life and its many considerations

2008-11-21T23:02:00.007+05:30

Anil Kapoor

Never thought i'd ever dedicate a blog to any other actor except SRK..:) but i realize that what we actually like, may not be what we think we do! I'll be dedicating a post on the workings of the minds on various aspects soon, but this one - though short, is for Anil Kapoor!

As I'm watching Chameli Ki Shaadi on Star Gold right now, I felt I must formalize the thought that for me Anil Kapoor is the one and only actor whose every film has been entertaining for me! I'm surprised at the number of times I always get hooked onto any movie if it has Anil Kapoor. I'm not much of a film watcher on television.. so I guess then that it's some credit to AK that I've always seen all his films on TV... must've seen Nayak a million times, also some weird films of his too... the names of which I still don't know.. :) There's this one where he's dancing with Juhee Chawla... a strange cheapo number with her in tennis skirts, then one in which he's some random publisher with a baby to look after, then one where he's a single father, then Judaai, Mr India, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Jooth Bole Kawah Kate, Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai ...and many more. I must be the only person who also liked Armaan.. but it was only and only because of Anil Kapoor. I even loved him in Salaam-e-Ishq & Mann! It was tough battle for me as a viewer to see Aish go to Akshaye Khanna in Taal rather than him.. :) My favourite of course has been Lamhe, with Nayak coming a very close second. :)

I wonder if i can try and de-construct this charisma that he has. He's not traditionally good looking or something - on the contrary, was (and still is) this lanky and tall guy, with this very attractive thick mop of hair on his head... but then he's got a perfect blend of this typical Indian rustic charm and finesse... he's strong, very masculine, has intense dialogue delivery and enjoyed roles with a beautiful depth to them... of course all this is the on screen Anil Kapoor i'm speaking about... but huhhhh... that's all i'd like to know at least.. :)

I know i'll be seeing Yuvvraaj.. and though i don't like his look in it (in fact the whole movie looks a flop from its promos)... i know i'll still enjoy his performance there...

The problem is i've always been crazy over SRK... but what's this? - it's not all of his films that i like.. :) So now, even though i know i'll love Shahrukh in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (yes i'm quite sure about it!)... I admit Anil Kapoor's movies will always always rank as my favourite films on TV!

Coming up next: Pretty Faces

2008-11-15T22:51:00.000+05:30

Human Globalization

I can't help but get goose bumps when I read Newsweek's special commemorative issue - Obama's American Dream. As America prepares itself for it's first freely elected African-American President, and I see pictures of his Kenyan farming paternal grandmother, his true blue American mother and grandparents, and his Indonesian step father - there's just one thought that keeps whirring in my brain - has the world reached the Tipping Point of Human Globalization?

Almost 150 years back, when Lincoln passed the motion to abolish the slavery of 'black people', an event like this would've been a Black Swan - but today, it's reality. Everywhere around me I see people of multiple faiths and nationalities belonging to one blood-family. While these people 'everywhere' may not be a majority population of this world, they are definitely changing the map of the global human psyche.

As Obama becomes the President of the most powerful and influential country of Earth, Africa - the largest continent on Earth, becomes eternally linked to America. It's a rare man, who does not feel the pull of his original or adoptive motherland. And it's a rare man or maybe there's only one man, who will feel the pull of both his motherlands - and be in a position to do something about it. The man, who will come closest to almost ruling the world, may never forget his roots to the world's poorest economy.

With this my mind moves towards the softer impacts of Obama becoming the US President.

Barack Obama is a man, who was once 'one of us'. He had no political background or Godfather. His bloodline is Afro-American. His livelihood was that of a University Professor, his family includes his wife and two daughters amongst a large set of relations. As he sets out to become the President, America and the world may see a man who is grounded in reality, and with that background when he gives us the mantra of HOPE and of CHANGE, I feel I may just have to believe him.

When I see pictures of his visit to a CARE HIV centre near Kenya, with small little African children - I wonder what must be going on in his mind. Did he think at that time (2006), about what he could do for these conditions, now, not just in his country but also his country of origin - and then maybe on a more humanistic level for whole world? Will this man be the first amongst his predecessors to actually 'feel' for his people and empathize with them, and honestly strive to change things without any previous political mindset hampering his intentions? I wonder if the world will see a change in the political perspectives of an American (read all influencing) President.

If I were that student, who took lessons from him in Chicago Law School, what would I be feeling today about my professor - the man who became the President? Would this man, who taught for almost a decade or maybe more, continue to remain sensitive towards the needs of educational institutions, teachers and of education in itself? As he speaks to the World, will his speeches remind the students (who could be lawyers, economists etc etc today) of their sessions in college, or any incidents of personal motivation from him? Would I, as an ordinary American have access to this man - the man who was once my 'teacher'? Today, do I have the opportunity to connect one-on-one with the President of my country?

I would like to believe, that Barack Obama and the likes of him, may be the harbingers of the new humanistic world to come.

And with that, let me get back to Isaac Asimov's Prelude To Foundation, where humanity has gone beyond the boundaries of Earth...

2006-12-03T00:42:00.000+05:30

LiFE
been a long time since i've posted something here... life seems to have changed so much since the last post.. at least one indication that life's moving :)
increasingly realizing that life has a destination... this day to day living seems to be just a filler. there's a growing sense of uneasiness about the way life is moving, now that i've figured out the pattern. there are days when work keeps one on a high and sufficiently occupied to not think about anything else - 'am too busy' is the standard explanation one gives onself. then come those days when either work goes down, an emotional tie gets strained or suddenly, out of the blue, things stop working for you. in those few days, the philosophical self seems to suddenly wake up and everything feels meaningless, questions are raised about the way life is going... but well, come the next cycle and suddenly all the doubts vanish into thin air and life is normal again till the next drop.
what are we doing? why is there a constant emptiness in life? there are things one gets passionate about - some people are passionate about their jobs, some have hobbies and some are passionately in love. over time the passion fades, the enthusiasm wanes and things look bleak.
we all know there is a bigger purpose to life. but what is it? i know its different for us all. some poeple find purpose in charitable works, some find it in expression of some kind of art, and for a lucky few their jobs lead to satisfaction and a purpose.
what am i here for? will i just keep looking for the bigger purpose and never find it? will life be a constant roller coaster of emotional upheavels?
something just doesn't feel right. why aren't we taught about this stage in school? why aren't we prepared for life instead of being prepared to be a doctor or an engineer?
praying seems to help in these times, but sometimes one wonders what's the right question to ask our good lord up there?

2006-05-23T19:15:00.000+05:30

gAngSter

well, this is the first time i'm blogging two posts one after the other, but they were both too important to be clubbed under one 'weekend experience'...

saw a movie called Gangster.... well i never write about my movie experiences and its not that this one was an exceptionally beautiful one that it needed a mention, but some performances really struck a chord deep within. one was that of Shiney Ahuja - i've seen him on screen for the first time, missed all his previous flicks and I cannot believe how well he acted - mostly silent, but the acting was all restricted to his facial expressions - which were superb to say the least! the other was that of the main protagonist Kangana Ranaut. horrible horrible voice to say the least - but what a fantastic performance... had to consciously remind myself that what these two did was a performance and was not real. says enough? well for whoever reading this - it's sufficient to say then that this is definitley worth a watch. the movie on the whole was 'fine'...not excellent, but i felt the performances and some scenes totally clinched the deal for this flick! oh, did i forget the third actor? well, then - let's just forget him... ;)

to the scene in which Daya enters a chawl room with a gun ready to shoot, and falls in love at first sight.... lovely, simply lovely....

2006-03-02T20:45:00.000+05:30

D-dAy!

It's the day I've been dreading and at the same time really looking forward to, for the last one month! Today, the ratings for the first three episodes of my reality series will be out. Now of course, on the one hand I don't want to believe in it, but can't do without it either - let's just say, it's like friction - a necessary evil! :)

But I've got the perfect philosophy in place in case the numbers don't come! Arz kiya hai -

Bavajud-e yak hungama, paidai nahin
Hai charagan-e shabistan-e dil-e parvana hum

Translates into -
Despite the tumult all around, there is no real existence
As we're merely the lit-up lamps in the bedchamber of a moth's heart.

Cool eh??!!!Hmmm... so the wait is on.

Just don't feel like writing anymore.....

So bye for today.....

Banengein hum rockstars??!!!

2006-02-16T21:52:00.000+05:30

Hello my dear blog! Feels so nice to be back... Hmmm... this blog will be a medley... of what's been happening, emotions, philosophy etc etc...spelling mistakes, grammatical errors...you name it! ;) well let me start by saying... reality show. well...we're having a reality show for the first time on our channel and the first one i'm ever working on! working on? well.. handling the marketing for it... my campaign breaks in a few days... and am so so so so scared!!! we've finalized a multi creative (??) campaign and now i feel...is it really communicating what i want to? god lord! does everyone go through this?? god knows......
well what else? life is moving at such a fast pace!!! but some pretty things
have been happening too...
got a lovely stalk of white orchids in my crystal vase on my worktable...looks so beautiful!!! have another addition as well- froggie...it's this damn cute stuffed toy! and oh...the table got a major makeover today... amonst hell breaking lose all around me...still managed to find time!! h eh e heh...also...this days my little room is so cozy and cute that i just don't feel like leaving it in the morning to come to work!! :)

oh...how could i forget... volunteering for the seeds of change exhibition. it's a soka gakkai initiative and so as a member am there to promote it... it's an exhibition of the most motivating and inspirational things doen by people around the world to change the condition of the earth. one place which will make you leave thinking that you have the power within you to make 'that' difference! all the members have been actively chanting to make this a hit - amen!

what else? oh! wrote shayari for the first time - as a friend said 'it's corny'..but well...i like it!! he he he!! here it goes....
Bekarari ka yeah samaa, ho raha hai gehra,
Aap ke ek lafz ke intezar mein , ho na jaye savera.
Muktsar si ek mulaqat ka hai khwab, bas aap hoon aur chand sunehra,
Guftgu ho dil se dil ki, ho jaye ishq ka basera.

Wah! wah! wah! wah! ;)

Well.... i guess i better run now... i either go for the campaign photo shoot or the program shoot.... what's life become? :) want a bigggggggg holiday!!!!!!

Dunno why, but i feel like ending with my chant.... maybe i want everything mentioned above to be blessed... :)

Name Myoho Renge Kyo.

2006-02-15T21:40:00.000+05:30

Promise to write tomorrow!

2005-12-26T20:12:00.000+05:30

hello cyber world - I return after a three week hiatus! And, so much has changed in all that time. The best thing being a shift of my office location. Before I go any further, let me put it on record that I still love the old office building, but man - nothing to compare this lovely stretch of sunlit, open, spacious, non-blue area! I have a lovely workstation - silver topped table, natural light pouring over the whole area, comfy chairs, and - magnetic 'pin boards'!

Well, the icing on the cake is the 'cool to cold' weather in Mumbai these days. Its the most beautiful experience to walk in the open air, bright with sunlight but with a cool winter breeze all the time...mmmm... delicious! Of course, its also an added advantage to flaunt the layers of winter clothing hidden within the deep recesses of your cupboard for years!

As this post's all about changes - we make changes here too - no title, no philosophy and no one line sign off, and of course a changed font! :)

2005-12-06T10:00:00.000+05:30

nEveR endIng dEmandS oF woRk...

have been so dying to post some entries over the past few days, but just not been getting the time. i realized today would be a do or die situation - so here i am posting just a note - but one nevertheless!

it's so strange that in a span of four and a half years, i've gone through such ups and downs of work schedules - extreme pressure to extreme boredom situations. having faced both the extremes i conclude (actually concluded long back!) that i still prefer the extreme pressure days. those are days when one seems to become more enthusiatic about life - one keeps cribbing that i wish i had the time to do this, do that etc etc.,... and every minute free is well utilized coz it's so precious!! on the other hand, procrastination seems to become a best friend when there is ample time on hand to anything and everything!

to the ironies of human psychology.....

2005-11-24T08:19:00.000+05:30

bahUt soChna pAdta haI!

this has been the feedback on my blog! when friend number three said the above mentioned quote - i realized i had to take friends one and two seriously! friend number three added salt to the wound by saying - i generally skim throught the blogs, yours i skim even more; its a little difficult to understand you see, its like someone's writing in The Economic Times! looking at my crestfallen expression, the person hastened to add - no, no, it's not that tough, its just a little heavy - not simple and smooth you see... after this her voice dwindled and words fumbled when she realized that if looks were daggers, mine would've massacred her by then!!! ;) anyways, to add to the burden, friend number four decided to tell me -
'heyyy....that was cool...i didn't understand most of what you have written otherwise....but its very cool...i can never express myself so well....'! and since his comment was totally unconnected to the previous three comments, i gave in to the 'critics'! or at least am giving in to them today! ;)

so - this post is short and sweet and as simple and smooth flowing as i can make it....

with that, i come to the end of today's post. :) i'll just add - life's looking good again today, but well, now i've become wiser - i've realized ......oh no!!!! here i go again!!!!!!!

to simplicity.... ;)

2005-11-23T09:26:00.000+05:30

Weird days are here again...

I've realized a blog is the best way to keep a record of your mood swings! Wasn't it just last Tuesday that life was looking up? All beautiful, hunky-dory? Well what's happened today? Little tensions, ambiguities, distance, sickness, break ups, arguements and negative comments can go such a long way in contributing to a downer!

Why is it that loved ones can exert such great emotional control over us? Is this what we called 'moh-maya'? Is this what one needs to free oneself from? I guess so....

As I'd strarted to write this piece, my mood was in the pits. Its very surprising, coz it was a very productive day at work and I'd had pleasant exchanges with everyone in office. But some things that had happened over the weekend seemed to creep their way into my consciousness and collectively pulled my mood down. Man - what immense power! I'm just imaginig - if this energy were actually converted into mechanical / electrical energy, there would be no short supply of energy in this world! The cumulative negative energies of the world would be enough to sustain mankinds needs, and we'd keep the natural reserves untouched!!! Lol!!! What a weird thought!! Lol!!

Anyways, as I end this piece, I'm once again buoyant. All thanks to a phone call - this friend's getting married and seeing his transformation from an unaffected bachelor/fun loving boy to a loving, demonstrative fiance-to-be, is very very amusing and beautiful!

To happiness, beauty and 'paanch paise ka farak nahi padta' attitude to negativities!

2005-11-22T05:42:00.000+05:30

as a post script to the post below:

'Oh, how one wishes sometimes to escape from the meaningless dullness of human eloquence, from all those sublime phrases, to take refuge in nature, apparently so inarticulate, or in the wordlessness of long, grinding labour, of sound sleep, of true music, or of a human understanding rendered speechless by emotion!' (Dr Zhivago)

couldn't find a more paradoxical finale to the 'quotes' post! :)

catch you later my dear blog!

2005-11-19T12:25:00.000+05:30

quOteS...

i realize that travel is the best medicine for a mind pining to be with itself! it gives the mind ample time and space to indulge in itself... and oh, what a creature the mind is! i guarantee that it can beat any glutton in its capacity to gorge and indulge! :)

well, today my mind got its much needed dose. as i blocked the world out... my mind started giving me some interesting company. somehow, today it decided to focus itself on things people have said which have left a deep impact on it. this blog is dedicated to a few of those...

charles chaplin, or charlie chaplin as he's more famously known, was a beautiful, interesting and very intelligent man. a month or so back, i'd bumped into a picto-biography on him. will dedicate another blog to that and his life, coz here i'll just concern myself with something he said that left me speechless. he said - 'a perfect love is the most beautiful of all frustations, because it is more than one can express' . i cannot agree with him more... and, i cannot wish enough to experience this frustration...

another statement that comes to my mind is something SRK once said in an interview. he said 'if i have to choose between a quickie and peace of mind, i'll choose the latter...' or something to this effect. simple words, powerful thought. the reason this has had such a profound effect on my mind is that i believe it has yet another aspect to it, besides the stated - that the implications of any action should be well thought out and considered before indulging in it. i believe every action creates its own effects. every one of these effects constitutes our karmic quotient. as such, on a personal level, i believe that this thought should apply to just about every aspect of my life.

then, there's something i was reading a few days back in a book called 'questions from the city, answers from the forest' by Ajahn Sumano Bhikkhu. ASB is a/an (american) buddhist monk. a question was asked of him, about how this (a) person could not stick to his vows (his new year resolutions!). as i could just so relate to this question, i read on... there are two very beautiful things that came out in his answer. one, that the person who made this vow isn't the same one who breaks it. wisdom, which is a positive energy, generated the vow, and ignorance, which is a negative energy, generated the breach. the second thing he said, which really really surprised me was this - he said that when we decide to change our behaviour, it is useful if we take a little time to perform a ritual to underscore the commitment to change. to a cynic, any ritual looks silly and feels embarrasing, but for someone who knows how to use them, rituals mark a moment in time with a powerful gesture. the moment they mark is now, for change only happens in the present moment. we add weight to our intention when we include spiritual elements in the ritual. there was a lot more to his answer, but i'll keep it to this, as i now come to the reason why this has got mentioned here. the very next day after reading this, there was an interesting discussion happening among us friends on marriage - 'should marry, shouldn't marry. the one thing that kept coming up was, what's the use of marrying, just have a live in...it's the same thing, why marry?' .. why marry indeed, i thought? what after all is the difference between marrying someone and living in? the saat pheras? the vows?..... and that's where the above answer took the most astonishing shape in my mind. suddenly, i understood it all - suddenly i felt the gravity and meaning of these rituals. for the first time in my life, i got a solid answer to this question.....

to many meaningful rituals and successful vows...

2005-11-18T11:39:00.000+05:30

nothing specific to put up today.... so no title, no structured thoughts.....

lots of things whizzing in my mind and i'm in no mood to lead them to a conclusion....

the day started with me wondering what's the essential difference between a maharaja and a raja...got no answers yet...

then... was hearing an english (american) number, which had a nice humming in b/w and it suddenly struck me, that the way i enjoy this humming will be so different from an american... coz there are a million subliminal reactions that constitute any response to a particular stimuli, and each of these reactions is product of a multitude of socio-cultural exposures.... at that moment i wished that there was a way in which one could verbalize exactly what one 'feels'......

life's changed from one extreme to the other in a span of days... how?... it's just been taking me by surprise, and it seems to have gone past so fast, that i haven't had the time to catch even a few moments and savour these changes... so much... so much... i don't want the good times to whizz by so soon...:) hmmm, may they last an eternity :)

ah, and fnally... is writing a blog actually a means of attracting attention? a comment to this effect came from a friend yesterday.. it set me thinking.. yes of course a lot of people are reading it.. so, one does become conscious.. but upon futher pondering.. i realized... a blog need not necessarily be a diary... that would then in a way justify the comment... but a normal blog?.. well no...i guess i don't agree.

to questions, insights and learnings....

2005-11-15T10:56:00.000+05:30

weeKeNd leArnIngs...

This weekend, I bumped into an interesting book- 'The History of Writing'. What's interesting, is that this subject is something, so taken for granted, that to read about its history and development was something I'd never imagined!

It started with the same history book infomation - Papyrus etc etc, but for the first time I saw what Papyrus looked like - quite like the 'chinese umbrella' plant! You can have your own glimpse of it here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papyrus. Learnt that Egyptian writing comprised not only of Heiroglphy but also two more derived scripts - Heiratic and Demotic! If you're interested in furthering your own knowledge on the same you can have a crash course at - http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/writing.htm. Also, I must say, that heirarchy reflected in their scripts also, as in Heiroglphy, the names of kings and queens were surrounded by an oval inscription (called Cartouche)!Lol!

And oh, finally got the name for the 'Russian alphabet' - it's called the Cyrillic script. It represents five (or more?) Slavic languages! Cool eh? It's creation and development is interesting still - but I won't go into those details here...

Closer home, how many of us knew that the Times New Roman font was created specifically for the 'London Times' in 1930? Hmmm... good fun eh?!

But, the one thing that struck me as highly unsual and really surprising, after going through it all, was that almost all ancient scripts - Egytpian, Urdu, Chinese etc., were written from right to left (vertical or horizontal) - then how did the English (greek) language develop as something so radically different?

Food for thought?

2005-11-09T09:32:00.000+05:30

i bElieVe i cAn flY!

It was this phrase from an oft heard song that flit through my mind, yesterday morning, when I was brushing my teeth. It was preceded by a series of rather random and seemingly unconnected thoughts, each of which surprisingly developed from the previous! And as I brushed, looking at myself in the mirror, with the bright sunlight coming in through the veneered window to my right, I just wished I could fly.... And then, all of a sudden, the phrase hooked itself very deeply in my mind - and I realized what it meant to be able to fly.

The exhiliration came from the fact that rather than just 'thinking' the words, I imagined the reality of it and suddenly for that brief moment I was transferred into the realms of a child's world.... I actually imagined something impossible to be possible. Oh what a wonderful feeling that was! How long back was it, that I'd felt this optimism? Such excitement and happiness that only emits from the naive and nascent imaginations of a child.... And thankfully, I was privy to it!

The cynic inside me reads this piece and wonders - God! Have I lost it... the Child within, smiles with delight at this reaction! Little Keerat did it! She finally came out from under layers and layers of adulthood and its experiences and gave me a peek into her mind!

I felt I could fly..... :)

2005-11-05T07:15:00.000+05:30

tHe beGinNing

Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start..... :)

Hmmm... its my second attempt at writing a blog, but to be honest - my first serious one! So lets hope we see this site blossoming under the able and sustained guidance of this pondering mind :) [ignore the 's' in the url, it was added to get this required url! the helplesness of us mere mortals against technology!]

This blog is going to be a serious attempt in listing down thoughts and ideas, emotions and desires that continously keep flashing through this mind, but vanish just as quickly. It's an attempt to sort those thoughts out and to lead them to a meaningful conclusion. Amen! :)

After a gazillion breaks, due to 'urgent' [??] interventions by colleagues / work mates, I've finally managed these two paras! And I guess, that's it for the day!

Cheers to a great weekend!