Wake Up Sid….Wake Up…..

Watched my all time favorites “Wake up Sid” movie yesterday.If my memory doesn’t deceive me, the 19th time.In case you folks have not watched the same,grab the CD right away.It’s a must watch cinema.

The film takes place in contemporary Mumbai and tells the story of a spoiled careless,rich kid who is taught the meaning of life by Aisha,an aspiring writer from Calcutta.

Ayan Mukherji shows us Sid struggling with accounting the night before his final exam. He’s had four cups of coffee( i think four, not sure whether its more than that) and stays up till 3 am but he doesn’t get past the first question.This is one of my favourite scene in the film, probably because it reminds me of my darling Sisi and me myself during our Chartered Accountant Preps Study Hols. “Returns Outwards not included in Sales” Classic !!!

There is a lovely little scene in which Sid makes a cake for Aisha’s birthday. Awwwww…..That scene when Sid is photographing a mother cuddling up her kid. In a flash, Sid becomes aware of his own love for his mother. Or Sid’s outburst at Aisha at the fag end when she calls him a bachcha. After the outburst, a teary-eyed Aisha smiles at Sid. It’s the moment when she realizes that Sid is no more a kid. I can go on and on.

But honestly, the one who blew me away is Konkona Sen Sharma. One of the most talented actresses in India today, she is totally convincing as the young, independent career-woman and makes her character very easy to relate to thanks to her natural acting and no-nonsense attitude. Oh, and she is simply gorgeous here. I must note that I did not expect Ranbir and Konkona to form a romantic couple, but they proved me wrong.

Now for the music, the TRIO, Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy, known for their hit and melodious soundtracks, ULTIMATE. Karan Johan + SEL+ Javed Akthar = Let me go to Thesaurus for an apt word . Have you noticed SEL’s music compositions? The song begins very slowly and then it picks up pace.

1. KYA KAROON, good experiments with instruments, melodious and fast,be ready to tap your feet, lots of flavour, lots of instuments, lots of emotions, WOW WOW Clinton.
2. AAJ KAL ZINDIGI -Inspirational, Fast beat towards the end of the song adds a lot of zing to it. Hats off Javed Sahab. “Tere liye nayee hai zameen naya aasman”.
3. IKTARA – First in my playlist. I have pestered Nitin for the translation. Kavitha’s captivating voice. A Hindustani Composition.Heavy dose of guittar strumming.The best song in the album.
4. Life is Crazy -Brimming with Vibrancy and energy. Certainly a fab song to hum all the way. Sure hit among youngsters.

I would call the movie and music “flawless”.There are five things which make the movie a delightful affair. It has constant flow throughout,no over the top or understated drama,no ultra emotional strangulation of audiences, no yippee cool dude act and last but not the least,its an original refreshing movie.No matter I movie the same a million times,I wouldn’t get bored of it…

Happiness – Life’s Greatest Gift

“Life was much happier when Apple and Blackberry were just fruits”

 

Happiness is a gift, not a commodity. We should find happiness even in the small things which we take for granted-a smile, a wave, a pat on the back, a warm hug, a kiss, a helping hand, a promise kept, a phone call from your long lost friend, giving surprises and so on. Every new day holds out a chance to make a new beginning. Even the poor has the ability to cultivate and share happiness. Ultimately, it’s all in the mind, right?  At school, I remember sitting at my study to mug up formulas for Gross Domestic Product and Gross National Product as the same was a sure question for Economics paper. I was astonished to realize that Thailand publishes Gross National Happiness (GNH) figures?Australia, Canada and China are also in the same path.Curious to know how the same is being calculated, though.

 

When we can decide how to respond to situations that we confront, when we can choose what to see and hear, when we are responsible for our happiness and unhappiness, should we not be focusing on happiness and not the lack of it? We cannot control how others react. But we definitely can be in charge of how we react to the same. Lets respond with love and calmness. Lets spread the life’s greatest gift- Happiness to all surrounding us and in turn be joyful by inculcating positive feelings in their hearts. Let us sweep the toxic waste of hatred, anger, jealousy and petty disappointments from our life and ensure that flowers of love and peace bloom in our hearts.Let me recollect what Mata Amritanandhamayi once preached in a Sat sung which I happened to listen to when broadcasted in Amrita TV ” 80-90% of the events that we encounter is well within our control. Worrying about the remaining 10-20 % leads us to nowhere but  UNHAPPINESS and stress “. So please take out few minutes from your busy schedule to re look into yourselves as to whether we are leading our life in the right direction.

 

The Vedas uphold Self as a Lotus which growing in muddy waters, which rises above the mud and blooms into a beautiful flower. Let us cultivate positive people and avoid toxic individuals. We are given only one mind,body and soul. So lets take care of it and enjoy the same to the fullest.

Weekend Roller Coaster Yee – hah Bangalore Metro Fun Ride

Folks, I have my Big 4 interview scheduled post noon today( as I am so desperately hunting for a job ), for which i am supposed to be fanatically brushing up my Accounting Standards. But look what i am up to? I just couldn’t resist from blogging about my Metro Fun ride. The moment my husband stepped out of home to catch his Samsung 7.40 AM cab, i made myself a steaming hot cup of coffee and here I am right in front of my 4 plus year old Sony Vaio dusty screen to unleash my thoughts.

Namma Metro, the first stretch between MG Road and Baiyyappanahalli is finally up and running.Trains run from 6 AM to 10 PM in the night at a frequency of 15 minutes. We were returning from my husband’s colleague’s daughter’s birthday party via MG road from Bellandur. I got a call by around 11 AM from Naukari World asking to urgently register for a fab opening with HDFC Bank and Kotak by 12.30 PM the very same day. Due to interrupted reception in my nexus, Bangalore traffic and raising for time to make for the birthday party, I missed that wonderful opportunity. To cheer me up( I am still not out of it for missing that golden chance), my husband on our way back home, suggested we would gear ourselves up with the Metro ride. Initially, i was not keen about the whole thing. But then asked myself ” WHY NOT”??

To my surprise,neat stations, clear announcements, tight security, every one minute whistling rail staffs who never allowed us to click snaps, RFID metro tickets which freaked the hell out of me???  I had a doubt running through my “not so common like” mind,just like we have passes for Volvo buses,Can I buy 5 tokens and not use them on the very same day??Guess my husband read my mind and clarified saying tickets are to be used the very same day within 30 minutes of purchase. Good that i didn’t embarrass myself asking the most trivial question.

No traffic signals, mild air conditioning, and throw away price tickets – HIGHLIGHTS of Metro.

BMRCL has constructed a boulevard adjacent to MG Road metro station, which has musical fountain with colored lights, unique flowering trees, traditional looking lamp posts,Gandhi center, Art gallerias,  Play area, the yummilicious Dasaprakash eating joint,Friendship point, upper walkway,Info wall and many more.

Creativity is more than just being different.Anybody can plan wierd, that’s easy.Making the simple, awesomely simple is creativity i believe. Children were asked to unleash their imagination on the metro rails. When the others struggled to crayon bogies and rails and tracks and compartments and rails, hats off to this art. Simply creative.

Any bangalorians still left out there to experience the Namma Metro- Dont miss it.

The World’s Best Dog Vs The World’s Only Dog Which gets Kicked out of the Obedience School

There are two things I need to disclose before you read this article of mine. One, is that I LOVE dogs. Second is that I don’t cry at movies. Hollywood movies about pets, in my opinion, are annoyingly cute. This movie is titled “MARLEY AND ME”, featuring Jennifer Anniston and Owen Wilson, where Marley is the dog, but it isn’t really about Marley, but about the people around Marley. The movie is about marriage, sacrifice, importance of commitment, finding happiness and joy at unexpected places. I would say that this film is a must for dog lovers. Grogan’s hyperactive lab isn’t just a dog you see, but who keeps the family together in their ups and downs , which actually is a part and parcel of every couple’s life.

Who wouldn’t love a yellow fur ball that doesn’t chew household items, but actually eats them? Marley was labeled the “world’s worst dog” by his owners, only to figure out later that Marley was not a bad dog after all, but a beloved member of their family.

John and Jenny are happily married journalist couple, who like most other young couples, decide to start off their family with a dog. But Marley is not your ordinary yellow Labrador. He is actually a four-legged eating machine. Marley eats up everything, including the answering machine, the diamond necklace and transforms the house into a mess. Sofas are a favorite treat of his.

I honestly believe you would have to have a heart of stone for not falling in love with Marley. One of the most interesting events occurs when the Grogans were at a dinner. Marley is secured to the dining table and drinks are served. However, when Marley spots another dog strutting down the road, he charges after , dragging the metal table with him. Needless to say that the family didn’t take Marley out  for too many dinners thereafter.

Marley is sent out of the obedience school. He terrorizes pet sitters making it impossible for John and Jenny to go out on a vacation. He ends up having nervous breakdowns when there is thunder and lightning. So what is the glue that keeps the family together? It’s nothing but Marley’s unconditional and irrevocable love for the Grogans.

A dog doesn’t care whether you’re rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb.Give it your heart and he’ll give you his.Who will make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary? Sometimes  a smelly dog with  worse manners  and pure intentions  help us look into ourselves. How true it is that a dog has no use for fancy cars,or big homes or designer clothes.A waterlogged stick will do just fine