Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein Khayaal Aata Hai!

Mind was too distracted and restless, I was unable to concentrate on anything. Wasn't able to read or write or even to think something. Don't know about others, but a situation like this when I am unable to read and write makes me nervous like hell.

Ever experienced this - the book is open, you are reading something and so many thoughts are popping up (like those prohibited sites pop-ups) that you are unable to understand the simplest of sentences (students with text books aren't allowed to answer this question).

Finally, when I couldn't take it anymore, last night I decided to meditate in order to gain some mann ki shanti. I was meditating after years and it looked pretty difficult to meditate with this super restless mind. Somehow I started feeling bit calm after some 20 minutes and continued it for next 20-25 minutes. Felt super relaxed, reminded myself, I have to start reading Bhagwad Geeta once again.One of my most favorite chapters in Geeta is Chapter 6, which talks about the science of self realization thru meditation. The shloka I remember since I was in school is verse 35 from Chapter 6. Which goes like this -

Translation:
Krishna Said : O Mighty Armed! Undoubtedly, the mind is restless and can be controlled with very difficulty. But O Son of Kunti! By practice and apathy, mind can be controlled.

By morning I was super charged up. Wanted to read Geeta for sometime after reaching office. What do you do when you want to read something online? I googled:Geeta and the first images Google showed me were of skimpily clad Geeta Basra. So much for Mann Ki Shanti. Huh!

Anyway there are some real great links for Srimad Bhagwad Geeta, and google can be really helpful if you don't google Geeta but type Bhagwad Geeta there. I am planning to meditate regularly now. Try Meditation...Achha Hai!

Abhyasen Tu Kaunteya Vairagyen Cha Gruhyate as Krishna said.

Now this line especially the word Kaunteya makes me think something, everytime I recite this shloka. Arjun is called Kaunteya after his mother Kunti which is quite surprizing as normally the practice is to call a son by his father's name (remember Paandavas after Pandu). Though Arjun is called Panduputra at places but Kaunteya is used more in Geeta. Was that to pay respect to the mother goddess in Kunti or was that to avoid any confusion as two of Madri's sons Nakul & Sahdev can also be called Pandava or Panduputra, I don't know. But I personally think it was better to call them Kaunteyas & Madreya after their mothers as technically speaking they were not Pandu's sons.
Now coming to Kauravas (the 100 sons of Dhritarashtra & Gandhari, which was not her actual name BTW) were they actually Kauravas? i.e. somebody who belongs to Kuru Vansh? IMHO The last pure Kaurava was Bheeshma. As Bheeshma's father Shantanu's other two sons - Chitrangada & Vichitraveerya from fisher girl Satyawati died heirless and their wives gave birth to Dhritarashtra & Pandu resp. who were fathered by Ved Vyasa. So going by their father's name they can't be called Kuauravas or Kuruvanshi. Which means Dhritarashtra's sons technically can't use the Brand Name Kaurava, which makes Bheeshma the last Kaurava! Now I am thinking what shall we call those 100 guys?

Trip ki Trip Mein

Har Safar Ek Nayi Shuruaat

Chatni Se Lithde Wade....

Dhiskyaaon....

We, The People! ;)

Mera Background Bilkul Bedaag Hai Your Honor!

I always wanted to visit Varaha Mandapa in Mahabalipuram. Finally got to see it and felt it looks far more bigger in pics. Discussing the same with SP.


Mujhe Bhi Khidkiwali Seat Chahiye....(Back from Chennai)

Dakshin Se Uttar Ki Or....

@ Fatehpur Sikri

Aditya Aur Uski Pose...

Safedi Ki Chamkaar


Papaji says 'Apna Dhol Nahin Peetna Chahiye...'So I thought to Peeto somebody else's Dhol @ Sikri.

Sikandara Mein Itihaas Par Charcha

Chappa Chappa Charcha Chaley...
Yun Ki...Yun Hi...


Doodh Ki Tapri....

Kannada Superduperstar Shivrajkumar's Poster in Rajasthan. Bangluru Se Aage Jahaan Aur Bhi Hain.

Avshesh...Buland Itihaas Ke

Stambh Paramparaon Ke

Jharokhe Sanskaaron Ke...

Yun Ki...Yun Hi Part 2

Fursat Se...Fursat Mein...

Neela Aasmaan So Gaya....

Q& A

Slumdog Millionaire के ऑस्कर जीतने के बाद हाल ही में किसी समाचार पत्र में मैंने एक सवाल देखा कि हमारे देश में स्वदेसी फ़िल्म मेकर्स ऐसी फिल्में क्यों नहीं बनाते? फिर पता चला कि दरअसल Johnny Gaddar वाले श्रीराम राघवन को इस उपन्यास पर फ़िल्म बनाने का मन था पर तब तक Q & A के अधिकार चैनल 4 ने खरीद लिए थे। वरना राघवन ने ये फ़िल्म बनाई होती और चाहे जितनी भी बेहतरीन बनाई होती ऑस्कर की छोडिये उन्हें एक चिंदी सा फ़िल्मफेयर अवार्ड भी नसीब न होता। खैर ये एक बहस का मुद्दा है और मैं बहस के मूड में नहीं। मैं सोच रहा हूँ Q & A बॉलीवुड में ना भी बनी हो तो भी अपने यहाँ ज्वलंत मुद्दों पर प्रश्न उठाती फिल्मों की कोई कमी नहीं, और फिल्मों में ज्वलंत प्रश्न पूछने वाले चरित्रों की कोई कमी नहीं।
आज बैठे बैठे मैंने सोचा तो पाया कि प्रश्नचिन्ह या अंग्रेज़ी में कहें तो Question Mark वाली ढेर सारी फिल्में बनी हैं अपने यहाँ - ये आग कब बुझेगी? , आख़िर क्यों?, जाने होगा क्या?, वो कौन थी? (बाकी के नाम काफ़ी सी ग्रेड हैं, और मेरा ब्लॉग बाल-बच्चेदार लोगों के अलावा बाल बच्चे भी पढ़ते हैं सो उनके नाम यहाँ ना ही लिखे जाएँ तो बेहतर है) । खैर हम बात कर रहे थे प्रश्नों की तो IMHO गब्बर सिंह का स्थान बाकी चरित्रों से कहीं ऊंचा होगा। ज़रा सोच कर देखिये कितने चरित्रों का Intro Dialogue एक प्रश्न से शुरू हुआ है-'कितने आदमी थे?'
और उसके बाद तो गब्बर ने प्रश्नों की बौछार ही कर दी -
कितना इनाम रक्खे है सरकार हम पर?
क्या सोचा था सरदार खुस होगा? साब्बासी देगा...क्यों?
इस बन्दूक में कितनी गोलियाँ हैं?
तेरा क्या होगा कालिया?
होली कब है ? कब है होली?
ये रामगढ वाले अपनी छोकरियों को किस चक्की का आटा खिलाते हैं रे?
'कालिया तो कहता था दो हैं? कहाँ है रे फौजी नम्बर दो?

हिन्दी फ़िल्म इतिहास में शायद ही किसी विलन ने एक ही फ़िल्म में इतने सवाल किए होंगे। मगर शोले में सिर्फ़ विलन ने सवाल किए हों ऐसा नहीं। हमारे हीरो लोगो ने भी काफ़ी सवाल किए थे -
'क्या बोलता है पार्टनर?'
'तुम्हारा नाम क्या है बसंती?' वगैरह।
चरित्र कलाकार मेरा मतलब कैरेक्टर आर्टिस्ट्स भी क्यों पीछे रहते सो A.K.हंगल साहब ने अपनी कांपती आवाज़ में सवाल किया - इतना सन्नाटा क्यों है भाई?
अगला सवाल जो मैं नहीं भूल पाता वो पूछा था एंथनी भाई ने फ़िल्म अमर, अकबर एंथनी में - "ऐसे तो आदमी लाइफ में दोइच टाइम भागता है, या तो ओलिम्पिक का रेस हो या पुलिस का केस हो, तुम किस लिए भागता है भाई?"
भाई शब्द से मुझे याद आ जाती है फ़िल्म दीवार, जिसमें सलीम-जावेद कि जोड़ी ने कुछ बड़े ही बेहतरीन सवाल लिखे मगर इस बार सवाल दो भाइयों के बीच थे -
'भाई तुम साइन करते हो या नहीं?'
'आज मेरे पास बिल्डिंगें हैं, Property है, बैंक बैलेंस है, बंगला है, गाड़ी है, क्या है तुम्हारे पास?'

सिर्फ़ संवादों में सवालों को जगह मिली हो ऐसा नहीं है। कई सुपर हिट गीत सवालिया हैं। अब नागिन के गाने तन डोले मेरा मन डोले को ही ले लो। वैजयंती माला को टेंशन है की इतनी रात गए आख़िर 'कौन बजाये रे बाँसुरिया?' । सही भी है कल को आपके घर के नीचे कोई बेसुरी बाँसुरिया बजा कर गुस्से से आपके तन-मन दोनों को डोलने पर मजबूर करनेवाला कोई पड़ोसी आ गया आप भी पूछेंगे 'कौन बजाये रे बाँसुरिया?'
फिर कुछ भक्त टाइप के सवालिया गाने भी होते हैं जैसे - 'ज़रा सामने तो आओ छलिये, छुप छुप छलने में क्या राज़ है?' मगर इस तरह के सवालों में प्रायः उनके जवाब भी छिपे होते हैं, सो उन्हें स्यूडो सवालिया गाने बोलना बेहतर होगा।
उसके बाद छेड़छाड़-नुमा सवालिया गाने होते हैं जिन्हें लिखने में मजरूह साहब और आनंद बक्षी बड़े एक्सपर्ट थे।
मजरूह साहब के लिखे सवालिया गीतों में मेरा पसंदीदा है - "C A T CAT...Cat मानें बिल्ली, R A T RAT...Rat माने चूहा, दिल है तेरे पंजे में तो क्या हुआ?" आनंद बक्षी ने तो शायद सैकड़ों सवालिया गीत लिखे हैं - बागों में बहार है? और भी न जाने क्या क्या। मगर जब नये छोकरे नितिन ने सवालिया गीतों पर अपना हाथ ट्राई करने के लिए लिखा - 'आती क्या खंडाला' तो ये मजरूह साहब को नागवार गुज़रा और उन्होंने बेचारे नितिन पर ऐसी टिप्पणी कर दी कि दुखते दिल से नितिन ने उन्हें उस उमर में कचहरी का मुँह दिखा दिया और मजरूह साहब को उसने दुहाई भी दी तो उनके लिखे चूहे बिल्ली वाले उपरोक्त गीत की ही। मजरूह साहब को लिखित में इस नए नवेले गीतकार से माफ़ी मांगनी पड़ गई थी।
इसके अलावा होपलेस सवालिया गीत भी एक ढूंढो हज़ार मिलते हैं जैसे 'अब कहाँ जाएँ हम?' या 'जाएँ तो जाएँ कहाँ' वगैरह।
तो कहने का मतलब ये कि जिस देश में पहले ही इतने सवाल मौजूद हैं वहाँ अगर कोई आ कर Q&A पर एक फ़िल्म बना ही लेता है तो उसपर सवाल क्यों खड़े करना? और वैसे भी श्रीराम राघवन अगर ये फ़िल्म बनाये तो हमारे देशवासी वैसे भी फ़िल्म देखने नहीं जाने वाले, Johnny Gaddar जैसी शानदार फ़िल्म को हमारे लोगों ने नकार दिया। हाँ अगर Q&A इम्पोर्टेड माल बन कर हमारे पास पहुंचे हम उसे हाथों हाथ लेंगे ठीक उसी तरह जैसे योग वहाँ से लौट कर योगा बन जाए तो हम खुले हाथों से उसे अपनाने को तैयार हैं।
अच्छे फिल्मकार हमारे यहाँ भी हैं पर क्या हम उन्हें स्वीकार करने को तैयार हैं?

अब मुझे ये सवाल सता रहा है कि मैंने ये पोस्ट आख़िर किस विचार से शुरू की थी? मैंने होली की शुभकामनायें देने को पोस्ट शुरू की थी, होली की सोची तो गब्बर का सवाल याद आया और गब्बर के सवालों की सोची तो बाकी के सवाल दिमाग में आने लगे। आदत से मजबूर हैं क्या करें। बुरा ना मानो होली है ! आप सभी को रंगों के त्यौहार की रंगभरी शुभकामनायें.....

होली कल है....कल है होली!!!

How To Use Your Credit Card : An Exuberant Shopper's Guide

Just saw my credit card bill and almost had a heart attack... All the muhavras learnt in the Hindi Period of that small primary school danced before my eyes- 'Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharni', 'Paanv Utne Hi Failaane Chahiye, Jitni Lambi Chaadar Ho' et al. Have shopped like crazy the last month and the tax saving investment plans have already drained all my savings (whatever little I was able to save the whole year) so I am wondering How am gonna pay this HUGE Credit Card Bill?

Here is a 'How To' guide from an expert to turn your Credit Card Bill into a 'Big, Fat, How 'am gonna pay this Credit Card Bill'.

Book all the travel tickets online, using your Credit Card and just chill, you don't have to worry till next month. Going to travel, don't forget to buy a good Laptop Bag first, and yep, don't forget to use your Credit Card.

Laptop Bag (The Bag actually looks better than the image)

A friend is coming down from US to India, so order following DVDs from amazon and get them shipped to her address and save yourself the shipping charges, Jai Ho Credit Card Ki!

Visiting Chennai? Don't forget to check out The Landmark Store at Spensor's Plaza, they have some real cool books. Buy The Art Of Madagascar 2 & Will Eisner's Last Day In Vietnam, a rare graphic Novel. Swipe the trusted credit card again.


Sale in Crosswords, Sergio Aragones' Fanboy is available and is on sale. An unmissable opportunity. Credit Card just pops outta wallet and winks at you. Your library gets one more title to die for.


Ring Ring...
"Sir, I am calling from Landmark, you've ordered The Visual Story Second Edition, that book has come..."
Ohh how can I miss this one.
Rush to Landmark.

Just checking out the Graphic Novel Section...I am not gonna buy anything as I have already bought enough for this month. Wh...What's That Book....Is tha.....t....Will Eisner's Comics And Sequential Art...Have been looking for this book for years...

Wellllll...I can stretch my budget a bit...(but what was my budget? ehhh...leave it..just buy it!)

Credit Card again plays the friend in need...


No more shopping for this month but a little window shopping won't do any harm..right?

Enter Sports Planet, just to check out some shoes...Anyway most of the time I don't get shoes in my size...esp. in the designs I am looking for...

Converse Jack Pursell Vintage on display.Cool shoes, no harm in trying out, anyway I am not gonna buy anything.

"Ohh woww...they look cool, are comfy and are available in my size, besides they are on SALE!!"

"Paying by cash or card sir?"

"...Credit Card..."

Gulaal, Geetmala, 2in1 Aur Aditya

I have been listening to Anurag Kashyap's Gulaal songs since sometime and trust me this guy knows how to choose lyrics. The songs are just awesome...Piyush Mishra's lyrics, music & voice has set the mood like nobody's business. (That's not all Piyush has also acted in the film)
The anger and sarcasm in the lyrics remind me of poems by Baba Nagarjun, Dinkar & Nirala.
The trailer looks bloody promising and I can hardly wait for it's release. Anurag says it's his tribute to Saahir's song 'Ye Mehlon..Ye Takhton...Ye Taazon Ki Duniya...' from Gurudutt's Pyasa. The ultimate song from a dejected heart.

Music se yaad aaya, I'd been looking for this 2CD Set of Binaca Geetmala Silver Jubilee Presentation by Ameen Sayani for a longtime but its just not available in the market for years. Finally found somebody, who has them and was kind enough to upload it on Rapidshare in MP3 format and I just downloaded it from here. The audio quality is pretty poor as compared to the original CD and Ameen Sayani's commentary missing before the second song of Vol.1... but chalta hai.
This compilation means a lot to me personally. I was a school boy when I got Vol.1 in a recorded cassette and just got hooked to it. For months this was the only cassette that played on my two-in-one (remember those one speaker 2in1s?). Which annoyed my brother Aditya like anything.
I started mimicking Ameen Sayani even while talking to my parents (which they never appreciated) or reading some book. My only support in this exercises was Bunty (only friend I had in those years and the only friend whom I am still in touch with). I used to write some silly letters to comic book publishers and read them in Ameen Sayani's voice to Bunty, who would occassionally correct me if I start sounding like Alok somewhere. I started making a list of Musical hits mentioned by Mr.Sayani in this cassette and get them recorded from a neighboring Recording Shop (remember the days when there were no mp3 Cds or Internet download available and if you were from a small town, you had to rely on your friendly neighborhood recording wallah and his collection to get a recorded compilation on cassetes).
The Recordingwallah was a kindhearted college guy, who always tried to sell me R.D.Burman as the best Composer ever and I was a hardcore Shankar-Jaikishan, Kalyan ji-Anand ji fan. The debate always ended up, with him saying - 'You'll understand the feeling of love he brings in his songs, when you'll grow up.'
I started maintaining a diary where I used to write my nonsense thoughts on music and composers. I came across one tribute to R.D.B. by Ameen Sahab on a Radio Show and I started following his music and made notes in my diary too. Very soon I was helping the recordingwallah with a R.D.Burman compilation for his girl friend. I don't know how successful his love story was, but I always got special discounts on recording thereafter.

We moved to Orissa in sometime, where nobody understood or appreciated such things :(( My Ameen Sayani Mimicry was still on, though Bunty was nowhere to appreciate it. Geetmala phase would've been over, if I hadn't come across this T Series pirated copy* of Volume 2 of Silver Jubilee Presentation, which was great but I personally feel Vol.1 rocks. Ameen Sahab was back on my two-in-one.

I played both the cassettes so much on rotation for sometime that it bugged my family esp.Aditya like hell.

Do Bhai (clicked by Chhoti Behen)

Sometime back we did this show on a Film based TV Channel, where I wrote and spoofed Ameen Sayani in my voice. Aditya himself is a Media Professional now, and he don't hate Geetmala anymore. Talking of which, he just called up to say, he has bought this 5 CD set for me called - Geetmala Ki Chhaon Mein (Vol.1-5). A compilation with Ameen Sayani's Commentary. Time Time Ki Baat Hai.

Ab Aditya Kabhi Kabhi Meri Sun Leta Hai (Clicked by Neha)

* Until 2 Decades ago T Series used to be a company which used to release duplicates of Original HMV & Polydoor Cassettes in much cheaper cassettes with peculiar Jai Mata Di Stickers.