From Opaque to Translucent !

My Name is Khan And I have done it.

2010-02-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

Forget Rahul or Raj, Rizwan Khan is here and yes he is not a Terrorist. With My Name is Khan, Shahrukh Khan’s metamorphism from a lover boy to an Actor is now definitely complete. He has delivered an unparallel performance which has depth and the latitude which critics often claimed that he lacked.

My Name Is Khan’ is the story of Rizwan (Shah Rukh) and his undying efforts to uphold his promise and the dignity of Muslims. Growing with Asperger’s syndrome, Rizwan learns the lessons of humanity from his mom as he spends his childhood in Mumbai. He is taken up by his brother (Jimmy Shergill) and sister-in-law (Sonya Jehan) to US after the death of his mother.
It is here that he meets his love, Mandira (Kajol) who happens to be a Hindu widow with a child. Despite having some problems in dealing in crowded places, intimate hugs and expressing and reacting as per the outside environment, Rizwan secures a place in the heart of Mandira and they live together as a happy couple until that tragic day of 9/11 dawns.
Rizwan’s peaceful life is shattered as Mandira alleges him to be the worst mistake in her life. This makes the innocent Rizwan to undertake a journey to meet US President and to say that “My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist”.

Karan Johar deserves a round of applause for his impeccable direction. The depiction of each scene is so subtle and touchy that you cannot afford to miss even a single one. The Soundtrack compliments the movie and don’t hamper its progress.

The first half of the movie is quite pacey and has adequate amount of humor, romance and drama in it. The movie abounds in one liner that will make you giggle and sometimes even clap.
The movie drags a bit in the second half. After the splendid fast moving power packed first half you have high expectations for a promising second half. But then there has to be some drama which unfolds in the form of hurricane Katrina. The climax also comes across as long, contrived and over-the-top. But till then the movie would have entertained you to such an extent that you would be happily willing to ignore those few glitches.

Shahrukh khan has delivered a lifetime performance, there is not a moment in the movie where he has lost his character. The innocence and purity of his character is what wins the heart. Kajol is remarkable as always and has complimented SRK very well. Other actors Jimmy Shergill, Sonya Jehan, Zarina Wahav and others have very well justified their roles no matter how small space they shared on the screen.

All in all the movie is definitely a must watch, it will entertain you to the core. Watch it for The Message, Performance, SRK, Kajol and of course Shiv Sena.

It's all about mindset

2009-06-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

As I was passing a circus that had came to my city a few weeks back, my eyes caught a glimpse of the animals tied there....

But apart from there pitiful condition, the most amazing things that caught my attention was the fact that there was a huge elephant that was held there just by a rope tied to his leg. It was quite evident that this magnificent beast can get himself free whenever he wants. He could break the ropes, anytime he wants, but for some reason he didn't. Perplexed I went to the trainer and asked that why this animal just stood there and never try to get away, when they easily can.....

"Well", he said, "when he was young and small we use to tie him by the same rope, at that time these rope were strong enough to hold him. As he grew up he is conditioned to believe that he cannot break away. He still believes that the rope is strong enough to hold him, so he just doesn't try. "

I was amazed, this animal can at any time get free from his bonds and pitiful condition, but since they believed they can’t get away they are stuck where they are. This powerful and gigantic animal has limited its present abilities by the limitation of past…..

Like this elephant, how many among us never try to do things just because we failed once. How many of us simply refuse to do something new just because of our so called MINDSET?

The pastor's ASS

2009-05-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.

The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the Race again, and it won again.

The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.

The next day, the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.

The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The bishop fainted.

He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild.

The next day the headlines read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

The bishop was buried the next day.

The moral of the story is .. . . being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery . even shorten your life.

So be yourself and enjoy life.

Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer!

Have a nice day!

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PS: The above article was intended to be taken as a humor and nothing else. If it hurts anyones sentiments then please avoid reading it..... lolz

Born Angel Made into Devil

2009-03-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

It would be perfectly safe to say that kids are the perfect example of gandhiji’s disciple. They don’t lie, they see no evil, talk no evil and hear no evil. But then what happens that turns these cute angels to what we are now. Let s rewind our memory back to our childhood. When we were kids, we were so pure that we didn’t know what a lie is. But then how did we become the prevaricator that we are now?

Hmmmm wait a sec…

We were methodically taught how to lie. You don’t believe me?? Remember those essays that we were made to write in our primary classes. Write an essay about your school. Now the more we lied the more we scored. Isn’t it? My School is one of the top most schools in our city (Bullshit! Half of the city doesn’t know that such a school exists). I love my school very much and never miss a single class (ROFL who in his right state of mind loves schools. And wait a sec, I was never allowed to miss a single class would be better). If this didn’t convince you then remember the letters we used to write (Write a letter to the principle for scholarship). Now the standard format was to brag about you poverty and about the pitiful condition you live in. (Sympathy gets you marks.) The more you lie the more you score. (By the way my fav was, my father is a clerk in government factory and I have 5 young brothers and sisters. My mother works as a maid to cope up with the expenditure of our family. ROFL, now that would explain the expensive gifts that I used to get from my parents). So all in all, it won’t be a lie to say that we were systematically taught to lie and gain sympathy by whatever means possible.

Now talking about ‘see no evil, hear no evil and talk no evil’. The general scene in most of the families is that of the mother watching those insane, preposterous daily soaps where crackbrained characters are always trying to uncover or create a conspiracy within their families. Now what good can be learnt from those daily soaps (apart from how to conspire, how to create drift between family members, what jealousy means and moreover how imbecilic anyone can be). Almost every of those narrow minded serials have characters having an extra marital affair or multiple marriages. (No wonder why our younger generation can’t stick with one girlfriend or boyfriend or one wife or husband(lol… ;)).)

We usually teach younger ones to share things. But when our own child shares something then the real drama starts. (!#!@## how in the name of slumdog millionaire you give your favorite pencil to that kid, did you know that your uncle brought it from Germany !#!@#!@). Another teaching that we offer without thinking is ‘A friend in need is a friend in deed’. But when a kid from neighbor comes before exam to borrow you notes, the parents will formulate all kind of possible excuses just to deny the request. Now what happened to your teachings? Are they just to be kept in you subconscious mind and never to be brought to implementation.

Just keep on digging and we will find that almost every possible evil that you can think of has been in one way or the other, contributed by the current education system or the society in which we live.

That’s why I say I WAS A BORN ANGEL, BUT SOCIETY CORRUPTED ME.

The ouch moment

2009-03-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

A stranger was seated next to a little girl on the airplane when the stranger turned to her and said, 'Let's talk. I've heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.'

The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to the stranger, 'What would you like to talk about?'

'Oh, I don't know,' said the stranger. 'How about nuclear power?' and he smiles.

'OK, ' she said. 'That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass - . Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass.

Why do you suppose that is?'

The stranger, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, 'Hmmm, I have no idea.'

To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss nuclear power.. when you don't know $hit?"

Ouch. That hurts.

Men are from MARS and women are from VENUS

2009-03-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Men:

1. All men are extremely busy.
2. Although they are so busy, they still have time for women.
3. Although they have time for women, they don’t really care for them.
4. Although they don’t really care for them, they always have one around.
5. Although they always have one around them, they always try their luck with others.
6. Although they try their luck with others, they get really pissed off if the woman leaves them.
7. Although the woman leaves them they still don’t learn from their mistakes and still try their luck with others.

Women:

1. The most important thing for a woman is financial security.
2. Although this is so important, they still go out and buy expensive clothes and stuff.
3. Although they always buy expensive clothes, they never have something to wear.
4. Although they never have something to wear, they always dress beautifully.
5. Although they always dress beautifully, their clothes are always just “an old rag”.
6. Although their clothes are always “just an old rag”, they still expect you to compliment them.
7. Although they expect you to compliment them, when you do, they don’t believe you.

A Mighty Heart

2009-02-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

A mighty heart...

Before seeing A Mighty Heart I made a mistake. I thought I knew what to expect from Michael Winterbottom’s new film. I assumed that, A Mighty Heart was exactly what it was being sold as: a weepy tearjerker strong woman movie. A Mighty Heart is a celebration of dignity and devotion, while also making scathing points about the way the media deals with news, about the way that America treats prisoners and the way that 19th century nationalistic thinking is getting in the way of progress in the war on terror.

There's a compelling urgency about this highly political film that tells the true story of the brutal and senseless murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl. Based on his widow Mariane's memoirs, Michael Winterbottom has created a riveting portrait of a brave and compassionate woman that allows us to feel as though we have partaken of her journey. Angelina Jolie is stunning, giving a hauntingly affecting performance as Mariane Pearl, who was 5 months pregnant at the time of her husband's disappearance in Karachi, while pursuing the source for his story on terrorism. It's an extraordinary portrayal and Jolie captures every nuance - from Mariane's soft French accent to her quiet sense of determination and restraint as we track the events during the 5 weeks after Daniel's disappearance.

But at the centre is Jolie's utterly convincing performance, complete with a beautifully judged, gentler French accent. Irfan Khan as Pakistani anti terror Captian, and Will Patton as his US FBI counterpart, Asra, also stand out in a cast whose credibility is never in question. The smallest roles are performed to perfection and the genuine locations add to the film's gritty realism.
Now, you'd think that so well known a story would be difficult to pull off in a film so soon after the actual event, but the director manages to help us see it and understand it in a new light. He goes beyond the headlines to make us feel the pain of the participants, the suffering of the wife, and the dogged determination of the police in tracking down the culprits. Yes, the fact that the circumstances were still so conspicuous in the public consciousness might have turned off some moviegoers, but that doesn't deny the fact that the public missed a good movie. As a matter of fact its one of those masterpeice which are under looked and for some weird reason doesn’t receive the appreciation and fame they deserve. I recommend this movie as “A must watch”.

Future Kisne Dekha hai!!!

2009-02-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

One thing that I have learned lately is that only numbskulls make plans for their future. And then actually believing that your plans would take shape (as you planned) ,would be the biggest act of stupidity know to mankind (ok I know I am exaggerating, but so what). I have also acted one too many times like my life is all setup and nothing would go wrong from here. But the truth is that whenever I have been overwhelmed by this feeling, I have tumbled and fallen face first. And believe me it hurts a lot.
One thing that I haven’t been able to understand is that, why is it that whenever I am on the verge of achieving something, that matters to me a lot…….. Hushhhh…..… suddenly a huge wind blows and everything is just gone. Moments ago the thing that was making me feel good and elated suddenly has become my biggest point of concern. I for one have decided that I would never keep my hopes high for anything. If things are written to happen a certain way then they will and there is nothing you could do, that could alter the course of time and the writes of the destiny.
So just relax and live the present, don’t think about the future. Make the best of your now and keep on enjoying your life. "Aakhir future kisne dekha hai dude".

It's Just My View

2009-01-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

It's Just My View

The comparison was obvious from the day, when the release dates of 2008’s two most awaited movies were announced. Now what could be a better treat for bollywood fans than to see two mega stars (King Khan - SRK and Mr. Perfect - Amir) trying to prove who rules Bollywood. But after seeing both the movies I must say that I was highly disappointed.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was tagged to be an extraordinary love story of an ordinary couple. And I must confess it was really extra ordinary, never has been something as bad been served in such a grand manner and such a confidence. The movie had some such big potholes that consumed the whole story and made it truly……… unbelievable. To enumerate one really has to take a huge leap of faith to accept that a woman won't recognize her husband from two inch distance just because he does not wear his spectacles , gels his hair and Doesn’t have a moustache. I also felt that the so called macho SRK was almost on the brink of being irritating. Now being a Shahrukh’s fan I hate to admit that the movie was a total disaster and if it had not been because of SRK’s name clung to the movie, it would have fallen flat on every perimeter. The new comer Anushka was just ok and nothing more, the songs were bearable but not among those that would be remembered for days to come, the decent and elegant SRK was quite impressive and many people from audience must have identified him as themselves. But apart from that the movie was nothing and was not at all expected from SRK who has given movies like DDLJ, K2H2, Kal Ho Na Ho and Chak De.

After being disappointed from RNBDJ, I was hoping a miraculous rescue from Amir’s Ghajini, the movie that had created quite some hype among the country even before it was released. Amir is believed to be one of the most hardworking actors in the film Industry and it is also said that he leaves no stone unturned in order to bring justice to his character. The promos of the movie were also looking quite promising. After seeing the movie (and that too premier show) I was not as disappointed as I was after seeing RNBDJ but was neither as impressed as I was after seeing Taare Zameen Par. The movie has the typical rich-guy-poor-girl candy floss love story, which comes to an abrupt end by girl being brutally murdered and the guy being beaten up. It was said that movie was inspired from a Hollywood flick called “Momento”, but now I really hope that the director would have actually copied it rather then adding his creativity into it. According to me the major short comings of the movie were Excessive violence and that too of Rajnikant style, the one man army character of Amir which you can safely compare with the HULK , the choice of Villain - he didn’t looked like an actor to be in a role after whom the film was named and finally the poor performance delivered by Miss Nishabd “Jiah Khan” (WTF is she doing in bollywood, she could try her carrier in police and she would be a perfect torture for criminals). Apart from the song “Aye Bachhu” which was also quite unnecessary and abrupt, the rest were bearable. The only positive thing that came out of the movie was the mind blowing performance of Amir khan, and his 8 packs abs. [:P].

You will reap what you sow

2008-12-12T22:16:00.000-08:00

You will reap what you sow

As a kid we were often told by our parents that you have to reap what you sow, but frankly speaking I never took it quite seriously. It was just another moral lesson that parents try to scorch on your noddle…..
But as we grow, we knowingly or unknowingly do our share of mistakes. We lie, we break hearts and sometime we even cheat. But the truth is that in one way or other we have to pay for our mistakes. The society in which we live is just like a mirror, it will frown at you when you frown at it and it will smile at you when you will smile at it…..
Don’t be a mendacious person, never break anyone’s trust because trust is very hard to earn and once you lose it, it could be quite difficult to regain it. Never betray a true friend, because a splotch on friendship can’t be removed by any amount of effort that you can put into it. And lastly try not to break hearts because they are quite fragile and once broken they always leave a mark…..
The biggest fact is that everything that you do has repercussions. It comes back to you one way or another. You cannot escape the consequences of your actions. So next time when you intend to break someone’s heart or be disloyal to someone, rethink because what you plant now, will determine what you will reap tomorrow…..

Week with maya

2008-11-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

Animation is a field that has constantly been able to grab my attention. The adroitly created characters that glistened comely in the virtual world has always mesmerized me. But for one reason or other, I had never been able to devote some of my time to animation and modeling (PS : by modeling I don’t mean the art of giving pesky poses in front of the camera).

But thankfully due to this humongous break that we got, I have mulled over all the options that I have, which could help me to survive in this unendurable "nothing to do" climate. So after giving Sketching, Guitar, Gym and JAVA a try, it was time to rekindle my dormant interests in animation and to valuate my modeling skills.

So as the first step in this new dimension, I installed MAYA on my PC and was ready to roll.(For those who are alien to the term MAYA. It is a 3D animation and modeling package developed my Alias and now owned by Autodesk. Maya along with other software’s are responsible for the fabulous special effects that we see in movies like 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns', 'Final Fantasy', 'The Hollow Man', 'The X-Men', 'Anaconda', 'Stuart Little', 'Shrek', 'Spiderman', 'Harry Potter', 'Jurassic Park 3', 'Star Wars', 'Lord of the Rings'…. The list is endless).

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Day 1:

I have installed MAYA 6.0 (Ya I know its quite an old version, but this was the latest version on which i was able to lay my hands). After a little brainstorming session with the software and fiddling with the options and buttons, I came to the conclusion that unlike Photoshop (that I learned by hit and try) I would require little help if I need to move ahead with it. So I typed “Maya tutorials” on Google and as usual without failing Google provided me with a dozen of helpful sites with video tutorials and reference materials. So after going through a few tutorials and fidgeting around with the tools provided in MAYA, I created my first 3D model. Here it is, have a look.

I know that there isn’t much of modeling in it. It’s simply a Cube with appropriate cuts and textures. But hey don’t forget it’s my first attempt.

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Day 2:

After creating a simple 3D model, today i will follow a tutorial on modeling a chain gun. It’s much more complex then the simple cube modeling that I did the previous day. But it will give me more insight to the basic structures of MAYA and will also acquaint me with more tools and options that are available in it.

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Day 3:

Inspired and contented from my previous days accomplishment and newly acquired knowledge of the software. I decided to create something on my own. But as usual, I was flummoxed and was not able to decide what should I create. It should be something that would not be too difficult for a newbie, yet it should be attractive. So after a little ruminating I settled down for creating a Model of my “Acoustic Guitar”. Here is it after 7 hrs of hard work.

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Day 4:

Yesterday when I was busy in receiving kudos for my previous works, one of my closest friends suggested me to create a model of my Cell, so following her advice here it is:

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Day 5:

After successfully playing with polygons, it’s time to move on to nurbs and create something which would be much more alive. Like some living creature.

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Day 6:

I have always been crazy about the powerful shimmering mean machines, and if it’s custom then it's like an icing on the cake. Owning one is a dream which will take some time to come true. So I decided to model one for me, it was a much more complex and big task than any of the models I have created so far. Let’s see how it turns out to be.

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Day 7:

Are you serious? You must be kidding me. I work only 6 days a week. So no more spending hours sitting in front of my computer and trying to figure out a way to create a mesh.

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Some Interesting Facts About MAYA:

The name MAYA has been derived from Sanskrit word “Maya” which mean illusion. See our culture has an influence well beyond what we can imagine.

Almost 80% of the Hollywood movies have special effects created with the help of MAYA.

Forgotten Memories

2008-11-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

You changed my world with a blink of an eye,
This is something that I can not deny,
You just don’t know what you have done to me,
You pushed me to the best that I can be.

You are an angel sent from above,
To curb my loneliness and fill it with love,
You put my soul from worst to best,
That is why I treasure you my dearest.

Now I wonder why you went so far,
If I was I evil or not up to your par,
When I look deeper to find the reason,
Time seems to be the culprit that did the treason.

Things kept changing from good to worse,
I could do nothing but to observe,
I knew that I was loosing my precious,
And suddenly everything seemed to be worthless.

Sometimes I wonder if she still remembers me,
Or am I just another forgotten memory,
If this is what it was meant to be,
I would like to make sure she’s still happy.

Being Single Is Definitely Not That Simple

2008-11-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

I was watching MTv and it was, "It sucks", time. This time VJ Cyrus was thrashing about being single and how it sucks. I don't exactly remember the words that he used but i will try to reproduce what he said, in my words. So here it is, "Being single - It really sucks".

Initially everyone starts their life as a single. But as time passes by, people start getting into relations. Now if you are left single then this is what happens to you.
On a Friday evening you call your friends for a get together. The typical replies that you get are:
“Sorry dude, I can’t come, have to drop her home”
“Seriously would love to come, but have to go to meet his parents”
“I am really sorry yaar, but I have a date tonight”

And if somehow you manage to arrange a get together, then you are going to have the worse time of your life. Since everyone thinks that you are the only person on the planet who is left single, others won’t recon your existence. They will keep on talking among themselves, about stuffs that you find quite boring or are alien to you. And if you try to get involved in their discussion you will be rewarded by a curt reply saying “how would you know about it, you haven’t been through such a situation”.

So all in all in order to get out of your solitude and enjoy your life you decide to go to a discotheque or a club. But the nightmare for you isn’t over yet. On seeing that you are trying to enter the club and that too alone, you would be asked that “Are you single?” and if you are a good kid and you replied them, "yes". They will give you a look as if you are some diseased person. They won’t allow you to enter as there is definitely something wrong with you. After all, from millions of women on this planet, if you couldn’t find a single girl that suites you, they can’t take the risk. Since you are single, you are bound to act as a lunatic and attack the girls inside.

So disheartened you get back to your lonely life. And one day, bored from your single life, you decide that you too are also going to find a girl for yourself. Happily you give this news to your friends but they are like “Are you serious?” “You must be joking dude, we will give anything for your kind of life. If we can then we would definitely like to be single again. It would be so nice to be free again, spending money on ourselves, no nag nag, no sorry. It would be like a dream come true.” Trust me brother, you are better as single.

On hearing this you get more confused than ever and thus decide, "let it be what it's like". And here you are, still single and reading this article.

A Lot Can Happen Over A Coffee.

2008-11-08T01:58:00.000-08:00

Sitting with friends and sipping coffee on a chilly evening is what I always love to do….. It was 5:30 when my friend Aki called me and asked me to meet him at Coffee Corner. When I reached there, I found him already sitting on the corner most table with his first cup of Cappuccino. So I ordered an Espresso for myself at the counter and joined my friend on his table. And with the first sip of coffee our never ending discussion got a kick start. We were discussing everything from love to crime, from politics to cricket. And then somehow we landed on India’s ambitious mission to moon i.e. mission Chandrayaan.

Me: I don’t get the point of India spending Rs. 3.86 billion on Mission Chandrayaan. It’s really foolish to spend so much money on something with such less importance.

Aki: I didn’t get your point what do you mean to say.

Me: I just want to say that why to spend so much money to get some pictures of the craters on the moon, when you can find plenty of them on our Indian roads.

Aki: HAHAHA (mocking) so funny.

Me: No I am serious that money could be utilized in some other tasks like education for poor, raising employment etc.

Aki: Now common, we can’t compare these two things. It’s too immature to compare Space research program with unemployment. It’s also important for us to do some pioneering work in space research.

Me: Pioneer. Did I hear the word pioneer? We are not doing anything special my dear, what we are trying to achieve is what others have attained years ago. It has always been our drawback that we are always interested in achieving something which has already been achieved.

Aki: So what do you want to say, that since someone has already walked on a particular track, we should never follow it?

Me: No what I want to say is that we should try to get involved in something which is yet to be achieved. Like why not join the race to mars.

Aki: Of course we would, but we have to start from the basics isn’t it. Moreover we first test drive a car before taking it for a long drive isn't it. We can’t just say that we are going to mars when we haven’t reached moon yet.

Me: If mission Chandrayaan would have been the first step to mission Mangal, then it would have been fine with me. But no, what we want to do is reach moon and that’s it.

Aki: So you are saying that if we change the name of the mission Chandrayaan to Mission Mangal then it would be fine for you. What difference dose it makes?

Me: There is a difference. It’s about the attitude. If we want to achieve something big then we have to aim higher. And man! Attitude dose make a hell lot of difference.

Aki: How could you tell what our space agency is planning for the future? We have to just wait and watch.

Me: See in Mission Chandrayaan, the first phase consists of a satellite which would orbit the moon for two years and get pictures of its surface. Then based on these data ISRO will start the phase two of the Mission and launch Chandrayaan II in year 2010, which would contain a motorized robot that will land on the moons surface and collect samples from there. These samples will be then analyzed by the robot and the data would be transmitted back to the mother ship which would be orbiting the moon. Now all this would be done using a modified version of PSLV. I agree that PSLV are good for such missions where returning back to earth is of no importance, but common if we really want to achieve something big, then we have to start focusing on bigger things like developing space shuttles, training astronauts etc.

Aki: Phew from where do you get all this information?

Me: From the Second God, anyway coming to the point I know that we can’t just jump on the bandwagon and rely on others for our victory. We have to find our own way and we have to excel on our own, but still this strategy of slow and steady progress has always bothered me. Common sooner or later we have to think that for how long we are going to be the underdogs. When we will we stop reinventing the wheel and do something for which the whole world will recognize us.

Aki: Hmmm, don’t worry that day is about to come. See you are going to join cognizant soon. So go there and learn whatever you can. Then develop an operating system better than Microsoft and overtake Microsoft. See quite simple, after all you are our only hope Mr. Rebellion.

The last comment from my friend made us laugh uncontrollably and this gave us a distraction which was required to end our never ending discussion. When the bill came, I realized that I had already consumed 3 Espresso and my friend was on his 4^th Cappuccino. I knew that that coffee was going to bother me the next morning, but hey we all know that “A lot can happen over coffee”.

Review - Fashion Ka Hai Yeh Jalwa

2008-11-06T07:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Madhur Bhandarkar, hot Pinki Chops finally got a chance to prove her acting talent to the world. Priyanka Chopra as Megha Mathur will finally get some critics acclaim for the splendiferous work that she has done in this movie. After a series of flop flickers, she was in a desperate need of a hit and believe me this movie has got everything what is required to make a film silver screen smasher. From the very first scene Priyanka Chopra holds the screen and the attention of the audience by her smashing performance and killer looks. Other co-actors especially Kangna Ranaut, Mugdha Godse and Arjan Bajwa also did a wonderful job. Kangna despite of a small role has given a career defining performance and I won’t be surprised if she gets an award for it. In fact any compliment on her effort would be incomplete if I don't mention two scenes from the movie; one the Show Stopper scene were she transformers from a whimsy, kinky drug addict to a stunning ramp diva and second the one in which she handles the robe malfunction…... Truly breath taking.
One thing that is evident from the film is that Bhandarkar has done considerable research for this film. And his efforts has paid well because even the minutest detail, like the glimmer behind the kohled eyes of the models, the frenzy behind the screens, the front row clamor etc are picturised to perfection and gives the movie the right feel.
I must say the background music is bit loud but it is well compensated by the glamour that accompanies it. The tracks "Jalwa" and "Mar Jawa" were total melodies and will remain hot favorites for quite some time. Madhur Bhandarkar and his team have done a remarkable job in putting all the fashion shows lavishly and impeccably together.
Like other Bhandarkar movies fashion also contains many characters that are inspired by real personalities from the fashion industry. Using characters that resemble real life people is a signature move for Madhur and it certainly helps in providing an essence of reality to the movie.
The movie has some backdrops too. The movie is more about the struggle and life of the models then the fashion industry. It seems that for Madhur Bhandarkar "fashion = Models", but he should not forget that fashion is not just about models but it's a whole world. Moreover according to this film male designers are either gay or are “K”, I mean this is little hard for me to digest.
However Madhur has again proved that a good film doesn’t requires six pack abs or expensive stunt scenes. A good story in the hand of craftsmen director is what it takes to produce a blockbuster for the season.

Worlds 12 most funniest marriage proposals

2008-11-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Today while I was going through my mails, I came across one of the funniest mails I have ever read. So I thought that I should share it with all you sick people (just kidding), after all laughter is the best medicine.

These profiles are taken from shaadi.com (An Indian matrimonial site). It proves that grammar and spelling is of no importance, when words come straight from your heart.

#1#
Hello To Viewers My Name is Sowmya , I am single i dont have male,If any one whant to marrie to me u can visite to my home. I am not a good education but i working all field in bangalore.. if u like me u welcome to my heart... when ever u whant to meet pls visit my resident or send u letter..
Thanks
yours Regards Sowmya

Now What was this !!!!

#2#
i want very simple boy. from brahmin educated family from Orissa state she is also know about RAMAYAN, GEETA BHAGABATA, and other homework

What does he mean by Homework???

#3#
I am a happy-go-lucky kind of person. Enjoys every moments of life. I love to make friendship. Becauese friendship is a first step of love. I am looking for my dreamboy who will love me more than i.Because i love myself a lot. If u think that is u then why to late come on ........hold my hand forever !!!

Side Effects of hindi cinema!!!

#4#
i am simple girl. I have lot of problemin my life because of my lucknow i am looking one boy he care me and love me lot lot lot.

Isn’t this cute

#5#

i want a boy with no drinks if he wants he can wear jeans in house but while steping out of house he should give recpect to our cast

By not wearing his jeans? What the hell...

#6#
Hye I am a good looking girl, who has the capability to make anybody to lough. I believe in god and according to me friends are the real messenger of god. The 3 things I am looking from a boy are
1. they must believe in god.
2. they have to like my profession
3. they should not get bored with me when I will try to make them lough

All of us are loughing for sure

#7#
whatever he may be but he should feel that he is going to be someone groom and he must think of the future life if he is toolike this he would be called the man of the lamp

I am clueless, I feel so lost. Can anyone tell me what this girl wants???

#8#
love my patner i marriage the patner ok i search my patner and I love the patner ok thik hai the patner has a graduate ok

Again clueless, but this person is definitely suffering from ok syndrome….

#9#
I am pranati my family histoy my two brother two sister and father & mother sister completely married

Somebody please explain how to get married “completely”????

#10#
my name is farhan begum and i am unmarried. pleaes you marrige me pleaes pleaes pleaes pleaes pleaes pleaes pleaes

Can anyone tell me how do we spell pleaes (oops)

#11#
I am kanandevi. i do owo businas. one sistar. he was marred.

I am speechless...

#12#
hello i am a good charactarised woman. i want to run my life happily. i divorced my first husband. his charactor is not good'. i expect the good minded and clean habits boy who may be in the same caste or other caste accepted ...

Does she accepts credit cards ???

Thumbdrive to quench your thirst

2008-11-03T05:09:00.000-08:00

My last Thumbdrive became history when my maid washed it thoroughly with my jeans. So personally I won’t recommend you to put your Thumbdrive in water. But what if you can put water in your thumbdrive? Now that would be something interesting, isn’t it?
That's exactly what CNK Promotions is offering. The merchandising company sells USB thumbdrives with an acrylic body that's hollow and can be filled with the colorful liquid of your choice. The drives can be made with a customized logo or mascot printed on the case and offer storage capacity up to 8GB.

Another interesting fact about this drive is that, it can float in water. Hmmm…. Now floating is one think, but they didnt mentioned whether these drives are truly water resistant. Many will believe that 8GB is not much of space, but I am sure there would be a large segment of crowd which would love if these drives are filled with liquids like whisky or vodka.

PS: Resources - Cnet News

The most momentous moments

2008-11-02T00:12:00.001-07:00

The most momentous moments

First year – The famous whistle

It was a usual lunch break and we “the hellions of section E” were at our favorite place, when our friend “Sagar” came over in his usual jolly mood. In the wind of his high spirit, he was whistling and we, the 'hooligans' of our college were hooting, cheering and encouraging him not to let anything hold him back and to give his best shot. This hooting and blaring overtook his mind and he did something we still remember and smile about. It was the moment of the all famous SAGAR Whistle. It was so high pitched and loud that it went right into the ears of our HOD. This minute of bravery and lunacy cost the whole section a fine of 100 bucks. But we still believe that those 100 bucks were well worth it. Never could this indelible moment of fun and excitement be forgotten.

Second year – Clash of the titans

New teachers have a tendency to show that they are strict, so that they can control the class and Laxmi Nanhoriya was no different. It was one of her usual lectures when we felt that the best way to utilize this time was to have a sweet nap. But she didn’t think the same and started asking questions to each one of us. As none of us used to pay the tiniest bit of attention to what she used to taught (if we can call it teaching) answering the question was out of question. Eventually the turn came to me and what followed is something I believe no one will forget. One of my close friends described that moment as “It was some silly question on white noise. Since it was a subject we knew we’d have to study for ourselves later, no one seemed to pay attention. Consequently no one had a reply. The girls in their entirety were already standing when one of the boys, Prateek was questioned. Thanks to the background prompting, he gave a partially correct (because it was incomplete), statement. The teacher however decided to allow the girls to sit and keep the boys standing. Unable to bear the injustice the boy slashed back. We were stunned and I might add, I found the apparent temper of the student despicable then.” Well the result of my little outbreak was that she rushed out of the class whining and blabbering and almost all the girls were giving me a “we are gonna kill you for hurting our beloved madam” look.

Second year – The road to El Dorado

It was Prashant’s idea to take part in the state level web designing competition held in SSCET. We knew that it was an uphill climb and it wouldn’t be easy, as none of us had any experience in this field. And to add to our troubles we were in direct competition with one of the best designers of our college. Some thought that it was inane to compete in such tough contest and that we don’t stand a chance. But we were determined enough to prove them wrong. We worked for days and nights and read anything that was related to web designing. We knew our presentation skills were below average, so in order to win we had to emphasize on our strength i.e. the gimmicks that we had incorporated to our site. It was 2nd April and after the results were announced we knew that we had proven ourselves to anyone who doubted our abilities and that we were someone to be watched out for. Consequently, “nudge-nudge-wink-wink' crowd, got a chance to form a theory that our team members were too arrogant but, personally, I enjoyed this too.

Third year – Campus to Corporate

You think college is all about fun? Think again then. Third year is the year when you can feel hopes, determination and enthusiasm floating around you. Each student has planned something for themselves; let it be GRE, GATE, CAT or CAMPUS. I was among those, who wanted to have a job while still in college and start working as soon as I complete my Engineering. So getting into a reputed company was something I was thriving for. Finally it was the day for our first campus. I had waited long for this moment. I knew that this is it. I blow this one and the journey ahead for me would be rugged. The atmosphere that day was incomparable; you could have smelt tension and nervousness in the air. It was the first time when I saw myself sweating profusely in a cold night. Seniors were trying to encourage us by whatever means they could. Finally the tough moment passed by and the results were announced and it was then when I understood the meaning of the phrase “Nothing is sweeter than success”.

Fourth year – Ahem ahem

There is something about the final year that makes every moment special, so it would be unjustified to point out any particular moment. The whole year went by talking nineteen to dozen with friends, roaming around and sitting in coffee corner doing nothing. Saw every movie that we could and enjoyed like as if there would be no tomorrow. It was the “world is going to end” feeling that made each and every moment memorable. Sometimes I felt nostalgic and at the same time I would find myself looking forward to enter the new dimension that is yet to be discovered. But as every good thing has to end, the final year went by leaving a permanent mark in our reminiscence.

These are the few memories that i shall never forget. These are the few moments that I cherish and are responsible for making my college life special.

A page from my diary

2008-10-25T01:51:00.000-07:00

I was just going through the occasional writeups that I find time to write and found out this one, it's dated 22 oct i.e 3 days back, but it will give you a snippet of what's going on, in my busy as bee life.

It was again a “nothing special” week. Life has been an eating + sleeping + internet cycle ever since the college came to an end; the only change has been the addition of a new element called Java in it. This monotonous cycle is supposed to continue till our benefactor employers find us worthy enough to join them.

I seem to be floating in a fool’s paradise, finding hope in any and every news related to IT sector. With every news comes the hope that now we will get our joining. Orkut Cognizant community is full of people like me, whose only time pass is to discuss on topics like “When will we get our joining?” and then spreading rumors heard through grapevine.

In past few days a number of topics have crossed my mind on which I would like to blog but somehow am not able to find suitable words to do it or perhaps I have become too lazy to give it a try.

Watching TV has never been my forte and I really don’t give a shit what political parties say. But ya if someone shoots Raj Thackrey then do inform me. By the way a running thought came to my mind; why not let NOIDA Police handle the mayhem caused by MNS people. After all no one can doubt their efficiency after their illustrious and legendary work in ARUSHI TALWAR murder case.

Yes one more thing I finally managed to play Kabhi kabhi Aditi on my guitar will post the video on youtube as soon as possible. I think that’s all for now.

Signing off

Pheew…

Generation Gap

2008-09-28T03:04:00.000-07:00

I would like to pen down an interesting confab that took place during my journey from Agra to Durg. I was accompanied by three other passengers in my compartment; an elderly man who was a manager in some chemical industry, a young bloke from Indian navy and an Engineering student. The navy guy was preparing for IAS with math as an optional subject and the senior member opined that history would be a better choice for optional subject…..

Manager: Believe me young boy, I walk everyday with IAS officers and none of them has done IAS with math, math is such a vast subject that one cannot master it in a period of one or two years.

Navy guy: Sir, I do agree with your point of view but what I believe is that one should choose a subject in which he is comfortable, and being from a technical side I find myself more comfortable in math’s then history.

Manager: No no kid you are not getting my point, what I am saying is in IAS exam you have to study history for the main paper, so continue it for the optional also.

Navy guy: Yes sir but the history portion for main paper is very less, it’s not as vast as for the optional paper.

Manager: Do you know from which state, the most number of IAS candidates are selected.

Me: It’s from Bihar and Utarpradesh.

Manager: Correct because students there take subject like Art’s in 10+2 and continue with subject like history.

Me: Sir but there is no such rubric that only students with history as optional subject can clear an IAS exam, if the gentleman is comfortable with math then he should go for it. Personally I would also choose math’s and not history as we are in constant touch with it.

After seeing that I also joined the Navy guy’s party, he asked me, "what are you doing boy?". I told him that I am an Engineering pass out and was waiting for my joining dates.

Manager: I am sure you guys must have appeared for IIT, if you are so confident in Math’s then why didn’t you cracked it.

On seeing that the senior citizen was getting belligerent I thought to take back seat, as this discussion was going no where. So I just replied that may be my preparation was not upto the mark.

Manager: See that’s what I am saying it’s not possible to master Math’s.

Me: Hmmm may be. Anyway I am not interested in IAS, I want to go in corporate field and that too software industry.

But the elderly person was not in a mood to give up and he gave a curt reply.

Manager: You young kids don’t have any idea about the benefits of public services.

Me: Sir, my father is in public service and I very well know the benefits of public service but what I feel is that one can’t perform up to his capabilities in a public service.

Manager: You don’t know anything, the respect and the status that comes with public service is something you will not get in any corporate sector.

Me: You may be right sir, but I would like to experience it on my own. I will make my own mistakes and learn from it.

Manager: Of course you will young lad. Of course you will.

After this I put my headphone and start listening to LP and stared at the silhouettes outside, for some reason I found it much more exciting then convincing an incorrigible man. However the other passengers kept on there coversation, the Engg lad also joined them later, he was more like a pendulum shifting sides very frequently. This conversation didn't lead us to any common consilience but it definitely helped us to while our time.

This is perhaps what is known as generation gap. Both the generations are not ready to agree on what the other has to say. There goes a lot of hue and cry raised by the young and the old, but the fact is that, at some point each of them goes amiss.

The 10 commandments

2008-09-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

The 10 commandments

If the title gave you an impression that I am talking about the 10 commandments of bible, then let me apologizes from the bottom of my heart that you were mistaken. I am talking about the 10 commandments that I follow, in other words 10 commandments for me and by me. Now if you are getting an impression that I am some raconteur and you are about to read some well written poetic verse or a think piece, then you could be disappointed.

So here are the 10 things that I try to follow:

1) Keep your nose out of your neighbors business.
Don’t be a paranoid and mind you own business. It's none of your business what others do unless and until it directly or indirectly effects you. There are lots of constructive things that you can do rather than sticking you big fat nose into others life.

2) Keep your religion to thyself.
Every religion is great, and each of us has right to respect and preach there religion. But to disgrace or muddle other's, is something I can’t stand. No one has given you right to comment on something that you can’t understand or you are not capable of understanding.

3) Do not offer advice/counseling unless asked.
Advice comes for free. So no one leaves a single chance to opine and give there adroit advice. But one should always remember that you can never understand others situation unless you have been into it. So please don’t offer advice until asked for.

4) When asked for help don’t be a parsimonious.
A little help would never hurt anyone, so when asked for help don’t be a parsimonious fellow and help the person in whatever means u can. Helping others will help you by giving you satisfaction and peace of mind.

5) Know that you are no better than the next and your crap smells just as bad.
If you think you are the best then think again. There is always someone superior than you and it’s the law of universe. You should always have the desire to surpass the better, but always remember there is still the best that is waiting to be conquered. This will help you to strive for excellence and keep you kicking and alive.

6) Make a Friend for who you can die for.
I define friendship as an integral of relationships whose limit ranges from minus infinity to infinity. Make a friend of lifetime. It will help you to achieve things which you haven’t dreamt of. Moreover they will always be there for you to remind you of your real self.

7) Make an enemy of life.
A gentleman has been defined as someone who never gives pain to anyone unintentionally. This leaves plenty of options for deliberate rudeness toward someone you can't stand. Stand up to a bully, fight off a rival for a prize. Care enough about something to make someone mad. Rivalry brings the best out of you. It gives you the much needed determination to outdo your rivals. Once this determination get engrossed in you, there is nothing that you can’t achieve.

8) Let someone else have the chance you missed.
There is always something that you would have loved to do but u weren’t able to do. If possible then let someone else have that chance. Believe me it will give you the same (if not more) sense of satisfaction that you would have achieved doing it yourself.

9) Hearts are fragile so handle with care.
It’s quite easy to break someone hearts and equally difficult to revamp it. So please think about your every action and every word that you say to your loved ones. And never do or commit anything when you are either very happy or very sad because you will end in regretting for it.

10) Always remember Newton’s third law.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, this law is true not just in physics but in every aspect of life. Give love and thy should receive the same. Throw crap and u will get a mouthful in return.

Nature calling

2008-08-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

There’s something about the natural beauty that surrounds us that pours life into everything we do. And we our not oblivious to articles that adroitly describe the mirth of being a part of nature. In fact, if we look at a picturesque scene or even a snapshot or video of lush fields, majestic mountains, sunset dazzling the horizon, gushing waterfalls, we rarely feel anything but serene. The simple idea of a mad blithe run on a soft green grass field brings a smile on our face. Natural beauty works like magic every time, it’s a modus operandi. We humans are but a manifestation of this nature. Within each one of us resides an aversion to the destruction of nature, but we prefer giving up to the easier side and blind ourselves to the glamour of technology. But people have heard and felt the winds of change, the winds of recovery. Why then should any one of us stay back in this race? It’s after all a human nature to accept and face any challenge- The Bigger, The Better. And putting nature back to its place is nothing more or less than that. Those intelligent enough will not wait for destruction to knock their doors before they decide to start acting, would they?

Along the swaying tracks

2008-07-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

I happened to have made a short, rather very short, trip to my college town... Bhilai, just yesterday. What I'm about to describe here is the train journey part of this particular event.It takes me around one and a half hours of bus journey to the station and an additional 4 hours journey on train to reach my destination.Having made this once-regular-now-rare trip after months,I felt pretty excited.And thankfully, when I started my journey early morning at 5, the weather was just fine.The train was around 10 minutes late.However once on board, myself and my companions spent a gala time remembering the coolest days of our lives.Never the less , we had a tight schedule and the fact that our train got us half an hour late to our destination and that it had started raining, bothered us quite a lot. But all of this was okay. It was the journey back home that I wanted to write about.

The train was around 30-40 minutes late and the weather humid.Having woken up early morning at 4, making a 6 hours journey, running about the college grounds in a horribly humid weather, my body was begging me to take some rest.But I had a plan that was a superlative-degree more important to me.I had to spend as much time as I could, with my friends, more so because, my scope to meet them again was bound to become, a-little-too-difficult, for some indefinite extent of time after this.And believe me seeing them off felt awful. Much more awful than it felt the last time,while leaving my hostel. The train was practically empty this time and we seated ourselves comfortably and started sharing the day.
I chose myself the window seat.When I was not talking, I was looking out at the dark silhouettes of probably trees, shrubs, buildings, factories, a cool wind rushing past my face. It was quite a filmy moment because, with these passing images things started running in a flash-back mode in my head. Friends at school, fun at school, my unnecessary complains, my idiocy,etc.. Then came thoughts about my college days. Almost all of it was cramped with thoughts of my friends, whom I happened to have befriended somewhat late. I remembered small events of acknowledgment without much acquaintance. And then suddenly, how I find friendship bubbling up slowly, until one day it becomes one of your most prized possessions. You don't even go near imagining and suddenly someone says ,"Common yaar, you've become a part of my life now!"... and they value you so much that u wonder, "God! Did I ever imagine I would be valued and thought of so much by friends??? No way!!!". I felt the vulnerability friends share. And how the simple "Hey! no issues... just Chill... just relax", quietens the plethora of doubts, sadness and fear in your head. At times it feels unfair that people make themselves so much a part of your life but mostly it makes u feel that life can be good and great. Hats off to this class of people I call friends.

I kept feeling horrible I could not stay longer and the already existing tiredness+ hunger+blaring train whistles+ train journey hangover+ headache+ sticky feeling because of the weather and dust and later on dizziness got deep into my nerves by the time I returned home. My headache felt like someone might have blown a hammer on the back of my head and my brain was swaying like as though I was still moving in the train. I somehow cleaned up, fed myself, took a pill and dropped like lead on my bed.

Well it was a normal journey, but I felt like describing this so much because probably there are many who shed their own chain of thoughts with these passing shadows and remember some good moments that otherwise slip your head. Writing down my experience is my way of doing justice to the moment.

Political Frenzy served with Media Toppings

2008-07-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

Political Frenzy served with Media Toppings

Foreign media plays up horsetrading.
SP rebels blame Amar Singh.
N-deal not good for Muslims: Siddiqui.
Maya splits SP, shocks govt.

This is just a snippet of what is going on in every news channel. But HELLO did I miss something. I thought that the nuclear deal was the core issue. But I can’t see any exclusives or articles informing the public about this nuclear deal. What I do know about this nuclear deal is that India is planning to sign a treaty with US, which will enable him to get supply of uranium for its nuclear plant. But then if it is this simple why are the political parties creating a fuss. 95% of Indian public don’t have the slightest idea what’s in the nuclear deal for them. Why are some political parties apposing it? Why is the government in a hurry to sign the deal?
It’s the responsibility of media to keep its viewer informed about the matters of national importance, matters that are directly or indirectly going to affect their day to day life. But is media doing its job? The answer is a big NO. Media is preoccupied in serving the political crap disguised as breaking news to the public. They can give an exclusive one hour show on topics like “Snake with Two Heads”, but they seem not interested in the matter of national importance.
Talking about the political parties, they are so busy in throwing accusation on there apposing parties and trying to grab the slightest opportunity to pin down their opposition that they had already forgotten the purpose for which they have been elected as the representative of public. Issues like horsetrading and rebellion candidates are hyped as if they are a matter of life and death. But guys give me a break. Do I really care if any of those rebellion candidates switch their parties, this is nothing new and it hardly affects the common people. But again who cares for what we want or what we care about. The politicians are quite busy in trying to get any fair or unfair advantage they can from the present scenario, they are so busy that they don’t even realize that they are disgracing the dignity of the position they hold.
Its not new in Indian politics, this happens every time whenever the ruling party for a change decides to do something good for the country. The opposing parties can’t digest it and it comes out in the form of allegations and accusations with media acting like an icing on the cake.
The Media and The Politicians should understand that they have a responsibility above their self interest. And they could atleast leave some topics which are of greater importance to be solved without bothering about their personal interest.

THE KITE RUNNER

2008-07-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

THE KITE RUNNER

I recently finished reading this beautiful novel by Khaled Hosseini- The Kite Runner.

There's simply too much to be covered up in a book review attempt, but still I would love to present my viewpoints about the same. It basically describes an Afghan boy , Amir, and moves through the intricacies of his emotional turmoils. His memories, the feelings attached to them, the pangs of his guilt, his cravings, everything you could classify as a normal emotion.

The story begins somewhat mildly. Initially it repeatedly refers to some life changing event (repeated a bit too many times). However, by the time this event was fully described, I was already clasping my hands over my gaping mouth. The story line and the description, I am sure, brings a horror and terror and pain in every human's eyes.

Once this event was described , keeping away from the book felt sinful. It grabs you so much that you can almost imagine yourself tossing in crammed trucks while moving through the gravel-roads of Afghanistan.

I am 21 and all others of my age and younger, were born at a time by which wars and innocent civilization slaughter had already become a routine in Afghanistan. I for one, never quite cared to create a picture in my mind, of an Afghanistan , where people lived a happy life and spent memorable and good moments together. Not because I could not but because ever since I can remember, I remember news only on wars in Afghanistan.

This is where this book touches you and strikes an impression.It tells you that, the people of Afghanistan did have a life without the fear or terror of wars. It tells that life(and a really good one) bustled round every corner of its cities. If any one of you doubt that this book describes the Muslim-way-of-living, well let me tell you that it does not.It simply describes how the people, the human beings , lived there, in harmony and peace, long before the ruthless wars broke out. It also moves on to describe the changes in their lives after the war broke out.

My friend who inspired me to read this book did justice when she said, "For the first time in years, you realize that even the people of Afghanistan are human beings."

True, definitely true. Because sitting miles away from a country, where you know that, not a single house stands untouched by bullets or mines or missiles, all you know is that people over there always seem to be poor, always seem to be at war.Simple facts like there exists love for their country's soil, brotherhood among the country locals,etc. becomes non-existent to you. Because most of the world watches news reports covering the wars, the pain and sufferings of people, but not their pasts, which describe the life the people want to go back to.And if you want even a pennyworth of its realization- read this book. It may pass-off as just another story to some, but it changed my way of thinking about this land and I on my part am going to pray for the peace and healing of this country.

Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan

2008-07-07T08:30:00.001-07:00

Tired of sitting idle, I decided to pen my experience of my recent visit to Mumbai. It was a hot, humid day in Mumbai when I reached DADAR at 6 in morning. As the train inched to a halt, I saw two people fanatically waving at me in midst of the crowd. I touched my jeeju’s feet and was embraced by him in return.

Finally after a little persuasion, one taxi driver agreed to drop us at our destination. Jeeju’s home is situated in WADALA EAST, he lives in a handsome 6BHK flat which is provided by the hospital management.

I was Awestruck by the coastline view from his balcony.The scene with ships docking in for cargo and leaving the harbor was magnificent. The beauty is intensified as night engulfs and the lighthouse shimmers.

My jeeju suggested that we should visit VASHI on the first day. So taking his advice the four of us took a local to VASHI.

The locals of Mumbai are world famous for their rush, people pushing each other and passengers clinging to the gate and Today was no different.

As expected from the financial capital of India, Mumbai is packed with numerous shopping malls. The first thing that I noticed in VASHI were the profuse Concrete monsters. Packed with multiplexes and malls, VASHI provides you an appropriate glimpse of New Mumbai.

So we decided to enter CITY CENTRAL, an average size shopping mall, but you find everything in it from Provogue to Pantaloon Lifestyle, from Dollars to Big Bazaar. After shopping a little, we decided to call it a day, as I was already tired from the long train journey.

The next day we decided to visit the world famous ISKON temple. The ineffable beauty of the temple was mesmerizing.

The devotees of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama were enchanting prayers in complete unison. After getting a spiritual diet we decided to visit the renowned JUHU BEACH which was at a walking distance.

It was already 8:30 when we reached the beach, the waves were at the pinnacle of their exuberance. So I went to have a little face off with the sea power, but it was not long before I gave up.

So finally an exhausted myself, decided to have a Chuski to energies me for my return journey to our flat.

The following day i got news that I'ld have to end my journey much earlier due to some family crisis. As I was supposed to return earlier then planned, I therefore decided to prioritize my to-do list. And the first thing in my list was SHOPPING. So I with my mom decided to go to FASHION STREET. We took a local to CST and then ambled all the way to our destination.

FASHION STREET consists of 400+ street shops that contain everything related to fashion, let it be clothes, shoes, purse, bags etc. It’s a heaven for those who like Bargains but it could be a nightmare to those who can’t. Fortunately I come under first category. After a long 2 hour shopping and visiting around 100 shops, I was convinced that I am done with my shopping.

So we took a TAXI for MARINE DRIVE. A stroll down Marine Drive is possibly the best way to discover Mumbai.Unlike other seafronts this is the place where most of Mumbai comes to breathe fresh air. So we walked our way through playing children and huddled lovers to CHAUPATI.

GIRGAUN CHAUPATI is perhaps one of the most famous beaches of Mumbai. It has religious significance as most of the Mumbai comes to Chaupati to immerse LORD GANESHA’S idol after GANESH CHATURTHI. Apart from its religious significance it is also famous for its street food. So how could I stay behind? After having a plate each of bhel and pavbhaji I realized that I'ld better get back to CST to catch a decent local before the local crowd starts flooding them.

My short visit to Mumbai ended pretty quickly with lots of places yet to be visited, but although short it was a memorable one.

So When Do You Know Its Love

2008-07-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

“So When Do You Know Its Love”, with this engrossing tag line director Abbas Tyrewala is out with his new romantic blockbuster “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na”.
The movie is about Jai or RATZ (Imran Khan) and Aditi or MEOW(Genelia Dsouza) who hang around with their gang but have eyes only for each other. Jai and Aditi are perfect for each other (in some odd, distorted way, impossible to understand). Friends know this. Parents know this. Everybody knows this. But do Rats and Meow know?
The movie circles around this very theme and has some quite hilarious moments. Every cast stands out in their respective role especially the special appearance of Naseruddin Shah. A R Rehman’s music is quite fresh and youthful. It doesn’t contain any fireworks or nerve tangling twists, but it definitely has some titillating moments.
The movie is flawless in first half but seems to slow down in the later half, but it recovers well towards the climax. This movie will suffice the young audience and will capture their heart as each and everyone can relate it to themselves.
Some can comment that this movie has nothing new or we have seen a dozen of films like this, it’s true. But who asked you to expect anything special, if you want to see actionpacked or unearthly romantic flick then don’t waste your precious time. But if you want to watch a sweet capturing movie were none of the parts go over your head, and when you leave the theatre you have a smile on your face and you are humming its tune, then, don’t think twice.

From Undefined to Unsure

2008-06-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

I got my result today! Now to most of the people this would not be an appropriate sentence to end with an exclamation mark. But then they have not been through the four tiring yet memorable years of Engineering.
It’s not getting my result that makes me happy. But it’s the fact that finally I have become competent enough to lead my life in the direction I want.
Untill yesterday, I had been an aspiring student fidgeting with my life to achieve what elder people call success. Enjoying my undefined life and thinking that possibilities are endless. Making friends and thinking that they are going to back me until the very end. Getting inspired from movies and journals, and dreaming of becoming a tycoon like Birla or Abmani.
But now I am an Engineer. So finally I have achieved something, but what? Perhaps the thing that I have achieved is called uncertainty. My thoughts are often clouded with questions like. Now what should I do? Should I go for walkins or should I do some certifications? Am I going to meet my friends again? Am I going to have the blast that we used to have? And so on.
But the answers are nowhere to be found. So what does this whole thing mean? As one of my friend said “Its not that I’ve not accepted that my college life is probably over, but it’s the vacuum that surrounds you after you are done feeling this, that creates a nuisance…. I for one go mute and curl myself into a nutshell, looking at everything but acknowledging none”. This feeling of uncertainty that engulf us is quite nostalgic and tangled, but perhaps this is how it is meant to be. So that we could become a person who is much more realistic, who can recognize their strengths and their faults and start accepting responsibilities for the things they do in life.
May be I should stop thinking about it and face what life has in store for me. Accept the good and face the bad and ask WHAT’S NEXT?

Kane & Abel Vs The Prodigal Daughter

2008-06-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

26th June 08
I have just finished reading Jeffrey Archers Kane & Abel and The Prodigal Daughter, so i thought why not compare these bestsellers.
Kane & Abel is a story of two men born in two different corners of world, raised in totally contrasting circumstances, and of totally different attitude. Apart from all the differences, they had one thing in common; they both had a zeal to succeed in life.
William Lowell Kane was born in a wealthy family in Boston, his father was a banker and he had everything he wished. He grew up in style and achieved glory after glory. He worked hard to surpass his father in every field.
On the contrary Abel Rosnovski (whose original name was Waldek) was born in Poland and brought up by a trapper. He was found to have exceptional intelligence and was then invited by the Baron to join his son Leon. But the story takes another turn when Poland was captured by Germans and then by Russians. The nerve tagging description of the author about Abel’s survival and his journey to America was just magnificent.
The later part of the novel describes how both these men excel in their lives, and how fate lays a plot and turns them into rivals. The novel contains enough twists and turns to keep its reader glued to it. Jeffrey Archer has maintained the pace and the excitement level through out the novel.
After reading this novel I was determined to read its sequel The Prodigal Daughter.
The novel begins with the birth of Florentyna Rosnovski and sails through her life while she fulfills her destiny by becoming the president of America. The story fills the gaps left in Kane & Abel regarding the life of Florentyna Rosnovski and Richard Kane. Their childhood, and all the incidents and people who affected them, are portrayed in a similar manner as their fathers' lives were told in Kane and Abel. Richard and Florentyna meet by sheer chance and fall in love. When their parents are told, both react furiously. So these young souls decide to leave their parents and marry.
The novels then goes into describing how they flourish in the negative circumstances and build up their small empire by working on their strengths. Eventually Florentyna takes up politics due to the persuasion of a childhood friend named Edward Winchester. Florentyna's career becomes the central plot, as she attempts to deal with the problems and climbs up in her political carrer. Towards the end of the novel Florentyna’s career comes to an abrupt end and it seems that she would not be able to fulfill her destiny. But fate has something else in store for her and eventually she succeeds.
After reading these two masterpieces i came to one conclusion, that there are only few like Jeffrey Archer who could keep the pages turning....

Spitsvilla - Where Love Is War

2008-06-25T04:07:00.000-07:00

MTv splitsvilla - where love is war.

Raghu ram the maker of the famous MTv Roadies is out with another reality show called Spiltsvilla. I think Raghu thought that after having successfully running MTv Roadies for 5 consecutive seasons he could just pull out anything and audience will like it. People and sponsors would blindly follow the holy path laid down by the show’s producer. Well Mr. Raghu Ram at MTV India got this totally wrong. He only had to insert the label, ‘From the makers of MTV Roadies’ and Splitsvilla got the attention of not only a large crowd but also a lot of sponsors, willing to spend a good amount of money into the show.
But when you watch this show u will realize that they are bunch of idiots who are trying too fool each other and the public. Splitsvilla is a show where some 20 girls are trying to prove themselves worthy for 2 boys. So now any dude who has been in some famous reality show can think that he is the biggest hunk of the industry. He could just flirt with some 20 girls and say that he is in search of true love and we are supposed to believe it.
When the girls are not in the pool in swimwear trying to seduce the guys Vishal and Varun they are lounging around or belly dancing or cursing each other. Not to mention these girls are mostly dressed in tiny tweeny cloths (if we can consider them as clothes). The boys are mostly grinning or acting like complete jerks. And to act as an icing of this vulgar cake their in-camera confessionals (a staple of all reality shows) are bizarrely comical, unintentionally.
But who cares. I can bet there would be thousand of people who would be willing to have an eyecandy every weekend.

10 Random Things About Me.

2008-06-25T02:36:00.000-07:00

#1# I have very little or no patience. If i have to wait for someone. I pace, i fidget, i fume. Its my usual tendency to turn up before decided time.

#2# I am an BE but cant use too/to , their/there etc in there proper place, i also cant spell view and video on my first try.

#3# Although i think the best plans are the spontaneous ones, but i still plan things well in advance. And i hate those who keep everything for 11th hour.

#4# I sometime crack worst jokes known to mankind, And laugh myself silly at them as well as the groans of the victims who have to suffer them.

#5# I hate when people cry in movies, but on the contrary i often find myself watching senti movies.

#6# I can code programs which my class mate cant dream of but i can't perform a simple dance step.

#7# I can hold a conversation with someone while I'm sleeping (and they're awake) and have no recollection of it the following day. Very dangerous!

#8# I want to try everything. And anything. I want to experience absolutely everything that life has to offer. Since I was a wee thing I have been trying my hand at Stamp collection, Guitar, Painting, Gym etc.

#9# I can survive solely on junk food, The thing i love most then sleeping is eating.

#10# I am a movie freak and on an average day i watch 3-4 movies.