A cozy, zen afternoon at the SJC Club Lounge

1:15 pm, Jan 23, 2025. 

The Club Lounge at SJC is mostly empty. I'm trying to find a perfect spot where I can charge my laptop and watch United's UEL game versus Rangers, while having access to another table to keep my food. To my pleasant surprise, my eyes land on one of the many screens and the United game is on! I settle down with a prime view, not having to worry about the logistics of streaming the game now. 

I place an order directly via the QR code, waiting for a bowl of thai curry rice, and strawberry shortcake (the only 2 veg items on the menu) to arrive. It's a pleasantly sunny afternoon, making me momentarily forget that I have to go back to a chilly Seattle where it might snow today or tomorrow. 

There's still over an hour to go for boarding, the lounge is lightly playing some classic songs from the 90s with a good mix of BSB, Madonna, J-Lo, N-Sync, and United are winning like the United of old. The cumulative effect of this musical nostalgia, mostly-empty lounge, cool breeze blowing at the perfect temperature, United winning, and not having to rush for the flight makes me find myself in a zen that I haven't experienced in several years. I'm grateful for this moment. 

The test of time!

How often do we hear a success story and get moved by it? It happens once in a while that we are spellbound by a mere story of someone who has achieved his transcendence .. and it might moisten our eyes to hear the story behind it.
Today morning, I got up and went on my Facebook.. only to read one more story of a kind. It was about Poland football team's captain Jakub Blaszczykowski and I was more than moved by it. Last night only I witnessed a terrific strike from this guy, only to wake up today morning and read something about him which made the goal a bigger treat.
This guy saw his dad stab his mom at the mere age of 11. Shocking! It's a wonder how he grew up, defied all odds and became captain of the Polish national team... scoring a much needed equalizer last night! After scoring, he dedicated the goal to his mother. Emotions ran high, and respect grew tremendously after knowing the story behind his life. It's not just about this goal.. he's already been voted the Best Polish footballer twice, in 2008 and 2010. He's won the 'Footballer of the Year' by readers of 'Sport' Magazine... and he's also won the Borussia Dortmund 'Player of the Year' in 2010. And all this... after he had literally planned to give up football... after his mom's death... only to be persuaded by his uncle Jerzy Brzeczek, ex captain of Polish national team.
It just makes me wonder about the tests time has in store for people... and only those who manage to defy all odds and run ahead of time become such special people. Take any example... and you will know of the adversities people have faced to emerge heroes. Such 'underdog facing odds to become hero' has been immortalized n number of times in our Hindi cinema.. but it's far from what these people actually go through. Cinema can capture an emotional scene from 10 feet away, but there's no lens that can capture the emotions running within the heart.
Just a salute to all such people whose lives are a constant motivation to the world. 

The Dictators around us

You've been studying History.. Sociology.. World Issues and much more. So, can you name some great dictators the world has seen? Kim Jong II of North Korea..? Or King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia? Well, they might be, but I feel there are greater dictators then the ones mentioned above. The dictators I'm talking about often dictate you the terms under which you live. They dictate you your reason for living, and your destination for future. They dictate you whether what you're wearing is right, or whom you're befriending is right?

Isn't it really strange when I tell you about all of these? It is actually strange, that we often allow people from our society, our neighbours, our distant relatives and everyone else to dictate terms to us, because approval is really important to us. Everything, right from wearing your tee-shirt to making a career decision, people influence your choice and you go with the choices which gets maximum approval.

Is it your uncle who will study engineering in college for 4 years and spend all the tough time, or you? Then why! Why did you take up engineering when YOU didn't want to do it? Is your neighbour going to the party to enjoy in your place? No! Then why do you change your clothes when he passes a comment on your clothes and laughs? Has he enjoyed your life ever? No..! Don't let him bother you.

We just have one life, and it's short enough to live it someone else's way. Don't try to be like someone else, because then what will happen about the original you? No one can be a better YOU than you yourself. So be your best, and be yourself!

Mumbai's rendezvous with the Underworld

        Bombay's had a long history and will definitely have a long future with the Underworld. Immortalized umpteen number of times in films, serials, crime journals, newspapers and novels, Bombay is undoubtedly the most interesting city in the world. The nexus between Bombay and underworld is unavoidable, for Bombay cannot stay without underworld, and the underworld thinks of Bombay as its bride.
        Bombay, I won't use Mumbai, is the most strategic city in India, or rather, one of the most strategic cities in the world. It offers the perfect advantage of being a port city. Port = Smuggling. Apart from the location, the division of Mumbai into distinct areas like harbour line suburbs and the adjacent down town is a perfect contrast. Harbour line areas like Dongri are still living in abject poverty since 1947 where as neighbouring areas like Malabar Hills command the highest residential prices in the world. Youngsters from Dongri eye plush neighbouring properties and dream of setting up a house there. The easiest way to earn a fortune is by smuggling and entering the deadly yet rewarding black world of crime. It simply begins this way, and a whole group of people follow, because peer pressure is too influential in this city.
     The police system in Bombay is the most powerful and efficient in the world they say, after Scotland Yard. In Chhota Shakeela's own words, the underworld knows that the Mumbai Police is capable of finishing them all off. Yet, is doesn't happen. The Mumbai Police officials draw a meager salary and it is not enough to support their families living in the world's third most expensive city, Bombay. Most of these police officials are on an underworld payroll and thus, crime flourishes in Bombay under the watchful eyes of the Police. Within a few hundred metres of every police chowky, there will be a thriving den of smugglers, drug dealers or a bar.
      Illegal business thrives in Bombay only because here, we accept an 'honest bribe'. In the entire world, bribe is not honest, because the one who gives doesn't tell anyone else and the one who takes never lets anyone know. In Bombay, everyone knows that everything can be obtained with a bribe. Everyone gives it, and everyone takes it. Yet, no one complains about it. There's an honesty to the bribe here. Because once taken, a police personnel will not interfere in the work of the criminal, however bad the work might be.

    And as they say, it's a MAXIMUM City!

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KslC0SXm9po

The Kings of Bollywood Music Industry

... and here comes a post again on a topic I love the most. Music.
We've had such brilliant music composers in Bollywood that it becomes rather difficult to choose which one was the best. At times, I feel Shankar Jaikishan were the best, and as a testimony to support my choice, I often state that it is them who have won the maximum number of Filmfare Awards for Best Music. But then, the sides keep on changing when I look at SD Burman, RD Burman, Kalyanji-Anandji, Viju Shah, Vishal-Shekhar, S-E-L, and so on...
RD Burman was nothing less than a Scientist. The amount of experiments he's done with music and instruments, I doubt whether even Einstein did so many with Physics. His father SD Burman was not just his father, he was actually the BAAP of music! Then I look at Kalyanji Anandji, and I think that their fast paced music, their rhythms are unparalleled. Also, no one can give a background score as effective as them. The only person who can perhaps beat them in music arrangement or background music is Kalyanji's son Viju Shah. Of course, it was Viju who also arranged most of their amazing music.
Cut To: New Generation! The 90s started, and Anu Malik largely dominated the scene. And apart from the allegations of "Garam Chai", I believe that Anu Malik is one of the most amazing musician our industry has ever seen. The amount of amazing originals he has composed is beyond imagination. He has one of the best sense of arrangement. AR Rahman has remained largely constant, except for movies like "Jhootha Hi Sahi". He's done us proud by winning the Oscar and his life is an inspiration for many, including me. His music has been different and beyond description. 90s ended too soon, and by the time I started understanding music properly, Vishal-Shekhar, S-E-L and Pritam had entered the industry. I commend Pritam for the fact that inspite of copying, he turned the original songs into brilliant pieces of music, full of life. Vishal-Shekhar started off like Rajdhani superfast, but somewhere down the line changed their track and have become too commercial off late. Break Ke Baad, I Hate Luv Stories are all examples of how even the most amazing people can go off track.
You might have noticed, I spoke about so many musicians but I missed the best of all. Jatin-Lalit. Now you might be wondering I've changed sides like I always do! But yes, Jatin-Lalit have something different to them. Their compositions remind us of RD Burman, yet they are largely original. The fact is that they are so melodious and amazing, that the only parallel we can draw is RD Burman. Their arrangement was always a step ahead than Anu Malik's (all thanks to Bablu Chakravarty, who was also the assistant arranger for RD Burman and son of Basu Chakravarty, RD's chief assistant). Let's take a closer look at their work.

Jatin-Lalit's Masterpieces

1. They started off with Yaara Dildara, which had BIN TERE SANAM! The song is still a rage, and the remixes still play in Discos across the World.
2. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander followed soon in 1992. Who can forget "Woh Sikander Hi Doston.. Kehlata Hai"? The song is an anthem for youth, in every generation!
3. Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa came in 1993, and had brilliant songs like Woh to Hai Albela, Deewana, Dil Deewana, Aye Kaash Ke Hum...!
4. The ultimate love soundtrack - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge came in 1995, and swept away all possible records! (And it's still playing at Maratha Mandir, 11:30 am!)
With Yes Boss, Pyaar to Hona Hi Tha, Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya, they created benchmark after benchmark in compositions!
Sarfarosh deserves a special mention here. The kind of mood the songs created for each sequence largely affected the movie, and the brilliant masterpiece became a notch higher. The ghazal sequence with "Hosh walon ko khabar kya", is sung even today by people across all age groups. "Zindagi Maut Naa Ban Jaaye" is every Sufi lovers choice, where has "Jo Haal Dil Ka" is the ultimate romantic scene anyone can project.
Sadly, Jatin-Lalit decided to part ways in 2006, but not before they gave their last yet best work in the form of FANAA. Chand Sifarish broke all records and set the new standards. It won the Filmfare for the best song of the year. It had "Mere Haath Mein" too, with amazing performance by Sonu Niigaam and Sunidhi Chauhan.
All in all, I simply would sum it up in a couple of words. Jatin-Lalit are the best..

Spirit of Mumbai = Cliche?

Not even a week has passed since the triple blasts that rocked Mumbai on 13th July took place, and we already seem to have forgotten it. Every year, a series of blasts take place in Mumbai, and within a couple of hours, we find ourselves out of it and back to our routine lives. I want to ask you all one thing - do you think owing to the frequent blasts and using the term 'Spirit of Mumbai' too often, it'll become a cliche?
I think so. Because I know it will. The Spirit of Mumbai will no more remain what it actually stands for. It will be one more of those "I can't live without you Tina" which every predictable Bollywood romantic movie has towards its climax. And yes, the SPIRIT of Mumbai stands for something really important and close to every resident of this city, the world's best city.
Guys, it is all up to us now. Either we should do whatever we can do in our capacity to make our city 'unbreakable' or else let the blasts continue every year, thus making the 'Spirit of Mumbai' a cliched term in a couple of years to come.

Test Run!

Why does a charge disrupt the varying mystic?

Life Ain't Happening

Well, don't take the title too seriously thinking I've written it for my own life! I've a nice life, nice set of people, nice work which I love doing. Everything's nice. But still, there's something missing. Watching The Social Network the other day again after reading its screenplay made me realize what's missing in my life. Further, one of the books I'm presently reading, 'Maximum City' by Suketu Mehta made me introspect and that is why I came up with this thought which I'm penning down. Rather, typing down.
The life in the world's largest cities like Bombay survives on SCAM. A man who has made money by doing SCAMS is more respected than the one who has earned it doing hard work. Anybody can sit and do hard work, but SCAM represents an image that the person is too quick and has a good business mind! What's to admire about hard earned cash? But a well executed scam? Now, that's a thing of beauty! A couple of the lines above are taken by Maximum City, and this is the place from where I'll start drawing parallels.

Just watch Social Network. It's one of the most amazingly written movies. Rather, it's all reality cinema. It's based on a real story. Now, don't you wish your life was that happening that it could be turned into cinema. And that too, not any crap cinema. Something which goes to the OSCARS! Don't you? Here, THE Mark Zuckerberg wasn't technically involved in a SCAM of sorts, but yes, it's true that he did intellectual property theft from the Winklevoss brothers. Just that he had a better idea than theirs. But the base idea was the same. It eventually was termed as a SCAM. An intellectual property theft which made Mark the youngest billionaire in the world.
One of my all time favourites, Catch Me if You Can, is too based on a real life incident. I wish my life was such a roller-coaster ride! Damn. But unfortunately I'm not so gutsy as my dad.

I'm more like my mom. I'll only speak for what's right. I won't enter the wrong side. My dad, on the other hand, has done things at such an age where people were busy learning math and science. My dad already had the concepts clear in his head. My dad gave his class 12 boards without studying. He knew well he'd fail. Or wait... he knew too well that he'd pass. A quick mind, daring, will power, and luck - all in his favour. He did the unthinkable. He went to the headquarters of the Rajasthan Education Board, and changed his class 12 answer sheets when they were about to be dispatched to respective districts for correction. Now, how he did it, I ain't gonna tell. It was amazing. He's done loads of 'Catch me If You Can' in his life, of course only before my brother and me were born. Then he became the responsible husband and doting dad.

My point is, now if I think about turning my dad's life into a movie, it will be no less than Catch Me... or be parallel to the quick mind of Mark Zuckerberg. But regret is that I'll never have such a life. I'm 19 already and besides, it's too late to do something exciting, thrilling, roller-coaster! But wait, I think I should....

Anu Malik - GENIUS!

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Anu Malik and his 'copied' music ever since the time I've been in my senses. I'd like to ask the media, and the people who make fun of him.... "Have you ALWAYS done original work?"
If the answer to your question is "NO", then you have absolutely no rights to make fun of him.
A great movie such as Sholay was made by combining several movies... "7 Samurai", "Mera Gaon Mera Desh", "Khottey Sikkey". But Sholay has been given a legendary status, just because people aren't aware of the fact. I do not deny that Sholay was a great movie (It's my personal favourite of all time) but what I'd just like to say is, copy is copy! Whether complete rip off, or just an interlude.

No one has ever looked at the brighter side of this musical genius. Being a musician myself, I can say that Anu Malik is probably one of the greatest composer India has ever seen. People are not aware of his 1990's work, and thus, they're behind the "Garam Chai ki Pyali" and "Oonchi hai building".

Let me point out to you, some of his all time greats (all of which are ORIGINALS)
1. Phir Teri Kahaani Yaad Aayi (1993)
2. Baazigar (1993)
3. Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994)
4. Imtihaan (1995, had the most amazing songs ever)
5. Akele Hum Akele Tum (except the interlude for one of the songs and the title track, it had amazing originals)
6. Viraasat (1997) [Who can forget Taare Hain Baraati]
7. Border (1997) [Sandese Aate Hain was a RAGE]
8. Kareeb (1998)
9. Duplicate (1998) [Ek shararat hone ko hai!]
10. Soldier (1998) [Except the title track]
11. Sooryavansham (1999) [Dil Mere Tu Deewana Hai]
12. Baadshah! (1999) [Woh Ladki Jo Sabse Alag Hai... what a GEM]
13. Josh (2000) [One of the best overall soundtracks. "Zinda Hai Hum To..", "Apun Bola"]
14. Refugee (2000) - Who can forget Panchi Nadiyaan...? If you did... God Bless You!
15. Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai (2001) [Sonu Niigaam became a star with "Is Pyaar ko main kya naam doon"]
16. Asoka The Great (2001) [Amazing singing by Alka Yagnik in San Sanan...]
17. Ajnabee (2001) [Meri Zindagi mein.. Ajnabee ka intazaar hai]
18. Filhaal (2001)
19. Main Hoon Naa (2004) [Tumse Milke Dilka.. the beats were a craze at that time, Tumhe Jo Maine Dekha.. the trumpet interludes rocked big time]


Ladies and Gentlemen, you might have noticed that the list I've mentioned above is of complete movies, and not just single songs. There are a very few composers who've genuinely done this amount of excellent work. Soothing music. Refreshing music. Catchy Music. Trendy Music. Classical Music. Anu Malik.

So next time when you point a finger at him, remember this post.

The state of Pakistan.. and the state of Pakistan...

What I mean to convey from the title is, I'd like to speak about the 'state' [country] known as Pakistan.. and the 'state' in which Pakistan has been living ever since its formation....

I feel, we've highly misunderstood the local public there since years. People say, if they want friendship from us, they should revolt. I know if they all start a revolution, they can overthrow the military rule, but the people there fear everything now. It is not easy for them. Whoever have tried to raise their voice against the Dictators have been killed.

A beautiful song by Pak based band Junoon describes the state of things there beautifully. Junoon is perhaps the first Pak band to get international recognition.



Sayonee [soul mate]
Chein ek pal nahi [there isn't a single moment of peace]
Aur koi hal nahi [and there is no solution to this]
Sayonee [soul mate]

Kaun more muhar [who will take the reins]
Koi sanval nahi [there is no leader among us]
Sayonee [soul mate]

Kya bashar ke bisat [what is the guarantee of life]
Aaj hai kal nahi [today it is, tomorrow it is gone]
Sayonee [soul mate]

Chor meri khata [forget my mistake]
Tu to pagal nahi [you are not insane]
Sayonee [soul mate]

Pick Up Lines...

I've been reading the last two pages of Mumbai Mirror since years now. It has a particular section titled, 'Line Maaro', which features pick up lines which supposedly boys can use if they want to strike a conversation with a girl, or if they want to impress her!
I find it really weird! I almost laugh when I read such cheesy lines. Do the publishers and editors think someone will seriously use those lines to impress someone?

Some of the worst ones I remember are...

1. Is your father a terrorist? Cause you're a Bomb!
2. You look like my 2nd Wife! Girl: How many do you have? Guy: 1!
3. Are you lost? Girl: Why? Guy: Coz heaven's a long way from here.
4. Guy: Can I have a coin? Girl: Yes, but why? Guy: Cause I wanna call my mum and tell her that I found the girl of my dreams.
5. Is your dad the owner of Cadbury? You're too sweet.
6. How was heaven when you left it?
7. Is there an airport near by or is that my heart taking off?
8. So, how does it feel to be the prettiest girl in this room?
9. Would you touch me, so that I can tell my friends that I've been touched by an Angel?
10. Are you religious? Cause you're the answer to all my prayers! [What the hell! Doesn't even make sense!]


The above list is my Top 10 List of WORST Pick Up Lines Ever! :P

Beera..... Mora Piya!

Heard two excellent tracks after long!!
The first one from the movie Raavan... by none other than Music Maestro A.R RAHMAN! I bow to him! It is typical Rahman-Mani Ratnam combo... and it's a deadly combo! I loved the rhythm of Beera. The chords are wonderful.. the music arrangement is fantastic! A tribal feel with a touch of accompaniment when the chords change, in the background, is worth listening to over and over again...

The second track is from the movie Rajneeti. It's Mora Piya. Well, the best part about this track is that when I heard it for the first time, I was sitting in a different room, while the song was being played in the Hall. In an instant, the DRUM ROLL in the first line of the song caught my attention. I was sure, none other than a Drum expert could do this. I was right! The composer of the song is Aadesh Srivastava, one of the greatest drummers ever born! What a classical piece of vocal music combined with Baap beats!

I'm in love with both the songs! Finally, two good songs.. after a LONGGGG time!

The Best of Murphy's!

My favourite Murphy's laws.. and also the ones which are most common in real life...

Being a student... I think, I'll start with the school laws first...

1. The clock in the instructor's room will be wrong.

2. The time a teacher takes in explaining is inversely proportional to the information retained by students. [Psychology lectures... Amrita Ma'am!]

3. New students come from schools that do not teach anything.

4. Clocks will run more quickly during free time.

5. If the course you wanted most has room for "n" students, you will be the "n+1" to apply.

6. At the end of the semester you will recall having enrolled in a course at the beginning of the semester--and never attending. [Computer in Sem 1!]

7. Pocket calculator batteries that have lasted all semester will fail during the math final.

8. No matter how much you study for a test you will be asked a question that you don't know.

9. Notes written in class are hieroglyphics at home

10. If you study hard for that important examination, the setters will decide to change the focus of the exam to one that is 'thinking-based' and 'analytical'.
Corollary: If you memorized information, it will be useless.

11. If you don't study for that important examination, the paper will be content-based.
Corollary: If you don't study, every question will appear to be something you remember reading on your textbooks from a month ago, hence will appear (deceptively of course) easy, although you will not recall the exact phrasing of an answer.

12. When you have worked out something intelligently, your classmates would have worked it out before you and in a better way


LOVE LAWS: Some of the cool ones...

1. If you think a girl is beautiful, her boyfriend will always be there to confirm it.

2. Brains x Beauty x Availability = Constant.
This constant is always zero.

3. All the good ones are always taken!
Corollary: If the person isn't taken, there's a reason.

4. The amount of love someone feels for you is inversely proportional to how much you love them.

5. Love your neighbour, but don't get caught.

6. Love makes believers of us all.
Translation: Love obscures common sense.

7. The uglier the girl the closer she lives.

8. If you are interested in someone, a close friend will grab their attention.
This is especially likely if they:
A.) Don't want the attention of said person and/or
B.) Are already dating someone else

9. Any person you fall for and see that isn't alone, will be accompanied by a person of the opposite sex who doesn't deserve to be with them.

10. If a girl tell you "let's stay friends", she won't call ever again. If you call, she won't answer.

Social Networking destroyed social networking, humanity!

The title of the post is confusing, and may not make any sense to you right now. What I want to say here is that Social Networking websites have destroyed social networking completely... One more hypothesis I would like to club along with this is... what happens when we challenge the Supreme!?

A few months back, my dad was telling me that no one can challenge the natural creations of God. If we try to do so, we pave a path that leads to our own destruction. Well, I noticed, it is true.

Man cannot control time. It is a natural phenomena created by the Supreme himself. Whenever people have tried visiting places that contain proof on the remains of Ramayan and Mahabharat, often, people have died during the journey. A Google search will tell you many such cases. There are more such cases... where in people who have tried to challenge the Supreme and find out his secrets have had a tragic end. A little known movie, Naksha (Vivek Oberoi, Sunny Deol), inspired from real life incidents and Mahabharat, has tackled the same issue.

Same is the case with Social networking. Man tried to challenge God by creating a parallel Life... a Virtual life where everything would exist just as it does in a real life. Initially, it was fine. But as it started getting more and more popular, people have now started spending their lives on Social Networking websites. People don't have time for their favourite hobbies since they are hooked to Facebook. They don't want to sleep just because they want to catch the latest Tweets. People don't want to go out and meet their friends because they want to increase their Scrap Count on Orkut! Slowly and steadily, God is now ensuring that people themselves destroy their own lives by the VERY use of the parallel world they created.

So when will we have time to actually socialize, when we're hooked on to these websites?


Friends have started complaining these days that you don't have time for them... even Parents say the same. The reason? Social Networking Sites!

A few days back, a Facebook application released a list of my Top 10 friends... None of the ones in the top 10 were actually my good friends! A few of my closest friends commented on that post... "Aajkal doosre dost aa gaye... humara naam nahi list mein!"
Was that my fault!? It was the crap application's pseudo-intellectually designed Algorithm that led to this!

Such instances hamper real social networking.

And why do we challenge God anyway!? We're mortals.. he's the one who is immortal!

T20 World Cup 2010 - Afghanistan's debut...

T20 World Cup started again yesterday, and the surprising thing this time is... no no, SRK is not present again this time at the World Cup! It is that the last T20 World Cup happened just last year, and within a year, another T20 World Cup is taking place, as opposed to the regular system of having World Cup once in every 4 years.

The highlight of this World Cup, at least for me is Afghanistan. Today it played its first match, and that too, against India! What delighted me the most was the fact that the players had been picked up from the refugee camps in Afghanistan by Pakistan born coach Kabir Khan, who has groomed them into professional cricketers.

And it does not end here, Afghanistan deservedly qualified for the World Cup by beating teams such as Ireland and UAE. I know, if you consider it from an Indian perspective, beating Ireland and UAE is hardly an issue, but well, consider this scenario: A team which has never played a cricket match comes and beats 2 teams which have been playing since over almost 20 years now. [Ireland 17, and UAE 21!]

In its first match in the World Cup T20 2010 today, against India, Afghanistan put up a respectable 115 on the score board, and played for whole 20 overs. Even though they lost, they took 3 wickets. It boosted their morale I think, and that is what matters for them, who come from a country where a person is not even sure whether he will live for a day or more. They are the only hope for reforming a war torn country.

I hope they make something out of this.

God bless them.

An E.P

So exams got over finally, and results are out as well. I'm successfully in the second year of B.M.M now, with the tag of distinction etched next to my name on the report card. The year had its moments, and my music and lyric writing got a new platform altogether... a new level and with a few people serving as my inspiration to record new songs, I finally planned on the last day of exams that I will compose a few songs and by the end of vacations, I will hopefully release an E.P [Extended Play, a disc which contains more than one song, but is too short to qualify as an LP - a long play]

I started a bit too late, i.e. on April 15th, but I've finished composing two songs... Let's see how I arrange them and record them. But by June 1st week, I plan to be ready with 4-6 songs!
An E.P titled... well... I've not yet thought of the title.. :P
But I need to think about it!
:P

How about calling it... Test Run, considering that it's my first tape.. and I'll be testing how does it fare! :P Sad name... But... It's all about Marketing maaannn!!

2010... no new posts...

It's been long since I've not added a post to my blog...
Well, I realized that the reason for this is FaceBook. I've been putting all my notes and every little bit of information on that crap social networking site, and it is consuming a bit too much of my time, instead of putting it up here.

Today, I understood, half of the people comment randomly on my poems, notes and lyrics even without reading them.
I'll post everything I want to post, here, on this blog!

A to Z of Bollywood!

Well, some time back, Aashish and I came up with our thesis on Bollywood! Right from 1970's retro cinema to 1990s' typically cliched Govinda-Kumar Gaurav-Vivek Mushran cinema! Read and enjoy!


1. PLOTS: 90% of the Bollywood movies are based on the following plots!

(i) Jaya and Raj are childhood friends. When they grow up, their friendship transforms into love. But their parents oppose their love. Will they stand up against everyone and the society?


(ii) Pooja, Rajat and Ramesh are best friends. Ramesh loves Pooja but Pooja loves Rajat. Rajat comes to know about Ramesh's love for Pooja. Will Rajat sacrifice his love for Ramesh??

(iii) Raj Singh and Jai Singh are FIERCE ENEMIES. Their children meet in college and start liking each other. They decide to marry against their family's wishes!

(iv) Two brothers grow up on the opposite side of law. The law-breaker, however, will suddenly turn over a new leaf before the end, bash up the villain (who is the *real* bad guy), and be pardoned for all his sins before the last-scene family reunion



We have also noted that there are some typical names given to certain characters in almost every Bollywood movie of the 90s

The Businessman group

Mr. Singhania: He is usually the biggest and most influential businessman in the movie, usually who funds crime under the table, and NONE of the police force realises till the end that he is a villain.

Chopra saab: He is the next level of businessman after Mr Singhania. A friend and usually a lesser business partner of Singhania, and the heroines father.

NOW, CHOPRA AND SINGHANIA HAVE 3 FRIENDS (no less, no more, yes its true)

1)Comissioner Roy: he is the head of police and a VERY good friend of Chopra and/or Singhania. Depending on the situation, he is either corrupt to the core or a true patriotic policeman who doesnt know of Singhania's plan. He is usually flanked by constables Pandey and Gaonkar.

2) Dr. Majumdar: He is usually Chopras friend. He is included in the movie only because there is always an accident in which his expert advice and presence is needed. He is a true friend, and is NEVER aware of the plot of the villains. He is a kind, old balding person (you get the picture), who cares for the heroine deeply.

3)Lawyer Tyrewala/Patel: Usually a friend of Singhania exclusively. And here is the freaky part: If he is Tyrewala, he is honest, but if he is Patel, he advises Singhania on all that is evil and unseen. He also fights Singhania's case in the inevitable court scene and always wins! His motto is always "main jhooth ko sach, aur sach ko jhooth mein badal sakta hoon".

The Hero's group

The Hero: His name is ALWAYS something Kapoor or something Bhatia. Usually it is Raj, Rahul or Prem. He is the perfect human being, no flaw at all,and usually hails from a poor and opressed family, who is wronged by Singhania, as his dead father either worked for Singhania and found out a bit too much about him, or was Singhania's friend who was no longer useful to the businessman.

Hero's Sister: She usually gets kidnapped, or implicated in some other way, so as to demoralize the hero. The open criminals play a huge part in her distress, with Singhania helping only a bit. Her name is usually Tina, Meena or Sheetal.

Hero's Childhood friend: Depending on the hero's name, it can also be Raj, Rahul, but its usually 'lesser' names like Rajiv, Rajat, Vivek, Ganesh, Narendra or Rajeev. His part is only to blindly stay by the hero's side.

Hero's Informant: He may be a paanwalla, small-time crook-turned-good, beggar, or whatever, but his name is ALWAYS Abdul, no questions asked. At some point in the movie, he succeeds in infiltrating the criminal gang, is found out and is either killed, or he returns to the hero in a sorry state, serving to further fuel the heros hatred against the villains.

The Policeman Group

Apart from the COmissioner mentioned earlier, there are others in the police force.

DCP Saxena: He plays a very minor role in the movie, and is usually the first person to find out about the corruption of Singhania and if the Comissioner is included.

Inspector Khanna: He is the Ideal Police Officer. Honest, fast thinker, and a great detective. He is ALWAYS related in some way or the other to the Hero's family. He is the one who makes the eventual arrest of the villains, otr fires the last shot, whatever may be the case.

Inspector Kelkar: He is the total opposite of Khanna, and is holding his post due to influence of the criminal gang over the police force. Corrupt to the core. His role varies from being only a side character to the main reason of the failiure of all the police missions.

There are more constables and officers, but they are NEVER pivotal roles.

The Criminal group

The Don: He ALWAYS has some forceful, hard-hitting name like 'Zaffar Khan' or 'Feroze Supari'. He is a known villain (unlike Singhania), but is never caught due to his influence. Only the hero is able to get him in the end. He has limitless funds and numerous faceless goons ready to die for him.

His Bodyguard: The Bodyguard is ALWAYS a foreigner. If he is white, his name is Mark, Rocky or Jackie, and if he is negroid, his name is Martin. he talks using grunts and his fists. Occasionally gets trigger-happy. Beats the Hero to a pulp on the latter's first and always unsuccessful attempt to get even with the crime boss.

The middlemen are never mentioned, only the lowest level 'gangs' are. They are:
The Blue Panther gang and The Black Cobra gang.
Lower-level members of the crime syndicate are named Rizwan, sohail and Abbas.





Here are some of the most commonly used dialogues...in the typical movies of the 80s and 90s..
Heroine to Villain: Bhagwan ke liye mujhe chhod do...

Police to criminal: Ab tumhara khel khatam

Low class criminal on phone to his Boss: Boss, Maal pakda gaya! Woh inspector Rajat ne hamara bahut nuksaan kara diya!

Hero to Heroine: Maine shayad pehle kahin tumhe dekha hai
or
Hero To Heroine: Pata nahi kyun, par aisa lag raha hai ki main tujhe saalon se jaanta hoon

Heroine to Hero after some misconception: Mujhe pehle hi samajh jaana chahiye tha ki tum mere se nahi, meri daulat se pyaar karte ho...

Hero to Villain [towards the movies end, when the villain is about to die]: Main tujhe chhod deta Ram Singh, par meri maa ke maut ka badla leke hi mujhe chain milega!


Hero to Heroine/Heroine to Hero: Main tumhare bina marr jaunga/jaungi
or
Main tumhare bina nahi jee sakta/sakti

Anyone[who loses in the end] to Anyone[who wins in the end]: Tum shayad jaante nahi ki tum kisse baat kar rahe ho...

SOME MORE RULES: This has been taken from a source...but the above article is completely made by Aashish Vasudevan and Kanhaiya Maheshwary

2. If the number of heroes is not equal to the number of heroines, the excess heroes/heroines will a) die b) join the Red Cross and take off to Switzerland before the end of the movie.

3. If there are 2 heroes in a movie, they will fight each other savagely for at least 5 minutes (10 if they are brothers).

4. Any court scene will have the dialogue "Objection milord". If it is said by the hero, or his lawyer, it will be overruled. Else, it will be sustained.

5. The hero's sister will usually marry the hero's best friend (i.e. the second hero). Else, she will be raped by the villain within the 1st 30 minutes, and commit suicide.

6. In a chase, the hero will always overtake the villain, even on a bullock-cart, or on foot.

7. When the hero fires at the villain(s), he will never
a) miss
b) run out of bullets. When the villain fires at the hero, he will always miss (unless the hero is required to die, as in rule 2).

Rab Ne Bana Di...

Last night, I came back home around 12:45am, after meeting a couple of friends, and found everyone in the house fast asleep. I was in no mood to sleep, since I had slept for quite some time in the afternoon, and was feeling very bored. I switched on the computer, and inserted the DVD of Dumb and Dumber to catch some of the comedy scenes. But then, I just opened the movie folder in my PC, and saw a folder titled, "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi"...

I had wanted to see that movie since a long time. I was among one of those who were eagerly waiting for the release of the movie, since I'm a big fan of the movies 'directed' by Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra. These geniuses project romance on screen as never seen before. So I was even disappointed when critics rubbished the success of the movie. I opened the folder, and started the movie.
2 hours and 44 mins passed and the movie finally got over. The end of this movie was a kind of one I had never seen before and could have never imagined...! . Shah Rukh Khan was best as ever, and proved again why he holds the Numero Uno title in Bollywood. Aditya Chopra showed that he is the same person who made a movie like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. On the whole, the movie lived up to my expectations, since I'm a die hard fan of Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra's movies.

As I had expected, the movie was a technically polished product. Vinay Pathak had me in splits in various parts of the movie. The dances were amazing too.
All in all, the final verdict would be a 4/5 from my side. I loved the movie....the concept was amazing, and only Aditya Chopra could have written it. A big thumbs down to the critics who had predicted the movie a flop.

One and a quarter Face of the Youth...

Something for the youth of today.. who are wasting their lives behind alcohol and drugs.

Song: Raam Ka Naam Badnaam ka Naro...
Movie: Hare Rama Hare Krishna
Stars: Dev Anand, Zeenat Aman
Music Composer: RD Burman
Lyricist: ANAND BAKSHI

Dekho O Deewano Tum Ye kaam Na Karo
Ram ka naam badnaam na karo.....
Hare Krishna hare Ram

Ram ko samjho Krishna ko jaano
Nend se jaago O mastano…..
Jeet lo man ko padhkar Gita
Mann hi haara to kya jeeta, to kya jeeta?
Hare Krishna Hare Raam, Hare Krishna Hare Raam...
Jeevan ko nashe ka tum ghulam na karo
Ram ka naam badnaam na karoo…
Hare Krishna hare Ram


Ram ne hanskar sab sukh tyaage
Tum sab dukh se dar ke bhage...
Krishna ne karm ki rit sikhayi
Tum ne farz se aankh churayi
O ram duhaayi
Hare Krishna hare Ram
Jeevan naam hai kaam ka
Aaram na karo
Ram ka naam badnaam na karo
Hare krishna hare Ram