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".

THe Shawshank Redemption- A look within

What's CINEMA? To me, cinema is a platform to see a reflection of me and my thoughts presented in a creative way. There are billions like me, who may think likewise. That's what makes the art of making movies a challenge and an equally exciting job.There are movies we just watch,enjoy and forget, some arent even worth wasting thoughts or words on, but some stay with us. Some force us to do something which we all hate in a way but if done with honesty transforms our lives-INTROSPECTION. Referring to "The Shawashank Redemption" only as a movie would be like to imagine a heart without a soul,a dawn without sunrise or a mind without thoughts.Its not just a movie, its an experience in itself. Its a kaleidoscope of the emotions that we feel and a true epitome of the power of hope in life.

Its not a regular run of the mill potboiler, or a candyfloss chick flick.Its a movie that poses a question; a question that's so strong that it rips through your heart and compels you to find an answer from deep down within yourself. A question about life, a question about hope, a question whether one should be docile and accept what's forced upon us or whether to fight back with persistance. Its a movie that highlights a different kind of EQ- a term i would like to refer as Endurance Quotient. How long can you go on taking the pain, how long can you keep the small ray of hope shining against the maelstrom of malafide, how long do you live a life of purpose before being a dead soul in an alive body. The answers to these lie in this magnum opus.


I'm not going to focus on the story of the movie. For me what i construed out of it and what i took as an experience is more important.The protagonist Andy Dufresne came out as a person who belonged to a rare species. THe characteristic traits he possessed are rarely seen in people, but the ones who've them incorporated in their DNA, turn out to be the ones whose life have substance and relevance. THe guy was convicted for a crime he never did(revealed later in the movie), he was forced to live amongst goons and murderers who were poles apart from his life of a hotshot banker, he was assaulted- mentally,physically and sexually.But he wasnt bogged down.His immaculate persistence and his belief in HOPE kept the fire in the belly going even though he stayed placid and rock solid on the outer facade.

He made friends with Red(Morgan Freeman:unparalleled as ever) and other prisoner mates and slowly but steadily instilled hope in them and gave them moments to cherish. Fancy the scene where he gets them all chilled beer by helping Captain Hadley with his finance conundrum, or the one where he plays a classic music piece on the loudspeaker for everyone to have that one moment of ecstasy in a life of mundane suffering. Be it efforts to get the library facilities improved or be it his attempts to get tommy to pass the exam, Andy came as a person of distinct patience and will.Someone who breaks the misconception that you need to be happy go lucky and all sanguine to be a people's person.His escape is a mark of excellence, as Morgan's voiceover puts it "He crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side". Andy epitomizes a perfect example of someone who cant be confined in any form of the matter." Some birds aren't meant to be caged, their feathers are just too bright" .


Shawshank presents a very strong issue of being INSTITUTIONALIZED. The sequence when Brooks moves out after spending close to 50 yrs in the prison, the hardships he faces, the way he feels as a prisoner in a free world; the one who's expendible, one who has no purpose to wake up every morning. He finally succumbs to it and hangs himself. The sequence presents a grim yet a true picture of how one ,if forced to leave an accustomed zone; no matter how harsh it is,can fall like a pack of cards. They just cant get over the phobia of leaving their own little world of comfort, in short they get institutionalized.

Red faces the same imbroglio when set free, and he feels the same claustrophobia in the open spaces, the only difference is the ray of hope instilled in him by his friend Andy, not to give up. This little food for thought strengthens him to move on with a sense of purpose and to believe that 'Hope is not a dangerous thing'.


The last 15-20 minutes of the movie leave you spellbound. You just cant get over the experience you witness during this period. The brilliant escape of Andy from the prison, and the unveiling of his plan which took him 20 yrs to be implemented. It showcased the extreme levels of patience, endurance, power of being a sangfroid, and never say die attitude. These are some of the most powerful moments that cinema can ever offer.


The movie has spectacular performances, each frame outperforming the one before. But for me, its MOrgan Freeman's subtle performance that stands out. THe way during the entire movie, his voice over keeps the cadence flowing, is exemplary. It infused life into the movie that made it an unforgettable experience


THe Shawshank Redemption is a masterpiece and is a must watch.One gains a lot out of it apart from entertainment. And it gives us a sound advice that can be emulated throughtout our lives. So in times of despair,or in any situation of grim dilemma, just recall the message of the movie- "Fear sets you prisoner, Hope sets you free". You'll find the answer.

Motorcycle Diaries

"When you ought to, you got to". That's how the attitude flows in people who make up their minds to break the monotony. Its about going that extra mile to kick that one negative thought out of your system, which has been impending the plans for so long. That plan can be anything- it can be either taking out time for what you love to do(reading, sketching, biking, adventure trips or simply taking time out for yourself cogitating and listening to soothing music piece of your favorite band or artist). The basic idea is to come out of the incarceration of being "THE VICTIM OF ROUTINE" and framing your mind to make the most of your time so that the day leaves you invigorated.


We, a bunch of friends, had long been thinking of picking up our bikes and hitting the road with vrooooom, unquestioning and relentless. All we wanted to do was to trust the road (who, as one of my friend rightly puts, is a gr8 friend) and our instincts to take us wherever we could...like a stream of water which flows in any direction without being biased or partisan about direction or purpose. We wanted to be the Beatniks who were all set to break the fetters that had clandestinely crept all over us. So it was high time that we put our minds on the offline mode, and let the heart ring and sing the tone that subconsciously we always wanted to hear.

But all said and done, the so called potent engineers that we are, we couldn't completely get over our psyche of meticulously planning things out. So we framed up the good old What's, Why's, How's,When's and Where's for ourselves so that we had, a broad idea of the course of things to do(thankfully we aren't the best engineers in the business, else we would have dug our own grave, falling into the trap of creating a blueprint for every hour, and creating a feedback mechanism to monitor if each blueprint's target was met or not; Gosh even describing it is a Killjoy).

The last couple of months were quite gruelling in its own way, for few of us. The anticipations, the hopes, the aspirations(maybe more of others than of ourselves, on some occasions) were all part and parcel of these testing times,wherein we were trying to give ourselves the cushion of a congenial ambience for the next phase of our careers. So irrespective of the results, we deserved to take some time out for ourselves; to connect with a different world, to stay away from cellphone(The toughest part!!!! God knows why???? ), and for once atleast to look within ourselves with our own eyes.

So We all hit the road as early as 7:15am in our cool attires; the so called biker's accoutrements,which gave us the feel that was the theme of the day; the " I DONT GIVE A DAMN" attitude. And we flagged off with a snapshot of these Beatniks who wanted nothing but a sense of freedom and an experience of rejuvention.I was the pillion rider in the first phase of our drive and that gave me a perfect opportunity to feel something which I may not be able to justify correctly in words. Its something which has to be felt when you're right up there with the sun slowly and steadily rising up from its harbour of horizon; its rays adorning the greenery and the refulgence of the light giving the bucolic fields and open lands a sparkle as if they are blooming with joy to welcome us as its guests. The early morning breeze,basking in on sun's comforting warmth, and the fragrance of the fresh air; all gave me a feel as if they always wanted to play hosts to us, but somehow for so long we have failed to get their message and have taken more pleasure in the confined arcades and inhalation of automobile emissions. I still wonder why is that, but some questions are better left unanswered.But one should experience this scenic beauty- it does bring in certain level of metamorphosis.

After vrooming through, cutting through the breeze and moving like waterjet from a cannon, some fellas felt to let not only the heart and mind relish all the fun, and give the stomach also a reason to smile. SO we dropped down to the pride of highways- one of the roadside dhabas to take a quick bite. I preferred to give myself CHai's double feast while the others were willing to not settle only for tea. So there was poha, munching with the tea(Some ppl just cant have one) and cold drinks for few. And once we were done with it, we were back to business... the road was calling again and we obliged. We drove then uptil our first destination- Lord Ganesha's temple at Adassa, stopping sporadically in between, to get ourselves clicked( I hope you understand the constant pressure these social networking sites have put on our shoulders; not uploading snaps timely is sinister here.... dont mind the exaggeration!!!!!).

Once we reached there, we were moved by the pious serenity and the soothing ataraxis which the place had to offer. Built on a height, it gave us a panoramic view of scenic beauty covering miles in its circumferance. We paid obeisance to the Almighty with the customary genuflect and kowtow,the idol of Lord Ganesha stood with magnificence and generosity for all His devotees. Then we walked around the vicinity to cherish the calmness and the peace that the place had to offer. In the meantime, we kept on clicking more and more snaps ( Its not always the pressure of the sites, we enjoy photography and adding on to the memoirs).We all cracked pj's, listened to songs, looked around from this height at the whole place around as if a king is overlooking his empire and when we had spent some quality time there, we thought it was time to take the peregrination to its next stage and its new destination.

So the bikes roared again out of their short slumber and then ignited the roads. The sun by now was climbing with cadence to accomplish its acme for the day, but it was kind enough not to impose its tyranny on us. THe breeze was still soothing and the open spaces was the icing. The trees by the roadside made it cooler and made driving a real pleasure (Note:-Confront Deforestation). We sped on pretty empty,smooth roads but never tried to overdo it, as for us driving was more a stressbuster than an avenue of flaunting an ostentatious guys' demeanor. We reached Jaamsaavli,a very sacred and consecrated holy place for the devotees of the God od Strength ,Lord Hanuman. The idol of the lord in sleeping posture is one of its kind and attracts myriad followers from every nook and corner. We paid obeisance to Him and saw people thronging in large numbers here. After prostrating in front of the Almighty, we stepped out of the temple, picked up the machines and were back on the road. Any outing for us would be incomplete without good food, so the next step was to take our lunch. So we stopped by at one of the dhabas. I wont get into the details of what we ate, we weren't brazen guzzlers but had a sumptuous meal to pump in energy into ourselves for the trip back home.

So here were seven guys graduating as men, 60 odd kilometres away from the city, shunning all worries, enjoying the colddrinks in the sun and with a more subtle though not philosophical thought that resonated with surpisingly the same frequency in each of our minds. It just said one thing 'Cheers to Life'.

I took on the driver's seat for the journey back home and a friend of ours gave us all apprehensive ones a taste of extreme biking, when we drove the machines to a hilltop(not very steep, yet not any less than any normal driver's nightmare) and we sat there; some of us still intrigued and curious about the pertinence of our so called adventure to the hilltop. But hey, didnt we start as Beatniks who were looking for a day different from others, and following the gut unquestioning and relentless. So this little escapade did add that right pinch of spice to our day.

On our way back home, when i was donning the driver's role with earphones plugged in, i actually felt fortunate that i was the pillion in the morning as the beauty was at its peak then. Now even though they still had volumes to offer, yet they succumbed to the might of the Sun which made them more servile than charming(still a far enchanting spectacle than city's rush which causes claustrophobia). Now with pleasant acoustical euphony making way through the earlobes into the auditory canal blended with the mood as if giving a testimony to the fantastic day , and with us speeding our way through, i could gauge why and how Carte Blanche can be such a wonderful stressbuster. We drove without break now, like men who were on a mission or rather men who finally got an opportunity to be themselves. we entered the city back, but far more rejuvenated, far more mellowed and far more exuberant.

we had our final hi-fives before we parted ways to our homes. I know it was a short stint, not more than a few hours. But i think it was worth it. We are looking for more such escapades as it gave us an opportunity to think for ourselves, feel for ourselves, do things for ourselves and most importantly be ourselves. Everyone should give themselves this luxury of feeling important in one's own eyes; its not vanity; its not narcissism;its just loving what you really are and not worrying about what others think u are.

Go on, love yourself and give hi-fives like us and subconsciously you'll cogitate with the same frequency, the same thought -" CHEERS TO LIFE"