Books...OuR BeSt FrIeNdS....

"Happiness and Success cannot be pursued. It must ensue!"-Robin Sharma
when i read The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari for the first time i closed the book halfway because even before i could complete the first page i used to fall asleep as i used to find his theories to be dumb...fake...their are no sages of Sivanna...Noone can look young after facing so much in life..and of course all his neanderthal era theories...
Few weeks back i faced some very unfotunate incidences from various counters which i wasn't prepared for. thus to rejuvenate myself i had gone to meet my friends and while travelling in the train i had this book in my jhola{journalist u see ;)} and i started reading it and the very same words which i felt to be not so encouraging in the contemporary society were sounding so metaphorically correct to be implemented in our lives that i messaged a quote to all my friends and not so friends that "when you start to condition your mind to translate every event into a positive and empowering one, you will stop being the prisoner of the past instead you will become the architect of your future"
Today while coming back from office i remembered a very beautiful quote that i had read years ago while reading "Chicken Soup for the mother's soul"...the mother tells her friend "i have never done anything wrong in my life..still i have remained poor and with less friends because i confined myself to my family..and today even they are far off...i know the reason why...i have observed that those who fare well in their exams from school to college always tend to do better in their lives......"
The way i dissected this story was people who do well in their exams of life are actually the ones who are prepared for it..they activate their senses and inner strength at the right time and push their positives to fight for the better..the same way we do in schools to get good scores...don't we?
Why i am i writing these quotes and anecdotes??? because i never liked reading but in last three years i have tried to fill the quota of not being an avid reader for 17years...and today these books have become my best friends!! these quotes they give me strength, encouragement to fight difficult situations..some imperative decisions are well taken by counting on our experience and the experience one attains by reading books is exemplary....i belive in what i said..Books are our best friends..and i hope they remain close to me always..even after having a tough and tiring day at office :)

Accident on a highway!!

Last week me and my buddy Raj went for a bike ride. It had been long time since we both had been on bike thus the moment Raj got the bike he came to pick me up for a ride and I was so excited to see the CBZ standing like a handsome hunk in front of my apartment that my dreams escalated to the top most slots of adventure and fun.
We both got stalled at the very first signal and I realized Raj is not wearing a helmet (A big No No for driving!!!!) and he is not having any license (the must factor!!) still we went ahead with the ride and here we were zooming ahead of other cars and bikes. Speeding at the speed of 120kmper hour, somewhere my heart was skipping what if we meet with an accident and Raj was in his own world cutting and speeding, trailing others behind, waving his hands at that extreme speed, for once I was sure today we are going to die!!! But then Raj slowed down and we were returning back after all we had a great ride then a Guy (like the villain of a movie “The Badman”) who was riding a Karizma came and started provoking Raj (“The Baldman”) for a race and thus my short tempered driver fell into his trap and again we were racing with this badman who was sporting a dark black goggles at 10.30pm which was quite surprising though!! The kala chasmawala was actually dressed like the villain and here I was praying my stars to save us from this situation because till then I had realized that things are not going good and this badman is up to some mischief, I shouted more than ten times “Raj, aram sey, Raj mat…he is doing it deliberately, don’t don’t don’t”
But can a guy ever listen to a girl? it surely hurts the male ego to listen to a female and the next moment the Karizma guy gave us a signal to move ahead and then the self obsessed hero -Raj took a pick up at the speed of 90km per hour and the goon who thought he was too smart to outsmart us tried to cut our bike and on the left hand side to us was a truck speeding at the same speed as ours and an auto on the right hand side and in the midst were the two bikes and the moment the Blackie karizma guy tried to cut us he hit his bike on my right leg and lost control, he felt with his bike and rolled with the bike and the one who was sitting behind him had hurt himself very badly. On the other hand I fell from the bike and rolled for at least five times on the eastern express highway and Raj skit with the bike and while he was skitting the Karizma was also skitting exuding fire sparks which was coming on my face and as I was rolling I saw a black shield and I saw my Mom’s face as if I was bidding final adieu to her and I thought if even a single car comes from behind I would be dead as no one can save me but after rolling over when I was stable I stood and ran on the other side of the highway searching for Raj for I was sure that he must have hurt his right hand and leg and the moment I saw him I felt a relief, a kind of satisfaction which I may not be able to express in words it was like as if discovering an oasis after visioning sand as water in the scorching heat of desert.
The moment I came on the road side the main concern for both of was to get away from the situation because as stated above we didn’t have helmet, license or the bike papers and we saw the police van stationed a few meters ahead of us and we were sure that in case the police catches us we both would be spending our night at Jail doing “Harey Rama Harey Krishna” somehow we found a traveling couple who helped us out in starting the bike and we dashed home and the moment we came Deepti and Arco(two of my best friends) were all set to welcome us and I thought of the moment when I had left home they both had specifically told “Raj don’t ride too fast, Pooja don’t let him drive fast” and here we were both coming after an accident, then came the most hilarious part their was no antiseptic lotion or cream at home and the moment Arco tried to clean the bruises I shouted at the peak of my voice and then he left it (people are always frightened of me!!!) I did my own bandage but yes I was pampered to the hilt, no one has pampered me till date like that and I’m sure I will remember this experience till the end as it was my first Bike Accident that also on eastern Express highway from where people don’t return alive or at least not with such little bruises and scars, we both were lucky enough to be saved by God. It was sheer destiny which saved us otherwise devil had already put his hand on our necks and before he could clutch it the angel came and took us away. That day I realized for the first time that “we shouldn’t always do those things which makes us happy” because they might be a reason for someone else’s sorrow and unhappiness. But yes I loved that ride I had never experienced such adventure on bike before….hope to go for a safe ride next time when I recover from my bruises and I’m sure this time we will definitely defeat the Badman!!! At last the last laugh would be mine!!

finally back to blogging...NOTES

Finally after one month my blogger has opened and i am glad to scribble everything that has been inside me for this long. University exams are approaching from 9 th April and i am yet to begin some of the subjects. while each semester comes and goes the only thing that takes the centrestage while exams come are "NOTES". students xerox notes worth hundreds of rupees and the xeroxwalas have a tough time xeroxing hundreds of copies, its the perfect time for them to rake everything possible from the students.
while discussing on this notes topic one of my friend suggested the funda of Socialistic economy and Capitilistic economy. now one might wonder how come these political terms are viable regarding notes. let me explain, the student who gives away all his/her notes to other classmates become socialistic economy and those who are always busy collecting notes and always replying others "oh yaa!!you got those notes..i didn get yaa..can u giv me dose ones..." even if he has those notes he will never accept he has them.
another major factor is groupism, if BMM has taught me anything then it is to stay away from groupism but somewhere down the lane even i had become a goupy girl but i am happy i am out of that phase. students would provide notes only to the people of their group.
It actually makes me wonder sometimes that what will happen if people share their notes with others, not giving a copy to another classmate for studies -does it really help? doesnt it strike the conscience of that individual of being selfish? what will one do with hundred pages of notes which the person will rarely remember while writing the papers during those two hours...yes some people do have the reason to justify for not giving the notes -"he didnt give me in the last sem so why should i? "
"why should i give my notes i searched them"
this makes me think where we are heading..we dont want to help people ..in BMM atleast marks dont matter still like small school kids we cry over notes and the allied affects of not getting notes, bitching about people who didnt give them and thanking God for getting some.
we have become so self-centric that we dont realise that we have forgotten some old morals of life that our parents ans teachers taught us when we were small kids- share and give. sharing is the best way to help someone and also a form of self- help. this trend is going to continue someone will remain widout notes and some with cupboard filled with bundles of xeroxes and we will only get to listen while standing in front of the xerox center...
" terey paas notes hai kya? "
"no reyy!!!"

shapnoer badhonto chedechi...

shapno dekhechi akashey odar
shapner shimanto badhini
shapneyer kane bollam jashne chedey amay
kintu shapno toh ghumer shangey tal diye chale
oki aar shakal holey shango daiy...
shapno tai aar dekhina...
shapneyer chahida nei kintu achey mone aek lakshya
matha tule hattey chai khola akasher nichey
hastey chai , ghuretey chai , kheltey chai
unmadito hoye aei prithibitey
ektu asha ektu bhalobasha
jiboney aer beshi na cheychi na chai kintu
aaj chedey shapner badhonto
jibon key nischoi khujtey chai!!

Valentines Day...celebration of love or money...

clock struck 12 and there enters message on my roomies cell...and here i go "valentines day message?" she nods!!

today valentines day is more about buying expensive gifts, boasting about oneself expressing how many gifts and accessories one gets on this day.i dont think people even bother to enquuire why valentines day started what it is all about but yes people do have the time to sit and think what gift one should grab for the loved one. for some it is the day of expresion of love, for singeltons like me its the day to sleep and laze around and for some it is yet another day to rush to office and say"what's so special?" and for some political parties it is the perfect day to make mockery of themselves.

there are people who think valentines day is the day of celebration of love by gifting expensive gifts i ask..where have the emotions gone?is only 14th february the day when you come and tell your partner how much you love them or how important they are for you.isgifting expensive things is celebration of love?i choose to differ because i think love is an emotion which you feel for someone it is not bound by time or gifts, it is bound by emotions which is always present in our heart. love is not a one day celebration it is a celebration of each and every moment which you cherish all the time. you are in love when at the end of the day you thank God and say" thank you for sending him" , love is when after a hard day's work you smile and hug that person and giving him a chance to relax and it is the assuarance that yes "i love you and i am always their for you" this is love according to me. its not monetary element its the smile that matters, its not the bouqet of roses its the clutched fingers and security that matters, its not a soft toy or perfume but a hug that gives more satisfaction.its not an exotic date but a long walk holding each other that matters.

Love is not loss of valuable energy but an expression of joy, happiness, security,care, affection and above all a wonderful feeling which eyes express more than words..and as St.valentine got the two wonderfull souls married i wish everyone falls in love and able to understand that however tough life may be its love that soothes our soul....Happy Valentines Day...

Mumbai University's International Film Festival

As part of Mumbai University's sesquecentennial year celebrations it joined hands with the Films Division and came up with an innovative idea of International Film Festival. The festival was held at 6venues of which one was Somaiya college(my college!!) and was highly appreciated by the students community. The major audience for this fest was the BMM(Bachelor of Mass Media) community and we bmmittes appreciate the university's move. for the first time the students got the chance to watch some excellent parallel cinema including documentaries , biographies and short films. some movies were excellent and some were too boring but then the combination of cinema was applaudable.
the movies that i liked :

1.The Little Terrorist directed by Ashvin Kumar
The story is set near the Indo-Pak border, it talks about human emotions, cultural differences, prejudices ,and the dogmatic values that we still believe in, differences between a hindu and a mouslem. i loved the last scene because when the young boy finaly crosses the Indian border and reaches home(Pakistan) his hair is shaved and his mother starts beating him and he starts laughing , that young boy's laughter talks so much that even words would have fallen short if that scene had to be expressed in some other way.

2.Riding solo to the top of the world by gaurav Jani
The major attraction of this movie was its camera work and adventurous story line. the added attraction which realy interested me was the fact that the movie was shot by himself while he was on screen. the way he has shot the scenes is excellent. to tell the truth i really dont believe that this kind of work can be done by anyone because it was simply awesome. the camera angles were so good that the character was never out of screen , no mistake in taking the shots , wonderfully shot movie and his way of explaining his journey was simple yet touching.it was a bit too lengthy but then nobody complains when one is watching some excellent work.

3.the animated movies like The Thinker, The Balloon, You Said It and Raju and I stole the show. the concepts were well executed and Raju and i used some new techniques and the way the story ends makes it more commendable.

4.Vietnam Symphony by Tom Zubrycki
This documentary uses archival clips which are rare and the story is absolutely different. how music healed people during times of war, their courage, willingness to spread happiness and provide strength to others is appreaciable. the Hanoui house's present condition and the people who survived to tell the tale is simply touching. a marvelous work which raises the bar of documentary makers!!

5.Mallika Sarabhai a biography by Arunaraje Patil.
Personally this one i loved the most , the biography focuses on her personal and professional commitments and how she handles everything so beautifully, her perceptions and mottos. a film which makes you think once about how people can differ with the choices that they make!!!

6.The black road :On the Front Lines of Ache's War by William Nessen
This documentary was shot in two parts first in 1999 then in 2001during tsunami. Aches is a small island which is a part of Indonesia whereas Ache's people want complete independence. this documentary has been a phenomenal help to solve the indonesian and Ache's issue because during the first peace meet William was also invited to be a part of this move , as freelance journalist his approach towards this issue is unbiased and yet it clearly shows the atrocities of GAM people and the Indonesian forces. excellent job by the director.

7.Zero degrees of separation by Elle Flanders
a documentary shot in Palestine, the story has two narrators, walking in two different lines in the same place. one for stopping the atrocities of israeli forces on palestenian people and the other seeking freedom not from any dictator but freedom from the clutches laid by the government. the right to live and express herself.wonderfully shot this documantary uses the maximum amount of symbolism than any other movie that i saw. the metaphors are so well skecthed that it makes us think what movie making is all about.

8. Satyajit Ray by Shyam Benegal (cinematogaphy by Govind Nihalani)
Satyajit Ray's biography is every movie makers delight. the shortlisted clips from his movies were good and the way Ray was explaining the shots, his camera work and sound effect was like icing on the cake. his way of capturing a scene and the delicateness of music and silence was simply superb.must watch for an amteur film maker.

I have not given the story details but only an overview of what i liked in these movies because if i narrate the stories then the charm will be lost if you hapen to see these movies. the movies are excellent and their were some like Homi Bhabha :making of a scientist which were boring enough to make the audiences think "when can i leave the auditorium?"
the film festival gave me a new insight into the world of cinema, now when i watch movies its not only acting but yes i really look forward to many more aspects of movie making.i hope such festivals continue to happen and gives the students a chance to witness sensible and internationally acclaimed cinema.

IRANIAN MOVIES ROCK!!!

Till date the only film fest that i have attended are the college film fests...showcasing the amatuer talents but for the first time i had been to an iranian film festival. when i heard about the screenings i was skeptical but once the movies began ...god!!i dont have words to express my joy. such wonderful cinema and Majid Majidi is "the" torch bearer of Iranian cinema.
the first movie that we saw was "colour of paradise" by Majid Majidi who has won numerous awards for this film. the story has two central charachters Mohammed Ramezani, a litle blind boy who stays at the city blind school as his father doesnt want him to stay with him. and the second lead is shared by his father, Hashem Ramezani who lives in the village with his mother and two daughters. the story is so beautifully sketched that anyone will fall in love with the movie. the beautiful locales , Mohammed's curiosity to touch and feel everything from water, wind ,his family members, his urge to study to excel is wonderfully outlined. the movie wins over asthe director is able to depict symbolism through all the major scenes , expressions talked more than words and for the first time i witnessed cinema as a craft, a directors piece of art and not just another movie but a movie that i will cherish until i get to see something like this!!the movie is amazingly wonderful and the end when situations run on a pessimestic note , it not only talks about our beliefs and thinking but it speaks volumes about the universatility of a film. 2 scenes which i loved the most:-
1.when Mohammed's grandmother dies, her last shot has her smiling on the bed and the very next moment the fog fills the sky and Mohammed is shown in that fog...and den Hashem is shown crying , it was brilliantly shot.
2. when Mohammed breaks down and let his emotions flow, the acting prowess by such a small kid with such intensity is tremendous.i bow and say i have never watched an excellent cinema like this till date.
a simple story , simple narration yet it touched the heart of all the viewers sitting in the auditorium.i just hope that these kind of movies are shown in colleges during the film festivals.