Eega - The end of imaginative cinema...or not!

Being married is not a bed of roses. Being married to a movie fanatic is definitely NOT a bed of roses. Day in and day out (hey....let's not forget the nights and weekends), one is reminded that televisions exist to push men into a state of oblivion. And woe betide that woman who defies this 'pull of attraction'...towards the television, of course! She is left to stew in her own imagination (read boredom) and is barred from entering some of the innermost portals of her man's mind. So it comes as no surprise that after years of 'silent suffering' (hah!), I decided to 'convert'. A and I would at least have a common topic to talk/discuss/fight about :-)! And thus came the plan to see the movie Eega. FYI, Eega means fly in Telugu. 


For all those arty cinema lovers who like subtle romance or hidden meanings, Eega promises you...absolutely  nothing. However, for those of us who like action combined with comedy combined with all the makings of a masala movie (oh.... let's not forget the idea of good winning over evil), Eega proves to be a delightful and entertaining movie. The screenplay is pretty tight with very few loose gaps. And yes, the animation is something to write about. One might wonder that there's absolute lack of facial emotions for a fly when there's nothing human to start with, just a tiny face full of millions of eyes? But nope. All through the three hours of the movie, I was enthralled (along with the rest of the crowd and that included kids) by all those little gestures that conveyed, oh so cutely (yes, I repeat cutely) just the right kind of emotion. 


With every fly...er...hero, there has to be a villain (something like for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction?) In comes namma Sudeep as namma villain! And what a villain (and a human one at that)!  He is equally convincing as the both sadistic lover intent on bedding the heroine and the loony madman who's convinced that he's being stalked by no less a fly. But then again, I've always loved admired his acting prowess even if it's a bit too intense. 

In all, I wasn't sure whether the idea for this movie evolved because of a complete lack of imaginative idea,s or whether because there were loads in an area not yet explored. Or maybe it's an old wine in a new bottle - a new idea which had hitherto been stale ( or even downright stupid) now presented using the latest technology. Whatever the reason, Suresh Babu (the film's producer) is laughing all the way to the bank. 

And did I mention spoiler alert? There... I did! 

What's life....

...... without a passion? Something which leads an otherwise purposeless life, something which cannot be measured in terms of money.



For people who choose to throw the so-called social rules to the wind, it's their passion which sets them apart from others. The zest for living life by their own standards, by making their own rules, by facing the odds of doing the impossible, by daring to dream beyond their dreams, the familiar excitement which seems new and unfamiliar everytime it's encountered.........that's passion.



Such a realistic passion has been portrayed beautifully in ‘The greatest game ever played’, a movie about the subtle game of golf, one of the most underestimated games in a country where cricket (and its players) are worshipped akin to Gods. The film beautifully portrays the nuances of this fine game without going into the technicalities of the same. What makes it different from any other biographical film are the emotions of the main characters centered around the game, their honest camaraderie, and the sheer technical brilliance of the camera work.

Shia LaBeouf, as the principal character of Francis Ouimet (pronounced as ‘Vee-mit’), the poor yet talented golfer, displays a startling maturity of an amateur thrown into an international golf tournament, while at the same time retaining the boyish naive charm of a 20 year old. In contrast, Harry Vardon, played with amazing restraint by Stephen Dillane, represents the poise and standing of a seasoned golfer who’s reached the zenith of his career. And I must take up some of the space to dedicate a special mention about Josh Flitter, the adorable caddy of Ouimet, who endears himself to the readers through his undying devotion towards his hero (Ouimet) and his smart yet incisive comments about the game. More about the movie here.

The devotion towards the game, the sportsmanship and the exciting finale between the two players – Ouimet and Vardon - ending in a spectacular climax is what ‘The greatest game ever played’ is all about.

The movie seems to drive home this message - it is after all one life that we have........just live it .... the honourable way.

And the Oscar goes to....

‘Water’, a film by Canadian film-maker Deepa Mehta, has made it to the top five Oscar nominations under the foreign category film.

According to Hindustan times, “For Indian buffs, the Hindi-language film's inclusion would be some consolation after India's official entry, Rang De Basanti, did not make it to the competition”.

Would it?

I remember the headlines made regarding the opposition Mehta had faced while shooting ‘Water’ on the banks of Varanasi, the location in which the story’s made its origin, so much that the shooting had to be completed in Sri Lanka. And thinking “What would be the use of washing one’s dirty linen in public?”

However, the ‘Gods’ pulling the strings in Oscars don’t seem to agree.

‘Water’ has been nominated for Oscars.....

And the much touted, much hyped and the ‘better’ loved Rang De Basanti has been ousted from the race.

For those who cannot understand the analogy of ‘dirty linen’, I guess one word would suffice: The Da Vinci Code.

Go Vroom

The cop – Abishek Bachchan

The joker – Uday Chopra

The wallflower – Bipasha Basu

The glamour quotient – Aishwarya Rai

The hero – Hrithik Roshan

If Dhoom-2 is a hit, it would be only.... and only because of the Hrithik Roshan’s grace, stunts and immense screen persona.

Period.

From Munna to Mahatma...

I fastidiously avoided all the blogs which carried a review of this......


I changed the track of conversation whenever it switched to this.......


And I resolutely turned the other way when I was not able to .......


I enjoyed the bits and pieces of witty one-liners shown in the promos.......


And ya.....found the songs.....hmmmmm......okay.......


And now, I can do all the things listed above because I finally watched “Lage Raho Munnabhai” – one of the (rare) instances where a sequel has proved to be better than the parent film in Bollywood :-) !!


Sanjay Dutt acts his usual ‘Munna’ character with aplomb, but looks a tad older as well in the process.


Boman Irani proves his mettle as the greedy, goofy, land-grabbing Sardarji Lucky Singh, who can actually think before his acts.....remember how he packs of an unsuspecting Munna to Goa along with his ‘victims’?


Vidya Balan takes an slightly off-beaten track from what she portrayed in Parineeta as an RJ with a modern outlook towards life (thank Goodness, the director chose to retain her ethnic look)...though I did find her “Good Morning Mumbai” a tad too grating on my nerves.


But the person who steals the show, whose ‘innocent’ one-liners catapulted him to fame in ‘Munnabhai MBBS’, whose cheesy smile lit up the entire screen, is none other than the man with the golden heart (and golden chains around his neck) – Arshad Warsi as the sweet and adorable Sarkeshwar (er...not sure about the spelling) aka “Circuit”.


One clean-chit of a film with no violence - indeed with Gandhiji making a ‘special appearance’ preaching non-violence – no bare-dares, and certainly no item-numbers – a must watch for all those lovers of wit and humour.

Another KANK in the wings?

Tere bin main yun kaise jiya

Kaise jiyaa kaise jiyaa tere bin

Lekar yaad teri raatein meri kati

Lekar yaad teri raatein meri kati

Mujhse baatein teri karti hai chaandni

Tanhaa hai tujh bin raatein meri

Din mere din ke jaise nahi

Tanha badan tanha rooh nam meri aakhein rahen

Aajaa mere ab roobaroo jeena nahi bin tere

Tere bin main yun kaise jiya

Kaise jiyaa kaise jiyaa tere bin

Kabse aahkein meri raah mein tere bichi

Kabse aahkein meri raah mein tere bichi

Bhoole se bhi kahi tu mil jaayein kahi

Bhoole naa mujhse baatein teri

Bheegi hai har pal aakhein meri

Kyon saas loon kyun main jiyoo Jeena bura saa lage

Kyon ho gaya tu bewafa mujhko bataa de wajah

Tere bin main yun kaise jiya

Kaise jiyaa kaise jiyaa tere bin

Desperation, sadness, poignancy, irrevocable, irreversible loss.....and many more emotions.....conveyed so effortlessly. Liked the title track more though.......as seconded here.

One of the most haunting melodies in the recent times...what say? :-)

KANK-Mithwaa

Mere mann ye bataa de tu
..Kis aur chalaa hai tu
....Kya payaa nahi tune
......Kya doond rahaa hai tu

Jo hai unkahee jo hai unsunee
..Woh baat kya hai bataa

Mithwaa......kahe dhadkane tujhse kya
Mithwaa......yeh khud se to na tu chupaa

Jeevan dagar mein prem nagar mein
..Aaya nazar mein jab se koi hain
....Tu sochta hain to poochta hain
......Jis ki kami thi kya yeh wohi hain

Haan yeh wahi hain haan yeh wahi hain
..Tu ek pyaasa aur yeh nadhi hai

Kaahen nahi isko tu khul ke bataayein

Jo hai unkahee jo hai unsunee
..Woh baat kya hai bataa

Mithwaa......kahe dhadkane tujhse kya
Mithwaa......yeh khud se to na tu chupaa

Teri nigaahein paa gayi raahein
..Par tu yeh soche jaoon na jaoon
....Yeh zindagi jo hain naachti to
......Kyon bediyon mein hai teri paavon

Preet ki dhun par naach le baadal
..Udta agar hain udne de aanchal

Kaahen koi apne ko aise tarsaayein

Jo hai unkahee jo hai unsunee
..Woh baat kya hai bataa

Mithwaa......kahe dhadkane tujhse kya
Mithwaa......yeh khud se to na tu chupaa

And this is how I am promoting KANK’s musical sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali (remember Fuzon?), Shankar Mahadevn and Caralisa. Coming up next : Tumhe dekho na and the title track.......

Of impressions and experiences

Are first impressions really the best impressions? Are there something called instincts/sixth sense? If yes, how much do people rely on them today? And how much can people rely on them?

Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink has been an eye-opener in this regard.

The impressions with the aid of which we form relatiohships….sometimes, instantaneously and effortlessly without any visible force ….and sometimes just building up gradually. I wondered about the friends on whom I could rely on and realized there were very few whom I am proud to declare as my thick pals. Why?

I hit on a couple things simultaneously when I pondered about this:

I was less choosy during my youth (oh God.... I am speaking as if it’s a long time ago!). My parameters for friendship were very simple. Someone I could talk with.....and someone who could listen to my non-stop chatter :)!

With passing years......and mounting experience, I added communication, chemistry, comfort and security to the list. And have stuck to it......

My pals have neither the time nor the familiarity to know my for a very long time. Yet, they like me the way I am – sometimes serious, sometimes sarcastic......and most of all silent. They have not been antagonistic towards me......nor have they been publicly critical of my actions. True that I never confide in them most of my thoughts. Yet, they instinctively seem to understand the silence behind it. And have stood unflinching in their support. They know that when I drop them a mail, when I call them, it’s not just for the heck of it, or because I am bored......and the fact that they respect it makes me respect them all the more. And above all, there’s a sense of security in such relationships.....with no pointers to the past.

With every ‘learning’ experience, I have grown wise......but wary..... I have gained patience, but lost something infinitesimal yet elemental......

Until I can trust my instincts.....

Silence is golden

Sleepy afternoons......marred by sessions/meetings/trainings. Auuuunnnddd if they are boring, mind becomes phullu fuzzy. So, at the end (thank God for small mercies), when the instructor/moderator asks “Any doubts/questions?” the ensuing silence reminds me of this .......

chup tum raho chup ham rahen

..khamoshi ko khamoshi se zindagi ko zindagi se baat karne do

chup tum raho ....

aankhon mein kho jaaye aankhen bole haathon se haath

..baahon mein chupkar saanson se jaise dole raat

....ungliyo ko ungliyo se mausamon ko shokhiyon se baat karne do

honton par honton se likhe bin shabdon ke geet

..dharti se ambar tak goonje jismon kaa sangeet

....bekhudi ko bekhudi se aashiqui ko aashiqui se baat karne do

chup tum raho ....

Is raat ki subaah nahin.....by music director M. M. Kreem who has quite some hits among the many to his credit.

Silence communicates.... in some mysterious language of its own.....

Fanaah: Arz kiya hain....

In one of my previous posts, I had made a mention about the bombaat Shaayaris delivered in that movie Fanaah. Well....here they are...:)...

However I have to admit I cannot really claim any credit for this compilation, as I received these shayaaris through mail. God bless that soul who had the time (and patience) to compile and send these.....and of course my colleague who forwarded this mail to me :) !! All the same, enjaay maaDi.....

Ay Khudaa aaj yeh faisla karde

..Use mera ya mujhe uska karde

.. ..Bahut dukh sahe hai maine

.. .. ..Koi khusi ab to muqadar karde

.. .. .. ..Bahut mushkil lagtaa hai us se door rehna

.. .. .. .. ..Judaai ke safar ko kam karde

.. .. .. .. .. ..Jitnaa door chale gaye woh mujhse

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..Unse utnaa kareeb karde

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Nahi likhaa agar naseeb mein uska naam

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..To khatm kar ye zindagi aur mujhe fanaah karde

Tere dil mein meri saanson ko panaah mil jaayein...

..Teri ishq mein meri jaan fanaah ho jaayein

Ankhein to pyar me dil ki zubaan hoti hain

..Sacchi chaahat to sadaa bezubaan hoti hai

.. ..Pyar mein dard bhi mile to kya ghabraana

.. .. ..Suna hai dard se chaahat aur jawaan hoti hai....

Door humse jaa paoge kaise

..Humko bhool paoge kaise....

.. ..Hum woh khushboo jo saanson mein utar jaayein

.. .. ..Khud apni saanson ko rok paaoge kaise

Rone de tu aaj hamko tu aankhe sujaane de

..Baahon me lele aur khud ko bheeg jaane de.....

.. ..Hai jo seene mein quaid dariya who choot jayega

.. .. ..Hai itnaa dard ki tera daaman bheeg jaayega

Adhoori saans thi dhadkan adhoori thi adhooren ham

..Magar ab chaand poora hai phalak pe .....aur ab pooren hain ham

And my personal favourite......

Bekhudi ki zindagi hum jiyaa nahi karte

..Yun kisika ka jaam hum piya nahi karte.....

.. ..Unse kehdo mohabbat ka izhaar aakar khud karein

.. .. ..Yun kisika peecha hum kiyaa nahi karte

And including the one which SK mailed ....:)

Phool hoon Gulaab ka

..Chameli ka mat samajhna

.. ..Aashiq hoon aapka

.. .. ..Apni Saheli ka mat samajhna

Fanaah: Destroyed in love

Tere dil mein mere saason ko panaah mil jaayein

Tere ishq mein meri jaan fanaah ho jaayein

There are three reasons due to which Fanaah may - okay..let me rephrase - just may be a hit – cinematography (very good picturesque locales at Poland being passed off as Kashmir), yuxtremely good songs (which have been surprisingly picturised well) ......aaauuunnndddd Kajol.

And ya..... the Shaayari – each one better than the other.

Kajol breathes life into the character of the Zooni Ali Beg – a blind girl from Kashmir. That lady has lost none of her infectious laugh and commanding screen presence. And wow.....what a smile.....and wit! Catch the witty repartee rendered to Aamir during their introductory scene together.....

Now the story.....people who wish to watch the movie can drop out at this stage:

We have a blind girl, a guide masquerading as the lover-boy-number-one and a bunch of Kasmiri kuDiyaan at Delhi supposedly practicing for a show. Throw in the Kashmir situation, and hence the militant angle, a one-night-stand, a love child and a trigger for a nuclear bomb – the story is almost complete. Now, do I have to sit and explain it to you? No.....right? :)

And to think that Angii was reminded of me when he saw Kajol !! WOW.....I am flying......someone pull me down naa.......:) :) !!

The meltdown begins....once again

I watched Ice-Age-2 over the weekend – and I have just one word for it. BOMBAAAAT !!

Disregarding a scathing review by rediff, I would recommend you to go ahead and watch it if you dig wit and sarcasm. Since I have been ‘complimented’ to be loaded with more than my share of both, it was but natural that I loved this movie :)!

An animation flick, it deals with the impending peril – the melting of the glaciers – faced by the creatures of ice. And how they go about dealing with this crisis. Besides the witty repartees, the humour element is quite good - I never stopped laughing once I started. More info here.

The highlights of the movie:

• The animation – one word - awesome especially that of the water gushing into the valley after the valley wall cracks.
• The chemistry shared among the protagonists.
• The dry humour of Diego, the nonsensical talk of Sid and the proud stature of Manny.
• The lighthearted banter throughout the movie.
• Ellie's introduction... too good :)!
• And the portrayal of human emotions in the story......
  

• Every one has insecurities and the only way to get rid of it is to face it head-on – so nicely portrayed by Diego’s fear of water.
• No matter how unimportant you may seem, there are people who make you feel cherished – Diego dialogue that Sid is like glue without which they will drift apart.
• Differences should not be a deterrent to a relationship as long as you are able to forge a bond – so evident by Ellis and her ‘brothers’.
• Size is not the criteria in any competition – as seen in the ‘power play’ between the possums and Diego.
• In the crux of the situation, (why) it’s the lady who compromises – watch out for who apologizes during the nail-biting scene on the rocks.
• Men can be really pig-headed at times (especially when it comes to women) not realizing what’s for their own good – so nicely portrayed by Manny.
• When you need something very badly, you should not let your ego get in the way – watch out for Manny proposing to Ellie.
• When you have the drive to chase your dreams, obstacles are peanuts (rather acorns :)) – Scrat chasing his acorn throughout the movie.
• And finally the clincher – you need to let go of the past to step into the future.

"I am in love"

Preet ki lat mohe aisi laagi
....Ho gayi me matwaari
........Bal bal jaau me apne pia ko
............Ke me jaau waari waari

Mohe sudh budh na rahi tan man ki
....Ye to jaane duniya saari
........Bebas or laachaar firu me
............Haari me dil haari

Tere naam se jee lu tere naam se mar jaau
....Tere jaan ke sadke me kuch aisa kar jaau
Tune kya kar daala mar gayi me mit gayi me
.....Ho ji haan ri hogayi me
........Teri deewani teri deewani

Ishq junoon jab hadh se badh jaaye
....Haste haste aashiq suli chad jaaye
.......Ishq ka jadoo sar chad kar bole
..........Khoob laga lo pehre,raste rab khole
.............Yehi ishq di marzi hai yehi rab di marzi hai

Yehi ishq di marzi hai yehi rab di marzi hai Tere bin
....Tere bin jeena kaisa haan khudgarzi hai

Tune kya kar dala mar gayi me mit gayi me
....O ho ri haan hhan ri hogayi me
......Teri deewani teri deewani

Ay me rang rangeeli deewani
....Ay me albeli me mastani
Gau bajau sabko rijhau
....Ay din dharam se me begaani
........Ay me deewani me deewani

Tere naam se jee lu tere naam se mar jau
....Tere jaan ke sadke me kuch aisa kar jau
Tune kya kar daala mar gayi me mit gayi me
....Ho ji haan ji hogayi me
........Teri deewani teri deewani

The proclamation of a woman in love to the entire world......sung by a man – Kailash Kher in his album Kailasa.

Update: Found the video here, courtesy this and thanks to this! Loved the change of expression in that knife-yielding guy's eyes, the half-smile of the girl in the truck...and the wild wild dance.......

Moodmaker

“It’s the age of remixes” so goes the tag-line of Radio City’s hottest talent hunt – that for a Remix Raja.

My reaction – Bah! Too much hype for nothing at all!

It’s not that I do not like remixes – some, like Bheegi bheegi raaton mein (Leslie Lewis), are good without any loud additions. It’s just that in rehashing the original composition, some degree of melody, effect and the expected response is lost. And most of the times, a remix is so pathetic (yuck) that it fails to evoke any answering sentiments among the listeners (read it as yours truly).

If one can observe the recent trend in music especially that of Hindi film-hits, the songs have remixes stamped all over them. Almost all films have the same song in at least two versions, ek original aur ek remix. And I can only plug my ears when I hear the remix version -one big cacophony of techno music and loud beats with the song squeezed somewhere between them.....

So, it was no wonder that I got annoyed when three remixes got played in a row, one among them being Tu hi meri shab hain (from Gangster). Grrrrrrr.........So, when the next song was touted to be from Salaam Namaste, I almost switched off my headset – I did NOT want to hear “My Dil goes Umm”; my patience was already thoroughly tested by these (dabba) remixes. Instead I heard this......and it was as if melody was revived.

Tu jahaan main wahaan
Sang sang yun chalu tere
Jaise teraa aasmaan

Jo dhoop nikli chaaya ban jaaoonga
.....Jo ho tu akeli saaya ban jaaoonga
.......... Jo uljhan mein ho mann main behlaaoonga

Tum aa gaye ho toh jeena aaya hain
.....Khushiya ka tumne yeh jaal bichaya hain
..........Khoya hain khudko yah sab kutch paaya hain

Tu jahaan main wahaan
Sang sang yun chalu tere
Jaise tera aasmaan

Ho gam ke badal mujhpe tham jaane de
.....Bechainiyon ko mujhse takrane de
..........Dukhti ho koi baat mujhpe aane de

Dil sochta tha ke koi apna ho
.....Koi raaz na ho jo uss se rakhna ho
..........Aankhein na kholu main shayad sapna ho

Tu jahaan main wahaan
Sang sang yun chalu tere
Jaise tera aasmaan

I loved this oasis in the desert......

How I got to watch RDB

Finally got the chance to watch Rang De Basanti ! Awesome movie !! Excellent performances by all the actors – but my prize goes to Siddharth who does not say much throughout the movie but in the end proves his worth. Mind-blowing !! But I am not going to wax eloquence about this movie – it will not do justice. But ya…. how I got hold of the tickets is a different story altogether.

Day: Sunday

Time: 8:00 a.m.

State of mind: Shock

I received a bombshell from my uncle – “I had purchased three tickets for the afternoon show of Rang De Basanti. Unfortunately we are not able to go. Would you like to have them?” Even before he completed his sentence, I was nodding vigorously (as if he could see) and said (or rather screamed) YESSSSSSSSS. Who, in their right senses would say no to this?

Time: 10:00 a.m.

State of mind: Frustrated

No one was ready to come to RDB – Mom was not in the mood, Father had some business to attend to and Bro dear had a test. Yikes…… a god-sent opportunity on the threshold of family-rejection !!

Time: 10:30 a.m.

State of mind: Extreme Anxiety

Called up Aru (and woke him up in doing so). Explained the situation and lo behold, wonder of wonders, he actually woke up and started speaking coherently. He wanted to see RDB but was too busy (read lazy) to stand in the queue and book tickets. Do you need a better example of how lazy guys are?

Time: 10:45 a.m.

State of mind: Anxiety (not as extreme as before)

Woke up Pummi as well. I had to most of my persuasion powers to wake him up – he kept drifting off to sleep. Poor fellow, at least he has my sympathies because he works in the night shift, unlike (lazy-bug) Aru. Hallelujah, green signal at this end !

Time: 12:30 p.m.

State of mind: Hungry and murderous

Trust these guys to be on time. I wonder who their girl-friends tolerate them ! I was already thinking about the capital punishment for murder when both of them sauntered in as if they had all the time in the world. When I decided to give them a piece of my mind, both of them were of the opinion, “Even hard-core non-vegetarians cannot digest a piece of your mind. Then what are we?” Grrrr….. guys !!

Time: 1:30 p.m.

State of mind: Satisfied

Food was good. Company was better. Pummi and I kept cracking jokes at Aru’s (hypothetical) girl-friend.

“Aru will be wishing that he was not so good-looking, considering the number of girls bickering for his affections.”

To which Aru darkly replied, “Which accounts for none!”

Time: 2:15 p.m.

State of mind: Anticipation

Finally reached the movie-hall. Both the guys had switched on their radar in full strength – “Wow… check out that girl in blue”, “How about that yellow top wali?”, “Oh man…. Just see her hair.” I was only too happy to point out that all these girls had come with their boy-friends.

Time: 4:30 p.m.

State of mind:Wow!

So far, so good ! Pummi went in search of pop-corn while Aru kept me company with “Children should not be left alone.” I am sure Anu and Aki would be too happy to agree with him.

Time: 5:45 p.m.

State of mind: Emotionally drained

Aru escaped home with the excuse that he did not want to get stuck in traffic-jams. I personally feel that he ran away since (like all guys) he cannot handle a girl crying. And my eyes were only moist unlike my neighbour who was crying copiously into her kerchief !!

Time: 7:30 p.m.

State of mind: Near-exhaustion

Finally reached home.

Time: 8:30 p.m.

State of mind: Tired

Too many thoughts skittering through my mind. All because of that damned movie!!

Time: 9:00 p.m.

State of mind: Sleepy

Decided to hit the sack.

Time: 9:01 p.m.

State of mind: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Over-and-out :) !!

Zinda ki kahaani

I first heard Zinda’s ‘Yeh hain meri kahaani’ when I was traveling in a jam-packed bus (as usual). To top it all, I was on the foot-board, clinging on to dear life with the help of one hand, and balancing the rest of my wordly possessions with the other. At every stop, I had to step down from the bus to make way for the (lucky) passengers getting down at their designated stops. Believe me, it’s not an easy task especially if one is bogged down by a purse, a lunch-dabba and three hefty books….. and ya – myself :).

The only silver lining in the cloud was the speaker blaring FM music, mounted just over the door (and hence my head). And this helped me to keep my spirits (and strength) up. When the first strains of the song began, I immediately recognized the work of Strings. True, they are known for very intense songs. What I sensed different was the music – it was different from their usual style. I forgot that I was in a bus, forgot that I was bogged down by my luggage, forgot that I was surrounded by people from all sides – in short, it was love at first sight…errr note.

The next day, I set about the arduous task of tracing the song. All I knew was that it was sung my Strings. Lady luck smiled on me in the form of Maddy – a friend – through whom I got to know about a song sung by Strings in the film Zinda. Perhaps this was the one I was searching for !! Finally got the MP3 version from Tu (who looked so bugged that I decided to take pity on him and not sing that day :)). Arrey…kya lyrics hain -

Yeh hain meri kahaani

Khaamosh zindagaani

Sannaata keh raha hain

Kyu zulm seh raha hain

Ek daastaan purani

Tanhaayin ki zubaani

Har zakhm khil raha hain

Kuch mujse keh raha hain

Chubte kaatein yaadon ke daaman se chunta hoon

Girti deewaaron ke aanchal mein zinda hoon

Bus yeh meri kahaani

Benishan nishaani

Ek dard beh raha hain

Kuch mujse keh raha hain

Chubte kaatein yaadon ke daaman se chunta hoon

Girti deewaaron ke aanchal mein zinda hoon

Ab naa koi paas hain

Phir bhi ehsaas hain

Siyaahiyon mein uljhi padi

Jeene ki ek aas hain

Yaadon ka jungle yeh dil

Kaaton se jalthal yeh dil

Chubte kaatein yaadon ke daaman se chunta hoon

Girti deewaaron ke aanchal mein zinda hoon

Soulful lyrics…. WOW!!