Knock Knock...Anybody there???

"Mom please purchase the cricket bat and I'll study properly and clean the room all week"
"Comeon u know that I share everything with you because you're my friend"
"Sweetheart it appears to me that you never pay attention to what I say"
"You're an adolescent, it doesnt mean that you know everything, you've to listen what the elders say"
" I've faced so many difficulties in life, God never listened to my prayers"
" The biggest failure of my life is that noone pays heed to what i say even in my own house"

Now they are different scenes in the play of a person's life, different acts that unfold one after the other but there is a nexus in these phases- aspiration for a listener to attend as to what we've to say. Every individual has a certain way of thinking and for him/her that thought process is distinctive from all the fellow beings, which automatically gives him/her the anxiety to share it with others. We're social beings and the social fabric has become so labyrinthine that the intermingling and interdependence has increased viz a viz the last generation. During their stint with society, the families used to be so big that it was a mini society in itself. People had way too many people around at home only to bother about others. But with migration and exposure to a wider world, society gained a more structured form and found its relevance. People found people they could relate to and talk to about what they feel, how they feel and why do they feel what they feel. It is part of the human nature that he is himself incapable of keeping everything within. Call it outsider's perspective, call it an open mind prepared for new ideas or call it a simple unburdening of thoughts, we've always looked forward for someone to share our plight with.

But as the need for an aggressive listener became stronger, so did the yardstick for him. This complaint kept exacerbating that there is noone who's actually willing to listen to all that we've to offer and say. There is a common chord that intersects which keeps saying "Nobody's listening". So as a kid my demand for a cricket bat or an extra chocolate is never thought of being catered to and my plea is never heard which makes me wonder why dont parents listen to me, after all I'm not a kid( which I eventually am at that stage).








Our voyage in the outside world begins and initially its the birds of the same feathers that flock together. We develop a rapport with like minded kids( criterion may be fav actors, fav cricketer or it may simply be the food in his/her lunchbox. We look out for refuge there and we set out with our long list of complaints about how the world is so mean to kids( Now it is a common syndrome- we conveniently choose the situations where we shrug away the idea of being a kid and the situations where the idea of being a kid comes as the only resort to evade a spanking, so we determine it as per our convenience as to whether we are little kids or not).

Even when we grow up, for many of us friends are the listeners we seek out for instead of parents. Be it the ideas that the young mind is bubbling with, the I-know-what-it takes-to-succeed thinking or the so called personal problems- ranging from post puberty hormonal overtime work or a spat with a girlfriend to the failure of finding a purpose in life , we're always on the lookout of someone to talk to. But the quench is never really satisfied maybe because almost everyone whom we want to talk to, is undergoing the same phase and wants to talk about his/her problems as well.So again the feeling reiterates that why isnt there anyone who's willing to listen to what I've to say.

A different scenario but suffering from the same syndrome is the relationship of a man and a woman( I restrict it to lovers and married couples here). They are fundamentally so different in everything that after the hunky dory phase of the relationship is passe, the time comes of building a sphere of compatibility, a domain of adjustments so to say. One of the prime facets of this is to listen to the partner.




Now men by default aren't great listeners and women have a knack of sharing what comes to their minds. Now this chasm can really deepen if not catered to quickly with a firm bridge to mellow down the temperaments. The failure to do so is what we witness in the form of common marriage counselling ,seven year itch or moving out of the relationship. There is a common complaint amongst the fairer sex that Men just dont listen and that puts a roadblock in the process of ameliorating compatibility. To put it in a nutshell, not finding a listener certainly spells doom's day even here.

It is found to be a common phenomena in social circles for people to go gaga about their kids. How often have we not witnessed in parties that men and women keep lionizing the laurels of their wards and the listeners just dont seem interested because they've a story to tell about their own child. So things like "Mere bete ka IIT mein admission hua" " meri beti ko job mein raise mila" or "humne toh keh diya ki US mein kuch saal hi rehna" are met with cold and indifferent reception.








The listener stays there out of courtesy, but the bodylanguage and eyes wandering elsewhere clearly resonte the please-complete-your-story-i've-one-of-mine-to-narrate-as-well message. So it becomes agonizing for parents as for them the kids at home dont listen to them out of pure resistance of adolescence, and in the social circle noone actually cares as to whether your ward has been there and done that.

A friend of mine was given this assignment to interview a group of corporate hochos to talk about their journey. What came as a rude shock to her and to me as well when she narrated the experience was people around their 40's pouring their hearts out in front of her(a student) describing the pages of their personal lives. Now what exactly must have led them to do it? They surely didnt expect a 21 year old to give them a solution to the crisis in their lives. Was it simply the solace of telling everything out to a complete stranger who wouldn't be judgemental or was it simply an irresistible outburst of what we perceive as mid life crisis?The outburst may be shocking but brings us back to the fundamental hypothesis- people want someone to listen to them.

But why do they need anyone else to do it? Are they too scared to talk to themselves( introspect)? Do they know that they may be in for a rude honest answer if the conversation is carried with oneself? Is it simply nothing but the fact that they are looking out for sympathy and no judgement because nothing else explains spilling the beans of your personal life to strangers. We do see people around us who love to talk and who if neglected or ignored for a while during a group meetup become restless and their bodylanguage tends to go completely haywire. They just cant have others not listening to them. Why is that exactly? Why so much anxiety to be heard? Maybe its just an avenue to bring something out of the system completely.





Maybe that explains aggressive listeners become friends fast with people. People tend to repel the ones who like to talk more about themselves in the first meet and prefer those who give the oppotunity for him to talk.



Leave aside humans, we constantly crib that even the Almighty doesnt listen to us and conveniently neglects what we really want. This quest for a listener is ubiquitous and no matter how much we deny it, we want it. Call it a syndrome, call it insecurity or call it a way of life, the bottom line is we all crave for listeners and love it even more when they echo what we say. Maybe we are not really looking for a mirror but just a karaoke!!! So the knocking on the doors is going to continue....Anybody there?

PAA

"We don't see eye to eye on many things.But Dad, I come to believe that I got it in me to be somebody in this world. And it's not because I'm so different from you either. It's 'cause I'm the same. You know, I can be just as hardheaded and just as tough. I only hope I can be as good a man as you are." - October Sky

This line clearly epitomizes the terrains on which a father son relationship travels. It is probably the most intense, complex and subtle relationship in a man's life. The equation can never be expressed properly with the right adjectives because it has an uncanny enigma associated with it. From the time a little boy starts to understand the nuances of life, the first hero he envisages is his father. For a kid, everything that his father does,sets a benchmark that even his favorite actor can't emulate. Be it the style of amble, be it the way he talks, be it his style of reading newspaper or be it his demeanor with his office colleagues. How many of us haven't tried wearing the shoes of our father after he was back from office? How many of us haven't used his shaving brush to shave our then non-existent beards? How many of us haven't tried copying his signature( not necessary for forgery :P ) just to feel that sense of power? I can honestly confess here that for me, even his style of smoking was the best possible way one could smoke. There was a sense of amazing panache in everything a father did that its imitation gave a surreal satisfaction. For us at that age, he is the person we really want to be (immaterial of our minds vacillating to pursue everything from medicine to engineering to flying to cricket to even becoming an astronaut ).

As we grow, the respect and the awe never goes down, but the relationship transmogrifies to a more intense and mellowed level. The father, who has himself sailed in the same boat, understands exactly how the temperament of an adolescent boy works and he also understands the fact that if that is not kept in right check, it can succumb to nefarious influences. Now, here the chasm starts to deepen. There are myriad difference of opinions on the most trivial of issues as the boy is in an age where everything seems impeccable and accomplishable. The feeling complemented by a sudden rise of ego and an indefatigable spirit, when finds a resistive force in the form of his father's experience, doesn't try to cogitate over it but deviates to insurgency. What adds on to this conundrum is the stoic expression of emotions. On one hand, whereas the mothers(sweethearts that they are) have a conspicuous expression style, the fathers weigh their words on every occasion making sure that there isn't a deluge of emotions flowing. So your mother's ecstacy over any of your laurels would certainly be communicated to her friends in morning walks, kitty parties, over phone or office get-togethers. She'll prepare the best of delicacies to celebrate the occasion. Fathers on the other hand, will express their happiness over it but will simultaneously give you a cautionary message of not becoming complacent and to keep working hard as success is ephemeral. His discussion about your laurels with his colleagues would be centered around how can you improve on your current accomplishment and the entire conversation would be sans exaggerated encomium. So moms would be all smiling and ecstatic, hymning the tunes of " Arey mera beta, I'm so proud of you. We should thank God that you've achieved this fete. You worked so hard for this. Tell me what do you want now as a gift?".




Now fathers would watch all this histrionic tsunami of emotions("Khushi ke aansu") and when you look towards him with all the expectations of a song of eulogy, all you get is " Good Job son. Keep it Up". That's it? I mean seriously, that's it? Wasn't it to accomplish this fete that i was lambasted by you time and again for the lack of effort, and now all I get is a " Good Job". Well that's how a father- son relationship is!!!


But what is the reason behind this comport? The reason is pretty simple -He has been there and done that. He knows where can we get lost and hence he is our guiding light to make sure the limelight isn't headed towards the Road to Perdition. A father's sole intention is to be the avenue of reality check for his boy, he just cannot afford to get sentimental about his kid as he clearly understands the fact that a bit of toughness today is the only way the boy can graduate to a man. A classic line used by many fathers when we try to outsmart him and the connivance is caught- " Beta, Aakhirkaar main tera baap hoon". Point duly noted and appreciated boss.

For a guy, there can never be a more educative, informative or a more wise promulgation of ideas than there is discussing with his father. Right from discussion of world politics to how human psyche is, how one can be duped in life or how to make sure that productivity of work can be maximized, dads know it all. They really do. Now, its not a matter of education or literacy, its sheer experience of life that equips them to share these pearls of wisdom. Now I'm not of the opinion that fathers are always right, but they mostly are and their judgment rarely goes wrong, especially when it comes to gauging their son. How many times haven't your father posed a challenge in front of you and you took it as a man to man thing and over a period of time you realized - "Gosh!! He was again right. He knew i wont do it." They just know it, don't they? And if you spring in a surprise by proving them wrong, well his loss is still his victory. Integrity, Honesty, self respect, astute acumen, smartness, diligence, conduct we learn all these traits directly or indirectly from him. No wonder that we find the anecdotes of his college instances to be really fascinating. There is an inexplicable sense of pride when you come to know that your father actually slapped someone. A flurry of questions with a sense of disbelief comes to your mind and you are like - " Really? Why? When? To whom? What then? Oh My God?" and the last question comes in " Why do you ask me then to stay away from all this?". You are beaming with pride thinking -"That's my dad!!!"





A father son's relationship has a lot of depth in it. Now can a son and a father really be friends? I think people misunderstand a father who is friendly to a father becoming a friend. Both the phenomenon are clearly discrete. A father can be friendly to make sure you have a sense of comfort to promulgate your opinion and ideas, but he certainly is not a friend because there is always a sense of respect, awe and and even fear that persists, which is certainly essential.



You need a person whose thought at any juncture of your life, can make you think twice before you choose a wrong path. His Halo shines with you forever. He's not only your ATM to withdraw money from as and when required to fulfill our necessities and even luxuries, the real asset that a guy gets out of his father is his purview over the scheme of things.


There have been so many movies in the past based on a father son relationship that've tried to capture the panorama of this relation's roller coaster ride. Be it the warmth of the relationship in The Pursuit Of Happyness or be it the intensity in The Godafather and its Indian counterpart Sarkar series, father-son relationship has been captured emphatically. Who can forget the scene in Lakshya when Hrithik calls his father(Boman Irani) and apologizes for letting him down, and the way Boman Irani says that he's proud to have a son like him.Low on words and emotions, but high on expression!!! Be it the altercation in Shakti or be it the
any door's story in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, there is high voltage, low resistance action involved in this relationship.



Sometimes it takes a road to perdition for the discovery of how much they care for each other, and sometimes it needs an adventure to find nemo ot discover how much they mean to each other. To put it in a nutshell the relationship doesnt rely too much on words- it is a relation of unsaid words, unexpressed emotions, and temperamental collisions.

Its very important to understand the fact that even though boys are meant to be close to their mothers(which they certainly are) because of the comfort, warmth, patient listening, quick melting of heart that they get. Fathers on the other hand are the source of strength. I bet that the most disturbing scene you can imagine in your life is your father in tears. Just imagine it and you feel a sudden excruciating gloom in your mind. This is just not meant to be, for us he is the source of power and seeing him down can be the most enervating thought.

This is the circle of life where the journey, from the time you start to learn walking holding his hands to the time you become the hands to support him, provides a meaning to your life. Just close your eyes and think of your father, you experience an uncanny power in yourself. Need I say anything more? Understated yet extraordinarily conspicuous is the journey of PAA and his son.

The Last Lap !!!!!

"Come On, You're almost there........
Don't let go of it now........
You've worked so hard for this........
There is no one else who can do it.......
. You are meant for this.......
. Just push a little harder and the victory is yours........"

Welcome to the Last Lap!! After every possible endeavor has been done, after every stone has been turned, after every drop of sweat has been profusely spent and after a roller coaster ride of a big adrenaline rush- comes the last lap. There are so many sports where this last stage differentiates between "WHO IS" and WHO COULD'VE BEEN" .This difference, which is decided in split seconds at times, marks a clear distinction between the champion who takes it all and the runner up whose dead heat loss would haunt as a nightmare in the future. It is the stage that defines a gamut of traits for the road map of success immaterial of the goal one has chosen to pursue. This stage demands gruelling physical balnce and tremendous mental calmness, it demands proactive motivation and the optimism to be a finisher and not a choker. It demands self belief that can bog down the weight of expectations carried on the shoulders and it demands the mental toughness to still focus on the target inspite of all these things running in one's head to accomplish VICTORY. After all, who wont want to end up being the one to open the champagne's cork as a sign of pride and a symbol of supremacy? The winner gets the gold, everyone else simply live with the consolation.

The likes of Michael Schumacher, Lance Armstrong, Usain Bolt, Mohammad Ali, Sachin Tendulkar, Zinedine Zidane have been the legends who've faced the music of this gruelling stage for many years and they not only learnt to live with it, they made it dance to their own tunes. All these consummate legends share the trait of speed, agility, focus, diligence, power, toughness and dogged determination to make it through the last lap of their battle and emerge as victorious Spartans. Their examples reflect that one needs to be equipped with these essential traits to be the last man standing. But what if you don't have any of these traits and you're suffering from many ailments- mentally and physically and are left with no purpose in life. Even the other end of the victory post looks nebulous and you aren't even sure whether the destination is a sign of victory or defeat.

Welcome to the Last Lap!! Forget speed, forget proactive motivation, forget optimism, forget toughness and forget focus. Here you're now in the last lap of the circle of life. The last lap of a person's life is the absolute opposite of what a sport's last lap represents. After embarking a very long journey with myriad ups and downs,content or discontent, fulfillment or regret, laurels or ignominies, comfort or struggle, a person is left with the memories that provide him/her a window of retrospect to look back at the time spent. Its not that anything would be changed on looking back at the road travelled so far, but maybe it is the platform to move away from what might have been the cause of all problems- DENIAL!! Guilt and redemption are positive traits because they make a person move a step away from DENIAL and towards ACCEPTANCE.









Life is a great leveller and the best testimony to this facet comes in the dusk of life. Be it a hedonist who relished the cornucopian luxuries or a mendicant who always lived in a hand to mouth state in life, the last lap is a struggle for both.Just put yourself in the shoes of an 80 year old person who has lived a satisfactory life and has performed all the responsibilities expected by the society and commands the respect of the people who know him. But that was in the past, what next? Is comfort a sufficient substitute for purpose? Is existence good enough to make us forget about life? Imagine the struggle each day presents where one really has little to contribute or convey. What exacerbates the situation is the prevalence of various ailments. The lack of pupose is worsened by the prevalence of various problems such as vision or hearing impairment, dementia and a big list that i really dont want to get into. Picking only the normal vision and hearing impairments, imagine how difficult can life get when communication becomes difficult. Imagine the jolt to a person whose opinion has been sought after all through the life and now the person can't even be part of a normal conversation. Imagine looking around all day but getting nothing more than a hazy picture of what is around. Immobility, dependence and growing altercation with the family(just to fight with one's own frustration) are repercussions whose thought itself is pretty depressing. A person's prowess rises and sets like the sun and the dusk is really a difficult time to deal with even though the twilight may give sporadic reasons to celebrate.



This is the stage of life when a person transforms from a reader of spirituality to its aficionado. Maybe the process is a bit late in the day, but the little drops of tranquility that thinking about God, morals and virtues give them is the perfect way to sprinkle purpose. This is the stage where the grandchildren become their best friends and a small session of talk or a little laugh with them becomes the purpose to spend the remaining days. They look forward to these sessions and it is the time that makes them forget everything else.








This is the time when the mind transcends and there is an uncanny trance in their minds which is inscrutable for others. This last lap is diametrically opposite to the last lap we talked about earlier as here even the definition of victory isn't known. It might be a silent death for some without being any trouble to anyone, it may be trying to fulfill that one last wish that has been impending for long- the bucket list that was long forgotten. What lies beyond the final line is still an enigma for everyone, but maybe unraveling this mystery is what provides the long missing purpose in their lives.

Now I'm not here to question or empathize or educate anyone to work for ameliorating their plight. I'm no pedant. It is a rambling that came to my mind and I decided to put it in words. I don't expect anything out of others and I wont ask anyone to do anything. A sense has been gifted to everyone which works and if listened to properly, it directs in the right path. The last lap is an inevitable process of life and has to be dealt with. Change is a nature of life and one generation has to make way for the next one and if this is the way chosen for it, then let it be. Maybe a smile next time you see an old person might be the trick. After all, even this small gesture can give them a purpose to move on.

But there is one common aspect in both the last laps i mentioned- there is a persistent struggle and at the end of the day everyone does cross the finishing line. There is a similar perseverance and there is a similar patience. The victory doesn't matter in the latter case. A feeling of ACCEPTANCE is the perfect denouement to the scheme of things.


Anyhow is there still a last man standing????

Singing In The Rain

An overcast sky gives people a perfect opportunity to roll up their sleeves and participate in a fantastic prediction game called -RAIN OR NO RAIN!!! Maybe a game not identified by people across the world but we in India just cannot resist the temptation to flaunt our expert opinion and astute acumen in predicting whether the overcast sky would eventually lead to precipitation of water or not. We seem to've an unbreakable bond with the rains. Many of us wait for the monsoon season and are joyous at its arrival. The farmers are happy as this is the Guardian Angel that make sure how well they are going to fare in the coming year. The rain isn't a mode of enjoyment for them, but a necessity.

The urban population's connect with the rain is not only on account of the necessity factor. Of course rains help in filling the water bodies that ensure the supply of our basic amenity of water consumption and blah blah blah blah... but i don't want to talk about the cliche serious stuff associated with rains. I mean come on guys, rains are supposedly a fun time right?? They evoke such a wide spectrum of emotions in people. There is such a wonderful essence in the air that fills the heart with unparalleled invigoration. Just recall the times back in school when it rained really heavily, you still were compelled to go to school and on going there you find out that the school has declared a holiday due to the heavy downpour. Visualize the happiness that your face exuded, wasn't there sheer ecstasy and a silent hope that it should rain like this each day so that you can come back home dancing?









Maybe the excitement wasn't because of the holiday, but the sheer unanticipated declaration made it super fun for us. I still cant stop smiling recalling the fact that i used to come back home and enunciate the entire course of events to my mother from the entrance of the home only. Mothers being the sweethearts that they are, not only made sure that she listened with intent the fable of her little boy as if he had just won a battle against dragons, but also simultaneously took a towel to make sure that the drenched hair is dried .(Now let me clarify here- we left home with the entire raincoat, but putting up that cap of the raincoat on the head??? No way.. that is just one of the step cousin sisters of the all so feminine scarf. Call it male ego, but i always hated to sport that and still swoop out of the home stealthily without it. I even hate that trouser of the raincoat. Its like posing like a pseudo stripper.) Watching the rain fall outside,sipping a cup of coffee along right now transports me back in time to those wonderful times.


When you peep out of the window to see the downpour it just gives such a calming effect. It gives an avenue to do so many things. You can call up a friend for a chitchat, you can sit with your family and fill the void of a long impending talk, go for a long drive, simply go out in the rain and drench yourself to take every worry out of the system,you can listen to some favorite tracks of yours and let the music amalgamate with the music of the rain to create a majestic effect, you can simply feast over pakoras, samosas or bhutta to add on to the spice of the ambience,you can try to imagine a scenario as to how wonderful it'd have been if you had a girlfriend to coochy coo with in the romantic ambience[:P], and if you already have one you can give a call to your love and sing her a romantic song and reiterate how beautiful she might look with her wet hair in the rain [:P]. The others can play a game of football or cricket with friends and come back home all muddy or simply sit quietly with a coffee mug in the hand and enjoy the rain. Just simply allow the rain to be the nexus between you and a long impending thing( it can simply be being with yourself). Now every person's association with the rains can be different and I'm sure everyone has an interesting story associated with it.


Even though i do crib sometimes when it rains on my way to some work and when it douses me completely(slight side effect of a two wheeler) but I have to admit that i love it thoroughly . If I'm coming back home from some place and then if its raining then mostly i avoid the raincoat much to the chagrin of the family members. I've been lambasted a lot over it, but I just cant let go of this habit. I mean how can i miss the fun of driving in the rain, singing songs(sometimes even to the top of my voice) while driving and enjoy my few moments without the cellphone(somehow it takes the rain to keep the phone away from me, need to get rid of this addiction). So even though the repercussions are well known, i still fancy soaking myself head to toe than just being a pseudo stripper covered head to toe who dries the raincoat after coming back home and neatly folds it after that to prepare it to fight against the next rainy escapade. Sorry just not me!!!

Even when its not the monsoon season and there is an unanticipated downpour you just feel like leaving everything aside and go about enjoying it. Your age is absolutely immaterial for you to relish this fantastic experience. You can be a child, no matter how old you are and allow the innocence to take over your personality for once when the rain gods smile.







Maybe it is the chance to remind you of going back to the basic,elementary style of return to simplicity. As it is very well said that " It is so simple to be happy, but it is so difficult to be simple" Here you get an opportunity to revisit both.

So next time when it rains- look at the spectacle, appreciate its beauty, understand its calmness, hum its symphony, feel its fragrance and sip a cup of coffee to capture a perfect moment. Go on ladies and gentleman, look into the sky and see what's coming for you. There is certainly a ray of hope and a drop of happiness. Both are priceless!!!

Heil the Maverick !!!

"Is brahmaand ka ek ansh hai ye sansaar ye dharati ye dhara ye prithvi.
Isamein jivankarta paalankarta aur sangharkarta ko bhagvan ishwar aur parmaatma ya vishwatma kehate hain.
Par hamaari ye kahani us ishwar ya bhagvaan ki nahi is vishwa mein aayi huyi un aatmayon ki hai jo parmaatma ka ek ansh hain.
Aur wo ansh jivaatma ka roop lekar dharati par aata hai to manushya kehalaata hain."


But is it a Manushya whom we're talking about here??? Lets evaluate - He's the only guy i've met in person who can lose weight drastically and the unceasing process has become a liability now than an asset making him the perfect choice to play Christian Bale's part in hindi version of "The Machinist." He is one of the rarest species on this planet who doesnt like chocolates.





He is a phenomenal blabbering machine who can give Usain Bolt, Schumi or Lance Armstrong a run for their money in terms of speed, u just need to raise a controversial toast and then sit back and enjoy the show for the guy would take the conversation( maybe even a monologue) to a different terrain.






He has watched movies- left, right and centre and the plight now is that the entire world industry is finding it difficult to keep up pace with this consumer's requirements. He can learn the uncanniest of dialogues in movies and can use them in the most wierdest of situations to exude awe(tho disgust at times :P :D) amongst his listeners.There have been analogies in real life as well based on the reel life Maverick -Iceman, Vegetta- Kakarott and The Great Danton- The Professor to identify and appreciate not only his love for the movies, but the sheer living of onscreen feasts.


He enjoys quite a unique style of humour( Read:- Not funny :P) that pretty much leaves him in splits with the others left ruminating over how to get over it.







He is outrageously in love with the dubbed versions of South Indian Cinema with a special penchant for telugu cinema's demi gods Mega Star Chiranjeevi and Power Star Pawan Kalyan( pronounced as Pawn kalyan by this gentleman). He will repeat those stupid cheesy dubbed lines and go gaga for hours over how macho these action scenes are. In short his taste in movies covers the entire gamut from the ubiquitously renowned classics to the full-on mass appeal masala potboilers. Off late , the love for these masala movies has added a new dimension with mad recitation of the most preposterous( yet amazingly melodious) movie songs, a trait we've fallen prey to and even the streets of nagpur witnessed it when they were sung in loud cacophony by the two of us.

A person who does believe that Hitler was correct in many of his actions and also propogates him; his modern day heroes also include the likes of Nadal and Ganguly( ahem ahem.. for the latter). We seem to be always supporting the different guys, maybe reflective more of the characteristic traits. He loves the flamboyant and rebellious Nadal, Ganguly whereas my support lies with the more consummate artists Federer and Dravid. This has led to myriad discussions, criticisms and banter amongst us, of course this is just one of the issues amongst many.We have debated and literally fought over almost every issue on the planet and conclusive or inconclusive, this has led to fabulous value addition in ideas. One of the issues where we do mellow down is the entire issue of "Mythilogy and Idol Worship" !!!! That eases off the animosity of the conversation and brings a more subtle approach.

So ladies and Gentleman, he's a maverick to the core- the one who hates to follow the tested paths and wants to tread into alien territories( dont get into why, what, how). Makes tonnes of friends, keeps them, pampers them(girls take notice). He's quite a gentleman with the ladies and I've been lambasted by a common friend to learn this trait.




He's quite a charmer with the fairer sex and his boyish persona is quite popular amongst them and this has earned him quite a few admirers.





There have been many instances where he led from the front and did make an exciting journey. The Times CEB venture, his idea of the GD club, his fantastic service for FFC are just a few of the illustrations out of a list of many where this guy has never shied away from doing something different. As it is famously said that leadership qualities cant be inculcated but are present in you or not- this guy surely does have oodles of that. Confidence, spontaneity, powerhouse dynamism, bohemia are just few of the characteristic traits that define him. I see more paraphernalia being added in the future that would make the arsenel more ready to fight like a spartan against the mightiest of oppositions.

By the way he's very "helpful" as a person, he has been really helping to all of us since long. We all appreciate the fact as to how much helpful he has been. though he modestly refuses to acknowledge it, i use this platform to say this.. if there is just one word that defines Karan the person, it is - "HELPFUL". In the past four years, being friends wit him has also made me acquainted to one of the universal truths of life that -"Karan is always right". Its like a gospel that all of you must remember if you interact with him. No matter what the topic is, no matter how much you know about it, no matter if every other aspect condradicts this dictum, just remember this doctrine- 'Karan is always right". These are pearls of wisdom ladies and gentlemen, if you follow it, the chances of you getting successful exponentially rise.

A person who doesnt try to be moderate in his opinion about issues, a trait aptly reflected in his writing style. His blog www.maverick-kj.blogspot.com comes up with pertinent and thought provoking articles that do leave you with things to contemplate over for sure. It is ostensible in there that he not only thinks when he writes, he also feels for the issues. He believes in having this no holds bar thing in expression style and moderation is a sin for him.

Now coming to our friendship, its been quite a story. We are two different personalities altogether, sharing very limited characteristic traits(maybe none). We hardly talked in the first year of college and it actually took a group discussion club to bridge in the gap for madness to follow. Since then, there has been no looking back. Classic case of respecting the differences and appreciation of talent has been one of the cornerstones. Have been teams in various competitions and to good effect as well . THe KJ's have been quite an eventful duo so far.

Since the gentleman for whom this post is dedicated hates to read long blog entries, so I'd rather cut it short. On this day of his birthday in this very crucial year of life, I wish him the best of success. He dreams big, like the Karan Johar larger than life movies without throwing out RGV's realistic approach out of the window. That is a dynamite combo and m sure it'd take him places.




The world awaits to be conquered. This epitome of Corporate Social Professional would be a much sought after people in the times to come. Wishing you a gr8 life ahead. Let's all get together in wishing Maverick the best in life - Happy Birthday Pal !!!!

Utopia Or Dystopia?? Oh Darling, Yeh Hai India !!!

The knowledge wave as described by Alvin Toffler is a testimony to the burgeoning information and intelligence around us. But it has its by product in the form of people having an opinion about everything(which i assume is their prerogative in a way). So we have the intelligentsia and the esoteric, always ready to pass critique on a gamut of issues, the most favorite of which is - Our country is heading towards murky waters. Now this intelligentsia is a smorgasbord of academicians,experts of varied professions; people who've been there and done that.I wonder that does experience breed pessimism and make people naysayer or is it just that the reality check has taught them to play it safe??Everyone's heart suggests that life is meant to be good to them, maybe their experience suggested otherwise.


Maybe this is the difference in the way a 21 yr old thinks and a person who has seen more of this world thinks.No doubt we have impending impediments to deal with, but the 21 yr old in me still sees light on the other side of the tunnel.

What we're talking about is neither Utopia nor Dystopia(if they can ever exist that is); what we talk about is India. "Koi desh perfect nahi hota, use perfect banaana padtaa hai."

The gravity doesnt lie in where we stand right now, but instead in where we're heading.I see us heading in the right direction, though the peregrination is slow.We've travelled from being called the land of snake charmers and rope tricks to being described as the digital housekeepers of the world(Still A parochial definition ).



We provide a service, the world wants what we have and they want the best. We're in business together,so lets stop getting judgemental about it. The world has become an inextricable knot where interdependence is indispensible.we are no more the electrons revolving around, instead we're part of the nucleus oozing out positive charge.


We're no more lackadaisical avoiding work surreptitiously wearing the cloak of socialism.The Graffiti has spelt the need of the hour- U want to subsist,then U got to deliver. THe change is conspicuous and the world is taking notice. Never before have Indian Professionals been so good at multitasking and never before have we seen the number of employment generators ameliorating at this rate( Read Rashmi bansal's "stay Hungry Stay Foolish"). I think we're heading towards the right balance of the bracket of people where they know what they want and since they are the prime movers of any society, i wont even bother about the nebulous ones.

We question the Govt's role in their policies. But when our Finance Minister gives a budget favoring the aam aadmi, the corporate half cries out loud for lack of reforms and the same happens vice versa when it is pro industry. I'd not like to blame the Government, if we ourselves are so manipulative(Jugaadu)that we find novel ways of mending the laws.
So if the govt. gives 50% grant to infrastructural projects concatenated by 20% by state govt., my city's municipal corporation fails to raise even 30% of the amount and the entire project of Urban Development is scrapped. Why should i blame the Govt. for that??


Our condition is not as bad as Gotham for something elemental to come up and rescue us;what we need is a cabal of people like Michael Mukherjee(Yuva) or Mohan Bhargava(Swades) to take up the mantle and drive the change. We've gentlemen like Arvind Kejriwal and Anand Kumar, seeing whom i dont consider my optimism as fatuous. Never before have i seen non-profit seeking ngo's in such a large number to serve for a purpose.The wheel is rolling for sure.

But like i mentioned,We're no Utopia.We still have people fighting to get their basic rights- a woman fighting for dignity after opting for a divorce,homosexuals fighting for dignity after the law against them has been revoked. For them jurisdication is just a part of the entire panorama; its the attitude of the ones around, that'd give them the confidence of being egalitarian.


We've the problem of the original termite of any system, THE MIDDLE MAN. This bridge between the Govt and the common man has myriad chinks and hence when funds want to cross this bridge, they succumb to the chinks falling straight into the ravine of Middle man's pockets.





This is precisely why i wont compare us to Japan or Germany who made progress like a juggernaut after being annihilated so brutally. Corruption persists there as well, the only difference is people there who ask for bribes do the needful after that. But we being what we are, we take bribes and still won't work.Proud to be a democracy!!!!



But i still see optimism at the end of the tunnel,i still envisage a new dawn at the horizon.I see the burgeoning Purchasing Power Parity of the middle class; who likes to spend the weekend in a mall,watch movie in a multiplex and enjoy a meal at a
fancy restaurant. This is a reflection that something positive has struck this land. I see class consciousness as a very positive facet which i believe would promote Darwin's postulates. We may still be hypocrites on many aspects:we still have inequality, we still have people below BPL starving to death, we still have farmers committing suicides,we still have domestic violence; but it was never prognosticated that the change would be made overnight, it was never prophesized that i'd wake up from a dream and i'd see that in tangibility. Reforms take time, they need dynamism, they need unity, they need cognizance.





But Maybe this is the difference in the way a 21 yr old thinks and a person who has seen more of this world thinks. I like to see the light at the end of the tunnel ,but the one who got a reality check would simply say " Goddamn!!! u first need to get out of the quagmire u're in,to reach there."

Maybe Syncretism of these ideas is the solution. Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what u're gonna get.The anomaly exists, but at the end of it all if you've earned it, u're going to savor the entire box of chocolates.

Love Don't Cost A Thing

The chartbuster JLo song of the same title is certainly an oxymoron. Now i'm neither a love guru or an economist to be pedantic about either of the concepts - love and cost. And neither have i been there or done that to share a page out of my love life. But an apt functionality of my senses is a potent enough paraphernalia for me to have an opinion on this issue; lest not judgemental.

Love is one of the most overused yet one of the least understood concepts we come across. It makes an interesting discussion amongst all circles: age, sex, intelligence - no holds bar. Questions like what,why, how are often discussed; of course with the added punch of if's, but's, whether's, hence's and so's. People love to debate on it and since its not rocket science ( tho maybe a deeper quagmire), everyone has an opinion about it.

Now, does love really not cost a thing???

TAKE 1- Long lost are the days when a guy used to woo his lady by showing her the mirage of a dream castle and an assurance to bring down stars from the sky(cant believe the lady used to fall for it, but it didnt cost the guy anything). THey used to sit in some secluded corner in the soothing shade of a tree evading the scorching sun;with hawkers intermittently perturbing them with their unique marketing skills of selling chana Chor garam or ice candy (Poor guy has to buy one, maybe not out of concern for the lady;but to shoo away this watchdog).





By the way, we still have these hangout spots where couples coochy coo and the witnesses of their oozing affection frown. These lovers provide the best source of entertainment to the pedestrian miscreants, who've nothing better to do than tease them.Maybe not being the one with the lady, burns them up, and vengeance bursts out.

TAKE 2- Welcome to the new age, post liberalization youngistan which finds the former way of expressing love as earthbound. Opening up the economy has opened them up to an all new avenue to express love- commonly referred to as the DATING culture( "Seeing each other", "going out" are synonyms of the same phenomenon). The Gen X and now the Gen Y believe they are more pragmatic with relationships, since they give it more time before they could sing " Janam Janam ka Saath hai, Humara Tumhara, Humaara Tumhaara". Or instead it is "Tujhme rab dikhta hai" that goes better with the Youngistani love birds.

But, now this LOVE (if one can refer to it that ways) does cost a thing. Today's ladies would either kill or dump the guy, if he calls her to meet in an isolated corner of a garden to talk about how they are meant for one another in all their next lives ( rightly so i guess, even the sound of it is gross).
So, the dating joints have shifted from roadside lakeviews and parks to fancy restaurants, coffee shops,discs or lounges. Now here, there are two classifications-CHIVALRY and PRAGMATISM. The former category is the one where the guy is always expected to pay for the lady (STRIKE 1). It becomes a non negotiable agreement- THE GUY MUST PAY. And adding insult to injury is the the girl's PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (SIZE 0 to be precise) which makes her order the whole caboodle, but she leaves most of it untouched. And not only is she cautious about her own figure,but she wants the guy to be meticulous about his physique as well; thus preventing him from hogging like a guzzler.

Now the PRAGMATICS- they pay for themselves, they make sure they order sensibly and finish it and thankfully here the girl'S obsession is in bearable limits. The gospel is "Khao or khane do: the central idea is to have a good time". But still, here as well, the moolah is the cynosure and does creep in as a major factor(thankfully the burden is shared).

The favorite kid of new age india- mobile phones are next in line. Now, people who are seeing each other, have found the perfect companion in this gadget to keep them connected 24*7. Be it In college, on their vehicles, in the bathroom, in the bedrooms(playing with the pillow), standing on the porch, walking on the terrace, climbing up the stairs, climbing down the stairs or while taking food (before swallowing, while swallowing and after swallowing), the love birds just cant have enough of each other. How much closer does it bring them is debatable, but it certainly brings the telecom companies closer to whopping moolah(Fancy Airtel crossing 100 million customer base;major chunk being youngsters). Feeling the ethical responsibility of being the facilitators of the conversations(balderdash actually !!!), these companies keep coming up with offers to lure the young minds and to keep the cash bells ringing for themselves. Now, here the love does cost them a hefty sum if not whopping (STRIKE-2) and of course the bible of love says- getting regular topups done for each other is an integral part of a strong relationship.





The elder sister of mobile revolution, INTERNET- is another avenue to achieve the same. Now, it isn't as brutal as the former because it comes under the cloak of the so called "Internet-Is-So-imporant-for-the-career" psyche and hence cushions the blow. But the social networking sites and the chatting IM's do cost a chunk of the time if not money; the height of preposterous activity being chatting and talking with the same person simultaneously.



The next in the list is -fuel(STRIKE-3). Now, for this there is no count at all. Meeting at diffent joints, taking her for a ride,taking her for shopping, taking her to a movie(Chivalrous- be ready to pay for the ticket as well), going 10 times around the girl's house are paragons of how stealethly love empties the pockets and one even loses count of it.

Moving on, we've the cornerstone and a prerequisite of any relationship- GIFTS(STRIKE-4). We've birthdays, first meeting anniversary (monthly that is),first date gift, first date anninversary gift,first movie anniversary gift, first kiss anniversary gift;the list is more than the count of your hair. Why i adore the Pragmatics is because they dont indulge in this futile ostantatious flaunting, which is supposedly an avenue to reiterate your belief in the relationship (GROW UP!!!!!).




Now comes the icing on the cake- the situation when the partner gets angry and stops talking (STRIKE-1,2,3,4 CONGLOMERATED).You're supposed to do all the above mentioned things to woo your partner, to make her take a way back into love and the expenses shoot up more than when the sensex hits the upper circuit. Like an old classic hindi song of the Amitabh starrer 'majboor' puts it - "Roothe Rab Ko manaana aasaan hai, roothe yaar ko manaana mushkil hai."

Now, the pragmatics being the sensible beings,are intelligent enough to find a way out of all the situations mentioned , so that its not only one out of them to bear the brunt. They are practical enough of not getting grandiloquent in the expenditure.Its the chivalrous group that suffers big time(unless the guy's dad is a multi millionaire). But doesn't it reflect a very sorry state that love somehow never stays the nub of the relationship and materialism takes over??

I always had a question lingering in my mind and there hasn't been a rational reasoning to quell my curiosity. Is there even one logical reason as to why the guy should pay mostly if he himself is dependent on his parents and takes money from them for varied reasons??

Now, i'm not against the concept of dating.I agree that ladies are Archangels who deserve all the mollycoddling, but when its done at the expense of not one's own hard earned money but that of one's parents', that's when i have an issue with it. And its the responsibility of both people involved, to take a cue from the Pragmatics. They need to understand that once they're in a position to be someone on their own, that's when the romantics can kick out the economics out of the window.

The patrons of love, who claim its only the other person's demeanor and assiduous deportment which matters to them, i ask the question that why then do we fall in love with equals or the more well off ones?? Why doesnt a guy or a girl who is mediocre in the basic parameters of the assessment we've inculcated, get a chance to portray his/her demeanor, his/her love?? how often do we care to even give a chance to take them into reckoning?? How often do we care to find his/her nature first and leave aside the conspicuously alluring facets??

I see we mostly ignore it. Lets face it, love is conditional (The Unconditional element sounds good only in silver jubilee blockbusters-but there also the hero falls in love with the leading lady only, never even bothers to find out that her friend may be a better person). We all are that ways, and i'm not asking one to change. Its perfectly acceptable that we all want the best for ourselves: the respective Greek Goddesses and Prince Charmings,we all want stability. But we refuse to accept it. We need to accept that here as well love comes at a cost; at an expense: the expense of a condition and hence is not as pristine as it is made out to be. So, let us be honest with ourselves for once and accept that we're proponents of conditional love. It is high time for us to face reality and stop propagating the spurious theory that "LOVE DONT COST A THING".

NOTE :- The grammatically correct usage is "Love doesn't" and not "Love don't". The usage here is just to correlate with the song. The author wont entertain allegations of misdirection [:P]

QUEUE SERA SERA

I read an interesting quote sometime back which said "An Englishman, even if he is alone,forms an orderly queue of one". The quote though sarcastic, took me in a pensive mood to ruminate over the phenomenon of queues. Indians have an unbreakable nexus with queues, and not only have they learnt to live with it, but have found out ways to mitigate the pain of the stultifying process of waiting in a queue.

To be honest, its with the advent of education only that this QUEUE-LOROFORM is sprayed on us. I can still recall the sound of my teacher shouting at the top of her voice- "All the students go to the assembly in a straight line", " Hey you, walk properly in a queue", " Dont you have any discipline that you're walking waywardly??", and of course my personal favorite: The gospel of most teaching manuals- "Keep silence when you walk in a line". Oh God!! now that's callous. Its not an exaggeration but place yourself in the shoes of a young toddler of today; a toddler who's already engrossed in unravelling the mysteries of his/her lost teeth, who carries a bag that's double his/her own size,who cant figure out whether his/her english teacher is worse than the hindi one or is it the maths teacher who beats them hands down, who already has the onerous task of becoming a Tendulkar, Abdul Kalam and SRK(mind u all of them and not just one of them) in the future, who faces the diurnal conundrum of whether to resort to pokemon on tv or CounterStrike on the PC once back home after a long day in school, who has to settle for a mediocre kurkure packet when he/she is adamant to eat out at the new pizza outlet around the corner, who has to not only remember the latest chartbusters by heart but also maintain a staunch general awareness aptitude by reminiscing the show timings of Cartoon network,pogo, hungama, disney and god knows how many channels. Now isn't it unfair to expect from a little child, who's already preoccupied with so many grave obligations and has so much to discuss, to keep quiet in a queue and also to make sure that the movements are minimal. My sympathies to them. Wish this big bad world could understand their point of view for once.

So we become part of the queue movement since we learn to stand on our feet and the instances with the queues start queuing up. What starts as a discipline developing excercise, becomes an inevitable humdrum in our lives. For me, queues are synonymous to just one thing- a saturnine period of wait which just goes on and on and on.Its the same as how the long lost lovers in our hindi potboilers put it "Ek Ek pal sadiyon ki tarah lagta hai". Sorry to steal the thunder away from one of the most sought after lines of love birds, but it describes my predicament perfectly.

And the situation exacerbates for a lackadaisical ruminating person like me ( Ah!! forget the euphemism- i mean a lazy bum like me) who gets impatient on seeing a queue and the pain grows in direct proportion to the length of the queue. But as they say " The more one whines, the more ill luck shines". I've been part of this excruciating process quite a few times of late. But this is not about me only,i shouldn't be parochial.I'll try to give a general perception and will try hard not to let my personal grudge intervene(tho i may fail sporadically). people start the quest of queues right from the time of getting admission in a school, then to fill the fees, to be part of some fancy children's club because the neighbour's kid is part of it as well, then in college for every x, y and z reason. But the real winner are queues to get some document verified. For each document u need to be part of a queue, to get them photocopied u're part of a queue, to verify them you're again in a queue and i'm not even getting into the scenario where your request may be rejected at any of these places and you've to be part of it all over again. Phew!!!!

So be it banks, courts, RTO,bus stands,hospitals,temples, bill payments or movie tickets, we witness ourselves being part of a queue at some point or the other. The latest rage being the auditions of reality shows. Just to see thousands of people flocking up, standing one after the other, waiting for eternity until their chance comes,makes me fall in admiration of these brave souls who're ready to fight out heat, hunger,fatigue, boredom and sometimes obnoxious company. They have the audacity to come and stand a day before, just to make sure they are not in the nether half of the line. Kudos to these people, they deserve a medal of honour.

Fancy the gentleman here who has found a thing to cheer about even here.



The famous Mumbaikar spirit that the entire world talks about has this striking knack of forming queues. i was flabbergasted to see the way the mumbaikars arrange themselves in a queue anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Its a commendable trait where one can witness people conglomerating one after the other and they never even crib about it.

But queues do give us the opportunity of witnessing some really interesting people. We encounter a wide gamut of people of varied psyche, backgrounds and temperaments. While some are too engrossed with their mobile phones coochy cooing, some dont leave the chance to discuss the fallacies of the Political system or the underperformance of the cricket team, some keep losing temper intermittently to indulge in vituperation (#$%@^*$#@%) meant for the officials, while some get the solace of finally finding a listener and they dont hesitate in putting their hearts out. On many occasions, people gel so well in the ghastly waiting period, that they end up exchanging email id's ,contact no.s (the more ostentatious ones flaunt by asking directly - "Are u on orkut or facebook"??). Take that for human networking!!!! We hear jokes, we have guys who keep searching if there is a pretty face in the ladies line and we've people like me who just have one thought in the mind - "Mera number kab aayega"????


Like it or not, queues are an integral part of our lives, and no matter how tech savvy we get by making everything online; queues are here to stay, atleast for our generation. There is no denying the fact that it is a sign of discipline and of an organized setup.So either i keep cribbing about the sheer pain in the neck that this phenomenon is or i take a cue out of the books of the people who somehow manage to make the wait a fun process. I feel the solution may lie in me being less QUE(UE)RULOUS and envisaging the scenario to be on the other side of the queue i.e. being queued up for.

UNITED to stay DIVIDED

"United to stay Divided" might sound as an oxymoron to many, but isn't paradox the most fitting word to describe the hypocrisy with which we spend our lives?? Philosophy(Theology in particular) has myriad works to boast of to proclaim the equality of men and the creation of an egalitarian society. The message has been straight and clear: human beings are all equal and they should pursue a symbiotic relationship. The Communists,atheists themselves, are the biggest exponents of egalitarianism (talk of paradox !!! ).

Since time immemorial, there has been division in the human society. The yardsticks have varied or rather unfortunately piled up in number to come up with a novel way each time to divide the species. Talking specifically of India, what started as four sects of society -Kshatriya, Brahmin, Vaishya and Sudra, has persisted with multitudinous more sub classifications to exacerbate the situation. Now , we're divided on the grounds of religion, caste, creed, colour,community, economic status,gender,class, geography,intelligence and what not. Its ostensible in a way, that a school of thought is devoted for this purpose only and have nothing better to do.

Reservation issue has been the most talked about topic in modern India and it is the only topic that the youths is , apart from cricket and movies. It has evoked a wide range of reactions in the past decade or two; seemingly a favorite darling of conferences and live debates. But, the issue is a classic paragon of how divided and shallow we're from within. When the entire political circle was united in dividing the country on the basis of social class (mind you not economic else that'd have debunked the real BPL figure much to the chagrin of the people in power), the opposing students or a paltry section of the Intelligentsia never resisted with a united uproar. The incidents of resistance were sporadic and imbued,it involved only the ones who had to bear the brunt immediately and thus the resistance fell like a pack of cards.It died down like our first Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 and for the same reason- intermittent and diffused renegade(Some people never learn from history!!). So the proponents of division were united and the apostles of unity were divided- a grim yet an inevitable cliche.

India has enticed many foreign invaders over centuries to commit blitzkrieg and vandalize us of our resources. A different aspect of this is that it has allowed India to be a potpourri of different religions and communities; which has ameliorated the ethnic fabric of the country but the friction has been tantamount as well. People have been divided on this ground for ages(the independence struggle being a slight exception; still the inception of Muslim League is a testimony to the fact), and the situation has aggravated in the last three decades where communal hatred has ripped apart the once proud standing secular fabric of the Indian Republic.



Communal extremism has seen its peak over the years and with a disguised cloak of fundamentalism, they've amassed people with themselves by shamming as the Evangelists of their rights. And we have no right to blame the authorities for it, because they are people like us and though its difficult to accept, but deep down we all want division in the society. We all are united to the T to promote division.

We've been born and brought up in an environment where circumstantially we do a lot of things that promote division. Like most of us believe in friendship among equals and this gospel has been preached to us since we're infants. Earlier in school, it's on the basis of intelligence that parents want their kids to be with the best or someone at par with their ward's intelligence and later the dogmas keep adding up.

Here's just a simple day to day situation which showcases an unusual way of division (many may frown over it).Fancy the situation that a girl meets with an accident, its very courteous of people around to spring into action like a lightening to make sure she's fine. But when its a guy to fall off his vehicle, the number of volunteers to help plummets by a surprisingly steep number; sometimes even touching the nil mark. Now, i'm not a chauvinist and this may seem as a paltry instance to mention, but this comes out of personal experience and what people around me have faced themselves and we all cant be wrong. It is certainly very important to be courteous to ladies, but the guys deserve some attention at least when in an excruciating situation. Maybe a less germane example to many, but it is veracious for sure.

If one looks within to introspect their own behaviour towards their servants, janitors, drivers or simply the less privileged; the picture becomes conspicuously clear. We all are the followers of a theory which we condemn ourselves. maybe its easier to digest and accept this harsh reality that we are hypocrites to the core. We all love to DIVIDE AND RULE (within our limited capabilities of course).

The entire phenomenon of Capitalism is a prima facie of inequality where in the world is divided on the basis of being rich or poor. It may again seem as a macabre belief, but i see less evil in it because they openly propagate what they do. There are no pretensions of being here for only the welfare of people. Instead they are more beneficial for the society as eventually their avarice for more is giving back more to the society( Read : The Invisible Hand). Thus avarice is a deadly sin, but put hypocrisy on the other side of the court and I'm sure it'd beat avarice to emerge as the undisputed winner in the game of "The Ultimate Sin".

Racial Discrimination is certainly the worst of it all. Even after the long fought battle against apartheid which led to a historic victory, even after realization of Martin Luther King's " I have a dream" with the appointment of US President Barrack Obama at the helm of affairs, racial discrimination persists. The headlines in the media "A black man becomes US President" itself is a quintessence of racism. We admit or not, racism exists ubiquitously, but thankfully the cognizance against it is on a high and we can hope that the menace would see its nemesis and meet an end soon.

Geographic discrimination is an absurd phenomenon;especially when its within the same country. And its preposterous when its done in a country like India which gives a fundamental right to its people to move freely across any part of the country and get employed anywhere at any place in the country. But, the ludicrous act is being done in a brazen manner: MNS's recent spree against north Indians and Shiv Sena's movement against South Indians in the 70's being the instances that come to the top of one's mind.

So it has been done in the past and it may persist in the future. We've been united to stay divided for long now and either we leave the dream of an egalitarian society or at least be honest enough to stop propagating it creating futile hope amongst people. I don't want to sound dystopian but lets face it, some dreams are just not meant to be realized. The reason is not because they are chimerical, but because we are just not ready to face the reality.

Wish Life had Background Music

People have unsatiated needs and aspirations. Some of these aspirations, even though unrealistic, still stay with us as a wish which if fulfilled can add a tinge of uncanny flavour in our lives. I've always wondered how even small insignificant events are made breathtaking and admirable in movies and why the same exuberance is missing in our real lives. This void makes life mundane and run of the mill and somehow the daily course of events become inconsequential for us. We lose the panache of making each day special and bringing that distinct element which not only makes us feel good about ourselves but also about the world around us.

Going deep into the vacuum of this void made me realize how exciting and sanguine life would be, if we also have background music in our lives to reflect our capricious mood swings, to catch the essence of our emotion at every specific instant, to add a special flavour to our daily quotidian chores. Farah Khan gave a sarcastic yet a pleasant picture of this in her directorial debut "Main Hoon Na" where SRK has violins and saxophones played all around him whenever he encounters his gorgeous Chemistry teacher Sushmita Sen. He becomes all jovial and jocund on seeing her and the music plays a perfect apostle to his feel good demeanor.

Just reccall the scene of the cult Rocky movie series when Stallone sweats it out in a rigorous regimen to prepare for his boxing matches just to make sure he stays the last man standing. Now would those scenes be even half effective as they really were, if not for the epic "gonna fly now" theme or the "eye of the tiger" playing to showcase his journey from an underdog to a people's champion. The music exhilerates the audience and sets the adrenaline rushing through the body.

Another instance in the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" when Will Smith finally becomes a stock broker and the way that moment has been captured with his narration "This part, this little part of my life is what i call as happiness" just leaves you spellbound. The music just creates the ambience to place us in his shoes and empathize with his plight.

The instances are many to illustrate. Fancy Tim Robbins' escape sequence in THe Shawshank Redemption or the preparation of Rocket by the Rocket boys in October Sky, the combat by Tom cruise and Val kIlmer in Top Gun or our desi post war redemption of King Asoka in the movie Asoka, the list goes on and each reiterates the fact that if we had background music in our lives, life would have been a far enriching experience and we wont take little moments for granted.

Presume a situation of a piece of music playing when you accomplish a laurel, when you make people around you proud, when you are frenzy and above this world. Imagine if there is a piece of music playing when your heart skips a beat on seeing that beautiful face whom you love and your smile doesnt need an instruction but comes straight from the heart. A euphony to reflect your desire to be with that person and making sure things just turn out perfect (Isnt it beautiful even imagining it, well atleast for me it is).

Imagine a piece of music that captivates the grim mood you might be in when things are adverse and you feel down and out, and then a motivating theme plays to pick you up from the precipice and reinstilling the confidence that you have it in you to win the world. I know it all sounds surreal and phantasmagoric, but wishes and aspirations dont think of pacifying the preconditions of tangible feasibility before they're set free to fly high. Some Birds aren't meant to be caged, they're just meant to be left in the open to find their own way towards their dreamland.

I give everyone a little work to do now. Just pick up one tune or song which you'll love to be the one that plays as a background score to your life's journey. I agree that one song might not correctly captivate the kernel of one's life, but we dont get everything we want now, do we???? atleast that'd make you rack your brain a bit more to come up with that perfect euphony.

If i have to pick one song to be played as a background score in my life, for me it has to be the "kal ho na ho" instrumental theme. It captures a wide gamut of emotions right from being happy, sad, pensive,romantic or feeling gregarious. I feel it provides the quintessence feel to the journey called life.But each mind has its own liking, so the choices may or rather should differ. But the bottom line remains the same, life is a gift and is meant to be enjoyed with or without music. So stay happy and make others happy and let the music play in your imagination. Trust me, things do get better.

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, To Sur Bane Hamaara

I was browsing through channels on tv giving the remote control a hard time by pressing the random channel numbers. The poor machine had to bear the brunt on its soft buttons which worsened with my growing frustration of not finding anything worthwhile to watch. In a way, I was strangling it hard as if it was part of the conspiracy- the conspiracy to deprive me of watching something entertaining or sensible on tv.


My grandfather suddenly came up and asked me to put Doordarshan as he wanted to listen to the President's address to the nation on the Republic Day's eve. As the last resort to entertainment also seemed to be vanishing, i half heartedly switched the channel to our very own( is it??? never mind) good old Doordarshan. The advertisements and the broadcast quality still appeared the same as it was 10 yrs back. I wondered that what could be the reason for this. It was like when others were queuing up for the tasty and sumptuous dishes of liberalization and globalization, Doordarshan might have been misled to queue up in some old ration shop to get dal and chawal.That's why they seemed dull and mundane as ever,refusing to change. Anyhow, i thought it might act as the right sleeping pill for me before i have to bear the President's speech(No offence, but i just find it as repetitive and predictable as Saas Bahu sagas).



I was lost in my thoughts when something came on television which took me back in time and not only did it instil nostalgia within me, but also pumped up my mood- It was the "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, To Sur Bane Humara' song. Here was a song that i watched during my infant years when my rage for television was shaping up. So no matter how much cynical i sound about Doordarshan, it was my prima facie to the fascinating world of television.


Of course back then,i didnt understand the message the song gave( i didnt even bother much). For me the cynosure used to be the melody of the song and of course a few recognizable faces including Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra,Mithun Chakravorthy, Hema Malini, Sharmila Tagore, Kamal hassan and many others. I really didnt recognize exponents of other fields then, so seeing Big B hum "Mile sur mera Tumhara" made me hum with him, and i did it without fail as if it was some national responsibility placed on the tender shoulders of this young 4-5 year old.


But when i watched the video again now, surprisingly it was equally enchanting and winsome as it was back then. The melody was still euphonic, striking the right chord with the heart and the earlobes and auditory canal still made way for it to blend with all the senses. But I could appreciate the essence of the video much more now, as a 20 year old. It put forth such a beautiful message of Unity In Diversity in India; something which other countries can only envy or wonder about us. The Message of national integration was put up in such a simple yet a strong way, that it infuses a belonging to this great land.


One line "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" being recited in 14 diffrent languages in their respective folk tunes; each reiterating the same fact- Lets all stand together forever and when "You" and "I" come together, "We" can bring a change. In the past few years, when communal and regional politics has taken over and there have been doubts over the secular fabric of Indian Union, this video not only comes as a fresh breather but also is a tight slap to the face of those who dont believe that India stands for much more than a segregated Union of states.


I had my eyes glued on this 6 minute video and I could actually recall the tune as the video kept unveiling from one frame to another; this simply showed the potent impact this had on a young mind who might have not understood the heart and soul of the song as a kid, but once he did, he could appreciate its substance much more.


There are myriad campaigns going on to lionize India in front of the world with Incredible India campaigns. Of course its important to showcase the technological developments we've made and to epitomize our improvement in all spheres. But i believe a campaign like this is a paragon of India and would stay that way forever, as this is something which gives us a distinctive identity not at par, but well above the rest. This is a song which takes us back to the Preamble of our Constitution which glorified India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. A country whose pillars of strength are Unity. Integrity and Fraternity.It reminds us, that this country truly is- Of the people, FOr the people and By the people.


And if you are not a person who'd go into the nitty gritties, take a look at it for sheer entertainment value. This video has the biggest names in the field of arts, entertainment and sports( all looking younger ) who have been a prime mover in their fields for the past few decades.


So all the YouTube buffs out there, maybe its time to see something different and worthwhile now. Just take a look at this video and you'll realize the mantle it carries, you'll realize what it symbolizes. And if you're anything like me, it will not only bring back fond memories within you, but also incorporate a sense of pride for your nation. It will leave a smile on your face and that's where the common nexus between entertainment and the nation lies. If both of them can leave a smile and a feel good sense within you, then I'm sure they are serving their purpose.

SO its time to feel good about your nation, and stop being cynical about it. Come on and lets all sing this together "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, To sur Bane Humara".