Chak De yet again!

Saluting the amazing spirit of this movie, here's an interesting read.
And where am I since I wrote my original post on Chak De...well...I'm doing good, however am still Blue....but, now it's the influence of the BIG BLUE!! :-) And I am surely loving it!!

Rakhee

Ok...that's the flavour of the day. I, for one, am not too much into 'Days'... I mean Friendship Day, Valentines' Day, 'xyz' Day (read xyz as all possible relations you can name), this day, that day...gets a little..I don't know...little tiring at times.Ok..ok..am not a Sena supporter or someone who'll stand to protest all this 'videshi Days' thing. But, generally, all these 'new' Days that have caught on...I do like the concept in the sense ..they are all meant to show affection to your loved ones, a day to bond, a day to take out time and meet etc...but, the scary part is if you happen to forget one of these...it is the social stigma that will kill you!! Arre...it's 'xyz' day today...you didnt wish your 'xyz'. Then gone! If someone else happens to share the same relation with 'xyz' as you..and he/she happens to wish..then to you are doomed!! The poor 'xyz's may be kind enough not to mind...but, hey the people around you will make you feel you are the most inhuman HomoSapien on Earth!!
But...Rakhee...now, that's different! It's been there for ages...It's not one of the recent 'days' that has come into fashion. That's another thing ki it's got commercialized like anything. Anyway..

Rakhee reminds me of my kid brother (who has a kid of his own now);
the first day I saw him as a small bundle of snow in the cradle;
all those days of rubbing into him that i'm SIX years elder to him (though he's six feet tall now and I have to literally arch up to have a levelled conversation;);
those protective days at school when I thought it was my religious duty to protect him (God knows from what!);
all those B'day toffess I used to get for him...I always gave him the chocs I got..it felt so good;
the endless Maggis/Bhels we used to make and eat (these were the only two things where I tested my culinary skills during childhood;));
wishing him Luck before every unit test/every CCA competition;
how I freaked out the first time he went out of station on his own, when my parents told me - I literally went wild at them thinking whether they were out of their mind to send a kid alone (he was in 7th or 8th I guess and not really so small..but still!);
how I was worried to death when his Jeeju used to let him learn riding the bike;
and countless other things that I can fill blog after blog with.
He's big and mature now - but to me, well...he still remains that little kiddo. Am I not sounding very old and ancient! Well...can't help it as that's how I feel. I think to have a sibling is an amazing thing. It's someone you share your childhood with, you grow up with, fight and make up, care and love. How blessed I am for having this gift. Thanks Dad Mom!
When it was time for me to have a second child...I always used to think that I may not be able to love a second child. I mean..I knew all about...love multiplies and does not get divided...but still...somehow, I thought it was kind of not going to be possible. But, hey...what they say is right! Love does multiply. Today, when I see my second child and all the joys he has brought into our lives,I feel blessed once again. When I see my elder one mothering over the little one - I smile. I know we've given them both a gift ..gift of a sibling that they will cherish..even when we're gone.
Well...now..that brings me back to this Special Day...yes, Rakhee. It's a day that symbolizes this relationship.Now, are'nt all the other 'days' also like that? Well, maybe my supposed indifference to the others is stemming out of the fact that they seem more recent. But, hey, what the heck!! If a Day can bring such nice thoughts to your mind, remind you of a beautiful relationship you are blessed with - then so be it!
Let's go ahead and have more of such!!

Chak De!!

I wanted my next post to be light-weight, something fun and nice….have been too much into some heavy-duty stuff lately..is kind of getting quite overbearing for me too!
I don’t want to think soo much…and on top of it, pen it down as well! So, that’s double ordeal…if you know what I mean.
I would want to be blissly oblivious of reality and anything remotely philosophical, I want to laugh aloud, I want to jump for joy, I want to let go and most important I don’t want to think.
What am I saying…. in simple words..I want to be foolish and experience the heavenly euphoria that comes with it…(‘Fools Paradise’ ???)

As much as I am making an effort for that… I am getting drawn more into a feeling of vacuum, blankness, almost on the verge of melancholy…!!
Ok..before you make any guesses.. there is a transition phase underway..so, my blogs will be in 'blue' hues for some time… (I am experiencing the blues you see..!!)
Am sure, they’ll get out of blue zone soon, I promise!

Ok, let me make a start rightaway and broach upon one of my favourite topics – MOVIES!!
I recently saw ‘Chak De INDIA’ – awesssssssssssssssoome. It’s almost known to all now..the movie does not need an opinion from a novice like me. But, hey, nevertheless.
I cannot not applaud the spirit of the movie. I knew what I was going for, I knew what to expect, knew it’s going to be a great ending, knew it will have the charisma of star-value (ShahRukh is not ShahRukh aise hi…!!)…knew all of that. But, still watched it with the enthusiasm of a little child!
And how I enjoyed it! Don’t miss it for anything. Catches the correct patriotic spirit. Patriotism need not stem out of a ‘Border’ or ‘Sarfarosh’ or ‘RDB’ or all that Manoj Kumar pack of cinema.
Patriotism in all it’s fervour is here full on. It makes it more real, more ‘now’ and peps us up. Go watch it…and celebrate your love for the Nation.
Please do not go with a cynical and negative approach. I hate people who go to watch a movie just to mock it or fail it. Go if you like to emote along, laugh along, cry along, lose and win with the movie.

So much so for the ‘Chak De..’ praise..I’ll rest my case now. You watch it once and you’ll love it.

Hey..hey..what’s that little blue feeling popping up.. not again..!!

Ok.. before I sign off..the blog title ‘Chak De’ as much as it was for the movie..it’s also for me! I am pepping up myself you see ;) Interestingly there are quite a few versions/meanings to the phrase on the net…go google it.
To me …it gives an upbeat feel..motivates me..and urges me to go out there and DO IT.
I’m just about getting ready….

Dreams

At the risk of this starting to sound like excerpts from an autobiography, here are a few thoughts I felt like writing about..
If not doing what I am doing right now, what would I have been doing?
Pat my reply would come – Civil Services. Don’t know – but it has always excited me. I don’t know whether it is my love for Academics. I always loved to study. May sound quite pompous….but, am being absolutely honest here. I can never really relate to jokes people crack about having flunked in some paper, or how they used to bunk classes and the like. For me – studies was always a sacred thing – should be and to be done religiously. It was never imposed, but, something I yearned to do and do well.
So much so for that long charade of self-praise --- to think in today’s standards – it sounds so un-cool. Well, nevertheless…
Coming back…yeah, my love for Civil Services was deep-rooted and has stemmed out of composite factors , namely, my love for academic pursuits, my Dad’s influence – he held it in great stead and hence I wanted to achieve it, the regular CSRs (Competition Success Review magazines) month after month, some TV programme called ‘Udaan’ I saw – it really was very motivating, the all-round focus of the CBSE curriculum, the fact that my Dad is from the Ordnance Factory Services – so there is this Central Govt. service thing always there AND finally, because, basically, I liked the idea of it.
Probably, if it were something to be studied and done right after XII – I would have just as well gone for it.
But, it’s something you get into after graduation; and there’s the catch. After doing Engg , got pulled into a different fast paced world. Never looked back and somehow the desire to go the Civil Services way just dwindled away. Maybe I was’nt ready to invest so much time and pursue, maybe I was happy with the professional world I was in, maybe my Engg days made me quite a numbers person pulling me out of the Arts/History/Civics/General Studies world, maybe I was just not patient enough to read long texts and well …just that I was all too fascinated by the world of computing. And then one day, I did cross the cut-off age limit for appearing for the Civil Services exam. So, that’s where my Civil Services sojourn ended..

Ok, by the way, all my childhood, I also harboured the idea of becoming a Doctor..(the series of Robin Cooks I read fuelled the desire all the more J) did get admission to a prestigious college..Was at the crossroads that people taking PCM and PCB in XII are. And at that moment, I chose the world of computing and here I am.

Now, getting back to my current world, to be very frank, I am in love with the field of Engineering. I think a college degree does that…makes you think in a particular fashion, trains your mind in the chosen field and develops your aptitude. Engineering has made me think logical, taught me to rationalize. There’s a particular sanity, method, pattern and plan you follow. You know how to understand and control parameters in any equation and feel in control. Move onto the world of computing and it’s an amazing world out there again. I marvel at how human brains can think, devise, plan and execute. And once your brain is tuned so, that’s the way you conduct yourself – in and out of work.

Now, given that I am done with what I wanted to be, what I could have been and what I am today…it does not actually end there!

There are so many things out there that I dream of doing..


I’ve wondered it would be so nice to open up a book-store or a library. Be surrounded by books all the time. Take a nice book, a hot cup of tea and read away to eternity…in between you can cater to people coming in for books as well. You can keep doing what you like and it’s your work too. Being your own store – you can think up multiple innovative ways of arranging stuff etc.

When I was a kid and majorly influenced by Enid Blyton series, I read one about a girl called Elizabeth who goes to spend her holidays at her Uncle’s place – a farm. And there she sees an amazingly different world of growing vegetables, milking cows, looking after sheep, handling farm produce etc. etc.
So, at least that one summer when I read Elizabeth’s story – I had almost decided I’m going to be a farmer :-)
Well, even today, whenever we visit Panchgani, I almost decide to stay back and start strawberry farming!

There was a time, when I decided I am going to be a writer. I have always been in awe of people who can tell a story and tell it well. They weave a whole imaginary world so beautifully and as you read on – you become a part of that world. You feel, think and live with the characters. I have always marveled at the power of a writer. How he or she can make you see a world they want you to see. And if sometimes, the story didn’t really end the way I did, I just felt so helpless, well, how I have wished I could change that somehow...

Then again, music has been a passion all throughout. My parents sent me to learn Carnatic classical early on. Then, I used to sing in all possible competitions and shows in all my school years. I think I can just spend hours and hours with the medium. But, somehow, strange enough – never crossed my mind to think of it as a profession. For me, Music is like a soup for the soul. It is something I like to do for my own enjoyment, above all. I love it and am sure it will remain with me till the end.

There are many such varied things…even thinking of them makes me feel nice, elevates my mood. Something like ‘These are a few of my favourite things…” Gone-by things never make me brood, they always make me nostalgic.
I guess that’s what dreams are meant to be. Flights of fantasy which any time, every time make you feel good.

And for now, I see my children dreaming and I smile. My daughter wants to dance, wants to fly, wants to swim, wants to touch the moon. She sometimes wants to be a swimming teacher and the other day, she wants to be an astronaut.
My son has more rustic wishes like driving a truck :-)

I wish to see them happy today and everyday, always. I think that is my ultimate dream and this one will come true. I dream and I believe.

Traits that make us do what we do

When I think of it – mankind is a composite network of multiple traits or qualities.

A myriad of traits which makes an individual self-express, dream, create, build, find solutions, strategize, implement, manage, visualize, play, compete – traits that make mankind a cut above the rest.

On one hand – there are artistic traits - forms of self-expression like prose, poetry, music, dance, painting, speaking, sculpting etc. etc.
I think more or less – these come from within. They can be developed as well – but, more so it’s an inner aptitude which can be further enhanced.

Then there are the traits to build, solve, lead, compete and the like.
By and large, I think these can be developed. Having said that – there is an inner born fire in some which just steers them. Born Leaders - ? – something like that.

I, for one, am in awe of people with both the kinds. I have my likes for certain ones – but, that is a different story.
Different sets of individuals with their own composition of traits could be in awe, could like, could be aspiring, could loathe, could be oblivious etc. etc. with a different set carrying some other compositions.
The true-blue artists may feel the day-to-day people working their lives away for a livelihood in less glamorous fields are devoid of rich thoughts, not expressive etc. AND there could be the usual white-collar job guy who may feel that artists et al. just while away their time doing nothing productive. And also, there could be people in each of these sets who sincerely appreciate the other and yearn to be like them.
And some who appreciate varied qualities of all and wonder at the complexity of our race.

Coming back, each individual, I feel has a combination of these various traits in different proportions – varying from 0 to 100%.
It is the composition that makes each one of us what each one of us is or makes each one of us do what each one of us does.
We all could be functioning in different spheres, different geographies, different cultures, different scales, different time-zones, different people, different everything – but parallels can be drawn and patterns found in the ways we do what we do.
The common denominator here being – Traits.

Some discreet examples follow (these are free-flowing and sometimes you could wonder if I am sticking to the topic or wandering…well I’m not a 100% writer..so please bear with me!)

We could have a painter who paints away and does’nt care whether it gets him a living – he’s the one who paints for the sheer pleasure of it and finds gratification in doing so. (100% painting).
Then, we could also have a painter who is great at the art form, knows what he is doing and also how to get paid for it. Having said that – it does not take away his/her excellence in the art form – but, the person has a mix of traits. (90odd % painting + 10% business acumen)
These two individuals could be existing in very different worlds and strata of society, but, still there would be a common ground where they could meet (rather thoughts could meet) and understand each other’s expression form.

There could be an exemplary leader – maybe in a small village, he knows what it takes to get his people their rightful due from the zamindar maybe. And then, there is, say, the President of a successful nation who exercises his leadership in a different context and influences world leaders. (100% leadership)
What am I comparing here? Does it deserve to be? These people will as well spend their whole lives not even aware of each other’s existence.
Well, that is not the point. The point is – these two individuals at some level are having common traits – both are leaders and exercise their leadership traits in their respective spheres of influence successfully.

There is a score of people who work in large corporations and are into white collar jobs (I belong to this set and hence feel more for my fellow-mates here :-))
On the face of it – they just are all the same. Working away their lives in a set framework, in their respective fields of work, earning their rightful livelihood and providing for their families. At a macro level - they all seem so similar - maybe each carrying a unique employee-code – that’s it.
But, on looking deep down – there could be a myriad of traits in there.
There could be music lovers – who may not become the next rock-stars, but nevertheless relate strongly to the art form.
There may be visionaries – who may not end up creating their own conglomerates – but, nevertheless – they are a force to reckon with and surely spread their influence in their areas of work.
There may be folks who want to express their thoughts in writing – they may not become the next Booker prize winners. But, hey, they nevertheless wish to write and will do in their own limited environments. (Hey…I am also blogging right? :-) )
What do the compositions here say?? Taking an IT world example – maybe
90% programmer, 10% singer;
45% leader, 45% visionary, 10% designer and so on and so forth….just take your pick.

I don’t know why I started with this topic – it’s getting too big for me to handle. There is a huge set of behavioural traits not touched upon at all.
Is Trait a right word at all?? Well, what I am looking at is the qualities which define our vocation, our professions, our way of doing things.
Anyway..

For all you know – we could be in a very different profession altogether which in no way matches up with our internal compositions.

One could be a 100% singer – but, he may not be doing that and must be into selling – say, selling vegetables. Well, he may not start singing in his shop – but, he will and should find a form of self-expression which will bring his intrinsic strengths to the fore-front. Recognition, name, fame are secondary – first and foremost he will find happiness in indulging in what he likes.

One could be a 100% visionary – but, he may be into a mundane day-to-day desk job. That’s ok – he will and should find ways to self-express. It will surely be visible (pun intended) and make small changes in the immediate context around him.

We all have a composition of traits. If we think deep down – we know our strengths. We know what can make a difference.
Our natural traits will surface – they cannot be kept under wraps for long. They should not as well. For
One – if we let ourselves do what we want to do – it will make us happy. This does not mean we have to always make very radical changes. We can bring these about in our own little ways;
Two – it will benefit the larger group (almost always). Hopefully that is unless we have a major wrong reading of our strengths :-) and
Three – our intrinsic traits will anyway find a way out - so let’s create a conducive environment to the extent possible.

RAINS

RAINS - The one word which brings to mind freshness, greenery, climate becoming cool, much required for our crops to flourish and all other nice things associated.
Poets have contributed endless flowery verses to praise this great time of the year.
It’s the time romantics love and look forward to.

Within all this, here is me – I want to be honest here – I just can’t figure out what is so exciting about this season!!
Given a chance – I would prefer that it rains just on top of the fields and rivers – so that the purpose is served.
Now – doesn’t the thought itself sound so drab and dry? I know. Even while writing this – I thought – let me just chuck this whole idea. Seems the least appealing to be written or read about..

But, then, what the heck – let me just go on.

I’ve always wondered – few things like this – appeal to various people in varying degrees.

Me for one – in today’s times – gets bogged down with all the not so nice things the RAINS unleash - increasing traffic with jams everywhere; bad roads with potholes where you can actually drown (little bit of exaggeration here with an in vein attempt to make this interesting…); unending string of clothes at home which don’t dry; kids coming home with clothes covered in different shades of soil; the ordeal to carry along a stupid looking umbrella everywhere – you know how it is – the fancy looking, showy, foldable ones don’t really work – they are just that – for show! And the real big ones – they are good – but, hey – let’s be practical – can’t be carried along no!

Making one thing clear here – not talking of the endless real bad things that happen when the RAINS unleash their fury – Floods, people losing lives and property and all other such destructions brought about.
Am taking a slightly convenient and myopic view and limiting myself to a more controlled environment where I have conveniently kept out such adversities. So, let’s just talk about the normal rains and what follows.

By now, you’ve understood my opinion about RAINS. Now, coming to think of it – I look at my kids and they seem to be loving the season.
They go about with so much abandon – they actually love it.
Potholes - ?? What’s that? – They see little puddles where they can play.
Ditches - ?? What’s that? – They marvel at how small swimming pools get formed and enjoy the joke.
Long Travel in school bus due to jams - ?? That’s ok – who said that’s boring – more time to chat away with friends.
Rain outside and can’t go out to play - ?? That’s ok sometimes – they go bersek with video games, TV, art & craft and the like and in general making a mess of their room.

I know the abandon comes from the sense that they don’t need to actually think of making things work – like getting to a place in time, getting uniforms cleaned and dried etc. If we discount all this as well – I mean they are not supposed to be responsible for all that stuff – what amazes me is the sheer simplicity with which they look at things. And they just seem to enjoy in any and every circumstance.

Extrapolating this further and moving away from the RAINS stuff – it’s something really interesting.
Kids always manage to look at the bright side of anything and everything unless we elders kind of prejudice them with some pre-conceived stuff.
People who can carry such similar genuineness and abandon further on in their lives, I think, are the ones who look at the beauty and niceties of small things in life. They take time to stop by and appreciate.
And that breed is not extinct. It’s still there thankfully – just that I see the species diminishing and I being a part of the majority which are just running the race of life without taking a second to stop by and enjoy what’s happening around.
Talking of flowers and butterflies somehow has become extinct and sounds text-bookish.
Sounds like coming out straight from a Class V English book.
Why?
I think we all need to take a step back, just relax and start enjoying little things in life once again.
Blooming flowers – they can really brighten up your day! We don’t get to see many..maybe only at the Florists’. Hey, let go of that cynical thought popping in your mind about wasting money on something which will wilt away in a day. It’s worth it as it lasts.
Rain-drops falling on you cheeks – it’ll be refreshing! Don’t need to worry about that flu you may catch and the leaves that would get wasted. It’s ok – just enjoy those glistening pearls on your cheeks.
A silly stupid joke – it’s ok – you can laugh aloud! It’s absolutely fine sometimes to just give a silly, impulsive laugh. The humour need not be intellectually stimulating always!

And many more. To be frank, I’m straining myself to think what else can make to this list. See – that itself shows how far I have travelled from enjoying these sweet little things.

Let me make a resolution..(I know I know it’s not New Year’s time and that’s why I am more hopeful of living upto this resolution..!)

I’m going to make a conscious attempt to start taking things easy, to enjoy, to experience, to relax and to start re-living all the little joys.
But the RAINS – hmmm – how much I enjoy them will need to be seen :-)

METRO

This blog is stemmed out of my recent viewing of METRO and Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom (well – maybe another blog for that). Oh God…this Blog is turning into a Movie Blog…
Well..well…nevertheless..

First METRO – this is fresh in my mind as I saw it only yesterday..
The feeling I get after seeing this movie is depiction of a penchant desire to be part of the supposedly ‘wanted’ and ‘in’ species developing in the so called cities.
Am I being very, very harsh and cynical about the movie? Not really…but..when the movie winds up, what I am left with is a mish-mash of a lot of presumably ‘in’ and ‘today’ things all put together in one 3 hour pack ( or was that 2 and a half hours..?)
Somethings like the gay track are so very predictable. What is with the gay aspect nowadays anyway? It seems to be popping up in every other so called ‘urban’ and ‘meterosexual’ movie. Either it has become so prevalent a concept that it is bound to pop on celluloid as well (I don’t see it though…maybe I am plain blind!) OR it’s the latest fad.
Whatever be the case – it is getting a little too boring. It’s the same like many of the passing phases our Movies have had. A time when the hero went off to Kashmir in every movie, then came the phase of a bichda hua mother-son milaap in every other movie, then we had the Mumbai underworld glorified everywhere or the most infamous item song popping up in every other film that hit the screens. Somehow, I feel now it’s the gay scene. People all around..at least in the movies seem to be gay and happy 

You must be wondering – hey, that was just a small aspect – why make such a big ado about nothing. Well, my idea here is that there were these numerous predictable bits and pieces mish-mashed together – it left the taste of a mocktail in my mouth. Mocktails do taste very good and I like them too and hey they are expensive as well. But mocktails are that – mish-mash of different blends giving a unique ‘mixed’ or ‘mocktail’ taste. So, it’s not like your usual ‘Orange juice’ which is so very ‘orange’ and predictable and ‘safe’ I must say. You take an Orange juice and you know what you are getting.
Well --- you take a Pinnacolada or a Virgin Mary and you still know what you are getting if you are the usual mocktails type – but, hey, one must agree that they come with that extra burden of being expensive, awe & novelty of a beautifully shaped glass and awkwardness of not knowing what to do with that lemon ring or sprig of leaves or better still that salt coated on the glass rim! So, you get what I am saying – it’s good, you like it…but, somehow it does not make you very comfortable.
Its novel, interesting, little unknown, dear on the wallet, looks quite appealing and there it is --- luring you. But, given a slightest chance – how I would love to go back to my basic Orange juice – sasta and tikauu.

These new movies about urban relationships make me feel exactly like that. They generate the inquzzitiveness for something supposedly of these times, make me feel a little ancient and tell me in the face that hey – if you like these – you know where you are heading AND if you don’t like these – you are so uncool.

Now, keeping aside this unending charade of what I ‘felt’ overall – let me get to some brass-stacks.
What I liked FIRST and most was the music – extremely good! There was the Rock effect very much there – Kudos to Pritam (I somewhere read that the music has been lifted – the feeling kept popping up all through the movie and spoilt my appreciation of Pritam. Well – anyways – I love his music – so, I decided not to pay attention to that not so good piece I read somewhere. You shouldn’t be believing everything the magazines write in any way)

SECONDLY, the actors. I don’t know how Konkona manages to make her mark each time/every time – it’s amazing. I anyway like Shiney – so there he goes with full marks from me. I thought he should’ve had more to do in the film.
And Irfan – well I actually don’t like his looks, his puffy eyes and that demeanor are very much like the character he played. But – what amazing talent…WOW!
Nafeesa – well she’s so amazingly elegant – though I think she doesn’t really act so great.
And Dharmendra – well I didn’t like that part of the casting AT ALL.
The movie was in true terms a CASTING COUP of sorts – every actor fit their respective roles perfectly. But, Dharmendra – well, not that he didn’t play his part well. But, I don’t want to see Dharmendar in that kind of role – looking so vulnerable and weak! Not done!! He is anytime better off chasing goons and hurling expletives at them or going back a little – that amazingly handsome guy romancing the leading ladies of that era.

THIRDLY, Anurag Basu. In spite of my harsh reaction to the story-line (or lack of it) and all the other not so good things I have just written – we must give credit to this man. He has what it takes. The capability to visualize multiple tracks, glue them together and present so simplistically needs a creative head. He has definitely managed to catch the pulse of today. So, Kudos to Anurag!

In a nutshell – my take –
As a movie – good, great music, lovely performances, cool/urban feel, enough dope to discuss over coffee tables.
As a story – felt like a Subway salad on one end – pick your pieces and mix them together. And a mocktail on the other – cool, expensive and maybe not something your Mom makes in the kitchen daily!
As an influence – makes you think, given a multitude of characters – urges you to try and relate with one. If you don’t really – urges you to do a retro-fit and try and feel you ‘belong’ by getting a most-close comparison. Is that good or bad – well depends on your state of mind actually.
At the risk of being judgmental, I would say – these stories are best left so – as stories.
They are far too complicated if run in real lives. Hey, you have an Anurag Basu who has it all cut-out in his mind and unravels it on canvas for you.
But, our Lord up there – well – He doesn’t let out his secrets so quickly does HE!! Not in 3 hours for sure!
So, I think Mankind would do a lot of good to itself by following more conventional, straight roads and stick to plain & simple Orange juice!
AMEN!