Movie: Heroine – Missed Aishwarya Rai but met the actress in Kareena

Ever since Madhur Bhandarkar has announced his liking towards making Heroine I had been doubly sure that I would be watching Aishwarya Rai in one of her best roles. Her pregnancy might have been a big bash to the Bachans, but I surely was thinking of her replacement as Heroine. May be this deep wish was the main reason why I took lot of time to accept Kareena Kapoor as the leading lady on the silver screen while I was watching the movie.

The scenes which she has probably done without make-up or with a black shaded make up under her tears filled eyes were very boring in a way but very exciting since I could see the actress in Kareena. Her zero size has been a sensation but her new body size has made me go wordless.

In a way at some reels the movie tries to touch the Dirty Picture but very soon it reverts down to another variation of the Indian cinema. A bold actress from a small town could be seen in the Dirty Picture whereas an emotional lad from another small town occupies the screen throughout in this one.

In a way, I could understand from the depiction of the heroine character that the emotions are the brightest enemies one must try avoid having; especially in the professional career, of a woman in specific. Movie industry by nature is addicting to the women but by reality it’s a killer of many womanly qualities of women.

Emotional balance, emotional outrages are the best and least desirable respectively. Going hand in hand with contemporaries or strong people though does not seem interesting all the time, one has to do it to have some peaceful time. Making friends might not be that important but making enemies shall be avoided consciously.

In this movie, the director has attempted to show as much as possible and obviously failed to stress the much required. May be, I was comparing it with one of my favourite films, Fashion, at every bit. But I sincerely feel it’s nothing wrong and unavoidable. Once you have an award winning hit from a director, though you put all your efforts in watching his next movie with similar theme as just another movie, you fail. Along with you the director fails too if the screenplay is not indifferent.

Well, I’m not sure if this movie can make good impressions. Also, I’m not quite sure if Kareena can walk away with the black lady this year. Nevertheless, she might get a nomination!

Though in the beginning of the movie I was missing Aishwarya Rai, at the end I sincerely felt that it was worth missing. I could not have seen the real life’s bold and self-dependent Aishwarya Rai in a character that runs away from the Bollywood and mask her identity. I wish Bhandarkar could have ended the movie by showing up the successful run of his Heroine but he opted to show the reality which is always indigestible. He could have inspired some upcoming heroines with a different ending to the story but he opted to probably show the reality to the young aspirers.

All in all, the story reiterates at every reel that the emotional decisions always fail in professional and personal lives. Over all, movie is not that interesting! Better one next time, Bhandarkar.

Movie: BARFI!

In the recent era of the dialogue writers ‘Barfi’ could express itself far better. Being a movie with the deaf and dumb man in its leading role it has surprisingly made me think aloud, probably more than what the very famous dialogues on love made me think.

Credit goes to the director, Anurag Basu. Often experiments come out well and Barfi is the perfect example of such and an inspiration to many aspiring directors.

Eternal love is probably the motive behind the Ileana’s role. She, being a debutant in the Bollywood has surprisingly done well. Yes, it was surprising because I didn’t expect so much of expression from her. In the last scene I thought she would be taking Barfi’s deafness as an advantage to fulfill her love life but her characterization was done in such a way that you cannot stop yourself from appreciating the same.

Innocent love is something that’s impractical in today’s scenario, mostly, I must say this word. Changing attitudes of people have been changing the love birds’ hearts. Love has become more a wish than a thriving passion. Well, the very emotional love depicted between the two leading man and woman roles of the movie makes one realize how much happy one can be with the partner he or she loves and just loves.

Ranbeer Kapoor has once again done an interestingly good job. I loved his eyes and admired his smile. Priyanka Chopra has made her mark by showing why she can play any role, wear any dress, and can carry hair style. Film appeared too low budgeted yet paid every penny back or paid back more I would say.

I rate it as the best one of the season. Despite being shown in the Cricket world cup season it is doing well both at the box office and at the human hearts. What next? May be, the awards stage! Having already been nominated as India’s official entry to this year’s Oscars, the movie that has set a new trend has been very convincing in giving the director the whole credit.

Indian Olympic medalists @ endorsing brands, I see nothing wrong!

Over hundred crores of Indian population could produce few players, very few winners but unfortunately hundreds of commentators. Biggest ever Indian Olympic squad 2012 has almost met the expectations by producing the India’s biggest ever Olympic haul with six medals. The medalists are still being felicitated in the Indian contingent even after almost a month since the closing ceremony of the London games.

This time round it’s the turn of the winners from other sports than just cricket to endorse the brands. The medalists have just signed the endorsements and the commentators, through media of course, have started voicing their opinions. Most of them have said that the athletes should not get carried away with the attention that they are getting. Some of them have even said that the players should not be concentrating on endorsements and instead they should be going back to their respective fields to start practicing once again.

Every person who said this has just one reason in mind. That’s the fear they have if these players would get simply carried away!

If the endorsements alone can make players get carried away, there would not have been the Teldulkar, Beckham, Federer etc who have equally done well on and off the field.

What one must be worried now or rather must be concerned and dedicated to do is to bring out the successful examples of such players cum celebrities who can inspire the new generation for a balanced life style on and off the field. Also, the players who are being approached by the brands shall be supported by training them on how to handle the career and celebrity image. I think the coaches must also take up the job of mental ability advisors along with the role of on-field performance improvers.

A lot of self control has to be built within a person to handle success. That’s not everyone’s game! But that’s neither impossible too.

I don’t see any wrong in what the medal winners have been doing by signing the brands. Of course they have been earning crores of rupees but I look at it as the payment that they deserve to get for the years of hard work they did to be one of the bests on the international stage in their respective domains.

There were days when medal winners did die penniless in this cricket crazy nation. I see nothing wrong in earning as much as one can when he is in form.

Instead of commenting them by saying that they would be getting carried away with the success or with money, one must try his best to encourage players to manage the conditions well. Parents, partners and coaches majorly play the important role in all this. When the attitude is right you win mostly. Players shall of course introspect time to time to take care of their own careers.

Career of a successful sports person is not just of his own. Rather it inspires a million. One must remember this all the time and live.

Giving space fills the gap… Take Home #179

Being in a relationship does not mean staying with each other round the clock. Sometimes both have to stay away from each other for each other and also for the others involved with both of them too.

Giving each other necessary space fills the gap to a wider extent.

At different stages of life…

At different stages of our lives we have to be different.

We go child during the starting years. School days go perfect and remain the best forever. College makes one realize the magic of friendship and friends of this period remain for life in some cases. Early years of career needs your full attention whereas the later years of it demands your performance. Early years of relationship needs your time and the later stages of it needs your understanding.

At different stages of life different set of emotions and realizations wave at you. One has to be up to the mark and different from situation to situation to meet the expectations of life and people.

There is a way… Take Home #178

There is a way not just when there is a will but also when there is no other way too.

Presence of mind… Take Home #177

From the person who takes decisions you can learn how to take decisions. From the person who does not take decisions you can learn how to avoid taking decisions. Every learning is important. Every learning can be used in a better way provided you have the presence of mind.

He who questions… Take Home #176

He who just follows and he who questions, understands and then follows may reach the same goal. But the later reaches it with better learning and satisfaction.

Fear of failure… Take Home #175

Fear of failure is the first stepping stone to failure.

The Important... Take Home #174

It’s very much interesting to know what others think of you but that’s not important. What’s important is to have clarity on how would you like others to remember you and to work towards the same.

Being true to oneself… Take Home #173

Both judging and being judged are painful at given point of times. Being true to oneself gives a kind of relief in such circumstances.

Tip to stay motivated…

When the people whom you respect the most say to you something demotivating, before getting demotivated better make sure if they meant it or said it for a different purpose. It’s worthy enough to speak to them again on it or you yourself think thrice about it.

It takes hell lot of efforts to gain motivation. Put every effort to retain all that and stay motivated. If required, ignore what is said and move on. Not anyone can control what they say at all the times.

Most importantly, remember the fact that not all have the skill to keep their lads motivated with their doings or wordings. It’s the limitation of them. Someone else’s limitation shall never be your weakness. You go for it at any cost. Win will be yours ultimately.

National Sports day, India, August 29th

It’s my mom who first told me that the August 29th is celebrated as Sports day. Only after browsing through Google I came to know that every year on the occasions of India’s greatest ever hockey player, Major Dhyanchand’s birthday, India celebrates National Sports Day.

I watched the sports awards function live telecasted from the Rastrapathi Bhavan. Awards such as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dronacharya, Life time achievement and Dhyanchand award etc were bestowed on the various sports talents of the country. I’d like to congratulate the winners. What caught me the best was the happiness of the parents or well wishers of the award winning players who expressed their happiness, some with tears in eyes.

I’d like to put few things what I noticed during the awards function.

The new President Mr. Pranab Mukharjee was smile-less though needless to know why. Indian culture or whatever, he did not shake hands with the women players. I feel shaking hand is a good way of communication and doing the same with special people like Presidents at special occasions makes the moments very memorable and inspiring. Hope Mr. President will do it sometime in his tenure.

As the deserved players and coaches got the awards I felt the sheer loss of not having some worthy candidates in the list. Here I go.

It’s surprising to see Gary Christian not being in the list of Dronacharya award winners despite being the coach who inspired India to its favourite world cup win on home soil. At least Yuvi could get the Arjuna after a long career, that’s bit relaxing for fans and for him as well, as he is back in town after fighting out the scary disease.

The Indian women Kabaddi team coach made it to the Dronacharyas’ list no woman player however could be there on the function. Something to think about!

Despite the team of Indian National Game performed one of the worst ever at the Olympics, its coach managed to get an award. Well, we know it. Felicitating the persons from some domains is mandatory in India.

Most interesting moment was when the awards to the physically challenged people were given away. A lot to learn from the players’ sportive spirit and the mental ability!
Well, that’s all about it. Once again congratulations to the winners.

One thing kept on pinching me. Why the awards are not given twice, thrice? There would be a solid reason but does not the mere fact pinches the players that you get the best award once and you have nothing to get later on, that too if it happens at the starting stage of the career you will never be able to make it to the awards stage in life time unless for life time achievement? Anyway, there have been many questioned better left unanswered, better consider this as one of them.

Not how long but how fast… Take Home #172

It’s not how long a person has been into a system but how fast he wants to get adopted to the new system that matters.

Respect and identity… Take Home #171

One need not work where no identity. One should not work where no respect. But one should work to gain identity and respect but not for any one of them in unison.

Laxman – The Man Very Special

If there has been any one Indian cricketer from whom you can learn how to quietly accept the unfair done to you despite performing the best, that is the stylish batsman from Hyderabad, V.V.S.Laxman. Being quiet and answering the selectors with his bat has been his regular job since years. Being a south Indian cricketer and having been lacking in the lobbying skills, the way Laxman could still get through to the extent of being a legend is an inspiration for many.

He believed in his skill and that paid too. It’s paid in terms of the belief and love of crores of people. This Indian middle order batsman has been the pillar of Indian innings during the tenure of tail-enders in a match which is in its last overs probably. If Laxman is still there in the crease its never the right time to switch off the TVs or turn the channel.

Somehow Australians have been his biggest victims throughout. The unforgettable innings from him at the Eden gardens in 2001 when he made 281 runs playing follow-on will remain as one of the best innings in any format of the game since its inauguration back in 20th century. Very special Laxman’s special runs have been the legacy we all have enjoyed and would enjoy.

His retirement decision with immediate effect, all of a sudden one, has stunned many including his fellow team mates. That would have been different had he chosen to leave the game after the series with the Ausies. Anyway, I believe he has taken the best decision given the situations.

It seems it’s not too far away for Sachin, Sehwag and for that matter for Dhoni and Yuvi too to quit the game. However, every retirement appears as an unbridgeable gap but the young talents have been upcoming to show up the confidence on future. Let’s hope for the best.

Well, I would like to congratulate Laxman for his highly inspiring career of sixteen years and wish him all the best for everything he would love to return back to the game which has given him everything he is today.

Medal, of any metal…

Olympics are done. Now it’s the time to look at the welcome every medal winner of Olympics has been getting in their respective nations. More than the moment of winning, players or I must say the winners must be getting the maximum feel of it as they receive the exhilarating welcome by their people back home.

Be it a gold or a silver or a bronze, medal of any metal is being received proudly amidst all the well deserved applauds.

As some have won back to back gold medals, some other have won medals of some metal back to back and some others have done it for the very first time in the history of games for their country. Well, the attention they have been getting and the love they have been experiencing are well deserved for all the efforts it took to march on to the podium.

Once again congratulations all the winners of any metal. You all made your countries, your people, and your coaches proud.


Jai ho, Team India of Olympics’2012. Six medals are just the start. The cricket crazy nation will now look forward for another Olympics to count the medals all again, this time at the Rio, Brazil.

Congratulations to Gagan Narang, Vijay Kumar, Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom, Yogeshwar Dut and Sushil Kumar. Four out of these six are from small town. That’s enough for the young India from the small towns to get inspired to gift the nation another memorable Olympic campaign, may be years later.

Farewell London, farewell summer Olympics’2012. Thanks for the fun and inspiration.

Differentiate… Take Home #170

Some are great achievements and some achievements enjoy the greatness with the way they are celebrated. It’s important to differentiate these two not to pull down the later but to respect the former.

4 years and 4 Days, it’s been more than just a professional life…!

What I was four years before and what I am now is what makes me thank my colleagues, my boss and Tata Motors. Keeping things simple is the best learning I’ve ever had here. I’d love to keep this post as simpler as possible.

Starting the work life right after the college life along with the college-mates does not give you a real chance to get to know the practical difficulties in understanding colleagues. Experience pops in as the time goes on which makes one conscious before calling hurdle a hurdle.

Rather than the good times, the tough times show how important it is to be tough and rightly disciplined to the point. Support in tough times cannot be forgotten. But one must take care that he or she would not get surrendered to the people who supported in tough times which might happen due to some eventual emotional reasons.

Few colleagues turn out to be good friends but again, professional relationship shall be maintained with utmost care be it with a colleague or with boss or for that matter with a friend as well.

Knowledge is always the biggest advantage. Something else supersedes in contention and that’s the communication and managerial skills. Well, people with perfect combination of all three are the complete packages every organization proudly possesses.

Being competitive all the time is important than getting succeeded and getting settled. Experienced people who always are ready to learn new things even when they are almost at the end of their long careers inspire the next generation.

All the improvement happened in me with all the learning of these years make me say that it’s been more than just a professional life. Work is part of life and what stays with and runs us whole life is the right spirit we gain.

Parents give the best moral support everywhere you go. My mom is the inspiration for me for a disciplined working style and my dad is an inspiration for me to keep doing the things of my passion as the second job though unprofitable.

That’s how it’s been and yet a lot to say.

Congratulations to my friends and colleagues who have also completed same tenure.
Experience always counts; when it fails, again experience counts to be calm, to get through and to come back.

Inspire a Generation!

“Inspire a generation” is the slogan I saw on one of the banners in the ongoing Olympic telecasts and that itself is an inspiring one I would say.

Congratulations to the Olympic Medal winners (so far)!

In the pool, a 0.01 second has made the top seed miss the Gold and that’s why they say, ask an Olympic medalist if you want to know the importance of mille second. As Phelps is looking for the record 18th Gold at the games over all, I wish him all the best.

Badminton fixing racket has certainly made the real damage as one woman of the top seed pair has retired from the sport after being expelled from the games following their so called intentional loss to gamble it out for an easy quarter finals draw. Having a person who has always appreciated the sportive spirit I would go with the WBF’s decision but it’s very unfortunate to the sport. Years long efforts going in vain in undesirable way hurts, deeply hurts. Hope this would be the first and last time Olympics see such incidents.

Luck going in Nehwal’s way has been the talk of the news channels since last couple of hours. Congratulations to her for becoming the second Indian woman in the history of Olympics to win a medal for India. Gopi Chand must be the proudest coach. He could not win one but his academy is on its course to bring up many medals for India in the years to come with Saina raising the curtain.

Following the recent Tsunami in Japan it was said a lot about the hard work and the discipline of the Japanese people. In the ongoing women doubles gold medal match, the Japanese pair has been playing it with an inspiring smile despite the loss of the first game.

It seems the referees in the boxing rings are having tough time in raising the correct hand. Unfortunate for Vikas Krishnan from India! I’m sure crores of Indians would be looking forward for Vijender and Devender singh(s). Not to forget, the woman world champion in boxing, Mary Kom, is yet to start her journey at the Olympics. Best wishes to the boxing mom.

I’ve just seen another 0.02 seconds loss in cycling. We say anything can happen in a second and in Olympics it proves that whole efforts add to a loss in the matter of fraction of seconds. A pregnant woman is racing hard in the cycling arena to get gold medal for her baby. Another woman with her eight months baby in belly has participated confidently in shooting. Hats off to the to-be-mom Olympians.!

Gagan Narang’s gun had the broze bullets. The gold of last year by Abhinav Bindra is still in the good memories and the Silver from Vijay Kumar has created another memorable Olympics for the Indian shooting.


Well, more days to go at Olympics. Interesting part ahead as they are on track now. Looking forward for the Jamaicans to run the 100 meters. I’d like to end the post here with wishing Krishna Punia for the best throw of her life. Go India Go.

Lucky Win… Take Home #169

As we accept the unlucky losses we must also accept and enjoy the lucky wins.

The London Feast’2012

Thanks to the London Olympic organizers for choosing the weekend, fourth weekend of the month which is a two day holiday for me, as the start to the awaited event featuring 26 sports and 36 disciplines.

Opening ceremony was of course a well-organized one as I especially loved the helicopter stunt, depiction of the industrial revolution and the march fast. Indian women players in yellow sarees looked beautiful and cultural. Sushil Kumar got the opportunity to hold the Indian flag and he will of course look forward to march onto the podium one more time in a row.

I’m especially looking forward for the events of Archery, shooting, badminton and tennis for Indian medalists. Overall, I would love to watch each and every event, but I’m very sure I would not be able to. Well, I will like to witness at least the finals of Marathon, 4x100 m relay, 4x400 m relay, badminton, tennis, volley ball, Gymnastics and Hockey. I’ve seen the Archery few hours back in which Indian men team lost to Japanese team. The wrong shots at right time have taken it away from the Indian team. Well, congratulations to the South Korean Archer for the world record holder who is legally blind and could still get through. Believing in oneself magically wins the moments.

With the regular articles in news papers on the upcoming Olympics since last few weeks I could get to know some of the world’s famous athletes eyeing for the gold or a medal. I’m looking forward for inspiring performances and entertaining Olympics.

Never Late!

It’s never late to change the attitude right towards the opponents, contemporary rivals or for that matter the enemies. As a matter of fact, we all face each other for the sole reason called success which is of none but visit everyone time to time. All we need to do is to be in a right arena with a right mind set to turn the disappointing failure into a deserving success.

The Olympics, 1996 to 2008…

Sports are back and I’m back into the form which I almost lost these days!

London must be the most scintillating city now. As the curtain is about to rise for one more time for the world’s biggest sports event, I wish all the players and their coaches a very happy Olympics ahead.

I’ve not paid much attention to the Olympics previous times. First games I remember were the 1996 Atlanta ones, hosted by the United States, in which the Indian Tennis ace, Leander Peas, won an Individual Bronze medal in lawn tennis, the only medal India bagged. Well I remember answering this question in one of the quiz competition held at school. That age was of course not an age where you get inspired by the sport, rather it was the age that would take winning the country’s whole and sole attention as a passionate imagination.

The Sydney Olympics in 2000 were all overshadowed by the EAMCET preparation and the extra care of the Intermediate colleges. I did not even know that something of Olympics or of that sort was going on in the world. Karanam Malleswari proudly won the bronze for India which I got to know only from the crazy repeated telecasts of TV and news channels during my vacation.

After Athens Olympics in 2004, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was the hero of the nation as TV channels went on showing him up everywhere possible with a gun in hand. He appeared as a super hero from the Indian defense services. United Stated lead the way with a century medals and topped the table. Michale Phelps, the golden guy of the pool, was the cynosure of all most all discussions on sports on TV.

The Beijing 2008 was a wonderful experience with the Indian golden gun boy, Abhinav Bindra, won the first Individual gold for India. That was the first time ever in an individual event Indian national anthem was played on the world’s biggest podium. Two more bronzes, one in boxing and other in wrestling, came our way and added to the celebrations. I’m yet to read ‘The Shot at History’, a book written by Abhinav Bindra himself. That was the first time I kept wondering what it would take to stand as calm as Bindra on the podium with the national anthem running in the back ground. Probably, it takes the stableness of a player to win big shots.

Post on the London games, 2012, to follow.

Love and life…

Heart Loves;
Guts Express;
Morales decide;

PS: Special cases are ignored here.