What's your Rashee!!

Ashutosh Gwarikar, was the reason why I thought I would try out this movie, which was 3 hours long and had 2 intermissions. Yes, you read it right, 2 intermission out of which 2nd intermission explicitly looks like from censor board. But before you read further, we should congratulate Priyanka Chopra ,who has done a commendable job in each of the roles. She has made it a must see movie, if you often relate people with their Rashee!!.

An interesting thought to ponder was, why is the movie based on females? It could have been be a gal looking for a man. Is it because we have Male dominated society or because only women have different colors/shades?. No debates please, just a thought.

Am not going to reveal the story as many of you still have to see the movie, but some facets which you should watch for and may like to discuss on this blog (as comments).

As you all would have read in the newspaper, its about 12 gals or 12 rashee which he plans to meet based on a book he reads while he is awake at night (affected by US Jet Lag).

While I assumed they are showing it by birthdates, but mum identified it was accordingly to name (she reads both horoscopes :-)). So, I picked up the Hindi Magazine to check the Rashee and their matching alphabets, but as I don’t remember most of the names, so can be wrong in the blog.

Please be sure you understand it that way, and note the names as they announce the name of the gal before every planned meeting. Just for your help (as am sure you don’t read Hindi papers/magazines), following were the alphabets of the characters and my interpretation of their traits.


A - Aries - Pure Heart
V - Taurus - Evaluating/Hidden personality
K - Gemini - Confused/Chirpy
H - Cancer - Very Honest/Clings to past
M - Leo - Aggressive
P - Virgo - Selfless
R - Libra - Too Practical/Logical
N - Scorpio - Passionate
B - Sagittarius - This is edited
J - Capricorn - Sober/Simple
S - Aquarius - Open Minded/Smart/Practical
C - Pisces - Living in their world

S was the Rashee I could relate myself to the most and hey boasting is allowed on one's own blog!!

In the movie, it would be interesting to see how Ashoutosh has actually maintained the respect for each Rashee as he mentioned in the disclaimer . To enable that, the best approach he took was not to highlight much on the characteristics of the Rashee, but the situations these women were actually in. Some were very successful career wise, some devoted to our country and some living just in their past.

Then there were some social issues which were highlighted, how women are pushed into marriage for emotional support, for money, for family sake and some are even made to fake their identity. It also, highlighted the issues of dowry, adolescent marriages, and reasons why marriage becomes a contract for some.

All women can be seen sailing through their situations, either themselves of through some help. They all have dreams which they wish to achieve and Marriage is not the only thing in a women's life today. It is important, but not a compulsion anymore. Another aspect is the realization for some parents, who always underestimate what a woman can be, if she is able/allowed to choose.

But it also highlighted the fact that it is very difficult to make a decision as you are not able to judge a person in 10 minutes or a day which you get to decide. Also, the dilemma men face when they meet women, who are as competitive as they are. Can they compromise their career, preferences etc for a gal, if they are expecting the same from them.

And finally, what is the basis on which we should make a decision. Or it is just a destiny!!! (“Marriage…a quest of destiny” – March 2008).

You all would be inferring the end from your perspective, but I could relate theme of the movie to the words of a acquaintance I met once, who said "We should not typecast ourselves to the LINDA traits, as every individual is quite unique and each on of us is a precious drop in the ocean(THIS WORLD)".

I also realized, that it is not our horoscopes but the situations in which we are that make us what we are, rather than our Rashee!!!.

But but….I would still continue reading LINDA, as it helps to understand a person at times.

So, Enjoy to movie and do send me your comments.

Ever Noticed the World Around Us!!!

On the way to office I often notice people around me, in the bus, on the road or in different vehicles. The faces I see everywhere never match each other. Its makes me appreciative of god's creation, thinking how many mould's he has to give us such different shapes. We are here in different colors, bound in different religions and customs, though our blood and the scientific constitution of the body is same, but still we are so different.

On the long distance, I see their faces and notice their expression changing from neutral to smiling and at times a tiny drop appearing in their eyes. Are they smiling because they are happy, or thinking something silly they did today and when they cry is it some pain or remembering someone they loved. It is just like a newly born baby, who people presume is in his/her own world. Babies dont know how to speak, but its only their expressions which we can interpret.

I often notice people looking out of the window, though their eyes are just looking at the objects around, but is their mind also on what they are seeing. Are they appreciating the beauty of nature, looking for some nice faces or something else. A few friends told me that they are just talking to themselves or analyzing themselves and some are making some plans for the hours to come but their mind is consistently working.

I often notice couples driving together to work. One partner is trying to make a communication while the other is silent. When a person is silent, no one knows what is going in their mind, what are they thinking or concentrating on. And there are couples who are laughing and giving each other attention. It makes me eager to know about their relationship, how long they have been together and would they be soon like other silent couples once they have spent some good time together. Are they happy together or just adjusted to each other or is silence the only thing between them.

A friend once told me a quote, "He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words" but I wonder how does he expect someone to know what he is feeling. How can someone know, is he silent because he is happy, or because he is sad or might be angry with someone. Some say face is the mirror of the mind, but how do we read faces and their mind.

On the roads, I notice people heading towards somewhere, some people driving fast, impatiently changing lanes as if they are in a hurry. A friend says, it seems as if no one is satisfied and its a rat race either in traffic or in real life. Everybody is trying to win the race and ones own win is not that important as others defeat is. Are all of us heading towards a direction or a just on the go, what is the destination we have to reach or we would just keep walking.

Then I notice my friends with whom I interact everyday, they smile with you, laugh with you but they have a different story behind them each day. What they are expressing, is what they are feeling today or are they just faking it. Your colleague sitting just next to you, does he like you or somewhere has a grudge with you, is he your friend or a foe. Sometimes you feel they are the best of your friends and you can trust them, but some unfortunate day your trust is broken.

These instances which I see everyday and the estranged world around me which is full of humans like me - some of whom I know, some of whom I wish to know and those I see & forget everyday - makes me wonder "why do we hate others, if we are alike(humans)", "why do we like others, if we look different", "why do we become silent in a relationship, when we chose it ourselves", "why are we running against each other, if we have the same destination(death)" and "why is the world like this or it could have been different".

If you have ever noticed the world around us, can you tell me...."Yehi duniya hai to aisi yeh duniya kyun hai, yehi hota hai to akhir yehi hota kyun hai"

.... With due regards to friends who contributed to the thoughts in the blog!!!!

Majma!!

Woh doston ki mehfil, woh yaaron ka majma
yaad aata hai, woh milke hansna
Hanste hanste zameen pe ludakna

Woh mausam alag they woh lamhe alag
beet gaye woh din jaise falak

kash woh lamhe tham jatey waheen
woh dost na bichad jatey kaheen

Par aaj woh din fir aya yahan
khul ke kissi ne hansya yahan
ansu nikle aye ankhon se yun
woh mausam laut ayen ho jyun

Ab dil chata hai,yeh pal na hon juda
ye doston ki mehfil sajtee rahe sada

Or hum yuhin hanstey rahein sada!!!!

"Those were the days" are very common words I have heard from many people around me. We all have good memories of our past. Some remember school days and some are appreciative of the college days. A carefree life for all, with love in the air for some and non stop fun times for others. Boys learned all the vices and skills to flirt around with gals. Girls learned all the ada's and getting more attention from boys. But there are some who come along just like that.

It is the time we start understanding the meaning of being a friend and build an unforgettable bond. The times spent together, the jokes and the incidents often come in our talks and we reflect on the past.

As we move on, we make new friends, similar feelings emerge again and we start spending time together, but old friends always remain within our hearts. But fotunately today, we do have great websites like orkut, facebook etc which keeps us all connected and the hearts are filled with joy to know about them, see their kids and smile on their new experiences.

Those times, those people who are long gone might not come along, these Majma's would again be forgone, but it makes this wonder writer wonder..."agle mode pe na jane mile jaye kon"!!!.

Route No.2M - A Dumb Bond

Dedicated to all the Members of Route No. 2M.

Route No. 2M plying from Noida Sector 125 to Rohini is a 1.5 hrs journey from the company to our homes. When I joined the bus after a long stint away from the same, it was a quite affair. Nokia Express 5310 and a headphone were the companions aboard and it was all about me and my thoughts.

I noticed people around me, some used to gossip, some sleeping and some looking out from the window, don’t know finding what. I called this phenomenon GSP - G(Gossip), S(sleeping) and P(Peeping) syndrome.

One day a new member joined our bus. He was/is a smiley, white and tall guy, a typical Punju with a slight Punjabi ascent in English. As is said about Punju's, they love to smile and live to eat, he couldn’t very well adjust to the GSP syndrome. He used to look, notice the GSP group and wonder where to start.

He caught up with a small group of members who together started a popular game "Dumb Charades". The group started enacting movies, deciding the rules of game and invariably making a lot of noise.

The GSP group was amused to see the enthusiasm after a 9 hours long work and wondered the reason for the stored energy. I happen to notice them play one day where a member was enacting the movie "Rakhwale". He raised one finger upwards and a thumb down, which I understood means one word and Hindi. He identified a unique way to describe the movie, a gun fighter who is placed on the India & Pakistan border and is protecting the country. No body could bring out the typical Hindi word he was expecting so he went for a sound's like which was more interesting to see and interpret.

He highlighted all of us as in family relations which is commonly known as "Gharwale" and a person shouted Rakhwale. I could see the frustration of the enactor and different thoughts of the interpreters. Some were right on target to understand, others gave weird answers.

Though I had never till then attempted to play it, but it invariably made me think of how would I do it if I were to enact or interpret? It made me realize though the dictionary meaning of the word dumb is “lacking intelligence or good judgment”, but it needs quite intelligent and logical method of enacting actions to act like a dumb. But, it also brought in me the depressing feeling of thinking about people who cannot speak and can only express themselves through actions.

Slowly many members of the GSP group started interpreting in their minds, and their eyes would be hooked towards the person who was enacting. Now most of the members have moved out of the GSP syndrome and actively participate, either enacting or interpreting. I got pulled to the group, when I successfully interpreted one word, Urdu movie. Since then, am involved in the fun and somehow feel the same energy after a 9 hours day, which I was earlier amused on.

Everyday, each one of us wait for the time when we would be together again in the bus, some idle moments in the day are spent googling for movie names and trying to find the most difficult movie name possible. Members also try to enact a simple movie in a more interesting way to make other annoyed and eventually happy. Members have especially changed their bus routes, try to come by bus and some of them getting down early, frown on the arrival of their stops as they are crucially placed in interpreting the movie. Few members in the group have been identified for their quite interesting skills. Introducing a few here

Mr. Expert: Who has an expert/critical opinion on the interpretation
Tadipar: Who don’t give a valid movie or give simple movies
Encyclopedia: Well know interpreter of typical Hindi/Urdu words
Dictionary: A content full of Hindi movies names dating back to 1920's
Latest Dictionary: She knows the latest movie names as a zap.

This game today has created a unique bond - "A dumb Bond" among the members of the bus whom we scantily know as a person, but we do know what they are good at in dumbing!!!!