amritasimon

My Queen and I

2011-11-12T14:05:00.006+05:30

In memory of my Principal, Mrs. Edna Revis

April 2, 1931 – November 11, 2011

I remember how I felt the first day I went to school. I was scared, nervous and excited. Though I don’t recall what I actually did the first day, I do remember what I got for lunch, Tomato sandwiches in a brown paper bag.

The school kids were whispering about the new Principal, Mrs. Edna Revis and I remember feeling extra special because she and I had joined Girls High School (G.H.S) at the same time.

In the beginning I saw her only during assembly where she’d confidently stride in and in her soft but clear voice would say ‘Good Morning Everybody’ and the entire school would chorus back ‘Good Morning Mrs. Revis’.

My favorite part was the end of each assembly, when she’d bless the school saying ‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of The Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more. Amen’.

The first time we actually interacted was when I was in grade II. During the dress rehearsal of the concert, I was back stage, and I kept sticking my head out through the stage curtains, oblivious to the fact that I could be seen by everybody in the audience.

Suddenly she appeared out of nowhere and said ‘Everybody can see you. From now on no peeking or else I will tie you up.’ She sounded stern but the twinkle in her eyes said otherwise.

A couple of days later, on the evening of the concert, she came to our dressing room where I was sitting down, fully dressed in my costume, wearing a crown. The minute I saw her, I looked away, avoiding eye contact. But she walked straight up to me, smiled broadly and exclaimed ‘How lovely you look! What a beautiful crown! Wow!’.

Hearing that, all of my silly anger melted and I fell head-over-heels in love with her. It was very sweet of her, to bother to go out of her way and make up with a disgruntled 7-year old.

She actually cared about kids, otherwise, which Principal would make an effort to make up with a silly seven year old. But she did and made me feel so special that my heart swelled up with pride and joy.

I was in G.H.S for eleven years and had a great time. Mrs. Revis was very strict about the curriculum but made sure there were plenty of co-curricular activities throughout the year. We had Elocution, Debates, Concerts, Fetes, Sports Day etc, all of which were very well planned and executed under her leadership. And boy, did we have a blast.

All the costumes for the concerts and sports were procured or stitched by the school or the teachers. The parents were never burdened. All they had to do was turn up.

She was very particular about the teachers she hired and we were taught by some of the best teachers in the entire city.

Mrs. Revis was classy, soft spoken, elegant but with a fist of iron. She ran the school perfectly. Even when she ticked off anybody she did it with class and restraint. We never ever saw her lose her temper or scream.

She’d hold warm farewell ceremonies for the teachers who’d retire and would give the entire day off to the students to present a mini concert of sorts with skits, dances and presents to honor those teachers.

Our School had a hostel, where Mrs. Revis made sure she’d hire the very best warden, nurse and cooks. The dormitories were always neat and the sick bay was like a peaceful sanctuary.

I don’t know if all the students know, but Mrs. Revis was a great foodie and knew her Pulao from her Biryani. So it was no surprise that the food served to the hostel residents was both nutritious and delicious.

I have eaten in many hostels in Mumbai and the Best Hostel Food Award in my mind went to two hostels. One was the G.H.S Hostel run by Mrs. Revis and the other one was in Mumbai, the Wilson College Hostel called The Mackichan Hall.

In all of the 11 years I spent in G.H.S, under her watch, not one student got seriously hurt. Her surprise rounds kept every student and even the teachers on their toes. Under her guidance G.H.S became one of the best schools in the State.

A very strong person, Mrs. Revis never hesitated to make a single decision no matter how hard it was. Calm, kind, polite and with nerves of steel she could handle any kind of trouble without even batting an eyelid.

Our curriculum was one of the best and under our Principal we learned a lot and got to explore our talents, strengths and weaknesses.

One of my strongest memories of her was when I was late for my I.S.C.E exams by half an hour. When I reached the school, Mrs. Revis was standing outside the school gates, alone, waiting for me, worried that I would miss my exam. I was so touched, I almost cried.

I live in Mumbai now and every time I impress somebody, they usually ask where I did my schooling from and are shocked to hear that I went to a school called G.H.S in Allahabad and not some fancy prep school abroad. That’s when I thank God for my beloved Principal, Mrs. Edna Revis under whose guidance I was put through fire, moulded, polished and pushed to reach my potential.

I remember the time when our school had its 125^th Anniversary and Mrs. Revis pulled out all the stops. It was celebrated with a bang for about a week with shows, dances, musical nights, an enormous cake cutting ceremony and the entire school sitting down to lunch together. It was the happiest week of my life.

This year when the school had its 150^th Anniversary, just like other alumni, I was also asked to write my thoughts about G.H.S.

I couldn’t pen down a word because for me, G.H.S was synonymous with Mrs. Revis. She was the real spirit of the school. And since she was no longer the Principal, for me there was no G.H.S.

To those reading this, please don’t be a moron like me. Pick up that phone, call up the people you love, the ones who made a great difference in your life and tell them how much you care, instead of talking about it, like me, when it is too late.

Today I would do anything to put my arms around Mrs. Edna Revis, hug her till she is out of breath and tell her what I never had the guts to say earlier.

I’d say ‘Mrs. Revis, thank you for helping me become the person I am. I have never respected anyone as much as I have looked up to you and respected you. You are like royalty to me, the Queen of my heart. I love you very much and will love you till my very last breath.’

Her sudden departure has left me with a hole in my soul. I will never be the same again and neither will G.H.S.

Dark Diwali For Kandivli (Mumbai) Family

2011-11-08T14:14:00.011+05:30

On September 21, 2011, Sumit Dilip Wankhede, 22 and Avinash Jadhav 22, were returning at 5 am after working at a construction company in Mira Road.

Because it was raining the bike skidded and hit a stationery truck parked in front of Alica Nagar, opposite Whispering Palms Xxclusives.

Their family and friends took them to Sanchaiti Hospital, Akurli Road, who started treatment but at 7.00 am said it was important to shift both to a bigger hospital and referred them to Criticare Hospital, which is in Juhu.

At Criticare, Avinash (the pillion rider) was operated on right away, but Sumit who had a Cerebral Hematoma (blood clot in the brain), was operated upon at 7.00 in the evening. He regained consciousness in three days and passed out again on September 26.

By the time he turned 22 on the 10th of October, he was conscious and lucid, but unable to talk because of a broken jaw. The surgery of the jaw had been put off because of a lung infection.

On the 12th of October, Criticare Hospital said that he was out of danger and it would be better to move him to a place closer to home, with good facilities, like the newly opened DNA Hospital at Lokhandwala Township.

Now Sumit & his elder brother, Pratik (24) made a living for their family, by washing cars. So when the hospital bill (along with medicines) at Criticare came to a whopping Rs. 9 Lakhs, the family's entire life savings was woefully inadequate and they had to borrow a huge amount of money to pay the bills.

At DNA, Sumit starting improving and began to communicate through eye movements and gestures. He was very fond of Cricket and on the 23rd of October, when Sumit's friends took him around the hospital in a wheel chair, he conveyed his desire to watch the India Vs England match and watched it for around 10-15 minutes.

That night he stayed up till 3.30 am with his brother and another patient in the ICU who was due to be discharged the next morning. At around 3.30am Sumit drifted to sleep and his elder brother, Pratik, went to the next room to lie down. At 5.30 am, the hospital staff woke up Pratik saying that Sumit was not doing very well and needed to be put on a ventilator.

Sumit passed away around mid-day on Dhanteras (Oct 24, 2011).

His elder brother Pratik, 24, collapsed when he heard the news and his mother fainted. The youngest son of the family Atul, 15 yrs, started hyperventilating and had to be given medical aid.

An autopsy was done on Sumit at 4 p.m. and his body was consigned to flames at 10 p.m. on Dhanteras.

The shocked and broke family were unable to pay the DNA Hospital bill, which was more than Rs. 1 Lakh. The hospital was kind enough to release Sumit’s body without asking the family to settle the bill immediately.

The Wankhede family, while still reeling from their young son’s death is in debt to the tune of around Rs. 8 Lakh.

Neighbourhood Times will be donating 5% of advertising revenue generated from our Children’s Day special issue dated November 10, 2011 to The Wankhede Family.

We, at Neighbourhood Times, urge each reader to look deep within our hearts for compassion and contribute generously in raising funds the late Sumit Wankhede’s Family.

We cannot bring their son back, but as a community we can help them to get rid of their huge debt. Names & Pictures of donors who contribute Rs. 5,000/- and above will be published in Neighbourhood Times.

Electronic Money transfers can be done directly to:

Mr. Pratik Dilip Wankhede,
A/C No: 65083742045
IFSC : STBP0001014
Bank : State Bank of Patiala
Branch : Lokhandwala Kandivli East, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India 400101.

Sumit’s elder brother Pratik can be contacted on +91-9664903378 / +91-8108921267

2011-09-03T13:04:00.039+05:30

The 100 day diet

by Amrita Simon

Christmas is approaching, and you are having to hold your breath to wriggle into your jeans!!!

To those who really want to lose weight.....

Welcome to the Simon Fitness Boot Camp!!!

Here's a sure shot, fool proof, way to lose the flab and look wow this Christmas and for the New Year's Celebrations,unless you are Diabetic, have Thyroid problems or are on Anti-depressants.

To the Diabetics,I'd say, run this diet by your GP. For the rest, if you are more than 5 kilos overweight, get your Thyroid levels checked before starting this diet.For those on Anti-depressants.....your weight loss will be a little slower, so follow this diet strictly after consulting with your Shrink.

Make a food journal and weigh your self and write it down before starting.Do not weigh yourself for the next 15 days.

Shun the Sugar

Sugar is very high in empty calories and even a little consumption leads you to crave sweets. The very first step should be to stop sugar completely. Even half a teaspoon is bad.

If you are craving for something sweet, eat a couple of dried dates,apricots or a tablespoon of raisins. But not right after a meal.

Drink a glass of water 15 minutes before you eat.Do not drink water with your meal.Wait for at least an hour.

Stop the Milk

Milk is big no-no.It is high in cholesterol and has no fiber. Since it is difficult to digest, using milk in your diet will burden your digestive system and slow down weight loss.

Switch to soy milk if you really like to drink milk. I did and it was delicious and satisfying.

Learn to take your tea or coffee without milk.

Can the Colas

Steer clear of fizzy drinks,sodas and colas,even the 'natural' fruit drinks and juices. Aside from being very high in sugar, they are very acidic( including the diet colas) and will ruin your PH balance.

As a rule don't drink anything that comes in a bottle, pack or can. If you want to drink something sweet, try freshly squeezed juice and smoothies.

Ditch those Drinks

Alcohol is very high in calories, increases appetite and ruins digestion.

So, go easy on those cocktails.

Ideally you should have none,but if you really have to,then it is important, that you restrict your self to a maximum of two drinks a week.

Munch more Fruit

Bursting with all the goodness nature has to offer, fruits are the most perfect food designed for our bodies. Full of anti-oxidants and vitamins, fruits are perfect for getting healthy and fit.

Just make sure to eat fruit that is in season and do not eat it if it has been altered in any way by cooking or canning.

The best way to eat fruit is on an empty stomach. So start your day with fruit.

Eat NOTHING but fruit for breakfast.

Go Green

Meat and eggs are very difficult to digest and place a great strain on our digestive system.

Since they are very acidic, high in fat and low in fiber, they are important to avoid if you want to lose weight fast.

Stop consumption of Meat and Eggs and turn Vegetarian.

Replace Non Vegetarian food with,Soy chunks,Tofu,Lentils,Legumes and Vegetables.

Do not over cook and kill the nutrients in your Veggies.Use a non-stick wok,add a teaspoon of oil,when it heats,add the Veggies and stir fry for a minute or two.

Snack on salads

The one important food capable of flushing toxins from your body, cleansing your system leading to weight loss is Raw sprouts (blanch them first) and Salads.

Make them an important part of your meal and your snacks. Add Peanuts or raw Sesame seeds to your Sprouts to give it that nutty taste.

Cut the Carbs

Stop eating simple Carbohydrates like Maida, Bread,Pasta, Rice, Potatoes and even Wheat Rotis.

Switch to Millet (Jawar,Bajara) Rotis.

Eat no more than 2 Rotis a meal.

Jog, Skip and Run

These three cardiovascular exercises are perfect for losing weight fast.

No matter how well you eat, you will not achieve optimum weight loss until you add at least 20 minutes of aerobic activity to your regimen.

Begin by brisk walking and graduate to jogging when you have better stamina..

So there you have it.....the 100 day Slimming Guide.

Go on give it a shot..You have nothing to lose but your weight..

(For those who achieve success,cheques are fine ;0) but cash is better)

2011-08-29T16:41:00.025+05:30

SHE DON-Hindi Movie 'Shabri' Review
by Amrita Simon

'Shabri' is the story of a slum-dweller girl,working hard at an Atta-chakki for her family that is almost as poor as church mice.

An alcoholic father,a mother working herself almost to the bone making pickles and a young brother who loiters around mixing with the wrong kind of people, adds to the burden of the already heavy laden,weary and frustrated Shabri..

The ashen tinted film symbolizes the lack of any hope or color in Shabri's life. Her concern for her brother 'Bandhya'(Vijay) is expressed only through tight slaps and scraps over a pair of rubber slippers.

'Murad' (played by newcomer Raj Arjun) is a Mathka player with a heart.

From the very beginning, he is shown as a savior of sorts.His expressive eyes say it all.... his compassion and kindness.

Acutely aware of and almost hating what he does for a living, Murad is seen constantly discouraging Shabri's brother to have anything to do with anything illegal.

The only dramatic entry in the film is that of the Villain (Pradeep Rawat). He seems even more sinister than what he was in Ghajini, literally making the back of the hair on your head stand up.

Bandhya gets picked up by the police for a crime he is innocent of. Murad frantically tries to get him out but fails.

Shabri turns up at the Police station to set her brother free. While she waits outside the Cop-in-charge is shown slurping his meal in a disgusting way. The way he tears into the meat he is eating and sucks at the bones depicts what some corrupt and cruel cops are capable of doing.

As he leers and touches Shabri, her terrified young brother, his beating wounds visible, his voice quivering with terror, musters enough courage to tell the cop to lay off his sister or else.....

Later Bandhya is shown in a dark cell with a lone bulb swinging mid-air,with cops all around him and one of them undressing.

What you see later is not for the faint-hearted.

The Director, Lalit Marathe shows Bandya's torture and brutalization, in a way that has never, ever been seen on any Hindi Movie screen before.

Murad breaks the news to Shabri in silent scene that nevertheless conveys his own pain.

When Shabri sees her brother's young broken body, his torn chappals (the very pair she'd fight with him about) laying alongside, a representation of sorts, of the perverted, animal like cruelty he had to go through, something inside her snaps and she takes the law into her own hands.

Murad stands by her like a rock. The rest of the movie is about how because of their actions Murad and Shabri are on the run and literally have to 'hit the mattresses' with both the police and the Villain 'Rajdhar Bhau' hot in their pursuit.

In a juicy, author backed role, Isha Koppikar,(Shabri) gives the best performance of her career with her slum-dweller look (dark pancake,crumpled saree, et al) and gait down to a pat.

Almost always serious in every frame, one gets to see Shabri give a slight glimmer of a smile when she catches Murad looking at her as she dries her freshly washed hair.

Newcomer Raj Arjun (Murad) is the surprise package of the film .

Considering,this was his first film, he has given a beautifully restrained performance, expressing himself softly with words or sometimes with his eyes only. Any other actor in his place would have hammed or may have been tempted to but Raj gives a stellar performance in a role that should have been longer.

Zakir Hussain is good as the stony faced cop with a wry sense of humor.

As the main Villain, Pradeep Rawaat has out done himself. He is just too good. Unlike other Directors who show the Villain as just a very bad guy, Lalit Marathe has carved out many facets in his Villain that shows his cruelty, his pain and finally his stunned grief.

In fact the Villain is the best etched character of the film.

As a first time Director, Lalit Marathe has done a good job, paid attention to detail, made a good film on a novel concept and is worth watching out for.

Even though, in my opinion, the film could have done without the ashen hues and expanded the romantic angle between Murad and Shabri a little more, it is unquestionably a must watch for all those gangster film aficionados out there.

2011-08-19T15:43:00.032+05:30

The Story of a Woman Gangster
By Amrita Simon

Ram Gopal Verma's much awaited film,' Shabri' is slated to hit the theaters on the 26th of August.

Written and Directed by Lalit Marathe,'Shabri is a film supposed to be nothing like what Ramu's productions have churned out before.

Starring Raj Arjun as the male lead who plays 'Murad', the Mathka don and Isha Koppikar in the female lead as 'Shabri', The film holds promise because no other film has ever been made about a Female Don amongst the gritty underbelly of Mumbai.

We managed to get Ram Gopal Verma to say a few words about his film...

What was your creative contribution to the film?

“All the creative calls with regards to the Writing and Directing were taken by Lalit Marathe.

I merely partnered with Reliance to produce it."

You must have seen the film.What is your opinion?

"Laalit Marathe has made a heart touchingly, realistic film"

What did you think about the actors' performances?

“Isha has done a fantastic performance and as for the Lead actor,Raj Arjun and Villian, Pradeep Rawaat (the guy who played Ghajni),they are both too good”

We asked Raj Arjun, who plays the main lead, a few questions...

Tell us about yourself.

“I am originally from Bhopal. I have done theater, for 10 years,which is the first stepping stone for acting,I have worked with many known theater groups and my theater guru is Habeeb Tanveer Shab. In fact,I still do plays with Feroz Khan and Makrand Despande”.

Is this your first film as the leading man?

"Yes,and I can hardly control my excitement !!"

Have you done any other film before?

A long back, Mr Praval Raman called me for a very small role in Ramu's movie 'Company'.It was not even a role, it was just a shot. I was in Bhopal but I came and did it wholeheartedly because I had full belief in Ramu and had always wanted to work with him.

That small shot was the beginning of my association with Ram Gopal Verma.

Amazingly, after around 2-3 years, he remembered me despite that small shot and asked Praval to “call that shooter.” He didn't even know my name till then....

I met Ramu and I still remember the first thing he said … “This character, 'Murad' is a Matka Don. He has the intensity of 'Bhiku Matre' (Manoj Bajpai in 'SATYA') and the anger of 'Chandu' (Vivek Oberoi in 'COMPANY').

Now go home and think about it and once you are ready with the character,let me know.

It took me 17 days to think deeply about the character,'Murad',because it was a little tough for me to work on such a thin line.

But after that when I met Ramu, dressed as 'Murad' in his office, he observed me minutely...my outfit, hair, my chappals. I thought he would say something but he simply left the room and disappeared,leaving me completely confused and nervous, wondering what was going on in his mind.

Suddenly,a young energetic man came out and introduced himself as Lalit Marathe,the Writer and Director of 'SHABRI'...I remember him getting excited and saying that he had gotten his 'Murad' !!

Did you do any research for this role?

I remember I started living like Murad. I took my costumes home and started roaming in slums of Mumbai, dressed like'Murad' with his Taaviz. I started going to Charni road and all the places where these Matka dons are said to frequent.

I remember being super excited and showering Lalit with questions about my character, Lalit was also totally into it and he started enjoying the whole process and we developed a great bond of faith before we went on floor.

One day I came to know, the actor playing 'Bandya' (Shabri's brother in the film) was being replaced,then came the news of the replacement of the Villan,'Rajdhar Bhau' and 'Shabri' too.

Finally Isha came on board as 'Shabri' so I got a little worried and asked Lalit if it was my chance now to get the boot.

Lalit's answer still rings in my head.He said "You are my 'Murad'.He can be played by you and you, alone.I can't even think of making this film without you." I still get goose flesh when I remember that.

What happened next?

"Well, with him having so much faith in me,was a huge thing.I completely surrendered myself to Lalit and became his actor.

I started thinking about the mental picture Lalit had, of 'Murad'. How he saw and imagined him because 'Murad' was his creation and who knows a son better then his father..I wanted to be 'THAT SON', I wanted to be just the way Lalit had envisaged 'Murad.'

Soon after, I had an accident. I asked Lalit “ How will I perform with a broken leg?” He said, “ Come what may, you are my 'Murad'.

I will change the script and will show Murad as a limping man."Such was his blind faith in me!!(But my leg became ok,so I didn't need to limp at all)

Now what more can any actor,much less a new comer, expect from a known, established, Writer& Director like Lalit Marathe? I gave the film my all because of his faith.

I think and hope that I did justice to Lalit's creation--'Murad'.

How is Lalit Marathe as a Director?

Lalit was like a dream director, giving us complete freedom to perform and guiding us at the same time. He lived the characters and put life,a kind of Junoon in all the performers.

As for me,I became 'Murad'....I'd remained 'Murad' even after he yelled cut.Even while eating or relaxing,I'd remain 'Murad' throughout the day and even when we were not shooting.

During the scene shoots, Lalit would come to me and in whispers he used to ask 'How will you do it ? Just give me one sur and then start'

Because he also felt 'Murad' so deeply, he knew when 'Murad's' personality had taken over mine, so he ensured that no one should disturb him by loud voices. All I can say is....wow.. what a journey it was.

One day after a scene, Lalit came to me and said Arjun you don't know what great work you are doing and I wold like to you work with me in my next project.

I eagerly said, yes,yes,yes without asking about the script and role because I know whatever he'd make would be great!!!.

He is a fantastic director to work with.I would love to work with him again and again.

Tell us about Isha Koppikar. She is a star and you are a newcomer. What was it like? Working with her?

" Isha is a good co-star,a hard worker and very professional.

To perform, she has to be in the skin of the character and she was. So I never saw Isha as a Heroine. I saw her as 'Shabri' from day one.

She had no starry airs about her We'd discuss scenes together.I was very comfortable with her.

She always looked out for me. In one scene I was badly beaten by 'Rajdhar Bhau's' gang and they hanged me with chain and all. Sometimes fight masters get very high and they forget that the actor who is playing hero is not a real fighter he is an actor who is doing a hero's role..

So they they chained my hand and started pulling it ...and my whole body's weight was on my wrists.

When Isha saw this she knew,I might hurt my wrist badly and told the fight master 'Don't do this. Just because he is new you can't do this' A harness was arranged immediately..and the shot was canned perfectly.

Another time I was told to jump from my back side and I was doing it with great enthusiasism,but Isha stopped me. 'Mr. Arjun do want to do any more films after this?' she said. 'Yes. Why?' I asked

'Be careful,the way you are doing this shot, is dangerous and you could get seriously hurt.' she warned . So I cut down on the enthusiasm,took amplecare and precaution and we did the shot without me getting hurt.

I really am grateful to Isha Koppikar for all her kindness and support.

I'd also like to mention Mr Praval Raman.He is important to me because he cast me in the movie 'Company' and because of that, I got to meet Ramu.

I am very thankful to him and Ramu to give me this break.Who bothers to give breaks to newcomers like this? Who turns them into stars overnight? Only Ram Gopal Verma.

Ramuji gave me 'Shabri', my life's first film with such a mind boggling role. Any actor would have loved to do a fantastic role like this and he chose me.

I admire the man,he is never afraid of taking risks,and has a tremendous fight and courage within.

No matter what happens, I will always stand by Ramu.

I owe him BIG TIME!! I will always be in touch with him. Always."

We spoke to the Writer and Director of 'Shabri'- Lalit Marathe

Tell us about your film,'SHABRI'...

"Shabri is the story of how a simple woman from a Mumbai slum ends up threatening the biggest corcorridors of power in the Matka gambling underworld of the city. It’s a story of survival, dignity, determination, and human triumph in the face of impossible odds."

You have written the script...Where did you get this idea from? A woman from the slums of Mumbai, becoming a gangster? Is it based on a true story?

"There was this anecdote that Ramu himself had narrated about the wife of a gangster...so the process started from there and I left it far behind and reached somewhere else,plus there were references of real life woman gangsters...

So I read whatever was available. I was aware that there women gangsters like these,but this film is not based on a true story.You may find there are parallels with some people. I tried to take the attitude from real life.It started me off thinking that this don can be a female."

But this look of a scruffy,unkempt looking, female gangster,in a ragged sari....where did you get that inspiration from?

"This girl is the breadwinner of her family.She handles the problems of life confronting her herself,she protects her family so her dark skin is symbolic of the harsh life she leads."

Sounds impressive.So how long did it take you to write the script?

"It took me close to 6 months,I kept making changes in the script while we were shooting because the actors lent their own chemistry and body language so I made sure that, that got reflected in the dialogues,in the story."

So you involved the actors in the script changes?

"I did I did.I think the casting of the actors was a very crucial thing."

Isha Koppikar is associated with glam roles,what made you pick her for this role?

"I saw Isha in 'D' and I saw the hunger she possesses,I thought she would be prefect for this role,I wanted,somebody with a lot of hunger..I wanted somebody fresh who has never done such a role before? Somebody who wants to prove herself."

This role required somebody with lots of talent. Isha till now,save for 'Kya Kool Hain Hum,' has not won too many accolades for her performances.You had faith in her talent because....

"Intuition is something that one goes with and I realized, after watching her brief role with Chunkey Pandey in 'D' that she had the potential to do justice tothis role."

When you saw Raj...did you REALLY see your 'Murad'?

"YES! COMPLETELY!! Completely and totally.I knew what I didn't want in 'Murad' and and in Raj I saw every thing, I didn't want in 'Murad' and he had everything 'Murad' would have."

Did Raj meet you in 'Murad's costume?

"His body language and the way he carried himself appealed me the most.I don't pay much attention to clothes etc....what is important to me is the overall personality."

In this film a lot of people were replaced. But,when Raj broke his leg,you didn't replace him. You changed the script instead,and made his character 'Murad' limp.Why?

"I knew what a tremendous potential he had and what he was capable of doing...so even if I had gotten the best actor in the world I wouldn't have replaced Raj because I knew I had already found my 'Murad'. No one could have replaced him.

I have put my entire soul, strength and spirit in this film. Such films are only made when, one has the passion to kill or die even, to make the film. I have killed myself for this film and I have died for this film too. Such was my involvement for 'Shabri'!!

Finally we spoke to Isha Koppikar..

Why is your complexion so dark in the film?

"The story is of a slum-dweller who has roughed it out,and that is the kind of look I wanted to give my the character in the film. Both Lalit and I got this idea together.

When I was narrated the film,I thought of this person as this dark,rustic,rugged woman,you know, who has really roughed it out.

When I shared my thoughts with Lalit, he also had the same sentiments and we went ahead with the test shoot. During the test shoot we decided on Shabri's skin tone,how we should dress her and how she should be."

Did you build a set or shoot in real slums?

"We shot in real slums."

Did you do any kind of research for this role?

"No. I didn't do any research".

Then how did you manage to look so convincing as a slum dweller....and the sari....how did you get your sari to look like that?

"From the first day I felt the project was blessed. We had a stylist,we had a designer.His name is Reza Sharif,he gave it that effect!!

He put it in coffee water and tea water and boiled it and tattered it and then, it was given to me."

We heard that your metamorphosis from a glamorous actor to the grubby , disheveled 'Shabri' was so good that the crew mistook you as a rag-picker and almost threw you off the sets.

"Yeah,that actually happened.I was in my 'Shabri' get up, right in the skin of the character,walking around, rehearsing my lines when I was shooed away. Lalit had to intervene and explain that I was the Heroine of the film and not a rag-picker."

How easy was it for you to get into SHABRI'S character?Are you a 'Method' actor or 'Spontaneous'?

"That I will have to ask Lalit.... (asks Lalit) 'Lalit am I Method actor or Spontaneous?' “Spontaneous”-said Lalit "Spontaneous ! " chirped Isha

Are you a Director's actor?

"Director's delight!! I'm the Director's delight!! ("Joy, Joy!! " added Lalit ) "See?? I am a director's delight!!" she laughed.

So you are as good as your director is...

"You see since I'm Spontaneous, sometimes the compliments that I’ve gotten from directors is that 'Isha, a lot of times you rise above the script' ( at this,Latit gives a double thumbs up ) and that, I inspire the characters and the script as well."

These are the things that have come to me by my Directors. An actor is like a clay and the Director is the potter who molds the clay"

You have worked with Raj Arjun for the first time

"Yeah! Fantastic actor!"

He is playing the lead for the first time.How was it working with him?

"I had a great time,he is a very committed and a very sincere actor."

Raj told me he was being lifted by chains without a harness and you intervened.

"They were lifting him without any harness any security, tomorrow, if something happens to him who's responsible?"

Working and acting in slums did it make you more sympathetic, feel more empathy towards slum dwellers?

"More than empathy, I respect them. They are so happy in that little place that they live in and..... Hah!! for some people, no space is big enough,if they have a flat they want a bungalow, if they have a bungalow they want a building."

That's true. I think this going to be your best work yet....do you agree??

"Yes. it's going to be my masterpiece- My Picasso"

How is Lalit Marathe as a director?

"Fantastic...he is very clear about what he wants."

So if he doesn't get what he want, is he patient? Or.......

"He's a lot like Shabri.He's got this latent aggression which is seen in the way he presents his actors, his characters. He'll be patient for a while but then there will be some gesture or something that will make us feel that OK, we've had it now and we'd better take care of the situation!!

Its not that he's loud but something in his words give you get a feeling that now he's upset and you've pushed your luck too far !!"

You have married into the Narangs', a typical Page 3 family.How do they feel about your acting?

"They really don't have a problem.My husband is very supportive,he knows that I love acting and definitely he has no qualms."

So you will not stop acting...this will not be your last film?

"No,no! This is not my last film. I'm about to sign two more movies.I just took a year's break to spend time with my husband,my in-laws. I live in a joint family and you need to take some time off and settle in.You need to bond."

Well,thanks for talking to us. All the best for the film! May it send the cash registers ringing!!

"Thank you so much!"said Isha.

2011-08-15T19:42:00.011+05:30

SIMON SAYS....

No country for old men !!

It's the Indian Independence day. Sitting on the road,with cars and rickshaws whizzing past him,dangerously, is a white haired, old, emaciated man, his frail arm stuck out, begging for money, food....any thing.

A well dressed man holding the Indian flag passes him by without throwing so much as a glance at him.

Others, mostly the blue collared workers, throw in a few coins in his battered steel cup but not one car stops...not even a single one, to give alms to this frail man obviously unable to work, not even on the day our country celebrates Independence.

As our reporter starts talking to him with our photographer clicking pictures......a small crowd gathers...curious, eager to give bytes and quotes but no help.

His name is Randa Pawar (A Marathi Manoos!) aged 90 and suffering from Throat and Mouth Cancer and Blurry vision.

His wife, Sakuna Bai,60, and he live in a 10 by 10 feet room. His elder son Samarao Pawar,22 lives with them while his younger son, Nagesh Pawar,20,who suffers from some mysterious ailment, one fine day, left home, never to return.

“My wife has cancer too.......thankfully we were both was operated on, at The Tata Memorial Hospital around the same time 12 years back. The operation was free and I am grateful to them,but we had to buy our own medicines. My wife is okay now but I am still sick”said Pawar

With no support from the sons, and left to fend for themselves.....Pawar's wife stays at home while he spends the day begging, trying to collect enough money to buy food and medicines including injections.

The medicines he needs are expensive costing Rs 100 per tablet. Since climbing stairs is a very big problem for him, how he manages to get on the train for the hospital,is anybody's guess!!!

Where does he stay? “In the same place I have been staying from 1947, Damu Nagar,Mahindra gate number 2”

Our reporter, Meeta Nair asked him a few questions....Did he know what day it was?

“Monday” he replied.

I'ts Independence Day, the day India gained Independence !!!.

The poor man is mumbles... “I didn’t know”. Well how old is he? “90” he said.

So he must have been around that time in 1947? “Yes I was.” Does he remember anything? “Not much” he says.

What does Independence day mean to him? “Nothing” he says

“What CAN it mean to me??.....look at my state, the Government gives me no assistance....I am so weak, some times I don't have the strength to go out and beg. Plus the Policemen beat me up when they catch me begging.” “NO!!”he says, dismissively, “ Aaazadi Divas means nothing to me"

Our reporter, Meeta asks him.Would he mind posing for the camera......holding the Indian flag?

Despite all his earlier complaints, Pawar not only agrees but insists on standing up......to give respect to the Tiranga.

Our Photographer,Naresh Das, and Reporter, Meeta Nair, watch silently as he struggles to his feet, his legs quivering as he faces the lens.

His speech becomes labored........“It hurts when I talk” he says indicating a spot on his neck. “The suffering is too much. There is no point in living any more” he trails off....

Does he need any immediate help besides money and food?

“Steps.”...he says stumping our reporter completely, “I need help with climbing steps”.

It's a cool,cloudy day, “How does Hot Daal-Rice sound? Would he like some?”

“Yes” he nods eagerly and waits patiently. He accepts the money and the steaming plate of Dal-Rice and the money that I send across and promptly digs in hungrily, asking if he can come the next day, for some more food.

Watching him wolf down the meal, I wipe away a tear as I think of all those Independence Day, self patting speeches, given all across India, by our supposedly well meaning Politicians, put there, by the Smart Indian Junta.... but somewhere, in the course of “The Great Indian Development,” millions of people like Pawar (both Marathi and Non-Marathi) have some how slipped through the huge cracks in the system and fallen into a pit of hell.

May God help them!! I don't think any one else will !!!

2011-08-06T16:06:00.038+05:30

SPILL THAT MILK

by Amrita Simon

“Cow's milk has Calcium, the way nature intended it.....FOR CALVES” said Harvey Diamond in his ground breaking book on Health and Nutrition- Fit for Life.

For this voracious critic of milk, there is a grand purpose of mother nature and there is a reason why all mammals have milk available at the birth of their young.

Each species milk is uniquely beneficial for that specific species.

His logic makes sense,think about it.... how many of us have seen a calf drink a buffalo's milk or a puppy drink a cat's milk?

Animals do not drink the milk of another species.

The only species which does that, is the Human species.

Once weaned, animals stop having milk. At this point Mr Diamond, specifies that pets and animals in the Zoo are an exception because they have no option but to consume what we offer them.

"Cow milk is designed to create a huge big boned animal with four stomachs and there is no way humans meet those criteria....

Eating Dairy products is eating a product designed to make you very big, like a cow, very fast. Cow milk is for baby cows....it is idiocy to insist we continue to drink it after infancy right into our eighties (if we can get that far). Are we actually to believe that when our mothers finish, the cows should take over?" he argues.

According to Mr Diamond's second book Fit for Life II - Living Health, Dairy products cause a plethora of diseases and should be consumed only if one wants to be ill.

He says- “Dietitians and Nutritionists who say otherwise either don't know enough or are simply mouthpieces for the Dairy Industry. Diseases like Obesity, Asthma, Bronchitis, Sinusitis, frequent Colds,Runny noses, and Ear infections are all primarily caused by Dairy products.”

He further explains “Milk causes more mucous than any other food, thick dense mucous that clogs and irritates the body's entire respiratory system”

He is definitely on to something there because some studies do claim that Cheese is linked to Migraines.

The truth is that people consume Dairy products in the misguided notion that it is healthy, an important food group and they get their Calcium from it.

In reality nothing could be further from the truth. Milk has two elements that need to be broken down by enzymes in the body. They are Lactose and Casein.

Lactose needs the enzyme Lactase and Casein needs Renin which is absent in the human body by the age three or four, which is why milk gets so indigestible by the time we pass that age,and we hear so much about some people being lactose intolerant.

Mr Diamond spells it out “Over 98% of the population is lactose intolerant”

He is not alone.

According to the late N.W Walker, (who authored and researched Nutrition and Healthy living and who lived to a ripe age of 109 years himself) the Casein in milk was directly linked to Goiter growth and other Thyroid gland diseases.

Christina Pirello, a Natural foods expert has this to say: “Milk clogs arteries, contributing to Heart disease. The Estrogen and other hormones being fed to cows has been linked to Breast and Prostrate Cancer as well as the onset of Early Puberty.”

Another condition that Dairy products worsen are, Stomach Ulcers. For years people have been asked to drink cold milk for Ulcers and Acidity which is odd because all Dairy products (other than Butter and Ghee,they are simply fats) are very acid forming and the very LAST thing an Ulcer patient should have.

According to authors Oski and Bell in their book titled 'Don't drink your milk', Dairy products are linked to Anemia in children, Allergies, Stomach Cramps, Diarrhea and Multiple Sclerosis.

In fact Dr Oski, former Physician-in-Chief of the Johns Hopkins Children Center, actually got the American Academy of Pediatrics to admit that 'Maybe children should be discouraged from milk drinking'.

In a significant 30 year study by the late Dr. Roy Swank at the University of Oregon, a low milk and animal fat diet in Multiple Sclerosis patients arrested the progress of the disease almost miraculously.

In another study in Hawaii, Researchers found a direct link between milk drinking and Parkinson’s disease in, Middle aged men.

People from the Nutrition Industry insist that milk consumption is important to avoid Osteoporosis, when the truth is exactly opposite. Milk and other Animal products are a major cause of Osteoporosis.

According to Dr John McDougall M.D and author of the bestselling book 'The McDougall Program', milk is very acidic and Osteoporosis does not result from too little Calcium, but rather primarily from too much milk and other animal food derived acids that rob the body of Calcium and weaken the bones.

In his words, “There is plenty of Calcium in all plant foods to meet the needs of children and adults.”

He is absolutely right about that..... The most Calcium rich foods are Spinach, Sesame seeds, Almonds, Broccoli, Cabbage and other Leafy vegetables. What's more, all Fresh Fruits, Beans and Grains have Calcium too.

Lactating mothers are urged to drink lots of milk to produce more milk themselves.

Which does not make sense.

Where does the cow get it's Calcium from??.

Not from glasses of milk for sure....it's from grass and leaves .

Vegetarian diet is supposed to be healthy. Yet... people from Vegetarian communities in our country suffer from Diabetes, Heart trouble, Arthritis, Obesity and Kidney problems.

And why's that? The answer lies in their excessive consumption of Dairy products.

Unbelievable? Makes sense though, doesn't it?

Don't take my word for it...Read up, check the internet, talk to a Good Physician who has bothered to keep abreast of the researches conducted in this field.

At the very least he will say it is not harmful to cut down on a product that is so high in Cholesterol and so low in Fiber !!

2011-07-19T15:35:00.031+05:30

That Radiant Glow
by Amrita Simon

OK ladies, you may not be able to change your skin type but that youthful radiance is not out of your reach if you do treat your face right. So how do you get that bright sheen that gleams on faces staring back at you from glossy magazines??

Dr Nina Madnani, one of the best Dermatologists in Mumbai busts a lot of skin myths and tells you super skin secrets, that no one else will.

So how does one get their skin to look bright and beautiful? What can we slap on? or eat?

Dr Nina says,“Glowing skin is a combination of a healthy lifestyle and having a skin which is smooth with no pigmentation anomalies. A diet rich in nutrients, especially iron, vitamins and proteins is a must. Fruit and vegetable juices are good though overweight people should avoid fruit juices because they can be high in sugar.”

On the topic of our nutty obsession with getting fairer, she has this to say-

“Many ad agencies have driven the public into a frenzy by their visuals, promising a rapid reduction of skin color resulting in a more 'Beautiful' face which is misleading.

Your skin color is determined by your genes and the extent of exposure to ultraviolet rays. Fairness creams temporarily reduce the skin shade by a fraction but the moment you stop application, your skin will revert to your original color.”

To all those young boys and girls who think smoking is cool, listen up......

Dr Nina specifies that a smoker's skin is 12.5 years older than that of a non-smoker. Get it?? Time to stub that cigarette butt out!!

About wrinkles, she says that anti-wrinkle and skin plumping creams work 'very minimally' and there are two types of lines that appear on our faces –

One are the expression lines caused by facial movements (crows feet, laugh lines, frown lines etc).

The other are very fine lines that are caused by sun damage. Sunscreens containing Anti-oxidant vitamins and Retinoids are mildly helpful in reducing the fine lines.

She recommends the use of sunscreen every day with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 for normal use and 50 for prolonged sun exposure.

For dry skin, her mantra is to 'Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize!' and says that creams with Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), are useful in rejuvenation of the skin.

Is exfoliation of the face good for removing dead cells ?

Here comes the warning- “Exfoliation does remove the superficial cells but face scrubs with large particles can cause redness and irritation in sensitive skins.”

Women go in for regular facials and some are being advised Chemical peels by beauticians.

What are her thoughts?

“Chemical peels do help in rejuvenation of the face and making skin smoother and more uniform in appearance"she says

"Various peels exist for various reasons but complications can occur if they are performed for the wrong reasons and by unqualified personnel " she warns.

Well, what about facials? Just how important are they in the 'beauty regimen'?

"Facials give that 'feel good' factor and are useful only for those with dry skin” she points out.

Another hurdle in the path to good looking skin is, facial hair. It is a source of annoyance to most women and foxes the best of us on how to deal with it.....to bleach or pluck, to wax or thread, to shave or zap it to death with lasers.....

Dr Madnani clarifies, “Laser hair removal is recommended for permanent hair reduction and cannot achieve permanent hair removal.”

(Wow,we certainly weren't aware of that!)

Well, most women use bleaching,threading or even waxing for unwanted facial hair. How safe are these methods?

According to the Doctor, bleaching has no side effects on the skin, if done properly. Threading is OK and contrary to popular thinking, does not cause the skin to darken. And though waxing the face may cause Follicutlitis in some people, here comes the real shocker.....

Shaving your face does NOT make you sprout hair like a man.

So here it is, girls....

The secrets behind that radiant skin that's been eluding you for so long.

Happy Glowin!

Child-rearing Tips - Part 2

2011-07-10T20:27:00.026+05:30

In my last post we discussed

1 How to turn every opportunity into a fun teaching moment

2 Television- the best shows to expose your kids to.

3 Manners- Start early and lead by example.

Part-2

No shouting, yelling, threatening or physical violence of any kind.
Now I know this one's not easy but......Do not ever lose your temper when dealing with a tantrum specially when there are people around..

No matter how badly your kid behaves, never ever shout at or strike him.

You may think they are too young but even a two year old feels humiliated when chastised or struck specially when there is an audience.

No matter how bad the crying and the kicking and the squealing. Remember the one who is doing all that screeching is just a kid, and YOU are the adult.

So behave like one. Be calm, firm, even chilly when required but keep your voice down at all times. If your voice is low the child will have to lower his screams to understand what you are saying. This is a tried and tested method which can be used in other situations too. For example in an argument with an adult.

Research says that children love kissing,tickling and cuddling.
They say money maketh a man,clothes maketh a lady but its kisses and hugs and cuddles that maketh a happy child.

A cuddled and loved child adjusts better in class, handles conflicts better, has a higher EQ (Emotional Quotient) and is more likely to pick good friends and a loving and kind life partner later on in life.

Parents who argue, scream at and hit their kids are laying down the foundation of an anxious and a very unhappy child.

One who will have a very low self esteem and will most probably turn out aggressive themselves and turn into bullies or become scared, quiet and the submissive types.

Such kids subconsciously tend to pick physically or emotionally abusive partners. Almost always.

Kids like that don't even resist when hit and attacked by their friends or abusive spouse/partner when they are adults because by then they have been wired to think they 'deserve' it. After all mom and dad also used to hit them.

Another thing – almost all of them are full of self hatred, self loathing and are suicidal.

If you want your child to be like that, (an aggressive bully always in a rage, getting into trouble, or a suicidal introvert who gets beaten and abused by their spouse/boyfriend and who one day may become another statistic in the suicide graph of young people) ...
Then go right ahead, let your anger and ego be more important than your helpless child, shout and slap him/her when they fail a test or knock down that expensive crystal ashtray granddad gave for Christmas.

But beware, every time you hit or holler at your child, the only message you send out is, that when there is a conflict with anyone, or when one is angry or when things don't go your way, It is ok to hit.

The Bottom line is- Never hit your kid

What not to do/say in front of your child

Never fight, argue with, yell at or hit your spouse in front of your children. This one's a no-brainer. It shakes up their little world and is scary and very damaging for them. All Psychologists agree on this one.

My tip is make fight dates. My friend does this. Every now and then when her husband and and she are mad at each other,they agree to meet in the living room at around midnight (that's when their kids are fast asleep) and have a good but quiet showdown.

Another tip- Do not bad mouth relatives or friends or indulge in idle gossip in front of your child. Your kid is much more impressionable than you think. So watch what you say about others when your kid is around. Your child will respect you and others better.

Always use politically correct terms. There is nothing more embarrassing than waiting in line at the supermarket checkout and hearing your kid shout out “Look Mummy how fat this man is!!'

Mommies are not Superwomen

If you make a mistake,forgive yourself. No point beating up yourself over it. Learn from it and move on. And whenever you feel you've spread yourself too thin, close your eyes, take a deep breath and believe tomorrow's gonna be better than today.

There are many articles and books on parenting. Whenever you have the time, catch up on your reading as much as you can. Most importantly don't forget to treat yourself well. And make sure Daddy reads this,ok darlin?

Eat fresh n healthy food,fruits and salads. Get enough sleep. Ask your friends or relatives to watch the kids every now and then so you and your husband can get at least one romantic dinner in a month. Try and have friends over once in a while. Don't kill your social life.

What I mean is, try and have fun. Always keep at least one hour of some 'mommy time' aside just for you.
Do things that make you happy. Go to the spa, get a massage, watch your favorite movie, do yoga or meditation,go for swimming, jogging, dancing, some plain ole reading or simply loll around the couch channel, surfing and chill because the truth is very simple.
A happy, relaxed mommy is a good mommy and, let's not forget.....

'A good mother is worth a 100 headmasters'

Child-rearing Tips- Part 1

2011-06-27T14:45:00.020+05:30

So your toddler has started preschool. Splendid. For successful parenting it is important to understand that you cannot and must not leave the entire responsibility of educating your child on the teacher or the school. A child spends only so much time in school. The rest of the day he spends with you and the rest of the family.

Now we know how hard mommies work and how harried, frustrated and exhausted they can get. According to Oprah Winfrey, a mothers job is the hardest job in the world. But do take time out of your busy schedule and spend some quality time with your kid. Remember, “A good mother is worth a 100 headmasters”

Turn every opportunity into a teaching method. But you gotta make it fun.

Try and turn every question and query into a teaching moment. When you go grocery shopping try and take your kid along.You could turn shopping, that can be a chore into an informative and fun time for your child. Aside from the regular fruits and vegetables, most Malls stock all kinds of exotic fruits, vegetables and herbs which your neighbourhood vegetable guy may not have.It would be the perfect time to point those out.

Television

Try limit TV time as much as possible. If you want to watch, try to watch those action and graphic movies with ghosts and ghouls, blood and gore only after the kids have gone to sleep. I love slasher films with chain saw kind of horror... but I only watch when my monsters are tucked in and dreaming. Do not expose them to adult programming at all. Not even the News.

If as a parent you have forgotten some of your old Nursery Rhymes. Fret not. There are lots of videos that teach fun nursery rhymes. Television is not as bad as it has been made out to be. TV can be a great teaching tool. Keep a time limit and always keep an eye on what your kids are watching.

Cartoons like Ben-Ten, Tom and Jerry are fun but only for older kids and adults. Just recently I caught my 5 year old calling his 2 year old brother Jerry while chasing him with a hammer. I almost had a stroke. Some videos meant for kids are way too violent.

A few channels like Cbeebies and Nick Jr are very nice and provide good, fun, wholesome entertainment as they subtly teach kids manners and the difference between good and bad behavior.

Try and have a separate TV for your kids. Mine do, and all the channels that are unfit for kids their age are blocked. So it's either Animal Planet, Cebeebies or good ole Nick Jr. Pick a couple of Barney videos. Almost all stores have them. Their rhymes and songs are perfect for toddlers.

Manners

This is the tricky part. Try and teach your kid to say please and thank you right from the very beginning. If you haven’t, start now. NOW!

Kids are very impressionable and observant. They ain't going to do what you say. They're gonna do what you do. It don't matter how many times you try to get them to say Please and Thank you. Remember they will watch you and imitate you, so if you are rude to the waiter or the maid or the watchman of the building that's exactly what your kids is going to do.

So start at home, set a good example, always be polite, say Excuse-me, Sorry, Thank-you and Please, regularly when dealing with them or anybody, even while interacting with a janitor and your child will follow.

Now we mommies are human too and we do make mistakes sometimes. When you do, sit your kid down, admit you were wrong and made a mistake, and apologize sincerely with a few kisses thrown in. You will set a great example and it will do wonders for your kid's self-esteem and self-worth.

In our home we have spare room which is pink in color and has a 'naughty chair.' And when anybody, the kids or even us parents behave extra bad they first apologize to the person they misbehaved with and then, depending on the severity of the crime they get 5 to 10 minutes on the naughty chair.

The funny thing is at least once a week my husband and I also land up on the naughty chair. (Actually it's my husband who gets punished more because he really is naughty sometimes. Honest! )

Well, getting back to the point, this actually helps, the children think they are not completely powerless, that there is a certain kind of democracy in the house and not just them but every one has to follow rules, and everyone has privileges and rights. And mine behave quite well most of the time, well, almost!

I don't know about the rest of you but this system is working out just fine for us. There is no harm in giving it a shot.-

Memories of Goa

2011-06-25T19:00:00.006+05:30

We are just back from a fantastic trip to Goa. For those who missed 3 issues of Neighbourhood Times, we extend our apologies but we desperately needed a break.

Driving to Goa was a last minute plan. Since most of our staff wanted a vacation we gave them the go ahead and decided to take a summer break ourselves. Since it was too late for tickets we just threw some clothes in a bag, jumped into our car and zoomed off. The drive was relaxing. We took National Highway 4 which has less ghats but takes longer.

We stayed at a resort near Calangute, Castle House, which was highly recommended by a friend.

Castle House is a picturesque gleaming yellow and white villa/resort with cute little balconies and a pool. The tariff was so reasonable, I couldn't get my husband to stop grinning.

The swimming pool got all the kids excited. The rooms were spacious, clean with excellent service. The bar was fully stocked with all kinds of booze with ludicrously low rates eg a bottle of beer was 55 and a shot of whiskey/rum was Rs 20 only. The sea food was very nice especially the fish steaks and garlic butter prawns. The service was so good we ended up making friends with all the employees.

To any body who wants to stay at a hotel in Goa and get complete value for their money, I'd highly recommend Castle House. The owner is Dev (a very friendly chap).

If you visit North Goa and want to eat out, try Britto's at Baga beach. The portions are huge, the food is delicious and the prices are cheap. Just avoid it on Sundays as it gets too crowded. Try booking the deck chairs on the beach which cost around Rs 100 for a couple,lie back,and the food from Britto's will come to you, at no extra charge.

If you want a foot rub ask around for a guy called Rajesh and he will haggle at first but give you a nice foot rub for 20 minutes if you pay him 100 Rs. If you want your nails painted and decorated with little crystals you can get the Nail paint women (who constantly roam the beach) to do some fancy nail art for Rs 110.

Another place bang on Calangute beach is Souza Lobo. They are very popular and always very crowded on weekends.They have a dance floor and have live music every day.. The food is good, the portions are generous but watch out as the service is very iffy. They have a talent for botching up orders. Over and over again. Be careful coz if you order rice and get noodles instead ,they will make you eat the noodles no matter how much you protest and make you pay for it too.

Another place at Calangute is The Flying Dolphin.It's nice and quiet with a great 180 degree view of the beach, which is not crowded at all.It's the perfect place to go with a book,lie back,order a cocktail and watch the sun go down.The food is pretty ok too and worth a try.

Calangute Grande also has good Chinese and Continental food with big portions. Another place which I was told is good, is David's for their seafood platter but I didn't get a chance to go there. Oh and do, do visit Infentaria for their all day dining. Their pastas and cakes are delicious. I spotted Director Sanjay Gupta kicking back and enjoying a relaxing brunch with a large group of friends.

Which brings me to some of the friends I made. I ran into an absolutely lovely British couple, Janet and Graham at my hotel bar (where I had become a permanent structure). We hit it off almost immediately and hung out after that, almost every day. Once they learned I was a writer they told me about a strange predicament they were in...

Now ever since Janet and Graham came to India, they fell in love with our country, our weather, our people, our food......in fact everything. It is for this reason they decided to make India their home and bought a house in Goa.

Cool.... ..right? Wrong! What happened soon after is unbelievable. According to them they did every thing by the book. In October 2001 Graham Goodburn went to the Indian Embassy in London and declared his wish to retire in Goa. He got a One year Ex-Visa,under which, he and his partner were allowed multiple entries, they could stay longer than 12 days AND buy property..

Delighted,they arrived in 2001 October and registered with the Foreign Relation Officer. They viewed a property and made a sale agreement. Their advocate made proper papers under FEMA ie the Foreign Exchange Management Act, which meant within 182 days in one financial year, they could apply for the sale deed, which they did and received. They got the deed stamped the by the Registrar in Maupsa and received the No Objection Certificate for Electricity and House tax.

At the end of their 1 year visa,they went back to UK and were issued a 5 year visa. After 5 years in India,they returned to UK to renew their visa but were shocked to learn that they would receive a visa for one year only and would be required to leave the country every 182 days, for at least a day and then only would they be allowed to return.

Irritated and upset they returned, only to have their their advocate drop another bombshell: The rules had changed further. They could sell their house to an Indian national only AND There was a new diktat …...even though they owned a home in Goa, they could only stay for six months at a time, then they had to leave the country not for a day but for at least 2 months.

Soon came another set of rules, they were now forbidden to sell their house to anybody, not even an Indian.

So here they are, stuck in a country where they own a home, but cannot live in it for more than six months and have to get out for at least 2 months and they cannot sell their home either!!!

Quite understandably, they feel helpless and outraged. It seems Graham and Janet are not the only ones. “This is happening to all the foreigners” informs Janet.

Why don't they just leave? “I love India. This is my home now and I won't leave”says Graham Goodburn passionately as Janet nods vigorously. I feel so bad for this couple, despite all this the poor things are still in love with India and want to stay.

Pfffft !!! Atithi Devo Bhava indeed!

For their sake I hope the Indian Government is listening.

Simon Says.....

2011-06-13T19:46:00.011+05:30

Baba re Baba!!

What a week! First Baba Ramdev decided to go on a 'Me Too' Anna Hazare fast, and despite leading all that healthy yoga lifestyle promptly buckled under starvation within day six, and had to consume honey and lime (And in my opinion, technically broke his fast) Looks like yoga and a satvik diet do not a strong system make.

It is a little difficult to believe that a fitness guru can collapse after fasting of mere five / six days.

On the other side a much older 73 plus Anna Hazare who follows no such diet or exercise regimen hung on resolutely surviving quietly on plain water till the government gave in... (technically, that is.)

The support that Anna enjoyed though was tremendous and spontaneous. People, especially, young educated professionals got shaken out of their insulated lives and sat up and took notice. Comparisons to Gandhi were made. Over and over again. There were frenzied texts, face book messages, tweets, singing and marches by the youth. Everyone who was young and optimistic was there for Anna and his cause.

In Baba's case the youth were not so charged. In fact not at all. I wonder why? Maybe because many saw /accused him as the mask for the RSS. Plus shots of him trying to flee in a white ladies outfit broke the saffron spell.

Baba Ramdev should have let the cops take him. That would have have gotten him more sympathy. And his call for arms, was shocking, desperate and unfitting for a Yogi Baba. Personally for me Baba has lost his magic. I kinda feel bad for the guy. He used to be almost worshiped and look what this has done for his image. He should have stayed out of politics and stuck to what he was best at, teaching yoga.

Then came the sad news of the passing away of Mr M. F Husain.

Almost every paper I picked up had devoted pages after pages of eulogies, praises and quotes of grieving celebrities. Where were all these people when he was alive? If only these newspapers had devoted the same amount of space to convince the govt to provide him enough security and confidence to get him back, the poor man wouldn't have died in a country that wasn't his own. Let’s own up, we just didn't do enough to fight for his safe return.

Barely had this sunk in, I heard horror struck, as a news reporter gave the news about a Senior crime reporter from Mid-Day being riddled with bullets in broad daylight.

I had to pinch my self, didn't these atrocities happen in countries like Pakistan or Afghanistan? Was this the beginning of a crime wave against reporters? Were we Journalists going to be used for target practice? Should we start applying for gun licenses? (More important since I cover crime, was it time for me to hire some one else to do my crime reporting?)

The government and the police should get cracking as they would, if this had happened to one of them. Forget killing a reporter,even hitting a journalist should be made a non bailable offense.

There has been talk about a legislation like this in the making for quite some time but it seems, that it has been put in the deep freezer. In fact some media reports say that certain parliamentarians are against passing such a law against attacking journalists. Someof them even want the term 'Journalist' defined. No prizes for guessing why, eh?

It is imperative that the bill against attacking journos is passed ASAP. If not, then it can only be interpreted as a tacit consent to freely attack or kill members of the media. Take away the freedom of the press and our country will be on the verge of collapse.

The killing of Senior Reporter, J Day is shocking, abominable and has no place in a civilized democracy like ours. The authorities should not drag their feet about this. The real killers should be nabbed and tried in a super fast track court. This is not Pakistan, for Pete’s sake folks. THIS IS INDIA! You just don't kill a Journalist and get away with it.

(Pssst....Heard that Baba is a millionaire. Maybe he could donate those millions to his country whilst the struggle to get back all that black money from abroad goes on.)

Simon Says

2011-04-14T11:55:00.014+05:30

Watching the Cricket World Cup finals, was a first for me. I have never been much of a cricket fan but this year was different.

There was a sense of anticipation, a feeling that something great was about to happen. The excitement was palpable. Every time a run would be made, the crowd (not only the one on the screen but the one around me) would roar in joy.

As Dhoni shot the winning sixer the spectators erupted in ecstasy. I knew I was witnessing history. This was the first Cricket world cup I had seen India win (the last cup, I was too young to understand anything) and I was proud, so proud that I thought my heart would explode.

The people were screaming, yelling and cheering themselves hoarse. Each yell louder than the other, each decibel like a declaration of patriotism. Fire crackers were going off.....

Groups of young men roared up and down the streets on their bikes waving flags,hollering their love for India. It seemed every single person was shouting out their love for the country.

What we did not know then, was that we were going to witness history again, very soon, the very next week itself.

A quiet, simple, Marathi manoos, Kishen Baburao Hazare, better known as Anna took on the government of India and went on an indefinite hunger strike.

His empty stomach shook the conscience of the nation. He reminded us of Gandhi. This man made people walk out of their schools, homes and air conditioned offices and make a statement against corruption.

Hoards of people converged and meetings, demonstrations and candlelight marches were held not just in Delhi but all over the country.

Mumbaikars did their bit and organized candlelight vigils at Juhu and The Gateway of India. The Motormen of Mumbai pledged their support. But some of the suburbs were silent. We were witnessing history again for the second time this month and the same crowds were conspicuous by their absence. Their silence was deafening.

Where were the patriots? Those who had shouted out their Desh-Prem at the top of their lungs. Wasn’t this fight against corruption, a patriotic struggle too?

Wasn't this movement a unifying attack against the sickness that was eating into India's flesh?

Was their patriotism only limited to cheering for their country at a game or taking pot shots at neighboring countries?

We have to realize, just applauding and cheering for our Cricket team at a game is not patriotism.

The real patriot is the one who decides that he or she will no longer aid and abet corruption or any such evil that hurts our country, in any manner.

The real patriot is the one who pledges his support for activists like Anna Hazare and their cause.

The real patriot is one who embraces the values of Gandhi instead of mocking his teachings and his followers.

Gandhism is neither out dated nor dead. Anna’s victory just proved that.

If you love your country, you must do your bit against this evil of corruption. Look at yourself in the mirror and swear that no matter how hard it is, you will not support this sickness at any level. Make a promise to yourself that you will not buy even movie tickets in black.

Don’t pay bribes to anyone, no matter what the consequences.....

Report anyone who asks for one, because even if you don't indulge in corruption, but remain quiet when others do, you are giving your tacit consent and are as guilty as they are

. Remember - 'All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing' (Edmund Burke)

Anna and his supporters have managed to make history without shedding a single drop of blood, without burning down a single bus and without throwing a single stone. People who ridicule Gandhians and non-violence must rrealize that it is the only way to bring about the change our nation needs.

No amount of bandhs could have achieved what this soft spoken Maharashtrian's starvation and his peaceful supporters have.

Political parties should take note of this and change their modus-operandi to peaceful movements and hunger strikes instead of indulging in threats, violence and vandalism.

If you love India, stand up for India and be counted. Support patriots like Anna and stem the rot in this system that is destroying our beautiful Nation.

I studied this poem as a child and it moves me as much now, as it did then.

(Thank you Mrs Pamela Sinha,for this!)

Written by the same poet and patriot who penned our national anthem, these words say it all.

Where the mind is without fear

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

- Rabindranath Tagore

Not without my husband!

2010-09-06T19:23:00.009+05:30

“Humein Pati chahiye” (I want my husband) wailed Rajni Devi, wife of abducted cop Abhay Prasad Yadav “Get me back my husband or give us some poison” she begged as her scared, terrified children wept with her...

Rajni Devi's husband a Sub-Inspector along with 3 other Policemen,Sub-Inspector Rupesh Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Lucas Tete,and Havildar Ehtesham Khan, had been abducted by the Naxalites in Bihar. They were demanding the release of some of their comrades in custody.

Later as the Maoists declared they had killed Policeman Abhay Yadav, I shuddered to think about his frail wife, Rajni Devi, sitting outside the CM's house with her children, almost faint with horror, pleading for negotiations with her husband's captors.

What followed was like an unbelievable movie plot... Even though the Maoists declared they had killed Rajni Devi's husband Abhay Yadav, the body of one of the other abducted Policeman surfaced along with a note in Hindi.

His name was Lucas Tete and he had been posted in that area just days before being taken hostage.

As the pictures of the unfortunatete cop were splashed across the media, I kept thinking of poor Rajni begging for her husband's life...

Where was he? Was he dead or alive?
What would happen to his poor wife?

And then... a miracle happened …... it seems Rajani's heartbreaking cries rang through millions of television sets across the country and reached the ears of her husband's captors who had a miraculous change of heart/strategy and decided to release her husband and the other two policemen.

On the 5th, a man claiming to be a spokesperson of the Maoists got in touch with her and assured her of her husband's release. He said they were touched by her cries for her husband and had
decided to set him free!!

Today the policemen were indeed released and I sat glued to the T.V... just to see Rajani's joy on seeing her husband.

I saw her fall at her husband's feet.
Wash them and... drink the water that she had used!! (God! I don't know what to say about that!!)

And I wondered, if her husband would ever, EVER realize, that his it was his wife's tears and prayers that brought him back from the jaws of death ... LITERALLY!!!

Couldn't help remembering the story of Savitri who got back her dead husband's soul from the clutches of Yamraj (the Hindu God of death).

Sub-Inspector Abhay Prasad Yadav is one helluva lucky man..... he has a wife like Rajni Devi.

Notes from a mommy's diary

2010-05-17T14:54:00.018+05:30

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,a child's sex education should start when he or she is ready to ask questions about their bodies and while explaining it is important to use proper names for all body parts.

In India,this can be a little tricky...

Here's what happened when a friend tried that with her five year old boy-

We were at the playground and my friend and her kid were playing with a group of kids his age, when suddenly he pushed a girl to the ground. My friend hurriedly intervened,"Don't push beta" she cajoled "she is a girl." The little boy pondered for a moment before piping up "Yesss ,she is a girl, she has a Vagiiiiinaaaaaa!!!"

The girl's mother, (we'll call her Mrs Singh) frothed at the mouth and almost had a fit. My friend's son was quickly hushed up.

Later he was warned about talking about certain body parts in public,which confused him for sure. I mean isn't the entire point of the exercise meant to explain that there is nothing dirty about our bodies?

Any way, that little girl is no longer allowed to play with my friend's kid. Absolutely no prizes for guessing why.

So....when my boy turned four, to be on the safe side, I stuck to baby names for body parts.

In simple language, he made 'susu' with his 'nunu' and he was warned that if he er explored around the area too much,his nunu would fall off. And that, was that.

Now last week something really funny happened-

My four old boy saw me in a swimsuit for the first time. "Mamma?" he asked tilting his head thoughtfully "where is your nunu?"

Stumped by this query, I had two choices-

a)Take this opportunity (defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics as a 'Teaching Moment') and explain the difference between girls and boys.

b)chicken out

I of course chose the latter

"Baby" I cooed "I don't have a nunu."
"Where IS it?" he demanded worriedly

I tried again, "Sweetie, I'm a girl and girls don't have
nunus," I said, hoping that that was the end of the topic.
"But MAMA!!" he persisted "How will you make susu?"

I hid a smile, "Well baby,girls don't need that to make susu"
"NO" he wailed, clearly upset "we have to buy you a new one."

Now to prevent a complete meltdown I soothed him,
"Don't worry,we don't have to buy one, Mama will borrow Dada's"
(at this, Dada chuckled loudly)

My son was silent as he mulled over it,then suddenly brightened
as he came up with a priceless solution "Mama, i got an idea,we
will cut off Dada's nunu and then you can stick it on with gloopy glue!"

My kid looked pleased, his Dad stopped chuckling and I simply fell down laughing.

IRON MAIDEN

2009-08-01T00:18:00.010+05:30

Assam witnessed a rock show by an Iron Maiden yesterday.

Media reports splashed images of a young girl in Assam, stoning an armed Indian Army Jawan for molesting her.

I watched, frozen in horror as the petite lioness repeatedly attacked the burly soldier. She carried on throwing rocks at the Jawan fearlessly to the slow rumblings of ‘Kill, Kill’ in the background.

I was terrified that the soldier might just whip his gun off his shoulder and shoot her, but obviously this possibility never crossed the mind of the little tigress (or if it did… it didn’t matter)

I felt disgusted and so proud at the same time.

Disgusted that a soldier from the Indian army could do this and pride at the young girl’s fierce reaction which forced the whole of India to sit up, take notice and make the army order an inquiry.

Even as she was bundled up and driven away in a jeep, she kept clutching on to a couple of rocks... (for future use maybe)

The women of north-east keep displaying an amazing amount of courage,grit, guts and sheer balls.....

Does anyone remember the demonstration (in July 2004) made by hundreds of women in front of the Head-quarters of Assam Rifles in Imphal?

It was to protest the torture, rape and custodial death of a woman named Manorama by soldiers of Paramilitary Assam Rifles.

During the protests, more than a dozen women stripped stark naked with banners reading ‘Indian Army Rape Us’ and ‘Indian Army Takes Our Flesh’.

Speaking of Iron Maidens, brings me to the toughest of them all – Irom Sharmilla.

This woman wants the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) scrapped.

This act gives army personnel (in areas proclaimed 'disturbed') special powers, to arrest, search without warrant, shoot at and even kill on suspicion in the name of curbing insurgency.

The Indian army has committed grave and gory human rights abuses wherever it has had special powers and immunity under the protection of AFSPA (namely J&K, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya).

To protest against this act, Irom Sharmilla has been on a fast from November 2000.

Since then she has been forcibly fed from a tube and has spent most of her time behind bars.

This is because every time she is released, she resumes her fast and gets re-arrested.

That means that for the past 8 years and 8 months this Iron Maiden has not eaten anything!! Not of her own free will!!

The only reason she is alive is because, she constantly has a tube up her nose from which regularly force fed liquid food !!

Those who have been operated upon must be aware of how painful it is to be intubated through the nose. I was for a few days and, and it chafed, hurt and was painful all the time esp while talking.

Imagine having one up your nose all the way down to your food pipe for 8 years!!!

She is in the Guinness Book of World Records for ‘The longest protest on a social cause by a single individual anywhere in the world.'

In her support, the relay hunger strike demanding to save the life of Irom Sharmilla entered the 235th day today.

It is shameful,that the Government has not addressed this atrocity.

Meanwhile, the Iron Maiden continues to starve for her fellow citizens.

Women of modern India, think about it the next time, your well manicured hand reaches for a sandwich.

MAID IN MUMBAI

2009-07-09T18:10:00.010+05:30

OK! OK! I was wrong. I was frickin blind. I was so sure that Shiney was innocent, that the DNA report (confirming sexual contact between him and his maid) was like a slap in the face.

In his defence plea, Shiney has claimed that the sex with the maid was ‘consensual’ (yikes!) and there was nothing amiss about the nail marks found on his body, as such an “injury was possible during sex” (yuck!).

I feel soooo stupid now.

The thing is – Shiney had never been linked with anybody.

All that was written/said about him, was that he had the tendency to rub his co-workers the wrong way (no pun there) and that his marriage was in trouble.

Now who would think that an intelligent, good looking actor, from such a decent family, would throw it all away for a... maid?

I am forced to wonder… what hope do us ordinary wives have against the average hottie?!

I don’t know about you people, but I really feel sorry for his poor wife, Anupam.

That woman really put herself out there – valiantly defending her husband’s honor before the hungry microphones and flash bulbs.

How humiliating for her! How tough it is going to be.... braving the winks, the whispers, the nudges and sniggers.

That poor lady is not going to call for a press conference for a long long long time.

If only these men would stop and think about their families and kids before they unzip and throw it all away for a roll in the hay.

As for me… I am firing my maid!

Hurrah! The courts came through, once again for the terrified ICSE/CBSE bachchas and threw out the 90/10 percent seat sharing formula(at least I was right about that one!)

The government order was called....ahem 'Unconstitutional, Arbitrary and the Epitome of unfairness', among other things.

Now the government is busy wiping the egg off its face. (whatta disgrace!)

Will these politicians never learn?

Sab milkar bolo – Indian Judiciary ki Jai!

One thing that I find very funny, if these lions, (ok, cubs) in politics are brave enough to swear, to chop off the hands, of the enemies of the Hindus of this country, then..... why do they need their security upgraded?

Why do they need security at all?

Why does any threat, real or imagined, distress them so much?

Aha! It is very easy to give inflammatory, poisonous, hate mongering speeches from behind a cordon of security.

Now someone, who loves his countrymen so much, is so protective of them, and is brave enough to openly give hate speeches, should not be afraid of death threats, should he?

If the central government is really secular, it should seriously consider removing completely, the security of any politician, who gives any kind of hate speeches.

Phir dekhna – hamaare netaon ke mukh se sirf phool hi jhadenge :-)

IT’S TIME TO POP THE CHAMPAGNE FOLKS! (Make sure you have your daaru permits first!)

2009-07-03T15:42:00.010+05:30

Thank God for the judiciary. If not for them, nothing in this country would get done. Ever!

By decriminalizing consensual sex between two adults of the same gender, a new road is about to be paved for progress towards an accepting, tolerant and an all-inclusive society.

The Delhi High Court, with this judgment, has pretty much done all the dirty work of the government – who in their eagerness not to piss off any group (read voters) were hemming and hawing over an issue which is essentially a no brainer.

I mean, how much grey matter is needed to understand that section 377 was morally preachy, intolerant, judgmental and cruel? Yes, cruel! And that it was only a tool to be misused to harass and bully gay people by our law enforcement agencies. And boy! Can they misuse laws!

A party in Lonavala was busted, and all the kids crammed in the slammer, for guess what… drinking without a permit, playing loud music and dancing ‘Obscenely’. Which means, pretty much every party/wedding party in Mumbai (and even a few college socials).

This is so ridiculous that it is both funny and tragic. But we Indians, as a people, do not give a rat's bottom. We are so self-centered that we will not do anything till our own kid gets picked up. (then we will yell bloody injustice…)

Forget about busted parties, we don’t bat an eyelid even if a Commission takes 17 years to decide who was responsible for the demolition of a Masjid!

17 years!!! Do you know how long that is???– A child born in 1992 would be old enough, by now, to be arrested for attending a birthday party! Pah!

We will do nothing when Political parties squabble over naming / renaming a bridge which took 9 painfully long, years to build, because of their own apathy.

We will not so much as murmur when its long awaited opening is delayed and timed, just so a certain 'Party Combo' can claim credit.

As for the protesting Political Parties… where were they when the project was delayed for so long? Wasn’t it a blow to their pride / asmita then? Why didn’t they threaten agitation and dharnas then?

After all this, if the voters of this state are still not smart enough to see through this ruse, then they deserve the government they choose.

Jai Hind!

DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE!

2009-06-30T01:37:00.007+05:30

Dashing the hopes of thousands of people belonging to various gay rights groups in India, Union Law Minister, Veerappa Moily did an about turn and declared he had never said he’d repeal section 377 (This section of the IPC treats sex between same sex adults a crime, even if consensual) and claimed he had been “misinterpreted”.

Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad came out with a really strange comment “we must have a debate… regarding positive and negative results of homosexuality”.

Maybe the government is afraid of antagonising various religious groups which are dead against homosexuality. I guess they are a bigger vote bank than the gay voters. At this rate, nothing will change till more people (even straight ones) come out in support of scrapping this ghisa-pita-holier-than-thou law.

Yahoo! The Bandra-Worli sea link is finally opening for the aam aadmi today. This bridge which took an agonising 10 long years to make and cost Rs. 1600 Crores, has made it possible to reach Worli Naka from Bandra in under 10 minutes.

On second thoughts, pooh! What a colossal waste of money! Could have made at least 16000 statues of Chief Ministers and other netas with that much dough.

Caught an interview of Rakhi Sawant, talking about her ‘Swayamwar’ show on a television channel. “Myself Rakhi” she announces “My sasural wallas are going to be very happy. Main Roti, Daal, Laukhi, Dhoodhi, Gajar… Halwa....... sab bana sakti hoon” she promises, then breaks into a song, off key....... “Bura hai bala hai jaisa bhi hai… mera pati mera devta hai”.
I’m sure this show will be a hit with Aunties.

Speaking of Annu Malik… this Sunday, HT Brunch, ran a touching story on his struggle and how after 30 years in the industry, he still does not feel respected. “Tell me, why is it that people don’t respect me?... why do they act surprised when they find that I have composed a good song?... is it the way I dress?... the way I talk?”, he asks interviewer, Mr Vir Sanghvi.

Made me feel really sorry for the guy. Maybe it’s the way he breaks into a song at the drop of a hat. Makes it a bit difficult to take him seriously then.....

What do you guys think?

GONE TOO SOON

2009-06-27T18:34:00.003+05:30

Michael Jackson is a perfect example of what childhood abuse can do.

All that early fame, beatings, lack of proper childhood, resulted in a lost little boy, with terribly low self-esteem, so far removed from reality, that he could identity with the alien in the movie, ET.

My heart goes out to the poor little boy in Michael, who never grew up, never GOT to grow up.

He didn’t build Neverland because he was a pedophile and wanted to prey on kids (for that he did not have to spend 28 Million Dollars).

He built Neverland because the child in him, wanted a beautiful world to escape to. He couldn’t quite understand the adult world, and look what hanging out with the kids did to him!

It is so sad, the most famous man in the world never found true love.

One of the most talented men in the world, who reached such mammoth heights of adulation, spent the last years of his life alone, jeered, derided and ridiculed. (Stand-up comedians made a career out of taking pot-shots at him).

The man whose music made hundreds of millions of dollars, died broke and most probably of a broken heart. He had lost all faith - in himself, his fans, his country and even his religion.

Fly away Michael! Go to God! In His arms you will be safe… finally.

I love you…

WHEN IN FRANCE DO AS THE FRENCH DO!

2009-06-26T00:27:00.007+05:30

So! Another Indian attacked down under. Eh?

Darn it! Yeh Australians toh haath dho kar peeche pad gaye hain hum Indians ke.

Of course, we Indians are no strangers to discrimination and racism in our own country.

Some of us don’t think twice about overcharging/fleecing the white guy and leering at the white woman.

Either that or we bend backwards to please them. And lets admit it, most of us are openly distrustful of Africans.

A couple of days back Hindustan Times ran a tri- part series on discrimination in our city, which reminded me of what I had personally gone through a couple of years back.

I was returning from Joggers park in Bandra and saw a store (famous for their carpets) display a 70% off sign. Still in my sweats, I just walked in.

The store was empty except for a woman at the cash counter talking to a well dressed white woman. Since I couldn’t make out which items were on sale, I asked the lady at the counter if they had any curtains on sale.

At first she ignored me and carried on talking to the foreigner.

A minute later when it seemed that she was not about to help me, I interrupted her saying “Excuse me”, ‘Yes” she sharply turned and looked at me as a though a trifle irritated. “Could you tell me if the curtains are on sale?” I asked.

“Yes they are” she answered curtly before turning to resume her conversation with the white lady (who was being told, where else she can shop, for what, in Colaba).

I meekly went to the lone salesman and asked him to show me some curtain fabric. When I asked for more than one sample, (I had to match them to the upholstery at home) he told me “Ask madam”.

Reluctantly I went back to the lady at the counter, who was still talking to the white lady and was very enthusiastically answering all her queries, her head bobbing up and down and smiling so hard, I could almost hear her cheek muscles creak.

Again she pointedly ignored me till I butted in. “Excuse me, but could you give me some more samples?”.

‘No m’am’ she said stressing on the ‘m’am’ in a most unfriendly tone. “We do not give more than one sample!”.

“Please!” I beseeched. “Oh! OK!” she said, rolling her eyes and told her bored attendant “sample de doh”.

Her tone, body language and expressions were such a contrast to the way she was talking to this gora lady that I was maha pi_ _ _ d off.

“What is your name?” I asked her. “Arva! why?” she demanded, almost hostile now.

Just at that very moment a burqa-clad lady walked in with a man. They seemed to be of West-Asian origin.

A funny expression came over Madam Arva’s face.

Hurriedly she beckoned her salesman who, (till now too busy to help me) almost jumped up and started walking behind the couple, scrutinizing their every move closely and with suspicion.

Every time the browsing couple stopped, he’d almost bump into them. Faced with such unfriendly behavior they soon left.

This obnoxious and blatant discrimination made me so angry I could scarcely breathe.

Within a span of barely twenty minutes, three different people, from different backgrounds, all customers, had been treated so different, by the same person.

The white woman was fawned upon like a queen, the brown woman had at first been ignored and then tolerated like a pesky fly and the poor burqa-clad woman with partner had been treated with suspicion and dislike.

Like I said we Indians are no strangers to our own desi brand of racism.

I never went back to that store. I never will.

Speaking of burqas………..while I disagree with the French President’s definition of what a burqa stands for, I think that just like a white woman in Saudi Arabia would not be able to practice her liberal sense of dressing or even her religion, similarly, if the French do not want their Muslim citizens to wear a burqa, is it really that bad?

When in France, do as the French do…

Au revoir!!

A SCALPEL IS A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND

2009-06-23T00:31:00.015+05:30

Remember,Victoria Beckham had breast implants put in ? (SILI BOOBS,I call them!)

Well, she has gone in for a breast reduction.

Cosmetic Surgery is as common among celebrities, as changing socks are, for us regular folks.

Even Hollywood's favorite, Angelina Jolie was not born the way she looks now!

For that, she underwent the surgeon's scalpel and had a nose job,which in my opinion turned out pretty well.

Now, talking about back home, if I remember correctly, Rakhi Sawant had her implants removed too. “They come in the way when I dance”
she complained.

One thing I like about Rakhi, at least she is honest about her cosmetic surgeries unlike our other desi celebs.

Aside from Shilpa Shetty and Koena Mitra, everyone pretends everything’s natural.

Nothings been touched,pruned, tweaked, plumped or 'PERKED UP.'

Maybe they WERE born with it,coz it sure as hell ain't Maybelline.

People disappear for a couple of months and come back with forever surprised expressions, frozen faces, bigger boobs, thinner noses, plumper lips and get outraged if you so much as whisper SCALPEL.

See these pictures carefully and decide for yourself !!

Above are pictures of Esha Deol before and after regular visits to the surgeon.

Kareena and Karisma Kapoor's 'before and after' photos below, speak for themselves.

If a picture speaks a thousand words words, then boy, do these speak a million!

Seen Celina Jaitley lately?

She is the latest one to hop on to the cosmetic surgery bandwagon.

Though I bet she will deny it till she is blue in the er, nose.

I don’t know how they can issue such denials with a straight face,must be the Botox (seriously they must think we are morons!!)

More importantly, the self control displayed by the journos interviewing them is WOW.

Because if a Minisha Llamba said ‘what nose job?’ to me, I’d fall off my chair/stool laughing. HONEST!

Coming to a completely different topic, heard Will Smith’s petite wife, Jada Pinkett Smith is giving advice to couples on how to jazz up their sex life.

‘Be sneaky’ she says, ‘your girlfriends house, his office… anything to keep the flame alive’

Now,really! If you have to try THAT hard….

Hey! I have a better idea on how to spice up your sex life Instantly!

Forget about changing your look,clothes, cologne/perfume, positions, locations, lingerie etc…

JUST CHANGE YOUR PARTNER.

Ain't nothing gonna spice up your sex life like that.

And remember… you heard it here first.

Halleluiah! It’s rainin’. The heat is gone!

I’m a little cold, sitting at Carter road, eatin steamin hot momos and soup.

People, I’m telling ya… Tis the simple things in life…

Ciao.

Lijiye, gai bhains paani mein…

2009-06-20T00:58:00.011+05:30

Only 10% seats in Junior colleges in Maharashtra for non SSC students.

The government has gone and passed a resolution okaying 90% seat reservation quota for SSC students, (knowing fully well the courts are going to throw it out).

Then why do it? Arre baba it’s obvious!

Our Politicians really care for and love the local board students and do not want them to be short changed in any way.

I mean look at the SSC Board… their exams are so tough, difficult to score in… with a such a vast syllabus. These helpless children study so hard and get no marks.

And these ICSE/CBSE students! bah! They don’t study at all… their syllabus is so simple, so small and very easy to score in.

How dare they get such high marks?

(Bahut bey insafi hai yeh!)

Obviously it is only just and fair that only 90% JC seats be kept for SSC boards.

Let these ICSE/CBSE boards be content with 10%.

Anybody who questions this, and calls the Government populist with an eye on the forthcoming assembly polls is a CYNIC and a STATE DROHI!

Certain Media reports say Shiney was groped in his cell. Very upsetting, that !!

Also some sections of the media are claiming that the victim is allegedly in love with Shiney.

Hmmm........ Makes me wonder.....

Hope this case does not end up like the Aarushi murder case

arrests where, by the time the father got bail, he had been tried by

the media, fired from his job and ostracized by his friends and peers.

Anybody notice the police is always ready to jump and arrest celebrities and ordinary citizens but maha reluctant to even question politicians.

Recently the body of a 7-8 year old girl was found in a Politician’s car, with injury marks on it.

The parents screamed Bloody murder and rape. But it took the cops more than a week to even file an FIR.

Now if the car has belonged to a celebrity, he would have been 'Andar' before one could shout Jack Robinson.

Samjhey? Samajne waale samaj gaye.

Jo na samjhe, woh _ _ _ _ _ hai.

Kya hai?

Anari hai. Aur kya?

Dirty vulgar minds............. think like me ;0)

2009-06-18T11:54:00.002+05:30

Did he? Didn’t he? – of course he didn’t.

There is no way Shiney Ahuja raped his maid. How do I know?

I just do. Saw his wife Anupam’s press conference.

Apart from all the “I stand by my man” statements, she refused to say anything else, saying the matter is subjudice. (If you cannot say anything… why call for a press conference?) She said rape can be committed by a woman!!!

That one had me flummoxed! How does a woman rape a man?

Could some one tell me how and then er, help me get Brad Pitt in a room…alone?

Gotcha! Kidding Yaar! Mazaak kar ria hoon!

My 3 ½ year old kid, Johnathan, does not know Shiney’s name. But when the news channels flash his pictures, he points to the TV and yells.....

“Mamma – Naa jaane koi, Kaisee hai yeh zindagani….”

Funny Johnathan should say that because just two days before he was born, we were having dinner at the Marriott, Juhu and spotted Shiney enjoying a quiet coffee with his wife.

This was before 'Gangster'. 'Hazaron Khwaishe' had been released and I like everybody else had loved it.

So a heavily pregnant me waddled over to their table, introduced myself and said how I loved him in the movie… vagerah vagerah.

He politely stood up and pleasantly chatted with my husband and I, and wished me a very safe delivery.

I know this was a very brief interaction, but an actor as intense and sincere as him cannot do something soooo cheap. Not possible.

This is not some tharki pot bellied uncle who came on to the under aged maid.

This is a good guy, a good father and a bloody good looking actor.

He didn’t need to maul no maid. Any starlet would have willingly slept with him.

This daal seems kala men!

See ya!