Updates...

I knw its late.. but, hope u all had a nice weekend...

Me too had a gr8 sunday :)

Hmmm... it was Mumbai Marathon 2007 on sunday. Was down with some cold nd lil fever on saturday... but was quiet excited for sunday. It was truly a funfilled day. As v had to reach by 8.15 am for the Dream Run.. so had to start around 6.00 am as it takes around 1 hr 45 mins to reach CST from my place by train. Everyone was gathered at Azad Maidan. V cld see some ppl warming up, ther was separate holding area for Senior citizens nd for the corporates. All sponsors like Standard Chartered, DHL, Kingfisher, Titan having their own sepaqrate holding area.. nd yes how can I 4get 98.3 Radio Mirchi.. It was a real attraction having its own stage in one corner of ground with their RJs entertaining everyone with foot tapping numbers.

Dream run was gonna start at 9.10 am. Though it started at around 9.30 am. A big crowd moving ahead from Azad maidan towards the start point which was opp. CST station going towards Metro nd from ther to Hilton Towers nd thn turning towards beautiful Nariman point nd from ther moving ahead to the flyover nd thn coming back.... It took 45 mins for me to complete 6 kms... On both sides of the street.. no. of ppl were standing to cheer up the runners nd the sponsor Standard Chartered.. had set up their blocks with their volunteers, 98.3 Radio city had placed their speakers at every distance on the streets ... playing good numbers cheering runners nd Kingfisher had placed their stalls providing free water bottles nd energy drink to all the runners.

It was truly a beautiful scene.... thousands of participants professionals, athletes, young boys nd girls, some school children, senior citizens, physically challenged, celebrities, some with different types of costumes, some having their own group like dabbawalas, etc were seen enjoying the run.

Industrialist Anil Ambani ran Half Marathon. While some celebrities like Nagesh Kukunoor, Rahul Bose, Tara Sharma, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, industrialist Anand Mahindra, Shobha De, Vinod Kambli were also seen njoying Dream Run.

Teams from the Mumbai Police, Western Railways, Indian Navy and many corporate houses also took part in the event.

Campaigns for anti-smoking, support for visually challenged, welfare of tribals, blood donation were also highlighted by the participants.

For the fourth time, runners from the African continent stole the show at the Mumbai Marathon with Kenya's John Kelai finishing the line in 2:12:28 hrs to emerge as a winner.

It was whole lot of fun.. Some running for fun some for the cause... but... it was one slogan everyone can hear was Run Mumbai Run.... :)

All in all... njoyed the event v.much.... but was mising some of my frnds.. :(

Ths was all about Sunday... talking about tommorrow... its a Vasant Panchami... which indicates starting of Vasant Ritu.. (Spring season).... I dont knw much abt the significance but from ths day... kirtans in vasant raag r sung to welcome the festival of Holi called Vadhaaii.... also v start sprinkling some gulaal on our Baalkrishna from today ...... :)

Its said tht from ths day all gopiis nd all His sakhaas starts playing with thodaa thodaa colours... :)

Hmm... so one month for the festival of colours to come... :)

And.. yes KBC has started with its new Host nd with different ishtyle... donno but didnt liked it much.. lets see how wel it goes.

Happy B'day to me.. :)

Hi All...

Its my Happy wala B'day today... :)
Receiving showers of blessings, calls nd messages with loads nd loads of wishes..
Waiting for some more to come... :)
U feel so nice.. whn everyone sends u so many wishes...
Its all abt a kind of feeling tht one has for u... gifts, treats doesnt matter.. wht matters is a word of care, wish, blessing, a kind of bond tht binds us...

Hmm... m getting lil senti... :)

V get off for B'days nd anniversaries... but had to come to office coz of lots of wrk... :(
So.. will have to take comp off on some other day..
For now.. njoying in the office :)

No special plans.. but meeting some frnds in teh evening nd thn as my dad, sis nd bro going to some wedding.. so wil go out with mom for the dinner... :)

Ok thn.. m signing off here.. wanted to write much much more... but dont hav tht much time :(

Nyways... Have a nice day :)

Dheel De Dheel De De Re Bhaiyaa.... :)

Makar Sankrati... Festival of exchanging sweets and flying kites... :)

According to lot of information collected from some frnds nd family members... herez some information abt the significance of ths beatiful nd colourful festival.. :)

Ths festival of Makar Sankrant traditionally coincides with the beginning of the Sun's northward journey (the UTTARAYAN)... whn it enters the sign of Makar (the CAPRICORN). Its is celebrated in the month of Magh saying farewell to winter.

It falls on the 14th of January every year according to the Solar Calendar. Ths day has a v. spl. significance .. coz the day nd night on Makar Sankrant r of exactly of equal hrs.

According to the sayings.. Ths day is celebrated as a festival right from the times of the Aryans and is looked upon as the most auspicious day by the Hindus.

The evidence of ths festival being lucky is found in our gr8 epic Mahabharat.... wherein it is told tht the great warrior-hero, Bhishma Pitamaha even after being wounded and lying on the bed of arrows.... lingered on till Uttarayan set in.... to breathe his last. It is believed tht the person who dies on ths auspicious day of Sankrant escapes the cycle of birth and re-birth nd tht his soul mingles with the Almighty.

Ths festival is celebrated differently in different parts of d country... yet the use of Til tht is sesame is found everywhere. Til (sesame seed) contain lot of oil nd they therefore hav a quality of softness in them. Therefore.... firstly the use of til in sweets is good for health and secondly being soft their exchange means exchange of love and tender feelings.... :)

In Maharashtra.... on the Sankranti day ppl exchange multi-coloured tilguds made from til (sesame seeds) nd sugar and til-laddus made from til and Gud (jaggery). Til-polis r offered 4 lunch nd these r specialities of Maharashtra.

While exchanging tilguls as tokens of goodwill.... ppl greet each other saying - "til-gul ghya... god god bola" meaning "accept these tilguls and speak sweet words".... Good one naa. M gonna hav loads of tilguls tommorrow in Train and office... :) The under-lying thot in the exchange of tilguls.... is to forget the past ill-feelings nd grudges nd resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends.

So... if u wanna make up with ny frnd whom u hav hurt or u r hurt coz of him/her.. jst call up on ths auspicious day... nd make up ur frndship once again with exchanging sweets nd smiles.. :)

Ths is also a special day for the women in Maharashtra... whn married women are invited 4 a get-together called "Haldi-Kumkoo" and given gifts of any utensil, which the woman of the house purchases on tht day.

Aha... Now comes the turn of Gujarat.... Aapnuu Gujarat... In Gujarat... Sankrant is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra.... but with a difference tht in Gujarat... ther is a custom of giving gifts to relatives.... And also giving daan to the needy nd offering chara to Cow... The elders in the family give gifts to the younger members of the family. Ths festival thus help the maintenance of social relationships within the family, caste and community.

In Gujarat.. An International Kite Flying Festival is held where no. of ppl gather for flying kites nd grand competition is held here... Also, ther in Gujarat in cities like Surat nd Ahmedabad, ppl hav off on 13th nd 14th and every family member gather on their terraces nd rooftops for flying kites, breakfast, lunch, snacks everythng on the terrace.. nd loud music... wow jst wonderful... flying kites, cutting each others kites, aha kya baat hai... :)

Kite flying is also an art... right from selecting a good quality kite, tying kanni, selecting one of the best Maanjha (string) rolled ig Firkii... how to start flying it slowly nd thn taking it to the height nd whn its made still in the air nd thn trying to cut other ppls kite... its all abt having good experience in it... wah wah.. its really amazing.. nd one jst enjoys.... yaa one thng one has to keep in mind is tht sometimes coz of tht strong strings, ther r chances of getting cuts on the fingers nd yes.. one has to take most care of the birds as wel.

Yes.... In South too.. Sankrant is known by the name of PONGAL... which takes its name from the surging of rice boiled in a pot of milk. Its very popular particularly amongst farmers.... Rice and pulses cooked together in ghee nd milk is offered to the family deity... after the puja. In essence in the South this Sankrant is a Puja 4 the Sun God.

In U.P..... Sankrant is called KICHERI. Having bath on ths day is regarded as most imp. Large no. of ppl. r seen bathing in the Sangam at Prayagraj... wher the rivers Ganga, Jamuna nd Saraswathi flow together.... Every year Kumbh Mela is held for full one month.

Ths festival is celebrated in other parts of country too nd have their own significance for it. Thus we see tht ths festival occupies a significant place in the cultural history of our country nd symbolises the victory of ORDER over CHAOS nd of Love over Hate.... :)

So... here m signing off... Happy Makar Sankranti to u all... Hav a nice day... njoi Kite Flying... c ya... :)

Nagesh Kukunoor's Dor... Very Well Strung

Nagesh Kukunoor has given us some best movies like Hyderabad Blues, Rockford, Teen Deewarein, Iqbal and now his latest Dor.... a story of two women - one who undertakes a long journey to save her love and the other who breaks all the traditional customs and lives the life the way she feels.

Dor is a beautiful tale of love, loss, friendship, and courage to live life anew. The film is quite realistic. And this is the reason why its story is so believable and deeply touching.

The ppl who all r quite fond of big budget film with lot of melo drama nd all... may not be tht enthu and excited to watch relatively low budget with stars such as Ayesha Takia, Gul panag & Shreyas Talpade in the lead roles. But.. I tell u... such ppl wld really miss one of the brilliant performances given by these stars.

Dor is a story of two women, Zeenat (Gul Panag) and Meera (Ayesha Takia) ... both living in different parts of India. Their fate is invariably strung together by one incident tht changes both their lives forever.

In the hills of Himachal Pradesh, Zeenat marries her lover Aamir just a day before he leaves for to take up a job in Saudi Arabia.

And there.. In a Rajasthan village, the happily married Meera spends some few cherished moments with her husband Shankar.... before he too leaves for Saudi Arabia to earn some money.

The two men, who are now roommates, send money home to take care of their families. Shankar's father, a proud Rajput now fallen on bad times, uses the income to fix his haveli. Aamir's family gets some respite from the hard work of running the local bakery.... Meera and Zeenat miss their husbands nd get 2 talk 2 thm occasionally on the phone.

Zeenat is an independent woman... who has struggled at every step in her life. Her in-laws were not so v.happy for Aamir's marriage with Zeenat. But later, She takes the financial responsibility of her in-laws after her husband’s departure.

Meera, on the other hand... is domesticated into the strict traditions of a Rajput Gharana.The worlds of the two women collapse.... whn Shankar is killed in Saudi Arabia, and Aamir, his roommate, is accused of the murder. Even though there is a reason to believe it was an accident, Aamir is slated to get a death penalty.

The way out of it..? According to the Saudi law, there is only one condition in which Aamir’s life can be spared... if Shankar’s widow Meera... forgives him by signing on Maafiinaamaa...

Now, To save her husband’s life, armed only with a photograph of Aamir and Shankar taken in their Saudi apartment... Zeenat undertakes an impossible journey to Rajasthan to find Meera.

Her first stop is Jaipur.. on her way... she meets a Behroopiya (Shreyas Talpade) a member of a group that traditionally earn their living by taking different guises in order to entertain ppl. Behroopiya first dupes Zeenat also, but later helps her find Meera whn he realisez tht she is here for some mission. Using his knowledge of the terrain and some clues tht Zeenat does not yet realize she possesses, the two of them piece together bits of information that eventually lead them to Meera's village.

In the meantime... Shankar's father has to rent out the haveli in order to make ends meet... while Meera now lives her life as a widow... a shadow of her former self. Her status, her rights, and her sense of self are all eroded as a result of her loss. Her only excursions into the outside world are her daily visits to the temple.

Zeenat, confident that the papers will be signed, goes to Meera's home... but she is thrown out by Shankar's family. Zeenat waits for Meera at the temple, intending to plead with her. When the two women meet, Zeenat realizes that Meera doesn't know of the visit to Shankar's home and decides to hold off on telling Meera the truth till a suitable moment in the future.

As the two women come together, they become friends and learns the different facet of life from each other. One day, Zeenat comes to knw tht the deadline for Aamir's execution is near... nd she can wait no more.... At the same time, Meera finds out tht her future is endangered.

The truth comes out into the open and the two women have a confrontation.... Meera feels betrayed nd Zeenat helpless....

How is the situation resolved?

Ok Ok... i wont reveal the suspense. :))

The conclusion tht Nagesh Kukunoor gives to the story could not have been better.... The movie’s climax leaves a viewer overwhelmed.

Ayesha Takia has given the best performance of her acting career so far in Dor.... She is looking simple nd beautiful without makeup.... In the first half, she is quiet... susheel housewife with dreamy eyes nd having many desires.... While ... In the second half... she becomes a woman who learns to defy the cruel tradition... who learns to listen to her heart nd live the way she wants to.... And Ayesha carries all these emotions with the skill of a polished actress....

Gul Panag stands in equal stead.... even though her character is shown mentally and emotionally strong but she has played her character very brialliantly.

Aha.... Shreyas Talpade is a complete delight to watch.... His comic imitations of the actors from Hindi film industry.... nd the quick changes in his appearances provide a welcome humorous relief in an otherwise serious movie.... He is truly a very good actor... I liked his performance v.much.

To sum it up... Dor is a film tht definitely ought to be seen once.... The movie’s theme is most relevant and the way it has been brought forth... without any melodrama and overblown emotions... is wht makes the movie truly compelling. The background score (Padharo Maare Des) is just too good..... nd the song Yeh Hoslaa Kaise Ruke... is quiet inspiring. The direction and acting performances are almost flawless. Everyone has given their best.

On the whole... A V. Good Movie... :)

Its Mirchi..

On Sunday.. V visited Its Mirchi... one of the stylish informal rooftop restaurant at 6th flr., of Ramee Guestline, Juhu of Ramee Group. A very elegant place which has a comfortable lounge with dhaba like interiors with relaxed seating and one of the very good Indian cuisine restaurant.

At lobby.. therz Rhythm & Blues.. a 24 hr coffee shop...
It also has a stylish Night club called Rock Bottom with Rocking DJs... (havnt been ther yet)

Coming back to Its Mirchi... The interiors are v.nice and the seating arrangement is so very comfortable having fine dining atmosphere. Therz a grillbox in ur table itself where you are served with variety of unlimited Kebabs of Aaloo, Paneer, kaju bhara kebab... too good... (i dont knw wht was ther in non.veg) and u can jst have them while chatting.... and then ther was a buffet having delicious food... v had Sheer Kurma, Moon Da Halwa (I liked it v.much... It was yummy)... Gulab Jamuns, deserts, Vanilla Ice-cream with Mango & Choclate Sauce... plain salad, Paneer Sabzi, another sabzi called Kaddi Patte mein Aaloo (it was v.good)... U can hav tht with Roti, Naan or Paratha.... Dal & Rice... (Sorry guys again dont knw wht was ther in Non.veg.. :( .... ) And last... the best thing we had was tht beautifully decorated Paan.... yuummm..... I jst liked it...

Hmmmm... Feeling Hungry... ??? :)))


PS 1: As one of my friend Jayee, is shifting to Bangalore next week, so we all decided to have a dinner at some good restaurant. So we all booked it for Sunday evening and jst had fun. All credit goes to Grishma.. she had booked ths beautiful place... V all liked it v.much nd njoyed.

PS 2: I watched Dor some days back nd liked it v.much... m jst finding time to write its review... so my next post on Dor... Njoi.. :)

India v/s India

Times of India has come up with a campaign 'India Poised' with its television partner Times Now.

Read Here an India Poised Anthem recited by Amitabh Bachhan... V. Good one.. quiet inspiring....



One India wants.. the othe India Hopes...
And is looking up at the sky saying.. its time to fly... :)