Humanity v/s Helplessness

It was afternoon time whn i was returning back to home from Andheri on Friday.. had some office work so finished it up ... nd headed directly to home... as ther was 78 hours MEGABLOCk, strating from Friday evening till Monday morning.... between Borivali - Virar for quadrapling of tracks.

I got down from the bridge on Platform No. 4 where Virar train comes... and was going ahead where Ladies compartment comes... nd i heard one small kid crying badly... whn saw around... one small boy, around 10 yrs old, with no clothes on his body except one halfpant - sitting on platform was holding tht kid on his lap.... the kid was jst wrapped in one thin, small nd dirty cloth... nd it was really crying badly.... i asked him, "wherz ur mummy".... but he didnt answered.... i asked him again, thn he jst pointed his hand in some direction... so i thot she mst be somewher here and as i saw the train coming .. i ran towards ladies compartment nd got in.

As it was afternoon time so ther was hardly 10-12 ladies in the whole compartment. I got window seat so was jst njoying breeze.

Again i heard one kid's voice crying... didnt paid ny heed as thot tht it might be of some passenger's kid's voice... but i saw one lady, watching someone sitting on the door nd gossiping abt it with her frnd.... so was curious to see.. abt whom she is talking. So.. got up nd went to the door... nd I was shocked.... the same boy was sitting beside the door with tht kid in his hand.... nd the more the kid was crying... he started hitting tht kid. I jst lost my temper... nd yelled at him.... "arree kya kar raha hai.... itne chote se bacchhe ko kyu maar raha hai..." but he didnt answered.

And then... some one or two ladies came running to see wht was going on... kya hua.. kya hua... nd i told tht .. ths kid is crying so much.. nd ths boy is hitting him ... One lady moved tht cloth nd said tht ... aree yeh toh ladkii hai... nd we were shocked to see... tht kid was jst of 10-15 days.. newly born kid... everyone was shocked.. such a small kid... wher ths boy must have taken her.. or wher is he going....

It was crying so badly tht her whole body had become red... i had some water so poured some drops of water in her mouth... nd she stopped crying. I asked him to come nd sit inside... holding such a small kid near the door.... dont u hav sense.... nd he came in... I again asked him ... wherz ur mom.... nd y u were sitting on the platform... but he didnt answered nythng. All the ladies came nd asked wht happened.... nd i told them tht he was sitting on the platform with ths kid.. nd now not answering wher his mom is.

Now... some said ... he must have taken her for begging... as looking to the kid.. ppl tend to giv some money... while some of them started saying tht sach bata.... "Chorii karke to nahii laaya haii naa isko".... nd no doubt nyone can get tht feeling... as he was not saying nythng. After asking him so many times... we said tht we would take u to police if u dont say nythng... nd tears rolled down his eyes nd said ... "chorii karke nahii laayaa"... thank God.. he said somethng... thn we asked... so.. wherz ur mom? he said Miraroad.... i m going ther only. We asked... Miraroad mein hai.. thn wht were u doing at Andheri station? He didnt said nyhtng... again everyone started saying tell the truth or v wld take u to police...

In the meanwhile, ths kid again started crying ... we all knew tht she was too hungry.. was worried wht to do now.... One lady who was sitting beside me said... shall I feed her??.... And I was like..... shocked.. she said I too hav one 3 months kid... I cant see her crying like ths.... nd I said... dont tell me nythng.. jst go ahead... she took her on her lap nd fed her.... nd the kid was so hungry.... tears rolled down from both of our eyes... she said... wht to do.. I cant see her crying like ths... v dont even know since whn she is hungry..... U can feel presence of God everywher... isnt it?

Everyone was trying to ask him.... as u nevr knw..... ther r so many bad instances tht r going on these days... nd on top of ths... tht kid was a girl.... so everyone was so worried .. wht the matter cld be... Initially, we asked him polietly.... but whn he was not ready to say ntyhtng.. v said tht v all r getting down at Miraroad nd wld take u to the police.... thn he said tht My mom died some yrs back... nd my father got married to someone else.... so we asked her.. thn whose kid is ths? so he said tht ... ths is my aunt's (mom's sister) kid.... v asked him tht wher is she... so he said tht she is at miraroad.. nd i m going ther only. We asked him if she has some other kids also.. so he said yes.. she has one more kid of around 2 yrs.... We were all shocked... wht kind of heart does ths lady has... she dont even bother giving her 10 days kid in the hands of ths boy who himself is of 10 yrs... wht if he wld hav lost her somewher? wht if he wld not have handled her properly..... nd v all decided to get down at miraroad... nd search for her. Everyone was so angry.

Tht lady who fed her ... wrapped tht kid neatly with the cloth... nd tied a handkerchief on her head.... Station came... nd we got down... We were searching for some police... but as we walked ahead on the platform.. we saw tht one lady was sitting there with one kid.... as she saw us... she came running ... tht boy said tht yes she is my aunty.... nd everyone was so angry on her.... they yelled nd said... tht how can u send such a small kid for all these things.... dont u feel nythng.... we warned her tht if ths boy is seen again with ths kid.. we wld take u directly to the police.. mind tht... nd everyone returned back to their home.

That day... I learnt one lesson.... tht v shld never encourage beggers.. I always used to giv some money to them... but once... one of my frnd saw ths.. nd said tht y do u encourage them.. do u knw wht do they do of ths money... from tht day.. i used to giv them some biscuits or some chapattis.... but not money. Today whn i saw ths boy... i really felt like thanking my frnd. Was somehow feeling very bad tht... poverty nd want of money has made these ppl so helpless tht they dont even bother sending 10 days kid with tht small boy with a hope tht looking at such a small kid ... ppl wld surely give some money...

Was not able to sleep properly tht night.. all these questions kept on coming al the time... Had a fear tht wht if tomorrow again ths lady wld send her kid with ths boy for the same thng.. then???

Sometimes dont understand wht all God have planned for his holy play......???

Life in A..... Metro

Hmm... so once again up with a review.... read on...

After a hard-hitting ‘Gangster’.... Anurag Basu now comes up with ‘Metro’... a multi-layered story revolving around several characters.... Each story is stacked with another and are somehow connected to character(s) in another.

And there are ppl like Rahul [Sharman Joshi], Neha [Kangana Ranaut], Ranjeet [Kay Kay Menon], Shikha [Shilpa Shetty], Akash [Shiney Ahuja], Shruti [Konkona Sen Sharma] and Debu [Irrfan Khan].... who come together in ths METRO.... "One city. Countless Emotions".

Shruti (Konkona Sen Sharma) is a 30 yr old girl who still has no love in her life. She meets Debu (Irrfan Khan), a possible suitor, but rejects him... Shruti has a crush on a RJ at the radio centre she works in. But her small fling with him ends with a shocking revelation.

Shikha (Shilpa Shetty), Shruti’s elder sister, is married to Ranjeet (Kay Kay Menon) and has a 6 yr old daughter. There is no love left between Shikha and Ranjeet. Theirs is more like a marriage of compromise.

Ranjeet is the boss in a BPO firm. In the same office.... works Rahul (Sharman Joshi) who lives in his uncle’s flat, which is often used by his colleagues and seniors for.... ah... no words to say.... Rahul obliges his seniors because he wants to rise up to managerial levels in his office... (hard to believe .. tht all ths cld be real)

Rahul has a crush on Neha (Kangana Ranaut), his colleague. He doesn’t know that Neha is in a relationship with Ranjeet, until the day Ranjeet asks Rahul for the key to his flat to ‘spend time’ with Neha.

On the other hand..... therz a series of brief encounters between Shikha and Akash (Shiney Ahuja).

Akash is a theatre artist who does his rehearsals next to an Old Age home tht Shikha regularly visits to meet her former teacher Shivani (Nafisa Ali).

Dharmendra plays Amol.... Shivani’s lover from the past who comes back into her life to spend his last days with her.

Neha chases Rahul. Shikha chases Akash. Debu chases Shruti.

Oh... now i wont narrate whole story over here... but wld surely put some best points which i liked v.much in the movie...

1. The constant fights of Shilpa nd Kay Kay Menon or teh serious immersed-in-lust relation of Kay Kay and Kangana make you look forward to what 'worse' could happen next.

2. When 38 year old Irrfan Khan [who likes to be called 35] takes a 'lil younger Konkana Sen to the top of the terrace and vent with a scream.... tht chhillaao.... sab gussaa bahar nikaalo... zor se chhilaao... nikaalo... nikaalo nikaalo... nd thn... he pats her on the back and says... "Good job, your servicing is done. Now live on with life."

And later in the film..... when Konkana finally realizes her love for him.... a flabbergasted Irrfan asks with a quizzical expression... "oh.... pehle batanaa thaa naa.... "sab blouse aur peticoat to uske naap ke siilaaye hai (the one whom he was getting married).... i tell u ths was the best ya..... the person sitting next to me.... jst jumped off his chair laughing.... it was too good..

3. Sharman has always been adorable.... he delivers yet another contrasting yet noteworthy performance after STYLE and RDB.... He is really v.cute.... Here too... he actually makes you weep a tear as he plays a role which Shahrukh Khan describes as his saddest ever in YES BOSS. He is a man who just knows two words - YES BOSS, esply. whn someone wants the keys to hs apartment...

4. Kangana and Shiney may have relative smaller parts..... but they ensure tht they do a good job in the limited screen time they get. And frm Kay Kay.... it is now quite obvious to expect nothing but a very good performance.

5. Moments between Dharmendra and Nafisa are feel-good to begin with. Scenes like Dharmendra jumping the railway tracks to meet the woman..... whom he had left 40 yrs back or eating 'kheer' directly from a 'kadai' makes make u adore the man all over again.

6. And yes....how can i forget..... the manner... the entire BAND METRO is placed. Comprising of Pritam, James, Soham and Suhail.... the band comes at jst the right places in the film nd brings an altogether never-experienced-before mood to storytelling.

7. The film belongs to each nd every character in the film but.... if someone stands out.... it is "Irrfan Khan". Shilpa looks extremely gorgeous even in daily wear..... while Konkana proves yet again tht she deserves to be utilized more for her immense acting abilities.

Though for some situation.. its hard to believe it to be real metro life... ya.. i cld be wrong... nyways.. In short... a nicely crafted movie.... ought to be seen once.... :)

20 yrs and counting....

Today.... India’s sole aircraft carrier ‘INS Viraat’..... a 28,700-tonne and 226.5-metres long vessel.... completes 20 yrs with the Indian Navy. It holds a special place for Mumbaikars as it is mostly based in the city.


As per the source... India purchased ths vessel in April, 1986 and the floating airport, called ‘HMS Hermes’ by the Royal Navy, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on May 12, 1887 at Devenport near Plymouth in the UK. The mighty vessel..... which proved its mettle during the Falklands War in May 1982, was named as “Viraat’’ (giant) by the wife of the former Indian high commissioner to the UK, Aakama Alexander.


Also, Captain Vinod Pasricha, the first officer who commandeered the warship between May, 1987 - December, 1988... said tht.... whn the Royal Navy handed over ths warship to them for a pittance amnt of Rs 400 crore, the British officers appeared convinced that its life span wld not extend beyond 10 yrs i.e. till 1997. They even expressed doubts whether the Indian Navy wld be able to manage the aircraft carrier.

Pasricha, now retired and settled in Pune, said... "They (Royal Navy) have been proved wrong because she (‘INS Viraat’) has operated for 20 yrs and I am confident that she can remain in service for another 10 yrs or so. And the Royal Navy is extremely happy at the way we have looked after it. It has undoubtedly exceeded their expectations.’’


The present captain of the naval giant, Girish Luthra, said tht the warship was tentatively slated to remain operational till about 2015. It is expected to undergo a routine refit programme next year which will further increase its life span.


On August 17, 1987, ‘INS Viraat’ arrived off Mumbai and was taken for customs clearance to Goa. And on August 21, 1987, she was accorded a red-carpet welcome off the Gateway of India.

Pasricha Also said tht like INS Vikrant, Viraat too cld be turned into a naval museum once it is phased out in about 10 years.


The navy will hold blood donation drive and feed the poor to mark the 20th anniversary of INS Viraat....




VIRAAT FACTFILE

- Built by Vickers-Armstrong in the UK

- Launched as ‘HMS Hermes’ on February 16, 1953, by Clementine Churchill, wife of former British PM Winston Churchill

- The warship entered service with the Royal Navy on November 18, 1959. She saw glory during the May 1982 Falklands War

- She served with the Royal Navy till April 12, 1984 and was sold to the Indian Navy in April 1986

- Between July 1999 and April 2001, she underwent a major life extension refit. This resulted in upgrading her propulsion system, an addition of a new package of sensors, the introduction of a modern communication system, a new long-range surveillance radar, weapons systems and also a new hangar

- The aircraft carrier’s lift system was revamped to reduce the reaction time in the event of air attack.

- A new flood alarm system was also installed

- It has been equipped with a 12’’ ski jump to operate the Sea Harriers

- In 2003 she underwent another major upgrading and came back to service in November 2004. During this period she became the first warship of the Indian Navy to be equipped with the Israeli Barak anti-missile system. The warship’s magazine capacity includes about 80 lightweight torpedoes. It also has the capacity to transport commandos for around 750 troops

- She is equipped with an air search, air/surface search, navigation and fire control radars. She has a hull mounted sonar with a search and attack capability

- She has a hi-tech combat information and a satellite communication system

- She has the capacity to carry 30 Sea Harriers. She also carriers the Kamov airborne early warning helicopters

- Carries the Sea King commando assault and vertical replenishment helicopters. Hindustan Aeronautical Limited’s Chetak and Dhruv helicopters also form a part of the warship’s air group

- The maximum speed is 28 knots and it has a maximum range of 6500 miles at 14 knots

Up Up and Up.....

Re edges toward 9 yr peak.... Rs. 40.88

Read Here

The rupee has gained more than 8% ths year, with most of the gains coming in the last 2 months.... boosted by capital inflows into the fast-growing economy.

Foreign funds hav bought more than $2.9 billion worth of stocks so far in 2007. And... the central bank bought $19.7 billion in the 4 months to end-February in a bid to stem the rupee's rise..... ths lead to infusion of rupee, which increades liquidity and ultimately lead to rise in inflation.

Updates:

One of the prime domestic reasons for the sharp appreciation in the domestic currency is the tight liquidity in the money market. The shock therapy applied by the RBI to cool down inflation has choked liquidity further.

RBI increased the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 50 basis points (bps) [100 bps make 1%] to 6.50%.... nd repo rates by 25 bps to 7.75% to control inflation [CRR is the proportion of deposits that commercial banks need to keep with RBI as cash...... nd the repo rate is the rate at which banks borrow from RBI for the short term]. Now... these measures absorbed Rs 15000 crore from the banking system.

Also.. the main cause for rupee's appreciation is Excess dollars chasing the economic boom in India.

Try to offer to exchange US dollars for Indian rupee... a person who is aware of market trends... wld probably decline the offer..... Re has lot of importance in the forex martkets. It has appreciated to an 9 yr. high against the $.

Improving economic fundamentals.... nd stronger growth prospects hav led to a global interest in the Indian economy. Foreign money is pouring in... to ride the economic boom nd take advantage of the rising interest rates.... stock nd real estate prices.

Can u imagine.... the net FII inflow (debt and equity) since Jan, 2006 was close to $10 billion. NRIs also remitted home a considerable amount of dollars. The higher intt. rates in the domestic mrkt..... compelled companies to borrow in dollars in foreign mrkts (u can say external commercial borrowings) to fund their expansions plans...... Naturally, when the supply of dollars exceeded the demand, the rupee soared...

FIIs usually get money in India in dollars to invest in stocks and other assets. A stronger re will mean tht..... they get a lower amount to invest. A rising re will add to the dollar returns of FIIs that don't hedge the currency risk. In order to prevent a rapid appreciation of the rupe, the RBI buys dollars from banks and sells rupees, which enhances the liquidity in the banking system.

If ths liquidity is not sterilised (absorbed).... out of the banking system by the RBI..... interest rates are likely to fall. These excess dollars usually find their way to the country's foreign exch. reserves. The RBI and the government incur costs on account of the sterilisation measures and maintenance of reserves.

Higher reserves can be helpful in the event of an external financial crisis, like the foreign exch. crisis in India in 1991.

The long-term intrinsic value of a currency is a function of various other factors, such as int. rate differentials.... trade equations..... and so on. It shlld always be kept in mind tht.... the rupee has appreciated primarily on account of the excess dollars chasing the economic boom in India.

And yes.... Any reversal of such flows.... due to a change in the global perception of India cld put the rupee under pressure.

Now, The RBI is facing a dilemma whether to control inflation..... or.... manage the re to maintain the country’s export competitiveness. If the central bank decides to maintain the rupe weak.... it wld end up generating more liquidity in the domestic mrkt.... which wld fuel inflation. With inflation ruling at above 6% compared with a comfortable 5% to 5.5% level envisaged by the central bank..... controlling inflation seems to be the priority.... :)

Whew.... dont knw wht concrete steps shld be taken at ths point of time... It again like... ????? :) :)

I hope i hav clarified some imp. points.... ok thn... feeling too hungry... see u later.. :)

???

do pal miiltey haii....
saath saath chalte haii.....
do pal miiltey haii....
saath saath chalte haii.....
jab modd aaye toh.. bachke nikalte hai....
kitney ajeeb rishtey hain yahan pe...

Rishte bharose chaahat yakiin....
unnn sab ka daaman abb chaak haii....
samajhe thhe haathon mein hai jameen...
muthhi jo kholi bass khaak haii.....
dil mein yeh shor hai kyun....?
imaan kamjor hai kyun...??
naazuk yeh dor hai kyun....???

Yeh Housla Kaise Juke,
Yeh Aarzoo Kaise Ruke...

Manzil Muskiil toh kya,
Bundla Sahil toh kya,
Tanha Ye Dil toh Kya....

Raah Pe Kante Bikhre agar,
Uspe to phir bhii chalna hii haii,
Shaam Chhupale Suraj magar,
Raat ko ek diin Dhalana hii haii,

Rut ye tal jaayegii,
Himmat rang laayegii,
Subhah phiir aayegii....

Yeh Housla Kaise Juke,
Yeh Aarzoo Kaise Ruke...

Hogii hame to rehmatt ada,
Dhup kategi saaye tale,
Apni khuda se hai ye Dua,
Manzil lagale humko gale

Zurrat so baar rahe,
Uncha Ikraar rahe,
Zinda har pyar rahe....

Yeh Housla Kaise Juke,
Yeh Aarzoo Kaise Ruke...

Nothing to worry.... jst felt like putting these lines on my bloggie.. :)

Good one....

Came across this piece while reading today's ET. After getting our Form 16 at the end of the year... This is wht everyone of us wld recommend to our Company.....right? :) Strange but v.true.. isn't it? So much of tax to pay yaar.... :( :(

Daag Acche Hai....

Watch this new commercial Ad of Surf Excel... liked it v.much..
“Agar kuch achcha karne mein daag lag jaate hain toh... daag achche hain na?" :)

Click on the image

And herz the older one.. I jst love it.. its cho chweet.. isnt it? Njoi :)

Golden Flower Shower

Yellow Peltophorum Tree - A spl. summer season tree

Also called as Peltophorum Dubium tree

Wow... Light behind the shadow... beautiful.... isn't it? :)

Hmm... Lets take a closer look....

Ah... flowers all over... it stays for weeks...

Yellow & Yellow reflection :) Again.. lots of them

Wow... Golden carpet of yellow flowers... beautiful!!!

Yesterday .. after leaving office in the evening ... was walking down towards station... and wht i saw was these beautiful golden trees on both sides of the road.. showering those gloden flowers all over the road .. i was really feeling like i m walking on the yellow carpet of flowers... :)

Dont knw.. but it was such a wonderful feeling... i mean jst imagine tht.. u walking down on the road full of flowers.... nd while walking.. still those sweet trees.. showering more such flowers on u... It was amazing ya.. :)

These are spl. summer trees... they mainly bloom in ths season... nd makes wonderful yellow carpet by showering lots of flowers on the road... ths carpet stays for weeks...

Ok thn.. Have a nice time... nd njoi summer.. :)

Can anyone say.. whoz more beautiful..???

Baat kahat rass rangg uuchaliitaa... baat kahat rass rang uuchhaliitaa.
Phoolan ke mehel biraajat douu... mandd sugandh.. nikat vahe saritaa.
Baat kahat rass rangg uuchhaliitaa.. baat kahat rass rang uuchaliitta.

Mukhh milaay hass dekhat darpan mein...
sundar shramit uur maal vigaliitaa.
Parmanand prabhuu prem vivashh bhaye...

Kahii hum mein.. sundar ko hai lalitaa...???

Baat kahat rass rangg uuchhaliitaa.. baat kahat rass rang uuchaliitta.

Hmm... As Summer has come adn temperature is really rising high... so ths is one of the beautiful kirtan which is sung these days at temple nd at our home as well.

It says tht... one sunny day... Krishna nd radha and all their frnds (sakhaas nd sakhiis) were having a good time at palace made of different variety of flowers.. it was so beautiful place wher so many flowers had made tht place so beautiful by spreading ther sweet frangrance all over.. nd on other side.. river was making sweet voice by flowing gently.

And Krishna nd Radha both were admiring each other's beauty and shringaar by looking into a mirror. And then they call one of their favourite sakhii 'Lalitaa' and ask her tht ... say lalitaa... whoz more beautiful from both of us...???

And u knw wht... as story says... tht whn they ask laliita.. Krishna feels tht she shld say Radha's name while Radhajii feels tht Laliitaaji shld say Krishna's name... hmm... wht a sweet nd lovely feeling.. isnt it?

Good one naa... me too humming it all day ... i jst love it :)

Unique Insight

Just take some time off to see this clip named 'Hostel' a public service film created by 4 mumbaikars which left some strong impressions on the minds of people for which no. of ppl came forward to pledge their eyes.

The clip starting with a group of hostel children splashing colours on the occasion of Holi. U feel so nice.... childrens spraying colours on each other nd running around.... dirtying the corridors.

But.. to one's surpirse... the clip ends with the hostel warden wiping the colours off their white canes. And ... slowly... the colours r washed away nd u can see the board of ‘Smt Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind’.

The last scene of a child asking the warden.... wht the colour green looks like?... It really made me cry.

Yes... the movie conveys one motivating msg tht 67 ppl, including the creators of the film.... hav agreed to donate their eyes after seeing this film.

These ppl came up with ths innovative idea nd posted it on youtube.. And u knw wht... within the first week itself, they had 7,000 hits.... with many ppl approaching the Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI) with pledges flooded with no. of calls and emails.

One can fill an online form pledging their eyes or they can alternatively call the eye bank helpline 1919 for details.

Wanna go for a ride.....?

Revathy Roy is all set to launch her Forsche - A women-by-women taxi service, will flag off in the Mumbai city on March 19 for lady commuters, working women, tourists, etc. which will also have magazines, make-up kits, etc. but... of course... at price.

English-speaking, women dressed in a purple-pink salwar kameez will drive women.

It will work entirely on a booking system and the cab has to be booked either for half a day or an entire day.

Ths cool cab wld also provide big mirrors, a make-up kit with nail polish remover and a magazine rack.

The woman driver would be well-versed with the city roads as well as shopping malls and complexes.

Read Article Here

Will it work???

Back....

Hello everyone!
Hope u guys had a wonderful Valentines day nd a colourful Holi :)

Hmmm.... so m back after a long break.
As my template says.... therz so much to tell... so much of talks to share with u all...

Here r some highlights. It all started with my 10 days trip to Gujarat to attend my cousin’s wedding at Porbandar. So first we (I and Mom) went to Jaamnagar to my Dad’s aunt’s place (2 days stay) missed going to Dwarka coz of shortage of time :( And then reached Porbandar, attended the wedding and also went to some good places over ther like Gandhiji’s House (Kirti Mandir) with 22 rooms, library, paathshala for kids, etc. beautifully maintained, Kasturba’s House (quite near from Gandhiji’s place), Sudamaapurii, Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna’s friend Sudaamaa, Harii Mandir (beautiful temple), etc and thn came to Rajkot (stayed at one more relative’s place) and came back to Mumbai.

Gandhiji & Kasturba's House

After 10 days break, got completely occupied with work at office, so much of wrk load, was working on Saturday as wel…:(

Aha… in between came Valentine’s day… sad part is I was on audit tht day… so cldnt even meet my frnds… :( Hope u all had a wonderful V Day :)
During ths busy week…. came one more festival called Holi – Festival of colours… hope u all had a colourful holi with lots of Abiir, gulaal, sprinklers nd aha most tasty Thandaai. As it is said that, ths is the festival which shows devotion of Bhakt (Prahlad) to Vishnu and the eternal friendship of Krishna nd gopis. We enjoy singing kirtans wher v all play pranks on Krishna like Aaj bhorr hii...nand poor hii... vrajnaariin dhoom machaaii, Kaajarvaarii gorii gwaarii.. yaa saawaliaa kii lagwaarii, Saachii kaho mannmohan moso.. toh kheluu tumm sang horii and "Harii Kaaro rii harii kaaro.. ye toh do baapan beechvaaro rii… harii kaaro rii harii kaaro"…ths is one of the best kirtan… Nd many such other kirtans which shows eternal friendship with Lord Krishna.. :) Missed all these this time.
Thn month end came nd we all had once again a much awaited Budget with

I-T exemption raised by Rs 10,000 and BCTT (Banking cash transaction tax) to kick in at Rs. 50,000 instead of Rs 25,000, Education cess raised from 2% to 3%.

Ceiling on deduction allowed for medical insurance premium raised to Rs 15,000; Rs.20,000 for senior citizens.

Dividend distribution tax (DDT) on companies raised from a basic rate of 12.5% to 15%; on money market MFs and liquid MFs, DDT hiked to 25%.

Peak customs duty on non-agricultural products brought down from 12.5% to 10%.

I-T surcharge removed on SMEs with taxable income of less than Rs 1 cr nd Service tax exemption limit on small service providers doubled to Rs 8 lakh.

Major shot was for IT firms will now have to pay min alternative tax (MAT) and Employee stock options (ESOPs) brought under FBT net.

Overall… Pay Tax, Tax nd more Tax.... not so good review for the budget as usual.

In the meanwhile… my Grandmom was not keeping well…got infection in lungs due to which she was unable to breathe…. and was hospitalized. Her condition worsened day by day… all 10 days on oxygen and saline…. we were all trying hard to make her all well… everyone of us having sleepless nights…. But as its all in God’s hands… the day came… it was sat… nd it was jst a normal day… she was feeling good, talked to everyone who all came to visit her… even promised mom tht now she wld start walking on her own once she reach home… her was shining… night passed safely… but…. Sunday early morning she got high temperature…. Nd her pulse rate started decreasing… she asked me to call everyone… nd I was scared… called up everyone. By 7.30 everyone was beside her…. Nd slowly slowly she closed her eyes nd left us forever…. all standing with tears in our eyes… speechless… helpless.

No doubt ur blessings wld always be ther with us but will always miss ur care and affection and above all ur presence. Missing u daadii.

Ok thn.. m signing off now… Hey.. Belated Happy Women's Day to all beautiful ladies :) and now waiting for World cup… ICC Champion’s Trophy ….
Wishing Good luck and All the very best to Our Team India… Just do it :)

Will be Back Soon... :)

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... :)

Happy New Year :)

May your New Year bring.....

Time.... for
reflection and renewal........

Time for.....

little celebrations ......

Time for.. Wonder

Time to discover.....

Newer heights.....

Newer destinations.....

Time for dreams......

Wishing U All a Very Happy New Year filled with Joy, Happiness & lots n lots of Fun.

Lets welcome this New Year with a wish to bring peace, happiness and joy for all of us... :)

Have Nice n Funfilled Weekend... :)