Ghajini

So here is my take on the current rage in the country...

EXTREMELY ENTERTAINING !!!

Saw the movie late last night and enjoyed it thoroughly! Cant say its a great movie, though it certainly entertains. Certainly worth a watch!

Music is fabulous...and action entertains for a change. Its gross for sure, but it never gets boring. Nidhi Dang was sitting next to me and hid her face almost always for nothing, but am quite sure she was an exception. Bhavin thankfully enjoyed it too!

Go watch it! If only for the excessive masala!

Mumbai mein sab kuch milta hai!

In Mumbai you get everything...

I am on tour for a few days and had an absolutely hilarious experience while looking for lunch this Friday. Around Ghatkopar, we saw this decent looking place called 'Asiad Restaurant' and as we were desperate for lunch, decided to go inside and hog. I had Harsh with me, an office colleague from IDEA.

The really well drseed durban took a couple of seconds extra to open the door, which was a little odd. However, hungry Harsh rushed inside immediately, and I was given a not so subtle hint of what to expect by the durban - sir, its a girls bar (with a rather sly smile).

It was dark inside, I mean really really dark with red lights on the tables. Harsh was still rushing, when I could make out many many girls/ women/ aunties staring at us from the back tables. I stopped short while Harsh still rushed on, looking forward to a feisty meal in almost absolute darkness. I called out to him and tried telling him in English that there is something odd about the place. However, Harsh was almost unstoppable. Finally I said, "Harsh its a Girls' Bar and maybe we should look for another place to eat".

The waiter immediately cornered me and said in a hushed tone, "Sir, gents service bhi mil jayegi".

The End.

Ahmedabad Darshan (Sunday Excursions) - Hathisinh Temple, Ahmedabad

I was quite amazed to find a treasure trove so close to NID yesterday later afternoon. After a day when our Bai ditched us and made all our sightseeing programs go haywire, we went there as our last resort!

The Bai did come when we were just leaving for dinner and basically made our day :)

Colorful chaddis...

My kitchen balcony is quite an interesting place. Its almost 11 pm and the TV next door is screaming 'agar apne pati ko bachana hai to...'. Quite enchanting, I say, especially because this dynamic serial was immediately followed by a dynamite news channel, which sounded almost identical. Some Crime Reporting programme on Lashkar Praogshala in Pakistan. Since we don't have a TV, this TV (more like a radio actually) connects me to the outside world from my balcony.

Apart from that, I think my neighbors also make tasty food and have curious sense of dressing - the fatherji in the family prefers strutting around in the house in the bare minimal (read colorful chaddis), completely oblivious to the outside world. Even coming out on the balcony to clean the railing! Well, it certainly keeps the neighborhood interesting and gives me something to write about on my rarely read blog :)

p.s. And am sure some listless aunty may also be getting her free entertainment...

Bachna ae Haseeno!

nnyThis is my niece Mihika singing her favorite song!

Five things I loved about 'Rab ne Bana di Jodi'

Here is a list of five things that I loved about the movie:

1. Its is mercifully not 3.5 hrs long

2. There are only 5-6 songs

3. No 'Kirron Kher' to ham

4. The actors live in Amritsar, and not London (ever, quite amazing!)

5. Aditya Chopra is a brave man; he can actually make this movie and release it too!

Convocation series - Convocation 2008!

We were already in the twilight zone, and looking up I could see huge wings flying towards their homes, making a lot of noise. That beautiful noise, it could always tingle our senses in the endless evenings in NID. I could look at myself quite unlike those birds, not flying towards home but getting convocated to leave the home and go outside...

Anyway enough philosophy. I just got back after a jiggling a leg or two at the mess party (yes a 'mess party' after a long time) and saying a goodbye to an almost drunk, dancing Mosh. In fact dancing on the small collection of tables was rather challenging...with Vijay and Mahesh jumping on both the sides! I could remember dancing in the first mess party and I wanted to finish NID with one last dance, and am extremely glad that I could. In fact everything I did today was a profound act...even peeing in the loo near the thinking tree. Ah...that brings me back (is it?) to the actual event...Convocation 2008!

I could never imagine how wonderful it would feel to be sit there in those red cushioned chairs in front of everyone. All the ceremony that I earlier found fanciful, made quite an impact on me (well..lets just ignore the speeches for now) and I felt damn important (despite the absence of a Chief Guest or our own ED). No matter how much I try, I will never ever able to describe it.

Of course, it feels great to be a certified (hahahahaha) designer...and who wouldn't want to be a 'young' designer at 28!

Its late and my office starts early, so I got to sleep now! Will write much more tomorrow...

The series shall continue for a while in retrospect...

some more pics here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52799&l=6b99c&id=649116157

Convocation series - Almost there!

Its a new dawn, and everyone at the home is sleeping. I just got back from the NID and now am wondering what to do next. It was quite a day...amma dna papa came from home in the morning as well as almost all the classmates (except Muzayun and Devesh who are currently in Milan). We had our shoot, dress rehearsal for the big day followed by Convocation dinner with everyone and then a long night ahead which included sitting in the back fields for a long time, taking rounds on the design street, cups of chai in the mess, super-duper adult talks, some funny pics, some maska bun at 4 am in the main lawns on the convocation chairs, and finally Kiran singing some exceptionally demented songs at 5:30 am! We were a big part with Snehal, Mousumi, Bhavin, Vivek, Sanjeev, Vijay, Kiran, Pavan (nano) and me and by the time we dispersed it was only Snehal, Sanjeev, Bhavin, Vijay, Kiran and me.

Of course we all missed Muzayun and she has always been such an important part of all such class gatherings...her loud laughter and her even louder (and wilder) comments. Devesh was also duly missed. There was Vivek with us after a long time and I enjoyed his extremely corny jokes...

Convocation series - Muzayun ki Chai!

I completely love this video. Our best times together!

BMW ki chai, Muzayun ke haath...

I should mention here that it was Muzayun who got me hooked to this habit of drinking tea...and now I am rather helpless :)

Convocation series - Form II

There is little to be said, its obviously mad like me and most of the people in the video!

Divya, Sanjeev and me were in one team to make a complex ugly form and we managed to do just that. In fact our initial test piece had more grace than the final one!

Rani (now married, so Mrs. Rani) can also be seen trying to turn a football into a sleek beauty. I don't remember her final form (not her form), but I think she did use a lot more thermocol than any one of us for her magnificent football.

Also seen are Kiran (with his funny mustache) and Devesh (currently found in Milan). Sadly I don't have everyone in this video...

Some Mumbai links...

Maybe I should read more on Mumbai, but I just can't read about it. It makes me sick! Everything makes me sick. So many people writing on their blogs, some holding meaningful discussions while other accusing. But I just can't read. Anyway I did read a few this morning and am posting both the links. There are many more and I may update the post later, but I have no motivation of doing that.

http://emptiness-forever.blogspot.com/2008/11/mumbai-attacks-pakistan-i-dont-think-so.html

http://boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/mumbai_under_attack.html

Amit Dongre's Dead Dog - murdered by a loving neighbor!

He doesn't have a name, never had one. And he died this Thursday; a slow and agonizing death. After repeated attempts at forced suicide, it was finally smashed on the floor - the move expected to be the final blow. It still moves its legs, but I would like to believe that its dead already.




Some facts:

Owner: Amit Dongre
Home (or used-to-be-home): IDEA Product Design (A 304)
Food habits: MacD Burgers (Aalo Tikki)
Blood type: Well its unidentified as yet...
Sexual preferences: Well even that is unidentified as yet!

More facts can be added by others...

Convocation series - General

Convocation is fast approaching and this is one of the last few videos that I can post. Nothing specific about the content except the fact that its rather stupid and mad!

Mumbai Meri Jaan (again)!

Am reading O Jerusalem! right now and there is something that connected inside me when I heard about the Mumbai blasts. The news right in the morning completely spoiled my day. I kept thinking about it, random thoughts and now I cant even remember any of those...

Poor Mumbai...there is so much the city has to bear. It certainly is an amazing place to have lived through so much. I always loved the Taj Hotel...anyway am quite sure they will reconstruct it immediately after this. But what about the 100+ dead? How can anybody rebuild their lives?

By the way even BJP managed to say something sensible today. Thank God for that...

Convocation series - Rebublic Day 2006

Our first Republic Day in NID (26th January 2006) was a lot of fun. It was also the day of one of the first mass photo sessions that our class became famous for. Here are a couple of videos from that day. The first post in this series has one more video from that eventful day. After a hectic day, I had gone to Mocha for some good coffee (ya, Mocha used to be open then) and masti with some friends. I was quite surprised when I saw these videos, life looks so sunny and beautiful then, and I sound like such a fool!

These videos were taken when my camera was still in good condition. However, soon afterwards it almost died out.

Apsaras on Earth...

Jannat has come down to NID right now. We already have a Meneka (and her daughter Shakuntala), a Rambha and of course a brand new Urvashi (Nidhi Dang has graciously decided to take Urvashi's form). With these pretty ladies there are of course a lot of other unwanted elements (including the current Dushyant).

Apart from that I would like to put it in writing that I detest Tea Kettles as of today. And harassment of mankind using this inappropriate product should be immediately banned! I know its a little out of context here, but I just wanted to pour my heart out...

Love Story in Jungle follows us in the mess!

There are two stories I would like to recount before they fade into oblivion...

Story I - Meneka & me

Yesterday was the first day in mess and I had dinner with Bhavin and Dang (Nidhi Dang and not Dr. Dang). And surprise, surprise...she comes and sits with us (not Dang who is already there but Snowhite) and Bhavin's heart skips a beat (many beats actually, but nevertheless) and my story became more interesting (was it because of the Meneka-Meghna confusion). The only one who appeared to be happy and interested in my story was Dang, or at least she appeared to be! Bhavin was of course already visibly palpitating with the distraction but trying to show that all was well with him!

So this is how the first story goes. Meneka came down from heavens and seduces Vishwamitri and as result of this sin (baby born to an unmarried woman) our heroine Shakuntala is born. At this crucial juncture in the narrative Dang is confused between Meneka (Indra's muse) and Meghna (who was eating dinner with us), and it took some effort to iron out our differences. By this time Bhavin had also visibly become uncomfortable because we were screaming 'Meneka' and 'Meghna' rather openly!

Anyway, Shakuntala likes to go to the jungle to collect berries and feed her baby goat and on one such excursion she meets King Dushyant (who was there to kill an antelope, but kills a rishimuni instead as there were no antelopes and obviously gets cursed). They (not the dead rishimuni and King Dushyant) fall in love and she gets pregnant (I guess it runs in the family and also society at that time used to be much more open in responding to such acts). However, due to the curse our King forgets her and goes back to his harem.

Shakuntala has a ring which belongs to King Dushyant and she feeds it to a hungry fish (rohu actually) and with that fishes out the last hope of our King ever recognizing her (apparently the ring was the sole connection between them, sex notwithstanding). She gives birth to Bharath who counts the teeth of a live lion and gives our country its ancient name. He (Bharath, not the dead rishimuni) also loves fishing and kills a big river shark (who had eaten a small baby shark who in turn had eaten an even smaller rohu). And when mama Shakuntala opens it up for cooking she finds the now infamous ring. She takes the ring and Bharath and off she goes to meet our King Dushyant.

The harem is demolished and a new Queen's palace is constructed. Defying family tradition, Shakuntala even marries the King (it seems Meneka goes back to the heavens to improve her dancing skills). Of course, they live happily ever after (maybe) till Shakuntala is reborn in 1980s and comes to study in an (in)famous college in Ahmedabad. The rest of the story shall follow in later posts...

We finished our dinner and still waited for the new age Shakuntala, but she never came. Out of despair we shifted our attention to mundane things like the Hindi word for floating/ gliding in air! The night passed on peacefully thereafter...

Convocation series - PD Babes

PD babes have traditionally been a rather dry category of students, strictly for the post-graduate course, though. The UG batches are a different story though, well quite different. However, our batch actually had some amazing PD 'females' (well there are many more names which should be held secret) and often they dominated with males with ease.

This is an attempt to cover them in some of their colors. One is married, and two are about to take the plunge. What has this world come to! The mother-daughter combination still flaunts their single status. Anyway their worlds would also come crashing down soon. But everyone is doing well in their careers – designing cars, furniture for hospitals, products for India and abroad and product interface (and more). One has even gone further and attending classes (as the oldest student in her class and possibly in her college as well) in videsh. Such is fate...

Convocation series - Alias

Well this was the first and the only 3D learning software taught in NID to us, and all we did was this. Pavan broke numerous chairs, Rani's phone got stolen (aha) and people faught over the silliest of things :) Truly a perfect PD course!

The video quality is terrible and movements abrupt and uncomfortable to the eye...completely my style :)

Convocation series - Bhavana & Aakash jury!

If not PD, I would've been in FVC! So it was natural for me to attend their classes (for a while in first semester), watch some interesting movies with them and attend their jury! This one is particularly interesting...this is Bhavana with hair and Akash as usual!

Both these people are very dear to me, espcially Bhavana...who became one of my closest friend in NID, somebody with whom I could really talk crap without really thinking much.

HATE CASTS ITS SHADOW - After threat, 500 Marathi families get cover in Haryana

Something very unfortunate in the newspaper today and I hope it does not set any precedent for anyone. I guess right now its only a few miscreants who are responsible, much like Mumbai. 

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=CAP/2008/11/08&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=9&EntityId=Ar00901&AppName=1

Convocation series - Mousumi, Pavan & Kiran

Its Mousumi, Pavan and Kiran this time. Two automibile people and the last one confused! brilliant interpersonal relationships, however, I shall not dwell into that. It may result in too many fire crackers post Diwali!

Mousumi

She is the first girl on campus I tried hitting on, and this was during the Studio tests. I got no bhaav and went back to Bangalore dejected. But we immediately became friends after college started, even took walks in the back-field back then and had long talks. Got to know a lot about Auroville and its night life from her during this phase. I was also a witness to the blossoming young romance between Mosh and Lov in the months to follow, again in the back-fields. We used to pull her leg a lot over her habit of collecting things and keeping them in her room. Guwahati and North-East Yatra was one of the most satisfying trips for me. I made her life difficult by insisting on eating vegetarian food at her place! However, it was the daaru we (mosh, muz and me) had in my room after 4^th semester jury that I would remember the most (Bhavana actually caught us drunk also). We still remember and laugh about it. But with Mosh there is lots which is gray, things we don’t know…

Pavan

The first time I saw him, all I wished for was that he shouldn’t be my room-mate! And bingo, I find him in my room a few days later. Mahesh and me were already there and had taken the side beds. However, things changed dramatically over the next few months and we became much closer, quite literally and publicly as well! Hahaha! I remember getting phone calls about heavy-weight championships in my common room between Mahesh and Pavan (and I would be called to mediate) and that kept a lot of fun in our listless lives. Pavan was also the only official DJ for the now defunct 'Mess Parties' from our batch. BIG PD junta used to be always there for his protection from the unruly crowd (oh maybe not the right subject to broach upon over here). Pavan is one tough looking guy, with a very soft heart. He is one person who would really go out of his way to help you out!

Kiran

Where do I start with Kiran? We were always cordial to each other, but never really great friends especially in the first semester. He was also quite busy with some interesting women at that point of time. I guess his hospitalization during DCC bought a lot of us together, especially Sanjeev, Divya and me. There is a lot about him that I don’t know, and can’t think of asking as well (some rumours, some facts and some outright lies). Kiran also became an active class photographer once he got his camera (the one seen in his hands) along with Bhavin, by then I had almost stopped using my camera completely. Anyway, by the time we finished our final semester on campus, he had become one of my best friends, if not the closest. He gives a lot to a relationship and that puts him par with a lot of people. I can easily depend on him and ask him for favours (something I hate to do otherwise).

Convocation series - Singing Kiran

Kiran has never been a singer, which makes this a must-watch. But he is singing from his heart and that makes a lot of difference, especially with Muzayun giving me all the help he needs. And later even Snehal joins in (and by the way Shenal is a great singer).

Kiran looks happy but is actually depressed to the core, Muzayun seems to be eating food but is actually starving, Snehal seems to be helping Kiran but is actually solidifying her position as the best singer in the class and Rani seems to be upset but is extremely touched with so much love being showered from us all!

As usual the video quality is bad and it was recorded towards the end of January 2007.

Shobha De with Karan Thapar & others

Lots of blogs have this interview, I pick the following because it kind of represents what's in my mind as well, especially the last line. The question of identity for us Indians...what are we first - a Maharashtrian, a Tamilian, a Gujarati, a Behari or an Indian first. Perhaps most of us take the India for granted (maybe including me), and so we keep getting into this debate. But I guess a debate is way healthier than what we otherwise see. And perhaps this is the only way forward...

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/devils-advocate-shobhaa-de-on-mumbai-vs-bombay/76806-3-single.html

Karan Thapar: Isn’t that cutting the very roots of cosmopolitanism, the broad-mindedness that Mumbai represents?

Shobhaa De: It’s happening across the board, not just Mumbai but we like to make Mumbai a prime example of this ghettoisation of our minds. It’s a question of identity, a question of stepped-up regionalism. It’s happening everywhere but Mumbai seems to attract a lot of media attention on the account of this. It’s happening because the question of identity, deep down, is what is troubling all of us as Indians.

Another interesting article by Rajdeep Sardesai in Hindustan Times:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=60cfd3cb-8223-415c-8418-91945ce8232e

Loss

It was heartbreaking to see the cover story on today's 'The Times of India'; especially because only yesterday I spent my morning reading about Ibn Battua's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Battuta & http://www.ummah.net/history/scholars/ibn_battuta/) stay in Delhi and his account of the life in the city.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=CAP/2008/11/01&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=1&EntityId=Ar00100&AppName=1

How careless we've become to our past. Maybe India isn't rich and doesn't have money to save its architectural legacy, but this is still unpardonable.

Convocation series - My first birthday in NID!

This was my first Birthday celebration in NID and was organised by Manisha, Kushal and Shilpi on the eve. There was a mega bash later (at mid-night) on when four more of my classmates celebrated their birthdays with me!

In terms of the video quality there is much to desired and the length could certainly have been much shorter, but I didn't really want to edit it so its almost completely here. There is hardly anything visible and all thats audible is Shilpi making noises. Oh yes, this is the only birthday when she (Shilpi) actually wished me. The cake and the chocolates were yum and the video is fun!

Convocation series - Abhishek, Divya & Bhavin

Here is the next group of people. Quite an unusual mix but its intentional.

Abhishek Singh

Abhishek was my first friend in the class and I really don’t remember why or how. I guess it was Ramya, our common friend in the beginning of first semester. We three had some good time together, before the eventual fall-out. However, surprisingly this never affected my dosti with him. It was never a very deep or philosophical but more of a ‘fun’ dosti. Somehow, we had quite a few common friends over the next two years, some girls as well. Now that I look back at those years, I think there were plenty of reasons for us to fight, but it never happened (my roomies in first year were not so lucky though). He always had more friends outside the class than inside and became popular and sometimes even unpopular because of his antics with the females in NID. Abhi is in some ways only a kid, eternally seeking his soul-mate and his life-mate. He is the ‘Ranbir’ from ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’…but sometimes dangerously close to ‘Shahrukh’ from ‘Anjaam’ also. I am quite likely to be murdered for this one!

Divya

The most extraordinary thing about Divya in the beginning was the fact that she was my Junior in Navarachna, Baroda (1996-98), though none of us were aware of that then. I first became friends with Sanjeev and through him with Divya as well. We had some good masti together, though my friendship with Divya was largely (and sadly) limited to these aspects only. I guess we knew much more about each other’s lives than we acknowledged, and this was certainly not good. But in a way the ups and downs in our life made our friendship solid. I remember a shoot we did for Bhavana in a temple for an ad. We had good fun during that. I have some pics and videos from that and I may put it up if possible. Somehow with Divya my friendship has always been dark and more about sorrows than smiles. I hope that changes in future.

Bhavin

It took a long time for me to become friends with Bhavin. I remember the walk we took (Mousumi, Muzayun, Bhavin & me) over the bridge very late in the night very early on in NID and that is when I discovered about his lightly concealed imagination and talents. He could really talk dirty, I mean really really dirty and that made the four of us a true foursome. We had tremendous fun and laughed like crazy. I think one of the things that shaped our friendships in the class was the people with whom we did our projects, with Bhavin I hardly ever worked. I started knowing him better towards the end of NID and particularly in Bangalore. Now he is my housemate and it’s only now that I appreciate him as a friend and companion fully. And we are similar in a lot of ways, sadly because of that our house hardly gets cleaned!


Read about Vijay, Snehal & Vivek, Sanjeev, Shweta & Devesh, and Kiran, Pavan, Mousumi & Mahesh.

Read more posts on Convocation Series here.

Convocation series - Muzayun laughing!

I guess we all know how good Muzayun is with bringing the house down with her notorious laughter! Well, this video isn't exactly the best but somehow captures the essesnse of madam's famous laugh...hahahahahahaha...

Mumbai Meri Jaan!

I studied ‘Unity in Diversity’ as one of the key factors which makes India such a special and unique country. And it’s only now that I realize what a sham it was. Where is this damn unity? Aha…maybe in Mumbai. It was always the epitome of Cosmopolitism, not Delhi, not Calcutta and certainly not Chennai. And I guess it was another sham, a pretense and the mask is now coming off finally. Thank God for that. We live with so many masks around that it’s nice to see at least someplace which is without one. So what if I don’t agree with what I see behind the mask and it breaks my heart and shakes my faith in our Indian Union itself. At least the cat is out of the bag, at least there is some truth there. I saw a TV show last night and almost every Marathi (right from a student to an aged housewife) agreed with Raj of MNS fame. Most denounced the means (violence, for instance), but almost everyone again attributed it an expression of pent up feelings (which to many justified it all). It sounded so much like the Ahmedabad violence rhetoric or the Delhi Sikh riots when Rajiv made his rather infamous statement. Oh why just the audience, even one of my classmates once said that there is some merit in what Raj says. And maybe there is, considering the fact that so many support it. Of course, in a Democracy, majority wins! 

One interesting statement from the show - ‘Those who stay in Mumbai should learn and speak in Marathi’. Why the hell? Why should anyone be forced to learn language? And to show what? I have never lived in my home state and I don’t even know what language is my mother tongue. Is it Hindi that I learned in School or is it Kumaoni, which is just a dialect but vastly different from Hindi. I’ve lived in Gujarat for many years and my Gujarati is, at best, pathetic. Does that mean that tomorrow I may just be branded unwelcome in the state? What the hell happened to India? Wasn’t I a part of this ‘great’ country and had right to move around freely and seek jobs anywhere and live anywhere? Why do I have to now prove my love and affection and respect for a Maharashtra, or a Gujarat apart from showing it for India as well. Cant I just be an Indian? What the hell happened to the so-called concept of ‘Unity in Diversity’? What if I don’t want to learn Marathi or celebrate their festivals or talk to my Marathi neighbours? What if I talk only in Hindi and celebrate only my North-Indian festivals? I feel rather scared that I may end up getting beaten up somewhere in our dear old Mumbai if I do this. 

As the saying goes, ‘Little knowledge is a dangerous thing’. Maybe I am also one of those who know little and try to talk big. I have so many friends from Maharashtra and I love them all, but it has nothing to do with the fact that they are Marathis. I just don’t care who they are, they are good people and that’s all that matters. They can even be from Germany or Jamaica. Who cares? I think many people do, and to me that’s scary and very unfortunate.

Few more thoughts on this by others:

http://besigns.blogspot.com/

http://shadowsandstone.blogspot.com/

Convocation series - Famous dostis!

Well our class had many dostanas which all of us will remember for a long time to come…some of these started and ended with NID, other are still there. But they were all unique in many ways. Here is an attempt to cover a few of those; it would be great if anyone can remind me of one that I may have missed. I shall update it immediately. The order is random.

Kiran - Muzayun

They became famous as Hanthi-Cheenti! Well apparently the names are based purely based on size. Poor Kiran despite doing everything and more for his Cheenti, is always on the receiving end. But their friendship is one of the most fun-filled, especially for people around them!

Mousumi - Muzayun

They already had many things in common when they came to NID, so becoming friends was easy and natural. And they also looked good together. But there was something about them that still remains elusive, was it jealousy, mistrust or something else. I am quite likely to be murdered for this.

Sanjeev - Siddhartha

We became friends easily, because I realized that he could make folders really nicely, even for me! He was perhaps the only one in the class with whom I could share things from outside the class as well.

Devesh - Snehal

I guess Snehal was one person who could really understand Dhutappi well. While we all cribbed about his unavailability, these two could bond well. It was also a friendship which developed with slowly and strongly.

Sanjeev - Snehal

These two also became friends pretty fast. It was always interesting to overhear them have arguments over architecture. Both had actually promised to design my house way back in Semester one, though their views hardly match (except, of course, about Hafeez Contractor).

Muzayun - Siddhartha

We didn’t become friends immediately but I was very easily drawn to her laughing sessions. But once we became friends, there was no looking back. We spent most of our time in NID fighting over everything and worked on almost all the projects together, rubbing some people the wrong way in this process.

Kiran - Shweta

To me they always appeared to be fighting over the pettiest of things and I could never understand why! They were very close but hardly ever showed. Doing ‘Systems’ together was a phenomenal task; but we had the best of fun during those days.

Divya - Sanjeev

As friends they were perfect for each other. Both used to get up early in the morning, eat breakfast even before it was made in the mess and go to the studio to work. Their work was extremely symbiotic, both complimented each other well.

Bhavin - Mousumi

They have been superb friends for as long as I can remember. I was never a part of it, so I also know little. I have seen them fighting also, but I guess was affection strong enough to bring them back together always.

Devesh - Divya

The first so called ‘couple’ of the class. So much so that they were actually married and behaved like one, it was all done in a very funny way and added to our entertainment in the class! This almost disappeared with Sanjeev coming in later.

Muzayun - Snehal

These roomies actually behaved like ma-beti, with Muzayun as ma and snehal as her beti ( though father remains largely unknown, the fact that beti's surname is 'Joshi' must mean something)! But they always made a nice twosome. Fighting and cribbing but superb friends nevertheless.

Pavan - Vivek

Well the one of the most famous 'dosti' in the whole of NID is reserved for the end. They became friends quite early on. And they looked good together as friends, their stature matched. Also it was nice to seem them together hanging out with their girl friends. Of late there appears to be some storm brewing up, but they continue to remain friends.

Read more on convocation series here.

Convocation series - My roommates!

I am really tempted to write about a few more of my classmates, but I will rein in the temptation and write about something else today. It’s about my hostel room in first year and more so about its occupants – Pavan, Mahesh and me.

Well let’s just say that our friendship as a threesome was always on the edge. I was, very reluctantly, the moderator to these two very aggressive roomies! Not that they didn’t have their shared moments together…well there were actually many such occasions. Anyway one of the most talked about stories about the three of us was Pavan’s habit of stretching out on the beds (his and mine) while sleeping at nights. One such famous incident happened, when Pavan was sleeping in his famous yellow T-shirt and without warning for some reason decided that I was Neha (Pavan is now happily married to her though). My cries woke Mahesh up and he came to my rescue and helped move Pavan. However, this whole exercise failed to rouse Pavan still and he continued to dream about Neha. Mahesh still remembers and recounts this incident with much happiness (I should be happy too, as he saved me that night), though somehow I wish he didn’t.

This picture was taken near the end of Second semester and we are happy as ever! Hahaha…maybe the joy was also because it was almost the end of our stay together!

The room, however, had many more memories. Our room was directly below the Mousumi, Snehal and Muzayun’s and I had taken the habit of waking up Muzayun almost regularly in the most insane way possible, and I guess that was also the beginning of attempted flirting sessions with her back then. Once I woke Japneet up instead and got a major dressing down from her (she, of course, still remained a good friend). I guess everyone in A hostel knew about this almost daily hungama and am convinced that secretly even Muzayun enjoyed my calls to her!

There are so many more things, but they are more about the hostel so will jot them down later. It would be really great to have Pavan’s and Mahesh’s take on this. I am sure they will also have many stories on me, especially Pavan!

The video is close to my heart! One of the few surving ones from those days. You can see Pavan stretched out on both the beds in his famous 'yellow' T-shirt!

This video is the last that I made in my room, we are almost done with the packing and the room looks stormed (though even otherwise it hardly looked different). Mahes and pavan blabbering along with me in the background!

Convocation series - Sanjeev, Shweta & Devesh

My second post here is about my dear class! I intend to pick three people (randomly) and write something about them. I shall try and be frank about it, lets see how it goes...

The first three in the series are Sanjeev, Shweta and Devesh!

Sanjeev

Saw him for the first time during our interviews, and immediately became a fan. His work was not just enormous, but phenomenal too! He became my first close friend in NID and in some ways the only one as well. There was a time when we used to go to the mess early in the morning when only a few would be there, and drink coffee and chat for hours. We became distant over the period of three years but I guess the affection always remains. We’ve both seen the highs and lows in each other’s lives and I guess that still binds us together.

Shweta aka rani

I met Rani when she was still learning to walk properly during the ‘Design Overview’ course with her mom. And I guess for a long time we hardly talked much. I really started liking her when I realized that she was as bad in sketching as I was. This was during ‘Design Drawing’ and we started to jell well. However, I think we really became good friends in the last year. Doing ‘systems’ together was a boon, despite all our fights. She has many names - Shweta, Rani, UT and so on…I prefer Rani because I gave her that name. Rani can talk for hours and hours and make you smile all the while. And she also has her mood swings, thankfully I never had to face them, but those who do go into depression for days altogether. She is gonna be married soon…God bless her!

Devesh

I shall never forgive him for never ever inviting me to his home in Ahmadabad! Hahaha, of course am just kidding. There is only a little I know about him for sure, the rest of it is all rumours. Some information about him - he is the fairest of all in the class and hates to tuck-in his shirts (both facts), he likes to fly in the night and suck blood (unconfirmed rumour), he talks the maximum with you on phone and ignores you in person (fact), he likes pink (fact again), he is getting married in Milan (rumour) and he likes to mix cow’s milk with goat’s milk before drinking (rumour). We’ve celebrated his birthday about a zillion times, though, he is the youngest in the class.


Read about Vijay, Snehal & Vivek, Abhishek, Divya & Bhavin, and Kiran, Pavan, Mousumi & Mahesh.

Read more posts on Convocation Series here.

Convocation series - The Venue!

Convocation is around the corner...so I am planning the next few posts about the time spent in NID, maybe a kind of series of pictures and some videos. Some funny, some emotional and some outrageous...

The first in the series is a video which features two very good friends turned foes. This was shot in the beautiful early morning January sunlight in 2006 and the occasion was our Republic Day! You can see the most famous tree in NID (though I am not sure how long would it survive) and the lush Green lawn (incidentally this is exactly where the convocation would also take place!). The content of the video would be rather senseless to someone who didn't know these two pretty (and mind you, now married) women, for the rest they are just being themselves.

The video also features Sanjeev (PD), Anuradha (SDM) and Tarundeep!

Enjoy!

Sea of Poppies

Finished reading 'Sea of Poppies' by Amitav Ghosh today afternoon. This post is not meant to be a book review but a recommendation to read this book.

Its difficult for me to really write much about the book but I loved the fantasy world created in it. Trust me most will not find it very fantastical, but to me it certainly was. The poppies, Bhojpuri, Calcutta with its Sahibs and Mems, Ganga right from Baneras to Hooglie, the Rajas and so much more. The book took me into a state of trance at times, or maybe it was just of my illness. Well, I would never know that for sure, still...

Maine Pyaar Kiya

Saw one of the movies today afternoon that I used to love as a Kid and the name of the movie is 'Maine Pyaar Kiya'. And its quite weird but I loved it still. It was simply amazing! The mood of the film, the songs including Lata's beautiful voice, the house, the 'Friend' cap and most of all 'Bhagyashree'. She is so damn amazing in the movie. I remember I was quite in love with her then, and things haven't changed much even now. Her innocence is rather unreal but still captivates. Her smile in the movie in infectious. Ohhh...it was just awesome to see her today again.

Sometimes I wonder how were things between Salman and her during the making of the film? How would they talk if they were to meet today? The movie seems to me like a dream! Everything was perfect. Hahaha...I am a little boy again!

Sugar-free!

I am in Love...in love with anything that isn't sweet!

Its odd but right now even the thought of tea with a little extra sugar is terrible. I would rather have sugar with no sugar at all!

Another interesting change is my desire to eat some chicken soon! Nice bone-less chicken. Or maybe some nice fish! This is very very odd as I am a vegetarian.

Anyway the point is that there is absolutely no point at all!

Sona Mona

The lights were about to go out...and then they did and the play got over.

We came out and decided to go for dinner at some weird place called 'Gaylord' (wonder why the girls with me were so interested in this weird sounding lord). Anyway that is when I saw my return train ticket...and hola hola I had missed my train while watching the extremely 'worthwhile' play!!! I was quite ok with that, but Tripti decided the moment was just right to start hyperventilating and she did that with the skills of a born professional (albeit a new-born one). And to give us company in the car there was Sumedha and Sona Mona (Sona Mona is basically just one person but her dual personality demands the use of dual names).

Sona Mona is Varun's sister and they both hail from the Nawabi city of Lucknow. I have very fond memories of Lucknow, especially Umrao Theatre! Anyway coming back to the point (?), we were discussing Sona Mona and her passions in life. Well...maybe I am not the right person to discuss them deeply as she didn't open up to me much (no pun intended)! It was only when we reached close to her place, she could ask me if I worked somewhere (basically she just wanted to confirm her suspicions that I am an unemployed 'young' man ready to pounce on her) and that I looked like a Designer (I think she also wanted to say that I talk like a designer because I used Bra panties and Dragons making out in my paintings...anyway; also a rather polite way of saying that something was terribly wrong with me & my hair). But I think the bra added the much needed zing to the otherwise boring conversations about...well I don't really remember what! And the dragon was just to emphasize that Dragons also need bras...oops...sorry...that Dragons also make out once in a while (when they are not busy smoking up).

Her hurried exit from our car and quick hug to Sumedha was rather symbolic to me. I waited for the moment when she would look back and give me one of those looks...the ones that could kill...but it never happened. I almost strained my neck from the window but Lord Krishna stopped my misadventure mid-way as it was Janamashtmi and roads were full of pious people shouting and screaming over matkis hanging over their heads.

The evening ended rather amicably at the airport where I caught the last flight to Ahmedabad. The dosas and idlis before that provided the much needed food for our rather empty stomachs.

I will miss not talking much with Sona Mona.

Flying...

I've been writing about similar things for a while...and this post is an attempt to change that :)

So I'll start with sweets...I am home for the long weekend, and I've spent most of the time sleeping or eating sweets! Laddos, jelabis, pooas, barfis and so on...Am I addicted to sweets? Or should I blame the 'Solar Eclipse' for it! Or maybe its because I saw 'Singh is Kingg' last weekend? Even something like my new found love 'mango' can be responsible for it? Anyway how does it matter? After all we all are 'Khuda ke bande'...or at least some of us are; rest are of course 'Bhagwan ke lal' or 'Christ's child' and so on...Its very interesting! The obvious lack of unity in all this. Kashmir for instance...or Gujarat! United we stand...in this hour of crisis...hahaha...lovely! Like a firangi mem's firangi lipstick...very red and hot! Burning hot sometimes...orgasmnic...hmmmm! Desirable...desirable like a piece of land that we all keep fighting for and that also becomes a scale for proving your patriotic feelings...hahaha again...on the boil...maybe provocative! Undesirable...not for all! Very desirable for some...remember saffron is grown in pampore...in Kashmir...very Indian! Of course it has to belong to us...

I feel so lost...so lost in my own thoughts! Maybe I need a shrink to put me right...maybe I'll even see one soon. But how about others? Does that mean I think there is something wrong with others as well...and they also need treatment! All these thoughts can be because I need treatment myself...hahaha...I will see a doc soon...hahaha...some champu sitting in a sexy posh clinic! I hope the secretary is sexy too...very desirable :) Hot and sexy...hmmm...

How about a horse with five legs? Or maybe I am confusing the trunk with legs! How about the Saraswati in 2D and painted in silver? With a few gems here and there?

How about flying? Flying somewhere, never to come back?

And she said...

"In the end I will be left with nothing"...and I almost jumped with joy!

Well as some people say, whatever you say it comes from somewhere in your heart! My day was already made with so many other other things...so I just flew with this...

On a serious note, dont we all always get 'nothing' in the end? Is it stupid to desire it before end? Or should one wait till end to finally embrace the 'nothingness' of nothing?

Can anyone answer this for you...perhaps not! Dont look for an answer...just listen to your heart; stop questioning and take the plunge...

It should rain soon...

Its gonna rain soon...or maybe it should...

It has so many meanings, far too many for me to even understand. But am still waiting for the rains to soak me...

Words fail me, thoughts torture me...
Living for the moment...this existence troubles me...

But I love it all...
The thoughtlessness, the meaninglessness, the nothingness...

Unwanted...

Thats what I've become...

"I don't trust people who don't talk too much, you never know what they're thinking."
Errol Morris

I flew yesterday...and I still want to fly!
Fly all my life...
Fly with the wind, to the stars...

Without the hollow nonsense around...
Without the senseless solitude that I desire (and detest when I get it)
Without the reality biting me...
I want to fly...
Fly to the land of dark desires...
The cold dark land of fear...

Har kisiko muqammal jahan nahin milta,
Kabhi zamin, to kabhi aasman nahin milta!

Muzayun & Snails

She killed about a million snails in her two year 'snail killing spree' in NID...crushing them with a distinctive 'crunch' every time she saw one (or many) trying to cross the pigeon path (or, well, any other path), or in a 'dead-brother-eating' communion!

I thought it was odd to kill so many for no apparent reason, all these slimy little snails (big actually) did was cross roads, eat others (and sometimes even sauce) or have sex (they are apparently quite good with orgies). What harm can these poor crunchy (while dying) things do!

But today that mystery is resolved! Muzayun killed them because she couldn't eat them! YES...that’s the reason! It’s not really 'in' or even fashionable (though killing them certainly is) in NID, so all she could do was kill them and dream about eating them.

However, this January her long cherished wish to eat them (without the distinct crunch though) was fulfilled when she was in Helsinki for the Nokia conference. She devoured many soft snails with bare hands (well, they were dead and cooked, so it’s not that big a deal) and even had the audacity to compare the experience to eating some great chocolate that melts in your mouth! I was rather confused by this and by the time my brain figured that I should perhaps ask her only for a plausible explanation, she had moved on to her next favorite animal (edible, of course) - mollusk! I had had enough of this 'soft-slimy-animal' eating discussion and so moved on to another mint-chocolate candy. I finished the entire pack of chocolate during this, so don’t really regret the conversation, apart from enlightening revelation about her reason for killing snails for so long...

Gods on sale!

We (amma and me) were cleaning our Baroda house for the past few days and it was interesting to see some gods packed and sent back home in Ghaziabad and a few others dumped at various places in the rooms, balcony etc.

Even Ramilaben (our maid earlier) refused to entertain the 'ignored' gods (she, however, was extremely keen on taking all other wood pieces, doors, utensils, some tables and old cloths). I found it all extremely funny as well as ironic. Of course I could've packed all the gods and sent them to Ghaziabad, however, they had clearly fallen out of favour with their 'bhaktas' and maybe taking them anywhere wouldn't have helped them much...

Bollywood Ice maidens in Agra!

Yesterday was a day of revelation for me; was in Agra for a wedding and this is what I experienced...

a) Women in North India don't feel cold at all (poor men, I suspect that since women don't feel cold men have to take women's share as well).

b) Its not a myth that all our film actresses also don't feel cold (whether Madhuri in Alaska or Sridevi in Alps, a semi-transparent chiffon saree is basically sufficient for their meager needs).

c) Women look stunning in transparent/ semi-transparent/ opaque sarees even if you are covered in woolens and shivering/ freezing/ maybe even possibly blue with the cold!

d) Simply because these cold-resistant beauties have about a zillion goose-bumps, it should not be assumed that they can be feeling cold. THEY DON'T FEEL COLD! And there are no two ways about it!

e) And of course the pretty ladies aren't blessed with this boon throughout their lives! As they get old, they also need shawls, sweaters (often both and in plural). In fact, in a way its a jolly good natural phenomena!

Having said that, let me assure all that the experience was an exilirating one for me! Apart from the absolutely amazing 'moong dal ka halwa', the saree-clad (with or without the goose-bumps) women were the highlight of the evening and I can't imagine what a disaster it would be, if they were to wear seaters, shawls et el. Men of all age-group were found gaping at them!

Of course, the wedding was also superb. I completely enjoyed the 'varmala' session, complete with the extraordinary background score and a shining rotating stage (I promise I would post some pics of the stage soon). Parul (the bride) was startled when it moved for the first time (though recovered a little later with the help of steel railing). Vikasbhai (the groom), however, looked confident despite the moving stage and the constant threat of the stage caving in due to excessive load on it (due the relatives and everyone who joined them later for blessings, and certainly not the bride-groom combo)! I had never ever seen anything like that before and was very happy to have made it to the wedding!

May the boy-girl met in college/ fell in love/ got married now also live happily ever after! All my best wishes with them!

Absences...

Death is the most present of all absences...