Writing Libra'lly...

Dr Tutun Mukherjee - The teacher who ignited my passion for research and communication

2020-01-12T20:02:00.001+05:30

“Are you sure you want to opt for History and Political Science along with English Literature, you can still change your subjects”, she said as if to re-confirm if I was making a sound choice. She was a part of the Admission Committee for B.A in the Osmania University College for Women, popularly known as Kothi Women’s College, Hyderabad. “Yes, ma’am I want to take this combination”, I said. “Why don’t you go for Psychology and Sociology, since your name is in the merit list, she suggested, " are you planning to write Civil Services exams?”, she asked, apparently looking at my clarity of what I wanted to study. “No, not civil services, I just want to study History and Political Science but my main focus is English Literature”…. The conversation went something like that, decades ago, but it is still as fresh as if it happened yesterday.

Dr Tutun Mukherjee (Picture credit: Facebook)

Later I found out the names of the professors who interviewed me. The one who asked me those questions was Ms. Tutun Mukherjee (then, she hadn’t completed her Doctorate). I took an instant liking to this wonderfully energetic person, she was so vibrant and her English was so good! I had just completed my Intermediate (Class 12) and I was intimated by the huge campus and new professors and was yet to make friends.
However, the regal splendour of the Durbar Hall, where we had many of our English classes and of course occasionally meeting Mukherjee ma'am made me feel at home!

My passion for English Literature made me choose the college as it had the best faculty. And, I waited for classes to begin. When I didn’t find Mukherjee ma’am’s name for any of the first year classes, neither General English nor Literature, I was disappointed. Then, I came to know from my seniors that she would teach us in the second and final year.

In the second year, I loved her classes, I loved her style of teaching, her command on the subject and of course her taste for elegant cotton sarees, so graceful she was! Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw, Mathew Arnold’s poems and in the final year, Literary Criticism, Samuel Johnson and few other essays… she wouldn’t just lecture, she would make it an engaging session, often asking questions, giving us tasks, not just to make sure that we are attentive, but to make us think and apply ourselves (literary activities, writing, assignments). That’s how I started learning many things from her. The art of questioning, going deeper in the subject, research and analysis, interpreting stories, poems, plays, contemporizing them and so on.

As I write this note, I am reminded of the days when plays, poems and prose were identified by the teacher who taught us - so much of involvement and immersion - left us with lifetime memories of Literature classes.

I owe few traits of mine to this amiable professor who was friendly, empathetic and cared for me. My passion for English language and literature grew more and more and I continued with M.A and later, doctoral research. When I qualified for UGC-JRF in Communicative English, she had given me good advice to follow my interest in higher education. Years later, it was nice to see her active on Facebook. Occasionally sharing a ‘like’ or a ‘comment’ she was in touch with most of her students and I was happy to see her radiant personality, actively contributing to the field of Language and Literature.

I was deeply anguished to learn about her passing away on 7^th January. The academia has lost an ever enthusiastic and cheerful intellectual who was a friend and guide to many, besides a passionate teacher and a powerful orator. I was lucky to have her in my life at the most impressionable age!

Mission Idli accomplished!

2019-04-08T20:43:00.001+05:30

Remember the scene from the movie English Vinglish when Sridevi brings Idlis for Rama Murthy and his incredible expression when he sees a lunch box full of fresh Idlis…that’s exactly how much I’ve been craving for homemade idlis. Sometimes, not being able to make my own breakfast due to work pressure and sometimes unable to resist the comfort and convenience of ordering food, I somehow lost the good habit of making things from scratch, particularly Idli and Dosa. With ready-to-eat culture invading my otherwise disciplined way of cooking, Muesli, Cornflakes and Bread made life easier with an occasional Poha or Upma during the weekends.

Idli and Dosa - my two all time favourites would never taste the same as homemade with the readymade batter, no matter how authentic, organic or fresh it claimed to be. I often missed the pure taste of fresh white idlis, and the entire process of making the batter, fermenting it and steaming it in the cooker - something I grew up watching my mother that she can't do now with her advanced age.

The ubiquitous Idli, in fact, is not as easy to make as it seems to be, though it has simple ingredients. There is no perfect recipe since it the final taste mostly depends on the climate; the temperature needs to be ambient for right fermentation. The Idli in Madurai is different from the Idli in Munnar and the same with Chennai or Coimbatore. I always felt the humidity makes a lot of difference in the taste and texture to get the right fluffiness and a wee bit of sourness - just enough to tickle the tastebuds. And, you start drooling at the sight of a plateful that can taste heavenly with light drizzle of ghee and just a simple coconut or peanut chutney. Sambar and accompanying powders, for me, are secondary.

I am not a fan of Idlis made with rava. I've always found them dry and brittle, leaving a strong taste of something un-idly-like. So, raw rice is my choice and this time I tried Idly rice. I decided to make it using proper ingredients, proper timing for soaking, grinding etc, taking few tips from my mother. And I was hell-bent not to give in to other options like readymade stuff, not even go to the good restaurants, to satisfy my craving for ideal Idlis.

And it worked! Mission Idli was successful! My determination to follow the process, be patient, adjust my other pressing deadlines (which is always there) and just enjoy the natural soaking-grinding-waiting involved in making this wondrously healthy and appetising dish. I was overjoyed to see the Idlis puff up with right kind of sponginess. The taste and aroma both matched the good old Idlis I was used to, at home.

For a moment I wondered, why do we give in so easily to convenience in the name of calling our age-old processes cumbersome, time-consuming and compromise on quality and taste. I am happy to rediscover the joy of making things from scratch and would love to do so as long and as often as possible. My resolve for simple and soulful or arduous but authentic cooking continues...

Orange flowers

2018-06-09T09:02:00.000+05:30

Orange flowers
I don’t know your actual name
Nor do I need to know
For, what is in a name?
A flower is a flower by any name

Like many flowers, you bring joy
You cheer me up
And inspire me to be
As bright and spirited as you

But you are seasonal
And hence special
I wait for you to bloom
To wipe away every sign of gloom
That is likely to loom
From things I assume
Or, during a lull and a vaccum

You bring glory to my balcony
Those little birds love you
And the breeze sways you
Gently, rythmically
When water refreshes you
You can hardly hide your ecstasy
As you blush all shades
between red and yellow

Dear orange flowers
Will you be there for me always?
For, a true nature lover like me
Will be incomplete with you.

'Bharat Ane Nenu' and 'Mahanati': Can blockbuster movies also deliver on responsible entertainment?

2018-05-27T09:56:00.002+05:30

Two Telugu movies, two different experiences, and mindboggling response from the audience - are we in for responsible entertainment within the template of popular blockbusters? I loved watching them and didn't really bother about the duration of the movie or the digressions and the discrepancies in the script; there was absolute pindrop silence in the theatre, with hardly any signs of distraction like people checking their mobile phones, except a cry or two from the toddlers who could not be controlled by the parents. Bharat Ane Nenu and Mahanati, both have captured popular imagination in their own ways among audience of all ages. Good thing about Mahanati was the English subtitles; it would attract many for whom language has been a barrier to watch good cinema.

Unlike earlier when we used to classify movies into popular and art/socially conscious movies, today, such dichotomies don’t work or make sense, since the popular could also be social...we saw in Hindi movies like PadMan and others. With barriers between genres breaking and blending and impactful storytelling, there is good scope to move towards what I imagine as responsible entertainment that can drive positive action. Movies that make us think, act, inspire, imbibe and feel good about we can improve our lives.

Bharat Ane Nenu and Mahanati

Bharat Ane Nenu was more like a sequel to Srimanthudu - with larger role for the protagonist, more powers, or rather superhero powers, relatable political drama, relevant themes and so on…wondering if Koratala Siva is on a trilogy spree with the hero Mahesh Babu. And, Mahanati with all the retro theme was simply genuine. Remember, biopics always brought in controversies, for none can do justice to the complex lives of the successful and famous people who become the subject of such movies.

Good old Telugu classics

Mahanati, the period drama, brought back many memories of Black and White TV /Doordarshan days, watching movies with family and friends in our own drawing rooms with a generous helping of home made snacks, gossip and bonhomie. Watching Mahanati, I missed my father when there was a reference to the movie, Doctor Chakravarthy and when the song ‘Neevu leka veena…’ played on the screen - he loved the movie and its songs. It brought back many memories of Telugu movies with good story, humour and music. And of course, the casting in Mahanati was the icing on the cake - top performances from Keerthy Suresh and Dulquer Salmaan !

Often Telugu movies have given a tough fight to movies in other languages in terms of content, story, scale, special effects, vision and variety. The success of Bollywood remakes of Telugu movies speaks for itself.

Some thoughts and questions on how movies catalyse new thinking and inspire collective action for the good of many:

After we saw Mahesh Babu in his signature style delivering strong messages about ‘adopting a village and giving back to society’ in Srimanthudu and ‘local governance, role of bureaucracy, responsibility, accountability etc in Bharat…’ - what does it take to leverage the power of movies to strong action plans for grassroots level betterment? Or, do people just forget about the movie after they get back their money, appreciate the actors, story and disconnect the movie from reality.

Should larger-than-life heroes always fight the baddies and have romantic angle to establish their heroism and ‘leadership’ as it were, following the traditional formula? Why can’t they be just like you and me. It would be nice to see heroes and heroines from real life taking centerstage with a nuanced portrayal of their rich and complex stories.

Biopics like Mahanati, are not only difficult to make, but they also spell huge risk at the box office. But we need many such movies. Sincere adaptation of a biography and a well-researched script of many Indians who have done us proud can become real movie-material. The potential of movies is immense and people with passion for making a change may find their match in a passionately narrated story that talks about positive change and sustainable development.

'Currying Flavours' - So what if the curry was made in a hurry?

2018-05-20T08:48:00.001+05:30

“So, what’s Sunday special lunch at home today?” This used to be one common query from friends and neighbours in growing up years. And I didn’t have anything ‘special’ to say since, like in many vegetarian families, most Sundays would be like any other day, with rice, dal or sambar, curry etc and occasionally a dessert like Kheer, Halwa or Gulab Jamun. On some Sundays, there would be a Pulav or a special rice accompanied by a gravy curry or a special dish with truly seasonal vegetables.

The definition of special lunch began to change as I began to explore recipe books and get recipe ideas from friends to try out new things, especially curries. Slowly, items like Paneer, Mushroom, Soya chunks, Baby corn, Makhana (puffed lotus seed) etc became a part of my special items and I desperately wanted to try restaurant-style cuisine for that special feeling. The tips and hacks on the Web were a great help! And when the dish came out well and was liked by everyone, I would feel triumphant, as if I unravelled the mysterious and secret ingredients that were used by chefs and master chefs. Whether it was the cashew paste or the tomato puree or the full cream or the Kasuri Methi, I mastered the art of making special curries. I used to wallow in the compliments when someone said my dishes look and taste professional and perfect!

But, gradually the culinary scene at home changed - cooking for just two or three people, after my siblings got married, somehow brought in a big change in me and definitely not a desirable one at that! With very little time to spend in the kitchen, I compromised on the variety and the details of the dishes that were dear to me. Though I loved simple food, it got much simpler and I was fine if could be made in a jiffy ignoring the actual process. A wonderful interest turned into something mundane and got reduced to a daily chore.

The stickler for authentic taste and perfection in me did not mind ordering food once in a while and scoop out the not-so-tasty curry from the plastic container or unwrap the soggy Roti or a Paratha from that aluminium foil. But, knowing myself well, I could never get tempted or accustomed to the convenience of outside food. Not so much for health reasons, but more for the conscientious cook in me that constantly made me feel guilty about how I neglected honing my culinary skill and how I considered the kitchen as a studio for creating gastronomic delights and how the palette could be filled with colourful ingredients like spices, legumes and vegetables. Many pots, pans and ladles meant for making my kind of special dishes remained unused in the kitchen drawers. Life was going on at God-knows-what kind-of-speed and food started to seem like a survival need. I was conscious of this change and I badly wanted to get back to the days when I would experiment with ingredients, assortments of vegetables to create something special.

And one wintery Sunday, I was determined to get back my special curries, nevertheless always in a hurry unable to cope with the work pressure. The hacks were back, this time more to look for permutations and combinations with those one or two vegetables that get left in the fridge, after you’ve used most most of the pack in a main dish. That one long brinjal could find a perfect balance with a Ridge Gourd or a piece of Bottle Gourd could gel perfectly with Soya Chunks. The gravies found their place back - it did not matter if I could not make the spices from scratch like I used to earlier. In fact it was more fun, mixing and matching store-bought, packaged ingredients with some home made ones. I was back to my experiments with curries that would end us in different shades of red or yellow. For a special look, a dash of cream or along with conventional coriander was all I needed. It didn't matter how I cut the process short, what mattered was the final dish - the curry that could accompany a bowl of rice or rotis or even bread or 'paav'.

Thanks to so many ways to make videos, today, there’s no dearth of cooking tutorials on the internet. And a bigger thanks to Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, social media keeps pushing the recipes literally on your face, knowing our personal choices, tastes and online behaviour. In the midst of all these, somewhere I always felt a seasoned cook should develop one's own signature dishes, through trial and error and not follow the tried and tested recipes. And there I was adding boiled peanuts to a drumstick and potato curry or a sprinkling roasted Makhana to a paneer gravy and presenting my dishes with most imaginative names like "Lotus seed and cottage cheese in a creamy tomato-cashew gravy" or similar sounding exotic names just like how they translate the names of traditional Indian dishes on the menus of fine dining restaurants:)

My mother's newspaper habit

2018-05-13T08:22:00.000+05:30

Most mornings, we have our tea together. I am invariably busy on my laptop or mobile phone, often unmindful of the tea that is getting cold. She gets restless, without the newspaper, tries to finish her tea fast and check why the newspaper is delayed.

“The newspaper is never delivered on time. I don’t know of what use it is when people get it after leaving their home for work…” she complains. “Can’t you be little patient, I know people in our apartment hardly care for newspaper, so nobody bothers when it comes” I reason it out for her reminding her of how things have changed with our digital and online lives.

I tell her not to make such a fuss for a mundane thing like a newspaper but she gets more irritated if the ‘paper’ is still not at the doorstep by 8.00AM. She calls the security at the gate to check if the newspaper boy has come and apparently missed dropping a copy at our door or if there’s any other issue. Depending on the response, she calls the newspaper agent to find out want went wrong and gives him a piece of her mind to be regular.

For my soon-to-be-eighty- homemaker mother, newspaper is not just a morning ritual; it’s a real window to the world. She scans through all the pages patiently, often commenting on the happenings and sympathizing or condemning or feeling happy as per the news. She doesn’t watch news on TV, nor do I – for that’s not a practice at our home. Rarely, if we really need to watch any important news it has to be on Doordarshan.

For her newspaper is not just a paper; I have often seen her telling the delivery boy why he should not throw it in the corridor disrespectfully and how it is equal to education and learning. She finds it amusing that I get to know about many things even before she reads about them in the morning, thanks to the alerts and updates on my phone.

The newspaper habit

While I feel happy she is religiously continuing the ‘newspaper habit’ that my father used to tell us all to develop; I hardly ‘find time’ to flip through it unlike the growing up years where we used to pull out pages of our interest and literally wait for the Sunday Edition. While I remain indifferent, she continues the habit – quickly giving me updates on some important things.

It could be anything on earth: the curious case of an overgrown pumpkin or a fruit that looks like lord Ganesha, the plight of people in Syria, the death of a film star or cricket match results or the drying lakes in the city or some titbits about food and travel. Politics doesn’t interest her, often she wonders why everyone has to fight so much and why can’t there be amicable ties between politicians, as she voices many such naïve thoughts.

Her first priority is to get weather updates and prepare for the day as it were - temperature, likelihood of rain etc. When there’s an interesting story connected with a festival or something rare and interesting, she never forgets to share it with our help, Bujjamma. It’s fun to watch them both discuss the event; sometimes Bujjamma adds more life to it telling us how it was reported in local news channels on TV.

Food is another topic my mother loves to read and talk about. It could be the jackfruit dishes that are trending or some new vegetables and fruits that she gets to learn about. But her excitement doesn’t last long for she knows, it is beyond her fitness level to try new dishes now, and she quickly tells me to do it if I have some free time.

What amazes me is her way of reading the news. She is not constrained by her limited knowledge of English. Sometimes she quickly asks me when she doesn’t understand a word or gets confused with acronyms like PTI. I might have laughed when she asked me if PTI is a typo for PTO (Page Turn Over) but I admire her keen sense of observation that can challenge even a seasoned editor. Over the years, she has developed a knack of not missing any relevant news. She has her own way of remembering the headings and columns and getting all the minute details.

I may have access to the latest news through mobile alerts and other digital sources and I may choose to read or ignore. I have given up my newspaper habit ages ago for want of positive news. But, for my mother, the newspaper remains much more than just a hard copy or a print version of what I get to browse. It helps her connect and engage with life and things beyond the confines of her home.

Stay relevant, Stay cool: The Big B Way

2017-10-11T09:03:00.001+05:30

As the most-loved, admired and respected host of the popular game/quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and many other appearances on the television, Amitabh sir has been redefining and reinventing the art of staying relevant. His life has many lessons for all of us who strive hard, everyday, to keep away from all-pervading negativism, cynicism and pessimism that can easily distract us from focusing on our purpose and goals. I've always looked upon him for inspiration and strength in times of turbulences, holding on to the seat belt as it were, as the flight of my life saw many forms of aggressive and unruly weathers.

He is my favourite host and my idol who never ceases to motivate and ignite to just-do-it and be-at-it! He has set an example for generations to reinvent oneself, adapt the art and craft with time, connect with people, be resilient and so on. And his cool quotient is simply unmatchable!

I wonder, isn’t it tough to be so active, so buoyant and so very interested and empathetic with every single participant on a game show - so very consistently in each episode?

I sit and admire the myriad expressions and listen intently to the emotionally modulated baritone of this amazingly powerful person! I learn something new each time I see him on screen. Whether it’s an ad for Polio eradication or Swachh Bharat Campaign or whether it’s a commercial done for a consumer brand or any snippet of interview or a speech delievered at an event.

With age, with that unmatched grace, he weaves magic on my TV screen and love the way he engages with people - the real people. I love the way he elicits their stories, making them feel comfortable and very naturally and spontaneously throws in humorous tidbits from his personal anecdotes. Even today, this star attracts the same attention as he used to when we were kids and he ruled the Hindi cinema! True, it’s got something to do with his name - Amitabh - meaning, one with limitless splendour.

Growing up, as a Bollywood hero we saw him in many roles, we watched him fight the baddies, we watched him romance the most graceful ladies, sing soulful songs and his immortal dialogues became a part of the cultural repertoire. His life had its ups and downs and we saw him through. He redefined entertainment on TV, or rather edutainment in some ways with the first season of KBC in 2000. Till then not many movie stars would venture into TV shows and risk their larger than life image. And in turn, KBC resurrected a waning star who had so many more years to shine for the younger generations.

Truly splendid Amitabh sir, you continue to be my guiding star; I have learnt a lot from your life about how to keep performing and doing what you can do best, learning from your struggles and survival. Your professionalism and discipline is something I try hard to imbibe. Your all pervasive grace on screen is so magnetic that I tend to forget all my other distractions and worries and watch and listen to every word you say. And your eyes say so much without you being aware of how much of your wisdom gets passed on through them.

As an ardent admirer of yours, I’m already a member of your extended family; today, on the occasion of your 75th birthday, I wish you a long and healthy life with more and more years of active presence on the all the screens.

When regular becomes boring

2017-06-17T07:31:00.001+05:30

Often, the regular becomes boring
And the normal gets tiresome
And we long for something exciting
Should something exciting always be a BIG thing?
Need not be, right?
Small changes in our routine
Simple tweaks in the mundane
A bit of variation in the regular
Can be so much fun!

Like trying the road never taken
And driving without Google maps
And advice, for a while:)

Like going on a holiday
And not taking any pictures
Like watching a movie in an unknown language without subtitles
Like reading a book backwards
Like wearing a colour that was never you!
Like sketching a self-portrait
Of 'me -when I was a kid'
Like ....
There is no end to things we could do to beat the all-too-familiar
And the regular!
A bit of discomfort
A bit of uncertainty
A bit of unknown
A bit of insanity
Bring so much colour and spice
In the otherwise regular life!

The puris in the picture were a part of a festival lunch I prepared when I wanted a colourful platter to break the boredom of other regular, predictable items on the menu. It was like a quick hack to make the meal a bit more interesting!

The unveiling

2017-06-15T08:08:00.000+05:30

Does each morning bring a new surprise?

Any surprise, by definition is new

If is it already seen, isn't it deja vu

Then it’s not a surprise

Right?

Some mornings bring pleasant surprises

Like this morning, in the midst of a green veil

The sight of this lovely Butterfly Pea

Or Shankhapushpa flower

Just peeping out and untwining itself

With shades of cobalt, indigo, hues of blue

A moment of self-unveiling

To watch it bloom and unravel

Disentangling from the creeper

with a push from the gentle breeze

And it gets its way with good ease

Is unveiling a natural thing?

Does one have to wait to be unveiled?

There’s a lot of beautiful stuff

That gets unveiled everyday

A hidden flower or a hidden thought

A hidden talent or a hidden act

Any hidden good thing for that matter

Discovering, observing and unveiling

Isn't it much needed for our well-being!

A quick visit to Modhera Sun Temple, Gujarat

2016-12-18T17:04:00.002+05:30

Today, I simply couldn’t help visiting my blog that’s been neglected for quite some time now. I felt guilty of not writing and thought I wasn’t being fair to myself! And of course during the last 12 months, I haven’t made many memories either, if I had, it would have definitely been up on my blog! Though the year seems to have been impoverished in terms of filling my repository with precious memories, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to key-in few words, as my stay comes to an end at the guesthouse of the beautiful EDI campus, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

I was lucky that this work related visit gave me few hours to rewind and renew my energies with a short-long drive to the nearby historical Sun Temple at Modhera. I missed visiting this precious monument during my last visit to Gujarat and this time I managed to sneak a few hours.

Modhera is about 80 Kms from Gandhinagar, and the drive was quite pleasant. And the cab driver Joshibhai made the journey even more interesting with his anecdotes on demonetization and many other tidbits of current affairs. There was so much to catch up I thought!

Well, the most interesting story he told me was about how he dealt with a passenger, a chain smoker who was willing to give away any number of old notes to get packs of cigarettes and the funny incidents that followed...the drive was quite entertaining with a chatty companion. After we crossed Mehasana, the road was a bit patchy and uneven but this didn’t bother us much as we saw the many golden mustard fields on both sides of the road. It seemed like a scene straight out of the Kajol and SRK’s song in DDLJ J

The Sun temple was built in 1027AD by the Solanki kings and suffered a lot of damage during the rule of Mohamad Ghazni. No deity is worshipped in the temple and it is maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. Being Sunday, the temple was filled with foreign tourists and local visitors and it presented a beautiful sight bustling with selfie-lovers, architecture and history lovers and heritage enthusiasts. The fun part of my visit was to see Joshibhai clicking many selfies and videos as this was his first visit to the place. For a moment I wanted to forget about my selfie-shyness but that didn’t work; and Joshibhai was quite expert at taking pictures.

Another memory I carry from this visit are those little school kids from a primary school who were accompanied by their teacher. Two of the came to me and asked shyly “what your name? and others joined them and wanted to talk in English. They told me they are from a Gujarati school and the teacher was apparently unhappy with the kids breaking out of their group. I listened to some very creative English from them and took a group picture.

We went around the temple and saw the intricate carvings (though mostly damaged) and also spent some time inside, admiring the exquisite pillars, the arches and the ceiling. The next point was the adjoining ornated step well with interestingly beautiful geometrical patterns when viewed from the top. As you get down the steps it’s a wonderful feeling to real the water level and look up to get a magnificent view of the temple (both the mandapas). The vast lawns around the temple complex make the environs serene and peaceful.

This memorable short trip was refreshing and got me recharged to get back to my timelines and roadmaps, resuming from where I paused!

When Brahma Kamalam bloomed in my balcony

2016-08-26T08:20:00.000+05:30

It was just two months ago. My mother had just reached home after a short trip to Bengaluru and was rummaging through her bag for few sprigs that she got from my brother's neighbour. When I saw the stem (leaves) she carefully managed to get, I could quickly identify it was Brahma Kamalam and I told her it’s a difficult thing to see the flowers bloom, even if the plant takes root, since it would take ages to grow. Going by whatever I had heard or read about these flowers I thought it was next to impossible to have this spectacle unfold in my balcony. But luck had it the other way. And, my mother's green thumb does the magic again.

Last evening was nothing short of a miracle. Earlier in the day, at 12 noon to be precise, when we saw the bud tightly wrapped in greenish maroon streaks of sepals, it seemed like it may take few days to blossom. But, perhaps due the rainy and humid day, by 5.00 PM the bud had puffed up showing the inner whitish petals. In an hour, there was more loosening of the bud and my excitement know no bounds as we were about to witness a rare nocturnal occurrence of Brahma Kamal blooming in our own balcony.

I left my laptop behind and forgot about the pending tasks for the day / evening. I simply didn’t care about anything else, not even the endless mosquito bites, and sat in the balcony for hours watching the unusual spectacle unfold - in layers of petals and a whiff of something like frankincense in the air around the planters. My weakness for taking flower pictures was it its peak as I took several of them and 'reported the event live to my close friends and family', thanks to WhatsApp on my Sony Xperia.

Brahma Kamalam, (not to be confused with the mythical Himalayan variety or the state flower of Uttarakhand) is also known as Nishagandhi and Bethlehem lily as I googled to know more about this exotic flower. The mythical name apart, the flower is supposed to be very auspicious, going by the popular belief. Actually, the process of watching the flower open up is quite a sight to behold - more like spiritual. By midnight, the flower was in full bloom, it felt like a tiny piece of moon landed on one of the flower pots with its amazingly white surreal feeling!

My mother had a nice name for it - she instantly called it bin paani ka kamal meaning lotus without water. In fact, it was nothing short of a lotus in a planter, clinging on to a frail bamboo stick for support. As the petals layered out, and the whole flower showed up in full glory, we started worrying about its short life and how it would soon droop and wither before the first rays of the Sun. And that’s exactly how it was this morning - I simply couldn’t believe how it lay lifeless! The huge white floral wonder that stood erect majestically last night, was completely languished, shrivelled up into a bud.

So symbolic the entire process was! It was like witnessing a short life filled with power packed performance, giving the best it could and creating happy memories. It was just not a happy feeling when I saw the withered sight and simply couldn't believe it was the same flower, but feeling of loss was quickly balanced with the beautiful and baffling memories it left behind. So evocative the entire experience was! So much to be cherished till the next blossom! Nature is divine and she never ceases to amaze us :)

Conversations over coffee

2016-08-18T17:47:00.001+05:30

Please don’t read in between the lines, going by the title of this blog post. No, I didn’t ditch my tea! Archana, Madhu and Kavitha, please don’t be disheartened - the gift tea packs you showered on me are all in tact and I cherish every moment and every sip with those endless flavours from as far as Australia, Sri Lanka and Ooty. While my diehard addiction to tea will last as long as I’m around, this time, for a change I picked up a pack of granulated coffee from a near by supermarket - a hypermarket to be precise. Perhaps got carried away by the introductory offer on this brand of coffee and so on! A temptation I couldn't resist.

And, today as coffee replaced my afternoon tea, I asked myself why this sudden change in me? May be I just needed a CHANGE. It’s good to try out new stuff once in a while, right? Coffee was more of a student-days thing, not just a beverage; it was a must-have for those late night reads when most of us believed that caffeine is the best saviour when you need to sharpen your senses while slogging for research and project deadlines. The mandatory steel filter/percolator at home now lies unused in one of the racks in kitchen, a memory of younger days, when conversations happened mostly around those cups and tumblers filled with a unique roasted aroma wafting through the brain to stimulate the intellectual hormones, if there's anything like that! Remember this was not instant coffee!

Coffee, for me, was when there were no Cafe Coffee Days and Starbucks in Hyderabad and our nearest source of freshest coffee was Ramesh Coffee Stores in Sitafalmandi, Secunderabad. Coffee is nostalgia about heated debates and discussions about English Education in India with a bunch of friends, some of whom smoked along and I did not mind the passive effect as we were engulfed in discussions about some burning issues in the country. Coffee, for me, was when we had our fill of Idli or Dosa and simply couldn’t resist ordering a cup in a Kamath in Hyderabad or a Sagar in Bengaluru. Coffee distinctly evokes those library and fieldwork days at IISC Bengaluru, which had an outlet /canteen of Tata’s if I remember right. And, my most unforgettable original coffee experience was whenever I visited Dr. Rajagopal on EFLU campus. I don't remember missing out on any occasion, their freshly filtered coffee, served most traditionally, in a small steel tumbler. This was most refreshing after a somewhat long drive to their place for a quick catch up.

Coffee was when my parents disliked the caffeine overdose as a means of staying awake late nights to read, write and while away time imagining how I could change the things I could not! And did not know the difference.

Coffee was idealism - tea is realism!
Coffee is my past and tea is what I live for.

Golden moments with the Gulmohars

2016-05-23T07:25:00.001+05:30

Mobile phone camera is not an extension of our eyes (sometimes it’s good not to go with Marshall McLuhan J )This is what I wanted to tell myself by resisting to take pictures of the flamboyant and grand Gulmohars as I passed through the green avenues and verdant expanses in Bengaluru. Instead, I consciously savoured every luxuriant sight and tried to frame them in my memory, overcoming the itch with a new Sony Xperia in my hand.

And this memory instantly connected me with a painting of Gulmohar that I did as a school kid and lots of lovely memories of the Gulmohar trees near my house when we lived on the CIEFL/EFLU campus and of course, the then green environs of Osmania University. Gushing Gulmohars have always been my favourites when as kids we used to play under the trees in the park or the road-side or collect the fallen flowers after a heavy storm or rain. They are perfect companions for summer along with Jacarandas and Copperpods, as they add so much colour and life with their regal splendour in the otherwise dry and arid landscape.

These passion-filled midsummer wonders have so much to tell. Look at the way they proudly stand out in the graceful green background with shades of scarlett, vermillion and red.

Don’t they remind us of how brilliance scores over everything else in whatever we do
The flowers are delicate and short lived – they can be easily brought down even by an unassuming summer shower. But the moment they wither, they delightfully deck up the ground with petals strewn all over, forming a tapestry of colours – deep, bright, cheerful and vibrant.
And what about the way they flame up the surroundings? This is so much like being a confident go-getter by making our presence felt
Most important, Gulmohars blossom for a short while; they are seasonal but they make the most of it through their royal, stately and impactful presence!

The tropical magic of Gulmohars is so much like what rows of colourful Tulips do in cold climes, right!

It was a mid-week Bengaluru visit, work-related, short and hectic. Travelling absolutely unplanned has it own anxitement. The relaxing views of floral delights helped me overcome some stressful moments and crazily unorganized work schedule that I was drafting for myself. Nature is always inspirational and absolutely magnificent!
If it wasn't for the zeal and zing of Gulmohars, my visit wouldn't have been so memorable!

Escaping into the cloudscapes

2016-05-08T22:48:00.000+05:30

When the skies refuse to remain blue

And when the sun refuses to get shrouded

When the amber simply pierces through

When the greys mix with golden hues

Nothing can stop the nature's site

From getting painted and annotated

With many colourful moods and musings.

It was one such evening on my terrace

When I wandered lonely as a cloud

Invoking Wordsworth, Keats and Shelley

To accompany my romantic escapades

Into the clouds.

My cloud journey captured as a movie

The tempestuous twirl of my tense mind

Matched perfectly with the colours of thunder

As the greys got greyer and swallowed the blue

I could relate to the tangled truths
And troubling questions with turbulent cues

While the serene blues made way for darker clouds
My feet suddenly dropped on ground

I could feel the soot and dust around

That soon turned into a thunderstorm.

As the celestial spectacle unfolded
The stressful heart contested with the speed of lightening

There I was, trying to untwine

And surrender myself to the mood of nature!

Then it cooled, rained and poured
As the drops soaked me head to toe

As if to pacify and soothe my racing mind

Telling me to gather, compose and be calm

As the clouds will soon fall in line

And the silver lining is yet to be drawn!

The tree and the bulldozer

2016-03-21T20:22:00.000+05:30

When I moved into my new flat two years ago

All I could see was a beautiful rockscape at a distance, with many shrubs

And closer home were a few lush green trees

Abode of several birds and a source of shade for many

I made friends with the one closest to my balcony

This green friend could calm my nerves; as I admired her verdance

She gave all that she could to the needy; for she had so much in abundance

How could I forget an evening when someone lit the firewood underneath

And prepared a meal as his truck as parked next to her?

As the place became a hotspot for development, all I could hear

were trucks, tractors, tippers, cranes, bulldozers

How could the trees fend for themselves?

My heart ached to see some of them getting razed to ground

I felt helpless listening to them trampling down

But I was sure that no one will touch my friend

As that piece of land never seem to be in rush for development

Everyday I would make sure to see that no bulldozer was parked near her

As if I could control her destiny

The tree was promptly cut into half

The other half stood lifeless

The plot of land was marked with lines

The architects did their job, fine!

I thought they had some genuine love for green

As I did see them leave some space near the remaining part of the tree

The bulldozer has a heart, I thought

For it only dug and shoved and its teeth never touched the tree

All monsters can't be so cruel, I consoled myself

But again, that was not to be!

That evening when I returned home

I saw the tree fighting against the mighty razor

When the blades were biting her trunk

When the wheels were crushing her branches, stems and leaves

I could hear only a cry!

And that was my own cry

At the helplessly vulnerable moment of mine

When I saw my mute friend whine

And breathe those lost moments in close confine...

I was the sole witness to a murder in daylight

How easy it is to kill a tree

And why should the killer go scot-free?

Why is it not considered a sin?

And if it can ever be purged

Then, plant at least five trees for every tree that's killed!

Why blogging is serious fun! What I gained from 10 years of blogging

2016-01-28T22:15:00.001+05:30

If it hadn’t been for Blogger I wouldn’t have been able to look back at myself, think, laugh, cry, remember, relate and recollect and well…. relive the good, forget the bad and ignore what needs to be ignored. It need not be greatly composed stuff, with wonderful words, creative sentences and flawless grammar and a great display of blogging skills and other blah-blah. Personal blogs are the best tools for spontaneous, natural and authentic self- expressions and for engaging with people around us. That’s how simple it is – the joy of blogging!

It’s not about counting the number of 'likes', 'comments' or 'shares' on Social Media or even monetizing…blogging is just fun if it’s taken in the right sense and if it is done the right way, in the right spirit. And the best thing about it is there’s no ONE right way:)

It’s left to us how what we want to write, what interests us and believe me it really helps. Wondering how? I’ve gained from blogging in so many ways, if this is an indication of my unconcealed joy of writing and being connected with people, places and the happenings:

Helps me in being the real me: sharing my anxieties, hopes, aspirations, fears…
Express myself in ways that come naturally to me - even without rhyme or reason
Enriched my personal diary by turning it into a delightful digital space
Record, document and share those little things our lives are made of
Keeps me engaged with hobbies and pursue work-life balance
Makes me want to write about those crazily simple things
Helps me relax and recharge after those madly rushed hours
Brings the smile back reading the old stuff
Makes me really laugh out loud when I translate and read my posts in other languages
Makes me become a better observer and writer and reflect on what’s going on
Helps in understanding, discovering and knowing myself better
Keeps me excited with new editing tools for pictures, collages and videos
Got me continuous cheering from friends and kept me motivated to write
Try different things without inhibitions – a bit of poetry and humor as well J
Gave me a voice in raising issues and bringing them to the notice of authorities
Tells me to live the moment as it is without being critical about it
Helped me attempt different ways to write about different things
Most important, it tells me that I need not be 'perfect' and shouldn't be over-critical

When I look at the blog archives it seems more like a writing-graph showing the peaks and troughs closely linked with moments, ranging between high excitement to write like a compulsive blogger and those lethargic jottings that remained on my mobile phone or on note pads and never made it to being a blog post. So much like the ups and downs in any activity that makes it real, credible, natural, organic and from the heart.

Thank you Blogger! You have been my creative companion in myriad moments - in glory and in gloom - and I will certainly continue to inhabit this wonderful digital space and keep on going even when the going gets tough.

Is there a way to save the vanishing lakes in Hyderabad and Secunderabad?

2015-11-28T08:36:00.002+05:30

The other day, when I was at the billing counter of the supermarket waiting in a rather long queue, I overheard something strange and kind of alarming. This guy on phone was apparently a new entrant to Hyderabad and was very excited and loudly describing his new beautiful flat, location, facilities etc. It kind of struck me when he was telling the person on the other side that he’s happy that there are no heavy rains in Hyderabad since he heard that his colony gets affected as it adjoins a lake, and by all accounts, his must be one of those ‘lake-view’ apartments encroaching the lake…My guess was perhaps he was talking to someone in Chennai and the havoc caused by recent rains. Yes, everybody has their problems and perceptions, I told myself and moved on carrying the shopping bags to the parking area, but how can one wish away rains?

Ok, even if it rains copiously, will these lakes get saved? What about the promises of tourism department, the civic bodies; what about the concerns raised by environmentalists? How can we save the remaining water bodies from drying up completely and getting exploited for various commerical reasons? Is there a way to stop the toxicity and pollution? What is stopping people from acting on the plans and proposals - like the ones listed below?

Just a day before, the Times of India carried an interesting story on the lakes in Hyderabad and Secunderabad and the sordid state of affairs that brought these lakes to the present predicament. The way the lakes are getting denuded by the way and becoming sewage tanks and dumping yards is the way the city has grown unplanned and unorganized, not being able to protect the gifts of nature.

The lake I drive by everyday, is one such victim and I wonder why it can’t adopted or cared for by large corporate houses or the Rahejas, or the ILabs or the upcoming ITC 5-star hotel. How else can such lakes be revived as restored? At least the stories about Durgam Cheruvu that come in media are at best, giving all hope!

The topography of Durgam Cheruvu is interestingly carved out and one wonders how little time it took for this beautiful and scenic surroundings to degenerate into a cesspool! The once-beautiful lake is surrounded by rocks, residential complexes, independent houses, software MNCs, restaurants, a soon-to-be-coming-up ITC 5star hotel, a huge big mall and of course a sewage treatment plant. It is the same story with other lakes like Malkam Cheruvu in Raidurg and Amber Cheruvu in Pragathi Nagar and many others.

Here’s a quick recap of local and national news with some highlights about plans, promises and the resultant predicament, particularly for Durgam Cheruvu:

Encroachments and the threat to the rockscape

http://www.frontline.in/environment/vanishing-lakes-of-hyderabad/article7003340.ece

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/60-Acres-Near-Durgam-Cheruvu-Encroached/2015/08/12/article2970150.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/rocks-around-durgam-cheruvu-under-threat/article6386693.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/sixty-acres-of-durgam-cheruvu-encroached/article7528472.ece

Making it pollution free

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/durgam-cheruvu-soon-to-be-pollution-free-509210.html

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/durgam-cheruvu-to-be-made-sewerage-free-soon/article6739382.ece

Plan for suspension bridge and rope way that never took off

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/Suspension-Bridge-across-Durgam-Cheruvu-Proposed/2013/12/20/article1955357.ece

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Durgam-Cheruvu-to-get-ropeway/articleshow/8112023.cms

Grants, funds and hidden reasons for not implementing the plans

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Influential-people-stalling-Durgam-Cheruvu-tourism-plans/articleshow/48368217.cms

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Rs-35cr-granted-for-Durgam-Cheruvu-rescue/articleshow/16441178.cms

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/The-hidden-face-of-hi-tech-Hyderabad/articleshow/49030270.cms

I may be concerned about Durgam Cheruvu because of my long association with this area but I'm equally concerned about the plight of other lakes in the twin cities.

Picture courtesy: Times of India article on 26th November 2015

Mindful moments with the Moon

2015-10-28T08:54:00.002+05:30

“Nice picture, how bright it looks… looks like they are celebrating Diwali on the Moon” when my maid said this on seeing the pictures of yesterday’s Moon, I burst out laughing but admired her creative interpretation. What an imaginative way to appreciate this natural phenomenon! Wonder, how much we lose by not valuing the simple and the natural - the Sun, the Moon, the stars, the skies...

Glimpses of the Moon

As much as possible, I try to squeeze in at least half an hour, either early morning or in the evening, watching and observing things around me. And, this is the best time of the day for me just doing nothing but trying to see something special in the most ordinary and mundane! Just listening to the birds chirping or watching the sun rise or gazing at the stars, the skyscapes or the Moon. May be it’s got to do with my sun sign, the moments spent with the moon are absolutely mindful and give that inner peace which is difficult to find by doing anything else. As they say Librans and the Moon have a special connection :)

And when it’s the full Moon, the celestial sight is simply mindblowing with the aura created by the peace and calm surrounding this beautiful natural event. And yesterday it was a special full moon, a significant day in Hindu calendar with festivities surrounding the Sharad Purnima. This also marks the beginning Autumn-Winter phase and the moon is at his brightest best! Perhaps this was the biggest after the recent Supermoon.

Just watching the Moon or walking along can do wonders, remember like how we used to do such 'silly' things in our childhood – watching the moon moving along with us while we see it from a moving train or just running along while playing with other kids in the night. It’s not just refreshing those memories but re-living such simple joys that’s the real stress buster.

Last evening, I managed to spend some time after a hectic and tiring day and believe me, those moments were so soothing and reassuring like a tranquilizer shot for the mind and body. There’s nothing extraordinary about it – the very fact of being one with nature connects us with ourselves and helps in clearing the clutter that we accumulate from the daily grind, sorry if I'm sounding unintentionally preachy.

And I wanted to catch few glimpses of the moon after he traversed to the other side, that journey throughout the night, while I was sleeping. The early morning Moon was shining like a setting Sun, bright and glowing with an understated halo spreading amber and cheer to early risers. And as the Moon began to fade into the light blue skies in the morning, it left me with a feeling of wellness and vigor to start the day afresh, spend it mindfully and meaningfully, getting the best out of me!

When movies were like poems: Remembering Gurudutt on his 51st death anniversary

2015-10-10T20:08:00.001+05:30

If Gurudutt were alive today, he would have been ninety, probably he would have been like Dilip Kumar and other veterans in their 90s - the living legends of cinema that celebrated finer aspects of being human. My love for some of his movies is like an addiction that you acquire in your growing up years, when you start to question and understand people, relationships and life in general.

We are born sensitive; it is the process of living that makes us insensitive, tough and callous. Some remain sensitive and go through the angst till they leave this world and leave behind a legacy that reflects their perception of the ways of the world. And when such a legacy happens to be through the medium of movies, we are enriched to have it in our cultural repertoire for generations to experience the art and celebrate the artist, the director, the cinematographer, the music composer, the actors and so on.

Some people come into our lives through their movies and leave that long-lasting impact, which transforms the way we relate to people and things. Their stories influence us; they change us and make us think. For them movies become an extension of their being. It is like a pristine canvas that waited to be filled with colours – in black and white. It was almost like seeing the world in these colours devoid of accepting the shades of greyness in between. It is like perceiving the world in symbols, images and little fragments of poems.

What if the stories raised disturbing questions about humanity, about relationships, about ideology? This was when movies were pure and from the heart. I’m not sure if the concept of box office collections even bothered such people. Wonder how much they cared for fame, recognition and all that. Their movies didn’t need aggressive promotion; they just grew on you.

Sad, such a person left this world at a young age. The stories he told were way beyond his times like the character of Vijay in Pyaasa. The intensity with which he felt emotionally could be seen and felt vicariously like in the song jaane woh kaise log the jinke pyaar to pyaar mila...

It must have been his empathy and sincere identification with the characters, this was why his Pyaasa and Kagaz ke Phool did to movies what none of his contemporaries would do. Even today when I watch the song yeh duniya mujhe mil bhi jaaye to kya hai… I can identify and feel for the artist and his uneasiness, the character who was a misfit in the materialistic world. When I watch waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam…I’m spellbound by the ethereal beauty of the song and the story it tells, not forgetting the visual effects that transport you into the world of the character.

Reading about him is like reading about someone who tried hard adjusting to the social truths and hypocrisies. Watching his movies feels like we enter the mind and makings of a person who wants to say so many things…someone who is a thinker, doer, visionary, but not an anti-hero like in Albert Camus’ Etranger. I can’t even imagine how Vijay from Pyaasa could be recreated if the movie were to be made in today’s world where movies are less and less about art and more and more about anything other than art.

As values like simplicity, sensitivity and fellow-feeling get more and more devalued and depleted, with every passing year, this person and his stories will become more and more reflective of the times, the culture and the social fabric. Of course, his life may not be an ideal one for people to follow, but his death does make us think about the tragic end he inflicted on himself.

So true... sounds so much like a premonition and so imminent, dekhi zamaane ki yaari, bichhde sabhi baari baari...matlab ki duniya hai saari...

Handwriting in the time of keypads and keyboards

2015-09-12T20:48:00.002+05:30

Where is the handwriting we’ve lost in digital world populated with Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica, Trebuchet and other fonts? Where are those pearly letters that strung words into sentences? What happened to the ubiquitous cursive style that was synonymous with good handwriting? As fountain pens gave way to ballpoint pens and gel pens, did it also impact the amount and quality of writing we do with our hands? How quickly we’ve adapted ourselves to digital screens and have lost our love for the paper and the book! It’s not without apology that I regret losing my habit of writing with a pen or pencil, carefully creating those letters, those little strokes that added aesthetic value. And of course, the joy of getting appreciated for beautiful handwriting. Of late, I notice how illegible my words become, how impatient it feels to really write something other than filling forms! Isn’t handwriting really at crossroads?

I couldn’t help going back to my school and college days, how meticulously we used to write our notes – that was when there were no short cuts to language and writing, forget about how we’ve dwarfed our words for texting to suit various digital messaging formats. And we’ve got swept away with the ease and convenience of keyboards and keypads, compromising the personal with the impersonal, defying our individual identities with uniform fonts and their impeccable appearance.

You might wonder, where is the need to trouble ourselves with pen and paper in the digital world. Especially, when we are talking about ecofriendly institutions and workplaces where we keep printing to the minimum. This certainly is the need of the hour, but how do we account for the loss of a skill that is identified with basic literacy. How do we keep this skill alive and make sure that it’s practiced and used consciously in our work life.

I perceive another psychological problem with this trend: look at the way our mind coordinates with the keyboard and compare it with the way we think when we write with our hand. I always felt the difference when I write directly on my mobile phone or my laptop as against making notes on paper or notepad and transfer them on to the screen for further expansion of my ideas. Though I’m unable to put this experience in words it’d great to study this difference and understand how the medium of writing affects our thought processes or vice versa.

Wondering what prompted this sudden concern of handwriting in me? Well, I do think back and feel sad about how much my handwriting has suffered with lack of practice, how illegible and unpresentable it looks. But, yesterday, when I had to make some quick notes from a book, instead of writing down the points or even keying them I ended up taking a picture of the paragraph on my mobile phone as I was in a hurry. Resorting to such quick and easy way of doing things makes me apprehensive about how digital technologies and handheld devices pose a threat to our creative skills, handwriting included.

Perhaps, this trend is inevitable as one treads through various stages of evolution with writing as a form of communication and handwriting as a form of creative expression!

When the sting is sharper than its pungency: 6 surefire ways to avert onion crisis in future

2015-08-25T20:55:00.003+05:30

Forget the stock markets crashing, forget the Yuan devaluing, there's something more critical that needs our immediate attention! Yes, it’s the humble onions again that share the same volatile space with the Sensex and Nifty. This peculiar seasonal crisis affects the aam admi and the khaas admi alike. While chefs in the restaurant must be thinking of new ideas to manage the supply of onions, the roadside fast food and tiffin joints are wondering how to cope with this catastrophe. The aam janta is getting inked like we do in elections!

If the trend continues, soon you’ll refer to your dear one as the ‘onion of your eye’ than the apple of your eyes and you might end up gifting bags of onions to your friends on special occasions! Can you imagine how it feels when your favorites like Masala Dosa , Sambar, or Ragda Chat, Raita, Green Salad and Pakodas will be compromised for some unlikely substitutes like cabbages? I fail to understand how cabbages can come anywhere close to onions in taste and texture, other than peeling the layers and the Sulphur content.

The situation seems to be really grave with the government intervening with different steps to control hoarding, stealing and other unfair ways. So, now onions are also linked with Aadhar and what’s even surprising is the use of indelible ink to avoid any foul play. How about some tips to combat the crisis and make sure that our precious tears are reserved for something better than onions!

Declare onion as the national vegetable of India: This should happen soon since no other vegetable qualifies for this title other than onions. Well, potatoes may come as a close second though. Onions unite the vegetarians and the non-vegetarians across the length and breadth of India, being the common ingredient in most of our dishes.

Bring your own onions: The fast food vendors, especially the chaat bhandar types, can insist on the customers to bring their own onions to avoid any compromises on taste and confrontations on price. However weird and debatable this may sound.

Reserve and preserve: True, this indispensable vegetable is unique and doesn’t lend itself to many forms of preservation other than paste and powder. And sadly for Indian cuisine we mostly depend on fresh onions by chopping, cutting, slicing, sautéing and so on…So, we need some innovative ways of processing this kitchen staple.

Go Satvik for a while: Whether you believe in Ayurveda or not, there’s no harm in trying Satvik way to food. This no onion-no garlic diet may introduce us to new ways of appreciating vegetarian way of life before getting back to the Tamasic diet.

Grow your own onions: Since onions grow very well in pots, how about some planned cultivation in your backyard or balcony? Imagine how de-stressing gardening can be, and the bonus of harvesting some organic onions and spring onions too!

Onion insurance for farmers and traders: What better way than insuring against natural calamities, crop failure, and burglary of onions like it recently happened in Nashik, when 2000 kilograms of onions were stolen from a storage facility.

Importing onions, keeping a tab on the produce, rationing, controlling price etc are all the typical ways to resolve seasonal crisis and defusing panic. The tips mentioned above will definitely restore the smile on the face of the cook, the chef and the connoisseur who have always taken onions for granted.

Thanks Sujay Midde for the crowned onions pic :)

Sholay and more: A musical tribute to 20 Bollywood movies turning 40 this year

2015-08-23T15:04:00.001+05:30

Apart from Sholay and Deewar, there are several other movies that turn 40 this year! Let's go retro and rewind to 1975. That was when we had jubilee hits with stories, songs, actors, actresses, directors, music composers, lyricists, back stage artists coming together to create magic on silver screen. Unlike today’s race for fastest 100 crores or 500 crores in multiplexes and single screens, back then, the commercial aspects of box office must have been a different story altogether. Today, I can only imagine how terrific it must've been to be a movie buff in that age, it must've been like a canvas filled with different colours - romance, crime thrillers, comedy, social drama, devotional stories and so on! 5 releases of Amitabh Bachchan, 3 of Gulzar... In fact, the emotional side of these movies seem to complement each other, than competing!

Collage made with pictures from the Web

It was a golden year for the trio RD Burman-Gulzar-Kishore Kumar (and Asha Bhosle) with Shailendra Singh and Bhupinder finding their niche with unique renditions! The year also had some soul stirring lyrics, beautifully woven into the screenplay. The Salil Chaudhury song Na jaane kyon hota hai zindagi ke saath and Aaye tum yaad mujhe gaane lagi har dhadkan by S D Burman and Ek din bik jaayega mati ke mol by R D Burman are iconic of the times. Apart from Sholay other movies that were hits (huge and moderate hits, may be) were: Chupke Chupke, Deewar, Aandhi, Dharam Karam, Julie, Sanyasi, Mili, Amanush, Jai Santoshi Maa, Choti si baat, Khushboo, Rafoo Chakkar, Mausam, Khel kel mein, Nishant, Kala sona, Geet Gata Chal, Faraar, Zameer. Let's reconstruct the year and go back in time to feel how it must have been!

Sholay, a landmark movie with so many legendary things about it. This multi starrer is ever green for its story, characters, screenplay and dialogues serving as a school for aspiring film makers. The song I like most from this movie:

 Deewar by Yash Chopra had story and dialogues that will be remembered for ever. The dramatic clash between two brothers is epitomized in the immortal dialogues like tum sign karoge ya nahin... It was another hit from Salim-Javed that brought the best out of Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor. I love the song maine tujhe maanga tujhe paaya hai

Chupke Chupke, a multi starrer, gave us a classic comedy, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Some of the most memorable scenes from this movie were between Dharmendra and Om Prakash. Though the title song is always refreshing to listen to, enjoy ab ke sajan sawan mein for the way it was picturized on Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore.

Aandhi, the political drama had the best of Gulzar, Sanjeev Kumar, RD Burman and Kishore Kumar. This combo might have done several other movie but nothing can beat the soulful duets with Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar. Here's Tere bina zindagi se shikva...

Mausam by Gulzar, had Sanjeev Kumar and Sharmila Tagore (in double role). This dramatic love story was aptly complemented with incomparable music. The magical voice of Bhupinder made Dil dhoondta hai an all time classic.

Mili by Hrishi Da had Big B, Jaya Bachchan and Ashok Kumar. Music was exceptional as it captured the angst of the character and conveyed some eternal things about life and living balanced with a delicate romantic angle. I can listen to this song for ever: Aaye tum yaad mujhe gaane lagi har dhadkan

Rafoo Chakkar and Khel Kehl Mein had Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh in lead roles. The young and peppy songs from these movies are landmarks in the singing career of Shailendra Singh. Tumko mere dil ne pukara hai

Humne tum ko dekha from Khel Khel mein

Julie starring Lakshmi and Vikram with award winning music by Rajesh Roshan, Other than evergreen numbers like Bhool gaya sab kuch, Dil kya kare jab kisise kisi ko pyaar ho jaaye it had one of the first songs in English. Here’s My heart is beating by Preeti Sagar.

Choti Si Baat by Basu Chatterjee had most memorable music with golden hits like Jaaneman jaaneman... Music by Salil Da was as refreshing as his lasting melodies in earlier movie Rajnigandha. This social comedy starred Amol Palekar, Vidya Sinha and Ashok Kumar. My favorite song from the movie is Na jaane kyon hota hai yeh zindagi ke saath

Geet Gaata Chal, from Rajshri Productions, another blockbuster musical with songs rooted in social realities, written and composed by Ravindra Jain. It had Sachin, Sarika in lead roles. Who can forget the beautiful Shyam teri bansi pukaare Radha naam.

Nishant, based on sexual exploitation of women, with a story based in feudal India had all the big names: Vijay Tendulkar, Satyadev Dubey, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah. Directed by Shyam Benegal, this was won several national and international awards and had lilting music by Vanraj Bhatia. My favourite song is by Preeti Sagar:

Amanush, a Shakti Samanta movie had Sharmila Tagore and Uttam Kumar in lead roles. Originally in Bengali, the film was made in many other languages. Listen to the beautiful lyrics ....Saagar kitna mere paas hai, mere jeevan men phir bhi pyaas hai.

Jai Santoshi Maa was one of the blockbusters with devotional songs, based on the story of the goddess of satisfaction. With lyrics by Kavi Pradeep, it has super hit devotional numbers by Usha Mangeshkar and Mahendra Kapoor.

Zameer from B. R. Chopra films was another box office hit for the Big B. It had Another Kishore Kumar super hit: Tum bhi chalo hum bhi chale chalti rahe zindagi

Khushboo was the third release for Gulzar in the same year with Jeetendra and Hema Malini in lead roles. If it had a peppy song like Bechara dil kya kare, it also had a serious number like O majhi re, apna kinara to nadiya ke dhaara hai, with the magic of RD, Gulzar and Kishore Kumar doing the magic again!

Faraar, another Big B film was a crime drama. It had Sharmila Tagore and Sanjeev Kumar as well. I like the song Main pyaasa tum saavan

Kala Sona was an action thriller with stars like Feroz Khan and Parveen Babi. The song Sun sun kasam se, raha jaaye na hum se by Shailendra Singh was hugely popular, adding another feather to RD Burman’s cap!

Dharam karam was produced by Raj Kapoor. This father-son story had one of the greatest hit songs of RK. The movie might not have been a great hit but the song Ek din bik jaayega maati ke mol, jag me rehe jaayenge pyaare tere bol..will be remembered by generations to come:

Warrant was a Dev Anand starrer with Zeenat Aman and Pran. The movie has a popular number from RD Burman and Kishore Kumar: Ruk jaana o jaana humse do baatein

*This blog is based on information from the Internet, particularly Wikipedia. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of information in terms of release date of movies.

Celebrating the warp, the weft and the weave

2015-08-07T10:49:00.001+05:30

Hands that dream designs
Hands that weave magic
Come together
Create patterns, motifs
In silk, cotton
Or different threads
And connect us all far and wide
The fabric that can never divide
Mangalagiri to Panipat
Maheshwari or Baluchari
The shared heritage
And wealth of designs
That recreates India
Multihued and multilayered
Filled with a million dreams!

The warp and the weft
Make sure nothing is left
As they
Weave a thread up and a thread down
Skilled hands master the loom
To create stories of yore
Like they never did before
Blending the traditional with the modern

Let's make sure that this art lives on forever
Giving the artisans their means of living
Like the threads that weave a tale
Handloom needs our support to pick up a sale
Visit online or a shop close by
Pick up a handloom and wear it
Or adorn the interiors of your home
Even better, gift a handloom
To make the industry bloom!

A slice of Hyderabad: Citylights and nightscapes

2015-07-25T21:14:00.000+05:30

Thank God for small mercies! This is what I tell myself when I go for my regular evening walks on the terrace; it's such a blessing to feel refresh after a tiring day that's been terribly sultry, the humidity that builds up during the monsoon...And the quietness of the evening that is soon turning into night leaves you meditating, reflecting and preparing yourself for the next day. Isn't it so much better than being close doors with the AC on.
This time, the typical Friday evening turned out to be such fun and that too absolutely unexpected. When I started observing how soon the landscape around my apartments is changing, I wanted to capture some moments and preserve these memories, with my Sony Experia camera. And, for the first time, I felt filters really added aesthetic value to my clicks.
Here's a view of the construction project next with people on work 24X7X365.

A construction project in full blast...not to mention the rock blasting that keeps us on tenterhooks!

Ramky towers and its surroundings:

Outer ring road at a distance:

Meenakshi IT park:

Meenakshi IT park phase 1:

Flowers on our terrace:

10 lessons from Bollywood for blockbuster Content Marketing

2015-06-18T08:41:00.002+05:30

Ever wondered why cool stuff quickly clicks on the Web? Attracting and converting audience into loyal customers could do well if we look beyond the traditional, canonical ways of producing content for marketing. While original and honest content always remains classic, nothing stop us from reusing and repurposing it creatively for different products, services, brands and lines of business. Look at the Bollywood genre of movies, they have not only carved a niche in world cinema for their content and style of presentation but also remained unbeaten at the box office.

Bollywood, a moniker for Hindi film industry in India is one of the largest film producers in the world. Now attracting investments from Hollywood, it is synonymous with mass entertainment and popular culture, ruling the hearts and minds of millions of Indians all over the world. From humble artistic beginnings over a century ago, the industry has evolved as the indisputable hub of commercial cinema supporting several allied businesses like music, fashion, travel, television, sports and so on. The movies may be criticised for being inane and unimaginative with stereotypical characters and predictable storylines. But then, how has this vibrant industry sustained stupendous profitability for so long? It is interesting to see how this content based industry has captures the imagination of the audience and keeps them coming, asking for more. Here are 10 lessons from Bollywood that can spell success for Content Marketing and contribute to continued sales growth.

Just get into action: Lights, camera, action! Understand the pulse of the audience; weave action into your story. Don’t just tell, show how it’s done and how results are achieved. Nothing like a fast-paced thrilling drama that drives the message and keeps you hooked. Make your pitch in line with product performance and quality of service.

Repeat the success formula: You need not struggle to produce something unique all the time, why this obsession with thinking outside the box? Most people like things to be predictable; it gives them a sense of see-didn’t-I-tell-you-that feeling. Consistent and quality repackaging hides the age of the content, and you never know how clichéd stuff with same ingredients contributes to brand recognition, retention and recall.

Keep the story to the minimum: Who has the time and who likes to put in effort to understand convoluted plots and hidden messages? Nobody wants things to drag on, convey your core message without beating the bush. Don’t tax the mind of the audience but let the story have its heart in the right place. It definitely helps in top of the mind recall.

Break the monotony: No matter how creative you are, popular stories have mostly been simple and sequential. The path to build up the climax need not be filled with dead serious linear narrative; intersperse it with light hearted moments, funny anecdotes, and snippets of human follies. Remember Bollywood never misses plugging in a song or a comic scene even in the most unlikeliest plots.

Think escapist and aspirational: No harm in being an infotainer! Blend the real life with the reel life. Weaving an incredible story with aspirational characters is sure to keep your audience glued, let Bollywood style romance rekindle your passion for your profession. This arouses curiosity in the audience and gets them prepared to receive the actual marketing message with a smile.

Emphasize on dialogues: What is said and heard has lasting impact on our minds. Include catchy one-liners, pet phrases that make the audience open a dialogue with your brand. The success of movie is also reflected in how the characters and their dialogues gets memorised, become immortal, how actions get aped and imitated and how images get etched in people’s mind and how they become trolling memes.

Believe in heroes and heroines: To make your brand the superstar people want to die for, elevate it to a persona that has larger than life features and all the qualities attributed to a super hero or heroine. But this should not sound like an advertisement that verges on exaggeration. Forget about actors and acting, let the star power do the talking.

Dream individually but realize it with a team: Content marketing is a team activity. It is interdependent. Sync up with the graphic designers, video producers, writers, client and all other stakeholder to realize the goals. Remember, movie makers and dream merchants have always had an entourage of talented artists and technicians to support them.

Keep the box office in mind: Numbers matter! What is the use of marketing that doesn’t lead to sale? To ensure that your content converts, increase the size of your audience, reach far and wide, go where they are, exploit different media, be social...listen to them and draw them towards your mission. Only then you restore the business investors’ faith in your marketing pursuits.

End on a happy note: It’s all about making your audience happy, as it is said in Bollywood, if it’s not happy, then it’s not an ending. Happiness is contagious and triggers positive action. This is a great booster for creating huge fan base that can turn into sales opportunities.

Taking inspiration from Bollywood, every brand has the opportunity to become a part of the celeb-culture. The recipe for blockbuster content is simple and sweet, it'll definitely ensure that your audience get converted to loyal fans.