I read a forward about the “quarter life crisis” which inspired me to write about this stage. Whether I connected to it. Well I wont state that bit…..
For twenty-five somethings time does exist in two different dimensions depending on ones state of mind. Twenty-five’s something could be the most exciting part of your life and at the same time it could be the most anxious part of your life. A life partner, your standing vis a vis your friends, your career, your dreams everything gets decided or finalized or changes its path drastically for the good or bad during this interesting period.
At times you would be quite content on being an observer of the unfolding drama of life while at times you would think, this is the time for me to act, now or never! You would be wondering whether its actually the right time for you to get married or you are just not ready for it. Marriage?? For some shaking hands with a new person of the opposite sex is still a sexual experience at 25! The enthusiasts still hope for meeting someone in trains, buses, classes, treks, friend’s parties, etc. You start considering people you have known all along but never given much thought to earlier. The advantage being that at least you know the person. Those in relationships start thinking about how the same would progress till and after marriage. The future plans start falling in place. Those few have-beens and out of a relationship start dreading another and prefer to take their own sweet time when presented with photographs and suitable Resumes. Not trusting things becomes a norm. Time seems to be moving on crutches.
The job that was the absolute dream just a couple of years back seems the most dull thing for the moment. The adventurous are still busy planning ventures, failures which were never really felt before start taking huge tolls. Uncertainty and Living on the edge seems a part and parcel of life, especially in recession times like these. The ones who have always been rankers in college, well settled in their jobs start feeling that time investment to find a life partner during the study times would have made so much more sense.
What exactly would success be?? Another question which keeps lingering on and on. Is this what I actually want to do with my life?? What if I get extremely successful in my professional life but not find the right partner? What if I am unable to achieve my dream?? Let me just settle down now?? For the first time, even the most confident varieties worry about their future.
One phone and you are back in your mood…one mail from your Boss and you feel like quitting….you call your friends and discuss the same bullshit for hours again and again…..you hear a news and you suddenly feel insecure….. Life is a confusing question paper...Anticipation goes on forever….
Monday, March 2, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
DEV D
Fabulous Music, inspiring camera work, characters who do absolute justice to their bold roles and absolute brilliant masterwork by Anurag Kashyap!! A treat for someone who appreciates unconventional cinema. No pop corn bullshit, emotions which aren’t loudly portrayed, simply superb background music which wants you to immediately go to a friends place and copy all the songs(Since the whole world believes in piracy and not buying CD’s anymore)
Hats off to the unique scenes like 3 performers at the bar, the scene where Abhay Deol lands from the drinks table to the bed, and the entire “duniya gol hai’ song…. Anurag Kashyap and the cameramen deserve kudos. Some Desi swearing, Abhay Deol shown drowning in the Vodka, and Paro’s brilliant dialogue, “tumhe apni aukaad dikha rahi hu” give the movie continuous punches.
Dev and Paro are brilliant right throughout. Deol has got the charizma and Mahi the boldness which is loved. Coyness is a thing of the past! And Abhay Deol is the next kid on the block.
People loving unconventional movie watch it more than once, those loving the Shahrukh-Yash Chopra-Karan Johar type drama, at least do go for the music.
No soda …a complete Neat 5 star…this is no pop corn movie….some beer in your belly before going to the movie hall would do.
Hats off to the unique scenes like 3 performers at the bar, the scene where Abhay Deol lands from the drinks table to the bed, and the entire “duniya gol hai’ song…. Anurag Kashyap and the cameramen deserve kudos. Some Desi swearing, Abhay Deol shown drowning in the Vodka, and Paro’s brilliant dialogue, “tumhe apni aukaad dikha rahi hu” give the movie continuous punches.
Dev and Paro are brilliant right throughout. Deol has got the charizma and Mahi the boldness which is loved. Coyness is a thing of the past! And Abhay Deol is the next kid on the block.
People loving unconventional movie watch it more than once, those loving the Shahrukh-Yash Chopra-Karan Johar type drama, at least do go for the music.
No soda …a complete Neat 5 star…this is no pop corn movie….some beer in your belly before going to the movie hall would do.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Mockery!!!
Welcome to -Lok Sabha Elections 09- glimpses of the colorful politics in a young vibrant country and currently the second fastest growing economy.
Sanjay Dutt who could have been possibly spending his time in jail is now contesting Lok Sabha elections. We offer direct transfer from jail to Lok Sabha! We believe in absolute democracy. Thugs too need representation in Parliament! Just go and talk some crap “Mamugiri”, give it a touch of Gandhigiri, and you could be through. Till 5 years back we had the nation’s leader contesting from Lucknow, now we have the nation’s thug. Apart from Mayawati the town has one more reason to stay on the political map.
Shibu Soren charged for murder too might contest Lok Sabha elections. With some effort and time, he could get the CID to close the case and we have Shibu Soren as a possible Ministerial candidate.
The current PM at age 78 is busy resting his currently beating heart. To challenge him we have a 81 year old Leader of Opposition who perfectly knows when to bring in the Mandir issue. Err did I just hear that the Mastermind of the Gujrat riots being made his successor. Out here development and mass massacre go hand in hand. Bhakti, Shakti and if time permits then Vikas!!
Raj Thackeray is missing from the scene? Well, these aren’t Mumbai Corporation Elections or Maharashtra Assembly Elections. He doesn’t indulge himself in National level things.
And then we see everyone bending and touching an Italian lady’s feet. “I know my limitations and I don’t like politics. I am involved only because of my husband” we hear her say.
And who says youngsters do not have a representation. We have Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Omar Abdullah, Rahul Gandhi, Priya Dutt, Milind Deora and a few others. It’s sheer co-incidence that all of their parents were in politics too. There were a few other youngsters from colleges and organizations interested in improving the system. They rather chose to get in the rat race and bother about their fat pay cheques. They say politics ruins the character.
15th August 1947 gave us a glimpse of the possibilities and responsibilities we all have. We were a child then. The child is grown. But the dream is still ON. Probably just that we have become comfortably numb.
Sanjay Dutt who could have been possibly spending his time in jail is now contesting Lok Sabha elections. We offer direct transfer from jail to Lok Sabha! We believe in absolute democracy. Thugs too need representation in Parliament! Just go and talk some crap “Mamugiri”, give it a touch of Gandhigiri, and you could be through. Till 5 years back we had the nation’s leader contesting from Lucknow, now we have the nation’s thug. Apart from Mayawati the town has one more reason to stay on the political map.
Shibu Soren charged for murder too might contest Lok Sabha elections. With some effort and time, he could get the CID to close the case and we have Shibu Soren as a possible Ministerial candidate.
The current PM at age 78 is busy resting his currently beating heart. To challenge him we have a 81 year old Leader of Opposition who perfectly knows when to bring in the Mandir issue. Err did I just hear that the Mastermind of the Gujrat riots being made his successor. Out here development and mass massacre go hand in hand. Bhakti, Shakti and if time permits then Vikas!!
Raj Thackeray is missing from the scene? Well, these aren’t Mumbai Corporation Elections or Maharashtra Assembly Elections. He doesn’t indulge himself in National level things.
And then we see everyone bending and touching an Italian lady’s feet. “I know my limitations and I don’t like politics. I am involved only because of my husband” we hear her say.
And who says youngsters do not have a representation. We have Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Omar Abdullah, Rahul Gandhi, Priya Dutt, Milind Deora and a few others. It’s sheer co-incidence that all of their parents were in politics too. There were a few other youngsters from colleges and organizations interested in improving the system. They rather chose to get in the rat race and bother about their fat pay cheques. They say politics ruins the character.
15th August 1947 gave us a glimpse of the possibilities and responsibilities we all have. We were a child then. The child is grown. But the dream is still ON. Probably just that we have become comfortably numb.
Friday, January 30, 2009
A glimpse of the Maximum City
I get down from the bus to see a line of taxis and autos waiting. I get into one of them. The city is lighted as if Diwali is here for good. It’s 2 O’clock in the night and the city seems to have just come to life.
The auto rickshaw is now flying at full speed. Heavy traffic on the road even at this time of the night. I see a few motor bikes parked by the roadside. People are having “cutting chai” being served by a guy who has bought the same on a cycle. His cycle is his shop. Some road repairing work is in progress. “Anda bhurji” stalls having the busiest time of the day. The owner might have just completed his day job a few hours back. But he has chosen this life for himself. This city boasts of people who chose a tough life rather than fate chosing one for them. My rickshaw fellow overtakes a guy on the cycle who’s driving right in the middle of the road. “tere baap ka rasta hai kya?” my rickshaw-walla screams. Slang is the poetry of everyday life for Mumbaiites.
We meet with some traffic when nearing the airport. “There are too many flights at this time. That’s the reason for this traffic.” My rickshaw fellow informs me, “They should have an evened out time table through the day for these flights”. In this city everyone has an opinion about things he has no say in. We cover just about a hundred metres in the next 5 minutes thanks to the traffic. “Is there so much traffic everyday at this time?” I ask. “Because everyone is in a hurry everything walks on crutches here.” I smile at the philosophical reply. “How much do you earn in a day?” I ask. “Thanks to the high fuel prices, with this rickshaw I earn lesser than the watchman of your building who would be fast asleep by now” He replies with all the sarcasm he could put in the sentence. “However I operate a garage which gives good money. Me and my brother take turns between operating the garage and driving this Mercedes.”
I reach my building and ask the rickshaw wala to halt. The fare comes to 93 rupees with the night charge. Before I remove a 100 rupee note from my wallet the fellow is ready with coins amounting to 7 rupees. Mumbai thy name is efficiency! I make a futile attempt to get in through the gate which is locked from the inside. I go inside the society compound by jumping over its wall for the watchman is fast asleep.
The auto rickshaw is now flying at full speed. Heavy traffic on the road even at this time of the night. I see a few motor bikes parked by the roadside. People are having “cutting chai” being served by a guy who has bought the same on a cycle. His cycle is his shop. Some road repairing work is in progress. “Anda bhurji” stalls having the busiest time of the day. The owner might have just completed his day job a few hours back. But he has chosen this life for himself. This city boasts of people who chose a tough life rather than fate chosing one for them. My rickshaw fellow overtakes a guy on the cycle who’s driving right in the middle of the road. “tere baap ka rasta hai kya?” my rickshaw-walla screams. Slang is the poetry of everyday life for Mumbaiites.
We meet with some traffic when nearing the airport. “There are too many flights at this time. That’s the reason for this traffic.” My rickshaw fellow informs me, “They should have an evened out time table through the day for these flights”. In this city everyone has an opinion about things he has no say in. We cover just about a hundred metres in the next 5 minutes thanks to the traffic. “Is there so much traffic everyday at this time?” I ask. “Because everyone is in a hurry everything walks on crutches here.” I smile at the philosophical reply. “How much do you earn in a day?” I ask. “Thanks to the high fuel prices, with this rickshaw I earn lesser than the watchman of your building who would be fast asleep by now” He replies with all the sarcasm he could put in the sentence. “However I operate a garage which gives good money. Me and my brother take turns between operating the garage and driving this Mercedes.”
I reach my building and ask the rickshaw wala to halt. The fare comes to 93 rupees with the night charge. Before I remove a 100 rupee note from my wallet the fellow is ready with coins amounting to 7 rupees. Mumbai thy name is efficiency! I make a futile attempt to get in through the gate which is locked from the inside. I go inside the society compound by jumping over its wall for the watchman is fast asleep.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Grass is always greener on the other side.....
Grass is always green on the other side
Ask a ten year old kid going to school
Or ask an old mechanic working on his tool
Why is it that with rules we always have to abide
You peek in the ruins of your conscious mind
Where life flickers off and on in alteration
The quizzical look on the face is just a reflection
The mind always looks to the distant ringing bells as a friend
Grass is always green on the other side
Only the halcyon days of yesterday are remembered with joy
You remember the sweet old first love and its first expression, coy!!
But we surrender for ambition and our own isolate covenant of conscience
You live for dreams, both frustrated and realized
You step into the all engrossing rat race
It only helps you lose the smile on your face
What you still have to achieve will continue to keep you amazed
Grass can be seen to be greener on your side
But you need to have the courage to say ‘Yes’ to life
Even if it means to try when you are torn with strife
And all it takes is to treat each moment as a joyful ride!!!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Bye bye Dada!!
“We are visitors in your country, we expect to be treated with respect” was a reply Ganguly gave when a rascist comment was passed by a spectator in a practise match Down Under in 2000. As far as captaincy was concerned he did not believe in Indian schools of antiquity. Post 2000 Indian Cricket stopped being nervous polite visitors and soon began to be taken notice of as a team that has come with an ambition of becoming the conqueror. Ganguly wore his hurt on his sleeve and soon taught a cricket crazy nation to do the same.
Dada did not have a technique to boast off and gave ample opportunities to his critics to lick their fingers. But he embodied grit and determination like no one else in recent times. No one else might have made as successful comebacks as Ganguly did, that too on two occasions.
Ganguly built his own team and led from the front. An attitude was seen on display whenever the Indian team started taking field. The Bengal southpaw gave India 22 test victories and those sweet cover drives, but more importantly he gave the sport of this country an attitude.
The popularity of a public figure only manifests itself in the individuals departure from the scene. I just hope its not a departure and Dada returns back as a coach of the national team soon. As a fan of this great game, my utmost respect to a champion of the game which has always been my biggest teacher in life.
Aditya
Dada did not have a technique to boast off and gave ample opportunities to his critics to lick their fingers. But he embodied grit and determination like no one else in recent times. No one else might have made as successful comebacks as Ganguly did, that too on two occasions.
Ganguly built his own team and led from the front. An attitude was seen on display whenever the Indian team started taking field. The Bengal southpaw gave India 22 test victories and those sweet cover drives, but more importantly he gave the sport of this country an attitude.
The popularity of a public figure only manifests itself in the individuals departure from the scene. I just hope its not a departure and Dada returns back as a coach of the national team soon. As a fan of this great game, my utmost respect to a champion of the game which has always been my biggest teacher in life.
Aditya
Monday, October 27, 2008
Pain with the thousand teeth
The Tatas have moved out of Singur. Many would term this as very unfortunate, especially for the state of Bengal. One persons loss is anothers gain and Modi quickly stepped into the opportunity to prove that his politics and plans go beyond Hindutva. Ofcourse the economic trajectory does not cancel out communal trajectory.
I would try to be optimistic of the entire episode and say whatever happenned has just taught a lesson to everyone. In a developing economy like ours, more and more projects are going to be undertaken, lots of infrastructure needs are hopefully going to be addressed in the coming decade. And all of this is going to require lots of land. And we still do not have a proper land acquisition policy/ people rehabilitation policy in place!
Why should the poor farmers lands be acquired without their consent? Why should a Mamata Banerjee or a Medha Patkar be criticised? May be none of them is really interested in the farmers cause and it all is a political goodwill gaining exercise, but the issue is extremely critical.
The fact of the matter is that there has been no proper handling of these issues. 12624 farmers were to lose their land in Singur. The so called protectors of the marginal farmers, the Communist Party themselves were becoming exploiters of the down trodden. You may have grand plans for the betterment of your own people in the future, but it is equally esential to have immediate plans of action for their present well being. Be it Kashmir, Naxalism, LTTE or Kargil, unfortunately for India there is no coming to consciousness without pain. Its time India Inc, the State governments and the Central Government take a leaf out of the whole Singur episode and work towards a well laid out development plan for the country.
That which is escaped now is only pain to come. Lets wake up in time for this.
I would try to be optimistic of the entire episode and say whatever happenned has just taught a lesson to everyone. In a developing economy like ours, more and more projects are going to be undertaken, lots of infrastructure needs are hopefully going to be addressed in the coming decade. And all of this is going to require lots of land. And we still do not have a proper land acquisition policy/ people rehabilitation policy in place!
Why should the poor farmers lands be acquired without their consent? Why should a Mamata Banerjee or a Medha Patkar be criticised? May be none of them is really interested in the farmers cause and it all is a political goodwill gaining exercise, but the issue is extremely critical.
The fact of the matter is that there has been no proper handling of these issues. 12624 farmers were to lose their land in Singur. The so called protectors of the marginal farmers, the Communist Party themselves were becoming exploiters of the down trodden. You may have grand plans for the betterment of your own people in the future, but it is equally esential to have immediate plans of action for their present well being. Be it Kashmir, Naxalism, LTTE or Kargil, unfortunately for India there is no coming to consciousness without pain. Its time India Inc, the State governments and the Central Government take a leaf out of the whole Singur episode and work towards a well laid out development plan for the country.
That which is escaped now is only pain to come. Lets wake up in time for this.
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