LOVED BY ALL

WHERE DOES IT HEAD: - To a certain extent like Farah Khan (who made Om Shanti Om), Zoya Akhtar too draws upon her insight into the Hindi film industry and gives us a gem called Luck By Chance. This film is an insider's perspectives into Bollywood right from frame one. A ten on ten for the opening credits sequence, which takes you behind the arc lights and the glamour of showbiz. Followed by the credits come Sona (Konkana Sen) who arrives in Bombay with her dreams of becoming a film star. Wide eyed but ambitious, she does whatever it takes, to make it. She lives on her own in a rented residence - a luxury for most in this full of life city and spends her time with a diverse crew of loyal friends whose lives are also intertwined with Bollywood, each one in search of a bigger dream. Vikram (Farhan Akhtar) the protagonist has just moved to the City leaving the comforts of his parents Delhi Home. He is a mover, he is used to getting what he wants and is smart enough to know when to demand it and when to manipulate it. He is young and handsome, and full of promise. Sona begins to enjoy Vikram's attention and affections; they develop a romantic relationship. Rolly (Rishi Kapoor) is a successful though superstitious producer who only works with the biggest stars. He is making a prospective blockbuster launching the nubile Nikki, the 18-year-old daughter of 70's superstar, Neena (Dimple Kapadia). The hero of the film, Zaffar Khan (Hrithik Roshan), is Rolly's favorite superstar. He was launched by Rolly and went on to become a huge draw at the box office. The wheels of fate indeed continue to spin favorably for Vikram, as elsewhere in the industry, havoc spreads on the sets of producer Rolly's new film. Vikram is called in for an audition and uses this opportunity to the fullest. The film is about a slice of Bollywood life, in which luck plays a huge role. Luck By Chance is a current tale set in a world desperate to escape its own reality. THE RIGHT: - The highpoint of the film are its performances. There are some lovely little moments like the star daughter in a super short skin-tight outfit struggling to touch her producer's feet without splitting a closure. But what makes Luck By Chance compelling, is the layers beneath the laughs. Both Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen are complete naturals before the camera, just as Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia prove that vintage never does lose its flavour, does it! The taunts are gentle, the tone is warmhearted, yet firm. It shows that showbiz is a clinically cruel place. This is a world where fortunes change every Friday and as a dance director tells Sona, once you are successful, you belong to no one. This is a world in which privately, even a successful producer like Rolly weeps because a superstar whom he created, won't return his calls.But most importantly, the characters are completely real: lively and flawed, even as the end is bracing

THE WRONG There are parts of Luck by Chance that may not translate to outsiders and in long stretches, the film gets slow and clunky. But, you've got to cruise along patiently, since success and self-identity are things that cannot be attained in a split second. Not in reel or real life.

WHERE TO HEAD: - Watch Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen grow from nobody to somebody in an industry which is harsh, brutal, nasty and non-compromising, and you are sure to get your paisa vasool

BACK TO SQUARE ONE

“The rein of fear”. No, it is not a new Hollywood caper, it is what 2008 will be remembered as, if at all. While our country was attacked in a blatant and brutal manner, the story of fear within the film industry started much earlier, and that too cloaked in the corporate garb. It was like a alien attack from Mars on the unsuspecting mortals of bollywood. The corporate tentacles moved fast and ruthlessly without caring if any one was crushed or killed. The giants moved around with huge bags stuffed with what seemed to be like endless amounts of money, sharp teeth and a hunger which defied logic.
The hearts, souls and minds of a few stars were the first victim, their hefty demands the price for their loyalty. Money was literally thrown all over without knowing what they were doing, where their money was going and what their money would yield.
“There is a answer for need, but none for greed.”
Over time it was as if a industry which had so far run on passion had suddenly gone blind, lost its senses. Then fate stuck its first blow. Film after film met its doom at the box office. The industry was sent staggering.
As if that was not enough, the global recession, the biggest financial depression since 1929 raised its hood. It was as if a villain had adopted Shar Rukh Khans dialogue and was saying”Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost” The industry had no chance to wake up to the new challenges, effect some kind of damage control. Suddenly the giants were seen reeling and looking for cover. Soon the flow of money stopped and desperate heads of the corporate world were looking for ways out but it was too late. The end of 2008 almost saw the beginning of the end.
It was during this dark hour that two good films brought some light back into the industry. ‘Rab ne bana di jodi’ and ‘Gajini’ released towards the end of 2008 which were very big hits and gave the industry a new lease of life and some reason to rejoice
The worst though is still not behind us. The financial crunch is reaching critical proportions. A large number of films have stopped mid way. New films are not being launched, shooting schedules getting postponed.
It is said that there are some lessons for which one has to pay a price. The price of greed has been paid, hopefully the industry will remember the lesson for the future.

why do we greet with a namaste?

Indians greet each other with “Namaste”. This welcoming is for all – people younger than us, of our own age, those older than us, friends and even strangers. There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shaastras of which “Namaskaaram” is one. It refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a namaste.

Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural principle or an act of worship. However there is much more to it than meets the eye. In Sanskrit “Namaha” literally is interpreted as ‘na ma” (not mine). It has a spiritual connotation of reducing one’s ego in the presence of another. The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet another, we do so with namaste, which means “may our minds meet”, it’s a form of extending love and humility. The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the holiness, the self or the lord in me is the same in all. Recognizing this oneness we salute the holiness in the person we meet. The gesture is often accompanied by words like “Ram Ram”; “Jai Shri Krishnna” ; “Hari Om” etc….indicating the recognition of this holiness.

When we know this significance; our greeting does not remain just a superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper spiritual union with another in an atmosphere of love and respect.

Why Do People Blog?

It is said, first there was a word and from it the world was bornIn the modern era, first there was the Internet and in that Blogs galore were born is more apt.A blog is the evolved version of a personal diary. Its a space where in a person can write anything, personal thoughts, articles, infotainment, general rambling or even venting out their frustrations at large.With no set format and the freedom to express, the blogger can use the written word in any manner they so choose.Blogging has become a booming new internet phenomenon for the writing community for many reasons. First of all, by definition, it offers writers freedom of speech in a published format for any viewer to read. Any thought, any emotion, any artistic piece can be posted within minutes giving a writer an immediate sense of gratification for their work.A blog promotes a sense that one's words are valuable and meaningful to viewers who often become loyal readers of some bloggers sites.Then there is also a financial angel to it. Especially if a blog attracts eyeballs, it also attracts advertisers willing to pay per click on their banners. Often blogging site offer it's blogger a percentage of this ad revenue.Blogs are a boon for people aspiring to take up serious writing in the future. They help such aspirants gain confidence in their writing skills. Consistent reader interest or viewer traffic to any page is like a proof of concept, an indication of the works potential.It is one thing to sit diligently, in solitude, typing away with perseverance and dedication, one's treasured novel or poem, believing one's work is great, but it is another when readers, people one does not know, actually take the time to read one's work, come back and read the posts regularly, and even take the time to leave a comment.This can do wonders for a writer's belief in their self and their dreams.Beyond the serious writers, a blogging site also offers a platform for people who just want to express their "voice". People who are passionate about something as use the blogs as a tool to get their message across the world.And finally, blogs with their infinite reach are a favourite as a free advertising vehicle. If you have something you are trying to promote on a limited budget, what better way to achieve this than to write a post. This instant reach does not cost the marketers a single penny!So, whatever be your trip in life, it pays to have a blog

GOD V/S BLACK MAGIC

Magic is supposed to be the use of non visible forces to change the course of events. Some people say White magic is good and black magic is evil. Black magic seeks to do harm, while white magic seeks to hear. White magic is about life and black magic deals with death.The perception of Good and Evil in itself is so relative that all these opinions on good and bad magic end up being only that, subjective opinions.This paradoxical topic is getting.a large canvas this August in the form of two much awaited movies.The first is Phoonk, a story that revolves around an atheist, whose beliefs are challenged when his loved ones encounter strange unexplained forces. His rationale is unable to accept it but it is difficult to ignore these occurrences altogether. The other protagonist of Phoonk is a obsessed devotee whose faith in God is shaken by the traumatic events she has faced.Turn to the other extreme, God Tussi Great Ho has an angry Salman Khan cursing God for making his life miserable only to find, to his astonishment, God appearing before him in human form.Not only that, God endows him with all of his divine powers and challenges Salman to take on the big job and see if he can do it any better. Now it is to be seen if God has more power over the box office or will the devil blow the crowd towards phook.I am not sure about the movies but the box office battle of God v/s Evil will be worth watching

SINGH IS KINNG

WHERE DOES IT HEAD: - Lakhan Singh aka Lucky (Sonu Sood) is the 'king' of the Australian underworld accompanied by his acquaintances (played by Javed Jaffrey, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma, Kamal Chopra and Sudhanshu Pande.) Far away, in a small village in Punjab, where Lucky was born, there exists someone more dishonorable than him - Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar). The village is fed up of his generosity of spirit, which has resulted in a number of hilariously ruinous situations. Out of desperation, they decide to send him to Australia to bring Lucky back to Punjab, as his disgraceful deeds were damaging their image in Australia. They plan this in order to keep Happy out of the village for some time. Happy The happy-go-lucky, taking his charge a bit too seriously, goes on board accompanied by his friend, Tony (Om Puri), who hates Happy for setting up all the plan.The high point of his journey is his when he by chance meets up with Sonia (Katrina Kaif) with whom he falls in love, but upon reaching his destination, things take an uncertain turn as he runs into a series of comic calamities, leaving him penniless. He is fortunate to find warmth, love and affection in an elderly lady (Kirron Kher) who helps him meet Lucky.In a bizarre turn of events, an attempt on Lucky's life is thwarted by a well-intentioned Happy who fights off the attackers by risking his own life. Following the hilarious dispute, Lucky lands up in hospital paralyzed, and Happy, unexpectedly, finds the tables turned on him when he is expected to assume the role of the new 'kinng'!The series of confusion; shocks and comic misunderstandings that ensure eventually result in deliverance and an accidental wedding!
THE RIGHT: - Akshay lights up the screen every time he comes on, it is an out and out Akshay film. Om Puri is seen in a good role and he compliments well with Akshay to give the best moments of “laughter”. The music is loud and vibrant. In true Sardar style and the characters, keeping the Sardar’s in mind. What's appealing is that every actor who is not a sardar carries off the get up so well that it's difficult to distinguish a real Sardar. Five on five to the costume designer who has added color in the movie to go with the vibrant community. Katrina Kaif and Neha Dhupia both offer excellent support in their own way to the film.
THE WRONG: - The first half skims through without a hitch. There are certain flaws that crop up in the second half; the loose editing of two songs, which appear abruptly between scenes and disappear as quickly, and a sub-plot, which could have been done without.
WHERE TO HEAD: - The North Indians are going to go “wah wah” over the new Kinng while the overseas market is sure to gather in a huge turnover. Thus go ahead and watch it as it is an out-and-out entertainer; guaranteed to bring on the laughs.

NONU AND DALU

People called me keyboard but my husband called me Dalu. Today he is no longer there with me people called him laptop screen but I called him Nonu. But today his place is empty. I remember 5 years back when we both met it was love at first sight. I felt I got married when a chord connected me to him. He and I came alive together we complimented each other perfectly. In five years we never got separated we didn't even argue. In this five years we read beautiful mails together some were funny, some were romantic, some were happy while some were sad. We went through all the emotions. We visited many sites but at times he was burdened with a lot of junk files and I would pray those days that the junk should get cleared from his head as it would trouble him and I couldn't see him in pain. We even traveled far and wide. It would be fun to visit new places regularly. But the memories of my favorite place are Dubai as we had gone there for our honeymoon there. They say life has unexpected turns in the same fashion our beautiful life took unexpected turn when we met with an accident. I got saved but Nonu was hurt. I cried for two days as nobody came to check him he was just blank I knew he was in coma. I was very worried I prayed hard and then god sent our doctor whom people call as computer engineer but even after the necessary treatment Nonu was not completely alright all of a sudden he would start shivering and our master would say oh my god screen is flickering, I tried my best to tell him everything will be fine but he knew he would never be the same he would get sudden blackouts and I would not know what to do. Our doctor had regular visits at our house I would pray day and night I didn't want to loose him but I had learnt the divine has his own rules for us we are just puppets in his hand. Nonu knew that he would have to leave me soon and I would keep telling him what I will do after you I cannot even think of a life without you. He would keep saying that you will not be lonely. I would always think why he says like this did he think that I didn't love him so much that I would die without him. One day he had a sudden black out and then he didn't come back to life. A few days after his death I was sitting with my master and watching a programme on television with my master in that programme they spoke about good spirits becoming an angel and I knew then that my Nonu has become an angel. Suddenly I saw the doctor I wondered when Nonu is not there why is the doctor come again is there anyway that he can get my Nonu back but he himself said that Nonu can never come back what is it that he has got in that box. I heard the doctor saying "sir new screen" I cried to Nonu where are you Nonu how can you let me get attached to somebody else but then I softly heard a whisper saying that its me Nonu and I have chosen this new screen for you so that you are not left alone and he said that he will always be with me as my guiding angel. I replied to him saying that Nonu I don't think so I will be able to accept this new relationship but Nonu in his own way whispered I know Dalu but time is a big healer and I will live with peace in this new world only if I see you smile and for my sake you have to move ahead and tie the knot again. Before I could reply anything divine tied the knot between me and Knot it is now six months I love Raahil but no one can replace my love my feelings for Nonu