Gossip - Feel better !

Hi guys,

Again its the fever, which keeps going back and forth, and its good-natured friend Mr.Persistent Cold and his all time favorite accomplice Mr.Heady Headache which keep me from posting. The summer here is getting worse with the mercury tipping 40 ( degrees centigrade if i am not wrong), and this scorching summer really gets on my nerves. I am not exactly sick and not exactly well enough.

Too sick to go out but not so sick as to skip office. Since if i skip work, it will pile up anyways and ultimately i will have to slog more to finish it.... Aaaah..not such a good situation. I wish our country had the climate of the Mediterraneans, slightly warm, sunny and breezy at the same time. I hope i am right with the description. You see, i have never been there, but all the ppl claming it to be the most beautiful region to holiday in ( all the swish set haan, i don't think the middle class can afford such a luxury) , so i assume its weather would be like what i describe here.

Today in the Sunday Times i happened to read about a term called 'blogbuster' - the one who attempts to dish out a scoop via a blog, this term has again come into the highlight becuz of the ongoing IPL, where a supposed KKR player (Kolkata Knight Riders for the uninitiated) is playing to the gallery by providing supposed inside info via a blog called 'fakeiplplayer'. The blog has had an astounding number of hits in a matter of few weeks, just goes on to prove how scandal-stars-sex-money-stories sell like hot cakes ! The blogger has done some amazing work in the form of nicknames for the leading parts in the IPL-KKR drama, now that requires some creativity. I read all the posts and am waiting for some more racy information. Now u might say, oh and we thought you were not feeling well ! Gossip makes anybody feel good i think !

Anyways, for some time i was really thinking hard abt retail therapy and its effects, and was planning to do some serious R-N-D about it. Who doesn't like shopping ? So maybe a post abt this might be seen in the future. Currently i am re-reading 'It happened in India' - the pantaloon story by Kishore Biyani, did not read clearly the first time around, so re-reading. Then there's another book on weight loss. This one is by Kareena Kapoor's dietician Rujuta Diwekar. A post is due for that as well. I just need to find some good time guys. Maybe as soon as i feel better !

Till then, keep writing in ! Cya all soon !

The reel life !

Hi Guys,

For quite some years i have always yearned to watch movies, i was never a regular at the theatres / multiplexes (has something to do with the place where i stay, there was never a silver screen in vicinity, now yes, a multiplex has come bang opposite my house, but still old habits die hard :)))...that means i am myself to blame for not watching enough movies /tv ) nor a watcher of the tv channels dedicated to movies, i think there are quite a few, star movies etc etc.

Although i am quite updated about recent releases, forthcoming screenings, stars and directors, the latest chartbusters, but the only point where i fail is actually watching them. By now, a huge list has piled up of the movies which i wish to see one day on a giant plasma screen, lounging on a La-Zy-Boy !! Yet, these days, i have got a chance to watch some movies and cannot help but say something about each one of them !

If i try to remember the flicks, sorry, i don't why movies are called flicks, it sounds so flimsy, maybe most B-C grade movies can be called flicks, but then the real efforts are movies ! Ok, so movies which will feature here are : Fashion, Dostana, Delhi 6 and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. No importance attached to the order in which they appear.

I had been waiting a long time to watch Fashion, it was so much in the news not only for its National Award winning director Madhur Bhandarkar, but also for its all-star-female cast comprising Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and newcomer Mugdha Godse. It also had Arjan Bajwa ( i hope, i am right with this name), and Arbaaj Khan (in a meaningful role after a very long time). The movie intended to show the dark underbelly of the glamorous world of fashion, and yes it did succeed ! Priyanka Chopra was brilliant, i have always liked her, right from her villianous andaaz in 'Aitraaz' , to this meaty role ! I am sure all of you know that the story revolves around the character of Meghana Mathur, played by Chopra, and tracks her life from her humble beginnings as a Chandigarh girl dreaming to make it big as a super-model. A local contest win spurs her on for a mumbai visit and she lands up right there ! Slowly and surely , she understands the rules of the modelling world, and plays by them like an ace !

On her way to displacing the eccentric, constantly on-the-edge and drug-taking top model Shonali Gujral, played by Kangana to perfection, Meghana feels no qualms in sleeping with the boss of the fashion house 'Panache'. Although i admire Meghana's sense of ambition, somehow compromising with your core set of values, always backfires in the long run. Once Meghana achieves her ambition, she conveniently forgets / hurts all the people who helped her on her way to the top. Nevertheless, as she says in the movie, on your way down, u meet the same ppl.

The downfall is also captured brilliantly with enough justice done to portray the emotional after-effects. Although the clothes used in the movie were a disaster, but the strong storyline and the amazing execution more than made up for it! Even after the movie had ended, i was thinking about it for a long time. (You would say, thats not unusual for you :P) Thinking abt the changing value system, about the ways and methods which are considered legitimate in the quest for success, about drugs and alcohol abuse, about the moral vacuum in the lives of ppl caught in a web of dangerous compromises, about seemingly glamourous and beautiful lives which are hell underneath.

In contrast to the hard-hitting fashion was the feel-good, fairy-tale type Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Directed by Aditya Chopra and with SRK in a be-spectacled, moustache-sporting new avatar, it quite generated some initial interest in the movie. When i saw it the first time, i thought it was a totally stupid attempt. SRK, i feel, hams and haws his way through most of his movies. Somehow the star SRK has overtaken the actor SRK and that reflects very badly in the movie. I tried (just tried) to watch OSO, Billu Barber etc, but i cannot tolerate the torture that amazingly rubbish acting inflicts on me. Why can't SRK just be the character ? Anyways, thats some pondering for SRK to do, not me !

But very bravely i made a second attempt to watch it (out of sheer boredom) and got an OKayish feeling. The underlying message that 'Every simple jodi is an extraordinary love story' sort of appealed to me. But certainly not the dancing jodi.


The Tarun Mansukhani directed Dostana was another movie which was hyped so much and sadly failed to live upto its reputation. It was marketed as a comic-light-hearted take on the gay fraternity, but i could manage a quick smile only on few occasions. The only plus points were the styling and the amazing looking Priyanka Chopra once again ! Sorry guys, although i like John Abraham, but skin show by guys just does not work for me. I better liked a dressed up Abhishek. Some of the songs like 'Jaane Kyun' and 'Desi Girl' are my personal favorites !



Delhi 6 was another dampener :(. With the kind of songs that were streaming in (all A.R.Rahman magic :)), an ensemble cast of the handsome Abhishek Bacchhan and the beautiful Sonam Kapoor, and with the directorial reins in the hands of 'RDB' fame Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra, i was expecting nothing less than brilliance. There was an obvious effort to capture the Indian ethos but it fell flat. It appeared more preachy than intended, sort of a forced attempt to present a slice of the multi-cultural-yet-co-existing 'Indian' population. Abhishek's attempts to put on an accent to portray the America-returned-garndson were not upto the mark. Sonam Kapoor could have easily left a lasting impression as the wing-clipped 'Bittu' , but i think she took the role very lightly. Perhaps some preparation other than that on clothes would have helped. Anyways, the only thing that stood out were the songs ! Do not fail to hear them, especially the 'Masakalli' one !

I felt good that at last i did see some new films and managed not to let them get added to my 'TO-BE-SEEN' list !

Signing off guys, see you soon !

My Top 10!

Hello guys,

I was listening to FM today, just aisehi. Although i just listen without bothering too much about any specific RJs, but careful to cut through all the ads, and jumping thru stations searching for the ever elusive favourite composition. They keep on churning tracks after tracks and playing the umpteenth hit list. Just for the heck of it i decided to make a 'TOP 10' list of my most favorite songs. Although a difficult task, becuase where there is choice, there is always confusion. And with choice also comes the responsibility to choose the best. But still within 5 minutes i had picked up the 10 tracks which i would always like to have on my player.

Although could not arrive at any specific order, and i declare beforehand that my sphere of listening is limited to hindi bollywood stuff and the occassional international hit track , and that i really hate sad songs, so i never tune in to a melancholic melody, that simply is not my cup of tea. I am biased towards songs which are chirpy and lift your mood instantly. So romantic songs form a big chunk of the hit list. So the lucky ones are:

1. Tujhe dekha to ye jaana sanam - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge : The evergreen romantic song with Raj and Simran lilting away in the sunflower-decked fields with the cow-and-bell in the backdrop ! Lata Mangeshkar and Kumar Sanu really bring alive the raw romance of young age.
2. Pal pal dil ke paas tum rehti ho - Blackmail : Probably the only in this list from the old era, but Kishoreda's rendition never fails to make it sound oh-so-lively and pleasing. I did not know that it belonged to a film called blackmail, anyways took the extra effort to adhere to the syntax. :)
3. You're Beautiful - Back to Bedlam : The guitar playing at the onset creates a very beautiful and mesmerising tune indeed and that is what makes this song stand apart. I particularly like one line - 'But we shared a moment that will last till the end'. Isn't that sweet ? The guy knows that he will not get the girl but that does not stop him from spilling his heart out. Brillinat job by James Blunt, and thanks Pranav for letting me know this one ! It's my ring-tone till date !
4. Lose Control - Rang De Basanti : The ultimate rebel song ! Masti ki paathshala ! The coolest lyrics which will make any college-goer sway, it was our anthem when the movie was released. A.R.Rehman as usual , has given a very different treatment to this song and the result is for everyone to hear and just enjoy !
   
5. I knew i loved you before i met you - Affirmation : As you read it you might feel the lyrics to be a tad too interesting, even i felt the same way when i first heard it, how can you love somebody even before you know them ? But then Australian band Savage Garden - of Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones tell you how it is possible. Just check out the song and go with the flow!
6. O humdum suniyo re - Saathiya : This energy-filled track has an unmistakable Rehman print all over it, its hard not to feel exhilarated once it starts. The tune is zippy and you never know when you become the humming bee !
7. Kehne ko Jashn-e-bahara hai - Jodha-Akbar : This elegant melody is penned by none other than Javed Akhtar which transports you into the Mughal era. The video is also shot brilliantly showcasing all the opulence and grandeur. Aishwarya Rai makes the perfect Jodha and the track depicts amazingly the unspoken feelings between the emperor and his queen.
8. Aashayein - Iqbal : The antidote to listen to when feeling dejected / chips are down. Kuch aisa karke dikha, khud khush ho jaye khuda......and no wonder you feel spurred onto doing things better for there is always the beacon of hope - the aasha ki kiran !
9. Tum se hi - Jab We Met : The best track from one of my favourite movies. Mohit Chauhan has sung it such that it touches your heart. Simple lyrics, but good rendition and the background score, especially the 'aa aa aa aa ....' part makes this song extremely special. I don't know if this is composer Pritam's original score (:P), but anyways , its really good !
10. I want it that way - Millennium: To round off this list, i decided to choose something which i used to like long back, when the boy bands were such a craze, especially the good-looking ones ;), so here the Backstreet Boys had an album called 'Millennium' and this was the opening track i think. Its easy on the ears so that everyone can enjoy.

I am sure you all must have listened to these , but if not, please do ! Anyways, me signing off ! Take care!

Such is life !

Hey guys,

Took some break from writing ,rather had to, with health reasons stepping into the picture, nothing serious, just the occasional fever and fatigue :(, and although i wanted to pen this post earlier, somehow just couldn't find enough time to do it.

Anyways, better late than never, and here i am going to write about something i have always felt strongly about. Very recently, i read Lance Armstrong's autobiographical work ( just scroll below to get the review of 'Its not about the bike: My journey back to life). Now ppl, don't think that i am besotted with this guy..what with back-to-back posts about him. But while i was reading the book, i was trying to find some reference about the singer - Sheryl Crow, because as far as i could remember, while i was still at school, the 'News Around the World' column in 'The Times of India' regularly used to carry reports of Lance and Sheryl as a couple, while i knew that they were set to marry and then had also separated, but still i was thinking that the book would carry some sort of hint about her.

But i was surprised when i saw an entire chapter dedicated to his (then) wife Kristin Armstrong. I was wondering, when did he marry ? and then when was Miss Crow in his life ? I know that i have no business peeping in other's personal lives, but to confess, its so hard to act that you are indifferent ! You always want to know some gossip! (Atleast, i love to read such stuff....oh my my, should i really let you know all this ?).

Anyways, i read what Lance had to say about Kristin, the way this girl came into his life after cancer, and how they both hit it off together. I read that Kristin was always an independent woman who would not change herself / her life for a man. She was smart, worked in a firm handling their PR, promotional activities i think. That is how she met Lance, when his cancer foundation was working with Kristin's firm. Kristin was portrayed as protective about her emotions, and somebody who would not let anyone hurt her.

Then i see, how she fell in love , rather swept off her feet by the charismatic cyclist, how they get married and how Kristin's life changed forever. Now her husbands cycling career became the mainstay of her life. She left her job, sold her house, gave away her dog, and settled in Europe (France), so that Lance could prepare for the tour. I saw all the efforts she put in to change houses, settle in a different culture, learn the difficult french..all for her husband. When he suddenly vaccilates on his decision and says that he wants to go back to america, she is horrified , but nevertheless still supports him. You see that back in america, she copes with a man trying to come to terms with his career, and this indeed is a painful process. Becuase Lance does not know what he wants to do in life, he whiles time away, playing golf, eating mexican food and generally turning into a slob- the retired sportsman type.

Even through this, Kristin tries to feed sense into him, networking with his friends and planning to get him back on track. So eventually, its time to go back to Europe once more and set base there. Then again, Kristin does all this very heriocally. Lance goes on to win the Tour de France and becomes the toast of the cycling world. And then there are back-to-back victories later on. The wife endures IVF treatment to become a mother to 3 of his children. The procedure is decribed in depth in the book and i really see how bad it is , with so many injection shots to endure. The book ends on a high note with a perfect picture of the couple strolling on the beach alongwith their son Luke, with their backs to the cameras !

After finishing the book, the next day i Googled Lance Armstrong determined to unravel the mystery in my head. And here i stumbled upon the facts of his life. The book was published in 2000. Lance and Kristin were married in 1998. The couple filed for divorce in September 2003. It is then that Sheryl Crow came into picture, so it was here that i had been reading the news about them. Finally Crow made an exit from his life in 2006. After that , he has beeen linked to a lot of women - known and unknown. I could not help thinking about the line in the book where he says, that as a teenager into sports, he missed out on a lot of social life, well Lance, you more than made up for it later on ;). Never mind. In fact, my colleague Sandip joked that probably the next Armstrong book must be called 'It's not about the wife: My journey back to singlehood' (:P).

I was intrigued about the divorce and tried to find the reason for it. The image i had of Kristin was of a devoted wife and dedicated mother. So what had happened which made her decide that that was the end of the relationship when the book stresses that they were nothing better than soul-mates and who understood each other perfectly as partners ? Well, i stumbled upon some back-dated divorce news reports and also some columns written by Kristin herself. Here , she says that in the marriage she lost a part of herself, lost her identity, and lost her say on things. Never once to hint that Lance forced any decisions on her, but still she gave up her independence and her free spirit.

To quote Kristin precisely : "Here is the truth as I see it: Marriage has the potential to erode the very fiber of your identity. If you aren't careful, it can tempt you to become a "yes woman" for the sake of salvaging your romantic dream. It can lure you into a pattern of pleasing that will turn you into someone you'll hardly recognize and probably won't like. I am warning you because I only wish someone had warned me.".............Hmmm, then again i also found some stuff written by other people where they said that Kristin's advice is rather scaring becuase not all marriages are such that only the woman sacrifices. Even men have to bear that cross many times. Sandip was quick enough to give me examples of successful women like ICICI head-honcho Chanda Kochhar, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi who have won both the world and their hearth as well. And they did it with their husband's support. In celebrity marriages, it is but natural for one person to get most of the attention while the other basks in reflected spotlight. So when you enter such a marriage, you have to understand the special demands to keep it working.

I was left wondering about a few questions:

1. How difficult is it for a woman to retain her identity, as in a sense of independence and be married as well ?
2. Is it necessary that for a relationship to work, one of the partners has to put his dreams on the back-burner and support the other ? Also, aren't women supposed to volunteer for this automatically ?
   
3. Where and how should a person draw the line so that they are independent and still not be selfish ?

I know these are difficult questions with no precise answer. So i am leaving this post open for you to think about it and let me know your views. This is food for your thoughts ! See you soon.