moving on

After a conversation with Ra last week about relationships, I was pondering about the status of my few precious ones. As usual what I don't have matters more than what I have...so off went the train of thoughts about all those relationships which crumbled and could not stand still. Why is it almost IMPOSSIBLE to get over someone with whom you've had a fallout? It makes it all the more difficult if the person is of another sex, whether one has had any romantic inclinations or not...and why don't we EVER learn to value a relationship, work on it and realize it's worth while it is there? No, we have to take the hard way out. Maintaining a relationship is by no means an easy task and when it crumbles it takes with it a large chunk of you. It seeks strength from your pain and appears larger than it actually is. The demise of it, one can get over with the passage of time...but the fact that something unique has been lost always rankles! What we take from such broken shards are the throbbing memories which are flung to surface at every instance and the larger dangerous cycles of regret and remorse which lead to the inevitable question of What if? Is life complicated or do we make it so?

Also I so totally loathe everything when my computer has tantrums! It sulks and refuses to listen to me!! If the system works, the net dosent and if both of them miraculously come together on an amazing day it is attacked by Virus/spy ware. The travails of trying to send a mail!!

Another funny thing happened last week, Ash was given the Padma Shri.. for what? for giggling and being silly or because the samajwadi's supported the congress? Seriously? Ash??

To forgive or not?

Last week, Kavitha Karkare,the widow of Hemant Karkare spoke about her husband's death and how life has changed for her. In that very interview the brave lady has made one astonishing comment, that she is ready to forgive Kasab, the only terror-ist who was caught alive. With amazing poise she said that unless he is given a choice how would he change? The enormity of the statement really caught me off guard...Can that happen? Could someone charged of a crime so heinous be changed and the larger question...Can we afford to take a chance? kavita karkare's statement is a testimony of gritty demeanor and of looking beyond the obvious. To not only identify the problem but also identifying its roots and cause. How many of us have wasted time smarting from unintentional insults, wasting our energies in trying not to forget the past. I never can forgive or forget but that some one who has gone through so much can say such a thing really humbles me- petty behavior, impetuous anger and a desire to get even have dominated many a situation in my life and I cannot move on...Is forgiveness as important to the giver as to the taker? To move on and make peace with oneself? To let bygones remain bygones...Is it that easy? I don't know...but the storm raised by that statement cannot be ignored!!
on a less serious note:
Joke of the week: Adsense rejecting my blog for advertising because of objectionable content! Damn lolable!
Grouse of the week: That the enigmatic Nandita Das cannot be seen more often...in movies or otherwise...she's smart,speaks well and looks nice a la Smita Patil..but no we have horrors like Barkha Dutt and Arnab Goswami clogging airtime! Sigh!

Birthdays

Was at one of my closest friend’s Birthday party yesterday (Na’s) and had such a ball! Time flew so effortlessly that my mind buzzed with many conflicting thoughts and questions! To answer a time honored question…Should birthdays be celebrated as people grow older??…my answer, a loud and resonant YES, because as we grow older we tend be so much more cynical, much more wary of life and so painfully aware of our surroundings that any excuse to indulge oneself should be an occasion to celebrate. For many who ask- What is there to celebrate (I’ve been there), I’ll say, celebrate the fact that you can love and be loved in return, take refuge in the fact that such things steady the frantic flow of life, and celebrate for the singular reason that sharing happiness doubles its pleasure! Birthdays are the greatest of such occasions-to laugh mindlessly, to celebrate the joy of being with people you like and most importantly to act as a modicum to transport you to a place where everything is as you want it to be not necessarily how it should be. An excuse to drop propriety and to relapse and regale in rowdy company! Cranky conversations, loud laughter, an underlying fondness and respect for the time spent together (which is soooo reduced these days) made sure that the warmth of the memories will linger on reminding us of those gay abandon times where life consisted of endless lunches and insouciant mirth! Birthdays are special simply because they are such fun!!
More on Delhi 6, the music is simply fantabulous, and the surprise is that two songs are better than the magical Masakalli- Bhor Bhayi, a charming classical number by the delightful Ustad Badhe Ghulam Ali Khan and Gendha Phool a rusty song by Rekha Bharadwaj.Do check out the cheeky lyrics, sheer wordplay! Why can’t Feb 20 arrive any sooner?

The fall and fall of Ekta Kapoor

There was a time when the name Ekta Kapoor inspired dread and envy in equal measures. As the tempestuous czarina of the small screen notched up one hit after another, there seemed to be nothing the blue eyed princess of small screen cannot get away with. Turbulent tantrums, abrasive anger and an almost legendary temper, no one could cross swords with her and not face peril (read extinction from the small screen). As she ruled the smaller screen she set her sights on the bigger one- movies, which ultimately heralded her free fall. Her Bollywood ventures did not live up to the enormous hype and she eventually gave it more of her time thereby neglecting television, her bread and butter! A producer whose volatile temper was well documented and who could make or break careers with a nod of her head (She famously changed the lead actors of her serials like Kasturi and Kavyaanjali overnight apparently because of the sagging trps) finds herself in a diffident situation today. Her flagship shows have made an exit from Star and with her megalomaniacal mahabarat’s untimely demise, Ekta suddenly seems extremely vulnerable. The chinks in her armor began to appear from the time she shifted her focus to the big screen. Her unrelenting grip and complete domination over her fiefdom was compromised and other shows charged ahead. Ekta Kapoor who made coquettish vamps and unbelievable generation leaps a rage suddenly finds herself out of sync with the audience’s tastes and preferences. With only four shows on air, Balaji Telefilms is at its most vulnerable point from the time it stormed the nation’s living rooms with the rib tickling Hum Paanch. Ekta has made it to the top thanks to her unflagging spirit, gritty demeanor and never say die attitude and while no one can really write her off-time alone will tell us whether the quirky queen will stage a comeback (like many of her memorable characters) and answer her detractors or reveal her clay feet and authenticate the claims of her critics who say that she was only a flash in a pan! Over to her highness!

Discounts and dull movies!

Was at the Books and Beyond sale on Sunday. I was a sight to behold, going bonkers at the multicolored arrayed arrangement of books on display. While I was busy satiating my greed, I was also wondering about the innate quality of a being's lust for more. And nothing triggers it off in a worse manner than the word Discounts!! Be it clothes or books, things which are useful or not, and more importantly stuff one can afford or not the word singularly compels you, lures you with the seductive leer of its gaze and disarms you with its innocuous promise of more for less! It has a life of its own and can ward off any competition or protest. The insatiable quest for more has never been more in vogue! I went absolutely bonkers (obviously) and bought some amazing books. All Indian authors and all originals! Satyajit Ray and Mulk raj Anand..Can anybody ask for anything more? A discerning feature was that the books were not stacked according to the amount of discount being offered, one thing which would have made my life (and that of the staff, who were visibly agitated at my amorous glee) easier. I have one ruse though,(again obviously) Odyssey is having a sale(20%) and I can ill afford another shopping binge.sigh!
Watched Australia the same day, it would've been an amazing movie had the interval been the end. It dragged on and on relentless of the needs of the audience. It was shot really well and had its moments of glory but the length made it insufferable. Had a ball though, we managed to eat throughout that looong movie and munched and mumbled as the movie marched on Wish the length was discounted!

Trials and Trends

Why, Why is it absolutely impossible to get a diary I like? Moved heaven and hell to find a Nightingale diary, Black, Trendy No.6 but it was impossible and had to compromise and settle for a Black(Thankfully) Eagle one. All I could find were ghastly things which were either too huge, were spiral bound or too shabby looking! Believe me when I say, I searched each and every shop. People had to just put up a hoarding saying "Diaries available" and lo behold I was accosting them, even to the extent of taking mobile numbers (and bugging them incessantly) of people promising me to get the moon (read the diary I wanted!) All in all, did get to know many stores which I would NEVER have known otherwise, and in the process hit on a fabulous store (Deccan Pens) which just stocks pens and refills, a huge store which even deals with the repairs and maintenance of antique pens. It was quite something! and was huge at that! The silver lining was that I got hold of the number of a Nightingale distributor and have written it down in FIVE places plus three reminders so that I wont have to settle for anything less next year. Future planning, I surpass myself!!
Watched the promos/song of Delhi 6 and fell in love with the stunning Sonam kapoor..the song was all zest and the movie looked real promising. My sister already decided that she loved the movie...Sonam kapoor is quite a changeling, from being gawky and gangling in Saawariya, to an uber confident chick with poise.. she sure traveled great distances in a little over an year. To top it off,she even speaks really well! cant wait to catch Delhi 6 twice!!