very much single

My very first blog spoke about goodbyes, and then what followed were condolences, working harder to be on the other side. Even though what was written was true and straight from the heart, I made people emotional, they realized that things were going to end and we’re not prepared for it. So yeah, I didn’t start things in the happiest way possible.

So let’s talk about something good, something nice. Let’s talk about Love (Pyaar/Ishq/Mohabat )

I am very much single. You’re supposed to fall in love when you are READY, not when you’re LONELY. I am READY xD

So let me write the question that everyone will ask me – WHAT ‘TYPE’ of girl do I want?

This blog shall talk exactly about this. So what is my TYPE?

Hindu, Christian, Punjabi, Buddhist, Parsi, Sindhi, Gujarati, South Indian, Bengali. Religion, caste and all that minority group bullshit is something that you’ll find in a ‘ India’s Rich Culture and Heritage ‘ textbook , not inside my head.  (See what I did there, I didn’t mention someone for a good reason. Read the line again). As long as she has 2 hand, 2 legs, 1 nose, 2 ears, 2 eyes , 2 lips , 2 breasts , I don’t care . Tall, short, fat, thin, curvy, flat anyone will do. This is the least of my concerns.

Love I think is done on an emotional level and not using rationale. But I see and do things on a very practical level and thus I’ve made a list using not only my heart but the organ that we call the brain  which should make it easier for my friends who are trying their level best to help me find the SPECIAL ONE. This list will help them filter the choices and lead them to my TYPE of girl.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

·         Should be able to walk as fast as me – This is the most important rule for me and a major reason why my friends have been so unsuccessful. I am yet to find a girl who can walk as fast as me. It goes without saying that you’ll spend a lot of time walking with your loved one and it simply doesn’t make sense if she can’t walk at the same pace as you. I have seen how fast some girls walk and I just cannot tune myself to that pace. You crawl when you are a baby, not when you are in your early twenties.

·         Chicken Girl – Pigs are filthy animals, fine. Cows are holy, I can understand. Water from the sea is dirty so I don’t eat fish, benefit of the doubt. But for heaven’s sake please eat chicken. I just can’t see myself with a girl who has stopped / never tasted chicken in her life. I cannot visualize myself eating butter chicken while the girl sitting beside me is having muttar paneer. Having a vegetarian girlfriend is just not going to work.

·         Dropping/Picking up Theory – Love overcomes all distances and barriers, with me there will always be exceptions. I shall state with an example

I stay in Versova, Andheri (West), if she stays for example in Mulund and we have to ‘spend time on day together ‘in Colaba. I am NOT taking a train from Andheri to Dadar and another train from Dadar to Mulund and then another train from Mulund to CST to pick her up and go together. And you’ve got to be crazy if you think I am going to repeat the return journey. Love makes you do stupid things where you go to any ‘lengths’ to keep the other person happy. Let’s be practical here (Girl from the central line is going to be a problem, So is Kandivali, Borivali , let’s not even talk about Virar).

On the other hand, I am also very considerate if you stay close to Andheri or we’re going to a place that is convenient for both of us I will spend an hour before the decided date waiting for you below your building (I have a weakness for reaching places well before time). So you see, I am a nice guy , who thinks practically.

·         Should have basic knowledge about the world of sports – And by sports I don’t just mean cricket. If you only watch cricket then I’m sorry, If you watch football please give me your number, If you’re one of those few girls who supports a club by the name of Chelsea. Why haven’t we met yet?  Having a girlfriend who knows a little bit or two about the world of sport is a major turn on for me.

·         No phone calls during football matches – The girl that likes me should know what football means to me. I have no shame in admitting that Football will always come before her. There is absolutely no point debating this. Those two hours where I sit in front of the TV belong to me and me alone. I don’t entertain any phone calls when I watch a football match. This applies to family, friend and will also apply to girlfriend. Don’t want any ‘Missing you ‘, ‘Hi Honey ‘nonsense when I am watching football. I schedule my studying program around the timings of football matches; it’ll be really helpful if she does the same. Will never say no to help. But there is a time and place for everything. Those two hours clearly aren’t.

·         Sense of humour – One thing which I find in very few girls. Major requirement for me. There should never be a dull moment with her. The ‘time flies with you ‘type of girl. At the same time should be graceful when at the receiving end of jokes. Being a good sport counts.

·         Should not use a Blackberry – I don’t want to waste time explaining why. Scroll down for next point.

·         Favourite colour must NOT be PINK – Fantasize about Edward Cullen for all I care, but please no pink.

·         Should not expect flowers and bouquets. One of the last things that I’ll be wasting my money on. I cannot get them for free since I am not a gardener/florist.  One thing that you can expect from me (and loads of it) is chocolates. Rest assured.

·         And last but not the least; she like me should be a kid trapped in an adult’s body. I know one when I see one.

And the search continues … 

A phone not made for me

If it ain't broke , don't fix it . This seems to be the case with me when it comes to mobile phones . I've been using a Samsung C3200 since Feb 2011 and it's in tip top shape. Despite this , I've been at the receiving end of being asked to get a ' better ' phone by the people I know . My dad is part of this list as he feels that I could certainly do with an improved phone than the one I currently use . Most sons would jump at the opportunity of getting a new handset , but lets just say I'm happy with what I got.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a new/better phone . I look around me and see this device called the ' Blackberry ' which seems to be another organ of the human body. Everybody around me has one , my friends as well as my enemies . Should I fall prey to this and buy one ( Curve costs less than 10k I've heard ) . I've faced many crossroads in my life where I have to choose what is best for me. The choice between buying a BB and not buying one has taken me the least amount of time to decide.

In college there was a time when everyone was happy with their Nokia's and Samsung's . Then one day this new thing called a Blackberry entered our lives and took everyone by storm. Feeling left out is not an option for the youth of today and soon you saw black , red , white blackberry's all around you . It was the new toy to play with , not trapped by its lure I soon was one of the few people who didn't have a BB ( No BB and Proud )

Due to this phenomena ' they ' were connected in a much better way. Distances were narrowed with strangers became friends and friends became partners . BBM became the new ' IN ' thing . People around me had their heads hung down most of the time ( in shame ? ) which made me wonder on what was it on the other side that I was missing out on . Did I have to buy this phone because I wanted to or because some people wanted to.

Why I will never buy a Blackberry ( explained in bullet points to make it simpler )

1. Let me start by coming straight to the point - if i had to buy one , I'd have bought one a long time back . I haven't  . Move down for point 2
2. The day my current phone goes kaput I am getting an Android phone ( Samsung/HTC ) . Have included this point for those who are desperate for me to get a new phone . 
3. Just for a select few who have a BB , I am not going to buy one 

I think I do pretty well when it comes to staying in touch with those who have one . Facebook is always there , I do message them once in a while . For those that I'm not in touch with , buying a BB won't change things . Never thought about you , buying a Blackberry won't change things . 

What I'm saying is true . When you buy an I-pod / music player . You may have 200+ songs on it . But how many do you listen to every day . What is your favorite song today may not be your favorite song tomorrow . You may listen to a song that you heard for the first time 15 years ago and continue to listen to this day. You add new songs and you delete some . We treat people in the same way as we treat our songs. One phone is not going to change things . 

4. Now coming to the most important point  - The ' She/Her ' Theory . 

We have done crazy things when we like someone . Buying a mobile phone is very much part of this list. We have to stay ' in touch ' after all don't we ? 

Dilemma number one - Does ' she ' have a Blackberry ? 

Two possible answers 

a) Yes , She does - Do I need to buy one now ? How important is it for me to buy a Blackberry ? Will my chances increase ? Is she really worth it ? 10k for a phone for a girl ?

If I have managed to ' keep in touch ' with ' Her ' without me having a BB then how does she having a BB make any difference . 

b) No , She doesn't - Then why should I buy one . 1000 free message package zindabad !!! 

But the problem with me is that many ' She's ' have come and gone . But we shall discuss this later . We're talking about phones today . I won't buy a phone with certain features so that I get to know ' Her ' better . 

So yeah , my birthday's in 161 days . I could very well ask for a new phone . Shall do my research on which phone to buy and which not to . Rest assured , it won't be a B********Y . 

Another dilemma of life

A soul that cannot Console

I received my exam results today, I passed, College failed. And this is the topic for my latest blog.

The very first blog I wrote spoke about my weakness and rather dislike for saying goodbye. Most people would write about their qualities trying to impress those who read the blog. But telling the world about the things that you don’t have and feel helpless about is what I am going to write about today.

They say that a ‘true’ friend is one that stays with you through thick and thin. He is one who will surely be there with you during the good times that you enjoy. But his real character can be judged if he is there by your side during the bad times, the times when you need someone the most.

I am that kind of guy who will always be there during the ‘good times’ but it is in the ‘bad times’ where I feel that something went wrong.

CONSOLING someone is something that I just cannot do. I find this a very artificial way of making the other person feel better. According to me it is a method used by us for the short term gain not realizing the long term side effects it has on the other person. And I have my reasons for this.

When it comes to studies, I don’t belong to the nerd category but I am one of those many who does ‘enough to pass’. When it came to the day of the results, there was never a fear of not passing. It wasn’t over confidence but an assurance over one’s ability. Hugs and high-fives were aplenty amongst those who passed but I always looked from far on the other side.

It was those who failed that I spent half my time looking at. I have worked hard and that has shown in the result but why am I still sad when the occasion calls for happiness and celebration is what I think about. What should I tell them when I go up to them.

How can I tell them

1) Everything will be alright , everything will be OK - everything is not OK , everything will be OK when like you , they too will be smiling .

2) I can understand - No Mr. , you do not understand and can never understand . You have passed , they have failed . You will never understand . Why do people even say ' I can understand ' ? 

What I could tell them but won't due to there being a time and place for everything 

1) Work harder next time , I'm sure you will pass . 

2) It's not the end of the World - Stuff like ' You've only failed an exam , you haven't failed LIFE ' shit like that 

3) Motivational and Philosophy quote overload 

What I should definitely be telling them but won't 

1) Fucker , I told you to study , but no 

a) You wanted to see the IPL in Wankhede

b) You wanted to meet ' her ' in the evening. 

c) You're favorite serial was more important. That guy makes a comeback in tonight's show . 

d) Life is football , Football is life. 

When you're on the good good it is very tough to find that ' OK ' point between good and bad . Another quality that you'll find lacking in me. 

Coming to the end I'd like to say that I'd always be there during the good times. And if you're wondering where did I go when you needed me the most , I was always there and will always be . It's just that I never said anything because I didn't know what to say. 

2011-2012 Champions League Final Preview

Let me first start by admitting that I didn’t have a clue as to how and from where should I start this preview. Then there was the dilemma of whether to keep it short and sweet or making you scroll down a lot till you reach the end. 

The 2005 Champions League Final at Istanbul was the first UCL Final I watched live. Watching the competition religiously from that day on I realized that here is a competition won purely on an emotional level rather than what happens during those 90 minutes on the pitch (extra time and penalties in some cases)

Regarding the Champions League, I have this ‘theory of destiny’ as I’d like to call it. Looking at the teams and players that have won the competition I doubt anyone can raise a finger remarking that these particular groups of players didn’t deserve to step on the podium and collect the winner’s medal. 

One thing common - They have a UCL Winners Medal

 I started watching football in the year 2002. That was the year where a bald man and another player who I rate higher than Lionel Messi stole my heart and made me ditch Cricket for good. Ten years down the line when I look at the winners of Europe’s top prize at the club level I see the names of Zidane , Raul , Pirlo , Nesta , Kaka , Maldini , Shevchenko , Henry , Eto’o , Deco , Rooney , Ronaldo , Ronaldinho , Gerrard ,    Iniesta , Xavi , Messi and I get this feeling that these players were born to lift this trophy. 

Such players come once in a generation and you get the feeling that they just couldn’t have retired from the game without having won the Champions League. It would be really heartbreaking for them if after years of playing the beautiful game with a passion, determination not seen by many they didn’t have a UCL winner’s medal on display in their trophy cabinet. 

And it is for this very reason that I think this year is Chelsea’s year. 

John Terry - Let's win it for him 

If there was ever a poll for the best team / best set of players never to have won the Champions League, Chelsea and its players would top it. The ‘nearly men’ in this competition have stumbled time and again before the finishing line in the form of crazy substitutions, ghost goals, bad refereeing. A penalty kick away from lifting the cup and still not crowned winners, this team has witnessed everything when it comes to how to snatch defeats from the jaws of victory. 

Time to right those wrongs once and for all

With defeat in 4 semi finals and 1 final in the past 8 years what is it that gives Chelsea a ‘ so near , yet so far ’ definition in this competition despite having the ‘ big game ’ mentality amongst its players is what I ask myself each team Chelsea crash out of the competition. But I won’t be asking myself this question this time round. A case of unfinished business reckons for the men in blue this time round. 

Chelsea's Old Guard - Just that one trophy needed 

Most of these players that’ll be playing the game of their lives have come a long way in their careers to be at such a stage. The ‘Old Guard’ or the ‘Spine’ of this Chelsea side led by their captain John Terry accompanied by Frank Lampard , Didier Drogba and Petr Cech have been through the up’s and down’s that this team has faced over the past 8 years. But it’s this one final piece that they need to complete the jigsaw. In this list we must not forget Ashley Cole who many rate as the world’s best left back in the past decade. Being on the loser’s side at two previous finals, he’d want to make it 3^rd time lucky. These players have a huge fan following the world over with one of them having a God like status in his country. They very well know that you don’t win silver, you lose gold. With most of these players being on the wrong side of 30, this could be the last European Cup Finals they’d be playing. This is their best chance to sign off in the best way possible. Nobody remembers the team that loses the final. For this group to be included in football folklore, they need to lift the ‘Holy Grail’ come 19^th May. 

Alliaz Arena - All decked up for the 19th

Bayern's Feared Trio - Ribery , Robben and Gomez

On the other hand Bayern Munich, the opponents, too have a date with destiny. Runners-up in the 2010 final, they now have a chance to silence critics by playing the final at their home stadium. The Allianz Arena boasts a capacity of 69,900 which will play a big role in making sure Bayern feels very much at home. This season has been one to forget for Germany’s most successful club, having finished runners-up in their domestic league and cup. They now are just a Final away from sending the city into a euphoria last witnessed in 2001. Talent flows in this team in the form of Neuer, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Ribery, Muller and Gomez. They are a neutral’s delight to watch when they are at their attacking best. 

But when it comes to who wants this trophy more, it’s the team in blue that’ll be more motivated. Chelsea shouldn’t be in the final in the first place. For many the last 16 tie was as good as over after the 3-1 defeat to Napoli, sacking the manager and appointing his assistant as interim manager between the two legs made matters even worse. The match at the Nou Camp was a foregone conclusion with the team facing a 2-0 defeat having to score a goal with 10 men. It could have been game set and match had Messi scored from the spot. I shouldn’t be writing this preview at all but I have, Chelsea shouldn’t be playing the final in the first place. But here we are. 

Needs the ' Holy Grail ' to complete his ' Roman ' Empire

From Chelsea’s point of view if there’s one man who wants Chelsea to win more than anyone, it is Roman Abramovich. The man changed the clubs fortunes in 2003 and has ever since set his eyes on winning the Europe’s biggest prize. A man who gives little or no importance to the manager’s past reputation with a ‘win something or you’re out’ manner of running the club now has the chance to get what he always desired. Millions has been spent on finding the man who would end this drought. Fans have seen a world cup winning manager fired before the season could even end. Master tacticians and past winners of the competition as managers in the likes of Mourinho, Hiddink and Ancelotti have failed to deliver for Chelsea at the continental level. 

Roberto Di Matteo - Will he succeed where others have failed ?

The club now has a man who two years back was managing a club in England’s second division and now is at the brink of being a club legend. 4^th March 2012 was the day the course of Chelsea’s faltering season would change. The team was staring at elimination from the competition at the hands of a 3-1 first leg defeat at the hands of Napoli, a top 4 finish was looking dead and buried. 

Fast forward to the 3^rd week of May and ex Chelsea player and now interim manager Roberto Di Matteo has led the club to its 7^th FA CUP win and 2^nd UCL Final. From a season to forget, the Italian has given fans new hope and a reason to download the 2011-2012 season review. He is on the verge of winning the club its first Champions League Trophy but despite this there's absolutely no guarantee if he'll be the manager for Chelsea's first game of the next season.

Besides pride and reputation , there is also a lot on money at stake. Unlike Bayern Munich, Chelsea isn’t assured of playing the Champions League the next season which brings a whole new dimension into their approach to the game. It couldn't be any simpler for them – win the competition and play it the next season. Winning Europe’s big prize would earn Chelsea 49.2m GBP plus another 5.8m GBP for qualifying and playing each group game of next season’s Champions League (5.8m GBP without the result bonus in the group stage). Should they lose to Bayern Munich, they’d be playing the UCL’s poor cousin The Europa League next season that offers peanuts ( Atletico Madrid got 6m GBP as prize money for winning ) compared to the UCL. With the Financial Fair Play coming into implementation, not playing the Champions League is something which a club like Chelsea can simply not afford. To attract players in the transfer market in the coming summer , the lure of the Champions League is something that Chelsea have to offer. 

Coming to the two teams now (Too much pre-match talk, I know) both teams have a whole lot of players suspended for the Final.  

 

Chelsea – Considering how much winning the UCL means to him, John Terry couldn’t have asked for a worse match to be suspended for. Besides their talismanic captain, Chelsea will be without defender Branislav Ivanovic, Raul Meireles and Ramires. David Luiz and Gary Cahill are winning the race to be fit for Saturday's grand spectacle, should they not recover in time, expect the likes of Bosingwa , Essien to play in the heart of defence . 

JT’s presence and Ramires’s energy is impossible to replace but Di Matteo cannot and will not think about the people who won’t be playing but instead make the best of the players that are available. 

The likes of Mikel and Kalou have taken to RDM like a duck to water and I’m expecting the duo to start. Luiz, should he start has the best occasion to hit back at those who question his defending. 

The reason why I have included Malouda is that RDM won’t change his formation for such a big game and start Torres and Drogba in the same game. Essien hasn’t been the same player since his return from injury. Sturridge has been the shadow of the player he was at the start of the season, plus he isn’t very good at tracking back. Malouda has the experience and is much better defensively than the Englishman. The Frenchman is rated as ' touch and go ' by Di Matteo due to the injury he picked up. Fingers crossed that he makes it

Chelsea's Starting 11 

Bayern Munich - Coached by Jupp Heynckes , the German giants will be without the suspended trio of David Alaba ( left back ) , Holger Badstuber ( center back ) and Luiz Gustavo ( midfielder ) . Alaba's darting runs down the left hand side will be sorely missed. His replacement should be in the form of Diego Contento . 


Without Badstuber , it should be Tymoschchuk who will play alongside Boateng . Van Buyten who made his return from injury in a reserve game may be short of match fitness. If there's an area for Chelsea to exploit it is their center back pairing. 

Heynckes has played Toni Kroos as an attacking midfielder playing just behind the forward for majority of their European campaign , but with Gustavo suspended , Kroos should start this game in a more defensive role by playing alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger as the two midfielders in front of the back 4. 


One cannot write a preview without saying what Ribery and Robben bring to Bayern's attacking play . The duo will provide the much needed width down the flanks . With tricks and pace up the duo's sleeve , Chelsea's full-backs have their work cut out .  Expect 22 year old Thomas Muller to get the nod and play as the supporting striker behind Mario Gomez . 


Bayern Munich Starting 11

With Both Teams playing a 4-2-3-1 , here's where the game could be won or lost. 

Drogba and Gomez - The Hitmen for the Final 

1) The Forward vs the 2 center backs 


a) Didier Drogba - Going by the reception that he received from the fans and Roman during Chelsea’s home game against Blackburn, this could very well be his last game in a Chelsea shirt. What better way to sign off than with a Champions league win. He knows how close he was to winning it on that night at Moscow and he now has a chance to right those wrongs. Has won cup finals on his own and will be up and running against Boateng and Tymoschuk. If there’s an Achilles heel in the Bayern side, it is their center backs. If on song, the 34 year old Ivorian could give the duo a game to forget.  He’s Chelsea’s best chance of winning the UCL for the first time.

b) Vice Versa for Chelsea , Mario Gomez goes into this game having hit 41 goals this season in all competitions. Should Luiz/Cahill or both not recover (we’re fucked then) in time, Gomez is very capable of giving Bosingwa and co a torrid time at Munich. 

2) The Battle in the Midfield 

a) Malouda and Cole vs Robben and Lahm – Cole will have to be at the top of his game to keep the Dutchman quiet. Malouda will need to work in tandem with Cole to neutralize Bayern’s attacks down the right hand side.

Franck Ribery - Mr Scarface would want to leave his MARK

b) Whoever marks Franck Ribery has to play one of his best games in a Chelsea shirt. The Frenchman has put his injuries behind and despite not having won anything this season seems to in the form of his life . He's my man to watch from the Bayern Munich team . Is an absolute live wire in terms of speed and dribbling and also has a good eye for goal . Could cause Chelsea a whole lot of problems if given the time and the space on the ball . 

Schweinsteiger vs Lampard - Who is going to come out on top ? 

c) Sitting Midfielders – On paper Schweinsteiger and Kroos look the better midfielders. Lampard vs Bastian is a duel I am eagerly awaiting. Two of the best box to box midfielders go head to head at the Allianz Arena.

 John Obi Mikel has improved by leaps and bounds ever since Di Matteo got over . Hoping that the occasion doesn’t get the better of him. One of the players who fans don’t rate that high but trust me when I say this that he has one of the most important roles to play for Chelsea on Saturday .

Could he be the ' JUAN ' to win it 

d) Juan Mata - CFC Player of the season in his debut year. Would want to go to the Euros in the best of moods with a win at the Allianz Arena. Chelsea’s most creative player in the side will have to have a good game and feed Drogba with those through balls. I hate to say this but I hope it’s Lampard who takes the corners and not him. One area where I think Mata is not up to the mark is his set piece delivery.

Thomas Muller - Mr Tap In 

e) I really like Thomas Muller. A player who no one would talk in detail in the pre match previews but the 22 year old just turns up at the right place at the right time to be spoken about in the post match reviews. Another reason why Cahill and Luiz starting is so important  With most of the focus being on Gomez , Ribery and Robben it is this fellow who could spring a few surprises at the Allianz Arena. Do not ignore him Chelsea defenders.




3) The Goalkeepers - Manuel Neuer vs Petr Cech

Neuer and Cech - Pillars between the sticks

With most of the talk been done about the attacking threat posed by both sides , Saturday's final also pits two of Europe's best goal-keepers against each other. Many consider the 26yr old Neuer to be the best in the business. Germany's number one goalkeeper is a commanding presence in the box .

On the other hand we have 29yr old Petr Cech who may be past his prime but would want to remind critics that he can never be written of. Without the presence of their captain John Terry , Cech will play a crucial role in keeping the defence organized . If asked to pick , it'll be him who'll be the busier of the two keepers

Prediction - With the prospect of an El- Classico Final been thrown out the window,  the football world has got the match of the underdogs. It's Red versus Blue as football's two primary colours go head to head at Europe's biggest stage. We’ve got a real good match on our hands. I don't need to say which team will I be rooting for. Chelsea play in a Champions League Final 1460 days after that night to forget in Moscow. It is their date with destiny . 2-1 to Chelsea with the man from the Ivory Coast signing off  in the best way possible.

And let's dump those Yids in the Europa League #freeluka

P.S - There will be two things that follow regardless of who the winner is - Alcohol and Tears 

Movie of the week

Ishaqzaade

From the director of Do Dooni Chaar, Habib Faisal’s Ishaqzaade revolves around the family feud between the Chauhans and the Qureshis who are two families contesting elections in the town of Alipore. Competition is fierce and cut-throat in the area. The children of these ministers Parma and Zoya played by debutant Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra do their best in downgrading each other .

Hate soon turns into love between the two. A wedding, some making out in a railway compartment (not kinky at all) and a song is shown to elaborate the fact. But just when you think that it’s going to be one happy ending do things take a turn for the worse. Parma shows what a pig he is by revealing his true intentions of getting married to Zoya.

Both families show their true colours as they set out to kill the duo for their personal gain. Faisal gives the movie a very rural feel shown in the chase sequences around the whole town which are aplenty. A bit of emotional drama by the mother makes Parma realize how much he loves Zoya. He makes all ends meet to escape the two families along with his lady love.

The movie does time to pick up. The second half keeps the audience occupied but one just wants to know how this movie is going to god damn end. The climax scene is what most of us expected with the whole gang with loads of ammunition hunting them down in their college campus. Let me remind you guys that the lead pair has a gun a piece. If you think they left the place alive, WELL (no god mode here)

The background score by Ranjit Barot sets the pace for the movie. Amit Trivedi doesn’t disappoint with his music. But it is the performances of the lead role and especially Arjun’s that stays in your head.

I wasn’t born in 1988. That was the year when Qayamat se Qayamat released. In a small but effective manner QSQT changed the way people from the opposite sex would end up loving each other. It was a Romeo Juliet love story with the family opposing the couples love for each other. The result being love triumphing over hate with the two leads death.

Fast forward 24 years on and the formula is very much the same. With a slight change in the manner of their death (won’t play spoilsport, go watch the film)

Ishaqzaade is not a movie that one must watch, but there’s no football tomorrow plus games are at the same time slot on Sunday. IPL’s only after 4pm. You might have gotten bored already after one episode of Satymev Jayate. So if you have nothing to do this weekend, Ishaqzaade can surely be given a shot at. Not that bad a movie. 

Rating : 2.5/5

P.S – Don’t miss the trailer of EK THA TIGER. Salman’s back!!!

Through the Glass, In their Eyes

Most of my travelling in and around the city is done in public transport and walking. I hardly get to commute in the car and there are more chances of the sun rising in the west than of my dad allowing me to take the car for a spin. But when I do get to travel in his silver coloured Indigo, I make it a point to look at the people at the bus stops and especially beggars at signals.

The look in their eyes when you are sitting inside in the comfort of the air conditioning while they wait in the summer heat gives many a feeling of authority and in some cases a winner like emotion over those standing outside.

But it is man who decides his own fate, it is up to him whether he wants to live a life where he walks, uses the bike/bus/train or travels in the comfort of a car. He chooses a path where he lives his life by his own rules and these rules may or may not involve commuting by a transport of his choice. Despite this, one can see the anger within them due to this imbalance of power and money.  If it wasn’t for these rules and regulations to maintain decorum and public goodwill we would be seeing smashed glasses and windscreens everywhere.

But things in life come full circle. The role changes when we play the ‘ outside ‘ character when  we spend minutes waiting for public transport with horrible frequency and give those looks at the people sitting in the cars passing by through the glass with an expression of ‘ If Only ‘ .

Another example which doesn’t involve glasses and cars but speaks about the same issue is one that I used to witness during Annual Days at my school and college. I was never a child with good grades; I was one who just did enough to pass. Nor was I even remotely interested in taking part in dance, drama, sports day and all those extra-curricular activities.  But I was a good sport and always turned up for these events applauding my friends for their performance in what they did for which they ended up getting rewarded. Year after year I applauded and cheered for my friends, and then I realized that the joke is on me.

I knew that I could never study as hard as them to receive a price, nor could I dance, nor could I run as fast as those who ended up on the podium. I was just happy to be ‘average ‘and in many cases less than average. In the auditorium, the distance between the stage and the seats is much more than those few steps that you take from one end to another. It takes a lot to be on the side where people clap for you and not the other way round. I should have been happy for my friends, but gradually that happiness turned into anger. I was never jealous, as one can be jealous only when he knows he can achieve/possess what the other person has. I was angry that I didn’t make the most of myself and test myself to the best of my abilities. Soon I realized that there was no point in clapping for others but to work hard enough that people clap for you.

In both these cases it takes a lot of dedication, hard work, commitment and sincerity towards achieving your goal to be on the other side. Do we want to be inside/outside the car and do we want to clap or receive claps the choice is left to us.