera jeene ka bahana koi aur nahi"
9.) Family relation
i.) Sibling rivalry -- Riya Sen in Jab Saamne tum aa jaate ho by Jagjit Singh and Asha Bhonsle
ii.) Maa -- Euphoria's "Sone de maa" ---Before Kya main Itna Buraa Huun Maan and Lukka Chuppi(from RDB) by Prasoon Joshi , these were some of the best lines written on that atavistic wish which everyone feels after frustrations, struggles of adult life to get back to his childhood, to let someone else care for "aanta, daal ka bhaav", to keep doing what one likes, to just sleep at leisure without the rude alarm clocks waking you up and deadlines to be taken care of, to be simple again, neither to feel pressurized to catch up with workaholics in weekdays nor succumbing to peer pressure of "having to do the in-things" on weekends
"Teri kahaani mein sacchayee jeeti sada,
Tu hi bata maa kya jhootha wo wishwaas tha,
Bikhri kyon maa mere sapna ka sansaar tha,
Lamha-lamha dhokha naya,
Tanha-tanha main thak gaya.
Sone de maa ab na jeena * 4
Sapna jo toota bhi, dekho main roya nahin,
Saaya jo toota bhi, khud ko main bhoola nahin,
Sadiyaan hui tere aanchal mein soya nahi.
Lamha-lamha jeeta jahaan, Tanha-tanha main thak gaya."
10.)Those which defy characterization/ refuse to be slotted
i.) Daku daddy 2008 song featuring Hrishitha Bhatt and Shakti Kapoor
ii.) Aie hip hop hopper tu pyar to kar by Sunidhi 2008
Sunday, November 8, 2009
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine That's amore
Must listen song -"That's Amore" by Dean Martin
song "That's Amore" on wiki
""That's Amore" is a 1952 song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Jack Brooks. It became a major hit, signature song for Dean Martin in 1953. Amore means "love" in Italian, giving a general translation in English "that's love"."
lyrics of song "That's Amore"
In Napoli where love is king
When boy meets girl here's what they say
When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli
That's amore
(When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool)
That's amore
(When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli)
That's amore
Lucky fella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool)
That's amore
(When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli)
That's amore, (amore)
That's amore
song "That's Amore" on wiki
""That's Amore" is a 1952 song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Jack Brooks. It became a major hit, signature song for Dean Martin in 1953. Amore means "love" in Italian, giving a general translation in English "that's love"."
lyrics of song "That's Amore"
In Napoli where love is king
When boy meets girl here's what they say
When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli
That's amore
(When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool)
That's amore
(When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli)
That's amore
Lucky fella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool)
That's amore
(When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli)
That's amore, (amore)
That's amore
Friday, November 6, 2009
Madhur Bhandarkar movies
I am back after a month and the main reason why I am writing one day before the Management Accounting paper is this review by Raja Sen (one of my favorite Indian movie critics...one of the few critics who understand Cinema and review it without fear or favor)
Review of "Jail" on Rediff.com by Raja Sen
I remember a year back when Fashion released, I was asked to go for it and I torpedoed the proposal saying I find Madhur Bhandarkar a pretentious director. Mind you, just a few days back I had watched Dil Kabaddi (atrocious copy of Woody Allen's gem "Husband And Wives" with a 100% rottentomatoes rating) and I am the same person who can watch all the eighties formulaic movies on Zee Cinema non-stop. But I find the presumed self-righteousness dripping from his movies, stars fawning over him and media lionizing and anointing him the "New Age Director" just plain nauseating.
Pray tell me what is his "Claim to This Fame"?
A completely undeserved, fortuitous National Award for Chandani Bar or a highly over-rated Page 3 (though marginally better than others in his so-called "realistic" oeuvre -- Traffic Signal, Fashion, Corporate, Jail).
People say he has the ability to "shock your conscience with his hard-hitting realism". If you are referring to the scenes like actress-art director angle, socialite & foreigners with street children in Page 3 or boy being assaulted in Chandani Bar, I would say either I have a very shock-proof, hardened conscience or you need movies to tell you, "You know dude fashion industry is all dirty..It is about drugs, egos, wardrobe malfunction". Thank You Mr. Madhur. We know that. See, we also read the same newspapers from which you cull the stories. What kind of a shock you are talking about? Only shock I feel is when I see such pedestrian cinema being hailed as "showing new direction" to Bollywood in TV channels and only shock I see is, when in the movie breaks of Page 3, advertisements of Havells Switches "Shock Laga! Shock Laga!!' come :-)
Many people have used this strategy of getting a profession/business/social setting and basing their story on that. But it works when you bring some fresh perspectives, when you do a thorough research on the turmoils, trials and tribulations of the protagonists. When the setup is a part of the story being told, but story is not being told only because there is a setup. See, if you start discussing a movie like Shawshank Redemption with friends, you talk about hope, human determination, cool nonchalant acting of Tim Robbins and, most of all, the felicity with which Bob Gunton has played the part of a disgusting, corrupt, cruel warden.[Just watching him say "I want him found. Not tomorrow, not after breakfast - *now*" after Andy escapes is a moment of joy]
Shawshank on RT
Sahwshank movie quotes on imdb
Movie offers amazing insights in prison life, including how that old man refuses to go out of jail after spending most of his youth because he simply doesn't have anyone to go to. Prison is his home. And then when he is released, he commits suicide. Then you start thinking...then you are shocked...not in that Hila Ke Rakh Diya way, but more subtly because the movie has questioned your basic assumption that everyone inside the prison wants to go out to be free..not true..prison has become such a part of their identity that even when we outsiders can see their loss of freedom, they are either not aware of it or are ready to compromise with the curbs put on their liberty..because they derive their identity from it..because they just can't fit in anywhere else.. If you'll allow me some more minutes of your valuable time, let me say that this is a problem you'll see in many of the arguments or issues concerning India (or World) - Prison is just a metaphor and, in reality, you may be caged because you are born in a particular religion/caste/nation and your have sub-consciously tied your identity so closely with it that any attempt of slightest insult to the symbols of your religion/caste/nation by such insular people from some other religion/caste/nation is met with violent retaliation from your side...Result riots and societal disharmony.
You are more than "I am a Hindu upper caste male from the most advanced city of India belonging to the most upper class by income"...You are what you like, you are what makes you laugh, you are what makes you think, you are what kind of books/movies/music/games/hobbies you prefer, "you are what you think should never be done, what can be 'its chalta hai' and what you will always do" i.e. your values, and of course, you are what makes you angry.
Yes! I am talking about movies which can generate that kind of thinking and not those which resort to cardboard characters, stereotypes to tell us what we already know in the name of hard-hitting cinema..To such filmmakers, please hit me a little more hard. I still can't feel a thing.
And for that you need filmmakers who themselves don't live in their ivory towers surrounded by sycophant actors/actresses trying to get in their good books Just read Mughda Godse's interview on Rediff.com..
Moghda's interview on rediff.com about Jail movie
"Working with the same director on films with different genres is very challenging."
Films with different genres ...LOL. Excuse Me, Ms. Mughda...Though movies can be vaguely made, words like genre have very specific meaning. Crudely speaking, movies can be comedy, tragedy, action, suspense type -- these are different genres..You don't say different genres to refer to similar documentary style movies made with different settings. Just because you have heard someone to use that word, it doesn't obligate you to use that word without knowing how to use it correctly, right Ma'am?
"And such challenges can be taken up only with directors of Madhur's caliber."
"He is a very fun loving person. Jitne serious inke films hai utna hi funny hai yeh."
Have you noticed how before the release of any of these movies such type of fun stories start spreading in umpteen media interviews given by stars. Oh! fun loving..Is it "Made-up-stories-of-actor/director-playing-silly-pranks-on-heroine-meant-to-be-released-to-news-pr-person-just-before-release-of-movie" wala fun or that cliche "He-works-hard-and-parties-harder" wala fun..Please elaborate
"We just didn't realize when we started shooting the film and when we finished it."
(kucch hona bhi chahiye movie mein realize/yaad rakhne ke liye))
And if you did not already know, this is Madhur Bhandarkar's movie just before Chandani Bar
movie Trishakti on imdb
Yes, he was/is "that" type of director. And then he gets, to his utmost surprise, a National Award..finds a formula and starts milking it.. Kab tak? kaath ki haandi baar baar nahin chadhti, mere bhai.
Review of "Jail" on Rediff.com by Raja Sen
I remember a year back when Fashion released, I was asked to go for it and I torpedoed the proposal saying I find Madhur Bhandarkar a pretentious director. Mind you, just a few days back I had watched Dil Kabaddi (atrocious copy of Woody Allen's gem "Husband And Wives" with a 100% rottentomatoes rating) and I am the same person who can watch all the eighties formulaic movies on Zee Cinema non-stop. But I find the presumed self-righteousness dripping from his movies, stars fawning over him and media lionizing and anointing him the "New Age Director" just plain nauseating.
Pray tell me what is his "Claim to This Fame"?
A completely undeserved, fortuitous National Award for Chandani Bar or a highly over-rated Page 3 (though marginally better than others in his so-called "realistic" oeuvre -- Traffic Signal, Fashion, Corporate, Jail).
People say he has the ability to "shock your conscience with his hard-hitting realism". If you are referring to the scenes like actress-art director angle, socialite & foreigners with street children in Page 3 or boy being assaulted in Chandani Bar, I would say either I have a very shock-proof, hardened conscience or you need movies to tell you, "You know dude fashion industry is all dirty..It is about drugs, egos, wardrobe malfunction". Thank You Mr. Madhur. We know that. See, we also read the same newspapers from which you cull the stories. What kind of a shock you are talking about? Only shock I feel is when I see such pedestrian cinema being hailed as "showing new direction" to Bollywood in TV channels and only shock I see is, when in the movie breaks of Page 3, advertisements of Havells Switches "Shock Laga! Shock Laga!!' come :-)
Many people have used this strategy of getting a profession/business/social setting and basing their story on that. But it works when you bring some fresh perspectives, when you do a thorough research on the turmoils, trials and tribulations of the protagonists. When the setup is a part of the story being told, but story is not being told only because there is a setup. See, if you start discussing a movie like Shawshank Redemption with friends, you talk about hope, human determination, cool nonchalant acting of Tim Robbins and, most of all, the felicity with which Bob Gunton has played the part of a disgusting, corrupt, cruel warden.[Just watching him say "I want him found. Not tomorrow, not after breakfast - *now*" after Andy escapes is a moment of joy]
Shawshank on RT
Sahwshank movie quotes on imdb
Movie offers amazing insights in prison life, including how that old man refuses to go out of jail after spending most of his youth because he simply doesn't have anyone to go to. Prison is his home. And then when he is released, he commits suicide. Then you start thinking...then you are shocked...not in that Hila Ke Rakh Diya way, but more subtly because the movie has questioned your basic assumption that everyone inside the prison wants to go out to be free..not true..prison has become such a part of their identity that even when we outsiders can see their loss of freedom, they are either not aware of it or are ready to compromise with the curbs put on their liberty..because they derive their identity from it..because they just can't fit in anywhere else.. If you'll allow me some more minutes of your valuable time, let me say that this is a problem you'll see in many of the arguments or issues concerning India (or World) - Prison is just a metaphor and, in reality, you may be caged because you are born in a particular religion/caste/nation and your have sub-consciously tied your identity so closely with it that any attempt of slightest insult to the symbols of your religion/caste/nation by such insular people from some other religion/caste/nation is met with violent retaliation from your side...Result riots and societal disharmony.
You are more than "I am a Hindu upper caste male from the most advanced city of India belonging to the most upper class by income"...You are what you like, you are what makes you laugh, you are what makes you think, you are what kind of books/movies/music/games/hobbies you prefer, "you are what you think should never be done, what can be 'its chalta hai' and what you will always do" i.e. your values, and of course, you are what makes you angry.
Yes! I am talking about movies which can generate that kind of thinking and not those which resort to cardboard characters, stereotypes to tell us what we already know in the name of hard-hitting cinema..To such filmmakers, please hit me a little more hard. I still can't feel a thing.
And for that you need filmmakers who themselves don't live in their ivory towers surrounded by sycophant actors/actresses trying to get in their good books Just read Mughda Godse's interview on Rediff.com..
Moghda's interview on rediff.com about Jail movie
"Working with the same director on films with different genres is very challenging."
Films with different genres ...LOL. Excuse Me, Ms. Mughda...Though movies can be vaguely made, words like genre have very specific meaning. Crudely speaking, movies can be comedy, tragedy, action, suspense type -- these are different genres..You don't say different genres to refer to similar documentary style movies made with different settings. Just because you have heard someone to use that word, it doesn't obligate you to use that word without knowing how to use it correctly, right Ma'am?
"And such challenges can be taken up only with directors of Madhur's caliber."
"He is a very fun loving person. Jitne serious inke films hai utna hi funny hai yeh."
Have you noticed how before the release of any of these movies such type of fun stories start spreading in umpteen media interviews given by stars. Oh! fun loving..Is it "Made-up-stories-of-actor/director-playing-silly-pranks-on-heroine-meant-to-be-released-to-news-pr-person-just-before-release-of-movie" wala fun or that cliche "He-works-hard-and-parties-harder" wala fun..Please elaborate
"We just didn't realize when we started shooting the film and when we finished it."
(kucch hona bhi chahiye movie mein realize/yaad rakhne ke liye))
And if you did not already know, this is Madhur Bhandarkar's movie just before Chandani Bar
movie Trishakti on imdbYes, he was/is "that" type of director. And then he gets, to his utmost surprise, a National Award..finds a formula and starts milking it.. Kab tak? kaath ki haandi baar baar nahin chadhti, mere bhai.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Rudyard Kipling's poem If
If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
wiki link on poem If
""If" is a poem written in 1896 by the then 31-year-old Rudyard Kipling.It was voted Britain's favorite poem in a 1995 BBC opinion poll."
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
wiki link on poem If
""If" is a poem written in 1896 by the then 31-year-old Rudyard Kipling.It was voted Britain's favorite poem in a 1995 BBC opinion poll."
Sunday, September 20, 2009
"Humlog ordinary log hain--Aam Janta--The Mango People"
Mohit Chauhan has undoubtedly become my favourite singer. I am not qualified/knowledgeable enough to comment intelligently on what is good about his singing, so if I can use that much bandied term, I would just say his voice is soulful and connects with you at some level.
It certainly helps that he has got some of the best songs to have come out of Bollywood in recent time. I credit Rahman for bringing him full throttle in Bombay films when he gave him the opportunity for that stirring rendition of the song Khoon Chala in Rang De Basanti. ( I remember watching this movie in Alpana theatre, Model Town , Delhi and felt that the effectiveness of the scene of police lathicharge was elevated to a different plane because this song accompanied it.). Even though his song "Sabse Picche Hum Khade" was used in the 2004 movie "Let's Enjoy", how many people really watched that movie?(6, including the director and producer? :-))
Then came Tum Se Hi from Jab We Met and he started getting his due share of recognition.
Masakalli from Delhi 6 brought out a different playful side of him.
And then comes Ye Dooriyan from Imtiaz Ali's contemporary take on relationships and love "Love Aaj Kal"
(Last scene where Saif comes to meet Deepika is so touching..
I can't help but provide a running commentary of that scene...
Deepika is in workman's clothes, painting an old fort like building..she is in old building renovation ...She is on a platform at a height close to the ceiling ....
Camera is on Deepika's face and then Saif's voice comes..
"Dekho main pile on nahin karana chahta huun"
Deepika looks down and finds Saif...Camera is on Saif's face and he says
"Magar yeh Romeo Aur Juliet, Heer ranjha, Laila Majnoo - yeh janam janam ka saath type ke log - yeh sirf kahaniyon mein hote hain, right?"
Camera back to Deepika's face for a fleeting moment and then back to Saif and he continues..
"Tum aur main..humlog ordinary log hain...aam janta--the mango people--humein marke amar nahin hona hai...humein saath rahana hai...isi janam mein saath rahna hai...kya bolti ho?"
Camera on Deepika and she says
"Angle naya hai...mujhe lagta hai..ise aur discuss karna chahiye"..
Saif-"Tum hamesha correct baat bol deti hai Jaaneman"
Deepika-"To main neeche aa jaaon"
Saif-"Aa jao kyonki yeh long distance relationship chalta hi nahin hai"
And then camera on Deepika..she breaks down..and Mohit Chauhan' voice takes over
"Kaha bhi na mene
Nahi jeena mene
Tu jo na mila
Tujhe bhule se bhi na
Bola na mene chahun fasla
Bas fasla rahein
Ban ke kasak jo kahen
Ho aur chahat yeh jawan
Teri meri mit jaani hai dooriyan
Begani hai dooriyan
Hat jani dooriyan
Fanah ho sabhi dooriyan"
And then Deepika-"Dekhte hi rahoge"
Saif-"Dar lag raha hai....toot na jaoon"
Deepika-"Tod Do".....(Just too good)
I just love this movie...Imtiaz Ali specializes in the RomCom genre..Romance Comedy...though the comedy part is a little less than Jab We Met..but is more than compensated by scenes like this and the intelligent, fresh dialogues
(Other favorites are the break up scene
Saif-"Tumne mere mail ka jawab nahin diya, tum kabhi call nahin karte, jhagde shikayat"
Deepika-"Aur kiske liye..Tum to ho nahin mere saath ...jo accha part hai, woh nahin hai...lekin jo problems hote hain"
Saif-"Yeh karo woh mat karo"
Deepika-"Woh sab hain"
Saif-"Stress"
Deepika-"Main stress nahin banana chahti"
Saif-"Of course"
Deepika-"Especially because itna acchha tha hamare bich"
Saif-"Oh God..past tense...tha.."
The scene after the song "Chor Bazari"..
Depika is visibly drunk and Saif is dropping her
Deepika-"Main chali jaaongi"
Saif-"Kisi aur ke ghar chali gayi to..koi faayda utha sakta hai"
Deepika-"Tabhi ghar tak chhodne aa rahe ho..haan"
Saif-"Faayda hona hi hai to mera ho jaaye" ...hilarious
And Deepika saying to Chowkidar,"thank you bhaiya" and then "maar dalegi firangan" :-)
"Kaun dekha,Kaun dekha,Kaun dekha,Kaun dekha, Kaun dekha,koi nahin..."
"yeh old building ka restoration karti hai..fresco,tum jante ho na fresco""Nahin main sirf disco jaanta huun" :-))
p.s.:-- The song Yeh Dooriyan is written by one of my favourite song writers Irshad Kamil
My old post on Irshad Kamil
It certainly helps that he has got some of the best songs to have come out of Bollywood in recent time. I credit Rahman for bringing him full throttle in Bombay films when he gave him the opportunity for that stirring rendition of the song Khoon Chala in Rang De Basanti. ( I remember watching this movie in Alpana theatre, Model Town , Delhi and felt that the effectiveness of the scene of police lathicharge was elevated to a different plane because this song accompanied it.). Even though his song "Sabse Picche Hum Khade" was used in the 2004 movie "Let's Enjoy", how many people really watched that movie?(6, including the director and producer? :-))
Then came Tum Se Hi from Jab We Met and he started getting his due share of recognition.
Masakalli from Delhi 6 brought out a different playful side of him.
And then comes Ye Dooriyan from Imtiaz Ali's contemporary take on relationships and love "Love Aaj Kal"
(Last scene where Saif comes to meet Deepika is so touching..
I can't help but provide a running commentary of that scene...
Deepika is in workman's clothes, painting an old fort like building..she is in old building renovation ...She is on a platform at a height close to the ceiling ....
Camera is on Deepika's face and then Saif's voice comes..
"Dekho main pile on nahin karana chahta huun"
Deepika looks down and finds Saif...Camera is on Saif's face and he says
"Magar yeh Romeo Aur Juliet, Heer ranjha, Laila Majnoo - yeh janam janam ka saath type ke log - yeh sirf kahaniyon mein hote hain, right?"
Camera back to Deepika's face for a fleeting moment and then back to Saif and he continues..
"Tum aur main..humlog ordinary log hain...aam janta--the mango people--humein marke amar nahin hona hai...humein saath rahana hai...isi janam mein saath rahna hai...kya bolti ho?"
Camera on Deepika and she says
"Angle naya hai...mujhe lagta hai..ise aur discuss karna chahiye"..
Saif-"Tum hamesha correct baat bol deti hai Jaaneman"
Deepika-"To main neeche aa jaaon"
Saif-"Aa jao kyonki yeh long distance relationship chalta hi nahin hai"
And then camera on Deepika..she breaks down..and Mohit Chauhan' voice takes over
"Kaha bhi na mene
Nahi jeena mene
Tu jo na mila
Tujhe bhule se bhi na
Bola na mene chahun fasla
Bas fasla rahein
Ban ke kasak jo kahen
Ho aur chahat yeh jawan
Teri meri mit jaani hai dooriyan
Begani hai dooriyan
Hat jani dooriyan
Fanah ho sabhi dooriyan"
And then Deepika-"Dekhte hi rahoge"
Saif-"Dar lag raha hai....toot na jaoon"
Deepika-"Tod Do".....(Just too good)
I just love this movie...Imtiaz Ali specializes in the RomCom genre..Romance Comedy...though the comedy part is a little less than Jab We Met..but is more than compensated by scenes like this and the intelligent, fresh dialogues
(Other favorites are the break up scene
Saif-"Tumne mere mail ka jawab nahin diya, tum kabhi call nahin karte, jhagde shikayat"
Deepika-"Aur kiske liye..Tum to ho nahin mere saath ...jo accha part hai, woh nahin hai...lekin jo problems hote hain"
Saif-"Yeh karo woh mat karo"
Deepika-"Woh sab hain"
Saif-"Stress"
Deepika-"Main stress nahin banana chahti"
Saif-"Of course"
Deepika-"Especially because itna acchha tha hamare bich"
Saif-"Oh God..past tense...tha.."
The scene after the song "Chor Bazari"..
Depika is visibly drunk and Saif is dropping her
Deepika-"Main chali jaaongi"
Saif-"Kisi aur ke ghar chali gayi to..koi faayda utha sakta hai"
Deepika-"Tabhi ghar tak chhodne aa rahe ho..haan"
Saif-"Faayda hona hi hai to mera ho jaaye" ...hilarious
And Deepika saying to Chowkidar,"thank you bhaiya" and then "maar dalegi firangan" :-)
"Kaun dekha,Kaun dekha,Kaun dekha,Kaun dekha, Kaun dekha,koi nahin..."
"yeh old building ka restoration karti hai..fresco,tum jante ho na fresco""Nahin main sirf disco jaanta huun" :-))
p.s.:-- The song Yeh Dooriyan is written by one of my favourite song writers Irshad Kamil
My old post on Irshad Kamil
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Guncha Koi--amazing song by Mohit Chauhan
Music Director :Mohit Chauhan
Singer:Mohit Chauhan
Lyricist:Mohit Chauhan
Guncha koi mere naam kar diya.....
GUncha koi mere naam kar diya.....
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
GUncha koi hmm.......
Tum jaisa koi nahi is jahaan mein
Tum jaisa koi nahi is jahaan mein
Subah ko teri zulf ne shaam kar diya
Subah ko teri zulf ne shaam kar diya
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
GUncha koi hmm.......
Mehfil mein baar baar idhar dekha kiye
Mehfil mein baar baar idhar dekha kiye
aankhon ke zazeeron ko mere naam kar diya
aankhon ke zazeeron ko mere naam kar diya
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
Guncha koi hmm.......
Hosh bekhabar se huye unke bagair
Hosh bekhabar se huye unke bagair
Hosh bekhabar se huye unke bagair
Woh jo humse keh na sake dil ne kah diya
Woh jo humse keh na sake dil ne kah diya
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
Guncha koi hmm.......
Guncha koi mere naam kar diya.....
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
Singer:Mohit Chauhan
Lyricist:Mohit Chauhan
Guncha koi mere naam kar diya.....
GUncha koi mere naam kar diya.....
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
GUncha koi hmm.......
Tum jaisa koi nahi is jahaan mein
Tum jaisa koi nahi is jahaan mein
Subah ko teri zulf ne shaam kar diya
Subah ko teri zulf ne shaam kar diya
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
GUncha koi hmm.......
Mehfil mein baar baar idhar dekha kiye
Mehfil mein baar baar idhar dekha kiye
aankhon ke zazeeron ko mere naam kar diya
aankhon ke zazeeron ko mere naam kar diya
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
Guncha koi hmm.......
Hosh bekhabar se huye unke bagair
Hosh bekhabar se huye unke bagair
Hosh bekhabar se huye unke bagair
Woh jo humse keh na sake dil ne kah diya
Woh jo humse keh na sake dil ne kah diya
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
Guncha koi hmm.......
Guncha koi mere naam kar diya.....
Saki ne phir se mera jaam bhar diya...
Doris Day's Que Sera Sera and STI
Heard this wonderful song today on K-dio(IIMK Radio)
Doris Day song Que Sera Sera on wiki
When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother what will I be
Will I be pretty
Will I be rich
Here's what she said to me
Que sera sera
Whatever will be will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
When I was just a child in school
I asked my teacher what should I try
Should I paint pictures
Should I sing songs
This was her wise reply
Que sera sera
Whatever will be will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
When I grew up and fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will there be rainbows day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said
Que sera sera
Whatever will be will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
What will be, will be
Que sera sera...
This song featured in the movie "The Man Who Knew Too Much by Hitchcock", sung by the actress Doris Day. It won the Academy Award for best song. Pukar movie's song "Que Sera Sera, jo bhi ho so ho" shares the mukhda with it.
Discovering this amazing song today, that thought again came to haunt me - there is so much to enjoy, to know, to experience in this world that even if one limits one's interests to, say one or two fields like movies and music, one can just keep on exploring that field without ever reaching the possibility of exhausting it.
Same holds true for any of the "complicated" issues India is facing...terrorism, casteism, J&K, India-Pak relation, North East, Poverty, unemployment. As one of my favourite teachers said in the class,"Mr. X says that elect us to power and we will solve the J&K and Pak problem in three hours..three hours...three hours are not even enough to get a first reading of all the complexities of the issues..forget about getting to any sort of architecture of solution..." and probably the single most important thing which I learnt from the amazing course Social Transformation of India is that all the issues have at least two ways to approach and though it is important to take a stand(There is no neutrality involved if innocent people are being butchered either in Manipur, J&K or Gujarat), before committing ourselves to one stand , let us first know how the issue looks from the other side of the fence. In short, there are multiple ways in which issues can be seen and people may have different viewpoints on them and we have to respect each other's viewpoints and we can agree to disagree on how we look at a particular issue.
Doris Day song Que Sera Sera on wiki
When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother what will I be
Will I be pretty
Will I be rich
Here's what she said to me
Que sera sera
Whatever will be will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
When I was just a child in school
I asked my teacher what should I try
Should I paint pictures
Should I sing songs
This was her wise reply
Que sera sera
Whatever will be will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
When I grew up and fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will there be rainbows day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said
Que sera sera
Whatever will be will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
What will be, will be
Que sera sera...
This song featured in the movie "The Man Who Knew Too Much by Hitchcock", sung by the actress Doris Day. It won the Academy Award for best song. Pukar movie's song "Que Sera Sera, jo bhi ho so ho" shares the mukhda with it.
Discovering this amazing song today, that thought again came to haunt me - there is so much to enjoy, to know, to experience in this world that even if one limits one's interests to, say one or two fields like movies and music, one can just keep on exploring that field without ever reaching the possibility of exhausting it.
Same holds true for any of the "complicated" issues India is facing...terrorism, casteism, J&K, India-Pak relation, North East, Poverty, unemployment. As one of my favourite teachers said in the class,"Mr. X says that elect us to power and we will solve the J&K and Pak problem in three hours..three hours...three hours are not even enough to get a first reading of all the complexities of the issues..forget about getting to any sort of architecture of solution..." and probably the single most important thing which I learnt from the amazing course Social Transformation of India is that all the issues have at least two ways to approach and though it is important to take a stand(There is no neutrality involved if innocent people are being butchered either in Manipur, J&K or Gujarat), before committing ourselves to one stand , let us first know how the issue looks from the other side of the fence. In short, there are multiple ways in which issues can be seen and people may have different viewpoints on them and we have to respect each other's viewpoints and we can agree to disagree on how we look at a particular issue.
Friday, August 28, 2009
My Trial
I wrote this in January 2003 for my college Hall magazine.
My Trial
The stories are meant to amuse but at the moment weighed by my own sense of heavy guilt, I am at the worst case of writer's block and I want to push a purely personal problem through this story. You may accuse me of washing my dirty linen in public, but do I have a choice? Can I be a judge in my own prosecution?
So, let me put before you the facts of this case. I will try to keep the facts detached from my interpretation, but human as I am, if they do creep in, you will have to bear with me.
I was six year old at that time and was one among the many that lived in this
non-descript village. My father, sister and mother-that was my world before that ill-fated train ride. I was naive who believed that men are inherently good. I was gullible who was repeatedly told that good always triumphs over evil.
And on that day, we were traveling by Swarnamati Express. I was not in the best of my moods. To me, trains had become synonymous with eatables. But, as if sensing the future, all the pheriwallas were conspicuously absent. The occasional cries of "chai garam" didn't do me any good.
The train reached a station. I tried to read the name of the station.
"Po---kh----ra! Pokhra!!!Papa. This is Pokhra station."
"Yes"
Suddenly I spotted a tea stall owner. With his imposing height and long beard, he was busy with his customers.
"Papa, he has something to eat. I want it."
My father, who usually didn't yield to my peremptory orders, suddenly seemed too docile and got down to bring something for me.
People of religion X were there on platform. They were raising slogans in name of their God and had banners, placards and ribbons round their forehead. (Incidentally, I, too belong to X religion, based on the single undeniable fact that I was born in X family.)
Amidst the din and obstructed view, I could barely see or hear my father. But it looked to me as if there was some hot argument between tea stall owner and few X people including my father. Before I knew, there was total commotion on platform. Shutters of windows were drawn. My father comes inside with his dress ruffled and brows knit. He looked worried. I didn't dare to ask for anything. He kept muttering, "This shouldn't have happened."
The train started with a jerk and windows were opened. With the whiff of fresh air which came in, the pall of Pokhra seemed to pass (or were we letting our guard too early?)
The train stopped one hundred and sixty seconds after it started (I know it! I know it!! I was looking at my father's watch wondering what was inside this which discriminated in favor of second hand and moved it faster than minute and hour hands.)
Train was getting late and passengers chafed at the bit.
I then saw what stubbornly refuses to be wiped by time. A mob of people were rushing towards our coach. They were shouting the name of their God (which was different from us as they belong to Y religion.) I turned to ask my father "Papa, why was train--?" but stopped on seeing that look of terror and helplessness in his eyes.
My father ,my strong father never looked as vulnerable as now. Meanwhile, cries of "Help us" ranted the air. The whole coach was on fire. Flames of fire like tongues of demon danced before us. The smoke and smell of charred bodies became unbearable for me.
I lost my naivety, gullibility and consciousness in one go. And so it was some time before I came to know that my world had lost three quarters of its population. Many worlds were destroyed. In total, fifty eight peoples didn't see the day light again.
I woke up to find another bearded person looking at me. I searched his eyes for hatred towards me, all I found was sympathy. Didn't he know about my being of X religion? He looked as if he wouldn't have cared had he knew this also.
I said, "My Papa!". He said with palpable sadness, "None in that coach S-6 survived except you." I again fell unconscious.
I woke up again only to find myself in the bearded person's house. His wife was happy to see me. She asked, "You want something to eat?" I said "Yes."
You may accuse me of being opportunistic, of being co-opted by a new religion which played its part in my father's killing. But, as a six year old, my religious moorings were not strong enough to override my hunger pangs. In a space of two months, I got used to my new family. I especially liked the bearded person. We together spent evenings playing. I could not forget my old decimated world but couldn't help myself getting sucked into a whole new world of saintly, bearded man and his angelic wife.
In the meanwhile, our villages were burning. X men were killing Y men, despoiling their God, burning children. In this emotionally charged atmosphere, police and the state shed their impartiality and helped perpetrate the genocide either covertly by being silent spectators to the brutalities or sometimes in a more overt, brazen way by leading predators to preys.
It had been three months. Barring sporadic incidents, the violence seemed to subside- eight hundred and eighty eight people were killed.
I felt pretty much secure, but I couldn't say same for my mentors-the bearded man and his wife. Though they tried to put a brave face, I could sense the fear and terror beneath the veneer of normalcy they tried to project before me.
One night someone knocked our door. The bearded man took his pistol with him and asked, "Who is it?" "Police. We have to search your house.". He opened the door gingerly only to let a storm of people pull him out of the door. They had Trishul in their hands and were raising slogans in the name of their Gods. They started beating, abusing the man. I was frightened. His wife ran outside. One of them carrying a Trishul came to me, "Why do you live with them? Don't you know they are Y?" I hawled, "Leave them." They disrobed the man and his wife. There was fire burning round the ground. They pushed them in that. They were thirty in all against two.
The smoke and smell of charred bodies became unbearable for me. I lost unconsciousness. I lost my second world.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't you find me responsible for the killing of nine hundred and fifty three people from both the religions? Where and when did it all start? It was from that scuffle between my father and the tea stall owner, wasn't it? Why did my father went to that tea stall owner?to fetch me something.
You may say I don't have any mens rea. But, the albatross round my neck now has a weight of nine hundred and fifty three people. I can't bear it anymore.
I find a deeper rooted, seemingly preposterous but plausible motive. Were there forces that were bent upon severing any familial ties I may form? When I was as X man, these forces came garbed in people with beard. When I became Y man, they came carrying Trishuls? It seems to me these forces have hidden their ulterior motives behind their religiosity. (Do I sound like a precocious six year old? But the events of these few months were so rapid; I literally had to outgrow myself to keep pace.)
Let me tell you one thing, if you intend to pronounce me guilty, I would like to bring two of my accomplices in the court -God of religion X and the God of religion Y. Because were it not that the bearded men ,who burnt the coach S-6, shouted that their God was great? And did not the men with Trishul claimed to carry out murders to uphold the dignity of their God?
To me everything seems to be orchestrated by these Gods only, perhaps in collusion with each other.
And now I can't convince myself to call him God, who is invisible, perhaps just a notion but in whose name so many lives were lost, can you? I pause for a reply.
My Trial
The stories are meant to amuse but at the moment weighed by my own sense of heavy guilt, I am at the worst case of writer's block and I want to push a purely personal problem through this story. You may accuse me of washing my dirty linen in public, but do I have a choice? Can I be a judge in my own prosecution?
So, let me put before you the facts of this case. I will try to keep the facts detached from my interpretation, but human as I am, if they do creep in, you will have to bear with me.
I was six year old at that time and was one among the many that lived in this
non-descript village. My father, sister and mother-that was my world before that ill-fated train ride. I was naive who believed that men are inherently good. I was gullible who was repeatedly told that good always triumphs over evil.
And on that day, we were traveling by Swarnamati Express. I was not in the best of my moods. To me, trains had become synonymous with eatables. But, as if sensing the future, all the pheriwallas were conspicuously absent. The occasional cries of "chai garam" didn't do me any good.
The train reached a station. I tried to read the name of the station.
"Po---kh----ra! Pokhra!!!Papa. This is Pokhra station."
"Yes"
Suddenly I spotted a tea stall owner. With his imposing height and long beard, he was busy with his customers.
"Papa, he has something to eat. I want it."
My father, who usually didn't yield to my peremptory orders, suddenly seemed too docile and got down to bring something for me.
People of religion X were there on platform. They were raising slogans in name of their God and had banners, placards and ribbons round their forehead. (Incidentally, I, too belong to X religion, based on the single undeniable fact that I was born in X family.)
Amidst the din and obstructed view, I could barely see or hear my father. But it looked to me as if there was some hot argument between tea stall owner and few X people including my father. Before I knew, there was total commotion on platform. Shutters of windows were drawn. My father comes inside with his dress ruffled and brows knit. He looked worried. I didn't dare to ask for anything. He kept muttering, "This shouldn't have happened."
The train started with a jerk and windows were opened. With the whiff of fresh air which came in, the pall of Pokhra seemed to pass (or were we letting our guard too early?)
The train stopped one hundred and sixty seconds after it started (I know it! I know it!! I was looking at my father's watch wondering what was inside this which discriminated in favor of second hand and moved it faster than minute and hour hands.)
Train was getting late and passengers chafed at the bit.
I then saw what stubbornly refuses to be wiped by time. A mob of people were rushing towards our coach. They were shouting the name of their God (which was different from us as they belong to Y religion.) I turned to ask my father "Papa, why was train--?" but stopped on seeing that look of terror and helplessness in his eyes.
My father ,my strong father never looked as vulnerable as now. Meanwhile, cries of "Help us" ranted the air. The whole coach was on fire. Flames of fire like tongues of demon danced before us. The smoke and smell of charred bodies became unbearable for me.
I lost my naivety, gullibility and consciousness in one go. And so it was some time before I came to know that my world had lost three quarters of its population. Many worlds were destroyed. In total, fifty eight peoples didn't see the day light again.
I woke up to find another bearded person looking at me. I searched his eyes for hatred towards me, all I found was sympathy. Didn't he know about my being of X religion? He looked as if he wouldn't have cared had he knew this also.
I said, "My Papa!". He said with palpable sadness, "None in that coach S-6 survived except you." I again fell unconscious.
I woke up again only to find myself in the bearded person's house. His wife was happy to see me. She asked, "You want something to eat?" I said "Yes."
You may accuse me of being opportunistic, of being co-opted by a new religion which played its part in my father's killing. But, as a six year old, my religious moorings were not strong enough to override my hunger pangs. In a space of two months, I got used to my new family. I especially liked the bearded person. We together spent evenings playing. I could not forget my old decimated world but couldn't help myself getting sucked into a whole new world of saintly, bearded man and his angelic wife.
In the meanwhile, our villages were burning. X men were killing Y men, despoiling their God, burning children. In this emotionally charged atmosphere, police and the state shed their impartiality and helped perpetrate the genocide either covertly by being silent spectators to the brutalities or sometimes in a more overt, brazen way by leading predators to preys.
It had been three months. Barring sporadic incidents, the violence seemed to subside- eight hundred and eighty eight people were killed.
I felt pretty much secure, but I couldn't say same for my mentors-the bearded man and his wife. Though they tried to put a brave face, I could sense the fear and terror beneath the veneer of normalcy they tried to project before me.
One night someone knocked our door. The bearded man took his pistol with him and asked, "Who is it?" "Police. We have to search your house.". He opened the door gingerly only to let a storm of people pull him out of the door. They had Trishul in their hands and were raising slogans in the name of their Gods. They started beating, abusing the man. I was frightened. His wife ran outside. One of them carrying a Trishul came to me, "Why do you live with them? Don't you know they are Y?" I hawled, "Leave them." They disrobed the man and his wife. There was fire burning round the ground. They pushed them in that. They were thirty in all against two.
The smoke and smell of charred bodies became unbearable for me. I lost unconsciousness. I lost my second world.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't you find me responsible for the killing of nine hundred and fifty three people from both the religions? Where and when did it all start? It was from that scuffle between my father and the tea stall owner, wasn't it? Why did my father went to that tea stall owner?to fetch me something.
You may say I don't have any mens rea. But, the albatross round my neck now has a weight of nine hundred and fifty three people. I can't bear it anymore.
I find a deeper rooted, seemingly preposterous but plausible motive. Were there forces that were bent upon severing any familial ties I may form? When I was as X man, these forces came garbed in people with beard. When I became Y man, they came carrying Trishuls? It seems to me these forces have hidden their ulterior motives behind their religiosity. (Do I sound like a precocious six year old? But the events of these few months were so rapid; I literally had to outgrow myself to keep pace.)
Let me tell you one thing, if you intend to pronounce me guilty, I would like to bring two of my accomplices in the court -God of religion X and the God of religion Y. Because were it not that the bearded men ,who burnt the coach S-6, shouted that their God was great? And did not the men with Trishul claimed to carry out murders to uphold the dignity of their God?
To me everything seems to be orchestrated by these Gods only, perhaps in collusion with each other.
And now I can't convince myself to call him God, who is invisible, perhaps just a notion but in whose name so many lives were lost, can you? I pause for a reply.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Words
Used to like this song a lot during college days..This song was a regular on MTV Select some time back when MTV was true to its name Music TV and had not degenerated in to the most unreal channel playing 24*7 reality shows (splitsvilla and roadie et al) (BTW, If this is the real India, isn't it a little scary?)
This song was originally written and sung by Bee Gees and was later performed by Boyzone in their 1996 album
Smile an ever lasting smile
a smile can bring you near to me
don't ever let me find you gone
'cause that would bring a tear to me
this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
talk in ever lasting words
and dedicate them all to me
and I will give you all my life
i'm here if you should call to me
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
This song was originally written and sung by Bee Gees and was later performed by Boyzone in their 1996 album
Smile an ever lasting smile
a smile can bring you near to me
don't ever let me find you gone
'cause that would bring a tear to me
this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
talk in ever lasting words
and dedicate them all to me
and I will give you all my life
i'm here if you should call to me
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say
it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Rosesh Ki Kavitayen.....(From Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai)
If you have just reached this planet and are wondering what the hell is Sarabhai, here is is the wikipedia link of Sarabhai:--
Sarabhai on wiki
Momma ka purse momma ka purse
jaise hospital ki pyaari si koi nurse
purse mein rakha tissue paper karta hai paseene ka ilaaj
aur lipstick ho jaise bhookhe honton ka anaaj
momma ke purse ka hai makhmali sa sparsh
momma ka purse momma ka purse
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Khatar khun khatar khun khatar khun
Sun mere dil ki dhun (Apparently Rosesh is comparing his heart to a car
which has broken down)
Tere pyaar ki oiling mil gayi isey
Toh khatar khun ka ho jaayega gun gun
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the living room of Sarabhai's.........
Hogi Saahil Bhai ki sagaai...........
Agley mahiney...........
Priya Bhabhi phuli na samaai
Yeah Yeah Yeah...............
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tum bin jaise mai raaste ka andha bhikhari
thodi blessings daan me de do
thodi mamta tumhari
momma ho momma ha...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ek Common Man Ko Mili Hai Pari
Jaise Chiku Ke saath Ho Strawberry
Aage Aage Mummy Aur Piche Piche Daddy
Jaise Ho Tom And Jerry
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ghanan ghanan ghanan ghanan
badalo se aaye pehla soorya kiran
daanton ke liye danta manjan
aur pet ke liye kaayam chooran
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hawa mein hai khushi ki aroma
jeet gayi momma,jeet gayi momma
say hi to happiness n tata to trauma
jeet gayi momma,jeet gayi momma
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lagul lagul lagul lagul
laal laal lagul lagul JELLY
jelly ke cabre dancer jaise shareer mein chhupi hai
anjaani ankahee paheli
jelly hai moma ka mann
narm mulayam meetha
pasand hai ise har koi
sangeeta rita mita aneeta
jelly giri zameen par
to awaaz aayi PLUP PLUP PLUP PLUP!
baccha usme haath maare
to sunai deti hai THUP THUP THUP THUP!
jelly par kabhi fungus na lage
uska swaad kabhi bhankas na lage
agar bachani hai hume hamari country...
TO JELLY KO BANANA HOGA HAMARA PRADHAN MANTRI!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tumhe samjhe toh mujhe bhi samjhana,
kyu hai mera jeevan itna khokla,
jaise koi baasi aur sada hua khaman dhokla....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
aasman mein udd raha hai kabutar .....
Aasman mein udd raha hai kabutar ....
FLUTTER ..... FLUTTER..... FLUTTER......
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Popat Kaka ki atma ka Popat ud gaya ud gaya ud gaya rey..
Shristi ke sajjan haath se popat jud gaya jud gaya jud gaya rey..(Popat is
name of his kaka who had expired)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
humpty dumpty sat on the 'gaadi'
gadi pe betha tabhi aa gayi dadi
dadi ne kaha aaja mere paas
kyunki gaadi pe bethna is just so middle class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Maya Sarabhai ko jeevit shradhaanjali*
Meri moma Maaya Sarabhai,
Yaani Ishwar ki di hui badhaai,
Ishwar ki samjaai hui sachaai,
Ki duniya maaya se hi bani banaai !
Sab kuch hai maaya, yeh sofa yeh kaaya,
Ishwar ne table-cloth bhi hai maaya se banaaya !
Rista bhi maaya, raasta bhi maaya,
Lunch hi nahi, breakfast bhi maaya !
Maaya sophistication ka pratik hai,
Thodi contemporary thodi antique hai, (awesome)
Maaya to hai mamata ka chaaya,
Sara pyaar aata always via maaya !
Maaya hai jeevan ki preyasi,
Maaya hai jaise dining table ki kursi,
Maaya hi dudh, maaya hi lassi,
Phir kaise kahu ki maaya chal basi !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Teen pair waala kutta...*
Yeh hai teen pair waala kutta,
Isko kabhi bhagaana nahi padta,
Susu karte waqt use pair uthaana nahi padta,
Yeh hai teen pair waala kutta !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Udd ja kaale kaue (crow) , teri kavita hai bundel,
Ek bhi agar aage padha to marunga sandel !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tugduk tugduk tugduk..
Momma ne bola rosesh..
Ruk ruk ruk ruk ruk ruk.....
Maine peche dekha .....
Look look look look look look....
Momma ne mujhe di ek horse riding ki...
Book book book book book book...!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------ring
tring baji fone ki ghanti..
usne bola mera naam hai bunty..
fir woh bola namsate maya aunty..
maine bola..i am rosesh..sorry bunty....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarabhai on wiki
Momma ka purse momma ka purse
jaise hospital ki pyaari si koi nurse
purse mein rakha tissue paper karta hai paseene ka ilaaj
aur lipstick ho jaise bhookhe honton ka anaaj
momma ke purse ka hai makhmali sa sparsh
momma ka purse momma ka purse
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Khatar khun khatar khun khatar khun
Sun mere dil ki dhun (Apparently Rosesh is comparing his heart to a car
which has broken down)
Tere pyaar ki oiling mil gayi isey
Toh khatar khun ka ho jaayega gun gun
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the living room of Sarabhai's.........
Hogi Saahil Bhai ki sagaai...........
Agley mahiney...........
Priya Bhabhi phuli na samaai
Yeah Yeah Yeah...............
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tum bin jaise mai raaste ka andha bhikhari
thodi blessings daan me de do
thodi mamta tumhari
momma ho momma ha...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ek Common Man Ko Mili Hai Pari
Jaise Chiku Ke saath Ho Strawberry
Aage Aage Mummy Aur Piche Piche Daddy
Jaise Ho Tom And Jerry
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ghanan ghanan ghanan ghanan
badalo se aaye pehla soorya kiran
daanton ke liye danta manjan
aur pet ke liye kaayam chooran
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hawa mein hai khushi ki aroma
jeet gayi momma,jeet gayi momma
say hi to happiness n tata to trauma
jeet gayi momma,jeet gayi momma
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lagul lagul lagul lagul
laal laal lagul lagul JELLY
jelly ke cabre dancer jaise shareer mein chhupi hai
anjaani ankahee paheli
jelly hai moma ka mann
narm mulayam meetha
pasand hai ise har koi
sangeeta rita mita aneeta
jelly giri zameen par
to awaaz aayi PLUP PLUP PLUP PLUP!
baccha usme haath maare
to sunai deti hai THUP THUP THUP THUP!
jelly par kabhi fungus na lage
uska swaad kabhi bhankas na lage
agar bachani hai hume hamari country...
TO JELLY KO BANANA HOGA HAMARA PRADHAN MANTRI!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tumhe samjhe toh mujhe bhi samjhana,
kyu hai mera jeevan itna khokla,
jaise koi baasi aur sada hua khaman dhokla....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
aasman mein udd raha hai kabutar .....
Aasman mein udd raha hai kabutar ....
FLUTTER ..... FLUTTER..... FLUTTER......
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Popat Kaka ki atma ka Popat ud gaya ud gaya ud gaya rey..
Shristi ke sajjan haath se popat jud gaya jud gaya jud gaya rey..(Popat is
name of his kaka who had expired)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
humpty dumpty sat on the 'gaadi'
gadi pe betha tabhi aa gayi dadi
dadi ne kaha aaja mere paas
kyunki gaadi pe bethna is just so middle class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Maya Sarabhai ko jeevit shradhaanjali*
Meri moma Maaya Sarabhai,
Yaani Ishwar ki di hui badhaai,
Ishwar ki samjaai hui sachaai,
Ki duniya maaya se hi bani banaai !
Sab kuch hai maaya, yeh sofa yeh kaaya,
Ishwar ne table-cloth bhi hai maaya se banaaya !
Rista bhi maaya, raasta bhi maaya,
Lunch hi nahi, breakfast bhi maaya !
Maaya sophistication ka pratik hai,
Thodi contemporary thodi antique hai, (awesome)
Maaya to hai mamata ka chaaya,
Sara pyaar aata always via maaya !
Maaya hai jeevan ki preyasi,
Maaya hai jaise dining table ki kursi,
Maaya hi dudh, maaya hi lassi,
Phir kaise kahu ki maaya chal basi !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Teen pair waala kutta...*
Yeh hai teen pair waala kutta,
Isko kabhi bhagaana nahi padta,
Susu karte waqt use pair uthaana nahi padta,
Yeh hai teen pair waala kutta !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Udd ja kaale kaue (crow) , teri kavita hai bundel,
Ek bhi agar aage padha to marunga sandel !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tugduk tugduk tugduk..
Momma ne bola rosesh..
Ruk ruk ruk ruk ruk ruk.....
Maine peche dekha .....
Look look look look look look....
Momma ne mujhe di ek horse riding ki...
Book book book book book book...!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------ring
tring baji fone ki ghanti..
usne bola mera naam hai bunty..
fir woh bola namsate maya aunty..
maine bola..i am rosesh..sorry bunty....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, August 2, 2009
My IIMK interview
GD:--
Topic: -- Internet is killing creativity. People are just borrowing
ideas from it. It has affected their language. They are socializing
less. God save this generation from Internet!
A good GD which did not turn out to be fish market. Every one got a
chance to speak.
I could enter three-four times.
A guy said something like our language is changing to SMS language. I
said that language is a dynamic thing. If we read whatever Chaucer,
father of English, wrote in 14th century, we will see how much we have
deviated in our current English usage from it and it can be no one's
argument that this change is for worse.
Again, I entered at one point saying that sites like Rediff.com which
provide a message board allowing users to comment have incorporated a
false sense of participation in political process. People are turning
into keyboard warriors thinking that they have fulfilled their
responsibility as a citizen just by voicing their opinion on internet.
Then the discussion veered towards borrowing of ideas and I said that
plagiarism is an issue but it depends on the ethics of the person.
Also, it actually helps when we want to undertake some new project; we
can look for other works done in that area and borrow ideas so that we
don't keep reinventing the wheel
PI:--
P1:-- an old professor
P2:-- a lady professor
P1:-- You have written about leadership in your form. What is the
difference between a leader and manager?
Me – Leader is a much stronger term than manger. Leaders have a
vision. They have certain type of mysticism attached to them.
P1:-- Ok tell me one leader.
Me—Mahatma Gandhi because he could inspire people to rally around him
on such themes like salt and turn it into the civil disobedience
movement
P1—no no business leader
Me—Bill gates
P1—Indian?
Me--Dhirubahi Ambani
P1—what about Tata?
Me—yes ,he could visualize a demand for 1 lakh car and
deliver it despite rising costs of input and problems in West Bengal
puts him into the leader category.
P1—compare Ambani and Tata on ethics and social responsibility.
Me— Fact is that there have been allegations against Reliance business
practices. Mr. Ramnath Goenka, editor of Indian Express, in 70-80s
investigated Reliance closely and raised various uncomfortable
questions for the company. Since there has not been any such incident
against Tata, I feel they are beyond reproach. But till Satyam fiasco
happened, no one could have suspected Mr. Raju also.
Smiles from P1 and P2
P1—You have heard about what Nestle is doing in Moga district of Punjab.
Me—sorry sir, I haven't
( Nestle's initiative in Moga )
P1--- what would you say about AMUL's social responsibility?
Me—I would compare AMUL with another Gujarat industry Jamnagar
petroleum refinery. AMUL channelizes the local resource,
gives it a brand name and ensures value addition to local milk
producers. This puts it into a better light than Jamnagar plant. There may
be spillover effects of that refinery in local economy, but it
contributes less substantially to local population than AMUL.
P1—you have heard about the business practice of India Coffee House?
Me—sorry sir, I haven't heard about India coffee House.
P1--(very surprised) -- your hobby is quizzing and you don't know about it.
Me (now embarrassed) – sorry sir, Is it some sort of coffee chain like Barista? Do they have presence in North India?
P1—no, it is a hotel and they are everywhere even in Delhi.
( India Coffee House on wiki )
P1—Ok tell me about your present job.
Me— I work in Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industry in which we
supply tools to help the semiconductor design companies in designing
electronic circuits. I work in synthesis area where we make tools
which can convert a Verilog code into the circuit needed to implement
its functionality.
P2--Your alternative career option is teaching. When and what did you teach?
Me—I used to give private tuitions during my IAS preparation. I used
to teach Physics.
P2—You like Physics.
Me-- yes maam
P1—Why did you want to become an IAS officer?
Me—I am fascinated by the diversity in the IAS officer's job. No two days are same for him. I think he is the biggest manager of all as he has to do disaster management, financial management, people management everything. Unfortunately, I couldn’t clear the second level of examination.
P1—You are earning Rs x per month. After two years, when you pass out
and you can't get a job matching it, will you regret it?
Me—There is one Hertzberg's motivation-hygiene theory in work
motivation which says money is a hygiene factor whose absence can make
you dissatisfied but its presence automatically doesn’t lead to job
satisfaction. It is the nature of the work, chances of personal growth
and job responsibility which lead to satisfaction. So, I would not be
disappointed. ( I am still shaking my head in disbelief that I could convincingly argue that money doesn't matter for me, when I know that is not true. )
P1- why do you want do an MBA?
Me—sir, my 3.5 years of experience in EDA and telecom sectors has
provided me with assignments which were challenging but myopic as far
as giving complete picture of product development cycle is concerned.
Secondly, when I look at the educational qualification of top
executives in my EDA industry, which is not an industry where MBAs are
dying to come, there also I find if there is one degree which is more
common than others is some sort of management degree. (P2 at this
point shakes her head in approval) .I feel that challenges for top
level executive are different than for a mid level or entry level
executive and a formal grounding in management teaches skills which
are difficult to acquire just by experience. I want to do management
so that my lack of these skills doesn't become glass-ceiling for me
later.
P1—See you passed out long back. Do you think you will be able to cope
with academics once again?
Me-- yes sir, the fact that I cleared CAT is a testimony that I am not
completely out of touch with academics. Also, I spent two years
preparing for civil services which were also basically my exposure to
textbooks and acquiring new knowledge.
P1—how will you find the inverse of the matrix?
Me—divide the adjoint of matrix by its determinant
P1—what is Cramer's rule?
Me – I explained on paper how it can be used to solve simultaneous
linear equation by creating a matrix of coefficients
P1—no that is wrong
I think I could not explain him properly because I checked it and
basically I knew about it but probably couldn't structure my thought
at that moment.
P1—what is a continuous function?
Me— A function for which at every point in its domain left limit,
right limit and value of the function are equal.
P1— any other way to check whether a function is continuous or not
Me—we can check its graph and it should not have discontinuity
P1—Heights of 100 students is given – Is it continuous or discrete function?
Me—continuous because height can take any value
P1—collection of all points between 2 and 3--Is it continuous or discrete?
Me-- continuous
P1—So which calls you have?
Me—only one.
P1 checks something in his data sheet
P-why?
Me—I guess my lower overall score.
P1—see our students generally are of the age group 23-25 years. Would
you able to fit in?
Me—yes sir and I will be bringing diversity to your batch and a fresh
perspective in classroom discussions. I have read the whole graduation
level syllabus of Psychology as it was one of my optional in IAS exam
and I'll bring ideas from it in discussion.
P1—so what did you think about GD in the morning?
Me—I think as the topic was very close to what we all do everyday, and
not vague as in some GDs I have heard of, everybody had something to
say. It was a healthy discussion and not a fish market as has happened
in some of the earlier GDs I have attended.
P1—which one did you attend?
Me—Career Launcher mock GDs
P1—So what did they tell about GD?
Me—They said that content is king. Many people emphasize that it is
the way you speak but unless you have something interesting and
fruitful to say, it will not matter howsoever well you speak. Don't use slang. Also, when you are sitting in chair, you shouldn't position yourself in such a way that you block the view of the person sitting next to you cutting him off from GD. You shouldn’t use exaggerated gestures. Also, if one of the members is having a difficulty entering GD, you should help him by telling the group to listen to his point.
P2—Did that happen today?
Me—since everyone was contributing, there was no need for it.
P1—how much did Career Launcher charge?
Me—Rs 500
P1—(surprised) that's cheap
P2—You must have read economics for you IAS examination
Me—(mar gaye—yeh topic kahan se aa gaya? Abhi tak to thik hi chal raha
tha...) yes maam we had to read about WTO, IMF, World Bank, planning
in India and stuff like that. It wasn't theoretical economics but more
like its applications.
Now I was waiting with bated breath for the dreaded Economics questions.
P2--- OK so your hobby is reading fiction novels. Which are your
favorite authors?
Me—(I was so relieved I felt I should thank her for not grilling me on
economics. :-))Salman Rushdie, Ayan Rand, Joseph Heller.
P2—You have read Salman Rushdie
Me— yeas maam I have read one of his books Midnight's children
P2—what did you like about it?
Me—His style of combining magical realism with India's story after
independence (kucch bhi bol raha huun…)
P2—which books of Ayan rand?
Me—We The Living, Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
P2—So you like Howard Roark's character
Me—yes maam
P2—But Ayan Rand talked about a laissez-faire capitalistic system. Do you
think her view is discredited in the light of recession?
Me—I don't think so maam. This system has its flaws but it is the best
we have. The best would be a system where we could combine Keynesian
emphasis on government spending and laissez—faire but I am not sure if
it can be done given that they are basically talking about two
contrasting things. There is no point in going back to Communism or
Socialism as it is dead (Was it a mistake to say so in front of
professors from Kerala – a bastion of communism? Not sure about their
political views.)
P2—Don’t you find Rand's philosophy self-centered?
Me—Her point is that those who find her philosophy self-centered have no self.
P2 starts smiling
Me—She has argued for this in her book "virtue of selfishness"
P2—Yes I have read that book. Ok I am done
P1—Ok thanks, you may go
Me—thank you sir and maam
Keeping my fingers crossed for result day, 10th April 2009
(had to uncross them while taking lunch/dinner:-))
Topic: -- Internet is killing creativity. People are just borrowing
ideas from it. It has affected their language. They are socializing
less. God save this generation from Internet!
A good GD which did not turn out to be fish market. Every one got a
chance to speak.
I could enter three-four times.
A guy said something like our language is changing to SMS language. I
said that language is a dynamic thing. If we read whatever Chaucer,
father of English, wrote in 14th century, we will see how much we have
deviated in our current English usage from it and it can be no one's
argument that this change is for worse.
Again, I entered at one point saying that sites like Rediff.com which
provide a message board allowing users to comment have incorporated a
false sense of participation in political process. People are turning
into keyboard warriors thinking that they have fulfilled their
responsibility as a citizen just by voicing their opinion on internet.
Then the discussion veered towards borrowing of ideas and I said that
plagiarism is an issue but it depends on the ethics of the person.
Also, it actually helps when we want to undertake some new project; we
can look for other works done in that area and borrow ideas so that we
don't keep reinventing the wheel
PI:--
P1:-- an old professor
P2:-- a lady professor
P1:-- You have written about leadership in your form. What is the
difference between a leader and manager?
Me – Leader is a much stronger term than manger. Leaders have a
vision. They have certain type of mysticism attached to them.
P1:-- Ok tell me one leader.
Me—Mahatma Gandhi because he could inspire people to rally around him
on such themes like salt and turn it into the civil disobedience
movement
P1—no no business leader
Me—Bill gates
P1—Indian?
Me--Dhirubahi Ambani
P1—what about Tata?
Me—yes ,he could visualize a demand for 1 lakh car and
deliver it despite rising costs of input and problems in West Bengal
puts him into the leader category.
P1—compare Ambani and Tata on ethics and social responsibility.
Me— Fact is that there have been allegations against Reliance business
practices. Mr. Ramnath Goenka, editor of Indian Express, in 70-80s
investigated Reliance closely and raised various uncomfortable
questions for the company. Since there has not been any such incident
against Tata, I feel they are beyond reproach. But till Satyam fiasco
happened, no one could have suspected Mr. Raju also.
Smiles from P1 and P2
P1—You have heard about what Nestle is doing in Moga district of Punjab.
Me—sorry sir, I haven't
( Nestle's initiative in Moga )
P1--- what would you say about AMUL's social responsibility?
Me—I would compare AMUL with another Gujarat industry Jamnagar
petroleum refinery. AMUL channelizes the local resource,
gives it a brand name and ensures value addition to local milk
producers. This puts it into a better light than Jamnagar plant. There may
be spillover effects of that refinery in local economy, but it
contributes less substantially to local population than AMUL.
P1—you have heard about the business practice of India Coffee House?
Me—sorry sir, I haven't heard about India coffee House.
P1--(very surprised) -- your hobby is quizzing and you don't know about it.
Me (now embarrassed) – sorry sir, Is it some sort of coffee chain like Barista? Do they have presence in North India?
P1—no, it is a hotel and they are everywhere even in Delhi.
( India Coffee House on wiki )
P1—Ok tell me about your present job.
Me— I work in Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industry in which we
supply tools to help the semiconductor design companies in designing
electronic circuits. I work in synthesis area where we make tools
which can convert a Verilog code into the circuit needed to implement
its functionality.
P2--Your alternative career option is teaching. When and what did you teach?
Me—I used to give private tuitions during my IAS preparation. I used
to teach Physics.
P2—You like Physics.
Me-- yes maam
P1—Why did you want to become an IAS officer?
Me—I am fascinated by the diversity in the IAS officer's job. No two days are same for him. I think he is the biggest manager of all as he has to do disaster management, financial management, people management everything. Unfortunately, I couldn’t clear the second level of examination.
P1—You are earning Rs x per month. After two years, when you pass out
and you can't get a job matching it, will you regret it?
Me—There is one Hertzberg's motivation-hygiene theory in work
motivation which says money is a hygiene factor whose absence can make
you dissatisfied but its presence automatically doesn’t lead to job
satisfaction. It is the nature of the work, chances of personal growth
and job responsibility which lead to satisfaction. So, I would not be
disappointed. ( I am still shaking my head in disbelief that I could convincingly argue that money doesn't matter for me, when I know that is not true. )
P1- why do you want do an MBA?
Me—sir, my 3.5 years of experience in EDA and telecom sectors has
provided me with assignments which were challenging but myopic as far
as giving complete picture of product development cycle is concerned.
Secondly, when I look at the educational qualification of top
executives in my EDA industry, which is not an industry where MBAs are
dying to come, there also I find if there is one degree which is more
common than others is some sort of management degree. (P2 at this
point shakes her head in approval) .I feel that challenges for top
level executive are different than for a mid level or entry level
executive and a formal grounding in management teaches skills which
are difficult to acquire just by experience. I want to do management
so that my lack of these skills doesn't become glass-ceiling for me
later.
P1—See you passed out long back. Do you think you will be able to cope
with academics once again?
Me-- yes sir, the fact that I cleared CAT is a testimony that I am not
completely out of touch with academics. Also, I spent two years
preparing for civil services which were also basically my exposure to
textbooks and acquiring new knowledge.
P1—how will you find the inverse of the matrix?
Me—divide the adjoint of matrix by its determinant
P1—what is Cramer's rule?
Me – I explained on paper how it can be used to solve simultaneous
linear equation by creating a matrix of coefficients
P1—no that is wrong
I think I could not explain him properly because I checked it and
basically I knew about it but probably couldn't structure my thought
at that moment.
P1—what is a continuous function?
Me— A function for which at every point in its domain left limit,
right limit and value of the function are equal.
P1— any other way to check whether a function is continuous or not
Me—we can check its graph and it should not have discontinuity
P1—Heights of 100 students is given – Is it continuous or discrete function?
Me—continuous because height can take any value
P1—collection of all points between 2 and 3--Is it continuous or discrete?
Me-- continuous
P1—So which calls you have?
Me—only one.
P1 checks something in his data sheet
P-why?
Me—I guess my lower overall score.
P1—see our students generally are of the age group 23-25 years. Would
you able to fit in?
Me—yes sir and I will be bringing diversity to your batch and a fresh
perspective in classroom discussions. I have read the whole graduation
level syllabus of Psychology as it was one of my optional in IAS exam
and I'll bring ideas from it in discussion.
P1—so what did you think about GD in the morning?
Me—I think as the topic was very close to what we all do everyday, and
not vague as in some GDs I have heard of, everybody had something to
say. It was a healthy discussion and not a fish market as has happened
in some of the earlier GDs I have attended.
P1—which one did you attend?
Me—Career Launcher mock GDs
P1—So what did they tell about GD?
Me—They said that content is king. Many people emphasize that it is
the way you speak but unless you have something interesting and
fruitful to say, it will not matter howsoever well you speak. Don't use slang. Also, when you are sitting in chair, you shouldn't position yourself in such a way that you block the view of the person sitting next to you cutting him off from GD. You shouldn’t use exaggerated gestures. Also, if one of the members is having a difficulty entering GD, you should help him by telling the group to listen to his point.
P2—Did that happen today?
Me—since everyone was contributing, there was no need for it.
P1—how much did Career Launcher charge?
Me—Rs 500
P1—(surprised) that's cheap
P2—You must have read economics for you IAS examination
Me—(mar gaye—yeh topic kahan se aa gaya? Abhi tak to thik hi chal raha
tha...) yes maam we had to read about WTO, IMF, World Bank, planning
in India and stuff like that. It wasn't theoretical economics but more
like its applications.
Now I was waiting with bated breath for the dreaded Economics questions.
P2--- OK so your hobby is reading fiction novels. Which are your
favorite authors?
Me—(I was so relieved I felt I should thank her for not grilling me on
economics. :-))Salman Rushdie, Ayan Rand, Joseph Heller.
P2—You have read Salman Rushdie
Me— yeas maam I have read one of his books Midnight's children
P2—what did you like about it?
Me—His style of combining magical realism with India's story after
independence (kucch bhi bol raha huun…)
P2—which books of Ayan rand?
Me—We The Living, Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
P2—So you like Howard Roark's character
Me—yes maam
P2—But Ayan Rand talked about a laissez-faire capitalistic system. Do you
think her view is discredited in the light of recession?
Me—I don't think so maam. This system has its flaws but it is the best
we have. The best would be a system where we could combine Keynesian
emphasis on government spending and laissez—faire but I am not sure if
it can be done given that they are basically talking about two
contrasting things. There is no point in going back to Communism or
Socialism as it is dead (Was it a mistake to say so in front of
professors from Kerala – a bastion of communism? Not sure about their
political views.)
P2—Don’t you find Rand's philosophy self-centered?
Me—Her point is that those who find her philosophy self-centered have no self.
P2 starts smiling
Me—She has argued for this in her book "virtue of selfishness"
P2—Yes I have read that book. Ok I am done
P1—Ok thanks, you may go
Me—thank you sir and maam
Keeping my fingers crossed for result day, 10th April 2009
(had to uncross them while taking lunch/dinner:-))
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Phir Dekhiye song from Rock On
My favourite song in this movie
Song -- Phir Dekhiye
Lyrics -- Javed Akhtar
Music -- Shankar Ehsan Loy
Singer -- Caralisa Monteiro (She is the one who sings in that ad showing Sushma Reddy frolicking with Limca singing
"Fuhaarein, bauchharein, nazaaare chura lo na,
Kuch boondein chura lo na.....
Sulgati pyaas hai to, machalti pyaas hai to
Ek Limca chura lo na")
Aankhon Mein Jis Ke Koi To Khwaaab Hai
Khush Hai Wahi Jo Thoda Betaaab Hai
Zindagi Mein Koi Arzooo Kijiye
Phir Dekhiye
Hoton Pe Jis Ke Koi To Geeet Hai
Woh Haare Bhi To Us Ki Hi Jeet Hai
Dil Mein Jo Geet Hai Gun Guna Lijiye
Phir Dekhiye
Yaadon Mein Jis Ke Kisi Ka Naaam Hai
Sapno Ke Jaise Us Ki Har Shaaam Hai
Koi To Ho Jise Apna Dil Dijiye
Phir Dekhiye
Khwab Buniye Zara Geet Suniye Zara
Phool Chuniye Zara
Phir Dekhiye…
Song -- Phir Dekhiye
Lyrics -- Javed Akhtar
Music -- Shankar Ehsan Loy
Singer -- Caralisa Monteiro (She is the one who sings in that ad showing Sushma Reddy frolicking with Limca singing
"Fuhaarein, bauchharein, nazaaare chura lo na,
Kuch boondein chura lo na.....
Sulgati pyaas hai to, machalti pyaas hai to
Ek Limca chura lo na")
Aankhon Mein Jis Ke Koi To Khwaaab Hai
Khush Hai Wahi Jo Thoda Betaaab Hai
Zindagi Mein Koi Arzooo Kijiye
Phir Dekhiye
Hoton Pe Jis Ke Koi To Geeet Hai
Woh Haare Bhi To Us Ki Hi Jeet Hai
Dil Mein Jo Geet Hai Gun Guna Lijiye
Phir Dekhiye
Yaadon Mein Jis Ke Kisi Ka Naaam Hai
Sapno Ke Jaise Us Ki Har Shaaam Hai
Koi To Ho Jise Apna Dil Dijiye
Phir Dekhiye
Khwab Buniye Zara Geet Suniye Zara
Phool Chuniye Zara
Phir Dekhiye…
Friday, July 24, 2009
Introduction to a dance performance
I wrote this on 18th July 2009 ( with ample help from Internet) as a prelude to my section's dance performance. Of course, with the time limit of 20 seconds in which I was to deliver it, it was massively edited. And thankfully so! With me finding it difficult to hold the audience attention in the abridged 20 seconds speech, I think I may not have needed to buy any new footwear for some time, had I continued this original, rambling piece.
---------------------------
We MBAs understand percentages and logarithms better than metaphors and similes. In that case, these are the numbers. 40 million infected. 4.5 million last year alone. 12 million orphans in Africa. 8000 deaths and 6000 new infections every single day. Yes! I am talking about AIDS.
AIDS is a classic example of self-goal scored by the human race against itself. And you know what was done to Escobar who scored a self-goal in 1994 World Cup. He was shot dead. Doesn't that mean the whole humanity should be brought before a firing squad for failing to spread the message of protection and non-discrimination?
Time is not lost. Marketing's STP says that to deliver your message choose your target segment-- 1.)promiscuous men, 2.)young MTV generation and 3.) MSM i.e. Men who have sex with men. Kotlar's fourth P Place says that we need to focus on places like parties, brothels and dance bars.
Different parts of our dance performance show these different target segments and places.
Friends! Let's enjoy the dance but keep the message in mind. Play Safe.
------------------------
An afterthought:-- If you bring the whole humanity before the firing squad, who the hell will pull the trigger? ... :-)
Reference websites:--
Wiki article on Colombian footballer Escobar
Quote on AIDS by Princess Anne Ireland (Rest of the second paragraph of the speech is my idea.)
facts of first paragraph
---------------------------
We MBAs understand percentages and logarithms better than metaphors and similes. In that case, these are the numbers. 40 million infected. 4.5 million last year alone. 12 million orphans in Africa. 8000 deaths and 6000 new infections every single day. Yes! I am talking about AIDS.
AIDS is a classic example of self-goal scored by the human race against itself. And you know what was done to Escobar who scored a self-goal in 1994 World Cup. He was shot dead. Doesn't that mean the whole humanity should be brought before a firing squad for failing to spread the message of protection and non-discrimination?
Time is not lost. Marketing's STP says that to deliver your message choose your target segment-- 1.)promiscuous men, 2.)young MTV generation and 3.) MSM i.e. Men who have sex with men. Kotlar's fourth P Place says that we need to focus on places like parties, brothels and dance bars.
Different parts of our dance performance show these different target segments and places.
Friends! Let's enjoy the dance but keep the message in mind. Play Safe.
------------------------
An afterthought:-- If you bring the whole humanity before the firing squad, who the hell will pull the trigger? ... :-)
Reference websites:--
Wiki article on Colombian footballer Escobar
Quote on AIDS by Princess Anne Ireland (Rest of the second paragraph of the speech is my idea.)
facts of first paragraph
Sunday, July 19, 2009
You run out of superlatives..
..if you try to use them to describe this song by Silk Route...Song uses pretty minimal background music with some whisteling, strings , piano and predominantly guitar...It basically rides on its lyrics which perfectly articulates and puts down in words what is there in everyone's heart....Mohit Chauhan's unhurried voice, clear enunciation of each word and the whole calm, relaxed tempo of the song perfectly suit the words giving the listener time to absorb and imbibe each line of the song...
Zaara naazar uthake dekho
Baithe hai hum yahin
Bekhabar mujhse kyon ho?
Itne boore bhi hum nahin
Zaara naazar uthake dekho
Baithe hai hum yahin
Bekhabar mujhse kyon ho?
Itne boore bhi hum nahin
Zamane ki baaton mein uljho na
Hai yeh aasaan janana
Khud se jo agar tum poocho
Hain hum tumhare ke nahi
Teri aankhon ka jaadu
Poori duniya pe hai
Duniya ki iss bheed main
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Mehfile aayi aur gayi
Log aaye aur gaye
Tum jo aaj aaye ho
Dil mein ho bas gaye
Muskarake baat taalo na
Phir miloge jo kahi
Dekhana yahi kahoge
Itne boore the hum nahi
Teri aankhon ka jaadu
Poori duniya pe hai
Duniya ki is bheed mein
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Teri aankhon ka jaadu
Poori duniya pe hai
Duniya ki is bheed mein
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Zaara naazar uthake dekho
Baithe hai hum yahin
Bekhabar mujhse kyon ho?
Itne boore bhi hum nahin
Zaara naazar uthake dekho
Baithe hai hum yahin
Bekhabar mujhse kyon ho?
Itne boore bhi hum nahin
Zamane ki baaton mein uljho na
Hai yeh aasaan janana
Khud se jo agar tum poocho
Hain hum tumhare ke nahi
Teri aankhon ka jaadu
Poori duniya pe hai
Duniya ki iss bheed main
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Mehfile aayi aur gayi
Log aaye aur gaye
Tum jo aaj aaye ho
Dil mein ho bas gaye
Muskarake baat taalo na
Phir miloge jo kahi
Dekhana yahi kahoge
Itne boore the hum nahi
Teri aankhon ka jaadu
Poori duniya pe hai
Duniya ki is bheed mein
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Teri aankhon ka jaadu
Poori duniya pe hai
Duniya ki is bheed mein
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Sabse peeche hum khade
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Irshad Kamil
If you ask me what really is the reason for the 80s to be considered as one of the worst decades as far Hindi music is concerned, I think the blame has to be laid on the song-writers of that decade. I agree that singers ( with great Rafi and Mukesh dead and Kishore Da less frequent, there was a preponderance of Rafi-wannabees with Md. Aziz leading the fray.) and music directors( Bappi da rocking the nation with Disco ) were not exactly making our jaws drop with their creativity and talent. But, then it really takes considerable effort on the part of the music director and singer to lift a song with lines like "Aa gaya aa gaya , halwawala aa gaya..rang jamane aa gaya..dhoom machane aa gaya..". The song writer is Anjaan for the movie Dance Dance ( Bappi Da's music, singer Vijay Benedict). Now we really can't blame him for this. He was just giving what was working at that time. After all, he is the same who gave us these wonderful lines
"Tujh bin jogan meri raaten, tujh bin mere din banjaaran
Meraa jivan jalati buunden, bujhe-bujhe mere sapane saare"
"Nasha sharaab mein hota to nachti botle"
"Doobne wale ko tinke ka sahara hi bahut hai".
The occasional Gulzar classics
"Jeene ke liye socha hi na tha, dard sambhalane honge
muskuraoon to, muskurane ke karz utaarne honge
muskuraoon kabhi to lagata hai jaise honthon pe karz rakhaa hai"
"Ek Akeli Chhataree Main Jab Aadhe Aadhe Bheeg Rahe The
Aadhe Sookhe Aadhe Geele, Sukha To Main Le Aaye Thee
Geela Man Shayad Bistar Ke Paas Pada Ho
Vo Bhijwa Do, Mera Vo Saamaan Lauta Do")
were like oasis in a desert.
Nineties saw a significant improvement in the quality of song writing with song-writers
like Gulzaar("Woh jo doodh dhuli, masoom kali") and Javed Akhtar
("Jaise Khilta Gulaab
Jaise Shaayar Ka Khwaab
Jaise Ujli Kiran
Jaise Van Mein Hiran ") tightening their belts to stem the rot which had set in.
But the new millennium probably is turning into a golden era as far as lyrics of songs is considered. With arrival of Jaideep Sahni ("Haule haule se hawa lagti hai, Haule Haule se dawa lagti hai, Haule Haule se dua lagti hai "), Piyush Mishra (Bisleri ki botle pike jaise ban gaye inglisman), Prasoon Joshi; veterans like Gulzar and Javed Akhtar also started churning out lines which compared favorably with their already set high standards. Sample these:-- "Aisa koi sagaa nahin, jisko thagaa nahin; Aankhen bhi kamal karti hain, personal se sawaal karti hain (Bantee Aur Bablee, Gulzar) // "Woh ilaichi khilai ke karib aa gaya"(Omkara, Gulzar) // "Chalk se chand pe likh diya, rewa , rewa , rewa (Philhaal, Gulzaar)" // "Radha kaise na jale"(Lagaan,Javed Akhtar). Javed Akhtar especially started raising the bar, so much so that in 2005 all the five songs which were nominees to the Filmfare best lyrics were penned by him. Talk about competition forcing the monopolist to raise the quality of his products :-)
During this period, to be exact in early 2004, Chameli movie came and became famous for reasons other than its songs (that floral print saree "Oh she really looks like one" or the death of original director Anant Balani and then Sudhir Mishra completing the movie). News obeys a law like the Grasham's Law of "bad money drives good money out of circulation" -- "bad news drives good news out of circulation" ( If you doubt the veracity of the this Grasham's law of news, just watch Aaj Tak or India TV for sometime ).
This movie had one of the most meaningful songs to have come out in Bollywood- "Jaane". This song has two versions, male version sung by Udit Narayan and female version by Sunidhi Chauhan (who interestingly sings lines like "ab is tarah usko sochta huun" without changing the gender of the song ).
The writer of this song is Irshad Kamil
"Bheegi Huwi Koyi Shaam Woh
Mehka Huwa Koyi Naam Woh
Bin Baat Hi Hoti Hai Nilaam Woh
Mashhoor Hai Phir Bhi Badnaam Woh
Jaane Huwa Hai Aaj Kya Hamein Na Ham
Jaane Kyun Ham Ko Yaad… Aaye Woh
Ab Is Tarha Usko Sochta Hoon
Guzre Huwe Woh Pal Rokta Hoon
Woh Pal Kahin Kho Gaye Hain Jo Apne
Aur Saath Bhi Ho Gaye Hain Jo Sapne
Jaane Huwa Hai Aaj Kya Hamein Na Ham
Jaane Kyun Ham Ko Yaad… Aaye Woh
Woh Roshni Woh Aag Hai
Ya Phir Koyi Charaag Hai
Jisse Dheere Dheere Hai Jalna
Jisse Is Tarha Hi Hai Chalna
Kissi Mod Pe Woh Aaj Bhi Qandeel Si Jalegi
Shaher Ki Dhoop Si Bewaqt Hi Dhhalegi
Kyun Hamko Yaad…
Bheegi Huwi Koyi Shaam Woh
Mehka Huwa Koyi Naam Woh
Bin Baat Hi Hoti Hai Nilaam Woh
Mashhoor Hai Phir Bhi Badnaam Woh
Jaane Huwa Hai Aaj Kya Hamein Na Ham
Jaane
Kyun Ham Ko Yaad Aaye Woh..."
Next I heard of him in Sochaa na Tha ( with those beautiful lines
"Main sidhe sadhe dhang se kehta huun yeh baat,
Ek ghar basana chahata huun main tumhare saath,
Kya dogi mere haanthon mein tum apna haath")
and Jab We Met
("Tera na hona jane, Kyun hona hi hai"
"Mein kahin bhi jata hoon, Tumse hi mil jata hoon"
"Naina tere kajraare hai, Naino pe hum dil haare hai
Anjaane hi tere naino ne Waade kiye kayi saare hai"
"Chanda ko taaku raaton mein, Hai zindagi tere haanthon mein").
And then comes Chor bazaari from Love Aaj Kal
"Chori!!!
Na re Nanaa re
Chor Bazari do naino ki
Pehle thi aadat jo hat gai
Pyaar ki jo teri meri
Umar aai thi woh ghat gai
Duniya ki to fikkar kahan thi
Teri bhi ab chinta ghat gai
Chanda rre
Tu bhi tu hai
Mein bhi mein hoon
Duniya saari dekh ulat gayi
Tu na jaane mein na jaanu
Kaise saaari baat palat gai
Ghatni hi thi yeh bhi ghatna
Ghatte ghatte lo yeh ghat gayi
Haan Chor Bazari do naino ki
Pehle thi aadat jo hat gai
Tarif teri karna
Tujhe Khone se darna
Haan bhul gaya ab tujhpe din mein char dafa marna
Tarif teri karna
Tujhe Khone se darna
Haan bhul gaya abb tujhpe din mein char dafa marna
Pyaar khumari utari saari
Baaton ki badli bhi chhat gayi
Hum se main pe aaye aise
Mujhko to mein hi mein kat gayi
Ek hue the do se dono
Dono ki abb raahein kat gayi
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Abb koi fikar nahi
Gum ka bhi zikar nahi
Haaan hota hoon mein jis raste pe
Aaye khushi wahin
Aajad hoon mein tujhse
Aajad hai tu mujhse
Haan jo jee chahe
Jaise chahe karle raj yahin
Laj sharm ki choti moti jo thi dori
Woh bhi kat gai
Chauk chawbare gali mohalle
Khol ke main saare ghonghat gai
Tu na badli mein na badla
Dilli sari dekh badal gai
Ek minute mein duniya dari ki
saaari samaj nikal gai
Haan Rang biranga pani pe ke
Seedhi saadhi kudi begad gayi
Dekh ke mujhko hasta gaata
Sadh gai yeh duniya sadh gai
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE"
Irshad on yahoo news
Looks like that quote in cricket that fast bowlers hunt in pairs is true of Hindi cinema too..Imtiaz Ali-Irshad Kamil , Rakesh Omprakash Mehra-Prasoon Joshi, Vishal Bharwaj-Gulzaar, Ashutosh Gowarikar-Javed Akhtar...
p.s:-- My remark about bad lyrics in 80s movies should not be taken as discounting songs like Neela aasman so gaya. Point is what was the vox populi-- it was "Mera dil gaaye jaa Zoobi Zoobi Zoobi" and not this song by Gulzar "Hazar Rahein Mud Ke Dekhi" (1981 filmfare award winner for best lyrics)
Film: Thodi Si Bewafai (1980)
Singers: Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar
Lyricist: Gulzar
Music Director: Khayyam
Lyrics:
Hazar rahein mud ke dekhin
Kahin se koi sada na aayi
Badi wafa se nibhayi tumne
Hamari thodi si bewafai
Jahan se tum mod mud gaye the
Ye mod ab hi wahin pade hain
Hum apne pairon mein jaane kitne
Bhanwar lapete hue khade hain
Badi wafa se nibhayi tumne
Hamari thodi si bewafai
Kahin kisi roz yun bhi hota
Hamari haalat tumhari hoti
Jo raat humein guzari marr ke
Vo raat tumne guzari hoti
Badi wafa se nibhayi tumne
Hamari thodi si bewafai
Tumhe ye zid thi ke hum bulate
Humein ye ummid vo pukarein
Hai naam hoton pe ab bhi lekin
Aawaz mein pad gayi dararein
Hazar rahein mud ke dekhim
Kahin se koi sada na aayi
Badi wafa se nibhayi tumne
Hamari thodi si bewafai"
"Tujh bin jogan meri raaten, tujh bin mere din banjaaran
Meraa jivan jalati buunden, bujhe-bujhe mere sapane saare"
"Nasha sharaab mein hota to nachti botle"
"Doobne wale ko tinke ka sahara hi bahut hai".
The occasional Gulzar classics
"Jeene ke liye socha hi na tha, dard sambhalane honge
muskuraoon to, muskurane ke karz utaarne honge
muskuraoon kabhi to lagata hai jaise honthon pe karz rakhaa hai"
"Ek Akeli Chhataree Main Jab Aadhe Aadhe Bheeg Rahe The
Aadhe Sookhe Aadhe Geele, Sukha To Main Le Aaye Thee
Geela Man Shayad Bistar Ke Paas Pada Ho
Vo Bhijwa Do, Mera Vo Saamaan Lauta Do")
were like oasis in a desert.
Nineties saw a significant improvement in the quality of song writing with song-writers
like Gulzaar("Woh jo doodh dhuli, masoom kali") and Javed Akhtar
("Jaise Khilta Gulaab
Jaise Shaayar Ka Khwaab
Jaise Ujli Kiran
Jaise Van Mein Hiran ") tightening their belts to stem the rot which had set in.
But the new millennium probably is turning into a golden era as far as lyrics of songs is considered. With arrival of Jaideep Sahni ("Haule haule se hawa lagti hai, Haule Haule se dawa lagti hai, Haule Haule se dua lagti hai "), Piyush Mishra (Bisleri ki botle pike jaise ban gaye inglisman), Prasoon Joshi; veterans like Gulzar and Javed Akhtar also started churning out lines which compared favorably with their already set high standards. Sample these:-- "Aisa koi sagaa nahin, jisko thagaa nahin; Aankhen bhi kamal karti hain, personal se sawaal karti hain (Bantee Aur Bablee, Gulzar) // "Woh ilaichi khilai ke karib aa gaya"(Omkara, Gulzar) // "Chalk se chand pe likh diya, rewa , rewa , rewa (Philhaal, Gulzaar)" // "Radha kaise na jale"(Lagaan,Javed Akhtar). Javed Akhtar especially started raising the bar, so much so that in 2005 all the five songs which were nominees to the Filmfare best lyrics were penned by him. Talk about competition forcing the monopolist to raise the quality of his products :-)
During this period, to be exact in early 2004, Chameli movie came and became famous for reasons other than its songs (that floral print saree "Oh she really looks like one" or the death of original director Anant Balani and then Sudhir Mishra completing the movie). News obeys a law like the Grasham's Law of "bad money drives good money out of circulation" -- "bad news drives good news out of circulation" ( If you doubt the veracity of the this Grasham's law of news, just watch Aaj Tak or India TV for sometime ).
This movie had one of the most meaningful songs to have come out in Bollywood- "Jaane". This song has two versions, male version sung by Udit Narayan and female version by Sunidhi Chauhan (who interestingly sings lines like "ab is tarah usko sochta huun" without changing the gender of the song ).
The writer of this song is Irshad Kamil
"Bheegi Huwi Koyi Shaam Woh
Mehka Huwa Koyi Naam Woh
Bin Baat Hi Hoti Hai Nilaam Woh
Mashhoor Hai Phir Bhi Badnaam Woh
Jaane Huwa Hai Aaj Kya Hamein Na Ham
Jaane Kyun Ham Ko Yaad… Aaye Woh
Ab Is Tarha Usko Sochta Hoon
Guzre Huwe Woh Pal Rokta Hoon
Woh Pal Kahin Kho Gaye Hain Jo Apne
Aur Saath Bhi Ho Gaye Hain Jo Sapne
Jaane Huwa Hai Aaj Kya Hamein Na Ham
Jaane Kyun Ham Ko Yaad… Aaye Woh
Woh Roshni Woh Aag Hai
Ya Phir Koyi Charaag Hai
Jisse Dheere Dheere Hai Jalna
Jisse Is Tarha Hi Hai Chalna
Kissi Mod Pe Woh Aaj Bhi Qandeel Si Jalegi
Shaher Ki Dhoop Si Bewaqt Hi Dhhalegi
Kyun Hamko Yaad…
Bheegi Huwi Koyi Shaam Woh
Mehka Huwa Koyi Naam Woh
Bin Baat Hi Hoti Hai Nilaam Woh
Mashhoor Hai Phir Bhi Badnaam Woh
Jaane Huwa Hai Aaj Kya Hamein Na Ham
Jaane
Kyun Ham Ko Yaad Aaye Woh..."
Next I heard of him in Sochaa na Tha ( with those beautiful lines
"Main sidhe sadhe dhang se kehta huun yeh baat,
Ek ghar basana chahata huun main tumhare saath,
Kya dogi mere haanthon mein tum apna haath")
and Jab We Met
("Tera na hona jane, Kyun hona hi hai"
"Mein kahin bhi jata hoon, Tumse hi mil jata hoon"
"Naina tere kajraare hai, Naino pe hum dil haare hai
Anjaane hi tere naino ne Waade kiye kayi saare hai"
"Chanda ko taaku raaton mein, Hai zindagi tere haanthon mein").
And then comes Chor bazaari from Love Aaj Kal
"Chori!!!
Na re Nanaa re
Chor Bazari do naino ki
Pehle thi aadat jo hat gai
Pyaar ki jo teri meri
Umar aai thi woh ghat gai
Duniya ki to fikkar kahan thi
Teri bhi ab chinta ghat gai
Chanda rre
Tu bhi tu hai
Mein bhi mein hoon
Duniya saari dekh ulat gayi
Tu na jaane mein na jaanu
Kaise saaari baat palat gai
Ghatni hi thi yeh bhi ghatna
Ghatte ghatte lo yeh ghat gayi
Haan Chor Bazari do naino ki
Pehle thi aadat jo hat gai
Tarif teri karna
Tujhe Khone se darna
Haan bhul gaya ab tujhpe din mein char dafa marna
Tarif teri karna
Tujhe Khone se darna
Haan bhul gaya abb tujhpe din mein char dafa marna
Pyaar khumari utari saari
Baaton ki badli bhi chhat gayi
Hum se main pe aaye aise
Mujhko to mein hi mein kat gayi
Ek hue the do se dono
Dono ki abb raahein kat gayi
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Abb koi fikar nahi
Gum ka bhi zikar nahi
Haaan hota hoon mein jis raste pe
Aaye khushi wahin
Aajad hoon mein tujhse
Aajad hai tu mujhse
Haan jo jee chahe
Jaise chahe karle raj yahin
Laj sharm ki choti moti jo thi dori
Woh bhi kat gai
Chauk chawbare gali mohalle
Khol ke main saare ghonghat gai
Tu na badli mein na badla
Dilli sari dekh badal gai
Ek minute mein duniya dari ki
saaari samaj nikal gai
Haan Rang biranga pani pe ke
Seedhi saadhi kudi begad gayi
Dekh ke mujhko hasta gaata
Sadh gai yeh duniya sadh gai
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE
Na re NanNa RE"
Irshad on yahoo news
Looks like that quote in cricket that fast bowlers hunt in pairs is true of Hindi cinema too..Imtiaz Ali-Irshad Kamil , Rakesh Omprakash Mehra-Prasoon Joshi, Vishal Bharwaj-Gulzaar, Ashutosh Gowarikar-Javed Akhtar...
p.s:-- My remark about bad lyrics in 80s movies should not be taken as discounting songs like Neela aasman so gaya. Point is what was the vox populi-- it was "Mera dil gaaye jaa Zoobi Zoobi Zoobi" and not this song by Gulzar "Hazar Rahein Mud Ke Dekhi" (1981 filmfare award winner for best lyrics)
Film: Thodi Si Bewafai (1980)
Singers: Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar
Lyricist: Gulzar
Music Director: Khayyam
Lyrics:
Hazar rahein mud ke dekhin
Kahin se koi sada na aayi
Badi wafa se nibhayi tumne
Hamari thodi si bewafai
Jahan se tum mod mud gaye the
Ye mod ab hi wahin pade hain
Hum apne pairon mein jaane kitne
Bhanwar lapete hue khade hain
Badi wafa se nibhayi tumne
Hamari thodi si bewafai
Kahin kisi roz yun bhi hota
Hamari haalat tumhari hoti
Jo raat humein guzari marr ke
Vo raat tumne guzari hoti
Badi wafa se nibhayi tumne
Hamari thodi si bewafai
Tumhe ye zid thi ke hum bulate
Humein ye ummid vo pukarein
Hai naam hoton pe ab bhi lekin
Aawaz mein pad gayi dararein
Hazar rahein mud ke dekhim
Kahin se koi sada na aayi
Badi wafa se nibhayi tumne
Hamari thodi si bewafai"
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Hum Ad Kyon Dekhte Hain?
I had written this in May 2006. I hope that after completing marketing management course of first term, I gain fresh insights into advertisements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hum Ad Kyon Dekhte Hain?
"Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does."[Steuart Henderson Britt, advertising consultant, 1970.]
The importance of advertisements for business can never be over-emphasised but the view from our side of the fence is certainly not so charming. Most of you, at some point or the other, while watching ads would have wished for a button on your remote which will allow you to fast forward those annoying ads.
But since I have already phrased my title question in such a way, I will write the article defending ads , instead of deriding them. I don't know about you but I watch the ads because they provide me with a heady cocktail of humour, conspiracy and controversy. You want to make a successful ad , then mix humour and controversy in the correct ratio and you have a successful ad (Is that ratio 1:1 or the other way round? ).
It only helps me that these days ads on TV have become more wittier and snappier than PODD (i.e. Plain Old DD Days). Seriously, who of you really minds watching that little girl in the Asian Paint's ad saying," Papa!Chintu na pata nahin subah se kya cutting-shutting kiye jaa raha hai?" or that boy asking his mother ," Par dhishum-dhishum to Pepsodent ka kaam hai naa? ". After watching that pug dog follow that boy in Hutch ad , I have become more considerate towards dogs following me. Kya pata kis kutte mein mere mobile ka network ho!
Coming back to the reason for my ad watching (which , by some coincidence , also happens to be the raison d'etre for this article), I like those ads which use humour well . Humour sells . Period . If an ad maker manages to tickle his TA's (Target Audience) funny bone, then he has hit the bull's eye. He can just tear those pages from his marketing book that talk about " Brand Positioning, Creating ads which endorse the values associated with the product, Brand Recall", if he knows just one thing - how to create ads that can make others laugh. You can put the Fevicol's ad of "Pakde Rehana Chhodna Nahin" or most of the Amul ads in this category. That paint ad "Wah Sunil Babu Naya Ghar Nayi Gadi" should also come here.
Now, before I digress, let me tell you something more about humour in ads , rather the lack of humour in some ads. Some ads are so shabbily conceptualised and egregiously executed that you can find yourself smirking thinking, " Oh! I could have done better than that". During 2003 World cup, Reliance was aggressively pitching their Reliance India Mobile (RIM) . So, they roped in Sehwag. Now, the ad agency made a complete hash of the whole idea. If you remember that ad , it showed Sehwag taking guard and a boy in the stadium getting a call from Sehwag's mother. That boy sprints to the crease, gives Sehwag the RIM and after talking to her mother, Sehwag hits a sixer. Now, no matter how much we Indians love our mothers, there is a limit to the emotional blackmailing these ads can resort to. In short, the ad agency made an apology of an advertisement---a perfect example of how an ad should not be made. On top of that, Sehwag was a complete let-down in that series. So, it was particularly irritating to watch that ad just after Sehwag has been caught in the slips "fishing" wide outside the off-stump. In the final match, Australia was batting first and Ricky Ponting went berserk, hitting fours and sixes at will. Then one of my friends, after watching that Sehwag ad for a dozen times, remarked ," Lagta hai Sehwag ki maa ne Ponting ko phone kar diya hai." Another one said, "Abe baaki network mein to wrong number India mein hi jaata hai...RIM mein lagta hai South Africa tak cross connnection lag jata hai"....:)
Another category of ads which I find quite interesting is those mud-slinging ads brought out by two big companies, who dominate the market of a particular product---some sort of duopoly situation.These two companies may decide that the best way to increase their market share is to reduce the market share of their rival. (Looks like they were looking out of the window when their teacher was telling the story about how to shorten a line without rubbing it off---You draw a bigger line above it) . So, they start ads which hit out at their competitors. One of the earliest in this was that blockbuster "War Of The Mints" . We had the Nestle's Polo mint with a well-entrenched market share and a catchy punchline "Mint With The Hole". Now, Candico lauches it's own mint and runs a print campaign showing a guy with a hole in his head . Written at the bottom of the page ," Do you have a hole in your head? Then, why should you eat mint with the hole?". And, their cheeky punchline was "All Mint , No Hole". Then, there are the Pepsi and Coke mutual-stabbing-advertisements. Though there are legions of ads made by them deriding the other, the Sprite ad with " I Want To Do!" was a knock-out. Trust me when I say I stopped "Doing The Dew" after watching that ad.
P.B.Shelly will excuse me if I paraphrase his "Winter-Spring" quote as " If ads come, can controversies be far behind?". Indians love controversies and rumours. (You must have heard that joke where a person 'A'
tells his colleague that his daughter has joined dance classes. Next day, boss of 'A' threatens
him that if he immediately doesn't forbid his daughter from working in dance bar, his job will be
in danger!) In fact, the only group which loves controversies more than the Indians are the 24
hour Indian news channels! (If there are any Indian readers of my blog, I hope they will forgive my presumptuousness...:)) So, there was this ad of Naukari.com (Guess, Who Has Just Heard From Us...On a side note, somehow I feel their punchline seems perfect for the endless tele-callers whose calls we receive only to reject the various products they are selling----Idea ka Post-Paid Connection,ICICI ka free Business card,One way ticket to Timbuktu....give me a break!).I am talking about that "Hari Sadu" ad.The first time I saw it, apart from the ingenuity and crispness of the plot, I was particularly impressed by that person playing the role of boss---a perfect picture of arrogance and condescension. So, imagine my surprise when I find this innocuous ad has been dragged in a controversy. Apparently, a boy whose first name is Hari wants Naukari to pull out this ad because he has been teased by his friends. He also threatened a court case. You will agree with me when I say that possibly no one can make a bigger mountain out of the smallest molehill than this boy.
Now, let me take you back by a decade , to 1995-96. I was in my teens, P.V.Narsimha Rao was being voted out, Sachin was at his peak in that World Cup and a person carrying Mobile phone in India would have got as many stares as an orange elephant would have got. There was this controversy about an ad featuring MS & MS(no, silly, not Mallika Sherawat and Manmohan Singh...It's for Madhu Sapre and Milind Soman) who were stark naked but for their "Tuffs shoes" with a snake strategically positioned to hide what we all wanted to see.There was a huge uproar and even a court case was filed against them.
This is 2005-06. I am of approximately the same age as Aamir is in RDB. PVN has already floated a new political party in heaven. Sachin is struggling with his injuries (Tennis Elbows, Squash Shoulders, Carrom Calves...pata nahin kya kya..). Now, you don't get stared for keeping a mobile phone but for not keeping one. As for the "Tuffs Shoe" like ad, open "once-sugar-now-shit" Times Of India (TOI) any day, you'll see such ads on every page. Last heard MS & MS were thinking about switching over to some other decent newspaper to protect their yet-to-be-born baby from TOI's corrupting influence!
Hello! Are you awake? Good. If you have read upto this point , then some of you may have formed the opinion that ads are as meretricious as a peacock's feather-- beautiful to look at but with no practical use. Let me tell you a small incident which took place around two years back to clear this misperception. A gentleman used to provide me tiffin for dinner and used to charge Rs 1000 monthly. Now, all of a sudden, without rhyme and certainly without reason, he raised it to Rs 1200 monthly. This 20% hike was a little too much for me to digest at that time. (Heck, even if you factor in a 5% inflation, 15% is a pretty stiff increment..). So, I told him that I'll stop taking tiffin from him and will ask some other supplier. He tried to convince me and I tried not to get convinced. Our discussions seemed to go nowhere. Finally, after some 10 minutes of rallying the verbal tennis ball, I found a smash return. I said, ''Sir, jab wahi safedi wahi jhaag kam daamon mein mile to koi woh kyon le yeh naa le?" (Ã la Deepika Ji in that Surf ad) . And that was it. (Point-Game-Set-Match and the winner is Bomu).
He raised the rate for others but I continued getting at the old rate...:)
Now, let me stop here or else this short article will expand like Ram Gopal Verma's new movie announcements. I definitely don't want it intrude in the space of novels. There is far less competition here.
Before I go, let me tell you about a good FM ad. It starts with that song from Zeher, " Agar tum mil jaao , jamana chhod denge hum"....And then the voiceover says, " Are Kyon nahin chhodenge jamana...introducing Nestle Fresh and natural Dahi"....:)
So, to sum up, I think you would have understood why I so love following ads. And, if you share my passion for understanding the psychology of persuasion, advertisements, their making and adore PJ and PP (Prasoon Joshi and Piyush Pande--Muunchhe hon to Piyush Pande jaisi warna na hon!) , then let me give you an unsolicited advice. The next time someone asks you, " Aap Ad Kyun Dekhte Hain?", you have two answers, two choices, or if you like Matrix, then let me give you two pills (the same which Morpheus gave to Neo...I managed to collect them after the shooting was over..). If you want to be rude, in-the-face , you take the red pill--then you can just dip his head in betel filled water like that Paanwallah does in Chlormint ad and say, "Doobara Mat Poochna!". On the other hand, if you want a less aggressive answer, you take the blue pill--then you can just twist your mouth like that boy eating Melody chocolate does and say , " Melody Kaho Khud Jaan Jaao!".
Disclaimer:--
If in trying to be funny, I have somewhere gone overboard and sounded caustic to any group, please remember that I-as- a-person disclaim responsibilty for what is written by I-as-a-writer. So, unless and until you are absolutely sure that you'll catch me writing something i.e. I-as-a-writer, don't come with your loaded guns. You may end up blowing the brains of I-as-a-person, spend your rest of the life in prison while I-as-a-writer may continue writing trashes like this. Also, I know I have a very bad habit of writing long sentences and then punctuating them even more shoddily. So, please don't tell me about my hanging commas, misplaced exclamations and my right brackets wondering, "What the hell I am doing here when there is no opening left bracket?". Perhaps that is the reason "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss is not one of my favourite books.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
99
Yesterday watched this movie ... was laughing almost continuously ....
thought of writing about this movie but I think this writer has stolen words and ideas from my mind...:-) very good review about equally good movie..
review of 99
never thought that I would see climax of some movie being shot in Palika Bazar..
that "neha or pooja" scene was acutely funny :-)
director's sense of detailing is mind-boggling..
most of the movie is set in the period December 1999-March 2000 and
during this time movie Takshak was released . A R Rahman was the music director and songs were very good . One of the songs had Alisha Chinoy singing for Rahman ( probably they have teamed up only once for this ). Song is very peppy but suffers on-screen with atrocious picturization and choreography. Thankfully, you can always use the good old winamp and just enjoy the song.
""
But hold on, why am I talking about this song in this post? Just keep your ears open for the songs playing in taxi in the movie 99 ( in the scene when Kunal Khemu and Cyrus take the dollar filled suitcase from Boman ( given by "Jonomdin :-) ") and are going in taxi...)
thought of writing about this movie but I think this writer has stolen words and ideas from my mind...:-) very good review about equally good movie..
review of 99
never thought that I would see climax of some movie being shot in Palika Bazar..
that "neha or pooja" scene was acutely funny :-)
director's sense of detailing is mind-boggling..
most of the movie is set in the period December 1999-March 2000 and
during this time movie Takshak was released . A R Rahman was the music director and songs were very good . One of the songs had Alisha Chinoy singing for Rahman ( probably they have teamed up only once for this ). Song is very peppy but suffers on-screen with atrocious picturization and choreography. Thankfully, you can always use the good old winamp and just enjoy the song.
""
But hold on, why am I talking about this song in this post? Just keep your ears open for the songs playing in taxi in the movie 99 ( in the scene when Kunal Khemu and Cyrus take the dollar filled suitcase from Boman ( given by "Jonomdin :-) ") and are going in taxi...)
Friday, June 5, 2009
Once Upon A Time in Noida
This actually happened on some Friday in July 2004 and I wrote this that day..(was lying in my sent mail)
My Gift Sack
Friday Morning ......Woke up at 10:30 AM after my alarm clock rang
third time from 9:00 AM(Was already late for my training ...)
.....Was getting ready for office as usual at 11:00 AM with my 125 rupees Radio
blaring one of the FM channels.....
Announcement from the anchor of program.."Ab pesh hai aapke liye
Mawana Sugar song.Apko hamein phone karke
batana hai is gaane
ki heroine ka naam aur aap jeet sakte hai gift vouchers".
nothing great.
I hear such announcements
at least 'n' number of times while listening to FM channels,
but looks like I was a little more crazy today than other days.
Song came,"main alebli ...ghoomuun akeli" from Zubeida....I tried
the FM number.....in my 11th try the
other side responded ..."Hi Red FM 93.5"" "Hi ...I wanted to tell the answer of
Mawana Sugar contest " "shoot...who is the heroine?"
"well .. Karisma Kapoor"
A pause "Congratulations.
Tell us ur name and Phone number....We will
shortly announce ur name .Please call after 3:00 PM
to know how to collect ur gift vouchers"....
3:00 PM Today
" Hi I am Byomkesh. I won the Mawana sugar
contest in the morning""
"I will give u the address ..Its ...Please collect ur gift voucher
between 10:00AM and 4:00 PM from Monday to Friday"
"Well thanks.........Just a small query....What is there in the gift voucher?"
A pause as if Arthur Connon Doyle is considering whether to
get to the denouement or write 50 more pages before revealing
suspense
then comes the reply "U have won 5 kgs of Mawana sugar!"
Did I hear it right?......5 kgs of Mawana sugar...come on.....
Looks like i am one of the flood hit residents
in Assam Bihar floods and they are providing me the
succour straight from Prime Minister's Relief Fund...No point in calling it gift voucher
5 kgs of sugar really need a sack....my gift sack...
My Gift Sack
Friday Morning ......Woke up at 10:30 AM after my alarm clock rang
third time from 9:00 AM(Was already late for my training ...)
.....Was getting ready for office as usual at 11:00 AM with my 125 rupees Radio
blaring one of the FM channels.....
Announcement from the anchor of program.."Ab pesh hai aapke liye
Mawana Sugar song.Apko hamein phone karke
batana hai is gaane
ki heroine ka naam aur aap jeet sakte hai gift vouchers".
nothing great.
I hear such announcements
at least 'n' number of times while listening to FM channels,
but looks like I was a little more crazy today than other days.
Song came,"main alebli ...ghoomuun akeli" from Zubeida....I tried
the FM number.....in my 11th try the
other side responded ..."Hi Red FM 93.5"" "Hi ...I wanted to tell the answer of
Mawana Sugar contest " "shoot...who is the heroine?"
"well .. Karisma Kapoor"
A pause "Congratulations.
Tell us ur name and Phone number....We will
shortly announce ur name .Please call after 3:00 PM
to know how to collect ur gift vouchers"....
3:00 PM Today
" Hi I am Byomkesh. I won the Mawana sugar
contest in the morning""
"I will give u the address ..Its ...Please collect ur gift voucher
between 10:00AM and 4:00 PM from Monday to Friday"
"Well thanks.........Just a small query....What is there in the gift voucher?"
A pause as if Arthur Connon Doyle is considering whether to
get to the denouement or write 50 more pages before revealing
suspense
then comes the reply "U have won 5 kgs of Mawana sugar!"
Did I hear it right?......5 kgs of Mawana sugar...come on.....
Looks like i am one of the flood hit residents
in Assam Bihar floods and they are providing me the
succour straight from Prime Minister's Relief Fund...No point in calling it gift voucher
5 kgs of sugar really need a sack....my gift sack...
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