Billi Do-Shoonya-Shoonya-Nau..!

Remember "Band of Brothers". Remember the D-Day.. the day when the Allied forces landed on Normandy. Remember the Americans fighting under constant shelling, crouched in a fox hole, surrounded by enemies. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run. When all that stands between you and death is the accuracy of your enemies shot! Pretty dramatic... huh? Picture this: Replace D-Day with 10 days of absolute secret-service type torture. Replace the Americans with a group of students who are (in the greatest probability) going to give the exam of their life! Replace Normandy with a pretty shitty test-centre (at least that's what they wrote on the plaque... pff) where all you could here was the sound of a concrete-mixer and growling labourers from an adjoining construction site. Replace the foxhole..... well.... don't replace the fox hole because that computer was . Replace the bullets and mortars with 60 questions, of which you have no damn clue. And as far as replacing that life-death conjugate is concerned.. that backwards-running 135 minute-timer would fit perfectly.

This my friend is no battle field. This is worse. It's CAT 2009. When we pulled out 1400 bucks from our dad's pocket, we had no idea what we were getting into. Filling the form was as fun as creating a fake profile for adding strange girls on Orkut. The preparation for the exam was perhaps the most easy part. I mean, sure, it's damn easy if you don't do it! On the difficulty scale, Rank 2 was the anticipation part. 5 days to go for the exam and your peers start texting/scrapping (minus the 's') you, they call you just to make sure you're "doing fine". And that's what makes the heat go up. By now most of you might have started guessing that Rank 1 goes to the 135 minutes of the test. Well... NO. Rank 1 is to what happens after you come out of that fox-hole. Its then that your stomach starts churning. Did I do the calculations correctly? Was my understanding of the comprehension good enough? Why was the answer to that question not there in any of the options? Is C the correct answer or A is more appropriate?.... WILL I BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH???

Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna

I guess.... rather I hope that most of you have seen 'Gulaal'.. a genuine Anurag Kashyap-masterpiece. A very grounded exposé of the predicament of college life. Apart from its pretty accurate and realistic description of the shenanigans employed by powerful men who foment youth politics, I was particularly moved by a scene from that movie. It was the scene in which Duggi Bana's (Kay Kay Menon) whimsical brother (Piyush Mishra) sings his idiosyncratic version of the famous pre-independence poem 'Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna'. Altough a little harsh, Mishra's sardonic lines and satirical tone strike directly to your scruples. A sentient audience is impelled to put a cognitive effort over the famous adage "Where is our counrty heading?".

The older counter-part was written in the pre-independence era by Ram Prasad Bismil as a show of the audacity and courage of Indian revolutionaries to stand against the might of the Raj. Bismil's writings talk of a concerted effort to overthrow the imperalists and establish an egalitarian, utopian society. On the other hand, Piyush Mishra's lyrics pose a direct sarcasm over the futility of the efforts of the mandarins that have led this country towards labefaction.

Here's how the lines go (the Gulaal version). Read them and try to contemplate over the veracity of the statements made by the lyricist.

सरफरोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है,
देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ू-ऐ-कातिल में है,
वक्त आने दे बता देंगे तुझे ए आसमां,
हम अभी से क्या बताएं, क्या हमारे दिल में है॥

ओ रे बिस्मिल, काश आते आज तुम हिंदुस्तान,
देखते की देश सारा क्या टशन, क्या थिल में है,
आज का लौंडा ये कहता हम तो बिस्मिल थक गए,
अपनी आज़ादी तो भैय्या लौंडिया के तिल में है...

आज के जलसों में बिस्मिल एक गूंगा गा रहा,
और बहरों का वो रेला नाचता महफिल में है,
हाथ की खादी बनाने का गया,
आज तो चड्डी भी सिलती इंग्लिसों की मिल में है...

सरफरोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है,
देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ू-ऐ-कातिल में है॥

शीशे से बनी एक लड़की..!!

Sometimes we are so lost in our dreams that we often disguise our true identity. In the race being what we want to, we actually forget who we are. For most mistakes in life, we get a second chance. This one's among those, for which we don't. This poem is about that insidious but very fragile part of us that wants to remain deluded from the reality, that wants to fly away to that fantasy-land and never come back.

शीशे से बनी एक लड़की..
पत्थर के नगर में आई..
वो ढूँढ रही थी मोती..
और पत्थर से टकराई..
शीशे से बनी एक लड़की..........

शीशे से बनी यह लड़की..
इस बात से है अनजानी..
जब रेत चमकती है तो..
लगती है दूर से पानी..
यह फूल हैं सब कागज़ के...
लेकिन वो समझ ना पायी...
शीशे से बनी एक लड़की..........

शीशे से बनी इस लड़की से...
कह दो की बाद में ना रोना...
कुछ लोग हैं अन्दर से पीतल के...
पर कहते हैं ख़ुद को सोना...
यह भ्रम उसका एक दिन टूटेगा...
और गहरी है ग़म की खाई...

शीशे से बनी एक लड़की
पत्थर के नगर में आई,
वो ढूँढ रही थी मोती,
और पत्थर से टकराई..!!


P.S. : Please Comment!

The name's Federer... Roger Federer

I know writing a blog 'on' a person sounds very strange. But since I've started following (& understanding) lawn tennis, I've never viewed Roger Federer as a person. He's a phenomenon. He's an enigma. He is, in fact, what every sportsman ever dreams to be, no matter what his trade be. Now, of course, there are others in that elite league as well. We have Sachin Tendulkar, we have Tiger Woods, we have Valentino Rossi, we have Steven Gerrard, we have Kobe Bryant... all great coeval players in their respective fields (leaving the veterans for the historians.... no offense!). And then, Valentino Rossi's 100th MotoGP win, did prompted me to write something, but then I found Federer's story a little more spicy and a wee-more inspirational. (no offense to Rossi again... you're my favorite biker 'DOC'!)

Sunil Gavaskar quoted, "The spirit of the true champion is to perform his best in the most adverse situations and come out on top". Seeing Federer's successive defeats at Roland Garros, and his bad run during the last year, apprehension were raised about culmination of his peak era. But again, he showed (and not proved.. because he doesn't needs to), what a champion player he is. First, the French Open to equal Pete Sampras in the number of Grand Slam titles. And then, the coveted Wimbledon, he broke Sampras' record, who had specially flown to London to watch the final. It was the longest match in the history of Grand Slams, in terms of number of games played. The 5th set, which was a grueling marathon of aces, drop shots, cross-court slashes and deceptive back-hands, was the longest ever in the record of this game. 16-14, (just because there is no tie-breaker in the final set), was how long the game went. A fantastic display of brilliance and chutzpah from both players. The heart-beats were shunting between the zenith and the nadir with each minute towards the end of the game. And if this was for the audience, imagine what must be going through the minds of those two in the middle. But, one held his nerves a little longer.

I logged onto my facebook homepage after Federer won the Wimbledon final and found that my 'wall' was full of status updates related to the final. "Hail Federer the King", "Welcome to #1, Roger", "Kudos to Roger, but my heart feels for Roddick" were some of those floating on the top. If Roddick was fighting for glory, Federer was battling for his pride. No doubt, both the finalists played their hearts out, but still rules are always cruel to the runner-up. One had to win. The world is happy to see its favorite, and indeed one of the greatest tennis player of all times, back at the apex position. We will celebrate, pop-up champagne bottles, text our friends, hug our dear ones, update our facebook pages and not to forget, write blogs on the enigmatic champion. But Federer's win, the manner in which he won, the circumstances under which he won... offer a little more than just another reason to celebrate. It gives us a story of inspiration. A story of struggle. A story of self-conviction and pulling yourself together in the bad times. A story of TRIUMPH.

<3-BREAKING NEWS!!

It was quarter-past eleven and my 3-year old nephew wouldn't go to sleep. Annoyed by his whining and irrational reluctance, my sister switched on the TV and tuned into Star News. My nephew was so horrified seeing that bearded man (from the famous or infamous, whatever you call it, show Sansani) , that he immediately went to sleep without uttering another word. Frankly speaking, the cheaply haunting background music (just imagine, background music in a news show..neways) plus the punch line of the show "Chain se sona hai to jaag jaayiye" plus the ridiculous tone in which it is spoken, sends me back to the days of Zee Horror Show. And even then, people complaint that our news channels don't have "impact". Infact the TATA SKY people are so confused, that they are planning to shift news channels like Aaj Tak, Zee News, Star News and India TV (well... it's not a news channel after all, it's a horror-cum-entertainment channel) into their entertainment section. No kidding!

Another day, I was having breakfast with folks from my college, and I asked them, "Guys, do you think our news channels have reached the nadir in terms of news reporting?". Before anyone could say anything, one of them snapped, "आप अपने जवाब हमें SMS भी कर सकते हैं। बस Type कीजिये <नाम> <जवाब> और भेज दीजिये 5566 पर". We all burst out laughing. The more painful thing was that even if such a poll was to be conducted, the results wouldn't be divided into two categories of YES or NO. There's always a third answer - DON'T KNOW. I mean, come on, it's like people in India have nothing better to do than SMS on a stupid question even when they "don't know". It's really a great thing that we do not have this third option on the ballot paper!

Then there's the BREAKING NEWS... which breaks my heart, if nothing else (hoping that you got the heart-shaped symbol in the title of this post). Police commissioner loses his dog... BREAKING NEWS!! Rahul Gandhi eats dal-poori.. BREAKING NEWS!! God knows what-not they display under the title of BREAKING NEWS. In the last few years, since this "breaking-news" funda got popularized, I don't remember that this "BREAKING NEWS" title is ever removed from the screen. One of my fond memories (and it's only fond because it was ridiculously funny) with this breaking-news debacle, is when I saw this "news" on Aaj Tak... (a still captured from the TV screen displayed below). The pic says "अमिताभ बच्चन को ठण्ड लगी.. BREAKING NEWS". And probably the MTNL help-line was given so that people could call to send free blankets???

And then we have India TV (probably the worst of all) with its horrifying news and baba-fied programs. Shows like ACP Arjun (their counter-part of Sansani), Swami Ramdev ka Yoga Show (please leave something for health & lifestyle channels) and then another Frankenstein-like baba who tells people their fortune, quintessentially explain the sorrow state of news reporting in our country. The high-melodrama created over petty things WHILE ignoring news that is really concerned with social issues and that will affect people's lives.

My younger brother asked me the meaning of NEWS. I wished I had told him North, East, West, South which gained immense colloquial popularity. Instead, I told him that NEWS means - Non-sense, Empty, Wasteful ,Shows!!

The Greatest Game Ever Played

Just a few days back, we celebrated (I hope you all did!) the 26th anniversary of India's historic and histrionic victory in the 1983 World Cup. We entered the tournament as underdogs and the English media predicted the Indian challenge to be over before the knock-out stages. Even after reaching the finals, India's chances were flinged against the might of the Windies. But destiny had already been written somewhere in the heaven. India overcame the predicament of their self-disbelief and Kapil's Devils went on to etch their names on the pages of history in golden ink.

Star cricket aired a special presentation "Remembering the Titans" as a journey down the memory lane, naming the 1983 World Cup final as the "Greatest Game Ever Played" in the history of Indian cricket. The thought of India winning the coveted World Cup, beating the formidable West Indies (the reigning champions of the earlier two editions of the event) and winning after defending a modest total of 183, were the cynosure of the celebrations on the night of 25 June, 1983. The picture of Kapil Dev holding the Prudential Cup at the Lord's balcony is ranked among the 'Most famous images in the history of Sports'.

26 years.. is a long time, but not long enough to fade the memories of the epochal moment that changed the course of Indian sporting history. Most people argue that even in the pre-World Cup era, India was a dominating force in world cricket. True! But did half-a-billion people go crazy when Kapil Dev uprooted the stumps? They do when Zaheer Khan does! Did frenzied fans used to hold up the placard saying "If cricket is religion, then Sunil Gavaskar is God!", whenever he played his signature cover-drive. They do when Sachin Tendulkar does. No offense to those great cricketers, because they where the ones who set the wheels in motion. But that match changed the perspective of the Indian people entirely. It not only gave joy to the people but more importantly, it gave them hope. It made them believe. It made cricket in India, what it is today!

Some memorable moments from India's sinuous journey to victory:

1. Kapil's knock of 175:
I've watched the recording of that innings, one of the finest in ODIs till-date, over and over again. Defeated by the Indians earlier in the league round, Zimbabwe was grabbing every possible opportunity to avenge their defeat. The Indian top-order collapsed like a row of bicycles and the team looked in deep trouble at 17/5 and then 77/8. But then came one of the greatest innings under pressure ever. Kapil Dev's 138-ball knock of 175* constituted of 16 fours and 6 sixes. He was very well complemented by Roger Binny and Saeed Kirmani's defiant innings who held their ground at one end. India put on a very good total of 266. India eventually won the match and reached the knock-out stage.

2. Greenidge's wicket by Sandhu:
Sandhu swung luck in India's favor as he rocked Gordon Greenidge's stumps with his typical banana-swing. India knew that Windies had a formidable line-up but there was still HOPE.

3. Kapil Dev's catch of Viv Richards:
Greenidge was one of the most feared batsman of those days. And so was his successor, the indomitable Viv Richards. He was well set with his speedy 33 and looked like he would take away the game from India. If not for divine providence, Richards would have hit that ball for six on any given day. "The ball was miscued by Richards and for the few seconds it remained in the air, nobody moved", says my dad who recalls the commentary that he and his friends were listening on the radio. Then came the huge roar of the Kapil Dev completed an astounding catch, grabbing the ball in a desperate effort, running backwards.

4. Amarnath's magic spell of 3-for-7:
India were looking to tighten the noose after the opposition was sent reeling at 76/6. But Paul Dujon, the West Indies wicket-keeper and Malcom Marshall held their nerves and Indians felt the game was slipping away. Then came the moment of magic. Dujon clean bowled by Amarnath on what he himself called a very poor and casual delivery. He dismissed Marshall in his next over and Kapil Dev was thinking of words to say in his victory speech. Amarnath also trapped Michael Holding in front of the wicket. Up went Dickie Bird's finger and the rest is history. Amarnath was named the 'Man of the Match' for the final.


26 years since the fateful day..... but still we feel elated just at the thought of it. Luck, destiny, effort.. whatever you call it, the truth is that 25th June will always hold a special heart of every Indian just because of one simple reason, our love for cricket. It's the one reason that brings all of us together when we keep all of our differences aside and cheer for our favorite players. When we wave the tricolor all around, when we forget that who is Hindu or who is Muslim, when we are all painted in one color.... BLUE!

कभी आना हमारी बस्ती...

A poem straight from the heart and straight to the heart...!!

टुकडों में बिखरा हुआ
किसी का जिगर दिखायेंगे
कभी आना हमारी बस्ती
तुम्हे अपना घर दिखायेंगे

होंठ काँप जाते हैं
थरथरा जाती है जुबान
टूटे दिल से निकली हुई
आहों का असर दिखायेंगे

कभी आना हमारी बस्ती
तुम्हे अपना घर दिखायेंगे ...

एक पहुँच पाता नही की
एक और छलक जाता है
पलकों से दामन तक का
इन अश्कों का सफर दिखायेंगे

कभी आना हमारी बस्ती
तुम्हे अपना घर दिखायेंगे ...

कहीं रखी है तस्वीर तेरी
कहीं लिखा है तेरा नाम
मन्दिर मस्जिद जैसा पाक
एक दीवार-ओ-दर दिखायेंगे

कभी आना हमारी बस्ती
तुम्हे अपना घर दिखायेंगे ...

अक्सर ताकती रहती हैं
सुनसान राहों को जो निगाहें
घर के दरवाज़े पर बैठी हुई
सपनों की वो नज़र दिखायेंगे

टुकडों में बिखरा हुआ
किसी का जिगर दिखायेंगे
कभी आना हमारी बस्ती
तुम्हे अपना घर दिखायेंगे...

The end of a "Thriller" era!

"If you enter this world knowing that you're loved and you leave the world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with"

• Michael Jackson

The 'King of Pop'.. The 'Moonwalker'.. is no longer with us. The news filled a sense of dysphoria among his fans across the world as they not only lost their favorite singer but also a man who redefined 'stardom'. I happened to tune into CNN and the scenes outside the hospital where MJ breathed his last and those at the Times Square in NY reminded me of JFK's assassination. No doubt that inspite of leading a life full of controversies of child , this Hall-of-Fame singer still happens to be the greatest pop-star to ever 'moonwalk' this Earth.

A few days back I read a newspaper report that MJ was planning to phase what was to be his greatest comeback to vanquish nightmares of child abuse scandal and financial breakdown. And believe me, I was not surprised to hear that all the tickets to his 50-concert marathon, which were supposed to be staged in London, were sold in few hours. Apart from his flambouyant clothing and peculiar hair-styles, he was perhaps best known for his 'break-dance' and 'moonwalk' which he immortalized. His 1983 album 'Thriller' still continues to be the highest-selling album of all times with a record 50 million copies sold. Each of his album was a smash-hit and tracks like 'Dangerous', 'Billy Jean', 'Smooth Criminal', 'Don't stop till you get enough' etched their names in history. His album had so much impact over the social scenario, particularly in US, that the period following the release of his another mega hit album 'BAD', in 1987, is usually referred as 'The Bad Era'. I remember Prabhu Deva quoting "Even if I touched Michael Jackson, I'd feel as if I had attained nirvana'.

I saw a documentary on MJ named 'Living with Michael Jackson' which was a series of interviews amalgamated into a short film. It was quite an unusual series as it showed, for the first time, MJ talking about his traumatic childhood. Although he remained reclusive on questions regarding his plastic surgeries and sexual transmutations. Born as a nigger, a child prodigy as a singer, shot to fame with his maiden album 'Off the Wall', underwent several plastic surgeries, diagnosed with vitiligo, accused of child abuse, suffered from financial calamity, lost his dream house 'Neverland Ranch' (based on the fictional place of the same name in Peter Pan's story, where children never grew up), converted into a muslim Mikel, died awash in $400 million of debt. Quite a life... Ain't it!

Many consider Frank Sinatra as the superstar in the world of music. But, no offense to Frankie, I think that Michael Jackson was the more 'popular' star... a genuine celebrity who appealed directly to the heart of his audience. Be it his peculiar style of singing or his famous 'moonwalking' dance moves, he captivated millions of hearts. And even though he functioned more as an occasional tabloid figure rather than a singer, for many of us, he was and will always be the greatest superstar of music. May God bless his soul. AMEN!

Life's small things

I want to share a fantastic story that I read a couple of days back in a book by Rev. Dr. Robert H. Schuller named "TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST, BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO!" The name was inspiring enough. A story about life, our triumphs, our struggles and the way we overcome it. A story that, though derived from a thing as minuscule and innocuous as a potato, really forces us to reassess our approach towards life. Here it goes:

The potato farmers of the US state of Idaho sort them out according to their sizes - big, medium or small, after they have been harvested. This helps them to get the maximum market dollar over their product. Its only after these potatoes are sorted, that they are bagged and loaded onto the trucks. This method has been followed for generations by all the farmers - all but one. One farmer never bothered to sort the potatoes at all and still he seemed to making the most of the money. A perplexed neighbor finally asked him, "What is your secret?" He said, "It's simple. I just load up all the potatoes onto the truck and take the roughest road to town. During the 8-mile trip, the small potatoes fall to the bottom, the medium ones land in the middle and the big potatoes rise to the top".

This is not only true for potatoes. Its a law of life. Tough people rise to the top in rough times, on rough roads. Knute Rockne said "When the going gets tough, only the tough gets going." Tough people bring out there best under adverse situations. They fight. They survive. They win. They come out on top. You'll never win a battle that you did not fight. You will never hit the bull's eye, if you never take the shot. Life's a struggle. Accept it and fight it.

Always remember - "TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST.. BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO!"

Annus Horribilis

2009 wasn't such a remarkable year for the reigning champions in most of the sports. We saw last years winners crash out of the game long before the climax could unfold. Here's a look at the Champions who couldn't make it big twice in a row:

1. Rajasthan Royals : (IPL winners - 2008 season) The Shane Warne-led team had etched a remarkable success story last year, when they started as underdogs and went on to snatch a last-ball victory from the hands of the obvious favorite CSK. But they couldn't even make it to the semi-final round in the 2009 season. Although the nerve-wrecking win in the super-over against the KKR promised a season full of high-drama cricket. But RR suffered from big players failing when most needed. And KKR managed to avenge their defeat and eventually knocking out the Royals from the tournament.

2. Raphael Nadal : (French Open 2005, '06, '07, '08) The seemingly impossible happened. The previously unbeaten Spaniard, who started the French Open 2009 in style lost to Soderling, a clay-court nobody. The Roland Garros winner for the last 4 successive years was hoping to claim the title for the fifth time and getting past Bjourn Borg's record, until Soderling guillotined the champ in a three-to-one set win. And sitting somewhere in his hotel room, Federer was probably smiling and thanking Providence for the golden opportunity.

3. Manchester United : (UEFA Champions League 2007-08) In spite of grabbing the Barclays Premier League for the second time and playing exceptionally well through the entire Champions League, they still couldn't put their hands on their 4th overall European title. Again starting as the clear favorites, Man United where undone by some excellent footballs from the Catalans, who toyed with the Reds in the final which was predominantly one-sided, after the 10th minute goal from the Barca striker Samuel Eto'o. The upto-the-mark defending from the Spanish club after taking a 2-0 lead in the 62nd minute made a mockery of the formidable Reds' strike force even with all four, Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez and Berbatov playing. But still, much more creditable performance overall.

4. India : (ICC World T20 2007) World Cup 2003 Runners-up and knocked out in the league round of WC 20007. Winners of the T20 WC 2007 and departing from the Super-Eight round in the T20 WC 2009. Looks quite similar, doesn't it! The Indians are well-known for making cricket, a game of such high unpredictability. Crushing the Aussies one day and getting toiled by Bangladesh on the other. The most favored team to win the coveted event this year as well, the Men-in-Blues failed to cash in on the huge IPL experience. And ofcourse, we all missed Sehwag.


But again , putting in the words of the legendary Sunny Gavaskar, "The virtue of a true champion is to do well in the most adverse situations". Tomorrow never dies. The sun will rise again and they will take the field once again. They may be down and out, but their spirit is never broken, for they are 'Champions'!