Humko Ishq Ne Mara

Today while coming back from office, I found myself singing – ‘Kab se bekraar the sunane ko….’. This song is from a movie called “Humko Ishq ne Mara”.

I remember I was in school then, and we were all crazy about songs of this movie. Right from the popular “Jaadu Hai Ye Naya Naya, Dil hai Deewana…” to the title track "Humko Ishq Ne Mara”, all songs were our favourites for Antakshari.

I vaguely remember it was a college flick about these 3 girls and 3 guys. The name of the cutest guy in the picture (sitting at the centre) was Kiran (in the movie), he is mistaken as a girl and allotted a room with 2 other girls (can you believe that!). Back then it did not feel weird at all! Ah! Teenage………! You can catch all the details about the movie here.

It was a cute, teenage flick. The only lady missing from this poster of the movie is Rakhi Vijan aka Sweety from Hum Paanch. I think this movie came before that serial. You would also notice Amrita Saluja, a common face on the ad scene. She is the “Mummy” in Whirlpool’s ‘Mummy ka Magic Chalega Kya’ campaign. I have not noticed the third actress, Charmy much, though apparently she has done couple of movies in South.

Amongst the guys, only Ashish Chaudhary can be identified more readily. The name of the guy on the right handsie at the back is Huroum Mirza. I think I have seen him somewhere but cannot recall which serial or which movie! The third guy (who is at the centre) has been seen is as latest as the movie ‘Mumbai Salsa’.

A little research showed that the movie was directed by Arjun Sablok of ‘Na Tum Jano Na Hum’ and ‘Neal n Nikky’ fame.

It is strange how a movie or a song opens a box full of fond memories!

Air Brushing

I have been on the Product shoot for the last two days. It is absolutely no fun. I have been bored too death. We were shooting this product in which we needed to enhance the sleekness of the product, we felt that the product was looking fat, and were discussing whether we can ‘enhance’ that sleekness through Photoshop or something.

It suddenly dawned on me, how similar thing would be happening while shooting models or film actor / actresses. In fact, people who are in Media or Communication would know how each and every commercial picture is enhanced and ‘modified’ – that flawless skin, such perfect hair (even a strand of hair gone astray can be corrected)! But sometimes, I think people cross the limit. I remember, I had seen Rani Mukherjee on the Cover Page of a popular women’s magazine. It was clearly visible that the picture was ‘airbrushed’. Rani’s head and body were looking mismatched and she was looking far too thin. Read the article on 'Airbrushing the Photographs.'

It is really unfair for all the innocent people around who don’t know that the perfect picture that they see in glossies is really not the true picture. Many women buy what these magazines try to sell, an unreal picture of perfect beauty!

So, gym can really wait till tomorrow, or may be the day after J

Image Courtesy: Telegraph.co.uk

Pet woes!

With all due respects to all the people who have pets, I am really against the idea. Please people, don’t be judgmental. I have nothing against those poor animals (if I may say so!), they are fine…but only in other people’s homes who are strangers and in homes I do not need to go. I have atleast 2 friends who have Pet dogs. They can be forever assured that I would never give them any surprise visit. I would always call up before landing on their place, that too very discreetly. I tip-toe to their main door, press the bell and hide inside the lift, until I’m completely assured of my safety (the pets locked up safely inside one of the rooms). I do feel sorry for them. In fact, I have even offered that I be locked in a room and let them roam around, but in any case, some distance is essential for my health.

Everyone keeps pestering me and telling me that their darling pet would not do anything. They don’t understand. It does not have to ‘do’ anything to scare me. I am just paranoid about them.

Besides, there is a practical reason why I do not like pets. I cannot stand their hair (I’m talking about dogs and cats) everywhere and on everything around the house. I too feel all lovey-dovey from a distance, but I’m not too keen on playing with them, they jumping all over me.

It is almost like a habit for me now. My friends just have to live with it. Poor guys!

The Weekend that Was!

I don’t know whether this weekend was a good one for me or a real bad one. It is all perceptual you see. So what happened?

• My Weekend started with the rashes on my wrist looking filthier (Yuck!) which did wonders for my spirit.
• I fell from scooty, when I was lost in my day dreams and suddenly got accosted with a big, unexpected pot hole. Good thing is I got minor bruises on my hand and knee, and I also got pampering and TLC from my hubby…so it was not that bad actually. Thankfully, I always wear helmet. I was so mad while coming back at the condition of the road that I hurled a lot of abuses to the Corporation.
• We had great fun watching ‘Hostel’ together with friends on TV. Although a gruesome movie, thankfully, all such scenes were cut.
• Dinner was lavish, for we and our next door friends decided to have it together, so it turned out to be bonanza……hmmmm….. Sumptuous!
• Finally on Sunday morning we went to the Gym. I’m going to be steer clear of weights, because I know I will not be able to be regular. So I just want to stick to cardio. We also planned how we will go cycling once the roads are all done. Dreams!
• We finally saw “Ice Age 3” and I slept somewhere in the middle. It was OK and since I have not seen any of the earlier ones, may be that could be the reason of my boredom.
• I had lofty plans of joining Driving school, but all went into the drain as I hurt my plan and my spirit plummeted to a new low!
• Next 2 days are going to be hectic, as I have to attend Product Shoots and also complete all the follow ups with all the vendors, give some approvals, negotiate some rates…….woooh!
• Pune is really a laid back city in all sense, even the professionalism is a little laid back. When I was in Mumbai, we were trained to be on our toes for whatever Client asked for; in Pune, despite being on the Client side, I have to be on toes with my Vendors (read agencies). People really have some high notions here. The kind of work agencies pass on to Clients would have been unimaginable for us in our ad agency in Mumbai. And after that, they have guts to cross-question us!

I remember, how we had been told that you have to be smarter than the Client. You must know all that is to know about their brand in order to inspire confidence in Client. Ah! Mumbai is definitely in different league when it comes to professionalism!

· Today I tried some fast cooking with my brand new Microwave. It is really quick. You just microwave your veggies for couple of minutes and then sauté. It really saves a lot of time.

· This week is going to be special…..won’t tell right now. Work is going to be as usual. I am looking forward to Rakhi and till now, not sure what to gift the bestest brother in the whole world J

Tag Here!

I really have no clue about this 'tags' business, nevertheless, since Smita has tagged me, here I go!

A – Available/Single? Happily Married :)

B – Best friend? No single Best Friend, couple of very good Friends

C – Cake or Pie? Cake!!!

D – Drink of choice?Tea! Tea! Tea!

E – Essential item you use every day?Vaseline

F – Favorite colour? Fuchsia, Yellow, Red, Black, Blue..............so many of them

G – Gummy Bears Or Worms? Eeeeeks! Neither

H – Hometown?Jamshedpur

I – Indulgence?Books. Hands down!

J – January or February? January :) Hubby's Birth month

K – Kids & their names?What Kids? None

L – Life is incomplete without? Love

M – Marriage date? 3rd December

N – Number of siblings? 1 Big Brother

O – Oranges or Apples? I have equal dislike for both

P – Phobias/Fears? All kinds of insects, all kinds of birds and animals...ya, that includes human beings too

Q – Quote for today? My Quote for everyday: ‘I Know but one Freedom, that is Freedom of the Mind.’

R – Reason to smile? Love, Family, Friends….Life!

S – Season? Panchvan mausam pyaar ka………………..

T – Tag 3 People? Well, let’s see

U – Unknown fact about me? That I'm a cleanliness freak, everything has to be in place, picture-perfect all-the time!

V – Vegetable you don't like? Karela, Lauki

W – Worst habit? That I'm a cleanliness freak, everything has to be in place, picture-perfect all-the time!

X – X-rays you've had? I don't have any X-ray

Y – Your favorite food? Indian home-cooked food

Z – Zodiac sign? Taurus: the Bull

And here's the Award for successfully completing this Tag:

So now, you too have a chance to be a Proud Member of the 'International Bloggers Community'. Here are the Rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Copy the image above, the rules and the questionnaire in this post.
3. Post this in one or all of your blogs.
4. Answer the four questions following these Rules.
5. Recruit at least seven (7) friends on your Blog Roll by sharing this with them.
6. Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List.
7. Have Fun!

Questions & Your Answers:
1. The person who tagged you: Smita
2. His/her site's title and url: Books, Life and More; URL: http://books-life-n-more.blogspot.com
3. Date when you were tagged: 24th July '09
4. Persons you tagged:

Life...

Writing Unofficially Official

Embellishing my Thought Process

Varun's Digital Diary

Knowin' Life

Candid Talk

Wilson's Blog

Finally, done.... (some formatting has gone for a Toss though)

Sach Ka Samna

OK how many of you have seen “Sach Ka Samna”. Well, although I’ve given up watching anything on TV except say reruns of FRIENDS and movies; when I read that Rajiv is going to ask Kambli as to whether he always knew the names of all the women he has slept with…..I knew I am gonna watch it. ‘Sach Ka Samna’ is Reality TV at its best, another Indian cousin of American original – ‘Sach Ka Samna’ caters to that part of us wherein we always look for a scandal or some spicy news. It is entertainment with shock value. Who knows, whether all those answers are really correct. These days I do not trust Television at all. Everything can be made up, and so many people are game to let themselves be part such controversies.

I think Rajiv is doing a decent job, better than he ever did in his claim to fame “Kahin to Hoga”.

I have been reading that next Urvashi Dholakia of ‘Kasauti Zindagi Ki’ fame is going to brave Rajiv’s questions. Now I hear it has created quite a furore in Rajya Sabha as well, apparently the content is not fit for unrestricted viewing. Read Here.

Image Courtesy: Sify

Mera Kuchh Samaan Tumhare Paas Pada Hai

Yesterday I was again late from office (8 pm in Pune is late by the way). So, after some timepass on net, some in couple of magazines, and the rest in chatting on phone; I finally got on to making dinner at 9.15. The good thing is that I smartly get the veggies cooked in the morning by my maid, so I just make chapattis, which is not a big thing actually.

Well, anyways, my hubby was back from his Table Tennis / Pool game, and was about to put some of his mindless, meaningless, Punjabi foot-tapping kind of music in full blast. I was quick to demand that I want to listen to some soulful music (read slow, luxurious, lazy, ghazal kind of songs). I asked for Ijaazat’s ‘Mera Kuchh Saaman’. In such cases, I either go for Arth, Ijaazat, Saath-Saath or Ghar – my all time favourites.

I have always been a fan of Gulzar’s poetry –ethereal, earthy and poignant. Particularly, in this song, he makes the pain of the lover come alive with his words, as a listener you cannot help but empathize with her. This song has a very nostalgic quality to it; it just transfers you into that 70s era. It is just the kind of song that you would want to listen to in a mushy, rainy day; while sipping tea and thinking about all the things you have lost.

Here are the lyrics to one of the most beautiful renditions of Asha Bhosle, of all times. I can listen to it again and again for n number of times.

Mera kuch saamaan tumhare paas pada hai -2

saavan ke kuch bheege bheege din rakhe hain

aur mere ik khat main lipti raat padi hai

vo raat bhulaa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2

mera kuch saamaan tumhaare paas pada hai - 2

patjhad hai kuch ... hai na ?

o ! patjhar main kuch patton ke girne kee aahat

kaanon main ek baar pahan ke laut aai thee

patajhad kee vo saakh abhi tak kaanp rahi hai

vo saakh gira do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2

ek akeli chhataree main jab aadhe aadhe bheeg rahe the - 2

aadhe sookhe aadhe geele, sukha to main le aaye thee

geela man shayad bistar ke paas pada hovo bhijwa do,

mera vo saamaan lauta do

ek so sola chaand ki ratein, ek tumhare kaandhe ka til - 2

geeli mehendi ki khushbu, jhoot mooth ke shikwe kuch

jhooth mooth ke wade sab yaad karaa do

sab bhijwa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2

ek ijaazat de do bas, jab isako dafanaaungee

main bhi vaheen so jaungee

main bhi vaheen so jaungee

When I listen to this song, I think of a crazy, effervescent and young Anuradha Patel, hill station, rains, Rekha’s romantic voice, hot tea, 1970s, waiting room of a station, warmth, cozy evenings, Asha Bhosle’s voice, the depth in the lyrics, pain which is sweet…….and everything romantic and beautiful!

Looking the Part

Yesterday had an argument with my dearest mother. On what? Well, my mother thinks I have really not learnt anything from her. Why this judgement? Simply because despite being married, I do not wear either Mangal sutra or Bindi or Bangles or toe-rings, whatever! Even the sindoor I wear is just not enough. It is hardly visible. My mother is a firm believer of ‘looking’ the part. In fact, I don’t even know why I started putting onSindoor. I like red actually, it brightens up anything. So, I started putting sindoor because it added colour to my face.

She thinks I’m trying to act oh-so modern. But I don’t really believe in ‘wearing’ marriage on my sleeve. To me, marriage is not so superficial.

Mum tries to reason with me saying that wearing all these is an expression on celebration of marriage. But I am definitely not buying it!

Marriage to me is extremely liberating. It means that you acknowledge the presence of someone special in your life and you want to spend the rest of your life with him. It does not mean you are somebody’s property now, it means when you go ahead and realize your dreams, there is someone who would be there behind you to support you, to share your joys and show you the right path.

With due respect to all the people from mum’s generation, I think they are too stuck up on these inconsequential details and lose the real essence. Marriage is really not the devil that it is made out to be, you just need to meet the right person ;)

The Return of Bridget Jones

The buzz is that Bridget Jones – III is in the pipeline. I absolutely loved the first part – both book and the movie. But, the second part was a little drag. In this one, Bridget is supposed to be trying to have a baby. I am sure it will turn out to be something on the lines of Ben Elton’s The Inconceivable. 'The Inconceivable' is a hilarious book on how a couple is desperately trying to have a baby, and in the attempt the situations get funny, even ludicrous. Do check out this book if you like humour.

Coming back to Bridget, I am sure all women connected with her insecurities, despair and self-pity because we have all gone through this sometime or the other. Since ‘weight’ is such an all-pervading and sensitive issue with every single woman in this world; no matter which part of the world you are in, if you are a woman, you surely empathized with Bridget.

I don’t know how this third part would be but the trend has been that sequels generally do not live upto their originals. The basic reason is that the first part is a fresh idea, while the sequels are all something which you are trying (even forcibly) to cash on to your one bright idea! Well, let’s see. I am surely looking forward to it.

Image courtesy: BBC News

Road-ies

While going to office today, I was perplexed by the condition of the roads. It is a 25 minutes ride to my office, and thanks to the Corporation, it is really a challenge to be able to reach office safely. Of course, the daily to and fro trips are slowly taking its toll on my back (with all the jerks) but it is inevitable.

I truly believe if you have driven on Indian roads, you can drive anywhere in the world. It is not only the condition of roads that is to be blamed; actually everything works in perfect harmony.

• The road will be perpetually under construction
• If it has rained for sometime, driving can become adventure sports for you would not know which hole is how much deep and you would have enough exercise dodging the holes, garbage that has over flown on the roads and a lot of actual mud slinging.
• There will be vehicle coming from all sides. As my brother says, in India, when you are crossing road you should not only look in the direction of Traffic, look at the opposite side and the front too. You never know from which side a vehicle would be speeding to your side.
• There will be animals walking leisurely on the road like dogs, cats, cows, buffaloes, etc, etc.
• Right when you would find a vacant stretch of road and you would slightly increase your speed with confidence, from somewhere a kid will cross the road running, causing you a momentary heart-attack and unbalancing you for next couple of seconds.
• State Transport Corporation buses would move on the roads as if they own it, and incompliance to this unwritten diktat can cause anything between major discomforts to accidents.
• People behind you would keep honking horns at you, even if there would not be any space to move ahead.
• If you don’t let people behind you get ahead of you, you will be subjected to all kinds of verbal abuses.
• Most of the secluded, under-construction roads will not have street lights

By the way, our Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Kamal Nath says that next decade will be of Infrastructure. I am all for it!

My Cup of Tea

I am almost obsessed by Tea. When I was a kid, mum would try her best to dissuade me from getting on this habit but somehow it fascinated me even more (yes, people get fascinated by something like Tea also). Sometimes, I would not be satisfied by just one cup, I will go and make another cup all over again.

Thankfully, I never got the habit of Morning Tea. It is bad for health to drink tea in empty stomach, especially first thing in the morning. But yeah, I love having it when my hubby sometimes gets up very early and make his special Tea.

Sometimes I also have lemon Tea or black tea when I had had too much during the day. I plan to slowly move to Green Tea as well, but that can wait for sometime. It tastes so different that it does not feel like Tea at all!

I like Tea in big coffee mugs. I have different kind of coffee mugs - some gifted by me to my hubby, and some by him to me, and some freebies. A coffee mug is special to me too. It is like your identity. Your coffee / tea mug tells a lot about you.

People think I’m crazy. I even ‘cheers’ with my cup of Tea, when everyone else is downing wine, rum or some kind of alcohol. By the way, I really think all types of alcohol is highly over-rated. I cannot stand even the smell!

In my world, I am happy with my cup of Tea.

Image Courtesy: Shutterstock Images

Rain dance

Amidst the sound of hubby kicking the plastic football, keeping my fingers crossed on what he is going to break and the soundtrack of ‘Dhan Ta Nen’ from Kaminey, I’m back for just a quick post.

It looks as if rains are finally here. I am not too fond of rains because I just haaaatttttttteeee getting wet. I like drizzle, so you enjoy rain and not get wet! But since we will be practically handicapped without water, so I will do that much sacrifice for the sake of humankind ;-)

I got wet while going to office and again on my way back. Got wet again when I went to friend’s place close by, and yet again while coming back….Ugghh!

Well, but I do love getting cozy inside a blanket on a rainy day, sipping garama garam tea and reading a good book. It is the ultimate fascination of any book lover. I would also love a drive on a beautiful rainy day (not the heavy rains though).

Rains mean water, greenery, blankets, hot adrak-wali chai, pakode, lush-green fields, rain-coats, and so much more!And I do love looking at water pouring in from my balcony, but not a step outside.

Car-mic connections

Sometimes, unanticipated, little things bring smile on your face.....read this cheeky line at the back of a car (could not stop from smiling):

"Not so close dear, I hardly know you"

Random thoughts at Random

I used to be music freak, you know the usual, collating songs, listening to songs day in and day out, every waking hour tuned in to Radio. I have been a decent singer myself. My mum would diligently watch Indian Idols and Sa Re Ga Mas and keep wishing that I would also go for auditions! Without a Training? No chance, man.

But anyways, I love my piece…err..r..r peace of mind much more than crowding every moment of my waking hour with the ridiculous blabbering of some stupid RJ. While going to office (a good 25 minutes) or cooking, I like to think. And sometimes thoughts are funny, eccentric, ridiculous, emotional or just a wild one.

· I have evolved a lot in the august company of my husband. I have learnt to let go a lot of things. Sometimes it feels amusing how we keep on saying that we will always be same. Nobody can ever be same, that’s the thing about life! Every relationship is continuously evolving –whether with parents, with siblings, with friends and especially with your spouse / loved one. It would be boring to be same forever.

· I am planning to learn driving. Since I have never done it, I won’t admit but I am a little scared. You can manage a 2-wheeler if somebody suddenly takes a wrong turn, or somebody gets in your way or even when you get lost in some thoughts; but it scares me how would I handle a car in such situations! But then I look at people driving on the road – I feel, if this girl or that guy can drive then why can’t I! To come to think of it, kids below 18 also easily drive, and millions of people drive around the world. It can’t be that tough really!

· The season of birthdays and anniversaries have begun. On 3^rd July, we celebrated Birthday of one of our close friends, and we gave him a remote-controlled toy car. By the looks of him, he surely loved it. You cannot go wrong with guys on this one – 99% of the times they love remote-controlled cars, etc, or some Games or some gizmos.

Personally, I love giving gifts and I feel exhilarated when my thoughtful gifts are appreciated. It is a wonderful feeling.

Yesterday it was the same friend’s marriage anniversary and we gifted wine glasses. I think it was a smashing idea by one of our other friends. One of their wine glasses got bumped off recently. Can’t have given anything better than that. Mementos, Show-pieces are really wastage of money. In fact, I had also got a smart Baggit wallet from all of them. It was really thoughtful.

Right now I am planning to send a nice book to one of my friends for her birthday. I’m sure she would love it. It feels so nice to bring that smile on the person’s face whom you love.

· I’m planning for a long, long time now to make hard copies of selected pictures. Since the time Digital cameras have been introduced in the market, we have forgotten the importance of looking at albums on a cozy, rainy day. Soft copies can never match the joy of holding a picture in your hands. So, I will do it pretty soon. In fact, I’m planning to get a place done specially for albums and pictures.

· I have started planning what to gift for our second anniversary. Right now, I’m jus making notes. But one gift will definitely be personalized. Like in our first anniversary, I gifted him pictures of our time together. It is lovely to wake upto these pictures. Priceless! So, second one has to better that.

· Recently, I read a lovely poem. Can’t help putting it here (really want to know who has written such soulful words)

Koi tumse pooche, kaun hoon main,

Tum keh dena "koi khaas nahi".

Hawa ka ek suhana jhonkha hai,

Kabhi nazuk toh kabhi tufaano sa.

Sakal dekh kar jo nazrein jhuka le,

Kabhi apna toh kabhi begaano sa.

Zindgi ka ek aisa humsafar,

Jo samandar hai, par dil ko pyaas nahi.

Koi tumse pooche kaun hoon main,

Tum keh dena "koi khaas nahi".

Ek saathi jo ankahi kuch baatein keh jaata hai,

Yaadon me jiska ek dhundhla chehra reh jaata hai.

Yun toh uske na hone ka kuch gam nahin,

Par kabhi-kabhi aankho se ansu ban ke beh jaata hai.

Yuh rehta woh mere tassavur me hai,

Par in aankho ko uski talaash nahi.

Koi tumse pooche, kaun hoon main,

Tum keh dena koi khaas nahin....!!"

· I used to write poems when I was in school, simple ones, nothing great. I also wrote a little bit in college. But now, totally given up. I especially love, such simple hindi poetry. I had one complete diary of my poems Don’t have it any more. It was not worth saving. I have always written my own lines, whenever I have made personalized cards for my friends. I have none of those with me now, but at that point of time, it used to feel apt.

· It is drizzling outside, hubby is gone for pool or Table Tennis, and although I planned to read a book, but I’m sure once I get up from here, I would be cleaning, re-cleaning, organizing, re-organizing things. But today, I will definitely finish ‘Feast of Roses’. And again I’m dying to buy a few more books.

· By the way, I have completed 5 years of blogging. It is all here. Getting introduced to Blogging, running to computer lab and documenting my life, getting placed, life at my first job and first acquaintance with Mumbai, moving to Pune, getting married – everything is right here. Sometimes I read my old posts and re-live those moments. It feels good to be here. I will again quote one of favourite lines:

‘I tend to live in the Past (read Blog), for most of my life is there.’