Sunday, August 30, 2009

Nithalle

was the name of the play I went today morning with Pt. It means being jobless. In the one year that I've been working for a newsweekly this was the first time I actually went to something good. The play(in hindi) was absolutely brilliant! I went in with no expectations and came out grinning like a cat which has had it's share of milk. Humorous,smart and extremely witty it showed that all you need for a good production was a good script and the right actors. Performed in an obscure auditorium which was sadly not even half full it was a heartening satire with repartees on everything which matters from Vajpayee's knee to bofors, from Jayalaithaa to 9/11. Presented by Udaan arts it was only their third performance and I'm positive that they will reach great heights. And I can do my part and give a glowing review! yay!

It's Ramzan and the whole of Hyderabad is warped in the smells of Haleem and Iftaars. There are so many things I dont agree in Islam- from their abominable treatment of women to meaningless jihad but one walk during Ramzan in the crowded lanes of the old city really warms your heart. After the evening prayers when people break their fast I found that in every shop both the onwer and the worker share food from a single plate!Touching and humane it really warmed my heart! No credo, no distinction and no difference between human beings. I found it almost gallantly charming! Imagine a world without prejudice? That long forgotten word called "equality"

This appaling treatment of Advani really saddens me. He's the one who put you where you are...some grace? takers any?

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Wristed!

On July 5th after a long awaited and cherished trip to Chennai, I just got down at the Nampally Railway station, because of my innate stupidity/bad luck I had a nasty fall and broke my wrist. Almost seven weeks in a sling, today when the cast was removed I saw that I dont have my left hand, its just a bone! I still needs two weeks of physical therapy and frankly, I dont recognise my hand. It's shape is majestically weird and it has wrinkles! I have never realised that without a wrist your hand is useless and how bloody difficult it is to manage with a single hand! I am absolutely sick of it, but of course you cant always have everything you want, so I have no great choices other than grinning and cribbing. There are so many things which have been postponed -from shopping to holidays, from typing with both hands to driving, I really think it's buri nazar (dont scoff),honestly I know it sounds juvenile/stoopid but everyone in Chennai was raving about how I left a "secure" job to an "unsecure" career! I felt really good then but am not amused now. Sleeping is a hazard, I'm spending thousands on Auto's, cant dress up even for events,cant eat properly, cant do some things properly (smirk) and have to endure everyone's comments on how frail I am! One thing I'm grateful for is the affection shown,from family, friends to strangers who have shown with grace that kindness lurks in the most unexpected of places!

It's raining like mad here and I am enjoying every minute of it. Could'nt have been more green!

Is it me or is it a fact that SRK is the biggest whiner in modern India?

Thursday, August 13, 2009

pretty politics!

Yesterday I saw a clipping of "politician" Sangeeta Bij-lani campaining for a candidate in Moradabad. The Sad-geeta I know is the second wife of a disgraced former Indian Captain, a second rate socialite and a C-list actress, someone whose only claim to fame/notoriety till date has been a failed relationship with Salman Khan!She will now talk about Roads and good governance? I mean have reached such a lowly levels that we need such representation? Why couldnt have they have banned her along with Azhar? Policitics has become the common cauldron into which everyone dips into as and when needed. Losers like Nagma/Amisha Patel(granted thay were/are good looking) are the new Pimbo's! Sanjay Dutt made a hilarious Politico with his jhappi/puppy remarks and Jayaprada who cannot even string two proper words in Hindi represents Rampur! One more discerning factor is that every so called young MP is here only because of his/her political lineage! Someone's son/neice/great grand nephew! How can anything be possible if you do not give young people a chance, politics has become the new age-Bollywood where you need a background to succeed! And supposedly our constitution grants equality!! What's the bet that Rakhi Sawant stands for the 2014 elections?

Also, Hrithik Roshan has got to be the male-Aishwarya Rai! He's so effectively dumb that he would make Ken go green! Just check his response when a school used his name to teach kids about the letter Hr!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

growing up

When I was young, I always wanted to remain young, being the youngest of the family I thought that life couldnt be any better! I turned an year older, in the last week of last month and the day totally sucked...I was feeling morose and sullen alternately and suddenly my birthday was no cause for celebration. Feeling guilty about the mistakes I made, sore about the money I'm not making, unsure about the way I feel about myself and the worst part- old and directionless. Without any clue as to what tomorrow holds and just travelling from one port to another in a fast-sinking ship. I pined for the time when birthdays were fun, riotous, a cause celebre and a day which ideally should never end. Sadly the birthday ended and so have all the illusions with it. In the evening when I was having dinner with Pt (my yearly ritual on birthday's, the menu for the last decade has been biryani and paayasam) I tried to put things in perspective and for once look at the positive side of things/life. At 24, I can no longer make the same mistakes which I did with abandon at 18, but by the end of the day that didnt trouble me much because of the simplest reason- I dont have a choice. Life will move on relentlessly and I certainly didnt want to blog at 28, about the things which I didnt do now. Everyday brings with it a solemn ray of sunshine which lights our day the way we want to and there is so much to look forward in life- books, music, arts and most importantly people! All those wonderful people who tried to make that day so special for me, in ways only they could! Felt nice in a way after that, I felt grown up and all important!

Tell me why does Vijay Mallya need a bail out from the government?
To buy a new yatch or for next year's Kingfisher Calender?

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Idiot for audience!

My first negative review!

Evam over the past few years has been in the news for their quality of entertainment, razor sharp wit and the unique approach to make a dying art form called theatre contemporary. “An Idiot for Dinner” adapted from the French movie ‘Le Diner De Cons’ which was also the inspiration for Bheja Fry is almost-funny but falls just short of the milieu which can be called humorous. The story is simple, Sanjay Khelavkar and his friends meet every week for a dinner where they invite an idiot and ridicule them and the host with the biggest idiot wins. R.Golden Gopu, is his prize catch one particular week and how Sanjay lands into a mess created by a bad back and Gopu’s idiosyncrasies. It eventually lands a tax inspector, Hari at his place. To make matters worse his wife, Aparna leaves him and how he eventually manages to come out of the mess created by the “idiot” with the help of his friend Sameer is the crux of the play.The subtle irony witnessed in Evam’s earlier production “The Odd Couple” or the easy characterization of “Doubles, Triples and Quadruplets” or even the adept adaptation of “Five point someone” is easily missing. The jokes appear tired, the sequences seem too forced and the humor lacks vigor. What could have been a laugh riot appears a thatched quilt using silk at places and wool at the remaining ones. Smooth at places, coarse at the edges because it lacks the punch. A few sequences are truly funny but those are neither backed by a strong script nor does it offer anything new to the un-amused patrons. The jokes at most times, seem ribald and trivial. For those unfortunate seated in the uncomfortable seats of Ravindra Bharati, the night seemed distinctly sore as it wore on.