The Spirit of Kashmiriyat

Aren't you distressed by the state of affairs that is happening to Jammu and Kashmir? I for that matter am too depressed. Whenever I watch the news, I just keep hoping that no report of violence from comes from J&K. But alas! for the last month or so, everyday there is something about the land dispute that has cropped up which has divided the whole state of Jammu AND Kashmir to Jammu OR Kashmir. The controversy started when a PDP minister granted 100 acres of barren land to Shri Amarnath Board. This triggered huge protests in the Kashmir valley, which is Muslim dominated, on the speculation that it is a conspiracy of the government to destroy the secular fabric by allowing Hindus to settle in the valley. How ridiculous is that? 100 acres of land of no use was given just to make houses for the pilgrims who visit Amarnath every year. Is it wrong to do that? No! but the coward separatists like Hurriyat who are too scared to fight elections fanned these protests and the whole valley was on the boil. The PDP which was till now part of the government withdrew its support alleging CM Gulam Nabi Azad to be responsible, ironically when it was PDP'S OWN MINISTER who did that. Such hypocrites! The land order was revoked but this led to huge protests in Jammu, which is Hindu dominated by the Hindu parties. Such an opportune time for the parties like the BJP and demagogues like Praveen Togadia to consolidate their vote bank! Now Hindus want the land to be given back. What do we do now? We have entered a vicious cycle. Giving land would anger Kashmir and not giving would scorn Jammu. The best solution has been given by Farooq Abdullah. Reconstitue the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board by representatives from all communites and status quo be maintained. The establishment of law and order is top priority of the government. It is ironical when the state was witnessing its most peaceful summer something so not required happened. The communal polarisation of the state is scary.The state has always lived in harmony whatever came.It was a Muslim only who had discovered the Amarnath shrine.The spirit of Kashmiriyat seems to fade away.The only loser in this are the people of the state.The people of J&K have had enough.Let Kashmiriyat prevail. Let them live in peace for a while!

The End and Beginning of an Era

06 July 2008- history was made at The All England Tennis Championship Club popularly called The WIMBLEDON. Rafal Nadal ended the reign of Roger Federer, the greatest player of all time, on grass. Seeing Roger crying after the match, sitting alone, deeply lost in grief I couldn't stop myself from crying too for the loss suffered by the Champion. His defeat made fans of him like I so so sad :( Roger's dream to become the first man in hundred years to win 6 consecutive Wimbledon titles was shattered by the Spanish bull Nadal who himself made history by becoming the first man since 1980 after Bjorn Borg to win back to back French Open and Wimbledon titles. The match was an epic classic, the greatest match of all times which will always be remembered and spoken of.The score read 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(7-5), 7-6(10-8), 9-7 in what we have been told the longest Wimbledon final. But somehow while watching it felt if the match could go on because of the high qualtiy tennis being played.The first set was easily won by Nadal breaking early Roger's serve. The second set Nadal snatched from defeat. Federer broke early to lead 4-1 when Nadal came back to 4-4 and finally 6-4 due to unforced errors committed by Roger.The third set wen into tie break when Roger won it, he gained some confidence. The fourth set was won by Roger after saving crucial match points forcing a fifth set. Since Wimbledon does not allow a tie break in the final set, both players continued to hold their serve until Nadal broke Federer to lead 8-7 and finally 9-7. The match had ended and darkness loomed literally after the marathon final. In the end, tennis won.

Had it not been for Nadal, Federer would have increased his Grand Slam tally to 16 surpassing all great people like Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg. Federer had been unbeaten on grass for a whopping 65 matches but sadly that came to an end. But to lose Wimbledon which has been his personal favourite, his forte' always bring out his emotional side was too sad. When he won the first he cried. When he won the fifth he cried even more and when he lost 6 he was shattered. There is so much charm and dignity that he effuses that one just simply admires him. He was gracious in defeat wishing Nadal after the match, the rivalry they have will defintely go on for more time. And for Nadal, I just don't like him at all. He may be the King of Clay and now grass but Roger is a champion:)

Much has been written about Roger's mental state after a disparaging 6-1,6-3,6-0 defeat at at French Open final last month by Nadal. There is something scary when great people fall. I don't like it when people criticise a great player whether it is Sachin Tendulkar or Roger Federer. They deserve many more things than our opprobium. That's why I am still sad at Roger's loss. Hope he continues to win! Come on Federer!! Be the GOAT( greatest player of all time).

And something about the Wimbledon which is the best grand slam out of French, US and Australian. The Wimbledon is about tradition. The compulsory white on players, the pristine Centre Court, the lush green grass that is so exhilirating. Wimbldon has always thrown surprises. Whether it is Maria Sharapova's or Novak Djokovic's shocking early exit,it has also shown some great players. Last year Marion Bartoli won great hearts beacuse of her superb play. This year the wildcard entry Jie Zheng won great fans because of her impeccable play. In all, I just love Wimbledon and hope to see some great tennis in future.

Grapes are not Sour but they are not for me!

Amitav Ghosh's interview was aired on NDTV this Sunday and when I finished watching it, it left me with a very weird..sinking and bizarre feeling :( When you see people so accomplished as Amitav Ghosh, Prannoy Roy or Barkha Dutt, you just admire them out of sheer respect for the kind of work they do. I always wonder whether I will ever be even half as good as any of them but somehow the answer I get is no! I could never become like them because I don't have a sense of creativity like them! sigh! I am so confused that what I want to be! I sometimes think that I could become a writer but when I see people around me write so brilliantly I feel like a tiny idiot in front of them. I could become a journalist but being one requires a great confidence level which I completely lack being a taciturn. I could become an MBA but my odds of belling the CAT are like one out of infinity consideing also the fact that I don't have the brains for it also! Or I could simply take a mundane job which I don't want to do. I hear so much of people's inner voice. It was Mrs. Sonia Gandhi's inner voice that refused the post of the PM. Amitav Ghosh said in the interview that becoming an author was his inner calling. But somehow my inner voice is still in a state of quandry like I. It is not telling or perhaps is still sleeping. I don't know what will happen in future . Nothing seems to be going right this year:( My already glass like confidence is shattered.People have gifted talents for various things but I was never a gifted child. I used to get good marks in school but still I was not intelligent.The other day I saw a video on you tube of a man who could solve the Rubik's cube blindfolded! Out of the world!I never had these things though I always wanted to. I knew I could never crack the JEE because to do that requires sharp acumen( as if you don't know that). I was a mundane conformist sticking to the conventional ideas but I had seen people think so unconventionally to a problem that it was just amazing how their mind worked. I never had that power and will never have that. I don't want to grow up as life becomes more complicated and sad. I am reminded of the story of the fox where she says that grapes are sour because she couldn't get them but I know that grapes are not sour but they are simply not for me:(

Change not for good!

Hindustan Times is the only paper we have been reading for a long time. I will not say that it is the best paper because I feel all newspapers are equally good (or equally bad). It is a matter of one's habit and choice .If one fine day some one tells you to start reading another paper will you stop reading it? Maybe! you will read for a day or two and would like to switch back to your good old paper because over time you would have developed some favourtie columns that you love and eagerly wait for them. My favoutrite articles in HT-

1. Counterpoint by Vir Sanghvi ( every Sunday)- just amazing how he writes on the plethora of topics and gives lucid and unprejudiced explanations on the happenings and the controversies that surround us.

2. Between Us by Pankaj Vohra ( every Monday)- superb analysis

3. Third Eye by Barkha Dutt (every Saturday)- writes in a more philosophical way!

4. Single in the City by Sushmita Bose( every Sunday) - funny :P

5. Red Herring by Indrajit Hazra ( every Sunday)- wit and irony at its best sometimes though not able to understand.

6. Beyond the Bytes by Rajdeep Sardesai

7. Spectator by Seema Goswami ( Brunch)

8. Under Honey's Hat- HT CITY, the gossip is well WTF who cares! but the way it is written is simply too humourous :P

The columns we can do without

1. Left hand Drive by Sitaram Yechury- he seems to write on the BJP, BJP and well BJP....

2. Candid Corner by Abhishek Singhvi- yawn!

3. Premiere (Movie Review) by Khaled Mahmood- even I could do a better movie review than him. Just writes his weird one liners and PJs. Where did Vinayak Chakravarty go? He was the best!

Now they have changed the whole format of the EDIT page and called it the COMMENT. When I heard that a new page COMMENT is going to come, I thought that articles by readers would be put but they changed the look of Edit page and it is such a disappointing one. The edit page has lost its seriousness. There used to be three articles by the editor and three guest articles everyday. The third editorial used to be a witty and satirical one often evoking a smile. It doesn't exist any longer! Why have they done this? Apparently they wanted more people to start reading edit page. But those who want to read it would so it anyway! It appears that as if we are reading some trashy magazine. They changed the look of HT City which I think is a good one. For the past few days I am not getting enjoyment which one gets and something looks missing. Hope the old HT comes back!

The Enchantress of Florence

I read 'Shame' as written in of my previuos posts and also read 'The Enchantress of Florence'. 'Shame' is good book for anyone interested in the history of Pakistan and had some excellent passages on the interpretation of the word 'Shame' but this post is not about that book but the exquisite 'The Enchantress of Florence' by Sir Salman Rushdie . Its more of a summary rather than a review.

The book is basically story of the eponymous Qara-Koz or 'Lady Black Eyes' or Angelica. The story is set in fifteenth century India where Emperor Akbar, the Great Mughal Emperor is in power. The Mughal capital is the city of Sikri inhabited by people from all walks of life. Akbar has many wives but the only one he loves is Jodha who does not exist in reality but is a figment of his imagination just as lonely children dream up imaginary friends. Jodha is his idea of a perfect wife and he talks to her and even makes love to her but of course, nobody else question the existence of this apparition as Akbar is the Jahanpanah, the shelter of the world. He is dealing with intrigues by his good for nothing drunkard sons especially Salim and has his own doubts over the existence of God and the presence of a supreme power where he himself at one point thinks to call himself 'I' instead of 'WE'.

Then one fine day a mysterious foreigner named Mogor dell' Amore claiming himself to be the Ambassador of the Queen of England comes to the city of Sikri to tell a fascinating story to the emperor about an enchantress who has put him in a spell to tell this tale. The enchantress is Qara-koz, Babar's sister who was captured by the Uzbegs along with her slave 'the Mirror' and her sister Khanzada begum. The Shah of Persia won over the Uzbegs in another battle and offered to return these three ladies to Babar. However, Qara-koz refused to go back and stayed in Persia with The Shah and her slave while Khanzada went back. Babar disowned her and her story was lost from the annals of the Mughal empire. Her slave looked so much like herself that people called her The Mirror and they were lovers as lesbians who completely understood each other and were inseparable.Qara-koz found her true love in a man Argalia, a warrior from the city of Florence who had sold his services to the Ottoman Empire. Argalia, Niccolo Machiavelli and Ago Vespucci were three friends in Florence. Argalia had moved out of Florence to fulfill his dream of becoming a mercenary while Niccolo and Vespucci remained in Florence and served the republic. Argalia went back to his homeland along with Qara-koz and the Mirror to become the chief of the army of Florence. Qara-koz was a sorceress who bewitched anyone she met, any place she went by her ethereal beauty. She could heal the sick, make barren women fertile and cure the blind. One day the ruler of Florence died of syphilis and people thought Qara-koz did this and all of a sudden she became a witch from a saint and everyone rooted for her blood. Argalia was killed in her defence and she fled away with the mirror and Ago Vespucci. Her magic had begun to fade and she wanted to be reunited with her family but there was no way to go back to India until a new route was found. Her procrastinated stay came to and end with her death. But she had a son, none other than Mogor dell' Amore meaning the Mughal of love who she told to tell this story to Akbar who thus is his uncle. He had come to Sikri travelling from faraway lands. Akbar thought him as unpure blood and made him a commoner. But Salim wanted him killed as he was a threat to the throne and plotted to kill but he was saved and he took his own revenge. The city of Sikri was no longer the Mughal capital.

Best Parts of the Book-

Sir Salman's description of the beauty of Qara-koz and the painting by Dashwanth is grand. His belief in the power of love when Akbar can conjure an imaginary wife and finally conjuring up Qara-koz to fall in love with her, Dashwanth getting immortalised in the painting of Qara-koz is enchanting.

There is that brilliant scene in which Akbar's first wife and his mother talk imaginarily to Jodha to give her tricks to stop Akbar falling in love with Qara-koz, only to find out that all the while they have been talking to Qara-koz .

Akbar's doubts over God where he says-'if there had never been a God, it might have been easier to work out what goodness was.' 'The curse of the human race is not that we are so different from one another but that we are so alike'. So true.

The passage where truth is revealed to Akbar about Qara-koz is lovely.

The subtle humour depicted brings a smile to the face. Mohini, the Skeleton and the Mattress, Akbar and Birbal stories, the deaf Bhakti Ram Jain, Qara-koz's enchantment of Marietta,Machiavelli's wife:)

The epic grandeur of the palace especially the name of the boats- Gunjayish,Asayish,Farmayish, and Arayish, and the concept of Mundus Novus where time becomes still is impeccable.

My Take-

The book is like a fable just like Arabian Nights but surely not a book for children. The prose is as usual enthralling. He weaves a magic with words but not at the cost of the story.Though not an easy read, even if a line is missed something is missed.The research done for the book is stupendous. The culmination of the East and West that we everything is linked is clearly brought in the book. Names themselves are a character in the book like Elizabeth becomes Zelabat and Akbar becomes Echebar or the names of giants Otho, Botho, Clotho and D'Arangtan and many others. The only thing I found boring was Argalia's exploits.Over all the book has a mixed response.The New York Times has called the book shit where as the Washington Post calls it Sir Salman's finest work. Already there is speculation that the book will win a booker. Anyway its all a subjective thing-some may like it some may call it trash but for huge fans like me it always works:). No doubt Sir Salman Rushdie is a master story teller and magical realism is pure magic.

Murder Most Foul

Unless you stay on Mars, you might be aware of the mysterious double murder of Arushi Talwar and Hemraj in Noida.There has not been a case with more twists and turns in recent memory. The police believes Dr. Rajesh Talwar, her father,killed them both as Arushi probably came to know of his alleged extra marital relationship with Dr. Anita Durani. However, I somehow am not convinced by this theory. I don't think that Dr. Talwar killed them. Yes, I agree that times have changed and events like fratricide ( Pramod Pravin Mahajan murder case) evoke no surprise. But a father killing his fourteen year old only daughter and that too in the most gruesome way is a tad hard to be credible. This horrific story opens up so many issues that have to be answered. The most disturbing fact is the role of the Noida Police. The blunders committed by the police seem to go and on. About last year or so it was the Anant Gupta kidnapping case,son of Adobe CEO, then it was the spine chilling Nithari killings of innocent children and now this. I mean most of us avoid travelling to Noida at night because so many stories of the robberies, killings and murder that keep cropping up every third day. The lackadiasical attitude of the police is totally not acceptable. The way they have botched up this case it is very unlikely that culrprits would ever be found. sample 1- On the day of finding about the death, they immediately sent a team to Nepal to get Hemraj without checking the terrace where he was found stabbed to death. Sample 2- allowing the media at the crime scene.I mean any novice would know that you have to immediately cordon off the area to get fingerprints and other crucial evidenceBy allowing the media, all this was lost.Sample 3- Concocting apocryphal theories like wife swapping, Arushi and Hemraj in a relationship and what not. The most shocking was the IG calling Arushi as 'characterless' as her father. How could anyone assassinate the character of a dead girl who cannot even reply back in her defence like this? Does the police have enough proof that she was in an objectionable position and not compromising position? To escape their incapabilties and to stop media from hounding them, they have made up these ridiculous stories.

The role of the media in this case has not been appreciable. Media is our biggest strength and we have seen its power in the Nitish Katara, Jesicca Lall and Priyadarshini Matoo murder cases. But the way media has conducted itself in this case is not laudable. The media seem to be doing its own trial of the victims. When Arushi's family did not speak to them, they alleged that they have something to hide.What do they expect that a family in mourning would come and give leeds to them? Some of the headlines were indeed shocking.The sensationalisation and commodification of this case for the TRP battle by the media is pathetic.Worst channels were India TV and IBN7. I was travelling in a bus and a salesman came and started selling his incense by advertising that ' Lelo nahi to aapka dimaag bhi Arushi ke pitaji jaisa bhrasht ho jayega'. Let us not do this please, it is insulting.Also, we all are forgetting that Hemraj was murdered too.He also has a family that is equally grieved by their loss. Hemraj was as loved by the family as Arushi was. The case is far from over and many developments will take place in the coming days. Hope the culprits are caught and justice takes place. Let Arushi and Hemraj rest in peace.

TAGGED:P

So I got tagged by Priyanka who is addicted to tags :P..

Here goes mine.

If I were a beginning, I would be the beginning of an era:P

If I were a month, I would be December.

If I were a day of the week, I would be Friday.(All movies release :))

If I were a time of day, I would be 7.00 pm. (F.R.I.E.N.D.S. time)

If I were a season, I would be Winters.

If I were a sea animal, I would be Flounder of Little Mermaid.

If I were a direction, I would want to go in the opposite direction:P

If I were a sin, I would be rich:P

If I were a liquid, I would be a rain drop:)

If I were a fraud/scare, I would be scared of hypocrisy.

If I were a gem, I would be ruby :P

If I were a tool, I would be a nailcutter( aise hi) or pen knife.

If I were a flower/plant, I would not like to be put in a bouquet.

If I were a musical instrument, I would be Phoebe's guitar:)

If I were an animal, I would be Vodafone/Hutch vala dog:P

If I were an emotion, I would be contentment.

If I were a vegetable, I would be aloo.

If I were a sound, I would be a baby's laughing sound :P

If I were a car, I would be a toy car:P

If I were a song, I would be Aaj ki raat, hona hai kya,pana hai kya khona hai kya(DON) or the spectacular Azeem-o-Shaan Shehenshah.(Jodhaa Akbar):P

If I were a food, I would be gol gappe.

If I were a taste, I would be tasteless.

If I were a religion, I would be freedom.

If I were a sentence, I would be 'Happiness is subjective'.

If I were a body part, I would be eyes.

If I were a facial expression, I would be confused:(

If I were a subject in college, I would be Economics or Philosophy:( Have neither in College

If I were a shape, I would be like liquids to take the shape of the container:P:P

If I were a color, I would be Black.

If I were a thing, I would be newspaper.

If I were a book, I would be Atlas Shrugged.

If I were a monument, I would be the Pyramids.Wanna see them :(

If I were an artist, I would be Shabana Azmi.

If I were a poem, I would be The Highwayman.Class ninth me thi :P

If I were God, I would be telling people to remember me during their good times also.

If I were a vowel, I would be E.

If I were a consonant, I would be D.Cursive Vala

If I were a famous thing, I would be an art form.

If I were sport, I would be Pithoo:).

If I were a movie, I would be Dor.

If I were a cartoon, I would be Iago Aladdin vala..so funny.:P

If I were a relation, I would be open:P

If I were alone, I would be reading.

If I were a question, then I would be looking for my answer.

If I were a habit, I would be ????No comments.

If I were an end, I would be looking for a new beginning.

If I were you, I would try to learn a new thing from you:)

Shalimar The Clown

I don’t know why I have got this knack of reading reviews of books and films and now writing reviews. This is my first book review- another boring article for the one or two people who read this including I.

One of the first books I ever read was ‘Grimus’ by Salman Rushdie. I didn’t know much about him or his ill famous ‘Satanic Verses’ then. And that book went way above my head. So naturally I didn’t like it. Then last year I read ‘Midnight’s Children’ by Salman Rushdie and it was one the best books I have ever read and number one on my Must Read list and which deserved Booker of Bookers.Then with great expectations I started reading another book of his- Shalimar the Clown and I liked it a lot. The story is mainly about four characters. Max Ophuls who is a former Ambassador of America to India and who also is a Second World War resistance hero. The second character is Noman Kaul Noman funnily called Shalimar the clown as he is the clown in the play of his community. Then there is Shalimar’s wife Boonyi Kaul Noman and the fourth main character is India, Max’s daughter. Max is murdered by Shalimar and then by a series of flashbacks the story comes back to the present. The murder which at first seems politically motivated turns out to be an intensely personal one. The story is mainly set in a town called Pachigam in Kashmir. Shalimar and Boonyi get married even though they belong to different religions. Max came to visit Kashmir and being a womanizer, he is floored by Boonyi who also feels trapped in her marriage inspite of her love marriage. Boonyi then runs away and has an affair with him. Shalimar then vows to take revenge from both and becomes a ‘jehadi’. The ultimate thing is that a Muslim man murders a Jewish man over a Hindu girl (read this line somewhere).Magical Realism is Rushdie’s forte and again it is par excellence. The way he mingles history and fiction is spectacular. While reading, one realizes how much wealth of knowledge he has. The story is fast paced and travels various places- California, Afghanistan, France, Egypt, Delhi and Kashmir. He does not describe Kashmir’s beauty but the way he describes the tragedy and destruction of Kashmir and its people is heart wrenching. It makes us sympathise with them. The best scenes are in Kashmir itself like there was this passage in which he wrote about the torture inflicted by the terrorists and the Indian Armed forces on the people and instead of names he wrote like X, Y, Z, P ,Q et al and it was one the best passages of the book. The parts about Pachigam and Shirmal fight,the communal harmony, Colonnel Kachhwa, the Gegroo brothers, Noman and Boonyi’s wedding, Nazrebaddor prophecies, Pamposh and Firdaus Noman, references to Mughal-E-Azam, Boonyi’s return are excellent too. The book is a lament on Kashmir. I found the part of Max in Second World War a bit boring though. After reading his books, a great amount of literary satisfaction is achieved which I feel writers like Chetan Bhagat completely lack. His style of writing, his poetry, his art of story telling is all fantastic. The ending is a bit disappointing as it is open to interpretation. The character of Max seems autobiographical just as Salim Sinai of Midnight’s Children. But overall a good book though Midnight’s Children is better I feel that he would never get a Nobel which he totally deserves because no body would like a controversial writer. Anyways, now I have started reading another book of his ‘Shame’ and eagerly waiting for ‘The Enchantress of Florence’.

Loan Waiver : Good or Bad?

Well, after months of speculation and in depth coverage of what the budget will be like, our FM P. Chidambaram unveiled the Union budget on 29th February,2008. The budget is populist, not surprising since this being the last year of UPA government before the next elections which are stated to be held next year. The biggest point of controversy has been the Rs. 60,000 crore loan waiver for the farmers. Almost the entire industry thinks that it is a bad move. I don't know I am confused on this matter. On the one hand it is being said that this will encourage further defaults by farmers in the future and leaves the honest farmer who has paid all his dues look foolish. Moreover, the government has not mentioned from where it is going to fund this. It actually amounts to 15 billion dolllars. And the sixth pay commission whose report will be tabled by 31st March will further add to government burden. So the target of FRBM Act to curtail the fiscal deficit to 3% of the GDP, which the government projects to be about 2.5% will not be met and rise. Moreover, the farmers who are in debt, not all of them have taken credit from the banks but from the moneylenders who charge exorbitantly high rates of interest. So it will mean nothing to them.
On the other hand we have farmer suicides continuing unabated in the country especially Vidarbha. This comes as relief to these farmers.What else can we do immediately to succour them? Is there anything we can do right now to stop this? However, let this be made clear that this is only a one time payment. Also when USA can announce a fiscal package of 150 billion dollars to prevent its economy from a full scale recession due to the subprime crisis, we can also do this to give a boost to the agriculture sector which has become a stumbling block to growth of the economy. Along with that the government should also adopt measures to improve irrigation facilities where the farmers are mostly dependent on vagaries of the monsoon. Let the farmer be given more incentives, for example a higher support price and he be allowed to sell his produce wherever he wants. The government pays about double the amount to import wheat than it does to purchase it from the farmer. Surely it can be more prudent in this regard. In a county where 70% of the population is dependent on agriculture and the gap between Bharat and India Inc. widening, we cannot proceed forward to being a developed nation until all of us grow together i.e. inclusive growth. So, I just hope this works and the next government be formed without the Left support so that the reform process could begin as the Economic Survey 2007-08 states.And also the Indo-US nuclear deal goes through. I seriously hope it does.

Jodhaa-Akbar: Review

The one word that kept coming back to me while watching Jodha Akbar was 'grandeur.' After a brilliant Lagaan and a critically acclaimed Swades, Ashutosh Gowariker brings his magnum opus Jodha-Akbar. He is one of the few directors of the Indian film industry who are known for their convictions rather than being driven by commercial aspects like Shah Rukh Khan for Om Shanti Om. Otherwise, who would want to make a film about a married couple from the 16th century?

The story is about the Mughal emperor Mohammad Jalaluddin Akbar and Rajput princess Jodhabai. Jodha is married to Akbar in order to form an alliance between the Rajputs and the Mughals. She refuses to consummate their marriage until she is ready to accept Akbar completely, and he agrees with her. What follows is a brilliant narrative about how they fall in love with each other after overcoming their differences and a scheming 'Mahamanga' played by Ila Arun. What I really liked was the unconventional portrayal of the characters. Akbar was so feminist yet macho, and Jodha was humble and assertive.

Nobody, seriously nobody, could have performed these roles with superb perfection and dazzling chemistry except Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. Aishwarya is looking drop-dead gorgeous and stunning more than ever. Hrithik delivers a powerful performance, probably his career best. His scenes have an aura. The sets are grand, magnificient, lavish, and ostentatious but still do not distract the viewer's attention like Devdas did. The culture, costumes, jewelry, war scenes, and animals are all authentic and have a powerful impact after the movie. The cinematography is lovely. The song 'Azeem O Shaan Shehenshah' is spectacular and a treat for the eyes. A.R.Rehman's music is always soul-searching. 'Khwaja mere Khwaja' is soothing, and the way Akbar is in a trance after hearing this is breathtaking.

Yes, the movie is long - 3 hours and 40 minutes - and enough will be said about its length. It drags a bit in the second half. The other characters are nothing much to write about, but still, I loved the movie, and it worked for me. I know people will say I am exaggerating, but I don't care, and neither am I being paid by anyone to write this:):). After a long time, a movie worth spending Rs. 200 (the Oscar films have just been released). There are so many protests against the movie. But frankly speaking, who cares whether it's authentic or not. Ashutosh himself has said that seventy percent of the movie is his imagination. Do names matter? He is not trying to malign anyone. It is so convincing that one is not bothered about the reality, and these protests seem banal. What is history anyway- a set of lies agreed upon. The movie asks for 4 hours of your life, which is too much nowadays, but give it a try. Watch it.

To think about

Some quotes I picked from Mary Alice of DH :P:P

The world is filled with good fathers...how do we recognise them? They are the ones who are missed so terribly that everything falls apart in their absence..they are the ones who love us long before they have arrived.. they are the ones who come looking for us when we can't find our way home..yes, the world is filled with great fathers and the best are those who make the women in their lives feel like good mothers.

People by their very nature are always on the look out for intruders, trying to prevent those on the outside from getting in but there will always be those who force their way into our lives just as there will be those we invite in but the most troubling of all will be the ones who stand on the outside looking in, the ones we truly never get to know.

There is a prayer intended to give stength to people faced with circumstances they don't want to accept.The power of the prayer comes from the inside of the human nature."We ask God to grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change'' because so many of us rage against the hand that life has dealt with," the courage to change the things we can", because so many of us are cowardly and afraid to stand up for what is right, "And the wisdom to know the difference", because so many of us give into despair when faced with an impossible choice.The good news for those who utter these words is that God will hear you and answer your prayer.The bad news is that sometimes the answer is no.

In a world filled with darkness we all need some kind of light..wether it is a great flame that shows us how to win back what we have lost, or a powerful beacon intended to scare away potential monsters or a few glowing bulbs that reveal to us the hidden truth of our past.We all need something to help us to get through the night, even if it is the tiniest glimmer of hope.

Spring comes every year but not everyone remembers to stop and smell the flowers.Some are too busy worrying about the future or mistakes the have made in the past.Others are preoccupied with not getting caught or thinking of ways to catch someone else.Still there will always be a few who remember to take a momet and appreciate what spring has given them just as there will always be those who prefer to sit in the dark, brooding over everything they have lost.

The opposite of love is not hate but indifference as hate means you and I are still connected.

Its time to honour our real heroes!

The other day I was watching the NDTV Indian of the year.The awards went to all deserving individuals like Dr.Manmohan Singh,Rajnikant,Vishwanathan Anand, Shah Rukh Khan,Mukesh Ambani,Dr. R.K. Pachauri but the overall Indian of the year went to not one individual but to the Indian Soldier. As on the dias I saw the widows of the soldiers who lost their lives,I was overwhelmed with emotion. These women who have lost so much in their lives are doing everything silently. I just then wondered if we really honour our soldiers. Whenever a soldier dies, we talk of his bravery and his sacrifice.But has the soldier to be dead to show that as a proof of his valour.Not only the soldier but also his family is sacrificing each and every moment of their lives for the motherland. The people and the government in particular should realise that a 'living' soldier's contribution is of immense importance to us.When it is 2.c in Delhi, people talk ofweather being too cold.Let us spare a thought for the armymen braving sub zero temperatures upto -30 c in the extreme conditions in Siachen or any other place for that matter for six months in a year. Contrast this with our politicians who are fighting with each other to get the Bharat Ratna as if they do not get anything already.It would not help to just ceremoniously put badges and give a meagre amount as prize money to soldiers but to give them and their families something more than that. Let us honour our soldiers the true place they deserve and show it to them in every way we can.

There are many unsung heroes in our society whom we don't acknowledge. Bilkis Bano symbolises the grit and determination to attain justice in spite of the innumerable obstacles one faces. During the state sponsored pogrom in Gujarat in 2002, Bilkis was gangraped when she was seven months pregnant, her three year old daughter butchered in front of her own eyes and all her family members brutally murdered by the rioters. She had practically lost everything but she didn't lose hope and fought for justice. She has been living life as a refugee for the past six years not telling her whereabouts to anyone.The accused were given life imprisonment last month and she was in tears when verdict came remembering her daughter. Let us honour her for her great will and support her.

Irom Sharmila, Auto Raja, Manjunath, E. Shreedharan, Sabrina Lall, R.K.Lakshman are our real heroes who have inspired so many of us.

And when Bobby Jindal became the governor of Louisiana, everyone applauded him.I was quite cynical of this.He has never been to India nor will ever be, nor can he do anything for us then why we are claiming him to be an Indian.Sunita Williams,unlike Kalpana Chawla was born and brought up in the USA and she has even served in the American Army.Then why we are proclaiming her to be one of us. And when Mrs. Sonia Gandhi could easily have become the PM, our very own Sushma Swaraj wanted to go bald and eat 'chana' to protest a foreigner ruling India.Why are we so happy about PIO's getting into politics in other countries when we cannot see the same process in our country? And we have people like M.F.Hussain who made us so proud but after a few controversies we disowned them.Let us acknowledge them instead of a Bobby Jindal.

A True Genius

One of the finest articles I came across

India's Hypocrisy

The last week again we witnessed another controversy about the racial prejudices against the Indians when the OEH refused to tie up with the TAJ Group as according to them it would 'erode their brand value'.No doubt it is clearly an attack on the rising stature of Indians in the business world and the TATAs should demand an apology.But Indians themsleves are a highly racist people. I think we make a lot of noise when something like this happens but we ignore the same thing happening in our own backyard.Consider the Dr.Mohammed Haneef case who was held as a terror suspect in Australia after the Glasgow bombings. There was such a brouhaha that an innocent man has been kept in custody and the whole of India watched the pictures of Haneef being kept in solitary confinement in shock and horror.After the Hyderabad bombings, the police routinely kept hundreds of innocent Muslims in custody and assaulted them.Why does no body speak out for them?Consider another case.Whenever we see a person from the north east we call them Chinkis.I think calling them this is most derogotary and a racial remark. Whenever we see a black, people start making fun of them calling them 'Hapshis' and make noises when they pass by.Are we in a situation to protest then that Shilpa Shetty was called a Paki in a show where she was given crores to participate? Aren't we then hypocrites? All kashmiris in India are beleived to be terrorists. The landlords won't take them as tenants.Look at our own houses. The maids and servants who come to our houses, they sit on the floor and we have separate cups for them to drink tea. The huge fairness cream market in India is probably the biggest in the whole of Asia.Being of a dark complexion is called being ugly. The recent tour of Australia in India where racial remarks were being made against Andrew Symonds by Indians in the stands and we all said in denial that it was not racism which clearly was.If now the same thing happens to Indians there the whole nation will raise a voice over it.The whole society raises voices against caste based reservations but no body stands against management quota reserved for the affluent.We are living in a country where the rich can easily buy justice.The examples of Indian hypocrisy are endless. So rather than making noises about racism lets first look at ourselves and then point fingers to others.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

It's ages since I wrote my last post...considering how busy I am :D:D..actually there were so many ideas to write upon but I could not decide one...so i am writing about my best tv show whose even 10000th rerun does not bore me..yeah its F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
Rachel,Monica,Phoebe,Joey,Ross and Chandler have made us all laugh and cry for ten seasons.
Friends made us all realise the importance of having good friends in our life.It made me realize that there could be somebody with whom you can share your each and every moment of life and that being in your twenties is the prime of life:).Even i wished that I could hae friends like these in my life:(When I started watching it, I thought such people could not exist in reality but later when I saw some close friendship around me I realized that these were the people who could be anyone of us.In Friends,the jokes and one liners were too funny and each and every character was very well etched out.What also clicked was none of the people were very famous people when it started.It inspired a whole new lifestyle. The famous "CENTRAL PERK" coffee house was a new concept in itself.The appartment culture gave a very cosy feeling.The new range of fashion such as Rachel's hair cut was a rage.It was amazing that how people from dfferent walks of life could still be friends. A palaentologist, a masseusse, an actor, a chef, a fashion stylist and transponster:D:D( even I forgot what Chandler does) bound by friendship. I like all the characters but my favourite is Phoebe Buffay.I just love her weirdness and her lifestyle.And her music is amazing.Who doesn't like ''Smelly Cat''.And I have many favourite episodes but the one where Rachel and Monica lose their apartment to Joey and Chandler is awesome and the one where they all play football is no less.
I just wish it could continue forever:(
I'll be there for you
when the rain stats to pour
I'll be there for you
because you were there for me too!

India Shining?

These days there is so much being said about the enormous growth that the Indian economy is attaining.The Sensex just touched an all time high of 14,600 and already market speculations are there when it will reach 15,000 but does this so called 'high growth' really indicates India's true story? Is India 'shining'(the so called campaign launched by the NDA govt on the taxpayer's money)? I don't think so that everyone is reaping the benfits of this process.

Much of our India is still suffering. Just a few days back I was watching this report on TV that a town in Jharkhand had electricity cut off for a full 15 days by the Naxalites and people were living in darkness and there was no media reportage as these days TV channels are busy airing idiotic news, such as Khooni Kaun.Can we people imagine living our life in Delhi without electricity for 15 days? Compare with it the media coverage of the Ash-Abhishek wedding!

Farmer suicides in Vidarbha continue unabated. The Army continues to abuse Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir.There are clashes between two castes to proclaim who is more backward among them so as to reap benefits of reservation putting entire north India to standstill. It rains for a few hours and our 'Shanghai' is submerged. Five HIV+ students are thrown out of their schools in the most literate state in the country. The naxalites continue to kill tribals. People continue to starve in Orissa and West Bengal while in the state-owned 'godowns' the wheat is rotting.The government launches a complaint with the UK goverment on Shilpa Shetty being racially abused in Bigg Brother but no body is complaining of their own abuse towards the North East (where we still call them chinkis).

Rather being ecstatic about this "CHINDIA" factor overpowering our thoughts, it is highly desirable that a model of inclusive growth be worked upon.The only problem in India is not planning but implementation of these plans. Let's hope for a developed India by 2025.