Showing posts with label satire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label satire. Show all posts

Wednesday 23 June 2021

Maharani (Web Series) (2021)



Genre - Drama
Cast - Huma Qureshi, Sohum Shah, Amit Sial, etc.
Director - Karan Sharma
No. of episodes - 10
Watch it on - Sony Liv

My View
Despite the good reviews, I was skeptical about watching Maharani for some time. Reason being, most of the dramas on OTT platforms (most prominent examples being Mirzapur, Sacred Games etc.) are loaded with nudity, violence and bad language. One likes to watch good drama, but not at the cost of getting uncomfortable watching a person's eye popped out of his skull on being shot at. Thankfully, Maharani came out totally clean, atleast on the nudity and extreme violent scenes aspect. Considering the plot, expecting abuse free dialogues would be too much.

The series is based on the political scenarios in Bihar in the late 90s. Being a 90s kid, the series just took me back in time when Rabri Devi became the first Chief Minister of Bihar. Although, the makers have tried to stay clear of any possible controversies by clarifying in the beginning itself that the series is fictional, one can easily draw a lot of parallels between the plot and the actual turn of events back then. 

So the story goes like this...Rani (Huma Qureshi), is a simple housewife living in a Bihar village with her three children. While she happens to be the wife of the Chief Minister of Bihar, Bheema Bharti (Sohum Shah), that in no way affects her humility and simplicity. Having no interest in politics, Rani's world revolves around her husband, children, housework and cattle. 

Rani's life changes overnight on an uneventful Chhath eve, when her husband Bheema Bharti is shot in his own village by some unidentified men. The same Rani who had vowed never to leave her village, is forced to move to Patna to attend to her husband. Bheema barely survives the assassination attempt and a paralytic attack however, the future of the CM's seat goes in for a limbo. Amidst joyous opposition leaders and jealous party members, ready to grab the post, Bheema plays a master stroke, by announcing his wife, Rani as the next Chief Minister. 

As an unaware Rani brings a tray of tea cups to serve to party members, she is shocked by the shower of garlands and congratulatory messages. She is shell shocked to find her on the position she has never understood or liked. For the initial few days as the Chief Minister Rani is shown to be furious and non cooperative as a child who doesn't wish to be sent to school.  But when there are attacks on her self esteem and abilities, the queen decides to take charge and famously states in the legislative assembly "The lady who can manage a house, can manage the state." The screenplay, indeed justifies the description as despite being the Chief Minister, Rani is shown to be the loving and caring wife and mother - isn't that the ideal working Indian woman that all husbands and in laws desire?

Struggling to stay afloat in the high tide of political events, the innocent Rani is shown to learn tricks of the trade hard way and often falls prey to conflicts and controversies. As the show progresses, Rani is shaken to discover the muddy reality of the politics that is her husband's first love. But, like the real queen, an honest and sincere Rani is determined to save her state from the corrupted few. In the male dominated political map, she is often compared with Indira Gandhi by her critics and mocked at. Like all women centric political dramas, the protagonist always has to win. Hence, despite all odds, the directors do find some success in throwing some hard to believe events and Rani playing the perfect check mate. 

The screenplay is very gripping and focusses on various issues faced by Bihar in the 90s - caste system, Naxal upsurge, position of women and the infamous scams that once ruled the headlines. 

Huma Qureshi as Rani does justice to the role in every sense and has worked hard to replicate the typical Bihari accent as well. I actually went back to episode 2 after reaching the 8th or 9th episode, just to notice how effortlessly Huma portrayed the drastic transformation from Rani to CM madam.

While Sohum Shah has the obvious meaty role, it is Amit Sial who leaves the audience impressed with his expressions and dialogues, despite being the lead antagonist. For those who have watched Pramod Pathak as the pervert politician in Mirzapur, his portrayal of the loyal Mishraji is a welcome change. Inammulhaq as Pervez Alam with his cute Bangla accent is the hidden surprise. 

Leaving aside some hard to believe scenes, overall the makers of Maharani have proved that a combination of good script and great actors can be the perfect delicacy without the unwanted tampering of nudity and extremely violent scenes.

My Rating - 3.5/5 

Saturday 1 April 2017

Teething Chronicles - Attention Please!


Indian Bloggers



This post was written when my li'l one was 9 months old and his teething phase was the hot topic of discussion in our house. Teething is one time that really tests your patience, especially if you are a working mom. The fact that I had to leave this post  as a draft midway to attend to my cranky, teething baby is a testimony to the fact that the best way to deal with a teething baby is to drop everything aside and shower him with love and attention. But just before you think this is just a phase, let me tell you from my experience that the demand for attention keeps on growing until you just surrender to his highness Mr. Teething. Even though my son has graduated from being an infant to a toddler with a mind of his own, the demand for mumma's attention sees an exponential increase each day....

Found this post an year later in my drafts. Dedicated to all the moms for whom the  teething chronicles have  just begun!

I am becoming more tech savvy these days, thanks to S's increasing understanding of his surroundings. Parenting makes us do things we never expected to do. I had made an impressive pitch on "blogging on the go" to Mr. Hubby when I wanted to buy a tab, but stuck to my good old laptop for blogging even after the tab arrived to simplify my life. Call it motivation or need of the hour, motherhood has finally got me blogging via the tab, albeit for a different reason altogether!

As most parents would agree, teething is one of the most challenging phases. In fact in the last couple of months, almost every change in S's behaviour and health is being attributed to teething. Makes me often wonder if teething is the micro version of adolescence, for both the stages are an easy way of justifying odd changes in our otherwise angelic children.

Found the comparison weird? Well, yuo see I too am the mother of a hyper cranky teething baby. Like son, like mother!

Of the many changes teething has brought in S, the one that's bugging me big time is his constant desire for attention. Like all moms, I too dreamt of spending quality time with my child. But when the child cries even if you move away to go to the loo, it is time to pull your hair (if any left post delivering a baby!). All he wants is mumma to sit and play with him, take him wherever he wants for as long as he desires, even if it means mumma does nothing of her own or the house the whole day.

Little one has discovered the tool of crying and having his wishes fulfilled. In fact nowadays, he doesn't have to make that much of an effort to have his way. All he has to do is to make a crying face and make some cranky sounds, and within seconds, mumma  n papa are dancing around with objects of his desire, just like the snakes dancing to the tune of snake charmer.

Looking at his cute face, I have no doubt that at all of 9 months, he is nothing short of a charmer. Trying to go out of the house in his notice, or making him sit when he wants to play is as good as trying to explore a snake hole with bare hands.

For all those showering sympathy for little S and judging me as a bad mom, nobody is more pained to see S in trouble than me. I know that in times of discomfort and illness, the ultimate relief a troubled child gets is in his mom's lap. So I tried all possible ways to involve him in my activities. Taking him along in the pram to the kitchen, singing aloud to him from the bathroom to assure him I am around (yes, I do it however weird it sounds!). But a child's greed for attention seems no bound. Epecially when there is a doting dad available at his beck and call, leaving no opportunity to shower advise upon the exhausted mother!

Alas! All that a poor mom can do is to grind her teeth as she waits for the remaining teeth to pop up and give her back the non grumpy smiling baby!


Thursday 7 August 2014

Room with a view

This Mumbai Mayanagri never leaves an opportunity to amuse me, be it for the simplest of things. You all will find the incident I share today really funny, especially if you are from the North.

Well, if I ask you what is the meaning of the hindi word “kamra”, what would your answer be…A room, right? You must be wondering I have lost it today!

Wrong answer if you are in Mumbai for here, "kamra" signifies a full flat! Can you believe it?

Even I couldn’t digest it the first few times I heard this rather funny usage.

The first time was when Mr. Hubby and I were on the lookout for a house. While we were clarifying our concerns of adequate water and power supply, security etc. our landlord suddenly mentioned, “Don’t worry, you will really like your Kamra!”

For a moment, I felt like the passenger who has been downgraded from business class to economy at the last moment and whispered to Mr. Hubby “What is he talking about? He thinks we will shell out this much money just for staying in one room?” Mr. Hubby then explained to me the Mumbai version of Kamra!

I was still not convinced. “It might be some old school of thought.” But my myth was broken as soon as we shifted to our house, for everybody from the milkman to the neighbors had the same reaction, “So you have shifted in KAMRA number …?” Always put off by their questions, I replied “Yes, FLAT number…”

And the usage is not just confined to verbal mention. I found several flats in my society mentioning “Kamra no. …”on their name plates!

We Dilliwallas are used to living king size, so a house is usually a kothi, a flat is a 2/3/4 bhk and a kamra usually indicates a single room. But here kothi becomes a bunglow, and flat straightaway gets downgraded to Kamra!

Anyway, I have undivided love for all the Kamras in my flat. But yes, I miss the spacious balconies, terraces and gardens Dilli has to offer.

No matter how much I may have cribbed about my city, the long distance relationship has its own charm, for distance deepens the bond of love. So my big city with a big heart, I miss you!




Tuesday 29 July 2014

How to board an auto in Mumbai!

We Dilliwallas are famous for being rash and rowdy. Ask a Dilliwalla to stand in a queue and you are sure to invite an unpleasant conversation. I recall many instances of women calling each other names in Delhi metro just because one woman asked another to be in a line and the other asked her to mind her business. 

Though I am yet to experience the peak hours in Mumbai local trains, a recent instance made me familiar to the advantages of being patient in a queue.

Yesterday I was trying to board an auto near one of the local train stations. First things first, in Delhi we have rickshaw and autos. But in Mumbai, there are only autos, which Mumbaikars call Rickshaws. And if someone asks you if you came by Rick, don’t be surprised, for rick or rickshaw or auto are all the same! Now Mumbai autowallas are much different from the ones in Delhi (and unless I dedicate a separate post to them, I won’t be doing justice). As I tried to stop autos, none even bothered to slow down and even listen to where I wanted to go. Ignored and dejected, as I wondered and worried, my eyes fell on a long queue at the roadside. Some 15-20 people were standing in a queue like disciplined school kids waiting for school bus. Hullow, we weren’t even that disciplined as school kids and the moment bus used to come, we used to get into junglee mode!

Confused and curious, I thought of asking one of them, ‘’aakhir maajra kya hai’’ then my eyes fell on the umpteen autowallas that stopped near that line. So what did they have that autowallas stopped for them and not the others?

Eureka! In Mumbai, they have a line for boarding autos!!!

I looked at the auto and the last person in the queue who I had to join in case I wanted to be considered for auto. Being a rainy day, the size of the queue got me thinking. I have broken queues at several places in Dilli…my training ground being my school canteen and then the queue for college U Special. The rule is simple, survival of the fittest. But here, there wasn’t any scope of breaking queue. Unlike local trains, people maintained utter discipline and I didn’t want to come in the limelight as being an eager rule breaker!

So I went & stood in the long queue. The old uncle in front of me was a super friendly person and could make out from my looks that I was a newbie in the city. The tensed me was assured the line would move fast as most people going the same side share autos. He was right, for the line moved really fast, and soon I was in the front. As an auto came, the uncle smiled and said “Ricksha thaamba!

I soon realized the advantage of these auto queues. The autos that stopped here didn’t refuse to commute on your desired destination. Discipline pays at times.

While Mumbaikars reading this are all smiles, my Dilliwaale bhai bandhu need not worry as my notion of discipline was wiped away clear the day I went to drive on the streets of Mumbai! Post coming soon… 

Sunday 4 May 2014

Shaadi ke side effects

I know the title would make all the married folks smile, for the one who takes the plunge knows it all. But, for all you married and single readers who are hoping to get some masala on the nuances of marriage, you are in for some disappointment. For this post is not about the side effects of marriage, it is about the side effects of attending a big fat Indian wedding!

Recently, we had to attend a relative’s wedding. But what seemed like an occasion to unwind and catch up with juicy family gossip turned out to be a comedy of errors. So, without wasting any more time, let me just take you through the countdown to the wedding.

2 days before
Just like the bride’s beauty regime begins days before the D day, the guests too take pains to look their photogenic best. Mom in law ordered me to arrange for her hair color to ensure not even one white hair escapes untouched! I requested my salon lady for a late evening appointment for her “special” glow facial. What usually is a relaxing activity for me became a substitute for lullaby since an exhausted me, after a day full of meetings virtually got the facial etc done in a sleep mode. Poor lady had to wake me up frequently to save the facial cream from smudging on the salon chair.

The Clothes
This is the focal point of the preparations, for any slip here invites horrible photographs and secret discussions among the ladies groups. While I prefer to plan the look in advance, mom in law always comes up with a lazy “I will pick up anything that day” answer. However, in this department, I am the boss, so I insist upon selecting the attire, jewelry, accessories etc and even give strict directions not to make any last minute changes on her own. Seemed my foresightedness worked for we realized we had added few more pounds since the last wedding we attended and an emergency visit to the tailor was called for.

The leave
No matter how much work life balance we working women maintain, we are always expected to take leaves whenever there is something to do with relatives. Be it a relative dropping in for stay over, or a function at a distant relative, my father in law always tells me “the organization won’t stop working if you take a day’s leave!” I somehow manage with a “I will come early” promise, and by now, everyone has realized my leaving early from work means leaving half an hour early! Still for them, something is better than nothing!

The D Day
It was the day of the wedding. While the relatives had summoned me to be a part of some rituals to be performed by married women of the family that day, my super supportive mom in law made up for my absence with a perfect excuse. Praying for not getting any last minute meeting invite, I rushed for home.

The moment I stepped in, I was welcomed by shining faces with smiles. Everyone but me, had spent the afternoon getting ready at their leisurely pace. Now only I was left. Mom in law asked me to get ready in 10 min. “Getting ready in 10min for attending a wedding?” My eyeballs almost popped out of the sockets!  “Ya, you can just get the basic thing and remaining can be done on the way. After all the venue is far and there will be traffic jam” she said. I realized arguing would have wasted even those 10 min so I smiled and took my time in getting ready (well not just for myself, coz in between I also helped MIL with her saree, makeup etc. which ensured my extra time went unnoticed).

The Oh so pleasant lo..ng drive!
We just sat inside the car when Mr. Hubby realized we had forgotten the most important thing…the invitation card! For it had the address of the venue! MIL and I grumbled as we had to repeat the process of unocking and locking the house just to get the invitation card! “Couldn’t the men have kept it in their pocket while they watched the IPL repeat telecast?” we grumbled.

The wedding was in at the fag end of an NCR location, and as I struggled with Google navigator to help Mr. Hubby with the route, father in law kept cribbing we would be late and miss the function (though I kept on convincing him that going by the time Baraats (wedding processions) arrive these days, we could watch all prime time shows, leave for the venue and still be early!)

8:30pm
Since FIL was concerned about missing the action, we landed up at the wedding venue directly instead of the Baraat assembly point (we were representing the groom’s side). However, the scheme of things there took me by total surprise. At 8:30pm, the venue wore a deserted look, with some strange faces roaming around. These were people from the Bride’s side and were warm enough to welcome the early bird Baraatis!

Since we were the only people at the venue from the groom’s side the stewards flocked to our table like honeybees on flowers and after 2 rounds I, embarrassed with the extra attention, asked them to focus on serving the bride’s relatives as well!

The 2 main questions
Now there were 2 big questions for the evening –
     1.   When would the Baraat arrive? (For then only we would be able to hand over the gift and leave)
     2.   How to pass time till the Baraat arrive?

9:30pm
One hour had passed since we came. There was no sign of Baraat. Father in law got excited everytime he heard the sound of Dhols and trumpets, only to find that the Baraat belonged to another venue! Everytime he called up the father of the groom, he got the same “we are reaching in 15 minutes” reply. “Their 15 minutes never seem to get over” mom in law revolted, for sitting idle in an open lawn on a sultry summer evening wearing heavy saree, makeup and jewelry  was testing our patience levels.

10:30pm
Thankfully, the venue was decently filled with people now, majority belonging to the bride’s family, for the 15 minutes were not yet over. There was no sign of Baraat. Many from the groom’s side like us had dropped in the venue too and I empathized with them as they inquired about the whereabouts of the Baraat. Most women took the delay as a chance to take rounds of the venue and flaunt their sarees, makeup and jewelry. The teenager girls sensing competition, took to the dance floor and their almost perfect imitation of popular Bollywood moves ensured a lot of attention from the male fraternity!

Mom in law and I killed time by discussing the sarees and jewelry of the women who passed by but that too didn’t help us for long. I was beginning to feel sleepy and tired by now and felt like hitting the sac, for I had to go to work the next day. So mom in law suggested we have dinner and hopefully by the time we finished, the Baraat would have arrived. Sounded like a good idea.

11:30pm
We had relished the dinner and the desserts but the Baraat was still nowhere to be seen. “Have they demanded dowry and decided to call it quits?” I winked and asked mom in law! “Shhh…don’t talk inauspicious things” came the reply. I was almost asleep with head down on the table when mom in law noticed the groom’s sister in law. As if she spotted an angel, mom in law rushed to her with the gift in hand. From a distance I could see her share a few pleasantries, hand over the gift and come back. “Lets go, we are done”, mom in law said.

“But, w..where the hell (actually I didn’t say hell, though meant it!) is the baraat we have been waiting for?” I asked.

“She says it’s on the way, the people are still dancing” mom in law explained.

Still dancing? I was wondering.  Didn’t they know they had invited guests over who had been waiting for more than 3 hours? In a country where guests are considered Gods, here were some people who preferred to keep the Gods waiting while they danced and made merry. Didn’t for once they think of the bride who would have been waiting in heavy clothes, makeup and jewelry since evening, practicing the prefect smile to pose for the shutterbugs? It has been a trend at many weddings for the groom’s side to keep the junta waiting and arrive late for this makes them feel like celebs. But let me tell you that just by wearing flashy clothes and sitting on a horse, one doesn’t become a celeb….one becomes a celeb by his deeds and traits. What is the use of printing false timings on invitation cards then? People should at least respect others’ time.

We left without any further wait for the Junglee Baraat (as I named them)..:)

I felt a sudden impulse to slip a note for the groom’s father

“Dear Uncle,

Had we known the 15 minutes would never end, we would have struck a deal like they do with Pizza delivery boys…15 minutes or free…well, since the food is anyway free, the deal would be that if the Baraat doesn’t arrive in 15 minutes, they would be welcomed by a deserted venue!”

Being the sanskaari bahu I am, I obviously didn’t leave any such note.

The Hangover
Yes, the half wedding we attended also gave me a return gift. I was down with food poisoning the next day and red rashes all over my face (wished we would have couriered the wedding gift instead!)


So, for all of you who though only being married has side effects, even attending weddings has its own share of side effects!

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Stubble made him an uncle

It happened on a chilly morning in January 1992. Groom hunting for Misha didi was at its all time high. Every Sunday, ma and papa would scan the matrimonial section of newspaper to filter out the groom with the right age, profession, caste & looks (the height weight mentioned in ad). Internet was an unknown feature those days. Meeting the boy himself, or waiting to receive a studio made pic via snail mail were the only options available.

In this case, Ma and pa opted for the blind date. On the designated date and time, we reached the coffee shop. Sharma family and white Maruti were the only details I knew and with that I began looking for any and every white Maruti that passed.

After sometime, a white Maruti stopped. Out came an aunty, and a man with thick glasses, tall, thin frame and a healthy crop of unclean stubble. As they drew nearer the designated spot, I became anxious, for we were supposed to meet the groom and his parents; not “just parents”.

“Smart Alecs, they wanna meet the girl first without showing the guy”, I whispered to didi. “If the father is like this, I don’t have any high hopes from the son either. Look at him, I hate that unclean stubble. A girl wants basic grooming atleast! What if the son follows his father’s trend?” Didi sounded very disappointed.

Within seconds, the lady walked up to papa and said “Namaste bhai sahab, this is my son, Akhil”

My face turned red, “Oh, so this uncle is the prospective groom? Look what an unclean stubble has done to a 26 year old!”


Protest Against Unclean Stubble Activity in association with BlogAdda.

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Bespectacled


Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers



I was born in the decade when donning specs signalled two things – either you were a studious 90 percent scrorer in school, or you were an ardent follower of the idiot box. Sadly, with my 6/6 vision, I was neither of them. I loved specs; to me the colourful frames lit up a dull face and the glasses around the eyes gave a somewhat intellectual look. Often, I secretly donned my sister’s specs and admired my new look in the mirror; till one day mom caught me and gave me a big gyan on side effects of specs (uncomfortable in summers, monsoon, can hurt if you fall while running etc etc.)

As I grew up, I discovered another aspect of our society. Men who wore specs could easily pass on as the professionally successful groom material, while specs for a girl of marriageable age meant a negative aspect during groom searching. It irritated me when a friend rushed for a corrective surgery only to look perfect on her D day while on that day, next to her, stood her groom, wearing full framed specs. And nobody bat an eyelid! Phew!

I was irritated. In an age when dusky was beginning to be considered sexy and a little extra flab passed on as being curvaceous, the spectacled look still didn’t quite pass the beauty test!

Well, late nights, my penchant for reading, sleep deprived nights during MBA days and a hectic schedule at work finally did it for me! The ophthalmologist looked concerned as he advised me the do’s and don’t’s of wearing specs and even suggested I buy contact lenses for attending functions. “But why, I love the way I am” I protested and he looked surprised.

That evening, with dreams of colourful frames in my eyes, I landed up at the optician and chose 2 different specs for different looks. When people can have a variety of shoes and clothes, why not different specs for various looks? I wondered then.

No matter how much you try to ignore them, some relatives can’t help being their irritating best. My new spectacled look drew strange reactions from some relatives – “eyes weak ho gayee?”, “ye kab hua?” , “Oh, that’s bad, these days life is so stressed at work, eye muscles get weak” etc etc…

However, the more irritating chapter 2 began with their unsolicited advice.

At a recent wedding, I was wearing saree with my spectacled look and quite loving it! Soon, photo session followed and the aunty next to me suggested with a smile that I remove the specs for a better, photogenic look. Already irritated by their reaction, I announced I loved my specs and would never feel shy enough to trade them for contact lenses or corrective surgery. After the photo session, the group on the round table found a new gossip item – my specs. When, where, how session followed and soon I was flooded with advise – “why don’t you go for corrective surgery? These days they have all modern techniques.”, “Why don’t you buy contact lenses? These days, they have disposable ones and you can even experiment with colours!”. The icing on the cake was when a male member on that round table commented “see, no matter how much you call this spectacled look intellectual, the truth is, the spectacled look doesn’t suit the Indian woman, especially with the Indian attire.” 

I was not willing to give up this time and asked him why then he liked the Kareena Kapoor with specs in 3 idiots. Wasn’t she looking gorgeous even then?

The discussion died with the next round of snacks, but left me wondering.

Me wonderzzz…

What will it take the Indian mentality to change? If chosen wisely, spectacles can be an excellent accessory. The Kareena Kapoor in 3 idiots and Kiran Rao are excellent examples. While each woman has a right to choose her look, wearing specs shouldn’t be type casted a beauty killer. For, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Ah! Perhaps the beholder forgot to get his/her eyes tested!

Readers, what say you?




Wednesday 30 October 2013

Good Girl Gone Bad!


Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers


Every year I promise myself to stay away from Big Boss. But the Mr. Hubby – mom in law duo ensure I fall prey to the juicy gossips and join them in watching all the episodes.

When this season began, I was least motivated to keep up with Big Boss 7. Only Andy and Gauhar gave me some hopes of an entertaining season. It has been a trend that people engulfed in some controversy or generally not doing anything in life are called to participate in Big Boss seasons (who else would have three months to spare?) So when Tanisha’s name was announced, I wasn’t too surprised either. All I remember of her is the Kajol connection and a certain “Neal n Nikki” movie which we had comfortably opted to leave after an hour of watching.

On the launch night of Big Boss 7, Tanisha’s name was announced with much fanfare. Honey coated introduction by Salman made him sound more like a representative of the Bollywood fraternity rather than the host of Big Boss 7. But when Tanisha arrived in the “yucks” red dress look, she justified her selection for Bigg Boss!

Not everyone is blessed with a fab body but madam could have shown a bit poise rather than choosing to lift the dress (typical Jhalla walla style!) while exploring the Big Boss House.

We viewers are not that ruthless after all. Puppy fat, kiddish tone, bad dressing sense, we took them signs of an overprotected, immature kid and thought that considering the family she comes from, she would prove to be one of the most balanced contestants of the house.

Poor Tanisha dear…the balancing act lasted just a week or two until Tanisha’s eyes met Arman’s. And thus began Tanisha’s journey from good to bad. I wondered who is Arman, a 40 something short tempered arrogant uncle who still finds him cool dude. He calls himself actor, but when I googled it out, it showed he has delivered all flops till date! The only movie I could relate to was a certain Jani Dushman where Mr. Arman plays a snake (True to his quality of spitting out doses of poison!)

What Tanisha saw in Arman, she only knows, for that something made her dance to his tunes like no other snake would. She took on almost all other housemates, passing her unwanted judgement on other people’s matters. While Arman earned all the footage, Tanisha earned all the brickbats. What more, even the Arman she countered the world for, snubs her away whenever other inmates question their “just friendship”. The last time this happened, I recalled Kajol’s comments about her sister entering the Bigg Boss house. She had said Tanisha has the quality to lead and organize everyone. Little did she know that fatal attraction robs away even the best of qualities in a person and Tanisha too is just a human being, though quite a dumb one.




Every weekend, it is the good old industry boy Salman who gives Tanisha subtle hints for what not to do as per the unspoken rule book of her filmy family. Be it his suppressing Protyusha to stay Tanisha afloat in the argument, or reminding Tanisha and Arman about the number of cameras in Bigg Boss house (the unsaid in that comment provided so much food for gossip minds!) Every Friday I watch Bigg Boss with bated breath, it might be Tanisha’s chance to get evicted, going by the rising number of dislikes among the housemates. But whenever, Salman Khan announces her safe, I wonder, are the industry folks being partial to her?
While watching the show, often I think aloud – what is it that makes Tanisha so vulnerable to Arman, what is it that makes her run around him and do a constant display of being by his side, a’la true Bhartiya naaari! I know many women actually fall for guys who are dominating and arrogant, as they find it macho. But coming from the family of superstars, Tanisha certainly deserves someone much better than the baddie Arman. So, is it love for Arman, or love for footage that makes Tanisha hover around him? At her age and looks, she could be easily overshadowed by the Ooomph overdose Gauhar, or the cutie cutie Ellie…and maybe this Arman affair is just a spotlight gimmick. Whose name will be printed alongside hers on the wedding card, only time will tell...but my only advice to Tanisha would be –


People come to reality shows to save their failing careers. If you can’t do anything good, at least don’t go bad. Will make groom hunting easier for your family! 

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Prayer or just a mobile ringtone?

On a lovely morning, when one boards the overtly crowded Delhi metro, some breathing space and no nonsense neighbors is what one hopes for. Some days are lucky, and some, well, lucky for others.

As I boarded the usual morning metro from Rajiv Chowk this morning, I was greeted by a bright gentleman with an “X-Ray vision” (The way his eyes were checking out each every girl entering the coach would put any metro security guard to shame). But being from Delhi, this is a usual affair for me, so I quickly made way towards the opposite pillar and immersed myself into the book in hand. Suddenly, the sound of Hariharan enthralled the entire coach. He was singing the Hanuman Chalisa, and on a busy morning, this sounded like a treat to my ears and I closed my eyes enjoying the Chalisa (prayer). 

But, he had merely sung half the beginning shloka when he was interrupted by a loud “Hullow” and some stuff like “Hum 15 minute mein office pahunch jayenge (will reach office in 15 minutes)”. Knowing for sure that Hariharan wouldn’t have sounded like this, I opened my eyes & discovered that this was the voice of the same Mr. X-Ray vision.  The not so gentle man had chosen Hanuman Chalisa as his mobile ringtone and the prayer had been interrupted as he had received a call.

This isn't the first time that I have witnessed something like this. Often I see people choosing religious prayers as their ringtones and the calls are almost always answered before the prayer or shloka is complete. In Hindu religion, it isn't considered a good practice to leave prayer incomplete as it is believed to annoy the concerned God/Goddess. Sounds logical as well. Prayers, I believe were created out of man’s respect and affection for God. If you decipher the lyrics of any prayer, it praises the lord for the way they have cared for the world and request them to continue to do the same.  Like love, devotion can either be expressed or implied, but if one chooses to express it, one should ensure it isn't done halfheartedly  Imagine how would you feel if you are waiting to hear some magical words from your beloved and all s/he says is something incomplete and leaves in between. Instead of invoking feelings of love, it would be considered rude and would annoy you. God, too, has a heart, even though much bigger than us. And if we truly love God, we ought to care about his emotions as well.

As the great Karl Marx said, “Religion is the opium of masses.” True. Religion drives so much around. For some, religion is felt from the heart, and for some, it’s a way of expression, and they openly flaunt it, as if to prove their kindness and piousness. But by keeping prayers as mobile ringtones and not showing due respect, what message are some people trying to convey? That they are too busy to thank God in the proper manner, or they are great enough to remember God in a half baked fashion, despite their busy schedules?

God has created this beautiful world, and all he wants is to be remembered wholeheartedly, even if silently in heart for few minutes a day. In this big bad world in the peak of Kalyug, when everyone is mesmerized by materialism and selfishness, the least we can do is to do something only if we can show true respect. Else not go for it. God wouldn't mind if you remember him once a day. But he would for sure feel disappointed if we make his prayer our mobile ringtone when we can’t give due respect to the prayer. 

So, for people like Mr. X Ray eyes I met this morning, please make prayers as your ringtone only when you know your karma ledger is clean and you can give respect to God, his prayers and his creations.

As I write this blog, I also want to clarify that I am not writing this as a representative of God, because he exists within us all. But, yes, I love God and I know the first rule to love someone truly is to show true respect and make a commitment only when it can be fulfilled.


Monday 1 July 2013

To be or not to be – Ashamed

Though we aren’t typical fitness buffs, Mr. Hubby & I do have frequent bouts of fitness consciousness. That’s when we head to the various magnificent parks of saadi Dilli for a good walk. The one that’s my favorite is Lodi Garden. With a boasting variety of lush green trees, white ducks lazying around in a beautiful manmade lake, kids playing around, fitness freaks sweating it out, Lodi Garden surely is a prized possession of Delhi.

A recent visit to the Garden though, inspired me to reveal another quality of Lodi Garden – a regular hangout for youngsters who are unaware of their shame quotient. Sometimes shooting hormones overtake the shame quotient and the couples run on the highway of lust, hoping to be embraced by Cupid himself! Sounds funny? Well, last evening, as I went for the usual walk, the scenarios I witnessed gave me the perfect masala, and being the crazy greedy blogger, anything and everything the brown eyes see, the hands quickly blog it down.

Well, before telling you about what exactly happened, it’s important to give some more insights about these couples. Normally, a sultry summer day would keep us within the confines of our homes. But for these hormone driven souls, the wrong is right. Bad weather is the perfect weather; coz it ensures no one’s watching their coochy cooing. So you will spot more action behind the bushes on a bad weather day than on a pleasant one. Is it shame quotient or fear of being caught – only they can answer & I have honestly never bothered to ask.

So, last evening, 100m down the jogging track inside the garden, I spotted something in bright maroon behind the bushes. Having read recently in the tabloids about an eve teasing case in Lodi Garden, I decided to find out. To my surprise, the lady in maroon was comfortably seated on the lap of her beau, enjoying perhaps the smelly bushes and the boundary wall view. (Can’t really explain it all here, please feel free to estimate what I actually saw). Here I was thinking someone needed help whereas that someone herself was lending a helping hand. Seeing the angry me heading towards them, Mr. Hubby immediately took charge and told me not to interfere in someone’s private matter. “A private matter in a public property! Filthy!” was all I could utter in the loudest possible tone before Mr. Hubby took me away from them.

Seems the show had just begun. Few meters ahead, again in the bushes, I spotted a scene, more interesting than the previous one – one beauty serenaded by two guys. Usually, there is only one hero but hats off to this girl for smartly managing two of them. I wasn't ready to believe, so standing on the jogging track, my eyes searched for the 2nd gal. But soon I realized standing there would have meant making a fool out of myself. People passed by and nobody bothered to look that side, then why do I waste my time? Let it be, I thought and ran to catch up with Mr. Hubby who had by now jogged way ahead of me.

The picture was far from over. For behind almost every thick tree, I could easily spot action, even from a distance. And we even got to witness the typical climax ala Bolly wood style. Just as we crossed the jogging track near Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, my eyes saw the impossible. A couple was rolling away in the park. The shame quotient had gone so low that they didn’t even bother to hide behind a tree. The scene reminded me of the Sridevi starring “Nagina” movie I had seen as a kid, where two snakes rolled away non-stop when fighting. This one of course was far from fighting. Two fat aunties walking in the park too stopped and began looking at them in horror. A couple playing nearby with their kid quickly took the child away. This time I decided neither to give up nor to wait for a guard to come and shoo them away. Moving a bit close to them, I gave them a continuous stern sixty year old auntie look, till the snakes quickly went out of sight.

As I walked, I wondered was it the sense of shame that makes such couples find cozy corners in public parks or the lack of it that makes them give in to their hormones in the first place!


Feeling a sense of pride in my silent moral policing, I quickly jogged to catch up with Mr. Hubby, and just as I was telling him my hero moment, my eyes went wide to see the girl in maroon still in action behind the bushes. Several thoughts came to mind –

     1.     Click their pic & threaten to tweet to police if they don’t move out
     2.    Throw pebbles at them and disturb them
     3.    Charge at them, claiming to be from a moral policing organization.
     4.    Just ask them to leave and go to a park where there weren't any kids.

Wondering what I eventually did? Well, nothing, for I saw a bunch of drivers enjoying the matinee show by peeping from the boundary wall. The couple of course was oblivious to the uninvited guests.


“Serves them right” I said with a smile and resumed my jog...
Maybe the authorities can consider something like this for the annoying lot