Cheap Immitations!

Bollywood surely deserves the award for creating 'Cheap Immitations'. Today with release of Aaishaa it has just managed another feather in its cap. I wonder if our script writers and movie makers cannot come up with some original ideas....on one hand we can make classics like 3 Idiots, Dil Chahta Hai and at the same time create blunders like China Gate. Just ripping off an English movie or story book will not bring success at the box office. When will the film industry realise that? The number of flops produced in 2009, 2010 should be evidence that people will not waste their money and time watching a brainless movie. They are audiences with a taste not just for senseless hype, comedy, special effects. We are supposed to be one of biggest film industries. Why can't they make movies that inspire other countries producers to think of immitating us rather than use the same over used formula of ugly villians, poor hero falling for rich heroine, a oversmart hero cracking jokes at a stupid (potratyed as innocent in movies) herione!!! Bollywood...please give us a break and give us good movies more often. Originality seems to a word forgotten here

Will we manage to save it in Time?????

I am currently reading a book by name 'Hot, flat and crowded'. I guess some of you may have read it already. This book is about where we are heading in terms of environment and ways to save it. Most importantly its a wake up call to everyone as if we sleep over this issue any longer we are surely heading towards disaster at lightning speed! The facts stated in the book about pollutants today and if they grow at same rate what effects it could have on the environment really scare the living daylights. I mean its obvious in the name of progress we are digging our own grave and best thing is no one is bothered. We are carrying on as though there is no danger even though its actually lurking behind and closing in faster. I feel our parents left us a relatively clean planet but look at the mess we are creating. We are going to just leave a garbage yard for our next generation. The book has motivated me a lot to do small simple things...not sure if it will help but atleast I'll be satisfied I did something. I have made my mind that one hour of every saturday or sunday (mostly dinner time) I will insist on candle lit dinner at home...it works well as it will be a romantic dinner as well as save some electricity even though candle burning also releases CO2 its still a good pay off. Now, you may say...hey thats not too tough. Yes, you are right. Solutions to most of the complex problems really start with small simple steps. I hope you also start taking some of these baby steps.

Do you feel you have a problem? Then Read this...

We always seem to think that each of us have the most difficult problems, challenges to face when compared to others. But you may change your mind after you read 'Billy Mclaughin's problem. For those of you who do not know about Billy here is a small profile of this great man - Billy McLaughlin is a chart-topping guitar virtuoso and composer who has astounded audiences since the 1980's with his complex, rhythmic music and uniquely personal style. He has been travelling across various Accenture locations to share his inspirational story with us. Now lets see the problem Billy has - He developed Dystonia (its no country in Eastern Europe) but a name of a neurological problem which mean he could never ever play the guitar. When he got to know this what do you think he did? Shattered, became disillusioned, lost focus and hope, lost everything....is that what you think he did? Yes, you are right. He did all these things but the difference is he did not do this forever. One fine day he decided to solve his problem. He started learning guitar with his left hand. After 3 odd years of practice amounting to just about 9000 hours he mastered it and today play left handed guitar with such passion and precision that leaves his audience crying for more! Now think about the problems you have. Some of you may even stop calling them problems because it is so small. Can you even imagine what strength it must take to have the world at your feet, one fine day you wake up and see all is lost and you have to build from scratch what is lost and build it using skills (in his case left hand) that you have never had. I hope you are inspired reading Billy's story and use newer ways to solve the problems you may have......

Jog down Memory Lane

I spent about 10 minutes today jogging down memory lane....nearing 30 is fun filled as well as stressful I guess. I look back at the years passed by fondly. I feel its as though just yesterday when I used to go to school with pigtail ponytails, a silly looking (boring) uniform, used to feel on top of the world eating anice cream and feel like a millionaire if I had 100 bucks to spend. Its as though a minute later I grew up old enough to start working, get married....its sometime seems as though time just breezed and yet at other times it seems to move at snail speed. I also feel a bit stressed as there are few things I have dreamt of, I have always wanted to pursue and still have not done it. Been pushing it saying a couple of years and I will do those. But before I have realised I am already close to 30. The last thing I want to do is live a life where ifs, buts, could have beens are so many that life seems like a bundle of regret! Its time to wake up and realise that given an average longevity of 60 years I am almost half way through....so if at all there is a time to do things its not later but NOW. Whether to get better fitness, travel the world, eat in good place, let my hair down and dance....its TIME to do all these....I have seen a few people in their old age wishing they had done things differently or they had done things sooner in life....I do not want to be one of them. So as Swami Vivekananda said' Arise and Awake' :)

Mt Everest of Human Endeavours

I read Amitabh Bachann's comments in a newspaper about what he likes to read. It was a beautiful comment that said, "I like reading the sports page as they highlight Human achievment and avoid the front page as they highlight human failures". The comment is an echo of what I feel each day when I open the newspaper and as long back as I can recollect I have always read last page to first....as though a subconscious way of reiterating this comment. May-Jun 2010 is a feast for sports lovers - its a spread of best of Tennis, football and continuing overdose of cricket. The list of countries in the world cup soccer astonishes me as some of them are so tiny that you would not even know they exist if it was not for their football skills. An equally strong emotion that hits me is shame....being such a huge country, we are unable to produce a football team capable of competing at international level. Those of you following tennis would be aware of the Marathon match that lasted for 3 days, went to a tie break of 70-68 and created a record. This is surely a new Mt Everest of Human endeavour. How did those players, umpires and even audience survive the effort and tension for 3 days I wonder? The end result of this kind of game is surely only winners no losers. For that matter any sports that I have talked about here...there maybe winning and losing teams but when you see the spirit behind the game its only victory. A victory of strength, stamina, determination, hardwork, practice....my my all excellent qualities that are the heart & soul of achievement! Thanks to this wonderful world of sports - that gives us a respite from the mundane dramas of politics, terrorism's gruisesomeness and sinful honour killings....atleast makes me get reassured that Life is not all about evil over good.

Yours Lovingly

Losing a loved one is always tough. Leaves you with a heavy heart and a grief stricken soul. The difficulty increases when that one Loved person played multiple roles with ease.....This post is dedicated to My Dearest Dad...I am not sure if its right to say I lost him....yes, he may have gone away physically but the thoughts, values, memories he has left behind are so many that I would mentally never be lost. He was ofcourse a great dad! but apart from that he was a very good friend, philosopher and guide. He gave me the strength and wisdom to not just make decisions but also take responsibility for the decisions. He lived his entire life with few simple beliefs and when I look back I can't help but think there is nothing more beautiful than simplicity.....Today when I have to decide and I know I can't have a conversation with him in the literal sense, all I need to do is ponder 'what would dad have done or what would he have wanted me to do' and I then feel empowered. I will always love him, even miss him. I owe a lot in life to him. He was my Guardian Angel and I look at the sky and tell myself, it was time for him to go to a better world. He has thought me enough to now take care of myself, my family....and needless to say he will bless me no matter where he is. Thank you dad.