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.

BhojuImmu`s

Had a Great Weekend @BhojuImmu`s

Was dilly dollying the idea for about a month now.Something or the other kept coming.

The highlights of the trip ( in order of seniority)

1.Crashing bhoju`s car

2.Breaking the boundary wall with the car.

3.Getting a hangover from beer:P

4. Wordlist -300 words odd.

5.Discussions with bhoju and immu on revival of Vaampanthi.

6.Reading `Love at Kashinath Mode` again and then came the idea of blogging again.

Plan of writing a sequel`Love at Tirath Mansion`

7.Paratha and omlette at the corner

8.Aloo Bhalla at sector 40 ka market

9.Breaking open the ghar ka door which got jam.( )

10. I would let it be.

bahut der mein barbaad kiya

Dil ki choto ne kabhi chain se sone ka diya.

Jab chali sard hawa dil ne tera naam liya.

Iska ghaum nahi ki kyu tune kiya dil barbaad.

Iska ghum hai ki bahut der mein barbaad kiya.

One of my ever favorites.There is something about these four short lines which tinkles the very senses of an unromantic(too)We all, in our lives have come across these times.Luckily for me, i am yet to.

But the romance in these lines wants me to feel the pain.And why not.Even if you have not been heartbroken, you might have lost your right on it.

`Barbaad` in the third and fourth lines do not necessarily mean that it is destroyed in a bad sense.barbad for me, maybe because i want to put it this way is jaise ek seedha sadha ladka bigad jata hai.

Wonderful.

And yes the complain is mine too ki bahut der mein barbaad kiya.

yes

The Juicewala`s Grandson

One of the days in life , you meet someone and he makes you think about...

It was 6 in the evening, me and himanshu paid our regular visit to the juicewala baba at the corner of oracle. We spotted a bright looking kid , he was baba`s grandson.

Naam kya hai babu?

Akkash.....his name was akash and there was a smartness about him.His postures and his answers were very smart. We renamed him Jhakkas.
Jhakkas = great in our lingo.

We were talking to the kid, he must have been some 5 years of age.
we played with him and were asking questions , we were having fun.

then came this question from us `bada hoke kya banega beta??`

Pat came his reply `juicewala`

It struck me , for i didnt expect this answer. And it struck me even more that a bright kid as him was restricting his domain to becoming a juicewala.

We told him to study and offered his grandfather some guidance with respect to his studies.
It would be my pleasure to help that guy make a life of his.

I am not of the belief that selling juice is a bad or demeaning thing or any lesser than what i do or someone at ceo`s desk does.Only thing is , that kid has no choice it seemed. And that i protest.


Let us all help educate India.

IKTARA - lovely song

My current favorite song. so wonderfully sung by tochi raina, so wonderfully written.

Rooh ka banjara re parinda

Chhad gaya dil ka re gharonda
Chhad gaya dil ka re gharonda todke
Re gharonda todke, gaya chhodke

the free spirit of my being left the heart, breaking it, leaving me alone.

Je naina karun band band
Beh jaye boond boond (2)
Tadpaye re, kyun sunaye geet malhar de

Bemalang tera iktara (8)

the tears flow down when i close my eyes, and the rain songs entice me no more.

Itra tun basi basi, padi hai sirhane
Band darwaja dekhe lauti hai subah
Thandi hai angeethi seeli, seeli hain deewarein
Goonje takrake inme dil ki sada
Goonje hai re dil ki sada

All my happiness and items of happiness have lost worth, only sound that i hear is the sad voice of my heart.

Jo naina karun band band

Beh jaye boond boond
Tadpaye re, kyun sunaye geet malhar de

Bemalang tera iktara

listen to this song if you have not, its really touching.

My blogger friends and vice versa -1

its 00:47 in the morning :P

actually its night .....am just being plain stupid.

Was just going through random blogs on random thaughts.

I like some of my friends`s blogs which i have been recently following:-

1.Sachins`- he writes mostly of his personal life, a very personal part of his life which he seldom talks about offline to people. Was asking him today if he has a split personality. He laughed it off. Well, dont we all have split personalities. Will blog about it later sometime.When i see now, its always great to have lived as many lives as possible within this.

2.Varun`s - He writes òf`many things in his life/ general life. And most often than not i fail to understand the actual meaning of it. But they have their own depth .He is turned a Bideshi now and the only Master among us the Bachelors.

3.Arya`s - this guy writes , posts pics, and other random things. He is as he cliams insanely intrested in everything. well, sometime so much of energy scares me. I confess, i am happy being the lazy bum that i am.

4.Bhoju`s - he has stopped writing it seems. He wrote well, as far as usage and vocab goes. And his notes made a lot of sense. this is one guy who is not insanely interested in everything but gives his most (if not all) to whatever he is interested at that point of time, as so did he in his blogs. Bhoju if you are reading this, you had one admirer of your blogs.

5.Sneha - another one of ma favs, she writes about..well i cd not figure that out totally. But her domain is wider and talks about many things some of which i have no idea about. Long and detailed posts. What i like is that she does not loose intrest in the topic she started unlike me. I have lost interest in everything i started in life but one thing.touchwood.

The D day-1

I didnt have any washed/ironed shirt left. And the jeans i was wearing was on my limbs for last three days. Zonasa was over. We came second.We = ARP IIT KGP.

But for me the day after zonasa was the D. Was to meet her.We both made plans the previous night.

How to? where? when? the normal logistics.logistics planned....done. Good.

I bid bye to my college mates and the bus which was taking them back to KGP. I stayed back. I had to. I had to meet her. Meet Her.MEET HER.

Must have been around 7 - 7: 30 in the morning. I made my guard at Tirath Mansion, a shopping mall near the flyover. I think i came before the security guard also. And for obvious reasons he could not help himself suspecting me.

I was a bit apprehensive. thik toh dikh raha hoo na?? It always happens yeah. U always want to look good. Jitna bhagwan ne banaya hai usse jyada toh nahi lag sakte. But then also, we always try to. I too. I fail though, most often then not.

She would be there in sometime, i got the confirmation over phone. And thenafter each damsel that passed the road got a share of my attension. not that they dont do otherwise.But for that one day i was more interested in finding someone else in them than themselves.

And there she came. Wow. My heart skipped a beat!!!

I said Hi from a distance, i just didnt know what else to say. I could not figure out. I think for next some 1-2 minutes i didnt say anything, neither did she.She was looking very pretty, they say when u are in love , your beloved is always pretty.But she really is.

And she was not looking at me. And i could understand why she didnt.

We had to find a place where we could spend some time and talk, and that had to be , at that early hour the restaurent at the railway station.We reached there and there she opned her beautiful lips.And she kept on talking, and talking and talking.I kept on looking at her, and did just that.And yes, i also did some talking.

We clicked. I must say. There was a spark about her, and about our first meeting.

I did not know but something inside me got to know that.And it bacame more sure about myself than me.

It was nto like a cozy date. It was more of a life defining moment for me.I didnt realize that after this one day my life is going to change.

To be continued..........

Movies i love- 1

I am not a great movie buff. I could not take my domain outside bollywood movies even after staying for 5 years in KGP. Here are some which i really like:-

1. Haasil - watch this one. for Irfan khan, by far his best performance. even better than maqbool.

and the story centres around hindi heartland , so rustic and raw.

Really a good watch.

2.Maine Pyar Kiya - Bhagyasree .....and salman khan. Sweet romantic and innocent.

3.Masoom - tujhse naraaj nahi jindagi. little jugal hasraj is the heart of the movie.

4.Chak de India - Best performance by shahrukh khan, was not in my like list once for his hamming, but as kabir khan, he underplayed his part so well. And i absolutely love the song - Maula mere le le eri jaan.

5.Swades - Another one from ashutosh , i found it much much better then the more famous LAGAAN.

To be continued......

Like old times

It has taken a lot of time to come back.

Today.

She is here. In the same Town. Almost 200m away.

Wow. yeh bhi hona tha??

Next two days are going to be a wait.

And the six months thenafter a lifetime.

Kisi ne sach hi kaha hai.............

Songs I am listening these days

1.Toh fir aao - Awarapan-A great song, my all time favorite. Has a haunting feel to it.

2.Iktara- Wake Up Sid - Punjabi Version - Tochi Raina `s vocals have a very raw quality about it, plus the lyrics are touching,

3.Tune jo na kaha - Newyork - have become a mohit chauhan fan, have been liking most of his songs. Actually have liked him since his dooba dooba days.

4.Teri Diwani- Kailash kher- this one is an old favorite.

5.Tum mile - unplugged- javed ali- very soothing and it grows each time you hear it.

6. Soniyo - Raaz- krishna- Krishna is another singer whom i admire a lot.

7. Maula mere le le meri jaan - Chak de india - Krishna- he does it again....krishna

8.Na batai tu - kailash kher- kailasa is a good band, i like most songs they make.

9.Yeh jo desh hai tera - swades - what a song....no words to describe

10. Masakkali - another one from mohit chauhan, i like the prelude a lot.

Am at my best when i a listening to music. And am trying to start listening to something other than Bollywood songs. Lets see when i finally be able to do that.

Blogs of the past from other blogs:dated sep 22,2005- best days of my life

------------ this was written four years back, but is true in flavour and meaning, even today: i love my life at IIT kharagpur, more so after i passed out, for i know that those were the best days of my life-------

"raah mein ruk kar , paon se ..katein nikalne walo
yeh guma hai agar, toh junun kamyab kya hoga?"

these are lines which are imprinted over the leaf of my heart..deep and clear. i remember the day when i was there, attending the farewell function of standard 10th, when my principal sir uttered those life changing lines. something struck me, something struck me slowly yet..surely. and then was the time....

move 5 yrs down the line, new people, new place, new circumstances....
do u really regret anything in life mr. AASHISH AGRAWAL?
- this was written four years back, but is true in flavour and meaning, even today: i love my life at IIT kharagpur, more so after i passed out, for i know that those were the best days of my life.

WELL... i must be a nerd if i say YES.
for iit has given me more than that, more than the iit tag which i love so very much, more than even the alien status for the non-iitians( which i really hate)

it has given me a chance to see, love, hate, fight and live with...thirteen lives.

the idea was actually presented long time back by sachin...( so copyright ka ullanghan hai thoda)
but no other title suited me more.

and this is just teh first page i have written for my long story that titles ` thirteen lives`


chalna hai humein saath, aur hum chalenge
ki ruk jana hamari , suraj ki fitrat hai.
ujalo mein woh honge aur, jo rahein dhoondha karte hai
humein to andhero mein ai dost, safar karne ki aadat hai.

Blogs of the past from other blogs:dated sep 21,2005- the 13-

Taking a cue from sachin: thaught of bringing the other posts of past, in this one.Not finding anything great to write about, but trying to start the new year on a new note/tone:

Kal fir se exam hai ..sach bolta hoon main
Sujhe na koi kaam hai….sach bolta hoon main.


Aashu drenched, and recites the days…not long long ago…and people ..the same whom he has just been at aunties….and how they were…not long long ago.


Ramya:

Name: rrj
Fav line: varun sala…tum sala……hum sala
Fav hangout: orkut
Fav tp: busy with paul
Fav pals: paul , sachin

Amit kr:

Name: chhotu
Fav line: are bhai..hum toh kuchh bhi nahi kiye
Fav hangout: his own room…sometimes immus
Fav tp: chhod de bhai..me not saying anything
Fav pals: immu and VARUN



Hasita venktesh:
Name: hasi darling
Fav line: hum sab khane chaloge kya…hum ped pe chalk e baithe kya
Fav hangout: tree in front of archi ( now circumcised)
Fav tp: sitting on the tree,
Fav pals: nitisha.
Fav dost: sachin
Fav sweetheart: immu

Narendra bahadur singh
Name: naree
Fav line: are m********d kitna mugega? Abe mera certi kab milega?
Fav hangout: any place where chai is available
Fav tp: muggai…and chai
Fav pals: nitisha, antara mam


Syed imran ali
Name: immu
Fav line: abe hum pedal hole ja rahe hai. Haa yaar maarlo tumbhi
Fav hangout: bhasky…tree and bike
Fav tp: looking at the tree
Fav pal: vk, amt kr, shango
Fav sweetheart: hasita


Sachin verma
Name: munna
Fav line: aeb hum ja rahe hai sone…10 minute baad utha dena
Fav hangout: DC, park, salua, patel, rk, rp, blah blah blah
Fav tp: DCing, DOSTi…,
Fav pals: ukb…mitro da
Fav dost : hasita


Himadri mayank
Name: madari
Fav line: kisko marroo? Ga-da-ha ek number ka
Fav hangout: ORKUT, studio, chillies…and his room
Fav tp: I am a dogging, I am a donkeying read( blogging and orkutting)
Fav pals: bhops , naree


Nitesh shrivastava
Name: bhopalee
Fav line: too many to name here
Sons name: bhopu
Daughters name: peli
Fav hangout: studio, rk, cycle
Fav tp: bansoori bajana aur bamboo karna
Fav pals: himadri, flute


b.abhishek kumar
Name: bhaiya
Fav line: class kyun nahi aaya, hum fir pappu ban gaye
Fav hangout: net meeting, azad…, sn
Fav tp: modeling( pun intended :P)
Fav pals: JB, jb jba…aaja aaja aaja


Varun kishore
Name: baloon
Fav line: ma c*****e? suna bhai sunna jb maar lega
Fav hangout: reliance fixed fone,
Fav tp: kaam kaaj, aattending meetings
Fav pals: JB, jb jba…aaja aaja aaja, n singh

Once upon a time.

I was 1-24 years of age and growing in age every year.
I was skinny ………and I was worried about it.
I was good at studies and I was happy about it.
I sang well and people liked my songs.
I wrote well and people liked my poems.
I was 56 kg of weight and was 5 feet 8 inches.
I felt bad when someone pronounced my name as ASHISH, but mostly they did.
I used my phone a lot, and talked to lots of people.
I used my comp a lot and surfed a lot on Hindi Movies.
I didn’t like English movies, nor did I like western Music.

And Now,

I am 25 years of age and still growing in age every year.
I am not skinny ………and am still worried about it.
I am not good at studies /nor at work and I am still happy about it.
I sing well (at least I think) but people don’t like my songs.
I haven’t written for some time now, for people to like my poems.
I am 68 kg of weight and am still 5 feet 8 inches.
I feel bad when someone pronounced my name as ASHISH, but mostly they do.
I use my phone a lot, but talk to very few.
I use my comp a lot and surfed a lot on Hindi Movies.
I like English movies at times (latest is the dark Knight), but I do not like western Music.




And in times to come

I don’t know what will become of me. I don’t know what I will make of this world.
The only things I am sure of are

I will love mom
I will love her
I will love myself.
Period