Surprise!

She rings the door bell, palm covering the eye-hole. As she hears his footsteps approaching, her heart beats faster. The door opens and he’s dumbfounded. His face holds the exact expression that she’d imagined – happy, confused, surprised. She cannot stop smiling and gives him a huge hug. The same sweet smell that she’d been missing embraces her body once again. He gently kisses her forehead and gazes into her kajal-laced eyes. They don’t say a word, just look into each other's eyes and smile.

Tears roll down her cheek. She’s daydreaming again...

I Hope You Dance

There are times when you feel so lonely, you almost want to run away from the crowd. Times when you feel so lost, you have no clue of what you are doing. You need someone so badly by your side that every passing minute seems like hell. But you need to calm yourself down and not let this phase overpower your senses. And then, a song comes to your rescue. It’s almost miraculous how the lyrics give you strength to fight a lone battle.

My inspiration comes from this beautiful song by Lee Anne Womak and I thank that someone special for introducing me to it:

I Hope You Dance

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,

May you never take one single breath for granted

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,

I hope you still feel small when you stand besides the ocean,

When one door closes I hope another opens,

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance...I hope you dance...

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth taking,

Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making,

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,

When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance...I hope you dance...

I hope you still feel small when you stand besides the ocean,
When one door closes I hope another opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance...I hope you dance...

I hope you dance...I hope you dance...

You can listen to it here.

Let there be light...

She would go to the maidan every evening and see the sun set. It gave her a sense of completeness – to see the orange sky die and the darkness of night take over. She almost turned philosopher during those moments and no matter how harsh the day had been, the transitional phase calmed her. She knew, no matter how dark it gets, the brightness of the sun shall triumph once again; it’s just a matter of time.

Om Shanti Om - The Review

Well, there are three types of cinema goers:

1. Those who consider cinema as a work of art, have some cinematic sense and look for an aesthetic appeal.

2. Those who consider cinema as a product and look for a complete paisa-vasool experience.

3. Those who watch anything and everything.

Well, OSO – arguably the biggest film of 2007 – is a treat for everyone. I must confess at the very beginning of this post that by no means am I an SRK fan. However, he is the plastic beauty (tweaking the phrase) from Bollywood that can mould himself into characters from a fun loving college student in most of his movies to the legendary Ashoka to the socially responsible NRI in Swades. So whether you like him or not, he’s definitely worth a watch for the sheer fact that he is the King of Bollywood.

Spoofs have always been a favourite with the Indian audience. And when an entire movie rests on Bollywood’s attempt to laugh at itself (including SRK), it is sure to catch many eyeballs. Farah Khan leaves no stone unturned and gives the audience just what they love the most – a riot of film stars, larger-than-life sets, good music, hot babes and babas (how can you forget the six packs?!) and the eternal happy ending.

The film churns out a potpourri of tried and tested success formulae, carefully handpicked from many films. Like any super-duper hit movie, OSO has everything – emotions, drama (way too much), suspense, horror (oh yes!) and action. And all of this spiced up with a dash of nostalgia – the 70’s look. Especially the song, ‘Main Agar Kahoon’ is a visual treat - the blue-tinted night, the moving scenery against the car, the full moon rising in the background forming lovely silhouettes…Farah almost romanticizes the bygone era and leaves you wanting for more. But then comes the kahani mein twist. The hero must die to come back in another era with more drama. And this is achieved by not attributing any hero-like qualities to the character. So unlike the matrix stunts of Main Hoon Na, you have Om, the superman doing ‘Udibaba’!

As for the performances, SRK doesn’t have to try too hard to fit into the 70’S melodramatic role – overacting comes naturally to him. Deepika looks ravishing and Shreyas is adorable. As for Kiron Kher – she could have replaced Madhubala in Mughal-E-Azam ;). Towards the end, the real heroes of the movie – all the crew members - are honoured on the red carpet in patent Farah style.

Overall, OSO is to be seen not so much for the stardom but for the sheer amount of hard work that has gone into making a visually appealing film.

Happy Diwali :)

Came across this flyer a couple of days back. Check out the spellings at the bottom :P

My Favourite Jingles :)

I was going through some of the best TV commercials India has produced and then, I thought of taking note of the best jingles that have won the hearts of millions:

Tan ki shakti, mann ki shakti…Bournvita
Nope, boost wasn’t the secret of my energy; it was Bournvita and the credit goes to this very catchy jingle. Even the latest ‘epang, opang, jhapang’ is quite popular.

Tandurusti ki raksha karta hai Lifebuoy
Yes, the red coloured brick with a strong smell was (and continues to be) one of the highest selling soaps in India. Do not remember any other soap that became popular owing to its jingle.

Buland bharat ki buland tasveer…Hamara bajaj
It’s not only about the song but also the product with which you were so attached some years ago. Remember those scooters which had to be tilted on one side? The song rings a note of patriotism (I don’t know why, but it does.) One of the finest jingles produced till date.

Kurram kurram…Lijjat papad
People dressed in rabbit costumes and a bunch of people dancing in a garden made for a really funny campaign for Lijjat papad. Nonetheless, the kurram kurram was the perfect use of onomatopoeia for these crispy papads. I also distinctly remember the little rabbit that would pop up in the end!

Jab ghar ki ronak badhani ho – Nerolac paints
Simple lyrics and a lovely tune – a perfect combination that caught one’s attention, especially during Diwali.

Zandu balm…zandu balm
Some jingles may not be great but the fact that you remember them till date – just like some stupid nursery rhymes – make them worth mentioning. Zandu balm jingle falls under that category.

Nirma…nirma...nirma detergent tikiya
Think of great jingles and you’re sure to mention this one. Over the years, the Nirma ads have changed but they still use the same jingle.

Titan
No lyrics here but Mozart’s soulful symphony mesmerizes the audience till date. The moment you hear it you know its Titan. That’s what they call ‘excellent recall value’ in advertising.

Maggi maggi maggi
Had it as a kid, have it even now – it’s the ultimate quick-dish. However, I’ve never managed to prepare it in 2 minutes.

Mera gaanv – Amul dairy
Ok, some may not recognize this one. Probably it was aired more in Gujarat. Smita Patil and shots from the movie ‘Manthan’ talk about women-empowerment and how Amul dairy has brought in a revolution. It has the feel of a navratri song, though the lyrics are in Hindi.

These were some jingles from the bygone era. As for the new ones, probably I’ll publish another post :)