People have different ways of staying awake for late nights - coffee, loud music, cigarettes et al; for me Diet Coke works great. The only problem is that right now I have so much caffeine in my system, I can't get back to sleep if even though I want to. So have decided to write something, anything...
Karan "I'm in love with Shahrukh" Johar has made four movies:
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (K2H2)
Kal Ho Naa Ho (KHNH)
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G)
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (KANK)
I haven't seen two of these (KANK, K3G), but can note so many similarities within all his movies that I am tempted to just outline them, and then try to predict a few things for the next one.
Locations
The foreign l(h)and: I assume Yash Johar didn't allow KJo enough money to go abroad on the first one (K2H2, except for the songs in Scotland), but he made up for it by building a completely Americanized campus in the movie (bhai humein to bambai mein bhi aisa campus nahi dikha) - (and if mountain will not come to Muhammad...), he got Rani Mukherjee from London. Elsewhere, the locations have been New York (KANK, KHNH) and London (K3G).
Next location: London deserves another chance just to even it out.
Songs
1. The disco number (with English words): KANK - "Where's the Party tonight", K3G - "You're my Sonia", KHNH - "It's Time to Disco".
Next: "Let's do the disco tonight, Sonia"
2. The "If I have Amitabh Bachhan in my movie, I will make him dance" song: KANK - "Rock and Roll Soniye", K3G - "Say Shava Shava".
3. Opening peppy (correct Hindi term chulbula number which could include the word ladka/ladki) - K2H2 - "Ladki Badi Anjaani Hai", K3G - "Yeh Ladka Hai Allah", KHNH - "Pretty Woman". Not possible to have peppy numbers in KANK, people had kids at the beginning of the movie.
4. The "traditional Indian family marriage" number: Not possible for KANK - the entire theme was too un-traditional-Indian to begin with and sabki shaadi ho chuki thi. K3G - "Bole Chudiya", KHNH - "Maahi Ve", K2H2 - "Saajan ji Ghar Aaye".
5. The Title Song - woh to hona zaroori hai. Bina kisi gaane ke log poochenge, itna lamba naam kyun rakha film ka.
Injured/Dying people
KANK - He broke Shahrukh's leg
KHNH - He gave Shahrukh some terminal disease (I hope it was not blood cancer, the traditional bane of the upright Hindi film hero).
K2H2 - Rani ko maar diya!
Haven't seen K3G to know, but don't think anybody died.
Next: I hope he gives Shahrukhs lymphocarcoma of the intestine (or maybe the bladder, the colon, the cockles)!!
Shahrukh Khan can play macho sports
KANK - Football, KHNH - Rugby, K2H2 - Basketball
Next - Since he has done hockey in Chak De and cricket is too cliched, he might do baseball.
The foreign returned/staying guy/gal who follows Indian traditions and knows a song to prove that or something to the effect that Indian culture is the best
K2H2 - Rani, "Om Jai Jagdeesh",
KHNH - Some song plays while they are opening an Indian restaurant instead of a Chinese one
K3G - Somebody sings the Indian national anthem in the UK.
Next: Since LCMD ("My Apron is Stained") has done with Hanuman Chalisa, I think the next one will likely feature "Vande Matram" (both religious and nationalistic angle!)
It is late in the night, and even though I can go on for long, I think I'll just stop. Can feel sleep finally coming over me. Will draw something around the other Yash (Chopra) movies some other time.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
23!
I turned 23 recently; no firecrackers went up, no thunderstorms lashed the city; even the traffic was pretty quiet :). My manager came to know of it, and took the team out to dinner. I returned to office and worked till 5 in the morning.
Different years signify different turns in life:
3 - eyes wide open
5 - first lie
9 - crossing the street
10 - riding a bicycle
12 - girls, self-consciousness
16 - rebellion
18 - ambition
21 - expectations
24 - maturity
30 - responsibilities
35 - mid-life crisis
40 - last chance for greatness
I can't imagine a life beyond 40, not yet.
What does 23 mean? At 23, I and other close ones have expectations from me; I am not fully mature yet. It is one of those in-between phases, like the period between two exams.
I am fairly confident of clearing the exams - have spent the last 23 years, coached by parents, teachers, friends and circumstances to become mature and go on to take responsibilities (sort of like an MBA after bachelors :D).
Except that the exams never end, and as they say, it is not the marks that matter, it is what you have learnt; and so how you do in them is perhaps not so important as studying hard and enjoying the subjects you are being taught. Also, one doesn't need to take particular subjects just because a teacher recommended it, or because the guy next to you is taking it.
In interviews/chats with friends, I have been asked, "where I see myself 5/10/20/30 years down the line" - I have a few ready answers, none of which is any closer to the truth than the other.
I really don't know what I want to do beyond 40, or even before it. What I know is that I am no longer afraid of it - the subjects are interesting, and in any case, exams mein luck factor bhi to hota hai :D.
Different years signify different turns in life:
3 - eyes wide open
5 - first lie
9 - crossing the street
10 - riding a bicycle
12 - girls, self-consciousness
16 - rebellion
18 - ambition
21 - expectations
24 - maturity
30 - responsibilities
35 - mid-life crisis
40 - last chance for greatness
I can't imagine a life beyond 40, not yet.
What does 23 mean? At 23, I and other close ones have expectations from me; I am not fully mature yet. It is one of those in-between phases, like the period between two exams.
I am fairly confident of clearing the exams - have spent the last 23 years, coached by parents, teachers, friends and circumstances to become mature and go on to take responsibilities (sort of like an MBA after bachelors :D).
Except that the exams never end, and as they say, it is not the marks that matter, it is what you have learnt; and so how you do in them is perhaps not so important as studying hard and enjoying the subjects you are being taught. Also, one doesn't need to take particular subjects just because a teacher recommended it, or because the guy next to you is taking it.
In interviews/chats with friends, I have been asked, "where I see myself 5/10/20/30 years down the line" - I have a few ready answers, none of which is any closer to the truth than the other.
I really don't know what I want to do beyond 40, or even before it. What I know is that I am no longer afraid of it - the subjects are interesting, and in any case, exams mein luck factor bhi to hota hai :D.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Finally!!
It's been nigh 15 months since I joined my job, and after the initial honeymoon of the first few months had gotten over, I had settled into a staid, stultifying, low energy, low enthu routine - where I would work just enough to satisfy my boss - and never go the extra mile. Until now.
I am liking this assignment - I stay late for work a lot now, but am cribbing less about it. The work is fun, and I am taking extra responsibilities and doing them well. What has been the impulse for this change? I am not too sure, but a combination of greater respect of my abilities by my current boss, resolution of several past hangups, acceptance of my limitations vis-a-vis my other colleagues and satisfaction about my current state in life (and love-life) - all these have led to it.
I am not too worried about my career these days - I had done badly in an assignment a few months back and now that expectations from me are low, I can finally look above them and see myself doing better.
I read a poem by Longfellow the other day, and have fallen in love with it; am reproducing it fully here:
The Rainy Day
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
Indeed, into each life, some rain must fall :)
I am liking this assignment - I stay late for work a lot now, but am cribbing less about it. The work is fun, and I am taking extra responsibilities and doing them well. What has been the impulse for this change? I am not too sure, but a combination of greater respect of my abilities by my current boss, resolution of several past hangups, acceptance of my limitations vis-a-vis my other colleagues and satisfaction about my current state in life (and love-life) - all these have led to it.
I am not too worried about my career these days - I had done badly in an assignment a few months back and now that expectations from me are low, I can finally look above them and see myself doing better.
I read a poem by Longfellow the other day, and have fallen in love with it; am reproducing it fully here:
The Rainy Day
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
Indeed, into each life, some rain must fall :)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
:
“What can be done in hell? They sang. For where there is no more hope, song remains.”
-Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
-Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
:-
Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary
Friday, September 07, 2007
!
If on a winter's night a traveller....
...takes the road less travelled....
...he'll probably have miles to go before he sleeps.
...takes the road less travelled....
...he'll probably have miles to go before he sleeps.
I am in love with...
...the model who appears in HDFC Standard Life Insurance ad as "Neha" who wants to go to the US to study but has a funding problem ("US ki scholarship mili lekin sirf aadhi") until her father pitches is ("koi hai jo saalon se tumhare liye paise ka intezaam kar raha hai").
In the same ad, she displays intelligence (US mein padhai karne ja rahi hai bhai), vulnerability ("lekin paise kahan se aayenge"), confidence (the way she walks in a suit at the end) and vivacity ("main to abhi bhi itti si hoon"), and I go weak in my knees and start singing the three JAVA versions song - mar java, mit java, kar java :D
My dear blog readers, if any of you know about her, or anyone who might know about her - please tell me. Main tumhari US ki scholarship poori lagwa dunga. Neha ko kehna ki US na jaaye, aur yadi woh jaa chuki hai to use bata dena ki main aa raha hoon.
In the same ad, she displays intelligence (US mein padhai karne ja rahi hai bhai), vulnerability ("lekin paise kahan se aayenge"), confidence (the way she walks in a suit at the end) and vivacity ("main to abhi bhi itti si hoon"), and I go weak in my knees and start singing the three JAVA versions song - mar java, mit java, kar java :D
My dear blog readers, if any of you know about her, or anyone who might know about her - please tell me. Main tumhari US ki scholarship poori lagwa dunga. Neha ko kehna ki US na jaaye, aur yadi woh jaa chuki hai to use bata dena ki main aa raha hoon.
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