This December has proven to be worst December ever I saw in my entire life.Personally and officially things were falling apart.People I knew were facing terrifying health problems of a family member.And then the violent incidents reaching Australia in that hostage drama culminating in this most chilling massacre of innocent students in their school which is comparable only to Adam Lanza killing those 20 kindergarten kids in U.S. in 2012.It seemed like a personal tragedy and I couldn't stop crying as I listened to anguished voices of parents and interviews of kids who were fortunate to escape.Our whole life revolve around our kids and if they are taken away from us in this brutal fashion by some crazy satanic cowards our whole world falls apart.And the reason they gave was so shallow,we attacked because Pakistani army killed our women and children,or its anti-Islamic for a Muslim to kill other Muslims.Now what happens,they did perpetrate this awful tragedy on common citizens and government and army are responding by killing more of them,they killed innocent Muslim kids so they are anti-Islamic too.And this happened soon after Malala Yousafzai got Nobel Peace prize which makes it all the more sad.The best Pakistan Taliban can do is to leave its evil ways,this mind-less revenge induced killings will lead nowhere.A peaceful progressive Pakistan is essential for India too.Terrorism is such a negative force that it burns those too who use it as a political tool.We saw it with Rajeev Gandhi who was killed by the same L.T.T.E. which he helped to grow.U.S. saw it with Osama-Bin-Laden and Pakistan with Taliban.
I had recently read Dilip Kumar's autobiography where he gives a charming account of Peshawar the city he was born in.So I seemed to relate more with folks there and was deeply shocked and distressed by this awful tragedy they were facing.And this shocked every Indian as was evident from reaction of my colleagues and people in general on T.V. .
Besides deft direction from Raj Kumar Hirani and brilliant acting from Amir Khan,one of the high points of the movie is the romantic tale of Anushka(Jagat Janani) and Sushant Singh Rajput who plays a Pakistani guy.Yes its soon after the chilling massacre of innocent kids and same sort of romance was in Veer-Zaara which led to a feeling of deep grief and touching romance and before I knew I was crying uncontrollably.
Any way Anushka and Sushant look cool together and their chemistry makes "Char Kadam" song one of the best romantic song of this year.Even in climax their relation is pivotal to the film,when Amir proves Saurabh Shukla wrong.Anushka is made to realize by Amir how her prejudices let her astray and how Sushant truly loves her.So film may be a satire bringing out flaws of our society and religion but the romantic precursor to the movie and the penultimate climax scene are jewel in the crown.Those few scenes touch you especially climax TV debate scene which make you feel romance and sadness and heart-break and which again made me really sad and tears again rolled down my cheeks.On the other hand Char Kadam's brilliance can only be compared to "Ye Mera Prem Patra" romantic interlude in Sangam where Rajendra Kumar and Vyjanthimala sizzle in summer romance.
Saurabh Shukla has a prominent role and is quite effortless.Parikshit Sahni is ok,special appearance by Arun Bali,Ranbir Kapoor and that guy from 1980s Amitabh movies Ram P.Sethi who brings Sushant Anushka together,that old guy who buys Amitabh ticket in black.
When I was a child in Class IV in St. Thomas School in late 1980s,I had several of my class-mates who had V.C.R. at home,they would sleep early and their parents would record their favorite programs for them,so they can watch them in leisure.I always yearned for it but we never had it until now we bought Tata Sky HD+.It allows you to record Programs and even rewind Live Programs.HD+ comes with a huge 500 GB space and you can record your favorite movies and TV moments.Few things will make you as happy as this.
In case of Processor thermal trip,first clean your system thoroughly,then buy a new processor fan and heat sink compound.Replace the old fan with new applying heat sink compound too.
No use changing Bios or Drivers or formatting hard disks.
I was so flabbergasted by system shutting down again and again,sometimes message read Processor Thermal Trip.As soon as I got new Intel Fan and heat sink compound in my C.P.U. this problem got rectified.
I was surprised when watching Bang Bang!,can't imagine why film-makers allowed such double meaning dialogs or why Katrina Kaif accepted them to shit on her,may be its lack of her knowledge of colloquial Hindi language.
Don't know why Farha Khan had "Madar....." dialog here definitely a sexist swear word demeaning women.If you are making a movie for family audience why needlessly insert such profanity or double meaning sexual dialogs.
Happy New Year is a film with a thread of patriotism running through it,making you feel proud to be an Indian."Hum India Waale" song is quite nice.Film is very beautiful visually and entertaining with some good songs and great performances by all actors.Sazid Khan and Prabhu Deva are in a special appearance also Dino Morea plays Host of the World Dance Championship.Abhishek Bachchan is in a double role.World Dance Championship seems like Farah Khan's tribute to Nasir Husain's "Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin" as it had a dance competition between Rishi Kapoor and Tariq.As with Farah Khan movies there are lot of references to many Bollywood Blockbusters which make you laugh and associate more with this film.
From the opening sequence till the end you are mesmerized by the beautiful sets,location and lovely dresses,it has great production value where money spent shows on screen.Deepika Padukone impresses the most with her stellar performance of a naive dance crazy Marathi girl.Daisy Irani is quite funny as Boman Irani's mom.After 7 years Farah Khan-Deepika Padukone - Shahrukh Khan trio are back with a bang.
Vivaan Shah the 24-year-old actor, who is the younger son of Naseeruddin Shah is in a pivotal role of a hacker.Sonu Sood looks macho and Abhishek Bachchan plays a completely wild character.Boman Irani's character is quite inspired by his role in "Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi" where Farah Khan starred opposite him.
Manwa laage is a soulful love ballad and comes again in the finals in second half."Nonsense Ki Night" is a really funny song which pays an ode to all sorts of dance forms that exist.
Ticket Window decked up in Diwali lights
Shahrukh Khan's fight with Korean Dance Team's Leader is quite breath-taking.And a very catchy song is used in the background music at the beginning of this scene which gives the sequence a different feel altogether.
I have seen several of her interviews and heard people talk about her but if you want to know true Katharine Hepburn you have to read this book.She was not so confident or so sure of herself but as anxiety ridden as any of us.She would even talk back to herself.Reading the book I thought her psyche is so much like me and I thought I was the only one who is so worried about things.She is one of my favorite Hollywood Actress and this book is just like her personal diary,she is still an icon to emulate.
"But if I smiled or laughed,he did too. I would have thought that tears
were the things which bound us together, but no -- smiles,laughter--and
they warmed up immediately. We are ridiculous,aren't we -
black-white-yellow?If we couldn't have some laughter we would crumble.
Color be damned.We must laugh together."
Dilip Kumar told his Life story to Udaytara Nayar who did a average job writing this book and I feel it could have been written better,better adjectives or similes could have been used,it could have been nice sweet book of Nostalgia which readers can return to.It could have been better if first a Urdu writer had written this book and later it could be translated into other languages for Udaytara reveals there were times when she could not understand some Urdu words and later asked a expert.It doesn't even comes close to Romancing with Life which Dev Anand wrote himself.
Any way if you leave the drab writing and just follow the journey of Dilip Kumar,this book still is a good read beside being factual.But at the end of it I hope for a Part II for still there are a lot of untold things about people who were his companions along this beautiful journey of life.Also there are several parts which made me cry,like when his brothers and mother passed away or when he goes to meet an ailing Madhubala.
"In my view the heart-breaking moment in Dilip Kumar's life was not the
break-up with Kamini kaushal but the time when he learnt that K.Asif has
eloped with his sister.By then I was out of K.Asif's life as the wicked
man had wooed and married my friend Nigar Sultana.I can't figure out
who was the bigger fool - I or Nigar?His back-stabbing Dilip bhai was
unacceptable to me,I cursed him he would die for the sin he has
committed.On 9 March 1971 Gopi Krishna called me and informed me of K
Asif's premature death.I could hear my own curse ringing in my ears." -
Sitara Devi
"Soon after our निकाह Madhubala asked me to meet her.Saira insisted that
I should go and meet her as she was frail and weak now.On reaching her
home I was pained to see her so ill .She was happy to see me and said
'हमारे शहजादे को आखिर उनकी शहजादी मिल ही गयी, मैं बहुत खुश हूँ!'.I soon
sorted her problem and that was the last time I saw her.She passed away
on 23 February 1969."
"My mother would be sound asleep, tired after all the toil during the
day.My unmarried phoopis(father's sisters) would also be sleeping there
as also the healthy Persian cats,which were kept as pets largely because
they were needed to warm the beds on winter nights."
"While the singing and storytelling went on ,the Persian cats would be
made to sleep on the beds to keep the beds warm for the occupants.That
was something peculiar to Peshawar."
This is a Gem from Saadat Hasan Manto no doubt and Khalid Hasan has translated it deftly in English.It turns the boring black & white world of 1930-1940 Bollywood into some of the most colorful characters and riveting escapades.Lust filled life excesses of artists,literary figures and actors are revealed and that is only comparable with Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street".Manto comes out as a fearless no-holds-barred writer and this book tells or presents to you life as it was actually like in 1930-1940 Bombay.Though at times I thought how would he know who is sleeping with whom or who privately told what to whom,may be some of it relies on gossip though I will like to believe otherwise.
My favorite chapter was on V.H.Desai "God's Clown " really funny piece of writing on Bollywood's first comedian superstar,a Law graduate who always forgot his lines.Chapters on Ashok Kumar and Sitara Devi are quite revealing and latter also has details of private life of K.Asif the director Mughal-e-azam.Chapters on Nargis and especially Shyam are very nice.His life with Shyam is heart-touching story of friendship and just tells of secular hearts in our citizens as it gets close to describing days of partition.This is a must read for film fans and people who think only today's youngsters had all the fun and people in 1930-1940 were all joy-killer and lived serious lives.
"Poona is a city of temples and you have to walk barely a couple of
hundred yards to come upon one.Masood's next act was to go into the
first temple we passed,pull the cord and ring the bell .When we heard
the sound,Shyam and I prostrated ourselves,our foreheads touching the
bare road,piously intoning,"Shiv Shambhu,Shiv Shambhu".From there on,the
bell of each temple we came across was dutifully sounded and after we
had risen from our supplications,we would break into laughter.once or
twice we even woke up a priest,but before the astonished and bleary-eyed
man could say anything,we were off." - Manto in Stars from another sky
on Shyam the classic Bollywood Actor and his beloved friend
Below is a passage on K.Asif by Sitara Devi,
"In my view the heart-breaking moment in Dilip Kumar's life was not the
break-up with Kamini kaushal but the time when he learnt that K.Asif has
eloped with his sister.By then I was out of K.Asif's life as the wicked
man had wooed and married my friend Nigar Sultana.I can't figure out
who was the bigger fool - I or Nigar?His back-stabbing Dilip bhai was
unacceptable to me,I cursed him he would die for the sin he has
committed.On 9 March 1971 Gopi Krishna called me and informed me of K
Asif's premature death.I could hear my own curse ringing in my ears."
P.S. I didn't knew girls were as crazy about Ashok Kumar in 1930s as they were about Rajesh Khanna in 1970s.
I am 36 and I haven't ever heard of Kashmir getting flooded let alone ravaged and submerged like it happened this September 2014.As somebody pointed out this is one of the worst urban flood disaster of India comparable only to the way Hurricane Katrina destroyed U.S. state of New Orleans.Today in News I heard Kashmir valley is like a saucer,if water comes in its hard to flush it out.People also point out that because of Urbanization and high influx of tourists plastic waste increased which was not processed but left to clog rivers and drains which led to flood like situations just as it happened in Mumbai few years back.Many Kashmiris told horrific tales of their ordeal stating it was difficult to escape flood waters since most houses have sloped roofs.Like if it floods in Bihar you can stay on roof if your house gets submerged but in Kashmir because of snow-fall most houses have sloped roofs and you can hardly stay up there.
Yasin Malik too was criticized the way he hindered rescue and help efforts not even thanking army which had earlier rescued him.Though I found it strange when I saw on T.V. army distributing Maggi packets and biscuits to civilians,I mean how on earth they would cook Maggi when there is no fuel or clean water and they have taken shelter on upper floors.Women folks were worst affected even in relief camps as no toilets or Bathrooms were provided for them.There were few people and fewer boats to rescue stranded folks and the camps rescued people were taken to were no better.Crores of property have been destroyed and people ruined.No doubt government could have done better and still has a lot to do.We the common people of India were saddened by this awful tragedy and many people came forward to help and many wished to help and had empathy in their hearts for the common folks of Kashmir who saw their Heaven turned into Hellish Nightmare.Many Cows and Cattle have perished and their carcasses floating in the water emit stench and may cause diseases.
Hope is the only way forward,like in an interview on AajTak a little boy on a Shikara boat was as cheerful as ever talking about his family and the night when floods came.
Long time back in a program Asha Bhonsle told us how she recorded this song.Initially, Asha Bhonsle could not bring the depth of sadness in her
voice as required for the song. S. D. Burman knowingly asked her if she
doesn't remember her brother. This brought tears to her eyes as the
relations between the two were strained which Dada knew. After that the
song was recorded in one take,then when she sang this song it was filled with all melancholy,sadness and yearnings.Its such a well written song that every time you hear it you will cry,Asha's voice evoking such pathos in your heart that your eyes wells with tears.
"1963 film Bandini’s song Ab Ke Baras Bhej Bhaiya Ko Babul is perhaps
the best example of Asha’s superb rendition of sentimental songs. It is
also a painful reminder of a dark chapter in her checkered personal
life.
At the age of fourteen, Asha ran away from her family to marry a
neighboring rationing inspector. Those were conservative times and her
family – the redoubtable Mangeshkar family- led by her strict and stoic
mother Maai was so shocked and angered by this impetuous action that
they totally cut off the relations with this errant girl.
This family stand-off lasted more than a decade. The marriage too
turned sour and Asha was practically left on her own, fending for
survival. Singing was the only vocation and she pursued that with
fervour, singing any song that came her way. Composers like O.P.Nayyar
and Sachin Dev Burman were among the first ones to recognize her vocal
ability and as the ‘50s came to their end, Asha had slowly become a top
notch singer capable of challenging the might of anyone.
When S.D.Burman composed this touching folksy tune for Shailendra’s
heart-rending lyrics portraying emotions of a married young woman,
remembering the long-lost father’s loving place and pining for her
brother to come and fetch her home, Asha wasn’t able to do justice to
the song in the initial rehearsals. Then to get her into the mental
frame of the song, Sachinda suggested her to remember her own brother,
her own family. As the singer broke down remembering her lost family,
Sachinda ordered the take for the song. It has become an immortal piece
of emotional and expressive singing.
Listen how the sense of loss of innocent childhood experienced by the
young bride comes through the metaphoric lyrics – Bairan Jawaani Ne
Chheene Khilone Aur Meri Gudiya Churayi and her heart-breaking
realization of becoming a stranger to her own family after the marriage
comes forth in the next line -Babul Thii Main Tere Naazon Ki Paali Phir
Kyun Huyi Main Parayi. Asha is simply brilliant in this rendition and no
doubt, telling her own story through those words.
Soon afterwards, Asha’s family reconciled with her, bringing the
estranged siblings together after years. Four decades have passed since
that momentous recording, still every time one listens to that song it
brings a lump in the throat with its heartfelt emotions. It is a
memorable song from a memorable artist- an artist for all seasons. "
Recently I came upon this song and realized how I loved this song when I first heard it 25 years back.My father had brought the cassette of Lal Dupatta Malmal Ka.All songs were nice but I loved this song most for it was absolutely romantic with breezy youthful music and sung so well by Udit Narayan and Anuradha Paudwal.I used to hum it all the time,imagine not hearing it for so long.
Udit Narayan has a voice different from we usually hear for he was younger then,its less soft and more masculine.Song is much better than the visuals we see,I would rather hear the song and imagine,then watch the video.
This album and TV movie was the first major success of Gulshan Kumar who died so tragically.Anuradha Paudwal was in every song of T-series and in duets her male counterparts changed.Gulshan Kumar established song bank in T-series where producers or directors may come and choose the song of their choice for their movie.
I heard this song after more than 25 years yesterday and was just blown away by it,the lovely Ektaara music,Lata singing it so differently and the funny witty lyrics leaves indelible impression and you remember it hum it.I remember when I was just a kid this movie came on Doordarshan and we were all so influenced by it.Our adults kept talking about the movie and its songs and actors.But we kids were influenced by this funny lady with basket on her head,ektaara in her handa and a drummer following her.I kept singing the song for days as used to sing what ever songs I took fancy to.Today I saw the song on youtube and found song as visually appealing as it was when I heard it.
In my teen years Mrs Doubtfire came and everybody was talking about it and it topped the box-office charts.Though I never liked Mork & Mindy.But he was a major influence on children of 1990s,his work in films and animation movies brought joy to millions of kids worldwide.I fail to understand how Robin became this crazy and hurt himself first with a knife cutting his wrists then hanging himself with his belt.Why he lost reason and hurt himself in a way we would not like even others to hurt us.Its inexplicable,when I read about it I could hardly hold back my tears of anguish,but now I just feel angry with him.How he let himself sunk in to such darkness,how he with his immense knowledge and experience not fight out and be a winner.After our dark phases nice times too come,as I heard in a recent trailer of a movie,we have downs only because we can bounce back up.Only thing I am thankful about now is that he didn't went hurting others,why mental sickness in US has reach such uncontrollable proportions is a major question to answer.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/animationscoop/robin-williams-animated-legacy-20140812Genie (in Disney's 1992 Aladdin) was a tour-de-force vocal
performance by Williams (and visually by animator Eric Goldberg) but it
was an important landmark in two ways. First, it was the first to break
the structured script-driven vocal performance (compare it to Williams
earlier recorded V.O. in Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest, also
from 1992). Allowed to break free and improvise upon the written
dialogue, Williams created a character that will live forever - and be
forever tied to his unique genius.
Jaisalmer to me seemed like "The most Artistic city of Rajasthan" for almost every second house seemed a work of art.Bricks are hardly used for stones are easily available.And then in the middle of the city is Jaisalmer fort sitting on a low hill,you know like in Nainital we have a city around the Lake here we have a city around a fort.Plus we have this walled fort area above on the hill which is a small city in itself.It has narrow lanes dotted by many Jain Temples and ancient "Havelis".
I had visited Ambedkar Park in Gomti Nagar Lucknow few months back,seems like Ms Mayawati or the architects took inspiration from Jaisalmer.Those Palatial stone structures would certainly remind you of Jaisalmer,interestingly in Dilwara Temple Mt.Abu you see row of marble elephants just like in many memorials including Ambedkar Park build by Ms Mayawati our ex Chief Minster of Uttar Pradesh.
Beyond the fort are the lanes housing multitude of shops selling things for you to take home.This market is so much like Aminabad in Lucknow.Down the main street adjacent to the hill is a vegetable market too and there are some fruit vendors in front of it.For the first time I tasted raw dates.
There are several good Restaurants,Desert Safari Tourism,Camel Leather goods and metal and stone works.Behind Neeraj Hotel is the Bus stand and in front of it is a Temple.People are nice and friendly and you see a lot of Europeans wandering the labyrinthine streets care-freely even in July when sometimes its hot and humid while other-times it may get cloudy cool and breezy.
My guide,my Auto driver Prakash was really nice and informative allowed me to take as much time I wanted to wander around and take snaps and videos.When inside fort we kept in contact by mobile phone.He may be around 20,really smart with nice colorful ear-rings like flower petals.In Rajasthan its very common for men to wear some sort of ear ornament.He told me they had scanty rainfall this Monsoon,dark black clouds hover over the city and just go away with out raining.In Truecaller app his name came as "Auto Parkash Jaisalmer" Mobile No. 09001597644.Call him if you ever visit Jaisalmer,it was nice to be shown around the city by a guy who was born here and love his city so much.
It was like visiting an old friend and circumstances led me to Bikaner.Not only I but others too had feeling of gladness and happiness written over their faces.Its like you have been here before may be lived here in previous life,aura of humaneness shrouds the fort,you feel nostalgic and as happy as a child visiting his granny after a long time.
"Things of Beauty are a joy for ever".And here in Junagarh Fort there are so many things of beauty that you can spend your all day marveling them. And those pigeons just entrance spectators with their flight over the Fort.Looking at childhood pictures of Princes you wonder how they look like any ordinary next door child,these family pictures are really nice and make you connect.
There are two Temples at the entrance and ringing bells during evening prayers fills you with spirituality,you feel vice-free and ethereal.Thanks to a local kid who guided me to this Fort.This is a pearl of a memory which I will cherish all my life.
As I was sipping my morning Tea in Mt. Abu beside a Stall run by a traditional Rajasthani Man wearing a big red turban.The dew was falling in tiny droplets and Fog was flowing around like wandering spirits and there were these young kids all bathed and in clean dresses going off to their schools.I was reminded of Shree 420 song "Pyar Hua Ikraar Hua" .Where Raj Kapoor and Nargis have Tea at a stall and later in the song Nargis points to three young kids.
I saw these young kids at the bus station selling water bottles and snacks,I took picture of one of them.They got excited on seeing my camera and urged me to take their picture too and cajoled me into buying a roasted corn cob and snack.I obliged them just to see them smile.Its sad that these kids have to work when they should be attending school or playing.Hope Vasundhra Raje government does something about it.
Later when the Bus started its journey again I was reminded of "Phoolon Ke Rang Se" song from Prem Pujari where Dev Anand is surrounded by all those happily laughing European kids.Its one of my favorite Kishore Kumar songs.
Scooby Doo would really be shivering with fright if he takes a walk around these two Lakes on a foggy Monsoon morning or worse at Night.Windermere Lake and Nakki Lake are shrouded by a thick blanket of fog which seems flowing over their calm waters like spirits flying.Its unusually desolate in the morning with folks having the sense to remain indoors.
From desolate Landscape to lush green valleys of Mt.Abu,from arid regions of Jaisalmer and Barmer to Lakes of Udaipur and Jodhpur.,Rajasthan takes your breath away and springs up one surprise after another.
Be it Jal Mahal or Jaisalmer Fort,be it City Palace of Jaipur or of Udaipur or be it cultured colorful people or delicious exotic cuisine Rajasthan never disappoints.If Suzlon wind park surprise you in Jaisalmer ,winding roads across green valleys of Mt.Abu where Langurs sit beside the hilly road watching people go by fill you with awe.There are completely desolate highways where as far the eye goes the sky spreads to the horizon with nothing in sight,then there are crowded markets of Jodhpur and Jaipur and Temples in every corner of Jaipur's old walled city.Then there are Dilwara temples that mesmerize and enchant you and The Brahmakumaris which impress you with spirituality.And when its time to return you are most reluctant to leave wanting to stay a little more for you know there is more to see.
