The K Kingdom

I know that they are currently one of the most talked about people in our film industry but no, this title is not inspired by either of KJo or Ekta Kapoor.

It’s about the kingdom which has been created and cleverly ruled by the three most desired Khans of Hindi cinema. They have ruled our senses and emotions for over more than two decades and at least one of them has tickled the fantasies of every girl and woman in our country or been a heroic macho figure for boys and men.

Salman Khan has single handedly driven the gym industry in our country and literally pumped up the image of Indian men which otherwise was pictured with pot bellies, hint of boobs and of course acres of hair (and by hair I do not mean those on the head). SRK has epitomized romance even in the dull lives of middle class eves. He has occupied the imaginations of men and women with equal penchant with every girl secretly wishing to get wooed by a man like SRK and every boy desiring to be a charming lover like him. Aamir Khan has very astutely weaved a thinking genre in Hindi movies. He has constantly stirred our emotions and pinched our souls to ponder over issues which are obliviously ignored by us as a nation together. Not to forget his efforts of converting kissing in our movies from Haw to Wah (of course the legacy is well carried forward by Emraan Hashmi and several other actors now). From Juhi, Karishma, Sonali and Rani, Aamir has sealed every actress’s lips, quite literally.

Binding these men together is one common factor – Khan. Apart from this there is nothing similar in their approach towards their work, life or common junta like us.

My first memory of Salman is from the movie Maine Pyaar Kiya released in 1989. I was barely six years old then. I have come a long way from being a toddler to being a writer but the magic of Salman still remains the same. Of course now his shirts have come off his body and most of his ex girl friends are married to someone else. But there is something genuine about his affection and warmth which draws people towards him; people who otherwise can only relate to him on the silver screens. The name Prem gained a lofty meaning with his portrayal as against the image of a rapist played by Prem Chopra. This brat of Hi-Fi has swept all hearts on small screen with Dum of his uncanny wits and become the Boss in no time. Are baba, Hi-Fi is what this bad boy prefers to call Bollywood…a short version for Hindi Films. Well this handsome hunk isn’t all about looks. What say ladies?

Dimpled cheeks, ruffled hair and a stammering voice – This isn’t a description which you would like to fall in love with but this is a man who has redefined love and romance like no one else has done before. Anyone who watched Circus and Fauji wouldn’t have thought that this guy with his boyish charm would one day rule our entertainment industry. If it was not love then most certainly it was the idea of falling in love which filled every girl’s eyes with dreams and churned her stomach with anxiety every time a Raj or Rahul came sizzling on 70mm screen with SRK. His conviction and passion made his meta-physical presence also felt by the throbbing hearts of teenagers. He was the first hero in mid 90s who portrayed negative shades in movies like Darr, Bazigar, Anjaam and Ram Jaane and won millions of hearts with his effervescence. He was the first male actor to appear in a Lux soap ad (all other Lux ads have leading beauties like Sridevi, Kareena, Hema Mailini etc) and seduce women. His six pack abs in Om Shanti Om made a statement in Hindi film industry almost burgeoning a trend. He has constantly explored men’s sexuality and titillated the fantasies of women with his quirky acts. It is no less than a magic how a young lad without an enviable body and killing looks has climbed the ladder of success and fame. From TVs to movies to ads, cricket and entrepreneurship, SRK has discovered many ways to keep millions of hearts hooked on to him even while he is knocking on the doors of 50.

If it wasn’t for his thoughtful mind and brooding disposition then Hindi cinema and the audience at large would have been devoid of some of the most exciting and thought provoking movies of our time. He began his career as a child artist but over the years this chocolate boy has transformed his image to think tank in an industry which mainly thrives on glamour and good looks, not that he is devoid of either. Aamir Khan is a brand which effuses intelligence, perfection and of course innovation. He has been experimental not only in his looks but also in the subject of his movies. Be it a retro theme based on pre-independence era or the current issues of patriotism and scams or sensitivity towards children, this man knows it all. His characters of Munna (Rangeela) and Rancho (3 Idiots) have got etched in our memories forever. Every time you watch his movies you start questioning yourself and wonder why you hadn’t thought about these issues in such a manner. Nothing seems to lessen his charm whether it was his nasty divorce with his first wife or his alleged interference with the film makers or his abstinence from the social circuits of film industry especially the awards. Such is the aura of this man that people from all class of society are in awe of him. Be it sporting his Ghajini hairstyle, stylish goatee from DCH or his iconic rings from Ghulam, his style has stuck with people and moved the so called callous species of politicians too. Well whoever said that good things come in small package surely knew his words.

Salman, SRK and Aamir will continue to inspire, arouse and ignite various areas of our minds but as for now these three Khans are the pioneers of our Indian Cinema and it is very likely that they would continue to rule the roost for many generations to come. So cheers to them for propelling this saga of entertainment and infusing in us the dreams of romanticism and belief that one day some Prem, Rahul, Raj or Rancho would make everything alright as someone said “..if it’s not happy, it’s not the end..” :D

Scramble in a Valley - III...Down Under

“Out of sight, out of mind” is a well known proverb and hence it’s that time of my blog when I need to recall the techie in me and press the F5 buttons on your brains’ keyboards. In my earlier posts (Scramble in a Valley – I, II) I had introduced the much urbane Indian babe called Natasha who had brewed her own flavor for life and was determined to find a taste in it. Let’s see if she is enjoying this flavor or not.

The sun was beaming after a long time and Natasha couldn’t prevent her heart from yearning to go out into the streets of Melbourne city. Mere feeling of warm sun rays on her skin made her feel joyous, so before the sun could change its mind she pulled up a pair of black jeans and zipped up her jacket to go out.

Oh! btw guys, did I tell you that Natasha flew to Sydney two months ago due to her recent onsite appointment from work. So how did she land up in Melbourne? Well, well just hang on there and read ahead to figure this out yourselves ;)

As Natasha got down from her apartment she was welcomed by the gust of wind which felt nothing short of a tight slap on her face. “Ouch!” Natasha murmured within herself and prodded ahead. Even though it was mid December Melbourne was still cold and the wind chill only made it bit more uncomfortable. Technically this part of the year is supposed to greet spring season but the grey skies were still dominating the city most of the time. Natasha wondered if she should hire a taxi but then she didn’t have any particular place in mind to go. She just wanted to walk in the city and enjoy the sunshine.

A few meters ahead there was a traffic signal so Natasha stopped there waiting for the walk signal to go green. Normally these signals turn green within a minute’s wait but today it was still red even after couple of minutes. Natasha began to fidget with her jacket pocket and even had the urge to dodge the traffic and cross road. At this point she was wondering about the easiness of crossing roads in India and the numerous dodges, which make one feel as though crossing road is a Kabaddi game. Nevertheless she pulled herself out of her thoughts and walked ahead. As she entered the CBD area a tiny smile appeared on her face. CBD was one part of the Australian cities which always buzzed with life and showed signs of human population which is almost difficult to find on their roads dominated with cars and cars and cars. Two wheelers are a rare category found here.

Having walked couple of kilometers by now Natasha wanted to sip something hot to thaw her body so she entered into a coffee shop and ordered for a cup of cappuccino. While her order was being serviced she noticed that most of the people in the coffee shop were having black coffee without sugar, mere thought of which made her sick in the stomach.

“One regular Cappuccino” shouted the girl from the counter. Natasha picked up her coffee and found a sunny spot outside the shop to sit. Hot coffee in mild sunshine and cold breeze was just what she needed at that point of time to feel comforted.

“Excuse me! Are you from India?” A voice came from right behind her back. Natasha turned around to find a young girl about her age dressed modestly in a pair of blue jeans and white top. She had her hair tightly pulled back into a small ponytail, though Natasha could tell from her look that her jet black hair was silky and soft when treated more leniently.

“Yes, I am” replied Natasha while thinking all this. The girl handed over a pamphlet to her with a faint smile. Before Natasha could ask anything that girl disappeared into thin air. She at once had the urge to throw away the pamphlet but couldn’t find a bin around. So she crushed it into a small clumsy ball and slipped it into her jacket pocket. Suddenly her phone rang. She looked at it and saw some unknown number calling. She didn’t want to pick it up but on second thoughts answered the phone just to realize it was customer care from her phone service. They had called up to ask some routine questions. After she hung up she realized that it was almost 4 hours since she had left the apartment and now she was beginning to feel a little hungry. So she grabbed a sandwich on her way back home.

By the time she returned back to her apartment she was very tired and wanted to hit the bed. She felt too lazy to go and change so she parked herself on the couch in the living room and switched on the heater for a while. She pulled a blanket over her, kept on the side, and tried closing her eyes. Something suddenly pricked her on the side of her belly. She got up immediately and checked her jacket to find that crumbled pamphlet. She straightened it out and stretched her hand to place it on the side table but the image on it grabbed her attention. She saw picture of Jagjit Singh, the famous ghazal singer, on the paper. She scanned it completely and found that a Jagjit Singh concert was happening in this city on the coming Friday night. Her mind raced faster. She had always wanted to attend Jagjit Singh’s ghazal concert since long but could never make it happen. Now that she was miles away from her country she couldn’t let this opportunity slip out of her hand. She made up her mind to attend the concert mostly because she loved Jagjit Singh’s ghazals and also because she was alone in the city and didn’t have much plans to keep herself occupied.

She made a phone call on number printed on the pamphlet and bought a ticket using her credit card. She eagerly waited for the whole week to pass by. On Friday evening she wore a lavender colour dress and matched it up with a pair of pearl earrings of the same hue. Then she slipped into her stilettos and saw herself in the mirror. She was very pleased with the way she was looking. She had always felt confident about her dressing sense and this was one occasion which bolstered her belief. Feeling all pumped up about the evening she left her apartment. She hopped into the taxi waiting for her downstairs and reached the concert venue just on time.

She entered the ground where the show was to happen. It was bubbling with Indians all around though few firangs could also be spotted occasionally. She looked at her ticket and found her seat number. It was somewhere in the middle of the ground. Though she didn’t like the view from her seat she was happy to be there that night. Within some time the concert began. Seeing Jagjit Singh live and attending his concert was too exciting for her. One after the other Jagjit Singh sang all his famous ghazals, some from the movies and some from his albums. She was thoroughly enjoying the renditions when suddenly her eyes fell on a girl who was seated two rows ahead of her, almost at a diagonal distance. She couldn’t believe she was looking at Piya. That girl had the same face and same looks, but how could she be Piya? Wasn’t Piya out of town for 10 days? At least that’s what she had told Natasha.

Piya was Natasha’s friend from college who was living in Melbourne and had invited her to spend Christmas and New Year eve with her. And that’s how our girl Natasha landed up in Melbourne. Natasha suddenly recalled the conversation she had with Piya when she had landed up at her apartment in Melbourne a week ago.

“Hey Natasha, am glad to see you. You look great” Piya said this while greeting Natasha with a warm hug.

“Thanks Piya. Firstly for inviting me to your beautiful place and secondly for your generous compliments”

“Oh! Come on. Don’t be formal now. Make yourself comfortable”

“Thanks again. I sure will”

“Oh btw Natasha, I got a call from my work this morning and unfortunately something urgent has come up. I might have to travel out of the city for ten days. I am sorry this is all happening now”

“Oops! That’s sad. But don’t you worry. I can arrange for myself in some hotel. You can carry on with your work” Natasha said this while feeling totally taken aback by what Piya had told her just now.

“Oh! No. I didn’t mean that. You do not have to go anywhere. This is your place. I just mean that I would be gone for 10 days so I wouldn’t be able to spend time with you but I promise I would be back after Christmas and we'll have a rocking time then” Piya replied immediately.

“City is just walking distance from this place so you roam around there. Shop, eat and enjoy your time. Once I am back we’ll have fun” Piya added this not to sound too rude.

“Are you sure” Natasha asked hesitatingly.

“Cent per cent” Piya replied

“Alright then. You carry on. I shall see you after ten days”

“Sure” Piya said with a smile.

This was the last conversation Natasha had with Piya after which Piya had left for the airport. Natasha was now no more concentrating on Jagjit Singh or his ghazals. All she could think was Piya and their conversation. She was feeling sad and betrayed and now uninvited to this concert, evening and the city. Everything seemed to make her feel unwanted. “Why did Piya lie to me? Why did she leave me alone at her apartment?” Natasha’s mind was full of these questions and more. She was angry with Piya but more with herself for being such a naïve. She wanted to leave Melbourne immediately. She left the concert half way through and made way to Piya’s apartment. By the time she reached home she was less angry but more puzzled. She decided to confront Piya about all this and hence dropped her plans to go back to Sydney. Piya was coming back on Sunday evening which was just a day away.

Perplexed by the turn of events that evening Natasha decided to calm herself and think about something soothing. She decided to watch a movie at home. With all the excitement of Jagjit Singh and shock of seeing Piya, Natahsa had almost forgotten that she hadn’t had her dinner. So she got up and made some nice maggie noodles for herself and began to watch “No One Killed Jessica”. She always liked watching suspense and murder mysteries. As the evening grew into night, Natasha got lost into the movie and even forgot what had happened few hours ago.

For now she was really enjoying the hot maggie and Hindi movie combination but what would happen when she meets Piya on Sunday evening? Will Natasha forget everything and spend a happy New Year eve with Piya or will she question Piya about her fabricated story?

Well life has its unique way of surprising us and unfurling events which are best understood with time. So let’s give some time to Natasha and wait for her to share more about this mystery. Till then you folks enjoy and have some good time.

Anjaane Pal

इतना कुछ गुज़र गया की एक सदी सा प्रतीत होता हैं
दिल कभी खुश तो कभी दुखी सा हो जाता हैं
जाने किस क्षण में जिंदगी यूं बदल सी जाये
पराये अपने और अपने पराये से बन जाये
हर लम्हे का इंतज़ार फिर भी ये दिल करता हैं
अनजाने पलों में जैसे कुछ जाना पहचाना सा ढूंढता हैं.

इन खोये हुएँ लम्हों को आज मैं खुद में सिमट लुंगी
तुम्हारे अक्स में अपनी तमाम तनहाइयाँ छुपा लुंगी
तो क्या हुआ जो तुम लौट गए किसी और की यादों में
आँसूं बन के ही सही, तुम रहोगे हमेशा मेरी पलकों पे
तुम्हारे एहसास से मेरा रोम-रोम अभी भी सिहर जाता है
अनजाने पलों में जैसे कुछ जाना पहचाना सा ढूंढता हैं.

वक़्त के फेरो में जिंदगी इस तरह अचानक आगे निकल गयी
की लगता है शायद मैं इस दौड़ में कहीं पीछे छूट गयी
जहाँ कभी दिल में एक उम्मीद की लौ जला करती थी
वहाँ अब उसकी सिमटी हुई कुछ धुंधली सी परछाई है
घबरायी हुई साँसों को दिल अब यूँ सहमते हुए पुकारता है
अनजाने पलों में जैसे कुछ जाना पहचाना सा ढूंढता हैं.

NEWS - Never Ending Worldly Saga

Twenty eleven began on a high note
When Shweta Tiwari received maximum vote,
She created history in Bigg Boss’s finale,
Defeated Khali to emerge first winning belle.
Rani and Vidya offered a double bonanza
And mesmerized people in No one killed Jessica,
They doled out high voltage performance,
Lashed Manu Sharma for his mindless insolence.

While Manu’s crime lived decade away from penalty
Little Aarushi still awaits her killer’s identity.
Fate sealed her life at tender fourteen,
Tearing apart her body and shattering her dreams.
Slackness of police agonizes our minds
Talwar or Hemraj, who slashed the bubbling life?
A story of shock, shame and revelation
Her murder filled our hearts with disgust for the criminal.

To beat the blues and queues of mobile number phones
Manmohan inaugurated the system of single number zone.
Now flirt with services of Vodafone, Airtel and Reliance
Swing between these with just one number’s exuberance.
Religion and status would become a thing of past
When each Indian would have identification with Aadhar.
Creating billion identities with dozen numbers combinations
UID would become a success in every Indian’s cognizance.

 Amidst so much of glory there were some shocks too
The legacy of Kirana gharana witnessed a misfortune.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi left for his heavenly abode
Exemplifying how to love and travel on its testing roads.
Turning into a memory for his family, friends and admirers
He stood worthy of his stature accorded by the connoisseurs.
His renditions are immortal part of our music culture
Reminding us of excellence, perfection and dedicated gestures.

Mayhem in Kashmir and the hoopla over flag hoisting
Naturally occurring tragedies or politically driven scheming?
While onions and petrol have scored over in the race
Common man is beaten by the ruling party’s disgrace.
Yashwant Sonawane’s sincerity was mocked by inferno of petrol,
Fighting crime he was swallowed by underworld’s black hole.
Charred and unattended, his body was still and calm
Could this incite unrest into multimillion fuel scam?

 The magnanimity of events have overwhelmed my heart.
Feels like as era although it’s just the calendar start.
Nervousness, anxiety, happiness and confusion,
All dwell in my mind with equal determination.
Each moment is awaited with breath held within,
Hoping for TVs and newspapers to read fresh something.

Politicians and celebrities bequeath your power hunger,
Work in unison for a wonderful time of the future.
Such is a wish, a desire of a common man,
Created by R K Laxman, true reflection of our clan.

Scandals, Spies and Silver Screens

It is that time in our lives when we forget about the past and look forward for more zing and emphatic events in the future. Many of you have revolutionized the way I would be thought of in the times to come and while I am on the verge of winding up my last few chapters (as I look back) I can’t help but feel nostalgic about how some of you have made my journey so memorable. I have rummaged my grey cells to find out those to whom I would like to whisper few words of farewell before passing on the baton to my much vibrant and youthful heir – year 2011.

My tenure has not seen much ecstasy in our Indian film industry as most of the talked about movies bombed at the box office (BO). However there were a few movies which pumped life back into the panting Bollywood and gave it enough reason to stay bubbly and chirpy for my adieu. There are many contenders who hogged the limelight during my era but the ones who top my list for etching my names in the history will be well saluted here!

Oh by the way before you begin to yawn and switch off your brains thinking that my old mind is full of choking emotions, let me clarify that my farewell bid would be spicy and juicy with a hint of humor in it. So open your eyes, tune your minds and get set to read some tongue-in-cheek thoughts and some beans which will be spilled here, just for you.

Since the concept of remakes is catching up with many of our Bollywood directors, I too thought of presenting my vote of thanks in hatke manner with these remakes.

Love, Sex and Dhokha
Nityanand Swami! The name says it all. While the actual movie was born out of Ekta Kapoor’s production house, it would have had rung more cash at the BO with our sleaze guru in the lead. His acts of meditation, salvation and relaxation have done enough rounds on the TV channels and internet revealing his lustful life through the voyeuristic glimpses by his disciples. His love for his sex life was exposed by his associates who completed the trilogy of dhokha with their spying cameras. Of course this movie would also feature our famous Tamil actress who was jiving with Nityanand towards enlightenment (?!?!?!).

My Name is Khan
In the real world Julian Assange is the man of the moment who would fit well in the shoes of SRK and shout “My name is Assange and I am not a Rapist”. This man has sent the whole world in a state of frenzy with his disclosure of numerous official documents from various countries about their thoughts, strategies and views on matters of prime concerns. He has not only struck various leaders with his blizzard of confidential information but also put their intentions in a light which is bleak, suspicious and highly questionable. With some lilting music and eye tearing lyrics Assange could become one of the top grosser in Indian film industry with this charismatic appeal (why else would so many women claim to have slept with him?)

 I Hate Love Stories
Some links ups, some break ups and some hush-hush romances stirred along with some melodramatic weddings and lots of suaveness and oomph will surely make up for a paparazzi’s delight and if you throw in couple of grooving songs with breathtaking cinematography topped with sizzling dance numbers then a potboiler is guaranteed to hit the charts of Indian cinema. Tharoor-Sunaina, Sania-Shoaib and Dhoni-Sakshi grabbed headlines when they tied knots after their much publicized hunky-dory relationships. While Tharoor fought the political battle and impressed his lady love amidst the IPL brawl MSD took the whole world by surprise with his news of chat mangni and pat shaadi with his childhood sweetheart. Gyrating to the tunes of love and defying the acrimony of the two nations at loggerheads Sania Mirza broke up with her ex-fiancé and entered into wedlock with her cricketer beau despite much hoopla surrounding his marital status. I am sure these couples would ooze out more chemistry and oomph to set the silver screen on fire than the Imraan-Sonam’s jodi.

Dabangg
A corrupt cop with a history of strained family relationships and a coy desi belle to sing and dance belied everyone’s speculations and became the biggest blockbuster of my life. The other two things which have ensured that no one forgets me are A. Raja and Kalmadi with their 2G Spectrum and CWG scams respectively. In complete Dabangg manner these two showed no signs of guilt or remorse even after their acts of swindling crores of rupees have maligned their public images. Audaciously claiming to be oblivious of the misdeeds, the duo have become prominent political names. 2G Spectrum scored a bit higher and pipped the CWG scam to win the honor of becoming the political Dabangg starring the infamous Niira Radia in lead with A. Raja to woo the Indian cinemagoers. The influence which she exercised on media, businesses and political arena has catapulted her to the epitome of recognition ladder. She has become the latest heart throb of millions of websites and journalists who love to banter her and write about the shrewdness with which she worked her way into peoples’ life.

Pyaar Impossible
It can easily be called one of the most forgettable movies of my time because even the inclusion of hottie like Priyanka Chopra could not salvage the fate of the movie and of course sinking career of Uday Chopra. Ayodhya verdict was a bit contrary to this movie in terms of its impact on people but very well justifies its title. Fear of another Hindu Muslim riot had thronged the minds of entire nation when this verdict was expected to come out in October. Many states had their schools and offices closed for few days around this time to lessen any impact of the riot as it was taken for granted that there was no pyaar possible between the two religions if the court gives its results in favor of either. However playing smart and taking the path of a cupid, Ayodhya verdict came out supporting both the beliefs and eliminated any reason which would otherwise jeopardize blossoming of much possible pyaar between them. Add few patriotic songs and heart rendering scenes and you will get perfect recipe for a hit movie, thanks to our religion centric nation.

Phew…!!! Nah the list isn’t over yet, but I can already hear 2011 knocking loudly on my door. Guess it’s time to wrap up my memories and present a clean canvass for 2011 to paint pictures in its own style. With very little time on my hand and even less patience in your souls I would wind up my salutations now. Hope you have enjoyed every bit of your time with me and got worthy glimpse of news makers of my life.

Wish you all a wonderful time in 2011. Hope it is as charismatic and ebullient as I was ;)

Adieu folks!

To Social Addicts, with Love

Disclaimer:
All instances mentioned in this post are based on real people (whom I have met in the journey of my life) and there is nothing fictional about it. This post is not for those of you who are die-hard fans of networking and are living your lives through the much talked about web pages on the Internet. If you know how to live your life with a pinch of salt and can manage to look at its farcical aspects then you can enjoy the pricks and thorns attached with this post albeit in a good humor – Read, compare and laugh at yourself!

Dear Faceple & Tweeple,

Hope you are enjoying the dynamic life of your metaphysical electronic world and sharing some very insightful thoughts with its not-so-connected real section. I have always admired the unceasing enthusiasm with which you live and spread your infectious effervescence while clocking the time.

From past few days I have not being feeling well and I blame it all on you. With your unfading energy and much happening life my enthusiasm and optimism levels seems to have fallen below the quintessential mark and hence it’s now that I have decided to pour out some of my precious and highly confidential thoughts before you.

I have often wondered about the almost mass hysterical impact created by certain sudden phenomenal things in life. It seems as though we have all been born on earth with a single minded dedication to endorse that thing and eat, sleep and drink it with every passing moment of our life.

Few days back I was asked by a very dear friend of mine, via an email, if I was enjoying a good health or not. After my assurance that I was hale and hearty I became curious to know what made him worry about my health and his plain and unpretentious reply came as “You have not been active on Facebook for a while so I was wondering if you have fallen sick!”.

Someone had once said that the world is shrinking, but who knew that the wide network of webs will act as catalyst in further hastening this process. There are millions of websites on Internet today and now almost every tom-dick-harry can boast of a web page belonging to him and her!

I was under the impression that social networking sites were meant for connecting with our friends and keeping the concept of “keep-in-touch” alive in a less formal manner. But I was hopelessly wrong. My silly brain did not know that these websites are more casual form of “Aaj Tak” and need reporting of everything I do or think in my day – or I would be categorized as either orthodox, introvert, antisocial or a distasteful combination of all.

In your world one’s degree of affability is measured against how many friends you have on Facebook or how many people are following you on Twitter, whether you actually possess a charming personality with a pleasant demeanor is of course entirely immaterial. Suddenly the whole equation of relationships gets changed measured by your status on these websites. If you are seeing someone but are projected as single on Facebook, then it is only a matter of time when your love life would either get exposed to the world through some highly excited (read: bean spiller!) friend of yours or it would succumb to its natural death due to your inability to accept it in the public (so would your partner feel).

Don’t you dare think that this networking bug has infected only our social life. While Facebook and Twitter rule the roost in our social circles the corporate world isn’t far from being sabotaged. LinkedIn has opened up platform for people to display their professional credentials, achievements and aspirations in full public glare. For centuries what was considered personal and confidential is now being flaunted with a dash of arrogance. This website also allows you to massage your ego by showing off the recommendations from your colleagues, clients and bosses! Whether you are actually hard worker with passion to learn new things and are also focused and detailed oriented is again reduced to the puny status. Your recruiters are happy as long as their senses are cajoled with your recommendations oozing perfection (read: manipulations).

Some nincompoops are so smitten by social media that a day or two away from these would certainly put them on life saving ventilators. At times it becomes difficult to figure out whether people are actually dumb or are simply unaware of the absence of other people’s interest in their life. How else would you explain situations where they blurt out every single thought cropping up in their minds or slap every picture of their holidays and vacations on our face! I don’t care whether you went to Honolulu or Bermuda triangle with your girlfriend or bought a sexy dress at discounted price from DFO or had a new hair cut. How on earth would your home grown tomatoes or garden peas stir up my soul when a picture of your latest tequila shots in some glitzy pub could not invigorate my mind to say the least?

It is quite amusing when people report every breath that they take on such websites and then cry foul about the privacy issues haunting them. Gone are the good old days when mails or even emails formed the basis for exchanging pleasantries and a phone call would just be a gratifying event. If you have not wished your friends on their birthdays, anniversaries, promotions and weddings on these sites then you certainly don’t care for them! So what if you wished them in person, a public display of affection is a must to reaffirm your continuity in that relationship.

How much is too much is yet to be defined for majority of us especially for the class of people who aren’t yet clear about the boundaries of networking and bombarding!

While I am confident that the population from my part of the world would continue to drift towards your part, I am also hoping that few crazy souls from your world would get some sanity into their heads and join our side of the world to echo my sentiments and prevent the concept of real from blurring into surreal.

Look forward to hear from you soon (not immediately).

Yours Sincerely,
Reaple (Real People)

Still the same…

Why do people ask me not to behave like a child anymore, when most of the things which I did in my childhood are still my favorite...when the smell of Maggie still melts in my mouth...when the thought of drinking plain white milk still makes me nauseating...when going to school/work is still an excitement for me...when dark clouds and drops of rain still drench my heart with rejuvenation and instill a new hope for tomorrow...when eating gajar-ka-halwa still seems nothing short of a punishment to me...when I still fight with my little brother but stand by him when someone else rebukes him....when sitting on the swings in parks still exhilarates my mind and makes me feel as though air is whispering freedom in my ear… when serials like I Dream of Jeanie and Small Wonder still make me glued to my television screen…when the festival of Holi still abodes in my heart and pumps up excitement in my mind with its vibrancy of colours, good food and dash of mischief all around…

So what if now my bag is filled with Lakme, Revlon and Maybelline instead of Camel, Natraj and Crayons...so what if now I enjoy reading Cosmopolitan, Filmfare and India Today instead of Champak, Nancy drew and Famous five series...so what if now I love my stilettos, boots and pencil heels instead of ked, strappy flat sandals and shoes with light and music...so what if now my shoulder hangs designer, fashionable and branded bags instead of backpacks and cross shoulder school bags....so what if my favorite possessions in my room are my laptop, cell phone and CD collections instead of Barbie dolls and kitchen sets...so what if the glass filled with milk and bournvita has got replaced with shots of tequila and lime in my hand….so what if my skirts have become shorter and hair has grown longer…so what if now I have to blend the roles of a wife and a daughter-in-law with those of a daughter, sister, friend and a professional… so what if my hands now hold a pen to create and narrate storylines instead of scribbling answers in examinations…

I am still the same girl who loved holding hands of her mom and dad and chatter with them non-stop…I am still the same girl who loved listening to stories before falling asleep….I am still the same girl who devoured salty and spicy food much more than sweets and sugary items….I am still the same girl who enjoyed quarreling with her siblings…I am still the same girl who loved wearing her sister’s clothes and perfumes and lecturing her little brother...I am still the same girl whose face would lit up with the thought of spending hours together in her big backyard garden to pluck vegetables and flowers for her mom…I am still the same girl for whom the joy of eating bhindi, baigan and capsicum is more agreeable than sinking her teeth in chicken, mutton and fish cuisines… I am still the same girl who gazed endlessly at the twinkling stars in the sky figuring out constellations and wondering if she would ever go beyond Orion, Great Bear and Scorpio….I am still the same girl who had dreams in her eyes and who thought that someday she would make a difference in this world with her ideas!