Amitabh's Mard and much more...

This post is for As the Mind Meanders. I don't personally agree that Mard-The Amitabh-Amrita Singh starrer was a great film. But my friend has seen it over and over again. Well, to each his own. This film though, is special to my mother if not dad so much.

I was told that in early November, 1985, my parents decided over a long distance phone call [24 years ago making a call from Bombay to New Bombay required STD connections! I am ancient!] to go watch the film Mard. My mother who was heavily preggers with me, happily agreed. Two reasons; she would get time to be with my father and watch Amitabh. She was and is an ardent fan. She wouldn't miss a single film if given a chance. So they were supposed to see the film on 17th November. Tickets were booked and plans were made!

My dad would travel all the way from Andheri, pick her up and go to some cool theatre in town [South Mumbai is town]. But destiny had other plans.

10:00 pm, 16th November

Leena's [mom] tummy starts aching. My nani dismisses it as tummy burn or something. This is so because my mum had already raised two false alarms. First time you see! But the pain only increased. Nani said to wait. Nana had panicked and Mum wanted to go to the hospital.

11:00 pm, 16th November

By now, Nani and Ma decided it was indeed time.

On the other hand Subir [dad] was at the cargo complex, working late as usual. Nana called Papa and told him that Leena is going to the hospital. Don't worry and finish your work [poor dad!].

Ma and Nani go to Pai hospital and have Ma admitted. Nana falls asleep at home due to too much tension.

1: 30 am, 17th November

Doctor Pai is summoned. He rushes in, with one cheek unshaved. There are 11 other expectant mothers in the same ward as Ma.

1:54 am, 17th November

Enter Nikita Banerjee into the big bad world! Lolz.

Lolz. Ma later told me that she was esctatic yes but had to miss the film! She would tease me saying that she had to miss the film because of me! Couldn't I come in when I was supposed too? [that would have been early december or so!].

Another thing. I think I triggered off something. Because afterwards 11 babies were born in the night. Imagine the poor doc's plight! 11 girls and one boy! whoa!

My Jing Bang!

[Sid, Ush, Manu, Chints and Chandu]

[Me& Chints, Raskhabandhan 2007]

I guess it is high time I wrote about us. "US" comprises of my gang. The only gang or like my dad says, "Jing bang". I cannot imagine my life without them! Our team of six comprises of Chints, Me, Sid, Manu, Chandu and Ush. We know each other from the time we were born. And that's the best part about being first cousins! This post is for Chints. My best bro and my oldest best friend!

Chints is the oldest and the wackiest in the group. He can talk non-stop and utter bull shit on and on, and on! But he is the best bro I could ever ask for. We; me and him, have always been partners in crime. From making Chandu give her den 100 times while playing chuppa-chuppi to running after her with the gas lighter or the silly 'tripple-polio-vaccine!" [ all Chints the mastermind's ideas].

We never required any outsider to play with during vacations. I remeber all my summers being spent with them. The way we sat to eat lunch of tindora, rotli, dal-bhat-shaak [said in one breath!] and aam-ras! We were a riot, all of us. I was the one who was always screaming. Evenings were spent outside, playing dog-n-bone or Thappa/chuppa-chuppi. Nights were spent at Chints n Sid's Char number wala flat. It was full of games. We have painted each other's faces, played bhooth-bhooth, killer police, fought with each other and beat up everyone! He even played house-house with me! Phew.

I remember this instance clearly. Me and Chints were in class five or so. He told me that there is a line of small glass bottles in the fridge and he suspects they are chocolate syrup. But his mom, my Masi, wont let us near it.

So as Masi left the house in the afternoon, we got the others busy in some game and sneaked into the kitchen. I couldn't stop giggling out of excitement as Chints got hold of one of the bottles. He made me smell the syrup and I confirmed, it was definitely chocolate! So we wanted a taste! But before we could lick some off the spoon, we heard Masi coming in and threw the liquid in the sink, put the bottle back in it's palce and fled. But now that we were so sure of it, we confronted Masi!

"Aye-hai", she exclaimed. "It is daaru (alcohol)!" So that was the end of it.

Another time, we were at my place and Chints happened to chop off Chandu's tresses. Hell broke loose [no exaggeration here!] and she hit him hard on his head. He still claims that his head is dented somewhere. Sometime later, Manu was sleeping and he had the cheek to put tooth paste on her face. What followed was a lot of running around and beating!

We loved going to five gardens too. I remeber Chints would tell the Merry-go round wala Bhaiya, "Aur bhagoa! Aur Fast karo!" and Chandu, Manu and me would be shrieking in fright. Sid never sat with us but cried nonetheless watching us! Poor baby!

We played a lot of card games too and Ghulam Chor was a favorite. Yet again, Chandu was our target. We somehow managed to transfer the Jack in her cards. Poor thing! Once we went to Matheran long back and threw so many tantrums that I am embarrassed thinking of them now! This happened because we all wanted a room for us to be together. We wanted to scream, play and have fun all night. And this would not have been possible with our parents around us!

There is so much more to say and to talk about. So many more memories. To our extended families [shady relatives] we are snobs but we don't care. We just don't let anyone into our group and we can't. When we get together, it is understood that we will have a night over and the fun will continue into the morning. We live closeby now but don't meet so very often. But we know and will always know that we have a special place for each other in our lives.

What I write here is a miniscule portion of our lives shared in a few lines. We had a stay over just this wednesday and did everything that we used to as kids. We played Dumb-charades, Killer-police, and Ghulam Chor all over again. Chints is soon leaving for Washington to pursue an MBA. He will be gone by the 10th of July for two whole years. Two years seems like an eternity now. He is busy ctaching up with friends and family.

We will miss him like crazy and the void will remain till he comes back! Love you tones Chints!

Debate: Passing thoughts and more...

To begin with, I have no clue what I am going to say or explain regarding the statement I made in my last post. It has a lot to do with my discussions with my mom and a few other factors surrounding me. This post is for eye-in-sty-in who wanted a debate!

I think the world would be a better place if we did not have a stomach or a brain' because, then without any hunger which gives rise to so many issue, the skull then an empty shell would remain calm. This is how I see it. It is only my opinion. Hunger is the root cause for so much. People die of it daily, rebellions rise, revolutions take place, wars are waged etc. Then we blame the unequal distribution of wealth and blah. But to think of it, why do we care a damn? Hunger is a just a feeling? Yeah, something so graet that it controls our heads.

If someone gets a little more to eat, then we get greedy. If it is better looking, what they have, then we are jealous and even lust to an extent stems out of it. Faust too, was hungry for power. Satan too, was hungry for attention, to be the best and be the most powerful, hence he is the fallen angel! The serpent lured Adam and Eve into tasting the succulent apples and pandemonium broke loose!

All this happened because someone was hungry for something! It is the strongest urge according to me which leads to things. This urge makes the brain work overtime. Hence, I said, no stomach and no brain would equal to a better life on earth!

Sometimes I feel, what if we all had an existence like the people in the film Matrix? We would all be controlled? And controlled by the divine light himself/herself? Which would mean, we are born on earth to fulfill some deeds and to pay for some. We comply and then just fade away. Simple, isn't it?

Passing thought

Just a passing thought

The world would have been a much nicer place to dwell in, had we not had a brain and a stomach!

To do or not to do?

The SSC results are out! And I hope everything is great with all those who appeared for it this year. I hate going down the memory lane to reminisce about my SSC. Horrible memories there. Anyways, I was at the office today [Jam] and this boy came in with his folks.

Apparently he had scored 92 percent and he was confused. Rather his ambitious parents were confused. Should he start preparing for IIT JEE or should he prepare for the medical CET from now? WTF? I know the IIT thingy is serious and so is the medical seat, but he just got his results today? And with rainbow colours blinding your eyes from the marksheet...why not rejoice? Why mull over things that can be thought over for the next few weeks? No answer to this. Parents and their kids will never get it. I still don't. I am glad I was never this topper or something. I was average and I am. So not much expectations and hence no pressure. I do my own thing and my parents theirs.

God alone knows what will happen!

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Now I met this girl at office. She had come for an audition a few days earlier. She is from the capital but had this crazy accent. It was bad. The whole idea was bad. Whatever. Next she says, Dont you think my accent is so British? Had I been around I would have said, the door is on your right.

What is with the accent? We all speak English so cut the crap. You have lived all your life here so why pretend to be someone else? It doesn't take you anywhere. So I hope to god I never meet her or interact with her. Else she would know where the door is!

Maas...

Life has been hectic or shall I stop blaming life and say I have been crazy busy? I have brought this upon myself and should have known that sailing in three boats like the Walker says is impossible. No time for myself or for any kind of fun!

Sigh enough about me. I was recently in Pune [yes! He is back!] for some work and traveled up-down by volvo. So while taking the morning bus I was seated next to this middle-aged woman. Frustrated soul I tell you! Ok, if not frustrated then khadoos toh thee hee woh! She pretended to sleep but giggled after every few minutes. Her giggling was like a banshee!

The volvos are comfortable and a smooth ride across the expressway but the movies they play are horrifying. Look, I studied film at SCM and my idea of a good film changed long back. I have no liking for sad, slapstick comedies. I cannot leave my brain aside and watch these films. But I can hardly voice my preference here. So I had to sit through the Akshay Kumar-John Abraham starrer Garam Masala. My neighbor's giggling turned into neighing! Then she got a call and spoke loudly enough to startle everyone! Then she kept asking the conductor whether her stop has come or not! Bloody annoying! He kept telling her he will let her know!

My Pune trip was eventful. Good weather and spent some quality time with him. Back in the bus I dozed off! Suddenly the TV came alive and to my horror, played a South Indian film dubbed in Hindi. Look I know this film must have been a major success down South but...

The film's hero was the good looking Nagarjuna [he is a brilliant actor!]. He plays this guy called Maas [and things start getting weirder and weirder!]. The film has everything- action, comedy, melodrama, song and dance [I lost count of how many!] But on the whole it was a nightmare. Songs popped up from anywhere at all. Everytime Maas was provoked he turned into this matrix like man and danced with equal panache in the very next scene. And dude! how many songs? some capacity ha! I think I remember watching six but there were more!

To add to my woes, the second lead was a cute girl who this saree clad girl around her colony but turned into a voluptous seductress in the song sequences. Worst of all, I cannot relate to the choreography. I hate to see an actor like Nagarjuna doing something like this. But maybe films like this are appreciated. But a few guys sitting ahead of me were having a gala time! They hollered and laughed during each action scene! So much for the comic element. Bollywood has its own flaws. Most of the films made are meaningless and hogwash!

So to conclude, I was forced to watch the film as I had nothing to look at [I had the aisle seat!].

Old Crikey Part III

“But Antoine what Carla?” asked Philip. “He is not Lady Victoria’s son! In fact he is not a person at all! He is a stupid dog. A bad dog. A very, very, very bad one!” Carla cried. Philip was just gaping at her. He had lost his sleep and then traveled to paris for a dog? Good lord! No!

“Its true Philip and shut your mouth now. I gave him away to a breeder. This is not the first time. Every time Antoine was lost, the Lord would replace him. The lord of the house knew we hated him but he loves the lady so... But this time I had had enough. It tried to bite my leg off the other day! So I let him run away and did not speak of it to no one. Hence, the kidnapping was reported!” Carla told Philip.

“And what about Paris then?” asked Philip still dizzy. “ Oh that, well I made up the whole thing about the torn ticket because the driver mentioned I was the last one to leave the room. And I have always wanted to go to Paris. So I am here and I have you!” cried Carla.

No more words were exchanged as Philip blushed a beetroot red when Carla kissed him. They planned to buy another Antoine. They would marry in a little chapel and settle in that cosy cottage, Philip had always wanted.

PS: Antoine, was named Antoine as Lady Victoria once had a lover by the same name but he never proposed!