Untitled

Like me, a part of life it was for you

Till you boarded the last train to the west

The twilight gifted a heart unhealed

The moon rued and the starts silenced.

I solicited some answers from them

And the night had never been so long.

The game was unfair and I lost it.

Rules were broken, the result influenced

I was holding a candle in the cold shade

The thunders did calm my wails

But no rain did I see to wipe my tears

Neither did I see you, ever again.

I reaped my crops everyday, fed the cattle

The scarecrows targeted my lost self

My hopes, my emotions were worried

Unprepared to leave me alone, like love.

My friends, my kinfolk never deserted me

And I found no reason to do the same.

Later one day I packed my bags, and

Departed to the east, back to myself

I traveled through the green fields

I swam across the widest rivers

I crossed the deserts and the mounts

And I felt no pain, no more dejected

Days were crawling, blessed by almighty

A dreamer no more was I, just a human.

We move on, year by year close to death

I just know the time given to me today

I earn my living from dawn to dusk

For me to celebrate with the stars later.

While I never stopped, you walked with me

You gave me your hand, lifting up my spirits

I did not need you still I felt your need.

My comrade, my ally, together we fought

I learnt your skills and you followed mine

And we both were conquering everyday

Preserving and protecting our dreams.

Like two souls in a single body

Like two storks quarreling for dinner

Like two leaves of the same twig.

And in the east did the sun rise again.

And I could see you, for me always.

Iktara Male version - Lyrics

Rooh ka banjara re parinda ..
Chhad gaya dil ka re gharonda
Chhad gaya dil ka re gharond todke
Re gharonda todke .. gaya chhodke.

Je naina karun band band ...
Bahe jaaye boond boond (2)
Tadapaye re .. kyun sunaye .. geet malhar de

Ve malang tera iktara ..(8)

Beeti raat basi basi, padi hai sirhane ..
Band darwaja dekhe lauti hai subah ..
Thandi hai angheethi seeli, seeli hai diwaarein ..
Goonje takrake inme dil ki sada ..
Goonje hai ..goonje hai re .. dil ki sada.


Je naina karun band band ...
Bahe jaaye boond boond (2)
Tadapaye re .. kyun sunaye .. geet malhar de

Ve malang tera iktara ..(8)

Worth a watch!

When the automajors worldwide suffered huge loss due to the recession, Indian auto industry was stable and opened up a huge potential market to these giants to cover up their losses. Leading the bandwagon is the Hatchback segement which consumes a humongous 70% share of the Auto market. And It is not just limited to the Maruti, Tata or Hyundai small car models. More spacious, stylish, comfortable hatchbacks were rolled out by the companies who had considerable presence in this market. Major ones among them are the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz and the Fiat Punto. And the story doesn't end here, with Volkswagen ready for the launch of Polo and the world leaders Toyota announcing their only investement worldwide to develop a hatchback for the Indian market.

The Volkswagon Polo

We can expect this car in January 2010. It has the subtle Volkswagen look. It would be priced between Rs 4 to 5 lakh and would give a tough competition to i20, Swift, Jazz and Punto.It will be available in both Petrol and Diesel options. This model is hugely popular in Europe and expects to gain the same in India with its superb performance on road and comfortable interiors. It is a very good value for money car and would make good use of the Indian mentality. Volkswagen is all set to roll it out of their new plant at Chakan, near Pune and is also expanding their dealer network in the country for efficient marketing and distribution of this car as this would be Volkswagen's cheapest model in India and is expected to have a huge demand in terms of numbers.

The Ford Figo

Ford is planning to launch Figo by January next year to make their presence in this segment as their Fusion is not doing well. This by far appears to be the most stylish hatchback with a powerful ford engine inside. This would also come in both petrol and diesel variants. The price is very competitive and is expected to be between 3.5 to 5 lakhs. It also comes with third generation safety features and promises a good mileage and fuel economy. Looks like a complete package for the Indian Consumer. Ford India has also invested US $ 500 Million in India to double its production capacity to 2,00,000 units of car per annum. Lets see what it delivers after the road tests.

Nissan 370Z

The much waited Nissan sports car is here now and it expects to make its position stronger in the luxury car segment which is currently dominated by BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Nissan 370Z is a two seater, two door luxurious coupe model which is packed with number of advanced safety features. It is exteremly popular worldwide because of its high performance engine and sporty style. It would be imported as a CBU (Completely Built Unit) from its US plant which would add to the price, expected to be near about 35 lakhs.

Hyundai Santa Fe

India's largest auto exporter and second largest auto manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Co is pretty confident with the launch of their luxurious SUV. With the launch of this model Hyundai plans to enter in the mid-sized SUV market in India. The Hyundai Santa Fe price comes in the range of Rs 23 to 25 Lakhs. The power and the looks would add to the value of this car but still the price is a little high.

Now all these are definitely worth a watch ready to beautify the Indian roads!

The Copenhagen Accord

The latest news from the Danish capital is about a deal brokered between US, India, China, South Africa and Brazil and the newspapers are full of positive and negative criticisms of the US president’s eleventh hour stint.

The newsmakers have done their job, released promising statements, registered themselves in the good books and made good relations with their counterparts which would help them in all other deals if not this one. But it is an unfortunate truth that the summit has failed and the decisions taken are not even in the right ballpark. It appears as a last minute futile attempt to preserve the integrity of this conclave. A climate deal is must as the leaders are saying, still they are quarelling with their own responsibilities giving it a look of unnecessary. It is quite ridiculous how the developed nations are praising the under-developed for their subtle promises to reduce emissions by saying that they are indeed doing a lot, being poor. Another attempt, which can be seen as the only positive outcome of the event is the funding that the “US-European” have offered to the developing nations to fight climate change.

One more point to ponder here is 5 countries have reached a deal out of the total 192 attending it. How are they supposed to change the future of emissions of this whole world? Or is it because the others (leaving apart the developed countries) do not matter as much because they are not spotted in the world emissions graph. It would have been a good assumption but the number of countries falling under this category is big and taken together, they also do play a humongous role. More confidence and trust needs to be established worldwide to make this planet green and not a greenhouse. The next climate change meeting is scheduled in december 2010. As the Kyoto Protocol nears an end helping much lesser as it should have, the need of its successor is being desperately awaited. The king was not good and nothing much can be said about the prince who is going to take the reign.

The summit as a whole provided a lot of information to many ignorant minds. It has encouraged a lot of debate and discussion on how the world is going to be in the near future. The COP15 website deserves applauses for leading this motion. After all, it was just an information exchange event, aint it? The technology providers, investors are still in dilemma and the market remains unstable for the development of alternate sources of energy. Many of these promising technologies would remain inside the walls of research laboratories not able to grow up and answer the challenge.

“The city of Copenhagen is a crime scene tonight, with the guilty men and women fleeing to the airport…” …aptly said!

The incurious Night

The nearby Hanuman mandir bells were providing the melody to the morning prayers and the subtle breeze across the corridors promised the end of another chilling night warmed by alcohol and smoke. It’s a Sunday and there is zero possibility that others in his wing would be awake this early. But Jai admires the start of the day more than the end and he keeps himself awake to witness every dawn, the chirping of the birds, the holy reverberation of prayers, the transition into the light, the warmth in the stoned silence, the fresh green leaves, the wet meadows, the fresh smell of breakfast and the smoke out of the mess chimney.

With his near-closed eyes, unbrushed teeth and wrapped in a shawl, he comes out of the hostel gates to take a stroll around the campus. On the way he could hear gunshots from the rooms of those addicted to computer games like counter strike. Even he loved this game and would love to be a terrorist to pick up the bomb and plant as many as he could. But this is not the time, this time is for himself and his thoughts.

The sweeper had already started his Job, cleaning the road off the old and dried leaves. He greets him with a fervent smile, puts his hands in his jeans pockets and takes the next step. The fog is dense and he finds out that he cannot see more than 10 meters. Oh! He loves this fog, he loves the winters for this heavenly gift while most of his friends would prefer a cozy sleep under the thick layer of multiple blankets. The fog is so uncertain, so deceiving; the mess workers, the janitors, the chowkidaars on their bicycles disappearing in no time. Only facial gestures are the means of communication in this frigid atmosphere. The dogs are tired being awake all night and are in no mood to bark at a lonely suspicious looking figure coming out of the haze. As expected, he takes out his fresh packet of Classic Milds that he bought the previous day, the matchbox and then, a warm flicker that lights up his cigarette. He gets an illusionary thought that the smoke his awakening his body and his metabolic rate is picking up to make him warm. The face looks like a bowl of curd with chilly powder put on it, the nose starts watering, changing its colour from crimson to wheatish regularly.

A profound feeling of serenity is asking him to close his eyes and hum the Carnatic raag that he was listening to before leaving his room.  As more and more people pass by, the fog allows some more depth of sight, and the cigarette comes to an end, he takes out his bag hidden under the shawl till now, unzips it and his favourite companion is there by his side. The hands are no more inside his pockets and are admiring the beauty, patting him. His eyes are apologizing that he took him out of his cozy bag.

Near the Security Guards’ barrack, two puppies, unaware that they would die soon if they come out of their homes are engaged in child-play. One chasing the other, biting random things, rolling over the sand, pooping and peeing and everything that one would expect out of such a show. The light is also great and his friend loves it. An ironic act of play with life and death.

A nearly drooped bunch of flowers coated in lavender and pale yellow is what attracts him next. The stem is weakened by the dew but would stand up still and salute the sun.

Captivated by their beauty, he captures them in his memory and so does Bravo. Yes. That’s his name. As he takes some more rounds of this garden belonging to the main building of the institute, he takes deep breaths and adores the views.

They move on to the workshop which hoots early in the morning awakening the men and scaring the women. It always hosted some highly confidential projects of the Military and Intelligence being researched and tested by qualified scientists of the country. There is no photography allowed beyond a certain point and then special Identity cards are required. But the appearance of this workshop is as adorable as its mysterious stories. There were talks of suspected undercover agents from other countries, the staff disappearing in thin air, huge boxes stamped CONFIDENTIAL and GOVT. PROPERTY and many more. Bravo is scared and is asking him not to stare at the premises continuously. Knowing that his fear would add to the suspicion if spotted, Jai starts walking but he can’t help pussyfooting the mysterious niche. He goes to one side of it, a bit away and tells Bravo that he has to do the Job now.

Also he can hear are distant sounds from a masjid. He saw one student on the ground floor in a hostel offering his Namaz. God resides in the hearts and not in the temples and masjids is what he believes in but he feels the peace rejuvenating his soul when he hears the prayers.

..to be continued... 

FUBAR!

Parts of The Saving Private Ryan screenplay...

The Abraham Lincoln Letter from the movie:

"Dear Madam: I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. Yours very sincerely and respectfully, Abraham Lincoln."

This letter is actually not written by Abraham Lincoln himself but the incident it is referring to is real except the count of the dead, which were modified as per the requirements of the movie. A near impossible task of finding someone inside the dreaded battlefields of France facing the uncertain German fire all the time and what makes it worse is that there is no clue about the coordinates where he or his platoon may be found. The decision makers won't sacrifice their men for some cause which is so evident, they won't fight a war against an already furious one. But this letter changes it all and The General commands a search for Ryan against any loss they have to bear, for one mother who had already lost so much. Its a vicious fix where on one hand they have a mother who had all her sons fighting for the republic and on the other the republic itself that they were fighting for.

Other notable dialogues:

Captain Miller to Private Reiben

"I'm a schoolteacher. I teach English composition... in this little town called Adley, Pennsylvania. The last eleven years, I've been at Thomas Alva Edison High School. I was a coach of the baseball team in the springtime. Back home, I tell people what I do for a living and they think well, now that figures. But over here, it's a big, a big mystery. So, I guess I've changed some. Sometimes I wonder if I've changed so much my wife is even going to recognize me, whenever it is that I get back to her. And how I'll ever be able to tell her about days like today. Ah, Ryan. I don't know anything about Ryan. I don't care. The man means nothing to me. It's just a name. But if... You know if going to Rumelle and finding him so that he can go home. If that earns me the right to get back to my wife, then that's my mission."

There are many such dialogues which Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) delivers throughout the mission to keep up the spirit of his men who think that they are giving their lives to find someone very useless and that the mission they have taken up is just a waste and a discredit to their talent in the battlefield as Jackson, the sniper says:

"What I mean by that, sir, is if you was to put me and this here sniper rifle anywhere up to and including one mile from Adolf Hitler... with a clean line of sight... Pack your bags, fellas. War's over."

Finally when they find Ryan, they feel that he was not that useless afterall as Ryan's valor and the love for his country and his paltoon speaks out:

"You can tell her (his mother) that when you found me, I was with the only brothers I had left. And that there was no way I was deserting them. I think she'd understand that."

He is determined to complete the mission he is assigned and Captain Miller's men join him. Some more martyrs, for one man and the debate is left for the audience, was that worth it?

And then on the similar lines of Lincoln's old letter:

"My dear Mrs Ryan: It's with the most profound sense of joy that I write to inform you your son, Private James Ryan, is well and, at this very moment, on his way home from European battlefields. Reports from the front indicate James did his duty in combat with great courage and steadfast dedication, even after he was informed of the tragic loss your family has suffered in this great campaign to rid the world of tyranny and oppresion. I take great pleasure in joining the Secretary of War, the men and women of the U.S. Army, and the citizens of a grateful nation in wishing you good health and many years of happiness with James at your side. Nothing, not even the safe return of a beloved son, can compensate you, or the thousands of other American families, who have suffered great loss in this tragic war. I might share with you some words which have sustained me through long, dark nights of peril, loss, and heartache. And I quote: "I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the alter of freedom." -Abraham Lincoln. Yours very sincerely and respectfully, George C. Marshall, General, Chief of Staff."

Vote of Thanks!

I welcomed a change with arms wide open and lost myself to regain my lost self. The dreams which I lost in the dark woods of doldrums suddenly are moonlighted today. Every day passes by, faster than the previous one and life is not lagging behind, trying to walk hand in hand with time. Every new soul I meet, I greet it with utmost fervor. Yet sometimes when I see myself in the mirror, I think if I am a human or I am just prejudiced to think myself as one. This line probably defines the intermittent state I am in. The latter part, as I see was my past and my present is closer to the former option. I do feel like a human. A normal human who does everything for happiness, for some moments in a day which he can cherish when he sleeps, for some smiles that remain in his heart forever, for some anguish which asks him to share his thought, for some peace which he seeks when he is alone, for some love that he can actually feel inside him, for some hatred which he doesn't always keep to himself, for some tears which he allows to flow to feel better. There is no God I believe in. I respect myself and I am scared of my soul and do not need "God" for that. My mind shows myself thousand ways and my heart filters out one. I feel more and more confident though I do  not do anything great everyday. When I wish for something this hour, I don't think too much and get it the same hour. When it comes to emotions, I do value them as I used to do before and give them the time as my heart and mind get high with those and take time to get back to normal. I am not living on the edge neither am I deep inside a protected zone. I am no more scared of death and I enjoy risks. I love the enthusiasm and excitement in me and see the same in the eyes of my pals when I speak to them. I like smiling faces more than I used to and same applies for helping people. I feel more responsible, matured and grown up suddenly. The values and virtues that I have tried to define all my life, I follow them religiously now.

Its great to be with good friends. Thanks to the one who gave me this oppurtunity. Thanks to all who showed me this path knowingly or unknowingly and Thanks to you! Unknowingly, you have done a lot for me.

Main shayar toh Nahi...

Sapno ki humnein bahut sair ki
Khayalon mein humnein mohabbat bhi ki
Yeh shaam kyun dhalne ko tayyar nahi...
Alfazon ne shayad, hadd par kar di.