Friday, October 29, 2010

Arts and Crafts

The end of October and most of November and December brings with it not only the delicious winter but also many cultural soirees, this year seems especially promising. Nothing really beats the thrill of snuggling into your jacket or shawl while watching an engrossing play or performance. This year I’m all the more excited because I’m meeting most of them for an interview and it’s a great learning experience. I would normally have scoffed at anybody who said this, but honestly I interviewed Trilok Gurtu the other day and learnt a hundred things I didn’t know…gossip about musicians, what goes into the making of a good biryani and more importantly how to approach classical musicians when you are about to interview them…intriguing and interesting!

Interviewed Shobhaa De and had such a great time. Been following her work for more than a decade and built up huge hype, the gratifying part was that she lived up to it and I had a fun forty minutes even when she cleverly ended the interview (which was supposed to be for 15 minutes and went on for forty) by saying smartly, the other lady from another magazine seems pissed darling! Smart, logical and witty she seemed real, much like her blog!

Dying to watch Raktha Charitra and Robo, the flip side of being choosy…you have few friends left in the same city after a while!!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Home alone

I’ve never stayed really alone, barring one month in Chennai (which was more traumatic and less therapeutic) and am technically not alone even now but there is a feeling in the past two months that is hard to forget. With my mom and life line exploring foreign shores and me off to fend for myself for the first time, it’s an allegory of first time experiences and a few nasty shocks. A new wave of something which smells like independence not overtly so but coveted enough for me to take in the change and make something out of it. Never having to make as much as tea myself, this new found status, has enabled me to both experiment and appreciate the things so oft taken for granted. Badly turned out meals and maid troubles though leaving me handicapped have had their own effect of making me wonder at the importance of invisible things. I know its coming a decade too late, but hey it’s finally here!

Interviewed Priyanka Chopra and she looks amazingly good plus talks well but the best thing about her was those luscious lips! Couldn’t even get near Ranbir Kapoor with screaming girls giving those bouncers hard time. On the other hand, two great things happened yesterday
- Watched Eat Pray love and really enjoyed it especially the Italian bit, the Indian part was overdone with everything from Elephants and arranged marriages thrown in but Julia Roberts still looks great and it was a fun watch.
- An amazing jugalbandi of Rahul Sharma and Richard Clayderman kept me and Pt spellbound for almost three hours. The enchanting quality of music and the sheer brilliance of it all was worth the distance I had to drive.