Taking cue from my earlier post, I thought I'l will jot down my favourite top 10 Indi-Pop songs of the 90's. Practically my generation grew up on those songs. We glued to MTV only to watch it again and again. It was an electrical, magical era. They don't make videos like that anymore. It is really a strenuous task to number only a few and leave rest behind. We witnessed a sea of talents like Sonu Nigam, Daler Mehendi, Mohid Chouhan, Shaan, Colonial cousins, Anamika, Shwetha Shetty, Baba Sehgal, Sunitha Rao, and many more. It is not only about the melodious songs, but the creative video presenting adorable people. 1. "Made In India" by Alisha Chinai, featuring Alisha herself and hunk of Milind Soman. It was like an alternative national anthem to us back then.
2. "Hogayi Hai Muhabbat Tumse" by Aslam and Shibani.
3. Chui Mui Si Tum Lagti Ho", featuring Abbas and Preethi Jhangiani. Oh! They looked so cute together.
4. "Dooba Dooba" by Silk Route band, now fluttering million hearts with his magical voice is Mohit Chouhan. Yeah, he could be kinda old.
5. "Ab Muje Raat Din" by Sonu Nigam, featuring Deewana Pundir and Sushma Reddy. Sonu's enchanting voice just melts my heart each time I hear it.
6. "Afrin Afrin" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. It features gorgeous Lisa Ray.
7. "Gur Nalon Ishq Mitha" by Balli Sagoo featuring Arora duos-Jass and Malaika.
8. "Deewane To Deewane Hain" by Shwetha Shetty.
9. "Yaad Piya Ke Aane Lagi" by Dandiya queen Falguni Pathak.
December favourite month of the year. I feel festivities are in the air. The reasons i like December are plenty, the one that tops the list is, it is my birthday month. Yeeeee. I feel like a little girl when my birthday nears. I start counting days and apprehension is exciting. I'm not into cakes, gifts, balloons, and all that jazz. I don't even expect people to wish me. I still freak out like Joey "God why me" of getting old. Have I been more mature, wise, intelligent? I don't know. But happy? Yes, yes, yes. Christmas. Neither I'm a Christian nor do I celebrate. After watching tons of movies and reading books, it has become a part of life. The Christmas tree, mistletoe, reindeer, Santa, gifts, and holidays. New year eve. It is time to bid adieu to the current year and welcome new year. The parting from dusk to dawn, letting hair loose, and going crazy. I love making new year resolutions, reminiscing about the year passed by. Weather. The chilli morning and pleasant evenings, getting cozier under warm quilt, snuggling with partner. Need I say more.
My first hand experience with Tuberculosis is when my 86-year-old grandmother was diagnosed with it. She was hospitalized for almost a month. We thought we almost lost her. Side effects of the anti-TB drugs were creating havoc on her already frail body. First three months were the testing time for all of us. But being the 'Iron lady' she is, she fought back and defeated the dreaded disease. She was under medication for almost a year. I know three more people personally being diagnosed and treated in the last two years, friends and family alike. I can remember our lecturers' referring this disease as Kocks during practicals in college. There was a special wing for those patients.
Is it rampant these days or is it only me who is encountering this? The answer is, TBC, India says, in India today two deaths occur every three minutes from tuberculosis. Ambitabh Bacchan candidly said he suffered tuberculosis a few years back at the launch of BMC's TB awareness campaign. Tuberculosis is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacteria usually attack lungs, but they can destruct other parts of body too. Tuberculosis spread through air when a person with tuberculosis sneezes, coughs, or talks. A person is more likely to get this if he/she has a weak immune system. Symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis are weight loss, loss of appetite, weakness or fatigue, a cough that lasts more than three weeks, night sweats, fever, and coughing up blood or mucus. Blood tests, skin tests, x-rays, and other tests can confirm the presence of TB. With proper care and consistent treatment, tuberculosis patients can be cured. It takes minimum 6 months to a year. Side effects of medications are unbearable, but only for a few days. The DOTS strategy (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) is implemented under the Revised National Tuberculosis Programme in India is a comprehensive package for tuberculosis control. If you come across any of two or more above mentioned symptoms in your near and dear ones, please seek medical advice. I wish and hope we could eradicate this dreaded disease completely in the future. PS: Is BCG vaccination effective is a nagging question in my mind right now. "It is not" said by an eminent doctor in our last trip.
Weekend Watch 1. Phantom. I had great expectation from this movie as being directed by Kabir Khan, still rolling in the success of blockbuster Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The story is of a disgraced Indian soldier hunting down the 26/11 master minds. I couldn't contain myself from comparing it with "Baby" and "D day" almost of same concept, brilliant movies. I wish it could have been a better edge-of-seat thriller, but turned out be tad bit boring. As it is common for all Kabir's movies, locations are captured magnificently.
2. Bhaag Johnny, a thriller. When I started this one, I had no idea what the star cast was. This one is directed by Shivan Nair, starring Kunal Kempu, Zoa Morani, Mukul Dev. And surprisingly I liked it. The story is about choosing right path in life after leading two lives simultaneously within the time span of 72 hours. As it was picturized in Thailand, I could easily relate to a few places and the country side.
3. Bangistan, a comedy directed by Karan Anshuman. Going by name, I thought this one is an adult comedy and presence of Ritesh Deshmukh confirmed my doubt. How wrong I was. The story is about two protagonists who are extremely religious and being molded and pushed to terrorism by religious leaders. An apt movie in this time of intolerance, radicalism, and terrorism. A serious topic like religion and terrorism are told in a satirical manner. Krakow, Poland is depicted exquisitely in this. I enjoyed this one too. Sometimes it doesn't have to be a big budget or big star casting to be a good movie.
PS: Movie marathon was a perfect way to spend weekend, staying inside, doing nothing because of constant downpour and chilly weather of Bangalore.
Ten 10 things you don't know about me. 1. I must/should have a bar of chocolate or a chunk of snack immediately after lunch and dinner. I do have a rather exotic name for this habit, which I'l not divulge now. 2. I can't have food without reading a book or watching TV or some browsing on laptop. 3. I'm not a bad cook as I pretend to be because I just don't like to raise people's expectations, or relatively I don't want to entertain them. 4. I hate shopping. Yes. You heard it right. Going to shopping is a monumental task and I do it only when I'm left with no other choice. 5. I'm direction dyslexic. I can't fathom east/west/north/south even if I wrack my brains. A person who maneuvers road, street, and city is nothing short of a god to me. 6. I can't sit idly even for a second. No, please don't confuse that I'm a workaholic. I need to do something, reading, browsing, tidying up, whatever. I'm inactive only when I'm asleep. 7. I'm paranoid, big time. If somebody doesn't show up in said time, my mind thinks all the horrible things like accident, kidnap, murder, etc. Hubby is the victim most of the days. Gosh! It is not easy living with me. 8. I don't like 98% of people in the first meeting and 1% after knowing them. There is only 1% whom I genuinely like and love. Well, I hate to admit, but I might be a snobbish. 9. I can hold my drink pretty well. In fact, hubby and I call call ourselves opening batsmen when hanging out with a group of friends and we go strongly till the end. 10. I emotionally get attached to fictitious characters, be in a movie/novels/TV shows and elevate them to extended family. Nothing surprising after reading point 8 I must concede.
Books I'm reading 1. The Fourth Estate by Jeffrey Archer. Sidney Sheldon, John Grisham, and Jeffrey Archer makes a perfect Holy Trinity of Thriller/crime fiction for me. It is a chronological story of medial moguls, Richard Armstrong and Keith Townsend. It is very similar to Kane and Abel and Sons of Fortune by the author, albeit the empire is clearly zeroed down to media alone. Archer is a gifted story teller, but the pace is tad bit slow.
2. Tell No One by Harlan Coben. I had never read anything by Harland and a colleague recommended it. It is a suspense/thriller and definitely a page turner. It is a stand-alone novel. I've heard so much about Coben's Myron Bolitar series and I can't wait to get my hands on them.
3. The Promise by Danielle Steel. I simply love Danielle Steel. She can spin a tale and you get hooked right from the beginning. It is a love story, and as usual let you believe true love really does exist. It is perfect for the current Bangalore weather, curled up in a nice big blanket and a hot cuppa.
Yakshagana, a unique theater form found mainly in coastal Karnataka and Malenadu region of Karnataka. It is a blend between dance, music, dialogue, story, resplendent costume, face painting. I always loved Yakshagana. As my dad writes Yakshagana Prasanga(songs and story), I was introduced to it from a very young age, be it Bayalata(open theater) or tent aata(closed theater). It stats at night and ends in the morning. When I was young, definitely it wasn't the Yakshagana drawed us. Down the memory lane: Early dinner at home, carry a mat and blankets, roam around stalls selling Bhel(Churumuri), peanuts, ice candy, sugarcane juice; stuffing everything to hearts content. We used to get pocket money for this special occasion. The program starts around 9.30 or 10. By this time crowd would have gathered. We spread mattress religiously, cover ourselves from blanket in chili winter. Effect of dinner and sumptuous snacks kicks in and we sleep like babies through the humdrum of program. Next morning, get up and go home. We get to bunk next day school because of our all night endeavors. That is how my love started. I slowly started developing genuine interest in this incredible theater form. I even had the opportunity to learn this. Alas! The teacher was my least favourite in school(I totally detest him)and spending a grueling months with him for training compelled me to drop the plan. Then teenage happened followed by college and work. The last Yakshagana I watched was 2 years back on Ganesha Chaturthi festival. Then it wasn't a full fledged dawn to dusk show, rather a small 3 hour show. One will be very well acquainted with it if he/she is from coastal Karnataka (North Canara, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada), Malenadu (Shimoga/Sagar), or part of Kasaragodu. There are 7 types I'm told, but I've watched Tenkutittu and Badagutittu. Yakshagana is being compared with Western tradition of Opera. The music is a combination Karnataka and Hindustani music, though of a different category with musicians playing instruments like Chande, Maddale, harmonium, etc. It doesn't matter if the story is mythology or modern, the characters will make sure the audience will have light moments with their witty, philosophical dialogues, completely staying in the original character. It makes me so proud to be part of this rich, cultural art form (remotely indirect). I'm longing to watch Yakshagana with same good old day settings sans sleep, preferably a mythological one, something like Krishna-Sandhana, Bhasmasura-Mohini, Rukmini Swayamvara, Bhishma Vijaya. PS-My dad's "Shruthi-Panchami" was a blockbuster, running more than 100 days, even in Mumbai. I hope I'l be able to publish all his works in the future.
Why I don't lend books? I was happy lending books to friends in the hope of having fun analyzing, appreciating, criticizing about the general awesomeness of reading books. How wrong I was. I don't have many friends who love reading, may be one or two. As I've mentioned in my earlier posts, I've an impressive collection of books. When friends visit us, they want to borrow. Those are gone never to return. Even if they return, not without dog ears, oil/food/coffee stains, drenched it water, highlighted paragraphs. It takes me a herculean effort not to smash their head. Which part of the word "lend" you fail to understand? The word borrow means 'you promise to return it in the same condition within said time." One friend flatly refused borrowing books from me. I reminded her name of the books, date, time, and the situation. She then blabbered something about misplacing or losing on house shifting. It left a bad taste in my mouth. And now we don't see eye to eye. Most of them wouldn't even read those books. Then why pretend? My firm believe is reading is a hobby. It is nurtured from childhood. You either have it or you don't. I don't know a single person who picked this habit in later part of life. Now I lend books only to my baby sister who promptly returns in the same condition. I'm even contemplating the idea of displaying a sign board in front of book shelf saying 'You don't ask, I'l not say no. Books are my priced possession. You can lend money and get away with it, not books. This compulsion and obsession only a book lover can understand. PS-I used to maintain XL sheet with book names, author's name, genre, lender's name, date, and time. Hey, I can't trust my impeccable memory for everything. Right?
Title: Gone Girl Author: Gillian Flynn Publisher: Crown Publishing Group Genre: Thriller Publication Year: 2012 From the blurb: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet? My take: Gone Girl is the international best seller. Book blurb was intriguing and it didn't fail me. Although, the ending baffled me a little, I assume it is the most befitting conclusion. It is told in two perspectives. Nick's narration in the present time and Amy's diary entries of 7 years from current date. It is in their point-of-view, and both of them are very good deceivers. The two stories progressively merges into one. First half is tad bit slow. It deals with what happens in normal couple's life; losing job, moving to another city, in-laws, parent's illness, death. The book picks up in the second half. The truth unravels and it is revolting. Amy is beautiful, super intelligent, manipulative, conniving, psychopath. She has an equally shrewd parents who wrote immensely popular "Amazing Amy" series, which is idolized version of Amy, their daughter. Nick is the handsome husband of Amy, narcissistic, selfish, insensitive, faithless, and carries a lot of parental issues. The way Amy and Nick play mind games with each other is thrilling. I felt really sorry for Amy's fairly controlling freak ex-boyfriend. He became a collateral damage in this dangerous game. Amy is rather in love with the idea of love, not really in. Her description of "cool girl" is engaging and disturbing. When Amy forces Nick to stay in the marriage, I couldn't sympathize with him. Maybe they deserve each other. The story is edgy, racy, fresh, deeply disturbing, sinister, chilling and absolutely original. I am told Flynn's previous thrillers, Sharp Object and Dark Places are even brilliant than Gone Girl. They are already laying atop in my bookshelf. PS: I loved Rosamund Pike's performance in the film adaptation. I could imagine no one better than her as Amy Elliot-Dunne.
Cast: Amitabh Bacchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, Moushmi Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta Director: Shoojit Sirkar Piku-directed by Shoojit Sirkar and penned down by Juhi Chaturvedi. They are the same duo who gave us another intense movie Vicky Donor. I liked "Madras Cafe" too. Piku is a story of Piku, a successful architect who is the primary caregiver for her hypochondriac father, Bhashkor Banerjee. Bhaskor has constipation problem and quite obsessed with color, consistency of his stool. They discuss about it on the dinner table as it is the most natural thing to do. Bhashkor is annoying and drives his daughter up the wall most of the time. They bicker all the time. He is selfish, insensitive, irritating, and brutally honest. Albeit this you love him. He is a staunch feminist and thinks women marring and settling down are of low IQ's. He embarrasses his daughter by discussing her virginity status and sex life with prospectus suitors. He selfishly tells her 'I gave birth to you, you look after me. Why look after in-laws? Now there there! 90% people can't digest this. Nobody has articulated this issue before. People expect girl to leave everything behind and adapt a new life in her in-law's place as her own while the boy doesn't get to change anything. When I raise this particular question, the only answer I get is Indian culture. They mean "patriarchal culture" I realize. I digress. Here enters "Rana" who volunteers to drive Piku and her father from Delhi to Kolkata when elderly man demands to visit his ancestral house. Irfaan Khan, one of the best actors of our time is witty with his dry humor, subtle dialogue delivery, emoting in silence. His antics in the course of road trip is so humorous, it cackles you up. The rapport he develops with Piku is endearing. The movie also tackles another sensitive issue, elderly care. What to do when your parents are fragile, completely dependent upon you, and their act is of 3 year olds. It delicately deals about the responsibility, sacrifice, and role reversal of offspring. The gorgeous Deepika Padukone in titular role expresses everything through her kohl-lined doe eyes. She has come a long way in her career, and she has set her bar literally high this time. Piku is the new feminist, who abashedly admits about her sexual needs, confident enough to pursue casual relationships, uptight, snappy, and real. Amitabh Bacchan sank his teeth into the character of Bhashkor Banerjee. Oh! this man has a brilliant comic timing. His Bhashkor Banerjee is nothing like mild-natured Bhaskar Banerjee of Anand. His squabble with his sister-in-law (Moushumi Chatterjee) is adorable. This could be the first film which handled the topic "constipation" in a comical way. It has been a very long time since I've seen the bondage between father and daughter. The last one I remember is Kannada film "Lali" starring Vishnuvardhan and Mohini, a sensational one. PS: Thank god I don't have a father like Bhashkor Banerjee because I don't think I could stand one. Well, maybe I can, after all it is all about loving your parents. Oophs! Sorry Karan.
"Dadri Lynching" sent shivers down most right-minded people's spine. I say "right-minded" because I knew few who support this mob justice. I'm disgusted beyond my wits. Most horrific is UP police sending the food sample for lab testing to make sure whether it is beef or not. This religious intolerance has become a norm these days. Anybody who raises voice against it is called anti-Hindu or worse anti-national. I feel this whole "beef banning" a absurd. I'm a hard core vegetarian and to be honest I'm just raised that way. Non-veg of any kind (chicken, mutton, pork, fish, beef) never tempted me. I may change in the future, you never know. Beef is eaten by Muslims, Christians, and large number of Hindus too including upper caste (I hate to use this word). In ancient times Dalits were outcasted from society because they were consuming beef. They had their reason, sadly nobody tried to understand. It is rich in protein and less expensive compared to other meats. India is the second largest exporter of beef in the world market. It is a great policy, really. You kill cows/buffaloes for country's economical prosperity. And you kill country's citizens to implement "the beef banning. Wow. Just wow! Has anybody thought what happens to old cows once they stop producing milk? Probably not. They were sold knowing very well about their future. Dairy cattle is a lot of hard work and it is rather unpractical to maintain un-barren cows or old cows. Humans domesticated animals to his benefits and should stay just the way it is. What people eat should be their own business. After all everybody works damn hard to get meals on their table. Shouldn't it be of their choice? I wonder how people supporting beef ban will feel when the government orders complete ban on non-veg? I can hear them throwing a huge fit and crying about basic rights and all. It reminds me of the chapter we studied in history about beginning of the Sipai Mutiny. It is uprising of Indian soldiers against British superiors for introducing pork and beef-greased rifles, which has to be bitten before use, infuriating Muslims who don't eat pork and Hindus who don't eat beef. There were no restrictions on the food we eat so far, but can we say the same thing in the future. Today beef, tomorrow pork, and then day after tomorrow may be potato-tomato-carrot? It would be even better if they can make a "National Diet and Nutritional chart, so all citizens can stay fit and healthy, thus downsizing budget on public health. I always knew I've it in me to be a policy making adviser (even if there is a thing called that). Time to change the profession. Pun unintended. To eat or not to eat, should be the matter of personal choice and nobody should impose views on others. Cattle meat was not sacred in Vedic period. Swami Vivekanand points out "You will be astonished if I tell you that, according to old ceremonies, he is not a good Hindu who does not eat beef. On certain occasions, he must sacrifice a bull and eat it." And in Ayurveda too. PS: Go on, call me pseudo intellectual. I just love to be intellectual either with suffix or prefix.
Books I'm reading now: 1. "The Girl On the Train" by Paula Hawkins. A psychological thriller, while many attributing it as "The next Gone Girl" and I can see tinges of similarities to a little extent. Having immensely enjoyed "Gone Girl", I'm looking forward to another racy, twists and turns of event.
2. "Eleven Minutes" by Paulo Coelho. This is my second book of Paulo after Alchemist. Based on the experiences of a prostitute, and her journey in search of love, and risking everything to find her own "inner light" and the possibility of sacred sex. I've the gut feeling it is going to be a sex education in a philosophical way.
3. "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella. "Meet Becky Bloomwood, an irresistible heroin with a big heart, big dreams, and just one little weakness. It is my first novel in the shopaholic series. I picked this book on a whim and I don't regret. Categorized in the chick-lit genre (If there is genre as such, I've no clue, just like Becky Bloomwood), it is making me laugh from the beginning. I'm surely going to pick other books of this series.
Have you watched this video "Dheere Dheere" featuring Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor, recreated by Yo Yo Honey Singh and directed by Ahmed Khan? A beautiful video to say the least. Greek God Hrithik is looking handsome than ever. And Sonam Kapoor like a million bucks. It is contrasting to Yo Yo's usual upbeat, party numbers and this peppy one is already a hit. The gorgeous location, Antalya, Turkey is just icing on the cake. After all the classic 'Dheere Dheere' song can never go wrong. I've watched this video over and over again and enjoyed every single time. It melts your heart and makes you fall in love all over again. It reminded me good old days of MTV and those lovely 90s Pop Songs. It started with Alisha Chinai's Made In India for me followed by Bombay Vikings, Silk Route, Shwetha Shetty, Sunitha Rao, Shaan, Sagarika, Anamika, Asha bhosle, Falguni Pathak, Sonu Nigam, Remo, and many more. Those videos were enchanting. They used to have story, meaningful lyrics, melodious song. I wonder why they stopped creating those kind of music or videos. PS: Filmmakers, Please sign Hrithik and Sonam for a romantic movie.
I've been absent from this space for a while. And I've a brag-worthy reason behind it. I was on an amazing holidays for three long weeks. I'm relaxed, de-stressed, and rejuvenated to take on the world. I shall update the snippets soon. Watching glorious sunrise in majestic Angkor, dancing on the street drenched in rain, strolling on the pristine beach, cycling in historical park, boat rides on the floating market canal, gorging on delicious food, getting high every night, touching and walking tigers, traveling pro like locals, despairing for blood-stained history, appreciating the fascinating cultural shows, a ridiculous strip dance, kissing under moon light, wandering like nomads. We did these and many more adventurous and corny deeds together. We have created many beautiful memories together to lasts a life time. Hubby, my partner in crime, thank you for the incredible holidays and everlasting memories. PS: It is clue that we start planning our next holiday soon.
It has been a very long time since I heard this immensely popular devotional song. Today morning it was playing on radio, and I stopped the cab driver from changing the station. I remember my elder brother having this song as a ringer tone few year's back. I loved the voice of this little girl and had to know who she is. It always happens with me. If I like a song, I need to know about the singers, music composer, lyricist, and all that jazz. I largely rely on "Google Baba" and I'm surprised to see there is a video with two segments aired in 2011 with title "Gouthami Alive" by Suvarna News 24x7. Yes, there was a death hoax about this girl, so mother-daughter duo were in studio to clarify the rumors. Her name is Gouthami and she was in 7th grade when she recorded this song. She is an engineering graduate, and must be in renowned IT industry now. There isn't much information online. The song gives me goosebumps every single time I heart it. It is a melodious voice with crystal clear pronunciation of Sanskrit hymns. PS: Happy Krishna Janmashtami folks
It is going to be a lengthy rambling. I do get pick up from company cab daily, but no drop. So I've to travel by bus to home. There are frequency of BMTC buses. Public transport in Bangalore is very good. For that matter it is great throughout the state, be it government or private sector. I digress. I have observed few characteristic behaviors in conductors. The knowledge only comes from ardent experience. These sort of conductors always expect us to render exact change. Some even have the audacity to ask us to get down if we don't have change. They cut the ticket, write the balancing amount at the back of the ticket gibberishly. They never volunteer to return it. When you ask, they pester for change once again like 1 or 2 or 5 rupees depending on the amount. If you don't have that, there is a chance you never get it. Most of the time they demand you to wait untill the stop comes. And when that stops comes, don't be surprised to find them in the back of the bus. If you are dashing and daring enough to make way through the sea of people, you are a lucky dog. It is not uncommon for people to completely forget about it and get down. They have mastered the art of making you feel extremely guilty for hassling them for 1 or 2 rupees. They sometimes act as a matchmaker by challenging you to share change between total strangers. They become extremely rude and unruly if you start conversing logically. They are petrified of rules and regulations and complaints. And be ready for the most standard and hilarious answer for not having change is "I've come to duty just now," no matter what time of day or night it is. It is okay if you're an occasional traveler, but for a regular like me it is annoying. Sometimes I feel silly arguing with them and think it is worthless. Again, it is not about the "money". There is a thing called honesty and fairness right? It is my hard-earned money after all. I'm sure by this means they make minimum 200 to 300 per day. It is extra income for them. Weren't they paid enough? Again, isn't it cheating or to be more precise corruption? Maybe they are small fish in the big corrupt department. BMTC prices shot up when fuel price increased, however, it didn't come down when fuel price reduced. They haven't budge even after several protests. They say BMTC is running in loss. I wonder how and why? Almost all buses are jam-packed throughout the day. Volvos are only exceptional, but those are targeted for IT industry. This dishonesty has been happening for a very long time. It probably is a second skin to them. I realize it is another corrupt department just like other government offices. PS-There are few honest conductors too, but surely they are a rare breed.
Books I'm relishing right now. 1. "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" by Agatha Christie, a crime/detective novel. It is writer's first published work, and my first book in the Hercule Poirot series. It is a classic murder mystery with too many suspects. I'm so restless to know who killed Ms. Inglethorp.
2. "The Selection" by Kiera Cass, the first book in the Selection series. A young adult/princess diaries kind of novels are my guilty pleasure. I'm halfway through and already loving it. I've already ordered three more books in the series.
3. "The Gift" by Cecelia Ahern. After truly enjoying author's PS: I Love You and Where Rainbows End, I'm expecting one more dazzling story to be told in a typical Ahern Style.
"Kaaka Muttai"-A national award winning Tamil movie and rightfully so, directed by first time director Manikandan and produced by Dhanush and Vetrimaaran. What a stunning movie it is. Casting, screenplay, cinematography, performance, direction, everything about this movie is top-notch. This is by far the best movie I have watched this year. I know I couldn't do justice by reviewing it. However, I have to mention one of my favourite scenes. Grandma's attempt at baking pizza. It is a heart-tugging, brilliantly crafted story. Don't miss it as it is a must watch.
"Yevade Subrahmanyam"-A Telugu movie, hemmed by a new comer, Nag Ashwin. Let us say I sunjected myself to a torture for almost 2-1/2 hours. Despite Nani's good performance, it couldn't hold my attention for more than 10 minutes. Since I'm following a self-made rule of finishing whatever I start, I sat through this squirming in my seat. Best avoid if you ever come across this. PS-I'm so proud of you girls (M and S) for opting and liking "Teesri Manzil." I hope we can do our own "Shake It Shake It like Shammi" in the next hang-out.
What kind of a man one should marry? After being married for almost three-and-a-half years, I would like to believe I'm an authoritative figure on these matters. Sister-in-law is going through "boy-seeking' phase of her life and constantly worries about whom she is going to get married. So, dear S, scroll down and look out for these kind of guys.
Who isn't afraid to hold your hands in front of elders.
Who compliments how beautiful you are every single day.
Who devours on food cooked by you and praises no matter how it really tastes.
Who pulls your hair back when you are puking your gut out after getting way too high.
Who is empathetic about your PMS'ing.
Who offers you his morsel of food in a fancy restaurant.
Who perfectly understands why you want to have a piece of chocolate or snack after each meal.
Who recognizes your period time and gives an amazing hot water bag massage.
Who respects your parents and tells he will maintain a relationship with them even after your death.
Who encourages your talent and nurture it.
Who coax you to try all kinds of trendy apparels.
Who makes you feel secured with cuddling.
Who is considerate to your pleasure before his own.
Who hugs and kisses at the drop of hat.
Who works his ass off for you to have the best of everything possible.
Who cares for your family as his own.
Who just smiles at your craziness after intoxication.
Who holds you tight when you are bawling like a baby.
Who still thinks you are hot with messy hair, unplucked eye brows, tattered pajama.
Who apologizes graciously if he is at fault.
Who helps you finding that perfect little dress you are eyeing for.
Who makes you laugh until you cry.
Who says 'I love you" a thousand times a day. Well, kidding, minimum 25 times.
Who shares equal responsibilities in running the household.
Who considers you an equal in marriage, not beneath.
Who genuinely loves spending time with you rather than a boy's night out.
Who stands up for you to the pesky relatives.
Who patiently listens to your rants and ramblings without being judgmental.
Who is a staunch feminist.
Who he brags about your teeny-weeny accomplishments.
PS: I'm truly blessed to be married to this amazing guy who is the "WHO"of this post. I can't thank enough of my lucky stars. Touch wood.
Cast: Nirup Bhandari, Radhika Chetan, Avantika Shetty, Sai Kumar Genre: Thriller Direction: Anup Bhandari Spoiler Alert Goutham and Indu lives an isolated life in Ooty. The couple visits Kamarottu, native of Indu's for a ritual (Bhootaradane). A Journalist, Sandhya is in search of an anonymous writer, "Anashku" as well reaches the same village. Mysterious events unfolds and that is crux of the story. I'm keying down why this much hyped movie didn't work for me. Positive Remarks: 1. "Dennana Dennana", a song from Guddada Bootha television soap of 1990s. I'm not able to recollect the plot, but the tune is still fresh in my memory. 2. "Kareyole" song where every word starts with Kannada letter "Ka". 3. Rafiq is the saving grace. He appears in a few scenes and will have you in splits. 4. Brilliant marketing strategy. My FB timeline is filled with this movie's promotion, applaud, reviews, and that is the only reason for me to watch this movie. 5. Avantika Shetty is beautiful. She reminds me so much of Kriti Samon. Logical Errors/Unanswered questions: 1. Goutham doesn't have a picture of his wife when he goes to the police station to lodge a missing complaint. He explains all their stuffs were destroyed in a fire incident. Well, couldn't he show a photo in his mobile? After all the incident happened in 2012 or so. 2. This leads to another point. Director claims his movie to be a "romantic mystery thriller. Clearly our hero is emotionally drained. Who doesn't have picture of their loved ones in their smart phones/normal phones these day? Here I have to mention Gautham is a freelance writer for an American magazine. 3. There is absolutely no chemistry between the lead actors. It was impossible to conceive that the couple were in love. 4. Dialogues were tad bit annoying and limp. 5. Back-to-back songs in the second half. 6. There were five people involved in the accident. We already know Siddharth and real Indu don't have parents. But what about Indu's husband (played by the director, Anup Bhandari himself), Harini Ranganath, and unidentified man? Don't they have parents, extended family, friends? Harini easily steals identity and lives merrily with a stranger in reclusive Ooty. 7. Sandhya, swears to be in love with Siddharth. Wasn't she distraught when he disappeared? Hasn't she frantically searched for him? 8. It is said that Thenkabail Kalinga Bhat only targets pregnant women on a particular day of the year. He appears in front of couple's car even before they could reach their house? How he gets to know Indu is pregnant is beyond my imagination. 9. A woman disappears(played by Swapna Raj) in the opening scene when she accidentally takes a different route while talking to her husband on the phone. Hey, there to talented Kalinga Bhat shows up. He must be a psychic to know the missed-routes of pregnant ladies. 10. Kamorattu is a small village and for nine consecutive years women disappears and they think it is Guddada Bhoota (Ghost in mountain) because they hear screaming from the mountain where precisely Kalinga Bhat has an ancestral house. This events happened between 2002 and 2012 and director is blissfully unaware of the cable TVs where crime shows are telecasted everyday. People are not ignorant anymore. 11. It hasn't shown how Kalinga Bhat kidnaps his victims. He makes upside down appearance in front of vehicles and vanishes in a split second. How? He is a human being. Is'nt he? 12. What is the relationship between Garnal Babu and the maid? 13. Harini Ranganath murders a stalker, steals identity, assumes/presumes Siddharth will lose memory, and weaves a story around their life, visits ancestral village as Indu, where police record clearly says Indu is dead in a car accident. Pretty smart. Isn't she? 14. Kalinga Bhat's costume is confusing, is it Bhuta Kola dancer's or Yakshagana artist's, looks more like the latter to me. 15. Character's played couldn't pull off South Canara accent. 16. No explanation as to why strange things happen in the house, Indu falling into well, tape recorder playing automatically, etc. Verdict: With so many unanswered questions and logical errors, it is an average movie. It is a good attempt, but could have been better with loose ends being tied. PS: How I wish "Ulidavaru Kandanthe" team could have used the brilliant marketing strategy, which is a cult classic in the Kannada Industry.
Anybody who knows a little about me ought to know I'm a big time movie buff. I was high on Bollywood and knew most songs by heart. I can see my parents rolling their eyes. However, I vehemently blame it on gene pool. What made me write this post. I was listening to this particular song traveling back home. "Hunter" from the movie "Gangs of Wasseypur." It is a sequential song in the movie and chances are that you miss the suggestive meaning. When listen to it as a stand alone, nothing is left for imagination. By the way have you seen this amazing cult classic?
Following are the few songs of my growing up years, which I enjoyed immensely then and a little embarrassed now. These songs either had double meaning or the choreography suggestive. Hey, I was naive back then. I used to keep tape recorder in high volume and dance like nobody is watching. Yeah! Tell me about the cheap thrill. 1. Sarkai lo Khatiya jaada lage Film: Raja Babu (1994) Singers: Kumar Sanu, Poornima
Yesterday I came to know a friend's friend has been a victim of domestic violence for almost two years and I'm seething with anger. In this time and age? This girl I'm talking about was married almost two-and-a-half years back. Marriage was not consummated. She has been suffering physical, mental, emotional, and verbal abuse. Even her mother-in-law blames this poor girl. I don't know her personally, but I gather she is a 'modern girl with traditional outlook." Pun unintended. The thug of her husband beats her black and blue, she comes and stays with her parents's house. They nurse her back to health and send her to husband's home again to return with battered mind and body. Why? Why? Why? This girl is worried about honor of both families; one who raised an insensitive, wife-beating offender; another one concerned more about society than their own daughter's well-being. I sound a little harsh and judgmental here, but how could any parent throw their kid as a sacrificial lamb to wolves knowing her misery and woes. What if the abuse turns ugly and kills her accidentally? Can they forgive themselves and outlive their kid without guilt? My advice, though unsolicited is to annul the marriage. Marriage is all about friendship, love, respect, compatibility, equality, passion, contentment, and happiness. When spouse raises a hand, it is time to walk out of that relationship because the abuser will never mend his way, never. My hot-headed suggestion is to start criminal proceedings against him immediately. Abuser will continue this silencing the victim because it is acceptable in our society and we turn a blind eye to it and ask the girl to adjust. Yes, getting separated is never easy. Society will stigmatize and disgrace you, but at least you will have the self-respect and dignity. Staying in these kind of relationships are like dying thousand deaths every day. Getting a job, being financially independent, counseling, genuine support of loved will help a lot to one's self-esteem. It is better to be single and divorced, after all, we all have one life and living to the fullest is what matters, rather than being trapped in a vicious mess called marriage. And "the society" will not come to your help. It is your battle and you have to fight it real hard for survival. Why parents can't raise their daughters like daughters and not as somebody's daughter-in-law? Why it is so important for Indian parents that their daughter's to get married and stay married even though it is a nightmare. Why even well-educated women become victims of domestic violence? Agreed ours is a patriarchal society and women are treated like commodities here. Marriage and making babies is not the only destiny for women. Why even we think broken marriage is a failure? When I hear violence against woman or unjust around me, my blood boils. Hubby says there are only 5% people like me who are liberal, progressive, and fiercely independent and the rest are entangled by our glorious culture of patriarchy. PS: V, I hope you wouldn't mind me taking the liberty of posting this.
I read minimum three books at any given point in time. The books I'm reading currently are, 1. The Taj Conspiracy by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar. I've bought this book almost two years ago and completely forgotten about it. It was begging to be read from my book shelf. Weighed down by guilt for spending so much on books and not utilizing it, I picked this one. It is a mystery-thriller and I'm halfway through it.
2. "Paper Towns" by John Green. Yes, the same famed writer of "Fault In Our Stars." This is my first book of the author, and I deliberately wanted to start with less important work of his. It is of young adult genre.
3. "The Best Of Me" by my all time favourite Nicholas Sparks. This man is trying to change my loyalty from New York to North Carolina. It is a romantic drama as this genre is author's forte.
I totally detest Indian TV shows, be it regressive Saas-Bahu Saga or well-orchestrated reality shows. It is either News channel or music, mostly music for me. News channels are no better, less news and more debate, yelling news anchors, breaking news, mudslinging. I digress. I am engrossed by English TV Shows. Right now it is marathon of Modern Family. I finished six seasons and can't stop gushing. Modern Family is an American Sit-Com shot in mocumentary style with characters frequently directly talking into the camera. Set in suburban Los Angeles, CA, the story revolves around Jay Prichett and his dysfunctional family. Old fashioned patriarch Jay Prichett, married to much younger and sexy Colombian, Gloria with whom he has a baby boy; and a son, Manny, from Gloria's previous marriage. Jay has two adult kids, Claire and Mitchell from previous marriage, which ended in divorce. Claire is married to Phil Dunphy, a realtor and self-proclaimed "cool dad". They cluelessely raise three kids together; Haley, a popular, bemused teenage girl; Alex, super intelligent, nerdy; and Luke, a weirdo and cool in his own way. Jay's son Mitchell, an environmental lawyer, a gay and his husband, Cameron raises an adopted Vietnamese baby girl, Lily. They all stay in the same neighborhood and its their daily life's nitty-gritties. It is not a traditional sit-com with usual laugh track. The show focuses mainly on parents and how they raises their kids and interact with each other. Theirs is a modest and close-nit family. Each character is very well-etched, though I see little bit streak of Monica in Clarie. We will be well-acquainted with the character's mannerism and quirk to an extent that we feel they are real people whom we actually know. And the episodes are not interconnected. It is clever and well-written story. The writers deliberately take on a lot of social taboos to show us how shallow and prejudiced the society we live in. The life lessons at the end of episodes are heartwarming, but never preachy or soppy. It broadens your way of thinking and compels you for self-introspection. The writers create most hilarious and tear-jerking moments throughout the series. Kids get razor-sharp one-liner to match the adults too. All character share great chemistry with each other and they cracks you up most of the time. The entire ensemble of cast is brilliant. I'm not surprised it has so many accolades in its kitty. My favourite characters in order of preference. 1. Cameron Tucker; over dramatic, passionate, bubbly, and outgoing. 2. Phil Dunphy; a cool dad, calls parenting as peerenting, drives his wife, claire up the wall most of the time. 3. Gloria; loud, outspoken, feisty, sexy, with a heart of gold. 4. Manny; wise beyond his years and an aptly called "old soul". 5. Jay Prichett; acts tough, although deeply cares for feelings of all his family members. 6. Claire Dunphy; over protective, over-bearing, stressed out mother. 7. Mitchell Pritchett; oh! I love his eye-rolling. 8. Haley Dunphy 9. Alex Dunphy 10. Lily Prichett-Tucker 11. Luke Dunphy 12. Joe Prichett With critical acclaim, this one is a stellar. I recommend this one to anybody who appreciate good comedy. PS: I already know them inside-out and sheepishly I must admit they are my extended "Modern Family."
Without warning or explanation, Indian government blocked 875 pornographic websites this weekend, which was welcomed by some and opposed by many. I want to share my two cents here. I've seen porn and I must concede I don't enjoy watching them. If I do, then nobody should dictate terms, because that would be my right. I don't accept government's intrusion in my private life. Supreme court declined a request to block access to online pornography. In rejecting the request, India's chief justice, H.L. Dattu, said adults had a fundamental right to watch pornography within the privacy of their own homes. I couldn't agree more. If a person enjoys within the privacy of his/her home, nobody should have problem with it. It is not like they are watching it in assembly. Right? What happened to those 3 ministers caught on camera watching porn? Was there any action taken against them? Do they genuinely expect the habitual porn viewers will stop watching it? They will find ways to get their hands on it anyways. It is like a forbidden fruit. Another argument is it contributes to sex crimes against woman? Do rapists/sexual perpetrator would watch porn and go on raping spree? Give me a break. Will ya? Rape is never about sex. Never, period. On that in some other post. And post I shall. On the contrary, child pornography is a crime. It can have devastating physical, social, and psychological effects on children who were portrayed in the films. And user of child pornography in the long run may also turn into a child abuser or worse a pedophile. (He/She must be one) Because of blocking, even the hush-hushed topic like porn came to mainstream news and now each Tom, Dick, and Harry wants to know about it. After Swatch Bharat, Modi Government wants "Swatch Internet". First, the Government ought to have an open discussion in parliament and pass a legislation. This mere blanket ban is unacceptable. My political knowledge is limited. But I know for a fact that is how democracy works. The government has no business imposing what Indians watch online. Edited to Add: Government revoked an order to block hundreds of pornographic websites except sites that promote child pornography. PS: On topic of #pornban, Sunny Leone reacted in a smart way, her hubby wearing a T-shirt that says "Sex sells."
