Ek Thi Daayan – It’s Scary but the’ Witch’s Spell’ doesn’t last till the end

I was eagerly waiting for Ek Thi Dayaan since last one month and had to struggle to watch it on Friday night in a Multiplex in Mumbai after clearing a hectic schedule of prior commitments.
Well, it was a sense of relief as the film didn’t disappointed me. So go ahead and read it to decide if you want to watch this movie or not.

Emraan Hashmi, Bobo, the magician is in a live-in relationship with Tamra, a beautiful girl played by Huma Qureshi. He has a wonderful life as he is a successful magician, has a beautiful girlfriend and the couple want to adopt a lovable orphan kid.
But wait; there is a haunting past which keeps knocking every now and then in front of Bobo as he remembers his childhood life; when he had an adorable father, a sweet little sister and his stepmom Diana whom he hated her.

The story swings between Psychological Thriller, Paranormal and Supernatural situations forcing the audience to keep guessing on what lies behind the spooky events that unfolds every now and then in the film.

The events no doubt are scary and chill the bottom of your seat and even force you to jump out of your seat once or twice. The scenes where he thinks that the lift of his building goes to the hell where all the creepy people of his building who did sins in their life now stay in the hell of the building after their death scares you like hell. The mystery behind spotting a witch through the help of a book on Witches makes you think whether the witches are a reality.
After a long time I get to see the right kind of haunting cinema from the Bollywood which is different from the usual Vikram Bhatt movies.

Enters a psychiatrist who had counselled Bobo earlier and then he hypnotises him to go back to his past and reveal on how his father and his sister died. But the beauty of this revelation lies in the fact that whether this is a real revelation or just a story cooked up the disturbed mind of the magician Bobo.
His fiancée Tamra, with whom he gets married forces him to sell his old flat where he stayed as a kid to another character by the name Lisa Dutt played by Kalki Koechlin.
There is a mystery around the character Lisa Dutt and Emraan Hashmi goes on to unlock this mystery.

This is where the film loosens a bit and the climax goes on to follow a typical Vikram Bhatt or Ramsey style cinema.

Emraan Hashmi has matured as an actor and has a proven screen presence. Huma Qureshi is bold, sensuous and acts well. She is one actor who will go a long way in Bollywood. Konkana Sen Sharma as the Stepmother does well in her grey shades. The supporting cast played by Pawan Malhotra who plays the father of Emraan Hashmi also plays his part well. I really liked the role of Psychiatrist played by Rajatava Dutta and of younger Emraan Hashmi played by Vishesh Tiwari.

Kannan Iyer as the debutant director gets a thumbs up as he tries to break away from the typical thriller and horror movies that are being made in Bollywood. He manages to scare his audience and entertain as well.
The script and screenplay is good and Vishal Bhardwaj stands up to his name. Not to forget we get to see the magic of Gulzaar Saab lyrics again as we can’t stop hearing, humming and appreciating the song “Yaaram” from the movie.

Overall, the movie is a good watch and takes you on a drive to the mystery world of witches, hell, hallucination and horror.

Weekend Travel to GanpatiPule

It was an interesting weekend to visit Ganpatipule in Maharashtra as the traveller inside me keeps poking every month to visit new places and enjoy the experience.
I and my wife were thinking of a weekend destination closer to Mumbai where we can relax and spend some time together.
My first choice was lets Go to Goa !
Oh no..not again, Puja protested.
Shall we go to Daman, she asked to which I replied that Daman is more a boozer's paradise and this time I want to have an alcohol free weekend.

We finally zeroed down on Ganpatipule as alcohal and Goa were out of option and Ganpatipule is more closer to Mumbai to spend a good weekend.



The trip was really exciting as our train reservation was not confirmed till the last moment. At once, I got chickened out on traveling in the train's general compartment but then the joy of visiting a new place overpowered my fear of traveling without any proper comfort.



We boarded the Konkankanya express at night from Dadar Junction as the train had started to move slowly and then tried searching for a place to sit.
The train journey was not comfortable for us as we had hardly travelled without proper reservation by trains, but it helps to be positive and look forward to the joy one would get when they reach the destination.

Now, I am posting the short write up on Ganpatipule MTDC resort by my wife Puja who is a more avid traveller and adventurer than me.

This was our first trip to Ganapatipule, and as heard by many, no doubt MTDC resort was the best option to stay. The location is just ideal, bang on the beach and just opposite the famous Ganesh Temple. We stayed in the konkani cottage, which was about 700 mts from the main reception, but better located as compared to the rooms. Room service was not available in the konkani cottages but the overall ambience was quiet and serene. The restaurant 'Tarang' serves Indian, south Indian and continental food, which was just average.



Overall a very good experience and good value for money. The resort is not available on various travel sites...You need to book through MTDC only though online bookings are available...its better to book at least a week in advance to avoid disappointment. Since its a great property with budget accommodation, its full almost in all seasons.

Room Tip - “Konkani cottages are the best option since its a bit away from the main beach area, which gathers more crowd because of the temple...”

Taking my laptop back from Puja, I am writing on what made me like Ganpatipule so much.

Well, I am a beach bum and if you are also a beach bum then you must visit Ganpatipule. The beaches are clean, the surrounding is serene and peace is in the air. In terms of alcohol only beer is available at the MTDC resort and the food is just average, but still you would love this place for its sheer beauty and the solitude you can have with your friends and the loved ones.

There are many small experiences which made me fall in love with this place like traveling in the moring on the road which runs alongside the Arabian sea, having a camel ride on the beach, walking on the moist sand in the evening, relaxing while swinging in the hammock tied with the help of two coconut trees and just sitting and starting over the sea when the sun rises and sets.

Travellers, do visit this place if you are in Maharashtra and want to spend your time in a nicely located and clean beach resort.
Ganpatipule is now added to my favorite list of places where I can go again and again!

Mumbai Diary 3 - Silent and Still

Well living on 22nd floor is fun and that too if you are in Mumbai, where the high rise buildings dot the sky, the cars crawl all night on the streets and the Arabian Sea envelops the City in its Whiteness and depth.
So, I tried to capture some stills of Mumbai outisde my 22nd floor apartment in Mumbai through the Lens.
So here the pics go....

Rape, Shame and Lame

We feel ashamed as the brave heart girl Nirbhaya who had fought for her life leaves us for the better world, today on 29th Dec after fighting for her life.

We are sad but more anguished at how a handful of criminals can brutally rape a girl in Delhi, our Nation’s capital City.

Nirbhaya has not died for me today, in fact the Society, the Police and the whole of India has been beaten to death today!

Lets ask each other today, that will the Nation and the society wake up to respect women in our country?

These are the words of emotions written by me and my wife Puja as we wait for the day when the Nation and Society takes real measures to combat the menace of Rapes in our country.

A life is not just lost
Lost is a Nation’s right to fight
To the handful of evils
Who butcher the Nation?
On their will and wish
Making our heads fall in pain
As India battles with
Rape, Shame and Lame!

Yes, it’s all screwed up
The society limps
To protect her dignity
From being crushed by the
Wheels of evils
But all effort goes in vain
As India battles with
Rape, shame and Lame!

A life is not just lost
The right to be democratic
Has been snatched from the Nation
By the handful of evils
The nation meekly surrenders
To these brutal barbarians
As India struggles with
Rape, Shame and Lame!

The death has pierced
Our heart and sole
Our minds have Freezed
And we have lost our limbs
To these handful of cannibals
Who eat every inch of our Nation?
And the Nation bleeds,
As the country dies down
With Rape, Shame and Lame!

Shave or Crave – How I Made my Husband Crave for Shave

This blog post is written by my wife, Puja Rai who literally used to make me crave every time she used to see my evening stubble. She has posted this article on my, sorry our blog as I being a dedicated husband can’t overrule my loving wife’s order
So it’s all hers now -

My man is a nice husband, a good friend and a passionate person about his interests, but what I hate the most in him is his evening stubble that he brings along with him when he reaches home after battling the Mumbai traffic.

I am sure that many women like me would be suffering from this “Stubbleomania”. I don’t know whether this word exists in the dictionary or not, but that’s what my husband says that I suffer with this syndrome.

I decided to make him understand the importance of being a clean shaven guy in a woman’s life.
And why not, doesn’t he want me to be nicely dressed and look hot and sexy.

I prepared a 3 rule chart on what all he has to sacrifice for not shaving his evening stubble and handed over to him, as he came back home from work.

Husband – What is this piece of paper?
I – Ohh...You are an Architect and an MBA and working in an MNC…I guess you understand English better than me.
My husband who is used to my weird sense of humor didn’t seemed puzzled at this sarcasm as he knew I would be having much more surprises for him.
Husband – Ya, it’s fine...I can read it but I am asking what does this mean.
I – It means “Shave or Crave”
Husband – Ok...The first line reads “Bedroom lights will be switched off at 10 pm”; He seemed to be really happy on reading this ( must have thought more romance in the bedroom now) Sweetheart, Does it mean...you want more and winked at me ?
I – No...YOu dirty mind. This doesnt mean "everything is Rosy and we will be getting Cozy". This means we will sleep at 10 PM. There will be No Love and No book reading for you in the night. Do you understand ?
‘What’! He seemed surprised at this but he understood that he will miss reading stories before going to bed.

Husband – Ok…but what is this second rule…that we will order our food from the restaurant at least 3 days a week. You know honey’, its so expensive to order food from the restaurant these days. I have to pay for our monthly EMI, household budget and so many other expenses. And even if you still want, we can go for a romantic dinner on weekend. Main aur Tum aur Mumbai ka Samunder....
I made a sorry face and said to him.I can go out with you but not with your stubble.
Do you know “Your clean shaved look is the more expensive than this food from restaurant. Why don’t you take care of this...Huh?

Husband – Ok...No bedtime kisses...I mean don’t you think we will miss this most ?
I – I don’t know but at least I will be saved from your unshaved bruises.
He must be thinking that I have gone crazy, but I am feeling sharper today. I think I will be able to nail him to remove his evening stubble every day.
Husband – Yeah...I think I will manage with all three rules as I don’t want to waste my time shaving my evening stubble as I shave this piece of hair every morning. You women will never understand that how much it pains.

I – Don’t worry, I have got a surprise for you and she gave me a packet.
He opened the packet and found a Gillette Fusion Razor for Men, one of his close up photograph with an evening stubble and a card with a poem written inside.

Can I read this card for you and I snatched the card from him while he was appreciating the new Razor he got as a gift.

My Dear Husband,
You are the most important man in my life,
I am your only Wife, and I guess I am right!
So why don’t you listen to me,
When I say I hate your stubble,
As this pinches my palm,
When I touch your cheeks,
And bruises my face,
When I try to kiss!
I hate your stubble,
So please listen to me,
If you don’t shave,
I will make you Crave,
for love, hunger and wisdom,
When you are back home,
After finishing your work,
And beating the traffic,
You will miss my smile,
If you still don’t want to shave,
Then don’t crib but just crave
as I will still love you,
But you will miss something….
Your’s loving Wife

After reading this, I could see the color of my husband's face changing. He straight away went to the bathroom and closed the door. He had taken inside the Gillette Fusion Razor that I had gifted to him and came outside after 5 minutes sporting a prefect clean shaved Gentleman look.

I smiled at him.
He came to me, made my palms touch his smooth cheeks and he said:

My Dearest Wife,
I know you and I can’t resist you,
So I promise……………………………
That I will shave
Every morning and evening
Till I live with you
Because I don’t want to crave
Till I go to my grave,
And keep you happy
And smiling till we live forever....

We both hugged each other and now he is a happy husband without an evening stubble.

This post is a part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with BlogAdda.com

"Sound of Love" - my entry to the GetPublished contest"

I fell in love umpteen times, from a kindergarten girl, had teenage crush on my class teacher to the hottest girl in my college and at my work place.

I always believed that love is expressed and communicated through words. However, extremely shy of expressing my love, I never proposed to any of them.

The Idea Description:

10th March 2012, Bakers Street, Pondicherry

I was sitting with my wife having my breakfast and was staring at the road just outside the café.
Hey, I think you are lost somewhere…. you seem to be tired too; Puja asked me?
Yeah,and we stood up and went to the counter to pay the bill.
Puja handed me a card that was kept at the bill counter, which read Merlyn Ayurvedic Massage Centre, MG road, Pondicherry.

I reached the address and was greeted by a 5 ft 8 inches tall, dark muscular guy.
He took me upstairs and gave me one of the best massage, I ever had. After the massage, I met a tall and beautiful lady at his house.

Hi! would you like to have some tea…she asked, to which I happily agreed.

At that time, I never knew that I am going to spend 9 hours with them listening to one of the most touching love story, which made me weep after ages.

24th Feb 2005, Anna International Airport, Chennai

A group of volunteers from an International NGO comes out of the airport and boards a Toyota Innova which was headed to Pondicherry.
Merlyn Flangiano, a girl in her late 20’s is sitting and listening to music on her ipod.
The car reached Pondicherry and after getting fresh, they split in groups and move towards the fisherman villages along the coast.

Its 2 months, since Tsunami had strike the Indian Ocean.

Merlyn was a social scientist and was working for rehabilitation of Tsunami victims.
The group met the head of the fisherman village to understand the Tsunami damage.
Some fisherman were watching the meeting and among them was a guy who was concentrating on Merlyn.

Merlyn smiled at him and waived her hand to say hello. The guy smiled too.
After the meeting, she went and asked his name.
He took out a piece of paper from his shorts and handed over to her.
She was surprised, but then another guy who was watching all this, came over to them.
Autograph Madam…Autograph… He tried explaining her in his broken English.
Ahh....I understand; she said and signed the blank paper in her beautiful writing.
But, what’s his name, she asked again.
Aaa…..Aaaaaa..…and she could understand now that he can’t speak.
Madam….he can’t speak and listen.
Oh...I am sorry. She said and went away.

What happened between the French girl and the fisherman in all these years is a tale of breaking many myths about love; we see everyday in our lives.
Why this story inspires me till today and I live with it everyday?

This is my entry for the HarperCollins-IndiBlogger Get Published Contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.

Vote Link

If you like this story, do vote for me on indiblogger

Request to Vote for Me by Clicking on this

Talaash....Answer to Different Cinema lies in this

I am writing this review after 15 days of the movie being released, but I have still not been able to get over this movie; even though I have watched it twice.
Many readers would think me crazy that why Talaash has impressed me so much?

I would not have been able to answer this question correctly; if had I not seen this movie for the second time.

Talaash starts with the dirty yet beautiful screenplay showing the underbelly of Mumbai. The scene where a man is shown walking with a guitar in the night, pimp, customers and prostitutes are standing outside the neon lit shady bars and an old lady sitting on the footpath and just staring are mixed together to show the dark side of Mumbai in the night.
The story is good and the screenplay is such that this can be used as an example to teach the students of cinema.

All the actors in Talaash have played their role close to reality. Aamir Khan is a normal cop who is as puzzled with the case as all the other cops is the beauty of his character. I doubt that any other current star could have done justice to this role. Rani Mukherjee as the Aamir Khan's wife and Kareena Kapoor as a prostitute are other examples of perfect casting in the movie.

I would love to make Special mention for the two other actors - Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rajkumar Yadav. They are the new breed of class actors and they both leave their mark even in a small role.

Talaash is not an out and out suspense thriller, in fact it’s a Suspense and Emotional drama with paranormal angle attached to the whole film.
Can you think of any other Bollywood cinema where emotional scenes are as strong as the suspense of the movie?

Aamir Khan is a grief stricken father who has lost his 8 year old kid and is a restless human being. He is investigating the accidental death of a young Film star and is in the search of the answers to his death. He meets a prostitute named Rosy, played by Kareena Kapoor who not only provides him information about the case but also soothes his grief and pain.

Rani Mukherjee plays the role of the disturbed wife of Aamir Khan and they as a couple are not able to bring joy to their life because of their child's death in an accident. The emotional scenes between the couple take you to another level in the film.

However, when the film ends, you will find that the answer to the death of the Film star is not as important as the answers to Aamir Khan's grief and guilt.
That's where the story scores points; also I feel that the pace of the movie has been deliberately kept a bit slow, as increasing the pace of the movie could have confused the audience.

All the characters in the movie have been carefully moulded and there is a very line between them being an evil and good. The simple love and friendship story between the pimp Nawazuddin and an age past prostitute looks real and keeps you thinking even after you have walked out of the theater.

The music is good and I have started respecting Ram Sampath even more after Satyamev Jayate music. I love the background scores especially Muskanein jhoothi hai and Jiya lage Na; though all the other songs are good too. The best parts of these songs are that they are not forced upon you, but they help you to get in the rhythm of the movie.
Talaash is not a perfect movie and I would also not say it’s a cult movie.
I would say that this movie should be watched because of the story, screenplay, background music by Ram Sampath, class acting by all the actors and a bringing in a perfect mix of mainstream and art treatment.

I didn’t like the suspense of Talaash in the end and I wished that Reema Kagti and Zoya Akthar could have written a slightly different climax. But No movie is perfect and you can ignore this deficiency to watch a good cinema.
However, if you are bogged down by the climax, than I doubt that you will like the movie. Also, don’t hope for an edge of the seat thriller; as I guess it was never meant to be made like that.
So go and watch Talaash; enjoy the cinema which is set in the dark but will show light to the different kind of cinema.
My rating is 3.5 out of 5

Student of the year - movie review "Entertainment Entertainment and Entertainment"

Finally we all get to see a Karan Johar's movie after a gap of 3 long years. His last directed movie was My Name is Khan in the year 2009. Student of the year is slightly different from all his previous movies as the movie is neither over melodramatic nor does this make you cry or is too intense. This is more fun and more entertainment. So how does the movie look like. Well , there is a school called ST Teresa in Dehradun which has a combination of super rich teens as well as middle class folks. No, the movie is not about the melting pot of the rich and the poor but is more about the friendship , infatuation, affection, love , jealousy and competitiveness. The school is managed by Rishi Kapoor who is a dean and is a gay. He has really evolved as an actor in all his last movies and he plays the role perfectly as he drools over the hunk sports coach played by Ronit Roy. The school is funded by a mean business man played by Ram Kapoor whose son , Rohan Nanda played by dubutant Varun Dhawan also studies there and comes to school in a Ferrari. He is a rich brat who wants to be a Rockstar than run business like his his father and brother. He has an equally rich designer girlfriend Shanaya Singhania, the role essayed by Alia Bhatt. A young guy Abhimanyu Singh played by Sidharth Malhotra from a middle class enters the college on a sports quota and dreams of becoming even bigger than the businessman Ram Kapoor. The film has lots of fun quotient as these young teens play around prank with each other , become friends and share the happiness and sadness together. They go to the parties , have drink, share a smoke and visit hospitals, go to each other homes for meals etc.

What gets the fim running till the end is to win the coveted trophy of " Student of The Year" award which offers an all expense paid scholarships in an IVY league university in the United States of America. Every teen in the school aspires for this trophy and the competitiveness sneaks in the minds of friends as gradually all the friends become enemy of each other. In between there is love confusion drama between the three main stars of the movie - Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. So , the trophy becomes the bone of contention. Who wins the "Student of the year" award is a kind of guess work but for me the best part of this competition was the speech given by one of the fat Parsi student , Kaizad popularly called as Sudoow in the film after drinking an Old Monk Rum quarter. He challenges the whole concept of the trophy and forces the Dean to face the truth of his life. The direction is gala with opulence and one can understand the film making style of the ususal Karan Johar. However , the film often reminds of the mixing of many hit movies in the Karan Johar's production lab. The story telling is copied from Jaane Tu Ya Janne Na, the competition is lifted from Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander and the 40 min weeding drama is a modern day sexy avtaar of the entertaining shadi of last decade, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun . The film also has remixes of old Hindi movie hit songs like Disco Deewane and Gulabi Aankhen jo teri dekhi. But one can forget these similarities and can enjoy the movie as its full of fun and entertainment. The songs and dances are good ( Kajol steals the dance show for 2 minutes ) and one doesnt feel boared even though the movie is slightly longer by 15-20 minutes. Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra have a good body and justify their role , though Sidharth Malhotra doesnt actually look like a teen age guy. Alia Bhatt looks cute and even dons a Bikni in her first movie and also gives a smooch scene with one of the actors. Rishi Kapoor is excellent as a dean , Farida Jalal as the grand mother of Sidharth Malohtra leaves her impact in a small role. However, I wished Boman Irani as a Sardar and the dean of a rival school had a slightly larger role. This movie is not a must watch but a fun watch , as in the words of the Dirty picture " Cinema is all about Entertainment Entertainment and Entertainment !!! My Rating - 3/5

Gangs of Wasseypur to Gangs of Bollywood

Its never too late when you want to pour your heart out to write a review for a good movie and also about one of your favorite film director who is the torchbearer of the change for the way bollywood movies are made.This one is for the fire ball "Gangs of Wasseypur" which lies close to my heart because I have always loved Anurag Kashyap's movies and I am always excited to understand his filmmaking style . The movie starts with a voice over by talented Piyush Mishra , who writes some of the most interesting and unorthodox lyrics ( check out lyrics of the songs of the movie Gulal) decribing the pre independence era of coal mining in the Dhanbad district of than undivided Bengal and now in Jharkhand. The movie makes you fall in love with the cinematography and the way sets have been created. The film takes time to pick up the pace initially, especially till the time the central character of Sardar Khan played by talented Manoj Bajpayee enters . He doesnt shine as the hero of the movie but he is an ordinary man with enough guts to take up the mighty dhoti clad politician cum businessman Ramadhar Singh played by the ace director Tigmanshu Dhulia. The initial 30-45 minutes are more about building the plot of the story than jumping directly into the theme. This is the beauty of story telling art which Anurag Kashyap knows very well. Initially the audience might feel that the movie is about coal mining issues , but than it smoothly transits into the traditional story of a son taking vow to revenge his father's murder by the dominating local politician. The son revenge over his father's murder has never been a revelation in the bollywood mainstream but the tight script laden with many one liners makes you feel that this movie is so close to reality and that is where the film scores an advantage. The chemistry between the central character Sardar Khan and his wife Nagma, played by the tall punjabi girl from Delhi, Richa Chaddha is blunt. They love , they hate , they abuse and they need each other. Thats the reality of many young couples in everyday life, isnt it. The film makes you think hard on drawing the line of morality as every character in this movie has shades of grey. Whether it's the another dominant muslim faction of the butchers , or the Khan clans of Sardar Khan or the corrupt politician and his son, they all are opportunistic and are hungry to reign their supremacy. The film literally travels with time and Sardar Khan moves from Dhanbad to Wasseypur , a small town near the coal district and forms his mighty gang which is more powerful than the butchers and the politician. The violence strikes many times but it never makes you close your eyes , instead it makes you think that many bloodbaths happen with a cool and calm mind and not in fit or sheer anger. Sardar Khan's character is serious about the revenge of his father's murder but is also equally serious about his responsibilities towards his mistress, played by the Bengali beauty Reema Sen. One is left hard to understand if Sardar Khan is using the lady to satisfy his lust or the lady is using him to satisfy her lust and greed. Nagma, the beautiful wife of Sardar Khan is a strong and outspoken woman who doesnt bow to go against her husband even when her husband doesnt live with her anymore. Howver , at the same time she doesnt spare him either and hurls abuses at him on his greed for sex and womanising. The film binds the audience with fast storytelling in the middle and doesnt give time to predict the next scene. One style of filmmaking is that you should never give enough time to audience to think what will come next and you have won the hearts of the audience. The two young sons of Sardar Khan are like poles apart in their living but the traces of their father's mentality is preserved. While one is more crazy , smoking ciggartes and pots ; the other is slightly peace maker who proposes to marry the girl from the leader of the butcher family in order to get united. The script is good , the dialogs are sharp with lots of Bihari lingo , story telling is structured , movement of scenes is fast , songs and lyrics are unorthodox of any typical bollywood fillum but what works the most in the movie is the way characters have been developed. The characters, I would say are the heart of the movie; whether its a cameo by the guy who dances on the old hindi movie hit "Kasam paida karne wale ki" , the guy who is singing "salame ishe meri jaan" in both the male and female voice during the Nikah of Sardar Khan's son or the Ray Ban girl who preaches in chaste bihari accent to Sardar Khan's son to catch hold of a girl's hand only after taking her permisson. All the songs have become a rage by now whether its Hunter, womaniya or jiya ho Bihar ke lala. Infact , I have heard these songs as caller tunes of many people whom I call, which reflecs the mass acceptance of the songs with a difference.

The lead actress or the "Womaniya" of the film played by Richa Chaddha ( if you remember , she played the role of a spoiled girl who is after Abhay Deol in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye) is terrific as Nagma . Its not easy to fit under a role of a woman which demands boldness not in terms of skin exposure but in terms of the skin of the character and she has done it a perfect 10. Piyush Mishra always comes good and here also, he is no exception. Nawazuddin Shaikh who plays as one of the son of Sardar Khan is also good and in the next part "Gangs of Wasseypur II" he will be seen in a more crazy and meaty character. Not to forget to mention the last scene of the movie, where Sardar Khan is attacked by his enemies in his car. I dont want to mention any spoiler hence would not go beyond this on the film's story line. The movie is simply binding,amazing as the violence and murder makes you not only shiver but also laugh at times. The characters act violently as if its like any other daily work for them. The movie is inspired by bits and pieces of some real stories from the small place called Wasseypur , but still you cant take credit away from a tight script writing. I think that "Gangs of Wasseypur " is going to open gates to for many such reality struck movies. To name some , Anurag Kashyap , Dibakar Banerjee, Shoojit Sircar, Tigmanshu Dhulia are the new age directors who have come up with many unorthodox and entertaining movies. we will get to see some really good movies from these talented filmmakers who would define the new "Gangs of Bollywood" Coming Soon... Gangs of Wasseypur 2...

Agneepath – Good but far from the Cult Agneepath

How do I review this movie? This question popped to me as I sit on my Laptop and try to type the thoughts post my 3 hours of Agneepath.
This movie unlike any other remakes will have two set of audience. One is who are the all time fans of the Cult Agneepath (Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay Dinanath Chauhan) and the latest one. The fan following of the old Agneepath is much stronger than the other classics of which remake have been made like Don.
The movie opens with a tribute to the Late Director Mukul S Anand who had directed the cult, original Agneepath and was a highly talented director, unfortunately died in his 40’s.
The original Agneepath was more intense with less of humor but high on emotions whereas the latest Agneepath intensity is diluted. The old one was a flop whereas the new one is more commercially viable as it has bit of humor, romance and drama as well.
Speaking of characters, can anyone fit Vijay Dinanath Chauhan other than Amitabh Bachchan in the whole of bollywood, probably not but yes, Hrithik Roshan does deliver a good performance. I understand he doesn’t have the strong, hoarse baritone like of Amitabh, but I wished that the director could have experimented with his voice a bit, as it seems to be softer in the movie.
The old or, I would say the real Vijay was cold blooded, intense, no nonsense criminal or Robin Hood whereas the reincarnated one is slightly softer, bit of humorous and seems to be low on confidence.
Did the director underplay his character deliberately or he was not able to live the immortal again on the screen?
Either the debutant director Karan Malhotra or Hrithik knows better about this.
Let’s get into the skin of supporting characters – the father of Vijay, the mother, Police Officer Gaitonde and the same characters in the latest Agneepath ; the characters are much better played in the old movie than the latest one without any doubt.
I also missed the character of Krishnan Iyer M.A played by Mithun Chakraborty in the old one which has been eliminated in the latest one.
Add to it the leading lady of Vijay played by Madhavi, in the old one was a supporting cast whereas the leading lady played by Priyanka Chopra in the latest is a distraction.
How can we end the character discussion with the infamous Kancha Cheena played by Danny in the original and Sanjay Dutt in the remake? While Danny was stylish, Sanjay Dutt is menacing with his looks, a complete contrast to the character. Danny was subtle in his dialogue delivery where Sanjay Dutt is bit loud.
Well, the latest one does score over the older one in the item song Chikni Chameli by Katrina Kaif against the one done by Archana Puran Singh and Shakti Kapoor in the old one.
Another missing feather in the latest Agneepath is the lack of popular one liners or bunch of dialogues from the old Agneepath. Though, they have kept the most popular ones like “ Naam – Vijay Chauhan pura naam – Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, Gaon- Mandwa but the types of unnoticed yet classy one liners like – “Hawa Tez hai Dinkar Rao, Topi Sambhalo Ud Jayega” are missing.
Overall if I sum up the comparison I can say that the latest Agneepath is like the Cult Jack Daniel’s Scotch which has been diluted with water – Real fan of Jack Daniels would vouch that they love it neat and hard and so am I as the ardent , never fail to watch type fan of the original Agneepath.
Retake
I try to erase my memories of the original Agneepath and take a fresh perspective. The movie is well shot with good cinematography and some strong performances by Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and not to forget Rishi Kapoor. Infact, Rishi Kapoor for the first time played a completely negative character and he has done it perfectly. The Mumbai slum goon who is a flesh and drug trader gives patronage to Vijay, the hero against another goon Kancha Cheena. The battle is between Rishi Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt as they both want the control of Mumbai’s drug business whereas Vijay wants the village Mandwa where his innocent father was not only brutally killed but his character assassinated as well by Sanjay Dutt.
Add to it, there is childhood love interest of Vijay played by Priyanka Chopra as she tries to bring in some humor and romance in the movie to subdue the violence. After all, it’s a Karan Johar production and the movie has to appeal to the whole family than a specific set of audience.
There are few strong emotional scenes which have been beautifully shot like the one where Vijay goes to his estranged mother’s place for having dinner and the conflict of opinion happens between the mother and the son. Then, there is another one; the violent killing of a henchman by Vijay during the Ganpati visarjan.
I also liked the climax scene where Sanjay Dutt is killed; it’s violent but you want the hero to win over the evil by then.
Overall, the movie good and I am sure it will be commercially hit unlike the old one. The opening on Day 1 is surely going to break the earlier opening records as there is news coming of house full in every theater across India.
My Rating – 3/5

Love with Goa - Sun , Sea and Sand ( A travel story)

This was my first holiday in Goa and indeed a special one as it was our honeymoon in Goa. Though, I have been to many Indian holiday destinations before , but I can vouch that the love that happened with Goa will always remain so and will always be the best holiday place for us.
After, taking a flight from Delhi to Goa, I checked in the resort" The Goan Heritage" in Goa. This resort is in the range of Rs. 4000 plus during the season and is one of the most accessible resort as it is right at the Calangute beach in North Goa. North Goa is more happening and lively whereas South Goa is more scenic and historical.

Staying at the beach resort makes life easier for you as one can keep their valuables and extra clothes in the room and enjoy the beach with your mind completely cut off from any concern.
I loved the resort, its ambience, food and the buzz happening in the resort near the pool, garden and the beach. So, if you want to stay at the beach in North Goa, I will recommend "The Goan Heritage" as an ideal resort for families and couples.
In Goa, the first shopping that I did was to buy tees, shorts, slippers, a cheap sun glass as I tend to forget it at the beach and a Goan hat. Also, we had rented a bike which cost us Rs. 300/day and is much cheaper compared to self drive car which cost 900Rs/day and with narrow roads and beach galis parking would be a nuisance.
This made life simpler for us as we zoomed across the city's different parts. I remember doing Pub hopping during my college days in Delhi and here we were doing Beach Hopping from Calangute to Baga to Anjuna to Candolim and also coupled with Shacks hopping from Pedro's cafe at Calangute to St. Anthony's, Brittos, Lucky Star at Baga to St. Lucia at Candolim.

I would highly recommend St. Lucia for its Italian Pasta and Lucky star beach shack at Baga for its Shark Sizzler with lemon rice.
I had heard a lot about Britto's and St. Anthony that they are great; in my opinion they are good but slightly over stated and one needs to explore beyond these famous beach shacks.
Some of the shacks like Lucky Star also play live music which is mostly rock music and you could see firangs and Indians dancing away on those songs with bottles in their hand.
The overall atmosphere becomes so much exhilarating that you feel just immersed in the trance of life.
If you are in Goa, try doing a lot of water sports. Like we did, Jet Ski, boat ride and para sailing. These sports are fun and adventure and also we were fortunate enough to do it as the rough sea makes it difficult some times.

Goa is infamous as a drinking and drug paradise. Well, I didn’t explore the latter but yes, there is only one law on drinking in Goa, that is "No Law". People are seen drinking in the streets at day, night and alcohol of all sort is sold at the cheapest rate at every corner and at any time of the day.
I was almost on staple diet of wine, beer and sea food everyday with lots of beach activities to burn the excess calories gained.

The food is excellent especially if you love sea foods like shark, lobster, crab, calamari, fish, mussels and prawns. I tasted all of them and really liked the shark and lobster among all of them.
The people in Goa are generally friendly and also expect the same from you. Transport is slightly expensive if you dont rent a bike, but if you can drive a bike than dont give a second thought and rent it from day 1 in Goa.
All, I can say about Goa is that its a different world altogether in India and you feel completely liberated and just chill and enjoy in the sun, sea and sand with liters of alcohal and best of sea foods with great lively music and lovely ambience.
Its not only a must visit destination but a place where you want to visit every year for your holidays.
Love you Goa !
Cheers..Hic..hic..
Amit

Mumbai Diary II - Pictures Along the Arabian Sea

If there is a nature's gift to Mumbai which makes it really beautiful is the presence of Arabian Sea. The coast along the Arabian sea in Maximum Mumbai is surrounded by skyscrapers and boulders that’s gives a contrast to Mumbai's landscape which is depth and height.
I am not an ace photographer and not even a photographer but yes I did try to be one with my mobile camera Nokia E5 and let the pictures speak about this city.
The first set of Photographs which is here is taken from the window of cafe seaside restaurant at Bandra Band street. To to add to the beauty of the sea was a beautiful rainy day.
I love going to this restaurant often, not really for the food but to get a good view of the sea and the crowd from the restaurant's window.
So it was a beautiful day not raining initially and I was sipping a coffee in the cafe, when I saw a group of 3 young girls walk in the cafe with a middle aged dark and fat man.
One of the girl was I suppose in her late teens whereas other 2 girls seemed to be in their late twenties.
They were sitting just across my table and were talking to each other and the man was continuosly on the phone while they were also eating slices of chocolate cake.
They seemed to be waiting for someone when it suddenly started raining heavily. All my attention shifted to the rain when suddenly I got a call from one of my friend. I kept talking to him for around 10 mins or so and the call ended. I saw the table across and saw them missing from the table. I didnt gave a second thought about them and started looking at the rains falling in the sea. While moving my neck to get a complete view of the sea I suddenly saw these girls going to the bank of the sea in the rain.
It struck to me watch how they enjoyed the rain along the sea and look at the lively inhibitions less life of Mumbai.
Now let the pictures speak-





The second set of pictures were taken on the eve of Independence Day night in Marine Drive. Needless to say that beauty of Marine Drive in night with lights and tall skycrapers is simply mesmerising. There have been many photos taken of this unique Queen's Necklace in India.
I took these Marine Drive pictures while strolling after a good heavy dinner at the Bagdadi restaurant and some chilled beer at Leopold cafe.
All I can say, after a good dinner and drink a walk at Marine Drive is a deadly combination.

Mumbai Diary I - Life at Mumbai Local

It’s been more than 6 months of stay in this most bustling city of India though have been here many times. But these 6 months have been a new experience altogether as I have seen this city closely ranging from strange experiences while traveling on trains, pub hopping, tasting food at different restaurants to going through the trauma of being in a city which has been a frequent and soft target of bomb blasts.
I intend to write a Mumbai diary, don’t know for how long I will be able to write on this but let me start at least.
If I break the time spent per day in Mumbai, I would say that I spend a minimum of 20% i.e. 2-3 hrs per day of my day in traveling by trains to reach to my office and other places in Mumbai. The scarcity of wide roads and affordability makes most of the Mumbaikars to travel by local trains to their work place on a daily basis.
People make friends on trains, even some become couples in love and share joy and crib about the government. It’s really surprising to see that people who take the same trains daily meet each other, talk among themselves but they don’t even remember each other’s name. That’s what is Mumbai‘s life; it is about being together but still maintaining each others privacy.
I am sharing few anecdotes from my travel by Mumbai local which would give a glimpse into the life and culture of Mumbai.
Anecdote 1
It was a tough evening for me as I reached Andheri station late and had to catch up an evening train going to Panvel, as I stay in Vashi. I boarded the train’s 1st class compartment just seconds before the train started and was sad to not to get a place to sit in the train.
Poor me, I have to travel one hour long journey by standing in the train. All, I could do was crib within myself. I stood just near to a sitting gentleman who seemed to be in his late forty’s and by looks, bag and clothing looked like a government servant. To drift my attention from the pain of standing in the train, I started to read his messages on his mobile phone screen. The man totally unaware of his invasion of privacy was busy in reading the messages and writing message to a recipient called “Kiran Vashi Train”.
By the name of the recipient, I could guess that the recipient seems to be a lady and this person must have met her on the vashi train.
What amused me later was they this person send an adult joke to the this lady on which the lady replied by the following message “ hahha..its good , but tu marwayega mere ko aazkal bacche bhi maa ka mobile dekhthe rehate hai” .
Well, the message meant that the lady said that the joke was good, but you will get me screwed as my kids also check my mobile”.
All, I could do was to smile and forget the pain of standing for long in the train.
Anecdote 2
I took a late morning train from Vashi to CST station and was sitting in a seat near to a gate. There were lots of people in the trains, but there was one couple who boarded the train from Vashi who seemed to be different.
The female was a young lady in her mid twenties with a healthy figure and the male was a middle aged guy in his early forties who was frail , had long curly hair , dark in complexion and truly unattractive though was wearing branded shirt and pants with no watches.
At first instance anyone would think them as may be father and daughter or may be two colleagues. Well, the cat didn’t hide for long as they soon started talking in frequent English and I could hear that she really had a great time at his house.
The lady soon took out a chocolate and gave it to the guy. The guy bit the chocolate by his lips, fed to the lady and then fed to himself.
The train was crossing the Vashi creek and it really becomes windy and romantic while passing the creek. The couple suddenly got themselves very cozy against each other with the guy touching her hair and holding her shoulders.
Yes, they were a couple in love who despite their age difference were very frank to flaunt their affection and love in full public view without thinking of what the on lookers would say about them.
And to the typical Mumbai style, no one really cared for what they were doing. This is the most liberal city, I could ever be in India; I thought.
Anecdote 3
Well this is the shortest of them, though I have so many to share but may be in the part II. I was crossing the foot over bridge to get on the other side of the platform at Dadar station when I had to suddenly cut my pace for few seconds.
I saw a young college going couple who seemed to be boarding different trains stopped on the foot bridge and kissed each other passionately for few seconds in the middle of the way.
It seemed really amazing, as from back I could see people passing by their sides and this couple standing in middle and kissing in full public view. I don’t know should I term it as obscenity or may be the free and liberal culture ; but all I can say is that after staying in so many cities in India, the culture and life in Mumbai is very unique compared to the all other cities.
Hoping to come out with more parts!

Singham – Bollywood masala that will taste good if you have a taste for it

Though, bit late in writing the review for Singham but it’s not that bad if you do a right thing a bit late, but you do it. So here, I go…
Bajirao Singham played by Ajay Devgan is a police inspector in a small village on the Goa Maharashtra border which accidentally is his own village where has grown with people and lived his life. He is tough cookie with large biceps, robust moustache and strong voice. But at the same time, he is nice, humble, emotional, and romantic and loves his people, country and job. All in all, Singham is an idealist cop and a perfect human being.
Jaykant Shirke played by Prakash Raj is a goon cum politician who is the king of Goa and has power, police and money to influence things and even lead to an honest police office do suicide.
The movie set in the backdrop of rural Maharashtra and Goa with many popular Marathi one liner used in the movie revolves around just these 2 characters and rest all of them are only supporting cast. Though Kajal Agarwal as the leading lady of the film looks good and acts reasonably well too.
Rohit Shetty, after his series of Golmaal comes out with a cat out of bag by bringing in action movie, but that doesn’t mean he is going to compromise on his dialogue style and the car blowing scenes. These are copyrights for Rohit shetty and not restricted to Golmaal.
The ill fate of Prakash Raj brings him in contact with Ajay Devgan and this starts the series of bull fight between the hero and the villain. What makes it exciting is that they both get chances to win over each other though the end as usual is won by the hero of the movie. This also makes it different from the hit movie Dabang where one character ruled the whole of movie and this makes Singham interesting too.
The verbal volleys, fight scenes between the two makes the movie exciting and doesn’t let you move away from the movie.The weak point of the movie are the songs which are not good enough to make you hear it and also extends the movie length by few meters. Also, the climax is a bit extended as the director tries to bring in some comedy into the climax scene which makes the movie spicy but it’s a bit long.
Overall, I liked the movie more because of excellent acting by the Villain Prakash Raj and Ajay Devgan and yes the dialogues are good though some time these sound senseless by literary terms. At the end, if you love bollywood masala flavored by some really good acting then go and watch Singham and you will like it.Not to forget to mention that I do like the end credit style by Rohit Shetty.

Shaitan Movie Review – It’s a Dark chocolate which is bitter but tastes real good

Ohh.. What a day yesterday, I had few tight sales meetings with the customers and was running between locals, auto and taxis across Mumbai. Also, it was raining heavily and I regretted not carrying an umbrella as I got drenched in rain and reached home by 9.30 pm.
Back home , I badly wanted to refresh my mind from the day’s events and decided to go for Shaitan, night 10.15 show and it turned out to be a perfect decision to wind myself from work and enjoy the time.
Well, Shaitan opens up with Kalki Koechlin as Amy meeting Gulshan Devaiya as KC in a party. KC is a rich industrialist son and have 3 other friends – a struggling actress played by Kirti Kulhari , a sex obsessed computer geek Parsi played by Neil Bhopalam and a restaurant waiter cum drug peddler played by Shiv Pandit.
Amy who had a tough childhood and has traits of mental disturbance becomes friends with these four characters and here starts the event of being naughty, being evil, being wrong but right in their own terms
Their adventures and mischief’s finally lands them in a trouble one fine Mumbai night when they accidentally run their Hummer over two scooter riders while flying high on speed and drugs.
They try to forget it when a corrupt cop approaches them and asks them for 25 Lacs bribe to shut the case. These young kids don’t want to go to their parents for certain reasons and plans the fake kidnapping of Amy.
This brings in the entry of an honest but a very aggressive police officer Rajeev Khandelwal who is given the charge to solve this high profile kidnapping case.
The direction by debutant Bejoy Nambiar is really good. The way the events are created in the movie matching with real life incidents are the some of the best moments of the movie.
There is one shot of gun fight battle between the cop and underworld agents in a chawl amidst the attempted rape of one of the friends and a dead body of a German tourist with “Khoya Khoya Chand” remixed version being played in the background. This scene is so well crafted and the screen play is mind boggling and is one the finest shots in the recent Hindi cinema.
The song “Fareeda” which often plays in the background after the second half gives the pace to the movie and keeps you on your seats, if ever you feel too much violence and dark events. The only time the movie makes you feel boring is few sequences when Amy remembers her mother quite often.
Rajeev Khandelwal as a tough cop makes his statement that he is such a fine actor and his talent is still unutilized by the industry. All the other actors have also played their role well.
I can say that this is an out and out a Director’s cut and kudos the debutant Bejoy Nambiar , who had assisted Maniratnam in Guru as he lives up to the expectations from an Anurag Kashyap’s production.
Go and watch Shaitan because it’s dark and bitter but yet gripping and you will like it if you are not only an emotional drama lover and like watching different genre.
Rating – 3.5/5

Spring of Life - A short story

I am delighted to write and publish my 100th blog post as a short story titled "Spring of Life".
I have written this story for "ARTREE" Scribble e1 2011 contest which encourages people who love arts in any form to come and share the platform.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fartreelounge.in%2Fpage%2Fscribble-e1-2011&h=74114
So here it goes....


“Few steps below, I could feel the restlessness in the wind and long wait for midnight stars….” There is a complete blackout in Mumbai today owing to some crunch power shortage by the terror sabotage a day back that has crippled the city’s lifeline that is power. Mumbai runs on power and no power means no running trains, no work and just restlessness in all the Mumbaikars.
Manu and Meera the two kids whose abode is the Pali Hill street and for them lamppost is their lifeline as they study in night under the lamp post. Manu works as a delivery boy who delivers newspapers to houses, milks and food items to the restaurants and Meera is a girl who was brought from Nepal to be sold in Mumbai but than destiny saved her as she was quick to realize her relative’s intention and ran away from their clutches.
Manu gave Meera a shelter to live in and currently she is working as a maid in a ladies beauty parlor.
Both Manu and Meera have enrolled themselves for an open school run by an NGO and want to study further. While Manu wants to become an engineer, Meera wants to become a beauty expert. They both compliment each other as Manu protects Meera from bad eyes and Meera cooks for Manu.
Manu and Meera are just walking on the streets under the dim light of the stars and discussing about the life they want, the dreams they are chasing when suddenly a big white BMW car stops near them.
Hey Kids, come inside; we will drop you says a man with red eyes and a beard. Manu looks inside and sees 3 persons including the driver sitting inside the car. In the back, a Man in his forty’s and is probably the owner of the car. He is wearing thick gold bracelet and gold chains which are shining more than the headlight of the car.
No, thank you Uncle, we are ok answers Manu.
The man with the red eyes suddenly gets down and is staring at Meera. Meera gets scared and so is Manu. The time it seems have just stopped. The man sitting in the behind takes out a bundle of Rs.100 notes and hands it over to Meera.
Meera hands starts trembling with fear of what these men really wants. Meera tries to cover her torn top with her hands. Manu’s face becomes red with anger and takes the money from Meera’s hands and gives it back to the man.
The Man not getting angry at this says to Manu “Son, don’t take me wrong I am just trying to help you out. “It’s dangerous to stroll late in a dark Mumbai night like this hence I asked my driver to stop the car. I am giving you the money because I saw books in your hand when we stopped the car.
The man added, “Son I used to study on the same street 30 years ago and I made my life on this street. I am an engineer, I worked abroad and I have my own company. I see my glimpse in you.
Manu and Meera seemed totally surprised by his words and feel happy. They smile and suddenly the harsh wind that was blowing has slowed down and also the stars are slowly coming in the stars to mark their presence.
Thank you uncle, but we can’t keep this money with us. We will work hard and will make our destiny bright like you.
All the three strangers in the car smiled and the driver started the car. The owner of the car said to his men, “God Bless them”! And the car moved on the streets.

What Does Real Beauty Mean To You ?

“Real Beauty” to me is a form of life which is expressive, qualitative and quantitative. We all came to this world as a form of life and this makes all of us beautiful, hence making the world a beautiful place to stay.
For me, I believe nothing is ugly, its just less beautiful, beautiful or the most beautiful.
I have read this line many times that beauty lies in the beholder of the eyes and it’s true to the innermost core of one’s heart. Suppose everyone in the world starts looking at each other with affection, love and friendship, then the world will be the most beautiful place to stay in. The evils like hatred, enmity will be taken over by the “real beauty” of the universe which is expressive, can grow by leaps and bound and bear no boundaries to its qualitative limits.
Have we ever thought , that why a small child looks very beautiful to us irrespective of his lineage whether he belongs to a rich or a poor or its breed if the child is of a human being or an animal.


Just, yesterday I was driving on the roads of Mumbai and I saw a family , mostly women and kids who had made their home under a flyover and were sewing lemons and green chilli into a thread for selling it on roads to save people from bad vibes. I was quick to notice a young lady of the family holding a month or two months old baby in her lap and cuddling her. The baby was wearing old clothes, but to me he looked the most beautiful baby at that moment. The reason is very simple as this baby is innocent and is unaware of any social division like gender, ethnicity, social and economic hierarchy and is like raw clay which can be molded as per the way the world wants. The child amuses us , is very expressive who smiles at even the slightest fun he gets, cries at being minimal uncomforting situations and loves everyone who wants to get associated with him. This is the real beauty which is expressive to the highest level and everyone wants to get associated with him.
I also believe that real beauty is qualitative and without quality it would cease to exist. If we don’t make real beauty as a qualitative parameter , then how we will transform this world from a less beautiful place to the most beautiful place to stay in. We all should look at perfection to our best possible level we can, thus bringing in the real beauty in our life. Constraints and problems are part of our every day’s life and it’s up to us to hug those constraints and problems in life and make them an advantage or a source of strength for us rather than only shrugging of the negativity.
Last but not the least, for me real beauty is also quantitative which we can always measure. The world is a perfect example of this form of real beauty as we have traveled so many years from the dark ages to the modern era where in we have grown in technology, innovation and have transformed our way of social living. Look at an embryo which transforms into a one second old child, then to a thirteen year old kid and again to a youth who is capable of bringing the form of life again and finally an old age person who slowly recedes to his exit. This is the growth which everyone goes in his/her life making this a real beauty.
Hence, we should always strive for growth in our life but not compromising on the quality and also be positively expressive to everyone in this world and we all would be able to understand the true meaning of real beauty and make this world the most beautiful place to stay ever.
Few Lines from my heart on real beauty, I believe in
When I look in your eyes,
I see my eyes,
When I listen to your heartbeat,
I can feel my heart beating,
When I see you happy,
Tears of joy flow from my eyes,
When I see you grow,
I become taller,
This is real beauty,
Lying in the beholder of one’s eyes,
Expressive, Qualitative and Quantitative,
Filled with purity, love and affection,
Though disguised and yet visible,
Ready to exhibit itself every moment,
Bringing more joy and peace
To the world we live in
And celebrate the true joy of
Real Beauty we believe in!
This is my entry for Yahoo Real Beauty contest on Indiblogger and if you like my post , do visit the link of Indiblogger and promote my post.
http://www.indiblogger.in/indipost.php?post=60156
Thanks

Poonam , Poonam ki Jawani , I am from Venus , Main Tere Haath Nahin Aani !!!

It’s been a great World Cup for all of us, a memorable year for all the Indians. Celebrations are on and on with celebrities on the road basking in the new found glory after a gap of almost 3 decades.
Lately, I always want to practice writing humour, sarcasm and try to tickle the funny bones of myself. Sometimes I succeed and many times I fail, but who cares till the time I enjoy experimenting it.
And, I think the 20 something model from Mumbai enjoyed it too. After all she is young, sexy and bit of crazy too.
So, who the hell is Poonam Pandey, where does she hail from and what are her missions and objectives. I gathered some information about her with the aid of CBI which I would love to share with the readers.
I can assure you guys that CBI really worked this time 
She is an alien from the neighboring planet Venus and is on long term leisure cum business trip to the Earth. She was supposed to land in Antarctica but her space ship fuel had got finished and she had to land in India a year back.
She quickly realized that in spite of her awkward style, no one was noticing her. She had this feeling that she is more beautiful than any other women on earth but still people aren’t noticing her.
She was fond of Indian Cinema and actors and was also researching on the topic “Who is hotter – Munni or Sheila?
Since she had already done some modeling with Queen Fisher, now she was keen to meet the Indian stars and work with them. She started going around studios, Bandra Band Stand and Juhu every morning and evening looking for an opportunity to catch with the stars. Once a funny incident, she was chased away by Salman Khan’s dogs as she was star gazing in the night at Bandra.
One day, she was having her dinner at a local dhaba and she was watching the TV program “The Big Toss” on India Tv. She really enjoyed watching Rakhi Aatank and Veena Mallika playing the big toss like finding the bat and ball and analyzing the game of cricket.
She had heard so much about Rakhi , that she was her idol. She thought that why not I become a Rakhi Aatank. Well, but I don’t understand even “C” of the Cricket so what can I do now.
Then there is also this 6 Pack Women “Madira Bedi” shouting and yelling on Times Now every time the Indian team wins the cricket match. So, she thought that there is a lot of scope for females like her to do well in cricket and World Cup is a big platform.
She was thinking hard, but still her brain was not working, well for obvious reasons that she doesn’t have it. One day, while she was taking a stroll on the Alibaug beach, she met a thin guy who looked like a monkey and was acting like a monkey too, jumping and showing his yellow teeth.
She realized that he was none other than her friend from Pluto whom she had met during one of the Intra planetary Film festival in Jupiter.
Ohh...No Tinku, how are you, it’s so long...Remember last time we had met, but where the hell is your tail, dear?
They exchanged pleasantries and the monkey, sorry the actor told her that he is a big star now in the film industry and now people now him as Tinku Pandey. He also informed her that a song has been very popular on his name “Na Mane re Tinku jia” from the movie “Yamla Pagla Dewaana”.
She told him about her concern that she wants to get popular and is not finding any ways to do so.
Bhakti Kappor who was also shooting with Tinku Pandey over heard their conversation and chirped in with his idea. Well, you don’t need to do anything to become popular, it’s so damn easy!
Just make an announcement that you are going to do a full bare show for the Indian Cricket team, if they go on winning the world cup.
We will have two benefits out of this, you will not only become popular but will also help Dhoni and Team does well in the tournament. You will become the darling of whole nation. Just imagine, you are there on every TV channels, every movie director is queuing to sign you for their movies, AAOOO.
Even Rakhi Aatank will fear you, you will become the next Big Boss, you can also even replace the most irritating anchor Manchali Puri Singh whose teeth weighs more than your weight from “The Comedy Circus”, added Tinku.
Poonam Pandey acted on this idea and suddenly she became the most searched girl on the internet. She was there on every TV channels sharing her noble idea of doing ‘the in thing”.
India finally went on to win the World Cup, but Poonam Pandey was not seen anywhere, not traced to where she was hiding. But our very own CBI finally tracked her whereabouts and came to know that she was airlifted from her house on 2nd of April by the aliens.
She was engaged to an angry man from Neptune, who is also now a flop actor in the TV reality shows and is popularly known as none other than Rahul Gajanan.
Rahul though now married couldn’t accept her doing the bare act in front of the Indian team and this jealousy led to her being taken away by the aliens and finally deported to her own planet “Venus”.
Those who all missed her adventures in the Indian team are now heard singing “Poonam Poonam ki Jawani , I am from Venus , Main Tere Haath Nahin Aani!!
Apologies, if I hurt any one’s sentiments through this mindless piece of humor and thanks for bearing it with your patience.