I made a friend recently yesterday we decided to go out for lunch with another of his friend who is from Singapore. We went to Haji Ali to meet her there another lady was accompanying her, she is from the USA. It was great to meet these people we talked so much especially about movies. It was great because otherwise it is so difficult to make conversation with people. And here we were complete strangers yet we communicated like we had known each other always.
It’s strange how we meet people and we just click and don’t mind talking to them about anything and everything even sharing personal details. This girl from US has travelled a lot she’s been to Japan, Malaysia and many more places. Now she is in India, Mumbai and plans to go to Pune where she will be involved in voluntary teaching work for street kids. Here was someone who had come all the way from US and was going to Pune and I have lived all my life in Mumbai and have never been to Pune. How contrasting is that?
I too want to travel the world. Somebody please say Amen.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Ganju chali Sasural
That time of the year when there is an overdose of sweets and pollution. Its Diwali.
I love the lights and lanterns that are put up. I just love this season that starts with Diwali and ends with the New Year.
If only people could celebrate it with out making so much noise.
Gambling on Diwali is compulsory at office. It is said that if we lose on Diwali day, we gain throughout the year.
Last year I had won some miniscule amount. The following year hasn't been very fruitful.
So this year I have decided to lose even though I am a pro at gambling.
Ganju will not be here. She is going to celebrate Diwali in Chennai. Her sasural is in Chennai.
News is that its raining water at Chennai, hence her trip could be cancelled. I pray to god,
please let her reach Chennai. The train schedules can be cancelled when she wants to come back.
Happy Diwali it is.
I love the lights and lanterns that are put up. I just love this season that starts with Diwali and ends with the New Year.
If only people could celebrate it with out making so much noise.
Gambling on Diwali is compulsory at office. It is said that if we lose on Diwali day, we gain throughout the year.
Last year I had won some miniscule amount. The following year hasn't been very fruitful.
So this year I have decided to lose even though I am a pro at gambling.
Ganju will not be here. She is going to celebrate Diwali in Chennai. Her sasural is in Chennai.
News is that its raining water at Chennai, hence her trip could be cancelled. I pray to god,
please let her reach Chennai. The train schedules can be cancelled when she wants to come back.
Happy Diwali it is.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
What's in a name?
Lots of fun if your name is anything like my name. I am called laxmi at home and in the neighbourhood. When I was a kid there was this younger kid called Bradley who just couldn’t say laxmi, so he called me dappatti. His uncle who happened to be my tuition teacher would say, Bradley why do you take the trouble of calling her dappatti, why not just call her chapatti. I would have called him (Bradley) names too, but then there was his uncle to be considered.
During my days of technical support for Americans, one of my colleagues got a caller (read moron) who insisted to know his real name, as we used pseudo names on the phone. My colleague wasn’t very keen about giving out his name, but the caller persisted. So he told him his name is Pravin. No marks to guess the caller couldn’t pronounce his name correctly, Pravin had a great idea and he said this is nothing now try saying Bhagyalaxmi. The caller had to be taken to a hospital for mental trauma. Pravin and me almost lost our jobs.
Yesterday at the hospital a woman asked me my name, I told her my name. She said, ‘bahut hard naam hai’. Well ma’am wait until I change my name to Sparklingwater. Is it soft enough?
During my days of technical support for Americans, one of my colleagues got a caller (read moron) who insisted to know his real name, as we used pseudo names on the phone. My colleague wasn’t very keen about giving out his name, but the caller persisted. So he told him his name is Pravin. No marks to guess the caller couldn’t pronounce his name correctly, Pravin had a great idea and he said this is nothing now try saying Bhagyalaxmi. The caller had to be taken to a hospital for mental trauma. Pravin and me almost lost our jobs.
Yesterday at the hospital a woman asked me my name, I told her my name. She said, ‘bahut hard naam hai’. Well ma’am wait until I change my name to Sparklingwater. Is it soft enough?
Monday, October 17, 2005
Luck and Bird Crap
They say if a bird craps on you it is a good luck sign. Well of all the clothes that my mom hangs in the balcony to dry, they (not the ones that talk about the birds and luck but the birds themselves) always choose to crap on my clothes and I mean always without fail.
Don’t know what’s happening with all that luck, maybe it’s accumulating for some later time. Right now things are just not working for me as far as my job is concerned. No matter what I do I have just not been able to meet my targets. Too much stress, that’s ok, there isn’t a job that is not stressful. But now my integrity is questioned why cause there is no tangible proof to show that I am putting in a lot of effort. Sincerity and hard work don’t speak, only results do. They also say that its 99% hard work and 1% luck, that 1% luck has been eluding me for a long time now.
It has started affecting me, I never new what mood swings were until now. I just don’t feel like talking to anybody, if somebody says something I feel like asking them to shut up. I don’t smile much cause my smile doesn’t reach my eyes anymore. Because I know I am being judged not for what I am but for how successful I am.
Thankfully I don’t feel this melancholy at home and I am still able to humour myself, I am still patient. Guess all that bird crap is responsible that I am still able to keep good sense.
These words by Javed Akhtar, sum up my feelings really well.
“Aisa nahi ke humko koi bhi khushi nahi,
lekin yeh zindagi toh koi zindagi nahi
Kyun iske faisle hume manzoor ho gaye………”
Don’t know what’s happening with all that luck, maybe it’s accumulating for some later time. Right now things are just not working for me as far as my job is concerned. No matter what I do I have just not been able to meet my targets. Too much stress, that’s ok, there isn’t a job that is not stressful. But now my integrity is questioned why cause there is no tangible proof to show that I am putting in a lot of effort. Sincerity and hard work don’t speak, only results do. They also say that its 99% hard work and 1% luck, that 1% luck has been eluding me for a long time now.
It has started affecting me, I never new what mood swings were until now. I just don’t feel like talking to anybody, if somebody says something I feel like asking them to shut up. I don’t smile much cause my smile doesn’t reach my eyes anymore. Because I know I am being judged not for what I am but for how successful I am.
Thankfully I don’t feel this melancholy at home and I am still able to humour myself, I am still patient. Guess all that bird crap is responsible that I am still able to keep good sense.
These words by Javed Akhtar, sum up my feelings really well.
“Aisa nahi ke humko koi bhi khushi nahi,
lekin yeh zindagi toh koi zindagi nahi
Kyun iske faisle hume manzoor ho gaye………”
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Ek Kissa
They had met six months back on a flight; he did not notice or hear her he was lost in his thoughts. She touched his arm; the contact brought him out of his reverie. He looked at her, she was beautiful no not really beautiful but she had some alluring quality about her face, very captivating. He decided he liked her so didn’t mind answering her.
He told her his destination was Mumbai, she said, she was heading to Mumbai too. They started chatting; she had this amazing capacity to talk non stop and that too about stuff that made sense to him, his attraction only grew. Once in Mumbai they decided to stay in touch and then went off their own way. Next day he got a call, it was Geeta the same girl he had met yesterday. Talking to her made him happy.
Phone calls became regular, then the meetings and before he could realize he was in love with her. She reciprocated; he couldn’t believe his good fortune. Things continued on the same note, both in love and happy to be together. Last week he had to go on a business trip, Geeta was not very happy about it he thought she really loved him and the thought made him very happy.
He came back today and called her the first thing, a male voice on the other end.
Him : May I speak with Geeta?
Other Person : She has forgotten her cell phone at home.
Him : Who’s on the line?
Other Person : This is Dinesh, Geeta’s husband. May I know who’s on the line?
Him : Geeta never mentioned you before.
Other Person : Oh I was abroad for the last 6 months. May I get your name and message?
Line Disconnected.
He is standing by the window; Bhupinder’s soothing voice is wafting towards him from the Tea stall across the road. He is able to hear these words, “Tere jahan mein...aisa nahin ki pyar na ho....jahaan umeed ho iski....wahan nahin milta.....”
He smiled and closed the window.
He told her his destination was Mumbai, she said, she was heading to Mumbai too. They started chatting; she had this amazing capacity to talk non stop and that too about stuff that made sense to him, his attraction only grew. Once in Mumbai they decided to stay in touch and then went off their own way. Next day he got a call, it was Geeta the same girl he had met yesterday. Talking to her made him happy.
Phone calls became regular, then the meetings and before he could realize he was in love with her. She reciprocated; he couldn’t believe his good fortune. Things continued on the same note, both in love and happy to be together. Last week he had to go on a business trip, Geeta was not very happy about it he thought she really loved him and the thought made him very happy.
He came back today and called her the first thing, a male voice on the other end.
Him : May I speak with Geeta?
Other Person : She has forgotten her cell phone at home.
Him : Who’s on the line?
Other Person : This is Dinesh, Geeta’s husband. May I know who’s on the line?
Him : Geeta never mentioned you before.
Other Person : Oh I was abroad for the last 6 months. May I get your name and message?
Line Disconnected.
He is standing by the window; Bhupinder’s soothing voice is wafting towards him from the Tea stall across the road. He is able to hear these words, “Tere jahan mein...aisa nahin ki pyar na ho....jahaan umeed ho iski....wahan nahin milta.....”
He smiled and closed the window.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Hot Or What!
Saw the new Titan ad with Aamir Khan in it; he looks hot with his long hair and moustache. Though Aamir has always been one my favourite actors I had never found him hot. But his new look for Mangal Pandey is just hot. I can’t believe that I have actually liked a man with moustache; something is not right with me I will have to see my doctor. Oh no! My doctor is another handsome guy with a moustache. God help me!
When I was a teenager I never liked guys with long hair, that doesn’t mean I liked guys with short hair, but long hair was just so unbearable. But all that changed when I watched Brad Pitt in the movie, “The Legend of Falls” and there my dislike for guys with long hair just disappeared. Does it have something to do with growing up?
As if these screen beauties are not enough, Mumu’s friend who is an international model, sports long hair too and I don’t need to add that he looks absolutely ravishing; Brad Pitt and Aamir Khan will have to fall in line behind him. No Kidding.
When I was a teenager I never liked guys with long hair, that doesn’t mean I liked guys with short hair, but long hair was just so unbearable. But all that changed when I watched Brad Pitt in the movie, “The Legend of Falls” and there my dislike for guys with long hair just disappeared. Does it have something to do with growing up?
As if these screen beauties are not enough, Mumu’s friend who is an international model, sports long hair too and I don’t need to add that he looks absolutely ravishing; Brad Pitt and Aamir Khan will have to fall in line behind him. No Kidding.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
I don't know if the claims IIPM makes is correct or far fetched. Management institutes and me have nothing to do with each other. But one thing I definitely know is their reaction to a person's opinion on his personal blog was too defensive. Like they know that their claims are dubious and they will go to any means to cover up their folly.
How many Gauravs are they going to threaten?
Time for them and their likes to understand, "The Pen is mightier than The Sword"
How many Gauravs are they going to threaten?
Time for them and their likes to understand, "The Pen is mightier than The Sword"
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Its Time..........
The time is right. Until now it was more or less about going with the flow and more often than not it was swimming against the current. It’s time to change the flow to suit me.
I am not at a crossroad I don’t have to make a decision, it’s already been made.......... which road to take........ whether I am right or wrong......... will I regret or will I celebrate. No such confusion.
I am on a straight road and I can keep walking on it, but its time to chart my own path. It’s time to stop surviving and start living.
Yes it’s the right time.
I am not at a crossroad I don’t have to make a decision, it’s already been made.......... which road to take........ whether I am right or wrong......... will I regret or will I celebrate. No such confusion.
I am on a straight road and I can keep walking on it, but its time to chart my own path. It’s time to stop surviving and start living.
Yes it’s the right time.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Ghanti Aur Khujli - Post Interval
For those who came in late, the story so far, Ghanti is destined to bring electricity to Khujli gaon so he comes to India from the US. Falls in love with a gaon ki gori who ditches him……. Please read further.
Rest Of The Cast
Sky Patel – Abhishek Bachchan
Manchali Sharma – Ayesha Takia
Divyaprakash – Om Puri
Hearing about Ghanti’s heart break, his friend Manchali Sharma decides to come to India to be with him, after all she loves him and he needs love now more than the gaon needs bijli. (electricity) Sky Patel (that’s American for Akash Patel) doesn’t want Manchali to meet Ghanti again as she always loved Ghanti since the time she was two and a half years old and Ghanti and Sky were 3 year old. It was love at first sight for both Manchali and Sky, only problem Manchali fell for Ghanti and Sky for Manchali.
So Sky was sure seeing him again will only spoil the setting for him. With Ghanti not in the picture any more Sky had tried his best to woo Manchali and only today morning at 10.30am she had agreed to marry him and at 10.35am came Ghanti’s phone call and now Manchali wanted to go to India.
Sky tried his best to stop Manchali, he came up with a plan to go to California and sabotage Beejli’s beauty parlour instead. Nothing could make Manchali change her mind, so Sky decided to accompany her leaving behind his research midway on the effect of last minute change of a bride or a groom in a Hindi movie climax, yes Sky Patel is a scientist. So the next day both of them are on board Air India to crash in India.
Ghanti is waiting at the Khujli gaon railway station for his childhood friends Sky and Manchali. The train arrives and there they are on the other end of the platform, wait a minute, is he hallucinating Manchali is in a saree. They come closer and a gust of wind blows, Manchali’s hair and pallu try to fly, she is frantically trying to hold her hair meanwhile the pallu has gone berserk, oops she leaves her hair and holds her pallu and drapes it back at the same moment her eyes meet Ghanti’s eyes. They are transfixed looking at each other, Ghanti……….Manchali………..Ghanti…………..Manchali….
Ghanti says kuch kuch hota hai Manchali, tum nahi samjhogi.
Sky is watching his fears unfold in front of his eyes. If only Manchali had pinned her pallu, but not her fault what did she know about draping sarees, she wasn’t the scientist he was.
Time for a song. A dream sequence involving these 3. Manchali is wearing a white saree in the song and it’s raining. Ghanti is bare chested and Sky is fully clothed.
“Tum pass aaye, pallu giraye, tumne na jaane kya sapne dikhaye
Ab toh mera dil jage na sota hai, kya karu haye kuch kuch hota hai.”
Ghanti takes his friends to the Sarpanch’s house; his house has a generator hence no problem about lights and air conditioning. They settle in and then set about the task of getting bijli to the gaon. After meeting a lot of people finally somebody tells them about this guy Divyaprakash (DP) who is a pro at getting bijli to gaons. After much searching they find his whereabouts, it seems every Thursday evening DP visits this new and famed club just on the outskirts of Khujli gaon.
Ghanti and Sky decide to go there, but convince Manchali to stay back (while they are going to the club, might as well have some fun)
Time for an item number!
At the club Shamita Shetty and Lara Dutta swinging to the remixed beats of
“Laila main laila laila, aisi hoon laila
har koi chahe mujhse milna akela.”
Item song over, the twosome corner DP and ask for his help. DP tells them the strategy to get bijli for each goan is different and to come up with a plan he has to know everything about the gaon. So Ghanti tells him all that he knows and also about this epidemic of Khujli. DP thinks for some time and comes up with a strategy that he shares with these two, but the strategy is still under wraps cause DP only whispers so that nobody even gets a sniff of the idea.
Ghanti and Sky go to Delhi and meet the concerned authorities for Bijli. They tell them if in a weeks time Khujli gaon doesn’t get electricity they will spread the Khujli epidemic everywhere. You see Sky being a scientist he has managed to catch hold of and store the virus in a small u-shaped glass tube. So now the authorities don’t have any choice and thanks to Ghanti and his friends Khujli goan gets electricity.
Sky tells Manchali that they should get married in India. Manchali is in a Duvidha, she knows Ghanti loves her but she has already given her zubaan to Sky, she can’t go back on it. Ghanti is miserable too, but what can he do after all this years of ignoring Manchali he cannot now ask her to sacrifice her love for Sky (Ghanti is under the impression that Manchali loves Sky) and after all Sky is his friend. Sarpanch chips in and says Manchali’s bidaai should happen from his house after all she is like his daughter and his real daughter had made him bend his head in shame.
Meanwhile Beejli is back, she has realised she really loves Ghanti and gives up her cosy life in the US and comes back. Since she is repenting and to prove that she has stopped giggling everybody accepts her back wholeheartedly including her father. She realizes that Ghanti doesn’t love her anymore he loves Manchali so on the Mehendi ki raat she goes to Manchali and tries to dissuade her from getting married to Sky after all not everybody is lucky to find true love and she was crazy to settle for less than that. Manchali says that now its too late she cannot change her decision and she doesn’t even know if Ghanti loves her he has never told her, only looked at her with an expression of longing in his eyes.
The day of wedding everybody is miserable, Sky because he knows Manchali is miserable and Beejli cause Ghanti is miserable. After completing few mantras the pandit asks to get the bride, that’s when Sky gets up from his seat and goes in search for Ghanti, everybody is surprised why is the bridegroom leaving now. He finds Ghanti outside the pandal and asks him to come with him, they go in. Manchali is now sitting near the pavitra agni with her head bent down hence she doesn’t see the two guys coming in. Sky says he cannot get married, aghast expressions on everybody present there, only Ghanti is happy but trying to hide his expression. Manchali is surprised and looks up with tears in her eyes.
Sky says he cannot possibly get married knowing that Ghanti and Manchali love each other and thinks they should get married to each other. Ghanti and Manchali are ecstatic they hug Sky one after the other, Beejli is there too with tears of happiness in her eyes and she feels this new found respect and love for Sky in her heart. The pandit is getting impatient and says whoever is willing to get married please come fast I got other things to do too. Ghanti says but I haven’t shaved today you see I was sad, pandit says its ok, unshaved look is in these days. While the ceremony is on, Sky’s and Beejli’s eyes …….. meet, in the background kuch kuch hota hai……..
Ghanti and Manchali are married, Sky doesn’t have to continue his research he has real life experience now. Romance booming between Sky and Beejli.
THE END
Rest Of The Cast
Sky Patel – Abhishek Bachchan
Manchali Sharma – Ayesha Takia
Divyaprakash – Om Puri
Hearing about Ghanti’s heart break, his friend Manchali Sharma decides to come to India to be with him, after all she loves him and he needs love now more than the gaon needs bijli. (electricity) Sky Patel (that’s American for Akash Patel) doesn’t want Manchali to meet Ghanti again as she always loved Ghanti since the time she was two and a half years old and Ghanti and Sky were 3 year old. It was love at first sight for both Manchali and Sky, only problem Manchali fell for Ghanti and Sky for Manchali.
So Sky was sure seeing him again will only spoil the setting for him. With Ghanti not in the picture any more Sky had tried his best to woo Manchali and only today morning at 10.30am she had agreed to marry him and at 10.35am came Ghanti’s phone call and now Manchali wanted to go to India.
Sky tried his best to stop Manchali, he came up with a plan to go to California and sabotage Beejli’s beauty parlour instead. Nothing could make Manchali change her mind, so Sky decided to accompany her leaving behind his research midway on the effect of last minute change of a bride or a groom in a Hindi movie climax, yes Sky Patel is a scientist. So the next day both of them are on board Air India to crash in India.
Ghanti is waiting at the Khujli gaon railway station for his childhood friends Sky and Manchali. The train arrives and there they are on the other end of the platform, wait a minute, is he hallucinating Manchali is in a saree. They come closer and a gust of wind blows, Manchali’s hair and pallu try to fly, she is frantically trying to hold her hair meanwhile the pallu has gone berserk, oops she leaves her hair and holds her pallu and drapes it back at the same moment her eyes meet Ghanti’s eyes. They are transfixed looking at each other, Ghanti……….Manchali………..Ghanti…………..Manchali….
Ghanti says kuch kuch hota hai Manchali, tum nahi samjhogi.
Sky is watching his fears unfold in front of his eyes. If only Manchali had pinned her pallu, but not her fault what did she know about draping sarees, she wasn’t the scientist he was.
Time for a song. A dream sequence involving these 3. Manchali is wearing a white saree in the song and it’s raining. Ghanti is bare chested and Sky is fully clothed.
“Tum pass aaye, pallu giraye, tumne na jaane kya sapne dikhaye
Ab toh mera dil jage na sota hai, kya karu haye kuch kuch hota hai.”
Ghanti takes his friends to the Sarpanch’s house; his house has a generator hence no problem about lights and air conditioning. They settle in and then set about the task of getting bijli to the gaon. After meeting a lot of people finally somebody tells them about this guy Divyaprakash (DP) who is a pro at getting bijli to gaons. After much searching they find his whereabouts, it seems every Thursday evening DP visits this new and famed club just on the outskirts of Khujli gaon.
Ghanti and Sky decide to go there, but convince Manchali to stay back (while they are going to the club, might as well have some fun)
Time for an item number!
At the club Shamita Shetty and Lara Dutta swinging to the remixed beats of
“Laila main laila laila, aisi hoon laila
har koi chahe mujhse milna akela.”
Item song over, the twosome corner DP and ask for his help. DP tells them the strategy to get bijli for each goan is different and to come up with a plan he has to know everything about the gaon. So Ghanti tells him all that he knows and also about this epidemic of Khujli. DP thinks for some time and comes up with a strategy that he shares with these two, but the strategy is still under wraps cause DP only whispers so that nobody even gets a sniff of the idea.
Ghanti and Sky go to Delhi and meet the concerned authorities for Bijli. They tell them if in a weeks time Khujli gaon doesn’t get electricity they will spread the Khujli epidemic everywhere. You see Sky being a scientist he has managed to catch hold of and store the virus in a small u-shaped glass tube. So now the authorities don’t have any choice and thanks to Ghanti and his friends Khujli goan gets electricity.
Sky tells Manchali that they should get married in India. Manchali is in a Duvidha, she knows Ghanti loves her but she has already given her zubaan to Sky, she can’t go back on it. Ghanti is miserable too, but what can he do after all this years of ignoring Manchali he cannot now ask her to sacrifice her love for Sky (Ghanti is under the impression that Manchali loves Sky) and after all Sky is his friend. Sarpanch chips in and says Manchali’s bidaai should happen from his house after all she is like his daughter and his real daughter had made him bend his head in shame.
Meanwhile Beejli is back, she has realised she really loves Ghanti and gives up her cosy life in the US and comes back. Since she is repenting and to prove that she has stopped giggling everybody accepts her back wholeheartedly including her father. She realizes that Ghanti doesn’t love her anymore he loves Manchali so on the Mehendi ki raat she goes to Manchali and tries to dissuade her from getting married to Sky after all not everybody is lucky to find true love and she was crazy to settle for less than that. Manchali says that now its too late she cannot change her decision and she doesn’t even know if Ghanti loves her he has never told her, only looked at her with an expression of longing in his eyes.
The day of wedding everybody is miserable, Sky because he knows Manchali is miserable and Beejli cause Ghanti is miserable. After completing few mantras the pandit asks to get the bride, that’s when Sky gets up from his seat and goes in search for Ghanti, everybody is surprised why is the bridegroom leaving now. He finds Ghanti outside the pandal and asks him to come with him, they go in. Manchali is now sitting near the pavitra agni with her head bent down hence she doesn’t see the two guys coming in. Sky says he cannot get married, aghast expressions on everybody present there, only Ghanti is happy but trying to hide his expression. Manchali is surprised and looks up with tears in her eyes.
Sky says he cannot possibly get married knowing that Ghanti and Manchali love each other and thinks they should get married to each other. Ghanti and Manchali are ecstatic they hug Sky one after the other, Beejli is there too with tears of happiness in her eyes and she feels this new found respect and love for Sky in her heart. The pandit is getting impatient and says whoever is willing to get married please come fast I got other things to do too. Ghanti says but I haven’t shaved today you see I was sad, pandit says its ok, unshaved look is in these days. While the ceremony is on, Sky’s and Beejli’s eyes …….. meet, in the background kuch kuch hota hai……..
Ghanti and Manchali are married, Sky doesn’t have to continue his research he has real life experience now. Romance booming between Sky and Beejli.
THE END
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Ghanti Aur Khujli
It’s about loving your gaon and gaon ki gori.
CAST
Sarpanch : Amitabh Bachachan
Ghanti : Mohit Ahlawat
Beejli : Shilpa Shetty
Rest of the cast to be introduced as & when required.
In a hospital in New York an old man before dying has revealed a secret to his only son who goes by the name Ghanteshwar aka Ghanti. The old man had made a strange request before he died; he wanted Ghanti to visit India, the land of his origin.
Ghanti is back in his apartment, he wants to forget his father’s words, he doesn’t want to believe him, could it be possible that his father was mistaken or had been muttering in a delirious state. But now his father is no more and there is no way to verify what he had said just before his last breath, something inside him was telling him he believed his father and he was going to fulfil his last wish.
In his quest to know more about his birth country the Internet comes to his aide. He finds the information he has been looking for. His father was right, there was a village named khujli gaon in India, which was famous for Khujli epidemics. It was believed that once the gaon gets Bijli (electricity) the Khujli problem would disappear never to return. Also it mentioned a prodigal boy, believed to be the one who would be instrumental in getting Bijli to the gaon (village) once he grows up and he was named Ghanteshwar after the Ghanti in the gaon ka temple. He also finds out that India is a progressive country, people here travel in trains, buses and cars, he heaved a relieved sigh, he had thought he would have to travel on elephants attached with headlights and backlights for traffic regulations and had planned to make a trip to Africa for an Elephant Safari for practise. He learnt that English is a widely spoken and understood language in India, and these people don’t take crash course in English, they are taught English in school. Armed with his newfound knowledge and wisdom about the ancient country India he books a flight on Air India and crashes (oops I mean lands) in Delhi, India.
After being thugged by a few conmen in Delhi he somehow manages to reach Khujli gaon. There he bumps into a lissom lass named Beejli, ( A-haaaa in the background) they look into each other’s eyes and the first song of the movie starts playing in the back ground.
“hmmmmm hmmmmm
Tune mujhe pehchana nahi, jaana main koi anjana nahi
Ghanti hoon main tere gaon ka, Deewana hoon main Deewana nahi.
Hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmm “
Song over Ghanti says, God they don’t make them like you in the big apple. Beejli giggles and runs away ……… stops …….. looks back, giggles some more and this time runs away for good. Ghanti sighs and heads in the same way that Beejli had taken to find the village sarpanch. He meets the village sarpanch and explains who he is and his reason to visit the gaon and if it will be possible to book him in a five star hotel. The sarpanch realizes that he is talking to the prodigal Ghanti who had left the village with his parents when he was just 3 years old. With tears in his eyes he hugs our hero and calls out to somebody to get mithai, here comes Beejli (A-haaaa) head bent demurely with a tray of mithai. Somehow the gaon ki goris are always decorous around their parents. Ghanti drops the idea of staying in a hotel and accepts the sarpanch’s invitation to live in his house. A function to celebrate the prodigy’s return is arranged. Another song here.
“Dhol bajne lagaaaa, gaon sajne lagaaaa
Apna kuvar aaya, ghanteshwar aaya
Sung apne woh dollars kitne laya hai”
After a few days of sight seeing and getting used to the smells in the gaon, ghanti gets to work about getting Bijli (electricity) to gaon. He has to eat dar dar ke thokare, he gets a first hand taste of our bureaucracy. In between fighting with the Babus for Bijli he gets time to romance our heroine Beejli and one fine day he proposes marriage. Beejli is ecstatic, she runs home (she’s got a thing for running I guess) finds her mom in the kitchen and raising her index finger a la Dharam Paji says, Ma ab hamare sapne poore honge ma, hum gaon mein Beauty Parlour khol sakenge Ma.
Time for a song - dream sequence.
Agar tum mil jao khujli gaon chod denge hum
Tumhe paakar beauty parlour se rishta jod lenge hum
Agar tum mil jao.........
But before Ghanti and Beejli can be tied in the pavitra bandhan of shaadi, there comes an epidemic of khujli. The entire village is affected including Ghanti, Beejli is the only one unaffected. Beejli takes good advantage of her luck and instead of Ghanti gets married to Rahul from California, who promises her she can have her own Beauty Parlour in the USA. Ghanti is heart broken, for the first time since his arrival to Khujli gaon he goes to the temple and talks to God, he says, khush to bahut hoge tum, maine maangi thi Beejli aur tumne dee mujhe khujli. Impressed by his dialogue God repents and heals everybody in the gaon. Ghanti now puts his heart in his cause but he can’t help but think of Beejli once in a while. He accepts his pain and sings this song.
“Dil ke tukde tukde karke muskurate chal diye
Jaane wale yeh toh bataa ja hum bajenge kiske liye”
CAST
Sarpanch : Amitabh Bachachan
Ghanti : Mohit Ahlawat
Beejli : Shilpa Shetty
Rest of the cast to be introduced as & when required.
In a hospital in New York an old man before dying has revealed a secret to his only son who goes by the name Ghanteshwar aka Ghanti. The old man had made a strange request before he died; he wanted Ghanti to visit India, the land of his origin.
Ghanti is back in his apartment, he wants to forget his father’s words, he doesn’t want to believe him, could it be possible that his father was mistaken or had been muttering in a delirious state. But now his father is no more and there is no way to verify what he had said just before his last breath, something inside him was telling him he believed his father and he was going to fulfil his last wish.
In his quest to know more about his birth country the Internet comes to his aide. He finds the information he has been looking for. His father was right, there was a village named khujli gaon in India, which was famous for Khujli epidemics. It was believed that once the gaon gets Bijli (electricity) the Khujli problem would disappear never to return. Also it mentioned a prodigal boy, believed to be the one who would be instrumental in getting Bijli to the gaon (village) once he grows up and he was named Ghanteshwar after the Ghanti in the gaon ka temple. He also finds out that India is a progressive country, people here travel in trains, buses and cars, he heaved a relieved sigh, he had thought he would have to travel on elephants attached with headlights and backlights for traffic regulations and had planned to make a trip to Africa for an Elephant Safari for practise. He learnt that English is a widely spoken and understood language in India, and these people don’t take crash course in English, they are taught English in school. Armed with his newfound knowledge and wisdom about the ancient country India he books a flight on Air India and crashes (oops I mean lands) in Delhi, India.
After being thugged by a few conmen in Delhi he somehow manages to reach Khujli gaon. There he bumps into a lissom lass named Beejli, ( A-haaaa in the background) they look into each other’s eyes and the first song of the movie starts playing in the back ground.
“hmmmmm hmmmmm
Tune mujhe pehchana nahi, jaana main koi anjana nahi
Ghanti hoon main tere gaon ka, Deewana hoon main Deewana nahi.
Hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmm “
Song over Ghanti says, God they don’t make them like you in the big apple. Beejli giggles and runs away ……… stops …….. looks back, giggles some more and this time runs away for good. Ghanti sighs and heads in the same way that Beejli had taken to find the village sarpanch. He meets the village sarpanch and explains who he is and his reason to visit the gaon and if it will be possible to book him in a five star hotel. The sarpanch realizes that he is talking to the prodigal Ghanti who had left the village with his parents when he was just 3 years old. With tears in his eyes he hugs our hero and calls out to somebody to get mithai, here comes Beejli (A-haaaa) head bent demurely with a tray of mithai. Somehow the gaon ki goris are always decorous around their parents. Ghanti drops the idea of staying in a hotel and accepts the sarpanch’s invitation to live in his house. A function to celebrate the prodigy’s return is arranged. Another song here.
“Dhol bajne lagaaaa, gaon sajne lagaaaa
Apna kuvar aaya, ghanteshwar aaya
Sung apne woh dollars kitne laya hai”
After a few days of sight seeing and getting used to the smells in the gaon, ghanti gets to work about getting Bijli (electricity) to gaon. He has to eat dar dar ke thokare, he gets a first hand taste of our bureaucracy. In between fighting with the Babus for Bijli he gets time to romance our heroine Beejli and one fine day he proposes marriage. Beejli is ecstatic, she runs home (she’s got a thing for running I guess) finds her mom in the kitchen and raising her index finger a la Dharam Paji says, Ma ab hamare sapne poore honge ma, hum gaon mein Beauty Parlour khol sakenge Ma.
Time for a song - dream sequence.
Agar tum mil jao khujli gaon chod denge hum
Tumhe paakar beauty parlour se rishta jod lenge hum
Agar tum mil jao.........
But before Ghanti and Beejli can be tied in the pavitra bandhan of shaadi, there comes an epidemic of khujli. The entire village is affected including Ghanti, Beejli is the only one unaffected. Beejli takes good advantage of her luck and instead of Ghanti gets married to Rahul from California, who promises her she can have her own Beauty Parlour in the USA. Ghanti is heart broken, for the first time since his arrival to Khujli gaon he goes to the temple and talks to God, he says, khush to bahut hoge tum, maine maangi thi Beejli aur tumne dee mujhe khujli. Impressed by his dialogue God repents and heals everybody in the gaon. Ghanti now puts his heart in his cause but he can’t help but think of Beejli once in a while. He accepts his pain and sings this song.
“Dil ke tukde tukde karke muskurate chal diye
Jaane wale yeh toh bataa ja hum bajenge kiske liye”
Sunday, October 02, 2005
India Empowered
Indian Express is currently running a campaign called ‘India explained i.e India empowered’ where they get well known and established entities in their respective field to put in words their idea of what an empowered India means to them. I couldn’t help writing down what India empowered means to me.
To me an empowered India means a country that ceases to live in the shadow of its past or hold on to its past glory. Able to take stock of its present condition and come to terms with the truth it discovers and make efforts to bring the grandeur back to this ancient land of spiritualism and philosophy. The question that arises is who will do that, who has the time, everybody is busy with their individual lives, some will say it is the Governments responsibility what can I do, I am just an individual and I have my own responsibilities. It’s all about a mindset and the need of the time is for individuals to think and act and not follow crowd mentality. Just think for a moment doesn’t a backward India only make you backward and in the process stop you from growing as an individual.
This paradox of billion peoples that is India - our beliefs and our actions are always in contradiction. The philosophy that a soul is immortal, death is not the end, and each life is just a phase that we go through is the essence on which the Indian culture and civilisation is based. Yet we have a history of being a discriminating race, we are guilty of discriminating against other on the basis of caste, gender, region, and languages. The most evil practise being the caste distinction, which no matter how much we deny is still prevalent and practised by even the educated populace. Outside India we are the Indian community or Indian Diaspora, but in India we are never Indian but only a Marathi or a Punjabi or Bengali or Tamilian or a Hindu, or a Muslim, or a christian anything but an Indian. Our identity is always limited to the language we speak or the region we originate from or the religion we follow. The day we divest ourselves from such shackles and accept our identity as just an Indian, that is the day when India will be truly empowered.
The world is now waking up to the idea of a divine feminine power, whereas in India the feminine power was always prayed to in the form of Shakti. But on the other hand the women where and in some parts still are treated as inferior. This has to change and this change can be brought about only by a change in attitude in women. Fighting for equality is not the cue, fighting for the right to independence, the right to education, the right to decide, the right to respect is needed. This can be achieved only on an individual level and not by reserving seats for women in the parliament or state buses. Women of India should realize that in the bargain to achieve these goals they should not lose touch with the essence that makes a woman, or else they will be only emulating the behaviour they have been fighting all along.
It’s time for a change in attitude with regards to education. It’s not just about a means to earning a livelihood and raising your standard of living. The conventional light in which education is seen has to be changed. Education is about learning, exploring, discovering and inventing all of which is curbed by the current approach to teaching and learning. Everybody agrees that education is the only way to lift the people out of poverty and ambiguity. Here too it is up to an individual to make a difference, toddlers are sent to expensive play schools so that they learn at a very early age to be part of the rat race and they are not left behind. If only each one of us who can afford such expensive education for our own kids would take responsibility of one poor child’s education it will make all the difference.
The need is to accept what we are with dignity and work towards achieving the pride this nation deserves and not bow out to inverted nationalism that is sold out to us in the name of patriotism.
These lines from the song in the movie Pyasaa though 5 decades old still stands true.
“zaraa is mulk ke rahabaron ko bulaao
ye kuuche ye galiyaan ye manzar dikhaao
jinhen naaz hai hind par unako laao
jinhe naaz hai hind par vo kahaan hain
kahaan hain, kahaan hain, kahaan hain”
There is a hope in my heart that someday we will sing Jinhe naaz hai hind par woh yahaan hai, yahaan hai, yahaaon hai, yahaaon hai.
To me an empowered India means a country that ceases to live in the shadow of its past or hold on to its past glory. Able to take stock of its present condition and come to terms with the truth it discovers and make efforts to bring the grandeur back to this ancient land of spiritualism and philosophy. The question that arises is who will do that, who has the time, everybody is busy with their individual lives, some will say it is the Governments responsibility what can I do, I am just an individual and I have my own responsibilities. It’s all about a mindset and the need of the time is for individuals to think and act and not follow crowd mentality. Just think for a moment doesn’t a backward India only make you backward and in the process stop you from growing as an individual.
This paradox of billion peoples that is India - our beliefs and our actions are always in contradiction. The philosophy that a soul is immortal, death is not the end, and each life is just a phase that we go through is the essence on which the Indian culture and civilisation is based. Yet we have a history of being a discriminating race, we are guilty of discriminating against other on the basis of caste, gender, region, and languages. The most evil practise being the caste distinction, which no matter how much we deny is still prevalent and practised by even the educated populace. Outside India we are the Indian community or Indian Diaspora, but in India we are never Indian but only a Marathi or a Punjabi or Bengali or Tamilian or a Hindu, or a Muslim, or a christian anything but an Indian. Our identity is always limited to the language we speak or the region we originate from or the religion we follow. The day we divest ourselves from such shackles and accept our identity as just an Indian, that is the day when India will be truly empowered.
The world is now waking up to the idea of a divine feminine power, whereas in India the feminine power was always prayed to in the form of Shakti. But on the other hand the women where and in some parts still are treated as inferior. This has to change and this change can be brought about only by a change in attitude in women. Fighting for equality is not the cue, fighting for the right to independence, the right to education, the right to decide, the right to respect is needed. This can be achieved only on an individual level and not by reserving seats for women in the parliament or state buses. Women of India should realize that in the bargain to achieve these goals they should not lose touch with the essence that makes a woman, or else they will be only emulating the behaviour they have been fighting all along.
It’s time for a change in attitude with regards to education. It’s not just about a means to earning a livelihood and raising your standard of living. The conventional light in which education is seen has to be changed. Education is about learning, exploring, discovering and inventing all of which is curbed by the current approach to teaching and learning. Everybody agrees that education is the only way to lift the people out of poverty and ambiguity. Here too it is up to an individual to make a difference, toddlers are sent to expensive play schools so that they learn at a very early age to be part of the rat race and they are not left behind. If only each one of us who can afford such expensive education for our own kids would take responsibility of one poor child’s education it will make all the difference.
The need is to accept what we are with dignity and work towards achieving the pride this nation deserves and not bow out to inverted nationalism that is sold out to us in the name of patriotism.
These lines from the song in the movie Pyasaa though 5 decades old still stands true.
“zaraa is mulk ke rahabaron ko bulaao
ye kuuche ye galiyaan ye manzar dikhaao
jinhen naaz hai hind par unako laao
jinhe naaz hai hind par vo kahaan hain
kahaan hain, kahaan hain, kahaan hain”
There is a hope in my heart that someday we will sing Jinhe naaz hai hind par woh yahaan hai, yahaan hai, yahaaon hai, yahaaon hai.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)