Chasm

There is a chasm
Between thought and said,
And in that chasm
There is a world
Of foetus-like hydras
With countless heads,
And there is tea,
And you and me,
And silence.

दूर का आकाश

दूर का आकाश
नीला स्याह रुका सा
झुका सा
सुन्दर अपरिभाष्य,
मटमैला पनीला धुला सा
घुला सा
वैयक्तिक
स्वयं में मुड़ा सा,
अछूता सा.

If everyone were perfect

If everyone were perfect 
I would be so you 
And you would be so me 
And no-one could tell 
The rebel from the stooge.

Haiku #4

Saw the Moon God smile 
At the faces of flowers 
And I cried inside.

कल की बात

जब पहली बार
दस साल पुराना कोई क़िस्सा
याद आए ऐसे
कि बस कल की बात हो,
कोई वाक़िया, किसी ने कहा हो
कोई जुमला,
या मेरा किसी बड़े हुजूम का हिस्सा हो जाना
ज़ेहन में महसूस करना
पूरे जहां को
और इस एहसास की याद,
याद आए ऐसे
कि बस कल की बात हो
तो सचमुच ऐसा लगता है
कि जैसे बचपन बड़ा सुहाना था.

Strings Concert Review

It was one Saturday I had waited for for the entire week with eagerness fit for a 2 month old kitten exposed to the smell of fish for the first time. Strings were performing at Ramjas and I was getting to attend. AD (a good friend, love you pal) had casually mentioned it to D last Monday when she had called him to ask after him & then D called me and said Strings. So I traded insults over sms with AD and secured my pass. Anyhoo, the d-day arrived and I at about 6 o'clock I was dodging traffic in front of Ramjas and jostling with teen aged delinquents to get in. After some hiccups, (it would have helped if I had my gate pass to show the guys at the gate but AD had to be all bureaucratic about it, but anyway) I was in. Yay! But my enthusiasm almost completely evaporated when I realised there was no way I was going to get to see the band perform from up close. AD had no inclination to jostle with the rabble and I didn't want to go alone. Then the impossible happened. There I was going on and on about how crazy I was for Bilal and Faisal and AD suddenly says do you really want to meet them and I was like hell yes could you really arrange that and gosh I sound like a sixteen year old. Ho hum, breath in breath out. Wokay. So we went to the makeshift backroom and they were sitting right there. Bilal and Faisal. In the flesh. Bilal has such piercing eyes. Faisal smiles like a boy of six. We shook hands and then I came away. The next few minutes are a little hazy in my head but I've been told I called or smsed friends and pretty much made a complete fool of myself shrieking at the top of my lungs about the incident. AD was at a loss to understand what had happened to me, thankfully there were people like AS around to share my euphoria with. Sigh.

Wait this was supposed to be a review of the concert. Right, about that. Wish my enthusiasm extended to the concert. Sure they started with a bang. They sang old concert favourites like Na Jaane Kyon and Ye hai Meri Kahani. The audience was lapping it up and Faisal being Faisal had the audience in his thrall. But then someone from the audience threw a stone at them. From where I was standing I couldn't clearly see who was hit or how badly but it effectively brought the concert to a standstill. The band packed up and left. The organisers ranted on the stage as we speculated about whether they'd come back or not. I decided to come away but was stopped in the nick of time. They came back. Wish the magic of the first half had come back too. It sadly didn't. It may have something to do with the fact that that instead of singing their own songs they performed Bollywood songs from the 80's and early 90's. I could bear even enjoy Janoo Meri Jaan if it were sandwiched between Duur and Kahani Mohabbat Ki. But having to listen to that and Khambhe Jaisi Khadi Hai with only So Ja to go back to, I found myself talking to strange kids or watching other strange kids gyrate madly to the tunes in what had to be a heavily sloshed state. I came away mildly annoyed but all such feelings were well covered by a cover-all umbrella of feelgood. I had shaken hands with Faisal Kapadia.

Film Review: (500) Days of Summer

I should tell you upfront, this is not a critical review. I loved the film. So if you are looking for a balanced piece that tells you both the good and the bad, look elsewhere. (Come back! I was joking. You are the only one who read this blog.) The reason why this review took so long to write -- I saw it for the first time about two months ago -- is that I just didn't know where to start. So I'll abandon all attempts at structure and begin with whatever comes first to mind. And that has to be Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

JGL is easily one of best young actors today. He's effortless, he does angry very well, and he has an extremely expressive face. There is this scene where he explodes at Zooey Deschanel's character and man he's good. He's gooood... "Did you check if she said 'hey' or 'hi' 'cos 'hey' would mean she's lesbian." Hahah. Sorry for the random quote. But some of the dialogues are now etched in my brain. Can't help spouting them. The dialogues are quite fresh which is surprising because none of the incidents are particularly new. The most amazing thing about the movie is that it uses stuff that's been tried before and does something different with it. Coming back to JGL, he's great as the everyman average Joe, Tom. It's very easy to identify with Tom. The time when he plays The Smiths in the office just so he could get a response from Summer is such an ouch-I-feel-ya-dawg moment. I do things like that. I know people who do things like that. And the way he tries to get Summer's attention and approval, like when he fiddles with the sink taps, is almost heart-wrenching. Much of the credit goes to the script writer. The script is the soul of the film. It's so everyday yet not cliched. The editing is masterful. Half the magic of the film lies in the editing. The constant back-and-forth puts the the changes that the relationship goes through over time in sharp contrast. And then there is the expectation/reality scene. Story of my life. In the park bench scene at the end the way JGL looks at Zooey, it's impossible for me to describe it, I was yelping inside like a wounded puppy. Zooey Deschanel is a fine fine actor. Her characterization of Summer is so good that I almost hate her. Not easily pulled off especially since Summer is not given as detailed a subjectivity as Tom.

The soundtrack of the film is carefully put together. Not one false note. Loved absolutely loved all the songs. The Smiths are my new favorite band. Guess what I am listening to as I write this. And if a double-decker bus/ crashes into us/ to die by your side/ is such a heavenly way to die. Sigh. Mumm-Ra is a blast from the past -- heard them in Top of the Pops when I was in high school -- it's such a shame they broke up. Carla Bruni's Quelqu'un ma d'it , Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap, Hero by Regina Spektor, Hall & Oates's You Make my Dreams, even the songs they sing at the Karaoke bar, all are totally dead on. Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh Sugar town.

Since this review's been in the pipelines for too long, I'm getting impatient to put it out. But before I finish I have to mention Matthew Gary Gubler (Paul, what a looker!) Geoffrey Arend (McKenzie) and Chloe Moretz (Rachel). And oh don't miss the LA Darshan with all the beautiful buildings seen from interesting angles. Did I mention the graphics? Among the best and most innovatively used in recent times. I must stop now and very strongly recommend this film. If you're a friend who know my taste in films then you know what to do. If you don't personally know me, trust me on this one.