Swati’s Diary

Kala Ghoda Festival 2012 – A Creative Fusion of Art, Literature and Music

2012-02-09T16:27:00.016+05:30

9th February, 2012

Thanks to creative platforms like the Kala Ghoda Festival, lesser-known artists get a chance to exhibit their creativity.

Having said that, it is sad that only a handful of artists are acknowledged for their artistry. How many of us know Shrikant G. Poddar? But we all know Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh and M.F Hussain. How many of you have heard about Swarup Kaintura and artist Mahesh?

Through this post, I would like to generate awareness about people who deserve to be acknowledged.

Anyone interested in art should definitely get in touch with Mr. Shrikant G. Poddar. He has been organizing art shows in New Delhi and some other parts of the world. His works are currently on display at The Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. His paintings are incredibly beautiful! Totally mesmerizing! The same can be viewed on Facebook. Here are his contact details: shrikanthg.poddar@gmail.com. His studio is at Lalitkala Academy, Artist Studio, Garhi, East of Kailash, New Delhi – 110065.

'Ticket Art' by Swarup Kaintura also deserves a special mention. He uses tickets and coupons to create his paintings. He can also be contacted on Facebook.

Also, art by Mahesh H.K (I hope I’ve got his full name right) is totally worthy of praise and acknowledgement. Unfortunately, I don’t have his contact details but I can share his painting.

I visited the Kala Ghoda Festival 2012 yesterday. What a delightful experience!

If you are drawn to art, literature, music, films, food, dance, street festival, etc, you cannot give the Kala Ghoda Festival 2012 a miss! The 9-day festival ends on 12^th February, 2012. Bombayites, do spare some time to check it out.

A Pyramid of Glass Tea Cups

The Interactive Labyrinth - The Bisleri Maze (an eco-friendly bhulbulaiya of Bisleri bottles)

Volkswagen Beetle- An art piece made of disposed scrap (promoting an eco-friendly way of living)

A Creative Engineering Marvel - Another art piece made of scraps

Smoking Kills - Kick that Butt!

Nose-Flute - A Rajasthani folk artist plays the flute by blowing thru his nostrils

A Revolving Chandelier of Spoons - Fighting Undernourishment little by little

Punjabi Folk Dance

Punjabi Folk Dance Video

My friend has better pictures of KGF 2012. I'll upload the same sometime soon.

Should You Give Your Heart Away One More Time?

2012-02-04T00:31:00.003+05:30

4^th February, 2012

If you have had a series of failed relationships, you are likely to become wary of giving your heart away one more time. The realization that your relationships have failed consistently leads to a period of serious emotional turmoil. You are likely to hesitate from ‘giving’ yourself again because you are not ready for emotional upheavals. (You are not ready for any more of it). In other words, you begin to hold back as a form of self-protection. However, can you allow this attitude to dominate your life?

On My Playlist

2012-02-02T20:10:00.009+05:30

2nd February, 2012

Selena Gomez- Who Says

Der Lagi Lekin - ZNMD

Staind- Outside

Gloria Gaynor - I Am What I Am

My Thoughts, My Ramblings

2012-01-28T00:35:00.009+05:30

28th January, 2012

I don't have an appetite for 'talk' and 'attention'. I don't like the social pressure to talk and party.

I can't engage in a zesty conversation with anyone and everyone.

Sometimes I am unable to make conversation... all the awkwardness that follows is really awkward.

Sometimes I lapse into contemplative silence, I don't know whether it's good or bad.

There is something beautiful about scented candles. I love to illuminate my room with colorful scented candles. It creates a pleasant ambience.

~~I am sick and tired of being pestered to create a Facebook account. Facebook is NOT my idea of social networking, branding, promotion, TP or whatever!!! I don’t want to connect or reconnect~~.

I made Queso dip for dinner, turned out okay.

I am dying to make Vegetable Quesadilla but I am not getting tortilla rotis anywhere. Where in Bombay do you get flour tortilla? Can someone please tell me? Or is there a substitute for it?

I have wasted my hard-earned money on the bullshitiest of things. And I know that once I’m out of my guilt trap, I will get back to wasting money with renewed energy and enthusiasm. This vicious shopping cycle is really vicious.

Why are people so impatient and inconsiderate with women drivers? I am taking driving lessons. My teacher doesn’t let me go beyond 20 kmph. Max 40 kmph. Tooooooooooo slow, I know. And why do people honk when they see a lady driver? They honk unnecessarily, perhaps to harass us or gain attention.

The kids in my building are happy as larks. They are always charged up, full of life, full of energy, brimming with happiness and excitement…sweet believing kids… chirpy, playful, joyous… Every time I look at them, I feel like I’m revisiting childhood…

Sometimes you make a declaration about yourself and then you have a responsibility to justify it.

I am aware that the content on my blog is being plagiarized but I also know that I cannot do anything about it. Stop duplicating content, please!

How do you fend off unwanted male attention, without coming across as rude?

Ban on Books, Ban on Films, Ban on Artworks… Do We Need a Ban to Ban these Bans?

2012-01-24T23:25:00.007+05:30

24^th January, 2012

Salman Rushdie’s absence at the Jaipur Literarature Festival has sparked off a debate. A number of people have expressed displeasure over the controversy surrounding Rushdie.

To say that the controversial author was conspicuous by his absence would be an understatement. He wasn't there and he still managed to make headlines. His absence evoked strong reactions. To be the talk of the nation for a book that was banned 23 years ago is quite something, isn’t it?

For the uninitiated, Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ was banned by the Rajiv Gandhi government on the grounds that it was blasphemous and offended Muslim sentiments.

The Booker-Prize winning author could not be part of the JLF. He received threats following which he had to cancel his Indian trip.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on the ban on Satanic Verses and Rushdie’s absence at the JLF. I wonder HOW MANY OF US HAVE READ THE SATANIC VERSES? And we are all debating our lungs out. Moreover, a number of other writers have also been at the receiving end of mistreatment, just that they are not as popular as Rushdie.

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Check out this must-watch video.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/panelists-at-litfest-discuss-row-over-rushdie/221946?hp

Salim Engineer has clearly made an @$$ of himself. In fact, when Tehelka’s Tarun Tejpal questions him, he beats around the bush, and in the end, asks, "What was your question." ROFL.

The concluding part deserves a special mention and I quote: "It is only for celebrity authors like Rushdie that we generate this kind of noise. We must remember that there have been dozens and scores of other cases like this in India that don’t get even a fraction of this attention."

Javed Akhtar has also rightly pointed out that India is facing a multitude of serious problems like unemployment, illiteracy, malnutrition, TB and repressive women’s rights. Why are we not upset about these issues? Why don’t we protest against these issues? Why don’t we discuss these issues? He further says, "I am upset when a Muslim doesn’t get a house because he is a Muslim." What about these real issues that actually deserve our attention?

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The question, “Is a writer not entitled to the right to freedom of expression” resurfaces. What comes under the purview of freedom of expression is, perhaps, subjective.

Is banning a writer’s work justified? Is it okay to make writers live in exile? Is it okay to drag them to court?

D.H. Lawrence’s “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” was banned from publication in the United Kingdom because of the nature of its content – the content was sexually explicit.

Taslim Nasrin has been living in exile for a long time. Her book “Lajja” is said to have outraged religious sentiments.

A longstanding gripe of writers, artists, directors, actors and the creative community in general has been the hype and hoopla surrounding their creativity, surrounding their right to freedom of expression.

A number of books, films and artworks have run into controversy for various reasons.

Who decides what is creative and how much is creative? Who decides the scope of literary freedom, artistic freedom and cinematic liberties? What amounts to hurting religious sentiments?

Intolerance for freedom of expression, intolerance for creativity, life-threatening calls to writers, artists, actors, directors, attack on painters, especially gay painters, people made to live in exile – is it all justified?

Like Film Industry and Censorship go hand in hand, Canvas and Conflict go hand in hand, Literature and Controversy go hand in hand or so it seems.

What is it with Writers and Depression, Writers and Suicide?

2012-01-24T01:49:00.028+05:30

24th January, 2012

I am reading my first Ernest Hemingway book - “The Old Man and the Sea”. The short story has been described as unsurpassed in Hemingway’s oeuvre.

Some of Hemingway’s major works include “The Sun Also Rises”, “A Farewell to Arms”, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, “Death in the Afternoon”, etc.

I am on the 33^rd page of the “The Old Man and the Sea”. I like Hemingway’s usage of long yet interesting and descriptive sentences:

"The brown blotches of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks."

"Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated."

I guess there is a lot to be read between the lines. Like the first sentence (the brown blotches of the benevolent skin cancer…) shows the protagonist as a veteran fisherman with tons of experience under his belt. The brown blotches have resulted from prolonged exposure to the sun. The fisherman, unlike others who kept to the shore, chose to venture out to fight heavy fishes.

Then there’s another line which says, "The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on cords." It means the fisherman had considerable experience in dealing with heavy fishes.

The third sentence exhibits fisherman Santiago’s fighting spirit:

"Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated." – It means the fisherman was unrelenting. The old man was indefatigable in his efforts to hunt big. It says he was old but his eyes were young, his eyes were ablaze with passion and he was determined to succeed.

Quite a few Spanish words have been used in the book.

Salao – unlucky

Que va – No worries, come on, no way, oh no!

Bodega – grocery store

Agua mala – bad water

La mar – sea

It seems that Hemingway was preoccupied with bullfighting, fishing and hunting. He was obsessed with death and war. Word has it that the celebrated writer killed himself. He experienced overwhelming depression, and chronic alcoholism worsened his mental and physical health.

Apparently, Hemingway’s family has a history of suicide. (Ernest Hemingway’s father, brother, sister and granddaughter all ended their lives). There appears to be a genetic cause for suicide.

Writer Virginia Woolf wrote to her husband:

Dearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again. I feel we can't go through another of those terrible times. And I shan't recover this time. I begin to hear voices, and I can't concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way all that anyone could be. I don't think two people could have been happier 'til this terrible disease came. I can't fight any longer. I know that I am spoiling your life, that without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I can't even write this properly. I can't read. What I want to say is I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been entirely patient with me and incredibly good. I want to say that – everybody knows it. If anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but the certainty of your goodness. I can't go on spoiling your life any longer. I don't think two people could have been happier than we have been. - (Wikipedia)

I wonder what drives eminent writers to suicide! What is it with writers and depression? What is it with writers and illness? Why writers… notable artists, actors and many famous people have killed themselves.

Kurt Cobain

"Thank you all from the pit of my burning, nauseous stomach for your letters and concern during the past years. I’m too much of an erratic, moody baby! I don’t have the passion anymore, and so remember, it’s better to burn out than to fade away.

Peace, love, empathy.

Frances and Courtney, I’ll be at your altar.

Please keep going Courtney, for Frances.

For her life, which will be so much happier without me.

I love you, I love you!"

Adolf Hitler:

"I myself and my wife – in order to escape the disgrace of deposition or capitulation – choose death. It is our wish to be burnt immediately on the spot where I have carried out the greatest part of my daily work in the course of a twelve years’ service to my people."

Writer Nicolas-Sebastien Chamfort:

"And so I leave this world, where the heart must either break or turn to lead."

Apparently, American actress Marilyn Monroe died under mysterious circumstances. Whether she killed herself or not is still a mystery. Indian actress Parveen Babi was schizophrenic. Artist Van Gogh too suffered from schizophrenia. Word has it that he chopped off the lower part of his ear.

Kurt Cobain, Ernest Hemingway, Beethoven are all believed to have had the bipolar disorder.

What is it with famous people and bipolar?

What is this underlying connection between great works of art and suicide? Between fame, success and suicide…

This is not to say that only the famous are vulnerable to bipolar, schizophrenia, MPD, or any other illness or suicide. People like you and me are also prone to depression, suicide, etc. However, my point is that the rich and famous have everything going for them and yet they choose to suicide.

Talent, power, fame, money, success – they have it all and yet it’s lonely at the top!

Gorgeous

2012-01-21T14:13:00.024+05:30

22nd January, 2012

Picture Courtesy: Weheartit

Beautiful

2012-01-19T13:37:00.024+05:30

19th January, 2012

Picture Courtesy: Weheartit

Just Being a First-Rate Version of Myself

2012-01-13T00:42:00.007+05:30

13th January, 2012

I guess I am so used to being by myself that the thought of accommodating another person in my life is daunting. At 28, I am genuinely happy with my single status. I love to be by myself. This is not to say that I never want to get married. Of course I want to get married someday. It is just that right now I am luxuriating in my company. Everyday there is something exciting to look forward to.

I am the kind of person who needs to spend time alone to recharge her batteries. I do enjoy being with people; however, after a point, I need time alone. I experience people exhaustion at times. Prolonged interaction with people tires me out, it kind of drains me out. Plus I take time to get comfortable with a new person. There’s this sense of reserve and inhibition about me.

I am not a people person, I am not even anti-social. I am reasonably social I guess.

I would rather read a book than party at a nightclub. I am just not a party person. I like open spaces. I love Gloria Jean’s and Costa Coffee. I am addicted to Subway. I am passionate about reading and writing – I am glad to have made the shift from ‘Self-Improvement’ to ‘Fiction’. I have developed a taste for ‘Classics’. I am exploring different genres – I have 4 books in the pipeline: Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”, Edward de Bono’s “How to Have a Beautiful Mind”, S.N. Goenkaji’s “The Art of Living” and “The Discourse Summaries”.

I am not on Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, Hi5, BBM, WhatsApp, etc. Plus I can’t go on and on over the phone. I prefer texting to calling. I enjoy reading books, surfing the Internet, walking in the park, listening to music, star-gazing, shopping by myself, meeting friends for coffee and writing of course. This is my idea of bliss.

Sunsets are unbelievably beautiful! Also, I love the scent of mud after the rains, I love the scent of flowers, lip balms and candles of course.

I love everything about Bombay – opulent shopping malls, high-rise buildings, traffic, pollution, Bombay’s cosmopolitan culture, the neurotic pace of the city, food, people, scandals, Bollywood, entertainment options, everything!

I don’t like anyone breathing down my neck.

I have realized that you cannot please the whole world. Some people are always going to be unhappy with you. Sometimes I feel this stifling pressure to live up to people’s expectations.

I have a soft corner for the elderly and poor. I can be very moody at times. I am not really an experimental person.

Sometimes I feel the need to change certain stereotypical notions – particularly those about introverts, homosexuals and beautiful women.

I don’t have hateful memories of anyone. I don’t hate anyone in this world. I wish EVERYONE peace and happiness. May ALL beings be liberated from suffering, pain and sadness.

Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam!

You Can Mislead the World, You Cannot Cheat Your Conscience, You Cannot Escape Karma

2012-01-11T14:51:00.007+05:30

11th January, 2012

Next time you do something that goes contrary to your conscience, spare some thought.

EVERY action, good or bad, evil or kind has a consequence.

For instance, if you bring misery upon someone, it will come back to you MULTIPLIED, in this lifetime or in successive births, come, it will. What goes around definitely comes around – it is my driving belief.

You cannot get away with your wrong deeds, you just cannot escape the shackles of Karma.

You can deceive the world; however, you cannot deceive your conscience and you certainly cannot escape Karma. The law of Karma spares none!

I am convinced that I have done good deeds in my past life because I’m born to beautiful parents in this life. I couldn’t have asked God for better parents; I belong to a wonderful family and I attribute it to Karma! I am sure I have been a good person in my past life that I am reaping the benefits in this life.

Yes, bad things happen to good people and the only logical explanation for it is Karma! And this is my personal belief.

Contrary to popular perception, Karma is not about punishment and reward; simply put, it is about the consequences of your actions.

I believe in the law of cause and effect – As you sow, so shall you reap!

Btw, my Vipassana article is out in today’s Bombay Times, Page 10. ("Liberate Yourself with Vipassana", section: Body & Soul). Bombayites living in Malad, Andheri and Bandra can check it out. Those living in other parts of Bombay can read it in tomorrow’s edition, section – Body & Soul. (I don’t understand the split edition system of BT, content differs from area to area. Strange!) I’ll post the link if I find it online.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spirituality/new-age-insight/Liberate-yourself-with-Vipassana/articleshow/11460925.cms

http://www.timeswellness.com/article/5/2012011220120112151544515a5fc8398

Vipassana Pictures

2012-01-01T12:08:00.016+05:30

1st January, 2012

Pagoda

Dhamma Hall (Meditation Hall)

Time-Table

Wake Up Bell

Wake Up Bell:
A Closer Look

My Room

Vipassana – What A Beautiful Way to Bring in the New Year

2012-01-01T01:32:00.010+05:30

31^st December, 2011

My ten-day stay at the Vipassana International Academy explains my hiatus from blogging. I was in Igatpuri to attend the ten-day Vipassana meditation course. Returned home this afternoon.

During the course, I experienced a range of emotions and sensations. There were times when I was low, lost, afraid, agitated, sleepy, tired and there were also times when I was happy, peaceful, joyous and blissful. All in all, Vipassana has been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

I would like to share my personal experience – something that touched my heart and reinforced an important lesson.

Honestly, at the outset, I was intimidated by the 10-day no-contact-with-the-outside-world confinement routine. Remember, I’d blogged about it? I finally decided to shed my inhibitions. I took the plunge and it proved to be one of the best decisions of my life. I was determined to complete the course and I survived. It is the longest I’ve been away from family and friends, that too without ‘communication’. We were incommunicado, quite literally.

This course needs you to deposit your mobile phone, laptop, reading/writing material, food items and objects like talisman, rosary, etc. Having completed the course, I now understand the logical reason behind it. You also need to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, cigarette, drugs, etc. Furthermore, you need to set aside any rites and rituals during this period. And the biggest challenge- you need to observe silence for about 10 days – no talking with co-meditators, forget that, you can’t even make eye-contact with fellow students. You are only allowed to interact with your teacher for any queries related to Vipassana and the Dhamma Sevikas for any help. Dhamma Sevikas are those wonderful people who squeeze in time out of their busy schedule to selflessly serve students. (Students are allowed to talk on the 10^th day of the course).

I wholeheartedly agree with all the rules – the Code of Conduct is 100% reasonable. The rules make complete sense to me now that I have completed the course.

‘Vipassana’, in Pali, means insight. It is a Buddhist technique that empowers you to see things as they are. ‘Dhamma’ refers to the teachings of Buddha.

The word ‘meditation’ conjures up various images and evokes various interpretations and reactions. It means different things to different people. However, I don’t subscribe to the view that mediation means withdrawal from the world or it means shirking responsibilities. Vipassana meditation is anything but this. It is NOT an escape from the real world. In fact, it is a realistic, pragmatic, scientific and result-oriented approach to mind over matter. And the only conversion involved is the conversion from bondage to liberation.

Dhammagiri, Igatpuri is beautiful and tranquil – it makes you want to meditate. The pagoda is beautifully illuminated with lights at night. The heavenly pagoda gleams like a stack of gold. And the soothing tinkling of the wind-chimes really feels like music to the ears. The place is amazingly well maintained and taken care of. Totally divine!

Also, the view in the morning is breathtakingly beautiful – perfect for people deprived of the picturesque beauty of nature.

Food is healthy and good enough to satisfy your taste buds. Breakfast at 6.30 a.m., lunch at 11 a.m. and dinner at 5 p.m. For dinner, we had kurmura, banana and chai. (It is stupid, silly and disgusting to fuss over food in a place like a meditation center. People should keep their special demands to themselves. No one is going to cater to your whims and fancies here. Your basic demands are met and that is more than enough). Somehow I adapted myself to this rigorous yet amazing routine. I managed to get up at 4 a.m. every day and I'm still surprised! At 9/9.30 p.m. we were in our respective rooms. We were required to meditate for about 8 to 10 hours a day. I've never led such a disciplined lifestyle, never in my life!

I enjoyed sinking into meditation. I tried hard to keep gnawing, defeatist thoughts at bay. I feel lighter in my head, I am now ‘aware’ of my respiration, sensations and thoughts – if not fully aware, at least partially.

In times like today when the cost of living is exorbitant, noble men like Mr. Satya Narayan Goenka are serving people for free. The course is free – absolutely free. Not a buck is charged from the students for accommodation, electricity and food. Unbelievable! Moreover, the course is open to everyone – young, old, black, white, single, married, rich and poor. There were pregnant women, senior citizens, foreigners, youngsters – everyone with one aim – peace, happiness and liberation from misery.

In the words of Goenka-ji, Vipassana meditation involves a surgical operation of the mind to purify it at the deepest level. Difficulties are bound to arise but he inspires you to take them in your stride. His hypnotic voice makes you want to meditate, his words ring into your ears. The discourses are as amazing as the meditation technique. The man commands respect and deserves every bit of it.

It seems like nothing ruffles this guy, he appears to be so calm, composed and peaceful... brimming with compassion and love for all.

The course runs full. People need to register months in advance. This itself exemplifies its raging popularity. I guess we were about 600 in all - males and females. The male and female areas are strictly demarcated. The course is conducted in quite a few parts of the world. And I guess it is also being taught in some schools and jails. The idea is to observe your respiration and sensations. You need to train your mind to feel sensations all through the body without reacting to these sensations - no cravings, no aversions.

Goenka-ji was born and brought up in Burma. He is a retired industrialist. He is a student of Sayagyi U Ba Khin.

Here’s thanking Goenka-ji, all my teachers, all the Dhamma Sevikas and everyone directly or indirectly associated with the Vipassana International Academy. THANK YOU all for having me at the VIA. It has been one of the most fulfilling, challenging and beautiful experiences of my life. I am indebted to each and everyone associated with the VIA.

If there’s heaven on earth, it’s the Vipassana International Academy!

Vipassana – there couldn’t be a better way to bring in the New Year! I feel like a new phase is going to begin in my life.

Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam!

Not Giving Up On Love

2011-12-16T22:56:00.005+05:30

16^th December, 2011

I know you're feeling restless
Like life's not on your side
It's weighing heavy on your mind

But when we stand united
Our hearts, they beat in time
And I know we'll make it all alright

Let's bring it back to you and me
There's no one else around
Now don't get lost in gravity
'Cause I want you to
Hold me now
Nothing else matters
It's just the two of us
And if it all falls down
Nothing else matters
I know we're strong enough

I'm not giving up
I'm not giving up on us
I said I'm not giving up
I'm not giving up on love

We're of the same existence
No lock without a key
We can't deny it's meant to be
'Cause I feel it inside
Take me over tonight

I'll be there when the storm is breaking
In this moment I'm yours
And you can always be sure
That together we're gonna make it

So baby, won't you
Hold me now
Nothing else matters
It's just the two of us
And if it all falls down
Nothing else matters
I know we're strong enough

I'm not giving up
I'm not giving up on us
I said I'm not giving up
I'm not giving up on love

Everyone Is Chasing Something

2011-12-14T23:20:00.002+05:30

14^th December, 2011

Dream job… fancy designation… dream apartment… dream car… hefty bank balance…lavish vacation… deadlines… targets… goals… dreams… good looks…soulmate… love… peace of mind… prosperity… fame… respect… happiness…spirituality… acceptance… approval… optimism… fulfillment… perfection…excellence… abundance… success…

Everyone is chasing something – the list is virtually endless!

No one wants to rest on their laurels. We are conditioned to ‘chase’. And, of course, in times like today, there is absolutely no room for complacency.

A lot of people are obviously chasing money. Money is the seal and stamp of success or so it seems.

If you are not chasing money, you are at least chasing one of the things mentioned above.

The point is, are we happy chasing what we are chasing?

This mad, neurotic pace of life, don’t we ever want to get away from it? Can we allow this chase to dominate our lives? Don’t we want to pause, reflect and re-orient our life?

Everyone is chasing something, what are you chasing?

Kolaveri Makes Me Want To Lose Weight

2011-12-14T01:21:00.006+05:30

14^th December, 2011

Javed Akhtar is entitled to an opinion; however, I don’t quite agree with his stinging remarks about Kolaveri D.

Kolaveri D inspires me to walk one more round in the park, when I’m just about to give up. Believe it or not, the song is helping me knock off those extra pounds.

Call it nonsensical, crude or whatever, Kolaveri D is a raging hit, period. It has taken the nation by storm!

I don’t care whether its Hindi, English, Hinglish, Tamil, Tanglish or whatever, the song puts a smile on my face. The lyrics (‘substandard’ as opined by Javed Akhtar) push me to complete another grueling round in the park.

Kolaveri makes me want to lose weight.

Listen to Kolaveri, lose unsightly flab!

Kolaveri D is a strong testament to the power of viral marketing. Apparently, it has crossed the 20 million mark! UNBELIEVABLE!

Yeah, talent is not enough, it all boils down to MARKETING.

Everyone is cashing in on the Kolaveri cult.

There is no denying the fact that Kolaveri D is a thundering success! And I guess its part of a B-school curriculum already.

Nothingness

2011-12-09T18:52:00.003+05:30

9^th December, 2011

She wandered relentlessly. Finally, at half past three, she went up to bed.

The clock ticked loudly.

Her otherwise carefree and laughing face was stamped with conflict and despair. She was quiet, her eyes downcast.

She was not oblivious to the growing restlessness taking over her. Her heart throbbed violently, for no apparent reason.

Seemingly content, inside, she was an emotional wreck. Inside, she’d been battling a whirlwind of thoughts. She knew her life was smashing into pieces, yet, she kept up a pretence of cheerfulness. She wanted to say something but she could not bring herself to it.

The dark night sky, her stifled existence, her unfulfilled dreams – her only reality was ‘nothingness’.

She tried to soothe herself with the scent of flowers.

New Lease of Life for Dirty Vidya Balan

2011-12-05T13:49:00.014+05:30

5th December, 2011

D – Dauntless

I – Incredibly convincing

R – Ravishing

T- Taste for the unexplored

Y- Yearning for perfection

This is how I would like to encapsulate Vidya Balan’s performance in "The Dirty Picture" (TDP).

The actress who once received flak for her gross dress sense and flabby body is now winning accolades from audiences and critics alike.

Vidya Balan has her detractors eating humble pie with her stellar performance in TDP. After watching her uninhibited and convincing performance in Milan Luthria’s "The Dirty Picture", I am totally bowled over by Vidya Balan.

Vidya Balan, you rock!

Silk’s role is tailor-made for Balan.

Tabu, Konkona Sen Sharma and Vidya Balan are some of the very few actresses who have the courage to tread the road less travelled.

With TDP, Balan has ventured off the beaten track!

Those who think "The Dirty Picture" is sleazy are deriding Balan’s acting prowess. Those who are turned off by excess skin show and cleavage display are taking away from Balan’s hard-work. Please, it takes a lot of nerve, confidence and conviction to take up an unconventional role like this. How many actresses would have the nerve to take up a challenging role like this and execute it as uninhibitedly and flawlessly as Balan? That too at a time when others are playing complacent Barbie dolls and glam dolls.

I urge everyone to watch TDP. You are likely to be enthralled by power-packed dialogues, never heard before one-liners and flawless dialogue-delivery by bindaas Balan.

Milin Luthria has brought out the BEST in Vidya Balan. Kudos to the entire cast and crew of TDP! Writer Rajat Arora deserves a special mention.

Balan started the year with a de-glam role in "No One Killed Jessica" and ended it with a contrasting, power-packed performance in "TDP". Need she prove her 'versatility' as an actress?

At some point during the film, I was reminded of Marilyn Monroe and her mysterious death.

Balan is sure to walk away with awards and accolades for the film. I am totally in awe of Vidya Balan!

The audience sits up in rapt attention when Silk acts!

Bravo, encore!

Lady Chatterley's Lover

2011-11-30T01:10:00.026+05:30

30th November, 2011

"Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes. It is rather hard work. There is now no smooth road into the future: but we go round, or scramble over the obstacles. We've got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen."

The paragraph above marks the beginning of D.H.Lawrence’s highly controversial novel, ‘Lady Chatterley's Lover’.

Permeated with the First World War, ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ is the story of an aristocratic woman (Lady Chatterley a.k.a Connie) and a working-class man (gamekeeper Mellors). Connie’s crippled husband Clifford is unable to satisfy her needs – both emotional and physical which leads her into a passionate affair with Mellors.

‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ carries over-indulgent descriptions of sexual intercourse between Connie and Mellors. In fact, the book was banned from publication in the UK because of its sexually explicit content.

It seems that Lawrence’s usage of explicit and expletive language earned him the reputation of a sex-obsessed writer. Lawrence used literature as an outlet to vent his ire at a society that accused him of flouting moral conventions.

Apparently, the novel is inspired by the events in Lawrence’s own miserable domestic life. He seems to have drawn heavily from his personal experiences. The relationship between the bored aristocratic Connie and gamekeeper Mellors is said to be inspired by Freida Lawrence's relationship with Angelo Ravagli. Freida was Lawrence’s wife who eventually married Ravagli.

Lawrence contracted tuberculosis and was rendered impotent. In the novel, Clifford Chatterly (Connie’s husband) is paralysed and is impotent because of the injury. He is unable to satisfy his wife physically and emotionally.

Some have referred to ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ as sensationalistic prose peppered with explicit sexual details.

Incidentally, I didn’t fully enjoy reading D.H. Lawrence’s ‘Sons and Lovers’. Some parts are totally uninteresting and they drag on. And I didn’t find it sexually explicit; the Classic doesn’t live up to Lawrence’s reputation as a sexual crusader.

On a concluding note, I would like to share a wonderful poetry by D.H. Lawrence. If you are feeling sorry for yourself, you ought to read this:

"I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.

A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough

without ever having felt sorry for itself".

Some Say... I Am Sweetie

2011-11-27T01:15:00.008+05:30

27th November, 2011

Guys, you gotta watch this video. I mean hear it out loud. Like really loud. You’re gonna die laughing.

I promise you will have the time of your life. God!!!!! This is crazy!

I HAVE SET THIS SONG AS MY RINGTONE. :P

LYRICS:

Some say I am Sweetie

Some say a Queen of the Beauty.

I am alive, heart is beating,

But my soul is hurting.

Some say I am Sweetie

I don’t know dancing and singing,

But I can’t say no to my Darling.

Make me partner of loving.

I want to be a wife.

Oh my Love.

For my Love,

I will move society.

I want love,

Give love my Sweetie!

Interest me, I am love thirsty.

Nothing is more attractive,

Than your love and directive.

What you want,

I will do.

It will be my duty.

Invest in Yourself

2011-11-26T01:43:00.021+05:30

26th November, 2011

Photo courtesy- Weheartit

Train of Thoughts

2011-11-22T22:20:00.007+05:30

22nd November, 2011

1- It is sickening to see people stoop to ‘sycophancy’ for reasons best known to them.

2- I can’t get myself to value people who are emotionally and ethically bankrupt.

3- Not all single girls are in a desperate search for companionship or love. Let them be.

4- Fame is fleeting.

5- All of us are quick at labelling people but these labels are really unnecessary. There is more to us than short, tall, fat, size zero, midget, nitwit, gori chitti, dusky, skinny, upper class, middle class, recluse, outgoing, reserved, gay, straight, black, white, etc.

6- It may be difficult but it is not impossible to respect each others' tastes and preferences. Let people be.

7- Every woman must pamper herself and make time for herself.

8- Don’t wait for ‘company’ to do something that would make you happy. Just do it!

9- What weighs most upon your mind may be a manifestation of your own fears.

10- I believe in the power of praying and chanting. I personally feel that these are great ways of disciplining your internal world.

11- Blogging is like a spiritual tool that helps me compose myself. I prefer the written word to the spoken word.

12- I really admire people who have an insatiable appetite for life, for living. It is wonderful to be surrounded by such people.

13- Watch your actions. Whatever you give out comes back to you, multiplied.

14- Don’t make your partner feel tied up like a donkey to a stake. It is emotional rape. Give them space for heaven’s sake.

Give Yourself a Lift

2011-11-17T01:24:00.026+05:30

17th November, 2011

Photo Courtesy- Weheartit

That Fading Beautiful Evening

2011-11-12T21:40:00.004+05:30

12th November, 2011

That fading beautiful evening when you had me under a spell,

When your defiant dark eyes were fixed upon my demure blue eyes,

When you wrapped your arms around me and I flushed crimson,

When you kissed my perfumed hair...

That fading beautiful evening when the air was heavy with the scent of flowers,

When the wind blew through my soft hair,

When we walked barefoot on sand,

When we strode hand in hand...

That fading beautiful evening when the silence didn’t feel awkward,

When our eyes met and conversed,

When the passion went out of the sky,

And sparks flew between us,

That fading beautiful evening when the sun plunged under the horizon...

Wishing Myself a Gorgeous 28th Birthday

2011-11-08T00:20:00.001+05:30

8th November, 2011

It's my 28^th birthday and I don't regret growing older...it's a privilege denied to many...

Here's wishing myself a gorgeous birthday. I wanna take time to thank God for all that I have. May God bless me with peace, health and happiness. May I gather the courage and conviction to realize all my dreams. May I consistently work on my negative traits and become a better person...

Photo courtesy- Weheartit

Beautifully Inspiring

2011-11-04T21:48:00.026+05:30

4th November, 2011

Photo courtesy- Weheartit