Eleven years

that's what it took Manu Sharma, the accused in Jessica Lal's case to be sentenced by the Supreme Court...eleven years in which her parents and sister waged a lonely battle and eleven years which her parents did not see to live the day, the killer who destroyed a family was finally put at bay. This story makes remarkable judgements on our Justice system, on one hand you feel that for once some one gets justice while on the other hand you feel that it's too little too late. I have followed Jessica's case closely, as closely as someone in Hyderabad can follow a case in Mumbai/Delhi, it first broke out when I was in school and when NDTV was actually a respected entity, I can almost visualise the first TV debate I saw on this case, Sabrina Lal, her father, Bina Ramani and a counsel for the killer Sharma and thinking that nothing's going to happen here, it finally has and is a victory of the tenacity of one brave brave lady, Sabrina Lal. What she must have endured I really do not dare know, but I'll say this, this has surely come at a very high cost- of personal space, individual freedom and of immense unyielding struggle!!For those who think that ends justifies means, it isnt always so.

This is for her and another remarkable lady, Neelam Katara. These are the stuff heroes are made of, our REAL icons.

The one which could'nt be

This article, I wanted to write for the mag I'm freelancing for, but my Editor brusqely said no, and for whatever it's worth....here it is

Ever got sick of seeing the same old faces romancing like robots, here's a choice of some eclectic and madly different actors who's pairing would surely burn that silver screen!!

SRK and Tabu: The mighty Khan and the magnificient begum came together for a minute in Saathiya and sizzled the screen. Just imagine them in an intense love story, the passion which SRK brings to romance and the devastating presence of Tabu...they'd teach people a thing or two about chemistry!!

Chitrangada and Aamir Khan: Yes, the stunningly beautiful Sen and the perfectionist Khan. Cast them in a rom-com and see what they do with it. Her elegaic pathos gives way to fun and perfection meets personality!! Chitrangada's electrifying presence and Aamir's sheer intensity and what they can do to the box office!!

Abhay Deol and Kareena Kapoor: This vivacious punjabi jodi can spring many a suprise. Imagine them in an absolute art movie, Kareena can emote through her eyes and Abhay Deol can smolder the screen with his craft. The kind which will have all the grace of love, lust and longing. Strong, gripping and passionate their pairing could be a revelation.

Nandita Das and Salman Khan: Salman khan with his unbridled energy, Nandita Das with her solemnity can be the stuff movie legends are made of. Imagine them in a coming of age story about lovers who lost and found love. A tamed Khan and a smiling, stunning Nandita. Simple grace meets raw energy and many a myth is shattered.

Arrgh!!

I cannot for the life of mine think of a name for this post, but here it goes!! Been rushing around like mad of late. The work has been hectic and the bloody blazing heat (at 41 degrees!!) has made life miserable, throw in traffic and you have a completely chaotic cocktail!! Been writing so much of late that I'm still in a daze.

Wanted to write about
- a meeting with an old old friend (Wy) which was memorable and the phone call which triggered it all. Old friends are so comforting- they know what is a taboo for you and what you dont like in your dosa(onions!!) A wave of nostalgia swept across me which included sunday evenings at second hand book shops and shopping for vegetables. The everydayness of life which was exciting then and now has become mundane. The small joys in big things which was a big deal and are currently taken for granted and that heady feeling that relationships might be hidden under a mass of feelings but cannot become extinct just like that!!

- meeting Boman Irani/Minnisha Lamba. The latter was all charm and the former surprisingly grounded. Boman Irani is amazingly patient and affable, and really really sharp which made it all the more fun!

- the grief of a dearly beloved cousin mourning an irreparable loss which has shaken all of us. Life can be so cruel at times that it can take your breath away and it did. That relationships are merely a part of life and not life itself, that a cliche like life carries on come whatever can actually be true and tear you apart.

- LSD and how path breaking it really is!!

- friends who are so wonderful that you thank god that you get to choose them!!

Done!!

No reservations

This entire hullabaloo on the Women's reservations bill is so amusing! Leave the fact that it is a shameless diversion from the glaring issue of price rise, but the sheer posturing of people is so hilarious. What's the guarantee that our desperate politico's wont do a Laloo and put a Rabri who is no more than a Rubber stamp. I'm personally against reservations of any kind, I do agree that the weaker sections need more personal care but am dead against caste/gender reservations. It is really important to know that all SC/ST's are not backward, most are but putting all of them under one category means that a well off SC is scoring over a poor OC!! If they need to be reservations let them be for the actual weaker section- they may be of any creed/caste/sex. Similarly, it should be noted that women in our Country are not powerless and this is a sop, a mere political soap opera out of which nothing substantial will ever reach that wretched women worker in Kanjeevaram or a fisherwoman in the suburbs of Bombay. The need of the hour is more representation not mere symbolism!

Interviewed the amazing Nasreen Kabir, last week and had such a ball. She documented the lives of Lata Mangeshkar, Guru Dutt and SRK and the stories she told! We were supposed to meet for 10 min and ended up chatting for two hours! No airs, no hang ups (Hear hear- konkona/ Mughda Godse) inspite of the enormous clout she has in Bollywood- that of being an expert on it!!

Rahul Mahajan marries- I give it six months tops!!

I'm in love

with some fabulous advertisements on air these days. My favorite is the Dairy Milk Silk ad with a classical dancer. It is what advertising should actually be- no big star and no fuss, it tells you simply and succintly why you should buy a product- merely for your pleasure!! (Though Na later tells me that this product is not all that great) I love Dairy Milk ads, they are classy to the core.(Some!!) Another one is the Cola Ad with Kalki/ Imran Khan. what I am amazed at is the amazing chemistry they share, like SRK and Tabu!! They dont utter one single word but sizzle the ad with their presence. Just like Katrina who looks absolutely alluring in the new Slice advert, in a boat. She simply looks sexy, much like the aamsutra she is promoting! Slick and Sensational, they are simple reminders that all you need is a little presence of mind in marketing yourself, not oodles of cash!

I interviewed Konkona Sen today and all I'll say is that it was disappointing! I really like her work so will not criticise her but it was not what I expected! One good thing was that I got to interview the wonderful Vinay Pathak(who for me will always be Winnie Sir in Hip Hip Hurray)who was really entertaining. Articulate and witty, he even conveyed regards to my sister because I said that we were great fans of his!

I really am clueless as to why Colors and Max want to kill Hindi speaking people by subjecting them to a torture of dubbed Telugu movies!!

The best thing

about being a presswallah is the food you can sample for free! I just returned from a meal at a ferociously fabulous place called Excess and my dining experience there has soothed a horrid week where everything went beyond wrong! Now, I'm a very conventional eater, but at this place I actually had broccoli with stuffed cheese and guess...gulab jamuns in dal makhni with a papad stew!...it was amazing...for dessert I had an ice cream sandwich with biscotti and raspberry sauce, it was actually an ice cream slab in the midst of a specially made bread and it singlehandedly made the 30kms drive worthwhile!! The ambience, the live music and the gorgeous PR who was asking me eat, eat and eat...sigh!! For once I was glad to do a food review!!This place will cost you the Earth, but boy it will definitely be worthy of it!

The save the Tiger campaign is really great but I wonder if it isnt misplaced. The people who need to be educated are the idiots in Government and forest officials who turn a blind eye to poaching and pass ludicrous rules like building a highway in Panna Reserve or Nilgiris (the former is the last remaining habitat of the big cat)They are your target audience, but still a campaign has been launched and something is being done but I think it's too little, hope it's not too late. The saddest part is that we never value ourselves, let alone our National Animal. Look at the way China protects its Panda's or Australia its Koala's but we couldnt give a damn!

Watch Ishqiya, for once it dosent disappoint!!

mile sur....mismatch!

I was eagerly awaiting the release of Mile sur mera tumhara...it turned out to a colossal disappointment! The Bollywoodisation of something equivalent to the National Song was shoddy and plain stupid. Also, WHERE the hell was our biggest sporting Icon, Sachin? Or Saurav or Vishwanathan Anand or Karnam Malleshwari??
Shahid Kapoor over Somdev Devvarman, seriously? And the cursory appearance by sporting heroes at the fag end was pitiful. And what about our Software Sector which single handedly increased our GDP. They couldnt find one representative? Atleast Karambir Kang.... Yet there were some sparks of brilliance. Salman Khan with his sign language and Shobhana/Shaimak surely did light up the screen but such sheer waste!! I would dearly like to know how Rohit Bal and Karan Johar made it!!

I was estatic though, that the Padma Awards were atleast better (barring Saif)and was glad that the inimitable Illayaraja won (who strictly is the best South Indian musician since the 60's, Rehman his former pupil will always remain a distant second!) But I hope the Bharat Ratna will be awarded this time around.

Rahul Mahajan's Swayamwar starts and am swearing off tv!!