Logically yours

My first logical question on logic to myself. "Should I be applying logic here?" Period.

Drive by Marine Drive

The clouds are shining .....

And the lights are blinding ...

नयी सड़क

ज़िंदगी के चौराहों पर,

यूं ट्रैफिक लाईट नहीं होती

होता है तो सिर्फ, हर दिशा को दर्शाता एक तीर

हम में से कुछ,

यूं ही खड़े रह जाते हैं,

तो कुछ एक तीर के सीध मॆं निकल जाते हैं

और कुछ उस रेत पर चल पड़ते हैं,

जहाँ कोई निशान नहीं होते

और फिर उन पदचिन्हों पर बनती है,

एक और नयी सड़क

यह वादा है मेरा

यह वादा है मेरा,
उन हसीन पलों से,

कुछ जो फुर्सत में बीते,
किसी के साथ की खुशबू में भीगे,
ख़ुशी के रस से सराबोर,
भँवरे की तरह जिन्हे जिया मैंने

कुछ जो धीमे गुज़रे,
कंधे पर कुछ सामान लिए,
कुछ भारी ज़ख्मों का,
अनकही खामोशियों का

कुछ जो तेज़ गुज़रे,
क्षणभंगुर सफलताओं को चूमते,
सभी को जो पीछे छोड़ गए,
कुछ हाथ जो हाथ से छूट गए

कुछ जो थम से गए,
स्तब्ध से, अनमने,
मानो एक दीवार घड़ी पर,
सुई का कांटा रुका हो

और कुछ जो जी गए,
याद रहने को पर्यंत,
किसी हंसी में,
कुछ सच हुये सपनो में

यह वादा है मेरा,
कि उनकी छाप सिमटी रहेगी,
स्मृतियों मॆं,
जिन्दगी की पाठशाला के,
हर पाठ को मैं जिंदा रखूंगा

यह वादा है मेरा,
उन हसीन पलों से...

Chak De India !

No this post is not about Sagarika Ghatge (aka Priti Sabharwal) nor is it about the wonders that the movie might do to Indian Women's Hockey. My views are about the movie per se and more importantly the reactions of the audience that I observed while watching the movie (three times for that matter). These moments which triggered some questions in my mind.

The instances that evoked strong reaction :

Instance one: Top of the moments is when India's flag is being unfurled and SRK says "Pehli baar kisi gore ko India ka jhanda fahraate huye dekh raha hoon". The theatre gets filled with claps and whistles. And it made me ask if the shadows of British Rule still lurk in our sub-consciousness. We still feel liberated by mere mentions of some such acts which may seem trivial to a logical mind but not to the millions of emotional Indian hearts. A cynical may ask if there is any significance in such a reaction while a nationalist may find more than just significance in it. I don't know if its counter mechanism or just a blip on the radar. It just rattles me in the sense that why is it that only when a light skinned man does things that we like, do we recognise our own sense of pride. Just a question ...

Instance two: Priti Sabharwal towards the end strikes that soft and yet emphatic note to Komal Chautala about proving to the proverbial "launda". Rooted by women and men alike, it put me starkly in front of a question that I personally feel strongly about. Why do women still have to "prove" it, that too to men. Though the movie does get the message through, I would be interested to see what would have been the reaction if she had dumped the guy before going into the world cup itself. I mean why do women have to prove it at all? Why can't they just believe in themselves? I know I may invite the ire of some people on this. But that's the view I hold. If at all they need to prove it, it has to be to themselves. I agree the environment we have around us, from the workplace to the sports field is no where conducive. But to give importance enough by allowing them to "give" you the credit, instead of appreciating it as given amounts to playing into their psyche itself. May sound convoluted but does hold some merit? Or doesn't it? Think.

Instance three: When the ladies walk into the dinner in Saris. Pan audience a whiff of wows. Well hats off to the director for having thought over it. Does score a point and how! But it reminded me of a note that Shashi Tharoor had written on the issue of Saris (I think it was in Times of India) and how the garment has slowly gradually been reduced/shrinked to a special occasion symbol. Working women may lynch me for the point and I do agree that perhaps it may not exactly be comfortable always, but I do feel that it has been neglected under the garb of such arguments a bit as well. I mean, how many work profiles do actually necessiate western formals esp western formals? Some may argue that salwar is also Indian garment, to them I'll just rest my case by the argument that nothing beats sari when it comes to bringing the truely feminine beauty of Indian women.

And the moments which just passed by without any reaction or an absurd one in my mind..

Vidya Sharma saying "Is paar ya us paar" in the initial moments of the movie... The players from North-East asking the pertinent question of being called guests in their own country. ..The laughter evoked by the players of Jharkhand.

All said and done its just a reminder to myself and an attempt to understand people around me. To give it the due credit, the movie helps me do that. Its a very well made movie with taut screenplay and some real good performances. One special scene that I would really commend SRK for is the last one where he shows a restrained response to the win. Against his natural demeanour its a brilliant display. And for all the stupid questions I may ask, if the movie does good to sports like Hockey, who gives a damn to these questions.

P.S: on second thoughts, any mention of the movie without Sagarika does sound incomplete, doesn't it? Well man, she IS awesome :)

Firsts ...

Sometimes unfortunate things remind us of the memories that get buried under the layers but when sifted through they fill up with a mix bag of emotions. A very close friend met with an accident and her car got damaged. Her anguish over it (being her family's first car which would have seen almost 20 years now) brought to me the memories of my first's that I no more have with me. My first cycle. My dad's cycle that I used to go to the school. My Dad's first scooter that I used to learn. My own first scooter. My first bike. My first books and my first few pens. Its actually interesting how memories keep flashing up of these little things and remind us of the times. The good and the bad. The smiles and the tears. Well to cut it short, this is to the memories. For all the learnings and all the smiles they bring.

The Good ..The Bad ..The Ugly

The Good ...

The Bad ...


The Ugly ...

And that's when the first thing you have to do is shell out 5 bucks per head as "Pollution Tax". Can we have a dust bin at least please.

Dedicated to Lonavala Municipal Corporation and to the holidaying crowd of this country.