OMG!! Did (S)He create it all?

Disclaimer:
1. This is not a work of fiction or a humorous post, so people who have come to laugh their asses out, shoo...

2. I intend to hurt many religious sentiments. So if you are a religious fanatic, shoo...

3. This is an objective take on God and Religion. It may or may not be my take on these matters. So anyone who wants to ask me my view on religion, shoo...


Cool!! So I am absolved of any sins due to blasphemy that I may incur. Now, lets get down to business.

THE BIG BANG: The beginning of it all

This is the most widely accepted theory about the start of the universe. The Universe started one fine day, some 13.7 billion years ago. That is considered to be the start of of time. Before that, all that we see was a gravitational singularity, which had infinite density and temperature.

Space time curvature at this point of time was infinite. That means anything that happened before the big bang is inconsequential and has got no meaning in today's world. This is a smackdown on the theories about the seven days of genesis or the day and night of Brahma ( though the duration of day and night calculated by the Hindus, 8.4 billion years, comes quite close to the accepted age of the universe).

Now some may argue that the Big Bang, in fact, accentuates the presence of a being who created the bang in the first place. After all the universe came out from a state of "nothingness" or creation ex nihilo. Well, I am game for all such explanations. Are you?

EVOLUTION : The earth gets lively

When the Milky Way (the galaxy our sun is in) was thrown away from the centre of the Big Bang, a tiny planet orbiting a medium sized star in the inner rim of the Orion Arm, between the larger Perseus and Sagittarius arms of the galaxy started to cool down. This third planet of this star was somehow at the perfect place, with the perfect materials required for the start of life form (or what we consider to be life).

To quote the wikipedia:

Highly energetic chemistry is believed to have produced a self-replicating molecule around 4 billion years ago, and half a billion years later the last common ancestor of all lifecame into being. The The development of photosynthesis allowed the Sun's energy to be harvested directly by life forms; the resultant oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere and formed in a layer of ozone (a form of molecular oxygen [O3]) in the upper atmosphere.

The incorporation of smaller cells within larger ones resulted in the development of complex cells called
eukaryotes. True multicellular organisms formed as cells within colonies became increasingly specialized. Aided by the absorption of harmful ultraviolet radiation by the ozone layer, life colonized the surface of Earth.

If we notice through all these, we never see a hand of God creating a being or even prodding it to the next level of evolution. The life forms started growing due to a freak chemical synthesis. If we take into consideration the probabilities, its very natural that we are here. In billions of billions of stars, if one planet has got an intelligent life form, then its just chance.

THEOLOGY : When man decided to take all into his hands

When the early (wo)man walked on the earth, and looked up at the sky he was bewildered. When he faced the natural calamities, lightning, thunder, earthquakes, storms, he was terrified. When he saw the birth of a new child, the growth of a tree, various shaped creatures, he was mystified. There was only one question in his mind : who did all these?

He decided to put an end to all his inquisitiveness and pull out a new rabbit from the empty hat : GOD.

All that was unfathomable, due to the primitive understanding of the world around us, was attributed to the act of God. God also started coming in different shapes and sizes. There was a God for Lightning, a God for the furious seas, a God for the mighty mountains, a God for the big trees, a God for the deadly animals, a God for life and a God even for death. And all these Gods wanted sacrifice from the humans. This was the height of pagan worship.

Then came men who wanted to put a method to these madness. Budhdha, Christ, Prophet Mohammad, to name a few were guys who wanted to show the humanity that the real God is within them. They believed that we need to give up our barbarism and work for the common good of mankind.

But then some greedy men overtook their beliefs, added some myths here and there and 'Godified' them. After all religion is a big business. Heck, the Church is the biggest landlord of us all.

Religious history is full of people who started as normal human beings and worked for the love of the mankind but then were mystified and cut out to be saints. The nearest example I can think of is Sai baba. Go figure out your own examples.

Note : All the blogs I have ever read has got a post or two about God. Now that I consider myself to be the greatest blogger of all **smirk** how can I be left behind.

Why is Bangalore so costly?

Damn it man!! I am pissed off with this city. Everything here comes with a premium price tag attached to it.

At first I thought only the PVRs and the Inoxes are expensive here. What with their absolutely overpriced popcorns and pepsies they must be earning some cool moolah, eh?

But then not only cinema and rentals, there are a hell lot of other things which are more than costly in Bangalore. I have been to almost all the Metros and I find that Bangalore, coupled with its shitty infrastructure, is the most expensive city in India.

The worst thing is the attitude of the people who provide the basic amenities. Most of them try to cheat you to the last penny you have.

Auto-fare here is second only to Mumbai. And still when you ask an auto wallah to go somewhere which he doesn't fancy, all you will get is an idiotic frown and a laid back answer "Illa saar". In case he agrees it is more than 20% chance that his meter has been rigged. Not only this, when they drop you at your destination you will be asked " Saar itna kamata, 10 rupa extra deo". What the hell!!

Now, don't think that this is the story of only the thick skinned auto wallahs. Go to a flashy supermarket and buy a month's stock worth 3K. Chances are that you have just been cheaten by 100 bucks ( atleast ). This is no hearsay, I have myself caught the Health n Glow people in the swanky Forum Forum Mall where they charged me extra Rs. 30 on a bill of just Rs. 550. When confronted they shamelessly told that it was a mistake and refunded me the money. I asked for a complaint number and was told " Saar, you earn so much y do u wanna complain for such a small amount".

Go for a flat for rent , the room the size of the bathroom at ur native place will cost you monthly 3-4K (in k'mangla 6K). Ask the PD why and he will say " Saar, 30 hazar kamata hai, mahina mein itna to rent dena hi mangta hai naa". Damn it man!!

Go to buy a flat and the shittiest place in the whole world will cost you at least Rs. 2200 per square feet. And the real estate agent will shamelessly tell you " Saar, you work for such a big company like #%$#!. I know you have twice the bank balance".

I mean what is this bro... All the negotiations start with a quote on your salary.

This is a very sad state of affairs. If the lethargic government (which is happy siphoning off money in the name of the so-called futuristic and developement oriented projects) doesn't do anything fast to curb this fraudalent mindset then the day is not far away when the IT industry will start looking for better destinations(as we already see Kochi, Chennai and Hyderabad are fast becoming favoured more than Bangalore).

I luved the city that B'lore use to be and had always dreamed of settling in B'lore but dunno how long I can bear this painful strangulation of the Garden City.

Google Adsense is really intelligent!!

Check this out... Its a damn cool coincidence!

Today when I checked into my blog after a long day, I saw my google ad banner showing an amazing collection of ads. There is an ad for a Divorce lawyer, followed by a Matchmaker, followed by a Internet Dating site and then a Singles ad site.

Ingenious, isn't it? You ask why. Don't you get it?

First a divorce lawyer gets you a divorce, and that too at a cheap price of S$1700 (all service taxes extra of course). Damn cheap, I tell you. I think these Indian lawyers are fleecing the prospective divorcees.

You live your life to the full for a few days. Enjoy the booze and the pubs. Watch cricket and football matches all nights with no one shouting at you. Refresh your memory by watching your porn collection again. In short have a hell of a time.

But then everyone says how sad you look. How there is no one to take care of you. How you have to remarry to bring your life back on track. You get pissed off by all the peer pressure and agree for the new marriage.

You reluctantly go to the matchmakers. You try your luck with a few sessions of going and meeting the brides to be. But then suddenly you find, no gal is ready to marry you.

If you have a face and a sense of humor like me then of course you won't have any luck. Perhaps that's why your wife left you in the first place (lucky she). Also, the already thrifty inflow to your bank balance has got a new destination... Alimony and Maintenance. No self respecting gal will marry a bozo like you.

No worries. You have a lot other options.

Join the Dating site. On the net anyone can be a James Bond. Take a pic of any of the guys with the famous 6-pack abs, photoshop your face onto it and upload it as your avatar. Voila! suddenly a new macho-you is ready to take on all the babes in the world.

Somehow you manage to coerce a girl, with the body of Salma Hayek, into talking to you. By now, you have grown smart and decide to wait before you go for the final kill. You talk to her, flatter her, cajole her before you finally decide to meet face to face. In short, you minimise your chances of rejection.

While you drive down to the nice, fancy restaurant to meet her, all the way you practice how you would tell her that for the last two months you have had loads of work and thus no time for gym. This is the only reason why the macho-you avatar has changed into the real-you.

Anyways, you reach the restaurant and you find some one waiting on the table you had reserved. Damn! Its then when you realise : You are not the smartest person on the earth. The body of Salma Hayek was really Salma Hayek's.

Suddenly you listen to your own excuse from her. Double damn! the girl not only stole your idea, she also stole your excuse. You decide to go to the washroom and sneak out from the backdoor.

Now the only way out left for you is to give a personal ad for singles on the last website and wait for a reply to come.

So now tell me, isn't this array of ads a very convenient one?

Mr Minister... Are we Indians cattles?

"Tell us Minister, next time you travel to Kerala, will it be cattle class?"

"absolutely, in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows!
"

Doesn't it sound like a conversation from the British Raj era?

Oh! How I prayed it would be. But no. It is from the present day.




Thanks a ton Shilpa! You made my day.

This time, the award comes with a baggage of rules:
  1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to five most deserving blog friends.Check.
  2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award. Check.
  3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog and link to the original post at The Scholastic Scribe which explains The Award. Check.
  4. Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit the original post at The Scholastic Scribe and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who wins This Prestigious Honor. Check.
  5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules to his/her blog. Check.

  • Shrinath Vashishtha : For his tireless blogging about the A&N Islands. His efforts has kept the little known culture and identity of the archipelago on the blog map of India.
  • Mohammed Musthafa : A kid with the wisdom of a hundred year old. Sometimes I envy his writing and creative skills.
  • Shilpa Sharma : For her latest post. For the first time in the history of (wo)mankind a girl has taken up the fight for the boys :D.... Seriously speaking, she has talent and needs to write more.

Satyamev Jayate!! Or is it??

Damn!! How could I have missed this show for so long? I am such a jackass!

This is a total entertainer. A life line for all us weak-hearted, courageless, spineless,hopeless liars. Yesterday, I came to the great realisation of my life, the ultimate truth, the nirvana of my existence:

Honesty is NEVER a great policy.

On the other hand, not being honest is a great insurance policy. All you have to do is to keep all your dirty secrets in wraps. By dirty secrets I mean the likes of :

  • you got divorced without telling anyone.
  • you had an affair with your colleague while your wife was battling with cancer at the hospital.
  • you eat non-veg like a lion AND you belong to a Jain family
  • you have a kid in some remote part of the country and his mother is not you wife.
  • you have murdered someone in a fit of rage and no one pinned it to you.

I hope you get my point.

Once you have your quota full (at least 21) of such damning, life changing experiences, go to the famed Star Parivaar Studios. There you will meet a bunch of dead brains who will ask you to strap on a lie detector. They will ask you questions from those parts of your life which only one person in the world knows about. You.

Now, call your wifey, your parents and your friends on the sets and humiliate them to the hilt. Answer all the questions truthfully, pretending as if you never wanted to. And then walk off with a cool pot full of moolah.

Hmmmm... quite a scam, isn't it? I would love to go to this place. But then I would have to have an affair, murder someone and beget a kid. Heavy!! Lemme see, lemme see... this would take at least 9 months. And the season ends this Friday. Damn, man! I just missed the bus to the moon and never realised it.

Anyways, there is always a second time and the second season.

Ah!! Before I sign off and forget about it again, I have got another award :

This was bestowed upon me by Shilpa. Thanks a ton Shilpa!

Normally, everyone would expect me to give my acceptance speech, but she has given a very flattering reason for this award and I would like to quote it:

Paritosh: Last but not the least, 3rd one is Paritosh. His blog is Fiction and life, as he calls it. Humor, stories, poems,reviews, travelogue, seriousness, Bluntness,wit and little bit of innocence; all under one roof or you can say one blog. And I would like you all to read his poem Was She To Be Blamed? , you will come to know what I am talking about.

Wow!! And I thought that I write crap. Talk about false sense of modesty!

Netas become austere

Early in the morning, well not so early in the morning, I saw this cartoon in The Times of India. This got the cogwheels of my though process churning at full speed.

Sitting on my throne, read the pot, enhanced my thinking capabilities (this is the reason why I always read newspaper in the loo). Are these netas really serious about this austerity crap? Or rather, will this I-travel-economy-class rhetoric help our economy in any way?

I am sceptical about this. And I have my reasons.

Lets sample this news piece from ibnlive :

The Congress-led UPA Government is on an austerity drive. UPA chief Sonia Gandhi flew down to Mumbai on an Air India flight and traveled in Economy class. But add to the expenses, the costs of fares for five rows reserved for the security personnel and the three SUVs flown down to Mumbai by another aircraft at the cost of rupees three lakh.

Sonia Gandhi’s status of ‘the most guarded VIP in Delhi’ necessitated that she travels with security personnel. The total expenses of the economy class travel with 15 seats in all were Rs 55,000 compared to the travel in business class with six security personnel at the cost of Rs 62,000. The savings were a mere Rs 7,000.

This is some real saving, huh!!

Anyways, I looked up the Internet and found out the meaning of austerity:

the trait of great self-denial (especially refraining from worldly pleasures)

Hmmmm... so the netas are going to give up their worldly pleasures. Wonder what will the Mallayas and Ambanis think of that.

In a country where we spend some 500 Crores a year just to let 545 bozos have fun in a big round building, I don't think we can talk of austerity. If these netas want to utilize our money better, they need to show results. We, the people, would be ecstatic if the netas save money for millions of people by governing well, allocating money properly and avoiding wastage.

To show these token reduction of costs by travelling economy is bullshit. BTW, did you hear? Rahul Gandhi has taken a train to travel to Ludhiyana. Wonder what bogey did he sit in. For the sake of all the poor passengers, I hope he didn't get on the second class compartment.

P.S. I just found out that the Shatabdi Rahul took was pelted with stones. Though Rahul was unhurt but this caused a major security concern for the normal people on the train. People who paid from their pockets and not from the deep pockets of the government machinery.

Early morning blues....

Dear Friend,

r u Facing Problem wit Cockroach, Rodent, Ants, Lizards, Bedbugs, Termite, Honey bee or any other pests call us @9663****83.

What do you do when you receive this message 4 times in a row? That too at 7 o'clock in the morning.

I got pissed off and typed in a reply message :

I am not your friend and the only pest problem right now is you guys sending me this bullshit message.

But then my Indian-ness held me back from sending the reply. I tell you, we Indians are so meek. We can take any crap, I repeat any crap, they throw at us without complaining. No wonder the angrezs ruled over us for 200 goddamn years.

Whats with this carpet bombing of marketing smses? Do these morons think I missed the message the first time? If its a technical glitch, then why the hell is it only targeting me?

I am fed up, sick and tired of these messages. Can I do something about it? I have heard about DND services. I have always thought of starting one on my number but then I always forget about it.

Or maybe, I love getting smses about a flat at dirt cheap rates of 49.97 Lacks and free Benetton Sunglasses. BTW, the flat is of just 1200 square feet and situated on the NH4, about 10 kms from the city. Oh! Wouldn't I love spending some sixty - seventy lacks on a house in which I cannot live; as I can't afford to commute for two and a half hours every day. And the Benetton guys need 499/- only for shipping charges. As if they are going to ship it to me from US of A.

I love such messages because they give me something to dream about. And they come only once or twice a day. That too in the afternoons.

But after today's episode, I am totally pissed off. I am gonna get my carrier to put a full stop to these con tricks of the marketing guys.

Concoction for a successful married life

Disclaimers:
  1. These views are from a guy. It has got no point-of-view of a girl. So please don't expect it to have one.
  2. If you don't like straight in your face remarks then no need to read further.
  3. This is a very scary post, written in a momentary lapse of better judgement.
  4. Still there? You are a brave one. Welcome to the club.

Yesterday one of my friends asked me a stupid, weird question, "What is the secret of a successful marriage?".

I thought, "Is he really talking to me?".

Am I the right person to answer this question? Me? Who has been married just for 2 years?

This is my albatross. People (specially my friends) mistake me to be a loveguru. Someone asks me for an advice on how to deal with his girlfriend. Some one asks me to cajole his girlfriend to marry him. And now this question.

Just because I am married, and they are not, doesn't make me a smartass. I am just as dumb in these matters as they are. I want to scream out to anyone who cares to listen, "I am also a normal confused adult in his mid-twenties. I am also coming to terms with the realities of life. "

Anyways, this question led me down an analysis path, and its impossible to rein in my thoughts unless I give shape to them. I want to give words to my observations. Hence this post.

Now, there are two phases of marriage, pre and post. The duration of happiness in your marriage depends on your decisions and actions in both these phases.

Pre Marriage

Before you decide to marry a girl, you have to be sure that she is the one. Three parameters which help you judge this are:

1. Would you like to wake up and see this face every morning, 10 years from now?

I know this question has been in every cookbook for knowing if "She is the one". But then this is the most important question.

I love the series Coupling from BBC. In one episode, Steve says "There are no stockings". This is the ultimate truth of a relationship. Times change, girls change. Period.

The slim, shiny angel of yours WILL not live for ever. They will turn fat. They will have wrinkles. They will loose hair. So if you are marrying for beauty then take a u-turn and run as fast as you can.

2. Can you put up with her idiosyncrasies?

Her stupid questions, on which you laugh at now and say, "Oh sweetheart! You are such a cute little stupid angel", will turn into nagging.

Suppose you are watching a cricket match. India is in its last overs in a crucial match against Pakistan. Its a world cup final and the match hangs by a damn thin thread. Suddenly your sweetheart stands up and says, "I am bored, tell me a story. NOW". OK. She won't say this but then she may say something as stupid. Are you ready to handle this?

3. Does she fit in your family?

It doesn't matter where she is from, or what religion she is from or what culture she belongs to. What matters is, will she be able to adapt for the 15 days every year you go to meet your parents? Compromises are the ugly truth of life. Is she ready for it?

Every guy carries a deep love for his mum and dad. Whether he shows it openly or not is another story altogether. So, if his wife starts finding faults with his parents then the trouble starts. This not only disturbs his mind but also affects the marriage.

So look for a girl, who will respect your parents. She may never love them as much as she does her parents. But then she must give as much respect.


Hmmmm... that completes it.

The first two conditions are infallible. Girls age. Girls ask stupid questions. Be it Sharone Stone or Marie Curie. She will grow to be an old nag. Be prepared for it.

So it all depends on how much you love the girl. And how much you can take for her sake.

The third condition needs to be fulfilled by the girl. She needs to understand that at the very depths of our hearts, we all guys are momma's boys. We have grown up respecting only one woman all our lives. We can't bear to listen to her shortcomings from the other love of our life.

Post Marriage

So, you have found out the girl of your dreams and have married her. Now what?

Is this the end of the tunnel? Have you found out the light at last? Have you found moksha?

Dfinitely not dude. Marriage is a constant struggle. Most of the times all the odds will be stacked up against you. There will be pressure of society, parents, peers, siblings and wife to perform. To win a race in which you are running alone. People will expect you to behave in a certain way and with dignity.

Goodbye daru parties. Goodbye sutta. Goodbye bathing once in a month. Goodbye a lot of things.

There will be a stranger (or maybe a not so stranger in case you had a live in before marriage) in the bedroom commanding you to take a bath before you sleep. What the hell is the point of taking a bath when you are going to sleep? Dude... you will never knwo this secret, but you will have to do it.

You will have your side of the bed, your part of the wardrobe, your side of the TV remote. Your bike and your PC won't remain the first love of your lives.

"Wait! Its not what I signed on for", you will cry every night. But then, you have signed the contract and you will have to honor the code.

So how to live in such a constrained world, where you have a little or no choice at all?

Here is the hitchhiker's guide to have a successful marriage:

1. Never build up expectations.

We guys pamper our gals in the initial stages of our courtship. Give them everything they lay their eyes on. Even the stars and the moons. Wish them on their birthdays, their parents birthdays, their neighbour's dog's birthday. Celebrate all your anniversaries. First kiss, first touch, first eye contact, bloody first time you two saw each other's photos on Facebook.

But then that's how we are supposed to behave, isn't it? I know.

However, what after you get married? You start forgetting her medicine routines, her ration lists, paying the electricity bill, the phone bill. There are tons of things you start forgetting. This is when the fun starts. She expects you to be the same you were in the first few weeks of courtship. Can you live up to the expectations?

So the best approach is that you keep her expectations low right from the word go. In this case every time you remember some thing, she will be totally smashed.

On a serious note, try to be the same. I know its difficult but then to raise expectations and then break her heart is not done, right?

2. Kiss and say sorry.

Never expect her to say sorry even if she is on the 'other' side of the argument. There is only one golden rule "Wife is never wrong". Say sorry and pacify her first. No use shouting at her when both of you are angry. Once she is pacified, try to reason out with her. I know, I know... its very difficult to reason with your wife. But then so is to see her in pain, isn't it?

Never let your fights go on for more than a day. Never, never sleep on one. Always sort it out before it turns into an ugly, monstrous rift.

Small fights bring out the best in marriage, but the longer ones bring in divorce.

3. Try and help her out in her daily chores.

Nothing keeps a woman more happy than a man who helps her out in the household chores. Remember that she was also a part of a family where she was never allowed in the kitchen. She was never expected to do the dishes and clean up the house. So, she is as new to these things as you are.

Once in a while cook for her. Maybe a simple toast and tea. But then do it. She won't ever expect a seven course meal but then she will love to see you try.

4. Gift her as often as you can.

Small gifts. Flowers. Chocolates. Jewellery. An unexpected movie date. The list is endless. You need to keep the fire alive.

She makes a lot of sacrifices for you. Cooks for you, washes out your dirty clothes, heck she even makes you bath twice a day. She definitely deserves a show of gratitude.

5. Keep the passion alive.

You need to stoke the fire in your marriage. There is tonnes of literature on the net as well as the bookstalls on how to have a passionate sex life. Its the most important secret ingredient to a successful married life.

6. Be honest.

Honesty is the best policy, specially in an intimate relationship as marriage. Trust is the only virtue which will save your marriage when confronted with ugly situation.

7. Keep talking.

You need to have a constant conversation going on between the two of you. Trust me, nothing can diffuse a situation as amicably as having an honest discussion about what happened. Never ever clam up. Speak out your likes and dislikes. This will make clear your expectations.

Whooo!! The post ran long. Marriage indeed needs a lot of hard work. But when the going is smooth (as it does mostly) its the best relationship in the world. You need to smoothen out the rough edges though.

Hope you all have a great married life. Good luck and God bless!!

An Indian SuperHero Flick

A thought has been nagging me for the last few days. When ADA group can invest 400 odd million greenbacks in movies with American superheroes, why can't we have one from India. And no, I am not talking about a movie about Shaktiman. Drona doesn't count as a superhero either. At the best, he is a great grump but no superhero.

Lets have a movie based on our favorite superheroes from Raj comics. Nagraj and Super Commando Dhruv. WHAT!! You don't know them? Damn man!! You don't deserve to live in India. These are our Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Chaddiman, every man rolled in one. I can go on and on about the heroics of these two. After all, I have followed them for 20 long years. But I won't. Go to the nearest bookstore and get a Raj comics. They will rock your world. You can trust me on this.

Now, coming to the cast, I have Hritick Roshan as Nagraj and Amir Khan as SCD. Both fit the bill perfectly. Hritick has the height and physique to pull it off in the green suit. He even has the natural curls like Nagraj. Amir Khan, post Ghajini has got the looks and the physique. He also looks smart enough to potray a person with super thinking capabilities.

As for the story is concerned, we can have their childhood and upbringing being shown in a parallel way. As the movie nears the climax, we can have a clash between the two as they fight the same bad bad man (Our very own Gullu). The tension builds up before they come to know both fight against the dark, evil forces and then join hands to beat the shit off Gullu. Ta da. A great movie with all great action scenes. It will earn more than Batman Returns and Superman Returns combined.

The VFX can be done by our own desi animators sitting in Bangalore and Bombay. When they can work on movies like Matrix and Madagascar, they must be truly world class, isn't it? I personally know a few who can do these.

A R Rahman can give the OSTs, and wait for one more Oscar perhaps. We can have Papa Rakesh Roshan as the director. He has got experience in directing superheroes, remember Krrish?

Do Aankhen Barah Haath

Last time I watched this movie, I was a 10 year old kid.

Those were the days of Doordarshan, frequent "Sorry for the Interruption"s and power cuts. Economic liberalisation of India was going on in full swing, with the PV Narasimha Rao & Co. working full time to repay the loan by the IMF. How do I know all these when I was just a kid then? Wikipedia. Its the mahagyani encyclopedia, remember?

Coming back to the movie, all that I remembered is the song "Aye Malik tere Bande hum". Sung by Lata Mangeshkar and written by Bharat Vyas, its melody touches your heart. I also remembered that it was an awesome movie.

When I told biwi about this movie, she wanted to watch it. We searched all over Bangalore for the DVD, even placed order with Landmark twice, but couldn't find it. Luckily when we went, last weekend, to the new Landmark in Jaynagar, we saw it on the stalls. Biwi hastily picked it up lest we miss it again.

Yesternight after we saw the movie, I realised I was a connoisseur of movies even when I was a kid. It is really an awesome movie.

I won't spoil the fun of the movie by telling the story here. Its a must watch for any movie buff and is a masterpiece by V. Shantaram. Its a movie based on the gandhian principles and is one of the best exponents of this genre. Way better than Lage Raho.

Before I sign off, I want to say is that is the first Indian film to win a Golden Globe Award.