Thursday, June 28, 2007

Jawaan ho yaaron...

Two movies I can watch infinite number of times, and which make me happy, cheerful and hopeful of the future, movies which came in the early 1990s, and which I have seen so many times, and remain as fresh as ever - "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar" and "Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa".

I am not going to analyze this too much. Last night, I had to make a very important presentation; I had to get up at 3 to work, because I ended up watching Shahrukh Khan (probably in the only performance which I unconditionally love) try and fail in getting Anna.

Similarly, the first song that comes to me when I get ready for a group song is always "Jawaan ho yaaron", and I don't know anyone who doesn't love "Pehla Nasha", the pure innocence of the youthful love never fails to send goosebumps through me.

Over the years, as I have become more cynical (reading too much Russian literature and watching von Trier movies hasn't helped I suppose :D), it is these kind of movies which can just make me feel good about myself/and the world.

P.S. The presentation went off fine, btw.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Kisi Shayar ki Ghazal...

It is 5:30 PM. I have a flight at 6:30, and the airport is still some distance away. I am getting fidgety. My driver misses a traffic signal, I start fidgeting some more. Then it happens...

An auto stops to the left of us. I turn my head. The auto is slightly ahead of us, so all I can see of the passenger are the legs. She is wearing a red salwar kameez, and sandals of the ethnic variety, like the ones you'd get at Janpath - I never liked Janpath stuff particularly but I knew someone who did, so ended up going there and buying a lot. A few memories return but only for a fleeting second as curiosity takes over and I crane my head slightly. I can see her hands now, they are small, and she is drumming her fingers, fiddling with the phone.- she has the same Nokia as I do. And she is wearing brown nail-polish.

I am interrupted by a small kid who comes to the window, peddling tabloids. He tries a few times, but finding me uninterested, goes to the auto next. She takes one and then brings out her purse from the other side, and pays him. And then my driver inches slightly ahead and I get a look...

Golden brown, texture like sun
Lays me down, with my mind she runs

The light turns green and we speed ahead. I try saying something; nothing comes out, I mutter to the driver to rush, and he complies. I make it to the airport and fly back home.

The song is still running in my mind.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Megalomania

I have a dream...

I have a dream that one day this world will fall on its feet and cry out "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are not created equal. There are some born to rule and some born to serve"

I have a dream that one day on the steppes of the Americas and the plains of Asia, people will sit down together at the table and praise the Lord for delivering me to the world.

I have a dream that one day what I say will be gospel and the leaders of men will be in attendance to my presence.

I had a dream today.

And then, I woke up and went to office to continue making slides.