5 Songs

I am a die -hard Hindi film and pop music fan. There have been numerous songs which have been my favorites. In this blog, i will list 5 best of them:

1. Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon - Kabhi Kabhi
What fab lyrics, what wonderful singing by Mukesh. Till a long time in my childhood, Mukesh was my favorite singer out of the trio of Kishore- Rafi - Mukesh

2. Toh Fir Aao, mujho rulao - Awarapan
This song has a haunting feel to it. It gets back to me time and again. I specially like the appeal to the beloved to come again and increase the pain.

3.Har ghadi badal rahi hai roop Zindagi - Kal ho na ho
This is an ideal song which you sing thinking the world is a stage and you are the rockstar. Best work of Shankar Ehasaan Loy to me


4. Chandi Jaisa rang hai Tera - Pankaj Udhas
No better words to praise a lady than this song. The lyrics are so wicket and desi.


5. Sare Jahaan se achcha, hindustan hamara
Yes, the " Tarana- e- Hindi" has been a childhood favorite. Has never failed to give goosebumps to me.
 " Majhab nahi seekhata aapas mein bair rakhna , hindi hai hum watan hai hindustan hamara"
Iqbaal sahab, respect.

Salute to the spirit of kids

On a chilly Saturday morning, 14th January 2012, four of us from the ISB Class of 2013 met and participated in the ‘CITYWALK’ of the Salaam Baalak Trust.The experience was humbling beyond words.

Salaam Baalak Trust translates to ‘Saluting the Child’.  Started by Ms. Praveen Nair, mother of Ms. Mira Nair, the Trust provides education and an opportunity for street children to identify and realize their dreams.  This reminds me of the opening lines of Coca Cola’s advertisement: “Ummeedon Waali Dhoop, Sunshine Waali Aasha”. 

We were joined by four foreigners in the ‘CITYWALK’ with Tariq Aziz, a tour-guide from among the street children raised by the Trust. Tariq, like the other children being helped by the trust, ran away from his home after atrocities of his father.He has a touching life story himself which i will post in the next blog. 

Tariq explained us the program. In the Walk, we were to visit a contact center (day-care center for the street children) and shelter home (permanent home for the street children) run by the Trust.  Tariq volunteers as a tour-guide to improve his spoken English and communication skills.  He told us that boys tend to run away from families due to physical abuse, a fascination for the glittering city life, and a desire to become a lead actor in Bollywood.  Girls tend to run away due to sexual abuse, dowry, and child marriage.When they arrive in cities, they have no place to live. Police harasses them as living on street is illegal. The easiest occupation for them is rag picking. And they need to spent whatever money they earn on the same day. As they don't have a safe place to keep the money, not to talk of Bank Account. The money that they earn is spent mostly in watching movies, gambling, sex and entertainment.

At the entrance to the contact center, located in a few rooms on the first floor of the General Reserve Police or G.R.P CENTER in the New Delhi Railway Station, we were greeted by children playing carroms.  Inside, there was a TV room and an administrative room.  A staff member was completing the necessary paper work to induct a new child at the contact center.  A contact center is a location, where a child is introduced to the trust and provided counseling and medical facilities.

Our next visit was to the Shelter, located in a narrow alley, around Connaught Place.  For a minute, it seemed like we were in a small town and not in New Delhi, where only wide roads and the metro is what one is used to seeing.  At the Shelter, we encouraged the students to recite poems, sing Bollywood numbers, dance, and do standup comedy.  The shelter is where the child stays permanently and provided with food, education, career counseling, and medical help.  Annual trips are also organized to places such as India Gate and Taj Mahal.

We hope that all Street children, who are begging and lost on the street, can be adopted by organizations like Salaam Baalak, for the dangerous street is most certainly not the place for them.

The trust is doing a great work.Please visit http://www.salaambaalaktrust.com/ to know more

(  Gokul Thirumalai and Aashish Agarwal)

तुम देखे देखे से लगते हो

नातो के , जो छूट गए हैं
धागे,
गाँठे ढूँढ रहे हैं
कहते हैं मुझसे
"तुम देखे देखे से लगते हो"
वादे जो मुझसे किए थे
लगता है वो भूल रहे हैं.

निभाना , बिन जताए
हँसाना, बिन रुलाए
शायद अब उन्हे पसंद नही.
की आज वो दोस्ती को
शर्तो में बाँधने के
बहाने ढूँढ रहे हैं.

दिन ऐसे भी थे

हर दिन की शुरुआत होती है तुमसे
या बात से, या ख्याल से
या फिर दिल में उठते सवाल से
की तुम कैसी हो?




दिन ऐसे भी थे,
जिनकी शुरुआत का पता ही न चला 
ना ही बात से, ना ख्याल से,
ना ही अचनकी इक सवाल से
ना ही बंधन था, ना कोई गिला
ना ही प्यार, ना उसका सिला
तन्हाई सी इक ज़रूर थी
मेरी सुबहो में दुबकीहुई




दिन ऐसे भी थे ,
जो बस शुरू हुए
उन्हे वापिस जाते देखा नही
शायद दुनियादारी में उलझा रहा हुंगा
उस समय बिल्कुल समय नही था
बात का ना ख्याल का
जवाब का ना सवाल का
बस इक दौड़ थी और मैं प्रतिभागी
कुछ ऐसी भी थी जिंदगी.




आज,ये जो बात है  जो ख्याल है
ये जवाब और येसवाल है
मेरी सोच के हैं हम कदम
मेरी सुबहें इनसे बिलाल हैं 

पल

पल ,
निकल गया यह भी हाथ से
लड़ाई चलती ही रही
दुनियादारी की ज़ज्बात से
समय गर दे सकता गवाही
तो गवाह हर घड़ी होती
कोई भी तो नही गुजरा यहा से
जाग रहा हूँ मैं रात से
तोड़ पल की बेड़ियो को
पहुच पाऊँ किसी निष्कर्ष पर
चाहता हूँ मैं भी किंतु
विवश हूँ हालत से
जज्बातो की दुनिया अलग है
दुनिया के ज़ज्बात अलग
कितना कहूँ , कहता रहूं?
कोई तो बात निकले बात से

Tanu weds Manu

Tanu weds Manu – is a once watch.

Watched it this Saturday, and though it’s not a four starrer by any measures, it strikes the right chords.

The casting , for one, if perfect. Kangna ranaut – as the rebel; Madhavan- as the not so Yash Chopraish NRI;

Deepak Dobriyal – as the lovable pappi bhaiya; and the Punjabi- bhiari couple- the director skillfully toches the lives of  Bihari- UP- Punjabi, and presents a nice little tale.

What is most noticeable is with the simplicity Mannu bhaiya explains the loneliness of an NRI ;living all by himself. Would go some distance in breaking the ever so cherished amerikan dream. Maybe that was not the intension- but it comes across nicely.

Ajay Devgan did it in HDDCS with flair, its not easy to be so Maryada Purushottam; ready to be the catalyst for the union of  your love with her love.

Another remarkable line was when the girl asks Deepak Dobriyal`Apka naam kya hai?` and he says kaise bataoo `Deke ya Bolke` He would have loved the former.I have loved his performance in Omkara, and thought that he was wasted in Delhi 6. He returns with a sweet performance here.

The girl playing Payal- has spark about her,  the one makes Bihari girls tempting as they are.

Good movie overall.

This might be the first review I am posting here, watch out this space for more.

चाहे पूरित होती नहीं
चाहने मात्र ही से.
कभी पढ़ा था हिंदी मीडियम स्कूल की तीसरी कक्षा में
कर्म्नायता का एक बिन्दु अकर्म्नायता के अथाह सागर से बड़ा होता है
अतः
work किये जाओ fruit की चिंता मत करो.