When my mind got engaged!

Fall was in its full glory and the trees were sporting vibrant colors with the sun providing the icing on the cake. It was a beautiful day that was being cherished before the harsh winter knocked on the door again. One of my friends was having a few people over for lunch where I was also invited. Most of the people were already finishing their drinks when I reached her house. While hanging my coat I saw this girl standing outside the room next to the glass door with a cellphone in her hand. I hadn’t seen her before and realized a little later that she was my friend’s fiancé’s cousin. Half and hour later I still saw her outside the glass door with the cellphone. “Looks like she is missing her boyfriend from India a lot”, I commented to my friend. She said with a mischievous chuckle, “Maybe”. The chitchatting continued and all of us started with the food. Some fishy animation movie was playing on the TV, I think it was Finding Nemo and people were glancing at the screen every now and then while talking to others. It was towards the end of my meal that I noticed that she has come inside and is sitting on the couch concentrating on the movie.

Two weeks later on a Saturday afternoon I and my friend were hanging out in the suburb where my friend, who had treated me with lunch the other day, lived. We decide to meet with her and also invite ourselves to a cup of tea. Half-way through the cup of tea the cellphone-fanatic-nemo-finding-girl appeared from somewhere and sat on the couch adjacent to mine. The conversation was light and was floating between education, institutes and career. At this point she suddenly got worked up and, as if we owed her a million bucks and were refusing to pay her back, she authoritated, “IITians are a bunch of wannabes who think they have done something great just by securing an admission to that institute. I have met enough IITians who are good for nothing. They don’t even know how to talk, how to dress or express anything … … …” I and my friend looked at each other and decided that today was not the day to reveal our alma mater. I had met many girls who had a negative opinion of IITians, but she seemed to hate them with a passion.

I don’t remember any more words in that room after this as I was lost in her passion, which made words seem unnecessary. The command in her thought and conviction in her eyes slaughtered the IITians with the confidence that comes from real experience.

While driving back home I realized that a space had been created in my brain. The space was cemented when I met her the next time and she was remorseful about the outburst, while keeping her views intact about the uunche-daam-khote-kaam IITians.

(tagged by ~nm)

Saawariya

jab koi sacche dil se kuch chahta hai to saari kayanath uski madad karti hai ... I wasn't dying to see Saawariya but it looks like this happened to me when I unexpectedly saw it on Sunday while visiting a new city 6 hours away from my home. It was definitely a different genre of movie as compared to Om Shanti Om; while the SRK starer was an entertainer using a time-tested storyline in Hindi cinema the SLB venture was an out-and-out director's movie. Each scene in Saawariya including its location, colors, dresses, and other trappings had a meaning. The dialogues were just to help in deciphering the true language of the movie. Unlike the “blank” that I had after watching Om Shanti Om (even though the movie was entertaining); I felt thoughtful walking out of the theater after Saawariya. I hadn’t read the book that the movie was based on, but I liked the story which was not what I had expected while purchasing the tickets at the box office.

… and going from the reaction of the three young ladies with me at the movies, the striptease by Ranbir Kapoor is certainly a hit. I am not sure if they liked it or disliked it but it was the talk of the group! (I am not sure if the striptease is being shown in theaters in India). My sister reminded me that Rishi Kapoor, the actor’s father, also did a striptease in his first movie. Looks like the son is trying to follow his father’s footsteps to stardom!

Om Shanti Om

Weeks of listening to dard-e-disco and deewangi-deewangi had to make an impact somewhere, and it did by making me go to the first ever first-day-first-show in my lifetime. Add to that that it was a Thursday night! I knew that this movie had a rebirth theme similar to the unforgettable karz, which remains one of my all time favorite movies (including the music that haunts even today).

The first half of Om Shanti Om was a roller coaster with thoughtful direction from Farah Khan and good performances by Shreyas Talpade and Shahrukh Khan, whose popularity made the theater clap with a roar on his first scene. The 70s setting was created very well including the songs and the humor. It was really funny to see Shahrukh act in the 70s style. The post-interval part brought to light the forte of Arjun Rampal as an actor. He was more expressive (even without any dialogue) than Shahrukh Khan in a few scenes. I was let down by the last 40 minutes mainly because of the known story. The twist in the end, however, seemed to be innovative, but my sister told me later that the climax was exactly same as in the 1958 Bimal Roy masterpiece madhumati, the first Hindi movie on the rebirth concept. Don’t I feel lucky for not having seen madhumati?

On the whole, even though Farah Khan picked up the story, concept and the screenplay to a certain extent from earlier blockbusters, the movie is a complete entertainer. A “paise wasool” movie even for those who don’t care about Shahrukh Khan. I am waiting to go to see Saawariya next.

Strength … Integrity … and Desires?

(Content Advisory: This post contains adult content, reader discretion is advised)

“I have a few questions for the final exam on Monday”, said her voice over the phone. “How about you come over to my office tomorrow at 9 and we will go over your questions”. Her voice dropped on hearing this reply and she uttered, “Can I come in tonight as I am really struggling in this course?”

It took a moment before he realized the meaning of the question. “Is this the chance that people talk about?” he thought. It had been a full 24 years, of talk, talk and more talk, but no action. He saw the final exam question paper lying on his table. His heart beat increased. She was not regular with the classes, but you don’t need a second glance to remember such heavenly bodies. He remembered the day she came to his office after the mid-term. She had actually caught him looking at her cleavage that day and said, “Don’t I deserve a credit for this” and then slowly brought her answer sheet in view. He had suddenly come to his senses and with a face like a child caught stealing cookies from kitchen he had taken the answer sheet promising to reevaluate. ... ... ... ... . His train of thoughts was suddenly broken by a rather loud voice, “Can I come in then?”

He clutched the phone tightly to stop it from slipping due to the sweat on his palms and said in a sterner tone, “I am sorry but I am busy tonight, you will have to come in tomorrow”.

“abbe ye tune kya kia?” cried his roommate after hearing about the phone conversation. “I can’t believe you did this. Is there some problem with you? Are you gay?”

He slowly walked into his room and closed the door.

“Why did I get it go”, he thought to himself. ... ... ... Click here to view rest of this post

(Content Advisory: This post contains adult content, reader discretion is advised)