Goodbye 2013

Last day of the year MMXIII A.D. Time to bid goodbye to year gone by while ushering in the new. Also time to take stock and to move forward.

The year gone by began with lots of experiences to be soaked in. A play, a fashion show, a small boat trip, another in-stadium match, some travel. All in the first half of the year. Then came health issues, all minor but more of the irritating kind (guess the side-effects of being on the wrong side of 30). And most of the second half of the year was spent trying to find some time to relax. Work is interfering too much into actual life.

• Highlights of the year - Has to be walking on the Misty roads of Mahabaleshwar; Also marking our first anniversary over an extended time. 
• Travel Map - Misty Mahabaleshwar is the only new addition
• Readings - Volumes have reduced dramatically 
• Movies & Television - Cinema trips have declined dramatically while TV watching increased ever so slightly.
• Lowlights of the year - Changes which did not come; heath irritants.

Given all that happened in the year gone by, here is my list of new year resolutions.

• Find Time. There are lots of things to be done. But for any of my resolutions to succeed, time is the critical one. A little difficult but will be managed. After all, only I can bring in my own change.
• Take more holidays. 
• Explore more - New places, new books, new movies & documentaries, new experiences. And try not to wait but go for things as and when they come in
• Stay healthier and fitter. Cut the laziness and waist.
• And lastly, not lose a phone 
• But most importantly keep the ones around me HAPPY

Wishing all readers a very happy, prosperous and healthy (this is what happens when you are on the wrong side of 30) new year 2014 

Ten from Twenty13

Its that time of the year. December is in its "December"stage and time to review the year gone by. So here is a list of 10 very important (or most likely not) things/events/non-events to remember the year gone by. So here goes. 

1. Message of the Year - "Celebrate a life well lived"

"Do not mourn a death, but celebrate a life well lived". When Nelson Mandela passed away, one could have expected a nation in mourning (which was the case). There were the usual signs of mourning but what was not expected was the sight of people dancing on the streets, singing his songs and in general celebrating a life well lived. Thank You South Africa for teaching the world the best way to mark a legacy.

2. Rise of the Common Man

The Aam Aadmi Party performed beyond everyone's expectations (personally I expected them to win 0 seats in Delhi assembly elections). The people came out in large numbers to vote and voted for the person who claims to provide an alternative. The cynic in me now wants to believe that change is possible and can be brought upon by people power. But the cynic still wants me to wait and watch more. 

3. Picture of the Year - The Lightning Bolt

Madiba's funeral drew the whole world. In such a solemn occasion there was the selfie moment shared by the 3 different world leaders (US President Obama, British PM Cameron and Danish PM Thorning-Schmidt). But the picture of the year comes from the World Athletics Championships in Moscow. Usain Bolt ran across the track while a lightning bolt struck in the background.

4. Management Post of the Year - "Enthusiast"

If we believe the BCCI president N Srinivasan, his son-in-law, Gurunath Meyiappan had access to his IPL franchisee's dressing rooms, dug-out, after-game parties, player auction (and what not) in his capacity as a "cricket enthusiast".  I guess time for all organisations to have more such "enthusiastic" people in their ranks.

5. Orwellian Moment of the Year - Edward Snowden Revelations

It almost seemed straight out of the George Orwell novel 1984 but the state is really watching you. Or at least they are actually tracking every bit of your online activities. not exactly a pleasant thought but still that hasn't put any brakes on internet growth. In all Snowden's revelations about NSA's spying ruffled feathers worldwide mostly politically but also forced him to live a life in an airport terminal (albeit temporarily). An American forced to live in a Russian airport building as no one (well except USA) was willing to take him in, almost like the story of The Terminal in reverse.

6. The "Kitna Deti Hai?" Moment of the Year - Mangalyaan

India launched its indigenous developed mission to Mars, the Mangalyaan. While "intellectuals"debated whether India being a poor country should indulge in such whimsical fancies of going to space before they sort out their internal issues, some bright soul figured out the cost of the Mangalyaan.Apparently it worked out to be Rs 15/km the same as autos in Mumbai. Perfect figures for a country obsessed with mileage as one advertisement would have us believe.

7. The Armageddon Moment of the Year

Russia getting showered by a meteor. Fortunately no one was killed. There were lots of videos post the event but unfortunately no Harry Stamper and team to respond to such events.

8. Dance Step  of the Year

"Twerking" entered the popular lexicon thanks to the antics of Miley Cyrus during a live performance. This being a webpage for family audiences, nothing more is going to be mentioned here.

9. New Born of the Year 

The only birth mentioned (so far) for the year as per wikipedia. "His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge" certainly has a big name (of his own) to live up to.

10. Saga of the Year

It could be seen on buses and trains. People engrossed in their smartphones and tablets as they aligned sweets and tried to clear one level after another in the nearly ending Saga of the Candy  Crush. The world was almost neatly divided into people playing Candy crush and those who were not playing this worldwide phenomenon. (Me stuck at Level 197, at the time of posting)

So this was 2013. Or rather just some random tid-bits to remember the year going by. Its not a comprehensive list nor is it meant to be. After all everyone will have their own memories of the year  gone by. 

Wishing all readers a very happy new year 2014.

P.S. Lists compiled in the years gone by are here: 2012, 2011, 2010

Happy Diwali

"Wishing you & your family a very Happy Dipawali"

Its that time of the year, when this and other messages of similar nature will arrive in your multiple Inboxes (via sms, e-mail, whatsapp, other messaging services). Yes its Happy Diwali time - the most looked-forward festival of the year (at least for me). But like everything else, even Diwali has changed.

When I was younger, the thing to look forward to in Diwali was the chance to burst crackers. Other things like puja, decorative lighting, delicious food, new clothes were hardly noticed. The young me made a complete list of items which were required to celebrate Diwali - फुलझरी, रस्सी, घिरनी, गुरकुण (अनार), snake and a gun with rolls. Favorite one being the snake. You light the dark pellet and the way it would grow into a snake like form was the most fascinating to watch. Also it was the messiest when cleaning up a day later.  As the years passed, the slightly older me added a few more items to the list - मिर्ची बम , आलू बम , चटाई बम & rockets while the little gun was dispensed off. Post the list making was the purchase. Carrying a large packet of multiple kinds of firecrackers had its own joy. And a day before Diwali the major event was spreading out the packet in the sun to ensure no moisture remained. Each of these items had their own thrill. Waving the lit phuljhari gave the real diwali celebration feeling. It was also used for lighting up the other little crackers. And there was no better sight than a rocket lighting up the night sky. The gun would be the first item used and it would be the last to have its stocks depleted. Any crackers which were left over (highly unlikely event) were used 6 days later during chhath puja. There was also this continuous tussle going on inside to start bursting the crackers but ensuring that you don't deplete your stocks soon.

And then I guess I grew up. Having left home for higher studies and followed by a job, lost all interest in the crackers. Now the biggest question was if I would be at home for Diwali or not. And there was a no better feeling than  planning a home trip around this time. The biggest thrill of Diwali now became the journey home. Trying not to sleep the entire night before to ensure that I did not miss the train/flight home. Meanwhile the non-stop fireworks specially the sound and smoke ones began to seem more of nuisance than anything else.

The thrill may have moved from buying crackers to being home for Diwali what hasn't changed is the festive mood. There is something joyous about Diwali which no other festival has. The multitude of lights all around and the fireworks lighting up the night sky gives the whole place an ethereal glow. A glow which is a most uplifting one to the heart.

Also as a side benefit Diwali also gives the opportunity to update your phone contact list specially if your contact list has been lost for some reason or the other. There is an extra joy in getting season's greeting messages from a previously unsaved number.

And if you are reading this - Wishing you & your family a very Happy Dipawali"

P.S. - A request - Please ensure that Diwali remains a festival of lights and not the festival of sounds.

P.P.S - An old Diwali post (Here) from my initial days of blogging.

Elections are Coming

The Elections are Coming.

The biggest celebration of our "democracy" - Elections in 5 states later this year are just the trailer for the grand affair scheduled for first part of 2014.

Already the dirtiest sport of all - political mud-wrestling has started in its full glory. Charges, counter-charges, facts mixed with fiction, on hand some physics defying theories while vegetable prices defy gravity, bomb blasts in a rally of 1 Chief Minister, another injured in stone-pelting, a state getting divided... well its just the beginning of one of the dirtiest battles in Indian political history. Add a trigger-happy social media which knows no restraint. The perfect recipe for disaster. And this is just the beginning. Wonder what else is in store for us.

The following poem (Jungle Gaatha) by Ashok Chakradhar perfectly sums whats happening in the country right now. Certainly worth a listen.  India certainly is no better than any jungle.

पानी से निकलकर मगरमच्छ किनारे पर आया,

इशारे से बंदर को बुलाया.

बंदर गुर्राया- खों खों, क्यों,

तुम्हारी नजर में तो मेरा कलेजा है?

मगरमच्छ बोला-नहीं नहीं, तुम्हारी भाभी ने

खास तुम्हारे लिये सिंघाड़े का अचार भेजा है.

बंदर ने सोचा ये क्या घोटाला है,

लगता है जंगल में चुनाव आने वाला है.

लेकिन प्रकट में बोला- वाह!

अचार, वो भी सिंघाड़े का, यानि तालाब के कबाड़े का!

बड़ी ही दयावान तुम्हारी मादा है,

लगता है शेर के खिलाफ़ चुनाव लड़ने का इरादा है.

कैसे जाना, कैसे जाना? ऐसे जाना, ऐसे जाना

कि आजकल भ्रष्टाचार की नदी में

नहाने के बाद जिसकी भी छवि स्वच्छ है,

वही तो मगरमच्छ है.

एक नन्हा मेमना और उसकी माँ बकरी,

जा रहे थे जंगल में राह थी संकरी।

अचानक सामने से आ गया एक शेर,

लेकिन अब तो हो चुकी थी बहुत देर।

भागने का नहीं था कोई भी रास्ता,

बकरी और मेमने की हालत खस्ता।

उधर शेर के कदम धरती नापें, इधर ये दोनों थर-थर कापें।

अब तो शेर आ गया एकदम सामने,

बकरी लगी जैसे-जैसे बच्चे को थामने।

छिटककर बोला बकरी का बच्चा- शेर अंकल!

क्या तुम हमें खा जाओगे एकदम कच्चा?शेर मुस्कुराया,

उसने अपना भारी पंजा मेमने के सिर पर फिराया।

बोला-हे बकरी - कुल गौरव, आयुष्मान भव! दीर्घायु भव!

चिरायु भव! कर कलरव! हो उत्सव! साबुत रहें तेरे सब अवयव।

आशीष देता ये पशु-पुंगव-शेर, कि अब नहीं होगा कोई अंधेरा

उछलो, कूदो, नाचो और जियो हँसते-हँसते

अच्छा बकरी मैया नमस्ते!

इतना कहकर शेर कर गया प्रस्थान,

बकरी हैरान-बेटा ताज्जुब है, भला ये शेर किसी पर रहम खानेवाला है,

लगता है जंगल में चुनाव आनेवाला है।

Don't think there is any more apt description of our politicians than this.

MovieNotes: The Lunchbox

Movie - The Lunchbox

*ing - Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddique

Director - Ritesh Batra

Language - Hindi with smattering of English

Genre - Daily Life

Basic Premise

A case of mistaken delivery by dabbawalas leading to an exchange of notes from the "dabba" maker to its unintended recipient. And how a curious friendship/bonding develops between the two characters who are getting to know each other through these notes.

MovieNotes

• The first thing you notice is the realistic way of capturing the everyday life of Mumbai. Travelling in trains, buses, occasionally taking the auto or taxi while trying to get everyday work finished up while travelling. 
• The next thing which strikes is the almost complete lack of background music. There are background noises of course. And music is not completely absent. Songs do come in through different medium like radio or cassette players or children singing.
• What makes the movie great? The brilliant starcast  (if you can them stars). And its not just the visible ones. There are invisible characters whom you don't see, just hear or the ones who are talked about but neither heard nor seen.
• The story moves at its own pace over the course of a month, neither waiting nor jumping along. However there is gentle progression in the way the characters behave over the course of the story.
• There are random life observations thrown in. Observations which can only come through experience but they are not the of the preachy kind. Just the ones which when you hear, you tend to nod your head along.
• And finally the ending. What happened next? What did the characters do? All of it is left open. The story is not closed. Like life itself, there is no logical conclusion. Given that the movie depicts just a little passage of life, not coming to any logical conclusion was probably the best part.

Trivial Note - Since when did the famed Dabbawalas make a mistake? What happened to their 6 sigma acclaim? At least the mistake was not a one-off occurence but a recurring one,otherwise they couldn't have come up with a beautiful story.

Rating - 9/10

Closing Note - The hoopla of the film not being nominated as India's entry for next year's Oscars. Not having seen "The Good Road", I am in no position to comment on the merits and demerits of the case. But such controversies are either (a) needless distrations from the film, or (b) publicity gimmicks. And if its (b) then it is insulting to a truly well-made film.

Previously on MovieNotes - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

P.S. - Some weird reason, I also got reminded of Stanley Ka Dabba while watching this film

Misty Mahabaleshwar

Mahabaleshwar - A charming little weekend getaway from the madness of Mumbai. Situated some 250 kms from Mumbai, its a beautiful hill station located in the Western Ghats.

During the monsoons, it gives a feeling of being literally walking in the clouds. There is an all prevalent mist which breaks up only when it rains. The driving conditions are not great and its best to use a local tourist taxi for the local visits. All charges are fixed by local authorities

Places to visit - Not too many. A couple of local temples, multiple vantage points providing their own breath-taking view of the same valley (But a spectacular view, one must say), an old Maratha fort in Pratapgarh, multiple waterfalls along the roadside.

The area is known for its Strawberry farms (though not in season during the monsoons).

Must-have - Strawberry lassi served in clay containers.

Advise - Pack enough warm clothes. It gets really cold there.

In short a perfect place to relax and getaway from the hustle-bustle of daily life

Here is a little photo-log of Misty Mahabaleshwar. 

And the Mist Lifts - to reveal this breath-taking view

A family portrait- of our ancestors

The beginnings of many a river

The Misty Lanes - Perfect settings for a horror movie

Strawberry Lassi - A must have drink served in clay glasses

Shivaji's Statue (Pratapgarh Fort) - The mist makes it singularly impressive

A waterfall along the road side - One of the plenty

Can there be an excess of greenery ever?

Windmills

Misty Mahabaleshwar - I liked you.

India @ 66

Eve of 15th August. India's Independence Day. In 1947, Pt. Nehru chose this day to make a historical speech (tryst with destiny). To celebrate that speech, Nishantzworld chooses to mark this occasion with an annual rundown of the nation as I see it. (Click here for the 2012 edition).

Like our population, the number of our states has increased with the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh. So instead of one there will be now 2 states with potentially a Union Territory (Hyderabad being joint capital) also thrown in. Meaning new sarkaari jobs (double State government and the associated paraphernalia). Meaning more looters looking for a share of the loot. 

Meanwhile the Rupee is breaking newer and newer grounds alongwith petrol and diesel. A race is on to see who will get to the century first. While the poverty line is shifting lower and lower (at least in $ terms). Amidst all this the Government is hell bent on still being in the planning stage while all action is focused on the coming general elections.

Elections - They can't come sooner. And hopefully regardless of the results, the politicization of social media will be less. I am as tired of the inept UPA government failures as the Narendra Modi fanboyism on the social networks. Once upon a time social media was funny, informative and social. Now its just become a medium of outraging. Agreed there is a lot to outrage about. But venting it out on facebook/twitter is going to be of no avail (Nor will this blog help :P)

Rampant corruption, regular border troubles, Naxal violence, rapes & acid attacks, economy moving towards deep trouble - yet all our so called "leaders" are interested in is trying to preserve their "kursi". A game of oneupmanship is all that is being played between UPA, NDA, and the opportunists of the so-called 3rd Front. We have a Prime minister who says keeping quiet is the best policy (hazaaron jawaabon se acchji khamoshi meri) and an Opposition which believes that a functioning Parliament is not essential for governance.

The Uttarakhand floods showed what happens when nature plays with us. Humans might think that they are the superior beings on this planet. But Nature always has a way of taking control again. Always.

Now to the other national passion - Cricket. Spot-fixing scandal emerged but there was no sense of disbelief, just plain anger at the revelations. Worse was the politicization of team selection. But there was a saving grace. A new hero always emerges. Thank You Shikhar Dhawan.

As for the other sports,  the Indian Olympic Council celebrated a highly successful (by our standards) Olympic performance by getting banned. Enough said.

And finally to the 3rd front of India - Movies. Bollywood has started making biopics & sports films and making good experiments apart from the regular masala fare. But one genre is still untouched. Given how successful Hollywood comic books characters have been on screen, when will we see a movie based on our home-grown superheroes like Super Commando Dhruv.

In all, another terrible year gone by. And nothing much to really look forward to in the year ahead. But after all this, I will still say - Mera Bhaarat Mahaan. Because there is some part of me which still believes in the idea of India.

Rains: Before & After

Previously on NishantzWorld - Rains: Likes & Dislikes

The rains are here in full force. Seems like its been raining cats and dogs since as far as I can recall (Or as we say in Hindi - मूसलाधार कुत्ता बिल्ली  बारीश ). Time to a do a quick before & after check

Before

Its the blistering, sweltering heat of summers. You pray for rains for relief.. The first sign of dark clouds in the horizon and your heart starts to sing.

The first drops of rain.
Slight freshness in the air (even in this polluted metropolis). The smell of wet earth.
"Its raining #cityname - announces the social media (Twitter & Facebook).
All signs that the monsoons have arrived.

Another song starts as you don't want the rains to end...

Unfortunately your wish for non-stop rains actually gets fulfilled. And...

After
A couple of months of this kutta-billi baarish. Office commute time has tripled due to craters having taken over in place of roads. 

Common sight everywhere

The chief prevailing smell is that of damp clothes which have been trying to dry for a week or so.
TV signals disappear during critical points in a live telecast.
"Stuck in traffic jam. I hate rains" - blares out the same social media.

And the song for this moment. The opening lines of this Anu Malik "masterpiece".

And while you wonder if these were the rains you had been waiting for, the cycle repeats year after year.

MovieNotes: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Movie - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

*ing - Farhan Akhtar, Yograj Singh, Pawan Malhotra, Divya Dutta and others

Director - Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Language - Hindi with sprinkling of Punjabi

Genre - Sports, Biopic

Preamble

Bollywood is making biopics - Good

Bollywood is making sports film - Better

Bollywood is making biopics on sportspersons - Great

Basic Premise

Story of India's greatest male athelete, Milkha Singh.

Notes

The Highs

• Farhan Akhtar - the actor. Also good performances by Japtej Singh as the young Milkha and Divya Dutta.
• Music - Zinda is going to be the new training background song.
• The army drill scenes.
• The little bits of trivia thrown in - e.g. Ayub Khan giving Milkha Singh the nickname of Flying Sikh, the mug of milk being the chief motivation for Milkha to run.

The Not So Highs

• The romantic tracks. Mostly unnecessary and could have been easily edited out and made the film shorter by half an hour.
• The lack of perfect ending. A missed Olympic medal is not a great story finisher. So the makers turned it into a tale of Milkha conquering his own personal demons.

Random Notes

• Some shades of Paan Singh Tomar also in the movie. After all both were national champion atheletes from the army background. But post-athletics career took different turns.One turned into a dacoit, other into a living legend. Interestingly, both were teammates in the 1962 Jakarta Asiad.
• Hunger is the biggest motivation to run. Certified in both Paan Singh Tomar & Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
• If we believe the film, Ms Stella cost us an Olympic medal?
• Divya Dutta & Vidya Balan - Two very good actors who can easily pass off for each other.
• As a nation, we have been so starved of Olympic glory that we have our near-misses (Milkha Singh, PT Usha) are more celebrated than some of our recent medal winners.

Rating

9/10 - A well made and acted movie with great music. But could have been a little more ruthless in editing.

Closing Note - Bollywood is making biopic on sports and actually doing a good job of it.

Previously on MovieNotes - Man of Steel

The Wimbledon Magic

There is a certain charm about Wimbledon that no other annual sporting event has. You can't exactly pin-point it to any one particular reason.

• The adherence to the traditions,
• the all-white dress code
• Taking the middle Sunday off (not caring for TRPs)
• the Royal touch with players bowing towards Her Majesty's representatives in the Royal Box
• addressing the players as Mister or Miss rather than just their surnames
• the wait for a British champion
• Unllike the other Grand Slams it does not need its country's name just the locality name

Most likely all of the above. For me personally its the the fact that my first tennis watching memories are associated with Wimbledon.

The Year - 1989. 

Both Singles finals played on Sunday and the winners - the German duo of Steffi Graf & Boris Becker. Instantaneously making a 6 year old me their fans for life.

There are other tennis tournaments, 3 other Grand Slams, the year-end Masters, the Davis Cup. but none of them quite come near to matching the charm that Wimbledon has. Only French Open with its distinctive red courts & use of French terms in the scores comes close.

I write this on the eve of the finals of the 2013 Championships. And recollect the Champions in the past 20 odd years gone by - Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Federer, Hewitt, Nadal, Graf, Navratilova, Hingis, Davenport, the Williams - Wimbledon champions all of them. My favorite Wimbledon champions.
Goran Ivanisevic in 2001 - Ranked outside top 100, Wild Card entrant, 3 time former runner-up. As fairy tales go, it rarely gets better
Jana Novotna in 1998 - Famous for choking in 1994 final & crying on Duchess of Kent's shoulders, losing in another final and then finally winning on the 3rd attmpt. That's what I call redemption.

And now we are in 2013. Whom would I love to see holding the winner's trophies. Lisicki (A German victory - my old favorite Tennis playing country) & Murray (the lad deserves to get this Brit-not-having-won-since-World-War-II monkey off his back).

But whoever wins - the Wimbledon Magic will continue on and on.