Convocation '06: the real story

TO,
Aroon!, Spookie, Capt. Suppi, Candy, KK, G2, Santy, Raju Chacha, Sachin, Rishi, Aande, Arun C, Balaji, Ekta jiee!, Sandeep, Bhaagaah, Pranava, Bean, Bawa, Ram, Sudheer, Mayank, Kaiyo, Cuong, Zoltan, Chris R, Chris K, Melly, FM, Wee Ping, Afia, Linh Thy Vu, Emlyn.

Congratulations!
I love you guys. Couldn't have asked for better company.
To us.


PS:
Ashok - To him goes the best senior award. Thanks bro for being there.
Aroon - Dude. Hate to see you go. I'll see you in Pecos someday. Till then, the memories remain. Brij, Bean, Kayo, Sandeep and Ashwin - Missed you guys!
G2- Thanks for coming sir. Wouldn't have been the same.
Maa, Dad and Stuti - Take a bow. I wouldn't be here otherwise.

CHEERS!
Abhishek.

Songs of a lifetime - 7

A moment from our lives to remember those innocents who lost their lives in the Mumbai blasts. India, having been a victim of violence for a while now, is used to these kinds of situations. So much so that we don't even cringe at the news. Desensitised, i guess. As usual, all this will soon be forgotten and life will continue as usual. There will be no concentrated results to beef up internal security. Bribary, lapse and the 'chalta hai' attitude will continue. Correct me if I am wrong, but cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata are sitting ducks w.r.t security, high alert or not. One shudders to think what the effects of a similar attack would be, in these areas. In the meanwhile the 'mumbaikar' will steel himself, pick up the threads of his life, mourn the loss of his loved ones in unision and move on. The world will forget soon enough.
A tribute to the great city of Mumbai.

Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan
Zara hat ke zara bach ke,
Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Kahin building kahin traame, kahin motor kahin mill
Milta hai yahan sab kuchh ik milta nahin dil
Insaan ka nahin kahin naam-o-nishaan
Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Kahin satta, kahin patta kahin chori kahin race
Kahin daaka, kahin phaaka kahin thokar kahin thes
Bekaaro ke hain kai kaam yahan
Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Beghar ko aawara yahan kehte has has
Khud kaate gale sabke kahe isko business
Ik cheez ke hain kai naam yahan
Zara hat ke zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Bura duniya woh hai kehta aisa bhola tu na ban
Jo hai karta woh hai bharta hai yahan ka yeh chalan
Tadbeer nahin chalne ki yahan
Yeh hai Bombay, yeh hai Bombay, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan
Aye dil hai aasaa jeena yahan
Suno mister, suno bandhu, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

Duniya mein nahin dekha tune aise yeh nagar,
Aasoon ki nadiyan hai, par kisko hai fikar?
Bombay ko hai salaam mera,
Yeh hai Bombay, yeh hai Bombay, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

PS: My apologies to Majrooh Sultanpuri for adding my vile words to his sublime creation!

Cheers!
Abhishek.

The shepherds

Some people to whom I owe a lot to. I wish I could find more time for them. People who shaped my thought process, inspired me, frustrated me and unconsciously helped in nurturing whatever minimal talents I have. You deserve more than you get. A big thank you!
NIHIL ULTRA...

Cheers!

Abhishek.

And its good that I'm not angry... I just need to get over... I'm not angry... It's dragging me under

Take a look at the article printed in the Financial Express.

"Amidst the row sparked by Kannada actress Jaimala's confession that she had once touched the idol of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, Kerala government on Thursday said it will not interfere in the customs followed by the temple, including its ban on women in the 10-50 age group from praying at the hill shrine. It was for the temple authorities and institutions like Travancore Devaswom Board to decide on issues concerning customs followed by the temple for centuries and the government did not intend to interfere in them, Devaswom Minister G Sudhakaran told the State Assembly. CPI MLA N Aniruddhan had sought to know from the minister whether the practice of not allowing women to visit Sabarimala did not amount to gender discrimination. The minister however, evaded a direct reply to supplementaries on the Jaimala incident. While some of the members sought to drag the minister into the Jaimala episode, he said it was better to skip a debate on the issue, as the main question being considered by the house was the master plan for the development of Sabarimala.
Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad demanded a comprehensive inquiry into Jaimala's claim that she had not only visited the temple in her youth but also touched the idol of the deity after being pushed into the sanctum sanctorum by the heavy rush of pilgrims.
"The actress's claim has created grave anxiety in the minds of devotees. They have the right to know whether that version is true or just a concocted story. It is necessary to bring out the truth through a thorough probe," VHP state organising secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan said in a statement. If Jaimala's claim proved to be true, it would amount to breach of the temple's traditions. In such an event, those responsible for defilement and encroachment should be punished, he said."

I have long held the view that any creation of man that seeks to divide the human race is detrimental to its very creators...caste, creed, and religion fall under this umbrella and I therefore would rather they didn't exist. The world fights and spills blood over the above mentioned. India seems to have its own troubles as the article above reinforces. You think I'm being simplistic? Perhaps...
The purpose of religion was spiritual enlightenment and worldly wisdom, started I'm sure, with peace, harmony and prosperity as its goal. We are taught, 'God is everywhere', 'God lies in action', 'God lies within us'. We must therefore kill, murder, maim, rape, burn, wound and destroy, all in his name. The VHP secretary wants a probe, apparently. Joker. Like all things change and adapt to keep pace with time, religion too needs to evolve to remain relevant and generally to make the world a better place...(very 'We are the world' ish, but whatever). Idol worship, superstition and caste system are somethings I would rather not be part of the religion that coming generations embrace. They will have their problems I'm sure, but they will not have ours. I do not want my children's blood spilled over cries of, "MY God Strooongestt!!" We fail to see the futility in spending eons of time and negative energy in brick, stone, colour of skin and status, instead of diverting that into positive action...wait, isn't that what all religion advocates in anycase?? What I want to see is the removal of the dead weight and the forging of a more relevant and meaningful 'religion'. Enforce the philosphy, the ends, and not the superstitious manifestations. Walking around a stone 11 times will not cure your troubles, my friend, having faith in oneself and going about fighting them might help though (and in doing that, you find God)...also, slaughtering a cow or killing 'infidels' and 'heathens' will not get you too far either. Lets the keep the positives and restrict the negatives, the things that are driven by fanatics, superstition, apprehension and fear. I am not saying stop believing in God. You feel free to have your concept of God...but whatever it is, it shouldn't be worth killing for. I don't care if a girl touched the shrine. I care if the print space devoted to the article could have been devoted to something more important like lack of education, poverty, and corruption and what action has been taken against them. Only through positive action will we be happier, more content and at peace with ourselves.
I have taken a stance. I wish the rest of you would follow. There are gaps in my philosophy, I'm sure. I have my God. I am at peace with Him. He lies not in the confines of walls which cannot be touched by a woman. He lies inside me. He lies everywhere.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Classic Corner #1 - The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

This is a new chain I am starting, like the 'Songs of a Lifetime', which is quite dormant right now. Here is where I shall showcase, rave about, dissect and eulogise about some classic instances of pure genius in the performing arts, be it theatre, music, film or any other medium. These are examples of sheer brilliance and works far ahead of their time...works that regal, enthrall and stay relevant even today. These shaped the future of their respective art forms and left an indelible mark on society and social consciousness. Some of them were plain difficult to describe, such was force of their beauty, power and effect.

I'll start with one of the most prized possessions in my collection, The Stone Roses' self titled debut album. What a record. British pop music had not heard anything so pristine before these guys came along. I do not want to get into the history of the band and such details, as it would require another post altogether. Just a bit of an intro, though. These four guys teamed up in the mid 80s when British pop/rock music was ruled The Smiths, New Order and The Fall. The Smiths were on the decline and nothing as exciting was in the offing. Then Ian Brown and his mates from Manchester decided to have some fun with their style of light rock/pop guitar driven music. They were to record only one more studio album after this one, 'The Second Coming', before they eventually split up in the early 90s. Their music formed the reference point of loads of modern bands like Oasis, Blur, Lightening Seeds, Embrace and The Verve. Sadly after delivering a near perfect rock/pop album first up the band could never live up to the hype of an encore and the next album, though not bad by any standards, wasn't quite the same. Our loss entirely.

Let’s look at the album then...

The opening drawl on 'I wanna be adored' lets you know that this is something special indeed. When I first heard it, thanks to Brown's hushed Mancunian accented style of singing, I mistook the words to be ' I wanna be a door' (and I couldn't understand why the hell he wanted to be a part of the furniture). And then John's Squire's heavenly guitar riffs hit you...I couldn't care if he wanted to be the wash basin or a toilet, the resonance was just too powerful and the narcissism just too tempting to resist. Oasis tried something similar with 'Listen up', but came nowhere close. This gem is followed up by the holy trinity of 'She bangs the drums', 'Elephant stone' and 'Waterfall'. Well, rock songs dipped in honey. British pop had never had it better than this. When Brown croons, "Burst into heaven...kissing the cotton clouds" on 'Elephant stone', you can almost feel yourself with him 30,000 ft above sea level...sigh! The beauty of multilayer guitars has never been better demonstrated. Then there is the anti-monarchy gem, 'Elizabeth My dear' with the lines "Tear me apart and boil my bones / I'll not rest 'till she's lost her throne / My aim is true, my message is clear / It's curtains for you Elizabeth my dear". It ends with a silenced pistol shot.
Oh, and things are just about to get better...
Then comes the Paris students riots inspired, 'Bye bye badman' and the dark anti violence 'Made of stone', which is another fantastic addition. There were even audacious enough to add a song 'Don't stop', which is in fact the latter played backwards! The album finishes with 2 more beauties, 'This is the one' and the anthemic 'I am the resurrection', the first a powerful rock tune with fantastic guitar work (as usual) and the second presumably about coming out triumphant after facing rejection in love. Genius generally is accompanied by arrogance and 'Resurrection' is ample evidence of that...
I could go on and on about this album. If you don't have it and are a lover of guitar music, well...just die. But a better option would be to go out, buy it and give it a listen. Your world will be a better place to live in. Seriously...

Album: The Stone Roses
Band: The Stone Roses
Year: 1989
Label: Jive
Track listing:
1. I Wanna Be Adored
2. She Bangs The Drums
3. Elephant Stone
4. Waterfall
5. Don't Stop
6. Bye Bye Badman
7. Elizabeth My Dear
8. (Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister
9. Made Of Stone
10. Shoot You Down
11. This Is The One
12. I Am The Resurrection

"So here it is. Yes! Yes! Yes! The best rock album since Revolver? Definitely. Maybe. You don't have to believe that. Just play it from time to time. It gets better and better. Rave on!" - thestoneroses.co.uk

"Make love to this album, get stoned to this album, start an uprising to this album, change the world to this album. For this album has changed many people's world and a world without it would be a place with slightly less magic." - Matt Pomry, Pop Matters.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Eagerly awaiting...

One a continuing saga of a comic book hero and the other a Shakespearean tragedy. Brendon Routh, beware, all actors who have played Superman before have had tragedy afflict them. Vishal Bhardwaj is set to be our generation's Gulzar. Kudos, sir.
Ironic, that I'm looking forward to 2 adaptations after railing against lack of originality...go figure.

Cheers!
Abhishek

Learning to enjoy the lack of originality...

The last few years in Indian cinema have churned out some really good films and also loads of average and generally worthless ones. While the technical ability of our film makers has improved in leaps and bounds, the lack of original ideas remains a constant bane. Can't these guys come up with one story which I haven't already seen in another movie a few years ago? The other day I happened to watch the Akshay-Katrina starrer 'Humko Deewana Kar Gaye' and the very first scene with the credits was a shameless rip off from the opening sequence from Richard Curtis's 'Love Actually'. The film itself was a bad rip off of 'Notting Hill', with some scenes lifted frame to frame. Then there was Sarkar, Ek Ajnabee, Quayamat, Zinda, Main Asia Hi Hoon and almost every Bhatt film. The list is in fact endless. While some very good work in being done, the writers are taking a back seat. The creative process is pitifully shoddy. I guess living in the jet age does not leave film makers with enough time to think up an interesting and original story. Why try something so weird, when you can walk into a Music World and pick up a random English or International film and turn into a Bollywood extravaganza with sprinklings of romance, melodrama and song and dance. The trend is also moving towards remaking Hindi films of yore. RGV struggles with 'Sholay'. Farhan Akhtar is almost done shooting 'Don', Feroz Khan announces 'Kurbani' with Fardeen playing his role in the original. Not acceptable either, I'm sorry.
The trend doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon, so I thought I might as well list down some of the better 'inspirations' in Indian Cinema.

1. Chori Chori (It happened One Night) - One of the better inspirations, the remake of the Clark Gable film had Raj Kapoor and Nargis in lead roles and some great music from Shankar Jaikishan. The film also spawned a modern version in 'Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin' which wasn't too bad either.

2. Sarkar (The Godfather) - This RGV is certainly one of his better efforts. He credits this film as a remake of Godfather and gives it an Indian twist, keeping most of the major events in tact.
The potent duo of Bachchan Senior and Junior works really well. The background score of the film is lifted and well Indianised with the 'Govinda' chants. He also used camera angles really well and RGV's use of silence is superb. An enjoyable remake. Lets see how RGV does with Bachchan's Humbert Humbert and his take on Nabokov's 'Lolita' (Nishabd).

3. Ganashatru(Enemy of the People) - One of Ray's films which was a remake of Ibsen's classic play. Its message, about the perils of greed, religious fanaticism, and environmental pollution, may be topical, but the film was too static to have total impact. Still, there were enough flashes of Ray's brilliance to make it worthwhile. The film had Soumitra Chatterjee (who else) playing a doctor convinced of the poisoning of a lake, water from which is used in the temples as 'prasad' and his 'against all odds' efforts to create awareness about this pollution.

4. Sholay (7 Samurai/The Magnificent 7) - What can I possibly add about this one?

5. Nayakan (Godfather) - Though not a frame for frame copy, it was based, by Kamal's own admission on The Godfather(the fixation never ends). Brilliant performances, brilliant film. Kamal also co wrote 'Sati Leelavathy', a copy of the Meryll Streep hit 'She Devil'. Also, an enjoyable fim.

6. Karz (The Reincarnation of Peter Proud) - The film was enjoyable, though much of the story was lifted from the 1975 horror/thriller original and LP's music also borrowed heavily from the west ('Om Shanti Om' was a blatant lift and so was the guitar riff from 'Ek hasina thi'. Ghai never admitted the similarity till recently and always claimed never to have even seen the original (which is a blatant lie, if you've seen both films). The film was grand though, and perhaps benefited from the fact the original was rather small budget and raw.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

India in a restaurant

Having dinner in an Indian restaurant in Singapore can be a very familiar experience. I don't mean it in from the culinary point of view. Purely from the people that frequent the place. Of course I'm also not talking about the upmarket, snooty sorts of places frequented by expat communities and foreigners trying to get a taste of India (the 'Oh you have to try the Chicken Tikka Masala at Rang Mahal' types). I was in a mid sized place in Serangoon the other day, and the experience for an occasional social voyeur like myself, was interesting to say the least. On the table next to me was an Indian girl who was introducing her Caucasian boyfriend to her parents for what I believed to be the first time. I expected muted and skeptic conversation. But what ensued was a friendly and amiable chat. Quite symbolic of the new emerging trend of disappearing borders amongst countries and communities. The Indian of today is far more at ease with the global phenomenon than he was even a decade ago. There is no awkwardness, no 'sahib' mentality. It is slowly developing into a meeting of equals. Pleasant and refreshing. LN Mittal can embrace steel plants and factories the world over, but the joy of watching this little meeting in a non descript eatery had its own significance and potrayed an encouraging and indicative reality.
A nearby table hosted a family of animated Bengalis, complete with pesky kids and over protective mothers. One of the ladies obviously thought that her 9-10 year old was completely incapable of eating on his own and hence laboriously continued to shove dollops of rice and daal down his throat. The kid was on a trip of his own and was more interested in exploring every corner of the premises, much to the annoyance of the other members of his family. 'Tubai! doude barash ni! Chup kore bosh! Uff eyi chele ke niye aar parlam na!' ('Tubai, don't run around and sit down quietly! Uff what shall I do with this kid!'). How many times have we as kids heard this? Brought back so many memories. Bengali boys, as children tend to be tremendously sheltered. Visions of Bula aunty (my neighbor a long while ago) feeding a visibly embarrassed Montuda at school during exams came flooding back. The poor fellow was instructed to cram his algebraic equations for his class 7 term exams and not waste time on eating! Mothers complain sporadically, but dutifully discharge their motherly chores, to the point of excessive pampering. How can one deny little Tubai? He will grow up to become an engineer or a doctor someday, the pride of the Bhowmick brigade. Nothing much seems to have changed since our time...

Then there was the Tamil group a few tables away. They stuck to curd and rice...staple diet down south. C'mon guys, there was a whole menu to chose from! But I guess home food is home food and it was quite possible that they had chanced upon this place after a while and wanted to get a good meal in. Politics was on their minds, perhaps thanks to the just concluded elections in TN. One gentleman was mighty dislpeased with the outcome and claimed that the state would not be the same without 'Amma'. He was pleased, however, that he would receive a free TV from the ruling party and hoped that cable would also come at no cost. They also proceeded to draw up how they could see the whole of Singapore and its sights in the next day and a half! A little time saved from taking this bus route, a little time saved from cabing it from point x to point y. Sometimes I feel, we Indians return from vacations far more exhausted than we were before we take them. The kind of schedules we put ourselves through! Perhaps its an economic thing. Westerners always seem more relaxed and appear to have more time on their hands...
A Punjabi couple occupied the table to our right. They were honeymooning in Singapore, (glow, bloody...glow!) I gathered. The guy in his smart turban and majestic whiskers and the girl...in a tank top and a miniskirt...I had no problems with the attire per say...hey its your honeymoon, enjoy it, but please get rid of the elaborate mehendi, the nose ring, the long earrings and the 800 red bangles on both hands! I know its the age of mix and match and fashion fusion and all but this looks plain ridiculous! They discussed their travel plans over the weekend and then diverted their attention to a fancy handy cam the guy had just purchased, along with his equally fancy I-Pod nano. The prosperity of the Punjab/Haryana belt was amply evident.
Here was India playing itself out in all its stereotypes. I am in no way judging their actions or the motivations behind them, but it was a very interesting evening in all. We all are so different, region from region, yet the union is so strong and the blend so natural. It was like cutting up bits and pieces of a country and re-arranging them somewhere else. The picture still remained the same, familiar and beautiful. And for people such as myself, who do not get to go back that often, this was a pleasurable and unique opportunity. It just took a microcosm of the country to feel the pulse of India, old and new, to gather public opinion, to get an insight into a changing country, and to feel at home.

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Himesh, you little Devil!

Sample this from the Financial Express,

"Bollywood may have stood up for Aamir Khan, but it doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance when it comes to revoking this “ban”. So Himmesh Reshammiya’s hit number 'Jhalak dikhla ja, ek baar aaja, aaja...' may set feet tapping at discotheques, but in Anand district’s Bhalej village, it seems to have set alarm bells ringing.
Why? Residents claim that the lyrics are an invite to “ghosts” who then possess residents. The person possessed - some put this number at five, others at 20 - run a high temperature and behave in a strange manner. Rationalists and others may dismiss the idea as silly, but the 10,000-odd villagers are so worried that they’ve decided that the song - picturised on serial kisser Emraan Hashmi - won’t be heard in the village. What’s more? They’re seeking divine intervention: approaching the maulvis as well as planning visits to neighbouring temple town Dakor. Majid Malek, father-in-law of sarpanch Saira Malek, speaks about the problem “plaguing the village since last fortnight”. “Since the last 15 days, we’ve noticed this problem. There have been about 20 such cases since then,” says Malek. Mushtaq Thakore says there have been around five such cases, including that of a newly wedded girl Sartajbanu.
“The lyrics are such that they draw the attention of the ghosts, after which the person starts screaming and also runs a high temperature. The only way out is to seek divine help. Muslims go to maulvis, Hindus to their godmen,” Mushtaq says. Incidentally, the ghosts also have a particular spot where they choose their “victim”. The graveyard adjoining the lake.
After realising that the song could be the “root cause” of the “possession problem”, the village has decided to clamp down on it. The song may be a hit with wedding parties, but not in Bhalej. Allarakha, a musician with Rahi Music Band, says, “We get many requests to play different numbers, but we are asked by villagers to avoid this number.”

I never liked the song anyway, now I'm certainly not going to play it. It even gets the ghosts annoyed enough to leave their happy abodes and possess hapless humans! Himesh, perhaps you shouldn't have sung this one.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Fanaa

Huge expectations are associated with any Aamir Khan film. Even more so if it happens to be Kajol's comeback vehicle. And perhaps even more so if it happens to be under the Yash Raj banner. But expectations of course don't guarantee a good cinematic experience, just a few 'house full' posters on friday, saturday and sunday, after which the product must fend for itself on the basis of its own merits.
'Fanaa' is strictly ok, perhaps even decent, but a step down for Aamir. I felt Mangal Pandey (minus the average second half and the barrage of songs) and 'Rang De Basanti' were better films. The film centres around the love story of Rehan, seemingly a brash and flirtatious tour guide and Zooni, a blind Kashmiri, who is only starting to live life on her own terms. Rehan and Zooni fall in love almost immediately and Rehan shows her the side of life that she has been missing for so long. Her experiences are new and invigorating. She immediately decides that he is the man for him. Deciding to marry her, he also arranges to restore her eyesight. Here is where the story takes a turn and leads us into the dark murky world that Rehan actually comes from from. He is a terrorist fighting for the independence of Kashmir. There is a bomb blast in which Zooni believes that Rehan has perished and lives out seven years in the belief that that the only man she's loved and never seen, is dead. Cut to seven years later where Rehan is on yet another mission for his terror outfit. He is wounded and seeks asylum in during a fierce storm in a small village and as fate would have it, lo and behold, Zooni opens the door along with a small boy, who is of course her child that she had with Rehan many moons ago.
Here's where the film gets interesting. The film now starts focusing on Rehan's realization that this is the life he wants, and not the life of a foot soldier for a organisation such as his. Zooni, discovering this guest's true identity (first that he is her Rehan, and second that he is in fact a terrorist) of course has to deal with the dilemma of turning him in versus making up for seven years of lost time and finally settling down with her one true love and the father of her child. How these parallel themes progress and pan out is the focus of the climax of the film.
The first half of the film is run of mill. Boy meets girl, girl can't see boy, boy is charming and gives girl a tour of Delhi. Love blooms. The first half is pure formula, complete with a multitude of songs and funny sidekicks. Quite disappointing actually. The second half is marked improved and the novelty of the plot and the decent treatment come to the fore. However here as well, things could have moved faster, but the director, Kunal Kohli takes his own time to let things unravel. Performances are good. Aamir is patchy in the first half and in form in the second. And it is such a pleasure watching Kajol after all these years. The lady can still dazzle the screen with her smile! The chemistry between Aamir and Kajol is good but Kajol-Shahrukh or Aamir-Juhi were better together. Supporting crew is decent though. Rishi Kapoor, Kirron Kher and Tabu are competent, though the choice of Tabu for the role of the Anti Terrorist Squad officer is quite puzzling. She mouths rhetoric and cliched dialogues. Wasted completely. Music is strictly average. What was expected to be Jatin-Lalit's swan song in their last film together, turn into an average album with a couple of good songs like 'Chand Sifarish' and 'Mere Haath Mein'. Watch out for Ravi K Chandran's camera work though, brilliant. Of course, filming in Poland helps.

2.5/5

Cheers!
Abhishek.

The one in which rings get exchanged...

To put it simply, I got engaged. Don't ask me how I feel and other such things, as I don't think its sunk in as yet. Yes, there is the knowledge that now I shall have to refer to the erstwhile 'girlfriend' as 'fiance', 'would be', 'betrothed' and other such funny names...but apart from that not much has changed...yet. I guess long distance relationships can do this to you. I do know though that the ceremony and the formal exchange of rings has brought us a little closer, in the sense that the feeling of belonging has increased (which is funny because I was never one for ceremonies and formal exchange of rings). Its still a little bit of a blur, so watch this space for more clarity. Well, moving on to the minor details of the event. The venue was the venerable Bengal Club on Russell Street. Representatives from both families turned up in their best and brightest. 'Aashirbad' by elders commenced soon after and was accompanied by some 'ullus' (a traditional Bengali wedding yell/yodel). If my Marwari in-laws were alarmed by such a sudden increase in decibel level, they sportingly did not show it. Gifts were received and blessings were sought. The 'aashirbad' by elders gave way to the formal exchange of rings and a photocall which was enjoyed by everyone. The highlight of the evening for me was the way the two families extended goodwill and warmth to each other. One doesn't get to see Maru-Bong weddings everyday, and I must say that they shed their initial trepidation (and at a community level, years of business and cultural hostility, heheh) to support and partake in the festivities as best they could. It might as well have been a same community affair... A heartfelt thank you to all of you. Dinner was served after which much mingling ensued. The whole thing wound up by 11.30pm. It was a likeable affair in all, I mean what's not to like, good food, lots of gifts and pretty women all around...oh, and just in case I forgot, also the realization that you finally have the woman you love.

The holy man blesses...

The exchange of the rings

A photo - op with good friends 'Shots' and 'Sam'

Cheers!
Abhishek

Quiz Time Again - Answers

1. The only song the two have sung for films together is the classic duet, 'Ei jo hethai kunjochayae' from the film 'Luko Churi'. Music was by Hemant Kumar.

2. Fairly simple one, Superman's earliest description.

3. Freddie Mercury was the only musician quoted in Kobain's suicide note.

4. - Mithun Chakraborty
- Cary Grant
- Jeetendra
- Whoopi Goldberg

5. All clocks show the time 4.20 pm.

Looks like Sougatada takes this one hands down! Well done.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Quiz time again!

Hello all, its been long since I've put up some questions to test your knowledge of all things artistic. Here is the second set of questions for you. Answers will be up next week!

1. Kishore Kumar and Ruma Devi (his first wife) both came from artistically gifted families. Both had impressive singing careers. However they sang playback together on only one occasion in their entire lives. Name the song and the film.

2. A 1940 radio serial described a character as "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound". Who were they talking about?

3. Kurt Kobain's suicide note went "I havent felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music along with reading and writing for too many years now. I feel guilty beyond words about these things. For example, when we're backstage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins, it doesn't affect me the way in which it did for ______, who seemed to love, relish in the love and adoration from the crowd, which is something I totally admire and envy." Fill in the blank...who was Kobain talking about?

4. How do we better know te following celebrities
- Gauranga Chakraborty
- Archibald Leach
- Ravi Kapoor
- Caryn Johnson

5. In the Tarantino classic, 'Pulp Fiction', all the watches shown in the film are stuck at one particular time. Let's see if you guys noticed when?

Answers up soon...

Cheers!
Abhishek.

When numbers conspire...

Number of days left till engagement: 10

Number of cigarettes smoked since yesterday: 10

Number of deliverables at current attachment: 10

Number of dollars left in wallet: 10

Cheers!
Abhishek.

The Nanyang MBA Series - 4 (Placements)

Ok, this is the one about the placements...I have received loads of emails and calls from prospective students querying about the same and hence decided to blog about it for general information for all interested.
Right, yes everyone in the batch is placed, employed, working for money etc. Our batch (total fulltime strength: 65) had representation from around seventeen countries, the largest contingents being from China, India, Germany, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. The rest of the countries were represented by only one or two participants. As far a I know, the Chinese have all gone back to China with lucrative offers. Only one or two are working here in Singapore. This is out of choice. Most Chinese students were never even looking to work in Singapore as the NTU name is apparently big in their neck of the woods and hence they enjoy a real premium once they head back there. A couple of the Germans are working in Singapore while the rest have headed back to Europe. Most other students from the other countries are based here.
Now the 'desi' junta, we numbered 24. All the boys have found suitable employment. 21 of us are here in Singapore, while 3 students have headed back to India to take up their dream jobs.

The companies that the MBA batch of 2004-06 are working for are listed as follows, according to specialization:

Banking and Finance:

1. Standard & Poors, Singapore
2. DBS, Singapore
3. UOB, Singapore
4. HSBC, Singapore
5. Citibank, Japan
6. AurionPro Solutions, Singapore
7. HP Asia-Pac, Singapore
8. Raffles Consulting Pte. Ltd., Singapore
9. PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Singapore
10. Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore
11. ABN AMRO, Singapore
12. Keppel Land, Singapore
13. Morgan Stanley, Singapore

Marketing:

1. Colgate Palmolive, Singapore
2. AC Nielson, Singapore
3. Cushman & Wakefield, Bangalore
4. Unilever, Malaysia
5. WTO, Singapore
6. Roche Pharmaceuticals, Indonesia

IT/Technology

1. Frost & Sullivan, Singapore
2. HCL Technologies, Chennai
3. Wipro Technologies, Bangalore

Strategy

1. Seagate Technologies, Singapore
2. Inductis India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
3. Accenture, Singapore
4. Proudfoot Consulting, London

The above list is not exhaustive as I am unaware of the companies that most of the China based students are working in.

Let me add in a word about the internship scenario as well. Everyone in the batch got internships. The companies that hired for internships were HSBC Singapore, PwC Singapore, Singapore Technologies, HCL Singapore, DBS, Frost & Sullivan, AC Nielson Singapore, Carlson Marketing Singapore, HP Asia-Pac Singapore, Cisco Systems Singapore, British Petroleum Singapore, Citibank NA Singapore, Collin Ng & Partners, Accenture Singapore etc.
The average salary for fulltime offers of the batch would be around SGD 60,000 pa. For the internships, average stipends were in the range of SGD 1000-2000 pm.

So there. It was a good year in all for our batch. The junior batch is all set to outdo us with some of them securing full time offers already apart from internships. Way to go guys! Keep the flag flying...

Hope this helps.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

To the hustings...

Election time has arrived again in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Its highly unlikely that the CPM will be replaced in Bengal, mainly due to the new found corporate ratification that Buddha babu has received. In Chennai of course, it could be a close one, though one feels Amma might prevail again. It has been unfortunate that I haven't kept up with the political scenario in Chennai after I left the place long ago and moved to Kolkata...but here's a surprise. An email from a friend in Chennai was a revelation of sorts. The Lok Paritran party in Chennai is contesting the assembly polls. Set up by IIT ians, this is truly a party with a difference. Most of the candidates contesting seem to be well educated and seem to have a proven track record of public service. This is not propaganda for them or anything (when people come to power all the good intentions seem to take a back seat) and when you cast your vote make sure you do your due diligence on the candidates, but atleast now you might be saved from thinking, 'oh who do I vote for, they are all crooks!'. Take a look at the profiles of some of their candidates.

Mylapore - Santhanagopal Vasdev (28), M.A Economics from New York University

Chepauk - P. Elanthirumaran (38), Project Manager/Software Consultant

Thousand Lights - Ishrayel Maheswar (32), MBA, M.Phil

Egmore - Prashant Sharma (48), Marketing Professional

T. Nagar - Arvind Tiruvaiyar (32) - Marketing/Social Worker

Annanagar - Rajamani (56), A senior consulting engineer, worked abroad for 25 years

Saidapet - Hariharan (28), Software Engineer

Park Town - Rabindara Ganesh (61), Social worker

Atleast now the picture is more representative. With the rise of the middle class, it would be nice to have some candidates with whom this huge section of people can identify with. Its also heartening to see the educated, middle class taking the step to join politics and trying their bit to effect change for the better. Regardless of how they perform at the hustings, one has to hand it them for atleast trying.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Time for a BBQ!

After much ado, Aroon, Ashok and Raju's BBQ finally happened last week. Mandarin Gardens (Aroon's place), was the venue for this funfilled evening. Much meat was roasted, lots of alcohol was drunk (too much actually, but whats new), MBA days relived and generally lots of good cheer was spread. I also managed to meet a school mate from Kolkata, who was in our MBA program two years ago. Small world this is... (this week I also managed to get in touch with my school friends from way back in school - St.Xaviers '96 ICSE...apparently there was a yahoo groups thingy I was completely unaware of...there are already 20 odd members...it was great to know all the guys are doing really well for themselves and are going places...apart from one little fellow who's in jail!...but hey it takes all kinds...sorry...back to the BBQ!). As the evening wore on, the conversations got really interesting...I think at one point I was discussing the way people burp and generally distributing pearls of complete nonsense. I beg forgiveness of the poor unsuspecting girl who was actually listening to me...my apologies... The day was good friday and hence Aroon couldn't touch alcohol. Poor chap...but well done lad...it takes fight to pull through an evening like that...Apart from an unfortunate incident involving a bladder malfunction and a brief period when I disappeared into the bushes (don't even ask how), it was a very enjoyable evening. Thanks Aroon, Ashok and Raju. In other news, I got my teeth cleaned, so I'm sporting a set of pearly whites...and I'm smiling a lot!

Kamal in the food and beverage area...a fine cuisine
The gang at the BBQ!
My disappearance in the bushes...I can't believe someone actually clicked this!
Kamal, Ruchi and Rishi (recently married) and moi

The gang again!

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Songs of a lifetime - 6

The weekends here again and what would be a better time to raise a toast to a constant friend...alcohol! No song says it better than this one by Brad Paisley. One doesn't realise it, but most of us have done some darned crazy things under its influence. Strange as it may sound, some of the funniest, weirdest and most fun moments in life have been thanks to the magic stuff...I'm not advocating drinking here...but its true...hear it straight from the horse's mouth!


I can make anybody pretty
I can make you believe any lie
I can make you pick a fight with somebody twice your size
Well, I've been known to cause a few break-ups
An' I've been known to cause a few births
Well, I can make you new friends, or get you fired from work.

And since the day I left Milwaukee, Lynchburg an' Bordeaux, France
Been making the bars lots of big money
An' helpin' white people dance
I got you in trouble in High School
But College, now that was a ball
You had some of the best times you'll never remember with me
Alcohol, Alcohol.

I got blamed at your wedding reception
For your best man's embarrassing speech
And also for those naked pictures of you at the beach
I've influenced Kings and world leaders
I helped Hemingway write like he did
And I'll bet you a drink or two, that I can make you put that lampshade on your head.

Cause since the day I left Milwaukee,Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France
I been making a fool out of folks just like you
An' helping white people dance
I am medicine and I am poison
I can help you up or make you fall
You had some of the best times you'll never remember with me
Alcohol, Alcohol.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Being Cyrus

This small little film generated tremendous interest being an English language film with an entirely Bollywood cast. Director Homi Adajania expertly handles a multilayered film which is dark, witty and finely enacted. The film tells the tale of a 'drifter', Cyrus (Saif Ali Khan) who befriends a parsi family and comes to live with them. The film then delves into the daily lives of the family, peeling layer after layer from their seemingly hum drum life. But all is not hunky dory. Illicit affairs, drug addiction, ambition, romance and murder lurk in the background. How Cyrus forms part of this sordid tale is what the film is all about. Does he get involved? Is he hiding some personal motive? Why has he come this family? Or is he a victim of circumstance? The film goes about answering these questions.
The acting is first rate. Nasseeruddin Shah as the drug addicted potter is fantastic but hopelessly underused. Dimple Kapadia steals the show with her hyperactive performance as the lady of the house trying to find a way out of her boring and middleclass existence. Boman Irani as the obnoxious younger brother is also superb. Simone Singh is adequate.
The film is certainly a smart one. It is dark, probing and witty. The dialogues are great. But all in all I feel thats all that the film is...smart. Sometimes too smart for its own good. It ends up being a super screenplay but has very little depth. Characters could have been elaborated more, I felt. Its swift and to the point but the ride is only enjoyable while it lasts. One must also commend actors like Saif and Dimple to take on unconventional, small English language films. Directors could use a little support from the 'stars'.

3/5

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Tagged by Ekta...

Been tagged by Ekta.
The 'Ideal Woman' it seems...trust me they don't exist...I shall mention at the outset that I shall not adhere to rule no. 3, not because I'm a lazy bum or that I'm not a fan of tagging people, but because everyone I perhaps would have tagged has already been tagged!

The rules :
1. The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points of their perfect lover.
2. You have to mention the sex of the target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game and leave a comment on their comments saying they've been tagged.
4. If tagged the 2nd time, there's no need to post again.

Anyways here goes...

1. Should have short hair...theres something about women with short hair!
2. Should be a good conversationalist, reasonably well read and aware. Talking about serious issues is as important as cuddly and sweet pillow talk.
3. Should be a good friend first, lover later. I guess this one has been pretty common, but how true!
4. I like to be pleasantly surprised once in while...she should be able to do that every once in a while...I don't mean throwing surprise parties and expensive gifts, small little things like making me a mixed tape of songs that keep I humming or initiating something new and interesting in the bedroom!
5. Should have a sense of humor...laughing is good for health you know.
6. Should have the capability to mix with people from all walks of life and station. A genuine interest in people is highly desirable.
7. Should be able to express emotion freely. Since I cannot, it would be nice to have just one person made of ice in the relationship. Of course too much sensitivity and tears are no good as well though once in a while, making it up to the girl can be romantic and cute.
8. Should be a fabulous dancer!

There... that's not too much is it??

PS: - On second thoughts, I would like to tag Cogito (only one I think who hasn't been tagged by this one). He's getting married soon, so should be interesting to read what he has to say.

Cheers!
Abhishek

Photoblog

Kolkata was a tremendously enjoyable experience. Now I'm back in Singapore ready to start a new chapter in life. Just a word about the City of Joy, though. Lots of development, lots of malls, people consuming all sorts of goods, ordinary and luxury, lots more night clubs and lots more buildings and residential complexes. It was a fine sight. So much for communist leanings. Kolkata has shed its old crumbling British Raj image and is well on the road to being something more exciting. I wish the same fervor spreads through to the rest of Bengal which is generally undeveloped. Anyways here are a few pictures I took on the trip.

Park Street on the 24th of December (granted, not taken on this trip, but its Park Street!)

A storm approaches Ballygunge

A relaxed shave and a haircut before heading to work...Italian style!

A fast disappearing breed..the 'bandar naach' man

Dear friends Shotorupa, Ronit and Shotorupa's mom. One happy family!

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Kolkata mane...

Sorry for the lack of posts, but I have been on holiday in Kolkata and have been enjoying myself thoroughly. Posts will resume once I am back in Singapore on the 15th of March... For now here is a list I have been compiling since I got here...

Kolkata mane aabege prem
Kolkata mane Satyajit Ray
Kolkata mane Motherer norom haath
Kolkata mane adda o torko
Kolkata mane pabda aar ilish
Kolkata mane rickshawalar chhot
Kolkata mane Nondone prem
Kolkata mane Robithakurer songeet
Kolakta mane minibuser pechone dhaba
Kolkata mane shari shari taxi
Kolkata mane Victoriar tej
Kolkata mane unnoyoner pothe
Kolkata mane protibad
Kolkata mane baishe sharabon
Kolkata mane moidane football
Kolkata mane boro boudir aador
Kolkata mane 'dada ki hocche ta ki?'
Kolkata mane 'dependable kintu strike?'
Kolkata mane Park Streeter jomjomat
Kolkata mane ekta double chicken double egg roll
Kolkata mane Feludar kirti
Kolkata mane bhide hashi
Kolkata mane Howraher dhakka
Kolkata mane cholebe na
Kolkata mane notunotto
Kolkata mane swapno o aakansha
Kolkata mane kalke uthe aabar juddho
Kolkata mane Salt Laker notun office para
Kolkata mane einth pathorer mela
Kolkata mane poda shonar chaap
Kolkata mane cinema diye andolon
Kolkata mane raatri jibone notunnotto
Kolkata mane phire aasha baar baar
Kolkata mane aami aar tumi


Cheers!
Abhishek.

Kolkata!

Its time to head back home for a bit...

Since my joining date at work is still a little way off, I will be visiting home after a gap of almost a year. Looking forward to it in a big way. My old room, the home food, the city's twinkling neon lights, the traffic jams, the noise and the lure of meeting old friends all seem very enticing. The funny thing is sometimes I feel like just chucking it and going back for good. Being away just makes you more homesick I guess, nothing more. When I had come to Singapore, I had these big dreams of making it in the financial markets in this region and the whole global experience thingy seemed very exciting. It still does, especially now when I have a foot in the door at least. But this thought creeps in once in a while. I guess it'll go away as soon as work life starts...

In other news, my flatmates (also my batch mates) are likely to join Indian companies and look set to head back. Its highly likely that when I return, I might come back to an empty house. Its a scary thought, believe me. This place had just started feeling like a home and we felt like a family. We celebrated together, we shouldered the bad times together, laughed and cried with each other and were each others' strength and weakness alike. Now its time for everyone to go their own way and a part of me sometimes doesn't want it to happen. Selfish, I know but its true. I guess I'm in the transition phase and its just a matter to sticking it out and getting used to the next routine. I guess this has added to the way I am feeling about home. Makes you realise that Home is indeed the people you come back to.

Anyways, enough whining. I shall be in Kolkata for close to 3 weeks and hope to partake of all that it has to offer to the fullest. There will be luncheons at relatives places, kilos and kilos of fish, dinners at Peter Cat (Ron, I owe you a virtual meal there!), Mocambo, BBQ, Blue Fox, Oasis (the mixed grill sizzler is divine!) and Tangra, movies with the galphriend, addas with the 'para' boys and cups of 'bhaander cha'. And this time I intend to see the whole of the National museum! I will be updating my blog there as well, so watch out for more photoblogs on the wonderful city of Kolkata. Home.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Luncheon with the President

The Nanyang Technological University was fortunate enough to be one of the destinations of HE APJA Kalam's Singapore official visit. Students of the university were given the opportunity to hear the President at a luncheon at the University. Students from all disciplines, both undergraduate and postgraduate registered for this event with much enthusiasm. I myself jumped at the opportunity as it would perhaps be impossible to get this sort of an event going in India. Ironic ya? The school of Biological Sciences had the responsibility of hosting the president. We all showed up the designated time of 11 am.
The famed Indian Standard Time reared its ugly head again and we were made to wait for a another couple of hours before the President actually arrived with his entourage. The small hall with around 150 students stood up and applauded his arrival. After a few cursory welcome messages by the the Dean and Chairman of the University, the little fisherman's son came to the microphone. He spoke about the technological convergence of biological sciences, nanotechnology and information technology. It was part of his bigger vision of how science and education can together uplift the youth of emerging countries and contribute to growth and prosperity. He was aided by a fancy Powerpoint presentation (a tool which he regularly uses for all his speeches, I understand). During his speech he also paid homage to the great Indian scientists like Vikram Sarabhai, Chandrasekhar and JC Bose. He also spoke about his association with a few of them and regaled the audience with some tales from their lives. The teacher in the President got the better of him on most occasions when he started explaining the scientific terms that he used in his speech. He actually described in detail what the Chandrasekhar limit was! He had to check himself on more than a couple of occasions lest he got carried away. His speech ended with how Singapore and India could cooperate on scientific issues for mutual and global benefit. He also mentioned that he was very impressed with the technological focus of the University and spoke about the work that he had seen in the laboratories.
For me, it was a moment of pride. It was a reflection of a changing and fast moving India. How many Presidents in the world can balance science and politics as easily as this man? How many of them have such impressive resumes? That he is from a very humble background is also testament to how India is a land that can truly nurture talent, no matter where its origins lie. We have a lot to do and a long way to go, but it truly was a great occasion to celebrate India. The President then had lunch with the students and obliged photographs and autographs alike. He does have an endearing quality about him. A demeanor of a lovable professor rather than that of a politician. But I guess thats because thats who he is and we are all the better for it. I'd rather have a man like this than a hardened and corrupt politician. He truly commands respect. 'Jai Hind' to that.

PS: The President begins most of his replies with the line. 'see, its like this...'

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Moving on...

My long relationship with unemployment finally ends. A crazy British bank has been brave enough to offer me a position as a Management Associate. And I've taken it up. Quite a few formalities are still to be completed but I think the deal is done. I've signed the offer letter, so I think its safe...
Well the first feeling that washed over me once the call came was one of immense relief, rather than happiness. It was getting a little difficult living the life of a 'bekar jubok' (unemployed youth) indefinitely. I guess happiness will make its presence felt in due course. I was also in contention for a higher paying job with a smaller French bank, and when that didn't come through, dejection and hopelessness reached new levels. Wet hens would feel quite ecstatic, compared to my situation. Months of waiting, calling people, getting rejection letters, hounding contacts made at networking sessions was taking its toll, but I guess it has finally yielded something. But its all about the 'Bhagvan' (as someone recently said), and He took care...
So things will change now. The boy must turn into a man. The frivolity and the boisterousness must go and gravity and focus should replace them. Family life and responsibility will soon approach and I can tell you that fear and panic has arrived sooner. Will I cope? Will I be able to balance all the acts well enough? I don't know. I guess these answers will only come with time. Lets see where life takes me from here. For now, I'm good. And ya, Mr. Bartender, I'll have another one...

Cheers!
Abhishek.

The Nanyang MBA Series - 3 (The Rooftops) - Photoblog

The 'Rooftop' was something that the class of 2004-06 had turned into a lifestyle. What a few years ago was a bunch of haphazardly arranged benches and clothes lines, quickly turned into the most lively junction on campus. The concept isn't too complicated. You enter Graduate Hall. You take the lift to the 8th floor. You plonk yourself on the benches with a motley collection of Graduate students, PhD uncles and assorted strangers. You connect with people from different countries, backgrounds and courses. You leave having had a blast. Note - You don't get do any of the above if you don't bring alcohol! True, we had the odd hiccup (no pun intended), with campus security warning us to keep the decibel levels down and sleep deprived students in adjacent rooms threatening to throw stuff at us in an attempt to catch up on much needed sleep before class the next day...but by and large the gatherings were peaceful and without incident. It was almost a weekly ritual. We've met the warmest and the craziest of people there. Exchange students were initiated, birthdays were celebrated, 'F' grades were railed against, sparks of

romance were ignited and drunken songs sung. We did it all at the 'Rooftop'. See for yourselves...

Hello people..space for one more?

Ashwin through a smoke haze.

'JD' gets ready to enthrall...'today was gonna be the day...'

Ashwin, yours truly and Gaurav

The devil woman reads Simi's future while Bruno looks on

Cheers!

Abhishek.

Songs of a lifetime - 5

'Four seasons in one day'. This classic by one of the most underrated bands ever, Crowded House, is one of the most bittersweet numbers that you'll ever hear. The Finn brothers infuse magic into the insightful lyrics with a great melody. The song is about life's full circle. Whatever goes around comes around. There are days where you are elated, demoralised, happy, sad, anxious and carefree all within 24 hours. Its like all the emotions you had played out one after the other. Its like you receiving all of life's lessons all at once. Its a warning as well as an uplifter. This song has got a lot to do with how I'm feeling recently and hence is close to the heart.


Four seasons in one day
Lying in the depths of your imagination
Worlds above and worlds below
The sun shines on the black clouds hanging over the domain
Even when you’re feeling warm
The temperature could drop away
Like four seasons in one day

Smiling as the shit comes down
You can tell a man from what he has to say
Everything gets turned around
And I will risk my neck again, again
You can take me where you will
Up the creek and through the mill
All the things you can’t explain
Four seasons in one day

Blood dries up
Like rain, like rain
Fills my cup
Like four seasons in one day

It doesn’t pay to make predictions
Sleeping on an unmade bed
Finding out wherever there is comfort there is pain
Only one step away
Like four seasons in one day

Blood dries up
Like rain, like rain
Fills my cup
Like four seasons in one day

Cheers!

Abhishek

Apaharan

Prakash Jha's 'Gangajal' was engrossing fare, hence I was eager to catch his next venture, 'Apaharan', based on the state of general lawlessness in Bihar and focusing specifically on the kidnapping trade there, which has almost taken shape of a parallel industry.
The movie didn't disappoint. It is an honest effort by a talented director. The story line shows how normal, middle class, educated youth lose their way and enter the underworld due to a lack of options. The end of all this can only be bad and the director leads the film onto its tragic and bloody conclusion. The casting is superb. Ajay Devgan as the youth gone astray is very good and gives an understated performance. The other actors, Mohan Agashe, Mukesh Tiwari and Dayashankar Pandey are very good as well. But Nana Patekar as the corrupt politician steals the show with a brilliant performance. He steers clear from being loud and verbose, something he has been guilty of doing in some of his past performances. He also delivers some of the best lines in the movie and gets ample scope to show his range. Bipasha Basu, in a blink and you'll miss it role, is unnecessary and wasted. The story could have done without her.
Some people might think of the film as dark and depressing, but I felt that the subject deserved to be treated in this manner and films like these are only diluted if subjected to too much of the commercial formula. Prakash Jha, however could not resist adding a mindless item number. The second half tends to be longer and more dragging than the first and this is my only major criticism of the film. Otherwise, a well made picture with solid performances.

3/5

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Crash

The new year, unfortunately did not start as smoothly as I had hoped. I fell sick on the 1st itself! I'm guessing it was the influenza bug. Was laid low with high fever, a congested throat and an acceptable amount of phlegm. Did feel a bit better over the last couple of days, so my flatmates brought home a couple of movies. 'Crash' happened to be one of them, so I was immediately interested. I had heard very good things about this film.

The movie was better than I had expected. 'Crash' takes an unflinching, head on and sensitive look at the state of racism in America today, post 9/11 and Iraq. People are scared, confused and misguided. Not many are free today in the 'land of liberty'. Paul Haggis, uses the same formula he tried in 'Magnolia' to tell this story. Five or six different stories run parallely, each with different characters, who keep colliding into each other, thus giving racism a chance to raise its ugly head. The movie has a deeper message though. It drives home the point that we all carry some misunderstandings with us much longer than necessary. It also sensitively shows how essentially good people are capable of despicable deeds and even the not so holy can sometimes be your only helping hand. The only minor drawback I felt it contained was that that it didn't offer any solution. The film just leaves us with the problem, but does such a great job of it, that the view alone leaves you spellbound.

The acting is first rate. Don Cheadle, Matt Dillion, Brendan Fraser, Sandra Bullock, Thandie Newton, Terence Howard and Ryan Phillipe are do a fantastic job. The movie also has one of the most memorable opening lines in a long time. A must watch!

4/5

Cheers!
Abhishek.

10 things you didn't know

Random bits of information about myself:

1. I hate being right handed. Lefties are so much cooler!
2. Only two things can make me cry. India and Innocence.
3. Sometimes I wish I could chuck it all and pursue a career in the arts...music, cinema, photography, anything. Creativity stirs something in me. I also regret not being able to pursue a career as a cricket test match umpire...sigh!
4. If I could change something about my appearance, I'd remodel my nose.
5. Bengali, Urdu and Telugu are sweetest languages I have ever heard.
6. I can never choose between mountains and beaches. I love them both!
7. Words I use most frequently these days are,'whatrussaying?', 'what bloody?' (I'll explain this later) and 'right'.
8. I am too much of an idealist for my own good.
9. I beleive religion is divisive.
10. My favourite food in the world in 'parshe macher jhol'.(Quite unsure what its called in English. If any of you know, please let me know.)

Well this is 2005's last post. Hope you guys have a blast bringing in the new year. Please be careful and responsible in your revelries. Hope to see you all in 2006!

Cheers!
Abhishek.

The one about Christmas

Hi! Heres wishing you all a VERY MERRY XMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR AHEAD!

Christmas is here. I don't know what it is about this time of the year that cheers me up without fail, baar baar lagataar. The truth of the matter is that the manifestation of this cheer is in the form of decorated streets, resplendent Xmas trees, huge shopping discounts and loads of drinking by all and sundry. SO what is it about this time of the year?

The universality of the message is so hard to miss. Its hard to explain...I always find myself cheerful and in high spirits (no pun intended) during this time of the year. 'Jaane de yaar, Its Christmas!' is what I find myself telling most people with any sort of cross to bear towards me or any one else. Most things are forgiven, faces are more cheerful and plans involving togetherness are charted out. Anyways, heres to another Merry Christmas and a New Year!

My fondest memories of Christmas are:

1. Mass at St.Xaviers' College. We were in the School then, but still made it a point to go to the College Church and attend mass. The tree was modest but truly beautiful! The serenity of the place is something I have not experienced anywhere else. There would be one mass before the school closed for the holidays and I made it a point to attend that one as well. The walk back home with a couple of friends, entailed giving dirty looks to our contemporaries in La Martiniere and getting the same treatment in return of course. (I remember asking one of them, 'Oh so you're from La Marts?' and he totally freaked out...most of them did. 'Its La Martiniere', they would correct you. It was good fun. Just some healthy school rivalry, nothing dangerous, I might add. I made some great friends from LMB later.)

2. Christmas lunch at Calcutta Club. I quite hate place for its snobbish attitude and its inability to be flexible. A relic of the Raj, the place is ,I tell you. I have heard old men shout out to bearers there, 'Boy! Ek whisky pawni lao!' Where are you, dadu? Sussex, 1943? Quite disgusting. But quintessential Calcutta. But the Christmas Lunch is something I was forced to go for year after year by my folks and after a while the event started to grow on me. The best turkey I've tasted, a menu that hasn't changed since 1923 and the company of good friends. A cold traditional institution turns into a cosy and fun place, albeit for an afternoon.

3. Santa Claus. I believed. For too long. Far too long. My parents used to humour me. I once wrote a letter to Santa and even left him a piece of chocolate! Poor chap, all that traveling and climbing in and out of people's chimneys... a snack would do him good I felt. I was 10 then (go ahead, chuckle). The excitement of waking up on Xmas morning and checking the Christmas stocking is something that my childhood will always cherish. When I would say the blasphemous words, 'I dont think Santa exists', my parents would take me to task and vehemently oppose my views and reinforce the faith. Thanks Maa and Dad, for letting a little kid continue to believe in all the good and virtue that Christmas stands for a little longer than most.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Ten best film soundtracks of 2005

ItÂ’s that time of the year again! Awards night, if you will. End of another year. Musically, unfortunately, this year hasnÂ’t been very rich or exciting. There have, however, been some outstanding talents that have made their presence felt through some truly brilliant film scores that they have composed. Otherwise its been a barrage of studio mixed techy sounds and item numbers, each as difficult to distinguish from the other as it is Shahrukh Khan's performances. Anyhow, below mentioned are the musical highlights of the year gone by, according to yours truly.

10. Salaam Namaste (Music Dir - Vishal-Shekhar): This light, young soundtrack makes it into my top ten. Tracks like 'My dil goes mmm..' and 'Salaam namaste' are bouncy and tuneful. The other two songs aren't too bad either. It would be very easy for the film director to fill up this 'phorein' love story with mindless songs, but thankfully he doesn't and the final outcome is pleasing.

9. Paheli (Music Dir - MM Kreem): The movie's music is nowhere near his 'Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin' and 'Zakhm', but the soundtrack does have its moments. 'Dhire jalna' is the standout tune of the album and is perfect in the context of the film. 'Kangna re' and 'Phir raat kati' are also pleasing to the ear. Shreya Ghosal and Hariharan stamp their class all over this decent collection.

8. My Brother Nikhil (Music Dir - Various): This delightful soundtrack has some great contributions from various music directors like Vishal-Shekhar, MM Kreem and Vivek Philip. My favorite song from this collection is 'Le chale' from Philip. Great tune, softly and sensitively sung by KK and Sunidhi Chauhan. 'Mere sapne', 'Woh kaun hai' and 'Kabhi' are worthy inclusions. Not original compositions intended for this picture, but a great listen in totality.

7. Kisna (Music Dir - Ismail Darbar and AR Rahman): The movie bombed but the soundtrack did well. A spat between Darbar and Rahman ensued and it was in the news for all the wrong reasons, but some of the tracks here are beautiful compositions. The mujra song, 'Chilman' does justice to its seven minute-over length. Darbar's 'Woh Kisna hai' is a good composition by any standards and Sukhwinder Singh's rendition takes it to the next level. Rahman's 'Hum hai is pal yahan', is good but not at par with his best. The 'Kisna theme' isn't too bad either. Good album.

6. Lucky-No Time For Love (Music Dir - Adnan Sami): A decent transition for the singer into the role of music director. What lifts this album from mediocrity is the singing. Asha Bhosle, Adnan Sami and Udit Narayan put in honest and soulful performances. 'Sun zara' is the stand out effort. 'Chori chori' and 'Jaan meri ja rahi hai sanam' are also good compositions. 'Lucky lips' is passable.

5. Chocolate (Music Dir - Pritam): I chose this album from amongst the many soundtracks in this genre, like 'Dus', 'Kaal' and 'Bluffmaster'. This one emerges a winner simply because of the energy it exudes. Sunidhi Chauhan and Sonu Nigam are at their exuberant best. 'Mummy', 'Bheega bheega' are peppy and picturised well on the latest Bengali bombshell, Tanusree Dutta. 'Zahereeli raatein' is also not bad. My favorite track is, however, the enigmatic 'Khalish si hai'. You feel you've heard these songs before, but a young upbeat set of tunes.

4. Bunty Aur Babli (Music Dir - Shanker Ehsaan Loy): Perhaps the most popular soundtrack of the year, this album has some huge hits. Shankar Ehsaan and Loy succeed in adding an earthy dimension to their music. The anthemic 'Dhadak dhadak' is fast paced and racy. Then there is the absolute rage 'Kajra re'. I didn't believe that it was SEL's music when I first heard it! The lovely 'Chup chup ke' is a gem. The title track and 'Nach baliye' are acceptable.

3. Shabd (Music Dir - Vishal Shekhar): By far the best effort by VS this year, this perhaps is the most underrated soundtrack of the year. The film didn't do too well, and hence was relegated from public memory. 'Khoya khoya' and 'Bolo na' are pure magic. Kudos to the duo for these two beauties. Sonu Nigam puts in one of his finest efforts of the year on the first of these songs. 'Sholon si' and 'Chahaton ka silsila' are also very good contributions. Solid effort.

2. Yahaan (Music Dir - Shantanu Moitra): This album is pure magic. Moitra has serious talent and I'm sure we'll hear much more of him over the next few years. He puts together some brilliant compositions on this soundtrack and extracts a fine performance from Shreya Ghosal. 'Urzu durkut' is simply sublime and so is 'Naam ada likhna'. Add to that some ethereal lyrics by Gulzar and you have a classic in the making. 'Mele chaliyan' isn't too far off the mark as well, though it tends to get a little monotonous in pieces. 'Ajmer wale' is situational and an average devotional track and is the only filler here.

1. Parineeta (Music Dir - Shantanu Moitra): This one will be remembered for a long time to come. Each and every song here is great! Moitra at it again. Original, fresh and high on melody, these songs will have you humming in an instant. I would wager that most people would vote in this soundtrack as the soundtrack of the year. 'Piyu bole' and 'Soona man ka aangan' showcase Shreya Ghosal's considerable talents. The latter has a huge Tagore influence as well and should delight lovers of the great poet's musical talents (just a thought, apologies to puritans). Sonu Nigam gets his moment of glory with 'Kasto Maza'. My favorites are, however, the classy cabaret by Sunidhi Chauhan, 'Kaisi paheli hai ye zindagani' and Chitra's beautiful, 'Raat hamari toh'. This one is a keeper and will be reference point to many budding music directors in years to come.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Tainted Love

An email from a gay friend of mine set off the thought process for this post, a while ago. Being busy hasn't helped my blog updates, so putting this down only now. Anyway, getting back to the issue...he mentioned that he had broken up with his boyfriend of three years and was now back in Calcutta for a bit to take care of some family formalities. We hadn't been in touch for quite a while and hence he wanted to know if I was in Calcutta then. I obviously wasn't and I rattled off a cursory email about how shit happens and that there were plenty more fish in the sea and the like. Having sent the email, I realised how insensitive I had been. And did it have anything to do with the fact that he was gay? Hmmm...maybe. Since he had 'come out' more than seven years ago, I had found it hard to take the guy's sexual preference seriously. Someone in our friend circle even suggested that he was doing this just to be 'cool'. At some level, I guess we even believed this theory. When he insisted, we said we were cool and agreed with him, but I guess we never thought too much about it to form a strong opinion. And it had reached a level where, when one my closest friends emails me with problems in his love life, I reply with a cliched bullshit one liner? Had any other friend of mine said the same thing, I'm not sure, but I'm inclined to believe that I would have mailed more than a one liner. 'How did it happen?', 'Why can't you write her?', 'C'mon give her another chance, one fight and you guys split!!?!' Might have said something like that to them. I always thought that I was absolutely cool with people being gay and that I treated all alike, regardless of division of colour, creed or sexual preference. But I sure didn't behave like I was! I was angry and full of self loathing. How was I, as an educated, forward thinking, progressive youth, different from the vociferous and 'closeted by religion' likes of millions in this country. Ashamed, I realised that one needed to think about how big this distance had grown. It wasn't on the surface, it was in the subconscious. I just hadn't taken my friend seriously...and if I had, I could have been more tuned in to his life and behaved in the same way as I might have with someone else. He wasn't asking me for favours, he just wanted me to be normal with him.

And this is what all homosexual people in this country are looking for. A chance to be as normal as the next guy. In a country, where we don't like discussing what we do behind closed doors, why should we discriminate against people with different bedfellows, behind those same closed doors? Lets just not discuss that as well because we don't like discussing it in anycase, right? In a country with a section 377, change is going to take time. Forget marriage, adoption of children for gay couples in India is a distant dream. I doubt if parenthood is driven by what your sexual orientation is. Changing diapers in the middle of night has got nothing to with your love life either. It has to do with something much more basic, the desire to care for and raise a child.

I for one, have had a wake up call from this personal experience. I feel sorry that I kept believing that I was 'with it' with regards to this sort of thing. I feel sorry that I let something like this, this issue of great social importance, slide into the recesses of my mind. But much more than that, I feel sorry that I got lulled into something much more elementary and important... Insensitivity towards a dear friend.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

"Crashed on the floor when I moved in,this little bunk alone with some strange new friends"

So its done. Finally moved out of Graduate Hall and into this flat in Yishun, with three other batchmates. I've never lived in a house on my own or shared one with others before so I'm enjoying the ride so far (I'm not counting living in hostels and the like). Its a 3 bedroom, hall and kitchen setup and is spacious enough for 4 people. I have my own room because of different budget constraints of my flatmates. Its a nice place and the stay so far has been pleasant. The area is quiet, calm and mainly residential. There's the amazing Yishun park next door, which is a great place to enjoy nature, jog or play whichever sport you may fancy. The greenery of the place just amazes you! With foodcourts next door and at regular intervals, we have variety in food as well. But we have cooks with enviable resumes. Ashwin is trained in continental cooking (he's a hotel management grad), Brij and KK can both cook Indian stuff like rice, varieties of dal and subzies (should have used a 'j' there perhaps). I, on the other hand cannot cook to save my life! I think the best thing to have come out any cooking initiative on my part has been an oddly shaped omelet. Of course, in such a situation one feels like a free rider. Hence I have volunteered to wash all the dishes after the all the cooking is done. Fair, methinks, ya?
We have been cooking fairly regularly, except for occasions when the maestros get back late from work. Oh, I forgot to mention that there is a VCD rental store next door so that's a huge plus.
Looking forward to this new experience. The only bummer is that I miss my ceiling fan from hostel. What's this about Singapore and HDB flats. Very few of them seem to have ceiling fans! I wonder why? So stand and table fans have been procured. But its just not the same, you know. And another thing that constantly bothers us is our neighbor's 'chirpy contraption'. Every time one passes by his door, this funny birdy thing goes off and its chirping its head off! Once or twice is fine, but everytime!!?! Tempted to yank out the wires from that thing... But will wait till I've stayed a while longer...

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Of Kishore Kumar and seven hidden gems

If I haven't mentioned it before, I am a huge KK fan. Always was and will be. He deserves a whole huge post to himself and that will come I'm sure (as soon as I can find some time!). The man could do practically everything...act, sing, produce, direct, compose and write lyrics! This led Lata Mangeshkar to call him the 'Danny Kaye' of Hindi cinema. I think Danny Kaye wasn't a patch on our man from Khandwa.
Anyway, in this one, I want to concentrate on some hidden gems in Kishoreda's repertoir. We have all heard the classics and the numerous hits. Give the following songs a listen. They didn't catch on and were not that big in terms of popularity, but were no less brilliant than the golden greats. Enjoy!

(in no particular order)

1. Aaj rona pada to samjhe (1960): From the film, 'Girlfriend', this classic showcases Kishore in a soulful and sad mood. Who says the man couldn't sing sad? Listen to him rendering the lines 'Apno ki mohabbat kya thi, Gair hona pada to samjhe...'. Hemant Kumar's music is brilliant.

2. Jaane bhi do yaar (1987): This track from the film 'Inaam Dus Hazaar' is quintessential Kishore. Back to his playful best, the man breezes through this mid tempo joyride. Though the movie was made during RD's forgettable years, 'Pancham' still gave music way beyond the capabilities of his then contemporaries. Add to that Kishore's voice and it's pure magic. Another beauty from this soundtrack is 'Chand koi hoga tumsa kahan'.

3. Bahut door hoke (1988): 'Namumkin' had a great soundtrack. And it had this gem of a solo from Kishore Kumar. The longing in the singer's voice is so palpable when he sings, 'Meri Dhadkano Mein Jane Kya Tarane, Dhime Suro Mein Gati Ho Tum, Jane Kis Jahan Se Leke Kya Sandesa, Sanson Mein Aati Jaati Ho Tum.' Hrishikesh Mukherjee could have made a better film, but the soundtrack was on par. A classic, but forgotten, love song.

4. Kabhi kabhi sapna lagta hai (1979): This duet with Asha Bhosle is sure to be catch your attention. The RD/Kishore-Asha/Gulzar team at it again. Beautiful song. Not in the 'Hazar rahein' league but pretty good just the same. The film, the Hema Malini-Girish Karnad starrer, 'Ratnadeep'.

5. Diya hai aapne bada hasin sahara (1966): This will suprise you. Very rarely has Kishore sung for OP Nayyar. You can almost tell that this song was written and composed for Rafi. A quintissential OPN number (no, it doesn't have a 'tanga tune'), but in Kishore's voice. The song is all the better for it! A bubbly Kishore does a fantastic job in this track from 'Akalmand'.

6. Waqt waqt ki baat hai (1978): This track from 'Bhola Bhala' is perhaps more accesible than most others. Kishore in a reflective mood. A great song none the less. A few 'hah hah's from KK ala 'Yeh lal rang' and 'Yeh kya hua'.

7. Main bangali chokra (1958): This delightful track from 'Raagini' has to be one Kishore and Asha Bhosle's duet high points. A love story revolving around a 'Bengali' guy and a 'Madrasi'
girl, this song captures the essence beautifully. A light, 'halka phulka' and witty song, it is sure to make you smile. Also look out for KK singing a few words in Bangla as well.

Cheers!
Abhishek.