Mumbai meri jaan

It was just yesterday night, when we were sitting at the katta below my house, and were having a discussion on the happiness index in our country. We all agreed that no matter how much we earn, or how good is the feel good factor or how near are we in becoming a super power nation,  the happiness index is the lowest in the country.  And its not cause of anything else, but its due to the sheer stupidity of a few. What to do? The best solution is to go abroad and earn and be happy. Seems just right.

I dont know whats wrong, and i guess neither does anybody. Anyways, its easy to identify the wrong. Cause changing the wrong would mean changing all of us. Would you do it? 

Dont worry, you dont have to answer that.. and btw, this is not a reality check post. For that, watch Mumbai Meri Jaan. Its not cause I work there everyday and can relate to most of the phyche displayed amongst the people. Its simply about who is happy today. Every character in this film relates to someone or the other I know. The movie is about the train blasts that happened on 7/11 and how every character got influenced by it. I remember when I caught 8:38 the very next day from Thane station, I could see the faces in the compartment and the silence around me. I could see how my mom was worried and called me 10 times that day to see if I was fine. I know my friend who was on that train but was saved miraculously cause he choose to catch the other first class compartment rather than his usual one. The film showed every inch of that reality.

The part of the film that no other film could capture so far was that it showed the fact where no matter how affluent you are - a rich kid with a luxury car, or a chai wala on the cycle, or an upper middle class professional or a middle classe police man -- everyone is striving to be happy. It reminded of the movie in Pursuit of Happiness in which Will Smith emphasis on the work "PURSUIT" and how it needs to be pursued. Mumbai meri jaan compares this very point and asks you to find that happiness. This film goes right there.

I saw A wednesday before I saw Mumbai meri jaan. Both very strong in concept with a very influencing message. One shows the problem, the other a probable solution.

Anyways, the blasts in Delhi just rocked the nation again. No words to describe the insanity of the kinds who spread this fear. They say Mumbai is on High Alert. Well... I am sure, no one has been on any low alert since a long time now. It just gets used to now... and thats a F*ing big problem. 

Pune Trip Landscape

Went Pune yesterday... official purpose ofcourse.

Cant describe the beautiful landscapes on the way.. just couldnt resist the pics. Been there like a 100 times.. but this time just after the rains went slow.. and the sun in its full glory.. the sky and the greenery was an awesome spectakle.

It could easily have been mistaken for some other (over glorified) tourist place...

Rock on...

Saw Rock on on Friday.. and felt how did we not have this music for all these years... The music was awesome.. and so was the film. Awesome style displayed. Anyways... have thought will keep a note of films I watch since my last blog -

Rock on - 4*
Mighty Aphrodite - 3.5* if u liked old Woody Allen, this is though different from those.
Wanted - 3* - nice action.. infact bullets also curve (lol).. angelina jolie is awesome.. f*all story though.
Master and Commander - 4* - russel crowe's character as the Captain is truly religious.
Tried to start Mission istanbul... just couldnt take me beyond 15 minutes. Sorry for no rating there.. :(
So thats all ... I got my new net connection.. downloads been kinda slow.. :( Its called uptime vs speed compromise...

Wanted a neat try at this.. just one of my favorites below. (Click Play)

Pic this

Thers something am doing more often... letting pictures say more than words.

The above one's from my room.. before the grills came.

Thats when we went to Silphata few weeks back.... had gone just to take a walk.. but ended up there :)

Thats all.. my battery is down.. time to shutdown.. :D

Memory Remain..

"Ash to ash
Dust to dust
Fade to black
Fortune, fame
Mirror vain
Gone insane
But the memory remains "

Thats so true... in the end its only Memory that remains.. Well.. its not my ash or my fortune thats gone to dust... its my books. The books that were with me from the day I joined MBA till today. Those stack of books in the picture.. was my sleeping pill for two years.. and finally I have given it away. I still remember the book at the bottom.. Kotler as it was called. Huge papers were filled not looking at that book on the subject - Thats Marketting :)

The most priced item I thought I had .. was in two minds was the KK notes on Quanti... I was still scared as to what if he found out that I gave it away - - what will he do?

Anyways.. I finally decided to pass it on to the other generation whos doing MBA now. I was wondering how we spent SEM after SEM looking at such books and gave our tests. As you can see.. from 48 units I have only 10 books on me.. the rest is lost in memories... :d

So long.. good bye to my books.. On the brighter side.. I got empty space for my DVDs now..

Passee

Past week...being alone at home.. killing time...had my space to the extent... The city takes most of it away, so this was time for myself.

The days been testing - especially the rains. One Monday was the worst hit since the working class decided to work showing little respect to the rain Gods. Our system made them vulnerable. I stood on the platform for an hour.. was actually thinking of going back home, but waited still looking at the situation. Any sane would tell you, its not the day to take a ride instead head home safe, but Thane station was packed like any other Monday. What amazed me was there wasn't a place to stand still on the 9 platform station - as i said, just like any other Monday. I recollect an interview of a CR railway MD on BBC where he said "A mini City travels one way during peak hour using local trains". If you stayed in long enough, you wouldn't be surprised.. but the moment you leave and travel to other Indian cities, you realize the importance of that statement.

When i go out to other cities (unsaturated ones), I find there are places where for KMs you wouldn't spot a living person on the road you driving. I cant imagine that even at 1 at night on any day on any road even in Thane.. forget south bbay.

Guess I just assumed its always like that. Its like our professors always saying.. you got to visit rural India to see what it is. It cant be taught in books.

Anyways.. these days time passes by quickly and i hope people realize the dream... and stop cribbing about whats not there.

Recently, someone at a coffee shop argued with me that China is progressing and why cant we. I had heard this from my professor :

"In China if the Govt. decides to widen a busy street and cut all shops on its way.. the Govt. actually goes about doing it. In India.. we still have something called Democracy. Its different..."

Movies Masti and Magic .... still continues

Saw Jaane Tu ya Jaane Na at R-Adlabs yesterday again and simply loved it. I had already seen it but this made me feel so good. Yes.. the story is repetitive and been told a thousand times, but this one was in great style. The beauty of the movie is in showing the simplicity of the relationship that gets complicated over time due to obvious nature. It was very well executed portraying just how people react when the obvious is not very obvious.


Anyways, point not being writing a movie review here.. but the fact that Adlabs and Cinemaxs of the world are just loot. Found that out when they said front seats are not available and had to take the Gold tickets only to find out later that the entire rows in the front were EMPTY !!! God can I sue them for misleading.

Interestingly enough they charge Rs 120 to 150 for front seats and 200 for back .. the movie looks the same from any direction and its pretty comfortable. I prefer the front ones cause its better experience, the exits are near and its cheap. Thats where I like PVR where the rule is first come first and all seats are equally priced. But then Nirmals is then few more Kms away :(

Am thinking of loging to Moutshut.com and write a blasting review about these places. Makes me wonder how much I really miss my old theatres .. classy blacony seats where Rs 50 seemed overpriced and Rs 12 ka popcorn was just too much. Apart from the price the experience was just wonderful when the aroma and the distinct smell in the air made you feel you in some extravagant place. The time when you enter the building and you rush upstairs towards the balcony and then enter the gigantic hall and you see people down in the stall was so much more fun. These were also the places where our school used to take us for educational shows. I wonder whats happened to such outings in school. We had seen Chota Chetan with 3D glasses and that was the one of the best time we had. No one makes such movies and there are hardly such theatres left where schools can take entire standard for a movie. Those days are well gone..

We all liked the spurge of multiplexes without understanding what we sacrificing for it. Am not being cynical about multiplexes but am trying to get in terms with the balance thats no longer there. In our little area where I live, we were surrounded by 7 Big theaters each showing a different film that used to stay there for atleast a couple of months. Aradhna - Wandana - Anand - Malhar - Pratap - Prabhat - (cant recollect the last one). Now mind you.. all these theaters are walking distances from each other and in our childhood we have had a ball visiting them. Aradhana was the most famous with also being the one taken down. Ruble and memories now lies there. Gone are also the typical show timings of 12-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 and the famous matinee shows.

Well.. enough said but cant change the fact.. but my next move is to watch the next film in one of the 7 theaters and then see if the change is really for good or it isnt. Anyone wanna join let me know.