All reality is not lost!

Its quite hard for me to actually sit in front of the television for long. The constant commercial breaks make it hard to fix interest in any program. But every now and then when I have nothing better to do, I do sit staring at the TV in the hope of finding something interesting to watch. I wouldn’t make any fans when I say that I sometimes do watch reality shows. I have myself criticized the reality shows running nowadays because they are so overly melodramatic and manipulate the viewers’ emotions to gain higher TRPs. Channels have managed to make reality shows just out of everything. Right from the simple concept of singing competitions to marriages! Rahul Mahajan comes on TV saying, “I am the first guy for whom a bride will be chosen by whole of India!!” Lolzz! How can shows like these be tolerated?

But I must admit, maybe for the first time I felt that the emotions shown on such shows can be real. I happened to watch a show called Dance India Dance on Zee TV. It is quite the usual show in which talented dancers compete with each other week after week to stay in contention to become the king/queen of dance. Most of the time, participants get emotional after their performance and speak about their family. These moments are showcased in such a filmy manner that you feel as if they are artificially induced. However, this Saturday when I happened to watch one of the episodes, I was actually moved by the heart felt expressions of love and pride shown by a participant’s family. They were simple people who put their thoughts across in such a straightforward manner that everyone listening was moved.

Maybe it is because love of parents towards their children is so unadulterated that the reality show director did not feel the need to add any special effects or thundering music! A candid admission of a policeman father of how he was wrong to have criticized his son because of his interest in what he felt was a worthless activity, an expression of gratitude towards his wife who made amends for his mistake. Reality TV felt real! The mother actually managed to move everyone to tears when she said that being a policeman’s wife, she understood at a very early stage that it was she who had to make compromises and adjustments. She went on to narrate how she got her child back after almost all hopes of reviving the still born child were given up by the doctors. She said her son had made her proud today. The emotions were so natural that I felt moved.

Such scenes are very rare in reality shows dominated by artificiality in the form of the innocent bride Rakhi and victimized lady(?) Bobby darling! Those simple parents showed that if you are very emotional or passionate about something, you don’t need to put up a façade when you speak and you need not try too hard. If you feel very strongly about something and are honest about your thoughts, you will easily strike a chord with your audience!

Wandering into wonderland

Hello friends, I am back after an unintentionally long break. It seems my mind is not able to come up with any logical, coherent thoughts. Rather than wait any further, I thought it best to present my somewhat incoherent thoughts.

I wonder..why?

I asked myself quite a few questions, but could find answers only for a few,

For the rest, my search for an answer will continue

I wondered if I am managing my expenses well,

I decided to make a few excel templates which will have the right story to tell

I wondered why my bank balance graph has taken a big dip,

I realized that over my expenses, I have starting losing the grip

I wondered why in spite of all this spending, my lifestyle remained the same mostly

I realized that just the maintenance of an existing lifestyle itself has become costly

I wonder wherewould I be in the coming years? But I don’t think the answer is anywhere near

I wonder where I want to be next year…but the answer is still unclear

I wonder if I have taken control of life or life has taken control of me!

At present I feel it is more of the latter,

Unless I wake up and start making the moves that matter

I wonder why I feel as thought I am staring into a deep black hole,

I realize that staying indoors for three days of the long weekend has taken its toll!

There are a few lessons that I learnt from this self introspective exercise. But the most important lesson was that, staying alone at home for longer periods can be injurious to my mental balance! Going to office after the long weekend seems to be a welcome change. At least I get to escape the difficult questions that my idle mind seems to come up with.

In order to avoid any further attempts at self introspection, I have decided to keep myself out of home during the next weekend.

PS:

I also start to wonder why I have this compulsive need to write lines that rhyme,

I just hope, this habit will soon die with time!!

A genius who needs a little more from lady luck

An Ode for the ODI God

India lost today, but it doesn’t matter

Sachin is still the greatest batter

Talking about he not being a match winner,

I feel like a sinner

There is something called fate

Which even the batting God could not negate

Watching today, his yet another masterly ton

I pray to God, he plays for the country season on season

I was talking to a friend about quite a few common things between the people from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (Northies, all of them are not Madrasis!!). They share the same passion for movies, hero worship, politics etc etc. Today there is one more commonality added. Chennai and Hyderabad witnessed one of Sachin’s greatest innings ever in tests and ODIs respectively but unfortunately in both cases India lost.

It was almost the perfect innings. He not only perfectly planned his innings, but also India’s run chase. Taking the power-play at the last was a master stroke. Everything looked so easy and the plot was so well planned by the little master. The story went awry in the last 15 mins, but take away nothing from the great guy. I am sure he has got lot more in him.

Hope he gets to set the match winning debate to rest, sooner than later!

PS: Can some one teach Ravindra Jadeja the art of not getting excited at the prospect of running a tight single? Maybe VVS or Dada can teach him a thing or two about it, after all they were the masters at it!!

Home and Away

A theory in cricket says that playing at home gives you the edge, the advantage over your opponents because you know the conditions better, the crowd is with you and maybe conditions have been tailor made to suit you. But it does not necessarily mean that you are better than your opponents. Its only when you are tested out of your comfort zone and you succeed that you can be considered a great team. So if you want to have the edge and prove you are actually better than your opponents win away from home!

This is pretty much true for every single person. Being at home can make you complacent, very often laid back and lazy to the extent that you take things for granted. Away from home a person learns things big and small, trivial and important not because someone is telling him/her to but because it is a necessity.

Move outside the confines of home if you want to see world from a different perspective, meet different people, compete with a bigger crowd, have life changing experiences and to grow as a person.

I happened to hear what Mr. Raj Thackeray had to say in his interview to Arnab Goswami. One of the issues he highlighted was the influx of “outside” people into Maharashtra and particularly Mumbai. He says that they are taking away the jobs of the locals and hence the need of an agitation. This is the theory that is being propounded by many leaders at the state level to justify their actions. Yes there is the possibility of local jobs going to "outsiders" but the point here is, if the locals are competent enough, why would “outsiders” be needed? The theory “being at home breeds complacency” holds very much true. Otherwise how will you explain the fact that, in God’s own country, in the name of being idealistic, locals have ridiculous attitudes breeding total inefficiency, but the same people move outside and become very efficient and enterprising? Basically idealists in their own backyards come face to face with practicalities and become wiser. Maybe the local mulgas and mulgis need to get a dose of reality. Leaders with selfish agendas often mislead the youth to take up cudgels against a devil they call "the outsider" but seldom bring forth the reality that the devil might lie within.

If any political leader really wants the youth in his state to progress, he would not mind the competition, because only with competition will the youth strive to be better and constructively contribute to the state and nation. In fact he should tell the youth to take a cue from the “outsiders” and search for greener pastures away from home. Whenever they want to come back home, the state will welcome them with both hands.

The leader needs to find out whether he wants to create tigers at home and losers outside.
He definitely should have a broader view of life. Maybe a stint outside his own state can do wonders for him. Now maybe I am taking this theory too far!

Do write in your comments

Reel Inspirations

There are good movies and there are great movies....

The movie Kaminey rocked. Fahid was great and Priyanka very very Fexy. Thanks to the movie, words do not found the fame any more!

Last weekend I also had the good fortune of watching the new God of Indian cinema– Q.G. Murugan! Watching him fight the bullets and the coconut bombs (yes can u believe it?) was an awefome experience. Rajini, SRK, Shahid Kapur..move over. Even "Smart ass Himeass" will feel insecure now. Quick Gun Murugan is here – I SAY!. Those belt buckles and cracking of the knuckles..Waah Waah!

With inspirations drawn from these movies, I reflect upon some recent happenings

Kya Fach itna kadva hota hai?
Editorials going bonkers over Sach ka Saamna. I saw atleast 2 editorials by each writer on the topic. Does this kadva Truth deserve Judva write ups?

Aife Aife Kaife Kaife?! ?
Party bhadki,
Advaniji ki baayi aankh phadki,
Jaswant Singh, his book and freedom of speech were thrown out of the khidki!

To the veteran, A farewell song was sung
Only then did rest the Sangh

Guddu..yeh duniya kameeni hai!
US immigration officer: Your name Sir
FRK–Hhhey I am Fhahrukh - Naam to suna hoga!

The officer was not too impressed and asked him to step aside.
Devdas: I I I I I… Object
After two hours of detention and questioning…
Officer: Aye, tum bore to nahi ho rahe na?
FRK: Bore to nahi par mera aff fore ho raha hai!!

Finally FRK was relieved of the ordeal and while leaving the airport
Officer (sings): Kabhi Alvidaa Naa Kehna!

Thanks to his outburst over this incident, FRK saw his brand equity falling quite a few notches. His response when compared to the composure and humility shown by our honorable Ex President made things worse for the Brad Pitt of India/ Tom Cruise of India! There is only one piece of advice for the angry FRK – “Badi Badi deshon mein choti choti baatein hoti rehti hain”.

Here are some happenings which made me say, it made my day Macha!

Quick Gun Fisicella
Its champagne time for Force India which won its first points and also a place on the podium.
Mr. Mallya, time to get some more fexy cheerleaders on board :)


Lighting ka jawaab – 250 Volt current I SAY!
Team India is supposedly the worst team in Asia! But don’t worry about reputations here. We defeated Syria, the No.3 team to win the Nehru Cup.
The Indian football team deserves a word of appreciation. Kudos!

Signing off with a quote which could have fetched me 10 on 10 in board exams. I just wish I had heard this quote then! Here it goes.. Yenjaay

“Karambhoomi-mera aangan, Terrace Mera-ye Neel Gagan, Ye poora duniya- mera Wadan. My name is Murugun!!”. “Mind it I say”
- QG Murugan

Friends and Family

Better late than never! Belated Wishes for a happy Friendship’s day. Whatever I am today is because every friend contributed in his own small way to shape my thoughts and personality. I attribute a major part of my growth as an individual to my friends. But if the overwhelming feeling is that I have turned into a ridiculous, senseless, uninspiring personality, everyone knows whom to blame now :)

In any case, I love everyone of my dear friends who gave me company when growing up in school, who were kind enough to include me as a "kaccha limbu" in their team, ogling at girls in college (yeah I was a shy kid in school you see!), bunking classes to watch movies, competing with me in getting the least mark in college exams, studying very hard to keep off the “KT” (all the IT geeks: it is not Knowledge Transfer but a euphemism for failure in Mumbai Univ!) during Engineering, working very hard with me to become “Masters” of Business Administration!, working with me in contributing to the growth of the organization (pun not intended). I truly miss every one of them who is away.

Having celebrated Mother’s Day, Father’s day and now Friendship day, I feel we have missed out on one very important and may be most neglected day – "The Family Day". I don’t have any idea about how these “Days” originated but I feel they are centered around the concept of a nuclear family. Many of us would have missed out on the joy of being part of a joint family.

Very recently, I had visited a close friend of mine. During my stay with him he took me to his maternal Uncles’ house. That day, the sheer magnitude of people I met under one roof was amazing. It looked as if when populated by every single person in the family this place wouldn’t afford its inhabitants an inch to move. But yet there was so much space that two more could be accommodated! The house was bustling with energy, bursting into giggles with the young cousins, reverberating with the words of free advice my friend was getting from the uncles. Simply put the house was breathing. It is very much possible that members of this family would have had their differences and fights. But I suppose it is love and attachment for their family that keeps them together through the rough times.

Although the time spent with them was not much, it was enough to leave me with some very fond memories. It was a pleasure, it was a wonderful sight to see all the uncles, aunts and cousins sitting together, chatting, sharing a light banter, enjoying togetherness as one Great Indian Family. I am sure THIS HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA.

Whenever it is...I wish every one in advance - A Happy Family Day!

Relocation and Dislocation

Before I start my second one, I would like to thank those who read my first post and commented, those who read it but refrained from commenting and then I reserve my choicest words of appreciation to those who just chose to ignore it ;). My apologies to everyone (I don’t know how many) who were looking forward to read my next one. This one is delayed but not without a reason; I have not been able to get the internet connection activated in the new accommodation.

You would know that I was looking out for a new accommodation in "Good?gaon" . I had been searching in vain for 2 weeks for an accommodation. And when just last 3 days of my notice period remained and when I had almost given up my search of a good accommodation for a reasonable rent, I found to my pleasant surprise, an accommodation to my satisfaction and decided to shift on the weekend. My faith in providence just got stronger :).

As I started packing my things, the whole task looked like a piece of cake, but then soon it assumed humungous proportions. I somehow managed to get most of the things into cartons. New & old, Useful & waste things shoved into the storage spaces started tumbling out and soon I ran out of packing material. I decided to leave the packing and just put the many small things into plastic bags and get it to the new place.

By the evening I just about managed (or mismanaged) to transport and dump the things in the new place. As I sat in the house famished, I realized that I had just shifted some one kilometer away and yet, the whole exercise had left me exhausted.

I atleast had a one month’s notice to find myself a new shelter. But does everyone get this much time? Helpless people in strife torn, war ravaged areas are forced to move without any notice whatsoever! Every day might bring a possibility of packing up whatever is left of their belongings and moving to another place, another refugee camp. A place which they know would not be any better than their previous one where even getting the basic necessities might seem to be a luxury.

How hard it would have been to just abandon a place which they called their house, a place where they had dreamt of having a good life, a place where they had experienced unbounded happiness of being with their loved ones where innumerable memories, happy and sad existed in every nook and corner.

Why has life been so harsh on them? I don’t know but I am sure it is for no fault of theirs.

Is it possible that groups of people fighting against each other realize that war does not bring about any solution? When would they realize that it would just worsen the situation of those very people for whom they are supposedly fighting? Can people work in unison to end the miseries of such populace?

There are only questions but no answers at the moment. We can only hope that a time would come when every human being can have one small piece of land for himself and for which he need not go to battle with another.


PS:
One of the movies that kindled this thought in me was the Tamil movie “Kannathil Muttamittal” which so effectively depicted the situation in Sri Lanka .A song in this brings out the emotions of the masses departing from their village:
“Vidai kodu endhan naade, kadal vaasal thelikum veede, panamaram kaade, paravaigal koode..varumurai orumurai paarpomaa?…….”
Farewell my country, where the sea washes my front door, these palm groves, these birds’ nests..will I ever see them again?…..