Encounter with a rickshaw driver in Pune

Rajkumar Mahadev Gejage

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes. ~William James

This philosophy was reinforced today on meeting this affable rickshawwallah.

It’s rare to meet good rickshawwallahs particularly in Pune .But I was in for a surprise this evening when after haggling with perfectly idle rickshawwallahs, I chanced upon my new friend Rajkumar.

Barely minutes after we boarded his rickshaw, he broke the ice by asking the meaning of word Honesty and after we told him in Marathi what it meant, he told us about his colossal desire to learn English language and how he has been trying to learn it on his own for past one year. Though he was by no means an erudite person his earnestness won us over.

What started as a mundane commute after a harrowing experience with his lunatic fringe became the most memorable travel.

He entertained us with his self learnt English phrases and also recounted tales of some of his benevolent passengers who were clearly impressed by his will to learn a foreign language, without any proper formal education, and gave him Wren and Martin to improve his English speaking skills.

Those who know me well know my love for English language and clearly he had won me over. He keeps a notebook in which he notes down commonly used English sentences like” I take care of my passengers”,” We are close to your destination” etc.He is 25 with two kids and a mundane job in the eyes of most people but with an amazing attitude and zeal and I am certain that he will one day succeed in not only learning English but also in getting a better job. There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative and Rajkumar’s is definitely a positive one.

P.S.You can contact this guy if you want to help him at 9890008810 or 9850353508.

Poster Prediction

I am a sucker for Bollywood movies both good and bad and its amazing how Bollywood has evolved in terms of technical aspects and the the other creative aspects except the script and storylines .There are a couple of movies that I would like to warn you about but that will be some other time. In this post I would like to share with you my new found pastime of predicting about the movie through posters.

KAJRAARE

This latest flick starring Himesh Reshammiya releases on Aug 6 2010. From the looks of it it appears Reshammiya has invested in a newer hairstyle which confirms his penchant to look as ugly as possible.In the background the female protagonist with the flowing loom of a cloth implies she is just there for a few fleeting moments. It could also mean that the nasal rendition of reshammiya’s vocal chords was too much for to bear so she took a back stepping.The ruins in the background suggest that Reshammiya will ensure that the sensible audience’s three hours are completely ruined.On a optimistic note the strap on Reshammiya ‘s shoulder may be a glimpse of a huge bag implying that he will pack his bags and leave 
and spare the viewers any more bad acting- singing -action rolled in to one performer(?) Reshammiya.

   

                                                                                  

LAMHAA                                                                                                    

         This movie has already released on 16 th of july but I haven’t watched it and since I think the poster may have a  connection with the Kajraare poster I have decided to include this one in this article. The poster with the badass Sanjay dutt suggests that though there are other actors besides him but does that really matter .My interperetation of the poster is that Sunju Baba rules the movie and has maximum scenes.He is a bad guy complete with the latest ammunition and the unshaven look.The toothpick clenched between his lips compliments the badass look since the pastime of most badass guys in bollywood is to chew on toothpicks incessantly.the backdrop suggests that sunju baba is in the lonely desert maybe looking for Reshammiya before he signs another loser movie.

                                                                                                              

 
  MILENGE MILENGE

 Alright this one has released too and after a huge delay for whatever reasons. That’s not important and will pose no problems in my discourse over my limited postergyaan .What I thought was interesting in this poster that it describes the real life situation of the protagonists .Even though they are forced by the nature of their jobs and their respective professionalism to complete this movie,they manage to convey it to the audience as well as each other that this is strictly professional and refuse to even look at each other .The backdrop of the city silhouette suggests that this movie is set in an urban environment
where the traffic situation may force the protagonists to tell each other irritably that “yaar traffic main phasa/phasi hoon . bola na Milenge milenge.”

                                                                                                                           

           KHATTA  MEETHA                                                                                          

Releasing on 23rd July it is a typical Priyadarshan movie with a lot of people vying for space even on the poster.Trisha the female protagonist and southern movie starlet obviously has more scenes than most of the people in the background ,thus her presence is several places ahead of the supporting cast in the poster.Akshay Kumar ‘s recent idiotic movies have taken a toll on him too and he seems to hit himself with his umbrella in his last attempt to do something sensible with his life.I cannot see anything either khatta or meetha at least from the poster but I am really hoping for the viewers that the movie doesn’t leave a bitter aftertaste after braving it for the stipulated two hours plus.

       

                                                                     

                                                ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAI

 This one hits the theatre on 30th of July and is obviously about Mumbai.The protagonists are badguys with their thick mop of a hair as well as moustache and colour coordinated sunglasses with their respective mean machines.AjayDevgan looks his part of the man Bombay once feared but I am not so sure about Hashmi. He looks confused about whether to give the ferocious look or the seductive one and what results is a mixture of the two making him look like a fearsome serial kisser oops.... killer.

That’s all for now on poster prediction . Watch this space for more gyaan on posters.                                                     

A beautiful evening spent at Saung Angklung Udjo

Saung Angklung is a lesser known place in Bandung,Indonesia. This in English means Hut or shelter for Angklung. It was established in 1966 by the late Mr Udjo Ngalagena and his wife Uum Sumiati. This beautiful place serves as an art studio,a place for art performance and is also instrumental in providing art education to students as young as 3 years old. All students acquire this training on art for free, since it is a tourism project of West Java based on cooperative values. All this because Mr Udjo believed that Angklung is the art and cultural pride of the Sundanese( Bandung is Part of Sunda region of west java ) and everything possible should be done towards conserving this cultural pride.

The daily performance begins at 1530hrs and ends at 1730hrs.Each visitor has to buy a ticket for 50,000 rupiah (5USD).The entry ticket includes a free drink which offers a choice between fruit tea and and a traditional drink called Bandrek (hot drink made of palm sugar, ginger and lemon grass along with spices and with a generous topping of shredded fresh coconut).I chose the latter and went back for a refill. The performance started at 1530 hrs and a very charming hostess with a peculiar accent kept us entertained in an amphitheatre.

The first thing on offer was a wooden puppet demonstration with a beautiful live background music playing on various Indonesian instruments. The puppet art or Wayung as it is called in Indonesia is very famous art form in this region of west Java. Normal show of puppetry involves story revolving around Ramayana, of course with Indoensian adaptation of the mythological story.  

The next performance was a dance and song procession called Herelan which is traditionally played during circumcision celebration and harvest season. The circumcised boy is treated like a king for a day with all villagers pampering him and singing and dancing in front of him. There is a procession to commemorate the ceremony and this procession is carried out on a palanquin. 

Later what followed was a peek into the varied and beautiful Sundanese culture through Mask dance and Peacock dance.

Thereafter they presented the Angklung and played various universal songs like “peter pat ‘, and” Do Re Mi’. Angklung is an  instrument made from Bamboo arranged vertically . The length of the bamboo and circumference of the bamboo gives the instrument a particular octave tone . Each piece has around six bamboos and seven such parts make one full Angklung . After the performers had performed each of the audience member was given one part of angklung each representing one note of the octave .They were numbered from 1 to 7 denoting the musical notes do re mi fa so li to. And we set to try our hand on playing the Angklung . The sound emanates from holding the instrument with left hand and shaking it from bottom with the right one. The pitch varies from a short shake to a long to a very long shake. After some warm up he made us play songs like” falling in love”. The conductor was giving us signals with his hand and each signal represented a particular note. What followed later was sheer magic when we all played our individual Angklungs in accordance to his hand signs and later a whole symphony based on the numerical notes. It was an orchestra played by the audience and the environment was charged with our collective excitement and love for music. Due to some over excited audience the music at times was totally out of melody, but on a whole it resembled harmony.

Indoneisan culture is full of various forms of dances and music, and each of the 33 provinces have something unique to offer. In the last 15 months of my stay I have rarely noticed an Indonesian who has no understanding of music and melody. Family karaoke are a upbeat trend here and on any given social occasions they are more than willing to exhibit their love for music. Unlike in India where we have to request audience to come forward and sing, here in Indonesia you have to request audience to restrict their participation. I hope to catch a further glimpse of varied Indonesian culture during Cultural Night to be held at our college in a week’s time . Till then Selamat Membaca ( Happy reading )  

P.S. Watch this video to understand Angklung better

Futile Facebook Groups

Facebook is a constant provider of silly, mundane updates. Although it is predictable in many ways, it is also a source of entertainment. The other amusing part of facebook is some of its incredibly hilarious groups. They are hilarious because they are extremely useless groups and I can’t imagine someone taking time and effort to create these groups in the first place. I am listing a few of them. Please feel free to add some more to my list.

If you ever find this group, join it.

Oh My God! You can’t be serious.

I accidentally typed ;) instead of :) and now it’s awkward.

Tell me about it

Panicking when your finger gets stuck in something stupid

Like what?

I always manage to find the dirty side to what people say!

Wow!

Texting the person next to you stuff you cant say out loud

What happened to the old fashioned hand written notes?

When i can drive, I am SO running you over.

Beware of this driver.

Going to MacDonalds for a salad roll is like going to a brothel for a hug.

What a comparison?

Inbox (1) makes me nervous.

These groups surely are making me nervous.

A Lion would never cheat on his wife.. but a Tiger wood.

Pun intended

“Will there be boys there?” “No mom, it’s a nun party.”

Obviously Mom, what is a party without boys? 

I Thought You Were Hot Until I Clicked on "View More Pictures" 

How rude and truthful.

Alcohol Improves my Foreign Language! :P 
Yeah…slurring definitely sounds foreign.

30 Things To Do In An Exam When You Know You're Going To Fail It Anyways!

It’s a pity that I am not a student anymore

Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?
Cheeky and cheesy

For those who have ever pushed a "pull" door

ME ME ME …I do it all the time

When I was your age, Pluto was a planet.

And now it is official that I am ancient.

Geometry can kiss my Angle-Side-Side.

I wish teachers encouraged that.

Join this group, invite all of you friends, and then leave.

What a waste of time and energy

If 100,000 people join, my fiance' will let me name my second son Spiderman 

And what have you named your first son mate?

If 500 000 join this group I will change my middle name to Facebook

Now it is getting a bit too much …have you signed an affidavit yet ?

I have a tendency to laugh at inappropriate times

Always honey always.

Review of Rocket Singh –Salesman Of The year

   

Directed by Shimit Amin of Chak de and Ab tak chappan fame, this movie is unexpected in more than one ways. It is a very inspiring movie sans the preaching part.

Very realistic in its approach it strikes a chord with sensible audience. Definitely the movie is not for the masses but it has a lot to offer to the youth.

Fantastic casting and brilliant performances are another scoring point that makes the movie a serious connoisseur’s delight, but the real winner is the script.

The movie is mostly shot in the office keeping in mind the story and message. Background score is great and songs are noteworthy for the lyrics.

The director has not wavered from the simplicity in presenting this movie even for a minute. Right from the opening credits, where the camera lovingly lingers on the humble belongings of a typical middle class house, the audience is forewarned of a no nonsense straight from the heart movie. Everything about the movie has a real feel .For instance the office party where the staff drinks alcohol from the plastic cups, the unglamorised salesmen with austere settings and Ranbir’s character.

The story is simple and beautifully presented.Ranbir Kapoor works for a company where, he resents his unscrupulous boss’s ways and creates his own company within the office with the people from the same office. Havoc is created when this company poses a threat to the company they work for.

There are two heroes in this movie Ranbir and the script.Ranbir has done a fabulous job with the sardar get up.He looks authentic to the T.Right from combing his beard to tucking the turban ,he has got it perfect.Ranbir is compelling with his effortless sardar act and is proving to be a promising actor.Gauhar Khan as the resourceful receptionist,”Giri” Ranbir’s colleague, Mishraji the office Peon and “Nitin “as the shrewd sales head and also a part of Ranbir’s company are all brilliant.Mr Puri, Ranbir’s boss is very convincing as an unscrupulous hard core businessman.

The lengthy monologue rendered by Ranbir’s boss was the only sore point in this otherwise no nonsense movie, but nevertheless was necessary to drive home the point.

The message is loud and clear, Honesty and investing in people, rather than money shall reap fruitful results for any business.

It is a noble movie with nobler intentions and should not be missed. It isn’t one of those run of the mill movies where one conveniently leaves one’s brains behind. In fact it is a movie with a heart and a soul where the audience needs to apply all their faculties and take home a strong message. Whatever you do this weekend do not miss this movie.

Review of Paa

  

REVIEW  OF PAA

Director R Balki,s debut movie Cheeni Kum seeked rave reviews for his portrayal of a mature love story.Paa his second movie is in the same league as far as thinking out of the box is concerned. He has done the unthinkable.Amitabh Bachhan who is known for his larger than life persona and baritone voice, has shed both. Imagine watching a movie with Amitabh bachhan in it, glaring with his inconspicuousness and the best part is that the audience doesn’t even realize it  .

The story is simple and simply told but it tugs at one’s heart instantly. The story is about a 13 year old boy Auro, who suffers from a rare congenital disease called Progeria. He lives with his gynaecologist mother, Vidya Balan and grandmother Arundhati naag. The life of Auro and his Mom takes an interesting turn when he meets his father. Abhishek and Vidya;s  sizzling romance  has bore this progeny, however Abhishek is oblivious of Auro’s existence . Abhishek, the righteous politician, incidentally meets Auro at School function and from then the movie is interwoven with a mix of emotions.

The movie is not a classical tearjerker. In fact it has funny moments like the telephonic conversation between Auro and his classmate, which has the entire audience rolling in laughter. Another funny moment is the conversation between Auro and his dad on the subject “Potty”. Not to forget Auro affectionately calling his grandmother BUM referring to her large posterior.

The climax scene where Auro refers to himself as his father’s mistake and the scene where Auro’s classmate renders apology is sure to make eyes moist. Although Paa is a movie with a tagline “A very rare father son, son father story”, it definitely is a story with poignant moments between mother and son too and thus appeals to all Paas and Maas. After the debacle of Aladdin where the only wish the audience had was to make the movie disappear, Paa is a welcome and heartwarming change .

The strength of the movie lies in brilliant performances by the entire cast and undoubtedly Auro’s portrayal by Amitabh Bachhan. Introduction of the cast and crew in a different manner by Jaya Bachhan gets the movie going on a high note and background score keeps the mood on. Whether the movie is a box office hit or not it yet again establishes Amitabh as an invincible actor.

A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER

   

I watched MY SISTER’S KEEPER recently and it triggered more than one emotion in me .Not only was it a tearjerker, but also reminded me of my own family’s losing battle to cancer. I lived the trials and tribulations of the protagonist and her family in the face of death .Death has never been associated with anything remotely beautiful but cancer makes living ugly too.

Aai, my mother, was a picture of strength in life and in the face of death too. She was diagnosed with Astrocytoma, popularly known as brain cancer, and given six months to live. She survived cancer for 9 full years, hereby becoming an inspiration for others. Yes, cancer cannot be conquered only survived. Even in those trying and painful years she kept her sense of humour intact. She worked for most of those nine years as an executive housekeeper in a hotel, which was no small feat. It was no small feat considering she had to wear not only the wig to camouflage the ugliness of a bald pate, a result of vigorous radiation sessions, but also a smile as if nothing was wrong .I remember patients been sent to her by Inlaks Budhrani Cancer hospital in Pune for counseling .In my college years a few friends who knew about this asked me how I was so normal? How could I not be? When she, who was the most affected lead life as if nothing was wrong.

I will be lying if I say that there were no weak moments. But my father made sure that we were all together in those trying times.

Though we knew that death lurked its ugly face round the corner, no time is right to lose a parent and a family member.

I remember the innumerable visits to the hospital and her bruised body with all those piercings. Her body was bruised but not her spirit; not for a moment. I remember that the doctor feared once that she might have developed a heart complication, but she brushed it off saying that her heart belonged to my father and it wasn’t possible, and truly it did not happen. Being the firstborn, I have witnessed everything in my parents life, misery as well as good times To me, my parents remained a picture of love forming their own world, which despite being their child I could only observe as an outsider. They did not forbid me from entering it but there was no place for anyone else. My father remained a doting husband till her dying day.

I have my grudges too. More than once I have asked why me? I deserved her to stay by my side fussing over me when Kiara was born .I needed her to listen to my ramblings about what’s going on in my life. I wanted to tell her that now I realize that motherhood is a tough job and what a terrible child I was, and I wonder how she raised me .I see all around me, my friends, rattling off the most mundane things to their mothers and I feel cheated. I deserved to have a shoulder to crib about my husband without being judged. I deserve to have my mothers loving hands caress me and make me feel like a child once again .But nothing of that sort can happen….not in this life.

My father an ex army officer has had to take many tough decisions in his life and career ,but nothing comes close to his decision to let her go ,by allowing to take her off the ventilator.

I will never understand why my mother had to go at the age of 53 and why we had to live with it. There is no reason for it I guess. Death is death and nobody understands it .One just accepts it.

I wanted Aai to stay forever, but that did not happen .I realize that was not the point .The point was that I had a mother and she was fantastic.

One day I am sure I will see her again, urging me to eat my greens and fussing over me, but until then our relationship continues…..