Big B Blogs!!! Bunderful!! Sorry could not resist the temptation to alliterate ‘the Big B’ 
I have read most and quite simply .. I am impressed. The impeccable choice of words, control over his language, no imminent show of disrespect although make no mistake ..he is mincing no words when he wants to hit out… yet never does he offend. (more…)
So ‘Race’ the racy, thriller, has grossed over a 100 crores worldwide, a thumping hit, its acceptance without a shadow of doubt an established fact. ‘Good going’.. I’d say..well done..as well. But wait a minute, what exactly is it that we are gloating over? The success of a film or the tacit acceptance of values it ‘enshrines’.
I have seen the film, enjoyed the spirit of its mood, liked the visual treat it offered, despite the fact that in South Africa you can place the camera randomly and you’d be sure to have captured some enticing scenery, noticed the belabored look of its actors, summarily thought it to be ‘paisa vasool’ to a large extent, thus sharing in the opinion of a large mass of the audience.
Hypocrisy and doublespeak are traits I cannot boast of having mastered . (more…)
Rinku Sachdeva
Kaveetaa Kaul
Update 6th April 2008: Rinkus father Mr. Harish Sachdeva puts forward his feelings and viewpoints. A must read.
Update 3rd April 2008 : If getting to the unadulterated truth is your concern then please read comment 78 where Ankush, Rinkus family member has spoken out in as veracious and candid a manner as possible.
Update 30th March 2008: Post the publishing of this write up on ‘Sachiniti’, Bapu Deedwania a senior correspondent of Mumbai Mirror got in touch with me ( see comments 13-16) . I was only too keen to set the ball rolling for her to meet the Sachdevas .. their trauma needed to be put forth as well. Todays Mumbai Mirror presents their version of the situation, exactly as Bapu had promised me, without any effort to sensationalise..purely verbatim.Responsible journalism can be such a boon. Thank you Bapu. See bottom of post for details.
Update 28th March 2008 : As predicted here,investigating police officials have found no evidence of any ‘alleged affair’ Rinku Sachdev was ‘reportedly’ accused of . For those of us who knew her, it is not important, since we weren’t assailed with doubts in any case. However, defiling of her good name, issues about circumventing facts, would ultimately tell on her near and dear ones, family and friends which would be grossly unfair. Hence this attempt to showcase the truth.See bottom of post for details.
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How does one grieve over the shocking death of Rinku Sachdeva a 28 year old who you knew as a teenager, whose parents were a couple you looked forward to meeting if only to hear their laughter and imbibe their joie de vivre? How does one replace that happy family with an image of what the TV channels air? Just how does one console the parents? Are there words which can express that ‘I understand your pain I am with you’? And more importantly would such sentiments matter any more? Would they ever be able to recover not just from the loss but more from the sordid insinuations made in the media some blatant some implied but equally defaming? (more…)
Anil Raina
Anil Raina presently a crime correspondent with Mumbai Mirror, sent me this awe inspiring first hand account of a week he spent with our jawans in Jammu and Kashmir. For all of us entrenched in the mundanities of our individual universe, documentation such as this ought to jolt us into sitting up taking cognisance of the lives we so carelessly forget to remember. (more…)
Today 28th January marks the first death anniversary of maestro par excellence O P Nayyar.
I had written a post on OPN on April 16th 2006 whilst he was yet amongst us but in response to a news item which detailed how O P ji was living with an adopted family. One knows now that the family in question accorded him all the love and respect they could possibly summon. At the time however, to imagine a ‘Badshah’ of Music directors and especially someone who had lived life on his own terms, royally, in such dire straits, evoked a surge of emotion.
Thus the post ‘O P Nayyar- Not Forgotten” was born which has since accumulated staggering statistics of 20,000+ views and 1,000 + comments and growing. Perhaps the highest in the Desi blogosphere. This if anything is a reflection of the magic of OPN’s melodies and the ardent love of his fans from all over the world. Timelessness if a factor to evaluate talent, OPN wins hands down.
Of the hundreds who commented..Famed music composer from Pakistan, Sohail Rana, one of his ghazals being the unforgettable ‘mujhe tum nazar se gira to rahey ho, mijhe tum kabhi bhi bhula na sakogey’ , (more…)
going by last years records for SRK.. theres all reason for him to be upbeat
So he pays an advance tax of 27 CR..Blink blink.. Its true. And this was for nine months, from the months of April 2007 to Dec ‘07.
The tabloids and electronic media have gone into a tizzy proclaiming ” King Khan has done it again” or something similar. Needless to add these are the ‘faithfuls’ who stridently announce his supremacy at every given opportunity while simultaneously looking askance covertly at Big B’. (more…)
2007 marked completion of 21 years of our regular visits to Goa most often bi annually. Nothing can profess better how high it rates on our favourite holiday locations list. The sea, sand, surf, chilled out environs, virginal beaches ( some), garnished with lip smackingly divine cuisine ….all ingredients which spell ‘memorable holidays’.
The ‘Kaul Family’ can today boast of being virtually efficiandos in the field of recommendations for leading the ‘good life’ in Goa. Cross my heart. The best eateries, Goanese style, or Malvani, the best beaches, the most happening destinations.. all you have to do is ask and it shall be revealed. (more…)
Is there a parallel universe revolving agitatedly around, which we ignoramuses know nothing about? There most certainly is if one is to go by the modus operandi to acquire a ‘high’..beyond all highs.. so much so that it sends you scuttling across the boundaries of life. I am angry and not in the least bit satirical. This is serious stuff.
Kids, barely into their teens , or not, are experimenting with a ‘choking game’, (more…)
Mr. Mohan Siroya writes directly for “SACHINITI” from the festival precincts in Goa and gives us his first hand account..Interesting!
A brief profile of Mohan Siroya:
Academically a double post graduate ,worked as a Sr.professional manager in MNCs in Mumbai for 30 yrs.. Simultaneously, has also been freelancing as a FILM JOURNALIST/CRITIC for last 40 years. He has been a prolific writer , having written critical articles ,features, reviews etc. on films, Music and TV in numerous English periodicals in India. Named a few are :- The Indian Express, Film Fare, Film World, Picture Post, Cine Advance, Screen , The Hitavada, Lokmat Times , The Twin City Times , Film Industry Journal, Day After, Femina , Eve’s Weekly, Free Press Journal , Blitz etc.
So far Mr. Siroya has written about 7000 articles on films. He is the founder president of FREELANCE FILM JOURNALISTS COMBINE (FFJC), a registered association of Freelance film journalists all over India.
He is also a CONSUMER ACTIVIST of repute , presently being the Chairperson of Consumer Complaints Cell , an NGO based at Marol. Earlier, he was associated with the Consumer Guidance society of India for several years on their complaints committee.. Recently, The Times of India newspaper had eulogized his selfless and free services by calling him a “City Angel”and making a feature on him. Also a Social Activist , having held many prestigious offices in the International Association of Lions Clubs
Mr. Siroya is 71 years young and very much active . He believes in living life king size, with a flair for Shairi, poetry and humour .
38 th International Film Festival of India — Goa
Sedate and Smooth Take off
For the last four years since the Festival started taking place in Goa , this year was the first time that it took off with serenity and seriousnes as a festival of International standard deserves .
The opening ceremony was devoid of any bollyood or cinematic razzmattaz unlike last year when it was reduced to a cheap cinema song- dance show . Credit must go to the Dirctorate of Film Festival and the Chief Minister of Goa, for not entrusting the affairs of orgaanisation to the inexperienced Goa Entertainment Society and diding the two distint areas viz; Cultural and other film shows for public and the actual film festival, both at separate avenues. (more…)
Taslima Nasreen - A Muslim Womans Dares But…………Her Voice Gets Stifled
Taslima Nasreen a Muslim woman who dared to protest against the ’sad plight ‘of women in her community but was compelled to recant her intransigent writings a few days ago.
Taslima Nasrin/ Nasreen has been on the run from Islamic fundamentalists for over 14 years now ever since she published her thoughts in various writings especially her novella ‘Lajja’ (shame).
It all began in 1993 when this particular event proved cataclysmic. (more…)
So you thought India would dance to M’s tunes? You’re right ..only M as in…er.. Mayawati not Madhuri..dumbos.
This is India maah dears. ..here Aamir Khan is not a greater star than Narendra Modi.When he says ‘Who Aamir’..the people respond with ‘No Fanaa’. And if you think Madhuri Dixit and her million watt smile, coupled with her dhak dhak latkas and jhatkas, and the strenuously exercised 26″ waistline will phase out Madam Mayawatis (more…)
Mr.Boman Kohinoor and me’
THERE IS NO LOVE GREATER THAN THE LOVE OF EATING’.. is a mantra diligently followed as well as encrypted in the menu of Britannia restaurant..
and damn gainsayers , mostly the lot obsessively watching their calories and waists, longingly, pleadingly, lurking around, not daring to venture close when you are probing the Biryani expectantly, excitedly trying to muffle the slurp. (more…)
Loved him in the CDI look
Kaveetaa Kaul
The BCCI has once again proven that is the single most controversial non governmental body. This time it has outdone itself by embarking on a tomfoolery riot in a matter outside the periphery of cricket, into a sphere which is as much revered. The iconic Shahrukh Khan. Of the three that can whip up a fanatical frenzy for Indians, inexplicable and irrational, one is umm..sex, the other cricket and then SRK..not particularly in that order..Wonder what would occur if the three appeared combined, by an act of God…which adds on the ‘religion’ as the (more…)
Kaveetaa Kaul
Without attempting a perfervid take on this incident, I found it prudent to expatiate on Sachiniti to bring the issue to light. Its time we make wrong doers answerable.
A recent shopping experience left one feeling quite disgusted at the dictatorial attitude of cosmetic companies Revlon and Lakme towards their female staff. A casual chat revealed that married women at the respective counters, while expected to be ‘made up’ to the hilt were permitted to wear neither the ’sindoor‘ ( vermilion mark on the forehead indicating marital status) or the ‘mangal sutra’ ( a sacred thread of black beads donned at the time of the marriage ceremony) as a matter of policy.
It got my goat and I have mailed them my views on the issue reproduced below: (more…)
Kaveetaa Kaul
7264 views
Ads which have so far ruled the roost with messages of undying love proclaimed via diamonds for some and the modest Prestige cookers ( think ‘jo biwi se kare pyar woh prestige se kaise kare inkaar) are gonne look so ‘pheeka’ /outdated/archaic now that Mukesh- larger-than-life-Ambani has bought his wife Nita Ambani a Rs. 242 crore Airbus 319 corporate jet as a birthday gift.
Will-o-the-wisp- longings in vogue, much in demand aspirations with the moon seemingly within reach..Thanks to the almost unattainable eponym-ish characters gaining real life credibility.
I gulped on reading the news screaming across Mumbai Mirror, amazed, amused, somewhat envious but mostly scandalised. First Antillia his humungous mansion and now this..though I must candidly admit I find the couple hugely endearing. Nita is gorgeous. We attended a social do some time back where they as well as hubby and me were invitees and I found them to be down to earth and highly affable.
Notwithstanding.. A Jet? Whatever for? Is she planning to drop the kids to school in it to avoid traffic bottlenecks? This was my first reaction..rather frivolous I confess.. slowly other doubts clouded the mind. (more…)
A still from ‘Mela’ with Aamir and Faisal Khan .. Unfortunately life turned out to be less of a ‘mela’ ..more of a ‘melee’!
9356 views
Kaveetaa Kaul
This post has been quoted/linked in Mumbai Mirror Bloggers Park
Update 2nd Nov 07: As expected Aamirs family consisting of his wife Kiran rao and 21 other family members speak out in vehement aggression against Tahir Hussain and Faisal Khan..see update at bottom of post.
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Piqued by the rather insouciant reportage of events that have engulfed the two brothers, Aamir Khan and Faisal Khan, one felt the need to elucidate lucidly on the tittle tattle that has been persistently chasing them this past week. Although news had been alarming yet one desisted from writing on the subject out of sheer sense of fairness and also to avoid further encumbrance towards normalisation/ solution to the rather tragic turn of events.
Kaveetaa Kaul
For as many reasons one possibly garners to soothe oneself over the fact that we are Indian citizens , a hundred fold trigger off anger and disgust that we are in fact Indian citizens who either out of choice or compulsion are doomed to live in a country where the administration is totally oblivious of the problems faced by a common man. Whether you live in penury or die as a result of their corruption and apathy- is hardly an issue deserved of their time.
Shocking expose of reasons for the continuance of Blue line Buses on Delhi roads despite being on a murder trail since the beginning of the year leaves you numb, moreso after you preened on having seen and heard it all, along comes this revelation!
Mere commiserations to the victims and their families seem futile and painfully forced when tragedies that are man made occur with appalling regularity. (more…)
This is not a comment on ‘Eklavya’s fate at the Oscars. It is a lament on the pitiful rendering of what could have been and ought to be a national consensus.
The seriously deleterious goings on to do with the selection of ‘Eklavya’ as the official entry for Oscar 2007 has left a bitter taste in the mouth. (more…)
The 15 day long rituals in worship of our ancestors Shraadha or ‘Pitrapaksh’ begins today-ending on 11th October. This is a good time to feed at least one hungry person and the birds some rice and milk. Too many Why’s, What’,what for’s are not really necessary. All the same if answers are sought a little reading on the subject will help. In any case lovingly feeding hungry souls can never be a bad idea nor can worshipful remembrance of ancestors.
It is recommended that new ventures , new purchases not be made during this period. You will notice the decrease in number of releases of Bollywood films or for that matter announcements/mahurats for new ones. Perhaps those who most strictly adhere to this rule is our Bollywood fraternity. ‘Why risk it’ perhaps their inner dialogue. For non believers this is simply meant to be time of the year when we should concentrate our energies and prayers for those departed souls who have played a role in our life. Our karma here may help them forward in their journey. Its the spirit world, proof of its prevalence surrounds us if we only care to notice. We take the prevalence of the remote and its functions for granted , yet are hugely skeptical of Indian rituals. .isnt the underlying principle similar?
